Wahoo 100 reviews! Thank you thank you thank you for them all, me very
happy (and slightly hyper.) thank you to Feely for being my 100th reviewer!
I'm so desperate to get on with this story but I have stupid exams coming up
and every minute I spend writing is coming out of revision time which is
really bad. I might not be writing very frequently from now on 'cos I go
back to school tomorrow (sob) but this is another long chapter to make up
for that.
Feely: I'm going to bring in the other scoobies very shortly although the
story will not concentrate on them much.
Charlotte: Currently Joyce looks like Joyce although I may have her change
over time.
Silver Warrior:I agree it should be an unforgiveable which is why
Dumbledore campaigned for it to be one however I couldn't have it as one
because that wouldn't agree with the books where J.K wrote there were 3
unforgiveables so I gave it the death penalty instead (pretty sever no?) Also
Harry didn't go to James' family, not that he necessarily has any, because
Dd thought Lily died to save him hence the 'safety' at the Dursleys and
rapid removal when he found out otherwise.
Tanydwr:I didn't give harry another destiny for that bit for two reasons. 1
because the whole challenge for me is to make things agree with the
books/series and 2 because there's too much complicated stuff coming to
worry about that particular bit, it was just an inconvenience that I had to
change the way he survived anyway-not a major part of the story. Also
check the chapter 'those who lived' you'll see that Wormtail did the curse.
Why will be explained but not yet.
ScruffyWes: Not really more to the prophecy, it was all in the prologue just
Dd didn't tell it all to harry, only the bit in book 5. Harry mad at Dd, not for
too much longer…wait and see.
brigirl,GD and Charmedfanatic3000: thank you for your reviews!Glad you
like.
Dawnlady:I actually hadn't thought of that, it's not actually going to happen
but Willow+scoobies will be coming soon so watch this space.
Kristal and Anne-Marie: Wow I guess you guys really liked it huh. I'm
glad, loved reading your reviews!keep them coming.
Disclaimer: Sections of dialogue adjusted from episodes Checkpoint and No
Place like Home also a little from Book 5 HP. Not mine, not earning, just
borrowed, don't sue!
Hogwarts, ghosts and GloryBuffy and Dawn were reluctant to leave their mother but they were
unable to do anything for her and so were soon back in Dumbledore's office
courtesy of floo powder. Dawn had been highly excited by this new form of
transport since seeing Tonks use it but Buffy was not pleased by the
prospect of sooty clothes or alternatively major burns. After being hurled
out of Dumbledore's fireplace however Buffy reassessed her objections to
an extreme dislike of spinning around in dark, enclosed spaces such as
chimneys. Nevertheless they were all in one piece and as Dumbledore sat
down behind his desk Buffy looked properly around the large circular room.
The first thing she noticed was a large red bird staring at her, it was the most
beautiful colour Buffy could imagine and for a moment she was transfixed
by the glow it generated and the contrast of the bird's jet black eyes against
its feathers. The second thing Buffy noticed was a figure moving in a
portrait, it was an elderly figure dressed much like Dumbledore except with
a red hat. The gentleman who Buffy read underneath the frame was
Armando Dippet disappeared from his own picture and as Buffy watched
reappeared in the next frame along where he began whispering with the
other occupant. The moving figures surprised Buffy but nothing more, she
had seen simply too many horrors to be alarmed by moving pictures.
Dumbledore coughed causing Buffy's head to snap around and she realised
that he was in the middle of speaking.
"I realise that you will not wish to make any long term plans
tonight and it is getting late so allow me to offer you some dinner."
Dumbledore waved his wand and a platter appeared covered with
sandwiches, a large jug and two glasses. Buffy suddenly realised how late it
was, the summer sun was sinking below the ridge of the mountains, and
how ravenously hungry she was so she quickly joined Dawn in grabbing at
food. While they ate Dumbledore tried to tell the sisters a little about the
school. "Hogwarts was founded many centuries ago by four witches and
wizards; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and
Salazaar Slytherin. They were all powerful and very learned but like any
friends there were arguments, in the end enough to split the four of them.
Today there are still remnants of the rift between Slytherin and the rest as
seen by the inter-house relationships. Each of our four houses is named
after a founder."
