The Serpent Under the Innocent Flower

by FandomCameo

YEAR 2, Harry Winchester struggles to keep his identity as Harry Potter a secret as horrible things start to happen at Hogwarts. With Dean, Cas and Sam busy trying to stop the Apocalypse that he started, how will Harry fare without his adopted family there to guide him? Can he trust in his friends to keep his secret, or will the Headmaster be able to sow distrust among them? Sequel

2. Isn't this Dark Conscience Lovely?

CHAPTER: Isn't this Dark Conscience Lovely?

A/N: Inspired by the songs Lovely by Khalid and Billie Eilish, and Dark Conscience by Tommee Profitt

Harry looked carefully at the board before moving his pawn forward. Once he made his turn, he looked out the window, knowing it would be a while before Bobby would take his. The view was amazing. The sun certainly shined a lot more in America, and he quite liked it. What was even better was that he had not had a single chest pain once he got here. Harry wondered if maybe it was affected by magic. From the corner of his eye he saw Bobby move his bishop, before the old man too returned his gaze to the window. It had been three days, and the man had barely spoken. Harry had been hoping for some type of apology from when the man was a demon. He moved his piece, figuring that the man didn't remember what the demon said. The young boy chewed his lip. He could remember the man's angry face, looking so much like his uncle. Harry flinched involuntarily as his tried to jerk out of the memory by force. The chess pieces clattered to the floor with clicks across the linoleum floor. Harry dropped, immediately picking them up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Harry said quickly as he scrambled to collect them all. He felt tears burning in his eyes and shook his head. It was such a small issue, why was he crying about it? Bobby laid a hand on his shoulder, making the boy look up.

"It's not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for." He told him. Harry thought he was overacting, but Bobby sounded so sincere about merely dropping chess pieces. The broken king in his hand reminded him of the Caverns. A figurative lightbulb went off in his head as he realized why Bobby's apology sounded so heavy.

"Thanks Grandpa…" he whispered. Bobby nodded, glad that his message was received. He leaned back in his wheelchair. Sam and Dean entered to see Harry resetting the chessboard. Harry could hear them having a hushed conversation by the door. Sam's phone suddenly rang, and the next moment Cas had joined them, glaring at Dean for his comment. "Cas is here." He informed the old man.

"Quit the foreplay!" Bobby said loudly, drawing the adult's attention. "Get you hands on and start healing." Cas walked into the room, kneeling by the older man. Cas had been feeling stronger since he returned, but then when he had threatened Zachariah, he had felt the connection to Heaven snap. That did not mean he would not try though. His hands glowing with a soft white light that only he and Harry could see, he approached Bobby's legs. When he got a centimeter from the flesh, the white powers slipped his grasp, sinking into Harry's skin. He tried again, and the same result occurred. Harry suddenly clutched at his chest, startling Bobby and Cas.

"I can't heal you. The power keeps being absorbed by Harry." Cas informed Bobby, while placing a hand on the boy, worried about his pain. He dared not try to use healing power on him, fearing it would make the pain worse. Harry forced himself to sit straight despite the pain.

"I can try to heal you Bobby." Harry said, feeling as if he were stealing from the old man. Bobby opened his mouth to agree, but it slowly shut as he took in Harry's waxen looking skin, and grey bags under his eyes. The boy had been under a lot of stress, staying in the room with him for three days. He should have apologized sooner. He sighed.

"No use in killing yourself tryin'. If a full grown angel can't, ain't no use in you trying." Bobby dismissed, looking back out the window.

"I don't have much time to stick around." Cas explained. "I simply came to get something from you." Dean's eyes grew hard.

"Oh, you too good for us now?" he asked, grabbing the man by the shoulder of his coat. The angel looked into his eyes, however it dropped to the amulet that Dean wore. His hand came up and cradled it gently. "Don't touch that." Dean growled, slapping the hand away. "Would you cut it with the secrecy? Why did you leave that day? Why didn't you come sooner? Why did you call Sam?" His voice cracked upon saying his brother's name, eyes betraying his emotions.

"When we were in the magical world, I'm not sure how to describe it. It was as if the connection between us was stronger. Between all of us. I can't be positive but…I know that another angel could not have felt you the way I did. Now that we are back here, the sigils I carved, they keep me away as well." Cas told the man, not blinking once as he searched the green eyes. "I need the amulet."

"For what?" Dean snarled. Sam had given him the necklace years ago, he never took it off. It felt like another limb at this point. The others in the room were hesitant to break up the conversation. Dean was tense in his stance, looking ready to fight. Cas seemed as if he were not used to his body, shifting away from the human.

"I am going to find God." Cas said vehemently, fervor in his blue eyes. "He can fix this."

"We can fix it ourselves. We don't need your deadbeat dad." Dean countered, releasing the angel's shoulder. Cas took his time to look over the group in front of him, raising an eyebrow. Dean took a step forward in agitation.

"Dean…" Sam tried to interrupt. He looked away when Dean held up a hand to silence him. While he wanted to stop Dean from pushing the angel away, he knew it was not his place. It had him missing Severus, and their unresolved relationship.

"He fixed me up. He saved all of you!" Cas defended, voice gruff. "Do you even have a plan? Lucifer has most likely found a vessel by this point."

"What are you talking about. Sam has been with me the whole time." Dean asked in confusion. "But we do have a plan. The Michael Sword, it's in my DNA. All we need is an archangel to take it out. So, yeah I'm working on that."

"Sam is not the only vessel, simply the true vessel. Lucifer will go through hundreds of temporary vessels if he needs, looking for Sam." Cas countered. "God could remove the sword. Let me find him." Dean searched the blue eyes for something. He did not end up finding it but relinquished the amulet regardless. Despite the angel's feelings, Dean still loved him.

"Back in one piece." He warned.

"Of course, Dean, I would not let your possessions come to harm." Cas replied, slipping it over his own neck. Dean leaned his forehead against Cas'. Harry smiled a bit, thinking it was very sweet.

"I meant you, you freaking idiot." Cas gave a miniscule nod.

"I'll be in touch." He was gone with a whoosh of wings. Bobby looked up.

"When you find the bastard, tell him to send legs!" he shouted to nothing. The brothers looked at each other, before joining the two by the window, watching the breeze pull at the trees. The peaceful moment was interrupted by Bobby's phone ringing. He looked at it in confusion before answering. "Rufus?" he asked. The voice on the other line was static filled and breaking up. "What, I can't…Color-Colorado? River Pass, Colorado? Rufus? Rufus?" he pulled the phone away, just staring at it. His best friend was in danger, he could tell. Afterall, he and Rufus had agreed to never speak again, unless it was important. Bobby took a moment to look where he was. Sitting in the hospital, with the same blanket over his lap, having barely spoken in three days. He glared at his reflection in the mirror. He gripped the wheels of his chair, moving around the room, looking for his bag.

"Bobby?" Sam questioned.

"Why the hell have you all been letting me sit around like some sort of pitiful sack of potatoes." He asked gruffly, slinging the bag into his lap, ignoring the fact that he could not feel it. He dug through. "Rufus is in trouble. You're going to Colorado, River Pass." He said, activating his various phones. "Threat, unknown. Support, unknown. Packing list, everything." He barked out. Dean and Sam automatically straightened, like soldiers receiving orders. Harry scrambled from his chair and stood tall next to Sam as Bobby rolled past Dean, handing him a strange rock. He gave Sam a jar of herbs. He stopped in front of Harry's outstretched hands, causing Dean to look over.

"No."

"Yes." Harry countered, chin held high. Bobby regarded the boy for a minute before placing a silver rod in his hand.

"Bobby…" Dean said lowly. Bobby ignored him, grabbing his glow in the dark gel and surreptitiously drawing sigils around his hospital room. "Harry. You're staying here." Harry glared.

"You can't stop me." He said coldly. "This is something I need to do. I won't let you stop me." Harry explained. Dean looked over his charge, detaching his fatherly emotions to see the child for what he was, rather than a fragile kid he had to protect. Harry's shoulders were tense, the slightest tremor in his hands, barely visible and not debilitating. Although the boy's face was tired his blue eyes were clear and focused. Dean conceded. It would be a good way to show Harry that Hunting was not all it was cracked up to be.

"Come on let's go."

LINE BREAK LINE BREAK IN EBREAK

Severus looked up from the paper when he heard someone entering the kitchen. Danny gave him a lopsided smile, heading for the fridge. Severus went back to the paper, reading the article regarding the Harry Potter sighting at Hogwarts. The Headmaster was of course claiming the credit for bringing the boy to Hogwarts when he was needed. There were some who speculated on this fact however, as Albus had been away at the ministry at the time of the attack. Allegations of child enslavement were thrown about by Rita Skeeter, who was claiming that Albus was keeping the boy in the depths of the Hogwarts basements to train him. It was an interesting perspective for sure, and he filed the information away for later, knowing he could use it to his advantage if need be. Adam made his way into the room, already fully dressed, a notepad tucked under his arm.

"So, I got our first case." He said, sitting down and showing the two brothers. Severus spared it a glance, pining Adam with a stare.

"What do you propose we do with this information?" he asked. "In case it escaped your miniscule brain, the Hunters have left." Danny frowned a bit at the tone but did not correct his older brother.

