The Eighth Weasley

Chapter Fifteen The Wicked Witch

Notes: This chapter is probably going to seem a bit garbled, but - alas - I've changed my mind about things that happened in earlier chapters and I need to fiddle with them here, so you'll have to bear with me. Also, it WAS going to be chapter 16, but I couldn't finish 15 yet and I was dying to post this...

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"So was this a case of self-transfiguration?"

Dumbledore nodded, regarding the rat sitting on the workbench between them. Back at the School early, Professors McGonagall, Sprout and Snape had come to aid him in an attempt to help Willow's childhood friend.

"Apparently, she and the Slayer were about to be burned at the stake by a demon-controlled rabble of muggles and she escaped by transfiguring herself into this form. However, none of her friends were advanced enough to transfigure her back."

McGonogall bent to regard the rat curiously. "I suppose we could attempt to transfigure her into human form," she suggested, raising her eyes to the Headmaster. "Although you know the risks that are carried by that."

"What about using mandrakes?" the eldest professor present asked quietly, looking up at Sprout and Snape. "Would they work on self-transfigurations that have been in place as long as this one?"

Sprout scratched her uncontrolled, flyaway mass of dirt-tangled hair, wrinkling her brow in thought. "They probably would work, but it would have to be a very mature mandrake because of how long she has been like this."

"How long has she been in this form?" Snape asked.

Dumbledore replied, "Over a year. Willow, that is Sarah Weasley, has attempted to turn her back previously, but she was simply not advanced enough."

"If there is an available mandrake that is mature enough," the Potions Master glanced at the Herbology Mistress, who nodded once. "The sooner we can have the potion ready, the better it will be for her."

Sprout frowned. "You know, the little sod isn't going to be amused if I dig him up now," she remarked dryly. "He thought he was going to get away with being left for four years in the corner of the potting shed."

"You can control him?"

Professor Sprout snorted, straightening her mud-stained robes as if she had been offended by the Transfiguration Mistress. "Minerva, there is no plant in the potting sheds that I can't handle." There was a pause. "Although, I'm not sure how I'm going to get him to let go of his zimmer frame..."

"An old-aged mandrake with a zimmer frame..." McGonagall almost smiled at the image that conjured up. "Somehow, that shouldn't surprise me."

Sprout scowled. "If he had the chance, he would chase younger mandrakes off his lawn," she sighed heavily. "He is getting rather out of hand, I'll admit. Maybe picking him will teach him to behave better."

"Rather you than I, my dear," Dumbledore chuckled softly. "When will you be able to do so?"

"Give me half an hour to get warmed up and I should have him by tomorrow morning."

"Severus, how long will it take you to make the potion?"

The Potions Master rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It would take a day at most, unless we simmer it for longer for more mature potency." He cast a glance at Sprout. "Considering the age of the mandrake in question, it may be wiser to simmer it for a full twenty four hours."

"So a pair or trio of days, depending on how long it takes to tame this wild mandrake?" There was an unmistakeable twinkle in the Headmaster's blue eyes. "I'm sure that a few more hours won't make much difference to our rodent companion."

Snape and Sprout nodded, both turning and hurrying out of Dumbledore's round office at the top of the tower, leaving the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall regarding the large rat sitting on the desktop.

"Would she have had the potential to be one of ours, Albus?"

Blue eyes looked at her over gleaming, half-moon spectacles. "There is always a possibility of that, Minerva," he replied quietly. "Willow told me that Amy, this rather fetching rat, had a witch for a mother."

"Did she mention what her surname was?" Taking the seat across the desk, McGonagall watched as Dumbledore gently lifted the rat back into the large cage that was positioned on the floor beside his seat.

His silver beard rippling as he nodded, Dumbledore replied, "Madison, if I recall correctly."

McGonagall's brow wrinkled in thought. "I don't recall that we ever had any Madisons attending the school..." she remarked thoughtfully. "And you did say that Willow's adopted mother was called Sheila?"

"That's correct."

"Well, what if she was young Sheila? The sister?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I had thought about that possibility, but Willow claimed her 'mother' knew nothing of magic."

The Transfiguration Professor snorted. "And Sheila did?"

"She knew...certain things."

"Dark magic, Albus. It's not the same."

