Chapter; Everything Stays

A/N: as the title suggests, the song Everything Stays from Adventure Time was my background mood for a lot of the chapter, mainly the last half. There is actually a very nice cover/extension on YouTube by PurpleRoselyn, that I used. But, to start this chapter off with some music video vibes, I suggest In My Blood by Shawn Mendes.

Severus rushed in through the front door, carrying Dan in his arms. The potions master was covered in blood, his robes in tatters. Dean and Sam got up from their seats, pausing with shock when they realized the state of the two. Severus placed the boy on the kitchen table, drawing his wand once more. Spell after spell was cast, yet nothing helped. The sound of a fist hitting a table got the Winchester brothers moving again. Dark eyes turned to look at them, the most expressive they had ever seen them. Red rimmed and filled with both hatred and sorrow. Dean took a half step back, still assessing the boy on the table, before he made up his mind and ran to get the first aid kit from the panic room. Sam was at Severus' side in an instant, rolling up his sleeves. There was no pulse, and no breathing, but Sam could not find the cause of death. Dean rushed back in, with Bobby and Adam at his side. Not a word had been spoken in all this time, the silence almost chilling. Adam went to the head of the table, doing a much more extensive assessment than Sam. Dean placed a hand on Severus' shoulder, intending to pull him to the side to check his injuries. The hand was shrugged off, the potion master's gaze not leaving Adam. The blond looked up with a grim expression. He shook his head.

"No." Severus whispered, his voice gone. Dean and Sam looked at one another, eyes relaying their brotherly bond.

"No." Dean announced, drawing Severus' attention. "We're not giving up yet." he said fiercely. "CAS!" he shouted, voice breaking the slightest bit. The angel appeared, taking note of Dan on the table. "Bring him back Cas."

"Dean-"

"DO IT!" he demanded. Visions of the teen's smile danced through his head. Cas glared, but gave a nod, walking over to the boy. He placed a hand on either side of his head, hands glowing blue. The humans covered their ears as a loud ringing filled the room. The light died away, taking the sound with it. Cas was looking at Dan strangely.

"That's odd."

"What is?" Sam asked.

"I cannot detect if anything is wrong with him. There is nothing to reverse, or repair." Cas explained, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"Is his soul still there?" Dean asked bluntly.

"I am unsure." They all stared at the teen, then looked to Severus. The man looked broken, but his eyes not only held devastation over this day. He looked haunted, so far away yet so aware of the here and now. Surprisingly, it was Adam who took the lead.

"Dean, Sam, could you bring Dan's mattress and bed clothes to the panic room?" he asked, eyes looking around as he thought of a plan. "Bobby, take care of Severus." The professor opened his mouth, but then closed it wearily. Adam slowly began to remove the enhancements that had been damaged enough to unfuse from their host. Dan's left glove came off, revealing intertwining streaks of black moving from the center of the palm towards the wrist and presumably beyond. Adam studied it for a moment, but concluded it was nothing within the boy's veins. He lifted the boy, amazed by how light he was. He followed Dean and Sam to the panic room, laying the teen down on the mattress. They had just finished covering him with a blanket when Severus appeared. The man's chest was completely bandaged, but he didn't seem to be in much pain. He was clutching a small photo frame in his hand. The other occupants watched him carefully, concerned by the lack of snark and apathy.

"If one of you could place this near his bedside, I would appreciate it." the man muttered, holding out the photo suddenly, resolutely not looking at any of them. Sam took the photo, looking down at it. It was of a young Severus and his mother. Sam crouched down, opening the little kickstand on the back and propping it up next to Dan. Bobby cleared his throat, stepping forward.

"If you can hear me kid, we ain't giving up on you. So, if you are fighting in there, keep fighting. You got your family on your side."

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For what felt like the millionth time, Alastor pulled out his wand and cast a diagnostic charm on his student. The different colored lines appeared, steady and of average strength. The MediWizard had done a good job fixing up the girl's injuries, mainly the scar on the inside of her arm. His large calloused hand held her more delicate one. He wondered if she would be able to rid herself of her scar with her shapeshifting abilities. There was a knock at the door, before Taleven was peeking his head in.

"Alright if I come in?" he asked. Alastor didn't turn to look at him, instead his eye moved for him. The boy seemed to be recovering well from his possession, but that did not mean that Alastor was going to trust the reckless boy.

