Chapter One

The Letters

Dawn Summers sat on the sofa, flicking through the TV channels, occasionally glancing over at Mr Giles, who was asleep. It made her so mad that Buffy thought she needed a chaperone 24/7. Here she was, unsupervised and she was perfectly fine. Although a part of her could understand her sisters feelings after all that had happened to them lately. But she had thought they were getting through everything. On the other hand, Dawn was fifteen years old, the same age that Buffy had been when she had been called to be the vampire slayer, one girl in all the world chosen to fight the forces of darkness. Was it wrong to ask for a little independence?

Just as Dawn was falling to sleep, something came crashing through the window. No - it was flying in! She blinked a few times, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. It was a huge white snowy owl, with serious brown eyes. It was hovering over the coffee table.

"What the…what?" stammered Giles as he jerked awake. His mouth hung open as he stared at the owl. For a moment they were both silent, then Giles spoke, a little groggily, as he was still half asleep. "Dawn, am I really awake? Is there really a large white owl on the coffee table?"

Dawn nodded. "Yep," she answered. "And it looks like it's carrying a letter - or something".

"A letter?" asked Giles. He sounded and looked very puzzled. And then his eyes widened in alarm.

"What? What's wrong?" asked Dawn.

Giles held out his hand and to Dawn's amazement, the owl dropped the letter into his hand. The envelope was sealed with wax. "Thank you," Giles muttered as he stared at the letter. The owl hooted softly in reply and settled itself back on the coffee table.

"Ok Giles, what just happened? Did you just talk to an owl? And what's up with that letter?"

Giles glanced up at the anxious teenager. "I can't tell you yet Dawn. We should wait for Buffy and the other's to get back from patrol. It really is too long a story to tell twice. All I can think of is that things must be really bad in England if Albus Dumbledore wants to summon the slayer to Hogwarts!"

"Albus who? And where? And that letter is for Buffy?" Dawn was very confused.

Giles nodded. Dawn glanced at the owl suspiciously. They both jumped as Buffy, Tara, Willow, Xander and Anya walked into the room.

"Hey Giles, what's going on?" asked Buffy. "Did I miss something? What's with all the worry faces?"

Willow was staring at the owl. "Have you noticed there's a very rare snowy owl sitting on our coffee table?" she asked calmly.

"I'm afraid we have a slight problem," answered Giles. Buffy rolled her eyes and sat down. "I hate it when you say that!""

Los Angeles

The Angel Investigations team sat sprawled around the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel, looking - well - not brilliant.

Cordelia Chase sat on the foot of the stairs that swept up to the second and third floors of the hotel. Charles Gunn sat on a chair, holding an axe loosely in his hand, Winnifred Burkle stood by his side. Wesley stood by Angel, trying to catch his breath.

"Well, that was bracing," said Angel finally.

"Not the word I'd use for it," muttered Cordelia.

"Cordelia, couldn't you have a talk with the powers that be? Next time maybe they could make the visions less cryptic?" said Gunn.

"Yeah, and the enemy less - you know - scary?" continued Fred.

"Do you people mind? I have a very bad headache here. Stop complaining! We got away didn't we? We saved the day, didn't we?" she answered them a little bit angrily.

"Barely," answered Fred.

"Come on you guys, Cordelia's right" said Angel unexpectedly. He looked around the group, not for the first time wondering how different they all were. An ex cheerleader, and ex watcher, a scientist rescued from another dimension, a street kid and then there was him. A vampire cursed by gypsies with a soul, cursed to forever seek atonement for the evil that he had caused. His mission now was to help the helpless of Los Angeles against the darkness.

Suddenly he heard Cordelia cry out in alarm. "Is it another vision?" he asked her, instantly at her side. Cordelia had been given the gift of second sight - in other words - visions. She saw people in trouble in the past, present or future. The late Francis Allen Doyle, who had been a member of Angel Investigations and had died saving the world, had given the gift to her.

Cordelia shook her head, eyes wide, and she pointed at something that flew over his head. As he looked at it, he saw that it was an owl. The owl seemed to be heading for Wesley.

"Do we even get barn owls in Los Angeles?" asked Gunn, standing up. Fred instantly collapsed in the chair as he did so, a grin on her face.

"It's beautiful," she said. Then she narrowed her eyes. "What's that it's holding?"

"It's a letter," murmured Wesley, who was looking at the owl warily. Finally he held out his hand and the owl dropped the letter into it, then it hooted loudly and began to make it's self comfortable on the lobby reception desk by the computer.

"Ok, this is weird," said Cordelia. "Since when do owls deliver mail?"

"What's going on Wes?" asked Angel softly.

