Don't Fear the Reaper

-oOo-

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter does not belong to me.

-oOo-

Chapter 2

-oOo-

August 5, 1996

London, England

Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE, was not a happy camper. Last night the Dark Lord himself had paid her a visit. She thought all would be lost until the wards keeping Susan and her in the manor had suddenly dropped, allowing her to get to her niece. She had taken them straight to the DMLE. While a medical team took Susan away, she had gathered every Auror she could to get back to her manor, hoping to catch someone. Now she was in St Mungo's.

Sitting at Susan's bedside, she could only feel relief that they were alive. Half of Bones manor was gone, but they were alive. Something she could only accredit with the timely arrival of Harry Potter. They had arrived at the end of the battle with the boy and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It was apparent the fight had been fast and destructive. The edge of the lawn was torn to shreds, several large holes, deep ruts and the bodies of seven Death Eaters marked a hundred yard area. Among the bodies were Josiah Avery and Corban Yaxley.

Yaxley had been a very unpleasant surprise. Seeing him had her thinking he was how the Dark Lord had broken into her house. He was an Auror Team Lead with access to all high-level Ministry personnel on the chance the Aurors had to respond to a call. It required the Head Auror's permission, but somehow he had gotten into the storage locker in the Head's Office with the medallions. He must have walked You-know-who right past her wards. Because of him, every Auror and DMLE employee was currently being checked for the Dark Mark or controlling potion or charms. She couldn't afford another breach in her department.

She brushed Susan's hair off her forehead. Amelia had just been able to save her before she had been raped, but that hadn't stopped them using the Cruciatus on her before Amelia could make it too her. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had stood back, laughing and taunting her as four other Death Eaters tried to pin her down as two worked on Susan.

Susan moaned in her sleep.

The effects of the Cruciatus were insidious and could last for days, if not longer.

She should be back at the Ministry, but she couldn't leave St Mungo's until she knew Susan would wake and be alright. Amelia was actually here for two teens. "I'll be right back," Amelia said, getting up and kissing her on the forehead.

Since arriving here a few hours ago, she kept going back and forth between Susan and the boy that had saved them.

Harry Potter had not looked well when she had stopped him from falling over last night. He was beat up, his burning green eyes looked sunken and careworn. He had been talking to someone, but she didn't know who. When she had kept him upright, she noticed how thin he was for his size and age. All worrying signs. Then the Healers had talked to her after stabilizing him.

The boy was extremely malnourished. There were signs of multiple breaks that had been healed by his own magic. Some were years old, others within the last few weeks or hours. Scars littered his body. Something dark and unidentified was in the scar on his head. In short, they didn't know how he was alive with the damage they had found on and in his body.

Stepping into the hallway, she was met by three of the six Aurors she had stationed here talking with a grey bearded old wizard. "Ah, Amelia, perhaps you can clear this up?" Dumbledore questioned.

Her occlumency slammed into place as she detoured to the Headmaster of Hogwarts. "Dumbledore, perhaps I can clear up what?"

"I am looking for a ward of mine and I believe him to be in that room," the man indicated to the private room that Harry Potter was in. She would have preferred to have Susan and Harry in the same room to guard them better, but the Healers insisted on separate rooms due to their wounds and conditions.

"I am not aware that you have any wards, Headmaster. Who are you looking for?" she enquired.

"Harry Potter. He went missing last night and I heard he was here," Dumbledore told her.

Her brow rose. "Benning. I want you to gather all the Aurors that responded to my manor last night, and all the St Mungo's staff that has been on this wing. We have a mole and I will not have that jeopardizing the security of my niece or anyone else in this building."

"Yes, boss," one of the Aurors behind her said.

"One hour in the staff cafeteria here," she told him as he moved passed them.

"That is a little heavy handed, isn't it, Amelia?" Dumbledore asked.

"I don't think it far enough. Last night my niece and I were attacked. You-Know-Who came himself, with at least seven Death Eaters, most likely more since a temporary ward stone had been erected to keep us from apparating, using the Floo or a portkey. Not even my elves could get out," she told him.

Dumbledore pursed his lips. "I am sorry to hear that, Amelia, but that does not explain why I am being kept from my ward."

"You are claiming that Harry Potter is your ward?" she asked in a cool tone.

"The Wizengamot proclaimed as much in nineteen eighty-one," he declared.

