A/N:

So I guess I need to put a disclaimer in this.

I do NOT own Harry Potter or any related properties.

I do NOT own Sandman or any related properties.

I do Not own ANY recognisable character or setting.

All of these belong to their respective owners, I am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

With that said, the first 4 chapters are the Prologue and are basically Info-Dumps. Necessary but tedious and a bit dry. I'll post actual chapters eventually, but these needed to be done right away.

Timeless Space, Deaths home, the Dreaming

Harry looked around in confusion and no small amount of dread. He appeared to be in a liminal space of immense proportions yet he felt claustrophobic all the same. It certainly wasn't the afterlife as he imagined it, and if this was Limbo or Purgatory, he would be heartbroken.

Upon further examination of his surroundings, including himself this time, he noticed that he was naked and then he was suddenly dressed as a goth. A sudden smattering of applause startled him into looking behind him, where a pale girl dressed as a goth with an Ankh tattoo under her eye had suddenly appeared as if from thin air.

"Nice outfit you've got there, it fits with the whole current/future you thing going on. Welcome to my place, it's not much but then I don't stay here much either. Way too busy with work."

The girl seemed to glide forward and took his hand, before leading him off in a seemingly random direction. Harry was too disorientated to complain or resist, so he went along with the strange girl.

"Anyway, it's nice to meet you Harry, or do you prefer Hardwin? Cool, so as I was saying, nice to meet you and all that. Don't take that as an empty platitude either, you have no idea how refreshing it is when someone doesn't instantly fall in love with me or immediately start arguing with me! I'm just doing my job, and I don't have time for idle distractions. Delirium would be better for that, or maybe Dream? He's the one that plays games with people!"

As the girl ranted, she dragged the both of them across the rapidly changing terrain. Mountains rose and fell within seconds, oceans grew and evaporated in mere heartbeats, while forests sprouted and died even faster. Suddenly they stopped and a spacious living room appeared around them, as the girl turned around to grin at Harry.

"Well, I guess introductions are due. I know you, of course, so I'll introduce myself. My name… well I prefer Teleute I guess, but if I have to use the title/name I was made with then I can only introduce myself as Death of the Endless."

She sketched a quick bow, grin still stretched across her face. Harry was speechless, not having expected anything close to a cute punk chick being the personification of Death. Swallowing slightly, he returned the bow and kissed her hand earning a slight giggle from Teleute.

"It's nice to meet you Teleute if that's what you prefer to be called. May I ask what I did to earn the pleasure of a meeting with you?"

Harry's mind raced with theories about why he was here, and it all came back to one single fact; he had true ownership overall 3 Deathly Hallows and regardless of how false the fable was, they appear to have some kernel of truth to them. Teleute smiled sadly at him before letting out a despondent sigh.

"You truly believe that it's nice to meet me, it's not just an empty platitude for you. That's sad by the way, people should seek life, not death. You were such a cute baby when you were born, so innocent and joyful and full of life. And now I have to make your life even worse."

She watched him as his heart dropped to rock bottom, and even tears gathered in his eyes as the last of his hope was dashed. Sighing once again Teleute gently reached out to hug him as Harry completely broke down for the first time in years.

This was it, rock bottom. There was no warm feeling to give him hope, no core of steel to drag him along. He was done, and it happened after his death so there was nothing for him to do about it besides accept that Fate had made him her bitch.

"What now, what fresh hell is there for me to endure? Am I going to actual Hell? Paying for the sins of Tom Riddle since he was attached to my forehead? Some other convoluted reasoning that I'll never understand but have to suffer for anyway?"

Teleute winced at how hollow Harry's voice sounded at that moment, cursing the Fate bestowed upon him by Destiny. They didn't talk for a while, Teleute stroking Harry's hair as he lay with his head in her lap. Eventually, she told him what he wanted to know.

