(Buffy/Harry Potter) Of Wizards and Oz for humantales
Title: Of Wizards and Oz
Author: laney_1974
Fandoms: BTVS/Harry Potter
Characters Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne; Lupin
Pairings: None.
Rating: G
Word count: 2745
Spoilers: BTVS: Season 4: Episode 19 New Moon (after which it goes completely AU and ignores the comics completely); Harry Potter: No spoilers at all
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: BTVS belongs to Joss & Mutant Enemy; Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. The various mentions of Wizard of Oz, particularly play on words, obviously don't belong to me.
A/N: I've taken some liberties with both Oz and Remus' backgrounds. Thanks to my beta bloodofareptile. Also, thank you to Deiticlast for looking at the fic.
Summary: You know you're really in deep, when you find yourself wishing for representatives from the Lollypop Guild...
~ Of Wizards and Oz ~
You know you've been living on the Hellmouth for too long when you wake up in another world and all you do is wonder how you could sleep through a tornado...
He's been in this world a week and Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne is still no closer to knowing how he got here or, more importantly, why. The last thing he remembers is going to sleep in the hut he's called home for most of the last decade, deep in the Himalayan Mountains. Even before he opened his eyes that first morning, he had known something was wrong. At first, he thought maybe it was a dream. Then, when he didn't wake, he thought that one of the Tibetan Monks had put a little too much opium in his pipe.
But it's been a week now and the illusion hasn't wavered, not once. If anything, it's worse. Hellmouth-worthy worse...
As insane as it sounds (or maybe not, he is from the Hellmouth after all) Oz is pretty sure he's in the Harry Potter books.
He didn't come to this conclusion easily, especially as he hasn't even read the books, but the evidence he's seen is pretty conclusive.
The first clue Oz discovered was in the way this world smelled. It was only after Oz moved away from the Hellmouth, and far enough out of Los Angeles for that matter, that he realised that magic had a scent all of its own. In places like the Hellmouth it's especially concentrated, but it becomes diluted the further away you are. This world is saturated in it, almost excessively so. He hasn't travelled all that far yet, just to the closest town, but the scent of magic in this world has yet to lessen.
The second clue that he was no longer in his world came half an hour ago, when he saw an owl delivering a newspaper.
For a second he thought that maybe it was just a really well trained owl, but then he stole the newspaper. After that, he couldn't deny it anymore and thanked any god listening that he paid attention to his former girlfriend whenever she rambled on about Harry Potter. It made what he saw easier to understand. Well, kind of.
Oz gazes back down at the Daily Prophet and sighs. He hasn't put down the paper since he unrolled it. He's not in shock, but he's surprised and more than a little confused. As much as he wants to deny it, he doesn't think he can anymore, not when the date of the paper says 18th of July 1966, and the picture beneath the headline about Albus Dumbledore is moving.
He's not in Kansas anymore.
~*~*~
You know you're really in deep when you find yourself wishing for representatives from the Lollypop Guild...
The problem with being in a fictional word is knowing that the rules have changed. Back home, Oz would know exactly what to do in this situation, but here he's not even sure which direction to go.
So far, he's managed to stay relatively close to the barn he woke up in, only leaving long enough to find food, steal newspapers and visit the nearby town, but that's about it.
From what he's been able to work out, he's in a rural town about a hundred miles from London. The townspeople seem friendly enough, so friendly in fact that he's been able to learn that the owner of the barn he's been squatting in is an old woman by the name of Elanora Prewitt, who is visiting her granddaughter. It's allowed him to stay here longer than he normally would have, but he knows he'll have to move on soon, especially since he's not sure how his wolf will react to the moon here, or if he'll be able to keep himself from changing.
His wolf doesn't particularly like this world. It feels out of control here, anxious. Neither he nor his wolf like that the person who summoned them here hasn't shown themselves yet, and he can't help but wonder if there's a green witch watching him through her crystal ball.
The thought alone makes Oz want to head for the anywhere but west.
Unfortunately for Oz, he doesn't have anyone telling him which way to go. The only plan Oz can come up with that makes any sense is to find a wizard to help him find his way home. The problem is that he's not sure which ones are the good guys and which ones are bad. He really wishes he had paid more attention to Willow when she mentioned the Harry Potter books. He knows the basic plot, but he doesn't know the intricate details. Just the names of the characters that caught his former girlfriend's attention, and the fact that magic was different in this world.
