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Harry Potter died young.
That’s what they all said, reading the newspaper, watching the news, listening to whispers down corridors and telling old acquaintances they met on the street.
It was tragic.
They said it the first time.
And they said it the second time.
And, eventually, they said it the third time.
Of course, after surviving the killing curse twice, most were loathed to believe he was gone for good, but, when the funeral came and went, and the ministry put out an official statement, when time went by and pilgrims gathered at his grave, it came to pass that the boy who lived was gone for good.
Barely 70, how tragic.
And it was. Tragic, I mean.
Harry Potter had a tragic life, filled with death and loss, some of it his own, a lot of it others, and then he died.
Except, to Harry at least, death changed throughout his life, from something tragic, to something tangible, to something comfortingly inevitable. It was the inevitability of it all that he quite liked, with things changing as they tended to do, at least there was some constant to anchor himself to.
Besides all that, Harry knew it wasn’t the end. Had died too many times to know that you didn’t just stop existing, whether you went to Kings cross or somewhere else it didn’t matter, all that mattered was that, even after it all, you carried on.
So, Harry Potter died, again.
He was young for a wizard, barely in his 70s. He left behind friends and family, people that he loved, but he’d see them again, of that he was more than sure.
He never wished for more time, that was something that got you killed. Wishing for something you never had just made it bittersweet when it was taken from you.
That’s how it worked.
Harry Potter died young: at 1 years old, at 17 years old and, again, at 72.
Harry Potter was not the only person to die young.
Harry Potter was not the only black-haired 17-year-old not to make it through a war, no.
Regulus Black died young, 17 and drowned in a cave, killed by the burning water in his lungs, and crushing hands of inferni as they pulled him below the waves, the surface eventually falling still as he flailed desperately, trying to make his way to the surface, trying to summon Kreatur, trying to call for help.
He didn’t resurface.
Regulus Black was 17 with black, curly hair and pale skin when he died, and no one knew about it.
Harry Potter was not the only person to die young.
James Potter was 21 when he died, reckless and brave, he stood in the doorway and hoped that Lily would run, hoped that Harry would grow up knowing he was loved, hoped that Sirius and Remus’s wedding wouldn’t be held up again because of this.
Hope that sputtered out when he saw Peter’s grimacing face in his doorway, a billowing cloak behind him.
He didn’t even have his wand.
Harry Potter was not the only person to die young.
Lily Evans was 21 when she died, looking into the eyes that had taken everything from her, Alice and Frank, Marlene, and so many others, probably James as well. She only wished Harry would survive this, there was nothing else she could do for him now.
Harry Potter was not the only person to die young.
Sirius Black died at 36, looking over the two people he loved most. Remus pulled Harry away as Sirius felt himself falling. He didn’t want to leave them. Didn’t want to go yet, he had to tell Remus, had to run with Moony again, had to take Harry to all the places they’d wanted to go together.
He didn’t want to go.
Harry Potter was not the only person to die young.
Remus Lupin was 38 when he died, he was trying to protect Tonks, trying to protect at least one member of the Black family. She’d just had a child as well; Remus had been helping her take care of little Teddy since his father was killed in a death eater ambush last year. Remus didn’t want to leave Harry either, he was only really Professor Lupin to the boy, but it was all he had left.
Some secret selfish part of himself wanted to go though, wanted to see if Sirius was there waiting for him.
…………………………………………………………….
Heaven was fine, pretty with a lot more sunshine than Regulus typically enjoyed back down there in real life, but while he was here, quite alone, he found it reminded him of a boy with glasses and a girl with red hair on lazy afternoons in some quiet corner of a castle.
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, daydreaming, but he supposed it was easy to be caught up when you didn’t need to be anywhere.
The grass was green and the sky was bright and time went on.
Interrupting his thoughts, a giant oak tree bloomed suddenly from the ground, decorating the solitary landscape that surrounded him, the rolling hills of plush green grass with occasional patches of daisies now complemented with a giant sprawling tree that spread its roots quickly and created a canopy far above his head.
How peculiar.
After a few minutes of darting around the trees sprouting branches, Regulus inspected the new addition, becoming somewhat covered by the thing as he circled its wide trunk and looked up to its spiralling leaves.
