Disclaimer: I don't own anything Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter. I'm just playing in their sandbox.

AN: Kezia is pronounced Kay-Zee-Ah

Chapter 11 – Magical Mystery Tour

The flight into Heathrow airport was a long one, lasting nearly ten hours. The luxury of a private jet was still new to the technopagan teacher turned mutant and she couldn't deny the excitement of their approaching arrival. She grew up in a Romani community in Los Angeles and had never travelled outside of California before Xander's decided to include her in his life.

The time spent away from Sunnydale allowed Jenny to forget about her responsibilities for a little while. There were no monsters, no hormonal student minds smashing against her mental barriers, and no family guilt hanging over her. They landed late into the evening, stopping at a fish and chips stand for dinner before retiring to the royal suite at a luxury hotel. As they walked through the beautiful wood-paneled lobby, Xander told stories about the history of the hotel and its famous guests, the building having opened in eighteen fifty-six. As they entered the room they would be occupying while in London, her eyes widened. It spanned the entire top floor, the central lounge containing a giant crystal chandelier, a baby grand piano, and floor to ceiling windows, through which could be seen the whole of London. She debated pinching herself before deciding that if this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up. That night, she slept on a mattress that felt like it had been formed from a cloud and knew she would never again sleep as well as she did that night.

The next morning, they had a full English breakfast brought to their room by a butler that came with the suite. They were provided a Rolls Royce with a driver, and spent the day doing the tourist thing, visiting the Tower of London, the British Museum, and Big Ben. Nearing dinner time, they were walking along Charing Cross Road on their way to something that Xander clearly wanted to be a surprise, when Siobhan pointed out a used bookstore she wanted to visit. She looked to her father with a pleading expression, only for the man to turn to Jenny.

"What do you think?" Xander asked, his lips quirking up slightly, "do we have time to go inside?"

Caught completely off guard, Jenny was unsure how to react to the unexpected question. She looked between the two before shrugging, "I, uh… I guess?" Xander nodded and turned back to his daughter. He sighed and looking very exasperated before finally agreeing to the diversion. The girl bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly and rushed inside.

Xander then grinned at Jenny, "We've been coming here since she was a little girl. Every year, she asks permission like I'm going to say no. And of course, every year, I act like I'm completely put out by the request. Like I could ever say no to anything she wanted." He chuckled before following his daughter inside. As she watched the immortal enter the small run-down shop, she couldn't help but feel an odd warmth at how they were treating her like part of their family. She was not bereft of relatives, yet this felt different somehow. Special. With a smile on her face, she entered the shop.

-oOo-

After spending time at the bookstore, Xander reminded his daughter that there was another they were about to visit, which caused her to immediately quit her perusal of the shelves. "Right, let's go!"

She led the way out of the shop and down the street, stopping in front of a grubby, run-down storefront that was clearly the wrong place. "Come on," Jenny said, taking hold of Xander's arm, "Why are we wasting time here? You're supposed to be showing me this surprise."

Xander gestured at the door with its peeling paint, "this is it."

Jenny shook her head, "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. There are magical protections that cause people to not be interested in this place." He took her hand in his and pulled her forward even as she continued to insist that they weren't supposed to be there. When he opened the door, the scents of hot stew and burning wood wafted from within.

Too bad this isn't where we're going, Jenny thought, it smells divine.

Once they were inside, she took in the small pub. It looked like something out of a medieval-fantasy story or a game of Dungeons and Dragons. The walls were a mix of exposed wood and bare stone, there was a fireplace large enough to walk into, in which a fire was merrily burning. There was a long bar at the far side of the room, behind which stood a small, bald, wrinkled man who was pointing a stick at a scrub brush that seemed to be propelling itself across the wooden surface. He looked up as they entered and smiled a broad toothless grin.

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron. What can I get yeh?" He spoke in a thick cockney accent, but there was a touch of welcoming warmth in his voice. As they stepped fully across the threshold, any doubt that this wasn't the right place fell away. She was surprised at how effective the magic was, she had never heard of spells that could affect a person's perceptions so completely.

"A round of butterbeer, thanks." Xander replied, before turning to Jenny, "This drink is a specialty of this community. You can't get it outside of one of these enclaves."

They sat at one of the small round tables scattered around the room, the barman setting a trio of glass mugs down in front of them a moment later. They were filled with a glimmering golden liquid sporting a think head of foam that didn't seem to dissipate like it would on regular beer.