She regarded him for a few. "Albus Dumbledore, by the order of the Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, you are under arrest for child endangerment, abuse to a minor and attempted murder of a minor. Should you fight your incarceration, I will authorize any force necessary to take you in, even death."

The concerned face of the man changed to a hard, battle worn visage. "Amelia, you don't want to do this," the man warned.

"Aurors," she commanded.

Dumbledore's wand was up. Her aurors split as much as they could in the hallway. "Amelia, I do not wish to hurt any of you, but I must retrieve Mr Potter and get him to a safe place."

"From what the Healers told me, that boy has known nothing of safety, Dumbledore. If you are his guardian, then you have failed in your responsibility. I cannot consciously release him to you. Not without signing his death warrant. Now, will you come peacefully or not?" she asked him.

"I am sorry about this," Dumbledore said.

-oOo-

Inside a hospital room…

"… I fear no evil, for he walks besides me…" Harry looked up. There was a commotion outside his door. He could hear spell fire and people yelling.

Hermione was standing next to him. "Danger is coming," she told him.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not fear my shadow," Harry told her. He moved to get out of the bed. His joints hurt today, and he hobbled some to stand.

The bushy hair girl frowned. "I wish you could rest," she told him.

"I can't die," he reminded her. What rest was there for him without being able to join the ones he cared for?

There was an explosion and the door shot off the hinges. Harry had to duck as it flew over his head, then impaled into the wall behind him. Someone cried out, then landed at the foot of his bed. The woman in burgundy Auror robes groaned and moved as though seriously hurt. Her wand rolled to his feet.

"Amelia, please stop this," he heard the infuriating voice of Dumbledore.

"Deadly force is authorized," she yelled to the two Aurors just outside his door.

"I do not want to hurt any of you," Dumbledore said as a white light ripped through a shield and threw the Auror past the door.

"Will you walk with me?" Harry requested as he stepped over the Auror. She was groaning, her arms around her stomach.

"I will always stay with you," Hermione answered from his right. Harry was comforted. He really missed her.

From his left he felt the cold, reassuring hand of Death.

Harry flicked the wand. "Protego Maxima!" he exclaimed. The magic was so strong that it physically pushed the Aurors down the hallway and past his door. Stepping out of the room, the Aurors and Madam Bones found themselves on the wrong side as Harry turned to face the Headmaster.

"Ah, Harry. It is good to see you, my boy. If you just come along, we can get you back to Remus and Nymphadora," Dumbledore said.

Harry looked down at a man that was motionless on the side of the hall. Blood was pooling around his head. Harry could sense the man was still alive but may not be for much longer if he didn't get help. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for he walks besides me," Harry said A cold anger that he wasn't sure was his or not bubbled in him. His borrowed wand came up. There was something that the grey bearded man held that felt so familiar. It was something that Death wanted.

Dumbledore looked disappointed. His own wand came up. "You are hurt enough, my boy. Just come quietly."

Harry moved the wand in his hand to flick away the stunner that had come out of Dumbledore's wand without warning. "I am Death," Harry said to the man, unaware of how his green eyes took on a hue similar to a killing curse. Death's hand on his shoulder became colder. Harry was accepting his fate. A fate Dumbledore had locked him into when he was barely fifteen months old.

Dumbledore's eyes clouded with concern. "Perhaps you do need more help."

Harry moved. He felt like a viper as he dodged another stunner. Dumbledore's eyes widened as his wand began an intricate dance of spells. Harry dodged, shielded and deflected as he worked to close the distance between them. He wanted the long, white, knotted wand in the old man's hand. It was like a long lost friend was calling to him.

Behind him, Madam Bones and the Aurors were trying to get through his shield. They all stopped their efforts as they watched Harry move more like an apparition than a boy. He twisted, stretched and moved like a snake. "Dear god," one of her Aurors said, making the sign of the cross. She knew him to be a Muggleborn and must believe in their God.

"…I fear no evil, for I am Death," they heard Potter say as Dumbledore twisted the corridor. It morphed and bubbled into a sticky glue that shot out at Potter.

Harry felt the change in the magic. He moved the wand he had in a circle. "Protego Duo Bulla!" he exclaimed. A round, translucent blue bubble formed around him. The glue substance hit the shield, sticking to it. Harry kept moving forward, his wand jabbing out before him. The piercing hex shattered a hole about three feet across in the shield.

Dumbledore was forced to stop his concentration on the spell. He deflected the curse, only letting it get a glancing blow onto his other shoulder. He stumbled back with a cry of pain. Harry hit the floor, launched himself, and his fist connected with the old man's nose as the knotted wand came up.