"I am aware of that, Minerva," he replied patiently. "But I am certain that Sheila Rosenberg was merely an innocent person who was unfortunately dragged into the plan for the concealment of Willow from us and the ministry."

"Yes, Albus..." McGonagall got to her feet. "I suppose I should return to my offices now. I have some work I must get done, before we see who young Amy really is."

"Good night, Minerva."

"Good night, Albus."

***

"One drop should suffice."

"How long will it take to work?"

Snape pursed his lips in thought. "Give it five minutes at the most. If we're lucky, it should work instantaneously."

Dumbledore nodded, bending and lifting the rat from the cage. They had transferred her to the medical wing for the dosing of the potion and, if it worked, for her comfort when she turned back into a human.

"When you are ready, Severus."

With a dropper, the Potions Master collected some of the potion and turned his attention to the rat that was held - strangely placid - in the Headmaster's hands.

Deftly, he managed to capture the small head gently between forefinger and thumb and squeezed the dropper into the rodent's mouth. "I would suggest you put her down before she changes back, Headmaster."

Before Dumbledore could move to do so, though, the rodent leapt from his hands and towards the bed. The rat landed on the bed beside them, bounced slightly, then started to writhe and squeak.

"It's working," Snape breathed.

A glow flared out around the rat's form and both men quickly shielded their eyes with their forearms. Only when a shaking voice spoke, did they lower their arms.

"Wh-what happened?"

Sitting on the bed, her knees pulled up against her chest, her hair matted and tangled around her face, a young woman - probably about nineteen years of age - was staring around the room around her, shivering.

Dumbledore moved first, draping a blanket around the naked girl, to shield her modesty, before giving her a reassuring smile. "You've been a rat for almost a year and a half, Miss Madison. Your friend, Willow, asked us to help."

Brown eyes stared up at him suspiciously, full of fear. "Who are you?" she demanded unsteadily, her hands gripping the edges of her blanket tight around her body. "Where's Willow? Where am I?"

"You're at a Wizarding School in England, Miss Madison. I'm Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster," Dumbledore sat down on the end of the bed. "You will be able to see Willow as soon as you've recovered. You have just been through a frightful ordeal."

The girl nodded uncertainly. "Wh-why did you help me?"

"Because we could, my dear," Patting one of her hands gently, Dumbledore got to his feet and smiled down at her. "I'll leave you in the capable hands of Madam Pomfrey. She'll get you back on your feet, won't you, Poppy?"

In response, the school matron promptly bustled both of the teachers out of the Medical Wing and closed the door behind them with a firm 'click'.

Professor Dumbledore turned to Snape. "You've been strangely quiet in spite of the success of your potion, Severus."

"You didn't recognise her, did you?"

"Miss Madison?" Snape nodded grimly. "Should I have?"

The Potions Master's expression was strained. "You do remember the Wizard who stole the youngest Weasley from her crib?" Dumbledore nodded, uncertain where Snape was leading. "And you recall his sister?"

"Of course."

"Do you remember the sister's face?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Surely not..."

"She's the double of her, Headmaster." Pacing back and forth across the hall, Snape swung around to face the Headmaster, his face drawn. "If I'm to make an assumption, I would say that she is Sheila Pettigrew's daughter."

"Strange as it does seem, it would certainly explain why she had such an affinity for rats, when performing transfiguration on others and herself. It seems it was a family trade-mark." He fingered his beard, pensively. "And the name Madison..."

"Could be a pseudonym," Snape finished. "They were both darksiders, Headmaster, so a little name-changing would hardly be considered a serious crime compared to some of the other things they did."

Dumbledore motioned for Snape to walk with him, both of them making their way through the darkened corridors of the building. They walked in silence to the gargoyle that led to the Headmaster's office.

"Humbug."

The gargoyle swung aside and the two teachers stepped onto the moving staircase.

By the time they entered the office, candles were burning and a fire was crackling in the chilly hearth, the house elves having raced up as soon as they had spotted Professor Dumbledore on his way.

"Headmaster..." Snape began falteringly. Rounding his large desk to sit down, Dumbledore nodded, gesturing for Snape to sit as well. "If Pettigrew's niece has been found, what happened to her mother? Is she still at large?"

