Chapter 11

Later that night, after everyone had settled in, Xander found himself sitting in the infirmary beside Willow's bed. Ethan had already been moved to his and Giles' rooms. Madam Pomfrey had told them that Willow and Ethan would not wake until later the next day, but Xander had been unswayed. As much fun as it had been to tour the castle, Xander had soon lost interest in anything that would keep him from Willow. The mediwitch had been exasperated, but had had no choice but to le t him stay.

Xander knew that he had a lot to think about. In a matter of hours his life had been turned upside down and he had been given a true chance at happiness. If only he and the others didn't end up killing each other first, or as Harry said, they didn't end up killing the two old gits. That had made both Buffy and Xander laugh.

Xander wished that Willow were awake. She should be with him, casting aspersions and making jokes about his unending parade of strange lovers. The fact that one of them had ended up being Spike was only one more oddity in the love life of Xander Harris. He knew that Willow was a strong witch, and even the Headmaster had told him that Willow was one of the most powerful witches he had ever met. With the spell on her removed she would be able to perform magic again, but would not become lost in the darker aspects of it. Xander had been thrilled to hear this, but all in all, he just wanted his Willow back.

The more he thought about what he had learned from Wes, about what had been done to both Willow and Giles, the more he began to see patterns to the Scoobies' involvement with the Watcher's Council. It was disheartening to see all that they had done to destroy the life of his friends and loved ones. Xander wondered if they had done something to Faith to drive her into madness and blood lust. Had they known that her second Watcher was evil? Xander had often wondered if they hadn't set out to destroy the dark Slayer. Until the Council refused to help heal Angel, Buffy had followed their rules and had done most of what they told her. However, Faith had always been a lone wolf.

It enraged Xander that there was no one left alive for him to punish for the crimes committed against those he loved. If he ever found out that any of them were alive, he would do everything in his power to punish and destroy them. Xander wasn't quite the White Knight everyone assumed him to be. He had lied to Buffy and sent Angel to hell without a qualm, and while he had felt justified in doing it at the time, he had always regretted punishing Angel for Angelus' crimes.

This sense of guilt only got worse after Spike had come to live with him in the basement. They had gotten into a discussion about Angelus, and Spike had been livid about Xander's remarks about his Sire. It was then that he learned that the vampire that they all knew as Angelus was not the vampire that Spike had been raised by until the death of the gypsy girl. Angelus had still been evil when Spike was first turned, but hello, demon. He had treated his Childer as though they were his precious gift. Angelus had been the one to send Dru after William. He had known that Darla would not allow him to turn the beautiful young male and so Dru had brought him into the night.

That had led to the final truce between himself and Angel. Xander had asked the older vampire to meet him in a quiet, neutral place and proceeded to tell him everything. He had also apologized. They had begun to make their peace, and that had led them to where they were today. Not quite friends, but no longer enemies.

Xander was drawn out of his musings by a shimmering light making its way over to the bed. Xander was stunned to see Tara's spirit standing at the end of Willow's bed.

Chapter 12

"Hello, Xander," Tara said softly.

Xander felt tears fill his eyes. Somehow he knew that this was not a game the First was playing; this was truly Tara. "Tara, how?" he asked.

"I am here for Willow," Tara answered gently.

"She's going to die?" Xander asked, his voice cracking with pain.

"No, at least I hope not. The mediwitch has cured her, but because of what she did to Warren she must go through a reckoning. If she passes the test before her, she will be returned. If she fails, she will die. As the person closest to her I have a choice as to what that reckoning must be. We are both being tested," Tara answered as she glided closer to her lover.

"What will she get if she passes? What will you get if she passes?" Xander asked anxiously.

"Peace," Tara answered simply, before she disappeared. Xander felt blackness consume him and slumped forward, unconscious. Only Hogwarts itself witnessed the disappearance of the red haired witch and her best friend. The school walled off the area and no one could enter until the test was complete.

