Chapter: It's Over Isn't It (I Know Those Eyes)
A/N: The final chapter! A short epilogue will follow before the Sequel is posted. Still no title for it, but I will post it in the epilogue. Now that the basis is sort of set for this universe the sequel will begin to veer to a strange semblance of canon but be more original with less direct quotes than this one.
"Dean, Dean. Dammit boy did you listen to anything I just said?" Bobby groused, tugging on Dean's shirt collar as he walked past. Dean came out of his brooding mood to turn and talk to the older man.
"Yeah, I heard you." Dean murmured. "I'm not going after them." he said in what was almost a forlorn whisper. The last moments in Severus' quarters kept replaying in his head. He gazed around at Severus' home, feeling as if he were adding salt to the wound. Normally he would never be able to find the Spinner's End home, he was only here because Severus had granted it to him. He watched Bobby shift from book to book. He wasn't even useful in that sense. Perhaps Sam had been right about him. He didn't belong here.
"Don't make me get my gun, boy." Bobby threatened. He was tired of seeing Dean moping around. Dean stood from his chair in anger.
"We are damn near kickoff for Armageddon. Don't you think we have bigger fish to fry?" he questioned, venting his frustrations. Castiel had yet to come to him. What if Sam messed up the plan by leaving. What if Heaven let Sam go through with it, instead of having him do it? It had to be him, he was the older brother. He was already feeling the disconnect between him and his new family. The least he could do is save the ordinary people like him.
"He's your brother. And he's drowning." Bobby stressed, poking Dean in the chest. He needed to see the fire in Dean's eyes again. Yes, the boy was angry, but there was no heat to back it up, which in Bobby's opinion made it all the worse. Dean moved away moodily.
"He has Severus now. It's too late for me to do anything." Dean said, thoughts flashing to the ex-Death Eater. Deep down he was happy for Sam, he really was. His younger brother deserved to have someone to rely on. He just hated that it was the Potion Master.
"There's no such thing as too late." Bobby tried to argue.
"No dammit!" Dean shouted. "I gotta face the facts. Sam has always been different. He hated the hunting life since he was a kid. He ran away the first chance he got to Stanford. It wasn't about getting away from being a Hunter. It's because he identifies too much with what we hunt. And now he's gone again, plunging deeper into the magical world. It's like deja vu." Dean sat back in his chair, head in his hands. "Well, I'm done chasing him. Screw him. He can do what he wants." His responded dejectedly. He felt defeated.
"You don't mean that." Bobby said. He knew the brothers. They were inseparable. Always fighting for one another.
"I do. Sam's gone. He's gone. I'm not even sure if he's still my brother. If he ever was." Bobby splayed his hands on a nearby table, trying to control his temper. It was no use, in one swift motion Bobby pushed everything off the table, sending it crashing to the floor. Dean looked up in shock. He quickly stood as Bobby began to advance on him.
"You stupid, stupid, son of a bitch!" Bobby shouted. "Well, boo hoo. I'm so sorry your feelings are hurt princess! Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good?" Bobby asked Dean. "Bake you up an apple pie, huh? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's what family's for!"
"I told him." Dean growled back, taking a step forward. "I told him, you walk away don't you come back. And then he left with that wizard. That was his choice!"
"You sound like a whiny brat. No, you sound like your dad. Well let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward." Bobby shot back, lip curling in disgust as he thought of John.
"My dad was a lot of things...but a coward?" Dean asked.
"He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him. Well, that don't strike me as brave." Bobby told Dean.
"Well, we can see who your favorite is." Dean said bitterly. Bobby gave a sigh.
"You are a better man than your Daddy ever was. So, do us both a favor. Don't be him." Dean turned to sit back in his chair, facing the window. He made to respond, but when he looked out the window to gather his thoughts, his face turned to one of shock. He turned slowly taking in the new scene before him. He was surrounded by white walls with golden trim. The room was decorated lavishly, but his eyes were drawn to the one thing he wanted to see most. Castiel looked into his eyes with intensity.
"It's almost time."
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Harry steadied himself after feeling the tingle of a spell as he passed through the doorway. His artificial blue eyes widened as he saw the next room. It wasn't a room at all, but rather a large open cavern with a floor made entirely of lapis lazuli tiles. Bronze pillars reached up to the ceiling, a lustrous contrast to the dull gray slate rock around. It was incredibly dim in the room, and it took Harry a minute to adjust. Platinum blonde hair stood out from across the cavern.
"Luna!" Harry called out in relief, stepping out onto the tiled floor. Several torches lit up at once, casting the floor into a sparkling glitter. It was then that Harry could see the enemy behind Luna. His heart skipped a beat. "You?" he asked in disbelief. Quirrell smiled slowly. Gone was the customary twitching. In fact, the man was standing proudly, almost smugly.
"Me." he said calmly, laying a hand on Luna's shoulder. "I knew you would be trouble for me Mr. Winchester."
"No, it can't be you." Harry shook his head. A sharp pain in his chest suddenly threw him back into his first class with Quirrell. He remembered the pain when he had met eyes with the man in defiance. He had been suspicious then, what had happened? The man gave a laugh, and it was unlike his usual tremble. No, this laugh was cold and sharp, possibly even evil. Harry knew that he should be scanning the room, looking for any escape, but the DADA professor was drawing all of his attention. He felt like an idiot for missing it.
