Six Feet Under in the Sky Pt. I I/II
Harry stared into the mist. He couldn't make out where he was. Neither could he see anyone else.
Abruptly a dark figure appeared in the corner of Harry's vision. The teen turned to look at it, then reared back in horror. What the bloody hell was a Dementor doing here?
...
...
And where was here anyway?
The white mist solidified then, as if someone had just put Harry's glasses back on his face. That is, back when he needed them. A high vaulted ceiling, stately columns, and vast bays of windows. Harry spun in place, half expecting the Hogwarts Express to materialize, and caught sight of the figure again.
Since the figure wasn't making any active attempt to kill him (which was a lot more than he could say about a lot of people these days) or really any threatening motions of any sort, Harry took the chance to study him. With a more rational frame of mind, he could see several glaring differences between the figure and Dementors. Compared to this guy, Dementors seemed almost…. cheap, like a knock-off of a popular brand. The robe was so black Harry felt it was actually absorbing the ambient light, and he swore the scythe was at least eight feet tall.
Not to mention the eyes. The only part of the figure with any color, and it was an absurdly pleasant, ridiculously tropical blue! How could anyone fear something the color of aCaribbean beach?
For some reason, Harry felt perfectly calm looking into those eyes.
HELLO said the figure. Somewhere, a thousand iron gates slammed shut. YOU ARE HARRY POTTER I BELIEVE?
Harry gaped. Even here, in the middle of who-knows-where, he was famous. The figure waited patiently while he struggled to phrase the questions whirling through his head.
"Who are you?" he finally managed to choke out. "And how do you know who I am?"
THERE IS SOMEONE WITING FOR YOU HERE the figure said. HE REFUSED TO LEAVE BEFORE YOU CAME. THOUGH, the figure added, I THINK THERE ARE FAR MORE PEOPLE WAITING FOR YOU BACK THERE. Harry almost turned around to look before he realized what the figure meant. " You mean back there… back there…"
IN LIFE the figure said. YES.
"So I'm ..?"
DEAD? YES, I'M AFRAID SO. BUT I THOUGHT YOU WERE EXPECTING IT? the figure asked curiously.
"Well, yeah, I guess." said Harry. "I just didn't expect it to look like…" he gestured into the mist "…like this, I suppose."
The figure gave the impression of shrugging. UNSURPRISING. MORTALS TEND TO BE WRONG ABOUT A GREAT MANY THINGS. BUT THIS PLACE IS NOT THE SAME FOR EVERY PERSON. YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS A FOGGY MIRROR. IT REFLECTS NO WHAT YOU EXPECT, BUT WHAT YOU NEED.
"…"
NO PUN INTENDED*
"…"
"So its like the Mirror of Erised?
HARDLY. I'D GO AS FAR TO SAY THAT IT'S THE EXACT OPPOSITE. FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THAT PEOPLE HAVE DIED STILL STARING INTO THAT ONE, WHILE THE PEOPLE HERE ARE ALREADY DEAD.
Harry looked a bit lost at that comment. He had no plan past going into the forest to placate Voldemort, and now that he was dead, had no clue what came next.
"So if you met me here," Harry said, "does that mean you're here to take me …on?"
IF YOU'D LIKE
Harry blinked. "I have a choice?"
ITS NOT STANDARD PROCEDURE, NO said the figure. BUT YOU APPEAR TO BE A EXCEPTION. NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SO LITTLE REGARD FOR THEIR LIFE, YET HAVE IT PULL SO STONGLY AT THEM. YOU HAVE SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
The last was phrased not as a question, but as a fact.
"But I killed it!" Harry cried. " I stood there and let him kill me to destroy that last Horcrux!"
The figure said nothing.
"I thought I did what I was supposed to." Harry whispered, suddenly exhausted and sick to his stomach. "Are you telling me it didn't work?"
YOU SUCEEDED IN DESTORYING THE HORCRUX said the figure. BUT DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE FINISHED?
Harry inhaled sharply. "So you're telling me now I have to kill him too? I already destroyed the Horcruxes. And besides," he said bitterly, "I'm dead."
YOU COULD BE. agreed the figure. BUT YOU MIGHT NOT.
"I was hit by a killing curse." pointed out Harry. "I'm pretty sure I'm dead."
NOT YET, REALLY. the figure said. YOU'RE CLOSER TO A SPIRIT OR A GHOST AT THIS POINT.
"I'm in the ghost world. Is that what I am now?"
ONLY IF YOU STAY LONG ENOUGH. IF YOU DON'T CHOSE.
Harry perked up at this. "Nearly Headless Nick said something about this once. He said he…" Harry trailed off, slightly embarrassed. "He said he was afraid to go on. He was afraid of you?"
QUITE POSSIBLY. said Death. I HAVE APPEARED TO HAVE AQUIRRED A POOR REPUTATION IN YOUR WORLD.
Harry chuckled weakly. "I'll say. First time I saw you I thought you were a Dementor."
AN COMMON MISCONCEPTION. YOUR FRIEND THOUGHT THAT TOO.
"So when you talk about choices, you mean going on, or going back."
OR STAYING added Death. YES
"Is it normal to have this choice?"
NO. admitted Death. YOU'RE ACTUALLY THE FIRST I'VE MET. THE OTHER WASN'T REALLY DEAD**. BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG YOUR IMMUNITY LASTS. TIME DOESN'T LIKE COMING HERE MUCH***.
Harry smiled. "I guess that means I have to get back. But how do I do that?"
NOW THERE I CAN HELP YOU said Death, and touched one skeletal finger to Harry's forehead.
Harry managed one last question as he began to fade. "So what do I call you when I meet you next?"
...
JUST DEATH WILL DO.
* No really. Death would have used a "broken mirror" but it'd hardly be accurate. And Death makes a point to be accurate. Besides a broken mirror shows multiple variations of the same thing, and the misty-places is a lot more decisive than that.
** He only came the once, but Death is still hoping that he'll drop by again. Nothing too permanent, but they both have plenty of time to spare each other a visit someday*.
*** The thing about Time is that there is a different on for every planet, universe and just general reality. Some places even have more than one Time and it's not pleasant. Phrases like "Time really flies" are a lot more literal in some places than others. See, Time isn't just one being. There is a whole family, all the daughters (and one sun) born of the Universe and Improbability. Every time they pop out another its twin- the planet and another Time. Not to mention that each Time thinks they know how to do things best. Even Improbability can't get them to agree on a common standard. So some places have got seconds and hours and right next door their using habpirs and nishgs.
*AN: For those who do not understand who this is, read (or reread) the Prologue.