A/N;

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…...

Havoc at Hogwarts

After attending her History of Magic class, Buffy's next lesson was Potions. She waved goodbye to Lovell and took a sneaky shortcut to the base of one of the towers that Spikey had shown to her. Once at the bottom, Buffy emerged from the hidden entrance and slithered out from behind the statue of a squat Wizard holding out a Scroll of Knowledge.

In the next corridor, a group of Ravenclaw girls were standing around a boy reading from the Daily Prophet. One small, dark girl looked over, giggled, and nudged the boy who stopped reading to look over. All four began to giggle.

Did she have something on her face? Feeling self-conscious, she wiped at each of her cheeks. There didn't seem to be anything there, which made Buffy think they were probably trying to bait her – mocking other Houses was a game a lot of students liked to play. Deciding it wasn't worth challenging them, Buffy strode past, heading for the door to the dungeons. When she yanked the door open, a boy hurtled through and collided with her.

"Watch it!" he snapped, rudely pushing her aside.

"Aren't you gonna apologise to me?" she asked, rubbing at her nose and glaring at him. He was a Gryffindor; tall and gangly with red hair and freckles. He must be one of the Weasleys. "You almost broke my nose with your puny chest!"

"Me? Apologise to a Slytherin? Naa! Sod off Havoc-girl and play with your snakes!" He let out a loud bark of laughter as if he'd just made the funniest joke and the Ravenclaw group overheard and erupted into laughter.

Havoc-girl? Play with her snakes? Did he think it funny she'd been bitten? She eyed his retreating back sourly. "Watch out, Worzel! Keep wearing that rag of a robe and the Dementors will think you're one of them and fly off with you."

Without missing a step, Weasley flipped a two-fingered salute over his shoulder.

….

Buffy didn't meet anyone else and thanks to her nifty new shortcut, she was the first to arrive at the Potions classroom. The door was locked and since students were expected to wait in the corridor outside the room, Buffy walked over to a nearby bench, took out her homework and began to check for mistakes. Sure enough, she spotted one almost straight away. The ingredients for the Hair Growth Potion asked for the legs of five 'Bumf' beetles and she'd written 'Bum' beetles by mistake. With a little chuckle, she loaded her quill with ink altered the typo and began checking for more.

"Buffy!" called Caradoc Dearborn out of the blue and almost caused her to spill ink across her work.

Buffy looked up to see a grim-faced Caradoc waving a newspaper at her.

"Have you seen this?"

Her heart instantly sank. Crap! She had a good idea of what was in there. Skeeter had gotten that article into print fast.

"Is it today's paper?" she asked, hoping he'd say no. A nod in reply. "But where did you get it? I was told the owls had been delayed due to bad weather over Carlisle."

"There were storms during the night," replied Caradoc. "They've dropped all the the post off in each student's room. My first class was cancelled so I was there when it arrived." He turned over several pages until he found the one he wanted, then held the paper out for her to take. "Look. Below the toad. You need to read it. I... I don't think you will be pleased."

The article on her was right below one on the discovery of a rare species of toad in South America. Buffy wasn't sure if that was a good place for her article or not. A large picture of a purple toad with warts might put off some readers, on the other hand, a lot of wizards liked toads and they were popular as familiars.

Skeeter had chosen the heading 'Havoc At Hogwarts' – which explained why Weasley had called her Havoc-girl – and he'd included a photo. It wasn't a very big photo – the toad ranked as more important – but both she and Dumbledore were in it. Dumbledore was in the act of looking down at her with a stern yet twinkling expression that Buffy had seen too often – he was always looking at her like that. As for her... Buffy winced. Her hair was also a complete mess, it stuck up in different directions making it look as if she'd been electrocuted.

"I look like a crazy woman, don't you think?" she asked Caradoc, pinning him with her eyes and daring him to deny... or confirm it.

"Er..." He fidgeted with the strap of his book bag. "I... I... I would never say..."

"Whatever. Guess, I should read what it is he says about me." She bent her head and began to read out loud.

"Should the Muggleborn be allowed to study at Hogwarts?" She screwed up her face, puzzled. "What the hell is this? I thought it was going to be about me?"

Caradoc threw her a sad look. "Read further."

"Will they fit into our world or become a danger to all?" Buffy caught her bottom lip between her teeth. This was not going to be good.She read on, "Not since the Founders' time has this question been asked more. Opinions vary, but what of the non-magical parents of these children? What opinions do they hold? One mother believes it would have been easier if her child had never developed magic.

Divorced Joyce Summers (38) says her daughter Buffy Summers (15) has almost lost her life several times after coming late into her magic."

Buffy glanced sheepishly over at Caradoc, who'd put his bag down and was now leaning against the wall, arms folded and watching her. "Here," she said, offering him the paper back. "Will you read it to me? I might freak out and tear it into a billion pieces before I finish it."

He took the paper from her and read read, "Buffy, a petite blonde with learning difficulties –."

