Unfound
Chapter 10
Season 12 – Episode 11: Regarding Dean: Dean gets hit by an unknown curse and starts to lose all of his memories.
Gabriel knew that he could just grab the woman off the street and quickly take her to his place in Key West. But Harry had insisted that he play nice. The archangel scoffed at the very idea. He was one of the first sons of God. He shouldn't have to pander to the dumb slut who had gotten herself knocked up by his brother.
He could also practically hear what Harry would say to that in his head for that misogynistic slur and did his best to ignore it. To hell if he was going to let Harry freakin' Potter become his own personal Jiminy Cricket.
The woman, Kelly, was exactly where Harry said she would be. Helena, Montana. The woman couldn't even be trusted to pick a decent place to hide out. He found her in a diner. She looked nervous. She had the cheapest meal possible in front of her. Looked to be just eggs and toast. That wasn't going to keep the abomination in her belly healthy.
Gabriel flagged down a waitress at the counter where he was sitting and watching. "Hey, sweetheart, that woman looks like she could use a good meal. Could you send her over…" he consulted the menu, "the Farmer's special and an order of blueberry pancakes? Strawberry syrup, please."
"You some sort of creeper?" The woman asked bluntly.
"No, no, nothing of the sort. Just a good Samaritan. You don't even need to tell her where it came from," he flashed her his most charming smile. She melted.
"Of course. How sweet. Comin' right up."
He still had it.
He watched closely as the waitress delivered the meals.
"But I – I didn't order this," Kelly said to her as the massive amount of food was placed in front of her.
"I know, sweetie, on the house," she said with a wink.
Gabriel felt a stab of pity as the woman started scarfing the food down after staring at it for a couple of minutes.
He flagged down the waitress. "Could you please put everything she had on my check?"
"Sure thing," she said.
The waitress gave him the bill, which he paid quickly and then went to wait outside. He didn't want to be identified as having been in there with Kelly. That would give others looking for her in the future a place to start. Not that he wasn't perfectly adept at hiding.
He waited until she exited and walked a couple of blocks down the street to a very seedy motel, watching her tracks very carefully the whole time.
Once she had gone into her room, he knocked.
She waited a good couple of minutes. It took all of Gabriel's patience to not just fly in. Eventually, she opened the door, the chain still latched, so it wouldn't open too far.
"Yes?" She asked timidly.
"Hi miss," he said, trying to look as charming as possible (and he was pretty damn charming, he didn't mind admitting). "I just want to help you."
"Help me? I don't need any help," she went to close the door.
Gabriel put his foot in it. "I think you do. You've got about three angels on your tail and at least two demons, one of whom is a Prince of Hell."
She slammed the door.
Gabriel sighed and flew into the room.
"AH!" She yelled. She had been stuffing clothes into a pathetic-looking duffle bag. She held her arms out in front of her, protectively.
"It's alright," he tried to soothe.
"Who are you? What are you?" She demanded.
"I'm the Archangel Gabriel," he said, letting the lights flicker and his wings show in shadow on the wall. "And I don't wish you or your baby any harm," he said, as the projection faded from the wall.
She looked at him with awe.
"Are you really?"
"Yes. And I'm here to protect you. And my little nephew that you're growing there," he said to her.
"Nephew?"
"Yes. Surely you know that Lucifer is an archangel, just like me," he said. "My brother."
She sat down hard on the bed and ran her hand over her large belly.
"It's a boy?"
"Uh – yeah. Think so. I got my information from a reliable source."
"What source?"
"If you come with me, I'll tell you," he said.
She looked at him with distrust. But he could tell she was crumbling. She had been alone for so long.
"And you don't want to kill him?" Kelly asked.
"No," Gabriel said vehemently. "That's the last thing I want. Look, I've got a place. A nice place. You won't have to run anymore – I can keep the angels and demons at bay. I've been on the run for millennia, only person who was ever able to find me was Pops. And he's not around right now."
Kelly knew that she probably shouldn't go with this man. Archangel or not. But she was so tired. "Ok. I'll come."
"Good choice," he said. "Grab your things and let's fly."
III
Castiel knew that Harry was speaking with his godson in the infirmary, so now was his time to talk with Sam and Dean.
Finding out that Lily Sunder's daughter hadn't been a Nephilim was another piece of evidence that not only had he been useless recently, but he had also always been misguided. The only time he had felt this low before was when he was human and completely powerless.
He found Dean in his room, sitting at his desk, playing on his computer.
"Hey Cas," he greeted with a smile.
"Hello Dean," Castiel responded.
"What's up?"
"I think that I should leave," he said with determination in his voice.
Dean's eyes narrowed. "I thought we'd talked about this."
"Yes, we have. But I presume that more of Harry's friends and family are going to be showing up here in the next couple of days. I'd rather prefer to avoid any further assassination attempts."
"Oh, come on Cas, you could've taken him. The kid's nineteen."
"That's exactly the problem. I could have. I could have hurt him when he didn't deserve to be hurt. I've killed others for doing less to you and Sam, I can hardly blame him."
"Cas – "
"I know, I know that you blame yourself more than me. But what I said to you before was out of line. The responsibility for Harry's death lies with me."
"But he's back now. It doesn't matter."
"Doesn't it? You don't see how Mary looks at me now? She might not have trusted me completely before, but now that she knows that I've done…and Sam has never trusted me as much as he once did. I was useless in that last fight. Ishim is right. I'm weak."
"Cas, you're not weak. You know that Sam and I don't see you that way, right?"
Sam came in from behind them in the hallway, obviously having heard large parts of their conversation. "I mean, obviously, you've changed Cas, but it's all been for the better, man," he added.
"And you have been with us every step of this long, crazy thrill ride. And no matter how crazy it got, you never backed down."
"And that takes real strength," Sam concluded.
Cas heard real forgiveness in those statements. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
"Cas, I don't like what happened with Harry. Ok? But I know you're different now. And that you wouldn't do it again."
"No, I wouldn't," Cas said emphatically. "I will protect Harry, even if it costs me my life."
"Don't say that, man," Sam said. And he meant it. He was sick of his family sacrificing themselves. For each other. For the world. For anyone – he wanted it all to stop.