"Is this alcoholic?"

"Only slightly. You could down an entire case and not get more than a slight buzz."

Nodding, she took a sip. It tasted like butterscotch, though not as sweet as she would have expected. They partook in the delicious smelling stew, after which they followed the barman to a small courtyard behind the building. Xander had told him that they were the non-magical family of a student at Hogwarts, which he later explained to her was a school that taught children born with the ability to use magic. They stopped at one wall, the barman raising his arm to tap on the brickwork with his wand. The stones began to wiggle before folding inward, rolling apart like a curtain being separated. Jenny's eyes went wide as she took in what was beyond the archway that formed. She was having trouble wrapping her mind around the possibility that there was an entire Victorian Era neighborhood hidden in the middle of London. Everything was centered around a cobblestone path lined with curious little shops. From her vantage point, she could see signs saying things like "Slug & Jigger's Apothecary" and "Eeyelops Owl Emporium." The cacophony coming from all around her was jarring, the screeching of birds and bats mixed with the bubbling of cauldrons and the chattering of evening shoppers. Siobhan grabbed Jenny's hand and pulled her forward, ignoring most of the shops, instead bee-lining for one named "Flourish and Blotts". Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be another bookstore, though one that had no discernable method of organization. Along with the arbitrarily placed shelves, there were haphazard piles that nearly touched the ceiling and even some books that were stored in a heavy cage that looked like it was usually reserved for wildlife.

The younger girl was off like a shot, moving between the shelves, while Jenny walked more slowly taking everything in. She was walking through a section of books that mostly seemed to be about history when Xander suddenly grabbed her arm, stopping her forward movement. He reached out and picked up something she couldn't see.

"What-?"

"Oh!" Came a voice from behind them, "I've been looking everywhere for those."

A short woman with greying hair approached them, reaching out to take whatever Xander was holding before she began waving her arms through the air, obviously searching for more of… whatever it was. She looked at them with an embarrassed smile, "The Invisible Book of Invisibility. Not my finest purchase."

Jenny reached out to try to feel the books, only to be stopped by Xander, who led her away from the shopkeeper so they wouldn't be overheard. "This is actually a good learning opportunity. Reach out with your mind using only telekinesis, try to feel something you can't see with your eyes."

Xander led her on an impromptu lesson, walking her through her new telepathic sense. She spent a little time trying to 'feel' the world around her, though trying do something so nebulous seemed strange to her. Still, while she stood with her eyes closed trying to 'see', she started to imagine the space around her. She pictured the rickety wooden shelves, the piles of books, and the people milling about. As the image became clearer, she realized that she was picturing details she couldn't have known. She could see the pages within their bindings and even got a vague sense of the ink on the paper. Her eyes snapped open. It had worked! Even though she couldn't see the fine details with her eyes, she could see them in her mind. Her surprise caused her to lose focus, the image blurring beyond recognition before fading.

"For a moment I could see everything. But then I lost it."

Xander nodded, "That happens. It'll get easier with time."

They wandered the store a bit longer before physically grabbing Siobhan and dragging her from the shop, the girl whining the whole way. Once they were back in the alley, she perked up and seemed to greatly enjoy showing Jenny the shops. They walked through the Apothecary, a store that carried parts of plants and bits of animals used in the brewing of potions. Her nose was assaulted by all manner of strange scents, things she couldn't even begin to name. Having grown up in the very clan that cursed Angelus, she was very familiar with the ingredients used in magic, yet there were things in this shop that left her mystified. Horklump juice? What even was a Horklump?

After Xander purchased a few items "for restocking", paying for them with large gold coins he called Galleons, they passed by a store that carried actual flying brooms, and one that sold robes "for all occasions", before entering Sugarplum's Sweet Shop. The exterior was colored an eye-wateringly bright shade of pink, the front window decorated with stylized cakes and candies. As they moved through the store, she again saw items that she was sure didn't exist outside of this hidden community. Fizzing Whizzbees, Sugar Quills, and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, among them.

"Stay away from those." Siobhan warned, "They aren't kidding when they say 'every flavor'."

They continued to browse, her eyes widening when she saw a case containing blood pops. "Are those-?"

"For vampires, yeah. To the people here, vampires fall into the category of magical creatures. Why do you think the world doesn't know they exist? The International Confederation of Wizards have Obliviation Squads whose job it is to erase the memories of people who witness things they aren't supposed to. Things that they deem violate the Statute of Secrecy."

