Chapter 17:

Dawn was reluctantly being dragged by Victoria toward the dungeons, if it wasn't for the promise she made to Victoria to help, she wouldn't let her drag her down there. There was of course also the reward she would get after they finished. The dungeons weren't her favoured place in the castle. It's way too damp. Victoria was leading them to the Slytherin Dungeon. Dawn has been there before to help Victoria.

Victoria knocked on the door. "Hey, somebody open the door. It's me, Vicky plus guest."

A boy's voice was heard from behind the door. "Why should we let you in with the Mudblood, Vicky?" He put enough spite in uttering her name, that you could hear his disapproval for her for bringing Dawn with her.

Victoria was fuming. Dawn could see it. The guy was lucky that there was something between them otherwise Victoria might have shred him to pieces. When she spoke there was no anger just a wave of calm.

"Marco, you better open the door or I'm going to say the password in front of the sister of the Professor, who would be delighted to tell 'it' to her roommates in the Gryffindor Tower."

The portal opened and behind it was a greasy looking guy about their age, who wasn't looking very happy. He was about to say something, but Victoria cut him off.

"You better hold that stupid tongue of yours before it gets you in more trouble than you can get out of." She put a finger on his chest. "You aren't Draco, who the Professor seems to have a soft spot for."

She let it sink in to him. "She would tear you apart in seconds and worst would be that you would lose point for our House." She pushed him aside. "Move. I have more important things to do than arguing with you."

She pulled Dawn into the Girl's dormitory and dropped her stuff on the bed.

"That spoiled prick. Who the bloody hell does he think he is, insulting one of my friends." Victoria was still fuming.

"So we're friends?" Dawn let it sound a little teasing. Which Victoria didn't catch on.

Victoria looked astonished. "Of course we are? Why would I hang around you all this time."

"And I thought you just hung around me for the valuable help I bring into this project." Dawn gave her a fake hurt smile.

Victoria knew that Dawn was baiting her, so she ignored her. She walked over to her trunk, she removed a few fabrics and unfinished dresses. She took her wand and put a few spell on the room to assure, that nobody was nosing into their affairs. Dawn took one of the dresses and hung it in front of her, while standing in front of the freestanding full-length mirror.

"Yep, we'll be ready for Halloween and we'll steal the show." Dawn was smiling at her mirror image.

Victoria looked at Dawn and smiled. "Do you think I receive many points from you sister?"

"She is a clothes freak. Probably a 100." Dawn grinned evilly. Victoria giggled. "But you are asking the wrong question."

"Which question should I have asked?" Victoria was curious.

"The right question would be how many boys heads are we going to turn." Dawn winked at her.

Victoria laughed and took her sewing equipment to work on her dress. "I wouldn't mind one boy turning his head."

"Oh wouldn't it be the twin I'm think off." Dawn was teasing her.

"No, it's the other twin." Victoria winked suggestively at her.

Dawn had to retaliate with a smart comeback. "I got the handsome one."

Okay that wasn't her best shot. Victoria thought the same and it could be read on her face. Nevertheless she played along.

"Nah, George is 10 times handsomer the your Fred."

"No way Fred is 100 times better looking than George."

"You know that we are talking about identical twins. Saying that one is 10 time handsomer is exaggerating, but a 100 is pushing the envelope." Victoria looked very serious at Dawn.

Dawn frowned at her, but it took all her willpower to keep a straight face. They were locked in a battle of wills. No one moved or made a sound. They were almost locked like that for a minute, when one of them cracked, which one wasn't clear afterward, but they burst into a fit of laughter. They calmed down and were sitting on the ground leaning against Victoria's bed holding their dresses on their laps.

"You know I could had have them both if it weren't for you." Dawn said accusing her with a smile.

Dawn stood up and help Victoria get up. While they straightened their dresses, Victoria replied.

"You couldn't handle two Weasleys. If it wasn't for me you still had trouble choosing which one of the twin you would pick. You would never pick one without hurting the other."

