Hi ok this chapter went in a direction I partly planned but I hadn't seen the angstyness of some of it.
Also it got really long so lots happening…see what happens when you review. Just to make clear
before you get there I am not saying petunia Dursley is any different to how JK Rowling has made
her I just think there's something there that needs to be discovered and this story gives me the
chance to find it. Also I do love Tonks' clumsiness I wish I could write more of it in really well but
it is an art that escapes me. Aargh I want to get a couple of chapters ahead it's so frustrating having
to wait until it's actually written down. Thank you to ppl who reviewed, it really is great to know
what you guys think and has actually been helpful-please feel free to give a pointer as to what you'd
like to see e.g. Anne-Marie I'd forgotten about Lockhart until I read your review so I'd have
missed him out. Ppl who want to see Dumbledore's reaction to Buffy's slayerness-I have it planned
just have to write it and wait a few chapters. Also Harry's reaction to his family I haven't even got
there yet, I have some ideas but I'm not even sure how/when/where it's going to happen.
Silver Warrior: Sorry but lots of things in store just to make Buffy's life that much weirder. It's what
makes stories so fun!
So enough ramblings on we go…
Chapter 6 RescueTonks arrived at the Burrow in a flash of green flames, falling out of the fireplace at just the moment
Mrs Weasley walked past carrying a stack of pancakes.
"oops. Sorry Molly. Here let me help. Oops" Tonks exclaimed again as she slipped on a pancake on the floor.
"No really dear that's alright. Oh" Mrs Weasley reached out quickly to stop Tonks falling
over. "What can we do for you?"
"I need to speak to Arthur Molly and maybe Bill if he's around."
"Of course, one minute." Mrs Weasley headed out of the kitchen to get the men and Tonks
sat down at the table looking at the grandfather clock where eight hands pointed to 'Home' and one
to 'work'.
"Tonks" Mr Weasley exclaimed on entering the kitchen and almost immediately there was a
babble of noise outside. "Is everything alright? We were planning on coming this week."
"What's up?" Bill asked a split second before Ron, Ginny, the twins and Charlie all came
piling into the kitchen.
"What's happened?"
"What's You-Know-Who done?"
"Is Harry Ok?"
"Has Dumbledore done something?"
"Woah hold it." Tonks said laughing and holding her hands up. "I just need a word with
your dad and big bro."
"Why?" Fred and George asked simultaneously.
"We're getting Harry out of the Dursleys Arthur. Dumbledore told me to take you and Bill
with."
"is he ok?" Ron and Ginny asked.
"He's fine but we have to get to headquarters. Molly can you go there, be ready to give
him a good meal."
"I'm on it. Ginny come and give me a hand."
"Aww mum can't I go with to get Harry?" the youngest Weasley whined.
"No and Ron you can come to help too."
"Mum"
"I don't want to hear it."
"We'll come Dad" the twins called out enthusiastically.
"No. This is a job for the Order." Mrs Weasley called with her head in a cupboard.
"We are part of the order" Fred exclaimed indignantly.
"You're too young to go on an operation, you're not ready."
"We're of age, we've rescued Harry before and we've left school."
"With a bang" Tonks added grinning then looked down. "Sorry Molly."
"I don't care." Molly Weasly slammed her fist onto her palm. "I don't want you two
going."
"Molly you can't stop them." Mr Weasley sighed wearily and broad grins cracked across
Fred and George's faces.
"You got the ton-tongue toffees Fred?" George asked then "Only joking Mum" he added
quickly as his mother frowned.
"It's 4 Privett Drive folks" Tonks said quickly preventing further arguments. "Man I wish
Moody could be here for this" then she disapparated with a Loud crack, four Weasleys following
suit.
"I hope they don't cause too much trouble." Mrs Weasley muttered then she turned briskly
to Ron and Ginny, Charlie having slipped artfully away. "Right I need two dozen potatoes, a
cauliflower… Ron where do you think you are going?"