"So, what are you gonna do if you find Kelly and, uh, Lucifer Junior? It is a Nephilim, right?"
"Oh no. It's more than that. An ordinary Nephilim is one of the most dangerous beings in all of creation. But one that's fathered by an archangel, the Devil himself? I – I can't imagine the power."
"But, Cas, at the end of the day, it's a mom and her kid. I mean, do you – do you think you'll be able to…"
"There was a time when I wouldn't have hesitated. But now, I don't know."
"What are you gonna do?" Dean asked.
Cas sighed. "I'm going to find them. In the meantime, I'm going to hope that we can find a better way."
III
"But how?" Teddy asked him after he had calmed down. "How are you back? Why did Gabriel bring you back? Why did he wait so long?"
Harry sighed. "It's a long story. And I think I'd prefer to just tell it once, so you're going to have to wait until I get you home."
"Home?"
"Oh yes, your little American adventure is over. I didn't get the full details from Sam and Dean, but I will. You didn't listen to them. You put yourself in danger. You're going to be grounded for a long time, young man."
"I'm nineteen! You can't ground me," Teddy protested.
Harry leveled him with a look that made him back down a bit. But he looked so sad that Harry couldn't let it stand.
"Teddy, do you remember what I always told you?"
"If I'm going to misbehave don't get caught?" He said cheekily.
Harry groaned, remembering Teddy getting him in trouble with that line when he had dropped him off at the train station all those years ago. It felt like a lifetime away.
"Brat," Harry said, ruffling his hair. "And you didn't listen to that one. Sounds like you didn't just get caught once, but twice."
Teddy looked down.
"Teddy, what did I say?"
"You said that youlovedme." Teddy mumbled.
"And?"
"And that you're proud of me," he said, still kind of under his breath.
"Correct," Harry said. "And that was true then and it is true now. I'm disappointed at your actions and we will be discussing those in detail later. But even though you're going to get the talking to of your life, I want you to remember those two things. No matter what you do – trying to kill idiotic angels or not, I love you and I'm proud of you."
"You don't even know me anymore," Teddy said, tears starting to form in his eyes again.
"Oh, Teds. I do," he squeezed him a little tighter.
Harry felt a presence in the doorway of the infirmary and he looked up. It was Mary. He untangled himself from his godson.
"Teddy, there is someone really special I'd like you to meet," he said, looking his mother straight in the eyes.
"Who?" Teddy asked, confused.
Mary walked into the room.
"Teddy, this is my mother, Mary. Mom, this is my godson, Edward Lupin. He goes by Teddy though."
"Ted, actually," Teddy said, looking at Mary with fascination. In theory, he supposed that he knew that Lily Potter was Harry's adopted mum. But, "didn't she die?" he asked bluntly.
"Ted!" Harry scolded.
"No, it's alright," Mary laughed. "I did. Us Winchesters can't seem to stay dead though."
"Oh, she's American," he said, hearing her accent.
"So am I," Harry said.
Teddy wrinkled his nose.
Mary laughed again and came over and offered her hand out to the teenager. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ted."
Teddy took her hand and shook it.
"Should I call you grandma?" He asked, looking more back at Harry than at Mary. "You call her 'mom,' because she's American, right? Grandma is American for Nan, right? That's what Ben calls Lisa's mum."
Mary smiled warmly. Even though she was far too young to be a grandmother, she was already charmed by this boy. "Sure. But – uh, maybe just in private? I look a little too young for you to call me that in front of people who don't know."
"Sure. But, you know, Mémé looks super young too, but everyone still calls her that." When Mary looked confused, Teddy explained further. "Mémé is my best friend Ben's step great-aunt. But she's the matriarch of the family so everyone calls her Mémé."
"That's because she's a witch, Teddy," Harry said. "You know we don't age as fast. Although that bitch will probably live forever. She's too mean to die."
"Henry!" Mary scolded.
"Mémé is my grandmother," Harry said as if that explained why he was using vulgar words to describe this woman.
Mary was confused. "I thought you didn't have any British grandparents."
"I don't. She's dad's mom."
Mary's eyes got wide. "Millie? Mille Winchester?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. She is a bitch. But wait – you also said that she's a witch? Your kind of witch?"
"Yeah. It's probably why Sam and I are wizards. Although there's magical blood on both sides."
Mary just kind of stared for a moment. "That – that explains a lot." She said, thinking of all of her interactions with the woman. They hadn't been many, but now it made more sense that she had known that Mary was Hunter.
"Doesn't it? Anyway, how are you feeling buddy? Ready to go face your uncles?"
Teddy looked a little downcast. "How angry are they?"
Harry chuckled. "They're not thrilled. But you've already talked with Sam."
"Sam's not the one I'm worried about."
"Yeah. Don't worry, Dean'll get over it."
"Yeah," Teddy said. He stood up.
"That's my boy," Harry said, ruffling his hair.
III
"…don't do it again," was the end of Dean's diatribe about how stupid Teddy had been to continue hunting and trying to kill Cas.
"Yes, sir," Teddy said, doing his best to look contrite. And it wasn't that he didn't feel bad. But he had Harry back and he really couldn't feel anything but utter and complete joy.
"Ben didn't know anything about this?"
Teddy shook his head. "No. I didn't tell him."
"Well, I'm glad I'm not going to have to whoop his ass too. But he's probably not going to be too happy with you either."
"Probably not," Teddy agreed.
"While it will probably be a while before you see him," Harry said. "I can't imagine that Andy is going to let you out of her sight for a very long time."
Teddy shivered. He didn't want to think about what his Nan was going to say.
"On that note, I'm going to take Teddy home," Harry announced to Sam, Dean, and Mary.
"Like England, home?" Sam asked, not daring to hope.
"Yeah. I think it's time I faced the music too," Harry sighed.
"Do – do you need us to come with you?" Sam asked.
Harry shook his head. "No. I think it'd be better to go alone." And now that he knew that Sam and Dean weren't going to be finding Kelly anytime soon and that the woman was safe with Gabriel, he wasn't too worried about leaving them alone. Well, no more worried that he would normally be.
"If you're sure," Dean said, not sounding sure at all.
