Chapter 14: American Forgetfulness and the Vampire Seeker
"Wotcher, Harry," the tall, lean Auror with vibrant pink hair and a sweet heart-shaped face greeted the young wizard as the ball of fire tore through a number of the vampires. The animated corpses flamed with the fire and were quickly turned to cinder. But many of them dodged the mystical fire with the ease of demonic grace. "That uncle of yours teach you anything useful to get out of a situation like this."
"Oh, we just mainly run," Xander supplies cheerfully.
"Or get captured," Willow added.
The American boy nodded. "And that never ends well."
Harry had to smile at the banter and the looks of exasperation that crossed over Ron, Hermione, and Tonks faces. Harry still didn't feel as though he understood the American teens any better then he did when he arrived but he found their peculiar humor quiet relieving when having to deal with the more darker side of Sunnydale.
Tonks had healed well from the injuries she'd received during the rescue mission at the Department of Mysteries. Though, Harry had caught a glimpse of Tonks as an aura back at the ministry, he saw it full blown here. Her pretty face was intense, mimicking vaguely the look of a huntress that Buffy donned when she was slaying.
Slim as Tonks was, she had managed to create a barrier with her body between the vampires and the five teenagers. She had her wand before her, the long length of would looking as intimidating as if it were a stake. If he didn't know Tonks was generally good-willed he would have balked from her then; she was a threat and Harry hoped the vampires understood that.
"I've magicked maybe one or two vampires at a time," Tonks explained in a half-whisper. "But never this many without backup. We need to make an escape."
"Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, was training with Uncle Rupert. It's probably best we retreat there," Harry answered.
Xander couldn't stay out of the conversation. "Why don't you just use that wand to obliviate them?"
Tonks frowned at this statement. "How would removing their memories help the situation?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "A matter of terminology."
"Can we just get to the running part of our program?" Willow asked.
Ron held up a finger. "I second that."
"Right," Tonks uttered her voice sharp and determined. "Ignus," she shouted repeatedly, now sending a number of volleys of the fireballs towards the crowd of approaching vampires. "Run," she ordered.
The group of Sunnydale students were off before Tonks could even finish the clipped word. Having lived and worked alongside the vampire slayer for the last six months, they knew when to take the opportunity for an escape. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were only a step behind, pumping their legs for all they were worth. Harry could hear Tonks close by, her shoes pounding the pavement behind him.
"They're following us," Tonks announced after awhile.
"They want me and Harry," Willow offered.
Harry hadn't noticed this before. "Me? Why?"
"Don't know," Willow answered in an airy voice. "Didn't take the time to ask. Giles should be able to figure it out."
"I just hope your uncle is as good as everyone makes him out to be, mate," Ron murmured to Harry.
Remus watched Angel as the ensouled vampire hovered over the unconscious Slayer. Rupert was making a cup of hot chocolate, the easiest way for Buffy to ingest the chocolate and fight off the effects of a dementor. It unnerved the werewolf to think that dementors had followed he and Harry from England, let alone that they had fed off a recently traumatized Slayer.
"It's lucky Harry prefers this to tea in the morning," Rupert said, as he poured the steaming water into a mug of ground chocolate. "I would have never kept it here."
"She'll be alright, Rupert," Remus soothed, noticing the Watcher's anxiety.
"What are they doing here, Remus?" the older man shot back. "They're supposed to guard Azkaban."
Remus looked at his hands that were fidgeting with a frayed end of his robes and forced himself to still the nervous habit. "They could be here for Harry," he admitted slowly. "It wouldn't be the first time that someone has sent dementors to silence him and it has been rumored that they heed the call of Voldemort."
Rupert's eyes widened so quickly that Remus nearly didn't catch it. "He failed to join his mind with Harry's." He started to stir the hot chocolate absently. "Then why go for Buffy?"
