Real sorry this took so long. Seriously if anyone wants a ten-year-old drama queen she's all yours (of course my dad might object but once he figures that it means one less kid to feed I think he'll come around). It would definitely increase the rate of updates. Thanks to all my reviewers and I hope you all were patient. And thanks a bunch to Matthew (however you shouldn't complain cuz you get exclusive sneak peaks) for his support and I'm sorry I took so long again. I'll try to update quicker.
matt: Yeah Lorne definitely is one to draw attention. I don't think Harry minded too much either. Glad you liked the story, I thought it was cute.
Tiger Tiger2: Hey I loved Spike from the start even back when he was kind of an idiot. But honestly, can you blame the fangirls?
Divia-Black: Wow I think that was the longest review I ever got. Snow days rock don't they? I'm currently enjoying one, or the last fifteen minutes of one. I can confirm that I'm putting Willow with Tonks. So many people want that and I think they make a cute couple. Real glad you agree on the Dawn in Slytherin bit and enjoyed the Dawn being kidnapped by Spike story. I felt that we needed more onto what went on in those past seasons of Buffy with Dawn. I have two people lined up for the DADA job and I still can't decide who to use. Input from readers on others is welcome. I'm working on the Draco reformed bit, luckily in the beginning he is still a "rotten git", so it postpones that. Glad you liked the OB comment and damn I am so jealous! You saw it five times! Man that would get me really high. As for Lorne being a regular, I will try and keep him as regular as I can.
becks89: I'm still working on how Dawn will break it to them that she is the Key. I'm gonna keep that on need-to-know basis.
Ragnhild: I'm well aware that electrical devices don't work at Hogwarts as I did write that in the chapter. But in this fic, and others I believe, they can be charmed to run on magic instead of electricity. Thanks for pointing it out though.
Kristy Marie: I kind of like it better when Angel and Xander are arguing and all snippy with each other. It's funnier.
SPASH Panther: You bet they're gonna be huge Quidditch fans.
dancetdplc: I think I will have the whole Dawn and Buffy drifting apart since Buffy has to focus on training all these new slayers and the coming battle with Voldemort. I'm glad to hear I'm avoiding clichés. I didn't even know I was so thanks for pointing that out.
wyredsisters: Now that is a bloody brilliant idea! Thanks for it and I'll give you recognition when I use it. Damn why didn't I think of it. It's too good to pass up.
A Watcher: True she wasn't real yet. So Spike really wasn't that stupid. Karaoke probably won't show up until first Quidditch game or Halloween.
Thanks a bunch also to Gabby, Silver Warrior, Destiny's Dragon, ScruffyWes, and ruth 4 kai.
A lot have been asking about Spike to which I will leave a cryptic hint (that's sarcasm by the way). 19 days later.......
********************************************************************************************** "So how are we going to do this?" Jordan asked Ginny and Aidan. Harry and Ron had gone to get the Quidditch chest.
"Well, we obviously can't have a real game. There isn't enough of us," Ginny said.
"Well we sorta can. Jordan and I can be a team. You, Harry, and Ron can be a team. And we'll just throw quaffles around and not have bludgers or a snitch. Everyone will act as keeper and chaser. They can come to see a real game when school starts. This will just be a preview," Aidan proposed.
"So how does this game work anyway?" Gunn asked the three.
"Well, there are seven people on each team; three chasers, two beaters, one keeper, and one seeker. The chasers throw the quaffle into the goal posts to score. The keeper has to defend their team's goalposts from the opposing team's chasers. The beaters go around hitting bludgers with their bats trying to distract or unseat the members of the other team. They also try to keep their own team members from getting hit by the bludgers. The seeker has the hardest job. They have to catch the golden snitch, and that sucker is really tiny and really fast. Once the seeker catches the snitch their team is awarded 150 points and the game is over. That's why games tend to last a long time; it's not over until the snitch is caught," Jordan explained.
"You do all this while flying around on broomsticks?" Lorne asked skeptically.
The three teens nodded their heads.
"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" Fred asked.
"Well, a little dangerous. If you're a good flier and have good reflexes you should be fine. No one at Hogwarts has ever died playing Quidditch," Ginny replied.
"We've got them," Harry said as he and Ron came onto the field with a large chest.
"Angel is going to miss this," Fred remarked.
