Advanced Learning Problems.

Professor Dumbledore called Xander up to his office, rereading the letter he had just received by owl. Xander came trotting up the stairs, looking happy and well. "Xander, I have a very large favor to ask of you." The boy sat as he nodded, looking interested. "You know that we have a muggle studies course?" Xander nodded again. "Well, the sixth years were supposed to do their yearly weekend over break, as usual, but the teacher is rather ill at the moment."

"So you need a chaperone who understands the muggle world and Giles would probably kill twenty giggly teenagers?" he suggested.

Dumbledore burst out laughing. "Yes, exactly the reason. Would you be willing to cut part of your break short? I realize this is a rather large favor, asking you to babysit twenty-eight children for a weekend in London, but I think you could probably handle it."

Xander shrugged. "Sure, but I'll probably end up asking Mr. Weasley to come help me. It'd be a thrill for him and I wouldn't be alone." He shifted some. "Or I could offer to let some of the older students come as a way to wear out some detentions."

"Either or both would be fine," Dumbledore told him, handing over the information he had for the trip. "All you need to know is in there. Usually the children go to a play or a movie, the mall, and the zoo I believe."

Xander grinned. "But I get to show them London?"

Dumbledore held in a laugh. "With restrictions. I'd rather that they didn't visit a jail, for instance, or the homeless. The children know that they exist, but we'd rather not give them a depressing view of muggle society."

"Cool." He stood up. "Let me go find Arthur. When do I meet them?"

"Tomorrow evening at the Leaky Cauldron. You'll have rooms there for both nights."

Xander giggled. "Cool." He waved and jogged down the stairs.

Dumbledore doubled over in laughter. Those children would definitely learn something about muggles on this trip. Maybe he should suggest that Xander be included next year also. He'd wait and see what happened first. Hopefully no one would have to be bailed out of jail this year.

***

Xander flooed into the burrow just after lunch the next day, dropping his bag. "Hi, all." He smiled at Mr. Weasley. "I just got given an assignment that I think you'll *adore*," he told him with a smile.

"Tea, Xander?" Mrs. Weasley asked, pointing at the pot.

He shuddered. "No, boiled leaves taste nasty to me." He grinned at her. "I need to steal your husband actually." She giggled. "I promise I won't let him get into *too* much trouble."

Arthur smiled at him. "What did you need me to do, Xander?"

"The muggle studies teacher is sick and I got put in charge of the yearly weekend in London." Arthur's eyes lit up. "Twenty-eight wizards and witches loose in London on my own." He walked over and sat down. "We're going to go to a mall, a movie or something, and then whatever I decide on the last day, but I need an *adult* type person there with me so I don't join the kids in getting into trouble."

Arthur beamed at him. "Let me call and get some time off. This weekend?"

Xander nodded. "Tonight actually. Dumbledore just found out and asked me. I told George before I came over, taking the opportunity to embarrass him in front of his twin. We'll be back on Sunday and will be at the Leaky Cauldron the whole time. Which, if you ask me, defeats the purpose. The kids should be allowed to stay in a motel and see tv."

Percy came down the stairs and gave Xander a bright smile. "A problem with George?" he asked.

"Nope, I got handed the annual muggle studies trip."

"Oh, dear," Percy said, smiling at him. "I'm sure you'll have a handful there. Last year's students all got arrested if I remember right." He sat down and poured himself some tea. "That present of yours worked quite well. Fred has been quite absent recently, as have the pranks."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "I don't know how you managed to get that horrid thing on Fred, but do stop it, Percy. He's not been that bad recently."

"He turned me polka-dotted, mum. It has been that bad. I had to go to work looking like that."

"See, that's when you wear a shirt for their store and demand a fee for advertising," Xander pointed out. "They pay Ron a few sickles every time they officially test things on him."

Percy snorted. "I doubt they'd like it. This has never been an official testing." He handed over the pot. "Tea?"

"Nope, don't like the boiled leaves. They taste funny."

"Do you drink that muggle sody-pop?" Arthur asked as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Soda? Yup. All the time because I need the caffeine. And there's a nice little store just down the street from the Leaky Cauldron so I sneak down there to buy munchies." He stood up. "Are we ready?"

"Yes, I have Monday off as well, just in case. What should I pack?" He looked at Xander's outfit.

"Pack what you normally wear under your robes, that's muggle enough for everybody else." Arthur smiled and headed up to pack a small bag so Xander looked at his wife. "Trust me, I'll keep him out of trouble. We only get ten galleons each for spending money."

"That's quite a lot with the exchange rate," Percy pointed out.

"Yes, it is," Xander said happily. "More than enough for kids to run through a mall for the whole afternoon and not get into trouble." He watched as Arthur walked down the stairs holding a small bag. "All set?" Arthur nodded. "We'll be at the Leaky Cauldron if you need us," he called, going over to the fireplace. He tossed out some of his personal stash of floo powder and walked into the fire. "Leaky Cauldron," he called, disappearing with a wave.

Arthur smiled and waved at his family, apparating to there. He joined Xander in the bar portion, looking around. There was almost no one here. Xander was talking to Tom.

"What do you mean they screwed up the reservations?" he pouted.

"Sorry, Professor, but we're painting and we told Professor Dumbledore this. We've made you reservations at a muggle place closer to the mall, just to be nice and all, but I can't let you stay here."

"Really?" Arthur said happily. "We'll be staying at a muggle inn?"

"Motel or hotel?" Xander asked.

"Small motel," Tom told him. "Double rooms all, set on the same floor. They know you're a school trip misplaced by a mess up so they're happy enough." He smiled. "I didn't think it'd be too horrible for the students and all."

"No, I actually wondered why they didn't put us in one anyway." Xander sighed and looked around. "Okay, so we'll wait here for the kids, then head back to Diagon for money exchange, then head over there."

"That'll be fine," Tom told him. "Drink?"

"Butterbeer?" Xander asked hopefully. One was handed over to him. "Thanks." He walked over and sat at a small table near the fire. He wasn't sure how the kids were getting here, but he would be prepared just in case. Arthur sat down across from him. "Full immersion," he told him, holding up his mug in a salute. "The kids are going to go nuts."

Arthur laughed. "Trust me, they'll handle it quite well. That's why we only send the older students. I quite enjoyed our trip. The zoo was rather odd, but interesting."

"I think we're supposed to go there tonight," Xander said, pulling out his itinerary to look it over. "Nope, early tomorrow, then the mall and a movie before bed. Where did you want to eat dinner?"

"We could probably eat that fast food you were going on about for at least one meal."

Xander grinned. "Sure. I'm sure they'll enjoy it." He looked over as the door opened, admitting a few students. "Grab a seat," he called. One of them gave him a frown. "Sorry, he got sick. Mr. Weasley and I are taking you around London."

"Well, he was a muggle," one girl pointed out as she dragged a large suitcase into the inn. "Sorry, it's all I had."

"That's fine." Xander watched as a few more students trickled in, and another few by floo. "Does anyone have the roll?" he asked.

"I know who everyone is and three kids are missing," one girl told him.

Arthur got up and went to the London-side door, opening it to look outside. He said something to someone standing out there, coming back in with a smile. "They snuck off once their parents dropped them off. They'll be here soon."

"Cool with me," Xander told him. "Are we being followed?"

Arthur nodded, looking a little more serious. "Just in case we get into trouble, or have to erase a muggle's memory." He sat down again. "I'm sorry about that, Xander. I was only trying to protect my son."

"Hey, PPS, I understand." Arthur looked clueless. "Parental Protective Syndrome, happens to all of them at least once." Arthur smiled. "Does George know?"

"He faced me down about it. I told him and we had a small row, but he understood too." He took a sip of his drink. "How was the ball?"

"Really great," Xander said with a grin. One of the students walked over to him. "Yup?"

"Are we leaving soon?"

"We're going to the motel as soon as you're all here," Xander told him. The young wizard frowned. "Tom's painting and found us a small motel to take over for the weekend. It's closer to where we wanted to be anyway." He finished his butterbeer as the door opened again, and a witch pushed the three girls inside. "Come over here," he called, smiling at the Ministry Witch. "Are you following us?"

"Tonight," she told him. She nodded at Arthur. "Where's the teacher?"

"Sick to his stomach. Dumbledore sent me instead." Xander stood up. "Over here," he called louder. The kids all looked at him. "Thank you. Your normal teacher is sick so we're going to do this with myself and Mr. Weasley." Arthur stood up. "Since I lived the muggle life until last year and he's fascinated by them, we're probably the best people to cart you around that could be found on short notice." A few of the students pouted. "I'm going to set some ground rules, and since a few of you have had me you know how serious I am about them. The first is that you will stay together. No sneaking off." He looked at the young witches, who sighed. "You'll have plenty of time to hit the mall tomorrow afternoon, you can wait. The second one is that there will be *no* shoplifting!" He frowned at them. "I've heard horror stories about your predecessors and I'm not going there. You get arrested and we'll pick you up Sunday. That means that you'll spend whatever amount of time in a muggle jail without your wand and at the mercy of sadistic assholes who want to make that the most unpleasant time of your life so they don't have to see you again. Got me so far?" Almost all the kids nodded. "The third rule is that your wands stay hidden. Whether you tape them to your arm under your shirt, or you put them in your waistband, they're hidden. Trust me, if you need to pull it to defend yourself, you've already broken the first rule and you'll probably be living the second for a day or so." That got a few laughs. "The last rule is that we don't have anything planned for Sunday so I'm open to suggestions. Tonight we settle in, eat dinner, and I'll explain everything in your rooms to you if you need me too. Of course, I'll personally be locking all of you into your rooms so there won't be any switching or sneaking around." One boy snapped his fingers. "We're not here so you can play tickle fights with a girl, Bryant," he reminded him. The kid had teased the girl in front of him in Classifications all the time too. Maybe he should introduce him to Malfoy; Draco could probably get him laid. "Any questions?"

One witch raised her hand, the Ministry witch. "You're not staying here?"

"I'm painting," Ton called out. "Told Professor Dumbledore that, he musta forgot." He smiled at her. "Set them up in a small place down the road, already paid for it and everything with their fees."

"Cool. We'll be back in about twenty minutes," Xander told him with a smile. "Everyone line up, we're heading into Diagon to exchange your allowance." He pointed at the back entrance. "Head that way, to Gringotts." They trooped out, getting the money from Xander as they went. Xander waved and followed the kids back to the bank, which was staying open late just for them. He walked into the bank, smiling at the board that listed the amount of exchange. "Gold is down to three hundred an ounce?" he asked the goblin waiting on him.

"Fell this morning," it grunted. He handed over the money for the twenty galleons Xander had given him. "You the teacher?" Xander nodded. "We gave them enchanted bags. Can't be stolen."

"Hey, cool," Xander said with a grin. He waited until everyone was done, then led them back to the tavern. "Hey, Tom, transportation?"

"It's on the subway," he told them. "Two stops up the line. Stop's at the end of the street."

"Really?" Xander nodded, coming over to get the paper Tom was waving. "This is cool. Rogueson Academy, huh." He turned to look at the students. "Shrink your bags and put them in your pockets. Take off your robes and put them in there first," he added as an afterthought. "Traveling with a suitcase on the subway is a good way to end up without a suitcase." He watched as they all did it, helping the one girl with hers because it didn't want to shrink. "Good. Let's go. Go outside, turn to the..."

"Left," Tom supplied.

"Left and go to the red building that leads underground. We're taking the subway." The students chatted as they walked out, and Xander cast a homing beacon on the three problem children. Just in case.

Xander looked around the check-in for the motel, frowning. Not the cleanest of places. "Rogueson Academy?" he asked.

The woman behind the counter put down her cigarette and nodded him closer. "Heard you had some problems."

"Small mix up," he told her. "Painting and renovating."

"Are all of you American?"

"No, just me. I teach mythology to rich kids." He gave her his most winning smile. "Would you believe none of these kids have ever seen the inside of a mall?"

She gave him an appraising look. "Quite good for them then. Hate the bloody places myself." She handed over a book. "Sign please. I'll get your keys."

Xander signed his name and accepted the fifteen keys, giving her another smile before walking away. "Guys," he said, holding out keys. "Separate into sex pairings." A few of the kids looked stunned. "I meant same sex pairings, not ones to have sex in." Bryant sighed. "And you, you get to be in the room next to mine." He handed out keys, frowning when he saw there were an odd number of girls. "I thought we had twenty-eight."

"You do," she told him. "But one of us is in the bathroom."

"Oh. Girl?"

"Boy."

"Damn," Arthur said quietly. He frowned at her, looking around. He didn't see anyone he trusted that much. "Cots?"

"We can do that," Xander agreed. He looked at his keys. "Or we get an extra room."

"Get an extra room," Arthur suggested. "You can have it. I'll sleep with the young man, and she can have her own."

"Deal." Xander tossed the student a key, handed Arthur the last one, and went back to get another one. Finally, everyone traveled up to their rooms, all on the second floor. As soon as everyone was settled in, Xander went around to make an attendance list and show the kids what they needed to know about the rooms. Including the coin slot to make it a vibrating bed.

***

Xander looked around the mall, taking a seat on a bench. "I'm going to be right here," he told them. "If I'm not right here, I'm up in the food court." He pointed at the map of the mall. "You will *each* come check in with me *every* hour." He heard the sighs. "Trust me, it's not a bother to me, but I'm not following the girls into Victoria's Secret or Anne Summers." That got a few snickers from the boys. "And please, remember your parents' hearts. If you bring home something that inappropriate, they'll die from shock or come beat me up so all packages will be checked." He glanced at the clock beside him. "Go run!" The kids all took off.

Arthur smiled down at him. "I believe I'll go browse myself. Maybe find something for the wife." He strolled off at a more leisurely pace.

One girl came jogging back. "Professor Harris?" she asked, looking cute. "Why does that muggle have green hair?"

Xander patted the bench beside him, letting her sit. "Because he's making a statement about how he doesn't want to fit in with everyone else. That's his way of rebelling." He smiled at her. "Think about your mother before you buy any green or blue dye, and you'll probably have to bleach it because your shade of auburn is too dark for it to show up." She nodded. "And no piercings either. Spread that around please." She hopped up and headed back to the main group, which hadn't really broken up yet, they were staring at the strange people in the head shop.

Xander chuckled. Yeah, this was going to be fun. He wondered how many kids were going to go home with funny colored hair. He smiled at the kid with green hair. "Where'd you get the dye?" he asked. "I'm looking for a deep purple."

"'Bout half-way back that way," he said with a nod behind him. "Second floor. They're good."

"Thanks." Xander decided to get up and walk that way, then head to the food court. He was hungry. Chinese for lunch had been too long ago. He walked into the store and leaned on the counter. "Hi," he said with a smile. "I'm here with a school group. They're all wearing gray and black. If any of them come in here can you please remind them about dye sticking to clothes? And you might want to suggest any that need bleaching. They're kinda rich kids." The man behind the counter laughed. "And no piercings, please. Their parents will kill me. Thanks." He stood up and walked out, going to have a sundae or something. He deserved a treat. He passed by a group of girls in the lingerie store, shaking his head. As long as their mothers didn't yell at him....

***

Xander gathered everyone back at the entrance to the mall, frowning at the girls who had the purple bags from a porn store. "Didn't I ask you not to do that?" he sighed. They all blushed. "Hide them in a friend's bag for now. C'mon, we're taking taxis. Everyone here?" Arthur walked over with their straggler, so he did another head count. "Where's the blonde girl? The one with the new red streak down the front?"

"She's coming," another girl said. "She's in the bathroom." The girl in question came running. "See?"

Xander noticed a few of them were rubbing some tender spots and grinned. "Did everyone who got a new piercing get stuff to clean them with?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Let's go." He walked out, letting them climb into the cabs he had waiting. "Stuff them full," he said when a few kids were left standing around. They smooshed into his cab with him and Arthur, all but one kid who didn't have a place. One of the cabbies took pity on him and let him sit in the front. The cabs took off; Xander had already paid them and given them the destination. As soon as everyone was changed and cleaned up, they went for dinner, dragging Mr. Weasley with them. He just wanted to play with his new toys. Once they were in the salad bar, they all grouped together.

"Professor Harris, do you miss anything from your former life?" Bryant asked.

Xander nodded. "Cable."

A few of the kids snickered.

"No, seriously. I have or can get anything I need at the school. I sneak out and grab soda so I can have caffeine. I occasionally pick up some chips when I'm ready to do munchies. Everything else I already had. But I really miss cable."

"With what we saw last night, I'd miss it too," one boy said with a leer at a girl near him. She poked him on the hand with her fork.

"Guys, behave." Xander shrugged. "It's not just the stuff you guys are going to pay for on the way out, but I also miss having the shows. The things that are on every week. You get into a pattern and start to look forward to the next installment. If I could find a way to magic up a satellite dish, I'd do it."

"That would get you in a lot of trouble, young man," Arthur warned. "Not only can they trace those signals, they get quite upset when you get a signal going to somewhere odd."

Xander shrugged. "That's why I haven't done it yet." He patted his mouth dry. "So, does anyone have any ideas for tomorrow since I don't have to have you back until five?"

"What does a normal household look like?" one girl asked.

Xander got an idea, a very naughty idea. "Well, I could tell you or we could try and get someone to show you." He smiled at Arthur. "Do you remember a certain person's phone number?" Arthur looked clueless. "I believe you pick him up every year."

"Oh. Xander, no," he said, shaking his head. "They're horrid," he told him.

Xander just smiled. "Really?" Arthur frowned. "I'll be *good*. But they're right, they haven't seen the average muggle home."

"Point," Mr. Weasley said, but he still didn't look pleased. "I doubt they'd go for it. They're against us you know."

Xander's grin just got brighter. "We'll see." He looked around. "Dessert?"

"What can we get?"

"Get cheesecake, I always liked that," Xander told her. He motioned the waitress over. "We're going to have dessert too." She beamed at them, it meant a larger tip for her. "I want cheesecake. Most of these kids are used to more fancy stuff so can you help them?"

"Sure," she said, moving down to the next people. "For you?"

Arthur leaned closer. "Xander, Professor Dumbledore would never agree to that."

Xander snickered. "I'm sure she'll agree. After all, we're not telling her where we're from or anything." He winked. "Leave it up to me. I'll need something from the school, but it should be okay." He accepted his slice of cheesecake with a bright smile. "Thank you. You're so nice."

She giggled and moved down to give other kids their orders.

