I would really like to thank everyone who pointed out my mistakes in this chapter. Like I said, I have just been getting into Buffy, and I really appreciate it when people point out something that I did wrong. I have reworked this chapter, and removed the poorly written prophesy from the prologue.
Also, to the anonymous reviewer 'OBERON,' your review isn't enough to make me stop writing. If you can't even type your flame with correct grammar, it doesn't make me take it too seriously.
Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London
1 July 1999
Harry Potter sat at the head of the kitchen table at Grimmauld place, surrounded by the rest of the Order of the Phoenix. After leaving Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry had moved into Grimmauld place, where he spent endless hours working with the Order of the Phoenix in the fight against Voldemort.
The Ministry of Magic had essentially given up on the war, but that did not mean it wasn't over. The weak-minded ministers had been coming and going, each promising more than the last. At the most, a minister lasted for a few weeks before he either was assassinated or stepped down. The Auror department was the only department that was still operational, and that was because all the key members were also in the Order of the Phoenix.
With the Ministry in shambles from the constant coming and going of new ministers, the Order was doing its best to take care of the war. Although they had no official backing from the Ministry, the Order worked closely with the Auror department to round up Death Eaters. Their primary object was, as always, Voldemort, but they also worked to boost the morale of the wizarding population.
It had come to the Order's attention that Voldemort had been rallying the vampires to join his side. Vampires were normally not much of a problem for the wizarding world; most wizards had grown up learning about how to defend themselves against them. Lately, however, vampire attacks had been on the rise. They would come in huge groups, attacking without mercy. So far, more than ten witches and wizards had been killed. Unfortunately, the attacks were showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
"Is everybody here?" Harry questioned, his eyes sweeping across the table. Since Dumbledore's death, it had been decided that he should lead the Order of the Phoenix. A suitable role for the "Chosen One", the one destined by prophecy to defeat Voldemort.
'I think so," Hermione whispered from beside him. She too had been instrumental in the Order, but she also had a day job working in the research department at St. Mungo's, the main wizarding hospital.
"Let's get down to business then," said Harry. "As many of you know, we believe that Voldemort might be trying to ally himself with the Vampires. We have sent envoys to try to convince them to join our side, or at least stay neutral, but we have had little luck with that. What's our latest intelligence on vampire movement?"
Kingsley Shacklebolt stood up and began his report. "We have received intelligence that Voldemort has been ordering large numbers of Vampires to a major shipping center on the coast. Since we have not had any attacks there, we believe he might be trying to transport them out of the country for an attack. The question is where."
Shacklebolt stood up and tapped the wall once with his wand, causing a large world map to appear with a dot marking the shipping center. "We have sent in a spy to try to figure out what they're up to, but whatever it is, it's top secret. What we do know is that they have a five hundred foot cargo ship set to leave tomorrow Tortola and the cargo will include 500 coffins."
"Thank you, Kingsley," said Harry. "It is imperative that we patrol this island when the ship gets there. Any questions?"
The rest of the meeting went smoothly as they made plans on how to cover the island. They would split into teams of three and patrol the woods at night, when the vampires could roam freely without fear of being burned in the sun. If they found a vampire, they would send a message using the patronus signal to have other members of the Order rush to their aid.
---
Sunnydale, California
12 July 1999
A ringing noise awakened Buffy. She stood up and climbed out of bed, and answered the telephone.
"This is Giles. Something's come up—everyone's ok—and I need to talk to you in person. Can you come by my house this morning?"
"Giles," whispered Buffy, still half asleep. "It's six o'clock in the morning. Can't this wait another three hours?" Giles should know better than to call at six o'clock in the morning.
"Well, I suppose it could, but we need to talk this morning. It's very important, and I don't want to discuss it on the phone."
"Whatever," said Buffy, still annoyed that Giles had woken her up at this hour. She quickly got dressed, grabbed her trusty stake, and quietly left her house, leaving a note for her mom on the way out.
"Buffy," began Giles, cautiously. "Last night, I was contacted by the Council—,"
"The Council?" Buffy echoed, with anger in her voice. "I don't work for them anymore, and I don't care what they have to say. Is this why you woke me up at six in the morning?" By the end of it, she was shouting at Giles.
