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.
Ranae~In response to your thank you: 'No problem'. Anyway, the Marauders, with the exception of Remus, have already been established as Animagi by Rowling: Sirius as a dog (Padfoot) James as a stag (Prongs), and Peter as a rat (Wormtail). I won't have Buffy and Lily be Animagi as well. I'm trying to accentuate their various strengths and weaknesses in magic.
Also, I want to address something about Buffy and her studies at Hogwarts. Some writers like to portray Buffy as a dumb blonde, which is the opposite of what Joss had intended. I've always thought Buffy was quite intelligent, however slaying was her largest priority (with school being last). Face it, she was babied in the earlier seasons, a consequence of being an only child…and I speak from experience. I can't help but wonder if Dawn really existed in the first four seasons, would Buffy have been the same? Probably not, in my opinion. I've always imagined the wizarding world as being a place where you 'grow up' after finishing your education, wherever that may be. The graduates of Hogwarts are mature witches and wizards, with adult lives. I imagine the Marauders, Lily, and Buffy (as well as others their age) to be far more mature than their muggle counter-parts, which will show in the later chapters.
Ok, someone asked for it, so here goes. I have this idea for a West Wing/BtVS crossover, but I soooooo don't want to write it. Here's the premise: the Watcher's Council was never destroyed completely, just "downsized"-so to speak. Zoey has been kidnapped (this would take place around the last episode of last season and the first episode of this season) and President Bartlett did not temporarily step down. More on the Buffy side: only the high school, where the Hellmouth is located, was decimated and the Potentials are only Potentials (they became Slayers temporarily-this is due to my serious issues with Chosen). Here's the crossover: what if the Council offered the Slayer's (Buffy) services to rescue Zoey? In my mind, it would be some plot by the Council-those sneaky bastards! I only make a few requests: no Spuffy (in case someone let's Spike live) and Quentin Travers MUST be alive. If anyone wants to take the idea and run with it-GO! If not, then maybe I'll write it after all…But now I have another story to write, so here's the next chapter!
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Chapter 4
Hogwarts
"Hey there, James! How was practice," Buffy asked, throwing her books to the floor beside her.
The gang was seated in their usual place in the common room, avidly studying and working on their latest assignments. Spending more time doodling on her parchment, Buffy was relieved for the distraction of James entering Gryffindor Tower. Every night the past week, James and the rest of the Quidditch team had been throwing themselves into their practices. Gryffindor had narrowly lost the Quidditch Cup the past year to Ravenclaw and James, as Captain and star Chaser, was determined to win it back. Her friend had tried to get her to try out for the team earlier in the year, however Buffy wasn't too sure about the whole flying thing-'No, I'm more Pedestrian-girl,' she thought to herself as she looked down at her half written Potions essay. Frowning, she noticed the various ink stains around it, one distinctly in the shape of a heart. And were those the initials SB inside it? Groaning, she crumpled the object in a ball and tossed it into the fire beside her.
"I'm never gonna get this done," she grumbled as she laid her head on the open book in front of her. The book which just happened to belong to the girl beside her, Lily.
"Well in that case, I think we need a break," said James, laying his Nimbus beside the chair he occupied.
"We," scoffed Lily. "There's no we. You've been off playing Quidditch. Everyone else has been doing their work."
Laughing as James pelted Lily with Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Buffy noticed as a few of the candies missed their intended target, one hitting a red-headed second year on the back of the head.
"Sorry about that Bill," James apologized, trying not to laugh as the boy turned around.
"'S okay, James," he grinned. "Guess I'll go upstairs and look forward to another fun-filled practice tomorrow morning," he joked as more beans were thrown in his wake.
"Tomorrow morning? You're one hard Captain, James," remarked Sirius as he picked up one of the pieces of candy from the floor. Studying it for a few seconds, he began to raise it to his mouth, noticing the look of disgust on Buffy's face.
"Eeewww. Sirius, that's just-eeewww."
Popping the candy into his mouth, he raised his eyebrows and began to smile. The smile was short-lived, however, as he coughed and spit the object out onto the floor by his feet. As the rest of the group laughed at his predicament, which the comment of 'lint' intensified, Sirius gulped down the glass of water beside him.
"Serves you right for eating stuff from the floor," Lily commented, still laughing.
"Hahaha…Laugh it up-all of you! All at my expense."
