A Second Chance
Chapter 1 – New beginnings.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything.
TIMELINE: AU. Set ten years before (Around 1988) "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone", during and after Harry Potter book 5, "Order of the Phoenix"(2003). During and after BTVS season 7, "Chosen". Pretend HP book one happened in 1999 during Buffy season three )
SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. After James and Lily reappears, seemingly alive and well, mysterious things start to happen. New allies are made, prophecies revealed...and people keep rising from the dead. What's going on? And what has Voldemort got to do with it? Are the Scoobies and the Potter's second chance at life enough to stop the Dark Lord from spreading darkness across the country? Or is the world in need of more miracles?
PAIRINGS: Too many to count.
A/N: This story used to be called "HP & the Vampire Slayers", but I resently changed the title, as I didn't think it fit with the plot/storyline. It's also under (serious)rewritefor the moment, and might be so for awhile, asediting itis not my top-priority right now. I'll try to 'fix' one-three chapter each day though, it depends on whether I've got time or not. Anyway, if things seems weird, please bear with me, 'kay? Thanks for your patience! (And by the way, feedback is always appreciated.)
/Ida
October 31, Godrics Hollow, England.
Lily Evans Potter was standing in front of a windowat Godrics Hollow, watching the shining streetlamps. In her arms, the baby Harry Potter was peacefully sleeping.
Suddenly, she felt someone hugging her from behind. She turned around with a smile on her face, just to meet the hazel eyes of her husband, James Potter.
"Hey..." She gave him a small peck on the cheek.
"Hey yourself. Is he sleeping?" Jamesmade a gesture towards their sleeping son, and gazed down on him fondly. If Lily had heard someone say she would end up married with James Potter, and build a family with him some five years ago or so, she would have laughed them in the face. Still, here she was, married,had a son, and was immensly happy. Strange how life turned out sometimes.
"Mmhm. When did you say Sirius would be here?"
"Any minute. Peter is coming too." James said quietly, still staring at Harry. He couldn't believe how lucky he was...Harry was wonderful...Lily was wonderful...their marriage was wonderful. The only thing that was not so wonderful was Voldemort, who had pretty much forced the small family into hiding. James wished the war would be over soon, so they could rejoin the 'real world'. Still, being locked up in a cottage with Lily and Harry were far from a bad thing. James chuckled quietly to himself, only to be interrupted by Lily, a small frown etched on her forehead.
"...Peter? Why? He's not supposed to know where to find..."
"It's okay, Lils," James said calmly."Peter is the secret-keeper - "
"What!" Lily hissed.Peter is the - are you mad? Why would you switch from Sirius?"
James blinked, looking shocked at his wife's outburst. Whatever reaction he had been expecting, it was not this.
"Lily calm down...the reason we switched is kind of obvious, isn't it? Voldemort would never even consider the idea that Peter might be the secret-keeper - how could he possibly believe we would entrust our secret with Wormtail? It's fail-proof!" James said, grinning. Lily seemed to calm down, but the frown was still there.
"I guess...but I have this bad feeling..."
"It's alright, Lils," James said, even though he was a bit worried himself: Sirius and Peter should have been here an hour ago, and still, there was no sign. "They'll be here soon." James wasn't sure who he was trying to convince: Lily, or himself. Somehow, he had a feeling something had gone wrong with their plan...awfully wrong. He was right. James suddenly felt Lily tense beside him.
"What is that?" She asked, andpointed at astrange, blazinglight outside the window.
"What is what?" James asked, his worry growing for every second. Something wasn't right...
"That light! What is it? James?"
Jamesfelt himselfgrow cold, and all colour quickly drained from his face. No...it couldn't be...but he knew it was.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off –" James said, pushing his wife and son towards the room's exit. Lily's face was begging. She clearly didn't want to leave him to fend for himself. She kept darting looks from James, to the door, as if trying to make up her mind of where to go.
" – James, I can't..."
"Just go!"
Lily gave her husband a last loving look that clearly spoke every feeling she felt at the moment; fear, trust and a never-ending love.Then, she stumbled out of the room, and towards the stairs, sobbing quietly. She knew that moment might have been - andprobably was - the last time she saw her husband.
