Chapter 45
The Slayer
- - - - -
The next few weeks brought about an alarming change to the castle. Most of which happened within Gryffindor house, although Slytherin was suffering under the strain as well.
Draco Malfoy and a few of his Slytherin accomplices had been suspended and restricted from playing their upcoming Quidditch match to Ravenclaw. They had also lost most of Slytherin house's considerable amount of house points. To make matters worse, the Minister of Magic was personally involved, although Harry suspected it may have been because his Junior Assistant was best friends to the person they had tried to kill.
Percy had been acting like some pompous guard dog all week. Penelope had left the day after to return back to her flat with Cynthia, and Oliver's old flat mate had also gone. Fred and George had disappeared that night back to the Burrow, although they'd left Buffy with a few tokens of their appreciation, and their gratitude. Hermione was a loved person within the Weasley family. Although it had been Hermione's quick thinking and determination which had saved both of their lives, Buffy was still inclined to accept them.
Oliver had barely left her side, either. On Tuesday, when she had returned to lessons with her homework actually done properly, she had been greeted with a round of applause from Oliver's sister Laurel in Potions.
It had been the worst idea ever, if Snape's face had anything to say about it. He had deducted Gryffindor about fifty points all lesson, but he had been somewhat relieved to see Elizabeth Potter up and moving about again.
The first Defense meeting of the year was scheduled for Wednesday night.
Buffy had been eagerly anticipating it since her attack. She was hoping to learn more defensive spells and hexes for her wand in case she ever had to face any of those bastards again.
She was taking the disappearance of the Professor very personally, and Harry could see why she should; the man had been her unofficial Watcher. The fact that he never returned from Christmas was a personal insult to her.
Her resilience to learn all of this defense was starting to scare him. He decided two weeks after the last attack to contact Faith, who was known to keep Buffy's head on a level balance concerning magic.
To his surprise though, Faith was taking it hard, too.
She appeared in the fire in the common room at midnight that last Friday of January, looking hassled and befuddled. Harry had just told her that Buffy was resorting to magic to learn.
"I don't blame her," Faith finally said after a moment of awkward silence. "If it was me, I would learn magic to defend myself, too. She almost died again, Harry. That ought to set off a few warning bells."
"Lupin told me it was some vendetta she was on."
"No," Faith said sternly, and Harry looked at her in surprise. "This is way beyond any simple vendetta, Harry. This is war."
The tone of her voice made it sound so very final. Even Hermione, sitting between Harry and Ron, gave a small involuntary shudder at Faith's voice.
"B's always had her own agenda, you know? Killing Angelus was one thing; she did it to save the world. She may be the part of a valley girl, but underneath it all, she's got a heart. She's stronger than she looks, Harry. The magicks won't win her out. If she feels learning from them can help her skills, I'm not gonna argue. I'll only step in when she uses those to destroy the world."
She looked down then and frowned. "Why didn't you tell me this is so damned uncomfortable? I'm going to stake my brother for this idea... and it was his idea." She had turned around and growled at the supposed laughter Sirius was imposing from behind her.
"How is Sirius?" Ron asked casually.
"Still acting like his brain dead redneck self," Faith replied calmly, and she jolted a bit, as though she'd just been kicked in the behind. "Well, he's getting better, though. He's stopped talking about himself in the third person. That's progress, eh?"
Faith jostled again and she turned around, snarling, "Will you cut that out, bro? I'm talking to your godson here!"
Shaking her head resolutely, she turned back to look at Harry. "Look, Little P. Just watch her, okay? Don't stalk her or watch her back or anything. It'll get your friends seriously dead." She cast a level look at Hermione. "No more Gryffindor heroics, okay, sweetie? The last thing Buffy needs is a body count of friends. And I know she considers you one." She paused a moment before turning to Ron. "Your brother has gotten close to her and he was already attacked once. He'll be targeted again. Watch his back, Ron."
"I will," Ron said solemnly. "Even though he's a nasty git at times."
"He's protective of what's his," Faith said, giving him a small smile. "I can't say I blame him. I protect what's mine, too."
She turned back to Harry. "Let me know if Buffy goes over the edge, okay? I want to know because I'm probably one of the few people who can bring her back. The others left a long time ago."
"If she's a target, so are you, though," Harry protested mildly.
Faith gave him an exasperated look. "You think I don't know that? Whoever's been watching B knows both Slayers are in the game, now. They found out the night we brought my brother back. They know we have power. And until a few weeks ago, they knew we were afraid to use it. B's not scared anymore. That's what scares me. She's going all out and it won't be a pretty sight."
"You said it's war now," Hermione said quietly.
"You talk like B hasn't seen anything," Faith said, chortling. "Are you ever wrong. How many times has she saved the world? Did she ever tell you about Acathla? The Hellmouth? The giant ooh-the-Mayor-is-a-pure-demon-snake? How about the hundreds if not thousands of vampires she's laid down since she got her calling? You might mistake her for a normal valley girl, but it doesn't fly. It's in her blood, the calling. It's calling her home."
"Where's home?" Harry couldn't help asking.
"The darkness," Faith said, and he saw a light flicker in her eyes that wasn't related to the flames she was currently bobbing inside of. "We both have it. It's calling to us. There is some higher authority who chose us both for this life. Don't worry, Harry. I don't think she'd go that far. But if someone messes with something of hers again, it might push her over the edge. And you will finally see what a Slayer really is. She's a smart girl, that B. Might be why I love her so much." Faith looked down and bit her lip. "Watch your back, too, Harry. If she does spin out into Slayer-ness, the path's wide open to you. You've got a mortal enemy that has been there since you were born. You're a few years up on the game."
