Defence and Mayhem

Running Backwards

When Harry woke up, he was at the King's Cross Station. But not the bustling Station, full of muggles and the sounds of the trains, no. it was all white.

Harry wasn't sure what to feel. He remembered this place well. This was where he rid himself of Voldemort's horcrux inside him, where he spoke to Dumbledore when the man was actually dead, where he found himself when he died.

Was Harry… dead?

He had no fear of death, not after facing it numerous times, but he didn't want his life to end now! He didn't manage to reach his twenties yet, for Merlin's sake! He had much he still wanted to do, he wanted to make good memories of a peaceful life, unlike his awful childhood and stress-filled school years. He wanted to find love, even if not for a while, he still wanted it! He wanted to live a full life, to see his friends again!  Did he have an option to go back, like he did before? Or was he dead… for good?

"But you are not dead at all"

What? Is there someone else here with him? What was that voice?

He turned around.

In front of him there was an eight foot tall figure. It clearly wasn't human. It wore a long cloak, seemingly made out of shadows, the fabric slightly transparent on the upper body. But its face was made of bone. A skull, with bright green light shining from the eye sockets, the color not unlike his own. The body, bone as well, was not fully hidden by the fabric, so Harry could see the ribcage and spine. The lower part of the body was already hidden by the dark fabric, but the hands that showed through the long sleeves were long, each skeletal finger about the size of a wand, and their shape  wasn't unlike the Elder Wand. What was this creature?

"I have many names, but you know me as Death." The figure spoke, a deep rich baritone.

Wait, Death? Death is a being? Did that mean he was right, that he truly was dead? But didn't it say he wasn't dead, just mere moments before?

"I have said that, yes, and it is true, for I never lie. I am Death, but you are not dead. You are at the Halfway Point."

"Halfway Point, what does that mean? Please, explain what's going on!" By this time Harry was in panic. He had too many questions and too few answers.

"I will explain, but I must ask that you will not interrupt me." After receiving a nod of the head from Harry, Death continued.  "The story told in 'The Tale Of The Three Brothers' that I know you have read in your search for knowledge is true. Whoever collects the three Deathly Hallows will become the master of death. however, there is a requirement that has not been mentioned in the tale. The collector of all Hallows must be a descendant from the Peverell line for they were the intended descendants of the three Hallows.

The reason for me to tell you this is because you fulfill both requirements. The resurrection stone was yours after receiving the snitch, the wand became yours after disarming the Malfoy heir, and the invisibility cloak was passed on to you, as a family heirloom from the times the Potters were still called the third branch of the Peverell family. And so, you are the Master of Death. And for the Halfway Point, it is the place between life and death."

Harry's head was spinning. "What does that even mean? I apparently got the title, but what does it involve?" The more he learned the more questions he got, it was so confusing!

"It means you are immortal. You conquered death, so you will not die. Your body is capable of dying, but your soul will only go here, waiting for the time to re-enter your body. Your body will fully heal every time you die. So, you can die, but you will not stay dead for long. Your body will only age until you reach full maturity, and then you will stop aging completely.

But you will have one duty. To keep the Hallows from falling into the wrong hands. And as for the reason you are here in the first place, is because only now I could finally talk to you."

Harry now had the answers to most of his questions. He did believe Death, after all, the last time he was here he died, and still managed to go back. But, immortality? Did he really want to outlive all his friends, to be destined to be alone forever? No. He would focus on that later. However there was one thing he didn't understand. "Why couldn't you contact me earlier? The last time I was here?"

Death made an odd noise, sounding slightly like a huff, it was odd, probably because it had no lungs to huff air from. "That would be because of the poor state of your magic after ridding yourself of the horcrux. Your magic was in disharmony with your core and body, and at such a state, your soul wouldn't be able to sustain itself here for long. After the ritual you performed, your magical core got in tune with your magic, so I saw that as an opportunity to bring you here."

"So the reason I'm here is because you wanted to tell me about this title?" Harry was glad to know, make no mistake, but was that reason enough?

"To tell you, yes, but also to make a proposition." Death's voice seemed more serious at this, and Harry tensed up, waiting to hear what the being had to say.

"I wish to grant you an opportunity at the life you wish to live. A peaceful life. A do not wish for my master to live a sad lonely life, I know that if you do, you'll curse this title. But, I know that after the war, you will not be able to live the way you want. So I offer you to stop the war from ever happening. To stop Tom Riddle from becoming Voldemort. I offer you to go to the past, under a different identity, and start anew. Without fame, without anything to make you stand out in the crowd, where you can just be yourself."

Was this a good idea? To abandon all his friends? Is this choosing the cowardly way out? But… This way he could stop his friends from ever having to engage in war, a way to reverse all the loss caused by the war… To stop Tom Riddle from becoming a monster, to save him. This isn't selfish if he's helping the entire wizarding world on his way to lead a good quiet life, right? "I'll do it. But, how far back will I go? How will I live there without any vault under my name in Gringotts?"

"That will not be a problem. You will go under the name Harrison Peverell, and as Lord Peverell you have full control over the Peverell vault. Furthermore, I will not leave you without any help.

I will open a path for the dormant family magic in your blood to awake. The Peverell family has blood relation to the Slytherin line, so you will regain your Parselmage abilities. From the main Peverell line, you will get some form of natural occlumency that will be strengthened by me. No one will be able to get in your head. As for the time you will go to, there is a clear decision. 1942, Tom Riddle's fifth year at Hogwarts. The year he unleashed the Basilisk and made his first horcrux. But, in order to stop that you will have to be at Hogwarts during that time."

This wasn't a problem. He could apply for a position as a defence teacher at Hogwarts, if not, he could be a teacher assistant, some sort of apprentice, since he read that such a profession existed at the time, although it was rather rare.

"I will do it."

Published on August 22, 2021