AN: I do not own Harry Potter.

Harry Haunted

"So the traitor is dead."

"No, he's not. He had a vow of protection towards Harry yes, but he didn't change his mark."

"Actually, he was a traitor. He was sworn to Voldemort, yet spied for Dumbledore. He had vowed to protect you, yet didn't fulfil that right. Therefore, he broke all his vows. It was no wonder that his magic was killing him in the end."

"His magic? Are you sure that he didn't poison himself on purpose? Failed vows hurt, sure, but killing him? Is there proof of that?"

"Well, it depends whether or not he knew how badly he was failing Harry or betraying Voldemort. If he knew, it would obviously punish him more than if he wasn't. This is a case where 'ignorance is bliss' is somewhat accurate."

Harry debated entering the room after hearing that snippet of conversation. Unfortunately, he had to. He knew that there were many in the group that met now that were not of the mindset that the deceased potions master/spy wasn't loyal to either side that he worked for. It was the same with all of the marked followers, however. They swore their loyalties, but it didn't take into account what was already sworn, whether it was Snape to Lily, many old families to their family lines, or even to friends from school. It was that lee way in loyalty that had allowed Snape to act as he did, because he was doing it with the same amount of loyalty that he had had for the woman at the time of his marking.

"Do I say something about that?" wondered Harry.

"It would make good sense, if you felt loyalty to the man at all," said a voice. It was a voice that felt familiar for some reason.

"I kind of do," replied Harry.

"Well, show it then," said the voice, rather offendedly.

It was at this point that Harry noticed that familiar sounding though the voice may be, he couldn't place it at the top of his head. For that reason, he was rather curious and cautious as he turned to face the unknown voice. There in front of Harry, in the shadow of the doorframe, was the shining shape of a young boy.

Upon noticing that Harry had seen him, the boy ghost drifted away and faded as he left.

Harry was suddenly very curious about this young ghost, but he put it from his mind for the moment as he stepped from the doorway.

The room quieted when they noticed him.

"Excuse me, but you seem to have some misconceptions about how the marks work..."


Death hovered. While he was an individual deity, he was also able to be in many places at once, for all that he occasionally delegated some task to some soul just for some conversation and variation to routine. It didn't matter if people worshipped his in one manifestation or not, she was still around. He did have a very few actual immortal fellows, at least one of which he had helped. Right now he was keeping an eye on a green-eyed boy, with a destiny he didn't know if the boy could fulfil.

The boy's destiny, what was it, do you ask? It was to join the Hallows together. While it might seem right now that the boy's destiny was to rule, the answer was different. The boy was to be worshipped along with him, as his companion, as a psychopomp. Unlike various aspects of life, there was not much difference in the various aspects that went into the dead. Death the thing was fairly on point, so the various psychopomps, while living really long lives, would usually die after a set amount of time.

Meanwhile, he sent spirits to watch the boy and send him messages.