Accidentally Magical, or

Xander Harris and the Brand New Start

by KJ Dekker aka RockyD

Category: B:TVS / HP Crossover

Rating: PG-14 (nothing worse than the source materials)

Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me, the Buffy ones belong to Joss
Whedon and Co. while Harry Potter and friends are property of J.K. Rowling. The only thing I lay claim to is the excruciating torture I put them through... and I'm sure they love me for it.

Pairings: X/Hr

Summary: When Willow's progress comes to a sudden halt, Giles reconnects with a world he'd long since cut ties with. The result is something none of the Scoobies expected, but which will effect one of their lives profoundly.

Spoilers: Harry Potter through Deathly Hallows, but set before the epilogue; Buffy set near the end of Season 4 episode 'The Harsh Light Of Day'

Author's Note: After almost 7 solid years of writer's block, another fandom has rekindled my spark... sort of. One day this summer (08) I got the strange idea to merge the two biggest fandoms I'd been a part of, using two of my favorite characters and this is the result... it's still going and the ideas keep coming. Hopefully I can do them justice. Okay, long enough rant... on with the show!

Feedback: Yes, please. Writing is an ever evolving process and your constructive criticism can be invaluable to a rusty author. Anything you can tell me will be appreciated.

Chapter One: With All Potential

"Is there something wrong with me, Giles?" Willow asked pathetically. Her shoulders were slumped and she was staring a hole in the carpet she was sitting on. She was seated in the center of an ornate ritual circle, complete with candles and the scent of incense in the air.

Giles softened as his young charge finally lifted her eyes to look at him with a look of self-disappointment, "Of course not, Willow." The truth was, he had no idea if there was anything wrong with her or not, but to say so would have been extremely unwise. Even with the latest difficulties, a very powerful witch sat before him, and upsetting her could have dire consequences.

"Then why can't I do this? I've been able to do everything else!" Willow's shoulders sagged still further, while her body still held the lotus position.

Giles carefully thought over his response. He had to word it carefully, but he knew it wouldn't do to keep lying to her either. He had to research before he could come to a definite conclusion, "I need to research this before I come to any definite conclusion, Willow."

Willow couldn't help the quirk in her eyebrow and the smirk on her face, "You just quoted the exact phrase that passed through your head, didn't you?"

Giles looked affronted, "I'll have you know, Willow, that there were at least three words different between the two."

"Pronouns don't count, Giles." She responded triumphantly, as he let out an audible huff.

He just glared at her momentarily, before coming back to himself, "The point, Willow, is that I won't know if anything is even wrong until I look into the matter. It could simply be a matter of practice. No one gets everything on the first try."

She stopped picking at a loose thread on the carpet to look at him dubiously, "And what about the twelfth time?"

Giles sighed and gave her a concerned glance, "Please just relax, Willow. I will consult my books and find out what is going on." And consult his books he did. Willow had been having this problem in recent weeks, being unable to summon the required power to perform the more complicated magics she had been advancing towards, and he just didn't understand why. It appeared she had reached some sort of power plateau, where her abilities didn't seem to advance in any noticeable fashion.

Unlike with floating pencils and other mundane magical feats, where the ability was clearly shown to grow as increased control was displayed, this recent void was very troubling.

On the surface, it appeared that Willow had simply reached the limits of her magical abilities. However, he believed this to be unlikely, as he'd known her to display startling feats of magic when put under stress. The spell to restore Angel's soul to his body was a tricky affair when in the hands of the trained witch like Miss Calendar. Willow, with cursory help from Cordelia and Oz, managed it with an ease which had left him stunned.

So why now, did a ceiling seem to be placed upon that power? He had several theories, but only one that he had the means to test. Reluctantly, he proceeded up the stairs to his bedroom. He stood before his dresser and carefully opened the topmost drawer. Pulling a stack of dress shirts and a series of ledgers out of the drawer, he observed a slender box about a foot long.

He removed the box and replaced the other items before sliding the drawer shut. He stared at the container for what seemed forever. He moved it back and forth in his hand, catching the light from the nearby window on an inscription across the broad face of the box itself. The words jumped out at him, bringing him back to a time he'd just as soon forget... Janna Kalderash

The disc which held the translated ritual to restore Angel's soul wasn't the only thing to survive the fire in Ms. Calendar's office. Hidden away in a filing cabinet, away from prying eyes but easily within reach. He cautiously pulled the engraved cover off the box to reveal a custom-fitted lining which held a long, wooden cylinder with intricate designs meticulously painted on it.

To the casual observer, it would appear to be nothing more than an ornamental toy or craft project. The designs did give it the look of something a little girl would have her father make so she could then paint it up to match whatever struck her fancy. However, the casual observer would be dead wrong in their estimation of the triviality of the item.

He gingerly pulled the object from it's housing and rolled it between his fingers, giving it an examination worthy of a piece of art. Because that's what it was to him, first and foremost. A beautifully crafted work that had every nuance of it's previous owner.

He quickly reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, not to alleviate some sort of pressure in his sinuses, but to stave off fresh tears for a lover long gone but never forgotten.

When he'd regained himself, he once again looked upon the object in his hands. He held before him the wand of Ms. Jenny Calendar, descendant of the Kalderash clan, and fully qualified witch. Perhaps this was what Willow needed to lift her above the plateau she'd landed upon, and perhaps something just like this would help save them all when the time came. But first, he would have to test his theory. With the same reverence he used in removing the wand from it's case, he replaced it and put it back in the drawer.

Later that afternoon, when Willow came to his apartment as requested, Giles told her they were going to begin a very special training session.

She immediately looked hopeful, as she performed stretches to prepare herself, "Have you figured out why I'm having trouble?"