"I am. I think I can face my friends without my big bad Hunter brothers protecting me," he teased.
"Hey now," Dean said. "Ginny's pretty scary. Don't underestimate that. Hermione's no walk in the park either. And don't get me started on Molly."
Harry swallowed. He hadn't allowed himself to think as far as Molly.
"You're right. Maybe you should come and be my shield. Between Sam's puppy eyes and her desire to mother you to death, I might be safe."
"Nah. I don't think there's anything that will get between you and her. Don't want to be collateral damage."
Harry shivered again.
"I'll still have my mobile on me," Harry said. "But I may not be able to answer, depending on where I am."
"That's what the Harry Hotline is for," Dean said.
Harry groaned. "Don't call it that."
"What's the Harry Hotline?" Teddy asked, amused by the general back-and-forth between his uncle and his godfather.
"Er – I'll tell you later," Harry said, having not exactly explained the whole angel thing to Teddy yet.
"We'll be fine, Harry," Sam assured him.
"Ok. Mom?" He said looking at the blonde woman.
"Go, Henry," she said.
Harry could feel nerves running straight through his body. He summoned all of his courage. And off they flew.
III
"Er – Harry, where are we?" Teddy asked, looking around. He had been expecting Harry to take him straight to Grimmauld Place. Or maybe his Nan's house. Instead, they were in what appeared to be a large green space. "Is this Devonshire?"
"Dartmoor National Park," Harry said.
"Oh."
"I didn't really think this through," Harry said. Which was the story of his life. "I don't even know where Ron and Hermione are living these days. Or anyone really, but I didn't want to show up in London if there was no one there. So, I thought maybe the Burrow, but…"
Teddy looked at Harry with concern. He didn't recall ever seeing him this nervous. Although, he supposed that Harry wouldn't have allowed him to before.
"Oh. Ginny still lives at Grimmauld Place," Teddy said. "Ron and Hermione live in the Minister's House in London. Everyone else is in the same place."
Harry ran his hand through his hair. His mind was going a million miles at once. Ron and Hermione first? Ginny first? All three of them? Or, was today Sunday? Would they all be at the Burrow for Sunday dinner? He had never thought that he would actually be doing this. He had sworn to leave his friends alone.
"Is it Sunday?" He asked Teddy.
Teddy shook his head. "No, Saturday. I think."
"Ok." He made up his mind. "I think Ron and Hermione first." He said it with more confidence than he felt. Ron could help him strategize the best way to go to Ginny.
Ginny.
His heartbeat fast. He couldn't imagine that she was still waiting for him. Or pining. But he certainly didn't want to go to Grimmauld Place and walk in on something. He wasn't sure he could handle it. Not that, even if she wanted, they could be together now. Not with what he'd become.
"Alright," Teddy said. "The security there is pretty tight."
"I think it'll be fine," Harry said. "Er – Teddy, is your Aunt Ginny seeing anyone?"
"Seeing…oh, Harry, gross, I don't know." He made a face.
Harry couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright. Ok. Here's the plan…"
III
Ron was deep in thought, trying to figure out how the hell they were going to convince Malfoy, of all people to help them out. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. Or it would be if such a thing existed for the Minister of Magic and her husband. Hermione had elected not to go into the office, but that, of course, did not mean that she wasn't working. At the moment, she had her head buried in parchment in her at-home office.
The doorbell rang.
Which was odd. It wasn't like they got unannounced guests normally. Hermione stuck her head out of the study.
"Were you expecting anyone, Ron?" She called.
"No," he responded, standing up. "But I can't imagine the Aurors would allow just anyone to ring the doorbell."
He went over to the front door and opened it.
"Teddy!" He exclaimed.
Standing there, looking a little nervous, was Teddy, who Ron was certainly not expecting. "Come in," he said.
"Who is it?" Hermione called out.
"It's Teddy!" Ron responded.
That got Hermione to come out of her office. "Teddy?" She asked, seeing her nephew.
"Hey, Aunt Hermione," Teddy said. She pulled him into a great big hug.
"We've missed you!" She said, before frowning. "I thought that you were planning on staying in the States for the whole year. Is everything alright?"
He flashed a big smile. "Better than you can possibly imagine."
That caught both her and Ron off guard. Teddy had been very melancholy in his last year of Hogwarts. So much so that she had been worried about him going on this road trip with his Muggle friend. But now he looked more like himself than he had – well since Harry died.
Hermione cast a quick time spell.
"Well, I have some time before I have to get back to the Swedish Minister. Let me put some tea on and you can tell us all about your trip. Have you been to see Andy yet?"
Teddy shifted a little. "No. But – uh, Aunt Hermione, maybe we can wait a second for tea? I have something I – something I have to tell you."
She and Ron exchanged glanced at each other.
"Nothing bad! You're gonna like it, I promise."
"Ok, Teddy," Ron said. "Tell us."
"Uh – maybe you'll want to sit down?"
The three of them moved into the sitting room.
"What do you have to tell us?" Hermione asked as they sat, never one to beat around the bush.
Teddy looked a little nervous. He wasn't looking forward to telling this first part of the story. "Uh – well, whilst Ben and I were on our road trip, we ran into Sam and Dean," he started.
Whatever they had been expecting it wasn't that.
"Oh. How were they?"
"Good."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What were you doing that meant that you had contact with the Winchesters?"
"Well…"
"Edward Lupin, were you hunting?" She asked sharply.
He gaped at her. How had she figured that out so fast?
"Well. Yes, but…"
"Of all the STUPID… Were you caught? Are you in legal trouble? Do I need to call my contacts at MACUSA? Oh, Teddy, how could you? After I explicitly…"
"Hermione, honey, I don't think that's what Teddy came to tell us," Ron said, although he also didn't look too impressed.
"Uh – none of that. No legal trouble, I – we weren't caught. But, uh, the other day…"
"The other day what?" Hermione asked impatiently.
"Er – SamDeansavemeangels," he said really quickly.
"I'm sorry, Sam and Dean did what?"
Teddy looked down. "Saved me from some angels," he muttered.
"Angels?"
"Yes."