Dumbledore had just seen Harry's fist as he straightened. His eyes widened before pain lanced through his face.

Harry tackled the man, his head following his fist into the man's face. They fell to the ground, Dumbledore crumpling like a rag doll. Harry landed as heavily as his light form could on top of the old man. Dumbledore's wand slipped out of his hand, rolling a few feet to the side.

Harry was breathing hard at the exertion on his magic and body. He wasn't fully recovered yet from last night and this had pushed him. On wobbly arms, he pushed himself up. Dumbledore was still breathing, but his face was a bloody mess. Harry felt the call of the wand that was nearby. He dropped the one he had taken from the Auror. When his hand touched the knotted wand, there was a shot of icy cold power that surged up his arm, across his shoulders and into the hand of Death that was still on his shoulder.

He felt like he should be shivering, but the power felt right. It coursed through is vanes. Blue and black sparks shot out the tip of the wand. "Our powers almost reunited," the dark figure said.

Harry rolled off Dumbledore to prop himself against the wall of the hospital. Hermione sat next to him. "Dumbledore deserves to be judged," Hermione said in a harsh voice. It wasn't like her.

"He should be known for his crimes first," Harry told her.

Her face softened. "You are probably right. He will not be reprieved when he does go to his next great adventure," she told him.

Harry could live with that.

-oOo-

The other end of the hallway…

Amelia was frozen to see the power that Harry Potter had. She had not been able to get hold of any of the memories of him fighting in the DOM and Ministry in June. She had wanted to get what he had done last night, but was told he was too weak at the time. Seeing him in action now, she had little doubt that her entire Auror department couldn't take him on as she just watched him easily evade the best wizard in the world and level him.

"Bloody hell, boss, what was that?" Straifen asked from her right.

Her mouth worked for a moment before saying. "Get the Healers. Take care of Miller and Dawlish. Wendel, help me clear this hallway," she commanded.

The hallways had been twisted, warped and torn up. Part of it was a sticky glue she had never seen. They had to vanish the substance before they could get to Dumbledore and Potter. By then, four Healers and a few assistants had made their way to the floor.

When they made it to Potter, he was talking to the empty air next to him. "Do you know what the third thing is?"

"Potter, are you alright?" she questioned.

He didn't look towards her, but his eyes looked even more sunken than last night, and his emaciated form thinner. How could that happen? He didn't acknowledge her when she spoke his name again.

"What do you want to do with Dumbledore?" Wendel asked as a Healer made it to them.

"Make sure he isn't going to die and get him to a cell. Healer, look over Potter," she demanded.

Potter shook his head. "No. No. I won't stay," he told the blank stretch of wall. She had serious concerns of his sanity, not just his health.

-oOo-

August 6, 1996

London, England

Amelia needed answers. In the last three days, You-Know-Who had been on the move. Four attacks. Two of them thwarted by Harry Potter, while the other two were disasters.

The Weasleys had escaped with only some minor injuries to Arthur's wife. The six of the seven Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy who had been released by Fudge, were dead.

The attack on Dirk Creswell, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, had left him, his wife and two children dead. They couldn't find any evidence of an injured Death Eater

Another released by Fudge, Avery, was part of the butcher's bill at her manor. Seven Death Eaters dead and one Dark Lord that had run with his tail between his legs.

The same night she had been attacked, Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister, had been attacked. He had been found nailed to his house. Literally, foot long spikes had been used to pin him to the side of the house. At his feet was the barely recognized form of his wife. Luckily his adult children and grandchildren had not been there. There was evidence that Scrimgeour had put up a fight, but they didn't find any other bodies.

In both attacks that Harry Potter had shown, fourteen of fifteen Death Eaters had been decimated.

She couldn't understand how a sixteen-year-old boy could be so lethal. She had seen how he moved against Dumbledore yesterday, but still had a hard time believing it.

Seeing his tactics, she was wondering if her Aurors should follow suit. He wasn't using any dark magic, nor was he doing anything illegal. The Healers couldn't detect any dark ritual enhancements, only that spot in his scar. How he moved the way he did just seemed to be his magic. The Potters had been rumoured to be some of the best duellists around, so it was most likely family magic.

It didn't mean that she wasn't concerned.

Whatever it was seemed to take a toll on him. The Healers had found that the use of the magic in the way he took down Dumbledore was very taxing on him. It strained his core and burned through his body like his magic was eating him from the inside out.