***

Xander walked into the Leaky Cauldron, smiling and waving at Tom. "Need the fireplace," he called. Tom waved at it so he tossed some floo powder into it and called out for Hermione. "Hey, " he said once she answered. "I need my burgundy book, the home ec one." She frowned. "Just go get it and bring it to me please. It's all okay." She disappeared and a few minutes later his book came flying out of the fireplace. "Thank you," he called, walking back out to take the trains back to the motel. He laughed cruelly. Yeah, this was going to be a great prank, George and Fred would die laughing.

***

Xander, after having made something at Dursley's factory go horribly wrong on the production floor, called Mrs. Dursley. "Hi," he said in a bright and sunny mood. "Please don't hang up, I'm not selling anything. I'm calling because my school, Rogueson Academy, was given you as a reference." She grunted for him to go on. "You see, I teach a class on the average, or slightly better than average, family and your family was named as one that would probably a good example." He smiled when he heard the interest. "No, we're in town today on a field trip and my students suggested that we drop by and see how the better than average family did things. You see, they're rather a bunch of spoiled rich children who have never even seen a stove so they're curious what they are for." He had to bite his lip when she made a scathing comment. "True, that's why I wanted to show them what a better than average household was like. And as you were mentioned to us as being much better than average as a housekeeper, wife, and mother, I thought we might drop in on you to see if you could give these poor children some insight." He clenched his fist in victory and looked at the clock. "Of course. An hour would be perfect. And you don't have to clean or anything. I'm sure the kids would be *fascinated* by that sort of thing. No, thank you, Mrs. Dursley." He hung up and broke out laughing. When he was done, he checked his clothes and stepped out into the hall. "Guys, we're traveling, be ready in a half-hour!" he called. Most of the doors opened and someone stuck their heads out. "Half an hour. We're going to visit Harry Potter's aunt." He smiled coldly and went back into his room. Harry would shit when he heard about what was going to happen to her. He hated bullies.

***

Xander stepped into the house, smiling and shaking Petunia's hand. "Thank you for allowing our class to come into your home, Mrs. Dursley." He watched as the students all walked inside, frowning when he saw a few of them were missing. "Arthur, our escappes disappeared again."

Arthur nodded, his disguise hid who he really was. "I noticed. They're on their way back." He shook Petunia's hand also. "Yes, thank you for allowing us to come in and visit." He looked at the students. "This is Petunia Dursley. She's a homemaker and wife."

"And mother," she corrected with a smile. "My Dudley goes to another school." She pointed at the kitchen. "Would you like to start in there? I was about to put on some tea." This would only help her social standing and she could show all these children how to properly take care of a home. She noticed how many of them were males. "Yours is a co-ed academy?" she asked Arthur.

"Yes, Mrs. Dursley."

"Call me Petunia," she told him.

"Thank you, Petunia. Yes, our academy is a rather small one up near the border. Very exclusive and rather hard to find, but co-educational. We even include our males in these classes, figuring that they should know the basics as well since they probably won't want to live with their parents." He sat down at the table, watching the students wander around to have a look. He noticed one in the back, and how she was staring at the broken part of a tree. "I see Henrietta has found something she enjoys," he told Xander.

"Well, her mother is a master gardener," Xander said with a shrug. He smiled and pointed back inside when Henrietta looked back at the house.

The young girl walked in, smiling at their host. "You really should paint the broken limb," she told her, taking a seat. "It'll keep bugs from invading your tree."

"Your mother gardens?"

"She happens to run a very well known herbal shop," Henrietta told her with a smile. "I've been around plants my whole life. A simple light tar and bug repellent mixture should clear up the invasion quite handily."

Petunia smiled at her. "Thank you. Maybe we'll go through the gardens in a moment." She served tea, smiling at all the students. "How have you liked your trip to London so far?" she asked them as she sat at the table.

"Quite interesting," Bryant told her, giving her a smile. "I never knew that people like the ones we saw yesterday existed."

"Yes, quite dreadful, some of those types that hang there." She smiled at the girl with purple hair. "Does your mother approve of that look?"

She shrugged. "I'll find out tomorrow," she said happily. She sipped her tea. "This is a really nice house, Mrs. Dursley. Is it just you and your son?"

"And my husband, but he had to go to work. There was a minor emergency and they can't do *anything* without him," she said proudly. She looked at Xander again. "What did you want them to see?"

"How about the normal everyday things that you take care of," Xander told her. "Vacuuming and the like?"

"That would be excellent," she agreed. "I could also show them how to cook as I was about to start on tonight's dinner. Would you like to stay?"

"Oh, no thank you. We've got to get back to the drop off point by five," Arthur told her.

"You seem familiar."

Arthur smiled. "I would have remembered if I had met you before," he covered. "You're such an engaging woman." She chuckled in what she probably thought was a light and flirting tone. "Children, please be careful around her house. We don't want to have to make more work for her after all."

"I'm sure they'll be darlings," she told him with a wink. She finished her tea. "All right then, who wants to learn about cleaning?" A few students shrugged and raised their hands. "That's fine, I should have enough for all of you." She reached under the sink and pulled out rags and polish. "Here you are, let's start you in the living room." She led them that way, stopping to grab the vacuum from the closet.

One of the girls looked at Xander, who was looking quite pleased with himself. "Cooking?" she asked.

"In a moment," Arthur assured her. "It's quite a fascinating thing to watch." He waited until their host bustled back in, taking the rest of the students to teach them how to make home made stuffing. "Xander, shall we go look at the garden?" Petunia waved at it so they walked back there. "What do you have planned?"

"Nothing big," he said innocently. Mr. Weasley glared at him. "Trust me, it won't come back." He leaned down to look at a plant, rehitching it to its stake. "There we are, all good again," he said as he stood back up. "Relax, daddy," he whispered, "I'm being good. Just like I promised." He strolled back inside, going to oversee the students in the living room. He showed the one how to plug in and turn on the vacuum, steadying her as she jumped back. "It's okay. It sucks up dirt and dust." He pointed up. "And a cobweb or three." He winked at her and moved on, helping one of the kids who was dusting.

Arthur Weasley didn't know how Xander had talked him into this, but it was with a sense of dread that he watched the boy charm the horrid woman. Though, she probably deserved whatever he did to her.

***

Petunia Dursley looked around her immaculate house. Those children had done a very good job, and had learned some important lessons that day. She jumped as something clanged in the kitchen, going to see what it was. She shrieked and climbed up onto a chair when she saw the mouse coming out of the cabinet with the pots, waving the towel that had been on her apron at it. "Shoo," she shrieked. Her husband came in the front door and gave her a funny look. "It's a mouse!" she screamed.

He grunted and went to get a trap. "We'll get it soon enough." He glanced around. "Did you clean again? I smell the polish."

"We had a lovely group of students in from one of the *exclusive* academies," she told him, allowing herself to come down now that the mouse was somewhere out of her sight. "They wanted to see what a better than average housewife was like." She straightened up. "I was recommended."

He grunted. "That's fine, as long as they didn't steal anything."

"These were very good children, wore uniforms of the finest cloths." She took the dinner out of the oven and put it on the table. "They were quite nice and very polite. I wish we had gotten Dudders into one of those places."

"He's good where he's at, not like Potter," he sneered. "Probably won't ever learn to do anything useful." He set the trap and sat down, dishing himself up some dinner. "Rich you say?"

"Very. One child was wearing a Rolex." She took the spoon and dished herself out some of her stuffing. "Imagine, giving a sixteen year old a fifty thousand dollar watch." She saw her husband's greedy expression. "Maybe they'll come back next year."

"Yes, I'll be sure to be here if they do," he agreed. "Quite good of them to show them what the above average do, quite normalizing I suppose." The trap snapped and he crowed. "There, no more problems."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a smile.

Little did she know that an imp had taken up residence in her son's bedroom and was planning on how to make her life a living hell. It had been a wonderful offer from that gryphon-born human. They usually weren't that nice, but it was a wonderful home. It only needed a little bit of renovation to be perfect. Yes, just a little bit of work.

***

Xander strolled into the Great Hall Sunday night and smiled at the professors gathered there. "All done," he said happily as he took his seat. He smiled at Harry, who had not only yelled, but had nearly choked when he found out what Xander had left in his aunt and uncle's home. Harry gave him a smug little grin in return. "I'm sure they're quite happy with themselves."

"Did anyone get arrested this year?" Snape asked.

"No, though the three that snuck off did have to get saved from someone hitting on them" Dumbledore gave him a hard look. "They snuck away and beat up on the pedophile, don't ask me. The Ministry witch following them was quite vocal about what they did, but really happy that it didn't have to be her this time. *She* made a report to their parents about the girls sneaking off." He dished himself up some chicken. "Everything else went really well. Twelve new earrings, five new nipple piercings, and a few bellybuttons. A few people with newly dyed hair. A lot of new clothes from the mall, and the three girls who snuck off went to a sex shop, but other than that, everything went according to plan."

Dumbledore gave Xander a once over. "Feeling a headache?" he asked kindly.

Xander grinned. "Not at all, why?" His smile got brighter. "I wore it out in a most satisfactory way earlier, without involving any students whatsoever." The look turned disbelieving. "You can ask them if you want."

Harry raised his hand. "He played a minor prank from what he told me. Xander, what's in that burgundy book anyway?"

"It's my home ec. book. It has all the homely sort of spells; cleaning, dusting, fixing socks, that sort of thing." He took a bite. "Why?"

"Hermione was really laughing after she tossed it to you."

Xander smiled at him. "Like all gryphon texts, it has some very useful spells. I'm sure she just found one that was quite excellent for whatever she needed. Maybe the hairdressing spell or something."

Hermione hurried in, smiling at Xander as she sat down. "Sorry we're so late." She patted her new coif, which was being held up without any pins.

"Very nice," Xander told her.

Harry nodded. "Really cute, Hermione. Did you get it from his book?"

She nodded. "It's really very interesting. There's a transfiguration spell in there too for clothes so you only need about five outfits and can fix whatever else you need."

"Which probably comes in very handy," Xander agreed.

"Indeed, it would," Dumbledore told him, his twinkling eyes back to twinkling. "I'll want to hear all about your trip later on, Xander. I'm sure you had a fascinating time."

"Yes, us too," Hermione told him. "Did they like the mall?"

"They loved the mall," Xander told her. "Though a few are probably going to be wanting a healing spell for the new holes in their bodies." She giggled. "Otherwise, it was quite educational. I sat at a table in the food court and let them run while Mr. Weasley roamed around too."

Albus coughed. "He came up and stole Ron for dinner with the twins," he told him.

"I heard he was going to. I'm sure Ron's having fun hearing about the expedition." He ate another bite of chicken. "You know, I really should learn how to cook," he noted. "For times off school and all."

"I'm sure you'll learn somehow," Snape told him. "Once you start learning potions, it should help you greatly."

"Then you're going to learn them?" Hermione asked.

Xander shrugged. "I suck at it so far, so I probably should."

"We'll start next year," Snape told him.

"Cool beans." Xander picked up the chicken leg and ate it. "Had Greek food for lunch," he explained. Everyone went back to smaller conversation groups. Dumbledore gave Xander another look, catching his eye. Xander smiled between bites. Oh, he'd probably like it too.

***

Dumbledore looked at the young man's written account of his trip, then up at the young teacher himself. "Which house did you go to for the domestic lecture?" he asked.

"The Dursleys," he said with a cruel smile. "Harry couldn't think of an appropriate gift for them."

"I see." Dumbledore smiled, thinking about everything that the boy could have done. He had heard much about that family from Arthur and Molly. "And are they... safe?"

Xander nodded. "Probably. I didn't leave anything permanent or spell-like at their house." One bushy eyebrow went up. "Oh, maybe something non-spell like and provoking, but nothing else."

Dumbledore tried very hard to control the laugh, he really did. "Really?" he asked finally.

"Well, I thought, you know, that since it's the small things that drive you nuts that they should find out." He stood up. "Is there anything else? I bought a new movie to watch."

"No, go ahead," Dumbledore told him, waiting until he was gone to really laugh. He got up and called on Arthur, who would probably have to take care of it. "I think your department should keep an eye on them," he said while laughing.

Arthur's head in the fireplace nodded. "I've already made a note to check on them later this week." He looked back. "I'm sure I'll find out about it soon enough."

"Imp!" Fred shouted, jumping up.

"Oh, dear," Arthur sighed. "I'd better go catch that. Do you think they're following someone around? However did Ron attract them." His head disappeared.

Dumbledore burst out laughing again. He knew *exactly* what Xander had done now. No doubt the Dursleys would not appreciate it, nor would they realize what was going on.

***

Xander watched the students file into the Great Hall their first night back, watching some of the Slytherin kids in particular. He felt someone walk up behind him and glanced up. "Hey, Snape." He turned to look at him. "Problems?"

"I noticed you watching some of my students," he noted quietly. "Evaluating for next year?"

Xander grinned. "Not a bit. Out of the current crop of kids, I think I'll probably get about three of them if we continue with the advanced class." He turned at the cleared throat. "Yeah, Hermione?" he asked, giving her a smile.

"They might not consider it?"

"Dumbledore told us to try it for a year and we'd see."

"Oh." She bit her lip then shook her head. "Can I come talk to you tonight?"

"Always, you know that." She nodded and went back to her seat so Xander turned to look at Snape. "Did you have a problem with me watching your kids?"

Snape leaned down. "You know something." Xander whispered something in his ear. "Oh, dear," he sighed, standing straight. "So you were evaluating?"

Xander nodded. "Hermione noticed that a few of the kids were giving him funny looks," he said quietly.

"Nit!" Ron yelled, bursting out laughing.

"Ron!" Harry complained, hitting him.

"And then I started that," Xander admitted with a grin. He noticed how many of the kids were laughing, apparently they'd seen Monty Python sometime too. He looked at Snape. "You okay with that?"

Snape nodded. "As long as you don't interfere. You have no idea what you're going up against."

Xander gave him his most wicked grin. "Are you sure about that?" Snape shook his head and walked off. Xander got comfortable, looking at all his students. He was going to have a fight on his hands tomorrow. The pre-break test had been horrible. He expected at least one wand to be pointed at him tomorrow. He looked over as the rear door opened, admitting most of the teachers. "Hey, guys," he said with a smile. "The castle didn't fall while you were gone."

McGonagall smirked. "So I heard." She took her seat. "How were your outings with the young Mr. Weasley?"

"Just fine. We got a lot of stuff talked out. We fit really well together." He noticed she blushed. "Not that way," he teased. "Mentally." He smiled at Dumbledore as he walked up from the Great Hall side of the table. "Did you need the tv back?"

"No, you can have it for a bit longer," he said genially as he took his seat. "Almost no one else will use it anyway." He smiled at the boy. "I hear that your exercise went very well." He wasn't going to even mention the imp incident in front of everyone else.

"The kids got the point. That's what I really wanted." He smiled. "And I made George laugh with it. He swore he was going to drag his father with him to come watch movies." He put his napkin on his lap, then put it back onto the table and stood up. "Guys?" All the students looked at him. "My advanced class, I need to see you all tonight." He sat back down.

Dumbledore laughed. "That was quite good. Usually I get to do that."

Xander leaned over the empty chairs between them. "I have such bad test results that I want backup in my next class for a few minutes." That got some laughter. "You think I'm kidding? I finished grading the pre-break tests for classifications and I didn't get a single passing grade. And I *know* they know this stuff because they answered it correctly in class."

"Do you think that they'll attack you?" McGonagall asked. Xander nodded. "You're serious?"

"Hell yeah. I had one that tried to get me earlier this year, plus this is the class that got Professor Sprout."

"That's fine, as long as there's no freezing of the students," Dumbledore said, giving him a gentle smile. "I can understand fully. You don't want to hurt the students."

Xander shook his head. "No, frankly, I don't, and I know I can if I lose my temper. That's why I need someone behind me. It's either some of my advanced kids or I'm bringing George to class."

"I don't think that would be appropriate," Giles said as he walked up to the table. Xander leaned back into his own space again. "Is there a problem in your class?"

"I had one whole class of classifications flunk. I got done grading them earlier and they're bad."

Giles frowned. "How did that happen? Were you using a key?"

"Giles, one kid put that a vampire lives underground and eats trees."

"Oh, dear," McGonagall sighed. "How did they all flunk?"

"If I had a clue, I'd tell you," Xander told her. "But it was that Hufflepuff/Gryffindor class. The same one that's been giving everyone problems." He glanced around. "I did have the parchment enchanted to deter cheating, but it wouldn't do that, would it?" She shook her head. "That's what I thought. And I know they got it because they answered it in class and they did well on all the practicals."

"I'm sure they're going to regret messing with you," Dumbledore assured him. "And it is quite a good idea to have someone else who will keep you calm as you yell at them." He stood up as the last student filed in. "Welcome back to your spring term. I only have a few words to say. Rollover, Spastic, Tornado." He sat down to applause. "I think I'll need some more words soon," he said with a fond smile. "I had to make those up off the top of my head."

Giles smiled at him. "I'll lend you an unabridged dictionary if you'd like, Headmaster. Over fifty thousand words." Dumbledore laughed.

"Headmaster, where's the food?" a student called.

Dumbledore frowned, noticing that his plate was empty also. He took out his wand and waved it at the plate, but nothing happened. "Oh, dear." He stood up. "Give me a moment to check on that."

Xander coughed, "Wasn't me." A few of the teachers looked at him. "Wasn't."

"I know," Dumbledore told him. "It was probably a problem in the kitchens." The food appeared in front of everyone and he sat back down with a smile. "See, all handled."

Willow and Tara came in the back door. "Sorry," they said in unison as they took their seats. "Got caught up in our reading."

"Xander?" Professor Sprout asked. He put down his fork and looked down at her. "Have you had any other problems with that particular class?"

He nodded. "A few. They're mouthy, one argues with me, and then there's Melody." She smiled. "Is she messing up your plants? If she is, I'll see if I can correct it."

She shook her head, still smiling. "No, not of that sort. Though I did have dancing plants a few classes back." Xander snickered. "How do you deal with her?"

"I ignore her because otherwise I'll lose my temper." He shifted so he was facing more toward her. "Mostly, she knows how to wear it out too so if she comes into my class all hyped up on power then she knows I'm going to have to make her leave to go do something about it." She chuckled. "I'm serious, I can feel it when she's hyped up on power, it makes me itch and my skin crawl." He glanced at Snape, then back to her. "She usually comes back after about half an hour and is fine." Usually she spent that half an hour bugging Snape, but it was good for him as long as he didn't have to deal with a hyper Melody.

