Welcome to The Hellmouth Harry Potter!

Buffy was running down the hall towards the library, hoping this time she would find a door. She knew that Voldemort guy was in there - Ethan told her himself. The door had to be there.

It was.

Buffy kicked it down.

*********

"Expelliarmus!" Ginny shouted. Draco flew across the room.

"Stupid Weasel!" Lucius drew out his wand.

"Don't kill her," Voldemort reminded him while laying his palm on Lucius' wand holding hand. "I want Draco to do it."

Then the library door was blown down. Before Lucius could strike, Buffy punched him and sent him crashing to the floor. She stood on his hand with one foot and kicked his wand away with her other.

Meanwhile, Ollivander tried to open one of the boxes using his wounded hand.

"Stupefy!" Voldemort yelled, but Ginny jumped away in the nick of time. She was trying to reach Harry's wand and the phoenix feather that was removed from it. They were lying on a desk on the other side of the room.

Buffy was now walking towards Voldemort.

"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled.

Buffy threw a chair that smashed to bits as it collided with the green light.

Ginny was almost at the desk...

Ollivander managed to open the box, but just as his three unbroken fingers grasped the wand, it slipped and rolled away.

Buffy threw another chair at Voldemort.

"Reducto!" Another chair got smashed in midair. Buffy used the time Voldemort performed the spell to kick his chest.

Voldemort stumbled backwards.

Ollivander managed to grab the wand again.

Ginny held Harry's wand in her hand.

Ollivander saw that Lucius was about to get his wand back. "Stupefy!"

Ollivander turned on Voldemort. He saw him slapping Buffy with the back of his hand. Buffy's head hit the library stand next to her.

Voldemort smiled. "Avada-"

He heard something. "Protego!" Voldemort called just in time to block Ollivander's killing curse. He took a step past Buffy towards Ollivander. "Stupefy."

Ollivander fell to the ground silently. Voldemort turned around to face Buffy, only to get hit in the face by an extremely large book, then kicked in the groin and then hit on the head again with the book. Buffy was about to render him unconscious with a kick in the head, when she felt cold, steel-like fingers tighten on her neck and lift her in the air. Buffy turned to see the face of her attacker. "Draco!" she called in shock.

Ginny turned around when she heard Buffy's yell. "Expelliarmus!"

Draco once again flew backwards. Buffy fell to the floor.

From the floor, with a spinning head, Voldemort noticed Ginny reaching for the phoenix feather. "Obliviate!"

Ginny froze in mid movement. She felt as if her brain got flooded, and then as if the water was flowing out through a draining hole, taking her thoughts with it.

Buffy saw that Draco was getting up. He was obviously strong and with evil warlord guy here... They were going to have to make a run for it. Buffy noticed Luna lying on the floor. Quickly she lifted her and held her on her shoulder. Buffy looked around her. She was going to have to leave the old man behind, even though he did save her life. They will come back for him later. Hopefully there will be something left to comeback for. She stood up, ran over Voldemort's body and kicked his head.

Ginny was confused, she lost her focus. Where was he? She was holding a wand that wasn't her own. Wait, it's Harry's... She saw the small blond running towards her, with Luna on her shoulder. She knew she knew her, but she couldn't recognize her. However, for some reason, she trusted her. So when the blond ran out the library and pulled Ginny with her, Ginny didn't resist.

*********

"What the hell are you doing?" Dean asked Xander, surprised. Xander replied by attacking him again, but this time Dean was quicker - he used Xander's momentum to make him collide with the wall.

"Feels like Eighth Grade all over again," Dean muttered to himself. "Cho! Help me!"

Cho turned around. Drusilla was closing in on Dean. "Expelliarmus!" Cho called. This time, she didn't miss. Drusilla fell backwards on the floor.

Spike had already recovered from his fall, as he was walking towards Ron and Hermione. "Hermione, take my wand," Ron said as he took out his stake.

"No, Ron I'll manage -"

Ron interjected. "You're better with a wand than I am. More original," he smiled. "Don't worry."

Ron shoved the wand into her hands and ran towards Spike. Spike sent his fist towards Ron's face, but Ron instinctively ducked. He tried to punch Spike, but the vampire kicked him before he could do it. Ron's back hit the wall. He prepared his stake.

"You don't actually think you can stake me?" Spike said, standing right in front of him.

Ron, who wasn't very good with witty repartee, decided to attack Spike instead of retorting. He tried to stake the vampire, but was blocked quickly. Spike punched him and Ron went backward into the wall.

"You'll have to be quicker than that," Spike taunted with a smug smile as he approached Ron.

