Note – Hey… This is my first time writing a fanfic and it would be a great help if y'all can give me constructive criticism and suggestions to improve my writing as well as the story. I took few inspiration from "Sacrificial Second Chance" by NaruAndHarrHaremFan and special thanks to JKR for creating this magical world... Eventual DG/HP pairing. Btw I'm not a native English speaker so pls bear with me.

Chapter 1

Harry was looking at Hogwarts from afar thinking of all the times that he was at mortal peril during his years at school. But now all has changed after he defeated Voldemort. Hermione went on to do her charms apprenticeship under the tutelage of Professor Flitwick while Ron joined George at their shop – Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Unfortunately, a few months after the end of the war, his love life too came to an end with Ginny and him parting ways to pursue their careers. Although they met up every weekend, Harry could not shake off the loneliness he felt now that he had nothing to keep him occupied. In its own way, dealing with Voldemort from the day he came back to the wizarding world kept him from focusing on the loneliness he felt, but now it seems to be striking him in waves.

After going on the horcrux hunt, he thought that it would be easier to defeat Voldemort but though the prophecy portrayed him as an equal to Voldemort he was severely lacking the skills and experience needed to duel Voldemort. The Order came up with the idea to train Harry – He wondered why Dumbledore didn't think of this. They had Professor Flitwick train him in charms and Harry was astounded by the skills of the diminutive little Professor. He was a great duelist and he was one of the pillars in helping Harry.

Then came in McGonagall with Transfiguration training. Harry was taught how to be creative, to use the arena of the duel to his advantage. 'It is wicked' like Ron said after watching one of their practice sessions.

Finally, Kingsley along with Tonks came along to test him in and train him in defense and offense, basically putting him through Auror training. That clumsy Metamorphmagus had more than what met his eyes, after having his ass handed back to him for the initial part of the training did, he know why she made it into the Auror corps. By the end of all his training, Harry could modestly agree that he was on par with most of the senior members both in the Order and the Death Eaters.

By this time, he had realized how all his victories so far were solely based on luck and someday he might run out of it. Harry then vowed to himself that he will learn all kind of magic he came across either dark or light, so that he can put an end to this sad story.

It was hard, listening to the news everyday praying that everyone was safe but being proved wrong each and every time. Dean Thomas was killed during the last raid by the Death eaters, so was Seamus, Lavender and many others.

The final show down came a few months prior, when Hermione, Ron and him entered Hogwarts to destroy the Diadem of Ravenclaw. This enraged Voldemort enough to launch a full-scale attack to the castle because the one of the last two remaining horcruxes were in the verge of being destroyed. Voldemort launched a full-scale attack sparing none from his end, the Acromantulas, the Dementors and along with the Werewolves along with the Death Eaters and Giants came against Hogwarts which caused the death of so many students and the others. This battle cost him the last and final thread of connection he had with his parents – Remus. Tonks too fell to her demise, leaving their newborn son - Ted as Harry's godson. The Weasley's lost Fred, which broke George the most.

- Flashback -

The duel between Voldemort and Harry was not just a battle of wills between two connected wands but of two wizards dueling to death. It was fierce and he could see the leap in his skills, but he was still having a hard time matching up to Voldemort. It was when Voldemort fired a huge snake of Fiendfyre that Harry used an obscure spell that he learnt during his training, which was a spell based on elemental animation. The spell could be used to animate the element of water to give it a will, just like the Fiendfyre. He shaped it like a snake of his own design just for the sake of irony. The animated water took its time battling out and it was finally able to put down the Fiendfyre. All the fighting around the two of them stopped and all Death Eaters and the order alike were shocked to see a young teen almost on the verge of adulthood, but nonetheless a teen putting down the most vile and cursed fire in all of existence with little effort.

"How?", asked a shocked Voldemort.

"It seems like I am able to do the impossible, Tom." said Harry.

