Dai5ycake: On Dawn and Ginny. When it comes to their relationship the Yule Ball was the first hint in the actual story. That was always to be the case. As far as off screen before the Yule Ball, it could be considered they were dating. Of course, it could also be considered that one or the other had a crush and didn't act on it till the Yule Ball. Since it is not mentioned I will leave that up to yours and other readers imaginations on when their relationship actually started. At least for now, who knows maybe I might someday do a one shot of their first date, if they had one before the Yule Ball.

As far as Repercussions of Harry leaving before the end of the Yule Ball, I didn't plan anything. I'm sure Malfoy might have had a snide comment or two about Harry leaving with Buffy. That said though I don't think there is any repercussions for leaving early. The canon story only required the Champions to be in attendance, not that they had to be there all night. At least I don't think so.

As far as Dumbledore dancing with Buffy I don't think there would be fallout. After all in the canon story, if I'm remembering right, Dumbledore and McGonagall danced together.

Chapter 12: The Egg & the Glow

January 20, 2002

Buffy smiled as she looked over the birthday presents at the foot of her bed. There were some from her friends, there was some from Dawn also. But like Christmas the majority of them were from Harry. Buffy wondered if Harry was trying to make up not only for not knowing her for most of his life, but also for what he had to live through with their aunt and uncle.

In the entrance hall Dawn, Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their way to breakfast, when they heard Cedric calling Harry's name.

"Yeah?" said Harry as Cedric ran up the stairs toward them.

Cedric looked as though he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Ron, Hermione or Dawn.

"Go on guys," Harry said. "I'll join you in a second."

Ron, Hermione and Dawn all nodded as they headed on into the Great Hall.

"Listen…" Cedric lowered his voice. "I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?"

"Yeah," said Harry as he remembered the only time it had been opened, in Buffy's suite.

"Well… take a bath, okay?"

"What?"

"Take a bath, and—er—take the egg with you, and—er—just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think… Trust me." Harry stared at him. "Tell you what," Cedric said, "use the prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh.' Gotta go…"

Harry watched as Cedric headed off.

"Harry?" Buffy said as she came down the stairs behind him.

Harry looked around to make sure no one was close by and he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Cedric gave me a clue about the egg. He told me to take a bath with the egg and to mull things over in the hot water."

Buffy thought about it for a moment. "Come to my suite tonight after everyone is in bed. Bring swim trunks alright?" Harry nodded. "I brought a bikini with me so we'll try and see what his clue is about." (A/N)

"Buffy!"

Harry and Buffy turned and saw Dawn hurrying towards them from the Great Hall.

"Hey, Dawnie," Buffy said as she hugged her sister.

"Ginny wanted to know if I could go to Hogsmeade with her this weekend," Dawn said. "I told her I would have to ask. Can I?"

"Of course, you can," Buffy said as Dawn bounced around happily before rushing back into the Great Hall.

"Wow," Harry said.

"I know," Buffy agreed. "I'm happy Dawn found someone she likes."

"I am too," Harry said as he looked toward his older sister. "Out of the three of us she definitely deserves to be happy."

Later that evening after everyone had gone to bed, Harry slipped out of bed and hurried down the stairs to the portrait leading into Buffy's suite. "Hellmouth," he whispered and the portrait swung open and he slipped through it into the sitting room of Buffy's suite.

"Buffy?" Harry called out when the portrait closed behind him.

"In the bathroom," Buffy called back. "If you don't have your swim trunks on you can change in my bedroom. Then join me."

Harry slipped into Buffy's bedroom and took off his robe and pajamas before slipping on the swim trunks. He then joined Buffy in the bathroom. The room was softly lit by a splendid candle filled chandelier, and everything was made of white marble, including the overly large tub. Long white linen curtains hung at the windows; a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. It featured a blonde mermaid.

When Harry saw Buffy, his jaw dropped. She looked beautiful in her bikini. "If you weren't my sister, I'd probably would have asked you to the Yule Ball," he said.

Buffy laughed. "Thank you, Harry, for the compliment. Should we see what we can learn?" she asked as she slipped into the overly large tub. Harry joined her a second later.

