When two worlds collide
by Bwriter
Part 4
[reviews]
Part four - HOGWARTS
Buffy nudged Willow awake, and wiped at the drool that had collected on the corner of her mouth.
Willow moaned and snuggled deeper into Buffy's body, and the blonde smiled before picking up her once again asleep girlfriend, and following Giles into the train station.
They all stopped behind Giles, Angel making sure his duster covered him from the sun.
"Giles? Where is the train? Which platform?" Buffy adjusted Willow in her arms, ignoring the looks she was getting from other train users.
Giles gestured between Platforms nine and ten.
"Well, you just have to walk through there."
Everyone gave him a look of disbelief, before they turned to Buffy, who shook her head.
"No-way, I'm holding Willow."
Angel sighed, and straightened his shoulders.
They all watched wide eyed and he disappeared through the wall.
Giles sent Xander through next, then Cordy, then Buffy and Willow, and finally, he followed them.
"Willow's gonna be pissed she missed that."
Buffy smiled at Xander and placed a kiss on Willow's head.
Before them stood a scarlet steam engine with Hogwarts written in gold on the front.
Buffy looked around, expecting other students.
"Where is everyone else?"
Giles smiled and led them towards the train.
"School doesn't start until September first. The students will not be arriving until then. We will use the summer to get acquainted with the school, the teachers, and the grounds surrounding the school, before they arrive."
-----
The entire gang, which included the now awake Willow, all looked on in awe as the school came into view.
"Wow!"
Everyone echoed Xander's statement.
Cordy ginned and shifted her backpack on her shoulder.
"Now this is a place I could live in." her attitude changed when a ghost appeared right in front of her.
"AH!" Jumping, she moved back, hiding behind Angel, who was closest.
"I say, there's no need for that." Nearly Headless Nick greeted the gang, before spotting Giles.
"Ripper! Good to see you old man."
Giles smiled and said hello to the Gryffindor ghost.
Buffy watched the smile on his face as it grew the longer he was in the school.
Her watcher seemed more in his element here, than he did in Sunnydale.
Sensing a presence behind them, Buffy turned. Seeing an old man, she relaxed her stance, until she felt the power rolling off him.
"Giles?"
Giles turned towards her, and his eyes widened when he saw who was there.
"Albus!" Giles rushed forward, his hand outstretched.
Dumbledore smiled, as he shook hands with his old friend.
Buffy relaxed, now knowing that the man before her was of no threat. Turning, she saw Willow, Xander and Cordy still taking in the sights of the hall, specifically, the ceiling which looked like the sky outside.
"Rupert, I'm so pleased you could come." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he looked over the odd group. His eyes paused when they landed on Angel.
"A Slayer working with a Vampire. I missed the memo on that one I think."
Angel straightened, and Buffy smiled.
"He's a friend, sir." She added on the sir out of respect to Giles, though she found the soft tones of the older man soothing in some way.
Dumbledore sent her a kind smile, and for some reason, she was relieved.
"It never crossed my mind that he was anything but my child."
Buffy smiled, and left Giles to his friend, returning her attention back to her lover and friends.
Looking again at Willow, she could see how tired she was, and Xander and Cordy were echoing that.
Angel was fine, as this was his usual getting up time, and Buffy herself had slept a little on the plane.
Turning, she waited until Dumbledore had finished talking before interrupting softly.
"Excuse me, but were are we going to sleep, the humans of the group are a little tired."
Giles stood straighter, feeling the jet-lag himself.
Dumbledore smiled and motioned for them all to follow him.
By the time they had reached the second landing, Cordy had declared that she hated the moving staircases.
Dumbledore smiled and sent her a wink.
"The trick of it is, is remembering which one leads where."
Cordy huffed, but Dumbledore took no offence, knowing that they were all tired.
"Toffee Creams."
The gang stepped back as the gargoyle they had stopped at, suddenly stood to attention and swung open.
