A/N: I love ya'll's reviews! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Angus Hardie: You're prolly right, but I think we had a phone that still worked when the power went out. Either way, ole Dumbledore would prolly figure out a way to fix the electricity thing, at least I would think so. ^_^

Captuniv: Here ya go. Glad you like Cat and Mouse—I was starting to wonder if people were going to completely ignore it.

Chapter 7

Harry did not come down for dinner, Buffy could not help but notice. She sighed, looking at his friend, Ron. The red head had spent most of dinner shoveling food into his mouth with a speed that could rival Xander and watching her suspiciously.

Remus Lupin could hardly keep from watching her as well, which Buffy found a little spooky, if understandable. Giles spent most of dinner involved in a discussion with Dumbledore and Arthur Weasley about their magic and the magic he and Buffy were familiar with.

After dinner was over, everyone moved into the living room. Buffy settled in a chair beside Giles, still glancing at the stairs where Harry had vanished. She had not expected him to react quite that badly. Disbelief, a little anger, yeah. Evil, no. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. If he reacted this badly to her, how would he react when he found out that he had a younger sister as well? That would really go over well. 'Hi Harry. Not only do you have an older sister no one told you about, but you also have a younger sister that didn't exist until a year ago and is a year younger than you.' That would go over just great. She was sure he would leap for joy and everyone would be rolling in puppy dogs. Yeah right.

Someone touched her arm lightly and she jumped, whirling around in her chair to be greeted by Remus with his hands up in a placating gesture. "Sorry."

Buffy let out a breath and started to return her stake to her jacket when she remembered that she had not drawn it. She frowned and patted her jacket pockets, much to the bemusement of Remus.

"Er—what are you looking for?"

"Stake," Buffy said absently. She turned. "Giles? Did I even bring one?"

Giles, distracted from his discussion with Dumbledore, looked at her. "I don't believe so."

"Why not?"

"Ah—" Giles blinked at her. "Because we are with several wizards?"

"Oh." Buffy continued to frown then reached down to pat her boot. "Ah hah. Found it."

She held up the slim stake happily, then slid it back into her shoe and turned back to Remus. "Sorry, it's just I usually carry one around and when I don't have one, I feel kinda like I left my watch or something and did that make any sense?"

"Er—a bit." Remus stared at her, lost, but he shook his head slightly to clear it. "Rather like when a wizard loses track of his wand I expect."

"Prolly. So, what's the what?"

"Pardon?" Remus felt like he was in a foreign country when she spoke sometimes.

"Did you want something?"

"Oh, yes." Remus nodded. "Did I hear Arthur and Albus say that you were a Slayer?"

"Uh huh." Buffy nodded.

"And—you are really the Slayer?"

"Uh huh."

Remus stared at her. Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Do you realize that Slayers are known as some of the most violent creatures known to the wizarding world?"

"Did you know that werewolves are supposed to be uncivilized brutes that need to be killed?" Buffy pointed out. "And yet, we're both human—at least for you, all but three nights of the month."

Remus was startled by what she said, and he lapsed into a thoughtful silence as she turned to listen to the discussion between Giles, Arthur, and Dumbledore. Arthur was back on the Slayer thing. Joy.

"Albus, Slayers are dangerous!" Albus said gruffly. "I mean, she seems a nice enough girl now, but she's a Slayer!"

Giles was not saying anything, but Buffy could see the look in his eyes—it was keenly reminiscent of the look he had when she had punched him to keep him from going after the Master for her—purely protective. She touched his elbow, startling him enough that he looked at her, and she offered a half smile, murmuring, "Just got though with the same talk with Lupin."

Giles nodded and looked back at Arthur. 

"Albus, really. I mean—"

"Arthur, do you trust me?" Dumbledore finally asked.

Arthur ground to a halt, staring at the headmaster. He nodded. "Yes, of course I do."

"Then trust me about Miss Potter. As you know, the Ministry is not always the best judge of what is right and what is not, Sirius being one example, Harry being another. Trust me, please."

Arthur fidgeted for a moment, then looked at Buffy, who looked back blandly. He sighed. "All right Albus. I trust you."

"Good," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Now, Miss Potter—Miss Potter?"

"Huh?" Buffy tuned in.

Dumbledore hid a small smile. "I would suggest you go by Potter now. As you can see, your name is, apparently, known in the wizarding community."

"Sure," Buffy said. "Just don't expect me to answer to Alyse. It's a great name and all, but it's not really mine."

"Understandable," Dumbledore agreed. "I suppose it would be rather like expecting me to respond to being called Ishmael."

"Ishmael?" Arthur repeated.

"Call me Ishmael," Giles said, smiling. "Excellent choice."

"Ahab might be a better choice," Remus joined in, smiling.

Buffy looked at them blankly, then shook her head. "Don't wanna know. I think I'm going to go up and see if Harry'll talk to me."

"Good luck," Remus said frankly.

"Thanks." Buffy started to rise then looked at Dumbledore. "Just out of curiosity, who's Sirius?"

"I suggest you ask Harry that," Dumbledore said.

~*~

Harry sat on the cot set up in Ron's bedroom, brooding. His thoughts kept switching between Sirius and Buffy and he didn't like either line of thinking. They finally converged into, Why didn't Sirius know? There's no way that they could have kept it secret from him, even if they had wanted to, so why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he tell Dumbledore? I thought he was their best friend.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he said in relief, "Come on in."