"You're just sour because Sammy is gone." He muttered under his breath. Severus shot a glare his way. He almost missed Adam's next comment, preoccupied with the fact that he might have misjudged the way Sam felt about him.

"And it surely must have escaped yours because I said OUR FIRST case." Adam said back smile, causing Danny to chuckle. Severus gave his brother a knowing smile, causing the teen to blush and rush to finish making his breakfast. "Anyway. That's why we're here right. We need to take care of it before the Aurors take care of it, if it's magical." Severus gestured for the man to continue. "There's a mall nearby here, that had had fifteen flash mobs in the pass four days."

"I fail to see how that is our problem." Severus responded, even though he knew it was strange.

"Victims of the flash mob aren't participating willingly, feeling as if their bodies are being used like puppets. Not only that it is causing people to spill their secrets, which has led to four deaths so far." Danny grimaced at that as he sat with his black coffee. "So, what do you say?" he asked, looking more to Severus, knowing that Danny would like to come with.

"Have fun." Severus said curtly, bringing the paper back in front of his face. A second later Danny's face popped through the paper with wide pleading eyes.

"Come on Sev, you wouldn't let your kid brother go out and get hurt, would you?" He asked. Severus mentally made a note that Danny would never make it as a Slytherin. He was, however, willing to humor the boy, for the sake of keeping the two out of trouble.

"Very well, let me get my coat."

LINE BREAKLINE BREAK LINE BREAK

A stolen car rolled up to a demolished bridge just outside of River Pass, Colorado. Dean got out, looking down at the destruction with distaste. Sam and Harry followed with their bags. Harry peered over the edge, gulping silently.

"Well, it's official, all exits are blocked off." Dean announced, kicking a rock over the edge. "This is probably our best way in. No traps far as I can see."

"Are you kidding Dean? There's no way we can jump that." Sam argued back, calculating the distance to the ground. Dean flicked his eyes back to Harry, signaling to Sam that he was testing the boy. Sam frowned, not liking the idea of testing Harry, but knowing it was necessary in order to show Harry the difficulty of hunting. Harry was not even paying attention, which boded well. Except, Harry was thinking about it, watching a bird that flew over them, cawing loudly. Harry took a deep breath, letting his small fledgling wings sprout. Twin spots of blue light caught Dean's attention as the boy walked forward, stepping over the edge. However, he did not fall. Harry continued to walk, as if there were glass below his feet. Once he had made it to the other side, he looked back to the other two.

"It's not real. You won't fall, trust me." Harry called out.

"Uh, Harry, last time I checked I didn't have any angel in me." Sam coughed haphazardly as he tried to stifle a laugh. Dean shoved his brother.

"I didn't use my powers. That was just in case." Dean looked down at the ground skeptically but shook out his body and took his first step. He gasped in surprise when his foot connected with something solid, the wavering of belief causing him to pitch forward. Sam lunged, grabbing the back of his brother's jacket. Dean looked back at Harry was had his hands over his mouth in shock. Green eyes grew hard and he went back to the car. He picked up his bag, keeping his eyes on Harry as he walked forward. Sam fought to keep his mouth shut as Dean took his first step over the edge. There was nothing there, yet his older brother did not fall. That was enough for him and he grabbed his bag, following his footsteps. In just a mere minute they were across. Dean's gaze was drawn back to the parked car. He only hoped it was as easy to get back over. With the click of a loaded gun, he gestured the younger two to follow as they made their way into town.

"I spoke to God today, and she says that she's ashamed." Dean took notice at the various abandoned stores all around them. It was eerily empty, and he pulled Harry closer to him. He knew if push came to shove the boy would prevail, however he wished he had picked an easier hunt for the boy to participate in. Looking into Harry's blue eyes however, he knew it would take a hunt of this magnitude to make the boy's choice, so he ignored the nagging father voice in the back of his head and focused on the task on hand.

"What have I become, what have I done?" Harry felt as if his heart was pounding in time with his footsteps as they surveyed the town. It was such a wide open space that he did not feel like he was seeing as much as he should be. He gripped his bag strap a little tighter, knowing he would have to do this to prove his worth. He needed to do more good than bad in order to be a hero. It made him think of Severus, still risking his life in order to make up for months of mistakes. He looked up to Sam and Dean, wondering what side of the balance they were on.

"I spoke to the Devil today and he swears he's not to blame." Sam did not want to say he was jittery, that being said, his eyes were darting around at the smallest of movement, only to discover it was merely leaves or a piece of trash rolling about in the wind. He was so scared that something would happen to Dean or Harry. He was always the one who made the plan, but he had no details to go off of this time. It had been so long since they had gone in blind to such a high level threat.

"And I understood because I feel the same." Dean brought them to a slower pace as they approached a flipped vehicle. Sam ducked down and took the far end, as Dean crouched to see the near window. They straightened, shaking their heads. They continued on. Harry felt unease creep into his stomach as he saw a running sprinkler. Whatever had happened here, happened fast. Another car was in their path, the door wide open and the radio playing. After making sure it was empty, Dean shut off the car, tossing the keys into the front seat. Harry sped forward a little way in front of them causing Dean to get on edge. However, Harry was merely looking into a baby carriage. The young boy turned away, heading closer to the gas pumps. Dean snuck a glance as they passed, seeing nothing but blood in the carriage. He closed his eyes, letting out a hissed sigh of displeasure through his closed lips. Sam tried to see if any of the pumps were working and found that they were. All three whirled around at the sound of a pistol being aimed at them.

"Ellen?" Dean asked in disbelief. The blond woman was looking at him fiercely but lowered the gun enough to show that there was also a gentle smile on her face. Harry was looking up at her with wide eyes. This was a woman from the Winchester's past. She was exactly as they had described her.

"Hello boys." She greeted, pulling out a flask. Dean closed his eyes in acceptance as holy water was poured over him.

"We're us." He assured her. Hers eyes flicked over to Harry, but she wisely kept it to herself, for out in the open was not the place. She gestured with her gun and they followed her to a nearby church. Harry was careful not to mess up the salt line as they entered. Now certain that they were actually not demons she opened up her arms, bringing Sam and Dean into a strong hug. Harry felt awkward watching the exchange, but he could not find out why. He saw Grandpa hug Sam and Dean all the time.

"Really good to see you boys." She reeled back a palm and slapped Dean hard. "Did you forget what a damn telephone is?" she reprimanded. Dean looked over at Sam sheepishly. It was not as if they could claim they worked too much at the school, because she wouldn't understand that. Ellen finally placed all of her attention on Harry, and he felt his stomach fill with butterflies.

"Who's this then?" she asked gently. She could clearly see Dean in the boy's features, but the eyes were ever so blue. Harry looked over to Dean, as if he were unsure. Dean stepped closer, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"This is my son, Heimrich Winchester, Harry for short." He introduced, giving the boy a small nudge towards Ellen. Harry gulped, playing with the strap of his bag. For a long while she simply stared at him, picking out every piece of Dean she could find. She took in his nervous gaze, and hesitance with Dean. Sam and Dean closed in on the boy a bit more, building a wall behind him. Harry jumped when Dean gently touched his back. "What do we say?"

"It's nice to meet you." Harry said, holding out his hand. She took it with a smile, although she did not like how thin his wrists were.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Harry. Let's head on in, I'm sure everyone's wondering where I've gone off to." As she turned her blond hair came off her shoulders a bit, reminding Harry of a picture of Lily. He felt Dean wrap an arm around his shoulders and lead him, but Harry was only watching Ellen. "Can't believe I had to hear you were alive from Rufus of all people. Him and Bobby ain't even supposed to be talking." She muttered under her breath. She paused outside of another door.

"What's going on Ellen?" Dean asked. Ellen bit the inside of her cheek, looking at the wooden door.

"More than I can handle alone." She admitted. "Whole town is overrun with demons. Only ones not afflicted are either dead, or in this room." A heartbroken expression crossed her face for only a second before she forced herself to woman up and lead. "This is it, ain't it? End of times?"

"Seems like it…" Sam agreed, though he knew better. He also placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, resisting the urge to squeeze to make sure the boy was real. Ellen nodded, knocking curtly on the door, announcing her presence to those inside. The door was opened by a man with a shot gun, who made way for them. Dean surveyed the room, counting ten that had already been inside. He looked down to Harry to see if he was doing what was required of a hunt, but the boy only had eyes on the pregnant woman. He seemed uneasy.

"This is Sam and Dean, they're Hunters too, and here to help." She told the room. The man with the shotgun pinned the Winchesters with a pointed look.

"Why'd you bring a kid?" he asked, accusing. He had lost his son during the attacks. Harry pulled his eyes away from Ellen, to address the man.

"I have some good deeds that are overdue." He stated plainly. The man looked away, unnerved by the blue eyes. Sam didn't wish to contradict Harry in front of everyone and made a note to ask Harry what he had meant by the statement. "We have to get you all out of here."

"We've tried. There used to be twenty of us." Ellen told him. Harry frowned, looking over the people. The pregnant woman had her hand over her stomach. Everything else seemed to fall away, as he heard his heart beating in his ears. Harry didn't hear the commotion all around him, as his eyes began to shine. A few more beats, and the young angel realized it was not his heart he was listening to, but the woman's baby. Harry gasped loudly, curling down into a ball as cold water hit him.

