A/N: I've had the idea for this story bouncing around my head for a while now. It's going to be a quick story - no more than three chapters. Please review - I love to hear what people think of my writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise.

Part One

Harry awoke to light flooding the 7th Years' dormitory, groaning as the rays pierced his skull and intensified his throbbing headache. Squeezing his eyes shut, Harry thought back to the reason for his headache with a smile on his face.

It all came down to this dive, Harry thought with amusement – he really shouldn't have expected anything else. The scores were tied, and he was racing Malfoy to the Snitch hovering a few feet above the ground. Streamlining himself to his Firebolt, Harry narrowly avoided a Bludger to the head. Slowly, he inched ahead of Malfoy, his excitement building. Reaching out with his right hand, Harry felt the fluttering of the Snitch's wings before his hand closed around the tiny golden ball.

Pulling out of the dive, Harry raised his hand in triumph, and was swamped by his teammates. Floating to the ground, the roaring of the crowd overwhelmed Harry's hearing – even the Slytherins were clapping, albeit reluctantly, a sign of how things had changed. Once on the ground, Harry saw Malfoy approach.

"Good game, Potter. Congratulations," Malfoy said, without any of the malice he once possessed when speaking to Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said, smiling, holding out his hand for Malfoy to shake. Malfoy stared at the offered hand for a moment before extending his own, a smile also crossing his face briefly. Harry turned as he heard the presentation begin.

"In one of the best matches Hogwarts has seen in years," Madam Hooch's magnified voice told the crowd, "I present the 1998/99 Quidditch Champions, GRYFFINDOR!"

Receiving the Cup from Madam Hooch, Harry lifted it with Ron, huge smiles on their faces, to the raucous cheering of the Gryffindor crowd. Said crowd began spilling onto the pitch, cheering, and trying to touch any part of the Gryffindor team they could reach, effectively carrying the whole team back to the Common Room

The party in the Gryffindor Common Room was unlike any Harry had ever experienced. Without any threats to their safety, Harry's final year at school had been one of the best, and it was clear everyone else in the Castle felt the same (perhaps with the exception of certain members of the Slytherin House). The party raged long into the night, with lots of talking, drinking, and eating. McGonagall didn't even try to shut them down, making it clear the teachers were happy for their safety – it helped that it was three members of Gryffindor House that had ensured this safety.

Harry spoke to just about every member of the House throughout the night, actually enjoying his popularity for a change – the amount of Firewhiskey he had consumed helped in this endeavour significantly. Finally, as the Sun was rising, Harry dragged himself up to bed and passed out.

Breaking out of his reverie, Harry walked over to the window to get a drink of water. Looking outside, he thought he could see Ron and Hermione strolling around the Lake, closer together than would be acceptable for friends. Harry smiled, glad his two best friends had finally realised their feelings for each other, even if it had taken a near death experience. Figuring getting some more sleep wouldn't hurt, Harry walked back to his bed, and was asleep within minutes.

xxxxx

The next time Harry woke, the dorm was once again empty. Casting a tempus charm, and learning the time to be 10am, he realised it was Monday morning and none of his dorm mates had woken him for class. Cursing, he jumped out of bed, threw on his uniform, and ran out the door.

Within 10 minutes, Harry was panting outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Despite really not needing to take the class, it was still among Harry's favourites – though he did not enjoy their new professor's (Marcus McBreen) awe of him, Ron and Hermione. Taking one last heaving breath, Harry composed himself and walked into the classroom. Seeing the seats beside Ron and Hermione taken, Harry slipped into a seat at the back of the room, seemingly noticed by no one. McBreen was lecturing on the properties of a corporeal Patronus, and Harry tuned out, having been able to produce one since 13.

Before Harry knew it, the bell signalling the end of class was ringing, and his fellow Gryffindors swept him towards Transfiguration. Walking into the classroom, Harry noticed Ron and Hermione had beaten him there, and went to take his place beside them. After dropping his bag on the floor, Harry turned towards Ron.

"Why didn't you wake me this morning?" No response. "Ron…?"

Before Harry could continue, McGonagall walked into the room and began the class. They were beginning human transfiguration, and McGonagall spent the entire class describing the theory and wand movements. As the bell rang, she set the class a six-foot essay on the theories and risks of self-transfiguration. Before Harry had even packed his bag, Ron and Hermione were up and out of the room. Quickly throwing his bag over his shoulder, Harry hurried after them.

"Ron!" he yelled down the hallway. "Hermione, wait!" Neither turned at the sound of his voice, causing Harry to begin worrying. Had he done something to annoy them? They had never both ignored him before. Maybe he'd done something at the party? Catching up, Harry swallowed his pride and attempted to apologise – though for what, he was not exactly sure.

"Look, Ron, I'm sorry, okay?" Silence. No recognition. It was like he wasn't even there. Harry hurried in front of Ron, intent on forcing him to stop and listen. Standing in Ron's path, Harry raised his arms to grab Ron's shoulders.

"Ron, please sto–" Harry stopped speaking, in shock. He stood in the middle of the hallway, not moving, arms still raised. Ron had passed right through him. There was no way. He couldn't be. Dropping his arms, Harry turned and saw Ron shiver as though hit by a sudden icy breeze. No. This could not be happening. How…? Harry's thoughts were running at a mile-a-minute. But one was sticking with him – he was a ghost. He was dead.

He was dead. Harry couldn't believe it, especially as he couldn't remember dying. He remembered everything from the past few days, and there was no discernable point where he could have died. He was dead, and didn't remember dying; it was something that could only happen to him, the Boy Who Lived. Harry almost laughed.

Reaching the end of a random hallway, Harry went to lean against a wall and think. It quickly struck him as strange that the wall held his weight, as ghosts could pass through them. Before he even realised what was happening, Harry was flailing as he fell sideways through the stone wall and into an empty classroom. Harry really did laugh this time, though it was completely humourless.

Harry sat on the floor of the classroom for some time, not wanting to believe, despite all the evidence, that he was in fact dead. Somewhere overhead, Harry heard the bell ring, which was quickly followed by a stream of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Third Years filing into the classroom. The younger years usually fell into various states of awe around Harry, yet none appeared to have noticed his presence.

Thinking about standing up, Harry found himself floating back to his feet. In a final, desperate, attempt to prove he had not become a ghost, Harry went and stood on the teachers' desk, jumping up and down and waving his arms. Nothing. Sighing, he jumped off the desk and made his way to the door, exiting straight through an unsuspecting Professor McGonagall.

As he walked aimlessly along the corridor he had tried to stop Ron in earlier, Harry realised that the ghosts of Hogwarts could reveal themselves to the students. He wanted to smack himself in the head for not remembering sooner. Harry figured it would be much like the floating and moving through walls – he just had to think about revealing himself and it would happen. With that in mind, Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor Common Room to wait for the perfect time to reveal himself to Ron and Hermione.