"Uh…" Ron thought very hard for a good excuse. "To send Pig to Hermione. Thought she
might like to join us."
"Come back right away."
"'Course Mum" Ron replied
wondering how long he could be feasibly writing a letter for.
Petunia Dursley's worst nightmare was that it would be discovered that she was related to a
witch and wizard. Or so she had thought for over twenty years. Almost a year ago however
something had happened that did not change her mind but raised some serious questions. It was the
night she admitted knowledge of the magical world without scorn, the night she accepted that it must
be acknowledged and the night she reaffirmed that her nephew could stay in her house. Why did
she do that? Well a large part of it had to do with a terrible voice that had stirred memories she
tried to forget. "Remember My last" the voice had said and indeed Petunia did. She remembered
the pact she had sealed, the pact that had assured Harry's safety. Petunia remembered the morning
she had read that letter, the morning she found her nephew on her doorstep and the news that her
sister was dead. It stirred something inside her, something that had otherwise lain dormant,
obscured, almost drowned by a loathing, a fear of the magical world and what it held and yet that
something remained. It was little more than a fluttering in her heart. But it was enough.
Still, that wasn't to say that four wizards and a witch appearing in her kitchen wouldn't
scare her. It was Tonks she saw first, her pink hair familiar and still as offensive as it had been on
the platform at King's Cross. Petunia dropped the glass she was holding and screamed. Almost
immediately two large men waddled into the room.
"Petunia, what is it Petunia?" Vernon Dursley roared but stopped dead on seeing the other occupants of the room.
"Hiya Diddydums" Fred and George said, identical grins splitting across their faces.
Upstairs Harry heard Aunt Petunia's scream but didn't move from his bed where he lay on
his back staring at the ceiling. No doubt she'd found some mud on the kitchen floor or found out
that Mr and Mrs next door were getting divorced. Harry had been back at the Dursley's less than a
week, they were treating him better than ever before thanks to Moody's threat and yet he was more
miserable than he could remember. There were times that came close, much of the last year, his
second year when people believed him to be the Heir of Slytherin but nothing could compare with
the ache in his chest that would not go away. The nights were the worst; he would lie thinking of
Sirius, his parents and the prophecy and fall asleep with Bellatrix's yell in his ears, Sybill Trelawney
slowly revolving behind his eyelids and a pain so severe he thought it would cut his heart in two.
Yet that wasn't all. Nightmares in which all these things combined haunted him and other horrors
too. Sometimes he wondered if there was a dementor guarding him so bleak was his existence.
There had been a couple of nights when he hadn't had those nightmares, when the shapes
and colours of his mind did not form Sirius' body falling against a backdrop of green light and the
insane laughter of Lord Voldemort as he killed Harry's parents. They formed other pictures though,
pictures Harry didn't understand. They were brief visions that somehow didn't seem to belong to
him and yet drained him of energy. He would wake from them sweating and shaking as if Lord
Voldemort had just performed the cruciatus curse on him and yet there was no pain in his scar to
suggest a connection. Harry had to assume the scenes were just manifestations of the multitude of
emotions inside his mind, to be fair that multitude was largely pain. Harry had lost a lot in his life and
it had caught up with him in the last few weeks. He took upon himself responsibility, not for one
death as many people thought but many more. If it weren't for that prophecy, if it weren't for him,
Lord Voldemort might never have tried to kill his parents. If it weren't for his actions Peter
Pettigrew might not have been able to aid his master's return and the deaths that would inevitably
accompany it. If it weren't for his imbecility, his pride, Sirius would still be here. So Harry lay on
his back drowning in his guilt until two freckled faces appeared around the door and
"Hiya Harry" Fred and George Weasley cried. "Long time no see." Harry sat up and
stared at the twins.
"What are you doing here?"
Pretending to be affronted at Harry's less than warm welcome each twin launched into a
babble of talk.
"Nice to see you too."
"Fine we'll just shove off then."
