SEPTEMBER 1ST
CHAPTER 1
Dean couldn't help but bounce up and down in his seat as the first years' names inched closer to the Ws. He listened impatiently as a Weasley was called up—a new one every year—and held his breath as Williams, Kara became a Gryffindor. He cheered half-heartedly as she sat at his table, his eyes fixed on Professor McGonagall as she called the next name.
"Winchester, Samuel."
The hall fell silent as a young boy with shoulder-length hair bounded up the steps and nearly toppled the stool. Dean's cheeks turned red as his brother's robe slipped open to reveal the batman symbol he'd charmed onto the fabric.
McGonagall waved her wand and the embellishment disappeared. As the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling filled with titters, the teacher placed the Sorting Hat on Sam's head.
A long moment passed by as the Hat deliberated.
Gryffindor, Gryff, Gryff… let him be a lion! Dean pleaded, gripping his wand beneath the table. He briefly considered casting a Confundus Charm on the Hat, but figured that could end badly.
The rip in the patched fabric slowly opened, and the whispers within it slowly grew louder. "Not that, no… must be… RAVENCLAW!"
Even as Sam's face lit up with joy, Dean's heart crashed to the floor. His little brother wasn't in his house. All his promises to show him the dorms and the common room, null and void.
Still craning his neck to find Sam, Dean mumbled along as the Hogwarts song began.
—
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts…"
The Hall was filled with many different tunes, some happy and light and others as slow and depressing as a dirge. Sam glanced at a section of Hufflepuffs in confusion as they sang with all the beauty of a church boy choir, only to be drowned out by the raucous celebration of a band of Slytherin boys. Even though the lyrics hung shimmering in the air above the teachers, Sam was lost. He'd give anything to have Dean by his side.
"Hey. You're Samuel, right?" A quiet voice said. He whipped his head around to find a little blonde girl beside him. "We were on the canoe together."
"Oh." He breathed. "Uh… Jennifer?" He winced as he said the name, knowing it was wrong.
Not-Jennifer laughed, "Jessica, actually. Jessica Moore. But you can call me Jess." She tossed her blonde curls out of her face, and he noticed a beauty mark in the middle of her eyebrows. "Everybody does."
"Er, I'm Samuel Winchester. But I go by Sam." He glanced down at the table and wished there was food.
The last notes of the funeral versions of the school song died out, and the headmaster—and old man named Albus Dumbledore—stood and said, "Let the feast begin!"
"Ooh, pumpkin juice!" Declared a short boy with spiky hair next to him. He grabbed at his glass, guzzling the orangey liquid. It refilled as soon as he thunked it on the table.
Jessica laughed at him. "Sam, this is Max. He and I are neighbors."
Sam greeted the happy boy, then dug in; he ate his fill, starting to realize he really could get by without his brother. He found a kindred spirit in the two girls across from him, Ava and Lily, and he could tell Jake was a natural leader. The young boy boasted of his plans to join the Muggle Army.
"What are you gonna do?" Jess asked Sam, sipping her own drink. Sam blinked at her.
"I hope I can be a judge in the wizengamot," he explained, blushing. "When I was little I wanted to be a muggle lawyer, but…"
Jake said around a mouthful of food, "Hey, if I can join the Army, you can be a lawyer." The rest of them nodded.
Max then poked him in the side, and stabbed a chicken bone in the air. "That boy's been starin' at you all feast. What's his problem?"
Sam peered at the Gryffindor table, two houses away, and realized Dean had been staring at him. "Oh, that's my brother!" He said happily. "He's probably making sure I'm okay. He's a fourth year." Proud of his older brother, he told them conspiratorially, "Last year he flooded the Great Staircase."
—
Castiel stared down at his food, blushing as the other Hufflepuffs welcomed the first years. A young girl sat beside him, her flaming red hair making him wonder if she was a Weasley.
He knew he should say something, but was afraid to. He had a history of being a terrible communicator.
"Hello. You look nervous."
He choked on his food, coughing as the girl spoke first. Swallowing the bite of pie whole, he spluttered, "Well, I'm very socially awkward, and I know I should welcome you to the house, but I was afraid my demeanor would adversely affect you."
She stared at him for a second, then began laughing. "Oh, that's fine! Everybody has their flaws. I'm Anna Milton." She introduced, spooning some pudding into her bowl. "And you?"
"Castiel Novak." He said quietly, returning his focus to his own food. "Third year."
To his surprise, the girl didn't tease him for his odd name. He looked up to find a look of sympathy plastered across her face.
"I understand," she responded under her breath, leaning in. "My real name is Anael." Her mouth was beside his ear now. "I think you're brave to tell people your real name, and not Steve or something."
Now beet-red, Castiel returned to eating his pie, but nodded his thanks.
—
"Hey, I thought up a great line for us to say." Fergus said to his friends, reaching across the table to swat Abaddon's hand. "We can say, 'This isn't Wall Street, this is Slytherin! We have something called integrity.'"
"Crowley, what kind of crap is that?" Abaddon sneered, tossing her glowing red curls over her shoulder. "First you insist you're not MacLeod anymore, now you say we have integrity? What does Slytherin even mean to you?"
Meg and Ruby nodded sagely. Crowley cursed himself for befriending a group of girls, but then looked over at Azazel and Alastair and contemplated his luck. The two had charmed a piece of chicken to dance around the table, and were carefully skinning another. He had chosen well.
Grumbling into his plate, he cleaned it, then scooped some vegetables and rice onto it. "At least I have a balanced diet," he muttered.
"Look, I'm queen bee here. Try as you might to become king, you'll never be as charismatic, beautiful, and—" She stopped as Lilith sauntered over.
The 7th year looked like a first year, her blatant disregard for the uniform and preference for short white dresses highlighting her slim and short physique. A prominent white bow stood out above her platinum blonde hair, and her piercing blue eyes cut straight through Abaddon.
