Author's Note: So begins the end of the story. After three years, the end is nigh. For those of you who have read this story and stuck with me for the past three years, I don't think I could ever thank you enough.
x-o-o-x
Chapter 20
Come Together
x-o-o-x
"You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
x-o-o-x
It wasn't until late the following day that Harry and Buffy finally had a chance to talk together, much less spend more than a minute in the other's company. He found her in an unused classroom, staring at a roll of parchment in front of her. He rapped on the door and walked in, not bothering to ask her if it was okay. The look on her face was enough to tell him it was.
"So," she greeted, pushing the parchment aside.
"So."
There was a moment of silence before Buffy started snickering. Harry couldn't resist his own as he watched his sister lean back in her seat, putting her boots on top of the desk. "Where to begin," she finally said, cocking her neck from side to side and stretching her arms over her head.
"I could start," Harry offered.
"Please," Buffy rolled her eyes. "What could you possibly tell me that I don't already know?"
Harry shrugged. He wasn't quite willing to share his feelings for Faith yet; those were private. But there was always his army. "I'm getting the army ready."
"That's good," Buffy said approvingly. "I've been waiting for them to get it together."
"I'm adding in students who've graduated. I'd be insulted if you weren't one of them." At Buffy's bright smile, he rolled his eyes. "Like I really needed to ask, huh?"
Buffy's teasing smile faded from her face, only to be replaced by a serious expression. "Harry…"
He sighed, dropping into the chair in the desk next to the one she was at.
"I'm not going to give you a lecture. It's hardly a talk. It's just that… I think I'm beginning to understand the sacrifice mom and dad made. About why you're so important. Because you are. You are the most important person to this cause and it's like everybody wants a piece of you, everybody wants to control you. Even me."
"Buffy…"
"No, I need to get this out," she said, swallowing hard. "I guess my issues don't really matter now because there are bigger things at stake here than you and me. We have our differences. We have our faults. I may be the chosen one, but I'm not the one that's needed to be chosen here. That's your line. You've got this huge battle coming and the only thing I can do is whine, whine, whine. I'm not going to burden you with all the stuff I've gone through. You don't deserve that. You've got enough to be getting on with."
Harry stared at his sister for a moment before shaking his head. "I really wish you would talk to me," he said quietly. "It seems that every time we get to this point we fight and we talk and we fight and…" His words trailed off. "I just want things to be all right between us."
"You're my brother. You're my blood. Even if things weren't great between us, remember that no matter what, we still have that. And things are great between us."
"I missed you a lot," Harry said honestly.
"When all of this is over, we are so going on vacation," Buffy chuckled, leaning back in her seat and drawing her knees to her chest. "I'm going someplace warm that isn't a Bulgarian jungle."
"Was Bulgaria that bad?"
Buffy shrugged. "I was awake all of four days there. The other time not so much. But Germany seemed nice."
"It isn't fair that you got to do all this traveling," Harry sighed dramatically.
"I was unconscious!" Buffy protested. "That doesn't count."
"But you're awake now."
Buffy smirked. "Looks that way."
Harry was quiet for a moment. "I'm glad you're awake."
Buffy's lip quirked into a familiar half-smile. "Me, too."
Harry got back to his feet, stretching. Buffy also gathered her parchment and walked around the table, her arm threading through his. "Let's just get through the next few months first, right?"
"Must you discuss all this work?" Buffy asked, a hint of whine in her voice as they moved out into the hallways. "A sister's job is never done."
"You act like it's such a chore," Harry teased.
"No," Buffy said, a strange smile lighting her face. "It's my life. But it's a good life."
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Buffy tightened her grip on him and sped up, dragging him through groups of students that just stood and stared. "Well, you don't have to run through life so bloody fast!"
Buffy laughed, her hair whipping in her face as she turned to look at him. "It's what I do."
x-o-x
Faith took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the Infirmary. As much as she hated to be in here, she needed to do this. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light. Only one bed was occupied and its occupant she put there. Exhaling slowly, she moved into the room. The occupant appeared to be sleeping. Faith froze, torn between leaving and coming back later or just charging forward. She decided on the first, turning back towards the door but found someone blocking her path.
"Good—" Faith muttered, stepping back and lowering her fists which had instinctively clenched and raised. She stepped out of her defensive stance. "You should make some noise, wear a bell or something. Sneaking up on a Slayer is like a death wish."
Madam Pomfrey wore a patronizing smile, one eyebrow arching as she gazed at the shorter girl. "You shouldn't be in here, Delita."
Faith winced at hearing her real name, shaking her head. "Damn."
"My patient needs his rest," Madam Pomfrey said quietly. "He doesn't need another black eye."
"I wasn't going to hit him," Faith protested mildly. "I'm here to apologize." At the nurse's surprised look, she shrugged helplessly. "I don't expect you to understand."
Madam Pomfrey studied Faith for a moment before stepping around her. "I believe you aren't here to cause trouble. But in the case that my patient is attacked, I won't leave you alone with him. Bad things tend to happen when you two are left in a room together."
"Whatever," Faith said, crossing her arms in front of her stupid Slytherin robe. At Madam Pomfrey's sharp look, Faith chuckled and held up her hands. "I promise I won't hurt him."
"Don't worry," said a weak voice from the bed. "I'm armed and can fight back."
"That's not fair," Faith said, pointing at Percy who was smirking at her from his hospital bed. "He has magic and I don't."
