A/N:Three Important Things

1: I am very sorry about the delay on this chapter! My vacation snuck up on me, so I lost three weeks of working time (my parents wouldn't let me bring my laptop...). On top of that, I came home with a head full of HBP and a bad case of writers' block. In the future, if you all want to know if I'm still alive between updates, check on my website (available through my profile). My blog will have my ramblings and rants about any progress I am making on new chapters. Also, LJ comments are a good way to poke me into working on this (though reviews are still the best!).

And yes, I know I wrote another fic in a completely different fandom in the meantime, but I really needed to get away from this thing for a little bit and start again with a fresh outlook. I think it worked, and I love where the plot is going, so please stick with me! #bows#

2: I have only one thing to say about HBP:

"Harry, however, had never been less interested in Quidditch; he was rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy."
(p. 383, HBP, British version)

Am I the only one whose little slasher heart went pitter-patter at that phrase? I think not! #joy!# Gods, that whole book was slashy! (except for all the het parts) :P
Here ends my HBP commentary.

3: This chapter has a dedicationTo Winter Darkblade, who reviewed my Golden Sun fic and told me she liked Serendipity! Whee for double compliments! Now, I instruct all of you to go and read her DMHP fic, For the Sake of Memory, which I have recently agreed to beta read for. At the time of this writing, it has only one chapter published, but I like it and I think you all will too. She has snarky Draco down pat! So, after you read this chapter (and review!), go and look her up. Mmm-kay? (and review her fic, too!)

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Chapter XXVI -- The Bureau of Between Life Affairs

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Quidditch tryouts had gone well, something that Harry was particularly pleased about. He had secretly been quite nervous about running them, unsure of whether he would really be able to tell so many hopefuls that they wouldn't be able to play on the team. Of course, his job was made significantly easier after all the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who had shown up had been sent back to their respective houses. #A/N- I had to. I just had to. Luv to JK!#

Harry snorted as he made his way up the dormitory stairs. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around why so many people wanted to be near him. It was certainly a bad decision; in terms of lifespan, at least. The twinge of sadness at the thought of his godfather wasn't quashed so quickly this time, and he allowed himself a moment to remember him without Ron or Hermione around to put on their 'we're concerned for Harry' faces.

Sirius would've found it hilarious that students from other houses had shown up to try out for the Gryffindor team. Harry smiled. He knew that his godfather would have been proud of him, making captain of the team. He swore to himself that he would do his best to honor that pride. If Gryffindor didn't win the Quidditch Cup this year, it wouldn't be because of lack of effort-- Harry would personally make sure of it.

He entered the Sixth Years' room as quietly as he could, knowing that the others were probably asleep. He had stayed up for a while to finish his essay for Potions. He found the activity rather novel, having never bothered to stay up to finish Potions homework before. Now, the flashing red numbers on Dean's alarm clock read 1:23, and Harry yawned on instinct.

He slipped into his pajamas, idly wondering why Hermione hadn't appeared (as she always did) to shoo him off to bed at midnight. The mystery of Hermione's whereabouts was enough distraction that he didn't notice the other person in his bed until he rolled over on them. Harry blinked.

"Mrrgf?" Draco mumbled. Or rather, that's what Harry heard. He doubted it was what the blond had meant. He waited until Draco seemed a bit more conscious to begin actual communication.

"You're here early." He commented as he slid under the sheets, enjoying the warmth that Draco had already managed to store up in them. Draco gave a nod and slid closer to Harry, using his shoulder as a pillow. "Do you want to go back to your room? The cloak's under the pillow..." He trailed off as Draco made a protesting noise.

"I like it better here. Now shut up and let me sleep."

Harry would have been more impressed by his sudden coherency if he hadn't immediately given a kitten-like yawn and gone back to sleep. He smiled, drew the hangings, and followed suit.

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They were in a tunnel. Or perhaps just a hallway with a low ceiling and no side doorways, but it certainly looked like a tunnel. Draco turned to Harry and blinked eloquently. Harry shrugged.

