First year Xander

Author\'s Note. I am sorry It took me so long to update. Rl interfers when you have kids. Lol. I hope to get this story done and I hope you enjoy it. This chapter is long and a little slow but I think it is okay. The next chapter should have more action and \"Action\" *wink wink* anyway...I am always looking for cunstructive critisim. If you don\'t like it...feel free to tell me...just tell me why you don\'t like it so I can fix it.

"Uh Xander?" Giles called from behind the door. "Come out, we need to talk. I assure you, all is not as bad as it seems. Xander?" Giles sighed and stuck his head through the door. He had a monentay flash of juvenile impulse to go down to the gym and hang out in the girls locker room. That little tho was was quickly discarded when he saw the poor boy sitting on the toilet.
Xander had his face hidden and his shoulders were shaking with silent sobs. "Ah son, " Giles stepped through the door and floated over to the boy. "Please don't. It will all be alright."

"All right?' Xander lifted his head and looked at, or through Giles. "I came here to be with family. You were all I have left. Anya..."Xander's voice caught on her name. "Anya died saving the world, and I thought, okay at least I still have Buffy and the girls and you. Okay, so you go back to England." Xander stands up, his voice rising in his hysteria. big big deal. The G-man needs a life, we all know that. I still had the girls."

"Xander" Giles starts

"No." Xander yells, "Let me finish." He points a finger a Giles and the ghost just nods. Let the boy work it out for himself. "Okay so we all go to LA. Big mistake there. Angel and Cordy have a thing now. I mean like ewwwwwww, but hey I was over Queen Bitch a long time ago. But oh not Buffy. She gets all pissy like and takes off with the girls. But I stay cause hey Willow wants to help out. And yeah I know they don't need me but when have I ever let that stop me before eh?"

Xander lost in his tirade walks through Giles, a fact the Ghost finds very disturbing, and throws open the bathroom door. "So there I am in LA with Dead boy and his Crew, fighting to save the world there. Well as usual we win. Yeah good guys. But do I get any credit for helping, No!" Xander turns to Giles with a look of desperation on his face. " I get a next time stay back so you don "˜t get hurt Xan." Xander rips off his shirt and turns his back to Giles. "See that?' Xander yells. He points to a long angry red scar that litterly travels the length on his back. "I got that from the claw of a Turtha Daemon. It hurts like a son of a bitch, I got that pushing that stupid whiny watcher Wesley out of the way." Xander turns around and throws his hands in the air. "And I don't get even a thank you." Tears streaming down his face now, Xander angerly wipes them away. "I get a next time don't help."

"Xander.."Giles starts again.

"Let me finish." Xander screams. "Just for once listen to me. "Then Willow gets killed." Xander shakes his head. "Not even in the end of the world kind of way. In the, I need cookies at three o'clock in the morning and I am going to the store so I get mugged and shot kind of way. Willow dies because she wanted fucking chocolate chip cookies. What kind of fucked up way for the most powerful witch there ever lived to die is that?"

Xander sank down onto Giles Indian leather couch. "And they just stood there looking at me. Can you believe that.? It was like they were saying, So what are you still doing here? I looked at Angel and Cordy and Wes and thought ,"yeah what am I still here for. So I turned around and walked out of the hospital and got in my car and left. Did not even pick up my shit at the hotel." Xander looked over at where Giles hovered in the corner. "You know the rest. I found Buffy and faith with the girls in New York. By the time I left only faith was left. And you know how well we got along." Xander said sarcastically.

"You were like a gift Giles." Xander said softly. "When I called to tell you that Buffy was gone, the first words out of your mouth was, are you all right. You have no idea what that meant to me." The boy leaned his head back against the back of the couch. "Next thing I knew you wired me a plane ticket and enough money for the trip." Xander closed his eyes. If he thought hard enough, he could almost forget the last part of the day and remember just the excitement of having a place to go. "I get here and find this. I should have known better." Xander rubbed his face with his hands."So tell me again how all right things are."

"Are you finished now?" Giles glided over to the couch. "I know it seems bad now, but things are always darkest before the dawn."

"Quoting at me?" Xander looks over at Giles with disbelief. "You are quoting cleachies at me?"

"Well I see nothing wrong with saying something when it appears to fit the situation." Giles raised one ghostly eyebrow. " Now as I was saying, In my office.."

"Open up this is the police."

Both ghost and boy look at each other with horror.

"It figures" Xander mutters before he got up and opens the door.