Dawn stood with her sister, Hermione, Faith, Giles, Wesley, Willow, and Xander. She had heard Jordan and Aidan talk about Quidditch so much and saw the excitement in Harry's emerald eyes whenever the game was mentioned so she was eager to see it. She saw the group of slayers that were training at Hogwarts and they were all huddled together in their own tight-nit group.
"Mind you they won't do an actual game of Quidditch. They don't have enough players," Hermione told her.
"I know, but it'll still be cool," she replied.
"Are you going to try out for the Quidditch team Dawn?" Buffy asked.
Dawn thought about that a while before answering. "I don't think so. I was terrified flying up there with Harry even though it was still fun. I don't think I'm cut out for flying. I think I'll just do my part by being a moral supporter."
"You're in Slytherin though. Won't you be cheering your team on?" Hermione pointed out.
"Depends. If the Slytherins are as you say they are I think I'll be joining you in the stadium to cheer the Gryffindors on," Dawn said.
Hermione didn't think that was a wise choice. The Slytherins were pretty vicious when it came to Quidditch and she didn't think they would just let Dawn, who was Muggle-born and already going to be an outcast for sure, support the Gryffindors. They would make her pay dearly if she did. But then again the girl grew up on a hellmouth and Hermione was sure she was more than capable of handling herself. She proved that when the demons attacked at that restaurant yesterday.
The five Quidditch players were currently in a huddle discussing how they were going to play.
"Three against two?" Ron looked at Harry and Ginny.
"Yeah, hardly seems fair for you guys," Harry said.
"Actually, I think you'll find that it's more unfair for you," Jordan replied wryly.
"Gee Jordan, you're so modest," Aidan said sarcastically.
Ginny laughed and Ron shot her an annoyed look. He didn't know how much skill these Americans had at the game, but from the way they talked they were obviously very good at what they did. It was a little contradictive to what he had normally believed about Americans and Quidditch. The general belief was that Yanks were mostly hopeless at the game of Quidditch and didn't play it that much. This should be interesting.
"Alright, so it's me and Aidan against Ron, Harry, and Ginny. You guys got that?" Jordan announced to the small group of spectators.
"Twenty bucks on the Brits," Gunn said to Lorne.
"Alright, I'll take that bet. If the twins win you pay me twenty bucks and buy me a drink," he replied.
Gunn rolled his eyes, but he shook Lorne's hand anyway.
"Deal."
"Jordan, remember, no use of slayer powers allowed. Now that would be unfair," Aidan said before mounting his broom.
"Hey it's three against two. I can act as two people with my extra strength," she replied. "Oh alright, I won't use it," she muttered as he gave her a look that he inherited from their mother.
Harry could feel all his problems retreat into the farthest corners of his mind as he soared into the air. This was where he belonged. At Hogwarts, on his broomstick, fifty feet in the air. If only he could go through life with the constant sensation of flying. He watched Ginny and Ron rise to hover a bit below him and he saw Aidan and Jordan positioned across from him. Hermione threw the red quaffle up and all five players made a dive for it. Harry caught it first, but he saw that Jordan had come real close.
"Last one to make twenty goals wins!" she yelled before pulling away to intercept his toss to Ginny.
The group below watched with many "oooohs!" and "aaaahs!" as the red ball went back in forth between the players. Dawn noticed that this was sort of like basketball, only way more interesting. Her eyes stayed on Harry most of the time, but she did let them linger reluctantly onto the others. All of them were able fliers from what she could tell. Of course she couldn't really judge who was good and who wasn't. Harry seemed to be the best (although she was a bit biased in that area) and she was completely speechless at all the dives and twirls he did. Dawn knew for a fact now that she was definitely not cut out for Quidditch. Just watching them perform those risky moves made her stomach do acrobatics.
"Imagine what the fun we could have demon fighting if we could do that B," Faith remarked.
"Not really wanting to think about the demon kind right now," Buffy replied, but she had to admit that the benefits of such skill would be great.
Harry threw the ball through the hoop and paused to regain some of his breath. For a two-player team these twins sure were becoming quite the challenge. Harry and his team were only one goal ahead now and he knew it wouldn't be long before one of the twins changed that. They would be bloody brilliant on Gryffindor. He wondered who the new captain was going to be. Angelina had been the captain last year, but she graduated along with Katie and Alicia. That left all three chaser positions open. Ron had taken the keeper position in place of Oliver and Ginny had taken Harry's own former position of seeker after Umbridge kicked him off the team. Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper had taken Fred and George's positions as beaters. Too bad Jordan isn't trying out for the beater position with that slayer strength of hers.