When he got near him, instead of aiming for the chest, Ron used the blunt side to hit Spike. As hard wood collided with his jaw Spike stumbled sideways. Pissed, Spike attacked Ron once more, apparently tired of lollygagging. Ron was holding the sharp side of his stake, ready to strike. Ron swung the stake towards Spike as the vampire lunged at him.

Hermione had a thought. "Engorgio!"

Hermione's spell hit Ron's stake in midair. By the time the stake hit Spike's head, it looked more like a baseball bat. A really, really, thick baseball bat. "Bloody hell!" Spike said as he fell past Ron, surprised.

"I think he's hypnotized or something," Dean told Cho as he dodged yet another one of Xander's fists. "Can you break it?"

"I don't know, they never taught us," Cho mumbled nervously. Then she had a thought. Cho leaned on Xander's back and started yelling in his ear. "Wake up!"

"Yeah, I'm sure that'll help," Dean said sarcastically. Xander used his right hand to push the annoyance off his back. Cho fell on her bottom.

"Do you have a better plan?" Cho answered, annoyed.

"Well, you could knock him out with your wand," Dean said, a second before Drusilla pinned him to the floor.

The vampire was on top of him. From his position on the floor, Dean saw above him an emergency glass case with an axe in it. "I can hear your heart. It cries," Drusilla caressed Dean's face, "the moon will rise soon," she said. Then she put on her vampire face. "Want to see it glow?"

"Stupefy!" Cho called and Xander fell to the floor. Then she saw that Drusilla was on top of Dean. "Impedimenta!"

At first Dean thought that Drusilla had frozen. Then he noticed she was actually moving very slowly. Dean managed to free one of his legs. He got up. "Thanks," he told Cho.

"Anytime," she replied. He looked at her.

Then Dean went to the emergency axe case. He examined it. He balled his fist and sent it flying into the glass.

A big 'Thud' was heard when Dean's fist collided with the glass.

It didn't break. Dean began shaking his fist with pain.

Cho smiled. She approached the case and pointed her wand at the center of the glass divider. "Reducto," she whispered softly. The glass broke. Dean stopped caressing his now blue knuckles and took the axe.

Before Spike could recover, Ron managed to land the club another three consecutive times on Spike's head. Then as he prepared the bat for one more strike someone grabbed it from behind. Ron turned around. A third vampire was standing before him. Ron noticed Hermione sprawled on the floor.

"You're sister said you can move to her room. Right after her funereal," Angelus said. He punched Ron in the face while taking away his bat. Ron's head hit the wall as he fell to the floor.

*********

Cordelia was running through the school halls until she reached the main entrance. She went out the doors and ran out into the black, stormy night until she reached the gate leading out to the street. Then, to her surprise, she stopped.

Giles saw the high school's gates down the road. He stopped his car and ran out in the rain. When he reached the gates he saw Cordelia standing in front of the gates, soaking wet, without moving.

"Cordelia!" Giles shouted in order to best the rain, "are you alright? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to leave the school," Cordelia answered.

"What's stopping you?" Giles asked.

"Nothing."

Then why -""

"I just can't! I don't know why!" Cordelia answered, extremely irritated.

"Oh, for crying out loud..." Giles muttered. He opened the gates and walked in the school. He took Cordelia's hand and pulled her back in the building. "Come on!"

"No! I'm not going back in there! You don't know what's been happening!" Cordelia yelled, scared. A lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a deafening thunder.

Giles tightened his grip on Cordelia's hand. "You will tell me inside," he told her, and tugged her towards the doors.

*********

Buffy pulled Ginny by the hand down the corridor leading away from the library. Luna's weight was slowing Buffy down. Buffy knew Voldemort and friends were going to come out of the library doors any minute. They had to find a safe place.

"Go left!" Buffy instructed as they reached a junction, "and try to find an empty classroom!"

Ginny went left. She tried to open the first door she saw. "It's locked," she told the bossy blonde girl.

Buffy opened the door with a kick. The door swung inwards, as if inviting them in. Buffy laid Luna on a table. Ginny closed the door and turned to Buffy, impressed. "You're strong."

"Comes with the territory," Buffy answered in a tired voice, surprised by the odd comment.

"Umm, thank you for saving me from Voldemort," Ginny said. There was an awkward pause. "But, - who are you?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Are you from Hogwarts? How come I never noticed you?" Ginny's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What happened to Luna?"

Buffy was surprised, to say the least. "Your memory..."

"What?" Ginny replied, eager to understand the scene.

"They did something to your memory, the guys I saved you from. I'm Buffy," she paused, as urgency began to spread through her body. "Do you remember Harry? And Ron?"

Ginny was relieved. "Are they here?"

"Yes. I'm going to bring them here. Promise me you won't leave this room."

