Return to Hogwarts

Author: Jaded
Story: Bloody Ghost
Pairings: Not sure yet.
Disclaimer: I own no one. I do this merely for fun, not profit
Summary: Willow dies and finds herself as a ghost in Hogwarts...and decides that Draco Malfoy needs a real friend, whether he wants one or not.
Time Lines: So...yeah. I know, updates are insanely sporadic and I'm sorry. I'll try to do better.



Willow was fidgeting.

Dawn studied the older woman intently as she packed up a duffel bag of clothes. Buffy and Xander were downstairs arguing with Giles and Dumbledore about whether or not Willow should leave. They didn’t want her to go away so soon after returning to consciousness. Dawn, however, had seen what they had not.

Willow was very very worried for this “Mr. Malfoy” and was feeling very guilty about the attack.

“Who is he, Wills?” she finally asked. Willow froze, blinking up at her. Before that night three months previously, Dawn had studiously avoided the redhead. She hadn’t been willing to forgive her for everything that had happened leading up to and after Tara’s death. The attack on Willow, however, had completely changed the key’s outlook on the situation. Then, of course, were her new abilities.

“He’s a student. His father is a follower of this evil dark lord the wizards are trying to fight but Drake doesn’t want anything to do with it. He insists he’s his own man and will never bow before someone else, no matter how much power they have,” she explained, sitting down and watching Dawn with an unreadable expression. “When I first showed up, I overheard some of his classmates planning something nasty to get him to ‘see the light’ about their Dark Lord.”

“And you took it upon yourself to protect him,” Dawn said and Willow nodded.

“I wanted to protect him since I…I hadn’t…” she trailed off.

“Since you hadn’t protected me,” Dawn supplied and the redhead nodded, a single tear falling down her cheek. Dawn sighed. “I don’t hate you anymore,” she whispered.

Willow looked up at her hopefully. “Really?” she asked and Dawn smiled.

“The attack made me realize a bunch of things that I never want Buffy to know I realized,” she told her impishly and Willow smiled. “I never hated you. I just…I was scared.”

“And you had every right to be scared, Dawnie. What I did….,” Willow choked up and Dawn gave her a smile.

“No worries, its all in the past now,” she assured her. “Now, get packed so you can go help this guy.”

“Thank you Dawnie,” Willow smiled as they both got up from their seats. Dawn gave her a smirk reminiscent of Spike.

“No problem, Wills,” she replied as she left the room to allow the redhead to finish packing.

Half an hour later, Willow and Spike were saying goodbye to Buffy, Xander, Anya, and Giles. The Slayer had finally relented to Willow leaving when Spike had said he’d go with to keep an eye on the redhead.

“Dawnie, what the hell is that?” Buffy demanded when the younger girl came down the stairs, two duffels slung over her shoulders. She threw them down with Willow and Spike’s things and stared hard at her sister.

“I’m going with them, Buf,” she told her calmly. Buffy opened her mouth but Dawn held up a hand.

“They’re going to a school, Buffy. Who else is gonna get info on what happened to this guy? Willow will be healing the guy, Spike will be skulking about eavesdropping, and I’m a good looking chick. Chances are, I’ll probably hear more than them,” she told her. Willow frowned apologetically at her.

“It’s a wizard and witch school, Dawnie,” she reminded her and Dawn nodded, pulling out a slender wand from where she had it stuck through her hair. Willow and Dumbledore looked at the girl in surprise.

“Apparently, the monks screwed some things up. I’m a wand witch,” Dawn explained off-handedly. “Giles and Spike have been teaching me since I’m too old for Salem.”

Xander smirked. “They totally made you more like Buffy than we thought,” he told her and Dawn grinned.

“Hmm, be a mini!Buffy without all the drama of Slayerhood or be just a freakishly tall girl with the power to destroy worlds,” she weighed before grinning at the group. “I’d rather be a mini!Buffy.”

“Funny,” Buffy replied dryly and Dawn could see the hint of a smile on her lips. The slayer moved forward and hugged her.

“Be good and listen to Willow, Spike, and Mr. Bumblebee,” she told her, ignoring Spike and Giles’ not so quiet grumbling about her inability to say Dumbledore’s name. Dawn smirked; she knew Buffy knew the wizards name it just amused her way to much how Spike and Giles kept spluttering over her butchering it.

