Chapter 28
Seen and Foretold
- - - - -
"You're doing it wrong! Powdered eye of newt isn't part of the concoction!"
Buffy glanced up with dazed eyes to see Draco Malfoy glaring at her icily across the table. They were sitting in the Snape's classroom late the following Sunday afternoon. Draco was trying in vain for her to understand the simple second-year Potions they'd been concocting all afternoon.
Buffy glanced down at the swelling Potion and dipped her ladle inside, lifting out a bit of the runny potion. "I don't get why I should have to know any of this in the first place," she muttered, dropping the spoon aside and glaring across the table into the silvery eyes that glared back. "Why don't you try explaining it again? Something might sink in this time."
"Because that's all I've been doing for the past hour," Draco said, trying desperately to keep his temper in check.
"Fine, then I give up," she said cheerfully, lifting her wand and prodding the cauldron.
"What are you doing? You're going to blow something up!" Draco said in exasperation, grabbing the tip of her wand and forcing it away from the cauldron, surprised by her firm grip. "The last thing you need to worry about is detention because of your own stupidity."
"Hey," Buffy said, anger in her gaze as she met the other boy's gaze coolly. "You may be able to get away with insulting a lot of people, but you'll never get away with it in front of me. Insult me again and I'll show you the true meaning of the word 'pain'."
Draco rolled his eyes, which seemed to only incense her more. She leaned across the table, taking the younger boy by the robes. "Do you understand me now, little boy?"
When she released him, his own eyes were full of humiliation and rage as he leapt to his feet. He was easily a head taller than her. He was probably hoping to intimidate her, but since she'd faced taller demons than him, Angelus included, she was hardly fazed.
"I'd watch my backside if I were you, Potter," he snapped back, gathering his books. "I think you can figure out how to clean this disaster up yourself. I'm out of here."
She watched him go, sighing. "I have to do this twice a week," she groaned, dropping her head into her arms. "Damn Snape... damn him for torturing me so." With another sigh, she picked up her wand, muttered "Evanesco", and watched as the contents of her potion disappeared.
Ten minutes later she was walking back up to Gryffindor Tower, feeling cranky and out of it. As she stomped into the common room, she saw that Katie, Harry and Ron were all wearing their Quidditch robes and gazing at her curiously.
"Buffy! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Katie said, grabbing the other girl by the arm and dragging her into the room. "You're going to miss Quidditch practice!"
"I was stuck in the dungeons all afternoon," Buffy muttered, "in... tutoring..." She didn't look happy about it and Katie didn't press her further.
Katie managed to turn Buffy the other way and get her upstairs before the girl could continue ranting. Harry looked worried for a moment, but shook it off when Ginny joined them, her Cleansweep in her hands. Spencer Wood walked behind her, setting his Nimbus 2001 down with a grimace, eyeing the Beater's club he carried in his hand as though he'd love nothing more than to smash it into the nearest wall.
Katie returned a moment later, a frightened look on her face.
"Is she coming?" Harry asked, now feeling worried.
"Yeah," Katie said, biting her lip as she stared up the girl's dormitory tower. She could almost hear the older girl cursing and throwing things upstairs and winced inwardly, turning back to Harry. "Let's go. She'll catch up with us."
Harry nodded and eyed the rest of his teammates, who obediently lifted their things and moved towards the portrait hole.
Upstairs, Buffy had collapsed on her bed, holding her stomach. The remains of a chair that had been sitting under the window were strewn across the floor. Grabbing her wand, she muttered, "Reparo", and the chair lifted into the air and magically fixed itself.
"Why do I let him irritate me?" she groaned as she fell backwards on her bed, her Quidditch robes falling across her body. "Why do I let him irritate me?"
"Maybe because you both have egos," a voice said from the doorway. Buffy looked up to see Emma standing in the doorway, her arms crossed thoughtfully. "I assume you're either talking about Malfoy or Snape."
Buffy rolled her eyes and snorted as she sat up again. "Normally when someone would annoy me, I'd beat their ass and I'd feel better. I feel so weak here..." She didn't want to confess anything to her roommate and turned away, running a frustrated hand through wild hair. "I should probably go to Quidditch practice."
But as Buffy moved towards the door, Emma held out an arm, closing the door and magically sealing it behind her. "No. I'm going to step in here and do what is known as friendly intervention."
"You don't want to get involved in this," Buffy said earnestly, her eyes pleading for Emma to move and stand aside. "It isn't worth it."
"No, Potter, it is," Emma replied, grabbing the shorter girl by the shoulders and attempting to move her backwards towards her bed. To Emma's surprise, Buffy stood her ground a moment before sighing and allowing herself to be pushed back onto her bed. "Look, I know we've only known each other for two weeks now, but I like you, Potter. Something is bothering you. You're withdrawn and you're never around anymore. I think you're taking on too much too soon."
If only she really knew, Buffy thought with a dark smile as she glanced up into the other girl's dark eyes. "Emma, it's really nice and all, but you really don't know me. This is how I deal with things."
"That isn't the same way that Hogwarts students handle things," Emma said, trying to convince the girl. "Your House is your family, here, Buffy. We're going to be here even if you tell us to go away."
Buffy found her throat surprisingly closed up. For some odd reason, she was thinking of Willow when the other girl said this. "I know, Emma," she said, looking up with pained eyes. "But, try to understand... I don't know anything about this school other than the fact I belong here now. I'm just trying to find my place in this world. I want to be known for something other than being the sister of the boy-who-lived or the magical-accident-that-was."
"The what?" Emma asked in confusion.
