Thanks to the Reviewers:
Mae: More? Well if you insist…
W1ckedAngel: Glad you like! Thanks for reading and reviewing.
MaryAnn: Thanks for reading and reviewing!
BuffyFan: Was this quick enough?
Jemz: Final climax isn't for a few chapters yet! That was more of a mid-fic-shake-up! Thanks for R&R, no-one's ever called my grammar good before!
Jules (Lady Morgaine): I'd buy it :) Dawn wouldn't have killed him if there wasn't a good reason and he probably deserved it. Thanks for R&R!
Gabriel Dark: Scoobs were bound to rub off on her sooner or later! Thanks for R&R!
AllenPitt: Yup, major angst coming up al round! I bet that not even in the wizarding world, no-one one's been freed from a resurrected witness!
Cowgirlnm1: Glad you like it. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Damia: Thanks for reading and reviewing- a nice quick update.
AN: You are looking at the first chapter posted from my brand new laptop, an eighteenth birthday pressi from my lovely parents! Be warned, this chap hasn't been betaed so it may have some mistakes.
CHAPTER TEN: ONE DOWN…
The rescue group hurried towards the mansion keeping to the shadows the still rising sun hadn't yet reached. They were all looking out for any Death Eaters that could be about but there were none.
As they reached the mansion having not been seen, they stood close to the walls.
"It'll be heavily guarded, Albus." Snape said.
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "We should lap around the house, see in there are any ways in."
"Shall we spilt up?" Tonks asked.
"No; I think it best if we stay together." Dumbledore answered, setting off around the building.
No-one noticed the air vent above their heads.
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Harry was thankful for the darkness in the tunnels. People seemed to want to talk less when it was pitch black and he wasn't in the mood for talking. He was also grateful as it blocked the view of Ron's arse bobbing along in front of him.
Before they'd gone up into the tunnels, she'd smiled at him; Professor Summers had smiled at him. When he'd seen that happy smile, he'd felt something stirring inside of him. Something made him think that they'd met long before she'd come to Hogwarts, somewhere in the depths of his memory he knew that smile.
He remembered fixing his eyes on it as a woman smiled down at him… and the singing, he remembered her singing, but not in an American accent. The only other part of the face he could remember was the eyes. Swirling orbs that could convey any amount of love in just one look, but in the memory they were as green as his own, not blue. Although his teacher's eyes did have the same warmth and emotion.
He'd presumed that the face that haunted his dreams was his mother's, singing him to sleep with a gentle lullaby as he gazed up and made his memory. But could it be someone else? A nanny or friend who regularly lulled him into a peaceful slumber with love filling her eyes?
His logical brain told him that that was impossible- for the person in his dreams to be his professor then she'd have to be older that he was sure she was and she would've told him. It was impossible… but still he wondered… could she have known him as an infant? Could she have been the one who made him feel safe with her smile, just like she had done today? Could she prove to be another friend of his parents, a link to the one thing he wanted more than anything else?
As much as he told himself that it wasn't possible, he still hoped that it could be true.
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The trio crawling through the tunnels had no idea of the time. They knew that they had been discovered missing by listening to conversations through the walls, they also knew that the Death Eaters had performed a spell that showed that they were still somewhere in the building. Fortunately the spell wasn't that precise so they didn't think to look in the ceilings or walls for the escaped prisoners.
However Ron, Harry and Dawn knew that it wouldn't be long before the entrance to the vents that opened up in their cell was discovered so they kept moving.
Dawn who was leading crawled as softly as she could through the metallic tunnels. She heard the Death Eaters that were talking below, although not well enough to make out what they were saying.
As she put her right knee forward, the vent creaked nosily; there was no way the Death Eaters didn't hear it.
"What was that?" The first Death Eater asked looking up to the ceiling. "It came from up there."
The other Death Eater sighed in agitation. They'd just searched the room above them and sealed the door after they had finished, the prisoners defiantly weren't there. "This is an old house, Freed; old houses creak, especially muggle ones." He sneered nastily.
There was another creak from above them as Dawn went further on.
"They shouldn't creak that much!"
"Freed! Leave it! It's just the floorboards or something!"
Up in the tunnel, the trio breathed a sigh of relief.
"We have to go back the way we came." Dawn told the boys following her.
Harry nodded in agreement and they turned so that Harry was now leading them back down the vent. When they got back to the fork they had most recently crossed, they went in the opposite direction.
Little did they know that when the vent had begun to creak they had been only meters away from where their intended rescue group had stood moments before.
