Sorting out the three guilty explanations offered him at the accusing glare, Harry could quite easily see for himself what was going on despite any flimsy excuses directed at him. The Winchesters had obviously attempted to take on the mantle of self-less marauders, marching bravely forth to conquer demons and the minions of Hell by themselves. Bobby being the crafty and paranoid hunter that he was, had obviously inferred that such an attempt would be made, and thwarted it. At least temporarily, if the open hood of the Impala and newly installed defibrillator cap were anything to go on. Such was how he happened upon them, as they attempted to leave him in the dirt.

Like hell. Mustering up his best Snape-worthy glare, he saw them flinch slightly. Good, they should be afraid. Mild rage stirred in his gut as he pondered upon their actions. They would have left him behind as a civilian, rather than treating him as a seasoned hunter. Disappointment joined the swirling anger as his gaze landed on Bobby, who knew quite well of his skill. The older hunter folded his hat between nervous fingers and avoided his gaze.

Voice dangerously soft, Harry carefully kept his features blank, as if he were simply chastising unintelligent aurors rather than his friend and acquaintances. "I made Sam a promise. Promises from me are not to be taken so lightly as to blatantly reject my help by leaving behind an ally as you pounce off to get killed by demons."

Dean blinked and glanced sideways at his brother, question and suspicion clear. Harry ignored them and instead stared hard at Bobby. The older man bristled slightly but seemed mollified.

"Damn'it kid, it's not like I wanted to. But this wasn't your fight."

"This became my fight the second I began having visions of those two... Get in the car. Night is burning, and Dean's time is almost up."

Bobby looked like he wanted to argue, but after a moment of quiet consideration, he slowly nodded, gesturing for the Winchesters to take the impala as he made his way over to a scrap comaro. Harry followed, climbing into the passenger seat resolutely, silently calling his packs to appear in the trunk next to Bobby's supplies.

The world seemed to stand still. No one moved, nor made a sound as Lilith fled, loosing the Hound upon Dean. Neither hunter seemed able to so much as twitch as Dean's cries of agony filled the house. Harry's heart leaped to his throat as he watched the scene in horror, flinching as Sam finally seemed to break whatever spell Lilith had placed upon them. The youngest hunter's cries soon joined Dean's, before one slowly tapered off.

Years had passed since Harry had cried. The last he could recall shedding a single tear was at the funeral for Remus and Tonks. Now however, watching numbly as Sam ran to his brother's side, he was dimly aware of his vision becoming blurry. His skin nearly burned, as the liquid slowly trailed down his cheeks, mingling with blood and dirt.

How had it all gone so horribly wrong?

The trio of hunters waited impatiently for Bobby to rejoin them crouching behind a back yard fence. The plan was less than solid, blessing the water line would only hold the demons back so long once they realized that they had company. Harry silently wondered if they didn't already know, as the street was devoid of any movement now. Everything was for too silent, even for being the dead of night in suburbia.

Dean's deal was rapidly nearing an end, as his soul drew nearer to joining the forces of Hell, he could see demons and their minions just as clear as if they were in the pit already. The knowledge sent Harry's instincts into over drive, as Bobby at last rejoined them, and they split up to search the houses. The resurrection stone nearly burned into his finger as he and Bobby creeped towards the first unlit house. It was as if the hallows sensed something that he could not. By their nature, he suspected they could.

The wizard was nearly expecting it when the first demon jumped them before they could even jimmy he door open. Whirling around quickly at Bobby's strangled grunt, a child held him by the throat. Fear jolted through him as he wondered if this was Lilith, however a flash of black eyes told otherwise. Not giving himself a moment for thought, he punched the small form and kicked it away as he and Bobby scrambled to get their wits about them. Harry's heart nearly broke as the demon grinned at them. It knew that they would never harm a child just to kill a demon.

What it did not count on, was Harry. Dodging forward lightning quick, he caught the demon around the throat and hooked the small body, pulling it hard against him. It struggled valiantly, but the strong grip and small body kept it from getting leverage to use its full strength. Growling an exorcism into its ear, he pressed the ring threateningly upon its forehead. A reaction was almost immediate. Losing a haunting scream, the demon purged itself from the child's body before the exorcism or the stone could do their jobs.

The two hunters exchanged sorrowful looks as the body remained limp. A quick check revealed it to be cool and lifeless. Ferocious rage boiled to the surface as Harry carefully laid the form down on the grass and stood to his full height. Demons were cowards, using children as equally as adults in their endevors. However, they seemed to fear one thing more than any exorcism. The stone. Sparing the corpse one last glance, Harry turned and tapped Bobby on the shoulder before jogging off in the direction the Winchesters had taken.

The older man could take care of himself, as illustrated by his sorrowful, but determined nod at Harry before they parted ways. Shooting a shielding spell at the man's back before he was out of sight, Harry silently prayed they would see each other again at the end of the night.

