New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)
Bathsheda Babbling (Ancient Runes Professor)
Filius Flitwick (Charms Professor)
It was a strange procession that followed Dean, Sam and Kevin back to the Defense Corridor. Dumbledore was holding off any questions from the staff until they had taken care of their injured guest, and from the look of the Winchesters they wouldn't answer them until then anyway. When they arrived at their suite Dean found that Hogwarts had anticipated their needs and added a new room. Dean nodded once already getting use to the way the castle worked, walked into the new room and lay Cas carefully on the bed.
"Kevin you're in charge of watching him. You can fix the Tablets so hopefully some of that juju rubs off and helps get Cas on his feet sooner. Oh and one sec…" Dean left and the staff watched him rush to his room and come back holding a completely silver blade, before disappearing back into the new room. "Just in case." Dean said holding it out to Kevin.
"Sure Dean." Kevin said. "But do you think they'll come here?"
"We both know that there's only two things that can hurt an angel, and the Leviathans are in Purgatory. This won't take long, I promise." Dean reassuringly put his hand on Kevin's shoulder before he left the room.
Sam had pulled the teachers around their dinner table and spread a parchment across it. "We're going to need to move quickly." He said as he started writing out the angel wards. "This sigil needs to go in the four main corners of the school grounds. Once they're in place we can add these wards...to help strengthen them. If we're fast enough that should prevent any unwanted visitors."
"My dear Professors Winchester," Dumbledore said "may I ask what it is we are warding against?"
"Angels" Dean said from behind the group. "It looks like their civil war just kicked itself up a notch. We don't know if anyone is following Cas but it's better safe than sorry when it comes to angels. They tend to have a kill first, ask questions later policy."
"Dean's right. Just in case any angels do get in before the wards are put up use this sigil... It banishes them for about ten minutes." Sam said writing out yet another sigil on the paper. "Just try not to do it near Cas, because he'll be in the crossfire and I'm not sure how well he'll survive the trip."
"Why isn't it banishing him now?" McGonagall asked looking down at it.
"Because you have to draw it in human blood." Sam said. "Also once it's drawn it won't activate until you place your hand on the sigil."
Dean nodded. "We better get moving. Sam and I will go to the North and South corners if someone wouldn't mind taking us there?"
"I will take the East corner." Bathsheda Babbling, the Ancient Runes teacher said. "Do these also need to be drawn in blood?"
"No." Sam laughed. "Paint is fine."
"Wonderful."
"I will do the West corner." Dumbledore said with a wink. "It's good to know that I can still be useful in my old age." With a nod to the Winchesters, Dumbledore and Babbling left.
"Sam if you will follow me I will take you to Northern corner." McGonagall said.
"And I will lead you to the Southern corner." Snape told Dean.
Flitwick looked around at the rest of the teachers who were still shuffling in confusion. "And we…" He said in his squeaky voice, looking at them pointedly. "Will monitor the Halls for intruders until the wards are in place."
A chorus of agreement followed his statement and everyone left the room.
Dean caught Flitwick by his shoulder, stopping him as the rest of the teachers filled out. "Do you mind keeping an eye on Kevin and Cas?" He asked.
Flitwick pulled himself up to his full, not very tall, height. "I would be honored to."
"Thank you." Dean said and left to put up the wards.
Harry ran up to his room when they arrived back at Gryffindor tower and pulled out his Invisibility Cloak.
"That's brilliant Harry." Ron said from the doorway where he was standing guard while they waited for Hermione. "Where do you think they're taking him? It didn't sound like he was going to the Hospital Wing."
Harry threw open his trunk and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Opening the blank parchment Harry said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
The map spread out before him until every room was shown, as well as dots showing where everyone was. Most of the dots were concentrated in the four Hogwarts houses. It took Harry a moment of searching the map to find the teachers. It looked like most of them were in the defense corridor but they were all leaving. Only three dots stayed in the rooms, two showed Kevin Tran and Filius Flitwick. Harry looked at the name on the third dot confused. It read: Castiel. Why wasn't his last name included?
Now wasn't really the time to figure it out. Harry put the map in his robe pocket just as Hermione finally arrived.
"Ready?" Harry asked.
With a nod from both of his friends they all huddled under the cloak and snuck out of the Gryffindor tower. They managed to leave out just as the last Gryffindor entered the common room. They maneuvered through the corridors, carefully avoiding the patrolling Faculty and Mrs Norris with the help of the map.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the Defense corridor. With one last look at the map the Trio waited until Flitwick moved from one side of the hall to the other then snuck into the room.
The Professor's' quarters were not what they had expected. Although now that he thought about it Harry wasn't really sure what he was expecting. The room was filled with various weapons, books from the library, as well as what looked to be a few personal journals. On the walls were collages that looked like something Harry vaguely remembered from cop shows and spy movies, Harry stopped next to the one that said "Defense Against the Dark Arts Curse"
There were multiple news articles and lists of past professors. Harry spotted the newspaper clipping of Lockhart shaking his hand in Flourish and Blotts when he had announced his taking of the teaching post. Harry was strangely happy to see that his picture self was putting up a good fight to stay out of the frame.