"No." The boy frowned but backed out of the room. Alastor tried to remember how exactly he knew how to find Nymphadora. He was beginning to suspect it had to do with Professor Novak. He was unsure of what the man was, but for certain he was no Wizard. With his free hand he pulled out a small bible from his pocket. For a while he simple stared at the cover. He was so invested in the leather-bound scripture he almost missed the small change in his student. Ever so briefly Nymphadora's neutral brown hair had flashed white. He squeezed her hand a bit tighter. "Come on now." he urged. He tossed the book on the nightstand, standing. Both of his hands clutched her one, his eyes scanning her for a long while.

Weeks went by without another hint of a change.

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Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again. Likewise, Cas often would duck into the giant's cabin after a flight, taking solace in the warmth of the fire.

"How ya' been doin' Professor Novak?" Hagrid asked as he poured a cup of tea for the angel. Cas gave a small smile, accepting the rather large cup.

"As well as I can be considering." Cas replied, taking a sip. "There has been… no change in Dan's condition. Although Harry continues to affirm that he had heard the boy mutter something the day he went down to see."

"Wha' did Harry think he said?" Hagrid asked, taking a seat of his own.

"Pink." Cas said, resting his head in his hand. "He is so young to be dealing with the vegetative states of not only one but two people he cares for." He let his hand fall to the table, where he looked at it for a long while. Cas hoped that Nymphadora would regain consciousness sometime soon, for he feared that with each day the chances of Dan returning were growing slimmer.

"Yeh, Harry is a strong one though. He's got good friends." Hagrid said, giving Cas a thump on the shoulder. Cas nodded, unaffected by the giant's strength. He felt bad thinking it, but the news of Dan and Nymphadora had at least distracted the boy from his quest to get to the Philosopher's stone.

"Hagrid, may I ask you something personal?" The half-giant gave a nod. "If the day came that you would need to protect Harry from Dumbledore, would you be capable of doing so?" The crackle of the fire filled the otherwise silent room.

"Jus' tell me one thing." Hagrid responded. He stood, grabbing a leather-bound photo album from the top shelf of one of his cabinets. Cas tilted his head in confusion. The album was placed in front of him, opened to a photo of James and Lily, holding baby Harry. Hagrid flipped the page to one of just Lily, sitting near the Lake. The photo showed her chew her thumb nail in thought before smiling for the camera. Cas gave a half-smile, thinking of when Harry did the same thing. Blue eyes looked up at the tear-filled ones of Rubeus Hagrid. "D'yeh think Harry Potter will ever be found?" Cas stood, placing a hand on Hagrid's shoulder. Although he had only known the man for a few months, he felt a great kinship to him, as he was sure many students at Hogwarts did. The groundskeeper tended to think with his heart more than his head, but Cas did not find that to be a bad thing. Especially not now, as they stood face to face, both without anyone else to truly relate to.

"Yes." Cas said simply. Hagrid smiled through his tears, placing the book into Cas' hands.

"Yeh."

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The halls were abuzz with excitement for the upcoming holidays. Many of the students kept in tight knit groups down the bitterly cold halls, sharing holiday plans. The self dubbed Junior Hunters were all together as well, making their way to potions. Their minds were far from the holiday or classes. Harry was at the center, mostly silent, eyes moving to watch whoever was talking. He had been a bit more reserved since seeing Dan down in the panic room. The adults had thought it best he not visit Dan again after he had run upstairs to tell them what he had heard. Personally, he thought it was taking a greater toll on Professor Snape, but he had been told it was not his place to assume such things.

"Weasley, you're staying over holiday break, aren't you?" Blaise asked. Ron nodded.

"Yeah, Mum and Dad are visiting Charlie in Romania over the holiday." he explained further as they entered the classroom. The children had barely cleared the aisle before Snape came striding in, turning to face to crowd with a fierce scowl.

"Take your seats." he snapped. Harry frowned, slipping into the seat next to Draco. He felt a small tap on his hand and looked at the blond. Worry was written in the grey eyes, not for Harry, but for Severus. Harry gave a jerky shrug, propping his head up on his hand and taking notes with the other. "Mr. Malfoy!" The blond sat up straighter in his chair.

"Yes professor." Draco replied. Harry pulled himself out of his isolation to watch the scene. Every person in the class sat with bated breath, even Sam.

"Are you so used to being the center of attention that you are incapable of leaving your peers be?" The tip of Draco's ears turned pink. Harry felt that burn on his chest that had not appeared in a while.

"Actually sir, he was concerned for you." Harry spat out. Draco gripped Harry's arm, and the black-haired boy realized he had stood from his seat.

"Mr. Malfoy, hands to yourself! 10 points from Slytherin. And Mr. P-Winchester" No one else seemed to notice this almost slip up, but Harry felt his stomach drop and tears burn at his eyes. "Detention, today after dinner."

