Author's Note - Please Read!

Okay, here's the deal:

I desperately, desperately do not want to abandon this story. I have an awesomely bad habit of doing that with stories, and I made a promise to myself when I started this one that I was going to finish it.

And then all this real life stuff started happening to me. Not only did my father pass away (he had a brain tumor for those who don't know), but then not more than a month later I lost my job because the company I worked for moved to another county - one that was way too far away for me to commute to.

So for the past couple of months I haven't done any writing at all. I've either been looking for work, or just sitting around with my mom.

It's been over seven months now, and I have just started looking over this story again. The next chapter - chapter seven - has been sitting at about 3/4ths done for all that time.

So, to give myself not only a motivational kick, but also as a way of not keeping anyone waiting any longer for a new part, I'm going to post this next chapter in parts. I really like posting my chapters in one long part as I have in all the pervious ones before this, but I honestly think this is the only way to start kick-starting my muse again.

So here's the first part of Chapter Seven, which I think will total four parts in all. It's been spell checked and grammar checked, but not beta'd. I will be contacting the lovely ladies who did the beta-ing for the earlier chapters to see if they are still interested.

So anyway, enjoy, and review comments are at the end.

Chapter Seven: A Hellmouth Education - Part I

The stop for Ice Cream proved not to be an option when they arrived at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, and discovered it was closed. Looking inside the shop window, Harry noticed that most of the tables and chairs had been removed, as well as the ones that usually sat outside.

What's more, in front of the shop, stood what appeared to be an almost hastily assembled vendor booth; a wormy-looking man was standing behind it, selling what appeared to be amulets and charms.

"Want to by a charm for your pretty friend?" the vendor said, leaning forward and leering at Dawn. "Such a pretty girl could use a pretty piece of protection?"

"No thank you," Lupin said firmly, taking Dawn and Harry both by the arm and moving them away from the shop hurriedly.

"What was that about?" Dawn wondered when they were out of earshot.

"Just someone taking advantage of the rise of dark magic and dark creatures that sure to come if You-Know-Who isn't stopped," Lupin told them, a look of disgust on his face. "Come on. We can all have some Butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron instead."

Arriving at the cauldron, Lupin and Moody sat at one table, with Dawn and Harry sitting at another table a few feet away, though they were the only group of people in the pub. Harry had given both Lupin and Moody a grateful smile for the semi-privacy they gave to Dawn and him.

"Well, I did finally get to come here, even if it's a few weeks later than you originally invited me," Dawn said with a cheeky smile as Tom brought their drinks over, referring to the last time Harry had tried to take her to the Cauldron and what had happened.

As they drank their Butterbeer and ate the small order of Fish & Chips Dawn had ordered, ("So English," Dawn had noted with a grin), talk turned to Dawn's approaching trip to Hogwarts. Harry told her more about the school that hadn't already been discussed during the previous day, when they had been shopping for her schoolbooks.

As with most things about Hogwarts Harry spoke of, the conversation eventually turned to Quidditch, and Harry spent almost half and hour explaining to Dawn how the game was played. She didn't appear bored at all as he explained the game to her however, and she'd even seemed receptive to his offered to teach her a bit of the sport when they got back to the Burrow.

"I've never been very good at sports though," Dawn warned him warily. "I even sucked at Cheerleading when I tried out for it. I'll probably end up just falling off the broomstick when it's only two feet off the ground or something."

Harry chuckled at her self-deprecation. "I can probably get Ron and the others to help show you a bit of it too. He and Ginny are both on the Gryffindor team with me."

"And I'll bet you're Captain of the team, right?" Dawn guessed.

"Uh, no," Harry said shaking his head. "Though Ron and Ginny keep saying I'm sure to be this year."

"Well, I'm sure you will too. You really seem to love it. Though I'll have to probably root against you, just on house-team principle," Dawn said thoughtfully, with a slight smirk. "Are the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Quidditch teams any good?"

