Author's Note: Dai5ycake – Do you really think the Ministry would care if Buffy's memories were verified as being unaltered? After all, during canon Order of the Phoenix they make a point of discrediting both Harry and Dumbledore because they refuse to believe Voldemort is back. It wouldn't matter if Buffy's memories were verified as being unaltered. Fudge was an idiot during Order of the Phoenix. Shoot in canon Cedric dying should have been proof enough that something happened, but his death was swept under the rug. The Ministry simply did not want to acknowledge the truth and the same is true in this story.

Chapter 24: Demented

August 2, 2002

Willow sat by the lake that just a few months ago had held four hostages for the second Triwizard task. Hogwarts was a place Willow had come to understand, and to regard as her safe haven. Now, as she urged a Paraguayan flower to take root, to sprout, and to blossom, she felt a connection to the universe that had not been with her for a long, long time.

The first time I ever felt like this . . . was the first time I held hands with Tara, back when the Gentlemen arrived in Sunnydale and stole all our voices. When Tara was murdered, it was like my goodness was stolen . . . like all that was left was a connection with evil. But that's gone now, or lurking . . . and hey, growing things. That's good, right?

She became aware of a shadow. Albus Dumbledore stood beside her, gazing intently at the flower. It was not a native English plant; he knew that, and he was intrigued that she had chosen to bring it to this place, this time. And that she could.

"That doesn't belong here," he ventured.

She was pleased with herself. "No, it doesn't."

"The flora kua alaya. A native of Paraguay, if my herbology serves," he added.

She glanced up at him and smiled. "Is there anything you don't know about?"

"I've always tried to keep abreast of as much information as I can in hopes of the wizarding world catching up with the muggle world in terms of technology," he said. He drew closer, studying the flower. "Yes. Paraguay." He looked at her. "Where did it come from?"

"Paraguay," she said breathlessly.

"You brought it through the earth," he commented.

"It's all connected," she told him. "The root systems, the molecules, the energy. Everything's connected."

"You sound like Professor Sprout," he observed, referring to the herbology professor.

Willow realized Dumbledore came to find her, that McGonagall, who she was supposed to be having a lesson with at this moment had mentioned to him she was missing her lesson. "Everyone here is . . . they're the most amazing people I've ever met," Willow told him. "But there's this look they get, like I'm going to turn them into bangers and mash or something. Which I'm not even really sure what that is."

"Why aren't you at your lesson with Professor McGonagall?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'm sorry," Willow apologized.

"It is alright, Ms. Rosenberg," Dumbledore said. "She was worried."

"That I had gone evil?" Willow said. "Yeah, I was going to destroy the world, but lunch made me sleepy."

"She did not think that," Dumbledore admitted. "That said she, like some of the other professors, are cautious. The magic that fueled you was great. With the exception of Dawn, I have seen nothing greater."

"I'm I not sure I have that kind of power anymore," Willow said. "I feel like I was drained by what happened."

"The power is still there," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the flower. "You just need to relearn what it means to have that power."

"I know Buffy wanted me to learn from you," Willow said, rising, she and Dumbledore started back toward the castle. "But I wish you would have taken the magic away from me."

As they walked, Dumbledore said, "That isn't possible. That said though you are a special case, Ms. Potter."

Willow looked at Dumbledore shocked that Dumbledore had said Potter instead of Rosenberg.

"Yes, you noticed that I used the wrong surname," Dumbledore said. "That is how much faith Buffy has in you. So much so she is waiting for you to be able to return her feelings. I know that it will take time. That is in part why I agreed to let you come to Hogwarts, Willow. To help you get past the loss you feel."

"I don't know," Willow admitted. "I love Tara, I always will. I mean I love Buffy, but I don't know if I can love her in the way I loved Tara."

"Buffy would never expect you to love her the exact same way you loved Tara," Dumbledore said. "Every person you love whether it be romantic or platonic is always different."

