I just saw the Angel episode 'Hole in the World' which was sooo sad. I won't go into details in case some people haven't seen it but it made me sob it was so sad. I can't wait for next week's episode.
Thanks to:
ScruffyWes
Dreamer Child
Little-lost-one
Lexinator – just on my way to check out your fic…
Draco-FutureBF
Renna
Erak
Vampy the chosen one
Anne Marie
Wllw979
Charmedfanatic3000
Miz
Kyra2
Thorn of Blood – liked chapter 2 as well, nice view of Sirius. I agree about the Potions thing, I don't see Harry getting an O in the real thing. But I wanted him to be happy about the Auror thing so I gave him the good OWL results. It's not going to be a fic on him at Hogwarts too much so it doesn't matter what classes he has.
Chapter 18 – Bound by Love
"I'm coming with you," Harry repeated. "I'm going to save Sirius."
Buffy looked around surreptitiously.
"Not here," she hissed as if Ministry of Magic
officials were crouched behind the book shelves listening. "We'll talk in a
moment." Harry still looked angry but he didn't pursue it. Silently, they paid
for their books and Buffy led them back down Diagon Alley to the Leaky
Cauldron.
"Can we get a parlour?" Buffy asked Tom,
the barkeeper. He nodded and beckoned them to a private room where they sat around
the table. Harry and Giles ordered Butterbeer and Buffy a cherry syrup and
soda. They waited for their drinks in silence, Buffy avoiding the accusatory
stares Harry threw her.
Finally their drinks arrived and Harry started
talking as soon as the barman closed the door behind him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he accused. "I
thought we were friends. I thought you trusted me."
"I do trust you," Buffy insisted. "But I
didn't want to get your hopes up. It's so dangerous and there's a big chance it
won't be successful. If I go through and fail then I don't want you to know
about it."
"Well it's a bit late for that isn't
it?" Harry said sarcastically. "I knew you were up to something, I could feel
it." Buffy remained silent.
"Well, what's your plan?" Harry demanded.
"What are you going to do when you through the Archway? How are you going to
get back?"
"We were going to research tonight," Buffy
said lamely. "We were looking for more books on hell and the Archway. We were
going to look at the ones in the house too."
"They aren't any use," Harry said
dismissively. "Not one has a mention to the Archway of Lost Souls." Buffy
stared at him startled.
"You've been researching too?" she said
stunned.
"Of course," Harry said as looking at
her oddly. "Ever since he went through I've been looking into the Archway and
what it's going to be like when I go and get him. I couldn't just leave him
there, in Hell."
"You can't go," Buffy said immediately.
"That's not your decision," Harry
snapped. "You aren't related to me, in fact you barely know me. I know what I'm
doing and I'm going through the Archway.
"No you're not," Buffy said firmly. "If
anyone is doing this it's me."
"He's my godfather," Harry said heatedly.
"And he's my everything," Buffy replied quietly. "Sirius would never forgive me if I let you do this. I'm supposed to be looking out for you."
"I can look
out for myself thanks," Harry said coldly. "Sirius would want me to do this if
it meant saving him."
"No he wouldn't," Buffy said firmly. "Sirius
died to save you. He wouldn't appreciate you risking your life to bring him
back."
"But he's in hell," Harry said
furiously.
"And that's why I'm going to save him,"
Buffy finished determinedly. "But you can't come."
"You can't stop me," Harry yelled. His cheeks
reddened with fury.
"I beg to differ," Buffy said calmly.
"We both know that I can stop you if I have to."
Harry was silent, but his eyes still
blazed with anger and determinedness.
"Think about this," Buffy said, her tone softening. "Think about the prophecy and what it means. If you die then you've just killed hundreds of other people."
"I don't care anymore," Harry said vehemently. "I'm sick to death of caring."
"But you do
care," Buffy said, eyes fixed on his. "Sirius was so important to you. But if
you go through that Archway, you are risking the lives of everyone left behind.
If you die, everyone dies, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Dumbledore, Molly, Arthur,
everyone. They don't have a chance."
"I can't just leave him," Harry said,
looking forlorn.
"Then you have to trust me," Buffy said,
lifting her chin. "I'm going to go; I'll do what I can to save him. And maybe
I'll come out again with Sirius with me. And maybe I won't."
"I don't to
lose you too," Harry said hollowly. "But I want Sirius to be alive again."
"I love him," Buffy said simply. "I
can't think of anything more reasonable than to go through the Archway. There's
nothing stopping me, but you've got something to achieve." Harry frowned,
thinking hard.
"Do you promise that you'll do
everything you can to save him?" Harry asked finally.
"I promise," Buffy said sincerely.
"Everything in my power."
"Then I can show you my research," harry
offered. "We can look at it together and work out what you've got to face
beyond the veil." Buffy smiled softly, realising she had changed Harry's mind.
Giles smiled too.
"I'll be interested to look at what
you've got," he said politely. "We bought some books and I brought a few
volumes with me. I've contacted a few old acquaintances for information. We can
go through it all tonight."
"Let's get back then," Harry said
resolutely. "I want to start work."
"I didn't get to buy you a present,"
Buffy said apologetically as they stood up and gathered their belongings.
"It's okay," Harry said with a smile.
"Just bring him back."
That evening on the pretence of Harry showing Buffy and Giles some old school
work, the three gathered in Buffy's room and piled up the research they'd done.
"Not bad," Giles said, impressed after
looking through Harry's research. "You've got some useful information." He had
found some useful information in his own books and Angel had replied to the
letter he had sent.
"He says he doesn't remember much,"
Giles said, reading the letter carefully. "He says to take weapons and a lot of
them. He also says that you shouldn't go, it's too dangerous and that you
shouldn't risk your life. He offers his help if you need it." Buffy nodded.
"Weapons," she said thoughtfully.
"Knives and an axe or two. Plus a stake for good measure. Maybe a sword."
"Maybe I should come with you," Giles
said worriedly. "You might need some back up."
"I need you here," Buffy said firmly. "I
need you to find something to bring us back."
"I've found a spell that might do the trick,"
Giles said absently, thumbing through a pile of sheets. "Ah, here it is. With a
Crystal of Gemmar, I can put a spell on it for you to take in with you. Then,
if you smash the Crystal while I recite the incantation, it will create a
portal for you to come back through. There are only two drawbacks; you have to
be by the place you entered, wherever you appear after passing through the
Archway. The barrier between the worlds is weakest there. And we have to set a
time limit, if you smash the Crystal without the incantation being said then
the spell won't work and there's no way to recover it."
"That's fixable," Buffy said
thoughtfully. "If we can get matching stopwatches, set the time and start it
going once I've passed through."
"That's what I was thinking," Giles
agreed. "I have to be at the Archway when I say the incantation so the time
limit has to be a few hours. I can't come back here without you, no one can
know where you've gone."
"How about four hours?" Buffy suggested.
"I don't know how long it will take."
"That will have to suffice I think,"
Giles said carefully.
"Do you think it would be a good idea to
get your friends from Sunnydale to help?" Harry asked, having just listened to
the conversation passing between the two.
"No," Buffy said decisively. "I won't
put them at risk. They don't know what I'm doing, but if they knew they'd try
and stop me. That, or come with me. I won't have that. I'm ready to do this
myself."
"Are we really ready?" Giles said, looking at the mess of books around him. "Do you feel ready?" Buffy sighed.
"Am I ever going to feel ready?" she said tiredly. "I'm never going to be ready to stroll into hell. But I'm going. Tomorrow."