"Don't touch the knobs," Buffy warned as she motioned toward the golden taps. "All, but the two for hot and cold running water, dispense all forms of bubble bath. I love taking a bubble bath, but the number of kinds available is a little much."

"I've been thinking this could have been a joke," Harry admitted.

"Maybe, we'll find out. Now let's see if we hear anything different," Buffy said as she lifted the egg in her wet hands, and opened it. The wailing, screeching sound filled the bathroom, echoing and reverberating off the marble walls, but it sounded just as incomprehensible as ever, if not more so with all the echoes.

Buffy sighed as she snapped the egg shut. "So, if Cedric was right, we're missing something. Just sitting in the tub is not the solution."

"What about putting it in the water?" Harry suggested.

Buffy thought about it for a moment, it wouldn't hurt anything to try Harry's suggestion. So, she submerged the egg. Taking a good-sized intake of air, she ducked her head under the water with the egg. When she opened it, she could here … singing?

Buffy brought her head back above the water after closing the egg back up. "I think you hit the nail on the head, little bro."

"I did," Harry said shocked as Buffy nodded.

"I could hear, singing," Buffy admitted. "Go on, listen."

Harry ducked his head under the water as Buffy opened the egg. He heard what Buffy had, not a wail but a gurgling song. He noticed that Buffy had her head back under the water listening to the song.

"Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,

And while you're searching ponder this:

We've taken what you'll sorely miss,

An hour long you'll have to look,

And to recover what we took,

But past an hour—the prospect's black,

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

Harry and Buffy sat back up as the singing stopped.

"'Come seek us where our voices sound…'" Harry said, "and if we need persuading… hang on, I need to listen again…"

"I have it memorized, Harry," Buffy said. "There is something about looking for people who can't use their voices above the ground…"

Harry thought about it for a long moment. As he looked around the bathroom, he remembered the picture of the mermaid on the wall. "Buffy, are their mermaids in the lake?"

Buffy got out of the tub and walked over to the mermaid picture on the wall.

"If you are going to stare," the mermaid said. "You can at least ask what is on your mind."

"We would like to know, that is if you know, if your fellow mermaids swim in the lake here at Hogwarts," Buffy said.

"Yes," the mermaid said.

"Thank you," Buffy said.

"You are welcome, Slayer," the mermaid answered.

Buffy turned and looked at Harry. "So, we know from the first two lines the task is in the lake. For they say, 'Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground."

"What are you supposed to find?" Harry asked. "Doesn't the next lines say something about them taking something you will miss."

"I can think of two things," Buffy said as Harry looked at her confused. "You and Dawn. If that is what the lines are talking about Albus won't risk taking you because it would reveal that I have been doing your tasks. That means when it comes to the second task Dawn is likely what I will have to find."

"That leaves how are you going to breathe underwater?" Harry asked.

"I know I can hold my breath longer than most people thanks to the Slayer, but the question is can I hold it long enough," Buffy said. "We need to find me a way of breathing underwater in case I can't."

December 23, 2002

Buffy, Harry, Ron and Hermione left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates and Hogsmeade. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake.

"He's mad!" said Harry, staring at Krum's dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. "It must be freezing, it's January!"

"It's a lot colder where he comes from," said Hermione. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."

"Buffy," Harry said as an idea came to his mind and he stopped and looked at his sister. "We have problem."

"What?" Buffy said.

"If we're right and the task takes place in the lake," Harry said.

Hermione realized what Harry had just realized himself. "You're a girl," she said. "You won't be able to wear a bikini or a one-piece swimsuit at the task. You'll be nude from the waist up. Since the task takes place in February it may be a little warmer than it is now, but it will still be cold."

"Go on to Hogsmeade," Buffy said as she turned back toward the castle. "I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks for lunch." She hurried through the castle until she reached Dumbledore's office.

"Hello, Buffy," Dumbledore said as she entered his office.

"The next task is in the lake isn't it?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore said.

"We have a problem," Buffy said.

"That you are female," Dumbledore said with a nod. "You will effectively be topless. As far as everyone else would know that would not be a problem as they would see Harry. But you have to worry about the cold. And a woman's body is more susceptible to colder temperatures."

"Yeah," Buffy said as she blushed.

