It was lunchtime at Hogwarts. The teachers and a handful of students sat together at one table eating when the post owls swooped in delivering letters, packages and newspapers. Dumbledore took the paper and skimmed the front page for anything interesting to stop at the first article. It told about the innocence of Sirius Black.
"Say, Minerva, do you know where Harry is?" Dumbledore inquired after reading the article.
McGonagall looked at him a bit confused. "Mr Laufeyson invited him to visit his guardian, one Mr Winchester. They left on Christmas as you very well know since I told you about it" she answered.
Dumbledore hummed in agreement. This wasn't good at all. Should Potter get to know that he had a godfather, he would insist on staying with him and not his relatives, as he wanted him to. Though it was mandatory for his plans to keep him safe, he stayed with them over the summer holidays. He would have to talk to Black as quickly as possible.
Had he known that his plans were already laying in ruins...
Sam, Dean and Harry were sitting at the table in the main room. The investigation team just left, and Harry was glad that he had his peace again.
"Sam, how many times did I tell you that Ruby was a bad influence for you?" Dean suddenly said. Ever since they both saw the memory, he was even more pissed about the demon.
Sam sighed. "Dean, I know. Do you really think that I don't blame myself for what happened? I was the one to invite her here after all," he went with his hand through his hair. "Harry, I'm so...so sorry."
"It's okay Sammy, I'm just glad that she didn't get to do anything serious," Harry smiled at Sam leaning against him.
Sam instantly draped his arm around him protectively. Harry had to admit that he liked it. When he had started school, he had hoped that he would gain some friends now that Dudley couldn't intervene. But it seemed that he got so much more, something akin of a family even if not in blood and that cared.
"Dean, I have a question for you, though. Your aura...why does it have so much black in it? It is like it is consuming the entire rest,- and it nearly succeeded."
Dean now looked worried at Sam. He knew very well what might cause the effect Harry just described, his deal. Sam and Dean seemed to have some kind of silent conversation in which Dean shook his head slightly, but Sam only gave him an intense glare.
"Harry...I don't know how to explain it," Sam started but was interrupted by Harry himself.
"He made a deal, didn't he?" he asked, looking up at him. Sam looked at him in surprise. "It is the only thing that makes sense. He is definitely not a demon who has a pitch-black aura but with sulphuric yellow streaks in it and what else could cause it?"
"Yes, it is true. Dean made a deal to save my life," Sam sighed, looking depressed. "Otherwise...otherwise I wouldn't be here."
"When is it due?" Harry asked, knowing that it was a very personal question, not caring that Dean made a deal to save Sam.
Sam looked at Dean, who merely shrugged. Harry already knew more than he was comfortable with, so what did it matter if he knew that too.
"Ten days from now," Sam admitted.
Harry hummed upon that thinking about what Loki told him and what he learned from the Winchesters and Bobby. That was when he remembered something Loki told him before their holidays.
"It seems that there is another thing I'll have to talk with Loki about," he mused. The Winchesters looked at him strangely. "It might look that way, but I don't know everything. Loki told me something before we went on holiday, and that brought me to an idea."
"What idea?" suddenly sounded from the door.
They all looked up to see that Loki entered together with some unknown man. Said man, however, looked at Harry before bursting into a full run rushing up to him and embracing him in a hug.
"Oh, Harry," he said. "I'm so sorry."
Harry though was confused. Was this the day of apologies? "Who are you?" He asked, trying not to be crushed by the man.
"I'm Sirius Black, I'm your godfather," the man replied tears filling his eyes.
"Huh? I didn't know I had one..." he knew about Sirius Black of course from his parents, but it seemed that they forgot to tell him that the man was his godfather.
"Let's just say he was incapacitated the last ten years," Loki piped in.
After that, they sat down and talked a lot. Sirius told Harry things about himself and his school life while Harry explained some of the pranks they pulled. To say that Sirius was pleased with how Harry's school days went, would be an understatement. He just loved the fact that Harry had the opportunity to learn from the infamous Loki himself while he mourned that he never had the chance. The entire time Harry leaned against Loki still fearing that he would leave him.
They talked nearly the whole day when Loki remembered that Harry hinted at something when they entered.
"Harry, you said that you had an idea about something..." He drawled out.
At first, Harry was a bit confused about the sudden switch of topics, but he nodded once he caught up. "Yes, you're right. When Sam told me that Dean's contract was due to come to an end." Upon that, Sirius looked strangely at Dean. "I remembered something you told me on Christmas. You remember the thing about the righteous man?" Harry swiftly looked at Dean and back to Loki to indicate what he meant.