Professor Sprout nodded. "It's good that it seems to help some." She picked up her fork and he turned back around.

Xander took a bite of food then the most awful shrieking started in the hallway behind them. He jumped up and walked out to find some of the chicks fighting. "Stop that!" The squawking stopped and the birds all looked at him. "Get in here," he held open the door so the birds could all fly in, especially the two parents. "Back from town?" he asked, catching Murphy for a quick hug. He let him go, launching him into the air. "Fight," he explained as he sat back down. Murphy landed on his head. "Came back?" He reached up to pet the bird, making him coo happily. He noticed most of the chicks were spread out among the students, and nearly said something when he noticed one was staring at Draco like he was God. He glanced at Snape, who was frowning, then shook his head and went back to eating. It was okay, it wasn't his idea.

McGonagall snorted when the chick on her shoulder put her head down her shirt. "No," she said, trying to remove it.

"That is not appropriate," Dumbledore said firmly. The baby bird looked at him, looking cute and innocent.

"Not working," Xander said without looking.

The bird sang but settled down on McGonagall's shoulder.

***

Xander looked at his assembled class. "I need someone to come with me to my classifications class tomorrow," he told them quietly. The kids all looked confused. "They're fucking with me and I'm going to lose my temper, but I won't do that if you guys are in there."

"The third period class?" Ron asked. Xander nodded. "I've got research."

"So do I," Draco told him. Everyone else shook their heads.

"I can excuse you," Xander offered.

"We've all got projects due," Karyl told him. "Sorry, Professor."

He shrugged. "Okay, then you can go. Boys, please come to the classroom tomorrow." They nodded. "Dismissed. Go have fun." They all trooped out. Xander leaned against the wall, hoping it would leach some of the energy out of him.

"Go wear it out," Giles said as he walked past him.

Willow and Tara waved as they walked past him. "Hi," Tara said with a smile.

He waved listlessly. Then decided he would need to go do something about the energy buildup. He walked outside into the night air and blew up a small shrub, making pretty fireworks. He felt better, but Hagrid had jumped. He gave him a small smile. "Sorry."

"Tha's okay," Hagrid told him. "Wasn't the first one 'round here." He pointed at his hut. "Wanna come play with Fang?"

"Sure." Xander followed him down. "How are your classes?"

"Had a bit of a problem with those Hufflepuffs who're pissing you off," Hagrid told him. "Killed an animal on purpose they did. No respect at all." He opened his door and his dog Fang bounded out, knocking Xander over. He sat down to watch those two play. Xander came down at least once a week to play with his Fang; all animals liked the boy because of what he was.

Xander looked over at him. "Hagrid, if I have to wear it out tomorrow, can I prank you?"

"As long as it's not harmful," Hargid said with a shrug. "Why not?" He smiled. "Think I'll laugh?"

Xander grinned. "I know it." He let Fang go, after whispering the spell at him. "Thanks, man, I needed that." The tired dog walked back inside and flopped down in front of the fire. Xander wiped the snow off his robes. "Did you need anything?"

Hagrid smiled. "Nah, I'm fine. Gonna have a bit of tea and a long night of readin'." He stood up. "You be good now."

Xander grinned naughtier. "I'm always good, Hagrid. Sometimes I'm better than others, but I'm always good." He strolled off, going to get warm and dry.

Hagrid laughed. That boy. He walked inside and shut the door.

***

Xander walked up to his classroom, noticing that Draco was already there. "Ron?"

"Inside, trying to keep Melody out of it." He followed his teacher inside, resting against the inside of the doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest, one hand grabbing his wand without showing it. "Sit," he called.

Xander grinned at him. "Do you want to spend a day teaching?"

Ron shuddered as he walked up to the front. "Please, don't do that to students, it's horrible."

"You taught?" Draco sneered.

Ron nodded. "Xander had to go find the Hufflepuffs." He mimicked Malfoy's position against the board, his own hand going to his wand.

Xander grimaced as he looked at the class. "I find myself offended at the way you guys decided to screw with me," he told them. He pointed at two students then pointed at the scrolls. "Pass them back." The students came down and grabbed them, taking them to their owners. "Now, look at your scrolls and tell me why I'm upset."

One boy stood up. "I didn't write that," he complained.

"Well, it appears you did," Xander told him. He saw one kid drawing his wand, but Ron got him with a painless light bolt. "Don't even think about trying to hex me, I fight back," he said coldly. He looked at the class again. "You know, not since one of the teachers was threatened last year have I been this upset." His helpers shuddered. "They lived through that, you're looking like it's not going to happen for your class."

One boy raised his wand and started to say 'incendio', but Draco was faster and the boy ended up petrified.

"Nice work," Xander told him. He looked around. "Anyone else?" The kids all moved away from the stiff kid. "Now then, does anyone have an explanation for why you guys did this? Because this test is one fifth of your grade and now no one's getting a decent grade." One girl started to cry. "You'll probably get a B at the highest," he told her. He crossed his arms, unconsciously mimicking the boys. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with you, besides flunk you all and see you again next year, because I'm not regiving this test. Also, as of this moment, the only extra credit assignment available are the ones already tossed out. I find myself not very happy with you and you're going to suffer through it like the last class did."

Ron looked outside, then burst out laughing. Draco glared at him and Ron pointed, he couldn't quit laughing. Draco walked over and looked outside, then giggled, but he clamped a hand over his mouth before anyone else could hear.

Xander glanced out the window and smiled. He waved at Hagrid, who was facing him with Fang, the white french poodle, complete with haircut. Hagrid laughed and waved back. He looked at the boys. "I had to wear it out," he told them, grinning.

Ron ran from the room, going to roll around in the hallway.

"Really, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said as she walked in. "What happened to him?" Draco pointed and ran from the room to go hide and laugh to his heart's content. She glanced outside and smiled. "Very nice work," she told Xander. "They look very cute together." She was biting the inside of her cheek. She turned to look at the class and steeled herself. "It has come to my attention that you have flunked this test on purpose," she announced. "We will be having a discussion. The head of Hufflepuff will be here in a moment."

Xander smiled and handed over the class to her. "Have fun. I'm going to check on them." He walked out and helped Ron off the floor. "He said I could," he told him, which made Ron run off to the bathroom. He shrugged and headed to his other classroom. They had it, he wouldn't have to yell or hurt anyone. He ran into Dumbledore in the hall, and the old man was laughing. "Fang?" he asked. The headmaster nodded, still laughing. "I asked first."

"I'm sure Hagrid appreciated that." He patted the boy on the shoulder and walked on. Xander grinned and finished his stroll down to the training room. Yup, it might be a good day after all.

***

It was the end of January and everyone had settled back into the usual routine. That was stopped for one student when his father showed up. Draco was called up to the Headmaster's office and went slowly. He had a feeling he knew what this was about. He noticed his father's third foot was missing so apparently he had gritted his teeth and apologized to a Weasley. He stood at attention, looking at his father. "You requested to see me?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Your father wants to take you away for a weekend."

"I have a test on Monday," he noted.

"You can study at home," Lucius told him as he stood up. "Go pack for the weekend."

Draco looked at Dumbledore, who nodded subtly. "We'll be waiting for your return," Dumbledore told him.

Draco nodded and headed back to his dorm, his father following him. He said the password and walked up to his dorm room, going to pack a small bag. "What do I need to bring?" he asked when the door opened.

"I'll provide your clothes for Saturday night. Bring your normal clothing for the rest of the weekend," Lucius told him, looking around the room. "Crabbe and Goyle?"

"Against the other wall facing mine," Draco said absently as he packed his school books. He put one last thing in, his broom shrunken to fit. He didn't know why, but he had a very bad feeling about this. As he closed the suitcase, he realized how very right Professor Harris was about him. The man had a lot of insight. He hoped he was wrong about why his father was here. He turned to look at him. "Why am I being taken out for the weekend? My birthday isn't for another month and a half."

"Because your mother wanted to see you." Lucius noted the disbelieving look. "You're questioning me, boy?"

"No, sir, just wondering." He picked up his case. "I'm ready." He followed his father down to the floo fireplace, going home. He stepped out of the fireplace at home, frowning at the feel of the house. The air felt stale and heavy. He put his case down on the couch and turned to look at the painting over the fireplace. "When did you get the portrait redone?" he asked.

"Two weeks ago," Lucius told him. He watched his reaction, his son wasn't in the newest family portrait. "We're going to go into the dining room and talk, boy." Draco turned to look at him, looking like he usually did, insolent and bored. "You'll listen and then you'll have a chance to ask questions." He pointed the way, making his son walk in front of him. He saw his son stiffen at the extra people in the dining room, all people he knew. "We're going to be working together this weekend," he said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Do you think you can handle that?"

Draco knew that saying 'no' would get him killed, or hurt very badly. "I'll try," he told him. Lucius smiled down at him so apparently it was the right answer. Inside he was trembling. He was very aware of his limits, and he knew he was trapped. What to do? What had Professor Harris said?

Sometimes you have to do something bad in a situation where you don't have a choice except living.

Or was it:

There's always a cost to any decision. Figuring out whether or not you're willing to pay it is the biggest part of the process

Draco steeled himself. He would have to act perfectly to save himself this weekend because he had no intention of becoming a foot soldier for someone else. He looked up at his father. "Did you need me for this part or may I do my homework? I have a transfiguration test Monday."

"Go grab your books. You may do it in here." Lucius smiled. "I expect you've learned some strategy from Harris."

One of the other men frowned at them. "You let him take classes from that thing?"

Draco looked at him. "He's teaching dueling and I've improved my speed quite a lot."

Lucius smiled coldly at his son. "You will respect your elders or you will regret it." He looked at his friend. "That is the only reason he is allowed near him, to enhance his already considerable skills." He pushed Draco. "Get your books."

Draco walked out of the dining room, taking a deep breath. That room stank of something and it was making his head hurt. He found his suitcase right where he had left it and opened it, putting his broom into his pocket before grabbing his books and taking them back to the dining room.

"What task is your test on?" Lucius asked him as he entered.

"I have to turn another student into an inanimate object. It was that or change an inanimate object into an animal." He sat down at his usual spot at the table, opening his transfiguration book. "I also have to write a paper about the process. Twenty-five inches."

Lucius nodded. "Good. I'll expect to see the paper by tonight." Draco nodded, flipping to the right section. Lucius turned to look at his friends. "Do we have a target yet?"

"Lord Voldemort gave us three choices, he wants all three of them gone. I've owled him that we're taking the Fidders family." He glanced at the boy, then back at his father. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. It is time he proved himself. The Dark Lord said so." Lucius took his seat to look at the map. "Where are they?"

The third man bent down and pointed at a small red circle. "We'll be here. Two other groups will be here and here."

***

Xander looked around the classroom, then over at the doorway. "Where's Malfoy?" he yelled.

"His father came for him," Hermione said quietly from beside him. He looked at her. "He'll be back Monday."

Xander sighed. "Shit." He turned and hit the wall. "Any idea who the target is?"

"We've got it handled," Dumbledore said from the doorway. He walked in and shut the door. "Xander, I know you feel like you should run to the boy's aide, but it is now his decision."

Xander looked at him. "I know what it's going to be and he's trapped."

Dumbledore smiled. "There is always help for those who ask at Hogwarts," he said quietly. He smiled at the students. "Do not say a word of this," he cautioned. "There is more at stake here than any of you realize." He looked at Xander. "Trust him to have learned what you taught him," he told him, then he left.

Xander scowled at the students. "Get changed and go."

"No," Lupin disagreed. "Everyone is getting advanced spells today. Change back into your normal clothes and come back out here." He looked at Xander. "They'll need it now," he reminded him. Xander just nodded, sitting there considering everything he could do, looking for a plan.

Giles patted him on the head. "Do you have any defensive spells?" he asked. Xander looked up at him. "I'd learn them now. It could be necessary soon." He looked over at Harry and Hermione, who were standing next to Ron, who was holding his head. "I'll deal with this. Go through your books."

Xander stood up and walked out, and found Dumbledore in the hallway. "Giles told me to bone up on my defensive spells."

Dumbledore smiled sadly at him. "It might be a good idea. I know this is hard, Xander. You care quite a lot about your students, even that one, but you cannot help him right now. If possible, he will come back to us and we will accept him no matter what has went on if he asks."

Xander relaxed. "All right. I just hope he was listening." He shifted a little bit. "Offensive or defensive?"

"Do some of both, just in case. And remember, the school is protected from some things, but flashback is not one of them." Dumbledore walked away, heading for the dungeons to tell Snape that one of his students was missing.

Xander took a deep breath and went to his room. He had one book full of fighting spells. It was thick, it was heavy, and it was full of things to do to people who were pissing you off.

***

Hermione and Ron stared at each other across the small hallway outside the Gryffindor tower. "Do you have anything?"

"I have a few things but they're more annoying than harmful."

"Distraction is an option," Hermione reminded him. "They haven't had to fight with a distraction. No one fights back."

Ron nodded, pounding his head against the wall. "But can we fight him ourselves?" He jumped as footsteps came toward them, and by silent agreement they suspended their conversation until the third year entered the house. "Can we do this if they attack the school?"

Hermione bit her lip, then shrugged. "Do you see any other option?"

Ron shook his head. "No. Do you have anything on fighting spells other than what we already have?" Hermione smiled. "Really?"

"Over the years, I've run across a lot of things and made note of them. I have them upstairs in my footlocker." She ducked into the house.

Ron squatted against the wall. This sucked badly, but he had to do something. And he couldn't tell his family because they'd get in the way. He looked at the Fat Lady's empty portrait, then sighed. He headed to the owlry and his Pig. Ginny couldn't be here. He wouldn't lose his family in this fight. He wrote a quick note to his brothers and sent Pig on his way, taking a long look down at the village. He walked back to the house and found Hermione and Harry waiting on him. "Ginny," he said simply.

Harry nodded. "She's feeling funny and doesn't know why."

"Sending her away?" Hermione asked.

Ron's face hardened. "Definitely. I'm not losing her." He grabbed the muggle notebook to look it over. "How many did you run into?"

"There's whole books down there that mention spells. A few of them I found in some of Xander's books." She held out another notebook, a three-ring binder. "In here is my research to make it applicable to regular wizards."

Harry swallowed. "They'll kill you."

"It's for a good cause," Ron told him. "Xander will understand and only wipe our memories." He found one that made him smile. "The jelly leg curse was originally one of theirs?"

Harry smiled weakly. "It makes sense." He glanced around the hallway. "We need somewhere more private."

Ron smiled. "Then we go bug Xander. He'll let us in." He took the binder and notebook, heading down to the teacher's hidden room. He tapped on the door. "It's Ron!" he called. The doors opened and Tara was standing there. "Where's Xander?"

"He's outside flying with the chicks." She let them in. "Hiding?"

"We need somewhere quiet and safe to study," Hermione told her. She saw Willow and Giles and smiled. "Getting the group back together?"

Willow nodded. "Are those Xander's?"

"Some." Hermione took the notebook of old spells. "I found a lot of nearly forgotten spells over the last seven years," she said as she handed it over.

Willow flipped through it and handed it to Giles. "You guys are too young to fight."

Ron snorted. "We've been fighting since we were eleven, the same as you did. Just because you're older doesn't make you better."

"We've also fought him before," Harry reminded them, sounding tired. "Every year there's some sort of try for me. We know he's coming again, we don't know when or how, but we know he's coming back." He sat down in Xander's usual chair. "So we're helping, whether or not you want us to. Get over it."

Willow smiled at him. "Well, you've definitely channeled Xander successfully." She watched as Giles handed back the notebook. "What do you have, Ron?" Ron shook his head. "We'll have to know."

"Not until Xander says it's all right," Ron reminded her. "I don't have the right to make that decision, only he does."

"Or possibly Melody," Hermione pointed out. The other girl had done all sorts of little things to annoy her. Everything from tangling her hair to tripping her up, drying up her ink and breaking her pens, or trying to melt her clothes off. Such childish actions only made her fight back and Melody had learned not to bother her anymore. They had an uneasy truce going and this was going to make the other gryphon-born go ballistic. She sat on the arm of Ron's chair, flipping through the notebook she held. "I think I'll start memorizing these. Ron?"

"Yeah, I'll start on these."

Everyone looked over as the door opened and Xander walked in. "Oh, hey, the whole gang," he said with a smile. "Kids, study what you have. Scoobies, they're fighting. They're good enough and I trained them. Besides, they're going to have to fight to protect Harry and themselves." He smiled. "Any other questions?"

Ron held up the binder he held. "Hermione's research."

"No." Willow opened her mouth. "No. That sort of power is very corruptive and I don't want to have to kill you too." He scowled at her. "No. Hermione, are you working on making them normal wizard spells?" She nodded. "Stop and don't do any more. They can't get out, no matter what." She nodded, straightening up. "You have the talent to control the energy to do *minor* gryphon spells, chaos spells. Don't switch them over."

She nodded. "Yes, Xander. I won't do any more."

Ron looked at him and stared down Xander. "Shove it," he told him quietly. "I'm doing what I can."

"Fine," Xander told him. "I can always wipe your memory." He smiled. "Any questions?" Giles opened his mouth. "No, you will not play with the chaos magic."

"I didn't know that gryphonic magic was *purely* chaos based," Giles told him.

"Gryphons are the ones who filter chaos magic so it can be used by people like your buddy Ethan," Xander told him. Giles opened his mouth again. "That's why we exist, Giles, because the human crossbreeds channel and filter it better than a pure gryphon does. It's also why we excel at certain things, but only a few of us are great at potions." He nudged Ron and sat down in his now-empty seat. "All right, yes, you can study in here. No, you can not live in here. And no, you can't watch tv all night. I'll want to sleep sometime." He waved a hand. "I have some munchies left from Christmas. There's a limited amount of soda. And there's a packette down the block from the Leaky Cauldron and I do have some muiggle money left." He looked around, but no one said anything. "Then pick a spot, grab a book, or go do something until later." Giles walked out. "Okay, anyone else?"

Willow stood up. "Most of our stuff is in the library. We can work in the restricted section." She looked at the kids. "You guys coming?"

"No, I like watching tv while I read," Hermione told her. Tara smiled and helped Willow out the door. "Good." Hermione looked down at Xander. "You want us to go?"

Xander pointed at the couch. "Sit, be merry, save me from uptight people who think this is just another demon." He groaned as he moved, putting his feet up. "It sucks when you plan for one thing and another happens." He looked around. "Hand me the large, dusty book." Harry tossed it to him. "Thanks, and don't ever let Giles see you do that. He used to be a librarian." He flipped it open to his prior spot, starting to read. "Hermione, move," he told her when running into her rear with his elbow got on his nerves. She moved over to join the boys. "Noise," he said, pointing at a little radio in the corner. It started playing salsa music, making him look up. "Okay," he sighed, going back to his studies.

