It has come to my attention that I left Sirius and Remus out of the Master test trial thing, and that's not something they would have missed as both have been trying to be better in recent years. I could have sworn I'd wrote them in, but I must have edited them out again. Oh dear

As for this chapter, the Plot Bunny Overlords threw the fandom at me without warning. Apologies in advance?

Last time...

"I think…" Hera tried to get the words out, but couldn't manage it at first. "…I think we need to go to Gringotts, Tony."

Chapter 122

It was decided that the group would split for now; most of the non-magical of their party would go back to the hotel, while Tony accompanied the magicals of their party to Gringotts. They'd already had a long day, and as Rhodey didn't seem worried about Tony, the others reluctantly followed suit. It was good to know that even after the emotional and informative upheavals of the day, those closest to him hadn't lost themselves to it all. Tony was still a little out of sorts, having learned he was a descendent of Merlin, and that his father had possibly made a deal with her parents to hide his magic. So it shocked her when she felt an arm wrap around her from the side, and she looked up to see Tony looking down at her.

"Hey. We're good. You know that, right?" He asked, squeezing his arm around her just a touch. "I mean, I know both our parents might not have made the best choices, but you and me? We're good."

"Thanks, Tony." Hera murmured with relief, though it was muffled by the fact she'd ducked her head and pressed her face into his shirt.

"Anytime, Lil Blue." He responded quietly, before clearing out his throat and looking around. "Now, what say we hit Gringotts, and figure out this whole business?"

"Sure, Tony." Hera chuckled, and they walked into the building; Salazar and Snape following not long after.

"I don't understand…" Salazar stated quietly, talking with Snape. "Why are we here?"

"Because they wish us to be?" Snape remarked with a shrug. "You are family, regardless of how that came to be, so it would make sense for you to be with them. I am uncertain as to why I am here, but I imagine I will know soon enough. Waiting and watching are tenants of a Slytherin, as you well know. You will have to relearn patience, if you hope to make this second chance count."

Salazar huffed, crossing his arms. "Can't believe I'm having to bloody relearn patience at my age. I cast that particular virtue aside decades ago. That's what torture is for."

Hera snorted, leaning further into Tony to try and hide how her body was shaking with silent laughter; not that they wouldn't notice.

"I miss people being afraid of me." Salazar continued to grumble, glaring at her. "…and being tall. I feel like I'm going to be short forever."

At that, Hera could no longer remain silent, and little giggles began pealing out of her.

"I'm sorry!" She squeaked, trying to rein herself in. "It's just…out of all the things to miss…I do too!"

Salazar seemed to relax at that, and that in turn relaxed Hera as well. She'd not expected for things between them to go as smoothly as they have, all things considering. Even Tony seemed to take to having a new 'sibling' with surprising ease, asking him questions, drawing him out of his shell. Griphook was surprised to see them, but agreed to see when Ragnok would be available. A sharp intake of breath to her right pulled her attention from the already retreating goblin, and Hera's world came to a screeching halt as she found Neville and Salazar staring at each other with wide eyes.

"Neville?…" Hera trailed off, already fretting. "I…erm…fuck…"

"You were him then?" Neville asked Salazar, ignoring Hera. Salazar grimaced, but nodded. "I didn't think I'd be talking to you yet."

"I understand." Salazar quickly yielded. "I'm not…I mean…I do not wish to…"

This, more than anything, shocked Neville.

"Wow, she really did a number on you, didn't she?" Neville whistled under his breathed, before straightening up a bit. "We can talk more later. This isn't the place. Hera advocated for you, so I'll give you a chance, but we'll still need to clear the air later."

Salazar looked at Neville wide eyed, clearly having not expected that. "…Agreed."

Neville looked to Hera, gave a small nod and a smile, before walking back towards his grandmother.

"Lady Potter?" Griphook called, surprising her. "If you're ready, Ragnok will meet with you now."

"Oh! I appreciate him taking the time to see us." Hera exclaimed, still feeling a little discombobulated. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble?"

"For you? Never!" Griphook laughed, guiding them back to the goblin's office.