It took a moment for Loki to get what he meant. "Wait...you mean..." Loki now looked thoroughly at Dean who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "But it would fit. The demons, Ruby, why Sammy isn't able to get you out of that deal...the rumours I heard as of lately."
"What the heck are you two talking about?" Dean exclaimed having enough of the cryptic hints, the two gave.
"I think this is your turn, Lo," Harry said.
Loki nodded and started to explain what he already told Harry on Christmas about Lucifer, his cage and the seals.
"So you want to tell me that I'll be the one to break the first seal on Lucifer's cage?" Dean asked incredulously. "Now I want to go to hell even less..."
Loki sighed. "Dean, it doesn't matter whether you go to hell or not. Three independent seers told the same thing that the seals will be broken. If it isn't you, it will be someone else...probably your father, but I just had an idea," he suddenly said with a vindictive grin. Sam raised an eyebrow. "It seems that the fall of the first seal itself can't be influenced and is unavoidable, but what we can influence is the condition under which it falls."
They all looked a bit confused when Sirius face brightened up. "Let me guess...Petunia."
"Together with her husband, correct."
"Who are they?" Sam inquired.
Harry sighed and shook his head. "My relatives..."
"Oh!" Sam looked at Dean.
"They at least deserve it," Dean replied with a malicious glee in his eyes. It seems that suddenly he couldn't wait to get to hell and them in his hands.
"Can you ensure that they land where needed?" Sam wasn't entirely convinced yet and in no way content with his brother having to do, what is necessary to break the seal.
"Let me think. Suppose the power structure in hell didn't shift lately. In that case, Alistair is still the chief torturer of hell, and I doubt that they confide the task of getting Dean breaking the first seal to anyone else. I would have to talk to Crowley, but I don't doubt that he will be able to get them to Alistair too," right at that moment it knocked at the door. "Talking about the devil or demon in his case."
With a snapping of his fingers, Loki opened the door and said demon walked in. However, Harry instantly went into defence mode after the encounter with Ruby. Meaning that four of his demon-killing knives immediately floated around him, a fifth slowly creeping up behind Crowley. Even Sirius made a movement to reach for his wand when he remembered that he had no time to get a new one.
"Harry, calm down..." Loki tried.
"He is a demon," the boy snarled in return.
Crowley chuckled. "Oh, an especially observant one."
"If I were you I'd be a bit more careful. I already killed Ruby this morning so don't think I'd hesitate to kill you" Harry now snapped at Crowley letting the knives around him float towards the demon.
Crowley suddenly not that confident anymore eyed them warily. He took a step back only to get to know that there was another one behind him.
"So you're the reason Lilith is throwing a fit because Ruby didn't report back...interesting."
Loki exhaled. "Harry please, he is the one helping me get rid of your relatives. I'm not saying that you should trust him but trust me when I say that he poses no imminent threat to you."
Harry looked at Loki for a long moment before he retreated the knives. Still, he placed them visibly on the table so that he could act quickly if necessary. Crowley took a deep breath in relieve.
"I only came to tell you that they made the deal, but I didn't think that I would run into a homicidal teenager," Crowley growled.
"He is not the only one not trusting you" Sam leaned back. One of the knives lying on the table flipped upwards now standing on its tip and spinning slowly. Levitating something and letting it dance in the air was the only thing Sam could do so far only using his mind and it took a lot out of him but that Crowley didn't need to know.
"Since when are you magical?" Crowley asked, confused and interested, but Sam only grinned.
"Okay, okay, boys...Crowley at the moment we need each other so please at least try to be civil" Loki gave Sam, Dean and Sirius a pointed look. Dean might not be magical himself, but he also looked like he was ready to murder Crowley too. "Crowley, I have another offer to make to you."
Now Crowley perked up. He was a businessperson first and foremost, even if his trading goods were souls mostly. "What kind of offer?"
"Can you ensure that the Dursleys land on Alistair's racks once they took their one-way trip to hell?"
"Shouldn't be too hard, but why would I?" Crowley looked expectantly.
Loki grinned mischievously. "How about information no other demon has, and that would help you becoming the most powerful demon in hell once certain events took place?"
"I would say that I'm very much interested, but how can I be sure that you deliver what you pledge?"
"Have I ever not?"
