Sending thanks out for all the wonderful reviews I am receiving on this
fic!! I hope you enjoy this part and where I end up taking this story!
Part 3
A short time later the Sunnydale gang watched as an ancient looking man appeared from thin air in Giles' living room. Albus had wasted no time in leaving the school grounds so he could apparate to America. He was nowhere near as worried about Harry being on the hellmouth as his old friend obviously was but his intuition told him there was great cause for him to get there quickly.
As soon as he took in the group of young people in front of him he knew why he'd rushed. Smiling as he glanced over all the faces, he finally spoke when he reached that of the watcher.
"Rupert, you look well. I am so glad to see you after so many years. Time has been good to you!"
"Thank you, Albus. I must say the same for you. What are you now? Nearing one hundred and fifty if I"m not mistaken?"
The old wizard laughed, "Just a bit over actually. Can you believe I just celebrated my one hundred and fifty-second birthday?"
The slayer and friends couldn't help but to gasp audibly at that. They'd never heard of a human living that long.
Turning to the young people surrounding him, the headmaster explained, "Wizards tend to live to a ripe old age indeed! Why an old colleague of mine managed to live to be close to seven hundred years old before he died. Of course," he continued, "he had a little help from an elixer he'd made but-"
Harry couldn't stop himself from interrupting. "Flamel's gone, sir?" He stared at the floor when he felt tears welling up in his eyes. "I-I'm so sorry, Professor. If I hadn't-"
This time it was Dumbledore's turn to interrupt. "Don't blame yourself for that, Harry. You know perfectly well that the stone had to be destroyed. That had nothing to do with you! Without your help, Voldemort would have had it and returned much earlier than he did." He paused for a moment before going on. "Do you remember what I told you when you awoke after that first battle?"
The young wizard finally lifted his eyes up to meet his mentor's. "You said that Nicolas and his wife's deaths would be like going to sleep after a very long day. And that death was the next great adventure. I do understand, sir. I'm just sorry you've lost your friends."
"Not to worry, my dear boy! I have not lost them. We'll meet up again someday and begin our adventures together yet again!"
Harry smiled, shakily but sincerely. "Yes, Professor."
Having eased his student's conscience, Albus looked to Giles who had gone deathly pale during the course of the conversation. He realized, of course, that the watcher had not been told about the Dark Lord's return. Not wanting to discuss the details of the last few years he quickly reassured his old friend.
"Rupert, relax yourself! There really is no cause for alarm. We have everything under control."
Turning a stern glance at the disbelieving snort that Harry could not contain, Dumbledore changed the subject.
"Now. how about some tea? Surely we could all do with a cup. And perhaps something sweet?"
Coming out of his horror induced stupor, Giles looked to his students. After he'd made the appropriate introductions he asked, "Buffy. Willow. perhaps the two of you would be kind enough to get another pot of tea prepared?"
Nodding their assent to the watcher, the girls headed to the kitched with the tray they'd already emptied before the old wizard arrived.
Giles stepped over to his desk and picked up a jar before joining Albus, Harry and Xander again in the living room. "You got me hooked on these damn sweets, you know! Since leaving your office at Hogwarts the last time, I've never been without them."
Albus looked into the jar he'd been handed and was delighted to find it filled with lemon drops. Chuckling, he took one out and popped it in his mouth. "Wonderful, Rupert! Thank you. I'd only just realized I had come all this way without my own! Boys? Would either of you care for a lemon drop?"
Harry smiled and took a piece of the candy. He'd grown quite addicted to them, himself, over the past five years. Noticing that Xander had declined the offer, he grabbed a second one and handed it to him anyway.
Xander looked questioningly at Harry.
"If you don't take one," the wizard whispered into his ear, "he'll only keep offering until you do!"
Xander shuddered at the feel of Harry's breath against his ear. He didn't know why it had caused such a reaction in him but he decided that it had not been a bad thing. Not wanting to bring attention to it, however, he just smiled and ate the lemon drop.
Both Harry and Xander looked over to the adults and found Albus smiling and his eyes twinkling even more than normal. Giles, on the other hand, had once again found reason to be shocked.
"Albus? Is there any particular reason why watching them brings back memories from my time spent at Hogwarts?"
"I was wondering how long it would take you to see it! I'm rather amazed that you never saw him for who he is before now. And what he is."
