DISCLAIMER: The characters aren't mine. I'm borrowing them from the esteemed Joss Whedon and J.K. Rawling.
SPOILERS/BACKGROUND: Everything from BtVS Season 1 to Season 6, AtS Seasons 1 to 3, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
SPECIAL THANKS TO …
Ranae and tigerlily25, for their awesome reviews; and
DragonKatGal, for being an awesome beta-reader, for updating What You Did at long last, and for being the true fanfiction devotee and writing when she should have been studying for midterms!
SPECIAL NOTE TO …
Lisette: yeah, I think I've noticed the same thing you did, that you and DKG are getting lumped together a little bit. Of course, considering the last few chapters of AWF and WYD, it might not be accurate to say that DKG is the "light and fluffy" girl you once knew … maybe you're rubbing off on her … or maybe I am … ;-)
Reviews always welcome!
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CHAPTER 6:
ON THE STAIRS
Buffy and Willow, at the front of the line because they had sat so far back in the hall, stopped short when they reached the inside of the high, cavernous stairwell just above the Entrance Hall that led up to the dormitories. It was so deep that the bottom was invisible, and the skylight at the top twinkled faintly far above their heads. Staircases led along the sides, and sometimes straight out over the abyss. Even more disconcerting, however, was that fact that the staircases were moving.
Draco turned with a knowing grin. "All right, hatchlings!" he called out. "Keep an eye on the staircases; as you can see, they tend to move around. At least they have rails, though. Slytherin Tower's this way!" he called, leading the procession of Slytherins to the right. The Hufflepuffs turned to the right with them, as well, but went lower into the hall while the Slytherins began to climb upward. The Ravenclaws turned to the left and down; the Gryffindors turned to the left and began to climb upward along the far wall.
"What idiot designed this?" one of the new Slytherins asked after they had climbed the first moving staircase. The staircase had begun moving just as Draco neared the top, depositing them on a different landing than they had been making for.
"Four idiots, actually, and they were still a heck of a lot brighter than you," Draco called out over his shoulder. "And the moving staircases were Salazar Slytherin himself's idea. They're designed to keep you on your toes. Hope none of you sleepwalk."
Buffy smiled, though Willow looked as though she were feeling a little queasy.
They waited a minute or two on the third floor landing for another staircase to move over to let them continue. The Gryffindors were already passing above far above them when a scream reached them from above.
Everyone's eyes turned skyward. The staircase from the fourth to the fifth floor above them was moving, and everyone could make out the struggling form of a girl hanging from the end of it. She had to have been just stepping across the gap when the stair began moving, and had just caught herself on the end of it.. There were a handful of first years on the stair behind her, but they were screaming and holding on for dear life; no one was making any move to help the girl. All of the older students were at the head of the line, and had been left behind on the landing that the head of the staircase was shifting away from. The stairs moved faster then they seemed, just because they were so large. The stair was already drawing near the next landing; the girl was going to get crushed between the stair and the new landing in a matter of seconds. Buffy grated her teeth, and even more loudly when she heard a few of the Slytherins behind her give gruff chuckles—she was starting to see why a lot of them weren't very popular. However, the staircase the girl was moving towards was directly above them. It was a dim hope, but if she fell within arm's reach …
Suddenly, with a scream, just before the staircase shifted into place at the fifth floor landing two stories above them, the girl fell. The girl's face came into view, and Buffy recognized Torrence Appleby from the recent Sorting. But she was going to be too far out …
"Wingardium Leviosa!" a voice next to her shouted. Buffy turned, because the voice, though barely recognizable, was clearly Willow's. The redheaded girl had her wand out and was pointing at the other girl, who was still a floor above them and several yards out from the platform. However, she had suddenly stopped falling, suspended in midair.
Buffy was not breathing any easier yet, however, and her mind was racing. There was a look of intense concentration on Willow's face.
"Buffy … I … can't … hold … it …" Willow grated, trying to hold on as long as possible. It was only a beginner's spell that she had glanced once at the previous night while falling asleep, however, and she was trying to use it on a heavy, living target at long range.
Buffy's mind raced, then stopped, when she remembered what she was holding. "Hold on!" she said, swinging her leg over her broom just as she had seen Harry do from a distance at the train station.
The surprise of realizing what Buffy was about to do disrupted Willow's concentration, however, and Torrence began to slip downward again. Willow tried to regain her concentration, and slowed the fall for a few seconds, but once a spell started to slip, it was hard to put back together.
"Summers, what in Salazar's name are you doing?" she heard Draco's alarmed voice from nearby.
"Good question," she answered as she kicked off.
Fortunately, having the falling target of Torrence Appleby to concentrate on prevented her from thinking about whatever else would normally have been going on in her head during her first time flying, and the Nimbus 2001 between her legs seemed to react instinctively to her touch. It was almost as if, as Draco had half-kidded in Quality Quidditch Supplies, it liked her.
