Previously on Defiance…
"He is… he is…back, truly back!" Cornelius muttered rather loudly, as everyone looked at him. Harry looked up at him, as Voldemort took the chance to throw out a magical burst as he broke from the spell, apparating away before Harry could counterattack. Strangely, Harry did not even seem worried by it at all.
"Harry… Harry, are you alright?" Dumbledore walked towards him, as he held the boy's shoulder.
"I am not Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore." Harry looked back as Dumbledore's eyes widened as his bright blue eyes met his stormy grey ones. "I am Ignotus Peverell."
Albus Dumbledore had seen too much of life to know that there was nothing that could be defined by the word 'impossible' when it came to magic. However, as Samuel Thüringen was fond of saying, sometimes even the best of us have to eat our words. He had seen Harry Potter fall through the veil, he had fallen down like a broken child and wept for the fallen warrior, and he had seen the ginormous Thestral gallop out of the veil, felt the eldritch energies all over it being anything but natural, and seen it shapeshift into the boy he was almost sure that he would never see again. It had lightened his old heart that Harry Potter was back and kicking, and not only that, but the boy had made the dark lord Voldemort kneel in front of him. Albus was sure that the picture would be in newspapers all around the globe- Voldemort returns back from the dead and Harry Potter forces him to kneel before his power. It was something the international magical community would eat up like pudding. But then he had been shocked out of his wits from the boy's answer. He saw it, looking into the strangely radiant, stormy-grey eyes that hid a controlled fury of a magical tempest behind them, staring into his blue eyes.
"I am not Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore." He had said. "I am Ignotus Peverell."
Ignotus Peverell. The last of the Peverells. One of the three progenitors of the Deathly Hallows. The Master of Death. Ignotus Peverell. Harry Potter. Ignotus Peverell.
It boggled the mind. There was no way in which he had heard correctly, but then, what could it be, if not the truth? The young man had simply wiped the floor with Tom, something he was sure was difficult even for Harry on his best day, and not only that, he had made Tom Riddle kneel in front of him. It was oddly satisfying.
Ignotus Peverell. The Master of Death. Come for the dark lord who had tried to cheat Death himself by creating those abominations known as horcruxes. It was almost poetic justice.
The Warmage in front of him knelt down before the young Miss Greengrass and with one single tap of his wand- the Elder wand, Albus recognized, and the young girl vanished away. He was sure that even the ancient wards of the Ministry had not sensed her pass through. He saw Harry—uh—Ignotus fade away from the Atrium, and was pretty sure that it wasn't apparation or portkey, but knowing that his presence was missing, he was sure that he was gone. The frustration at being unable to accept the true reality of what had just happened, and the excitement of the entire episode, made him just stand and stare blankly.
"Albus? Albus?"
"Yeah?" Sirius's voice broke him out of his reveries.
"What- what just happened? Where is Harry?"
"Harry—I—don't know." He gathered his words. "I suppose he went back to Hogwarts."
"How can you not know? You bloody well spoke with him. He vanished Daphne away and then just… faded out of nowhere." Sirius expressed vehemently.
Dumbledore held himself together. "A lot of things have happened tonight, Sirius." He paused, taking a deep breath, "I am not in the correct state of explain everything. Merlin knows I need some time myself to settle my thoughts first."
"But Harry-"
"Sirius," He replied sternly, "please accept my word on this. Do not go looking for Harry at the moment. He needs some privacy, and will come to you when it is time."
"But-"
"Please, Sirius?"
Sirius gave a long-suffering sigh. "Fine, what about Voldemort? He escaped. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. My godson making that infernal monster kneel in front of him!" His chest rose a couple of inches at the thought.
"yes, it is going to be news tomorrow!" Dumbledore sighed. "I believe Harry has granted us a temporary period of peace, since Tom will need to recuperate with everything before he even thinks of attacking. Especially now that the Ministry knows that he is back and everyone saw him getting defeated by Harry."
"Right." Sirius exclaimed proudly.
"As good as that is, a lot of things have changed and it is for the highest good that Harry be given some time alone."
Sirius reluctantly nodded.
"Dumbledore- you—he—what just happened?" Fudge exclaimed, his entire demeanor flustered.
