Please note that I do not own Harry Potter. I will say this once.
Okay.
Weird title, yes, but I just rewatched High School Musical and that song was like so happy and cheery and I have it stuck in my head and it's not going away and I know that if I hide, it doesn't go away which is so annoying because I have like two songs stuck in my head and ugh—
Wow. I digressed a lot.
So this was originally a one-shot, but I actually physically lost the plot and it's probably at the bottom of my notes app. *sigh* My life is so sad, y'know? I'm assuming this was meant to have something to do with another one of my fics, but I just can't figure out what. :'''(
So now, this is a multi-chapter book and I have no idea if this is going to be a Tomarry.
Probably not.
Maybe?
Yeah, I don't know.
Also, here are the people who do not die: Snape, Fred, and Dobby.
Harry couldn't remember the last time he died.
Perhaps it was seventh year, or it could have been yesterday. He was just terrible at keeping track of such trivial matters. After all, when Death is a frequent visitor to your humble abode, you probably wouldn't consider dying an action to be celebrated.
And yet, even as he practiced the arcane branches of magic straight from books brought to him by Death (how Hermione would envy him!), he still hadn't found a way to check the last time someone had killed him.
He still found it disconcerting to know that he had died recently, and yet be totally unable to remember the exact date, or time, or even bloody location of his death. Sure, he could always craft a spell but ever since Luna had told him how her mother had died, he had been absolutely terrified of spellcrafting.
Sectumsempra, Snape's spell, had only cemented his belief that spellcrafting was for people who were searching for the greater things life had to offer. After all, who went around creating spells that could murder people?!
Malfoy's body, pale and unmoving, sanguine liquid contrasting with blond hair, eyes open but unseeing—Harry took a great shuddering breath, blocking out all thought of that spell from his mind.
Harry still wondered if Malfoy had actually died then, if his heart had stopped beating and Snape had, somehow, started it again.
Harry still wondered what it felt like to the average person.
Was there a bright light? Darkness? A multitude of shades and colors, swirling and blending as the soul escaped the dead body, and he wondered if souls were as tangible as they were in The Witch's Boy, and if someone could swaddle them with a cloth and force them into another body. He wanted to know, dammit, and Death was no better than Dumbledore.
He thought they might have been friends, in another world.
And yes, he could see it: Death and Dumbledore exchanging cryptic coded sentences, paraphrasing ancient muggle and magical texts, quoting famous historical figures, and just trying to out-score each other in the battle of stupid wisdom. Death would always have a packet of mango-flavored chocolate, and they'd offer the packet to Dumbledore because Dumbledore just hated chocolate and he hated mangoes because they were so sweet, and then Dumbledore would offer his lemon drops to Death and Death would actually accept them, and they'd roll them around their mouth because they had no taste buds. And then Dumbledore would invite Voldemort to the party, and Voldemort would be some charismatic funny person because why the hell not and he would always take great pleasure in rubbing it into Death's face that he had split his soul and cheated Death, and this entire conversation would happen in the middle of a grassy field with a quaint white table covered in a checkered cloth and a most wonderful array of tea cakes and snacks would be on top of that. And at some point, Death and Voldemort would start squabbling like schoolchildren and Dumbledore would look on with his cursed twinkle and he'd keep on twinkling and twinkling at them because that was what Dumbledore does.
Did, Harry corrected himself.
Dumbledore died.
Harry shut his eyes, sinking deeper into the black sofa he was currently seated on.
Harry had died again.
After another fight with Ginny, he had gone out of the house, planning on a Hogwarts visit to chat with Minnie or maybe even Snape. McGonagall, who was now the Headmistress of Hogwarts with Snape as her Deputy, had organized for a room dedicated to all the people who had given their lives in the war—both the first and second. This room was accessible via the Astronomy Tower: one simply had to open the door that was located just near the entrance and exit, which immediately redirected the student to a room in an Unplottable location. If one were to jump from the Tower, they would be redirected to the same place as well.
So Harry had planned on talking to one of the Professors, saying hi to whichever one of his kids a had a free period at that moment, and head over to the Astronomy Tower. He would tell Tonks and Remus all about Teddy and how he had become Hogwarts' new DADA Professor and how he had married Victoire Weasley, and then he'd talk to his parents and Sirius and he'd tell them how Lily was in Ravenclaw and Albus in Slytherin and James in Gryffindor and Teddy in Hufflepuff because yes Teddy was their son, not biologically but still the love he had for Teddy was the same he had for James and Albus, and he felt that fatherly pride when Teddy walked in a room with his head held straight and glaring at anyone who would underestimate him because Remus was a werewolf and he raised Teddy and he raised James and Albus and Lily! He knew each of his sons were different, each of his children were so distinct that they were all in different houses and yet they all loved each other and was this what having a family felt like?
But then he and Ginny kept fighting over the most ridiculous stuff and he knew that they were both stressed and he knew that it would all get better, but he still wished that Ginny could just accept that Death was a constant presence in his life.
