The morning of Halloween started out nice for Harry Potter. He was a little nervous about going out with Ginny but figured it would be more like hanging out with friends than a date. Ron, Hermione, and Dawn would be there, which luckily convinced Mrs. Weasley her baby girl didn't need an adult chaperone. She was rather incessant about the fact it was a proper respectable procedure until Mr. Weasley stepped in and calmed her down. She trusted Harry with the lives of her children but had a hard time with Ginny growing up so quickly.
Ron was still a little miffed about his baby sister tagging along for his first time in Hogsmeade, but Hermione and Dawn guilted him into shutting up about it. In truth, Harry figured Ron and Mrs. Weasley both had a hard time with Ginny dating anyone this early. Even if that person was himself and it was mostly for appearance sake.
He had spent time with the younger girl to get to know her better. It had taken her a little time to get over the fact 'The Harry Potter' wanted to talk to her and just have a conversation with Ron's best friend. Harry genuinely liked talking Quidditch with Ginny and secretly agreed with her that the Holyhead Harpies were a much better team than the Chudley Cannons, but he'd never admit it because he was a guy and he still had pride.
Heading down to breakfast with Ron, both Gryffindor boys met up with the three girls at the house table. The raven haired boy smiled at Ginny, causing her to blush a little, before asking everyone. "Has anyone seen Willow yet?"
"Oh yeah." Dawn said smiling humorously. "She was here super early and had a really quick breakfast. After that she speed off long before her hubby-to-be showed up. She'll probably take her time getting to Hogsmeade so as to avoid him as long as possible. Probably won't even head out until lunchtime."
Harry frowned at Dawn wondering why the California Witch seemed to get a kick out of his sister's misfortune. He had asked her about it once, all she said was laughing at the bad stuff didn't make it seem so scary. When he asked her what the hell that meant, she just responded that it was a Scooby thing and his sister's problem would eventually resolve itself, so stop worrying.
"Well if I had to date that troll I'd take my time to. I'd probably throw myself down a flight of stairs while I was at it." Hermione said. This caused Ron to choke on a piece of sausage as he tried not to laugh. Harry quickly hit him on the back to dislodge the food stuck in his throat.
"Are you trying to kill me Hermione?" Ron asked laughing. The bushy haired girl blushed and looked away.
After everyone finished their breakfast, they left for the castles main entrance. Argus Filch was there already checking permission slips and giving the students distrustful looks. He stopped Ginny for a moment while he double checked to see if she was allowed of school grounds before letting them all pass.
The group of Gryffindors walked down the path to Hogsmeade discussing various things about school. Ron and Harry talked about their next prank on Nott while Hermione and Dawn asked Ginny about her second year classmates. Apparently, Colin Creevey had perfected the picture developing potion so he could finally make his pictures move on his own. He had been getting help from an older student, but the boy graduated last year. Ginny had promised him he could take a picture of her and Harry to commemorate their first date.
Harry and Ron had fallen behind the girls to take a quick look at the Marauder's Map. The scarred boy wanted to see if Willow had left the Slytherin dorms yet. He was a little angry at his dad for not including the town of Hogsmeade in the map so he could keep watch over Willow during her date. The very thought of Willow with Crabbe made the boy physically ill and he planned on throwing a party the moment that abomination of a contract was void.
Tucking the map away reminded him of how he got it in the first place. Both Fred and George had been at a loss for words when Harry declared the map had been his dad's invention. He then proved it by showing them he already knew how to work it. Afterwards, he explained that his dad had been the famous prankster Prongs.
Both twins had been overjoyed to find out just who one of their heroes had been. Of course, this lead to the inevitable tail of just who the remaining three Marauders had been as well. They boys learned that one had died a hero, one was the notorious murderer and traitor Sirius Black, and the last was in fact a Hogwarts Professor.
Harry had felt guilty about reviling Moony's secret, mainly because he had asked both Potter children not to during the Summer, but couldn't really see how he could have avoided it. The twins knew someone told him about the Marauders and the map, so figured that it had to have been a surviving friend of James Potter. At first, Harry thought of saying Hagrid told him but knew Fred and George also had met the half giant. The overwhelming tall man couldn't keep a secret to save his life and James Potter being a Marauder and notorious prankster would have been on the Daily Prophet's front page.
