Chapter 40
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, 11th March 2012
Things had become more tense over the course of the week following the Order meeting. The knowledge that Voldemort could be after an all-powerful wand that was in Albus's possession, was chilling. It meant that Voldemort had a beeline for the castle in his mind, not only for control but now for the Elder Wand as well.
The Wizarding World was becoming even more dangerous as each day passed. The hunters and wizards heard of more and more attacks, people going missing, families murdered in their beds. It was horrible to hear about it every day. On more than one occasion John had suggested taking the fight to Voldemort, but there were too many pieces involved, too many lives at stake. Though, despite not being magical themselves, the hunters started to love their new community and felt like they were a part of it now. They considered the Wizards to be their friends. These people were good, and the boys wanted to defeat this magical tyrant. They would help the wizards in any way they could. Everything was just getting more complicated and confusing. Like a high stakes chess match, or in Dean's case, a high stakes poker game.
There was an edge of positivity, as Dean and Jo spoke of their upcoming wedding. They discussed Molly and Arthur's offer of having the wedding at their home and contacted them via owl post a few days later. They accepted and almost immediately, Mary, Ellen, and Molly began planning.
Another piece of light in the bleak future when Katie Bell finally returned to school after an extended break. She told Sam and Dean that she could have returned in January, but it took almost three months of persuasion before her parents allowed her to return. They welcomed her back with a warm smile as she went to catch up with her fellow Gryffindors.
"You know, I don't blame the parents," Dean said as he pointed his wand at a target, causing it to levitate. They were in the Quidditch Pitch again, ready for another training class.
"Yeah, remember Molly last week?" Sam frowned. "She's been looking so stressed recently."
"She just wants her kids safe," Mary sighed. "I understand how she feels."
"I know," Sam replied as he pulled more objects out of the box. "The sooner we get this Voldemort guy dead, the better."
"You're telling me." Dean scowled.
"I understand what you guys are saying, but you've got to start seeing these kids as more than just kids." John walked up to them and crossed his arms. "If you don't prepare them for war, there's no telling what could happen to them. And before you say anything, I know that's what you're trying to do. But these kids need to know how to defend themselves. There should be no hesitation, the other side won't show them mercy because they're children." Two months ago, a statement like that from John would have caused an argument or a fight, maybe both. But now it was different. Scores and grudges were settled now.
"I know Dad," Dean replied.
"They look terrified…." Mary bit her lip as the students filed back onto the Pitch in their gym clothes. "Maybe they could use a bit of bolstering from their teachers?"
Dean nodded. They walked towards the group of Slytherin and Gryffindor students. "So, guys, ready for some more target practice?"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron nodded, looking determined. They stood out in a group of tense kids, Neville looked like he wanted to be brave and determined but still had a little bit of trepidation in his eyes.
"C'mon guys, it'll be fun, Dean smiled, trying to ease their worries.
⸸
Jessica Moore was lost, in utter darkness, the only thing that she could remember was Sam. He kept her company when she was lonely, held her hand when she was scared. He reassured her that everything was going to be alright, that he would protect her. But then he left, his brother came to pick him up. Now, she was all alone, surrounded by children in long dark robes talking loudly amongst themselves. She looked around, trying to recognize anything familiar about this strange place. She had a good guess as to where she was, but nothing looked the way she had remembered it.
"Where am I?" She asked out loud to anyone who could hear her. None of the children bothered with her. They barely paid her any mind, milling about in the halls. She started walking about the halls herself. Maybe somewhere, someone would recognize her, the teachers at least. How long ago had it been? Surely someone would recognize her. Why else would she be sent here? She continued roaming the halls. Eventually, she seemed to come to a Hall of some sort. She walked down the large marble staircase and glanced at four large hourglasses, a red one filled with rubies, a green filled with emeralds, a blue with sapphires and a yellow filled with topaz gems. There were crests at the top of each, a lion, a snake, an eagle, and a badger respectively. Was she at… Hogwarts? She recalled the name dimly from her memory.
But how did she get here of all places? She didn't remember much before waking up in an old room, a classroom. She had been minding her own business. Her friend had knocked, and all of a sudden, she knew she was dead. Was she really dead, or just passed out? Panic set in quickly. She needed to find someone she knew, and she had a feeling that he was here, wherever here was, if not Hogwarts. She turned to the right and heard a commotion of voices behind a huge mahogany door. Jessica walked towards it, her heart beginning to race.
