Chapter 33: Killer in Me - Part 1
October 7, 2002
Buffy stepped into Umbridge's office and smiled. "Morning, Professor."
"Morning," Umbridge said. "What can I do for you, Professor Potter?"
"I'm here as the Head of Gryffindor House," Buffy said. "Several students on the Gryffindor team have come to me about getting them reinstated so their practice isn't interrupted."
"I need time to consider your request, Professor Potter," Umbridge said.
When Buffy returned to her suite, she saw Joyce at the window with a letter attached to her leg. Buffy smiled as she slid the catch and opened the window. She expected Joyce to hold out her leg so that Buffy could remove the letter and then fly over to her cage. Buffy closed the window then moved over to her desk and sat down. She made to remove the letter tied to Joyce's leg.
It was only then that she realized that Joyce's feathers were oddly ruffled; some were bent the wrong way, and she was holding one of her wings at an odd angle.
"You're hurt," Buffy said as she frowned. She looked over her owl and saw there was something wrong with her wing. She went to touch the wing and Joyce gave a little jump, all her feathers on end as though she was inflating herself, and gazed at Buffy reproachfully.
Buffy looked at Joyce as she tried to think who could help Joyce. Hagrid would have been her first choice but he still had not returned from whatever mission Dumbledore had given him. That left Professor Grubbly-Plank. Buffy peered out of her window at the blustery, overcast grounds. There was no sign of Grubbly-Plank anywhere near Hagrid's cabin; which meant the professor didn't have a class right now. She headed for the staffroom as quickly as possible with Joyce hooting feebly as she swayed on Buffy's shoulder.
Buffy stepped into the staff room and saw McGonagall and Grubbly-Plank were in there. "Minerva," Buffy said as she passed McGonagall. She stopped in front of Grubbly-Plank. "My owl's injured."
"Injured owl, did you say?" Professor Grubbly-Plank said, smoking a pipe and holding a copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Yes," said Buffy, lifting Joyce carefully off her shoulder, "she just turned up. She was coming back from Sunnydale with news from the other Slayer, Faith. I noticed her wing."
Professor Grubbly-Plank stuck her pipe firmly between her teeth and took Joyce from Buffy while McGonagall watched.
"Hmm," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, her pipe waggling slightly as she talked. "Looks like something's attacked her. Can't think what would have done it, though… Thestrals will sometimes go for birds, of course, but Hagrid's got the Hogwarts thestrals well trained not to touch owls…"
"Buffy, you said that your owl was coming from Sunnydale?" McGonagall asked with concern for McGonagall knew that Sirius was in Sunnydale.
"With a letter I believe from Faith," Buffy said. Whether the letter was actually from Faith or Sirius she hadn't had time to check."
Professor Grubbly-Plank pulled a monocle out of the inside of her robes and screwed it into her eye to examine Hedwig's wing closely. "I should be able to sort this out if you leave her with me," she said. "She shouldn't be flying long distances for a few days, in any case."
"That's not a problem," Buffy said. "I can borrow my brother's owl till Joyce is back in tip top shape."
"Just a moment, Wilhelmina!" said McGonagall. "Buffy's letter!"
Professor Grubbly-Plank handed over the letter.
"Buffy," McGonagall said as she motioned toward the corridor and they stepped outside away from any prying ears. "Albus has suspected that all channels, not just the floo are likely being watched. If that is from Sirius or Faith, I suggest you ask them not to contact you, Dawn or Harry again."
"I was afraid of that," Buffy said with a sigh. "I warned Sirius when he flooed a few weeks ago that the floo might be watched. While he is free, it's also known he is mine, Dawn and Harry's godfather and that we are loyal to Albus. While I still need to be able to receive owls from Faith. I think I need to tell them to minimize communications till further notice unless it's an emergency."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
At dinner Angelina came up to Buffy with the question she was sure Buffy already knew the answer to.
"Sadly, she said she needed time to consider," Buffy said.
"So, no Quidditch practice," said Angelina in hollow tones.
"Consider what?" said Ron angrily. "She's given the Slytherins permission, why not us?"