"There are charms that can keep you warm, but a lot of them would do you know good," Dumbledore. "Not in water. I think I may have something that could work. It actually belongs to you anyways." He walked over to a cabinet and opened it. He pulled out an amulet and whispered a word Buffy didn't quite catch. He proceeded to hand it then to Buffy. She could feel warmth radiate from it. "This was Lily's. She loved to swim, even in the middle of winter. She created this amulet to keep her warm. I wanted to try and duplicate the magic, sadly I was unable to before she died."

"Thank you," Buffy said as she slipped the amulet on.

"The amulet can be activated and deactivated by saying the word, calor," Dumbledore said.

"Calor," Buffy said and she could feel the warmth from the amulet dissipate. "Thank you, Albus."

"Thank your mother for having an interesting passion," Dumbledore said.

When Buffy entered the Three Broomsticks, she found the pub was as crowded as ever. She found Harry and Dawn with Ron, Hermione and Ginny at a booth in the corner. Harry motioned toward to a drink sitting in front of the empty seat next to him.

"For me?" Buffy asked as she sat down in the empty chair. "Thank you, Harry."

"Doesn't he ever go into the office?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Look!" She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and they saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins.

"Probably here because of the tournament," Buffy said. "It's about a month now till the next task."

"That doesn't make sense, Buffy," Dawn said. She had one hand on her drink and the other was holding Ginny's free hand. "Why would he be here early? If it were me, I would go home between tasks if I were him. After all he doesn't work here or at Hogwarts and he isn't a student."

"Buffy, you don't think he might suspect?" Harry asked.

"There's no way of knowing till he makes an accusation," Buffy said.

It was at that moment that Bagman stood and hurried through the pub toward them. "Harry!" he said. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry.

"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" said Bagman eagerly. "You all couldn't give us a moment, could you?"

"Depends," Buffy said as Ron, Ginny and Hermione went off to find another table leaving the siblings with Bagman.

"Well, I just thought I'd congratulate Harry on his splendid performance against that Horntail," said Bagman. "Really superb."

"Thanks," said Harry as he glanced at Buffy. Surely that wasn't what he really wanted was it?

"Absolute nightmare," said Bagman motioning back toward the goblins. He must have noticed one of them glancing in the goblins' direction. "Their English isn't too good… it's like being back with all the Bulgarians at the Quidditch World Cup… but at least they used sign language another human could recognize. This lot keep gabbling in Gobbledegook… and I only know one word of Gobbledegook. Bladvak. It means 'pickax.' I don't like to use it in case they think I'm threatening them."

He gave a short, booming laugh.

"What do they want?" Dawn said. "It has nothing to do with congratulating Harry."

"Er—well…" said Bagman, looking suddenly nervous. "They… er…they're looking for Barry Crouch."

"Why are they looking for him here?" said Harry. "He's at the Ministry in London, isn't he?"

"Er… as a matter of fact, I've no idea where he is," said Bagman. "He's sort of… stopped coming to work. Been absent for a couple of weeks now. Young Percy, his assistant, says he's ill. Apparently, he's just been sending instructions in by owl. But would you three mind not mentioning that to anyone? Because Rita Skeeter's still poking around everywhere she can, and I'm willing to bet she'd work up Barty's illness into something sinister. Probably say he's gone missing like Bertha Jorkins."

"Believe me," Buffy said. "We won't be saying anything to Rita Skeeter. I've asked Albus if he knows any good wizarding lawyers. I intend to sue the Daily Prophet."

"I can't say I won't be happy to see you win such a lawsuit, Ms. Potter," Bagman said. "Especially after the two stories they've printed on your family." He lowered his voice. "So, Harry, how are you getting on with your golden egg?"

Harry glanced at Buffy again and wondered if she had managed to fix one of two problems with the task. "Er… not bad," he said truthfully.

Bagman seemed to believe that Harry wasn't being honest even though he was.

"Listen, Harry," he said (still in a very low voice), "I feel very bad about all this… you were thrown into this tournament, you didn't volunteer for it…and if…" (his voice was so quiet now, Buffy was the only one of the three who didn't have to lean closer to listen) "if I can help at all… a prod in the right direction… I've taken a liking to you… the way you got past that dragon! Well, just say the word."