Hours later, when everyone rose, all of the Sunnydalers and their mates went to the infirmary to make sure that Willow and Xander were all right. They were stunned to find a swearing Madam Pomfrey and a stone wall where Xander and Willow had been the night before. "Poppy, what has happened?" Albus asked worriedly.

"I don't know! I can't get past the blo ody wall!" the mediwitch bellowed as she once again pounded on the grey stone in her path. Poppy didn't stand for anything coming between her and her patients, and that included Hogwarts itself!

Just as she was about to start casting curses at the building, the wall shimmered away. On the other side, three bodies lay entwined. All three were whispering to one another and the two on either side seemed to be soothing the one in the middle. No one could understand what exactly it was they were seeing until Xander shifted. Buffy screamed and ran to the bed. Lying there, holding Willow, was Tara. She turned to look at Buffy as she was suddenly tackled by the ecstatic blonde. Before they could recover, Dawn was at their sides screaming out her joy as well.

When the two settled down they looked over at Willow and again screamed, but this time in alarm. Where there were once green eyes, now there were white. "She's blind," Xander choked out, without turning h is head away from Willow.

"She should get her sight back in a few days," Tara said through her tears.

"What happened? How is this possible?" Giles asked.

Xander looked up and they all gasped at the sight of his bruised and burned face. Hs eyes were as white as Willow's. "Willow went through a reckoning and we went with her," Tara told them mournfully.

"Reckoning, what reckoning?" Wes asked, though he was afraid he already knew.

//Flashback//

Willow and Xander moaned in abject pain as they slowly opened their eyes. All around them the air was still, yet it cut through the bodies like a knife. Breathing was terribly painful and Xander couldn't get over the feeling that he'd somehow swallowed ground glass.

"Where are we?" Willow asked, confused. The last thing she remembered was confessing the horrors that she had committed.

"We are in hell," Tara answered.

They spun to face her.

"No! You don't deserve to be here!" Willow screamed in anguish.

"I'm here for you, Willow. You once told Xander that you would do anything to give Warren back his life. You can't do that, but there is something you can do instead."

"Why is Xander here? What do I have to do?" Willow asked.

"You have to go through the flames and free Warren from the hell you cursed him to when you killed him. As for why Xander's here, he carries a burden, one that has been eating at his soul all of these years. The only way that he will ever be a true warrior is to face that burden and to be free of it. Part of that will be done at your side. He must deliver Jesse to the cleansing water. I cannot go any further with you. I can only show you the way," Tara told her, raising her voice as the wind suddenly began to rise and scream around them.

"Where do we have to go?" Xander shouted.

"Go forward into the flames. You ha ve to find them. Only when you have freed them can you be free. There will be pain, but I know that you can do this!" Tara shouted to them as the wind whisked her away.

For several minutes the pair stared after her, then as one they turned and walked into the flames. This time, the screams that filled the air were theirs. They felt the burning agony of the flames as they danced upon their skin and each step was an agony in and of itself. More than once they had to resist the urge to go back, but something kept urging them ahead. It was surreal and they wondered if they were dreaming, but surely a dream wouldn't hurt so badly.

When they finally made it through the flames, they collapsed to the ground, sobbing out their pain and clinging to one another. Finally they looked up, and both of them cried out at the sight before them. Two bodies hung upside down and side by side. One was without skin, while the other seemed living ash. Every few minutes bar bs seemed to fly from the wall and through their bodies. Xander shuddered and turned away to vomit as the two 'bodies' screamed in pain. Both Willow and Xander became violently ill when they realized just who it was they were looking at.

Together they stumbled forward. They had to save them. Willow was whimpering in pain and muttering that she was sorry. Xander was too numb to say anything. All these years and he had never thought just what he had done to all of the vampires he'd sent to hell. Or just what he had done to Angel when he'd lied about the spell. Tears slid down his cheeks as he neared Jesse.

