I have vague memories on how I died. I recall that morning I was once more running late to catch the bus. Those extra minutes I spent combing my hair to make it look just right, cost me. In all honesty, flexing in front of the mirror after my shower didn't help. At 6'2" I cut an impressive figure. In my early teens, sports helped me lose the remaining baby fat. I always managed to avoid fighting due to my size. My friends knew I was the nicest guy around and had nothing to fear from me. I was a nerd who happened to inhabit a tall and muscular body, but as the idiom goes "Mess with the bull, you get the horns".

As I turned the corner around the block I saw the bus off in the distance. The next one would be another 40 minutes. I hated waiting at the stop for too long. It was always the same with the winos asking me for money and the drug dealers trying to sell me shit. My high school was an hour and a half away by bus. All those stops on two bus lines added up. It's my fault for refusing to leave my friends when we moved across town. I wasn't a social butterfly by any stretch of the imagination, but I was well known. Those true friendships I had made, meant a lot for me to give up.

I always looked forward to getting my license. I was so happy when I did. I just forgot the small matter of buying a car. My mother raised my sister and I on her own, like many others in the neighborhood. Whatever I made slangin burgers went to her. I didn't mind much, we always had food. As I'm waiting for the next bus, I take my very old 4th generation iPod touch out of my bag and select the old Ice Cube album Death Certificate. 'Cube was really angry back then' I thought listening to a few of the tracks. I still couldn't believe it was the same guy from those movies. Time passes on I guess.

My memory becomes hazy after that. I remember noticing two guys in a car pulling up to the stop. They call out and the dude selling drugs approaches them. They talk for a while. Half of the song No Vaseline had passed when I heard loud bangs through my headphones. That's it. 16 years old and that was my life.

Now I'm stuck in a new body. I became someone I'd never imagined existed. Harry Potter. Maybe I should rewind a bit.

I awoke in front of a man wearing a suit. He was a thin older man. He had short brown hair and brown eyes with a hooked nose. He was a couple of inches shorter than I was.

"Sit down" he said to me pointing to a table.

I looked around the room. It looked like a typical pizzeria. I looked back at the table and I saw the man begin to eat a pizza I hadn't seen earlier.

"Who are you?" I asked. "Where am I?".

The man kept chewing for a few seconds and said "Here try this" pushing a plate with a slice close to me.

I felt nervous as to why I was here. Even then, I wasn't going to say no to pizza. 'Who can?'. I joined the man to eat. It was very delicious. I always wondered about Chicago style pizza. As I finished my slice I waited for him to be done. Feeling very thirsty a beer appeared next to me.

'Really?' I thought. I stared at it longingly. I looked at the man.

"Go ahead" he said gesturing with his right hand holding a knife. I noticed a ring on his hand.

I of course had drank beer before, but not in a restaurant or with an adult present. I picked it up and sipped it. It was an IPA from a local brewery that began canning their beer. I took small sips while the man put his pizza away. I couldn't believe he finished the whole thing. He then brought out what appeared to be pickle chips and ate a few.

"Now" he said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You want to know why you're here?".

"Yes" I said taking another sip.

"It's simple. You're dead".

"What!" I said choking and making a mess.

"You're dead". He clarified.

"How? Why? The last thing I remember….".

"You were shot" he said.

"What?"

"Shot. The drug dealer at your bus stop liked to mix baby laxative with his cocaine. His customers who were understandably angry, demanded to get their money back. The man refused and he was shot. You were behind him and took one to the head".

I reached up to touch my forehead then felt around my head. I couldn't find anything.

"You're not going to find anything. You've left the physical world behind".

I brought my hands down and asked "Who are you?".

"You haven't figured it out?" he said.

"Death" I muttered and waited silently.

Death smiled, unnerving me a bit. He ate a few more chips.

"As I said you're dead, but I have an interesting opportunity for you".

"What?" I asked.

"I don't particularly enjoy reaping children, but you were reaped out of necessity. One of my servants reaped one important soul. He felt that the individual would pose a threat to me".

"Who?" I dared to ask.

"Harry Potter" he responded.

"WHO?" I asked believing I misheard him.

"Harry Potter".

"Harry Potter, from the books?" I asked.

"Yes" he said. "What you know as books here in this universe are in fact someone else's life in another".

"Harry Potter. He exists then?".

"Yes I've been telling you" Death said losing his patience.

"Sorry. It's just hard to believe. How can he exist? He's just a fictional character".

"There are infinite universes. It stands to reason that what is fiction in one can be reality in another".

"But how did JKR write those books?".

"Simply said she's a kind of seer. She saw flashes of a young boy's life being played out and that's how the books were born".

"Wow" was all I could say. I of course liked the books, but loved many of the fan fictions online. Harry Crow was my introduction to the world of fan fiction.

"Yes, getting back to business, as I said Harry Potter's soul was reaped by one of my own. I can of course send him back, but he chose to pass in my absence. His body is a husk containing a fragment of Voldemort's soul".