"They're attracted to negative emotion, they feed off it as a vampire would from blood. Harry's happier then I've seen him in a long time, probably happier then he's been since James and Lily died. His negative emotions would be buried deeper, where Buffy's right now are sitting on the surface, bubbling seductively towards them."
"I should never have let her go out alone," Rupert said, shaking his head. The chocolate had been adequately melted into the hot water and he banged the spoon against the edge of the cup, shaking the access liquid. "I had hoped to get her to come to terms with what had happened but I pushed her too far and she ran out. Right into their hands." He paused, scrutinizing his handiwork before calling, "Angel."
The vampire vaulted off the leather couch and was inside the kitchen before Remus had time to discern his movement. Gently he accepted the proffered drink and returned to Buffy's side, lifting her into a sitting position inside his embrace and serving sips of the warm liquid into the young girl.
"It shouldn't take long for the chocolate to work," Remus informed as both men watched the Slayer and the vampire closely.
Rupert sighed heavily, removing his glasses and cleaning them. "I'd better search for Harry. He, Xander, and Willow were taking Ron and Hermione out for the night. The sooner they all get indoors where it's safe, the easier I'll breath."
"Harry can take care of them if it comes down to that, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tonks has already spotted the dementors. Clumsy she may be, but she's rather a good auror," Remus assured the nervous man.
Abruptly, Buffy gasped and her shifting eyes opened up to the world around her. "The Master?" she cried.
Angel glanced over at the two men and Rupert shook his head. "He's not here, Buffy," Angel assured him. "You killed him. He can't ever come back."
"No, he can. His bones are gone. They're going to bring him back," Buffy said, struggling out of Angel's grasp. "Giles, we've got to stop them."
"Buffy, I've never heard of a revivification spell actually working," Rupert assured her, coming out of the kitchen arch and replacing his glasses. "And it wasn't the Master who attacked you at the graveyard."
"Attacked?" Buffy questioned, confusion wrinkling her brow. "I wasn't attacked."
"You were, that's why you passed out," Angel explained quietly, backing away now that Buffy was alright. It was almost painful for Remus to see the distance that separated them and yet he understood it all too well. A dark creature could not love without causing pain to the one they loved.
Remus stood forward. "You couldn't have seen them, those who aren't born with magic inside of them can't."
"What are they?" Buffy demanded, standing up from the couch.
"They're called dementors, Buffy," Rupert answered. "A mystical manifestation of the deepest pains inside all of us. To survive they must feed off human emotion."
Buffy shivered. "They were feeding off of me?" she asked. "Like a vampire?"
"Not exactly," Remus stepped in, knowing he had a greater definition then the Watcher. "They could feed off of you for an eternity if they'd like, but its truly the soul they desire. If Angel hadn't gotten to you in time, I fear they would have removed your soul."
Paling, Buffy looked up at Angel searching his strong features. "I'm alright," he said, his eyes caressing her gently. He gave a half-smile. "I guess gypsy curses are pretty strong, but I could feel them pulling at me."
"How do I kill'em?" Buffy asked, her steely gaze snapping between Rupert and Remus.
"You can't. They aren't alive, not physical," Remus countered. "This is something that Tonks and I will have to deal with. But if they're especially tenacious it may take some time."
Rupert held a warning finger before the girl. "And you are not leaving here until they are dispersed."
"Lupin could it be these dementia things that are trying to resurrect the Master?" Buffy questioned abruptly, ignoring Rupert's admonishment.
Remus shook his head. "No. They couldn't and wouldn't revive a soulless beast."
"Which means, we've got someone else doing the dirty work," Buffy deduced. "Angel, any ideas who?"
The vampire shrugged. "Not that I've heard. Of course, I'm not in the loop as I once was. But I agree with Giles, no one has ever resurrected a vampire successfully and these dementors seem to be the real threat."
"But if it was done by the anointed? Isn't he supposed be like the undeads messiah?" Buffy continued this line of thinking doggedly. Unable to break away from the constant fear instilled in her by not only the dementors but the happenings of past weeks. "He might be able to pull it off."