He remembers Willow mentioning Dumbledore, wistfully wishing he could teach her magic, so he's the obvious choice, but according to the Daily Prophet he's in France. There's Harry Potter, but Willow never mentioned the timeline in the books, so he doesn't even know if the Harry's been born yet.
Then, of course, there's the wizard that made Willow squeal with excitement when he was introduced.
Remus Lupin.
Out of all of the choices Oz has, Remus seems his best bet for two reasons. The first is that he remembers Willow saying that he was a good wizard. The second is because he's a werewolf, and Oz is almost certain he won't turn him away.
It's only when Oz makes the decision to seek Remus Lupin out that his blood runs cold. Not so much at the thought of meeting his first werewolf from this world, but because he knows he'll have to find a wizard or witch to help Oz find him... And it just so happens that he's fairly certain the owner of this barn is a witch. Unless they deliver magical newspapers to the general public.
Oz isn't sure if he should be grateful that he woke up in a witch's barn or not. After all, there's coincidence and then there's coincidence.
Still, it's not like he has much choice. He can't find Lupin without her and he can't exactly stay here forever. There's no Willow or Buffy to help him, and he can't remember if Giles' father is the type of man who would help a werewolf or not. He has no choice but to just tread carefully and hope that, if Elanora Prewitt wasn't the one who brought him here, she doesn't mind him squatting in her barn.
Actually, now that he thinks about it, he's pretty sure he's safe. He doubts whoever (or whatever) brought him here would go to all that trouble only to let him be killed by a witch for trespassing.
Besides, it's not like his house landed on her.
~*~*~
You know things are dire when you find yourself following a yellow brick road that isn't even there...
As luck would have it, the full moon comes before Elanora Prewitt and his grand plan of finding Remus Lupin is forgotten. He's been keeping track of the moon phases, so when the time comes he doesn't waste any time and runs into the forest.
He's spent the last ten years learning to control his wolf. He hasn't shifted into a wolf against his will for over seven years. He's completely at peace with his wolf... at least he was.
As he runs through the forest he feels his wolf under his skin, fighting to gain control. In fact, Oz is beginning to suspect that it is in control. It's pushing him, forcing him to run north, weaving in and out of the trees, as though it's running to something.
Oz has no choice but to concede some control and he allows his wolf to take the lead, but not his body. He fights to keep control of it for a little bit longer by keeping his breath steady and chanting under his breath. It's not quite the meditation he needs to keep himself human, but he knows if he so much as stops now he'll change. He's far too close to town to allow that to happen.
It's as the trees flash by him that he begins to suspect that maybe he's been focused on the wrong thing all this time. He's been focused on finding help, trying to find a way home, but now he thinks that what he should be looking for is the person who did this because his wolf shouldn't be doing this. He doesn't like how powerful his wolf is in this world, or how aware. It's almost as though his wolf has a purpose, and it's that purpose that pushes Oz over the edge, long after the moon is high in the sky.
His last thought before he loses his humanity completely is that it's been a while since he's been king of the forest.
~*~*~
You know it's all becoming a little bit too much when you begin wondering what use wizards are if they're not all that great and powerful...
Oz wakes the next morning at the edge of the forest, about five hundred yards from a small run-down cottage. He's aching all over and it's only because of the English cold that he forces himself to move and steal some damp clothes hanging on the line. The clothes are too big, but that's the least of his worries at the moment. He has absolutely no recollection of anything that happened last night after his wolf took control and he has no idea where he is.
Or if he ran into anyone in the forest or around the cottage.
He can't smell any blood in the immediate vicinity, but that doesn't make him feel any better. The cottage doesn't have any outward damage that indicates a werewolf attack, but there is something else. Something here.
Oz closes his eyes and forces himself to focus. There's a scent in the air he doesn't recognise, one that goes beyond the ever present scent of magic in this world. It's almost like... His eyes snap open as he recognises the scent and before he realises what he's doing he's walking to the cottage. His wolf is at full attention now and so is Oz. He's spent too much time around other werewolves not to recognise the scent of his kind. This scent is slightly different, but there's no mistaking it. In fact, he's a little surprised his wolf slept in another wolf's territory.