Once he’d done a lap of the tree, seeing nothing of interest, he moved back from under its canopy, back to his original spot in the gleaming sunshine.
“Regulus?”
His head whipped up as he heard an achingly familiar voice. Covering his eyes to shield the sun, he only had a moment’s notice before he was engulfed in a breath-taking hug, glasses nudging at his shoulder as strong arms wrapped around his body.
“J- James?”
“My love. I... We thought. Oh.” By the tone of James’s voice and the droplets appearing on Regulus’s shoulder, it seemed like James had just had some great epiphany.
Falling to his knees, James continued to sob as Regulus tried to process what was going on, scooping his sobbing boyfriend into his arms as he did so.
“James, what-“
James was kissing him, it was wet and desperate, and Regulus had missed it so, so much.
“I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry.”
“James, James you have to stop. What’s wrong?” Regulus tried to brush some of the tears off his lover's cheeks, but it only made them fall faster.
“You’re dead” James croaked out.
Regulus let out a slightly disbelieving laugh as James looked up at him incredulously, “I am aware, love.”
“But you didn’t… You weren’t-“ James descended into another fit of tears and Regulus just held the other boy close, head tucked under his chin.
After some time, how long Regulus really couldn’t tell, time moved strangely in a place like this, James pulled back and placed his forehead on Regulus’s.
They stayed there for a while, breathing the same air until a breeze started in the clearing, blowing through the branches, and sending some leaves to the ground.
That had never happened before.
Regulus lifted his head, looking for the source of the wind, his breath stopped as he caught sight of a girl stood not so far from them.
She was turning slowly, trying to figure out where she was probably, but once she caught sight of the pair she stopped dead, “Reggie?”
Then she was running, running at full speed until she crashed to the ground next to them and collided with the pair, pulling them both into a bone-crushing hug as tears stained her cheeks.
“Oh, oh” she sounded heartbroken as she kissed cheeks and temples and eyebrows and noses and every piece of skin she could find.
“But- but you shouldn’t be here.”
Pulling away to look upon the faces of his lovers, Regulus took in their devastated expressions before opening his mouth.
James beat him to it, however, “How… How did you die?”
“James”
“Lily, I have to know”
“You- you didn’t find Kreatur.” It couldn’t have all been for nothing, he didn’t die for Voldemort not to be defeated.
“No.”
“You didn’t find the locket”
He died for nothing.
“No, no. Regulus please don’t cry,” it was only then Regulus noticed the tears flowing down his cheeks and the look on the other's faces.
“I” he rubbed his hand carelessly across his face, “I drowned.”
Lily wrapped him in a loosed hug as she whispered apologies to his temple, trying to keep her own tears at bay.
“When?” James had a steely expression, like he was just trying to get through the hard stuff before he would pick up his two lovers and never let them go again.
“I ummmm. When did you two?”
James cleared his throat before speaking, but it still came out scratchy from the tears, “1981, Halloween. Voldemort came to the house. Harry.”
James’s eyes flooded with tears again as he said the name, though Regulus was a bit confused. Lily just clutched Regulus a little tighter, pressing her own quiet sobs into his curly hair.
“2 years ago, 1979.” Regulus cut through the quiet sobs which, despite his best efforts, just made the pair sob harder, until he worried they wouldn’t be able to breathe soon.
James pulled them both close then, his two loves flush against his chest as he tried to stop the floods of tears that spilt down his cheeks and rested in Regulus’s hair.
“It’s a good thing I’m not Sirius or else I’d have something to say about my hair.”
……………………………………
Bellatrix, really. Of all the ways he could possibly go, he had to be killed by bloody Bellatrix. Sirius always thought he’d die someway spectacular, some stunt on his motorbike, or some magic that was just too complicated.
He refused to think of all the times he genuinely thought he would be killed by dementors or that one time he thought Harry was going to kill him.
Standing on a dirt path, Sirius turned to look at a young forest, by the looks of the trees, all oaks, the whole thing couldn’t be more than 15 years old, probably less.
The road was a simple path of stone and dirt with plush grass on either side and a cool breeze that ruffled his long hair.
He felt better than he had in a long time, his skin no longer greying like it had done in life.
