Author: opalrose81
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Harry Potter, but I have my fingers crossed that I'll get one of them for my birthday. Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon, while Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Summary: This starts off using the events of season 2, episode 22 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Becoming II). I've changed the ending obviously, but here's the general idea: Angelus never gets his soul back, forcing Buffy to send him to Hell, not Angel. However, he takes her on his little journey. Instead of ending up in Hell, Buffy finds herself in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, among others, are beginning their seventh year.
Standard Author's Note: See earlier chapters. Those of you playing the home game…I have consolidated Chapter 2 into one full chapter on FF.net, rather than
the three separate chapters I had originally. Some people have been confused because of this-don't worry about it. Everything is as it should be. With that said,
this is the real Chapter 3-so says my massive outline. All hail The Outline! *Danielle bows down to its infinite power*
Story Proving My "Idiocy": Well, last weekend I was studying my ass off for this test on Monday morning. I even pulled an all-nighter the night before. Anyway, I walked into the classroom and maybe 60-70 % of the class is there. I found out that the test was moved to this coming Monday! Ugh! All that work for nothing. Of course, by that time class had started and we're not supposed to leave (it's frowned upon). I still can't believe this test which is 1/3 of our final grade was postponed a WHOLE week! Of course, if I had gone to class anytime the week before, I probably would have found that out…but I digress.
Notes to Reviewers:
Catlimere~Your kind reviews have just made me smile. I can't thank you enough, especially for your comments on Spike. I wasn't too sure about how well I wrote him; he's tricky…not to mention his speech is hard for me to write (I like to speak correct English).
JuJuBee1~You totally cracked me up! My only response is this: General Hospital must be rubbing off on me…
Anne-Janet~I definitely agree with liking Spike in the later seasons…so he's not really going anywhere.
Jeanne~The Harry Potter universe does have particular dates, but one of the things I've always like about the series is that the wizarding world seems to revolve outside a traditional timeline. There aren't really references to pop-culture or anything that could specifically date it, so you could almost imagine the events occurring in the past or future. This is just a what-if: the events of Buffy happening at the same time as the Marauders going to school. No time travel…Hope that helped you to understand
Ranae~*blushes at words* Thank you very much! In regards to what you wrote about time discrepancy here goes…Well, in Episode 12 of Season 1 (Prophecy Girl), Buffy was bitten by the Master. While I don't think a lot of blood was drained from her (compared to when Angel bit her in Graduation Part 2), enough was taken to weaken her, thus drowning in a pool of water. I've always assumed she would have some scar, even though it was never shown (Joss could kind of screw up on details). I never wrote that Angelus bit her, but if he did, then any markings wouldn't be "fresh". Buffy has been in Hell for roughly 3 months…yes she was bruised and bloodied when she arrived at Hogwarts, but none of her injuries were from her fight with Angelus. I hope that clears up any problems.
And to everyone else…Thank You! You guys have been so sweet…I was really nervous about starting this story, and I still am because I don't want to disappoint any one of you. However, it's easier to sit at my computer and work on this with all of you being super-supportive.
Also, I just want to say that Angel WON'T be coming back. If he did, then he'd be Angelus anyway. So, Angel/Angelus is partying in Hell. Later, there's going to be some Buffy-Sirius stuff happening, but I don't think they're going to be together just yet (as much I want them too). Off topic, but how about Christian Bale as the new Batman! I love him! Ever since I saw Newsies…Another "Yum!"…Ok, enough. Here's the next chapter-Enjoy!
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Chapter 3
Hogwarts
Almost a week had past since the gang had ventured to Hogsmeade. However, the time seemed much longer. Essays, practicals, and various assignments piled up one after another, never really allowing the Gryffindors time to hang out and have fun. Of course, Buffy assumed being a senior at Sunnydale wouldn't be much different. Well, except for the magic, which really was a BIG difference. Earlier in the day, Professor Dumbledore had called her into his office to talk. At first, Buffy thought she was in trouble, considering her track record with authority, but it soon became clear what the wise headmaster wanted to discuss.
In a soft and gentle voice, Dumbeldore had brought up the topic of Buffy's past. Spending all of her time with Lily and the guys, Buffy wasn't too uncomfortable with talking about Sunnydale and L.A. He had listened intently and after a few comforting words, Professor Dumbledore made a suggestion: write to her friends and family back at home. Which is what she was currently doing.