"You got your right hook," Percy groaned, wincing as he lifted a bandaged hand and pressed it to his face.
"Oh, you little wuss! You grow up in a house with, what, five brothers and you're whining that a girl hit you?" Faith taunted.
"Behave, children," Madam Pomfrey said, busying herself with replenishing what few supplies she'd used the night before, if not to eavesdrop on the troublesome Slayer and her patient.
Faith sighed and shuffled her feet towards Percy's bed. "You look like you got the crap kicked out of you."
"I think I got the crap kicked out of me," Percy groaned, lowering his arm. "Luckily for me, she didn't break anything major."
"Did she break anything?" Faith asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of her voice.
"My pride, my ego and quite possibly every blood vessel in my face."
"You really are a wuss," Faith groaned.
"But I'm not going to deny that I didn't deserve it," Percy said, his tone dropped as he turned his head so that his eyes could meet hers all the while moving his head as little as possible. "I think I had some sense knocked into me after all."
"You didn't deserve it," Faith said with a sigh. "I may have been a little harsh."
"My left eye thanks you."
"Your left eye looks kind of hot. I like guys with black eyes. It's how I like 'em best."
Percy's eyes widened in horror. At seeing her teasing grin, he shook his head. "You're a tease."
"Oh, I like being a tease. It's far better than a feared mass-murderer."
Percy sighed as he stared at the ceiling. "I didn't want her to get hurt."
"Neither did I," Faith murmured.
"But she got hurt," Percy said quietly. "She got hurt and somebody I work with made the decision to hurt her. I need to tell you I would never hurt her."
"Because you love her, right?" Faith asked dryly.
"I do."
She turned to him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You do." It wasn't a question. It was a grim realization.
"She is one of the best things that has ever happened to me," Percy replied. "And I'm not just saying that because I love her. I'm saying that because, in a way, she's saved me."
"She has a tendency to do that," Faith said with a quiet smile as she sat down on a stool at his bedside. "She sees good in people. Sometimes she believes more in them than what they know. She's a good person. She doesn't deserve half of what they did."
Percy shook his head faintly. "She doesn't."
"And neither does Harry." Percy's eyes narrowed at the sharpness in her voice. "I hope you realize that once this is all over, he's going to say to hell with the Ministry. They don't deserve him. They don't deserve any Potter… or Black."
"I won't argue with you when you're brassed," Percy murmured.
The bell tolled and Faith glanced at the door. Madam Pomfrey was brushing imaginary wrinkles out of the curtains that surrounded the bed across from Percy's.
"I should get to class," Faith said. "But I wanted to say I was sorry."
Percy stared at her so incredulously that Faith found herself gazing at her robes, wondering if she was suddenly covered in green goo. Once she realized what he was getting at, she rolled her eyes, scoffed and walked out of the Infirmary, Percy still staring after her.
"That was certainly a pleasant visit." Apparently Percy wasn't the only one surprised. He turned to Madam Pomfrey, who wore a shocked expression. "I wonder if the world was going to end."
"She just wanted to say her piece," Percy replied as the nurse bustled off with other chores. "You can't fault her for that."
x-o-x
By late afternoon, the staffroom at Hogwarts was full of people. Most were members of the Order of the Phoenix. Buffy was wedged between Sirius and Remus, her gaze focused on the ceiling. The air was tense and nobody spoke, alluding to the seriousness of the meeting that had been called to order just an hour before. There was a chill in the air that had been there since they had first arrived.
Finally, after long moments of silence between murmured warnings, Buffy had had enough.
"You know what the worst part about this is?" she asked, getting to her feet. She felt the weight of their stares, from calculating to exasperation. "We have no choice but to accept it. They're coming and there's nothing we can do? I don't accept that."
"Buffy," Sirius said, tugging at her arm. She glared at him as she pulled her arm back.
"No, I am not going to just sit down and wait to die. I'm sorry, but I'm not that girl. Right now, your purpose was fighting Voldemort, tracking his Death Eaters, figuring out which allies he has now and which ones decided not to join the black parade. But right now, we need more than just information. So the giants are with him. We've got two of our own."
"She's right," Professor McGonagall said quietly. "We do have two capable giants of our own."
Buffy gave her former Head of House a bright smile. "So they've got these creepy Inferi zombie thingies that took out half of the Ministry of Magic. The magic that charms them can be blocked. Do we not have some of the most powerful Witches and Wizards in the world within these walls? We've got resources, people, so it isn't like we don't have anything!"
"Buffy, sit down, please," Remus said, tugging on her other sleeve. With Sirius's help, they were able to pull Buffy down.
"I was only trying to help," Buffy scoffed, pulling her arm from the older man and glaring at everyone around the room. "You would do it, too. Admit it… you're scared. And why shouldn't you be? Weren't you in this same place sixteen years ago? Why are we sitting here when he could be traipsing through the Dark Forest at this very second?"
"We do have information on the current location of select Death Eaters and several of his current dark creatures in the army we believe he will use," Tonks said.
"I wasn't asking you," Buffy said coldly, her eyes narrowing. "And I don't remember agreeing to be here with representatives from the Ministry of Magic."
"She is also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Miss Potter," Professor Dumbledore said from his position near the front of the room, his fingers bent in a tent underneath his chin. "You would do well to remember that."
"You want to know what I remember?" Buffy asked coolly.
