A/N: This is a huge apology to everyone who wanted to see this story progress, I am so so sorry for being away for as long as I have been. At first it was because I couldn't find the time to write and then publish anything but then it became something else. I recently suffered a very bad time, I have depression, and it was a very difficult time for me. I made the choice to stop all projects until I was able to move past this. But I am back now, this story WILL NOT be abandoned again. I recebtly uncovered my notes on the plot line and where I wanted to go with this so it's back to regular publishing times. Please tell me what you think.
Chapter 4: Dead things
They were back at the roadhouse, each brother involved with three very different tasks. Dean and Jo were by the pool table laughing and flirting as they sunk each ball with elaborate positioning of the cue.
Sam sat with Ellen on the bar sipping a beer and discussing new cases around the area that Ellen had overheard while serving the usual clientele of the roadhouse. She slipped him a manila folder and poured herself a shot of whiskey, keeping her eye on the pair in the corner booth.
Harry and Nick were seated in the comfy looking booth with a large book on the table between them. It's spine was cracked and aged and the pages were made of thin and lightly coloured parchment, nothing like the thick harsh yellow papyrus like parchment they had back at Hogwarts.
"I remember you saying something about a ritual, so I dug out this" Nick said as harry traced the numerous cracks in the cover.
"I can't take this, it's yours" Harry denied looking back into Nicks pure blue eyes.
"Take it, I've already got what I needed and from the sounds of this mouldy dude, you're gonna need it" Nick refuses pushing the heavy book into Harry's hands. Harry smiled at Nick glad that he had trusted him enough to reveal his secret.
It was after the Gordon Walker incident. They had come back to the roadhouse glad for the check off point. They had rested and Ellen had slapped an unopened bottle of whiskey down and looked at Harry. She didn't need to say anything; her perfected mum stare did it for her. He caved instantly and at the reluctant nods of Sam and Dean spilt everything about him. His life, his magic and a brief glance over Cedric that despite not saying everything about him, Ellen seemed to know the truth without him saying anything at all
Originally it had only been Ellen but Nick and Jo had snuck in and listened in. He had been wary of Nick, Jo not so much. But Nick was a fully fledged hunter, even if Ellen resented that fact; he could react badly like Gordon did. Instead he made a noise of awe then sat down on a thin stool and swallowed a shot of alcohol, to the indignation of Ellen.
So, here they were discussing the supernatural world like two regular teens that didn't feel the weight of the world.
It wasn't until they were in Kansas that Harry managed to read the book properly. The reason they had come to Sam and Dean's hometown was for the pair to bury John's army tags. Harry supposed he should have gone with them, to pay his respects but truthfully...he didn't quite know how to react.
On the one hand, John was his father. His real dad, who despite the easy option of abandoning him and leaving him alone, but instead took him in and introduced him to his brothers. And now he was gone. Taken away like Sirius and his other dad. He mourned the loss of him deeply as he did with everyone he encountered, both briefly and in depth encounters.
But, on the flip side, John was nothing more than a stranger. He was closer to Sam and Dean than he ever was with John. With them, it actually felt like family, albeit a slightly dysfunctional one. He had soon realized that his sadness at John's passing wasn't due to the abrupt departure of him, but it was more sadness that he never really knew his dad. Again.
Shaking his head, he buried himself into the book that currently rested in his lap. He flicked through the pages wary of tearing the fragile feeling paper. Nothing caught his eye; there were rituals of rusty daggers, rituals using goat's tongues but nothing that sounded right. He didn't seem to remember a goat being there.
Goat, goat bladder, virgin spell no all wrong he thought exasperated. He reached the middle of the book and saw in bold lettering Blood of the enemy.
He casted his mind back to that night, the night that still vaguely haunted him. He thought back to the hazy words that wormtail spoke Blood of the enemy forcefully taken in his mind it clicked. He heard the distant rumblings of the impala as it pulled into the car park. He grabbed a sheet of the motel stationary and tore a thin strip out and slipped into the crevice of the two pages and closed it tightly shoving it deep into his bag.
"I'm telling you Sammy there's something there" Dean insisted
"I'm not disagreeing Dean but I mean...a hunt in here of all places" Sam said
"We hunting something?" Harry asked standing to his feet
"Maybe" Dean said "poisoned ground outside a dead chick's grave"
"Spirit?" Harry asked him and Dean shrugged
"We should talk to her dad then" Dean said looking at Sam who studied Dean and looking as though he were about to say something but changed his mind
"Yeah...sure" the trio climbed into the impala and drove to the house of one
"I didn't realize you knew Angela" he said as they sat on the couch
"Yeah...old friends. Didn't hear about...you know until a few days ago" Sam lied as Harry stood and wandered around the room looking at the various books lying out.
"You teach Greek" he asked holding a book up
"Yes at the university. Why" he asked him
"No reason...just recognised the symbol is all" Harry said placing the book down and sitting next to his brothers.
"So, how was Angela before" Dean asked
"Normal...her and Matt where planning to move in together with Lindsay"
"Where they a happy couple" Harry asked him and the professor bristled and snapped "yes. Now I'd you don't mind gentlemen but I've have a lot of work to do" he underwritten out quickly.