While Hera was unsurprised at Griphook's behaviour, she could see that Salazar was. This was something else he was going to have to learn, but he seemed at least open to the idea. She knew he appreciated a goblin's ruthless nature if nothing else; a foundation she could help him build on. He and Snape followed after them, entering the office and taking the seats available to them. Ragnok looked surprised to see Salazar there, looking to her as if guessing who the boy had been, before getting down to business.

"What can I do for you, Princess?" Ragnok inquired, only smirking slightly when she gave him a half-hearted glare.

"To discuss the state of the Wylit Vault." Hera revealed, letting the statement sit heavy in the air.

Ragnok's smirk gave way to the seriousness of her words, and he nodded. "We only tested your blood for the vaults you could claim due to inheritance within the last two generations or rite of conquest. We did not think to test further back. I take it you wish to test for the Wylit Vault?"

"Yes, for myself and Tony. I am uncertain if it would also apply to Salazar now, but we'll get to his vault soon enough."

Ragnok looked to Tony with a shrewd gaze. "I had not thought to test you for a vault that already existed, Tony Stark."

"Can't say it was something I thought we'd need to test either." Tony admitted.

The tests went exactly how Hera thought they would, though Ragnok indicated that some things from the Slytherin vault had made their way into the Wylit vault and vice versa. Hera knew of one such artefact, the book that she'd been fascinated by in the Chamber of Secrets. She never had figured out its secrets, which had made it all the more fascinating, though she'd had to set it aside as things around her became more chaotic; perhaps it was time to take another look, she mused. Snape didn't seem overly surprised by this, but then again he did have one hell of a poker face. Salazar had remained pensive through the conversation, even during the ride down to the vault, but Hera couldn't imagine what he was thinking.

Tony cackled the whole way down, Hera grinning like mad at his side. He had that spark of madness to him, of creativity and ideas, wanting to crack magic open to understand absolutely everything about it and what made it work. Snape hadn't said a word, openly rolling his eyes at the siblings, but amused all the same; still having no idea why she'd wanted him there. When the cart finally stopped at its destination, Hera was surprised out of her thoughts by an arm in front of her; Salazar having put himself in her path after the others had gotten out.

"You gave me a vault." He stated, thin lipped. "Why?"

"Is this going to be a recurring thing?" Hera wondered in confusion. "It's not that big a deal."

"It's a vault, and you just. gave. it. to. me. Of course, it's a big deal." Salazar countered, seething now. "Did your friends get such treatment?"

"As if they would let me. I have to be sneaky if I want to give them things. It's kind of challenging, which is admittedly fun." She replied with fond amusement, before smoothing out her expression once more. "I didn't give that vault to you."

"There is paperwork filed in this bank that contradicts that statement."

"I didn't give that vault to you." She repeated, much to his confusion. "I invested in your future. That's different."

"If this is pity-"

"It isn't." She cut him off. He still looked confused. "It's not like I gave you that money without expecting something in return, you know. I expect you to use that to better your future. However, how you choose to use it is up to you. There's enough in there to cover your schooling, a generous amount of spending money allotted for each year of what's left of it, and enough to cover possibly a gap year, research projects, and costs of living in a variety of places should you want to move. Okay, when I put it like that, it sounds like a lot. I didn't think you'd want me to give you one of the rite of conquest places, so I thought this was the next best thing."

"Why are you giving me anything at all?" He demanded, even more flummoxed than before.

"Did I overstep or something? Should I not have?" Hera wondered, looking at him now. "Before Tony found me, holding onto my vault key was the only kind of stability I felt I really had. My friends were a comfort, but they couldn't really help me. They were just kids, like me. Most adults either tried to take advantage or 'meant well'. I figured…Maybe you don't need it, maybe you'd be okay without it, but I thought you might like the idea of a safety net; something to fall back on even if you never need it."

He didn't seem to know what to say, but his arm fell away from its perch, and she was able to exit the cart.

"Besides," She said, turning to face him as he made his own exit. "if we do have to start planning on finding a home for all of the magicals on another planet or something, I'll be using a good chunk of the collected wealth to start the seed fund for that. My friends have all agreed to help me with whatever I end up doing, so of course this will mean they'll end up with their own vaults over time as well. It's only fair."

Salazar stopped, looking shocked for a moment, before laughing. "You would trick your friends into accepting your generosity?"

