Disclaimer: obviously not JKR and am never going to be. Don't sue me and all will be happy! I do own some of the ideas...I think.
Special thanks to: Kalala and Olaf74
Harry Potter and Death's Deal
Chapter Three
"It Tastes like Treason"
In Whereabouts Unknown
Two figures stand gazing into the neon orange sky. One glances down briefly, nods, and looks towards the other. A glass orb flickers in the dying light before getting put away into the folds of a tattered robe.
"The light is starting to fade. We must move fast if we wish to make it there and back. She says they will be moving in the morning. Hopefully they can cope with this new twist," the figure whispers with a raspy voice.
Below the trees on the moss-covered forest floor, bodies seem strewn in a random pattern as if massacred.
Later that Same Night
Harry was sleeping in his temporary bed. Luckily, Healer Purefoy had this section of the hospital roped off so there were many beds available. He was especially glad his new uncle did not snore because that would have made it harder to sleep.
After about three hours of peaceful rest, Harry began to see the graveyard in his dreams. Everything was the same as before. Cedric was looking around with his wand out. Harry kept saying "No, no, no, no, no, NO!" but Cedric did not hear him. He reaches out as if to grab him, but is stopped and forced to watch. Then the one sentence that continues to haunt him is whispered. "Kill the spare." To Harry it sounded like it was shouted. Cedric flies back as if punched in the stomach. His face contorts to a grimace. All the curiosity his eyes held flickers and dies. Harry continues to watch, paralyzed, just staring into Cedric's lifeless eyes. Tears start to run down his face. He falls to his knees on the ground. I killed Cedric again. He snaps his head up when he feels a hand running through his hair. He feels comfortable. He slowly turns his head towards the owner of the hand. There stands Voldemort with his mocking red eyes.
Harry starts to wake up with his tossing and turning. He realizes someone is actually running a hand through his hair and is wiping away the tears. He does not want the person to realize he is awake and starts to slow his movements as naturally as he could.
"Awwww, poor thing. For one so young to have such a violent past and the weight of the world on his shoulders," a woman's voice whispers sadly. Harry begins to calm with the constant circular motion on his head. He was starting to fall asleep again, but he wanted to hear what this woman was saying so he staved off sleep.
"You shouldn't be doing that. He might wake up!" another woman's voice protests. She sounded strained and out of breath like she just ran a mile.
"Too late," Harry thought as he feigned sleep. He had gotten good at it because of all those stays in the hospital wing. Like after the third task when...No don't think like that. He jerked a bit in his sleep. The two beings stilled their actions. He rolled over in his sleep and sighed a sleepy sigh. They released their breath collectively and sounded relieved.
"Bloo'y 'ell, 'e's a righ' 'eavy bugge'!" the brash accent of Cockney invaded his hearing.
"Translation: 'why did I volunteer to carry him all this way?' You've wanted to say that for ages, and in cockney no less, haven't you?" The bemused yet monotone whisper of the first woman inquired. The soothing hand stopped and pulled away from Harry. He was sad that the warmth and support were gone.
CRREEEAAAKKKKK
"Yeah, that won't wake them up." The whisper said with a laugh. "I'm surprised they haven't woken up already."
"Well you try to setting down a body into a bed that's at least a million years old."
"Now that's an exaggeration. He's not a million years old."
"I meant the bed." The other voice said dryly.
Harry then heard a popping noise like apparition.
"Owwwwww! He really was heavy. He needs a diet. Maybe we should leave a note for those two saying to cut back on the food for him." The loud one complained.
"I still can't believe you made that deal! What were you thinking!?!"
"Way to change the subject!"
"Well it's been bothering me and all you're doing is complaining about something inane and rolling your shoulder!"
"So that means you can attack me?"
"Yes, you are 'wounded' and preoccupied, well?"
"We need the back up. If that means sacrificing part of myself to get Reg, James, Lily, and the rest back so be it!"
"You do realize that with every one of ours, another one of theirs comes too."
"Yeah I know. It kind of tastes like treason, but it must be like that. The balance..."
"I understand that." A long pause. Harry could almost hear her mind working. "Wait did you just say it tastes like treason?"
"Yeah. Why do you have a problem with that?"
"I'm just trying to figure out what treason tastes like."
"It tastes like... wait for it, wait for it..."
"Yes?"
Thunk
"Well now you will never know. That's our cue to leave. At least she let us in for a bit. Hopefully they won't kill him on site. Good luck little brother!"
