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"I'm a what?" Ginny asked, confused.

James looked around warily. "Er - maybe we should continue this in my office," he suggested. "It would be better if no-one else heard what I have to tell you."

"All right."

They walked quickly to the library which, Ginny noticed, seemed to have undergone a few changes. A lot of shelves had been moved about, and the Restricted Section appeared to have expanded. James unlocked the door to the small adjoining office, beckoned her in and shut the door behind them. He sat down behind his desk, indicating that she should take the other chair.

"So what's a Slayer?" she demanded at last.

James launched into what sounded like a prepared speech. "In each generation there is a chosen one," he explained. "It is she who must stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. When one dies, another takes her place."

Ginny's stomach tightened - this certainly fit with her mysterious dreams. "And that's me, is it?" she said softly. "That's why I suddenly have these abilities? And the dreams I've been having - I've been experiencing the deaths of all the previous Slayers?"

"Exactly. When she is chosen, a Slayer absorbs some of the memories of her predecessors and gains superhuman strength, resilience and speed - sufficient to make her more than a match for almost any supernatural creature she might have to face."

"Why me? I never asked for anything like this - at least I hope I would've remembered!" She felt fear replace her curiosity as she remembered the unpleasant ends the women she had been in her dreams had met.

James sighed, an expression of sympathy on his face. "No-one knows how a Slayer is chosen. When the previous Slayer is killed, we seek out a new one. She could be anyone, anywhere - except that it's always a girl in her mid- to late teens."

"So that's what happened? The last death I experienced - the girl who was hypnotised then had her throat cut - that happened in the spring and I'm her replacement? Now it's my turn - me against all these evil creatures?"

"More or less. However -" he looked slightly embarrassed "- things have changed slightly in the last few years. The whole 'chosen one' part is not precisely correct any more. There are actually two Slayers now."

"What? How?"

"A freak twist of fate. Two or three years ago, the Slayer of the time died and was replaced as always, by a girl in the United States named Buffy Summers. Last year, she fought a vampire named the Master and lost. She was bitten, drowned in a pool of water and left for dead. But fortunately, one of her friends was able to give her artificial respiration and she survived the experience. However, crucially, she had been dead for a short time. Therefore a new Slayer arose to 'replace' her...thus resulting in two Slayers existing together."

Ginny remembered her dream the night before last. "I saw it..." she said slowly. "I saw what you just described.."

He nodded. "It would have been your second to last dream. Buffy's 'replacement' was named Kendra, and she was killed by the vampiress Drusilla last spring, just as you said."

"She lasted only a year?" Ginny whispered. "Those other girls...they were nearly all young in my dreams." She stood up and paced up and down for a moment. "How long do I have?" she demanded fiercely, spinning round and leaning over the desk. "How long before they come after me and kill me too?"

James shrank back slightly. "Ginny," he said hastily, "it's not as bad as that. There is no single 'they' - the creatures who you are a threat to are divided into thousands of disparate individuals and groups. And you have a better chance than most - you are the first Slayer in recorded history to also be a witch, and as a result you not only have magic to help you, but you have always known of the existence of vampires - though not how widespread they are. And 'they' do not know who you are yet - as far as we know, no enemy has discovered your identity, though any who observe Watcher movements will probably know you are at Hogwarts by now. However, few vampires or demons would dare enter this school."

Trying to sort through the long list of questions she had, Ginny asked: "What's a Watcher?"

"The Watchers' Council is a secret organisation who fight against Dark creatures. They provide assistance to the Slayer - or rather Slayers, now. A new one is assigned a Watcher as an advisor, trainer and mentor." He swallowed. "I am your Watcher."

"I take it the Watchers aren't wizards?" she said, her mind whirling.

"No. We are all what you call Muggles. That is why you have never heard of us - the leaders of the magical community knows of our existence, but they don't think much of us, and they resent the fact that we know about them." He looked rather disgusted. "They are afraid, and they hope these creatures will leave them alone and seek easier prey among non-magical people if they are not disturbed. The true numbers of vampires, demons and suchlike in the world are unknown to the vast majority of your citizens - perhaps even all."

"What about Professor Dumbledore? I'm shocked if he doesn't know, and if he does know, I'm amazed he hasn't said anything. He hates cover-ups!"

"He is one of those who know, and I believe he has worked with us against our enemies in the past, and has urged others to do the same, but he appreciates our need for secrecy. He allowed me to be posted here over the objections of your Ministry."

