Author's Note: Twenty one chapters in and we finally have a (mostly) Harry-centric chapter. Geez.
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Chapter 21
The First Day
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Harry woke up early the first day of classes. Ron and the others were still sleeping as he quietly dressed and walked downstairs into the Common Room, which was empty and devoid of life.
He grabbed his book bag and walked down to the Great Hall. Unsurprisingly, Hermione was already there, eating breakfast with the few other students up early for their first morning.
"Heya, Harry!" she said, waving to him as he sat across from her. She lifted up a slip of paper and handed it to him. "Here's your schedule."
Harry groaned as he glanced over the schedule laying before him. Double Care for Magical Creatures and Herbology were first, with Double Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts that afternoon. He groaned and shoved the paper inside his bag. "This sounds like a good day," he muttered.
Hermione was looking pleased with her schedule. "At least your schedule isn't nearly as bad as your sister's. She has Double Potions, Double Transfigurations with the first years, and Double Charms after lunch with the third years."
Harry tried to force out a laugh but found he couldn't. Neville, Seamus and Dean had all been asking him throughout the night to tell them about his sister. It was easy enough to talk about, certainly, but Harry found that he wanted to have her to himself for a while longer. She was, after all, the only relative he had alive that he cared about.
In the month they'd known each other, he'd grown to love his sister. She truly was unique and reminded him of Sirius in so many ways.
Sirius. It had been so long since he'd even thought about his godfather. He missed him. It was almost too painful to bear, sometimes. But when Buffy had returned, he felt as though a piece of his heart had come back. He'd known Sirius for two years. He'd known Buffy for nearly a month and a half. In his mind, there really was no comparison. Or, if he really thought about it... he had come to regard Sirius as a father and as a brother. Now that he had a sibling to stand by him in this darker time, he was happiest to know it was her. A true Slayer.
He sighed and stared down at the eggs he'd been eating. He set his fork down and pushed his plate away, swallowing hard. Hermione was watching him with sympathic eyes.
"How many people asked you about her?" he asked his best friend quietly.
"Both Parvati and Lavender were convinced she was a Death Eater until I set them straight," Hermione replied brassily, pouring them both a cup of coffee. Harry took it with a smile. "I told them she had her reasons for not telling anyone she was your sister until now. Honestly. You'd think Professor Dumbledore would have said something. She's probably going to be hounded all year; people are going to be asking if she really is your sister or not."
"But she is!" Harry insisted. "You saw those papers! She is my sister!"
"I know, Harry," Hermione said, trying to calm him down. "I'm just saying that there's probably going to be quite a few people who don't believe you. They'll have their questions."
"I, for one, believe you," said a friendly male voice behind Harry. He turned and saw a boy with blue eyes smiling down at him. "Hello, Harry. Hello, Hermione."
"Hi, Spencer," Harry said in what he hoped was a friendly voice. "I'm not going to pretend to be all grateful, but thank you."
"Anytime," Spencer said as he and two of his friends sat down on Harry's left side. "My brother won't stop talking about her. He said that she was your sister and I figured that if he believed it, we all should."
"This is almost as bad as trying to convince people you-know-who was back," Hermione hissed as Spencer turned back to his friends.
"How did his brother know about her?" Ron asked, joining them.
"I saw them together in Diagon Alley," Harry replied with a frown. "It doesn't matter, really."
Hermione watched Harry's reaction carefully before taking a sip of her coffee. "Maybe she likes him," she said lightly.
Harry looked up at her in surprise. "Do you know something I don't?" he asked in confusion.
She shook her head. "I'm just being as observant as always," she trilled happily as Ginny walked into the Great Hall to join them.
"Get a load of the new Professor," Ginny said quietly as she sat down on Harry's right. She pointed up to the Head table and saw an older man in long, billowing robes taking his seat near Professor Snape. The two were discussing something and neither one of them appeared to be pleasant.
Harry took a sip of his coffee and winced. "I don't know how she can like this stuff," he said, gagging. Ron sniggered from across the table, next to Hermione. "It's so bitter..."
"It makes me feel tense," Hermione said pleasantly as she handed Ron and Ginny their schedules. "Enjoy!"
Buffy arrived then and even more whispers started out. Although the seats near Harry were taken up, Buffy walked toward where Katie Bell and two of her other roommates were eating breakfast. All three of them looked up at her as she sat down and they were soon giggling and talking like normal teenagers.
