A Second Chance
Chapter 6 – Welcome to Hogwarts.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything.
TIMELINE: AU. Set ten years before (Around 1988) "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone", during and after Harry Potter book 5, "Order of the Phoenix"(2003). During and after BTVS season 7, "Chosen". Pretend HP book one happened in 1999 during Buffy season three )
SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. After James and Lily reappears, seemingly alive and well, mysterious things start to happen. New allies are made, prophecies revealed...and people keep rising from the dead. What's going on? And what has Voldemort got to do with it? Are the Scoobies and the Potter's second chance at life enough to stop the Dark Lord from spreading darkness across the country? Or is the world in need of more miracles?
PAIRINGS: Too many to count.
Thanks to my Beta: CharmedChick
Remus had finally got the subject off of his non-existing love-life, and the slayers stood babbling around him. Buffy was standing in a corner, talking to a tall, dark man, whose name he thought was Angel - and he had a feeling he was...dead, just like the feeling he'd gotten from the blonde secretary. Willow, the red-haired wicca, was talking to another blonde, Anya.
"All right! Is everybody ready to leave!" Remus asked, and everybody nodded.
"Good. Now, come here." He picked up a shrunken table, and with a swish with his wand, it was in natural size.
"Cool!" Dawn exclaimed. "Can I do that too?"
Remus smiled. "If you attend to Hogwarts, you'll learn, even if it will take awhile. Could everybody hold on to the table, please."
"Is this some kind of modern teleporting thing? 'Cause Willow could do it without a table," Buffy said, and Remus smiled.
"No, this is a portkey. It will take us directly to Hogwarts' grounds. You can't apparate or teleport, as you call it, to Hogwarts, the area is too protected. Is everybody ready?"
Mumbles of 'yes's' were heard.
"Good! One...two...three!" At three, everybody felt a tug in their navels, and in the next second, they all landed in a mess at the wet ground outside of Hogwarts.
"Vi! Get your foot away from my face!" Rona said.
"I can't! Shannon is laying at me! Get off!"
At last, they all could stand up.
"Great! Just the entrance I wanted to make! I'm wet!" Buffy said.
"Nothing to worry about." Remus did another flick with his wand, and all the slayers were suddenly dry. Buffy stared at him in awe.
"I've got to learn that spell!"
Remus smiled.
"Welcome to Hogwarts."
When they walked in to the Great Hall, everyone stared at the roof in awe.
"Oh, my Goddess. It's so beautiful!" Willow breathed.
"But when it's raining, don't you get wet?"
"It's enchanted, actually. It's showing the sky outside. The weather doesn't affect the people in here." Remus explained.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, my dears." Dumbledore walked up to them. "I am sure you are all exhausted, so we won't keep you up for long. We will just make a quick introduction of the staff. If you come with me..."
They all walked after Dumbledore until they came to the Great table, were the faculty sat.
Faith couldn't take her eyes off of the man with pale skin, crooked nose, and black hair, who didn't seem to know the means of the word 'shampoo'.
"I didn't know Hogwarts had it's own vampire," she mumbled to Willow, who giggled. "Can I slay him?"
Then she asked high, and clear so everybody could hear her:
"Do you know that you've hired a vampire, professor Bubbledore, do you mind if I slay him for you?"
Remus started to cough furiously to cover up his laugh, and professor McGonagall had to put her napkin to her face to hide a smile. Snape shot daggers at Faith, who just smiled innocently. It jerked in Dumbledore's beard.
"I believe you just insulted professor Snape, who is not, a vampire."
"Are you sure? 'Cause he reminds me about one I slayed in Boston. Very nasty, and very greasy," Faith said innocently, making Snape stand up angrily.
"Keep your mouth shut, you silly girl!"
"Oh, he talks!" Buffy exclaimed, having trouble to keep from laughing as well.
Snape glared at them both and his nostrils flared as he turned to Dumbledore, a furious look in his eyes.
"What were you thinking, hiring these...unnatural...things! When you hired the werewolf, it was bad, but these slayers...have you completely lost your mind!"