"He was there!" shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail, who was pointing at a pile of golden rubble on the other side of the hall. "I saw him, Mr. Fudge, I swear, it was You-Know-Who, he fired something and Disapparated!"
"I know, Williamson, I know, I saw him too!" gibbered Fudge, who was wearing pajamas under his pinstriped cloak and was gasping as though he had just run miles. "Merlin's beard — here — here! — in the Ministry of Magic! — great heavens above — it doesn't seem possible — my word — how can this be?"
"If you proceed downstairs into the Department of Mysteries, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, apparently satisfied with everything that happened, and walking forward so that the newcomers realized he was there for the first time (a few of them raised their wands, others simply looked amazed; the statues of the elf and goblin applauded and Fudge jumped so much that his slipper-clad feet left the floor), "you will find several escaped Death Eaters including Bellatrix Lestrange contained in the Death Chamber, bound by an Anti-Disapparation Jinx and awaiting your decision as to what to do with them."
"Dumbledore—but-how can he still be alive?" Fudge stammered.
"I have no time for your foolishness, Cornelius." Dumbledore replied sternly. "You saw what happened here tonight. For the record, you will find Lucius Malfoy down in the Department of Mysteries with one severed leg, and you might also find one of the male Lestranges dead, including scores of death eaters mangled and fallen, I am sure."
Fudge looked flabbergasted.
"Lucius-"
"Is a Death eater, Cornelius." Amelia's voice rang from the crowd. The stern Head of DMLE stood high, though one could see the infirmities on her person caused by the multiple battles she had fought all evening. "You will allow me to do my job, else I will exercise my right as Proxy to the Bones seat and call upon the Ancient Houses to throw you out of the Minister's office."
"And I will support her." Sirius added. Amelia nodded in thanks at him for the gesture.
"Very well," Fudge sighed, knowing very well that given the media outrage that was to follow, he might as well resign just now.
"Director Bones," A fellow Auror spoke out, attracting everyone's interest. "We made a tally of the deaths tonight. Both on ours and theirs."
Amelia stood silent for a moment. "I want to hear about ours first."
"Thirty-seven Aurors and twenty-three hit-wizards were killed in the collective fights since the initial attack. We have lost Kingsley Shacklebolt, Miranda Lance and Emmeline Vance from our senior Auror regiment. Eleven people are severely injured and are being treated at Saint Mungo's at the moment-"
"I will ask Poppy to go and offer aid if required." Dumbledore butted in.
"Thank you Albus," Amelia offered, "you may continue, Fergusson."
The Auror continued. "As for the enemy contingents, we found fifty-two dead inside the Department of Mysteries. All young, recruited death-eaters. I personally checked for the Dark Mark. All of them had it."
Amelia winced. Fifty-two people killed inside the Department of Mysteries. Whatever had happened inside wasn't a war, it was a massacre. She turned to Albus and asked, "Do you know what happened?"
"Miss Daphne Greengrass had been captured from Hogwarts and held hostage so that Harry Potter could be forced to go there and pick up a Prophecy orb from the DOM. As it turns out, it had been a bad move."
"Fifty-two deaths against one person? I am not sure if I should be pleased about it. Mister Potter might face prosecution for this."
"Actually Director," Fergusson spoke out, "From the total count that I had received, Mister Potter has around a hundred and thirteen deaths to his name—a tally which including death eaters, werewolves and vampires."
"Do you really want to arrest Harry Potter for defending himself and saving his betrothed from death eaters, especially when tomorrow's morning newspaper will paint a picture of Voldemort kneeling under his power?"
Amelia winced again. "I am sure that mass outrage will follow if it were to happen."
Dumbledore continued, "Even if you did manage to get him convicted, He holds two Lordships- House Potter and House Black. Plus, he saved the life of the heiress of House Greengrass. The entire thing could be easily played upon using his own fame and the fact that he did it to protect himself and defend the institutions of Saint Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic, when the Ministry's own forces weren't able to do so."
Amelia reddened.
"Anyway, it is all a moot-point," Dumbledore continued. "Harry Potter is an active member of the Transfiguration-Masters Guild. I am sure you understand what that means?"
Amelia's eyes widened. "Honorary license as a War-wizard for ICW."
