Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter series. At all.
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There are many interpretations of purgatory.
Eternal Hallways that only end when judgment is passed.
A river that must be passed by ferry.
Even blank emptiness with no stimulation aside from ones own thoughts.
However, I now know the truth.
The truth is, and I'd never thought I would say or even think this.
Beetlejuice was right. Purgatory is the godamned DMV. Lines, waiting room, depression, everything. There's even two "VIP" lines for saints and intense sinners too. Color coded gold and red respectively.
My own entry to purgatory was oddly ironic. One second I'm walking to work, the next I get taken out by some driver checkin' out the morning joggers and I appear in the DMV. Maybe that was my punishment for all my puns. Makes sense, I always thought fate had a sadistic side to its humor. Hell, my name's Cole and I was born on Christmas. I was a joke the moment my mother went into labor. Great gift right? My pops has never been the best gift giver. He prefers the whole "here's some money, buy what you want" kind of guy. Which honestly I prefer. Well " preferred" I guess...
Ahem
Anyway, now the only thing aside from my own thoughts to distract me is the grating "NEXT!" Of the lady servicing the "accidental" line. She seems unbelievably bored and irritated. Makes sense considering how argumentative the accidental dead are. At least compared to the (people? Corpses?) in "Disease" who seemed to have basically accepted their fate. "Homicide" is even more rowdy then my line. Understandable. Suicide seems to lead into a employment office instead of the waiting room. I wonder if dare devils appear in "Accidental" or "Suici-
"NEXT!" Oh. Whelp my turn
"Take a number." The oh so kind lady(?) tells me
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Meanwhile...
Two cloaked figures in a dark room converse. One figure sits huddled in the center, while the other moves about the room busily preparing something.
"M-Maxwell?" The huddled and feminine figure suddenly asked, "Are you sure this is ok? The Aurors are cracking down on anything "dark." ... M-maybe we should stop. Wait a while! Until the Ministry stops investigating the pureblood!"
Maxwell turned and stepped towards the woman "Annabelle," the man spoke gently, caressing her cheek, "after all we've put into this, all of our hope, our life, we simply can not wait any longer. Besides!" He exclaimed, "This isn't Dark magic. Just... different magic" He gave one last reassuring smile to Annabelle before returning to his work.
Annabelle closed her eyes and continued to wait. Maxwell was right, they'd been waiting so long for a chance like this. Since they'd wed, even before then. It just felt..wrong to have to do this thing the way they needed to- "Okay."
"I finished it." Maxwell said, interrupting his wife's thoughts "We're ready."
Maxwell sat next to Annabelle pulling a shaped stick from his robes.
"Okay Anna, place your wand next to the basket and I'll begin." As Annabelle did so, Maxwell began to chant.
"Grand Soul from across the plain of death,
I call them forth to give a second chance of life unfairly taken,
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In purgatory
I lazily reach for a number from the roll, oh so eager to begin my wait to be sentenced to, no doubt, a small comfortable corner of- "WAIT!"
I freeze at the shout of the lady. Looking up at her she quickly passes me a slip. A simple green slip of paper with a stylish skull on it. Looks like my sis's tattoo. "Um," I eloquently make my confusion known, "What do I do with-" "NEXT!" The lady screeches. This seems a bit less "outta my face" and more "gud luk dood" though that may just be me. I glance around the room, receiving looks of envy, fury, and...pity? Anyway I also notice a new door. Green and skull adorned like the card. Rushed aside by the next in line, I slowly step through the door.
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We offer these rare and powerful artifact to sate the thirst of Death,
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I step through the spooky door and into darkness.
"Y-Yo?" A flash of light his me in the pupil
"Sorry! We just renovated and I couldn't find the switch. Oh! Hi... have a seat!"
As my eyes adjusted, a chipper voice greeted my ear. The voice apparently belonged to the...man(?) Sitting at the desk in front of me. He honestly looklooked like an average dude. Brown well kept hair, black suit, a tie with a green tip (most likely to feel rebellious,) rectangular glasses. Normal. Well except his face. It's very pale and the skin ... I don't know.. it looks too close to his skull. Kind of like "Skull Face" from MGS but less creepy. The metal Alltel on his desk simply reads."D" He has a polite smile on his face As if he were waiting for some rea-Oh! I seat in the seat across from him.
"Well sir, it seems there has been a change of plans"
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We offer this empty vessel to carry you ,
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"Umm," Once again I demonstrate my eloquent social skills "Plans? Change?"
I glance around his office. Fairly bare. There's a picture of four men posing, on motorcycles, though I don't get a good look before I focus back on "D"
"Yes. It seems you ... have a second chance."
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Hear us Grand Soul!
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"A couple in one of our more... magically inclined universes has found a way to interact with higher powers"
This time I manage to only open my mouth in confusion, with no noise. He continues.
"They call for a soul. You were lucky enough to be that soul"
At this he passes me a sheet of paper and a pen. "Should you choose to accept this chance simply fill out this form."
I read the form carefully, expecting a complex contract to be signed in blood. Instead I find a... a character sheet. Huh. But it's much less intricate.
First Name:
That's odd... no room for middle or last? Okay I suppose
First Name: Cole
Sex
Yes please!
Sex: Male
I circle the darker Brown for Hair and a greener blue for eyes
Before I can continue , the sheet is taken out of my hands. "Well everything is all good." He regards me with a smile, "good luck."
That's all I get before everything goes away.
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"D" smiled and stood.
He had to admit, Maxwell was close."
Closer than anyone else had ever gotten to truly winning.
So close in fact "D" considered only taking one of them.
Ol' Max never thought about the backlash. Yes the basket was domed with a barrier to prevent injury from the soul entering the husk, but in his haste Maxwell forgot to shield from the soul entering his dimension.
As "D" stood his suit became a long cloak, the thin skin on his face disappeared. He decided to personally see to their souls.
He would obviously have to punish their offense. After all.
Nobody cheats Death.
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Auror captain Amelia Bones appeared on The dusty road with a crack, alongside other apparating Aurors under her command. There had been a massive magic spike in the area and with the war still freshly over, any mysterious happenings were treated as possible attacks. One glance at the area made it seem like there had been one. The entire manor, one that belonged to a pureblood house that had not sided with the former Dark Lord, was raised to the ground. The noble pureblood house of Ferelda had not participated in the war. With no heir neither of the two remaining members dared to fight. Though as the squad sweeper the area, it became apparent.
This wasn't a desperate Death Eater hit.
This destruction was caused by a good old fashioned accident.
Amelia sighed. She knew the Fereldas. Good people. She could understand the reason for their neutrality, her own brother and his wife had died, leaving behind a little girl.
Guess it's time to head back and let Accidental handel this-
Amelia's thoughts were cut off by a cry, putting her senses on alert
"Shacklebolt, Parsley, on me!" The two Aurors moved to her side ready to assist.
They slowly moved to the area where the noise originated, and found something that confused her
"A child?" Parsley voiced both his and her curiosity. "How?"
A valid question, Amelia thought
She had seen Annabelle barely four months before and she did not look five months pregnant.
The child's basket had evidence of powerful protective magic, probably paranoia for the new heir.
"Hey little guy," Amelia picked the child up, slightly quieting his cries, "you ok?"
"Cole." Parsley said simply holding the side of the basket up, showing the name imprinted on the side.
Amelia nodded, "Alright Cole. Let's get you out of here."