"Buffy," Angel said softly, edging closer to the slip of a girl.
Part of her seemed to lean towards him while another backed away. Her feet carrying her where her heart wanted to remain. "No," she would not be supplicated. "I know he's coming. And we've got to be prepared or all hell is going to break loose."
Irony crowned the moment, when Rupert's front door swung open and the group of teenagers with a haggard Tonks in tow, filed through in rapid succession. Each leaned over recovering their breath, their hands clutching their chests to sooth pounding hearts.
Tonks looked up at Remus her almond-shaped eyes snapping on his. "We've got trouble."
Buffy swung towards her Watcher. "Told ya," she said as the sound of incredible fists began to knock against the walls of Giles' apartment. Hedwig, Harry's owl, began to flap around in her cage. Harry crossed over to the corner of the living room, took her out, and began to stroke her feathers.
"I thought a vampire couldn't come in somewhere it wasn't invited," Willow demanded.
"Yes, well, that doesn't exactly count the courtyard outside of the apartment, Willow," Giles answered harshly. "Are you alright?"
The recent arrivals all nodded their heads. "The girl thinks they're after her and Harry," Tonks said, nodding her pink head towards Willow.
Fear clutched Buffy's heart and held it in a vice. "What? How do you know?" she asked, nearly leaping at Willow. The Slayer was supposed to be the target of vampires not the Slayer's friends.
"One of them said that they need me and Harry still with the breathing and the others. Well the others weren't so lucky," Willow answered in an exhausted stutter.
"You and Harry?" Giles questioned, looking over at his nephew before moving through the crowd to his study.
Lupin pressed the forgotten cup of hot chocolate in her hands. "Finish this," he whispered to her. "It will help." His hands were gentle against hers, almost feathery as though he were afraid to touch her.
"I'm alright," she assured him, but took the warm mug into her hands anyway. She felt a shiver that differed from the ones the dementors had caused to rack through her body. Something she always felt when Remus Lupin was around. "Will the dementors come here?"
"Most likely," Lupin answered truthfully. "Angel and yourself are too much of a treat for them to ignore. But I think for the moment you've given them the slip. Which gives us time to prepare."
"Prepare for what?" Buffy asked, unconsciously sipping at the hot chocolate. It warmed her in ways nothing else had, not even Angel's leather jacket that still hung from her slim shoulders.
"There are at least three people in this room that can repel a dementor, possibly more then that," Lupin explained in a soothing tone with a mysterious glint of mischief in his eye. "You needn't worry about them now that we are aware of their presence."
"I'm still iffy about all this magic," Buffy replied. "Wasn't too much with it back in L.A., mainly it was see a vampire, kill a vampire. Sunnydale has gotten so much more complicated."
Lupin smiled at her in the same tentative manner that he'd use to touch her hand. "Most things do with time."
"Good Lord," Giles' exclamation came from inside the study, quickly followed by her Watcher.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Speak of the irony. So what do you got?" she asked, indicating the open book in Giles' arms.
Giles cleared his throat nervously. "I do have several volumes on revivification spells. Most of them are done to revive powerful demon essences for a short time or to raise the dead in other forms then vampires. Zoombies to be specific."
"The point Giles," Buffy said sharply. She was still on edge about being attacked by beings she couldn't see.
"Oh, yes, um, right. To get to the point, it also has a variation of spells regarding reviving a recently destroyed vampire. The Master was no ordinary vampire," Giles said.
Buffy snorted. "No kidding. He had this strange hypno-thingy going for him."
"Among the 'hypno-thingy', he was believed to never have carried a soul even as a human. Which would explain why his bones were left behind. There always had to be a repository for the demon essence," came Giles explanation.
"So where most vampires dust and the demon is released, the Master's essence is sucked into his bones. His marrow," Willow deduced keenly.
