Viator

Harry was in the middle of getting dressed when Blaise woke up.

“Huh.”

“What is it darl’?”

“I don’t know how I didn’t notice your scar. How did you get it?”

Looking down at his chest, Harry saw the Lichtenberg figure that he’d had on his chest for as long as he’d known.

“Well, one, it was kinda dark last night. Two, eh, no clue. Had it long as I can remember. I think it was from the Killing Curse.”

“Most people seem to think that that caused the mark on your forehead.” Blaise idly commented as he began getting dressed as well.

“Yeah, well most people in our world are kinda dumb.” Harry responded as he pulled his shirt over his head. “That one was probably from whatever let me survive.”

“Fair enough.” Blaise said, buttoning his suit jacket as Harry shrugged on a flannel shirt. “Well, where to next?”

“Actually, just a county over. ‘Parently some weird shit is going down in Springfield. Seems like it might something like a woman in white.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, reports of a ghostly college student, along with a dead professor. You ready to go?”

“Dean, why don’t you want to call him?”

“’Cus I don’t okay! Why don’t you wanna call Bobby?” Dean replied, tone accusative.

“Dean, they’re basically coworkers! His information is gonna be as good as Bobby’s!”

“It’s the principal of the thing!”

“I swear to God, if this is because of the car-“

“So, what if it is, Sam?” Dean demanded.

“I didn’t do anything to it!”

“Yeah, and I’m a virgin!”

“I’m calling him anyways.” Sam declared. “So go sulk on your bed if you want!”

It was just as Blaise told him that there were no records of suicides at the building until recently that Harry got a call. Taking a glance at the number, he answered.

“Sam Winchester?”

“How’d you know?”

“I have a database, remember? James Evans at your service. Watcha need?”

“Uh, it’d be easier to explain in person. Where are you right now?”

“Uh, Springfield, Ohio?”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m in Springfield. My boyfriend and I found a case so we came to check it out.”

“We’re in Springfield as well. Are we working the same job?”

“Maybe? Where are y’all at?”

As soon as Sam rattled off the address of the motel he and his brother were staying in, Harry hung up and pocketed his phone.

“Well, it seems we might have some unexpected help.”

“Indeed, it does darl’” Harry said, stretching before heading to the door. “Let’s go meet the fabled Winchester brothers.”

Pulling up into the parking lot of the motel, Harry was glad he didn’t have to deal with places that were that shitty. After he knocked on the door, Sam opened it, ushering them inside.

“Dean Winchester, Sam, great to meet ya!” Harry said, cheery in contrast to where Dean was looking put out. “I’m James Evans, though you probably knew that already, this is my boyfriend Blaise Zabini.”

“A pleasure. Though it seems your brother would think otherwise” Blaise said, directing the last part at Sam.

“Yeah, ‘cus I don’t like dealin’ with witches.”

“Wizards, actually. There’s a difference.”

“Oh yeah, what is it wise guy?”

“Well, demon witches make deals and use reagents to access the Wellspring. Natural witches, and wizards, just have a gene that allows us to access it directly. Kinda like the X gene. You can just think of us like X-Men.”

The comparison seemed to mollify Dean who looked moderately less grumpy.

“So, why’d ya call?”

“It’s… kind of weird?” Sam said, sounding unsure. “Maybe let us know what you found out, then we’ll do the same?”

“Uh, okay. Well, professor goes in the building, leaves it with a splat. People were giving reports of seeing a ghostly student for a while, so I figured it might be a bit of a woman in white sitch, then Blaise goes through the records, turns out there haven’t been any suicides at the building in decades. That’s about where we got before you called.”

“Right, we found the same, as well as an urban legend that can’t be real because the lynchpin of it is a room that doesn’t exist. That was when we came across the part that’s… weird.”

“We’re at the campus bar when one of the kids Sam interviewed tells us he’s got a story to tell.” Dean continued, looking smug for cutting in when Sam was about to continue. “Says he got abducted by aliens. Probes and all. Oh! And slow-dancing.”

“I’m getting an idea of what’s going on.” Harry said, sighing to himself.

“Wait, you are?” Sam asked, clearly baffled.

“Just… keep going.” Harry replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Right…uh, anyway, we go where Curtis said he was abducted and find a massive scorch mark. So, everything’s weird, but one of the pledges at his frat says he deserved whatever happened, apparently he put them through hell as pledgemaster.”