That very Sunday, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George went and visited Remus Lupin. Dawn and Hermione where studying in the Library so they couldn't go with them. The werewolf was always happy to see Harry and enjoyed his friends as well. He was flummoxed when both twins bowed to him proclaiming themselves unworthy to be in his presence.
After a talk over tea in which it was reviled to Remus that the Weasleys were aware of his prankster past, Fred and George asked to compare jokes to see where they measured up to the Legendary Marauders. Remus explained that reveling past misdeeds to a Professor was a bad idea and that just because he had once been a prankster, wasn't going to get the twins special treatment. It was when Fred asked him to help them with a prank that Harry and Ron lost it, rolling around on the ground holding their sides. Remus just buried his face in his hands to keep from doing the same.
After asking the boys about their studies Remus learned about the potion incident with Willow's exploding cauldron. Asking Harry a few more questions about what happened and, more importantly, who caused the issue, the werewolf got quiet as he thought about the problem. Later that night Harry found a wooden box on his bed full of custom made joke products like Magic Seeking Balloons, Protesting Laundry Detergent, and so much more. There had been a note on top of the box from Remus Lupin that simply said. 'This belonged to James and I'm sure he would want you to have it. I have no idea what's inside though.' It would have been a little more convincing if the box wasn't new.
Entering the village all five children decided to go to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop so Dawn and Hermione could see if they had any Self Inking Quills. Both girls thought this was funny because Muggles had already thought of this with pens. Harry was thinking the same thing as the girls but wondered who had the idea first, and decided to ask during the next Muggle Studies Class.
After looking around the shop for about an hour the group went up front to pay for their purchases. Ginny protested a little when Harry bought her a set of Self Inking Quills that wrote in multiple colors but excepted them in the end. Ron found a nice bookmark that not only marked the page but also the paragraph you stopped at for Hermione.
After Scrivenshaft's the boys and Ginny wanted to go to Zonko's. Dawn and Hermione were forced to endure over an hour of joke products and gags. It wasn't like they didn't appreciate a good laugh, but why would you invest so much time an energy to make a wide verity of magical jokes. However, both older girls in joyed the Sneezing Flower gag that would sneeze every time you smelt it. It was a purple rose in the front window that would sneeze water in your face whenever you put your nose to it.
As it was approaching lunchtime the group decided to eat at the Three Broomsticks. Walking into the establishment they sat down close to the bar. Madam Rosmerta walked up to the group to take their orders which consisted of Butterbeer and some sandwiches. The hostess brought the meal and left them alone.
As Ron ate and looked around he noticed Malfoy, Zabini, Goyle, and Crabbe setting in the furthest corner from them. He indicated the group to Harry and pulled out the most resent invention from his twin brothers. They were called Extendable Ears and allowed the user to eavesdrop on conversations at a distance.
Ron taped the Extendable Ear and it began to stretch out along the floor to the Slytherins. The Gryffindors all lend closer to the end Ron held to hear. The voice coming out of the magical object was one everybody at the table could identify.
"Do you have a plan for your date Crabbe?" The voice of Malfoy could be heard asking.
"What I need a plan for. Going to go have tea at that girly shop the Witches like, then buy her something nice and possibly kiss after." Was Crabbe's response.
Dawn shook her in discussed and looked across the room at Draco who was doing the same thing. Harry felt bile in the back of his throat at the thought of his sister kissing Crabbe.
The famous young Wizard looked over at Vincent Crabbe, picturing him bursting into flames, and noticed something odd. Every snake around the boy was wearing Hogwarts' robes but Vincent was wearing robes of a different design. They were solid black and didn't look all that different from the normal school robes, but they appeared to be of better quality. He looked at Hermione and asked her what she thought.
"Honestly, you boys are hopeless. It's tradition for students on a date to dress up when going to Hogsmeade. Everyone else just wears school robes." She explained.
Harry looked down at his robes and then Ginny's. Neither of them had dressed special for the date because they hadn't known. Ron was also studying his clothes and Hermione's because they were also wearing school robes. The black hair boy smirked to himself when he realized his redheaded friend subconsciously did think of this as a date with Hermione.