She opened the large doors, revealing four long tables. Throngs of teenagers, ranging from eleven to seventeen sat at them, talking loudly and some waving wands. She walked down the aisle, watching as the teens turned to look, quietening down slightly.
Meanwhile, Dean laughed at the hunter's table.
"Yeah, Sam lost his shoe. He sounded like a kicked puppy," he chuckled. His little brother glared at him.
"Says the guy who screamed at the sight of a cat!" he shot back. Dean narrowed his green eyes.
"I caught the ghost sickness! It wasn't my fault!" he said, affronted.
"Isn't he adorable?" Bobby teased.
"Oh, fuck you," Dean scowled, remembering Bobby saying the same thing when Bobby and Sam were making fun of him beside the Impala. Oh!
"Crap, I forgot, I gotta get something outta the Impala for class. Comin'?" he asked.
"Sure," Sam shrugged.
"I swear I'm gonna kick your ass for that," Dean scowled as Sam got up.
"Nah," Sam shrugged. "Cause you love me too much." Dean rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever Sasquatch." They turned together to walk out of the Hall, but stopped, eyes widening.
"Holy fuck…" Dean muttered.
Sam halted, his throat closing at once. His heart seemed to stop in his chest, breath hitching. His parted lips trembled, and he fought for his vocal cords to work. He could have sworn he was dreaming. He saw a woman in front of him, her soft pastel blue eyes filling with tears. The blonde waves of hair caressed her bare shoulders, the tanned skin visible. She was wearing a long white nightgown that hung past her knees.
"Jess," Sam breathed. Jessica Moore's eyes filled with renewed tears as she broke into a run, her bare feet slapping against the marble floor. Sam's arms widened, curling around her body as she flung herself into his arms. Sam's eyes filled with tears and spilt over as he buried his face into her golden hair. Dean saw the small jerky movements of his shoulders and smiled sadly. He stepped back a little. I don't know what in the hell is going on, but Sam needs this, he thought to himself. Mary and the other hunters stood up to see what was wrong and Dean backed off to fill them in on what was happening.
"Sammy," Jessica sobbed. He pulled back, looking back at her. He crashed his lips to hers, kissing her for the first time in over six years. In the back of her mind, Jessica noted that Sam looked different. His fringe was gone, hair longer than before. He looked older and had started growing some stubble.
"Sam, I don't know what happened," Jess whispered. "Brady…. He knocked. He was strange. Then his eyes… they turned black!" she cried. "Then it was just fire…" Sam pulled her tight.
"You're fine," Sam soothed gently. "I love you Jess." Jess pulled away, looking to the side.
"Dean?" she questioned.
"Jessica," Dean smiled, pulling his brother's girlfriend in for a hug. Jessica's mind was reeling. She remembered the last time she saw Sam. Meeting Dean and when he told Sam their dad was missing. Dad's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a few days.
"I was dead, wasn't I?" she whispered. Sam nodded sadly. Jessica's breath hitched.
"H-how long?" she whispered.
"Over six years," Sam told her sadly. She paled.
"So much has happened," she whispered in shock. "Did you ever find your father?" she asked.
"See for yourself," Dean said as they turned and began to walk to the hunter's table.
"How…?"
"We'll explain later." Sam smiled, "I want to introduce you to some people."
The chatter in the room resumed, the students were used to this kind of thing, Dean supposed as he followed behind Sam and Jess.
"Mom, this is Jessica Moore, my girlfriend." Sam proudly announced through his tears.
"Mom…?" Jess asked.
"Hey Jessica," Mary smiled, touched, knowing how freaked out Jessica must be feeling at the minute. She recalled Dean filling her in when she'd just come back. "I was brought back too. I know this must be hard"
"And this is our Dad, John," Sam said.
"It's good to meet you." John smiled as he shook Jess's hand.
"It's nice to meet the both of you too." Jess smiled slightly, uncomfortable at the hundreds of curious eyes watching them.
"We should go somewhere private," John advised. "Too many wandering eyes and wayward ears…" He looked around suspiciously.
