In between light and darkness
Chapter 1: Going back
"Hello." Hadrian said- Person speaking
Hello. Hadrian thought- Person thinking
§Hello.§ Hadrian hissed- Person/snake speaking in Parseltongue
Flashback (Hadrian's point of view)
"Hadrian James Potter by the majority of the Wizengamot you are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban for the murder of 20 Hogwarts student by opening the Chamber of Secrets and releasing the basilisk housed within onto the school . The session is closed." Minister Fudge spoke, ending the session with a hit of his gavel.
My mouth was open. I could not believe it, here I was ,an innocent man, being sentenced to live in Azkaban. I heard my lawyer muttering words of apologies, but I just ignored them. I wanted to shout that this was an act of injustice, that I was innocent, but I held my tongue. Shouting would do nothing. I would die in Azkaban.
Soon afterwards my father, oh how I hated that title, he didn't deserve it. He wasn't my father for god's sake. At best he was the semen donator. My father never cared for me. All my parents ever cared about was their chosen one, Adrian Potter. Just because some stupid cow made a prophecy that my brother was supposed to defeat Voldemort, didn't mean that they would have to abandon me. I raged in thought
Anyway, my father and another Auror led me out of the courtroom. The cameras flashed, the journalists all hoping to get a picture of me, being led off. Apparently, the twin brother of the boy who lived being convicted was big news, who knew?
As I left the courtroom, I saw Dumbledore consoling my so-called mother, who cried about her 'baby'. Dumbledore's facial expression was one of dread. At least until our eyes met. As soon as they did, his expression was replaced by a smirk adorning his face.
As the two Aurors finally led me out of the courtroom and escorted me into a prison cell in Azkaban I began to wonder. How the hell did I end up here like that? How could I let myself be framed? The answer was very simple. Albus bloody Dumbledore. How could I let myself be fooled by his larger-than-life façade. One moment I was an ordinary Hogwarts student in his second year, the next I was a convicted murderer of 20 students and am being sentenced to life in Azkaban. How could it all happen? Hadrian asked himself in thought.
Being arrested and sentenced. Everything in this time frame seemed a bit murky.
I arrived at Azkaban, got handed my prison robe and my head was being shaved off. My hair was not completely shaved off. After I put my gown on, father escorted me to my prison cell. The other Auror left after James said, he wanted to talk to me alone.
He grabbed me by the arm and threw me into the prison cell. He closed the prison cell. Afterwards he began to speak slowly, "You know deep down I knew that you would always end up here. We could have sent you to your grandparents, but we choose to send you to your aunt and uncle for one reason and one reason only… to have you weakened. "
"I once saw you destroy a whole room as a five-year-old. With nothing but accidental magic. Since that day, I knew you were a distraction for your brother, so I and your mother decided to send you away. Under my grandparents you would have learnt to be strong, a strong wizard and we just couldn't have that. Even as a child I could see the darkness in you, the resentment for not getting the same attention your brother did. We couldn't let that resentment grow into something more violate. Something which would have happened under your grandparents for sure. As a four-year old you already had manipulative tendencies, surpassing most adults. You could talk to snakes. A mark for a dark wizard. I hoped you wouldn't follow in their footsteps, but seemingly I was wrong. Never in all of my life, would I suspect that you would tarnish the name of Potter like you did since you reentered the wizarding-world. You are a thorn in my family's plans, in Dumbledore's plan. Now you will rot here in Azkaban for the rest of eternity. So goodbye Hadrian Potter, the dementors will come here in an hour, I hope they give you a kiss."
During my father's little speech, I just stared down at the ground. Truthfully, I didn't care what he had to say, he probably just gloated. As he turned around to leave, I raised my head and started to speak,
"You know, all I ever wanted is to be normal. To be a normal child whose parents cherished him. After you abandoned me, I realized that I could never truly fit in that criteria. But I still had hope, hope that my parents would someday acknowledge me. Only now do I realize that such a very notion was idotic. After you abandoned me I never considered you my family, especially after how the first year at Hogwarts ended. Since then, I wanted to carve my own way in life, but you couldn't allow me that, could you?. After everything you have taken from me you had to take my freedom from me to, didn't you? Before you leave this prison today, I just want to remind you of a saying."
James had turned around to listen to me. He wore a smirk on his face. "And what saying would that be?" he asked amused.