They had only gone a few feet when tentacles attacked them. Willow screamed in pain and rage as the barbs bit into her skin. Xander's screams echoed her own, and then there was silence. Pure white light flowed from the pair and they began to burn, this time in a different light. The pair started walking again. This time when the barbs attacked them, they burned away. Neither noticed, as they were too intent on freeing the people that they had put in this hell.

As one, they touched the bodies in front of them. It was the last thing either of them saw. Minutes later they were lying side by side. Willow felt a gentle touch on her face. "I'm sorry, thank you," then there was a brush of lips across her own, before the body beside her slipped away.

"I love you," Xander heard, before a gentle kiss was laid across his bleeding brow. Then Jesse faded away.

//End Flashback//

"Then Tara came back and here we are. I'm sorry for lying to you, Buffy. I'm sorry for sending you to hell," Xander sobbed out.

"Don't, Xander. I understood and I forgave you a long time ago," Angel told him gently. What the boy had been through was horrific and Angel felt for him.

Buffy merely hugged him. She could understand why Xander had done it and had even suspected that he had lied, but she couldn't bring herself to hate him for it.

Severus, Harry and Spike all hurried over to their mate, while Kennedy walked forward carefully. Tara surprised Kennedy by smiling at her. "Hello, Kennedy," Tara said softly, while Willow reached a hand out to her blindly.

Harry pulled Xander into his arms and held onto him tightly. They could have lost him and never known!

Chapter 13

Later, after everyone had settled and the two who had been injured had been treated, Harry asked a question that had been plaguing him since Xander and the others had related the trial they had been through. "Why did Willow and Xander have to go through the reckoning? Mr. Rayne didn't have to go through one, nor Giles."

Tara was quiet for a moment, then she looked over at the Sunnydale-born group. "As children of the hellmouth, Xander, Willow, Cordelia and Andrew have been corrupted to a certain degree. In Xander's case, it didn't matter that he was not born on the hellmouth. He was there from the time he was six months old, and this gave the hellmouth time to bond to him and to his magic. The reason that Andrew, Willow and Jonathon were all prone to dark magic was because of that taint. Yes, they all had spells cast on them, but they are, or were, powerful in their own right. If it weren't for the hellmouth's influence, they would not have fallen to the spells. Before Willow fell to the spell and started working dark magic, her spells were less potent and more likely than not to fall apart. That was because the hellmouth was subtly fighting her." Tara paused and Harry spoke again.

"So basically the hellmouth claimed them as its children. When Willow worked light magic, it was like she was rebelling against her parent so it didn't work?"

"Yes, her getting weaker again had nothing to do with giving Xander back his magic, and everything to do with her once again fighting the hellmouth. As for Xander, he was also tainted and he has held himself back, even recently, out of guilt over what he had done to both Jesse and Angel. By allowing him to fight for Jesse's freedom from hell, he was able to assuage that guilt and burn away the taint. That is why they lost their sight. Their tears were the pure waters that were needed to cleanse the other two. Andrew was able to overcome his taint when he stood against the First and helped the Scoobies. Cordelia still has hers, but because she has no magic in her there should be no reason to worry," Tara explained.

"What I want to know is how they do magic without a wand, and how the wandless wizards know about us," Mione said curiously.

"We are with an ancient council that keeps an eye on all things supernatural. Centuries ago, we found out about one another. Every five years, until the rise of Voldemort, three children of the Watcher's were sent to Hogwarts as part of an exchange program. Ethan and Giles were two such students. Andrew and I were appointed to liaise with the Order when it became clear that we were against the ban in the Watcher's Council and that we had a talent for magic. Andrew was recruited two years ago, so was Jon. Unfortunately they, like Willow, were betrayed by the Council," Wes explained.

"Could we learn such forms of magic?" Mione asked.

"No, the form of magic that we use comes from inside us. It is an elemental magic. We could learn to use your magic, but we would be barely stronger than a squib, with a wand. The only two people that could really transfer such talents are Severus and Harry. Though Xander and Willow could learn your type of magic and still be powerful," Tara answered before anyone else could.

"I've got a question. How come you don't stutter and hide anymore?" Spike asked suddenly. "I like the change, mind you, but I am curious."

