(A/N: Do you hate me for killing Harry? Lets see what you make of this chapter then. Don't forget to tell me what you think in a review!)
Harry Potter was dead.
The body of Harry Potter lay in a coffin in the Great Hall of Hogwarts where the staff table usually stood. The Great Hall was filled with wealths and flowers from the many who came to pay their last respects to the child that had saved the wizarding world. Thousands had come in the 3 days that had passed from the night that had shocked all the wizarding world. More mourners still waited in the long line moving slowly into the Great Hall and past the body of the-boy-who-lived-no-more.
The orb containing what remained of the Dark Lord still hung nearby the coffin at the front of the Great Hall for no one could find a way of moving it. With several silencing spells cast on the orb, no more of the cackling laughter could be heard from the figure inside. Voldemort could still be seen but people we fast becoming use to the looming presence and paid little heed.
Hermione and Ron had held vigil beside the coffin during those days and would only leave to eat and sleep during the nights once the doors were closed to all. They were back a first light before the doors opened again. Their familles had tried to get them to spend less time in the Hall but to no avail. In the end, no one had the heart to stop them mourning for their best friend.
"Ron! Where are Harry's glasses? He needs his glasses! He can't see without them. We must find them." Hermione muttered to Ron who had not spoken a word in all three days. Hedwig who was upon a perch next to the coffin flew off and out of the hall in silence.
"His hair is wrong. Someone needs to fix his hair! It shouldn't be slicked back like that. Harry wouldn't like it like that! It should cover his scar. Harry wouldn't want all these people looking at his scar! He wouldn't like that!" Hermione continued on incessantly. Ron said nothing.
Hedwig returned, unnoticed until she alighted upon Ron's shoulder and from her beak dropped Harry's old glasses into his lap and she flew back to her perch with a sorrowful cry.
Ron picked up the glasses and suddenly stood. His brothers tried to stop him but he pushed them out of his way and strode determinedly towards the coffin. Ron ignored the line of mourners, the wealths and flowers, and everything else that was in his way as he struggled to reach Harry's side. Once he stood next to the coffin, he cleaned the glasses with his robe and placed them gently onto Harry's face. He then ruffled the hair of his friend gently, and arranged his bangs to roughly cover the scar on his forehead.
Ron backed away from the coffin and made his way back to sit again next to Hermione. "Thank you, Ron! Harry will be happier now! Yes!" Hermione said as she collapsed into his arms sobbing. Ron hugged her gently but was still unable to say anything in his grief.
Many others sat next to the grieving friends. Albus Dumbledore sat bent over and looked every one of his 150 years of age. Many were shocked to see him so stricken. He ignored their entreats as he watched over the coffin in front of him. At his side sat Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
"It was better to leave me in Azkaban than to free me only to witness this!" Sirius said in his prison whisper of a voice to Remus who did not reply. Sirius, after a few quiet sobs continued, "This is truly hell!" and dropped his head into his hands to weep again in misery.
With the headmaster so affected it had fallen to the heads of house to arrange the funeral of Harry Potter. Professor Severus Snape, head of Slytherin house, potions master and terror of all things Gryffindor, especially the-boy-who-lived, threw himself into the arrangements for the funeral with a mania that bored on possession. A few visitors had tried to use the occasion for their own ends such as the reporter Rita Skeeter. Professor Snape had caught her one night trying to search through the robes that Harry wore. She would not be walking without the limp any time soon. And she was lucky. The two souvenir hunters came off considerably worse. They were unlucky in that they had the misfortune to be noticed by the professor just after he had come back from breaking the news of Harry's death to his relatives. Professor Snape had, of course, thought the Dursley's indifference at first was denial but after repeatedly inviting them to the funeral and their more and more strident refusals, it had dawned on him that they were not displeased at all that the boy was dead. He had left 4 Privet Drive before his fury overwhelmed his oath to never again use an unforgivable curse. Yes, the two souvenir hunters Professor Snape disturbed shortly after his arrival back to Hogwarts would not forget that day for as long as they lived. Word got around and there were no further instances for concern.