Buffy shook her head in aggitation. "The point is, Emma... some things are worth fighting for in this world. My parents gave their lives in this war. They gave me up to protect me from this world. It's about time I gave something back."
"You already have," Emma said, reaching for her hand. "If you haven't noticed, Buffy, your brother has something now that he didn't have four months ago when Sirius Black was killed. He has hope now. If anything could throw you-know-who, it's hope. It's love. And it's powerful."
"I guess it was always meant to be," Buffy said with a tight, flashing smile. "I really should go to practice now."
"I'll come, too," Emma said, standing up and watching as Buffy pulled off her school robes and added her Gryffindor Quidditch ones. "Who knows... I might actually learn something."
"You never know," Buffy quipped as she reached under her bed and grasped her own broomstick. "All right, let's go."
Ten minutes later, Buffy joined her teammates on the pitch. She shook her head slightly at Katie, who looked as though she were about to ask something. Instead, all seven Gryffindors lifted into the air.
Emma had run into both Tess and Yasmine on their way downstairs, so Emma had asked the other two seventh year girls to join them. Buffy felt slightly weird having her roommates watch her learn Quidditch, but Katie looked as though this happened everyday.
"All right, Potter!" Ron shouted to her, tossing her the quaffle. "Nice and easy now. Bell, Weasley, spread out. I want you to focus a three-pronged attack."
"Right," Buffy muttered as she turned her broomstick around and flew easily to the other end of the pitch, the quaffle tucked safely under her arm. Harry was still on the ground, the trunk open at his feet. He released the golden snitch and the bludgers before lifting up on his Firebolt and circling around the pitch.
Buffy started out first, darting left and right. She could see Katie and Ginny in front of her, criss-crossing. A bludger flew dangerously close to her head and she jolted to the side, gasping as her broomstick reacted quickly. Once she regained her balance, she saw Ron, stationary above the three hoops.
Buffy saw Ginny some ten feet below her. Seeing the redheaded girl criss-cross and suddenly pull up, Buffy tossed her the quaffle and began making a large circle around the outer edge of the towering seats. Ginny pulled back with the quaffle and tossed it to Katie, who immediately flew down to dodge the second bludger, young Spencer Wood chasing it with a menacing look on his face.
Buffy lifted her broomstick up and hovered a few feet below the middle hoop, watching as Harry flew about fifty feet above them, his eye lazily on the snitch.
The quaffle was thrown back at her so fast that Buffy barely had a moment to react. The instant the quaffle touched her fingertips, her broomstick jolted forward and nearly straight up. Ron moved instinctively towards the outermost hoop, but Buffy was ready for him. She passed back to Katie, who put it through the left-side hoop.
Buffy flew down to catch the quaffle is it fell, falling into a steep plunge that seemed to get her heart throbbing almost painfully in her chest. She could practically hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears as she grasped the rubber ball before lifting herself a little more gracefully into the air.
After an hour of practicing different scoring moves and yet another hour after that training their Beaters, the seven players set down, windswept, but grinning nevertheless.
"You're getting better," Ron said to Buffy encouragingly, patting her on the back. "I think you three make a mean trio."
"I hope so," Ginny said, running a hand through her own wild red hair. "That Quidditch Cup will be ours again this year!"
"Come again?" Buffy asked with a slight frown.
"Honestly," Katie chided, coming up along side Buffy and taking her by the arm. "Don't you ever pay attention to sports? Whichever House wins the tournament game gets the Cup. It's like the bloody Stanley cup, or whichever cup those players in the states get."
"Oh," Buffy said, whispering in acknowledgement and once again feeling like a dolt. "But that's a hockey cup, isn't it?"
"Do I look like a Muggle?" Katie asked her lightly, her eyebrows raised.
"Not really, no," Buffy giggled as they walked on.
Harry watched as Ginny and their two fourth-year Beaters followed the two seventh-year girls. He felt a crushing need to hold Ron back and touched his arm. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He tilted his head toward the stands, giving his best friend a meaningful look.
"Yeah, sure," Ron said, both of them walking towards the stands and up the stairs until they were seated fifty feet in the air. "What is it?"
Harry felt that the time had come for him to tell his closest friend at last. He would be able to tell Hermione and he knew that Ron wouldn't say he already knew the truth. But, after living for four months in silence, he knew the truth would set him free, somewhat.
He felt guilty enough about leaving his sister in the dark. It was even worse to do it to the two people who had always stood by his side.
Yet the nagging voice inside of him reminded him that Ron did turn away from him for a time in their fourth year, after Harry had been chosen the fourth champion in the Triwizard Tournament.
It was high time for him to be honest, he decided firmly. He turned to Ron and saw the intense look in his best friend's eyes. "What is it, Harry?" Ron repeated, his voice dropping as he saw the very serious look on Harry's face.
"It... it's about that night four months ago," Harry started, keeping his eyes on his feet. "And... and the prophecy."
"The one that smashed right?" Ron asked with a slight frown. "The one that smashed when you tried to keep it away from the Death Eaters."
"Yeah," Harry said, forcing himself to look up into Ron's eyes. "The reason I didn't say anything before is because someone else heard the prophecy before it was recorded in the crystal orb. It... it had the reason why my parents died..."
Ron was looking at Harry with fear now, as though he expected Harry to explode in front of him. "Wh-What do you mean?" Ron asked in a quiet voice.
"Voldemort attacks me because of a prophecy made before I was born," Harry said in a quick rush of words, not wanting to look at Ron's wince as he said the Dark Lord's name again. "It said that... Voldemort would have to face his equal."