It took 8 hours and some very bad English tea before Xander and the English police had everything settled. The ogoodgood thing that came of it was the fact that Xander had an Albi. His ticket stubs and the English cabbies's statement to clear him of any wrong doing.

"I am sorry the circumstances of your visit had to turn out this way, Mr. Harris." the Detective said some what simpathicly. "Mr. Giles' lawyer will contact you with everything in the morning. Can I get one of the officers to take you back home."

"No" Xander shook his head. "I would rather walk. It is not far. After all, I need to get my bearings if I am going to be living here." Xander started down the steps, he stopped and turned back to the Dective. "Thank you for your help."

The Dective smiled and nodded his head. He felt sorry for the displaced American. The young man had the saddest brown eyes he had ever seem. The Dective shivered a bit. The boy made him t hink that maybe he had seem way too much suffering in the world. He watched the hunched over figure for a bit before turning back and going into the station.

"I am hungry." Xander said to Giles. "Do you have a Denny's or something like that here."

Giles walked by Xander and shook his head. Giles had not left Xander's side all day. He thought the boy did very well. He even handled the shock of being Giles' soul heir to his property. "Oh no wait. I know of a place." Xander just nodded his head and followed behind the ghost.

"Here we are." Giles' voice made Xander raise hjs head.

Xander frowned. "This is it?" The place looked scary. It was just a tiny bit of store front. Dirty store front at that. The window was blacked out so one could not see inside and the door had surely seen better days. Thgn agn above the door, Xander was sure if he walked under it, it would fall down on his head, was a picture of a caldurn. "I said I was hungry Giles. I do n't want to cast a spell. What do they serve in there anyways..eye of newt stew.?"

"Yes well I do believe that is on the menu at times." Giles sniffed. "Are you hungry or not. I assure you this is the only place open at this time of night around here."

"Why not?' Xander shrugged and walked towards the door. He peeked up at the sign and somehow it remained where it was.

Xander opened the door and blinked the place was packed. There was not a table empty he did not think. The place looked much bigger on the inside than it did on the outside. Xander stepped down into the main room and threaded through the throng, searching for a table.

"Xander over here. "Giles called. Xander looked in the direction of the voice and saw Giles standing at a table in the corner waving maddly at him. Xander griminced and walked over to the table. "Well at least you have a place to sit, even if it is by the kitchen. Ah here she comes"

"Good day Luv." the waitress smiled at Xander. "What can I get you?"

"Um is this a theme restaurant?" Xander whispered to Giles. "Why is she dressed like that?" The woman was wearing a pink dress that looked kinda like one of those robe things Willow liked to wear when she did spells sometimes. She was also wearing what Xander could only describe as a witch hat. It had a wide brim and was tall and pointed. The bright blue feather on the hat kept bobbing with her every movement. Xander cast a glance around the room and his eyes widened in surprise. Everyone was dressed like it was Halloween here. The men were all dressed like they werzardzards in some kind of live action role-playing game. And the women all looked a lot like the waitress. "Giles....."Xander stuttered. "Where have you brought me?"

"Listen Luv. " The waitress huffed. "I don't have all night. Come on. At least giv you your drink order." The Waitress tapped her foot and stared at Xander.

Xander jumped and nodded his head. "Coke" he said.

"What's that?" The waitress sighed at her wits end. "Look hun, we got pumpkin juice, butter beer, mundugle's fizzy pop, come on now."

"Pumpkin juice?'Xander questioned.

"Pumpkin juice it is." The waitress hurried off before Xander could stop her. Xander watched helplessly as the woman bounded away from the table.

"Pumpkin juice?" Xander looked up a Giles."That't t't taste good. What kind of weird stuff do you British eat anyway. I am not gonna have to eat anything live am I?'

"No unless you order it off the menu." Giles floated down into the empty seat across from Xander."If it were mean I would order the fish-n-chips."

"Rupert!!!!!!!" a voice bellowed from behind Xander. Xander twisted around in his seat and gasped. Standing not more than a few feet away from the table was the biggest man Xander had ever seen. His long bushy brown hair blended in perfectly with his bushy brown beard."Oh Merlin, it is true. Ron and Fred told me you had been killed but I did not want to believe it." Xander blinked when he saw two large tears run down the giant's face.

"There there Hagrid." Giles smiled a ghostly smile. "It is not as bleak as it seems. Sit down and may I introduce a friend of mine, This is Xander Harris."

Xander watched as the man called Hagrid lowered himself in to the remaining chair> "Yes the young man at your flat. Ron mentioned him." Xander saw sympathy in the giant's beady brown eyes. "How are you doing?"