Ginny nodded.

"I will be back as quick as I can," Buffy promised the confused girl and left the room.

By the time Buffy found the others, Draco already succeeded in luring Ginny out of the classroom.

*********

"Ron!" Hermione called when she saw him fall down, apparently unconscious. She stood up.

Angelus turned to her. "Did I hurt your boyfriend? I'm sorry -" Angelus stopped mid sentence, as Hermione cast a levitation spell and he was thrown to the ceiling. He stayed there. Hermione was walking towards him with a determined look on her face.

"You know you can't keep me up here for long," the vampire said with a chuckle.

"Oh don't worry," Hermione said and opened her left hand. She conjured a stake. Angelus began to worry. He couldn't move. "In a couple of seconds-" Hermione looked at the stake. "Wingardium Leviosa," she whispered. The stake began to float. It turned around, sharp side up. "There won't be anything left to keep," she finished. The stake began to float towards Angels' ribcage.

"Dru!" Spike called when he saw Dean holding the axe. He darted towards her, knocking Hermione down on his way.

She lost her focus. Angelus fell down. For a second they looked each other in the eye, and then Hermione screamed. "Expelliarmus!"

Angelus flew more then twenty feet and crashed into the wall. Hermione went to Ron. She leaned over him. "Ron! Ron! Are you okay? Oh, Ron wake up!" she called, on the verge of tears, while slapping him gently on the cheek.

"Why are you hitting me, 'Mione?" Ron mumbled as he woke up. Hermione let out a choked cry and hugged him. She lifted her head.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Ron asked, slightly worried. "You look a little-" Ron didn't finish his sentence, since Hermione's lips and tongue were pretty much keeping his speaking organs busy.

Ron's eyes widened with surprise. Hermione lifted her head, looking at him, slightly apprehensive. Ron looked at her incredulously. "You kissed me."

"I'm glad you noticed," she said, not with sarcasm, rather with teasing warmth.

She held his hand and helped him get up.

"Ennervate!" Cho called.

Xander woke up. "Hate clowns," he mumbled. He seemed a bit disoriented. "What... What happened?"

Cho extended her hand and helped him up. "Drusilla hypnotized you."

"Oh, so that's what she wanted!"

Dean was standing above Drusilla, preparing his axe.

Spike ran straight into him, and threw him towards the wall. He picked the bewitched vampire up and looked around him. Dean got to his feet holding his axe. On his other side he saw Xander, looking pissed, and Cho with her wand ready. He looked at his weak lover. "Next time we'll meet..." he threatened the teenagers.

Instead of finishing his threat, Spike fled with Drusilla in his arms.

Cho leaned over Willow. "Ennervate!"

Willow regained conscious. "Where's Spike?"

"He ran away," Cho answered.

"Oh. Yay," Willow smiled feebly.

Xander ran towards Willow as soon as he noticed she was on the floor. "Willow!" he helped her up and hugged her.

"Ok, sorta bruised, so..."

Xander let her go. Dean smiled at her.

They walked towards Hermione and Ron only to find them kissing.

Cho smiled. "'Bout time."

"Are you guys alright?" Buffy asked when she reached the hall. Hermione and Ron stopped kissing and looked at their audience. Ron's ears turned red.

After Angel saw Spike and Dru flee, and Buffy arrive, he thought it was best to find the other baddies before his next attack.

"Yeah, everyone is okay," Hermione said, while eyeing Willow, as if not sure whether to call her 'okay' or not. "Did you find Harry?"

She bent near Willow and picked up her wand.

"No, but I saved Ginny," Buffy said.

"Saved?" Ron asked, stepping forward, "she needed saving?"

"Yes. She was in the library with Baron Voldebrat. And... Draco," Buffy finished with an apprehensive tone.

"Did he hurt her?" Ron asked.

"Is he okay?" Hermione asked, at the same time. They gave each other reproachful looks.

"He's dead. Well alive. Undead," Buffy said, confused.

"Make up your mind," Xander said.

"They raised him, didn't they?" Hermione said with a rush of realization. "Like Dumbledore said," she looked at Willow.

"What do you mean? Look, Ginny and Luna are in an empty classroom down the hall we'll catch up there," Buffy said.

"Did you see Cordelia?" Xander asked.

"Yeah. She was about to leave the school. She's all right," Buffy answered and led the way to the classroom.

Xander held Buffy's arm. "And you just let her go? Anything could've happened to her," Xander said.

"Xander, I'm sure she left the school," Buffy began.

Xander picked up a stake. "I need to find her," he looked at the people around him. "I'm sorry, but I have to find her."

Xander turned at walked away.