"Yes, sir." Harry grit out, taking his seat. Severus turned away from them, barking at Sam to continue the class. Sam nodded. Severus left, absentmindedly rubbing his hand over his left forearm as he Floo'd back to Spinner's end.

"Right, uhm Potion is on the board. Read in your books about it and a one-page paper is due on it next class, otherwise you won't be allowed to brew it." The rest of the class period was spent silently working and quietly gossiping. Harry rubbed at his chest in agitation, ignoring the pulsing he was feeling. After what felt like ages the bells chimed, signaling the end of the class. Harry was the first out the door, leaving his friends behind as he made his way to the main entrance. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he ran into a large fir blocking the corridor. The two feet protruding from it told Harry that Hagrid was behind the tree.

"Need any help, Hagrid?" Harry asked, moving so he was on the same side as the half-giant.

"Nah, I'm alright Harry." Hagrid put the tree down, looking down at the boy. "Wha' seems teh be botherin' ya?" Harry bit his lip, before shaking his head.

"Nothing. Just tired is all." he replied. His friends had finally caught up to him by this time, all greeting Hagrid.

"Ya wanna see how we been decorating?" Hagrid asked. The children nodded enthusiastically. "Follow me then." Hagrid hoisted up the tree once more and led them all to the Great Hall. The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles. Harry was amazed. Nothing the Dursley's had ever done matched the beauty before him. The boy's feet moved forward, almost of their own accord. His hands reached out to touch the golden bubbles streaming from Professor Flitwick's wand. He had one just beyond his reach when the pain in his chest flared up. Harry muffled a cry and his hand flew to his chest. He turned to find his friends looking at him in varying degrees of concern.

"What?" he snarled.

"Ehem, we should get to the library." Hermione meekly suggested. Hagrid gave them a look of surprise.

"Ya have but a day left. Ya can't be studying still?" he asked them.

"No, just a bit of research." Draco said smoothly, leading the group away. He ignored the chill he got when he grabbed Harry's wrist.

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"Here." Adam said, holding out a cup to Severus. The potion master looked up from the book he was studying to the cup of black Ceylon tea. A discreet sniff told him of added honey and lime. "You looked like you could use a break." Severus took the cup, simply holding it in his hands. Adam took a seat in the armchair next to him, holding his own cup of tea.

"Why did you make this?" Severus asked in an emotionless monotone. He could not recall ever telling the boy his preferred tea type.

"I sometimes forget that Dan isn't around to drink it." Adam admitted. Severus didn't look at Adam, simply setting the cup to the side. "What are you reading?"

"It does not concern you." Severus told the boy.

"Are you sure about that? Cause it looks like a ghost book." Adam accused. "Instead of exhausting yourself every single day you could let us help you!"

"No." Severus growled. "You would not know what to look for!"

"Well maybe if you told us what happened that day, we would!" Adam shouted back, standing from his chair, teacup clattering to the floor. "You aren't the only one who lost someone that day! Dan was my roommate, he was my friend! I spent everyday with him and learned about his nightmares every night! I have the right to know, because I sure as hell knew him better than YOU!"

"Dan is my responsibility, not yours. He is my brother. You are just another wayward Winchester that doesn't know how to keep his nose out of business that does not belong to them."

"Well, great job you've done so far!" Adam gave an aggravated huff. "You want to have this claim on him, but you don't even know him! He was closer to Dean than he was you! All you ever saw was what Dan wanted you to see." Adam said lowly. "You have no idea what he went through with Vlad." Severus hid a wince at the name. "Sure, you took Dan's word and you might have made a few connections here and there but believe me-" he paused for breath. "Hearing him begging for mercy each night...it tears at a person. It was such a desperate plea, I felt as if I should get up and start attacking the shadows around his bed. I could almost see the monster he was trapped with in his mind."

"He could have come to me for a Dreamless-"

"That's the thing though! You never once made it clear that you were on his side!" Adam could feel himself breaking down. "And yet he still loved you!"

"I know that!" Severus snapped. "You are only a Muggle. You have less chance of understanding how to correct the problem then me. So, if you will cease your angst-ridden rant, I can return to my work."

"You're seeing Dan the way Vlad did. As a ghost. But Dan was a Muggle first." Adam said lowly as he went up the stairs to his room. Severus looked down at the book in his lap. It was strange, but the words Adam had muttered stung. Severus stood with a fluid motion, heading to the secret entrance of the panic room. His hand reached for the hidden switch and paused on it. With a flick of his wrist it opened to the stairwell. Descending took almost no time, and before he was ready, he was once more standing in front of the metal door. A hand reached past him and pushed the door open. Cas gave an encouraging smile at his shocked expression. Severus gave a curt nod before stepping in, kneeling on the floor, the book open before him. He looked around, but Cas had not followed him into the room. He wondered what the angel was doing down here to begin but dismissed it as the weekly check that the Winchester's had him preform.