"Buffy, now is not the time. You and Tonks can fight it out once all of this is past."
"I look forward to it," Buffy sneered, her eyes cutting as she eyed the purple-haired Auror at the other end of the room. Taking a deep breath, she felt some of the tension ease out of her body as she turned back to the Headmaster. "What we need is a plan."
"From what little information we have been able to gather, we do believe that Voldemort will come for the school. What he wants is here," an Order member Buffy couldn't remember said, leaning forward in his seat. "We have Harry, Dumbledore, you and Faith, the school itself and—"
"That'd be a really, really good reason to spread us out a bit, don't you think?" Buffy asked sharply, looking around the room. She didn't know why they were all afraid to speak up for. She was just going to have to do it for them. Once she had a plan, she came through with that plan. She frowned slightly as she started to formulate a plan. She turned to the caretaker, Filch. "How many passageways are there out of the school?"
"That I know of, personally? Six," Filch replied, cradling his beloved cat in his arms.
"Six, huh?" Buffy asked, turning back to the table. "Does everybody know about them?"
"Not that we know of," Filch grunted.
"What are you getting at?" Sirius asked her.
"We need those entrances covered," Buffy replied, folding her arms and leaning back in her seat. "Even if they don't know about it, chances are Voldemort does. I can do that."
"You?" spluttered another Order member that Buffy couldn't remember. "Why you?"
"Because I'm a Slayer, you moron," Buffy snapped. "I know how to fend off the baddies. If you have any questions, just ask every single student that's still alive after what we did to Sunnydale High. You need someone that can hold the front line. I can buy time."
"Time for what?" Remus asked.
"We all know what Harry needs to do. We all know that Harry is the man to do it. Whether I like it or not, what happens when it does will decide the fate of the rest of us. I'm thinking that Voldemort is too smart to storm the front door. He knows that it'll be protected. He'll come through the back, too. That's where I'll be, giving Harry his time."
"Anyone that would lead such a feat may not survive it," Professor McGonagall said softly. "Are you sure you're willing to do this?"
"I am," Buffy replied. "You need a Slayer on the front line."
"What about Faith?" Sirius asked. "Where does she stand in all this?"
"Exactly where she needs to be," Buffy smiled. "She's staying here."
"Here? To do what? Lead the fight inside?" Buffy couldn't help but chuckle at Sirius's concern. It was very 'big brother' of him.
"No," Buffy said, shaking her head. "She'll be with Harry."
"Are you sure that's smart?" Sirius asked in a hushed voice.
"I believe in my heart that she won't do anything to hurt him, even if it was forced upon her," Buffy replied with a sad smile. "She's the only one strong enough to protect him. Everything else is already on the board."
"Meaning you have plans for all of us?" Remus asked mildly.
Buffy smirked at him before turning back to the rest of the room at large. "As a matter of fact, I do. Here's what we know thanks to the information provided by the Order. And this is how it's going to go down…"
x-o-x
"This place is incredible," Tara said, her voice echoing in the magnificent hall as the doors closed behind them. Willow just stared, wide-eyed like the little girl in a candy store, around at the high ceiling, the four pillars filled with jewels and the great doors that closed off where she supposed the students were. "Willow?"
The redhead shook herself out of her stupor and offered the other woman a bright smile. "Sorry, just feeling a little envious. Can you believe this is where Buffy and Faith have spent the past year?"
"It doesn't really seem fair," Tara smiled as she moved into the entrance hall, pulling her bag over her shoulder. "I suppose we should be grateful that we were invited."
Willow beamed at her as they continued walking about the hall, admiring the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the grounds and the magnificent staircase to their left. They only snapped to attention when they heard voices from their right. They both turned as figures approached. There were four of them that seemed not to notice the two women in the entrance hall. They just continued in separate directions until they disappeared from sight.
"That was odd," Willow breathed. They stared after them, not noticing a fifth figure had walked up behind them, watching them with amusement.
"Seeing ghosts, are we?"
Willow nearly jumped as she spun around, her hand moving to her throat as she saw Buffy's bemused smirk. "Funny," she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Very funny."
"I'm so happy to see you!" Buffy murmured, flinging her arms around Willow and holding her close.
"But we were just here when—" Tara's voice failed at Buffy's confused look. She just stepped forward with a shrug. "I'm Tara."
"I've heard about you, mostly from my brother," Buffy said, enthusiastically hugging Tara before the taller girl could slip away. "I'm Buffy."
"Willow's told me so much about you," Tara murmured.
There were shadows approaching from the right again. Buffy saw these and quickly slipped her arms into Tara's and Willow's, pulling them towards the staircase. "I'm going to show you to your room, if you don't mind," Buffy said in a rush of words as they started their ascent up the steps. "I then have to get to a meeting. There are a few others here."
"We know," Willow replied. "We were just here."
"Angel and Spike have moved from Sirius's to one of the lower dungeons, but they'll be up as soon as I send word," Buffy continued as they approached the threshold. "And here we are."
Willow and Tara couldn't help but admire the endless tower of staircases. What also took them by surprise was the insane amount of staircases moving… including the one beneath their feet.
"Ooh, hurry," Buffy said, running lightly forward onto the next level, the other two women cautiously following. "Have you heard anything from Xander?"
"He'll be here," Willow said firmly. "I told him what was going on and I think he was waiting for it to happen."
