The prophecy foretelling Voldemort's downfall
Given by Sybil Trelawny to Albus Dumbledore
1979
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord has come anew,
Born to him who in the dark betrayed the Dark,
Born under the shield of Godfather Death,
Come to destroy the power over Death,
Returned to vanquish once more the Dark Lord,
Marked his equal, he shall become his greatest rival,
But terrible and great power shall he possess,
For neither can live while the other survives,
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord has come again...
Disclaimer: Baywood isn't owning Harry Potter
Chapter 1
Last Man Standing
When Voldemort died, his body slumped to the ground like a normal man. Some Death Eaters went into shock, others threw down their wands in surrender, and the rest… the rest lost all composure. They attacked with crazed desperation. Their leader was dead, but their ideals were not. Their crimes still stood. They wouldn't surrender.
The battles that ensued – and there were many after the Battle of Hogwarts – were all horrific. They were bloody, chaotic, desperate, and numerous. For years they went on. In that time, the Death Eaters (their numbers were great after a year of Voldemort at full power) were cut down in droves, but so were the members of the Light. Ginny died first, followed by Ron, then Neville, then Luna, Percy, Kingsley, Charlie, Hermione, Bill, Parvati and Padma, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, George, and many, many more.
Harry remembered them all.
The years melded together. Sometimes, Harry would stumble across the date and realize he was a year older. Other times, he was acutely aware of every day spent on this war. But he always remembered those lost.
Dark Lords tried to rise in place of Voldemort—former Death Eaters, foreigners, or just an average wizard—but the Order of the Phoenix killed every last one of them. At first they defeated them together, as a cohesive team. But as more and more people died, it was just Harry.
He didn't even know why they were fighting anymore. He wasn't sure anyone did. For some people this war was all they knew. Even those who lived through the times of peace seemed to have forgotten. It was just going through the motions now.
That's why Harry was so unbalanced when, in the middle of a particularly chaotic skirmish, Death plucked him out of reality to offer him a second chance.
"A what?" Harry said, staring at the skeletal creature in front of him and trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Death was a real being.
"A second chance at all of this," Death breathed, smoky darkness roiling at its feet. "I'll send you back."
Harry twirled the Elder Wand absently through his fingers as he stared at Death. Its shoulders were hunched and its head bowed and hidden under its hood, but it was still towering over him. Harry couldn't pretend that a second chance wasn't a tempting prospect. But years of war and death had taught Harry nothing if not extreme caution. The constant Death Eater attacks, the constant struggle against Dark Lords, the constant running to avoid detection, the constant fighting, the constant tiredness of mind and body… it all bred constant vigilance.
"Why are you offering me this, Death?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes at the spectre. "After all this time, why offer this chance now? Don't you enjoy all the dying?"
Death stared at him before it turned and disappeared into a plume of dark smoke. "Death comes to all," the being said, voice echoing all around Harry. "I care not when."
"I still don't understand why you're offering," Harry said, turning slowly as he searched the smoke blackness for Death's form.
"You've lost your hope," Death's disembodied voice intoned gravely.
Harry frowned at Death's shadowy form. "What does my hope matter? There's still a reason to fight. And the fight is all I have left, so I may as well go on. I'm sure someone will off me eventually."
"And thus," Death went on, ignoring Harry's response. "You have lost all purpose for the future."
A soft whoosh behind him made Harry whirl around, and he immediately found himself mere inches away from Death itself.
"You have no hope," Death hissed. "You are one of the last still fighting."
Harry backed up, forcing himself not to react to the putrid smell of decay and rot on Death's breath. "So?"
"All those you cared for I have claimed," Death said and then disappeared in a plume of darkness again. "All those who cared for you I have claimed."
Harry growled in irritation at Death's games, eyeing the dim, void landscape around him.
"Nothing remains for you," Death said. Suddenly Harry felt two vice-like hands grasp his arms, clenching tightly, compressing him. Death whispered in his ear, "Nothing… except me."
Harry twisted his neck to look over his shoulder at the creature, glaring into its black eyes. He resolutely ignored how correct the creature was and asked. "So you are just going to gift me with a second chance out of the goodness of your heart?"
A long pause. Death released Harry's arms. "No," the being admitted.
Harry immediately took several steps away and faced Death again. "Well, what is it then?"
Death's sunken black eyes bored into Harry's. "I saw," Death uttered, "an opportunity that has not been afforded me in centuries."
When Death did not immediately explain, Harry raised his eyebrows and demanded, "Well, what do you want then?"