"I guess we walk." Was all the brunet could offer. Draco gave him a pouting look, but they started off anyway. Harry was strongly reminded of the time he had walked through the field in a previous dream- they seemed to be moving faster-- or perhaps farther-- than they should have been. Within a few minutes, they could see light. In another minute, they had reached it, and stepped out.

Into an office.

Papers were piled everywhere, on top of what might have been a desk, on the floor, on a chair that might have originally been meant to sit guests. Or guest, rather. The piles were so tall that they seemed to form their own walls, directing the flow of traffic through the room.

"What in bloody hell is this?" Draco questioned; mostly to himself, though Harry heard him. So, apparently, did whoever owned the office.

"Welcome to the Bureau of Between Life Affairs. Can I help you?" A voice emanated from behind the stacks on what appeared to be the desk. The two boys regarded each other for a moment, then stepped forward to peer over them. They had to lift onto their toes in order to see.

"Yes? Hello? Can I help you?" The voice repeated, looking vaguely annoyed.

The voice, it turned out, belonged to a ghost. Possibly the strangest ghost Harry or Draco had ever seen, however. Besides being dressed in an exceedingly Muggle-like fashion (and, to Harry's eye, a very nerdy Muggle-like fashion at that), he seemed, like their own Professor Binns, to not realize that he was dead. He kept going through the motions of sorting and filing the various stacks and folders before him, never noticing that his hands passed straight through them. Eventually, he stopped shuffling and actually looked at them.

"Well? I am very busy, in case you hadn't noticed, so if you have no business here would you please go away?" He glared at them through horn-rimmed spectacles. He sounded pinched, a bit nasal, and very annoyed. Harry, upon reflection, would have come to the conclusion that this spectre was the God of Overworked Receptionists and File Clerks. Unfortunately, reflecting would have to come later.

"I- er, we... We came through the... tunnel...?" Harry turned to indicate precisely which tunnel he meant, but all that stood behind them was a stone wall with several more stacks of paperwork leaning against it. It seemed good enough for the ghost, however. He huffed in the most put-out manner he could.

"Well. So it's you, then. Come for training I expect. That way, take a left at the Rothbert file and go through the door."

Harry and Draco regarded each other with a series of facial expressions one would expect at this turn of events. Finally, Draco spoke, matching the ghostly paper-shuffler for sheer undisguised derision.

"And which of these, exactly, is the 'Rothbert file'?" He raised one elegant eyebrow in his trademark sneer (glad to use it, actually, as it had been growing rusty from disuse in the previous month or so). The ghost looked mildly impressed at this, but covered it up as quickly as was possible.

"The large green one with 'ROTHBERT' on it in large capital letters. Or do you need it spelled out? Perhaps you can't read, hmm?" The ghost continued in this vein as Harry and Draco exited, following his directions, grumbling to himself about 'rotten teenagers' and 'following procedure' and something involving 'signed in triplicate'. Harry was pleased to get out. Only someone who had grown up in the Muggle world could properly understand the fear of anything involving the word 'triplicate'.

True to the ghost's word, however, there was a door just to the left of the Rothbert file (which was indeed large and green). Draco, having arrived at the door first, was the one to open it. Inside... well, Harry couldn't really see anything inside. The whole doorway seemed to be filled with smoke. Or something like smoke, anyway. It was gray and hazy, but it stayed within the doorway, not spilling out into the office area. Draco looked at Harry, his eyebrow again expertly arched.

"Does he expect us to actually walk into this?" The blond intoned, disbelief tinged with disgust dripping from every word. "Because if he does, he's even crazier than I thought he was. And what did he mean by 'come for training', anyway?" He was using his particularly snippy voice this time, and Harry was at a loss. He held up his hands before him in defense.

"Don't ask me! I don't know any more than you do. Like, where'd the tunnel go? It's a dream, isn't it? None of this is even really here!" Harry waved a hand toward a stack of folders, and was given a nice paper cut as a parting gift. "Ow. Well," He finished, somewhat sheepishly, "At least, I don't think it's really here."