"As you no doubt suspect the Hallows are partly to blame. The other part… is a mix of your parents, Tom and Albus. Your parents enacted a ritual that night to protect you and it would have enhanced you further although you may have experienced weird side effects. That wasn't the problem, no, rather it was the addition of Tom's Horcrux ritual, an actual Horcrux and the incompetent mucking about of Albus that messed everything up."

Harry let out a short, wooden laugh at the bizarre circumstances that surrounded him.

"Even after both of our deaths Albus Dumble-fuck has screwed up my existence, go figure. So, what, a protection/enhancement ritual mixed with an immortality ritual that is extremely dark compounded by blood wards from the initial ritual caster? On the night of All Hallows Eve where belief makes darker powers stronger? Also, your night? What does that give you?"

Teleute smiled slightly at the demonstration of his intelligence before sighing once again.

"A Lunar enhancement and protection ritual that consumed a dark life-extending and soul fracturing ritual. Further, it was augmented by blood wards fuelled by the blood of the ritual master. The ritual was tied to a ley-line for power and triggered by the willing sacrifice of 2 powerful adult wizards. The ritual mutated into a supernatural power-granting rite. Also, yeah, Halloween affected the ritual too.

Because of the lunar aspects, along with close contact with a Werewolf over the years, you will be granted Werewolf traits. Because of the constant presence of blood, along with your own constantly spilling blood and the life extension ritual, you will also gain vampiric traits.

You'll keep your access to your magic, but it will be changed and enhanced to the point that you will have to learn a new style of magic. Your wand will also stop working, both because of your change and the fact that you are now too powerful for any wand to channel. Because of the power placed into this ritual your gains are rather large, but there is an equivalent price to pay in turn."

Harry scoffed, of course, there's always a price and he said as much to Teleute. He had already given so much and was losing so much more. Teleute just shook her head sadly, knowing there was more to it.

"Above and beyond what you consider payment of your afterlife and just reward, there is an additional price to pay. You were not just a wizard Harry, but a Reality Warper as well. When you were a child your mother limited this ability together with your magic, mistakenly thinking it was accidental magic. Eventually, the seal would have been released as you learned to control the power, but your parents died and Albus wanted a weak martyr for a pawn so he strengthened the seal further.

The ability was still there, though, however, limited in capability and it was an immense help in your journey. All that 'good luck' you experienced was the protective ritual exploiting your Reality Warping to nudge events in your favour; overcoming impossible odds and stumbling across strangely helpful flukes. Your skill with transfiguration and charms was also influenced by your magic remembering how to influence reality to do weird and wonderful things.

And now it's gone, or rather weakened into a lesser power with no chance of ever reaching that point again. It's a loss that will affect you deeply as a part of you is missing, but eventually, you will stop feeling it at all."

As she spoke of the power he once supposedly held, images flashed through Harry's mind that demonstrated how his power had worked and helped him. The last image was of a baby's mobile that changed into a masterwork of enchanting and transfiguration if it had been made with magic.

Trying to focus on himself, he did indeed feel as if something was missing from his body. He had dismissed it as his magic being unavailable since he was dead, but now that he felt around within his being he could still feel his magic humming along with his heartbeat. It was disquieting to Harry to feel an absence of something he had never known was there

"So that was the 'Power He knows not'? Reality Warping? And how did I even get that power in the first place? Where did it come from and why did I have it?"

Teleute frowned slightly, knowing that her next words would probably anger Harry a lot.

"To answer your second question first, you had your power and there was no reason. You had the power, and that's it. There was no designation due to fate, or mysterious interaction because of your parent's genes; it was spontaneous, and meaningless in the grand scheme of things. You are like thousands throughout history who just randomly received a power, not because they were meant to be great; they became great because of their power. Or maybe despite their power. Your magic would have made you special on its own, the power was just an extra tool that random chance bestowed upon you.