Ron and Harry slid to the floor to rest the notebook of old spells on the coffee table.

Hermoine turned so she was laying across the couch, her book on her chest so she could read it.

Xander grinned at his own version of the Scoobies. Yeah, he liked this life.

***

Xander looked over as someone knocked on his classroom door. He stopped his lecture to go answer it. "Yeah?" he asked the man standing there.

"Mr. Harris, I'd like to talk to you." The man was an American, which was slightly unnerving. An American, here?

Xander pointed at his class. "I have to do this for another half an hour. Go find somewhere and wait." He closed the door in his face and turned to face his class again. "Where was I?"

"Morphing demons," one Slytherin told him. "Something about one that turned into a praying mantis?"

"Oh, yeah, Ms. French." He smiled. "That was really creepy." He hopped up onto the desk to sit and face them. "Okay, Ms. French was a praying mantis, a six-foot praying mantis. She's in this class of demons because she could change her shape to go find a mate, which she did when I was a sophomore." The boys all shuddered. "She was beautiful, most morphing ones are. Why be ugly if you can choose your own form?"

***

Sybil Trelwany felt that odd feeling come across her again. It wasn't often that it happened, but whenever it did, it was important. "Please leave now," she told her students, only stopping one. "Write down what I say," she told her quietly, and let it go. In her mind's eye, she could see Xander storming out. She heard every conversation, including the one where he went to bother Lucius Malfoy and get confirmation of his status because 'enemies give you their real opinions'. She saw the village down south, near his bond mates. She saw him saving the gryphons by denying the whole village knowledge because of what they had done.

After that, things got very fuzzy, but one person came through. "Travers," she muttered. She shrieked when the final image came to her. Voldemort, here. Invading. Xander too far away. She came back with a blood-curdling scream when she saw what might happen, Xander had come back at the last moment and had.... She couldn't let that happen.

Her student sat huddled on a small ottoman, quill over the parchment. She had written down the single word like she had been told to. This was strange. If this was divination, she didn't want it.

Professor Trelwany took the parchment and wrote everything that she had seen. She stood up, moving unsteadily as she walked to the ladder. "Escort me to the headmaster and then you can go," she told her student. "And do not be afraid, sometimes the sight is painful." She

allowed herself to be helped down to the rest of the castles and walked to Dumbledore's office. As soon as she was alone, she said the password and walked up. "Never have I had an experience that made me want to close my inner eye for good," she told him as she sat down.

Dumbledore took the parchment, frowning when he saw the contents. "You remembered this time?"

"It's only happened once before, Albus, you know that. This particular type of vision is very hard on the seer. It's almost never used except for the most dire circumstances."

"Which this appears to be," he agreed. He read his part in it and rewrote the speech for Xander in his mind. "I will talk to him. What about this village?"

"He'll need to fix it anyway. They're killing gryphons." She stood up. "I leave this in your hands, Albus, because mine are shaking. I am canceling my classes for the day." She walked away, still unsteady. This sort of vision was one in a million, and it had come to her. Apparently the Powers who had granted her inner sight had decided she could handle this one. She smiled at Ron. "Do not go to Nimbus, young Weasley. Go somewhere else. But if you go, go prepared to fight." She walked away.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Great, another one of the death prophecies. Just what I needed today." He walked out to Herbology. He enjoyed the quiet out there.

***

Xander walked into the library, following the pointing finger of the librarian, Madam Pince, to the small table in the back room. He plopped himself down across from the American. "What was so important that you had to interrupt my class?"

"Mr. Harris, I'm from the American aurors. We want to offer you a job."

Xander snorted. "Fat chance. I like it here, I'm needed here."

"But you're needed back in America too. You could teach our students as well. It is your country after all." Xander gave him a 'get real' look. "I do have to say that your presence here is quite odd to your fellow Americans."

Xander faked a yawn. "You're boring me. I'm no more wanted in American than I am in Diagon Alley, and for the same reason. What I am is not liked by the Americans. They're just as snobby about partial humans as the pureblood movement over here is." He waved a hand in the air. "Unless Dumbledore himself tells me I have to leave, I'm staying, and even if I have to leave, I have a standing offer to go help my relatives."

The man's face went splotchy. "We are not biased!" he hissed.

Xander stared him down, making him flinch. "Sure you're not. Did you know that we have someone here who trained in America?" The man shook his head. "I talked to her. There's no chance I'm going back."

"But...but you could protect your hellmouth."

Xander stiffened then slowly moved closer. "If you were doing your job, you'd be guarding it and we wouldn't have ever met. If you guys are so great, then you would have handled the Hellmouth yourself and not made Buffy, Willow, Giles, and myself close the damn thing three different times. As a matter of fact, if the Americans had their shit together, no one in the town would have known that there was a hellmouth, much less that the mayor became a demon during a public ceremony that held half the town. So no, I'm declining your offer with a hearty laugh and a kick in the ass if you don't get out of my face." He stood up. "Anything else?"

"We can have you removed from here," the man threatened. "Your immigration status is very cloudy. We have ways of getting you back!"

"Remove me from Britain? Only if they can find me. Which I doubt quite a lot. From the school? If Dumbledore tells me I have to leave then I will." He turned and walked away, going to talk to Dumbledore to make sure he was still welcome here. He tapped on the stone gargoyle and it opened for him. He rode the stairs up with a deep sigh. "Did you tell him to come accost me?" he asked as he walked in.

Dumbledore looked up and put down his quill. "No, Xander, I would never betray you that way. I had to allow him to offer you the position, but I trust that you turned it down." He smiled and pointed at a chair.

Xander shook his head, starting to pace as he went into babble mode. "No, I can't sit. This sucks ass. He told me he was going to have me kicked out. They want me to go train and deal with my old hellmouth, which they never cared enough to do anything about before now." He took a deep breath. "I mean, if America has wizards and witches, and aurors because that's what he said he was, then why didn't they take care of the hellmouth? Why did they force Buffy to come there? Why were Willow and Giles the only people who worked to keep it closed? And that guy was uber-creepy. Military trained from his mannerisms, too quiet to be normal. It's not even a good thing to join the American forces because then I'd be drafted and have no say about anything. Plus, I'd have to leave Murphy here because I'm not taking him anywhere near America again. The last time he was there, someone saw him and tried to capture him." He took another breath. "Why show up now? It's not right that he shows up right before a fight. Do they know there's a fight or is this another mistimed effort by the Fudgey asshole?".

"It is your country," Dumbledore interrupted. "Maybe you should give it some thought." Xander looked hurt. "I didn't mean that you should go, I happen to like you being here, but it is your country and it is something to think about. By turning this offer down, can you ever go back?"

Xander snorted. "Why would I want to go back?" He sat down. "If I want to see America again, I'll go to Canada. Plenty of us have run up there recently." He rubbed his temples. "This sucks badly."

"I agree," Dumbledore said quietly. "As to 'why now', I don't know. Yes, I do believe Minister Fudge sent word to him about you, probably even praise to make them want you more. The timing does seem rather odd, you're correct about that, it made me wonder also." He leaned back slightly. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm staying if you'll have me," Xander told him.

Dumbledore smiled. "Good. I don't think I could manage your classes myself. Besides, even the Slytherins like you, which is outstanding."

Xander relaxed. "Thanks, Albus."

Dumbledore laughed. "I didn't think you knew my first name."

Xander grinned at him. "I did, but you're like a daddy or a grandfather type person so I didn't think you'd want me to use it." He slumped. "Now what do I do? 'Cause if he's staying, I'm going to kick his ass."

Dumbledore nodded. "I know. You're necessary. Maybe if we get rid of the present threat, your job might not be as necessary, but we'll keep you around because someone needs to teach the few aurors that we'll be graduating every year." He sat up again. "Also, you'll be able to finish your education most suitably."

"So I'll be out of a job in five years?" Xander asked with a grin.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Xander, there will always be a need for what you teach. The need may lessen, but it will always be there. Your classes will probably drop in population in a few years, but someone will always need to fight the dark side. Even if we get rid of Voldemort, another will take his place."

Xander nodded. "Thanks, Albus." He stood up. "I'm going to go back to figuring out how to deal with the problem students. Later." He headed down the stairs, running into the auror again. "What now?" he asked tiredly.

"You're not needed," he hissed. "There's no need to teach these students how to fight physically or how to beat demons." He stomped off.

Xander shrugged off his doubts. "You're an asshole. I know I'm good." He walked down to the training room, going to wear out some aggression on the weight machines. He shouldn't be so stressed right now, it was bad for the upcoming fight, whenever it would come.

***

Draco pulled the mask down over his face. It felt odd to cover his face this way, and it was hard to see. He didn't have any peripheral vision. The robes he was wearing were tight and annoying him. Xander had taught them to fight in anything, but this chaffed and rubbed. He took a deep breath and followed his father out to the front stoop. He had figured this was as much a test for himself as it was one from his father. Could he do this? Was he cut out to be that cruel to anyone? He made sure his wand was in his hand and his miniature broom was in his pocket as he waited for his father to take hold of him to apparate them to wherever. He blinked as they left, landing hard on the new ground. It took him a moment to regain his balance, then he followed his father into the small house. He glanced around the yard, forcing himself to ignore the toys littering the front yard. They had children.

His father pointed at a doorway. "Go in there, take care of them."

Draco walked that way quietly, listening to the other people walking around the house. No one else was trying to be stealthy, they were making noise by tipping things over and throwing vases. He opened the door and stepped in, stopping when he saw the baby. Not a child, a baby. An infant. He raised his wand and took a breath. He could do this, prove to himself that he belonged in his family, but he wouldn't do it again. He could do this. He blinked as the baby shifted, pulling up a thumb to suck. He could do this. He kicked the door shut, hoping that the baby would wake up and annoy him. It was the only way he could get out of this alive. He could go back to the school tomorrow and beg for forgiveness and tell Dumbledore. He would understand. He had forgiven Snape, he could forgive him. He could do this. He stepped closer and blinked. The baby was staring at him. Bright green eyes staring up at him in shock. He raised his wand, but his hand was shaking. The baby cooed at him and smiled, and he lost it. He ran from the room, concentrating on being somewhere else. He had forgotten the broom in his pocket, but his magic understood him. He landed in front of a couch and a fireplace, sobbing. Strong arms gathered him up and held him, quieting him down. "I couldn't," he gasped. "I couldn't kill the baby."

"What's the family's name?" the man asked.

"Fidders," Draco said, looking up at the person holding him. He swallowed. Red hair. He had come to the Weasleys? He looked around and found George staring at him. "You," he said, ripping off the mask. "You've got to get to Xander."

"I'll take care of it," Arthur told him. He sat the boy down. "Your father, boy?" Draco nodded, swallowing his tears.

"Why did you go?" Fred asked.

"It was a test," Draco told him, starting to shake. "They made me go."

"The Imperius curse?" Draco shook his head. "Then why did you go?" Arthur asked.

Draco looked up at him. "Because if I didn't then I'd be the next one dead," he told him in a dead voice. "I'm dead now. My father will kill everyone to get to me."

George stood up. "Dad, go tell someone. I'll take him to the school."

Arthur looked at him. "I want you to stay out of this," he said as he grabbed his outer robes. "Draco, go to the school and find Xander. He'll protect you. We'll be up tomorrow to talk to you." He grabbed some floo powder and left, heading for the Ministry.

George hauled Draco up. "Why did you come here?" The boy looked at him. "Oh." Malfoy nodded. "Okay, can you floo back to the school?" Malfoy nodded again. "Floo back and you'll be safe." He pointed at the fireplace and gave the boy a light shove. He waited until the boy was gone before looking at his mother. "I'm...."

"Going to stay out of it," she said calmly. "You said yourself that Ron was going to be sending Ginny to you. That's your part to play." She looked at Fred. "You too. I won't be burying any of you." Both twins opened their mouths. "Ron's been trained, I've already accepted his loss. I won't be burying you or Ginny." They nodded and left, going back to the store. She stood up and went to check all the doors and windows. She checked the clock which told her where everyone was. The newest setting, shop, was showing the twins. Arthur was on traveling, but it wasn't to here. She shivered and tossed some contact powder into the fireplace, calling her older sons. They had to know.

***

Xander flew around outside on the Quidditch field. It was a nice night; the chicks were enjoying it, and it was calm. He looked down when he saw a blur moving toward the field. He floated down, frowning at the boy dressed in black. "Come on up," he told him. Draco opened his mouth. "Your broom, Malfoy?"

Malfoy patted down his pockets and came out with his broom. He enlarged it and flew up. "They tried to test me," he told him.

Xander moved closer, giving him a hug. "It's all right," he whispered. "No matter what happened, you did what you had to do." Draco broke down on his shoulder, shaking and crying. "Shh, it's okay," he soothed. "We'll go wake up Dumbledore as soon as you're calm. Not even your father can get you here." He stroked down the shaking back. "What happened?"

"He had me kill a child," Draco sobbed. Xander hissed so the boy pulled back, wiping his face off. "I couldn't do it. I apparated away because I couldn't do it."

"Hey, lots of people can't do that," Xander assured him. He clicked and whistled, bringing the chicks to him. One was missing. He looked around and found it sitting in front of the boy. "See, even they still like you." He landed and dismounted, putting an arm around the young kid's shoulders. He hated this part of the fighting. The destruction of a kid. He walked into the school, meeting Snape, Dumbledore, and Giles. And Ron, who was standing on the stairs. "They decided to test him." He handed the boy directly to Dumbledore. "He couldn't do it."

Dumbledore sighed in relief. "Then at least one child lived." He patted the boy's head. "Come on, let us go have some tea. We'll discuss your future." He looked at Xander. "Come along since the chicks are feeling protective." He glanced at Ron. "You go wait in Xander's rooms. He'll be there soon enough."

Ron walked over and stared at Malfoy. "You went to my family?" Draco nodded. "At least my mum and dad will protect you." He looked at Xander, then back at the kid. "I will too if I have to." He walked away, going to Xander's rooms.

Xander nearly smiled. Ron was such a great kid. Even though they were fighting, he would still do his duty. He walked up to the stone gargoyle and up the stairs, going to take part in this meeting. "Is he moving rooms?" he asked as he sat down.

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, I do believe that would be a practicality."

Xander patted Draco on the arm. "It's okay."

"I'm a target now. The other Slytherins will have their parents urging them to get me. My father will kill me and I'm going to get this school destroyed," Draco told him.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, you can't destroy the school. Not even Xander and Melody could destroy the school. The heart of a school is its students, and we've had many of those here who will help us." He looked at Xander. "What other practicalities are you considering?"

"More practice in my class and not allowing him to play Quidditch," Xander told him, thinking about it. "Besides that, I think that it should be okay. He'll be protected here, he'll just have to be careful when he's around his housemates."

"They won't attack him," Snape told him, looking and sounding his most serious. "I will talk to them about the stupidity of attacking another student." He looked at the headmaster. "Are you moving him?"

"There's a small room down by Xander's. Not as lavish as his, but a nice one nonetheless." He looked at the boy. "What happened, Draco? I need to know to protect you."

Draco swallowed. "My father took me home, showed me off to his friends. Goyle and Menderson. They went after the Fidders family. I did my homework while they planned, listening in case there was something I could use to get away from them." He swallowed and clenched his fist, but a small body interrupted it, nudging him for attention. "You want me to pet you?"

"Glinda, this isn't the time," Xander told the chick.

She hissed at him and nuzzled Draco's stomach. "It's okay," Draco told him. "She's soothing." He petted the small child. "My father apparated the both of us there. I...I saw kids toys and my throat started to close. My father sent me to go kill the child." A sob broke through. "And I couldn't do it, not even to save myself. Even though I knew that my father was going to kill me if I didn't, I couldn't fire my wand at the infant lying there." The chick squeaked so he eased up on it, starting to pet it gently again. "It opened its eyes and looked at me and I just couldn't."

"That doesn't make you bad," Xander assured him. "Your father was very stupid to give you that as a first task. He should have know better." He looked at Snape. "Is that normal?"

"No," Snape told him. "That was all Lucius. The Dark Lord probably demanded that he test the boy and Lucius gave him a task that would either get Draco killed or would give Lucius honor." He crossed his arms. "I agree, that was stupid of him."

Giles cleared his throat. "How soon should we prepare for an offensive here?"

"It won't be until spring," Xander told him. He looked at Snape. "Doing so sooner would make him face his worst enemy without much of a plan, right?"

"Why do you ask me such questions?" Snape snapped.

"Because I know you'd know," Xander reminded him. Snape opened his mouth. "Hey, other than Harry, you're information guy right now."

Snape huffed. "Fine. No, he would want to plan this out meticulously. Albus is not only his greatest enemy, but the one person he's afraid of. He'll want to make sure he has enough allies on hand to attack properly. He'll also want to make sure that he can get as many of the students as he can."

"And the longer he waits, the more complacent we become," Xander finished. Snape nodded. "Spring?"

"Most likely. Voldemort doesn't like snow." He looked at the boy. "I'll help you pack if you wish."

Draco shook his head. "Everyone should be asleep. I can do it myself."

"Why don't I have a house elf do it," Dumbledore suggested.

Draco shook his head. "I have things hidden up there. I'd rather do it myself." He stood up. "With your leave? I'd like to get out of this outfit."

"Go ahead," Dumbledore told him. He waited until they were alone. "Suggestions?"

"Find his father and stomp him flat?" Xander suggested. "Do it not in retaliation but for doing what they did tonight?"

"That would require Mr. Malfoy to testify," Snape pointed out. "I'm not sure he can do that."

"He'd be under truth serum," Dumbledore reminded him. "I'm sure it will keep him from breaking down."

Xander sighed. "The kid's torn up. He actually cried." Everyone looked at him. "And he apparated to the Weasley's, apparently going to someone safe." Giles raised an eyebrow. "I heard what Ron said so someone must have told him."

"Arthur did send a message before they went to check on the family. Draco headed there by homing in on George." He smiled. "Apparently he was looking for you, Xander."

"Which gives me the warm fuzzies but it's not taking away the urge to kill the kid's father."

"Lucius is a very powerful wizard," Giles reminded him. "I don't want you to take him on alone."