"It's real enough."

Draco, who had been about to speak, looked slightly annoyed at the interruption- before he realized that it wasn't the ghost who had spoken. The voice had come from beyond the doorway; inside the strange smoke. He jumped and quickly stepped backward until his arm brushed against Harry's. The smoke swirled ominously for a moment, then began to break and clear as a figure moved toward them.

"Professor!" Harry exclaimed. Draco just made a little 'tch' noise and looked away, the barest hint of a flush chased quickly away by sheer Malfoy willpower.

"Hello, Harry." She greeted him, smiling serenely. "And hello to you as well, Draco. Or would you prefer 'Mr. Malfoy'?" Harry marveled as she exhibited eyebrow-raising skills to challenge Draco's, suddenly feeling that this was a skill he should have learned much earlier in life.

"Either is fine." Draco replied, a bit testily. Harry bumped his shoulder with his own, and Draco tried to relax.

"What is all of this?" Harry questioned, at once referring to the disappearing tunnel, the office and the smoky room beyond the door. She smiled at him.

"I wouldn't have expected you to know it. This office is the home of the Bureau of Between Life Affairs. We don't actually have anything to do with them, officially speaking, but they do owe us several large favors, so here we are! They've... generously... allowed us the use of a bit of their space, for as long as we need it. Well, as long as you need it, if you want to get technical about it. I'm afraid that the two of you will probably need quite a bit of practice, which is why we've arranged it the way we have. Here you are!"

She handed them each a section of cord, knotted and woven, with a thin square of metal in the middle. The metal was a bit odd looking; it seemed to be silver at first glance, but the light that reflected from it shone a greenish-purple. On each was carved some sort of symbol. Together, Harry and Draco took a quick look at them; there seemed to be no similarity.

"They were created especially for the two of you. They won't work for anyone else, and you can't trade them with each other, either. In addition, they are practically indestructible, and should they become lost for any reason, they will more than likely find their way back to you. How long that will take, however, is an unknown, and I would avoid testing it if I were you. Now, put them on."

The boys blinked at her.

"On...?" Draco echoed, hanging the question mark as an afterthought. She rolled her eyes.

"I certainly hope that you aren't this slow during my class," She sighed, pained. "On. As in, 'on you'. Around your necks. Put the runes on the inside, there's no sense in advertising them." Harry was first to do as instructed. He gasped as the ends of the cord wove themselves together under his fingertips. It left no indication that it had ever been anything but a perfect circle, and the cord tightened itself around his neck until it fit like a choker.

"Wicked!" He enthused, turning his attention to Draco. "Do yours!" Draco rolled his eyes, but did as instructed. Harry grinned when he gasped a little as well.

"A-hem." The woman before them reminded them of her presence, waving a hand to catch their attention again. "Now then. You can use these to get here whenever you like, but I recommend that you like to come here frequently." Her sharp eyes caught both of the boys, and they found themselves spontaneously nodding their agreement. "This is your new training room. I promise you that there is nothing within it that can harm you except each other. There are, however, a few things you should be aware of involving its use.

"The first and most important thing to remember when you are in this room is that you cannot speak to each other unless you are touching each other. Well, allow me to rephrase," She backtracked upon seeing their expressions of complete befuddlement. "You can speak to one another, but the other will not hear it unless you are in physical contact. There are reasons for this, I assure you.

"Secondly, your type of magic will not work within this space. We use a different sort of magic here, and this is what you are here to learn. While it is not particularly difficult to use, it is very picky about who it allows to use its power, and requires much practice to use efficiently. You need to be able to call it forth as naturally as you would use your wand now. We will teach you more about it as time goes on, but the basic use of these skills should come quite easily to the two of you.

"Third: when you enter this room, you will automatically be separated. At first, this will be only by a short distance. Later, the distance will grow and obstacles will be placed in your paths. Your first goal is to learn to reach each other. Once you have accomplished this to our satisfaction, we will help you learn the next step. Do you have any questions?" She regarded the boys searchingly.

