Previously on Phoenix Child:

Three weeks had gone by, and not much progress was made. The Scooby Gang and the Order had been researching nonstop, but to no avail. No one yet knew why and how Spike had become human again, no one knew just what Voldemort had up his sleeves, and Ron still hadn't asked out Hermione. The last one had nothing to do with the research party that had been nonstop for three weeks, but there was still no progress.

Giles started again. "She was born into this world and her soul was reborn into it after each time she...erm, died."

"And she is to help Harry in the war," Dumbledore added. "'Him of not yet scorned.' Voldemort has tried on several occasions to kill him but has never succeeded."

"Ooh!" Willow said. "And the quake must be an earthquake, which is right before those demons come out."

"And the 'one of light and dark' is..." Xander trailed off, realizing who it referred to. The rest of the Scooby Gang looked forlorn as well.

"What?" One of the aurors asked. "Who is it?"

"It's-" Xander started before Willow cut him off.

"It's me," she said with downcast eyes before turning to Giles.

Dumbledore spoke up. "'On the eve of 12 past 2' is..."

"Oh dear Lord," Giles said while cleaning his glasses once again. "That's..."

"Tomorrow night," Remus finished for him.

Chapter 48

While the adults and everyone were busy trying to comprehend what they had just unraveled about the upcoming battle, Harry quietly snuck out of Dumbledore's office and out of Hogwarts. Harry didn't know where he was going, he only knew that he had to get out of that room and away from all those people. He just needed to be alone right now.

Once Harry stopped walking he found himself near the Forbidden Forest, in front of the lake that was home to the giant squid. Harry found a spot on the grass and sat down, lost in his thoughts and feelings. To say that Harry was scared to death about the battle to come was an understatement. Right now he had so many emotions running through him that he couldn't pick out just one. But one thing he was feeling in great quantities was numbness.

Harry kept thinking about his battles with Voldemort in the past five years. He kept thinking about how he never got to know his parents; the times he spent with his two best friends, Ron and Hermione; and how after tomorrow night he may never see either of them ever

again. Harry thought of all the people who had been hurt or worse because of him. People were always getting injured or killed because of him. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Arthur Weasley, Dudley, his Aunt Marge, Cho, Cedric, Sirius, his parents... The list went on, and as it went on the more forlorn Harry became.

'It's all my fault,' Harry thought to himself. 'If I wasn't here then none of this would have ever

happened. No one would have been hurt and Mom, Dad, and Cedric would still be alive... It's all my fault. Everyone would be better off without me.'

Harry was so lost in his thoughts that he never realized it when someone came out of the castle and down sat next to him.

"Don't ever think that," the person told him.

Harry whipped his head around and jerked, startled out of his wits.

"How did you-" Harry started, wondering if he spoke out loud. He was sure he had thought it all to himself.

"I can't hear thoughts if that's what you're thinking," the person said. "At least not anymore."

"Professor, how did you know what I was thinking?"

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out what you're going through right now," the person said. "And Harry, out of class call me Buffy. I'm not your professor at the moment. Besides, I know what you're feeling."

"No you don't," Harry nearly shouted at her as his attitude turned from confusion to anger. "No one knows what I'm going through and what I'm feeling! No one else has had Voldemort after him since he was a baby. No one else has to be the one to kill him. No one can

possibly know what I'm going through, especially you. You haven't even been in the Wizarding world before so don't try to act like you know everything and try to be my best friend, alright? You don't know!"

Buffy just looked at him for a moment and Harry would see the pain in her eyes. He had never seen eyes with so much pain in them before. Not even Sirius', and he had suffered in Azkaban for over a decade. But there was also something else in her eyes that Harry could

not pin down. It was a sense of familiarity, but it couldn't be. It was impossible, yet they were just the same as his own.

"Harry," Buffy began. "I know what you're feeling and going through because I've been through it too. Not everything is the same as what has happened to you, but some of it is. And the parts that aren't are close to it."

This just confused Harry once again, but at least his anger had subsided a little. For now, anyway.

"I wasn't as young as you when you first found out about your destiny. I was 15 and as normal and muggle as can be.

"One day a man approached me and told me that it was my destiny to fight and destroy the forces of darkness; to slay the vampires and demons. That man was a Watcher sent to train me. I thought he was crazy. But what he showed me that night changed everything. That

night I saw and killed my first vampire. He didn't even help. He just stood at the sidelines and watched.

"I was never so scared in my life. Everything in my nightmares were real. The things that go bump in the night, the monsters lurking in the shadows. All of it was real.

