The Pale Rider

Chapter Three:

“Change is the only constant, the signal of rebirth, the egg of the phoenix.” - Christina Baldwin

Death let himself be lead by Luna, despite knowing full well where to go and how to get there. The school had not changed its layout since the founding of it, why should it change for him. Scarred stone maybe here and there was more apparent, but Hogwarts remained Hogwarts.

He had been here once before, in his long travels. The battle was rough on him then, and the pain was still there now. Seeing the walls of his childhood only made it worse when he thought about what he had given up.

“Professor, its really good to see you again,” Luna said, finally acknowledging his arrival. “So many people will be happy to see you.”

“Really?” Dumbledore said, chuckling little. “I assume they'll be shocked to a lack of words.”

“They'll be more shocked when I walk in,” Death said, turning back as he looked at a tapestry. The paintings had moved on him, he had to learn where they were again.

“Probably, but then again, they might try to kill you,” Luna said as Neville and Ginny walked behind them. “We're just going in.” She said. Death put his hand over hers.

“Let me go first, there's someone I need to talk to first.” He pushed the door open the rest of the way. The candles and light died almost immediately.

With his left hand upon his revolver he walked in, knowing another fight was about to come. The red bolt that slashed across his right shoulder surprised him. As he rolled to the ground, he slid out of his cloak while he withdrew his gunblade from its sheath. His eyes were not accustomed to this darkness, but it did not give his enemy an edge.

“Its good to know you're still fighting the good fight,” he said as he placed his back against a wall. He knew the wizard was using a spell to enhance his eyesight in the darkness, and he was attempting to find a method to use against it.

“Who are you?” the male voice responded through the darkness. All he needed to do was keep the guy talking, uninvolved in killing him. IT no longer mattered, the man made enough racket as he moved.

“Why I'm surprised you don't recognize me by my voice,” Death said slightly insulted. “But then again, it doesn't really matter.” The sound of someone moving echoed through the Great Hall. He smirked lightly at the answers giving to his unspoken questions.

“How did you get past the defenses?” the voice asked him again.

“Why, you win this fight, I'll sing like a canary,” Death said. He spun to his left, swinging his gunblade as he did. It sliced through the air, a single bullet being fired as it reached the peak of the swing.

The sound of a scream caused the rest of the group waiting outside to come. The lights were on immediately, and Death took note that Ronald Weasley was on the floor, with a minor flesh wound. As the people entered they split up. It was only Dumbledore that came to his side. The others, Neville, Ginny and Luna, went to Ron's side as well as the professors who had remained at Hogwarts as well as a few members of the Order.

“There is much that we must tell them,” Dumbledore said. Death nodded, searching the faces of the crowd.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still there, most likely due to their sons' constant work to keeping them both safe. Older, and Arthur was almost bald at this time, nervousness and the war getting to him. Molly had lost some weight as well, looking paler than when he left her.

Tonks stood at Lupin's side, clutching her stomach in one hand. The fear of a mother was in her eyes as she held onto Lupin's hand in a vice grip. Lupin on the other hand appeared to be in the best shape out of all of the others, for he alone could guess who Death really was. Death had appeared to him, in his travels with a cure to what ailed him. It was this cure that saved Lupin's life, as well as allowed him and Tonks to fully complete their marriage.

It was he that first walked slowly over to Death. Stared him straight in the eye, Lupin did. “Its good to see you again,” he said. His voice conveyed both strength and relief in a single breath.

“Its good to be back,” Death said, taking off his hat. He slid the gunblade back into the sheath as he held out his hand for Lupin to take.

“You think after all this time, a little handshake will do?” Lupin said. Death raised an eyebrow in confusion. Lupin pulled the man called Death into a bear hug, much to Death's surprise. The relief of at least some acceptance was short lived. Molly, despite her looking a bit smaller, tore him from the hug with magic and threw him against the wall.

“How dare you do this to my son?” She said. Death looked over at her for a moment.

“Now really,” he said, standing up straight for a moment. Another stunner flew at him, but he easily sidestepped it. “Is that any way to treat an old friend?”

“Who are you?” Molly said, throwing another spell at her. Death once again dodged the spell.

“Does it matter who he was?” Lupin said, disarming Molly. “He is here because I asked him to be.”

“What?” she said as McGonagall walked in with another person. It was the person that Death had feared seeing again.

Hermione Granger looked almost exactly like she did when he left, as if time had not touched her. He thought maybe it hadn't. Her appearance though was stronger with the way she carried herself, as if she didn't need anyone else in the world. And truth told, it was that fear that resided in him. That he may not need her, and she not need him.

“Remus and I have already discussed this,” Hermione said. “We are losing the war.” She walked over and looked at Ron only to turn away. “And by the looks of this, we are in dire need.”

“Ms. Granger has just told me of her plan,” McGonagall said.

“Well, I believe that we'd be delighted to hear it,” Death said. He turned and glared at the Weasleys for a moment. “And before I was interrupted, I was to introduce my mentor. Professor Dumbledore.” He said turning to the spot where he saw him last.

“I must say, that you've fortified very well here,” Dumbledore said, from behind McGonagall. Death smirked lightly; for an older woman she sure could jump. No one moved as Death and Dumbledore did closer to the wall.

“Really, quite a good job,” Dumbledore said. Death walked next to him, and stared for a moment at the wall that Dumbledore was looking at.

“It could possible keep me out,” he said for a moment. He looked impressed at the work of it all. “How well does it stand up to direct explosions?” he said, immediately turning to Hermione. She seemed taken back by the question, surprised that he knew immediately it was her spell work.

“Fairly well, magical blast seem to have little effect on the spell Mister Evans gave me,” she said, moving to his side.

“But what if I was to say,” he stepped forward, and tapped a single block of the wall. “Place a small muggle device, one that could explode there.”