"What was that about being queen bee?" Her sickly sweet voice seemed to be too happy for such a dark soul. Crowley quivered in his seat. Damn it, he just had to be a year younger…
Abaddon scrambled to come up with an answer. "Not at all, Lilith. I was just putting MacLeod in his place."
Lilith's blank eyes turned on him. "Ah, Fergus. How's Gavin? I heard your parents died and left you with that poor boy. I hope a poor little sixth year like you can handle a baby."
Crowley clenched his fists in his lap.
"Good, Lilith." He ground out. "Gavin's fine."
"That's wonderful!" She jumped up and down and clapped her hands like a seal, then bounced off to bother some of her other classmates.
CHAPTER 2
"Sammy!" Dean ran over to the small boy as he and a group of several other first years got up from the Ravenclaw table. The Gryffindors had left before the other houses, but he'd stuck around to talk to his brother. Other siblings were doing the same, of course, but he'd still felt odd.
The young boy turned around as he heard his brother calling, a large grin splitting his face. "Dean!" His vicelike grip strangled the breath from Dean, who powered through the pain.
Once he was free, he whispered to his brother, "Meet me in here after breakfast tomorrow, and I'll redo the Batman symbol."
Sam nodded happily, then introduced his friends. Dean was just finishing up his own introduction when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Ah, Benny." He said, smiling once again. "Good ta see ya."
"And you, brother." The peaceful boy said, pulling his hat low over his eyes. Dean was never quite sure how he got away with wearing it.
"Guys, this is Benny. Benny, this is my baby brother Sam and his new friends."
"Welcome to the next seven years of your life," Benny said by greeting, then informed Dean, "You'd better hurry up. Lisa's waiting for you in the common room, and you need to make your claim on a bed."
"Merlin's beard, you're right! See ya, Sammy." Dean said, ruffling the boy's hair as he walked away.
He and Benny rushed up the staircase, only to be swept up in its handicap mode. "Must be Singer." Dean told Benny, then turned around to see he was right.
"Boys, I thought Gryffindor went to their dorms ages ago." The surly professor growled at them. Benny flashed a charming smile.
"Dean stayed behind to say congratulations to his little brother, and I came back to get him, sir. Welcome back."
Though charmed, Singer saw through every layer. "Boy, I've been here for weeks. Teachers always are." He rolled off on his floor. "And don't you forget that, Lafitte. Winchester."
Dean whistled as they continued up the next staircase. "Phew, glad I'm not taking him again this year." The ancient runes teacher had been thoroughly satisfied with the student's skill and had passed him on three years' worth of work. "Boy's got a gift with language," he'd told Dumbledore.
Benny, however, hadn't been so lucky. The plump boy's lackadaisical attitude towards school had most certainly not endeared him to Professor Singer, and he was not only still taking the course, but repeating the first year.
They finally reached the the Fat Lady, where Benny said the password. "Jefferson Starships," he stated with confidence.
Dean chuckled at the odd choice of password, but regained composure as the woman threatened to lock him out.
—
Hurrying to follow the prefect through the Grand Staircase, Sam and his new friends discussed their hopes for the new school year.
"I can't wait for flying." Ava sighed, twirling a long lock of brunette hair. Lily nodded her agreement.
"But potions will be fun too," she added, nearly stepping on the fake step.
"Don't put your foot down!" Sam warned, then pulled her over the gap. "Personally, I want to take McGonagall's class. She seems pretty cool from all of Dean's stories."
Max stared off into the distance. "I know we won't take it 'til third year, but I'm looking forward to divination."
Making a face at Max's choice, Jake proclaimed, "I'm gonna ace Muggle Studies. It'll be a great way to help me get into the Army."
"You and your Army!" Ava huffed.
"At least I know what I'll be doing after school!" Jake countered, shoving his face in Ava's. They faced off on the staircase.
Sam stepped between them, admonishing, "Look, it's okay. We're only first years. It's great to have plans, but we don't have to choose until, what, sixth year?"
Jake seemed to deflate. "Fair enough," he conceded.
Happy that his friends had made up, Sam rushed to catch up with the other first years. As Jess caught up to him, she said breathlessly, "You'll make a great lawyer some day."
Trying not to focus on her glowing skin—how did she get such a good tan in England, anyway— Sam asked her, "Have you decided what you'd like to be?"
She blushed. "I hope I can be a healer at St Mungo's."
"Oh, cool! My mum is actually a healer here in the hospital wing. She works with Madame Pomfrey."
"Do you think maybe I could meet her?" Jess asked excitedly, quickly adding as she blushed even more, "Uh, to talk about healing, I mean."
"Of course, Dean and I were going to have tea with her on Saturday."
"Oh, wonderful! Will Dean be bringing someone?"
Sam considered this. "I'm not sure. I guess he would, huh?"
—
Castiel had never really been popular with his roommates the past couple years, but things seemed different now. Maybe flooding the Grand Staircase had earned him some "street cred."
"Yo, man, that was great!" Balthazar told him, flopping onto his bed. He'd always been the most affectionate in the past, but only in a adorably clueless child way. "That flood got me out of so many exams."
"Everyone in the affected classes was exempt from normal examinations." Castiel retorted, confused that Balthazar was taking it so personally.
The relaxed boy tossed his head back and laughed. "I know, lil' dude… I just happened to have a lot of classes get hurt."
Realizing he'd made a mistake, Castiel turned a bright orange color. He returned to folding his robes, then found a note tucked into the pocket of one.
"Rock the school this year. Or should I say flood?—Gabriel." Cas muttered, smiling lightly as he tossed the little card onto his nightstand.
Gadreel reached across to catch it, and swiftly read it. Castiel didn't even have time to protest before the scornful boy grunted, "Flood the school again? How ridiculous."
"He didn't tell me to literally flood the school," Castiel spluttered, dropping the jumpers in his arms.
The note fluttered about the room for a while, Castiel puffing behind it. It finally fell when a knock sounded at the door.