"What the hell!" he heard Dean shout, and a struggle ensued. Sam wrapped him up in his arms, soothing Harry. The boy was trembling, and Sam knew it couldn't be just from the water, as it had not been that cold. Sam screwed his eyes shut, glad that Dean had thought to spare Vernon from the wrath of Heaven and Hell that night. He knew the decision to shoot Vernon still weighed heavily on the man, but he was glad that Dean had to carry it. He knew he would have been to weak to carry it. Everyone in that house would have died if he had had his way. Harry was whispering something to him and he tuned in.

"What was that Harry?" he asked.

"Her baby. It's coming tomorrow." Sam stood, looking over the woman who was insisting that she was fine, and that Harry had not hurt her. Austin, the man with the shot gun, had finally torn himself away from Dean's grip, dusting himself off.

"He said your baby is coming tomorrow." He announced to the woman, his deep voice carrying easily. Her eyes widened, and she placed both hands on her stomach. "We got to get out of here. Where is Rufus, and Jo?" he asked Ellen. She shook her head.

"We didn't find Rufus when we first arrived. Me and Jo we got separated." Dean nodded, already thinking about what needed to be done. Harry rubbed his palms into his eyes before shaking out his body and standing next to Dean.

"We'll have to arm everyone. Ellen, you stay here and teach them the basics while we gather weapons. Once we find Jo and Rufus, the five of us can provide cover and we can make it out of here." Dean stated. Roger, the man in the business suit, nervously played with his ring. "Harry stay here and help Ellen." Dean decided, grabbing his gun and heading towards the door. Sam followed, but once they were in the hallway Dean stopped him. "Maybe you should stay." He tried to say casually. Sam saw right through the sentiment.

"What do you mean, it'll be faster if we both go." He said through clenched teeth. Dean looked over to the stairs. "Just admit that you don't want me out there. You think I'm some kind of druggie who is going to fall off the wagon at the first drop of blood." Sam accused, jabbing Dean with a finger. Dean batted it away. "There's no way you can get supplies, watch your back and find the others on your own. I already told you that whatever saved us cleaned me out. I don't crave it. I don't WANT it."

"Fine. Let's hurry." Dean said. "I don't trust the others around Harry."

LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK

Albus spared a glance to the lone cloud crossing the desert sky as he landed. With a simply flick of his wand he transformed his robes into something a bit more suitable for the hot desert sand. He began to walk, in the heat, careful not to drink any water. Finally, after a few hours he saw it, the mirage. He continued on until the gleaming Ministry building of the Sahara was looming over him. The gates recognized him as an invited guest and opened as he approached. Several floating orbs of water danced through the air and he lifted his hand for one to come to him. He had his fill of water and continued on inside, not particularly interested in the meeting he was to attend. No, he was more interested in his plans for after.

"Right this way." A young wizard said, gesturing towards the board room. Albus nodded vaguely. The real reason he had needed an excuse to come all this way was none other than Gilderoy Lockhart. He had been keeping tabs on the once Ravenclaw student, knowing that one day he would be able to use the boy. This was not the way he had envisioned using such a prized wizard, but then, he had not planned on losing Harry Potter. With the restrictions that had been placed onto him following Rita Skeeter's accusations, agreeing to this meeting was the only way he could have been let out of England. He kept his comments short and to the point, all the while thinking of how he would get Lockhart to return to Hogwarts. Once the meeting had adjourned, he quickly made exit. He took the path that led back to the desert, as opposed to the one that led to the magical community.

"Where have you gotten off to?" he asked the emptiness. Lockhart had made quite a stir in the community a month ago, agreeing to go with Apiyo Akintola into Thinis to find the lost pharaoh's wand. Albus made a few hops though the desert until he came close to where the two would pass on their way home. He gingerly dusted off a rock next to the apparition point. He plucked a bottle of water from the replenishing bowl that was hidden in a nearby bush. Blue eyes were beginning to drift closed when finally, he heard the unmistakable pop of apparition, followed by two voices.

"You brought us to the wrong Point, Lauhc'art. We need to be three east. Nobody uses this one anymore." She said sharply, her accent thick.

"I'm aware my dear." Lockhart said flippantly, reaching for a water bottle next to the invisible Albus.

"How did you find wah'ter?" Apiyo asked, becoming suspicious. She knew the dangers of this Apparation point. It was unintentionally a dead end, and they would have to hike a good distance back to the previous ones. A journey that should not be made without supplies. Lockhart took his time getting his fill before sending a dazzling smile her way.

"Apiyo, Apiyo…I have to say that I will truly regret doing this. You see, I admire your intelligence. Not that it could ever match my own," he saw the dangerous glint in her eye and skillfully moved to a tactic he knew would work on Apiyo. ", or your sister's." There. For barely a fraction of a second was doubt in her eyes, and that was all that he needed. "Why did you even come on this trip? For the attention it would bring you?"

"No. I…" she began.

"Please spare me the boring details. Because, that is exactly what you did." Lockhart pulled his wand, doing a small motion off to the side, causing his eyes to appear as hypnotic swirls to Apiyo. "You wanted to steal the spotlight from your sister, because she refuses to share." He led.

"She is always taking credit for my work. This is something she knows notin' about. She could not steal this." Apiyo provided, under the influence of Lockhart's charm. Albus released his disguise, knowing that the girl would not longer see him, captivated by the genius of Lockhart's spell.

"But alas, you could not face the traps alone, and I saved you not once, but twice in the city of Thinis!" Apiyo nodded, looking away with shame of having to be saved like a damsel in distress. Lockhart smirked triumphant. He pointed his wand between her eyes. "Obliviate." He murmured silkily, plucking the actual events out as easy as one would take grapes from the vine. Apiyo swayed on her feet before hitting the sand hard.

"That was quite impressive." Lockhart whirled around, wand aimed at the intruder. Albus smiled at the threat, showing that he was not armed. "Quite the adventure you had, I look forward to the next book." He said, gesturing to the fallen witch.

"Do not make a mockery of me, I could rid you of your memories." Lockhart spat out, despite talking to the most powerful wizard he knew.

"I know." It was said simply, without malice or fear. Lockhart lowered his wand. "I find myself in need of a professor. Surely someone of your prestige would qualify?" Albus said lightly, a twinkle in his eyes. Lockhart looked down at his wand unsure. Lockhart's story could be heart breaking, if told with the right spin. Albus remembered the young Ravenclaw, ever so doted on by his mother, coming to Hogwarts and realizing he was just like everybody else. The strive for perfectionism nearly killed him in his quest to be the very best at everything he tried to do. All the while, the boy showed such a potential for greatness and above average magical power, but it was his own insecurities that got the best of him each time. This is the version that Albus kept in mind when speaking to Lockhart. It was not so far removed from the truth as to be unbelievable, but rather just close enough that one might think to check the accuracy at a later date, only to put it off as not being so important. "There would be the opportunity to regale a few Muggle aids with your stories, so you may become a legend in their world."

"I highly doubt that the half-bloods of England haven't already done so." Lockhart said haughtily.

"Ah yes, of course, but these Muggles are from America." Lockhart's blue eyes shone with glittered excitement. Albus mentally smirked, already knowing that the man would agree. It was time now to put his own deceit into motion. "Of course, I must warn you that their son is quite the trouble maker. Harry Winchester. I would be wary of the boy, and you will always have my backing if you find need to punish the boy. It would do good to have teachers who do not favor him, so he may see that he is merely disruptive, rather than the brilliant showman he believes himself to be."

"Of course, Headmaster." Gilderoy tried not to associate what was said about Harry with himself as a student, but just as Albus had planned, the worm had wiggled its way into Lockhart's brain, finding a home in obsession and deflection. There was a moan from behind them as Apiyo began to awake.

"Be well to remember your strengths, should anything happen during the school year. Winchester was at the center of quite the scandal last year when Voldemort infiltrated. Of course, the boy received no credit, for I saw in Severus' mind that it was in actuality Potter who had saved the day. I want you to keep an extra eye out for the boy."

"You mean protect him, Headmaster I don't…" Gilderoy's wand nearly slipped from his grasp. Albus smiled, knowing he had won.

"Of course, you can. Afterall no one can expect a regular twelve year old to survive such an ordeal alone." Albus said offhandedly as he walked further into the desert, pulling his portkey from his pocket. Gilderoy watched with bated breath as he popped away. When no law enforcement came to him in the following minutes he smiled. He fully understood what the Headmaster had been trying to say. This was his chance to gain even more glory than Harry Potter, the boy who hid away. Afterall, why shouldn't it be him? He was far better looking, far more advanced magically, and the greatest wizard to ever step foot in Hogwarts. Come September he would return to reclaim his position as best, and finally prove all his stuck up teachers that they were wrong about him. He levitated Apiyo onto his back, begin the trudge to the next apparition point, the blistering heat mostly deflected by her body. She coughed weakly, already feeling the signs of dehydration. He would have to hurry.

Afterall he only had until September to write his book.

LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LIN EBREAK

Sam and Dean had just returned from retrieving the supplies, telling Ellen that there had been no sighting of Jo. The woman had nodded tersely before beginning to construct shotgun rounds. Harry wished he did not have restrictions on his magic during the summer, thinking it would have been much easier to just spell the salt into the rounds than prying them open. Then again, he did not know how the others would react to him being a wizard. In fact, he had gone with their first suggestion of him being a psychic when they had begun to interrogate him. Harry noticed that Roger seemed very proficient at making the bullets, which had him wondering about the older man's past. He moved his station next to the man, smiling up at him. Roger got a faraway look in his eyes when looking at Harry, but it only lasted a moment. He turned back to his weapon, fumbling as if he had lost concentration. Roger paused drawing in a breath.

"Would you like to hear a fable about the first war?" he asked suddenly. Harry, who had never had stories read to him, nodded quickly in acceptance.

"There once was a woman, made entirely of flame. She was content on her own, but one day the night and day began to argue. They said to her, all of the world is split between the two of us, you disrupt the balance by choosing when to use your power." Roger picked up a red shotgun shell, placing it on top of a line of salt. He moved it slightly to represent the woman's words. "I don't quite understand. She told them. I am me, why must I choose?" Roger pulled out a tissue, placing in on one side of the line. "Because, said the day, that is the way it has always been. I have the bluebirds, the dogs and the beavers." Roger took his black handkerchief and placed it on the other side of the line. "And I, said the night, have the owls, the cats and the dead." Roger moved the bullet between the two sides continually as he continued his story. "The flame did not agree with this and still went about her day, and so the night and the day sent out their prized heirs, the sun and the moon to sway her."

"Why did they have to bother her so much?" Harry asked as Roger pulled out a penny and a quarter to represent the sun and the moon.

"Because they wanted to be right." He told Harry. Harry slowly nodded, remembering his conversation with Severus about war the first time he met the man. "Both the sun and the moon offered her companionship. She laughed with both for a few days, before she found herself beginning to enjoy the moon more. He barely lit up the darkness, allowing her to glow. She liked to think that he depended on her to light the way, and she quite liked that. The sun on the other hand was loud and brash, always surrounded by others who sought his warmth. She too offered warmth, but they shunned her, saying that the sun was much greater for he was the heir of the day. When she looked at him to defend her, he merely shrugged and continued on with his daily life."

"So, then she chose the moon, and the night, yeah?" Harry said, placing the bullet onto the black handkerchief. Roger shook his head, rolling the bullet in his hand.

"There came a twilight in which she was leaving the company of the sun to go visit the moon. The sun could take it no longer, and while he respected the flame, he could not longer let her be fooled. He grabbed her, ignoring the fact that it burned him more as his own power weakened with each second. What are you doing? She asked in alarm. For all of the time she spent with the moon, who claims to adore her, he had never risked touching her. No one ever had. Yet, here was the sun, throwing away his pride to hold her hand. Don't go. He begged her. The moon grew angry, yet still did not grab her hand to pull her towards him. Leave her alone, can't you see that she doesn't like you grabbing at her? The moon shouted. The flame did not know why but she felt her face form into anger and disappointment in how the moon had reacted. He hides it from you. All the ones you hurt when you venture with him. The sun said, pouring the rest of his energy into her so she may burn brighter without getting hotter. Trails from her walks with the moon were littered with the charred bodies of night animals." Harry's face scrunched in the typical fashion of a child trying to express an emotion they had never felt before. "The sun fell to his side, depleted, but still shakily raised the ring in his hand for her. I was protecting you. The moon argued at seeing her horrified expression. You could not see in the dark, so I distracted you, so you would not see what you had done. She grew into a tall pillar of rage, lighting up the whole forest, seeing the hundreds she had harmed. No! You distracted me, so I would not see what you had done. I thought I had to protect you from the darkness, but I was wrong. I can protect myself. She turned back to the sun, accepting the ring and helping him back to the park they enjoyed so they may rest."

"That's it. He tells her the moon is bad and she suddenly loves him? He didn't help her earlier." Harry complained.

"This because she didn't need help." Roger explained, looking in to Harry's core. "She was a warrior and the sun knew from the beginning. She realized it when she grew into the mighty pillar and was able to see everything from a new perspective. The sun did not defend her because she was not a damsel in distress. Even in the twilight he merely offers his light so that she may see what had happened and trusts her to make her own decision." He waited for Harry to acknowledge, before continuing the story. "When the moon told the night, what had happened." Roger swiftly picked up the handkerchief and snatched up the bullet and sun, startling Harry.

"What?! Why! She chose! That's what they wanted!" Harry cried in alarm.

"The night had planned all along to possess the flame, and when it did not happen, he snuffed it out. However," Roger's ring spun a bit as he dropped it onto the table. "she had left behind an ember, for you cannot truly put out a flame, only a flame may decide when to die out. The night was overconfident, and tried to stomp out the ember as well, not realizing it was the hottest part of a flame, meant to reignite. The ember burned the night horribly, and he fled, covered in stars. That is why now you can see the stars at night, and the moon during the day. They are still at war, constantly fighting over the ember, wanting to be the one to nurture it, hoping that it would bring the loyalty of the flame it produces. The day was also raising a new sun, a stronger one, a hotter one, with no regard to the creatures the old one had helped. The night was always attempting to shield his moon, fearing retaliation. The ember did not grow into flame again, at least not that they saw."

"So, it didn't matter then." Harry said dully. "She chose for no reason when she could have been free."

"You are correct, and that is why I told you this story, because I knew you would understand." Harry looked up curiously. "The flame should have kept to herself and been in control of those who deserved her warmth, and those who deserved to burn. It is why her ember will not make the same mistake." Roger grabbed his ring and placed it back on his finger. He sighed as he rubbed it gingerly. He patted Harry on the back, making sure that his ring made quick contact with the exposed skin of his neck before he walked off. Harry went back to making bullets, mulling over the story of the flame.

And so, the ember glowed a bit brighter.

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Dudley sighed as he placed his bag on the counter. His Mum was still at work, so he made himself a snack. Ever since his father's passing, he had not much of an appetite as before. He knew that it was nearly a year later, but he could still not let it go. He wanted to hate Harry, to hate the man, to hate anything, but mostly it was emptiness. He could tell now, that his father may not have been the best man, but he still loved him. Of course, he had told Albus to thank Harry, and at the time he hadn't been really sure for what, but now he did. Dudley had been hiding parts of himself for years, wanting to please his father. He had always been afraid that one mistake and he would be treated the same as Harry. It made him paranoid, it was anxiety inducing it was…Dudley paused gripping the counter. He went to a special tutor now, for his dyslexia. He wondered if Harry had known about it, and that is why he agreed to do his homework for him. Yes, he had bullied Harry in the past, maybe a bit too much so that his father would give him a pat on the back and a laugh. Deep down though, Harry was just another boy like him. Wasn't he? Yes, he had frea- different magic powers. He had stopped trying to call it freaky, since he knew that his dad would have called his new hobby freaky as well. There was a short knock on his door. He placed his plate in the sink and went to open it.

"Hello, Amy." He greeted, inviting in his guest. Amy also lived in the apartment and was his dance partner at the afterschool program. She was two years younger than him, but he still liked her very much.

"Dudley. Dudley, I have to show you something." She said urgently, brown eyes wide as she started digging through her bag. She pulled out a small music box that looked worn with age. Amy lifted up the lid, and Dudley was confused, as the little ballerina inside was broken in a way that made her look slumped over. He inspected the face, thinking maybe Amy liked it because it had auburn hair and brown eyes like she did.

"Er, it's nice." He said with a smile. "Very pretty." Amy rolled her eyes before closing them, both hands on the box. The ballerina straightened and began to spin, a simple melody coming out. "You're a witch!" he said suddenly, recognizing the magic for what it was. The ballerina began to spin dangerously fast, the melody turning it a low pitched whine as Amy glared at Dudley.

"Why would you say something so rude." She accused. Dudley watched the music box wearily as it became more dangerous. "I thought you were my friend Dudley." Tears pricked the corner of her eyes.

"I am your friend!" he said loudly, reaching to touch her hand. Instantly the he could feel something, like a hot stream of lava. The music box stopped dead in its tracks. Amy pulled away in alarm, having felt as if Dudley had placed a cold clamp around her hand. The music box fell to the floor and she ignored it, grabbing her bag and rushing out, the door slamming behind her. Dudley scrambled after her, but by the time he reached the hall she was nowhere to be seen. He sadly closed the door, before punching at the air about how stupid he had been. He fell to his knees in the middle of the living room. Why did he feel stupid? His father's voice in the back of his head said it was because he had taken a liking to a witch who had fooled him in to believing she wasn't a freak. He tried to shove it away as he always did when a bad thought came to mind. He didn't want to be his father, not anymore. No, he felt stupid because he wasn't delicate with the situation. His mother was teaching him that words held impact. But it was Amy's fault anyway, wasn't it? Her stupid freaky brain didn't even know what she was. He shook his head as if he trying to toss the thought out. It was in this same position that Petunia found her son a half hour later.

"Dudders!" she called out, kneeling beside him and cradling his head in her hands. He was having another attack. "Dudders, please. What happened?"