He instantly regretted it when he saw a blond head poke around the door. "Harry?"

Harry scowled and looked away. Buffy sighed, and Harry heard the door close. He looked, hoping that she had left, but no. She was standing in front of the door, looking quite comfortable with her arms folded and she leaned against the door, watching him. He finally demanded, "What do you want?"

"To talk?" Buffy shrugged. "I mean, it's not everyday that I get accused of being evil. A juvenile delinquent, maybe, but not evil."

That startled a reaction out of him. "A what?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "Long story."

"They're always long," he muttered. "So long, people never tell you."

That raised a mental eyebrow, and Buffy wondered what 'long stories' Harry had not been told.

"Okay," she said. "If I tell you why I've been called a JD, will you tell me what's up?"

"What's up?" Harry asked, reluctantly curious.

"Why you accused me of being a trick maybe? I thought Voldemort was killed," Buffy pointed out.

Harry stared at her. "You're kidding, right? You believe the Ministry?"

"The what now?"

"The—" Harry stared at her in confusion. "You're a witch, aren't you?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. Not me."

"But—" Harry was really confused. "You're a squib?"

"A what?"

"A squib—someone from a wizarding family with no magic," Harry elaborated.

Buffy shrugged. "I wouldn't say that, exactly. I've never tried to do magic."

"Schools usually find students when they're eleven," Harry pointed out.

"Then I guess not." Buffy shrugged. "It's no big. I've got two friends who take care of the magic end of things, and Giles can cast a couple spells."

"A couple spells," Harry repeated dazedly. "He didn't learn magic in school?"

Buffy shook her head. "He doesn't use a wand either."

"Why not? How can he do magic without a wand?"

Buffy shrugged. "Different kinds of magic, I guess. I was never really the academic one, so I dunno."

Harry started to inquire further, then remembered that he did not like her and shut his mouth. Buffy hid a smile. "So, Voldemort. What's up? Dumbledore gave the impression that he was gone."

"He's back," Harry said grimly. "He has been for a year now, and the ministry just admitted it a couple months ago."

"So if the ministry knows he's back, how could I believe the ministry when I didn't know?" Buffy pointed out.

Harry blinked then said sheepishly, "Didn't think about that—I'm used to no one believing me because of the ministry."

"Ah. Nope, don't know no ministry," Buffy said with a half smile. "What kind of ministry are we talking anyway?"

"Ministry of Magic," a girl's voice said from the doorway. "The governing body for the wizarding world in Britain."

Buffy turned and saw a teenage girl with thick brown hair. "Hi?"

"Hermione!" Harry said, getting up.

Hermione smiled and came in, giving him a hug. "Charlie came by and said you were here and asked if I wanted to come visit."

"Cool," Harry said.

Hermione looked at him, scrutinizing. "How are you doing Harry? You haven't really done a very good job of answering our letters you know."

"I answered," Harry protested.

"Two lines isn't an answer," Hermione said sternly. "It's enough of an answer to keep Lupin and Moody from coming after your aunt and uncle, but not nearly enough for Ron or me."

 "I didn't feel like writing," Harry grumbled, plopping down on Ron's bed. Hermione gave him a look then turned her attention to Buffy. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Hermione Granger."

"Friend of Harry's?" Buffy guessed.

"Yes."

Buffy nodded, glancing at Harry, then said, "Buffy Summers, also called Alyse Potter—for a couple hours at least."

"It's nice to—Potter?"

"I don't believe it either," Harry grumbled.

"Believe it bucko," Buffy informed him.

"But—wait a moment," Hermione said, frowning. "You're related to Harry?"

"Older sister," Buffy agreed.

"That's impossible," Hermione stated, crossing her arms.

Buffy sighed. "You're a witch—I'm guessing—and you don't know that nothing's impossible?"

Hermione blinked at that. "Well—"

"Well?" Buffy agreed. "I mean, it's not exactly my fault they decided to get a little too close a little too soon, although all things considered, it's probably a good thing, but still it would've been nice to have known—"

Hermione cleared her throat. "Erm—did you say a little too soon?"

Buffy nodded. "They were too young, so I got put up for adoption. Wound up in Sunnyhell. Yay for me."

"Sunny—hell?"

"Sunnydale," Buffy sighed. She really needed to stop using culture references—especially those understandable only to residents of the—

"The Hellmouth?" Hermione squeaked. "You're that Buffy Summers?"

"What Buffy Summers?" Harry asked curiously. If she was famous, it might not be so bad, right?

"The Slayer?"

Slayer? That didn't sound good…

Buffy let out a huff. "Here we go again. I'm going to stamp it to my forehead," she informed Hermione. "I am not a homicidal maniac, I am not a wizard killer, I don't even kick puppies, so get over it."

Harry stared at her. "What was that about?"

"She's a Slayer, Harry!" Hermione said, edging away from Buffy while Buffy rolled her eyes. "Slayers kill wizards!"

Harry stared at Buffy. Buffy exhaled. "Sure, make him hate me even more. Listen, chica, someone crossed some wires somewhere, 'cause that's not a Slayer. That's some crazy person they made up, or possibly this Voldie character. I bet he kicks puppies. But that's not a Slayer."

"But—but—the Ministry has proof—it's in a book in the library—"

"Gees, it's like dealing with people who think pit bulls kill everything they can get their teeth on," Buffy grumbled. "Or werewolves, or something. I think Chihuahuas are more dangerous."

The two teens stared at her. Buffy looked at them. "What?"