And that leads to your first question. The prophecy given by Sybille Trelawney was fake. Everything that happened after was the result of a woman desperately trying to get a job and leeching off the coattails of a rather great ancestor. But she bought into the hype after Riddle's 'death', believing herself to truly be a seer.

All of your sufferings can be laid at the feet of 4 people; Trelawney who made the fake prophecy to get a job. Dumbledore exploited the prophecy and tried to steer it a certain way. Snape overheard the prophecy and delivered it to Voldemort. And Riddle himself, who was terrified of me to the point that he would believe even the smallest scrap of news that might lead to his death.

And so, a fake poem became a self-fulfilling prophecy of deadly consequence for all the people involved. Only Trelawney herself got off scot-free with her lies, getting a cushy job and free accommodation in return."

After hearing Teleute's explanation Harry was shaking with rage. He had thought that he was Fate's butt boy because of the prophecy, and maybe he was, but it needn't have been that way. If that bug-eyed drunkard bitch hadn't spouted such an ambiguous yet obvious 'prediction', he would have had a much higher chance of growing up with his parents. Sure, the ongoing war might have killed them, but they wouldn't have been so directly targeted and betrayed.

And he didn't doubt for a second that Albus too-many-fucking-name-and-titles Dumble-fuck would have noticed the bogus nature of her words but decided that it would let him manipulate things in his favour so went along with it. Shit, he may have even arranged for Snape to deliver the prophecy, probably even implanting the encounter in his mind. He probably knew Pettigrew was the traitor too, and deliberately allowed him to leak the location of the Potters. Heck, as a backup plan he might have orchestrated the attack on the Longbottoms as well.

At this point, he probably hated Dumble-fuck more than Riddle. And he despised that broken Litch. It was to the point that if saving Dumbledore would save the World, he'd let the World burn just to see that fucker rot in the deepest depths of Hell. He'd walk into Hell with a smile on his face to see that idiotic goat-fucker suffering along with him.

Teleute just watched Harry tiredly as an aura of darkness manifested around him. She understood his rage at the wrongs he had suffered, she wasn't so removed from humanity to not sympathise. She wanted to help him through this since he was someone that she could see herself befriending. Of course, she normally couldn't have friends because most only saw her when they died, but Harry was different. Unlike those that could always see and interact with her, Harry wasn't either her sibling or someone so far removed from humanity that the concept of friendship was strange or incomprehensible.

Teleute was a different type of Cosmic Entity. Unlike other Deaths, she was also the Lord and Personification of Life. She greeted every newborn and met every newly-dead soul. She also took a vacation, once a century and only a single day, to live the last day of mortal life. As a result, she was more 'human' than most Deaths.

Moving forward, Teleute gave Harry a tight hug to distract him from his anger and calm him down. Startled, all thoughts of his rage subsided in the face of confusion. She had hugged him earlier, but he was too depressed to notice at the time. Now, he couldn't help but feel the softness of her body, the gentleness with which she held him and he relaxed into the best hug he has ever received in memory.

"I'm sorry for practically losing myself in anger. I guess I have anger issues that were only magnified by having that Horcrux in my head. Please, let's just move on with your explanation of my situation. I feel as if I'd just get angrier if I started asking more questions about my life."

Teleute didn't let go for a long moment, before finally releasing him and taking a step back. A placid smile stretched across her face as she moved to a table and gestured for Harry to sit as well. Harry joined her at the table, leaning back against the chair as he ordered his thoughts and pushed the remains of his rage aside. Now was the time to focus on other things, he could vent later. Teleute held her hands before her with pursed lips as she considered her words.

"I don't mind your reaction, it shows that you're only human; that's all I can ask for, and all that anybody should ask of you. What happens next might anger you, or it might be the best thing that has ever happened to you since that Halloween 16 years ago.

As I said before, powers have been a thing for thousands of years in your World. That, however, does not mean that Death is a revolving door like in other powered Worlds for mortals. You can delay, fend off, hide from and even pause right at the moment of Death, but nobody can return from crossing the boundary. Those that have somehow succeeded were either not mortal at all, or they were punished.

