Chapter 12: Impending Reunions and Tragic Consequences

Chapter 12: Impending Reunions and Tragic Consequences

“What happened?!” Ginny exclaimed, eyes widening as she tried to fathom what exactly could have allowed Albus Dumbledore to end up in the hospital.

Harry exchanged looks with Willow and Xander, who also looked like they were waiting for Harry’s response to Ginny’s question. He sighed deeply, knowing that his next piece of news would send the two former Scoobies into a flurry of activity as they tried to compensate for what had gone on that evening, “Vampire attack, all old ones and all impermeable to the magic that Dumbledore was wielding.”

Willow’s eyes went to Xander’s in horror as they both stood up from the table, “Are you serious? Xander, we have to…”

“Call Angel. And then Giles and Buffy. We’ve got to prepare for this,” he finished her sentence for her.

Now Harry was the one who was confused. Indeed, he had expected this news to be simply that, news. He hadn’t expected it to be a call to action. “Prepare?”

Willow met her husband’s eyes with an incredulous look, “You’re joking right? You think they’re just going to stop with helping Voldemort take over the Wizarding world when with their age and power they could easily open the nearest Hellmouth which is, if I recall correctly, sitting in the middle of London at this present date?”

Harry and Ginny exchanged looks. They hadn’t thought of that. “What makes you think that they’ll go for the Hellmouth though?” he asked out of sheer confusion.

Willow rolled her eyes in exasperation. Sometimes she forgot that the magical world was not versed in the ways of the Slayer or her world, “They ALWAYS go for the Hellmouth. It’s like their thing or something.” Willow continued, “We need to get Buffy, Giles and really if you think about it, Angel and Spike as well. There might be a prophecy or something.”

Harry cleared his throat pointedly. Willow patted his arm indulgently in return, “Sweetie, I’m aware that you’re the Boy-Who-Lived, only person capable of killing Voldemort but this is bigger than you I think.”

Harry’s eyes widened at his wife’s response as she went into Watcher-mode. Indeed, Harry Potter was not used to watching someone take control over a situation that normally he would have.

It was now Ginny’s turn to roll her eyes as she took in this last exchange between husband and wife, “Wonderful as this conversation is, I have to go. Lives to save and all that rot. You understand I’m sure.” She turned at the door before she went, directly her last words at Xander, “I’ll see you Friday?”

“With bells on,” Xander drawled before turning to Willow and Harry who had simply watched this last piece of conversation with confused expressions on their faces, their own tiny squabble forgotten in lieu of the confirmation of what Harry had suspected had been going on between Ginny and Xander earlier.

And with that, Ginny left, closing the door after her.

“And what was that about?” Willow asked slyly.

“I have a date next Friday. There might even be sex,” Xander quirked a smile. It quickly turned into a frown as he took in the look on Harry’s face at this last comment. “Her words, not mine.”

Harry quirked an eyebrow, the look fading somewhat from his face to be replaced with a smirk. “You do realize that she has 6 older brothers, 7 if you count me and you should. I’ve known her for years and she’s like a sister to me, albeit not blood related.”

“I’m aware,” Xander murmured, not making eye contact with Harry, suddenly afraid of Willow’s husband, “And I have a suitable amount of fear in my heart at this point in time. Sir.” He gulped this last word out.

Harry, having kept a straight face through this last exchange, broke into laughter, “Oh Merlin, is this what’s going to happen when we have this baby Willow? If it’s a girl?”

“Yep,” Willow sidled up to Harry’s side and slipped an arm around his waist. “You’ll be striking fear in the hearts of any guy who gets within a mile of our little girl.”

“Boy,” Harry murmured, seemingly forgetting about Ginny’s honour that he had been defending from Xander’s lascivious leanings. “It’s going to be a boy so I won’t have to worry about this.”

“Girl,” Willow smiled, coming up to kiss Harry firmly on the lips.

“Boy,” Harry purred, returning her kiss enthusiastically, both of them forgetting that Xander was still in the room.