Harry too was surprised that it worked. He came across this spell and thought that it would be cool to have it in his arsenal of spells. All the time spent training on it had come to fruition. At the beginning he was only able to conjure small animals from water but with time he could go for bigger ones. Watching this brought hope in to the hearts of the people fighting in the light side. 'Maybe they can finally win this war' they thought. But, on the other hand the Death Eaters were terrified that this young boy was able match the prowess of the Dark lord who was in his prime.

"Foolish boy… You think that you can match the power of Lord Voldemort? I'm going to crush you like the bug you are under my heel. Prepare to face death!" screamed Voldermort.

He then pointed his wand at Harry with the tip of it glowing an eerie green. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry blocked it by conjuring up a metal slab. The only effective shield against the killing curse was a physical one and conjuring one thick enough to withstand the onslaught of the curse was not possible for the average wizard and that was why the killing curse was not easily countered. And, doing so during a full-scale battle took a high level of concentration and skill.

As Harry was about to banish it towards Voldemort, he was forced to flip the shield upwards to counter the spikes that his opponent conjured above him.

Just as he jumped to the side, another beam of green light struck Harry before he could block it and he fell to the ground. The Order and the ones fighting for the light-side saw their hearts and hope shatter when they saw Harry fall to his death. Voldemort too fell to his knees after the backlash, not expecting it to take too much out of him.

"My Lord! Are you alright?" asked Augustus Rockwood.

"Yes I am..." said Voldemort, while his breath rasped in his throat showing that he was anything but okay.

….

Harry opened his bleary eyes and saw that he was in a place that was pure white in colour and he couldn't recognize where he was Yes, it was kind of familiar but the purity and the blinding whiteness was just otherworldly.

"Guess this is the afterlife. I failed! I failed!" said Harry to himself, with growing horror.

"No, you are not dead, yet." said a gravelly voice.

Harry turned around to see a huge clocked figure who was so terrifying that Dementors looked like bunnies compared to it. The likeness to the Dementors were uncanny but this figure was much scarier in comparison. There was no face beneath the hood except a dark void. It had long claw like fingers and it floated just above the ground. The two huge wings that were pitch black and sharp looking that was flapping in a calm manner.

"Who are you?", asked a terrified Harry.

"As you may have guessed. I am, Death" said the entity, with a voice that felt like it was grating in his ears.

"You are not dead, yet. You are merely in a plane between life and death. Look over there" it said. Pointing a long bony claw like finger towards a disgusting baby like monster curled up on the ground.

Walking towards it, Harry saw that it was Voldemort with his snake like features but it reminded him of Voldemort at the grave yard before his resurrection.

"I was a horcrux, too?" asked a shocked Harry.

"Yes, the day that Voldemort tried to kill you all those years ago. He unconsciously created a horcrux and the severed part of his soul attached itself to the only living being in that room"

"Does that mean that I am not dead?"

"Yes, that's what I was implying from the beginning. You can go back to the world of living, but all I ask of you in return is to kill the abomination who tried to cheat me"

"Thank you. I will do my best"

"I have an offer for you, Harry. I will come to you with it after the war is over and the world had settled down," said Death.

Harry felt his eyes close on its own accord and he was gaining his conscious in the land of living again. Though he couldn't understand what Death meant, it was not the time to keep mulling over it. He had a job to complete now.

Slowly standing up to look around, he saw that the Death Eaters were looking at Voldemort who was on his knees catching his breath and the ones on the light side looked like they had already lost everything.

Harry looked around at the destruction and the mayhem that the duel between them has caused. The death that had followed all because of a prophecy. There was loss of lives on both sides but the defeated looks in the eyes of the ones fighting for the right cause was what was heartbreaking. These people wanted a future and some of them aren't here to see it through.

"Today is not my day, Tom. Today is the day that you are going to take a permanent trip to meet Death," said Harry.

Voldemort was shocked to see that this boy survived not one, but two killing curses and fear gripped his heart for the first time in his life. The people all around were surprised to see this boy get hit by a killing curse and still stand up to face the worst Dark Lord in history, which impressed everyone around with the bravery and strength that Harry was showing.