Ginny returned to the subject at hand. "So how widespread are vampires, demons and suchlike?" She wondered if she wanted to know the answer.

James gave her a bleak look. "They are everywhere. Not obviously, but disturb enough stones and you will find them crawling about underneath. Vampires lurk unseen in sewers and abandoned buildings, venturing out now and then in the darkness to prey on those who society has forgotten. Demons play mischievous tricks which may be attributed to fate, or forge terrible plots which are usually only narrowly stopped." He paused. "That may perhaps be a slight exaggeration - if it was as bad as that more people would notice! However, the threats they pose should not be underestimated. A distinction is drawn between the two, incidentally, but vampires are really just humans inhabited by demons. They're particularly common, that's partly why the distinction is made."

Ginny sat in silence for a while, thinking about the implications of what she had just learned. Here she was, suddenly in the same position as Harry - in possession of awesome powers intended for a dangerous purpose, the choice of how to use them down to her, terrible responsibility sudenly planted on her young shoulders. No, not quite, she thought - unlike Harry, she at least had someone to explain it all to her. She screwed up her courage and made the only decision that could possibly allow her to live with herself.

"When do we start?" she said brightly.

James looked utterly taken aback. "You - you're not going to storm out yelling that you don't care about bloody destiny?" he stammered. "I was briefed that I'd have to chase you down while you tried to avoid me, then give you a long lecture on responsibility, perhaps wait for you to be attacked before you came round, if you did at all!"

Ginny grinned. "Sorry. I hope you didn't spend too much time preparing the lecture. Are new Slayers supposed to behave like that?"

He blushed slightly. "According to other Watchers," he mumbled. "I wouldn't really know - you're my first Slayer."

"And you're my first Watcher. I guess we'll have to learn together."

"So you really want to take on the job?"

"Yes. I know all about big, unfair responsibilities - I can just ask my boyfriend."

James frowned. "Who's your boyfriend?"

"Harry Potter." Ginny replied with a straight face. She had spent the last year and a half watching people's expressions when she told them this.

James' eyes widened. "Harry Potter? Yes, we have heard of him and his...abilities in the Watchers' Council. Goodness, vampires really will think twice about messing with you..."

"Hey, I can take care of myself as well. I don't need someone to save me all the time!" she exclaimed, a trifle offended.

"Sorry," James said hastily. "I didn't mean..."

"Forget it. You're right, it is nice having the most powerful wizard in the world as your boyfriend sometimes."

"Well, anyway, we can begin your training right away. Professor Dumbledore has agreed to let us use a large old hall on the north side of the castle, well away from anyone who might hear. Which reminds me, everything I've just told you should remain a closely guarded secret, for your own sake as well as the Council's."

"How secret?" Ginny asked anxiously. "Who can I tell?"

"You should not keep your abilities totally secret, that would be madness. Such responsibility is dangerous to bear alone." James thought for a moment. "The Council's usual policy is to tell you to let as few people as possible in on the secret, but.... I personally think you should confide in at least your immediate family and your closest friends. From what I've read, many Slayers have become too alienated from those around them and that has led to their doom. Only tell the secret face-to-face, in a safe place though - don't write it down. Apart from the fact that the Council would go ballistic, a message might fall into the hands of an enemy."

"Fair enough." Ginny was a little disappointed not to be able to tell Andrew Flint he'd been trying to hit on a superhumanly strong demon-slayer, but realised that that might only make him even more enthusiastic.

"Now..." He gave her an appraising look. "Do you have any...less enveloping clothes?" he asked, blushing again. "Just that, well, robes are not ideal for fighting in, and you need to be prepared..."

Ginny nodded. "I can wear Muggle clothes - jeans and so on - under my robes for when I'm training, and just in case any bad guys actually do break in here."

"Excellent." James looked relieved at getting that topic out of the way. "You should probably start wearing a crucifix at all times for protection, as well. Have you got one? If it belongs to you or has been in your family for a long time, it will be more effective."

She thought for a moment. "I think Mum's got one in her jewellery box - an old silver one. I could owl her and ask her to send it to me if you like."

"Hmm...anyone monitoring the post might find that suspicious. I suggest you wait until you next go home and use one of mine in the meantime." He opened one of the drawers in his desk, rummaged in it for a moment, then lifted out a plain gold cross on a fine chain. She took it from his outstretched hand and fastened it around her neck. The cold metal against her skin was reassuring, in an unfathomable way.

"Thanks. So, what happens now?"

"Well, I have all the necessary equipment in the training room already, so we can begin tonight if you want."