Harry was happy to see that Buffy was adjusting to life, even if it was her first day, at Hogwarts. He was worried that she would stick out so far that she would be unwelcome. But Katie was doing her best to make sure that the older girl was welcomed into the small group of seventh years that always spent time together. It was a relief, really. Having his older sister around all the time was slightly odd. Especially since she got along really well with his best friend and his other best friend's little sister.
Harry noticed that Spencer Wood kept glancing down the table to where the seventh-year girls were sitting, laughing as they drank coffee and ate their biscuits.
"Do you know her?" Harry asked after Spencer glanced down the table for the third time.
"Oliver does," Spencer replied, grabbing his bag and standing up. "See you later, Harry."
Harry sat there in utmost confusion. How in the world did Oliver Wood know Buffy? It then dawned on him. He'd seen them together twice in Diagon Alley. Once was the time he'd seen her with him in Quality Quidditch Supplies. He'd said he'd met her. And the other time was when Malfoy had been provoking Harry once again.
Harry and his friends stood up and walked out of the hall. Ginny was walking away towards Divination while Harry, Ron and Hermione walked through the school and outside for Care of Magical Creatures.
Buffy glanced at her own schedule as she left breakfast. She ha Potions first thing and wanted to show up early enough. The other girls followed her out. She followed a group of first year boys to the dungeons and waved goodbye to her roommates as she disappeared from view.
Harry, Ron and Hermione soon stopped with the rest of the sixth-year Gryffindors in front of Hagrid's hut. He was standing in front of it, a large crossbow in one hand.
They were startled to see that his appearance had changed only slightly from that of his appearance last spring. His eyes were still puffy, bruised and black, but the cuts and lines on his face had diminished. His nose was slightly swollen, as though he'd been hit there a few times. He walked with a slight limp, looking like someone who had been beaten by a tree uprooted by a much larger creature.
Hagrid had obviously recovered from his own return as well. Since he'd run off after Umbridge and her Ministry clones had attacked him during the O.W.L.'s two months before, he looked happy to be back teaching. He opened his arms wide and said, "Welcome, sixth-years, welcome!"
The rest of their class had arrived, led by Draco Malfoy and his own Slytherin gang. Harry felt anger toward the platinum-haired moron, but held it in as Hagrid began explaining their class that day.
"Today we got a special treat," he said, lifting his crossbow-wielding arm and aiming it towards the Forbidden Forest. "Spiders."
Ron opened groaned next to Harry. He was petrified of spiders.
"Now, teh reason we're studyin them is 'cause they're dead useful in a fight with someone more powerful than yeh."
"Right," Draco said softly behind Harry. His voice was malicious and sarcastic. His eyes were narrowed as he stared at the half-giant. "Why don't you teach us about Centaurs so they can all come out and kill us!"
"Why would I wanna do that?" Hagrid asked, looking confused momentarily.
"Because they're about as safe as spiders," Malfoy sneered.
"Watch it, Malfoy," Ron said in a quiet voice.
"Or what, Weasel?" Draco asked, his voice full of malicious glee. "You'll send Potter's sister to attack us? She's not that tough. She's smaller than your sister."
"She'd beat you in a fair fight," Hermione replied calmly, her arms crossed in front of her. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"She's not even your sister, Potty, is she?" Draco continued, truly enjoying tormenting the three sixth-year Gryffindors. "She's probably just a little prank..."
"You think even Voldemort would stoop that low?" Harry asked incredulously, gaining an untimely wince from Ron and a light smack to the shoulder from Hermione, who also gasped in indignation at Harry's use of the Dark Lord's name in front of the entire class.
Draco's eyes darkened. "You underestimate him."
"Do I?" Harry asked softly. "He was willing to sacrifice your Dad just to get some stupid prophecy that was made sixteen years ago."
Draco's face was even whiter than normal, making his skin look almost translucent. Hermione's breath was caught in her throat and Ron looked like his best friend had just died. Luckily, they were saved by Hagrid hustling them into the Forest while aiming his crossbow every which way as they walked. In Draco's opinion, however, that comment was far below the belt.
