A/N: I have another story! I've been caught up with coursework so I've had little chance to write. This story is a way to ease myself back into to routine. The title means spirit of the light.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.
Of all the places Amaryllis Potter expected to die she could safely say that a small American shopping centre was not one of them. Neither had she expected a bomb would be the reason why she lay under a pile of rubble, slowly drowning in her own blood. The day had started out a little worrisome, Hermione had fallen ill and Ron opted to stay with his three month pregnant wife, but they had both been adamant that Amaryllis get out and enjoy the Florida air. Though Amaryllis didn't see what was so great about it, it was humid and hot. She was used to cold, rainy island that was Great Britain. No amount of tank tops and cooling charms prepared her for this sticky heat. Still, she put her hair up into a bun, applied sun cream and left the hotel room. Stopping only to knock on the door to Ron and Hermione's room to tell them she was leaving.
The trip was Hermione's idea, a way for them to see the world before she got too laden down with kids, a way for them to truly move on after the war with Voldemort. They'd been in Australia when Hermione found out she was pregnant, naturally all three were happy about the news, but they weren't going to let it interfere much with their plans. Their trip would end before Hermione's due date and so they carried on as normal, minus the alcohol and late nights. They visited many countries, Japan, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and many more until finally they landed in Florida, America. Hermione had been feeling under the weather for a few days now and though Amaryllis was worried, Hermione was adamant she was fine.
The weather was so hot Amaryllis thought she would melt like the wicked witch of the west, and when she saw the shopping centre she headed straight for it. Not to shop like a normal girl but purely for the sweet air con she knew was circulating around the place. It was busy but that was to be expected. It was the weekend after all. Amaryllis took a moment to refresh herself in the ladies toilet and once she had finally cooled off, reappeared amidst the throng of people. She suddenly felt very foreign amongst them. All around her she could hear the dialect and accents of America and, though she very much liked the accents, it made her feel very out of place. Her posh Britishness would make her stand out and it was strange.
She stopped by Starbucks first and got an iced latte, the young guy serving her helped her with the change a little, as she didn't understand how much the coins were worth. After getting very embarrassed about it the employee told her how much each coin was worth, though he got told off by his boss, he thought it was worth it. It's not often you run into a British girl, he had told her, especially not one as beautiful as you. She had turned into an awkward stuttering idiot and politely said goodbye and left the shop with her latte. She sipped happily on her drink and continued looking at all the shops. It was when she was placing the empty cup into the bin when trouble started.
At first she didn't know what was going on, all she heard was a loud bang and then the ground began to shake. Everyone, Amaryllis included, ran to the doors but before she could make it the world around her exploded. She was sent flying into the air before gravity took over and she landed painfully on some rubble with more falling on top of her. She coughed and spluttered as dust filled her lungs, dazed green eyes glanced around her. She was numb and she knew it was because of the shock and adrenaline, and once that wore off she would be in plenty of pain. She tried to move but found her leg trapped under a large piece of concrete. Instead she called for help. Her voice scratchy and weak.
Her breath came in short bursts as pain finally began to seep into her nervous system. Her head was throbbing dangerously, a head injury no doubt. Her elbow protruded from her arm and she couldn't feel her leg. She coughed up blood and, feeling the wetness of it drip down her cheek, she knew she was dying. Still she protested, calling out weakly to anyone who would listen. Paramedics, firefighters, police, God, Merlin, her parents. Anyone. Then she realised no one was coming. She was all alone and she would die alone. That thought scared her more than anything.
She thought she would die heroically with Voldemort, but she was given a second chance to live. She thought she would die on the job as an auror, less heroic but honourable. She thought she would live and find love. Not the sappy kind of love you see in films. But true love where you don't need to finish each other's sentences or gaze lovingly into the others eyes, the kind where you just know you're in love. The kind where the one you love does the little things, like bringing home a bunch of flower bought for no reason from Tesco other than to say 'I love you', or hugging you after a fight because no matter how many arguments you have he still loves you. She thought she would have a family, little green eyed children running around. She wanted to teach her child to use a broom and how to get away with pranking people.
Dying alone wasn't in her plan. Dying alone in a muggle shopping centre in America definitely wasn't in her plan. Dying alone in a muggle shopping centre in America because of a muggle bomb wasn't even a thought. Tears swept down her cheeks in a sorrow filled river. She was scared and for the first time in her life, her friends weren't there with her. Her breath came to her in short painful wheezes. Black shadows danced tauntingly at the edge of her vision, until finally everything calmed. There was no pain, only a blissful surrender as everything went dark. Amaryllis Potter drew her last breath on Earth.
When she awoke again she was, as any normal person would be, highly confused. All around her was white, like a fog or an early morning mist. It was pure and heavenly. She was amused then, thinking she was heaven. God saw sorcery as a sin, as some sort of devil worship and here she was standing in a place that felt like she would have imagined heaven would feel. The irony made her laugh. She stood up and took a slow step forwards. Then another followed by another. Once she was sure she was safe she walked more confidently.
"Though it may disappoint you, I feel it worthwhile to point out you aren't in heaven." The voice startled her so much she gasped loudly, "do you know what happened to you?"
"I died," she whispered, her eyes widening as she recalled the moments of her death.