"The Hallows destroyed," Death replied, black eyes gleaming, "that none shall ever be able to Master me again."
That was unexpected. Harry tilted his head and regarded Death. Honestly, he didn't care. The Elder Wand had served him well against Voldemort, giving him a much needed advantage so that he could actually compete on the Dark Lord's level. But then, it made Harry a little uncomfortable sometimes, when he got carried away in the rush of power the wand sent pulsing through his veins of magic. He worried that it'd take him over completely one day. He was pretty sure it was an unfounded fear, him being the Master of Death as well as the Elder Wand. Nevertheless, Harry would be happy to give it up in favor of his holly wand.
But still… the Hat hadn't wanted to put him in Slytherin for nothing, and the war had only grown those qualities.
"One Hallow, one favor," Harry said firmly. "You send me back, I'll find the Elder Wand and destroy it. No one can be Master of Death with only two Hallows."
Death flickered uncertainly. Harry could see the creature didn't like it—it wanted all the Hallows destroyed.
Eventually Death responded, "Very well, I accept."
Harry nodded, but didn't do anything to finalize the deal, like shaking Death's hand or some such dangerous venture. "How will it work then?" Harry asked.
"You will not be sent back as Harry Potter," Death said. "But as a child born of an affair that did not bear such fruit the first time."
Harry frowned. "Why can't I go back as myself?"
"You will return as an infant," Death said. "You will not appear out of nowhere. I cannot construct you a body. I can only send back your soul. So into an infant that did not exist before you will go. To superimpose your soul onto your infant self would be to destroy your infant mind."
Harry stared at Death, trying to decide if it was being entirely truthful. "And I won't destroy this other infant mind?"
"I will ensure it is strong enough," Death said simply.
Harry frowned. "And you can't ensure my infant self is strong enough?"
"To do so would be to destroy your infant self's soul," Death said, exasperation rolling off the creature in waves.
"And I won't be destroying the soul of this other infant?" Harry asked, frustrated.
Death seemed to sigh with frustration. "This other infant has no soul. It did not exist in the first life. It is simply a way to give you a body instead of leaving you a spirit to wander the world as the Dark Lord's did for thirteen years."
"But it's myself," Harry said, "Why can't I be myself?"
Death roiled in agitation. "You will create another self when I send you back," Death hissed. "And the only safe path is to create a whole new person. I will explain no more, Master."
Harry backed off, realizing he'd pushed far enough. "Alright," he said, raising his hands in surrender.
"You will be born to an unmarried woman, the father dead not a few months later," Death continued, still sounding irritated.
Harry figured it was just a particular talent of his—pissing people off. He frowned at that last bit. "My father will die?"
"An honorable end," Death said dismissively. "Accepted."
Harry pressed his lips together, but didn't say anything.
Death, however, seemed to notice. "This… displeases you," Death prodded.
"Yes, it displeases me," Harry said, eyes narrowing. "Does he have to die?"
"He died the first time," Death said. "You will be much too young to save him."
Harry stared at Death for a long moment. "But you could," he said slowly.
"I could," Death confirmed. "For a price."
Ah, so that was it. Harry slighted him of destroying all the Hallows for the second chance, so Death was going to let his father die, giving Harry another broken childhood… but Harry could agree to destroy another Hallow, and Death would save his new father. The question was…
"And who would my father be?" Harry asked.
"An honorable man," Death said. "You admired him greatly."
Harry scowled. "You won't tell me who?"
Death gave him a hooded look.
Right. Another Hallow. Harry shook his head. He could figure that bit out later.
"Someone worth saving?" Harry pressed.
"Very much so," Death said seriously. "You would agree."
"Alright then," Harry agreed. "I'll destroy the Resurrection Stone as well."
"We have an accord?" Death asked.
"We do," Harry affirmed.
"A chance for the wand, a father for the stone," Death murmured, gliding over to Harry.
Harry held his breath as Death came to a halt in front of him.
The spectral figure hovered in front of him for a long minute before Death leaned down and pressed cold lips to his forehead.
"So mote it be," Death whispered.
Blackness overwhelmed his vision and Harry faded out of awareness.
AN: Yes, I know, I have other stories not update. But I couldn't not work on this idea. And it already has a couple of chapters finished. It's farther along than most of the stuff I have up. And yeah, so pls enjoy. I did :) And pretty please review and tell me what you think. (Also, did everyone love Fantastic Beasts? I 3 Newt)