"I was so scared I didn't know what to do. My parents didn't know what was wrong, what scared me so badly. Finally I told them...and they thought I was crazy. So one day we all got in the car to go somewhere. They told me that we were going on a family outing. I thought we were going to see a movie or something. We didn't go to the movies. They took me to a 'hospital' where I could get 'help' and they locked me up. I was in the ward with the older children, all female.

"Most of the orderlies there were male. Not all, but most. And they were the ones who usually worked the night shift. They weren't the kindest of people.

"At night they would always make sure we were strapped in properly, but not so we wouldn't fall out of the bed, or to give us our medicine... They thought we were put there for their 'pleasure' and they made sure we knew it. No one told; they threatened us with worse if we did," Buffy paused, looking down at her clasped hands resting on her knees.

She waited a moment before continuing. Harry could have sworn there were tears running down her face, but it was too dark out to tell without her facing him.

"I never told anyone before."

"Then why tell me?" Harry gently asked her. All his anger had melted away as he watched and listened to her talk.

"Because I trust you," she told him, turning to face the young wizard. "And there's something you need to understand."

"What?"

"I'm getting there. Not long after that I started to lie to the doctors until they were convinced I was 'cured' and they sent me home. Everything was okay for a while. But then my destiny caught up with me and I realized it wasn't a nightmare; it was very much real.

"Merrick, my watcher, started to train and guide me...He was killed because of it; because of me. And he wasn't the only one who was hurt or killed because of me either.

"There was Merrick of course, my parents and family, Pike, everyone at Hermery High... Jesse, Giles, Willow, Xander, Ford, Kendra, Angel, Lilly, Faith, the deputy mayor, all of Sunnydale High... Wesley, Eddie, Riley, Forrest, Olivia, Tara... my mom... the potentials, so many others who I never even knew...you. The list just goes on. I'm sure you probably have your own by now as well. It's probably not as long as mine yet and I can't promise you that it will ever stop growing. But I can promise you that no matter what, if you'll have me, I'll always be there for you whenever you need me."

"That's great and all but what-" Harry cut in.

"What's my point?" Buffy asked him.

Harry nodded.

"I'm getting there. Don't worry. I know you probably just want to cut everyone off and

out of your life. That way they don't get hurt. You're trying to protect them. It's natural to try to protect those that you love, but it won't help any. Trust me, I know. I've tried.

"The people in there, in the castle, love you and want to help you in this. If you try to keep them away from everything then they're just going to fight back even harder. Just think of it this way: without those people you're trying to push away, you wouldn't have any reason to fight the good fight, or any fight at all for that matter. Besides, I can tell you right now that with or without you tomorrow, those people will still be fighting. You can't stop them. This war has been going on longer than you've been alive and the people fighting against it right now are not going to just stop and sit back because you don't want them to get hurt. With or without you they are going tomorrow. It's just up to you whether you let them fight alongside you. Now answer me this: those people in there, are they worth fighting for?"

"Yes."

"Then don't push them away; even if it is for your own sanity. You need them to win this in more ways than one... Do you understand, Harry?"

"I think so," Harry answered.

Silently, just as she had come, Buffy stood up to leave. As she brushed off her pants and was making her way away from the lake, Harry remembered something she had said earlier.

"Prof- Buffy!" Harry called after her. "Wait! I have to ask you something."

Buffy stopped and turned around. "What is it?"

"Earlier, when you were talking to me you said something that confused me."

"Well, what was it?" Buffy asked him as she sat back down.

"You said you've been through some of the same things as me but you never said what," Harry explained. "And then in you list you mentioned you mom twice. You said 'my parents...and my mom.' What did you mean?"

'Oh gosh,' Buffy thought, cradling her head in her hands. 'I knew I would have to tell him sooner or later. I was just hoping it would have been later... Here goes. Hopefully after this he won't hate me for keeping it a secret.'

"Harry," Buffy told him. "You might want to get comfortable. This might take a while."

Meanwhile, in an empty Gryffindor common room, Ron and Hermione sat by the fire in silence. Hermione was perfectly content with the silence; it allowed her to sort through her thoughts. Ron, however, was about as uncomfortable in the silence as his twin brothers were without practical jokes and pranks. It just seemed unnatural. But every time Ron started to say something to break the silence, no sound came out. Instead, Ron just wound up looking like a mute goldfish attempting to speak.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ron was able to find his voice.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, successfully gaining her attention.

"Yes, Ron?" Hermione turned in her seat to look at him.

"There's been something I've been trying to tell you for a while now," Ron told her. "I just can't ever seem to find the words or courage to tell you."