"That would be rather stupid," Dumbledore agreed. Xander slumped again. "Thank you. For now, continue with your classes. You have about a month to prepare your advanced class to face an attack. I want them ready and able, Xander. I'll talk to the auror Professor Black found and see if he'll come in sooner to evaluate those children." Xander nodded. "Rupert, I want you and your witches to have your advanced classes ready with protection spells for the students. I don't want Voldemort to walk into this school." He stopped when the door opened, waiting to see who it was.

"Hey, Harry," Xander said. "You heard?"

"No, Ron's note." He handed it over and faced off with his favorite 'uncle'. "What do I do?"

"Report if you feel *anything* from your scar. Any visions. Any sounds that don't belong. Anything." Harry nodded. "And tell Ginny Weasley to do the same. We don't know if Voldemort left a taint in her like he did on you." Harry nodded again. "Other than that, you're going to train harder."

"Yes, sir," Harry told him. "I'll do whatever I have to." He looked at Xander. "I heard Malfoy was pretty bad. Is he all right?"

"Concern for your enemy does you credit, but you'll see him tomorrow," Snape told him. The boy sighed and waved, then left them alone. "He is interfering again."

"It's as much his fight as ours," Xander reminded him. He looked up from reading. "George sent Ron a note agreeing that he was going to take Ginny and hide her with Fred if something happened, and what happened at the house. It came by chick because one of them was down there nibbling on a treat." He handed it to Dumbledore. "I didn't think the kids knew how to apparate."

"They don't, but sometimes the desire is enough for the magic to act," Dumbledore said simply. "Xander, the painting of the dogs across from yours is now Mr. Malfoy's. The password is kitchen and the key is taped to the back of the painting at the moment. Make sure he gets there."

Xander nodded. "Sure." He glanced around. "What about the family stuff?" Everyone looked confused. "Draco might have access to the family's vaults. If he does, then he could get enough money to hide himself."

"That's an excellent point. I'll take him to Gringotts tomorrow if he does," Snape told him. Xander nodded and left. "I had no idea that he dealt with practical matters."

"That was his main position in the group," Giles said with a trace of sadness. "Even when we treated him so badly, he always took care of us and the practicalities. Especially when it was something I or Buffy didn't want to deal with." He stood up. "I'll head back to my room now, unless you need me?" He got a head shake so left.

Snape looked at the headmaster. "You think he's going to come here?"

"He has before," Dumbledore reminded him. "He will again. This time, though, we have humiliated not only Voldemort, but also Lucius. They'll be working together to get that boy. Watch him carefully, Severus, this will get messy."

"Yes," he said with a grimace, "no student has the subtly to pull off an assassination. It'll be a duel in the halls or some such."

"Or a potion in his food," Dumbledore reminded him. Snape nodded and left, leaving Dumbledore to relax and plan. This was bad, it was very, very bad. He might have to send the students home early to protect them.

***

Xander waited at the bottom of the main staircase for Draco, smiling when he floated his trunk down. "Ready to go to your new room?" The boy nodded weakly, following him. "Do you have a key to the family vaults?" The boy gave him a dirty look. "Because if you did, then Snape was going to take you to get some of it out of there and to search them."

"I have one to the secondary vault but not the primary," he admitted. "My mother gave me hers and I had it copied." He walked beside his teacher. "I froze," he admitted.

"Everyone does in their first real battle. Their mind goes into overdrive, their hearts start to either pound or crawl into their throat. It's normal." He smiled at the young man. "It'll be okay. We'll do everything we can to protect you." Draco nodded. "What do you think he'll do?"

"He'll come here and demand that I be given to him probably. My father hates a complicated plot, his favorite thing is a straight-forward attack." They turned down the small hallway. "I'm with you?"

"No, you're across from me." He pointed at the painting with the dog. "Kitchen." It opened. "Change it once you're inside. I still haven't figured out how to do mine." He pointed at the key. "That's yours too." The boy opened the door and they walked in, smiling at the small, homey room. "Oh, hey, it feels like mine," Xander said happily.

"That's shielding," Draco told him. "Yours is shielded so you don't sneeze and blow up the school. This one is probably shielded so that no one can find me." He turned to look at his teacher, dropping his trunk on the bed. "I don't want pity."

Xander sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the kid. "Pity you're going to get, but not from me. I'll treat you like I do Ron, but no more, no less." Draco nodded, but he didn't look happy. "Hey, you've been adopted into the clan. Feel lucky." He stood back up. "From everyone else, expect to get some pity. That's why you're down here, so you can escape. Or you can go work out and escape. It'll last for a little while and you're going to have to live with it. It's humanity at work."

Draco sighed. "Why? Why can't they leave me alone?"

"For the same reason that you've picked on Ron since your first day?" Xander hazzarded a guess. The boy nodded. "Making sense?"

"Yeah, but expect me to blow up."

"Hey, that's expected too, Mr. Malfoy." He saw the shudder. "Be your old self for another two weeks then slowly find yourself. Whomever you turn into will be all you, all Draco, and you can forget the Malfoy part." He smiled. "Just don't make a sudden change, you'll scare people and they'll laugh." He waved at the room. "Unpack, get some rest, tomorrow will probably be one of the longest of your life." He walked out, closing both doors behind himself.

Draco looked around the room and pointed his wand at the trunk. "Placio." The clothes flew into the closet, the trinkets arranged themselves in the same order they had been upstairs. He pulled off his robes and laid down on his bed. "This is nice," he told himself. "Like at home." He rolled onto his side, wishing he had someone here just for him. He had people he could turn to, but no one that was *his* for comfort. For that matter, he probably was going to have to do without his usual compliment of willing girls too, they'd never come near him again once they heard. He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep, hopefully without dreams.

***

Draco walked into Gringotts, frowning at the Ministry official standing there arguing about him. "Excuse me," he said quietly, startling the man. He handed over his key. "I need to get into that account." He looked at the official. "I can let you look, but it's all cash."

"Boy, I'm supposed to be freezing that."

"Then you can do it after Mr. Malfoy gets enough to survive on if he has to run," Snape said coldly, staring down the official. He remembered him, he had been an idiot in Potions - and most everything else outside of herbology. "That is beside the fact that you apparently do not have a warrant to freeze any of their accounts." He put a hand on Draco's shoulder so he couldn't do anything, and looked at the goblin. "Is there a problem?"

"We had an owl earlier saying that this account had a key stolen," the goblin told him.

Draco pulled himself up to his full almost six-feet height and stared down at him. "I am Draco Malfoy, I did not *steal* my mother's key," he said coldly. "If one was stolen, then it was not mine."

"This is a copy."

"Yay. My mother could not be bothered to travel all the way here to get an official copy made since it would take all day." Another goblin walked over and said something to the first one. "May I please go get some of my own money?"

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, you may," the second goblin told him. "Right this way please." He took the key and walked them to the entry to the vaults, pulling him aside. "We have heard and know, you may do this once." Draco nodded. "We do understand, but it will work out. We know things that you do not." He pointed at the cart goblin. "Take them to vaults 54 and 12." He watched as all three wizards got into the cart and pulled away. It wasn't often that the goblins got involved in mortal wizard matters, but this had come from on high. The boy could do this once until he got his inheritance. He hoped the boy had a bag big enough to carry that weight. He went back to his desk, forwarding messages from the higher-ups.

Draco opened the first vault, frowning when he saw everything in there. He hadn't considered this far ahead. "How much should I get?" he asked Snape.

"Get enough to live off of for at least two years," the Ministry official told him gently. Draco glared at him. "I know why you're doing this, but it may take that long, or longer. That will give you enough time to finish your studies and have a year hiding." He craned his neck to see inside, but all that was in there was money.

Draco walked into the vault and opened the bag Snape had given him. He shoveled handfuls of coins into the bag, not caring what they were as long as the majority of them were gold. When the bag was full, it had barely dented the room, so he pulled out the bag Xander had given him, which was bigger and started to fill it too. He left it half-full so he could see what was in the other vault. He went back and filled his robe pockets too, just in case. He could barely climb into the cart because of the weight, but it made him feel better. The door kept the key, and he knew he wasn't going to be seeing the inside again anytime soon. The cart took off again, making him dizzy and sickened as it turned and twisted. They came to a large vault, one with a Hagrid-sized door. "How do I open it?" he asked.

"This one is a blood key," the goblin told him.

Snape held Draco's robe while he walked up to the door, watching as he slit his finger on a sharp point sticking out of the door itself. The door slid open and the boy walked inside.

Draco looked around the vault, frowning when he saw the contents. Some paintings. A few pieces of jewelry he had never seen. A large trunk in one corner. He walked over to it and opened it, backing away when he saw the wand lying inside on a piece of velvet. He closed it and turned around, smiling when he saw the cash and three books piled on a small table back beside the door. He walked over there, picking up the books and the coins, but put the coins back for some reason. The books were taken, as was a beautiful ring that was sparkling in the weak light. He stared to walk out, but something caught his eye. He bent down to pick it up. It was a cuff, and it felt like Xander's bracelet. He dropped it quickly and backed away. He didn't want to know how his family had acquired a gryphon's dampening bracelet. He really didn't. He glanced around again, and decided to pick up one oddly large silver coin. He'd never seen one of those before. He took it and the books back to the cart, wincing when the door slammed. He climbed into the cart and away they went. Once they had stopped, he nudged the goblin. "What's this?"

The goblin smiled. "There's only six of those still in existence. They're the old version of wizard money. Your grandmother kept that for centuries." He helped Draco and Snape out, watching as the boy carefully put on his robe. "Bags available at the counter for three knuts," he said, getting out of their way.

The Ministry official took the silver coin to look at, whistling. "That's probably worth a pretty penny, boy."

"That's why I have it," Draco told him. "These were the only books, but they're rather old to be my father's." He let the official flip through them while he paid for another bag. He took them back then glared at the man. "Are you coming up to torment me today?"

"No, son, Arthur Weasley is. He said it'd be better since you know him and all." He smiled at Snape. "Keep the boy safe. If he agrees to testify, we'd all be better off." He wandered away, going to file paperwork to have the accounts frozen. Now that the boy had taken part of it and let him look in the vaults, it was the right time. That kid pulled enough money out to last a lifetime if he was frugal, it would be fine.

***

Draco walked back into the school and followed Snape to his classroom. They walked into the private area of the classroom, Draco watching as Snape hid most of the money away, especially that special coin. "Thank you," he said quietly, glancing back at the classroom. "What period is it?"

"Go back to your room. I don't think you want to deal with classes right now." Snape watched as he walked away. That wasn't the cocky young man that had entered the school a few months back, this Draco Malfoy was definitely different, and had been since starting with Xander. Maybe he would survive this. Xander was nothing if not survival oriented and he had taken the boy under his wing. He walked out and looked down at his class, nodding at the advanced student watching it for him. "You may go," he told the substitute. She hurried away. He sat down behind the desk and considered all the options he had at the moment. Voldemort hadn't called him back. He hadn't felt a single touch to his dark mark all year long. So he was probably known about. If not, he would be called upon to take out the boy. It was the way his former leader was.

***

Draco walked into the training room and headed for a machine. "Get someone to spot you," Xander told him, not looking up from his map of the school. He winced when he heard the weights slam and looked up, then went over to spot him. "How'd it go?"

"Fine," Draco grunted. "They're freezing the accounts today."

"I thought they might, it's what the muggles do when bad guys go really bad." He smiled at the disgusted look. "The systems are the same, they branched off sometime in the past so they could specialize for uniqueness." He spotted the boy, helping him wear out his aggression on the non-judgmental weights.

"I found a cuff like your bracelet," Draco panted.

"Huh. I don't blame you for your family's history." He pulled the boy up and away from the weights. Someone was coming down the hall and he was still just a tad bit paranoid at the moment. Arthur Weasley walked in. "Hey, future dad. Need him?"

Arthur smiled at him. "Yes, I did. I need to get a statement from him and ask him some important questions." He looked at Draco. "Would you come with me?"

"You can use the office," Xander offered.

"No thank you. There's someone else here to listen in," Arthur told him, giving him a look.

"Fudge," Xander spat.

"Now, Xander."

"Oh, please, he tried to get the Americans to force me to leave here." Xander grabbed a towel from the stack and handed it to his student. "Go tell them what you know and stay away from Fudge. He'll only fuck you up." He watched as they walked away, then got down to wear out some of his own frustration. This just sucked ass. He was stuck not doing anything. He hated waiting.

Lupin and Black walked in together, talking quietly. They both jumped when the weight stack slammed down and went back up again. "Xander, calm down," Black called. "Waiting happens."

"I hate waiting," Xander snarled. He sat up as soon as the stack was back down, looking at his co-teachers. "This really sucks. It bothers me that we're not attacking, and it really bothers me that we're having to wait and let them come to us."

Black walked over. "We can't attack, Fudge won't even send an auror. Voldemort is stronger in his own domain and there's not enough of us to waste on a frontal assault. Waiting sucks, but it's necessary."

Lupin nodded. "Definitely. Why don't you go wear out some energy in a more creative way?" Xander scowled at him. "Sorry, but it might make you feel better."

Xander stood up. "No, beating something up would make me feel better. Using magic will only make it build because it's not as ingrained into me." He grabbed a towel to wipe off the sweat on the back of his neck. "I'm going to go study, yell when it's time for class." He walked away.

"Go fly," Lupin called after him. He looked at Black. "Sirius? Is he going to break? I've never seen him that uptight."

"He's an action person," Sirius reminded him. "The same as I am. Waiting like this is agitating and aggravating. It feels like we're useless and in the way. He'll get over it once we have a definite plan started." He noticed the map and went to get it. "He's started on a battle plan. He'll work through this." He smiled. "Though, we may see more of the Fang poodle." Lupin laughed.

***

Xander surveyed the ground as he flew around slowly, looking over the top of the school. He noticed a hole and frowned, making a mental note to tell someone about it. He headed out toward the lake, slowing even further when he saw another broom heading his way. He went out to meet it, smiling when he saw Fred. "Hey," he called, pulling up along side him. "What's going on?"

"Mum sent me up here to give Dad something." Fred touched the package tied to his broom. "You okay?"

"Waiting sucks."

"Ah. I'll tell George you said hi."

"Tell him to sneak back up again," Xander called after Fred as he continued on his journey. He flew toward the forest, dipping down lower to buzz by the outer ring of trees. He decided not to risk it and flew to the Quidditch field. He waved down at Madam Hooch and her first years then moved farther away. She came up to talk to him. "Just floating," he told her. "Trying to calm down."

She smiled at him. "Go past the school, away from Hogsmeade, and head for almost ten minutes. You'll come to a small field where you can scream and rage all you want."

"Thanks," he said with a smile, heading off that way. He found the small glade and landed, lifting his head to scream out his frustration.

Madam Hooch returned to her students, seeing the worried look. "It's all right, he's having a bad term," she explained. "Now, lift off and we'll play a small round of Quidditch without the snitch." They took off, all the kids who wanted to try out for their house teams.

***

Draco walked into the unused classroom and sat in a seat, frowning when he saw Fudge. "Why are you here?" he asked calmly.

"Because he wants to ask you some questions also," Arthur told him. He sat behind the desk with a quill set to take dictation. "I know you told me last night what happened, but I need to have an official record, Draco. Tell me again from the time you left the school."

Fudge frowned. "Why did he leave the school? He could have said no."

Draco sneered at him. He did agree with his father's assessment; Fudge was a useless person in an important position which was keeping anything from being done. "Have you ever tried to tell my father no?" Fudge shut up and moved away from him. "Mr. Weasley, would you please close the door? I don't want this spread around any more than necessary." Arthur got up and Draco turned to look at Fudge. "My father enjoys you in your present position because you're ineffectual. You've stayed so long because the other supporters of Voldemort wanted you there for the very reason that you don't do anything to them." Fudge was turning red. "You might want to think about retiring before that's made common knowledge."

Arthur had heard, but he let the boy have his say. He couldn't say that to his boss, but he enjoyed every minute of it.

***

Draco walked into the Great Hall for dinner that night and frowned when he saw no open spots at his table. He looked at the head table and Xander pointed at one right in front of him. He steeled himself and walked up there, taking the empty seat. He got a small smile in reward. It was only minutes before someone threw a spoon at his head. He glared at the tosser, and put it aside. Next was a roll loaded with butter. That got put down with the spoon too. Draco looked at Snape and rolled his eyes.

The next thing that got thrown was a knife and Snape stood up, coming over to lift the student out of his seat. "You will cease throwing things like some child," he hissed. "Twenty points from Slytherin and you will have detention for two weeks." He let the student go.

"But he betrayed us!" the student complained. "He should be removed from the house." The kid realized what he had said when Snape glared at him and he noticed some other students staring at him in shock.

"How is saving a life betraying anyone," Draco snarled, standing up. "No, I couldn't kill an infant. If that's what it takes to be in this house, I'll gladly be resorted. I'm sure the Gryffindors will get over it eventually." The whole table cringed. He walked closer to the student. "As for *betraying* someone, the only person I betrayed was my father. If you're wanting his favor, go for it, I'll take you out. You can defend yourself so you're a fair target." He stormed out.

Xander coughed. "Perhaps someone should send Draco some food," he suggested to Snape. "Preferably tonight before he goes and works out, which will probably make him sick."

Snape nodded and looked around, spying a house elf. "Send Mr. Malfoy some food," he snapped. The house elf squeaked and ran away to do so. He turned his attention to the students of his house. "You will leave Mr. Malfoy alone. I doubt many of you would live through what he did last night." He walked out, going to find his student.

Xander nearly smiled as Melissa, the other Slytherin in his advanced class, walked out too. She would help Draco calm down, one way or another. He heard a whistle and looked at the Gryffindor table, smiling at the happy chick eating all of Harry's dinner. "Don't let him gorge," he called. "He won't be able to fly."

Harry grimaced. "I can't yell at him."

"Gentle remonstration," Dumbledore reminded him, smiling also. "Homer, please come here," he called. The chick hissed at him. "Harry needs that more than you do. You have phoenix food back here with the rest of the chicks." The chick reared up and hissed louder, spreading its wings. "Now, Homer," he said more firmly.

"Homer," Xander snapped. The chick burrowed down into Harry's chest. "I know you love Harry, but he has to eat. You can cuddle him later, after you eat too." Homer flew over to him, so Xander petted the poor baby. "I'm sorry I yelled, but you can't eat all his dinner," he said quietly. "It's not good for you, you need to eat phoenix food, not people food." The bird lifted his head, giving him a pitiful look. "Human food is a treat, not a way of life." He scratched the tiny head ridge. "You're loved. We all love you. We'll always love you." Homer chirped and climbed up onto his shoulder, after stealing a bite of steak. "Thank you, Homer. You're a good boy."

