And she landed right in front of Willow.

"Okay...what?" she asked, looking around. She'd decided London was the place to go. The Hellmouth was closed, most of her friends had moved on, Buffy was...

Just the thought of her friend brought tears to her eyes. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and refocusing on the owl. He dropped the piece of parchment on the small table that was her dining room table and clicked his beak expectantly.

"Food?" Willow said, handing the bird a piece of toast. The owl took it in his beak and began to nibble. She picked up the parchment and began to read.

"Dear Miss Willow Rosenburg.

We at Hogwarts Academy have heard of your studies. Had you not been American, you would have been invited to attend the academy. Now, we ask you to teach. We are in need of a Muggle Studies teacher, and seeing as how you have lived among them your entire life and are a slightly untrained witch, we would like to extend an offer.

In exchange for the job, room & board, food and other things, including pay in Muggle money or wizarding gold, we at Hogwarts will help you in learning the lessons of wizardry that you were not taught. Please return your answer by owl post."

Then she looked at the owl again. Maybe it wasn't a joke. With all the things she'd seen...

She tore off the bit of blank parchment at the bottom and quickly found a pen. "I'm interested. What do I need to do? Willow Rosenburg" she wrote quickly, then looked at the owl. "Can you take this back?"

The owl clucked his beak, dropping the toast in the process, and puffed up his chest. Then he opened his beak and accepted the bit of parchment and flew off again.

Willow picked up the phone. Only two people would still be interested in this...

***

"Bloody hell," Spike said. "I thought that was all nonsense from those books Dawn read." He cupped his hand over the phone. With both Joyce and Buffy dead, and Giles being deported back to England, Spike had felt no real reason to stay in Sunnydale and instead accompanied Dawn and Giles to London. And now that Giles, too, was gone... "'Ey! Dawn!"

Dawn bounded through the flat. "Who is it? Derrick? George? William?"

Spike chuckled. "No, it's not one of those poncey boys who follow you home. It's Willow."

Dawn grinned, her eyes lighting up. She reached for the phone. "Gimmie!"

"Magic word?"

Dawn stalked over to the window. "I'll open the curtains."

He put the phone out towards her. "You win."

She grabbed the phone. "Willow? How is everything in your part of London? And when are you coming over for dinner so we can gross Spike out?"

Willow laughed. "Things are fine. Dawn, do you remember those Harry Potter books?"

"Yeah...I read all six of the ones that are out. Why?"

"Because...well, Dawn, it's real. I got a letter by owl post asking me to teach at Hogwarts."

Willow had expected silence on Dawn's part, maybe some screaming, but she never expected the next words out of Dawn's mouth.

"Well, when do we go?"

***

The owl returned within a few days, and even though Willow had Dawn and Spike over with her, the owl still came in the open window, dropping a larger piece of parchment at Willow's table.

"My good Lord, it's true," Spike said.

"Told ya," Willow said with a smirk. She took the parchment off the table while Dawn offered the owl a treat of bread. She unrolled the parchment and sat next to Spike on the couch, reading it out loud so Dawn could hear.

"Miss Rosenburg,

We have been researching your past and have found out that you are acquaintances with Dawn Summers, formerly known as The Key, and William the Bloody, a vampire, both of whom reside in London. Our Defense of the Dark Arts teacher has also personally requested William to accompany you. Upon his arrival at Hogwarts, he will be the subject of a spell to allow him to roam in the sunlight in exchange for his help.

Though Voldemort is no more, we do not know where the next danger may come from, and with William's experiences he might help in training witches and wizards in all aspects of the Dark Arts. Even though Miss Summers is not a witch, if you would like her as an assistant, that would be acceptable.

As for what you must do, simply go to The Leaky Cauldron in London at dusk tomorrow and ask for Stan Shunpike. He shall take you to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus immediately. Term does not start for three months, but it will do well for you to acquaint yourselves with Hogwarts and your fellow teaching staff. Supplies for your teaching and your learning will be provided for you.

Thank you once again for taking the offer seriously.

Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore"

Spike smiled. "And I think you'll be wanting to see if there's any gorgeous men around."

"No. Not really. Besides, I'm seventeen, and most of the pupils leave when they're eighteen. So Harry's probably gone..."

Willow grinned as well. "I figured you'd want to see the famous Harry Potter."

"Well, now we know he really exists, now don't we?"