"Ammyy…" he whimpered, tears rolling down his face. Petunia's gaze grew sharp. If that girl had done anything to physically hurt her son, Seraphina would be hearing from her. "She's got…."

"What's she got?" Petunia asked suddenly concerned. Had the girl fallen ill? He knew that Dudley rather liked the girl and knew bad news would upset him.

"She's got magic." He said between sobs. Petunia felt her blood turn to ice. She ignored the faint tremble of her own hands as she held her son steady, looking into his face.

"It's okay, darling. It's okay." she soothed. Of course, did she truly think they could just cut ties with the magical world so easily? It was inevitable that it find them again. Afterall, they were magical too. "It's…Mummy won't ever let anything happen to you." She said, pulling him close.

"Mum?" he said with a wavering voice, not understanding the darker edge to her voice. By God, Dudley was the only thing she had left. Nobody would hurt her Dudders, not a single witch or wizard could stop her. She would drain thousands of their core if she had to. She should have drained Lily as soon as she found out. She should have extinguished her like a flame. "Mum?" Dudley said again a bit panicked. No one would ever hurt her again. She pulled herself up from the water she felt she had been drowning in for so many years and decided to stand utop it. Her mind felt clear for the first time in months, as if she was seeing her reflection in a tranquil pond. She released Dudley, stroking his face tenderly.

"How about some dinner?"

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Sam and Ellen slowly walked through the town, armed with shotguns. Sam's face was set into a deep frown, having left right after an argument with Dean. His older brother had moodily gone over to sit with Harry. He shook his head, scanning a road before they crossed it. Ellen stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"You alright?" she asked. She cared for the boy obviously, but she could also not afford to have Sam distracted, not when her daughter's life was at stake.

"I'm fine." He insisted. Afterall, he wasn't the one who thought he needed to put himself in danger to make up for something that wasn't his fault. Harry was struggling, and here he was whining about his own problems to Dean.

"What happened? Between you and Dean?" Ellen asked, knowing Sam was not being truthful. "A girl come between you?" Sam's mind flashed to Severus and then the cavern, followed by the pillar of white light.

"Something like that." He relented. He pointed to a house a few over. "Smoke."

"Huh." She said. "Demons don't get cold…. what do you think they're burning?" she asked. Sam spent a long minute staring at the smoke curl up into the sky. She was right of course. He looked back over the street, to the various empty cars and random blood spots.

"I…" Sam swallowed thickly. "The only dead bodies I've seen since I got here were the two demons I killed in the store." He realized. Ellen's eyes grew wide. She gripped her gun a bit tighter, walking towards the building with determination. Sam followed, hugging the hedges as the got onto the property. It was a two story home, with a nice wooden fence around it. Lawn ornaments littered the yard, pristine despite the events in town. They crept closer, trying to peek into windows as they passed them. Sam froze as he heard a creak behind him. He whirled around in time to clash weapons with Rufus.

"Sam!" Ellen called out, rushing back to his aid, only to be attacked by Jo. Her daughter shoved her against the side of the house, using her shotgun against her. Ellen felt panic threaten to rise as she saw Jo's eyes. They were completely black. Sam pushed Rufus away, causing the man to crash into some nearby bushes.

"Give me back my mother, you black eyed bitch!" Jo screamed, righteous anger in her voice. Ellen couldn't fight back. She thought she would be above letting love stand in the way of a hunt, but she was wrong. Jo meant everything to her. She could not imagine her life without her daughter. Jo was ripped away from her as Sam tackled the girl.

"RUN!" he shouted to Ellen. Rufus jumped onto Sam's back as the man stood. Jo took a fallen weapon and hit Sam in the gut, causing him to double over. Ellen fled, calling herself a coward with each step. She burst through the door of the church, out of breath and whirled back to defend the door. The seconds felt like an eternity as she stayed in the kneeling firing position. Ellen released a breath, standing up and looking out the peep hole to see an empty stoop. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her emotions at bay, but in the end rested her head against the door and allowed herself to cry. Her tears splashed onto the wooden floor silently.

"Oh, Jo…"

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Tonks fired spell after spell, ducking to avoid a sickly yellow one aimed her way. While she was undercover, she quickly transformed into a different version of herself, continuing to run through the alley way. A large gate approached, and she could hear hounds behind her. Effortlessly she cast a weightlessness charm at herself as she jumped, grabbing onto the top of the gate to stop from floating away. The charm was cancelled, and she finished her flip over the gate, ducking into the main street. She grinned triumphantly, before crying out as she tripped over a pigeon and fell into the street. Tonks grumbled at the unfairness as the projection fell away. The door opened, revealing her instructor.

"We are going to do one more test. Not related to your training, but rater your ability." Tonks' brow furrowed a bit.

"Did you ask Mad Eye?" she asked. She was always hesitant to be tested for her ability. Mad Eye had told her that it could be easy for someone to take advantage of her gift. She especially knew that now that she had been possessed by Lilith. "No." she decided for herself. "Let me out." She demanded, heading for the door. It was quickly slammed shut, melding back into the wall. The automatic attacker, as the students called it, appeared in the room. It was usually used in order to test cloaking abilities, and as such a person had to make themselves not look like the intended target in order to pass. She rolled her eyes at this, as it merely took changing her eyes and hair to fool the automatic attacker.

"The Automatic Attacker has been reset to attack everything except the intended target." A voice announced through the walls. It was deep and smooth, not like her instructor at all. Tonks gripped her wand tighter. "We have set it to someone that you know. And believe me, we know everyone that you do. It would be in your best interest to figure it out." Tonks saw a purple light from the corner of her eye and ducked, the spell barely missing her. Tonks stood taller, shooting spells back. He ignored her fatigue from her test, blocking and dodging to the best of her ability. "Come now Nymphadora." The voice cooed mockingly. Her hair turned red, the Auto Attacker pausing for a moment to rescan her. It then continued its assault. She laughed at it, knowing the highest setting was easy for her. A slight hiss behind her brought her attention. Another Attacker had appeared. She whirled around as she heard two more hisses. She was beginning to get tired. "Who, oh who could it be?" the voice taunted. Tonks turned her hair green, giving her a second of reprise.

"HELP!" she screamed out. Another spell was fired, grazing her arm. She hissed as her skin burned. "Somebody help!" she cried again. No one could hear her. Or so it seemed. There were in fact several ministry officials trying to get into the room, as well as the control center, but it seemed as it had been welded shut. The panel of testers that had been watching their classmate take her turn on the Spy o' Screen were horrified. When it became clear that she could hold off the Attackers with small reprieve, the floor opened into water. She tried to shoot a water freeing charm below her feet, but it happened too quick and she fell in, loosing her wand. She changed into one of her classmates on instinct, needing the second of reprise.

"One down, oh about two hundred to go. It would be in your best interest to guess my dear, perhaps I will return the floor, if you do so." Tonks, shifted through colors like a chameleon, throwing off the scans. She dove for her wand, coming up with a gasp. She changed colors again, but the Attackers did not pause this time. "Seems you've run out of combinations, my dear."

Outside the room, a gathering had begun to take place, watching the Spy o Screen with rapt attention. It was horrifying to watch as Tonks began to cycle through the people that she knew. First came Mad Eye, then Kingsley, the minister, their instructor…and the Attackers continued to advance. One by one the teachers of Hogwarts were beginning to drown, crying out for help. A woman cried out as she saw herself coughing up water. A young Draco Malfoy was next, blonde hair plastered to his head, followed by a black haired boy with blue eyes.

Tonks gasped as she changed again, feeling it drain her muscles of power. She did not know how much longer she could tread water. Her eyes were scanning all around her, to the white walls, to the colored beams of light. She then turned back into herself and allowed herself to start sinking. Whoever was doing this was doing it for her ability, or for her knowledge of someone they wanted. They would not let her die. She was sure of it. Her wand drifted out of her hand as she struggled to stay conscious. Then she felt it, as if something had brushed past her. Her neon green eyes snapped open as she landed on the bottom of the room. That something felt familiar. The room drained itself in an instant, revealing a white haired specter, barely conscious on the floor.

The Attackers stopped.

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Sam awoke slowly, becoming alert as he found he could not move. He was tied to a chair in what he could imagine was the demon's home base. The door in front of him clicked slightly as Rufus and Jo entered. They glared at him with black eyes.

"Guys…" he tried to reason, hoping his friends could fight the demonic influence. His words froze on his tongue as he saw Jo pull out a bottle of holy water from a nearby cabinet. Rufus took a can of salt from his jacket pocket.

"No use trying to trick us." Rufus said, Jo poured water onto Sam, causing him to splutter, but not smoke. Jo stared at the black eyed Sam in confusion.

"Rufus?" she asked uncertainly. She had never heard of a demon not being affected by holy water. Rufus got a grim look on his face and stepped forward into the devil's trap in order to yank Sam's head back. Sam coughed and struggled as salt was poured down his throat. He managed to wrench his head away, watching in awe as Rufus walked out of the devil's trap without an issue.

"Stop, look something isn't right." Sam pleaded as Rufus ruffled through the cabinets. He looked back at Jo, noticing a figure in the hall just over her shoulder. "Roger?" he whispered to himself.

"Excosismus te. Excosismus te…" Rufus began, motioning Jo to pour holy water on Sam. Sam shook his head violently as Rufus grabbed his jaw, forcing the mouth open.

