Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor Harry Potter. All of the characters, settings, themes, books, show, titles, worlds, names, demons, witches, slayers, creation, references, and basic gist of the two fantasy worlds all belong the Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Warner Bros., and of course, J.K. Rowling. All rights reserved.
Timeline: Story is set 1 year after Season 7 and five days before Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban. Just for possible future references, the story will be happening during Angel's Season 5.
Author's Note: …Hopefully, the third time's a charm. Anywayz, review as always…please?
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Chapter 1—Chosen
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Buffy opened her eyes when a soft breeze passed her. A strange sight greeted her but at the same time, the scenery looked oddly familiar. A slight fog covered the grounds she stood on, bringing a sense of mysteriousness around the place.
She looked up at the sky, finding it in its usual dark hue that gave her a sense of seclusion. Towering to her left was a forest while a lake to her right glimmered under the limited light.
The Slayer suddenly heard a muffled cry through the bushes in front of her. Curious, she walked towards where the sound came from, pulling back the bush to give her a better access along the way.
Buffy looked for the source of the sound and saw a man on his knees, moaning, pleading, no—begging for mercy to hundreds of hooded figures that circled him. Her brain dimly noted that the person's voice sounded so far away.
"Noooo…please…I'm innocent…no…don't! ...I beg you...you've got… the wrong…man," he cried, each plea becoming weaker as seconds passed by.
The cloaked figures ignored his desperate pleas as they walked—no wait… glided?—towards him. Buffy felt that she needed to save the shaken man, but somehow couldn't bring herself to.
She found herself watching with morbid interest as the hooded men surrounded him closer and closer. A ghastly hand came out from one of the cloaks and reached out to grab the man's face.
By now, the rugged man has fainted, though his ashen face was still contorted in pain. The cloaked man brought his face nearer to the fainted one, as if to kiss him…
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"BUFFY!"
"Aiee!" Buffy sat straight up before yelping loudly as she saw a pair of green eyes looking at her. "Jesus, Dawn!" she gasped out, her hand clutching her chest as she gasped for air.
She closed her eyes to help calm herself, but only found the images and cries of the man in her recent dream playing again.
I'm innocent…!
"Sorry," replied Dawn, a sheepish smile forming in her face. She didn't see Buffy's troubled face as she started to explain what she was doing. "I came to wake you up like you asked me last night, and when I came in you were all 'sleeping like a baby' and stuff like that so I wondered if you'll wake up if I just stared and sat here since you know, you're a Slayer and Slayers are supposed to have that 'sixth sense' down and you'd wake up on your own so I stayed and I stared but then it took you so long to wake up and I was getting hungry so I just yelled," she babbled.
Fortunately, Buffy had calmed down enough to see Dawn's flushed faced from the lack of air.
"Breathe Dawn! I wouldn't want a sister dying because of lack of air while saying a sentence. Oh, I can just hear what the people will say," she sighed with fake sorrow, then grinned when Dawn glared at her. The last remains of the dream were slowly fading away, but some were still imprinted in her mind.
She made a mental note to tell Giles about that dream before remembering Dawn was there. "Uhn…remind me, why did I ask you to wake me up again?"
"Training…Slayers…Giles…all needing help? Any of the words ring a bell? Oh and Willow says hi from Japan. She just got to the Land of Sushi this morning and said she'll be coming home in a couple of weeks with the new round of newbies," Dawn explained while Buffy got off her bed.
"Any news with Faith in the states?" Buffy asked briskly as she started to change her clothes.
"Same old, same old. Killed some of the undead, demons…yattiyattiyatta. They found some more slayers though so Faith's coming back with them tomorrow. She said she already did the whole 'You-are-now-the-Slayer' speech. And before you ask, yes, the older Slayers and their Watchers got into their destinations safe and all accounted for in their locations. All of them are starting their 'saving the day' gig and the phones will be a-ringing from them after they settled in their flats. So all you hafta do is get back to basics with the new Slayers that arrived here a couple of days ago," Dawn finished as soon as her sister finished changing. "Done yet? My tummy's rumbling."
"Yup. To the kitchens!"
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Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Office
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Dumbledore sighed tiredly.
It was the middle of summer, and all he has received so far was work, work, and work. Not that he hadn't been in worse situations of course, but really, this was beyond menial. With he opening of the Chamber of Secrets last year, it had created a controversy amongst the School Council about the safety of the school and the students.
Of course, the topic of the Sorcerer's Stone the year before that didn't help on trying to reassure the Council of Hogwart's safety either. Some were already growing skeptical, especially when the attacks were somehow connected to Voldemort's attempts on regaining power.
Which was good since this is the start of the wizards' awakening of the Dark Lord's current state of being alive. But it also fuels the growing persistence of the Council's attempts on trying to enforce more safety rules. It's a very vicious cycle, thought Dumbledore.
He sighed again as he thought about some of those suggestions. Posting dementors around the schooling! Merlin's beard! The next thing the Council thinks of is letting Goblins run Hogwarts!
No, what the school needs is a protector…someone who can defend the school whenever the need arises. But who?
Who would be strong enough to fight an upcoming battle?
Who was strong enough to fight one of the worst wizards known to the magic world?
Who was strong enough to protect a castle full of young wizards?
Then, a smile started to grow on Dumbledore's face as his mind thought of the perfect person. He drew out a piece of envelope and his quill and began writing.
