Chapter 20: Third Attack

Buffy, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Willow/Voldemort and Dawn were studying in the Library. Ron and Hermione smiled at Harry and Buffy, though there was something forced about their smiles.

Unable to bear it, Harry and Buffy gathered their books, got up from the table and headed out of the library.

"Some friends you three are," Dawn said as she looked at Ron, Willow/Voldemort and Hermione. "Can't you see; Harry, Buffy and I are having a hard time with the rest of the school treating us the way they are. We could use our friends right now." She stood, gathered her books and hurried after Harry and Buffy before Hermione, Ron or Willow/Voldemort could respond.

As Dawn joined Harry and Buffy, she saw other students' glance at them and then look away.

Giles sighed. He was not entirely sure how to help Dawn, Buffy or Harry. He had so far found no information to prove or disprove that they were indeed related or not to Salazar Slytherin.

The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime because of the thick, swirling gray snow at every window. Shivering, Harry walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within.

A group of the Hufflepuffs who should have been in Herbology were instead standing just around a corner of the corridor.

"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if the Potter family has marked him down as their next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to the Potters, he was Muggleborn. Justin actually told them he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heirs on the loose, is it?"

"You definitely think it is the Potters or their cousin, then, Ernie?" said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously.

"Hannah," said the stout boy solemnly, "Buffy and Harry are Parselmouths, for all we know so is Dawn. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark witch or wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."

There was some heavy murmuring at this, and Ernie went on,

"Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir, Beware. Harry had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat's attacked. That first year, Creevey, was annoying both Buffy and Harry at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of Harry while he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know—Creevey's been attacked."

"They always seem so nice, though," said Hannah uncertainly, "and, well, Harry and Buffy are the ones who made You-Know-Who disappear. They can't be all bad, can they?"

"No one knows how they survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, they were only babies when it happened. They should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark witch or wizard could have survived a curse like that." He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill them in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him. I wonder

what other powers the Potters been hiding?"

Harry, Buffy and Dawn quickly walked past and on down the corridor before Ernie or Hannah noticed them.

"How can they think that?" Harry asked.

Buffy sighed, "I don't know, Harry. I really don't."

"I don't either," Dawn said.

They barely noticed where they were going as they walked into something very large

and solid, which knocked them backward onto the floor.

"Oh, hello, Hagrid," Harry said.

Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.

"All righ', Harry? Buffy? Dawn?" he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh three in class?"

"Canceled," said Dawn, getting up. "What're you doing in here?"

Hagrid held up the limp rooster. "Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop." He peered more closely at the trio from under his thick, snow-flecked eyebrows. "Yeh sure yeh three are all righ'? Yeh all look all hot an' bothered—"

"It's nothing," Buffy said. "We'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and we've got to pick up our books."

They walked off. They turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. They were halfway down the passage when Harry tripped headlong over something lying on the floor.

They looked to see what Harry had fallen over.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure. It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor.

As Harry got to his feet Dawn spotted a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from

the bodies.

Buffy looked up as she sensed someone approach. She touched Dawn and Harry's shoulder and the trio wheel around to face Professor McGonagall.

Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie, who had come upon the scene behind the teachers, with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Buffy, Dawn and Harry alone with Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, I swear we didn't–" Harry said.

"This is out of my hands, Potter," McGonagall answered. "I wish I could look the other way because of who your sister is. But I'm afraid I can't turn a blind eye. This way."

They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before the stone gargoyle that Buffy knew led to Dumbledore's office.

"Lemon drop!" Buffy said as McGonagall looked at her. "Professor Dumbledore gave me the password in case of something Slayer related and I couldn't talk to Professor Giles."

McGonagall nodded as the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. "Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you three," she said.

Buffy, Harry and Dawn climbed the spiral staircase to the actual door to Dumbledore's office. Buffy led the way into the office.

Harry spotted the sorting on a shelf and walked over to it. He placed it on his head. A small voice said in his ear, "Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?"

"Er, yes," Harry looked at his sisters and talked loud enough for them to hear. "Er—sorry to bother you—Buffy, Dawn and I wanted to ask—"

"The three of you have been wondering whether I put you all in the right House," said the

hat smartly. "Yes… all three of you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before, all three of you would have done well in Slytherin—"

Harry grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. He pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick. "You're wrong!" he told it.

Buffy sighed. "Let me guess it still says we should be in Slytherin?"

Harry nodded, "Sorry, Dawn. Sorry, Buffy."

Buffy smiled, "You know I've gotten used to after two years of you calling me Bells. I think I would prefer…"

Harry nodded in understanding, "To keep calling you Bells. It's up to you; you do have more than one name. The name our mum and dad gave you, and then the one our adopted mum gave you."

Buffy smiled, "I like it when you call me Bells. If you want Harry you can even call me Isabella."

Harry smiled for the first time since he and Buffy learned they could speak Parseltongue. "Bells it is then."

Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey as it made a gagging noise. Suddenly the bird burst into flames.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.

"Professor," Harry gasped. "Your bird—we couldn't do anything—he just caught fire—"

Dumbledore smiled. "About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on. Fawkes is a phoenix. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him…"

Buffy, Dawn and Harry looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke its

head out of the ashes.

"It's a shame you three had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage as your sisters can attest to since they have both seen him at better times. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

It was at that moment the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in. "It wasn't Harry, Isabella or Dawn; Professor Dumbledore!" he said urgently. "I was talkin' ter them seconds before that kid was found, they never had time, sir—"

Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere. "—it can't've bin them; I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to—"

"Hagrid, I—"

"—yeh've got the wrong ones, sir, I know Harry, Buffy and Dawn never—"

"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry, Buffy or Dawn attacked those people."

"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." And he stomped out looking embarrassed.

"You don't think it was us, Professor?" Harry repeated hopefully as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

"No, Harry, I don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. "But I still want to talk to three of you. I must ask, whether there is anything you three would like to tell me. Anything at all."

"No," Harry and Dawn immediately said.

Dumbledore nodded and looked at Buffy.

"Just family stuff," Buffy said.