“Ugh,” Xander groaned in disgust as he watched Harry’s hands start to undo Willow’s bathrobe. Indeed, Willow and Harry were still in the disgustingly sweet area of their relationship where they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. He really wished they’d get over it soon although in this case, it appeared to have saved him from a verbal beating on behalf of Ginny’s honour…. “Get a room guys, we still have a crisis to avert.”

Willow broke reluctantly apart from her husband, knowing that Xander was right, “Fine,” she pouted, pulling her bathrobe tighter around her body from where Harry had loosened it a moment ago. “I’m going to go get dressed and then we need to get in touch with Angel, Buffy and Giles. And Spike,” she sighed, knowing what might happen if Spike was added to the mix. He was now sleeping with Buffy on a regular basis, the two not acknowledging that it was a relationship, although Willow and Xander both knew that it was. If he had been human, he and Buffy would probably be married. This was problematic because Angel, although he denied it, still harboured feelings for the Slayer.

Xander nodded, reading the look of dread on Willow’s face and understanding it. Perhaps they should put up the protection spells for the apartment now in preparation for the destruction that was sure to follow the vampires’ arrival. He knew already that there was going to be a fight however it was necessary that both come to London, if only to try to avert what he sensed was coming. One couldn’t do this for an entire life and not start to feel premonitions of danger to come after all. “So we’re calling them in completely, or just for some over the phone consultations?”

Willow looked Xander straight in the eye, “Call them in, get them here any way you can because I’m pretty sure this is going to be big. And, with me out of commission very soon, it’s probably better if we have some back-up.”

Xander nodded, understanding completely, before turning to Harry, “You better get dressed too. You need to get to the hospital to see how Dumbledore is and then Willow’s probably going to want to use you for a task or two.” Xander shrugged, “Not sure what, but considering that you’re the Boy-Who-Lived, I’m sure she’s going to want to pump you for information about this Moldywart guy.”

“Voldemort,” Harry corrected softly, agreeing with Xander completely on this one. Willow was going to need his help and he really did need to get to the hospital to see how his former headmaster was doing. After all, at his point in time the war with Voldemort had been at a standstill. Now, he had finally made a move and that meant the Order needed to meet to organize counter-strikes against the approaching darkness. At the moment, Dumbledore was the only one who had the necessary information for this to happen and, in the event that the older man was dying, Harry had to extricate this information before that came to pass.

His brow furrowed though and he turned to ask Xander one last question, “Xander, how exactly do you know that there’s a prophecy about this? Or that we’re going to need anyone else to help?”

Xander simply smirked, his face a painting of reminiscence, “Instinct man, you avert a few apocalypse and try to avoid putting two and two together on a regular basis afterwards. Besides, as you yourself know, there’s always a prophecy.”

Harry smiled ruefully before heading into his bedroom to change into suitable attire for a hospital visit. Hopefully, although he didn’t really think so, Xander was wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~

He moved slowly as he entered the hospital room, afraid for what he would see. Indeed, he had discovered upon arrival at St. Mungos that not only had Dumbledore been struck down by the vampire attack, but so had McGonagall and Snape as well. And, while the curtain separating them was fairly solid and he couldn’t see them, Harry still didn’t want to think of the fact that 3 of the most powerful teachers at Hogwarts were now lying unconscious not 20 feet from him.

What he did eventually see far exceeded what he had been expecting. His former Headmaster was pale as a ghost, two fairly menacing holes in his neck. He looked, Harry had to admit, like a corpse and he was half afraid to say that this might be coming true in the next few hours, or days.

“It looks pretty bad, doesn’t it?” Ginny said from behind him, walking into the room with a grim look on her face.

“You could say that,” Harry sighed, sitting down in the chair next to the bed and motioning for Ginny to take the second chair. “How’s he doing then? And what about McGonagall and Snape?”

Ginny sighed, standing and moving over to stand at the foot of Dumbledore’s bed. “Well we can’t be certain that he’ll live through the night, but if he does, we feel that he stands an excellent chance of living. We’ve currently got him on a blood replenishing potion. That should take care of the problem. As for McGonagall and Snape, their injuries were minor and shouldn’t keep them in here for more than a week.”