"What're houses?" Buffy asked narrowly avoiding spraying
Dumbledore with bits of bread. "Oops"
"Not to worry. Houses are almost extended families. Each
member of the school is sorted into one of the four houses according to their
character and the preferences of each founder. Pupils will then have lessons
with the students in their house, eat with them, share a dormitory"
"Woah this is a boarding school, as in 24/7 school?" Buffy
exclaimed. "That is just way too much school."
"With dormitories and midnight feats and stuff? That is so cool!"
Dawn's reaction was once again very different to her sister's.
"Indeed and often magical pranks although the frequency of the
last two has decreased dramatically since the departure of the Weasley
twins. Yes this is aboarding school and just for your interest she was a
Gryffindor."
This meaning absolutely nothing to Buffy she concentrated on the
revelation she understood. "Mom went to a boarding school? Wow her
family must be rolling, are they still around?" Dumbledore pressed the tips
of his fingers together and looked carefully at Buffy.
"Ahh Lily's family. She has one sister, this will be rather startling
for her. I think perhaps a letter, no it must wait until Lily is recovered and
security is assured. You see Lily's return whilst wonderful must not be
widely known and news muxt not reach Lord Voldemort. Dear dear Petunia
will be in for a shock." Buffy spluttered on her mouthful of pumpkin juice.
"Petunia?! Isn't that some kind of flower?"
"It is also the name of your aunt."
"Their parents really had a thing about flowers huh? So is she like
mom at all?" Dumbledore smiled faintly.
"Petunia Dursley is as different from Lily as possible. She appears
to reject magic, always seemed to hate her sister for it and was not keen at
all to take Harry in after his parents' death. She did though and I am not
convinced that there is no part of her which feels a bond with her sister,
perhaps jealousy played a part in her feelings although she did not know that
life was not easy for Lily at home. So she took Harry in on my insistence
and looked after him although not nearly so well as I would have liked."
"I think I should pay her a visit and if they've done anything to my
little brother I will hurt them." Buffy said perfectly seriously, her instinct
for protecting people combined with a new found family tie.
"Again, believe her. She will."
"I have no doubt of it." Dumbledore replied calmly remembering
Buffy's intimidating look at the hospital and the inner strength he felt when
he touched the boundaries of her mind "But can we momentarily forget
turning your aunt and uncle into punch bags and concentrate on yourselves.
Now as I said I understand you will not want to make any plans right now
and so I have arranged for two beds to be made up in the Gryffindor
dormitory where you may stay until you decide what you are going to do
and your mother has recovered. She will come here in a few days
presuming that there were no complications and you can discuss things
then." Dumbledore looked at the sisters waiting for a response.
"What options do we have?" Buffy asked. "I mean we kind of just
found out that our whole lives are a bit different, hell I found out I'm
someone else, not to mention that my mom's British. No wonder she was
always in a bad mood on Thanksgiving."
"For one thing you are not a completely different person. In the
end we are all who we are no matter how much we may appear to have
changed. For another it will be completely up to you and your mother to
make a decision as to what you do. I understand you must have a great deal
of commitments in…where exactly do you live?"
"Sunnydale." Buffy answered thinking how strange it was to think
of all her responsibilities there whilst somewhere in Britain with a wizard
and a witch for a mother.
"Oh dear." Dumbledore sighed surprising Buffy. "Well you are of
course free to go back to Sunnydale, although security wise I would not
advise it. That would mean a certain degree of isolation from the
wizardingworld as we tend to avoid that particular area. It would also mean
separation from Harry who you have yet to meet. You are also of course
welcome to stay here at least until term begins and I would very much like
that so that I may become reacquainted with Lily and indeed allow her the
opportunity to rediscover magic should she wish to as you may wish to,
both of you. The other advantage of course to you staying here is that we,
meaning myself and other members of staff, may continue to attempt to
remove the curse upon you. I am presuming you wish us to do so. For now,
I can see that Dawn is growing tired and so I will show you to Gryffindor
tower." Dumbledore stood up leaving Buffy thinking about what he had
said. Did she want the curse removed? Yes it was frustrating knowing that
she was remembering falsities but if it was removed she would become
Hope Potter, who knew how far from Buffy Summers that would take her,
particularly how far from Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer.
