Dean scrawled across the white binder, putting the personal touch for the title. He paused a bit and then snorted. Anthony was going to give him crap about it for sure, but Dean left his name off as the author. It was pretty much just basics of supernatural monsters compared to their magical creature counterparts. And then some for the supernatural side. All typed up and put in page protectors over the course of the past month. He even placed in a few of the protections for the supernatural creatures, knowing it was probably asking for trouble. But Dean knew he'd blame himself if any wizards or witches did run into a supernatural monster without knowledge of protecting themselves and dying because of it.

It was a bit like that journal he'd written in when he attended Hogwarts, detailing differences for when his brother was old enough to attend. Dean gazed at the phone, fingers twitching. He wondered if Bobby still had it stashed in that hidden fireplace spot.

With a shrug, Dean headed out to start the drive over to the Ricketts. Anthony's little sister was sure to jump for joy when he arrived. Due to another war with that dark lord across the pond, Anthony moved to America after his parents died when Allison was a couple years old. Dean hadn't asked for details. He'd lost his mom himself years ago and he was only just reentering the wizard society after about seven years gone. If five year old Allison thought he was going to be the closest thing to an uncle she had, Dean would go with it.


Sam flipped through the book series Brady had suggested to him, but set it aside with a huff. It reminded him of childhood stories Dean used to tell him. All the magical versions of supernatural creatures their dad hunted and a school for magical wizards. After he turned eleven, Sam had been told they were only that, stories. Dean trying to protect him from the harsher realities of their world, the fact of Dean training at night with dad. He was willing to suspend some harshness about all creatures, like Amy, but he couldn't see his dad or Dean doing that at all. Out of all of the creatures, Dean was the worst with witches who took the demon deal.

He took a few minutes picturing Dean's reactions to this big time book series based on wizards and witches, amusing himself. He felt a pang of sadness. After assisting him move in, his brother had been as good as dad was in keeping in touch. As in, not at all. Sam worried if Dean was okay, if he had finally left the life without Sam to keep an eye on or if he still put his life in danger hunting supernatural creatures.

Sam flipped back through the book and paused on the chapter picture of wizards flying on broomsticks. He smiled a little. That had been a good dream as a kid, being giving a ride and taught to fly himself. Sam had almost forgotten about how much he had loved anything that flew when he was in middle school. He grinned and plunked onto the bed with the book, reopening up his childhood imagination. Sam fell in love with fantasy once again, the series striking several chords of tales Dean would weave for him as a kid.


Dean scowled, determined to beat his adversary. He got computers, he just hated dealing with them. This was more Sam's thing most of the time. However, he knew this wasn't something he could rustle with his powers of persuasion. Bitch face would be low on the totem pole if Dean schmoozed it out of Sammy's fancy professors year after year. Sam knew Dean's methods and knew his fake legit. Dean had to use alternative methods to spring anything on Sam otherwise his little brother would be prepared to deal with it.

Backtracking for a moment, Dean smirked and swiped Sam's photo from the school website browser he already had up, and set up fake badges. He typed deliberately with one finger. B-i-k-i-n-i I-n-s-p-e-c-t-o-r. He snickered and dearly hoped to have reason to spring that one onto Sammy at some point in time. And make sure their dad never found it before Dean could do that.

He went back and brightened, finding what he had been doing wrong. MIT should maybe fix their computers after this. Okay, probably. But come on, MIT was one of the best tech schools, it should have been harder to hack, right? Even if Dean slide in to listen to their classes when he managed free time off a case like this, he wasn't that great with computers. He preferred the old school technology, not this newer fangled crap. Printing off the student records he wanted from Standford, Dean flooded the computer with of the few codes he bothered to figure out. Now it would pull up and freeze on BustyAsianBeauties for the next logger-in. Dean took off as he proudly read over Sam's choice in classes, his grades, and the professor comments. Completely missing the computer message that flashed on the screen, complimenting his website choice from a Dr. Badass.


Sam laughed at Brady and Scott stomping around the bonfire and singing badly to a Whitesnake song. He took a swig out of his bottle, practically hearing Dean's voice giving him crap about drinking alcohol before heading over to flirt with Becky. She'd be Dean's type out of all the girls, Sam figured.

Becky was sitting over with Tiffany and Taylor as they burned through the supply of marshmallows and hogged the chocolate. Colin, Nathan, and Travis were holding the rest of the sticks as they made up the brats and hot dogs for everyone. Sam grinned behind his drink as he laughed at the image of Dean bitching over the lack of burgers.

