CHAPTER THREE: Dark Lord's Rebirth
A twenty-seven year old Harry Potter sat on his throne at Potter Manor for the last time. Tonight at the Halloween feast, he planned to breath his last so that he could be with his queen again. The wizarding world has finally moved forward and the ministry is all clean. Hermione's vision for their world is already accomplished. It's been almost a decade since she passed away and his followers have all exhausted their research on necromancy, time travel, and soul transfer. All of their efforts have failed. As it turned out, they can't replicate necromancy on humans without side effect. They tried the animal ritual of the shaman on their human prisoners, but failed. As for time travel, the maximum that's possible is just a year and six months. Soul transfer was very risky since you're never sure at what particular point in time of your life will you be brought back. So Harry James Potter, the Lord Potter-Black, and the scariest Dark Lord since Voldemort, decided that it's time. It's time for him to reunite with Hermione. He'll just have to perform the ritual to transfer the reigns to Neville. He needed to make sure his followers be kept in their proper places after all. He called all his followers for an early meeting today. He needed all of them to drop some blood on a goblet that he will be using to transfer their ownership to Neville. After that, he'll go to the Forest of Dean and keep his promise to Hermione. He'll stay with her there, forever.
After his followers left after the meeting and blood ceremony, he asked Neville to follow him to the dungeons. It's time to finally end all of this.
"Hello, Ronald!", Harry called out to his oldest prison. He's kept Ron for the last eight years. Every anniversary of Hermione's death he would torture Ron but would always make sure to keep him sane. He kept him alive for rituals after all. Today, Ron will serve as Neville's initiation as he assumes the Potter-Black properties, which includes all money, titles, and followers.
"Harry? Are you finally going to kill me?", his former best friend asked.
"So excited, Ronald! Yes, you will finally day today but I won't be killing you. You shall die by Neville's hand. I'll be using you for a ritual. I reckon you've suffered enough and it shall end today", he said nonchalantly. He cast a silencing charm at Ron for him to not bother them as they performed the transfer of ownership ceremony.
Harry drew a pentagram on the floor using the Elder Wand and asked Neville to stand inside it. He then chanted the words to the ritual and the pentagram glowed.
"Do you, Neville Franklin Longbottom, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom pledge your fealty to Houses Potter and Black?", Harry enunciated the fealty oath.
"Yes, I do, My Lord", Neville said sincerely.
"I, Harry James Potter, Lord of the Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black, name you, Neville Franklin Longbottom, the rightful successor of all Potter and Black properties and shall carry out all remaining tasks left by the last Lord Potter-Black, so mote it be!", Harry then handed Neville the goblet filled with all his followers' blood. Neville drinked all the contents in the goblet and handed it back to Harry.
"Take this dagger and cut your palm. We shall join our blood, my brother", Harry said while cutting his own palm before handing the dagger to Neville who immediately obeyed the commands in the ritual.
"From this day forward, you, Neville Franklin Longbottom, shall be known as Lord Longbottom-Potter-Black. May you honor all our three houses and carry out the responsibility laid out for you, brother!", Harry grasped Neville's bleeding palm with his own as their blood mixed. Their hands then glowed signifying the ritual's success.
"Thank you for the trust you have bestowed upon me, Harry. I shall keep my promise to uphold yours and Hermione's vision for our world. I also promise to keep the Potter and Black lines by giving heirs for each house", Neville said in all sincerity and Harry hugged his brother.
"I believe you have a task to carry out Lord Longbottom-Potter-Black", Harry said as he pulled away and gestured at Ron.
"I guess you are right, Harry!", Neville said with an evil glint in his eye. Harry cancelled the silencing charm and Ron immediately begged Neville to spare his life as he offered his promise of fealty. Neville and Harry just laughed at the redhead.
"You really are an idiot, Ron! Why would Neville spare you? What use does he have of you? Besides, the entire wizarding world thinks you're dead. What's the point of keeping you alive?", Harry said with a wicked grin.
"This one is for Harry. You killed him the moment you stabbed Hermione!", Neville said as he stabbed Ron on the stomach with the dagger they used at the ritual. Ron yelled in pain and they just laughed.
"This is for Hermione!", Neville stabbed Ron on the chest this time and Ron wailed.
