Already a new chapter, because I enjoy writing and procrastinating homework.

For the Dementor scene, I've decided that they still affect angels - and even so, Gabriel doesn't have a whole lot of Grace. And if it didn't affect him, where would the fun in that be? We all enjoy putting characters in difficult situations.

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or Harry Potter

King's Cross was as busy as usual. Gabriel had once again been offered a ride to the station, this time by the Weasleys, who as it turned out own a magically extended Ford Anglia. The front seat had been stretched so far that it resembled a park bench, to say nothing of the rest of the seats.

"You know," Gabriel had said as he scooted over to make room for the others, "I have to admit, I was wondering how we were all going to fit in here."

The trip had been surprisingly short, given the amount of traffic, and soon enough they were all being packed on to the train as parents sent them off with hugs and promises to write. Gabriel was about to walk onto the train when someone pulled him aside.

"Harry - a moment, please?"

It was Mr. Weasley. Gabriel allowed himself to be pulled off to an out-of-the-way bit on the platform.

"There's something I've got to tell you," he said in a low voice.

"I actually overheard you last night," Gabriel told him straight away. "Left my book down in the pub."

"Ah," Mr. Weasley looked uncomfortable. "That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out."

"It's fine, really." Gabriel told him.

"Harry, you must be very scared-"

"I'm fine, I really am." Gabriel was mentally rolling his eyes. He noticed that Mr. Weasley was looking at him doubtfully. "Seriously. I mean, he can't be worse than Voldemort, can he?"

Mr. Weasley had flinched at the name. Gabriel had forgotten how sensitive people were about it. "I-" He looked unsure what to say. "Well, just don't-"

"Sorry," said Gabriel quickly, talking over him. "Train's about to leave, got to go." He darted out of the way and swung himself onto the nearest car, trunk thudding as he pulled it up the short staircase. Gabriel trailed down the hallway and almost walked past a compartment in search of an empty one before he realized it contained Michael and Hermione.

"Hey!" he said, pulling the door open. "Anyone feel like helping me with my trunk?"

"I'm sure you can handle it, Harry." A large wickerwork basket was next to Hermione, and ginger hair poking through the holes assured Gabriel that it was Crookshanks the cat.

"Who's he?" Gabriel asked, pushing his trunk onto the luggage rack. A man in slightly tattered robes was sitting in the corner on Michael's other side, leaning against the window and obviously asleep.

"Professor R J Lupin," said Hermione promptly. Ron, who had followed Gabriel in, looked agog.

"How d'you know that?" He asked, astonished. Hermione pointed to the luggage rack.

"It's on his case." Sure enough, there was a suitcase with the initials and name written on it in faded gold leaf. The suitcase seemed just as tattered and used as the robes - and now that Gabriel looked closer, the man was a bit worn as well, with a lined face and traces of parallel white scars that must have been made by some sort of claws. His hair was flecked with gray, and Gabriel wasn't surprised that the man was asleep - he looked absolutely exhausted.

"Wonder what he teaches?" Michael whispered as Gabriel sat down next to the man, leaving a bit of space in between them.

"Defense, of course," Gabriel answered. "What other position is empty?"

"I hope he's up to it," Ron said, aware that he was a bit of an outsider and trying to break the ice. "He looks like one good curse would finish him off."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Hermione said. "Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone who was too incompetent to teach."

"I'm sorry," Gabriel said disbelievingly. "Am I the only one who remembers Lockhart?"

Ron tried and failed to muffle a snort of laughter as Hermione glared at Gabriel with no real feeling behind the look. Even Michael was grinning a bit.

"Speaking of new things," Michael began, "What do you think of Hogsmeade?"

"I've heard it's the only entirely magical settlement in Britain," Hermione said promptly. "D'you know much about it?" she asked Ron.

"Not really," he said. "I mean, not stuff like that. Fred and George have told me about the shops, though. There's a Dervish and Banges, and a Zonko's of course...oh, and Honeydukes."

"I'm looking forward to that," said Michael, still grinning. "Harry'll probably be in heaven."

"Why, what's Honeydukes?"

"It's a candy shop," Michael told Gabriel.

"Excellent." Gabriel grinned back. "Good thing I got my permission slip signed."

"They've got everything," Ron said happily. "Pepper Imps, great fat Chocoballs...and these really excellent Sugar Quills you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking of what to write next-"

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione asked them as a group. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery, it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain-"

Ron was plainly not listening to a word she said, as he had not stopped extolling the virtues of the candy shop while she spoke. Gabriel elbowed the boy harshly and asked Hermione, "What about Hogwarts? They've got plenty of ghosts."

