Chapter 21: The Long Drive Home (Epilogue)

I do not own Harry Potter and I am not making any money from writing this whatsoever. The Harry Potter franchise is the property of Warner Brother's and J.K Rowling.

Special thanks to Salena for reading along as I wrote and giving me positive feedback when I thought it was all garbage. I love you so much.

A few things I want to talk about here, first, off, to anyone that's stuck around, thank you. This is the first fic I've ever done at this kind of length and it's honestly still not registered that I've actually completed it.

Secondly, my plans for the sequel. It'll still cover HBP's events rather closely, but many things will be different. If you thought that this ended cheerfully, then prepare for a complete 180 next time around. Some things I wished I handled better was developing Tracey, Blaise and Daphne more. They'll have more things to do in the sequel, but I still wish I did better. Same thing with the three boys, I wanted them to initially bridge the way into Tracey joining the DA, but obviously, that never happened. Kind of a loose thread I probably won't be going back to, honestly. Anyway, also wish I gave Karkaroff more to do as well, but he'll also get more stuff next time around. As for when I'll start writing the sequel; I'm not really sure. Soon, I think, but I still have a lot to come up with in order to be properly ready.

Until then, take care!

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"Mona would be proud of you Johnny, I'm certain of it."

- Crash Simpson to Johnny Blaze, Upstate New York, 1994

"I can't do this."

Sirius sighed heavily at the boy in front of him. He had taken a muggle plane back to America for this, Johnny'd better go through with it. At least it was a nice day outside.

"Yes, you can, Johnny." He assured the teen. "Just knock, you'll see."

Johnny was pacing back and forth out on the front porch. Sirius had never seen him look so nervous before.

The house was nice, he had to admit. Secluded and modern looking. Much nicer than Grimmauld Place. He doubted they had severed elf heads as decorations here, so, yeah, much nicer.

Sighing again, Sirius grabbed Johnny's shoulder. "He's your brother, he'll hear you out."

Johnny looked up at him, unbelieving. "How can you be so sure?"

Sirius shrugged. "I guess I'm not certain, but, you'll regret it for the rest of your life if we walk away right now. Or, I can just go get Hermione and make you. I'll get an international Portkey far faster than you'll get on a plane, you're the one who didn't want to travel that way."

Johnny blanched.

"Besides, I'm sure he knows someone's at the door already. You pace loudly, mate."

Johnny looked at him in shock, and Sirius let out a chuckle. But he stopped when the door opened.

The person who opened the door looked older than Johnny, but Sirius knew that to not be true.

"Johnny?" The teen asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes to reveal utter astonishment. "W-what the hell are you doing here?"

Johnny winced, but the question wasn't asked with malice, just surprise.

"Hey, James," Johnny said, not meeting his brother's eyes. "Can we talk?"

"Talk?" James asked as if he'd never heard the word before. "Oh! Right, um, yeah. Please, come in."

Sirius smiled at Johnny. "I'll wait outside, you go on."

It was a nice day, after all.

The place was almost the exact same as how it was when he left it. No change in the paint on the walls, furniture. It almost made Johnny feel as if he'd never left. But looking at James - who'd grown to be around a foot taller than him now - and he knew it was not true.

As soon as the door closed behind them, he tried to speak.

"I-"

Johnny was enveloped in a hug so strong it rivalled Hermione's.

So many emotions were running through him right now that Johnny couldn't even begin to describe them.

"You've been gone for so long," James said, and Johnny realized that he was crying.

"I'm sorry," he responded, his chest tightening. "I should have written, called, something."

Johnny was crying too now, dear god it was like a dam had burst. It had been a long time. Fuck.

He clutched his brother like he was a lifeline.

It was several moments before either brother let go, and when they did, it was to wipe away the tears.

"Where were you this whole time?" James asked, and it wasn't angrily, or accusatory like it should have been, but with genuine curiosity.

Johnny started to explain it all. The deal, how it backfired, what it made him. The fear, the anger.

"So you were the Ghost Rider the entire time?" James asked, "Mayor Fisk formed a task squad to kill you!"

Johnny snorted despite himself. "Didn't really work out for him."

"I'll say."

He kept going. His travels to France, England, Spain, Russia and a dozen other European countries. Sometimes just staying for a night. Brazil, India, Japan, where ever the hunt for demons took him.

And then it got to the hard part. But in the end, he told his brother about wizards, and the war he was involved in.

James took it about as well as any New Yorker would. Not very impressed, funnily enough.

"After Doctor Strange first showed up to help the Avengers fight that blue-faced guy from the future, magic societies where people use wands isn't as cool as I thought it'd be."

