Author's Note: Buffy will be called Elizabeth at times from now on. Okay? Okay.

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Chapter 11

The Other Side of Compassion

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The sun was clipping the horizon as Harry's birthday party came to an end.

Elizabeth had to admit that she was enjoying herself. She had eaten her piece of brightly colored cake. It had tasted as any normal cake would, only the flavors switched from vanilla to strawberry to butterscotch, depending on the flavor her mind settled on that particular time.

After the cake, she'd tasted a goblet of juice. Harry had convinced her it was safe to drink and she risked a sip, only to nearly spit it out. She'd never tasted anything like it.

Nearly doubled over with laughter, Harry told her it was pumpkin juice.

"Pumpkin juice?" Buffy sputtered, wiping her mouth on a napkin that protested noisily under her touch. "Are you telling me that you lot don't drink anything normal?"

"Gee, Harry," Ginny said with a quiet grin. "You spend a week with the girl and she's already starting to sound like one of us."

Buffy looked mortified. "I do not!" she insisted among peals of laughter of those nearest to her. Harry was looking at her affectionately, also laughing. Her indignation seemed to break down and she grinned, rolling her eyes.

"Soon she'll have the accent," Ron said, draining his own glass. "Maybe even the snark."

"That I will never have," Buffy grumbled as she reached for one of the bowls, forgetting her own promise to herself that she'd never take anything from it. She realized what she was doing just in time and withdrew her hand, a mortified expression on her face. Three tiny bubbles were sitting in the palm of her hand. "Exactly what are these?" she asked in a slightly anxious voice.

"Sweet bubbles of some sort," Ginny replied from her spot across from Harry, staring over the table and gazing at the three small bubbles. "I think Fred and George created them."

At the mention of their name, Fred and George looked up, turning to their youngest sister. "Did we just hear our names mentioned?" Fred asked, sounding as though he were honored to have his name brought up at a party with the rest of his family.

"To what do we owe this honor?" George asked with a smirk.

"These," Ginny said, showing them the bowl. "Are these yours?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Fred asked, his face suddenly a mask of perfect innocence.

"They didn't come from us," George said, turning back to his own cup.

Ginny shrugged and turned back to Buffy. "Your guess is as good as mine," she said.

Buffy looked at her hand and sighed. She knew she had to just take the plunge. She picked up a bit and set it precariously onto her tongue before drawing it back into her mouth.

"Whatever you do," said a quiet voice to her left, "don't eat that."

She turned to look at Harry, who was staring at her with wide eyes. "What?" she asked, her voice rising in alarm. "Is it going to poison me?"

"No," Ron said, looking as serious as Harry did, "but it'll--"

His voice was cut off as Buffy's mouth opened and a trail of brightly-colored bubbles trailed out. She gasped, cupping a hand over her mouth, but the bubbles were now finding other ways of escaping.

Down the table, the twins' faces cracked into identical evil grins.

"We never said that we didn't fix them," Fred said happily, applauding her.

"You're a brave, brave soul," George grinned.

Buffy tried to glare at them, but found she couldn't. She was beginning to feel slightly lightheaded as the bubbles began to fill her head. She opened her mouth to reply, but the only thing that came out was another long tail of bright pink and purple bubbles.

"Fred! George! what did you do?"

Mrs. Weasley had returned outside and was looking at Harry's sister in alarm. The girl was starting to float slightly above her seat. Harry was regarding her with something like panic and was attempting to hold her down. Ginny had stood up from her end of the table and ran to hold down Buffy's other arm.

Buffy turned to stare at the sky until her vision was obscured by bubbles flowing out of her ears.

Hermione's eyes were wide as she stared at the new woman, mortified. Ron could barely breath, let alone laugh. Even Fred and George looked like they were beginning to regret even placing the bubble candies down at that end of the table. "Easy, Mum," Fred said, pulling out his wand and standing up, moving to where Buffy was floating a good three feet above the ground.

"We'll take care of this," George said, joining his brother. They both pointed wands up at her.

Buffy screamed, or she tried to. Another long stream of bubbles emanated from her mouth. Her eyes were full of terror as she eyed the two wands aimed at her.

"One," Fred said quietly, "two, three."