"H-His equal?" Ron asked, his eyes bulging slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Voldemort... err, you-know-who transferred powers to me the night my parents died. He gave me the ability to speak Parseltongue and who knows what other gifts. But... there was something else..." Harry sighed and stared hard at his feet again. "The last part of the prophecy said that only one of us can live."
"Wait," Ron said slowly, causing Harry to meet his gaze again. "Do you mean to say that you have to kill you-know-who or... or..."
"Die myself," Harry said softly. "Yes, Ron. That's exactly what I'm saying."
Ron looked down as the shock hit him hard. "Who heard the prophecy?"
"Dumbledore," Harry said heavily. "It came from Trelawney."
"Whoa," Ron said in an incredulous voice. "Trelawney actually foretold something?"
"She's done it twice," Harry replied. "Because she had a prophecy about Wormtail returning to Voldemort." He turned to stare out across the pitch. A slight mist was starting to rise from the lake in the late evening air, and magical floodlights suddenly filled the pitch with light. Ron had a fleeting feeling that Harry was going to say something else, but he never did.
"When did... when did Dumbledore tell you?" Ron asked him cautiously.
"The night after Sirius died," Harry replied sadly. "He said that he didn't want to tell me because he cared about my happiness far too much. I'm beginning to think it was a mistake. I could have been prepared for this had I been told years ago... and now..."
Ron just gave him a sympathetic look and said nothing.
Harry continued on. "The thing is, this prophecy may not have been meant for me at all. You-know-who had a spy at the same pub that Dumbledore and Trelawney were at the night the prophecy was foretold. The spy only heard part of the prophecy and Voldemort came after me. But there was another born at the end of July..."
"Neville," Ron said suddenly, glancing at Harry. "It could have been Neville."
"Dumbledore is certain that it is me," Harry said with a heavy sigh, watching as the hoops disappeared in the mists. "Everything I have lived for and everything that is to come is now coming together in this moment."
"But, you see, mate, there is something different now," Ron reminded him. "You-know-who has never known you had a sister. In his efforts to destroy you, he would have gone after her."
"Imagine a Dark Lord going up against a Slayer," Harry said with a wry smile.
"All he needs is one good killing curse," Ron said, shuddering. He noticed the dark look on Harry's face and made to clap his best friend on the shoulder. "Relax, Harry. She can hold her own. She may not know much magic, but she's already wicked strong."
"I know," Harry said quietly. "I'm just trying to figure out how to tell her about all of this."
"And Hermione?" Ron prodded, watching Harry shake his head and stand up.
"Can we tell her together, mate?" Harry asked him earnestly. "I honestly don't think I could stand the look on her face if I told her alone."
"Of course," Ron said, suddenly noticing a different look in Harry's eyes as they descended from the stands. Harry looked relieved, but Ron felt troubled as he and Harry walked back towards the castle.
They didn't notice a figure emerge behind them, eyes alight with confusion and understanding.
"Well, isn't this delicious?" they said in a malicious voice. "Two prophecies, both about death... it seems as though the Potters are headed for a fall at last."
- - - - -
A silver sword swung gracefully through the air. Buffy caught it in her hands and turned, decapitating the menace who had thrown the sword at her in the first place. Standing up to her full height, she turned and eyed down the second demon, which just stared at her with odd, glowing blue eyes.
"Come and get me, bad boy," she taunted in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Willow's, tossing the sword aside. The demon lunged at her, knocking them both to the muddy, watery ground as the rain started falling harder... and harder...
"Buffy!"
Buffy groaned into her pillow, not wanting to let go of the sweet release of tension building in her dreams.
The demon lurched forward, punching her roughly in the jaw. Her head snapped back like a dolls as she fought to get his weight off of her. She finally managed to kick him back...
"Buffy! Please, wake up!"
Buffy opened one eye, the glowing demon disappearing from sight immediately. Pushing the covers off of her bed, she saw the early Saturday morning light almost offensive as she pulled a bathrobe on and raced to the door, ignoring the sound of someone calling from behind it.
Harry was standing down at the bottom of the stairs in the Common Room. He stared at his sister in shock as she appeared in front of him, looking disgruntled. Her hair was wild, falling into her eyes, giving her a strange, cavewoman-like appearance. She was wearing a sheer red bathrobe that barely covered the pink nightgown she wore underneath.
"Harry, it's seven in the morning and I was actually having a good dream," she snapped before she looked up.
"Err," he said, gesturing behind him. Buffy's eyes suddenly widened in horror and she gasped.
"Oh... my... God..." she whispered, clamping one hand over her mouth. The other hand went to pull her robe closer to her body as she actually backed up several steps in horror, nearly collapsing as a figure grinned at her lightly in the shadows.
"Good morning, Elizabeth."
She uttered a small scream, pushing her wild hair back. "Um... good morning, Remus," she managed weakly, giving him a tense smile before turning to Harry, who knew he was going to pay for not telling her their Father's friend was visiting that weekend.
"I'm sorry to wake you early, but I was hoping we could have breakfast together," Lupin said easily. He felt slightly uncomfortable since the situation was definitely awkward. Buffy gave him another brief smile and turned to glare at Harry.
"This is all your fault," she muttered, patting her hair.
"It really isn't," Harry started lamely, but Remus took over for him.
"No, Harry, it's all right. I just wanted to make sure we had an entire day together. I promised Dumbledore we would go to Grimmauld Place and clean out some of Sirius's belongings... that kind of thing." He looked really uncomfortable now. The situation intensified as he saw the confusion in the younger woman's eyes.
"Oh, right..." she said suddenly, taking another step up, biting her lip. "I'll tell you what. I'm going to go and drown myself in the shower and then you two can go and spend some time together..." Turning on her heel, she disappeared back upstairs.