"Xander!" Buffy called. She ran and stood before him. "I am not letting you go out there by yourself."

"I have too, Buff," he said. "You'll have to physically stop me."

"Xander, I need you. With us. Today and also tomorrow," she looked at him pleadingly. "We'll find Cordy later."

"No. I'll find her now. I'm sorry, Buffy."

The slayer watched as one of her best friends walked away.

*********

Ginny heard human voices. She left the classroom.

"Buffy?" she called into the empty hall. She saw a figure, hidden in the shadows. "Who's there?"

The person in the shadows took a step forward. It was Draco. He was looking like his normal self again.

"Draco," Ginny whispered, surprised. "Thank god! A familiar, conscious face!" she said and walked towards him.

"Are you okay? Something is happening and I was in a fight," Ginny said, pointing towards a small gash on her cheek and a bruise on her upper right arm. "And I lost my wand! I only have Harry's!" she added with a note of urgency. "You have yours right?"

Draco looked baffled. Ginny could see he was thinking about something. She could swear he looked like he was having some internal struggle.

"Are you alright, Draco?" Ginny asked, seriously worried now.

"Ginny," he said abruptly, "I wish... I wish you were in Slytherin."

Ginny began to answer.

"I'm sorry. I really have to go now," he said and ran very quickly back into the shadows.

"Wait!" she called after him. But he was gone. Ginny stood there gazing after him for a few seconds.

"Ginny! I asked you to stay in the classroom!" Buffy said as she led the group back.

"I just met," some innate instinct made Ginny skip a detail. "I thought I heard something."

*********

"Now, be quiet, I need to concentrate," Hermione told the rest.

Buffy told them everything she saw at the library and what Cordelia had said about Harry. Hermione and Willow repeated what Dumbledore had told them.

They weren't feeling very optimistic. They all agreed that the first thing is to break Ginny's memory spell. That's why Hermione needed quiet.

She sat down on a chair in front of Ginny.

"So, is this gonna hurt?" Ginny asked, sounding more curious then worried.

"I don't think so. It's a spiritual-mental connection. I will get to see your memories though. Like in a Pensieve."

Ginny raised a warning finger. "If you repeat anything to Ron..."

"Hey!" Ron called in indignation.

"Don't worry, Gin," Hermione assured her.

"Good. There are things in there that would make him go berserk."

"Hermione, you're going to teach me this spell later!" Ron said in a serious voice.

"Sure, Ron. I just need to warn you - you can't quite control what memories will come up - you could stumble upon, oh say, the first time Ginny went bra shopping, or when she got her first period..."

Ron gulped. The idea seemed somewhat less appealing.

"Hermione!" Ginny called in a shocked voice, her cheeks turning red.

"Umm, you do remember there are a monstrous zombie monster and an evil wizard trying to kill Harry and us?" Buffy reminded.

"Right. Now, whatever you do don't interrupt us," Hermione said. "Ginny, close your eyes."

*********

Hermione was standing in the Gryffindor dorm. She was looking out the window, she saw some kids practicing Quidditch out in the field. She heard groaning. Hermione turned around. She saw Ginny and Michael Corner snogging fervently on one of the beds. They were kissing while emitting moans of pleasure. Ginny separated her mouth from Michael's. He leaned up to kiss her but she pushed him back down on the bed with her hands. She paused, smiling at him rascally. She took her top of, revealing a very toned torso and a red bra.

Hermione gawked at the scene looking amused, impressed and shocked at the same time. "Red?!"

"Yeah," Ginny said. She was suddenly standing next to Hermione, who was startled by her sudden appearance. "Madam Malkin even gave me a discount."

"Madam Malkin sells bras?" Hermione replied.

"Only if you ask her specifically," Ginny answered with a wink. She sat on one of the beds.

"Isn't this... Ginny, isn't this the guy's dorm? Isn't that Ron's bed?" Hermione questioned her, sounding a bit scandalous.

"No!" Ginny answered defiantly. "That's Harry's bed."

Hermione stared at her.

"I like the smell."

"Ginny!"

"Well, we can't go to my room, because guys aren't allowed and Michael's friends have no life so they're always in his room! I knew Ron and Harry had practice, and the others are downstairs. Neville promised to give me a heads up if someone came."

Hermione just stared at her.

"Could we get on with the program?" Ginny said in a bored voice. "In a couple of seconds he starts leaning on my hair and it gets all clumsy and the moment is ruined."

Ginny looked at herself making out. "You know this is really weird -"

"Morphus!" Hermione called.

Whoosh.

Ginny and Hermione were in Dumbledore's room. They saw themselves and Ron sitting in front of Dumbledore. "Are you sure?" past Hermione asked. "Couldn't you have, er," she hesitated. "Professor, are you positive your interpretation is correct?"