A small jet of red light surrounded her and suddenly the bubbles were clear and the air was pierced with her own mortified scream.

She fell back onto the ground roughly, landing on her backside and rolling over onto her stomach. Resting her head against the cool grass, she heard a collective draw of breath behind her.

"Err... Elizabeth?" Harry asked, standing up on watery knees to bend down beside his sister, who was laying still.

"We killed her," Fred was saying, his eyes wide.

"I don't believe it," George said, his own voice touched with awe.

Harry lightly touched his sister's hand. "Elizabeth... Buffy... they didn't mean it. It's their joke shop of theirs. Really..." He was really starting to get worried now as she hadn't even given the impression she was breathing. "Buffy?"

She rolled over suddenly and sprang to her feet so fast she knocked Harry over.

"Bloody hell!" Fred gasped, stumbling backwards into George. Both twins toppled into the grass.

Bits of grass, leaves and twig were now scattered throughout her hair, which had already been knocked askew from her experience in the fireplace. She sat down calmly again, her hands neatly folding in her lap.

For a moment, no one was quite sure of what to do. And then she started laughing. It was a great laugh, as though she were desperate to do anything to break the silence.

It worked. There was a collective sigh of relief. Even Mrs. Weasley looked relieved as she whirled her own wand, the dirty dishes lifting themselves in the air and sailing back into the house for washing.

She finally stopped laughing and turned to the twins, who were looking at her as though she'd lost her mind. "Thanks for that," she said, a twinkle in her eye. "Just be warned, I have a few powers of my own up my sleeve."

Fred and George both bowed, looking touched. They thought they had killed their own houseguest when she'd really been pulling their legs. They both returned to their seats.

Harry hugged his sister from behind. "That was brilliant," he said, his voice still weak.

"Thank you," she said, beaming at him and glancing down the rest of the table. Ginny had sat back down beside Hermione, who sat on Fred's right. They both looked immensely relieved. She stood up, dropping the other two bubble candies. "I think I'll save these for a rainy day."

That said, she got up and followed Mrs. Weasley inside. The older woman glanced at her before gazing outside, where Harry and Ron were sparring in the grass, apparently having another spat. "I have never seen Harry quite this happy in a long, long time," she said quietly.

Buffy moved so that she was standing right next to her. "It's been a good change for the both of us," Buffy replied, darkness settling in her eyes. She bit her lip and looked away. The movement was not lost on the Weasley Matriarch, who turned to stare at the younger blonde more seriously for a moment.

"There's something on your mind." It wasn't a question.

"I'm just reflecting a bit," Buffy said softly. "I've been running for so long now..." She suddenly realized she'd said something she shouldn't have and cupped a hand over her mouth, her eyes reflecting her horror. "Oh, God."

"If you need a moment to yourself," Mrs. Weasley said, backing towards the door.

"No," Buffy said, imploring her with hazel eyes. "Please... stay?" She started blinking back tears. "I must really have made quite the impression on your family," she said, her voice growing even more tearful. "I show up with Harry, dirty up half of your house, and now I'm crying... and I never used to cry."

Her gaze was still on Harry and she smiled a trembling smile. "If only he knew how bad it was to be what I am."

"I'm not going to pretend I'm a professional, Elizabeth, but I can definitely listen if you want to talk a bit," Mrs. Weasley said, sitting down.

"I was ripped and torn from the one place I knew as home. I was happy there. I had friends. I had my Mother... God, I miss her," Buffy said, her voice shaking still. "I made the choice. They just took it one step too far. They took me from my home, my family and my friends. They brought me here and left me to their mercy. I just... I had to know. I didn't fight them because they knew I had a real family here. They knew... and that's their power over me. They know I'll do anything to protect what I have now. They won't stop hunting me. I can't go back to where I came from. If I did..." Her voice cut off as she glanced at Harry again, now sitting down to his two best friends hovering over his shoulder, both of them laughing as they read something Harry was holding. "He deserves to know," she decided.

Molly was staring at her with a bit of sympathy on her face. "You should go and talk to him now before nightfall."

"I will," Buffy said, standing up, "but not right now. I think I need that moment of peace. Do you mind if I take a walk?"

