Renesmee Cullen and the Volturi's Protection

Chapter 5: The Two Sides of Angel

Renesmee's Tuesday was very eventful. Charms was first that day and they were learning the Softening Charm called Spongify. According to Professor Rosenberg, this charm was very popular in the seventeenth century and was still popular to this day. "I want you all to try this charm on your books, today, everyone," Professor Rosenberg announced and, with a tap of her wand, the blackboard showed the correct wand motion and pronunciation of the incantation. "I'll demonstrate the charm first, then you can get working on it." She flicked her wand at her textbook and there was a dazzling flash of orange light but the book still looked ordinary. Professor Rosenberg pressed hard on the book which flattened under the pressure of her hand and when she released it the book was normal. "Now you try!"

The room was full of students muttering the incantation and there were flashes of orange light all over the room. Renesmee tried several times to perfect the charm, but was not able for the first five times. It was at the last few minutes of the lesson that she finally softened her textbook. Renesmee threw her soft Charms textbook into her bag, walked out of the classroom with a hurried goodbye to Professor Rosenberg and walked straight into Angel. "Hey, Angel, I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you last night," she said sincerely. "I'm just not used to another vampire telling me off unless it's my mother or father."

To her surprise, Angel smiled and said in a friendly tone, "It's all water under the bridge, kid," patted her on the shoulder and started to walk away but stopped and turn, his smile still in place. Renesmee, still surprised by his unexpected friendliness asked if he was okay. "Am I okay?" he repeated and let out a slight maniacal laugh. "Oh, Renesmee, I'm perfectly happy!" With that, he walked away cackling to himself.

Renesmee caught up with Buffy who was just coming from the greenhouses and told her what Angel said. "What exactly did he say when you asked if he was okay?" Buffy asked sharply.

"He said he's 'perfectly happy'," Renesmee said and Buffy's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

"You're about to find out," said Buffy curtly and started toward the library at a brisk pace. She didn't even look behind her when she shouted, "Come on!" and Renesmee followed quickly. Rupert Giles was sitting behind the large circular desk checking the books on it to see if they were in good condition when they walked in. "Giles!"

"Buffy!" Giles said happily. "I haven't seen you in ages!" He took off his glasses once he got a good look at her expression and his smile vanished. "Er...is everything okay?"

Buffy put a hand on her hip and said, "Have you ever heard Angel use the term 'perfectly happy' very often?"

"No, not since Sunnydale..." Giles said and ran a hand through his silver hair. "Bloody hell, Buffy, you didn't...?" Buffy shook her head. "Then how...?" Buffy shrugged. Renesmee cleared her throat and both of them turned to look at her.

"Can someone explain what on Earth is going on?" she said angrily, her eyes burning with anger.

Giles stood up and said bitterly, "That wasn't Angel you were speaking to, Renesmee. That was Angelus, Angel's inner evil vampire. I believe you remember the story?" Renesmee nodded and asked why he was so upset about Angelus being back. "I'm upset because that evil bastard killed my girlfriend who happened to be the only one who could restore his soul at the time and then he tortured me for information. I remember it well."

Something in Renesmee's mind clicked and, after rummaging through her school bag for a few minutes, pulled out the Pensieve she had received from Buffy who gave it to her from Harry. "Just siphon your memory with your wand and I can watch it from the Pensieve." she said. Giles placed the tip of his wand to his temple, slowly withdrew it so a thin strand of silver memory clung to the wand and poured it into the basin where it swirled and a dimly lit room appeared. Renesmee traced a circle in the memory with the tip of her wand and the three of them bent their faces into the surface and fell into the room.

Angelus was standing behind a younger Giles who was sweating and looking very angry and tired. "What are you going to do to me?" the younger Giles gasped.

"I'm going to torture you," Angelus said simply; he wasn't smiling now. "You see," he said in a loud voice, "back in the old days, there were really good ways to torture people and I loved them, but not as much as this day and age." When Giles asked why, Angelus bent down and whispered, "They didn't have chainsaws." and the memory ended.