"Of course, I would, and they know it." She admitted readily. "Seriously though, I have all this money, what else am I supposed to do with it? It can't help people if I just leave it down here, you know."

"I need your help."

Hera groaned, realizing that the dream she'd been in was no longer so. There was a vast difference between lucid dreaming and what she did when she ventured back across the aether. This was neither of those things. At least she'd actually been able to go to sleep before this happened, unlike that time Voldemort – now Salazar – had called for her. The Wylit vault had been filled with treasures, though not as much gold as one would expect. It had been knowledge, scrolls and tomes, that mostly filled the vault; something they'd all been keen to look through immediately.

Realistically, it hadn't been possible to spend the unknown months combing through the vault. It would be far easier to get the goblins to have Bill do it. Dumbledore seemed to still be resisting her when it came to Hogwarts and what improvements needed to be made; a problem for a later time. Perhaps, she'd reasoned to herself, he'd wanted to see how Salazar did in his education there before agreeing to such things; which in hindsight seemed rather understandable. So she'd asked Ragnok to have Bill oversee the audit to the Wylit vault, with a message that she hoped it was 'dangerous enough' for him.

Looking at her surroundings now, Hera noted the intense brighter colours everything shined with. It was more than a bit painful to look at. Sighing, Hera closed her eyes and willed the area around her to look more muted. It wouldn't do to be blinded before she worked out who this was or why they'd called her there in the first place. Dream or not, this was a summons; she could easily tell that much.

"My apologies. Divinity seems to shine all the brighter in dreams, my own more so." The voice – male? – continued.

Hera turned around to see a pale Caucasian man not much taller than herself. He had a kind smile, slight though it was. His greyish blue eyes seemed to possess a great sadness to them. All of this was framed by dark brown hair and a beard, both a bit unkempt. With his slightly dishevelled appearance, it would have been easy to underestimate him, but he had called her here. Hera wasn't about to underestimate someone who could call her in dreams, but she wasn't about to take him seriously yet either, and summoned a bit of her goat mead into existence there.

"You look like you could use a little hair of the dog." She remarked, handing him the tumbler; which he accepted, his grin growing slightly wider at the action.

"I did always enjoy this." He commented fondly, after savouring a sip. "You surprise me, Hera. That shouldn't be possible, given who I am, but you always seem to manage it. Fascinating, really."

"I'm more surprised you can drink that without dramatics." She grinned, before looking around her. "Also a little unnerved that I've been summoned to a place I can't quite see the definitions of, and by a person who's yet to introduce themselves, but those are just details."

"I am who I am." The man replied, grinning as if he'd just told an inside joke.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?" Hera inquired, frowning, surprised when his expression becomes sad.

"Many claim to, few do. I thought…With your burgeoning understanding of the multiverse, and your relationship with some of the Infinity Stones, you might." The man admitted.

In her mind, she heard whispers from the stones, and her eyes widened in realization. Hera frowned, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought about it, before looking back at him.

"Why are you White?" She blurted out, causing the man in front of her to burst out laughing. "What? It's a fair question!"

"It's just…of all the things to ask…" He guffawed. Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, he continued in a more serious tone. "When I choose to appear in dreams like this, I tend to take a form closest to the one I'm speaking with. I can appear as any race and none of them, all at once. It has been many years since I've been able to show mortals what I truly look like."

"So I was sort of right with the classification of god status?" Hera realized. The man smiled again, as the non-answer was answer enough. "I need something else to call you. The word god is too tinged with conflict for me, and I still haven't wrapped my mind around the fact that it is you I am speaking with. Why did you call me here anyway? I know you said you needed help, but you're…Well, you're you."

"You may call me Chuck, if you wish. I am partial to it when I walk the mortal plane." The man, now Chuck, insisted. "As for why I need your help, it is because I am who I am."

Again with the joke, Hera inwardly sighed.