"Wow it all really is real then huh?".

"Yes please let me finish".

I nodded my head and mouthed the word "Sorry".

"Yes, he chose to pass on after discussing his options with a reaper. That shouldn't have happened. That universe needs balance. Without Harry Potter there, Voldemort will evade even me. I won't allow that. So I'm giving you a second chance. Say yes and you'll wake in Harry Potter's body. You will for all intents and purposes be Harry Potter. You will carry his blood in your veins. You will look and sound like him. Say no and you move on, while I ask someone else".

'Cool'. I always wanted to travel. Then the chance to actually see Hogwarts in person excited me.

"What do I have to do?" I asked.

"Play a role" he said. "You've read the books, I need you to lead events to Voldemort's death".

"So to clarify I just let the same things happen like in the books?" I asked. I hated how Sirius died. I hated who Harry ended up with. I just hated everything about how the books ended. I didn't want to live that life. I asked again to clarify "Do I have to make the same life choices as Harry. Do I have to marry Ginny?".

"No. I don't give a damn about your love life. What I need you to do is ensure Voldemort dies. I'm just suggesting using you're knowledge from the books to help you along. If you screw the timeline, it'll be on you to kill him".

I began to think.

"If I agree and you shove me in Harry Potter's body, when and where will I wake up?" I asked unsure. 'He hasn't told me how Harry died'.

"Harry lost his soul to the Dementor that attacked him and his cousin. The aforementioned reaper ensured he was unable to fight back" he said. "He will be punished" he added in a whisper.

Suddenly it clicked to me.

"So he ensured Harry died to avoid him collecting all three Hallows, thus becoming master of death?".

"Yes, the fool wished to be in my good graces, and killed him".

"So does one really become your master if they unite the Hallows?" I asked nervously.

"No" he said as if insulted. "Don't be absurd. Like I said, balance is needed and I want that soul".

"Okay so if I agree what happens?". Will I remember everything? You mentioned my knowledge of the books would help so I'm assuming yes".

"You'll remember everything until you died".

"Will events in the mundane world of that universe occur as they have here?" I asked hoping to have at least some knowledge.

"Yes as long as you don't screw up and let Voldemort win, the mundane world will march forward and events will lead up to resemble this one".

'Time travel'. I remembered the Harry Potter books took place during the 90's. I'll be able to use the knowledge to my benefit. Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, not to mention any of the cryptocurrencies that emerge. Even just with one of these, if one invested wisely, they'd never want for anything. Then thoughts of my mom and sister entered my head. 'How would this affect them?'. I felt horrible getting excited and forgetting them.

"What of my mom?" I asked. "She needs me".

Seeing the look on my face Death said "They'll be okay. Your mom is a strong woman. They'll take care of each other. Your sister will grow up to become a travel photographer like she always dreamed of.

I of course was relieved and at the same time sad i wouldn't see them again.

'One less mouth to feed I guess'.

I once again felt I had to clarify everything and listed my concerns:

"Will I awake in Harry Potter's body with a Dementor next to me?".

"Yes. I'll give you a chance by restraining the Dementors for a few seconds. I'll also return Dudley's soul"

I nodded. 'Who cares about Dudley?'.

"I'll obviously have to use the Patronus to fight it off like in the books, will I be able to use magic?".

"Yes you'll remember Harry's life as well as your own. All his knowledge of his world. Like I said you'll be Harry Potter".

"Okay" I responded.

"I can save Sirius if I want?".

Death nodded.

"I can also begin to destroy the horcruxes early if I choose".

Death silently nodded.

"I can date anyone besides Ginny?".

I once again waited for confirmation. This was an important aspect to me. I really hated the last books.

"I have to die at Voldemort's feet before I can kill him".

"Yes said Death. "I'll pay close attention to ensure none of my reapers take unwanted initiative once more. So have you decided?".

I recalled my life. 'Fuck it'.

"Sure" I said. "Let's do it".

"Excellent" said Death. "One thing, to ensure you acclimate to Harry's life I've erased knowledge of your name".

"What?" I shouted. Then I began to think of my name. I couldn't remember it. I panicked.

"Names are important" he continued. "They carry our sense of selves. By removing it from your memory it'll help you become Harry Potter".

I calmed down and thought it over. 'It makes sense. I imagine it would've taken me a while to get used to being called Harry instead of…instead of?'.

"Damn it".

"Ready to go then?" asked Death.

"Yes" I said after hesitating a bit. "I'm ready".

"I'll give you a gift to help you on your mission" said Death as he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. The last thing my eyes saw was his ring once more and this time I could clearly see the sigil representing the Deathly Hallows.

AN: THIS IDEA KEPT COMING TO ME AS I PONDERED WHAT TO WRITE FOR MY OTHER STORY. IT KEPT BUGGING ME SO I HAD TO JOT IT DOWN. I KNOW A MEXICAN CHARACTER WILL BE WEIRD, BUT HE IS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER MODERN AMERICAN TEEN.