"Calm down, Buffy," Giles said calmly, as if Buffy hadn't been shouting at him at all. "I know that you could care less what the council has to say, but I feel that this is important. Could you please at least listen to what I have to say?"
Buffy looked at Giles, ashamed about her outburst. If Giles felt that this was important, then she should probably listen. "Sure," she said. "What's up?"
"There's been a problem with vampires on the island of Tortola. It's a tropical island, you see, not too many vampires are brave enough to go there. I think it would be in our best interest if we at least went there to take care of a few."
Buffy sighed. "I don't know. It's just that I don't want the Council to think they can boss me around like that. I don't want them to be attacking innocent civilians, but I don't want the council getting any ideas. "
"We can call it a vacation," Giles suggested. "Just going to the island won't make them think they can send you anywhere they want. Besides, we could all use some relaxation—especially you."
"Yeah, a vacation to a tropical island infested with vampires," responded Buffy, rolling her eyes. "Sounds like a relaxing trip to me."
"You would only need to patrol in the evenings, you know. We could spend the days on the Beach." Suggested Giles. "Dawn would love to come with us."
"I don't think so. She'll be far safer here in Sunnydale. No one will be able to get into the house."
"That's the problem. Do you really think she's going to stay in the house? She'll be safer if we take her with us."
Buffy couldn't argue with that statement, so she grudgingly agreed that Dawn could come along with them on this mission. "Ok, fine," she said. "When do we leave?"
"As soon as possible—preferably today," said Giles.
"By the way, is there a reason that the vampires are going to the island? I can't picture it in 'The Top 10 Vacation Destinations for the Undead' or anything. Are you sure that there's not someone controlling them?"
"I'm not sure," Giles admitted. "That's something I guess we'll have to find out.
---
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
14 July 1999
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were quietly walking through the forest, eyes scanning for any sign of the vampires. The darkness made it hard to navigate through the woods and the night vision charm wasn't nearly as good as actual daylight. Tonight was a new moon, blanketing the woods in pitch-black darkness. Not that it was necessary, but all of the members of the Order were carrying their own invisibility cloaks. They had been confiscating them from captured Death Eaters; they had built up an impressive collection. Harry's cloak was stored safely at his study in Grimmauld Place for sentimental purposes.
After their sixth year, there had been much discussion about closing down Hogwarts. Dumbledore's death had been hard on the entire wizarding community, but in the end, the school was re-opened. Harry, Ron, and Hermione worked hard outside of school, preparing for the war against Voldemort: a war that had already begun. The trio had researched advanced dueling techniques and had even gotten some experience in hand-to-hand combat, which was extremely useful if they were to lose their wands in a fight.
Hermione had also researched ways for them to improve their dueling skills and had discovered that magic can manifest itself as physical strength. This concept was completely new to some of the older members of the Order. But the rest of the Order decided that it was a good idea to learn these meditation exercises. It wore a person out magically to keep it up, but by focusing hard, they could have enough strength to free themselves from many situations without a wand by pulling their magic through their veins.
---
Buffy Summers knew the minute she saw him that he was a vampire. His pale skin, hypnotic voice, and lack of reflection may have gone unnoticed by an average person, but not by Buffy. This vampire obviously wanted to take Buffy into the woods in order to get some blood, but he didn't know how big of a mistake that was. Playing along, she followed him into the woods behind the bar.
As they walked deeper and deeper into the woods, Buffy pretended to get concerned, but thought that it was great that he had decided to go in this far. After all, it would attract far less attention, and might even give her the opportunity to dust some vampires this evening before they even knew the Slayer was in town.
They were about seven minutes into the woods when the unfortunate vampire made a big mistake. After attempting to bite the college girl, she attacked him, throwing him back into a tree. At once he knew whom he was facing, but, unlike many other vampires, he was not terrified of the Slayer.
He stood back up and faced Buffy. "Can't you see, Slayer," he hissed. "This is our territory. You are outnumbered."
Nine more vampires stepped out of the darkness, into the limited light the clearing had to offer. Even with her Slayer abilities, she knew that ten vampires was a lot to face in one night—it was almost like she had walked into a vampire's nest. Her hand tightening on her stake, she launched herself at the nearest vampire. She knew the chances were that she was fighting a losing battle, but she continued to fight, hoping Giles or Dawn had seen where had gone.
