Title: Knightly Mage.
Chapter: Duplicity
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: None Really for Buffy, some for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or Harry Potter. I would buy them but I am broke.
Summary: AU. After losing his parents as a baby, and being raised by a Slayer and a Watcher, Xander travels to a famous school in England to help him fight the forces of darkness. Crossover with Harry Potter.
AN: I have altered the timelines so that the Harry Potter characters are the same age as Xander, I.E. born in 1981.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weeks went by and all the students established their own routines. In the morning, Xander would arise early, as always, and do his usual stretching routine, some Tai Chi and a run around the Quidditch Pitch before breakfast. Then came classes, stopping for lunch, and in the afternoon, study with Hermione or training in a secluded room, which Dumbledore had set up for him. Halloween came around all too soon and the excitement in the castle grew. They had their Charms class Halloween morning, in which only Xander and Hermione were able to float the feather, Xander about ten minutes after Hermione.
Most of the afternoon classes were cancelled due to the Halloween celebrations, so Xander went strait to his training room after Charms class. Xander started with the stretching routines that Sarah had taught him. After stretching, Xander began doing forms with his Katana, losing himself in the rhythm of the motions and the memories of good times he had with Sarah and Giles while growing up. The world flowed around him, his muscles flexed and relaxed, screaming at the exertion, but his movements did not waver. He was both aware and oblivious to the world around him, seeing the dust as it slowly fell through the air, illuminated by a ray of sunlight, yet caught up in his memories.
When Xander came back to himself, he realised that he had been training for many hours and had completely missed dinner. He quickly dried the sweat off him and made his way back to the common room. When he arrived he was confronted by a crowded common room, with Hermione, Carrot Top and Hero Boy all grouped together, Hermione obviously upset.
"What's the matter, Nefertiti?" Xander asked, keeping their joke running.
*Battle, Akhenaten.* Hermione responded in Ancient Egyptian.
(AN: Akhenaten was the Pharaoh before and step-father to the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamun, and Nefertiti was Akhenaten's wife. This was a running joke between Xander and Hermione.)
"What happened??" Xander demanded.
"There was a Mountain Troll in the Girl's bathroom, where Hermione was..." Harry began.
"Shit!" Xander exclaimed, slamming his fist into the stonework of the common room fireplace, cracking the stone and shattering his hand.
Everyone in the common room winced at the sound of the impact.
"Xander, doesn't that hurt?" Hermione asked carefully, indicating to his shattered hand.
"Like hell. I should know, I grew up on its doorstep." Xander said cryptically.
Xander left the common room, returning a few minutes latter with his shattered hand bandaged and splinted.
"Why don't you go to Madam Pomfrey, she could fix it in a second." Ron said.
"Pain is a great motivator." Xander replied before sitting down to study as if nothing was wrong.
********
Xander watched the Quidditch match from a small distance rather than sitting in the stands. His hand was still splinted and bandaged from being shattered the previous night. As he watched, Xander did not see a Quidditch match as it was seen by the other students, as a sport. He personally disliked flying on broomsticks, there were better methods of travelling long distances and they could be a deadly nuance during patrols when the ability to literally stop on a dime can save your life.
Instead, Xander watched the match as a General would watch a battle. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of players, how they worked together, their individual tactics and overall team strategies. After a few minutes of play, Xander could identify the differences between Fred and Gorge Weasely based on the subtle differences in how they played. He filed all this information away; it was as good to know about potential allies as potential enemies. When Hero Boy's broom started acting up, Xander quickly determined that it was due to outside interference, and concentrated on his reaction and adaptability when he regained control of the broom.
Sarah had told him years before that if there was doubt to the situation and your life was not in immediate peril, then gain as much information as possible, because you never know what could save your life one day. So he watched the game, noticing that students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were cheering on the Gryffindor team. Slytherin was not well liked as a House. Finally Gryffindor won the match. The Gryffindor team had more skilled and adaptive player who knew the strengths and weaknesses of their team mates, although they seemed to lack any overall strategy, instead playing from second to second. Slytherin had a coherent strategy, cheat and bully everyone, and it was completely compromised by their lack of coordination between members.
********
Xander was packing to go back to London for the Christmas holidays. Occasionally he would clench his fist as if to test for pain, having had his shattered hand magically repaired by Madam Pomfrey after a few days of nagging by Hermione. Ever since Halloween she had been spending time with Hero Boy and Carrot Top, which Xander could understand. Saving each other's lives creates a bond, something that Xander knew well. She had not abandoned Xander though, still studying with him and they still tossed theories back and forth. Xander liked some of Hermione's theories, most of them were right, Xander having gotten the proof from Giles, but it was not as if he could tell her that right now.
As he finished packing, Sarah swooped in through the window. Xander smiled, remembering all the times at mail call when the owls had gotten out of her way when she was delivering his mail. Sarah dropped the letter on the trunk then perched on his shoulder. Ripping open the letter, Xander read.