"You are quite right. Who would suspect p-p-poor s-s-st-st-stuttering P-professor Quirrell?" Harry couldn't take it. He couldn't believe it. All the clues that they felt didn't connect, were slowly stringing together. He looked down at his feet, his fringe covering his eyes. It reminded him how long it had been since he saw his family last. Dean would have cut it by now if he had been around. Another memory came to mind, making his eyes flash black.
"You tried to kill me." The voice was hollow, and for a second Quirrell's confidence faltered. Luna made a move to get away from him and his grip tightened on her shoulder. He couldn't afford to lose his leverage, especially if a competent adult came to the pesky boy's aid. He would admit that he was toying with the boy. Quirrell had actually worked hard for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, contending against Snape no less. Then Dean Winchester and swooped in and stolen the glory, making his knowledge seem rudimentary at best. He sneered at Harry.
"I would have succeeded if your oaf of a father hadn't knocked me over. I was just beginning to overpower Severus' counter curse. No matter, I can kill you tonight." He snapped his fingers and ropes appeared from thin air, binding Harry. "You're too nosey to live Winchester. Potter has seemingly gone off the map, I will not have you being a thorn in his place." Harry was struggling against the ropes, and he found that they were starting to break. He paused, not wanting Quirrell to know his strength yet. "Killing you will have to wait until I complete the task my Master set me." It was then that Harry noticed the mirror in the middle of the room, illuminated by a large sapphire light. A small gasp escaped him. He was still having nightmares about the mirror, but seeing it in front of him now gave him a sense of peace. It was now tangible once again, and he could confront it, instead of fighting the shadows in his room. Quirrell was muttering over the mirror, and Harry decided to take his chance to check on Luna. He hoped she was not under Imperius, but by this point, he knew Quirrell was more than capable of casting it.
"Luna." Harry whispered loudly. She simply stood humming to herself. Her eyes looked glassy and distant. She, however, did not look distressed. Harry searched her for a moment more, before turning his attention back to Quirrell and their escape. He felt he could potentially overpower the man, but was still hesitant to use his demon powers since being kidnapped. As for his angel powers, those had been acting up and weak.
"The Mirror. This is the key to finding the Stone." Quirrell muttered, tapping the side. The mirror gleamed at him mockingly. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this."
"Has the Headmaster said anything about me?" Harry asked. In part he was curious, but the main goal was to keep Quirrell distracted.
"Yes." Quirrell said idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He seems to think that you are the spawn of Lord Voldemort. Asked me for my expertise in the Dark Arts to figure you out." Quirrell came back around the mirror, looking into it hungrily.
"Then why not sell me out?" Harry asked. He had not known that the Headmaster's delusions were so serious. He would admit that the man was most likely desperate without his Boy-Who-Lived, but to think an innocent First Year was the enemy? There had to be more that he was missing, and if he survived Quirrell, he would not make the same mistakes.
"I will not sully the Dark Lord's name with something as weak as you." Quirrell snapped, not even turning to look at Harry. "I see the Stone. I am presenting it to my Master. But where is it?"
"Where is Voldemort now?" Quirrell flinched at the name. Harry grinned, knowing he was distracting the man. "He's in the forest, isn't he? My family is in there as we speak, hunting him."
"No. He is with me always." Quirrell said. Harry felt his stomach sink. Moroi. Was he even truly speaking with Quirinus Quirrell? "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it... Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..." The man suddenly cursed under his breath. "Should I break the mirror? Is the Stone hidden within?"
"Use the boy...use the boy…" Harry felt as if his veins had filled with ice upon hearing the voice. With a small shout of exertion Harry snapped the ropes around him, getting to his feet. Quirrell rounded on him, not seeming to care that he was free from the ropes. He herded the boy closer to the mirror by wandpoint.
"Yes, look in the mirror you brat." Quirrell commanded. "Tell me what you see."
"I…" He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. Then his reflection was standing tall with black eyes and blue irises. Danny appeared to him, a female ghost next to him holding up the stone. Danny gave Harry a wink as the stone was turned intangible and invisible and she reached out of the mirror, dropping it into the boy's pocket. Harry felt the weight and subtly shifted to feel the stone.
"Well, what do you see?" Quirrell asked impatiently. The boy was taking too much time. His Master needed the Stone.
"I see, my friend King Phantom, ruler of the Soul Sector. He is healed after his latest battle, though still weak." Harry gave a sad smile, knowing the truth would be best. He was unsure if Danny could hear him, but he continued regardless. "It is nice to see him. I miss him."
"Get out of the way," Quirrell said. "It is obvious you are not worthy of seeing the stone." Harry scrambled out of Quirrell's reach. He felt the stone again to double check. He looked over at Luna who was blinking as if she was just returning to reality. Her silver eyes locked onto him, terror written on her face. It was not a fear of the situation, but rather, she seemed terrified of him. Harry moved to walk towards her, when the disembodied voice rose again.
"He lies… He lies…" the high-pitched voice called out. It was like listening to nails on chalkboard. It pained him to listen, and he gave a small hiccup of a sob, before pulling himself together. Quirrell whirled around.
"What did you see?" he demanded, advancing towards Harry. Harry quickly moved backwards, making his way towards Luna. He shook his head, trying to remain strong. It was only beginning to occur to him that maybe he should have waited for help.
"Let me speak to the boy…face to face." Quirrell stopped, looking nervous.
