Chapter Four: The Long Bus Ride Home

**August 22, 1998. A Bus Just Outside of Los Angeles**

Staring out the window as the sprawl of Los Angeles thinned out to the span of open highway, Buffy reflected back on the first time she had run away from home. She had been six years old and only made it about eight blocks before turning back home. When her mother opened the door, Buffy was standing there, smiling, holding a lost kitten she had found. All memory of whatever slight had caused the six-year-old to pack away her favorite crayons, a shirt, and her Barbie into her Gem book bag was gone; all she wanted was to know if she could keep the kitten.

The last time she ran away, she came back with stories from Vegas and a red-faced Pike.

Buffy turned away from the window, thinking, "This time, I'm coming back with a wizard."

Buffy watched Harry in the seat next to her, pen in his hand, worrying over a piece of what looked like old paper. She had been surprised to learn Harry was only a few months older than her; she had assumed he was at least twenty. But after her experiences as the Slayer, she knew all too well how experiences could age a teenager.

"Letter home?" she asked, trying to fill the monotonous quiet of the bus ride.

Harry looked over with a soft smile on his face. "Yeah. To pretty much the only family I have left."

Buffy nodded silently. She remembered what she had learned about the dark-haired wizard so far: 'Orphaned at one. Raised by Aunt and Uncle…' That was all she had. 'I should probably change that,' she thought.

"Are they pretty nice?"

"Yeah. The Weasleys pretty much took me in when I was eleven. If it weren't for them…" Harry thought for a moment before glancing around the surrounding seats. Buffy glanced around as well, out of reflex. When she looked back, Harry had his wand in hand and was muttering what Buffy recognized as Latin.

"Is something wrong?" Buffy whispered, leaning in close to Harry.

"Don't worry about whispering," Harry said. "I cast a Muffliato around us. No one can hear what we're saying."

Buffy chuckled at a thought. "I bet that one is popular with all the wizard kids."

"I think that's why Mrs. Weasley always tried to keep us in her sights." Harry shared her chuckle briefly before rubbing his forehead. "I'm trying to process everything about last night. And I know you told me I would get all my answers in Sunnydale, but… I'm having a bloody difficult time of it."

Buffy waited patiently for Harry to complete his thought. "Since I found out I was a wizard, I had been taught there was the Muggle world, and there was the Wizarding world. And the Statute of Secrecy was a neat little border making sure that never the twain would meet. And now, I stumble upon a third world—a demon world at that—and I find that world bleeds into the other two." Harry finally looked questioningly at Buffy. "How do you manage without going insane?"

Buffy allowed herself a moment before answering. Really, it was for Harry's benefit; she's had this answer prepared for nearly two years. "I've kind of learned to adapt to a new definition of sanity." Harry's expression shifted to incredulity. "Hear me out. At fifteen, some old guy tells me it is my destiny to fight and kill vampires. I think he's crazy; until I see one. So I change my definition of sanity to include 'vampires are real.' At sixteen, Giles tells me my new town is a Hellmouth, and that all kinds of creepy-crawlies are real; and I fight them all. So I change my definition of sanity to include 'demons are real.' I'm sure you had some shocking revelations as to what creatures were really real while you were learning magic, right?"

Harry nodded at this. "Yeah. My first year, alone, I learned that there were actually dragons, centaurs, Cerberuses, and unicorns."

Buffy paused in wide-eyed wonder. "Unicorns are real?"

"Did you not hear me mention the other three?" Harry couldn't suppress his smile.

"Hey. I'm a seventeen-year-old girl. I'm not too old to fawn over unicorns," Buffy huffed at Harry. "But, maybe that's how we can help wrap your head around things; find out what your world and mine have in common. You don't seem that surprised about vampires?"

"One of my professors invited one to his Christmas party in my sixth year."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Bloke named Sanguini. I think he was Italian. Anyway, he was a member of a sect that was trying to live off of human blood."

"Well, that's nice."

"Key word being 'trying.' He spent a lot of the night eyeing all of the girls' necks."

Buffy frowned slightly. "And the professor let him into a school?"

"A school where all the students walked with carved pieces of wood and knew spells to light him on fire."

