Harry Potter and the Vampire Slayer: Chapter 6
by MindyMouse
“It’s just like it’s described in the book!” Buffy exclaimed. Having just finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, she was quite familiar with the description of the famous pub.
Willow smiled, “Starting to feel excited, Buff?”
“Yeah - this is awesome!”
Ron, Harry and Hermione led the group through the pub out the back door into a walled courtyard. It was still the middle of the afternoon, so Hermione turned to Angel, pulled out her wand and performed a charm that would temporarily allow him to walk through the daylight.
“Now, you can’t do this all the time and it won’t last very long at all in direct sunlight, but since it’s so cloudy today, we’ll have enough time to do everything we need to before it wears off,” she explained. Ron pulled out his wand and tapped the stones on the wall carefully. The wall started shifting and moving, forming an archway that lead to Diagon Alley.
The Hogwarts teachers walked slowly through the archway, giving their visitors time to take in the sights and sounds around them. Harry smiled inwardly, remembering his own first experience with the wizarding community at large like this. It was a good memory, one that stood out among all the negative ones of that period in his life. Dumbledore was leading now, having naturally taken charge of guiding the tour. The other witches and wizards stopped in the street to stare at the newcomers in Muggle clothes who were clearly far to old to be simply entering school for the first time. Draco and Amy stopped at Florean Fortesque’s Ice Cream parlor right inside of the archway. Still being in a new relationship, they wanted to be alone for a while before the meeting later that night and the long planning sessions and strategy sessions they knew would follow.
Dumbledore first took the group to Gringotts to exchange some of their Muggle money for Wizard money.
“While I don’t believe it will be necessary for you to purchase anything as we will see to all of your needs, I thought perhaps you might like souvenirs or simply to see the inside of the bank,” he clarified as they entered the intimidating structure.
The goblin inside the bronze doors was very short and had a clever face, long beard and long fingers. He bowed as they walked past toward the second set of silver doors covered with an engraving.
“Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there,” Buffy read the inscription out loud. “It’s exactly like it says in the book!” she squealed.
Once through the silver doors, they found about a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses with still more goblins showing people through the countless doors leading off the hall.
As soon as they changed a little bit of money each, Dumbledore led them back out into the Alley. They stopped in Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, Eeylop’s Owl Emporium, the potions shop, the joke shop, the Quidditch shop and finally ended up in Florish and Blotts. Giles looked like he had died and gone to Heaven. Everyone explored the crowded store, looking at all the different books there were. One shelf advertised Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix as a new non fiction book, “Part 5 in the Biography of this Fascinating Boy.” Harry rolled his eyes as he walked past, still embarrassed at his celebrity status. He turned to Ron.
“I’m going to sit outside and get some air.”
Ron looked over at the display and understood at once what was wrong with his friend.
“Mind if I join you? It is a bit stuffy in here,” he said, silently offering his support.
“That’s fine with me.”
By the time they were able to pry Giles away from the oldest book in the store, it was well past dinnertime, but they still had one stop to make.
“Harry, Hermione, Ron. Please escort the others back to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner. I must take Miss Rosenburg to see Mr. Ollivander,” Dumbledore said. They complied and soon Willow was left alone with the wise old wizard.
“Excuse me sir, but if you don’t mind my asking, why do I need a wand?”
“If you are to be a proper witch, you must have a wand, my dear.”
“Well then, if I may, why wasn’t I invited to Wizard school when I was young?”
“There is a very long story that accompanies that, Miss Rosenburg, one that I will be glad to tell you once we have returned to Hogwarts. It simply wouldn’t be prudent to tell you while we are standing here in the middle of the street.”
“I understand.”
Willow entered Mr. Ollivander’s shop with a feeling of trepidation. She was as nervous as she had been on her first day of high school.
“Excuse me, sir. I’m here to buy a wand.”
“Ahh, Willow Rosenburg. I’ve been expecting you,” the shopkeeper answered. He measured her arms and head before disappearing into the back. Ollivander pulled out a long, thin box and handed her a wand. She raised her arm and felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. She swished it around, producing a kaleidoscope of color.
“Ahh, we have found your wand on the first try. 10 inches made of pliable willow, ironically, and inside, the hair of a unicorn.”
Willow paid for her wand and left the shop, thanking Mr. Ollivander as she went, to join Dumbledore.
“Are you ready for dinner now?”
“Yes sir.”
They headed back to meet the rest of the group at the Leaky Cauldron. After they finished eating in one of the private dining rooms, Dumbledore stood up to leave.
“I’m going to ask that we split up the group for a moment. Harry, would you, Hermione, Ron, Draco and Amy please escort Fred, Wesley, Charles, Faith, and Andrew down the hall. The rest of you, please wait here.” Dumbledore waited while everyone cleared out of the room before walking next door and knocking.