Harry shook his head, not believing that this situation was actually happening. So, in an effort to alleviate the tension in his mind, he changed the subject. “So, do you believe everything Willow and Xander were saying about how this could be more than just a Voldemort thing?”

Ginny nodded her head, looking at Harry as she did so. She was very grateful at that moment in time that Harry hadn’t made her tell him exactly what had happened with Dumbledore. She rather thought he would be shocked that the vampires had done so much so quickly. Indeed, the staff at St. Mungos had had to clean up his injuries quite a bit so he could look the way he did right now, which wasn’t saying much as the Headmaster of Hogwarts still looked like death warmed over.

“They’re the experts aren’t they? I mean we’ve only had contact with anything more than Death Eater’s in the last few years. The Watcher’s Council has been dealing with anything and everything for the last few centuries or so. Willow herself has been doing this since she was 15….” She sighed, “And Xander appears to know what he’s talking about too.”

Harry cleared his throat, Ginny’s last comment suddenly making him remember the last section of the conversation he had been having with Willow and her best friend before he had left the apartment for St. Mungos. “Speaking of Xander, is there something you’d like to tell me Ginny?”

Ginny, Harry noticed, suddenly flushed Weasley red. Harry simply smirked and waited for the inevitable explanation.

“Well, he kind of asked me out at the café we were at earlier tonight,” she said after a moment, not looking the least bit embarrassed after the initial redness of face.

Harry’s brow furrowed in confusion, “Wait, café? What café? Why were you two at a café? And when? We didn’t hear you leave…”

“Well you wouldn’t have noticed. You were kind of busy having very vocal sex without a silencing charm in the other room,” Ginny turned her own smirk on Harry, “That’s why we had to leave in the first place. Found your clothes all over the living room too.” Harry at least had the decency to blush as he launched into his own explanation.

“Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly. “Guess we forgot.”

“Yes well, I have to thank you for it, now don’t I? Without that distraction I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to get to know Willow’s best friend and roommate. We wouldn’t be going out Friday night either. So thank you,” Ginny finished succinctly.

Harry nodded, smiling slightly. Indeed, he was happy for his best friend’s sister. She hadn’t had a date in years due to her odd hours and Molly had begun to lose hope for her youngest. And Xander, for all Harry’s misgivings about anyone that would go out with Ginny, was a good man.

“So Friday then?” Harry said wryly. “How long has it been since you were on a date Ginny? Sure you remember how it’s done?”

Ginny punched him lightly in the arm, “Shut up you. Sure it’s been awhile but I’m pretty sure I remember how it’s done.”

“What’s it been? A year or so then?” Harry mused, leaning back in the chair he was currently sitting in.

Ginny grimaced, “More like a year and a half. I’ve been busy.”

Harry took her hand, thinking back over the last 2 years. St. Mungos had indeed had more patients being shown through its doors, most due to an increase in Death Eater activity in England. He squeezed slightly, smiling as she returned the squeeze and turned his eyes to the patients in the room. “What were they all doing in Diagon Alley today?”

Ginny cleared her throat, “Interviewing a new teacher. Apparently they still haven’t been able to fill the position for Care of Magical Creatures.”

Harry nodded, remembering how Hagrid was currently on the hunt with Grawp for more giants on Dumbledore’s orders. He still hadn’t returned from his mission that the Headmaster had sent him on at the beginning of the summer which was odd, but they had been in contact with him so the Order wasn’t overly concerned with the length of time he had been gone.

“But he’s going to be okay Harry,” Ginny said reassuredly, taking Harry’s hand in hers.

“I know Ginny,” Harry murmured, his voice low as he looked at the headmaster’s seemingly lifeless body. “I know.”

And so the two of them sat, putting off the moment that Ginny would have to go back to work and Harry would have to go back to the apartment and face the fact that the battle that they had thought had begun years ago had only really started now.