Cas was immediately against the wall, trying to get back through.

"Dean!" he yelled desperately, pounding on the brick wall.

His father was back to him soon enough, pulling Cas away from the wall and getting him to explain what happened. He did, and his father ordered him to get to the train.

"Take Dean's stuff with you," Professor Singer continued. "Keep Sam close."

Cas wanted to argue, but he knew there was nothing else he could do to help Dean. He grabbed their trolleys, telling Sam to get on the train. The younger Winchester kept asking questions and demanding to go back for his brother, so as soon as all their luggage was loaded on, Cas took hold of the front of Sam's shirt and half-dragged him onto the train.

"Dad will take care of it," he insisted, embarrassed by the stares of other students.

"I'm not going without him!" Sam shouted, trying to push past Castiel. Cas stood in his place, and eventually the train rumbled into action, the horn sounding as it pulled away from the station. The Hufflepuff was worried for his father and friend. He prayed the two would somehow make it to the school in time for dinner.

On the other side of the wall, Dean had his own worries. He saw his trolley slide through the barrier, but there was a hand gripping the back of his shirt and holding him back. The amulet Sam had given him was burning against his skin, and Dean was struggling before he even knew what he was doing.

He ditched his sweater and managed to escape the stranger's grasp. He turned to get a look at his assailant and a chill ran through him. The man was tall, pale and dressed in dark robes. Curiously enough, the Muggles wandering past seemed to take no notice. What struck Dean most however, were the man's eyes. Bright yellow irises, much wider than normal and no pupil to speak of. The yellow colouration itself seemed cloudy, like they were filled a swirling mist. John had warned him about a man with yellow eyes. He told him that if he ever saw someone like that, to run as fast and as far away as he could.

"Hello, Dean," the man began, but if he spoke again, the young wizard didn't hear. He was running as fast as he could, back out of the station.

Get to the car, he thought. Get to the car!

He didn't dare look back; he knew it would only screw him up. The minute the rusty old Chevelle came into view, the image of the broom in the trunk flashed into his mind. He knew he could fly, pretty damn well too, if flying classes with Professor Finnerman were anything to go by. What he'd once he got into the air was still a mystery.

He ran straight into the back of it, pulling the hatch open as fast as he could. Luckily the lock on it hadn't worked in years. Sitting at the mysteriously low bottom of the trunk, there it was. The black and silver broomstick he'd been eyeing so enviously.

The second he mounted the broom, it took off high into the air. The young wizard shouted in alarm, his knuckles white from the grip he had on the perfectly sleek handle.

He took only a moment to look down, seeing the yellow eyed man watching him with that same grin, before he flew off, heading in the direction he knew the train was going. A scarlet steam engine couldn't be too hard to spot.

By the time Professor Singer reached his car, the yellow-eyed man was gone, as was Dean and the broom. Several baffled Muggles were talking hurriedly about a boy who appeared to fly and a strange vanishing man.

Bobby sighed in relief. If they were right, Dean was alive and arguably safe. Now he just had a school to get to.

It took Dean a good hour or two before he finally found the train. He was freezing and exhausted, so seeing the column of smoke rising was as welcome as a warm bed at that point. The relief was short-lived however. Now he had the problem of trying to board the train. He wouldn't be able to fit through the window; he had to get through a door somehow.

Steering the broom towards the scarlet train, he grinned at all the staring faces in the train windows. He needed to find Cas, Sam, or Gabe. He wouldn't be able to get a door open on his own. Eventually he spotted an open window with a head poking out of it. He'd recognize that shaggy mess of hair anywhere.

"Sammy!" he shouted, pulling up beside and doing his best to keep pace with the steam engine. "I need you to open a door!"

Sam shouted something back, but he couldn't hear it over the sound of wind blasting in his ears. Apparently they'd heard him though, as both Sam and Cas leapt towards the compartment door and down the hall. Dean pulled away from the train and struggled to the nearest door. It only took a moment for Cas to break through the locking enchantments on it and yank it open.