"Great," Buffy said as they continued along to an open doorway at the other end of the level. "Here we are." A few doorways later, she stopped in front of a painting. She knocked on it until the painting started muttering at her. Willow stared at the painting, poking it a little.
"I know you told me the pictures moved, but this is just weird."
"Welcome to my life," Buffy said. She then told the painting, "Codswallop" and it swung open, muttering still. A warm, inviting glow came from within and Buffy closed her eyes as a warm rush of air nearly tempted her enough to not go where she was about to. "In you go. I'll be back in about an hour."
"Where are you—"
"In an hour!" Buffy replied, glancing down the hall. "I'm already late and he hates it when I'm late. We'll catch up later, okay?" Turning, Buffy ran down the hall, disappearing quickly from sight.
"So, that was Buffy?" Tara asked Willow curiously as they walked inside.
"She's usually less spastic," Willow assured her as they stepped inside. At the circle of faces awaiting them, Willow suddenly felt her shyness returning. "Um, hello there…"
x-o-x
The door to the Room of Requirement opened and Buffy ran in, panting. Her hair, which had been tied back earlier, was now hanging erratically around her face. Though a Slayer, she seemed out of breath, having just run four flight of moving steps. Hermione watched Buffy curiously from her cushion, book propped in her lap. "Am I late?" Buffy rasped, clutching her side as she caught her breath. "Is it over?"
"It hasn't begun yet," Hermione assured her, marking her page and setting the book aside. "Did you just rush up here?"
"Order… meeting… Dumbledore… strangle him… argh!" Buffy sank on the cushion next to Hermione. "He basically told me I was going to miss this meeting if I didn't hurry my ass."
"Obviously he hasn't lost his sense of humor," Hermione commented as she picked up her book again.
"I think he was annoyed that I sort of took over his meeting," Buffy admitted with a pout.
"That's probably true."
Buffy grumbled as she stretched in her seat. "I couldn't help it though. They were all sitting there looking like lost kiddies wondering where Daddy had gone. It was so disturbing."
"That and you're just a take charge kind of girl," Hermione replied.
"I'm just sick of all the sitting around and the doing nothing and the waiting to die part. I'm not sorry I did what I had to do."
A wary look suddenly crossed Hermione's face. "What did you have to do?"
"Make plans," Buffy replied crossly. "I'm sitting there with a stupid map telling people where they go to wait to die." She scoffed in disgust, staring at the floor. "I used to have so much fun coming up with the plans. I actually felt like part of the Scooby gang."
"Do the others know about your brilliant plan?"
"Not yet," Buffy admitted. "This is why I'm here. To let you in on the plan."
"And what is this plan?" Hermione asked.
Buffy gazed at her thoughtfully. "I'm not sure you want to know."
"I do," Hermione said simply. "I assume you're doing something rather dangerous and exciting."
"Could be."
"You're going to be vague, aren't you?" Hermione said. "You don't think I have what it takes to do what you do."
Buffy stared at the spot on the floor as she fought with herself on whether or not to tell Hermione the truth about that. She finally decided that the truth wouldn't hurt. "You're wrong about that. Aside from the professors, you're one of the most gifted, capable Witches I have ever met. It would be stupid of me to ignore that."
"What do I do?" Hermione asked.
"I tasked myself to protect the seven entrances into Hogwarts from Hogsmeade," Buffy explained. "Harry is going to duel with Voldemort. I've asked that the students remain under lockdown until the attack is over. I've also asked that Dumbledore's Army remain in the school."
"What about me?"
"I need someone to lead them."
"What about Harry?" Hermione breathed.
"He's got enough to do, don't you think?" Buffy asked lightly. Hermione nodded seriously. "I don't trust anyone else to do it the way I know you can. You've thrown yourself into some pretty heavy research and I know that, when the time comes, you'll be able to protect them."
"This is big," Hermione murmured. "I'm not sure how many would feel about a Muggle-born protecting them."
"You're a hell of a Witch," Buffy replied, leaning over and taking Hermione's hand. "They couldn't ask for better."
Hermione was quiet for a moment before she added, "What about Faith?"
Buffy didn't answer as the door burst open and Harry casually strolled in with Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville. His eyes widened as he saw his other best friend and his sister lounging on cushions looking as though they thoroughly enjoyed some serious girl talk. "Oi, you two," Harry grinned, waving them over. Buffy and Hermione exchanged an annoyed look before getting to their feet and shuffling towards the boys.
"What's up?" Buffy asked, wrapping an arm around her brother's as she stared at what he was holding in his hand.
"Just trying to see where—hey, what the hell are you doing?" Buffy had just snatched the Marauder's Map out of his hands, her eyes gleaming.
"Oh, this map… this stupid map! I should have seen this coming."
"You're going to give it back!" Ron pouted.
"I didn't kick your puppy, so back off," Buffy told him, turning back to the map. "Harry, the seven entrances from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts, where are they?"
"Why?" Harry asked slowly.
"Because I need to know," Buffy replied impatiently. "Now, come on, time is of the essence. There are thirteen dots heading in our direction and I want to be able to give good instructions."
Harry's face fell. "I assume you're not here as my sister and quite possibly my lieutenant?"
"You assume right," Buffy said, patting his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm here as a member of the Order of the Phoenix here to hand out assignments. I'll wait for the others, but… where?"
Harry showed her the seven parts on the map. Finally, he said, "You should just take the twins with you. Aside from Filch, they know every single hidden nook, cranny and hidey hole of this castle."