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Meanwhile, in the now empty cell, a Death Eater stood. He had been standing outside the door which led from the cells to the main hall at the time when the group had escaped. He knew they hadn't come past him; that wasn't even a possibility, but they had got out somehow.
He paced up and down the small room but stopped when he saw the same metallic glint that Dawn had seen a few hours ago. He dutifully went to investigate and found the air vent just like Dawn had.
"Crabbe! Janas! Look at this!"
"What is it?" 'Crabbe' grunted.
"It looks like a tunnel. This must be how they got out. It's big enough and I would have seen them if they'd have walked right past me."
The three Death Eaters looked up at the hole and then back at each other. Things were starting to make a lot more sense.
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31st October 1994 –7:24 am
Lily awoke that morning contented and peaceful. It was rare that she awoke before her one-year-old 'alarm clock', but today she did. She gently got out of bed, careful not to disturb her slumbering husband and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek. James rolled over, taking advantage of the extra space in the bed, with a small smile of his face.
Lily grabbed her dressing gown, enjoying the feel of the silk on her bare skin. She went into her son's bedroom and picked up the smiling baby, taking him downstairs into the kitchen for his breakfast.
As she fed little Harry, Lily watched a finch fly out of the birdhouse James had put in their garden. They were happy here. They were a family. They were well off money wise (James' parents had died about a year ago and left their son and daughter-in-law everything), but chose to save it for when it was needed, whether it be for Harry's Hogwarts tuition or for her and James' pension; it was nice to have a safety net. Besides, the little cottage they lived in was what she had always dreamed of as a child. It was just outside Hogsmede so she didn't have to go far for groceries or company and there was plenty of room for the three of them.
After she had fed Harry, Lily set him in his play pen and tidied up the kitchen. There was going to be an Order meeting later on and she was always careful that her and James' friends could see that they were coping fine with being young parents. A few minutes later, James came downstairs to get his morning coffee. They had only been married for a year and a half, but she couldn't imagine her life without him.
"'Morning Lils." James gave her a kiss as he passed.
"'Morning. Have you remembered the meeting today?"
"Of course." He grinned cheekily.
As James went into the kitchen to get Harry, Lily looked him over appreciatively. He had yet to put a top on so the finely honed muscles from years of quiditch practice were fully on display, not that she was complaining.
James turned, Harry now sitting in his arms and tugging at his dad's hair playfully. He gave her that smile that always managed to make her heart skip a beat. "You're up early."
Lily smiled as he used the arm that wasn't holding Harry to pull her closer to him. "So are you." She commented before he captured her lips in a deep kiss.
"Ah-hum." Someone coughed behind the couple and they sprung apart quickly.
James smirked as his wife tightened her robes around her and blushed crimson upon seeing who had just come through their fireplace. "Professor Dumbledore, what brings you here?"
"Ah yes, sorry to err, interrupt, so early in the morning, but I have a series of interviews with prospective divination teachers."
"Load of crap." James mumbled, but Dumbledore appeared not to hear him.
"So, I was just here to inform you both that I will be late to this afternoon's meeting; I hope this does not ruin your plans."
"No, of course not."
"Good." Dumbledore paused. "Well I'll leave you to it. Good morning."
As he disappeared back through the fireplace, Lily groaned. "Well that was embarrassing!"
"Could've been worse." James smirked as he put Harry back down in his playpen where he immediately began to play with one of his numerous toys.
"Oh really, how?"
James approached his wife and started fiddling with the knot that held her gown in place. "If he was ten minutes later."
Lily tried to stop herself smiling. "But Harry-"
"Will occupy himself for hours." He picked Lily up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Hours, eh?"
"Uh huh; I think that it's time for mummy and daddy to have some fun."
They were a very happy family at that moment, they thought they always would be; but a lot could happen in twenty four hours.
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The rescue party had managed to get about three quarters of the way around the big house without being seen. Unfortunately they had had absolutely no luck in finding a safe entrance into the mansion. Dumbledore looked up at the early morning sun anxiously.
"If we don't find them soon, I fear we will have to involve the Ministry."
No-one was too happy about that, including Tonks and Shacklebolt who worked there. They had to get this over with soon. Once again they spotted an open window, but once again there was a Death Eater standing by it. Feeling very undignified, the group crawled under the ledge, but stopped when they heard another Death Eater calling to the one guarding the window.
"Hey, you! Any sign of the prisoners?"
"Nothing." The guard looked curiously at his fellow Death Eater who was staring sharply at a grill in the ceiling.
"Seal the window. We may have a lead." The Death Eater ordered.
That was all the group outside heard as the window sealed shut with a squelch.
