A Second Chance
Chapter 13 – Lost.
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: Charmed Chick
"I think I have my answer," Voldemort hissed, looking pleased, a wry grin spreading across his mutilated face.
In that second, a Death Eater came in, looking frightened, as he wringed his hands nervously.
"My Lord, we're under attack!" He squeked.
"WHAT! Who?" Voldemort yelled, his red eyes blazing with fury.
"It's Black, and Lupin and the Potters, and two others..." The Death Eater mumbled. Voldemort looked thoughtful.
"I see...leave."
"Excuse me?" The ater didn't seem to believe what he heard. Wasn't Voldemort mad?
"I SAID LEAVE!" Voldemort screamed, and the Death Eaterscurried outwith a bow, thanking his lucky stars he had gotten away undamaged.
Voldemort turned to Willow, smiling cruelly.
"I think it's time to show what happens if you mess with the Dark Lord...don't you, my queen?" He mused, stroking Willow's cheek.
"Willow, no!" Tara exclaimed, sobbing.
Willow ignored Tara, and instead gave Voldemort a teasing smile.
"I think it's time to show them what happens when you mess with me," she corrected, before her smile disappeared and was replaced with eyes black as the darkest of ravens. "Will I be able to do magic, now, my Lord?" She asked, her tone of voice suggesting that she would not take no for an answer. Apparantely, Voldemort thought the same, and swished his wand, and suddenly, the room was filled with a dark wind, who circled around the area for several minutes, before settling down.
"You are now," he said.
"Good," Willow said, turning to the exit. Before she could leave, howevere, Voldemort interrupted her.
"And remember, my dark queen," he warned. "One step in the wrong direction - andyour lover willdie."
Willow just smiled to herself, before leaving.As she neared the door, she came to a halt, and lifted her hands, and the doors flew open with a great force. Inside of her, she had a fight with herself - good versus bad, white versus black. And the dark was winning.
Inside the room, Voldemort turned to Tara.
"Now, my dear guest, I think it's time for you to return to your cell,"he said with a grin."We wouldn't want our dear witch to change her mind, would we now?" He swished his wand again, and Tara disappeared.
In the hall, Buffy and Faith fought back to back. Dodged a curse, broke a wand, dodged another - and so they continued. Slayerto Slayer, sister to sister. Because in a way, they were. Sister Slayers. The original chosen two. Bound by destiny to together fight the forces of evil - not each other.In another part of the room, James, Lily, Sirius and Remus dueled for their lives. Curses and hexes flew everywhere, and anywhere.
Suddenly, the entire room seemed to freeze as a sudden cold washed over them. The few lights that was litting up the hall was blown out by the wind that seemingly came out of nowhere. Buffy looked up after taking out a Death Eater, and let out a relieved sigh as she saw who it was.
"Willow! Thank God! Come on, let's get out of - " She stopped in the middle of the sentence when she saw what her friend looked like. "No..." She muttered, shaking her head. It couldn't be true...they couldn't be too late.
"Oh, yes..." Willow smiled with cold, blackened eyes. Her hair was dark, flowing across her shoulders, and blue veins covered her face. Around her hands, electricallightningsparkled. "Look what we have here," she said. "The slayers, and their friends. Let's see what they can bring." She cooked her head at them curiously, as if she was trying to find out their strengths and weaknesses.
Faith realized this wasn't Willow. Or it was, but still wasn't. They wouldn't make it out of this alive if they didn't hurry. She checked the watch on the wall, realising there was still ten minutes left before their portkeys activated.
"Come on Red," shesaid, uncertainly."Snap out of it."
Willow cooked her head a little more to the left, meeting Faith's eyes with hers, and Faith had to hold back a shudder against the coldness that reside there.
"You want me to snap?" She smiled."I can do that." Suddenly, shesnapped with her fingers, and bothFaith and Buffy found they were surrounded by ropes.
"Leave this place." Sheordered the Death Eaters, who gave her frightened looks, before leaving, as quickly as possible.
"It's playtime," she grinned.
"Willow, you don't wanna do this, remember Warren?" Buffy tried.
Willow turned to Buffy with a smirk.
"Warren?" She asked, raising a delicate dark eyebrow."Warren was a loser with funny toys. I don't need toys to play. Warren is dead. I killed him, remember? I like to kill. I enjoy the killing. So that's why I'm going to kill you too," Willow said, all emotion gone from her voice.She lifted her hands, and a wave of sparks of electricity left them, and hit Buffy hard in the chest. The ropes burned to ashes, and Buffy fell to the floor.
