Actually, they don't know it's a demon that killed Mary (at least Sam and Dean don't). They don't find out until John calls in Scarecrow. Before then, it's always "the thing that killed mom" - they even wonder if what's in the house in Lawrence in 1.09 Home is the same thing that killed their mother, before Missouri tells them it isn't.
It's a common mistake in fics to have them know it was a demon (or know it was a yellow-eyed demon specifically) from the jump. They didn't actually have any clue what it was until John told them, it was always just "the thing that killed mom". You can see why Sam would grow tired of a quest for revenge against something so vague and unknown...how could he ever hope for it to be over when they had absolutely no clue as to what it was?
So, yeah, the only time they mention a demon before Phantom Traveler is that one brief line in Wendigo when they list it as something that can walk through walls. And in Phantom Traveler, Dean says that demons are way above their "pay grade" - meaning that before then, the four or five possessions that took place each year were obviously handled only by the most seasoned of hunters (such as Bobby).
I'm guessing John kept them on relatively simple hunts when they were kids - ghosts, poltergeists, banshees, etc. The most complicated things they hunted pre-series that I can find are werewolves and skinwalkers.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2012-08-22 08:25 am (UTC)It's a common mistake in fics to have them know it was a demon (or know it was a yellow-eyed demon specifically) from the jump. They didn't actually have any clue what it was until John told them, it was always just "the thing that killed mom". You can see why Sam would grow tired of a quest for revenge against something so vague and unknown...how could he ever hope for it to be over when they had absolutely no clue as to what it was?
So, yeah, the only time they mention a demon before Phantom Traveler is that one brief line in Wendigo when they list it as something that can walk through walls. And in Phantom Traveler, Dean says that demons are way above their "pay grade" - meaning that before then, the four or five possessions that took place each year were obviously handled only by the most seasoned of hunters (such as Bobby).
I'm guessing John kept them on relatively simple hunts when they were kids - ghosts, poltergeists, banshees, etc. The most complicated things they hunted pre-series that I can find are werewolves and skinwalkers.