"Teddy…"
"It's alright, Aunt Hermione," he huffed. Although he figured it almost wasn't. "They helped me. But it wasn't just them."
Silence.
"Who else helped you, Teddy?" Ron asked, wondering what was making Teddy hesitate.
"It was also – " He looked desperately over his shoulder as if someone was standing there. Which was odd. Until someone suddenly was.
"Me," Harry said, making himself visible for the first time. "Hey, Ron. Hey, Hermione."
Ron and Hermione's eyes got big before they sprang into action. They didn't need to speak, they had emergency protocols in place. Ron stood up quickly, going for the alarm, while Hermione drew her wand.
"Teddy, get over here," she said. "Get behind me, NOW." She pointed her wand at the man standing there. And she was shaking.
"It's ok, Aunt Hermione. It's really him," Teddy said, not moving.
"Teddy, NOW," she said somewhat hysterically, needing to protect the child from whatever that…thing was.
Teddy moved, but just because he looked over at Harry, who nodded.
"Hermione, it's ok," he said slowly. "I'm me, I promise."
Ron had made it to the alarm and tripped it. Nothing happened. Ron realized that whatever this thing was must have messed with their warding. It meant that it was powerful. Very powerful.
His Auror training kicked in and he immediately started shooting spells off. They all just bounced off. Which did nothing for his fear. He tried to send a Patronus. It dissipated as soon as he conjured it.
Ron came barreling at him.
Harry sighed, and stepped aside.
Ron fell on the ground but did a quick roll to get back up in the standing position.
"Look – uh, let me tell you something. When we were on the run from Death Eaters, we went to Grimmauld Place. We were all camped out downstairs but I woke up earlier than both of you and went into Sirius' room. There I found a letter from my mum to Sirius that talked about my first birthday. I went through his whole room trying to find the other part of that letter. It turns out that Snape had it."
Hermione stared at him – slack-jawed.
"And Ron, when you came back – in the Forest of Dean. You pulled me out of the pool and called me mental for jumping in while still wearing the Horcrux."
Ron stopped looking like he was no longer contemplating how to get out of the room.
"He was with Sam and Dean," Teddy added. "Sam said they did all the tests. The angel, too, knew him. It was a weird, underground space."
"The Bunker?" Hermione croaked. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Yes. My brothers live in a Bunker now. Which isn't mad at all."
Hermione dropped her wand. Before Harry knew it, she had her arms wrapped around him and was sobbing.
Ron wasn't far behind. Which led to an awkward three-way hug. Well, it would have been if had been anyone but his best friends. Harry didn't realize how much he missed them until just now. He felt like he was…home. Tears sprang into his eyes as well.
There was a pounding on the door.
"MADAME MINISTER!"
Hermione pulled back. "What did you do to my security team?" she asked quickly.
"Oh. Shit. Sorry – I set some additional warding. Here I'll remove it," he did so with a flick of his wandblade. Four Aurors came bursting into the room.
Ron, who had still been hugging Harry, realized that there was now no one standing there. He quickly put his arms down.
"Madame Minister," the head of their detail said, looking to be out of breath. "Are you alright?"
Hermione did her best to look as though she hadn't just been crying her eyes out. "Yes. Quite good Hopkins."
"Search the room," he barked at his men. "Secure the premises." They immediately went into action. "I've already called for Head Auror Oliphant. Please stay in here with Mr. Weasley and Mr. Lupin while we conduct a thorough investigation," he said.
"I assure you that is quite unnecessary…"
"Ma'am. We take your security very seriously. The wards that were on your door…I've never seen anything like them. What happened?"
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.
"Uh – nothing," Ron finally said. "We were just catching up with our nephew. He recently returned from a trip to the States."
Hopkins turned his attention to Teddy, who could still not shake his utter and complete giddiness from having Harry back. His hair was currently a celebratory magenta. "Mr. Lupin. Did you bring anything in here with you?"
"Ah – no mate. You searched me at the door, remember?"
"Teddy didn't do anything. Come on Hopkins it was probably just a momentary flare-up. I don't know what would have caused it, but we can call my brother-in-law and he can take a look."
The team came back into the room. "All clear," one of them reported.
Hopkins huffed. "Alright. Oliphant will be here shortly. Please remain here. Our team will retreat back to our posts."
"Very good," Hermione said.
As soon as all of the Aurors cleared up, Harry reappeared. "Sorry about that," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I forgot that putting up extra wards on the Minister's house might cause some concern."
"I warned you, Harry," Teddy pointed out.
"Yes, yes you did, Teds. Also – Oliphant, really? That is not who I would expect you to choose for Head Auror. He is a bit…"
"Of a wanker?"
"Yeah, thanks, Ron."
"He's not that bad," Hermione said stiffly.
"Oh, come on, 'Mione, you were just complaining about him the other day."
"Well, yes, we don't always see eye-to-eye, but…" she stopped mid-sentence and turned back to Harry. "Harry," she said. Talking to him felt as natural as breathing. She had often held conversations with him in her head over the years. For a moment she had forgotten that he had been gone at all. That having him here was extraordinary.
"That's me," he said, with a crooked smile that Hermione and Ron knew all-to-well.
"What – why, how?"
"Er – that's a bit of a long story," Harry said. "I was hoping to tell everyone all at once."
"Are you some sort of ghost?" Ron asked.
Harry frowned. "Ghosts are transparent."
"Oh. Right." Ron thought for a second. And then, without giving away anything in his expression asked, "But are you the imprint of a departed soul?"
They briefly looked each other in the eyes before bursting out laughing.
"Wait," Hermione said, and he could see her cauldron churning. She wasn't paying one bit of attention to the exchange between Ron and Harry. "You were in the United States? In the Bunker with Sam and Dean?"
Harry winced a little bit. He was hoping they would get to that a little later. But Hermione, as always, was too smart for her own good.
"I was, yes."
"For how long?" Ron asked, crossing his arms and catching up with his wife.
"Erm, not long," he swallowed nervously.
"How long is not long, Harry James?" Hermione demanded.
"A couple of months," he muttered.
"MONTHS?" Hermione yelled. "AND YOU ARE JUST COMING TO US NOW?"