"Master you are not strong enough." Harry's eyes were impossibly wide, breath coming in short shallow breaths.
"I have strength enough for this." Harry felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot. Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake. "This is meant to be my spawn?" Harry's eyes turned black out of fear, as he tried to pull up anything to protect himself from such an abomination. This seemed to delight Voldemort.
"You- you're supposed to be the beast in the forest." Harry managed to squeak out. He didn't know if he could hunt something attached to an otherwise normal wizard, yet something inside of him was calling for the destruction of the man.
"Ah, how I wish dear boy, but do you see what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor ... I have form only when I can share another's body... but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks... you were the one to see faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest... and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now... why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket...son…" The last word dripped from his mouth like a poison. Harry shook his head, stumbling back towards Luna.
"I'm not your son." he said.
"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me... or you'll meet the same end as your Muggle family... They died begging me for mercy..." Voldemort lied.
"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly. He knew that his family was fine. They had to be. Why would Severus lie to cover up their murder? The Dark Mark on the man's left arm floated to the surface of his mind, drenching him in ice. Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.
"Join me, or perish." Harry hesitated, seeing if he could outsmart Voldemort. The man's mere appearance felt like nails in Harry's heart. Voldemort had the power to bring out the worst in him.
"Harry, RUN!" Luna shouted, startling him. She was always so soft spoken that he did not think she could even raise her voice. Harry took heed and sprinted away.
"SEIZE HIM!" Voldemort commanded. Quirrell turned and gave chase. Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain surged through his entire body; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him. The pain lessened and he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers, they were blistering before his eyes. Harry cried out in shock, thinking that his demon half must have burned the man. He shoved the powers as far down as they would go. Luna was next to him in an instant, shoving him towards the exit.
"Go." she urged. She did not know what she would do after she got Harry out of harm's way. All she knew at the moment was that he was not meant to be in the Caverns. He was not yet ready to face Voldemort.
"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Luna off to the side in a single blow. His hands reached for Harry's neck. They both screamed in pain.
"Master, I cannot hold him - my hands - my hands!" And Quirrell let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms - Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.
"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort. Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face
"AAAARGH!" Quirrell jumped away from him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry knew. He would have to kill this man.
"I'm sorry." he said softly. He didn't know what power was allowing him to burn the man, but he could feel it pooling around his center. He forced it into his palms, and grabbed ahold of Quirrell. The man's eyes stared deep into his as Harry used his demon strength to prevent the man from escaping his grip. The eyes were scared and in pain, but just barely there was a hint of relief. From behind him Voldemort was still yelling.
"KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM!" Quirrell looked deep into Harry's eyes.
"Kill me." Harry heard the door from the last obstacle open and let in another person. A few moments later it opened again and footsteps were rushing towards him. Quirrell crumbled to dust and Harry fell to his knees, sobbing. He was pulled into a hug by a large man, and quick crack of his eyes revealed it to be Sam. Harry let himself fall into grief, knowing that his uncle would catch him. Severus was checking up on Luna who used his support to reach Harry.
"Harry. You need to leave." she said sternly. Tear filled eyes looked at her, and she felt her heart break. One of his contacts had fallen out during the altercation, and mismatched eyes were digging into her soul. She had just returned from speaking to God, or rather arguing with him. He wanted Harry here, but she did not. He had told her in the very beginning to keep the boy away. She did not care if it would cost her life. He swiped his arm across his eyes, standing like the soldier he was destined to be. She could feel tears welling up in her own eyes.
"Which way is out, where are the others?" Harry asked Severus.
"I sent them back to the surface to seek help and medical attention. The final room is not designed to be re-entered by those who have seen the mirror. You must transverse the caverns until you reach the cliffside. You must jump towards the black waters and Apparate away once you are halfway to it. There is no possibility of you surviving if you fail to do so. You are too small; the waves will make quick work of you."
"I don't know how to Apparate." Harry said, beginning to panic. Luna pulled Harry into a hug, for she knew what would happen if he could not escape. She missed her mother. She did not wish to speak to God any longer. "I defeated Voldemort." Harry said. "Why aren't we all leaving?"
"Because Lilith is coming."
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Dean was poking around the room, looking at the magnificent pastoral paintings on the walls. He turned back to the table and found that it now held a silver bowl packed with ice and full of beer bottles, and a large platter of hamburgers. He took a quick glance around before grabbing one. He heard the telltale sound of wings and paused. Castiel had returned after leaving him to contemplate the apocalypse alone. Except this time, Zachariah was with him. Dean scowled. When he had learned of Zachariah, Cas had been the one telling him of his manipulative ways, and his involvement in trying to trick Adam. Now, Castiel stood off to the side, deferring to the senior angel. It made Dean sick.
"Hello, Dean. You're looking fit." The angel said with a bit of smugness. He wondered where Dean was hiding the replacement, but he dared not ask, not when Dean had already pledged his allegiance.
"Where the hell am I?" Bobby must be trying to turn the house over to find him. He felt like an idiot for arguing with Bobby, and now he was worried he might not get the chance to apologize. Dean looked past Zachariah to Castiel, who held a face of indifference.
"Call it a green room." Zachariah replied with a shrug. "We're closing in on the grand finale, here. We want to keep you safe before showtime." He made a motion as if he were going to pinch Dean's cheek, but the Hunter blocked the arm with a glare. Zachariah swept imaginary dust from the front of his suit. "Try a burger. They're your favorite. From that seaside shack in Delaware. You were 11, I think." Dean wondered for a moment if the angels had been watching him since birth. He wondered if Zachariah had delved into his mind when building the room. More likely however, was the fact that he had told this to Cas after the large family dinner they had when Danny had first arrived to them.