"Willow, no!" Faithyelled. She hadn't seen dark Willow, and when she had heard about her - well, she'd had trouble taking it seriously. After all, it was Willow. Nice, innocent, nerdy, computer-geeky, lesbianWillow. But now, Faith was scared. For the first time, Faith could clearly see how far down the darkness could drag you - and it wasn't a pretty sight.
"Willow, listen to me," she said, stumbling a little on her words as she tried to come up with the right things to say. "I know what you're trying to do: I know were the darkness comes from. I've been there, and - "
"SILENCE!" Willow bellowed, and smirked."What could you possibly know?" She made a pause, before continuing in a mocking voice. "Oh, right. You're the dark, evil slayer, right? So what? I am more powerful than you'll ever be. I have more power in my little finger than you have in your entire body." She smirked again and leaned forwards a bit. "I'll let you in on a secret," she whispered conspiratorically. "When you're trying to be good, Faith - you're bad. But when you're trying to be bad - you're pathetic." Willow snapped, and lifted her hands once again. Faith suddenlyfound she was free from the roped, but before she could react, she was hit by a shockwave, just as the one that hit Buffy, only much more powerful, and she crashed into a wall. Faith felt a stream of blood pour from her head, and was overtaken by a sudden dizzynes, but tried to stand anyway; she was a Slayer, she was better than this! She would not be taken down so easily.
"Pathetic," Willow repeated, and raised her hands again, making Faith crash into another wall. This time, she didn't get up.
"Is this the everything you got?" Willow said, disbelievingly. "Even Snyder was a better fighter."She laughed.
"Willow, stop this!" Buffy tried again,standing up."You know you don't want to do this - " 'She's gotten stronger...'
"I don't?" Willow asked, curious."You don't know a thing about what I want, Buffy."
"I do!" Buffy exclaimed. "You want Tara! Tara wouldn't want you to do this - "
" - Tara is the REASON I'm doing this!" Willow cried. "You think you know something about love, but you don't know ANYTHING! Just look at your last boyfriend - a vampire who tried to rape you. Or maybe we should take Angel for exampel, huh? That relationship was a blast, wasn't it? Or poor Riley...or Parker 'he wasn't nice, Willow, buhu." Willow mocked, and raised her hands again.
"This is the real me," Willow continued."Deal with it like a man...or like a Slayer." Buffy felt herself being hit by theelectrical blast once again, but that didn't hurt the most. It was Willow's words that did.
'This isn't Willow...she doesn't mean anything...' She tried to tell herself, as she slowly got up from the ground again, staggering slightly.
"Willow, listen to me. I don't wanna fight you..."
"I don't wanna fight you either," Willow said, pouting a little. "You're no fun.I wanna fight - him." Willow suddenly said, and turned her black eyes to James.
"You are supposed to be a good little wizard, aren't you?" She asked, a teasing smile gracing her lips."A good auror. A good person. Well, why don't we find out who's the best? The good, or the bad?" She asked, taking a step closer to the messy haired man.
"Willow..." Buffy tried again, and Willow's eyes turned back to the blonde Slayer.
"I said I don't wanna fight you," Willow said shortly. "I might have to kill you instead - if you don't shut up."
Buffy quited down, and insteadlet her eyes trail overto Remus, who had crept over to Faith's side, trying to wake her up. The portkey would activate soon, and Faith needed to touch hers. He checked the watch. Ten seconds.
Lily's, Siriuss and soon Buffy's eyes were on the watch to.
...Nine seconds...
Willow turned backto James, and lifted her hands.
...Eight seconds...
"Abracadabra!" Blue sparkles of electricity left Willow's hands and hit James hard in the chest -
...Seven seconds...
- making him crash through the same doors that Willow had come from, and he slid across the floor, coming to a stop, right in front of Voldemort's feet. James' eyes widened, as he came eye to eye with his Lily's murderer.
...Six seconds...
Voldemort smirked.
"Well, well...look what we have here..."
...Five...
In the other room, Faith slowly woke up.
...Four...
Voldemort lifted his wand, smiling cruelly.
...Three...
"AVADA - "
...Two...One...
James closed his eyes andtouched his portkey, hoping it wasn't to late.
" - KEDAV - "
- And they were gone.
- They landed in abig heap in the middle ofDumbledore's office.
"God Lord," Giles said,when he saw what a mess they were in. Xander gave Buffy a worried look.
"Buffy, are you - "
" - I'm alright. Faith isn't." Buffy interrupted, and turned to Faith, who was laying unconsious in Remus arms, her forhead and face coveredin blood. She had passed out again as soon as she'd managed to touch her portkey.
"Willow?" Xander asked quietly, and Buffy shook her head.
"We've lost her."
Xander's eyes widened.
