Sorry, if you're disappointed in the lack of detail about the tournament. I just focus mostly on Buffy's part in it as the expectation is everything is canon with the rest of the competitors.

Chapter 16: Beyond the Veil

*****Toward the End of February*****

Buffy was frustrated as she read an article in The Wizarding World News, a paper she got from a housemate. The article was titled, "The Scourge of Europe is Back!" The Wizards Voice titled their article, "Vampires Attack!" while the Daily Prophet accused Buffy the Vampire Slayer of bringing terror to the wizarding world. "I am so sick of reading about what Angelus and Spike are doing while we do nothing!" she exclaimed, setting the papers all on fire.

Her housemates all looked at her with various states of alarm while Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Must you always be so dramatic about everything?" she said.

"Father and Giles refuse to let me patrol! How am I going to stop them if I don't get to see them!" Buffy complained. They had killed ten wizards, four witches, and a dozen humans so far. They are terrorizing both the human and magical communities alike.

"Uncle Severus has contacted the Romani community, and they are working to find the original curse for Angel," Cordelia said.

"Mom says that bringing Angel back would be cruel," Buffy said. "She says his soul is at peace, and to know the new horrors Angelus committed won't help him any."

"Well, if we could know that Angel was at peace, I'd agree," Cordelia said.

"That's just it, we don't," Buffy said. "Angel told me he once that when he was human, he was no one to be proud of. He spent most of his time in bars and disappointing his parents. Then he met that hoe, Darla."

"She's the one who turned him?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yes," she said. "If he's in a hell dimension, then I put him there. How can I live with that?"

"You didn't put him there, Buffy," Draco said. He'd be silently listening, but he couldn't let her think such a thing.

"Why does he have to be cursed to have a soul?" Cordelia asked. "Is there a way to restore a soul without the loophole? Have you asked the headmaster? He's so old that he's bound to know something."

"Good idea," Buffy said. "I have to get through this stupid tournament thing today, though. Willow gave me this spell that's supposed to turn me into a mermaid or something that will allow me to swim underwater.

"A mermaid? Really?" Draco asked, his eyes wide. "That's so bloody perfect!" She was already divinely attractive. A mermaid was the stuff of every boy's fantasy.

Later that afternoon, it was time for the tournament. Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance when she saw her father was tied up underwater. Although they made sure he wouldn't drown, the entire thing just pissed her off. Cedric wished her luck, and she smiled at him. He was really sweet. "Thanks. You, too," she said.

Cordelia nearly felt off the stands from laughter when Buffy suddenly grew a giant fish head. Half of her was human and the other half was fish head.

"Oh, my God! Where's a camera when you need one?" she gasped, grabbing Xander's arm in glee.

"What the hell?" Xander exclaimed. He turned to Willow. "I thought you said she'd be a mermaid."

Willow's face had gone pale as she watched Buffy sort of fall over into the water, her fish head leading the way. "It said it would be like a fish in water," Willow said. "It figured some web feet and gills to let her breathe in water. Not a partial transfiguration."

Draco was sitting with his house, not the Gryffs, but he, too, was looking at Buffy in dismay, his eye glass getting a clear picture of her puckered fish lips.

"Great Merlin!" Pansy exclaimed. "I didn't think Buffy could ever look hideous."

"Who bloody cares?" Draco said loyally. "She's already in the water by her father. No way any of the others will beat her time."

Buffy brought her father up in the water before Krum and Cedric even reached their people. However, it soon became apparent that Fleur wasn't there to rescue her sister, who was stuck at the bottom of the lake.

The fish spell was supposed to end if she spoke the counter spell, but she had fish lips. Buffy stomped her feet in frustration. I am so gonna kill Willow! she thought. Then she shrugged and dived back into the water to rescue the French girl's sister.

Willow was cheering with the others when Buffy came back out of the water. However, when it became apparent that Buffy was unable to end her spell, Willow moved down the stands until she was in front of Buffy. Snape and Dumbledore were with her, and she was gesticulating with her human hands and smacking her lips. However, no sound was able to escape.

"Buffy!" Willow called. Buffy turned toward and glared. "I'm so sorry!"

"Miss Rosenberg, why are you here? You are not responsible for Buffy's state," Dumbledore stated.

Willow didn't respond. Instead, she got out her wand and called out, "Piscis exponentia finem!"

Instantly, Buffy's head was back to normal. "Thank God!" Buffy exclaimed. "Not being able to talk was a nightmare!"

Severus grinned at his daughter. "I am sure it was," he said.

"Fish spell end?" Dumbledore asked Willow, translating her spell. "Interesting way to end a spell."

Willow's face was red with the headmaster's attention. "Oh, well, you see, sometimes when I'm flustered or nervous, I don't always recall the exact Latin. I realized that intent or my will behind the spell is what is most important. Now, I don't always go exactly by old spells. I make up my own," she said. "Or I modify a spell."

"That is foolish and dangerous work!" Severus said, frowning at her.

"Hey, it did the job, and I'm fine," Buffy said with a shrug.