"Sada vas molimo da podignete ono što smo izgubili. Napraviti poznate nama ovu dušu. Vrati je nazad u naљu dimenziju. Koristeći ovaj leš kao provodnik, neka to bude prolaz napola ta nevidljiva i to opipljivo. Pretraživanje u ovom srcu čini te namere cista. Pusti lupanje moje telo dnevna biti sidro u onu bez daha. Ustanite." he recited from the book, placing his hands onto Dan's body. He grit his teeth as he felt his magic react. A grey mist started to appear around the teen's body, and Severus felt his heart rate accelerate. Slowly it condensed into smoke, rising out of the body. The figure sitting across from him was not Dan.

"Hello Sevvy."

( _ ) ( _ ) ( _ )

Cas stared into the disbelieving eyes of Severus Snape. The man had been growing worse as the days went by. He was haggard and in danger of doing something reckless. Which, as Cas continued to shift through select memories, it would not be the first time this outcome had happened. Cas felt as if he were walking down a hallway with lights that shone, but were hanging on by their last wire. With a bit of grace, he began to put everything back into place. He felt as if he owed Severus at least this, in exchange for the invasion of privacy and imitation of his mother.

( _ ) ( _ ) ( _ )

"Mother?" he asked shakily.

"You cannot shut others out." she said. "Do not push your friends away."

"They are not my friends-" Severus began.

"You're right. They're your family." the ghost told him. He knew she was right. "You are afraid of losing them, as you lost me." Tears formed in the wizard's eyes. "You've got a big heart Sevvy. The way you see the world has got you this far, why not go a little further?"

"Mother, these people...they could not possibly understand. I doubt that half wish to speak to me with the way I conducted myself." He felt vulnerable, weak even.

"You might have some bruises, and a few scars. But you know you're going to be okay." She reached a hand out to him and Severus took it with hesitance. "The past will not rest until it has escaped you. Do you think it coincidence that your home has accepted these newcomers?" Severus looked away, feeling like a young boy again. "You have already spoken to some, and others are beginning to piece it together. Have they left you?"

"That is beside the point." Severus said. "It is safer if they know nothing. It will prevent them from-" He looked down at the cold body of Dan Fenton.

( _ ) ( _ ) ( _ )

"They want to help." Cas said. "Let them help you. I may be gone, the possibility of this boy being gone is there, but you are still alive. You are still breathing, still experiencing, still need others."

"Will you watch over him?" Severus asked, placing his attention on the white-haired teen. "If he passes over to your realm."

"Of course. Perhaps we can teach one another to dance." Cas gave a small sigh and a smile before letting the illusion start to fade away. "Goodbye Sevvy." Severus sat in silence before moving upstairs, barely missing the invisible Cas. Sam and Dean where in the kitchen, leaning over the seated Adam to see something. Curious, Severus made his way over. Sam noticed him and took a sidestep so Severus could take his place. Adam gave a quick glance over his shoulder and let his thumb hover over the play button on Dan's phone. It was video of Dan in his room, sitting at the table with the camera facing him. He gave a grin.

"So, what's the deal with airline food? Is it not enough that your ears hurt, your mouth has to as well? Man, flying. You know flying is weird. You get into a big ass metal bird with a bunch of strangers and then another stranger gets on the speaker with 'This is your captain speaking', first of all, who put you in charge am I right? I don't know who you are, I'm not even sure that you know how to fly this thing and I just sit there in my seat with an idiot smile on my face cause 'I got a really cheap fare' Yeah, I don't know if getting a 'deal' on the trust you put into this stranger is really a good thing." The video ended.

"He seemed so carefree." Severus noted.

"He had quite the personality." Dean admitted. "Kid was funny."

"I am sure that you are all still awaiting an explanation regarding Dan's condition." Severus said. Sam laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Whenever you're ready." the taller Winchester assured him. Adam and Dean seemed to consent to this, the former not retaining an ounce of the anger from before. Severus took a relaxing breath in.

"I'm ready now."

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Hours had passed, resulting in a group of tired First Years in varying degrees of slouching around a table. Stacks of books balanced precariously around them, offering no information. Harry was sitting on the window sill nearby, looking out at the grounds. He hadn't been much help during the search, but no one had mentioned it. He finally turned to look over at his companions.

