Chapter 15

"Er, Professor Summers?" Harry and Buffy walked together down the long hallway to her rooms.

"Hey, how many times do I hav'ta tell you, it's Buffy if we're not in class."

"Right, sorry. Well, uh, I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for standing up for me back there. It means a lot to me."

"No problem, I meant what I said, you should get every bit of help you can. In fact, I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to train with me, it might help you if you're ever stuck without your wand."

"Really, like boxing and such?"

"Well, more like karate, judo, not just punching, it'd be more like a whole new way of thinking, of seeing ways to defend yourself...well, with yourself."

"I'd like that, but, um, could my friends come too, see they're targets just as much as I am."

"Hmm, well yeah, I guess that'd be cool." They'd reached the fairy portrait that was the entrance to Buffy's room. Once Harry had followed her inside, he saw a humongous owl sitting on the back of the desk chair. It hooted softly, and spread it's wings briefly, as if to indicate the package sitting on the desk. "Ooh, mail, hurrah!" She picked up the letter on top of the package. "Yay, it's from Willow!" Seeing Harry's questioning gaze, "She's my bestest friend from home. I sent her a letter and told her how to get in touch with me." Turning back toward the parchment in her hands, she opened it and read,

Dear Buffy,

First of all Dawnie sends her love, and she misses you very very very very, (well, you get the idea) much. Kennedy and I are back in L.A., and we're all so happy that you're doing well over there in the land of the Giles. Wesley bought this owl from a man here in L.A. His name is Malachi. Everyone here is doing well, the hotel is full of slayers and assorted folk who are all helping fight the good fight.

Um, we do have one piece of news that we thought you would like to know. Spike is back. He's alive. Apparently, someone sent him to Angel's law firm in L.A. He was a bit ghosty for a while, then he got corporeal again. He wanted to visit you, but we thought you should know before he just showed up at your doorstep. He sent you some things, and a letter.

Well, I guess you're just dying to read Spike's letter, so I'll let you get to it. Hope to hear from you soon. Take care of yourself.

Love,

Willow (and the whole gang.)

She looked at the package and letter addressed to her in a strangely elegant script. (Funny, how many years we knew each other, he never wrote me...well, anything.) She ran her hands over the package, picked it up and firmly shut it in her bottom desk drawer. Letting her eye roam once again over Willow's missive, she sighed. (I'll deal with that...later.)

Breaking out of her reverie and becoming conscious of the young man still watching her intently, "Training, yes, here, I guess since you're gonna be all in-the-know and whatnot, you should see where I train." Ignoring his questioning gaze, she walked over to the landscape on the far wall, and said the password in a forceful voice. "Slayer." The painting swung open to reveal what looked to Harry like a muggle gymnasium...with one exception.

"Uh, hey Bert."

The clabbert had been swinging from the upper part of the uneven bars, around and around, until he heard the sound of Harry's voice, he was so startled that he reflexively let go of the bar mid-swing. It was only Buffy's quick leap that saved him from splatting against the far wall. Catching him two-handed around his middle, she brought him down to rest against her hip.

"Bert!" She tried to fix him with her sternest look, but couldn't quite make it work. "What were you doing? How did you even get in here." Bert fixed her with an impish smile.

"Bert! Wheeee!"He started trying to swing around her arm like he had been on the uneven bars, but Buffy's firm grip kept her from becoming playground equipment. Harry snorted and tried to suppress his laughter.

"Bert, how did you get in here?"

Bert tried to start swinging again, all the while shouting, "Slayer! Slayer! Slayer!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Maybe I should think up a harder word, one he can't mimic. Like Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious."

Harry gave her a funny look. "Huh?"

"It's from a muggle movie." Buffy set Bert down and he waddled back to the bars.

"Oh, well, this room is amazing!"

"Yeah, Albus made it for me, it's perfect." Harry walked around running his hands over various pieces of equipment. Buffy just watched him take it all in, a question forming in her mind.

"Harry, what was with you and Snape back there, if looks could kill you both would've been six feet under."

Harry sighed, most of the last school year had just sucked, and Occlumency lessons were a big part of that suckage. (Heh, Professor Summers is starting to rub off on me.)

"Well, last year, he was supposed to teach me Occlumency, the art of blocking my mind from Voldemort, but he was a horrible teacher, I couldn't do it, he thinks I'm my father, and he was a right greasy git about it!" The last part came out more forceful than he had planned on, but the anger and frustration he had felt during lessons last year got the better of him.

"I see. What part couldn't you do?"

"Everything." Harry spat petulantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Buffy fought the urge to smile, she'd had a baby sister long enough to be immune to a major pout like that. She raised one eyebrow that clearly asked for an explanation.

Sighing, and uncrossing his arms, "I was supposed to clear my mind of all emotions, but that bastard mad me so angry, I never got that far."

"Hmm, well I know something that's always helped me clear my mind. Have you ever heard of T'ai Chi?" At Harry's head shake, she explained. "It's a Chinese form of martial arts, at first, you concentrate on what your body's doing, so you can't think of anything else, after a while it just becomes easier to not think of anything." Harry looked skeptical. "Here, I'll show you the movements, you just try to imitate them the best you can."

She moved into the center of the room and had Harry stand some what behind and to the left of her. Slowly she started moving through the rhythms with Harry clumsily following her lead.

Harry kept his eyes glued to the small girl in front of him, trying to mimic her moves exactly, after the fifth run-through, he found himself anticipating the next move, and the next. He let his body take over. Little by little the tension he hadn't known he was carrying lifted off of him. He hadn't even noticed that Buffy had stopped, and was simply watching him, till the sound of Bert flopping onto a padded mat broke his concentration. He finished the movement and exhaled slowly.