Willow's spell snapped just as Buffy got her bearings set. It had only been seconds. With a scream, Torrence began to free-fall again. Buffy dove, leaning forward and forcing the tip of the broom downward until she was nearly vertical. The wind screamed like a tortured banshee in her ears as she picked up speed, and the floors that she had recently climbed so tediously blurred by in an eyeblink. Her robes and her hair whipped out behind her, skyward, as though gravity were paying attention to nothing but the falling girl in front of her. Had she had time to cast her eyes back over her shoulder, the entire crowd of Slytherins would have blended into the shadows above, and Draco's torch would have seemed nothing but a distant, nondescript point of light.
They were several floors below the Entrance Hall when Buffy finally caught up with the falling girl. She positioned herself directly beneath the girl, braced herself, then spun herself in midair to face skyward again, now flying backwards and allowing the girl to fall softly into her stomach.
The air rushed out of Buffy's lungs as the girl made contact, and she was forced to bring one hand free of her grip on the broomstick in order to prevent the girl from bouncing away, and also to prevent her from struggling, as she was still flailing hysterically. The broom had slowed much more than she had intended when she started going backwards, and Torrence had hit her harder than she had wanted. Fortunately, or somewhat fortunately, anyway, the air seemed to have been knocked from the other girl's lungs as well, so the girl's struggles ceased a moment later as she began gasping for air.
Then they were stationary. Buffy breathed deeply. She was hovering, at least seven stories below the Entrance Hall by the looks of things, with Torrence in her arms, who seemed to have settled down. Well, Buffy corrected herself a moment later, at least she had stopped flailing.
A whooshing sound caught Buffy's attention, and she turned to see a staircase swinging straight at her head. Reflexively, she jerked away, spinning and dodging out of the way. She was surprised at how effortless it was; the hard part was holding onto Torrence.
"Hang on," she whispered softly, looking around to see that she was not in the path of any more hostile stairs. Balancing herself in midair with nothing but her legs on the broomstick, she turned Torrence around so that the younger girl's arms were wrapped around Buffy's neck, and her legs were wrapped tightly around the broomstick.
"All right, let's get out of here," Buffy muttered. She wasn't sure how far down the dungeons were, but she didn't want to take the chance that she had already entered them and wasn't supposed to hang around. She darted skyward, a little faster than might have been necessary, partly to keep the other girl holding on tight and keep the idea of struggling out of her mind, partly because—well, she admitted, flying on a broomstick was absolutely exhilarating.
Most of the Slytherins gave her shocked expressions as she floated by, but the amazed expressions on Draco and Willow's faces were utterly priceless, and she suddenly felt a surge of predatory pride.
The Gryffindors were shocked as well, though Buffy guessed grimly that it was more the fact that they had never expected such help from a Slytherin. Well, she was going to be damned if she was going to let them tell her who she was, she thought as she approached the landing.
As she approached the landing, however, Harry seemed to recover from his shock, and a smile spread across his face. He set down his torch in a nearby sconce, and clapped his hands together once. Then again. Then a third time, a little faster. Hermione took it up, then Ron, then the others, then suddenly the entire Gryffindor line was cheering, whistling, and jumping wildly as she glided in. She felt like she had hit the final home run of the World Series.
"OK, you can let go now," she said softly as she hovered above the landing.
Torrence looked up, saw where she was, and hurriedly got off the broom. "Thanks," she said, giving Buffy the kind of tight, adorable hug that only a ten-year-old can give.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were surrounding Buffy then, and Harry was absolutely beaming.
"Buffy, that was incredible!" Ron said.
"Thanks," she said, grinning from ear to ear. She could definitely come to enjoy this.
"Buffy Summers!" a woman's voice called from below them. Buffy turned to see a breathless McGonagall hurrying up the stairs from the fourth floor. For some reason, she didn't look extremely happy, but Buffy couldn't tell if it was just the fact that she had been running. It didn't look as if Professor McGonagall did that much.
"I believe Professor Dumbledore told you just this evening that the dungeon was off-limits."
Buffy's mouth dropped open, and she struggled to find words to say. She looked around at the other Gryffindors, who were clearly just as stunned as she was. She bit back a sharp retort, and forced her shoulders to relax after another second. Eventually, she assumed the most polite tone she could. She didn't understand, but she didn't want to get in trouble on her first day, especially before she knew if she'd done anything that might get her taken away from Willow.
"I'm sorry, Professor," she said. "It took me a moment to get my broom under control."
"I see," McGonagall answered. "Well, I am confident that it was an accident. So only five points will be deducted from Slytherin House."