"Being dead changes a person. I realized that I have nothing to fear anymore, really, and I have Willow," Tara answered him with a smile. Kennedy shifted and looked away. "I also have Kennedy to keep me strong." Kennedy looked back at her and smiled happily. Maybe she had a future with the two witches after all.

Chapter 14

It had been two days since the reckoning, and in that time Xander and Willow had healed from their wounds. Today, though, Harry had decided to spend more time with Xander. It seemed that they were never alone and he wanted to learn more about the other man that he was involved with. Harry had yet to work up the courage to go to either Spike or Severus, as Snape now preferred to be called, to learn more about them. He and Severus had had so much animosity between them in the past, and he was unsure how to a pproach Spike.

Xander seemed to have the same sort of difficulties with the other two men that Harry himself had. Harry hoped that they would be able to sneak away from the others and perhaps spend time alone on the grounds.

When Harry finally found Xander, he was amused to see that the other man was in pretty much the same predicament that he was always in. All around him were females of all ages. Xander was helping each girl with something or giving advice to one about one thing or another. When Xander saw Harry he smiled so warmly that Harry couldn't help but smile in return.

Nearby, several of the girls sighed dreamily. “They are so cute together. I hope they get to the kissing soon.”

“Vi!” Rona said with a choked laugh.

“What?” Vi asked.

“You are such a slash slut!” Dawn said with a laugh.

“As if you're not. I believe you were the one begging Willow last night to make our computer work!” Vi said with a giggle.

All three girls snickered. “Hey! I wanna read more slash, feed me, Seymour!” Dawn said with a wicked smirk.

This set the other two girls off again and the three turned their attention to the retreating pair. Xander and Harry were walking out of the main hall oblivious to the reaction that each of the girls was having to them being together.

The young men walked side by side quietly, just enjoying each other's company. Xander looked around, surprised to find that he was enjoying himself. He was adjusting to the cool air more readily than he thought he would, too. He really felt as though he had come home. He would regret leaving here if that was what ended up happening at the end of the war with the First and Voldemort.

As they came upon Hagrid's cabin, the two young men waved at the group of people standing around one of Hagrid's pens, but didn't go over to them. The further they walked, the more the pair seemed to relax. After a few minutes, they began to talk of inconsequential things. "Shall we stop here? I think we're far enough out that we shouldn't have to worry about being descended upon by the hordes," Harry said with a grin. Xander laughed lightly and nodded.

Harry cast a warming charm on the gathered rocks in front of him and they sat. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, they both turned and spoke at exactly the same time.

"Harry,"

"Xander."

They laughed and shrugged at each other. "Go ahead," Xander urged.

"I was wondering if we could talk. I mean, I want to learn more about you. I want to learn about the other two as well, but I'm not as comfortable with them as I am you," Harry told him shyly.

Xander shifted, settling himself more comfortably. "I was thinking the same thing. The truth is, I'm attracted to you. I have been from the moment I first saw you. I don't know if it's the spell or what, but I'm n ot sure whether to try to seduce you or continue to get to know you first," Xander told him honestly.

Harry flushed and looked down for a moment, "I'm not sure either. My only experience with sex has ended badly in the long run or nearly led to my death afterwards. What about you?"

"You just described my sex life to a T," Xander said with a laugh.

They grinned at one another, before looking away.

"Maybe we can start with a kiss," Harry offered shyly. Xander nodded and the two leaned towards one another.

The first kiss was a mere brush of the lips; the second was a little longer, the third had them both moaning and trying to devour each other.

A few minutes later the two broke apart and just stared at one another, flushed. "Again?" Harry asked.

"Oh hell, yeah," Xander murmured and pulled the smaller man into his arms.

Chapter 15

Harry moaned as the kiss deepened again. He shivered with pleasure as he felt himself lifted off of the rock and onto Xander's lap. With a shuddering moan he wrapped himself around Xander; he had never felt such ragged emotions in his life. Despite the many people who had been with him over the years, no one had inspired such want and need. Nor had anyone ever inspired such affection.