Buffy's eyes gleamed as she considered this. "You may be right."
"I know I'm right," Harry mumbled as Buffy relinquished control of the map back into his hand. "You look so serious."
"There are serious times, little bro," Buffy replied, turning to the door as a group of Hufflepuffs walked in. They were followed closely by Faith and a girl Buffy didn't know. Faith quickly introduced her to Buffy as Juliet Rosier, daughter of a former Death Eater and one that was sort of in their former position. Buffy just nodded at them and waited until thirty-some kids gathered inside, all with their eyes directed to Harry.
Harry turned to Buffy. "You should start."
"You sure?"
"You're the general," Harry said regretfully.
"Right you are," Buffy said, pushing herself off of the table she'd been sitting on and speaking to the room at large. "Hi, some of you might remember me as the slightly evil bitch who decided to steal lots of dark magic last year. I don't plan on a repeat of last year, so I'll keep it brief. I've got jobs for everyone. And I do mean everyone." Her eyes shifted to the two Slytherins.
"Professor Sprout just told us that she's locking the Hufflepuffs in our Common Room," Ernie MacMillian said.
"The same happened with Professor McGonagall," Ron added with Ginny voicing a second on that.
"I understand what your Heads of Houses said to you," Buffy said, holding out a placating hand. "I'm not one to go against doing what you're told, but then again, weren't you the ones who decided to insurrect and fight back when Umbridge and the Ministry took over Hogwarts?" At their silence, she smiled and continued. "Well, here's your chance to fight the baddies. Aside from the few of you who have other things to do, I assume that you'll be brave enough to protect this school. I won't ask this lightly as anyone who chooses to do what I'm about to ask you to do… there's a chance you won't see the end of it." She saw Hermione swallow visibly, but the intensity in her eyes never dimmed.
"Buffy, you don't have to ask us," Ginny said, speaking up. "We're in this… to the end. For Harry."
"For Harry," a few others murmured.
Harry felt his eyes mist over as he turned to his sister, who gave him a bright smile as she bent up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "For Harry," she murmured, pushing him to the front of the room. "They're yours."
"What about—"
"Not my job," she said, cocking her head towards Hermione, who sat up a bit straighter and didn't meet his mortified gaze. Faith's eyes narrowed as she tried to read her sister Slayer's body movements.
"What?" Juliet breathed into Faith's ear. "She's about to let a Mudblood like Granger lead us?"
"Like you're up for the job," Faith hissed back. "Buffy has a plan. I know that look. I've seen that look before… right before we blew up Sunnydale High."
Juliet gave Faith a half-panicked look that in any other situation would have Faith punning. Instead, the other girl shuddered and looked away. "Bloody hell."
x-o-x
"Tea?"
"Thank you," Willow said, taking the cup with a shaking hand. Sitting on the bench next to Tara, she held the warm cup, unable to stop trembling. "Wow."
"You've said that," Giles said dryly, taking his own mug and sipping from it. "Five times."
"I know, but wow," Willow continued. "I mean, has she completely lost her mind?"
"It isn't too much to assume that she isn't taking such a great leap of faith here, Will," Angel said, comfortably crossing his legs and surveying the redheaded witch with amusement. "From what I've been told, you're a hell of a Witch." His gaze shifted to Tara. "The both of you."
"But to invoke those kinds of magicks," Willow murmured uncertainly, "I'm not sure if I can do that."
Tara let out the breath she'd been holding for the past ten minutes since Giles first began telling them the plan. They weren't alone. There were friends of Buffy's that were present, including a twin pair of redheads and a pretty dark-haired girl. But she wasn't about to let Willow falter now. "I can," she offered, wishing for once that she could speak loud when the situation warranted it. "I'll do it."
"Tara?" Willow whispered, turning to her.
"You need to invoke the forces of life to repel the spirits of the dead," Tara replied. "I can do that."
"Are you certain?" Wesley asked, crossing the room. He'd been pacing since Giles started explaining what was going on.
"Positive," Tara replied firmly. "You can count on me."
"And me," Willow replied. Tara looked at her. Willow just smiled. "You're my friend. There's no way in hell I'm leaving you there alone."
"As for the rest of the plan, we're part of Buffy's arena," Giles replied curtly. He still hadn't been able to sit his Slayer down and figure out what was going on with her. But Wesley had been invited to the meeting earlier that afternoon and he had returned with Buffy's plan. Giles had to admit that his Slayer could come up with something solid in such a short amount of time. "We've also got a few more coming from Sunnydale."
"We've been looking over Teeny's plans and they're quite foolproof," one of the twins said, stepping up, his freckled face reflecting the bright firelight. "We're going to offer our shield charms and anything you may need. Knowing Teeny, she's already thought of everything."
"Except one thing," the other twin said from his seated position.
"What's that?" Willow asked.
"This," the twin said, coming forward and showing off a complicated-looking star chart. The dark-haired girl that had been lingering in the background came forward, curious.
"Been spending time with Trelawny's cooking sherry again, George?" she murmured as she stared at the chart. A moment later, she straightened. "Oh."
"Care to share with the rest of the class?" the twin asked her. "You were always great at Astronomy, Em."
"It isn't the stars that are here, it's the moon," Emma whispered. "It's in line with the sun."
"And that means…"
"An eclipse," Giles concluded. At Emma's look, he added, "Am I right?"