"Thanks for the offer," Buffy said. "But I've been helping Harry if he needs it. Albus, doesn't tell me about the tasks so as not to give Harry advanced notice. I don't get my instructions till the day of."

"Good, good," Bagman said.

It was at that moment that Fred and George turned up.

"Hello, Mr. Bagman," said Fred brightly. "Can we buy you a drink?"

"Er… no," said Bagman, "no, thank you, boys…" Fred and George looked disappointed and meandered off. "Well, I must dash. Nice seeing you all. Good luck, Harry." He hurried out of the pub. The goblins all slid off their chairs and exited after him.

"What did he want?" Ron said when he, Hermione and Ginny rejoined them.

"He offered to help me with the golden egg," said Harry.

"He shouldn't be doing that!" said Hermione, looking very shocked. "He's one of the judges! Regardless it's nearly solved anyways. I mean we know where the task is and all. We just need to solve the other two problems."

"One of which is solved," Buffy said as she showed them the amulet. She then looked straight at Harry and Dawn. "Mom created it. Like your invisibility cloak, Harry, it was left in Albus' care. It will keep me warm."

"Uh-oh," said Ron, staring at the door.

Rita Skeeter had just entered, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something.

"…didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights… what nonsense… he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman…' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo—we just need to find a story to fit it—"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" said Harry loudly.

A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken.

"Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you and your sister come and join—?"

"Forget it," Buffy growled. "As soon as I get a lawyer, you will be sued out of a job."

"You're a horrible woman," Dawn added, through gritted teeth as she began glowing green, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman—"

"Do you guys see that?" Ginny asked as she looked toward her girlfriend.

"Yes," Buffy said as she noticed that the only ones who didn't look surprised was Harry, Ron and Hermione. "You three have seen the glow before?"

"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Dawn. She either didn't see the glow surrounding Dawn or didn't care. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl… not that it needs it—"

Suddenly there was a bang and Rita Skeeter found herself dropping into a portal that closed behind her.

"Come on, Dawn," Buffy said as she grabbed her sister and pulled Dawn from the pub as Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione followed behind her. She led them back to the castle and to Dumbledore's office. She didn't wait for Dumbledore to tell her to come in as she barged into his office. "Albus, Dawn can use the Key. She just accidentally, I hope, sent that Skeeter woman god knows where."

Dumbledore sighed; he had been afraid that might happen. "Sit down, all of you.," he said as the assembled group did as he bade. "I was afraid of this, Buffy." He looked at Dawn. "Because of the Key, you may be the most powerful witch to grace the wizarding world." He looked at Buffy. "I may have made a miscalculation, Buffy. The prophecy may not be just about Harry. You see Dawn has a scar just like Harry's."

"And their connected," Buffy said. "At least at the subconscious level since Dawn was seeing Harry's memories even before Dawn and I met Harry. Would it be possible to hear the prophecy?"

Dumbledore sighed; he had wanted to wait for Harry to hear the prophecy till he was sure the boy was ready. But now with Dawn's use of the Key it may be too late. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..." he said. "As you can see the prophecy as related to me by Professor Trelawney specifies male pronouns. But those are the only lines that specify gender. The rest of the prophecy only states as being the one with the power. Dawn has a power that she could in theory use to permanently defeat Voldemort."

"But it doesn't say anything about me," Dawn said.

"In a way it does," Dumbledore said. "You could be the power that the Dark Lord knows not."

"Because he doesn't know I exist," Dawn said. "Because the monks didn't modify anybody's memories except anyone who would know about me in Sunnydale."

"Correct," Dumbledore said. "You may have the power that Harry needs."

"You said one couldn't live while the other survives," Ginny said. "Does that mean Dawn or Harry will die?"

"I do not know," Dumbledore said.

Author's Note: The Swimsuits. In the Last Summers/House of Slayer, where Hermione is Buffy and Dawn's sister, (I had started posting it years ago and then the admin went and deleted it for unknown reasons) that I had a review about Dawn (who's name came out of the Goblet along with Harry's) and Harry with the egg in the bathtub and there being no mention of either of them wearing a swimsuit. So, I made sure to add Buffy and Harry wearing swimsuits.