"I'm not hungry." He said at last. "I want to know what the game plan is."
"Let us worry about that. We want you... focused, relaxed." The angel replied, slowly circling Dean. Dean did not let his eyes leave the angel, untrusting of him.
"Well, I'm about to be pissed and leaving, so start talking." Castiel had yet to say anything and it was making Dean angry. The Cas he knew would never let a prick such as Zachariah intimidate him. The older angel gave an overly dramatic sigh, drawing Dean's attention back.
"All the seals have fallen. Except one. But the final seal... it'll be different." Dean could feel the direction that the conversation was taking, he looked back to Castiel. He was done talking to Zachariah. He wanted answers from his angel.
"Why?" Castiel did not even pretend to acknowledge him. Dean grit his teeth together.
"Lilith has to break it. She's the only one who can. Tonight - midnight." Dean glanced at his watch, but it had stopped. He shook his head.
"Where?" he demanded, goading Castiel into answering him. Castiel opened his mouth slightly, but Zachariah stepped between the two, blocking Dean's view. Dean made to argue, but the senior angel interrupted.
"Ilchester, Maryland." he said bluntly. "Look, we'll do our job. You just make sure you do yours." Dean calmed a bit, knowing that Sam was going after the Stone in the school. He chalked it up as a purposeful misleading of his brother so that he could be the one to actually stop Lilith as Castiel had promised. That did not mean that the school wasn't just as dangerous. It would simply not result in the end of the world.
"Yeah, and what is that, exactly? If I'm supposed to be the one that stops her, how?" Bobby had never found a powerful enough spell to contain such a powerful demon. However, the angels had much more power at their disposal. He wouldn't be surprised if they had a special shield or incantation that could bubble the woman. That brought on suspicion though, because if that was the case, they would not need Dean.
"All in good time." The angel assured softly. He could see the gears working in Dean's head, and he did not need the man seeing through his plan. Dean glared.
"Isn't now a good time?" he asked aggressively.
"Have faith." Zachariah said through gritted teeth.
"What, in you?" Dean said, sweeping his arm to include both of the angels. "Give me one good reason why I should." Dean was staring at Castiel, internally begging for any response. Zachariah got into Dean's face.
"Because you swore your obedience. So, obey." he demanded. Dean ignored the threat, looking over the angel's shoulder to Castiel. The blue-eyed angel did nothing except look down guiltily. Zachariah took a step away from Dean in disgust, zapping him and Castiel out of the room without another word.
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A woman in a white dress stood on the beach's shore, her bare feet imprinting on the sand. Her blond hair was in disarray as if it had not been taken care of in months. In fact, it had not been taken care of since the day she was meant to get married. Lilith was simply grateful that the woman had chosen to go with a simple white gown, that did not get in her way. The water lapped at her feet, as dark as her intent. She grinned, looking up at the rocky cliffside.
It was almost time.
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Dean sent a ceramic angel over the edge of one of the end tables, figuring if he started trouble Zachariah would return. If he returned alone, contract be damned, he was going to punch the bastard in the face, and then it would be just him and Cas working together. The figurine shattered with a crash just as the sound of wings came from behind him. He turned around, with a smug look, only for it to fall when he realized it was not the senior angel. His heart seemed to forget how to beat as he took in the sight.
"You asked to see me?" Cas asked. Dean tried not to imagine the hopeful tone in the angel's voice. Instead he cleared his throat, casting his eyes to the side to regain his thoughts.
"Yeah, listen, I, uh, I-I need something." Dean stuttered. He did not understand why he was finding it so difficult to talk to Cas. Blue eyes shone at him with admiration.
"Anything you wish." Cas told him, stepping forward. Dean felt his hand move towards the angel and he quickly turned, feigning interest in a nearby statue. He had to remember that no matter what Cas said, Sam was right. The angel had left him when he needed him most. Sam... had only left because he pushed him away.
"I need you to take me to see Sam." he said resolutely. He did not feel bad about hurting the angel's feelings, if he even had any left.
"Why?" It was stiff, and defensive. Could Dean not see that he was doing everything he could to keep his safe? Dean turned back around, making his decision.
"There's something I got to talk to him about." Dean lied. In reality, all he wanted to do was apologize to his little brother. Especially since he didn't know if he would make it out alive after his encounter with Lilith. He also needed to make sure that Sam would run away from the Hunter life. Far away, and that he would take Harry with him.
"I don't think that's wise." Castiel said coldly. The man felt he was being sly, but Castiel had spent hours observing Dean. He knew all his tells. Dean did not understand how Castiel could be so close, yet so far away.
"Well, I didn't ask you for your opinion." Dean replied with heat. Behind him, Castiel glared.
"Have you forgotten what happened the last time you met?" he asked snidely. He was tired of playing games. Soon Dean would see that he had done the right thing and would beg or forgiveness. Castiel had to keep reminding himself, less he do something foolish.
"Five minutes - that's all I need." Dean asked in a defeated sigh. He knew the terms of his agreement. "All I'm asking for is a bit of compassion from someone I once considered my friend." Castiel grimaced, stepping forward to offer a soft decline, before images of the future Dean would have should he not go with the plan. He shook off the sentiment, standing tall. He was an angel; the feelings of a mere mortal were not his concern.