The last three months of witchy training with Giles and Spike had cemented Dawn’s place in the group. Yes, she and Buffy still squabbled over the littlest things, but the Slayer finally saw her as a full Scooby. Anya, Xander, and Giles had followed Buffy’s lead and the drama Dawn tended to get herself into had disappeared once they acknowledged her as someone who could help.

“If everyone’s ready?” Dumbledore asked and the three nodded. They stepped around him as Dumbledore pulled out a stick. Willow grinned at Buffy’s dubious expression as they all grabbed.

“I’ll write!” she called out before feeling a pulling from her navel.

They arrived in Dumbledore’s office, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were waiting. Spike grinned at the woman who had an amused look on her face.

“How’s you, Minnie?” he asked and McGonagall smirked.

“Much better than what I’ve heard of you, William,” she replied.

“You know Professor McGonagall, Spike?” Willow asked, surprised.

“Mmm, set my head ablaze back in the fifties,” he replied with a smirk. “That was after we spent six hours just talking in a muggle bar.”

Willow giggled as Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. Dawn just grinned. “So you were a big softy way back then too?” she asked cheekily and Spike scowled.

“You take that back!” he said but Dawn just grinned at him. Smiling at their antics, Willow turned to Snape.

“Where’s Drake?” she asked and Snape raised an eyebrow.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you supposed to be dead?” he asked coolly. Willow sighed.

“Disconnected from my body after a dark magic attack, don’t know why, just want to see Drake and then smack the students who did it,” she replied. Dumbledore coughed and Willow had the distinct impression he was covering a laugh.

“Mr. Malfoy was just returned from St. Mungo’s,” Professor McGonagall told her. “Due to his wishes, his parents have not been allowed to see him and he has publicly disowned himself.”

“At least according to the Daily Prophet anyway,” a new voice said. Willow turned to Professor Lupin with a smile. He smiled back, though there was a curious look about him.

“Long story,” she told him with a smile. “And what’s this about the Prophet?”

“Look for yourself,” he said, handing the paper to her. Willow didn’t have to look hard to find what he was talking about; in large black letters on the front was the caption “Student Attacked At Hogwarts By Housemates” with a professional portrait of Draco underneath. Willow’s eyes widened as she sped through the article.

Once she was done, she looked up in horror. “That little pug did this?” she hissed and Snape nodded, looking disgruntled. Willow’s eyes flashed as she stalked from the room.

Absently noting Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Dawn, and Spike following her, Willow headed straight for the Hospital Wing. Outside, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were waiting. When they saw Willow, they shot to their feet, looking shocked.

“Willow!” Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide. Willow smiled slightly at him as she felt Dawn grab her hand in silent support.

“Long story short, I’m not dead, I was just disconnected from my body after getting attacked magically,” she told them. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to Drake before going and killing that damn Pug and the gorillas.”

Without another world, Willow barged through the doors and into the wing. It didn’t take her long to find Drake; he was sitting in the farthest corner, covered in bandages, and glaring murderously at an oblivious Luna. Willow smiled slightly at that. “Hiya Drake,” she said as she moved into his line of sight. The eye that wasn’t swollen shut widened when he saw her.

“I take it you got your body back then?” he asked.

“Holy Spike at fifteen!” Dawn muttered behind her, causing Willow to giggle. The redhead moved and sat down across from Luna, looking the boy over with a critical eye.

“Yes, I did, thank you,” she replied. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was attacked by my friends,” he replied drolly.

“I like him, Red,” Spike said from where he was standing with Dawn; the three Professors were talking with Madam Pomfrey. Willow shot him a smile before turning back to Draco.

“I’ll turn the pug into a real one if you want,” she offered and Drake smirked.

“Won’t have to do a whole lot of work then, yeah?” he said and Willow snickered.

“She also threatened to kill the pug,” Dawn offered brightly. “Hi, I’m Dawn, Willow’s sister.”

“You’re Willow’s sister?” Harry asked, intrigued. Willow blinked; she hadn’t seen the four Gryffindors follow them in.

“More or less,” Dawn replied with a shrug.

“What are you doing here Potter?” Drake demanded, looking murderous. Ron rolled his eyes.

