Question Time
Walburga screeched, "A vampire?!" She turned on Buffy, her face paler than normal. "You! You were in the cemetery that night in London! You came over to help when the vampires caught me. You fought them!"
Buffy shushed her. "Shhh, keep your voice down."
Walburga ignored her. "I left you fighting them, you –." She stopped, her face tightening with revulsion. "No! I don't owe you a Life Debt!" She wagged a finger at Buffy. "Do not even go there! I never asked for help and I was never in any real danger." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "No. They knew I was a Witch and they were going to let me go. I was quite capable of getting away without some girl thinking she's a... a..."
"Vampire Slayer," interjected a voice from behind them.
"Yes! A vampire slayer," Walburga agreed and then they both turned, to see who'd walked up on them without them realising.
The speaker slid out from behind the curved wall of the spiral staircase. He remained on the steps below them, scraping back a lock of greasy hair that had stuck to his cheek whilst grinning smugly at Buffy.
"I knew you had to be a Slayer," he said. "Only someone with enhanced strength and stamina would be able to fight off Grindylows – and then you went and staked a Dementor."
Next to Buffy, Walburga frowned and gave her a confused, sidelong look.
"Ever thought... you might be wrong?" Buffy asked, pretending that she didn't care either way. She wasn't exactly panicking, not yet, but there was still time.
Travers tilted his head, considering the question. "I confess, there were times when I had my doubts." The irritating smirk came back on his face. "However, once you've eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
Buffy snorted. "No shit, Sherlock?"
Walburga shifted by her side. "There's no need for that sort of language, Buffy," she quietly rebuked. "I'll show you how to deal with upstarts." She drew herself up and – looking every inch the unofficial queen of the Purebloods – stared coldly at Travers until he lost the smug expression.
"Why are you bothering us, Travers? I hope there's a good reason for you to be here? If not, clear off. And, in future, remember that a private conversation is just that – private." Her voice dropped, venom dripping from each word. "If I hear that any part of this private conversation has gotten out then I promise you, as a Black, your life won't be worth living."
Travers flinched but held his ground. "This isn't about you, Walburga."
Walburga bristled. "Who gave you leave to use my first name?"
"Er, sorry," Travers amended, not wanting to irritate her further. "I... I have a connection to Buffy. Who she is, is more important than you realise."
A predatory light gleamed in Walburga's eyes. Seeing it, Buffy face palmed – knowing what was coming next.
"What do you mean, who she is?" Walburga asked, fixating on the only part of the comment she considered important. "Are you saying... you know who Buffy's real father is?"
Buffy groaned.
Travers shook his head. "No. That doesn't matter. What she is, is far more important than who her parents are."
Walburga huffed. "Spoken like a true Mudblood! You'll be telling me next that Muggles are as important as we are!"
Buffy winced, but was too focused on Travers to argue. How many times had he rebuffed her when she'd tried to include him in conversation? How many times had he sneered when she'd been kind to him? Now that he believed she was the Slayer, he suddenly thought her important? She narrowed her eyes, deciding that he was just like the Travers from her old life. She hadn't been a real person to him either; she'd just been a tool for the Council's use and, other than that, below his notice.
A movement caught her eye – Spikey was hovering in his puffer-fish form, keeping just out of sight of the newcomer. Buffy gave him the tiniest nod of approval.
'Stay there. Keep out of sight. Don't let Travers see you.' She'd no idea if the boggart heard her thoughts or if he'd follow her instructions if he had. Walburga might have called him her familiar, but Spikey had his own ideas on how to handle things, and they often didn't align with hers. It would be better if the boggart remained a secret and she dealt with Travers herself.
"If you're planning on doing the whole 'the world is much older than you know' speech, I'm not gonna be impressed."
Travers' face dropped.
Buffy hadn't finished. Allowing a cold note of authority to creep into her voice, she continued, "And as for being the Chosen One… Listen to me when I say: I. Don't. Care."
Walburga slanted her an assessing look. Travers though, was too surprised to be intimidated.
"How do you know about that speech?" he asked. "That's traditional! Has someone already been in touch with you? A... another Watcher?" He shook his head. "No, that's impossible."
