RISING FROM THE ASHES

Summary: Harry meets Death at King's Cross. Turns out she's the Master of Death; that means Death can't collect her soul just yet. But Death proposes a solution. Harry, of course, accepts, and she's reborn in another world, as Blair Fell - with no memory of who she used to be - and as the cousin of the doppelganger Elena Gilbert. FemHarry(Blair Fell)/Damon Salvatore. HP/TVD Crossover.

Rating: Explicit (MA)

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from TVD or Harry Potter, or any other material related to these fandoms. I don't make any money by writing this story.

Yes, I changed this story again because, to be honest, as much as I liked it, I felt like, in the long run, Amanda was going to be too much like Elena, whether I wanted to or not.

There's not going to be much of a crossover with HP to be honest, except for this chapter, since FemHarry won't remember she used to be Harry Potter in another life (until she does, but much, much later). Just one HP character, beside Harry, will appear in this story later on and that is Snape, but that's it. Though there will be some things, related to the mythology of TVD, that will be changed to fit FemHP into the story and that will be similar to the Deathly Hallows and the Horcruxes in HP. But that's the extent of the crossover. I prefer it this way. Sorry, if you don't like it. Also FemHarry, which will be called Blair Fell and she's going to have a rather different personality from Canon!Harry (well, all right, more than 'rather' different, very different - though they will have things in common, obviously). Once again, if you don't like it, sorry, but it's my story, so. Consider yourself warned.

By the way I imagine FemHarry(Blair) with Taylor Hill's face (but very vivid green eyes, even more than Taylor's) and Alexandra Daddario's body.

This story starts in 2015 instead of 2009 (as in, seventeen years after 1998, when Harry 'dies'). Also, this story will still be Damon/FemHarry (Blair Fell), this couple will be the focus of the story, all other couples will be secondary. Also, background Stefan/Elena, Caroline/Matt and Caroline/Tyler. Also, minor Blair/Tyler, Blair/Stefan, Blair/Elijah and Blair/Klaus (and to some extent Blair/Silas but there will be a very specific reason for this last one) - a lot of Blair/Stefan will be one-sided though (in the sense that it will be Stefan who will lust after and obsess over Blair while still be with Elena). Also minor Damon/Elena (very minor and mostly one-sided on Elena's part later on), Damon/Katherine and some Damon/Rose, Damon/Andie Starr and Damon/Rebekah (and some Damon/Kelly Donovan - you know the episode).

Because of Stefan's interest in Blair (and Blair's initial interest in Stefan) and Elena's eventual interest in Damon, this story could be considered a sort of Love Square (but Blair and Damon will always be the focus - though don't expect their relationship to be sweet and easy. It will be very passionate but also very complicated and messy, with a lot of back and forth and a lot of mistakes on both parties; these two have many issues they need to deal with before finally managing to have a healthy relationship).

Another thing, I hate Stelena together (though I don't hate either Elena or Stefan as characters, I just hate them together), so Stelena is not going to be endgame in this story, even without Damon coming in between them (or Blair, in the case of this story). Therefore, I was thinking, Tyler/Elena and Stefan/Katherine as endgame couples (but I'm not 100% sure about it, so I could change my mind later on). The other endgame couples will be Caroline/Enzo (I was always curious about the possibility between these two) and Matt/Bonnie, because why not? But like, very, very eventually into the story. Also, all these couples will be secondary, there won't be much focus on them because, once again, the story is about Damon and Blair first of all. Also, the first meeting between Damon and Elena the night her parents died never happened in this story.

This story will follow canon for the most part but some things will be different, changed to fit the story and FemHarry's role in it. First of all, Bonnie won't be a witch in this story but a banshee like Lydia Martin in Teen Wolf. The Bennett line is not a witch bloodline in this story. Blair will be the witch of this story in Bonnie's place (but no Sheila Bennett as a witch and no real mentor for Blair, I'm afraid) but she will be more than a simple witch, she'll be a phoenix (similar to the canon phoenix aka Landon Kirby but also different as well and the mythology of her creation will be completely different from Landon's; no Malivore here, don't worry about it).

Also, while Blair and Damon are the main characters in this story and most of the focus will be on them, I wanted to explore something about Stefan's character that has always bothered me in canon and that was never acknowledged in the TV show. And I will use his relationship with Elena (and his almost obsession with Blair) to explore that. This story won't have Stefan bashing but it will acknowledge Stefan's many faults that the TV show has ignored a lot of the time or never properly resolved, all connected to his dual personality (the bunny-diet Stefan and the Ripper Stefan). This way he will properly grow as a character, evolve, and actually become the better person that he wants to be. (But how can Stefan ever become better if he never acknowledged where he was at fault and completely ignore his dark side and pretended it didn't exist, right? So, this story will do exactly that).

Moreover, this story will have lots of smut (let's just say, the relationship between Blair and Damon will start purely from lust and sex, the feelings and the 'falling in love' part, on both sides, will come later - but much sooner than either of them think, though they won't admit it any time soon). This story is rated Explicit for a reason. This story will be the opposite of UST, instead it will have UET (Unresolved Emotional Tension - until it's resolved, of course, and both admit their feelings towards each other). I've never written a story like this so I hope I'll do it justice. I think it'll be a lot of fun though.

Anyway, that's all, I think. Hope you like it, tell me what you think!

PROLOGUE

August 1998

"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

(J.K. Rowling - Albus Dumbledore - in 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone')

Harry hadn't wanted to die, but she had done it anyway. She understood that it was necessary to destroy the horcrux inside her scar but it didn't lessen the betrayal in any way. It also made her feel like a weapon more than a person; or a pig for slaughter like Snape had so rightfully put it. Well, she preferred the term lamb but the sentiment was the same. Her function in life had been to die at the right moment. Pretty depressing if you asked her. Not that anyone had bothered to ask her.