"This is for the wizarding world. You robbed us of the most brilliant mind that would've shaped our world's future!", Neville slit Ron's thigh all the way down to his leg and his blood spilled. Harry conjured some spiders and they all ran across Ron's body making their victim scream in fear until he died from all the blood lost. Harry shook Neville's hand one last time to wish his successor luck. He apparated to the Forest of Dean bringing all the Hallows with him. It's time to reunite with his queen.
Hermione's gravesite was made of crystal clear glass and her body was kept in stasis so that she won't decay. She lay there as beautiful as ever. She was a sleeping beauty. Harry made a motion with the Elder Wand and the glass disappeared. Harry ran a hand to one of Hermione's cheeks and stared lovingly at her.
"Hello, Hermione! I kept my promise. I will now be staying with you forever, here at the Forest of Dean", he said as used the wand to dig a large deep hole on the ground - his finally resting place beside Hermione. He conjured a bed of roses on the hole for Hermione to lay on. He placed an engagement ring and a weddding ring on Hermione's left ring finger before kissing her hand. He then levitated her carefully into the hole. Harry wore the resurrection stone on his left ring finger and draped the invisibiity cloak over himself. He banished Hermione's glass gravesite and jumped into the hole beside her, still careful not to hit any part of her body. Harry held Hermione's hand and using the elder wand he summoned the soil to cover them both.
When they were both buried six feet under the ground, Harry held a deep breath to use the Elder Wand for the last time.
"I love you Hermione! You may not have been with me in this life, but I will follow and be with you for eternity!", he said as he held on tight to her hand.
"Reducto!", he yelled as he pointed the Elder Wand to his head.
"Wake up, young Peverell!", a deep baritone voice called out and Harry opened his eyes.
"Where am I?", he asked as he stared at his surroundings and he noticed that he was naked. The man who woke him up handed him a cloak that felt like the invisibility cloak but its color was black.
"You are dead, young Peverell. But you cheated death once again", the man said.
"I cheated death? How? I volunteered to die! I just wanted to be with Hermione", he said with confusion.
"You are not supposed to die like this. Your Hermione is not supposed to die yet as well. You would've lived a long and happy life together, if only you weren't manipulated", the man lead Harry to a bench and they sat.
"Who are you by the way? And why did you call me young Peverell?"
"I am death", the man said.
"You really are a person?", Harry chuckled.
"I could show you my real self if you want", Death said with a sinister grin that made Harry shiver.
"Nevermind. I don't want to see that", he quickly replied and Death laughed.
"The Potters are the last remaining blood relatives of the Peverells. And you my friend, are the last Peverell", Death said.
"Oh! That makes sense."
"As I said young Peverell, you cheated me yet again. By choosing to die and surrendering the Hallows to me and rendering it powerless in the mortal world, I owe you a gift", Death explained.
"A gift? What gift?", he asked confused.
"I'm giving you the chance to go back and change your life!"
"I don't want to change my life. I just want to be with Hermione!", Harry insisted.
"You can be with her again. You'll both be alive. And you my friend, can correct mistakes and make things better this time around!", Death convinced him.
"Really? You could do that?", Harry asked with amazement.
"Of course! The name's Death, remember?", the persona of Death chuckled.
"Right!", Harry nodded.
"So? What do you say?"
"Can I choose what time to come back to?", Harry asked with excitement.
"Yes, provided that I agree with it", Death shrugged.
"So, can I go back to save my parents?"
"That's not possible, young Peverell. Sad to say, it indeed was your parents time to die. And if you alter things, Tom Riddle will rule the wizarding world."
"Oh! Okay. I understand. What about the time I met Hagrid and first knew I was a wizard? Is that possible?", he proposed.
"That is perfect, young Peverell!", Death said in agreement.
"You may call me Harry, sir!", Harry said with a big grin.
"Okay, Harry it is. But please don't call me sir!", Death laughed.
"So what should I call you then?"
"Just call me D!", Death extended a hand.
"Alright, D!", Harry shook hands with Death and the deal was sealed.
Harry woke up on the dusty floor of the creepy house in the middle of nowhere that he and the Dursleys stayed in when they were avoiding all of his Hogwarts letters. It's showtime! Dark Lord Harry is back in the game. Wait for me, my queen! I will be seeing you soon...