"It could be she is after me, Dawn or Harry," Buffy admitted. "There is something I have yet to say, especially to you, Harry. Joyce came back from Sunnydale, injured."
"What?" Harry said shocked.
"I think she's now intercepting my mail," Buffy said with a sigh.
"She can do that?" Angelina asked as she sat down.
"With the fact her loyalties are with the Ministry," Buffy said. "I don't think she cares if she can or not. Everything so far that she has done was made legal by the Ministry. Even when Hogwarts own policies contradict what she does. And sadly, I think my family is a target."
"I'm sorry, Professor," Angelina said.
"It's alright," Buffy said. "I brought this one on myself simply because of who I am."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy was sitting in front of the fireplace this time alone as she waited for Sirius to appear in the fire.
"Sirius," she said when he appeared. "Tell Faith that I need to find another way for us to talk. No more owls. Joyce was injured."
"Not good," Sirius said. "I wanted to let you know that you were overheard in the Hog's Head."
"Someone's still following Dawn or Harry?" Buffy asked.
"And you," Sirius said.
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"Mundungus, of course," said Sirius. "He was the witch under the veil."
"How do you know this?" Buffy asked.
"You are not the only one that keeps in communication with us," Sirius answered. "Dumbledore has been keeping us apprised of everything. Though his last owl had a little gift. You might ask him for the matching one. Now Buffy I am proud that you want to make sure that your students know how to defend themselves. And I am not going to dissuade you from doing it. The way I look at it better expelled, if caught, and able to defend themselves than sitting safely in school without a clue."
"I don't want to see any of them expelled for this," Buffy said. "But I agree."
"So," said Sirius, "how are you organizing this group? Where are you meeting?"
"We don't have a place as most parts of the castle are too public for this," Buffy said.
"How about the Shrieking Shack?" suggested Sirius.
"With the number, unfeasible from what Harry told me," Buffy said as she noticed Sirius's head turning in the flames.
"The Floo's being watched," Buffy said. "That's the other thing I wanted to tell you. Your end is safe, but this side isn't. Don't Floo again and owl only in an emergency. Now go before someone sees you."
"Be careful," Sirius said as he disappeared from the fireplace.
Buffy stood and rushed out of her suite and through the castle. She didn't stop till she was inside Dumbledore's office. "My mail is being read."
"First, Minerva told me about your owl, Buffy, my apologies," Dumbledore said. "Now I believe your mail is being read as well as Dawn and Harry's. I also believe if Faith sends an owl to you that hers would be intercepted as well. I recommend you send no more owls to Sunnydale and that Faith sends none here."
"Sirius said you sent him something with the last owl," Buffy said.
"A mirror," Dumbledore said as he pulled out a mirror and handed it to Buffy. "It is a secure way of communicating as the mirrors only connect to each other. This will allow you to continue to communicate with Faith and Sirius."
"Lastly I know that you are in a precarious position with Umbridge," Buffy said. "But could you put some pressure on her to let Gryffindor resume it's Quidditch practice? When I asked her, she said she would consider it?"
"I will see what I can do, Buffy," Dumbledore said.
October 8, 2002
"Professor Potter!"
Buffy turned and saw Umbridge coming down the corridor toward her.
"How can I help you, Dolores," Buffy said.
"You can tell Ms. Johnson that she can re-form the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Umbridge said.
"Thank you," Buffy said. "Also, Dolores could you pass along to the Minister that someone has been reading my mail. My owl was injured. When it comes to Sunnydale everything is time sensitive since it's already taken several days to reach me. If Faith needs my help in Sunnydale I have to be there as soon as possible and having someone intercepting my owl could lead to deaths in Sunnydale or even possibly the end of the world if it's apocalypse season."
"I will bring this matter to the attention of the Minister immediately," Umbridge said.
Buffy smiled as she walked away from Umbridge, her duty done. She had warned the woman that there could be consequences if she continued to read her mail without actually coming out and saying it. She found Angelina in the Great Hall having breakfast. "You're a go."
"Really?" Angelina said.
"Just got notification from her that you can re-form the Quidditch team," Buffy said.