Picking up her quill and dipping it into the inkwell, Buffy could only imagine the faces of her friends when they would see this. 'Not to mention when they see Artemis deliver it,' she thought to herself. James's pet owl, Artemis, was a beautiful snowy white, with wide eyes. His parents had bought the animal back when James was first accepted to Hogwarts and as James's 'sister' (he adopted her a couple of days ago), Artemis had taken it upon herself to deliver anything for Buffy. What was she going to say? 'Hey. How's it going? I got sucked into Hell and came back to this school in England. And to top it off, they use magic!' Oh yeah, that'd go over real well. If they believed it was she in the first place, they'd probably send her to the loony bin. Again. Well, might as well give it a shot.
Dear Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Oz,
Okay. Before you freak, I should probably let you guys know I'm all right. And I am. I'm in England. The land of you, Giles. There's this school called Hogwarts. It's a magic school…pretty weird huh? Anyway, the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, told me when I got here that I was a witch. He kind of invited me to stay and study magic here. Which is what I'm doing. I'm pretty good too…go figure. I never thought I'd do the school thing, but here I am. I know I've only been here a couple of months, but I'm enjoying myself. I still miss all of you guys, though.
Which brings me to why I'm writing you. Some stuff happened and I've managed to deal with it-I think. Even though I'm here, I still really miss all of you. I can't say how sorry I am for disappointing you- especially you, Giles. You're probably wondering when I'm coming back to Sunnydale…well, I'm not. At least, not right now. I don't think I'm ready to go back just yet. I'm so sorry. If you feel like writing back, then just attach your letter to the owl's, Artemis, leg. She'll know what to do after that. I miss you guys so much and when I get everything straight in my head, I'll see you all!
Love,
Buffy
P.S.-Giles, if you see Mom…tell her I love her.
Putting down her quill, Buffy read the words over, slightly blowing on the parchment to dry the ink. God, how stupid she sounded. All she could say was 'Sorry'? 'You haven't seen or spoken to them since May, they probably hate you now,' she thought to herself. Everything she wanted to tell them, all the words, seemed to fly out the window as soon as she began to write. She didn't want to write to her friends, she wanted to see her friends. But she couldn't go back to Sunnydale, and it wasn't as if the gang could easily leave the Hellmouth to come see her. No, it was better this way, at least for now.
There was also something troubling her, something that Dumbledore didn't even know about: the nightmares. Whenever Buffy would close her eyes, an overwhelming sense of despair would seep into her, growing until her soul practically ached. Brief images would flash in her mind, but she couldn't get a grasp of what they were. She had an idea, though: Hell. The feelings were so familiar, as if they were real. And Buffy could only assume that they were. The pain would be blinding until, as soon as she awoke, they were gone. Since she had arrived at Hogwarts, Buffy hardly got any sleep. She was constantly restless and when she did try to rest, she was haunted by her past demons. Thank God for super-powers, at least. If Buffy wasn't the slayer, she would seriously think about trying drugs.
Desperately looking up at the stairwell leading to her bed, Buffy folded up her letter and sealed it in an envelope. Carrying her books up the stairs, she placed everything near her bed, noticing the small figure perched outside the window. Quietly opening the latch and allowing Artemis to enter the room, she quickly tied the note to the owl's leg. Whispering directions, she watched as the bird flew off into the distance, her eyes never leaving the flying object. Quickly shedding her robes, replacing them with her pajamas, she pulled back the covers to her four-poster bed and allowed herself to be ensconced in its comfort and warmth. With a silent plea to whatever powers watching over her, she could only hope that tonight-this one night-she wouldn't be plagued by the horrifying nightmares.
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One Morning
As Buffy sat herself in the desk beside Peter, she laid her essay on the table. Two parchments filled on the proper way to defeat a chimaera. What made the essay so difficult was that it had to be the wizarding way. If she ever came upon a chimaera-and she hoped not-she'd give it a good ass kicking. She wouldn't need a wand. Of course, Buffy didn't think Professor Fortesia would appreciate her answer. Sighing, she took out her quill and wand-one was never sure what they'd be studying today-and prepared for the class.
"Good morning students," the dark haired man began. "I have graded your previous essays and I must say, they are extremely lacking. Therefore, today we shall review the basics in defense."
As the professor proceeded with his lecture, he passed back the stack of parchments. Most of the papers were so covered in the dreaded red ink, they looked as if they were bleeding. Looking over James's shoulder in front of her, she noticed that his was one of the better grades. 'I couldn't have done too worse than that,' she thought to herself. 'We all worked together on it,' she added as her parchment was handed back to her. Looking at the top corner, she was pleasantly surprised. She didn't just do as well as James, she did better! Written under her grade was a small note: 'Outstanding work Miss Summers'. Passing the paper to her two classmates in front of her, she sat back and allowed a grin to come to her face.