"Wont take you to HQ"
"C'mon Harry, Tonks, Dad and Bill are downstairs, we're missing all the fun."
"Why are they here?" Harry asked still in a state of shock.
"We're getting you out of here, we already said."
"Why?"
"Well now that's gratitude for you isn't it. We turn up to take you away from the muggles
who make your life hell and you want to know why." Fred exclaimed in mock indignation.
"But Dumbledore.." Harry began
"His idea mate" George said.
"Why?" Harry asked again suspicious of the twins and none too thrilled with Dumbledore's
plans of late.
"No idea. Tonks turned up 'bout half an hour ago and said Dumbledore had sent her.
Apparated here and well…" Fred looked at George who continued.
"We couldn't resist scaring Duddykins just a little so Dad sent us up here to get you."
"What did you do to him?" Harry asked remembering Dudley's giant tongue of two years
ago.
"Turned him into a giant pig for all of about two seconds. You should have seen the look
on his face."
"Priceless" Fred added.
"Great" Harry grinned weakly thinking of Hagrid's attempt at doing just that but couldn't
muster a laugh. "So I'll get packing then."
Fred and George looked at each other. "We can do that" they said in unison and raised
their wands. Within moments books, quills, clothes and all Harry's other possessions were flying
across the room into his trunk.
"Wow" Harry said dryly. "You managed to do an even worse job than Tonks." He went
to lift the trunk but once again the twins stopped him.
"No need Harry." Fred marched out the room, wand in front of him, pointed at Harry's
trunk now floating two feet off the ground. At the bottom of the stairs however Fred tripped, losing
control of the trunk which flew through several metres of air and crashed into Dudley's massive
frame which had just emerged into the hallway. Despite all his recent boxing training and muscular
advantage over any of the three wizards the look on Dudley's face was one of pure terror and he
backed away from Fred being careful to keep his eyes on his wand the whole time. The twins
roared with laughter but once again Harry was only able to muster a weak grin at the sight which not
so long ago would have had him in stitches.
"Alright there Harry?" Tonks called as everyone
"Yeah I'm fine thanks" Harry muttered looking down at Hedwig's cage in his arms. "So
how are we getting there? Brooms?"
"Not in the day, no."
"We're using Muggle transport Harry." Mr Weasley told him excitedly.
"Right" Harry said dully. "Shall we go then?"
"You ok mate?" Bill asked and Harry looked up.
"Yeah…yeah
thanks for coming to get me."
"Not a problem mate now just
hang on a second while I disillusion you, you've had it done
before right?" Bill pulled out his wand and Uncle Vernon swelled up.
"Not in my house, no ruddy spells in my house." He shouted and Bill looked at him calmly
then shrugged.
"Ok I'll do it outside. No biggie." So Harry Bill and the twins went outside whilst Tonks
and Arthur Weasley remained for one last warning to the Dursleys.
"Now see here you had better get out of my house…" Uncle Vernon started blustering but
Tonks cut him off.
"Shut up and listen. We're taking Harry, not to do you any favours. You don't know
where he is, why he left or who we are. Got it. What's more, you're best treatment for him had
better improve or it's not us you're going to have to face. I don't think Lily's going to be very
happy to find out how you've been treating her son." Tonks strode towards the door as Vernon's
mouth fell open and Petunia squeaked
"But Lily's…Lily's dead."
"Maybe not as dead as you think." Tonks called back as she stepped outside.
~*~
Meanwhile…
For the second time in not very long Buffy, Joyce and Dawn were spun through the air by
attachment to a tiny object. When they landed this time however they were clearly in some form of
waiting room where rows of people sat on rickety wooden chairs. Dawn was openly staring at the
disfigurements various figures seemed to possess-multiple arms or eyes- but Buffy was trying to be
a little more discrete. In fact with all the demons she had seen Buffy was more surprised by the
pointed hats and cloaks. The people in lime green robes walking around were obviously some kind
of medical personnel. Dumbledore led them to a short queue in front of a desk marked 'Enquiries'
behind which a plump blonde witch sat filing her nails.