Out of her left ear, Buffy heard Hermione give a sharp hiss, and Ron and Harry were clearly stunned as well. McGonagall turned to look at each of them in turn.
"And another five points from Slytherin for flying indoors," McGonagall added. "That is strictly against school rules outside of special areas."
"Professor!" Hermione snapped.
"Hermione, if you please," McGonagall cut her off crisply. Buffy's eyes were downcast. Suddenly, Hermione gave a soft laugh. Buffy looked up. The older woman was smiling now, and some of the stiffness had faded from her carriage. She had a hand over her chest as if to steady her breathing.
"Now then," she said. "Let's see. Modesty in a Slytherin. Rare, that. Courage, too, and taking risks to help another student in danger. Saving the life of a first-year classmate. And, of course, the most amazing feat of indoor flying, illegal or not, I've ever seen at this school. Ever," she added with emphasis, and a pointed look at Harry, for some reason.
"The Weasleys were better," someone called from the back.
"Hush!" McGonagall snapped, and the student who had spoken ducked his head. The professor's smile returned a moment later, however.
"Miss Summers," the professor continued. "I never thought I would say this in my entire tenure at Hogwarts. Fifty points to Slytherin."
Buffy grinned. She had no idea what 'points' were, but it didn't sound like a bad thing. She grinned brightly. "Thanks," she said. She cast a glance back down at the Slytherins, who were now on the fourth floor landing below her. "Um … is it OK if I fly back down there?" she asked.
"Of course not," McGonagall answered crisply. "Not while I'm looking." However, a moment later, she gave her a quick grin and walked over to the wooden door on the landing leading onto the fifth floor. She turned around. "I don't know what that hat was thinking. I think you'd have made a fine Gryffindor." With that, she slipped out the door and out of sight.
Buffy turned back to Torrence, who was being comforted by Hermione and Harry. "Watch your step," she said cheerily as she hopped back on her broom and floated back down to the Slytherins.
"Buffy!" Willow called as soon as the sunny-haired Slayer landed. "That was awesome!" For some reason, however, her voice seemed a little faint, even though she didn't feel that tired.
Draco was right behind Willow. He was looking at her with a mix of suspicion and respect. "Are you sure you needed my help in Diagon Alley?"
"Um … huh?" Buffy asked.
"Did you really need my help for picking out brooms? Because … well, it seems you certainly know how to use it."
Buffy shrugged. "That was my first flight."
Draco's eyes bulged. "I have trouble believing that."
"She's telling the truth," Willow came to her friend's defense. "Unless she's been hiding something from me for the last five years."
"Unbelievable," Draco said.
Buffy grinned, but excused herself a moment later, drawing Willow aside. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Did that spell burn you out?"
"What? Oh, no, I'm fine. It's just that … well, that was really incredible, Buffy. I'm really happy for you."
"You're not sounding fine," Buffy said pointedly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Willow demurred. "I just wish … well, I just wish I could have done what you did. I wish I would have had the guts to even try."
Buffy suddenly understood. "I'm not stealing your prefect," she said pointedly, cutting out the small talk.
A shocked expression and a light blush burst across Willow's face. "'My prefect?!' Buffy, I've known him for like half a day! Who do I look like, Harmony?"
"Give it time, best friend of mine," Buffy answered expansively. "By the way, I think he likes you, too. He was looking at you, too, you know."
"Think so?" Willow answered with a shy smile.
"Absolutely," Buffy answered confidently. "Come on, let's not get left behind," she finished as Draco called after them to hurry up; they had started up the last flight of stairs before entrance to Slytherin Tower.
A minute later, the group stopped at the end of a hallway that appeared to be a dead end; there was nothing there but a picture of a tall, stern-looking man holding a large python.
"Password!" the man in the picture said.
"Sophus Serpentus," Draco answered.
The picture swung outward, revealing a door, and the new Slytherins followed Draco into the Slytherin common room.
The common room was long and cool, with dark tiles on the floor and deep, plush furniture arranged around it. A large fire burned at the head of a room in a stone fireplace carved to look like the head of a serpent. The man Dumbledore had called Professor Snape was waiting for them just in front of the fire, leaning against the side of the mantle. He stood forward as the crowd of new Slytherins approached; the older Slytherins except for Draco scattered to the chairs and couches.
"My name is Professor Snape," the man said. "As most of you know from dinner. I also happen to be Head of Slytherin House. It's always good to see new students eager to start early. It shows the kind of ambition we like to see in Slytherin.
"Most of you are pure-bloods, so there isn't a whole lot to explain to most of you; you know how things work here. However, I will need to see young Miss Summers and Miss Rosenberg immediately, as the circumstances of their arrival were somewhat … unusual."