Renesmee, Giles and Buffy were thrown back into the library, Renesmee looking extremely afraid of the evil Angelus now. "So that's what Angelus is like?" she asked in a slightly higher voice than normal and Giles nodded darkly. "No wonder Buffy was so scared when I said Angel's exact words when I asked if he was okay." Buffy nodded and sat down weakly. "What can I do?"

"Avoid Angelus as much as possible, and make sure you aren't alone when you hunt whilst he's here, that's what," Giles said and Renesmee nodded. "Buffy, could you please escort Miss Cullen to the Gryffindor common room while I tell the headmistress about our little problem. I shall have Faith check the dungeon Angel was sleeping in when I'm done with Minerva." Buffy nodded, tears streaking down her cheeks and walked Renesmee up the marble staircase and to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Buffy walked away without another word to the third floor and Renesmee raced down the staircase again and to the school owlery to send a letters to her parents, Jacob, Harry and Hermione. Solaris was on his perch with his leg stretched out hopefully.

"There you go, Solaris," she said stroking his light-brown feathered head. "Take them to where they need to go and bring back any responses, okay?" Solaris nipped her finger affectionately, gave a soft hoot and flew through the open windows. Renesmee was about to leave the olwery when Scorpius came in whistling for his beautiful screech owl to come down. The owl landed on his forearm with its leg held out. "Hi, Scorpius," said Renesmee flashing him a grin. "Will I see you at the Dueling Club tonight?"

"Hi, Renesmee," said Scorpius smiling at her. "I plan on being there tonight. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask if you'd like to duel me tonight onstage." Renesmee was flattered and accepted immediately. "Excellent!" he said and rubbed his hands together with excitement then placed one of his hands on her shoulder and squeezed. "Better practice a few spells before tonight, then," he whispered in her ear and gave her a wink. "See you then." Renesmee stood still as he walked off and suddenly felt as if she'd been subjected to the Stunning Spell or the full Body-Bind Curse.

Renesmee, Rose and Albus spent their lunchtime and break in the Transfiguration classroom practicing some spells they hadn't tried yet from the books Harry passed out to them the week before. "I think this one will do," Rose said and started to read the description for the Impediment Curse, then she smiled when she saw another one. "This one is called the Binding Spell which conjures ropes that instantly wrap themselves around your opponent. The only way to get out of it will be for the one casting it to use the Severing Charm."

"Might come in handy, that one," Albus agreed, "but how about this one here?" He pointed to one of the Unforgivable Curses Harry mentioned the week before. "The Imperius Curse?"

"Al, that's illegal!" Renesmee snapped. "Your dad said to only use them as a last resort and to avoid the Killing Curse!" Albus's excited expression turned into disappointment and began to look through his own book. "Ooh, I think I found one!" said Renesmee excitedly and took out her wand. "It's kind of like the Verdimillius Spell, but it's a more powerful version of the Wand-Lighting Charm called Lumos Solem. It should blind your opponent!" Rose wrote the spells they mentioned on a piece of parchment. "Okay, after Potions today, we'll practice the spells in the dungeons then we'll be ready for the Dueling Club tonight, right?" The other two agreed and headed for Defense Against the Dark Arts with Buffy, then to their Herbology lesson in which they would be learning about the treacherous Venomous Tentacula plant.

After almost an hour of practicing the spells they talked about earlier (and a few more Renesmee found in her book after she finished her essay in Transfiguration before Potions that day), The three friends left the dungeon and were about to head toward the stone bridge entrance when Renesmee heard a low moan from somewhere in the dungeons. "Hang on, you two, I hear something," she whispered and, after a few minutes, realized which door she was in front of. "I guess Professor Lehane didn't check Angel's room yet," she muttered, opened the door slowly and let out a yelp. Angel was laying in his bed, his body tied with shining black ropes and he was also gagged with a bit of his leather jacket. "Oh gosh, Angel!" Renesmee cried and ran to his side.

Rose drew her wand and muttered, "Diffindo!" and the ropes were cut. Renesmee untied the piece of his jacket in his mouth and he started coughing. "Are you okay?"

"Angelus..." he croaked, his voice was hoarse from not using his voice all day.