Giles smiled at him. "You're very good with him."

Willow nodded. "I never thought you'd be a great father, but you're doing excellent with the chicks. They're all so well behaved usually."

Xander smiled. "Well, I'm not going to have kids so they're the babies. Everyone understands." He scratched the little chest, earning trills of song. "Yes, you're quite a lovely bunch of babies."

Homer allowed himself to be petted for a few minutes by the grandfather, then went to bug Harry again, this time without hogging the plate.

***

Xander shifted on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. There were too many possibilities for an attack. This time wouldn't be a straight-out attack like last time, it would be a power and fear move. There wouldn't be a real attack, they would act like this was any other Death Eater attack on a family and come in. The protection around the school would only keep them from apparating in, not from walking in. So he had to deal with that issue because Voldemort would not make it within twenty feet of the main stairs if he could help it. He flipped onto his side. How would he get lock sticking spells to the houses? Give it to the Prefect? Write it and give it to the Prefect? The Hufflepuff Precept would freeze, she was a nice girl who had never seen any horrors before. The Ravenclaw male would be okay enough, but he'd probably have to be nudged out of it. He'd give it to the Head Boy and Girl, but that'd spread them a little thinly. He'd rather have one kid in each house to give it to.

"Use your students," George said from the window. He finished climbing in and shut it, smiling down at his boyfriend. "You needed comfort?" Xander raised an arm and he walked over, laying down immediately. "What can I do to help?"

"Take my mind off it?" Xander suggested quietly. He snuggled in, nuzzling the warm chest. "My head's clogged with all these things that could go wrong and...."

George clamped Xander's lips shut. "You're worrying in advance."

"There's so many variables to what could happen though."

"Xander, stop it or I'm going home." Xander looked up at him. "I didn't come here to watch you worry, I came to make you feel better. I can't do that if you're worrying." Xander nodded and shut up, just enjoying the cuddling. "Let me up for a minute so I can get undressed and we'll cuddle, okay?" Xander reluctantly let him go and George stood beside the bed to strip. He saw the interested look and decided it was for the best. Xander would wear himself down if he worried for too long. A night free of it would be for the best. He stripped fully and laid back down, stroking over the hard stomach. "I've heard it all already," he told Xander. "And I know you'll be brilliant, just like last time. But you've got to relax and calm down so you can think."

"Make me relax?" Xander asked, nearly grinning. He wrapped his arms around George's waist, letting himself be kissed. "I could really use a clear head and some happy thoughts."

"Happy thoughts I can give you," George teased. "I can give you happy thoughts about our latest toys, or happy thoughts about the store making a profit its first year. Or even ones about..." He squeaked as Xander grabbed hold of him and started to rub. "Oh, you want those sort of happy thoughts."

"Yeah, I need this sort of happy thoughts." Xander stole a kiss. "Next time, I'll sneak down to the store and we'll keep Fred up."

George laughed. "I'm sure we will since we're in the same room and all." He made sure to cover them fully, not wanting any interruptions, just in case the chicks or Murphy was around.

***

Xander walked into the Great Hall, smiling happily. He was tired, but it was a good tired. Besides, he had some free time this afternoon, he could nap. George had refused to come to breakfast with him, but that was okay with him. They'd agreed that Xander would sneak down there Saturday to get some more cuddles. He nodded at the other teachers as he sat down.

Tara got up and came over to give him a hug. "I'm glad your planning mood was broken," she told him. "You have a letter in the office."

"From?"

"Your parent's attorney," Willow told him. She looked at him. "They died."

"Well, fuck," Xander sighed, tossing down his napkin. "Do I have to go back for anything?" Willow nodded. "Why?"

"Because you have to sign stuff," Willow reminded him. "Just like Buffy did when Joyce died." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "She'll ride over with you if you want. She's been asking us to visit."

Xander looked at Dumbledore. "Can I please have a week off?" Dumbledore nodded. "Thanks. Is there a wizards travel agency?" A small envelope was handed to him. "Okay, then all I need is the stuff in my room." He got free of Tara's hug. "Thanks, guys. I guess I'm going to go pack and stuff." He grabbed a pastry and walked out, heading back to his room. He decided he'd take his broom, shrunken of course, so he'd have something to do.

Dumbledore shook his head at the two girls. "He had to go. There's another task he'll have to complete before he comes back," Giles looked at him. "There's a town that's trying to destroy the gryphons. It's been seen that he helps that also."

Giles put down his napkin. "I think I'll owl Buffy."

"She'll be waiting for him in London," Willow told him. "Think he's going to floo to London?" she asked Tara.

"After going to tell George," Tara agreed. "It'd be fastest. And Buffy is in town."

"Murphy can stay in our room," Ron said as he walked up to them. "Where is Professor Harris going?"

"Home. His parents died and he has to go do paperwork," Willow told him. Ron looked really upset. "Don't. Xander wasn't that close to them. He's closer to your family than his own. He's presently gearing up for the flight from hell to get back there." She took a bite of her scone. "But if you want Murphy, I'm sure he'd love to spend the night in Gryffindor."

"Thanks." Ron walked back to the table, thinking about it. He told Harry, who told Hermione when she walked in. Who told Ginny, who later sent an owl to their parents and was overheard ranting about bad things by the rest of the people in her arithmancy class.

***

Xander walked into the joke shop, making George frown. "I didn't think it was Saturday," he noted dryly.

"Funny. I have to go home for a few days." He leaned over and stole a kiss. "My parents died."

"I'm sorry, Xander, I..." George's lips were clamped shut.

"Not a big, I like your parents more than my own." He let the lips go. "So I came down to tell you I'd be back in about a week. I'll think about you on the never ending plane ride." He stole one last kiss.

"What about Murphy?"

Xander snorted. "Not a chance I'm taking him with me. The day before we came here someone tried to capture him. I'm not going there again."

"Be safe on your hellmouth," Fred said as he walked down the stairs. He looked at the 'open' sign then at his brother. "Getting an early start today?"

"I was up," George told him with a smile.

"Yup, very up," Xander said with a naughty grin. Fred groaned. "What? We're cute together."

"Very, that's why I groaned. It's too early for cute." He looked at the fireplace as it dinged. "Dear God, who're you?" he asked Percy. His older brother was wearing something unusual, jeans, and no glasses. He recognized him, but really couldn't pass up a chance to annoy him. It was the right of younger brothers you know.

Percy glared at him. "I came to talk to Xander." He looked at the boy. "That slayer of yours is telling stories at the Leaky Cauldron. They weren't sure what a muggle was doing in there so they called the Ministry."

Xander snickered. "I'd like to see them try to remove her, especially if someone made her cranky." He picked up his bag. "Okay, I'll floo over there." He stole one last kiss then walked over to the fireplace. "Leaky Cauldron," he said as he stepped into the prepared fire. He waved as he took off. He landed in a heap; he hated the landing at the inn. As he stood up and brushed himself off, he smiled at Buffy telling someone very large about how she had beaten a demon about his size. "Yo, slayer, lighten up, you're scaring the normals," he said fondly.

She squealed and ran over to give him a hug. "Xander. Are you okay?" She pulled back to look him over, getting him out of the way of the fireplace because she heard a whoosh of an incoming traveler. "You're okay and Murphy's fine and everything?"

"Everything's fine," he agreed, pulling her over to sit down at a table. He grabbed his suitcase and checked his watch. "We really need to get to the airport."

She looked at her own watch. "Shit, we do." She stood up and grabbed his case. "This is it?" He nodded. "Passports and stuff?" He patted his pocket. "Cool, let's go. We can catch up on the ride over. Travers is giving me a vacation on our old hellmouth. He thinks I need to go take a turn over it and check it over for bigger baddies." She squealed when the witch behind her pinched her. "Hey, slayer butt, personal," she complained.

Xander winked at the barman, Tom. "She's always a little hyper when she's happy, or shopping," he told him.

"Oh, we remember," Tom told him. "Can you make her forget us?"

Xander shrugged. "I can only try," he told him, following her outside. "Buffy, you scared the witches, they thought they were being invaded by muggles looking for a cool spot to hang."

She snorted. "As if. It's dusty and nasty smelling in there from potions." She linked an arm through his. A cab pulled up in front of them. "Your spell?" He shook his head. "Shoot, I need that one." She let him get in first, then ran back inside to grab her bag, coming back to climb in too. "Airport," she told him.

"Which one?"

Xander pulled out his tickets. "Heathrow." He put them back into his pocket. "And can you go really fast? This is a quickly planned trip and I'm not good at allowing for time." The cabbie smiled and took off with a squeal of tires. "Thanks."

"Sure thing, mate. Will this be galleons or pounds?"

"Galleons," Xander sighed. "I forgot to get it switched and I don't have time."

"You can do that in America. I'm sure they got you a room and all."

Xander checked his itinerary. "Nope, no room. But maybe I can stay at the old homestead." He shrugged. "We'll figure it out somehow." He noticed Buffy was starting to wiggle and looked over at her. "How have you been?"

"Fine," she said happily. "There's this really cute pre-Watcher guy who's been making eyes at me. It's so cute, he's *shy*."

Xander laughed. "I know that feeling. George can get me to blush with just a look sometimes."

"George?" She frowned. "Like one of the twins?" He nodded, still smiling. "Um, can I say I'm happy but I don't want to think about that too much because that's a scary mental place?"

He shrugged. "Go ahead. I got stuck in the scary mental place myself a few times. Porn took care of that though." He settled himself so he was comfortable. The scenery was whizzing by. "Gee, magic cabs are really nice," Xander noted.

The cabbie laughed. "Of course we are. Best in the land, almost as nice as the Knight Bus." He slowed down as signs for the airport started to flash by. "Inside, to the left, is a little black door. Inside is a small goblin who works for Gringots. The door reads to us magical folks as Money Exchange, and to muggles as Maintenance. Go in there, it'll only take a moment." He stopped in front of the doors. "That'll be one galleon, five knuts, and a penny if you please."

Xander pulled out the money, handing it over, including a muggle penny. "You collect them?"

"Nah, I have all but a dollar's worth. This'll make sure I can change them in later." He waited until they were out to smile at the boy's back. "Well, he was nice," he said, rubbing his fingers over the fare, plus tip. Wizards were horrible tippers so he always included it in the fare. His radio squawked and he took off again, going to pick up another stranded wizard or witch.

Xander walked inside and Buffy found the door. He walked in and smiled at the little goblin. "I need to switch this to pounds, and some to dollars," he told him. "And I already know about the three percent fee."

"American?" the goblin asked, counting it out quickly.

"Yeah, it's an emergency trip."

The goblin handed him the cash equivalence, half and half, the looked at Buffy. "For you?"

"Oh, I carry muggle money. I'm presently hiding among them." She smiled and took Xander's arm as she watched him pack it away. As soon as he was done, she led them out the door, making sure no one was staring at them. One guard noticed and checked the room, but all he saw was a closet. Maybe they'd been in there making out, the boy looked like he'd been kissed hard. He shrugged it off and made a note on the daily log, but made sure they got on their plane to New York without any more funniness.

***

Xander looked over at the lawyers. "Why did I come all the way here to do this?" he asked as he sat down. Buffy was out patrolling, looking for nests in the daytime. Less problems that way. He had come right here to complain. The plane ride had been close to ten hours long, plus layovers and a short interrogation by the witch at LaGuardia airport. "I couldn't have gotten a lawyer over there and played 'fax tag'?" He put his suitcase on the table and opened it, pulling out his identification and passport. "Let's get this over with, I'm leaving again tomorrow." He snapped it shut and looked at the stunned old men. "What? I had to take time off work to be here."

"These were your parents, Mr. Harris," one of them said.

Xander shrugged. "Yay. I haven't heard from them in years. I told them I was moving out when I was eighteen and they threw a party. Let's just get this over with, I've got students waiting for me to give them information."

"You teach?" the lawyer asked as he opened the folder. Xander nodded. "What subject?"

"Mythology. I teach at a small British boarding school." He took the papers, looking them over. "Some translation please?"

"That is a list of your parent's assets. If you want, we can liquidate it for you."

"For what sort of fee?" Xander asked as he read.

"It will be part of the fee paid by the estate," the lawyer assured him. "There is usually a small auction fee, somewhere around five percent." He cleared his throat. "The only thing that we were told we could not get rid of was this key." He slid it across the desk.

Xander picked up the key, looking it over. It felt magical. "Gringotts," he said with a grin, tucking it into his pocket with his broom. "Cool. I wondered if they knew about that stuff."

"According to your mother's papers, it was given to her and she was not allowed to get rid of it or horrible things would happen to the family."

Xander glanced up. "Mom always was superstitious." He found a spot for his name and signed it, handing it back. "What else?"

"You're really in such a hurry to be done with this?" the older of the two lawyers asked.

Xander leaned back in his chair. "Listen, my boyfriend's back in England. My life is back in England. I haven't even thought about this town in two years. There's nothing for me here and no one that I really want to see since Joyce Summers died. Everything I care about is over there and this is taking me away from it. The sooner I can get back to the people who comfort me, the better. Besides, I know it's taking your time and my money so I'd rather do this quickly."

The first lawyer laughed. "I understand perfectly, Mr. Harris. There's only a few more forms for you to sign." He shoved over a small stack. "We'll order the auction tonight."

"Cool, send the money to Miss Summers, she'll get it back to me." He shrugged at the surprised looks. "The post is a little funny where I'm at. She's got better access to the post office because I'm out in the middle of nowhere."

"Yes, we noticed that it took a month to get word from you."

Xander frowned at one paper, it didn't feel muggle. He set it aside to read last. He carefully read the others, signing everything but that one and the one on the bottom of the stack. He handed the first one back to the silent lawyer. "I know what that is, and I recognize that name. Not going there." He stood up and grabbed his suitcase. "Anything else?"

"Sir, we need to have you sign both of those," the lawyer told him.

Xander sneered. "I'm not signing anything over to a follower of Voldemort." The older lawyer glared at him. "Presently, I'm teaching the greatest thorn in his side." He crossed his arms. "Now then, I also will not sign any paper that has a clause about my soul. That was really dumb."

"You don't know how many people don't read legal documents carefully," the first lawyer said as he stood up. "We could make you sign it."

"Buffy's back in town and waiting on me," he said with a smirk. "Do you really want to mess with the slayer?" Both men shuddered and backed away from him. "Thank you. Now, please liquidate everything and send Ms. Summers the proceeds, unless you really want to send it to Hogwarts." He waved and walked out. He had the real treasure in his pocket. A Gringott's key from way back when. The number on it was in the low double digits. He found Buffy waiting on him outside. "Hey, no nests?"

"Not many," she said with a shrug. "You get it all done?"

"Yup, they're liquidating everything and sending it to you." He pulled her close for a hug and told her what they had tried. He caught her glare up at the window. "Just a thought you might want to send back to the guys in charge." They strolled down the street together. "Want to stay here or in LA tonight? I've still got cash."

"Let's stay in LA." She patted his pocket and felt something funny, reaching in to dig out the key. "What's this?"

"Key to a bank vault. Not muggly." He took it back and stopped to slip it on the necklace he wore. "Okay, let's go." He used the keychain remote to pop open the doors of the rental car, wincing when the alarm went off.

"Here, let me," she sighed, taking it and turning off the alarm. "You forgot how to deal with this stuff while you were gone."

Xander grinned at her. "And I'm happier that way. I'd gladly trade this for a broom any day." He slid in to drive. He still remembered how bad she was at it.

***

They had found a wizard's inn in LA out by the airport and he had placed a long and expensive - pay by the minute of course - floo call back to Hogwarts and then Gringotts London. He disappeared early the next morning, going to check out the vault. He walked into the small bank, not at all like the imposing edifice in London, and smiled at the goblin behind the information desk. "I need to get into an inherited account," he told him, pulling out the sheet of parchment he had written the information down on. "It says it's vault 23 and in this branch?"

The goblin opened the book in front of it, searching back for the vault in question. It finally found it and waved another goblin over. "We'll have to check your key," it grunted.

Xander shrugged and nodded happily. "Okay, but I have a flight this afternoon back to London and I was hoping to move everything over there."

The goblin laughed. "I doubt it." The second goblin was looked at. "Take him to the district manager."

Xander followed the second goblin, smiling at the ones they passed. It wouldn't do to piss them off, even though he knew people smiling at them unnerved them. He was led to a small office and a chair. "Hello?" he called. The goblin came out of a small door to the left. "Hi. I just inherited this key and the vault but I'm in London, at Hogwarts. Plus, I have a flight this afternoon."

The goblin took the key, holding it up to examine it. "This has been gone for a very long time." He handed it back. "Prove you're who you say you are."

Xander pulled out his wand and pointed it at the goblin. "Stick," he said with a grin, sticking the goblin to the floor. "Grow." It grew ten inches taller. "I'm not so great at undoing it," he admitted with a grin.

The goblin grunted something and got free, but didn't shrink. "Yes, you're definitely from that line," he said in disgust. "Would you please shrink me? Or at least try?" he asked at the skeptical look.

Xander concentrated. "Reparo," he said, swishing and flicking. The goblin shrunk four inches. "Sorry, man."

"That's all right, I can have it undone later," he grumbled. He led the way to the carts. "He needs into vault 23. We're moving it to the London Branch." The cart goblin nodded.

Xander whooped as they took off. He was in the mood for a roller coaster today. He was laughing as they came to a stop, it hadn't been so long of a ride. He climbed out and stuck his key in the door, getting out of the way as the door opened. He walked in and stopped. It was a nest. A complete nest. He stepped back out and looked at the goblin. "Someone hid a nest?"

The goblin shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I only drive."

Xander walked back inside and looked around. No cash, a few books, but a complete nest. "Oh, hey, a potions cauldron," he said happily, picking it up. He examined everything, then grabbed one of the books to take with him. He walked out and closed the door, taking the key with him. "Can you move that to London for me?"

"Of course, sir. We'll have the paperwork as soon as you're back upstairs."

Xander climbed in, holding the book tightly to him. It was a diary of some sort. He thought on the ride back, then signed some forms, and left California for the last time - barely remembering to pick up Buffy as they passed the motel. At the airport, a wizard stopped them and pulled them into a room. "What?" he asked tiredly.

"Are you sure you want to go back, Mr. Harris," the wizard asked. "If you do, you won't be allowed back into this country."

"You can't do that," Buffy told him.

"We can. We'll never trust him to work with us if he leaves."