"Aaawww…poor Sirius," Buffy said, brushing an invisible tear from her eye. At the black haired boy's stare, she allowed a small smile and wink. 'I'm flirting! I'm flirting with Sirius,' she thought to herself. 'Like riding a bike.'
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Sunnydale
Clutching the piece of wood in her hand, the slayer sighed as she looked at the cemetery around her. Her watcher beside her, she allowed her body to relax and her mind to focus on the task at hand. She needed to think. This was her future. Looking up at her watcher's hard stare, she resigned herself to her fate.
"'B'. I'm going with 'B'. We haven't had 'B' in forever."
"This is the SATs, Faith, not connect-the-dots. Please pay attention. A low score could seriously harm your chances of getting into college," Giles replied with an exasperated sigh.
"Gee, thanks. That takes the pressure right off."
"This isn't meant to be easy, you know. It's a rite of passage."
"Well, is it too late to join a tribe where they just pierce something or cut something off? Hey! I did that Slayerfest-thing! Doesn't that count," Faith asked.
"Faith, please concentrate. There isn't much time until you take this exam. In between helping you with this, keeping up your training, and figuring out who was behind yours and Cordelia's ordeal, time is extremely limited," Giles said. As he looked at his young charge, he noticed her attention had already wandered. "Faith, you must-"
"Move," the dark haired Slayer exclaimed as she jumped up from the blanket and books surrounding her.
Launching over the gravestone in front of her, Faith kicked the vampire onto his back. She pushed his legs up, thus forcing him to back roll away from her. The vampire, now standing, attempted to punch her, but missed. Her own punch was blocked, but Faith easily ducked the next attack towards her. Straightening, she roundhouse kicked the vamp in the side, and managed to duck the oncoming roundhouse. Facing her, he punched at her face, only to be blocked. He brought his free hand up once more, but the Slayer smashed her forearm down, blocking it. Tightening her hold on her weapon, Faith took her pencil and stabbed the vampire in the chest. As he tuned to dust, she strolled back to the blanket. Looking at her makeshift stake, she attempted a frown.
"Oops. I broke my Number 2. Guess we'll have to do this again some," Faith was interrupted by her Watcher placing a fresh pencil in front of her face.
"C) All systems tend towards chaos," he said simply, looking at her over his glasses.
"Damn."
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Hogwarts
"My hand's cramping from all those bloody lines," James exclaimed, shaking the appendage as he left Professor Sprout's office. Looking at the group assembled as he and Sirius exited the room. "But it was worth it," he added, smirking and nudging his companion. The two erupted in laughter.
"You're lucky that's all the two of you got," Remus said, despite the growing smile on his face.
"Hey! We were only defending ourselves," James protested.
"So you were completely innocent?"
Rolling his eyes at Buffy's question, James opened his mouth to speak. However, Sirius was too fast.
"Somebody had to stop those gits' comments. They were the lucky ones."
"Oh so you were defending my honor," Buffy asked sweetly. "It's not like Lily and I can't take care of ourselves."
"Oh yeah? Well, why didn't ya'?"
Sighing Buffy turned around to face Sirius and James. "As much as I liked to, I couldn't just go all Rambo-like on Malfoy's and Snape's asses. Does it make you feel any better that I twisted Lucius's arm pretty hard, breaking the four of you up?"
Seeing her answer on their faces, she shook her head and resumed walking up the flight of stairs. Peter and Remus moved to walk with the two boys while Lily joined Buffy's side.
"Course, it was sweet. Right Lily," she asked, nudging her friend. The only response she got was a glare.
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The group had finished their work early and decided to pack it in for the night. Buffy, stretched out on her four-poster bed, looked across as Lily folded her uniform. 'Neat,' she thought. 'With a capital T.' Sometimes, her friend's antics reminded of her another redhead. Shaking her head, she thought about the day's events. Giggling as she remembered, Buffy looked at Lily, now lying in her own bed.
"He likes you ya' know," Lily whispered, looking to her side to make sure she didn't disturb Artemisia and Morgan, the other girls asleep. Buffy and Lily had passed their other roommate, Elizabeth, in the common room, lip-locked with her on-again off-again boyfriend, Jason. As a pajama-clad Buffy walked over to sit beside her, Lily smiled knowingly.
Settling herself on the lush, dark duvet, Buffy tried her best to look innocent. "Who?"