James had already drawn his wand, facing the door, eyes narrowed in concentration, and anger towards Peter...and himself, for trusting him.
'Wormtail betrayed us...and now I'm paying the price.'
The front door bursted open, and James stood face to face with the dark, hooded figure of lord Voldemort, who let out a high pitched laughter. James felt a sudden knot of fear in his stomach, but was doing his best not to show it.
'Lily, Harry...please be all right...'
"How heroic of you, James. Trying to buy your wife and son time!" Voldemort cackled evilly. James' eyes narrowed in anger, and he lifted his wand.
"STUPEFY!"
"PROTEGO." Voldemort smiled.
"Don't you understand? You don't stand a chance against me. Expelliarmus!"
James could do nothing, as he crashed into the wall from the force of the blast, and watched helplessly ashis wand flewout of his hand, landing several feet away.
"Good-bye, James Potter."
Voldemort lifted his wand over his head. James stared defiantly up in Voldemort's red eyes. He would meet death with his head held high, like a true Gryffindor, brave into the last. However, James felt far from brave. He had failed Lily. He had failed Harry.
'I'm so sorry, Lils...and now I'll never see you or Harry again...' James thought.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort screamed.
James barley registred those last words before everything went black.
Lily had reached and run into hers and James bedroom at the second floor when she heard the words 'Avada Kedavra' being screamed from downstairs. A green light seemed to fill the whole building, and Lily froze.
James smiling, James laughing, James crying, James loving, James caring, James, reading, James writing, James dueling, James cooking, James running, James conjuring, James flying, James, James, James, James.
Her heart stopped for what felt like an eternity, and when she started to register her surroundings, she felt completely empty. She knew James was dead.
For a moment, it felt like nothing mattered. Then, sheheard a small whimper coming from Harry in her arms. She hugged him tightly to her chest; hugging him like her last lifeline – and maybe it was.
She didn't noticed the sound of someone coming, until the steps were right outside the door.
It was first then she understood there were no escape. They didn't have a fireplace in their bedroom, and it was impossible to apparate out of the house, because of all the protections spells surrounding the building. She had trapped herself into a corner. The door burst open, and Lily took a step back.
Lord Voldemort smiled cruelly, and walked slowly closer.
"Please..." Lily begged. She never thought she wouldask lord Voldemort for anything.But she did. She begged for her son's life. Lord Voldemort smiled again and reached out his, white, clawlike hand against the bundle in her arms.
"No...not Harry", she begged, shaking her head. "Not Harry". She stepped as far back as she could, until she felt the wall against her back. There was truly no escape.
She pulled Harrys whimpering form closer to her, moving him slowly away from Voldemorts reach, protecting him with her own body.
"Stand aside!" Voldemort said, his red eyes sparkling.
"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please - I'll do anything –" Lily begged.
"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!"
"Harry, not Harry... Please not Harry... Take me instead!"
Voldemort just grinned widely, lifting his wand, pointing it at her.
Something burst inside Lily. All she could think about was how this awful man – no, monster -had destroyed her life – hers and James'.
She looked Voldemort in the eyes, determined not to let him break her, determined not to let him see her fear. Voldemort gave her a cruel smile, his mouth already forming the words that would change Lily's world forever. Lily screamed.
"HARRY!"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
And then there was nothing.
Sirius landed his flying motorcycle beside the Potters house, now in ruins, and quickly ran towards thecrushed entrance. He feltsudden panic slowly rise in his throat.
"Lily! James!"
Then he saw Hagrid coming out of the smoking building.
"Hagrid!" Sirius said, his throat strangely dry. He saw Harry in his arms and froze. "Where's Lily? Where's James?"
Hagrid didn't say anything, but the silence was enough for Sirius. He shook his head in denial. This couldn't be happening. It was all a bad dream. A bad nightmare...yes, a nightmare. Any second now, he would wake up, cursing the early working hours for the Aurors. But he didn't.
"No..."
"I'm really sorry, Sirius, mate".
Sirus was shaking like a leaf now, and all colour quickly drained from his face.
"I'm sorry. Erhm...Is there anythin' I could do?" Hagrid asked.