“Are you sure you want to do this now?” He asked the woman inside the small room.
“Yes, Albus. I need to see them all again. Thank you for helping me with this. The others would not have allowed it if you hadn’t backed me up.”
Dumbledore smiled and waited for the woman to lock her door before following him back to the dining room where the original Scooby Gang waited. He walked inside and spoke to them while she waited, just outside the doorway.
“As I mentioned last night, it was against our law to contact you in any way. However, it was deemed necessary for someone to travel to Sunnydale to watch over certain things. Well, this is more awkward than I expected it to be, perhaps you should just come in here, Janna.”
Janna Kalderash entered the room slowly, avoiding the faces of the people she had betrayed not once, but twice. It was an emotional time for all of them, being reunited with someone they had thought dead for five years. Willow gawked at her in wide eyed disbelief. Xander sat looking at his hands, trying to contain the emotions he felt. Cordelia stared first at her one time teacher, then at her shoes, which she suddenly found fascinating, despite the fact that they were quite old and weren’t very cute to begin with. Buffy’s face mirrored that of Willow and her hand had involuntarily reached out to clutch Angel’s. His face was even paler than usual and he had stopped moving all together, clearly reliving the horrible deed he had done. Giles’s eyes had slid closed, willing himself to wake up, convinced that this was all a dream, knowing that she would soon disappear again.
It can’t be. She’s dead. I held her body in my arms. I was at her funeral. This is just a cruel dream.
“Hello, everyone,” she said in a barely audible whisper.
Dumbledore left the room, understanding that Jenny needed to explain this on her own. She opened her mouth and the words came spilling out rapidly.
“I know you must be shocked to see me. I’m very sorry for all of this. Please, let me explain. I was sent to Sunnydale by my family, the gypsies who cursed Angel, to watch him. I was the liaison to the British Ministry of Magic, as some of my people lived and worked in England, so they thought they would kill two birds with one stone by sending me to keep an eye on the mystical things that were happening around the Hellmouth.
“After I failed in my first mission, to see that Angel’s soul remained in tact, my twin sister was sent to help me retrieve the curse. We were working together at the school the night she died. I left to get ready for our date, Rupert, and she stayed in my classroom to print the translation of the spell. Since none of you knew I had a twin sister, when she was killed and you assumed it had been me, the Ministry called me back, fearing that the wizarding community would be somehow exposed. They forbade me from writing and sent me back to Romania while they tried to rework the curse from scratch. Long before they were finished, Willow, you somehow managed to do it for them. I’m so sorry for all the pain and suffering I must have caused. For all the pain I see on your faces now.
“I asked to see you before the Council meeting tonight because I had to explain what happened. If it hadn’t been for the professors at Hogwarts, particularly Dumbledore, my people would not only have prevented this meeting, they would have called me back again, and I never would have seen you. Please believe me when I say that leaving Sunnydale and all of you was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I am so deeply sorry.”
Buffy squeezed Angel’s hand and rubbed his back for a moment before she stood up and hugged the distraught young woman, surprising everyone, including Jenny herself. Willow quickly joined them.
“This is one of the most plausible things we’ve been asked to take at face value all week,” she whispered to her former teacher. Jenny smiled through the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks. Xander and Cordelia stood too, each giving Jenny a quick hug before they stood back to give her room to breath.
“Thank you,” she said, unable to say anymore.
“To err is human, to forgive is divine,” Buffy said, sagely. “Oh crap, Giles, you’ve worn off on me!” She turned and immediately regretted speaking to him that way.
Hearing his Slayer’s voice snapped Giles out of his silent reverie. He slowly opened his eyes to see Jenny Calendar still standing before him. She saw his distress and walked toward him, slowly closing the distance. She knelt down and took one of his hands in both of hers.
“I’m so sorry, Rupert. I never meant to hurt you this way. I love you.”
“Jenny... Is it? Are you really here?”
“Yes, and I promise never to leave again.”
Giles hugged her for a long time before she pulled away.
“I have help him,” she said, indicating Angel, who was now standing backed into a corner, still staring into space, seeing nothing except the horrible things Angelus had done to her twin.
“Angel,” she said quietly, aware that everyone was now watching the two of them. “Angel, look at me.” When he didn’t turn his head, she looked helplessly at Buffy, who came to her aid. Willow, Xander and Cordelia left the room quietly, not wanting to intrude. Giles followed them, reluctantly.
Buffy took Angel’s hand again and put her other arm around his waist, offering her support through contact. Jenny tried again.