"Lost her? Is she - "
" - No, she's not dead," Buffy sighed."She's evil. Again."
"So the prophecy is coming true..." Dumbledore mumbled sadly and lowered his head in defeat. "Remus, could you please escort Miss Faith to the hospital wing?" He asked tiredly, and Remus nodded, before leaving quickly, Faith carefully resting in his arms.
"Tara?" Anya asked, when he was gone.
"I think she was there, but we didn't see her," Buffy said.
"Then how do you know - " Giles began.
" - Something Willow said," Buffy said, sitting down in a chair that Dumbledore had conjured up tiredly. "I thinkVoldemort is using her as insurance to make sure Willow stays evil."
"If she doesn't, they'll kill her." Dawn said quietly. "Makes sense."
"And Willowwon't risklosing Tara again." Buffy sighed. "This isn't good."
"Did you see Peter?" Dumbledore asked Sirius, who shook his head, eyes blazing with fury.
"Wormtail? No, but if I had, I would have - "
" - Yes, that's all good," Dumbledore hastily interupted, as hesaw Siriuswas about to start a rant about traitourous'friends'. "Now, I think it would be best if you were all taken care of in the hospital wing..."
"I'll be fine." Buffy said, waving it away. "Slayer healing."
"Miss Summers - " Dumbledore protested, but Buffy raised her hand in interruption.
" - I said I'll be fine. I've had way worse." She got up from her chair and left, and Dumbledore looked shocked, until Giles turned to him with an apologetic smile.
"Buffy is terrified of hospitals," he explained. Dumbledore's eyes widened in understanding beneath his half-moon glasses.
"Oh."
When Faith woke up, two hours later, she found herself lying in a bed. 'Wonder how long I've been in a coma this time,' she thought, wryly.
"Ouch..." she thenmoaned. Her head hurt. A lot.
"You're awake."
Faith turned her head around, and found Remus sitting in a chair beside her bed, smiling slightly.
"Obviously. How long have I been - ?"
"About two hours."
"Oh, good."
Remus looked confused, and Faith smirked.
"Last time I passed out, I was out for several months, remember? I told you about it."
Remus' face lit up in understanding.
"Oh, right...the time when you fell in a coma. Of course."
Faith nodded, sighing. "All a long and sorry story I don't wanna repeat."
Remus smiled, nodding slowly, taking Faith's hand hesitantly.
"As you wish. Are you feeling okay?"
Faith shrugged, eying Remus' hand suspisciously.
"I'm five by five."
Remus smiled.
"What does that mean?"
Faith shrugged again, awerting her eyes.
"Something."She thenturned to Remus again. "How long have you been sitting here?" She wondered.
"Since I brought you here."
Faith looked surprised.
"You know, Wolfy, you need to get yourself a girl," she grinned.
Remus smiled sadly and patted Faith's hand a little, before letting go. Faith couldn't help feeling dissappointed.
"That's what Sirius tells me all the time," he chuckled.
"Then I guess it's true," Faith said quietly.
"Maybe."
Faith looked him over, questioningly.
"How long has it been since, you know, you got yourself a good - " Faith smirked at Remus' blush.
"It's been awhile, huh?" She asked. Remus suddenly looked really uncomfortable.
"Erm...I think I should - "
"Oh, fine. Leave me here to the bed of boredoom." Faith sighed, pouting, and Remus shook his head quickly, mistaking her expression for sadness.
"No, no," he assured her. "It's just...do you like when people discuss your...sex-life." He blushed again.
Faith stared at him.
"You have big issues," she said. Remus blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Oh, come on!" Faithexclaimed in expertation."Only Giles gets embarressed when you talk about sex."
A beat.
"Oh."
"It's kinda cute, though. I can show you some things. I like to lead anyway." She winked, and Remus blushed again, and Faith laughed.
"Big issues," she repeated.
"I thought there could be a way around it, but I guess I was wrong..." Buffy sighed sadly-
"I know Willow," Xander said, trying to be optimistic."She'll get over it."
"Get over it?" Buffy asked incredulously. "Xander - "
" - I know, I know.," Xander said quietly. "I just...I don't want to give the hopes up yet."
Buffy smiled at her friend. "Me neither...but face it. We've lost her."
Xander sighed.
"Yeah...At least as long as Voldemort has Tara hostage..."
Buffy brightened.
"Xander! You're a genius!" She exclaimed, and kissed Xander on the cheek.
"I am?" Xander said stupidly.
"Yes!" Buffy squealed."Oh, just wait until I tell Giles!" Buffy got up and left, leaving an extremely confused Xander behind.
"What did I say?" He called after her, but Buffy was already long gone.