Harry and the others had explained to Dawn all about the four Hogwarts Houses while they had scoured Flourish & Blotts looking for Dawn's required books the day before yesterday. Harry had said that he thought that she was prime to be sorted into Gryffindor; what with not only having had to grow up on a Dark Node, but from what he'd seen of her bravery in the alley on Charing Cross Road. Dawn, however, had disagreed.

"I'm not really that brave," she had told them, shaking her head. "Not like - Buffy-brave. I just helped when I could. Or, when Buffy would actually let me," she'd added, her tone becoming slightly snarky. Then she shrugged. "It's more likely that I'll probably end up in one of the other houses."

"Well, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are good houses too," Hermione had said, looking up from one of the potions books that Snape was requiring Dawn bring with her - which she had been skimming through.

"Ravenclaw - that's the one that has all the smart people, right?" Dawn had asked, looking at Hermione curiously. "How come you weren't sorted there?"

Hermione had shrugged, offhandedly. "I almost was actually, but the sorting hat thought I'd do even better in Gryffindor in the end. The hat doesn't just sort you somewhere because of the main traits you may have," she had explained. "It sometimes bases it on the trait that it thinks would be the one that needs to be brought out the most and will lead you to the most success in your life."

Or if you ask it not to place you somewhere, Harry had thought fleetingly.

"Well, I do like to study - most of the time," Dawn had said, thoughtfully. "Oh, and I helped with a lot of the research on The First Evil and some of the other demons we fought last year," she told them. "And I want to be a Watcher like Giles one day - so maybe I'll end up there. Though I suppose Hufflepuff would be okay too, I guess. I mean I know you guys said Hufflepuff isn't considered by many people to be very special or anything, but I think it sounds okay."

"Well, better Hufflepuff than Slytherin at any rate," Harry had told her, repeating what Hagrid had told him six years ago when he'd despaired the idea of being sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Slytherin? The house that Snape guy is in charge of?" Dawn had asked.

"Yeah," Ron face had taken on a disgusted look. "Not only that, but it's also the house that's turned out the most Dark Wizards out of all the others."

"Half the people in there have parents who are Death Eaters," Harry had told her, think of Draco Malfoy and his group of friends. He'd smiled a little at the pleasant thought that Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, was now locked up in Azkaban.

"Well, I don't have any desire to end up wearing one of those tacky black hoods anyway," Dawn had said with a grin.

"Even if you did, they wouldn't let you in," Ron had told her, knowingly. "You're muggle-born. And no muggle-borns have ever been sorted into Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin hated muggle-borns and thought they shouldn'tve ever been allowed to attend Hogwarts in the first place. It's why he left the school - had a big fight with the other three founders about it."

"Well, I still think you'll end up in Gryffindor," Harry told her now. "But the Ravenclaw team is very good, usually," Harry told her, thinking about the last game of the year last year, and how Ginny had caught the golden Snitch right out from under Cho Chang's nose.

He knew Cho was usually a better Quidditch player than she had been last year - and he knew part of the reason for her bad playing last year was because of him.

And Cedric.

Harry quickly shook off the direction his thoughts were going in, just as the front door to the Leaky Cauldron opened, letting sunlight flood into the dark tavern as two people that Harry knew entered.

One was Neville Longbottom. The other person with him was his Grandmother.

Neville gave Harry a pleasant wave when he finally spotted him. "Hello Harry!" he called.

"Hey, Neville," Harry called back in greeting.

"Friend?" Dawn inquired.

Harry nodded. "Neville Longbottom. We're in the same year and house at Hogwarts together," he explained as Neville and his Grandmother made their way over to their table. His Grandmother, Augusta, was carrying her usual red handbag and wearing her usual green robes, red fox-fur and vulture toped hat. Harry could see Dawn trying to suppress her laughter, her eyes wide with surprise and mirth at the woman's appearance, as the two approached.

Mrs. Longbottom, however, didn't appear to notice Dawn at all, her attention focused completely on Harry. When she reached them, she took Harry's hand, and began shaking it vigorously. "Harry Potter! It is an honor to see you again, I must say!"

"Uh, nice to see you again too ma'am," Harry said politely.

"You may call me Augusta dear," Mrs. Longbottom told Harry crisply.