"No."
"What do you mean, no?" Dean exploded. He dared not turn around, he did not want the angel to see the tears in his eyes. He could die. He didn't want to die without his family knowing he loved them. "What about Harry?" There was no response. Dean slammed his hand against the table. "Are you saying that I'm trapped here?"
"You can go wherever you want." Castiel told Dean, placing a hand on his shoulder to calm him. Dean threw it off and glared at Castiel. Castiel faltered upon seeing the red rimmed eyes.
"I want to see my family!" the cry was desperate and it tugged at Castiel.
"Except there." he said apologetically. Dean unclenched his fist. He looked at the angel, looking for any hint of the man he used to know. There was almost nothing. Castiel was very much acting like the perfect soldier, posture stiff and tall, face nearly emotionless. The eyes however…
"I want to take a walk." He needed to get away from the room. He regretted pledging his allegiance. He thought he could trust the angel before him, but Castiel was much different than Cas. What was worse was that he was finally starting to understand why the angel's betrayal hurt so much. He was almost positive everyone around had seen it before him. In fact, Harry had been the first, all those months ago on Privet Drive.
"Fine. I'll go with you." Castiel offered. Dean closed his eyes are he tried to control his emotions. He felt the burn of tears to come and looked up to the ceiling taking in a sucking breath, refusing to shed a tear in front of the angel.
"Alone." he clarified, even though it was the last thing he wanted. He cared for the angel, but he knew when someone was past saving. If it came down to it, he would leave the angel and take his family somewhere safer. He only continued to drag the conversation, because he hoped something would get through.
"We've been through much together, you and I. And I just wanted to say, I'm sorry it ended like this." Cas said. He could tell he was losing Dean. The Hunter meant everything to him. It was why he was in the room right now, instead of with Sam.
"Sorry?" Dean asked, incredulous. It was too much, he took the swing, punching Castiel in the face. The angel did not flinch. "It's Armageddon, Cas. You need a bigger word than sorry."
"Try to understand - this is long foretold. This is your…"
"Destiny? Don't give me that "holy" crap. Destiny, God's plan... It's all a bunch of lies, you poor, stupid son of a bitch! It's just a way for your bosses to keep me and keep you in line! You know what's real? People, families - that's real. And you're gonna watch them all burn?" His chest was heaving by the end. He had grown too attached to the people around him. Heck, even at this moment he missed Trelawny. His shoulders dropped and he looked back to Castiel. "It's over, isn't it?"
"What is worth saving?" The angel asked softly. "I see nothing but pain in your eyes. I see inside you. I see your guilt, your anger, confusion. In paradise, all is forgiven. You'll be at peace." Why would the human not understand? Most jumped at the chance of Heaven.
"You can take your peace... and shove it." Dean told him in response. "'Cause I'll take the pain and the guilt. I'll take being the only mundane person. I'll take Harry and his damaged past. I'll take Severus and his dark inclinations. I'll take a teen possessed by his own ghost! I'll even take Sam as is!" Dean got quiet for a moment. "I would even take you, as a soldier of Heaven, if it meant you'd still be around." Castiel turned in shame. "Look at me!" he shouted, grabbing the angel's shoulder and forcing him to face him.
"Dean…" Castiel warned.
"You know it! You were gonna help me once, weren't you?" Dean felt as if he were pleading. He needed Castiel to be on his side. "You were gonna warn me about all this, before they dragged you back to Bible camp." Dean reminded him, hugging the angel. "Help me - now. Please." he croaked out, a lump growing in his throat with every second Castiel did not return the hug.
"What would you have me do?" the voice was flat, and Dean squeezed a bit harder.
"Get me to Sam. We can stop this before it's too late." he whispered. Cas placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. He leaned in close, his mouth a breath away from his ear.
"I do that, we will all be hunted. We'll all be killed." he confessed. Secretly the other hand pressed against Dean's chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath. The flutter of fear danced on his fingers. "I don't want you to go away."
"If there is anything worth dying for... this is it." Dean responded lowly, pulling away from the one-sided hug. Cas did not let his fingertips leave Dean's chest, merely extending his arm as Dean took a step back. At last he gave a barely perceptible nod. He left without another word.
Dean turned to the platter of burgers that were calling his name, assured that eventually the right thing would be done. He had barely picked up a burger however when suddenly Cas appeared behind him. The angel grabbed his human by the shoulder, and shoved him against the wall, pressing a hand over his mouth and drawing a knife. Dean pulled up his sleeve, already knowing what Cas was hinting at. Moving silently, he slashed Dean's forearm, using the blood to draw an angel banishing sigil on the wall.
"Castiel!" Zachariah raged as he appeared. "Would you mind explaining just what the hell you're doing?" This was not a part of the plan. He would not believe that a single human could have any semblance of influence over one of his trained angels.
"Sending you to the Shadow Realm." Cas quipped, the sparkle back in his eyes. He slammed his hand on the sigil, casting Zachariah out.
"Was that a Yu-Gi-Oh reference?" Dean asked, a smirk on his lips. He was elated. Cas grinned back, the adrenaline coursing back through him.
"He won't be gone long. We have to find Chuck now."
"Who is he? Why does he matter? Sam is already on his way to the Stone. We can head Lilith off in Maryland ourselves." Dean gushed, grabbing the angel by the hand.