"Hey! How'd you get this," whispered the bespectacled boy as he turned around to face her.
"But we copied all of the important stuff off of you," added Sirius. "Why would we our grades be so different?"
"Maybe that's the answer to your question," added Remus, nodding his head to the front of the room where the professor was standing.
"As I have been saying, a review in basic defense is necessary. Most of you would be lucky to pass your N.E.W.T.S at this stage. And I shall not stand for one failure. I could spend this entire class instructing you, however, I believe it would be best to dive into the material. Seeing as you are all seventh years, I would be correct in surmising that you are all familiar with a boggart? As I have spent the last days critiquing your essays, I could be wrong, but-for my sake-let's just assume I am not. A boggart: one of the simplest creatures to defend yourself against. Hidden in this closet I have procured one for your benefit. Now, if you would all line up along this wall, I want each of you to perform the correct spell, one at a time. Well, hurry up now."
With that said, the class followed his orders, most of the group rolling their eyes in annoyance. Positioning herself between Remus and Peter, Buffy was felt nervous. Professor Dumbledore and her had gone over what a boggart was, as well as the spell to fight one with. She had just never seen one. In fact, Buffy wasn't sure what a boggart looked like. Deciding to follow the lead of her fellow classmates, she leaned against the cold stone wall and prepared to observe those in front of her.
The first couple of students the creature faced went by somewhat quickly, however, some seemed to take longer than others. It wasn't the spell that so difficult, Buffy surmised, it was getting past whatever the creature changed into. Some of the transformations were little: a spider or a rat. Some not so, like a mummy. Watching each student face their worst fears, Buffy couldn't help but be reminded of the time in Sunnydale when their nightmares became real. As she remembered that incident, she was suddenly struck with fear. When it came to be her turn, what would the boggart change into? Luckily, Buffy didn't have much time to think about it, as Professor Fortisia dismissed the class. With a sigh she didn't notice Remus quickly walk to the other side of the room, or that she was suddenly directly in front of the boggart.
"Hello lover," it sneered, taking on the face of Angelus.
Gasping, Buffy began to raise her wand, but the shape changed, taking her by surprise again.
"Did you really think you could best me," whispered the Master as he stepped closer to the stunned Slayer. "You may have defeated me once, but Hell-"
"Riddkulus," interrupted Professor Fortesia. Momentarily stunning the creature, he shoved it back into the closet, making sure to lock it tightly. Looking down at the young girl, worriedly asked, "Are you all right, Miss Summers?"
Feeling a hand grasp her shoulder, Buffy turned sharply to be met by the worried gaze of Sirius. As he opened his mouth to speak, she hurriedly whispered, "I'm fine." And ran out of the room. It wasn't until she could feel the sunlight on her face that she allowed herself to stop and sit.
The strange thing was, it wasn't whom the boggart transformed into. No, she seemed to be over the whole Angelus-thing…and she could care less about the Master. It was what was said. Hell…she lived it every night, and the one time when she could feel okay-totally ruined. Leaning back against the castle exterior, Buffy could make out footsteps behind her. Five footsteps.
"Buffy," Lily asked as she sat next to her friend. "What happened?"
"Lily? What are you doing here," she asked, opening her eyes to look at the red haired girl beside her.
"Divination let out early. I came to meet all of you, but all they said was that you ran off. Are you okay," she explained as she brushed a stray tear from Buffy's cheek.
Realizing she was crying, Buffy furiously wiped at her eyes. Sniffling, she smiled gratefully as James handed her a handkerchief.
"Yeah…yeah, I'm okay. It's just," she trailed off as she turned her face away from her friends.
"That was Angelus wasn't it," asked Remus as he sat on the steps below her. Looking up at the blonde, he tried to judge her reaction as the words were said. To his relief, there was none.
As Buffy nodded, James, Peter, and Sirius sat themselves around her, waiting for her to continue. Handing the handkerchief back to James, she smiled sadly.
"It was him, alright. And then the Master," she added, noticing the looks of recognition on her companions faces. "I don't know why that thing turned into him, he doesn't really scare me. Well," she amended, "his fashion sense is kinda freaky, but that's a whole 'nother issue."