Dumbledore smiled. "Precisely."
Fergusson spoke again. "The total death toll for the enemy contingent is over a hundred and fifty, Director, with some fifty more severely injured and have been sent to the DMLE cells. Notable mentions among the dead are Rudolphus Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, and the Carrows. Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy were found injured by the Unspeakables, who had taken them in for inspection. They will be released to the DMLE containment cells soon."
"Right." Amelia spoke finally, "get it all recorded and sent to my office." She turned to Sirius who was talking to Alastor Moody who seemed completely bruised and walking with difficulty. "I will need some witnesses for the battle in the Atrium."
"I will do it." Sirius offered.
Amelia turned to Dumbledore. "As for Mister Potter, where- where is he?"
Dumbledore looked uncertain. "I suppose Mister Potter has earned a leave of absence from the madhouse at the moment. I am sure he will be available when we need him."
Amelia sighed.
An hour or an infinity ago…
"See this, Potter? Do you understand why I am the most feared man on the planet? It was simply a fluke that I had to lose my human self the previous time, but this time, this resurrected form is much more powerful, much less vulnerable and much more sophisticated than ever possible." Lord Voldemort looked at the remains of his broken wand, "—you shouldn't have done that, Potter, Previously I thought I would give you a wizard's death, but now…" He walked up to Harry Potter who looked defiantly at him. The boy was almost falling down but still standing up. "You have been a nuisance for so long, Harry Potter. It is time to end it all." With one devilish smirk, he stepped back and then suddenly strode up and kicked him in the abdomen, hurling him into the veil.
Blinding white light.
Darkness.
Pitch-black darkness.
Light.
Darkness.
Light.
Fuck. Where the hell am I?
He lay face down, listening to the silence. He was perfectly alone. Nobody was watching. Nobody else was there. He was not perfectly sure that he was there himself.
A long time later, or maybe no time at all, it came to him that he must exist, must be more than disembodied thought, because he was lying, definitely lying, on some surface. Therefore, he had a sense of touch, and the thing against which he lay existed too. Almost as soon as he had reached this conclusion, Harry became conscious that his upper torso was naked. Convinced as he was of his total solitude, this did not concern him, but it did intrigue him slightly. He wondered whether, as he could feel, he would be able to see. In opening them, he discovered that he had eyes.
He lay in a bright mist, though it was not like mist he had ever experienced before. His surroundings were not hidden by cloudy vapor; rather the cloudy vapor had not yet formed into surroundings. The floor on which he lay seemed to be white, neither warm nor cold, but simply there, a flat, blank something on which to be. He sat up. His body appeared unscathed. He touched his face.
"Where am I?" He heard himself speak.
"Oblivion. Afterlife. Astral Dimension. The Dimension of Death… pick your choice."
Harry spun to his right, observing the other person, who looked ostensibly similar to him. Then, the memories came back.
"Ignotus."
"In spirit, yes. Congratulations to you, Potter. You have sent us alive and kicking through the Veil of Death."
"What… what do you mean?"
"The Veil… The big curtain thing in the Room, through which your dark lord kicked us into this… realm… The Veil of Death?" Ignotus explaining, his anger lining his tone.
"Yeah, I remember."
Ignotus sneered.
"Good to see that you are still true to yourself even after death." A strangely familiar voice chuckled.
Both Ignotus and Harry spun around, only to stare blankly at the person, and regard the impossibility of it all…
"We meet again, Peverell."
Standing in front of them, was the High Priest of the Necromancer's Guild.
"It is good to see the two shards of the Master of Death finally separate themselves. It's about time…"
"Everything about you is about time." Ignotus sneered, "stop your double-talk, High Priest. What are you doing beyond the Veil? You are the last person in existence who could be here."
"Direct as always, I always enjoyed the snarky humor you have had, Peverell." The High Priest smiled. "However, you are right. I am apparently the last person you are supposed to meet here. Were you expecting to meet your contractor? Or should I say… your Master?"
Ignotus blanched for a moment but said nothing. The High Priest turned towards Harry who seemed to be disturbed with something.
"Something distracting you, Peverell?"
Harry hesitated. "Yes. Where are we? Ignotus says that we are in the Dimension of Death, but its' so…."
