The Point of No Return

Chapter 21

December 23rd-King's Cross Station

King's Cross Station was alive with excitement as the Hogwarts Express pulled in, it's steam filling the platform. Inside a compartment sat William W. Prang, who felt like his insides had turned to mush. Fletcher and Adalena kept trying to comfort him with jokes and treats, but the closer they got to the station, the worse he felt. He knew he shouldn't be worrying so much, but he felt guilty for not writing to his family more. The TAVR letters took up most of his time and his grades suffered tremendously-He was not looking forward to that conversation with his mother.

Despite his anxiety, the train stopped to let out the students. Families rejoiced, hugging and kissing their loved ones, eager to spend the Holidays at home. Fletcher and Adalena waited until William was ready to leave, making them some of the last ones on the platform.

"Write to me, okay, Will? Or else I'm going to show up at your house at two in the morning," Fletcher threatened as he clapped William on the shoulder before he took Adalena to meet his family. She waved goodbye before following Fletcher to his family.

William turned around and saw his family. His sister stuck out vehemently, her white dress blending into her abnormally light skin and pale blonde hair. William, however, resembled his mother: Tall with dark hair and extremely dark blue eyes. His eyes almost looked black next to his sister's pale blue ones. William noticed that his mother had the same dark circles under her eyes, just one more thing they had in common. Amelia smiled and bounced towards him, her hair practically glowing in the light. He tightly smiled, rearranging the bag on his shoulders before he picked up his sister. For an eleven year old, Amelia was quite small and graceful; Even in Williams's less than healthy state, she was easy to lift.

"What've you been up to?" William asked as he carried his sister over to where their mother stood.

"Reading," Amelia made a sour face. "Mumma says I have to." William pressed his lips together before glancing at his mom.

"Hey," William greeted cautiously, giving his mother a half hug.

"I missed you," His mother sighed. "Let's go home, shall we?" She tried to perk up and ignore the concern that bubbled up in her when she saw how terrible her son looked.

They lived in a small flat on Balfe Street, surrounded by Muggles going about their days. It took William years to figure out why they would pick up and move from their large townhouse in a Wizarding community to a cramped three-bedroom home, isolated from their own kind. He eventually came to the conclusion that it was the death of his father that ruined his mother. After his father was gone, Kendra Prang abstained from magic for the most part. Sometimes, on very good days, she would use it to cook large and intricate meals. These days, however, were few and far between.

William breathed a sigh of relief as he crossed the threshold into his room. It was the only room, in William's opinion, that didn't drip with sadness and sorrow. Instead, it was light and open with gold and red banners and Quidditch posters. William and Fletcher had loved going to Hogwarts so much that he brought home as similar decor as possible. He fell back on his bed and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He was glad that his room still smelled like cinnamon, even when he was gone.

In less than two hours, William was unpacked and down in the kitchen. He was almost finished making dinner (chicken and shrimp gumbo for dinner with beignets for dessert) when he saw his mother standing in the doorway, watching him.

"I should be cooking," She pointed out lethargically. She nodded towards William, who was starting the oil for the beignets. "It's your first night back."

"It's no big deal, I don't mind." And he meant it. William was actually very skilled at cooking and enjoyed it. His meals were edible whereas his mother's was not. "Go get Lia? It'll be ready in a couple minutes."

Amelia came bouncing in the kitchen with her snake wrapped around her arm.

"Morfy, stop it," She whispered in an attempt to hide him from her mother. It did not work.

"Your snake does not belong at the table, Amelia." Kendra reminded her daughter, who stuck out her lower lip in a well constructed pout. The snake hissed loudly and looked poised to strike at the mother as Amelia walked by to her bedroom.

Kendra Prang turned to William, who appeared to be just as irritated as she felt. "I should have never gotten her that snake." She started washing her hands and dried them on a kitchen towel.

"I don't like it either. Maybe we should try to give it away?" William suggested. He didn't want to upset his sister, but he really hated that snake. It made William uneasy, as if it was plotting his death somehow.

"I tried," His mother rolled her eyes. "I didn't want to but it bit me and drew blood. Amelia threw a fit." She started getting out the dishes for dinner. Then she stopped and put both hands on the counter. "This is going to make me sound crazy. But," She lower her head, shaking it. "I swear, I heard it speaking one day. Actually speaking English!" William gave her a doubtful look. "Not to her, just in an empty room. And don't give me that look, William Walsh Prang."

He sighed and bit the side of his lip. Luckily, Amelia entered in the room-sans Morphin. William and his mother silently set the table and they all sat down to eat.

December 25th-Hogwarts Castle

Sam and Dean Winchester's encounter with Siobhan Hesse was still hanging over their heads.

"I mean, you don't abandon your family just because they're different." Dean insisted gruffly, shoving his hands in his leather jacket. McGonagall told the two brothers that they could wear their normal clothes while on break, and Dean was immensely pleased. He had missed his old jacket, even the shoddy sewing job Dean made on the lining of the jacket to make room for more ammo and fake ID cards. It was like a piece of him, an anchor to the "family business" he had spent so much of his life committed to. "Who cares that she's different?"