"Can I ask," Willow said as she looked at the headmaster. "Have you ever lost someone you loved?"

"Yes," Dumbledore admitted as he thought of his sister.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Ginny and Dawn were walking down Magnolia Lane back toward the Summers' home. They, Buffy and Harry were set to leave in a couple of days, leaving Sirius and Faith alone in the house. Harry had asked why Sirius was staying now that he had been found innocent and was no longer on the run. Sirius' reply had been a secretive grin as he had looked straight at Faith.

Since Ginny had given Dawn the promise ring. Dawn had treated Ginny to not only dinner at her favorite fast food restaurant but a movie as well. Ginny being from a pureblood family had never seen a movie before and had found Spy Kids 2 to be not only funny but entertaining.

"I have to ask mum and dad if we can go to a movie when we get home," Ginny said. "I think dad would love them since he likes anything to do with Muggles."

"Your dad probably would like it," Dawn agreed.

Even though Dawn and Buffy had met the Weasley family the year before. Ginny and Harry had broadened their knowledge on the family to the point that Buffy and Dawn now, like Harry, saw the Weasleys as part of their ever-growing extended family that had started with Giles, Xander and Willow.

"Before we leave there is one more place, I would like to take you," Dawn said.

"Where?" Ginny asked.

"To meet my mom," Dawn said as Ginny looked at her quizzically. "Well not physically meet her. As my mom like Lily is gone. But I mean take you to the cemetery where she's buried."

"I'd like that," Ginny said as they turned down a narrow alley that connected Magnolia Lane with Revello Drive.

That was when something happened. The sky was suddenly pitch-black and lightless—the setting sun, the rising moon, the streetlamps at either end of the alley had vanished. The distant grumble of cars and the whisper of trees had gone. Everything had suddenly gone cold. For California anything below seventy degrees Fahrenheit in August was unusual. If this were closer to the winter Dawn would have expected the cold, but this wasn't closer to the winter, this was only the beginning of August.

"Dawn?" Ginny called out. She like Dawn couldn't see anything in the total, impenetrable, darkness. It was as though some giant hand had dropped a thick, icy mantle over the entire alley, blinding them.

Dawn felt around and found Ginny's hand and held it tight. She pulled Ginny close to her till the point she could see her girlfriend. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "Why is it so dark?"

"I don't know," Dawn said. She turned and looked left and right. The darkness was so intense she had trouble seeing anything much of anything farther than a couple feet ahead. That was when Dawn felt a familiar feeling. She had only felt the feeling one other time in her life and that was in a dream.

Dawn looked around and closed her eyes. She had only managed to do magic wandless with the portal. She hoped that she could do other magic, like Willow and Tara, wandless. "Lumos!"

Light sprang all around Dawn and Ginny and they saw gliding smoothly toward them, hovering over the ground, no feet or face visible beneath its robes, sucking on the night as they came were two Dementors.

"Expecto Patronum!" Dawn called out.

A silvery wisp of vapor shot pulled away from Dawn and the dementor slowed, but the spell hadn't worked properly; Dawn shoved Ginny behind her.

A pair of gray, slimy, scabbed hands slid from inside the dementor's robes, reaching for Dawn. A rushing noise filled her ears.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Another wisp of silver smoke, feebler than the last, drifted from her.

"Dawn," Ginny said frightened. "The portal, you have to open us a portal."

Dawn closed her eyes and pictured the happiest memory she had. It had not been the one she had expected when Harry taught her and Buffy the Patronus charm. She had always thought her happiest memory would be the day she and Buffy met Harry. But she had found another memory that had been happier. The day she learned that she was real and that she was loved by her big sister.

February 6, 2001

Buffy and Dawn sat on the floor of a room in the Sunnydale hospital. "Because I love you. You're my sister," Buffy said.

"No, I'm not," Dawn replied.

