After the last great war against evil, there was a last great war, and though Buffy doesn't know how, they won. Sadly, only she and a handful of slayers survived. Riddled with grief, she sent the girls home to their families while she planned to bury her own.

The cemetery was practically empty save for Buffy herself and some friends from England who knew Giles and Willow during her recovery. She could barely focus beyond seeing their coffins lowered; her only comfort that they wouldn't rise again. The blonde woman swore she would not pull them from their salvation as they had done to her. At the ceremony's end, hard rain left fat droplets atop the cherry polish on Giles' coffin and it was all she could do not to climb down to brush it off. As everyone else turned to go, a white-bearded gentleman approached the grieving slayer.

"My dear, I know you are in a delicate mood, but I should like to discuss Hogwarts with you once again," Dumbledore coaxed with a calming, lyrical voice.

"Not now," Buffy whispered, her own voice strained. "Not until they're completely buried and there's no way that someone can hurt them. They don't have to be hurt any longer."

At this the elderly wizard reprieved, moving slightly farther back to give the girl time to let go of the dead. After moments of doing his best to ignore the anguished screams the girl committed, Dumbledore stepped forward and brought her into his arms. It had been a long while since he'd honestly hugged anyone, not since Harry began turning to Hermione with his problems, but he found while hugging the slayer that he rather missed it. Slowly her tears became fewer and fewer until finally they stopped completely. Softly she mumbled a 'thank you' whilst backing away from him and wiping her eyes.

"Now my dear, about Hogwarts…"

"I'll go," Buffy blurted, hoping to stop him before he got a lecturing voice like Giles and she broke out into fresh tears.

Dumbledore only smiled softly in reply and told her to be ready in the morning for his arrival. She nodded mutely and turned away from the cemetery for the last time.