Wesley was looking at the envelope, sealed with wax, a mixture of emotions in his brown eyes. It was an expression which Angel couldn't read. "Addressed to Wesley Price, the Hyperion hotel, Los Angeles, California, America," he read out loud. "It's a message from hogwarts school of magic. Albus Dumbledore is obviously in trouble if he has sent this to me!"

There were blank stares from everyone. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say - what the hell are you talking about?" exclaimed Cordelia.

San Francisco

"Paige, look out!" cried Piper. It was nearing midnight and the three sisters, Phoebe, Paige and Piper Halliwell were trapped in their own home. Piper and Phoebe were crouched low behind the sofa, knowing it would do little as protection and Paige was running to hide behind the chair opposite them.

"Ok, great, now what?" asked Phoebe angrily.

Piper shook her head, trying to think clearly. She could hear the sound of the demon crashing through the house, moving ever closer. "Do we know what it is yet?" she asked over the top of the sofa to Paige.

Paige had just run down the stairs with the Book of Shadows tucked under her arm. "I'm getting there!" she said back.

Piper risked looking around the door of the room and winced as she heard something else crashing in the manor.

Paige was now flipping through their spell book hastily. "Ok, I've got a power of three spell," she called to her sisters.

"Good job Paige," answered Piper. The charmed ones stood up and were about to go in search of the demon that had ruined their rare night in, but they didn't have to look for long. It was standing right in front of them. It was disgusting - as they all usually were. It had green skin and black eyes, long claws and actual horns.

"Ok, gross," said Phoebe. "You just know I'm not going to sleep tonight!" Just as they were about to say the spell, the demon launched a fireball at them.

Piper lifted her hands and it froze in place right in front of her. She ducked, and then it continued to fly over her head and right through the wall, disappearing without a trace, leaving a scorch mark. "Quickly, the spell," gasped Piper, and they linked hands and spoke together.

After they had said the spell, he swirled round and round and then exploded in a flash of green light, a piercing scream of rage echoing around them.

"Well, thank God that's over," said Piper, sinking onto the sofa.

"Yep," said Paige happily. "Just another night in the life of the Charmed Ones".

Phoebe, Piper and Paige were witches. They came from a long line of white witches, dating right back to the Salem witch trials of 1692, to Melinda Warren. They were best known as the Charmed Ones. Piper and Phoebe were the oldest sisters and had been through a lot in the last three years.

It had been Phoebe who had found the Book of Shadows up in the attic, Phoebe who had recited the spell that would unlock their powers. Their grandmother had bound their powers when they were young to give them a normal childhood.

Piper had discovered she had the power to freeze and accelerate time, Phoebe had premonitions and their oldest sister Prue who had recently died, had the power of telekinesis.

Paige was the new member of the family. When Prue had died, the power of three had been broken. Piper and Phoebe had discovered their mother Patty, had had a secret love affair with her white lighter, Sam. White lighters were beings that guided and trained good witches, they were kind of guardian angels. And as it had been forbidden for white lighters and witches to be involved then, Patty had had to give Paige up for adoption, for Paige's own safety. Now Paige was a charmed one, and she had both witch powers and those of a white lighter. Her power was known as orbing. It was kind of like teleporting.

"You say that so calmly Paige," muttered Piper. "You're almost happy about it!" agreed Phoebe.

Paige shrugged. "So? I haven't been doing this as long as you guys have. It's still all new and exciting for me".

Suddenly as if from no where, a large owl flew into the living room. It circled above them, once, twice and then dropped what looked like an envelope onto the table. Paige jumped. "What's that?" she gasped.

"It looks - no, wait - it is an owl Paige," said Piper calmly. She leaned forward to take the letter. The owl hooted as if in agreement. "Don't get letters sealed with wax now a days," she murmured.

"Think that's weird? You don't get owls delivering mail either! It might be a trick Piper. A demon in disguise or something".

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "Be careful piper".

Piper nodded as she opened the letter. "Addressed to Piper, phoebe and Paige Halliwell. Otherwise known as the Charmed Ones. I have heard a great deal about you and all the good deeds you have done for our world. I thank you kindly, and now must ask you a favour. You may accept or decline as you wish, I understand that you may have other responsibilities. But this task includes the safety of the life of a very special boy named Harry Potter. He must be protected at all costs. And so I ask you, as some of the best in this line of work, to come to Hogwarts School of Magic, to be teachers of magic until the time comes to protect the boy. I will give you more information if you choose to accept this task. Yours Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore".

There was a moment's silence. Then Piper raised her voice. "Leo! A little help here!"

There was a swirl of brilliant Blue/white lights and Leo, their white lighter - and Pipers husband - appeared before them.

"Piper?" he gave her a puzzled look. "What's the big emergency? You killed the demon right?"

Piper gave him the letter. "Here's the big emergency! What's going on?"

TBC