“Came to see how you are, you great bloody git,” he answered hotly. He winced when Hermione smacked him. “What?!”

“Don’t call him names!” she scolded. With that, the two began squabbling, making Harry shake his head with a sigh. Drake turned to him.

“Can’t you shut them up?” he demanded. “I have a headache as it is!”

“Hey, if you two can’t shut up and be quiet, then maybe you should leave,” Dawn told them before Harry could open his mouth. Ron and Hermione turned to her, identical looks of incredulity on their faces. “Drake needs rest and can’t get that with you two channeling Xander and Cordelia.”

Abruptly, Willow and Spike began laughing. “You’re right, Dawnie,” Willow said, grinning. “I knew there was something familiar about their fighting.”

Spike simply smirked as Dawn shrugged. “That good?” she asked Drake who nodded, looking a bit confused. She smiled at him as Pomphrey came over, looking annoyed.

“Mr. Malfoy needs his rest,” the MediWitch informed them hotly. “Please leave.”

“Of course,” Hermione answered and she and Ginny left with Ron. Harry hesitated a moment before looking at Drake.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this but I hope you feel better soon,” he said before hightailing it from the Hospital Wing. Willow rolled her eyes at Dawn.

“Harry’s Hogwarts Buffy; Drake is Cordelia,” she told her and Dawn grinned.

“Got it,” she replied. Luna stood up and smiled at everyone before wandering out of the wing, a wistful expression on her face. Dawn blinked after her while Spike simply smiled. Willow smiled at the exasperated expression on Drake’s face.

“Luna isn’t going to leave you alone anymore, Drake,” she told him with a grin. “You might as well get used to it.”

Drake didn’t answer, just scowled at the closed door. Willow glanced at the glowering mediwitch.

“Alright, we should go,” she said, standing. She gave Drake a small smile. “We’ll see you again, kay?”

Drake sighed and closed his eyes, a clear dismissal. Willow rolled her eyes and motioned for the vampire and key to follow her out of the Hospital. Outside, a house elf was waiting.

“Missus, I be Winky, I be taking you to your rooms,” the House elf said, curtsying. “Professor Dumbledore says he’ll be by to see you soon.”

“Thank you Winky,” Willow smiled at the little elf and allowed herself to be lead away. Several floors up and through a few tunnels, they finally came to a portrait of a young woman holding a stake. They all blinked at her a moment.

“Are you a Slayer?” Willow asked, unable to help herself. The woman blinked back at them before grinning.

“Finally, someone who actually knows about us!” she said, her voice distinctively Australian. Dawn grinned at the portrait.

“My sister’s a Slayer, the longest lived one,” she told her with a proud grin. The girl tilted her head.

“How old is she?” she asked curiously.

“Nearly twenty-two,” Dawn told her and the girl grinned.

“Very good, I only lasted two years before a damn fyarl got me. My name’s Rachel,” she said. “Now, what do you want your password to be?”

“Scoobies,” Willow answered immediately and the girl nodded, looking amused.

“Alright, Scoobies it is,” she agreed as the door opened. The three walked inside.

It was similar to the Gryffindor Common room, circular, with two staircases on the opposite sides. Each staircase ended at a small balcony with two doors. Spike made his way upstairs as Willow and dawn inspected the main room.

“Two bedrooms with a connecting bathroom,” he called down. “I’ll be staying in this one.”

Dawn’s eyes lit up and she raced up the opposite staircase. She came back out, grinning. “Same with these and I want this room,” she told Willow. The redhead smiled.

“I’ll take the other room,” she told her and Dawn grinned. Willow smiled at Spike. “I think Drake’s gonna get the other room once Pomphrey will let him out.”

“When will that be?” Dawn asked curiously as she and Spike came down to settle into the couches. Willow shrugged.

“Depends on how much I can heal on Drake and how paranoid the woman gets,” she answered with a grin. Dawn and Spike smirked.

“Do as much as you can and then I will have Pomphrey explain what you will need to know,” Dumbledore said from the doorway. Willow stood up, looking nervous.

“Sir?” she asked and Dumbledore smiled.

“I have a proposition for you, Willow,” he said. “A job offer, if you will.”

“A job?” she squeaked, turning pale. Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling.

“Mr. Malfoy will need a tutor during his recovery.”