Chapter 11: Never the Same.
Xander shook his head in disbelief, walking towards the vampire still cradling the dead Slayer. "No. She's not dead," he said as though just uttering the words would make it so. He didn't care that Buffy would never see him in the same way that she saw Angel, just as long as she lived. She had been too bright, too full of life to be so still.
He saw his own silent disbelief and sorrow mirrored in Angel's dark eyes. "She's not breathing,"
Lupin came up behind Xander pushing him forward. "It looks as though he drowned her. Angel can you tell if he drained all of her blood?"
"Right," Xander said, suddenly filling with hope. "If she drowned, uh, there's a shot. CPR."
Angel sniffed deeply around Buffy's neck wound. "He only took what he needed," Angel muttered. "One of you will have to do it," he said, focusing on Xander and Lupin. "I have no breath."
"Couldn't you just magic her?" Xander asked Lupin as Angel arranged Buffy on the ground. Xander stripped off his jacket and handed it to the vampire, to which Angel bunched it and placed it under Buffy's neck.
Lupin shook his head. "I could, but there's a danger in that. Spells can be reversed or countered. It would be better if we'd had time to brew a potion. It will have to be you, Xander."
"Right, cause I pay so much attention during health," Xander joked, sinking his knees into the soft ground next to Buffy. "Here goes," he said as Angel and Lupin nodded him forward.
Leaning down, he sealed his mouth around Buffy's and forced a puff of air into her lungs, paused, then blew another. Lifting up, he placed the heel of his hand against her sternum and pumped 10 times. He tried to block out Angel's mouthing each of the numbers under his breath. Lupin was leaning over him, ready to take over if Xander grew tired.
"C'mon, c'mon," he uttered between breaths, chanting alongside his pumping hands. "Breathe."
"Breathe," Angel mimicked quietly.
"Breathe," Xander cried. "C'mon."
But Buffy wasn't responding and Xander's hand action slowly stuttered off. Angel swallowed and looked painfully in Xander's direction. It was the only time the high-school student could remember ever feeling a connection to the vampire. Opening his mouth to utter some sort of consolation, Xander was cut off by a sudden gasp.
All three male heads turned to the sound and were greeted by an open eyed Buffy. Exchanging a surprised and euphoric look with Angel, Xander and the vampire lifted her up as Buffy coughed water and sucked in a stuttering breath. She looked around as though confused, but gave no sign that she was going to move.
"Buffy," Xander breathed.
Her eyes fluttered towards him as though she just realized he was there. "Xander?"
"Welcome back," he greeted, a goofy smile crossing his boyish face.
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"Why are they coming here?" Ms. Calendar asked as they hunched together, desperately looking for an opening between the ranks of vampires to exploit.
Willow shook her head, fear starting to grasp her again. "NOT caring," she exclaimed.
One of the vampire's, his amber eyes looking between the teacher and student, smiled and crept forward. It was obvious that he wasn't going to wait for a dinner bell. Ms. Calendar hunched over Willow, momentarily shielding her with her body. It was over, she was finally going to die without ever kissing Xander or going to college. There had been so many things she had wanted to do with her life and it was going to end in a moment.
Both Willow and Ms. Calendar jerked when the sound of screeching tires headed their way. Headlights nearly blinded them, as a convertible drove through the ranks of vampires spreading them for the time being.
"Get in!" Willow blinked as she recognized who was behind the wheel but she didn't hesitate to hop into the car. "I was sitting where Kevin and I used to park, and all of the sudden these things are coming at me."
The three women screamed as one of the vampires leaped onto the car. It wouldn't be long before they all converged onto the convertible and tore through the leather cover. Ms. Calendar looked up at the roof frightened.
"What do we do now?" the teacher asked.
Willow turned to face Cordelia. "We've got to get to the library!"
"Library," Cordelia ground between clenched teeth, shifting the car. "Great."
The tires spun as she floored the gas peddle, spinning the car around to face the school, managing to throw off the vampire who had settled on the roof. It took a while for Willow to notice that Cordelia wasn't going to get to Giles by the conventional method.
"Of course, generally we walk there," Willow screeched as Cordelia rocketed the car through double doors and into the school hallway.
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Harry slammed the book shut and leaned back in the wooden chair. "There's nothing in these damn books. It's like trying to find a ball on a Merry-Go-Round."
"There is a spell to seal the Hellmouth," Uncle Rupert corrected, turning his opened book towards Harry. "But the ingredients needed are way beyond what I have and the power needed. I was hoping to find a simpler, temporary spell," Uncle Rupert shook his head. "If we only had more time."