"A game? You think this is all a game?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Why not?" Faith said, turning to regard him coolly. "You win or you lose. It's the power, yo. It's what keeps you going, keeps your drive all warm and cozy until you die. All Slayers have an early death wish. I'm just hopin' B keeps her head level until all of this is over. Because, if she does get killed in this war, it's nothing compared to what will happen then. I have that power, too. And having two Slayers in a fight is quite unlike anything you've seen yet. I know you've seen a lot, the lot of you." She looked each one of them in the face. "Don't be heroes, now. It's not your time yet. What happens happens for a reason. If B and I don't make it, there's others coming. There's still two Watchers left."
"Have you spoken with Professor Pryce's son?" Hermione asked.
Faith nodded, her head bobbing slightly. "I personally went to Los Angeles and throttled the shit out of him, if that's what you mean. No, he's definitely Wesley, and he remembers parting with his Father. It is likely that between his home and the school that the real Lincoln Pryce was captured and then copied." She frowned again. "One of these days someone's going to have to explain to me the concept of polyjuice. It's just... eurgh."
The look on her face was stern again. "I'm speaking for both of us Blacks now. Stay alert, but don't look for trouble. I know it usually finds you, blah blah blah, but seriously, pun unintended. B and I have an agenda now, and it will be taking out the man who has seriously ruined our lives. Literally. Quentin Travers is going down. First he kills the entire Council and then he takes down your bro, Ron, and now the good Professor. He seriously has it in for the both of us. Buffy might not be willing to back down from this, and... and neither will I." She sighed. "I'm going now. Remember my warnings. No heroics. If you do something stupid, I will be most displeased, and that usually leads to punching and kicking." She gave them her fiercest glare. "I'll talk to you again, soon."
And then there was a tiny 'pop' and Faith disappeared.
"Whoa," Hermione finally said under her breath.
"Whoa, indeed," said Ron, who looked absolutely flummoxed. "I didn't know she had it in her."
"They always have," Harry said quietly, remembering how angry Buffy had been when she'd seen Harry being mistreated by the Dursleys. "We just haven't seen it until now."
There was a sound behind them that made them all jump.
It was Ginny.
"What's going on?" she asked sleepily, stretching her arms out.
"N-Nothing, Ginny... go back to bed," Ron said grumpily.
"Oh, so that wasn't a floating Faith-head talking in the fireplace just now."
Harry heaved a great sigh and exchanged a dark look with Hermione. "You might as well come over here now. If you didn't hear everything she said, we could catch you up."
"You bloody will not!" Ron protested. "She's my little sister!"
"And I'm tired of watching people I've known a long time get hurt," Harry snapped at his best friend. "I've known my sister for more than six months and she has had to endure far too much for her own age. Ginny knows her as well; hell, she spent the entire summer with her."
Ginny was walking over to them, still looking uncertain.
"Faith wants us all to watch our backs," Ron said without looking at anyone, but staring at the fire coldly. "She thinks it's bad for us to act all heroic. She says there's time enough for it in the future."
"There is," Ginny said, her voice shaking slightly. "There's more than just Death Eaters waiting down the road. There's also--"
"If you say his name, I'm going to pull a Faith and do something not nice," Ron said quietly.
"You really like her, don't you?" Hermione asked, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Let's just say she gets in your blood and won't get out," Ron scowled. "Not like I need her, anyway." He rose and stalked off to bed with a last sharp look at Harry. "Coming?"
"Yeah," Harry said, rising and casting the girls an apologetic glance. "He's just miffed that you're here, Gin."
"I'm old enough!" Ginny said angrily, her chin jutting out in that striking way. She really looked like her elder twin brothers when she did this. "I'm fifteen for crying out loud!"
"You were almost killed last year," Hermione said once Harry had left. "Ron's just worried he's going to lose you. And so am I."
"You almost died two weeks ago, Hermione," Ginny said, her voice shaking again. "Doesn't it make you angry that those morons who tried are still free?"
"Of course it does!" Hermione retorted angrily. "But the only thing I can do about it now is wait."
"Who else is going to die before we act?" Ginny asked, turning pale. "Percy was attacked. Professor Pryce is probably dead somewhere close by and still we're waiting for someone else to die. What if it is Faith or Buffy?"
"There's nothing we can do," Hermione said quietly, turning back to the fire. "Faith said that whatever happens happens for a reason. If they go, there are others who will come."
"They don't have the same connections to our world," Ginny said shakily. "It's Harry's sister, Hermione. Harry's blood is going to be out there attacking these people and there is nothing we can do?"
"There is," Hermione said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ginny beamed at her. "I knew you still had that Gryffindor bravery within you!" she said proudly.
Hermione looked frightened for a moment as she cast a lingering glance up the steps. "You won't tell a soul about this, Ginerva Weasley. If you do, I'll sic Faith on you."
Ginny nodded as Hermione wrapped an arm over her shoulders, bringing Ginny closer to her so that she could whisper in her ear.
- - - - -
The door to the dungeons slammed open as a figure stalked across the floor, glowering at the Potions Professor sitting calmly at his desk, grading papers.
"What is this?" Buffy demanded, slamming a bit of parchment onto her desk. "You want me to continue my Potions tutorials with Malfoy? After what he pulled?"
Professor Snape looked calmly up at her. "I do believe you would benefit from his tutorials, Miss Potter."
"I don't believe this!" she snapped, turning away abruptly.
"I may have been mistaken by this," he replied, causing her to turn to him, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"You were mistaken? You were bloody mistaken? If I'm within ten feet of that ferret, he's a dead man! You and I both know that he did something far too stupid for even me to begin to deal with, Professor!"
