Hi everyone! Fanfiction.net is working (kinda) again, so I'm happy! I was on a major hyper/high thing today, so I thought I should update, because I haven't done that in a while.
fairysk8r: Thank you very much. Yeah, I don't like Harry that much and that will become even clearer as you read the story, but do not worry; I will let him have some happiness!
Anne-Marie: Thank you very much, and I think Petunia may come into it a bit more, because I think deep down, Petunia does care for Lily and Buffy, and hopefully I'll bring Petunia in again.
Miz: Thank you, newcomers are always welcome! Yes, both slayers are going to Hogwarts, do you really think Faith would survive living in a place like the Black house? *Grins*. So there will be lots of fun, and more Buffy interactions, particularly with a certain Potions master…*grins*
For all those of you who wanted more Sirius/Buffy interaction, you'll have to wait a bit, because this chapter takes place at Hogwarts. And for all the Draco lovers out there…*grins* I'm not going to say anything for the time being, but…*grins* I've got some things in store for him, and even more in the sequel…
Chapter 16. Back at Hogwarts.
"What do you think of her?" Ron asked and Harry's head snapped up to look at him.
"What do you mean?"
He rolled his eyes. "Buffy. Your aunt, remember? We haven't talked about her so far. How you taking it?"
Harry shrugged. "It's weird you know? All this while, I had another aunt. I mean, she's cool and everything, but…"
"It's hard?" Hermione asked, concerned. Harry nodded.
"She knew about me all the time, and never thought to contact me." Harry said, his voice rising at every word.
"She was kidnapped from her only family when she was eleven. That has to be traumatic for her, Harry. Think about it from her view! She's a slayer; she has more important things to think about, like evil and demons." Hermione reasoned. Harry shrugged.
"It just would have been easier with her around, that's all." Harry said quietly, and the group fell silent. They were all worried for Harry. He seemed so distant from everyone now, it was scaring them. But they did not know about the nightmares that haunted Harry's sleep, the face of Cedric, the fall Sirius took last May, the screams of his mother, and, surprisingly, the face of Buffy when she was bit by the Master, tears running down her face, blood staining her pale skin, the Master's cool hands on her white dress. And of course, Harry's friends did not know about the prophecy that occupied almost every waking moment of his mind, the feeling of dread when he thought that it was either him or Voldemort, kill, or be killed.
Harry sank into a reverie, his thoughts lost in nightmares and prophecies, but he was snapped out of it at Ron's shout. HermH
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE WITH HIM?" Ron shouted at an unfazed Ginny.
"Dean and I had our differences, so we broke up. And I ran into Seamus in Diagon Alley the other day and he asked me to the first Hogsmeade trip."
Ron looked as if he was going to blow up, his face was tomato red and the tips of his ears were scarlet. Hermione giggled and sat next to Harry who was watching with an amused smile.
"I'M NOT HAVING MY SISTER GOING OUT WITH THAT PRICK!" Ron shouted, and Ginny glared at him.
"What's wrong with Seamus?"
"HE'S…HE'S…HE'S…I'M NOT HAVING YOU GOING OUT WITH ANY BOYS." Ron bellowed and Ginny stood up angrily.
"What do you mean? You're not the boss of me!"
"You're too immature Ginny! First, you went to the ball with Neville, and then you went out with Corner, then Dean and now Seamus! You'll have dated the entire boy population at Hogwarts by the time you leave school." Ron argued, and Ginny rolled her eyes in astonishment.
"Ronald Weasley, you are something else." She said, before walking to the compartment door.
"Where are you going?" Ron asked suspiciously and Ginny smiled mischievously.
"I'm going to ask Seamus if he'd like to make out with me in the toilets." And with that, she left the compartment, grinning at a steaming Ron.
Ron angrily pointed a finger at the space Ginny had recently occupied and glared angrily at Hermione and Harry. "Can you-can you believe she's doing this!"
Hermione giggled and pulled Ron's arm to make him sit down. "She's a girl Ron, a very pretty one at that and you expect her not to be like that. Besides, I don't think she meant that about Seamus and the toilets." Hermione reassured Ron and his face turned from red to pink.
"But, but, you're not like that Hermione. I mean, you're bloody gorgeous but you don't go gallivanting off with boys like 'Seamus Finnigan'." He argued irritably, not noticing that Hermione was blushing.
Harry grinned at Ron, and he promptly flushed a deep scarlet as he realized what he had just said. Avoiding Hermione's gaze, he said that they had better go to the Prefect's meeting and he ran out, not looking back.
"You'll be alright here Harry?" Hermione asked, her face still a bright red. Harry nodded.
"Sure, you go on. See you later." Hermione nodded to him and quickly walked out of the compartment, leaving Harry to himself.
***
"Firs' years this way! Firs' years this way, oi! Stop fightin' you two! Firs' years!"