The scent of the wolf is everywhere, most especially leading up to the cottage.
He's half way to the cottage when he hears an anguished cry come from inside. He moves faster at the sound. He's about to give into his Hellmouthy instincts, and save the day, when a female voice stops him. Well, it's not so much the voice that causes him to stop his cavalry rush, but her words.
"They said there was nothing!" Oz hears the voice saying. "There's no cure."
"I... I can't believe that, Beth. There has to be something someone can do. There has to be a cure!" a man replies. There's no mistaking the desperation and devastation in his voice. "He's a six year old boy! The change hurts him so much! No. I can't..."
Oz's blood runs cold at the words and a thought he would rather forget enters his mind.
"There's nothing!" the woman, Beth, yells. "There is nothing the wizarding world can do to save our son. I thought about taking him to my sister's doctor, but the muggle world can't help him either. They can't heal a werewolf curses. The only thing I can do is pray, and I don't think that's working either."
He closes his eyes as the words flow over him and he can't help but think of his cousin Jordy.
"Dumbledore was our last resort," Beth says. "He's the most powerful wizard of our time, but Dumbledore said the same thing as every other witch and wizard we've spoken to. There's no hope for Remus, there's not even anything that will help him through the pain."
At the sound of Remus' name understanding begins to dawn.
Not long after Oz's change his Aunt Maureen had asked him to visit, obviously working out why he had been asking if her son was a werewolf. He remembers every single story Aunt his Maureen had told him about Jordy, about how the change affected someone so young, and how painful it had been for both Jordy and his Aunt. So he understands, better than anyone, what Beth Lupin is going through.
There's no wizard, witch or warlock that will ever be able to help her. Oz knows, he's tried everything and there's no cure. At least, not beyond what he's achieved.
Oz wonders if some witches and wizards are the same in this world as they are in his... that maybe, sometimes, a wizard is just a man behind a curtain.
~*~*~
You know you're here to stay when you it's no longer important that there's no place like home...
Oz is still standing a few yards from the house, trying to decide what to do, when he feels it.
The presence of another werewolf.
Slowly, he turns to see a small boy, a cub, staring at him. His expression is serious and full of fear and Oz silently wonders if the cub in the boy can sense the wolf in him.
"Hey," Oz greets the young boy, but makes no move towards him. Something inside him knows that if he so much as takes a step towards him he'll run. "I'm Oz."
"I'm Remus." The cub holds his gaze for a few more seconds before dropping his gaze to the ground.
The action causes Oz to frown and for the wolf to want out. He doesn't like the cub is scared, that he fears him. "It's okay," Oz says, hoping to reassure him. "I'm a friend of your parents." It's a lie, but Oz is desperate. He doesn't want Remus to run. Not even when he attacked Tara did he his wolf feel this out of control. He wants to shift, to grab the cub and take him to safety. Oz has never felt protective instincts like this in his life and he knows if the cub runs, his wolf will follow.
"You smell funny," the boy tells him. "You smell kind of like me."
"I'm a werewolf, too."
Remus' eyes grow wide at the words and he takes a step backwards. "Are you the one who bit me?"
It takes every ounce of Oz's control not to counter that step. "No. I didn't hurt you. I'm here to help you." As soon as Oz says the words he knows they're true. He knows he can't leave. His wolf won't let him, not after all the effort it went through to bring him here.
"You're here to help me?" The boy shakes his head. "You can't. Mum said that there's no hope for me. I heard her. She said that even Bumblebore couldn't help me."
He shakes his head. "Your mom is wrong."
Remus stares at him with suspicion, though there's a hint of hope where there was none before. "Who are you?"
Oz smiles and, for the first time since he arrived in this world, he feels himself relax. Not just himself, but his wolf as well. He gets it now. He knows why he's here and suddenly the last thing he's interested in is finding a way home. In fact, the only thing he wants is to protect the cub, to make him see that there really is someone to help him. And it's because of that Oz finds himself saying...
"I'm the great and powerful Oz."
