Timeline: BtVS: Post-the Gift & HP: Goblet of Fire.
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse belongs to Joss Whedon and HP belongs to J.K.R.
Author's Note: Written for Day 29 of the 2019 August Fic-A-Day.

The last weekend before Harry started his Fourth Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was spent doing a mixture of more classes, more extra tuition on topics that might come in handy if Harry was forced into the Tournament, and having some last-minute fun and relaxing before it was back to the Castle. The experience was an odd one for Buffy, who was still a college student in her own time and should've been preparing to go back to school herself.

Instead of continuing her own education she was essentially playing mother to a teenage boy who was actually six months older than herself, while they were both staying with a man who wasn't entirely mentally stable after having spent more than a decade with nothing more than his own worst memories and feelings as company. She tried not to think about it.

Over the last two months, she had come to the conclusion it was better if she trusted Sirius with at least part of her secret. Which was why she had told him she was a time traveler from the year 2001. She had very carefully left out the part about the homesick Hellgoddess and her own attempted suicide by interdimensional portal to save her sister and the world, making it seem like the aim had simply been to get from point A to point B.

Despite their many endeavors to find anything that might shed a light on why she ended up in the past had failed, as did their attempts to figure out a possible motive for her to be sent to the past, or how to get her home. All of which meant she was back to scratch. It all probably meant she would have to live all of the years between 1994 and 2001 before rejoining her sister and her friends.

Unless the reason for her presence in the past had something to do with either Sirius or Harry. She helped save Sirius from the soul-eating demons, but he was still a fugitive despite never having had a day in court. Harry appeared to be a likely candidate to participate in a competition who had a long record of ending with one or more dead champions. Although how she was supposed to help with that she didn't know.

There were some bright points though. After a little digging around, some snooping, and Sirius playing magical taxi, she had been able to find Giles. He was working as a curator at the British Museum just as Willow had told her when they first met at Sunnydale High. By following him around for a few days she was able to see him meet up with someone from the Watcher's Council and quietly conversing about the current Slayer.

She was never mentioned by name, but Buffy knew from her own conversations with Giles that her name had been India Cohen. India had been Chosen in 1993 and it had been her death in 1996 that had turned Buffy from a Potential Slayer and into an Active Slayer. It meant that the other girl was 16 and had less than two years to live. It was a sobering thought.

Having confirmed that both Giles and the Watcher's Council existed, it meant she was most likely in her own reality - just in the wrong year. It was more difficult to figure out if she herself and her family existed though. In 2001 she could've gone to an internet cafe and done a quick search and gotten her answer, but given how limited the internet was in '94 she decided it wasn't worth trying.

There was the option to make an international phone call to her family's old landline, but what if her younger self answered? All the sci-fi movies Xander had made them watch over the years seemed to indicate that having any contact with another version of yourself could have catastrophic consequences. Maybe if she made Sirius do the talking and she was somewhere else where she couldn't hear the conversation?

Or call during the day when she was in classes... No, wait. Buffy still sounded like herself and that could potentially have bad consequences for her younger self. She sighed, any phone calls to her family would have to be made by someone else, either Sirius or Harry.

Buffy pushed it out of her mind, it was stupidly early on September First and she was out on her usual morning run. The house was getting closer and closer so she slowed down some for the cool-down. The two wizards were warming up outside for their own morning run. It had taken some effort, but she had managed to convince them it was good for their health, both physically and mentally.

Harry had been playing an extreme sport for several years, so his body was used to exercise even if it hadn't been running. Sirius, on the other hand, was not doing well. It appeared that exercise was not something magical people did unless they a) played Quidditch, b) was magical law enforcement or c) were on the professional dueling circuit.

What it meant was that the two wizards started off together but Harry always ended up running ahead once he was properly warmed up. The teenager also ran for longer, while Sirius never managed to run for long. Usually, he would run for a short stretch, then walk for some time, then run again.

Buffy greeted the two and then went inside the house for her morning shower and other morning rituals while she had the house to herself. When they returned, she led them through a few katas before they took their turn in the shower.

After that it was a very light breakfast, making sure Harry had packed everything, and a final lesson on family history before Sirius Apparated them to Kings Cross Station at ten minutes to nine.