"Wow." Again, it was Xander that stated it, but those seeing it for the first time, all agreed with it.
They all stepped off the staircase, and followed the headmaster into his office.
"If you would all sit." He waved his wand, and six chairs appeared in the room.
Buffy reached over and closed Willow's mouth, but only after she had closed her own.
"Now, to sort you into rooms, we must first sort you into a house."
At the Slayer's raised eyebrow, Dumbledore elaborated.
"There are four House's within the school. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. They are each named after the four-founders of this school. Each new student is sorted into one of these houses,"
Buffy paused, and raised an eyebrow.
"Hold on, Students?"
Dumbledore slid a look towards Giles, knowing he hadn't discussed this with his young friend yet.
"I'm afraid that this problem will take longer than the summer months. I have ready, a spell that will convince your Professors in America, that you are in fact studying in a school here in England. The school will be fictional, but I have created a fully loaded background, should they decided to check up on you Miss, Summers, Rosenberg and Chase."
Buffy turned to her lover, to see how she was taking this. There was no-one Buffy knew who was so pro school, other than Willow.
She was surprised by the big smile on the redhead's tired face.
"I get to go to witch school?"
When Dumbledore nodded his head, Willow squealed and turned to Buffy.
"Can we?? Please?"
Buffy grinned and reached out, cupping her lover's cheek.
"Yeah, why not." She turned to face her watcher though, a serious look on her face.
"But who will look after the Hellmouth?"
Giles frowned before meeting her gaze.
"The council can look after Sunnydale. They would have to bring a few potential Slayer's with them, but, ruling out any apocalypses, they should be fine."
Buffy grinned, happy to be away form the daily fighting.
"And you Rupert. Would you mind filling in as Defence against the dark arts teacher?"
Giles' eyes widened.
"Are you sure?"
Dumbledore nodded his head.
Giles smiled and looked over at Buffy, who could read the happiness in his eyes.
She sent him a big smile, before turning her attention back to the headmaster.
"Okay, so how do you chose which house we go into?"
Dumbledore released that he was seeing the Slayer in action, this was her taking charge of a strange situation.
He smiled, and reached for an old tattered hat.
"I don't. This hat will."
By the looks on their faces, everyone except for Giles, thought Dumbledore had gone nuts.
"This hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor."
Giles smiled, and motioned for Xander to sit.
He did, and watched as Dumbledore handed the watcher the hat.
"Now, just listen."
Xander was about to interrupt, but then the hat did something that had mouths dropping open yet again.
It started singing.
Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
Xander closed his eyes as Giles placed the hat on his head.
"Hmm, what do we have here... brave, loyal, you would do well in either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff... where to put you..."
Xander was repeating a mantra in his head "put me where Giles was" over and over.
"Ah, were Ripper was eh? Very well, GRYFFINDOR!"
Xander sighed and relaxed as Giles took the hat off him and patted him on the back.
Next up, was Cordy.
"Ah, now, where to put you... you have the daring, the nerve to be in Gryffindor..."
Cordy jumped on that, wanting to be where she figured the rest were going.
The hat sighed.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
They were two for two.
Next up, was Angel.
"Oh, a Vampire eh... well you could go into any house here and do well... but I suppose that you will want to follow the girl..."
Angel frowned, not knowing what the hat meant by that.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Three for three.
Next was Buffy.
The hat had barely touched her head, when GRYFFINDOR was bellowed out.
Last up was Willow.
"Ah now, you would make a perfect Ravenclaw my dear..."
Willow started panicking in her head. She wanted to be where Buffy was.
The hat sighed, yet again. Never had it had a group of friends so determined to stay together.
There was only one thing for it.
"GRYFFINDOR IT IS!"
Willow sighed, relieved and jumped off the stool once Giles had removed the had, and landed in Buffy's arms.
The Slayer smiled at the joy on Willow's face, before a polite throat clearing brought their attention back to Giles and Dumbledore.
"Right then Gryffindors, your common room and bedrooms are this way."
-----