---
"So, Harry," muttered Ron. "Do you think we'll see anything tonight? We've been here for nearly two weeks and there's been no sign of any vampires, other than the people who've died. The coffins just vanished into thin air and the vampires are popping up out of nowhere."
"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione whispered back. "They can't just vanish. Someone had to be there to vanish them, we just couldn't see them."
"Which means they weren't wearing an invisibility cloak or anything, because of the charms you've figured out for us," said Harry quietly. "There wasn't anyone there, but if there was, they were hidden with some powerful magic."
"What if they had portkeys on the coffins, set to go off at the same time?" asked Ron.
Before anyone had a chance to respond to his theory, sounds of a scuffle reached their ears. Harry drew his wand and ran forward without hesitation, Ron and Hermione close behind him. Reaching the small clearing in which the fight was taking place, he stopped behind a tree to assess the situation.
"Hermione, you aren't going to believe this," he began. "Take a look."
Ron and Hermione both looked to see the girl to throw a vampire into a tree before quickly running over and staking him.
Hermione's eyes lit up in understanding. "She's the Slayer."
"The what?" Harry whispered.
"Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one with the strength and skill to hunt vampires, to stop the spread of their evil ways, to cease their destructive manners, and to prevent the end of the world," recited Hermione rapidly, sounding (as usual) like she had swallowed the textbook.
"For heaven's sake, Hermione! Slow down," Ron said. "Can you translate for me? I don't speak textbook."
"Looks like she's in trouble," said Harry, who had been watching the fight. Sure enough, more vampires had entered the clearing, and it was obvious that this was more than the Slayer could handle. Harry pointed his wand into the air muttering "Expecto Patronum." Prongs galloped skyward with a message for the rest of the order that they had found vampires, but everything was under control.
The second he entered the clearing, all activity ceased. The Slayer stopped struggling and the vampires stopped attacking. With his wand out, Harry slowly advanced into the clearing. Eyes flashing dangerously, he waved his wand, thinking "Incendio Fervesco," and a whole row of vampires burst into flame. This was a nonverbal version of the fire spell designed to burn vampires. It worked well because it did not shoot flames out of the wand; it simply caused the target to burst into flames.
Ron and Hermione entered the clearing, and the remaining vampires fled in fear, knowing that they had lost this battle. They ran towards the Slayer, amazed to find that she had not suffered any serious injuries, but was looking very irritated.
"Who are you and what's going on?" she asked, grabbing her stake.
Instantly registering her American accent, Hermione began timidly, "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. I'm a witch, and Harry and Ron are wizards."
"What do you want, and more importantly, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked, brandishing out her stake defensively, and jumping to her feet.
"We know you're the Slayer," said Harry. "However, now is not the time nor the place to discuss it. We are in danger here and need to move to a more secure location." He looked cautiously around the clearing."
Buffy looked at the trio in amazement. They somehow knew who she was, and that was usually not a good thing. However, they seemed convincing, and they had just dusted a lot of vampires. That did not, however, mean they were both on the same side. "No," she said. "I'm not going with you. Instead, you're going to come with me." Giles would know what do.
"That's fair enough," Ron admitted. The Slayer had to be a bit shaken up, after all. She was obviously smart enough not to trust them blindly, but she was unaware of the danger she was facing. These vampires were minions of Lord Voldemort, and it was likely that there were Death Eaters on the island as well, in order to control them.
They made it to the villa Buffy was staying at without incident, to find both Giles and Dawn waiting for her.
"Where have you been?" he asked in his British accent, getting a sharp look from Hermione. "Don't tell me you've gotten yourself into trouble."
"Buffy's in trouble?" Dawn asked, walking to the door. "What did you do?"
"I'm not in trouble, at least not now." Buffy said. "I got jumped by a nest, but they helped me out of it."
"Sorry to be so rude," said Giles, noticing the trio for the first time. "I'm Rupert Giles."
"I'm Hermione Granger, and these are my friends Ron Weasley and Harry Potter," said Hermione. "You must be Buffy's watcher?"