At long last the line of witches and wizards paying their respect was coming to the end. Professor Snape looked at the last of the line with expectation. After they had passed, the coffin of Harry Potter would be closed for the last time and carried out of the Hall and down to a special train waiting at Hogsmead. The journey to Godric's Hollow would not take long and Harry would be laid to rest next to his parents' graves. The Potters would be together again in death.
Remus, Sirius, Arthur Weasley and his son Bill stood ready to carry the coffin. Charlie would stay close to help Sirius should the burden prove too much for his condition to bear. Despite all their warnings Sirius would not yield this task to any other. Snape knew that the man would die before relinquishing this burden and so there was nothing more to be done. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall would help Albus to follow behind the coffin. Snape worried about his mentor more than ever before. The man looked broken.
The last few of the mourners were paying their respects before Harry's coffin.
"As soon as the old women at the end is finished the pall bearers will be needed." Professor Snape told those around him softly.
"You mean the old man?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"What?" Snape responded.
"The last mourner is an old man, Severus. Not an old women." Professor McGonagall said plainly.
"Have you been drinking?" Snape snarled.
"I see a young boy!" Albus Dumbledore said as he made to stand.
"I don't understand." Snape said looking at the last mourner closely. She was not more than two dozen feet from where they stood. It was clearly an old woman who was hunched over with age.
"We each see something different." Professor McGonagall gasped. "But why?"
"I do not know." Dumbledore said, "But I intend to find out." Dumbledore suddenly ablaze with power strode forward, wand in hand.
The young boy that Dumbledore perceived in front of Harry's coffin stood gazing at the body and did not seem to notice the aged Headmaster move behind him. The boy suddenly said. "Alas, little one that it should finally come to this after all the trouble you have been to me." The boy's voice rang inside Albus Dumbledore's head like the tolling of a deep bell. It was certainly not the voice of a real young boy. Albus Dumbledore forced his senses to see beyond the illusion that stood before him, to perceive what was really there. He only managed the merest glimpse of the truth.
"Begone demon!" Albus Dumbledore demanded.
"Demon! I am no demon though once they were my brothers. I fell not into the pit." The boy said.
Albus grew even more worried. If what this being said was the truth, Albus Dumbledore faced something far more terrifying than any demon.
"What business do you have with us in our grief?" Albus Dumbledore ventured in a more neutral tone.
"Who are you to demand answers of me?" The boy replied and turned slowly until he faced Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore was taken aback. The boy had no eyes. The eye sockets held a thing beyond all of Aldus Dumbledore's experience. They looked like nothing else he had ever seen. Albus Dumbledore looked for his first time on the void that was the absence of all things even emptiness.
"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked.
"Many names have I had. Some call me friend, others enemy. The ancient Hebrews called me liberator after I took the first born from each house in Egypt. Azreal, they named me, Archangel of Death." The boy replied.
Albus Dumbledore heard many around him gasp in horror. Here before them was Death itself taken human form. An unheard of event! Albus Dumbledore's mind raced with what it might mean and how best to deal with it.
"Child, there is nothing for you to deal with." The young boy sighed and continued. "The Archangel of Death, I always liked that one best. Bit of panache about it! But now people just shorten it to Death, like they were on a first name basis with me. No one is on friendly terms with me! The first time they meet me, is their last. I move them on but none ever get to know me. I visit all but no one has ever visited me!" the boy spoke with his tone becoming more bitter as he went. The boy paused for a moment as if studying Albus Dumbledore and then slowly turned back to Harry's coffin. "Except him!" the boy said with a fondness in his voice. The boy's hand slowly caressed Harry's face.
"I was all alone and did not even know it." The boy continued, "until in my void I perceived a laugh, pure and innocent. A child was with me. Impossible but there he was surrounded in a glow of a mother's love and with his bright green eyes he could see me for what I really am and he smiled at me. And a heart, I did not know I had, broke. Perhaps that is why I returned him to this world. Little did I know that it would not be the last time he would visit me. Each time I returned him to the world of the living hoping he would find happiness. But it was not to be. He would return to me again and each time I would see he was a little sadder. Still true, still in many ways as good but his innocence was being eaten away. Then he came after destroying everything. Not on purpose! Not with evil in his heart! For evil could never find a home there. But by a mistake! By his desire to do good! By another betrayal!"