Xander looked from Hagrid to Giles and shrugged. He was really getting tired of people asking him that. "I am okay." Xander jumped when a glass with a fizzy orange drink was placed in front of him.

"Here a go Luv." the waitress said. "You figure out what a want to eat yet?"

"Uh..fish and chips?' Xander asked the lady. The woman nodded her head and bounded off again.

"So what happened Rupert?" Hagrid asked. "None of us in the Order really know what happened to you."

"Not in front of the bogridgrid." Giles nodded his head towards Xander and jumped when a fly flew through it. "Now is not the best time."

"It's alright." Xander said as he picked up his drink and took a little sip. "This stuff tastes foul." Xander wrinkled his nose. "I will find out eventually. Better here than at home. I don "˜t think I will break down here."

Giles and Hagrid shot the boy a sympatric look. "It was DeathEaters. Hagrid. I don't know who because it happened so fast."

I thought they all were arrested and imprisoned. Or dead?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Lord Vold...Vold....Voldemort..."

"Lord Voldemort is gone true." Giles nodded his head. "But what he stands for is still here. Some pure bloods still want to eradicate the muggles and the muggle born."

Hagrid sighed and took a drink of the large mug."And the half breeds. Don't forget us Giles."

"Okay." Xander waved his hands. "What is a muggle and muggle born and a half breed?" Xander ran his fingers through his hair. "What are you talking about? Or can't I know."

"Of Course you can know." Giles reached out to comfort Xander and shook his head sadly as his hand passed through the boy's shoulder. "Xander....how do I explain this." Giles looked helplessly at Hagrid.

Hagrid shrugged and then looked thoughtful. "Take him to the headquarters. You need to tell the others what happened anyway."

"How will we get there?" Giles raised his eyebrow. "You me and the boy?"

"The Knight Bus." Hagrid said. "We can go out back and catch it."

"After I eat right?" Xander looked hungrily at the basket of fish and french fries the waitress just placed before him.

"They have coco and cookies on the bus. " Giles looked at Xander."It would be best if we left now. Hagrid is right."

Xander sighed and stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some British pounds. Hagrid tossed some weird looking coins on the table and motioned for Xander to follow him. The Big man cleared the way through throng to the back of the restaurant. There was a high stone wall and a little courtyard. The whole thing looked very normal.

"And just how are we going to catch a bus here." Xander asked. He was starting to get frustrated with all the secrecy. "What does it fly?"

"Of course it does." Giles motioned for Hagrid to go on. The giant pulled a big pink umbrella out of his over coat and pointed it up at the sky. There was suddenly a loud bang. Xander threw himself to the ground and covered his head. After a few seconds he peeked up and saw a large bus hovering a few feet off the ground.

"Oy." a young pimply faced kid said looking out of the open bus door. "Ya need a ride or not."

Hagrid reached down and hauled a speechless Xander to his feet. "Yes we do."

"Get on then" The acne faced kid moved out of the door way to let the strange trio on board. "Ya don na have to pay for the spook but ya other two hafta pay." Giles sniffed at being called a spook but maintained his dignity as he floated on board. "Were are ya going?'

"Number 12 Gimmauld place" Hagrid said and handed the komeoomeone of those weird coins.

"Ya be wanting some coco?" The boy pocketed the money "Maybe a toothbrush?'

Hagrid shook his large head and moved Xander into the bus. Xander was trying not to stare. He was trying to act as if he got on a bus filled with brass beds everyday. Sure nothing usual about arm chairs and beds with people snoring in them. Xander's head was beginning to hurt. Suddenly there was another loud bang and Xander was flung to the floor when the bus took off.

"Eh sorry about that." Hagrid reached down and once more hauled the boy to his feet. "Ya best sit down." Hagrid dropped the boy into a surprising comfortable chair.

"Okay" Xander said very carefully. He was trying to keep from yelling."Will someone pe tee tell me what the fuck is going on here? I mean pumpkin juice. People in weird clothes, and flying busses and pink umbrella's. G-man this is not ...."

The bus banged to a stop and Xander was thrown from his chair. Hagrid reached down and picked up the boy.

"I am getting tired of that!" Xander yelled.

"Ya are here." the acne covered boy smirked at Xander. "Have a nice day."

The trio disembarked and the bus banged away.

"That's it?' Xander squeaked. The house they stood in front of Xander was not sure he wanted to go in. Creepy did not even began to describe it. It looked like it should be filled with monsters and Ghosts. Xander cut a look at Giles and shook his head.

"You mean you can see it?' Giles looked at the young man with surprise. "You can see a house there?'