You are returning from Death, even though it is by the plots of others. You may no longer be mortal once the ritual runs its course, but you started as one and thus will be subject to punishment. Because you didn't try to break the rules yourself, that punishment will be the same as everyone else who tried to return. Yet I feel that it would be a boon to you instead.

You are banished from this World, by which I mean this Universe! You will find yourself somewhere else, and the World you know will be completely different. Since the Wizarding World is relatively the same in different versions, you will be in a Universe that completely lacks one and even the people you are familiar with will not exist in any form!"

Harry was speechless. This was it! Everything he ever wanted, and all he gave up was a power he didn't know he had, parents he couldn't remember and uncles that were the only thing he would miss. A feeling of joy started growing in his chest, tempered by bitter sadness at the permanent loss of Remus and Sirius, which quickly overshadowed the anger he felt at the way his life was ruined before. Teleute smiled freely at the open joy that Harry was finally displaying, causing him to blush in embarrassment.

"That's not all we had to talk about, but I can see I was right in thinking you would believe it a boon. There are also the actual blessings I want to give you. You united the Hallows with no intention or knowledge that you were doing so, before actively rejecting the only one you truly had any use for.

You only accept the Cloak of Invisibility because it has sentimental value, not for what it was supposed to be; thus, casually dismissing the ability to hide from Death.

The Elder Wand you didn't even acknowledge besides noting that you had its allegiance and that it might fail in the hands of Riddle when used against you; thus, negligently discarding Ultimate Power and the ability to 'never lose'.

The Resurrection Stone you used once in distraction to grant yourself peace of mind, before literally getting rid of it with a blasé toss; thus, completely rejecting the ability to converse with the Dead.

Then you walked willingly to your Death, without any thought for going back or somehow cheating Me. That is when you truly mastered the Hallows, and 'Mastered Death'; you acknowledged that Death is nothing to be afraid of and, like Ignotus Peverell, resolved to meet Me as an old friend as you travelled to your final destination.

Nobody has mastered the Hallows before, so I can give you whatever I want within reason. As a replacement for the 3 Hallows, which I can now retrieve from the World, to thank you for gathering them I grant you 3 boons; one to soothe your heart, one to settle your fears and one to fulfil your desires!

And along with the boons, I give you my heartfelt thanks for that and leading the effort to end Riddle; I regret giving the Hallows to the Peverell brothers since they caused so much death, and the death and destruction caused by Riddle cheating Me was too much to simply dismiss. Thank you, Hardwin Conri Potter, you have truly done something that deserves recognition and thanks."

Once again speechless, Harry could only stare at Teleute in amazement. It wasn't even the fact that he was getting these wonderful boons, no, but it was because of one simple truth; until now he hadn't ever been rewarded or truly thanked for anything he had done by anybody not part of his family. He was praised as the 'boy-who-lived' by the sheeple of the Wizarding World, but that was fickle and heavily dependent on conditions that he couldn't even control.

Every time he saved someone, they thanked him profusely before asking him to do more. The only person who had ever truly thanked him was Sirius, who then proceeded to try and help Harry by trying to get him away from the Dursleys. His so-called friends expected him to help them and didn't truly offer anything in return besides jealousy and bossy 'advice'.

He was truly touched that Teleute was thanking him, never mind the blessings; he didn't even care, he would have been fine with just her genuine appreciation for his deeds. He could tell she was genuine because when you're nigh-omnipotent you don't say thank you with ulterior motives; at that point, you say jump and people ask how high while saluting. Teleute just grinned at his thoughts, once again bringing a blush to Harry's cheeks once he realised that she could probably read his mind.

"I agree, people do tend to follow orders once they realise you can do whatever you want. People tend to argue with Me though, always saying I must be mistaken or I trying to bribe me to leave them. Ah, we went off on a tangent, let's get back to Me rewarding you.