"I'm afraid, there is a very small margin of error," Dumbledore answered.

Present Ginny and Hermione walked away from the scene to the edge of the headmaster's room. "Ginny, why did you take me to see you snog Michael?"

"We were talking about things that would make Ron go berserk right?" Ginny replied with smile. "Then I remembered Harry, and we're here."

Past Ron leaned towards Dumbledore. "So he has to kill him?"

Hermione listened thoughtfully. "I see. Okay, let's try and find the more recent events. So concentrate on the last thing you remember."

"Okay," Ginny said.

"And Ginny? Try not to take me to anymore, er, bedroom moments."

"Done."

"Morphus!"

Whoosh.

They were on the Knight Bus. It had stopped outside Sunnydale High. It was empty. The girls went to the door. Outside the bus' door was complete darkness. Yet through it's windows you could see the sunny street of Sunnydale High.

"What's out there?" Ginny pointed towards the darkness.

"I'm betting your subconscious. Where your dreams, nightmares, childhood traumas are hiding. And also were Voldemort tried to hide tonight's events."

Ginny shuddered.

"I thought you had gotten used to his name by now," Hermione said.

"It's not that. The whole Tom Riddle incident is out there."

"I suppose so," Hermione said while looking at the darkness. "You up for it?"

"Beats watching Michael accidentally shove his elbow in my eye. Again," she said with a dry smile.

Hermione nodded and led the way into the darkness.

*********

They were in the chamber of secrets. The somewhat diminished form of Tom Riddle was standing in front of the huge snake statue. He was cupping one of the twelve year old Ginny's cheeks with his hand, while caressing her hair with his other.

"But, why are you fighting me, Gin?" he said, sadly. "I thought you liked me. I thought you enjoyed talking to me."

The young Ginny, who looked weak, was crying. She had a look that was the paradigm of misery on her face. "I do," she whispered.

"Then what's the problem, Gin?" he said earnestly, like a person in love might sound while trying to convince his sweetheart to elope. "You said no one understands you like I do. I feel the same way."

Ginny looked at him, the shadow of a smile flickering on her unhappy face.

"Don't resist me," Tom pleaded.

He held her hand. "Give yourself to me. We'll be one - we'll be together, Ginny. Together forever!"

"You know I loved him," real Ginny said in a shaky voice. "I'm talking loved him. Can you imagine that? Having the first person you ever truly loved turn out to be Lord Voldemort? Harry was... I didn't love Harry, then. He was more of a crush really, an infatuation."

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Hermione whispered, while still fixed on the scene between her friend, when she was young, and Tom Riddle.

"I forgot all this happened. I only remember stuff since Harry came," Ginny suddenly realized Hermione said something. "Don't be. This is good, in a masochistic sort of way. Therapy, you know?"

Hermione nodded. Then, Ginny advanced on her young self and began to scream.

"You stupid, lonely bitch!! Get out of here! Run, you dumb git! Are you that dumb? You moronic little girl! Are you really going to let him kiss you? You slut! Nymph! Bloody, slutty little git!"

Hermione looked at her friend yelling at herself. She rushed towards her and hugged her. Ginny cried into her friends shoulder. Through Ginny's hair, Hermione could see Tom leaning down and kissing the young Ginny. He held her and began to kiss her more aggressively. It seemed past Ginny was fading. As if she were on television and someone was using the remote to drain the live colors out of her.

"Hermione, get us out of here," Ginny begged.

"Morphus!"

Nothing happened.

"Hermione, get us out of here!" Ginny cried. Hermione grabbed her hand and they began to run. They ran to the door leading into the chamber, and with an effort they pushed it open.

They were in one of the Hogwarts hallways. One of Lockhart's stupid little creatures was handing out valentines. It caught Harry. Young Ginny got extremely red when everyone laughed at the poem she wrote to the great Harry Potter.

"Are you alright Ginny?" Hermione asked, worried.

"Yeah," she said, wiping her eyes with her hand. "I'm fine."

She looked at the scene. "This was so embarrassing. I wanted to bury myself. I wanted to change schools. Luckily I had Tom to run crying to," Ginny said bitterly.

Ginny turned and walked away from the scene.

"Ginny, listen to me, I think it's not good for you to be here."

"Really, Hermione? How d'you figure that one out?" Ginny said with more than a little sarcasm.

Hermione chose not to respond. "Is there anything new you remember? From tonight?"

Ginny looked around her. She saw the bag she was wearing in Hogwarts. Her father bought her that bag. "Yeah, something about my father," Ginny said. "Does that help?"