'Of course, sense Hermione never made a fuss about dressing up, did she just think it was a normal outing with friends, or did that actually give her the wrong impression because Ron didn't make an effort?' Harry wondered as he looked at Ginny sheepishly and mouthed sorry. She looked back at him, shrugged her shoulders, and mouthed she didn't know ether.
"Don't you get it?" The voice of Blaise asked next. "The little bint isn't like the girls your used to. If you just rely on money and your family name it won't even get you a peck on the cheek."
Harry made to stand up at the offensive name Zabini used to describe his sister. Ron and Dawn, who were setting on either side of him, grabbed his shoulders and forced him to stay seated.
"Don't know why that is. My dad told me American girls are easy." A new voice said that the Gryffindors couldn't readily identify. Harry paused in his struggle to look over at the Slytherins to see who was talking. A pissed of Dawn Summers did the same as she began to slowly reach for her wand. Hermione saw this and grabbed her hand to stop her.
Crabbe had turned to look at Goyle and said. "Well it's a lie apparently, or I got the only difficult one."
"She got a grate backside though. You can't complain about that." The voice of Goyle said. The Gryffindors were still so shocked about hearing him talk for the first real time sense they ever met him, his words didn't completely register right away.
It was Ron that snapped to what he said first and grabbed Harry's shoulders quickly. The angry boy looked at his red haired friend and said in a low terrifying voice. "Let me go so I can curse him."
"We'll get him later mate, ok. He'll pay for the crack about Willow and American girls in general, I promise." Ron attempted to placate the angry brother.
"You bet your freckles he will Ron!" Dawn growled as she glared daggers across the pub at Goyle.
Blaise gave Malfoy an exasperated look that clearly said this would never work. The pale faced boy seemed to be contemplating cursing the two in front of him just like the Gryffindors.
Harry felt his sister approaching their location and looked towards the front door as she, Davis, and Parkinson walked in. The boy noticed his sister's annoyed look as she walked up to the Slytherin boys.
"Come on." Harry said. "We don't want Willow to catch us spying. I don't think she'd care if we only spied on the Snakes, but she would if we spied on her."
The group left the Three Broomsticks and stood on the street. Looking around Harry asked Ginny after calming down a little. "Was there something you wanted to do or see?"
The younger redhead thought it over and said. "Let's go look around Honeydukes. There supposed to have samples and I promised my friend Luna I'd get her a blood flavored lollipop."
Dawn looked at Ginny confused and asked. "What?"
"Don't ask me. Luna has always been peculiar, but this is a new one. I really hope it's for something other than eating." Ginny explained.
Walking down the road the Gryffindors past Dudley and some other Hufflepuffs. The Potter's cousin was looking in another direction, so he didn't see Harry. The relationship between Harry and Dudley was still strained at best but was improving thanks in no small part to Willow. The girl was determined to get her brother and cousin on speaking terms at least, and sense both boys were afraid of her they reluctantly cooperated.
As they walked in to Honeydukes they passed a display of Watermelon Tarts with a 'Try One' sign. They were absolutely heavenly, and the group walked further into the shop. Harry, Ron, and Ginny took their sweet time looking at everything the store had to offer. There were delicious treats as well joke candy that tasted horrible or had funny side effects. There were even Acid Drops that burned a hole through your tongue and then healed over quickly.
They left Honeydukes with several bulging packages stuck in an ever expanding bag Dawn had purchased before the start of school. Next, Hermione and Dawn wanted to go to Gladrags Wizard wear to look at clothes. Walking in there was a Sales Witch showing a display of jewelry.
"Hello dears, perhaps something special for the young ladies?" She said sweetly.
Ginny walked over just to see what was available. She picked up a pair of diamond pumpkin shaped earrings that she thought looked cute. The Sales Witch just beamed a smile down at the girl and said. "Oh, excellent choice dear. Why that lovely Willow Potter just bought a pair just like it."
Ginny started giggling as she placed the earrings back on the shelf. The Sales Witch looked confused as her customer began to laugh uncontrollably. Harry, who was standing next to his girlfriend, just smiled at the older woman and moved his hair back from his forehead to show his scar. The Witch just looked on in shock as the boy lead the redheaded girl away.