Buffy shrugged and didn't know what to make of that, but nonetheless followed the professor up a spiral staircase leading out of one corner of the common room. They went up several flights before Snape stopped and brought them out at a short hall. They looked out the window and were amazed at how high up they were; they hadn't realized how many stairs they had climbed during the day. They were in the topmost floor of Slytherin Tower, and the landscape spread out under the moonlight beneath them was visible for tens of miles.
"Nice view, isn't it?" Draco asked from behind Buffy. She turned. She hadn't noticed him following them.
"It is," Buffy agreed. "Were you following us?"
Draco laughed. "That's my room over there," he said, pointing to the first door to the right coming out of the stairwell. "The top floor is for prefects and VIP's, so I have no idea what you're doing here," he said, pointing them down the hall to where Snape was holding a door open for them. He lowered his voice a little. "But that doesn't mean that I wasn't following you," he said with a smile as he disappeared into his own room.
Buffy smiled and followed Willow into the room where Snape was waiting for them. It was a pleasant double room, with more than enough room to move around; it was larger than the room she and Willow had shared at UC-Sunnydale, and the beds were bunked, giving even more floor space. Their belongings were already waiting.
"Well, well, well, welcome to both of you," Snape said as he shut the door. "I must say I am a bit surprised to see you both in Slytherin, but I've lived through worse surprises."
Buffy and Willow looked at each other, trying to figure out if that was supposed to be comforting or insulting.
"Most of the teachers here are aware of what you have done, or nearly did, Miss Rosenberg," Snape said shortly.
"Oh," Willow said, her eyes downcast.
"But, be that as it may, I nonetheless concur with Dumbledore's judgment that it is best for you to be at Hogwarts, whether friend or not."
"Thanks," Willow said wryly.
"Friends close and enemies closer, Mr. Snape?" Buffy said. She didn't like to see anyone degrading Willow at any time, but particularly not now when it was self-confidence that she needed most.
"Indeed, Miss Summers. And you may call me Professor."
"Yes, Professor," Buffy replied curtly.
"Anyway, I felt it fair to let you know where you stand on that. The teachers are aware, and several high-ranking officials at the Ministry, but nobody else is, and the teachers at this school do not betray secrets. The story has been kept out of our newspapers, with no small amount of effort, I might add."
"Well … thanks," Willow said. She wasn't sure exactly what kind of papers they had in the wizarding world, but keeping her name out of them seemed like a good thing regardless.
"Now, on to one more mundane matter," Snape said briskly, removing two sheets of parchment from his coat. "Summer session is a more free-form time, but you two are the only two Slytherins still not scheduled for classes for the fall."
"Oh, I'm not going to like this part," Buffy sighed. Willow had perked up, however. Classes were much easier to talk about than ending the world.
An hour later, Snape had the two girls' autumn classes arranged. Buffy's had been quick; she wasn't looking for anything special, and indeed was taking a nearly bare-minimum course load; the only thing extraneous she had added was an advanced flying course, which Snape said she might well be kicked out of if she was already too good. He had heard of her little escapade in the great stairwell.
Willow's course load was trickier; for one thing, Dumbledore had left specific instructions that she be given Occlumency lessons by Professor Snape to protect her mind. Buffy wasn't exactly sure what Occlumency was, but mental defenses for Will definitely sounded like a good thing. However, Willow, true to form even in a school unlike any other, had picked up an overload of courses, including several ambitious advanced ones that Snape seemed rather uncertain as to whether she could be ready for by the summer's end. Willow had promised to do whatever it took, however, and Snape was not generally in the business of squelching ambition. At least, not when it came to Slytherins.
After Snape had excused himself, Buffy and Willow quickly showered and changed into their pajamas. It was early, but it had been a rough evening. It was barely eight-thirty when Buffy extinguished the light in their room.
"Getting up early?" Willow asked softly as she lay on the bottom bunk.
"I think so," Buffy asked.
"Going to the library?" Willow asked. "A lot to learn in one summer."
"I'll trust you to find all the books we'll need to catch up," Buffy answered with a smile. "All our classes but one overlap, so I think I'll go practice for that one."
"Which one is that?" Willow asked. Then, a moment, later she remembered. "Oh."
Buffy smiled, imagining the expression on her friend's face. "Flying."
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THANKS AGAIN to everyone who's reviewed! You guys really make my day! Please, take some time and let me know what you think of this—plot, characters, style, whatever, I love hearing from you.
COMING SOON: Chapter 7, "Making Friends." The day after being sorted into Slytherin, Willow is up early to go to the library, where she meets Gryffindor's über-student and a certain scarheaded aspiring Auror.
SNEAK PREVIEW:
"What's an Auror?" Willow asked.
"Well, basically a special agent for the Ministry that tracks down and captures dark witches and wizards."
Like me, Willow thought. Wonderful.