Sirius seemed to wake up out of a long sleep, and he looked up at the Half-Giant, eyes glazed over.
"Give Harry to me...I'm his godfather, I'll look after him..." His voice cracked.
Hagrid shook his head.
"Sorry, mate, but I got orders from Dum'ledore himself. Harry's goin' to his aunt an' uncle".
"What!The Dursleys? Are you completely insane!" Sirius screamed. Things were getting worse and worse for every second.
"I'm sorry, Dum'ledore's orders".
"Please, Hagrid...he's my godson." Siriuswas begging now."James would have wanted..."
But Hagrid kept saying no. Sirius swallowed. In his mind, he came up with a descision. So he couldn't take Harry. Fine. But he still had one last task to do...
'Peter...I''ll kill you...'
"All right," he said."Take him at my motorcycle. I won't need it anymore."
Hagrid tried to argue.
"But..."
" - Just take it".
"A'right, Sirius, mate. Take care".
Sirius watchedas Hagrid swung his legs over the bike and rose in the air with Harry, before turning around, climbing inside the now destroyed house of the Potters, his heart bulting painfully hard against his chest.
When he had walked a few steps, the light from his wand fell on a slumped figure hald buried under a crushed wall.
"James!" Sirius sprinted towards his best friend, and moved away theboulders from the wallthebest he could, before kneeling down beside him. He didn't need to check for the pulse to understand he was dead...James' eyesstared up at him, slightly wided...completely without life.
Sirius bowed his head in sorrow and slowy closed his eyes with his fingers. Tears were burning behind his eyes, but he held them back.
"I'm sorry, James. If I'd known..." He muttered, before walking out of the house, leaving his memories behind. He had a rat to hunt down.
November 7, a wizarding cemetery somewhere in England.
Remus watched as in a daze how Lily and James' joinedcoffin was lowered down into the ground. This couldn't be real. He flinched as he heard the thud from when the wood hit the bottom, and stared unblinkingly as the priest waved with his wand, covering the grave with dirt and mud. It was raining, but Remus barely noticed.
Suddenly, he heard a cry from a baby, and he turned around. There, on the top of a hill, stood a woman surveying the scene.She hada horse-like face and long neck, holding a struggling baby. The baby was crying, and fluxed wildly with his arms, as if he wanted to be let down.
Harry.
Remus had wondered why Harry hadn't come to the funeral with his new family...now he knew. The Dursley's, including Lily's sister, Petunia, weren't exactly known for being the most open-minded people. To them, magic was unnatural, and witches and wizards were freaks. He couldn't believe Dumbledore had left Harry to them of all people... He remembered when he had asked for custody of Harry. Dumbledore had said no, that he was not safe with Remus.
Dumbledore was right. Remus was cursed by an uncurable illness that made him indisposed once a month. Remus was a werewolf. So he had understood why he couldn't have Harry. But he could not understand why he had been placed with the Dursley's. Surely, some loving wizarding family could take Harry in? But maybe Dumbledore knew best...
He turned back to the now covered grave, and leaned down, closing his eyes tiredly.
"I'm sorry...James...Lily...I should have known Sirius was the traitor...Forgive me."
As he stood up again, he was filled with sudden anger. Why did this have to happen?Did he bring bad luck?
His parents had been shunned because of him. Killed because he was in the Order.
And now James and Lily were dead. So was Peter...but at the hands of another person he thought had been his friend...Sirius, who was now rotting in Azkaban.
Maybe he was supposed to be alone. What if he really did bring bad luck? Wouldn't it be safer to stay away, so he couldn't get a chance to hurt someone else?
Remus made up his mind.
"Goodbye," he whispered to the grave, before he turned around and walked away. He didn'tlook back.
November 7, midnight,a wizarding cemetery somewhere in England.
The moon shone brightly on a newly made grave on the otherwise nightblack cemetery, giving the tombstone an impression ofsending out beams oflight.Somewhere in the background, a clock was beating twelve.
The wind seemed to whisper, sendinga hidden message to the heavens, and orange, red and brown coloured leaves were blowed gently away from the trees nearby, landing on top of the grave. Otherwise, the night was silent. Too silent.