"Exactly," Giles agreed. "Which is why it might be possible for the Master to rise again."
"And I remember you telling me he was gone," Buffy accused, looking at both Giles and Angel.
"Yes, well I didn't think it was possible because there is a specific bloodletting ritual that must be performed for this to occur," the Watcher elucidated.
Buffy was beginning to feel claustrophobic, nervous about the many people standing around her, all waiting for her to perform a miracle a second time. "What needs to be bled? Are we talking a certain kind of animal, a virgin, what?"
"Well, the best I can translate is, the person or persons closest to the Master when he died," Giles answered.
"That's me," Buffy said softly. When those beseeching eyes looked doubtful, she added, "We killed each other, that sort of creates a bond."
"That would make sense," Harry agreed, a hand moving up to rube at the scar on his forehead. Giles grabbed his arm before he could brush away the blood sealing out Voldemort from his mind.
The Watcher shook his head. "But the fact that they want Harry and Willow would negate that assumption."
"Maybe they wanted to lure me with a trap," Buffy guessed.
"Then why not take all of us," Xander objected.
"It's true, Buffy," Hermione stepped in. "It would only be logical to take more hostages then procure only a few selected with seemingly no ties."
Buffy threw up her hands in disgust and turned towards the group of wizards. "Can we have a little less from the English civilians. This isn't your job, it's mine."
"It is my job," Tonks said heatedly.
"No, you're job is to make sure Harry doesn't have dementia following after him," Buffy snapped, angrily.
Tonks' pretty face screwed up in a frown of confusion. "What is it with American's and memory loss?"
"She means dementors, Tonks," Lupin answered.
Ron and Hermione exchanged nervous looks. While Harry blinked in confusion. "Dementors, here?"
"They were feeding off of Angel and Buffy," Giles said.
"And what exactly does this have to do with forgetfulness?" Xander shot in.
Buffy groaned loudly. "Look, I'll take care of this."
"Buffy, this is not a responsible action," Giles cut her off as she started to storm for the door. "You can't go into this without knowing who truly is the aim of their desire. It is extremely important that you exercise patients."
Frustration with no small amount of fear was mounting inside the young Slayer. "And how long before those vampires figure they can smoke us out? Come on, Giles, we don't have a grando amount of time."
"Give me a little longer to translate the text. If it comes down to the worst, then yes, we'll have to make our escape, but right now they aren't likely to do us any harm. They need either you or Harry and Willow, to perform this ritual. As long as we stay together we're safe," Giles interceded.
Buffy deflated after a moment with a sigh. "Fine." Hedwig squawked at a particularly loud bang. "And could someone shut up that feather pillow?" Buffy asked before marching into the bathroom and shutting the door.
"Why is she acting like such a B-I-T-C-H?" Willow hissed to the group who had pushed aside the furniture and had hunkered down on the floor, the adults in one area, the youth in another.
Xander's furrowed forehead, was slashed with his dark eyebrows. "A bit-cha?"
"I think Uncle Rupert's right, we just need to give her a few minutes to collect herself," Harry put in, knowing how terrible Buffy was feeling right now. After finding out about the prophecy concerning himself and Voldemort he'd distanced himself from Ron, Hermione, and all his other friends. There was just a point in your life when you knew no one else could exactly comfort you in the way you wanted and so you choose isolation.
"She was scarey, mate," Ron put in. "And I've seen Hermione upset."
"Ronald," Hermione said scathingly.
Ron just gave her his sad puppy-face, a trick he seemed to have picked up over the summer months and Hermione melted under it. "You do tend to have quite a temper, 'Mione."
"And I suppose you're always even minded," Hermione said, lifting her chin.
Willow leaned closer to Harry and whispered, "Those two fight more then Xander and Cordelia."
Harry smirked, having seen first hand the bashing matches that Cordelia and Xander could get in to. "You should have seen them at the Triwizard Ball. I thought one of them wasn't going to make it out alive."
