Chapter 4: The Key

September 2, 1991 - Summers Home, Los Angeles, California

Dawn sat in her room trying to listen to the conversation coming from downstairs. She couldn't hear much, but she did hear her name a few times, as well as Buffy's. The old man who had shown up an hour ago had said he was the headmaster for Buffy and Harry's school. And that he had to talk to Joyce and Hank about something rather important. That's when she got sent to her room. From that moment on she wondered what they had been talking about, trying to listen in from the door of her room.

Suddenly the voices quieted and she could hear footsteps on the stairs coming up. She could make out that there was more than one set of footsteps. She quickly got up and moved to her bed as her parents and Dumbledore walked in.

She looked up and nodded at her parents and noticed that her mother had been crying, "Is something wrong?"

Dumbledore sat down next to Dawn and smiled sadly, "Dawn, I have something to tell you and it will come as quite a shock. You are not who you think you are, you're not your parent's daughter."

Dawn blinked and shook her head, "What do you mean. Was I adopted? Mom, Dad?"

Dumbledore wished there had been an easier way to say it. "No Dawn, you are living in a borrowed body. We're not sure who's exactly. Anyways you died some time ago and you were resurrected. You have in your protection something known simply as the Key. Which from what we have learned is pure energy, which was likely pressed into your body when you were resurrected to hide it from what we aren't quite sure."

Dawn gulped not sure what to say to that. She knew of the wizarding world from her mom of course. But she didn't know that there were other kinds of magic out there beyond that. "So, does that mean I'm not well, me?"

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, "No dear you are indeed you. Despite how you came to the Summers and your cousins you are still Dawn Summers; nothing will change that. You have memories do you not of your life up till now. Those memories define who you are." He didn't want to mention that some of the memories were likely fake.

Dawn nodded and smiled, "So when did they do it, put this king thing in me?"

Dumbledore sighed, "We don't know, it was sometime in the past after your body well…."

Dawn nodded knowing where he was going, "You don't have to say it I know. So then what's to become of me then?"

Dumbledore smiled and looked at Dawn, "Well we need to go get your school supplies and then we will go to Hogwarts and you will get to take classes with your cousins."

Dawn blinked and smiled, she had wanted to go to Hogwarts ever since Buffy and Harry had left. But Joyce kept telling her she would have to wait till next year when she turned 11. Now she was getting to go, and she was ecstatic.

"You will need my key, Professor," Joyce said.

"No need," said Dumbledore as he smiled at the woman. "That has been taken care of by Buffy. She graciously provided the keys to hers vault and said we can take as much as needed. Then next year if you want then we'll switch Dawn's tuition to yours."

Joyce smiled and nodded and turned to Dawn, "You will be ok won't you, honey?" Dawn simply nodded as everything rolled through her head.

Dumbledore stood up, "I will be back later to take her to Diagon Alley and then Hogwarts. I need to talk to someone who I feel can protect Dawn when her cousins can't."

Joyce and Hank nodded as Dumbledore apparated out, a moment later he stood in front of a house at 1630 Revello Drive in Sunnydale, California. He smiled and nodded thinking to himself that the Slayer should be able to protect Dawn. He quickly rang the doorbell and waited patiently till the door opened. There stood a man in a suit, "Good day, Professor. What can I do for you today?"

Dumbledore smiled as he was shown into the living room, "First off, Wesley, you're not in school anymore so you can call me Albus now. Second I need the help of your Slayer."

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce gulped and nodded calling for Faith to come down. A moment later the young woman sat on the couch next to Wesley, "Who is this, Wes?"

Wesley smiled at Faith, "This Faith is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. He said he needs your help as the Slayer."

Faith blinked as Wesley and Dumbledore went on to explain about the Wizarding world. Then Dumbledore explained about Dawn and the Key. She blinked and nodded, "I wondered where the Key was that woman was looking for."

Dumbledore looked at Faith, "What woman?"

"I was out on patrol and came upon her inside a warehouse downtown. We fought after that and she won. I was battered and bruised for days after that. A monk, who I rescued and later who died, told me about the Key and the twins who lived."

"You didn't mention any of that to me," Wesley said.

Faith just shrugged.

"Will you come with me to help protect Dawn?" Dumbledore asked bringing the subject back to the Key and Dawn.

Faith stood up and nodded, "When do we leave."

Dumbledore smiled standing up as well, "As soon as you're ready. We will have to go pick up Dawn of course first and then we will head to England. I think once we're there you ought to assume a new identity. Maybe Dawn's aunt or something, that way students won't get too suspicious on why your there. Maybe her nurse, possibly?"

Faith nodded and thought for a second, "Nurse might be best. It will allow me into rooms where her aunt wouldn't be allowed to go during classes."

Dumbledore nodded and motioned for the two to stand next to him. Wesley grabbed Dumbledore's robes and Faith did the same before Dumbledore apparated back to the Summers home to pick up Dawn and from there they used Floo powder and left for Diagon Alley.