Chapter Text
Harry walks with a nervous flutter towards the gargoyle statue that will give him entrance to the Headmasters office. Dumbledore had told him that he wanted to give Harry private lessons. And Harry jumped at the opportunity. Wanting nothing more than to end what already seems like an endless war.
When Dumbledore came to get him in the summer, he knew something was wrong with the Headmaster. He could feel it in his bones. Of course, he also saw the blackened hand, but it was something more, and he knew that for sure.
Dumbledore has been hiding things from him since the moment his parents died. Harry isn't stupid, but he respects the man still a little. He did give him a home away from the Dursleys, even if he needs to return every freaking summer.
But Harry has been talking more and more with Hermione about some stuff that just didn't was adding up. Why didn't Dumbledore used his powers as Supreme Mugwump or Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot to release an innocent man from Azkaban? Sure with his influence, he could've helped Sirius when he found out about his innocence? Why would he let two thirteen-year-olds save the man with a Hippogriff?
Or why needed Harry to return to the Dursleys every summer? For some blood wards? If Harry and Hermione were correct, blood wards were illegal. Why did the leader of the light use Dark magic? And why did Harry still needed to return after his fourth year? Voldemort used Harry's blood to be resurrected. He literally has the same blood in his system. But when Harry told Dumbledore exactly that, he waved his worries away.
And why didn't he ever try to check up on Harry when Harry was at his Muggle relatives, relatives that didn't want him and locked him in a cupboard and starved him so many times.
Why didn't Dumbledore pull him out of the Triwizard tournament? As his official magical guardian, Dumbledore had the possibility. Unfortunately, Harry only figured that out in his fifth year.
So Harry is doubting the man but is reluctant to let go of all of the respect. There should be a reason for all of it, shouldn't it? Maybe he gets to know why all of this happened after the 'lessons' Dumbledore wants to give him.
''Chocolate frogs,'' He says, and the statue springs aside. Harry quickly makes his way up and knocks on the still-closed door.
''Come in!'' Dumbledore's voice travels through the door, and the door opens without Harry even touching it.
''You wanted to see me, sir?'' Harry asks while his eyes dart around the room. The last time he was here, he completely destroyed the room because of that dammed prophecy and because Sirius just died. His emotions weren't under control. Something he has been working on, Snape may have been teaching Harry Occlumency, but Harry now knows he went about it all wrong, only trying to hurt Harry in the process. It makes Harry dislike his Potion's professor, even more. And he loathes it that the dungeon bat has now become his teacher in his favorite subject.
''Yes, my boy, please have a seat. Lemon drop?'' Dumbledore says, but Harry notices that the smile and the twinkle in his eye are strained.
Harry sits down but declines the Lemon drop. He really doesn't like how they make him feel. He always feels a little nudge in his mind after eating them.
Dumbledore is silent for a moment, eyeing Harry up. Harry tries his best not to squirm under the Headmasters gaze.
Finally, Dumbledore sighs, and it sounds like he is grieving. So sad is the sigh. Dumbledore leans forwards in his chair and sets his elbows on his desk while putting his hands together. After a moment, he rests his hands to his forehead as in prayer. It only lasts a couple of seconds, but when he pulls his hands away, he looks wrecked.
''Harry, I'm afraid I made a couple of mistakes that can't be excused.''
Harry is taken aback by the revelation. He crosses his arms, feeling uncomfortable by the admission from the man.
''Sir?''
Dumbledore holds up a hand, asking for silence and no interruption. Harry is a little ticked off by the gesture but nods his head in acceptance.
''Harry, I'm afraid I've done you no justice with holding back the truth. And- and I have reasons to now finally tell you, otherwise, the defeat of Voldemort will be a mere pipedream.''
Harry turned rigid. What did Dumbledore mean? Was it even possible to stop Voldemort? Or is something already messing with the plans Dumbledore wanted Harry to fulfill? Didn't the prophecy talk about Harry? That Harry was the one to vanquish him? That's the reason for these lessons, at least, that's what Harry was thinking.
Dumbledore started talking again, pulling Harry out of his head.
''You already know that Voldemort wasn't always Voldemort. He was at a time just a boy with big dreams.'' Dumbledore seems lost in his thoughts for a moment, and Harry really wants to know more about why Dumbledore is acting like this.
''Tom Riddle. I know, sir.''
Dumbledore gave Harry a small smile before he turned serious again.
''Indeed, my boy-'' Harry cringed at the name, like he always did, he never came over the fact that until he was eight, he was only called boy or freak. ''-Tom Riddle, when he was younger he was a charming young man, someone that could've been Minister without breaking a sweat, he had an entourage when he was still at school, people who hanged on his lips with every word he spoke. But you probably already knew this from the diary you destroyed back in your second year.''
Dumbledore gives him one of those looks, the look that has Harry squirming and looking away with a blush on his cheeks. Tom Riddle in the diary had been charming, and Harry had believed everything he had said. He even doubted Hagrid because of it. Yes, Harry knew how manipulative Tom could be, and Harry knew that Tom was a real good-looking guy when he was still at school. How he turned into his snake version is a mystery to Harry.
''I know, sir. But sir, why are you telling me this?'' Harry asked, genuinely confused.
''Because, my boy-'' Again, a cringe from Harry, but Dumbledore chooses to ignore it. ''-to save the wizarding world in the future, we should look into the past of our enemy. And Tom, Voldemort, is our enemy. I'm afraid I've done him wrong when he was younger.'' Harry looks at Dumbledore incredulous, and Dumbledore waves Harry over to his pensive.
When they descend into the memory, Harry sees a young boy, his brown hair neatly combed and very intelligent blue eyes watching a younger Dumbledore warily. He is wearing dirty and rugged clothing, and Harry feels a pang of sympathy for the boy.