"Good day we are looking for memory…"
"Fourth floor" the witch interrupted without looking up.
"Thank you." Dumbledore said courteously doffing his hat. They walked down a corridor
lined with moving portraits and lit by crystal bubbles full of candles that floated up on the ceiling,
looking like giant soapsuds. They climbed several sets of stairs with Joyce making soft moaning
sounds every now and then as her head ached. When they reached the fourth floor Dumbledore
pulled open a door marked: 'Fourth Floor-Spell Damage.
Unfixable Jinxes, incorrectly applied charm etc.'
Just behind it was a man with wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes and dazzling white teeth shown by a
broad smile.
"Good day Gilderoy" Professor Dumbledore said politely. "How are you?"
"Very well thank you, would you like an autograph?"
"Not right now thank you." Dumbledore replied as Dawn snickered. "I need to see healer
Thinkly. Do you know where she is?" A frown creased the blond man's face and he shook his
head. "Never mind then. Shall we go back to your ward, she might be there?" Dumbledore took
the man's hand and led him back to a room labelled the 'Janus Thickey Ward.' Inside were several
beds all but two occupied. A motherly looking woman bustled up to them saying,
"Dear dear Gilderoy, out again. Thank you Professor." She took the man by the hand and
led him to an armchair beside a bed around which were many pictures of him, all flashing brilliant
smiles at Buffy.
"Gilderoy was a teacher at Hogwarts, not a very successful one I might add." Dumbledore
explained to the Summers' women. "He had a rather unfortunate accident with a backfiring
memory charm. Ahh healer Thinkly a moment if you please." A severe looking woman with black
framed glasses and her dark hair pulled sharply back into a bun stopped to talk to Dumbledore. "I
have reason to believe this woman is under a memory charm and I would like to see it removed
please."
"Certainly Professor but one of my junior healers can take care of it for you."
"I would very much appreciate it if you could take a look. The charm may be up to fifteen
years old and is becoming intermittent."
"That does not happen" the healer said with a small frown. "Fifteen years Dumbledore,
that's a long time, a spell is unlikely to start malfunctioning without a serious stimulus."
"I know. That is why I need you to work on this case, it is imperative the charm is lifted
and the stimulus neutralised."
"Very well. You had better come to my office."
The healer's office was not dissimilar to a normal doctor's office. Certificates hung on the
walls and a large desk was in one corner. The four visitors sat in chairs opposite the healer who
pulled out a long scroll of parchment and a quill from a drawer. She went over to a counter with
several glass bottles filled with various coloured liquids and poured a small quantity of purple into a
fizzing blue gelatinous substance. The result was a mass of red fumes and a vial full of ruby red
liquid. The healer handed it to Joyce with instructions to drink it and Joyce did so. Almost
immediately a silvery orb materialised around her head, almost like a halo, drawing gasps from both
Buffy and Dawn. The healer pulled out a wooden rod and touched the orb muttering "oblviate." At
once the silvery colour transformed into the deep red of the potion Joyce had drunk. The healer
stepped back, nodded at Dumbledore and scribbled a note on the parchment. As they watched the
red itself deepened and became tainted with black. Dumbledore looked enquiringly at the healer
who looked surprised.
"You are right Dumbledore. The charm is indeed being interfered with. It must be removed
immediately.
"You can do that right, I mean you can get rid of this memory thing." Dawn asked
nervously.
"Absolutely." The healer replied. "It's what I get my galleons for. Now why don't the
three you go and get a cup of tea and I will let you know when I'm done here. Go on, get out of
here." She chivvied them out not unkindly but firmly. Buffy turned back for one moment.
"Take care of my mom" she said and the healer nodded before closing the door.
"So tearoom. I believe that is on the fifth floor." Dumbledore said jovially leading them to
the stairs again. "Are you alright Miss Summers?"
"Yeah, yeah just not a big hospital fan. Spent way too much time in them." Buffy said
lightly.