As such, she had ordered more guards and to keep him from doing any more magic until the Healers could get more weight on his bones again. Only reluctantly had she allowed him to keep Dumbledore's wand. She couldn't leave him defenceless. If they could find Remus Lupin, she might be able to find out where his own wand was.

A knock came at her door. "What is it!" she snapped.

The door was pushed open and a dark-skinned man with a colourful kufi poked his head in. "Boss, he's up."

She nodded.

Several minutes later she was entering a cell. Four of her Aurors waited outside and a Healer stepped just inside the cell with her. "Good day, Dumbledore."

The man was holding his head. "The pain relief potion is just about working. I assume you have come to let me out?"

She didn't respond until he looked up at her. "You aren't going anywhere. I do have some questions for you."

Dumbledore straightened up, his back stiffening. "We don't have time for this. Where is Harry? He needs to be in a safe place."

"Don't worry about that. I think he is safer than he was a few days ago." She took out her wand and summoned a chair. Sitting down, she was eye level with the man. "How long have you known?"

As the pain potion took hold, he took on more of his grandfatherly façade. "How long have I known what? There are many things that I know."

"All of it, I suppose, but let's start with Harry Potter. How long did you know that You-Know-Who didn't die that night in Godric's Hollow?" she questioned.

"That is not an easy answer. We all thought Voldemort to die that night. I attended a few parties to celebrate his downfall," Dumbledore answered.

"Bullshite," she responded. "Let's do this again. How long did you know?"

"As I already said," the man told her.

"Ssooo… you framing Sirius Black, supressing the Potter's will, burying the prophesy, rushing to take custody of a child that should have gone to blood family in the wizarding world and working to get Bagnold out of the picture was all just coincident?" she asked.

Dumbledore didn't say anything for a moment. "Amelia…"

"That is Madam Bones, Mr Dumbledore. Now, answer my questions," she demanded.

"Madam Bones," the old man said. "I don't know what you are trying to accuse me of, but I can tell you that none of that was my doing."

Her eyes narrowed. "Healer Crabtree, what is the maximum dosage of veritaserum that can be administered?"

"That depends on age. Three is the usual dosage and naturally wears off in an hour or two. It is advised to administer six drops at a time for those skilled in occlumency, and the antidote will need to be used within two hours. Ten can be non-lethal if the antidote is administered within and hour. Twelve for about fifteen minutes. Beyond that, I would not recommend it for a man of his age," the Healer said.

She nodded. "Are you going to answer my questions?"

"This isn't necessary. If you just let me go and let me take Mr Potter, then everything will work out," Dumbledore said.

She shook her head. "Healer Crabtree, as the Head of the DMLE and acting Minister, I give you authorization to administer six drops of veritaserum to the prisoner Albus Dumbledore."

Dumbledore's eyes grew wide. "Acting Minister? What happened to Rufus Scrimgeour?" Dumbledore questioned.

"He was visited just before I was. Thanks to Harry Potter, Susan and I survived. Now, administer the veritaserum, and prepare to administer two more every five minutes until he is compliant," she demanded.

"You can't do that! There are laws," he stated.

"Oh, so you realize that now? How many laws have you violated when you found them inconvenient? For your information, since the attack on me, I've had to clean house some at the Ministry. There are a hundred and six Ministry employees either awaiting trial or in St Mungo's for either being marked or under suspicion for controlling potions or charms. Something you blocked for the last thirty years. I want to know why," she said quite angrily.

Albus soft face dropped. "You did what? How could you work to incarcerate so many? What of the old families?" he demanded.

"What of the old families?" She held up a hand. "No, wait. Let's get the veritaserum in you first."

Albus moved but was stunned by one of her Aurors. It was going to be a long day, but she needed answers.

-oOo-

Later that day…

London, England

Harry clutched the long wand in his hands. The aged wood was smooth. It made him want his cloak. He had been afraid of losing it, so it was in his trunk.

"Kreacher," Harry called out.

Nothing happened.

"Kreacher?"

When nothing happened again, he had to assume that there were wards that prevented the elf from getting here. He wanted his cloak, starting to feel very exposed without it. A reassuring hand was put on his shoulder.

"Get some rest, Harry. You look tired," Hermione said as she flipped a page of the book she was reading.

"I can't," Harry told her.

A soft knock came at his door. When he didn't respond, it opened a moment later.