"You have to have an abnormal amount of control to get spells to work that you create," Dumbledore said. "It is dangerous to share those made-up spells with others, however, as your will is behind them. They won't always work the same with another."

"I realized that when Buffy turned into a fish head," Willow said, her face still hot.

Buffy put her arm around Willow's shoulder. "Hey, it all worked out, so I'm good," she said.

Both Severus and Albus didn't look happy with Willow, but neither said anything more. Buffy was too apt to get roused if she felt a friend was being criticized.

"I will speak to Filius about keeping an eye on her," Albus said quietly to Severus. Joyce came to hug and congratulate her daughter. Then others from her house and Xander and the other Gryffindors came to do the same. Buffy was too distracted to pay attention to their conversation.

"Flitwick better pay attention to Miss Rosenberg. There's no telling what the girl might attempt," Severus said. "Willow is a child of the hellmouth with more raw power than my daughter. We cannot be fooled by her sweet demeaner."

Albus nodded. "She was sorted, however, into Ravenclaw and not Slytherin, so her hunger for knowledge is greater than her ambition for power," Albus said. "It reassures me to remember that."

Severus agreed. However, he could not help but worry about what Willow might dare to do if she thought it would help Buffy Anne.

After some ribbing and several fish jokes, Buffy broke loose and went chasing after the headmaster, who had left her father's side, walking toward the castle.

"Hey, Headmaster! Can I have a minute?" Buffy yelled from behind him.

Albus turned and regarded his very gifted student with a smile. "What can I do for you, Miss Summers-Snape?" he asked.

"I was wondering if you knew of a spell or a way I can find out if Angel went to a hell dimension or if he went to the other side?" Buffy asked.

Albus considered the question a moment. "When a vampire takes over a body, the soul leaves. When your Angel left his body, only the demon remained. He should be at peace. After all, death is the next great adventure," he said with a somber smile.

"Can we find out for sure?" Buffy asked.

"When he died, he had a moment of happiness. He was finally happy, so really, my child, you did not kill Angel. You set him free," Dumbledore said.

Buffy's eyes filled with tears. She liked that idea so much better, but what if they were wrong? What if Angel was in a hell dimension? "I really like that," she admitted. "Can we verify it? I must know for sure."

"It's understandable," he said. "We can go to the Veil and call him forth. You cannot cross over or bring him to this side, however."

"I could see him?" she asked hopefully.

Albus nodded. "Let's speak to your father, and then after dinner tomorrow, we will do it," he said.

Buffy threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

"It is difficult to breath," he said, patting her back.

Buffy gave him a sheepish smile as she pulled back. "I'm sorry!"

"It is all right, my dear," he said.

Her friends and housemates pulled her away to celebrate her win. She dodged the reporters who wanted a comment. However, she did pose for a picture with Harry. One cheeky report from Wizard Weekly asked, "When are you going to end the threat of the vampires that are terrorizing our community?"

"When my father allows me to, I suppose," she said with a shrug.

Then she and her friends headed home. The boys, naturally, wanted to dissect the tournament scene by scene.

Of course, Willow and Hermione wanted to speak about the next and final round.

"I'm so over this tournament," Buffy announced. "I'm going to let Cedric win."

"You cannot do that!" Hermione gasped. "It will dishonor him and his house. He has to win fairly."

"You know Cedric, Buffy," Willow said. "Would he want to win that way?"

Buffy groaned. "Fine," she grumbled. She would just go at a normal speed instead of slayer speed and see what happens.

For the evening, she allowed herself to forget about Angel and Ron's deaths. She refused to picture her daddy's head in a box. Instead, she allowed her friends to amuse her, and she watched Fred laugh at something Xander said. It was the first laugh she had seen from the twins in weeks. George, of course, only allowed a small smile. She knew that healing could not happen until she put down Angelus, Spike, and Voldemort.

Harry was happy that Buffy won the round even if he knew Ron would have hated Slytherin getting any positive press no matter how much he liked Buffy.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Hermione asked after they made it back to their tower and were sitting together in the common room. She was very sensitive to his moods.

"Just thinking how annoyed Ron would have been to have Slytherin win another round even though he liked Buffy," Harry said.

Hermione smiled. "He totally would have been rooting for Cedric all the way," she agreed.

"It is still strange to think of him being gone," Harry said.

"I know. I feel the same way," Hermione said. "I wanted him to be my first boyfriend, you know. Viktor was my attempt to get him to see me as a girl."

Harry grinned this time. "He definitely did. He was completely flummoxed," Harry said.

"I am going to talk to Professor Wyndam-Price about taking a turn at the hellmouth," Hermione said as they walked into the dining hall for dinner.

"After what happened with the twins and Ron, I thought they would not take any more students," Harry said.

"We need to know more than ever how to fight vampires and demons," Hermione said. "Willow told me that she convinced the Order to let us and the twins into their ranks. We have to have something to bring to the table."

Harry felt a rush of gladness fill him at the news. "I cannot believe you didn't tell me that sooner!" he exclaimed. "That's bloody fantastic! Ron would be so stoked."

"Yes, he would," Hermione said, smiling at the thought.