"Anything?"

"Not a bloody thing." Ron muttered, barely lifting his head from the table.

"Great." Harry responded. "Thank you all for staying through lunch."

"No problem Harry." Hermione said with a smile.

"Are you doing alright?" Draco asked, looking directly at the boy. Harry gave a nod, turning away. Silently, Draco directed the others to leave. The blond hopped up next to Harry, drawing his attention. "I'm sure Severus won't do anything for your detention. He will more likely be embarrassed that his emotions ran away from him."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Harry admitted. "I just… don't you find it a bit odd?"

"Well, I have never seen Severus ever act in such a way before,"

"No, not that. The fact that they are keeping such a valuable item in a school full of children. I mean, sure Dumbledore is supposed to be powerful and all that, but here?" Harry told him in hushed tones. "It feels...off."

"Do you want to back out?" Draco asked. "No one would blame you. We're only doing it because you are." Harry looked closely at Draco. He had a variety of fellow students looking up to him. None of them knew it, but they were aligning themselves with Harry Potter.

"No, we will keep going." Harry decided. He was after all supposed to be saving the world against Voldemort. What better way than to never let him get back in the first place? The grey eyes that looked at him with trust and admirance gave him the confidence to begin investing in a new future. One where Voldemort would not be 'You-Know-Who' long forgotten by the generations. "There is one resource that I haven't used yet."

"What is it?"

"Ruby." Harry replied, grinning at Draco's confused expression.

"How will your muggle tutor help?" Draco scoffed in disbelief. "Doesn't she teach you maths?" he asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Not exactly." Harry let his eyes go black. The resulting scream was the loudest thing Madam Pince had ever heard in her library. A few quick breaths and Harry's shocked expression calmed Draco enough to pull him and his friend under the table as the librarian approached. The blond cupped Harry's face between his hands looking into the blue eyes in front of him.

"Harry Winchester, don't you ever do that to me again." he said in harsh whisper. He leaned his forehead against the other boy, giving a sigh. "I have faith in you, just promise it is not for nothing." Harry pulled Draco into a tight hug.

"I'm not going to let Voldemort win." he promised.

"But Harry Potter is meant to save us." Draco whispered, relishing in the close contact. As any proud eleven-year-old, he did not want to admit that he was afraid of the future.

"Bullshit." Harry said crudely. "We can save ourselves. I'm not going to go around waiting on one person to save us all. It's impossible. If you really want a good future everyone has to work together." Harry leaned back so he could see his companion's face. Grey eyes were hard with determination, but soon enough worry crept back in. Harry had expected this, it was a feeling he was familiar with. "I wish I could tell you about it all. It's so difficult dealing with it alone, but Severus has warned me not to reveal secrets to you." Harry told him, expecting protest.

"It's probably best." Draco admitted. "We need to get to class." Draco crawled out from under the table, waiting for Harry to join. They began their trek to their next class, hands intertwined as they maneuvered through the halls. Harry was lost in thought, each idea taking a darker and more twisted turn. He tugged on Draco pulling him away from their path. He began to run, eventually slipping out of Draco's grip, leaving the boy behind calling his name.

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Cas looked up from tending to the plants in Greenhouse Four to see his son running across the field towards him. The angel stood, scanning for anything chasing the boy. When he saw nothing he relaxed, patting the side of his coat that held the photo album. Cas made his way to the door, opening it for the boy to enter. Harry continued to run past the Greenhouse, heading for the forest. Cas could not immediately follow, disoriented by the screeching he could hear from the necklace Harry wore. Harry himself was hit with a moment of clarity, and he stopped at the edge of the forest, staring into the darkness. He clutched at the necklace, ripping it from his neck. It swayed slightly in the breeze. Harry have a shout and reeled back his arm, intent on throwing it deep into the forest. Cas' hand clamped down on his wrist.

"I would advise against that." the angel said solemnly. He took the necklace from Harry and placed it around his neck once again. "This must never leave your side."

"Why?" Harry demanded.

"I have never seen a soul as pure as yours, Harry." Cas explained. "This," he touched the pendant calmly. "Cannot be trusted with anyone else." Harry gave a small sigh but gave a nod. Cas enveloped the boy in a hug. Harry decided he could deal with the burning and anger it brought him, if it would keep others safe. "Here." Cas said, pulling the photo album from his inner coat pocket.

"What's this?" Harry asked. Cas pulled open the front cover. The boy gave a sharp intake of breath.

"Keep it safe." Cas warned. Harry nodded, clutching the book to his chest. "Also, five points from Gryffindor for tardiness."

"Aw, papa!"

