Chapter 1

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The smoke slowly cleared, leaving behind crumbled stone and bodies. They had won but just barely. The bodies of human and beast alike scattered the court in a bloody macabre display of death.

The relief was rampant. But so was desolation.

The Weasley's had lost Fred. Snape was dead. Lavender Brown was dead. So many others were dead. But they could finally grieve for them. It was okay to step back now and cry for their lost ones.

Tom Riddle was gone, destroyed after so many years.

Countless murmurs of relief and sadness gave way to gratitude. Harry and Ron were given praises and hugs.

Hermione received her share of gratitude. Friends and strangers alike. Professors and the like.

But soon enough, she slipped away from it all. She couldn't stand it. She stumbled away from it all. Past the bodies of the dead, only to stop right outside the Great Hall. She gazed at the courtyard, aware of Argus Filch walking by with a slight limp in his gait.

Hermione wasn't walking right either. Her hip throbbed. Her lungs burned. She was bloody tired.

She tripped over a rock.

It wasn't until she was leaning against one of the court pillars that she realized she was dripping...blood. She stared at her body, trying to see but her sight wasn't cooperating with her.

She just needed to rest. To close her eyes and not fear that she would be killed for showing such weakness.

But closing her eyes did nothing.

"You don't belong here."

The cold voice shot chills down her spine. But her mind was still sluggish so she replied thoughtlessly.

"I'm just resting my eyes before I go see Madam Pumfrey."

When the person didn't reply, she made the effort to open her eyes and a gasp escaped her lips. Right in front of her stood the tallest man she had ever seen. He was also wearing a long black robe of leather? What in-

Hermione only then noticed the environment around her. She lurched to her feet as she stared, eyes wide, the fatigue from seconds ago long gone. At least momentarily.

She was standing in a large annular room. There were no windows but it didn't need any because there was no roof. It was also nighttime. But it hadn't been before.

She whirled around as the man moved. She reached for her wand but the blond man shook his head.

"That won't work against me, child."

"Where am I? I was standing...no sitting down right outside the Great Hall…"

"You were dying."

Dying? What? She reached for the wound that had most likely been the cause and found it to be still bleeding.

She glanced up at the man. "Why am I here?"

"I brought you here."

Hermione gawked. She couldn't help it. Something didn't feel right. She wasn't dead but she also wasn't alive. She tried to piece it together but nothing was making sense.

Maybe it wasn't something she should care about. The weakness from before began to invade her mind. The dullness. She would have closed her eyes again but the man snapped his fingers.

"Don't close your eyes. You haven't made a decision yet."

"What does it matter now? I'm obviously going to die and I'm honestly tired. I just want to close my eyes for a bit."

"You speak to me with such ease, human. But let me tell you something in case you haven't figured it out. I'm Death. I'm what others call a Grim Reaper. I'm what comes next after living. But I'm also what stands between you and the other side."

Hermione swallowed hard. If what he said was true...she should be alarmed.

But that was the crux of the problem, wasn't it? She just didn't have it in her to care. Already her mind was retreating. The only thing that held her interest was the entity in front of her. Despondency filled her mind and body. Finding it hard to care or even stay awake was becoming harder with every second that passed.

"Death shouldn't be taken lightly. Have you lost all spirit? Was it my mistake in giving you a choice?"

Hermione didn't know. "What kind of choice? To go back or go forward?"

"To die or live."

She felt like he was playing with the words. They didn't sound truthful but neither were they lies. She narrowed her eyes and held back a groan as she straightened her spine, facing Death head-on.

"Why do I get the feeling that what you just said has nothing to do with what I asked?"

"At least you know that. But I will say this. In the world you were in, you accepted death. Therefore, you are going to die permanently if you decide to go back to it."

"You already chose for me with those words."

"I knew you weren't a coward. But I must warn you, the decision will cost you something."

"But I have nothing else to lose."

"You will."

He stepped forward and lifted one hand. He held out a gold goblet full to the brim with dark liquid. "Drink this."

Hermione's hand trembled with pain as she accepted it. He didn't step away from her and instead looked at her with such dark eyes. The power in them was nothing a human could ever hope to replicate. That much power would annihilate them.

She held up the goblet up to her lips and tasted the liquid.

"Finish it, Hermione Jean Granger. It is not time yet for you to greet me so willingly."

"What is in it for you if I do this?"

"You will eventually figure it out. But I will say this. I'm not good and I'm not bad. I'm what greets you at the end of the road. And sometimes, I help those that have merited it."

Death made sense and yet...

She didn't look away from Death and when she swallowed the last of it. He just smirked and gently touched the side of her face.

It was the last thing she saw.

...o0o0o0o0o...

New story. Will be longer and a bit darker than what I've ever written. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Vanee