"One or two times, yes, but not recently, Severus," Dumbledore answered calmly, his eyes twinkling. "As for Remus, he is an excellent teacher, and will return to his post as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor this year, together with Lily Potter, if I have her permission."
Snape looked even more shocked and angryat this, but Remus just gaped.
"You want me to teach? Again? I'm sorry, professor, but I couldn't possibly...after what happened last time...the parents would..."
"What the parents thinks is completely on my responsibility, Remus. After everything that's happened, we need the best teacher. And that happens to be you," he said calmly.
"I believe all the students would gladly take you back. After...the lasts years teacher, they need something to cheer them up. Do you accept my offer?"
"I-I...don't..." Remus stammered. Finally, he seemed to come to his senses. "I will gladly accept your offer, professor."
"Good. Very well, to our introductions. You have already had a chat with Severus Snape, the potions master..."
"No wonder he's freaky if he teaches potions," Buffy whispered to Willow who once again giggled.
"...Minerva McGonagall, who teaches transfiguration, professor Filius Flitwick, who teaches charms, and professor Binns who teaches history. You have already met Remus, who will be the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor along with Lily Potter, who you all have met. Of course, this is not all the staff, you will meeet the rest at the beginning of the next term. Now, to our new arrivals."
"Buffy Summers, and Faith..." He trailed off, looking at Faith expectantly. Faith looked down, murmuring something. Dumbledore gave her an amused look.
"I didn't quite catch that, I'm sorry?"
"LEHANE, all right!" Faith snapped. Silence. Every single on of the Sunnydale gang stared incredulously at Faith.
"Lehane?" Buffy asked. "Your last name is Lehane?"
Faith glared.
"Wow..." Xander muttered. "That is so wrong on so many levels...Faith doesn't seem like a 'Lehane' - I was more thinking a name in the lines of McDaggers or something..."
Faith glared even more.
"It's just Faith - if I catch anyone calling me by my last name in anyway, I will personally castrate them very painfully before cutting their heads of."
Everyone in the room winced, and the males grew a bit pale. The look in Faith's eyes was scary...
Dumbledore coughed umcomfortably.
"Right...eh...Faith, who will teach fighting skills, Xander Harris, who will teach..."
"...I'm going to teach? I can't teach!" Xander exclaimed.
"...muggle-studies, since our last professor has retired," Dumbledore finished calmly.
"What's a muggle?" Xander asked, frowning.
"A muggle is a term for non-magical people, like you," McGonagall said from the staff-table.
"Oh. So I'm just going to teach the kids about playstations and what kind of candy we have? I can do that!" Xander said, happily he could teach in an area he was good at.
"Anya Jenkins, in demonlogy."
"I can teach about demons? Does this mean I can tell them about all the nasty things I did as a vengeance demon? Once, there was this guy who cheated on her girlfriend, and I turned his pen - umph."
"Not now honey", Xander said, and covered her mouth.
"You are a vengeance demon?" Snape said, "Albus, are you insane?"
"Ex-vengeance demon!" Anya quipped.
Dumbledore just continued, not taking any notice to Snape at all.
"...Rupert Giles, who will teach research and documenting-skills, along with Andrew."
"What? Why do I have to...oh..." Giles caught Andrews eyes, "I mean, that is perfectly all right." Giles said.
"I don't want to teach with him. Why can't I tech the students about 'dungeons and dragons' or 'Star Wars'?" Andrew complained."That is something everybody should know about, now when the dark side is rising and the jedis..."
"Andrew!"
"Yes, Buffy".
"Please, be quiet".
"Yes, Buffy".
"And lastly, miss Willow Rosenberg who will teach wandless-magic, or wiccan-magic."
"WHAT!"This time Snapeexploded."Wiccan-magic? That is just nonsense, Albus. Wiccan is an extremly powerful magic, and it is not possible that a silly little mugglegirl can..."
"Oh, I believe she is very capable, Severus. This wiccan, is in fact, the one who activated all the Slayers".