Suddenly he broke into a big grin, "I think I did it, I think my mind was absolutely clear!"

The grin was infectious and Buffy shared it. "You did great for your first time. I usually do it first thing in the morning, it helps start my day. You wanna come down tomorrow morning, we can run through it again before breakfast?" Harry nodded, still smiling. "Well, we better get a move on if we're gonna make the scene for this meeting thing." Harry nodded again, and followed his teacher and her familiar out of the portrait hole.

A house elf stood beside the sofa in the sitting room. It held out a letter to Buffy and as soon as she took it, he disappeared with a 'Crack!' Unfolding the letter Buffy found a yellow piece of candy and a note.

Professor Summers,

Tonight's meeting will take place at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. Here is a portkey that will take you and Harry to the front door. I shall see you there shortly.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Buffy held out the candy in two fingers to Harry who also took it in the same fashion. She felt that hook-through-the-navel sensation she'd read about, and suddenly they were there. The slayer looked at the normal suburban surroundings and then at the grubby façade of No 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Grim old place is right." She muttered, following Harry up the front steps. Harry for the most part was trying to keep a swell of emotions in check. As they stood in the front hall, all he could think about was Sirius, all the tension he had lost with the exercises came rushing back to him. Buffy noticed the rigidity in the younger boy's frame and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"This was your godfather's house, right?" Harry nodded, unable to speak. "He'd want you to remember the good times. You said yourself, your happiest memory for your Patronus was Sirius."

Harry forced himself to think of Christmas last year here, bit by bit he eased. Turning to Buffy he said, "I guess I'll go get Ron and Hermione, they'll probably be thrilled to know we're going to see an Order Meeting. Would you like the five-knut tour?"

"Sounds peachy, after you."

Together they went up the stairs, as they passed a large set of curtains, Buffy rubbed her arms, "This place kinda gives me the heebie jeebies." At that a few things happened all at once. Harry whirled on her, finger to his lips, but the slayer couldn't hear his shushing sound because the curtains had blown back to reveal a woman in black who started screeching.

"VILE MUDBLOODS IN MY HOUSE! BLOOD TRAITORS! YOU"LL GET WHATS COMING TO YOU, JUST LIKE MY TURNCOAT SON! GET OUT OF MY HOU-"

Harry grabbed the curtains, yanking them shut, which muffled the sounds of the outraged woman a bit. Buffy was still against the far wall, breathing hard, hands over her ears.

"What the hell was that?"

"That was Edana Black, Sirius' mum. She's a bit loony, and as evil as they come. She didn't like Sirius letting the Order use the house. We've tried taking the picture down, but she's attached it to the wall with an ever-stick charm, so we just try not to wake her up."

Buffy straightened, "Huh. Okay, but why don't you just take out the wall with her picture on it?"

"Huh?"

"You know, knock down the wall around the picture and chuck the wall and everything out, then just put up a new wall."

Harry goggled at her. "I never thought of that. I don't know why no one ever thought of that. I guess we'll have to ask Mrs. Weasley."

"Hello Harry, Ms. Summers. Ask me what dear?" Mrs. Weasley came down the hall to give Harry a hug and Buffy a bright smile.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley." The two younger ones said in unison. Harry disengaged himself from the hug. "Buffy had a question, why don't you take down the wall with that...woman's picture on it, and put up a new wall in it's place?"

If the question hadn't been so serious, the look on Mrs. Weasley's face would have been hilarious. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Er, I, well, I just don't know. I suppose I'll ask Albus about it tonight after supper." Nodding, "Yes, well Ron and Hermione are in the kitchen, I'm sure they're eager to see you."

Harry and Buffy followed the Weasley matron to the back of the house. She bustled off toward the stove where a large pot was boiling away. Dominating the wide room was a long table with many chairs clustered around it. At the end sat Harry's two best friends in the entire world. Harry strode over and planted himself in a chair next to the flame haired boy. Buffy hung by the door looking at the younger people, unsure of what to do. (Oookay, feeling professory, and very not one-of-the-gang here.)

"HARRY!" After this declaration, both boy and girl dissolved into furious babbling questions about his health, living accommodations, and the state of his homework, this last from the curly haired girl. Harry smiled and nodded, saying he was fine. Looking over he saw his professor looking hesitant. He waved her over.

"Guys, this is Professor Summers, she was the one who, er, helped me this summer, remember I told you she's going to be teaching DADA?"

Hermione smiled, but Ron looked suspicious. "Are you evil?"

"Ron!" Hermione was aghast that anyone would talk to a professor like that, but Buffy just smiled, remembering the first time she'd met Wesley Windham-Pryce.

Hermione started to go into a lecture on respect for professors, but Ron cut her off with, "'Mione, four of the five DADA teachers we've had have been some kind of evil, I figured, I'd just get it out of the way, so we know what to expect."

The brunette started to grumble, but the slayer smoothed it over saying, "No, I'm not evil, but if I start going there, I promise to give you advance warning. How about that?" The gangly youth nodded at that apparently satisfied. The three of them were startled by a loud guffaw coming from Harry.

"You guys are just too much."

Author's Note: Mrs. Black's first name was never given in the books, so I gave her one. I thought Edana was fitting, it's celtic and means fiery or zealous.

Also, the idea to just take down the wall with Mrs. Black's portrait came from a very smart seven-year-old, who asked me that very same question. I thought it was a very good one, I don't know if it's a plot device of JKR's or if she just never thought of it either.