"Well, well, well. I believe we may have underestimated Miss Summers. She did tell me her vast experience would being captured would come in useful, but I must admit I didn't believe her." Dumbledore chuckled, happier now he knew the trio weren't dead.
"How do you know it had anything to do with her?" Snape said sulkily.
"Ah yes Severus, don't worry, I plan to give Mr Weasly and Mr Potter full credit when they are recovered as well. Now shall we get on?"
Snape only scowled harder. Damn Potter.
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"What shall we do?" One Death Eater asked.
Nearly all the Death Eaters currently in the mansion were gathered in that tiny cell all gazing up at a little hole in the wall.
"Why don't we shove you up there after them!" Another said maliciously.
"Ah, shuddup." The first replied.
"Make me, muggle!"
"Alright, now you've pushed me too far!" The 'muggle' whipped out his wand and prepared to curse the other.
"Stop this right now! Our Lord is on his way here and if the prisoners aren't ready then we'll be cruicoed so hard we won't be able to curse for a month of Sundays!" The group's leader commanded.
There were a few mumbles, presumably of apology, and silence reigned.
"That's better. I've got an idea, we'll force them out!"
Goyle scratched his head confused. "But how? Only one of us will fit up there."
"Like this;" he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the entrance to the vents, "serpantosa!"
A black snake flew out the end of the wand. When it regained its balance, it headed off down the vent certainly.
"It'll hunt them down." The Death Eater smirked. "I can't wait to see them try and slither out of this one!"
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30th October 1994 –10:33 pm
Lily woke up with a start, breathing heavily she looked around the small, cosy sitting room of her and James' cottage. It was just a nightmare.
She looked at the empty seat next to her puzzled. She called out softly for her husband.
"James?"
No answer. A frown creased her lips as she got up off the comfortable sofa and headed up the wooden stairs. When she got to the top, she peered into her son's room.
James was in their, not doing anything in particular, just looking down at the one-year-old child in the crib. Lily smiled, not moving from the doorway. She'd caught him like this before, many a time in fact. No one could wish for a more loving father.
Although she hadn't made a sound, James turned. "He woke up."
"You could have woken me." Lily whispered.
"I know, but I never could bear to wake so when you're sleeping." James said quietly as he left little Harry's room.
Her knees turned to jelly. "I love you, James."
He smiled, pleasant surprise evident in his face. "I love you too. What's all this in aid of?"
Lily shrugged. "I just want you to know. In case-"
He cut her off with a kiss. "I thought we decided there'd be none of that?"
"I know, but James, we've escaped from him three times already. Sooner or later-"
He cut her off. "Sooner or later what? He hasn't tried anything in over six months. I'm pureblood Lils, that means were safe, for now at least. Besides, Voldemort's probably realised that we're no real threat to him. Let's go to bed, ay?"
Her eyes met his chocolate ones and she saw the sincerity and love shining within them. She nodded and allowed herself to be led into their bedroom as Harry slept on in a peaceful slumber.
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Five minutes after the snake had been set after them, Ron, Harry and Dawn had finished the total circle that they had just crawled in, giving the snake plenty of time to catch up with them. They crouched at the three-way-fork they had just come to, Dawn in front of the boys locking eyes with the snake.
"Ron," Dawn said softly; "try and crawl down that tunnel there."
Ron did as he were told and started to crawl slowly down the tunnel. He moved about three meters when the vent began to creak. The snake lunged for Ron;
"NO!" Dawn shouted.
The snake stopped and turned to face her.
"Good snakey, there's a good snake. Go away…please?"
Miraculously the snake did as it were told and headed off down another tunnel.
"Right, let's get out of here- what?"
Ron was still looking at her wide eyed. "You're a parselmouth!"
"Watch your language! I am your professor and I demand to be treated with respect… a what now?"
"You spoke to the snake." Ron clarified awed.
Dawn was confused. "I did?"
"Yea; it was bloody brilliant!"
"It was?"
"You didn't realise you could do it?"
"No; but then the only other time I met a snake I just screamed and then Buffy killed it for me." Harry and Ron looked at her strangely. "It was a demon snake. Hey, I wonder if I can talk to dogs too…"
Ron turned back and started down the creaky tunnel again. "Hey! What's that?"
Harry who was behind him answered. "It looks like daylight!"
"Let's go!" Dawn began to creak down the tunnel.
"Up there!" A muffled voice came through the ceiling.
"Uh oh. Hurry guys." Dawn said urgently. A beam shot through the vent behind them; they were being shot at. "We need to get out of here now!"