"What do you think?" Buffy asked nervously. "Am I crazy?"
Giles sighed and polished his glasses.
"Buffy, do you really think you should go back there?"
"They won't be expecting it," Buffy told him.
Giles gave his Slayer a look.
"It's a big risk."
"A risk we have to take!" Buffy exclaimed, and started to pace around the room ."If we can free Tara, Voldemort won't have any power over Willow."
Giles sighed again.
"Buffy, we don't even know were Tara is - "
" - Somewhere in Malfoy Manor," Buffy interrupted quickly, making Giles sigh at her impatience.
"Buffy, I think you should wait. At least until you have a better plan," he added.
"I have a plan!" Buffy exclaimed, and Giles gave her a frustrated look.
"No, you don't. Remember what happened in the vineyard. With Caleb. Did you have a plan then?" Giles asked.
"I couldn't know he was an uber-Caleb!" Buffy protested. "And plus, I went back, and everything went fine! I was right - he was guarding something, remember? And," she added, as she saw Giles open his mouth to protest again. "This time it's completely different! We know what we're up against!"
"Yes, and that's reason enough to stay away," Giles snapped, finally loosing the little patience he had left."If you have another run-in with Willow, or both her and Voldemort, you won't even make it to Tara. Faith was almost killed, and so was James. If the portkeys hadn't activated - "
" - Fine!" Buffy growled."I'll wait. I just...I don't wanna lose Willow to the darkness again." Her shoulder slumped.
Giles looked at her, sorrow in his eyes.
"I don't either. But we should wait."
Buffy just sighed in response.
"Don't ever do that again!" Lily exclaimed. James sighed heavily.
"Lils, I - "
"No! I'm talking!"Lily interrupted, giving James a glare as she put her hands on her hips."You put yourself at risk!"
"It's not like I could stop myself!" James protested.
"You could have turned left!" Lily said, looking upset, and James gave her a look that clearly said 'you're nuts.'
"I could have...turned left?" He said incredulously."Lils, I was thrown at Voldemort's feet by a power-blast! How was I supposed to turn left!"
Lily looked dumbfolded for a second and blinked, before she let out somehting between a laugh and a cry.
"I'm sorry," she hiccuped."I just...I was worried...you nearly gave me a heart-attack." She buried her face in James's shirt.
James smirked, and pulled her closer, stroking hr hair affectionately.
"If it makes you feel better, I'm not planning on getting into that situation again."
Lily snorted.
"Like that's something you can plan," she muttered.
"Ha!" James exclaimed, looking triumphant."You admit it! I couldn't help it!"
Lily looked up and rolled her eyes.
"Just...don't do it again," she mumbled.
Two days later, Harry found himself sitting in the library with Dawn. He closed his book with a frustrated sigh.
"Tell me what we're doing here again?" He asked.
Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You are helping me with transfiguration," Dawn explained.
"Yeah, right," Hary snorted."And that works so well when the student is staring out the window," he continued ironically. "Dawn, come on. It's not like you need my help. You said McGonagall thought you had a talent for Transfiguration,"he complained.
"I just don't want to fall behind more than necessary," Dawn said calmly, picking up her Transfiguration book. "I want to be able to take classes with you guys."
Harry sighed.
"Okay. One more hour," he relented."But then I want you working, and not staring through the window."
"Sure!" Dawn exclaimed happily, and started to read a passage in the book. Ten seconds later, she put it aside, and started to stare out the window again. Harry sighed.
"Dawn?"
"Mhm..." Dawn mumbled.
"Work."
Dawn suddenlychecked her watch, and jumped up, grabbing Harry's hand.
"You're right. We've been here long enough," she said and dragged him behind her out of the library.
When they walked through the portrait of the Fat Lady and entered the Gryffindor common room,Harry was met by several people who screamed 'surprise!' Harry looked confused for a moment, until he remembered.
'I almost forgot...it's my birthday today...'
The summer at Hogwarts had been so fun that he'd almost forgotten...and the last happening with Willow turning dark had probably something to do with it also. Things had been really bad, and everyone had been really down, but it seemed like they were over it - for now.
Dawn gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Happy birthday, Harry."
Harry grinned stupidly, and walked towards the table which held all his presents. From the slayers, he got weapons- stakes, daggers, crosses...all kinds of different weapons. From Hermione, he got - not surprisingly - a book, from Ron a box with chocolate-frogs, and from the twins a box with several items he didn't dare try before someone else did.
