Family Treasures

A favorite concept of Supernatural canon lore is that Dean and Sam rely on their father's journal. John Winchester made notes of his experiences throughout his career as a hunter. In the pilot episode, Dean acquired the worn notebook, and since then it has been their primary reference manual. To an outsider, the pages appear full of arcane scribbles and drawings. For Dean and Sam, it's a priceless resource.

Warning for minor spoilers to Night Howls on the Hudson.

Now Chloe has a similar family resource. Airmid's Garden is a handwritten grimoire compiled by the nineteenth-century botanist Harriet Henrietta Beaufort. Although I invented the book, the author is a historical figure. Harriet was born in Ireland in 1778. Her most famous work is a book for children called Dialogues on Botany.

The practice of writing down magic spells has been traced back to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Books on magic were referenced by the ancient Greeks and Copts. The term grimoire is believed to be derived from grammaire which in medieval times referred to any book written in Latin. By the eighteenth century, grimoires were believed to be how-to manuals for the practice of witchcraft. Handwritten grimoires are particularly valuable because the books themselves may be magical, and that is the case with Airmid's Garden. Because of wards placed on the work, Chloe discovers she must be a descendant of Harriet Beaufort. Chloe already knew she was related to one woman rumored to be a witch, Bridget Bishop. Airmid's Garden is confirmation of a second.

To a large degree, Dean was brought up to view creatures with special powers as evil. He's had limited experience with those who use witchcraft for beneficial purposes. Peony and Chloe are causing him to reevaluate his beliefs. As for his girlfriend, Chloe wasn't exposed to witchcraft or magic when she was growing up. She was intrigued by having Bridget Bishop for an ancestor but never thought she had any special powers. Over the past several months, Chloe has learned about creatures she formerly never believed existed. She's now struggling with the thought she has enhanced abilities as well.

Night Howls on the Hudson on Archive of Our Own
Night Howls on the Hudson on FanFiction