"I so could have." Victoria gave her a disbelieve look. "Okay, I give. I just want to know how I end up with Fred and you with George?"

"They probably flipped a coin." She said it with a matter of fact voice.

"Do you think we should be offended by that?" Dawn was looking a little offended.

It didn't seem to bother her. "The winner would probable have gotten you."

"Oh." Dawn face brightened up. "I should be honoured and you should be offended."

"You?" Victoria squeezed her eyes, took a pillow and threw it at her. "How about we say it was divine intervention?"

Dawn smiled. "Okay, Vicky." She threw the pillow, she caught, back on the bed.

"Why don't you change into your dress, so that I can make the last adjustment, Dawn?"

Dawn put on her dress and stood still for Victoria to make the adjustment. When Victoria was finished they turned places. In the mean time they spoke about boys, specific about the twins, about the Halloween party and their involvement in the twins's prank.

Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room with her stuff. She saw Ron play chess with Dean. Harry was watching them. She walked over to them.

"We need to talk. Wait here while I put away my stuff."

She didn't let it sound like a request and turned away before they could reply. She walked into the Girl's Dormitory leaving the boys astonish behind.

"Hello, Ron, Harry and Dean. How are you today? We are good and how are you? I'm fine Ron. Thank you for asking." Ron's sarcasm was clearly noticed.

Dean laughed. He stood up and was preparing to leave. "It seams that we'll have to continue this game another time."

"Hey, where are you going?" Ron sounded annoyed.

"I don't think she meant me, when she said she wanted to 'talk'." Dean smiled down at Ron.

"But I'm winning." Ron was whining.

"Ah. It seems that I got Lady Luck on my side or should I call her Lady Know-It-All." Dean grinned and left Ron behind with Harry.

"That bloody woman just lives to spoil my fun."

Harry smiled at his friends about how he was annoyed by Hermione shortness. "Better pack up your wizard-chessboard. I don't think we're going to talk here."

Ron reluctant put his chessboard away as they waited for Hermione, who just seconds later came out of the Girl's Dormitory and waved them to meet her at the door.

"Lets find a place where we won't be disturbed or overheard."

She walked out of the Common Room and expecting the boys to follow her, which of course they did. She walked a few paces in front of them. The boys had to keep up their pace to not lose her. She stopped a few time, looked around and discarded the place and walked on. After a few minutes they stopped in front of an empty room. She opened the door and ushered them in.

"What is so important that you dragged us here?" Ron spitted out impatiently and was getting irritated.

"Yes, Hermione why are we here?" Harry sounded a little less impatient.

"Did Dawn or Professor Summers tell one of you that Professor Summers was a Potential?"

Harry and Ron looked baffled at her. Ron was the first to speak. "What are you talking about? And what the Bloody Hell is a Potential?" Ron was looking very angry at Hermione.

"Ron, stop swearing." Hermione gave him a disapproval glare.

Before Ron could retort, Harry butted in before it escalated into an argument. "What is a Potential, Hermione?"

Harry got her full attention. "A Potential is a girl who has the potential to become a slayer. At any moment in time there are several Potentials."

"You are telling us Professor Summers can become a slayer?" Ron was very excited.

Hermione looked at him as if he was stupid. "I told you she 'was'. Potentials only can be called between the ages of 13 to 18. She is way to old."

Harry knew that Buffy was the Slayer or more specific one of the two. So if she was the Slayer that meant she had been a Potential before she was called. "Hermione how do you know that she was a Potential?"

"Dawn told me when I compare Professor Summers with Slayer's abilities. To some degree she displays all the Slayer's abilities."

"You suspect her to be the Slayer, but she told us that the Slayer is in California." Ron tried to proof how wrong she was just to annoy her.

"And I believe her." Harry told Hermione without lying.

"Yeah me too. But she isn't telling the whole truth, for that I'm sure. I wish I could have seen her fight." She looked over to Harry, who had seen her fight.