"Not at all, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, gesturing toward the door. Buffy swept through it, moving beyond the laughing, cheering group. She wanted to get away from the joy, the happiness, the laughter.

Spying a grassy hill, she climbed up quickly and sat down, enjoying the way the setting sun seemed to turn the entire field to a perfect amber sheet of glass. She stayed there, lost in the memories of home, or the place she had known as. Tears overcame her vision and she buried her face in her hands, desperate to force the sorrow away, but it wouldn't budge. Only the sounds of her own racking sobs shook her small body as she forced her tear-stained eyes to look up as the sun slipped below the horizon.

Back inside The Burrow, the two eldest Weasley sons had returned home for a Ministry meeting the following day. They had joined Percy and Mr. Weasley inside the Kitchen. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry were all walking through the Kitchen, carrying the few things Mrs. Weasley had left outside, all laughing and joking. Fred and George made to follow them when Fred tapped George on the shoulder and pointed to the hill.

A single figure sat on the hill, gazing out over the horizon.

"We should get Harry," George said quietly.

"Not yet," Fred said, setting down his stack of plates and stepping around the table. "I mean, aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Sure am," George said, putting out an arm to stop his twin. "But maybe she wants--"

"--to be alone?" Fred finished, a confused look springing onto his freckled face. "Maybe."

George didn't try to hold back his brother as he trooped over the small and up the hill until he was standing just below the other woman. Surely, she would have spotted Fred, but she didn't. Her gaze was almost solid, staring out into the sunset.

She finally flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see who the hand belonged to, and her eyes were laced with confusion. "Hi, er..."

"It's Fred," he said, sitting down next to her. "You look like you've lost all your friends."

She gave him a shaky smile. "Funny you should mention that..."

He seemed to recognize the dark look in her eyes immediately. "What is it?" he asked gently.

"How many hours can you spare?" she asked him.

Fred stared hard at the blonde as her gaze drifted away. Before he could reply, she sighed. "I don't want to seem unfriendly or antisocial," she said quickly, "but I really need to tell all of this to Harry, first. I really hope you don't mind."

Fred looked slightly put-out, but shook his head nonetheless. "You know that we're here for you, right?"

"Right," Buffy said, her small fingers reaching down and sweeping over the longer grasses, "you're just one big, happy family." He didn't seem to catch the double meaning in her words.

George had moved inside the instant Fred had sat next to the blonde. He made his way up to Ron's bedroom, completely ignoring the pompous remarks Percy was making. He knocked hard. Harry opened the door, with Hermione standing behind him. They had apparently been playing with the owls while Ron searched for his chess set. Without talking, George pulled Harry into the hallway and closed the door behind them, sealing a scowling Hermione inside.

"Your sister is out on the hill," George said quietly. "She looks kind of bummed."

Harry's eyes were full of alarm as he glanced at Ron's elder brother. George was actually acting... serious? Since when did this happen? "Thanks," he said quietly, darting downstairs while George finally released the door handle and explained to the others where he'd gone.

By the time he reached the hill, he saw two figures sitting out in the twilight darkness. One was definitely his sister. The other had to be Fred, since Harry had just passed the remaining five Weasleys in the Kitchen. He quickly climbed to where she was sitting. Fred, spotting Harry, stood up. "See you," Fred muttered as he ran back toward the house.

Harry watched him go before turning back to Buffy. His eyes widened. He was startled by her appearance. She looked like someone who had just spent the past hour on the hill sobbing her soul out. She turned to him and for the first time since he'd met her, he saw weakness in her eyes.

"Harry," she whispered, patting the grassy knoll next to her.

Harry sat down, feeling as though there was a serious talk coming.

"I don't know how to say this, but I think I'll just say it," she said quietly. "I can't believe I'm here at this house with this terrific family... but it makes me think about what I've lost."

"Does this have anything to do with our visitors yesterday?" Harry asked gently.

She nodded, biting her lip. "You have to know the truth, Harry. You have to know the real reason why I came. See, I had no idea you existed. I was happy where I was, believing that Joyce Summers was my real mother and that I was really a normal teenager about to graduate from high school. I made a very bad choice and it threatened a group of powerful people. You know. You saw them." She took a deep breath. "They gave me a package. They told me I could pick whichever road I chose. I could go back and be a helpless puppet or I could discover what they'd been holding out on me my entire life. I chose the package. That was back in January...