Xander snickered. "I'm not working for you ever, no matter what. I'm happy and wanted where I am. I'm training Harry Potter and other students to become outstanding individuals. There's nothing that this country has that I want. Not your job, not to work with you, and not to be here anymore. I've already started my papers to become a British citizen." He picked up his book and his suitcase. "Can we go now?"

"What about you, Ms. Summers? Are you going to apply over there too?"

She shrugged. "I go where my Watchers send me," she reminded him. "Right now, I think I'm due in Belgium tomorrow." She grabbed her overnight case and followed Xander out of the small room. "What a dick," she muttered.

Xander grinned at her. "They tried to recruit me earlier this year and I told them to fuck off." A guard glared at them. "I'm being hunted by corporations," he told him. "It's like a war." The guard watched them go through security, then it was someone else's problem.

***

Hermione set up the spell, frowning at the two bored looking guys with her. "I wouldn't have asked, but it's for the best anyway," she reminded them. The last part of the infertility spell was set inside the protection circle and the circle was finished. "All right, nothing can get through it, or it'll screw up."

"Why do we have to do this again?" Ron asked her.

"Because otherwise we'll all be distracted during fights by children. You of all people should realize how much work children take."

"I was only a year old when Ginny was born," Ron pointed out. But he sighed. Hermione said the spell had to have at least three people involved and he wanted to help her with her female problems. Besides, he didn't really want children yet so five years or so free from children would be very nice. He waved when he saw the unnamed baby phoenix waddle in. "Hey, you." The baby cooed and moved closer.

"No," Harry told it. "Stay there. You can't break the circle or bad things will happen." The baby looked at him, almost looking quizzical. "We'll turn into giant mice and chase you around."

"Really," Hermione sighed.

"Well, she hates mice," Harry pointed out.

"Fine. Just keep her out there." She started the small fire between them. "Okay, I have to say some words, and toss the potion into the fire after we ingest a little bit of it. Got it?" Both boys nodded, and the phoenix threw up. "Eww."

"Are you all right?" Ron asked, looking at the pile of sick. "That doesn't look good." He started to move but Hermione stopped him. "Oh, right."

"And if you break it now, then I'll have to start all over again making the potion, which takes a month and a half." He got back into his prior position. "We'll clean it up in a minute." She squeaked at the phoenix, who had settled down to watch them. "All right, let's do this now. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes." Her nose wrinkled from the smell of the former lunch. She started the chant, slowly saying the words faster. She grabbed the cup of potion, using a finger to paint her lips with it. She handed it to Ron, nodding at him to do the same. The cup got passed to Harry, then she poured it into the fire.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked as he walked in. He grimaced when he saw the pile of stuff. "That's sickening."

"Can't break it yet," Harry called. "We'll get it."

"Shh," Hermione told him. "Breathe in the fumes."

Draco shook his head and went to get a dustpan. It was the least he could do, because then he wouldn't have to smell it any longer. He bent down to scoop up the sickening material, grazing the protective shield with the edge of the metal dustpan. He felt himself be surrounded by power and glared at the threesome. "What did you do?" he growled.

"Oh, crap," Ron sighed. "How does that change it?"

"It'll hopefully still work," Hermione told him, glaring at Draco. "You couldn't wait?"

"What are you doing anyway?"

"Infertility spell," she told him haughtily. "It'll last for ten years." She said the last word and threw a cup of water onto the fire, dousing it. "As soon as the fumes are all gone, it can come down and we'll go make sure it worked."

"Ten years?" Ron asked. That seemed a bit extreme to him.

"In ten years, you'll be twenty-eight and still young enough to chase children around," Harry soothed, playing peace maker between the two yet again. "I thought we agreed five."

Hermione shrugged. "I couldn't find the word for five. It was ten or twenty."

"Fine," Draco sighed. "What about me?"

"With any luck, you didn't bollocks it totally," Ron noted. "It could make us all super fertile."

"Not a change for you then," Draco sneered.

"Enough!" Harry shouted, breaking into the argument before it could start. "Can we tell?" he asked Hermione.

"Madam Pomfrey will be able to. I was going check and make sure anyway." The fumes finished dissipating and she broke the protection circle. "See you all up there?" she asked as she tidied up everything so no one else would know they had used the classroom.

"Yeah, I think I'd better," Ron said, following her out of the classroom. "If not, I might be able to impregnate someone just by looking at them with my luck."

She grinned and patted him on the arm. "You can't do it that way you know. There has to be a physical component."

He blushed brightly. "Hermione!"

She laughed, hurrying up the marble staircase. "Didn't your mother teach you anything about making babies?"

"I know quite enough, thank you," he told her as they walked into the infirmary. "Malfoy messed the spell," he told Madam Pomfrey.

"Can you check and see if it worked?" Hermione asked. She had talked to the nurse earlier when she had found the spell.

The nurse led them back to the office one by one, checking them to see if everything was in working order. She smiled at Hermione. "You have one ovary that's infertile and one that's very fertile," she warned. The girl sighed and rolled her eyes. "It shouldn't be too much of a problem. You should be fine." She patted her on the back and let Ron in, smiling at him. The Weasley fertility was nearly legendary. She was surprised the twins had never gotten anyone knocked up while they had been in school. She ran her wand across his nether regions and smiled at him. "Worked perfectly for you," she told him. "Ten years from now, your mother can expect a grandchild."

He slumped. "Thank you. How is she?" Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Fine. Harry needs to be checked too."

"If he comes in, I'll gladly do so." She shooed them out and went to make notes in her daily log. She really didn't recommend that spell, but it seems to have worked well enough.

***

Xander stepped off the plane with a sigh. Home. He walked up to the custom's booth, Buffy two booths over because it had a shorter line. "I have to declare I inherited this, right?" he asked once it was his turn. He handed over the book.

The official looked it over, flipping through it. "Worth?"

Xander shrugged. "It's a family diary dating back a few hundred years. I inherited it, I haven't done anything else yet. I'm getting it appraised tomorrow."

The custom's official pulled over a special multi-copy form, filling it out. "Please have them send this to us," she said, handing him one of the copies. "We'll need to know for tax purposes." He nodded. "Anything else to declare," she checked his passport. "Mr. Harris." She frowned and checked the list off to the side. "Sir, I need you to come with us," she said, motioning a guard over. "We'll need you to talk to someone in immigration."

Xander sighed and picked up his stuff, waving at Buffy where she was standing on the other side of the barrier with a Watcher. She gave him a silly grin and a wave, then took off. He followed the guard to a little room with a chair and a desk, sitting on the chair. It was about half an hour before someone walked in. "What now?" he asked.

"Sir, we have papers on you, but you did leave," the official told him, smiling at him. "I have to know why."

"My parents died in car crash. I went back to fill out forms because they wouldn't let me do it from here. It was kind of an emergency and I didn't know I had to fill out more forms to go back for a few days." He dug out the forms he had signed from the lawyers. "This is what they gave me."

The official looked them over, nodding and humming at each one. He handed them back, then made some notes on a form in front of him. "And are you filing for citizenship, Mr. Harris?"

Xander nodded. "I've already started that paperwork. The people I work with have been helping me." It was true, Dumbledore had forwarded his paperwork to the right individuals. "You didn't get them yet?"

The official flipped through his folder. "Oh, I see we have." He smiled again. "There's been some holdup. Let me call. Be right back." He walked away.

Xander slumped in his chair. Albus had warned him that establishing a muggle identity would only cause problems. He had been right. He itched to send a message right now, but there wasn't any fireplace, or floo powder, within sight. The door opened and someone else walked in, this one carrying a wand in his pocket. "Hey." He waved listlessly. "Did I fuck up?"

The official closed the door. "No, Mr. Harris, you didn't mess up a thing. He wasn't supposed to get your case." He sat on the edge of the table. "Usually you're pacing by now."

"Twelve hour flight and four hours of layover in New York," he noted.

"Oh, I'm sorry. And the reason for your trip?" Xander handed over the paperwork. "I'm sorry," he said, sounding like he really was. He handed over some forms. "All right, we've processed your application with us and approved it," he said with a smile. "Sign the forms and you're officially one of ours."

"Does that mean that the American asshole who keeps trying to jump me and force me back can't get me?"

"It does indeed," the Minister of Immigration agreed. "I'm Armstrong Fidders." He saw the blanch. "Don't worry, I've heard how the boy came to you. I must say, to change a Malfoy that way is incredible. I'm not mad at you or him about my brother and his wife. The children are safe, you can tell the boy that." He stood up. "As for your muggle paperwork, there's been quite a holdup since you don't have an address."

"I can rent a post office box," he said. "But with where I am..."

"We've got something set up if you'd care to contribute to it. It will cost you about ten galleons a year and ...." His mouth closed as the amount was put on his desk. "I say, you're carrying that much around?"

"I had it changed back in LA at Gringotts." Xander stood up. "I'm really tired and I just wanna go home."

"Well, the floo has had a few problems recently," the Minister told him. "Many of us are trapped in town if we don't apparate." He smiled. "Go to the Leaky Cauldron and get a room. I'm sure you can contact the school from there." He took the money and walked away. "I'll have your official forms sent by owl tomorrow." He walked away.

Xander grabbed his things and walked out, going to catch a cab. Now if he knew where the Leaky Cauldron was in relation to the rest of London. He smiled, he knew where the video store was and it was only a few blocks away. He gave the cabbie the address of that, which got him a funny look. "My friend lives up the street and I'm staying with him tonight."

The cab took off, taking him one step closer to home. He paid the man and got out, having a pleasant walk for those few blocks before heading inside. "Hi, Tom," he said tiredly, leaning on the bar. "Please tell me you still have a room?"

Tom chuckled. "We always have a room, Professor Harris. The place expands you know." He handed over a key, taking the cash the boy handed him. "Wizard money?"

"Oh, yeah." Xander took the pounds back and handed him wizard money. He looked at the number. "Seventy-five?" Tom nodded. "Which way?"

"Up the stairs and to the right. You're four doors down from the guys singing sea songs."

"Cool." He yawned. "Wake me for breakfast?" He trudged up the stairs and down to his room. Sure enough, one of his neighbors was singing sea songs about mermaids and barmaids. He walked in and closed the door, then flopped down on the bed face first. He was tired. It only took seconds for him to fall asleep. Someone snuck in an hour later and took off his shoes and he never noticed Tom at all.

***

Albus Dumbledore looked up as the classroom he was in opened, admitting students. "Professor Harris is back in England, but a floo malfunction has kept him in London," he told the students. "All the other teachers are presently busy so you've got a free period. Please be quiet and go study." The students all trooped back out, talking to each other. Tomorrow Tara would be teaching this class while Xander went to fight with the gryphons. It would be another week before the boy got back, but that was fine. He looked up at the cough. "Yes, Ms. Weasley?" he asked with a tolerant smile.

"Will Professor Harris be back tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "There's another task he'll have to attend to before then. We've gotten word of another attack on a young gryphon and we're sure he's going to go handle that matter first. Is there something I can help you with?" She shook her head and blushed lightly. "I see. Maybe Ms. Granger or someone then?"

"I can't talk to her, she'd be horrified," Ginny muttered and left. "Thank you," she called back.

Albus shook his head. "Children grow up so fast these days," he sighed. "It used to be that I only saw that look on the seventh years." He wrote a note on the board for the later classes and left the classroom.

Ginny walked around the halls, frowning when she saw the girls clustered around Malfoy. You'd think that they'd be tired of him by now. He didn't look too pleased though, so maybe she could interrupt them.

"Oh, look, it's *Ron's* little sister," one girl sneered. "What's wrong, isn't your brother around to amuse you?"

"Oh, shut up, you slut," Ginny told her. She looked at Draco. "M..May I talk to you for a moment?" He shrugged. "Alone?" She walked over to a side hallway and checked it, no one was there. He followed. "I...I'm tired of being a vir..virgin and..and you're the one I want to fix it," she finished in a rush.

He blinked a few times. "That's the most unusual way of approaching that," he said with a frown. "Why me?"

She stepped closer. "Because I've heard what your usual sluts say and I figure you at least know what you're doing. I'm not after your money, or your name, just to get rid of this stigma." She blushed. "Please?"

He thought about it then slowly nodded. It was truly unusual. Most girls teased and flirted, or acted like they wanted it, this girl just came out and said it. It was refreshing, but rather odd. Did her family not teach her how to flirt and the like? "Come to my room tonight. An hour after dinner. We'll see what we can do to fix that situation." She smiled and ran off. He shook his head. That was really astounding and shocking. He spared a thought about how her brothers would react, but he'd make sure they didn't know. After all, she didn't seem like she was trying to get him into more trouble. He went back to his women, all of them having decided that him being under a death sentence wasn't worth arguing over. Of course, they had let on that they were *sure* Xander would get his father into prison, so it was clear they were still after his money. Apparently a death threat wasn't too much to risk for his name. Maybe being with Ginny would be refreshing in more ways than one.

***

Xander woke up with a groan. "What?" he called.

"Message for ya," Tom called, sliding it under the door.

Xander got up and picked up the message, opening the door to look at the innkeeper. "When did it come?"

"Few minutes ago, said it was important." Tom paused. "Owl's waitin' on a response."

Xander nodded, opening it to read. He slumped. "Send back the simple message of 'I'm coming'. Can I get something vaguely resembling coffee?"

"We've got tea," Tom offered.

Xander shuddered. "No, tea's weak." He waved a hand. "I'll be going in a few. Can I get some floo powder to send on my case and book?" He closed the door and went to shower. Two hours of sleep. Well, he'd be able to prove the point of fighting while you're tired to his students this term too. On his way out, he sent his case to the school, with a note on top about the little gryphon who had been attacked, then took his broom for a fly. After finding a Starbucks. Someone gave his broom, which he was carrying, a funny look. "New, just bought it," he explained. "It's an awkward thing to carry." He took his jumbo coffee and went to a hidden spot, putting on his invisibility cloak before taking off. A good fly up to Stonehenge with some coffee. Much better than the airlines.

***

McGonagall looked over as the fireplace 'ding'ed, frowning at the luggage. She got up to look at it and rolled her eyes. "He's went to the gryphons to fight," she told Snape, who was making himself some tea for his sniffles.

"Of course did, he owes them his sanity," Snape reminded her, pouring the tea into his mug. "Any other news?"

"Not yet," she told him. She watched as he left, then put Xander's case aside. She'd have one of his students take it to his room later. She walked out, going back to her classroom, her free period was over with. She didn't even think about owling George, he would know soon enough.

***

Xander landed in front of the inn by Stonehenge and looked around. He had been told to come here to meet someone. And someone did step out of the inn. "Travers," he grunted in annoyance. He hated the head of the Watcher's council. He had been such a prick to Buffy when he'd come to town. "Are you working with me on this?"

Travers walked closer. "I am. It's pitiful what they're doing, but we at the Watchers understand that this is important." He smiled calmly. "What can you do?"

Xander nudged his broom up. "Gee, what do you think I can do?" he asked him. He looked around, then whistled loudly when he saw a dark shape in the air. Reynaldo, the youngest of the three elders, landed beside them. "Give me a run down?" he suggested.

Reynaldo laughed. "You haven't changed." He hugged the young man with his wings, smothering him with the feathers on his chest. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm in the mood for a fight actually," Xander admitted as he pulled back. "Not only did the skanky lawyers handling my parents' estate try and get me to sign a paper saying I would pledge my allegiance to Voldemort, but another one saying I was going to sign over my soul. And then I had to go deal with the American aurors, who were playing dirty to try and make me work for them. Not to mention what happened the other night."

Travers stared the young man down. "You know better than to fight in anger."

Xander nodded. "This isn't anger, it's frustration and I'm building another frustration bomb." He landed again. "Which town? Is the chick still alive? And what level of fixing it?"

Reynaldo grinned down at him, as much as his beak would allow. "The next town up the road. As far as we know the chick is still alive. As for fixing it?" He shrugged, which looked very odd when he did it. "As long as it's fixed and I don't personally have to clean up the bodies, I don't care."

"Then can we do something like a memory spell to make them forget about you?" Travers asked.

Xander looked at him. "With a few more of us, we could shield the whole town so that no one in it knew about magical creatures."

"It was tried before, but one person remembered and forced the others to see us," Reynaldo admitted. He looked at the puny human. "A memory charm has to be done individually to work best, or be placed onto something."

"Then maybe we just needed a keystone of some sort," Xander said thoughtfully. He started to float again. "Let's go do this before they can hurt the baby." He and Reynaldo flew off, the gryphon being nice enough to give the normal human a lift by picking him up with a foot. They landed outside the village, just a few homes and two stores it looked like. The first thing they saw were some children staring at them in shock. Xander waved at them. "Go away and hide," he told them. "We've got to fight with your parents." The kids all scattered, but one.

He looked at them, his blond hair messy and windblown with a few leaves in it. "Are unicorns real?" he asked.

Xander nodded. "I've been told they are. If he's real," he pointed at Reynaldo, "then unicorns must be, huh?"

The boy nodded. "Good." He glanced at Travers, then ran after the other kids.

Xander noticed some adult males gathering in the center of the town. Not a good. He flew in and landed, there wasn't any way they were going to remember him. "I only want the gryphon baby and then we'll leave," he said calmly. All conversation stopped. "Otherwise I'm going to have to take it back and then punish someone." A few farming implements appeared from behind backs. "If that's the way you want it." He raised his wand. "Incendio!" he yelled, burning the nearest implements. He floated off the ground, pulling up a hoe to use as a longer weapon. He hit a few of the men, knocking them down, and got most everyone frozen, when a wizard came out of the closest store. He had his back turned so he didn't see him until it was too late.

"Expelliarmus!"

Xander lost his wand, but not his tool. He flew over and beat the wizard, making him scream and beg for him to stop. "If you would have let the baby go, you wouldn't be in pain!" Xander told him, taking both wands. He turned to look at the crowd. "I want the baby gryphon now!" he yelled. "Right the hell now!" A woman ran into her house and came out with a small wrapped body. Xander's heart sank as he went down, taking the small package. It wasn't a gryphon, it was a phoenix. "Not quite. See, gryphons look like my friend." He pointed at where Reynaldo was standing at the edge of the village. "This is a phoenix, which you should not have destroyed either." He flew back up as someone tried to grab him. "Now then, where's the chick? Preferably before I vent my rage on you." He saw one woman hiding a child behind her and sneered. "We're not like that," he told her. "*WE* don't hurt children, unlike some people."

"They're evil!" the woman shouted. "They have to be eradicated!"