"It should. It's just... I don't know what to do. How to control this thing!" Hermione cried helplessly.

"Just do something or take us home. I'm sick of this place," Ginny said.

"Oh..." Hermione racked her brain. Then she got really desperate. "Accio Arthur Weasley!"

"You don't really think that's going to work do y-"

Whoosh.

They were at the library. Ginny was chained. Angel and Voldemort were talking over some papers near Giles' desk. Hermione noticed a couple of books she heard about, stacked neatly next to what looked like a large transparent marble. Ollivander was slumped on the floor, looking ashen faced. Then, suddenly, Arthur was there.

"Don't underestimate yourself, pumpkin. You're a pivotal part of his plan," Arthur told Ginny.

"This is so bizarre. I remember this now," Ginny said as she relived the moment. "He says I'm going to die, and that he can't help me and then he tells me a secret of ours."

"That's not your father Ginny," Hermione said.

"Hermione, he told me something only he knows."

"Polyjuice and a good Legilemens will do the trick. Voldemort would react if he knew Arthur was here and he doesn't seem to notice."

"He smelled," Ginny said as if that settled the case.

"What?"

"He smelled like my father. A very distinct smell. It was him 'Mione."

There was beginning to be a crease in Hermione's forehead. "Did he touch you?"

"I don't think so."

"No, it can't be. That would be too much. Why would he need it anyway?" Hermione began to ponder out loud. "Unless... Harry! He was talking in the bathroom, that's what Buffy said, wasn't it?"

"I think so, yes," Ginny replied, dumbfounded.

"Then he can't be alone. We need to get him. Ginny, it's imperative we find Harry now!"

"But, we haven't recovered everything! I still have holes!" Ginny called.

Hermione advanced on her. "Ginny, if we don't get to Harry before it's too late, then even if he will survive, we'll lose him forever. Well, maybe except for visiting hours at St. Mungo."

Hermione waited for the things she said to sink it. Then she looked up at the ceiling. "Finite Incantatum!"

*********

Draco flew across the library and into a book stand. It toppled down with his weight as books flew every where. Voldemort sent him flying across the library with the flick of a wand. Just because Draco talked to her... Yes... He is lying on the floor, bruised, because of her. He is fighting his father because of her... He died because of her... He came back here for her...

And If I hade gotten the chance to do it all over again - I would've acted the same...

With another flick of a wand, a big gash was formed on Draco's forearm.

"You're thinking of her. I can see it in your eyes," Voldemort said as he squatted in front of Draco. "I can smell your weakness, tangled with the faintest aroma of doubt. That will all be gone soon. You're almost pure. In less than an hour, the demon within you will seize complete control."

Ollivander was on the floor, quiet. Apparently he had accepted his side's loss. Voldemort glanced at him and smiled.

"Now, if the circumstances have been better, I would have given you the time you need to develop by yourself. But as the clock is ticking, I am forced to ask you to kill Ollivander, now."

The old wizard raised his head slowly at the sound of his name.

Draco didn't respond. Voldemort responded by violently slapping the air before him. Draco's head shot left as the red imprint of a hand formed on his right cheek. "Draco... You have no one but me and your father."

Lucius nodded silently. His wand was pointed at the bottom of a small tube holding a silver solution.

"They won't help you. They won't accept you. They are the reason you're here. They kicked you out didn't they? If it wasn't for them you wouldn't be here? If it wasn't for them the world would be a better place. You would be treated like a prince. Instead you're sprawled and wounded on the bottom of a muggle's library. Don't you want to claim, what is rightfully yours?" Voldemort preached Draco, with enthusiastic bitterness.

"You could still be a prince," Voldemort said simply. "But that wouldn't satisfy a passionate young man," Voldemort paused, looking at Draco, "well, sort of man, like you. You could have her as your princess."

Draco raised his head. Voldemort leaned towards him. "And the first step towards that would be to kill that dumb wizard on the floor."

Draco shook his head sideways.

"Yes," Voldemort said. Draco shook his head stronger.

"Yes!" Voldemort made another violent movement with his hand. Draco's head shot right and Draco fell sideways, blood gushing down his cheek. He kept his head down, not moving.

"Yes, you will!" Voldemort called, Draco arched backwards with a yelp of pain. His knees on the floor, his head stretching backwards as if trying to reach his behind. Draco felt as if his ribcage was about to burst through his skin. "Yes!" Voldemort raised both his hands and Draco flew upwards through the window leading into Giles' office. Voldemort looked expectantly at the broken window.

The creature raised its wounded face and slowly pulled a shard of glass out of its yellow, rotten cheek. It healed itself almost instantly. It began to walk towards Ollivander.

Voldemort turned to Lucius. "Is the strengthening solution ready?"

