Chapter 2

Harrison Black

Banishment was a sour tasting word when backed with betrayal.

Harry Potter knew the bitterness well. He had gotten taste-testers of the latter throughout his years, mostly during his fifth year at Hogwarts, but those he found were bland compared to the time before his banishment. Apparently defeating a Dark Lord automatically meant the defeater would be taking their place. That was news to Harry but part of him felt as if he should have expected that notion to some degree over the years. He had been purposely blinded to such things though. So-called friends and ones pretending to have his best interests made sure the years of manipulation were deeply rooted and veiled.

Of course all things have an end and Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World gone Mad Terrorist, was not exempt from that. He knew better than anyone that Death claimed all but his awareness did not prepare him for how his own would come along. If he had not been The Master of Death before the final, and quite literal back stabbing, the end of his soul's timeline would've really reached its permanent conclusion. So it was with a maddening irony that Harry Potter awoke in that grayscale station of platform 9 and 3/4th once more.

"You gotta be fucking shitting me…"

Harry's hands brushed along the smooth floor on either side himself before he pushed up into a sitting position. There was wind to ruffle dark strands of hair nor a scent to the air. He swiftly shut his eyes at a wave of sudden vertigo hitting his system. Blinking a few times Harry's eyes adjusted to the view of the train station dimly before glancing around in confusion. However before he could really do much of anything but take in the view a dark substance seeped into the place upon a bench right beside him. It continued to grow until a shadowy form was seated there in an ebony cloak that seemed to smoke off into the air along the edges of their form. The black form took on a human shape just before a hooded head turned in Harry's direction and spoke with a raspy voice.

"We meet again Master."

"Master?" Green eyes took in the unknown being with growing understanding. "...Death?"

"Indeed, little soul."

"So they really did it?" Harry brought his legs up a bit to rest crossed arms upon his knees. It was then a realization came upon him. He lifted his gaze back upon Death, brows furrowing in a mixture of confusion and distaste. "Why am I back here then? I don't have another soul within me anymore and I made sure I couldn't come back." Harry's tone of questioning began to leak suppressed rage. Anger that had built up over countless years and wrongs done against him. "Why the bloody fuck can't I just rest in peace like everyone else!?" Ironic I would try to find contented bliss at my death though.

Death was suddenly before them, dark skeletal hands of an ebony color cupping the distraught face of their young master, leaning closer. "Hush child. Sooner you realize the more you shall be attuned to the fact."

"To what?" Came the hissed reply.

"That my Master can not die."

Disbelief filled those green eyes staring into the shadowed darkness of where Death's eyes would've been. The expression shifted into a downward roll of multiple emotions and all of them of the negative nature. A scream suddenly tore through the area. A scream filled with frustration, despair, anger, sorrow and loss of the displacement type. Death's grip did not waver at the sudden influx of noise. It did however push its master back onto the floor as their body started to violently jerk. The being hissed in warning as it felt the soul still contained within their Master shake and start to crack. Without warning Death enclosed the space between them in a way similar to a Dementor's kiss as the entity drew out the soul and took it into itself. The body below them stopped moving for a moment but Death knew his Master was still there. Still alive. "Ease yourself, Master. You may not be able to die but your soul can be broken."

There was a lingering silence. "Surprised it hasn't already." Harry commented dryly as he remained motionless upon the textureless floor. "Why me, Death?" The entity did not respond even as green eyes reopened to look up at them. "After everything, why do I always end up alone?"

"The end is a path all must take alone."

"If I hadn't been alone from the start things would have ended up differently I bet. I wouldn't have been such a blinded, foolish, little twat for one."

There was a pause as Death took in its master. Their hair still had that watered down look, ragged clothes similar to what they had worn as a child were soaked yet dry to the touch. It knew how its Master had grown up, alone with none to really turn to, the manipulations of others performed on the child, the harshness of the child's own family ties among so many other things that seemed to multiply as age was gained. Death had not come across another of the living plain who had endured as much as his Master had; after all not many could give up their life and come back still fighting. "Would you wish for it if you were able?"