Harry blinked. "Uh, this is my friend, Dawn Summers," he said, introducing Dawn to them. "Dawn, this is Neville and his grandmother Mrs., uh -" he glanced at Neville's grandmother - "Augusta Longbottom."

Neville smiled at Dawn a little awkwardly. "He-Hello," he stammered slightly.

Dawn smiled back, warmly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well, my dear," Augusta said with a nod. "Summers did you say? Are you by any chance related to Archibald Summers, who works in the Floo Network Authority Department at the Ministry of Magic?" she asked, curiously.

"Um, no, I don't think so ma'am. I'm not from around here actually," Dawn explained.

"Ah-are you American?" Neville asked curiously. He and his grandmother both looked to have noticed Dawn's accent.

Dawn nodded. "I'm from California."

"She's going to Hogwarts this year with us though," Harry explained.

"Oh. Well, you'll really like Hogwarts," Neville told her. "It's a great school. Gran was just taking me to get my school books for this year, now that O.W.L. scores are out and all you know."

"O.W.L. scores are out?" Harry asked a little surprised. In all the excitement of the past few weeks, he'd almost forgotten all about them.

Neville nodded. "Yeah. You didn't know? They arrived today, around about noon."

"You kids probably would have gotten them sooner, but they were delayed for various reasons from what I understand," Mrs. Longbottom explained. "Mostly having to do with You-Know-Who's return of course, and that event with you kids at the Department of Mysteries. It makes me so proud that Neville has such a good, sensible friend like you Harry - never believed for a moment the things that idiot Fudge was saying about you and Dumbledore all last year. As if someone like Albus Dumbledore would lie about something like the return of You-Know-Who! Disgraceful!"

"Thank you ma'am - uh, I mean Augusta," Harry corrected himself at her pointed look. "I am sorry I put Neville in danger though."

"It's all right Harry - I wanted to go, remember?" Neville said reassuringly.

It was true that Neville had wanted to go, and Harry was grateful for it - but he knew, now in retrospect, how reckless the whole trip to the Department of Mysteries had been on his part.

Neville, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna - any one of them could have been killed . . . just like Sirius had been.

Augusta had placed an arm around Neville and smiled proudly. "Takes after his father he does, more then I even thought. Well, it was very nice to see you again young man," she said taking Harry's hand (with her free arm) and shaking it once again. "And it was nice meeting you as well young lady," she said, giving Dawn a nod.

"It was nice to see you again too. See you in a few weeks Neville," Harry replied.

"You too, Harry. Oh," Neville added, turning back again. "I don't think I ever said, but I am sorry about Sirius," he said quietly.

Harry gave him and thankful look. "Thanks Neville."

"Who's Sirius?" Dawn asked Harry after a pause, after Neville and his grandmother had departed for Diagon Alley.

"Oh, uh, he was my godfather," Harry explained. "He was killed a few weeks ago, by one of Voldemort's Death Eaters."

"Oh," Dawn noted her sympathy evident. "I'm sorry. Did - did someone use that killing curse on him?"

Harry shook his head. "No," he said, and then proceeded to tell her about what had happened at the Department of Mysteries with himself, Neville and the others . . . only glossing over a few details (namely, the bit about the prophecy regarding himself and Voldemort).

"I should have known it was a trap. Hermione could tell Voldemort was probably trying to set me up, but I wouldn't listen. All I could think about was helping Sirius," Harry concluded with a tired sigh. "I know it wasn't all my fault, but part of me still can't help but think that if I had, he wouldn't have . . . ."

"Gotten killed?" Dawn finished quietly.

Harry didn't say anything, though his silence more or less confirmed what Dawn had said.

"You were just trying to help someone you loved Harry," she told him gently. "It might've just as easily not have been a trap. With things like that, sometimes you just have to take a risk - especially if it's someone you think of as family" A secret little smile crept across her face. "I know Buffy probably would have done the same thing for me that you tried to do for Sirius."

Despite Dawn's words, Harry still didn't feel very convinced. "Bet the slayer would've known it was a trap though," he noted.