"Thanks, Professor," Angelina said as she stood and followed Buffy down the Gryffindor table to Ron, Hermione, Harry, Dawn, Ginny and Willow. "We can re-form the Quidditch team!"
"Excellent!" said Ron and Harry together.
"That's good news," Dawn agreed.
"I want you down at the pitch at seven o'clock tonight, all right, because we've got to make up time, you realize we're only three weeks away from our first match?" Angelina said before heading on down the table to inform the rest of the Quidditch team.
That evening at seven o'clock it was raining, the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team, Buffy and Willow were soaked through within minutes, their feet slipping and sliding on the sodden grass. The sky was a deep, thundery gray and it was a relief to gain the warmth and light of the changing rooms, even if they knew the respite was only temporary. They found Fred and George debating whether to use one of their own Skiving Snackboxes to get out of flying.
"—but I bet she'd know what we'd done," Fred said out of the corner of his mouth. "If only I hadn't offered to sell her some Puking Pastilles yesterday—"
"I don't think your joke products will work in this instance," Buffy said. "Plus, as Willow can tell you weather spells not the easiest to master."
"Buffy's right," Willow said. "I tried once." She then looked at her friend. "Though I think that was more a result of Dracula arriving in Sunnydale."
"Maybe," Buffy said.
"All right, everyone, listen up," said Angelina loudly, emerging from the Captain's office. She spotted Willow and Buffy amongst her team. "Hello Professor, Willow. Glad you two could join us." She returned her attention to the Gryffindor team. "I know it's not ideal weather, but there's a good chance we'll be playing Slytherin in conditions like this so it's a good idea to work out how we're going to cope with them. Harry, didn't you do something to your glasses to stop the rain fogging them up when we played Hufflepuff in that storm?"
"Hermione did it," said Harry. He pulled out his wand, tapped his glasses and said, "Impervius!"
"I think we all ought to try that," said Angelina. "If we could just keep the rain off our faces it would really help visibility—all together, come on—Impervius! Okay. Let's go."
They all stowed their wands back in the inside pockets of their robes, shouldered their brooms, and followed Angelina out of the changing rooms. They squelched through the deepening mud to the middle of the pitch; visibility was still very poor even with the Impervius Charm; light was fading fast and curtains of rain were sweeping the grounds.
"Dawn, I want you to shadow Harry. Let's get you in some Seeker training first. Then we'll move on from there. All right, on my whistle," shouted Angelina.
Dawn and Harry kicked off from the ground, and shot upward. Dawn found she was having trouble following Harry. It appeared the wind was pulling her slightly off course. "Harry," she called out to her brother who spun and looked at her. He held up so she could catch up.
"It's going to be hard to spot the snitch," Harry said when Dawn pulled up beside him. Suddenly a bludger came out of nowhere and almost unseated Dawn. "Dawn!" He grabbed for his sister and made sure she was okay before he released his hold on her.
The wind was picking up; even at a distance Harry and Dawn could hear the swishing, pounding sounds of the rain pummeling the surface of the lake.
Angelina kept them at it for nearly an hour before conceding defeat. She led her sodden and disgruntled team along with Buffy and Willow back into the changing rooms, insisting that the practice had not been a waste of time, though without any real conviction in her voice.
At that moment both Harry and Dawn pressed their hands to their foreheads, their eyes screwed tight with pain.
Buffy moved to her brother and sister. "Scars?" she whispered as Dawn and Harry both nodded. She turned to the rest of the Quidditch team. "Go on, just a headache. Kind of twin thing."
Everyone except Ron, Buffy, Harry, Dawn and Willow left heading back to the castle.
"What happened?" said Ron. "Was it your scar?"
"Yes," Buffy said. "It makes no sense either. He's not nearby for Harry's to hurt. And neither Harry or Dawn were asleep."
"Asleep?" Ron asked.
"Usually when Harry and I are asleep our minds somehow connect to each other," Dawn said. "Around the time Buffy and I met Harry I was having dreams. Come to find out I was seeing Harry's memories. Then last year Harry and I both woke after dreaming that Voldemort knew that Buffy was doing the tasks."
"He's probably angry, Buffy," Harry said.
