Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written for the Little League, Team Slytherin. Prompts used - "So, what exactly is that?", History, and Experience. Genre - Fantasy

Word Count Without An - 1619

Master Of Death

Harry woke up suddenly, his breathing quick and ragged, sweat pouring down his face. He'd been having the weirdest dream. He had the vaguest impression he'd had the same dream before, though never so vivid as the one he'd just had. It was of a theme he'd been thinking of for months, ever since the war ending in fact, but it wasn't something he wanted to face.

Master of Death.

He could still feel the resurrection stone in his hand, could still feel the power strumming through the wand as he leapt in the air to catch it. The cloak hung in his wardrobe, though he'd been inexplicably afraid of using it since he'd united the hallows. It was a strange kind of magic that he had no wish of exploring.

"You'd think a guy in a long black cloak holding a scythe would get your attention, wouldn't you?"

Harry jumped for his wand without a second thought, not even registering the words other that to acknowledge there was clearly someone, or something, in his bedroom that shouldn't be there.

"I wouldn't bother," the voice told him, as he clutched his wand in his hand, holding it out blindly in front of him. "There's no magic in the world that can get rid of me, so you'll only be wasting your energy."

Casting Lumos, even as he grabbed his glasses and shoved them on his face, Harry could only gawk at his 'visitor.' There, in all his glory, as though straight from a muggle horror movie, stood death. Harry couldn't see a face, big as the hood was, but he could see that the hand holding the scythe didn't look nearly as skeletal as he'd have expected.

"Am I dead?" he asked uncertainly, still holding his wand on the intruder.

"Clearly not since I can see your heart attempting to dive out of your chest, it's beating so hard," came a bored reply. "Really, you're technically my master, surely you aren't supposed to be afraid of me."

"Master?"

"It is you who united the Hallows, yes? I haven't come to the wrong bedroom have I?"

Harry didn't really know what he was supposed to say. Thoughts whirled around his mind, stumbling over one another as he dismissed them as fast as they appeared.

"Can you show me your face?" he asked after a moment.

"Really? Out of all the questions you could have asked, that's the one you choose?" The hood shook from side to side. "Seriously, only I could have an idiot for a Master."

The hood fell down, and Harry stared. Instead of the bones he'd expected, a young man stood there, not much older than Harry. He had fairly nondescript features and sandy hair, and looked... well. He looked normal.

"Oh, don't tell me you believed the movies? Seriously? You find out you're a wizard after living with muggles, and you still believe that I'd be a rattling skeleton that acted like a dementor?"

Harry shrugged. "Well... yeah."

Death sighed dramatically. "Disgusting creatures. When they destroy the souls, I have to wait around for weeks, sometimes bloody months, to collect the bodies. It's a nightmare."

Again, Harry was unsure of what he was supposed to say. He watched as a little ball appeared, slowly circling Death's head, though it didn't seem to bother him. Harry waited for an explanation that didn't seem to be coming.

"So... What exactly is that?"

"Oh, so you can ask reasonable questions? It's a death. Well, it's a notification of a death that I have to go and deal with."

"Oh. Shouldn't you go and... you know? Deal with it?"

"I'll go soon, Merlin, anyone would think you wanted rid of me!"

Harry didn't reply.

Death rolled his eyes. "Well, I only came to introduce myself, you know, since you'll take my job eventually. So, you know who I am now, and I've got work to do. Toodles."

"Wait! What do you mean, I'll take your job?!"

"What, do you think I make house-calls to the living just to say hi? You'll take over from me, and then, whenever the next person manages to unite the Hallows, they'll take over from you. You see?"

"Uh... no, not really. What's stopping me giving the hallows to someone else?"

"You're the owner of them. They won't go to anyone else. When you die, they'll scatter and someone will eventually reunite them."

"What'll happen to you, when I... when I die?"

"I'll train you for a while and then I'll go on. It's a lovely benefits package, you know."

"But..."

Another glowing sphere appeared and Death sighed. "It's really time for me to go. I'll see you in... well. I'll be seeing you, anyway. Enjoy life, Harry."

And without so much as a flash of light or a gust of wind, he was gone. Harry slumped into his pillows, wondering if he should be checking himself into Saint Mungo's.

.O.O.O.O.

Harry let his tears fall as he held her hand in his. She was fading right in front of his eyes and he could do nothing about it. They were a month off their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned to find Death standing there, scythe leaning against the wall, hood already pulled down.

"I'm truly sorry about this, Harry," he said as he neared.

"Stay away from her," Harry demanded through his tears. "Take me instead. Let her live, please. Please. I'll do anything, just don't... don't take her away from me. Please."

"I can't, Harry. She'd be so miserable. Living past time is an awful thing for anyone to go through, you don't want to cause her any more pain, do you?"

Harry shook his head, even as more tears fell. "Will it hurt her?"

"Dying? No. Quicker and easier than falling asleep. I think you've been told that before, yes?"

Harry thought back to Sirius and he nodded. He watched as Death lightly stroked Ginny's hand, and her breaths spaced further apart. As life left her, her spirit seemed to rise from her body and she turned her head to smile at him.

"I'll wait for you, Potter. I swear it."

"I love you, Gin. Forever."

She faded away, and Harry looked at Death. "Thank you for letting me see her."

"Seems you've gained intelligence since we last met."

"It's been a long time. How long until next time?"

"I'll see you when it's time, Harry. Take care of yourself."

.O.O.O.O.

He was sitting in his favourite armchair staring into the fire when he next saw Death. Harry was expecting him, he knew it was his time. He was old, and he'd lived a grand life, full of love and laughter.

"Are you ready, Harry?"

"As I'll ever be," Harry replied, not looking behind him to where he knew Death would be standing. He felt the light brush on his shoulder and allowed his eyes to fall closed as his breathing slowed down. It was a surreal feeling, dying. He felt like he was floating, and then he actually was floating out of his body. He landed softly on his living room floor, finding himself looking at his body in the chair.

He was sad that his children would have to find him like that, but he knew they'd be okay. Of course they would be sad for a while, but they all had families of their own now, and enough support in place that they would get through the grief.

He looked at his hands and found the wrinkles gone. "I'm young again?" he asked, to which Death nodded with a small smile.

"One of the perks."

"What happens now?"

"You come with me," Death replied, holding out a welcoming hand. "It'll be an experience you'll be unlikely to forget, your first reap, but you'll get used to it."

"Reap?"

"Yes. It's what we call taking a soul."

"Oh. I guess... I don't have a choice in this, do I?"

"You do have a choice, but it's not a very good one. You can come with me, complete your destiny, and eventually be reunited with those you love, or you can remain forever in Limbo, destiny unfulfilled, never moving."

"I don't have a choice then. Not really. Shall we get it over with then?"

Death chuckled. "Impatient, even now. You'll have to get a hold on that impatience, Harry. History dictates you'll be waiting a while until you can move on."

"How long have you been... in the job?"

"Me? Long enough to know I'm ready for a rest. A glass of whisky and a good book sound like Heaven right about now. Which is where I'm heading if you're done with your questions?"

Harry chuckled despite himself, taking the offered hand. "I'm done for now."

"Oh, joy," Death commented, making Harry laugh. A sphere appeared out of nowhere, and Death smiled. "Well would you look at that for timing? Come on then, Harry, death waits for no one, not even Death himself."

Taking one last look at his body, Harry nodded.

It was time to finally fulfil his destiny.