"I would apologize, but it is as amusing to me as it is for Sirius when he jokes about his own name." Chuck revealed with a chuckle, which made her smile. "Because of my nature, I can not move through the realms as I am without causing an incident, usually of the cataclysmic variety. I've seen what happens when I interfere, when I leave things alone, when I warn others. I have asked for help in other matters, but not for this, not here. I have seen what can and will happen in every incidence for them, except the one instance I introduce you into the equation. You are always a surprise, and I have to believe you will inevitably be a good influence on them. In some realities, they are dead already. In others, one makes the final sacrifice for the other. In many, that happens rather frequently. However, they are still only children in this reality. Will you help me?"

Hera didn't even have to think about it, being her domain. "Of course, I'll help. What do you need me to do?"

Chuck looked far more relieved than she thought he should, and replied. "Wake up."

-.-.-

#1

She wakes up in another location entirely, already standing, by the side of a building as the sky slowly darkens. The strings she associated with the Weave of Fate were visible to her here, and worry as she will for Tony even now, she sees what Chuck was so worried about; the changes that could occur to avoid that future if a little chaos were introduced into the mix. She didn't even have to wait for her eyes to adjust to the light before she was hearing the cell phone ring. They really should have worked out Tony's affinity sooner, given how well they'd been able to adjust little things like this. Not looking at the phone as she began walking in the direction she felt she needed to go in, she answered it.

"Tony?"

"Hera? Why does Jarvis show you in several different places in the United States?" He demanded, with a mixture of anger and worry; far more worried than angry. "You're grounded, remember?"

"Really? Several?" Hera asked in surprise, stopping him from whatever worry rant he was getting ready to go on. "Sorry, bit of a surprise for me too. Didn't really have plans for an early jaunt to the Americas just yet, let alone being in several places at once, but someone of authority reached out to me while I was asleep and asked for my help."

"Authority?" Tony inquired, puzzled. "What authority?"

"The highest, I'd imagine." Hera replied, as she continued walking along; her eyes continued searching.

"You mean…?"

"Best not to think on it too much, Tony, I'm not sure how I feel about it regardless." She advised. A store, she realized before heading in. "We can call him Chuck, if we want. Apparently, he's partial to it. Anyway, he asked me to intervene on a matter that falls within my domain, and I agreed."

"Hera, if he pressured you…"

"It's not that, Tony. I imagine I could have said no, and things would have just continued on as usual." She assured him. "I promise, there was no pressure or coercion involved. I just didn't realize the time constraints of the request."

"You'll be careful?"

Hera grimaced as she replied. "As careful as I can be, Tony, but I…Fuck. Tony, I've got to go. I'll be fine, I promise!"

Hanging up the phone, she hurriedly rushes over to the young boy about her age. Locking arms with him, she has no trouble steering him from the bread and over to a nearby abandoned trolley. His confused face is priceless, especially when she takes the bread and things from him. She only has to subtly gesture behind her with her eyes for him to understand. He'd been followed by store security, and hadn't seen them.

"You didn't have to start gathering things. I told you I'd be here in a bit." She insisted, pitching her voice to carry just a touch.

"In a bit, you say." The young man remarks with a slightly lopsided grin, following along. "I was in here for half an hour, at least."

"Come on, be my guide. I haven't been here before. I almost didn't even find you." Hera continued, guiding both him and the trolley on now, before chancing a quick glance. The store security guy looked a little confused, before shaking his head and moving on. "That was close, you know. You're a terrible thief."

"Yeah? Well, what would you know?" He demanded, defensive. "You ever had to steal food before?"

"Table scraps from after I'd been made to cook for my former relatives, but yes, I have." She admitted, to which he grimaced in guilt. She pinned him with a glare, though not one filled with anger. "You and I are going grocery shopping, and while we do that we will have a very long conversation, Dean Winchester; about gambling, abandonment, and hunting. Are we clear?"

"How do you…?" Young Dean Winchester stammered, backing away from her just a touch, before the rest of what she said hit him. "You leave my family alone. You hear me?"

"That is not a promise I can make, not while you still fall within my domain, not when I've been asked and agreed to help." Hera warned. "You gambled with what you shouldn't have, and tried to steal your way out of it. You were going to get caught, you realize. You would have been sent away, and then Sam would have gone to stay with someone your father trusted."

The low blow hurt, she knew, but she needed him to see reason and quickly.

"So, what? You see the future or something?" Dean demanded, seething.

