OK chaps, look I know we take it in turns and shit but I can't kill Harry in like the 2nd chapter and leave Savvy to get on with it so this chapter is just to set things up a bit better. Hope you don't mind folks. So this is inexpertly written by Scam.

There will be some religion bashing in this chapt, I don't believe what I am saying myself but think it's OK to have an open mind so no flames guys I warned you and you don't have to read it if you don't want to.

Disclaimer: Not mine, pays no bills. (Unfortunately)

Author: Scam

Rating: 1 (for above, oh and more swearing )

Point Of View: Harry's

Chapter 3 – Beyond Death.

"Your actions in life echo those in death"

All around me stretched an endless haze of lavender, a never-ending horizon devoid of any other objects. I looked down, I was no longer wearing my pyjamas but some worn jeans and a very old faded but originally black sweatshirt.

They were probably the clothes I wore most but it seemed so wrong to be wearing them now. Aware that I sounded like a clichéd character in a bad film I couldn't help but wonder where the hell I was, definitely not Hogwarts for a start.

I looked up noticing a figure seemingly suspended in the sky, he came drifting down, he was muscular with long mousy brown hair. As I watched he rotated round once and changed metamorphasizing into a wiry short person with messy short jet black hair. I stood stunned as my exact mirror image landed softly on the sandy ground in front of me with a soft thump.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Depends who you are"

"Yes I noticed that, where is this place anyway?"

"The afterlife"

"Right, so this is where purgatory, hell...help me out here"

I was beginning to feel a little miffed to put it nicely, who was this guy? Why did he look like me and why would he not give me one straight answer?

As if hearing me he said "I am Tobias, I am the keeper of this world and I take the form of whomever you hate the most, at the moment the person you hate most in the world is yourself. This world is simply the afterlife, there is no heaven or hell that was started by religious leaders who wanted to blackmail people and make money out of there misery."

"I don't hate myself"

"Yes you do" continued Tobias in an almost bored tone "You hate that you have failed, you hate that you are too weak to stop the future from happening, you hate that you cannot follow your heart even though you know you are in love and most of all you hate that though you have had many opportunities Voldemort and his servants still live."

"Yeah well, I hate the Chudley Cannons and you didn't turn into Captain Chortle..." Muttered Harry

"You don't believe that, trust me I know everything about you"

"Well that's nice, what do you want?"

"Want?"

"Yeah, I may be the hero of the wizarding world but I'm not that naïve, you wouldn't spend this much time making mediocre conversation, which by the way is what led me to believe that this is hell if you didn't want something, what is it?"

"I do not want anything, I am more powerful than you know, I am above the reach of any mortal realm how could you possibly help me? I, however, am always interested to know of your desires, is there anything you want?"

"To win a weekend holiday for two with Britney Spears to the Isle of Wight, mint chocolate chip ice cream......seriously? To kill Voldemort and whoever killed me sounds like a pretty good plan from where I'm standing."

"It is....The Isle of Wight? Why would anyone want to go there it must be the most boring place on Earth."

"Exactly"

"Ohhhh....It is possible."

"What becoming un-dead or making my own entertainment with Britney, because I'd say the chances of either of those things happening is pretty similar...."

"You could return to the mortal realm"

"What, reincarnation? Knowing my luck I'd be reincarnated as a flobberworm..."

"No, I could make you appear in the mortal realm, for a while anyway; but at a price."

"What price would that be?

"The afterlife is seen by mortals as a place of reunion, I know that you have never feared death because you have always known your parents are here waiting for you. What if you knew they were here but you could not see them, would you give up your parents in this life so that you can avenge their deaths in the last?"

"You can't expect me to choose between my family and my duty"

"No I can't . So I'm forcing you. If you don't choose you can't have either."

"Why? I mean you don't get anything out of that!"

"Nah I'm just in it for the kicks. I've been here a long time and believe it or not it gets quite boring, I could do with a bit of mortal angst...."

"You are so unbelievably twisted."

"So would you be if you'd been here for well over 2000 years."

"So if I were to chose returning to the mortal re...well Earth are we talking a Cinderella style deal when I return at a certain time, can I only fulfil one deal or are we talking unlimited access..."

"The latter but with some restrictions, remember I can see everything you do and I have the power to bring you back here whenever I choose."

"Wow that's harsh, what if I'm busy?"

"I'm sure that won't be a problem."

"OK so how will I appear?" I'd seen too many bad muggle movies to be caught out.

"As yourself, your corpse will disappear and you will be whole again, for a while at least."