"I don't need a Watcher!" Buffy snapped. "I know better than you what the Watchers Council is like, and I won't become their pawn. Nope. That's not gonna happen this time. You just go and be a good little go-between and tell them I'm going nowhere." She was not going to leave Hogwarts to live with a stuffy Watcher! Her magic rose inside of her; a burn that flowed down her arms and into her fingertips seeking an outlet. Buffy had the urge to... she wasn't sure what, just something to hex him. Instead, she folded her arms and death glared.
Further up the stairs, out of Travers' line of sight, her agitation was affecting Spikey. The little boggart was changing colours rapidly, as if holding in a transformation. Walburga turned her head, met her eye, and smiled darkly. Buffy was aware the other girl had drawn her wand, ready for a magical fight. Although it sort of felt nice knowing that Walburga was on her side, she didn't want this escalating. She could deal with this. She had to deal with this. The Council was not going to take her out of Hogwarts. She wanted to stay and study magic with her friends. There was no need to resort to violence – not just yet.
Unaware of his danger, Travers snorted. "Phhft! You don't need to worry about the Council! They've gone. The Watchers' Council is no more!"
Buffy blinked in surprise and unfolded her arms. "Gone?" she asked.
Travers nodded. "A long time ago." He sounded defeated and sad.
Buffy thought about a world without the Watchers Council. She'd suspected all along that Lily Moon had been special and broken the ancient spell somehow. They were taught about different kinds of Spells and Charms in Hogwarts and taught that the magic could run out or weaken over time. Sometimes they could be countered by another spell or changed in some way. Had Lily's own magic and her non-violent death broken the ancient Shadowmen's spell? If the Slayer power no longer passed to another, what use was the Watchers Council? It would be nothing more than a toothless tiger.
Travers let out a long sigh. "According to my father, the Slayers are long gone too." He gestured to her. "Yet here you are." He moved forward, shortening the gap between them. "Since Dad isn't here, I need to take charge. From now on, you'll have to do exactly as I tell you."
Buffy raised an eyebrow at the imperious tone. "Hey, are the batteries gone in your hearing aid? 'Cause you must be deaf! I told you once that I -."
Travers' face darkened and scowled. "You have no say in the matter. You'll do what you are told or –."
The air between where Buffy and Travers were standing shimmered and snapped, and a soldier appeared. He wore the uniform of an officer and, although his back was to Buffy, she could see his head was held at an odd angle – in a strange parody of the Gryffindor House ghost, Nearly Headless Nick.
"Spikey." Buffy took her boggart's sudden appearance in her stride, but Travers didn't react as well. He fell back, his face paling as if he was about to faint, and he grabbed at the wall next to him to stop himself from tumbling down the stairs. He hung there, clinging to the stonework as if he couldn't trust his legs to hold him.
"Dad?" he croaked. He shook his head as if that would force the boggart away. "No." He swallowed, his Adam's apple clearly visible, bobbing up and down in his throat. "No... you aren't dead. I know you're not. I was there when Aunt Hilda got the telegram from the War Office. 'Confirmed captured, defending Dunkirk,' they said. If you were dead, I'd know... I'd know if you were dead."
"Spikey," Buffy hissed at the soldier-boggart. "Stop it!" The boggart stubbornly remained where he was – Buffy had the feeling that he was enjoying himself. She called to Travers, instead, "It's okay. That's not really your dad." She might not like or trust him, but he didn't deserve a boggart feeding off his fear of losing a parent.
Walburga was not as polite; she laughed. " Travers you're such an idiot! Why would a Muggle be in Hogwarts? For Salazar's sake! Pull yourself together and stop being so pathetic. You're a disgrace to Slytherin!"
Travers jerked his red-rimmed eyes from the soldier-boggart to her. "He isn't a ghost?"
Buffy answered quickly before Walburga could let out another tirade of insults. "It's a boggart. Spikey! Stop scaring him or I'll bring out 'Great Expectations'!" Ever since she'd hit him with a copy of that book, the boggart had a fear of it.
The soldier-boggart vibrated. Buffy glimpsed the face of a dark-haired man – blood pouring down his face from a gunshot wound in the head – before the boggart transformed into the familiar blonde.
"He really likes taking that form," mused Walburga. "I never thought a boggart would have a preference."
Spikey gave her a cheeky grin before spinning and showing his fangs at Travers. Travers screamed.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" groaned Walburga. "It's a flipping boggart!