He watched a familiar redhead enter the room. Susan Bones had been in the DA last year. Until then, she had never really said much to him, but hadn't really been that nice either between the Heir of Slytherin issue and the Triwizard Tournament.

Her hands were shaking, and she looked to be having a bit of a problem walking. Normally, Harry would jump up to help her, but he was tired and sore. His body may heal because he couldn't die. That didn't mean he didn't feel pain.

Hermione had pursed lips to look at the girl.

"Harry?" Susan asked.

Harry didn't say anything.

Susan came over to the side of the bed. She looked like she had been crying. She sat on the edge of his bed. "Hi, how are you?"

Harry didn't reply, just kept staring at her. She frowned. "Auntie said you weren't saying much. I just want to say thank you." She sniffed, new tears welling in her eyes. "You saved my Aunt Amelia. She's the last family I have."

Harry looked down. Her hands were shaking rather badly. "How long," he asked her. It was perhaps the first time he talked to someone besides Hermione in weeks.

She looked ready to break down. She seemed to understand what he was asking. "I don't know. Minutes. Maybe more," she said in a small voice.

Harry reached out, putting his hand over her wrist. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…" he said. Harry reached out with his magic. He didn't want her to hurt anymore. The Cruciatus curse was something he was very familiar with. It did nerve damage that could only be healed with potions and left ghost pains for days.

Susan gasped. Harry's hand started to shake. The pain in his body intensified, before it settled at a higher level. By the time he was done repeating his mantra three times, his body was now shaking as much as hers had.

"What did you do?" she questioned with huge eyes.

Hermione was looking at him with sad eyes. "Harry, you didn't have to do that."

He looked to her, ignoring Susan. "She was in pain."

"That doesn't mean that you need to take on all the pains of the world," Hermione said in an exasperatedly loving way.

Harry shrugged. "Why should others suffer for my sins?"

"Harry? Are you alright? Who are you talking too?" Susan asked concerned.

"None of this is your sin, Harry. You are one of the best people I know," Hermione assured him, tears threatening at the edges of her eyes.

Harry shrugged again. "I must have done something very wrong. Why else would I be condemned?"

The hand on his left shoulder squeezed, as though to say Death agreed with Hermione.

"Harry? I'll go get a Healer," the redhead girl said. When she got up, she was looking frightened, but moving far easier.

Hermione's hand cupped his downturned cheek. He wished he could feel her skin on his. "Oh, Harry, you are not condemned. You deserve all the blessings in the world."

"Then why don't I have you?" he asked, his body shaking so hard he couldn't keep the wand of elder wood steady to study it more.

-oOo-

That night…

London, England

"He did what?" Amelia demanded as she barged past the reception desk. "Why wasn't I told of this! Where is Susan and Harry?"

"Easy, Amelia," Healer Tonks said as she tried to keep up with Amelia as she stalked through the halls. "We have Harry sedated for now. Dreamless Sleep, nerve mending, a pain reducer, a calming draught and muscle relaxant potions have all been given to him. The rate at which he is healing is incredible. We are having a hard time keeping enough calories going into his body."

Amelia growled. "He was already sick. Who let Susan in? Is she really healed?"

"About ninety percent of the way. She will probably be ready to leave tomorrow, but Harry will need a week or more. Preferably the next month so we can finally get a feel for his mental state and make sure he is a healthy weight again," Andromeda told her.

They walked onto the wing. Four Aurors could be seen. There should be one in each room now as well. She rubbed her face, heading straight for Harry. Susan was her first priority, but the boy had to live. Twice now he had done things that benefited her family.

"I don't think he is doing well at all. Susan told me that Granger and him were very close, and we had no clue that Black was his sworn godfather," she said frustratedly. Fudge and Dumbledore had bollixed up so much.

"Yes. He talks to a Hermione as though she is still there," Andromeda said sadly.

"Have you been able to do anything to see how far around the bend he is? I owe him, Andi. We have to do all we can for him," Amelia stressed.

"I haven't tried yet. His body needs to recover more. I fear going too fast," the woman replied.

Opening the door, her Auror moved to challenge her. "Easy, Stebbins," she told the woman.

Harry was laying in the bed. Slight tremors could be seen every few seconds. "How did he do it?"

"Frankly, the hell if I know," Andromeda replied. "It shouldn't be possible. It cost him though. Our scans show he lost another pound and the potions to get him to gain weight aren't being as effective."

"Merlin, how much magic is he burning through?" she asked.

"It's like nothing I've seen before," Andromeda confessed.