When they left the shop, Jenny held in her hand a bag loaded with candies that she was interested in trying. They walked around a pet store named "Magical Menagerie" that carried all manner of creatures. There were the usual things she would expect, like cats, mice, and frogs. But then there were Ravens, there was a rabbit that somehow transformed into a top hat, and a large tortoise with a shell laden with glittering gemstones. For some reason, the tag on its cage named it a Fire Crab, the incongruity making her laugh. Off to one side, in a lone cage separated from the others, was a beautiful, black-furred kitten with grey stripes. The tiny thing mewed at her in the most adorable way, and Jenny fought off the urge to 'aww'. After glancing at Xander, she stuck one finger through the bars of the cage, knowing that he would stop her if she were about to do anything dangerous. The kitten gently nibbled on her fingertip, and the woman was instantly smitten. She sent a pleading look at Xander, who grumbled a bit. She could just make out the words, "I guess I can't say no to either of you", before he turned and flagged down the proprietor.

A portly gentleman with thinning hair strolled over, taking in the smile on Jenny's face as she looked at the cat. "She is a cute one, isn't she? Pure Kneazle, and it looks like she's taken a liking to you."

"Why is she away from the other cats?" Jenny asked.

"Just a precaution, I wanted to keep an eye on her. I spilled a growth potion the other day and the poor thing lapped it all up before I could stop her. I expected to be dealing with a cat the size of a hippogriff, but so far, the potion hasn't had any effect. I think she's safe to sell. If you notice any odd side effects feel free to bring her back in, and I'll give her a checkup free of charge." He opened the cage and scooped the kitten out, the creature squirming until Jenny took it in her hands and held it to her chest.

Xander watched her interact with the small animal and knew they weren't leaving here without it. As Jenny began gathering all the things that would be needed to care for the tiny creature, including magically animated toys and a self-cleaning litter box, he was momentarily thankful that they were travelling by private jet. The fees to transport everything on a commercial airline would bankrupt even him.

Any plans they had to continue shopping were waylaid by the tiny kitten in Jenny's arms. They returned to the waiting car and went back to the hotel.

"Now listen, little one." Xander said to the kitten, rubbing under its chin with one finger, "I know you are smarter than the average cat. I'm trusting you not to tear up the furniture." The little creature looked at him for a moment before mewing softly. Taking that as a consent, he looked at Jenny. "What are you going to name her?"

"I was thinking about… Kezia. It's a Romani name."

Xander smiled, "I like it."

"It's pretty." Siobhan added.

-oOo-

The soft chirping of birds broke the silence of the cemetery as Xander and Jenny stood on the stone path among the trees. A short distance away, Siobhan was sitting in the grass next to a large statue of an angel that was looking down upon two graves with a sympathetic smile on its face.

"Hi mom. Hi dad." Siobhan said softly while gently running her fingers along the gold embossed letters on the placard on the base of the statue. "It's been a long year, so much has happened. We returned to Sunnydale on Halloween night. As I said last time, I put off college for a year so I could help dad with his friends. Sunnydale is… weird. On the surface, it seems normal, but the entire city is overrun by monsters. Fortunately, dad gave me powers. He has some kind of machine given to him by a god, can you believe that? He can give people mutant powers. It looks like it's going to be a very long time before I get to see you again. I'm sorry, but I can't leave him alone. He needs me."

"It really is beautiful here." Jenny said, taking in their surroundings, "you picked a nice place for them."

"They gave their lives to protect her. That should be honored."

They spent another hour at the cemetery before leaving, Siobhan's eyes red from having welled up with tears while speaking to her parents. They had the chauffeured car take them to a high-end café for lunch, where they were soon laughing and telling stories. Their enjoyment was interrupted by Xander holding up a hand in pause before reaching into his jacket. He pulled out the communication mirror, which was softly buzzing. He tapped a small rune engraved in the glass causing the reflection to vanish, replaced by a woman with grey hair tied in a tight bun. She glanced away, seeming nervous before speaking quietly. "Hello Nicolas."

"Hello Lydia."

"I um… I'm sorry to bother you."

"It's no bother. Why are you calling?"

"Last time we spoke, you said you wanted to be updated about any issues related to the slayer."

Xander's smile dropped away, "Has something happened to Buffy?"

"No, no. It's the other one, Kendra. She's gone missing."

AN: I know you are all hoping to find out about Siobhan's history, and you will, but it's not going to be until much later.