"You're right," Sam nodded and looked at Jessica. "Come with me?"
"Sure, Sam." Jessica nodded.
Together, everyone walked to an unused classroom. Dean cast Muffliato on the room before everyone sat down. It took a while, but over the next few hours, the hunters explained everything about their lives, the monsters, and demons. Jessica couldn't get her head around it. Her boyfriend hunted demons and ghosts for a living. What was she supposed to make of that? She didn't realize that she only knew half of who Sam Winchester was. Sure, she was a little pissed that he hadn't told her, but she knew why. She could've gotten hurt, or worse. Which was exactly what happened.
Sam slipped his hands around Jessica's shoulders as she sat beside him.
"Demon hunter, huh?" she said, looking up at her boyfriend. Sam smiled a little and let out a small huff of amusement.
"Yeah, as we told you, Dad raised us in it," he told her. He watched as her eyes looked down into her lap.
"You know you could have told me," she said softly.
"I couldn't Jess," Sam replied with a sigh. "I couldn't put you in that danger."
"I still got killed for it anyway…" Jess reminded him with a grim smile. "And who says I can't protect myself?" She added indignantly.
"What does that mean?" Sam looked at her with a smirk.
"Nothing." She turned away from him, so he couldn't see her face. "So, you fight monsters, right?"
"Yea, some part-time job." Sam sighed, she still hadn't turned back around, it was starting to bother him.
"I thought you said you didn't have much to do with your Dad or brother anymore?" She looked down at her hands in her lap. "I mean you never talked about them."
"Well, I…" He was trying to find a way to explain it. "It's hard to explain. I kinda have a love/hate thing goin' on with my dad. And Dean, well, you met him."
Jessica smiled. "Yea, your brother sure is a character."
They sat in silence for a while, contemplating everything that was said between them. A few students walked by and greeted Sam with smiles and waves.
"So, you are a hunter, and you hunted witches, yet you are teaching at a school for witches and wizards?" Jessica raised her eyebrows and giggled.
"Uh, yeah…" Sam laughed with her, it did sound funny when it was put that way. "It sounds a bit hypocritical, but you know it's ah… complicated."
They walked toward what Jessica learned was the staff quarters. Jo and Mary told her she could use some of their clothes, as walking around in a white dress and bare feet was starting to weird out the students. She picked out some jeans, hiking boots, and an old rock band t-shirt.
They then left the Hogwarts grounds and went to Hogsmeade, going to the Hog's Head Inn. They needed somewhere quiet to talk, and the rundown pub was the perfect place. Sam brought them some Butterbeer, and they sat down. Jessica looked like she was having an internal dilemma. She looked like she wanted to say something to him, but then changed her mind and started talking about something else.
"Jess, are you sure everything is OK?" Sam finally broke and asked her.
She paused for a few seconds, staring off into space. "I haven't been completely honest with you Sam." She said without looking at him. Her voice sounded like a child's when they knew they had done something wrong and were waiting for punishment.
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked worriedly.
Instead of answering him, she leaned over and pulled a long wooden stick out of her boot and placed it on the table. When she got into Sam's room to change, she was surprised to find her wand on the bedside table.
"I'm a witch." She said simply. Sam's eyes widened almost comically. "Surprise?"
"You-" he said, his mouth opened wide. Jessica picked up the almost golden coloured wand and Sam watched as sparks flew from its tip.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam said finally, taking her hand.
"The same reason you didn't tell me about hunting. I didn't know how you would react," Jessica told him. "And if I knew at the time you were a hunter that would make things more difficult."
"So how did you get started?" Sam was still trying to piece this all together in his mind.
"My 'powers' didn't come in till I was 11. Then I found out that my mom was a witch, my dad didn't know either. I went to Ilvermorny; it's kind of like Hogwarts, but it's the American Wizarding school. It's the same school my mom went to. I went there for 7 years, after I finished my seventh year they gave me the option of staying on and selecting a major, like Hexes, Transmutation, or Potions or leave to go live my own life. I chose to go to Stanford. I mean being a witch is great, but I just wanted to be normal, like you." She smiled a little. "My mom wasn't very happy with it, but she agreed. She always told me to watch out for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Didn't really make sense at the time but now..."
