Death at Hogwarts - A Harry Potter fanfiction

Chapter Five

A few days later, I was sat with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room. I'd taken hold of the final Hallow, the Resurrection Stone and taken what I needed from it and left it with Dumbledore, who had put the ring inside the very first Snitch Harry had caught, and enchanted it so that when Harry put his lips to it, the words 'I open at the close' would appear, meaning that the moment Harry put his lips to it and said 'I am about to die' the ring would appear. It was quite a clever enchantment really. Now I had all three back, I just had to stick with the trio, which was proving easy, as they were very friendly, and trusted me a lot. I'd never been trusted like this before, except by Luna, and I had to admit it was nice.

Hermione was sat poring over a book, and Harry was looking through a battered copy of Advanced Potion Making. I knew from looking that the book had previously belonged to Severus Snape, and that there were some pretty bad spells in there.

“Hermione.” Harry said suddenly. “Have you ever heard of a spell called Sectumsempra?”

“No I haven't.” she replied, giving the book a dirty look. “I wish you'd stop using that book, Harry, it feels wrong!”

“It's just a book, Hermione!” Harry said with a slight laugh, one which Hermione did not return, simply huffing and going back to her own book.

“Tom Riddle's diary was just a book though wasn't it?” Ron said quietly, shutting them both up.

Ah yes, the diary. The first Horcrux Harry ever encountered, and unknowingly destroyed.

In my robe, I had with me Tom Riddle's Hourglass, which contained his time. Every time a Horcrux was destroyed, the time in it vanished a little bit more. It was still nearly full, what with only two Horcruxes having being destroyed.

“Look, this book isn't dangerous, it's really useful.” Harry protested.

“You're only saying that because it helps you be the best at Potions.” Hermione said icily, her eyes narrowing with distaste at the book in Harry's hands.

“It's not that, Hermione!” Harry said. “Look, I'm going to bed.”

He stood and went upstairs to the boys dorm, leaving an uneasy silence behind him.

“I wonder what's got him so irritated.” I said mildly, reading through a copy of The Quibbler Luna had given me. It was quite an entertaining read, really.

“Oh, he's just. . .” Hermione said, not actually saying what Harry was.

“Just being annoying, and not listening to you when you know you're right about it.” I said, filling in the unspoken words that she didn't want to say.

She looked surprised, but nodded.

“Because for once, you wish he'd listen to reason and stop rushing off and not stopping once to think.” I continued, surprising her again as she nodded.

I watched as Hermione and Ron headed their separate ways to bed, while I sat musing silently over what was to come. I knew how the big things would play out of course, but it was the little things mortals did that fascinated me. Things like television, broomsticks, telephones and elevators. . .They all fascinated me as to the lengths mortals went to make their lives easier.

As I sat musing, I heard footsteps coming from the girls dormitory and looked over to see Hermione walking in. She sat down and stared at me for a while. I simply stared back, a smile on my face.

“Is something wrong?” I asked her.

“You tell me.” she said. “I mean, you of all people would know, right?”

“Me?” I laughed. “Why would I know Hermione?”

“Because you're Death.”