That was definitely a plus. He needed it though if he was going to be tormented for all of eternity.
Despite how nice it all looked, Sirius was sure it would turn bad as he started along the winding path and into the forest.
As he walked, hair gently blowing, tree’s passing around him with a lush greenness, he thought on it all. On all that he had done, and all he’d failed to do.
He was certain he did not deserve to be somewhere this peaceful, though, as no one appeared for miles, he did dwell on the idea that he simply didn’t deserve to be with anyone in the end, that no one wanted him.
His parents certainly wouldn’t want to share an afterlife with him.
He’d failed to protect Marlene, failed to save her and her family, she wouldn’t take him.
Regulus was… Well, Sirius didn’t even know if Regulus was dead, he’d just disappeared one day and never came home. Sirius didn’t think Regulus would want to spend forever with him anyway.
James and Lily.
They would never forgive him for being so bloody stupid, for running after Wormtail instead of up the stairs to Harry. In Sirius’s defence, he couldn’t bear to look, not at first. The house had been blown to smithereens and Harry couldn’t off survived it, not really.
So, Sirius had run after a shadow, nothing left to lose.
Marlene was dead, Dorcas growing closer and closer to obliviating herself each day.
Regulus and Remus were both MIA, or at least that’s what it said on their records at the Order, the cold creeping in Sirius’s chest telling him they were both dead had been deafening over the last few weeks as he paced his cold flat, alone.
James and Lily…
James and Lily and poor little Harry were gone now, so it was Sirius’s job to finish this, once and for all.
Peter would die, hopefully, take Sirius with him in the fight, and it would end.
The Marauder's map would become another piece of parchment.
The adventure would be over.
Except that’s not what happened.
Sirius kept going, and so did Peter, and so, miraculously, did Remus and Harry, even if Sirius was separated from them.
Sirius dwelled on it all, on Buckbeak and quidditch and how much it pulled at his heartstrings that he couldn’t be with Remus and Harry in the end.
He tried not to think of the looks on their faces as he faded away to the veil.
He had been walking for a long time, feet moving of their own accord as he thought on it all.
He’d been walking so long, the thicket of trees still unchanging, that he didn’t even think of the important things anymore, instead wrestling with the idea of why he ever thought three-piece suits were better suited to him than leather.
He had his old jacket on now, the one that never left his side in his later years at Hogwarts, the one that his Moony had gifted him for Christmas in 4th year.
As his thought lingered on his Moony and the forest around him, a dangerous idea crossed his mind.
“I wonder…”
Steeling himself for it not to work, Sirius leapt for the ground, landing solidly on four paws.
He panted, joy like lightning in his thrumming body.
Howling as he ran, Padfoot bounded through the underbrush, letting stray twigs and leaves weave themselves into his thick, black fur. He used to do it deliberately when they went out on full moons, because the next day, in the comfort of the hospital wing, Moony would grumble at him for however long it took to untangle the blasted things from his hair. It was their ritual and Sirius, secretly, loved every part of it, especially Moony’s hands in his hair.
Distracted by the wind whipping past his ears, Padfoot missed the first few shouts of his name.
“Sirius?”
“Remus?”
“Sirius, you arse, it better be you.”
“Moony”
“Siri”
“Padfoot”
That was what finally caught his attention.
He stopped, turning his head frantically to try and determine which direction the sound was coming from.
He heard the crunch of leaves and, before thinking any further, went bounding towards it.
Not stopping as a face of absolute joy turned into a look of horror as a big, black dog came barrelling into the clearing, Sirius knocking Regulus clean off his feet.
“Pads” that came from another voice and he turned his face away from licking Regulus to see James, arms outstretched and beaming.
Continuing, Sirius bawled James over, licking all over the boy’s face and sending his glasses flying.
“Jesus, Siri, can’t stay human even in the afterlife” Regulus grinned as he got back to his feet, moving to drag the massive dog of his boyfriend.
Padfoot only gave a playful bark as he was pulled from James’s prone form and scratched happily behind his ears.
“Sirius” A different voice called him then and, as Lily drew into the clearing, he decided it was time and went back to his two legs, moving to clutch the redhead in a tight embrace.
“You’re alright?” She whispered it quietly in his ear as they embraced.
