Author's Note: I would like to thank ... well I was gonna list everyone and say who got cookies but for some reason the stat part of my account with that info won't open for some reason. I'm just gonna have to post all of your names in the next update because I'm pretty sure you'll want this update without further delay... Did that make sense, 'cause it did in my head. Oh well, on with the chapter.
Previously on Phoenix Child:
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 for why you are trusting Miss Summers. I am placing an extreme amount of faith on you."
"I do, Albus," Moody told him. "Do you 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."
Faith bolted upright and into a fighting stance as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named started inching towards her. "Stay away from me or I'll make you," she threatened him as he came closer, not missing a stride. Faith tried desperately to keep the fear out of her voice. "Get away from me I'll kill you."
"Why, Faith," Voldermort said as he came to a stop in front of her and put a hand to her face. "Isss that any way to great your father?"
Chapter 41
Oh no, Buffy thought to herself. Not again. Wasn't one Glory incident enough to deal with? Now I feel like I'm dealing with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Haven't I done enough? And now the Powers have to put me through this crap? Haven't they meddled with my life enough as it is? But no, I have to constantly save their asses once again and be their stupid butt-monkey while I'm doing it...don't I just love my life? Not. Oh well, guess I've got to step in here before Moody gets a headache big enough to blow his head off. Metaphorically of course, 'cause otherwise, eww.
"We know each other really well," Buffy said, talking about Elizabeth Potter, a.k.a. herself. "We're like two peas in a pod."
"You know Elizabeth Potter?" Professor Dumbledore asked her. "Personally?"
"What?" Moody started to asked, now confused himself. "No, you don't understand, Professor. Miss Fox/Summers is Elizabeth Potter. Not that she knows her. Buffy, what are talking about?"
"What Moody means to say, Albus," Buffy nervously started out, "Can I call you Albus?" After receiving a curt nod she continued. "What Moody means to say is that since I know Elizabeth so well it's like I am her," she finished off with a timid laugh.
"Of course, Miss Summers," Dumbledore explained to her slowly, as if to a small child. "I know. Everyone knows what Alastor meant to say because that is exactly what he said. Do you need to lay down? Maybe go see the nurse? You don't seem at your best right now."
"Well of course he said that," Buffy awkwardly laughed, having momentarily forgotten about the effects of the spell. They won't 'hear' the truth unless it were to come from her own mouth. Until then, they would just hear what the spell intends them to hear about her, absolutely diddly squat. And that was completely fine with her. "I probably just heard him wrong."
"Miss Summers, are you positive you are feeling alright? I could simply escort you myself to the hospital wing," Dumbledore offered.
"No!" Buffy quickly yelled out in a fear-laced voice and everyone turned to stare at her.( Not that they weren't staring already, it's just that... oh never mind). "I'm fine!"
"Miss Summers, you do seem at all 'fine'," Professor Dumbledore stated. "Perhaps if you just-"
"No!" Buffy screamed, even though she tried not to but fear got the better of her. "Please no hospital! Please," she pleaded sounding very much like a scared little girl. "I'm fine, really. I just hate hospitals. Please don't make me go to one please."
"Alright," Dumbledore finally relented. "But you must rest and I'm afraid that I can not allow you leave unaccompanied, at least not until everything is cleared up. You understand?"
"I understand," Buffy solemnly answered her old headmaster.
Before Dumbledore could make any other instructions Moody spoke up. "Albus, if I may escort Miss Summers to her bedchambers myself? We have a lot to catch up on since we saw each other last. And this way she is not left alone."
Professor Dumbledore seemed to take a moment to think of Moody's proposal before he responded to his question. "That is alright, Alastor. But I wish to speak with both of you tomorrow. After a well rested sleep of course. Good night, Alastor, Miss Fox."
Each professor went to their own respective rooms; Dumbledore went to where ever he usually goes at night, and Buffy and Moody made their way in silence to her room at the other end of the castle. Buffy always knew her room was quite a ways away from the headmasters office but walking there in uncomfortable silence made if seem like miles. Once the two wizards reached her room Buffy said the password and opened the door wide enough to allow Moody entrance without ever having to utter an invite. I lived on the Hellmouth for way too long, Buffy ruefully thought. But you can never be too careful.
After walking and now sitting in silence for several minutes that seemed like endless hours, Buffy spoke up first. "Not that I'm not glad that you saved my butt back there, 'cause I am, it's just how do you...?"
"How do I know?" Moody asked her.
"Yeah," Buffy answered. "I mean, the spell isn't supposed to let anyone know my true identity, so how do you know?"
"I had a suspicion that something was amiss and that I should have known it. So I had Sirius perform a spell to clear up my memory and... wait a minute. What spell are you talking about? I cast that spell after I had sent you away. There was no way you could have known about that. What are you talking about?"
"The spell that Willow and I cast to confuse everyone so they don't figure out my true identity. What are you talking about?"
"The spell I used to clear my memory of sending you away incase anyone ever questioned me about your whereabouts. I wanted to ensure your safety," Moody informed her. "But that doesn't answer how you know of your identity. How it that by the way?"
"That's kind of a long story," Buffy told him. "Are you sure you want to hear all of it or do you want the abridged version? You look kinda tired."
"How long will the long version take?"
"A few hours at least and the directors cut of Titanic."
"The directors cut of Titanic?"
"About four hours cut. The directors cut is at least a couple hours longer."
"I'll take the short version for now," Moody replied.
"Alright," she said. "I became the slayer, killed Lothos, burned down the school gym and got expelled, moved to the Hellmouth, got killed by the Master, killed the Master, dated an ensouled Angelus the Scourge of Europe , slept with and later killed Angelus, got expelled again, ran away, came back, dated an ensouled Angelus again, killed the mayor, blew up the high school, worked with a secretive military operation, became a mighty slayer, almost got killed by the first slayer in my dreams, dropped out of college, got a fourteen year-old sister, found my mom dead, fought a god, died again, went to heaven, was resurrected about five months later and was pulled out of heaven by my friends, clawed my way out of my grave, had sex with William the Bloody, tried to kill all of my friends, nearly lost my sister to social services, died again briefly, watched my best friend nearly destroy the world, got kicked out of my own house by potential slayers and my own sister, defeated the First Evil, destroyed the Hellmouth and Sunnydale, not to mention another school, found out my life I knew was a lie, and here I am. You pretty much know the rest."
Moody sat there for a minute trying to take it all in. "I think I'll regret saying this come morning but tell me the long version."
So Buffy told him the long version. She told him everything that had happened since she last saw him all those years ago. She told him about everything from her cheerleading days at Hermery and Merrik's death to the final battle with the First. He laughed when she told him about Xander's antics and the Buffy-falls-on-her-butt stories and he held her as she cried and told him about Angel, Angelus, Spike, Tara, and her mom. She told him everything she had been put through and the more he heard, the more she endeared herself to him.T.B.C.