Ginny felt eager to explore the possibilities of these new powers. "No time like the present. Let me know which room it is and I'll go and change, then meet you there."

******************************

Over the next few weeks, Ginny spent as much of her free time as possible kicking and punching targets (James was rather pleased that she was able to use magic to repair them when she got a little over-enthusiastic), practising flips and rolls on mats, and learning as much as she could about the creatures she might have to face, particularly vampires, from the large collection of books on the subject that James had added to the library. He also taught her how to use stakes and crossbows, the principal offensive weapons against vampires. Ginny found she was quite a good shot with the crossbow, probably thanks to lots of practice firing hexes at Death Eaters from behind cover.

"The key thing to remember when dealing with vampires is that you must go for the heart," James told her one day. "Anywhere else, and they will barely even feel it. Another thing to bear in mind is that you should never rely absolutely on a single stake or crossbow shot to kill a vampire - you might miss the heart, or their human host might have their heart on the opposite side of their body from usual - that's very rare and not often emphasised, but some vampires have been known to deliberately recruit such people into their ranks. Always have a backup plan."

"Great, something else to remember!" Ginny commented jokingly, flipping over the head of a wooden dummy and driving a stake into its back in the perfect position to hit a real vampire's heart.

**********October 1st, 1998**********

Ginny stood in the centre of the room, eyes half-closed, breathing in a slow rhythm and listening intently. Hearing a faint noise from behind, she leapt into action, ducking beneath a swinging wooden arm with blinding speed, coming back up again to stab the clockwork-operated target in the chest, breaking its mechanism. She dived to the floor, landed rolling and hurled the stake into the back of another 'vampire'. Spring-operated weapons fired as she stood upright again, and she dodged a slicing disc, which hit the wall with a loud thunk, and snatched a crossbow bolt out of the air. Running low across the room to avoid two more projectiles, she jumped a six-foot-high makeshift wooden barrier and hurled the dummy behind the weapons ten feet away with a hard uppercut, snatched up two crossbows from their emplacements and shot yet another two opponents as they straightened up from their hiding places behind the barrier. Dropping one weapon, she yanked back the string on the other with her improved strength, inserted another bolt and finished off the one she had knocked across the room.

James applauded as he walked forward from the spot by the door where he had been standing out of harm's way. "Very impressive," he said, smiling proudly. "You've made superb progress - though dummies can hardly compare to real vampires."

"Thanks," Ginny gasped, taking deep breaths as she came down from the adrenaline high she had been operating on. Sweat was glistening on her face and arms, her T-shirt was plastered to her back and her hair had somehow managed to escape its clip and hang loose about her head and shoulders, but she felt wonderful. She understood now why Harry sometimes grinned foolishly when he called on his abilities to perform some magical feat - it was exciting to be able to do something no-one else could.

"I think that's enough for one evening. Let's get this lot cleared up and then call it a night."

"Fine." Ginny collected her wand from where she had left it by the door, pointed it at the nearest dummy, and whispered "Reparo." to reassemble the mangled internal mechanism.

"I don't know how other Watchers cope with wear and tear on their targets," James commented as he gathered up the scattered weapons. "I mean, some of those breakages would take half an hour to repair by hand."

"They probably make their Slayers fix them the hard way." Ginny replied with a grin, dealing with the last one and levitating it to the side of the room. She returned to the door and pulled on her robes. "See you tomorrow."

"'Bye."

She walked slowly along the deserted corridors, looking forward to a refreshing soak in the prefects' bathroom. As she reached the correct door, someone put a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she was displeased to see Andrew Flint, his usual slimy grin replaced by a bitter sneer.

"Going to wash afterwards, are you?" he demanded angrily.

"Flint, what in the world are you babbling about now?" Ginny asked crossly, part of her hoping she wouldn't have to risk discovery of her secret by sending him packing while another eagerly wanted to beat him to a pulp.

"Just tell me, what's he got that I don't?" Flint spat.

Ginny took a guess at what he meant. "Do you have five hours to spare?" she said mockingly. "Let's think....courage....Harry - 10, you - 0. Creepiness.....Harry - 0, you -"

He cut her off. "Oh no, not Superboy. I'm talking about that little librarian. I do have half a brain, you know - I've noticed how the two of you always seem to disappear off to the far end of the castle at the same times. I'm sure your boyfriend would just love to hear about that."

Ginny actually burst out laughing, leaning against the wall and shaking her head. "Flint, Flint, Flint," she said. "You just think everyone's like you, don't you?"