After dinner, the duo cornered Professor Giles and Wyndam-Price. Hermione laid out her argument to get a turn at the hellmouth.

Wesley exchanged a look with Rupert. It was a dangerous gamble, but the two would be targeted by Voldemort. "We will speak to the headmaster," Giles said. The best friends smiled and left.

"It is a risk," Wesley said. "If something happens to this society's Chosen One, they'll have our heads."

"If he's not prepared to fight Voldemort, we'll have failed him," Giles said. "There is no doubt that he will face the man before too long. It has been prophesied."

"That is true," Wesley said. "We will have to remind the headmaster of that fact."

"Malfoy should go also. He is attached to his cousin and my slayer," Giles said. "If he is to stay alive, he needs to be ready." A fight was coming very soon.

*****The Next Day*****

Buffy's parents were with her as she had told both of them what Dumbledore had said about verifying if Angel was at peace. They insisted on being there when she called Angel forth from the Veil. Not knowing was tearing her up inside, and her parents wanted to be there in case she did not learn what they hoped she would learn.

"Are you ready?" Albus asked her. She nodded. He aimed his wand at the Veil to awaken it. "Call forth the one you love."

Buffy stepped forward. "Angel? Angel, are you there? Are you okay?" she asked.

The Veil shimmered, and then an image began to form. She could see him. "Angel!" she exclaimed, stepping forward.

"Do not touch the Veil!" Severus called out. He moved to grab her hand, worried that her emotions might overcome her good sense.

"He's there, Father," Buffy said. "Angel, can you hear me?"

When he nodded, her eyes filled with tears.

"I didn't know loving me would take you away from me," she called out. "I was worried that you'd be in hell. But you're okay?"

Angel nodded and gave her a bittersweet smile. He crossed his arms, signing, "I love you." Then he blew her a kiss.

"I love you, too, Angel," she said. "I am glad you are free." He faded away.

"See, Buffy, he's at peace," Joyce said, relieved.

Buffy hugged her father and then her mother. Then a thought occurred to her, and she turned back to the Veil.

"Is my dad there? Dad! Hank Summers!" Buffy called out, unable to resist.

Joyce nearly fainted when she saw her ex-husband there. The gruesome image of his final death was imprinted so strongly in both her and Buffy's memory that seeing him whole and happy was such an incredible relief.

"I am so sorry, Dad," Buffy said.

He smiled and used his hand to indicate he was okay.

"I love you!" Buffy exclaimed, holding out her hand.

He held his hand toward her palm up and mouthed the words back. He was probably saying it, but the sound did not carry over.

"Why can't we hear them?" Buffy asked. " I want to tell him so much."

"The wards at Hogwarts prevent it," Albus said.

"Hank, I'm sorry," Joyce said.

He smiled and waved; the Veil closed.

"I hope you feel better," Severus said.

"I do," Buffy said. "Thanks, Headmaster."

"Restoring Angel to his body would be violating him all over again," Albus said.

"I agree," Severus added.

Buffy nodded. "Okay," she said. "But you have to stop keeping me locked in this school. I am going crazy. I have to patrol. Let me into the Forbidden Forest at the very least."

"It is too dangerous," Severus said.

"I agree," Albus said.

Buffy didn't want to argue with them since they had let her know Angel was all right. Instead, she went back to her room and told Cordelia and Draco what she saw.

"I am happy for you," Cordelia said.

"Yes, that is bloody good news," Draco said, glad there would be no more talk about restoring souls into a monster.

"I have got to get out of this castle. I am going nuts," Buffy said. "They refuse to let me go patrolling. If I don't kill something soon, I'm going to hurt someone!"

"Well, ask Harry if you can borrow that invisibility cloak Xander told me he has," Cordelia said.

Draco's eyes widened. "What? Potter's got a cloak that lets him go invisible? Really?"

"His dad made it with his godfather and the werewolf guy back when they were students here," Cordelia shared.

Buffy wasted no time in knocking on the Gryffindor's door. Lee opened it up, and she asked if he'd get Harry. "Do you want to come in?" Lee asked.

Buffy shook her head and waited until Harry came to the door.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Shut the door," Buffy said, wanting privacy. "I need a big favor."

"What can I do?" Harry asked. It would be nice to have a distraction from thinking about Ron.

"I heard you have a cloak that will let me sneak out and go slaying in the forest," she said. "I really have to patrol. Will you let me borrow it?"

"If you will let me go with you, sure," Harry said without hesitation.

"Okay, come to my room at eleven," she said.

Excited that she was finally going to get to go slaying, she practically skipped back to her room.

Hermione gave him a quizzical look when he sat down next to her in the common room.

"Who was that?" Hermione asked.

"Buffy. We're going to go slaying with her tonight in the Forbidden Forest at eleven o'clock," he said quietly. It didn't occur to him that Buffy wouldn't want Hermione there with him. There was no way he would ever do anything dangerous without the smartest witch at school.

No matter what Xander insisted about his best girlfriend, no one was smarter than Hermione.

*****Chapter End*****

I realize that the entire Veil scene might not be totally HP accurate, but there wasn't a lot on the Veil or afterlife that I could find. Hope it works for you.