"It is a matter of seconds, my lord."

A few seconds later, several corridors away, when Ollivander screamed his final sound, Giles thought he heard something.

*********

The rest of the group watched as Hermione and Ginny woke up abruptly. Hermione quickly stood up and paced in the room. She seemed a bit dizzy. Ron made a move to catch her but she held up her hand.

"I'm fine," she said, not very convincingly. Ginny still sat in her chair, looking disoriented.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Finally, her head stopped spinning. "We need to find Harry," she said.

"No doubt about it," Buffy said simply. "As soon as we snuff Draco,"

"You're going to kill him?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure a good talk and some dancing will calm him down, Gin," Buffy said.

"This doesn't matter," Hermione ploughed on urgently. "Lord Voldemort is going to kill Harry. He summoned, this, this being, called The First."

"The first what?" Dean said.

"Evil, I think. The First Evil," Hermione began to explain.

"I don't care what its name is. Just tell me how to kill it. I'm getting tired of sitting around," Buffy said, tension seething through her voice.

"You can't, Buffy. It's not corporeal," Hermione said.

"He's not in the army?" Buffy asked, confused.

"It doesn't have a body, you can't touch it," Hermione explained in an exasperated voice. "It's like a ghost. But that's not the point. It shows up in the form of dead people. And it knows, pretty much everything. About you, about your friends, your thoughts, your feelings. The First reads you like a book," Hermione finished, sounding somber.

"I don't get it. It's basically a ghost standing and babbling in your ear. What's the big emergency?" Buffy said.

"Oh my god, Hermione," Cho said with a rush of realization. "Cedric. Sirius. Bellatrix."

"His parents," Hermione added. "Voldemort is going to drive him crazy, and then in his moment of weakness, he is going to kill him."

"And then there will be no one left to kill Voldemort," Ron said.

Hermione approached Buffy. "We need to find him, Buffy, now. We need to help him."

"Whoa, hold on Hermione," Buffy said, awkwardly. "I'm not sure that's our first priority."

The wizards looked at her appalled.

"I mean," Buffy swallowed, "Harry can take care of himself. And we don't even know Voldemort is near him. Not to mention the fact that last time I saw him? I don't think he's going to listen to any of us. I mean, if he's seeing his dead parents I don't think any of us can imagine what he's going through."

"I can," Dean said suddenly. He was staring out the window, as if looking for something until just now. "But, I'm a lot more worried about the Zombie monster, that everyone it kills, comes back as another Zombie monster," Dean added.

"But only Harry can kill - ," Ginny started.

"That's just a prophecy," Buffy said. "There was a prophecy that I would die! Prophecies aren't concrete. We aren't puppets," Buffy told them, her voice raised.

"You did die, Buffy," Willow said gently. "Maybe we should save Harry first and then go to,"

"You guys are talking is if we are going to win this for sure!" Dean said, a bit louder than he intended. He continued, quieter. "Well, newsflash. Hate to be a party pooper but we ain't got no guarantees in this thing. We don't need to think what's the best way to win. We need to think how we can lose without the world ending. Now, I don't know what about you," Dean looked intently at all the faces that were on him. "But I think that if we get killed by Draco, and you guys are raised as creatures, then, even if Harry is walking on sunshine, there will be no stopping a small, constantly growing undead army. You could get Voldemort some other time."

"Hermione," Ron said, "I suggest you make him stop talking before I do."

Hermione placed a placating arm on Ron's chest and turned to Dean. "So what exactly do you suggest, Dean? Let our friend suffer from his past demons, while we know someone who wants him dead is lurking here somewhere? How humane of you," she added acidly.

"That's not what I'm saying," Dean said through clenched teeth.

"I'm tired of this," Ginny said and cast Dean a truly horrible look as she began to walk towards the door. "I'm going to find him."

"Listen to me!" Dean shouted. "It's simple math. Harry can fight Voldemort. Buffy can fight zombie guy. We need you," he looked at the wizards, "and Willow to hold back whatever evil guys from your world and vampires from Sunnydale try to get in the way. I will attend to Harry. I don't do magic, I don't have superpowers."

"Yeah, right," Ginny said.

"No way, mate," Ron called.

But Hermione was quiet.

"Hermione?" Ron looked at her, waiting for back up. "We can't trust him."

"You have to," Dean said.

"It makes sense, Ron," Hermione said. "Harry won't listen to us. He'll be too ashamed. You know how he gets."

"Wait, Dean," Buffy said. "I don't like you going out there alone. There are vampires, Voldemort, wizards..."

"Dementors," Cho added.

Ginny looked at her. "You felt the temperature drop too, then?"