"I found out I had a whole different family. I don't know. Maybe I was seeing some other side of compassion because I found myself wanting to know more. But they threatened me. And then they deported me."

Harry felt his jaw set with anger. This group, whoever they were, had obviously caused his sister so much pain and fear...

"When I got here, I found out my parents were dead. The Council didn't even know my own family."

Harry wanted to ask who the Council was, but held his tongue.

"And then I found you. My life, which had made no sense for six months suddenly changed because I had a brother. I found my reason and it was you. Everything the Council had done, everything they had threatened... but when they told me they could take you away, I panicked." She hastily wiped a few tears away. "Harry, I never meant to hold out on you. You've been nothing but honest with me, so I think it's high time you found out... I'm a vampire Slayer."

He stared at her. Even in the darkness, he could see the conflict on her face. "You're a... what?" he breathed.

"Surely in all of your studies you would have heard of a Slayer?" she asked him gingerly.

"We have," he said, recalling something Professor Quirrell had told them their first year. "They were supposedly mythical."

"I'm not a myth," Buffy said, turning back to stare into the darkness. "There's a group of powerful men and women known as Watchers. They live in England and they're known as the Watcher's Council. Their job is to train and assist the Slayer in any means necessary. I gave up my contract, though. They threatened my Mother's life... and I quit. I told them I couldn't take anymore. They decided that I wasn't worth the trouble and six months later I was deported to England. I didn't fight it because I wanted to meet my family. I wanted to know what it was... who I was... and now... I've met you. They've threatened everything, from killing me to killing you. That's why I keep running. That's why I'm hiding now... with the Weasley family." Her voice finally broke and her small body shook with sobs. "It reminds me so much of home... and how much I really miss it... and how I wished every night that this was just a horrible, horrible dream..."

Harry gently rubbed her back to console her. It was so hard, seeing someone who had been so strong breaking down beside him. "It gets better," he said softly. "After Sirius died, I thought I had reached bottom. But it got better. You came into my life and it changed. I-I'm so lucky I found you."

Buffy brushed the tears from her eyes and smiled in the darkness. "Harry, you're one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I am so, so lucky to have found you... alive, no less. But no matter how happy things are, it doesn't take away the fact that the Council is looking for me. If they find me, ever, they'll kill me."

"Do they know about the magical world?" Harry asked, a thought forming in his mind.

"I don't know," she replied, shaking her head. "Why?"

"Because, if they don't know my world exists," Harry replied, a note of grimness in his voice, "then you can stay at my school. It's the safest place in the entire magical world. It'll protect both of us because, like it or not, you're still my sister. We're in this together, Buffy."

She leaned across and hugged him tightly. Harry held onto her for a long moment before he pulled back. Rising, he offered her his hand. She took it and they both began walking back toward the house.

"How did those people manage to find us so quickly?" Harry asked her cautiously.

"They must have been following us," she said bitterly. "I guess I forgot to cover my tracks better. I'll rectify it though. They won't find me. I still have my strength."

"I was wondering how you managed to subdue Uncle Vernon," Harry said as she threaded her arm through his.

"Yeah, that," Buffy said, when suddenly a face flashed before her eyes. "Not this."

Harry seemed to realize she'd stopped. "What is it?" he asked, alarmed.

"Nothing," she said, casting a sideways glance at him. "Nothing at all."

"I do have one question for you though," he said, realizing he didn't want to pressure her on the issue anymore but was still quite curious. "Who were those two people who threatened us?"

"Watchers, Harry," Buffy said with a sigh. "You know the deal. The Watchers train and work to protect the Slayer. They're all a big part of that Watcher's Council."

"Why are they after you?" Harry asked, and then suddenly he understood. "Oh... oh!"

"I knew you'd get it," she said, cuffing him on the back of the neck. "After all, you really are a Potter."

- - - - -

Later that night, when Buffy was certain the girls were sleeping, she rose up and quickly wrapped herself in a long red robe. She tiptoed downstairs.

