Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin — Early Morning
Rain misted over the lake like a veil. The surface was glass-still, untouched by wind, broken only by the ripples of something slipping beneath.
Knox stood at the edge of the water, coat fluttering, wand loosely held in one hand. The brim of his hat dripped steadily, soaking into his collar, but he didn't notice. His focus was locked on the silence.
Behind him, Sam and Dean conferred near the Impala.
"So what exactly are we dealing with?" Sam asked, flipping open his notebook.
Dean squinted at the local report. "Three drownings, all this week. No bodies found. One witness said the lake just... pulled his buddy under."
Knox turned slightly. "The lake itself isn't the problem."
Dean arched an eyebrow. "You get that from your magic lake whispering powers?"
Knox smiled faintly. "No. Just basic deduction. Water this calm doesn't pull. Something inside it does."
He moved toward the dock, boots echoing against the damp wood. As he stepped onto the weathered planks, he felt the faintest trace of residual magic—like a static charge skimming the edge of perception.
Inside the Lakehouse — Later
The trio investigated the latest victim's cabin. Dusty photo frames. A soaked duffel. Muddy boot prints that ended abruptly near the back door.
Knox crouched near a warped floorboard.
"There's residual magic here," he murmured, wand tip glowing faint blue. "Old. Faint. But soaked into the foundation."
Sam leaned closer. "What kind of magic?"
Knox frowned. "Binding magic. Something meant to trap. But it's weakening."
Dean paced near the window. "So it's breaking out? Whatever it is?"
Knox nodded, already sketching a rune in the air. "The seal's not holding. It's been feeding, waiting."
A chill swept through the room. The lake murmured beyond the trees.
That Night — Dockside
They returned under cover of darkness. Knox placed a rune-stone at each corner of the dock, muttering incantations in an older tongue.
Sam stared. "What language is that?"
"Pre-Atlantean," Knox said without looking up. "Tuned for spectral resonance."
Dean blinked. "You just make that up?"
Knox smirked. "Maybe."
He didn't elaborate, but in truth, the Pre-Atlantean dialect was a lost linguistic relic—discovered in fragments from undersea ruins off the coast of Santorini. Scholars thought it dead. Knox had learned it from a half-burned tome retrieved from a cursed shipwreck at seventeen.
Moments later, the lake exploded.
A watery humanoid burst forth—dripping, hollow-eyed, shrieking with the sound of drowning voices.
Dean raised his shotgun. "That's new."
Sam shouted, "It's going for the wards!"
Knox raised his wand. "Lacus Vinculum!"
Blue chains erupted from the rune-stones, lashing the creature mid-air. It screamed, shattering windows in a ten-yard radius.
Sam winced. "Please tell me that was your endgame."
"It's a spirit, but one forged from collective guilt," Knox said. "We can't kill it. But we can seal it again."
Dean stepped forward, pouring salt and holy water into a silver-lined flask. "Then let's bottle this bastard."
They worked in rhythm. Dean anchored the perimeter with salt lines. Sam chanted a Latin exorcism learned from Pastor Jim. Knox whispered a counter-incantation in Pre-Atlantean while tracing sigils midair.
The creature convulsed, limbs unraveling like kelp, until its scream hollowed into silence.
It collapsed inward with a terrible, final wail.
The lake went still.
Outside the Cabin — Morning
The sun broke over the treeline as they packed up. Dean leaned against the Impala, arms crossed.
"So that was fun. Haunting made of guilt. Great bedtime story."
Sam looked at Knox. "You okay?"
Knox nodded absently. The system chimed in his mind.
[System Notification: Quest Progress Updated]
Quest: The Threefold Path
Objective: Assist the Winchester brothers in 3 major hunts across the continental U.S.
Progress: 2/3
Reward: Knowledge Unlock — Threefold Path (Angelic, Demonic, and Mythical Origins)
System Insight Gained:
Mythical Cluster Identified: Naiadic Bindings
Effect: Enhanced control over fluid-based spells and aquatic detection
Passive Unlock: Water Breathing (Tier I)
Knox blinked.
A memory stirred. An old spell he'd used during his Hogwarts sixth year to survive a flooded trap chamber. Back then, he'd thought it was just clever casting.
But no. It had always been part of something older.
Something deeper.
Dean snapped his fingers. "Earth to Wand Boy. You good?"
Knox refocused. "Never better."
Sam smiled. "You staying for the next one?"
Knox looked out at the still water. The sigil on his wrist pulsed faintly.
"Two down," he murmured. "One to go."
En Route — Midday
They'd only made it thirty miles down the highway when Knox's enchanted pocketwatch buzzed. He flipped it open. Inside, a sigil glowed faint red.
Not a system notification. Not magic enforcement.
Just... a favor owed.
A voice echoed in his mind—dry, amused. "You still owe me, boy. And I think it's time you paid that back."
Knox exhaled. This wasn't unexpected. He always honored his debts. Favors were a currency he respected—offered only when necessary, accepted even more rarely. But when he owed one, he delivered.
Sam looked over from the passenger seat. "You okay?"
Knox's voice was clipped. "Change of plans."
Dean leaned out his window, raising an eyebrow. "Lemme guess. Favor from a friend?"
"From someone who doesn't do friendship."
[System Notification: Optional Quest Available]
New Quest: The Hollow Pact (Optional)
Objective: Investigate and resolve the curse affecting the Vale family estate in Salem, MA
Reward: Memory Fragment – Demonic Cluster (Greed)
Knox muttered, "Of course it's Greed. It's always damn Greed."
Dean shifted gears. "We going witch-hunting, or what?"
Knox glanced toward the horizon. "Looks like it."
The cars veered east, engines humming like approaching thunder.
__________________________________________
Author's Note
Hey there! Thanks so much for reading — I hope you're enjoying the story so far.
I wanted to share a little background on how this book came to life. This is a crossover between Harry Potter and Supernatural, but with my own spin on both universes. You'll definitely see elements that aren't present in canon — that's intentional. Originally, I envisioned the main character as a mix between Lucifer and Constantine from DC in a Marvel Universe, but after a lot of thought, I realized the Supernatural universe was a better fit for the Angelic/Demonic MC.
As for my fandom roots: I've rewatched the Harry Potter films more times than I can count (at least 20), so that lore is second nature to me. Supernatural, though, is more recent — I'm currently on Season 5. So if I make a few timeline or plot deviations, that I will chalk up to being intentional. This isn't meant to be strictly canon-accurate — it's an alternate universe with room to explore and evolve.
Quick heads-up: I missed a post yesterday, but my goal is to hit 15 chapters by May 29th. After that, I'm aiming for 4–7 chapters each week. If you're enjoying the ride so far, please leave a review — and keep the feedback coming. It really helps!
Thanks again for being here. Let's keep going.