The first gift I give to you is the one to settle your fears. From now on, unless you deliberately involve yourself in the World, you won't be drawn into any happenings of Fate. You will intuitively know who is part of the Fate of the World you end up in if you see them and, unless you interact with them on purpose, everything will pass you by without drawing you in. Of course, World affecting things like Planet-Killers or things on that scale will indirectly affect you, but nothing will be aimed at you unless you involve yourself deliberately."

Harry cheered with joy immediately on hearing what the boon would do for him. His Fate was in his hands, and he finally had the privilege of Choice that he had been denied before. He didn't even question how Teleute could grant him this, merely thanking her from the bottom of his heart. He gently pulled her out of her chair, before hugging her and swinging her around as she laughed at his playful demeanour. Eventually, he settled down, not even embarrassed this time. Calming down he sat down again as Teleute's smile took on a slightly uneasy cast.

"The next gift is to soothe your heart, and one I thought long about before deciding. I'll only ask what you desire for your final gift after you receive this one and have time to process, so let's walk and talk."

Harry had noticed how she was nervous about this gift but decided to trust her. Together they walked further into the house that the Dreaming had formed around them. Noticing that she was quiet as they walked, Harry decided to assuage Teleute's doubts. It seemed that what she had decided to gift him was something she was still unsure about.

"Whatever you decided would no doubt be something good for me, even if it doesn't seem so. Don't be nervous, a gift given in good faith is something I would never hate anyone for. Above all else, I trust you too. So, may I know what you chose so I might prepare my heart?"

Harry shot Teleute a playful grin to reassure her that he was just joking, and she couldn't help but smile in response. Taking a deep breath, she told him the truth even as they came upon a closed door.

"To soothe your heart, I am giving your deepest desire. The one the Mirror of Erised showed you all those years ago; through that door await your parents and uncles. As Death, and because we are currently in the Dreaming which borders and overlaps the Underworld where the Dead go, I can call on their full Soul rather than a shade like the Resurrection Stone. This will give you closure, something you desperately need if you want to truly live from now on."

With that, Teleute pushed a once-again speechless Harry through the now open door, before gently shutting it behind him and locking the door. Smiling at the trust he showed her, turning mischievous as she thought about how she unintentionally pranked him, she skipped away from the door humming a pleasant tune.

Meanwhile, Harry was half-heartedly swearing revenge on her even as tears of joy started spilling from his eyes. James, Lily, Remus and Sirius all stood before him with tears in their eyes as well. Harry stood frozen as the people he wanted to see most in the World were gathered together, drinking in the sight as a man starved. And he realised that yes, he was starved of their presence. The presence of those that loved him. A smile broke on his face, even as his heart fluttered fast enough that he might have had a heart attack were he still alive.

At the sight of his smile, the emotion-filled pause was broken by Lily running forth to sweep Harry into a bone-crushing hug, followed closely by James which knocked them all to the floor. Remus stood back with a large smile on his face while Sirius broke out into ecstatic laughter at seeing Harry again.

"Oh, my baby boy, I'm so proud of you! You did something extremely difficult, and even if it wasn't what we wanted for you we are still proud of the man you've grown into. All despite that bastard Albus and my bitch of a sister!"

Lily peppered kisses all over Harry's face, but he wasn't even embarrassed. He had dreamed of this for almost 2 decades, and he loved the attention of his parents. He didn't even mind the weight of both of his parents, since James was still hugging him and Lily tight.

"Your mother, as usual, speaks for both of us. You got your smarts from her, by the way. We love you and are extremely proud of you because you've grown into a wonderful young man all on your own. You overcame so many trials, and even as you walked to your Death you did it with dignity. You could have ended it all years ago or ran away and hidden, but you pushed through and gave it your all. You've made us the proudest parents in existence, and nothing will change that."

