Chapter 6: Letters, Dogs, and Research

September 7, 1991

Buffy sat at her desk in the first-year girl's dormitory, Dawn was standing behind her looking over her shoulder as Buffy was writing a letter to Joyce and Hank. "Buffy, do you think it's wise to mention well you know in the letter?" Dawn said.

Buffy looked up and smiled at Dawn. "I think it will be alright. Cin won't let anyone but Mom…. Err Aunt Joyce get it," she said as she turned to the owl in its cage, "Isn't that right Cin?" The owl simply hooted its acknowledgement.

Buffy read over the letter she had been writing, "Dawn, anything else you want to add?"

Dear Mom and Dad / Aunt Joyce and Uncle Hank

I still am trying to decide what to call the two of you. It is hard seeing how I grew up thinking I was your daughter, only to find out I'm actually your niece. It's just confusing; I will figure it out at some point though.

School has been great; I already made some friends; Hermione Granger (her parents are muggle) and Willow Weasley. Harry has made a friend also, Ron Weasley. Ron and Willow are twins like me and Harry are.

Dawn has been here for a couple days, I bet it was a shock to learn about her. It was a shock to me when I found out about it in my dreams. Dumbledore said I had some sort of cognitive ability, does that mean I'm psychic or something? When I'm not working on my own homework, I am helping Dawn with hers.

Well we better go; Harry wants me and Dawn to come to watch his Quidditch practice. We love you both.

Buffy & Dawn

Dawn shook her head, "I think that about does it."

At five to three Harry, Buffy and Dawn left the castle and made their way across the grounds. While Hagrid's note had come before Dawn arrived. They wanted to introduce her to Hagrid since she hadn't had the chance to meet him during the summer like they had.

When Harry knocked, they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang—back."

Hagrid'sface appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Dawn and started licking her ears.

"This is Dawn," Buffy told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate. "Our cousin."

"Joyce's daughter, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Dawn.

"Yes," Dawn said.

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but the twins and Dawn pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.

Harry was delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch 'that old git.' When he saw Dawn and Buffy looking at him quizzically, he realized they didn't know the meaning of the word since they had both been raised in America. He and Hagrid explained the word for them.

Harry and Buffy told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid told the twins not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate us," Harry said.

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

September 12, 1991

Buffy and Dawn follow Willow, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived not long after they had. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Buffy glanced down at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Buffy and Harry's brooms jumped into their hand at once, but they were one of the few that did.

Dawn looked at Buffy with envy. "I still wish I could do it as easy as you, Buffy," she whispered.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle—three—two—"

Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle—twelve feet—twenty feet. Neville let out a gasp, slipped sideways off the broom and—WHAM—a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his. "Broken wrist," she muttered. "Come on, boy—it's all right, up you get." She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.

"Harry," Buffy and Dawn whispered.

Malfoy smiled nastily. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find—how about—up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" Buffy and Dawn said worried that not only would Harry be expelled if he was caught but if he fell off his broom that he could be hurt.

"Madam Hooch told us not to move—you'll get us all into trouble," shouted Hermione.

Harry mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared.

Buffy and Dawn watched, unable to take their eyes off Harry.

Harry pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher. He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. "Give it here," he called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

Harry leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

"Catch it if you can, then!" Malfoy shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

From the ground Buffy and Dawn watched as the glass ball rose up in the air and then start to fall. They saw Harry lean forward and point his broom handle down as he gathered speed in a steep dive, racing the ball.

"Harry," Buffy said. "Careful."

Harry stretched out his hand—a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the the glass ball clutched safely in his fist.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Buffy and Dawn looked at each other knowing as they saw McGonagall running toward the group that Harry was about to be expelled.

"Never—in all my time at Hogwarts—" McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "—how dare you—might have broken your neck—"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor—"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil—"

"But Malfoy—"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Mr. Potter, follow me, now."

Buffy and Dawn watched as McGonagall led Harry back into the castle. It would not be till later that they found out that Harry had not been expelled but instead was now the youngest Seeker in a century on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

A couple days later Buffy and Dawn learned that Malfoy challenged Harry to a duel. And that Harry, Ron and Hermione had snuck out. They had almost been caught by Filch but had managed to escape by hiding in the forbidden corridor where they had learned that a three-headed dog was standing guard over a trapdoor.

From that day on they tried to find out anything they could about the Key and the mysterious woman Faith had fought, but also what was beneath the trapdoor that the three-headed dog had been guarding.

October 1, 1991

Buffy smiled as Cin dropped a letter from Joyce in her hands. She took Dawn and Harry aside in the common room and read the letter to them.

Dear Buffy, Harry and Dawn,

Buffy, sorry it took me so long to reply, I thought it would be best to let Cin rest before sending her back. It is a long flight for her from California to Hogwarts.

Yes, Dumbledore told us about Dawn. Yes, it was indeed a shock to find out that the monks did what they did, but we still love her no matter where she came from. As far as I'm concerned, she has been and always will be my daughter, regardless of where she came from. I feel relieved a little that you're looking out for her. No one I hope is teasing her about being a year younger than everyone, I hope.

Dawn, how are you doing? I miss my little pum'kin belly and can't wait to see you along with Harry and Buffy during the Christmas break. I hope you've made some friends like Buffy and Harry have, and if you haven't you will I know.

Buffy, Harry, Dawn, I have some bad news. Hank and I have decided to get a divorce. I will be moving back to England so I can be closer to you all by the end of October. Don't think for a second that our divorce has anything to do with the three of you, because it doesn't. We just grew apart; we will of course remain friends. And of course, you three can see him any time you like; in fact, he made me promise to let you three spend some time with him next summer.

Oh and, Buffy, I completely understand your confusion on the whole the deal with calling me mom or aunt. You take your time figuring it out, okay?

I love you all, and will see you at Christmas

Love,

Joyce

Buffy and Dawn were shocked to say the least at the revelation of Joyce and Hank getting a divorce. Still it wasn't a total surprise as Buffy had heard them on occasion arguing. "Harry, do you mind if I send Hedwig so Cin can get some rest? I want to send a quick note to mom…. err Aunt Joyce and let her know we're all thinking of her."

Harry nodded, "Go ahead, you might let her know that I'm on the Quidditch team and when my first Quidditch game is also."

Buffy smiled and ran off after quickly writing a brief note to Joyce.

October 14, 1991

Buffy sat with Harry, Dawn, Faith, and Wesley in the library going over books trying to find out anything they could about the Key and the Mystery Woman.

Dawn's face brightened, "I found something on the Key. It is energy, supposedly it is about as old as the universe. It is said to open the gateway between dimensions."

Wesley frowned, "That is not good. If someone got ahold of you, they could use you to open the gateway and then realities would possibly begin to bleed into one another. Now the question is why is the Mystery Woman that Faith fought want the Key."

Faith smiled and shook her head, "I think Dawn answered the question. It wouldn't surprise me if she is some kind of Demon or something, she wants to return to her home dimension. It's either that or an Apocalypse. Either way we have to stop her of course."