"Good point." Buffy thought a moment. "Werewolves?"

Harry couldn't help but smile at thoughts of Remus. "One of my professors was a werewolf. He knew my parents, and I'm his son's godfather."

Buffy mentally sighed in relief. "That's sweet. One of my friends is a werewolf. We have a safe room we lock him in the three nights of the full moon."

"And you lot probably don't have access to wolfsbane potion," Harry said thoughtfully.

"What's that?"

"It allows the human mind to stay in control during the change. Also lessens the pain of transformation."

Buffy beamed a bright smile at this news. "Is it hard to get a hold of? Could your professor friend help us?"

The small wince on Harry's face did not escape Buffy's notice. "I might be able to track some down for you. Remus is…"

'Nice going, Summers.' Buffy mentally kicked herself at this point. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Harry waved off her apology. "It's okay. You had no way of knowing about Remus and Tonks."

"Tonks?" Buffy asked before she could stop herself once again.

"Remus' wife. They both died in the final battle."

The two sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Harry dealing with the recent losses of his friends; Buffy doing her best not to die of embarrassment. After much thought and fidgeting, Buffy spoke up. "Maybe you should pick the next creature?"

Harry mentally flipped through all the creatures he had encountered in his years at Hogwarts. Thinking about Remus brought his mind to how he had learned about Remus' connection to his parents. The private lessons, studying the Expecto Patronum. "There's one creature, maybe you know of them. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually were demons. Dementors?"

Buffy drew a blank. "Can't say that I know of them. What do they do?"

"They're possibly the darkest creatures known to my world. They're wraiths that feed on all the happy memories someone has. Making their victims relive the most terrible and traumatic experiences of their lives. And when there is nothing left, they kiss you. And they take your soul. Leaving nothing but a breathing, hollow husk behind."

Buffy couldn't tell if her nervous gulp was as loud as it seemed in her head. "No," she whispered. "Can't say I've encountered anything like that."

"Consider yourself lucky, then."

Buffy could only shake her head at that thought. 'Lucky? Wouldn't call myself lucky after last summer.' "You ever have an ex turn evil on you, terrorize your friends and family, then have to kill them to keep the world from being sucked into a hell dimension?"

Harry was agog at this. "Um…No."

"Consider yourself lucky, then," Buffy responded before going silent again.

Harry couldn't help but look at Buffy in a new light with this information. In the short time he's known her, he's seen her strength and speed, and could only imagine her prowess with medieval weaponry. He tried to imagine his war from her perspective. A flash of a Voldemort-possessed Ginny cutting a swath of destruction through the Hogwarts grounds during the final battle, summoning a spell that would destroy everyone appeared in his mind. 'Would I have had it in me? Would I have sacrificed Ginny to save everyone?'

He looked over at his travel companion and saw the tears starting to form in her eyes. He knew then, Buffy was a kindred spirit. He wondered if there was some odd balancing act going on with the Wizarding world and the Demon world that required their champions to suffer simultaneously. To be adrift simultaneously. He decided, right then and there, that even if this trip didn't provide him with answers on how to live a balance between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds, he would at least help Buffy find some peace in her own.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "I didn't mean for this to become a game of 'who has the worse battle scars,' or anything like that. We've both suffered, and we've both lost recently. Trying to one-up each other demeans everything we've been through. I want to help you. Even if all I do is provide you an ear that understands the pain you've gone through." Harry grasped Buffy's hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze. "If it means anything, I think you'd have been an incredible witch. And I hope I can come to count you as a friend."

Buffy closed her eyes, allowing a tear to finally run down her cheek. "Thank you," she said hoarsely. She pulled her hand loose from Harry's grasp to wipe her eyes. "And I'm glad you don't want to try to one-up each other," she said solemnly. "Because I would have whooped your ass." The smile on her face let Harry know that Buffy had quickly returned to a lighter, more teasing mood.

Harry lightly patted her knee. "Sure you would have," he replied sarcastically.

Buffy quickly rose to the challenge. "I blew up a demon with a rocket launcher my friends stole from an army base."

"I rode on the back of a dragon with two of my friends, after robbing a Wizard bank."

"Last year, I killed a giant snake demon with a sword, under a frat house."

