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Part 14

 “Damn, what hit me?”  Buff moaned as she slowly regained consciousness.
The last thing she remembered was walking through some woods on their way to
get Willow and Amy.  Then nothing.  She knew something had to have happened.
  Every muscle she had, including some she didn’t even know were there, were
crying out in pain and, when she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in
an all white room.
 “Oh good, you’re awake,” came a friendly voice.  At least, it sounded
friendly even if she didn’t recognize it.  A man came into view.  He had a
long white beard and half moon glasses.
 “Who are you?”  She croaked, her voice dry and hoarse.  The man handed her
a glass of water and she carefully took a sip from it.
 “I’m Professor Dumbledore and before you ask, you’re at Hogwart’s,” the
headmaster informed the Slayer.
 “Hogwarts?”  She repeated.  “Willow? Amy?”
 “Are fine, as are your other friends,” he assured her.  “Your Watcher is
currently resting a few beds down from you and he is recovering nicely, as
are you.  Or at least you are according to Madame Pomfrey, the nurse.”
 “What happened?”  She asked.  “The last thing I remember was walking
through the woods on our way here.”  Dumbledore looked pensive for a moment
before deciding what to do.
 “You were attack by a powerful wizard by the name of Voldemort,” he
explained.  “He took over your body and captured your friends.  The vampires
were able to escape and made their way here.  Then they, along with Willow,
Amy and a few of our students, went back to rescue you and him.”
 “And this Voldemort guy?”  Buffy frowned.  She didn’t like the idea of
someone else being in her body.  IT just sounded so wrong.
 “He’s gone, for now, although I don’t think he’ll be bothering you any time
soon,” he assured her.  “I have a feeling he’s learned not to go against a
Slayer that has some powerful friends.”
 “Where are they?”
 “Well, I believe that Miss Rosenberg and Miss Madison are in their beds, as
are your other more unusual friends,”  Dumbledore answered.  “Needless to
say, I think that when you are feeling better our Professor Lupin will be
very interested in speaking to them and to you and your Watcher.”
 “Why?”
 “He’s our Professor of the Dark Arts and you, my dear, are a fascinating
subject.”  At Buffy’s confused stare, the headmaster continued.  “You see,
even though we deal with vampires and the like, we don’t have anything to do
with the Slayer and the Watcher’s Council.  Certainly, we know of them, but
they are a separate thing from us, so to have a live Slayer here, let alone
one that is friends with witches and vampires, is an opportunity for us.”
 “I’m not some lab rat,” she bit out, causing the older man to chuckle.
 “Of course you aren’t.  I didn’t’ mean to say that you were.  I just meant
that it isn’t an everyday occurrence and we just wanted to take advantage of
your presence here before you leave.”
 “Which will be when?”
 “As soon as you and your Watcher are well enough.  Actually, more so when
you are feeling better,” he amended.  “Mr. Giles is recovering nicely from
his wounds.”
 “What about me?”  Buffy squeaked, not sure what might have been done to
her.
 “You may take a little longer, but you will recover also,” he assured her.
“Now I better leave you to your rest before Madame Pomfrey kicks me out for
taking up too much of your time.”
 “What about Willow and Amy?  We won’t leave without them.”
 “I assumed as much, not like I expected them to want to stay in the first
place,” Dumbledore acknowledge.  “They didn’t want to come here in the first
place, and now I understand why.  Arrangements are being made for all of you
to leave.”
 “Thank you.”  Buffy whispered before sleep once again swept over her.

