"On Halloween many years ago Voldemort broke into our house, I gave my life to buy your mother some time to escape, I couldn't get to my wand before he struck me down. My sacrifice protected Lily and by extension you, only for her to give up that protection by sacrificing her life as well. When Lily died I expected to see her standing beside me and feared that you would join us on the other side."

"I'm guessing she didn't."

"Correct, Harry, she did not. In the years since my death I have searched for Lily, and I have watched over you every day of your life. Eventually I found her, or rather she found me, and it was then that I understood why she didn't cross over with me. You see, a sacrifice like mine is a rare one, but rarer still is the protection afforded by that protection being willingly given up for another, it just doesn't happen."

"What happened to her?"

"You've already met her, many times in fact. The rarity of the circumstances surrounding your mother and I dying led to the entity known as Fate throwing herself from a cliff."

"Yeah… she mentioned that the previous fate killed herself, where is this going?"

"Lily took over the role of Fate, or rather she was forced into it, and as a result the woman once known as Lily Potter is now the entity known as Fate."

"I've seen Mom's face in the Mirror of Erised, sure Fate holds a passing resemblance to her but to suggest they are the same person is just crazy."

"I'm dead Harry, what reason would I have to lie to you?"

"Is this it for me? Am I dead."

"You are dead, there is no point beating around the bush with it. However you died with the Deathly Hallows on you, if you are able to make your way back to the living world then you will be the master of death, though you are free to surrender them and go with me to the afterlife."

"I have to go back, I'm not ready to die."

"Look for the archway, in a few minutes I will fade away and this void around us will become the real world, though you will be less than a ghost until you pass through the death arch."

"Before you go, can I have a hug?" Harry asked timidly, fearing rejection at that moment.

"There's no way you're getting away without one, son."

The two embraced and, before Harry was ready to say goodbye, James faded away into nothingness as Nott Manor appeared around him.

"Face it Dudley, there is no miracle that will return Harry to us. I wish there was but I know it would have happened already." Nora Zabini comforted her boyfriend, who was yet to say anything since Harry passed.

"You're wrong Nora, I will be back." Harry whispered as he turned to leave, not noticing Dudley's eyes locking on his back.

"He is already on his way back Nora, you'll see."

/_^_^_/

Distance wasn't the same in this between-realm, what felt like it had taken days was only minutes in there, while sometimes blinking lasted an hour.

Tangibility also wasn't a thing there, which meant that Harry had to fly to create the illusion of walking, an act that took no energy to maintain in the land of the dead.

There was only one thought on his mind as he walked, he wished that he hadn't seen his own dead body, the sight of it had left him briefly hopeless.

"If I return to my body then I could end up completely brain dead, though I can't imagine remaining here is a good idea." Harry pressed on, walking from Nott Manor to the Ministry of Magic, intent on locating the room containing the death arch. From the letters he had received of Xenophilius Liverpool Harry had pieced together that he had been very close to the arch while the battle of the Prophecies had taken place.

The room was still being cleaned up, with a sign saying that clean up was expected to last until the year 2019, and Harry could hear the complaining of dozens of Ministry workers as he journeyed deeper into the depths of the government building.

There was a very clear sign that he was going the right way, the sounds of screaming and yelling from people who were also trying to make their way through the veil.

"Another child on a desperate search for new life." One of the dead people commented as Harry approached the archway, splitting and clearing a path for the latest lost soul trying to cross through.

"How long have you all been standing here trying to get through?" Harry asked them, becoming more scared than he had ever been.

"I died protecting Merlin, so however long ago that was. It is such a shame to see a child standing here, doomed to spend eternity here."

When Harry finally reached the veil he turned to look at those around him, all of whom gave him reassuring nods and smiles. He took a deep breath to steady himself and walked through the veil.

The pain was excruciating as Harry's body was formed around him, the feeling of muscles and flesh stitching itself together caused him to scream out in agony, with enough strength to form a sonic boom. The Ministry workers who had been cleaning up the Prophecy room had heard him and walked in to see pieces of flesh flying out of the veil and watched in horror and awe as someone crossed through the veil from the other side.

"Is that… it's Harry Potter."

"It can't be, he hasn't died yet." One of the female workers argued.

"Clearly he has, though how he has come back, I don't know." The first man responded, his face becoming paler as the boy's body was rebuilt before them.

"Water. Get me some water." Harry begged, receiving a magically summoned cup with magically summoned water.

"Archimedes Johnson, you've been teaching my daughter Angelina how to control the Elements." The man who offered him water introduced himself after Harry finished drinking.

"I guess I can no longer live a life of peace, Voldemort will die by my hand." Harry muttered darkly, with Fawkes appearing on his shoulder and flaming him back to Nott Manor.

"One miracle, served with style." Harry joked as he appeared before Dudley, his back to his own corpse.

"I knew it, let's go inform the others." Harry's brother responded, pulling Harry into a hug and holding the door for him as they left to go to the planning room.