The rest of class passed smoothly, even by Harry's low standards. The visit into the domain where the spiders lived wasn't nearly as frightening as the journey he and Ron had taken four years before when they'd come across Aragog. In fact, they only saw spiders the size of their shoes, and they were quite friendly. After collecting a few hairs and a bit of venom that Hagrid collected since the class was clearly terrified to go anywhere near the fangs of the spiders, they were dismissed.
By the time the trio arrived in the Great Hall for lunch, Harry was thoroughly tired of explaining about the fact he really had a sister. Soon it was Hermione telling people to go away while Ron used much less eloquent language, finally telling a group of third-year Hufflepuffs to 'sod off'.
He was happy to see his sister already seated. She was alone, but he knew she wouldn't be for long. The rest of the seventh years had arrived and were making a beeline for their end of the Gryffindor table, all of them calling out greetings to one another.
Harry sat down on the other side of Buffy, who gave him a surprised look. "Hi," he said quietly, dropping his stack of Herbology notes and reaching for the plate in front of him. Both Ron and Hermione sat across from them and soon Ginny and her boyfriend joined them. Buffy was pleased by the attention Harry was paying her, but she knew that he should be living out his life his own way, without interference from her.
"If one more person asks me how I can be your sister, I am going to scream," she said in a teasing voice as she sipped at her goblet. "Urgh. Pumpkin juice."
"Sorry," Hermione said softly as she started in on her lunch, "they don't make lemonade here."
"I'll get used to it," Buffy assured the younger girl. Just then, Katie and the rest of the seventh-year girls joined her and Buffy diverted her attention back to her roommates.
"She's getting on fine here," Ron said in surprise as he set down his fork. "I mean, Katie and the rest of her friends are really making sure she feels welcome."
"Unlike some people," Harry muttered under his breath, spying a dark-haired Ravenclaw staring at him from across the Great Hall.
Hermione followed his gaze and sighed. "You should just talk to Cho, Harry. It's good closure."
"Why would he need closure?" Ron asked incredulously. "I mean, she moved on from him!"
"Because there are things people go through in a relationship, Ron," Hermione replied, as though she were explaining this to a very unruly two-year-old. "They need to talk things over so that there are no hard feelings. You don't regret anything, do you Harry?"
He shook his head. Cho and the rest of her friends were getting up now and Harry sighed, returning to his lunch. "But what's the use? I can just see it coming now. She's going to be asking me, 'how can that blonde girl be your sister?'." He stabbed at his steak-and-kidney pie moodily.
Buffy and the rest of the girls left first, leaving a wake of confusion and even more questions. Harry tried to ignore them until he felt the bench depress next to him. He turned and saw Luna Lovegood staring at him unblinkingly. "Luna," he said quietly. She nodded and turned to Ron and Hermione with a smile.
"I just thought you should know that pretty much all of the Ravenclaws believe she's your sister," Luna said, her dreamy-eyed gaze drifting back to look at her own table with a distinct look of pride. "Just let it go, Harry. Tomorrow they won't even remember."
"One can only hope," Harry replied, finishing his lunch and standing up with Ron and Hermione. The next two hours in Snape's dungeons were going to be torture, especially since it was another class he'd have to endure with Malfoy and the rest of the sixth-year Slytherins. And Harry had just about had his tolerance of Slytherin cruelty and malice already today. If they did anything to irritate him in Double Potions, he had the feeling he'd blow up.
Harry still blamed Snape for Sirius' death. It gave him a sense of vindictive pleasure knowing that the one person he could have told about the vision ignored him completely. Snape was responsible. It made sense in his mind.
As the trio made their way down into the dungeons, Luna followed them, looking as though she were walking through a dream, vaguely glancing at the moving portraits along the walls, who's owners were moving from frame to frame, whispering in their neighbors ears.
They were the first to reach the classroom door and for this, Harry was grateful. He was about to speak to Snape for the first time since June. He was extremely glad he hadn't been involved in the Order of the Phoenix again. Without Sirius, it didn't seem right. Although he wanted to know Voldemort's movements and his actions, there were other means now that the Ministry was fighting the same war as the Order.
There had been a second newspaper created to let the members of the Wizarding community know what Voldemort was up to. Of course, it was usually filled with rubbish and rumors, but Harry knew that as the year wore on, it would be filled with more. People were still scared from the Minister of Magic's admittance that Voldemort had returned.