"Heh, if it were I'd do so many things differently. Save myself from a shitty upbringing for one and give those fuckers what they truly deserve." The words trailed off into a dry laugh that neither beings found humorous. "I honestly just want to die…"

"That is unfillable however the former is."

Green eyes were questioning but before their lips could've parted to inquire further blackness swarmed the empty pale gray train station like a smoke bomb.

The next time Harry opened his eyes he was blinded by bright colors forcing him to shut them quickly and blink a few times before trying again. There was a fire blazing in the nearing distance that was rather distracting from taking in his new surroundings. Quickly he righted himself onto his feet and tempted to dash toward the fire by pure instinct. Harry wasn't even sure why he was going toward the flames but it was too late to back track as he found his body already morphing into a billow of black smoke and shooting toward the burning building (A/N: Think of the time when Harry topples both him and Voldemort off Hogwarts castle in the final battle) .

It was a two story house with a blown open entrance, wavering frames, and sputtering lights. Everything was engulfed in flames. Over the roar and creaks of the house's demise Harry could hear the screams of people. He backed up with a heavy stumble only to jerk forward and spin on his heel in surprise when he felt something at his back. Death stood behind him. The entity's own smoke-like vapors joined in with the toxic smoke surrounding the house giving Death a more bigger form than previously seen. Harry could see their bone fang teeth shift into a sharp smile as flesh began to cover the exposed bone.

"Welcome home, Master."

"What is this?"

"The best way to redo history is at the beginning."

A harsh eruption took place within the house, leveling most of its foundations to the ground. The force of the blast would have shoved Harry to the ground if it hadn't been for Death standing behind him. How something seemingly made similar to that of an average human being could withstand such a gust was beyond him; then again humans weren't ever to know the depths of an otherworldly being. Opening his eyes, Harry found himself no longer outside the safety of the fire but within the bowels; a bedroom to be more exact. He could quickly tell this room had not been as heavily consumed as some areas in the room were only touched by the glow of the fire's hues. Which was odd. Then he realized it was proactive magic. This was a magic family's home.

"What just-"

Harry's confusion was cut short as the sound of something moving caught his attention. His eyes snapped in the direction of the bed. A small form was crawling out from underneath, their body singed, bloodied, and not looking as worse as Harry had expected. The child was crying softly between pained noises as they got their body out from the crumbled framing. They seemed to be about 10 years of age if Harry had to guess. He looked from the boy who seemed unaware of his presence to Death and back again in confusion.

As if sensing their Master's questioning gaze Death lowered their head level to Harry's ear. "The boy before you is destined to die here." Death's newly flesh covered hands grasp the other's shoulders and pressed forward until the two of them stood just beside the boy. "This shall be the new host of your soul, Master."

"Who is he?"

"The son of the disowned squib, Marius Black"

"Black?" Harry echoed with surprise.

"Indeed."

Harry wasn't sure why but the previous urge to assist in the danger was completely gone. Part of him wondered if it was a burst of the last gathered remains of his ability to genuinely give a damn acting up as he felt nothing when looking at the wounded child now. Their small satire, frail frame, and clear tears doing nothing to move his true emotions into action. Instead his mind replayed Death's comment of this boy being his new body. "Do I have to take the kid's body? He's pretty scrawny and I put a lot of work into growing my body and core." Harry didn't care if his words sounded harsh. The child clearly was deaf and blind to their presence. "Not to mention the rituals I've performed on myself for protection."

"All of those will be transferred to the boy's body. However the growth and strength of the body shall depend on you." Death explained not feeling any type of way toward its master's disregard for life. The entity had been watching. It saw the moment its master ability to care for humanity started to become sour and fade.

"Alright."

"Then let us begin."

A/N:

Fucking short- but is what it is. Ya'll get the point.

Posting chapter 3 (2.5 really) tomorrow cause I'm hella nice.