"I really should have told her," Harry mumbled, giving Remus a guilty smile as he started up behind her. Lupin just chuckled and walked back into the Common Room. "Buffy!" he called upstairs. "Buffy, please."
"This is all your fault!" she hissed. "You could have at least told me he was coming!"
"I forgot," Harry confessed. "I'm sorry."
"I'll be down in twenty minutes," Buffy said, groaning. "And here I thought I was going to have all day to work on my studies. I have to get ready for... Potions tomorrow." There was an uncharacteristic dark look on her face now, and Harry really didn't like it. "Tell Lupin I'll be along, please." Before he could reply, she disappeared from sight.
Harry returned to the Common Room. After telling Lupin that Buffy would be down momentarily, he dropped down into his usual squashy armchair and stared into the cold fireplace.
Had it only been three weeks since they'd arrived back at Hogwarts?
He and Ron had told Hermione the truth on Monday night, true to their words. Her reaction had been exactly what Harry had feared. Her eyes had widened in horror and for a moment he thought she was going to faint, but instead she turned to him, her eyes full of panic. "Oh, Harry," she said, eyes filling with tears. "I'm so, so sorry..."
He didn't know she held the truth about his sister, who had also died. And now there was one Potter sibling who had been dead once and another one which had to kill or be killed. It really was too horrible to think about.
She had reached forward then and had done something Harry never thought she would do. She hugged him, holding him to her as she cried into his shoulder. He'd put his hands awkwardly around her back, feeling slightly comforted and oddly tingling as she pulled back, managing a watery smile.
"No wonder you've been so brave," she whispered, her face shining from the tears.
Feeling like she was turning back into Cho, he managed to tell her to stop crying, and she did, but not before giving him a very serious look. He was about to ask her what it meant when an owl tapped on the window. Ron opened the window and Hedwig flew in, presenting a letter from Remus Lupin.
He had been asked to return to Grimmauld Place and go through Sirius's belongings. Since he felt that Harry was the closest person to Sirius, even if they'd only known each other a short time, Lupin had been thoughtful enough to ask Harry to accompany him. Harry had replied that he would. It was Hermione's suggestion that Harry ask if Buffy could come along, too. After all, she reasoned, Buffy really never knew Sirius and perhaps she might like to.
Harry had then talked about his dream. "Does she already know Sirius?" he asked after explaining to them the dream in which Sirius had been standing with the dark-haired girl in the graveyard. "And what the bloody hell is up with her telling me that death is my gift?"
"I don't know Harry," Hermione lied quietly, shaking her head, her eyes huge. Ron looked just as perplexed, but Hermione wasn't buying it for a moment. Ron most likely knew that Buffy was hiding something large, too. For one suspicious moment, she wondered if Percy had confided anything to his youngest brother.
Hermione had caught up with Buffy at Ancient Runes that day, telling her about the articles she and Ginny had come across. Buffy had promised that she would accompany Hermione to the library that week and that appeased the younger Gryffindor. They had gone into class and Hermione had watched, bemused, as Buffy struggled through their first test.
"I can't believe how hard that was," Buffy raged, staring at her test booklet in confusion. "I spent six hours last night and this morning studying this rubbish!"
"You'll get it," Hermione said, in an attempt to calm down the older girl.
"You're bloody right I will," Buffy hissed under her breath, tucking the book inside her bag and stalking off to dinner. Hermione had just sighed and followed her.
Buffy had only eaten with them twice that week. During this time, Harry had forgotten completely to tell his sister that Lupin would be coming for them early that Saturday morning. He wasn't surprised to see Onyx dropping down nearly every other day with a new pale blue envelope. Hermes had come with a letter that Thursday morning, a morning she happened to be eating breakfast with them.
"What's Percy sending you now?" Ron asked curiously as she read the letter, her eyebrows knit together in concentration.
"Nothing," she said, giving him a forced smile, draining her juice and standing up, walking right out of the Great Hall. Harry had just noticed his sister hadn't eaten anything.
Fred and George, true to their word, had sent her a box that Friday morning. It was smoking purple smoke and was shooting off red sparks by the time their eagle owl set down in front of her. Onyx, also delivering a letter, had looked less than pleased and had flown off, attacking the eagle owl, as though annoyed Buffy would dare receive anything from an owl that wasn't her.
"Damn, is your owl moody," Katie said, watching as the black owl disappeared from view.
"I like her," Buffy replied, eyeing the smoking and sparking box wearily. "She's starting to grow on me."
Fred and George had sent her what looked like a small fern in a bright yellow pot. The only problem was, it smoked and shot off multicolored sparks periodically, as well as swooning whenever a female looked at it.
They had also included more chocolate sugar quills which Buffy grinned at, happily sweeping up two of the delicious feathers to suck on during Potions and Transfigurations.
Friday night had been another tutoring night, much to Buffy's annoyance. After Quidditch practice, she ran to the library to study Ancient Runes with Hermione. At nine, Ginny showed up and all three girls promptly turned to their research on the Black family bloodline and the search to find any undiscovered children.
They only had an hour before Madam Pince wandered by and chased them from the library, using her wand to direct a stack of books to thump them on the way out.
If that wasn't bad enough, they ran into the Slytherins, returning from Quidditch practice. Malfoy was particularly brutal to Buffy.
"All right there, Scarhead-wannabe?" he asked with a sneer.
Buffy just rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to give you one, too?"
His eyes narrowed. Hermione and Ginny were standing behind her, both wearing their Prefect badges. While he didn't want to irritate any Prefect, he was tempted to antagonize the Potter girl, who was giving him her usual bored look, with her arms crossed.
