We're not in California Any More

Chronicles of Scooby 2

Author: Tohonomike tohonomike@aol.com
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and then CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, with JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Universe as the main venue; Should any other characters make an appearance from other shows (not planning it), they aren’t mine either and real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. Thank you.

This is dedicated to those of you who enjoy the stories in question.

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The objects on their persons became real, as the red jewel Changed and through it the burst of Chaos-enhanced-and-ambient-Hellmouth energies of that instant flared around and then throughout the immediate vicinity; some things would Become, while others Changed Back.

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Albus Dumbledore was many things and had a great load of responsibility placed upon his shoulders, what with Tom Riddle waging a campaign of terror on the Wizarding World. The Headmaster of Hogwarts looked around, and wondered why he might have taken polyjuice (the current form was clearly not his own), and how had he been apparated to what seemed to be a town built upon a Hellmouth. Only something of such foulness could permeate the very air around him.

“Xander!” a youthful spirit of indiscreet muggle attire called to him, and for a moment he had to realize that ‘Xander’ was a name and not a muggle colloquialism. Perhaps it was the name of the form he’d taken.

“Um, yes, how might I help you?”

“Xander, why so formal?” she asked in confusion. “Never mind, it looks like everybody’s turned into their costumes! I dressed as a ghost and now I am a ghost! Thank goodness you’re okay! We have to find Buffy and Giles to figure out a counter-spell!”

Albus decided to take a chance since the girl was obviously aware of magic, and the name Giles did occasionally come up in the rolls at Hogwarts, though the only one he knew was a rascal that disappointingly was wreaking havoc equally amongst wizard-kind and the demons of London. A young woman with somehow familiar eyes walked over as he spoke.

“Actually, young lady, I too am affected, I’m Albus Dumbledore,” he bowed slightly, and the newcomer had a relieved look.

“Excellent, Headmaster. It is I, Professor Minerva McGonagall.”

“Minerva,” he smiled with a twinkle in his eye, “You seem shorter than last we met, though no less formidable.”

He received a beaming Dawn smile in reply as Willow looked upset.

“Oh no! The two of you aren’t you any more! Hurry! We must save Buffy so she can defend us and keep the vam—”

“Corpus Incendiere!” both of her companions called out, and two real vampires chasing after a young woman in a noblewoman’s dress and several small children, flared into dust. Willow turned around to see them pointing stick thingies to where the vamps had been.

“Oh, okay. That works too. That’s Buffy! Let’s go!”

Albus chuckled as they followed, “A rather excitement young girl, isn’t she Minerva?”

“Indeed, though she seems to be the only one who has an inkling of our current status.”

“Yes, and she mentioned the surname of Giles. It is my hope that after assisting her with the frightened young woman we’re coming upon, that this Mr. Giles will be able to help us somewhat. Except in an emergency, I’d rather not use our wands on a Hellmouth—especially not this Californian one if my guess is correct.”

“Should we apparate out?”

“Not a good idea on a Hellmouth at the best of times.”

“And with things so chaotic—”

“Minerva, I believe you have it!”

“I should say not! I bathe and take my medicinal potions as needed,” she sniffed, but retained an amused look as they came upon the scene. Two dark-haired teens were helping the one presumed to be ‘Buffy’ to her feet. The young boy was speaking to ‘Willow’.

“And then when I introduced myself, Faith here declared she was my mother Lily—and she’s been, she’s been gone almost eleven years.” Harry looked pained at Faith. Albus looked at the young boy, and his eyes.

“It can’t be…”

Willow nodded knowingly, “I know, and Xander here suddenly declares himself Alpo Bumblebee or something—”

Minerva in Dawn looked miffed at the disrespect shown her mentor and employer.

“That’s Albus Dumbledore, young lady!”

“Headmaster Dumbledore?!” Harry exclaimed, Faith turning to look. “Is it really you?”

“Indeed it is, young man. If you don’t mind me asking, you look an awful lot like James Potter.”

“My father, I know, you’ve told me that before, and I have my mom’s eyes,” he replied with uncharacteristically displayed irritation. “And she thinks she’s my mum.”

“Lily?” Albus asked, not recognizing her. She turned at the name. “So I take it we haven’t been forced into taking polyjuice and obliviated. Oh dear.”

“Headmaster?” Lily Potter nee Evans in the body of Faith Lehane responded, “What’s going on?”

“I fear some strong magicks are at work. And I believe I know who is responsible though I’m surprised at his being this capable on such a scale. As this young spirit has mentioned the name Giles, I can only deduce that with Chaos Magic, this could be the work of one Ethan Rayne, who I believe was a seventh year when you and James were second years.”

“Ethan?!” Willow cried as Buffy woke up from her fainting spell. “That’s the name of the man who rented us our costumes!”

“Well then, we must go there and end this at once before those who seem to be children possessed into demony, become responsible for murders.”

Harry paused as Willow moved to lead them, which caused Harry to look at Faith. She turned back.

“Harry? What’s wrong, luv?”

The boy sighed, “For me, this is the closest…you’re…Voldemort…”

Lily in Faith looked at the boy, and hugged him strongly and maternally.

“Oh Harry,” Lily Potter sighed. “Voldemort killed me, didn’t he?”

Harry nodded silently and wept as he held her. Albus explained sadly that he and Minerva must also have passed by this time, as he knows Lily to be alive and only expecting at the time. Willow waited for a moment as Minerva cast a stupefy spell on the annoying whiny noblewoman with excellent taste in clothes. Willow seemed confused, but gave everybody a moment before they started to wander in the direction of Ethan’s shop. Harry and his ‘mother’ talked hurriedly, and emotionally, both knowing it unlikely that they’d be with each other much longer.

On the way to the costume shop, the four wizards kept casting stupefy spells on aggressive individuals, which kept Lady Elizabeth from running off from the protection of the nice no-doubt-satan-worshiping-wizards that kept her alive and safe.

“Well, this is the place, I feel it,” Albus nodded as they reached the shop. “I’ll lead the way, then Miner—” he halted as Willow phased through the door and headed in. “Well, Lilly, Harry then Elizabeth.”

They walked in to the front room, then in the back, where they found a much older Ethan Rayne smirking as Willow the Spirit ineffectually kept swinging at him. He nodded respectfully as the magic wielders entered the room.

“Headmaster, I was rather expecting you, though not this soon.”

“I am here, Mister Rayne. Why have you done this?”

“For the Chaos of it, and in hopes that you and the others would leave behind something of yourselves to gift these young ones to fight evil,” Ethan looked serious, and sighed. “Things aren’t going so well, sir.”

“Be that as it may, these children we’re possessing should at least have been given the choice of participating, and the others…”

“If they choose, it isn’t Chaos, Headmaster…”

“How do we end this spell, Mister Rayne?” Dumbledore in Xander demanded, brooking no resistance. Ethan stepped back and to the side and gestured at the bust of Janus, eyes glowing. Lady Buffy refused to enter the room, but Minerva, Lily and Harry stood behind Dumbledore as he pointed his wand, drawing theirs, backs to a door-open wardrobe.

Dumbledore fired a spell from his wand, and because of the Chaos, it made for an interesting feedback loop of magic. The four magic-users found themselves engulfed in a bubble of magic as they were thrown back into the wardrobe, and as it dissipated, their own wands discharged in response, striking the sides of the cabinet as they hurled back through furs.

Ethan watched in horror as the doors slammed closed, and then magic from wands seemed to explode and disintegrate the piece of furniture. He then noticed the pain in several parts of his abdomen, the blood around the splinters and the descending darkness as a young woman screamed.