Big forces were at work this night. And they did not want to be disturbed.
'Ashes to ashes...ashes to life...life-time, dead-time...time, time, time...'
Suddenly, the ground surrounding the grave started to tremble, and the light seemed to explode outwards in a big, white, shining sphere. Inside the grave, an event that would forever be spoken of with awe; both among the living and dead, was happening.
The bodies of the Potter's, were surrounded with the same white light that shone on the outside, but if possible even more brightly.The light seemed to circle around the bodies for several moments, before it let out a final flash, and vanished, along with the Potter's bodies.
Nothing seemed to be out of place. Not a trace of something unnatural was to be seen. Everything was back to normal...nothing seemed to have happened or changed at all...and in the background, the beating from the clock was still heard.During this moment of miracles, time had stood still.
Almost sixteen years later, Sunnydale High School, California.
Anya was standing besideAndrew, sword in her hand, waiting for the retreating uber-vamps and the bringers to arrive. She was trembling slightly.
"I think they're coming", Andrew said.
"Oh, God. I'm terrified." Anya said with shaking voice."I didn't think. I mean, I...I just figured you'd be terrified, and I would be sarcastic about it."
Andrew did his best to cheer her up - even though he himself was terrified.
"Think happy things - a lake, candy canes, bunnies..."
Anya suddenly felt herself being filled with unwavering determination.
"Bunnies. Floppy...hoppy...bunnies." She lifted her sword and got ready to face the enemy.
Suddenly, the room was filled with uber-vamps, attacking them, trying to fight their way towards freedom. Not that the ex-demon was goong to let them.
"I have swimmer's ear!" Andrew exclaimed as a vamp attacked him, pushing him intoa wall, leaving Anya to fight alone.
One after one they became victims for Anya's sword, turningthem into dust. Behind her, the bringers started to come. One of them attacked the now standing Andrew, pushing him down against the wall once again, before running off towards the exit. Andrew's eyes widened as another bringer lifted his sword, about to cut him down, and he closed his eyes hard,bracing himself for thecut that would endhis life. It never came.
Behind the attacking bringer, Anya had showed up, killing him...however, now she was in danger. A third bringer was slowly sneaking up on her, ready to strike.
"Anya! Behind you!" Andrew exclaimed. Anya quickly turned around, meeting the bringers knife right on time. Andrew stood up, killing him from behind.
"Thanks!" Anya said, actually hugging him.
"Your welcome, young padawan of mine," Andrew said, surprised at Anya's sudden move of affection, before he collapsed against the wall again. Anya fought for another couple of minutes,but had to stop asthe building started to fall apart and some of the slayers came running.
"Get out of the way!" One of them screamed.
"What?" Andrew asked, confused, looking up, his eyes widening asa bringers dead body fell down on him.
A Slayer came running against them.
"Hurry up!" She screamed, and helped Anrdew to his feet.
"Come on!" Anya started running out, Andrew soon to follow. They had just got out of the building and was nearing a yellow school-bus, with Robin at the wheel, when the rest of the building caved in with a crash.
A few minutes later, beside Sunnydale, California.
Beside the big crater that once was Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, the Scoobies were standing looking out over the destrcution...quite proudly.
"Looks like the Hellmouth's officially closed for business," Faith said, walking up towards the rest of the gang.
"There is another one in Cleveland." Giles said."Not to spoil the moment."
"We saved the world," Xander added.
"We changed the world," Willow corrected, and walked up behind Buffy. "I can feel them, Buffy. All over. Slayers are awakening everywhere".
"We'll have to find them," Dawn said.
"We will."
"Yes, because the mall was actually in Sunnydale, so there's no hope of going there tomorrow." Giles said, the relief in his voice clear. Carrying shopping-bags for about twenty to thirty giggling Slayers was not his idea of fun.
"We destroyed the mall?" Dawm exclaimed."I fought on the wrong side." She shook her head sadly, and gave her feet a dissapointed look, as if waiting for an answer,"All those shops gone. The Gap, Starbucks, Toys 'R' Us...Who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world about them?" Xander asked.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us," Giles said, sounding all too amused for Faith's liking.
"Can I push him in?"She asked, clearly notsharing Giles' positiveattitude when it came tomore work.
