Hello! I have returned and I am sorta well again. College and interning are time-consuming, but I've managed to find some time to write! Heads up, this chapter is mostly dialogue and a bit of an info dump now that I look back at it, but hopefully, this will explain some things. Also, Italics mean thoughts.

His heart leapt into his throat as he froze in place. He was sure he was still dreaming. He must be. Otherwise, how would one explain the… thing that stood before him. Those same inhuman eyes he saw before bore into him.

"Why hello there" the creature said, breaking the silence and walking towards him. He reached instinctively to grab his wand, only to find it gone from his desk.

"Looking for this?" holding Draco's wand, he smirked and moved in closer. "No need to be scared, I just want to chat". Draco finally found his voice and spoke.

"Who the hell are you". Despite an attempt to sound stern, the words came out with a stutter.

"I was hoping you could help me figure that out". Although still fearing this thing, his confusion outgrew his fear. Hesitantly, he asked

"What... do you mean by that?". The creature waited a moment before sighing and allowing his posture to relax a bit.

"Look, I'm not supposed to do this but… do you remember the night you were injured?". Draco hesitated again before stating

"You really were there weren't you?"

"Yes, I was. I am what you would call a Grim Reaper." That statement only brought about more confusion in Draco.

"A Grim Reaper? Do you mean there is more than one?" If this creature was a Grim Reaper, why had he seen him before? Didn't seeing one meant you were to die?

"Yes, and my bosses would not approve of me being here right now so I'll make this quick." Grell took a deep breath before speaking "I used to be human, but people who killed themselves are punished by becoming grim reapers. To move on, you must "redeem" yourself but I don't remember who I was and consequently what I'm supposed to be redeeming myself for. I need to figure out who I was." The explanation was said so quickly, Draco almost didn't understand what he was saying.

"So… what the hell does that have to do with me?" This situation was growing stranger by the second.

"You had a bit of a 'near-death-experience' and during that, I was sent to look over your memories and your future to see if we needed you to live. However, some of your memories brought back some of mine. I must have known you before I died". Yup, definitely getting weirder.

"You don't look like anyone I've known" He still had hope that maybe this was a dream and prayed he would wake up soon. Or maybe this creature was confused and this was a mistake and this would be done and over with soon.

"Our appearances change in the afterlife so mortals don't recognize us if they happen to see us. Just think of anyone you know who killed themselves at age seventeen, about two years ago, but don't tell me. How we redeem ourselves is something we have to figure out ourselves or there's no redemption at all. I'm not sure, but I believe finding out who I am is part of that. Although there's nothing said about a little help getting on the right path." This time the long explanation almost did go unheard. An uneasiness sank into his stomach and he felt himself at a loss for words. Grell kept rambling, questioning himself about the rules, as Draco realized who he was possibly talking to. He desperately wished he was wrong.

He had never gotten a chance to apologize to him. The guilt had stayed with him these years he realized just how much he gave up and that someone like himself lived while he died. He had at least hoped that he had found peace in the afterlife, but if this reapers ramblings were true, there was only one person he knew that this could be. But it can't. It must be a dream, please be a dream. He could not be here talking to whatever remained of Harry Potter.

As much as he tried to deny this realization, it was all he could think about. If this is true, then... maybe helping him could be my way of making things right with him. A part of him, despite the pain of knowing Potter had no peaceful afterlife, now wished the creature's ramblings true. Granger, the Weasleys, Longbottom and Luna could see him again. Potter was 'doing it for the greater good' when he killed himself, taking the last of Voldemort's soul with him, but he did so despite his friends begging him not to; he did it without warning and without a goodbye.

He was angry at Potter for a while for that, thinking it a selfish act. The war was basically over, he was a hero and had good friends that were practically family that needed him. The wizarding world was looking to their 'chosen one' for the hope that things would get better only to find their savior had killed himself. He found out that the others were searching for ways to destroy the Horcrux without killing him, but instead of waiting, Potter took matters into his own hands and committed suicide. The others blamed themselves for not watching him more carefully, or for not working hard enough or fast enough on a solution. Damn Potter and his stupidity. He always did tend to be rash about things, not that I'm one to talk. He was soon pulled from these thoughts, as Potter(?) turned his attention back to him.

"Well? Anything you can tell me? Hello, I'm talking to you!" Grell was quickly irritated when he realized Draco wasn't paying attention.

"Oh um…" He redirected his attention to the reaper "I-if you are who I think you are then… I would suggest visiting Hogwarts… it's a school for witches and wizards. You'll probably start to remember as you see… I hope."

"Hmmm, you don't seem very sure of yourself buuuut… Ah it can't hurt to check the place out!" Without a word the reaper was gone, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts. After a while, he decided that if anyone could help, Granger was the one to go to. The others will probably want to know about this as well...

I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do