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Chapter Three

Previously:

"Maybe I can be of some help, boys?"

The three humans and the angel turned their heads to see Crowley, King of the Crossroads, standing at the kitchen door with a cocksure grin.

"And just how is that Crowley?" Dean asked and stood in a defensive posture. "You weren't a great help with Death. And just how long have you been listening in?"

"I found him though, didn't I," Crowley replied. "And long enough to know you are looking for Harry Potter."

"How can you find him if even Death can't find him?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Death can't find him?" Crowley repeated in surprise. "Ooh, now that's interesting. And I will answer you only if you answer me – where is Death's ring? I see you don't have it Dean-o, after all that, such a shame."

The Winchesters looked at one another and stayed silent.

"Oh, come on," Crowley gruffed. "Fine, then I will just use some context clues: Dean went to Death to get his ring, Dean came out alive with no ring and is now looking for Harry Potter. Doesn't take a genius, I just want confirmation: did Death say that Potter had the ring?"

Unable to articulate any response, Dean just nodded.

"So it's true!" Crowley said and rubbed his hand to his face. "There was rumor, but –"

"Wait – so you know of Harry James Potter?" Sam exclaimed.

"Know him?" Crowley laughed. "Of course I know him – he only killed hundreds of demons in a day. The man is legend. Made most of the demons flee Britain."

"Wait, so this guy is a hunter?" Dean asked.

"Not as such, no," Crowley said, and he took the seat that Dean had left, propped his feet up on the table and folded his hands behind his back. Dean in turn scowled and went to lean up against the counter next to Cas. "He defeated a Wizarding Dark Lord who was trying to take over the world, blah, blah, blah. Lord Voldemort had summoned a demon army and had promised them the moon. That's where I saw him, on the battlefield. He defeated the Dark Lord, but that wasn't the end of it. The Wizarding followers ran, the cowards, but the demons continued to attack. We had been promised so much and didn't want to go back into the pit. He slaughtered hundreds of them with his bare hands, just smiting them with awesome power. Then black flames kindled around him, and he vanished with a shockwave of red, and all we demons that were left were sent back to the pit. No demon has seen him since."

"If no one has seen him since, how will you be able to find him?" Bobby asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"While no one as seen him, there have been direct clues of his existence," Crowley answered, scathingly. "Demons were afraid to return to Britain until after a while there was no sign of the Potter brat. Then, they came up one by one only to become missing within a week. No demon who went ever returned. Even stranger was that every deal I or another crossroads demon had made was canceled days before the hounds were to fetch them. We never investigated, but there was no doubt in our minds that the wizard was behind it. No one had ever broken a deal before, just as no one had ever permanently killed so many demons before... It makes sense now."

"Yeah? How so?" Dean asked, warily.

"Only Death can void deals," the demon answered. "And, if he is literally Death Master, then that would mean he could as well."

"So, then we find someone in Britain who has a deal coming up and stake them out until Potter arrives," Sam exclaimed.

"No can do, Moose," Crowley shot down with a smirk. "There isn't a soul in Britain promised to hell, or at least not contracted. It's been 12 years since the demons were first expelled, and no contract goes longer than a decade. No new contracts were made since then in Britain – no demon's willing to step even a toe on that island."

"So what is your proposal, then?" Castiel asked, his eyes narrowing at the demon. "You wouldn't still be here if there wasn't something you had in mind."

"Alright, alright, no need to get your feathers ruffled," Crowley drawled. He took his feet off the table and leaned forward with his hands steepled together. "As I said, there isn't a soul in Britain – at the moment – that has a contract. But, we could change that. Set a trap – send someone with a contract there and snatch him up when he goes to relieve it."

"So we send Bobby?" Sam asked, looking to the older man. Said man scowled and opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off before he started.

"We could, if you wanted to wait ten years when his contract is ready to end," Crowley said.

"Wait – I thought the deal was you would find Death for us and was just holding Bobby's soul as collateral but that you would return it," Sam said, in a worried tone.

"Yes – and I gave him his legs back, no need to thank me," Crowley grumbled and then clarified, "But, all contracts must have deadlines. I put his at the standard ten years, with the thought you lot would be able to kill Lucifer sooner than that. No, it'll have to be Dean."

Dean startled, and Sam rose from his chair so quickly it fell over. Castiel uncrossed his arms and changed his stance, ready to defend Dean.

"Bullshit," Bobby exclaimed and stood in between Crowley and Dean. "Just make a new deal with me."

"Nope – can't have more than one contract going at the same time, Bobby-boy," Crowley said, not the least bit intimidated by the posturing in the room. "And I won't end that contract until Lucifer is dead and gone – like I said before, nice insurance to make sure I survive the apocalypse alongside you lot."

"Why not me?" Sam asked quickly.

"Sammy, no –" Dean started.

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Dean-o, I wouldn't make a contract with Jolly Green here with or without your protestations," Crowley sneered. "If Lucifer found out I made a contract with his vessel, I would be dead – completely and utterly dead, and unlike you lot, I have no death wish. No, it'll have to be Dean, if we want this to work."

There was a moment of silence as this information brewed within the men and the angel.

"How would this deal work?" Dean asked and held up his hands to the others' protests. "God and everybody else and their grandmas know that the last thing I want is to be promised back to the Pit. But I want to hear what the deal would be before we turn it down."

"You would promise to give your soul to hell in one week in the hopes that the contract will be nullified by the Death Master," Crowley said. "If at the end of the week no Death Master appears, then the contract will become null and void. Do we have ourselves a deal?"

"Sammy, any loopholes?" Dean asked, keeping eye contact with Crowley.

"Dean, you can't –" Sam started, but Dean cut him off.

"Sammy, any loopholes?" Dean repeated firmly.

Sam looked like he was about to cry or flip the table or both. He took a breath and rubbed his palms on his face.

"Well – you'll need to add that if Potter appears and does not nullify the contract that the contract will still be nullified by Crowley at the end of the week," Sam said in a lawyerly fashion. "But Dean, there must be another way we can track him without having your soul promised to Hell. Again."

"Sammy, not a day ago you were shooting your mouth off about saying yes to the Devil," Dean snapped. "If signing this contract will get us closer to killing the son of a bitch, then I'm doing it."

"Cas – c'mon say something," Sam begged, turning to the angel. "You can't let Dean do this."

Dean turned to Cas and wondered what the angel would say. Before Crowley barged in, Dean had noticed something off about Cas, as if he was hiding something. While they all listened to Crowley's tale about the Death Master, Dean noticed that Cas had tensed up. The angel knew something. But what?

"Sam, when we were in the vehicle, I agreed with you that the option you may have to take is saying yes to Lucifer," Castiel said, his voice monotone but his eyes betraying some emotion – what, Dean could not tell, but there was something there. "I also must agree that this is the option that Dean may have to take as well. With addendum you made, I see no issue with the contract. We will be there with Dean to protect him, if needed."

Sam's shoulders slumped in defeat at the response, Bobby scowled and turned away, and Crowley smirked in satisfaction. Dean just studied Cas for a moment and then made two decisions.

One, he would go through with the deal. Two, he would find out what Cas was hiding – one way or another.

AN: Don't forget I also have a poll up for what form Harry's animagus will be on my profile. Check it out asap - the poll will be closed before the next chapter. See you next time! Love, Insie