"Maybe it's not him that you're scared of," whispered Peter. As Buffy, as well as the rest of the group, looked at him in confusion, he continued. "You said when you faced the Master that you died-"
"But only for a minute," Buffy interrupted, grumbling at the words 'died'.
"Yeah, but it was enough to Call a new Slayer, right? You've been dead…What I'm saying is that maybe it's not the Master you're afraid of, but death itself. I could be wrong," he hastily added, looking down at his shoes.
As silence came upon the small group, Buffy thought to herself. Could that be it? Could she really be afraid of death? She was the Slayer; she wasn't supposed to be scared of dying. She faced that every night. Thinking longer, she realized she also faced it every day. Who knew what could happen to her, or to her friends…No, death may be coming…or it may not. She really didn't know. And didn't someone say 'you shouldn't fear what you don't know'? God, since when did she become so philosophical? Shrugging, she noticed five pairs of eyes looking at her worriedly.
"Guys…I feel better. Really. Oh my God! Are we late for Potions," she asked as she quickly scrambled up the remaining steps to the hallway leading to the dungeons. Looking furiously around her, she was relieved when James placed her books and quill in her arms. Adjusting the objects, she smiled as conversation began amongst the group.
"Are you really okay," a voice whispered in her ear, breaking her concentration as she desperately tried to remember the potion they were supposed to be working on today. 'Thank God for Lily,' she thought to herself as she glanced at serious walking in step beside her.
"Believe it or not…Peachy, with a side of keen," Buffy answered as she looped her arm though his. "Come on Black, we gotta get you to class on time. You don't need another detention."
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That Night
"Polyjuice Potion, okay…leeches, boomslang skin, powdered bicorn horn, knotgrass, fluxweed picked during full moon, lacewing flies-Ugh! This is so boring!"
Over the few hours Buffy had been walking around the school grounds, she had begun to recite various potions and their ingredients. It was a bad sign for the night if she was thinking about schoolwork as she was slaying. Not that there was mush to slay, anyway. 'No, nothing tonight for Buffy.' She had already spent some time at Hagrid's, talking about nothing in particular and trying to politely refuse his 'cookies'. As she began to walk back towards the castle, Buffy's 'spidey-sense' went haywire. Feeling like she was being watched, she turned full circle, trying to discern any figures amongst the shadows. Standing in place for a few moments, she shrugged off the creepy feelings and headed back to the dorm and, more importantly, her bed.
Seeing the girl continue walking, Sirius let out his breath in relief. With James's invisibility cloak around him, he knew she wouldn't be able to see him…but she could sense him. For the past few nights, Sirius had been shadowing the Slayer as she strolled around the Hogwarts. Sure, he knew nothing would probably happen to her, but…If she was hurt, he didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself. He remembered James's face, especially the knowing smile, when he asked to borrow the object. His best friend had suggested he just tell the girl his feelings; to which Sirius said the same about Lily. That got James to shut up. But for how long? Buffy wasn't like any other girl he had met…he didn't think he could just go up to her and ask her out. It couldn't possibly that simple with her. Besides, what with the mess with her last boyfriend, Sirius doubted she'd ready to start a relationship. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.
Allowing Buffy to walk a few steps in front of him, Sirius continued his path to his own bed. He'd get a few hours of sleep before he's have to get up and study for his Transfiguration exam. Tomorrow was Halloween and with the feast that night, he knew he wouldn't get any work done. He hoped James, Remus, and Peter were asleep; otherwise they'd drive him crazy. Bloody hell, he was pathetic.
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Halloween
The day had been rather uneventful for Buffy and the rest of her friends. Yesterday's DADA class wasn't mentioned, much to Buffy's relief. She was thankful that the five of them had been the last students in the classroom-hopefully that would be the last time she ever thought that. No work due and no slaying. Thank God for Halloween! Seated between James and Peter at the Gryffindor table, she took a bite of her meal and looked up at the floating pumpkins above her. Were those bats? God, she hoped they stayed far away from her as possible.
"Artemis," James cried as the white owl placed herself between Buffy and her owner. "What you got there?"
Untying the small piece of paper from the bird's leg, he read the topmost line. Passing the parchment to his left, he looked at Buffy.
"It's for you. It's the first time you've got mail," he said, narrowing his eyes. "And just what were you using my owl for anyway?"
Buffy rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue in response. Reading her name, she recognized the handwriting. 'Giles,' she thought, a frown marring her face. Quickly wiping it away, she placed the small envelope next to her plate. She'd look at it after the feast. Maybe she'd look at it tomorrow. If she ignored it, it didn't exist. But looking down, it was very real. No, she'd finish dinner first, and then she'd read the letter.