"You never know what's going to set people off." Sam tried to placate, although he, too, was having a hard time accepting Siobhan's family problems.

"There was a time when you were seeing visions. And dating Ruby," Both brothers shuddered at the mention of the double-crossing demon. "And did I write you off, just leave you on someone's doorstep? No. Because we're family, dammit."

"I don't like it either, Dean, but at least she's got that other family. They send her Christmas presents and everything, so at least someone else cares." Sam reminded him as they continued down the corridor to visit Castiel.

The blond hunter sighed. "It's just not right." Dean muttered as they turned the corner and saw Castiel standing in front of his classroom door.

"I have a problem." Castiel's grave voice rang through the hall. Dean was still mildly upset about his life being turned into lesson for his students, so it was Sam that spoke first.

"What's wrong, Cas?"

The angel opened his classroom door and walked in. As if a switch was flicked, loud music could be heard through the corridor.

"Just call me angel of the morning, angel. Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby!"

Sam and Dean couldn't contain their laughter at the combination of the song choice and the angel's face. They weren't the only ones, either. Dean glanced over and saw that Professor O'Cassidy and Peeves the Ghost, were in stitches as well. Castiel scowled at the two tricksters, fighting off nostalgia for Gabriel. He stepped out of the classroom, which stopped the music, and walked past Sam and Dean.

"Hello, Angel." Professor O'Cassidy gushed, prompting another fit of laughter.

"I do not find this funny." Castiel stated.

"Well, that's too bad," She chuckled. "Because everyone else does." Dean carefully slid into the classroom to see if the music triggered. All was silent until Castiel walked through the doorway again.

"Please remove it, now." Castiel tried to sound threatening, but it's hard to sound tough with Juice Newton in the background.

Peeves and the Professor exchanged looks before both of them replied, "Nah." They left, still howling with laughter.

"I think it'll wear off," Sam tried to contain his laughter. "Eventually."

The Prang House, Balfe Street

"William, can I speak to you, please?" His mother asked after dinner was cleaned up and dessert was served.

The teenager sighed. He knew this would come eventually, and figured they might as well get this over and done with. William begrudgingly followed his mother out of the dining room to the small, cramped living room.

"I assume you already know what this is about?" She hinted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"My grades?" He sighed. She nodded sharply, edging for him to continue. "There's just been so much going on, and there's two new Professors for Defense Against the Dark Arts and it's been hard to catch up on homework." He finished lamely.

"McGonagall told me that you're skipping classes now," His mother put her fingers on her temple, trying to dull the headache setting in. "That's just not like you."

"I'm okay now. Fletcher and I had a fight but we're okay now. I'll bring my grades up." She looked at him with one raised eyebrow. "I promise," He added.

"Fine, but if your grades get worse…" She trailed off. William had already left the room and was climbing up the stairs to his room.

He opened up the door to see his little sister sitting very still and patient on his bed, her hands folded neatly in her lap. William's heart jerked in surprise and it was moments like this where he could tell the vampire traits his sister possessed.

"Hey, Lia." WIlliam said cautiously. The only time his sister acted like this was when she wanted something. She tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled unnervingly.

"What'd you and mum talk about?" She asked curiously, blinking her eyes in faux innocence.

William walked past her and turned the dial on the Muggle radio to his favorite station. A rock song poured out, and Amelia stuck out her bottom lip at being ignored. "My marks are dropping, mum wanted to talk to me about raising them."

"Oh," Her eyes darted around. This was obviously not the answer she was hoping for. "Nothing about me maybe coming to school?" She asked hopefully.

"No, Lia. I'm sorry." He apologised as her eyes filled with tears.

"Why are you sorry," She spat. "It's not like you've been told you can't do something because of your blood." She hopped off his bed and raced out of his room, leaving William alone with his thoughts.

He had resolved on the train back from Hogwarts that he was going to ignore any other letters from The Advancement of Vampire Rights. Fletcher pointing out the bit about his middle name had really freaked him out and he was heavily doubting the group's ideals. But giving up on TAVR felt like giving up on his sister.

"What do I do?" William asked himself as he laid down on his bed, staring out the window at the busy Muggle streets.

William stayed up most of the night listening to Muggle music and thinking about what he could do about his sister. His stomach growled loudly and he glanced over at a clock sitting on his bedside table and was startled to find that it was already past three in the morning. William sat up and quietly turned the knob down on the radio, intent on going downstairs for a snack. Now that his music was off, William could hear whisperings coming from the living room. He took out his wand and cautiously made his way down the stairs, knowing how unlikely it was that his mother would be up at this time of night. In the living room was the silhouette of a very tall man, whispering urgently into a small box.

"Yes, I know. I'm aware. No, he hasn't." The mysterious man sighed. "Yes. Yes, Sir, I will try." William shifted slightly to get a better look, and held his breath when the floorboards creaked. "Someone's here, I have to go."