"Well you get hurt if you go fight va…oww" Dawn cried as Buffy trod on her toes to keep
her quiet. "That hurt."
The three of them sat in the hospital tea room without saying much for a while. Several
people came up to talk to Dumbledore and Buffy realised that he was obviously very well known.
When they were at last left with a bit of piece she asked him something that had been on her mind a
lot.
"So this Lily person. How does she know you? What's she like? I kinda y'know love my
mom I don't want her to turn into some old bat who hates fun or something crazy."
"Lily Potter is definitely not 'Some old bat.' She and James both attended Hogwarts, they
were head boy and girl and my good friends after they left."
"Hold the 'phone. My mom went to a magic school? She's a witch?!"
"Of course Lily Potter is a witch, one of the finest to pass through Hogwarts. You and your
sister are also witches I would assume."
"Us. Nuh uh I already told you it's Willow and Tara who do the magic, I can do a little but
there's no way I'm a witch."
"I'm a witch. Cool!" Dawn exclaimed but Dumbledore spared only a smile for the younger
girl's reaction before continuing to talk to Buffy.
"Wicca is not the kind of witchcraft I mean. Your friends may have an understanding of
magic, an ability to control it but ultimately the power is not theirs, it belongs to the earth. Your
magic is inside you and you control it with a wand, and your mind. Here." Dumbledore handed
Buffy his wand. "Give it a wave. Only a witch or wizard would be able to produce an effect."
Buffy, feeling rather foolish waved the wand. To her great surprise a jet of sparks shot out of all
colours of the rainbow and fell to the table top. No one in the room even looked around though Dawn was staring at her as if she'd just made a rabbit appear from a hat.
"Wiggy." Buffy said quietly unable to think of anything else to say. "So Lily's a witch huh?
What about the rest of them?"
"Lily's family is muggle, non magical but James and Harry are both wizards."
"When do we get introduced?" Buffy asked and Dumbledore looked at her carefully.
"You will only meet Harry if and when I am sure your mother is Lily and is in no way
connected with Lord Voldemort."
"And James?" Dawn asked although Buffy was more interested in this Lord guy.
"James is dead. Lord Voldemort murdered him the night Lily was apparently killed too. I
still do not understand how she could have survived, it was only through her death that Harry did.
And since this happened during your life time it is even more perplexing, no doubt we will hear some
explanations when we rejoin your mother."
"Why are you telling us all this if you don't know who we are?"
"It is my custom to give people a chance. I also know that should you turn out to be
anything other than you appear I have several abilities that may surprise you and will protect me and
anyone else necessary."
"Ok so who's this Lord Vol au vont guy?" Buffy finally asked and several heads turned to
look at her curiously. "What? So I don't pronounce French all that well."
"Lord Voldemort is well…powerful. He uses dark magic to create a world according to his
prejudices. He is the most feared wizard the magical community has ever known, so much so that
people do not like to say his name."
"Hence the turning round and glary faces" Buffy said and Dumbledore nodded. "So what
nicknames has this big bad got?"she asked thinking that it might help the research she was already
planning on setting Willow and Giles.
Many. His real name is Tom Riddle but he is frequently known as The Dark Lord or He
who must not be named."
"That which cannot be named" Buffy murmered thinking of the Dagon Sphere back in
Sunnydale.
"Indeed, such was his power and so terrible were his actions."
"Pretty big evil then?"
"Yes I suppose he is. As evil as one who still possesses a soul can be. He tortured and
killed countless people, his followers too during his reign of terror and now he is back for a second
round."
"This guy just wont stay on the ropes huh?"
"That is…one way to put it. Lord Voldemort was considerably weakened the night of Lily
and James' deaths, so much so that man believed him dead but he was not and now we see the
consequences of blindness to such evil's existence."
"People never see the evil they don't want to believe is there" Buffy said wisely thinking of
the ignorance of the people of Sunnydale.