Once again they had to pause to draw breath. Both of them sat staring at one another and g asping for breath. There was something there, a feeling that they hadn't explored or even admitted to. When they kissed again, the heat and the passion was still there, but this time it was tempered with tender exploration and slow, gliding hands.

Xander shivered against Harry and broke the kiss yet again. He was about to suggest that they go back to the castle and take this to another level. Unfortunately he never got the chance. Almost before they could react, the area around them seemed to come alive with magic. Xander and Harry drew apart, quickly got to their feet and began running. Deatheaters swarmed out of the Forbidden Forest and were close on their heels.

______________________________________

Spike and Severus were sitting side by side, speaking to the Headmaster and to the older members of the California group. Suddenly they both gasped at the same time . Everyone turned to look at them and they were surprised to see Spike's eyes had changed to amber and Severus was flushed. "Bloody Hell," Spike breathed out, a distant look on his face.

Severus chuckled weakly, but he also had a distant look on his face. The two men shifted in their seats and were beginning to wonder if they wouldn't have to leave the meeting to avoid embarrassing themselves, when panic and fear swept through their shared link. Spike roared and jumped to his feet, closely followed by Severus. As they were running out of the Headmaster's office, Severus shouted back, "Deatheaters, they have come out of the forest and are after Harry and Xander!"

The rest of the group jumped to their feet. Xander had only undergone minimum training in the use of his magic and even Harry wasn't strong enough to take on the Deatheaters by himself. They all ran through the casle as though the hounds of hell were on the heels. By the time they reached Harry a nd Xander the two young men were surrounded and doing their best to defend themselves against the oncoming Deatheaters. Draco and Mione were with them, along with Willow and Tara. They were casting hexes against the Deatheaters. The six young people were doing well for themselves, but it was obvious that they were in great danger of being overrun and defeated.

One of the Deatheaters was able to get past the two nature witches and lunge at Xander and Harry. Screams of terror and fright ripped through the air as the Deatheater screamed out "Avada Kedavra!" Xander, acting on instinct, spun Harry around and took the spell himself. The next few seconds seemed to freeze in motion. As the spell impacted with Xander they saw him shudder then straighten. Xander then spun to face the Deatheater. He never bothered to point his wand, Xander just lashed out with his fist and struck the Deatheater so hard that the mask he wore shattered down the center.

The others quickly subdued the rest of the Deatheaters, before turning to face Harry and Xander again. Xander noticed them looking at him and smiled. "That kinda tickled. Though it did piss me off. I was in the middle of getting to know Harry better and they interrupted. I thought the British were all about manners?" he asked with a snicker.

"Xander!" was yelled from all around the clearing.

Chapter 16

Xander grinned innocently at his friends and then turned his attention back to the fallen Deatheater. They all watched as the smile on his face faded away. A shiver went down their spines as Xander leaned down and struck the Deatheater, causing the man to stir. McNair looked up into the cold brown eyes of the young man standing over him and wondered if facing the Dementors would not be safer. "You tried to kill Harry," Xander said in a conversational tone.

McNair paled, but faced the boy wit h cold resolve. These were the good guys. None of them would harm him now that he was a prisoner. "I did as my Lord ordered," he answered bravely.

"Your Lord is an idiot," Xander told him calmly.

Everyone but the California group gasped at Xander's response.

"My Lord is a brilliant man," McNair snapped.

"Really, then why is it that he can't defeat a wizard who has less training than he does and is younger than him by several decades? Why is it that he sends his idiot minions to attack a place he knows he can't defeat? If your Lord is so brilliant, then why is it that he created his greatest enemy? Obviously your precious Lord is not as smart as he thinks he is. When he killed Harry's parents he created a life long enemy. When he attacked and murdered people that Harry loved, he added to the hatred that Harry already felt for him. If you want to control something you work your way in gradually, because what you take by force can alw ays be taken back." Xander spoke the words to the frightened man in a cold, clipped voice.