The three Granger's were already waiting for them when they arrived at the pre-arranged meeting place, and they walked the short distance to the cafe after greeting each other. Hermione was happy and relaxed as were her parents, even if the latter were slightly worried. Presumably about sending their daughter away again to somewhere they would never be able to go or even see.

As soon as the young witch saw Harry she began happily talking about her weekend and what she'd been doing with her parents. Then segued straight into a question, "Did you get a letter from Ron? He sent me several and told me Errol wouldn't even try to leave if he tied a letter to you to his leg. He also tried to send me several while I was staying with you and the same thing happened."

She drew a quick breath and then turned to Sirius before Harry even got a chance to try and answer. "Is there a mail ward on your home, is that why letters can't get through? Is that why our school letters were delivered while we were in London and not at the house?"

"Breathe, darling." Mrs. Granger admonished her daughter lightly. "Allow them a chance to reply before you ask a new question."

"Sorry, mum." She repeated the apology to the two she'd been talking to and then asked Sirius about the mail ward again.

Sirius, like Buffy, already had some experience with the girl's rapid-fire questioning and were not offended. The wizards accepted the apology and the elder one replied. "Yes, there are mail wards on most of the Black properties. I think the only exception is a house in London. It's where my parents lived."

"I didn't get any letters from Ron, but I'll explain it to him when we meet up with him on the train. I hope he isn't too upset about it. He does know who I was staying with, and he probably also knows how the Black family is about warding." Buffy knew that had been included in the lessons Sirius had given him on pureblood families, so it was good to see him use the information.

"How is Ron? Still upset his mum wouldn't let him come with Sirius and me?" Buffy didn't like all she had heard about the Weasley matriarch. She seemed to think it was acceptable that Hermione stayed for most of the Summer with them despite barely having met her parents, but it was unacceptable that her son stays with someone for even a week. Yes, there was the whole Azkaban thing, but reading between the lines it was obvious she had been told by someone, most likely Dumbledore, that he was innocent.

The teenagers exchanged news while the adults held their own conversations. Breakfast was pleasant. Afterward, they bought a healthy pre-packaged lunch to bring with them on the train, including several bottles of water.

The two elder Granger's approved as they were dentists, and Harry was mostly just happy to get food with him at all. His prior trips had been without and the only thing he'd had to eat was candy from a trolley about half-way through the journey. While it tasted good it wasn't very nourishing.

They left for the station at about 10:10. When they got there they collected Hermione's luggage which they had stored there while they ate, and then they entered Platform 9 3/4 with Hermione holding her father's hand and Harry holding her mother's hand so they could get through. Buffy threw the Invisibility Cloak over herself before following.

It was one thing to be seen in Diagon Alley doing some shopping, even if it was with the famous Harry Potter, but it was something entirely different to see him off to school. She wasn't entirely sure why this was so important, but she trusted her instincts and that's what they told her to do. They had agreed to send Hedwig with the Cloak later that night. It had the added benefit that the owl didn't have to be cooped up for hours in a small cage, but instead got to tale a long flight.

Sirius, of course, posed as the Granger's dog, much to everyone's amusement. He even produced a dog collar from somewhere which proclaimed him to be named 'Padfoot'. He was sooo explaining that one when they returned to the summer home, she just hoped it wasn't some kinky thing she was going to regret asking about.

Buffy followed the teens onto the train since there weren't many people there yet. Once they chose a train car, she helped them put the trunks in the overhead compartments. She looked around, it appeared to be a very old model even for the '90s.

Sirius had followed along as well, but Hermione's parents chose to remain on the platform. He briefly turned human and gave them a few last warnings, told them to be careful, and then gave Harry a fast hug before turning back. Buffy opened the Cloak and hugged both of the teens before leaving.

The Weasley's didn't arrive until a few minutes before departure and had to run to make it. That was some bad planning on their part. What if they hadn't made it? The children would've gotten in trouble because the parents weren't able to plan ahead of time.

As the train left the station, Buffy began wondering how they were going to fix Sirius' situation. It all depended on the rat. If they could find where he'd gone they could prove Sirius' innocence, but without out it, he would probably be convicted for something he hadn't done.

They would have to plan carefully to make it stick, even if they had to use the Tournament as a bargaining chip to achieve it. If Sirius was free, then Harry would also be free of his horrible relatives. So it was a win-win if they managed it.