"Yes a mistake and then I made one too. For once I had rebuilt this plane of existence, I could place him in this new existence but left him his memories and his powers from the old so that he could use them to find happiness. But alas, he always thinks of others before himself. So finally it has come to this. I will take him to the place beyond and I shall lose him forever. I have come to so enjoy his little visits. I came to learn what it must be like to be a father. To worry and be concerned for another! To witness the growth of a child's character and strength! To see his victories and his defeats! He really was worthy of my efforts. But he will come no more. It is an end. How strange that is to me. I have no end, no beginning. I merely am. Immortal. I cannot follow him were he now must journey. And for the first time, I wish it were not so. So instead I have come to mourn like all fathers do when their child passes. And I will take his soul beyond and never again shall I see him."
"Give him back to us again." Dumbledore said, "You have done it before, do it again and let us give him the happiness you desire for him."
"That is no longer possible. I have come for a soul and a soul I must have." The boy said chillingly.
"Then take mine!" Dumbledore said firmly.
"Yours shall I have soon enough child." The boy sneered. "There are rules even I must follow and one is I cannot exchange one soul for another… unless…" the boy had become hesitant. "No, that has not been done for ages beyond count."
"Unless… you said! Tell us, unless what?" Dumbledore pleaded.
"A sacrifice! A singular offer of sacrifice! That is the exception. But be warned. The soul taken will endure the void beyond and never come to the next plane of existence. They would be as I was before the creation of all that is and would remain my companion though the agony of all eternity. That is why it is not possible."
"Take me and return Harry!" Dumbledore offered looking resolute.
The boy sighed, "You are too near your own time child."
Ron staggered forward. "I will go with you."
Hermione joined him and protested, "No, ME!"
The boy shook his head and still with his back to them said, "No your existences are woven together. You cannot be divided in this world or the next."
"Me!" came the hoarse voice of Sirius Black. Remus Lupin offered as well "I will go!" But the boy just shook his head.
"I will go with you!" A gaunt faced Severus Snape said next to Lupin.
The boy turned his head at this and Snape seeing the void filled eyes was taken aback. "You seek to repay the debt to the father but it is not to be this time."
"I will go!" and "No! Take me!" was heard to be offered by many more around the hall but the boy said nothing until the hall was silent again.
"Worthy offers all but given out of regret and duty. They will not suffice for this." The boy said. The hall was eerily silent.
"I will take his place." A voice so quiet offered that most did not hear it but the boy snapped his head around and stared with those awful eyes of his at the one who had made the last offer.
Draco Malfoy squirmed under the sudden attention but stood his ground. He had entered the hall quietly some time ago and stood out of sight watching the confrontation of Dumbledore with the Archangel of Death.
Draco looked into the eyes of the Archangel and felt faint but could not resist being pulled forward. He now stood on very shaky legs just next to the Headmaster and only a few feet from the Archangel of Death. Death glared at him and said loudly "An enemy offers his soul. Well this is unexpected. Tell me do you mean it." The Archangel asked Draco.
"Yes!" it was more of a squeak than a word that Draco spoke in reply.
"And do you understand what will happen to the soul I take in exchange." The Angel asked leaning even closer to Draco's sweating pale face.
"Yes!" came Draco's squeak.
"No, you do not! For if you did truly understood, you would not offer yourself." The Angel said ominously. "So do you offer for a third time? Your soul, for his? For all eternity?"
Draco was silent and then with great effort he spoke, "Yes!" and he closed his eyes already knowing the answer to his offer.
"A singular offer of sacrifice indeed." The Archangel of Death said smiling. "The offer satisfies the condition set forth!" a role of thunder shook the hall at the end of those words. And then the Archangel of Death began to laugh; long loud and very disturbing was his laugh. "I have a soul now to keep me company through the endless void of my existence."
Draco Malfoy paled, his knees gave out and he began to fall but strong arms caught him before he hit the floor. Draco looked up into the hideously disturbing eyes of the Archangel of Death who now held him firmly and close. Draco looked around and saw all the others in the hall were frozen in place like statues. Even the flames on the torches were unmoving.