"No, please no! Stop!"

HS HS HS

"Where's Sam?" Dean asked, upon seeing Ellen's stricken face. Ellen shook her head. "Where is he?" Dean demanded, shocking the others in the room. He would not lose any family. He couldn't. He wouldn't survive on his own.

"They attacked us at base camp. Jo and Rufus." Dean grabbed the nearest shotgun heading for the door. He only stopped when he heard footsteps running to catch up to him. Harry huffed as he came to a stop next to Dean, shotgun held tightly in his small hands. Dean was thrown back to a memory of long ago. Harry's image wavered between the wizard and a young Dean. Dean looked up to all the people who were counting on him, not noticing that Roger was missing. He shut the door, walking back the table and taking a seat.

"What happened?" he asked Ellen softly.

"We found their base camp, thought it was bit strange that they had a fire going, so we went closer to investigate. Jo and Rufus attacked us. Jo, she…attacked me and said the most unlikely thing to me."

"Well, it's not Jo. It's bound to not seem like her." Dean reminded Ellen. Ellen shook her head, looking at Dean in the eyes.

"She called me a black eyed bitch."

HS HS HS

The door creaked as Roger entered the room, looking at Sam with fake pity. Sam glared back, fighting against his restraints. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Easy now." Roger said, grabbing a chair and sitting across from Sam. "Just wanted to see how things were going on the other side. Like to play both you know." Roger said with a chuckle. Sam looked at the man carefully, noting how dead the eyes looked, but they were not black.

"What are you?" Sam asked carefully. Roger grinned widely. He had heard that Sam was the smart one. His grin faltered when he remembered Harry. No one had mentioned the young vessel. He tossed the idea aside, as it was better to simply shapeshift rather than be confined to a meat suit.

"Here's a hint. I was in Germany, then in Germany…then the Middle East. I'm waiting to hook up with my siblings, of which I have three."

"War." Sam said concretely, mouth a thin line. War winked at him to let him know he was right. "You're doing this. There isn't anything supernatural going on here, is there?"

"Ah! Wouldn't say that. Are there demons? Only the one hiding in the boy." War said slyly. Sam no longer doubted the man's power. It seemed it was not even a man. A titan rather, sent to prepare the world for the end. "And yet, he is the one least inclined to violence, makes you wonder about your fellow man, doesn't it?"

"No, they are fighting, because they think their lives are in danger." Sam countered. War shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

"When aren't their pathetic mortal lives in danger?" War asked. "Is that why you drank all that demon's blood? Preparing for the future? Because you were in danger?" Sam looked away, opening his mouth to reply, but was cut off. "Spare me the excuses. You humans don't need an excuse…you just like to hide behind one. All I did was give the people of this sleepy little town an excuse."

"I'm going to kill you myself." Sam vowed. War threw back his head and laughed deeply, unnerving Sam.

"You?" he chuckled. "Only a fire can put me out, bud. The only thing I see in you is…. blood…. blood…. blood…blood, blood, blood, bloodbloodbloodbloodblood-"

"Cut it out!" Sam shouted. He would admit, he had thought about it when the blood had been glittering on his blade. What had happened to being glad that he was saved and cleansed? There was no doubt that Dean would be talking to Severus, banning his consumption of potions as well.

"You want to be stronger, well let me tell you something," War hissed out as he stood, kicking over the chair. "Strength comes from here." War pounded on his chest. "Your own blood, your own soul your own heart." The last word was said as if it were foreign, escaping his lips as a harsh whisper. "The reason I thrive, is due to people like you. Those who want to prove something to others. Those who want all the means of power at their disposal. I will always be strong, because humanity will always be weak." He twisted his ring, blood running down his face. He gave a shout, alerting Rufus and Jo. Sam could only stutter out half made sentences as War put on a show, a devilish grin on his face when the two humans had their backs turned to him. "I'm going to go see if I can find their base camp. Don't let him escape."

"No…" Sam protested thinking of the innocent people in the church. He could only hope that Dean had been able to come to the same conclusion as him, otherwise they were all in danger. Including, Harry. The only actual demon around. War smiled as if he were reading his mind. "No! Have them all turn on me instead. Leave him out of it!" Sam begged. War moved towards the door.

"His destiny is already foretold."

HS HS HS

"That's it, isn't it?" Dean said as he pointed a passage out to Ellen in the bible. He had learned that everything had gone haywire in the small town the morning that they had found their water to be contaminated. Austin had mentioned seeing what seemed to be a fallen star the night before, and with these two clues, Harry had sprouted out a simple sentence.

"The Four Horsemen." He had said dutifully, as he had when grilled by Dudley for his religious studies. Harry knew the entirety of the bible, of course not having believed a word of it until he met Cas. Dean had finally found the section that he wanted, and Ellen read it out to everyone in a shaky voice.

"And there fell a great star from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell upon the river, and the name of the star was Wormwood. And many men died."

"Revelation eight ten." The priest said with a nod.

"Artemisa absinthium." Harry said with a gasp, remembering a lesson from Severus. Ellen looked between Harry, Dean and the priest.

"Artemis, like the goddess of hunting?" she asked. Dean's eyes lit up.

"Say, padre, which horseman rides a red mustang?" Dean asked in a serious tone. Everyone in the room remembered the shiny red car that had rolled into town before the killing's began. The priest swallowed thickly.

"War," he muttered. There was a sudden clamoring at the door.

"Hey, it's me Roger. Let me in! Please!" he pleaded from the other side of the door. Before Dean could advise against it, the priest had opened it, bringing in a bloodied and battered Roger.

"Where have you been?" Dean demanded.

"I thought someone ought to check out their base! There're loads of them, demons. The found me listening in on their plan to attack tonight. It may be too late. They might do it right now, since they saw me." Roger blabbered on. Harry was looking at the man strangely, but no one paid the child any mind. "We need to get them, before they get us." He told them, grabbing the nearest weapon and moving back to the door. Dean stopped the man in his tracks, grabbing the center of the shotgun with a single hand. Roger tried to jerk it away, but Dean's grip did not waver.

"There are no demons. Calm down." He said strictly, yanking the weapon away. Roger stepped closer.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked lowly, eyes shifting to Harry. Dean grabbed Roger by the front of his shirt.

"You better stop running your mouth." He growled, not noticing Roger twist his ring.

"Ah! Demon! He's a demon!" Roger shouted, pushing Dean away. The rest of the group gasped in alarm when Dean turned to them with black eyes. Ellen looked between Dean and the group when they all backed away from what appeared to be a normal human to her.

"E-Ellen too!" The pregnant woman cried, pointing to the black eyed woman. Austin raised his shotgun, leveling it at the two.

"No!" Harry cried out as the bullet was fired. War watched with muted satisfaction as Harry's powers made the bullet divert at the last moment, blasting a hole into the wall rather than his adoptive father.

"Harry, let's go!" Dean shouted, as he shoved Ellen out the door. War caught Harry's arm as he made to follow. The rest of the group aimed at Dean. Dean cursed under his breath as he was forced to flee without Harry.

"DAD!"

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Luna swayed as she walked around her home, hoping to find something to entertain herself with. She took a turn down an empty hall that led to the back garden. She froze midspin, silver eyes locked onto a door that she had never seen before. She sat on the floor, thinking it would go away if she detached herself. It still stood, the crystal doorknob glinting as soft sunlight fell upon it. Xenophilius found his daughter standing on her head in the hall sometime later, her face turning pink as she held her breath.

"A game of Demiguise?" he asked her with a laugh.

"There's a door." She said flatly, revealing clear focused eyes when she looked up to her father. Xeno then noticed what his daughter had discovered. She stood, emboldened now that her father was with her and could also see the door. Luna reached forward and grabbed ahold of the door, pulling it open. She stepped through, despite her father's protest.

It was quite the ordinary room. Wooden floor, like the rest of the home. A single window that showed the view outside even though it was in the center of the house. Luna stepped lightly, feeling as if she were floating, even though she was not hiding away from her abilities. Her lilac fingernails dragged lightly across a workbench, not picking up even a spec of dust. Plants sat on the tables and cabinets around the room. Sketches of creatures that only she and her father knew of were stuck onto the walls.

"Luna…" Xeno said, not needing to look around the room to know what it was.

"Familiar…" she said softly to herself. "Why is this so familiar?" she asked. Xeno did not respond, knowing that she was not asking him, but rather herself. He watched as Luna moved her head as if she were watching something, calculating and analyzing, and he was sure that she was. A memory that she had locked away. "Something I used to know." Xeno carefully sat on a nearby bench, curious as to what Luna was beginning to act out. While he did not have abilities, he knew exactly what Luna had to be seeing. Which was her mother's death, two years prior. Luna laughed mechanically, as if she were doing a first run of a play, looking upwards as if she were surveying another person. Xeno stood, hand passing through the empty space that had held his wife years ago. Tears pricked in his eyes, and he could not even take comfort in his daughter, who at the moment could not even see him.