Dumbledore couldn't help chuckling. "Well, I would say she is more...er...at small."

"Pardon?"

"Apparently, Sheila - or Catherine as she was known - attended normal, American High Schools after her expulsion from this school for using the dark arts," the Headmaster explained. Willow had told him of all her witching encounters, including those with 'Mrs Madison'. "She became fairly famous as a cheerleader."

"A what?"

"The Americans seem to like to have professional cheer-leading girls to support their sports teams. Even in high schools, they encourage young women to don skimpy costumes and dance in strange routines which apparently...er...spur their team to victory."

Snape couldn't muffle a snigger. "What on earth will they think of next? And Pettigrew was one of these...cheerers?"

"A very good one, judging by the awards she won. Alas, she wanted Amy to follow in her footsteps and when she proved incapable, Pettigrew resorted to the dark arts again and stole her daughter's body."

"I'm not surprised at that. She always was a rather selfish child."

"She did succeed, but she attempted to literally wipe out the competition. Fortunately for everyone, one of them was the Slayer and - with help - they defeated Sheila somehow and she was somehow transfigured into one of her trophies."

Snape raised a brow. "As you can see, I am distraught."

"Obviously," Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. "Something tells me that it is an odd kind of poetic justice."

"So we're not about to run to the poor witch's rescue?"

Dumbledore exaggerated a heavy sigh. "But Severus, I just got back and I am frightfully tired..."

The Potions Master chuckled. "So that would be a no."

~End Chapter Fifteen~

Chapter 16 - An Interlude

Notes - since I don't have access to my disks (why can't my grandfather have a nice, normal PC, like any regular person??), I'm writing this chapter, as a kind of fill in and because I want to write a thank-you-something for m'dear Blaire. Also, this chapter looks at what's going on back in Sunnyhell, cos we don't know what they're up to ATM.
And, on a side note to people who comment on the latest Buffy-show-happenings in the reviews - could you please not do that? Its just that I haven't seen the latest season yet, being stuck in Britain and being with it for at least another six months due to lack of Sky/Cable/Satellite) *huge pout* Tisn't fair!

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"H-How was slaying?"

Dropping onto the couch and swinging her feet up on the table, Buffy shrugged. "Slay-ey."

"How very literal."

The Slayer grinned at him, stretching her arms over her head with a satisfied groan. "You know me. Took out a couple of vamps on campus and a few in the old cemetery." She looked up at her former Watcher curiously. "So, what's the what? Why'd you call a meeting of the Scoobies?"

"A letter arrived from Willow this morning," he replied. "I thought you all might want to hear the news about how she's getting on." Buffy opened her mouth to say something, but Giles raised a hand. "And I'm not going to open it until everyone is here."

"You're no fun," the Slayer grumbled.

The former Wizard chuckled. "I try."

It was barely five minutes later when the door opened again, permitting Xander and Anya to enter the house. As usual, they were bickering about something, which had become a frequent feature of their relationship since their return from London.

Since, Anya had discovered she was a billionaire by Wizarding standards, she had decided that Xander would have to be one too and would have to put a few coins into a savings account, then get himself turned into a demon for a thousand years.

Needless to say, he was not to thrilled about the whole idea.

"Honey, I don't want to be a billionaire. I'm happy as I am." He paused. "Well, maybe not happy, but comfortable. I'm comfortable."

"You live in a basement and you work for Dairy Queen!"

Her boyfriend sighed, "That's because I can't get any other job and since I can't get any other job, I can't move out of the basement."

"So become a billionaire like me! Its nice having lots of money for clothes."

"Anya, I don't want to be a billionaire. I just want to be comfortable."

"But I can't date someone who has less money than I have, Xander!" the former demon exclaimed miserably. "Its like a Queen dating a slave. And a muggle slave at that!" She gave him a plaintive look. "Can't you become a demon billionaire for me? I thought you loved me, Xander."

"Can we not have this argument now, sweetie?"

"Can we have it later?"

Xander reluctantly nodded. "I guess so."

"Okay!" Anya cheered up considerably and looped her arm through his. "Hi Giles!"

"Good afternoon, Anya...Xander."

"Will this take long? We have an argument to finish."

"It shouldn't take too long, Anya. Willow's owl arrived this morning with a letter from her."