"Different? Plain?"
Harry shrugged.
"Would you like it if it looked like-"—the white chamber shifted momentarily and was replaced by the inside of Castle Negrul. It was an exact replica, correct to the Ouroborus engraved on the ceiling and on the floor, just like Harry had seen while at the Castle- "this?"
"Elementary." Ignotus sneered, "the more pressing question would be how you of all men are here in the Dimension of Death?"
"And who am I?" The High Priest smiled, looking straight at the two of them. For some reason, Harry felt a shudder down his spine. The unexplainable familiarity about the High Priest began to bug him again.
"The High Priest of Castle Negrul?" Harry offered.
"Both true and false at the same time, Old friend."
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The man lifted off his hood, as Harry found himself staring into the deep green eyes of the individual he knew as the High Priest. "I am Death, the destroyer of worlds."
"You are… Death?" Harry asked, almost skeptical about the entire thing.
Death narrowed his eyes.
"I am sorry if it sounded like that, I mean… you look… like, well human."
"Oh I am sorry; would you like it if I looked like this?" Instantly the chamber dissipated and the two of them found themselves in the midst of a raging inferno with a colossal behemoth, with huge fiery ginormous wings, and claws larger than Harry's own height, staring at them.
"NO NO! IT'S OKAY! WE LIKE IT THE WAY YOU ARE!" Harry yelled in fright.
Instantly the room shifted back to the insides of Castle Negrul, and Death was back in his High-priest persona.
"But… but…" Ignotus stammered, his mind woozy at the impossibility of it all. "how is it possible? The Castle Negrul is always flying in space-time so that Death cannot reach them, and you are saying that you are Death and-"
The High Priest, or rather, Death smirked. "Indeed? Quite a conundrum, isn't it? Imagine that."
"What are we doing here?" Harry exclaimed.
Death turned towards him and fixed him with a stare. "We are here because it's about time that my hunter returns back to fulfill his duties. The two of you have dillydallied it enough to make me take matters into my own hand. It is time the two shards of Ignotus Peverell fuse to become one."
Harry and Ignotus stared at each other with an imperceptible expression.
"How?" Ignotus finally asked, his tone filled with resignation.
"The rule of the veil is very clear. If two souls have passed through it, only one must leave. However, the powers that reside within the veil will not allow you to merge together and cheat the Veil, and therefore, it is an arduous journey ahead. The two of you must support each other and cross the threshold of the Veil."
"How are we going to do that?" Harry asked. "I mean; I don't see any gateway or anything."
Death smiled. "The door to the veil works on the principle of evocation. You must focus on what you want. Currently, your minds are at disarray and hence, have no fixed intentions. If you evocate with the intent of nothing, then nothing is what you will create."
Ignotus sneered. "Potter, focus on going back into the mortal world. Imagine a door on the opposite wall, and it will come."
Harry closed his eyes, and for the first time, both souls focused on one single thought in unison. He felt his surroundings shift, the magics of the dimension changing the room much like some giant Room of Requirement. He opened his eyes, and there it was, a single portal in front of them, around ten feet from where he stood.
"That was easy." He commented.
Death chuckled. "Of course." He drawled. "remember that you both need to pass through it together in unison, else the entire effort would go in vain."
"Wait what do you mean by—?" Harry's words faded midway, as Death was nowhere to be seen. He looked at Ignotus who seemed ready to jump into the portal, as he extended his hand. Ignotus took it, and together they took their first step towards the portal.
That was when the troubles began.
A humongous amount of energy slammed into them, hurling them back by a few feet, the sheer force behind the attack enough to leave them shaken.
"What was that?" Harry asked, looking at his counterpart who was already back on his feet.
"The powers of the Veil do not like it that their rules be broken. It insists on one soul passing through it, and we are trying to go in together."
"Right," Harry muttered, "Why did I think it was going to be easy again?"
Ignotus smirked as he held Harry's hand and the two stepped forward towards the portal, this time ready to face the barrier when it came. And sure it did, slamming into them with a humongous force, the likes of which they had never felt. It seemed like the force was disintegrating their body parts little by little, as they put another step forward. The barrier sent another wave of overwhelming force, bending them down on their knees as they somehow kept holding each other's hands, their innate magics coming for their rescue from the forces of the Veil, forming a defensive dome of magic around them.