Dumbledore led them out of his office and down a spiralling
escalator to a large, ornate entrance hall. As Dawn, who was last of the trio,
stepped off the stairway a section of wall on which sat a hideous gargoyle
slid into place hiding Dumbledore's office from sight. The headmaster then
proceeded to give Buffy and Dawn a tour of what seemed like the whole of
the castle but was in fact barely one wing of it. He pointed out the entrance
to the dungeons, the Great Hall then it was up a sweeping marble staircases,
one of very few Buffy was soon to learn, which had nothing remarkable
about it save its splendour. The other staircases they climbed each had
some trick to them; there was the one which Dawn got stuck in as the fourth
step vanished, the one which swung them a full 180 degrees to a landing
covered with still more moving portraits. Buffy noticed that most of the
paintings were of people and they were all staring at them and whispering to
one another with a murmur that was incomprehensible even to her ears. The
next corridor was lined with suits of armour which Buffy could have sworn
were moving too, she had the feeling that they were like the ones in the
Disney version of Beauty and the Beast that followed visitors down the
corridor with their gaze and would then suddenly snap to attention. A
pearly white, almost transparent figure suddenly floated out of a wall.
Dawn jumped and even Buffy was slightly startled though the figure did not
seem in any way menacing, rather it was like a cloud of shimmering water
droplets.
"Good evening Sir Nicholas" Dumbledore said and Buffy
wondered who he was speaking to until the figure pulled off his hat,
as transparent as himself, and bowed low saying
"Good evening headmaster. I trust you are well."
"Very well indeed thank you although it has been a most
remarkable day. These are two new acquaintances of mine, Miss Buffy
Summers and Miss Dawn Summers. They will be staying in Gryffindor
Tower for the time being."
"Splendid. I wish you both a marvellous stay. I am Sir Nicholas
de Mimsy Porpington, Gryffindor ghost and I am delighted to make your
acquaintance."
"Uh…thanks. It's great to meet you too." Buffy said haltingly
surprised by the language the ghost was using. She looked at his dress
however and understood, the old fashioned ruff in particular giving away his
approximate era. She held out her hand but when Sir Nicholas went to
shake it she had the unpleasant sensation that she had plunged her hand into
a bucket of ice.
"Oh dear I do give you my greatest apologies." Sir Nicholas said
forlornly. "One does forget sometimes the restrictions of no longer bearing
a corporeal form. Good night headmaster, Miss Summers." He once again
tipped his hat and glided away through a tapestry hanging on the wall.
Dumbledore continued to lead Buffy and Dawn on through the
castle explaining bits and pieces as they saw them. They passed a room full
of trophies and awards which made the sports trophies back in Sunnydale
seem worthless and many classrooms but eventually Dumbledore stopped in
front of yet another portrait. This one was of a plump lady dressed in pink
silk and wearing a very motherly expression.
"This is the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room."
Dumbledore announced. "You will tell the fat lady the password, she will
open and just like magic you can get inside. The password at present is
Scooby Doo, not my choice I hasten to add."
"Hey I love Scooby Doo." Dawn cried and the portrait swung
open. "The movie was so good!" She followed a smiling Dumbledore
inside and gasped. The room was not spectacular but it immediately had a
warm, welcoming feel. There was a roaring fire in the grate and
comfortable chairs scattered all around.
"This is the common room. During the year Gryffindor students
will generally be found in here making a lot of noise, rarely working and
generally relaxing. The boys' dormitories are up those stairs, the girls' up
these. I am unable to enter the girls' dormitories so I will leave you here.
Breakfast will be provided in the common room as I have an early meeting
with the minister for magic. Please feel free to explore the castle and the
grounds although I would ask you to refrain from entering the forest. There are very few staff about, you may see Mr Filch the caretaker or perhaps
Hagrid the gamekeeper but although I am not expecting any one else
teachers do tend to appear quite randomly. Please introduce yourselves as
guests of mine and do not reveal yourselves as Potters, nor that Lily is alive
I think it best to keep those facts very quiet for the moment. Allow me to
bid you goodnight, the bags you arrived with are already in your dormitory,
and I will see you later tomorrow. Should you wish to find me the password
to my office is currently 'liquorice allsorts.'" With that Dumbledore turned
to walk away but Buffy called to him,
"Just one question."
"Certainly." The headmaster said turning his piercing gaze
towards the slayer.
"What did you do to my mom to check she was Lily?" Buff asked
and Dumbledore looked at her even more piercingly so that Buffy felt she
had said something wrong and yet after a moment's hesitation Dumbledore
sighed heavily and answered her.
"Legilimency. It is what I tried to do to you and yet you resisted.
It is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's
mind."
"So mind-reading?" Buffy said not too keen on the sound of it,
remembering the time she was psychic and how terrible the consequences
almost were.