It was almost as if time had slowed down. An hour or so had turned into days. Finally, Buffy had found a time to sit down and read the letter from her friends in Sunnydale. She had originally been so worried. What if they hated her? They might never have wanted to speak to her again. When reason seemed to take over, Buffy told herself that if they hated her, they just wouldn't write. But here it was…Ripping open the envelope, she pulled out the paper within. The paper covered in various styles of handwriting.
Buffy laughed over the gang's initial shock of her whereabouts, she cried when they said they missed her, she smiled wistfully when they talked about school…Amazing how one piece of paper could take you through an emotional roller coaster. Giles had written that he had heard of Hogwarts through the council (which would explain how he'd knew how to address the envelope) and he was relieved that she was okay. Willow wrote about school, being a senior and Oz's non-graduation. Xander had surprised Buffy when he said that he and Cordelia were still together. They also included information about her mother-she was happy, but reeling. Buffy could only imagine…You find out your daughter's the Slayer, she runs away, and top it off-she's a witch. Buffy could tell that her mother wasn't pleased that she wasn't coming home, but Giles implied that she'd deal. With all that, what shocked Buffy the most was the news of this new Slayer: Faith. The gang had said she was kind of like her, but Faith could never replace Buffy. When Buffy read those words from Willow, tears welled up in her eyes. It was like her and her friends here. They couldn't replace the Scooby gang, but they each held a similar place in her heart.
Smiling to herself, Buffy folded the letter and placed it back into its envelope. Puling out her quill and dipping it into the inkwell, she decided to write back. Now that she knew they'd be okay, Buffy decided to write back and tell them all about Hogwarts.
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Over the course of a week or so, a friendly correspondence was established between Hogwarts and Sunnydale. Buffy would write to home-with a few words from the gang at school-and in a couple days, she'd have a reply from everyone. In one of the last letters, Giles had said that her mother was planning on leaving Sunnydale for Christmas-something for the gallery, much to Buffy's disappointment. She had hoped to see her mother over the holidays and upset when she read that it wouldn't happen. It was Sirius who had the bright idea: invite her friends to Hogwarts. Earlier that day, Buffy had approached Professor Dumbledore and explained the situation. He seemed overjoyed that she had taken his advice and had extended a warm invitation for her friends to visit the school over the Christmas holidays. As soon as Buffy was given permission, she ran back to her room to write out her next letter. Buffy knew they'd accept. Xander wouldn't want to stay at home, Willow too. She wasn't sure about Oz or Cordelia, but the hardest person to convince would be Giles. He'd probably worry about the Hellmouth, but Buffy was certain she could win him over. 'Now, just how do you draw a pouty-face,' she thought to herself.
She didn't just want to see her friends, though. She needed to speak with them. More importantly-Giles. Each night, her nightmares had gotten worse. Except, this time they weren't about Hell, she was certain of that. No, they seemed to revolve around Sunnydale and the Hellmouth. As much as Buffy wanted to write to Giles about them, she couldn't. Every night she'd wake, gasping for breath…with no memory of what she saw. She could remember bits and pieces, though, and they weren't pretty. No, she definitely needed Giles. Sealing the parchment, Buffy made a mental note to venture out to the Owlery later.
First, she'd have to finish her latest essay for Charms. Glancing at her hourglass, she realized everyone would be waiting for her downstairs in the common room. Gathering her books and other supplies, she quickly ran down the steps to meet them. If she didn't do well on this assignment, her grade for the class would plummet. With the barely passing grade she would be getting in Potions (despite all of Lily's tutoring), Buffy couldn't afford to do poorly in another class. Especially if she wanted to prove to everyone back home that she had a future. Even if that future was in the wizarding world.
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Whew! This chapter was so hard to get out. I still don't think it's that great, but oh well! And it's a hell of a lot better than what I had written last night. The purpose of this chapter was to establish the reconnection of Buffy and Sunnydale, so dialogue wasn't really needed. Besides, my head's not really in the right place to write dialogue. Sorry…please forgive me *cue me kneeling before you, begging for mercy*. I'm starting on the fourth chapter, which should be better (I hope I didn't just jinx myself). Side note: I have an interesting idea for another story (BtVS/WW), but I don't feel like writing it. If any wants to know, I'll include it in a following chapter. Thanks for reading!