Another step.
WHAM!
It was like a herd of elephants and coming forward and knocking them. They had to step back in recoil, but stepped forward again. The forces kept slamming against them, as blood trickled down their noses and their lips, but they went on placing one step after another, one after another, hands tightly bound to each other. Every step they made, it became exponentially difficult to take the next step, and every time they constructed something from their magics to hold against the incoming current, the veil would respond with a force enough to shatter it into splinters. They were now only a couple feet away from the veil, and were barely standing, their innate magic somehow managing to keep them from being flung away.
Ignotus fell on his knees.
"I cannot continue, Potter. You have to continue the journey alone. Take my knowledge, and my skill, cross the veil."
Harry gave him a shocked look. "You are losing hope? You, the greatest Warmage of history, losing against this stupid Veil?" Harry retorted, cringing as somehow the Veil seemed to take offense of his statement and send a rather powerful blast towards them, making him fall on his knees.
Ignotus laughed. "Careful Potter, the Veil understands your words. Do not insult it."
Harry grinned back.
"I am serious, Potter. Take my skill, and cross the veil. I do not have any strength left in me to cross it." Almost as if in unison, the shield around him cracked and Harry felt a devastating force push Ignotus back, but Harry, with the unerring skill of a seeker, pulled him against the current and clenched his hand, making Ignotus hang on over his shoulder.
"HOLD STILL!" He yelled back, the roaring sounds of the energy waves making it difficult to hear anything.
Another step.
Just five more.
"I AM NOT GOING TO BE DEFEATED BY THIS STUPID VEIL!" Harry declared, as he raised his magics to form a shield as another wave hit him, shattering it to pieces.
"IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE GOT?" Harry retorted, putting another step.
"POTTER, ARE YOU INSANE?" Ignotus yelled from his back, clutching his shoulders tightly.
Harry grinned. "LITTLE BIT!" He took another step forward.
Just two more.
A huge bust of white lightning shot from the horizon of the portal, aiming for Harry, and both of them knew that the energy propagating through it was enough to vaporize them completely.
"POTTER, MOVE AWAY!" Ignotus yelled, but Harry had other intentions. He took a final step forward, and widened his hands apart. The lightning raced towards him, and at the penultimate moment, he converged his hands together, forcing his entire magic to obey his command.
"Wha-ARE YOU-" Ignotus's words died in his throat, as he raised his chin, and witnessed what his counterpart, whom he had always disregarded as weak, had done. There, somehow standing in front of him, was Potter, blocking the entire energy inside a huge vacuum sphere created between his palms. With a guttural cry, Harry used his entire magical reserves to propel the energy upwards, away from him, as he instantly turned and held Ignotus by his arms, and shoved him into the portal. He felt his entire reserves completely empty and found himself slowly falling down, ready to be flung back into oblivion when-
Snikt!
Something had caught him. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw Ignotus somehow standing and clutching him by his left hand.
"Together." The other man said, as Harry somehow stood up from the ground, his determination being the only thing keeping him from falling down and being swept by the Veil.
"Together." He iterated, as he put a final step towards the portal, palms clenching each other, as they put their entire existence on the table as they shoved through the portal.
"TOGETHER!"
Back in the present...
The young man who was once Harry Potter stood in the middle of the desolate country side, standing on the road which escalated all the way up to the broken bridge atop of a steep ravine, the depths of which sunk down into the ruthless waters that flowed underneath. This was his home, or once was- the entire area had been hidden away from reality by a Death Fidelius, his home, the ravine, the broken bridge and everything, almost as if Fate knew that he would return one day, to take back what was rightfully his own.
The Ancient Manor of the Peverells.
To any other unsuspecting viewer, it would seem more like a fortress than a manor, but for him and his brothers, it had always been one thing.
Their temple of Power. Their sacred altar for surrendering their booty to Mother Magic and growing stronger, fitting their role as protector and destroyer. It was just a point of polarity anyway. One's guardian angel would be seen by the enemy as a demon destroyer. And destroyers they had been- plundering the enemy, annihilating everything but their sources and tomes of magic, and then surrendering control of their booty to Mother Magic and in return, that they would get some of the magic as their own, growing stronger and deadlier, and making sure that the lands of Albion were safe from invaders.
