It's night-time in Sunnydale and a girl and boy break into the school, they look around in the dark until suddenly the girl morphs into a vampire and kills the boy.

It's a bright and sunny morning in Sunnydale when Buffy wakes (after obligatory prophecy dream) to her new bedroom and her new house. Buffy and her Mom have relocated from L.A. to start a new life after the revelation that she was a slayer led Buffy to burn down her old school gym (Hemery High) in the line of duty and get expelled.

At Sunnydale High, Buffy meets with Principal Flutie who is less than impressed with her past record but tells her that she can start with a clean slate so long as she is not found anywhere near the gym with a box of matches. After her successful meeting with the Principal, Buffy bumps into a student and drops all her things. Xander (the class clown), smitten by the new girl, helps her pick up her things and introduces himself, awkwardly. Having picked up her things, Buffy hurries off leaving behind a stake, which Xander picks up puzzled.

In history class, Buffy is befriended by Sunnydale Queen, Cordelia who, after sharing her textbook, tells Buffy she can get her very own at the library. Passing the coolness factor test with flying colours, Buffy is informed that she will get along just fine if she hangs with Cordelia and her gang. On the way to the library they bump into the shy, quiet, Willow at the drinking fountain. Cordelia soon sends Willow on her way, points out to Buffy that she should know her losers and invites her to the Bronze that night.

Buffy finds the library apparently empty, until she is startled by Mr Giles the librarian who, to her surprise, instantly knows who she is and presents her with a book entitled Vampyr. Telling him that is not what she is looking for, Buffy leaves in a hurry.

Outside she meets up with Willow again and they are soon joined by Xander and his friend Jesse. They are getting on well until they are interrupted by Cordelia with the news that a body has been found in the girls' locker room. Buffy makes her excuses and heads off to investigate. To her dismay she finds that dead guy has two holes in his neck. Suspect? Vampire. Heading back for the library, Buffy storms in and demands that Giles tells her what's going on; informing him that she has come here for a new start and has retired as slayer. Giles' best British efforts to persuade her otherwise prove useless and she leaves, followed closely by the librarian, who explains that it is no coincidence that she has come to Sunnydale, there have been lots of strange occurrences of late.

Xander, meanwhile, has made an unprecedented trip to the library and has overheard the whole conversation.

That night, while Buffy is getting ready to go to the Bronze, vampires chant in an underground, ruined church. Their apparent leader, Luke, kneels by a pool of blood. Walking to the Bronze, Buffy is accosted by a tall, dark and gorgeous (in an annoying sort of way) cryptic stranger who lets her know that he knows who she is, informs her that he is on her side, tells her that Sunnydale is on a Hellmouth and warns her of a coming evil, the Harvest. Before disappearing into the darkness, he throws her a jewellery box containing a cross on a chain.

At the Bronze, Buffy bumps into Willow and they chat until Buffy spots Giles on the balcony and heads up to confront him. She tells him what cryptic guy said believing him to be one of Giles' friends. Giles denies all knowledge and continues to try to persuade Buffy to continue her duties as slayer. Telling her that she does not yet know or understand her own powers he asks her to pick out a vampire in the crowd. Scanning the clubbers, Buffy picks out a likely candidate in dated clothes and notices that he is chatting to Willow.

Making for the stairs, she finds she is too late and they have gone. Following them she is startled by Cordelia and turns on her with her stake. Realising her mistake she heads back into the club. Giles returns to the library to research the Harvest and Buffy goes off in search of Willow and the vampire. On her way out she passes Jesse chatting to Darla, the vampire from the opening scene. Outside the Bronze, she bumps into Xander who, to Buffy's exasperation, reveals that he knows she is the slayer, or she thinks she is. Buffy convinces him that their friend is in real danger and the two set off to look for Willow.

Meanwhile, in the underground church the chanting continues, until from the pool of blood rises an age-old vampire, The Master. He reaches out to Luke who takes his hand and tells his Master that, though he is weak now, his strength will return after the Harvest. The time for which is fast approaching.

Willow herself has wandered into the graveyard with her vampire date in search of ice cream. Instead of the ice cream, however, he takes her to a mausoleum where they are soon joined by Darla and Jesse, (who appears to have rather a bad love bite). Hot on their trail, Buffy and Xander soon arrive and Buffy is surprised to learn that the two vampires don't know who she is. It's not long before Willow's date gets the bad end of a stake and, turning on Darla next, Buffy tells the others to get out of there; which they do.