"We know, Angel," Renesmee said soothingly, " we know." She turned to Rose and Albus and said, "Get Giles, Buffy-I don't care who, just get someone NOW!" Rose and Albus bolted out of the room. "How do you feel?" she asked him.

Angel sat up, looked at her and said, "Really hungry, actually." Renesmee held out a mug of hot blood and he shook his head. "No, not that. I need real food!" This shocked her. "Hey, it's dinnertime, right?"

"Yeah, dinner's about to start in ten or twenty minutes, but why...?" Renesmee said slowly and Angel darted out of the room and out into the corridor toward the entrance leading to the main area of the castle. "Hey, wait!" she cried and ran after him. "Don't go out there, Angel! You'll..." Angel opened the door and stepped out into the fresh sunlight but did not burst into flame at all. "...be normal?" said Renesmee curiously and followed him to the Great Hall. "Angel...?"

"Call me Liam," said Angel smiling at her as they walked together. "Man, it feels great to be in the sunshine again! Almost three-hundred years of having to walk in the sewers of L.A. or in the darkness in Sunnydale was getting boring, but this?" He inhaled deeply. "Ah...it feels so great!" Renesmee stopped him for a moment and pressed her ear to his chest.

"Liam...you have a heartbeat!" she said excitedly and put her index and middle fingers on his wrist and found a pulse. "And you have a pulse!" She waved Albus and Rose over, who were followed by Buffy, Giles and Professor McGonagall. "You're not going to believe this! Buffy, put your ear to his chest!" Buffy did as instructed and her eyes widened. "Well?"

Buffy stared at him with wide eyes and said, "Angel...what the...?"

"I don't know, Buffy, but I like it!" Angel said laughing. "Oh, and call me Liam from now on, okay?" Professor McGonagall, Buffy, and everyone else excluding Renesmee looked taken aback at his excitement and the abrupt change of his name and followed him to the Great Hall staring blankly at him as he walked with a new spring in his step. Once in the Hall, Angel saw the food and Renesmee saw extreme hunger in his eyes. "Food!" he cried and started piling chicken legs, potatoes and vegetables onto a plate at the Gryffindor table, grabbed a fork and then started eating ravenously. "Oh, this is really good," he said through a mouthful of chicken. "No wonder you kids like the feasts here! The food is excellent!"

Renesmee and Buffy watched happily as Angel, or as he now liked to be called, Liam, eat the food he had on his plate and drink the pumpkin juice in his goblet. Once the dinner was gone, the dessert came next and Liam got more excited and started eating treacle fudge, treacle tart, and -to Renesmee's shock- a few beans from a box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans. "Liam, I know you're having fun, but what should we do about Angelus?" Buffy asked nervously. "Somene really wanted him out of you and...you're human!"

"Let him go, stake him, whatever tickles your fancy, Buff," said Liam in an 'I-don't-care' tone. "I'm human and I'm lovin' it!" The large doors opened and Spike walked in. "Hey, Spike, old buddy!" Liam called with a wave. "How's it going?"

Spike looked at Renesmee and Buffy and started laughing. "Okay, this has to be some kind of joke, right?" When nobody answered him, he stopped laughing. "Right? Oh, come on! Don't tell me the Poof is actually human now?"

"Uh...yeah," Buffy said staring at Liam, who belched loudly. "Someone or something somehow extracted Angelus from his body and now he's human...and wants to be called his human name Liam from now on."

"You're joking, right?" Spike said staring at Buffy, who shook her head. "So you mean Angelus is out and about?" She and Renesmee both nodded grimly and he slammed his fist on the table making a few first years jump in fear. "Dammit! I get my bloody soul a few years ago and now Angelus is roaming around free and I'm stuck with a bloody soul! Son of a...!" He grabbed Buffy by the collar of her robes and lifted her until her feet were dangling a few inches off the ground. "This is your fault, Slayer! You and Angel had another happy moment, didn't you?"