"Harry is my mate and my friend. I'm going to let you go back to your Dark Lord and you're going to tell him that he has just made a whole new group of enemies. Tell him that a group from California has joined with the Light and together we're going to make sure that Harry lives and destroys him." Xander stood, dragging McNair to his feet as he did so. "Look around you. These are the people that you will see on the battlefield. All of them are stronger than you, all of them have faced creatures that would make you wet yourself. I suggest you deliver our message, then I suggest you hide. I can promise you that, if I ever see your face again, I will kill you as slowly as I can."

McNair spun on his heel and ran into the forest. Despite all signs to the contrary he was not stupid. He knew that he would be lucky to make it back to the Dark Lord alive. It seemed that the war had taken a new shift and McNair decided he was going to take the boy's advice and hide. That is if he could still walk after the Dark Lord finished torturing him.

After the Deatheater had run off, Xander turned back to his friends and family. They were all looking at him in shock. Spike looked at Severus and noticed that the younger man looked as surprised as he did. "Xander?"

"Yeah, Wills?"

"Your eyes," she whispered.

"What about them?" he asked, confused.

"They're green, just like Harry's," Buffy answered for the stunned witch.

Xander blinked and looked over at Harry in surprise. The smaller wizard nodded at him. "Huh, maybe it's because I've survived the curse twice?"

Albus was looking back and forth between Harry and Xander and for once the twinkle in the wizard's eyes was missing. In its place was the shrewdness that he hid from the rest of the world. "You know something," Giles said, looking at the elder wizard.

"Yes I do," Albus answered gravely. "Tom, despite his wish for it to be so, is not the Heir of Slytherin. Xander is the Heir of Slytherin."

"What?!" Severus exclaimed and turned to look at his mates.

"Do you have the ability to converse with snakes, Xander?" Albus asked.

Xander looked nervous and shared a look with Willow. "It's okay Xander, Harry can talk to snakes too," Willow assured him.

Xander turned to look at Harry with a relieved smile. "Yeah, I can talk to snakes."

"How come you never told us?" Dawn asked.

"I haven't talked to any since I was a little kid," Xander answered softly, a look of pain in his eyes as he remembered that day. The last day that he had done anything whimsical. The last day that he acknowledged that he was something beyond ordinary.

Dawn was about to ask another question, but Willow shook her head frantically. Xander smiled as he caught the action. "It's okay, Wills, Dawnie knows about my home life."

Dawn growled, "I still say you should have found a few fledges and let them eat Tony."

Xander laughed and walked over to the girl, pulling her into his arms. "You have been spending way too much time with Anya and Spike."

"Hey!" Anya and Spike yelped in unison.

The two dark haired youths laughed wickedly. "Wait, does this mean Alexi was Slytherin's heir?" Sirius asked.

"No, Remus is a descendant of Salazar's. The Lupins broke away from the Slytherins after the falling out between the Founders. Salazar's eldest daughter married a Lupin," Albus told him. Sirius looked at his friend and grinned suddenly.

"Padfoot, what are you thinking?" Remus asked nervously.

"Just a thought about a certain blond Slytherin and how he would enjoy this bit of information."

"Siri, don't you dare," Remus growled.

"Oh come on, Moony, think ab out it. You and Luc will have something in common now and you can finally seduce him into bed with you," Sirius told him with a wicked grin.

"I'm going to strangle you," Remus told the laughing animagus.

"Ignore him, Remy, he's just jealous." Harry told his friend.

"I am, actually. So what does Remy and Xander being Old Snake Man's descendants have to do with them surviving the killing curse and Xander's eyes going green?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"I believe that it is the power of the magic inside them that has kept them safe from the curse. However, I have always thought that Voldemort used the curse on Harry more than once. I believe that Harry's true eye color was a great deal lighter than it currently is. They both now carry the essence of the curse in their magic," Albus informed them.

"Oh my," Willow gasped, looking at the pair

END PART 16

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