"It may have already been foretold," he said quietly, arching one eyebrow and crossing his own arms, matching her posture.
Although she remained rooted to her spot, her heart began beating painfully fast. Had he just said something about foretelling, as in a fortune? Or a prophecy, she realized, her knees quivering slightly underneath her robes. "You see, unlike you, Malfoy," she snapped, her voice cool and collected, "I don't have to be a wannabe to get what I want."
He looked scandalized, as did the other two Slytherins she knew, Warrington and Montague. "Take that back," Montague said in a low growl, taking a step towards her.
"You think you can make me?" Buffy asked, enunciating each word carefully. After being a good Slayer for four months, she knew she was getting aggitated with every single threat, but the prospect of putting the entire Slytherin Quidditch team down before their upcoming match with Hufflepuff was downright delicious.
"You don't think we can?" Malfoy asked, lifting his broomstick threateningly. Crabbe and Goyle both lifted their own clubs in response.
"Come on," she said, taking a few steps forward so that she and Malfoy were standing toe to toe. Her gaze met his directly, full of challenge. "Kick my ass."
"Buffy," Ginny said in a quiet, shaking voice as she gently put her hand on the older girl's shoulder. "I really, really don't want to intervene here, but if you do fight..."
"Back off, Weasley," Draco said, smirking at her. "If little Potter here thinks she can take on the team, she's more than welcome to try."
Buffy didn't back down from the challenge, but it was a speeding fist moving towards her face that prompted her into action. She ducked to the side, pushing herself off the wall. She swung her arm out, connecting with Draco's body, pushing him to the floor. As Malfoy landed painfully, Crabbe and Goyle both growled and shoved the larger boulders making up the Slytherin team aside. Buffy smoothed her robes, a casual smirk lighting up her face.
Hermione and Ginny backed away from Malfoy, afraid he would retaliate. But he just pushed himself in a sitting position, almost enjoying the prospect of this horrid Gryffindor getting the stuffing beat out of her by his two bodyguards.
It took less than one minute for both Crabbe and Goyle to join Draco on the floor. Crabbe was holding his nose, blood sputtering out of both nostrils. Goyle looked dazed from the contact his thick skull had made with the wall. The rest of the Slytherins were watching Draco and the blonde in stunned silence as she straightened up, cracked her knuckles, and turned to Montague with a challenging grin.
"And here I thought you were serious!" she said after a moment of silence. "Come on Hermione, Ginny... let's go. I don't think this night could get any better."
But as she turned her back, Draco snapped. Jumping up from the floor, he tackled her, both of them flying across the floor. But when he pulled back triumphantly, she turned to him. His heart stopped. The look on her face would have killed his Father, even.
"If you would be so kind," she said coldly, "to explain to me why you felt you should attack an opponent with her back turned?" Her eyes held no challenge now, just a cold resistance to his obvious stupidity.
But there was something else in his eyes now. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked, standing up. She slowly got to her feet, her cold gaze never leaving his face. "It's almost as though... you're not human."
"Of course I am," she snapped, brushing the dust from her robes. "And I've been trained long enough to learn how to fight."
But before Malfoy could reply, Buffy heard a hushed tone behind her. "Buffy, it's Filch!"
Malfoy ducked into the shadows, sneering. Buffy had no choice but to run down the opposite corridor with Hermione and Ginny, neither one of who deserved to be caught out of bounds at nearly ten thirty at night. When they reached Gryffindor Tower, Buffy was the first one to stop, lifting her shoulder and stretching it. Hermione marched up to the portrait, muttering, "The next time we go off on one of your adventures, Potter, we're taking Harry's map."
"Harry's what?" Buffy asked curiously.
Luckily, Harry was still awake to explain it to her.
Buffy stood in her bedroom fifteen minutes later, showered and nearly dressed. She decided on Muggle clothing, since she hadn't worn any in a long while. Her long blonde hair had been dried with a simple incantation Hermione had taught her to use with her wand. Lifting up her hairbrush, she gently tugged at her hair for a moment, pulling it into a neat ponytail.
Setting it down, she stared at her reflection, having chosen a red blouse and khaki trousers. A pair of her high-heeled black hoots accompanied the outfit, giving her a shadow of a reflection of her old self.
She pranced back downstairs, feeling happy and carefree. Remus and Harry were both sitting by the fireplace. When Harry saw her walk in, he stood up, his eyes wide. "Wow..."
"Yeah, I know," she said, twirling once in front of him. "It is completely Muggle, but I look pretty."
"It's better than your bathrobe," Harry teased, while Remus stepped up to her, holding out his hand.
"I believe this is our first non-formal introduction," he said as she shook his hand. "I must say, you make quite the Muggle."
"Up until four months ago, that's all I was," she said as Remus led them to the fireplace. He was pulling out a small bag from his deep pocket. "I was plain, ordinary Buffy Summers. Except the whole I wasn't normal. And really not plain, either. But I was a Muggle, for the most part." She groaned as Harry grinned, watching as she bounced on her feet. "I don't really know what I was."
"Extraordinary," Harry finally said, taking the small pot Lupin handed him and taking a pinch of powder. "You were extraordinary. Just as you are now. I don't think it'll ever change."
Buffy took a bit of floo powder herself, feeling her cheeks tinge pink. "You are a sweet pain in my arse, brother dear," she said, giving him a smile to let him know how touched she was at his words.
"All right, Harry, you go first," Lupin said cheerfully, stepping back from the fire. Harry tossed his floo powder inside, stepped into the resulting green flames, and said, in a clear, strong voice, "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place."