And then it had happened.
The Sharrs. The Sharr invaders attacked Albion, and the Gryffindor contingent fell on the first day. The Sharrs had control over the power to summon demons from the dimension of the Dead, and use their aide to conquer the lands they plundered. They had previously ravaged the distant lands of Peruvia and had not settled their sight on conquering Albion. With the fall of the Gryffindor army, the main line of defense was annihilated. Now it was all up to the three brothers to mitigate the threat standing at the edge of Albion.
It was so surreal, and yet, it was as if it had all happened just yesterday…
He stood over the edge of the valley, looking down at the burning forests and rampaging invasion obliterating every single obstacle on their way. Though, everything was not what it seemed. Even from this distance, he could plainly observe Antioch severing limbs one after another with his blade, as he used his wand, the epitome of his magical achievement, - to blast his way through the Sharr troops. The three of them had sacrificed their family magic and invoked Mother Magic to help them defeat the Sharrs.
The entire family magic of Peverell, for powering up the three artifacts they had been constructing for years. A wand that would cast true against every spell, making the wielder undefeatable in a direct fight—the pinnacle of battle-magic. A stone that could bring back the souls of the dead and command them to do one's bidding—the pinnacle of necromancy. A cloak that would shield the wearer against every physical spell- the pinnacle of alchemy and charms. Mother Magic had granted their request in return of their family magic to provide these items of unsurmountable power, and tied them to their blood and magic.
Antioch had single-handedly destroyed an entire platoon, comprising of over a hundred mages, and was still fighting five mages at a time, mages who seemed to use every single trick in the book to try overpower him; but the wand—the Deathstick as Antioch lovingly called it, was undefeatable. On the other side, Cadmus had raised an army of inferi to fight against the Sharrs who found themselves surrounded by thousands of the walking-dead, trying to overwhelm them by their sheer quantity. And finally, he Ignotus, stood on the top of the cliff, chanting incantations causing firestorms and hurricanes that lashed down over the Sharrs, after all, elemental powers had always come easily to him. That was the plan- two brothers on two main fronts, and one firing from afar.
Then it happened.
Andros, the chieftain of the Sharrs, raised his hands towards the heavens as he began chanting in their native tongue- lightning tore through the sky, clouds converged all over the plain, as the heavens parted…
The corona of black light formed in the atmosphere, as purple lightning descended down to the earth from it- obliterating the landmass as a demon manifested into existence. Ignotus could only gape with his eyes open at how two demons drove their ginormous claws into Antioch's body, and tear his torso into two, as the wand turned incorporeal from his hand and materialized into Cadmus's, who was technically next in line to acquire it. With the Deathstick in one hand and the stone in other, his mind lost in rage at the loss of his beloved brother, Cadmus willed his entire rage and magic to one single thing- total annihilation. Ignotus could only look in wonder as his normally calm brother let his primal spirit out, the Resurrection stone propelling him to achieve the impossible, as he awakened the spirits of dead creatures- Nundus, basilisks, dragons and wyverns, who took up corporeal form and lashed against the demons. He could only stare as Cadmus single handedly destroyed over twenty demons all by himself and was continuing at full strength.
"KILL HIM!" Andros roared, raising his arms in the air as another dozen demons manifested on the land, surrounding Cadmus. Before Ignotus could even understand what had just happened, Cadmus was dead, torn to pieces by the incoming horde of demons who tried their best to get control over the wand and stone but they vanished, only to reappear in Ignotus's hand.
Tears drained from his eyes to see both of his brothers being killed, their bodies being mauled and mutilated by the demons who were now forcing their way towards him, he found the wand in his left hand, along with the stone, while he held his yew wand tightly on the other hand. He had always been the introspective one, not sharing the barbarian aspects of the Warmage personality that his brothers shared. He knew that his brothers took it as his weakness, and hence commanded him to attack from far.
They weren't wrong! Were they? He was weak. At least, far weaker than Antioch or even Cadmus, at least as far as power was concerned. All through his life, his elder brothers had shielded him from attack, him only helping from far, and now… he was the only one of his line against the mighty Sharrs who had just killed his elder brothers, his protectors, his… family.