"Uh – yes. Look, I'll explain it all, I promise. Just…"
There was another knock on the door. "That'll be Oliphant," Hermione sighed. "Teddy, take Harry to the guest room. This conversation isn't over."
"Hermione…"
"Go, Harry," Ron said. "We're not thrilled, but we'll talk. Just – don't go anywhere?"
"Of course not. I've missed you. You have no idea how much."
"I beg to differ," Ron responded.
Harry gave him that crooked smile again and made himself invisible.
III
It took Hermione longer than she would have liked to get rid of the Head Auror, who insisted that he personally oversee the efforts of any warding team that came in.
He also wanted to talk more about what he had directed the Men of Letters to do in the United States, but Hermione had insisted that they speak about it at their regular check-in on Monday.
They ushered him out of the door as quickly as possible.
Ron was about to bound up the stairs, but Hermione stopped him with an arm on his shoulder.
"Wait."
"Wait? Hermione, it's Harry."
"I know. I'm excited to see him too. It feels – it feels like a miracle. It also feels too good to be true." The hope that the man upstairs was well and truly their best friend, returned from the grave, was crushing. She believed it was him and that made it all the more dangerous. If it wasn't…
"It does," he replied, understanding. "I'm sure he has a good explanation."
"Or at least an explanation, this is Harry we're talking about. But I think we need to prepare ourselves…"
"Prepare ourselves for what?"
"The worst. What if this is temporary? What if he isn't…Harry anymore? Ron – I'm not sure I can handle losing him again," she practically whispered as she started to cry again.
Ron pulled her into a hug. "I don't know," he said. "But – it's him. I can feel it. And we'll make it through. Whatever it is."
She nodded and the two of them climbed the stairs.
Teddy and Harry were sitting across from each other on twin beds.
Ron and Hermione stood there for a second observing the two of them. Hermione noticed how much healthier Harry looked than he had the last time she had seen him alive. Ron was wondering if he had always had such a…presence. Like he was filling up the entire room.
"And THEN, Victoire did something you wouldn't believe. She got right in his face and…" Teddy stopped abruptly when he saw Ron and Hermione.
Harry looked up too. "Oh, hi. Teddy was just catching me up on some of the adventures of the Weasley cousins at Hogwarts. Honestly, I'm surprised McGonagall didn't retire out of protest at the sheer number."
"It's Neville that I think is closer to it, honestly," Ron said. "All eight of them are in Gryffindor."
Harry whistled. "Even Rosie? I had her pegged for Ravenclaw."
"Even Rosie," Ron said with fondness.
Silence for a moment.
"Come on, Harry, tell us!" Teddy said, practically bursting at the seams.
He winced.
"Right. Uh – yeah, I suppose it's that time. Should we – erm, call all the Weasley's together first? Maybe Luna and Nev too? So, I can tell everyone at once." He could tell from their expressions that they weren't going to wait for that. "Maybe just Ginny?" He asked.
"Ginny's in Italy," Hermione said.
"Is she really?" Ron asked.
Hermione sighed. "Yes, dear. She'll be back by dinner tomorrow though."
"Ah. Well, ok. Uh – why don't you come in then? Get comfortable. This – this could take some time."
"Budge up," Ron said to Teddy, as he sat next to him on the bed. Teddy moved over. Hermione conjured a chair and sat facing Harry.
"Well, first, I don't know how much Sam and Dean told you about…about what happened when I died."
"They said they told us everything," Hermione said.
"Yeah, but they're tossers, so who actually knows if they were telling the truth?" Ron interjected.
He received twin glares from Hermione and Harry.
"Well, let's assume they told you everything. If you're confused by anything, let me know."
Teddy wasn't sure that he had the whole truth, but he felt lucky that they hadn't kicked him out of the room yet, so he just sat there as quietly as possible.
"I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but Sam and Dean were working with God and…"
"They were working with God," Hermione said evenly.
"Yeah, there was this whole thing with his sister, Amara, but…" Harry saw the looks on his friend's faces and decided it was best to just keep going. "Well, somehow Gabriel got involved."
From there, he told them about Gabriel's deal with his father. Including the things he hadn't told Sam and Dean yet about how he was the counterbalance to an archangel Nephilim.
Harry also told them about Mary. And some of what he had gotten up to with his brothers so far.
All of this took many hours. Especially because Hermione kept stopping him to ask questions. By the time he was done, it was well past midnight.
"And – that's it. All of it." He let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I know how much of a pain I was in life and even more of one when I died. I waited to come back because – well, I wasn't sure you'd want to see me."
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said. She got up from the bed and over to Harry to give him another hug. Adorably, somewhere in the last interrogation, Teddy had fallen asleep on Ron's shoulder, so he couldn't move. "We've missed you every day you've been gone," she whispered in his ear.
To hide his tears, Harry moved over to where Teddy was sleeping. "I've got him," he said to Ron. He held Teddy so that his best friend could get up. Gently, he laid him down on the bed and, with a few flicks of his wandblade tucked him in.
"Nightcap?" Ron asked.
Harry was grateful. "Yeah."
The three of them went downstairs so that Teddy could sleep. It was also where they kept the good liquor.
"It's been ages since I've had some decent firewhiskey," Harry said as he accepted a glass from Ron.
"What, there was no alcohol in heaven?" Ron asked as lightly as he could. He wasn't quite sure where Harry's mental state was.
"Yeah. But it's not the same," Harry took a sip. He had missed the sensation of burning down his throat. Firewhiskey wasn't any more potent than the muggle version to him, but he still deeply appreciated the wizarding drink.
"So…what do Sam and Dean think of this whole Nephilim business?" Hermione asked casually.
Harry put the glass down and frowned.
"They don't know. Well, about the whole balancing of it all. They know that I have a soul."
"You haven't told them?" Ron asked.
"Haven't had the chance. And – also…I dunno. I might not. It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things."
"You don't trust them," Hermione said. It was not a question.
Harry had forgotten what it was like to have someone who knew him better than he knew himself. "It's not that, it's just…"
"You don't trust them," Ron repeated, trying not to sound too pleased. It seemed that Harry did have some self-preservation left in him after all.