Jordan aimed for the golden hoop in the middle and threw the quaffle towards it. Ron came hurtling towards his goal to catch it, but he missed the ball by a few centimeters. Not bad. Not bad at all. Playing on their team should be fun. Hermione wasn't kidding when she said that Harry was a brilliant flier. He moved with the grace, agility, and speed of a natural. She couldn't wait to see his skills in a real game of Quidditch.
The score was now tied again with each team having scored nineteen goals. They were all getting antsy to break this stalemate, but yet they were all having lots of fun playing. Ron and Ginny had been practicing in the last few weeks and it showed. Harry noticed that Ginny was a pretty good chaser and made a mental note to ask her if she wouldn't mind trying out for that position. He only hoped that she hadn't become too attached to the seeker position.
"Come on kid! I need you to win me twenty bucks!" Lorne yelled at Aidan as the boy came flying past him.
"Working on it!" he replied.
Ginny found the goal undefended and threw the quaffle, but out of nowhere Aidan swooped in and caught it before it fell through the hoop. He grinned at Ginny and winked. She gave him a perplexed look before she flew off to help Ron and Harry defend their goal. She hovered in the air a little in front of Jordan.
Jordan saw that save Aidan made. It was a little surprising, since he wasn't that good at the keeper position. Now all they needed to do was make one more score and the game would be won. During the game she had occasionally stole glances at the spectators, especially the group of slayers. Vi had actually broken from the group and was now standing beside Dawn and Hermione cheering them on. Which team they were cheering on she had no idea. Hermione was most likely for Harry's team and she had a sneaking suspicion that Dawn was leaning towards his team as well. She made a dive to catch the quaffle that Aidan had "dropped".
"They're still tied," Hermione said.
"This is really cool. I can't wait to see what a real game looks like," said the girl on the other side of Dawn.
She was about the same height as Dawn, but a little more on the thin side. Her red hair was cut to hang just above her shoulder. The girl smiled at Hermione and held out her hand.
"I'm Vi. We didn't really get a chance for introductions back in LA," she said.
"Oh. You're a slayer too?" Hermione inquired as she shook the girl's hand.
"Yeah. Guess we're gonna be meeting more and more girls like us soon," Vi said.
Hermione nodded in agreement and then turned her attention back to the game.
Jordan caught the quaffle and pulled out of the dive to make her way upward. Adrenaline was coursing through her system and speeding up her heart rate. She was by no means exhausted. Slayer stamina worked wonders. Being back on a broom and up in the air gave her a rush only beaten by switching into slayer mode and fighting a demon. Her entire body was tingling from the rush and she cherished the feeling. All worldly problems seemed to dissipate for the time being and all there was her and the ball. Note to self: use Quidditch when fighting. Very similar. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all circling around their goal protectively. She tossed the ball to her brother who barely managed to catch it before one of the others intercepted. She flew a bit farther ahead and he tossed it back to her. They continued tossing the ball back and forth to each other making the other three lose their confidence on defending the goal. When she got control of the ball back she made like she was going to throw it back to Aidan, which caused Ron and Ginny to move to intercept, but Harry stayed where he was. He had been ready for something like this. Unfortunately, he wasn't used to being keeper and having to guard something. The quaffle went sailing past him and into the goal. He had nearly caught it, but not nearly enough.
"Way to go baby doll! That's my girl!" Lorne yelled.
Gunn sighed in disappointment. Now he had to pay Lorne twenty bucks and buy him a drink.
***********************************************************************************************
After the game Dumbledore had invited everyone to eat in the dining hall before Angel and his crew had to leave for LA. Buffy and Faith and the rookie slayers were staying for the summer, but Willow, Xander, and Giles would be focusing their efforts on finding the slayers all over the world. They decided that they would leave on Saturday.
"You two are bound to get on the team for sure," Ginny told Aidan and Jordan.
"Who's the captain?" Aidan asked.
"Girl named Angelina was last year, but she graduated. So there is no captain now. She was a chaser and so were the other two girls that graduated," Ron replied.
"I think Harry should be captain," Ginny said.