"It is more subtle than that. Thoughts are not etched on the inside
of skulls to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and
many layered thing but Legilimency allows those skilled in it to delve into
minds and correctly interpret their findings, for example I was able to tell
your mother was not lying to me through Legilimency. At the hospital I
performed the spell that allows me to see memories and I searched for ones
that only Lily would remember."
"So why did we have to go?" Dawn asked and Buffy thought.
"Memories are extremely private. I do not often use the gift of
Legilimency because of that and I felt that any memories I might uncover
should belong solely to your mother unless she felt it right to disclose them
to you, I did not know what I may find and what effect the large number of
revisited events may have. Is that all?" Buffy nodded deep in thought. She
was thinking about the pain that she had discovered when able to perform
her own sort of Legilimency and could understand why Dumbledore did not
wish to delve into people's minds. She hoped he had not found such pain in
her mother's mind although she expected he would have, everyone had pain
and she herself had caused her mother plenty. Still, she could always find
out what memories Dumbledore had sought when her mother returned from
hospital. Dumbledore again bade the sisters good night and climbed
through the portrait hole leaving Buffy and Dawn alone in the common
room.
Dawn was worn out by the day's events, both the physical
tiredness that comes with travelling and the mental tiredness that comes
with emotional revelations were upon her and so Buffy accompanied her
younger sister straight up to bed. The dormitory was the first one up the
staircase Dumbledore had indicated and there were indeed two beds made
up for them. In total there were five four-poster beds with red hangings
although the other three were bare. There was a fire in the fireplace despite
the warm summer night and their small bags were indeed by their beds.
Dawn was asleep almost the instant she crawled into bed but Buffy was
restless, she tossed and turned in the unfamiliar coverings of her four-poster,
haunted by visions that were unbidden. Repeatedly the void that forms with
semi consciousness filled with a green light though it jumped between a
glow, pulsing with energy and a flash which was always accompanied with
a high pitched laugh. She woke suddenly from such a flash and pushed the
heavy covers aside. She slid out of bed and silent as only a slayer can be
she walked over to where Dawn lay. 'They will come at me through my
family' she thought and then looked at Dawn's sleeping form. The memory of Frank at the hospital came to mind and Buffy remembered how scared
Dawn had been, how she had gripped her hand that little bit tighter.
Willow's words too came back to her and Buffy thought again 'They will
come at me through my family.' "Guess I'd better look after you then" she
said to her sister who rolled over blissfully unaware of Buffy's sentiments.
Unwilling to go back to bed Buffy pulled on some dark clothes, left the
dormitory and descended the stairs to the common room. The room was
dark although the fire had not yet died away completely. The glowing coals
formed shadows on the walls and made the place feel alien to Buffy, which
she supposed was not surprising considering she was in a castle tower in
Britain that was concealed from the world by magic. Buffy pushed open the
portrait and climbed easily out into the corridor.
"Where are you off to?" the fat lady asked but Buffy just smiled at
her and strode away. In actual fact she was not sure where she was going,
she had been overcome with a need for some action. Unfortunately she had
been unable to bring weapons to England, flights were not the easiest
things to smuggle knives and bows onto, but she had managed to hide a stake away and the wood had not been detected in the airport. The stake
was in Buffy's hand as she prowled the corridors of Hogwarts remarking yet
again at the portraits whose subjects murmured as she passed and the suits
of armour that were so antiquated. A pearly white cloud floated out in front
of her and had Buffy not seen a Hogwarts ghost earlier she would have
almost certainly attacked it with her stake.
"Who are you?" the translucent figure of a plump girl asked whilst
peering at Buffy through round glassed. "I don't know you." The girl's
voice was somehow mournful and her eyes were watery though Buffy
couldn't imagine what a ghost could be upset about.
"Buffy." The slayer replied mindful of Dumbledore's advice not to
reveal her alternative identity.
"Oh" the ghostly girl commented staring at Buffy blearily. "You
must be who Nick was talking about. It is strange to see people in holidays
usually it's only Dumbledore and maybe a few teachers. It's the only time I
come out of my toilet for very long." The last part seemed to be added as an
afterthought though it left Buffy slightly perplexed.
"The toilet?"
"It's where I died." The girl said as calmly as if talking about the
weather. "I haunt it now but only Harry and his friends come in there to
make potions so I get very lonely." Her eyes filled with tears but Buffy was
distracted by Harry's name.