Finally getting up from the floor, James pulled his wife and son up with him before looking Harry in the eyes and patting his shoulder. Lily would move from Harry's side, even as Remus and Sirius came to hug him themselves. Harry looked happy as he hugged Sirius but was slightly remorseful which Sirius caught.

"Bah, don't look at me like that cub! I died through no fault of your own. It was a combination of Albus fucking around, Snivellous acting like a bitch, Kreacher being a bastard, Trixie being insane and insanely good at duelling, my stupidity and pure bad luck. Nowhere in that equation was it your fault, so let that thought die an ignoble death as it cries in the corner of forgotten shit… you get what I'm saying? Ah, hell, whatever. If the guy who died doesn't blame you, you have no right to blame yourself; that's a rule by the way, and I'm invoking it here and now. Stop blaming yourself, and get a girl instead. Like that Death chick, she's hot and might be interested!"

Sirius waggled his eyebrows with a lecherous grin on his face. Harry blushed in mortification even as Lily swatted his godfather's shoulder in warning; though she didn't seem upset with the thought, just doing it out of habit. James laughed along with Remus who moved in for his hug.

"The mutt's right, Harry. Mostly, I'm not sure about the Death thing. But don't blame yourself for any of the Deaths that have happened because of this war, that's all on the shoulders of Dumbledore, Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And because Sirius was mucking about, I'll say that the both of us are proud to be your uncles as well. You're a good man, Harry, and now it's time for you to start living instead of just surviving."

Remus's words brought a tear to Harry's eyes, and a sharp chuckle as Sirius let out an indignant 'Hey!' at his words. The greetings done, and the ice broken, they all sat together on the couches provided as they talked for hours.

Harry, who had carried a weight on his shoulder and a shadow over his heart, was finally healing emotionally. His parents loved him, his uncles treasured him and their collective pride for him was immeasurable. He was truly blessed, and he knew that this is what Teleute intended when she chose this reward. The weight lifted from his shoulders, the shadow was banished from his heart and he finally felt unconditional love. Sirius and Remus had lived him unconditionally while alive, but their Deaths had made him doubt. Knowing that they didn't blame him, and still loved him, was a (literal) godsend.

They talked about the past, the future and everything in between. He learned a lot about his family that was hidden from him in the past, behind thin veneers of 'oh they were great' and 'you look like your dad/mom' and no substance. He knew nothing about his family beyond superficial things, and now he was learning almost too much to remember. And he was loving it.

Finally, as the talks wound down, they settled into a content silence. They had shared everything, not knowing when next they would see each other or if they would even have another chance. Throat hoarse from all the talking he had done Harry finally pondered the third gift he would receive. Hearing about the history of the Marauders and his mother as they grew up.

"Teleute, Death, has granted me 3 boons for mastering the Hallows and rejecting them. The first was to be hidden from Fate unless I seek it out. The second was meeting you all again. The third is an open wish. I've been thinking while we spoke, and I think I have my wish, but I would ask your advice."

James and Lily nodded solemnly while Remus and Sirius perked up in anticipation. Harry took a deep breath, as he went over his words in his head.

"I feel like there's some thematic significance to the boons. The first was synonymous with the Cloak; hiding me from Death changed to hiding me from Fate. The second was directly from the Stone; instead of summoning shades which would hurt whenever I want, I get to talk to the True Souls of those I want to meet most for the first and last time.

Only the Wand is left, but I don't want ultimate power or anything so crass. Instead, I want what I should have always had; I want someone who will teach me, someone who will train me and bring out all the potential they can squeeze from me. I want to see how far I can go on my talents, even as they have been enhanced and added to by the unholy blend of a ritual I am going through."

James and Lily gained a complicated look on their faces, even as they nodded along in understanding. They had talked about the ritual with Harry, trying to apologise for the fact that it was their initial ritual that will lead to him being an immortal/long-lived Vampire/Werewolf/Sorcerer/Metahuman hybrid when it was done. He didn't let them, turning Sirius's argument back on them; he didn't blame them, so they shouldn't blame themselves. He blamed Albus and Riddle for his problems, never his parents.