"Are they dating?" Willow asked.
"Not then," Harry answered. "And not now, that I'm aware of."
Harry's attention was brought to Angel, as he paced between the groups. The vampire hardly fit in with either group, and was releasing his anxiety by making as much movement as he could possibly inside the confines of the flat. He felt sorry for the vampire, although he'd read one of Uncle Rupert's books that had contained a history of Angelus and knew what the vampire had done in his past. It rather seemed to Harry that it wasn't much different from Professor Lupin's affliction. Angel had little choice in the acts that Angelus had performed.
He looked over at the Watcher to the Slayer, his uncle, as Rupert Giles poured over the test describing how the Master would arise. No wonder Buffy was going mental. He knew how he felt when Voldemort had risen, after everyone was sure he was out of the picture forever. Why was it that all the evil people of this world could be brought back, but people like his parents and Sirius were doomed to an early death?
"What do you think they're going on about?" Ron asked, having ended his recent argument with Hermione.
Harry shrugged. "Do you reckon we ought to move closer?"
"Closer?" Willow suddenly gasped. "Closest? Oh, I got it. I got it."
"Got what?" Harry asked, rising with her as she seemed to float to her feet.
But the redheaded girl ignored him and rushed to Uncle Rupert's side. Harry gestured for the others to follow him as he traced Willow's step. He noted that Angel had somehow gone from one corner of the room to the other without screaming his presence. Having come in towards the end of Willow's explanation Harry and the others only caught glimpse of it.
"....physically close, Giles. We've been thinking too figuratively," Willow said emphatically.
"Dear Lord, I do believe you're right Willow and in that case, they may already have..."
"Ms. Calendar and Cordelia," Willow finished.
"Which means they've got two out of the five for the gold star," Buffy said from behind them. Harry turned to face her and found the slim blonde looking ever so much like the huntress. "And we need information."
Without another word, Buffy walked over to the front door and flung it open. A vampire immediately flung herself at the barrier trying to get out those that were protected by it. Almost everyone backpedaled from the door, save Angel, Buffy, Tonks, and Uncle Rupert. They all seemed to understand what Buffy was doing.
Buffy snapped her right hand through the barrier and grabbed the vampire by the throat. "What's your name honey?" she asked in a cold tone. The vampire shook her head and her long mane of black hair flowed behind her. "I got to know your name so we can become best friends." Buffy's left hand yanked the silver cross at her neck and pushed it against the vampire girls forehead, causing the demonic features to ripple across her once pretty face.
"Celia," the vampire hissed in pain.
"Giles," Buffy ordered.
The Watcher invited the vampire into his home. Just as the words were leaving Uncle Rupert's lips, Buffy acted. With one swift movement, the Slayer pulled the vampire girl through the door and threw her to the ground. Allowing the vampire no respite for escape, Buffy was on her in an instant, using her forearm to hold the girl in place.
"Now we can do this the easy way, in which you give me the information I need and I dust you quickly or we can do it the hard way, where I make your un-life a dying hell until you give me the information I need and dust you quickly," Buffy threatened. She gave the vampire an innocent questioning look. "Now what's it going to be?"
Angel walked in front of Harry's line of sight, blocking Hermione and Ron as well as Xander and Willow from the production before them. "You really shouldn't see this."
"Come on Deadboy, what's a little vamp torture between friends," Xander joked weakly.
When Harry heard the muffled screams of the girl vampire he turned his head completely from it and walked over to Hedwig who was increasingly ruffled by the activity outside. He stroked the white feathers, trying to drown out the noises Buffy was extracting from the vampire girl.
Finally, the vampire girl cracked, "The woman and the girl are inside an old factory just outside Sunnydale's borders. But you can't stop him. You can't stop the Master rising."
"Want to bet?" Buffy drew a stake out from her jacket and drove it into the vampire's still heart. She became nothing more then ashes. "I guess I should have told her the odds." Now her attention was focused on Uncle Rupert. "How do I get out of here, Giles?"