"What? THAT Willow Rosenberg? The Willow Rosenberg who almsot ended the world on top of that?" Snape said, his face growing a little paler.
"And saved the world countless of times," Dumbledore countered.
"Albus, you can't possibly..."
"I can, Severus," Dumbledore said, for the first timestern."And I will. I completely trust Willow is competent."
"How do you know she won't teach them to end the world themselves? Albus this girl is..."
"That is enough, Severus!" Dumbledore snapped."You, if anybody should know of second chances,"
Snape became quiet. Willow looked sad, the other Scoobies and Slayers mad, and the rest of the staff uncomfortable. There was a long silence, before Dumbledore spoke up once more, the twinkle in his eyes back again.
"Now, I believe you would like to be showed your rooms. Tomorrow is a new day, and tomorrow, we will have some other guests here. But first, an important matter. Dawn, would you come here?"
Dawn went up to professor Dumbledore who did a flick with his wand, and an old hat popped out of nowhere.
"Umm...what am I supposed to do?"
"You are not a Slayer, no?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
"No..."
"Then I believe you should be put in one of the other houses,"
"But I can't do any magic!" Dawn exclaimed."I'm not..."
"Maybe you are not a witch, but you certainly have the power to be one."
Dumbledore looked Dawn in the eyes.
He knows, she thought, he knows I'm the Key.
She put the hat on.
"Well, what do we have here? Hum?" Dawn almost threw the hat off of her when she heard it talking. She looked at the others, but they didn't seem to have heard anything.
"The Key. Ah, I wondered were they put you. You have a lot of courage...but there is also darkness in you. But you are loyal to those you love. You have the will to learn, and to prove yourself worthy. You would do well in Slytherin."
Dawn felt herself stiffen. After everything she'd heard about that house, she really didn't want to be there.
"Not Slytherin, you say? Well, then, I guess it better be...GRYFFINDOR!"
Dawn wasn't aware the hat had spoken the last out loud, until the hat was dragged of. Everybody smiled.
"Excellent. Minerva McGonagall is the head of Gryffindor, she will show you to your dorm tomorrow. I believe you would rather spend the night with your friends than alone?"
Dawn noddedd. "Yes."
"I guessed as much. Very well, I will ask an house-elf to show you the way to your dorms."
Later, the scoobies found themselves led to a painting (with Dracula) by a little house-elf called Dobby.
"Sunnyhell," he spoke.
"You can change the password, whenever you like, just talk to the portrait," Dobby said as the door swung open and they climbed in.
"This is your common room, were you can spend your sparetime."
In the room, there was a sofa, some armchairs and two tables. A fire was sparkling nicely at one side of the room. At the nice pastel-coloured walls, they could also see an amount of doors, each with a namesign.
'B. Summers', 'X. Harris & A. Jenkins' and'F. Lehane', 'W. Rosenberg','A. Wells', R. Giles', 'Training area', 'Bathroom' they could read. (Faith scowled as she got sight of her door.)
"Young mistress Dawn can share young mistress Buffy's room for the night. Good evening!"
And with a 'poof', Dobby disappeared.
Vi and the other slayers were lead to another painting, by another elf, called Winky.
The painting (India Cohen – a past Slayer), opened when Winky said the password; 'Slayer'.
Their room looked like the scoobies, except the colours were different.
"You share rooms, three our four in each", Winky said, when the slayers looked at the few doors in the room with confusion.
"Oh!" Shannon said. "Then I get it."
"Have a nice evening!" Winky piped up, before leaving with a 'poof'.
In Grimmauldplace, Sirius, James and Harry were laughing at an old prank they'd played Snape when they were younger.
"You should have seen him, Harry! His face was covered in green antennas, and his hair was completely orange. At least it looked cleaner than ever." He added.
Harry laughed, but then became serious. "Dad, why did you play pranks on him? I saw in Snapes pensieve how mean you were to him...why?"
James looked uncomfortable.
"That is an excellent question, Harry," Lily came towards them, "I've always wondered as well."