He had to fight the smile her youthful exuberance always brought, as he lit candles throughout the room, "I have a theory, at the very least. So, please, finish your preparations."

Willow did just that, quickly assuming the familiar meditation pose and regulating her breathing. While she did that, he once again trekked upstairs and retrieved Jenny's wand from his drawer. When he returned she had centered herself, so he placed an ordinary matchstick in front of her and waited for her to open her eyes.

"A matchstick?" Her eyes widened and she looked to him for instruction, "Does that mean what I think it means?"

He cautiously held his hands behind him, holding the wand out of her line of sight as he nodded, "Yes, Willow. Today we're going to try one of the subjects you seem to have the most difficulty with. You are going to try to change this matchstick into a needle."

She squeaked, "Transfiguration? But Giles, I've never been able to do anything with the matchstick. I couldn't even make it shiny." Her self-doubt was evident.

"I am aware of that, Willow, but this will provide a sufficient experiment for my current theory. Now, so far in your studies, we've been using the same methods and practices I myself have used in magical training. However, it is not the only technique which can be used. I've used this method simply because I myself have not had proper access to any others, including the primary one." He paused as he saw questions brimming in her eyes, "Please do not ask about that at this time, I will explain it when I am ready.

"I am about to lend you a very powerful focusing tool. I implore you to be extremely cautious with it, as it belonged to a very dear friend of mine and I would be loathe to see anything happen to it. Now, the important thing to remember is that this method is not that different from how you've been learning already.

"The major difference is the use of the focusing tool itself. It can help tremendously towards directing your power in a way that is quite difficult without. With it, your preparations are almost minimal and unnecessary, but those are still valuable techniques to practice as they have practical benefits in regards to focus."

She was watching him eagerly, and he could tell she'd already figured out he was holding something behind his back. So without any further ado, he unclenched his hands and pulled them around the front. He saw immediately that her eyes bugged out seeing what was in his hand, "A wand? An actual wand?!" She was hopping up and down with her legs still crossed in the lotus position, and he once again had to fight a smile.

"Yes, Willow, a real life wand. This wand is a traditional magical implement that channels a caster's magic into a focused pathway, and helps them use magic far more efficiently than without. This allows for spells of enormous power and usefulness. The wand allows ready access to a wide range of incantations which a fraction of the usual concentration. That is not to say it is effortless, but the most difficult part of the process is learning the incantations and wand movements, as well as the theory behind the magic. Once you have grasped these concepts, the casting itself becomes easier and easier with each use."

The question left her mouth before she could stop it, "Why couldn't you teach me like this before?"

He could hear a hint of frustration in her voice, no doubt related to the somewhat daunting methods they had been using up until now. He knew the practice of wandless magic was often trying and nowhere near as effective as magic with a wand, but he simply had to work with what he knew. He sighed resignedly and answered her delicately, "Because, as I said, Willow, it isn't the technique I myself learned the majority of my magic with. I could not teach you how to use a wand, because I never fully learned how to myself. I don't even have a wand of my own, this one belonged to someone else.

"In addition, you were progressing in the ways of magic without guidance, which is a dangerous practice... I know that from experience. It was a choice between teaching you what I knew and hopefully imbuing you with a sense of responsibility and discipline, or letting you run wild and find out the hard way that magic is not something to trifle with. I simply could not take the chance that you would luck into it.

"It seems now that you may have reached the limit of your potential in wandless magic. If this is the case, the only option available that does not involve even more dedication and preparation before hand, is to attempt to ascertain if you have the ability to use a wand at all.

He paused and showed the wand off to her, and he noted with amusement that her eyes followed it as if attached, "I warn you, beforehand, that a wand is typically suited to one user, and each person should have their own. However, that does not mean that another person's wand will not work for others at all. You may be able to perform simple spells with virtually anyone's... but for the best result, you'll need to visit with a wandmaker and find the best wand suited to you.

"If you happen to be able to perform an incantation with Je... with this wand, I will then contact such a wandmaker and arrange for you to be fitted for a wand." He cautiously handed her Jenny's wand, and thankfully saw she handled it as delicately as he hoped, "Now, I want you to follow along with the movement of my index finger with the wand, focus on the matchstick becoming a needle, and incant Resvertowhile pointing it at the match. We'll see if you can use a wand to further your training."

Willow looked surprised at the brevity of the incantation, she looked at Giles dubiously and asked, "That's it? I just think about the matchstick becoming a needle and say Resverto?" As she said this she copied the wand movements he'd shown, and to their surprise, the matchstick changed just enough to appear made of silvery metal.

Giles couldn't hide the shock in his voice, "Well... I believe that answers our question. That should be enough for today, Willow. I'll let you know when I've gotten in contact with the wandmaker. I'll let you know as soon as I hear back from anyone." He quietly stuck out his hand, and Willow immediately handed him back the wand, "Oh, and if you'd like you can keep that as a souvenir." She beamed as she picked up the metallic matchstick and happily headed out the door babbling about how cool it will be to show to her friends.

Giles went back up to his bedroom, quickly approaching his dresser. He first put Jenny's wand away and then returned to his desk downstairs. He opened the lower right hand drawer pulled a box out, this one quite a bit larger than the wand box but still relatively small. He pulled it open and removed a small jar with a cork in his mouth, a long feather, and a few rolls of aged paper. He uncorked the jar, dipped the feather in it, and silently began writing on the paper.

The only noise in the room was the scratching of what was obviously a quill on the parchment. After several minutes, he reread his message and nodded in satisfaction. He was reconnecting with a world he'd seldom contacted in the last twenty years, and a sense of trepidation came over him. He didn't let it overtake him, as he had much to do, "Now, to find an owl..."