"Through there," the Watcher pointed to the window upstairs. "But not alone."
"Giles, I can't keep protecting all of you," Buffy said heatedly.
"This isn't about you protecting us. What happens if the dementors show up and you're in midst of a battle? You need someone who can deflect them while you're fighting until the rest of us can break through and back you up."
Harry heard his uncle's words and knew exactly who it had to be to protect Buffy while she protected the rest of the world. He walked quietly to his room and took out his broom. Tonks would be helpful in a fight against the vampires but then her attention would be split between deflecting the dementors and fighting against the living dead. Professor Lupin could produce a patronus but he might slow Buffy down. Hermione hadn't ever produced one when the dementors were crouching down on her and Ron still had difficulties even in the Room of Requirement. It had to be him.
"Tonks, I think you'd be the best person to accompan...," Uncle Rupert trailed off as he noticed Harry clutching his broom.
"Sorry, but I would disagree Uncle Rupert," Harry said in a strong voice. "Tonks doesn't ride a broom nearly as well as I do."
"Absolutely not," Uncle Rupert and Professor Lupin said simultaneously.
Buffy was watching him curiously, as though not sure how to take this offer. Harry straightened his shoulders and looked her square in the eye, allowing her to see that he wasn't afraid. And he wasn't. He trusted her to hold the tide at bay while he kept a lookout for the evil from his world.
"Harry, this isn't your fight," Buffy told him quietly.
"We'll make sure that one another is safe," Harry assured her. He tossed his broom lightly in the air. "No one can catch me on this, not even a vampire."
"He is the best seeker to ever play for Gryffindor," Professor Lupin said on side to Uncle Rupert and Harry knew he was halfway to convincing his former defense teacher.
Uncle Rupert studied him for a moment, searching his features as though to memorize them or to decipher what may lay beneath them. It was several long moments before the Watcher nodded. "Willow, you and I will give ourselves over to the vampires. They need us alive until they perform the ritual. Buffy, you and Harry take off and let them see Harry. Hopefully, they'll follow. We need to know for sure that Cordelia and Ms. Calendar are already there."
Buffy nodded. "The rest of you follow, once the coast is clear."
"Are you sure about this Giles?" Willow asked tentatively.
Uncle Rupert gave her a kind look. "I'll keep you safe."
Harry was surprised when his uncle grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him into a hug. "Be careful," the Watcher hissed into his ear. "Do exactly as Buffy tells you, it will keep you alive. And keep a good grip on that broom."
A smile touched Harry's lips. "I will."
When the young wizard turned to the Slayer, Buffy was eyeing his broom with a wary expression. "Flying really isn't my thing."
"Don't worry, I'm very safe," Harry said. Ron and Hermione both scoffed then. "What?"
"No offense, Harry, but you are a bit wild on that thing," Hermione said apologetically.
Ron chuckled, "It's true, Harry. I stopped counting how many times you had to go to Madame Pomfrey."
"This isn't exactly instilling confidence in me," Buffy said peevishly.
Harry shrugged chagrined. "Quidditch is a very intense game. Sometimes I took a risk or two to get a win. Usually, I'm very safe."
"A risk or two?" Ron asked.
"Oh, shut up," Harry said good-natured.
"Xand, I leave all my CD's to you. Will can have my wardrobe," Buffy said, conducting her last will and testament. "Giles should get my weapons."
Hermione gave her a coquettish grin. "He is reckless but no one has died yet."
Buffy winced and Harry wished he'd explained more about what had happened previously with the Master. But she seemed to shrug it off as she turned to Harry. "Let's go before I loose my nerve."
They mounted the stairs together and Harry pushed the large window open. He slung his leg over his broom and turned to make sure Buffy did as well. "Just hold on tight to me." With that, he kicked off and they were in the cold night air.