When they brought out the sparklers and fireworks, Brady's lighter gave out and Sam found his hand already on his pocket. Not willing to hand it over, Sam got up to fire up a sparkler for Brady and together, they put on the show. Celebrating the beginning of a new school year and, for Sam, a year to the day he last saw Dean. He put Dean's old favorite lighter back into his pocket and wished this wasn't how his family was and his brother had taken the chance to get out. But it seemed unlikely.


Stiff, Dean nodded. His father nodded back, satisfied. He trumped out of the hundred year old country farm house, past the destroyed walls and furniture, and out to his truck. Dean followed. The job was done. While for the most part Dean would check in, the silence created by Sam's absence had been too much for either of them and they separated for working jobs. The last time his father had called him for assistance was that poltergeist. Dean thanked god it didn't involve getting on the damn plane.

He also thanked the world for favors in not riding in his father's truck. What his dad was thinking when there was a beauty like the Impala, Dean would never know. He could guess. But he never voiced them to his father.

Dean tossed his equipment back into the truck and rubbed at his back. While he had long sense embraced the hunter life and seeing things others would never dream of, Dean was discovering it nerve-wracking when on a job with his father. His father was the best. He was a hero. A hero the world didn't see, but he did. Somehow, the fact he could never live up to his father never struck him as hard as when it used to be all of them together. When Sam was around and before he began picking up solo jobs. He touched the charm at his neck, bolstered by his brother's puppy dog face beaming up at him, smiled, shut the trunk, and went back to his father to share a beer.


Anthony laughed at Dean's face as the book signing event went on. While some witches and wizards were claiming muggles could not have issues with creatures such as the ones described in Dean's helpful book, others took it as a great piece of joke fiction, and the rest soaked it up as the nonfiction it was. All groups looked forward to the panel Dean had been conned into doing after the signing. Not to mention the Harry Potter endorsement pushing the book to ridiculous heights. Dean's fate was signed when Anthony got Harry to accidently reveal Dean as the author. They and anyone else who knew of magical and supernatural creature differences thought it was far too important to know about, than to have Dean slink out of the recognition.

Allison smiling and sitting on Dean's lap was doing wonders to him being polite. Stiffly polite, but better than snarking and dodging the acknowledgement. When it came to praise, Dean had always been terrible. It took ages to make him see how talented he actually was. The creation of the Wizarding Wireless was a point of old Hufflepuff pride, even if was officially no paper trail to tie it back to Dean.

His childhood friend could give the stink eye as long as he wanted, but Anthony saw a few enthusiastic manage to drag him into conversation on the book. Besides, Dean would forgive him later when he realized a certain someone was waiting in the line and free for the next few days for a visit. When she finally made it to the front of the line, she beamed and rushed forward to greet Dean. It took a brief moment, but Dean's face lit up. Anthony chuckled. He'd always had that weak spot for Hermione.


Dean blinked, then snickered at Hermione's jaw drop. Beside him, the tiny girl stuck out her chest in pride, patting his knee. Not unusual from Allison. Anthony's little sister had taken to clinging and adorable faces with him, refusing to stop calling him her uncle. However, he frowned when he saw how Anthony's eyes had widened too.

Modifying a cellular phone to work around magic wasn't that hard. All he did was adopt from his trial and error from when he had made sure Meatloaf was heard at Hogwarts.

Which went huge. And everywhere in the magical world. Or so he heard from those who actually lived in it. He groaned, realizing his error and hit his forehead.

"No, no, don't any of you start. All I did was modify something already created. Not a big deal. I didn't even graduate, high school or Hogwarts. Anyone could have modified the thing. Not hard or a big deal."

"You are patenting this one," Anthony decreed. "The only other few people who attempt things like this, cause break down of the object. They don't last long with magic. You have the technological touch Dean and I'm not going to let you pull a Wizarding Wireless again."

Hermione gasped, looking up from the cell phone Dean had given her to use once she left for back home. "That was you?! You created the Wizarding Wireless? And here I theorized you didn't take school as seriously as you should. Well, I suppose correctly. It was one thing when Anthony informed me your disappearance before your fifth year was to do with your brother and thus losing out on that education, but not even regular school? There is no excuse for that, but you did seem very hands on with learning even back then," she mused.

Dean groaned, hanging his head. "Not. A big. Deal. It's just a phone."

Allison palmed his cheeks and moved his head up. "Uh-huh! It's a very big deal! But I always knew you were awesome Uncle Dean."