"Yes, sir," Emma replied cautiously, giving the Watcher a rare smile. "But time… we don't have it. He must have known."
"Those dark creatures above ground aren't all he'll play with come eclipse-time," the twin replied in a deep voice as he pulled the star chart away. "That also means—"
"Vampires," Willow whispered. "And, knowing how many are probably drawn to his cause…"
"There could be thousands of them," Wesley concluded.
"I think I need to sit down," Willow moaned.
"Will, you are sitting down," Tara replied softly, taking her hand with a strength Willow didn't know she possessed.
"It seems like Voldemort is getting everything he wants," Emma said in a hushed voice. "He took out the Ministry so that they wouldn't be able to help us. We're as good as on our own."
"But you don't know the best part," one of the twins said with a bright grin.
Emma's eyes immediately widened in horror. "Oh, Merlin, no… what did you two do?" At their identical evil grins, she couldn't help but gasp out, "What did you two do now?"
"Let's just say that knowing our dear Slayer has given us a new market," the other twin said fiercely. "And that is something we intend to use."
"I don't want to know," Willow muttered, feeling a chill creep over her. "This just went from bad to worse."
"How bad could it be?" Tara asked curiously.
"You don't want to know," Willow replied, remembering the twins' antics from the time she had spent around them.
"We've faced odds before," Angel said.
"Not like this, we haven't," Giles snapped, getting to his feet. The room was silent save the crackle of the fireplace. "This… this is world-changing."
"It's been awhile since we had an apocalypse, hasn't it?" Willow asked with a wry smile. "Seems like only yesterday."
Giles gave her a reassuring smirk before turning to the others. "Whatever happens will happen. We can only do our duties the best way we are able and know that in the end, we are doing the right thing, even if it means our lives."
"It may come to that," Wesley added. "We may all die, but we die believing in a better future."
There was silence as everyone thought about what had just been said. Finally, Giles reached behind him, taking the teapot. "Who wants a refill?"
x-o-x
The only light in the Gryffindor Common Room late that night was from the fire. Hermione sat curled up in an armchair, blinking at the flames. Crookshanks was curled up next to her, Hermione's hand idly resting on fur. Spells, enchantments, wand motions and books fluttered through her mind, each one willing to give her the information needed to do what she had to do. If only one could give her a spell to quell her nerves. Her spine felt like it was crawling.
She heard a soft noise behind her. She didn't need to look around to see who it was. A figure slipped solemnly from the shadows and sat on the other chair near hers that faced the fire.
"You're not going to talk me out of this," she said, rolling her eyes towards his face, which was tight and pale.
"I don't mean to," Harry said quietly. "It's just that… this is really happening, isn't it?"
"You can't hide from your fate forever," Hermione murmured, turning her gaze back to the fire. "None of us can."
Harry sighed as he rested his head against the fabric, feeling tears prickle his eyes. "I always thought it'd be like old times," he said in a soft voice. "The three of us charging ahead, going where we shouldn't be going, breaking the rules, toeing the line and occasionally crossing it. I never thought it'd come to this."
"You know why we can't all be together on this, right?" she asked him, her voice muffled by the arm that her head leant against.
"I know," Harry replied. "But I don't agree with it."
"You don't have to," Hermione sighed, pushing herself up into a seated position. "But we're going to do what we have to do, you know?"
"I do know," Harry murmured. "It's just… I'm scared."
"I am, too."
Harry let out a chuckle, running a hand down his face and straightening his glasses. "I don't know why, but suddenly I'm terrified."
"It's okay to be afraid," Hermione said lightly. Harry smiled at her and reached across the arm of his seat to take her hand. "I think anybody in their right mind is afraid. But at least it's almost over, right?"
"Yeah," Harry said, curling up in his seat as his fingers wrapped around hers. "It's almost over."
There was the sound of shuffling on the footsteps as a yawning figure approached, a hand running through flaming hair. "What are you two doing up? It'd the middle of the bloody night!"
Hermione pulled her hand away from Harry's as she leaned back down in her chair, pulling Crookshanks tightly to her. "Pull up a chair, Ron."
"Some of us were sleeping before some of us made bloody ruckus," Ron said sourly, glaring at Harry as he dragged a third armchair over to the other two and sat heavily in it.
"I couldn't sleep," Harry admitted apologetically. "Sorry."
"It's orright," Ron yawned. "Things are pretty at night."
"Things are pretty stupid at night, you mean," Hermione shot back.
As Harry watched Ron and Hermione banter back and forth, he felt the swell of emotion in his throat as he watched his two best friends. They had all grown up together, from the stupid kids that pushed the line to see how far they could go before they broke the rules. Now they were at the top of their grade, the last of their kind… it was enough to make a grown man cry. He really did love his friends, for better or for worse. After all they had been through in the past seven years… he wanted to see what it was like at the end, with no Voldemort and no more darkness. And he couldn't imagine two better people to complete this journey with him than his two best friends who were sitting on either side of him, arguing about nonverbally transfiguring a toad into a toadstool.
x-o-x
"You look like you could use a friend."
"I could. Many in fact," Buffy said, holding her portrait open as Faith strolled into her room. "It's late. Aren't you under curfew?"
"All I had to do was threaten to hurl Mrs. Norris out the window on the fifth floor and Filch was like jelly putty in my hands."
