A/N: Just as a warning - there's not much plot in this chapter; it's more a bit of fun as Sam discovers Hogwarts. Also, it's unbetaed, so please excuse any mistakes.

Before I forget, I'll be travelling the whole of August, and I'm not entirely sure I'll manage another chapter before that. So you're in for a long wait, I'm sorry! *hides her face behind her hands*

"'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall."

- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling

12. A Strange and Splendid Place

The first golden sunrays of a new morning already slanted through the high windows when Sam exited the Room of Requirement. He couldn't wait to tell Hermione about the information he'd learned, to show her the library that the Room of Requirement had conjured. On the other hand, he really didn't want to disturb her. Hermione really had been half-dead when they had transported her to the hospital, and she needed the sleep more desperately than him.

Normally, Sam would reach out to his brother, but that was not an option now. The only person who'd be able to enter the castle without problems was a wizard, and Sam needed a wizard - or a witch - to decipher the books. Hermione was the smart one, he knew that, but maybe Harry could help, too.

But how could Sam reach him?

Sam was already halfway down the hallway when he remembered Hermione's offer of sending Dean an owl. He needed an owl! (He tried not to think about the strangeness of that statement.)

Sam was sure that there was an owlery somewhere - thanks to Hogwarts. A History - but he wasn't exactly sure where. Maybe he could ask another student. The Great Hall was on the ground floor - perhaps he could find a student or teacher there.

Suddenly full of energy again, Sam sprinted down the stairs, taking two at once, until he reached the ground floor. There, he stopped to orientate himself, but, before he could do anything, he suddenly found himself being pushed to a wall, ropes winding tightly around his body. Two girls with brooms stood in front of him; one had red hair, fiery brown eyes, and freckles, the other was a bit taller and had chestnut hair. Both wore similar expressions of mistrust and anger and their wands were outstretched in front of them.

"Who are you?" the redhead bellowed.

"S-Sam Winchester," Sam choked out, fighting for breath. He couldn't move, could barely breathe.

The redhead narrowed her eyes, as if she recognised his name, but she didn't release him.

"There is no Sam Winchester in this school. You're too old to be a student anyway. So who are you? Why are you here?", the other girl asked sharply.

"You're right, I'm not a student," Sam explained quickly. He gave up fighting the ropes and focused on explaining his presence to the girls. "Hermione brought me here, Hermione Granger."

"We know who Hermione is," the taller girl snapped. "But Hermione doesn't have any friends outside school, and certainly not from the States."

The ropes around his throat tightened and Sam gasped for air. "Ask her. She's in the - the Gryffindor Common Room. Please."

"Revelio," the redhead said, waving his wand over Sam, who tensed even further. But nothing happened. "Well, at least he's not disguised," she said to the other girl. "I think he might actually be speaking the truth. Harry couldn't tell me much, but I know that -"

"Harry Potter!" Sam gasped. "I know him, too. Glasses. Green eyes."

The redhead's gaze sharpened dangerously, and she stepped closer while the other girl rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows Harry Potter."

"No, no, no," Sam said, coughing. "We- we hunted Dementors together. I'm a hunter. I work with him and Hermione."

"If you're lying, I swear to Merlin..." the redhead threatened, and the rope literally strangled him now.

"Please," Sam begged, wishing he could move his hands to loosen the rope around his throat. Black spots were dancing in front of his eyes.

"Ginny," the taller girl said in a cautioning voice, and Ginny must have listened to her because suddenly Sam could breathe again. His knees hit the floor as the spell released him, and he barely managed to catch himself.

"Prove it," the girl named Ginny challenged, her wand pointing right between his eyes.

Sam searched his numb brain for information he might give her. "Errr… he lives in an old house in … it belonged to…" A cough interrupted his sentence, and he needed a moment to pull himself together. "It belonged to … I can't tell you the address or anything about it because there's this weird magic that hides the place, but … but there's an elf living there. Kreacher!"

The tall girl looked questioningly at Ginny, who had lowered her wand a little, but still didn't look convinced. "And Hermione?"

"Hermione..." Sam hesitated. He actually didn't know that much about the witch, bits and pieces that she'd revealed and the things he'd seen with his own eyes. So he tried to select something that only her friends would know. "She has panic attacks about when someone tortured her during the war. The wounds on her arm re-open sometimes," Sam added, wincing a little at the memory.

Ginny's eyes widened, and Sam realised he might have revealed something that the girls didn't know about Hermione. Cursing himself internally, he tried to find one more piece of information that could prove he knew her. "And her Patronus is an otter," Sam hurried to say, remembering Hermione's words about the unique form a Patronus that corresponded only to one person.

Finally, Ginny relaxed a little. "Either you're a psychopath stalker..., or you do know them."

"I do," Sam promised, still on his knees in front of the girls, but he didn't dare to get up yet. If they hadn't gathered that he was not a wizard, they might perceive his movement as threat. Not that he could hurt them, even if he wanted to. The only weapon he carried was a silver knife in his boots.

The girls exchanged a glance. "Fine," the taller one said. "Ginny, you can handle him, right? I'll go up for a shower."