"You know Harry?"
"Oh yes." The girl's cheeks turned a darker shade of silver and
Buffy presumed she was blushing. "But he hasn't come to see me for ages.
Said he got…" She gave a loud sob. "Got in trouble for coming into a girls'
bathroom." The ghostly girl burst into floods of tears alarming Buffy more
than slightly.
"Hey hey what's with the Niagara Falls?" Buffy asked lightly and
the girl looked at her blurrily, generally people didn't bother to ask her why
she was crying they just laughed at her and called her names.
"Why do you care?" she asked Buffy who smiled and shook her
head.
"Nuh uh. You can't answer a question with a question."
"but no one cares. They just laugh at me and call me names,
moaning Myrtle, miserable, moping Myrtle." Myrtle's lip shook and a fresh
wave of tears spilled from her eyes. Buffy was at a loss, she had dealt with
many many things in her life but a crying ghost was not, as far as she could
remember, one of them. Anxious to get away she said to Myrtle
"No names then. Not a problem. Can you tell me how to get
outside Myrtle? Myrtle is your actual name right?" Myrtle nodded and
hiccupped. "pretty" Buffy commented. "So where's the exit?"
"Downstairs, take those stairs two flights down and the door's
right in front of you. Where are you going?"
"Not sure yet, I figured I'd know when I got outside." Myrtle's
eyes grew wide and she looked at Buffy with something close to awe.
"You shouldn't go wandering outside in the dark, especially not
near the forest."
"What's in the forest Myrtle?" Buffy asked as the ghost continued
to hiccup.
"All sorts" Myrtle said gleefully and there was a trace of
excitement in her voice now.
"Unicorns, centaurs maybe even vampires and a werewolf."
Buffy smiled thinking that she'd found just what she wanted and
headed towards the stairs calling back over her shoulder "Thanks Myrtle,
I'll tell Harry to stop by when I see him." Myrtle blushed again and
watched Buffy leave with unusually dry eyes.
Buffy pushed open the heavy oak doors and felt the sharp sting of
the night wind on her face. She purposefully strode out onto the smooth
lawn bathed by a glimmer of light from the crescent moon. In the distance
she could see a dark shadow and made her way towards it, knowing
instinctively that it was the forest. She paused only once on the edge of the
forest wondering why someone would live so close to such a dangerous
place, the little hut was dark but evidently lived in as the neatly tended
garden and gingham curtains testified. Barely a step into the woods Buffy's
slayer senses began tingling and she was sure that as Myrtle had said there
were vampires somewhere inside. Stake gripped tightly in her hand Buffy
began patrolling through the forest. Figures moved around her but none
human. She headed deep into the forest where there were no paths and
where the undergrowth was so thick it hampered her progress and yet there
were still no vampires to be seen. All of a sudden she caught sight of a
human or vampire shaped figure hulking behind the remains of an old stone
colonnade, covered with brambles and weeds but just in front of her.
"Oh, not looking for a fight with a little girl huh? Don't worry I'm
not so helpless, you want a good fight tonight? I wont disappoint I promise.
It's not going to be easy you know, real test of strength." Buffy turned in a
circle to keep watch of the figure. "Don't worry about me. I'm stronger
than I look." The figure continued circling until it was behind Buffy who
was still speaking "I have had experience with stuff like this before. Best of
all…"she whirled around and seized Glory by the throat. "I'm not stupid" she finished coldly.
Glory gave Buffy a withering look, wrenched Buffy's arm from her neck
and backhanded the Slayer with such force that she flew back into one of
the pillars of the ruined colonnade and the impact cracked the stone that
must have remained unbroken for centuries. Buffy fell to the floor and
looked up at Glory, stunned at her power.
"You sure about that last part?" Glory asked with a smile that
infuriated Buffy even more than being thrown across a forest. Before she
could return the jibe Buffy found herself slamming into the pillar again, face
first. This time the top of the column was knocked clean off and Buffy
landed hard on the other side. Glory strode towards her and seized her by
the shoulders roughly hauling her upright. "And another thing? I just want
you to know..." While she was talking Glory slammed Buffy into a second
pillar and began pummelling her with strength her appearance belied. "The
whole "beat ya to death" thing I'm doing? It's valuable time out of life that
I'm never gonna get back." Realising just how much trouble she was in
Buffy made a substantial effort to fight back but Glory grabbed both her
arms and wrenched them downwards. The pain was so great that Buffy
cried out without meaning to satisfy the woman attacking her. Glory,
obviously in control continued talking in a voice that Buffy had very
quickly grown to detest for its sugary sweetness. "Wait, I've always wanted
to try this. You know that thing with worms where if you have one, you rip
it in half, you got two worms? Do you think that'll work with you?"
