Author's Note: We're finally arriving at Hogwarts

Chapter 6: Hogwarts

September 1, 2001

Buffy and Dawn had taken several days to themselves to finally grieve for the loss of Joyce Summers. When they returned to the Burrow, they were immediately pulled into an embrace by Harry who held onto them tightly.

"I understand you needed time," Harry whispered. "But please next time I want to help."

"I promise, Harry," Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

They got out of the taxi and made their way in to King's Cross station.

Mrs. Weasley and Harry pulled Buffy and Dawn aside. "Harry and I thought we would explain how to get on the platform. It's quite simple actually. The doorway to the platform is spelled so Muggles can't find and get on the platform by accident. When we get to it, it will look like a blank wall. Just take a run at if you're a bit nervous. You will go right on through as if nothing is there."

Buffy nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Molly," Mrs. Weasley corrected.

"Molly," Buffy said as she smiled at the Weasley matriarch.

When they reached the doorway to the platform. Buffy and Dawn decided to run through together. On the other side they were met with their first view of the Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine.

Harry pulled Dawn and Buffy along as they Ron, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.

"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye.

"Why?" said Fred keenly.

"You'll see," said Charlie. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it…it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."

"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.

" Why?" said George impatiently.

"You're going to have an interesting year," said Bill, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it."

"A bit of what?" said Ron.

But at that moment, the whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors.

"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her.

Buffy nodded in agreement, "Yes thank you very much. Also thank you for looking after Harry some during the summers that he stayed with you. I believe he much enjoyed his stay."

"Oh it was my pleasure, dears," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'd invite you for Christmas, but…well, I expect you all are going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with…one thing and another." Mrs. Weasley looked to Buffy, "You three will stop by next summer, I hope."

"First chance we can get," Buffy said.

"Mum!" said Ron irritably. "What do you three know that we don't?"

"You'll find out this evening, I expect," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "It's going to be very exciting - mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"

"What rules?" said Harry, Ron, Fred, and George together.

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you… Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George?"

The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.

"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie sped away from them. "What rules are they changing?"

But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved.

Dawn and Buffy sat opposite each other next to the window looking out at the country side as they passed by.

"Pretty isn't it," Dawn said. "Haven't seen something that beautiful in a while. Not with living on the Hellmouth. I wish mom could see it with us."

Buffy turned and smiled at Dawn, "I think she does see it. She is likely looking over us right now. You know, Dawn, I'm proud of you, the way you've dealt with the last couple months since mom passed. How you've dealt with our new brother. I'm proud of you, you know that right?"

Dawn smiled and hugged Buffy.

It was then that Draco Malfoy appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies. Evidently they had overheard a conversation between Ron, Harry and Hermione through the compartment door.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," said Harry coolly.

"Weasley…what is that?" said Malfoy, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage. A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the moldy lace cuff very obvious.

Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled.

"Look at this!" said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean - they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety…"

"Eat dung, Malfoy!" said Ron, the same color as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.

"So…going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know…you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won.…"

"What are you talking about?" snapped Ron.

"Are you going to enter?" Malfoy repeated. "I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"

"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," said Hermione testily, over the top of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4.

A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face "Don't tell me you don't know?" he said delightedly. "You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago…heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry.…Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley…yes…they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him.…"

Buffy had enough and stood up, "Mr. Malfoy do you know who I am?"

Draco gulped and nodded, "Y-y-yes." At the Quidditch World Cup, his father had explained to him that Buffy was the Slayer and to be careful around her.

Buffy smiled, "Good now go back to your seats."

Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared quite quickly.

Harry and Ron clapped, "That was bloody marvelous, Buffy." Ron said. "I've never seen Malfoy look that scared."

Buffy shrugged and sat down.

When they arrived at Hogwarts, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled up Crookshanks in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.

"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform.

"All right, Harry?" Hagrid bellowed back, waving. "This must be your sisters Elizabeth and Dawn. Dumbledore asked me to have you both ride with the first years. So that you can have the same experience they do when you see the castle."

"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather, I don't envy the two of you." said Hermione fervently, shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd.

Buffy and Dawn nodded climbing in to a boat together with a couple of first year students.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

They watched as the castle came in to view. Buffy watched as Dawn's eyes grew wider with excitement as they approached. Before long they were in the entry hall waiting with the first years.

Professor McGonagall came out, "You must be Elizabeth Potter," she said looking at Buffy. She like the rest of the staff had been told about Harry's sisters. "You can go on in if you like. Professor Dumbledore has a seat at the staff table for you."

Buffy shook her head, "No thanks. I would rather like to go in with Dawn."

