A/N: This chapter is dedicated to owugirl10 who loves the marauders to death and back.

In answer to hmmtoolazytologin's review: Yes, it is my greatest regret about this story that I failed to get into personal relationships. If there is a sequal to this story I will definately keep it smaller in scale and explore relationships much more.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 8: The Master of Death...

"He looks so like his grandfather," a male voice said.

"Yes, right down to the incredibly oversized nose," a scruffier male voice said.

"Why you little..." the first voice said.

"Quiet, you'll wake him up," a female said.

"Well maybe he needs to wake," the second man said.

"Let him sleep. He has time. He'll need his rest," a third, older sounding man said.

"We need to get going. I'm tired of waiting," the first man said.

"Well at least we know you'll fight," a fourth male voice said. This one sounded darker, almost evil. "Unlike Snuffles here."

"Hey," the second man said.

"Quiet!" the woman said. "He's stirring."

Albus Potter sat up and strained to open his eyes. What he saw was amazing. He was lying on a bench in the middle of what looked like King Cross Station. But it wasn't King Cross. It was pure white and the walls were radiating a bright, but not blinding, pure white light. It was peaceful.

Then Ashley Wright came into view. "What...were...you...thinking!" she said, hitting him with her purse on every word. "Why did you go and commit suicide? Is that how you avenge me?"

Albus tried to squirm away. "I didn't commit suicide," he said.

"Then what do you call that?" Ashley asked. "Walking straight into death but definitely not intending to die?"

"Oh I definitely intended to die. But suicide implies that the death was pointless," Albus said.

"That was pointless!" she said.

"A Potter never dies a pointless death," the first male voice Albus had heard said. He turned and gasped. At least four hundred people were standing behind him all around the station. More were appearing every minute. Albus immediately recognized his grandfather, the original James Potter, standing right next to him. James continued "Albus is no different. He did not die a pointless death."

"Then what was the point of that?" Ashley asked.

Albus Dumbledore spoke next. Albus recognized his voice as the elderly voice he had heard earlier. "He was following in the line of several Potters. He died to save everyone in the Ministry. Now Voldemort cannot hurt them. Although, I honestly didn't expect him to fall for it again."

"That's what all the insults were for," Albus Potter said. "I figured if he was mad I could get him to fall for anything." Dumbledore smiled in response. "But I think I failed in the end. I only dared get protection for those in the Ministry. But the Ministry is in lockdown. The only people inside are Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel."

"Then let us hope he attacks them," Dumbledore said.

Albus finally got a chance to look around. He recognized several of the people looking at him from old photographs that his parents had showed him: Remus and Tonks Lupin, James and Lily Potter (his grandparents, not sister and brother), Sirius Black (who had to be Snuffles from earlier), Dumbledore. But there were others too: Severus Snape (the man Albus's middle name was named after), Frank and Alice Longbottom, Sirius's brother Regulas Black and a man Albus never expected to see, let alone standing peacefully next to his grandparents. "You," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"All debts can be forgiven," James said. "Even the largest offenses. Wormtail has paid his debt by helping your father defeat Voldemort the second time. He paid for that with his life. Now he stands ready to fight alongside you. As do we all."

"We're all here, Albus," Sirius said, "to join you in the fight. We are here to help you keep Voldemort defeated. Most of us paid our lives to kill him. We want to ensure that our deaths were not in vain."

"But," Albus began. "But you're all dead. I'm dead. How can we do anything to fight Voldemort here?"

"We will be following you back to the battle," he said as if that made all the sense in the world.

"But I'm dead. There is no part of my soul, or anyone using my blood, to tie me back to the world. I can't go back. And even if I could, I can't take all of you," Albus said.

"Yes you can," Dumbledore said.

"And you ARE going back," Ashley said. "I won't let you die on my account."

"But I want to be with you," Albus said. Ashley fixed him with a determined look. "Ok, if I did want to go back, how could I even get there?"

"You are my Master," a gravely, ancient sounding voice in the middle of the crowd said. "As Master of Death, I am at your command. I will do anything you wish, even send all of these people back for the battle with Voldemort." The crowd parted to reveal an elderly wizard with a long, snow white beard leaning on a scythe. But the man radiated power. It was clear that he was not to be messed with.

"But dad made it clear that he only was able to go back because Voldemort had used his blood. Part of him lived on. He was Master of Death too. Why couldn't he just go back because of that? Why the whole blood thing?"

"He was not Master of Death at the time," the man said. "To be Master of Death, you must possess all the instruments at the same time. When your father died, he had dropped the stone and the wand was possessed by Voldemort. Even if you possess them all, I might not listen to you. However, your interests are the same as mine. I will do as you ask. I will fight with you."

"You will fight with me?" Albus asked.

"Yes," Ashley said. "We all thought the prophecy predicted a big battle against Death. But instead, this is what it predicted. You will fight side by side with Death."

"When?" Albus asked, convinced that there was no way out of the battle.

"In about fifteen minutes," Death said. "When Voldemort breaks through into the Ministry."

"We can't go back sooner?" Albus said. "My dad is out there. Outside the Ministry. I have to protect him. If we're going back, let's go back now and fight in that bookstore."

"I'm sorry Albus," Death said. "Voldemort has already left the book store carrying your two bodies. They are already fighting. The only time we can get you and Ashley back without warning Voldemort is in fifteen minutes. Get ready though. The battle is fierce."

"What's going on down there anyway?" Remus Lupin asked. Death waved his hand at the wall and it transformed into a Television showing complete chaos. Albus couldn't tell a Death Eater from a defender. Chaos, Hermione had succeeded in her goal. Now Albus was ready to get the payoff.

"All right then," he said, looking into Ashley's eyes for strength. He had been so relieved to be done with the war. "Everyone get ready."