"Oh Pandora…" Luna's head jerked to the wall were a large empty portion was, which Xeno noted was the Crumple Horned Snorkack Horn that had been destroyed when Pandora's spell backfired. He missed Luna's surprised look in the direction of the nonexistent Pandora before she fell flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling. From her point of view Luna quickly turned onto her side, not liking the tingling feeling that she had learned to control soon after. Her mother had been struck down. That was all there was to it. Luna did not have the chance to believe that perhaps she would be okay or recover. She, at eight, had known her mother's fate without a doubt, making her believe that the Knowledge was a curse, and promptly locking away anything to do with it as her father burst in and scooped her up in his arms, asking about his wife.

"I'm sorry." Luna whispered to her father. Xeno hugged his daughter close, knowing that her ability could overwhelm her at times. "It wasn't the spell." She continued.

"What?" he asked in surprise, thinking that perhaps there was a danger he would need to protect his young girl from. Luna's silver eyes pierced her father's.

"It was me."

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Austin was loading up the last of the shotguns with untampered rounds. War looked to him in feigned confusion.

"Those are real." Austin gave a snort of impatience.

"As if I'm going to believe anything, they told us. They were demons the whole time." Austin muttered, causing War to grin. "We should get rid of the kid before we leave. We can't trust-"

"You will not touch the boy." War ground out. Austin looked up suspiciously. "We can't blame him for not knowing when he knows the way out of town." War amended. The man nodded in reluctant agreement. War looked over to Harry who had secluded himself in the back corner of the room. He looked so small and defeated. War rolled his shoulders back, walking towards him. It was time to stoke the fire.

Harry was not surprised when he saw Roger's feet in his view. He had not been sulking, as the others had thought, but rather thinking. There was no possible way that Dean could have been taken by a demon. He had an anti-possession tattoo. He had of course on instinct more than anything checked to see if it somehow was true. He knew that Dean had seen the black invade his eyes, and yet Dean had not looked any different to him. Which made him believe that maybe there was no demons as Dean had said. War? The horseman, here? Yes, it seemed so. He looked up to Roger's face.

"Hey kid, how you holding up?" he asked.

"Fine." Harry answered shortly. It was falling to him to solve this mystery. "You said you found their base?" Harry asked, standing. He did not see the approving glint in War's eyes.

"Yes, everyone is getting ready to fight." War said gesturing to the others. All the adults were standing by the door nervously.

"No one is fighting." Harry said confidently, looking at the group. War faltered at this. He figured that Harry would have wanted to stage a counter attack in order to save his family. It seemed the Winchesters were not as close as he had thought. "I am going to get you out and you are taking her," he pointed to the pregnant woman. "To the hospital."

"What about your family?" War urged, trying to influence the boy. Harry tried to not give away the little pieces he was slowly putting together. Roger was not who he seemed, that was for sure. Jo and Rufus had been overtaken by the so called demons, there was no way a normal man would have found the base and escaped after hearing information. Demons were fast, demons were strong, and demons didn't leave loose ends.

"You'll help me? Won't you?" he asked, pleading blue eyes looking at Roger. War cast a quick glance to the group, knowing he couldn't refuse in front of them. He would have to change his plan. A sudden spark of genius came to him, and he would use that same spark to light Harry to his potential. It was almost too simple. He had not been lying when he told Sam only fire could stop a war. Afterall, a war was over when there was a victor.

"Of course." He said with sincerity. He would help the boy to the base and then pretend to die, forcing the child to kill them all or risk being killed.

"Why are we letting a mere child make such vast decisions?" The priest asked with concern. "We should be protecting him, sheltering him with God after the devil took his father away." Harry drew himself up to his full height, which was not much, but it made him feel more in control of himself.

"My life is already ruined by war. That child's is not. Save it." Harry said to them. The pregnant woman rushed forward, forcing herself to kneel so she could hug Harry. She started to sob.

"Please, if we make it. I want to honor you, for saving my baby." She said. Harry was taken aback by the declaration. It seemed a whole year in the wizarding world had not made him accustomed to being seen in a higher light. He was much too young to have babies named after him. And being as young as he was, he did not think of the potential drawbacks of his next words.

"James, or Lily. They…died…so that I could grow up. Please." The last word left his mouth broken. The woman nodded.

"Anna Wittmore, if you get a chance to visit the hospital." She said with a small sad smile. He nodded.

"We should get going." He told them all. He hoped they would not encounter any enemies, not realizing they were preparing for a war that was not to happen.

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The demon possessing Taleven carefully locked away his wand, removing everything from the room that could kill his human host. For a long moment he looked into the mirror. The child had been missing for six months and not a single soul had come looking for him. Had he not parents? Did the shifter not harbor any sentiment to him? Was he not adored enough by his instructors?

"Well, Darrick. Why has no one come looking for you?" He asked the reflection. He would not say that he sympathized with his host. Only that he could relate. "I am prepared to offer you a deal of sorts. Your body for your soul. I will send the pitiful thing out into the world where you will most likely be taken in by a reaper, or not. In return you consent to giving your meatsuit to me."

"No one person has looked for me?" Darrick asked in a quite voice. His hands came up to his throat in surprise. They were forced back down to his side as the demon resumed control.

"Not a single one. You risked your life to save the shifter, and in return you were forgotten."

"You're wrong. You must be." Darrick argued. Looking around, he noticed no warding of any kind. His shoulder's sagged. "I agree." He whispered. He was tired of seeing the horrible things that the demon did. And he always saw. The demon assured it. The demon grinned using his face and it suddenly felt as if he were on a separate plane of existence. He looked in alarm at his silvery white body. The demon and his actual body completed a triangle. In the very center was a glowing ball. The demon stared at it curiously. This had never happened before. Darrick knew exactly what it was though.

"Darrick Taleven, do you consent to your body being used as a vessel to a creature of darkness?" The demon asked, voice grating in the vast emptiness. Darrick stared at the glowing ball a bit longer. The demon wanted to tell him to hurry up, but he could not speak until the human did, lest he have to restart.

"No." Darrick said, raising a hand. The glowing ball flew to him, entering his ghostly body easily.

"WHAT?!" the demon snarled. He looked between the now glowing ghost and the meat suit. He could make a grab for it. Steal it away and deal with the brat in his mind at a later date. The demon charged towards the body, relying on its speed. It was taken aback then, when Darrick appeared in front of his body, the ghostly hands pushing harshly at the demon's chest.

"I'm not sharing either." He declared, showing exactly why he was an Auror Candidate. "Begone!" he shouted, throwing wild magic towards the dark creature. The demon laughed as he dodged.

"I will never let you out of here. Let your body rot away in a hotel room for all I care." The demon hissed. Darrick considered his next move. He was aware of the demon trying to find a way past him to his flesh and blood body.

"Well, if I'm to be trapped here, wouldn't want to room with a pest." The demon laughed, echoing through the nothingness. It attacked again, but Darrick was ready. He wanted to go home. The two clashed repeatedly, Darrick using instinct with his pure magic. While he did land a few good hits, he knew he would never be able to beat the beast. He cried out as he was knocked back. Beneath his hand the triangular rune that they had been standing in began to glow, showing Darrick the layout.

"Just give it up, the offer still stands." The demon said as he stalked towards Darrick. The Auror to be scanned the rune before releasing a breath. He swelled up his magic, every part of it, blocks placed long ago breaking. He released the ball of magic, letting it fly past the demon. Darrick scrambled up to the far point of the triangle. The demon stopped in confusion, wondering what target he should go after.

"I think I will be the one to make a deal now." Darrick said. The demon tried to walk towards him, only to find he was stuck in the center of the triangle. "I will allow you to live, trapped in my body, and my command. No more hurting others."

"And what makes you think I would agree to this?" The demon asked. Darrick bit his lip.

"It would give you a name." he said at last. "Yeah I noticed. You always used my name." The demon paused. A name? Anger stated to seep away from the monster. Not even Madam Lilith had offered him a name.

"What use is a name, if I am trapped?" Darrick smiled at the demon. His minor as an Interrogator was paying off.

"How about we reconsider the offer? I have access to your powers, and at times I will let you roam, as long as you do not actively hurt people. As much as I hate it, you may gather information not directly related to me or the ministry, make your deals or whatever, as long as I know so that the good guys have a chance to stop it."

"And what might you name me?"

"Bishara." Darrick said confidently, the name rolling off his tongue. The demon rolled the name around in his head, before nodding.

"Deal." Bishara agreed, extending a hand. Darrick grinned in victory, both his ghostly self and his body extending their hands. A beam from the ball of magic shot out, intertwining their hands. Bishara merely sat down in the nothingness as the three others went back to the real world. And even though he would have waited ten years to possess a magical being, agreeing to be enslaved had benefits.

Afterall, now he only had to wait five.

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"Here it is," Harry said, showing the others the broken bridge. "You can only get across if you trust me when I tell you that you won't fall." The group looked at Harry with varying degrees of trust and suspicion. The priest seemed as if he was having an epiphany as he looked at Harry closer.

"You aren't merely a psychic, are you?" He asked. Harry allowed his eyes to glow, hoping it would get the priest to listen to him. Anna pulled away from the group, not needing any more confirmation. She walked towards the edge, despite the others crying out for her to stop. The priest joined her just as they stepped onto the nothingness. The priest made a sound of amazement, looking back at Harry. Anna did not stop though. She needed to get to the other side, her baby depended on it. Anna was the first to make it across. The priest stopped in the middle, encouraging the others to pass over. Slowly, one by one they began to cross. Harry merely smiled at the priest as he looked back once more before completing the crossing himself.