"Well...he's certainly shifty" Dean said looking at the door they had all but been pushed out of.
"It wasn't him Dean" harry said as they walked back down the street
"And how the hell do you know that" he said shortly "grief makes a person do stupid things"
"He had live, healthy plants on his shelf" he snapped back
"Dean, none of that was necessary...I mean a car accident?" Sam said trying to quell the upcoming argument "doesn't exactly scream angry spirit"
"Yeah, well maybe this Angela wasn't as good as her old man thought" Dean said sliding into the drivers seat. Harry sighed and made to sit in the back again.
"Harry...Potter" a disembodied voice whispered as a chill ran down his spine. He whipped his head around frantically searching the surrounding area. Where the hell was that voice coming from? Why could only he hear it? He still scanned th rea with his heart beat quickening as he took in the entriely too empty street. It wasn't until Sam spoke that he broke from his frantic voice search.
"Harry...you okay" Sam asked concerned
"Yeah...I'm fine...just the wind" he said sitting in the back, Goosebumps still running up and down his arm.
Sam sighed and closed his laptop shut, Harry was in the shower and Dean sat on the table cleaning is favourite gun. When his lid snapped shut he looked up a DNA asked "anything"
"Nothing Dean! I mean Angela Mason was a normal girl. Nothing mystical or mysterious about her at all. Dean it's looking less and less like a hunt. Are you sure that's all it is"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean Sam" Dean snapped. Sam sighed he didn't exactly plan on how to say this to him "I mean...a hunt? Here of all places are you sure it's nothing to do with-"
"I swear Sam if you bring up dad I'm going to kick your damn ass" Dean cut him off
"Dude, I mean come on" Sam said looking at him with his brown eyes wide.
"Poisoned ground has nothing to do with him Sam" Dean denied
"Come on Man, that could be anything"
"Yeah! Like a vengeful spirit which last time I checked we got rid of!" Dean shouted
"Not if there's not one to get rid of!" Sam shouted back
Dean said nothing but slammed his gun back to place and yanked the keys off the hook and growled "I don't have to take this"
"Where are you going" Sam asked
"I'm going for a drink. Alone" he said slamming the door shut. Sam sighed and at on the edge of his bed. "You know that's not how you'll get through to him"
He raised his head and saw his younger brother his damp hair dripping still. "What do you mean?"
"Getting through to Dean isn't going to be easy" he said towelling his hair dry
"I know it's not...He so damn stubborn"
"Exactly, so confronting him like that isn't going to work" Harry said sitting next to Sam.
"I don't know how to get through to him though" Sam said softly
"Just...try another way. Make him see how it's affecting you Sam" harry suggested.
Sam nodded and the pair sat in silence but before Sam could suggest watching a terrible cable movie, there was an incessant TAP at the window.
Frowning, Harry stood and walked to the window, once he had slid it open a white snowy owl had hopped in.
"Err. Why is there an owl in the room?"
"It's got a message...but how" Harry muttered before unclasping the envelope tied to the owl's leg. The owl hopped a little before flying away. Harry ached a little thinking of Hedwig, he had left her with kreacher at grimauld place. Regretting it, he sat and tore open the wax seal and read the familiar scrawl of Albus Dumbledore.
Dear Harry,
My dear boy, your current actions are having serious repercussions. While you have been absent, voldemort has increased his attacks. His forces are attacking heavily everyday. And I regret to inform you but Remus Lupin passed away during one of these random attacks. I beg of you, return to the wizarding world and allow me to train you. You can end this war once and for all.
Yours,
Albus Percival wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Harry paled when he read that and he felt another blow. Remus? Remus was dead. The last of the true maurauders was gone. Forever. Guilt welled up in him, he felt ill. He clutched his stomach afraid it would upturn at any point.
"Harry!" Sam exclaimed loudly taking the letter from his hand, he scanned it quickly before he pulled Harry into a hug.
"Guess what...What the hell happened" Dean cried when he came back into the room. He threw down whatever he had clutched in his hands and looked at Harry who was still struggling not to vomit.
"He got this" Sam said handing Dean the letter never letting his arm leave Harry's shoulder. Dean read it and screwed it up in disgust.
"Harry?" He asked
"I have to go back" he said pulling out of the embrace
"What!" Dean exclaimed
"I have to! All those people are dying because of me! I can't let them down" Harry said his anger beginning to form
"But why you Harry?" Sam asked "surely they have someone else"
"It has to be me, the prophecy..."Harry said trailing off
"Harry...that applied to you only when you were a Potter right" Sam asked and he nodded
"Yeah well guess what dumbass, you're a damn Winchester now" Dean said firmly
"But I.."
"No, they're going to have to deal with it, you said this, what was his name bumblebees or whatever, was powerful. Why the hell doesn't he get of his old wrinkly ass and do something about it then"
"But the prophecy said"
"That you had to defeat him...didn't you do that when you killed him the first time" Sam said
"...You're right...I just don't like the idea that people are suffering because of me" Harry admitted softly.