-END-
Prompt:
-World of Myth
-Werewolves.
Author: laney_1974
Fandoms: BTVS/Harry Potter
Characters Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne; Lupin
Pairings: None.
Rating: G
Word count: 2745
Spoilers: BTVS: Season 4: Episode 19 New Moon (after which it goes completely AU and ignores the comics completely); Harry Potter: No spoilers at all
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: BTVS belongs to Joss & Mutant Enemy; Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. The various mentions of Wizard of Oz, particularly play on words, obviously don't belong to me.
A/N: I've taken some liberties with both Oz and Remus' backgrounds. Thanks to my beta bloodofareptile. Also, thank you to Deiticlast for looking at the fic.
Summary: You know you're really in deep, when you find yourself wishing for representatives from the Lollypop Guild...
~ Of Wizards and Oz ~
You know you've been living on the Hellmouth for too long when you wake up in another world and all you do is wonder how you could sleep through a tornado...
He's been in this world a week and Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne is still no closer to knowing how he got here or, more importantly, why. The last thing he remembers is going to sleep in the hut he's called home for most of the last decade, deep in the Himalayan Mountains. Even before he opened his eyes that first morning, he had known something was wrong. At first, he thought maybe it was a dream. Then, when he didn't wake, he thought that one of the Tibetan Monks had put a little too much opium in his pipe.
But it's been a week now and the illusion hasn't wavered, not once. If anything, it's worse. Hellmouth-worthy worse...
As insane as it sounds (or maybe not, he is from the Hellmouth after all) Oz is pretty sure he's in the Harry Potter books.
He didn't come to this conclusion easily, especially as he hasn't even read the books, but the evidence he's seen is pretty conclusive.
The first clue Oz discovered was in the way this world smelled. It was only after Oz moved away from the Hellmouth, and far enough out of Los Angeles for that matter, that he realised that magic had a scent all of its own. In places like the Hellmouth it's especially concentrated, but it becomes diluted the further away you are. This world is saturated in it, almost excessively so. He hasn't travelled all that far yet, just to the closest town, but the scent of magic in this world has yet to lessen.
The second clue that he was no longer in his world came half an hour ago, when he saw an owl delivering a newspaper.
For a second he thought that maybe it was just a really well trained owl, but then he stole the newspaper. After that, he couldn't deny it anymore and thanked any god listening that he paid attention to his former girlfriend whenever she rambled on about Harry Potter. It made what he saw easier to understand. Well, kind of.
Oz gazes back down at the Daily Prophet and sighs. He hasn't put down the paper since he unrolled it. He's not in shock, but he's surprised and more than a little confused. As much as he wants to deny it, he doesn't think he can anymore, not when the date of the paper says 18th of July 1966, and the picture beneath the headline about Albus Dumbledore is moving.
He's not in Kansas anymore.
~*~*~
You know you're really in deep when you find yourself wishing for representatives from the Lollypop Guild...
The problem with being in a fictional word is knowing that the rules have changed. Back home, Oz would know exactly what to do in this situation, but here he's not even sure which direction to go.
So far, he's managed to stay relatively close to the barn he woke up in, only leaving long enough to find food, steal newspapers and visit the nearby town, but that's about it.
From what he's been able to work out, he's in a rural town about a hundred miles from London. The townspeople seem friendly enough, so friendly in fact that he's been able to learn that the owner of the barn he's been squatting in is an old woman by the name of Elanora Prewitt, who is visiting her granddaughter. It's allowed him to stay here longer than he normally would have, but he knows he'll have to move on soon, especially since he's not sure how his wolf will react to the moon here, or if he'll be able to keep himself from changing.
His wolf doesn't particularly like this world. It feels out of control here, anxious. Neither he nor his wolf like that the person who summoned them here hasn't shown themselves yet, and he can't help but wonder if there's a green witch watching him through her crystal ball.
The thought alone makes Oz want to head for the anywhere but west.
Unfortunately for Oz, he doesn't have anyone telling him which way to go. The only plan Oz can come up with that makes any sense is to find a wizard to help him find his way home. The problem is that he's not sure which ones are the good guys and which ones are bad. He really wishes he had paid more attention to Willow when she mentioned the Harry Potter books. He knows the basic plot, but he doesn't know the intricate details. Just the names of the characters that caught his former girlfriend's attention, and the fact that magic was different in this world.