"What are we going to do now?" War asked. Harry glanced at him, but began to walk towards the base, still trying to think of a plan. He knew that Roger had something to do with it. Could the man next to him really be the embodiment of War?

"We need to save everyone here." Harry said. He had defeated Voldemort, but War was a much bigger fish to fry. How was he supposed to fight someone much more powerful than him? "There are no demons." Harry said at last, thinking he could maybe get War off his game.

"What do you mean?" War asked. They were in front of the base, slightly hidden by the shrub. All he had to do was step off to the side and pretend to die. What he was not expecting was for Harry to take a page from the fable he had told him. War looked back at Harry after inspecting the house to see his eyes glowing a bright blue. The small boy charged forward and was able to get in one good hit before War was able to react properly. He slammed Harry back.

From the windows of the house the newly liberated Sam called out for the others to look outside. Jo and Rufus had been cured of their hallucinations by Ellen and Dean, and now watched horrified as a boy as small as Harry fought a grown man. A shot rang out from a story below, barely missing Harry. Rufus ran from the room, calling out for everyone to lay down arms. Sam and Dean looked to each other and nodded. They took a few steps back from the window, throwing a chair through it. War looked up for a second, giving Harry a chance to hide in a nearby shrub to regain his breath. Harry let his angel powers dim away, seeing as they were not doing much to help him. As War looked over to the house to see that they were all beginning to mobilize against him, he reached towards his ring. Harry suddenly felt relieved.

A glint of gold? That he could catch. His let his fledgling wings sprout. War twisted the ring, frowning with Jo and Sam did not turn on each other. His body jerked violently as Ellen and Dean fired from a different vantage point. Rufus emerged from behind War, blocking his way out. War slowly worked his ring off. Harry prepared to take off. He got a hesitant start as War began to grow and shift.

"Stop shooting!" Harry shouted as he sped forward. He reached for the ring but was knocked away at the last second. However, blocking Harry cost War the ring, and it fell from his hands. As he lunged to recapture it, Dean and Sam bowled into him from two sides, Jo diving to catch the ring.

"Pathetic!" War cried as he flung the Winchester brothers off him. Jo scurried back, Rufus and Ellen forming a block in front of her.

"Throw it." Harry yelled. "As far as you can!" Harry figured they would need to actually destroy the ring to get rid of the monster. Jo, being grateful more than ever that she had played softball for eleven years, launched the ring away from War, and Harry flew after it. He thought about what he could do to destroy it, but no sooner than the ring had touched his flesh that War was gone. Harry fell to the ground but dared not let go of the ring. Dean and Sam surveyed the area but saw no sight of War. Ellen wasted no time pulling Harry into a strong hug, checking him over for injuries. Besides a few scrapes Harry was for the most part fine. He winced harshly as he stood.

"What's the matter, what hurts?" Dean asked rapidly, surprising Ellen and Rufus. They had never seen Dean be so tender and concerned, not since he and Sam were young boys. Harry's blue eyes filled with tears that streamed down his face.

"My wing, Dad…" Harry's voice cracked as a hiccupped sob broke from his lips. "I can't move it." The color drained from Dean's face. He didn't know how to fix it.

"Oh, sweetie, did I hurt it?" she asked, half confused, half concerned. As was obvious, none of the people around could see Harry's wings. More, not any of them could touch it, save for Dean, whom Harry had identified as his human father. Harry shook his head in response to Ellen.

"Dad?" Harry asked, turning. Dean placed a hand out, feeling the soft feathers that he could not see. There was a kink in the wing near the top.

"I-I don't know bud." Dean said. "Just try to relax it until we can get Cas okay?" Harry nodded miserably. He held up his small fist.

"What about the ring?" Harry asked. Dean considered it. From his experience, destroying things more often than not brought along more problems. He was reluctant to take it as well, as it had only stopped War when Harry had made contact. Dean felt a pit grow in his stomach. Harry already had a piece of corrupted soul hanging around his neck, but he could see no other choice.

"You'll have to wear it, until we find out how you made him go away and Jo didn't." Dean said apologetically. Harry opened his palm, looking at the golden ring. It looked much too big in his small hand. Harry slipped it over his thumb, and it shrunk immediately to fit snugly. "Do you feel any different?" Dean asked. Harry shook his head, feeling exactly the same.

The piece of Voldemort however, felt stronger.

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Lucifer looked around Nick's, certain that everything of value had been brought to a secret storage room. The only thing left was the single box of baby stuff in the middle of an empty kitchen. The wizard in the bedroom upstairs was a different story. No doubt they had thought to come looking for him soon. In the end he wrote a simple note, pretending to be a different wizard who had saved Nick and taken him away to be safe from any more Dark Wizards. Lucifer grabbed the box of baby stuff and left the house. He reappeared several hundred miles away.

"One room please." He told the man at the front desk. The man looked up to ask the payment method but fell silent at the sight of glowing red eyes. Almost as if mind controlled, he reached behind him and grabbed the keys to the best suite. Lucifer took it with a wink and made his way to his room. Once there he placed the box next to his bed. "Alright Sammy boy. Where are you?" Lucifer sat on the bed, cross legged, focusing in on the humans of the world. He shook his head in disgust as only images of Sarah and her son flitted through his mind. It seemed he had a lot to unpack form his host before he could truly make the body his. Lucifer glanced at the clock. He guessed a few hours wouldn't hurt in his search for his true host. "Very well Nick, what have you got rattling around in here." He asked the nonexistent man.

While nothing could match the pain of God's betrayal, Nick's memories came close.

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Dean sighed as he looked at the golden ring that now adorned his son's left hand. Harry had fallen asleep soon after the battle, lying on his stomach to avoid more injury to his wing. Sam noticed his speculative look and sat next to his brother, offering him a beer. The lights in the run down motel they were in buzzed in the silence.

"Why does it always seem to be him?" Dean asked quietly, watching the rise and fall of Harry's chest.

"Wonder if he would still be getting into all this if we hadn't tacked on the cursed Winchester name to him." Sam said, trying to lighten the mood. Dean cracked a small grin. He was just so young. "Dean…"

"Let's not." Dean interrupted. He knew what was coming in a sense. He had been foolish to think that his family would be safe with him. Their family was so much bigger than the three of them. It was safety in numbers that had allowed them to survive for so long.

"This is important." Sam whispered out, looking down at his beer. "I know you don't trust me." Dean looked away to avoid either denying or confirming. "Just…the thing is. I don't trust me either. War was right in that room. I didn't want him to be, but he got right into my head. And I…" Sam's voice cracked as he became overcome with emotion. "I want it to be for the right reasons. But it wasn't blood, or potions, or Severus that made me do what I did. I just had the need to do something. I guess. What I'm trying to say is. I'm in no position to be hunting. Not like this."

"I think…maybe you're right." Dean conceded. Sam looked over in shock.

"I was expecting a fight." Sam admitted, feeling as if he were being cast out. Dean shook his head.

"I spend more time worrying about you and Harry than I do getting the job done. I almost ran out on those people when I thought you were taken by demons. I could only imagine what you would think you would have to do to beat them." Dean explained. "I don't know why War took a liking to Harry, but if he hadn't you know he wouldn't have made it." Sam looked at Harry. "You are wrong about one thing though. I do trust you." Dean decided.

"Do you mean that?" Sam asked.

"I do." Dean assured. "I trust you to take Harry and keep him safe. Neither of you were built for this." Dean got up and made sure all of Harry's stuff was in one bag. Sam got up, placing his beer on the table as Dean handed him the bag.

"But Dean…you'll be alone." Dean gave his little brother a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

"Your safety is more important to me than mine." Sam tried to blink away the tears that were in his eyes. "Please. Do this for me." Sam nodded, pulling his brother into a hug. When they pulled away, Dean looked skyward. "CAS!" he shouted, voice gruff. Nothing happened. "Get down to Bed and Wake, Colorado Springs, you fluffy winged dick, your son needs you!" There was an unmistakable whoosh of wings. Cas stood in the middle of the room, the Amulet laying neatly around his neck.

"What did you…" he didn't finish seeing how Harry's golden fledgling wing was bent out of shape. He turned on Dean, shoving him against a wall. "What happened?" he growled out. Dean shoved him back.

"We went head to head with a godamn horseman while you were flying about looking for a dead man!" Dean shouted back. "Had you been there, none of this would have happened."

"Dean, I am doing something much more important-" Cas started.

"Than your family?" Dean shot back. "Yeah, whatever. Just take Harry and Sam home. Then you can go back to your all-important wild goose chase." Cas' mouth tightened into a thin line as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply made his way over to Sam, instructing him to cradle Harry.

"Huh, Papa?" Harry asked sleepily as he awoke from being picked up. Cas touched the wing gently, the healing power he used lulling Harry back to sleep.

"Take care of the Impala for me." Dean told his brother. Sam smiled, giving a short nod. In a blink of an eye they were gone.

Leaving Dean utterly alone.

A/N: Yes the story of the flame is about Lily, but exaggerated.