"Yes, you are. Look," Buffy said as she took Dawn's hand, there was a cut across the palm. "Blood. Summers' blood." She took her own hand, smeared blood on it from a wound on her shoulder. She held up her blood covered hand and showed it to Dawn. "Just like mine." She pressed her palm into Dawn's mixing their blood. "It doesn't matter how you got here or where you came from. You are my sister. There's no way you could annoy me as much if you weren't."

August 2, 2002

Dawn opened her eyes and smiled. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A silver phoenix erupted from the core of Dawn's being, it soared at the dementors sending them backwards away from the girls.

"Hurry," Dawn said as she pulled Ginny down the alley away from the dementors.

Setting sun, rising moon, and streetlamps burst back into life. A warm breeze swept the alley. Trees rustled in neighboring yards and the mundane rumble of cars filled the air again.

"That was incredible," Ginny said. "I mean casting a wand spell that is advanced for either of our years without a wand."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn pulled Ginny down Revello Drive and into the Summers' home. "Buffy!" she called out. "Harry! Sirius! Faith!"

Buffy, Harry, Sirius and Faith came from other parts of the house and met Ginny and Dawn in the foyer.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Dementors," Dawn answered. "Ran into them in the alley between Revello and Magnolia."

"Are you both okay," Sirius asked suddenly worried.

"I remembered the spell Harry taught me and Buffy," Dawn admitted.

"The Patronus charm?" Harry asked as Dawn nodded.

Buffy frowned. "How? I have yours and Harry's wands here."

"I figured since the Key was magic and I could control it without a wand. Why couldn't I also do magic without a wand like Willow and Tara?" Dawn said.

"It would make sense, B," Faith agreed.

"So, you used the Patronus charm and chased the dementor away?" Buffy asked as Dawn nodded.

It was at that precise moment a screech owl swooped in through the kitchen window and flew through the house into the foyer. It dropped a large parchment envelope it was carrying in its beak at Dawn's feet, and turned gracefully, the tips of its wings, then zoomed back the way it came and out through the kitchen window.

Dawn picked up the envelope and frowned. It was addressed to her. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.

Dear Ms. Dawn Potter,

We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past six this evening in a Muggle inhabited area.

The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted our notifying the British Ministry of Magic and they have notified us of your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry offices for the Magical Congress of the United States at 9 a.m. on August 12th.

Hoping you are well,

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE

Magical Congress of the United States

"I've been expelled from Hogwarts," Dawn said. "Because I cast the Patronus."

"A portal please," Buffy said. "I'm going to Hogwarts to speak to Albus."

Dawn nodded as she opened a portal and Buffy stepped through it.

Ginny hugged Dawn tightly as her girlfriend turned and buried her head into her shoulder. She could feel Dawn's tears falling. "It's okay, Dawn. Dumbledore will fix it."

"If he can," Sirius said.

"He better," Faith said. "Dawn shouldn't have to worry about things like this law when she lives on a Hellmouth."

"I agree, Faith," Sirius said.

"So, do I," Harry added.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy entered the castle and saw Willow exiting the Great Hall. "Hey, Will."

"Hi, Buffy," Willow returned. "What are you doing here. Professor Dumbledore said the fall term doesn't start for a few more weeks."

"Dementors attacked Dawn and her girlfriend, Ginny, in Sunnydale. She used a spell Harry taught Dawn and I to protect them. After returning home she got a letter saying she had been expelled from Hogwarts and had to appear for questioning on the matter."

"Poor, Dawnie," Willow said feeling sad for Dawn.

"Do you know where Albus is?" Buffy asked.

"He was still in the Great Hall last I saw him," Willow said.

"Thanks, Willow," Buffy said. "I'll catch up later."

"Of course, this is important," Willow said as Buffy headed into the Great Hall.

Buffy found Dumbledore sitting up at the staff table. "Albus."