"Its there problem Harry, besides if he decides to show up, we'll do what we always do" Dean said "we waste his sorry ass" Harry smiled and cleared his throat before turning to the open book Dean had abandoned on his way into the room.
"You stole her diary?" He asked pulling to the last open entry
"Figure it'd help to get to know the girl better" Dean replied
Harry read the entry before saying "hey listen to this Neil is such a good listener, I mean he's always there for me to cry on his shoulder. He's the sweetest guy ever what do you think"
"Unrequited crush? So what?" Dean said placing the room
"Crap! Guys check this out. Her boyfriend? Just turned up dead" Sam said once again behind his laptop.
"Necromancy!" Harry exclaimed suddenly
"Bringing dead stuff back to life...so what"
"That's what the symbol on book was, Greek for necromancy"
"Told you grief makes people do stupid things" Dean said
"Not the Dr, but someone else" Harry said
"Someone who loved her enough to bring her back from the dead" Sam said
"Neil? But then why kill Matt? He already has the girl" Dean said
"It wasn't Neil, look at this" Harry said holding her diary upwards
Matt and Lindsay! How could they? They fucking ruined everything! How could they, I swear I could kill them.
"Apparently, her perfect relationship wasn't so perfect" Harry said
"So zombiefied Angela kills Matt, crap! Lindsay's the only other one she's got beef with" Dean said quickly grabbing his gun and keys
"But we don't know how to kill her!" Sam said
"There's no time" Dean cried as they climbed into the back of the impala speeding away towards Lindsay's home.
When they got there, Neil was stood looking horrified as a pale Angela slowly walked towards a crying Lindsay. "Dean!" Sam shouted pulling his own weapon of choice from his side and pointing it at the moving corpse.
"What have I done" Neil whispered forlorn
"Made a creepy dead sex doll well done kid" Dean said sarcastically pushing him behind the car as Sam pulled Lindsay away from zombie Angela. The dead girl growled angrily and made to move towards them.
"Hey!" Dean shouted before cocking his gun and firing one round deep into the head of the girl, who recoiled at the bullet before snarling and rushing Dean who grunted as her body slammed into his. The pair fell to the floor; Sam rushed to Dean's aid. Harry slipped his wand out of his pocket and looked into the three bodies on the floor.
"Stupefy!" He shouted and when the red jet hit the dead girl he rejoiced until she turned and focused on him.
"Well...that didn't work" he said "umm..." as a large cold dead arm came swinging at him. "Guys! A little help here!"
"What can we do?" Dean called
"How the hell should I know?" Harry called back dodging yet another dead limb
"Well...Haven't you got some magic mojo brewing" Dean asked desperately
"Killing creepy sex zombies wasn't exactly in the manual" He shouted and dean looked at him before asking
"There's a manual" Harry looked at him before giving a grunt of pain as a fist connected with his stomach and he tumbled to the floor.
"Harry!" Sam shouted before taking aim and firing a shot into her head, she hissed and recoiled but still didn't die.
"Okay. Let's try something else" Harry grunted before gripping his wand and casting the cursed fire spell, it erupted from the tip of his wand and spiralled around him before he directed it onto Angela who screamed and began to pat the flames, but harry knew it wouldn't work. In seconds the whole of Zombie Angela was alight and burning into her body.
Angela cried out in pain as the flames slowly intensified and began to eat into her body. She looked at Neil who stared emotionlessly tears gathering at his eyes "I thought you loved me" She said to him and moved towards her
"I do" He whispered to her softly as she cried out again before slumping to the floor and turning to a charred corpse.
Harry ended the spell and the flames blinked out of existence, leaving the body steaming. Neil didn't say anything but moved towards Angela and picked up the body and moved to his car and drove away.
"Where do you think he's going" Sam asked
"He's going to say goodbye…properly this time" Harry said slipping his wand back into his pocket and moving back to the car they arrived in and waited for his brothers to join him and when they did, he leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes with the purring of the engine lulling him to sleep.
Sam looked back at his younger brother and smiled softly as he shifted softly in his sleep.
"Something's up with him, you know that right" Dean said not taking his eyes from the road
"Yeah I know dean…he's not the only one here though dean" Sam said
"Sam"
"No! Dean, you're not acting like you and I don't. I've just lost dad, I lost Jessica. I can't lose you too Dean…I just can't" Sam said softly not looking at dean, instead choosing to look at the passing scenery as they drove down the back road of no where.
"Sammy…It's not…I'm not..." Dean sighed heavily "Dad left me to make sure that you and Harry are okay and it feels like…its feels like I'm screwing up already"
"You're not screwing up Dean…I just…I don't know" Sam said sighing too
"I know things have sucked lately but I promise I'm gonna try and make tings better
"We don't need better Dean, We just need to stick together, like old times" Sam said
"No, not like last time Sam, I want it to better than last time"
"And we can be…Together
"Together" Dean agreed and once again lapsed into silence broken only when Sam shoved a cassette tape into the radio and the soft strumming's filled the silence.