'Yes!' he thought.
As he had been hoping, the letter was from Giles. He confirmed that Hermione would be able to come over for a couple of days during the Christmas/New Year holiday. Giles had talked to Mr and Mrs Granger, who had also agreed. (AN: The section in the first chapter where Hermione says her parents are dead was a mistake. They are very busy Dentists.)
"Come on Sarah." Xander said, letting the Falcon have a free ride on his shoulder as he pulled his trunk down to the entrance hall.
He saw Hermione saying goodbye to Hero Boy and Carrot Top. He knew that the three of them were working on something but he did not really care. This was not the world in which he knew how to win and with Hermione onboard, they had all they needed to succeed in any endeavour. When Hermione joined Xander, he took over carrying her trunk. Sarah jumped off his shoulder and settled on Hermione's, her being the only other student in the castle that the Falcon even liked.
"Ready to go, Nef?" Xander said.
"Of course, Akhen." She responded.
"Good news. Giles and your parents have agreed to let you stay with us for a few days. We can work on your Tai Chi." Xander said, loading their trunks onto the carriages that would take them to the Station.
In the first few weeks of school Hermione, the inquisitive thing that she is, had discovered Xander's habit of waking early and had followed him to see what he did. Xander had noticed her following so one day, when he was doing his morning Tai Chi, asked if she wanted to join him. She had asked what he was doing so he had explained, and from that morning on she had joined his Tai Chi sessions, slowly but surely making progress.
In those morning sessions, Hermione had found a very different Xander to the rest of his life at Hogwarts. He was always confident in his movements, like he was in his element, and she always saw the glimmer off deep pain in his eyes during those sessions. Another thing she had discovered was his outrageous sense of humour and, accidentally, that he had a large stockpile of Twinkies hidden in his room, and an unhealthy addiction to the cream filled treat. The one time that he had shown her 'the perfect way to eat a Twinkie' she had laughed for hours, deeply amused at the way he shoved the whole Twinkie in his mouth at once.
"See, a Twinkie has no ingredients that a human can pronounce, so it doesn't leave you with that heavy 'food' feeling." He had told her, causing her to crack up again.
Xander and Hermione talked about a range of things throughout the train ride back to Kings Cross Station, some of the most intelligent conversations Hermione had had since she had gotten to Hogwarts.
TBC.
Chapter: Duplicity
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: None Really for Buffy, some for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or Harry Potter. I would buy them but I am broke.
Summary: AU. After losing his parents as a baby, and being raised by a Slayer and a Watcher, Xander travels to a famous school in England to help him fight the forces of darkness. Crossover with Harry Potter.
AN: I have altered the timelines so that the Harry Potter characters are the same age as Xander, I.E. born in 1981.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weeks went by and all the students established their own routines. In the morning, Xander would arise early, as always, and do his usual stretching routine, some Tai Chi and a run around the Quidditch Pitch before breakfast. Then came classes, stopping for lunch, and in the afternoon, study with Hermione or training in a secluded room, which Dumbledore had set up for him. Halloween came around all too soon and the excitement in the castle grew. They had their Charms class Halloween morning, in which only Xander and Hermione were able to float the feather, Xander about ten minutes after Hermione.
Most of the afternoon classes were cancelled due to the Halloween celebrations, so Xander went strait to his training room after Charms class. Xander started with the stretching routines that Sarah had taught him. After stretching, Xander began doing forms with his Katana, losing himself in the rhythm of the motions and the memories of good times he had with Sarah and Giles while growing up. The world flowed around him, his muscles flexed and relaxed, screaming at the exertion, but his movements did not waver. He was both aware and oblivious to the world around him, seeing the dust as it slowly fell through the air, illuminated by a ray of sunlight, yet caught up in his memories.
When Xander came back to himself, he realised that he had been training for many hours and had completely missed dinner. He quickly dried the sweat off him and made his way back to the common room. When he arrived he was confronted by a crowded common room, with Hermione, Carrot Top and Hero Boy all grouped together, Hermione obviously upset.
"What's the matter, Nefertiti?" Xander asked, keeping their joke running.
*Battle, Akhenaten.* Hermione responded in Ancient Egyptian.
(AN: Akhenaten was the Pharaoh before and step-father to the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamun, and Nefertiti was Akhenaten's wife. This was a running joke between Xander and Hermione.)
"What happened??" Xander demanded.
"There was a Mountain Troll in the Girl's bathroom, where Hermione was..." Harry began.
"Shit!" Xander exclaimed, slamming his fist into the stonework of the common room fireplace, cracking the stone and shattering his hand.
Everyone in the common room winced at the sound of the impact.
"Xander, doesn't that hurt?" Hermione asked carefully, indicating to his shattered hand.