Dumbledore looked at Buffy surprised to see her there. "Buffy, what a surprise. Willow is…"

"This isn't about Will," Buffy interrupted. "It's about Dawn. Dementors attacked her and Ginny in Sunnydale. I didn't even know we had dementors over there. She used the Patronus charm that Harry taught her and I to protect her and Ginny. After getting back home she got a letter from the American Ministry saying she had to appear before them and that they had notified the Ministry of Magic over here who said as a result she was expelled from Hogwarts."

Dumbledore sighed and nodded. "I have yet to get an owl on this," he said. "Do not worry, Dawn is not being expelled. Not while I am still headmaster."

"Then you should know she did the charm, wandless," Buffy said as she saw several of the professors look at her shocked. So far, the only other person the professors knew of that could do spells completely wandless had been Willow. "She figured since she can use the Key wandless, she could perform magic wandless."

"A reasonable assumption," Dumbledore said.

"She has opened portals a few times in the month since the last term ended," Buffy said. "She never got a notification about that use of magic."

"While the Key itself is magic. It is also an ability innate to herself. While the Key resides within Dawn no one else can use it, especially now that she has learned to control it," Dumbledore said. "As far as the statutes go, they can't detect her use of it as it's not magic as they can define it. It is something that far surpasses anything they know. The Key after all is said to be as old as time itself. Dawn like your friend, Willow, is likely one of, if not, the most powerful witches to ever live."

Dumbledore nodded to the professors at the table who immediately understood he was leaving. "I will portkey us back to Sunnydale and then apparate over to the American Ministry and talk to them myself."

August 3, 2002

Dawn sighed as she packed her trunk. They were preparing to head to England till the twelfth when she would have to return for the hearing. So far, they had yet to hear anything from Dumbledore on the subject.

"Dawn," Buffy called from downstairs.

"Still packing," Dawn called back.

A moment later Buffy followed by Harry, Sirius, Faith and Ginny walked into Dawn's room.

"I just received an owl from Albus," Buffy said as she held up the letter. "It took some doing but Albus told them to look at where you lived. Something they hadn't done before they owled you about being expelled from Hogwarts. They saw that we live on the Hellmouth and agreed that regardless if it was dementors or something else. You had the right to protect yourself. After all any manner of demons or vampires could attack you here as well. He also asked that they look at the spell as it was performed. They saw it was done wandless. Wiccan magic does not fall under the statutes that got you expelled. If it did, they would have gone after Willow a long time ago since she never went to a wizarding school. Your expulsion has been rescinded, you're no longer expelled and we don't have to be back here till next summer now as the disciplinary meeting is cancelled."

"While I am happy my goddaughter has not been expelled," Sirius said. "I have to ask what were dementors doing in Sunnydale? To my knowledge, the American ministry doesn't use dementors as guards for your prisons."

"As far as I know we don't have any here," Buffy said. "Before the third task of the Triwizard tournament I had never seen one in all my years as a Slayer."

"That leaves the question what were they doing here?" Sirius asked.

"If we don't use them to guard the wizarding prisons," Faith said. "Could they have been sent from England?"

"If that's the case," Ginny said. "The Ministry of Magic may have lost control of them. Either that or they deserted Azkaban and joined Voldemort."

"Dawn," Buffy said. "Finish packing. In fact, all of us need to pack."

"I can't," Faith said as Buffy looked at her. "I have to stay and guard the Hellmouth, remember?"

Buffy sighed. "You'll be alone, Faith."

"I know," Faith said. "Giles is supposed to be back at the end of the month. And I have Xander, and maybe Anya, if I need backup. I'll be fine, B. If I see any of those dementors I will run the other way and have Giles owl you when he gets back."

"When we go to get Harry and Dawn's school supplies for the coming year, I will stop in at the Owl Emporium and buy you an owl," Buffy said. "Then I'll have Dawn portal it to you. That way you can keep me apprised of everything going on here. Should have done that before now to tell the truth. That way if you need help you can owl me and I will have Dawn portal me as soon as I get your message."