"No!" Buffy growled. "Angel and I both agreed that would never happen again, I swear!" Spike let her down and massaged his temples with his fingers. "Something happened and I think Renesmee knows. We may have to cancel the Dueling Club until we find out what's going on." Giles looked at the Slayer with doubt in his eyes, but he did not speak. Renesmee, seeing the chance to speak finally, asked what they should do about Angelus.

"I think," Giles said wisely, "that we should put Angelus back into his body after we find out exactly what did this to Angel...or Liam." Without another word, he went back to his work leaving Buffy and Renesmee to leave the library in silence.

At precisely six o'clock, everyone wanting to learn to duel congregated in the Great Hall around the stage which now contained a large, wobbling wardrobe as if something inside it wanted to get out. Harry stepped up to the edge, pointed his holly and phoenix tail-feather wand at his throat and his voice echoed throughout the Hall. "Welcome back, everyone!" he said. "You're all probably wondering why I have a wardrobe on the stage this week, am I right?" Everyone muttered and whispered excitedly. "Inside this wardrobe is a boggart. A boggart is a shape-shifter that can actually turn into whatever you fear most." Harry nodded at Professor Longbottom, who blushed a little now. "Professor Longbottom's greatest fear, I learned back in our third year, was Professor Snape. My greatest fear is a dementor, unfortunately, but we will get to that next week, or you third years have probably learned about them from Buffy.

"The charm that I'm going to teach you is the Boggart-Repelling Charm called Riddikulus. I want everyone to repeat the incantation without wands, please." He took a deep breath and said, "Riddikulus!" and the entire Hall echoed the incantation. "Well done. Now, when I call your name, you will come up to the stage and face the boggart, but the incantation alone will not be enough to repel a boggart. You need to make it turn into something amusing. Scorpius Malfoy, if you would come up first?" Scorpius went up to the stage and faced the wardrobe. "I want you to think of whatever you fear most and try and make it funny, okay?" Scorpius nodded, his wand held tight in his pale hand. "On the count of three, then. One...two...THREE!" Harry flicked his wand at the wardrobe, the door swung open and a twenty-foot giant stomped out of it.

Scorpius, shaking now, pointed his wand at the giant and yelled, "RIDDIKULUS!" The giant then started to smack itself over the head repeatedly with its club while doing a dance. The entire Great Hall burst out with laughter and the boggart started to get angry. Renesmee watched with amusement as her classmates all tried their strengths against the boggart and, when it came ot her turn, she proudly stepped onstage and prepared herself for her worst fear ever. Harry opened the wardrobe door with his wand once more and Jane from the Volturi stepped out of it, her red eyes fixed in a glare and she started to advance toward Renesmee.

"R-Riddikulus!" Renesmee said firmly and when Jane took another step toward her, the boggart slipped in a puddle of mud that appeared on the floor magically and fell face-first into it making the students around her laugh harder than ever. Smiling, Renesmee took a few steps toward the boggart, knelt down so she could look at its face and gave a loud, "HA!" The boggart exploded into a whisp of smoke.

"Very good!" Harry said applauding along with everyone else, then gestured to the doors to the Great Hall where Professor Malfoy stood smiling at them. "Draco Malfoy has agreed to be my assistant tonight, and we are going to show what an actual duel looks like." Malfoy and Harry bowed to each other and each headed toward their places. "On the count of three: one...two...three! "Stupefy!"

"Protego!" Malfoy shouted and Harry's spell ricocheted off his Shield Charm and smashed into a wall, then Malfoy raised the tip of his wand to his mout, blew a burst of fire to the air which turned into a large dragon. Harry waved his wand once and the fiery dragon vanished in a blast of smoke, then he flicked his wand, from which a jet of purple light shot out and hit Malfoy, sending him flying backwards and landing on his bottom hard. "Good one, Potter," Malfoy said in his usual drawl, "but let's see how you handle a blast from your past! Serpensortia!" A long black snake shot from his wand tip and rose to look at Harry, who didn't even flinch.

"Vipera Evanesca!" he muttered, the snake evaporated, then Harry shouted, "EXPELLIARMUS!" and Malfoy's wand landed a good ten feet behind him.

"Good job, Potter. You really did it." Harry grinned, they shook hands then Malfoy walked off the stage.