As Darla and Buffy fight, Luke comes in from behind, grabs Buffy and throws her across the mausoleum. Luke tells Darla to leave while he takes care of Buffy. As Buffy and Luke fight, Xander, Jesse and Willow meet with three other vampires in the woods. Backing away, they find their path blocked by Darla.

In the mausoleum, Luke tells Buffy of the forthcoming Harvest which will rid the earth of the plague of mankind. Getting the better of Buffy, Luke throws open a tomb and, with one swift strike, Buffy is laying there, leering, he bends over ready to bite...

TO BE CONTINUED.....................

Buffy lies trapped in a tomb, Luke bending over her, ready to bite, he leans in for the kill but recoils back, smoking from the cross around her neck. Siezing the moment, Buffy kicks him back and runs into the cemetery to find Willow and Xander still struggling with the vampires. She soon sees them off only to find that Jesse is missing.

The next day, Buffy, Xander and Willow gather in the library with Giles, who brings the doubtful Willow and Xander up to date on the whole vampire/slayer tale. With a little help from Willow and her not-quite-legal computer skills, they soon find the entrance to the electrical tunnels where the vampires are hiding. Skipping class on her second day, Buffy sets off to rescue Jesse, leaving the others to research the Harvest

Meanwhile in the underground church, The Master and Jesse have become aquainted. Learning from Luke that there may be a slayer in town, The Master upgrades Jesse from dinner to bait.

At the mausoleum, Buffy finds the entrance to the tunnels and Angel waiting for her. Still with the cryptic he advises her not to go down there and then tells her how to find the vampires. Making her way through the dark tunnels, Buffy is startled by Xander who has also skipped school (and Willow) to follow her. They continue their search for Jesse who they soon come across, along with the waiting vampires. Chased by the vampires, they find an empty room and shut the door, only to find that they are trapped.

As Buffy, frantically tries to close the door on the vampires, Jesse morphs into vamp mode. Buffy throws him out of the room into the other vampires, slams the door shut and starts looking for a way out. They find a grate above them and espcape into the daylight, vampires hot on their heels.

In the underground church, The Master isn't too pleased that his second helping of dinner got away but manages to console himself with the thought of the upcoming Harvest and his freedom.

Back at the library Giles and Willow update Xander and Buffy with what they have discovered about the Harvest. Some sixty years ago, The Master came to Sunnydale looking to open the mouth of hell. Unfortunately and earthquake stopped him and got him mystically trapped underground in a church. The Harvest is a ritual whereby a vampire, becomes a 'vessel' to The Master and strengths him with the blood of every victim he drinks from. The time for the Harvest is, of course, that very night and Luke is getting chosen as the vessel as they speak.

The obvious place for the night's suckfest is The Bronze, so Buffy (via a quick stop at home for weapons and getting grounded for skipping school) and the gang head to that very place. But, due to Buffy being delayed at home, they arrive too late and the vampires have already locked themselves and the unsuspecting clubbers in.

Giles, The Master. He reaches out to Luke who takes his hand and tells his Master that, though he is weak now, his strength will return after the Harvest. The time for which is fast approaching.

Willow herself has wandered into the graveyard with her vampire date in search of ice cream. Instead of the ice cream, however, he takes her to a mausoleum where they are soon joined by Darla and Jesse, (who appears to have rather a bad love bite). Hot on their trail, Buffy and Xander soon arrive and Buffy is surprised to learn that the two vampires don't know who she is. It's not long before Willow's date gets the bad end of a stake and, turning on Darla next, Buffy tells the others to get out of there; which they do.

As Darla and Buffy fight, Luke comes in from behind, grabs Buffy and throws her across the mausoleum. Luke tells Darla to leave while he takes care of Buffy. As Buffy and Luke fight, Xander, Jesse and Willow meet with three other vampires in the woods. Backing away, they find their path blocked by Darla.

In the mausoleum, Luke tells Buffy of the forthcoming Harvest which will rid the earth of the plague of mankind. Getting the better of Buffy, Luke throws open a tomb and, with one swift strike, Buffy is laying there, leering, he bends over ready to bite...

TO BE CONTINUED.....................