Gods Give Another Chance

Chapter 14

Regulus

Grandfather calls us to the study, and I take my seat concerned. He looks like he has aged drastically.

"I spoke to Harriet over a matter that had been bothering me. I feel it will be best if you all watch the memories and I will explain after." He says and we all nod silently. We walk to the pensive and dive into the memories.

When we all come out, I grab Barty's hand to stop the shaking.

"No," Sirius whispers but we all know it was real. He walks over and pours us all a glass of whiskey, his hands still shaking.

"Is there a way to prevent that?" Orion asks.

"Come to find out Harriet has already been working on it. That is what the laws she is pushing for are for. She said there is no way to prevent his return." Grandfather explains.

"Sweet Salazar, that girl went through more than any person should. I am surprised she is sane." Barty says.

"Because she knows no different. Think about it, even when she was young, she was working on this. I guarantee she has planned a hundred different scenarios. She is playing the long game and has been pulling us all along with her without us knowing. Think how many people will be outraged if the ministry tried to paint her as bad or a liar. She has clearly upped her magic usage and is preparing for war." My father says and I look at him shocked.

"You're right, it hit me speaking to the Lestrange brothers that I had signed off on a young child to present a law then allowed her to continue. We are so use to her being this prodigy, no one looked at how strange it was that she was twelve. Normally laws aren't really taught until the child is 13, and then it still takes years for them to understand." Grandfather says.

"The joke of her changing the world feels so much more real." I sigh. The note I had left in my past life still playing through my mind.

"My question is Leo, he matches her, but he wasn't around in her past life." Barty says and I nod.

"I think we should talk to both of them." Father says calling an elf to retrieve them. They walk in looking at each of us.

"We want to know about Leo." Grandfather says.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Harriet says but I catch Leo look away.

"Leo what is it?" I ask.

"Look she wasn't the only one ok, but mine wasn't like hers. You will hate me for my past life." He says not meeting our eyes.

"Leo, I could never hate you." Harriet says softly.

"No matter what you are our son now. That is all that matters." I tell him.

"Merlin, alright but please don't abandon me." He whispers. "My past name was Nathair.... Riddle." Harriet's eyes go wide at his admission, but she still reaches over and takes his hand.

"Do you care to just show us?" Grandfather asks.

"Might as well but remember I am different this time. I'm not that person." He says and I dread what I will see.

Leo

When great grandfather goes to prepare the pensive, I turn to Harriet.

"Please, I know what I did was horrible, and I can't claim potions. Just please don't judge me." I beg.

"I'm here Leo, no matter what you did I know you." She assures me but I am still terrified. She had filled me in on her past life before we are called in and I knew I would be asked.

I place my memories in and get sucked in. I didn't want to watch this, but for my family I would. It starts when I am 5 and my father forces me to kill my own mother. That right there was my downfall. I had given up on my humanity after that. The world only saw a killer anyways. It goes on as I am raised by the worst of the death eaters who escaped. Every day I was honing my skill on how to torture and kill. My father returns when I am 18. I sit at the head of the table with my father. I watch and laugh as men are forced to give up their wives and daughters. I get off on the violence. I even torture our own members when they annoy me. I run raids that slaughter entire families. When it gets to me keeping Harriet's old friends hostage, I feel her tense. It goes on with the rape, torture, and murder until the battle of Hogwarts. I see the moment she realizes I was the one who killed Remus and Fred. It continues until my own father hits me with the killing curse for not protecting Bellatrix.

Similar to her I wake up in a white room. Instead of Mother Magic, it is just Death. He stands there naming every soul I took. As the list gets longer, I remember the regret. Then my mother appears. She hugs me and says that I had never been meant for that life. That she had been trying to get me out. That she didn't blame me for killing her. Once she leaves Mother Magic and Fate arrives. I am offered a chance to repent, to fix my wrongs. I jump at the chance not caring how. Fate offers me three wishes and I ask to be raised in a loving home, to be in a position to help change the wizarding world for the better and my skills to go with me so I could use them to one day kill my father. Fate agreed but my price was until I spared as many lives as I killed, I would see those I killed in my dreams. As a reminder of what I came from, what to not become again. Mother Magic took mercy and said they would not start until I was 14. This way my mind would understand. Death then said that if I ever sent someone to him who was innocent, he would immediately take my soul and I would forever be stuck watching the world go by, with no one being able to see or speak to me.

We come out of the memory, and I look down. Even to this day I couldn't cry for what I did. I had remorse but I couldn't cry.

"Leo, you are not him." Harriet whispers but it sounds like she is shouting in my ears.

"384, that was the number of lives I took." I whisper shaking my head. "I need a moment." I don't wait for a response as I walk out of the room. It felt like my life was spiraling. I had done everything to avoid them ever knowing. I had recognized Harriet and when she started talking about change, I had a feeling she had come back too. She had gone through horrible things because of my father and all I wanted to do was protect her. To keep her close so nothing like that happened ever again. Even if she said I wasn't him she would never look at me the same again. She would never again give me a look of complete trust, like I held part of her heart. My fathers would never again look at me like their son. How could they, I was the son of a monster. No more than an animal myself. I hear my door open but don't turn. I was so in tune with her magic I could recognize it anywhere. She says nothing as she climbs into bed with me and lays her head on my chest. I can't help the way my body tenses.

"You are still my Leo. I don't care what you did, or who your father is. We will destroy him together." She says and I wrap my arms around her.

"I love you, Harriet."

"I love you too Leo, don't let go."

"Never."