Rage rose in him like an erupting volcano, and perhaps it was the Warmage magic in his blood, that propelled him from losing all inhibitions and jumping forward to kill the ones who had taken away his family from him. He let all his inhibitions go, as the Deathstick sparked alongside his yew wand, as death and destruction danced the valley. He would kill them, kill them all…
Harry Potter stepped over the edge of the ravine. The steepness of it all, it both exhilarated him and at the same time, repulsed him. This was the place… the place where he had taken the biggest, most significant decision of his life… something that had changed his world and every world in existence…
"They are worthless. I am worthless. They will kill them all like they killed Antioch and Cadmus."
He stared at the wand in his hand- the Alder wood surface a sharp contrast to his yew wand. An undefeatable wand, that had already changed hands three times in a single day… A stone that could raise the dead, changed hands already once, despite its great power… and a cloak that could only make him hide away, like the loser that he was.
"I am worthless…" His fingers clenched on the three items in his possession, and for a moment, he looked at them with absolute disdain. He and his brothers had sacrificed their family magic for the three items, and as powerful as they were, they did not help against the Sharrs.
"I want to defeat them… I want to kill them all…" He whispered into the night, as he stepped at the precipice of the ravine… His hands raised on either side, his chin raised upwards to the heavens… and he said those words… words which his brothers had warned him never to utter in a lifetime…
"I want power, unsurmountable power. Power to defeat and destroy my enemies. Give me the power, and in return, take what you will…."
And then it happened.
The entire area in front of him flooded with eldritch energies, as a black fog settled all around him, a shadowy figure materializing at the end of the broken bridge, floating above the ravine…
"Who are you?" He asked.
"I am Death. The Destroyer of worlds. You settled on a deal with me, and I have come to accept it." The figure had a disembodied voice, which sent shudders down his spine.
"What- what do you mean?"
The figure descended towards him. "I can give you the power you want, son of Peverell. I can give you the power you desire to annihilate your enemies…"
"And? What is it you ask in return?" Ignotus asked, his fists clenching.
Death smiled. "A hunter. My personal bounty hunter."
"What…. What does that mean?"
Death slowly drew closer to him, the shadowy figure now getting more and more corporeal and solid with every passing second…
"You wanted power, and I will give you that. Accept my offer and you will have a power you have never known. In return, you shall be my hunter for several thousand years from now, until it is time for your next great adventure..."
"What does that entail?"
Death smiled. "The powers that be, do not allow me to interfere in the mortal realms, allowing necromancers and wizards to use forbidden magics to steal away their lives from me. Your job will be to clean the slate in my absence."
"Let me get this straight." Ignotus replied with slight reluctance. "You want me… of all people, the weakest of all Warmages of the Peverell name, to go on, killing evil wizards and monsters for millennia, when I cannot even kill my own enemy at present? I am sure you have got the wrong Peverell."
Death chuckled. " Humans… annoyingly stubborn for all eternity." Ignoring the frown on Ignotus's face, the dark shadowy persona drifted very close to him. "Yes, that is my offer."
"And how am I going to do that?"
The three items floated out of his hands, as Death stroked the Deathstick with what seemed to be a skeletal hand. The wand glowed purple, as the hilt transfigured from a regular handle into a skull. The stone, it levitated in front of Ignotus, all the while glowing with a multitude of colors, as eldritch energies from Death's body into the stone, until the diamond-shaped stone turned into a larger, octagonal form. The cloak shifted from its usual drape-form into a standard cloak, turning much thicker, and losing its velvety texture.
"What did you do to them?" Ignotus asked hesitantly.
"I added my own essence to them. Now, they are linked to me… they are holy for the generations of necromancers to come. I suppose... they are my Hallows, now. Using the three Hallows together, you will be able to channel my energies into your own mortal self, and use it to finish your duties as my hunter." The cloak flew back and settled over Ignotus's shoulders, billowing like a cape, the hood levitating up to hide his face. The wand floated off to his left hand, while his faithful yew wand remained on his right hand. Death fashioned a pendant out of the mist surrounding him, and Ignotus could see it studded with rubies and emeralds. The frontal end looked like some kind of lock, like some intricately and exquisitely carved golden exoskeleton, with an inner cavity inside it. The pendant floated towards him, as he reluctantly accepted it.