“What about the professor? He do anything bad?”

“Yeah, the, uh, the janitor said he brought a load of the female students to his office.”

“Yeah.” Harry said, sighing. “I know who’s doing this.”

“Wait, who? Not what?”

“Yes, who. More specifically, this has my brother’s fingerprints all over it.”

“I’m sorry, brother?” Dean asked, sounding offended.

“It’s complicated.” Harry said, before sending a prayer Gabriel’s way. “LOKI! Get your ass over here!”

Gabriel appeared behind Sam, in such a way that Harry and Blaise were the only ones who could see him, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“James! Great to see ya!”

“Loke, it’s been, like, three weeks, calm down.”

“Aw, am I not allowed to show how much I missed you?”

“Not when it causes me more work! Though they probably deserved it.”

“I’m sorry, what’s going on?” Sam asked, looking between Harry and Gabriel.

“Sam, Dean, please meet Loki, Trickster and Norse deity. Also, my adoptive brother. He’s been behind all of the weird shit.”

“You didn’t even get to the third guy!” Gabriel said, directing a fake pout at Harry.

“There was a third?” Harry asked.

“Yeah! Real dickbag, tested shit on animals.”

“What did you do to him?” Harry asked, sounding as beleaguered as a tired parent.

“Well, ya know how I like making mutant abominations?”

“And there were remains?” Harry asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

“I’m sorry, why is everyone acting like this is normal?” Dean demanded, a great deal more annoyed-looking.

“Well, Sam looks like he’s buffering, Blaise already knew about alla’ this, and this is just another Tuesday for that dumbass.”

“What I mean, is why is no one tryin’ to kill him?”

“Listen. Deano. He’s my brother. Would you try and kill yours?” Harry asked, receiving an undecipherable look in return. “And you’re viewing Loke through the wrong lens. Ya know how us Hunters are the checks and balances for the supernatural?”

“Fancy way of putting it but yeah.”

“Just think of Loki as one of those same checks and balances, but on the other end. He’s able to… deliver justice, we’ll put it, to people that are… kind of untouchable.”

“But he’s killed people!”

“And you haven’t?”

“That’s different!” Dean insisted.

“There’s a potion, wizards made it. It’s for a werewolf, let’s them keep their human mind when they turn. If you knew that someone had taken that potion, that they wouldn’t be dangerous whatsoever, would you kill them?”

Dean opened his mouth, before closing it, looking conflicted.

“The world isn’t that black and white, Winchester. It’s not good and evil, human and monster, us and them. There are shades of gray. Like me. Like Blaise. Like the rest of my family. Like you, even. I’m not saying that there aren’t those blacks and whites though, you need them for those grays to exist.”

“I think you’re gonna give him a stroke if ya keep going at it.”

“Just… think about it Dean. Not every case is as clear cut as a demon, or a vengeful spirit.” Harry said as a parting remark, heading to his bike with Blaise.

When he and Blaise entered their motel room, they saw Gabriel lounging on the bed.

“Ya mind fixing however ya messing with them?”

“Sure thing!” Gabriel said, snapping his fingers. “Now, you want the low down on Britain?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Harry said, sliding onto the counter.

“Well, there’s a country wide manhunt for you two, so it’s cooled off a bit at Hogwarts, but the rest of your ragtag gang are still under supervision.”

“Did the traps I set work?”

Gabriel’s initial response was a cackle.

“It was glorious! They all thought you were somewhere in the room cursing them, not realizing it was the hexbags!”

“What about Dumbledore?”

“He’s been spending every free moment he has at Grimmauld or searching for you two. Last I heard from Sirius he was searching Thailand.”

“Good. The more time he’s out of Hogwarts the more chances to get his wand.”

“So, what about you two lovebirds? How are things on your end?”

“Going pretty well. Wrapped up Blaise’s first official Hunt recently.”

“Beyond that, mostly travelling after we left Bobby’s house. It’s rather enjoyable not having to adhere to inane rules.”

“So yeah, things are goin’ well. Better now, actually. We’d kinda set aside a few days for this case, so those are free now.”

“You gonna visit the UK anytime soon?”

“Not yet. Maybe after another month’s passed.”