He just smiled, catching her eyes as they pulled apart.
James practically tackled him again, jumping on his back and ruffling his hair, “Come on Pads, you’ve got to tell us everything. What was the wedding like? Did Remus cry a lot? I had a bet with Marlene saying that Remus would cry, she thought it would be you. What about Harry? Which house is he in? What about flying? He’s good at flying right? Do we have grandkids? Is Remus joining us soon?”
It was too much, he never thought he’d have to tell them everything.
Never thought that he would have to see their faces of anger as he told them it was all his fault.
He ran.
He knew it was cowardly.
But that’s who he was, wasn’t it?
Just the Black boy who couldn’t face being in Slytherin so had asked to be in Gryffindor, had asked to follow a little scarred boy he barely knew, over his family.
He ran, because he couldn’t bear to tell them the truth, for them to finally know it all.
He’d told Remus, not so long ago.
They’d been tucked in Grimmauld place, Sirius unable to go outside, and he couldn’t take it.
He’d said everything: about asking the hat to be in Gryffindor, about Peter and Harry and Azkaban and about the whole sorry mess of it all.
Remus had just kissed him.
Kissed his cheeks and his tears and fingers and promised that none of it was his fault, that Remus would never have forgiven him if he’d abandoned him in Gryffindor by himself, that Harry understood and that James, Lily and Regulus would understand too.
Now, faced with telling them, Sirius wasn’t so sure they would.
………………………………………
James wasn’t sure what happened.
He didn’t have to do a lot of hard thinking anymore, being dead and all, but he was certain his best friend, now also recently deceased, was not supposed to go bolting into the thicket upon their first meeting after gods knows how long.
“You couldn’t have eased him into it.” Regulus gave him a long-suffering look as he began in the direction his brother had just run off in, be it at a much slower pace.
Lily fell in step, admonishing James lightly as the trio headed off after their recently deceased friend.
“Harry might be in Slytherin”
“Or maybe Remus and Sirius never got married”
“Or maybe Sirius doesn’t want to talk about it, love. Whatever the truth is, we will respect it” Regulus looked at his two lovers as they eyed each other conspiratorially.
“Maybe Harry really is in Slytherin” Lily added as they carried on through the trees, eyeing up the new dirt path as they came across it.
“So what if he is” Regulus smiled, “He’ll be taking after his other dad.”
Lily and James beamed as they caught up to take Regulus’s hands, had Regulus been alive, of course he would’ve been Harry’s dad, and they wanted him to see it that way, even if the final decision came down to Harry as to who he saw as his actual parents, most likely Moony and Pads James thought.
It was a long time before they heard the slow sniffles coming from a nearby tree. Sirius had tucked himself into the tall branches of a flourishing tree, foliage reaching towards the sun and creating a green canopy above them all.
“You remember that time you tried to climb the whomping willow?”
Sirius sniffled a bit more, before answering in a croaking voice, “Course I do, Moons still talked about it last Christmas.” He chuckled a bit, whipping at the tears on his cheeks.
“Good to know some things never change.”
Climbing into the tree, the other three perched precariously, all within arms reach of Sirius, who sat propped up against the trunk of the great oak.
“How old were you?”
“36”
“Oh Pads, what…”
“Happened? Bloody Bellatrix.”
“After all this time, she still wasn’t arrested?”
“Yeah, course she was, after the first war. But she got out with the rest of them. Though I would like to add, they all had bucket loads of help and some of them still didn’t get out, some of us had to do that shit by ourselves.” Sirius chuckled to himself like he had told a funny joke.
The others just looked horrified.
“You were in-“
“Azkaban, yeah. First to ever escape though, so I think that counts for something.”
“How- How long?”
“Oh, well, 12 years give or take.”
“Oh my god”
“What… What did you do?”
“Well, you died didn’t you, and I was your secret keeper.”
“Peter was our-“
“Yeah, but no one else knew that, and when I chased after Peter, cause he’d killed you all, he got away… no one bothered to check. Didn’t even get a trial, didn’t know Harry or Remus were alive for the first few years.”
“Siri”
“But surely Remus-“
“He was missing for months after, turns out one of the packs had turned on him but he couldn’t leave because they kept threatening to hunt us all down. Remus didn’t know we were all already gone. By the time he got back, the war was over, and no one would listen. I forgave him a long time ago.”