Professor Snape had never heard her talk like this. He'd never seen her act like this. He had believed her to be incapable of it. But, there she was, ranting like a lunatic while he was trying to grade the large stack of parchment on his desk.
With a sigh, he stood up. "Miss Potter, calm yourself down, now." She seemed to respond to the dangerous tone in his voice and her jaw snapped shut, but her eyes flashed fire.
Fascinating. She was beginning to act more like her Mother with each passing day.
He could tell that he was pissing her off further and made a mental note to speak with Albus about her temper. It was going to get her into some serious trouble if she kept acting like a raving lunatic around them.
"If you could clear this matter up, I would be most grateful," Buffy said in a low voice. "I wish that things could be different, but as they are... I would like to stop my tutorials as of now."
"Are you planning on taking any N.E.W.T. exams?" he asked her patiently.
She gave him an unusual half-smile. "Not today, I'm not," she said softly. "Maybe never... I don't know."
"Before you give yourself over to some suicidal mission, I might be able to offer you some advice," he said before she could leave the dungeons. She turned to him with a fair hint of surprise on her face, as though asking him how he could have known. He decided to respond to that.
"I have done my research on your kind, Miss Potter. I know that many Slayers don't live to be as old as you are right now. This is why I offer you this advice. You have been wronged twice now, and I daresay you'll be going after the culprit?"
"That's right," Buffy said firmly, pulling her hand away from the handle and turning back to Professor Snape, fire flashing once again in her eyes. "I'm going after the big bad. Do I really look that stupid to you?"
"No," he said, rising. "But I do believe anger will allow you to do things you aren't proud of."
"If I did something stupid, you'd have one less Slytherin in your house, sir," she said through gritted teeth. "If Malfoy comes near me again, he will be dead. I don't care if his daddy comes after me with his little toy wand. I'll kill him, too."
"I do believe you did say that a Slayer is not a killer."
"The rules have changed," Buffy said, her face flickering darkness from the candlelight on the walls. "Slayers change with time. Have you ever known one to be a part of this world, so firmly entrenched that she hates it at the same time? Or do you know what it's like when someone you respected above all else is destroyed, and the rest of the clan along with it? Or how about this... your brother is the person being targeted by a mad lunatic who quests for world domination? If that doesn't turn you paranoid, I don't know what will." She shut her mouth and glared at him. "Believe me when I say that I wish things could be different, but they're not. Quentin Travers is going to die. He was behind Percy's attack and I'm pretty sure he was behind Lincoln's. If you're about to tell me that I'm being irrational, I know."
He was staring at her. Why on Earth was she telling him this?
She gave him an unusual smile then. It was tight and full of pain, the same pain she hadn't been able to speak of since her attack two weeks before. "This is the work I was chosen to do. This is what I do. I may be some student in this school protected by the magicks of someone much older and wiser than myself, but I have the power to change the destiny here. I have the power to make them pay for they did to me. And they will. I'm through playing the normal cards. I'm done being the good girl. If they wanted a fight, then--"
"They're after you, Slayer," Professor Snape said darkly, causing her to look up at him. "I happen to be the one person in contact with the Death Eaters and you have chosen the pretext of a Potions tutorial to come to me."
"I don't need you," she snarled. "I have Percy and the Ministry for the information I need. Besides, you obviously wanted me to come because you sent me this ridiculous memo at dinner tonight."
His face betrayed nothing. "You want me to tell you why they want you dead? They knew there was a possibility you'd get out of that chasm alive. They knew that you won't ever be truly gone unless there are those of us who forget you. You are stronger than even you perceive, and it is this power the Dark Lord fears... and hungers for."
"Quentin told me this before he escaped," Buffy said quietly, taking a seat in the chair next to Professor Snape's desk.
"He told you this, and I will therefore attest that it is the truth. The Dark Lord is after your power. There is nothing more to say except you are a threat to him, one he did not see coming. He never knew of your existence until the night you brought the Resurrection spell. He now knows that two of you exist, and that you both live in England."
Buffy seemed unsettled by this. "So, what do you suggest I do, Professor? Wait until one of us is killed? Or both of us? The next Slayer that comes won't be a part of this world. Our power is in the balance, so what? Where will you go when everything you love and hold dear in this world is ripped away? I nearly lost my best friend a month ago. I nearly lost my brother's girlfriend two weeks ago. I'm losing this battle, but I refuse to lose the war. My power will ensure that I have a say on what happens."
"Don't be a fool," he said in a quiet voice. "Your power will become his weapon."
"No," she said as quietly. "Because I'll die before I let that happen."
"How do you think I turned back?" he asked her, his voice rough and callous. "Do you not think I had a great deal of power and more offered to me? Why do you think I turned away from it? Where will you go when your power becomes a threat to those who love and admire you?"
"I've been to Hell," she said with a bitter smile. "I know what it tastes like."
"Then you'll understand what you are trying to do is very foolish..."
"No," she said, rising. "I know you didn't like my Dad. I don't know a thing about him and I already can't stand him, being all pompous and arrogant as you say he was. But I love my brother. I want him to survive this. And if I have to die to prove it, then so be it."
"You're still fighting a losing battle," Professor Snape told her coolly. "I am not sure what you wish to accomplish here."
"One tiny vendetta," Buffy said with a cold smile. "And his death will be setting me free from everything that I've hated for far too long. It's time to let the old Buffy Summers out for a play or two."
"It will be your undoing," he cautioned her again.
"Like it was the Council's? Like Percy's? Or like Professor Pryce's? Save me the speech, General Solo, but this Jedi needs to get her life back."