"Do not worry little one. We exist outside of the thing you know as time." Archangel of Death said with some kindness in his voice.
"Will it be… be bad?" Draco stuttered.
"Yes!" the Archangel of Death replied honestly. "But you did agree, did you not!"
Draco nodded his head as he closed his eyes.
"A singular offer of sacrifice and a soul. They are the terms of…" the Archangel of Death said but stopped suddenly and began to laugh. "Yes, those were the terms… To the letter… Is it possible…" The Archangel of Death smiled at Draco who was not following the conversation at all and laughed again. "Yes! Why not!"
The Archangel of Death stood to his full height and reached out his hand. The orb containing Voldemort was drawn to it and the Archangel of Death glared at its contents. "Why don't you come with me Tom? Did you not want to be immortal? Now you have your chance."
"No! No, you can't!" Voldemort screamed inside the orb now able to be heard again. "I did not offer!"
"Ah! But the terms were for a singular offer of sacrifice and a soul. There is no mention that they must be from the same person." The Archangel of Death replied smiling at the figure of Voldemort in the orb. "A technicality perhaps but a good one. Perhaps I will be in trouble for it but I have a history of doing things my own way. Why I am not even supposed to appear in human form either but I did. I will venture this too. You will be my companion and the child here will be returned to his existence."
"No!" screamed Voldemort but it was suddenly cut off as the silencing charm was replaced.
"I trust you will explain what has occurred" the Archangel of Death said to the very pale but hopeful Draco Malfoy before him. "And tell my Harry I expect him not to come to me again. When the time comes, I will come for him and he is to make sure that it is only after he has had a very long and happy life. Will you do that for me, Draco?"
"Yes, I promise and thank you." Draco managed to mutter out.
"We will meet again Draco Malfoy when your time has come. And I will take you to what lies beyond." The Archangel of Death replied.
"When…" Draco began to ask but the Archangel of Death placed his finger on Draco's lips stilling the question.
"Only Death knows… and he does not forewarn!" the Archangel of Death told Draco and with that the Archangel of Death and the orb were gone and Draco found all himself surrounded by people screaming out various combinations of words like "No you cannot…" but they all stopped when they saw the empty space where the Archangel of Death had stood. Everyone in the hall looked at Draco.
"He took You-know-who instead" Draco managed before he passed out and fell to the ground.
Snape rushed to his side and everyone else suddenly looked at the area where the orb had hung.
"Headmaster!" a quite voice said in the still of that pause.
Albus Dumbledore turned back at the sound of that familiar voice and stared in wonder at the sight of Harry Potter sitting up in his coffin with a puzzled look on his face.
"Headmaster!" Harry said, "Quirrel has the stone. You must stop him"
"HARRY!" the word was shouted by one and all. It took a long time for the chaos that followed to be brought under control but eventually order was restored somewhat.
Harry found it a very confusing time. Lots of people hugged him, most of whom he did not know. Ron and Hermione refused to take their eyes off him and the noise of so many voices was deafening.
"Harry, don't you want to get out of that coffin?" Albus Dumbledore said over the noise.
Harry blushed and replied hesitantly "these robes I'm wearing tie in the back. If I get out everyone will see my bottom!" Harry blushed to a red the same shade as the Weasley's hair.
Albus Dumbledore roared with laughter. "A very practical point Harry, as always!"
~*~
Soon Harry was safely in the hospital ward bed without having exposed his backside to all and sundry. Madam Pomfrey had examined him and pronounced that he was in perfect health for someone who was suppose to be dead.
Many others were there too; Ron and Hermione at the side of his bed refusing to follow Madam Promfrey's order to leave which luckily the headmaster talked her out of enforcing. Snape had carried an unconscious Draco Malfoy in and laid him in a bed on the other side of the ward. The entire Weasley clan were there, judging by their red hair and Mrs Weasley's fussing over them. As well as two men who stood as if supporting each other. Their eyes never left Harry for a second.
"Headmaster, What is going on?" Harry asked.
Albus Dumbledore conjured a comfortable chair and sat down. "I think I should be as comfortable as possible, for this is a very long tale." And he began filling Harry in on what had happened over the last week.
{A/N: Epilogue to come and then I'm done! With this story at least.}