“But Dorcas…”
“Obliviated herself November 1st.”
“But Harry?”
“Was sent to live with Petunia, Dumbledore wouldn’t tell anyone where he was and there was no one left to ask.”
“But Petunia-”
“Yeah”
“She’s-”
“I know”
“First war?” Regulus cut in for the first time now.
“Well, it never ended, not really. Harry got older, Voldemort came back and now it’s as it was before. Kids dying, ministry falling apart. It’s all the same.”
“But we all died.” Lily sounded so small as the words spilled from her mouth, the realisation that it could have all been for nothing landing heavily in her mind.
Regulus just sat in silence, he knew why it hadn’t worked, why was he so stupid? Why couldn’t he have made sure the others found the locket?
“Is Harry a Slytherin?”
“Bravest Gryffindor I’ve ever met” Sirius beamed as the topic changed to Harry, “He’s brilliant, Prongs, so smart and kind. Gets himself into heaps of trouble which I really wish he’d stop, but he’s so amazing. Youngest seeker in 100 years, made Gryffindor first year, wicked on a broom. Oh, and he’s such a good wizard. I know that doesn’t matter, but he could do a full Patronus at 13 and it’s a stag. I’m so proud of him.”
Sirius continued raving, not seeing the looks of devoted attention he was getting as the other three tried to soak up any information about their boy that they could.
………………………………………………..
Remus wasn’t sore, that was the first thing that made him suspicious.
The ground was soft, that was the second thing, not the hard stone of Hogwarts, nor the wood floors of Grimmauld place.
Curious.
Stretching out, Remus knew something was wrong as he didn’t feel the tug of scar tissue across his back, a pain that had been with him for some 10 years now.
Moving, he felt the soft grass between his fingers as he sat up, watched a flock of birds overhead and, in the distance, could hear animals chirp and wriggle through a blooming forest. It was beautiful, but Remus couldn’t imagine why he’d ended up here.
He always thought, when he died, for that was surely what had happened, that he would either be with Pads, or he would be in some terrible place with howling and screams and, probably, fire.
He never thought he’d be alone, though that did make sense, he always hated being alone, liked to have the option to go seek people out if he wanted to.
Huffing, he got to his feet and began down the dirt track that led into the forest, admiring the scenery, and looking out for the bugs and animals that he came across.
It took him a long time to realise that his hearing was excellent, as well as all his other senses; they’d always been good, obviously, but now reminded him of when he was much younger, when he would sit curled up on the Hogwarts express because, without even trying, he could hear every conversation on board, smell what people 3 carriages over had for dinner.
It didn’t overwhelm him now like it had all that time ago, instead, he found he rather enjoyed feeling one with it all. Being a part of it all.
It felt like he wasn’t pushing it away anymore, like he’d always done, like his body had finally realised that he was the wolf and the man, and that one didn’t need to be exercised for the other to survive.
“I wonder…”
Smoothly, he descended to four paws, four massive paws – he didn’t know he was this big, having never kept his mind before during his transformations.
He howled, and he ran, and he rubbed trees and smelt the soft breeze and heard the scurrying feet and just felt the world around him, far more in contact with it all than he’d ever been alive.
It was a while before he stopped, the world carrying on around him as he lay down in the long grass, snuffling at the dirt as he heard the ants and worms moving around beneath the dirt.
This wasn’t so bad, even if he had to do it all alone.
He’d always been alone, really, so it didn’t make any difference, he’d had a few great years where people cared and he loved so deeply, but that was all eclipsed by what came before and by what had come after. So maybe this just proved he was meant for solitude.
He just needed to be content to be alone.
He rolled around, lazing on his back in the great summer sunshine, a strong breeze blowing over him, the forest in sight and the path calling his name whenever he wanted to run through it again.
He closed his eyes and slept.
………………………………………………………
They’d been talking about having another go at 4-person quidditch, when a sound pierced the air, leading them all into a startling silence.
Sirius was off before the others could even comprehend what was going on, running for the forest, and dodging trees, shouting as he went, “MOONY.”