The best present was the on from his parents, Professor Lupin and Sirius though. They gave him a photo-album, with moving pictures from the marauders time at Hogwarts- Harry couldn't help but notice that Wormtail was missing from every picture, so Harry came to the conclusion that he had been magically removed. The cover said; 'The True Marauders', which confirmed his theory. He also got a lot of other things from them, books, candy, a handbook for young pranksters, and his own set of Quidditch-balls, robes and other things.
Harry thought this was his best birthday ever- not for the presents, but for the people with him.
When the clock beat twelve, Dawn took him with her into a corner of the room.
"I wanted to give you my present in private," she explained, and gave Harry a green, carefully wrapped package, which Harry opened carefully. As the wrapper was removed, Harry held up the little stone it had contained towards the light curiously.
"It's a crystal, it's supposed to give the bearer luck," Dawn explained nervously."I read about it in a book, and it said it would work better if it was handmade. So I did a special kind of potion and let it freeze, and here's the result. Do you like it?"
Harry let his fingers play over the smooth area of the crystal. It was transparent, except if you held it towards the light, where it seemed to glitter in an emerald green colour.
Harry slowly started to grin, and gave Dawn a hug.
"I love it. Thank you."
Dawn blushed.
"You're welcome."
Harry started to walk back towards the party.
"And Harry?" Dawn added, and Harry turned back around.
"Hm?"
Dawn smiled.
"Happy birthday - again."
Willow stood in front of Voldemort's throne, her hair red, but her eyes were still black.
"I want to see Tara." She demanded coldly.
"I don't know, my dear," Voldemort mused, sounding displeased. "You weren't able to kill any of the intruders."
"Neither were you." Willow retorted calmly. She knew Voldemort couldn't - or wouldn't - hurt her. She was his most priced "possession" and the best "weapon" he had- his best chance of victory right now. She knew it, and he knew it. Her life was secure.
Voldemort gave her an angy look.
"I didn't know they had portkeys," he spat, and Willow shrugged, meeting his red eyes calmly, playing with a thread of her hair.
"And neither did I," she said."I could have killed any of them, whenever I wished it - but I wanted to play first. Killing isn't fun if you don't get to play," Willowpouted,and looked at Voldemort with big, dark, puppy-eyes.
"Very well," Voldemort growled. "You will see your lover. But next time, don't disappoint me."
Willow just smirked, and apparated down to Tara's cell.
As soon as Willow walked inside the celldoor, she immediately felt how all her magic became blocked.
"Tara?" She looked around, her eyes slowly returning to its normal colour. "Tara?"
She suddenly noticed Tara, sitting in the darkest corner of the room, as far from the door as possible, arms hugged around her knees as she was rocking back and forth.
"How could you?" Tara asked, with a quiet, but bitter voice. "How could you, Willow?"
"How could I what?" She asked carefully, taking a step closer.
"Join him."
Willow felt how her heart shattered into pieces when she heard Tara's voice. It was so full of pain and accusation.
"I did it for you," she said quietly.
"For me?" Tara looked up,tears in her eyes."Willow, don't do this. Don't turn your back to the light. I know you're stronger than this."
"But they'll hurt you," Willow said, sounding hesitant and frightened.
"Then let them!" Tara exclaimed, standing up. "Fight them! I know you can. You're better than this!"
"They'll kill you," Willow said, taking a step back, as she saw Tara's look. It burned into her soul. Willow could almost feel the disappointment reeking of her.
"IT will kill YOU, Willow!" Taraexploded."Everytime you turn your back to your friends, and what you know is right, it kills you! Stop it!"
"You don't understand..." Willow said, bitterly.
"Then explain it to me!" Tara cried."Explain why I don't understand! If you love me, stop this. If you really love me, fight him. Fight them. Every time you do turn your back to the light, it kills me! That's what really hurts me, Willow. Not anything they do, but what you do!" She started to cry slowly. Big, salty tears fell down on her face, and her body trembled from her sobs.
Willow winced at Tara's harsh words.
"You don't understand," she repeated slowly, and turned her back to Tara, before leaving the cell. She could still hear Tara cry.
"Do you think it was a mistake to keep the prisoner alive?" Voldemort asked Lucius Malfoy.
"I am afraid she only corrupts the mind of our dark witch, my Lord." Lucius answered.
"Do you think we should kill her?" Voldemort mused, and Lucius nodded sharply.
"Yes, my Lord. But I don't think we should tell the witch. Or if we do, make sure it looks like the killing wasn't our fault."
Voldemort looked at Lucius with his red eyes.
"What are you planning?" He asked, curiously, a cruel smile starting to play around his lips.
Lucius grinned evilly, and started to talk.
A/N: Ooh, things don't look good for any of our dear wiccas. What are they going to do? Tell me how you liked the chapter. Did I write Willow's evilness realistic? REVIEW!
/Ida