"Well...I mean, he was a greasy-git..."
"And...?" Lily inquired.
"And he always pulled all those nasty tricks on us behind our backs, we only gave back what we got."
"And...?" Lily continued, a little louder.
"And he really didn't like me."
"And...?" Lily said, voice rising a few octaves.
"And what, Lils?" James said innocently.
Harry had to hide a smile. It was so fun hearing his parents teasing eachother.
"Don't play innocent!" Lily exclaimed.
"Maybe it was the fact that he existed, if you know what I mean?" Harry said dryly.
James looked surprised.
" - Oh! Right! Now I remember! That prank at the lake!" Lily interrupted.
"How did you know?" James asked his son.
Harry shrugged. "I saw it in Snape's pensieve." Then he got a wicked gleam in his eyes. "You know, I never found out if you actually dragged his pants off?"
"Nah, we didn't. It would have punished us as much as him. Just the thought of his...eew." James shuddered.
"Seriously, I never understood how I could forgive you for that!" Lily said, "It was really immature."
"We grew up!" James and Sirius said at the same time.
"And you loved me, Lils. Don't forget!" James reminded her.
"How could I?" Lily said fondly with a smile. "Harry, have you packed your things?"
"Huh?"
"Your things. We're going to Hogwarts tomorrow, have you forgotten?"
"Oh! Yes, I'm almost finished."
"Good". Lily gave him a smile.
"Does your sister know you are alive?" Harry asked, suddenly.
"No..." Lily said slowly... "There is no need, is it?"
"Are you serious, Lils? Of course there is a need! I can't wait to see Dursleys pug-face when we walk in!" James said.
"Prongs, what are you planning?" Sirius asked, a wicked smile on his lips.
"Nothing, dearest Padfoot, nothing. But we should pay them a visit, just to tell them Harry won't return..."
"Yes...Actually, I think that's a good idea," Lily said slowly."I surely need to speak with that dearest sister of mine", Lily said, with a wry smile.
"Oh, can we go now?" James asked, his eyes litting up.
"Fine. Harry, you stay here..."
"No way! I want to see Dudley pee his pants! And could you give him a pigtail, dad? Hagrid did that when he came and got me for my first year, and I've been longing to see it again!" Harry knew he sounded like a spoiled child, but he couldn't help it. His parents were back, and they were going to pay the Dursleys a nice visit. What could be better?
"We'll see, Harry", James said. "Maybe I can transform him into a real pig..."
"James! Don't even think about using magic on muggles! Even if it happens to be my sisters family," Lily warned.
"Sure, Lily, I promise," James said a little too innocently for Lily's tastes, but she ignored it."Are you coming, Padfoot?" He continued.
"He can't go out!" Harry protested. "He's still wanted..."
"No, I'm not, remember?"
"Oh, right..."
"Well, looks like we are going to pay a visit to Privet Drive". Lily said, sighing.
Mr. Vernon Dursley had just poured up hisnight coffee in a mug, when a loud knock was heard at the door.
"WHO IS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR THIS TIME OF THE DAY! IF IT IS THE BOY HE IS GOING TO SLEEP IN THE GARAGE! NOT SHOWING UP AT THE TRAINSTATION - I HAD HOPED THOSE DEMMONTUNES HAD EATEN HIM, SO WE FINALLY COULD GET SOME PEACE!" Vernon threw the door open, and there stood Harry.
"How dare you come home NOW? I have good lust to throw you out!" Vernon hissed. He raised his hand to strike.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Dursley." Someone pointed a stick at Vernons puddy-like face, and the fat man started to splutter.
"How dare you point that stick on me? How..." He looked up at the man holding his stick, and his eyes widened. Harry had never seen anybody's face-colour change so fast. From red of anger, to white of fear in less than one second.
"Vernon, who is it?" Petunia called, and walked out in the hall.
"Li - Lily?" She whispered.
At the doorsteps stood Harry, beside him James, pointing a wand at Vernon. In front of James, a large dog stood, growling in his throat. And Lily had just stepped in.