"These inane pop culture references not withstanding, I do believe you have a plan of attack?"
She nodded.
"I pity those who would oppose you," he said, sensing a dangerous amount of power from her in this moment. No matter how much he despised the Gryffindors, and James Potter, his daughter would have made a fantastic Slytherin, even though one or two of them were now considered her blood enemy. "I just hope this won't be the death of you."
"If it is, there's still one more Slayer to contend with, and she's just as deep in this world as I am," Buffy said, turning away. "Thank you for listening, Professor."
"Elizabeth," he said calmly and she turned back to him one last time. "Since Professor Pryce has disappeared, I have noticed that you have been out of bounds and caught out of bed after hours by Filch."
She winced and nodded. "I still a few more weeks of detention with Hagrid, but I'm sure I'll manage. I'm getting to know the forest quite well."
"I will speak with Argus and see if we cannot give you a more permanent schedule. I daresay you would find it more useful to be training under pretense of detention than sneaking around and getting yourself caught?"
"It's a start."
"Good night, Miss Potter."
"Good night, Professor."
- - - - -
Faith was leveling her third hour of kicks on her punching bag when a voice sounded from the doorway of the training room she'd set up for herself at Grimmauld Place.
"Don't you ever get tired of hitting that?"
"No freakin' way," Faith grunted as she leveled a strong kick that knocked the bag into the opposite wall. With a sigh, Faith relaxed her stance and turned to look at her brother. There was a serious look on his face. "What is it?"
"Harry is waiting for you downstairs. Apparently they found Professor Pryce's body on tonight's forest patrol."
"Harry did?" Faith asked, rushing past her brother and running downstairs towards the dining room.
"No, it was Buffy," Sirius replied as Faith stopped short, a myriad of emotions crossing her face.
"Oh."
"Harry says she's still really shaken up. Apparently she had a talk with some Professor before she went on her, well, detention, and they found the body after a short time in the Forest. And... where are you going?"
"To talk to B myself," Faith said, for she had charged into the dining room, staring at Harry's head in the fire. "Back away, Little P. I'm coming there myself; I'll be a few moments." She watched as Harry disappeared as Sirius dragged her away from the fireplace.
"Will you think rationally for one moment? Merlin, you're acting like Mother."
"Oh, shut up."
It was how they usually spoke to one another now. He knew she was touchy about her given name of Delita and being referred to as their Mother's daughter. He was touchy about his entire lineage, save the dark-haired minx who happened to irritate him every time he looked around.
All in all, he really was beginning to like her. She had spunk. She was edgy and dramatic and wicked strong, but underneath it all, she had the snarkiest sense of humor. He never thought that he'd be related to anyone who could crack jokes like her.
And she was only sixteen.
He felt the need to protect her, but she'd already seen far too much for him to be able to protect her. She'd seen life and death and everything in between from demons to vampires to the apocalypse. Not to mention a childhood that vaguely resembled his own.
She hadn't been missing much when she'd been trapped in the foster family from Hell or even with Deborah Landing, a woman now considered to be her elder brother's old girlfriend with the mopey-hippie name of Rain. Faith snorted whenever she thought of the woman who had supposedly been her mother. The memory charm had apparently done a good number to her head, so she couldn't think coherently, or something. It was just bizarre.
Faith and Sirius exchanged one last glance.
"Don't burn the place down when I'm gone," Faith told him as she gathered a handful of the familiar powder in her hand.
"What, and make you angry? Do I look that dumb to you?"
"Always."
And she dove for the fireplace before he could hit her back, squealing "Gryffindor Tower!" before she disappeared.
Harry and Ron were waiting for her when she arrived.
"Where is she?" Faith asked without so much as a hello or any other standard greeting.
"She's been locked in her training room for the past hour," Ron said under his breath. "Hermione went up there a few minutes ago to talk her down, but neither one of them has returned."
"I'll handle this," she told them both firmly and walked right out of the portrait hole. Harry followed behind her. "What are you doing? I said I'd--"
"Do you have a clue where you're going?" Harry asked her, a small smile playing upon his lips.
"Uh... now that you mention it..." Faith replied, chuckling suddenly. "Guess I blew my exit, huh?"
Harry hurried up to her and took her arm. "Let's go."
Soon, they were pacing back and forth in front of what Harry had called the Room of Requirements. It's where they had their Defense meetings, he said. It was also where Professor Pryce, real or faux, had had Buffy practicing her skills.
Sure enough, Buffy was inside, leveling a few punches onto a large white bag. There was a look of such intensity on her face that it took Harry's breath away. Hermione was standing a few paces away, a sad look on her face. It was obvious that Hermione had been trying to talk Buffy into something, but Buffy had either been ignoring her or else hadn't said anything yet. Both women glanced up when Faith entered with Harry.
"Faith," Buffy said with a curt nod as she threw one last punch before rising to her normal posture. "What is it?"
"Could you two leave us alone for awhile?" Faith asked Harry and Hermione, who nodded and left the room. "I heard what happened, B. Harry told us."
"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Buffy said as she stretched out her arms and arched her back, turning an easy back flip.
"Buffy..."
"I'm okay, Faith. I may look shaken up, but seeing a badly beaten and tortured body at the bottom of some riverbed isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my evening in detention," Buffy said quickly as she straightened back up.
"Do you want me to inform Wes?" Faith asked mildly.
"If you want to," Buffy said, performing a series of rather exuberant kicks in mid-air.
"Do you want to spar a little, blow off some steam?" Faith asked her curiously as Buffy continued to kick and spin, dodge and thrust.