"Sooner or later, everyone has to take a banquet of consequences," I replied. He chuckled at first, then burst out laughing. After he calmed down again, he looked me straight in the eye and said, "No, I won't. I will leave here today without any consequences ever following me. You, on the other hand..." he broke off and pointed his finger at me, "you will be spending the rest of your life in this prison." He said the last with a cruel smile on his face.
"We will see, we will see."
10 years later Azkaban Prison Facility Hadrian's Point of view
"Sooner or later, everyone has to take a banquet of consequences.". How right those words were. Every action causes a reaction. 3 years into my prison life and Voldemort returned. He freed every person in this prison, who was willing to swear on their life, that they will serve him and him (Voldemort) only until the day they die. Every person except me, of course.
I think Voldemort was still bitter about the fact, that I ruined his resurrection in my first Hogwarts year. He locked those who Voldemort captured up in here and tortured them. Soon after Voldemort's return to power, James, Lily, and Adrian Potter died. The same quickly happened to the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort took control over half of Europe and was currently waging war against the other half.
He still visits me from time to time. I think Voldemort does it for no other reason than to simply annoy me. To remind me what kind of miserable life I lead. Abandoned by the Potter's, abused by the Dursley's, thrown in jail for a crime I did not commit. I wonder when he will end my suffering. The Dementors made my life for the last ten years a living hell.
"Don't worry, your suffering will end today." A voice spoke, letting me now that someone else beside me was in my cell.
I looked around and saw a person wearing a leather jacket, boots, and a jeans, leaning against the bars of my cell. He smoked a cigar, and generally gave the impression that he didn't care for anything.
Who the hell is this person and how the hell did he enter my cell without making a noise, not even Voldemort manages that.
"I have a bone to pick with you, Hadrian Potter." I merely raised an eyebrow at that. "And you would be…?" I questioned him.
"My name is Thanatos, but you know me as the entity known as death." He said. I stared at him. "Cool I said, so I assume you are here to reap my soul. So how does this work? Do you stab me with your scythe, or do you escort me to the afterlife? Is there even such a thing as the afterlife?" I fired many questions at Thanatos.
"You … believe that I am death?" the entity said, as if even he didn't believe what just came out of my mouth. "Wow, most people I meet take a quarter of an hour to convince that I am truly death."
"Yeah but you forget one crucial thing." I said. "And that would be?" Death asked looking at me pointedly.
"Yeah but I am not most people." I said somewhat bitterly. It was true. "Anyway, so can you please bring me to the afterlife, now, I am quite sick of my life, I've been leading up to this point."
"I noticed." Death remarked drily. "But today I am not here to collect an individual's soul like I usually do." Death added. My curiosity was peaked. "I'll bite." I said. "What is it you are here for today?"
"Tell me, Hadrian, what did you always desire the most?" Death ignored my question. He took a long breath and puffed his cigarette.
I was annoyed at first that death ignored my question, before really thinking about the answer. What is it I always truly wanted. "Knowledge and power." I answered after consideration.
Death chuckled. "That's right, Hadrian, at least you are aware of what you always wanted. Now onto the reason I am here today. I want you to kill someone."
Okay, thought Hadrian surprised, that is something I did not expect. "I am sorry, but I have to refuse, I am currently in this prison, I am sure you will understand why I will have to decline. Besides considering how long I have been exposed to the Dementors I am not quite sure if I am imaging this conversation. And even if I am not you are death, why don't you do it?" I asked him, interested?
"I am well aware that you are in this prison at this time, but I intend to break you out ho" Death started, only to be interrupted by the only human in the cell, "No thank you.". Death momentarily taken aback by my refusal, "Excuse me." He said.
"Even if you somehow miraculously managed to break me out of this prison, I'd have Voldemort coming after me and that is something worse than even you."
"You misunderstood me," Death explained, "the deities are not happy how things with Voldemort unfolded. Particularly Fate and me. Voldemort and Dumbledore was supposed to die at your hand, so it was prophesied."
I remembered the prophecy all to well, after all his parents abandoned him on the wording of the prophecy. Ironic, Adrian was believed to be the Chosen One, who knew that my parents nurtured the wrong boy and let the boy who really was meant to kill Voldemort neglected, beaten and starved.