Scanning the list of items the spell called for, Harry quickly noted that he had a lot of them already in his trunk for potions. Of course, his trunk was sitting in Uncle Rupert's flat, the Watcher saying that it would slow down Professor Lupin and Harry when they had made their escape.
"Do you think we have time to get home and back?" Harry asked. "I've got a number of things back at the flat."
"Still it takes a certain amount of power," Uncle Rupert informed, grabbing his tweed jacket and slinging it on.
Harry stood up. "Couldn't I do it?"
"No, this isn't the same as you're magic Harry," Uncle Rupert answered evasively. "This is something I must do."
"Is it...is it like what you did to get Voldemort out?" Harry asked softly, knowing he was pushing his luck. Uncle Rupert's anger at Harry's return might be put off by rising events, but Harry knew it was still at the surface, ready to bubble over along with his worry about Buffy. He brushed aside his bangs showing the mingled blood. "Because this won't work forever."
"The magics are the same," Uncle Rupert admitted. "And no it won't hold Voldemort at bay forever. Harry, I want to explain this to you in the best way possible but now is not that time."
"O..." Harry trailed off as a crashing sound reverberated through the library.
"What the?" Uncle Rupert said, running out into the hall, Harry quick on his heels.
Uncle and nephew stopped dead in their tracks as they saw the convertible hurling towards them in uncomparable speeds. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" Harry asked, glancing at his uncle hesitantly.
"No," Uncle Rupert shook his head, moments before throwing himself at Harry and knocking his nephew to the ground. Harry felt a breeze from the speed of the car waft past him and Uncle Rupert.
As he and his uncle staggered to their feet, Willow, Ms. Calendar and the girl Harry remembered to be Cordelia leapt out of the car. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to go to the Bronze."
"Change in plans," Ms Calendar snapped.
"What's happening?" Harry asked, turning to help Willow out of the car.
Willow's head snapped back towards the direction the convertible had come from. Harry saw several pairs of amber eyes lit in the dark of the hall and knew them to be vampires. If they got closer he would be able to see their disfigured faces. He reached into his back pocket where he kept his wand and pulled out the long strip of wood. Despite his previous problems with the ministry, he certainly didn't want to die here.
"Guess," Willow said as the five of them backed out of the hallway and into the library.
Uncle Rupert fell against the door, pushing his weight against it. Nevertheless, the door buckled and the Watcher was nearly thrown across the room as he tried to restrain the rushing vampires. Ms. Calendar threw herself next to Uncle Rupert and dug her heels in.
"We need something heavier," Ms. Calendar shouted.
A hand punched through the small circle window above Uncle Rupert's head and Willow grabbed the closed sign, banging it against the vampire's clawed arm. Uncle Rupert dunked under the red-head's assault. "Harry, Cordelia, take my place."
Harry didn't waste any time, he jumped into the spot that his uncle left open and wished he had a spell to make wood doors seem as lead. The beautiful brunette girl, sidled next to Harry, her tall frame adding minimal weight to the doors.
Uncle Rupert had grabbed a book shelf, and was now muscling it across the carpet over to the door. "When I give the word move out of the way," he instructed, balancing the bookcase precariously on its side. "Go."
Grabbing Cordelia's arm, Harry pulled her with him as he flung himself over the receiving counter. He heard the crash of the book case falling onto the door. "You alright?" Harry asked, helping Cordelia to her feet.
"I'm going to burn this outfit, but yeah," Cordelia said sarcastically.
"Harry?" Uncle Rupert called.
"We're over here," Harry informed the older worried man.
Uncle Rupert was toppling over a copier to keep the bookcase in place as Harry and Cordelia came out from behind the counter. "Why are they coming here?" Uncle Rupert asked. No one had an answer, least of all Harry, and no one saw the green leathery tentacle reach out from a crack in the foundation.
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It was like waking up from a long dream. Everything that had occurred with the Master had evaporated to nothing more then the clinging images of nightmares. As Angel and Xander lifted her from the ground she felt as though she didn't need their strength. Something had awoken inside of her as well as life. Hope.
"Easy, easy," Xander repeated as though they were levering something delicate. She wasn't delicate, no one could break her.
"The Master?" she asked, marveling at this new found efficacy.
"Gone up," Angel answered, gazing at her with unmasked concern. The didn't know, they couldn't understand. She saw Lupin behind Xander his pale eyes studying her intently, recognizing the rush of energy coursing through her.