"In a sense," a figure emerged from the mist, dressed richly in silky garments that resembled a wizards robe. There was an ethereal quality in the shine his skin gave off and intelligence hidden behind brown eyes. His dark hair was braided behind softly pointed ears. He was old, Amaryllis realised, not in the grandparents sense but in the before time itself old. "You did not die in the way mortals die, for you are immortal. Do you know who I am?"
"I don't think so," she peered at him closely, aside from Dobby and other house elves she had never seen anyone with pointy ears before. Least of all someone so human looking.
"Let me give you a hint," he smiled at her in an amused fashion, "the tale of the three brothers was a very true story. Though of course the version every magical child knows is in a more prosaic form."
"The tale of…" she trailed off and gave him an even closer, speculative look. "Death?"
"One of my many names, yes," he motioned around him, "here I am called Mandos."
"That's a prettier name," Amaryllis smiled, "so why is it I'm dead but not dead?"
"You are the owner of the Deathly Hallows," Mandos told her patiently.
"I threw away the wand after repairing my own, and I lost the ring," she was very confused, "the only object I kept was the cloak."
"The Elder Wand's powers were transferred to your holly wand the moment you snapped it. It's not the wand itself that made it unbeatable, but the magic that laid within it. All wands have their own magic, you saw that with the connection between your wand and Voldemort's. As for the ring, just because it's lost doesn't make it any less yours."
"So I'm your… master?"
"I see your reluctance to use the word master."
"I'm no one's master, I don't want to control people."
"Walk with me child and I shall explain," he turned and began walking sedately through the mist and Amaryllis only hesitated a moment before following. He didn't say anything after she had reached his side, they only walked in silence until finally he spoke. "Master of Death is one of the literary fictionalisations of the story. You are not my master. You are simply my companion and chosen champion. Death is omniscient and present in every lore of every world. So it is my duty to choose champions, my own little grim reapers shall we say. Though I have taken a particular liking towards your ancestors. Your own mother and father work for me, collecting the lost souls so they can move on."
"So I can see my parents?" She asked him breathless at the thoughts of finally being with her parents.
"No," the response deflated her so much that Mandos put a comforting arm around her shoulder before continuing. "You are different. You have always been different from the moment you were born. Myself and Nienna have watched you closely. Nienna is the Lady of Mercy, she takes a special liking to those with great destinies like yourself. But I am getting side tracked. You died when you were born, did you know that? But you refused to stay that way. I had come to collect your soul and you resisted me, I was very shocked, babies usually come to me with ease. They know nothing of the living world and find no attachment with it. Yet there you were, resisting me and I let you, I watched your tiny soul fight its way back into your body. I knew from that moment what you would become, that I had finally found a worthy candidate to own the Hallows."
"What does all this mean?"
"You will find out soon, patience young Gryffindor," he smiled serenely at her, "owning the Hallows grants you some of my power. You have immortality, your magic is stronger and you can perceive death."
"I died," she insisted defiantly, "the rubble fell on me, it broke my bones and there was all that blood. I died in that shopping centre."
"Because I wished it to be that way," Mandos told her, "it was the only way to bring you here. Yes Amaryllis Potter died on Earth but you still live none the less. As the owner of the Hallows it enables me to talk to you like this and bring here to the home of the Valar, I suppose you would liken us to Gods of this world."
"What do you want of me?" It finally made sense as to why he went to all this trouble, she was, as he said, dead on Earth. There was little she could do now but accept that fact. But it still didn't answer why he went to all that effort to get her here.
"This world is called Middle Earth," he paused as if he was trying to think of the right words to say, "and it requires help. The Dark Lord Sauron, servant of Morgoth, is returning though he needs the Ring of Power to do so. Should he return it will mean the end of this world. What I ask of you Amaryllis is a great boon, far more dangerous than that of Voldemort."
"Get to the point Mandos," Amaryllis said, thoroughly annoyed with his attempt at stalling.
"What we, the Valar, ask of you as the guardians of Middle Earth," he paused and peered at her, his lips quirking up as she made a circling motion with her hand, "go to Middle Earth and help one Frodo Baggins in his quest to destroy the One Ring."
"Why me? Haven't I done enough already?"
"It's your history that made me choose you in the first place, you have the experience and magical prowess to survive in Middle Earth. You know how people like Sauron think," he sighed heavily, "you know the dangers of dark powers. You are brave, loyal, intelligent, kind, resourceful and most of all you are light. You are the representation of what is good and pure."
"It won't be easy," Amaryllis mumbled and Mandos smiled brightly at the knowledge she was accepting his offer.
"Nothing in life worth doing is. Frodo will need you Amaryllis, for you understand more than anyone what it means to carry a burden."
"Okay then, I will do it," her greener than green eyes showed nothing but a fierce determination. "I will help this Frodo person. I will help him defeat this Sauron or I will die trying."
"Very well then, I wish you the luck of the Valar Amaryllis," he turned to her and mist around them seemed to intensify. "The next time you awaken, you will be in Middle Earth, a place called Rivendell. We have already informed Lord Elrond of your arrival."
"You knew I would agree?"
"My child, I have watched you since birth, there was never going to be any other answer but yes." He gave her a charming, grandfatherly smile as he disappeared, the mist enshrouding him. Amaryllis sighed heavily and for the second time in a short while she fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.
A/N: So that's the prologue out of the way. What did you think?
I will update my other stories soon.
Please review.