HAPPY NEW YEAR

"Here's to the New Year. May she be a damn sight better than the old." - -Col Sherman T Potter.

Harry Does Different CCCXXXVIII

Deal With Death

"Guys, we've got two of three of the Deathly Hallows." Harry Potter said with a sense of awe and shock.

Hermione shook her head "The Tale of the Three Brothers is just a legend, like Grimm's Fairy Tales. Maybe a bit more magical, but still- - -"

"Legend, my friend, often has a kernel or more, of truth to it." Said Harry quite sagely.

Ron shrugged "So what? Even if it's all true, what does it get us? Only if someone has all three are they the Master of Death."

"Having two's gotta be worth something." Harry cogitated "Maybe he'd …or well she for that matter… would be willing to take Tom into the next great adventure. Even eager. All we need to do is summon him/her."

Ron wanted to know "Well, fine, but exactly how do we summon Death. Not that I'm exactly excited at the idea."

"What are the most powerful magics in the world?" asked Harry a little rhetorically.

Hermione knew everything she ever read, Ron knew things just having been raised in the Wizarding World. They both answered "Blood magic/rituals."

"Simple enough then." He produced the Sword of Gryffindor and pulled it from its scabbard "Stone, cloak and a bit of blood …damn that hurts! …" he drove the point into his palm then allowed the blood to fall onto the two magical objects. He didn't figure language mattered so he simply said "I summon Death."

A skeletal black form appeared after about a minute and the temperature in the tent dropped about 10 degrees. It looked human, or at least humanoid in form, but none of the three could see any details. Despite being about 9 feet tall its head was too big for its body and the fingers were too large for its hands. When it spoke the trio didn't hear them with their ears but more directly in their very bones "What do you want?"

"Do you know who Tom Riddle is?" asked Harry.

The dark entity seemed suddenly angry "That one has thwarted me for three cycles."

"We have a mutual problem." Ignoring his friends' abject terror "Perhaps we can make a deal?"

Hermione was appalled "Harry! You CANT bargain with Death!"

"Oh I think I can." He countered, suddenly aware of a shift in the balance "Rather frustrating in't it? We know, for our purposes, all we need to know about Horcruxes. Riddle won't die until they're all eliminated. How come you can't destroy them?"

Death shook its head twice "Not permitted."

"I was thinking I'd like to have my parents back. In fact I want everyone who he and his followers EVER murdered back." That was his high bid.

Death shook its head again "Too many."

"We already got rid of two. The diary and the ring. That's two pieces. This locket is a third. You're welcome to it." Harry listed their victories and offered the horcrux.

The soul remnant erupted in a blaze of violent and generally misleading images, desperate for any hold on the witch or wizards' memories to prevent its destruction. To Hermione it was her parents declaring their shame. Harry's quite similar except adding the image of Sirius. Ron saw his two friends in a passionate embrace.

"Such visions have no impact on me." Death claimed the soul fragment without any harm to the pendant.

As the images faded the humans pushed away their emotions. Harry had the strongest will of the three so he spoke "Thank you, that's another one down. By the way…not to be rude or anything…but are you a man or a woman?"

"No." the one syllable answer echoed in their bones then Death went on "Another fragment is in your head." And extended a skeletal hand.

The pain was like a crucio for Harry. Ron and Hermione jumped to their friend's defense, but they hit an invisible wall. They could only watch him suffer. When it was over Harry collapsed and lay on the tent floor motionless. Ron was furious and fearful "What'd you do to him? Monster!"

"Stop Ron, I'm alright and there's nothing to fear." Harry literally meant exactly that. He looked at the dark entity and asked "You can bring people back, will you?"

Death loomed over the teens "One for each part of the violator. Few who cross back remain long."

"Why?" asked Hermione, unable to quell her thirst for knowledge.

Death didn't deign to reply "First the other phylacteries."

"You know where they are? You can take us?" Harry was eager to end the war.

Death offered a skeletal hand "Come"

The others' even momentary hesitation was enough, they were gone. Ron and Hermione yelled in shock "Harry! Where are you?!"

Abcij

"Hi guys! We're back!" Harry called out unnecessarily loudly in the tent the trio had been using. He tossed sundry items on the table and still quite loud listed them "Hufflepuff's Cup, got that from Bellatrix Lestrange's vault in Gringotts. Ravenclaw's Diadem, that was in the Room of Requirement of all things. Last! Tom's pet herself!" Only then did he officially notice the state of his friends "Been having fun while I was running about with Death?"

They both stammered, Ron didn't know what to say, so it was Hermione who answered, quite weakly "Well…what it is …is… we were talking."

"Oh is that what they call it now?" asked Harry not at all angry "Wonder who won the pool. Wasn't me." Then he changed subjects "Death, my friend, I believe only Riddle himself is left."

The pair had managed to struggle off the bench they'd been sleeping on. They were stunned with the fact their friend was so casual with the very personification of the end of life.

"Ending a life, even in part, is outside my purview. You will find a much weakened opponent, though. You will have your chosen rewards on the completion of your task." With that remark, Death shimmered at was gone.

Harry took the seat so recently emptied by his friends and glibly commented "I think Hogwarts, once it's free of …err… Death Eaters will appreciate a few Founders' relics?"

"Exaaaaactly what did he mean by rewards, Harry James Potter?" Hermione's tone would have done their Head proud.

Harry didn't even flinch, he'd spent the past several hours in the company of Death "Tut tut Mione, remember what Death said? Not male or female." He scolded lightly then answered her question "My parents naturally, Sirius, Neville's parents will be healed and Ron …I thought you might like to see your uncles again."

"We still have to kill You-Know-Who?" asked Ron worriedly.

Harry waved unconcernedly as he pulled a blanket over himself "Think we've earned a day off. Wake me for breakfast? Zzzzzzzz….."