Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed as it was greatly appreciated. Your questions will be answered as the story goes on. If they aren't then ask and I'll try to clear everything up. And thanx to Chris for editing this chapter.

Author's Note 2: I know one of Malli's notes from her original story was that after Buffy jumped into the portal at the end of season 5 the PTB erased Dawn and all memories of her, and then last chapter I mentioned a 14 year-old sister (Dawn), but I just figured that when the PTB did their mojo Buffy was technically dead, therefore Buffy's mind was not tempered with (again) and she (and she alone) retained the memories of Dawn... Wow! Was that a sentence? Also, I don't really remember how Giles described the beginning of the Earth so I'm improvising.

Author's Note 3: I passed my drivers test today! On the first try, too! Woohoo!… Okay, so I'm a little excited. So what? Anyways, in order to celebrate I believe this chapter deserves a lot of reviews. Hint, hint, wink

Previously on Phoenix Child:

"Faith!" Willow called out, looking for her fellow Scooby. "Faith… You guys," she addressed the gang. "Has anyone seen Faith? I can't find her anywhere."

The gang all looked at each other before Xander replied on behalf of everyone standing. "We thought she was with you."

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?"

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.

Chapter 42

"I think it's time to call a meeting," Harry told Hermione and Ron quietly as they sat in their common room, careful not to let anyone else hear him. "We need to call another meeting and soon. I don't know who Professor Fox really is or what she's up to and I don't want to take any chances."

"Okay, is Friday good?" Hermione asked, looking at her calendar quickly.

"No," Harry replied to her. "I don't want to wait that long. Is there any way we can call one any time sooner? Please, Hermione."

"Well, I guess if I rearrange this and put that there and then… Yes!" Hermione quietly exclaimed. "We can have it tomorrow night after dinner. Is that soon enough?"

"Oh, Hermione, I could kiss you!" Harry cried out, giving Hermione a friendly hug.

"Hey!" Ron hissed at him. "Watch the hands!"

Both Harry and Hermione pulled away at the outburst from Ron and looked at him like he had grown a second or even a third or fourth head.

"Ron?" Harry attentively asked one of his two best friends. "Are you alright?"

"What? Oh yeah, of course I am," Ron yammered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason," Harry told him while making a mental not to himself that they needed to have a talk later before he turned and addressed Hermione. "So, tomorrow night then?"

"You got it," she said. "I'll go and activate the coins in a minute."

At this point most of the students have already left the common room and gone to bed. Except for one other that is.

"Harry!" one of the sixth year girls yelled to him while handing him a folded letter. "I've got something for you. It's from Luna, not me. So don't get any ideas."

Once the girl had walked off Harry quickly read the letter aloud. It said for him to meet her outside the Great Hall before dinner. "What would Luna want with me?"

"I don't know, Harry but I'm sure you'll find out," Hermione told him. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Good night, Hermione," the two echoed after her. Once she was out of sight Harry turned to Ron.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Ron asked him.

"What was up with you back there?" Harry asked him again.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Ron said.

"That's bullocks and you know it," Harry told him. "Now what's up with you and Hermione?"

"Well, I…" Ron started. "Ilikehermione!"

"Once again. And slower this time."

"I like Hermione."

"Oh," Harry said. "Is that all?"

"What do you mean 'Is that all'? This is a BIG deal!"

"It is pretty obvious. I mean nearly the whole school knows that you like her, except Hermione that is. I'm really surprised she hasn't figured it out yet. Though that's probably because she likes you, too… At least I think she does."

"What!" Ron exclaimed. "The whole school knows! How come nobody… Wait a minute; Hermione likes me, too? Really?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she does," Harry replied. "You should just ask her out already. I'm going to bed. Night, Ron."

"Night."

"You're not my father!" Faith screamed at the Dark Lord. "He was nothing like you, you bastard."

"Faith, Faith," Voldemort chastised. "What language! No daughter of mine would ever mouth off to her father like that. I believe it's time you learned some manners."

"You're not my father!" Faith screamed again. "You're nothing like him."

"Oh, but aren't I?" Voldemort asked her. "After all we did share everything: a mother and father, blood, bedrooms, even our faces are identical. Everything he had and owned was mine as well. Surely that includes you, Faithy?"

"Don't call me that!" Faith yelled at him. "Only my father called me that and you aren't him. You were never like him. He was always better than you at everything… Besides, from where I'm standing it seems like he had the better looks, Snakeface."

"Crucio!" Voldermort screamed out at the chained Faith and gleefully watched as she withered in pain, pulling against her restraints. "Don't you ever speak to me like that again or maybe I'll let my Death Eaters have some fun with you."

With that Voldermort briskly walked out of the room and left Faith alone with her thoughts and her pain.

The next morning in the Great Hall all of the students were wondering where most of the professors were. No one was really wondering where Professor Trelawney was because she hardly ever ate with the rest of the school. She usually just took her meals in her room. However the other professors almost always ate their meals in the Great Hall so having none of them there was quite unusual and a little alarming. This is what seems to be the topic of discussion… That and Professor Fox or whoever she really is. Well, it was the main topic for almost everyone.

"So," Harry said quietly to Hermione. "Did you activate the coi-coconut?"

"Last night," she responded in code. "The duck is ready to leave the pond."

"What's a duck got to do with a coconut?" Ron asked them.

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione whispered to him. "Can't you get anything right? We were speaking in code in case anyone might have been listening."

"Okay," he said slowly. "But what does a duck have to do with a coconut?"

"Ron!" Hermione quietly explained while rubbing her temples with her forefingers before continuing. "Harry asked if I set the coins to notify people for the meeting and I told him that I had and that everything was ready to go for tonight."

"Oh. Well why didn't you just say so?"

Before Hermione could retort to Ron's response Professor Dumbledore walked through the entrance of the Great Hall followed by the rest of the professors (minus Professor Trelawney), Alastor Moody, and Professor Fox who was dressed in…muggle clothing? Buffy currently had on white tennis shoes, faded low rise blue jeans, and a ribbed white turtle neck sweater with her hair down, flowing down her back in loose waves. Apparently the whole student body seemed to notice this along with the fact that she was not locked up or surrounded but a horde of Aurors with wands aimed in her direction

"Students," Professor Dumbledore said. "I would like your attention. I know many of you are wondering why is Professor Fox still here and who is she. First of all, Professor Fox is not here. In fact Professor Fox never really existed in the first place. I would tell you more but I'm afraid that I would rather you hear it from her mouth. Buffy, if you will?"

"Set them up and give them to me why don't ya?" Buffy mumbled to herself before she began her lecture in a very American accent, which everyone noticed. "Okay, well, from what DumbleDee said you already know that my name's Buffy Summers and yes that is my full name and if I hear anyone making fun of it I'll kick your ass all the way to the closest Hellmouth… Maybe that wasn't the best way to start this out. Okay, well, you don't know it but you already know a lot about what I do and me. You actually learned about me in your DADA classes."

Buffy paused for a minute, wondering if anyone really smart would figure it out. When all she received was blank and confused stares she continued on. "This would be so much easier if Giles were here. He loves doing this part… As I've told you the world didn't start out as a paradise. Well, it did, but for the demons that walked dominated the Earth. The side of good needed someone or something to fight, pushing the demons and evil back. So a group of three wise men put the essence and power of a demon into the body of a young girl, the Chosen One. Into each generation the Chosen One is called. She alone will have the power and skills to fight back the evil and forces of darkness. She is The Slayer… And she is me."

T.B.C.