"Got to love a man who responds well to violence," Buffy chuckled as she sat down at the end of her bed. Faith took one look around the room, her eyebrows lifted.
"No Oliver tonight?"
"Nope, no Wood for me." At Faith's incredulous look, Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that sounded lame to me, too."
"Not a bad pun if I do say so myself," Faith said cheekily.
"So, you rang?"
"I've got cross news," Faith replied, pulling the amulet out of her bag and handing it to the older Slayer.
"Hmm, the one from my hallucinogen dream?" Buffy queried, studying the amulet. "It's cute in a sort of Romanov fashion."
"It was apparently created a thousand years ago, around the time when the Hogwarts founders were just about done completing their work on this place. So not only is it some historical artifact whose hour-long history lesson I apparently slept through, but it's protected by the magicks of 'those who came before it'. Something about the bearer being able to use those that fell before it to power it. Something like that."
"That makes no sense," Buffy replied, handing back the amulet.
"It'll make sense come battle time."
"Speaking of that," Buffy said, "I have a favor to ask of you."
"Shoot."
"Harry."
"What?" Faith asked.
"Harry. I've been giving out assignments all day. I'm all given out. But if there's one person whose life I value more than my own, it's his. He's got to reach that final battle alive and I know the one person who can get him there is you."
"Are you kidding me?"
Buffy shook her head. "Sorry. I wish I was, but…"
"What about the letter? Did you even read that letter? And the curse? What about the curse?" Faith held up her arm, the Dark Mark flashing dangerously on her right arm.
Buffy drew a deep breath, pulling a pillow to her chest. "There is no one else to do this, Faith. They could ambush him so that all Voldemort has to do is stand there and cackle. Have you ever heard him cackle? So, so evil."
"But…" How was Faith going to explain her feelings for Harry to his sister? She felt a slight blush on her cheeks and quickly looked away in a half-assed attempt to hide it.
"I know you care about him. It's obvious how deeply he cares for you. When the time comes, when everything is on the line, you'll know how you really feel about him. But for now, I need you to stop being afraid and to help a sister out here. I've got my own battle to fight. I might not get back…" Buffy's voice broke slightly and she quickly drew a hand to her lips as though the words pained her to continue. "Please, please do this for me."
"You know me, B," Faith said with a half-smile, looking at the other Slayer. "We've been through so much together in these past two years. If you want me to go down saving the world by saving the chosen one, who am I to argue? But the Mark…"
"If this thing does what he wants it to do, I fully intend to jump out the nearest window so I don't do something stupid," Buffy muttered.
"Right there with you, sister friend," Faith replied, satisfied. "So… any timeline for the dark days?"
"Soon," Buffy replied. "Something about having a solar eclipse that'll allow a huge army of vampires to ransack the castle aside from thousands of other baddies."
"Kind of makes you hope for the good ol' days, huh?"
"Oh, yeah."
x-o-x
When Harry woke up a few mornings later, he knew it was the morning. He felt it in his blood, in his bones. He wasn't the only one. The entire school seemed subdued, even buzzing with nervous energy. His eyes sought out the Slytherins and he found Faith missing. She had been missing for the past few days, choosing to dine with Buffy and the rest of the Sunnydale gang. Harry actually had fun hanging out with the Sunnydale gang, too. But part of his motivation was that Faith was there. And, for some crazy reason, he wanted to spend hours with her.
Buffy woke up when she heard the bells chime, pushing the covers aside. She didn't choose her usual jeans and blouse ensemble but instead picked something in the leather oeuvre. Her skin was humming with vibrating energy. For the past few days, she knew it was coming. Now it was time to carry her plan through, to see if everything they had spent their lives learning would come down to this very day.
As she strolled through the halls, she quickly gave the password at a large portrait of a gang of three older men playing cards. They happily let her in, only to find Willow reading from a spell book and Tara gathering ingredients into a small wicker basket. Wesley was talking with Faith, who had joined them from Slytherin. When Faith saw Buffy, the two women acknowledged one another in their mutual leather outfits.
It wasn't until midday when Buffy finally got her warning. There was a flash of color and a single feather. Drawing herself to her full height, she glanced around the room at her friends. "Time to go," she said, offering them all a hesitant smile.
Classes were called off for the rest of the day. Students were sent to their Common Room with the exception of forty students to remain behind. Hermione took a deep, shaky breath as she smiled at her friends before joining the smaller group from Sunnydale assembling in the Entrance Hall. The two vampires were not present; Hermione figured they took one of the secret passages to Hogsmeade. Buffy then turned towards Harry, who had stopped behind her.
"So," she said, spreading her arms wide.
"So."
"I guess this is it."
"I guess so," Harry surmised.
"Harry…"
"Don't," he said, stepping towards her and wrapping his sister in his arms. "Don't say anything… because anything you say will sound like a goodbye."
Buffy chuckled into his shoulder as she released him, pressing a hand to his cheek. "Stay safe, bro."
"You, too."
Buffy stepped away and hugged Hermione and the two exchanged words, Hermione looking more and more nervous. Harry felt his heart pitter painfully in his chest before he turned away. Professor Dumbledore stood next to them, his fingers tented together curiously. He was going to accompany Buffy to Hogsmeade in order to have words with his brother, Aberforth. Harry and his Headmaster exchanged a respectful nod before the Professor made his way into the Entrance Hall. He saw the rest of the Order standing tall behind him.