Ginny nodded, still totally focused on Sam. "Sure, Demelza."

Slowly, Sam climbed to his feet, still a little wary and very conscious of the wand Ginny held in her fingers.

"Sam Winchester, huh?" Ginny asked.

Sam nodded.

"Sorry for that." She gestured towards his throat that still felt raw and swollen. "You can never be too careful, even in Hogwarts."

Sam nodded again. He completely understood that.

"Not much of a talker, then," Ginny mumbled. "What were you up to, mystery man?"

"Er, I was looking for the owlery to send Harry a note," Sam explained. He hated how the tiny piece of wood in Ginny's hand made him feel utterly defenseless, not that he'd admit to it, ever. "And you?"

Ginny nodded towards the broom in her hand. "Training. You do know that the owlery is the other way, right?"

"Actually no. I've obviously never been to Hogwarts before."

"Right. American," Ginny said more to herself than to him. "Why didn't Hermione show you?"

Sam swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable. "She's still sleeping. We were working long on a case, and I didn't have the heart to wake her."

"Right, you said before that you work together. You're a … hunter?" Ginny asked slowly, tasting the word in her mouth.

Sam nodded. All of a sudden, he remembered having heard Ginny's name before - she was Harry's girlfriend. But if Harry chose not to tell her about what he was doing, Sam wouldn't either. So he decided to distract her - the letter to Harry could wait until later.

"So, Ginny, you're a Quidditch player?" he asked, pretending he knew all about that.

Ginny beamed proudly. "Captain and Seeker, yes. I'll try out for the Holyhead Harpies after school."

Sam nodded enthusiastically. He wasn't sure Ginny had realised he was not a wizard yet, but he couldn't stop himself. "I've never played. I- I actually never even sat on a broom."

"Really?!"

Sam nodded. "Do you think I could maybe…?"

"You want to fly now?" Ginny asked, surprised.

"It's probably going to be my only chance," Sam said honestly. "My brother would either kill me or tease me to death."

Ginny chuckled, and finally, her whole posture relaxed. "I know a thing or two about brothers. They're a pain in the arse." She eyed Sam speculatively for a moment. "Come on, Sam, let's find you a broom."

Still vibrating with energy, Sam walked back to Hogwarts castle, Ginny beside him. Flying had been… embarrassing. Fun, but embarrassing. To Sam, it had felt like balancing on a toothpick, and all his muscles and body control had helped absolutely nada. He'd felt too tall, offering too much of a drag, and the wind had almost pushed him off the broom.

Still, it had been the most fun he'd had for - for months, probably.

Flying had been a weird experience, trusting the magic in that piece of wood to keep him in the air - a trust he normally didn't have. And the weirdest fact of all was that the broom hadn't rejected him, even though he possessed no magic of his own.

The sun painted the old castle in golden morning light, which softened its edges and set the glass windows aglow. It looked even more out of a fairytale than it already was.

"I'm hungry," Ginny suddenly said as they leapt up the last steps to the entrance.

Sam nodded, a bit unsure what to say.

"Come on, I'll show you the way," she offered good-naturedly. "You can sit with me, in case Hermione's still sleeping."

"Thank you," Sam said. He didn't fancy being attacked by another student again.

"So…" Ginny began carefully, "what you said about Hermione…"

Sam stiffened.

"... that her wounds reopen." Ginny hesitated, shooting a sideways glance at him. "How bad is it?"

Sam swallowed. "If she didn't tell you, I shouldn't."

"So it's bad," Ginny concluded, nodding to herself. "She's an idiot, carrying all that by herself. But Harry knew, I guess."

Sam nodded although it hadn't been a question, and Ginny didn't acknowledge him.

"Not that she'd tell me anything. Pretending she's fine." Ginny's voice turned bitter. "But she is not fine, far from fine. She's working too much - doing her Hogwarts coursework simultaneously to the work she does with you." Ginny stopped and looked at him. "Actually, what do you work?"

"Um," Sam replied eloquently.

Ginny just looked at him, waiting.

"Um, we - so, my brother and I - we hunt monsters," Sam stuttered awkwardly.

"What does that mean?" Ginny asked. "Are you like a special Auror division, only for creatures?"

"Yes," Sam sighed, relieved she'd given an explanation herself. "We hunt the supernatural, the evil creatures that hurt people. Your government contacted us."

A muscle in Ginny's cheek twitched and her gaze sharpened. "Does that mean … are we in danger?"

Fuck, Sam cursed internally. The redhead was too clever for her own good. "We're handling the situation," he replied noncommittally, but Ginny didn't seem convinced.

"If these creatures are evil - shouldn't we learn about them at school? Shouldn't we be prepared?"

"The school is absolutely safe, Ginny," Sam tried to reassure her. "And concerning the curriculum, I'm the wrong person to talk to."

Finally, Ginny moved again. "What about Harry?"

"Huh?", Sam asked, not grasping her mental leap.

"Is he in danger?", she clarified, not looking at him.