"Oh my," said Giles. "Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?" He completely ignored the fact that Hermione had just revealed that she knew Buffy was the Slayer.
Harry looked up in surprise. Not many Muggles would recognize his name. Harry paused, detecting a faint magical aura around Giles. "You're a wizard, aren't you?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm a squib—never was able to do any magic. Becoming a watcher was the best career option for a squib. It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Potter."
"Just Harry, please." Harry responded. He had never been much on formalities.
"Well, come in, by all means, Harry. No need to be standing outside." Giles opened the door, and they stepped inside. Harry cast privacy charms with a subtle flick of his wand.
"Hey! Why didn't you tell me that there was a whole other world with magical people?" Dawn asked once they were inside.
"He couldn't," Hermione said. "It would be violating wizarding law for him to tell other people who weren't connected to our world."
"I haven't been in contact with the wizarding world since I became a watcher, but I've heard rumors about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Voldemort's back," Harry sighed. The use of the Dark Lord's name caused Giles to flinch. "In my fourth year at Hogwarts—that's the school we went to—he preformed a ritual to come back to his body. The entire magical world is in total chaos and the morale is very low."
Giles had stood up when Harry spoke, and was looking out across the beach. The waves pounded onto the sand, saltwater soaking the air. He sighed, and turned back to the group. "He killed my parents," he said, his voice full of emotion. "Without them, I had nothing left and I turned my back on the wizarding world twenty-five years ago. It was then that I became a watcher."
Harry had expected to find a Muggle who was oblivious to the war they were fighting, not a squib that had been directly affected by it.
Buffy looked up, startled by this revelation. Giles had been a father figure in her life and she had never asked about his past. "I'm so sorry, Giles."
"Who is this Voldemort? Is that his real name?" Dawn asked.
"Voldemort is a wizard who went really dark—in fact, most of the magical population is afraid to even speak his name. He pleasures in killing people and will stop at nothing to fulfill his desires, " Ron said, sounding tired.
"His real name is Tom Riddle, but he gets really angry when you call him that," Harry said, speaking from experience. "He believes the name to be foul because his father was not of magical blood."
"That's why we're here tonight," added Hermione. "Voldemort sent a cargo freighter of vampires to this island and we don't know why. We've been here since the beginning of the month, but this is the first sign of them we've seen other than the attacks. It's almost like they're vanishing into thin air. "
"Why did they come after me if they were ordered here by this Voldemort?" Buffy asked. "Wouldn't they be attacking other witches and wizards?"
"No, I think these were sent here to cause confusion and panic. That's what he's been up to lately, probably trying to strike fear into the hearts of the magical population," Hermione said. "Now that Voldemort knows that the Slayer is on the island, he will stop at nothing to get his hands on you."
Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but Harry spoke first. "You should talk it over with Mr. Giles here, but it might be a good idea for you and your family to accompany us back to England. We have a safe house there that you can stay in."
"Surely it would be best for both of our worlds if we did not. A collision of our worlds could be devastating for the entire universe," Giles observed.
"They have already collided," Ron observed. "Even if we modified your memories, Voldemort would still know about the Slayer. I can't imagine him turning away from that kind of power."
"Once Voldemort knows that you are the Slayer, he will stop at nothing to get his hands on you. It is imperative that we keep you safe," Hermione said.
"Very well," Giles said. "We will discuss it tonight, and we will reach a decision tomorrow morning."
"Thank you for understanding, Mr. Giles," Harry stood up and shook Giles' hand.
"Until tomorrow," said Harry, Disapparating with a quiet pop, Ron and Hermione right behind him.
Author's Notes
For chapter one, I'd like to thank Anne79, Ringo's Wildrosend, and erak for their signed reviews, and Samantha for the anonymous review. For chapter two, I'd like to thank sparky24, mysticallove, Kiara-Zzyopen, and Danni Rand for their reviews. I try to respond to each review individually, and appreciate any sort of review. I have decided that I will accept flames too, but they will be used to light my campfire, and it will take more than a flame to stop me from writing.
I'd like to thank Ringo's Wildrose for her invaluable help with this story, correcting my many mistakes: especially with the Buffy side of things.