The oldest Winchester gave them a nod before veering off. He had to get this approach right or he's have a nasty fall ahead of him. Several feet away, he aimed for where he figured the opening would be when he collided. He took a deep breath before leaning forward, the broom shooting onward. The red engine was rushing toward him at a heart-stopping speed, and every instinct told him to shut his eyes. He resisted until the very last moment when he came shooting through the door and collided with a squishy roadblock. His broom went spinning off and hit the wall opposite him and broke into several pieces.

Dean found himself on the floor, on the roadblock he'd hit. It was rather nice and warm, but seemed to be groaning in apparent discomfort. It took him a moment to figure it out that it was his best friend who'd broken his fall. Springing up, he stared at the Hufflepuff beneath him.

"Uh, sorry Cas," he muttered apologetically, getting to his feet unsteadily and extending a hand to help his friend up.

"Talk about a dramatic entrance" drawled Gabriel, and it was then Dean realised all the students from that section were staring out of their compartments at the four of them. Dean just grinned and waved while Cas subtly tried to hide behind him.

"That was awesome, Dean!" Sam was beaming back in the compartment with his brother, Gabriel and Cas. "I bet everyone's talking about it."

"It was completely reckless," Cas added scoldingly, but Dean could tell the other boy wasn't actually mad.

Gabe had an arm slung around his shoulder and was feigning tears. "My boy! I'm so proud!"

By the time the train pulled in, Sam and Cas had managed to get the broom back into more manageable piece, but Dean knew it's need a lot of work to get back in working order. He'd had a nice long nap so he'd be able to stay awake through the sorting ceremony. He didn't think sleeping through the feast would be a problem, though.

Gabe had whisked the broom away and disappeared as soon as they got off the train, promising it'd be "better than new" next time Dean saw it.

Before he joined the rest of the students on the carriages, Dean pulled his little brother close.

"No matter what you end up in," he began, green eyes locked with hazel. "Know that Dad would be proud."

Something hardened in his younger brother's expression and he pulled away. "I don't care what Dad would think."

He didn't wait for Dean to comprehend this, turning away instead and marching off to follow his fellow first years to the boats. Dean was left staring at empty space for a few moments before Cas gripped his arm and gently reminded him they needed to get going. The Gryffindor felt oddly numb, and his eyes remained focused on the ground the rest of the way to the school.

In the Great Hall, he was relieved to see Professor Singer at the Teacher's table. He gave Dean a nod of acknowledgement, but any comfort that gave him was shot down by the icy glare he was getting from the Slytherin Head. The other students were thankfully too distracted reuniting with friends to be asking him anything about his adventure earlier in the day, though he was sure most of the school knew about it by now.

He sat with Gabriel as usual, but he was hardly listening to a word the older boy was saying. The only thing on his mind was the yellow-eyed man at the station.

When the first years came in, Dean kept a watchful eye on his brother. It seemed he'd already met a few people on his way in. A young girl with curly blond hair seemed to be sticking particularly close. The older Winchester knew he had a lot of waiting to do; there were a lot for students coming in this year and alphabetical order had never been in his favour.

Among the first few were some unusual names; Unusual to Dean, anyhow. Red Ellsworth and Ruby Faustus, both sorted to Slytherin. At the mention of the latter's name, the Hall exploded into whispers. Everyone seemingly recognized the name, and Dean felt very out of the loop suddenly.

Eventually silenced, everyone turned their attention to an Andrew Gallagher, the next boy to be sorted. Hufflepuff cheered and hollered as he was sorted into their house. A while down the list, just after a Meg Masters had been sorted to Slytherin, the blond who'd been talking so emphatically with Sam was called up.

"Moore, Jessica!"

She happily bounded onto the stage and Dean would've bet money she'd be Hufflepuff. Only seconds after the sorting hat had been placed on her head however, it shouted, "Ravenclaw!"

Dean noticed Sam was grinning at her as she ran to take her seat. How cute, he thought. Sammy's first crush.

It took a while for yet another Slytherin to be sorted, a girl named Ava, and then it was finally Sam's turn. He looked more confident than most of the other first years as he stood to take his place on the stool. The hat was placed on his head, and after a few silent moments Dean was starting to think his brother would be as much of a hatstall as Cas had been.

Just as the hum of quiet murmurs started through the hall, the Sorting Hat spoke up.

"Ravenclaw!"