He pointed his wand at Voldemort who was looking at this green-eyed menace in shock just like everyone in the battle field. Harry sent a spell towards Voldemort that was a pulsing ball of black smoke. Not recognizing the spell, he used Rockwood as a shield and sprang away. The spectators looked on in horror as black flames enveloped his body and the skin began decaying and melt down like it was attacked by acid. The disregard in which he ignored his dying follower showed just how much of empathy this monster lacked.

Voldemort's eyes went wide when he saw Harry using a dark curse and he smiled at his enemy. Deflecting the next curse, he sent out a blast of wave outwards which put a halt on all the other fights around them. No one moved a muscle looking towards the main ones in the middle of it all.

"Well… Well… Well… It seems that Dumbledore's golden boy is not so golden after all. Dark curses huh? I'm impressed"

Harry was afraid to look at the faces of his friends in fear of seeing their reactions but he steeled himself and spoke with confidence at Voldemort.

"There is no such thing as light or dark magic. It is the intent of the user that makes it light or dark." Voldemort nodded, agreeing with him which bewildered Harry.

"You speak the truth, Potter. I miscalculated; it seems that there is more to you than you show. I want to offer you the same thing that I offered you all those years ago. Join me and we can rule the world together or prepare to die!" said Voldemort and the crowd was stunned to silence.

"I will never join a monster like you. You killed my parents, my friends and so many innocents. You think I would join you, Tom? NEVER!" screamed Harry in defiance.

A furious Voldemort then started sending a volley of curses towards Harry who began to spin and weave between the spells like it was some sort of a magical dance. He remembered Flitwick teaching him that dodging whenever possible instead of blocking was better as that saved his energy. The atmosphere was crackling with the magic pouring out of both the powerful wizards and the duel heated up. It was a duel that would go down history as one of the greatest along with the likes of the one between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

As soon as Harry found an opening in Voldemort's defense, he conjured up a whip made of black flames which curled around Voldemort's neck and brought him to his knees with a pull and bound him before Voldemort could raise a spell. The inner circle Death Eaters started to move in towards them, but Harry struck his wand into the ground. It sunk in to the earth like it was made of soft butter and then a huge dome of shield rose up from the ground covering a few metre radius around them which clearly blocked the entry of others.

"You are a surprise, Potter," said Voldemort and he felt fear looking at this young boy holding him at wand point.

Outside the dome this turn of events caused the light-side to fight with new found vigor and they were able to capture almost all of the Death Eaters while a few managed to escape knowing that the tide has turned against them. Twirling the Yew and phoenix feathered wand in his hand which he took with an expelliarmus. Harry thought only for a second before snapping it.

"NOOOOOOO! YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT BOY. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU," screamed Voldemort.

Harry looked around and saw that Neville had the sword of Gryffindor from which he killed Nagini. Smiling while thinking that this would be a fitting end to Voldemort.

"Neville! Throw me the sword."

Catching the sword of Gryffindor, he admired the beauty of it before pointing it at Voldemort's neck.

"Send Death my regards, Tom" whispered Harry as he plunged the sword through the neck of Voldemort and saw the light leave Voldemort's eyes.

- End of Flashback -

Harry had to attend so many ceremonies held in his honour to celebrate the end of the war during the past few months. Though the war was won, Harry still felt the loss of his friends and family deeply that he couldn't even find enough happiness to celebrate the victory. Harry, Ron and Hermione were awarded the Order of Merlin 1st class and the other honorary awards too for the role they played in ending the war.

Professor McGonagall became the Headmistress of Hogwarts, succeeding Dumbledore and brought forth a good guidance to the school. She knew how much Hogwarts meant for Harry and therefore gave him permission to enter the castle at any time by keying him into the wards. That's where Harry always spent his free time when he wanted some peace. He came and sat beneath the huge lone tree beside the lake and just looked at the castle from afar. He was now working on his Animagus form which seems to be taking the shape of a wolf, if his guess was right. As for now, he was only able to transform his hand in to a paw.