“The magic should hold the wall together,” Hermione said. He looked back at her for a moment before taking something out of his pouch.

“Fawkes, we'll have none of that now,” Dumbledore said, waving his hand. A small grenade floated over to him, before disappearing in a light blue cloud. Hermione looked shocked at his method of testing, but he gave her a sheepish grin.

“Fawkes,” Hermione asked, looking over at him for a moment. “I thought your codename was Death.”

“It is,” Death said, glaring at Dumbledore, who just chuckled. “And I'd rather not explain it here, where ears are here than necessary.”

“Why not?” she asked, turning to face him fully. “What have you got to say that all of us can't here?” He looked her dead in the eye, staring her down.

“Do you want to know the truth now?” He asked her.

“I think we all deserve the truth if we're going to be working with you,” Hermione said, taking a step toward Lupin and Tonks. He looked toward Lupin for a moment.

“You know who he is don't you?” Tonks said, slightly surprised. He nodded. The Weasleys all began to glare again at both Death and Lupin.

“Death told me his plans, and asked me to keep it to myself,” Lupin said.

“Don't blame him for it,” he said to Tonks. “Hell, the man's good at keeping secrets. I think that's helped you a time or two.” This caused Tonks to blush as she took her husband's hand.

“Who are you?” Hermione asked, not taking a step near him. He looked toward Dumbledore. The cloaking spell, the one that made him different to every single person must be working better than he thought.

“Remove it,” he said in a defeated voice.

“Are sure that's a good idea Fawkes?” Dumbledore said, understanding what he meant. “Once its removed, we can't put it back into place.”

“Don't you think I know that?” he said, turning to Dumbledore for a moment. “Don't you think that it's killing me to be here, it's just about root of all my problems in life? This is my hell, Albus. My personal, thanks-for-coming-your-stuck-here-forever, hell. I can't escape it.” He turned back to Hermione for a moment. “I made a promise, almost a year again for you, that I'd return.” He said, as Dumbledore began the incantation. “A promise that I'd return to you.”

“What?” she said, slightly taken back. Death removed the gunblade from his back, letting it drop to the floor. He turned his back to them as he removed his shirt, allowing them to see the tattoo he had to hide his scars.

He knew they were amazed as they gasped when they say it. HE shifted his shoulders, letting the wings of the bird of fire on his back flutter. He could picture it in his mind, what the phoenix looked like. To him, it was one of the most beautiful pieces of work he had ever seen done. The phoenix was a fiery mixture of reds, oranges and yellows. The light almost reflected off the phoenix, something that he thought was impossible. As he heard the final words of the incantation being said, he felt a pain coursing through his body. It was not unbearable, nor intolerable, but the pain was there.

“I really hoped it worked,” Death said, brushing the now black hair out of his face. His eyes sight returned to what it had been. With a sigh, he picked his shirt back up and removed the glasses he had in them. Placing them upon his nose, he turned toward Dumbledore, looking at him for something. “What's wrong? The phoenix isn't gone is it?” He asked, slightly panicked.

“No, the fact remains that most people can't tell who you are by the back of your head,” Dumbledore said with a chuckle. Death glared at them through his glasses.

“It was your idea to use that damn cloaking spell.” Death mumbled as he picked up his shirt.

“No, please don't,” a voice that finally reminded him of someone he had grown to love. There was desperation in her voice, and as much as Death had wanted to turn around, he stopped himself. He was a different person, the slightly white areas in his hair showed that. He was no longer young, though he certainly felt it and moved like he was. Time had changed him, but there were some things even time could not change.

“Why shouldn't I?” He said. Both arms were in the sleeves of the shirt, all he had to do was pull it over his head. “I'm not a freak to be stared at. I never was.” He felt some eyes being removed from his back, but one set remained, locked on the back of his head.

“I know that,” Hermione said, taking a step closer to him. “I've always known that.”

“Who is this guy Hermione?” Ron asked. Without turning the man once called Death knew that Neville and Arthur were holding him up. Death thought about turning around, but kept his eyes upon the wall as he spoke.

“Albus, this was a mistake,” he said. “I need my hat.”

“Why?” Dumbledore replied in response. “Why is showing your face a mistake?”

“You know damn well why,” Death said. He glanced toward the direction of his hat, making sure that he could not turn his head around. “I really don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.”

“Because you've never willing done it before,” Dumbledore said.

Death paid no heed to the statement, as he focused on his totem animal. A long time again, he had found the bird, and knew that there was a connection that that gave him strength and wisdom far beyond those of normal men. He had looked his totem animal in the eye on more than one occasion. As his training continued, it came to the point where he and his totem animal became one, where he could become one or the other almost flawlessly.

He felt his body fold almost perfectly into his form as he bent his shoulders as his arms melted into wings. He need not to picture the form, like any other Animagi, all he needed to was think the change and it occurred. For in the end he and his form both wanted nothing more. Rebirth….

The gasps around the room as Death flapped his wings gave him his answer. HE was successful, he thought, as he took off into the air around the Great Hall. He had never felt freer before in his life, and he wondered why he ever gave up the feeling. This was magic, not the manipulation of energy as the wizards did. The feeling of freedom and - the sudden feeling of pain crashed through his body, as he felt his wings stiffen. In all of his might, he tried to make them move to make himself fly once again.

“NO!” Hermione screamed as he fell to the ground. He braced himself for impact, knowing that the pain would come, and it would be worse when he changed back. As the world began to fade around him, his freedom gone, he felt two gentle hands pick him up. He knew the voice that spoke to him better than his own. “You're not leaving me a second time Harry.” The voice said. With a sigh of relief, he felt the wind rush past him as he was carried away. Out of the Great Hall, and into the darkness.