A/N: Yeah, by now you guys have figured out that I suck at updating this fic so from now on there are gonna be no more author notes apologizing for it haha. It's just my inspiration with this fic is weird and only rarely do I ever feel like I can write a really good chapter for it, like I try to do with most of my fics. Luckily inspiration liked me the last two days and I got to write this. Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 9
Tie a Noose Around Your Mind
There were a lot of things that Dean didn't understand about magic. Little balls of flame being shot out of a stick? Words so sharp it made others writhe in pain? A move of your hand and your rat was now a cup? Those thoughts would send up little flags in the back of his mind telling him "Run you idiot! There's a witch on your ass!"
Now, although it was still weird, Dean almost found it to be normal. Maybe it wasn't the magic he found normal but maybe that all the surprises seemed numb to his nerves, those little flags now saying "Hey, look at that thing. Hella cool."
Dean rolled his eyes at the childish thoughts but hey, what could you expect? He wasn't living in an H.P Lovecraft novel anymore. He had been transported into the realm of fantasy, something, although he would never admit, he greatly enjoyed. Stories about warriors and knights and dragons always would catch his eye because the monsters and heroes in those stories were way better than the ones in his.
Now Dean had a wand in his one hand and a shard of mirror in the other. He was up against the forces of darkness, his warriors by his side ready to fight this battle. He would emerge from the ashes of the fallen creatures victorious and surround himself in the spoils of his winnings.
Or they could make it ten feet before being pushed into another classroom.
Yeah.
That happened.
"What the hell was that?" Dean shouted at no one in particular. They thought they were going to be able to stop the shadows with the mirror shards they had but the almost demons were too fast for them, they ganged up on the group and sent them running to the hills without them being able to lift a finger.
"That was," Castiel sighed, trying to find a word that fit their situation, "sucky."
"Usually I'm not someone to suggest something like this but maybe we should just wait until your brother finds us? I mean he could've had more luck than us," Harry suggested, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.
"Harry Potter!" Luna yelled and Harry jolted upright, scared for his life. "That is not how Gryffindor's do things! I may be a Ravenclaw but that doesn't mean I don't understand you and your house. You're the brave and courageous not the sit around and wait for help!"
Dean clicked his tongue at the bleached blonde. "What?"
"Hogwarts divides everyone into four houses based on aspects that are important to them," Luna started to explain, Castiel looking extremely curious about the subject. "Gryffindor's are all about bravery and chivalry, Ravenclaw's are known for their cleverness and wit, Hufflepuff's are loyal and kind, and Slytherin's are ambitious and cunning."
"That's…odd but alright," Dean waved off.
"I've sorted you into Gryffindor but you never know, no one knows exactly how the sorting hat works," Luna said with a shrug.
"I'm not going to even ask about that. Anyway this isn't some kind of history lesson, we need a better plan," Dean told them.
"Well, right now I'm more worried about that being here," Harry looked over nervously at something on the other side of the room. Dean turned to what looked like a large wardrobe with a mirrored door. If they needed more mirror shards at least they had something to use. Other than that it looked pretty normal.
"What's that doing here?" Luna questioned, looking at the thing with a mix of curiosity and horror.
"Uh, what is it?" Dean asked, moving closer to Luna so she would be less frightened by the apparently threatening looking wardrobe.
"Dean, I think you should back away, quickly," Harry told him, taking a step back himself, wand at the ready.
Dean let out a breathy laugh, looking between the dresser and the wizard curiously. "What the hell are you even talking about, man?"
Harry didn't have a chance to answer as the door of the wardrobe slowly opened. Dean's grip on his wand got tighter and he tensed, waiting for whatever frightening monster would pop out from the wardrobe.
"Dean, whatever you see, just know that it isn't real," Luna told him calmingly, inching to get closer to him so he wouldn't be afraid of whatever was going to come out of the wardrobe. Dean tensed. Luna being worried was definitely something that he didn't like.
The thing that stepped out of the wardrobe made Dean's breath get caught in his throat, the blood draining from his face making him look just like the ghosts he hunted. It was neither a lion nor a witch but in fact his brother.
Except it wasn't.