Before Buffy could follow him, Lupin took her by the arm. "Before you go, I just want you to know that you may not like what you see. Sirius's family was a large group of dark Wizards and Witches. I think he was the best one in the whole lot of them."
His words caused a sudden shiver over her backbone. If Faith truly is a Black, that just may upset Lupin's theory, she realized darkly. Faith was definitely a good guy.
He held his hand on her arm, handing her a slip of paper. "Read it, memorize it, and think about what it says."
Before she could argue, she read it. "Oh, so this... ah!" She gasped as the paper suddenly lit on fire, a bright blue fire. As the ashes melted away into nothing, she shut her mouth.
He released her arm. "You can go now. Just think about what you just read, step into the fire, and say 'Number twelve, Grimmauld Place'."
Buffy did as he instructed, throwing down her own bit of floo powder. "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place!" she shouted. And then everything became a brilliant green blur.
Oh, she truly had missed going through the Floo system.
- - - - -
Buffy nearly fell out of the fireplace, landing in a pair of sturdy arms. "Oh, thanks Harry," she said as he helped her to her feet. As she looked around at her surroundings, she felt her breath catch in her throat. "What is this place?"
"The noble and most ancient house of Black," Harry replied sullenly. Buffy gazed at him for a moment as he circled around the dining room. Her eyes were on the large serpentine chandelier, covered with dust and cobwebs. The ceiling had probably once been a bronze or silver color, and the trim was tiny black snakes.
"Wicked," she whispered, walking to the doorway and ducking through. The only light in this entire house was the blazing green fire in the kitchen, through which Lupin was now cleanly stepping through.
"I'm going to give us a few lights," Lupin said lightly, stepping past her and into the hallway. A whispered word later and the torches along the main hallway were suddenly blazing. She gasped when she noticed the paintings and trim on the walls. It really looked as though this house had belonged to dark wizards.
Her eye suddenly caught something. She moved over to the hallway and noticed that there were curtains drawn all along it. Feeling as though her senses were tingling, she turned left and found herself staring at a long line of heads along the wall. The last one looked particularly fresh. It was pinned on a small wooden board, with a bronze nameplate reading 'Kreacher' stamped on it. "Lupin, what are these things?" she asked uncertainly.
"House elfs," Remus said in a tired voice. "Kreacher there caused us a lot of trouble, he did. He was left here for years after Sirius was sent to Azkaban with his mother. After she died, Kreacher went around the bend. This elf died a few days after Sirius... and that was the last time this house was used. Somehow, it didn't seem right anymore..."
Buffy studied the house elfs silently for a moment before climbing the steps up to the second level. Harry was already there and was opening and closing doors, peering inside.
"What are we looking for?" Buffy whispered at his back.
"Buckbeak," Harry replied.
"The hippogriff," Buffy realized as she continued following him. By the time they returned to the landing, Remus was there, leaning casually against the banister, his arms crossed.
"Lupin, where did Buckbeak go?" Harry asked curiously.
"He was brought back to Hogwarts," Lupin replied with an easy smile. "We should probably begin downstairs."
During the next few hours, Buffy began to wonder why this house had ever been abandoned. It was a beautiful house, even though it seemed oddly empty and quite morbid. But she felt safe here, as though she could stay here without being seen for years. After a fire had been set in the dining room, Buffy was perfectly content to stay, going through the different cabinets, feeling like an explorer of sorts.
"What are we going to do with all of this?" she asked Harry, who was passing to get some water.
"We'll probably just leave it here," Harry said, his eyes full of sadness.
"Why don't they just give the house to the Order?" Buffy asked, feeling confused as she drew him a pitcher of water and handed him two glasses. "This house is perfect to plot and plan in."
"Things just got so complicated when Sirius died," Harry said, sitting down at the table. "He was an essential member of the Order and being here is painful for those that knew him."
"How does one actually join the Order?" she asked, turning back to a cabinet and removing goblets, piling them inside a large, wooden crate.
"You have to be of age," Harry replied heavilly.
"Which is?" Buffy pressed on, closing the crate and magically sealing it.
"Seventeen," Harry replied, draining the rest of his water and setting the pitcher and glasses on a tray in front of him. He saw the look on her face and sighed. "I know that you're of age, Buffy, but you..."
"I understand, Harry," she said, putting her hand on his back. "You told me that Sirius had been in hiding. He only came out of hiding to protect you and he was killed. It seems kind of pointless if I were to be in the same position. Although I probably wouldn't mind living in this house. It's quite pretty."
"Come upstairs," Harry said darkly, lifting the tray. "And you'll see how pretty is really is."
Buffy took him up on the warning of an offer, following him upstairs and into the drawing room. Remus was standing by a large and ornate bookcase, dropping books into another wooden crate. She nodded at him and smiled, but her attention was quickly diverted to a large tapestry on one wall on the far side of the room. She walked towards it, muttering out loud, "The noble and most ancient house of Black..."
Harry drew up beside her, a sour look in his eyes. "That's the Black family tree."
Buffy looked as though she'd won the lottery. Her eyes eagerly scanned the bottom, but there were few names remaining. Harry explained why. "Sirius's Mum blasted him off the chart," he said dryly, pointing to one of several burns on the fabric. "He wasn't dark enough for her tastes. He had a brother, too. He was killed on Voldemort's orders about sixteen years ago because he didn't do something or other. He's got loads of cousins and aunts and uncles, too."
Buffy glanced at each name, trying to determine whether or not Faith had been a relative. But her name kept drawing itself back to Sirius Black. "Did Sirius ever marry?"