"I killed a sixty-foot Basilisk with a sword, under my school, when I was twelve," he retorted.

"Are you sure you're not a Slayer?" Buffy asked kiddingly.

"Pretty sure. Ever have to fight off man-sized spiders," Harry asked.

"Does a man-sized Praying Mantis count?"

"Was it just the one?"

"Yeah. How many spiders did you have to fight?"

"I lost track after fifty."

"Eww. You win."

The two shared a laugh about their similar misadventures, momentarily forgetting the fresh wounds of those they had lost. After a few snorts and chortles, Harry finally pulled himself together.

"I'm going to finish this letter back home. I really want to post it at the next stop," Harry explained. "After that, I'll tell you all about the Weasleys, and you can tell me about your friends."

"Sounds like a plan," Buffy replied, nodding.

---

**August 23, 1998. Sunnydale**

The bus pulled into the Sunnydale station just as the first rays of dawn began to break over the horizon. Harry and Buffy stepped off the bus, their bags slung over their shoulders. The air was cool, with a faint hint of the ocean. Harry looked around, taking in the sleepy town that held so many secrets.

"Welcome to Sunnydale," Buffy said with a wry smile. "Home sweet Hellmouth."

Harry chuckled, though the ominous nickname made him slightly uneasy. "So, where to first?"

"First, we need to check in with my friends. They'll want to meet you, and I think it's important we all get on the same page about what's going on."

They walked through the quiet streets, the town slowly waking up. Buffy's pace quickened as they neared her house, a quaint two-story home with a well-kept yard. The familiarity of home brought a sense of calm to Buffy, and she hoped it would do the same for Harry.

Buffy opened the front door quietly, trying not to wake her mother. She led Harry to the living room, motioning for him to sit on the couch. "Wait here for a sec. I'll wake the others."

Harry nodded, taking in the cozy surroundings. The room was filled with family photos, a stark contrast to the cold, sterile environment of the Dursleys' house. He felt a pang of longing for a sense of normalcy and family.

A few minutes later, Buffy returned with Willow, Xander, and Giles in tow. Willow's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Harry. "Wow, Buffy, you weren't kidding. He really is a wizard."

Harry stood and offered a polite nod. "Hello. I'm Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you all."

Giles adjusted his glasses, studying Harry with keen interest. "I've heard a great deal about you, Mr. Potter. Buffy has filled us in on some of your adventures. Quite remarkable."

Xander grinned and gave Harry a friendly slap on the back. "Welcome to the Scooby Gang, Harry. Anyone who can handle giant spiders and ride dragons is cool in my book."

Willow stepped forward, her curiosity getting the better of her. "So, Harry, what kind of magic can you do? Can you show us something?"

Harry smiled, pulling out his wand. "Sure. How about a little demonstration?" He waved his wand, conjuring a small, glowing Patronus in the shape of a stag. The ethereal creature pranced around the room, filling it with a soft, comforting light.

Willow gasped in awe, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's amazing! I've read about Patronuses, but seeing one in person is incredible."

Giles nodded appreciatively. "Indeed. The Patronus charm is advanced magic. You are quite skilled, Harry."

Buffy watched the exchange with a sense of pride. She knew Harry would fit in with her friends, and seeing them all together gave her hope for what lay ahead.

"So," Giles began, "what brings you to Sunnydale, Harry? Aside from the charming company, of course."

Harry took a deep breath, preparing to explain his situation. "I've been struggling to find my place in the world after everything that's happened. When I met Buffy, she told me about Sunnydale and the Hellmouth. I realized there was more out there than just the Wizarding world and the Muggle world. I wanted to learn more and see if there was a way to bridge these different worlds together."

Giles nodded thoughtfully. "A noble goal, indeed. The Hellmouth is a unique place, and I'm sure there is much you can learn here. We will do our best to help you on your journey."

Buffy smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie and unity. "Alright, team. Let's get to work. We've got a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it."

As the group discussed their plans and shared stories, Harry felt a renewed sense of purpose. He had found a place where he belonged, surrounded by friends who understood his struggles and shared his determination to fight the darkness. For the first time in a long while, Harry felt hopeful for the future.