In desperation Buffy slammed her head into Glory's face and
managed to break free falling onto her feet with a cat like grace, surprising
Glory who cried out. "You hit me! What, are you crazy?" Buffy pressed the
attack, hitting and kicking for all she was worth and gradually forcing Glory
backward, but her blows were seemingly useless in harming Glory rather
they offended her so that as she continued speaking an irritated tone crept
into her irritating voice. "You can't go around hitting people. What, were
you born in a barn? Fine. Be that way." Realising that Buffy would
continue to fight despite her obvious inability to defeat her opponent Glory
began to fight back. She easily blocked Buffy's next blow and swung her
around into the stonework. She aimed a blow for Buffy's head but the slayer
ducked at the last instant and Glory's fist punched into the stone. Glory
picked Buffy up by the throat and held her at eye level whilst the slayer
gasped for air. "I just noticed something. You have super powers. You must
be the slayer, g-d how lame. If this is all the slayer's super strength then no
wonder there's so many vampires in this damned world. But anyway if you
are the slayer then we need to talk."
Buffy was barely listening to Glory, she was busy struggling to obtain oxygen through the
woman's unnaturally strong grip around her windpipe. "I don't know what you mean" she gasped
and Glory rolled her eyes.
"Please. As if you don't. My key you nitwit, you have it, I want it." Buffy was extremely
confused, she figured it was the lack of oxygen to her brain but couldn't be sure that Glory wasn't
just spouting nonsense. Unfortunately she was unable to ask anything or even pun because the hand
that held her a foot above the ground was now so tight that there was no way she could force sound
out of her mouth.
"Oh right you need a voicebox to speak." Glory let go of Buffy so that she fell to her feet
and stood massaging her throat with Glory standing in an intimidating pose over her. Buffy didn't
answer but pulled out a stake again and stood in a fighting stance. Glory giggled. "Buffy. I thought we said we'd just talk now. If I wanted to still fight, you could tell by the being dead already. So
play nice, little girl."
"What do you want?" Buffy asked slowly and deliberately.
"The key. Why else do you think I'd come here? See, I think you knew where it is. And
that's a good thing."
"I'm glad you think so." Buffy said unsure of what she was getting herself into.
"Well, it's the only thing keeping you alive right now. Because you may be tiny queen in
vampire world... ...but to me, you're a bug. You should get down on your knees and worship me!
But oh, no, you still think it's neat having Slayer strength. Ooh, big deal! Stronger than humans!
Who isn't? I could crush the life from you as easy as you'd break a nail. But I need the key. Maybe
I should ask someone else, you must have a watcher, or a mom…or"
"This is between you and me" Buffy interrupted anxious to keep the woman as far away as
possible from her mother.
"No. This is between me and my key. You just happen to be the thing in the way."
"I can't tell you diddly, 'cos believe it or not I don't actually know what the hell you're
talking about."
Glory grinned. "Oh a stupid slayer now hows about that."
"Hey I did really well in my SATs I'll have you know." Buffy said indignantly but Glory
waved her hand dismissively.
"Still seems like you've got a thing about other people, that makes sense I guess you'd
want to protect your watcher. Well I'll tell you what, I'll kill him. I'll kill your mom, I'll kill your
friends ... and I'll make you watch when I do. Just give me the key. You either have it or you know
where to find it. Obviously, this is a one-time-only deal. Next time we meet, something you love
dies bloody. You know you can't take me. You know you can't stop me." Glory walked away
from Buffy who sank to the base of one of the pillars and watched the woman go. "By the way"
Glory called back over her shoulder. "You want to look me up, the name's Glory." Buffy
continued to watch her leave and then slowly eased herself off the ground wincing as the movement
made every bruise and every cut hurt.