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Harry smiled another mist escaped his mouth as he stood outside. Snow had fallen the night before, making the holiday goodbyes chilly. Severus had allowed Harry to accompany him as a chaperone to the children going home for the holidays. Standing on King's Cross station was a pleasant start to his day, even if it was early in the morning. Draco gave him a tight hug as his parents appeared, walking over to them briskly. Severus noted their curious gazes as Harry continued to make rounds to say bye to his friends. Before to long Lucius was at the boy's side. Severus let his wand slip into his hand. Harry began to chat amicably with the older man, complimenting the bow in his hair. The Malfoy Head swelled with the praise, causing his son to come over and complain. Severus tucked his wand back up his sleeve, moving to collect Harry.

"Severus! It's been a while since we've spoken." Lucius greeted. Severus inclined his head in agreement. "Will you be joining us for Christmas dinner?"

"You know I never do." Severus replied flatly. Lucius laughed at this, pulling his son close.

"Perhaps one of these years." he chided. The group said their goodbyes and left Harry and Severus alone on the platform. The detention that Harry had served last night had not put a damper on the relationship between the two, though it was still a bit shaky from the events leading to it. The platform was now devoid of the other students, and Severus held out a hand to Harry. Harry took it and they disappeared with a pop. Once they landed their hands separated, and they began their trek back up to the castle.

"What will we be doing for Christmas Professor?" Harry asked. Severus gazed up towards the castle, pulling Harry closer to his side as they walked.

"Please Harry, it's the holidays. Call me Severus." he said with only a hint of sarcasm. Harry beamed, hugging the man. A slender hand came up to pat the boy's head. The man gave a grunt as he was hit with a snowball from behind. Rich laughter erupted from Dean Winchester, who was already packing a new projectile. Harry rushed the man, tackling him to the snow.

"Ah! Cold, cold!" Dean cried out as the snow got into his collar. His green eyes widened in alarm when he saw Severus approach, wand drawn. With a quick finite, the snow he had been levitating crashed down onto the Hunter's face. Dean sat up, spluttering, Harry wheezing from laughter in his lap. With a grin, Dean stood, swinging the boy up onto his shoulders. The trio entered the school, relishing in the warmth. Dean and Severus chatted easily as they made their way towards the Great Hall.

"Dad, will I be able to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"As long as you have an adult, yes." Harry nodded in agreement, thinking about the gifts he needed to buy for his family. His train of thought was interrupted when Sam snatched him from his Dean's shoulders and spun him around.

"There's the shrimp!" Sam said cheerfully. Harry rolled his eyes as he was set down. "Ron's looking for you. He went back to the dorms after breakfast."

"Thanks." The boy said his goodbyes, leaving the adults to go find his friend.

Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Before he knew it, it was Christmas Eve. The boy spent the evening in his room, carefully wrapping the presents he had bought for his family and friends. He fell asleep that night, not expecting anything in return.

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Large wings spread in relief, casting a shadow. The figure sauntered down the halls of Hogwarts, invisible to any who might come past him, barring the ghosts of course. He met no resistance as he reached the golden gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's office. The Host of Heaven had released him as some sort of hunting dog, intent on finding the Winchesters. Finding them had been easy, as he knew of every living and deceased person. However, he was a bit put off by the fact that he had been tasked. So instead he climbed the stairs, planning on retrieving something long ago bestowed upon the mortals. As he passed through the doors, he thought of another tasked with great burden. His pale hand quickly found the item he had been looking for, the silky substance pooling over his arm. He made to leave, but the cloak sent an impression of refusal to him.

"So, the cycle was not broken then." he thought aloud to himself. Then, for the life of him, he could not begin to fathom why the cloak was residing in this office with Albus Dumbledore. "Perhaps I will be reunited with you one day." Deft hands folded the cloak, and with a snap of his fingers a note attached, and it was sent on its way. He figured if he ever wanted his cloak back he would need to keep its whereabouts a secret, and by extension that of the Winchesters. It was funny how fate worked.

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Harry awoke to his pets bugging him and Ron. The two boys tried their best to shoo the pets away, but they were insistent. At last the two awoke, staring at the piles of presents. Ron in excitement, and Harry in shock.

"I've got presents…" he said in awe. Ron gave a half-snort.