Professor McGonagall nodded, "Of course. Now everyone listen up. There are 4 houses. When we go in to the Great Hall you will be sorted in to those houses. They will become a home away from home. You will spend every waking moment with your housemates. You will have classes with your housemates. You will eat with your housemates at your houses table in the Great Hall. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. They are named after the four people who founded Hogwarts." She looked at Buffy again. "Ms. Potter if you would be so kind to watch them while I go in to make sure everything is ready. Then you can bring them in a couple minutes."

"Of course, I would be happy too," Buffy said as Professor McGonagall went back in the Great Hall. She turned and looked at Dawn. "Nervous?"

"A little," Dawn said. "I want to be in Harry's house. But at the same time, I'm nervous about the name thing. I don't want to keep explaining about the Key and it's going to keep confusing people why I go by the Potter name when officially I'm not related to Harry, even though we know the truth of the situation."

"After you are sorted," Buffy said. "I will get you and Harry and we'll talk to Dumbledore, see what he comes up with."

Buffy looked down at her watch and noticed it had been two minutes since McGonagall had left. She turned and led the first-year students and Dawn into the Great Hall and toward Professor McGonagall who placed a three-legged stool on the ground and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So, did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence.

Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song. When the Sorting Hat was finished the Great Hall rang with applause.

Buffy laughed and shook her head leaning in to whisper next to Dawn, "What will they think of next. I'll be right back." She walked over to Dumbledore. "Harry, Dawn and I need to talk to you. It's about the name thing. Dawn is adamant about using the Potter name and we're tired of trying to explain about the Key."

"I thought as much," Dumbledore said as he watched the first-years being sorted. "I actually have a potential explanation. It ties into Dawn's scar. As you know Harry received his when Voldemort tried to kill him. It also ties into the tracking spell that I had placed on you. I am going to tell them Dawn, is the Girl that Lived. I will tell them I then placed her with you since I knew where you were, splitting them both up for their protection." He noticed that Dawn was the only student left. He nodded toward Buffy who looked over her shoulder and nodded. She moved back to Dawn.

Dumbledore stood and smiled. "We have a new student transferring in from Salem Academy…" he said, "…in America. Yes, I know rumors have already been flying about who she and who the woman next to her is. But we will put them to rest right now. We'll start with the taller sister. I would like to introduce Ms. Elizabeth Potter, the elder sister of Harry Potter. Her parents were still students at Hogwarts when she was born and she was given up for adoption till the time they could take care of her themselves. We know now why they never came back for her, because of happened to her siblings. The younger woman who will be entering her fourth year here at Hogwarts is none other than Dawn Marie Potter, the twin sister of Harry Potter, the Girl that Lived."

Dawn looked at Buffy as if to say, what?

"Between the scars and your being adamant about using the Potter name," Buffy whispered. "He felt that was a good explanation so we don't have to keep explaining about the Key."

"As some know I personally took Harry to live with his muggle aunt and uncle," Dumbledore continued. "What you may not know is that I also took his twin sister and decided to split them up to make it harder for Voldemort to find. Since I had placed a tracking spell on Elizabeth, or as she goes by, Buffy. I knew where she was and placed Dawn with her elder sister in America."

Dumbledore noticed a hand raise. "Yes, Mr. Thomas."

"Sir, forgive me, but why wasn't there any mention not only in the Daily Prophet but in history books of her?" Dean Thomas asked. "Especially if she survived the same curse that Harry did."

"A good question, Mr. Thomas," Dumbledore said. "I'm sad to say I used a memory charm to further hide her. Only I and the people at the birth of the twins knew there was two babes. Because of a prophecy surrounding Harry Potter, that I will not go into here, I knew it would be impossible to do the same for him. But Dawn Potter could effectively disappear. If there are no further questions, I think it is time for Dawn to be sorted." He motioned for Dawn to have a seat on the stool.

Dawn sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall sat the hat on her head. "Hmm much like your brother I see. Yes, and a thirst to prove yourself also. Especially with whom both of your siblings are. You have potential here, especially if your true power were to be unlocked; you could be great you know. It's all here in your head."

Dawn started muttering under her breath, "With Harry, please."

The Hat seemed to hear her, "You want to be placed with your brother? You could do well in Slytherin. No? Very well, it better be GRYFFINDOR." The hat yelled out that last word.

Professor McGonagall took the hat off Dawn and motioned towards Harry and the Gryffindor table.

Buffy noticed Dumbledore motion towards a seat at the staff table, she shook her head and mouthed, "Maybe later. I want to sit with Dawn and Harry for now."