"No." Instead of Harry replying, this time it was Lupin, who was standing behind the two, staring at the family tree with a look in his eyes resembling the deepest loathing. "After your parents died, Elizabeth, Sirius spent the next twelve years in Azkaban. He never really found love. I should know. We were together a lot in those dark years."
That meant that Faith wasn't Sirius's daughter, she realized. Her mind focusing on the other articles, she glanced at the other name. "What about his brother?" she asked lightly, as though merely curious.
Lupin gave her a searching look before replying. "Not much was ever known about him, really. He was deeply involved in the Dark Arts. He disappeared for a few years and then he turned up dead. We heard he'd married some Witch, but that could have been rumor."
There was a distinct possibility there, she thought, smiling. Faith could be a niece of Sirius and not his daughter. That seemed a lot more real of a possibility than Faith being a cousin of Sirius'... unless... she was his sister...
"Did he ever have any other siblings?" she asked, bending down to study the map.
"No," Remus said, shaking his head. "There were only the two Black boys that we know of."
"I see," she said softly. Sighing, she straightened, arching her aching back. It was then she saw that bright sunlight was falling into the room. It was afternoon.
She spent a few more hours quietly exploring the house, feeling as though she could stay here for weeks before learning all of its little secrets. There was a ghoul in the upstairs toilet that kept blowing raspberries and every time she passed a portrait in a dark hallway, it would snigger charmingly at her.
By the time the sun was stretching towards the horizon, Buffy was curled up in the warm dining room on top of a fluffy bear carpet she'd dragged down from Sirius's mother's bedroom. Harry gently poked her awake and she turned to him, eyes full of sleep.
"Good evening, big sister," he said, helping her to her feet. Lupin was standing on the other side of her, staring at the remains of the fire, which had just burnt out. "How long have you been sleeping?"
Her response was a gurgle from her stomach. "Long enough, I guess," she yawned as Lupin offered her the Floo powder pot.
"If you two don't mind, we should make a return trip the weekend after next," he said easily, watching as Harry stepped over to the fire and threw in his handfull of powder.
It was the week before Hogsmeade, Buffy realized, her heart giving a painful lurch. It had been three weeks since she'd last seen Oliver. Had it really just been a memory?
Harry had stepped inside the green flames, shouting, "Gryffindor Common Room, Hogwarts!" before disappearing.
Lupin glanced at the sad look on the woman's face as she looked around the dining room one last time. "I really wish they would consider using this house again," she said softly. "It'd be a wonderful tribute to a fallen hero."
"It might be, but it's also a painful reminder to that which we lost," Lupin said, and for the first time, Buffy saw a dark look in the older man's eyes. "You really should get back."
"What about you?" Buffy asked in a voice full of concern.
"I'll be fine here," he said, shifting from his left foot to his right and glancing around the large room. "I'll be leaving here soon. I just have a few last things to accomplish."
"Okay," Buffy said, giving him a departing smile before casually tossing her powder in the fire and repeating Harry's words.
He was waiting for her on the other side, looking happy. "They're about halfway through dinner. If we hurry, we can catch up with them."
There was an unusual amount of intensity in the air. Buffy felt her senses go on some sort of an alert as she and Harry reached the Great Hall.
There was a sudden hush as the two siblings stared at one another a moment. Everyone, including the Headmaster and all of the Professors, were staring at them.
Harry hurried to Ron and Hermione, who were beckoning them over. Buffy sat down next to Hermione, looking as though she were expecting something bad to happen.
It had, Harry realized, as Hermione handed him that day's copy of The Daily Prophet.
It took Harry only one glance to realize what had happened.
Azkaban Emptied - Aurors Killed as Known Death Eaters Escape
This morning, Ministry of Magic representatives arrived at Azkaban after several disturbances were witnessed overnight. Aurors were called in when it was discovered that the fifty Aurors sent to the fortess of Azkaban were attacked. Fourteen of the Aurors were killed...
The article continued on, but Harry's eye had fallen on eight faces. These eight were the Death Eaters who had been captured the night Sirius died. Knowing they were free again was like a dagger in his heart. The cruel silvery eyes of Lucius Malfoy delivered the final blow.
Buffy was reading the article and exchanged a troubled glance with Harry, biting down hard on her lip.
"How can... how..." Harry stared, but his voice was cut off as Professor McGonagall approached their table.
"Harry, the Headmaster would like to see you in his office after dinner. Miss Potter, if you would please go down to the Dungeons after dinner. Professor Snape would like to have a word with you."
Buffy had a sinking feeling in her heart as she turned back to the article, feeling as though something in her life had drastically changed. Instead of her life getting better, things were starting to look down.
Things could only get worse...
- - - - -
Harry knocked on the door to Professor Dumbledore's office. Professor Pryce had been the one to walk him down to the office. The two hadn't said a word until Professor Pryce had given the password to the gargoyle. When Harry had turned to walk up the first step, Professor Pryce had climbed in after him, muttering, "I'm glad you and your sister got back to the school safely."
Professor Dumbledore was now staring at him with a very grave expression on his face. "I assume you know, Harry, that the escape of the Death Eaters and the removal of the Death Eaters does mean that your life and the life of your sister is in very grave danger now."
"I know this," Harry said quietly, a knot of anxiety in his stomach. "I also know that she can hold her own in a fight."
Professor Dumbledore didn't smile at this information. His eyes didn't twinkle. He merely looked even more troubled. "That will be up to time to decide, Harry. We have another matter to discuss. Voldemort's strength has doubled tonight, at least. We cannot risk your life being placed into danger."
"Are you trying to tell me I'm under house arrest?" Harry asked indignantly.