"Hello, dear sister of mine," she said with cold voice.
"You- you are dead..."
"Hmm. That line seems awfully popular, so I'm going to answer what I did last time; 'I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you," Lily said calmly.
Petunias colour drained from her face.
"How dare you insult my wife, how dare you...AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"Vernon jumped two steps back when the large dog suddenly transformed into a man.
"Si - Sirius Black!" He shrieked. "Petunia, call the police!"
Sirius snorted. "Right. Good luck. I'm cleaned of all charges."
"Umm...you remember I told you about my Godfather, right?" Harry said, cheerily. "Well, here he is!"
"Mum! Mum! I can't find my latest playstation!" Dudley came running, in his pyjama, but stopped when he saw the strangers.
"Who are they? Dad, throw them out! Oh...it's you..." He had recognized Harry.
"Dudley, why don't you say hello to my parents?" Harry said.
"What?" Dudley sneered."You don't have any parents, they're de..."
Dudley stopped, when a wand was pointed at him by Sirius.
"Move that stick away from Dudley!" Vernon shrieked.
Without pretending to have heard, Jamesturned to Harry.
"I can see why Hagrid couldn't succeed in transfiguration him into a pig. He already looks like one."
"Why don't you invite us in, Petunia?" Lily said, in that cold voice even Harry had to shudder infront of.
"Thank you." They walked in.
"We have heard some things from Harry here, some not so good..." Lily said.
"That boy only lies!" Vernon exclaimed.
"Are you calling my son for a liar?" James asked calmly.
Vernon swallowed.
"N-n-no..."
"I thought so."
"Well, Harry has obviously not been treated too well. What are you going to say?" Lily raised her eyebrows.
"We are...v-very...s-so-sorry..."
"Good." James said threateningly.
"Now, as you surely can understand, Harry won't be returning here, ever," Lily said before turning to her sister. "And if you weren't my sister you would have been a duck by now."
"...along with Dudley as a pig, and Vernon...a cow should be nice. I guess he should be a bull, but his female side is so dominant, so I have to say cow." Sirius added.
"Quite the farm, don't you think?" James said.
"Now, we won't be bothering anymore. Good evening, Dursley," he nodded against Vernon.
"Petunia." He nodded at Petunia. "And...pig-boy". He nodded against Dudley, and then he turned to Harry. "Was it a pig-tail you wanted?"
"James..." Lily said, warningly. James sighed.
"Yes, I promised." He grinned."But Sirius didn't."
Sirius returned his grin before pointing his wand at Dudley, who screamed. Under his trousers, something stuck out. Not a pig-tail, but...
"Peacock feathers?" James asked, raising his eyebrows. Lily just sighed, and Harry had to hide a laugh.
"Well, I think the colours are nice. And I thought, since he already looks like a pig, why not make him like a bird? You should be happy, Dursley. Your son will be famous!" Sirius grinned.
"I can already see the headlines at tomorrow's newspaper; 'Dudley Dursley, the flying pig!' Does Peacocks fly?" He asked James.
"Umm...I don't know. I don't think so," he said, uncertainly. Lily rolled her eyes.
"Oh, well. I guess the lines will be something like 'Dudley Dursley, the failed attempt to make a pig fly', then! Almost just as good, or what do you say, Dudley?"
When he didn't answer, but hid behind Petunias back (not so easy since she was very thin, and he very fat), he just shook his head.
"Too bad your boy don't want to be famous, Durlsey. Well, good evening." Sirius turned to leave along with James, Lily and Harry.
"Wait!" Vernon sounded desperate.
"What, Dursley?" James asked, tiredly. "Lily and I are very tired, we would like to go back to our coffins and sleep".
"You can't leave Dudley like that!"
"Oh? Well, Harry said the hospital could take it away last time, I'm sure they can do it again. If they can't, try the zoo. Good evening." With that, they left.
A/N: Another chapter up! Did you like the ending? Let me know what you think! Anyway, LOVE YOU LOTS!
/Ida