He went red with fury, advancing on her and grabbing her wrists tightly. "God knows what you see in him," he snarled. "Wait - I know - it's because he got you out of trouble for breaking my arm, isn't it? You little -"

Feeling a sense of déja vu, Ginny yanked her arms free with little or no effort and punched him in the jaw, knocking him backwards into the wall, where he slid down to the floor, looking dazed. He stared at her in bewilderment with blood running down his chin from his lip as she pulled out her wand and pointed it at him.

"I'd like to say I'm sorry about this," Ginny said sweetly, "but well, quite frankly, I'm not. Obliviate!"

As the spell hit him and his face went blank, Ginny dived towards the door of the prefects' bathroom, whispered "Lemon zest!" to it, dived inside and locked the door. She sighed with relief. The Memory Charm would hopfully make him forget his suspicions entirely. However, if he could notice her and James' absences (even though he was a slimy creep who probably followed her everywhere he could and had loads of pictures of her above his bed - she resolved to inventory her clothes regularly), then others could too. The two of them would have to take more care in future, although with her basic training more or less complete they wouldn't need to train so often. Maybe she ought to borrow Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and use the Marauder's Map to find some handy secret passages they could use. Contented with her precautions, she grabbed a towel and headed for the bath.

[A/N: I have a question about the prefects' bathroom. Is there just the one for all of them, and therefore male and female prefects use the same one? And if so, won't they spend half their time fighting over it? Just a thought.]

**********Meanwhile....**********

In a damp and dimly lit sewer, over a dozen dark figures stood huddled together, whispering and muttering ominously. The tallest among them stood up straight after a while, raising his voice. "This will be a great night!" he announced. "For tonight we drink the blood of a Slayer!"

"I want the first bite!" demanded a pale, beautiful woman with long dark hair that fell down her back almost to her knees, standing out starkly against her thin white gown. "Those tramps we had last week tasted all thin and sour." she pouted, clinging to the leader's side and stroking his cheek seductively with her long white fingers.

"Patience, Starling, you'll have a better meal soon," the leader promised, grinning down at her and putting his arm round her waist. "And yes, you can go first."

******************************

"Ginny! Wake up!" Ginny stirred, groggily raising her head from the pillow to find James standing over her bed.

"Whassup?" she groaned, looking at the glowing face of her bedside clock and wishing she hadn't - it was half past two in the morning.

"Hogsmeade is under attack by vampires!" James whispered loudly. "Several of the teachers have already gone to help, but the creatures managed to get people to invite them into some of the houses, and they're holed up with hostages. Only someone who can fight at close quarters will be able to deal with them, and that means you. Quick, get up!"

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "It's just as well older students get their own rooms," she said wryly. "You'd have a hard time explaining yourself if you went around creeping into a girls' dormitory in the middle of the night."

"Quite. Now, hurry!"

"Okay, I will, but would you kindly leave so I can get dressed?"

James went a bright scarlet colour that was visible even in the dim light. "Oh. Right. Sorry." He hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.

As she pulled on her jeans, T-shirt and sweater, Ginny's heart pounded audibly. She had trained long and hard, but would it be enough to let her hold her own against real vampires? Trying not to think about all the dead Slayers in her dreams, she swallowed, twisted her hair into a plait, pulled on her shoes and opened the door. James was waiting, holding a rucksack full of weapons in one hand and two broomsticks in the other. Wordlessly, he hurried in, handed her one of the brooms and crossed the room to open the window.

Moments later, they were flying at top speed over the Forbidden Forest towards Hogsmeade. "How many vampires are there?" Ginny shouted to James over the rushing of air around them.

"About a dozen, apparently!" he replied. "That may have gone down, though - the teachers may catch some in the open."

Ginny swallowed again - those were dangerous odds. But, she reminded herself, this was her duty - no-one else could help those who the vampires might have caught in the buildings they had entered.

They alighted on the outskirts of the village, from which loud shouts and screams could be heard. James handed Ginny several stakes and a crossbow, which she slung on her back, and took one himself. "Try to keep from being seen," he warned. "Only Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall know what you are - the Council would rather keep it that way. But don't get yourself killed rather than be seen." he added.

"Will do." she said, taking a deep breath as they moved into Hogsmeade. In the centre of the main street, half a dozen Hogwarts professors were standing in a close group, talking quietly. Dumbledore was among them, and he kept pointing at the Three Broomsticks and an adjoining house, which were the only buildings with their doors open. Evidently that was where the vampires had gone to ground. Ginny and James sneaked round through the back streets to reach the side of the invaded house.