"No," Buffy said as she finally stopped and relaxed a moment. In that moment, her face had crumpled. She took a great, shuddering breath and turned to Faith. "You want to see something? Willow left this for me in the book she gave me." She bent down and opened a book on Wiccan magic and held out a small bit of parchment, showing it to Faith.
Beware the Professor.
"Had I just listened to her and read this before going out on patrol that night, I wouldn't have been so stupid…" Buffy sighed and shook her head. "Nope, I'm not dwelling on it anymore. I can't. Not if I want this bloody thorn out of my side." She took a deep breath and turned back to Faith. "Do you know how this feels?"
"You walked with me through my nightmare life and saw my dead sort-of Mother," Faith said without batting an eyelash. "You saw my reaction to her death. I hated her for leaving me."
"I don't hate him," Buffy said in a small voice. "I wish I could, but he was just a victim in this innocent little game of theirs. Voldemort or whoever has stepped up their personal attacks on me, and it's starting to grate a little, you know?"
"And you want to kill the big bad human, now," Faith said, understanding. "I get it, B. I really do."
"It's no longer a want, Faith. It's turning into an obsession... every time I see that bag, it's his face. Every time I kick the air, I'm bringing him down. I don't want this darkness, Faith, but it's coming. Voldemort knows that we're either a threat to him or we're an alliance with him."
"Alliance?" Faith whispered, mortified. "Oh, God! I hate this world sometimes!"
"Voldemort killed my parents," Buffy said in a very quiet voice. "If he wants their eldest daughter as his ally, he's got another thing coming. I just want to kill one of his followers... very, very slowly and with lots of pain."
"Do you have a plan at all?" Faith asked.
"What are you, a she-Giles?" Buffy smirked as she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Yeah, I guess I do have one plan in mind."
"What is it?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"B, we're the chosen two. You jump, I jump, it's as right as rain."
"So says the great Book according to Faith."
"Buffy, I'm being serious."
"And so am I. I'm not going to risk your neck, too."
"It's not your decision to make, Buffy."
"It is. And I have."
"It's drastic. I know I won't be able to find them since I'm trapped at the school and all. I have to bring them to me."
"How?" Faith asked, seeing the dark light in Buffy's eyes, and a truly evil grin lit her pretty face.
"I'm taking a little page out of their book," Buffy said coolly. "Death, torture, mayhem, and a little bit of black magic to go along with it."
"Buffy, no," Faith said, catching the other woman's arm. "I am not going to have you doing too much magic. If you start, you'll never be able to stop."
"I'm the Slayer," Buffy said, lifting her chin with pride. "I'll make it stop."
"It isn't that black and white, B. You can't make something go away when it's already there," Faith said in a pleading voice. She really wished her brother was there. He was good with the stern faces and the long lectures. Faith had already gotten a good half-dozen from them, including the ill-fated sex talk, which really didn't make much sense because Faith was hardly a virgin.
Still, the idea of Sirius playing the overprotective Father had merit. Giles wasn't there to do it. And Professor Pryce was dead. They needed someone... she needed someone...
And that someone had just walked straight through the door.
"Miss Potter, Miss Black," Remus Lupin said warmly as he closed the door with a soft click behind him. "Your brother just came to see me, Buffy, with the most unusual news. I take it you and Hagrid found Professor Pryce's body tonight?"
This took Buffy's mind off the black magic. "Yes," she said finally. "He was found tortured, mutilated and scarred in an old riverbed near Hagrid's hut. The only reason we found him was because of that bloodhound of his."
"How are you holding up?" Remus asked her quietly.
"I've seen bodies before," Buffy said, her eyes flashing suddenly. Her mind flashed back on seeing Kendra's body after Drusilla had killed her and her eyes filled with tears at the memory.
It had been a moment, frozen in time. She couldn't breathe. She felt as though the essence of her humanity had been sucked right through her throat as she fell onto the floor beside her sister Slayer's figure. Her hand had gone out to grasp her cold wrist to feel for a pulse, any sign of humanity. Her mind was buzzing with numb and surprising shock, and unable to process anything else except the scream that kept begging to erupt, to explode...
Buffy closed her eyes, and the darkness passed.
"I watched the other Slayer die."
Faith turned to Buffy. She'd heard this story before, many times now. It was so heartbreaking to hear about it.
"I've died. I've watched Kendra die. I killed my lover. It's all the same. Death happens and unless there's magic, you can't do a damn thing about it."
For a while, no one said anything. And finally, Lupin spoke up.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I have a mission now," Buffy said, her eyes darkening as she met his gaze. "I have to kill someone. For this, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't the daughter James and Lily thought I could be. I'm sorry I couldn't be the perfect image of the perfect Potter I was expected to be. And I'm sorry I didn't do this a lot sooner." Her lips twisted into a dark grimace. "But I'm not going to be sorry when I watch him die. He's taken a lot from me. He tried to kill those I love..." Her lip trembled. "The last time it happened, I killed Angel." She turned to Faith. "I understand if you don't want to take part in this. But I'm not going to wait for someone else I love to die."
Without another word, she charged out of the room.
Lupin turned to Faith, who stared uneasily back at him.
"What are you doing to do?" he asked in a gentle voice.
"I have to bring in Sirius," Faith said quickly. "It's the only way we can get her to change her mind about killing him. Even prison would be better than what she's planning, because--"
"No," Lupin said quietly, putting up his hand to cut her off. "It isn't better, Faith. If you get in her way, you'll die. She's got a lot of power now, and it's been there for awhile. I've felt it and by now Voldemort has, too. If she's planning anything, it's now. It's best to just let it play out."