"For the stone…"
Ignotus nodded. He willed the stone to himself, and almost in response, the stone drifted towards the pendant, and almost in unison, the exoskeleton opened up, allowing the stone to enter the inner cavity, and instantly, the skeleton closed into itself, locking the stone inside it, making the stone glow brightly with a shade of purple. He held the pendant and wore it around his neck, his entire body brimming with a strange sense of energy. He could feel his nerves flaring with a strange energy, the likes of which he had never felt.
"Welcome, my hunter." Death smiled. "You are now the Master of the Deathly Hallows, and by extension, the master of your own death. Until your contract is over, you cannot die."
"I am Ignotus Peverell. The Master of my death, and now, I will bring death to everyone who killed my family." Ignotus muttered. He looked up towards the divine entity before him. "Cadmus always told me stories about Death having a horse, taking him to places he cannot go by his own. I don't see any."
Death smiled behind his hood. "I do have one. His name is Ignotus Peverell."
"Seems so confusing, doesn't it, Peverell?"
Harry spun back at the familiar tone, and found the high priest of Castle Negrul standing behind him. He narrowed his eyes.
"Death?" He worded warily.
The man chuckled. "I suppose the entire process must have addled your brains. Me and Him? You do remember that the entire point behind Castle Negrul is to flee from Him, right?"
Harry Potter, or rather, Ignotus Peverell looked at him in confusion. "I-" he paused, "I mean, when I was divided, we- saw you there behind the veil, and you said that you were Death, the destroyer of worlds."
The High Priest almost shuddered at the fact.
"Perseus Trimegistus, tell me, what is the truth?" Ignotus pressed.
The High Priest looked at him calmly. "I am not the one you speak of, Ignotus Peverell. I am Perseus Trimegistus, the High Priest and slave of Negrul. I am your old friend."
"But-" Ignotus tried.
"I believe I have an idea about what might have happened, though-", he stopped as he chuckled, "the idea is based from a children's story book. The Tales of Beadle the Bard."
"A story book? You have a story about the Hallows?"
Perseus chuckled. "Yes, imagine that."
"Very well," Ignotus sighed. "Out with it."
Perseus smiled. "You can read it later. The point is that the third brother, that is you, met… HIM like an old friend, I can imagine that would be the reason why that entity met you in that form."
"He showed us Castle Negrul."
Trimegistus almost paled at the implication.
"He is drawing near, I suppose it is time for you to leave, isn't it?"
Perseus smiled. "You know me, quite well, old friend. However, I brought this for you." He took out a golden pendant from within his robes, one identical to the one he had previously handed over when Harry had been to Negrul.
"Wha- where did you get this?"
Perseus smiled. "I live in a castle that floats in time, remember? We knew you would need it even if it might have gotten lost inside the veil."
Ignotus fixed him with a blank stare. "You took the pendant out of time? The very pendant that held the resurrection stone for centuries? It is obvious why He is nearing you."
"You needed it, old friend." The man replied. "Besides, it is little, compared to what you did for me all that time ago."
Ignotus smiled, taking the pendent from his hands. It glowed as he put it over his neck. "The stone… I need to find it."
The smile on Perseus's lips faded. "It has been bound by magics forbidden to necromancers. I cannot even travel near it, and you know why. Even being close to the Deathstick makes me feel uncomfortable."
"I… understand."
"Find the stone, Peverell, and reunite the Hallows. Finish your duty. And remember, you are both Harry Potter and Ignotus Peverell. You have a past, a present and a future to adjust to."
"Yeah about that," Ignotus exclaimed. "I certainly cannot go on using a made-up family name. Antioch could slap me right and left if I ever abandoned the Peverell name. At the same time, my mother in this time, named me Harry Potter, and I will be damned if I do not choose the name she chose for me as my identity."
"So what did you decide?" Perseus asked, a thin smile lining his lips.
"Well, I cannot be a Potter, and I cannot lose my first name, so I suppose… Harry Peverell."
"Sounds old fashioned."
"I am old-fashioned."
"Very well, Myrrdin's blessings be upon you, Harry Peverell."