Harry felt an enormous feeling of happiness as he stepped off the train and onto the platform. He had finally returned to Hogwarts, a place he loved more than anything else. Hogwarts was his home, a place where he felt safe, where he felt comfortable. He grinned as he spotted Hagrid towering above the other students, his long curly beard reaching down to his waist.
"All righ' 'arry?" Hagrid shouted, and Harry grinned at Hagrid, waving to him and then hurrying after Hermione and Ron, pushing his way through the mass of students that were standing on the platform. Many of them smiled and greeted Harry, but Harry just carried on, hopping onto a carriage with Hermione, Ron, Ginny and surprisingly Seamus.
The journey to Hogwarts was uneventful; Ron kept on casting glares at Seamus who was sitting opposite him and next to Ginny. Hermione turned pink every time the carriage hit a bump and caused her to touch Ron, and Harry just kept his gaze outside, watching the magnificent castle on the cliff draw closer and closer.
As soon as they reached Hogwarts, Harry felt truly at home, and he had a large smile on his face as he followed Ron and Hermione to their seats in the Great Hall. Lupin smiled at them from the Teacher's table, Hagrid waved at them vigorously and Snape sneered at them.
Yes, this was home.
***
The Sorting hat gave another song about all the houses becoming friends, being on extra guard and a few lines on hope. There were a large number of first years this year, but only five were sorted into Slytherin, whereas ten were sorted into Gryffindor.
The feast was excellent, and everyone caught up with things they had been doing over the summer and the results they had received for their O.W.Ls. Before they knew it the feast was over and everyone had turned their eyes to Dumbledore, who stood up and looked especially intimidating and powerful in the dim lighting provided by the candles that hung in mid-air.
"Now we are stuffed to burst, I want to make a few announcements. Tryouts for the Quidditch teams start in two weeks. Mr Filch, our caretaker has taken the care to remind me again that magic is not to be used in the corridors in between classes, and there is a list of things which is forbidden also, which consists of almost all products from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. I must remind everyone-everyone-that the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden. Now, as for teaching changes, Professor Trelawney will be teaching Divination with assistance from Firenze. Professor Hagrid will resume teaching Care of Magical Creatures, and I am delighted to welcome back Professor Lupin who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." There was a burst of applause from the Gryffindor table and Lupin flushed a dark red as he grinned at Harry who was clapping the loudest.
"That's insane!" The shout caused the applause to stop and Dumbledore looked curiously to the person who had done the shouting.
"Excuse me Mr Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked calmly and all heads swiveled round to look at Malfoy, who was standing up, receiving grins and words of encouragement from the Slytherins around him.
"You're mad! He's a werewolf!" The first years broke into whispers and cast horrified looks up to Professor Lupin. Hermione glared at Malfoy from her seat. "He could kill us!" Hermione twitched, her jaw was set and her fists were clenched with anger. "He shouldn't be allowed in public!" Malfoy continued. Hermione dug her nails into her palm. "He's a disgusting, dangerous half-breed!"
"Shut your mouth you bastard!" Hermione yelled, standing up from her seat and pointed her finger angrily at Malfoy. Ron and Harry gaped at her, astonished and the Gryffindor table burst into applause. Malfoy sank down in his seat, a flabbergasted and slightly impressed look on his face. Hermione blushed and sat down quickly, smiling at her housemates who were congratulating. Lupin smiled at her thankfully from his seat and the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. Snape looked positively livid.
"Ten points from Slytherin and three points from Gryffindor." Dumbledore said quietly, but his voice seemed to command everyone's attention and Hermione looked dismayed that she had already lost points for her house.
"Now, I have a few security notices. Due to Voldemort's return" Several people fell off their benches from the shock of his name "no first year is allowed out after dark, and older students must travel in groups outside in the dark. Students allowed on the Hogsmeade trips must return at Hogwarts at dusk and there is no excuse for anyone who is out in the corridors after curfew. We will be having a large number of guests arrive during the year, and I would like everyone to be on their best behaviour. It has also come to my attention that a number of Educational Decrees were drawn up last year. None of these are effective anymore, and clubs such as Dumbledore's Army" he winked at Harry "are quite welcome. It has also come to my attention that a certain number of students were part of a group called the Inquisitorial Squad. They, of course, have no power now." There was a burst of applause and Malfoy and his friends looked incredibly glum. "I think that is all for now, if you would like to make your way to your beds, have a good night."
Everyone got up to leave and the Hall burst into noise as everyone left as Hermione made sure that the first years were following Ginny and the other prefect, Susan Reeves. Hermione squeezed in between Harry and Ron as they were walking up to their dormitories, and Hermione blushed at their gazes.
"What?" She asked, and Ron answered her.
"You were bloody brilliant."
"Don't swear Ron."
Ah, I love Malfoy. And Snape. And Spike. So they will have large parts in these stories, especially Malfoy and Snape…Malfoy more in this one, Snape more in the sequel. So if you like these two Slytherins stick around, if you don't…tough.
Please review!