"Learning difficulties!?" she spluttered, indignant. "Ugh, if I ever see that Skeeter again he'll have 'learning difficulties'.

Caradoc's mouth twitched with amusement. "Um, yes, so... It goes on to say that it is due to memory problems after 'being injured by the notorious Hubert Von Kendrick (89)' and that you almost never made it to Hogwarts."

"I suppose that bit is true. I still don't have learning difficulties." She waved, indicating he read on.

"Buffy lost control of her luggage trolley on platform 9 3/4 and almost fell onto the rails. Later, during the traditional lake crossing, her clumsy nature caused her to fall from the boat...'

"Clumsy nature?" Buffy exclaimed, now almost vibrating with anger. "The trolley was jinxed and everyone knows Rigel fell in! I jumped in to save him. Everyone knows that!"

"Everyone here," corrected Caradoc. The Blacks are an influential family and didn't want the story to become public knowledge. Skeeter would not dare to use their son's name without permission."

Buffy's jaw set. Yeah, the Blacks had used their influence and let her look the fool.

Caradoc continued, "Immediately surrounded by Grindylows, Buffy was luckily wrenched from impending doom by the Mer people who carried her to safety. Buffy is also the first student in Hogwarts history to have been ambushed by Dementors whilst seeking the Snitch – ."

She raised an eyebrow. "Malfoy sent me up there. I'm betting his name is on the missing list too?"

Caradoc nodded

Disgruntled, Buffy muttered, "Not fair." Would Skeeter have dared write this article if they'd known Grindelwald was her father? Or would they change it to say she was faking the memory loss and it was all an intricate plot to bring down Hogwarts?

Unaware of her thoughts, Dearborn continued, "When questioned on how she'd sent a Dementor hurtling through Hogwarts' wards, Buffy (currently in the infirmary following a self-inflicted injury sustained during duelling class) –.'"

"Self-inflicted?" She wished that Skeeter was here in front of her. "How could he say it was self-inflicted? "You saw what happened to me! It was not self-inflicted! I was bitten by a poisonous snake!"

"I know." There was colour in Caradoc's cheeks and, too late, she remembered that he'd blamed himself for being bitten.

She softened her voice. "That wasn't your fault, Caradoc." No, she knew whose fault it was; fat-ass Riddle's with his smug but handsome face. He hadn't apologised to her for the snakes or the fat ass comment.

His eyes still on the paper, Dearborn cleared his throat and read on,"...she claimed, 'It wasn't my fault. He got all entangled on the end of my broom.'"

"He really did! It wasn't my fault he got impaled and my broom crashed, breaking the school wards!"

Caradoc nodded. "Shall I continue? Or would you prefer to read it in private? Only... I think it is better to know what has been said, and will be said, sooner rather than later."

"No, you go on and do your reading thing. I won't interrupt again." Buffy mimed zipping her mouth closed, which had Caradoc frowning in confusion. "That means, my mouth is closed," she had to add.

He nodded again, dipped his head and read on. "During the interview, Buffy attacked our photographer with her fists." Caradoc stopped speaking and side-eyed her.

"He was all GRRRR!" She mimed fangs. "Like Nosferatu!" Caradoc raised an eyebrow, and she explained, "Guy's a Ministry approved vampire. How was I to know he was creeping in with his long fingers to take photos?"

"Ah. That explains the next sentence." Caradoc's eyes softened, and he read on, "Miss Summers claimed she thought he, 'might get bitey'."

"True," Buffy admitted. "I did think that. I saw him looking at necks."

"Señor Sanguini remains shaken by the shocking, unprovoked attack."

"Shaken? I saw him when Dumbledore levi-corpsed my body into the air. If he was so shocked, why did he take photos of my underwear?"

A tic flickered below Caradoc's eye. "He took photos of your underwear? He took photos of your body... when it wore only underwear?"

Buffy was almost bouncing on the spot. "He totally did! I was upside down with my nightdress over my head and he was just snapping away. Mom almost had smoke coming out of her ears and even Dippy looked like he'd just swallowed a wasp. Fangy promised mom that he'd hand over the negatives to her today." Her voice lowered, becoming darker and more threatening, "He better play nice to her. Or he'll deal with me."

Noticing Caradoc's glazed expression, she poked his arm. "Earth to Caradoc! What does the rest of the article say about me?"

"What does...? Oh, the article! Where was I?" blushing furiously, he rustled the paper, scanning the page until he re-found his place. "Ah, here. 'At her daughter's sickbed at the time, attractive, but wan, single mother Joyce Summers (Squib) apologised profusely."It's a lot for her to take in... It was so much easier when she was a Muggle." A telling remark from a woman single-handedly raising her child after being abandoned by her Muggle husband." Caradoc searched her face. "Your father abandoned you? Why would a man abandon his family like that?"

"Um..." There was Caradoc with his nosy questions again. "They had... bad disagreements." She shrugged. "I guess he's just another dead-beat dad who ran off with another woman." There was more to it than that, but she wasn't about to tell him.

"That must have been... difficult for you."