Images of the Wendigo splashed over Sam's mind, its sharp claws, its super-human speed. Hermione bleeding from the cut in her chest, unconscious. How easily it could have been Harry, bleeding, dying. Sam understood Ginny's concern, and he knew she'd see right through any lie he'd try to tell

"Being a hunter is dangerous," Sam replied honestly. "No different than being an Auror, I guess."

Ginny barely even reacted, but her fingers tightened around her broom. After a few steps, she said, "I appreciate the honesty, Sam."

Just before they reached the Great Hall, Sam saw something move from the corner of his eye. At once, his gaze flew to the ceiling, and he saw - almost in slow motion - the chandelier in front of the door falling. Sam reacted in a split second, pulling Ginny back and out of the way. With the loud noise of splintering glass and metal upon stone, the chandelier crashed to the floor and Sam covered his face to protect it from the flying shards. A cackling came from above and Sam's head snapped up towards it.

The surprisingly solid looking shape of ghost, dressed in loud, outlandish clothes including a bell-covered hat and an orange bow tie, hovered beneath the ceiling. Instantly, Sam froze. He had no salt and no iron, only a useless silver knife.

"Peeves!" Ginny fumed, not surprised by the presence of the supernatural phenomenon at all. Then, Sam recalled that ghosts were common at Hogwarts. And Peeves was the poltergeist. "You could've killed us!"

The poltergeist, however, paid her no mind. "A hunter in Hogwarts," he screeched, zooming in on Sam. "A Muggle in Hogwarts."

Automatically, Sam stepped back, his eyes searching for a weapon and finding the old armour next to the door. Without hesitating, he leapt over the fallen chandelier, skidded over the glass covered floor, and grabbed the sword, just as the poltergeist made to attack him.

"You're not hunting me, hunter!" the ghost howled and suddenly materialised in front of Sam, who swung his sword at him.

"I'm not!" Sam hastened to say. "I'm not here to kill you!"

The poltergeist dove underneath Sam's sword with a surprising agility and had him pinned to the wall within the blink of an eye. For the second time that day, Sam had a stone wall in his back and his toes barely touched the floor. Peeves' face was contorted by fury and icy air washed over Sam.

"Let him go!" Ginny yelled, but the ghost ignored her.

"You're lying, hunter. You've killed hundreds like me before," the poltergeist snarled, his wickedly slanted, orange eyes only inches in front of Sam's face.

"I'm not lying," Sam said firmly, and to put emphasis on his words, he dropped the sword, which landed with a clatter on the floor. "I promise, I'm not here for you. I only hunt ghosts that have killed innocent people."

Peeves narrowed his eyes. "Why should I believe you?"

Sam swallowed thickly. "You can search me - I have no weapons on me. I'm here to help Hermione with a case."

The ghost didn't react.

From the corner of his eyes, Sam saw that Ginny had drawn her wand and was pointing it at them. But Sam didn't need saving. He was perfectly able to handle one simple poltergeist without his brother or that redheaded witch.

"Why else would the headmistress let me on the ground? Everybody cherishes you, Peeves. Even I've heard great stories about you," Sam added, following his gut instinct.

A smile lit up the poltergeist's face. "Really?"

Sam nodded feverishly. "Everybody talks about how you helped defeating Voldemort."

Suddenly, Peeves let go of him and Sam landed roughly back on his feet. His knees felt like jelly and he braced himself against the wall.

"Oh, yes, I chased away the Death Eater, didn't I?" Peeves said. "I helped winning the Battle of Hogwarts. In a sense I defeated the most evil wizard of all time." His gaze sharpened. "Everybody talks about it, you said?"

Sam nodded, desperately searching his mind for something more to say, but luckily Ginny saved him.

"I've heard you'll get a medal at the memorial ceremony," the redhead threw in, and Sam cast a thankful glance towards her.

"A medal?" The ghost's chest seemed to swell. "Ahahahaha. A medal for ol' Peeves." Cackling loudly, he whooshed through the air. "Finally."

Suddenly, the poltergeist was gone; they only heard his voice echoing through the hallway, singing: "I did it, I bashed them, Peeves is the one, and Voldy's gone mouldy, so now let's have fun!"

"You're alright?" Ginny asked, suddenly right next to him.

Sam nodded a bit shakily. Being attacked two times within the span of one morning wasn't unusual for him, but the events with the Wendigo and his lack of sleep still sat deep in his bones. "That was easier than usual," he admitted with a laugh.

Ginny smiled, but suddenly her expression darkened. "So… what he said about you…" she let her voice trail away.

Sam sighed. "Yeah, I'm a Muggle," he admitted, bracing himself for her reaction.

All of sudden, Ginny burst out laughing - not the reaction Sam had expected. Outrage maybe, or disgust, but Ginny's delighted laughter caught him off guard.

"You fooled me, you know," Ginny grinned and boxed his arm, as if they were best friends. "A Muggle, a freaking Muggle at Hogwarts."

Still giggling, she opened the door to the Great Hall.

"Well, Sam, welcome to Hogwarts."

I hope you've enjoyed this sillyness :) Please review.