I: Choices

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Whedon and Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling.

Title: A New Destiny

Summary: Albus Dumbledore takes desperate measures to assure victory for the Order and pleads with the higher powers for a warrior. The Powers answer, but Dumbledore receives more than he bargained for.

Timeline: Set during “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and after season seven of Buffy.

Pairing(s): I haven’t decided yet, there might not be any. There’s a touch of Buffy/Angel in this chapter, but not a lot because I can’t stand the pairing and Angel’s…well…

A/N: The story is AU for Buffy and Harry Potter. The Slayer speech was taken from “The Harvest,” season one of Buffy. It’s not the entire speech, but I couldn’t remember it and couldn’t find the entire one.

Dumbledore might seem a bit out of character in this chapter, but he’ll be back to himself, in the following chapters.

Happy Reading!

Hogwarts

Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, shakily laid a hand against the large double doors. While every headmaster and headmistress knew about the tomb of Hogwarts, none knew where the tomb was located, only Hogwarts, the school itself knew.

And finally, in the wizarding and non-magical world’s desperate need, Hogwarts had lead him to the Catacombs of Hogwarts. Pushing against the double doors, Albus moved back, when the doors slowly begin to swing inwards.

He watched, as the darkness that pervaded the cavernous room, slowly gave way to the colors of twilight.

Stepping into the room, Dumbledore looked around, the room itself was filled with hundred of thousands of books, even the many tables that were scattered throughout the room, held books.

However, in the center of the room, there was a circular table, which held only a single book.

Dumbledore grinned, knowingly; the school was directing him towards the right path - directing him, to those who would help the Order and Harry achieve victory over Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

When he reached the table, the book opened and began to turn its own pages. Barely a minute passed before the pages settled on a page. Leaning forward, Albus studied the pages. On the first page was writing, but on the second page there was a sketch of a young woman wielding a scythe. Holding the page with a finger, Albus closed the book to look at the cover page, which read: Legendary and Mystical Champions Spanning the Multi-Verse.

Albus returned to the pages and focused on the writing. The title of the page read: “The Slayer.”

Underneath the title a there was a brief description that read: “Into every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.”

Yes, this Slayer girl would be perfect. Now, how to bring her here? Albus hunched over the page and begin to read in detail.

Somewhere Other Worldly / Place of the Powers that Be

Whistler hated coming here to speak with the Powers that Be, especially when it involved the current Slayer and her screwed up and motley crew of misfits. He had kinda hoped the Powers would have left the kid and hers’ alone, considering the year they had, had. Something big must be going down or about to happen.

He really, really hated this place, it was a black void filled with swirling and spiraling mist. Whistler jumped when a disembodied voice begin to speak, filling the void with its voice.

“Soon a wizard shall call on us, asking for the use of our Champion. We will agree to it, only if the Slayer agrees.”

“What if the kid doesn’t agree? She ain’t the most agreeable person alive. Why are you guys, so determined to get rid of her?” Whistler asked.

A new voice answered and for some reason, Whistler thought it was a chick.

“The Slayer will agree. The Slayer must be removed because the Slayer continues to upset the balance. The line of Slayers must truly be restored. The awakened Potentials will loose their newly given power.”

Whistler didn’t know how to respond to that. Hell, the poor kid just kept getting a rough deal. Finally he asked, “Should I tell her that?”

“No, the Slayer does not need to know. The Slayer does not need to be burdened by consequences that are not her fault. In consolation for the Slayer’s agreement and help, we will insist that the Slayer’s family be allowed to come with her.”

“What if she still refuses ‘cause I’m betting that she does,” Whistler said.

“Then we will remove the Slayer by force. Go now. The wizard shall contact us soon. The Slayer and her family need to be ready to leave.”

Los Angeles / Hyperion Hotel

“You’ve always look amazing in black like a golden star against a night sky,” Angel said, placing a gentle hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “Willow told me, that you’ve been up here for awhile. What’s wrong?”

Buffy slipped from her ex’s grasp and turned to face the souled-vampire, putting a good couple feet between them. While she appreciated Angel letting her and the other Scoobies stay at the hotel, it had been hard for her. It was hard because, Angel treated her like she was his girl and while she had told him that he would be the first to know when she was baked – it didn’t mean that they were together.

“Buffy,” Angel called out, smiling at the delicate looking blonde, “you started to wonder on me. What’s wrong?”

“Sorry,” Buffy muttered, looking away from Angel. “I got a bit lost in thought. Nothings wrong, I’m just…I don’t know. It’s been a month since we defeated the First, but I feel like something isn’t right like the other shoes still gotta drop.”

“It’s not surprising, Buffy. You and the others spent a year fighting the First, hell – you spent seven years on the hellmouth constantly fighting, it isn’t surprising that you can’t relax.” Angel said.

Shaking her head in disagreement, Buffy stepped farther away from Angel. He didn’t get it. There was something wrong. She couldn’t place it or say what it was, but there was something horribly wrong. She knew it. Knew it in her veins, knew it in her heart. There was something wrong and it was going to blow up in their faces – if there was nothing done about it.

*******
Slipping on a green hoodie, Willow decided that she was going to ignore Kennedy’s nasty remark about Buffy, for now – at least. At this moment, she had to go find her best friend.