Zachariah rolled out of bed, flicking his wand and setting the room back in order. Castiel jumped as his shirttail slapped into his britches, and felt Gabriel's card land on his head.
"Hello?" Zach answered the door, and found Michael standing outside. "Can we help you?"
Michael crossed his arms, the prefect badge on his breast glinting. "Please quiet down. I don't mind a little laughter and talk, especially on the first night, but I will not have unruly dormitories." The head boy peered around Zach and noticed Castiel. "Hey, little brother. Did you get a note from Gabe too?"
"Yes, I did." Castiel answered, nodding his head. The paper fell to the floor. "Uh, that was it."
Michael nodded and waved, "See you in the morning. Oh, and if I see you with that Winchester boy again, I'll land the both of you in detention before you flood the Great Hall too."
—
Crowley turned in his bed, beginning to wonder if he could manage sleeping on the couches in the common room. The stoney walls were far too dank for him, but it had to be better than the disturbingly loud snores and even more disturbingly crass "sleep talk."
Finally, after much deliberation, he stood up and slipped into his slippers. They were luxurious, lined with the finest wool available, fit to match his silken pyjamas.
He creeped down into the common room, but before he could collapse gratefully onto the overstuffed couch, a figure moved in the corner, only visible because of the strange light filtering through the window to the lake.
"Fergus?" The young blonde boy whispered, standing from a chess table. "Is that you?"
Crowley sighed, "Not Fergus, Nick. Crowley." He fell into the couch cushions. "Didn't realize you weren't in our room."
The boy looked out the window again, waving at something in the deep. "I didn't want to hear those two muttering their games," he said simply.
"Same here." Crowley agreed, settling into the couch. "I'll probably catch up on sleep during my free hour tomorrow."
"Mind if I join you?" Nick asked, trudging over to the armchair near Crowley's head. "I'm a bit of an insomniac, but sleeping during the day seems to be easier for me."
"Only if you help with my History of Magic."
"Of course."
CHAPTER 3
"Halloween is always a fun time," Benny hummed, his arms full of Honeyduke's candy. Dean nodded in agreement, browsing the shelves.
"Lisa and I are going to be pulling a little prank in the common room," he told his friend, adding a few treacle tarts filled with "paranormal preserves" to the stash.
An employee walked by, and her eyes bulged as they fell on Benny's arms. "Would you like a bag for all that?" She asked them, raising an eyebrow. "Once you get enough candy, you can pay for it by weight rather than item."
The boys looked at each other, then said at the same time, "Yes, ma'am!"
An hour later, they walked out of the store several galleons lighter and about four months' worth of candy richer. They lugged the candy bag down the path up to Hogwarts.
"Need any help?" Someone asked, and Dean looked up, his breath visible in the cool afternoon air.
He brightened. "Cas!"
Benny turned around. "What's going on, little angel?" Benny greeted jokingly, dropping his corner of the bag.
"What's going on is you're completely ignorant of your ability to magically assist your task." Cas said seriously.
Dean clapped the boy on the back, then tugged on his trenchcoat sleeve. "You wanna help, then?"
Castiel shook his head, then looked back over his shoulder. "I promised Meg I'd go and grab a butterbeer with her at the Hog's Head. She said she'd get me some even though I'm only 13."
Nodding his understanding, Dean told his friend, "Good talking to you. We still on for studying in the library on Sunday?"
"Of course, Dean." The strange boy answered, turning back to Hogsmeade. "Best of luck with the prank."
Dean smiled at Castiel's perception, and then pulled out his wand. "Come on, Benny. Let's get this back to the castle."
—
Sam and Jess snuck through the portrait hole, following Dean into the dark common room. The dying embers of the fire were the only light.
Nearly Headless Nick floated nearby, rubbing his hands together. Sam couldn't help but wonder if he'd been asked to join a prank since he died.
"Alright, guys. Here's what happens." Dean said, waving his hands. He stood in front of four bags of candy, one for each of the conspirators.
Pointing at Jess, Dean told her, "You take the Great Hall; there you and Sir Nicholas will replace the candles with the candy. You remember the spell?"
The first year nodded, mumbling it under her breath. Sam was breathless, her mischievous beauty outshining even Dean's bright eyes.
"Sam?" Dean whistled, waving a hand in front of his younger brother's eyes.
"What?" Sam said, breaking from his trance. "I go with Jess, and after she's switched out the candles, we set up a trap at the top of the Grand Staircase."
Dean smiled and ruffled Sam's hair. "Don't forget, Crowley is waiting for you up there. He'll have a ladder and the spell to set it off."
Next, Lisa recounted her own plans to sneak into the greenhouses with Dean, thanks to Potter's cloak of invisibility. The boy himself was sitting on the other side of the fire.
"Don't worry, Harry. We'll get it back to you. And I promise we'll do the next prank with you." Dean told the kid.
"And I, of course, will be distributing the andy to all the houses. I've got insiders in every house, and we'll be stashing candy in every nook and cranny."
"Do you have enough for that?" Sam spoke up.
Shaking the sack, Dean answered, "I've already given most of it to them, just in case I get caught."
Now satisfied, the quad of tricksters split.
—
Cas had just begun nodding off when a sharp knock at the entrance roused him. He hurried to answer it, relieved to find Dean and Lisa, not the professor he'd been fearing.
"Come in," he whispered, swinging the sleeping portrait wide. "I've already put a single piece of candy under every pillow. You wouldn't believe how excited my bunk mates were."
Dean and Lisa both looked disheveled. "No trouble, I hope?" Cas asked, worried that an odd plant might have attacked them in the greenhouses.
Lisa turned beet red. "Nothing, no. Just…"
"Oh, you know." Dean winked at Cas, then lifted up his bag. "Now let's distribute these."
A smile crossing his face for the first time since the flood, Cas flicked his wand, and several pasties lifted from the stash. "Let's go."