"K-kill it, Buffy!" Travers cried, clutching the wall again and pointing at Spikey. "Use that magical stake I gave you."
Buffy stilled, her eyes going round. "You! It was you who put that stake in my hand that day when the Ministry was here!"
Travers nodded, still staring at Spikey. "Yes, it was me. Stakes made from broomsticks obviously have strong magical properties. Now, kill it!"
Walburga tutted. "Oh, listen to the little drama queen. 'Kill it.' Who died and made you Buffy's lord and master?"
Both Buffy and Travers ignored her.
Travers pointed at Spikey, who snarled at him in response. "Kill the boggart! I'm your Watcher. Do as I tell you! Fulfil your destiny. Do everything in your power to kill it!"
"What is it with him calling you a Slayer?" Walburga asked. "Is he some kind of Muggle sexual deviant who enjoys watching a girl kill things? Or are you off your head, Travers?"
"I'm not!" Travers exclaimed. "I'm not a... deviant!"
Walburga gave him a thin smile. "Then you must be off your head, which I have always suspected because of the state of your hair. No one with an ounce of sanity walks around with hair like that. You'd better admit yourself to St Mungo's. They have a special ward for people like you."
Stepping forward, Buffy put her hand on Spikey's shoulder to reassure him she'd no intention of hurting him and the blonde vampire patted her hand. Travers looked as if he was going to be sick. Buffy wasn't sure if the thought of her being so close to a boggart that was repulsing him or if he was worried Walburga would tell the boys he was into strange sexual practices.
"Me and Spikey are friends," Buffy said. "And I already told you, I don't need a Watcher –."
"It won't sink into his brain." Walburga snarked, "He hasn't got one."
Buffy went on, "And especially a Watcher who doesn't say please and thank you, or gives me cookies."
The words seemed to hang in the air, and she froze. A vague memory tugging at her brain, trying to unravel like a ball of wool and making her relive it. No! Buffy inhaled deeply; shoving her hand into the depths of her robe pocket she picked up the crystals Trelawney had given her. Keeping hold of the crystals she released the breath. Would this work? Would a few rocks be able to banish the past and ground her in the present? And then another thought occurred to her – one so horrible that it drowned out all other thoughts...
Trelawney!
She had forgotten the professor sat in her office just up the stairs. None of them had tried keeping their voices down. Had Trelawney overheard them? Had she come out, to listen? What if she was on the stairs right now?
"Walburga?" Buffy whispered urgently.
The dark-haired girl met her eyes. Buffy jerked her head upwards, indicating the upper level. "Can you check, make sure no one is there?"
Walburga stared back at her – coldly.
"Pleeeease?" she drawled.
The older girl tutted. "So what do you want me to do if there is someone listening to us?" she whispered back. "Obliviate them?"
Buffy bit her lip. Would Walburga be capable of casting that spell without causing the recipient brain damage? Would it be morally right to Obliviate your teacher? She had a brief memory flash of Snyder. Yeah, some teachers deserved to their memories wiping. "Um..."
"I was joking," Walburga replied quietly. "I have no intention of Obliviating Trelawney or anyone else for you. You'll need to do that yourself." She didn't look the slightest bit shocked.
Buffy knew that Lovell would be having kittens if he was here. She guessed that having a friend from a Dark family definitely had its benefits – they weren't so easily shocked. "Just come back and let me know if there's someone there, okay?"
Walburga nodded. Casting a muffling spell over herself, she began climbing the stairs. For some reason, Spikey followed her in his puffer-fish form. Buffy watched Walburga give him a thin smile, and she frowned. She hoped Spikey wouldn't go on the attack if someone was up there.
"So how do you know about Slayers and the Watchers Council?" Travers asked quietly. He'd climbed the remaining steps and was on the small landing.
"How do you?" she countered, trying to buy time.
Travers went to stare out the window. It had begun to rain, Buffy noticed. Below them, students were running for cover.
"After Mum died, we moved in with his sister – Aunt Hilda. He said that he couldn't work and look after a child at the same time... I don't know why, I was at boarding school most of the time..." his voice trailed away, as he sunk into his own thoughts.