Dumbledore nodded and the seat vanished as if it hadn't been there. When Buffy sat with her siblings he stood up. "I have a few start of term announcements to make. First off as always the Forbidden Forest is of course off limits to all students. Next, we have two new professors this year. Professor Moody will be teaching Defense of the Dark Arts together this year."

"Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be," said Ron in a low, awed voice as everyone looked at Moody who sat at the staff table.

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered. "What happened to his face?"

"Dunno," Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.

"I am pleased to welcome another addition to our growing staff," Dumbledore continued. "Professor Potter will be taking over our newly resurrected position of guidance counselor." Buffy stood from where she sat between Harry and Dawn and bowed before sitting back down. "Feel free to come and talk to her about anything that troubles you or something that you have to get off your chest. And since she has expertise in Defense Against the Dark Arts, namely in the area of supernatural creatures as she was called as the Slayer five years ago, she will on occasion help Professor Moody in his courses when they delve into areas, she is familiar with. Now let the feast begin."

After dinner Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. "We are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.

The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er - but maybe this is not the time…no…" said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death toll?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors.

But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more. "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion."

Dumbledore's light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Dawn looked at her big sister Buffy, "I wonder if this is why Dumbledore mentioned you would be helping Professor Moody when his classes went into creatures you know about. So, you could be added security for this tournament."

Buffy shrugged as Professor McGonagall came up beside them. "Professor Dumbledore wanted me to show you to your room, Professor Potter. Might I suggest you bring Ms. And Mr. Potter with you so they can know where you will be sleeping?"

Buffy nodded as she, Harry and Dawn got up and followed her to a portrait on the seventh floor. "This is your room."

Buffy looked at the portrait as she smiled, "He was a Watcher?"

The portrait moved and nodded, "I was indeed a Watcher. You must be the current Slayer?"

Buffy nods, "I'm one of them," she said as she noticed the confused look on the portrait's face. "I died for but a minute and was brought back. It was long enough to call my successor." He nodded. "You were her Watcher, weren't you? The last Slayer-Witch?"

The man sighed. "Yes. My employment was terminated shortly after they came and took her away from me. I am happy to see you are doing what I failed to do. Simon McDougal at your service, it will be my pleasure to guard your room."

Professor McGonagall nodded, "You can set up a password later. Mr. McDougal would you be so kind as to allow us entrance."

Simon nodded as the portrait swung open and they walked into the room.

"Wow," Harry said as he looked at the room. He had never seen the staff living quarters before. He looked at McGonagall. "Are all the professors' rooms like this?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter," McGonagall answered. She showed them around. "Through this door is the lavatory. And through this door is the Gryffindor common room. It's hidden from the Gryffindor side, and can only be found by those who know which portrait it is behind. I'd suggest you show Dawn and Harry the entrance after the rest of the Gryffindor students are in their beds."

"Of course. Thank you…." Buffy said.

McGonagall smiled, "Minerva. And do you prefer Elizabeth or Buffy?"

"Buffy," Buffy answered. "My parents changed my name after they adopted me. So, I am used to it."

"Of course," McGonagall said. She turned to Dawn and Harry. "You two better get to bed. I had Ms. Granger wait in the Gryffindor common room for you Dawn to show you where you're sleeping. Boys aren't allowed in the girl's dormitory. Oh and one more thing. Dawn, Buffy, I will be helping Albus with your tutoring sessions. I will let you know when your sessions with him and myself will be, tomorrow. After you both have had a chance to settle in. Buffy only those of us in this room and the staff know you're going to be tutored. I suggest it stay that way. Some students might take it the wrong way and tell their parents, which might not be good. We had a professor last year who was a werewolf. When the parents found out, he was forced to resign. The parents didn't want him teaching their children."

Buffy nodded, "That sounds like a wise precaution."

"Good night, Buffy, Harry, Dawn." Professor McGonagall said and just before leaving she told Dawn and Harry the password to the Gryffindor common room.

Buffy turned to Dawn and Harry, "You two better get to bed. All three of us will need to be getting up early tomorrow. Oh, do you two still want to continue our workouts?"

"I'd like that Buffy," Dawn said as she smiled at her sister.

"So, would I," Harry agreed.

"Alright, off to bed," Buffy said as she hugged both of her siblings before they turned and left.

Buffy went over to a desk and took out a piece of parchment and a quill and wrote a letter to Giles as she wondered how he might react to an Owl delivering mail. She got up and walked to the cage in the corner of the room, "Joyce, I need you to deliver this to America. You think you can do it?" The owl hooted. "Good, try and be careful as this is going to a muggle who doesn't know about the wizarding world. So try and not scare him too much?" The owl hooted as she tied the letter to the owl's leg.

Buffy watched as her owl flew into the distance and smiled. "I miss you guys."