"I don't really remember him," Buffy admitted. She wasn't sure if the memories she had of this Hank Summers were even real. Was she confusing him with the Hank Summers from her previous life? All she had was hazy memories and part of a letter.

"A father is as important to a child as a mother," Caradoc said vehemently. "You should contact him."

"Hank Summers doesn't want to know me, he said so himself." He'd made that clear in the letter and she wasn't about to start visiting Grindelwald's castle any time soon.

Dearborn didn't know what to say to that so he continued to read. "Always known for his kindness, Albus Dumbledore swiftly came to his student's defence. 'Buffy is extraordinary. I am sure she will grow to be a powerful Witch.'

Given her past exploits, this reporter shudders to think the havoc a Muggle-raised girl with magic can cause in our world...'" Caradoc folded the newspaper and stared at Buffy expectantly.

When she didn't speak, he added, "I think this Skeeter hates all those raised by Muggles. He uses you to make all look foolish."

Buffy nodded. She thought the same thing. Skeeter had picked the worst photo of her and then made her out as a one-girl disaster area, but Buffy was smart enough to see he might have done her a favour. No one reading this article would suspect her as being clever enough to cover her tracks or be a Slayer. "People will think I'm an idiot."

"You are not!" Caradoc dropped down onto the bench and surprised her by pulling her into his arms. She stiffened, wondering if he'd try to kiss her.

"He's the idiot," he growled. "You saved Rigel's life by jumping into the lake. How was it your fault there was a Dementor? The Headmaster should take more care of his wards if he doesn't want them breached."

Her face squashed into his chest, Buffy could only nod. There were people in the next corridor; she could hear their footsteps and voices coming closer. What if they came in and saw them? Not that she cared. She took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of Caradoc's magic mixed with whatever soap he liked to use. Pine needles? Yeah, pine needles. It was a sharp, fresh and honest smell. Except... she didn't trust him. Who could she trust? Only Lovell. Lovell knew all her secrets, he was family.

"I suppose he could have written worse." He could have written that I'm a vampire slayer. Not that she said it out loud, but she thought it.

She felt Dearborn's body still and knew the others were there. Releasing her from the hug, Caradoc's blue eyes darted to the approaching students and back to her. He lowered his voice, whispering, "Buffy, this is worse than you think. If Von Kendrick reads this, what will happen? He will know exactly where you are. He may come back... to kidnap or kill you."

Von Kendrick? Was he really after her? A memory of flashing green light, followed by Willow's voice ... Dying, death, resurrection and the sense of being in the wrong place at the right time. Or was it the right place? She was needed here. Buffy drew in a rasping great breath, filling her lungs with air and then letting it out.

"Buffy? Buffy!" Whatever Caradoc saw on her face had scared him.

"Um, I'm okay. I just… zoned out." She steadied herself, blinking up at him unsure what to say. Von Kendrick? Her slaying instincts had been so caught up in solving the problem of Dementors that she'd put the Dark Wizard at the back of her mind. What if Von Kendrick was really hunting for her because of who she was and not because of her general Squibness? He'd been a follower of Grindelwald. Had he discovered her father's identity? Had he seen the Grindelwald family tapestry or something? What did he want her for? For his experiments into magic? And what was that spell he'd used on her? Green wand light? Something powerful and nasty, she knew it in her bones.

"There's a rumour that a Hogsmeade visit is about to be announced," Caradoc was saying softly. "I asked you before to go with me and you refused. But you must. It will be safer for you. My parents taught me how to look after myself."

Buffy opened her mouth to say that she didn't need him, that she could look after herself too, but the boy's attention had already moved to the students entering the corridor.

"I am late for class. I must go." He stood, giving her a small smile and one of those short, stiff little bows that he did before grabbing his book bag and walking away.

Knowing that she couldn't put it off any longer, Buffy rose and faced her classmates. Professor Slughorn was further down the corridor, his bloated face red with exertion as he hurried to the door.

Roz gave her a cheeky, knowing grin and a little nod in Dearborn's direction. Buffy rolled her eyes, already knowing the conclusions her friend was jumping to. Travers' sanguine features were set into an even grimmer expression than usual, and she knew he wasn't happy with her. Keep your head down and don't bring attention to yourself was his advice. She certainly knew how to blow that.

As for Malfoy and Riddle and the others... Buffy saw several of her Slytherin Housemates looking over at Tom, no doubt waiting to see what he'd do and follow his lead in dealing with her. She raised her chin, meeting Tom's dark eyes head-on... They were flat and harsh, giving nothing away. Malfoy's face was more open and reflected confusion (what was she doing with Dearborn), exasperation (hadn't she been warned about the Gryffindor boys already) and from the quick glance he gave Tom, there was also a undercurrent of uneasiness as if he was worried about how this would play out.

Buffy looked away from them all, stepping towards the classroom door, ready to enter behind Slughorn. Why should she care what they thought of her? She had more important things to deal with, like monsters, hit-wizards and evil fathers.