Voices were still drifting from the Kitchen. When she'd reached the bottom, she spied Arthur Weasley talking to one of his older sons. They both turned to look at her as she approached. "Elizabeth," Mr. Weasley said, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "I thought you were asleep."

"Actually, I was hoping I might have a word with you," she said, taking one of the chairs abandoned hours before. It was then that she spied another one of the Weasley children.

In a word, he was cool. He had a long, sleek red ponytail and what looked like an icicle dangling from one of his ears. His clothes were artfully designed and ripped, giving the tall boy a sleek, artful look. "Hi," she said, her shyness returning.

"I'm Bill," he said, offering his hand.

She took it, and shook it. "Elizabeth."

"Well, Dad," said Bill, standing up, "I'll let you speak to the guest alone --"

"Oh, no," Buffy said quickly, looking from Bill to the senior Weasley. "I'm imposing, aren't I? Please... stay."

She looked so guilty that Bill chuckled and sat back down. Mr. Weasley looked at her with concern and leaned across the table. "What is it you need to discuss?"

Buffy gave them both a shy smile before diving right into what had been on her mind only hours earlier. "It's about Sirius Black."

Arthur looked extremely surprised, Bill confused. Mr. Weasley seemed to sense his son's confusion and quickly muttered, "She's Harry's sister." Bill looked relieved and then even more confused. "She was born during her parents seventh year," Arthur quickly explained further.

"Right, then," Bill said, looking at the younger woman in a new light. "And here I thought you were just one of the girls the twins brought by."

"Do I look like I am that sort?" she shot back, not really caring if this is where she wanted the particular conversation to go.

"No," Bill replied, shaking his head. "You really aren't their type. You actually have a brain and the looks to go with it."

"Ouch," Buffy said quietly, putting a hand to her heart. "I'm sure glad they didn't get to hear that." But what he'd said about her looks surprised her. Considering she'd shown up in their fireplace covered in soot with her hair completely wrecked... well, now. She focused her attention back on the three dreams that she and Faith had shared. "Anyway, Sirius Black."

"What has Harry told you about him?" Arthur asked seriously.

"Not much," Buffy replied in frustration. "All I know is that he was his godfather and that he died last spring. See... I know Harry hasn't told you this, but I have prophetic dreams. It's all part of my package, I guess. I have a strange sort of powers... oh, hell, I suck at explaining things. I'm the Slayer... you know, a vampire one."

To her surprise, neither Bill nor Mr. Weasley looked surprised at this information. When Arthur saw the stunned look on her face, he quickly began to explain.

"Earlier, when you and Harry were outside, Molly was able to deduce you had a power within you. It was Percy who suggested you were a mythical being. We were just waiting for you to clarify which one. And, of course, as you can tell from our surprise, we know they exist."

"Right, then," Buffy said, echoing Bill's words from moments before. "So, now that my secret is completely out in the open and exposes your life to much danger and fear... there's two of us. And we've been sharing dreams as of late. Prophetic dreams. And they're about Sirius Black. From what we can gather, I'm beginning to realize that maybe he's not dead. Maybe Sirius is alive."

This is definitely not what they had expected to hear, Buffy realized. They were both staring at her in disbelief. It was Arthur who managed to unclog his throat first. "What do you mean, still alive? Harry was there. He watched him die."

"I saw that, too," Buffy said, lifting her chin defiantly. "But he was reborn from the blood of the child. His body is trapped behind the veil... but his soul... it needs the blood. It's always about the blood."

"Why come to me?" Arthur asked point blank.

"Harry told me that you worked for the Ministry of Magic," Buffy said quickly. "I was asked to meet the Minister of Magic, but, as you can probably tell, I'm not going to go up and explain my dreams to him. I wanted to see if I could perhaps figure out how to prove that I'm right and that Sirius really is alive."