It was during a moment of peace like this, Harry felt time stand still. The leaf that was falling before him stood still in mid-air, the ripples in the lake stopped mid movement and all sounds ceased to exist. There standing near him was Death but Harry didn't feel the fear as the last time.

Rather calmly, Harry asked, "Is it my time?"

"No. I have come with the offer that I mentioned last time we met," said Death with some humour in his voice, though Harry couldn't see the face of it.

"What kind of offer?"

"Before I tell you about my offer, I would like to ask you a question. What do you know about alternate dimensions?"

"I know about the muggle theories but I didn't believe that it exists. From your question, I can conclude that there are worlds same like ours but different in their own ways."

"Yes, you are perceptive, I see. I have come to offer you a chance at life – a second chance in life where you get to live the life you desire but I ask of you only a favour in return."

"What do you mean, a life I desire?"

"There is a world just as yours but it is vastly different from this one. It is as you can say, a younger version of your world. A world where Voldemort went to the house of Longbottom instead of the Potters' and Neville became the boy who lived"

Harry was elated when he understood the implications.

"Does that mean, my mum and dad are alive in that world?"

'Maybe I can get close to them' thought Harry to himself.

"Yes, they are alive but their son Harry won't make it too far in life. He is only ten now but his health is deteriorating and would end up dying."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. That another version of him who is still a little kid is going to have an early death.

"Therefore, I am going to give you a chance to go in to the body of the Harry in that universe after I take his soul. Make sure to do what you are good at, kill Voldemort"

"So, you want me to take the place of that Harry and help Neville kill Voldemort? A world where I have a family and I am not the boy who lived. I would love to, but May I ask - Why me?"

"I chose you, Harry because you had all three hallows of mine at one point but you didn't let the power to get inside your head. You resisted their allure and stayed level headed and I think you deserve it" said Death.

Then he pulled out the Elder wand, the resurrection stone and the invisibility cloak out of thin air.

"How?" asked a shocked Harry.

"I created them, Harry and therefore I can retrieve them at any time." said Death in an obvious manner.

"So, what does this mean for me? What should I do?"

"You will be going to that universe in time to start your first year in a few months and as a mean to end Voldemort I am going to give you the Elder wand to help you in your journey. You will get the cloak from your dad just as you did here and I know that you will come across the stone in your hunt for horcruxes. Make sure that all the fractured pieces of Voldemort's soul are sent to me. Expect an animal companion as a gift from me"

"Thank you for giving me a second chance at happiness"

"You have a day to prepare and get the closure you need. Tell your good byes but don't speak a word about my offer. Tomorrow is the Halloween night and I will come for you at this same place at midnight"

Death vanished and everything resumed back to normal. The leaf that was stopped midair fell, the ripples continued and the sounds of the surrounding restarted. It was like a play button was pressed around the world.

Harry went home lost in thought and happiness that he was going to meet his parents again. He went to Andromeda Tonks' house to say goodbye to little Teddy. Met up with Hermione and Ron, told them that he was so thankful to have them in his life. Met up with the Weasleys one last time before Harry went to Hogwarts for the night and sat under the tree waiting for his chance at a new life. He had written his last will where he distributed all his Potter fortune among his friends – Hermione, Ron and the Weasleys, His godson Teddy was left the most portion. He was wondering what might have been the cause of the young Harry's death. Sometime along the night, he fell asleep. And, that was how Death found him.

The next day the headlines in the daily prophet were as follows….

"THE SAVIOUR OF THE WIZARDING WORLD – HARRY POTTER WAS FOUND DEAD AT HOGWARTS"

Earlier this morning the Aurors were notified by Headmistress McGonagall that she found Harry Potter seeming to be asleep under the tree that he usually visits….

There seems to be no foul play involved but this mysterious death of our savior has put a damp in the spirits of the people….

It seems that this death was expected as Harry Potter had his last will and testament written which was found among his possessions at hand….