Soon, the entire common room was covered with candy, every candle replaced, even the wizards' chess board covered.
"Now to hit up the last common room. Slytherin!" Dean celebrated. "Thanks for the help, Cas. It was great."
Cas waved goodbye, then slunk back up to his room. His friends already asleep, he collapsed in the bed, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
—
The last tie secure, Crowley relaxed his aching arm. "Good job, Moose," he told Sam, then looked at the girl beside him. "And you, Smurfette."
"Smurfette?" Jess asked dryly. Then she looked down and noticed her shirt, a cropped number with two blue smurfs on it. "It was a gift from an American relative!" She protested.
"Whatever, I'll just leave you two alone." He left the couple standing at the top of the stairs.
They shrugged and walked down to their own floor.
As soon as they had disappeared behind the Ravenclaw statue, he rushed back up the stairs, and stopped in front of a blank wall. Give me what I want, he thought forcefully, staring at the wall. Nothing.
He turned around and walked away, but froze as he heard rocks sliding. "Really?" He said sarcastically, turning his head. "Now you open?"
Behind him, the wall had sprouted an ornate door. He pushed it open and found himself in a perfect bedroom.
Silk sheets, mahogany wood. A large table sat in front of the regal bed, piled high with succulent fruits and fresh meats.
Crowley rubbed his hands together gleefully, happy to be able to avoid his deplorable roommates. He sat down and dug in, happy to replace the kitchens' disappointing fare with this magic.
"Magic, oh magic. How I love you." He said, opening a giant wardrobe to find it filled with rich fabrics of every color. As he slipped into a lovely robe, he turned around to read the titles on the shelf, finally selecting a tomb outlining the pros and cons of taming hippogriffs.
He found himself dozing off as he pored over the book, so he changed into some wonderful pyjamas and settled into his new, most luxurious bed.
"Ah, Room of Requirement; I always knew I could trust you."
CHAPTER 4
Dean settled back into his seat, watching as Hogsmeade slid away. He contemplated the past semester; every prank had been worth it, and that new Potter kid was a great collaborator. Their Guy Fawkes Day prank was still the buzz of the school.
True, he'd gotten into loads of trouble for it, but his mom had been easy on him. As far she knew, it had been Harry's idea.
"Dean, I hope you know you'll be taking over chores when we get home." Mary said now, straining to put her valise in the overhead bin. "It's your punishment."
"I know."
She looked down at him. "Oh, don't give me that smug face. You knew I wouldn't just let you off the hook."
Dean laughed. "I could hope."
"Hope what?" Sam asked as he hurried back into their compartment, his tie crooked.
Mary answered him, reaching out and adjusting his clothing. "Hope that he wouldn't get in serious trouble for his escapades this year. And that goes for you too—I know you had a part in that candy prank on Halloween."
Sam's face dropped, and he slumped into the seat. However, his dejected attitude didn't last long, as Jessica showed up at the door.
"Jess!" He cried, sliding the door open for her.
Mary looked up from her book and smiled. "Hello, Jessica. Are you here for Sam?"
"Yes, ma'am. Our friends wanted to hang out for a bit."
"Of course. You won't be seeing each other for a while." Their mother allowed. "But he must come back before we get to King's Cross."
Dean perked up. "Can I go hang out with my friends, Mom?" He asked her, trying to look as innocent as possible.
Mary Winchester considered her mischievous son. Finally, she agreed. "Very well. Same rules apply."
Her sons dashed off, and Sam turned around and yelled down the Corridor, "See ya!"
Dean smiled, then counted down the compartments until he got to Lisa's. She was in there with several friends, but he was able to coax her out.
"Come on, Lise—there's an empty one a few down."
"Okay, but I've got to come back soon." She told him, landing a quick peck on his cheek.
He led her into the small room, pulling aside the curtain before cupping her face with his hands.
—
Jess sat down between Ava and Lily, smiling as the six of them shoved into the compartment. "Someday we won't have enough room," Sam laughed. "Especially if one of us gets tall."
"Crowley already calls you Moose. Maybe he's foreseeing something." Jessica teased. "He has taken divination, after all."
Max looked a little jealous for a second. "I can't wait until I take divination. My dad says I'm a natural."
Jake nodded, his attitude towards the subject at the beginning of the year changed. "Yeah, you stopped me from walking into so many problems. Like with that girl, what's her name, Jo?"
"Joanna is such a spitfire." Ava smiled, and she giggled. "She's, like, so cute…"
Sam leaned across the gap, nearly falling off as the train swung through a tight bend. "Maybe you should ask her out," he encouraged, "I talked to her and she seems to really like you."
"You didn't tell her about the crush, did you?" Lily gasped.
"What? No! I'm not an idiot." He defended himself.
Ava nodded. "Don't worry, he asked me first."
Changing the subject Jess interjected, "And he really isn't an idiot. He got all O's on his midterms."
Jake yelped and slapped him on the back, making him tumble into the footwell. Everybody laughed, and he just sat down there, happy to be with his friends.
Ava and Lily looked at each other, then grinned as they pushed Jess on top of their friend, and they all became even more hysterical.
Sam was shocked to find Jess's perfect face mere inches from his. He blushed.
Jessica stayed beside him, their feet intertwined. They occasionally shared a glance, giggling and laughing at their own predicament.
—
Castiel waited for his friends, but not even Michael showed up. He eventually stood up from his seat in the compartment, his old familiar trench coat swishing about his legs, and went to look for them.
He wandered the train, listening to snippets of conversation and noticing the smiles in every room. He passed a few with the curtains drawn, the inhabitants asleep.
Most were silent, but he froze as he passed one with strange noises coming from it. He knew he shouldn't, had a vague idea of what was going on, but still couldn't help but reach out and slide the door.
"Dean? Lisa?" Cas stared at the pair, who were entwined. Dean's hands were nowhere to be seen, and Lisa had her hands wrapped around his middle.