"Did you see anything?" Buffy asked her siblings.
"Kind of like your Slayer dreams," Dawn said. "Kind of cryptic. A confused tangle of shapes, a howling rush of voices…"
"He wants something done, and it's not happening fast enough," Harry said.
That night Buffy was looking out the window of her sitting room at the pouring rain thinking on what Harry and Dawn had told her, Ron and Willow.
"Everything okay, Buffy?" Willow asked as she stood in the door to the bedroom in only her nightie.
Buffy glanced at Willow and smiled. "You look beautiful," she said as Willow blushed. "I was just thinking about what Harry and Dawn said is all."
Suddenly they heard a crack and Dobby appeared. "Elizabeth Potter, miss! Dobby has your owl! Dobby volunteered to return Elizabeth Potter's owl! Professor Grubbly-Plank says she is all well now, miss!"
"Thank you, Dobby," Buffy said.
Dobby sank into a deep bow so that his pencil-like nose brushed the threadbare surface of the hearthrug and Joyce gave an indignant hoot and fluttered onto the arm of Buffy's chair.
"Elizabeth Potter does not seem happy," Dobby said.
"I am, Dobby," Buffy said. "Just thinking about what my sister and brother told me."
"Dobby wishes he could help Elizabeth Potter, for Elizabeth Potter's brother Harry Potter set Dobby free and Dobby is much, much happier now…"
"I'm glad you're happy, Dobby," Buffy said. "But I'm fine."
Dobby nodded as there was a crack and he was gone.
Willow smiled as she knew what would make Buffy happy and would take her friend's mind off Harry and Dawn at least for the night. She pulled Buffy up and she kissed Buffy.
"Are you sure, Will?" Buffy said.
"Yes," Willow said. She led Buffy into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
October 9, 2002
Buffy woke the following morning and when she rolled over to look at the redhead that was asleep next to her what she saw was not Willow, but Warren Mears.
"I enjoyed last night," Willow said before she noticed Buffy looking at him weirdly. "What's the matter, Buffy?"
"You're dead," Buffy said.
Perplexed, Willow got out of bed. She crossed to the mirror . . . and saw Warren, the guy she'd flayed alive, staring back at her.
She rushed into the sitting room as Buffy followed her. "Will?" Buffy said as she came up behind Willow. Just then the portrait hole from the common room opened and Harry slipped in.
"Buffy, I have…" he started to say as he saw Willow. "He's dead as he put his hands-on Willow to see if what he was seeing was a ghost or real.
"Harry," Willow cried. "Bad touching! I'm Willow."
Harry's eyes went wide as he realized what he had been touching, Willow's breasts. "Sorry, Willow. All I see is …"
"The guy I killed," Willow said.
Harry looked toward his sister. "What happened?"
"I don't know," Buffy said. "I go to bed with Willow next to me. I wake up and she's looking like this."
"I probably brought it on myself," Willow said. "You know I have a history with my witchy subconscious making things go kerflooey, Buffy."
Buffy said, "Okay, say you're right, and you did do this to yourself. Why would your subconscious turn you into Warren?"
Willow raised her brows. "Obviously because I feel bad about killing him. I'll handle it. I'll fix it. I'll be back before you even know I'm gone." She walked out the portrait hole into the corridor.
"Should we be worried?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," Buffy said as she looked towards her little brother. "What was it you wanted to tell me."
"Two things actually," Harry said. "First I had a dream of walking down a corridor someplace. I have no idea where. I don't know if Dawn saw it or not. I don't think so as my scar didn't hurt like it does when we share dreams."
"Okay," Buffy said. "It may have been just a dream. But in case it wasn't write it down so you don't forget."
"Alright," Harry said. "The other thing. Dobby payed me a visit."
"I wonder if that was before or after he brought me Joyce," Buffy said.
"Probably after," Harry said. "Since he didn't have her with him when I saw him. I asked him for a room we can practice. He told me about this room called the Room of Requirement that becomes what you need when you need it. It may be big enough for all of us."
"Good work, Harry," Buffy said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Willow stood in front of the huge statue that hid the staircase that she knew led up to Dumbledore's office. She thought for a second and then remembered the password Buffy had told her. When the statue jumped aside, she ran up the staircase to the oak door and knocked.