"Maybe Potentials exhibit partial of the slayer abilities?" Harry tried to be helpful or being more misleading. It's from whose side you look at it.

"No, they might have better reflexes, balance and show some talent for fighting, but other than that no. They aren't for example, being attracted by magical or demonic creatures or have magic abilities like prophetic dreams."

"Which Professor Summers is and has." Ron was trying to put his piece of mind in. "Maybe it is because she is also a Witch?"

Hermione thought about it. "You know I never saw her use a wand in front of me. Did you guys?" Both boys shook their head. "Maybe she isn't a Witch?" Hermione thought out loud.

"No, Professor Dumbledore would never higher a Muggle. She might be a squib?" Ron replied.

"No, she can't be a squib, because Dawn is a Muggle." Hermione. "She can't be a Slayer, because the Slayer is in Californian and there can be only one. She is stronger than she looks."

"Maybe it is all the training she received when she was younger that made her that strong." Harry tried to be helpful.

"Maybe." Hermione was in deep thoughts for a moment. "Are we sure she is a Witch?"

"Of course she is. She has to be. Malfoy didn't call her once a Mudblood." Ron was proud about his attribution.

"That no proof Ron." Hermione looked cross at Ron.

"But it is close to proof. Malfoy can smell a Muggle or Muggle-born a mile away." Harry grinned at Hermione. Hermione's annoyance slowly disappeared from her face and she smiled back at Harry.

"There are way to many conflicting information here. I have to think about it and research some more. I wish I could see her in action. That would be very helpful in my conclusions."

"Was that all?" Ron was anguish to leave.

"No, the best has to come yet. We... I found out that sisters of Potentials and Slayers are Potentials themselves. So..."

Harry understood it immediately. "Dawn is a Potential."

"Yes and she didn't know it. Either her sister didn't told her or she didn't know herself."

"Wow, she can be the Slayer one day. That's so cool." Ron was taken back by that piece of information.

"No it is not." Hermione retorted. "You wouldn't wish you worst enemy that fate. If you read only one of those Diaries you would understand that and I have read more than a dozen Diaries and it's very depressing."

Ron didn't get the hint. "How can it be depressing? She gets superpower like these Spiderman or Superman comic figures." Ron was reading some of the comics they received from Xander. "And all the adventures. Being a hero. Fighting vampires and demons."

Hermione stood up and puffed. "Ronald Weasley, I can't believe that you are so thick headed." She turned and left the room.

"What's her problem?" Ron had no idea what he did wrong.

Harry explained it to him. "I think she told you very clear. It is your thick head." And he followed Hermione out of the room.

Ron still didn't understand what he did wrong and shook his head in confusion. He also stood up and left the room empty behind.

After Dawn was finished with being a living mannequin, she took the dresses for safekeeping into the Gryffindor Tower and afterwards she went to Buffy's quarters. She said the password 'Unicorn Blood' and entered the room angry. Buffy was sitting in front of the fireplace reading a book. She looked up and smiled, but the smile disappeared quickly when she saw the expression on Dawn's face.

"Dawnie? Is something wrong?" Buffy's concern reached her voice.

Dawn crossed her arms and frowned at Buffy. "Tell me you didn't know."

"Okay. I didn't know." Buffy gave her a weak smile. "Now please tell me what I didn't know." Buffy patted to the rug for Dawn to sit next to her.

Dawn was thinking about refusing, but she sat down anyway. She didn't look straight at Buffy. Buffy saw that she wasn't going to talk first.

"Tell me what's the problem, Dawnie." Her voice was warm and patiently.

Dawn took her time before she replied. "Did you know that I'm a Potential?"

Buffy was shocked. "A Potential? A Slayer in waiting?" Dawn nodded.

Buffy stood up and was looking confused at Dawn and started to pace around. The information was spinning through Buffy's head. Dawn could see that Buffy was upset and didn't know before. Her expression softened. Buffy stopped in front of her.