“Angel look at me.” When he turned his head slowly to look into her eyes, she continued. “You did nothing wrong. You didn’t know about the happiness clause in the curse. You can’t control the demon without your soul. You didn’t kill my sister. Please, you have to understand that. You must know that, somewhere in your heart. Do you know what you did do? You protected me my friends and risked your life for all of us. You saved my life several times. You are a good person, you don’t deserve to feel guilty over something you didn’t do, would never do. What can I do or say that will make you see that?”
“Nothing,” he replied hoarsely. “I did do that. I caused the pain you saw on their faces a moment ago. I deserve to feel this way. With these hands, I broke her neck. I didn’t care. No, worse, I enjoyed it. How can you say I did nothing wrong?”
“It wasn’t you. It may have been your body, but the Angel I know would never hurt me or Buffy or anyone she loves. You have to believe me! It took me the longest time trying to get over the guilt that Jamie died instead of me, but I never, ever blamed you. I was just sad that you would come back and blame yourself.”
“Angel, listen to her. You are not Angelus. You are so much more than that. It wasn’t you. It wasn’t,” Buffy struggled through her now-flowing tears to make him understand.
“Angel, even though you don’t need this because you did nothing wrong, I forgive you. I forgive you for Jamie and for Natalia. But only if you can forgive me for not telling you sooner about the curse. And only if you can forgive me for the pain you now feel.”
Angel looked at Jenny, and she saw that his guilt was easing. She smiled at him, a true, heart warming smile that made him realize she was being genuine and forgave him for the atrocities Angelus had committed against her and her people. Buffy smiled too, knowing that this would help her love. Jenny hugged Angel for a moment, surprising him as she had been surprised by Buffy’s hug. Dumbledore knew that everything was resolved when he saw her retrieve the others from the hall, thanking them for understanding. Giles stood close to Jenny as they introduced her to their new friends; Wesley, Fred, Gunn, Faith, Andrew were delighted to meet her, despite the fact that only Faith and Wesley had ever heard of her before.
Dumbledore let them talk for a while before collecting the other gypsies as well as the other teachers. They joined the Scoobies and Team Angel in the sitting room and prepared to journey back to Hogwarts. Hermione lit a fire in the large hearth indicating that they would, once again, be traveling through the Floo network. In no time at all, they standing in the Great Hall where the other Hogwarts professors and various Ministry of Magic officials were waiting.
“Wow, quite a turn out for the Slayers of the Vampyres and their friends,” Andrew said, earning him yet another annoyed look from Faith and everyone else standing near him. For some reason, everyone but Andrew had matured over the last month. He was still the same old annoying kid he had been in high school. And junior high for that matter.
Everyone gathered around a large circular table in the center of the Great Hall, reminiscent of King Arthur and his knights. Dumbledore sat between the new Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley and the eldest gypsies.
“I would like to call this meeting to order. With us for this meeting are our esteemed guests from California; Mr. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, Miss Winifred Burkle, Miss Faith Johnson, Miss Cordelia Chase, Mr. Xander Harris, Mr. Andrew Wells, Miss Willow Rosenburg, Mr. Angel O’Brien, Miss Buffy Summers and Mr. Rupert Giles. Ladies and gentlemen, if there are no objections to their presences, let us get started.
“As you all know, the elders of the last remaining tribe of Romani gypsies are here as well this evening. I would like to personally welcome you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as well as to this meeting of the Council of the Phoenix. Anton, Nadia, Ekaterina, Victor, Marin and Janna Kalderash, thank you for being here tonight. I will now turn the floor over to Arthur Weasley.”
“Good evening everyone. We are here this evening to discuss the growing problems of mystical unbalance and demonic activity in the area. In the past, the demonic activity was concentrated in Southern California where it was contained and handled quite nicely by our friends there. When the Hellmouth there was closed, it threw the balance of power in the world out of whack. The evil energies that once escaped there are now being forced out of other areas, particularly ones with evil histories. In Romania, there have been bursts of evil energy from Dracula’s castle. This phenomenon is particularly bad in places where dark wizards once had strongholds, especially here in England because of He Who Shall Not Be Named. Here in England, the excess evil is escaping from the place where He Who Shall Not Be Named was destroyed, the Tower of London, Chillingham Castle and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. While closing the Sunnydale Hellmouth was an admirable and difficult feat, it had unforeseen consequences that are now jeopardizing the balance of magic and power in the world.
“In addition to all of this, there has been a recent influx of foreign demon activity. These species are not protected by magical law as they are hostile and pose a danger to others. One in particular is further adding to the imbalance in forces. He has the ability to transform any spell our Aurors through at him into more evil. Were he not preying on others, we would simply leave him alone, but he has been attacking travelers in the North near Scotland, gaining strength with each victim.
“Now that I have over viewed the situation, I hope that you understand why you have been called here. Hopefully, our meeting will help formulate a plan of action to deal with these problems.”
With that, they all began to talk at once.
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