"Her owl! I bought that owl!" She squeezed Xander's arm. "See, if you had billions of dollars, you could buy her an owl as well, instead of the presents that no one likes!"

"But she wouldn't need two owls, would she, Anya?" Buffy put in hurriedly, seeing the embarrassed expression on Xander's face. "C'mon! Sit down! I want to see what she's been doing and what her crazy family are like! Giles," She gave an imperious wave of her hand. "Make with the reading"

"Is that any way to speak to your elder?" The Englishman made a parody of being shocked.

"All right, all right," Buffy laughed. "Make with the reading...now!"

Shaking his head, Giles chuckled as he opened the letter. "You're incorrigible."

***

Hi guys!

I thought I should write to you, to let you know what's going on and that I'm okay and everything. I got home to The Burrow (it feels weird writing that now) a few days ago and I'm having a great time here, even though my family are crazier than I thought they would be!

They built a room for me and stuck it on the roof of the house. From the outside, it looks like its standing on top of one of the chimneys, which looks really weird, but inside (You have to crawl along the roof to get to it, which is really neat. Weird, but neat) it looks just like my room back home in Sunnydale. You have to come and see it some time!

HI! Its me! Ginny!

Dad just called Willow down to ask her about more muggle stuff, so I thought I'd write something, since she left her quill lying around (which is a really stupid thing to do in this house!). Willow thinks we're all crazy here and I s'pose she's right! Mind you, she's the only person in the family who has actually made friends with the ghoul in the attic, so maybe she fits in more than she realised...

Uh oh! She's coming back! Bye!

You know what I really don't like about this? Everyone else in the family could delete something that someone else had written with their wand, but I don't have a wand and no one else will show me how to do the spell to erase what Ginny wrote, so it looks like I'll have to leave it in for now.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you all about everything that's going on here. Everyone has come to stay at home and Fred and George keep trying to play tricks on me. Don't tell them I wrote this, but they're really funny. Ron is kind of funny as well, but in a non-jokey way and he's really nice. He reminds me a lot of Xander (if you're there, hi, Xander!).

Charlie is hardly ever here, cos they just had a new shipment of baby dragons and he can't leave them yet. He also says he won't get one for me (I asked if I could have one, when they're old enough)because they don't make good pets and because he thinks mom would be mad if it burned the house down.

Percy stopped visiting after George gave me a fake wand and it shot out sparks as soon as I touched it and set Percy's suit on fire. I don't know why he didn't want to see me again, after that. I told him it was an accident, but George said I could only set the wand off if I wanted to 'set Percy's arse alight'. I didn't! Not really.

Bill is really nice and his wife...she's okay. She's kind of like Cordelia, except she's got lighter hair and a French accent (a French Cordelia...that's scary!). I haven't met Fred and George's girlfriends yet, but mom says they're coming for dinner one night, when members of my family that I don't know stop visiting.

I've got about fifty uncles and aunts from all over England and its really crazy here now, cos every day, one or two of them falls out of the fireplace when we're having breakfast and asks to see me! I thought only my grandma did the cheek-pinching thing, but I was wrong! Mom thinks its really funny, especially since she hasn't seen half of them for years and they just arrive.

Apparently, Rita Skeeter did find out about the 'missing Weasley' and I was featured in the Daily Prophet and only in the nicest of terms. I think Rita is scared I'll set you on her, Buffy! it turns out that I'm almost as famous as Harry is, so I'll probably have books written about me in a few years. How cool is that? I'm nearly famous!

I have to finish this now! Merlin (my owl - thanks Anya!) is getting impatient again because he knows I'm writing a letter for him to take and when he's bored waiting, he rattles his beak along the cage. I had to send letters to mom in the kitchen, just so I could let him do something and shut him up!

I miss you all! Write back to me soon!

Lots of love,

Willow.

***

"She sounds like she's doing okay," Buffy commented, accepting the letter to re-read it. "Do we have an owl to write back to her with?"

Giles motioned towards the roof with his glasses clutched between forefinger and thumb. "M-Merlin is up there somewhere. If we write quickly, we may escaped without the cage rattling." An indignant hoot sounded high above them. "Same to you, you little bastard." The former librarian muttered with grimace.

The three youths couldn't help laughing.