Yaaay we're almost to book three! hang with me guys this is gonna take a while to finish.

This chapter's going to be a lot shorter after the last one, but I don't care because the last one was 7,000+ words and I am not doing that again. I might just go back and add this to the end of the last chapter if it's too short, but most likely it'll end up its own chapter.

Plus how much could really happen between the end of the year and King's Cross

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or Harry Potter

The feast which occurred that night was singular for a lot of reasons. There was the fact that before it started the entire Weasley family [all four of the boys currently at Hogwarts] had piled on him just outside the door in a huge mess of them all trying to say thanks at once for saving their sister. Second, everyone was in their pajamas, as it was nearly eleven at night and they had all been asleep. The entire hall was in a festive mood, even though the reason for the feast had never been officially announced.

The best bit was probably when the doors banged open and all the people who had been Petrified came streaming into the hall to loud cheers from everyone, even some of the Slytherins. Hermione had thrown herself at Michael and Gabriel, who hugged back just as hard. Hagrid, the gamekeeper who had been arrested, turned up at three thirty AM and was beaming so widely that he could barely eat.

Ravenclaw had been put in the lead for the House cup and people kept coming over to ask Gabriel how he'd won them and if he'd really rescued Ginny Weasley. Gabriel redirected all of them and concentrated on the feast, telling Michael and Hermione that he'd explain later when they didn't have an audience.

McGonagall stood up near the end to announce that exams had been cancelled as a school treat ["Oh no!" said Hermione] and Dumbledore announced later that, as Lockhart had to go and get his memory back, he would not be returning next year to teach Defense class. This was also greeted with cheers even more deafening, and someone standing outside the Great Hall might have wondered if an explosion had gone off inside.

The rest of June passed in a heat haze. Apparently, Draco's father had been kicked off the school board for unknown reasons, which meant that all Gabriel saw of him was Draco moping around. All Defense classes had been cancelled, since Lockhart was gone, and these periods were now spent spread out by the lake on the lawn. It was during one of these times that Gabriel fully explained what had happened in the Chamber [the made-up version] and Hermione and Michael both looked like they were about to hit him.

"And you didn't think to ask for help?" Michael said, slightly angrily. "I could have come too and helped!"

"Er-" Gabriel was a bit taken aback. "I supposed I didn't want to drag you into all that."

"Well." Michael didn't seem satisfied with the explanation. "Next time you go on some crazy adventure, we're coming with you, alright?"

"Sure."

In what seemed like no time it everyone was packing up their things and getting ready to board the Hogwarts express back to King's Cross and preparing for the summer. Michael spent half of the ride telling everyone about the trip he was going to take to Ireland that year. They had several visitors - the Weasleys all piled in at one point, which was luckily after Draco ducked in to tell them he was glad Hogwarts hadn't been closed. It wasn't a 'sorry you were Petrified' or even a 'too bad about the giant Basilisk', but it was closer than Draco had been last year to actually being nice to Hermione.

Gabriel thought the compartment had to have magically stretched itself, to fit four Weasleys [the twins, Ron, and Ginny] Hermione, Michael, and himself. There were a lot of introductions and the twins kept speaking over each other and even Gabriel found it slightly difficult to tell them apart when they were being intentionally confusing, mostly because looking at their souls would have been cheating.

The oldest brother, who was apparently named Percy, was nowhere to be seen, but according to the others that was normal.

Gabriel was just wondering when he'd become such a fast friend of theirs. The three boys acted like they'd known him for years - Ron maybe less so, but he was no less enthusiastic. He and Michael were in the middle of an intense debate about Quidditch, which Hermione was watching with some amusement from her seat next to Ginny, who kept glancing over at Gabriel, who was sitting on Hermione's other side.

There was an Exploding Snap tournament which Hermione begged off of and which lasted until they were nearly to London, resulting in some burned fingertips and several sooty faces. Ginny waved goodbye frantically as they got off the train, the Weasleys heading for other parts of the station while Gabriel and Hermione walked back into the Muggle world.

Hermione sped off to talk to her parents and Gabriel made his way outside, finding a bench to sit down on and wondering if he really wanted to put in the effort of taking the bus and then walking back to Privet Drive and spend another summer with the Dursleys. He could just get a room somewhere, right? Gabriel thought he looked old enough to pass for at least a small fourteen, which could definitely get him into the Leaky Cauldron. Of course, that would mean he'd have to spend his entire summer in the magical world, which was full of people who knew him on sight and might stalk him for autographs.

Gabriel was pondering the pros and cons of finding someplace in Muggle London when someone spoke incredulously from just in front of him.

"Oh, Father, I don't believe this!"

Gabriel looked up sharply and his mouth almost dropped open.

"This is too good," the man said gleefully. "Absolutely hilarious! Look at you! You're miniature!"

"Balthazar, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"I have to do what?"

"Technically I need someone to take care of me-"

"I can see that."

"Don't make fun of me you dick. Anyway I'm not spending another minute with those people, laws be damned."

"So you're asking me to-"

"Don't make me say it."

"Alright, but it's not like I have a house or anything."

"You can zap one up, can't you? Trick a realtor into thinking they've sold the place to you."

"And what about you?"

"Contrary to my vessel, I can take care of myself, Balthazar. You can still have your parties and drink yourself stupid. I might join in."

"You can't join in, you're a minor!"

"Don't laugh at me!"

"What have you even been doing this whole time? I thought you were dead."

"Please. You think I'd let myself be killed that easily?"

"Lucifer's gone, you know."

"Yeah, I'm the one who gave the Winchesters their clue."

"On that note, really? 'Dying' defending them?"

"Hey, that was all for Kali."

"That's not much better, Gabriel."

"Shows what you know. That woman was amazing."

"I don't need to hear that."

"Shouldn't have asked. Are you going to help me out or not?"

Sigh. "Fine. I'll find a place somewhere and get everything settled."

"Excellent."

"And as a side note, what the hell is in that trunk?"

"Long story. House first. And nothing too small."

"Gabriel. You underestimate me."

Yeeeeeaaaaaaaah super super short. The opposite of the last chapter. There wasn't a whole lot to do, really, and I almost feel bad for putting up a chapter this short. But anyway.

Read and review? The button is right down there! You know you want to.

And by the way, what did you think of Balthazar's appearance?