The doors opened and the students filed in. As Harry sat down next to Ron, Snape came in. His wand was aimed towards the door, which slammed heavily. All conversations were immediately halted as the Potions professor swept regally to the front of the classroom, his cold dark eyes searching the room. "Well, well," he said in a soft, dangerous voice.
Harry felt as though an anvil had been dropped in his stomach. He knew what was coming.
Professor Snape pulled out the roll call and said each name in that same voice. After reading off the names of the Patil twins, he finally reached Harry. His eyes glanced up and bored into Harry's. After a brief pause, he completed the list and set the scroll aside.
"Now," he said, wrapping his arms in front of him and leaning against his desk. His eyes were commanding the enrapturing silence and attention of his sixth-year class. "This year you will studying the depths of what Potions truly is. Your theories will be used for a final project of your choosing with my permission. Your Potions will be harder and more complex than even your small minds can imagine. You will now learn how to brew glory and even stopper death, as such I promised when you first crossed into this room. If you feel you cannot live up to my expectations, you are expected to leave now." His eyes found Harry's and a slight sneer crossed his face. "For those of you who have been abysmal at best and have managed to test your way into this class, you will soon begin to understand that you will be in far above your heads. Now. Collect these ingredients with your partner and I shall add instructions as soon as you have followed the first step. Are we clear?"
The students didn't need to hear anything twice. The moment he tapped his wand on the blackboard and the ingredients were spilled out in large, silver letters, one person from each table went to collect the ingredients.
Harry was still rooted inside his seat, filled with the deepest of loathing for the man staring him down ten feet away. But the look in the Professor's eyes was different now. It was almost a cold, calculating look, as though he were sizing Harry up. He finally tapped the board again and the complex instructions for a concealment Potion were listed.
"You have until the end of this period to complete the next four steps," he said in a voice of deadly calm. "After that, you are to return your cauldrons to the shelves until our next class period when we will work with this draught again."
The class began working quickly. Harry struck up a quick fire underneath the cauldron he and Ron were sharing. He didn't notice Snape approaching their table, nor did he hear him speak for the first time. "I beg your pardon?" he asked sharply as Snape sneered and turned to walk away.
The Professor turned. The class grew very quiet. Luna Lovegood, standing at her spot with her Ravenclaw partner, nearly dropped her mandrake root, her eyes on the Potions Professor.
"I was just asking you about the other Potter," Snape replied in his low, waspish tone. His eyes were still calculating, but there was a different light in them this time.
"My sister," Harry replied through clenched teeth. "Leave her alone."
"Why would I do such a thing, Potter?" Snape asked in that voice again. "I already spoke to her this morning. She's a much friendlier version than I imagined. She must take after your Mother."
Harry's fists were clenched so tightly they felt numb. "If you do anything--"
There was that light again. "She has not given me any reason to doubt otherwise," Snape said coldly. "But she is still a Potter and she is expected to uphold the high values her brother has placed in her. No doubt that you have already poisoned her mind to the darker side of this world."
"She... knows... enough..." Harry muttered, his eyes narrowing into slits. Hermione, who was working with Parvati at the next table, looked up in surprise at Harry's rage. "If you touch her..."
Snape arched one eyebrow before turning away. "Get back to work, Potter. If you speak out of turn again, that'll be ten points from Gryffindor."
Harry's jaw dropped in anger as he turned back to their smoking cauldron. Ron had been spent the past ten minutes carefully dicing up the mandrake root. "How can he... how dare he..."
"Relax, Harry," Hermione whispered encouragingly from behind them. "You'll only get him more riled up."
"I think he's tense enough already," Ron muttered, seeing the dark look on Harry's face.
Harry wasn't worried about what Snape could do to Buffy. No, she really was capable of holding her own. He was just expecting Snape to hold even more bias about him than the Minister of Magic himself. He could just see Buffy in Snape's office, listening for hours on end as Snape poisoned her mind with his taunts and his ridicule. This was the sort of behavior that prompted Sirius to enter his final fight. He didn't want Buffy to think that Harry was too weak to not be able to handle his fights. He was perfectly capable.
The only problem was, he really hadn't told her the truth about everything. Each year his life was put at risk. The only thing she knew was that Sirius had been killed in a battle in the Ministry of Magic just three months before. And that was all she was going to know, unless Snape put his own twist on the events of the past five years.