Without looking at the others she stepped forward, starting on her path towards the Master. "Wait," Xander stopped her. "You're still too weak."
Buffy's gaze was wide and honest as she answered, "No, no, I feel strong. I feel different."
"Listen to her," Lupin said with conviction. "We still need to stop the Master."
"Let's go," Buffy announced.
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"They're coming in through the stacks," Uncle Rupert called as he, Harry and Cordelia continued their pressure against the door.
Ms. Calendar picked up Willow from the floor. They were all scampering to keep the vampires from coming into the library. Harry had yet to figure out why they were all so hell bent on coming into the library. Surely, they must know that the Slayer had gone off to face the Master. That even now, their plans to open the Hellmouth were being foiled by Buffy. Harry had to believe this, if he didn't then there was no hope in their actions here.
"Get the bookshelves," Ms. Calendar called to Willow.
The two women began to muscle the bookshelves, blocking the convergence of even more vampires. Harry felt fear grip his heart, unlike any save those first instances he'd faced Dementors. He'd never truly understood what it must take to fight a vampire. There weren't any spells that he knew of, that could repel a vampire. Defense Against the Dark Arts classes had always focused on identifying a vampire or werewolf, never how to deal with them face to face.
Harry admitted to his own neglect of these creatures. He had always been more focused on the type of magical entities that Voldemort and the Death Eaters might throw his way. They hadn't even covered vampires in the DA. Of course, at the time, they hadn't seemed to be that big of a threat.
"My office," Uncle Rupert blurted out suddenly and skipped off towards the tiny office where Harry could see bodies falling onto the skylight.
That left Harry and Cordelia alone to guard the library swinging double doors. A hand snaked out from a break in the barricade, reaching for Cordelia's throat as though to pull her neck towards waiting fangs. To Harry's surprise, and amusement, Cordelia snatched up the hand in her teeth and bit down hard.
"See how you like it," the brunette snapped.
Harry gave her a grin though his heart was still pounding with fear. Strange how you could feel such levity in a dangerous situation and yet that's how he felt. All those times with Ron and Hermione, he had never found anything to smile at until the bloody mess had been over and even then it had been difficult. He had seen Buffy, Xander, and Willow joke while Buffy had been slaying, and Buffy herself seemed to keep an air of amused confidence. Was it the case that you had to laugh or you'd cry?
A cry tore through Harry's musings and snapped his head towards the stacks, where Willow and Ms. Calendar had gone to block the exit. It was then that Harry caught a green tentacle, looking vaguely like the giant squid inside the mot around Hogwarts. As he followed the writhing mass of muscle from the crack in the foundation and out to where it had squeezed around a stockinged ankle.
It was Willow.
Ms. Calendar had her arms clasped around the young redhead, barely managing to keep her from being sucked into the foundation and down to what could only be the Hellmouth. "Giles! Giles!" the teacher screamed, sliding along the floor as Willow was pulled further towards the crack.
Uncle Rupert ran from his office and up to the fissure, only to come to a skidding halt as a three headed monster leapt through the library floor. It was dripping with a viscous yellow-green fluid and tentacles seemed to sprout from all three heads. Harry couldn't see any eyes and wondered if it were through the tentacles that it sensed it surroundings. So many years under the earth, Harry wouldn't be surprised if it were blind. It was tall, reaching nearly to the ceiling, and it had ground teeth and an ugly tongue. It was the most hideous sight Harry had ever looked upon.
"The Hellmouth," Uncle Rupert breathed.
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Every step that took her closer to the Master, the more Buffy was sure where the Hellmouth resided. She could feel it in her blood, the darkness calling out to her, to mock her. Soon that would change. She would be the light that made the darkness cower into shadow.
Behind her, Angel, Xander, and Lupin followed silently. Angel and Lupin seemed to be drawn to the same spot as she was, as though the mystical sang through not only the vampire but Giles' old friend. It was then that Buffy was sure that Remus Lupin was something extraordinary.
"So, how do you know where the Master's going?" Xander asked nervously at her side. He had probably not figured that she would seek the man who had killed her so quickly, had thought it best that she regain her strength. This was her strength; her purpose.
A small smile twitched at the corner of Buffy's lips. "I know."
She lead them right to the high school and her anticipation mounted, a vibration trembling through her tiny frame. Her dance shoes clunked against the pavement and two vampires guarding the entrance turned to face her. It all seemed incredibly weak and a cockiness filled Buffy.