"No, Lilith could be approaching the Stone. We need to ask Chuck which ending he is seeing. I'll explain later, let's go!" Cas teleported them away, realizing they were running out of time.
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Severus had finally returned to their cavern, shaking his head as the others looked at him hopefully. He had found no other way out of the cavern. Harry stared up at the ceiling, taking soft breaths. The various precious stones sparkled. He squinted when they repeated the same action more than once. He got up from his position on the floor, rushing to follow the trail. He found himself in front of the mirror. Once again, he saw himself, ragged and desperate. His form began to shift. His hair grew longer, and he grew a few inches in height. His black hair lost its brown undertones and became like ink. He blinked in surprise, his eyes become an indigo. Skin became tanner, features more feminine until he was staring at an incredible sight. A beautiful woman stood in the mirror, placing her hand against the glass. Harry mimicked the action.
"It has been long since I had a visitor." her voice echoed in his head, although her lips did not move. "Please, bring my Gem back to Hogwarts, young one." she pleaded, her eyes looking directly above to the Sapphire.
"I cannot escape." he told her, voice breaking. Her lips mimicked his as he spoke, making Harry wonder if he was falling under the spell of the mirror. "My uncles are here, and my friend." He had suspicions of who the woman was meant to be, and figured he could plea to her. "A bad woman is coming, for this." He pulled the stone from his pocket. "I do not want to destroy it, for fear I will be doing her job for her." The woman's eyes studied the stone with interest. "If I am to leave, I will be taking the support my uncle needs to succeed. If I stay, we could all die."
"Much like the stone in your hand, you are more than you seem. Return the Gem to Hogwarts." She began to fade. Harry punched at the mirror in frustration. It did not make a single dent.
"Help us!" He shouted coarsely, as the woman reverted back to the image of Harry. "Rowena!" he gripped both edges of the mirror, his powers battling to surge through. Danny and the genie ghost appeared again, looking worried. They had been overtaken by something much more powerful than a ghost just moments before, unable to see what had happened in the mirror. Harry let out a shaky breath as the adults came to his side. He slipped the Stone back into his pocket. Sam assured him that all would be well, and all he had to do was hide until Sam had finished. He nodded, accepting the hug. Severus looked over to the blond girl who had her arms wrapped around her in nervousness. He regarded her with a calculating eye for a moment. Her silver eyes looked over at him, but did not see him. She was overwhelmed, drowning in the fabric of their world. He brought her into a hug as well, jolting her to the present moment. She let her eyes slip closed and the four of them waited for the final battle, huddled together.
It was then, that Lilith made her appearance.
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Cas and Dean appeared suddenly in a nice home. Dean took a moment to reorient himself, leaning against the nearby table. A man walked in, on the phone. He paused in shock, going pale. "Wait. T-t-this isn't supposed to happen." Cas took the phone from the man, tossing it away without thought for who was on the other line. The angel knew that they were running out of time. Not that he could tell by the clocks on the walls. Zachariah had never specified which midnight Lilith would strike at. Even under his control, Cas had not been privy to all the little details. He checked on Dean, making sure that the eyes were focused before gesturing to the other human.
"Dean, this is Chuck. The secondary prophet." he explained, voice even. Dean looked at the bearded man with disgust. He was still in nothing but his boxers and a robe. Chuck was pacing nervously, muttering to himself as he tried to reason out something that could not be explained.
"Another prophet?" he asked, getting up to size up Chuck. If bad led to worse, he was confident that he could get the information from the prophet without bringing down the wrath of the archangel protecting him.
"Heaven could not reach Luna, and so they circumvented the rules to produce Chuck." Cas looked back at Chuck with seriousness. "Have you been having visions?"
"Yeah, but you guys aren't supposed to be here. You're not in this story." Chuck said in a rush, throwing his hands up wildly, before sticking his thumbnail back between his teeth. He started to pace the room in agitation. Dean raised an eyebrow, wondering if being strange was a requirement to be a prophet.
"Story?" he asked, feeling it was a bit too melodramatic. Cas pointed to the computer screen in the adjacent living room. Dean sat in the chair, reading over the document. It told of everything they had been through, even Dean's most inner thoughts. He lingered over Cas' thoughts, but shook it out of his mind for the time being. The more pressing matter was that Harry, Sam, Severus and Luna were trapped in Ravenclaw Caverns with the Stone.
"Where is she?" Cas asked, getting an impending sense of doom that he could not place. The air around him was pressing down, almost as if it were electrically charged.
"She's going after the stone." Dean confirmed with a hard edge to his voice as he read the section in which Lilith stood on the beach. The computer screen began to flicker. Rumbling began in the foundation of the house. Cas grabbed at his head in distress. He fell to his knees, feeling as if his brain were being fried.
"Cas!" Dean shouted, rushing to the angel's side. He pulled his hand away in alarm when touching Cas only increased his screaming.
"It's the Archangel!" Chuck guessed. "He is being punished!" he cried in despair, clinging to Dean. Dean pushed the man away from him as a bright light filled the room. Chuck had been partially right. Cas' eyes snapped open and he pulled Dean close to him. Dean gasped as the delicious tingle of power rushed through his body, making his hair stand on end.