"But I'm not even on the team anymore Ginny," he said.
"You'll be rejoining though, won't you?" she asked.
"Yes. But I was going to try out like everyone else cuz I really didn't think it would be fair," he said.
"Come off it Harry. What that Umbridge bitch did to you was beyond unfair. I'm sure Dumbledore and McGonagall will let you back onto the team without a second thought. Besides, you are the one in Gryffindor with the most experience," Ron pointed out.
"I don't know, but I guess I could talk to McGonagall tomorrow," Harry said thoughtfully.
"So Hermione, are you starting up training tomorrow?" Jordan asked her fellow slayer.
"Yes, I just spoke with Buffy and Faith. Buffy even helped me pick out a training suit in London," she replied.
Ron's face lit up with a peculiar smile when she said that. I wonder if they'll let me watch, he thought.
After they were all filled to the brim with delicious food Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and Lorne said their goodbyes. Jordan was rather disappointed Lorne was leaving. But he said he would come back to see an actual Quidditch game and possibly to hear them all sing. She still didn't fully understand the singing bit.
Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny led Dawn, Jordan, and Aidan to the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione had remembered to ask McGonagall earlier for the password which was, Phoenix Tears. Their stuff was already there; even Dawn's. Dumbledore had set up private rooms for the rest of the slayers including Buffy and Faith, Giles, Xander, and Willow.
"Wow. It's like a home away from home," Dawn noted then she remembered that she technically didn't even have a home anymore.
"Well that's the idea," Ginny said.
"What's the Slytherin Common Room like or are you guys not allowed in there?" Dawn asked.
"A lot colder. And not as cheery or as inviting, but what can you expect?" Harry said.
"What were you guys doing in the Slytherin Common Room?" Aidan asked.
"Well, it's a long story. But we had to question Malfoy about certain things concerning attacks on Muggle-borns in the school," Harry answered.
"This is like the fifth time you guys have said 'Malfoy'. Who is this guy?" Dawn asked.
"Is he related to Lucius Malfoy?" Jordan asked.
"That's his father. Malfoy's first name is actually Draco, but we aren't really on first-name terms. And how do you know Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"Just about all Wizarding families know the Malfoys. There aren't too many actual pureblood families left. And my parents swear they're all Death Eaters, especially Lucius. They've just never been able to prove it," Aidan said.
"Your parents would be right. The whole slimy lot of them are," Ron mumbled.
Jordan was less interested in the Malfoy character than she was in then the fact that they made a polyjuice potion.
"You made a polyjuice potion? That's a little advanced. How old were you?" she said intrigued.
"We were in our second year. Hermione did most of the work though," Ron said.
"Damn. That is so cool. Potions is my forte," she said, with a note of pride.
"She makes one hell of a hangover-curing potion," Aidan blurted.
Everyone looked at him in surprise and Harry and Ron were sporting identical smirks.
Aidan sheepishly covered, "Or so my dad says."
"Real convincing there, Aidan. You have us totally fooled," Dawn teased.
"So why were you getting pissed?" Ron asked.
"Huh? Who said he was getting pissed?" Jordan said.
"Drunk," Hermione clarified.
"Oh. Damn British slang. You all got a sexy accent, but you still talk funny," Jordan said.
"I would say the same thing for you Americans," Harry said with a wry grin spreading across his features.
Jordan nodded as she thought about it from his point of view. Who the hell came up with 'dude' anyway?
"Good point," she replied.
"Aidan why were you getting drunk?" Ron asked again.
"Ron! It isn't our business if he did," Hermione admonished.
"No, it's okay. It was a stupid thing I did and Jordan had to clean me up and cover it up. Which our parents still don't know about it and we'd like to keep it that way. It was at a party we had outside of school and well, there was alcohol, and I sort of indulged. Long story short; I got wasted. Jordan found me and pulled me out of there before I got even worse. She gave me hell, I think. I was wasted so her yelling at me is still a little hazy. The next morning I paid for it dearly. But Jordan was nice enough to whip up a hangover potion for me so I didn't pay for it for long," Aidan's handsome face reddened in embarrassment at the memory.
"Blimey. My mum would have killed me if I ever did something like that and she found out. Lucky you got Jordan, eh? If that had been Hermione she woulda made you suffer through the hangover," Ron gibed while nudging Hermione playfully.
