When Harry opened his eyes, he was met with everything pure white that doesn't look natural. He looked around to find that he was at King's Cross Station except that everything was clean and silent as if time stopped moving.
He suddenly felt pain in his chest like he was missing something but he shrugged it off, thinking that it must have been the effects of the Horcrux but he started to doubt. Why did he feel death to be so painful? Wasn't the killing curse supposed to be painless? So then why . . .?
He felt like there is a gaping hole in his heart and he had no idea why.
Before he could question any further, Harry sensed another presence behind him, and as he turned around. . .
"Harry, you wonderful boy. You brave, brave man" Dumbledore said, standing looking dressed in a white robe and smiling. His twinkling eyes were shown made Harry think of all those times when he would beg the headmaster for answers to things he doesn't know the truth about and hidden from.
"Professor. . ." Harry said weakly, trying to smile but failing miserably. "Is it finally over?"
"Yes, my boy. It's over. Walk with me" he replied as he placed a hand gently on Harry's back and led him forward. "I'm so proud of you"
“What happens now,” Harry wondered. Would this be forever? He didn’t know what he did in his life to deserve an eternity like this.
“Whatever you want,” Dumbledore smiled kindly. “You could take a train and go on to see your family or, if you wanted, you could go back.”
“Go back?” Harry asked bewildered. “Can I?”
“Yes, of course. The Horcrux that was within you is finally dead-” The pain in Harry’s chest lurched again, and Harry had to fight not to react. “And if you wanted you could live a normal life free of its influence.”
Harry had to know. “Where did it go?”
“It was destroyed like the diary when Voldemort tried to kill you again. It was tied to the physical plane, so I’m assuming it has vanished from existence,” Dumbledore mused. “There is nowhere else for it to have gone.”
That’s when Harry heard it: a pathetic choking sound coming from underneath one of the benches. However, he realized that it wasn't alone. A girl with muggle clothes was walking towards it and carried it close to her chest. She was cradling it close to keep her warm while the soul piece stopped whimpering as it stared at her with wide eyes.
"Who- Who is that?" Harry asked.
"I- I don't know, Harry. I have never seen her before and she shouldn't be here. She doesn't look like a student I recognize at Hogwarts so she must be a muggle" Dumbledore is just as confused as Harry is. "She must not get near it. She doesn't know about its dangers so she should get away from it as far as possible"
Harry doesn't know why but when he looked at the girl, he felt nothing but familiarity and home which confuses him. He walked towards them but was stopped by Dumbledore with a grip on his shoulder.
"Harry, wait!! Don't touch it!! Its separation has affected you and for that, I'm so sorry. But you cannot go near it even if the girl is not affected by it. It shouldn't even be here. It should be gone"
As if the girl heard it, she lifted her head and smiled sadly at Harry.
"Hello, Harry Potter. We finally meet at last" she finally spoke up softly.
"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Harry asked, alarmed that a muggle recognized him.
The girl was not affected by his outburst and instead just smiled as she walked closer to him with the soul piece in her arms.
"Of course, you wouldn't recognize me. Let me ask you something. Do you remember somewhere in your childhood that there is a voice in your head talking to you?" she asked.
Dumbledore frowned while Harry didn't understand. "I do but it was just my inner voice that has been helping me ever since I was a baby"
She nodded slowly. "I see. Your inner voice. I guess you could say that but let me ask you one last time. Have you ever heard of reincarnation?"
"That was a very powerful magic that requires wish magic but only those of pure heart can reincarnate" Dumbledore replied. "Why do you ask that?"
The girl sighed as she looked down at the soul piece and then lifted her head back. "You see, Harry. I died once from normal means and I came from another world. A world where magic doesn't exist and your world is structured by the author with fiction from my world. To us, you're nothing more than a character from a storybook. When I died, I was reborn as you from the beginning but the thing is, your soul is still there so we both share a body and a soul. In short, I am you and you are me"
Harry's breath shuddered at the revelation and weakly laughed. "So you're telling me that my childhood and everything that has happened is written by the author in your world?"
"Yes. . ."
"Why? Why did they write me this way? Do they enjoy making my life miserable to see everyone dies?"
"I can't answer those but what I can say is. . .is that your world brings so much impact on our lives in my world more than you ever realize. You are our childhood so we should be thanking you for being there for us. We may be muggles but unlike your world, we love magic. We even wished that you were real sometimes" You smiled.
Harry made a choked sob. "Is that why I feel like something is missing? It's because of you?"
"Yes and no. Yes because I am a part of you and I've been helping you. Even though I am aware of how the story goes and ends but I can't help but want to help you on your journey as a wizard. I've been teaching you everything I knew. I also possessed your body sometimes to help if you're too tired or you're in danger. No is because of the Horcrux soul piece that has been living in you ever since that night. A year after that is when it starts talking to you" she explained.
"You died once in your world and then you had to die again in this one. . ."
"Well, I did want to survive until adulthood after all which I didn't make it in my time. We died so young, Harry but I was just a year older than you when I did. That was my main goal until sometime in your first year. I didn't just want to survive, I want you to live a good and happy life while you can in this dreaded war. This Horcrux here and I have made a difficult decision which we have to force you to forget us for your safety. If they found out about us, your life will be in danger"
"W-What?"
"Let Dumbledore reveal everything to you"
And so he did. Harry's eyes widened as a wave of memories started swarming into his mind. The girl looked down at the soul piece once more.
"It may be difficult but it wasn't something we regretted, didn't we?" she asked.
"No. . .No, we don't"
She chuckled and lifted her head as she saw that Harry was done watching his sealed memories while he let out a scream reflecting the agony he felt ripping apart.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for forgetting you. . .Mom. . .Dad. I didn't know"
"Hah, I would never get used to that. I sound so old" she chuckled. "Why are you crying? You're not alone in this and we'll always be with you"
Harry crawled over to them but Dumbledore held him back. "Harry, you can't- You have to leave him here"
"Don't fucking touch me" Harry swatted his hand away and pointed at the girl. "What about her then? Does she deserve to stay here for all of eternity as well?"
"That's-"
"No, don't say it. I don't want to hear it. So let me ask you a question. How come You get to move on while they stay here without paying for whatever you have done?"
"Harry, don't say that"
"There are others besides me who have suffered the same thing but you didn't do jack shit!!"
"Harry, I'm so sorry. I- I should have paid more attention. I-"
"I remember I did tell you about what my family did to me but you didn't listen and told me that I was exaggerating. I- I don't know if I can forgive you" Harry snapped and then sighed.
He walked towards the girl and opened his arms to carry the soul piece of his father and she allowed it as she hand him over.
"Are you sure about this?" the girl asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Harry just realized how short she is but that's beside the point.
"I am" he nodded.
"Very well. Let's go back. Together" she smiled.
"Together" Harry nodded and noticed that his body starts to fade away and Dumbledore trying to reach out to stop him but Harry ignored it and watched as everything starts to fade to nothingness.