Because as much as Harry hated Death, they had still come to an agreement: Death came over every day while the kids were at school, and over their holidays, the entitled entity would visit Harry in his dreams.
Nightmares.
But Harry had died again.
He didn't even know how, he simply knew that one second he was stepping through the Floo and the next someone—Ginny?—was screaming his name as the uncomfortably familiar pink light of diffindo was hitting his chest.
He had blinked, probably, and now he was in the familiar setting of Death's favorite place: Kismet Donjon.
Donjon was probably his favorite pun-y word. When speaking, it sounded very similar to dungeon, and he often used donjon to describe Snape's dungeons. Kismet Donjon, however, was very similar to a dungeon in its appearance both on the inside and out.
Harry sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. The last time he had met Fate, the grimalkin had tried to set him up with Life who had apparently just broken up with Chaos.
Why Life was dating Chaos in the first place explained so much to Harry.
Apparently, the two had been dating for roughly one hundred human years, which explained why the entire world had, well...
Become chaotic.
Anyway way, Kismet Donjon was now towering above him, grey walls coated with pink streaks as usual. Luck, who had been dating Death (Harry was not surprised) had decorated the place as soon as the two broke up with Death citing 'personal reasons'.
Harry really hated learning about the love lives of the entities that supposedly ruled the world.
But then, Fate herself walked out the door.
Dressed in another one of their favored gowns, they looked exactly like Fate: completely and utterly mysterious.
Harry was annoyed, and even more so when Death and Fate both dragged him to the Meeting Room.
He hated Kismet Donjon.
"Harry," Death said, jumping onto the blood-red sofa that took up an entire wall.
"We have a deal for you," Fate continued, twirling their curly dirty-brown hair around their finger.
"Well," Death said, crossing his arms.
"We want you—"
"To—"
"Go back in time—"
"And meet Tom Riddle."
Something Harry found extremely annoying about Fate and Death was the fact that they could change their appearances to suit the situation. Fate was currently looking like a Hermione-Ginny-Luna mix, with spacey gray eyes, brown-blonde hair, and a petite frame. Death was some sort of Ron-Snape-James Junior mix, taking on the Potter hair, blue eyes, and a hooked nose.
Harry couldn't help but shudder at seeing his best friend's eyes being paired with his least favorite teacher's nose.
Though Snape and Harry had become somewhat-friends, Harry was still rather cautious and wary of the man due to their rocky history. With a sigh, Harry looked up at the two again.
"What do I get out of this?"
"Well," Fate started.
"You get," Death continued.
"A possible—"
"Friend—"
"Possible roommate—"
"Possible lov—"
"Um, no!" Harry burst out. "I am not doing the do with Voldemort!"
"Ah, but—"
"You'll be dealing—"
"With—"
"Tom Riddle!"
Fate and Death were just like Fred and George, only Fate and Death were sadists and Fred and George liked to see people laugh.
"Look guys, I get that young Voldy was a real looker or something, but I have kids."
"Hey Fate, notice how he didn't mention his marriage?"
Harry dragged a hand down his face.
"We all know Gin and I don't have a stable relationship at the moment, no thanks to you—wait! You've been doing this on fuckin' purpose!"
Death drew a half circle with his foot and whistled, looking off into the distance.
"You orchestrated this so that I wouldn't mind leaving Ginny behind!"
Fate looked at their iPhone 19, which was supposedly coming out in 2030. Harry didn't believe them, but Fate swore on their Magic and who was Harry to question that?
"Ugh! Fuck you! But I demand three days back home to explain the situation to Ginny or else deal off!"
Death and Fate nodded hurriedly, and Harry stormed out of the Meeting Room. Using the small amount of magic he had access to in his location, he Cursed the Donjon so that it appeared a bright shade of electric blue. Turning away before any damage could be done to his eyes, he slipped back into consciousness and found himself on a soft surface. He registered Ginny sobbing over him, with her head on his chest and her body curled up next to him.
"Harry, Harry please, I wasn't paying attention because I was, I was, and the front door had opened, and I, someone came in, he said something, and I said no, and he asked where you were, and I said, and then the Floo turned on, and he laughed, and then, he drew, wand—" Ginny broke off into a fresh round of sobs, covering her ears with her hands. "I thought you would come back, you always do, Death, and, and, you said, oh Harry!"
Ginny apparently hadn't noticed that Harry was back, and she kept on crying and mumbling. Harry reached out an arm from where it was squished between his wife and his side, curling it protectively around Ginny and saying, "I'm here. Don't worry. I'm back."
But I won't be here for long.
"H-Harry?"
And Harry was attacked by kisses.
"Ginny," Harry said, sitting down in front of his wife.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Well, I don't know how to explain this to you... You remember when I told you about Kismet Donjon?"
Ginny nodded her head.
"Well when I died this time, Death and Fate took me to the Donjon and had a little meeting with me."
Ginny tilted her head, slightly wary. She knew Harry held no great love for Fate, and she couldn't help but share the sentiment—Fate was a downright rude bitch.