"Oh look, a bad guy," she said sardonically
Balling her fist, she caught the vampire in the face and bowled it over with one swift hit. She pushed the other aside and heard the distinct popping sound as Angel dusted him. She killed several more in quick succession, her body moving at a speed that her mind could hardly contemplate. Dust littered the hall as she lead the three men to where she sensed the Master.
"Angel, better put on your game face," she ordered.
The visage of the vampire shifted onto what was usual an angelic face. "I'm ready.
"One way or another, this won't take long," Byuffy announced and walked out on the roof.
The Master stood over the skylight that looked down on the library. There was no mistaking his jubilation as he rose his hands into the air, crying with relief. "Yes. Come forth, my child. Come into my world."
"I don't think it's yours yet," Buffy informed.
It was almost worth dying to see the look of utter disbelief. "You're dead."
"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty," she jibbed, looking down at the beautiful dress her mother had given her. Right now she felt that her mother's protection had come with the dress. "Which is more then I can say for you."
She could see his frustration peaking, he was close to a tantrum. "You were destined to die. It was written."
Buffy shrugged, the essence of nonchalance. Deep down she felt a twinge though. She had died, and if it hadn't been for Xander, Angel and Lupin, she would have stayed that way. "What can I say, I flunked the written."
A guttural growl echoed into the empty night as the Master raised a grasping. Buffy remembered this from when he first hypnotized her. "Come here."
Without a word, she went forward.
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Willow and Jenny were both screaming. The Hellmouth had pulled Willow close enough that her toes were nearly in it's gaping mouth. Giles rushed to the table and the bag he'd been preparing to face the Master with. Grabbing an ax, he began to hack into the three-headed monster. The creature cried out in pain.
The Watcher took advantage of the obvious weakness and cocked the ax back to strike it again. But the creature had learned its lesson and deflected the blade as it came careening towards it. Giles and the axe were thrown across the room and landed with a back-jolting thump against the wooden table, cracking it and causing splinters to shoot off from the table. Several the size of a man's fist.
"Uncle Rupert," Giles heard Harry cry.
He tried his best to sit up from the wreckage. He didn't want Harry to come near that monster. "Stay back. I'm alright."
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She walked as though in a trance, feeling his pull on her and recognizing it for what it was. She came up until she was just under his chin and gazed up at him blankly. His hand whipped up and gripped her throat, still she did not move.
"Did you really think you could best me here when you couldn't below?" he asked, triumphantly, reading to drink her again.
"You have fruit punch mouth," she said dreamily.
The Master blinked at her. "What?"
It was his confusion that allowed her to sucker punch him in the mouth, knocking him to the ground. "Save the hypnosis crap for the tourists."
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Remus was pushed out of the way as Angel rushed the vampire. The two fought, but it was obvious who was the better. Angel moved with strength and grace and it was only a matter of time before the other vampire was flat on the ground, Angel moving quickly to jab the wood through the creatures heart.
"A little help here," Xander called as he struggled to keep gaping fangs from closing over his precious throat and sucking the blood dry.
Both Remus and Angel moved forward, grabbing either arm and pulling the vampire from Xander. With a powerful thrust of it's arm, the vampire knocked Remus away, sending the weakened werewolf into the American teenager. Remus leaped off of Xander and offered the boy a hand, his eyes tracing the boy's frame for any arm.
"Are you okay?" he asked tense. In the wizarding world to come in contact with a werewolf was considered an dirty offense.
Xander just shrugged it off, whether unknowing of his condition or uncaring Remus couldn't tell, and took the proffered hand. "Don't sweat it. I get knocked over all the time."
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Buffy leapt into a roundhouse kick, catching the Master squarely on the chin, marring an already decrepit visage. He quickly recovered and swiped a taloned hand at her. She dodged out of the way, but he grazed her skin just above her chest. Blood beaded in three thin lines, where his longest finger had caught her. She looked down at the wound taking it in.
With a sudden fury, she threw punches at the Master, contacting with his side, a shoulder, his stomach. He caught her fist on one of them and backhanded her, sending her flying across the roof, her skull cracking against a wall. Without preamble, Buffy charged him, flipping over he Master, coming between him and the skylight that lead down to the library and her friends.
Snapping a kick at his side, she connected with his ribs, but for the Master pain was only an irritating gnat. He pushed it off and grabbed her neck once again, his razor like nails slicing her throat.
"Where are your jibes now?" he taunted, edging her closer to the skylight. She looked back nervously and saw through the glass, a shattered table, a splinter of wood gleaming promisingly at her. "You laugh when my hell is on earth?"
