Dawn had woken up at the same time each morning for the three years she had been living and learning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had been visited by Giles, her sisters Watcher and her father figure once a month; she craved those visits almost as much as she had wanted to leave the refuge the school offered and return to Sunnydale at the beginning. Letters arrived from Buffy and Willow weekly, always on the same day, regardless of what was happening in the war against Glory, a hell goddess that sought to use Dawn to return to her world causing destruction on Earth at the same time.

Today was one of the days Dawn fairly sprang out of bed to await the arrival of the owl from home, she waved her wand, said a few spells and the bed was made. She had time this morning to pull on her Slytherin House Hogwarts uniform before the owl arrived, the letter tied to its leg with a leather thong. Dawn took the letter and opened it eagerly.

Dear Dawn,

Dawnie, I'm so sorry I'm unable to be there to tell you this face to face. We won, Glory is gone, but Buffy was hurt really seriously in the fight. Buffy's dead now, Dawn. I'm also sorry to tell you that we didn't have the chance to get you here in time for the funeral. Know that her last words and thoughts were of you, she said that she was happy now that you were safe from Glory and that she loves you.

I know that you said you were looking forwards to coming home in all of your letters, but these last few battles, Dawn, they've left Sunnydale a mess, until that is sorted out and everyone is healed we've decided that you should stay.

Giles has written to the school and asked that they move you into the main school rather than keep you separated now that you are safe. You'll be able to make friends and complete your education with them.

We'll continue to write to you, and Giles will still visit.

We love you Dawn,

Willow

Just as Dawn was finishing the note her door opened, and Professor Snape was only just able to get there in time to prevent Dawn from hitting her head against the floor as she fell in a dead faint.

He picked up the letter and read it as he levitated Dawn on a stretcher to the infirmary wing. "Damn."

The school healer, Madam Pomfrey, placed Dawn in a drugged sleep that would allow her to wake slowly and give her time to think through and absorb the dreadful news she had been given in her owl.

When Dawn woke fully Headmaster Dumbledore was at her bedside. "The letter, it was real wasn't it? She's dead," Dawn forced out of her mouth as soon as she was able. "And I'm where? Not my room."

"This, this is the infirmary and it speaks of what a good student you are that you have not yet seen it. Yes Dawn, Buffy did die this week. I am sorry for the loss of a person so caring," he said. "Dawn, we will give you a week if you would like before we move you to the Slytherin House area, as requested by Mr. Giles."

"I would like that week," Dawn said then sniffling a bit asked for some privacy before allowing herself to surrender to the sobs and crying that were building inside of her.

The week had passed leaving Dawn tired and worn out from her grief, but as she had agreed, she moved to the Slytherin House dungeon quarters. She had spent the morning getting her belongings settled in her new room which she was to share with two other girls and was waiting, curled up in one of the large armchairs, for the rest of the Slytherins to return from their lunch in the Great Hall so that she could meet them. She had a large text-book cradled in her lap, Potions, and even though her love for the subject was strong it could not tempt her eyes to stay open any longer after her morning of lugging boxes around even with the house elves help.

Another Slytherin who should have been in the Great Hall but wasn't, was Draco Malfoy, he stalked into the common room in a flurry of robes and temper. "That bastard, Potter! One day he'll get what's coming to him," Draco hissed to the silent, seemingly empty room.

Draco crossed the common room to the large armchairs next to the fire with the intent of slamming himself down into the one nearest the fire and brooding over how to destroy Harry Potter. He was stopped from this when he noted that his chair was occupied already. By a girl. She was wearing a Slytherin uniform but he didn't recognise her. There just weren't any girls with auburn hair flowing down to their waists in any of the older years, and she appeared to be about his age. "Wake up," he ordered and was rewarded with a glimpse of blue eyes as they fluttered open.

"What are you looking at?" Dawn said, cranky about having been woken and about being very obviously under the boy's scrutiny.

"Nothing. All I see is nothing," Draco threw back scowling, wanting the new girl to piss off and leave him to his anger. He did his best to ignore the pain that flashed across the girl's face as she pulled herself up and out of his chair heading towards the door that opened to the girls' corridor.

Dawn wanted to get to her room so that she could close the curtains around the four-poster bed and cry. She had thought that her grief over Buffy's death had used up all her tears, yet here she was insulted and crying. Being called 'nothing' had hit her hard because it was too close to her own insecurities about her existence as Dawn rather than as a ball of energy. She turned from her path and headed into the girl's bathroom instead.

Draco followed the girl until she went into the bathroom and he stood at the door and he felt even worst when he heard her start to sob in earnest.

Draco felt guilt wash over him like an invisible wave, he pushed it aside and walked away from the door, the others would be back at any minute and it wouldn't do for them to see such a weak emotion in him, one of life's little lessons he'd been taught by the best, his father.

Dawn wiped the drying tears off of her face and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the row of sinks. Her reflection was disappointing to her, though she knew that she shouldn't have expected any better; her eyes and nose were red and puffy, her hair was tangled and static from sleeping in the chair. Fixing her appearance as much as she was able Dawn decided to fetch the Potions text from the common room later and to go and have a lie down on her bed so that she wouldn't have to face the nasty git who had upset her so much.

Dawn was startled awake by a girl who must have been one of the Slytherin first years, "Professor Snape sent me to take you through to the Great Hall for dinner."

Dawn tidied herself up again then let the younger girl led her through the school's corridors to the long hall where she had been taken when she had first arrived.

She sat at the end of the table nearest to the doors as directed to by the girl who didn't bother to introduce herself. Being sat there Dawn was surrounded by students in her year, the seventh and final year at Hogwarts. She noticed that the blonde boy who had upset her earlier was with them.

There were lots of platters piled high with the same sorts of delicious food she had grown used to over her years at Hogwarts. It was a sad truth but neither Buffy nor Willow could cook with any finesse and before coming here Dawn ad been getting used to simple food and take away meals. That reminder dispelled Dawn's appetite but she helped herself to servings as those around her did.

All the students were eating and talking away when the doors to the great hall burst open with a clatter and a bang admitting a lone figure.