Finding the Winchesters had been easy, as they left a trail of dead bodies in their wake. Though Harry spared a brief thought on their methods, he honestly approved. Most of these people were likely already dead to begin with under the demons treatment, and the few that weren't were being spared a life time of remembering what was done with their bodies while they had no control. Following the sounds of a scuffle, he happened upon the Winchesters in the living room of a house further down the line.

They were not alone... So this was Lilith. She would already know that Harry was there, but he approached cautiously non the less. She had possessed Ruby's body, it seemed, as the adult body and blond hair was familiar from his dreams. Ignoring whatever words were being exchanged, he focused on the ring upon his finger, feeling the power gather within the stone quickly under the direction of his wrath. He considered how best to go about getting close to her, however the decision was taken from him as a strangling force suddenly encompassed him, squeezing his body in a vice like grip.

Finding himself slammed against a wall, white, pupil-less eyes stared at him with amusement.

"So, this is the great Harry Potter. I thought you would be taller. No need to play dirty, that ring won't do you any good. This dispute is between me, and the Winchesters here... Be a good dog and be quiet, the adults are talking."

Unable to speak, Harry could only watch and glare angrily as events played out. Not even wandless magic would allow the hold on him to waver. Slowly, the power within the stone dissipated. Glaring hatefully at the demon, he bristled, eyes nearly glowing in rage as she turned her face towards him briefly, and winked.

"Why was Dean Winchester allowed to die? I followed my orders. Zachariah gave the word to fall back and not interfere in the fight; and because of your instructions not to openly oppose him I was forced to concede. I attempted to contact you but you did not answer. Now a seal is about to be broken, and a good man is lost to Hell."

Castiel returned the warning glare his superior threw him for his disrespect. Michael was the more tolerant of the Heavenly Host, as tolerant as any angel could be, and did not punish him. Matters were far too grave for soldier and commander to argue. Tilting his head in defeat, Michael paced around, his constructed body showing agitation.

"The issue, Castiel, is that dissent in our ranks must be kept within the garrison. If news reached the demons that you had gone against orders they may have attempted to recruit you to Lucifer's side. Zachariah and his attendants are being kept under close scrutiny from both sides as it is."

"That does not explain the issue of Dean."

Green eyes flashed as the other angel turned his fierce stare full force on Castiel. The soldier barely repressed a flinch. When Michael was not happy at a situation, no one was happy. He dipped his head and lidded his eyes in a minor show of contrition. It seemed to mollify the warrior.

"The matter of the first seal is a difficult one. When a righteous man sheds blood in Hell. Both Dean Winchester and... Harry Potter fit the description."

The hesitation did not go unnoticed. "Yet it was Dean who sold his soul to resurrect his brother."

A heavy sigh left Michael. "Yes. Harry Potter is a righteous man by all definition, however he has done things which stain his soul. The demons would have had no problem harvesting his soul to the pits had he died... There are things about Harry Potter which you do not know, Castiel. He is just as important in this war as Sam and Dean Winchester. Had he gone to Hell in Dean's stead all may have been lost."

The response confused Castiel, but this time he held his tongue. Instead he waited as patiently as possible for his next orders. His commander did not keep him waiting long.

"Rally the garrison. Take three battalions. Prepare to storm the gates of Hell."

Somber silence accompanied the group of three as they carried their burden gingerly through the underbrush. Pine coffin held near reverently between them, they approached the open grave. They paused at the edge, none willing to finalize the great loss which had been dealt them. Bone dry eyes gazed down at the earth, tears of anguish already long shed, leaving them feeling hollow inside.

Harry glanced first at the hole, then at the coffin, and finally, at his companions. They were all worn down and exhausted from grief. Even he was not immune, as though he had known Dean and Sam for only a short time, the older hunter' mannerisms had been endearing, and their company pleasant. He blamed himself far worse than even Sam could wallow in self loathing. Had he not hesitated. Had he been only a touch stronger. He may have been able to save Dean and kill Lilith. He had broken his promise to Sam by allowing Dean to die.

Bobby looked haggard, all of his years seeming to crash down upon him ten-fold as he softly cleared his throat. He didn't sound convinced, but neither of the younger men argued as he directed them to maneuver the coffin and gently lower it. Bobby did not understand Sam's need to forgo cremation. Or perhaps he understood too well, but right now he refused to argue any more.

Even the surrounding forest seemed to mourn, as not even birds or insects could be heard in that one moment in time. Sam refused aid when Harry offered to help him fill in the grave. Harry understood far too well what Sam was going through. Sirius had been like a father and older brother rolled into one towards the end, losing him had nearly killed Harry. The closeness between the two Winchesters however, could never be matched. He knew Sam was not taking the death well and suspected the younger man's plans.

The Winchester family was near notorious for escaping death, or if all else failed, cheating it. However even Harry, with his hope and power, knew that such a thing was impossible now. Demons did not give up their conquests lightly. However, his stare briefly drifted down to the innocent looking stone... there was still hope.

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Note: The chapter jumps around a lot, but that's for a reason. It's meant to read dis-jointed.