"Yeah, what were you expecting? Turnips?" Harry pulled the nearest present into his lap slowly, as if he were afraid it would disappear if he moved too fast. It very clearly said his name on top, proclaiming it was from Hagrid. Gently, Harry removed the thick brown paper, revealing a whittled flute. The paper fell to the floor softly as Harry inspected the new instrument. Blowing through it created a sound that mimicked that of an owl. Harry grinned, proudly showing Ron. The two boys exclaimed over each other's presents. Harry had received silver knuckledusters from Dean, a nice leather-bound journal from Sam, a bezoar from Severus, a portable game of scrabble from Adam, an old, Latin book from Bobby, a nice pin of some sort from Draco, a box of chocolate frogs from Hermione and a game of exploding Snap from Ron.

"Woah, I guess great minds think alike, eh Harry?" Ron joked holding the set of Exploding Snap cards Harry had bought him. His face turned to one of embarrassment. "Oh. I know who that next one is from. Mum always makes us sweaters. It looks really big though, perhaps you got lucky." Harry unwrapped the gift, finding not only a sweater for himself, but one for each of his pets. Harry laughed as he and Ron tried to get them on the respective pet.

"I wish I had a camera." Harry said, sitting with his matching pets. The emerald green accented Harry's features, Ron thought, almost making the blue eyes look fake. "Oh, what's this?" Harry reached for a note that sat on top of a folded cloak.

One day we will meet. Hopefully this delays it.

"What do you think that means?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged, pulling the cloak on. "Harry! You're body!" Harry looked down in alarm, not able to see his body at all. "I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "They're really rare, and really valuable."

"What is it?" Harry took off the shining, silvery cloth. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is. But who sent it?"

"I don't know. There's no name." Just then the twins popped their heads in. Harry tucked the cloak away. The atmosphere immediately lightened with the Weasley shenanigans, putting Harry at ease. He followed the red-haired bunch downstairs, Fred and George claiming that they had been summoned by Professor Snape. The surly professor was waiting near the Great Hall, and to Harry's surprise did not frown upon seeing the captive Percy. Sam soon joined them, wearing reindeer antlers on his head. The Weasleys were fascinated by the way the Muggle headband blinked in alternating green and red lights.

"Harry are you and your friends ready to go?"

"Go where?" Harry asked in confusion. He was wearing slippers and sleep pants. Severus gave the twins a pointed glare. They smiled innocently.

"We're going home for some celebrating." The eleven-year-old placed his hands on his hips, glaring at the twins.

"We, uh…"

"Will go get your pets!" the two ran off in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. Severus took out his wand and temporarily changed Harry and Ron's nightclothes to something more appropriate. Harry thanked the man, but Ron was still in shock regarding the fact that he was going to the Bat Dungeon's house. Soon enough they were stepping through the fireplace, into the surprisingly comfortable living room. Danny, KitKat and Hedwig went around the home with ease, batting at the decorations occasionally.

"Woah." Harry said in amazement. Bobby appeared, wearing a red plaid Santa costume, his beard and hair dyed white. "Grandpa!" Bobby smiled, kneeling so the boy could hug him. Coming up, Bobby couldn't help but feel sentimental. He blamed it on the holidays. Dean had on antlers just like Sam and Cas, whilst Adam was dressed like an elf, which was a recycled Peter Pan costume. What shocked the Weasleys most about the display was the sweaters they were all sporting, even Severus, now that he had taken his cloak off. Percy begrudgingly put his fully on, as to fit in.

"Well let's get to it!" Dean announced. He took a phone out, that Harry recognized as Dan's, and placed into the speaker dock. Music started to play as the group did various holiday activities. The children had been close to winning the snowball fight, until Severus had casually flicked his wand, creating a large supply of snowballs for the adults. The faces of the children had been comical as they realized they were outmatched. Fred had thrown down a smoke pellet and the children had fled back into the house. Severus and Harry had created the best gingerbread house, with Adam and the twins coming in second. Sam blamed his brother for their loss, as he had spent more time eating their supplies than helping. They all gathered around the table, a single empty seat next to Severus. Harry looked at it sadly. He excused himself, sneaking into the panic room. Dan was still in the same position, though it seemed he was in better health. The young boy kneeled next to the teen.

"Happy Christmas Dan."

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Alastor sat next to Nymphadora's bedside, despite the suggestions from the nurses to go home and enjoy the holidays. With the hospital barely staffed for Christmas, there was more of a silence around them, which Alastor preferred. There was suddenly a large tearing sound, a green rift opening above the girl's body. Briefly, his magical eye caught sight of a misty shape dropping from it. Nymphadora sat up with a large gasp, hair shock white and eyes neon green. She reached out to the portal.

"DAN NO!" Alastor looked up and thought he heard a bark, before the rift shut. Her colors receded to a muted purple as she looked around her. Tears filled her eyes as she caught sight of Alastor.

"Nymphadora…" she launched herself at the man, hugging him tightly.