The ground-floor windows were covered by thick wooden shutters, and Ginny momentarily thought they were going to have to enter by the front door and risk not only discovery but being jumped for going in the obvious entrance. Then she remembered that she was now superhumanly strong, and bashed in one of the windows, shutters and all.

"That was nice and subtle," commented James as she climbed up onto the windowsill, scanning the dark kitchen inside, which seemed empty. However, just as she was about to jump in, a demon-faced vampire stepped into the kitchen from the hall beyond, dressed in grubby Muggle clothes. James shot him, but missed the heart, and Ginny was forced to leap in and deal with him at close quarters.

It was a frightening experience. The vampire was fast, strong and deadly, almost as much so as she was, and he seemed totally oblivious to the crossbow bolt lodged in his chest. Ginny traded blows with him for a few seconds, then seized the initiative by leaping onto the kitchen table and kicking him in the face. As he reeled backwards, showing pain for the first time, Ginny staked him perfectly in the heart and he crumbled to dust instantaneously.

"There, now I really am a Slayer." Ginny thought to herself.

James had vaulted through the window and fitted another bolt into his crossbow. His face was grim and set. "I'll cover you." he said shortly. "You'll have to go on alone - I'll only be a liability in a close fight."

From somewhere in the house, a female voice shrieked desperately. "Help! Help! Whoever you are, please help us! We're - mmph.."

"Shut up!" sneered an arrogant male voice.

"Right, here I go," sighed Ginny resignedly, pulling off her sweater ready for battle.

"Good luck." James said, lifting his weapon and sighting along the corridor.

Cautiously, Ginny advanced into the interior of the house, her senses straining for signs of enemies lying in wait. Sure enough, two vampires leapt from the stairs above and charged straight at her. James' crossbow shot was accurate this time, and one exploded. The second didn't last much longer, as Ginny ducked his overzealous swing and let his own momentum drive him onto her stake. He too crumbled away.

Moving with even greater care now, she tiptoed to the stairs, one hand at her neck. As she had expected, another vampire had been hiding behind the banisters and he shrank away before completing his dive as she held out her crucifix, losing his balance. Ginny stabbed him in the back as he tumbled past her down the stairs, destroying him. She heard more cries of fear coming from upstairs, sounding very much like those of a child. The cries cut off suddenly as a loud thump came from the same direction, followed by wailing. Setting her teeth in a dangerous expression, she continued up the stairs, searching for the source of the noise. Turning into a bedroom, she found it.

A man and women were huddled against the back wall, clinging together in terror. A girl of no more than six lay sobbing on the floor in front of them. Between the family and Ginny stood three vampires, two male and one female, all dressed in black jeans and jackets. They lunged at her almost immediately, and she sprang into action, spurred on by a furious anger kindled by what she had heard. She sent the two male vampires reeling back as they charged by punching each one in the nose simultaneously, then went for the female one with her stake, missing on the first attack but knocking her to the ground and hitting the heart with her second try. One of the males leapt on her back a second later, but she heaved him over her shoulder and drove his head into the floor with such force that the boards actually cracked. Spinning to face the second male, she impaled him as he tried to grab her. The last vampire groaned as he tried to pull himself upright, dazed from his impact with the floor. "This isn't how it was meant to be..." he managed to groan confusedly before Ginny staked him too.

"Thank you..." the man at the wall began, but Ginny quickly dashed from the room, remembering James's admonitions about secrecy.

She met James as she descended the stairs. "I've checked the rest of the house, that's all of them in here," he told her. "You'd be best to get into the Three Broomsticks via the roof and take them by surprise."

"Right." Ginny ran back upstairs, pulled open a window and scrambled across the tiles outside. She smashed a window on the pub's upper story and jumped inside, landing in a silent, catlike crouch. Tiptoeing out onto the landing, she heard voices from the bar below. Two vampires were standing on the stairs with their backs to her, and she was able to jump down and dispatch them both before they realised what was happening, though one screamed before he died and alerted those below, who Ginny now took stock of.

Madam Rosmerta was pinned against the bar by a tall, villainously handsome vampire wearing a long black coat, who was caressing her exposed neck. Two other male vampires stood nearby, together with an ivory-skinned female with inky black hair, clad in a diaphanous white dress. This last one's face lit up as she saw Ginny. "The Slayer," she breathed in a husky voice. "At last, something decent to eat!"