At that, Rupert turned to look at the old wizard. "Are you telling me that he's. no! There is no possible way. The boy was born and raised here in Sunnydale! And - and there has been no evidence that he's. no, Albus. You must be wrong!"
"Hey!" It was obvious they were talking about him and Xander had the distinct impression that he was missing something important. "Sitting right here, ya know. Can anyone clue me in to what you're talking about?"
Before either man had a chance to answer, however, Buffy and Willow returned from the kitchen with a fresh tray of tea and a plate of cookies they'd found in a cupboard.
"Who's talking about what, Xan?" Willow didn't like the look on her best friends face and Giles, she noticed, was again looking rather strange.
A quick charm on the tea pot by Albus and it began filling the cups unassisted.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Wills. Apparently Giles and his friend think they know something about me and haven't informed *me* as to what it is."
"Ah yes! Rupert and I were just having a debate about your friend and it seems we are at quite an impass." Albus turned to Xander, "Tell me, young man. were you, indeed, born here in Sunnydale?"
Xander suddenly paled at the question. He'd only ever told Willow and Jesse the truth about his parents. Now, it seemed like this old wizard knew. Casting quick glances at Buffy and Giles, he swallowed heavily before answering. "N-no. I'm not really sure where I was born. I came to Sunnydale before I started school when my parents. adopted me."
"Xander, why didn't you ever tell me you were adopted?" Buffy was confused as to why her best friend had hidden that from her.
"Well it's not really something a person talks about, is it? If everyone knew the truth, I'd be even more outcast than I already am. God! Can you imagine Cordelia with that information?! Besides, it's not like it's important. So I'm not like everyone else? So what? But they don't have to know it!"
Xander felt himself getting angry that he'd had to talk about this. Everytime he thought of it he felt as if he would explode. 'Maybe it would have been different if I'd been adopted by a couple who *weren't* abusive alcoholics!'
Beside him, he heard Harry gasp. Still trying to calm himself, he turned to face the raven-haired boy. He found a look of amazement on Harry's face that confused him. "What?"
Harry looked across to Professor Dumbledore. "He is."
Xander couldn't take this anymore. "I am WHAT?!"
Albus smiled at the boy, "You, Alexander, are a wizard."
TBC
Part 3
A short time later the Sunnydale gang watched as an ancient looking man appeared from thin air in Giles' living room. Albus had wasted no time in leaving the school grounds so he could apparate to America. He was nowhere near as worried about Harry being on the hellmouth as his old friend obviously was but his intuition told him there was great cause for him to get there quickly.
As soon as he took in the group of young people in front of him he knew why he'd rushed. Smiling as he glanced over all the faces, he finally spoke when he reached that of the watcher.
"Rupert, you look well. I am so glad to see you after so many years. Time has been good to you!"
"Thank you, Albus. I must say the same for you. What are you now? Nearing one hundred and fifty if I"m not mistaken?"
The old wizard laughed, "Just a bit over actually. Can you believe I just celebrated my one hundred and fifty-second birthday?"
The slayer and friends couldn't help but to gasp audibly at that. They'd never heard of a human living that long.
Turning to the young people surrounding him, the headmaster explained, "Wizards tend to live to a ripe old age indeed! Why an old colleague of mine managed to live to be close to seven hundred years old before he died. Of course," he continued, "he had a little help from an elixer he'd made but-"
Harry couldn't stop himself from interrupting. "Flamel's gone, sir?" He stared at the floor when he felt tears welling up in his eyes. "I-I'm so sorry, Professor. If I hadn't-"
This time it was Dumbledore's turn to interrupt. "Don't blame yourself for that, Harry. You know perfectly well that the stone had to be destroyed. That had nothing to do with you! Without your help, Voldemort would have had it and returned much earlier than he did." He paused for a moment before going on. "Do you remember what I told you when you awoke after that first battle?"
The young wizard finally lifted his eyes up to meet his mentor's. "You said that Nicolas and his wife's deaths would be like going to sleep after a very long day. And that death was the next great adventure. I do understand, sir. I'm just sorry you've lost your friends."
"Not to worry, my dear boy! I have not lost them. We'll meet up again someday and begin our adventures together yet again!"
Harry smiled, shakily but sincerely. "Yes, Professor."