"How did you know about him?"
"Everyone in the Wizarding World knows about him. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was a big threat, even in the States. Even though many believed he was gone for good, a few of us thought he would come back."
Sam sat there in total shock. His girlfriend was a witch! How could he not have noticed?
"The night I was killed I was going to tell you that I was a witch. My mom had called me and told me that there was a surge in Death Eater activity in England. I was going to go back to Ilvermorny to help teach at the school, like a substitute, while a few of the teachers went to investigate."
"Something as huge as Voldemort" Jessica flinched a little. "And we didn't know about it?" Sam was wondering why he and Dean hadn't heard of him before now.
"Well, it's been said that No-Majes aren't very bright." She nudged him playfully.
"Very funny," Sam scowled playfully, and he kissed her on the lips. "I understand. I can't say much. I hid hunting from you."
"I guess we're even," Jess quipped. Sam laughed.
"I love you, Jess." Just then there was a peck at the window. Sam turned his head to see his owl, Jess, peering in through the glass. She had a note attached to her leg. She ruffled her feathers happily as he came to open the window.
"Is that your owl?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah, she is," Sam replied. A faint blush coloured his cheeks and he laughed quietly. "About that, we may have a little problem."
"Oi, no owls allowed in here." The barkeep told them as he saw Sam bring the owl in.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know. I'll take her outside." Sam ducked his head in apology. Both Jess and Sam got to their feet and walked outside. Jess hooted almost angrily as if she were put out by the barkeep kicking them out.
"It's okay Jess, I didn't know you weren't supposed to be in there. I'm sorry." Sam rubbed the owl's head affectionately.
"What?" Jessica asked, looking at her boyfriend and the owl. Sam's cheeks went pink again.
"Yeah, that was the problem I mentioned. I sorta named her after you." Sam rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Surprise?" The owl stared at her human counterpart with a tilt of her head.
"That's really sweet Sam, but what do we do now?" Jessica asked, a little amused as she rubbed the owl's head.
"Well, she already knows her name…." Sam frowned. He looked a little sheepish. "I'm not sure what to do now," he smirked, and opened the note, seeing it was from Dean.
Yo, Sasquatch,
We need you back here ASAP,
Your favourite brother
"He had to send her for that…?" Sam rolled his eyes. "Could've just called me," he grumbled. Thinking about it now, Dean had been spending more time with their owl than Sam had been lately. Even going as far as to clean out her perch in the Owlery. "Maybe she could be Dean's owl?" Jess hooted quietly, turning away. "Oh, come on, don't be like that." He shook his arm a bit to get her to turn back to him. "You'll still be our favourite owl."
Jessica had to hold back her laughter.
"Having a bad breakup there Sam?" she asked.
"Apparently," Sam muttered as he wrote back a reply and tucked the letter into the string around her leg. "If you take this back to Dean, I'll give you three biscuits tomorrow." He grinned at the owl. She hooted quietly and flew off towards the castle.
"So, where does this leave us?" Jessica asked quietly as they began walking back to the castle. "I mean, if you dated someone else while I was… you know…. I wouldn't blame you."
"There were a few brief flings," Sam admitted. "But nothing long term since you…" Sam didn't want to admit the multiple relationships he had with women that had ended badly. Sarah, Madison… Hell, even Ruby… "I mean if you would rather see other people…" She pulled him to a stop, looking him directly in the eye.
"No, I don't want to see anyone else."
Sam smiled. "We'll take it slow then?" He asked.
"Yeah, I mean, we've found out a lot about each other," Jess smiled. "But I don't want to throw it away. Can we just start over?"
Sam looked at her sceptically, a slow smile spreading across his face before extending his hand.
"Hi, I haven't seen you around these parts. Are you new?"
"You missed tipping your hat," Jess giggled and shook his hand. "You'd look like Walker Texas Ranger," she laughed.
"Well, thank you, Ma'am." He gave her a goofy grin. "Are you heading my way?"
"I am," Jess linked her arm with his. "Sir, you could pull off the Merlin hat too, you know."
They both headed back to the castle, cackling every now and then. And the big emergency Dean needed them for? Turns out he wanted to show off his pack of Exploding Snap, much to Sam's exasperation.