"Not like you think." She hedged. "Sometimes I see it weaving itself before my eyes, sometimes it's shown to me; trust me, there is a difference. However, both are ways I can only see if there's something about it I can change. As far as I know, I'll never see a fixed point in time unless I experience it first hand, and even then I'm not entirely sure I'll know it for what it is."

"My father told me about people like you." Dean continued. "Witches."

She flinched at the word, hearing it like the swear he'd meant it as, sounding too close to 'freak'.

"Not all of us have to sell our souls, Dean. Some of us are born what we are." Hera stated quietly, her eyes lowered now. "Your brother is like me that way. I wonder…if you will hate him too."

She began walking away, intent on purchasing the groceries being dictated to her clone.

-.-.-

#2

"Sam?" He hears a feminine voice call from outside. "I know you're in there, and I don't expect you to trust me, but I'm here to help."

The voice didn't sound threatening to his twelve year old ears, but Dean had told him not to answer the door even if he came back unless he answered the coded question correctly. "What does my brother call me?"

There wasn't an answer for a little while, but then it happened.

"…I don't think I'm allowed to call you that."

Question answered, Sam opened the door. The girl he sees is pretty, about his brother's age; with short hair that almost looks like it's made of fire falling out of the black, and eyes of the most vibrant green. He'd instantly known who this girl was, having watched the interview on television while his brother and father were both out. This was Hera Potter, newly found sister of Tony Stark. They said she was a mutant, not that he fully believed that knowing what he knew about the world now, but something told him she was also a friendly sort. Whether she could be trusted was still up in the air though.

"Wow! You're…You're Tony Stark's sister!" Sam exclaimed in a hushed voice, not believing his own luck. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you." She replied easily. "What do you know about magic?"

He knew what she meant. She wasn't speaking about the tricks performed at children's parties, or those magicians in Vegas. She was talking about magic that could bend reality, or change the very laws of physics. His mind thought back to the things that happened around him that he couldn't explain, how he just knew things he shouldn't be able to, and grimaced. He couldn't imagine telling his brother these things, never mind his father. Hera Potter's smile was a sad little thing, her eyes holding far too much understanding in them.

"I didn't have to sell my soul to be what I am, Sam. I was born with magic, same as you." Hera explained gently. "You're not a monster. You're not evil. You just…are."

-.-.-

#3

"Nice car."

John had been leaning against said car, but looked up from the notebook he'd been scribbling notes in, closing it to keep its contents hidden. He hadn't expected anyone to speak to him, but he'd not turn down conversation, especially if it helped him find what he was looking for. He wasn't expecting to see a young girl about the age of his eldest son, eyeing his car with no little appreciation. The accent had thrown him off too, as well as the obsidian green motorcycle at her back, and his eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. Something about this didn't seem like an accidental meeting, but he couldn't quite pinpoint why he felt that way.

"Nice bike." John replied with a nod, and thinking that to be the end of the conversation, turned back to his book.

"What are you hunting, John?"

He had his pistol aimed at her before he could blink, but he hadn't expected her to have her own aimed right back at him.

"What are you hunting, John?" She asked again, her eyes darting to the book and back.

"…A rugaru." John revealed, lowering the gun slowly. She did the same a second after him. "Know what that is?"

"I take it this one has given in then?" She inquired, after giving a sharp nod to show she understood. "I know it's possible for them to resist for years, decades even, but if they give in just once…There's no coming back from that."

"You a hunter too then?" John countered, still not sure what to make of her yet. "Little young, aren't you?"

"Not much younger than Dean." She shot back.

"How do you know about Dean?" John demanded.

"I met him just a little bit ago." She revealed, intently. "…along with Sam."

The gun is in her face again, but this time she moves her arm under and across, effectively causing the gun to be flung into the side street. He can't even get to the knife he'd stashed in his belt, because she moves too fast, ducking in and sucker punching him in the gut before he can move. The punch is a lot stronger than he'd expect out of one so young, and he drops like a stone. As he struggled to get back up, it dawned on him that he'd not heard the bike, and he should have. It only takes a second for him to realize what that means.

"What are you?" John wheezed through the pain in his gut, leaning against the car now. "What do you want with Sam and Dean?"