To: Miss Buffy Summers…-
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Bath, England. Home Base
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"Ohh, boy…That hit the spot…," Dawn groaned as she patted her stomach fondly. A couple groans of agreement came from the other patrons in the kitchen. "Too bad all of it has to come off during training."
Another round of agreements resounded, before they gave out a loud sigh of content.
"C'mon guys, er, girls…Slayers! Time for training. Commodore Buffy says to meet her in the backyard for the training session. And I get to record it with my new camcorder I bought yesterday!" Andrew gushed out happily, as he showed the slayers his brand new camcorder. "Said something about it being uber important on introducing future Slayers and keeping records for the future; basically official Watcher business." Andrew added offhandedly.
"Oh and Giles needs you in the main library, Dawn."
"What for?" Dawn asked curiously. The slayers already started to get up and leave the room, leaving her and Andrew alone to talk.
Andrew shrugged after the noise died down. "I don't know…but there were some stuffy British guys that came in mega-late last night. I think he needs you to pull off the 'routine' on them."
"'Routine?'" she echoed back, an arched eyebrow rose up high. Andrew seemed oblivious to her questioning tone and answered right back without hesitation.
"You know…act all girly and get them in? Hook, line, and sinker? Do the whole puppy eyed gig and ask them what they want. Guys really are suckers for that, especially the…Brit—ish…," he trailed off when he finally saw her glare. Andrew suddenly grew fidgety and looked at his covered wrist. "Oh look at the time! I really have to go. Buffy's gonna kill me if I'm late…er, bye Dawn!" said Andrew before going off to the backyard.
Dawn shook her head, but started her walk to the second floor of their new house, a.k.a. Home Base, where the main library was found. After the destruction of the Hellmouth, the gang later moved to England.
It was practical, really. Apparently, the old Watcher's Council held a significant amount of money that was stocked for their operations and other basic needs and not even the former bombing of the place did anything to eradicate the account. It was so significant in fact, that they found more than several different bank accounts in different currencies and in different countries stocked away for accessible usage.
From Euros to Dollars, from Pesos to Yen, to numerous other currencies that some even Giles couldn't name. In fact, it was the same accessibility to money that helped set up Faith's flat back in Cleveland, pay for the comfortable apartments, and to buy their everyday needs.
Oh, and the weapons came from that money, too.
They also used it to buy a huge mansion near the outskirts of Bath, England to serve as their new headquarters. Though the location of the house wasn't the gang's first choice, they realized later on that it made sense to move in the Mother Country. They turned the huge house into a training ground for the newly risen Slayers and as their main Slayer Central.
The building they chose was huge enough that it accommodated several libraries, two large kitchens, an enormous dining room, numerous bathrooms, at least 40 spacious bedrooms, and two immense living rooms. One of which they set up as a training/armory room and the other for their daily entertainment.
The mansion itself was at least 6 stories high, and has a spacious backyard in the back that was mostly used for extensive training. The building couldn't have been possibly been described as a house to a passerby…more of as a medium-sized, old hotel.
Overall, one can safely say that the whole property was at least five acres. Something that made the original gang's jaws drop in amazement.
There was that one downsized disadvantage at the size of the house though: the enormous amount of stairs.
Dawn groaned as she took in the sight in front of her.
Since the building was built back in the years where elevators haven't been invented yet, the extensive amount of stairs was the only way to get from floor to floor.
For the past months, she had been complaining to Giles about its amount and how they should hire someone to create an elevator inside the house. Unfortunately, the now 'Head-Watcher' of the household held firmly on his decision against it.
With a resentful sigh, Dawn marched up the stairs.
This better be good…
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Backyard, Slayer Training, HB…
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"The first lesson of being Slayer, don't get killed," Buffy shouted out to the new arrivals. She looked at every single one of them, all of them looking too young to take on the heavy responsibility of the Slayer.
Too innocent, too many…They're just, girls.
"I know all of you feel pretty confident with the power that has been given to you, the strength…the skill. You're all confident of the power to destroy down everything that comes in your way. Don't. Confidence leads to pride, pride leads to arrogance, and arrogance will lead you to your death."
A shiver ran amongst the crowd at her tone. Buffy continued on, starting to walk around as she did.
"This isn't the easiest thing to do in the world, girls. Hell, the world's very fate lies on your hands. Many of you will think in the end that being called as a Slayer and having its responsibilities is not fair, and it isn't. Why should we carry on the weight of the world? Why should WE have to sacrifice ourselves and die as a hidden champion? Why should we fight a fight that no one will even recognize us for in the end?
"Why? Because it's the right thing to do. Everyone in this room has been blessed…cursed…given…whatever you want to look at it, with the same power. Power to do good, to help people, and fight evil. Being the Slayer is your destiny, your Calling. It'll suck, but you can't get away from it. Until now."
Buffy stopped walking before continuing, causing her to stand right next to a beaming Andrew. "We have given you the powers you now posses, but we gave you more than that. We're giving you a choice, a choice that none of the other Slayers before us had; to be a Slayer or not, to help the good fight or to stand back, to have the responsibilities, to have the power, to be a Champion. It's now your choice.
"So, what will it be?"
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A/N: So…was the third try the charmer? I really hope so, and your reviews will take care of that nicely!
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edited on 8-15-05