Hermione tried on several different robes and shoes. Dawn was wishing there was a swimsuit section so her friend could really make Ron blush, but alas there wasn't one. Both girls did end up buying a pair of shoes each, and Hermione purchased a set of deep purple robes with a matching Witch's Hat in case she needed to dress up for the next Hogsmeade visit.
The Gryffindors walked around town for a little while longer before Ron suggested they could go and look at the Shrieking Shake. It was supposed to be one of the most hunted buildings in Wizarding Britain that housed a very mean and rowdy lot.
Things were going very well for Harry Potter, and that's why he should have expected something to go terrible wrong. As the group approached the worn down old shack there came a loud shout.
"Look out!" Auror Ziva David cried. She had been tailing the children all day in secret as not to ruin the outing. She had two English Aurors with her sense Harry was considered the more likely target of one Sirius Black. What no one truly figured on was something attacking that wasn't human.
Dawn, being the more experienced duelist of the Gryffindors, quickly turned as the eight foot tall demon came running at them. She couldn't identify it but knew that it had masked its presence from so many magic users, then it was ether old, powerful, very smart, or all the above.
The creature was a solid grey humanoid with red eyes and yellow pointed teeth. It wore a sleeveless leather jacket and blue jeans which suggested it was somewhat familiar with the modern world. Held in its hand was a wicked looking broadsword with a hilt made of polished white bone.
Dawn quickly used her wand to silently throw a cutting curse that had no effect other than to knock the monster back a little. Assessing the beast, Dawn figured it probably had a high resistance to direct magic and would probably take indirect magic to defeat it. If she were Willow, then Dawn would have temporary endowed herself with Slayer level strength, but that was beyond her abilities.
As the creature came charging again, the other Gryffindors pulled out there wands not sure what to do. None of them really knew more than the Disarming Charm though Harry did have the Static Shock Charm his sister taught Dudley.
Ziva cast a Reducto Curse hitting the demon in the back, but it had no effect. Thinking quickly, she waved her wand in a horizontal slash that sent a large chunk of wood that smashed the side of the grey face. The monster was sent flying several feet away from the children before landing hard on the ground. It quickly jumped back to its feet unfazed while Ziva and the other Aurors took up position in front of the Gryffindors.
"What is that thing?" One of the Aurors asked scared.
"I'm not sure but it seems resistant to direct magic, use indirect magic!" Dawn shouted.
"What do you mean indirect magic girl!" The taller Auror screamed. He was beginning to panic as this was something he had never trained for.
"You can't stop him with a Leg-Locker Jinx because that works by directly effecting muscles, but you can conjure rope and tie his legs up indirectly locking his legs together. Do you understand?" Dawn explained quickly.
'So,' Ziva thought. 'I can't blow him up with the Reducto Curse, but I can blow up the ground and various objects around him.' With that thought she magically through a rotten log at the beast's head and blew it up in his face. The combination worked as the creature lost his left ear.
The monster growled and put his left thumb and forefinger to his lips and gave out a short sharp whistle. From the woods behind the students came three ugly bald grey Rottweilers that charged the group. Two broke of and began circling everyone while the middle went straight for the kids. The shorter Auror quickly put himself between the students and the dog firing a Cutting Charm that cleaved the dog through at the waist.
Dawn saw it in slow motion. It wasn't the first time she saw someone die in front of her, and she knew hunting demons it wouldn't be the last. The torso, front legs, and head of the grey dog continued forward and bit the Auror's head clean off. Hermione gave a loud shriek and passed out with Ron managing to catch her. Ginny was petrified, clinging to Harry and the boy wasn't faring much better.
The grey Demon quickly ran in to strike at Harry and Ginny, only for Ziva to deliver a perfect spin kick to the damaged side of his head. Retreating again it called his remaining two dogs to him with another sharp whistle. It then charged, sword raised high, with both animals behind him.