"Come in."
Willow stepped into Dumbledore's office. "I'm sorry, Professor for interrupting, but I'm Willow."
"Willow?" Dumbledore said as he stood. "I will beg your pardon as I check that."
"Harry already did," Willow admitted. "It led to bad touching,"
"Yes, it would," Dumbledore agreed. "Since he doesn't see you but, who have you glamoured into?"
"Warren," Willow said. "The guy that I killed."
Dumbledore nodded. "How did this happen?"
"I don't know," Willow explained, "and I can't seem to shake it myself. I was hoping you might be able to help."
Dumbledore pulled out his wand. "Revelio!" he said but nothing happened. When he looked at Willow, he still saw Warren. "I'm sorry, Willow. I believe only you can fix this."
Willow sighed as she raced out of the room, terrified at the thought of being trapped looking like she did. She rushed through the castle and outside. As she struggled to keep herself intact, she wept, sinking down on the ground and then . . . there was no friction in the space, and Warren stood up, disgusted, saying, "Look at me. Crying like a little girl."
Warren pulled out Willow's wand and smiled. "This will work." He turned and started back toward the castle.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy had gone to see Dumbledore who had told her he already seen Willow and that she had raced out. She had Dumbledore cancel her lessons for the day as she searched the castle for Willow. She found Willow coming in through the doors of the Great Hall.
"You think you can just do that to me?" Willow shouted; her wand pointed straight at Buffy. "That I'd let you get away with it? This is what I am. I made it happen, and I'll make it stop!"
"Willow," Buffy pressed, ever so gently, "what did you make happen?"
Willow waved her wand, losing control. "You were there, bitch! You saw it! I killed her!"
"You mean him," Buffy corrected realizing Willow meant Warren.
"Him! Her! You know what I mean!"
"But you said 'her,'" Buffy explained.
"No," Willow said, for a moment herself, though still on the verge of completely breaking down. "That was Warren . . ."
"No, it wasn't," Buffy insisted. "You said I was there. Who did you kill, Willow?"
"It was your fault. Slut! You tricked me! Got me to forget!"
Buffy realized what was going on. Willow was finally trying to deal with her grief. "Tara . . ."
"Shut up!" Willow raged. "Shut! Up! You do not get to say her name! Offering it up to whoever's there. Tricking me into sleeping with you . . ."
She stopped, confused. "I . . . I can't hold on . . . He's winning."
Willow lowered her wand, scared. "I'm being punished. I kissed you, Buffy, I slept with you. And for that moment. I let her go," she grieved, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I didn't mean it."
"Kissing me, sleeping with me," Buffy shook her head. "Didn't mean . . ."
"No, she was never gone, she was with me. We should have been together forever . . . and I . . . I let her be dead. She's really dead. And I killed her." Shattered, Willow sank to her knees, sobbing, "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry, don't leave me again; come back. I'm sorry. Come back . . ."
"Willow," Buffy said. "I don't think you did anything wrong." She closed the space between them,
"What are you doing?" Willow asked.
Buffy's gaze was filled with sympathy, empathy, and all the love in the world . . .
"Bringing you back to life," Buffy said.
And her kiss was for Willow, for all her pain and her grief and her loveliness and her splendor; and it was for Tara, who was not gone and never would be. In that kiss, she was restored forever, to her Willow, her dear, darling Willow . . .
Buffy broke the kiss, and gazed at Willow and smiled at what she saw. Warren's face was gone. Willow was Willow again.
"Hey, baby."
"It's me? I'm back?" Willow asked hopefully.
Buffy nodded, and Willow swayed with relief.
"Oh, God."
"You all right?" Buffy asked.
Willow looked at the door that led out into the courtyard as if trying to look across the great distance between Hogwarts and Sunnydale. As if she was trying to see in a bedroom window from halfway across the world.
"I have no idea," Willow confessed.
She laid her head on Buffy's strong shoulder. Together they walked through the castle.
"I'm so tired," Willow murmured.
And Buffy replied, "I'll get the house elves to make you some tea."