"There are more in the Shack, I suppose," said Hermione, while Ron put a hand to his side and looked at Gabriel incredulously. "Of course, nothing's been heard from it in ages-"

"Heard?" asked Michael, glancing towards her and away from the window, which ne'd been staring out. "Don't you mean seen?"

"No one's gone in it either," Hermione explained. "Apparently the villagers used to hear really terrifying howls and screams from the Shack on some nights, and no one's ever gone in since then."

"Sounds a bit more violent than the Hogwarts ghosts," commented Gabriel.

Hermione nodded absentmindedly. She was undoing the latch on the wickerwork basket which held Crookshanks, and as it fell open the cat leaped onto her lap, stretching.

Ron was staring at it. "What in Merlin's name is that?"

"It's a cat," Hermione snapped.

"Yeah, and didn't you consider that I've got a pet rat?" Ron pointed angrily to the lump in his shirt pocket as Gabriel wrinkled his nose. Hermione was about to retort when Lupin stirred and they all froze.

Fortunately, he didn't wake up and instead settled down again.

As the train moved north the scene outside became steadily wilder as they moved farther into the highlands. The traditional game of Exploding Snap had been forgone, because of their sleeping companion, and when the trolley cart came by they started a whispered competition to see who could get the best Chocolate Frog cards which even Hermione joined in on. Crookshanks sat on her lap the whole time, and Gabriel rather thought that it looked like the cat was eyeing the rat in Ron's pocket.

Mid-afternoon, when it had started raining outside, Draco Malfoy showed up.

Ron looked up and he had nearly stood up angrily when Gabriel pulled him back down. "Hello," he said despite the angry Weasley sitting next to him.

"Ah-" Draco had obviously not expected someone new to be in the compartment - besides Lupin, of course. He looked unsure of his welcome. "I suppose I'll-"

"Come in?" Gabriel suggested. "I bet you can't find a card better than Bathilda Bagshot."

"I've got plenty of cards better than Bagshot," Draco scoffed as he closed the door behind him, still keeping a wary eye on Ron. "Give me those."

"Say please."

"What?"

The train sped ever further north and the atmosphere in the compartment began to relax, though Ron and Draco never spoke directly to each other. Lupin kept sleeping, despite the rain rattling against the train and the wind roaring by and the rattle of the wheels.

The window was completely black and no matter what any of them did, they couldn't see out. Ron tried to peer out. "We must be nearly there by now." No sooner had the words left his mouth than the train began to slow.

"Ah, brilliant, I'm starving."

"We can't be there yet," objected Hermione, checking her watch.

"Why are we stopping, then?" asked Michael trying in vain to see something outside the window.

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of it moving faded away, the storm outside howled even louder. It came to a complete stop with a jolt and distant heavy thuds told them that people's luggage was falling out of the racks. Gabriel had to hurriedly push to keep a dark blue one in place and stop it from hitting everyone sitting on the opposite side. Without warning, they were plunged into darkness as the lamps extinguished themselves.

"What's going on?" Draco demanded from what sounded like directly in front of Gabriel.

"Ouch!" Hermione gasped. "That was my foot!"

Gabriel reached behind him, accidentally felt up Ron's knee, and then sat down again.

"D'you think we've broken down?" Ron asked.

"If we have, the train picked a horrible time to stop working."

There was a squeaking sound, and a dim black outline of someone who was probably Michael became visible. He had wiped a bit of the window clean and was again peering out.

"There's something moving out there," he said slowly. "I think people are coming aboard..."

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," said Hermione's voice. Something shuffled in the dark and the compartment door squeaked open. There was a thud and two loud "Ow!"s.

"Who's there?"

"Hello?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron-"

"Come in-"

"Don't sit here!" Gabriel hissed as someone moved in front of him. "I'm here!"

"Ow," someone groaned.

"Quiet!" A hoarse voice spoke.

Evidently, Lupin had woken up at last. There were shuffling movements from the corner he was in, and no one spoke.

There was a soft crackling noise and a shivery light filled the compartment. Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of fire. His face was as tired as ever, but his eyes were alert and wary.

"Stay where you are," he said, voice still hoarse, and carefully eased to his feet, still holding the fire. He was holding it out in front of himself, as if warding something off.

The door slid open before he could reach it.

Gabriel's Grace flared in response to whatever creature was standing in the doorway. It was cloaked and towered to the ceiling, the hood completely covering its face.

Before anyone could look at it for more than a split second, whatever it was drew a long, rattling breath, and an intense cold permeated the compartment. Something rushed up to meet Gabriel and he was drowning in the cold, a hopeless feeling permeating him before his Grace could do anything [not like he could have done much with it in this state] and as if from far away Gabriel heard someone speaking that he distinctly remembered...

Amateur hocus-pocus...don't forget...you learned all your tricks from me, little brother...