Draco was the first to respond. " How exactly are we supposed to find each other if we can't speak and our magic doesn't work? And furthermore, why do we need to do this?"

Harry considered for a moment, then decided that those were probably his first questions as well. He could think of one more, however.

"Also, you said we could come here when we like?" Harry questioned, and recieved a nod in answer. "Er... how do we do that, exactly? Are we just supposed to keep going to sleep?"

"Excellent questions. You won't actually be able to get here directly. Rather, you will be able to access the Tunnel Between. From there you will be able to get to the office and to this room. When you get to the office, state your name and say 'training', and Mr. Eckleburg will let you through."

"Mr. Eckleburg being the crazy ghost behind all the papers?" Draco inquired, cutting in smoothly. She nodded.

"Yes, I'm afraid he's getting worse and worse. Ah, well. I do warn you that you will not be able to get to this room without announcing your business to him, so please don't try it. Now, to finish what I was saying, in order to get to the Tunnel Between, you need only touch your rune and think 'snidget'." Draco snorted, and earned himself an annoyed half-glare.

"To return, simply do the same thing again. You may speak the password aloud, if you wish, but it isn't necessary. These runes operate more on intent than on anything else. Though you can only enter the Tunnel, you can exit from anywhere and will be returned to the same place you left. It's really very simple. And for your information, Mr. Malfoy, I happen to like snidgets." She sniffed.

"It is also prudent to realize that while you are in this place, time is passing much more quickly for you. Several hours in this room will equate to under a minute in your 'actual' time. We recommend that you get quite a bit of sleep in the coming weeks, or you will soon be too tired to function well."

"How can that-- that can't really work!" Harry was stuttering. Slowing down time? Time-travel, he knew, was possible, in measured amounts. But to slow Time itself down, even for a small area... It was impossible!

Their strange professor chuckled. "Not now. I promise you, it will be explained in due time, but the answer you seek requires more explanation than you realize." She smiled at Harry, then turned to look Draco in the eyes.

"To answer your questions, Draco, you will find each other using your life force as a guide. Eventually, you will not only be able to feel each other's life energy, but also see it. This is extraordinarily crucial, as you will be unable to see your own life energy. As to your second question, I would hope you remember the Cloak of Immortality I mentioned before?"

The boys nodded.

"Like I said, the one you call the Dark Lord wishes to steal it from where it has been hidden. The only way we can be assured of stopping him from reaching this goal is for you to get it first. Now, it's time to begin your lessons!"

Faster than they could blink, she was behind them, and they found themselves stumbling face-first into the wall of smoke.

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A/N- Whee! Look! I got a whole bunch of plot out of the way, so we can get back to HD fluff and other fun stuffs. : )

I was asked one question in this round of reviews, by rainfall4me. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what Draco lied about. Yet, anyway. And yes, Dumbledore did say something similar in POA. In the case of this fic, he was just paraphrasing himself as a bit of an inside joke for he and Harry. It really has no deeper meaning than that. It just seemed a Dumbledore-ish thing to do. :P

For those of you who will be wondering, I'm keeping the Quidditch team JK gave us in HBP. It's a lot simpler than thinking up my own. Also, while I love the idea of Luna commentating, I don't think I could write for her very well. She'll probably appear, but not that often. Sorry, Luna fans! I love her too, but that doesn't mean I can write her... Wish I could though!

Also, I'm going to spontaneously forget all pairings put forth in HBP except Ron and Hermione (who were a given from the start, anyway). Was I the only one annoyed at the 'let's pair people up!' party at the end of HBP? Anyway, Remus belongs with Sirius, damnit! Political correctness can be stuck Where The Sun Don't Shine.

...Fans of Discworld understand. All others, don't worry about it. ; )

Please Review! Reviews make for a happy and motivated authoress! (And don't forget to read Winter Darkblade's fic!)