"Luna is in danger, they cannot send the archangel to her! They wish for me to assist. I will not allow them into our world Dean. I'll hold them off! I'll hold them all off! Just stop Sam! Do NOT KILL LILITH!" he finished as the pain began to overwhelm him. He clapped Dean on the forehead, sending him away.
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Dean landed hard, stumbling on the slick floor. He regained balance, looking up to the shocked faces of Sam and Severus. They, however, were not looking at him, but rather past him. He turned to see the woman that Chuck had described in his story. Her solid white eyes narrowed when she saw him.
"Why have you even come, Dean?" she mocked. "You are of no use here." She flicked her wrist, sending the man flying. Severus and Sam surged forward, as if they had fought together for ages. Lilith did not hold back, not caring for anyone other than her star player, Sam. Severus dodged artfully, moving like a shadow across the room. He was not concerned about dying. He smirked to himself a bit as he and Sam moved in unison to give him more power. His young brother was the King of Souls, death merely meant a visit. Severus sent a volley of spells to distract Lilith when Sam finished the final potion. Sam's eyes glowed yellow, and Severus knew he had been successful. The Potion Master strengthened his mental shields as Sam began to send in his own attacks. He tried grabbing a hold of the demon telepathically, but he was still not at her level of strength and could only hold her for a few seconds at a time. In these small moments, Severus' spells were effective against the demon and they both pressed on.
"Dad?" Harry asked, when Dean slowly opened his eyes. Luna was by his other side, biting her lip nervously. Dean sat up, feeling that something in his shoulder was definitely not in place anymore.
"You are not a part of this, Dean." Luna instructed, trying to get him to lay back down. Dean captured her wrists in his hand effectively, and he stood.
"Yeah, the other prophet told me the same." Dean said offhandedly, looking over to the other two men fighting the demon. Luna went silent. "Promise me that the two of you will stay back." he said, gearing up and rushing into the fray. He did not have magic or powers like Severus and Sam, but he knew he could help somehow. Harry was less sure of this.
"Luna...maybe...maybe if I can somehow get Rowena's Gem to Hogwarts, she will help us." he suggested. Luna looked up at the sapphire, figuring there was nothing left to lose. They had already gone so far off the intended path, nothing else could hurt at this point. She retreated, tired of the updated futures unfolding in front of her.
"How Harry?" she asked, her voice once again airy as normal. Harry scanned the room, and started to plan. The adults were forcing Lilith into the corner near the exit, leaving the mirror wide open.
"We use the mirror. I'm sure that Danny is still watching. We already know that we can't go through, but inanimate objects can." he rambled, remembering their earlier attempt at escape. "We get the Gem through, and they take it." Luna merely nodded, trusting in Harry. His eyes began to glow blue and he experimentally floated a few inches above the ground. "Help me get the mirror onto it's back."
"Alright. Wish we had some Retfyl here to help." she said with a sigh. Harry looked at her worriedly, wondering what had happened to the outspoken girl she had been a few minutes prior. He heard Sam shouting and ignored his thoughts. Slowly they tipped the mirror onto its back, Danny and the genie appearing with questioning looks. Harry looked down at them.
"I'm dropping that Gem in." he told them pointing upwards. It was not very large, perhaps the size of a full Muggle backpack. He merely hoped that it would not break if the ghosts dropped it as it came through. "Bring it to Hogwarts." he did not wait for a response because he knew that he would not hear it. He slowly began to float up, Luna watching his back, her wand held loosely in her hand. The gems on the ceiling were not floating as he had first assumed, but rather hanging by black chains. Both hands gripped it tightly and he used his enhanced strength to tear it apart. Both he and the gem began to fall towards the mirror. Luna was swaying around the mirror as if dancing. Harry grinned wildly. They were going to make it. The gem jerked suddenly, as if stuck in a tractor beam. His eyes widened when he saw the concentration on Lilith's face. Harry was pulled from the sapphire, the adults not noticing the behavior behind them. Luna suddenly snapped into clarity, rushing towards him. Harry was not ready for her to bowl into him, knocking him from the demons hold, sacrificing herself.
"Even better." Lilith muttered with a dark smile.
"Luna, no!" Harry called, alerting the adults, but it was too late. With a final burst of power, Lilith drew Luna to her. She held the girl like a shield.
"You turned yourself into a freak. A monster. And now you're not gonna bite? I'm sorry, but that is honestly adorable." Lilith mocked Sam. Sam raised his arm, but Dean pushed it down, drawing his gun.
"We can't risk Luna." There was a shout from behind as Harry fell to his knees. Dean began to turn.
"Focus on the girl. My magic will be useless to save her." Severus demanded, rushing to help Harry. Harry felt the familiar sensation of fire on his back and he twitched in pain. Severus was attempting to run any diagnostic scan that he could, but all were reflected. "Harry." he gritted out.
"I could snap her neck, there will be no winning. Hand over the Apple." Lilith demanded. Sam raised his hands, letting Dean keep the gun trained on the demon. Tearing could be heard in the chamber, and Dean readjusted his grip, but Lilith's equally puzzled look stopped him from pulling the trigger prematurely. Harry curled into a tight ball, and Severus could see darkness pooling on Harry's grey shirt. He took a step forward, but was jolted back by a guttural scream.
"What the heck is going on?" Dean demanded from his position. The cavern began to rumble, large pieces of rock falling all around them. "Sam?" he asked.