There was something wrong, Willow could feel it, the earth was almost screaming at her. And she was sure that Buffy knew something was wrong and that this new wrongness – was the cause for her best friend’s melancholy.

Once she stepped out of the room, she shared with Kennedy, Willow shut her eyes and began to concentrate on Buffy’s distinct and unique essence. She was on the roof and Angel was there too. Willow hurried to the stairwell that would lead her to the roof.

Ever since she had done the awakening spell and used Buffy’s slayer essence as a guiding tool and the essence of the scythe, she and Buffy had been closer than ever – it was more than just a friendship level, it was almost as if their energies had been crossed and overlapped. But that was something none of them could figure out.

Hogwarts

Carefully, Albus poured two circles of blood, his own and unicorns around himself, making sure not to mix them. Blood Magic – one of the most darkest and dangerous magics to ever exist, but if this is what it took to save his world – he would do it.

Bracing himself, Albus begin to read the inscription that would allow him to call on the Powers that Be, the higher powers that ruled the Slayer’s world.

“Hear me!” Albus called out. “I humbly call on the Powers that Be to beg them for their assistance. I offer my own blood and that of a creature pure, as supplication and as a binding contract.”

With that said, Albus poured the remaining blood of unicorns into a silver bowl and cut into his palm and letting his blood drip into the bowl and mix with the unicorns silver blood.

Albus jerked in surprise when the sconces blew out and a neutral, yet terrifying voice filled the pitch black room.

“We know what you wish to ask of us. We have known since you began your search for help. You wish to use our Slayer, our weapon against the forces of darkness that threatens our world. Why should we allow you to have our weapon?”

“Please – my world needs the help of your Slayer. Our leader does nothing and our community does not believe me or my order about the return of our greatest foe. Once, we have defeated him, you can have your Slayer back.” Dumbledore said.

“You may take our weapon on one condition. The condition is that the Slayer may never return to our world. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, that’s acceptable. I’ll make sure that the Slayer is well cared for.” Dumbledore promised and asked, “When is the Slayer arriving?”

“The Slayer will arrive at your school three nights from now. Do not contact us again.”

Los Angeles / Hyperion Hotel

Buffy paced the length of the small room that she shared with Dawn, ignoring Willow’s worried and questioning looks. They had been talking for two hours, ever since Will had rescued her from an uncomfortable semi-conversation with Angel.

They had discussed and agreed on the fact that something was horribly wrong and probably going to go all ka-plooey on them, they just couldn’t figure out what it was. Buffy had sent Dawn to scrounge up the rest of the Scooby Gang, which had come to include Faith and Robin.

“Hey kid,” Whistler said, popping into the room and ignoring Willow’s startled cry. “That was some crazy idea you thought up. The Powers are pissed, but impressed, they’re impressed with you too witch. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Who are you?” Willow demanded, quickly moving to stand by Buffy.

Shooting Willow a look that said: ‘it’s okay, calm down,’ Buffy turned her attention back to the balance-demon. “What do you want Whistler? I suppose you’ve come here to deliver some crap-tastic news that is your job – after all.”

“You’re right as rain, again kid. You were called on by a wizard from another universe to help them out with their big bad. The Powers say that it’s your choice, if you want to help him or not.” Whistler said.

Glaring at the balance-demon, Buffy knew without a doubt that he was lying his badly dressed ass off. Buffy knew that she didn’t have a choice; Whistler was just easing the blow of being treated like tool with a bunch of bull shit. And Buffy knew that Whistler knew – that she knew, what he was doing.

“The Powers also extended the invitation to your family too. Look talk with them, I’ll be back tomorrow for your decisions,” Whistler said and popped out of the room, as quickly as he came.

*******
As soon as Whistler was gone, the door was flung open and the rest of the Scooby Gang scurried into the room. Buffy and Willow exchanged an amused glance and turned to face their family with identical disapproving looks.

“I suppose you were all listening at the door,” Buffy said.

“No, only Faith was and then she told us what the guy was saying to you.” Dawn responded cheerfully and quickly added, “I’m going with you. I won’t be forcibly separated from you again and before you say anything, it is my choice.”
Buffy opened her mouth to disagree, but was cut off by Xander.

“The Dawn-monster is right Buff, this is our own choice to make and we won’t allow you to have any say in it.” Xander said. “So, I’m going and I can pretty much guess Willow and Giles are going too.”

“I have no idea what I’ll be facing. I don’t want you guys in that situation,” Buffy responded, stubbornly.

Turning to face her best friend, Willow firmly put on her resolve face. “I understand that you want us to be safe and we love you for that. But Buffy, we want you to be safe and we are not going to allow you to go to another universe and face some unknown big bad. Dawn’s right it is our choice and not yours.”

“We’re not going to leave your side Buffy, never again,” Giles said, smiling gently at his Slayer’s annoyed look.

“Me and Robin, we’ll stay here and deal with the newbies and the Council,” Faith said, smirking at Buffy. “B, they ain’t gonna let you go without them, you gotta know and understand that. This ain’t a choice you can make for ‘em and they’ve already decided. Live with it.”