Sirius nodded along thoughtfully, as Remus agreed as well. Remus had been the only person to put effort into teaching Harry extra, while Sirius was unable to help while he was at school. Everyone else had let Harry coast along as an underachiever, even while telling him how brilliant his parents were. It stemmed from the Dursleys beating Harry when he did well in school, coupled with the fact that he actively tried to blend in too much. He hid his intelligence, even from his so-called friends, and it never occurred to him to study in his own time. Albus, meanwhile, was actively resistant to his pawn getting stronger, and that attitude trickled down towards his teachers. Besides Snape, he was just an asshole.

"I agree cub, that would be a wonderful thing for you. Remus told me how much simple joy you took in learning the Patronus, even when you needed it to sort of survive the year."

"Sirius is right, it would be good for you. You were an avid student, and the only reason you took so long to learn it is that you didn't have a single memory good enough to cast it. When you got that, you were immediately able to perform a high-level charm, proving your talent and ability. I say go for it, trying to bring out your potential is always a good thing."

Sirius and Remus shared their thoughts first, while Harry's parents just sat on either side of him listening to their reasoning. James went next, while Lily gained a thoughtful look on her face.

"Mooney and Padfoot are right, cub. When you were younger you were so full of curiosity. You were a cute kid, but a handful that learned to ask 'Why?' way too quickly. If you want to learn and train, don't let anybody stop you if you can help it! Go for your dreams, we're with you all the way. Just don't forget to live a little; get a girlfriend or 2, spend too much money on stupid things and paint the town red with new friends."

By the end of his words, James was both gleeful and cringing. Gleeful at the thought of encouraging his son's Marauder tendencies and imagining all the mischief he would get up to. Cringing from his with who was glaring at him menacingly for suggesting Harry be irresponsible.

"Don't listen to this idiot Harry. Live your life the way you want to. Do the things he said if they interest you, or become a monk and remain celibate, it's all your choice. If you want to train, do it. You asked for advice, here it is; learn things besides magic and combat. Immerse yourself in a whole new World, because the possibilities are endless. There is so much to see and experience out there, you just have to grasp it with your own two hands.

Remember Harry, the World is your oyster, and the only thing stopping you from doing anything now is time. Go make your mark on the World, because no matter what you do, we're already proud of you."

Lily drew Harry into a hug that he returned with zeal. This triggered another group hug, this one joined by all three Marauders. Eventually, they subsided, and Harry let out a forlorn sigh. He was happy to have this opportunity, but all good things come to an end.

"I guess this is it. I… I want to say that I am just as proud to be your son as you are proud of me. I love you all, even the mutt, and I hope with all my heart to see you in the future!"

Tears sprang forth anew in everyone's eyes, but this wasn't because of deep sorrow. No, they all knew that even though they might not see each other for a long time, they would forever treasure this day.

"Goodbye Harry. We hope it's a long time before you join us in our current accommodation. Heck, take as long as you can, as long as you're happy." Remus hugged him before stepping back.

"Yeah, we don't want to see you there for at least a century! If you can swing visits like this again, be free to do so, but no coming to the other side. I'll hex you out of there if you try! Hahaha—ack!" Sirius was dragged away in a chokehold by an exasperated Remus.

"Ignore the idiot, son. We love you and, while we may miss you, we want you to experience life to the fullest. Go forth and Conquer Life, for you've already Mastered Death. And befriended Her, maybe more besides?" James hugged then stepped back with a parting shot and waggling eyebrows. The shit-eating grin on his face was just barely enough to hide his sadness.

Lily just hugged him tight, unwilling to let him go or even let him move for a while. Eventually, she sniffed and sat back, giving him a watery smile as she stared into his bright emerald eyes, so much like hers.