William stuck his head around the corner. The living room was completely empty, not a person in sight. He frowned, and stepped further into the room to investigate.

Everything was in its correct place, not a single book out of order. William blinked rapidly, trying to figure out if he had actually seen a man in the living room or if he was just exhausted. He shook his head and turned around to go back to his room to get some sleep. What he didn't see was his sister Amelia's snake slithering out of the living room, watching him intently.

11:59 PM

December 25th, The Gryffindor Common Room

Terry MacCormack smiled at his audience, laced his fingers together, and cracked them loudly. "Welcome, everyone over the age of fifteen!" Terry gestured widely to the makeshift bar he created in the Gryffindor common room, now fully stocked with both Muggle and Wizarding liquor. "You guys know the rules. Everyone pair up, here's your glasses." The Gryffindor Quidditch player passed around glasses and cocktail shakers for everyone, making sure to wink at both Siobhan Hesse and Vincent Cruz. Terry always invited Siobhan, who always brought Vincent, to his drinking parties. It was Terry who had nicknamed them "The Children of Hogwarts", and he frequently stayed with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood when school was out.

"Today, we'll be making a Wizarding Manhattan Cocktail." The group of students clapped loudly, and Terry waved his hands. "Settle down, children. Settle down. So, we'll be using Beetle Berry Whiskey, sweet red Vermouth, Angostura bitters, and," Terry rustled through the bottles and cans. "A maraschino cherry!" The group collectively "Oooh"'d, earning a stern look from Terry. He handed a small bottle of whiskey to each of the pairings. "Now it's going to be two parts whiskey, one part sweet Vermouth. So, gently pour about this much," He held up his glass to the group. "Into your partner's cocktail shaker on top of the ice." He watched patiently as the students took turns pouring out the amber colored liquid for their partners. A girl took a quick swig from her bottle, hoping Terry wouldn't notice. He did. "Hey, Ellen! You know the rules, no drinking until the products finished!" He chastised.

The tall, dark haired Gryffindor blushed as her partner, a slightly shorter blond Gryffindor named Dwayne, laughed. When Terry turned back around, he took a sip from the bottle, too.

"Okay, now the sweet Vermouth." He handed off another bottle and everyone experimentally poured a bit in the shakers. "And the bitters. Now just do one or two dashes, no more. Then cap it and shake." Terry watched proudly as the pairs carefully added the Angostura bitters and shook the metal mixers. "Now pour it in the glasses and add the cherries! And you've got a classic Manhattan with a slight wizarding twist." The sound of ice hitting the glasses filled the room and everyone experimentally took sips from their finished creation. Through the noise of the students appreciating the drinks, Terry heard the familiar warning bell he had set up to go off when an adult entered the common room. "SUGAR COOKIES!" He warned and the room went into chaos. Terry drew his wand and waved it, turning all the liquor in the student's glasses clear to resemble water. The students assumed positions they hoped were casual, with some awkwardly leaning on bookcases and another perched oddly on a table.

Dean Winchester walked into the Gryffindor common room and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the students. "What's going on here?" He asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Terry shrugged, his eyes wide with faux-innocence. "Just studying." He smiled widely before hitting the student next to him.

"Yeah, just studying for classes tomorrow." The student agreed, nodding his head enthusiastically. "Gotta stay smart."

Dean narrowed his eyes and glanced around the room. His eyes fell on the bar in front of Terry, the liquor labels on the cart still visible. Terry had forgotten to disguise the liquid in the bottles so rather than looking like water, it was obvious what the bottles contained. Dean strolled up to the cart (much to the mortification of the students) and picked up the bottle of Beetle Berry Whiskey. He inspected the label carefully and the students in the room held their breath, waiting for the reprimand. Dean tipped the bottle up, taking a long swig of the honey colored liquor. He nodded appreciatively before taking another drink. "Not bad."

"Dude," Terry roughly grabbed the bottle from the Professor, who looked shocked. "There are ladies present." He chastised as he expertly poured the liquor into a glass and handed it to Dean.

"Sorry." Dean muttered, sipping the drink as he plopped down into a comfy armchair.

Terry watched Dean carefully, assessing the situation, before flicking his wand and revealing the true contents of everyone's glasses. Terry pointedly drank from his own glass; A silent way of telling the other students that one of their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers could be trusted. Others followed suit, visibly relaxing.

"So, this drinking party?" Dean asked Terry, recognizing him as the leader of the group.

"More of a class." Terry casually leaned with his back on the wall next to the fireplace. "Don't worry, we're all over fifteen. I card check."

Dean nodded, satisfied. He finished his drink and stood up, setting his glass on the bar. "Don't let McGonagall catch you." He advised. "And get your homework done!" Dean called over his shoulder as he left the Gryffindor common room.

The students exchanged amused glances and Terry made a mental note to remember to invite the Professor to his next party.