"True" Crowley thought about it for some time until he came to the conclusion that the risk would be worth it. Even if the information might not gain him becoming king of hell as he was planning to, they might at least help him a great deal. "Okay, you give me the information, and I'll see to it that they land with Alistair."
Loki nodded. "Are you aware that Lucifer will rise quite soon?"
"Hardly any news since it is Lilith who orchestrates this" Crowley shrugged. "And before you start on it it's also broadly known that it is Dean who is supposed to break the first seal."
Now Dean groaned. "How comes it that everyone knows about this except us?"
"I don't know" Loki shrugged. "However, I learned that it is unavoidable that the seals are broken, and Lucifer freed. Therefore we at least want to make sure that it happens to our conditions hence the request to redirect the Dursleys to Alistair."
"Interesting but all that doesn't seem to be worth the effort of redirecting the questioned souls," Crowley muttered.
"What about the information who Lucifer's and Michael's hosts are?" Harry piped in.
Everyone simultaneously looked at him.
"This would be more like it," Crowley admitted.
Harry, however, looked confused at Loki. "Don't tell me you haven't figured out that small titbit yet." He shook his head, exasperatedly. "Sometimes I question what you have in your head...except pranks of course."
"Oi," Loki and Sirius replied in unison. "Pranks are the best thing on this planet," Sirius added upon which Loki nodded approvingly.
"Pranks don't solve this particular problem though" Harry smiled.
"No, but they solve a lot of things" Loki piped in.
The three bantered for a bit more. In the meantime, Dean leaned over to Crowley.
"Hey Crow, how did you get to know Loki?" he inquired. He was just curious.
Crowley who followed the bantering with barely concealed boredom looked surprised at Dean.
"Quite a funny story actually. I was just new in the business and a low ranked crossroad demon then. We both hit a bar after a particularly bad day I don't know how many centuries ago. There we got so drunk that we couldn't see straight anymore when we started to talk to each other. You know about how bad the day was and so on.
"I then told about one of my contractors and how he tried to evade hell. Don't ask me why, but Loki actually offered me to take care of the man. Not thinking that he really would do it, I gave him the man's address. You can't possibly fathom how surprised I was when he stood at my front door the next day saying that it was taken care of and it was.
"After that, we kept in touch, and every time one of us needed help with something...though Loki has his morals. He only helps when he thinks the person really deserves it," Crowley looked at Loki thinking about something. "The thing is something like what he asked of me earlier never happened before. He never asked me to make a deal with someone. It seems that the boy means a lot to him and anyone who tries to hurt him should run as quickly as possible and pray that Loki isn't faster."
Both Winchesters had to admit that they agreed. Loki even went so far as to break into heaven for Harry. If that wasn't any indication of how much he liked the boy, they didn't know what would. In the meantime, the discussion came to an end.
"And? Want to share your findings with the class, or shall I call it a day and we all go back to our own business?" Crowley asked.
"I still don't get how you couldn't have figured it out, Lo. You were it after all who told me about the two brothers, one following orders to the dot and one to question things," Harry snickered.
Everyone except Sam looked like he decided to grow a second head. Sam, on the other hand, groaned.
"Boy, what are you talking about?" Dean was utterly lost.
"Us, Dean, he is talking about us..." Sam moaned. Was there something in the world that was NOT revolving around them? You usually tell people that the world didn't centre on them, but it really seemed to be the case with them.
"Yes and no. While the parallel was what I was hinting at, I was actually talking about Michael and Lucifer."
Loki now intensely looked first at Dean and after that at Sam. He let his head fall on the table with a loud thud. Harry patted his back in anticipation.
"You're quite clever for your age. May I ask who you are?" Crowley was amused about the pagan's antics.
Harry looked at Crowley contemplative. "Harry Potter," he answered after a moment.
"Ah, the child prophesied to bring down that idiot Riddle. Though aren't you supposed to be in England?"
"Holidays and as long as this Riddle – whoever that may be – doesn't do anything to piss me off, prophesize my backside," he shrugged.
"Sorry, I forgot that you only know him under the name of Voldemort. The idiot is on hell's most wanted list No. 1 shortly before Dumbledore," Crowley growled.
"Wait, what?" Sirius was shocked not because of Voldemort he didn't put it beneath the man to make a deal but Dumbledore? What would hell possibly want from him?
"The man made a deal for power and then split his soul in the hope of evading hell..." Crowley replied.
"I meant Dumbledore, not the Dark Lord."