"Thanks, B," Faith said.

"We can go to Grimmauld Place," Sirius said. "Since its being used for headquarters it has a charm on it, the same charm that your parents had on their home. So, unless someone decides to do like Wormtail did, Voldemort won't be able to find us."

"So, this charm hides your house?" Faith asked.

"That's right," Sirius said.

Faith looked at Buffy. "Could we get someone to come do that here. That would be one heck of a security measure."

Buffy thought about what Faith said and then nodded. It was a good idea. "Sirius could you do it?"

"I could," Sirius said. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather be taught the charm? After all the person who performs the charm becomes the secret keeper."

"I trust you," Buffy said. "Now those of us leaving for England should start packing."

"I have a problem," Dawn said. "If we're going to your place Sirius. I can't portal us there as I've never seen it."

"Right," Sirius said. "Open me a portal. I will then find Dumbledore and explain. Where were you originally supposed to go tomorrow?"

"Home," Ginny said as Dawn closed her eyes. She could see her girlfriend was concentrating on opening the portal.

"Then go there," Sirius said. "I will make sure that either the Weasleys or someone else will be there to greet you."

As the portal opened Sirius ran into the portal.

August 4, 2002

The next day Buffy, Dawn, Harry and Ginny exited the portal into the kitchen of the Burrow. Ginny ran through the house looking for her family and found no one was home.

"No one is here," Ginny said as she returned to the kitchen. "Why wouldn't they tell me if they were going someplace, they knew we were coming today."

That was when they heard movement outside. Buffy held up her hand as she pulled her wand out of her holster. She stepped outside her wand raised.

"Lower your wand, girl, before you take someone's eye out," said a low, growling voice.

"Moody?" Buffy said as she glared at the former auror.

"I take it you are Elizabeth Potter," Moody said. "I can understand the hostility given what you endured last year."

"Who sent you?" Buffy asked as she noticed that Harry moved up on one side of her and Dawn and Ginny on the other.

"Albus Dumbledore," came a voice.

"P-Professor Lupin?" Harry said disbelievingly as he recognized the voice. "Is that you?"

"Why are we all standing out here in the dark?" said another voice, this one, a woman's. "Lumos."

A wand tip flared, illuminating the darkness with magical light.

"Oooh, they look just like I thought they would," said the witch who was holding her lit wand aloft.

"Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus," said a bald black wizard standing farthest back; he had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear. "He looks exactly like James."

"Except the eyes," said a wheezy-voiced, silver-haired wizard at the back. "Lily's eyes."

"And unless my memory serves me wrong," Lupin said. "The one that Moody addressed as Elizabeth looks like Lily, except her eyes look like James' eyes. Though the hair is wrong for either James or Lily."

"From what I understand," Buffy said. "I inherited our grandmother's hair color."

"Of course," Lupin said as he remembered Lily's parents. "I see it now."

"Are we quite sure it's them?" Moody growled. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating them. We ought to ask them something only the real Potter family would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?"

"Harry, what form does your Patronus take?" said Lupin.

"A stag," said Harry nervously.

"Mine's a tiger," Buffy said as they looked at her. "Sirius said that our mom's nickname was Tigerlily."

Lupin nodded in understanding. "That would make sense. Harry's takes after his father's animagus form. Yours takes after Lily's." He looked back at Moody. "I'm sure that's them, Mad-Eye."

"It's okay, Buffy," Harry said as Buffy nodded and holstered her wand.

Lupin held out his hand toward Buffy who shook it. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Elizabeth."

"Buffy, please," Buffy said.

Lupin nodded as he looked at the last two of the group they had come for.

"Our sister, Dawn," Harry said. "And you probably remember Ginny Weasley from Hogwarts. She's Dawn's girlfriend."

Lupin looked at Dawn for a moment. "I have been wondering about that, Harry. I saw the Daily Prophet story. But how can she be your twin? Older sister sure that one I understand given that I've met Lily's parents. Though I wish they had told me."