He was silent even as they walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts. He hadn't said another word, unwilling to lose any points for Gryffindor on their first day. When Justin Finch-Fletchley had asked a question, Snape, in his abysmal mood, had docked Hufflepuff ten points just because the Hufflepuff boy hadn't addressed him as 'Sir'. Harry rolled his eyes and snorted, adding the mandrake to the potion and ignoring the scathing look Hermione had been shooting towards him.
The first good thing to happen that day happened when Katie Bell caught up with him as they were walking across the courtyard to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Oi! Potter!"
"Katie," he said, turning around and smiling at the older girl.
"Hey, Ron," she said, greeting Ron with a grin. "Listen, Harry. I just spoke with Dumbledore. You're back on the Quidditch team. We're going to pull what's left of the team together and decide on when to hold tryouts Thursday night, all right? We'll decide on Captain then, too." As she walked away, she turned back with an even broader grin. "Your sister is really great, Harry. You're so lucky to have one of her around."
"There's one person who actually believes me," Harry grumbled as they queued up outside of Defense Against the Dark Arts. They waited until the rest of third-years streamed out, all looking terrified about something.
The class all swept inside. Their Professor was already waiting, his back turned. He lifted his wand and the door slammed shut behind them. Most of the class let out a small gasp as their new Professor turned dramatically to face them.
He had to be one of the oldest Professors they had ever had, maybe even out-aging old Mad-Eye Moody. His silver hair was neatly parted and his blue eyes stared coldly at the students. His robes billowed around him. He carried an air of old confidence and sheer determination.
The word Harry was searching for was intimidating. Just standing there with that air of quiet and calm, he garnered their automatic respect. The only other person that this worked for was Professor Dumbledore.
"I expect you to be the sixth-years," the man said in a cold voice, eyeing them all on a level he would survey a group of men like Uncle Vernon with. "You will have then needed to pass a test in order to take this N.E.W.T.-level class. If you are here by accident, I ask that you leave immediately."
No one dared move or even speak.
"Now, kindly pull out some parchment and a quill. It is time to take down a few notes." He turned to the board and nodded at it. Silvery letters formed words. "Your lessons in the past five years have been sketchy at best. You hardly learned anything your first two years and while your third-year Professor was proficient, I believe the man you had as your fourth-year was more in line with what I shall be instructing you in this year." He nodded at the board again as the course objectives began writing themselves on the cold slate.
Objective 1 - To study and to practice the arts of cursing, hexing and shielding.
Objective 2 - To pursue entering of the mind; to read emotions and virtual energy.
Objective 3 - To learn and study mystical creatures and their origins.
"There will be other things during the year that are not under these three headings which I will teach to my advantage. I suggest you all write these down. They will be important later on."
There was a pause of a few moments as students jotted down the notes he'd placed on the board.
"Now. A little bit about myself. I first got involved in defending this world against the dark arts thirty one years ago, once I had completed my training. I have been defending this world in both controlled and non-controlled circumstances. This is my first war, however, so we will both be learning along the way. I have been informed that some of you have already fought a battle or two, or have been hexed beyond their control. It is in your best interest as well as my own to prepare you for what you may face in the year ahead."
He picked up his wand from his desk and held it out level, pointing it at each student. "You can call me Professor Pryce, although if you wished to call me Lincoln, I will not object. I am a widower with two children, both of whom are employed in the same cause that I have dedicated my own life's work to. Now that you know a little about me, I only ask that you tell me a little information about you. When I point my wand at you, state your name and what you believe to be the most important thing you need to learn to deal with these unfortunate tidings." He finally raised his arm again, the tip shooting a few golden sparks towards Padma Patil. "You first, my dear."
One by one, the students in the large class started talking about themselves. Hermione came before Harry, and her answer was one of the best ones that Harry had heard yet. The reason why she needed to know these things was because innocent Muggle-borns were going to die and her family was at risk. When Malfoy let out an untimely snort in the back of the classroom, Professor Pryce's head snapped upwards. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"And you, boy. What is your name?"
"Draco Malfoy," the blonde Slytherin replied sarcastically. "As for what we need to learn, anything to help us pass this damned class."