"Meaning... oh, dear God," Faith muttered as she ran after Buffy, only to smack hard into Oliver Wood, who had been coming up to the room to find his girlfriend.
They both went flying to the floor.
"I am so sorry," he apologized as he helped her to her feet. "Faith, right? I'm trying to find Buffy..."
"She went charging out of here about two minutes ago," Faith said in a rush of words, looking around wildly and wishing this boy would just let her go so she could do her job. "I'm worried about her."
"I'm worried, too," Oliver said, releasing her, his face tense. "I haven't spoken to her in a few days... she has this strange look... like she's up to something..."
Faith suddenly gasped as an image came to her eyes. Bodies were strewn on the ground and a woman stood there, a sword flashing in her hand... and it lit up the manic face of her sister Slayer. Buffy stared at it, before jumping back into the fray.
"We have to get her out of this school," Faith muttered, grabbing Oliver's arm and dragging him down the same corridor. "Can you show me how to get to Gryffindor Tower from here?"
"Of course."
"Lead the way."
Buffy was running towards the Library. Her eyes glowed darkly as she surveyed the path before her. What she didn't see was the crowd of Slytherins before her. She pushed rudely past them until she found herself face-to-face with the Slytherin who had made her life even more miserable.
"Draco..." she said coldly, her eyes glittering.
He looked startled. There was a strange surge of power crackling from her. It was almost as if her Slayer side was taking her over, piece by piece.
Faith's head suddenly snapped up. "Oh, God... she's near a door... I think it's the Library. There's a boy there... blonde hair, grey eyes..."
"Malfoy," Oliver said through gritted teeth as they changed directions.
"We have to get there, now."
Before Draco could reply, he was flying backwards, the doors to the Library bursting open as he fell onto the ground. Buffy pushed Crabbe and Goyle aside as she marched into the Library, looking positively livid, fueled by her intense dislike for the boy squirming at her feet.
Harry was sitting in the common room when suddenly he felt his scar prickle and then burst forth with such a surge of pain he cried out. Hermione, who had been sitting next to him, turned to him in alarm.
He could see his sister. He could feel her pain. But she wasn't exactly Buffy anymore. No... the Slayer was taking over. The old Buffy was coming back, and it wasn't a pretty sight.
"Call Sirius, get him here, now!" he said to Hermione before he took off running.
Hermione calmly closed the book she'd been reading and set it aside. Exchanging a glance with Ginny, they both turned to the fireplace to call Grimmauld Place.
"Get up."
It was a cold threat, Draco realized, staring into a face he had come to love and admire. Her eyes were what startled him, though. Once beautiful hazel globes sparkling with light and laughter, they were turning into darker globes full of fury, pain and every other dark emotion he could think of.
His Father hadn't been wrong; Elizabeth Potter had a lot of power.
He found himself getting to his feet, sneering at her, wanting to provoke her. "Is that the best you got, Potter?" he taunted her. "My Father was right... you really are a weak, pathetic--"
His words were cut off as he was backhanded across Madam Pince's desk. The Librarian let out a shrill cry of alarm as other students gasped and rose to watch this exchange. Buffy Potter, the Gryffindor golden girl, was utterly mad!
She marched over to him, her fist raised in the air. But before she could level it down, a hand caught hers in a hard grip.
Buffy turned to see Faith standing there, and Faith threw her fist away.
"It doesn't go like that, B."
Draco whimpered as he got to his feet, his fingers touching blood on his busted lower lip. He glanced up and trembled at the sight of the two Slayers circling each other.
"He sold me out," Buffy snarled. "He sold you out, too, Faith. He's the one that got Wesley's father killed."
The look on Faith's face changed as she turned to Draco with her hooded black eyes. "Is this true?" she asked calmly.
Draco couldn't lie anymore. He nodded.
Faith turned away. "Oh." Without warning, she spun around, punching him so hard in the face he saw stars before he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
But during this fight, Buffy had disappeared again, pushing past people and turning to the gate leading to the Restricted section. She lifted her wand and whirled it.
Books flew from different shelves, landing on the table before her.
Faith gasped as she realized what Buffy was about to do. Black magic. Dark arts.
Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall had arrived, all of them looking terrified as they tried to get the students out of the Library.
Buffy plunged her hands into the book, chanting softly in Latin under her voice.
"No!" Faith screamed as the candlelight around them all went out as a great gust of wind flew through the room. "Buffy, no!"
Buffy pulled out her hands and turned around as the candles flickered. Her wand was in her hand, but as she stepped into view, it was a frightening image.
Her hair had gone raven black. Her hazel eyes were now cold and soulless.
"Buffy?" Faith gasped, just as Harry, Ron and Hermione broke through the teacher's blockade and ran inside. "Harry, no! Get them out of here! Don't let them in--"
"Hello, Harry," Buffy said, her voice a bit lower than her normal tone as she stepped around Faith. He gasped. She looked so much like their Father... yet... she wasn't. There was darkness in her eyes. There was no light left. No frilly laughter. Nothing.
It was almost as though Buffy had given up her soul for this sort of magic...
"Now I know how Angelus felt when he laid his eyes on his first victim," Buffy said casually, fingering her wand as Faith stepped in front of Harry and the others.
"Harry, get out of here, go!"
"You wanted to know what I was planning, Faith, right?" She grinned. It was a cold, mirthless smile. "How do you like my darkness now?"
- - - - -
He'd felt her since he'd gotten to the Library.
Draco Malfoy was still mumbling beside him. "That horrible woman!" he moaned as he felt his head. "She ought to be expelled for that!"