"Thank g-d for slayer healing" she muttered as she made her way back through the forest to
the sweeping lawn leading up to the castle. It was the first time Buffy had seen the castle from the
outside and even in her state of extreme achyness she couldn't help but be impressed by the gothic
turrets, the hundreds of diamond pane windows reflecting the moonlight and the ornate stonework
that decorated the seemingly impenetrable walls. Somehow, Buffy wasn't quite sure how she
managed it, she found her way back to the fat lady without meeting anymore ghosts, poltergeists or
even people. When she stood in front of the portrait all she wanted to do was go to sleep forever
but the fat lady was curious.
"Where've you been?" she asked.
"Business meeting." Buffy replied, "Let me in wont you?"
"I need the password but what happened to you?"
"Scooby Doo and the meeting didn't go as well as they do normally." The portrait swung
open before Buffy had even finished and she was in bed less than a minute later out cold and
refusing to think about what just happened until the morning."
~*~
Glory was ecstatic about what just passed. She strode into the building in which she was
staying with a spring in her step despite the height of her red stilettos. "Baby, if the slayer's
the only thing between me and my key we wont be having much trouble." Lord Voldemort
was immediately awake, a small frown creasing his broad pale forehead as he listened to Glory
babble on about her encounter with the slayer. "She was so little and she actually thought she had a
chance against me. It's kind of pathetic if you think about it, give a girl a few powers and she thinks
she's all that. Still, it makes our job a lot easier, she was practically wetting herself when I lifted her
up. Ohh, I'm so near it and finally I can go home and this stupid world will be history. I'm so sick
of it, people are so pathetic and they're happy about they're stupid little lives yet all the time their
saviour is none other than a little girl I could crush with my shoe."
"Indeed, the world is full of weakness, of people who refuse power even when it is offered to them.
They put their faith in those who seem to have strength and yet are as great as neither of
us. They call themselves good, or righteous and yet they are not. There is no good and bad only
the powerful and those too weak to seek power. I have seen them, been refused by them and it is
indeed time for them to disappear, to be wiped from the eternity of the universe and for their world
of falsity to disappear. The world shows not its true face, it appears to be green and filled with
beauty. People go about pretending to feel things to ridiculous extremes. To love to the extent that
death is simply a gift you impart to save those you love, it is a mark of stupidity. You die for duty
or for power, power you have shared with me. Power which I have worked hard to gain over such
an idiotic world as this, too hard to let it be destroyed. Underneath the face the world shows is evil,
is a hatred I have inspired, a group of people willing to serve me in my cause and I wish for those
things to remain until I at least conquer the boy who led me to my downfall. You see," Lord
Voldemort pulled out his wand and caressed it carefully in his bony fingers, "this world is soon to be
my witness, to Harry Potter's downfall. I should not wish it to be destroyed before it has that
honour." He waved his wand and a shot of silver light burst from it hitting Glory square in the
stomach. As if a piece of film were being rewound she began to shrink and a moment later Glory
had disappeared. Lord Voldemort walked over to a painting on the wall and looked at it, it was a
scene of countryside, sweeping lawns and a forest on the horizon. There was only one figure in it,
the figure of an extremely angry Glory, who glared at Voldemort from her oil covered canvas.
"You cannot do this!" She shrieked. "I am a g-d. You worthless piece of crap, I helped you."
"But our aims were not the same, and I am afraid that what I want, I will get as Harry
Potter is about to find out. Wormtail!" he called and a small, balding man came hurrying in. "Dispose of this picture."
"Yes my Lord" Wormtail responded eagerly and carried the painting away, Glory still
screaming fanatically from inside the frame.
"Well, that went well didn't it Nagini?" Lord Voldemort said looking down at his pet snake
coiled around his ankles. "The slayer is at Hogwarts, where Harry potter will be, dear me this is
about to get interesting. A slayer, hmm, this deserves some careful thinking. Ahh Wormtail."
Wormtail had entered the room again and his master beckoned him over. "Hold out your arm." He
commanded and wormtail did so. Lord Voldemort pushed up Wormtail's black robes to above
the elbow revealing an ugly tattoo which he pressed firmly with his long white fingers. Wormtail
winced and writhed as the mark burnt black against his pale skin and Lord Voldemort spoke again.
"They will come soon, they return now more quickly and I can share with them my plans. How
great it will be to be invincible once again but this time to be pure. Hark they arrive and now I can
tell them of my ascension."
Kinda cliffie? Voldemort planning to ascend? Whaddaya think? Let me know and I will try
so hard to keep writing although blame AS levels for why it might take a while! Oh also coming up
Dumbledore's meeting with Fudge, hee hee I love how pompous and idiotic Fudge is!