"Well, what is it?" Hermione asked, both curious and nervous. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"That's what I'm hoping," Ron answered.

He held his breath for a moment before continuing.

"You see," he said. "For a while now I've had feelings for a certain person, but I'm not sure if this person likes me like that."

"Do I know this person?"

"Um... yeah," Ron told her. "That's why I came to you. You see, I don't know what to do. I mean, what if I tell this person I like them and they don't like me back? I don't want to ruin our friendship just because of it, you know? I've been really good friends, best friends even, with this person since what seems like forever. I love what we have, and I don't want to ruin

it if I'm wrong. But I'm afraid if I don't then I may never have a chance with this person. And with the big fight being tomorrow night, a part of me is afraid tonight may be my only chance if they don't make it through the battle. I don't want to take the chance that I'll never be able to tell this person how I feel about them."

At hearing this, a lot thoughts were flying through Hermione's head as she tried to piece together the clues about who this mystery person is that Ron likes. 'Let me see,' she thought. 'It's someone Ron is really close to... best friends even, for a long time...and the only close friends of Ron's that I know about hat fit that description are Harry and-Oh my gosh! Why didn't I see it before? I'm not usually this dense. That's usually Ron's area... Oh my gosh, Ron! He's just sitting there and staring at me. I have to let him know that I know.'

"Ron," Hermione said. "I know and I'm so sorry I didn't notice before, especially after all these

years."

"Does that mean you..." Ron trailed off with a smile on his face.

"Of course I'll still be your friend. Nothing can change that," Hermione told him. "Besides, I'm sure you and Harry will be very happy together."

"I like yo- What!" Ron exclaimed. "No! Hermione, I don't like Harry like that... I like you."

"But that means you.." Hermione trailed off as a smile broke out on her face.

Before Ron could respond Hermione launched herself at him with such force that they both toppled off of the couch. Hermione and Ron were so focused on each other and each other's lips that neither of then noticed this little stumble. Only when they came up for air did they realize that they were now on the floor. Though neither seemed to care that much. They both had more important things on their minds at the moment. Like each other.

"Does that mean you'll go out with me, 'Mione?" Ron asked with a huge smile on his face.

"Do you even have to ask?" Hermione asked him before she attacked his lips once more.

T.B.C.

IMPORTANT Author's Note: One, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter and I am sorry to inform you all that there will only be one more chapter to go. And two, in the last chapter I started a poll as to which fic I should work on next once I've finished this one. I had two summaries listed but I forgot to list the second two. There was actually supposed to be four potential stories to vote on so I'll list them all this time. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and tell me which fic you would most like to see next. Thank you. The fics are:

1) Buffy/Spike pairing. Non-crossover. Set both during both 6th and 3rd season of BtVS. When Buffy and Spike got together in S6 they mated/bonded and didn't hide it from everyone. They're relationship wasn't the violent relationship that Joss showed... it was only violent when they wanted it to be. but one night while patrolling, Buffy and Spike were thrust through a portal, only to find themselves in Sunnydale three years in the past. The question now is how do they return home without changing the future?

2) Buffy/Faith pairing. BtVS/HP crossover. Set during season 3 of BtVS and in an alt 7th year of HP. There is a prophecy against Voldemort involving twins. On the year the twins were foretold to be born, two sets were born instead of one. So instead of getting rid of one set of twins, Voldemort had one child of each set taken care of. 17 years later, both sets of twins are reunited and the prophecy begins to take action. It won't be long before Voldemort realizes this and tries to right his wrongs made 17 years ago.

3) Harry/Draco pairing. Non-crossover. Set after HBP. After Dumbledore's death, there is nothing stopping Voldemort from coming after him himself, 24/7. One night on Privite Dr., Death Eaters attack and kill the Dursley's. Harry escapes and runs off to hide in muggle London where he meets another fellow runaway whom he least expected to encounter.

4) Pairing not yet decided. Non-crossover. Starts withthe first HP book. What if Lilly Evans never married James Potter, but married Severus Snape instead? Would Harry still be orphaned? Would he still be The-Boy-Who-Lived? Would he still be in Gryffindor fighting against Voldemort, or would he be in Slytherin and fighting for the Dark Lord instead?

Also, one more thing. I know I haven't done the trivia questions the past couple of chapters, but I've been really busy. So here is a set of questions, and the last questions may I add. They are worth 5 points each, or if all answered corectly then they are worth a total of 25 points. Good Luck!

1) Where is the Watcher's Retreat held every year?

2) What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?

3) Who is Tucker and just who is his brother?

4) What is Ron's favorite Quidditch team?