"If they're eradicated," Xander said, talking down to her, "then your whole village dies because they're what's holding back the things that travel in the night to come and get you. Like that wolf creature that was seen last year in the area." She whitened but backed away from him. "Now then, the chick! Now!" A few people went running, bringing a small cage with a crying baby gryphon in it. He let Reynaldo deal with that while he worked on the spell to render them memory-less. Xander raised his wand, but one young man had been quietly climbing up onto a roof behind him. He jumped, bringing them both to the ground. Xander got in a few punches, but the guy had him pinned against his broom. "Get off me!" he shouted, kicking him one last time, managing to get free.

More of the villagers came over and grabbed him. "You're gonna be dead like that evil one," one woman shouted at him.

"Vile creature from Hell!"

Xander was drug away, people hitting and screaming at him.

Reynaldo looked at Travers, who had stayed hidden. "Get him out," he ordered. "I'm taking the gryphlet back to the community. I will be back soon." He lifted off, taking the cage. He didn't dare open it yet, there was no telling what sort of spells that wizard had put on it.

Travers considered the town, then smiled. Buffy was headed this way to get her next assignment, she could do it with them. It would be a wonderful test of her abilities. He pulled out his cellphone to call his people.

***

Xander looked over as his cell door opened. He was in pretty bad shape. One of his eyes was closed. His body was a mass of bruises. And they had his wand. They had cut it open to dissect it in front of him, trying to figure out what made it work. His poor wand. He really wished he had brought Murphy with him now. His bird would have stomped them for hurting him. No one would have managed to hit him for sticking up for the baby.

Buffy slid into his cell and helped him up, whispering in his ear. "Travers stunned the guard. Your broom's okay. You're going back to the community." She led him from the small tavern's back room, which substituted for the local police station, and out into the night. She got them under his invisibility cloak and handed him the wand she had found lying around. "Can you use another one?" He nodded. "Then get out of the village. I'll come after you." She slid out from under the cloak, hoping it was moving. She heard fabric rustling against the ground and figured he was following orders. A light flipped on behind her and she turned to look at the woman walking out. "You are in such deep shit," Buffy told her, punching her and knocking her down. "Do you know how hard I worked to keep this village safe in the last year? And now you do stupid shit like this." She glared at the others coming out. "You'd think, with having a few Watchers from here, that you'd know better by now."

"Get her!" a man screamed.

Travers strolled down the main street, smiling at them. "Do try, if you want to see your whole town go up in flames." The man backed off, he knew of this man. Travers and the entire Council were very well known, this was one of their hometowns. "Now then, Ms. Summers, that was very nice." He smiled at her. "What did you want to do?"

"You know that shield thingy? Can we redo it? Maybe specify that only one person get free of it and make it a kid so they'll believe?"

"Done," Xander said from the edge of the village, taking off his invisibility cloak. Behind him stood six gryphons and another human. "Buffy, come. Travers?"

"As you wish," Travers said with a faint shrug and an amused look. "Should you really do that, boy?"

"I heal." He raised the borrowed wand. "Ready?" He heard grunts of assent. Together they said a group of words in something that sounded like a cross between a groaning and a hiss, but more guttural and primal.

Travers turned to look back at the village, smiling at the one boy who had snuck over to look at the gryphons. He nudged Buffy. "Your one," he told her.

She smiled at him. "Do you like them?" The boy nodded. "Then protect them because they protect you." He smiled, showing he was missing one of his bottom teeth. He couldn't have been more than five or six. "Remember, magical beings aren't bad until they show themselves to be bad. Some of them just exist because they do." She grabbed Xander as he slumped. "Okay, enough of that." She heard one last word and looked up at the biggest creature she'd ever seen. "Are you guys going to take care of him or am I? 'Cause if I bring him back in this condition, I'll be yelled at and I'd have to do something nasty to the very nice wizards he works with."

"We will do it, Slayer," the gryphon female told her. "He is very well known to us." She picked up the body and held it gently, blowing on it. Xander woke up and blinked at her. "You can ride?"

"Where's my broom?" he slurred. "I can always ride."

"I know," the boy told him, running back into the town. He ran into the tavern and came out with the broom and the pieces of Xander's wand. "Here you go." He gave them to Buffy. "Please, keep protecting us? Monsters are scary." He looked up at the gryphon in front of him and smiled. "But you're not scary." He ran away, going back to one of the houses.

Buffy handed everything off to Travers. "So, where am I going now?"

"France. You're going to go do a small lecture at one of the other magic schools. It's warm there, pack something light." She nodded and headed for the car. He looked up at them. "Should I send his broom on?"

"We know of one who is his mate," the female told him. "We'll send them to him." She let one of the others settle Xander on her back then took off. "Gryphlet, you are such trouble," she told him as they flew off.

Travers smiled and strolled away. Amazing creatures, gryphons were. Simply amazing. He got into the car, taking Buffy back to the Watcher's headquarters so she could pack. He needed to run an errand or two in London tomorrow when he drove her into the airport.

***

Ginny nervously paced the small hallway outside Draco's doorway, hoping no one saw her. Everyone knew that Xander wasn't going to be back for a few days so she didn't have any real excuse to be down here. The door opened, making her jump. "Hi...hi," she said nervously.

He let her inside and reclosed both doors. You couldn't be too careful, though he knew she wasn't going to hurt him. He watched her fidget a little bit, then sighed. He guessed it was up to him. She really was a twittering virgin it seemed. "Why did you pick me?" he asked as he walked over to get some water for her.

She took off her robe and sat on a chair, trying to look dainty. "Because I've heard that you know what you're doing, which I figure means that you won't make it a horrible experience that will turn me off men forever."

He handed over the water. "Really?" He felt ...flattered. He sat on the edge of his bed, looking at her. "I have had some experience," he admitted. She gave him a look, which made him laugh. "All right, a lot of experience." She smiled at him. "Still, there are others."

"Yeah, but you've got a safety factor that the other boys don't," she told him. He frowned and managed to look confused. "No one would ever believe you if you bragged and my brothers would never think I'd touch you. Therefore, you're safe in the ways that count." She stood up and took off her sweater. "And you're one of those cute little bad boys who all girls go floppy and unresistant for."

He snickered. "Floppy and unresistant?"

"It sounded better than pliant and gushy," she told him, taking off her tie. "Can we do this?"

He stood up, walking over to help her undress. This was still rather odd to him. Such a forward girl was putting him off his usual balance. He had gotten her down to her panties when he heard her mutter something. "What was that?"

"Infertility spell. I got it off Melody."

He grinned, *that* he was used to. "That's not the one I usually use." He cast his usual one, just in case. Melody was known for giving out wrong information if she thought it'd be funny.

"Yeah, well, I asked around and the other girls laughed at me," she said darkly. "They all think that I'm some pure little kid."

"Ah, so that's why you're doing this."

"Well, that's kinda it," she admitted, "that and to have it over with."

"You know, there still many wizards who value virginity in a bride."

She grinned up at him. "It can be put back. Knowledge can't." That made him laugh some more and she stepped back. "So, do I still only look cute?"

He looked over her trim body. Perky breasts, trim waist. Almost no hips. Not classically beautiful but very nice. He noticed she was blushing and smiled at her. "Much nicer than some of the girls I've been with. I happen to like small breasts. Mouthfuls and all that." She giggled and blushed deeper, all the way down to her stomach. Draco decided to ease her tension some by taking off most of his clothes too. He wouldn't push her, it wasn't often that a girl actually went all the way on her first attempt; there was usually a little fear there. He would be gentle with her. Not only was she intriguing, but her brothers would kill him if he so much as scared her. He took her hand and led her to the bed, easing her down onto the soft sheet's he'd put on earlier. He'd had someone sneak out and buy him a set of silk sheets from the muggle world because he'd heard they were the best for this sort of activity. His father would have shit bricks if he had found out, but Draco enjoyed them immensely. The coolness of the silk against a young woman's skin was a delicious contrast in his mind.

Ginny tossed off her bra unselfconsciously and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down for a kiss.

My, oh, my. Yes, quite unusual, but rather pleasant.

***

Mr. Olivander looked up as his door was opened. It wasn't time for new students and he wasn't expecting anybody. He walked out of the work room, stopping when he saw the obvious muggle. "Yes?" he asked.

Travers put the wand on the counter. "Someone decided to dissect Harris' wand. He's going to be needing it again soon. Can it be fixed?" When the old man didn't say anything, he smiled. "Don't worry, they got fixed."

"If I may ask, who are you?"

"Travers, Watcher's Council."

"Ah, I see. No wonder you managed to get in." He picked up the pieces. "They were very precise." The wand had been split at the handle's groove and then down the center of the main shaft. He checked the feather. "Not too damaged. I should be able to fix it. Where is he?"

"With the gryphons, being healed," Travers said dryly. "There was a town that had been trying to kill them, starting with their children." Ollivander started to look sick. "Oh, they still exist, just without their memories of gryphons or other magical creatures." He nodded at the wand. "I'm sure he'll be waiting on it."

"I'm sure he will too, but he had an older one that works well enough, not a perfect fit but as good as I could do without his own phoenix's feather." He examined the wood. "I'll have to recraft it, it should take me at least two weeks to carve the wand over."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to get it back whenever," Travers told him. He glanced around. "Is there any way you could get a message to Professor Giles and tell him that I'd like to see him? I would like an update of my former employee's position."

"Of course. Toss some powder into the fire and call out his name," he said, pointing at his own fire. This was most unusual. A Watcher, using their magic, willingly. "If he's near a fire, he'll answer."

"Thank you." Travers walked over and picked up some of the green powder, tossing it into the fire. "Rupert," he said. Rupert's head appeared in the fire, along with someone else's. "Ah, Rupert, good. The problem with the gryphons was taken care of. Xander was with them when it was handled. All the problems were eliminated." The other face disappeared from the fire. "Buffy's on her way to France but she wanted to know if she could come for a visit next month or so. Oh, and the town that was the problem has been stopped also."

"Dear, God," Giles said, still in shock. "They wiped them out?"

Travers shook his head. "No, merely handled the situation. Xander will tell you more when he gets back. He looked a little worse for the wear after last night's small skirmish but he might live." He stepped away, breaking the contact. "Thank you for that. I'll leave now." He nodded at the old man and left the shop.

Ollivander leaned against the counter in relief. "That didn't sound good." He walked over and picked up some floo powder of his own. Everyone knew that if it concerned magical creatures you called the Species department, unless it was Xander. Word had gotten around about that boy and the Weasleys. "Arthur Weasley," he said as he tossed the powder down. Nothing. "Percy Weasley." Percy's head appeared almost instantly. "I just had a Watcher here with Xander Harris' wand," he told him. Percy's mouth opened. "It was dissected. He said something about a gryphon problem being eliminated and the boy not looking too good."

Percy nodded. "I'll tell my father straight away and call the Species squad. They'll know what to do. Is his wand fixable? If it is, please send it on to my brother George at Hogsmeade. Xander was his." Ollivander nodded so Percy broke the connection. He stood up and swallowed. He had rather liked Xander quite a lot. He walked outside and quickly headed to the people who had helped Xander that summer. He tapped politely and walked in at the grunt. "I just got word that there was a problem last night involving Harris and the gryphons. A Watcher came in with Harris' broken wand and told him the problem had been eliminated, but that Harris was living - barely from the sound of it." Everyone in the room looked grim. "I have no idea of anything else, but it was Ollivander who called me."

The Minister of Magical Creatures stood up. "That's fine, we'll check into it. Probably had to do with that village again. We've been trying to find a way to deal with them."

"Sounds like the gryphons did," a woman said, staying seated. "Did you want help finding the Watcher?"

"Rupert was one of those," Percy told her. "I remember from when they first showed up. You might see if he was contacted." He looked around. "I should go tell my father. Could you... could you please tell us?" He hurried away. His father would be in soon and it was best this news came from him.

***

Dumbledore looked up as his office door opened unexpectedly, admitting Rupert. "What can I do for you today?"

"Xander's apparently been injured doing whatever with the gryphons. I just got word that the problem was fixed but that he wasn't feeling so well."

"Very well, I'll expect that they can use a healing potion as well as we can. I know Xander will be back soon." Giles didn't move. "Was there something else?"

"From what Travers said, it didn't sound that much like good news. He used the word eliminated. Could Xander have taken out an entire village?"

Dumbledore laughed. "No, he couldn't have. He's not like that, even when he's pissed. I've seen that boy get angry enough to kill someone, but not a group or a village. I'm sure it was an euphemism." He stood up. "Don't worry so much about the boy; you trained him very well, and he's now passing that on to others." Giles nodded, looking like he was relaxing. "I'm sure we'll get official news soon." The door opened again and Snape walked up. "You heard too?"

"Yes, Headmaster, and I wish to put these books into your safekeeping until the gryphons come to get them back. I've already instructed Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley to do the same."

Dumbledore shook his head. "He's not dead. He's simply injured. The boy does tend to get that way quite a bit."

"His wand was broken," Snape told him.

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course it was, that would probably be the only way that the boy was that injured." He stood up. "This is Harris we're talking about, gentlemen. He may not be immortal but he is fairly indestructible." Both younger men nodded. "Now, go back to your classes. Severus, please hide those books carefully. I've heard rumors that one of them was gotten into." The teachers walked out and Dumbledore sat down, tossing some powder into the fire to call Arthur. He was probably panicking too.

***

Xander woke up to something soft trying to move him. "Hurts," he told it.

"I know, young one," Fredericka, the elder female gryphon, told him. "Drink this and it will hurt less."

"Quarter strength?" Xander asked.

"Yes, we took that into account." She let one of the humans helping them pour the liquid down the poor boy's throat. He was always getting hurt. "You rest, you can go see your mate in two days, once you're better." Xander nodded and closed his eyes.

"Is it working?" the last gryphon elder asked. She nodded, not looking at him. "We should just keep him here, it would keep the boy out of trouble."

Fredericka looked back at him. "The embers said he has to fight one more battle, then he would be safe." She laid Xander back down on the mat, moving away from him. "He had a key on him."

"Gringotts?" She nodded. "Do you think he found the family's treasure?"

"Probably. It isn't one for the local Gringott's." She glanced back. "Two more days and we can send him on his way."

"Good. Hopefully he'll be able to stay out of trouble until that last battle. When will it be?"

"He'll be helping destroy the Dark Lord this spring," she told him, walking away.

***

Fred held his brother back. "No, you can't go there and demand anything!" He looked at his mother, who had brought them the news that Xander was once again injured and being taken care of. "They'll send him back soon!"

"Sit," Molly Weasley ordered. Both twins sat. It wasn't often that they heard that tone of voice from her, but they knew to obey it. "He's fine. The gryphon ambassador has sent word that he'll be released in two days. You can go join him then." She glared at George. "You'd think that the boy got into trouble on purpose."

"I'm not so sure he doesn't," Ron said as he walked in. His mother gave him a dirty look. "I have that interview with Nimbus tomorrow," he reminded her. She smiled at him. "Thanks for the worry though. Any news on Xander? Word going around is that he's near death."

"See, I should be there," George told his family. "He needs me."

"You can go in two days when he's released," his mother told him firmly. "Make him something which will make him smile, George. I'm sure he'll need it." Molly walked over to look over Ron's outfit. "Harry's?"

"Actually, Xander's. I fit into his clothes now." He showed off one of his arm muscles. "I've been working hard on these."

She gave him a hug. "Good luck, Ron. I'm sure you'll do fine. Nimbus is supposed to be a very good company to work for." She watched as he walked out and took off on his broom, smiling at the phoenix chick following him. "Why didn't he borrow clothes from Harry?"

"Because Harry's about two inches shorter than him now," George told her. "They've both sprouted this year, mum." He sat down, appearing calm. "That's all they said?"

She reached over and pinched George's cheek. "It's good that you worry, but he's fine. They have healing potions specifically for people like Xander." She saw the glare. "You know what I mean, their own healing potions will work better than ones for strictly humans. I'm sure Hagrid has the same problem on occasion." Fred shrugged when his mother looked at him for support. She decided to change the subject. "Has anyone heard how his parents died?"

"Willow said something about a car crash. I wonder what they left him."

"Probably not a lot, his parents weren't well off," George told them. His mother nodded for him to go on. "They were also fairly cranky, mean, and didn't care much about him so I'm guessing that ...." He stopped when the door opened, admitting a ...goblin? "Can we help you?" he asked.

"Alexander Harris?"

"He's presently visiting some relatives," Mrs. Weasley told him. "Can we do something for you?"

The goblin checked his forms, then looked at the boys. "George Weasley?" George raised his hand. "Here, sign this." He handed over the form. "You're secondary holder of the keys to vault 1334." He took it back and looked it over, then handed over two keys. "One of these is for Mr. Harris. Would you please give it to him?"

"What did he put in Gringotts?" Fred asked.

"It's a transfer from our American branch in Los Angeles," the goblin told him. "Came from vault 23. Full nest and furnishings for a nesting cave." He folded the form up and put it into his bag. "When will Mr. Harris be in?"

"I can have him pop up in a few days," George told him. "He's rather ill at the moment."

The goblin nodded. "Then give him the key and tell him he has to have identification of a magical nature when he comes in next. We have his paperwork already filled out from America. Thank you for calling us here so we could conclude this transaction." He left the shop.

George looked at the keys in his hands. "A nest? Why would anyone want to store a nest in Gringotts?"

"I'm more wondering about the 'it came from America' part," Fred told him. "Didn't the Americans eradicate all magical creatures over a hundred years ago?" His mother nodded. "Then how did a gryphon store a nest in Gringotts America?"

She shrugged. "I think we'll figure that out later, boys. It's one of those mysteries, like how a goblin always knows that you're talking about it." She looked at the little brass keys. "You might want to put those up, George. You always were dreadful at losing things." She patted both of them on the cheek. "I think I'll pop down the street for a sweet. Be right back." She left them alone.

George looked at the fire. "Only if you plan on camping," Fred told him. "I'm not giving you money to go stay in an inn tonight."

"You sound like father," George told him, earning a piece of tongue ton toffee being thrown at his head. "Well, you do."

"That's because I'm worried about our profit for the year. At the rate we're going, we're only going to make about a hundred galleons or so profit."

"Xander said that ninety percent of businesses that start collapse within a year in America," George told him.

"Totally besotted," Fred muttered as he headed back into the lab. "You can go tomorrow and camp on their doorway."

George sat there and stared at the container of floo powder and the fireplace. His brother was right, but he was worried. Xander always got into such trouble.

***

Part 4