"Right, then," the Professor replied, tracing his lips with one long pale finger. "If this is all you expect to learn from this class, there is nothing to hold you here. You may leave now." He pointed the same long finger towards the exit.
Draco ducked his head. "I didn't mean that, Sir..." he said, quickly apologizing. "There is loads of stuff to learn--"
"Mindless rambling," the Professor replied in that same soft voice. "It is quite the trait for a Slytherin, do you not agree, Mister Malfoy? You may stay but I expect your idiotic comments to be held to yourself from now on. That will be twenty points from Slytherin and if you dare interrupt this class again, it will be Detention. Now..." He turned his wand and aimed it at Harry. "Please continue."
"I'm Harry Potter," he said, not really feeling nervous at all. "I think the most important thing we can learn is how to protect ourselves from Voldemort."
More than half of the class winced as Harry said his name. Professor Pryce didn't move. He just stared at Harry in that same calculating way Snape had. "Very well, Mister Potter," he said quietly. "Very well." His eyes moved to Ron, who sat on the other side of Harry. "And you?"
By the time the introductions were over, their period had nearly ended.
"I expect that you have all purchased 'Dark Curses and How To Counter'," the Professor said, nodding for a third time at the board, where their first assignment started writing itself out. "Please read the first two chapters and take special note of the shield charm and the dark curse detector. We will be covering both of these items in the next class and those of you who are unprepared will not be allowed to return. You are all dismissed."
"Wow," Hermione said under her breath as the trio headed towards dinner.
"Wow, indeed," Harry replied.
"I can't believe that Professor just put Malfoy in his place," Ron said, closing his eyes to relish the memory.
"Neither can I," Harry admitted.
His sister was already at dinner, sitting among the seventh years. Harry quickly made to find a seat next to her and sat down on her left side. She turned to him in surprise. "Twice in one day?" she asked with a chuckle. "Do I deserve such brotherly attention?"
"Of course you do," he said sweetly, enjoying the way the flush crept up her neck. "How was your first class with the ickle firsties?"
"Ickle firsties?" she asked, arching one eyebrow. "Transfigurations was great. Potions was... interesting..."
Harry gulped. "Did Professor Snape say anything to you?"
She shook her head no. "He tried to make me look like an idiot, I'll admit. He started asking me a lot of questions. I think I got about half of them right. I'm so not the celebrity he tells me I am."
"That'll explain why he didn't dock us a hundred points," Harry muttered mutinously.
"Hell, he docked our Gryffindor class about fifty," Buffy muttered, her own tone dark. "Oh, well. I figure I have a lot to catch up on. He asked me to go to his office tomorrow night to arrange a tutoring schedule. I mean, look at me. I'm eighteen and I'm in a class with a large group of eleven-year-olds."
"At least they like you," Harry pointed out as Ron and Hermione joined them.
"That's true," Buffy replied, thinking of her conversations with the group of eleven-year-olds. Laurel Wood was one of the sweetest little girls she had ever met. "I cannot wait for Ancient Runes and Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow."
"Ancient Runes is great," Hermione enthused. "As for Defense Against the Dark Arts... wow. I've never seen such a proper Professor."
"A proper guy, hmm?" Buffy asked, now openly curious. "What did he have you do your first day?"
"Just introductory things," Ron replied, leaning over the table towards her. "But you should have seen him put Malfoy in his spot. He deducted twenty points off of him the first hour!"
Buffy looked slightly impressed. "I think I like this guy already."
"There he is," Harry said, tapping her arm and pointing to the head table. "There's Professor Pryce."
"Pryce?" she asked in confusion, turning to look at the person Harry was pointing at. When she laid her eyes on him, she frowned. He looked slightly familiar. He was an older Wizard, with long billowing robes and short, silvery hair neatly parted. He didn't have a mustache or a beard, so his face was smooth and unlined. She couldn't see any other features from this distance except he looked older and distinguished. "I guess I'll get my chance to meet him tomorrow."
Ginny and Dean joined them then and their conversation came to an end. Once dinner was over, Harry, Ron and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room, which was filled with students spreading out their homework for the first day. Hermione was eager to read Dark Curses and How To Counter Them, so they all sat down in their usual chairs near the fireplace and opened the books. Hermione pulled a stack of parchment into her lap to take notes with.
