Disclaimer: I don't own HP nor RotG.
'Thoughts'
"Bye Luna."
"Bye."
"Bye Jason."
"Bye daddy."
"I will be free next Saturday."
"Okay. See you then."
"Be good for aunt Luna, okay?"
"Okay."
Black wings sprouted from his back. He flew off to his next soul. A few feathers from his wings fell to the ground. Luna collected them before her and Jason went home. Luna made different things with the feathers and Harry loved them. One of the things she made was a necklace that Jason always wore.
Harry flew to where he felt the soul. From what he could tell was that the soul was fighting death. It was at a hospital in Burgess. He read the soul as he entered the hospital. It was a sixteen year old girl who had terminal lung cancer. She was in a lot of pain but was trying to hang on and judging from the soul near hers it was the reason. She was hanging on for her father. He entered her room.
"Hello Annabelle."
She looked at him startled. "W-who are you?"
"I am Harry. You would know me better as a grim reaper."
"G-grim Reaper?"
"Yes."
"Are you h-here to take me?"
"Yes."
She teared up. "I can't go. I can't leave my dad here all alone. It will kill him."
Harry gave her a calming smile. "He isn't anywhere close to death. One of my gifts is to allow you the chance to speak with a living person. We can do that but I think that before you die you talk with him and say a proper goodbye."
"He won't die?"
"No he won't."
"If I talk to him now does that mean I can't talk to him after?"
"You will be able to speak to him one time after you die."
Annabell nodded. "Okay."
"He's waking so here is your chance."
"Thank you."
"Of course."
The groan caused her to look at her father. He sat up and looked around. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he spotted her and she was still alive. He kissed her forehead.
"Hey baby."
"H-hey daddy." She let her tears flow. "I'm s-sorry d-daddy but you h-have to let m-me go."
He looked at her in shock. "W-what?"
"I can't h-hang on a-any longer."
"No baby, don't say that." He sobbed.
"I-i'm s-sorry daddy. I-it's true. Please. I don't w-want to die w-without saying goodbye."
"No! You can't die!"
"I love y-you daddy."
"I love you too."
"P-please see that i-it's my t-time to go."
The father sobbed harder. "Please don't leave me."
"I d-don't want to."
Her dad took a good look at her. He could see how much pain she was in and how hard it was for her to talk let alone breathe. He hated seeing his daughter in so much pain. He realized that she really didn't have the strength to hang on to her life. He felt bad for having her hang on for so long in pain. He knew that if he refused her request then she would die without getting a chance to say goodbye and so would he. It would make him feel so much regret and guilt. He swallowed hard as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"I know, baby. I am going to miss you." He said softly. "Goodbye sweetie I love you."
"I love you too. Goodbye."
Harry watched the scene in tears. He did see her soul was no longer weighed down now that she had a chance to say goodbye. She looked peaceful as she closed her eyes one final time. Soon the monitor showed her flatlining. Doctors and nurses rushed into the room.
"Stop." The man managed to say.
"Sir?"
"Let her die peacefully please."
The doctor nodded. "Of course." He turned off the monitor before calling time of death.
He and the others left to let the man mourn the death of his child. They would be back later with the paperwork. Since they were among the living they failed to see the soft glow her body gave off before her soul exited her body. She walked over to Harry.
"What now?"
"Now we wait until he is asleep. Then you can make a decision."
"Decision?"
"Decisions on where your soul goes. There are four places and you can go to three of them. The first is Hell but for obvious reasons you won't be going there."
"That's good to know." She giggled.
"The second choice is to stay here on Earth and be a ghost. I don't recommend it unless you have unfinished business."
"After talking to my dad I don't."
"I didn't think so. The third place is the waiting room and finally Heaven. You can pick which one you want to go to. The waiting room is where souls hang out until they are reborn. Now some won't be reborn right away. The reason is due to whether they are ready or if they are meant to."
"Maybe."
"Now Heaven, like Hell, is a final place. It is a dream paradise where you spend the rest of your afterlife. It is the place where you can meet up with your loved ones if they also choose Heaven."
"I see."
"Like I said it is up to you and you don't have to choose right now."
"I think I would like to go to the waiting room."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I love my dad but this will be a chance to live a full life. It is way too tempting."
Harry gave her an understanding smile. "You may also meet him again."
"Really?" Harry nodded.
"On some level your soul will recognize him and if you stay in the waiting room then the chances are better."
"Great. My dad would understand if he was here."
"I know."
"Huh?" She looked at the reaper in confusion.
"As a guider of souls I receive certain snippets of a person's life to determine if they should go to hell or if they receive a choice. One snippet was when you and your dad were talking about second chances. He said he wished you could have a second chance at life so that you could actually experience life."
"Oh."
Harry smiled. "Creepy huh?"
"Definitely. I understand though. Um, how long will I be in the waiting room?"
"That depends. Sometimes you are reborn in a matter of seconds or minutes or on a rare occasion years. It also depends on if you want to be reborn at the moment."
"I see. Well I hope I am not a rare occasion."
"I bet. There is a woman who has been there for sixteen years. She is waiting to reunite with a few people before she gets reborn."
"Wow."
"Indeed."
Annabelle was about to ask another question when another spoke up. "Stop right there." They turned to see an overgrown rabbit.
"What is that?"
"That would be the Easter Bunny and the guardian of hope."
"Really?" She looked shocked at the news that there was actually an Easter bunny and confused about the guardian part.