"So now I have to go back in time to when Tom Riddle was alive, apparently sometime during his Hogwarts years, and keep him away from becoming Voldemort. I'm assuming I'll be sent to sixth year, just before Bombodil makes his first horcrux."
"Bombodil?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, from one of Life, Fate, and Chaos' creations. Mad universe, I swear."
Ginny winced. She had a vague idea of what could happen if Chaos and Life met up, but Chaos and Fate... she didn't even want to know, and she said so.
"Mhm, I didn't think so. Anyway, by the time we can meet I'll either be long-dead or a really old man so—"
Ginny bit her lip. "Harry, I understand. I know our marriage isn't stab—but what about the kids?"
Harry breathed in deeply.
"I go back in time and the kids... they—well—they disappear."
"Th-they die?" Ginny said, clamping a hand over her mouth in shock.
"Not exactly... this is why I hate dealing with temporal shit! Change this and that happens, fix this but it doesn't change..."
"So technically, the moment you write yourself into the past the present doesn't occur?"
"Yeah, kinda. Like, basically what happens with Death and Fate's time-travel is after I die, I go to the Temporal Chambers. In the Chambers, there's all of this stuff. It's all labeled, and they're all kinda like portkeys? It's hard to explain," Harry said, running a hand through his hair, "but basically, I touch one that says whichever year I'm supposed to go to and then I'm sucked through a really small tube.
"Remember in Transfiguration when Minnie taught us about magic? So yeah, one of those tubes.
"So I go though the tube and into the assigned time, and... well... the present just...
"Dies."
Ginny bit her trembling lip. Tomorrow, she would only live on in Harry's memory. Tomorrow, everyone she knew would only be alive in Harry's memory.
"Did they say what would happen if you didn't do it?"
"Well, no, but it's Death and Fate. Can you imagine? I sure can."
They both shuddered simultaneously.
"And you have to leave... tomorrow."
"Yes," Harry whispered.
"I... I love you Harry," Ginny said softly.
"I love you too," Harry replied, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek.
"I know we've drifted apart, but—"
"You'll always have a special place in my heart."
Ginny let out a choked sob, burrowing her head in Harry's chest. His arms curled around her, cocooning her in the place where she always felt safe.
"Ginny, you'll have to kill me tomorrow."
"I know Harry, I know, but I can't do it."
"You can. I know you can."
Ginny just kept on crying, completely ensconced in her husband's arms.
"Shoot."
Ginny's right arm trembled.
"C'mon Gin, I know you can do it."
"I can't, Harry! Why don't you get Malfoy to do it!"
"I could, but I don't want him to end me! It has to be you!"
"Harry, I actually cannot cast the Killing Curse!"
"Use Sectumsempra!"
Ginny blinked.
"Are you sure? Malfoy told me it's very painful."
"What is pain? I can't seem to remember."
"Okay, okay," Ginny muttered, drawing in a deep breath.
"Sectumsempra."
Harry fell to the ground, multiple gashes appearing all over his body with a large on just under his chest.
Just then, the door opened.
"Mum! Dad! We're home!" Lily Luna Potter screamed as she entered the house.
"Chill, Lils, Al is still moping about Scorpius," James Sirius Potter muttered.
Ginny's eyes widened comically. She forgot the kids would be returning home that day, and she had even told James to pick them up.
James had moved in with his girlfriend, Hannah Campbell, as soon as he graduated.
Ginny was in the living room, and the kids would take two minutes to figure out where she was. Drawing her wand from her robe pocket, she muttered a complicated Enchantment that would hide Harry from prying eyes. She then levitated him to behind the couch, and he smiled at her before rolling over to keep himself totally invisible.
Ginny laid down on the couch and made it look like she had been sleeping for a very long time, puffing up her hair and wrinkling her clothes.
James creaked open the living room, peering in curiously. At the sight of his mother lying down on the couch, apparently asleep, he smiled and beckoned his siblings in the room as well. Lily bounced in eagerly, sobering slightly after James laid a hand on her shoulder. Albus was slightly more subdued, but seemed to brighten after seeing his mother.
Behind the couch, Harry had finally died due to the blood loss.
Just as Lily was about to jump on her mother's back to wake her up, the world ended.
"Ah, Harry! So glad you could make it!"
"Yeah yeah, now tell me the year."
Death handed Harry a note, labeled 'Death's Note'. Fate laughed behind her hand, before handing Harry an object with a tag on it. "We got you the object as well," they explained.
"Okay, bye now. Hope you meet Hades sometime soon."
In a flash of smoke, Harry was gone.
GASP I DID IT!
I apologize for not updating any of my stories in a really long time, but COVID has really wrecked havoc in my neighborhood—my neighbor got it! I had to get tested (I'm negative—phew) and my throat really hurts. I also managed to break two of my fingers (what?) so I had to go to a hospital to get that stuff fixed (chaossss) so basically, my life sucks and I'm at the center of it.
So that's my excuse-come-sob-story, but yeah! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
:D bye!