He remembers Willow mentioning Dumbledore, wistfully wishing he could teach her magic, so he's the obvious choice, but according to the Daily Prophet he's in France. There's Harry Potter, but Willow never mentioned the timeline in the books, so he doesn't even know if the Harry's been born yet.
Then, of course, there's the wizard that made Willow squeal with excitement when he was introduced.
Remus Lupin.
Out of all of the choices Oz has, Remus seems his best bet for two reasons. The first is that he remembers Willow saying that he was a good wizard. The second is because he's a werewolf, and Oz is almost certain he won't turn him away.
It's only when Oz makes the decision to seek Remus Lupin out that his blood runs cold. Not so much at the thought of meeting his first werewolf from this world, but because he knows he'll have to find a wizard or witch to help Oz find him... And it just so happens that he's fairly certain the owner of this barn is a witch. Unless they deliver magical newspapers to the general public.
Oz isn't sure if he should be grateful that he woke up in a witch's barn or not. After all, there's coincidence and then there's coincidence.
Still, it's not like he has much choice. He can't find Lupin without her and he can't exactly stay here forever. There's no Willow or Buffy to help him, and he can't remember if Giles' father is the type of man who would help a werewolf or not. He has no choice but to just tread carefully and hope that, if Elanora Prewitt wasn't the one who brought him here, she doesn't mind him squatting in her barn.
Actually, now that he thinks about it, he's pretty sure he's safe. He doubts whoever (or whatever) brought him here would go to all that trouble only to let him be killed by a witch for trespassing.
Besides, it's not like his house landed on her.
~*~*~
You know things are dire when you find yourself following a yellow brick road that isn't even there...
As luck would have it, the full moon comes before Elanora Prewitt and his grand plan of finding Remus Lupin is forgotten. He's been keeping track of the moon phases, so when the time comes he doesn't waste any time and runs into the forest.
He's spent the last ten years learning to control his wolf. He hasn't shifted into a wolf against his will for over seven years. He's completely at peace with his wolf... at least he was.
As he runs through the forest he feels his wolf under his skin, fighting to gain control. In fact, Oz is beginning to suspect that it is in control. It's pushing him, forcing him to run north, weaving in and out of the trees, as though it's running to something.
Oz has no choice but to concede some control and he allows his wolf to take the lead, but not his body. He fights to keep control of it for a little bit longer by keeping his breath steady and chanting under his breath. It's not quite the meditation he needs to keep himself human, but he knows if he so much as stops now he'll change. He's far too close to town to allow that to happen.
It's as the trees flash by him that he begins to suspect that maybe he's been focused on the wrong thing all this time. He's been focused on finding help, trying to find a way home, but now he thinks that what he should be looking for is the person who did this because his wolf shouldn't be doing this. He doesn't like how powerful his wolf is in this world, or how aware. It's almost as though his wolf has a purpose, and it's that purpose that pushes Oz over the edge, long after the moon is high in the sky.
His last thought before he loses his humanity completely is that it's been a while since he's been king of the forest.
~*~*~
You know it's all becoming a little bit too much when you begin wondering what use wizards are if they're not all that great and powerful...
Oz wakes the next morning at the edge of the forest, about five hundred yards from a small run-down cottage. He's aching all over and it's only because of the English cold that he forces himself to move and steal some damp clothes hanging on the line. The clothes are too big, but that's the least of his worries at the moment. He has absolutely no recollection of anything that happened last night after his wolf took control and he has no idea where he is.
Or if he ran into anyone in the forest or around the cottage.
He can't smell any blood in the immediate vicinity, but that doesn't make him feel any better. The cottage doesn't have any outward damage that indicates a werewolf attack, but there is something else. Something here.
Oz closes his eyes and forces himself to focus. There's a scent in the air he doesn't recognise, one that goes beyond the ever present scent of magic in this world. It's almost like... His eyes snap open as he recognises the scent and before he realises what he's doing he's walking to the cottage. His wolf is at full attention now and so is Oz. He's spent too much time around other werewolves not to recognise the scent of his kind. This scent is slightly different, but there's no mistaking it. In fact, he's a little surprised his wolf slept in another wolf's territory.