"Dementors. They aren't, by any chance a group of stand up comedians are they?" Willow said, with false optimism.

"They suck all the positive emotions out of you. And you guys can't see them. You'll just feel cold, depressed and dark," Hermione explained. "The only way to fight them is by concentrating on happy thoughts."

"And clapping your hands and clicking your heels?" Buffy said.

Dean picked up his axe and looked at Buffy. "I'll go now. Anything I need to know?" he asked Hermione.

She took the wand Ginny brought to the room. Harry's wand. "Lumos."

A beam of light shone from the end of the wand. "His parents died when he was a baby. Voldemort murdered him because he heard of the prophecy - that one of them will be killed by the hands of the other. A boy - Cedric - died accidentally because of him. The same thing happened with his godfather, Sirius. As for Bellatrix, well, you know about that more than me," Hermione finished and handed Dean Harry's wand. "Give him this."

Dean nodded

Ginny was standing between him and the door. She took a step towards him so her face was mere inches from his. "What will you do if you see your father?"

"I'll ask him to hug me," Dean answered simply. "If he will run towards me and wrap his arms around me, then I'll believe in miracles. If he'll hesitate for a millisecond-" Dean adjusted the axe in his hands, "I'll spit right in his non - corporeal face," he finished. He looked extremely resolute, almost scary.

Ginny moved out of his way.

Dean nodded and left the room.

"Okay, now I really think we should just go and at least capture," Buffy said as she looked at Ginny, "Draco. It's getting late."

Buffy suddenly remembered Luna. "Did you try to wake her up?"

"Voldemort's spell is too powerful," Hermione answered. "Buffy," she began.

Buffy turned, surprised.

"There is one more thing I wanted to talk to you about," Hermione said apprehensively.

"What?" Buffy said. Her patience was wearing thin.

Hermione hesitated. "It's about Angelus," she paused. "I heard you two were involved so I figured I should ask your permission before..."

"Before what?!"

"In one of Ginny's memories from tonight, we saw the library. There was an orb of Thesula on Giles' desk. Seemed as though he was using it as a paperweight."

"What's an Orb of," Buffy asked.

"It's used to summon souls from the nether isn't it?" Willow said, excited once she realized what Hermione wanted to do. "Buffy, maybe she could Angel back."

Buffy was at a loss of words. In her wildest expectations, on this surprise filled night, she never imagined...

"You could do that?" Buffy asked.

"I could try," Hermione said. "It is... The spell isn't very complex, theory wise. But it requires a certain resilience that I never got around to checking that I own," she paused. "Besides, we need to get the Orb from the library and that won't be easy."

"I'm not sure Hermione," Ginny said. "Voldemort will be out looking for Harry right?"

"And Angel will start looking for me soon," Buffy said. "He's gonna what to kill me himself. He gets awfully jealous."

"And what about Draco?" Cho asked. "He'll probably stay in the library."

"We can get him out," Ginny said.

"How, Ginny?" Ron asked, hoping she isn't about to suggest what he thinks she will.

"If we get the Orb, Buffy will be free to fight Draco and Angel we'll be on our side. Then we're safe. It'll be over," Ginny told her brother.

"You're not going out there," Ron said.

"I'm not really asking you, am I Ron?" she answered back sharply.

"Ginny I forbid you to go there. You know Mother and Father would have said the same."

"Our father is dead Ron!" Ginny screamed. "Or didn't that sink through your thick skull? If The First was him then that means he's dead, Right?" Ginny looked at Hermione. Ron turned to her also.

Hermione inclined her head slightly downwards.

"So this is how it's gonna go," Ginny continued calmer yet more determined. "You and I are going to lure Draco. I can stall him long enough and you'll cover my back out of sight. Hermione, Willow and Cho will sneak into the library to take the orb after Buffy will start fighting Angel. I hope you three," she looked at the girls, "can handle Lucius and do the spell quickly so Buffy and Angel can come and kick Draco's ass. And I pray to god, Dean is keeping Harry sane," she paused.

"Now, if anyone of you objects to the plan, just tell me. I'll be waiting by the library," Ginny said and walked to the door.

"Wait," Hermione called. Ginny turned, her eyes daggers. "Take my wand. I won't need it for the spell and Cho will cover us. You need it more," Hermione paused. She hugged Ginny. "Be careful," she whispered.

Ron put one hand on one of each of the girls' shoulders. Ginny let go and walked with her brother into the hallway.

"So, Buffy," Willow said, as she took a step towards her friend. "Do you want to try it?"

Buffy's eyes were twinkling. There were small tears in them.

"Yes, please," the slayer said in a shaky voice as she looked at Hermione, her face the embodiment of hope.