"She probably would have," Dawn said with a nonchalant shrug, which took Harry slightly aback. (Despite his slight self-guilt, he hadn't really expected Dawn to agree so easily). "But she probably would have gone anyway," she continued without missing a beat. "Buffy may be the slayer and all, but even she can make mistakes now and then. If we have time later, remind me to tell you what happened between Buffy and this crazy preacher guy at an Evil Vineyard," she informed him.

"Okay," Harry noted with a shrug and a slight chuckle, mostly due the words evil and vineyard.

"So, what're those owl scores your friend mentioned? Some kind of test results involving birds?" she asked, skillfully changing the subject to something she probably thought would take his mind off his sadder thoughts about his godfather for a bit.

"Oh, double-u, ell," he explained. "It stands for 'Ordinary Wizarding Levels'. They're test you have to take at the end of your fifth year of school. We took ours a few months ago, and whatever career you want to do will depend of the O.W.L. scores you get that will allow you to study at that level."

"Oh. They sound kinda like the SATs," Dawn said thoughtfully. "Except those only determine what college you can probably get into or not. Do witches and wizards go to college? I mean are there any, like Wizarding-Only University around, like Oxford or something?" she asked

Harry shook his head. "None that I know of. For some careers you have to go through more training after you finish school, but that's about it."

"Oh." She had a slight frown on her face now. She paused for a moment, her expression growing more thoughtful. Then she looked at him again. "What do you want to do? When you finish school I mean?"

"Well, the only thing I ever really thought about being was an Auror actually," Harry told her.

"One of those people who catch Dark Wizards?" Dawn asked. "Given all the Voldemort stuff you've been through, I would think you'd be rather tired of the whole trying-to-stop-dark-wizards thing. Buffy always used to talk about how much she wished she could quit slaying and just have a normal life."

Harry shrugged. "It's really the only thing I've ever felt I had any interest in doing honestly," he explained, then sighed. "But it probably doesn't even matter, anyway. Snape only lets people who get a grade of 'O' on their potions O.W.L. take his advance potions class and you have to take that class to even be considered for training to be an Auror. I know I didn't score high enough."

"And there's nothing else you've thought maybe about doing?" Dawn asked curiously.

"Not really. The only other thing I'm good at is Quidditch - though I never thought about doing it professionally." If he couldn't peruse his dream of being an Auror, then he truly had no idea what he wanted to do with the rest of his life . . . no matter how long or short the rest of it might actually be.

"Well, if you want, maybe you could talk to Giles about being a Watcher. Like I'm going to be," Dawn told him, as she popped one of the last of the chips into her mouth with a grin.

"A Watcher?" Harry asked curiously. Dawn had mentioned before that she was going to be a Watcher, but for some reason, he had never really thought of it as something one could just choose as a career to have.

"Yep. Giles says I actually probably could have gotten into the Watcher's Academy this year, what with all the field experience I have, expect for the fact that, you know, the Academy got blown up. You know, along with the rest of the Council."

"And you think I could be one?" Harry asked doubtfully.

Dawn nodded. "Sure. Its kind-of like being an Auror, except you also help train slayers. And the slayers do most of the big demon-fighting and killing stuff since, you know, they actually have the strength for it. Plus," she added. "You have a quality that all the Watchers I've ever met all had."

Harry blinked. "What's that?"

She smiled, rather cheekily. "A British accent."

Replies:

First to everyone, thank you all so much for the kind words regarding my father's passing. It hasn't been easy I wont lie (my dad and I were really close). But I do appreciate all the kinds words more than you all can know.

Magical Faerie - I hope you got the PM I sent you (how many months was it ago now?) regarding the Interlude and that cleared up any confusion you had. If not just let me know.

Aomizuoko - I'm happy to hear you think my writing has personality in it. I admit, I have been trying to copy JKR's writing style in some respects with this story (I want it to feel like it's a "lost" Harry Potter book in a way), but I myself find "flat" writing boring to read. And the only way I really know how to do that is to make sure the characters don't feel flat. It's a lot of work, but it's fun.

Next Up - well, Part II of A Hellmouth Education. ;-D Till then!