"They'll blow it out of proportion," Harry argued. "Sam will give me his concerned face and Dean will end up picking a fight with me because he doesn't want to show how worried he is." Plus, he wasn't ready to hear what he already knew in his heart. That him dying wasn't a good enough reason not to end the threat-to-the-world that was the Devil's child.
Ron and Hermione shared a look.
"Oh, come on you two, it's not as serious as all that," he said, interpreting their look. Correctly, it seemed from their expressions of surprise. "If they need to know, I'll tell them. If they find out, I'll come clean. But sometimes, less is more with them."
"I don't know, they're pretty good at mucking things up no matter how much information they have," Ron muttered.
Harry laughed. "It's a family trait." His face got serious. "But – they've told me how much that you did for them while I was gone. Thank you. It couldn't have been easy."
"You don't need to thank us," Hermione said. "Not ever. Your family is our family."
"Even if they are annoying gits," Ron agreed.
Harry smiled, grateful for his amazing friends. His family. He really didn't deserve them.
They stayed away from serious topics for the rest of the evening. Just reminiscing and talking about old times. It was as if Harry had never left. He just – fit here in a way that he never quite did with his brothers.
Eventually, it was clear that the two humans weren't going to be able to stay away any longer. "I don't need much sleep anymore," Harry explained.
"Right. Because you're an angel," Ron said, wonder still in his voice.
"Yes."
"But you're staying?" Hermione asked, not wanting to let Harry out of her sight.
"Yes. At least until tomorrow. Hopefully longer."
"Ok," she said. "We'll see you in the morning." She stood, but then hesitated and turned around. "Harry – I – we, we love you. So much. I thought I'd never get to say that to you again. It was my biggest regret. Please – please, just know. I love you," she repeated herself, crying.
"I know, I love you too," Harry said. "All of you. I wouldn't have – I wouldn't have done what I did if I didn't."
Ron nodded. He shook Harry's hand before pulling him into a hug.
"'Night," Harry said as his best friends went up to their bedroom.
He sat down heavily on the couch and tried to take a deep breath. It's going to be alright, he thought to himself. For the first time, he actually believed it.
III
"I'm so happy you called," Mick Davies said to Mary Winchester. "I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever hear back from you."
"Yes, well, I'm here," she said, nervously clutching a cup of coffee.
"I must say that the work you and your sons do is very impressive. We'd love to have you onboard."
"I – I'm not completely ready to be onboard," she said.
"Of course, you don't know us. Not yet. But wait until you see what we can accomplish together. Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better about our partnership?"
"Actually, yes, there is," Mary said, sounding more confident than she felt.
"Oh? Do tell."
"I – I want to know more about MACUSA."
Whatever Mick had been expecting, it wasn't that. He looked around to see if anyone had overheard her. Thankfully, it didn't look like they had.
"That is very classified," he said, deciding not to pretend that he didn't know what she was talking about. "I am surprised that you even know they exist."
"They took something from me," Mary said. "Many years ago."
"My. You are a surprise. We didn't think you knew about that either."
"I do. And I can't work with any organization that fraternizes with the likes of them. I'm sure that you understand."
"I do. Are you in town for much longer?" He asked frantically. This was it. This was what was going to reel in Mary Winchester. And then, hopefully, her sons. But he had to get clearance first.
She inclined her head. "I could stay another night."
"Good. Good. I need to talk with the home office about letting you know about some of our…little side projects."
"Oh?"
"Yes," his eyes were practically dancing with delight. Mary didn't know if she should feel happy or worried. But if this could help her get some justice for what was done to her family. Well, it may just be worth it. Whatever the cost.
III
"Doctor Hess, I have good news at last. I think you'll be pleased," Mick Davies said.
The prim woman looked up at him on the video call they were on and arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" She asked. "Have you finally convinced the Winchesters to join us?"
His face fell a little. Of course, that was his main objective. But this was still a step in the right direction. "Not quite yet," he said. "But I had a very interesting conversation with Mary Winchester today."
"Was the angel with her?"
"Not this time."
"Hmm. Very interesting. Well, don't keep me waiting, I don't have all day Mr. Davies."
"Of course, ma'am. She seems to be aware that her child was stolen from her when he was baby."
"Oh, that is interesting," Dr. Hess said, leaning in.
"Right? I don't know how much she knows. But enough that she was askin' me if I had any information on MACUSA. So, she must know that the wizards are involved."
"Indeed."
"I think that this…crusade…that she seems to be on may be an asset to us. I know that we planned to involve the hunters here to help eliminate the supernatural creatures, but this might be the ticket to earning her trust. I was wondering if I could involve her in our other project here."
Dr. Hess was thinking about it.
"How much does she know?"
"Unclear. But ma'am, she's sharp. She might be able to see things that we can't."
"To your knowledge, has she had any contact with wizards or witches at all? Because this is a risky play, Mr. Davies. One that I'm not sure will pay off. If she's friendly with even a single one of them, we cannot even contemplate this course of action."
"She's been surveilled since she was seen at the funeral of Asa Fox. I will review her movements carefully, but if memory serves correctly, she hasn't had contact with anyone from the wizarding world since then."
"Not even the young Mr. Lupin? You reported that he was recently seen with the Winchester brothers."
"Yes, ma'am, he was. But I have no evidence that he has had contact with Mary. But he has made contact with me recently. I can arrange a meeting. We haven't completed his contract yet, but Mr. Ketch has been prepping. The boy took an oath that would be nigh impossible to wiggle out of now."
"Very well. Do your due diligence, Mr. Davies. Leave no stone unturned. Then, after I speak with the Elders, then, I may give you permission to bring her in. But do know that I will hold you personally responsible for her."
"Understood, ma'am."
"Good. Get to work, Mr. Davies."
"Yes, ma'am."
She hung up.
Mick smiled. Things were finally looking up.
"Oh, Mr. Davies," a posh voice came from the conference room. Mick groaned internally. He thought too soon.
"Yes, Mr. Ketch."
"I have some information that I think you'll find very interesting. Briefing room in 10?"
Mick sighed. Technically speaking, he was Arthur's supervisor here, his handler, but that didn't stop the man from walking all over him. Hunters, he thought.