The trio crawled as fast as they could towards the daylight. Ron slammed into the grate as soon as he reached it, the others not far behind him. The second time he rammed it, the grate fell off and the escapees all fell to the ground in a tangled heap.
The rescue group heard the commotion and hurried over to find the trio still on the group. Snape smirked as the Headmaster tended to the group.
"Are you all alright?"
"Fine." Came the three responses.
"Capital!"
The two Death Eaters who had been firing the curses came to the window, but when they saw Dumbledore they had disappeared, thankfully not seeing Snape who was still a spy for the Order.
"Well I suggest we get back to Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore pulled a gold chain from around his neck. On the chain, there was a medium sized 'HH' in the same gold. "Everyone take hold of this; it can transport us from anywhere in this dimension back to Hogwarts."
"Cool!" But Dawn's words were lost as she felt a pull around her navel and landed two seconds later in the Hogwarts entrance hall…right on her back.
Harry and Ron had also fallen when they had landed and got to their feet embarrassed.
Snape smirked down at Dawn. "Need a hand, Miss Summers?"
"Nah, I'm good." Dawn put her hands behind her head and pushed off, flipping to land on her feet. She'd never been more thankful for the two days of lessons Buffy had spent with her teaching her to 'get back up in style'. Giles hadn't been so impressed though when he realised that they had 'wasted' Dawn's sparring session teaching her to get up…Oh well, it came in useful.
Snape's smirk turned into a glare and his paler-than-pale complexion started to colour with anger. "You two," he turned his anger on Harry and Ron; "what were you doing outside after hours?"
Harry shuffled his feet; their defence was shaky at best. "We, err, forgot."
"You forgot!" Snape spluttered. "Well-"
"Leave them, Sevie; haven't they been through enough for one night?"
"Quite Right." Dumbledore agreed. "Harry, Ron; breakfast is being served in the Great Hall."
"Only breakfast? But it feels so much later!" Ron groaned.
Dumbledore smiled as the two boys headed to the great hall. "And I will be seeing you directly after breakfast in my office, correct?"
"Yes sir." Harry sighed.
"Miss Summers, would you care to dine in my office with me this morning? There is a matter I feel we should discuss."
'Damn straight.' Dawn thought as she nodded and followed Dumbledore to his office where they both sat down.
Before Dumbledore could say anything, Dawn's emotional dam burst spilling out a swirling rage of emotions. "How could you let this happen? You said it was safe here!"
"It is." Dumbledore injected.
"So safe that two of your students got kidnapped from under your bloody nose by an evil wizard?" She yelled.
Dumbledore hung his head in regret. "I am sorry that had to happen, but if Voldemort had wanted Harry then he would have found a way to get to him, Hogwarts or no Hogwarts."
"That's crap and you know it!" Dawn's face began to turn pink with anger. "I could have taken him to America. He could have anonymous there."
"And been safe for perhaps one or two more years."
"That I could use to train him."
"He doesn't know who you are." Dumbledore said pointedly.
Dawn's mouth snapped shut. Her son didn't know who she was.
"Miss Summers; I'm not going to beat around the bush with this. You remember the prophesy that referred to Harry, your sister and yourself? Well I feel that it is necessary to start putting it into action. Voldemort has clearly returned and I believe we need all the help we can get."
Dawn nodded slowly, all her anger disappearing. "Does that mean I have to tell him?" She whispered.
"I'm afraid so. But may I suggest you start with your sister? She will no doubt know at least part of what is going on and it may be easier to tell her."
Dawn nodded. "I'll do it now; otherwise I'll just be putting it off forever."
Dumbledore smiled kindly. He got out a phone identical to the one Dawn still had in her room and passed it to her. "You can use my office; I need to speak with Minerva anyway. I'll return shortly."
Dawn thought for a moment before phoning Buffy. She hadn't told anyone, but she had had many more memories return to her. It felt so strange. She knew that she was Dawn Summers, the slayers sister, yet when she had these memories return she wasn't Dawn anymore, she was Lily.
She, as Lily, remembered her sister isolating her when she discovered that she was a witch and then going to Hogwarts for the first time. She remembered studying so hard to make her family proud and becoming a prefect for Gryffindor. She remembered chatting with friends and being chased by the arrogant James Potter for years. She remembered finally giving into James for one date providing he kept his hands too himself and never asked her again.
She remembered having a really good time that night and going out with him again…several times and making good use of the private room's the prefects had. She remembered finding out she was pregnant with Harry whilst they were still in school and dreading telling James but she needn't have worried as he promised to support her no matter what. She remembered performing the spell to hide her pregnancy from everyone and then her baby's birth. She remembered Sirius as a proud godfather and that first year of Harry's life until they were betrayed and James died to try and save them both.