"I think that's all for tonight, everyone," said Harry panting slightly, a light sheen of sweat glittering on his face in the lamplight. The students packed their books and headed to their dormitories for the night, but Harry wanted to talk to Renesmee on her own. "Renesmee, come here, please." Renesmee stayed behind and, after assuring Albus and Rose that she'd be okay for a moment, walked up to him. "You were spectacular with the boggart. I never got a chance to even fight it myself, but you...amazing."

"Thanks," Renesmee said, "but I'm guessing this isn't what you really wanted to talk to me about, is it?" He shook his head and sat down on the stage and she did the same. "What's wrong? You look worried."

He sighed and said, "A few members of my team were killed last night while trying to find the Molochs' headqaurters and, well, Angelus was working with the Molochs." Renesmee gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Yeah, he's actually the one who killed my team members. Buffy told me about his obsession with torture and murder and I can't think of anyone else who would rip people's throats out besides the Molochs."

"Angelus...working with the Molochs?" Renesmee repeated weakly. "Did he say anything...about me?"

"As a matter of fact, he did." Ron said gravely from the doorway. "Just got a message from him by owl. Read it." Renesmee took the bit of parchment Ron was holding and looked at it.

Renesmee Cullen,

If you don't fight me alone near the lake tomorrow night, I will kill a member of your family until only you are left. I've learned quite a lot about you through Angel's mind and I know all of your secrets, Renesmee. Meet me by the Quidditch stadium tomorrow at midnight and no later, and we will test your strengths.

Bring the Slayer and her little pals if you want. The more witnesses, the better, I say. See you at midnight tomorrow, then, or your family will be next...starting with that wolf-boy Jacob Black!

Sincerely,

Angelus

Renesmee's eyes burned with rage as she threw the short letter into a nearby fireplace and left the Great Hall in a blur. She ran up to the seventh floor, past everyone else in the common room and rummaged through her trunk until she found a roll of parchment and a quill, then she started to write her own letter to Angelus.

Angelus,

Forget tomorrow, you evil, sadistic vampire! I want to fight you tonight! We'll meet at the Quidditch Stadium at midnight as planned, only under my terms. If I beat you, and I will, you will help me find a way to reverse whatever brought you out of Angel and you WILL return to his body. Do not underestimate Renesmee Carlie Cullen, Angelus, because I am a force not to be reckoned with!

Love,

Renesmee Cullen

She folded her letter, sealed it, then whistled for Solaris, who landed on the windowsill. "Take this to Angelus, please," she said quietly and the owl took off into the night. Rose came into the dormitory chattering excitedly with another second year Gryffindor girl but stopped abruptly when she saw Renesmee's angry expression and asked what was wrong. "Angelus. He wants to fight me. His letter said to meet him at the Quidditch Stadium tomorrow night, but I told him to do it tonight instead and under my own terms. If I beat him, he'll have to help me find a way to reverse whatever happened to Angel and he will go back to being a vampire with a soul whether he likes it or not."

Rose looked abashed and worried at the same time. "You can't go out there alone!"

"I'm bringing Buffy and Professor Lehane with me tonight along with Giles, Professor Rosenberg and Dawn. You and Albus can come too, if you want." Rose shook her head and went back to the common room silently.

Renesmee, Albus, Rose, Faith, Buffy, Willow, Giles and Dawn all approached the Quidditch stadium and stood around in the wind waiting for Angelus to make an appearance. Liam was there, too, and he was drinking a flask of pumpkin juice. "ANGELUS!" Renesmee shouted, her voice echoing through the trees and the vast lake. "I'M READY TO FIGHT YOU, NOW!"

"Are you sure about that?" Angelus said with a grim smile from behind a tree. "I got your letter and...well, I think it's cute that you think you'll win. But you're only twelve years old and I'm two-hundred and sixty. I've had more experience and you're in school."

"Doesn't matter," Renesmee said bitterly. "My dad always told me that I can do anything I set my mind to, and once I have my mind set on something, I never give up." Angelus cackled and his face changed into his vampire form. "Come get me, then." The two of them ran at each other and they started fighting.