Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: I've never had an idea like this before, but I hope you all find it interesting. It came to me when I was in the shower this morning. Please give me feedback, it would really be appreciated. Hopefully people have good ideas in showers! My grandmother actually used to sing a song called "Showers are Blessings," and hopefully it will ring true for me! Rest in peace, Nana, and know your song stays with me!

A Long-Buried Demon

By: ChoCedric

"REDUCTO!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

"CRUCIO!"

"PROTEGO!"

Spells flew back and forth as Harry, along with his long-time best friend Ron Weasley, and some others in their Auror squad battled Voldemort's remaining Death Eaters; some of them had not been captured at the Dark Lord's fall several years before, and were trying to finish what he had started. The Aurors, who were desperately trying to fight them off and survive, were using all the skills they had learned in Hogwarts and beyond.

As Harry fought for his life, thoughts swam through his head of his beautiful fiancee, Ginny, and his other best friend, Hermione. Ginny was currently playing on a Quidditch team, the Harpies, and Hermione was working in Law Enforcement in the Ministry. How far they had come since Hogwarts!

It had been a struggle, but Harry had tried to face his demons of survivor's guilt since the war had ended. There would always be a hole in the Weasley family because of the absence of Fred, and he missed the professorly advice of Remus and the pure joy for life that Tonks had had. But gradually, he was learning that he hadn't been at fault for their deaths.

"HARRY, WATCH OUT!"

Ron's sudden yell caused Harry to look around, but by the time he did, it was way too late. Nott, the Death Eater he had been duelling, had yelled a spell, and a purple light was zooming towards Harry at breakneck speed. He realized with dread that it was the spell that Antonin Dolohov had sent at Hermione back in the Department of Mysteries. However, this time, the spell had been spoken, and Harry saw his life flash before his eyes as he realized that this was probably it.

He thought of Ginny, and hoped that she would move on, that she would find someone else that would love and cherish her as much as Harry had. He thought of Ron and Hermione, who were already married, and hoped they would learn to live without him. He thought of the remaining Weasleys and silently thanked them for all they had done for him.

And it was at that moment that the light hurtled into his chest. The last thing he heard was Ron screaming Harry's name in pure terror before his entire world went black.

xxx

Harry was walking through a grassy meadow. He didn't know how he had gotten here, and he was getting very frustrated. He didn't know which way he was supposed to go, and eventually figured that he should just keep walking. What am I doing here? he wondered silently for what felt like the millionth time.

Suddenly, a flood of memories washed over him. And the last thing he remembered was the screamed spell, the purple light, his name being shouted, and blackness. And now this.

As he kept walking, he saw a figure up ahead. I'm dead, he thought as he broke into a run. That must be why I'm here, in this unknown meadow. And who was waiting for him?

As he began to get closer to the figure, he slowly began to recognize him. And it was the last person he expected to see. And it brought back another flood of memories, and a demon he hadn't yet been able to conquer, a demon he'd buried so deeply that he'd been able to not think about it. But now it came back to him in crystal clear clarity.

He felt his knees give out from under him, and the next thing he knew, he had collapsed to the ground, his backside landing on the grass with a thump.

The figure travelled the rest of the way to him, and he sat down on the grass next to Harry, an unreadable expression on his visage. Emerald green eyes stared into brown as Harry gasped out, "Pr-professor?"

Professor Quirrell looked meaningfully at Harry, and when he spoke, his voice was full of guilt and sorrow. "Harry."

The two continued to stare at each other, and finally, after minutes of silence, Harry said, "I'm dead, aren't I?"

"Not quite," answered Professor Quirrell softly. "You're in St. Mungo's now. The Healers are doing their best to save you. The curse Nott placed upon you was an organ-damaging curse, and your lungs and heart almost gave out. But you have a choice; you can either go back, or stay here and be reunited with the loved ones you have lost."

Merlin, Harry thought, the severity of the situation sinking in. What should he do? It would be so easy, so easy to leave the world behind and go on to see everyone that he had loved and lost, but at the same time ...

"You may not want to listen to me, Harry, but I think you should go back," Quirrell said quietly. "Your Ginny hasn't left your side since you were brought in, and Ron and Hermione haven't either. You have so much to live for, Harry, now that the Dark Lord is gone."

Harry looked into Quirrell's eyes, and amazingly, he saw sincerity there. Why wasn't Quirrell trying to hurt him? he thought as his mind buzzed.

"I know what you are thinking, Harry," Quirrell said guiltily, ashamedly. "And I was a fool to ever believe in the Dark Lord's ways."

"But how ... how ..." Harry stammered.

"When I died," Quirrell said, causing Harry's stomach to flip-flop, "I went to a sort of ... what do Muggles call it ... rehab here in the afterlife. People who do really bad things in their lives go there, and we have a sort of review. We come to learn that what we did was wrong. Harry, I am so, so sorry. I was ashamed to face you today, but I knew I had to. And I knew you had to face me too, to face a demon you've been too afraid to conquer for many years."

At this, Harry's vision blurred as tears filled his eyes. "I killed you," he muttered. "I knew you were a bad person, but you didn't deserve to die."

"Harry, you have to forgive yourself," Quirrell said softly. "You didn't do it purposely, and think what would have happened if I had succeeded. The Dark Lord would have gotten hold of the Stone, you would have died, and the whole world would have gone to ruin."

"But I took your life," Harry protested, his voice rising. "How can you expect me to forgive myself for that?"

"You will never be truly happy if you do not," Quirrell answered. "Harry, we both have demons. The one I had to face in rehab was what a fool I had been. The Dark Lord was so tempting ... he promised me power I had never had before, and stupidly, I took it."

Harry looked into the guilt-ridden man's brown eyes again, and he said slowly, "I know, Professor. And I ... I forgive you."

"Well, if you forgive me, you also must forgive yourself," Quirrell said. "Listen, I'll make you a deal, okay? If I work on forgiving myself for almost killing an eleven-year-old, innocent child, you work on forgiving yourself for my fate. Okay?"

After a long moment where Harry blinked back more tears, he slowly nodded. "Thank you, professor," he said, staring around the meadow. "And ... I think you're right. I'd better go back."

"Good choice, Harry." Pride shone in Quirrell's eyes. "As I said, you have so much to live for. Good luck."

"Thanks," Harry whispered. "How do I go back?"

"Just lay down on the grass," Quirrell instructed. "And close your eyes. You'll feel very sleepy, and then you'll go back to the world of the living."

"Okay." Harry did as he was told, and as he closed his eyes, he indeed did start to feel sleepy. "Thank you," he said to the professor one more time. "Thank you ... for everything."

"No problem." Quirrell said, touching Harry's fading hand. "Stay strong, Harry. You have a life free of the Dark Lord now."

xxx

Fog enshrouded Harry's mind as he slowly awoke. When it lifted, he found himself lying on something soft and warm. He opened his eyes, and found three relieved, blurry faces standing over him.

"Harry!" cried the red-haired young woman closest to him, and she gently put her arms around him. "Oh, Harry, thank Merlin."

"Don't ever scare us like that again, mate," said the red-haired young man, Ron, and his wife fervently nodded.

Harry stared around at all his friends, and he felt more relieved and happy than he had in a long time. A long-buried demon had finally been conquered.

As he blinked back tears from his emerald eyes, Ginny looked at him, concern etched across her face. "Harry, love, what's wrong? Are you alright?" she asked softly.

And through the tears, Harry smiled broadly. "Nothing's wrong," he said truthfully. "I'm fine. Just fine."