She had sacrificed herself like it was required of her, like the third brother of the story, greeting death like an old friend. She didn't raise her wand, she didn't try to defend herself. She had simply, calmly, let Voldemort kill her.

Finding Dumbledore in a white, limbo-like King's Cross had been sort of nice, though part of her still wanted to strangle him or scream at him, give voice to all the anger and bitterness she had felt before dying – but death numbed everything.

Until he implied that she needed to go back, because she was the only one capable of killing Voldemort. She had to fulfill the prophecy. Voldemort might be mortal now but he was still very much alive.

All the fury – even hatred – she had felt for him before her death resurfaced. She was done. She was finished. Couldn't she rest now? But no, the 'girl-who-lived' didn't get to rest, she didn't get to stay dead. She had to kill herself to save the world and now she also needed to live again to kill Voldemort? Couldn't someone else do it, for god's sake? Why was her responsibility? Because a damn prophecy said so? Well, fuck the prophecy.

She had done enough. She was going to board a train and join her parents, Sirius and Remus. The rest of the Wizarding World could figure out who was going to kill Voldemort. Couldn't they do anything on their own?

"No. I won't." She said to Dumbledore.

"But my girl—" Dumbledore tried to protest.

"Nope. I'm done, old man. I've already died for the wizarding world. I'm not going to give up on my final rest just because you feel like manipulating me even when both of us are dead. Killing Voldemort is a matter for the living now and I'm not anymore."

"But—" before he could utter anything else, he was gone, puff, vanished right before her eyes.

"Does he ever stop talking?" A raspy, chilling voice said from behind her.

Harry spun around, fearing what she would find.

A pale figure stood in front of her, features strangely distorted and blurred. He was wearing a black cloak and a robe – also black – while holding in his hand a scythe as tall as a staff.

"Not usually." Harry replied, pretending she wasn't intimidated by the terrifying figure. The baby-like-thing that was Voldemort's soul piece kept moaning in the background but she ignored it. "Who are you?"

"Well, I'm Death, of course."

"Of course." Harry rolled her eyes. "Why do I even ask? So, if you're here to make sure I board a train, I assure you, I'm going to as soon as one arrives."

"Not exactly. You could board a train, if you want, but it won't bring you towards your final rest."

"And why not? Haven't I earned it? Why does everyone think they get to decide not only when I get to die but also when I get to resurrect? Why can't I never have control of anything, nor my life and now not even my death? I don't want to live anymore. I'm tired. My whole life I've been the slave, figuratively and literally, of someone else's whims and wishes. I want to decide this one thing, at least."

"Ah, yes. Choices. That is what I wanted to talk to you about. What if I told you that, because you collected all my Hallows, you are now the Master of Death? And because of that, I can't collect your soul just yet? You can have a boon, though. Just one. Would you take it? Or are you so tired of living that you would give up on a second chance?"

Harry shook her head. "Oh no. No, no, no. It's not possible. Yes, the cloak I did inherit from my father, and I kept it. But I threw the stone away and I didn't even get to hold the Elder Wand in my hand once."

"It doesn't matter. Before you died you were the Master of all three Hallows at the same time, thus making you the Master of Death."

"So, what does it mean? Being Master of Death? And what do you mean about a second chance?"

"Well, it's simple. You get to live again. If you want, you could board a train and you will get to be reborn and live your life as Harry Potter all over again. This time you will remember. You could change things, make them better. Like I said, a second chance."

Harry was ready to protest at the idea. "No. I can't do it. I don't want to be Harry Potter anymore. I don't want to lose my parents again. I don't want to live with the Dursleys again. I don't want to face Voldemort again. I've been through this already and I don't want to relive it. Sure, I could improve things, but I could just as well make them worse anyway. I can't. I won't."

Harry couldn't see his face well but she had the impression Death was smirking. "I figured you would say that. But the problem still remains. I can't collect your soul just yet. However, I can offer you an alternative."

Harry felt wary but she was willing to listen. "What kind of alternative?"

"I could give you a fresh start. Somewhere else, in a world different and yet similar to the one you know. You will be reborn as someone else, someone whose name is not Harry Potter, daughter of Lily and James Potter. And, at the end of your life, you will get to move on, to really die this time."

"Will I find peace? Will I get to join my loved ones in the afterlife? My parents, Sirius, Remus…?"

"Eventually, yes." Death replied but there was something strange in his tone. Harry felt like she was being tricked, like there was something Death was not telling her.

"I can promise you, though," Death continued, perhaps trying to sway her decision "that the thing you've sought all your life, you'll find it in this new world. If you're only willing to recognize it and accept it."

Harry didn't really know what Death meant. What was the thing that she'd always sought? Control over her life and destiny? She shook her head; it didn't matter at the moment. She had a last question to ask before making her decision. "But, what about Voldemort? If I don't go back, what will happen to him? Who's going to kill him if not me?"

"The prophecy will shift to the next best candidate, of course. Don't worry, one way or another, the prophecy will be fulfilled, just not by you."

Harry smiled. Of course, it was going to be Neville. "All right. I accept."

A few moments later, a train painted red and orange appeared, bright as flames, making not a noise, and puffing out white smoke. "This is your ride," Death said.

Harry headed straight for it. Just before boarding she turned around and Death nodded at her. "Good luck Harry Potter."

Harry nodded back and then got on, sitting on the first place she could find. The train started moving at a slow pace but soon picked up speed. Then, at last, her surroundings disappeared and she knew no more.