"Oh come on! You know who," Lily responded. 'It's payback time,' she thought to herself.
"Lily, I just…I just…oh I don't know," the other girl said. Catching the pillow Lily threw at her she continued. "You know what happened with Angel. I just don't think I'm ready for anything. And you're one to talk," Buffy began, desperately trying to change the subject. "Come on! Spill. You like James, huh?"
Blushing furiously, Lily looked down. "Well…okay! Okay, I admit it. I'm pathetic," she cried covering her face with her other pillow. Peeking out from underneath the object she squinted to see Buffy's face. Buffy's smiling face. "Buff? Come on! Tell me I need help, I-I-I need to see Madame Pomfrey…Something!"
"Why? I think it's great! You like James. James likes you. Imagine the possibilities," she grinned wickedly.
"Really? He likes me," Lily asked uncertainly. "We've bickered for so long. We're practically at each other's throats incessantly. Why would he like me?"
"Duh! Look at you, Lil. You're pretty, smart, funny. If he didn't like you, why would he hang out with you all the time? 'Sides he checks you out when you're not looking. Yup, definite chemistry. Face it, you and James are a real life Sam and Diane," Buffy explained. Upon noticing Lily's confusion she shrugged. "American TV, never mind."
"Maybe. Still, I'd feel kinda silly bringing it up with him. I mean, we've been friends for so long. Speaking of 'checking out', that's why Sirius beat up Lucius Malfoy earlier today."
"There's something wiggy about that guy. Him and Snape. I just can't place it. 'Course it could be all their sneering," she shrugged, not dwelling on the subject. "So, Sirius defended me and James defended you-face it we're two damsels in distress!"
Giggling quietly, Buffy lifted herself off of the bed. Turning back around to face her friend, she tried to best formulate her question. "Do you really think I'm ready?"
Smiling softly as laid her head on her pillow, Lily looked into her best friend's eyes. "You'll never know if you don't try."
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Sunnydale
"And your friend," Mayor Richard Wilkins asked.
The well-dressed vampire, Trick, answered. "Paid him. The man did his job. No reason to burn that bridge."
"This didn't turn out the way I had planned."
Where's the downside? You just got yourself one less demon you have to pay tribute to. The way I see it, I did you a favor," the man said looking at his employer.
Smiling, Mayor Wilkins responded. "I guess you did." Putting his hands on Trick's shoulders, he leaned in close to his ear. "In the future... I'd be very careful how many favors you do for me."
The vampire stared back coldly.
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"It was just too much to deal with. It was like nothing made sense anymore. The things that I thought I understood were gone. I just felt... so alone," Faith explained walking outside of Sunnydale High School.
Giles, walking alongside of her, squinted in the sun. "Was that the math or the verbal," he asked looking to his right.
Faith responded. "Mostly the math."
"Well, if you scored low, then you can take them again," he began, his eyes softening in sympathy.
"More SATs," sighed Faith. "Is there really a point? I could die before I even apply to college."
"Ugh! College, do we have to think about that," interrupted Xander as the rest of the gang stood outside of the building. "I know I'm not gonna be going anywhere. Not after that nightmare."
"You mean the SATs? Or last night," Willow asked.
"Tell me about it! I mean, my favorite skirt-stretched! There's not way it fits me now. Not to mention the horror of seeing you're mother wearing your clothes," Cordelia stated, disgust on her face.
"Yeah well guys. As much as I'd like to continue the therapy session, we have lockers to clean," Oz nodded towards the front doors of the school.
The other four students groaned in response and all five stomped back inside the building to carry out their 'punishment'.
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Okay, there's Chapter 4. For some reason, this was really hard to write. I think it's because not much happens, just some things to move the time along. Hopefully you've enjoyed it. If not, I promise that the next chapter will be better. *Danielle checks Outline* Yes, definitely better! This week is going to be Hell for me, but I'm going to try my best to write in between studying, writing a paper, and doing regular work. I figure Friday at the latest (I'll force myself if I have to).
If you didn't already know, I've used some dialogue from the BtVS episode Band Candy. Some dialogue has been reworded. I'm going to try to stay somewhat close to both canons, so I'll be referencing other episodes as I go. Final note: Extra Credit (a shout-out) to whomever guesses the correct identities of the four 'made-up' characters. Thank you for being so patient for this and your kind words!