Bill was gazing at her with something like awe. She ignored him, her focus completely on the senior Weasley. He finally removed his glasses and sighed, looking worn and vulnerable. "I completely understand that you have some sort of mystical power," he said quietly, "and I believe that you are truly the daughter of James and Lily. I will not agree that dreams hold prophecies because that is what has cursed so many of us." He replaced his glasses, reminding Buffy of Giles more than ever. "If you truly believe what you say, then nothing can hold you back.  The Minister has asked to meet you and this is what we've been discussing since Molly and Charlie went to bed. I won't pretend that it will not be difficult to convince Cornelius of anything, but I need you to be objective. He will not believe that you are the daughter of James and Lily Potter."

"I have my birth certificate and enough documentation to even prove my status to the British government," Buffy said quietly. "What else can I do to prove myself?"

"He will not believe you," Arthur said bluntly. "You have to use other means to convince him that your dream held a Prophecy. And for that..." He turned to his eldest soon and beckoned him to continue. As Bill began to speak, Mr. Weasley pulled out his wand and summoned a pot of tea and three mismatched mugs to set on the table.

"You need to speak to an Unmentionable at the Department of Mysteries," Bill concluded as his father handed each of them a steaming mug. "They will test to see if your prophecy holds any meaning. If it does, then Sirius may well be alive and you may be able to help him."

"Not many would believe you," Arthur said warily. "But then again, we never believed that Harry could have a sister."

They were both staring at her again. She forced herself to drink the bitter liquid and nearly gagged. "I don't expect either one of you to believe me," she said softly. "I'm not even sure I trust myself all the time. All I ask for is a chance for the truth to come out."

Arthur nodded. "You will have that chance tomorrow," he replied.

She smiled and thanked them both for their time as she rose, taking her mug with her. She crept up the stairs and paused right outside the room where she was sleeping. She still didn't feel tired. She continued along until she was outside the room Ron had said he shared with Harry. Pressing her ear to the door, she didn't hear anything inside except for snoring. She pressed her hand to the door, trying to sense what was on the other side. There were four figures in four narrow beds wedged into the room closest to the attic.

She pulled back, her hand falling away in disappointment.

She had been a great many things in her life. A daughter, a lover, a student... and now she was a sister and quite possibly a visionary. She longed to tell Harry what she knew, but held her breath instead. He would find out soon enough. If she came back tomorrow with knowledge that Sirius Black was alive, well... the news would just have to wait until then.

She bit her lip, almost reluctant to go downstairs. Yet she walked until she was safely sealed behind the door of Ginny's bedroom. Unwrapping herself from her robe and setting her mug of tea on a nightstand, she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

She was tired of dreaming about dead men who's pasts had made them legend. She was tired of fighting a losing battle with a Council that wouldn't rest until she was dead. And she was tired of trying to pretend that she was someone she wasn't. She was a Slayer. It was what she was best yet. But, now, above everything else, she was a sister.

And that was her top priority.

- - - - -

Chapter 12... Buffy meets the Minister of Magic.

Chapter 13... ??? (hehe)

Author's Note / To The Reviewers:

Awwwwww... Buffy finally told Harry the truth! It was about time I finally did that. I thought it was better off here. On the day after Harry's sixteenth birthday. I'm sorry this chapter was a bit shorter!

Gah, Buffy relationship addicts... this is probably the last time I'll make a note of it because things will start to progress. There's no Angel. And there's no Snape. And while I can't promise it will be a Weasley, I'm adding someone else in. And you the reviewers who actually jammed this idea inside my betas head, it will be all of your fault :)

And this is the fourth time in a row I've started a sentence with 'and'. Oi.

Harry's personal life... hehe. I can just imagine the sisterly taunts now. I'm a big fan of one ship and yet I want to try and pull another in. Same with Ron. I don't know. I won't add Ron to Buffy though. That's just... weird.

Faith. Update in Chapter 13.

Fact-Person: While your reasoning is great and all, this is a fictional story. I added the big AU to the disclaimer so if you don't like my plotline, you really don't have to read it. I'm not forcing you to.

Technically, Buffy can go back and forth between England and such. I'm saving this issue for a later chapter.

Lastly, Quentin isn't going to die. No. That would be far too easy. I think one of the reviewers was scarily close to what I intended to do with the Council, but that's just opinion. And yes, a few select Watchers are in contact with the Wizarding world. That's all I'm going to say on that topic.

Oh, and 184 reviews? You guys are so completely awesome! Look, a tear...