"Stop with the uncle already," he complained inadequately. It was half-hearted at this point. An almost two year back and forth with the stubborn blonde girl.

"Nope," she responded. Popped her 'p' like he often did. "Uncle Dean, Uncle Dean."

"I'll get you for that Allie," he promised her. The girl beamed at his nickname and giggled, shaking her head. Dean grinned and grabbed her. "Tickle attack!"

She shrieked, laughter spilling out of her and then popped out of his hold. Allison danced at the spot she popped to, a few feet from his reach, and stuck out her tongue. The seven year old witch was a born escape artist. He was just glad her doe eyed fascination with him didn't lead to discovering any talent to making her accidental magic pop farther than many feet. Dean didn't fancy the girl suddenly showing up when he was on the road. Or worse, on a job.

"So, I'll just be leaving before Allie here starts throwing her stuffed animals at me again in retaliation," Dean said as casually as possible when he got up. Anthony caught his arm before he could get away. "Damn."

"Language!" Hermione admonished him. "You should come up with a name for this Dean. It's amazing."

He snorted. "Allie can name it for all I care. It's just something I made sure didn't die too quickly on me with all my driving around from job to job and it's not like I can or I'm going to use an owl to keep in touch with you."

"I don't get one?" Anthony asked dryly. "Oh the pain of being your best friend."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I can visit you moron."

"And me," Allison added in brightly. "I'll name it Uncle Dean!"

"There. Settled. Named by her. She can have the recognition. Can we drop it now? It's bad enough you had Pitcher give my name out for the book. It was basic research, anything anyone can go know."

"No they can't," Hermione spoke up. She leaned forward in her seat. "I agree with Anthony. You are going to patent this in your own name Dean. You deserve it and to take credit for your work. You'll find it appreciated far more than you appreciate and credit your own hard work. This isn't something anyone can do. You have a real passion for mechanics and it shows, no matter how you've tried to hide it. Even in school, your comments on the topic managed to baffle me and I would write it down to look up later. A buddy of my father who made his professional living in dealing with that sort was even surprised at your age when I said to why I was asking and looking something up. I can't figure out why you're downplaying any of your abilities. You obviously know your stuff, can protect people from the stuff you know if needed, and have an outstanding hand with mechanics. How can't you see that Dean?"

Dean went wide eyed at that pronouncement from Hermione, then shook his head. "It's just a matter of—"

"Portable Post," Allison declared loudly to the living room.

They all turned to her, surprised at the sudden announcement.

"Right. That's settled then. I'll pick up the forms then," Hermione stated.

"The British ones," Anthony said. "I'll take care of the logistics of forms here. I know someone in magical patents. I can get it through."

"Why can't you just drop it?"

Anthony grinned at Dean's slumped shoulders. "Why did you just give up against us? Admit it. We're wearing you down…Uncle Dean."

Allison applauded, then turned her excited face to Dean. And went adorable. "You're really going to let me name it Uncle Dean?"

"That's going to stop working on me at some point Allie." She kept the adorable face looking up at him, grinned, and hugged his leg. "Hopefully," Dean muttered to himself. "Age didn't stop Sammy's puppy face."


Author's note:

Honestly, I had a different image in mind when I began this story for the ending I wanted. To touch on the idea of the two worlds connecting. I don't know if its only me, but I've run into stories time and time again of the Winchesters being older than Harry. Either as brothers or professors, which are interesting, but wished the timing matched up. So I connected the two worlds with age, as Harry is technically a year and a half younger than Dean and older than Sam. Even made sure Sam had no hint being able to use his magic, the demon blood, and other fun details to fans of either stories. I always saw Dean proving his natural ability with the gun to outclass a wand. The end.

Dean has proven that and stuck to his gun, rather than the wand. I don't see him using a wand after running into that wizard on the run and proving a gun worth its notice. But...I noticed Dean tends to hide his normal chances from Sam.

The times he remembers being a normal kid with a mom. The times he got to remain at a school long enough to create relationships. The times he had a father figure from Sonny, did sports, dated his first girl. A normal piece of his life come back, reunited with his friend Anthony Rickett, without the presence of Sam? Dean doesn't like being alone.

I realized at this point of the story, Dean wouldn't just leave the magical world again, despite embracing hunting. He'd complain, but linger. And it would come around again. The time when John goes missing and he finally reaches out for his other family member to be with him, getting Sam from Stanford. The time he'd hide his magical side and friends once again. And so I took my time to rethink Natural with a Gun, to continue it onward, past the ending I originally thought Dean would have with the magic world.