Professor Snape drew in a sharp breath. The mark on his left arm was starting to prickle, and he could tell by the Potter boy's reaction of his hand moving to his forehead that his scar was beginning to tingle as well.
Elizabeth Potter was causing far too much trouble than it was really worth.
"Please, Buffy, you've got to get out of this school," Faith said urgently, trying to reach her. "These are innocent kids..."
"Not so innocent," she said in her echoing, fluidic tone as she turned her cold eyes to Draco, who shivered under her persistent gaze. "He deserves--"
A hand cupped around her upper arm; Faith had started to drag her out of the school backwards, past the rush of curious, frightened students and through the corridors until they reached the Entrance hall. Buffy cried out as she tossed Faith carelessly into the doors of the Great Hall.
"You fool!" Buffy hissed, drawing out her wand. "How am I supposed to make a statement if you completely disregard the truth?"
"Do you honestly think we'd let you take a human life?"
It was Sirius. Buffy grinned at him. There was no warmth behind her smile. "Why, look who's back in the game."
"You aren't going to do this," Sirius said in a low, level tone. "Not this way."
"How about we test my theory first and if it doesn't work, then all of this was for nothing?" Buffy asked in a sweet tone that reminded them of fingernails running down a chalk board. "I know what I'm doing."
"Don't..." Faith gasped as she pulled herself back to her feet. "Don't let it consume you."
"I know what I'm doing," Buffy repeated as footsteps sounded all around her. "Now it's time for you to make a choice, Faith."
"Me?" Faith asked quietly. "What can I do?"
"Be who you were chosen to be. Leave this comfortable life with your brother. It has no meaning anymore."
"And what about your brother?" Sirius snapped, watching as Faith seriously considered Buffy's words. "He loves you. He wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
"If I don't do what I'm going to, he'll die. You'll die. Everyone in this school will die. I'm just going to make sure you all last a little longer. I can handle one man on my own."
"You're not going alone," Faith said firmly, taking a few steps forward and joining Buffy. "You jump, I jump, remember?"
Buffy gave her a cool smile and turned to look at Sirius' stunned face. There were many other stunned faces now. Most couldn't see Sirius in the shadows, but they saw Faith joining the mad Potter girl, and it was almost frightening.
Buffy snapped her head around to glare at Professor Snape, who was standing before his considerable crowd of Slytherins. "I'll be back for him," she said in a warning voice. Draco peered around his Head of House, looking pale.
"Faith, no! What are you doing?"
It was Harry and Ron, pushing past the Professors. It was then they noticed Sirius, but they didn't make a sound, as it appeared Sirius wanted to disappear without anyone knowing he was back on the grounds or even alive.
"My job," Faith said firmly as she gently took an object out of her cloak pocket. It was a small hair band and she handed it over to Buffy. "It's 'portus'," she said out of the corner of her mouth.
Buffy took the band and muttered the word.
"Harry," Buffy said, moving towards him, her hand dropping the portkey back inside her pocket. "I love you. I really do. When I started to happened a long time ago. No matter what happens, no matter what... I will love you. But this is the work I do, this is the world I live in. It needs protection. We are the only ones who can do what we're about to do."
Her eyes lost a little of their ice as she glanced sadly at her brother. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.
"I'll be seeing you."
Oliver stepped out from around Professor McGonagall, his face pale. "What in the hell are you doing?" he asked incredulously.
She gave him a sad smile. "Goodbye."
Turning back, she grasped Faith's hand. There was a cold surge of power between them as Buffy and Faith backed out of the school and away from the grounds, Buffy pulling out her wand as they moved.
"Are you ready for this?"
"Oh, I'm five by five."
"That's my line."
"A pity."
"Buffy... promise me you won't go evil."
"I'll try."
"That's all I ask."
Buffy aimed her wand at the sky and shot out a long red object, the source coming from the power within herself. She shouted out in Latin, "Adnihilo!"
Next to her, Faith muttered, "Uh oh."
A large red bird flew into the night sky, a snake slowly creeping around it. From where the students were standing, many gasped. It looked as though it was some new form of Dark Mark conjured by one of their own... but could it be?
Hermione and Ginny were still at the Entrance Hall. Hermione seemed to be counting under her breath.
But nothing happened.
The time for drastic action had come.
Buffy dropped Faith's wrist and concentrated all of her power to the ground beneath her feet. The Earth started to quake as large red beams of light surrounded her.
"Oh!" Harry whispered in shock from next to Hermione.
"Arcesso obscura!" she shouted in a voice quite unlike her own. It was a shriek, a ploy to the night as the red light shot into the air, slowly filling the air with red and green sparks.
"What is she doing?" Ron asked, concerned.
"She's trying to get their attention," Hermione said quietly.
Both Ron and Harry looked at her suspiciously.
"Look!" Ginny cried, pointing.
The Dark Mark had suddenly risen in the sky.
Buffy grinned at the reflection in Faith's mortified face.
And then she pulled out the portkey and latched onto Faith's wrist.
"Showtime."
- - - - -
Chapter 46... two Slayers face off an enemy they both have.
Chapter 47... the consequences of such actions are dire.
To the Readers / Reviewers:
The handy-dandy Latin phrases here are translated as:
Adnihilo! - bring forth the end
Arcesso obscura - bring me the darkness
Okay, mega pissed off Buffy here. Not quite thinking rationally and quite literally pushing her "people" away. The whole sucking of magic thing was something I noticed when Dracula offered her the darkness in the whole Season 5 premiere. I just thought it would work here, and the quote 'How do you like my darkness now?' is from that episode.
Draco finally showed his true colors. As much as he liked Buffy, he couldn't deny the lure of his Father's power. Really. Truly.