"I'm a witch – natural born, before you go getting any ideas about demon deals – and I don't want to hurt your children. I want to help you protect them." She revealed. "The name's Hera Potter, by the way."

"Stark's sister?" John realized, confused as to why someone like that would even know of him and his family. "The mutant?"

"It's as good a cover as any. I'm not a regular witch, so…it helps explain things." Potter shrugged, before her expression turned serious once more. "What are you hunting, John?"

"I told you-"

"No, I mean what are you hunting that's after your children?" She corrected. "What do you think it is? Because I can tell you right now it's worse than anything you can imagine, and it already has its hooks in your youngest."

"…I know." John admitted, shocking her. "How do you?"

"Someone high up asked me for help, asked me to help you, showed me your future. It's wasn't pretty. Your children fall within my domain, and even though I knew it would worry my brother something fierce, I agreed." Potter revealed, though obviously keeping things to herself. "You're going after a General, John Winchester, a literal Prince of Hell. You realize this, yes? Azazel is not something you can just hunt down and kill with a gun like some animal. He's older than old, and has been making plans regarding Sam for longer than you've been alive. You're going to need all the help you can get, so I'm here to offer the one thing that old husk of a being can't possibly plan for; a literal god of chaos."

It takes him a moment to realize what she's just admitted to being, but he can only stare uncomprehendingly.

"I'm young, I know." She continued, amused at seeing his shock. "Haven't had the title for long in this life."

He pulled himself the rest of the way up, and regarded her carefully for a moment. "You want to help Sam and Dean?"

"Yes. Sam's a natural born magic user with a demon on his back. He'll need the security that comes with learning more of what he is if he is to have any hope of protecting himself. I might be able to remove the demonic aura, or at least neutralize Azazel's connection without hurting Sam in the process." Potter explained. "There are schools he can go to here, ones that will allow Dean in just because he's Sam's brother. He wouldn't be able to do many of the magic classes, but he could learn how to better protect himself and his brother. There are also private tutors, hedge mages and the like, that could teach them both. Both are programs offered to all Hunters, though they rarely take the opportunity; distrusting of magic as they tend to be. You could probably sign up for one of their adult programs too, if you wanted."

John could hardly believe it. Everything he'd been searching for was right in front of him, but she was right; he could hardly trust it. Safety for his children, a way to disconnect the demon from Sam without killing him, and all of it offered without demanding anything like his soul in return. Sam could learn about what he really was, something else that boggled his mind. Natural born witches were that organized? He'd not thought it a possibility.

"You would offer to pay for this?" John asked, trying to wrap his mind around it; doubtful, suspicious, hating the idea of a handout. "I don't have that kind of money. No hunter I know does."

"It's funded through Gringotts; a goblin run bank. They have an account set up for anyone that wishes to donate to the program. My account is one of the ones attached to donate, though my involvement is a bit new, but it is not unheard of for a wixen to sponsor a family or an individual that shows promise." Potter informed him, now going back to leaning against the bike. "I can do that, sponsor you and your family, if it will ease your mind."

"You would go with me? To this…Gringotts?" John inquired, still hesitant. It couldn't be this easy.

She was already nodding before she answered. "I would."

"And you don't…want anything?"

"I'm not a crossroads demon, John." She reminded him with a sigh. "I want you to keep doing what you're doing; protect and support your family. Gringotts hires Hunters all the time to take care of the kinds of things you do already. They might reach out from time to time with a job offer, but for the most part you pick the jobs as normal, and the only thing that changes is the fact that you get paid."

"And my children?"

"Sponsored through whatever program they choose, offered pay the same as you." Potter assured him.

He thought about it, he did. If he passed this up, he could be giving up the opportunity to help Sam, and all to assuage his own pride. No matter how long he looked or how hard he searched, he knew he'd never find as good of an opportunity as the one she was handing him right now. Whoever or whatever had set this girl on his path knew what he knew, and what would happen to Sam if nothing was done. They sent this girl to him knowing this was his best chance.

John found himself nodding before the words were even out of his mouth. "Alright, I'll go with you to this…Gringotts, get everything set up and explained to me – because I have a feeling there's a lot going on here that I don't know, and I hate not knowing things – and then after that…I want to see how you handle a rugaru."