 “SO when is Madame Pomfrey supposed to let Buffy and Giles out of the
infirmary?”  Hermoine asked.   The group of students and vampires were
sitting in the great hall having dinner.  The other students were leaving
them alone, still wary of the vampires and they preferred it that way.
Rumors of the night that they had gone against Voldemort to save the Slayer
and Watcher had spread like wildfire throughout the school.
 “Hopefully sometime soon,” Willow replied.  “She’s supposed to be well on
her way to recovery.”
 “There wasn’t any permanent damage done to her was there, because of what
happened?”  Ron inquired.  Willow shook her head while it was Spike that
answered.
 “Chit’s too stubborn to actually let anything happen to her,” he growled,
earning him a glare from his sire.  The blonde vampire just continued to
look unrepentant for his comment. He might have helped save Buffy’s life,
but she was still the Slayer and his enemy.
 “That’s because is I die, who else will have the pleasure of tormenting
you,” came a smug female voice.
 “Buffy,” Willow squealed as she saw her friend finally up and out of bed.
Beside the blonde Slayer, the red head saw Giles and she ran over to hug him
also.  “Why didn’t you tell us that you guys were going to be released. We
would have come to get you.”
 “It just happened,” Giles answered as he received a hug from Amy.  Both
girls had visited the two of them in the hospital but it wasn’t as good as
it was now.  He was so happy to see them okay and he knew of two men that
planned on never letting them go again.  “We wanted to surprise you.”
 “Color us surprised,” Amy squeaked.  “Come on and sit down.  I bet the two
of you are starved.”
 “Of course,” Buffy replied, taking the offered seat next to Harry.  She
smiled at the dark haired youth who blushed.  Giles sat near Willow and
Angel at the now crowded table.
 “Ahem,” Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention towards
the high table that housed the professors.  “I know it is highly unusual for
me to address you like this, but this had been a most unusual year.  As many
of you know, we have some very honored guests.  Not only do we have three
master vampires, we also have the current Slayer and Watcher with us.   As
well as the Muggle boyfriend of one of out students.”  A murmur rose from
the student body.  They had known, of course, about the vampires and the
Muggle, but to hear that the Slayer was there also was a surprise.  The
rumors about what had happened in the forest didn’t say anything about who
it was that had been rescued.  Dumbledore waited until the dim died down
again.
 “Now, there are probably quite a few of you out there that are trying to
figure out how it is that these people have come to be here and that answer
is quite simple,” he continued.  “They are here to pick up two of their own
that were brought here, against there will I am saddened to say.  They have
shown the true test of friendship.  The willingness to go the extra mile for
a friend and for that I reward Gryffindor with 100 points, courtesy of Amy
Madison and Willow Rosenberg.  Girls,  I would say that is a rather
appropriate going away gift.”
 “Going away?”
 “What does he mean, going away?”
 “They shouldn’t have been here anyway.”  Came quite a few observations.
 “For those that were unfortunate enough to not get to know Miss Madison and
Miss Rosenberg, and so do not know their story, they are returning to
Sunnydale, California in the United States.  And those of you who actually
were paying attention in Professor Lupin’s class, you will remember that
Sunnydale is the home of the Hellmouth.  I would say that they will have
their hands full and we wish them well.”  Professor Dumbledore sat back down
and talk resumed in the hall as everyone was taking in the information that
had just been given to them.
 “You’re really going huh?’  Hermoine asked, saddened by the soon to be lose
of her friends but glad that they were going back to someplace that they
truly belonged.  To be with people that loved them.  “I mean, I knew you
would be, but I can’t believe it.”
 “I know.  I can’t believe you won’t be there with us for class and
everything,” Ron agreed.
 “Guys, we don’t belong here,” Willow started to explain, already knowing
that she was going to miss this particular trio.  “We belong back in
Sunnydale.  But that doesn’t mean that we can’t keep in touch.”
 “Yeah, do you really think we’re going to miss the Quidditch World Cup this
summer,” Amy joined in.  “I want to see how the professionals play.  Bet
they aren’t half as good as Harry.”  Harry blushed again at the praise.
 “You will send owls, right,” he inquired.
 “All the time,” Willow promised.  “And anyway, think of us as your personal
researchers for Dark Arts.”  Everyone laughed at that.  “Nobody can tell you
more about vampires than me.”
 “Yeah she has her own personal little snuggle vamp to ask,” Xander teased.
 “Amy, will you please shut your boyfriend up?”  Angel pleaded, smiling at
the teenager in question.  He and Xander had become good friends since the
disappearances of Willow and Amy and both had taken to teasing the other.
Xander reminded Angel of Spike, without the desire for blood play and
domination.
 “I would, but I love hearing him talk,” Amy reminded him, taking Xander’s
hand in her own.  “And I’ve missed hearing that a lot.”
 “SO when are you leaving?”  Ron questioned, bringing everyone’s attention
back to what was happening.
 “Tomorrow,” Willow answered.  “We want to get back to Sunnydale and caught
up on everything we’ve missed in school so that we can get caught up to our
friends.”  Amy moaned at the thought of more classwork.
 “Well, if nothing else, I would say this year will definitely go down in
the memory books for me,” Hermoine commented.
 “Same here,” Willow agreed, leaning into Angel’s chest.  “I might not have
wanted to come here in the first place, but I’ll never forget it.  Or you
guys.  Remember, you are all welcome to come to Sunnydale anytime you want.”
 “Maybe they can make it a class trip for Dark Arts,”  Ron volunteered.
“What better place to practice what we learn than on the Hellmouth?”
Everyone laughed as the honesty of the statement and the rest of the meal
relaxed into an easygoing banter as tales were told, addresses given and
good byes said.  Xander and Harry commiserated over the lousy home lives
they both had and how nice it was to have friends to make their lives more
bearable.  The two boys promised to keep in touch, letting the other know
how they were faring and Giles had promised to see if any of his connections
could help in improving Harry’s life with the Dursleys.  He wasn’t sure, but
he would try.  After all, Harry had gone out of his way to help rescue the
Watcher.  Then it was time to say good night and as the students went back
to their respective houses, and Willow and her friends went to the guest
wing, they strange group knew that their lives would be forever changed
because two girls had been forced to go to Hogwarts and become reluctant
student witches.

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