Buffy Anne Summers, Slayer of the Vampires, was known for her extreme strength, agility and speed...but also for her amazing comebacks. And to be honest, she was pretty sure comebacks weren't going to be tolerated at Hogwarts with the same level of patience that they had with Giles...she also thought they held the basis of her personality, and without them, nobody would find her vaguely interesting. But still, she knew she had Willow, Tara and (strangely) Spike at her side who wouldn't let her down if they could help it. So as she waited for the magicians to arrive, the back flips currently occurring relentlessly in her stomach slowed their pace down slighty. She didn't doubt that Spike could hear her heart beating faster and faster as 11.00pm approached, but he thankfully didn't mention it.

The four of them were sat on a large memorial in the nearest graveyard, unsurprisingly. They were waiting patiently for the 'escort' to arrive, simultaneously wondering just how they planned to 'appear.' The letter hadn't specified; 'an escort will appear for you at 11.00pm, American time, at the Restfield Graveyard. Be prepared.' So there was no clues in that.

"Sooooooooo..." said Willow, breaking the unnoticed silence.

"G...Giles said we were allowed pets," Tara contributed to Willows' attempt, 'maybe...maybe we could get a cat! You know, like in college?"

Willow grinned. "Yeah! If they're allowed...I think the letter said only toads, owls and rats...it sounds so traditional, doesn't it?" she laughed, and Buffy snorted.

"Toads?" she said. "Who would want a toad?"

"I knew this guy with a perfectly reasonable toad once, actually," Spike retorted. "Spoke English an' everything. Also, you are allowed a cat, bloody Hermione Granger had one in the third book. I know these things."

That remark earnt him many a suspicious glare, and he tapped his nose wisely yet almost sarcastically, if such a thing is possible.

CRAAAAAAACK!

Suddenly, right before their four pairs of eyes, two other pairs appeared; dazzlingly bright and full of life. Attatched to the eyes were a man and a woman, both shrouded in glistening velvet cloaks. Buffy resisted the urge to comment on their strange taste in clothing.

"So bloody fashionable." Spike murmered, throwing his cigarette to the floor. Damnit, Buffy thought.

"Hey!" said Willow, as the two cloaked people looked at their surroundings. They finally seemed to register where they were, and they approached at once with strange intensity.

"Hello!" said the woman. "I'm Nymphadora, but please call me Tonks, I hate my name...and this is Remus Lupin. Professor Lupin to you." she grinned, gesturing to a greying, scarred yet kind looking man to the left of her. "We're here to take you back to Hogwarts! I'm guessing you're...Willow Rosenberg?" She smiled at Willow, and noticed her holding hands with the girl beside her. "And you're Tara Maclay! Great to meet you guys. Got all your stuff? Hold on with one hand, and hold on to one of my hands each...yep, that's right..."

Tara and Willow looked at eachother nervously as Tonks rambled on, giving them enthusiastic looks. Buffy and Spike stood side by side, eyes wide, not realising they had inched together slowly; both of them were equally as confounded by the fact that two wizards had just appeared, CRACK, from the middle of no-where. As Tara and Willow each took one of Tonks' hands, and held their suitcases trembling in the other, Buffy suddenly registered what was going on.

"Guys! What the hell just-" Tonks closed her eyes, and suddenly, with another CRACK, all three of them were gone. Buffy and Spike were left standing there with the so called 'Professor Lupin.'

Buffy instinctively shoved him to the floor where he lay, looking shocked. She'd expected him to get back up, so she grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall of the nearest crypt.

"What...is...going...on." She spat. Right in his face. She was angry. She wanted her friends back, back to safety. "Where...have...you...taken...them?" She asked.

"Buffy, calm down, the old man doesn't mean no harm. He's the escort. You just gotta be worried about exactly what 'escorting' means in their wacky world..." Spike put a hand on her shoulder and she instantly calmed, and then flinched from his touch. He withdrew his hand straight away, and she let go of poor Professor Lupin, who fell to the floor.

"God, I thought you were going to beat me up then." He said in his ripe English accent.

"Oi mate! You guys were English! High five!" Spike grinned. Lupin smiled and nodded hurriedly, and then looked around as if expecting another attack. He spotted Buffy, ready to pounce again if she needed to, ready to interrogate harshly if it was necessary.

"Sorry, sorry, for being so unclear. Your friends just apparated to Hogwarts; they'll be there right now, for sure. It's okay, I promise. We must be going, really, if you'll just each take a hand..."

"You gotta be bloody kidding me, you're a werewolf!" Spike retorted. "I've read the books," he added, "and I know this stuff. And what apparating is. It's fine, Buffy. Except this guy..."

"Oz was a werewolf," Buffy said.

"Oh...oh yeah, I guess."

So, not dropping her guard but following the instructions, Buffy took one of Lupins' sticky hands and held her luggage in the other. She looked at Spike nervously, who was doing the same, and then held her bags on her arm and grabbed Spike's other hand so that they formed a circle. He looked surprised, but then squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Ready?" Lupin looked tired. Buffy and Spike nodded, eyes closed. Just as they were leaving, and the strange tight sensation entered their bodies, Buffy whispered in Spike's ear, "Don't let go..."