Acute terror seized Gabriel but before he could try and struggle away from the memory someone else shouted.

"Harry! Wake up!"

He was being slapped again.

"Harry! Harry!"

Gabriel blinked his eyes open again. He wasn't aware of having closed them.

The lanterns had come back on, and as the floor was shaking beneath him Gabriel guessed that the train had started again. he had somehow ended up on the floor instead of in his seat. Everyone was kneeling over him with wide eyes except for Lupin, who was standing by the door with concerned eyes on him. Gabriel felt slightly shaky as he sat up, which dissipated soon enough, and Hermione rushed to try and prop him up.

"Hermione, I'm alright."

"You just fainted!" she shrieked at him.

"Did I?"

A loud snap made them all jump. Lupin was breaking an enormous bar of chocolate into pieces.

"Here," he said, handing Gabriel a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

Gabriel, while never one to turn down chocolate, held it for a moment. "What was that?"

"A dementor," Lupin answered, now handing out chocolate to everyone. "One of the Azkaban guards."

Gabriel's heart sank slightly. "Those are the things that are going to be around all year? Who thought putting them around kids was a good idea?"

"Eat," Lupin repeated, glancing towards the piece of chocolate Gabriel still held. "And apparently, Minister Fudge."

Gabriel took a bite as he glowered over the thought of those things being around all year. The candy seemed to help chase away the lingering cold, and Gabriel hauled himself back onto the seat. Lupin disappeared out the door and walked away down the hall.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" Hermione asked. She was still watching him worriedly, as though he might keel over at any moment.

"I'm fine," Gabriel repeated. "What happened?"

"Well - that thing - the Dementor - it stood there and looked around - I mean I think it did - and you-" Michael seemed unable to continue nir sentence.

"You went sort of rigid," Ron picked up. He still looked a bit pale. "And then you fell over and slid off the seat onto the floor - I thought you were having some sort of attack-"

"And then Professor Lupin told the dementor 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' And when it didn't leave he used some sort of spell and it just glided off." Hermione said.

Ginny, who was curled in the opposite corner looking about as well as Gabriel had felt, let out a small sob. Hermione put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Gabriel, glancing at what remained of his chocolate, offered it to her.

"Thanks," she said miserably, taking it. It wasn't hard to guess that, based on what Gabriel had been forced to remember, she had had a flashback of the Chamber. Gabriel cursed himself for not remembering nightmares last year, but it would be a bit strange now to put a couple fingers on her head and anyway he needed to conserve his Grace.

"But - none of you fell off your seats?"

"No," Michael answered. "Ginny was shaking like mad though."

Lupin entered again before the conversation could go any further. "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," he informed them. "Are you alright, Harry?"

Gabriel didn't ask how the man knew his vessel's name. "Fine."

During the remained of the journey, no one spoke much. Draco had maintained a pale-faced silence ever since Gabriel had woken up, and as Gabriel composed a scathing letter to the Minister in his head they stopped at Hogsmeade station. There was the general clatter of pets being unloaded but it wasn't quite as noisy as usual. There was a freezing downpour of rain, driving down in icy sheets.

They couldn't get to a coach soon enough. All of them who had been in the compartment - even Draco - piled into one together. The thestrals were still there, and they seemed to walk a bit faster up to the school, as if just as eager to get out of the rain. Hermione and Michael kept casting anxious looks at Gabriel, who by now had fully recovered, thank you very much.

There were two more dementors at the gates. Gabriel closed his eyes tightly and felt a hand on his shoulder as he tried to remind himself that no, he could not smite them because A) he didn't have enough energy for all of them and B) there were other people in the coach he might accidentally blind.

At last, the carriage swayed to a halt and they all piled out. They joined the crowd swarming up the steps to get out of the rain and hurried through the giant oak front doors into the Entrance Hall.

It was strangely wet inside as well, and when Peeves appeared with an armful of water balloons Gabriel gave the poltergeist a withering glare, in absolutely no mood for pranks. Peeves zoomed off at once when he caught the look, which Ron watched bemusedly.

"That's weird," he said aloud, the words almost lost in the noise of the crowd around them. "I've never seen Peeves do anything like that before."

"Strange," Gabriel agreed as a voice called out "Potter! Granger!"

Gabriel and Hermione both turned around. It was Professor McGonagall, hurrying across the marble floor towards them, her hair drawn up into its customary bun.

"There's no need to look so worried," she told them as they came over. "I just want a word in my office - Corner, Weasley, Malfoy, move along."

Michael cast a glance behind nir, but Hermione and Gabriel were already being swept along out of the way and through the corridors. As they entered her office McGonagall settled behind her desk, pinning Gabriel with a stare as he and Hermione sat down.

