Author's Note: This is the only time I will say this so listen up: I am not Malli and I am not going to try to be. No one can, so don't criticize me solely for the fact that we don't have the same writing style. I am not trying to sound mean, I am just trying to get a point across…I am not Malli but I hope you enjoy my continuation nonetheless.
Author's Note 2: I need someone to beta my work. If you are seriously interested in this job, let me know. It'd be greatly appreciated.
Author's Note: I know the Minister is kinda out of character in this chappie (and probably more to come), but I really don't like him. Can ya tell? 'Sided, he kinda reminds me of the impotent Nazi with the bug up his butt the size of an emu (Snyder). : )
Author's Note 4: Thank you to Anne-Marie, Black Cat Gurl, Dru'id the Druid, Hidden in the Darkness, Wild320, Vixen519, liit06, Mama T, Goddessa39 (my loyal reviewer so far), BakaNeko & the Y group, Kastia, SilverPunk with an attitude, lostbabanna, and Aprilise for reviewing.. Thank you guys sooooooo much! I love your reviews and questions about the story line will reviel themselves in time. Review again. (Since you can't see me, just picture a mix of Willow's resolve face and Buffy's pout… a lethal combination.) Now on with the story…
Previously on Phoenix Child:
"Miss Fox," Dumbledore stressed her 'name', clearly irritated. "Answer the question."
Buffy slouched down in partial defeat. Now everyone was going to know her identity. Or one of them anyway, she thought before she responded with an American accent. "My name is Buffy Summers."
She looked around the room. Everyone went silent again after hearing her statement. Everyone in the room with the exception of the minister had looks of stun and awe on their faces. The minister just sported a look of confusion.
"What?!" Fudge asked, annoyed at the fact everyone knew something he didn't. He was the minister of the bloody place and he was supposed to know first. "What is it?!"
"Minister," one of the Aurors said with awe in their voice. "She's The Slayer. She's The Chosen One."
Chapter 40
Everyone currently in Dumbledore's office leaned forward in his or her chair, or standing places as it may be, to see what the minister's reaction would be to that little tidbit of information. Out of all the people in the room, Fudge should have been one of the first people in the room to know who the current Slayer was. Many people were even curious as to if he even knew what one was. He wouldn't know a Slayer if it staked him through the heart, thought one of the Aurors. Just because the Aurors worked for the Ministry of Magic, and subsequently Fudge, that didn't mean they had to like him. If that were the case then Umbridge would be the only person (?) there other than the Minister himself… Oh, and maybe Percy. But then again Percy never had the best of tastes. He liked Scabbers didn't he? 'Nuff said.
"I don't bloody well care what she is," came the Minister's obtuse reply. "She is evil and I want her arrested immediately!"
Fudge looked around the room, expecting something to be done. After all, he was the Minister. When no one moved from their spots and all looked at him instead of at her (Buffy), the Minister was not only extremely confused but also infuriated. Why aren't they listening to me?! Fudge thought to himself. I tell them to bring me a cup a tea and they're supposed to say "What kind?". What is wrong with these people? They should be listening to me, not her, ME! Me, me, me…doesn't anyone care she was controlling me with a spell? That's it! The Minister dried in his head. They're all under her spell. That's why they won't listen to me.
"You are all under her spell!" The Minister cried out to everyone, or more like squeaked to everyone. "I probably just escaped her clutches because I'm the Minister of Magic and am too powerful for her… Don't you see? She's controlling you all! This madness has to stop!"
It certainly does, thought Moody. The question is, how to get rid of you?
At this point everyone listening to the Minister was either trying desperately not to laugh (again), or too much in shock by his behavior to do much of anything at the moment. Buffy on the other hand could not control it any longer and burst out laughing. This caused others to come forward with their laughter. It was quite plentiful. The Minister however did not find the situation at all funny. Fudge despised laughter almost as much as Umbridge, and he certainly did not like when the laughter was directed at him… again. But instead of focusing any of his attention on the room full of laughing people, he concentrated all of it on a certain flaxen head seated across the table in near hysterics, ready to fall off her chair at any given moment.