Ziva, wasting no time on defense, fired two quick Reductos at the dogs destroying them both as she crouched low to steady her aim, leaving her last remaining partner to parry the sword strike. The British Auror managed to conjure a basic metal shield to block the attack. Unfortunately, the moment the Demon's enchanted sword hit the empty magical construct it faded away, leaving the man to be cleaved clean from the lift-side crock of his neck, down and out the meddle of his right side. The monster continued to fallow through with the swing, aiming the blade at Ziva's unprotected neck. The American Auror had expected the British Auror to intercept the attack, now she was going to die.
It wasn't to be, however, as a broad shield made of transparent yellow light appeared between Ziva and the sword, deflecting the blow just in time. The former Mossad Operative looked up to see Dawn Summers holding her wand steady while casting whatever Charm had just saved her life.
The creature backed off quickly to assess the new threat. Dawn gave him a false cocky look as she taunted. "You're personally immune to direct magic and your sword, which I'm guessing has a hilt made of Highsp Bone, can pass through simple objects made of magic like shield and barriers. However, I'm guessing it won't work on transfigured objects and more complex magics like my Shield Of Light."
The creature charged at Dawn with everything it had. However, this shield was by no means a simple magic trick. The Of Shield Light was one of the most powerful abilities in Dawn Summers arsenal. Buffy had worked with her tirelessly for hours on end, just so she would be familiar with fighting someone with inhuman strength and endurance. The trick was to use as little movement as possible. All Dawn had to do was move her wrist and the shield would fallow the point of her wand, while the Demon moved his whole body in various attack patterns and moves in hope of bypassing the girl's defense.
Finally, the Demon got tired of the struggle and gave a sharp snarl. The torso of the first dog cut down quickly came to and leaped with its front feet at Dawns leg. The girl would have lost her right foot at the ankle if another dog hadn't tackled her out of the way. The massively large black dog took the bite on his right shoulder and lay deathly still.
Dawn quickly tried to get to her feet but was hit by a strong backhand that knocked her across the Shrieking Shake clearing. The red eyed monster turned back to Ziva and the other children, then suddenly leaped back as a large column of flame sprung up where it had been standing. When the fire died down everyone saw Willow staring the beast down with pitch black eyes. The Wicca shifted her gaze onto the half dog body and saw maggots and worms crawling out of the severed waist.
"Using the dead enchanted bodies of dogs to attack your opponents with poison, while gaining minions that can't be stopped easy. Your very cleaver, but it will take more than that to defeat me." The Wicca stated calmly.
The impowered girl conjured thick black lightning that coated her body. "There, know I should be more than strong enough to beat you to death."
Both combatants charged one another. The demon tried to strike at Willow with his sword, but the girl knocked it away with the back of her left hand and clobbered the creature with her right. It was as they struggled the creature managed to throw a bone dagger straight at the Gryffindors.
Willow watched in slow motion as the weapon made its journey. She saw instantly that the dagger and sword hilt were made from the same kind of bone, there for magic couldn't stop the knife's trajectory sense it would just absorb the power before it could do anything. It would have buried itself in Ginny or Harry if Ziva hadn't levitated the dog torso that attacked Dawn in front of it.
The leather jacket wearing monster howled in anger, realizing that it couldn't beat the California Wicca, he made to retreat for the woods. Willow quickly moved in and wrapped her left arm around his neck. She locked her left hand into the crock of her right elbow and placed her right hand behind the demon's head. With a sharp twist of her body the Wicca managed to break the creature's neck, ending the fight once and for all.
In the aftermath of the battle, Ginny was hysterical, Harry was trying to comfort her, Ron was in shock sitting quietly on the ground holding an unconscious Hermione, Ziva David was coming down from an adrenaline rush, Dawn was nursing a bruised jaw while tending to the poisoned unconscious dog that saved her life, Willow was pissed, and two brave British Aurors had lost their lives.
Not much longer everyone heard quick footsteps coming up the path from the village. Anthony DiNozzo broke into the clearing with his wand raised high expecting a fight. He looked around at the carnage and screamed. "What the hell happened here!"
Ziva rolled her eyes at her partner and said. "Go get help Tony. There's been a Demon attack and some of the students might need medical attention."
Tony looked around quickly once more before running down the path to Hogsmeade as fast as his legs would carry him.