"You can't be. They can't do this to me. Giles would have told me. And how the bloody Hell do you know this?" At the end of her ranting she raised her voice in irritation.

"Hey! You don't have to yell at me just because you don't like the news I'm telling you." Dawn looked deviant at her.

Buffy calmed down. "I'm sorry Dawn. Now please tell me how you know that you are a Potential."

Dawn explained her how Hermione compared Buffy with a Slayer and she told her that Buffy had been a Potential to throw her of track. Hermione had read in a few diaries about sisters who were Potentials and even Slayers, from that she concluded that Dawn was a Potential too.

Buffy went to the trunks and opened them. "Do you know which Diaries?"

Dawn stood next to Buffy and went through a few notes. It took her awhile to find the right Diaries. "Thanks." Buffy also picked up a dictionary to translate the Latin into English. She sat down in one of the comfy chair, cross-legged and the books in her lap. Dawn went to sit in the chair next to Buffy.

"If this is true. Giles must have known it. Why wouldn't he have told me?" Buffy was thinking out loud while look into one of the diaries. She didn't expect an answer.

"Maybe he knew you would be upset. You know how he is about seeing you upset or he was afraid you would quit or kill him if you thought you have to sacrifice your little worthless sister in the war of Good versus Evil." Dawn said the last part sarcastic.

Buffy rolled with her eyes. "Don't call my little brat of a sister worthless." Buffy grinned and Dawn smiled back.

"I never thought you were worthless, annoying and a pain in the arse, yes. The reason, why I try to keep you out my 'slayer life' isn't for your protection, but for my hope that you'll have a rich, fulfilling and long life. That you'll enjoy the world that I have saved a few times for people like you." Buffy looked with a sad smile at Dawn.

"A gilded cage is still a cage." Was Dawn's only reply.

Buffy sighed. "Yes, it is. We can talk about it later. Now let me read and be quiet."

It didn't take her long to find the passage she sought. But it took her a little longer to translate it even with the help from Dawn.

' Not often does a Slayer or Potential has a sister. When a Potential is found in a family with two sisters. It is hard to determine if only one of them is a Potential or both. The previous Slayer Tania had a sister, Tia. When we found them, we did not know which one was a Potential until Tania was called. But it seems that they both were Potentials for today Tia is called. It is a great honour and sadness that I am again a Watcher to an active Slayer. '

"So, I might be a potential to a Potential to a Slayer." Dawn tried to lighten the mood.

"It seems so. I'm going to ask Giles when he comes for Halloween to be sure." Buffy was in deep thoughts.

"You know what this means." Buffy looked up to Dawn, who was a little excited.

Buffy saw it and knew what it meant. "Yep, I'm going to write Faith that she isn't aloud to die until you are way over 19." That wasn't what Dawn meant and Buffy knew it.

"Buffy?!" Dawn sounded irritated and annoyed.

Buffy had to acknowledge it and resigned to fate. She gave Dawn a wary smile. "Tomorrow we'll design a training schedule."

"Yeah." Dawn had a very big smile plastered on her face and was almost jumping around.

"But if you ever become a Slayer I'll be very disappointed in you." Buffy tried to look stern, but failed miserable.

Dawn couldn't hold it anymore. "Thank you, thank you." She brightened up and embraced Buffy.

After Dawn calmed down they talked a little about how their day went and other small subjects.

"Did you know that Hermione doesn't know Latin?" Dawn tried to lighten the mood, which helped for Buffy bursting out a short laughter.

Dawn thought of something else. "And do you want me to tell you, how Dog Boy's enraged face changed, when Harry told him about you being the Slayer." Dawn showed an evil grin.

Buffy couldn't hold it anymore and held her belly because it hurt from the laughter. She almost pissed herself, but had enough willpower to hold it before she run to the bathroom. And in the living room Dawn was laughing.

End Chapter 17.

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