"Professor Lupin sent ahead an owl to say you were ill on the train," she said. Gabriel tried to keep his eyeroll internal.

A knock sounded on the door and Madam Pomfrey came bustling in, zeroing in on Gabriel.

"I'm fine," Gabriel said loudly, but that didn't stop her.

"I suppose you were doing something dangerous again?" she asked, bending down to stare at him closely. She obviously had been told about last year's events.

"It was a dementor, Poppy," said McGonagall.

They exchanged a dark look, and Gabriel succeeded in leaning back far enough as the chair tilted backwards. Madam Pomfrey tugged him back down sharply, making the chair thud onto all fours.

"He should have some chocolate, at least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Gabriel's eyes.

"I've had some already," Gabriel retorted. "Lupin gave us some on the train."

"Professor Lupin," McGonagall corrected.

"Did he, now?" Madam Pomfrey seemed pleased. "Well, at least we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies."

"Are you sure you're alright, Potter?" McGonagall asked sharply.

"Yes," Gabriel was getting thoroughly sick of people asking him that.

"Very well. Please wait outside, then, while I speak to Miss Granger about a small matter with her timetable," McGonagall said. "Then we can walk down to the Great Hall together."

Gabriel reentered the corridor, Madam Pomfrey going with him. She left, probably for the Hospital Wing, muttering about something under her breath. He needed to wait only a few minutes before both McGonagall and Hermione came out, the latter happy about something. Gabriel didn't have time to ask what had made her so thrilled as they were immediately led back down the staircase, and into the Great Hall.

The Hall was the same as usual, swamped with black and the long house tables lined with students. It was illuminated by the usual yellow candlelight, and as they entered they passed Flitwick carrying away a three-legged stool and the tattered Sorting Hat.

"Oh," Hermione said. "We've missed the Sorting!"

They split up at the doors, Hermione leaving for the Gryffindor table while Gabriel continued on to the Ravenclaw one. Michael was waiting for him, a seat reserved to nir right.

"What did she want?" Ne asked as Gabriel took the seat.

"Just wanted to see if I was okay."

"And are you?"

Gabriel tried very hard not to smack his head onto the table. Any response he might have had was cut off as Dumbledore stood up at the staff table, beard as long as ever and robes decorated with shooting stars that actually moved.

"Welcome!" He called out, the noise in the hall dying down as everyone listened. "Welcome all of you to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you are befuddled by our excellent feast...

"As you have no doubt noticed when they searched the Hogwarts Express, this year we are playing host to the dementors of Azkaban, here on Ministry of Magic business." Dumbledore paused here, and Gabriel remembered what he had heard about the headmaster being upset with them being there.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, and Gabriel groaned under his breath. "And while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody to go out onto the grounds without permission. Dementors are not fooled by tricks or disguises-" Gabriel was sure that Dumbledore's eyes flashed to him, "-or even cloaks of invisibility. It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to our prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure none of you run afoul of the dementors."

Here Dumbledore paused and looked very seriously around the hall. No one was speaking, all of them listening carefully to the warning.

"On a happier note," Dumbledore said, "I am please to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, is Professor Remus Lupin, who will be taking over the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts." Lupin waved as scattered and altogether unenthusiastic applause sounded. Those who had been in the compartment clapped harder, though Lupin still looked a bit shabby next to all the other teachers. Snape was staring at Lupin as though he'd like nothing better than to see Lupin thrown out on his ass.

"What's up with Snape?" Michael muttered, also having noticed this.

"No idea."

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore announced, "Well, I am sorry to say that Professor Kettleburn retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to announce that the position will be taken by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take the job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

The applause was barely better than the round Lupin had got but Hagrid, who was sitting red-faced at the end of the staff table, didn't seem to notice. He was beaming, most of the teachers as well clapping politely for him.

"As I believe that is everything of importance," Dumbledore said grandly, "Let the feast begin!"

He sat down as the tables filled with food, students eagerly setting upon it. Chatter and the clink of silverware soon filled the air, but at this point Gabriel was eager for it to end. He was fully aware of people leaning over to get a good look at him, the story of him fainting obviously having made its rounds. Dinner could not be over fast enough, and by the time dessert was cleared away Gabriel was trying to figure out whether he was actually tired or not. It was impossible to tell with his Grace like it was.

He drifted along with the other Ravenclaws as they walked to the Tower, someone at the front answering the riddle and letting them all pile into the common room. Gabriel straggled along into the third-year dorms and managed to locate the bed with his trunk at the end of it, falling onto it with a cushioned thump and wondering why he was being forced to deal with those cloaked monstrosities all year.

Done! Poor Gabe, the dementors kinda freaked him out. Too bad! But really, I need some semblance of a plot to keep this story going.

Anyway, read and review, as per usual!