"You take the spell off right NOW!" he yelled at her. "Take it off or I'll-"
"Or you'll what?" Buffy calmed down enough to ask. "Order me dead?" But wait, you already did that Buffy bitterly thought. And you didn't even have the balls to do it yourself. You really are a coward and way worse than Snyder ever was…I still say Moldywart should have you for dinner, and not in the date kind of way either. "Besides, it's not like they'll let you."
"It's not like who will let me?" Fudge questioned her with an eyebrow raised. Does she really think she has enough power to control the Aurors and Dumbledore to let her walk free after what she did to me? I should think not.
"The PTB," Buffy answered calmly, now free from all her laughter.
"The person that can make me do anything is me," Fudge sneered. "And what exactly is the PTB?"
"That would be who exactly are the PTB, Minister," the last part said with her own sneer that the Minister did not notice. Can this guy get anymore dense?
"Excuse me?!" Fudge seemed even more outraged at that point, it that's even possible.
I guess not Buffy thought before replying. "The PTB are a who, not a what. I don't think they would appreciate being talked about as a what. They're extremely powerful beings. But to answer you question, the PTB are the fucking Powers that Be… bastards."
"If they are so powerful then why are you talking about them using… crude language? Shouldn't you be more careful about what you say about them?" The Minister asked.
"What can I say?" Buffy said, leaning back in her chair with her feet placed on the table and hands behind her head. "The Powers and I have a love/hate relationship." And then added after seeing everyone's confused looked at that statement, "You know, they love to torment me and I hate them for it."
Before Fudge could answer back this time Dumbledore interrupted him. "As much as I am enjoying this… meeting, it is getting exceedingly late and the students need to be attended to. I suggest we continue this someplace with a more formal setting, and at a later date."
"Professor-" Fudge tried to object while Buffy looked over at the Minister with a smug look on her face.
"That is quite enough!" Dumbledore told the Minister. "This meeting will continue at another time. Do not make me repeat it, Cornelius. Miss F… Summers was only performing her duties. I have every faith in Alastor and if he says that he hired Miss Summers to look out for the welfare of Harry then that is what she was hired to do. Surely even you, Minister, will not object to protecting Harry. After all, the state of his welfare reflects onto you. You are the Minister of Magic. Besides, there is no solid proof that you were being controlled by Miss Summers. But just to be on the safe side, she shall remain in my custody. She shall not leave Hogwarts ground and it is well known that these grounds are impenetrable, to enter or leave. I assure you she will not leave my sight."
That seemed to pacify the Minister a somewhat, but not much. Buffy still looked extremely smug. "And Miss Summers," Dumbledore added. "I suggest you remove your feet from my table unless you wish to join the Minister." Her feet were immediately removed from his beloved tabletop, and the smirk removed itself as well. "That's what I thought… Well, Minister, have a lovely night. Do try to get some sleep. It will do you some good."
As soon as the Minister, Frank Longbottom, and the Aurors filed out of the room and left the castle Dumbledore immediately turned to Alastor Moody. "I hope you have a good explanation on why you are trusting Miss… Summers. I am placing an extreme amount of faith on you."
"I do, Albus," Moody told him. "Do remember the night Elizabeth Potter was killed?"
"Of course I do, Alastor," Dumbledore said. "But what does this have to do with Miss Summers?"
"I'm getting there," Moody said before continuing. "You see, Elizabeth Potter wasn't killed that night… Fudge ordered me to kill her but I couldn't do it. Not to Elizabeth, she was so young and innocent. It wasn't her fault. Since I couldn't kill her I changed her memory and sent her to America with a new identity of Buffy Summers. Buffy Summers is Elizabeth Potter."
Dumbledore, as well as everyone had surprised expressions on their faces that quickly changed into ones of confusion. Dumbledore was the first to speak, as usual. "Now all we need to do is figure out what Miss Summers has to do with Elizabeth Potter."
A/N: Sound familiar? The first person to guess what is going on gets a cookie.