But there was a discrepancy. The way she remembered it; Sirius wasn't the secret keeper as James was worried he would be suspected. The way she remembered it, Peter was their secret keeper, changed at the last minute in total secrecy. But everyone said it was Sirius who betrayed them and then went on to kill Peter. That didn't sound like the Sirius she knew, but how much could these 'memories' be trusted?
Dawn shook herself out of her daydreaming and dialled the number for Buffy and Willow's house nervously. No answer. She tried Xander's next, then Faith's and, as a last resort, Andrew. They were all out. She checked her watch and did the familiar calculation in her head- it was still to early for slaying. Dawn tried Giles; he'd know if there was anything serious going on that needed twenty-four-seven patrolling.
"Hello?" His voice crackled.
"Giles? It's Dawn."
"Dawn? Oh thank God! We've been so worried about you!" Giles said relieved.
"We?" Dawn questioned, hoping and praying that it was who she thought it was.
"Me, the slayers, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Faith, even Andrew! Everyone's staying here. We wanted to come to Hogwarts, but it's not on any maps so we couldn't find it."
"I know, it's unplottable. Why is everyone in England?"
"We heard about the attacks. Willow's still in contact with the coven and they told her Voldemort was gaining power."
"She's right, he is; much faster than we thought he would. Can I speak to Buffy?"
"Of course." There was the rustling of the phone being put down and Dawn could faintly hear Giles in the background: "It's Dawn. She's alright. Buffy, she wants to talk to you."
More rustling and then: "Heya Dawnie."
At the sound of her sister's voice, Dawn felt the tears well up. "Buffy?"
"It's okay, I promise." Buffy said reassuringly.
"No it's not…did Giles tell you?"
"Yeah, he did. Dawnie, I'm so sorry he didn't tell you sooner, if I'd had known…" Buffy's voice broke slightly signalling that she too was holding back the tears.
"It's okay. I get it, really. Can you believe I have a son?"
"I don't think 'no' is a strong enough word." Buffy muttered.
"I know, it's so weird. But that's not what I called about."
"It's not?"
"No, there's this prophesy-"
"It's not about my death is it?" Buffy said light-heartedly.
"Not this time, but you are in it. There's supposed to be this uber-fighting force that saves the wizarding world. It's you, me and…" Dawn trailed off.
"And..?"
"Harry. Oh God Buffy, it's so hard. He doesn't know anything about me, but I've practically remembered all of Lily's life and he feels like he's mine, you know?"
"I know. Listen, Dawnie, it's going to be okay. The gang and I will come to Hogwarts; you're not going to do this on your own."
"Thanks Buffy."
"Hey what are big sisters for? Can you arrange for Mumblemore to get us to Hogwarts?"
Dawn giggled. "It's Dumbledore and he's already said you're welcome."
"Good. We'll be there soon, I promise."
"'Kay. Bye Buffy."
"Bye, love you."
"I know. Love you too."
Dawn hung up the phone and Dumbledore appeared in the office doorway a moment later. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes. Buffy and the guys are going to come here as soon as possible."
Dumbledore nodded. "I thought as much." He pulled an envelope out of his desk and handed to Fawlks. "To Hagrid, please." The phoenix flew off and Dumbledore turned back to Dawn. "The envelope contains a port key that will bring your family back here."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it, believe me, it is the very least I could do. Have you had any more memories return?"
Dawn nodded. "It's like every time I close my eyes, I see her or some part of her life. It's all just too weird!"
"Dawn; you have to learn to deal with this or it'll drive you insane." Dumbledore said seriously.
"Drive me insane? I'm already halfway there! I mean, I just can't believe this is happening! Buffy's an aunt, I'm a mom to an eleven year old. How am I supposed to deal with this?"
"You don't have to worry about this now. I think you should tell him and then worry about that."
"Oh that'll be a fun conversation; hey Harry. You know that you thought your mom died ten years ago, well surprise! Creepy monks raised me and stuffed a whole bunch of shiny new memories in me, but now mommy's back; let's hug!"
"What?" A small voice said from the doorway. "What's going on?"
Dawn and Professor Dumbledore turned to see a shocked Harry with Ron two steps behind him. Oh no, he wasn't meant to find out like this.
"Harry-" Dawn started faintly.
"What's going on?" He repeated firmly.
Dawn looked to Dumbledore nervously. Looked like it was now or never then.
Was 'never' a viable option?
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Next chapter coming soon!
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