"And it's not dark magic?"

"Not that I can tell. We have curse breakers scheduled to come in on Friday to look at his scar. That is the only trace of dark magic I can find on him. I don't think he will be strong enough before then. Otherwise, he is clean," Andromeda told her.

Amelia sighed. "Do anything you can for him. Price is no barrier."

"You aren't paying for this, Ami. The board stepped in to make sure that he doesn't owe the hospital anything. The last thing the board wants is to be responsible for killing Harry Potter," Andromeda said with some conviction.

She looked at the sickly-looking boy. "Just do anything you can."

"We are," Andromeda assured her.

-oOo-

August 7, 1996

London, England

Harry woke to a dark room. The chair that was usually at the side of the bed wasn't there. He felt a little sad to not see Hermione there. An Auror had his head down on his chest while sitting in the chair.

The hand of Death that had been on his shoulder for days now, was feeling extra cold in the early morning hours. It was shaking his shoulder, as though it wanted something. Harry looked in the direction the figure pointed. Kreacher was standing on the end of his bed, his ears dropping. "Kreacher couldn't come. Not want to come, either. Kreacher was prevented," the elf said. He looked between defiant and terrified.

Harry didn't care knowing what the thing had done. "Can you take me back to Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked. He could feel Death's influence on him.

Kreacher looked to battle inside himself before nodding. "Kreacher can take filthy master back."

Harry held out his hand. A second later they were back in the entry hall of Grimmauld Place. Harry wasn't quite ready for it and fell to his knees. Kreacher gave a wicked smile. "Nasty master needs more rest."

"Shut it," Harry commanded.

Kreacher's mouth snapped shut. He gave Harry a glare.

"You are to stay here, unless I call you, and not talk to anyone about what I am doing," he ordered. Kreacher's glare intensified before he snapped his finger and disappeared.

Harry got up and stumbled a little. The effects he had taken from Susan were still bothering him some. "You really should take it easy, Harry. I don't think this was meant to be a sprint," Hermione told him.

"You said when I am done, I can die," Harry reminded her.

"I had hoped many years from now. You deserve a good life," she told him, following him up to his room.

"Every day without you hurts," he replied.

She gave him a sad smile. "I will always be with you."

"It's not the same." He opened the door to his room to find his trunk at the end of his bed. He opened it, quickly searching for his invisibility cloak. He threw everything else out as he looked. It didn't matter to him anymore. Why would he want pictures of his dead parents, friends or godfather? Not when he would see most of them soon. The album was plopped on the floor rather unceremoniously.

Next went the blank pile of parchment that reminded him too much of all he had lost. He didn't want to call on Prongs or Padfoot again.

The over large clothes made a heap on the floor.

The cloak was at the bottom of his trunk, where he had hidden it to keep it safe. As his fingers touched the silky material, he felt another surge of magic course through him. His body felt colder. The cloak and the wand hummed to be close with each other again. With the cloak meant to hide things, he could finally find that which had been hidden.

Harry stood up, wrapping the cloak around himself. Death's hand tightened, as though overjoyed to find this treasure.

"Be careful. Please," Hermione told him as he put the hood over his head. This time when he disappeared it felt different. It was like he was seeing through a veil. All around him he could see colourful outlines where magic was hidden or unknown.

"What is this?" he asked.

"To be Master of Death, one walks the boundary of here and the next. Nothing can be hidden from Death, unless Death itself hides it," the usually quiet figure said.

It made sense to Harry, so he just accepted it. Hermione was looking right at him. "Don't go too far. I don't want to lose you," she told him.

Harry gave her a sad smile. "I will see you again," he promised. "I fear no evil."

As Harry stood there, he felt a pull on his scar. At the same time, he felt a pull on his shoulder. There was something else out there that the cloak and wand called for. Harry concentrated on it. As he did, the scar on his head wanted to go the other way. Voldemort was feeling deeply uneasy. After a moment, he called out, "Kreacher!"

Kreacher appeared a few seconds later. "Nasty master called Kreacher?" The elf looked around, as though confused.

Harry pushed the hood back. He didn't need to see the magic at the moment. Kreacher started as his disembodied head suddenly came into focus. "You are to take me to Little Hangleton."

The house elf reluctantly took the hand Harry held out. They were gone with a snap of the Kreacher's fingers.

-oOo-

A/N: Do not fret… Dumbledore is still to be judged. Not to mention some of Voldemort's inner circle.