"This is actually interesting," Ron said after a half hour of reading. "All of this stuff on dark curse detectors. It's amazing how many people just ignore the signs."
Hermione, who was a half chapter ahead, glanced up from her stack of notes to regard Ron quietly. "Just wait until you get to the part of the origin of the shield charm."
"Protego," Harry muttered, flipping a few pages ahead. "Yeah, this is good. It'll be especially good if we can start up the DA again."
"Have you spoken to Dumbledore about it?" Hermione asked, turning around slightly to look at him.
Harry shook his head no. "I intend to in a few days. Maybe after Quidditch things have settled down a bit."
Hermione turned back to her notes, dipped her quill in ink, and continued to write.
Buffy was sitting across the common room, opening her letter from Oliver at last. It had arrived the night before but since she'd had zero privacy, it was hard to do things alone. Her eyes fell on the flat black box and she realized she wanted to open that up when she was truly alone.
The letter wasn't long. It said just enough to make her smile. She knew she had to write him back, but she already had homework to look forward to. She picked up The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One and the rest of her things, intending to go to the library.
Once she arrived, she pulled out the book and began reading. An hour later, she sat back, rubbing her eyes. The black box was starting to ebb her academic attention and she turned curiously, pulling the box from her bag. For a moment she stared at it. And then she buried it under a fair stack of parchment. She wasn't ready to open it. Not yet.
She pulled out Oliver's letter again and her own bit of parchment on which she would write her reply.
His letter was still short when she reread it.
Buffy,
I have to admit you surprised me at the station. It was a very pleasant surprise. It makes me want to get to know you even more.
I'll be seeing you,
Oliver
She picked up her own quill and a single page of her pale red parchment, bent over it, and began to write.
Dear Oliver,
I had to keep you on your toes somehow. I didn't want you to forget me when I went back to school. It's strange here, and yet I feel almost welcome. Your sister is the sweetest girl. I'm so glad I have two classes with her. And she's told me some pretty interesting stories about you.
Apparently our first Hogsmeade weekend is the week before Halloween. I'm not sure how often you get to this part of England, but I would certainly like you to be there. I just have to find a guardian to sign my permission slip. I'm eighteen and I need permission. It is quite sad.
It's the first day of school and I almost wish it was over already. Of course, I would love to spend more time in London. I think you know what I mean.
Tomorrow I start my two other new classes. I am totally looking forward to them.
I hope you're enjoying your time at home. Laurel tells me you were a right pain in the arse all summer. Somehow, I can't imagine you being anything like that.
Until some other time,
Buffy
She set down the feather and reread the letter. It was long enough to give him an update on her life. She wondered if she'd included too much personal information. They'd only known each other for a month and yet she was dying to know more about him. Of course, having Laurel's biased version was almost worth it.
She tucked the letter inside her book, intending on sending Onyx out later that night. She turned her attention back to her book and continued to read.
Harry finally put the text down at eleven, feeling drained. He'd done the reading and was looking over the material for the second time. Hermione had gone to bed a half hour before, after leaving clothes out for the elves.
Her knitting had improved remarkably over the summer. Instead of looking like woolly body parts, they actually resembled hats and scarves.
Harry turned to Ron, who was sleeping on the table, his head in his arms. Prodding his best friend in the side, Ron sat up, looking slightly put out. "What?"
"It's eleven," Harry said, stretching as he gathered his materials. "I'm going to bed. Are you coming?"
"Sure," Ron said, yawning. They both made their way back to the dormitories. As Harry glanced one last time at the empty common room, he thought he hadn't seen his sister all evening. He wondered where she was.
He changed into his pajamas and laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Two months ago he didn't know he had a sister. Now he couldn't imagine a day without any contact from her. After Sirius died, things had been bad. He had loved his godfather. Sirius had been a mentor to him, a brother. His death had affected him to the point of depression. But when Buffy had swept into his life with her sunny smile and her strength, Harry found himself wanting to believe that even in all of this darkness, there was a light. She was his light, his reason to hold on, the last thing he had left to care about.
He wanted to protect her from the darkness awaiting all of them in this world. He knew she had been through her own version of Hell. Everytime she talked about California, he could see the darkness in her eyes and hear the anger in her voice. The Council had deeply affected her.