Ron poked him to get him moving towards the door where Kevin and Castiel were. The three of them trying their hardest not to make any noise as they edged closer to the door.
They heard some groaning from the other room and someone shifting.
"Castiel?" They heard Kevin say.
"Kevin Tran. It is good that you are safe." Castiel said in his rough voice. "The garrison will be relieved."
"Yeah. Hiding behind wards have their perks." Kevin said as Harry, Ron and Hermione tiptoed into the bedroom carefully. "How's your…." Kevin pointed at Cas's stomach. "Injury."
"Healing."
Kevin nodded. "You sound better. Looks like you're not crazy anymore. Although I think I'll miss that." He said with a crooked smile.
"You're hair is shorter." Cas stated.
"Ah, yeah….Crowley though giving me a makeover would make me like him...but now that it's short it's easier to manage so...you know...more time to translate."
Cas sat up in the bed, his feet resting on the floor so he could face Kevin. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Kevin asked confused.
"For everything… I should have returned the tablet to you."
Kevin just looked at him for a moment. "Yeah well I think one Word is more than enough to worry about right now. I almost have the second Trial translated. I think one of the students here named Harry might be connected somehow."
Harry stiffened under the Invisibility Cloak, and he heard a muffled gasp from Hermione. Castiel looked over at the corner of the room they were hiding in.
"You could try asking him." Cas said making eye contact with Harry. Kevin turned around to look at the corner Cas was looking at. "What...?"
Cas groaned as he stood up, took three steps and pulled the Invisibility Cloak off of the three Gryffindors.
"Harry? Ron?" Kevin asked.
"How did…?" Hermione squeaked.
Castiel tilted his head as he studied the three students.
"I see that our resident troublemakers have found their way here." Snape said with a sneer as he and Dean arrived back from placing the wards.
"Is there a reason that you decided now was a good time to come visit?" Dean asked.
The three looked at each other guiltily. "We just wanted to know what was going on." Ron finally said.
Dean looked Cas over. "Lay back down."
"Hello Dean."
Dean didn't reply, just looked at him in silence.
"I'm sorry." Cas said
"For what?" Dean said but his voice was cold.
"For everything."
Harry watched the conversation play out. It was almost word for word the same to what he had said to Kevin, but the feel in the room was colder this time.
"Everything? Like, uh... Like ignoring us?"
"Yes." Cas said looking hurt.
"Or like bolting off with the Angel Tablet, then losing it 'cause you didn't trust me? You didn't trust me."
"Yes."
"Yeah. Nah, that's not gonna cut it. Not this time. So you can take your little apology and you cram it up your ass." Dean left joining Sam in main room.
"Dean, I thought I was doing the right thing." Cas said following Dean.
"Yeah, you always do."
Sam pulled Dean to the side as the staff gathered back in their room. "Dude, go easy on Cas, okay. He's one of the good guys."
Snape pointed at the Trio to leave the bedroom. They trudged into the room in time to hear Dean say, "Dude, if anybody else - I mean anybody - pulled that kind of crap, I would stab them in their neck on principle. Why should I give him a free pass?"
"Because it's Cas."
Dean grunted. "Fine." He turned around and pointed at Cas who was stand in the middle of the room waiting. "But you follow what I say from now on Cas."
"Of course Dean."
Dumbledore was the last to arrive back with Professor Babbling. Dumbledore glanced briefly at the Trio before ignoring them and turning his attention to the four muggles in the room. "I must admit I never thought I would be meeting one of Heaven's angels while breathing."
"Angel?" Hermione squeaked before Ron elbowed her. The adults were ignoring them right now and he wanted to keep it that way.
"Is anyone following you?" Sam asked.
"No." Cas replied. "I no longer have what they want. I don't believe they will continue to search for me."
"Was it Naomi?" Dean asked.
"No. Crowley."
Harry and Ron glanced at each other their eyes wide. "The King of Hell?" Hermione gasped.
Everyone in the room looked at the Trio.
Dean's hand moved towards his knife. "Keeping up with Hell's politics?"
"Harry and Ron told me." She said nervously. Dean turned to look at the two.
"I told them Dean." Kevin jumped in quickly. "During Divination."
Dean relaxed after a moment and turned back to Cas. "How did Crowley get you?"
"One of Naomi's guards. It seems not all angels are loyal to Heaven anymore. Well more that they don't know who to follow."
A sudden commotion halted the conversation. Professor Trelawney made a grand entrance into the room, her shawl wrapped tightly around herself and her bracelets jangling. . "I felt a powerful draw from the Other Side." She announced dramatically, before she stopped looking at Castiel.
Her eyes widened and with a squeak she fell to the floor unconscious. McGonagall rolled her eyes and with a flick of her wand moved Trelawney from the floor to the couch.
Dumbledore looked at his Divination's professor for a moment before asking."Will you be joining us for long?"
Cas looked at Dean as if he was asking for permission before he answered. "I would be grateful for any lodgings you are willing to provide."
Dumbledore smiled. "As long as there is no threat to the students you are welcome to remain here. In return if you wouldn't mind aiding us on occasion I'm sure the Staff would be most grateful." Cas nodded.
"As for you three," Dumbledore said turning to look over his spectacles at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "I believe it is time for you to return to Gryffindor Tower."