“Why would he-“ But Lily’s question was cut off as the other three rose to their feet and followed after Sirius, bounding through the forest, and quietly moving to paws and hooves in order to try and catch the big, black dog that had just appeared in front of them.
They ran for a long time, darting under logs and flying over stumps and laughing and howling and panting as they went, following the noises of a massive animal galloping through the underbrush.
Eventually, they came out to a big clearing of grass, a field clear of trees and moss, and stopped just behind Sirius, now back to two legs as he just watched over the grass.
There, on his back, lay Remus.
He looked content as he lay in the afternoon sun, asleep and happy as the group looked upon him.
“Moony” it was a whisper and, before the others could comment to just let Remus rest, Sirius had bounded over, practically buzzing with excitement, and tucked himself neatly into Remus’s side. Pulling the taller boy's arm around himself and resting his head on the soft jumper on Remus’s torso, only giving one beaming look up at his lover's face before contently laying his own head down to rest.
The others just looked on, slightly slack-jawed at the tenderness with which Sirius moved now, they’d seen it at Hogwarts of course, but it had been a long time, even in this world that seemed to move without time.
They’d seen the way Sirius battled with himself, how dearly he wished to see Remus and Harry and all the others again, but how, obviously, he didn’t want their lives to be cut short, either.
Grabbing two sets of hands, Lily moved the three of them nearby to the soft grass and began knitting together a chain of daisies as they conversed quietly, James and Regulus joining in the daisy chain until it became a monstrous thing that covered them all, in some way or another.
……………………………………………..
Something was tickling his nose.
He could feel all ten fingers, so he really hoped it wasn’t a worm.
He was going to brush the thing off and roll over, but as he made to move, Remus realised that another body was tucked close to his, and his arm was draped across the man, pulling him in closer by his waist.
There was only one person who would be so bold as to tuck next to Remus in his sleep.
Sirius.
A smile crept up his face and he placed a kiss on the mop of black curls that sat under his chin. He could feel Sirius’s answering smile as the smaller man tucked closer, burying his face in Remus’s neck.
“Ew. You two are literally disgusting, we’re right here.” Remus smiled wider, he knew that voice, hadn’t heard it in a long, long time.
Opening his eyes, Remus chuckled as he watched James clamp his hand over Regulus’s mouth, only moving away with a shriek when the boy licked his palm.
“Took you long enough” Lily added as Remus and Sirius sat up together, Sirius unwilling to let Remus move his arm from around the boy's waist.
“So, did you take care of Harry? Did he make tryouts for any of the league teams? Did he become an Auror? Are there even tinier versions of James running about?”
Remus’s smile faltered only minutely, and he took a deep breath as he looked into his lover's eyes, “A war came, Sirius. You know, as well as I, how close we were and then Cedric died, and then you and then Dumbledore, and everything got worse. Harry went missing before his last year at Hogwarts, went chasing down Horcruxes after he found a locket, I haven’t seen him since then. I know he was at Hogwarts when the battle started but, I didn’t see him before half the castle collapsed on my head.”
“But…”
“It’s only been 2 years Pads, not even that. Couldn’t live without you, could I?”
They were all silent for a while, sitting with the knowledge that everything they fought for, everything they died for, was on the line once again.
Sirius pulled Remus a little closer as he asked, “Is Harry- Does he” he huffed before he tried again, “Did he- Was he ok? After everything, he was still Harry?”
Sirius fidgeted as Remus took a big breath, “He… You could see it was all weighing on him. I tried- We all tried to help in some way but, he’s the ‘chosen one’, the one that’s going to end this, one way or another, and there was only so much we could all do. He stayed with me the summer after you, well y’know. It was brilliant. He’s so smart and kind and he just liked being around people, I think. I haven’t seen him in some time, wouldn’t let me go with him when he went looking for Horcruxes, though I can’t blame him for that. They began tracking werewolves again when the war started proper.”
Lily just closed her eyes, couldn’t look at the tired eyes anymore, didn’t want to dwell on all the things Remus had been through when they weren’t there for him.
It was at that moment, a dull crackling startled the group out of their melancholy, it sounded like phone static ringing through the quiet of the grassy field.
Standing, the group formed some kind of semicircle as a light flashed into the clearing, though the flickering nature of it put them all on edge.