"Indeed and now it cannot be ignored for Lord Voldemort is already increasing in strength
and no doubt has a plan to topple any order of justice and goodness we have."
"Plan? All evil has plans please it's not like plans always work. All we gotta do is stop it,
nothing too hard." Buffy missed the piercing stare Dumbledore gave her at that moment because
she was distracted by the healer walking towards them.
~*~
Indeed Lord Voldemort did have a plan, an ingenious one at that and yet no one would
expect any less from him. The only flaw was that he had to enter into an alliance, yet even that,
even sharing strength with another did not bother him at the moment. Lord Voldemort was in fact
intrigued by his –business partner I suppose you might call it- and not without reason. The power
that emanated from her was tantalising and through this little arrangement he too would possess it. It
was a shame the woman was almost as irritating as Albus Dumbledore, they would have been quite
the pair of evil brewers however a temporary partnership would do, it would get them both what
they wanted. So what did Lord Voldemort want from this mysterious woman? Well first let's see
what this woman wanted from him.
"The Slayer has my key, a common Slayer I mean please. Who would give my key to the
Slayer."
"The vampire Slayer?" Lord Voldemort asked his slits of eyes narrowing further.
"No, the ant slayer. Who the hell do you think I'm talking about?" the woman replied
dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, that is interesting."
"Care to enlighten me on why? Actually no, I'm not interested. All I want is that damn key
and you are going to help me find it." She lifted one immaculately manicured finger and placed it
under Lord Voldemort's chin in a manner he detested.
"You know what I want." He snapped, turning his pale snake-face away sharply.
"You'll get it. Calm down."
"I'm calm. You should see me when I get angry." Lord Voldemort retorted.
"You are angry. Face it. You're still weak. It has been quite some time since we've..." she
looked at him almost seductively. "merged."
"Maybe you're right." He growled. "OK, let's do it." Lord Voldemort's flat nose quivered
and his nostrils dilated as he took a huge sniff in preparation for what he knew was coming.
"Boy, you sure know how to romance a girl. No flowers, no dinner, no tour of the crib.
Just, "OK, I'm ready. Let's do it." Help me. My knees are weak." The woman rolled her eyes
expressively.
"Watch what you say now. This is a sacred experience for me." Lord Voldemort hissed and
Nagini, lying curled on the floor made a similar sound in agreement.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Let's just get on with this already so I can get my key.
I want to go home." She stamped her foot and the heel snapped off her shoe. "Oh shit.
You know, I am so fed up of this stupid mortal coil thing. It's disgusting! The food... the clothes... the people. I could crap a better existence than this. (beat) But... okay- and feel free to tell me
if this next part gets a little too personal, because I'm told I have boundary issues- but I'm
hurt! Yes, by your incredibly selfish behavior. Newsflash,snake face: it's not always about
you. All I want is the Key! Why? Why can't you just find it for me. Oh that's right, you
need my strength. Humans always need my strength, you're just about the only one with
enough evil in you to make you worth considering sharing it with."
"Are you trying to make me mad?" Lord Voldemort asked in a cold, detached voice.
"I'm trying to make you a God."
Lord Voldemort stood opposite his insane partner facing her, each holding out their
hands and leaning their head back. The woman morphed into a demonic apparition—huge,
with two horns on its head and glowing red eyes. It lunged towards the bony shape of Lord
Voldemort, glowing and growling. The energy the apparition possessed contracted into a
glowing light and flew into Lord Voldemort's body, causing him to wobble a little. He rolled back
his head and fell to the ground. When he returned to his full height his lidless eyes were pure black
and he laughed demonically. When he spoke his voice was deep and rich with power.
"Glory be" he cried. "Glory be."
Ok I know it was the first that did the merging thing but artistic license and all besides it seemed like
a cool way to bring Glory in just for a little bit (thanks Sam) but you'll see what happens to her (if you review you'll find out sooner!) Come on after that big long chappie I deserve some reviews.
BTW still wanting ideas for pairings!