"You're that amped about Hell?" she questioned and glanced back one last time, making sure she was positioned right. Snapping out her hand, she clawed his throat and raised him into the air. "Go there."
As though she were tossing an old doll, she threw the Master over her and sent him crashing through the skylight. She watched as he fell, saw Giles grab Ms. Calendar and Willow away from a three-headed monster who was being pulled down a fissure by an unseen force, as the Master's flesh was being stripped from his bones.
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Harry and Cordelia pushed away the makeshift barricades and forced the doors open to let Buffy, Angel, Xander, and Professor Lupin in. Without thought, Harry threw his arms around the blonde girl, squeezing her slight form. He felt her thin arms hug around his middle and he was jut thankful that the prophecy had been averted. She was alive and well, right in front of him.
Uncle Rupert cleared his throat and Harry's sense of propriety came back into focus and he released the Slayer. He smiled, half embarrassed. "You're okay?" he asked.
"Peachy," she said, though without her usual spunk.
"The vampires?" Uncle Rupert asked, his brown-green eyes searching Buffy.
Cordelia was looking out to the hallway. "Gone."
Angel looked around at the wreckage. "The Master?"
"Dead," Uncle Rupert answered. "The Hellmouth is closed." He was continued his scrutiny of the Slayer and Harry traced Buffy's line of sight to the recently dead Master. All that was left of him was bones.
"Buffy?" Harry asked. "Buffy?"
"Oh, sorry, it's just been a really weird day," she said with a ghost of her usual smile.
Xander nodded wisely. "Yeah, Buffy died and everything."
Harry's green eyes widened and snapped onto the tiny blonde unable to believe his ears, while Angel and Professor Lupin scowled at Xander.
"Wow! Harsh," Willow said inadequately.
"I should have known that wouldn't stop you," the Watcher said fondly to his Slayer.
There was something that passed between them then and Harry felt a wrench of jealousy run through him. He felt Buffy release part of her tension in that glance and saw his uncle's relief pour into the girl. He felt like a prat, but that glance should have been for him.
Ms. Calendar broke up the moment, much to Harry's relief. "Well, what do we do now?"
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to get out of this place. I don't like the library very much anymore," Uncle Rupert said with an ironic flare that Harry didn't quite comprehend.
"Hey. Dancing at the Bronze?" Xander suggested. "Could be fun."
"Yeah," Cordelia agreed and wrapped an arm around Harry's. He started at the American girl, not quite sure what to think of her.
Willow rolled her eyes but turned to the Slayer. "What do you think Buffy?"
"Sure," Buffy said decisively. "We saved the world. I say we party." She looked down at her white gown and shrugged. "I mean, I got all pretty."
Ms. Calendar stopped them. "What about him?" she said with a head nod towards the Master's bones.
Buffy turned her nose down at the remains of the creature that had killed her but had not stopped her. Harry wondered briefly if he'd be in her shoes one day soon and felt a chill of despair run through him. He didn't want to kill anyone, least of all look down at their bones, but he would have no choice.
"He's not going anywhere," she insisted. "Loser."
The rag tag group started heading out. Cordelia had become a permanent fixture at Harry's side. He watched in a sort of daze as Ms. Calendar took Uncle Rupert's arm much in the same fashion as the girl at Harry's right.
"I'm not dancing, though," his uncle whispered to his colleague.
Ms. Calendar shrugged. "We'll see."
Willow turned to Angel and bright smile on her shy face. "You can come with us Angel."
"I'm hungry," Buffy said behind him, sounding as though if they didn't get to the Bronze soon, she'd it the closest one of them.
Xander ignored this statement. "So what's with the car?"
"Oh, that was me, saving the day," Cordelia chirped proudly.
"Get something to drink," Willow continued to Angel.
"Is anybody else hungry?" Buffy repeated.
Willow suddenly realized her mistake. "Well, no, don't do that. Just hang," she corrected sheepishly.
Angel smiled at her before he glancing back at Buffy. The two stared at each other and in moments Angel was at her side.
"I'm really, really hungry," Buffy said up to him.
He smiled at her enthusiasm. "By the way, I like your dress."
"Yeah, yeah, it's a big hit with everyone," Buffy replied though Harry could tell that Buffy was pleased by his words. It was probably the strangest relationship in history, but he could appreciate the irony.
As they walked out of the now quiet Hellmouth, Harry knew one thing. His life had completely changed in this one night and things would never be the same for him.