“Remus”
Harry’s voice cut through the clearing as he held a small stone in his hand.
“Harry” Remus exhaled as he rushed to the boy, pulling him into a tight hug, Sirius not far behind as the three embraced each other tightly.
“Harry you’re not- You didn’t-“
“Not yet”
“Not ever”
Regulus, Lily, and James stood back, watching the cryptic conversation in front of them with tear-stained eyes.
That was Harry.
Their Harry.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, needed some courage, didn’t I? Voldemort being all bent on killing me and all.” He laughed shyly as the others remained silent.
“How- How?”
“The stone. It’s the deathly hallows one, allows you to see dead people. I think that’s why I’m all staticky, I’m not supposed to be here yet.”
“Not for a very long time.” Sirius looked very stern as he looked into Harry’s eyes.
“Deathly Hallows, theirs a legend in my family that that’s where the cloak came from.” James finally found his voice but, as Harry turned to look at him, he quickly fell silent again.
Harry beamed, looking upon Lily, Regulus and James like they were his heroes, “I figured. Draco thinks that I’m the rightful owner of the elder wand as well so, I could be the master of death. Let’s hope that’s true or else this meeting could go rather poorly.”
“Harry James Potter, don’t you dare get yourself killed.” Regulus started then, moving towards the boy to scold the mischievous look on his face, only stopping when Harry looked at him with wide eyes.
“Your-“
“Harry” Sirius stepped in, “This is my brother, Regulus.”
“I know” Harry’s eyes watered, and he launched himself at Regulus, hugging him close.
Regulus stayed ramrod straight for a moment, before closing his arms tightly around the boy and holding him close.
Pulling away, Harry sniffled, “I found the locket, only reason I haven’t died yet, I imagine” he beamed, “Plus, your portrait in Grimmauld place is very chatty.”
Regulus’s face dropped, “It’s not.”
“It most certainly is, you’re in the hallway at the moment, talk up a storm whenever anyone enters the house. Told me all sorts of stuff about dear old Pads” Harry beamed at Sirius as he went pale, “and about Mum and Dad.”
Harry smiled at the pair stood at some distance from the rest.
It was at that moment that Harry’s flickering began to get worse, and he pulled back to look at the whole group again.
“See you soon”
He dropped the stone and kicked it away, hopefully, no one would find it for a good while. Smile brighter than it had been, Harry continued his trek through the forest towards his death, at least he knew where he was going.
“He really does look an awful lot like me, doesn’t he?”
…………………………………………………………….
Turns out if you walk, and just keep walking, you could come across just about anything.
James and Lily had reunited with their parents, Sirius and Regulus blessedly had not, but they’d all met up with just about everyone they could find.
Having to tell Marlene about Dorcas was hard, harder still having to tell Fleamont and Euphemia about what happened, again, hard to tell Hope and Lyall that Remus had been alone in it all.
Their slice of the afterlife was an old forest, with space to run and tree’s to climb, but other people had different things.
Fred had a joke shop, a place regularly frequented by the group, Fleamont and Euphemia had ruins of an old castle, Hope and Lyall a heather field with whistling winds, Marlene had a quidditch pitch, but the miles were endless.
They all came home at the end of the day though, all crashed somewhere in the deep, dark wood, though usually in some heap on top of each other.
Like this, at the end of it all, it was easy to forget what was happening down there, easy to forget the mess the world had gotten itself into.
Harry didn’t reappear, so they all assumed that was good news, even if the worries still picked at them like vultures on a hot day.
But time passed, as time tends to do, though they were not so aware of it, already dead, as it were.
…………………………………………………..
Harry Potter died young.
But he was never going to be one to live forever.
No, he lived a good life, though it was always defined by those not there. He died with friends and family who would miss him, though he had no doubt he would see them again.
As it was, one day he simply disappeared, and everyone understood, even if it took them all a little while. He was 72.
The world was bright when he woke up after his death, the sun beating down on him as he opened his eyes, slowly blinking.
“Took you long enough” Oh how he’d missed that voice, even if it had been different when he’d known it.
“Sirius”
Sirius was smiling down at him as he lay in the grass, Remus looking down at him from the other side.
“You alright, Harry?”
“Never better”