Kel -- Actually, Professor Pryce wasn't Professor Pryce at all. It probably could've been written better, but he was set up to lure the Potter girl into a trap. Why? Oh, just some really weird moron playing with her mind. Draco was only involved as a go-between. The poor soul. He won't know what hit him.
scruffybunny -- He likes her, but he likes the power more. Get where I'm going with this? As for Buffy being weak, she really hasn't been. She just hasn't had to protect Harry much yet, until now. She can protect him from who, though?
Panther28 -- Considering her real nineteenth birthday was her ignoring Giles and watching Giles turn into a Fyarl demon... well, she got off pretty good this time, all things considering. Buffy's 18th was when Giles poisoned her for the Council's test and she was forced to fight the insane psycho vampire. It was all in the episode "Helpless". And this chapter should have explained the Professor Pryce stuff. And, yes, Faith will tell Wesley. It leads to bigger things between those two, who didn't really trust each other in the beginning, but are about to be forced to.
manticore-gurl -- Hermione, a potential? That could be explored down the road, I suppose. For now, she's born with the inherent Gryffindor curiosity and boldness, something I'm sure distinguished her from Ravenclaw.
CharmedChick -- Your wish has been granted. Buffy will go off after the Death Eaters, as I'm sure you could tell by this rather dark and depressing chapter. There's only a tiny problem though... did they want her dead or did they want her even MORE angry?
Nobody -- I'm starting to hate Draco, too. It'd be best to make him nice again, wouldn't it?
Naitch03 -- Willow did. From what you can tell of this chapter, Willow left Buffy a note. Buffy didn't read it in time. Because Willow didn't want to put Buffy on the spot like that. And, yep, Draco's getting what's coming to him - from both Slayers, mind you.
Evilelvengoddess -- I'm updating this as fast as I'm writing it!
Emba -- Buffy's gonna kick his ass (as she did) and even Faith got a bit in on the action. Hermione was there because she said she was better with a wand and she knew the forest better. Well, didn't help them much. Buffy panicked when she thought she'd die drowning again and Hermione calmed her down. Seems like someone has a potential job in the future awaiting them, hmmm? Professor Pryce was explained in this past chapter; he never returned to Hogwarts. He was intercepted leaving his family home. As for Wesley, however...
Goddessa39 -- Fic weddings are sigh. Honestly. Well, technically ToD is considered a BA, even though Buffy isn't exactly alive anymore. She's more of a spirit, who comes to Angel when his need is great and he's losing the will to live because everyone else has moved onward with their lives. I don't know. There is just WAY too much going on right now to consider working on ToD (Tides of Darkness, the last part of the Slayer's Crusade series), but the end of Aurora Mirabilis was BA. I have another one pending, too, if I can ever brainstorm ideas for it! As for making it an SG1, that would be fantastic. I need to watch that show a bit more though to even think of writing something along those lines... I don't think it'd be a very good crossover if I didn't get up on it.
StarBella -- Yeah, yeah, you asked for action, though. I gave you some. And you didn't like it? Oh, come on! It was calling you by name! Hehehe. Draco won't die, but Quentin likely will. Draco will get his sweet revenge, though. Two Slayers against one underage Wizard is hardly considered a fault. This chapter was a bit shorter though... well, sort of. It makes up for the length of the next two.
lost angel92 -- I daresay she won't, not after this! If I do write her twentieth, I know I have to make it happy now.
Nikki -- Buffy just got her kick in the ass, literally. And she IS smarter than she looks. I don't know. And it won't be a huge cliffhanger. It's just something that'll make you want to read more when I finally get back to writing more, that's all.
Adrie -- You'd want to be Faith, eh? As you could read, she's the one who got to "clock" Draco one. It was long overdue, let me tell you. I'm glad you're enjoying this! And Willow and Xander will be back, for sure.
Lady Mione -- Willow and Xander will be back, with the Sunnydale chapters and then Willow will go to England and sort of be like Faith was, in the background but visibly there. As for Draco's fate... it'll come soon enough, good or bad. He's gotten knocked around an awful lot though... those evil Slayers!
electric pancake -- Nope. I just threw that in there as a vague cultural reference. As for my old birdie may he rest in some sort of happy bird-land, he could swear in Polish AND Russian... it was so freaking hilarious! All my roommates loved to annoy him. He was my baby boy though. Even though he was like 14. School is never fun, but you never know. The volume of grapes is very important to some economy... right? Sorry about the confusing chapter. I got what I wanted to get across... but something did get lost along the way. I hope this chapter sorted it out. And I hope it was less confusing. Good luck with school!
Kennie -- Sunnydale will be put more in depth in some chapter in the 50s. I haven't thought that far ahead yet. Really. Sunnydale will come back! I hope you enjoy the rest of this, since you're only in the teens when you reviewed! And, technically, Buffy is short for Beverly. Never saw that one coming, I didn't.
DarkAngelMali -- Sorry to disappoint you, but the good Professor really passed on. And, Buffy's temper IS directed at someone. Really, really, badly... but... she has a brilliant plan and hasn't gone all psycho, right?
I'm glad you guys liked my Xander. It's hard to write for him, basically because I'm not a guy. And, when looking at my own family, I can't see Xander really in any of them. My spunky kitten reminds me more of him. And she's inspired many long hours of laying in bed, snuggling and watching the Buffy discs.
The next sequence will be posted as a double update (so you don't have to endure any evil cliffhangers I know I have written for it). But since it's only half written, expect it around Friday night or so. They'll be longer chapters, again. Oh, well. I hope you're enjoying this and I seriously THANK YOU for reading (and reviewing!).