"Not me." Sam whispered back. Severus pushed himself up, just as Harry did. Only the boy was not just Harry anymore. His eyes were blazing with golden light, almost as intense as the striking lightning traces covering three fourths of his face. The Slytherin Head recognized the emotion in the boy's eyes, and it did not bode well.
"Harry no-" the words died on his lips as Harry rushed past with the speed of a Nimbus 2000. Sam sensed the boy, turning, locking hands with the smaller being. His feet slid several feet before he forced his powers to work in his favor. He did not recognize the boy he was blocking, glowing with unrestrained power. Harry growled at him, quickly overpowering the Abomination with Demon Blood. The Righteous Man felt something invisible brush over him as Harry rushed past. Luna had a serene smile on her face, humming to herself the lullaby her mother had sung on her deathbed. Lilith, sent a blast of something dark to dispatch the boy, but it never reached him. She screamed as his hand reached to her very essence within her host. Severus braved the scene to summon Luna. There was nothing else to be done as Harry poured power into his entire body, white and gold fighting for control of the host. In the end, the host crumbled to dust, just as Quirrell's body had. The boy stood panting over the remains, blood dripping onto the floor from his back.
"Harry?" Sam called out. The golden eyed warrior turned to Sam with a snarl, before his eyes rolled back and he fainted, collapsing on the pile behind him.
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Cas was bloodied after refusing to help Heaven, but they had backed off so suddenly that he was feeling disoriented. Chuck crawled out from under his sink. His house was trashed, but the computer stood in the mess untouched. The author rushed over, scrolling through the recounting of events from the last half hour. He started shaking his head, eyes moving back and forth quicker.
"Lilith is dead." he gasped, drawing Cas to his side. Chuck shoved a finger at the screen, pointing to the line of text that predicted it to be so. Cas was in such shock, that he did not question the fact the lines had written themselves without the prophet. "The others are in danger." he warned. Cas closed his eyes, disappearing. Only to reappear near the stairs. He looked down at his body, and attempted again. This time he landed in the kitchen.
"Chuck." he ground out, demanding an answer. Chuck pinched the bridge of his nose in thought. His eyes popped open.
"It's happening…"
"What is?" Cas growled.
"The end of the world."
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The blood hit the ash pile, and it was enough to reignite the seal's opening. White light began to burst from it. Harry awoke with a gasp, eyes wide as he scrambled towards his family. The light only continued to grow behind him, and the tremors in the carven increased tenfold, blocking their only exit. Dean grabbed Harry once he was in reach, begging him to use his powers again, but it was falling upon deaf ears. Harry was trembling. He no longer looked like the golden warrior that had killed Lilith, but neither did he look like Harry Winchester. His hair was long and shaggy once more, making his face appear more like James. His green eyes stood out better against the dirty, olive skin, looking haunted. Sam had brought the mirror back up, asking Danny to come through and open a portal. The ghost demonstrated the limits of the mirror, by pressing his hand against it.
"Harry! Harry!" Dean continued to shout. "Potter!" he cried in desperation, hoping that the display of power had not reverted Harry back to what he had been before he knew what true family was.
"He is weak. Lend him power." Luna told them. She was rubbing at her temples as if she had a terrible headache. Severus nodded, pressing his forehead to Harry's sending his own magic into the boy through the mind. Sam placed his hands on Severus' shoulders, sending through strength. Dean was beginning to panic. After all his years fighting the Supernatural, he never thought he'd lose. Luna grabbed Dean and forced his hand to touch Sam. Sam and Severus both felt the surge of love and affection as it passed through them to Harry, and the next moment Harry opened his eyes, both shining a bright blue.
"CAS!"
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In response, Cas' eyes began to glow brighter than they had in a while. Chuck gave him a serene smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cas returned the smile, not having felt so powerful, not even with the other angels in Heaven. He extended his grace out into the fabric of reality, searching the planet for his son. He passed several interesting golden threads in connection to his goal, but promised to pursue them at a later date. At last he saw his son, sitting in the middle of Ravenclaw Caverns, the others huddled around him. Cas gave a small gasp as he returned his consciousness to his own vessel. Chuck had not moved his hand from his shoulder, the process having only taken the span of a single blink. He gave a stern nod to Chuck and made to leave. Except, nothing happened. Blue eyes darted to brown and anger filled the angel.
"What are you doing?" Cas growled. Chuck merely looked over to the computer. Cas followed his gaze, seeing line after line forming.
"All stories come to an end."
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Danny could do nothing but watch in horror as white washed over the people he had come to see as family. It grew so bright that they could no longer watch. Desiree dragged her king from the room, slamming the door shut behind her. His inner court came rushing into the hall, disturbed by their King's distress. Adam forced his way to the front, no longer timid around the ghosts. He pulled Danny's head between his hands, forcing the green eyes to meet his hazel ones.
"Enough. There is nothing we can do. You are weak and I am nothing." he said fiercely. Danny narrowed his eyes.
"You are not nothing, Adam." After a moment, Danny gave a sigh. He turned to Desiree. "Open the door." he commanded. She did as she was told. They were surprised to find the room dark. Danny walked forward, rushing towards the end as he saw the cavern. Almost everything had been reduced to rubble, many stones falling from the ceiling and cracking the floor beneath. He searched but could not find that which he was looking for.
Harry and the others were gone.
A/N This is how I imagine the lightning streaks across Harry's face. Just remove the spaces. If for some reason FFN messes it up even with the spaces in it, just PM me if you really want to know what it looked like.
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