The scent of the wolf is everywhere, most especially leading up to the cottage.
He's half way to the cottage when he hears an anguished cry come from inside. He moves faster at the sound. He's about to give into his Hellmouthy instincts, and save the day, when a female voice stops him. Well, it's not so much the voice that causes him to stop his cavalry rush, but her words.
"They said there was nothing!" Oz hears the voice saying. "There's no cure."
"I... I can't believe that, Beth. There has to be something someone can do. There has to be a cure!" a man replies. There's no mistaking the desperation and devastation in his voice. "He's a six year old boy! The change hurts him so much! No. I can't..."
Oz's blood runs cold at the words and a thought he would rather forget enters his mind.
"There's nothing!" the woman, Beth, yells. "There is nothing the wizarding world can do to save our son. I thought about taking him to my sister's doctor, but the muggle world can't help him either. They can't heal a werewolf curses. The only thing I can do is pray, and I don't think that's working either."
He closes his eyes as the words flow over him and he can't help but think of his cousin Jordy.
"Dumbledore was our last resort," Beth says. "He's the most powerful wizard of our time, but Dumbledore said the same thing as every other witch and wizard we've spoken to. There's no hope for Remus, there's not even anything that will help him through the pain."
At the sound of Remus' name understanding begins to dawn.
Not long after Oz's change his Aunt Maureen had asked him to visit, obviously working out why he had been asking if her son was a werewolf. He remembers every single story Aunt his Maureen had told him about Jordy, about how the change affected someone so young, and how painful it had been for both Jordy and his Aunt. So he understands, better than anyone, what Beth Lupin is going through.
There's no wizard, witch or warlock that will ever be able to help her. Oz knows, he's tried everything and there's no cure. At least, not beyond what he's achieved.
Oz wonders if some witches and wizards are the same in this world as they are in his... that maybe, sometimes, a wizard is just a man behind a curtain.
~*~*~
You know you're here to stay when you it's no longer important that there's no place like home...
Oz is still standing a few yards from the house, trying to decide what to do, when he feels it.
The presence of another werewolf.
Slowly, he turns to see a small boy, a cub, staring at him. His expression is serious and full of fear and Oz silently wonders if the cub in the boy can sense the wolf in him.
"Hey," Oz greets the young boy, but makes no move towards him. Something inside him knows that if he so much as takes a step towards him he'll run. "I'm Oz."
"I'm Remus." The cub holds his gaze for a few more seconds before dropping his gaze to the ground.
The action causes Oz to frown and for the wolf to want out. He doesn't like the cub is scared, that he fears him. "It's okay," Oz says, hoping to reassure him. "I'm a friend of your parents." It's a lie, but Oz is desperate. He doesn't want Remus to run. Not even when he attacked Tara did he his wolf feel this out of control. He wants to shift, to grab the cub and take him to safety. Oz has never felt protective instincts like this in his life and he knows if the cub runs, his wolf will follow.
"You smell funny," the boy tells him. "You smell kind of like me."
"I'm a werewolf, too."
Remus' eyes grow wide at the words and he takes a step backwards. "Are you the one who bit me?"
It takes every ounce of Oz's control not to counter that step. "No. I didn't hurt you. I'm here to help you." As soon as Oz says the words he knows they're true. He knows he can't leave. His wolf won't let him, not after all the effort it went through to bring him here.
"You're here to help me?" The boy shakes his head. "You can't. Mum said that there's no hope for me. I heard her. She said that even Bumblebore couldn't help me."
He shakes his head. "Your mom is wrong."
Remus stares at him with suspicion, though there's a hint of hope where there was none before. "Who are you?"
Oz smiles and, for the first time since he arrived in this world, he feels himself relax. Not just himself, but his wolf as well. He gets it now. He knows why he's here and suddenly the last thing he's interested in is finding a way home. In fact, the only thing he wants is to protect the cub, to make him see that there really is someone to help him. And it's because of that Oz finds himself saying...
"I'm the great and powerful Oz."
-END-
Prompt:
-World of Myth
-Werewolves.