"Yes really."
"But it isn't Easter. Why is he here?" She asked as the rabbit came closer.
"He thinks that I killed you." Harry answered bluntly.
"What?" She looked at Harry in shock and horror.
"Many misunderstand what I do. They are under the impression that I am a murderer that goes around killing instead of what I actually do, which is guide."
"Have they ever seen you kill?" She asked as they entered an empty room.
"Nope."
"I said to stop moving." He readied his boomerang as Harry sighed. "It's alright young lady. You are safe now. I'll help you out."
"Help me out? I don't need help."
"What?" Aster looked at the teen in confusion.
"I don't need your help." She repeated. "Mr. Reaper is already helping me."
"That blider is the one who murdered you."
Annabelle snorted. "No he didn't. I died from cancer."
"He's tricking you."
"No he isn't you oversized dumb bunny!" She yelled in anger.
"Excuse me?" No one has ever talked to him like that before, not even Jack as he was very mouthy.
"I died of terminal cancer. He is a grim reaper. When I was younger my grandmother told me he was a guider of souls not a murderer."
Harry suddenly cut in. "Sorry to cut this short but I must go. One of my mini reapers is having trouble with a soul." He explained before getting an idea. "Would you like to see my work Bunny?"
Aster thought about it. "Sure. I need to make sure the shelia is correct. Not to be mean but after what the spring and summer spirits have said I am conflicted."
"Ah so it was those fuckers who started this."
Harry didn't get on with the seasonal spirits. He had no idea why they hated him. The only season spirit to not hate him was Jack but the rest of the winter spirits hated him. He didn't do anything to them and they made it their job to make his afterlife difficult. He knew that Jack had a problem with them also. The winter spirits were hated by the others and they all hated Jack even more so now that he was a guardian but that was what now protected him. He on the other hand just ignored them and they found out the hard way that he was too powerful to beat up and unlike Jack he didn't let them beat him up.
It made sense to them that they would start a rumor. It would make the rest of them hate him too. It did make his job a lot harder. He just hoped that Bunny would see what he did and finally understand what he really did. He looked at Annabelle.
"Annabelle, would you like to come too or stay?"
"I'm staying."
Harry smiled. "Okay." He turned towards the guardian of Hope. "Take my hand so that we can go. Just a warning that it is cold."
"Alright."
As soon as Aster took his hand he let his wings come out and he took off. Aster was amazed that they went right through the ceiling. He didn't like this form of transport. Soon they were in prison. They were staring at the body and spirit of a man that had been put to death. Aster knew about him and knew that this man had taken a gun and shot up his workplace. He worked as a janitor at an elementary school. Five children and two adults were killed and many more injured. The swat had arrested him before he could kill himself.
Aster began to realize that the spirits had lied to them and that the girl from before had been right. He was a little startled when a black robed figure appeared next to Reaper. He turned and looked at it.
"He is refusing to leave. He is saying that he is innocent and that swat had arrested the wrong guy. Apparently the shooter had framed him by forcing the gun into his hand then leaving. He wants to go to heaven." It told Harry.
"Did you read his soul and memories?"
"Yes. He is guilty."
"I am not." The man argued.
"Mr. Bronze, I am the Grim Reaper. I have the ability to read your soul and to receive snippets of memories. My mini reapers have the same abilities."
"So what?"
"Your soul is black which means you have killed innocent people and your memories say the same thing. You are guilty and your soul belongs in Hell."
"I ain't going to Hell."
"That isn't your decision."
"You can't make me!"
"I can't, that is true."
"Ha!"
"Bunny, could you step back."
"Alright mate."
Aster stepped back and watched. Harry smirked at the man who gave him a weary look.
"I call upon an ancient power." Harry began chanting. "Oh ancient ones wise and grand I ask that you hear my plea."
A black ring formed around Harry. Magic filled the air causing his hair to float. Aster watched with rapt attention. Awe filled his eyes.
"I am the Grim Reaper, guider of souls, and the master of Death. I was chosen by the man on the moon. I call upon Death now! Death, come to me." Harry's eyes turned pure black. "Please answer my call."
The circle that had been around Harry moved to the wall. Aster and the spirit watched as the circle spun and turned into a black portal. A tall, black cloaked figure walked through it. He floated a few inches off the floor. The cloak hid his face. He went over to the spirit. Said spirit trembled as a boney hand grabbed him. He turned into a ball of red light. The figure captured the ball and crushed it between his hands causing it to burst and disappear.
"Do you always have to be so dramatic?" Harry asked him dryly.
"Yes I do." The figure answered as he floated over to Harry. "It's nice to see you kid." He leaned down and kissed Harry's forehead.
"It is nice to see you too Death."
"Well I have to go now. I will see you later."
"Okay." Death disappeared in a cloud of black mist. Harry looked at Aster. "You okay?"
"I am. I'm sorry for believing those spirits without any truth."
"Thank you, that means a lot to me."
"Don't worry mate, I'll tell the others."
"Thanks."
"No problem mate."
"I have a spirit to go back to but first I can give you a lift somewhere."
"No thanks I have my tunnels."
Harry laughed. "Oh okay. I understand. See you around."
"See ya around mate." He stomped his foot and disappeared into the tunnel.
Harry smiled before he too left. He had a soul to help, well two souls to help. One was dead and one was still alive. It was really nice to have another person believe him when he said he wasn't a murderer and he even apologized. He took off after that.