"Another deal for power or how do you think he suddenly became stronger than Grindelwald? He, however, barricaded himself behind anti-demon wards so as long as he isn't killed or dies of old age..." Crowley explained. "But enough of that. I have to go...work doesn't do itself. I will see that the Dursleys end up with Alistair though I want to participate in your plans. Here is my number," he gave Dean one of his business cards.
"You – a demon – want to help us?" Sam asked incredulously.
"I have some plans of my own, and it seems that with helping you I can advance them or did you think I want to help you because I'm a Good Samaritan?" Crowley snorted. "You should know that I don't only make deals that involve selling your soul. Call it a little side business. Manus manum lavat."
It looked to him that working with the Winchesters and possibly getting into good graces with the Potter child would help him long term. Perhaps he could convince the boy to give him the soul pieces of Riddle; this would boost his power in hell massively. As he said, the man was hell's most wanted No. 1 and anyone who brought him in would advance in the ranks quite quickly.
With that, Crowley turned and just wanted to leave when he got stopped by Dean.
"Wait, is there any way to avoid the hellhounds?" he inquired.
"Only premature death I fear. Good evening," Crowley turned and left.
Dean sighed. "Say Loki, would you perhaps look after Sam once I'm...gone?"
"Dean, I'm not a child anymore I don't need a babysitter, and besides that, I have to find a way to get you out of hell once you broke that seal" Sam retorted.
"First I don't think that heaven will leave him in hell for long once the seal is broken and second what about Hogwarts?" Harry suggested. "When you accompany us, you might learn more, which could be useful for your hunting business and it distracts you."
"I thought that your school is for children. How would I fit in there?"
That question made Loki smirk, and he snapped with his fingers. Sirius and Dean instantly started to laugh their asses off. Sam, however, looked quite indignantly.
"Loki reverse that NOW!" Sam tried to growl, but since he looked like he was an eleven-year-old boy now, it didn't sound very impressing. "I'm not leaving Dean alone..."
"Harry is right. Heaven wouldn't leave your brother in hell. Wouldn't do them any good when Michael's Sword is out of their reach," Loki interrupted him.
"Michael's Sword?" Dean was confused.
"Fancy name for you being Michael's true vessel," Loki chuckled.
"Harry already hinted at it but what does it mean being the hosts for Michal and Lucifer?" Sam wanted to know distracted from being turned into an eleven-year-old for now.
Loki thought a bit about where to start. "The thing is that neither demons nor angels can interact with this plane without taking a vessel first. Though demons have one huge advantage in this regard over the angels. They simply possess people; angels have to ask for an allowance. Archangels like Michael or Lucifer, on the other hand, are a completely different class. They not only need allowance, but they are also so powerful that they can't just ask anyone. Only very few humans are strong enough to host them and as it is you both are the vessels for Lucifer and Michael," he explained.
"For clarification...neither Michael nor Lucifer can possess us without our consent?" Sam questioned.
"Correct."
"At least something. But that doesn't change anything about my decision not to leave Dean alone," he growled.
"Sam, I would feel much better if you go with Loki and Harry. They need you more than I do. I can handle myself," Dean muttered. "Not to mention that I don't want you to be near me when it happens."
"But Dean..."
"Nothing but..." Sam looked like he didn't want to give in with that, but Dean stared at him who also wouldn't change his point.
Sirius watched the entire thing for some time now and came to a decision. "What would you say if I stay with him? I might also be able to help you with the little hellhound problem."
"How?"
"It is as Crowley said the only method to prevent them is premature death. I at least can make it quick and painless..." he told them.
Sam looked back and forth between his brother and Sirius before he sighed giving in. "Okay, okay, it seems that I'm going back to school" he shook his head.
"With that settled, can we stop talking about death now and simply enjoy the rest of the holidays?" Harry suddenly piped in. "Not that I want to disturb your gloomy mood," he huffed.
Upon that, they all started to laugh.
They enjoyed the remaining two days together, Harry also buying a few more things for his friends. At the same time, Sirius finally got a new wand and wardrobe. They also informed Bobby of their plans and gave him Sam's new phone number. He got one of those phones and a new laptop that was enchanted so that it didn't need to be recharged and worked in magical areas. Loki then gave him full internet access and free calling.
Soon it was time to return to Hogwarts. Sam said goodbye to Dean, not wanting to let go, but he had to. Sirius promised that once he was done in America, he would come to Hogsmeade to meet there. Harry was looking forward to it. He had to admit that these were the best holidays one could have even after a few incidents. Via Loki taxi, Harry and Sam then were ported back to good old Scotland in the evening before school would start up again.