The lip-locked couple quickly split. "Castiel?" Lisa cried, scrambling to pull down her shirt.
Dean was somehow smug and embarrassed at the same time. "Dude, that's not cool!" He said, standing up and confronting the intruder.
"I don't know why I did that, I'm so sorry!" Castiel spluttered, backing up. He could feel the heat in his cheeks, and blushed even harder as he realized he was more flustered than they were. "I'll just go now."
He hurried back to his original compartment, and resigned himself to making the journey to King's Cross alone, lest he interrupt any more lovers.
—
Once again bridging the gap between his table and Lilith's, Crowley passed a note to the girl. He tried to ignore Meg's giggles beside him, and simply stared straight ahead.
Of course he'd devolved into an owl. That's how it always ended; Ruby, Meg, and Abaddon would whisper behind their hands, then scribble whatever they'd been talking about on a chunk of parchment. Only Meg had introduced them to a new kind of parchment this year, as well as an automatic quill.
Meg had spent her summer at a friend's house, and had brought stories about their strange inventions and even some of the objects themselves.
Now they found passing their infernal notes even easier than they had been; not only did they make Crowley stretch his arm across the aisle (and it was useless to ask them to sit with Lilith—that had only resulted in several uncomfortable hexes) but there was no pot of ink that could be upset, and the "paper" was easier to fold than parchment.
"Here, Fergus." Abaddon said, handing him the sheet. He took it, and was just about to pass it when someone took it from his hand. "There you go. Mind if I steal Crowley?"
Lilith pouted at Nick. "Aww, but he's such a good friend!" Her smile was disturbingly innocent, especially compared to the snippets of conversation Crowley had actually caught.
"I'm sure you can manage to sit with your real friends." Nick said bluntly, crumpling up the note and walking away. Crowley scurried after him, noting in satisfaction how easily the thin paper had wrinkled. Perfect for dramatic exits, much more pliable than parchment.
"You're welcome," Nick threw over his shoulder. Crowley sped up, gasping as the other boy halted and they collided. "Now leave me alone."
Crowley stared at Nick incredulously. "But why did you save me?" He asked, hurt and confused.
Nick barely looked at him as he said, "Because you're pathetic. You cling to others, never making use of your own talents. Now go away."
Left alone in the hallway, Crowley slumped against the wall. Of course he was abandoned again. He always was.
CHAPTER 5
"Come on, Benny, we can't be late again!" Dean cried, running down the hall. He dashed into the potions room, where Professor Potter was waiting.
Dean slid to a halt, only to stumble forward as his friend crashed into him. "Professor," he said, trying to smile even as his stomach dropped.
The woman's temper as fiery as her tresses, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What took you so long?"
"I left my textbook in the Great Hall by accident, ma'am." Benny told her, bowing his head. She patted him on the back.
"I would've let you get it if you'd come by and told me, and I have copies I'd have let you use. But thank you for the good reason.
"Now, Winchester. What's yours?"
Swallowing, Dean adjusted his jumper and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "I was with Benny."
"No you weren't."
His heart thumped.
"I was once a student here, Winchester. And there are some things that don't change. I know what a boy looks like after they've been in the trophy room with a girl… or boy."
He ducked his head, hiding his red face. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but… it's the only time we had."
"Don't let it happen again. For now, you have detention. Report to my classroom after your final class." She turned around and whipped out her wand, flicking it at the blackboard. A piece of chalk floated up and began scribbling. "Now, for today's lesson…"
—
"Wingardium leviosa!" Sam yelled triumphantly, swishing and flicking his wand. The cube lifted from the ground and landed on top of the barrel.
Flitwick cheered from his stack of books. "Well done, Mr Winchester, well done! Next spell!"
Sam steeled himself. The size spells had always been his weak spot. "You can do it, Sammy," he whispered to himself, imagining his brother standing next to him. "Sammy… Engorgio!" The cube doubled in size, wobbling on its platform. "And… Reducio." The cube shrunk down to its original size.
"Alright, let me measure it!" The professor hopped from his impromptu pedestal, and a measuring tape snaked from his wand. He bent over the object.
Sam felt a hand slip into his, and looked down to find Jess beside him. "You'll do fine. It looks the same!" She encouraged.
He squeezed her fingers as Flitwick faced him again. "Sir?"
"Samuel Winchester, you shrunk the cube within one inch of its original width, and half an inch of its length."
Sam slumped over to his chair. His friends comforted him, "It's nearly spot-on," "You tried your hardest."
"It doesn't matter, I had to do perfect." He grumbled. He pouted through the rest of the tests, until finally Blaise Zambini skipped back to seat.
"Alright, students! Good job, everyone." Flitwick raised his wand and the examination disappeared. "I know it's a bit early, but class is dismissed."
Jess took Sam's hand. "I want to show you something." He looked at her, and they both blushed. "Do you want the others to come?"
Unsure, Sam looked over at his friends. They had all done well on the exam, and seemed ready to celebrate. He couldn't leave them behind. "Yeah, let's all go."
—
Drip. Drip. Drip. Castiel carefully stopped the steady flow, pulling back the vial. "Here, Dean. This is the next ingredient."
"Are you sure, Cas?" Dean asked him, cradling the glass in his hand. "My book says the next thing is a solid."
He looked at his friend. "I've been experimenting, and I asked Professor Snape about it and he said it's easiest to crush the beans and use the juice. Just three drops and you're good."
Dean slid the liquid out, and as soon as the final measurement hit, the potion turned a green color. "Oh, cool!"
He passed the bean juice to Benny, who carefully copied his friends' actions.
Professor Potter wandered over to them, asking, "How are you getting along?"
"Very well, ma'am. Cas just gave me a cool tip!"
She smiled. "That's good. Hopefully that will improve your grade in my class, young man."
Turning to Cas, the professor continued, "Thank you for coming down and helping, Mr Novak."
Castiel smiled at her. "Not a problem, Professor. I enjoy potions." He returned to his work, measuring out the next ingredient.