"See you soon, little brother. Sleep well, young nephew." She bends down and kisses Harry's cheek.
The next morning
Harry's POV
...Harry...Harry..."HARRY!"
I shoot out of bed looking for the source of the noise. I see Uncle Charlie still sleeping.
"If he's sleeping then who..."
I start to look around the partitioned off section. Then I remember last night and stop, shocked. That was a dream, wasn't it? The bed next to me starts to shake a bit. I slowly turn to the source of the noise.
"Young Potter?"
There sitting in the bed was a man. He had an aristocratic nose and long, sort of wavy, raven colored hair. He was very pale, almost sickly. His clothes were rumpled and strained as if he had had a rough night at a pub. Slate-grey eyes seem to barely register where they are. Instead, they seem to stare transfixed on Harry as if he would disappear if they looked away. The eyes were desperate and haunting. I have seen those eyes before with Sirius. After he escaped from Azkaban. Wait a second...
"Regulus? Regulus Black?" My voice sounded strange in my own mouth as if it did not want to believe what it just said.
The man started from his trance at the sound of his name. It had been so long since anyone had recognized him that his name sounded foreign to him. "Yes that is my name. I haven't been called that in many years now."
"Not to sound insensitive, but you have been dead. You really can't be called anything dead." I deadpanned.
"So you say, young one." Regulus mysteriously says. Uncle Charlie begins to wake up at the sound of our conversation.
"What's this?" Uncle Charlie began. "Regulus? Can you explain what's happened here? Why I'm awake and why you're alive. You died when Voldemort found you stealing-"
"Yes well that's said and done." Regulus cuts him off looking quite perturbed. In fact now that I look closer, it looks like he's frightened but hiding it. "I can't discuss anything outside the realm of normal. Ah Ah Ah." Regulus holds up his hand to stop Uncle Charlie from interrupting. "No talks about what happens when a person dies, or why I'm alive. I'm sorry but it's the rules. Some things are not meant for the physical realm. It ruins life's mysteries and some believe it takes away your freewill."
"Very well. I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for answers."
"Sometimes they have already be said just not the way you were expecting." We fall into an awkward silence with Charlie angry, me curious, and Regulus agitated. I start to take in my surroundings again, just to get my bearings. Nothing was too out of the ordinary-just my trunk and Hedwig perched on the bed I was using, some beds...OH! Wait! There is something!
There were three sets of hooded robes-two for the larger men and one for my slight frame- lying innocently on an unoccupied bed. There was a note on top of the pile. Uncle Charlie went to pick it up. Regulus stopped him and tapped the piece of paper. It glowed green.
"Ok. It's good."
"Dear younglings,
We just wanted to help a bit with a disguise. Make sure by tonight you are hidden in a Potter estate because the manipulator will find out that his controlled little puppet isn't where he is supposed to be. Good luck.
The Original Pranksters
P.S. Regulus should lose weight!" Uncle Charlie read the last part as best as he could but he couldn't stop the laughter.
"So it wasn't a dream." I muttered. Both men looked at me. It felt like two hawks eyeing their prey and looking for weak spots to exploit.
"What do you mean?" Uncle Charlie forcefully asked. I told them all I heard the night before. After I finished his tale, both men looked at each other and let the subject die. That was a weird look. They are keeping something from me. Hopefully they'll tell me soon.
"We have to sneak Regulus out." Charlie began.
"We have to sneak the both of you out." I said. Honestly if they thought about it Charlie really should not be awake. Again the two men exchange a look. "You know that is getting really annoying."
"Sorry Harry. We're used to being alone and not having to communicate out loud." Regulus explained. "We'll try and get better at speaking out loud."
"That's all I ask." I start getting the robe on. The others follow my lead. Those guys wouldn't survive without me.
Normal POV
Healer Purefoy took that moment to enter. She checks up on her patient ignoring everything else. The men are all stunned. Looking around she can't see why. Upon seeing a newcomer, she says "most visitors sign in and don't sneak in in the middle of the night. But since Mr. Potter shouldn't be awake, then I guess he can't really have a visitor." At seeing Harry's curious face, she explains, "Just so you know, young Mr. Potter, only the receptionist and I know he's awake." She leaves with a serene, mysterious smile upon her aging face.
"Well that was unexpected." The others just nodded their agreement.
As the men leave for Diagon Alley, Harry sees Purefoy reach into her pocket. She finds what she is looking for and pulls it out. The only thing he sees as he is escorted from the building is a flicker of light then Purefoy's enigmatic smile.