"Spread out in here and in the classrooms on the main floor," Hermione suggested, coming to her senses. "Make sure you're well-protected. Use tables or desks if you can in order to shield yourselves better. And don't forget to pick up a shield vest and shield cap from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."
Harry saw Faith motioning for him from by the door. He made his way over to her. Faith beamed at him, slipping her arm through his as she started dragging him up the main staircase.
Buffy and Professor Dumbledore strolled to Hogsmeade, followed partially by Willow and Tara. A few moments later, the two witches broke off, staring at a spot near the barrier where they could complete their spell work. Buffy pleaded with them to remain safe. They then continued on.
Hogsmeade had been abandoned for the most part as it was a vulnerable spot. Buffy glanced at the number of people who had arrived, including two men who were dragging a large trunk into the square.
"It's about time!" a loud voice piped in as a tall brunette slipped from the shadows and came forward, her arms spread out. "We've been waiting for you for hours lazy loo."
"Good to see you, too, Cordy."
"Do you really think I'd let Xander come on his own?" Cordelia asked, tossing her hair back. "Please. Angel sent everyone from Los Angeles so I figured I'd be in a place to come, too."
"I'm glad you're here. Really. Stake?" Buffy had cracked open her trunk and was pulling out weapons. Cordelia took the proffered wood and slipped in the back of her pants.
"You look good, all leathery. It's a good look for you, like a bad girl dying to get out."
"Gee, thanks," Buffy replied, getting to her feet and taking a good look at her lines. She started putting weapons in obvious places, like on top of a group of crates or hanging them from the wire that was suspended from the stores across the alley from one another. She lined up a group of holy water inside Honeydukes as well as the small store that sold pet goods across the way. She spied Dumbledore talking with his brother down the street as she turned to the group of people standing behind her that included Sirius, Remus and, to her horror, Tonks.
"What is she doing here?"
"You need my help," Tonks said through gritted teeth. "Whether you care to admit it or not."
"I do. Need you, I mean," Buffy replied quickly. "It's just that… yeah."
"Where should we go?" Sirius asked.
"Well, we need to cover these areas," Buffy replied, taking Sirius to the Marauder's Map.
"Blimey," Sirius murmured, realizing what it was. "Would you take a look at this, Rem?"
"I see it," Remus said fondly, patting Buffy on the arm. "It was quite the surprise for you to bring it to us."
"I just use it for the secret passages," Buffy said sharply, turning to both of the men with a fond smile. "And my dad would be touched that you remember this."
After getting people to the entrances with weapons, she was surprised by the arrival of a group of Apparating former students. She blinked as Fred and George Weasley led a small group forward. "Good afternoon, Teeny Tiny!" Fred said, hugging Buffy tightly as George dragged a crate forward. He reached up, grasping one of the axes hanging off the eaves of one of the shops in order to break it open. "I bring supplies… and a plan."
"I like the sound of that," Buffy replied, moving forward with him. She smiled at the others who included Cho Chang. She quickly delegated out until only a few remained in the circle.
It was then that a shadow passed over the town. Buffy spun around, covering her eyes as she saw the moon slipping in front of the sun. "It's time," she whispered, turning to the others. It was then she noticed that Dumbledore had never returned after speaking with his brother. "Where did he go?" she asked, turning to the others and receiving only shrugs in return.
x-o-x
It had been in his plans the entire time. As he strolled away from the village, he hummed under his breath, his eyes on the tops of the trees as they swayed in time with the wind. He remembered a conversation the night before with Minerva, telling her that the young died so the old could get older. He wasn't about to let that happen. Not again.
Fawkes had been sent out to hunt for the first sign of dark creatures. Vampires had been moving into the mountains by the dozens. The centaurs had scattered in face of the Forbidden Forest that seemed to roar. Smaller, goblin-like creatures bearing deadly crossbows had been seen skulking around the rocks on the other side of the lake. These were signs that one would not take amiably.
At last, he stopped on the edge of the border. He could feel the power of the witches' spell working its magic on a barrier he had single-handedly helped strengthen years before.
And now, it was his blood that would finish the charm. He may not be able to keep out every dark creature, but it would block those with magical roots deeper than evil itself.
He glanced up when he saw a pair of perfectly-polished black boots in front of him. His eyes twinkled behind his glasses as he appraised the tall, stunning figure before him. Large creatures flapped in the background as he felt the chill of a shadow overcoming the sun cross his face.
"At last," a voice hissed. "At last your time has come to an end, Dumbledore."
"Not so, Tom," Dumbledore said pleasantly, folding his hands before him. "This school will never truly be dead as long as those that remain are loyal."
"To you?" the voice hissed. "No longer!"
"You may be surprised," Dumbledore replied sagely. "You might as well do what you came to do."
Voldemort's crimson eyes gleamed with pleasure as long, pale fingers grasped a wand and drew it out, pointing it on the old man's chest. "I have waited a long time for this."
Dumbledore closed his eyes peacefully.
"Avada Kadavra!"
x-o-o-x
To be continued…
x-o-o-x
Author's Note: Hi! So, after a close call with a forest fire, leaving my old job, starting my new job, going through another round of treatments, getting through the first few weeks at my new job, getting through the past few days, stressing over family being in Iraq… yes, valid reasons why this chapter took a month to write. Also, the end of this story has so much going into it that it's hard to write without getting tired. But, I'm happy to say there are only three full chapters left!