Benny waited until Potter had walked away, then gushed, "You're so smart, little man. Where'd you get all that know-how?"
"Uh, it just comes naturally to me." Cas shrugged, sprinkling the leaves of a rare tuber into his potion. It boiled for a few minutes before thickening around his spoon.
Dean and Benny did the same with their potions. "I've never understood anything this well," Dean said, setting down his spoon. "This is the best potion I've ever made!"
Cas laughed, then stopped as he noticed someone he hadn't seen since Halloween.
"Hello, boys."
—
Crowley lugged his cauldron over to Dean, Benny, and Castiel. "Hello, boys."
Professor Potter started, then asked him, "Mr MacLeod, where have you been? Tutoring is nearly over."
"I had a short detention with Professor Singer," He explained. "I'm here as soon as I could be."
Dean looked at the sixth year. "What do you need tutoring for?" He scowled.
"I could ask you the same."
"Look, Crowley, how are we gonna help you?" Benny asked him.
Crowley laid out his materials, then said, "Everyone knows Castiel here is a master potionmaker."
The awkward third-year blushed. "Look, I—"
"No excuses. You were in a class with me last year. We're three years apart in school, and yet there you were. You're a bloody genius!"
The trio resigned to helping the intimidating boy. Cas showed him the right way to make the potion, even correcting the textbook.
"You never want to do that with any potion involving putting in living things," He explained. "They strongly dislike the counterclockwise motions. You'll want to do it the other way around." Crowley did as he was asked.
Finally, the potion was perfect. Crowley dropped a leaf into it, and it curled up, black and dead as a doornail. "Potion of living death."
The teacher wandered over, watching the leaf shrivel. "Wonderful! As good as Novak's have been." She waved her wand, and a book on her desk wafted over to them. As she took hold of it and the quill on top, she informed them, "I'll factor these into your grades. You're dismissed."
The four of them thanked her for her time, and left the classroom. Crowley stopped them as they reached where he would have to split from them.
"Wanna go to Hagrid's?"
Dean and Benny grinned and nodded. Cas looked nervous, but eventually he shrugged.
They dropped off their things in their dorms, then met up by the front entrance.
CHAPTER 6
Dean turned over in his bed, nearly spilling ink on his shirt. Benny looked over at him, amused.
"You know, if you did your homework at your desk that wouldn't be a problem."
He glanced at his friend. "You know that's not true."
"It's less likely to happen."
"Chairs aren't comfortable."
Benny dropped his quill in the ink pot and blew on his parchment. "That's the point. If you are uncomfortable, you won't fall asleep."
The Winchester scoffed at that. "I've heard that it's better to fall asleep while studying—something about your mind processing it."
Benny retorted, "After, not while. How do you think your mind can process anything that's not in it?"
Dean was about to answer, though his response would probably have been ridiculous, when a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in!" He called instead, hopping from the bed. He felt something wet splatter his back. "Merlin's—Sammy!"
"What's up, little brother?" Benny asked, turning in his seat. He added, "Told you so."
Dean walked over and picked up the quill and flicked it at Lafitte. A series of black dots appeared on the blue fabric on his chest. "Told you so."
Sam giggled at their antics. "Hey, Dean. Benny. Are you guys studying?"
"Some of us are trying," Benny mumbled, returning to his textbook. Dean lifted his shirt up. "What do ya need, bitch?"
Sam laughed a little more. "Jerk." He lifted up the book in his arm. "I wanted to ask you about something."
"Sure, kid." Dean agreed, rifling through his dresser. Finally finding a suitable vest top, he tugged it on, then covered that with his favorite plaid button-up.
Sam flopped onto one of the empty beds, his long legs up in the air. Dean marveled at how much the eleven-year-old had grown in the past year. "There's something in this book that's confusing me."
Dean sat down next to his little brother, taking the tome from his hands. "Let's take a look…"
—
"Thanks, Dean!" Sam called, rushing down the stairs of the Gryffindor tower. It was shockingly similar to the Ravenclaw dorms, save the color scheme and size of the bookshelves.
As soon as he reached the Grand Staircase, he made a beeline for the library. He and Jess had been studying for days, trying to pass their classes with flying colors. He had checked out as many books on his classes as possible, and was determined to get all Os.
Sneaking up behind his friend, he whispered, "Boo." She let out a small shriek, turning to stare at him.
"Sam!" She scolded, scooting over on the bench so he could sit down. "That was rude."
Though he apologized, he didn't really mean it; he was too excited. "I don't know why, but I have so much energy!" He said to her.
"Keep your voice down, we're in the library!" She shushed him, putting one cool finger against his lips. He froze.
"Um, yeah. I'll calm down," he said, but his heart was thumping even faster than before. "We should focus on Transfiguration. That exam is tomorrow.
They spent the next few hours muttering under their breath, until they realized the lantern in front of them was the only light left. "What time is it?" Jessica asked her companion, glancing up at the rest of the library.
"I don't know. Late."
"Well, duh—"
"Children out of bed! Not up to anything, are ye?" Filch suddenly appeared behind them, his own lantern shaking and dripping oil. Mrs Norris wound about his feet.
"Mr Flich!" Jessica cried. "Oh, thank goodness you're here. We just realized how late it was, and were afriad to go back to the dorms alone. Can you take us there?" She fluttered her eyelashes.
Sam turned in his seat, a strange fearing growing in his stomach. Filch meant trouble. Usually detention. He hadn't had detention at all this year! He couldn't get it at the very last!
"Oh, I won't be taking ye to the dorms. It's the headmaster's office with the two of ye."
Filch took Sam by the arm and yanked him from the table. "Pack yer things."
They were still shoving boosk in there bags when a strange screaming sound began. Sam and Jess covered their ears, but Filch shuffled over to the restricted section.
"Who's in there? Show yourselves!"
—
"Dean, we should just give ourselves up."