"That, Harry," Professor Dumbledore continued in his deep voice, "is exactly what I am telling you. If nothing happens to you in a few weeks, we will consider Hogsmeade. I daresay we cannot keep your sister away, because she is of age."
"Excuse me, sir, but why did Professor Snape want to speak with her for?" Harry asked in confusion.
"That, Harry," the Headmaster repeated, the first hint of a smile on his weathered face as he turned to regard Harry gently, "is an entirely different matter."
- - - - -
"You molested three of my House students! You attacked Mister Malfoy when he was clearly not attacking yourself! And you managed to attack the two Slytherin Beaters!"
Buffy pinched the bridge of her nose and resisted the temptation to attack Snape then and there. He had been yelling at her for the past five minutes, repeating phrases over and over again. It was getting quite tiresome and she found the back of her neck starting to hurt.
"Look, sir, they didn't require medical attention, so surely this is just a plot to salvage what remains of their pride and dignity," she said in a tired voice.
"Nevertheless," Professor Snape replied in his acidic tone, "that was very poor judgment of a Gryffindor to make, especially one who is supposed to be of age."
"Well, then, I guess I'm not as mature as you all think me for," she replied, standing up to face him. She had had enough. She was done covering her trails. She was done pretending her life was supposed to be lived in this world. She was still dressed like a Muggle. And she liked it. "I'm only human, like you're supposed to be? If you want to insult me, go ahead. But I like a good challenge, sir. And if you antagonize me enough, I might be up to it."
"It would be unwise for you to consider such actions, Potter," Professor Snape snarled. "You would risk expulsion and I am certain by now you know that your life is in danger!"
"I have been fighting death since I've been fourteen," she replied haughtily. "This isn't new. My brother has a new big bad on his back. I have powers you can't even begin to dream of. And I intend to see it through, whether I'm a student here or a member of your precious Order, sir. I do believe you lost one of the most essential members last year. I could easily take his place. I've had a lot of experience at obnoxious."
They stared at each other for one last angry moment before he tore his gaze away. "You will serve detention with me next week and I will take twenty points from Gryffindor. You are most arrogant, Potter, just like your Father was. But I may have underestimated you. You seem to have the Gryffindor bravery, as well."
"Damn straight," she said with an angry nod. "And you'd better tell Malfoy that if he corners me again or if he attacks me or mine with our backs turned, I will personally damage every single tendon in his body." She turned her back and slammed the door behind her, not asking to be dismissed and not really caring if Snape imposed a hundred detentions on her.
A smirk filled her face as she continued on towards Gryffindor Tower. "There was no part of that I didn't enjoy."
- - - - -
Chapter 29... Hogsmeade! Love is in the air... for two couples, this is just the beginning.
Chapter 30... A spy is uncovered and the Potter siblings find out the truth about their respective prophecies.
Chapter 31... Buffy is torn by Harry's reaction to her secret. (This is a nice, short chapter for once. May come as a doublet)
To the Readers / Reviewers:
Wow. This chapter had to cover a lot of ground. And it did. Sirius is not Faith's father. Buffy has finally seen Grimmauld Place, setting up the future of the house. Buffy and Malfoy finally had a real facedown. Azkaban was broken open. And Harry's best friends now know the secret behind his prophecy. Shock of shocks, Hermione knows both!
kped -- I was just bringing Harry's frustration from OoTP back. He blamed Snape for Sirius' death and I thought it would be a nice carry-over. As for the mirror, Harry broke it when he realized he couldn't use it. It might be remade, who knows. It might actually fit into this fic somewhere down the line. I hope you enjoyed the small interaction in the past chapter with Spencer and Buffy. There'll be more! And you picked up on that anigami thing well. She doesn't know they were able to change. She will learn more about it soon enough. And Professor Pryce will take it in his heart of hearts to train the Slayer quietly. And, as a parting note (before I overuse the word 'and'), Harry will not be paired with a certain Ginny. I think that there's a better pairing for him and it was only recently when I "got" it. Or maybe it was listening to the stupid OoTP audio book twice over. That thing was like 32 hours long!
CapriceAnn -- Well, I'd tell you for sure, but that'd be giving it away, wouldn't it?
Arieanna -- Yeah, I found that out. Just pretend he's using a cover name while teaching. It makes someone I had no intention of turning evil seem more sinister, doesn't it? I'm glad you're enjoying this!
StarBella -- I like your Draco... do you mind if I borrow him for myself for awhile? I'm way too old to be thinking such thoughts. Anyway, I kind of like the Malfoy bashing thing that's been a common theme through these past few chapters. He will be taking on a different role, so you'll just have to wait and see.
electric pancake -- Awwww! Get well soon! Being sick in the dead of summer (or winter, depending on where you are) is never any fun. The reason why Ginny can say 'Voldemort' is because she was part of Harry's gang the previous year and it's only made her stronger. Have a Bueno (you're going to have to explain to me what that is, because this Minnesota girl doesn't have a clue) and get better!
I will be taking a break near the end of September and the beginning of October. I'm not sure if I'll be finished with this fic yet. I just finished Chapter 31 so that's like a lot more chapters to go. And there is so much plot left that it might even go beyond 50 chapters. I apologize beforehand for any migranes you may have from reading. Some of these chapters are friggin' long, too. I'll be slowing down a fair bit because now there's wedding planning going on, and I have been spending quite a few of my days off planning with certain relatives. The ceremony itself is the second weekend of October. That's why I'm taking the break.
I'll be posting Chapter 29 sometime on Friday, probably early, since I have meetings all day. I do hope you enjoy it. A lot of harmless fluff!