Xander looked at the ghost"Yeah. Right there, big scary house."

Giles cast a glance at Hagrid and the giant shrugged. Xander sighed and started walking towards the door.

"I mean that is were we are going right." Xander looked back over his shoulder. "I mean not the nice houses next door. No because that would not be my luck. We are going in the freaky place. Why you might ask> Because that would just be my luck."

Xander had reached the old battered door and was about to knock when he changed his mind. He waited for the other two to get to the door., then moved aside so Hagrid could knock.

The door flew open and a woman stood there. She was plump and pretty. Her red hair was pulled back in a bun and she looked up at Hagrid.

"Hagrid!" the woman exclaimed. "Did you find Rupert?'

"Yes Molly." Hagrid stepped inside and Giles followed. "I found him at the Leaky Cauldron. He was having dinner with the boy Ron told you about."

Xander had hung back, not to sure of his welcome. Warm brown eyes focused on him and he shifted uncomfortably. "Come in, Come in. Everyone is in the Kitchen." Molly gently prodded Xander inside. "Oh Rupert." Molly shook her head sadly at the ghost as she walked Hagrid and Xander through the hallway.

"I know Molly." Giles smiled. "Dying was not in my plans also."

Xander tried to be calm, but voices coming from the door at the end of the hallway was tying his stomach in knots. He did not know if this was such a good idea. What more was going to happen to him. Xander stuffed his hand in his mouth to try to stifle the laughter that was threatening to escape. Last thing he need was these people to think he was insane. Though he was beginning to wonder himself.

Hagrid pushed the door open and Xander froze. There were nine people gathered around the large table in the center of the room. They all stopped talked and turned towards the door. Xander blinked. Every one of them had red hair.

"Rupert!" A tall lanky man stood up. "He rushed over towards the ghost. "I am so glad Hagrid found you. When Ron and Fred told me the news I could not believe it."

Xander started to inch his way over towards a shadowy corner. This was a little much. Was his hair going to turn red now? He would not doubt it. This night could not get any stranger.

"Arthur,"Rupert sighed. "We have much to talk about." Giles floated towards the table. "I was killed by DeathEaters."

On young stocky man shot out of his seat. "But that is not possible. The DeathEaters are disbanded or dead."

"I assure you it was a Deatheater Charles."Giles looked sternly at the young man. "I looked up just in time to see the mask before he killed me."

Xander made a little gasp and them found him the focus of 11 pairs of eyes. "I'm sorry." Xander waved his hand helplessly.

One of the red heads detached himself from the group. Xander recognized him from earlier in Giles apartment. Xander watched the young man walk towards him and he felt his stomach knot. "Oh god..." Xander thought. "Please don't touch me, I don't think I can handle it." Xander was on the verge of breaking down. Everything was beginning to be too much for the boy to handle.

Ron stopped a few feet away from Xander and looked at him. Ron saw the desperation and pain in Xander's eyes. "Hey mate." Rond. "d. "Why don't you sit down. You don't look too good." Ron motioned towards the seat by the fireplace. It was a little away from everyone else but still part of the warmth of the kitchen.

Xander started to move towards the chair and fell into it. The red headed boy handed Xander a hot cup of something and sat down on the lip of the fire place. Somehow having this boy close by calmed Xander down a bit. After all. Xander had seen this boy before. The rest of the group seemed to notice Xander's discomfort and chose to keep their distance.

"˜Where there is one, there are more." A tall red head said. Xander noted he looked kind of like a rock star. Was that a fang in his ear? "They are like cockroaches. They don't die."

"I can't tell you I am really surprised." Molly said. "You can't really destroy evil. You just delay it awhile."

"And what are we gonna do with him?' Xander looked over and say a pretty little red head pointing in his direction. "I mean, is he safe?"

Ron looked over at Xander. Xander was looking at his sister. He watched as Xander looked at each of his family in turn. Ron smiled at Xander when he finally looked at him. Ron saw Xander take a deep breath.

"Deatheaters are bad guys?" Xander asked softly.

Eleven heads nodded.

"They are trying to take over the world?'

Eleven heads nodded again.

"They have to be stopped?'

Eleven heads nodded again.

"You guys are here to stop them?'

Eleven pairs of eyes watched Xander put his head in his hands. The boy's shoulder's started to shake. Ron got up off the lip of the fire place and knelt next to Xander. Ron hesitated only for a moment before he put his hand on his shoulder. Xander raised his head. Xander gave them all a sad smile.

"How can I help?" Xander asked softly.