"No, Cas! Potter will kill me if I get his cloak confiscated."
The two boys wrestled under the Invisibility Cloak, fearfully watching the firelight approach. Finally, Castiel shoved the cloak behind a book, a ray of light striking his eyes.
Cringing, he said, "Alright, alright! It was us."
Filch raised his lantern even higher. "Four students tonight? What a busy night. And I've got two of me busiest pranksters. Ye know, you give those Weasel twins a run for their galleons."
They were pushed out of the chained section, tripping over the cat's tail. Cas focused on the floor, embarassed that he'd gotten them caught. Why in the world had he opened that stupid book?
He looked up when Dean gasped, "Sam?" The older boy was incredulous. "What are you doing here?"
"Jess and I were studying, and—"
"Don't feed 'em none o' dat, ye hooligans," Filch shouted, shaking his lantern. Cas jumped back as oil droplets landed on his jumper. "Now, all of ye are coming with me."
They trooped through the halls, finally landing in front of a statue. Filch muttered something under his breath, and the bird twisted up, revealing a staircase.
Waving the criminals on to the steps, Argus brought up the rear, Mrs Norris remaining on the main floor to keep guard.
Finally, Cas found himself in front of a large wooden door. Filch shimmied up to it, knocking. "Albus! Students out of bed!"
The oak gave way to a sleepy, wrinkled face, half-hidden by a gray beard. "Argus, it's nearly midnight. What are you doing?"
The caretaker blinked as Dumbledore spoke. "Well, there's four of them, sir."
Dumbledore whistled. "Four, eh? Bring them in. Pardon my state of dress." The door swung in, and the students stumbled into the room.
Cas peered at the various instruments on a few scattered tables. He only recognized a handful, but wanted nothing more than to study the rest.
The headmaster pulled his robes closer to himself, settling behind a large desk in the middle of the room. "And to whom do I owe this honor?" He asked regally, settling a pair of spectacles on his nose.
Sam stepped up. "Samuel Winchester and Jessica Moore of Ravenclaw, Professor Dumbledore, sir."
Cas followed suit. "I'm Castiel Novak. Hufflepuff."
A snapping sound reverberated through the room. They all turned to find Dean with a chunk of plaster in his hand, a castrated statue beside him. "Er—" he shoved the evidence in a nearby bowl, but it sunk down in a cloud of black tenfdrils. "Ehm, Dean Winchester. I'll fix that. Oh, and I'm in Gryffindor, sir."
Albus chuckled. "I think that's an improvement, young man… now, two Winchesters? You wouldn't be Mary's sons, would you?"
"Yes, we are." Sam informed him, perking up. Dean, however, seemed to deflate.
"Then she should be responsible for your punishment." Ah. No wonder. "However, we must be fully informed. What were each of you doing in the library at such a late hour?"
—
"Ah, Mr MacLeod." Professor Sprout called, shaking the last of the soil into a pot. Crowley turned around.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Albus and one of the nurses wanted some help with something. There's fours students got detention for a week or so, and he needed someone to help out. Do you think you could do that?"
"I'm not sure."
"I'll offer you extra credit."
"On the exam?" Crowley whistled. With his low grade, he needed all of the extra credit he could get. "I'll take it."
"Wonderful, simply wonderful!" The plump woman exclaimed, searching her apron. "I have a scroll here with instructions. Where was it—here we go! Now, I'm not sure where, but I understand it'll be every night for a week. You will be given time to study for your exams, as will the students, but mostly it'll be some type of work."
Crowley shoved the parchment in his pocket. "Thank you for the opportunity, professor."
He dashed down to the lake, free from his last class. He unrolled the instructions. "Fiften minutes?!"
He rushed to the location provided, a trophy room off of the Great Hall. Stumbling through the door with two minutes to spare, he found himself with four very familiar faces.
"Crowley? What are you doing here?" Dean asked, his scowl lifting.
Castiel stood from a chair he'd been inhabiting like a gargoyle. "You have detention too?"
"Uh, no. I've been hired to do something. I don't know yet, I haven't had a chance to read this." He held up the scroll.
Dean snatched it from him. "Supervision? Really?"
Crowley stomped his foot, then immediately regretted it. "Sprout just handed it to me, and I took it. Barely had ten minutes to get here."
"If you were at the greenhouses, you probably had more like twenty minutes, fifteen if you didn't open it immediately," Cas spoke up. Sam and Jess tittered.
"It was a little white lie!" protested Crowley. He almost continued with much more crass language, but was forced to stop when Mary Winchester entered the room.
"Alright boys, Jess. In light of you four's recent escapades in the library, you'll be cleaning this trophy room until it's spotless. Based on the house elfves' estimations that will take a week. So here we are.
Sam immediately complained, "But we need to study! This entire week is exams!"
"You should have thought of that before you broke curfew," Mary reminded her son. "Now, might I suggest starting from the top and going down. And one other thing—if it's in reach, no magic."
The culprits groaned, but Crowley felt a malicious joy growing in his heart. "And me, Mrs Winchester?"
"You're here to make sure they do their work. You'll get an hourlong break, all of you, at 6:15 to eat and study. Then it's back to work. At about nine or ten, I'll come back and escort all of you back to your dormitories." She turned to exit the room, then stopped. "Sam, Dean, come here. The rest of you, get started."
Crowley sat down in a large throne, and watched as Castiel and Jessica charmed some feather dusters to reach the high ceilings. A few minutes later two very downtrodden Winchesters joined them.
Hus job was beginning to get boring, though. Without any rules to be broken, the others were actually having fun. At least, more fun than Crowley was. Restless, he stood and began pacing the room, peering up at the ceiling.
"You missed that spot there," He pointed.
Sam glanced over and corrected him. "We haven't even gotten there."
"Then get to it."
Sam scurried over, but stopped with his duster halfway up as Jess called, "That's not fair!"
Crowley whipped around. The small blonde certainly was a spitfire. "And why is that?"