"How I'm Harry's twin is a long, complicated story," Dawn said as she pulled back her hair to show them the scar. "But the story in the Daily Prophet is the official story as far as anyone, who doesn't know the complicated version, knows."

Lupin nodded as he looked back at Harry. "How are you?" he asked.

"Better than I could ever have been," Harry admitted. "After all I no longer live with the Dursleys but sisters that actually love me."

"I'm glad," Lupin said.

"So, would someone like to tell me what we're waiting for?" Buffy asked.

"Dumbledore felt it best to have a distraction in case anyone was watching the Burrow when you arrived," Lupin said. "And anyone watching would have seen the green glow that preceded your arrival. What was that by the way?"

"The Key," Dawn said. "It goes hand in hand with that complicated version of the truth of how I'm Harry's twin."

"Now let me introduce the people escorting you all to headquarters." Lupin said as he motioned toward Moody. "This is Alastor Moody."

"We know," Buffy said. "We had an imposter at Hogwarts last year pretending to be him."

"And this is Nymphadora—"

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," said the young witch with a shudder. "It's Tonks."

"—Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Lupin.

"So. would you if your fool of a mother had called you 'Nymphadora,'" muttered Tonks.

"Well mine called me Buffy," Buffy said.

"Your adopted mother?" Tonks asked as Buffy nodded. "Yours sounds better than mine."

"Thanks," Buffy said.

"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt"—Lupin indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed—"Elphias Doge"—the wheezy-voiced wizard nodded —"Dedalus Diggle—"

"We've met before," squeaked the excitable Diggle, dropping his top hat.

"—Emmeline Vance"—a stately looking witch in an emerald-green shawl inclined her head—"Sturgis Podmore"—a square-jawed wizard with thick, straw-colored hair winked—"and Hestia Jones." A pink-cheeked, black-haired witch waved from next to the toaster.

"A surprising number of people volunteered to come and get you four," said Lupin.

"Yeah, well, the more the better," said Moody darkly. "We're your guard."

"We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," said Lupin. "We've got about fifteen minutes."

"While we're waiting," Buffy said. "It seems we haven't been getting mail from anyone over here. Can someone fill us in on what's happening, especially with Vol—?"

Several of the witches and wizards made odd hissing noises; Dedalus Diggle dropped his hat again, and Moody growled, "Shut up!"

"What?" growled Buffy.

"We're not discussing anything here, it's too risky," said Moody

"My house is too risky?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, even yours," Moody said. "Your family is known to associate with the Potters."

"How're we getting—where we're going?" Harry asked making sure not to mention that they were supposed to be going to Sirius place.

"Brooms," said Lupin. "Only way."

"Yeah we know," Dawn said. "I can't portal us in because of the charm."

"Then there is, with the exception of Elizabeth, the fact you all are too young to Apparate," Lupin said.

"I don't know how anyways, I was hesitant on learning," Buffy admitted. "When Dawn learned to control the Key, it became a moot point anyways. As the Key became the go to form of transport for us from England to the U.S."

Lupin nodded. "They'll be watching the Floo Network," he continued, "and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorized Portkey." He noticed that Dawn had closed her eyes and there was a green glow slowly coming into existence. "What is she doing?"

"Likely opening a portal back to Sunnydale," Buffy said. "Probably getting mine, Harry and Dawn's brooms. As we left everything, trunks and our owls, there with the intention that once we got where we were going, she would open the portal and get our things."

Dawn opened her eyes as the portal finished forming. She rushed through and was back a second later with hers, Buffy and Harry's firebolts.

"Remus says you're a good flier," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice looking at Harry.

"He's excellent," said Lupin.

"We all are," Buffy said. "Harry has been a good teacher ever since he bought Dawn and I brooms."

Ginny smiled as she leaned into Dawn. "Double up," she whispered.

"Always," Dawn whispered back.