"The summer before I came here, I sneaked into the attic and found a stack of old trunks that had belonged to my grandfather. In one of them was a diary." He slanted a look at her. "It wasn't an ordinary diary. It was a Watcher's diary from the late 1600s and, far from being boring, it was," a little smile came too his lips, "amazing! It took a while to read it, the handwriting was so small that I couldn't make out a lot of the words. I persevered and read it from cover to cover. It only spanned a couple of years – ."
"Slayers have a short life span," Buffy murmured. She had memories of drowning when she was sixteen, only a few months older than she was now. Out of the blue, a memory hit her...
'Avada Kedavra!' a man shouted in a heavily accented voice. The colour green flashed in front of her eyes; there was darkness, a sense of warmth and security, followed by an explosion of sensations throughout her body. What memory was this? She hadn't died from the Killing Spell in her last life.
Her fingers curled around the crystals, the edges of the stones digging into the flesh on her palm. She was not going to regress into her past now – she needed to have her wits about her while dealing with Travers.
The boy next to her nodded, his face thoughtful. Continuing to stare out the window, looking into the far distance, he said, "I read every Watcher's diary I could get my hands on, but in all that time I never considered how long Slayers lived. I only saw the hunts, the glory, the battles..."
"You know killing vampires isn't legal, right?" Buffy butted in, the talk of Slayers dying depressing her.
"How can it be illegal to kill something that is evil?" Travers asked, his dark eyes upon her.
Buffy couldn't answer him. Vampires created from Witches and Wizards were supposed to keep their souls, but it hadn't stopped the one she'd met from attacking her.
Travers went on, "They're nothing but parasites feeding off our society. Over the past few years, I've been checking both the Muggle and Wizarding newspapers and there are more and more cases of missing people and unusual deaths. What are the Ministry doing to address this? Nothing. Too interested in Grindelwald and his followers' antics, as far as I can make out"
"And some vampires don't just feed from Muggles," Buffy agreed, thinking of the three crazies she'd met in the cemetery. Walburga had told them that she was a Witch and they hadn't cared.
"Is that what happened to you and Walburga?"
Buffy looked at him questioningly.
"It's what you were discussing when I joined the conversation."
"Oh yeah. Um, sort of. I don't think those were the Wizarding vampires," she said, trying not to think of the Opera singer vamp she'd staked before knowing she was a Slayer. Lovell had been checking the newspapers to see if his disappearance was mentioned again. So far it hadn't been.
Travers nodded. "Dad knew all about the Wizarding World before Dumbledore brought my Hogwarts letter. Dad said that at one time the Ministry didn't interfere with the Slayer, but once the Council disbanded, they started protecting vampires." He stared out at the darkening sky and the rain hitting the window. "My father thought that I was wasting my time reading the diaries, he said that they were left over relics from the past, and that the Slayers were old and obsolete."
"Hey! Less of the old," Buffy joked.
"So how do you know about Slayers and the Watchers Council?" he asked sharply.
"Ah, we need to talk..."
"Much as I find Travers' company abhorrent, I hope that I shall be included in that conversation, Buffy," Walburga said, on her way down the last few steps with Spikey floating in the air behind her. "You don't need to worry, there's no sign of anyone. According to Spikey, Trelawney is still fogging up her crystal ball. She'll be there for a while searching for clues about my fake vision." The older girl looked from Travers to Buffy.
"Speaking of which... Buffy, don't you think it's time you hid that book and faced Sluggy? He'll be wondering where you are."
...
A/N
thanks to all of you who have wrote reviews for the last chapter. Sorry if I missed anyone out.
Fantsasy-Mania31 – I wouldn't mind a tame boggart either. ;-)
DrgnDrake – that line was a reference to the Buffybot :-)
Nerdalertwarning – I do like Buffy's change into something quite dangerous. They think she's a Lovegood but she is much much more...
Guest – thank you. 1st every 10-14 days seems to be doable. Glad you are enjoying it.
Hearteyesmf – Spikey has definitely grown to become a main character. He's no longer your normal boggart.
Loricfool – Spikey and Tom have yet to meet! Tom is going to meet Rory soon. He'll be sptting feathers.
Sammiemarie123 – great guess!
Guest – glad you are enjoying it. Musey writes events, so more happen earlier on and less later. All part of worldbuilding. Read my profile. That might help you to understand my writing (the clues are all there, you just are not seeing them).
Please review if you are enjoying it. It costs nothing to say thank you and it is appreciated.