Somehow it felt good knowing that his parents had chosen wrong, dooming the world. But he also felt saddened, knowing that by being thrown into Azkaban, he missed the chance to kill Dumbledore and Voldemort.
"I'll get right to the crux of the matter: I plan to send you back in time long before you receive your Hogwarts letter." Death said all of a sudden, shocking Hadrian. Hadrian thought about all the things he could do differently this time around but also all of the things that went south last time. After having fought this over for a moment, Hadrian narrowed his eyes at Death and asked,
"What's in it for you?" In response Death merely chuckled and answered, "I am a deity, what makes you think I have any interest in Voldemort's and Dumbledore's demise, hm?"
Harry thought for a second about Death's words on the surface, they made sense, but Hadrian wasn't going to be fooled. "There is something for everyone. What is it for you?" Hadrian commented.
Death face showed a roughish smirk, he took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled, releasing something similar to white mist. "You are right. Fate just wants Voldemort dead because the prophecy was left unfulfilled. Fate and I want Dumbledore dead because he messes with us. You see, there is this awful thing called free will and sometimes humans defy the deities without even knowing it. Dumbledore and Voldemort both defy fate by not fulfilling the prophecy and they wish to escape my clutches. You will take care of both Dumbledore and Voldemort. I don't care if you decide to kill every person you ever encounter afterwards but you will kill those two for me and Fate." Death said fixing me with a stern look, that had me rapidly shaking my head in agreement and reminded me of Professor McGonagall look, she would give students when she ordered them around.
"I hate to ask you, but how am I going to achieve this. Dumbledore wants me in prison and Riddle wants me dead. Both individuals have power, magically and politically, followers and many other things, I can not hope to win against."
"You are the executioner of two deities' will's; we will give you the power you need to have a realistic chance against Dumbledore and without screwing up every self-imposed rule we ever set upon ourselves. But if you do not succeed in murdering Dumbledore and Voldemort, we will choose another to do what you could not."
"For starters," Death spoke " we will give you three Lordships. The moment you will have gone back in time, you will no longer have even a shred of your father and mother's blood flowing through your veins. Instead, it will be that of your new mother's, Emily Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Peverell, and that of your father's, George Maxwell. We will replace the blood flowing through."
My eyes widened in shock. I was going to be Lord Slytherin, Lord Ravenclaw and Lord Peverell. All three of those Houses held a seat on the Wizengamot. The Peverell was mostly shrouded in mystery, but they were said to have produced some of the most powerful wizards and witches in all of history. The line was also said to be extinct. Slytherin and Ravenclaw were the name of two Hogwarts founders and were generally well known.
I was also happy to finally have my parents' blood no longer flowing through my veins. After my incineration in Azkaban, I saw it as the last bond between me and Lily and James Potter. One I always wanted to get rid of, but never could.
"Not that I am not happy", I objected, "but wouldn't that create some kind of time paradox. I mean, the"
"No, it won't. The Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Peverell family did not claim what is theirs in the last five centuries for reasons you will have to discover on your own. The entire family was also killed by Voldemort. Your new mother by blood, same as your father by blood, were killed by Voldemort in the first war. As was the rest of your new family. Now concerning magical potential well, you can already compete with Merlin."
"What!?" I exclaimed shocked. Death laughed, "Well, Dumbledore placed a bunch of blocks on you that stopped you from not only reaching your full magical potential but also rendered you incapable of performing even the smallest amount of entire magical branches. He did so after he realized that you may be able to one day rival him in magical power. And you know how Dumbles is, he won't allow an equal to him to walk this earth."
I silently cursed Dumbledore under my breath for what felt like the hundredth of time in my time in Azkaban.
Death walked towards me, looked me dead into the eyes and said," Hadrian Potter, I, Thanatos, herby cleanse you of the blood of James Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans running through your veins. I replace it with the blood of Emily Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Peverell and George Maxwell. So, mote it be."
Death raised a hand and said, "In a few seconds I am going to snap my fingers and you will be sent back in time. I wish you the best of luck regarding your task given you by Fate and Death themselves, Hadrian Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Peverell."
Hadrian eyes widened once again when he realized that this was goodbye from Death. No, no, no, no ,he thought, I have so many questions that need answers.
"Hang on, you can't just"
Before Harry could even finish his sentence, he snapped his finger, and Hadrian disappeared.
Chapter 1 End