Johnny laughed at that. "I know, right? We've got a dude who can climb walls and spin webs, that's way weirder."

They both stood in silence for a few moments.

"This war," James said, "it's serious?"

"Yeah, man, it is," Johnny responded gravely.

"You have to go back."

Johnny blinked at how blankly James said it.

"I do, I've met some really good people there." He said.

James nodded at the door. "Like the guy outside?"

"Yeah, he's been really great in helping me adjust," Johnny replied. He left out how Sirius felt like a father to him in some ways. He doubted that he was ready to have that conversation with anyone, let alone James.

James sighed and shook his head. "Your life's too stupid to live."

"You have no idea, little bro," Johnny said. "I just... needed to come back. Needed to see you. I've lost my powers recently, but I'm going to be staying there to try and help in any way I can. But without the Rider, I'm vulnerable." He felt like shit admitting to his brother that he thought he was going to die, but was staying regardless. "I don't know why you're not mad at me, but yeah, I just wanted you to know what was going on."

There was a pause.

"I've learned a long time ago that being mad at you just made me feel worse," James admitted. "But listen, none of that matters now Johnny, you're my brother. I love you."

This time, Johnny went in for the hug. An indescribable warmth was thrumming throughout him. He felt tears running down his cheeks again.

"James, are you coming back to bed?"

Johnny snapped his head up to see a Hispanic woman coming out from the master bedroom, dressed in a shirt that was way too big for her and nothing else.

James looked incredibly embarrassed.

"I was wondering how you were able to stand living out here all on your own without going crazy," Johnny commented idly. "Guess now I know."

"Ah, her parents are out of the country for a bit. They think she's staying with a friend."

"Oh, I bet they do."

That earned him a glare.

"We're both seventeen," James defended.

"Not exactly an adult, but I'm not going to judge," Johnny replied.

"Babe," James said, sighing, "this is my brother, Johnny."

"Hi," she said awkwardly, pink-faced and jetting back into the bedroom.

"You gonna tell me about her?" Johnny asked, smirking.

James' eyes narrowed. "Only if you tell me about Hermione first."

Johnny stiffened. "You heard that?"

"Oh, you bet."

He exited half an hour later, with a promise to visit at Christmas.

An astronomical weight had been lifted from his chest. Johnny felt lighter than he ever had in years.

"It went good, I take it?" Sirius asked, smiling broadly at him from where he stood at the steps of the porch.

Johnny didn't answer, just walked up and hugged him tightly.

It took a few seconds, but eventually, Sirius returned it.

"Thank you," Johnny said quietly, "for being here."

"You're welcome, son," Sirius responded softly.

He felt the need to cry again but forced it down.

A few moments later, Johnny released him and dug a hand into his jacket pocket. He retrieved an orb. "I think it's time," he said, "but I just want it to be me and you."

Sirius nodded. "Okay."

They took a few steps down the pathway, past the car in the driveway and near the road.

Johnny took a deep breath before throwing the orb down with force. It shattered into a million tiny pieces before a ghostly figure arose from it. He did not recognize the person, and they had inhuman features.

"Two sons born of the devil, both from opposite sides of the astral plane." It said in an eerie voice. "One shall rise against the father, and end his terrible reign."

And then it disappeared into nothingness.

Johnny dropped to his knees from the revelation, the feeling of lightness long gone.

He knew it had been about him, Blackheart and Mephisto. But to now find out the reason why he wanted them both dead? The war in his own realm was a lie, and Johnny wouldn't have been surprised if the demons weren't rebelling at all, but acting as spies for Mephisto to find out where Blackheart was. And Johnny just kept killing them. It led him to England where he actually found Blackheart for Mephisto. But that didn't totally explain Spitfire's words when they fought in the Hog's Head. That particular demon seemed to be working for Blackheart directly, or was he just pretending to? A few questions were answered, and a dozen more pop up.

Did he promise his other son freedom as well? Is that why he had said sorry before dying? Blackheart did not hate him, did not truly want to kill him. He was like Johnny, desperately wanting to be freed from the shackles of being Mephisto's pawn.

And Johnny killed him.

In a cruel sort of irony, the prophecy could now only be about him, and him alone. And he realized with a numb sort of anger, that Mephisto had used him, had pretended to care. Hell, when Johnny wanted to ditch the Order, he had stayed because of Mephisto's words. Had he reverse-psychologized him into staying then?

He heard Sirius say something, but his words of comfort were distant, muffled, almost.

In the end, it would come down to him or Mephisto, and Johnny didn't even have his powers.

"I can't escape this," he muttered.