Having eased his student's conscience, Albus looked to Giles who had gone deathly pale during the course of the conversation. He realized, of course, that the watcher had not been told about the Dark Lord's return. Not wanting to discuss the details of the last few years he quickly reassured his old friend.
"Rupert, relax yourself! There really is no cause for alarm. We have everything under control."
Turning a stern glance at the disbelieving snort that Harry could not contain, Dumbledore changed the subject.
"Now. how about some tea? Surely we could all do with a cup. And perhaps something sweet?"
Coming out of his horror induced stupor, Giles looked to his students. After he'd made the appropriate introductions he asked, "Buffy. Willow. perhaps the two of you would be kind enough to get another pot of tea prepared?"
Nodding their assent to the watcher, the girls headed to the kitched with the tray they'd already emptied before the old wizard arrived.
Giles stepped over to his desk and picked up a jar before joining Albus, Harry and Xander again in the living room. "You got me hooked on these damn sweets, you know! Since leaving your office at Hogwarts the last time, I've never been without them."
Albus looked into the jar he'd been handed and was delighted to find it filled with lemon drops. Chuckling, he took one out and popped it in his mouth. "Wonderful, Rupert! Thank you. I'd only just realized I had come all this way without my own! Boys? Would either of you care for a lemon drop?"
Harry smiled and took a piece of the candy. He'd grown quite addicted to them, himself, over the past five years. Noticing that Xander had declined the offer, he grabbed a second one and handed it to him anyway.
Xander looked questioningly at Harry.
"If you don't take one," the wizard whispered into his ear, "he'll only keep offering until you do!"
Xander shuddered at the feel of Harry's breath against his ear. He didn't know why it had caused such a reaction in him but he decided that it had not been a bad thing. Not wanting to bring attention to it, however, he just smiled and ate the lemon drop.
Both Harry and Xander looked over to the adults and found Albus smiling and his eyes twinkling even more than normal. Giles, on the other hand, had once again found reason to be shocked.
"Albus? Is there any particular reason why watching them brings back memories from my time spent at Hogwarts?"
"I was wondering how long it would take you to see it! I'm rather amazed that you never saw him for who he is before now. And what he is."
At that, Rupert turned to look at the old wizard. "Are you telling me that he's. no! There is no possible way. The boy was born and raised here in Sunnydale! And - and there has been no evidence that he's. no, Albus. You must be wrong!"
"Hey!" It was obvious they were talking about him and Xander had the distinct impression that he was missing something important. "Sitting right here, ya know. Can anyone clue me in to what you're talking about?"
Before either man had a chance to answer, however, Buffy and Willow returned from the kitchen with a fresh tray of tea and a plate of cookies they'd found in a cupboard.
"Who's talking about what, Xan?" Willow didn't like the look on her best friends face and Giles, she noticed, was again looking rather strange.
A quick charm on the tea pot by Albus and it began filling the cups unassisted.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Wills. Apparently Giles and his friend think they know something about me and haven't informed *me* as to what it is."
"Ah yes! Rupert and I were just having a debate about your friend and it seems we are at quite an impass." Albus turned to Xander, "Tell me, young man. were you, indeed, born here in Sunnydale?"
Xander suddenly paled at the question. He'd only ever told Willow and Jesse the truth about his parents. Now, it seemed like this old wizard knew. Casting quick glances at Buffy and Giles, he swallowed heavily before answering. "N-no. I'm not really sure where I was born. I came to Sunnydale before I started school when my parents. adopted me."
"Xander, why didn't you ever tell me you were adopted?" Buffy was confused as to why her best friend had hidden that from her.
"Well it's not really something a person talks about, is it? If everyone knew the truth, I'd be even more outcast than I already am. God! Can you imagine Cordelia with that information?! Besides, it's not like it's important. So I'm not like everyone else? So what? But they don't have to know it!"
Xander felt himself getting angry that he'd had to talk about this. Everytime he thought of it he felt as if he would explode. 'Maybe it would have been different if I'd been adopted by a couple who *weren't* abusive alcoholics!'
Beside him, he heard Harry gasp. Still trying to calm himself, he turned to face the raven-haired boy. He found a look of amazement on Harry's face that confused him. "What?"
Harry looked across to Professor Dumbledore. "He is."
Xander couldn't take this anymore. "I am WHAT?!"
Albus smiled at the boy, "You, Alexander, are a wizard."
TBC