"Like hell. I should know, I grew up on its doorstep." Xander said cryptically.
Xander left the common room, returning a few minutes latter with his shattered hand bandaged and splinted.
"Why don't you go to Madam Pomfrey, she could fix it in a second." Ron said.
"Pain is a great motivator." Xander replied before sitting down to study as if nothing was wrong.
********
Xander watched the Quidditch match from a small distance rather than sitting in the stands. His hand was still splinted and bandaged from being shattered the previous night. As he watched, Xander did not see a Quidditch match as it was seen by the other students, as a sport. He personally disliked flying on broomsticks, there were better methods of travelling long distances and they could be a deadly nuance during patrols when the ability to literally stop on a dime can save your life.
Instead, Xander watched the match as a General would watch a battle. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of players, how they worked together, their individual tactics and overall team strategies. After a few minutes of play, Xander could identify the differences between Fred and Gorge Weasely based on the subtle differences in how they played. He filed all this information away; it was as good to know about potential allies as potential enemies. When Hero Boy's broom started acting up, Xander quickly determined that it was due to outside interference, and concentrated on his reaction and adaptability when he regained control of the broom.
Sarah had told him years before that if there was doubt to the situation and your life was not in immediate peril, then gain as much information as possible, because you never know what could save your life one day. So he watched the game, noticing that students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were cheering on the Gryffindor team. Slytherin was not well liked as a House. Finally Gryffindor won the match. The Gryffindor team had more skilled and adaptive player who knew the strengths and weaknesses of their team mates, although they seemed to lack any overall strategy, instead playing from second to second. Slytherin had a coherent strategy, cheat and bully everyone, and it was completely compromised by their lack of coordination between members.
********
Xander was packing to go back to London for the Christmas holidays. Occasionally he would clench his fist as if to test for pain, having had his shattered hand magically repaired by Madam Pomfrey after a few days of nagging by Hermione. Ever since Halloween she had been spending time with Hero Boy and Carrot Top, which Xander could understand. Saving each other's lives creates a bond, something that Xander knew well. She had not abandoned Xander though, still studying with him and they still tossed theories back and forth. Xander liked some of Hermione's theories, most of them were right, Xander having gotten the proof from Giles, but it was not as if he could tell her that right now.
As he finished packing, Sarah swooped in through the window. Xander smiled, remembering all the times at mail call when the owls had gotten out of her way when she was delivering his mail. Sarah dropped the letter on the trunk then perched on his shoulder. Ripping open the letter, Xander read.
'Yes!' he thought.
As he had been hoping, the letter was from Giles. He confirmed that Hermione would be able to come over for a couple of days during the Christmas/New Year holiday. Giles had talked to Mr and Mrs Granger, who had also agreed. (AN: The section in the first chapter where Hermione says her parents are dead was a mistake. They are very busy Dentists.)
"Come on Sarah." Xander said, letting the Falcon have a free ride on his shoulder as he pulled his trunk down to the entrance hall.
He saw Hermione saying goodbye to Hero Boy and Carrot Top. He knew that the three of them were working on something but he did not really care. This was not the world in which he knew how to win and with Hermione onboard, they had all they needed to succeed in any endeavour. When Hermione joined Xander, he took over carrying her trunk. Sarah jumped off his shoulder and settled on Hermione's, her being the only other student in the castle that the Falcon even liked.
"Ready to go, Nef?" Xander said.
"Of course, Akhen." She responded.
"Good news. Giles and your parents have agreed to let you stay with us for a few days. We can work on your Tai Chi." Xander said, loading their trunks onto the carriages that would take them to the Station.
In the first few weeks of school Hermione, the inquisitive thing that she is, had discovered Xander's habit of waking early and had followed him to see what he did. Xander had noticed her following so one day, when he was doing his morning Tai Chi, asked if she wanted to join him. She had asked what he was doing so he had explained, and from that morning on she had joined his Tai Chi sessions, slowly but surely making progress.
In those morning sessions, Hermione had found a very different Xander to the rest of his life at Hogwarts. He was always confident in his movements, like he was in his element, and she always saw the glimmer off deep pain in his eyes during those sessions. Another thing she had discovered was his outrageous sense of humour and, accidentally, that he had a large stockpile of Twinkies hidden in his room, and an unhealthy addiction to the cream filled treat. The one time that he had shown her 'the perfect way to eat a Twinkie' she had laughed for hours, deeply amused at the way he shoved the whole Twinkie in his mouth at once.
"See, a Twinkie has no ingredients that a human can pronounce, so it doesn't leave you with that heavy 'food' feeling." He had told her, causing her to crack up again.
Xander and Hermione talked about a range of things throughout the train ride back to Kings Cross Station, some of the most intelligent conversations Hermione had had since she had gotten to Hogwarts.
TBC.