"We've barely even gotten half of the ceiling done and it's already six. If you want to get out of here in a week, why don't you lift your own wand?"
Crowley sauntered up to her. "You listen here, Smurfette. That's not my job! I'm here to ensure you all don't laze about."
Dean let his instrument clatter to the floor. "Then make sure you aren't a lump."
"Yeah," Castiel backed up, though he maintained his spell. "You might not have been in that library, but you're just as wrapped up in this as us."
Crowley realized how close-knit the group had become over the past year. Heart aching, he resigned himself. "Oh, fine. But only because you made such fabulous points," He spat.
To his vast surprise, the others immediately treated him as one of there own. They congratulated him on his part in the Halloween prank, and asked if he would join them in an end-of-year sabotage. Soon, he was laughing and talking with the others.
So much so that he didn't realize that not only was the cieling completely done, but Mary had been standing in the corner for about ten minutes.
"Well done, everyone. I think you've earned dinner." She said suddenly.
Crowley's feather duster froze as he glanced over at her. "Mrs Wonchester!"
"Ah, Fergus, I see you decided to help. How nice of you," She smiled. Waving her hand toward the door, she said, "Come on, we've got a little table set for all of you."
The five friends crowded through the door. Dean was exclaiming how starved he was, and Cas nodded in agreement. Sam and Jess laughed at the older Winchester's antics. Crowley tentatively joined in.
Their laughter continued through the meal, and they all assisted each other in their studies. Crowley was able to offer important information to all of the others. All of them were profusely grateful.
As Jess finished thanking him for his Defense Against the Dark Arts expertise, he felt as if he would cry. He sat down heavily.
Castiel, ever empathetic, asked him, "Is something wrong?"
"I've never had such good friends." He confessed. "Before now, I've always been the outcast, the loner. No one ever appreciated me as anything other than an owl, or an answer sheet."
Sam covered his hand with his own. It was huge for an eleven year old; of course, the boy was awkwardly tall. "It's okay, Crowley. You have us now."
"And none of my friends ever call me Crowley, either." He croaked, fighting to swallow his tears. Jess came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle.
"Well, I wouldn't want to be mean. Calling you Fergus would be like saying Samuel instead of Sam."
"It's true," Dean through in around a mouthful of food. "He hates being called Samuel."
"Ah, Smurfette. Er, I mean, Jessica."
"No, it's fine. I like that nickname!" She reassured him.
"Then do you mind if I call you two Moose and Squirrel?" Crowley asked, pointing at Sam and Dean. Both burst out laughing and nodded.
"Not a problem!" They both said, then guffawed even more.
Their cheer was interrupted by Mary's return. She stood behind Sam, and asked them, "So have you learned your lesson?"
"Yes!" They all chorused, even Crowley. Mary smiled at him.
"Good. Then you're free to go. The house elves will finish the job."
They all cheered, but Cas was soon quiet again. "But if it takes the house elves alone a week, wouldn't it take even less time if we helped them?"
"Well, yes, I suppose."
"Then let's keep on working." Dean suggested.
Crowley stayed at the table while the others scampered back into the trophy room. He walked up to Mary.
"Thank you for this," He told her earnestly.
She chuckled. "I didn't have anything to do with that. It was all on you." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "You're a sweet boy. Just be yourself, and you'll find friends. After all, you just did."
CHAPTER 7
They gathered by the lake on the last day of school. Castiel had bought gifts for them all in Hogsmeade on his last visit, and they all exchanged addresses. Dean dragged Lisa down there with them, but once she saw the group, she turned right back around.
"I'm sorry, Dean, but… you're all just a bunch of troublemakers. You'll ruin my spotless record."
Bewildered, the boy watched the girl walk away. "We weren't even technically dating," he said brokenly.
Cas stood next to him. "It's alright. If she wouldn't accept your friends, she's not worth it."
"Thanks, buddy." Dean said, wrapping one arm around his friend. Soon, Benny joined them, and Anna happened by.
She smiled politely by way of greeting, but insisted she had to find her older brother. Soon a seventh year crested the hill. "Samandriel!" She called, dashing off.
Cas smiled as he heard the odd name. At least he wasn't alone in that.
At one point, Abaddon, Ruby, and Meg tried to pry Crowley away from them, but he resisted. "I'm through being your owl," he yelled, yanking his hand away. Lilith smirked in the distance, then flounced off.
Sam and Jess's friends hung around for a while. They fit right in with the group, especially Jake and Crowley. However, they each left for other groups, leaving the five alone again.
Harry skipped over, his mop of black hair hanging over his eyes. His mother, none other than their potions instructor, was close behind.
"Dean! Do you still have my cloak?"
"Oh, sh—No, Harry, I don't. I'm so sorry. I left it in the library."
The little boy's face fell. He only looked up when Lily's hand fell on his head.
"Well, lucky for you, the librarian has worked here for a long time. She knew this was James's cloak, so she gave it to me. Dean, please apologize to Harry."
He stood up. "Harry, I'm so sorry. I never meant to lose it."
"It's okay! We're just lucky my mom got t back."
In an impressive change of heart, the Potters dashed off, Lily smiling as her son giggled. He dashed over to his friends, a young girl with frizzy brown hair named Hermione and Ron Weasley, who was a spitting image of his older brothers.
"I can't believe that's the same woman," Dean whistled, pulling up a tuft of grass. He selected a blade of grass and folded it between his thumbs. Blowing into the gap, a loud duck call surrounded them.
"Cool!" Sam cried, scrambling to do the same. Soon the rest of them were attempting it.
A couple hours later, devolved into laughter, the teachers began rounding up students to go to Hogsmeade Station. They joined the sea of kids, and settled into a carriage.
They all speculated as to what was pulling the carriages, but none of them knew.
Eventually, they reached the train station. Piling as many of them as possible in one compartment proved impossible, so they had to settle with two, but spent the whole train ride surrounded by friends.
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