"I love you Moody." she confessed. He let his arms wrap around her.

"I am quite fond of you as well." she gave out a sound halfway between a sob and a laugh. "Happy Christmas."

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Harry hugged Bobby and Adam goodbye, stepping into the green fire. The Weasleys had left a while ago, being so kind to bring his pets back to the dorm. Once he stepped back into Hogwarts, the boy felt such a heavy wave of guilt rush through him. Severus barely managed to avoid running into the boy, giving him a passing pat on the head as he went to his office. The Potion Master was hurting, even if he did not want to show it. In part Harry felt it was his fault. He pushed the man to celebrate with them, when his own brother would not be there. He had only wanted the man to join a family for the holidays after hearing him deny Lucius. Harry left the man's quarters, not realizing that Severus was in his office taking solace in the gift Harry had gotten him. The halls seemed so big when the castle was empty. His fingers ran along the stone walls as he made his way back to Gryffindor Tower. How could he be happy, when others were suffering? It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not only about Dan, or even Nymphadora, but the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it. Harry seemed to flit through the moon beams as he ran back to the dorms, intent on getting to the bottom of such a mystery. His breath was ragged by the time he reached the portrait, gasping out the password. Harry crept up the stairs, hearing Ron's snores once he was close enough. Slowly, he pulled the cloak from between the mattress where he had shoved it earlier. The silky material felt so nice against his skin. Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.

Harry donned the cloak, exiting the dorm. He took a deep breath in. He took off, taking turns he had never taken before. A few new paintings caught his eye, as well as a few windows that offered a spectacular view. A door stood open on his left, and he slipped inside. There in the center of the room was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it. He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around, for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.

The room was still empty.

He turned back. Right behind him were a young couple, who were smiling at him with warm looks in their eyes. He looked closer at the red headed woman's eyes. They were exactly like his.

"Mum? Dad?" His eyes scanned the rest of the crowd, finding features he shared with almost all of them. For the first time in his life, he was staring at his family. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness. He was so close to the mirror; his nose was touching it. That is when it struck. This time a scream did escape his throat as a blur of white hit the mirror from the other side. Harry scrambled back, falling on his butt. An image of Dan was banging at the mirror, eyes leaking with excess ecto energy. Harry curled into a ball and screwed his eyes shut, hands covering his ears. When he peeked them open again, only his family was there with him. His heart was racing. He left the room quickly, heading for the dorms. Halfway back, his steps slowed, and he stopped. He figured he must be seeing things, and vowed to return the next night, just to be sure of what he saw.

And so, he returned the next night. With only his family showing in the mirror.

But to be sure, he went the following night.

And the one that followed that.

And the one after.

Night after night.

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It was the last night before students returned to the castle, which meant it would be one of the last nights he got to visit the mirror in peace. Harry rounded the corner to see Albus Dumbledore in front of the room he wished to enter. He paused, hoping the man would go away. Suddenly, his stomach growled at him, begging for food after three days of not even a drop of water. The Headmaster looked in his direction furtively before slipping inside the room, but the door remained open enough for Harry to follow him. The old man was gripping either side of the mirror, as if he were going to move it.

Albus stared with sad eyes at a visage of his younger sister. Under his breath he muttered reassurances to her, when suddenly behind her came a vision of an enraged white-haired guardian. He spun around, gasping when he saw not the ghostly figure, but Harry Winchester.

Harry did not what had possessed him to remove the cloak and confront the Headmaster in the dead of night in an abandoned classroom. He could not stand the thought of the mirror not being accessible to him. For a long while blue stared into blue.

"What are you doing with the mirror?" Harry asked finally.

"I will be moving it to a new home. I was unaware that anyone would find it in this temporary storage room." Dumbledore responded. "I will have to ask you not to go looking for it again."

"What gives you the right to move it?" Harry growled out.

"What do you see when you look in the mirror, Harry?" Harry was taken aback by the question. It was so personal, and yet the man seemed sincere in wanting to know. The way he had said his name, held warmth, not like any other time he had said it.

"I see a white-haired ghost." Harry semi-lied.

Harry would never forget the look of terror that graced the face of Albus Dumbledore.

A/N I'm not sure if this counts as a cliffhanger. The chapter "The Mirror of Erised" kind of ends abruptly midscene, so I followed suit. Would you all be interested in me putting song titles next to sections that are heavily influenced? Example LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK (Something Wild) Let me know! I will also be doing my best to reply to reviews from the last chapter. Also Nymphadora returning is vague on purpose a oneshot detailing this for those interested will be posted after NEXT chapter.