Personally, Harry was glad that she had made this decision. Without Buffy, his reasons to go on would have been tainted with his normal angst and his teenage hormones. He could see himself moody and depressed over his godfather's death, along with the knowledge of the prophecy.
The prophecy. This was the one thing he hadn't told his sister about. It was the one thing he hadn't told anyone about. He knew he had to, and he would. Eventually.
The thoughts were still milling through his mind when he fell asleep. He felt calmed by the sound of the light snoring coming from Neville's bed.
The dreams changed deeper into the night. He could hear the sound of screaming and saw two women fighting side by side. He saw them both carrying each other out of a foggy darkness.
He was back on the dais. Buffy was standing near the veil, staring into the black material with the strangest look on her face. "No!" he cried out, realizing what she was about to do.
"It's not your decision to make," a voice said at his elbow. He turned and saw a dark-haired woman standing beside him. She had a dagger in her hand and had run the tip of the sharp blade over the palm of her opposite hand. "It's not your blood."
Harry turned back to the dais. Buffy was walking towards them. "Are you ready?" she asked the dark-haired woman.
"Let's do it."
Buffy turned and stared at the archway. "Time to go," she said, turning back to Harry. "You have to be strong, now. You have to brave, just like Dad. I'll see you again."
Before he could stop her, she ran and dove into the archway.
He yelled out, running after her, but was easily tossed aside by the other woman, who turned back to him. "Be strong," she said in a cool voice before turning and disappearing after Buffy.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he sat up, breathing hard.
It was the strangest dream, he decided.
Why had she sacrificed herself like that? What had it meant?
He felt his breath return to normal and settled back down against his pillows. Closing his eyes, he could still see the look of calm determination on his older sister's face. She knew what she was doing.
Before he knew what had happened, he had fallen back into sleep and the thoughts from his first dream faded away.
- - - - -
Chapter 22... James and Lily have a baby... the chapter from the past (one I was just DYING to write)
Chapter 23... Buffy faces Defense Against the Dark Arts... and a rude awakening.
Let's see... a few more spoilers (I'm too darned nice) -- Faith is going to be making a life-altering decision; Wesley is about to make his hardest decision; Buffy confides her deal with the prophecy to someone unexpected; Harry's about to find out that Buffy's life has been a lot different than he really expected; a spy is uncovered; Lupin visits. Whew. Quite the list.
To the Readers / Reviewers:
I had to do a Harry-centric chapter. Not all siblings spend that much time around each other. If I spent that much time around my brother, we'd kill each other, no matter what.
BlackCat200 -- Sorry I didn't answer your question last chapter! Joyce's condition will be brought up but not until the end of the story. I just decided to do it that way.
lighthearted69 -- As much as your comment made me roll my eyes since I AM a shipper of that particular pair... well, this fic won't be. I'm trying something new. (And my beta hates me for it!)
manticore-gurl -- No, they don't know she's a Slayer... that'd be a disaster! She only has had it hard because she would have told them she just found out she was adopted and then was deported without stating a reason. And since these girls don't know much about Muggles, well, it's something they'll accept. It'll be explained more in Chapter 23, I think.
kel -- did this chapter answer your question? At all? I give up. I won't spoil it for anyone else.
kped -- do you like have a copy of my notes? I'm getting suspicious now. Nice guess :) It is quite possible.
Goddessa39 -- I feel your pain, I really do. I'm a hugehugehuge BA shipper. This is new territory for me in the first place.
StarBella -- I think it'd be a funny parody, don't you? I promise Percy won't be anything more than a friend (in other words, I have plans for him) and I'll be nice to Fred and George, too. But I'm not changing my mind about who I've chosen now. I kind of like the way it's turning out.
Crank. I just had another idea for a fic... bad... bad!
To those questioning about the necklace, all will be revealed in Chapter 25. Let's just say it's not a good reaction our Slayer has. As for needing to rid herself of Slayer powers, she's about to realize it's not a good idea. More Buffy/Oliver togetherness come Chapter 29. I know that's a long way off, but hey. They write. Other characters are coming back.
As for Faith, she'll be coming in Chapter 29. Whee. And as for Sirius, hell. My timeline says his storyline will be wrapped up by the end of the story. Cheers! :)
Next Update: Monday, as usual.
I'll tell you what you guys are... awesome! Thank you for reading and reviewing this!