"Never forget that we love you. Never doubt that we're proud of you. We are always with you, in your heart. And we will always watch over you, from beyond. You are the light of our lives, and you bring us pure joy simply by being happy. Now go, live your life as a free person as we intended."

With that said, Lily joined the rest of the adults as Harry watched. He was sad, but even now he was feeling his hopelessness disappear. He might still be depressed, but he had hope now and would recover in time. His murderous rage at Albus and Riddle was tempered by his growing happiness, and his suicidal thoughts were all but gone, scattered by the true joy meeting his parents brought him.

It was truly ironic that his happiest moments were after his death, and yet he was no longer bothered by the fact that he was going back to… some sort of… Life/Unlife confusion. Oh well, he would have plenty of time to define his new existence. With a happy, yet still yearning look back at his parents and uncles, Harry turned to the door out of the room and stepped forward to wrap Teleute in a tight hug where she was waiting for him. A loud 'whoop' of joy was heard behind him before the door shut on its own.

"Thank you, Teleute, for what is hands down the greatest gift I have ever, and will ever receive. You have given me something I yearned for in the darkest corner of my heart, hoping yet without hope. This is a gift above everything else, and if you hadn't given me anything but this I would have still been overwhelmed with joy. Accept my most sincere gratitude for those few hours with my family."

At first stunned, Teleute eventually relaxed and smiled warmly even as she hugged Harry back with just as much enthusiasm. She was happy that he like what she gave him because she'd been worried for the hours between leaving him and fetching him once again.

"It was my genuine pleasure, Harry. I hoped it would help, and I can see that you have that immense weight lifted from your shoulders finally. You were so tense before, but now you're truly relaxed. I guess it sunk in that your trials are finally over.

Now, I said I would only ask you what you wanted after you had time with your family; I didn't listen or watch anything in that room, so I don't know what you decided or even if you decided anything.

I ask you now; Hardwin Conri Potter, what is it you desire for a boon?!"

Teleute had stepped back and puffed herself up, asking pompously as an attempt to lighten the mood around a serious topic. Harry just smiled wryly, before getting serious; he didn't act though, because he wanted to ask a few questions before he answered.

"Teleute, I would ask a few questions before you grant me my boon." He looked her in the eye to show how serious he was.

"Oh, well ask away, as long as its knowledge about your boon, I suppose I could grant it." Teleute nodded thoughtfully. Harry smiled gratefully and proceeded with his question.

"I would like to know if you could introduce me to a teacher. Someone who could bring out my full potential, like those great teachers in mythology.

Next, if in doing so you could reveal, even if it's only to my teacher, what exactly is happening to me. What my capabilities are, what has changed and how I am being affected.

Finally, if the trainer could be someone that is connected to the Dreaming and/or the concept of Death. I would like to talk with you more, if I may?"

Teleute smiled widely at Harry, having guessed what his wish would entail before he met his parents. The last question was unexpected but welcome; she too would like to befriend him, and this was a pleasing turn of events.

"Of course, Harry. I can answer both the first and second questions easily. Although you won't be in the Dream or Land of the Dead in this Universe, I can introduce you to a great teacher at your destination. Or rather, outside your destination, since she isn't technically dead, technically alive or technically anywhere due to her… occupation, I guess.

The second question I can answer as well, and I'll do so when you meet your trainer. There isn't any reason for you to be ignorant of your true nature."

Harry looked thankful that she would answer his questions, and thus his resolve strengthened.

"Then for my Boon I request; Death of the Endless, please introduce me to a trainer who will help me achieve my full potential academically, magically and physically."

Teleute smiled at his formality and changed her clothes to her formal Victorian dress and parasol.

"I hear your wish, Hardwin Conri Potter, and I deem it suitable. With this, our Debt is paid in full, and the scales balanced. Now come, let us attend to your request!"

With those words, the World around them grew hazy before everything went black for Harry.