"You've got my vote," Willow assured her.
"I just want to sleep, yo, for like a week!" Faith said.
"I guess we all could, if we wanted to," Dawn said.
"Yeah, Willow smiled. "The First is scrunched, so... what do you think we should do, Buffy?"
"Yeah!" Faith said, litting up."You're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"
"Yeah, Buffy," Dawn agreed. "What are we gonna do now?"
Buffy smiled at the thought of not being alone with the burden anymore, and was just about to answer, when a white light started sparkling, right on the other side of the crater.
"Holy bananas!" Anya screamed from the bus, coming running towards them. "What is that?"
"I think you all just got answers on your questions," Giles said, rubbing his hands in anticipation."Looks like a new Scooby-mission."
Buffy groaned.
"I knew it!" She exlaimed. "This was just too good to be true, but nooo. We just have to keep saving the world.Would some rest be too much to ask for?"
Faith smirked.
"Seems like it, B."
Buffy groaned again.
"Typical," she grumbled. "Just typical."
Anya picked her on the shoulder, trying to get the blonde Slayer's attention.
"Is it a demon?" She asked. "Because I'm not in the mood for an evil demon."
Thewhite light was slowly growing bigger.
"It's a portal!" Willow exclaimed.
The rest of the Scoobies soon understood Willow was right. The light looked almost exactly like the portal Dawn's blod had opened, the only exception was that this was pure white, not part blue.
"Is it a portal to Glory's Hell-dimension?", Dawn asked worriedly, "'Cause if it is, I'm gonna quote Giles; 'We're doomed'".
"It doesn't look like it," Buffy said, frowning. "This one is much smaller, and it doesn't scream 'evil'".
They were interupptedas the portal suddenlyseemed to freeze, and throwing out something - two somethings - or someones, before itclosedwith a flash, dissapearing.
"Oh My God!" Dawn excalimed as she tried to get better sight at what it was the portal had 'thrown out'. "Are those bodies?" She looked up at Buffy, only to find her sister and the restof the Scoobies had already started running towards the scene.
"Hey, wait up!" She started to run to catch up with her sister - apparently, some of the Slayers had gotten the same idea, as they jumped of the bus, quickly bypassing Dawn, who scowled. Slayer-stamina. So unfair. She finally reached the rest of the Scoobies, and the newly made Slayers, panting heavily.
"Are they like...dead?"She heard Anya ask, and she quickly moved forwards, trying to get a closer look. She saw the things that had been thrown out had indeed been bodies, like she had first thought. One male and one female.
Gileskneeled down beside the woman, who's read hair was falling softly like a gloria around her head, to check her pulse.
"No, not dead, just unconsious."
"A long-distance relative to you, Red?" Faith asked, sounding amused, but her face betrayed her. She looked clearly worried.
"Not as far as I know," Willow muttered.
"She's pretty hot...OUCH!" Xander exclaimed, as he felt Anya elbow him sharply in the side.
"What!" Xander said."I'm just saying - and you're hotter," he hastily added, as he saw Anya get ready to elbow him again. This earned him a smile instead.
"Why, thank you," she said, beaming. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Maybe we should help them up at the bus, get them to a hospital?" She suggested, and gave Xander and Anya a glare. "Some of the slayers are pretty badly wounded, and could need help too".
"Yes, that would be the best, I believe."Giles agreed, furiously cleaning hisglasses on his sweater, which was covered in soot, ash and dust."And I guess you want to contact Angel?" He continued, seemingly not noticing he was doing more harm than good to his now quite dirty glasses.
"Yeah. I promised to check in when everything was over," Buffy said.
"Well, looks like Hyperion is our next stop, then?" Faith said, doing her best not to laugh at Giles, who had put on his glasses again, only to take them off the next second, scowling at them. Apparently he thought it was the glasses fault they were dirty.
"Ruddy things..." he muttered.
"Great!" Xander said, rubbing his hands in anticipation. "I get to pay dead-boy a visit!"
"Xander," Buffy said warningly, making Xander raise his hands in surrender.
"I know Buff: Don't make fun of the Vampire"
"Xander!"
"Sorry".