"No-one's eating anything tonight." Ginny said determinedly as she descended the last few steps.

"Oh, really?" grinned the tall one, letting go of Madam Rosmerta (who fled unnoticed out of the open door) and moving towards Ginny. He flexed his hands, baring his fangs and falling into a fighting posture. "Come on then Slayer, if you're so sure of yourself after dealing with my followers. I warn you, I can have a nasty...bite." He waved his arms around in an overly dramatic gesture which was presumably meant to be some kind of martial arts preparation.

"Oh, shut up." Ginny said, thoroughly sick of posers like him and Andrew Flint. She yanked her crossbow round and fired from the hip, hitting him perfectly in the heart. A pile of dust fell to the floor.

"You - you killed him!" the pale woman cried in shock and anguish. The other two vampires edged back worriedly, then threw subtlety to the winds and bolted for the nearest side window and escape. "Come on, Starling!" one of them shouted as he fled. "This is insane - let's just get away while we can!"

"No!" Starling shrieked, her voice breaking. "I want her dead." With a feral snarl, she launched herself at Ginny.

The female vampire was much tougher than any of the others Ginny had faced so far. She fought with reckless abandon, not caring where she was hit as she tore and bit madly at Ginny. Finally Ginny managed to stop the whirlwind of frenzied attacks long enough to drive her stake into Starling, but to her horror the woman refused to crumble away - it seemed she was one of the rare people James had mentioned. Ginny backflipped away from Starling to give herself a precious second of freedom, pulled a second stake from her belt and stabbed the madly charging vampire with it, abruptly silencing her last hate-filled cry.

James clattered down the stairs behind her as Ginny leaned against a table, panting from her exertions. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"Just a few scratches." Ginny replied wearily, showing him her lacerated arms.

"Good. Well done. You did brilliantly tonight, Ginny. Now, we'd better get going before we're seen -" Just as he said this, someone walked through the door. Both of them stiffened, ready to flee, but they relaxed when they recognized Dumbledore, who was carrying his wand and looked immensely relieved.

"Ah, I thought you two were probably here when we started hearing the vampires screaming." he said. "Good work, Miss Weasley - you will be glad to learn that the two who tried to escape were caught and destroyed before getting very far."

"Thanks, Professor." said Ginny, feeling drained and exhausted but elated with the victory.

"Um, Headmaster..." James put in. "About keeping our presence here a secret..."

Dumbledore sighed slightly but nodded. "Yes, Mr Radcliffe, I will perform partial Memory Charms on Madam Rosmerta and the other hostages. They will only remember a mysterious girl who saved them - they will never recognize Miss Weasley as that girl."

"Good. Thank you, Headmaster. Sorry about this, but it's not my decision..."

"I quite understand." Dumbledore assured him.

"Anyway, I can't understand why a bunch of vampires would suddenly choose to attack a wizarding village so close to Hogwarts," James said in puzzlement.

"They seemed to be looking for me, from what the leaders said - for the Slayer, at least." Ginny described the behaviour of the ringleader and Starling.

"I knew it." James groaned.

"What?"

"It was too easy. These were young, weak, inexperienced vampires - they had little chance against a Slayer. Someone sent them here, whether they knew it or not, and that someone - or something - was watching, and now they may well know who you are. These vampires were nothing but bait."

Ginny felt slightly worried, but was too tired to care overmuch. Sooner or later, they would have found out. And tonight she had earned her name, seen off a whole band of vampires almost single-handed. It was hard to feel scared after that - she knew she could defend herself.

**********Next day...**********

"Hey, Ginny, wait up!" Colin Creevey yelled, running to catch up with her as she walked towards the Herbology greenhouses in the pleasant autumn sunshine. "Did you hear about what happened in Hogsmeade last night? You weren't at breakfast."

"Yeah, I slept in," Ginny explained truthfully. "And no, I haven't heard."

"The place was attacked by vampires!" said Colin, his eyes wide. "Lots of them! Apparently they hardly ever attack wizarding settlements...but this girl came and killed most of the vampires, saved a bunch of people."

"Wow!" exclaimed Ginny, trying very hard to stop herself from bursting out laughing. "And nobody knew who she was?"

"Yeah, she disappeared after the vampires were all gone, none of the witnesses could remember what she looked like. Pretty cool, eh?" Colin's expression turned wistful. "That's one girl I'd like to meet."

"Who knows, Colin," Ginny said with an inward grin as they reached the greenhouse complex. "Maybe someday you will."