"Yes, of course, Mr. Ketch. Thank you."
"See you soon."
Mick was going to have to make himself a cup of tea before suffering through another meeting with Ketch. He went to go make one.
III
Harry stopped and looked up at the bizarre yet charming appearance of the Burrow. Ron and Hermione didn't notice for a second until Ron saw that he was nearly at the door and Harry was no longer there.
"Harry?" He asked, looking behind him. "You alright?"
Harry shook his head a little. "Yeah. Sorry. I just – I forgot how much better the Burrow is in person."
"In person?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah. Heaven – it recreates your favorite places. While I was there, I spent a good amount of time at the Burrow. But…it wasn't the same."
"The Burrow was in your Heaven?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Well, yeah, of course," Harry said. "Well, not really my Heaven, but I was able to visit it. Did you think it wouldn't be? It's the childhood home I never had."
Hermione felt tears start to prickle in her eyes. It still felt like a dream, having Harry back. But then he went and said things like that. She held out her hand for him. "Come on," she encouraged.
Harry didn't know how, but even five years later, Hermione knew just what he needed. He gratefully closed the distance between them and took hold of her hand.
They stood outside the door. Harry could feel anxiety overtake his body some. He had practiced seeing the Weasleys again in his head many times, but he had always thought it would be when they joined him in the afterlife.
"It'll be ok," Ron assured him as if he could read his mind.
"Should I let you go first?" Harry asked.
"No," Ron responded. "I don't think there is any way to preface this to them. It's going to give them a right shock no matter what."
Harry took a deep breath.
"Ready?" Hermione asked.
"No," Harry responded. "But let's do it anyway."
"That's the Gryffindor we all know and love," Hermione said as she put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door.
The three of them walked in together. It looked exactly as it had in Heaven, and yet, once again he had an odd feeling where he knew that this was real and what he had experienced was not.
"Mum?" Ron called out. "We're here. We've brought someone with us."
"Oh lovely," a voice came from the kitchen. "I've got my hands full, dear, why don't you get your guest situated in the sitting room and come and give me a hand."
Harry felt a lump in his throat. Even after spending time with Lily and getting to know Mary, Molly held a very special place in his heart. She was the mother who had actually gotten to take care of him. Even though, it certainly was not her responsibility, she had taken him in as if it had been nothing. Of course, hearing that she needed help, he acted entirely on instinct and swiftly made his way into the bustling kitchen.
There were several pots simmering on the stove. Molly had her back to him – with a bowl in one hand, and her wand in the other, directing various kitchen implements to mix, mash, or stir in their various pots and pans.
The smell was incredible and almost enough to make Harry tear up.
"Ronniekins, be a dear and fetch me the kettle."
Harry didn't say anything but grabbed the kettle from the same place it had always been in as Molly directed the bowl she had been holding to the counter and turned to face him.
"Oh!" She said as she lost all concentration and the bowl, which was in midflight, crashed to the ground and smashed on the ground. "Harry?"
"Hi Molly," he said, offering her the kettle. She looked at him, shock evident. "I – um, I…" he didn't have a chance to finish the sentence before he found himself held tight in her embrace. She pulled away quicker than he would have liked. She held her hand up and cupped his face.
"Is it really you?" She asked.
"It's really him, Mum," Ron said from behind the two of them. "He's back."
She didn't take her eyes off of him. "I thought I'd never see you again," she said, tears coming to her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, seeing her grief and feeling about as big as an ant for putting her through losing him.
"Sorry?" She asked, confused.
"Sorry for leaving," he said, surprised at how much emotion was coming through in his voice. "I didn't want to hurt you, Mum, but…"
"Oh, my dear boy," she said, taking him in her arms again. "I know. I love you," she said. That was it for Harry, who crumpled under those words.
Harry didn't even notice when Arthur entered the room. He saw who was in his wife's arms and gaped. "Is that?" He whispered.
Hermione was at his side. "It's Harry," she said.
"It's a miracle," he said. He put a gentle hand on Molly's shoulder to indicate that he wanted her to pull back. Which she did, so that he could move quickly move in and hug Harry.
"Arthur!" Harry said with surprise.
"Harry, son," he said, not holding on long. "We've missed you."
"I'm just going to put the kettle on," Hermione said. "Arthur, Molly, Harry, why don't you sit. When everyone gets here, we'll tell you everything."
Molly sniffled with appreciation and the three of them listened to her.
One-by-one the rest of the adult Weasley family arrived. All of the children were off at Hogwarts, which made things easier. Their reactions were variations on a theme. There were lots of hugs, slaps on the back, and tears. Teddy brought Andromeda in with pride.
The last to arrive was Ginny.
She stepped out of the floo and found that there was no one in the kitchen at all. As she was a little late and was surprised to find that her family wasn't already gathered around the table, beginning to eat. But she could hear them all in the living room.
"What's going on?" She asked, seeing all of her brothers and their wives gathered around someone in an armchair. "Teddy! When did you get back?" She asked, spotting her honorary nephew.
"Aunt Ginny," he said, the only one to notice her enter the room. "Look."
That's when she caught his eyes. All the noise in the room quieted. Or, at least, that's what it felt like to her. The two of them stared at each other. Everyone was now staring at the two of them, but neither noticed. Harry stood up. "Gin," he said.
She didn't say anything. She was feeling everything and nothing at the same time.
"I'm just going to finish getting dinner ready," Molly said, breaking them out of their trance. "And I'm going to need all of your help. George – get the tables set up outside, I wasn't anticipating this many tonight. Angelina, be a dear and get the plates. Charlie, I think we have some of the good firewhiskey in your father's cellar…" She continued to give everyone jobs until it was only Harry and Ginny left.
Ginny stepped closer not letting her gaze fall off of him. She had dreamed of this but never believed it would happen.
"Say something," he finally said, having a hard time reading the look in her eyes. Something that he had never struggled with before.
She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.
"Gin, please…"
"We should go join the others," she finally said quietly.
"Oh," Harry said. "Ok."
Her hand ghosted his before she turned around and fled.
Harry followed.