I tried to picture it, the moment I finally met my parents. I could see myself standing there trying to enjoy it to feel at ease and loved. I knew then how it would really work out, I had

so much to prove how would I live with the guilt that I did not avenge their death.... That I died in my sleep! Suddenly I realised that without killing Voldemort there would be no point in knowing my parents in this life, there would always be a dark cloud of guilt hanging over my head.

"Tobias" I asked hesitantly "are there other lives beside this, I mean can I die in this life like in the last?"

"Die no, but you can pass through it to the next world...."

"And would I be able to be with my parents in that world"

"I have no control beyond this realm" admitted Tobias

I weighed this up, it made sense, if I took up Tobias' offer I could travel back, avenge both my parents' and my death and still be able to be with them. It would take longer but I would be able to meet them free of guilt. I knew they'd understand. Well, they'd have to.

"OK" I said suddenly decided "It's done, how do I get out of this place?"

"Well you could try using the door. I'm off, see you soon and remember I'm watching you."

Tobias dissipated from in front of my very eyes. Well that was unexpected, I mean like what a cheap trick.

I turned full circle surveying my surroundings; as I did so I noticed a slightly darker dot in the distance, that I could have sworn wasn't there a minute ago. I walked over to it and lo and behold it was indeed a mauve door, this purple thing was really beginning to grate on my nerves. You would think that Tobias with all that time on his hands would watch Living TV or Changing Rooms or something.

The door was standing on its own seemingly unsupported, I walked completely around it to check. I guess I should have expected that. Shrugging I opened the door and stepped through it into a blinding light whiter than anything I'd ever seen before.

When the light dispersed I found I was standing in my dorm at Hogwarts, just next to my bed in my pyjamas. I went to my trunk to get out some clothes and paused; if that dude could see everything I did could he see me changing? I decided it didn't matter as he apparently had always been able to see me and it never bothered me before, mind you I hadn't actually known about it before.....screw it.

I changed as quickly as I could and was about to go off to find Ron when it suddenly dawned on me that it probably wasn't such a great idea for a corpse to go running round the castle. Instead I grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment and scribbled a hurried note to Ron telling him to meet me just inside the Forbidden Forest, I signed it Hagrid partly in case anyone else read it and partly because I wanted to see his face when he realised who I was.

As I replaced my quill with my school books I realised I didn't have to worry about exams or schoolwork anymore. With a quiet smile I pulled my Dad's cloak over me and made my way down to the forest.

I waited for Ron for ages, during this time I tried to communicate with the squirrels. I noted that the squirrels in the Forbidden Forest seemed to be a lot bigger and darker than conventional squirrels, I though maybe my death might have made me more at one with animals but apparently not as the biggest squirrel bit me. "Ow! Holy hell!" I yelped in pain scaring off the remaining squirrels.

"Who's there?!" I recognised Ron's voice and stuck my head round the side of the tree trunk I was leaning against

"Hi mate" I said.

I'd never seen Ron go so white, his jaw visible dropped. I couldn't help but laugh out loud

"Who..what...you..but..Harry?"

"Yup, thought I'd come and visit. Oh don't worry I am dead I'm just kinda suspending it for a while. Anyway how are you dude?"

"Me? Well my best friend's dead Harry, not too great considering!"

"Yeah" I said the reality of what had happened finally hitting me "How's Hermione?"

"How do you think?"

I dragged myself back to the subject of my visit, "Look Ron I came here for a reason, not that It's not fantastic to see you but I must know, who killed me?"

"Harry, it was Draco. I saw him leave our dorm myself. They say he poisoned you."

"While I slept?" I was incredulous, as much as I hated the guy I'd always thought of Draco as having a vague sense of honour.

"Yeah, but don't worry Harry he's got life in Azkaban, they arrested him the morning after you died."

"Azkaban's too good for him"

"Harry don't worry about it, stay here with me ... and Hermione."

As he said it I realised that I wanted nothing more than to stay at Hogwarts and continue life as it had been before...well before.

"Sorry Ron I can't do that. I'm going to kill Draco." Even I realised I had said it like I had decided to on a fishing trip or something but it didn't bother me it seemed so natural, I had to find Draco.

Thanks to my brother for his limited help, to my dog Ben who just ate a fly that was really annoying me and to my laptop which hasn't crashed yet which is a first. Good shiny thing!

I am aware I gave no source for the quote at the beginning of this chapter, but I believe I got it from the film Gladiator which rules!

Also death time and Hogwarts time does not necessarily match up, with afterlife time seeming shorter than real time although I'm sure smart cookies like yourselves had worked those out ages ago!

Please review, I will love you forever! 

"I'm a genius not an engineer" (The man in the iron mask, I love that film! (missin you Sarah and Kate C. my Dumas buddies!)