"Yeah, well I knew he learned his lesson. If he hadn't I would have made him suffer and I did give you hell Aidan, only I quit when you started vomiting," Jordan shuddered.
Not only had he vomited, he had vomited on her. She had spent the next few days in the shower for hours on end. How she managed to clean it up was still a mystery to her.
Dawn suddenly realized that these teen witches and wizards weren't so different from teen Muggles. They had the same problems and made the same mistakes Muggles did which was really comforting to know. Only it really surprised her that Aidan had been the one to get drunk. Jordan honestly seemed more the type to do something like that. She wondered if they would believe that she had been a klepto.
"Enough about us; our lives are boring. You guys came up against Voldemort. Spill," she ordered.
Ron and Ginny flinched at the name. Hermione was astonished that she didn't flinch. She must finally be getting over her fear.
"Please don't say his name," Ginny requested softly.
"Sorry. If we're gonna beat the guy we're gonna have to tone down his image. Meaning no 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' shit. It's just giving him more power," Aidan said sternly.
"He's right. We must start using his name," Hermione stated in a determined voice.
"Or better yet give him a
nickname. A funny and insulting one,"
Dawn suggested.
"Good idea Dawn. Any ideas?" Harry said.
"How about his Royal Prickness?" Jordan suggested.
"Jordan he's a dark wizard, not a sixteen-year-old boy who stands you up," Aidan said.
"It's still an insulting name," Jordan replied saucily.
"We should ask Xander. He's good at coming up with nicknames," Dawn said.
They spent the better part of the waning evening on exchanging stories and coming up with nicknames for Voldemort on which none could agree on. Dawn still kept the details of Buffy's second death and the resurrection from said death lacking in elaboration. She also was careful not to mention why exactly the portal that Buffy jumped into had opened and what the hellgod, Glory, had been searching for. They didn't ask, which she was grateful for.
Jordan had been keeled over in laughter when she heard the story of Spike kidnapping Dawn.
"What an idiot! Oh man I miss him! He saved my life in that battle at the hellmouth, you know?" she said.
"He did?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah. Killed an Ubervamp that was about to make me a slayer kabob right after one had tore into my shoulder and I got all woozy and then a dead slayer had been dropped onto me. I had lost my sword so that really sucked and I had already been stabbed three times, so I was basically a free-for-all at the moment. Spike came in and snapped that bastard's neck and pulled me to my feet. I owed him one, but I guess now there's nothing I can do," she said sadly.
Jordan had really liked Spike; even had a crush on him. He had somehow known she was different than the other potentials and took it upon himself to take her under his wing. She learned many valuable lessons from him, albeit most involved Angel being a great Poofter and how Passions was the "best bloody show on the telly". He had described word for word how he killed those two slayers to her and instead of reacting in horror she had found it fascinating. She knew William the Bloody had killed two slayers, but hearing him tell the tale was vastly more enlightening.
"What happened?" Aidan asked. He wanted to hear more on the fellow that saved his sister's life.
Dawn got a far away look in her eyes and blinked back tears. She took a deep breath and spoke.
"He saved us all. Destroyed all the Ubervamps and the Hellmouth with this amulet thing Angel had brought Buffy. He ended up burning up under the sun, so he basically sacrificed himself for us."
Everyone was silent after that. Harry wanted badly to kiss the tears that were falling from Dawn's eyes. Instead he grasped her hand and squeezed it supportively.
"I'm sorry. I'm gonna go-go to bed," she stammered. "Where are the girls' rooms Hermione?"
"Oh, this way. We should all get to bed. Or at least you, Jordan, and I should," she replied.
They said their goodnights and departed into their respective dormitories. As soon as Dawn found a bed she collapsed onto it and started crying into a pillow. She hadn't let herself cry yet over Spike, Anya, or all the others that were lost, but now she couldn't stop.
"Should we-?" Ginny began uncertainly as the other three looked at Dawn with sympathy.
Jordan walked over to Dawn's bed and sat down beside the girl. Dawn sat up and fell into her best friend's arms. Jordan just whispered soothingly and stroked her hair like her own mother did when she cried.
"Just let it out Dawnie. Cry all you have to," she whispered.
Hermione and Ginny debated on whether or not to go over there and comfort her to. The maternal desire to make things all better won out and the two of them joined the girls in a group hug. Another thing that witches and Muggle girls have in common. They have cry fests.