When I was a kid, Harry Potter was the best thing ever. Who wouldn't think that? It had magic, it had kids saving the day, plus dragons. Dragons were a big hit for me. But then, as I got older, I started to see things. The Dursely's are outright abusive, and while I'm American, this would get them arrested. So why weren't they? Why did Dumbledore confess he knew Harry would be condemned to fifteen dark and terrible years? Why, as a matter of fact, did the fate of society rest on a seventeen-year-old kid?

It shouldn't. Part of reading a book when you're older is knowing the why of things, and JK Rowling doesn't give us the why, but the how. This doesn't fit. It doesn't. Where is the history, where is the people? Where are the supposedly upset Death Eaters? Where is the supposed network of violence?

The Wizarding Society of Britain- something wrong here. Terribly wrong, and I know I' not the first to figure it out. Now, as most of the people who figure this out do, you get let them ride, a story of the Wizarding World's destruction.

I regret nothing.

(*)(*)(*)

Once, a very long time ago, Death found himself in need of an extra, if you would be crass enough to call it that. He, since God in a fit of spite, created parallel universes with slight differences. Death could not simply create more Reapers. No. He found himself in need of a partner.

War, Famine and Pestilence found themselves in the same predicament. They simply couldn't expand themselves any longer.

Death found a solution. He found the Perverells. His partner, he recognized, would come from one of them, but he simply wasn't sure of which. So, he decided, he would give them his wand, his ring, and his cloak, and the first to successfully unite (or had the potential to unite, Death wasn't picky) the three would be his partner.

War found his solution in Italy. The Ribbons were an assassin group that could be traced back to the founding of the Wizarding World, and War recognized their potential. He gave one his sword, one his necklace, and the third his ring. He laughed as the dagger caused the first and the Second World War, disguised as a gun in this world, and the necklace had a history of blood. The ring however, had been lost, and War wasn't going to go look for it.

Famine gave a scale and his salt to the poorest family he could find- the Blacks. The Blacks, however, came briefly into possession of War's weapon, and used it to their best advantage to gain wealth. Famine was impressed. They were certainly starved of morals.

Pestilence was much simpler. He simply placed a timepiece, a vial of sludge so disgusting that it had to remain corked, and his ring where it could be stolen. The vial was opened once (and it caused the Black Death), and the timepiece was always five minutes late.

The items slowly migrated towards their masters as their previous masters found replacements.

(*)(*)(*)

"This is taking fucking forever," War complained. She was in a bar, in a slim red dress, with hair that looked like a river of fire. Pestilence was beside her, also looking like a girl.

"Quite," Death said, "The Apocalypse is building in one of the older universes, and you're complaining now? War, you just lost your ring." He sipped at a glass of wine. "I don't think you have any right to complain."

"He's right, doll," Famine said, admiring his gaunt body in the bar's mirror. None of them were particularly bothered (expect for Death, because the others always left him do the cleanup) that all the other occupants of the bar was dead after someone tried to hit on War.

That person was decapitated and was in pieces. Death found it so terribly crude.

"Hey," Pestilence coughed out, "You feel that?"

There was a low thrum in the air. The four Horsemen smiled.

(*)(*)(*)

Bellatrix slowly picked up a small, stained ouch of salt, and the tiny scale that was next to it. The Longbottoms…had they not sensed their power? Idly, she out on the ring that lay next to the other three objects, when she heard the distinctive popping noise of Apparition. She didn't notice that the scale had made itself to a charm bracelet with a single charm on it, and attached itself to her wrist. She didn't notice the pouch that was suddenly around her neck.

If she had, it wouldn't have changed much.

Bellatrix Black was taken to Azkaban on November Third, 1981. The low thrum of the Apocalypse was now in her blood, and if the Ministry had noticed…

Well, they didn't.

Bellatrix Black was Famine now, and nothing could happen could change that.

(*)(*)(*)

Gabrielle Delacour was such a naughty child! She ruined so many dresses, wouldn't do as she was told, and threw such terrible tantrums!

And that ugly pocket watch she had found in the trash, not to mention that gaudy ring and necklace she always wears. Ugh! Why couldn't she be like her older sister?

And that terrible, terrible illness that was floating around the respectable purebloods. It was a killer, alright. Several of the more prominent ones had already drawn themselves into seclusion.

Gabrielle Delacour was Pestilence, and if someone had cared to try to show that they cared…

Well they didn't.

Nothing could be done to stop her, now.

(*)(*)(*)

Blaise Zabini saw his father die while he was still in the cradle. He watched the proceeding ones die to- his mother thought it would be good practice when he took over.

On his tenth birthday, his mother gifted him with a dagger and a necklace.

On his eleventh, he received a ring.

If someone had taken notice of Samantha Zabini…

Which they didn't.

Blaise Zabini was looking to rent this world in half. He was War now, and there was nothing to be done.

(*)(*)(*)

Harry Potter.

Well, he's an interesting case.

Born to kill a dark lord, born of the Perverell's ancestry- he was bound to attract attention at some point in his life.

The cloak comes to him the first time he has to sneak into the kitchen to get food to stop his stomach from growling.

The ring comes to him the first time he needs reassurance.

The wand. The wand comes to him the first time he's able to fight back.

If someone had only loved little Harry Potter…

No one ever had.

No one ever will.

They caused their own destruction. He was Death now, and there was nothing to do to prevent it.

There was nothing to be done for any of them, and, as thus, caused their own destruction