III
Gabriel, after settling Kelly into the condo in Key West, decided to check in on his protégé. He was pleased to see Harry was in England with his true family. As the Winchesters were fond of saying, "Family doesn't end in blood." Which certainly fit the relationship between Harry and the Weasleys. Even though he had never married into it, he was considered a member of the family.
It was touching – watching their reunion.
Molly Weasley was still crying, hours later after the big reveal.
Gabriel watched it all fondly before deciding to give them all some privacy (not that they knew that he was watching). It was around that time that it appeared that the Winchesters brothers were once again in desperate need of help. Can't they do anything by themselves? Gabriel thought. Harry hadn't been out of the United States for more than 24 hours.
Also, their problem was stupid. Some Earth Witch hit Dean Winchester with a curse? That was child's play. If they hadn't figured it out before Dean was about to die, he'd swoop in and save the day. For Harry, not because he cared for the idiots.
He'd keep his eyes on the situation. But, for now, Harry didn't need to hear their prayers. He was with his family at last. Gabriel silenced the connection. And smiled.
III
He wasn't going to tell anyone, because he didn't want more tears, or for them to worry, but he realized that this here, sitting at the table in the Burrow surrounded by family, this was his real Heaven. His normal spot was there and they told him that it was always set for him. Just like Fred also had a place.
Harry understood a little better how so many of the people he had spent time with while he was there were truly content. Not impatient in the least. Harry didn't realize that his Heaven just hadn't arrived yet. It would have, given enough time, but this – this was everything.
Having Sam, Dean, and Mary there would be even better, but he knew that they were waiting for him in the United States.
The feeling that he had never left pervaded.
Which brought him both enormous happiness and pain. He had missed out on five years. Five precious years.
Throughout dinner, Ginny, seated to his right, was almost completely silent. Just like she had been completely silent while he had explained everything. Now that everyone was full and they were all shooed out of the kitchen while Molly made dessert, Ginny stood at the door leading out to the garden, watching him.
She didn't need to say anything for Harry to know that she wanted him to follow her out there.
"Better go face the music, mate," George said to him, noticing the same.
"Bon courage," Fleur whispered to him as he stood up.
Even Ron was giving him a look of sympathy. None of this was making him feel any better.
Once he got to the door, he reached out for her hand. She flinched away.
Ouch. He thought. He didn't push her any further. The two of them walked out into the garden.
"Ginny – I…"
"Don't say you're sorry," she said sharply.
"Ok. I won't. But I am."
She glared at him. "I know you are. But – Harry, that's what you always say."
"Every time I die?" He asked, trying to make light of the situation. From the look on her face, that was not the right thing to say.
"Every time you break my heart," she said, tears starting to flow down her face.
"Oh, Gin…" He reached out to her. She shied away again.
"You are such a complete and utter git, you know that right?"
Harry's heart sank a little. "I do."
"I don't think that you do. Harry, you left us. You left me. You never tried to make it right. You never tried to find another way. You just charged in, as always, without thinking first. You made this grand gesture. A grand gesture of love for the world – but you know that's meaningless, don't you?" Her eyes glistened with her hot, angry, tears.
"Come on, Gin, it wasn't…"
"It was! What about your love for us? What about your love for yourself? We would have stood with you, Harry. You have to have known that. Then and now. The second you called, we would have been there. But you – you didn't even get us a chance to say goodbye. I thought after – after all we had gone through that you would have least've given us that."
Harry looked down. "I wasn't – wasn't quite in my right mind. I thought that I was doing what was best."
"You always do," Ginny said bitterly. "And I couldn't even be angry at you for it. Not really. Although I had my moments. I donated all your brooms, by the way. You can't get them back."
"You have every right to be angry with me," Harry said sadly.
"I KNOW! But you died a hero. Of course, you did. But it was bloody cowardly. You gave up and you can't pretend otherwise."
"I can't," he agreed.
"STOP!" She yelled. "Stop agreeing with me. You. Are. Such. An. Arsehole." Each word was punctuated with a hit of a fist to his chest. He magically created a soft surface there – so that she didn't break anything in her effort.
He almost agreed with her. But stopped himself.
"I slept with Sam, you know," she spat. She just wanted him to hurt. Like she did.
That made Harry step back. "Sam?"
"Yeah, you know, you're much taller, more handsome, younger brother?" She challenged. The look on his face made her immediately regret her words.
"Oh," he said. "That's – uh…well…"
She completely broke down then and, to the surprise of both of them, threw herself into his chest. Hesitantly, he pulled his arms around her and held her.
They stayed that way for what felt like both seconds and hours. Until her tears had dried. His too.
"I won't say I'm sorry for it," she said when she finally pulled away.
"You don't have to," Harry said. "I was – I was gone. You didn't – don't – owe me anything." He was still a little shell-shocked.
"I know," she said. "Harry, I missed you and I love you. I think I always will. But you tore my heart out."
"Gin…"
She wiped more tears from her eyes. "We better get back inside," she whispered. "I don't want to keep you from everyone else."
"Oh. Ok. Whatever you want. I'm just – I'm gonna take a turn 'round the garden. I'll be right there."
She nodded and headed back to the house.
AN – Y'all didn't predict I'd be giving you the whole Weasley family reunion this week did you? Hopefully, it's a nice surprise.
A couple of things. First – this is not meant to be Ginny-bashing in any way. I thought long and hard about how she would respond and I hope that it feels as realistic to you as it does to me. Second – originally, this chapter didn't include the scene where Harry arrives at the Burrow – just the aftermath of it with Ginny in the garden. But I felt like it was unfair to gloss over that, so I hope y'all liked it.
This chapter and the next (we'll see more of the actual episode next week) takes place during Regarding Dean. If you have not watched the 12th season, I highly recommend watching this episode. It is an easy top-five favorite of mine. And it's pretty much a one-off – you don't need to have watched the rest of the season to understand it.
For those of you who have seen that episode, you know that this means Rowena will be making her grand entrance into this fic next week. I cannot wait.
Lastly, I had a realization this week. I've done casting before for this fic, but I don't think I've told y'all that when I picture Teddy Lupin, I see Tom Holland – with his normal accent and especially since he's grown his hair out a little.
As always, thank you to all commenters, reviews, and people who interact with this fic. Love you all!