Remember that time when he was transported into the future where Lucifer had taken over and the Croatoan virus spread like wild fire? It was that Sammy, the one possessed by Lucifer, white suit, smug face, and rose in hand.
"It's a Boggart, Dean," Luna said, now noticeably closer to him. It was like she was trying to comfort a child. "It's a creature that projects your worst fear."
Dean took a deep breath, swallowing the one that was caught in his throat, choking him slowly. He could feel his eyes water at the sight of Lucifer using Sam's body like a puppet. Flashbacks of the future rushed through his veins like heroin, making him feel light headed. He felt like he was going insane.
"Hello Dean," Lucifer said. It was Sam's voice but like hell it was his Sammy.
"Dean, you need to do a spell," Luna told him, a hand now on his shoulder.
"Oh, Dean, you looked so tired," Lucifer faked sympathy, the smile on his face giving him away.
"Think of something...funny," Luna said to Dean softly, hand still on his shoulder reassuringly.
That statement was enough to get him to look away from the Boggart or whatever the hell it was called and glance at Luna. "What?"
"To get rid of a Boggart you have to turn it into something amusing. It's magic's own way of getting you to conquer your fear," Luna explained. "Point your wand at it, think of something funny, then say the word Riddikulus."
Dean cocked an eyebrow at the blonde. "This is ridiculous," he muttered before doing as he was told. This isn't real, he thought to himself, it's a creature, a shape shifter showing me the thing I fear the most. And I can get rid of it.
So, with a roll of his eyes, he pointed his wand at the Lucifer Boggart.
He laughed. "You really think a stick will stop me?"
Dean ignored him and thought of something amusing. "Riddikulus!"
A beam shot out of his wand and hit Lucifer, turning him into Lucy from I Love Lucy. He grinned, a laugh sneaking up his throat as he eyed the now Lucy Boggart then turned to Luna. "Thanks. Also I fucking hate this school."
"It grows on you," she said with a smile, squeezing his shoulder slightly. Dean turned to watch the Boggart go back into the wardrobe with a sigh, the door closing itself behind her. Harry quickly rushed and put what looked like a sheet over the wardrobe so it wouldn't happen again.
"Dean," he heard the gruff voice of the Angel next to him. "Is that really your worst fear?"
Dean bit his lip, knowing that the witch and wizard thought he was afraid of his brother. "Yes, Cas, my worst fear is having Lucifer use my brother's body so he can destroy the world. I thought we cleared that up a while ago," he sighed, seeing realization cross over the other two's faces.
"Sorry about that, sometimes teachers use it as a lesson, they must've left it in here before they all disappeared," Harry told him.
"Anyways let's get to the real matter at hand here," Dean said with a cough, completely forgetting about the shard of mirror in his hand. He must've been squeezing the shard tight too when he saw his Boggart, hot blood rushing over the reflective surface and dripping onto the floor. He could suddenly feel the pain now, loosening his grip on the shard.
"Shit," he hissed, sitting down on one of the desks in the room.
"Oh my," Luna said, rushing to his side to hold his bloodied hand. She quickly whipped out her wand, muttered something, and the cut disappeared.
"Wow, thanks," Dean said, squeezing her hand in his.
"No problem," Luna smiled.
They both looked away from each other when they heard an awkward cough come from Harry. "If you two are done flirting I would like to figure out what we are going to do next, if you don't mind."
Dean felt a blush creep up on his cheeks. He hoped it wasn't noticeable underneath the thin stubble he had.
"Right," Dean said with a nod of his head, letting go of Luna's hand. "Actually, I think I have an idea…"
Dean grinned slyly and looked over at the wardrobe.
"If that thing can house a Boggart, you think it could trap some Shadows?" Dean asked, an eyebrow raised.
He watched as a grin spread across Harry's face. "I think it's worth a try."
"Good idea, Dean," Castiel complimented.
"Well, sometimes you need to entertain radical thoughts in order to get a radical solution," Dean said, smiling at Luna as he quoted her. "Let's get to work, shall we?"
Dean laughed internally as he made his way over to the wardrobe.
Those Shadow's had no idea what they were in for.