The boy is hostile and, at first, thinks Dumbledore is there to whisk him away to a psychiatric institution. When Dumbledore sets fire to the wardrobe, Harry startles and, okay, stealing is wrong, but what the actual hell? The boy is eleven with nothing in the world and nothing to his name, and Dumbledore sets fire to it? And then the face Dumbledore makes when Tom tells him he talks to snakes makes Harry's blood boil. Was this how Dumbledore also thought of him when he found out Harry was a Parseltongue? Did he only treat Harry differently because he needed him because of the prophecy? Probably, thinks Harry with a sneer.
What could've happened if Dumbledore had treated Volde-no, Tom, different from the first moment? Instead of seeing a danger, he could've helped and guided him. Maybe all of this could've been prevented. Harry remembered the memory Tom showed him in his second year, and yes, Tom used it to manipulate Harry, but Harry could see now that the scenes with Dumbledore weren't lies. The man really acted differently around Tom.
Harry is out of the memory the next moment, and he is seething silently, he can't believe he actually feels compassion for the monster that killed his parent, but that's just it. In the memory, he wasn't a monster yet, but just a boy. And Harry feels sorry for the boy that turned into the monster.
''Why-Wha-How could you do that to an eleven-year-old boy? I thought you did your worst with me, leaving me with magic hating Muggles for eleven years, but treating a mere boy like a monster from the moment you met, while the boy was clearly alone all his life. He grew up in the middle of a war in an orphanage where everybody thought he was the devil.'' Harry seethed. He rubbed his hands through his unruly hair and was pacing Dumbledore's office. The man himself was seated behind his desk again, studying his blackened hand.
Harry could feel his magic slash around him wildly, but thankfully he didn't destroy anything now. He needed to calm down, and yes, it was clear that Tom wasn't a good boy even when younger, but still, Harry didn't think he even got the chance. He knows how freakish his own magic was, how the Dursleys reacted to that. He swallows back bile when he thinks about how people should've reacted if it was the thirties in the middle of a war. O Godric , they've probably tried to exorcist Tom.
''Harry, you almost grew up in the same way, just like you said, you've grown up with magic hating Muggles, Tom did the same, how you ended up and how he ended up is very-''
''Don't even dare .'' Harry snaps before taking a deep breath. Oh, he knows how he could've been. Harry knows he has had dark thoughts, and he knows he isn't exactly a postcard 'light' wizard. He just got lucky with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't want to think how he would've ended up without them.
''Don't come up with excuses, I saw how you treated him, and I know how you treated me. There is a big difference.''
Dumbledore nods in defeat. He knows that he has been wrong. That's what started this all, wasn't it?
''There is more,'' Dumbledore says softly.
''Why don't you just tell me? Why dance around the subject. What has happened that Voldemort could come back from the Death, and how can we stop him?'' Harry asks, completely exasperated by the man in front of him.
''You must understand, Harry, that it's very dark magic. I don't want to taint your soul.''
Harry hisses, feeling his rage rear its ugly head again. You could taste his magic in the air, and Harry almost imagined the tendrils swirling around him wildly. Dumbledore's eyes widened.
''I call bullshit . The darkest curse was thrown at me when I was a baby, I'm almost of age, and you should just fucking tell me what I need to know. And I mean really what I need to know, and not what you want me to know. I think it's time to trust me, to trust your weapon, because that's all I am, right? A soldier in this war, a weapon to end the Dark Lord, just a means to an end. The savior of the wizarding world, the boy who lived, the chosen one, and all that other rubbish!'' His magic is getting out of control while he talks, and Harry sees Dumbledore shrink into himself and feels a little vindicated for seeing a little fear in the man's eyes.
''Harry-''
'' Tell me! '' He bellows, and Dumbledore sighs, and his shoulders sag. It's a clear sign of giving in. And Harry relaxes a little. Surprised Dumbledore is finally giving in to him.
''Tom Riddle made something called Horcruxes. One of the vilest things in this world. It tethers a piece of your soul to an object. Which means that if you die, you have still part of your soul on this plane, you would be-''
''Immortal,'' Harry finishes with narrowed eyes, and Dumbledore nods.
''To create a Horcrux, you must kill, because this is a vile act on itself, it tears at your soul, with the right ritual you can rip that soul part out and merge it with an object. Voldemort did this multiple times. Before him, it wasn't heard of to do it more than one time.'' Dumbledore shudders, and Harry swallows back bile again. He knew Voldemort had killed multiple people, so that's not what surprises him, but that someone ripped his soul in multiple pieces is something Harry can't understand.
''How many?'' Harry asks after some time. He is sitting back in the chair, rubbing his hand over his mouth.
''I believe he created seven. But I'm not sure. Two have been destroyed, and another is in this room. Harry, every Horcrux needs to be destroyed. It is necessary for the greater good.'' Dumbledore says with trepidation, watching Harry closely.
Harry had turned rigid when Dumbledore said that one Horcrux was in this room, and he narrows his eyes.
''The diary was one of them?'' He asks because he needs to know.
Dumbledore nods in agreement. ''The second one was this ring. There were a lot of protections on the ring. It is the reason why my hand is in this state. I'm afraid that I'm not going to survive its curse.''
Harry sucks in a breath through his teeth. ''Sir. Can I do anything for you?''
''No, my boy, Severus is already brewing a potion, so the curse will remain in my hand.''
Harry nods before getting up and inspecting the ring. He feels drawn to it and picks it up without thinking about the consequences. He doesn't think that the curse is still active. Otherwise, Dumbledore would've stopped him.
His magic hums around the ring and Harry is looking at the stone in the ring, it doesn't seem like much, but it seems to send some kind of relief to Harry for picking it up. The stone is black and has a weird symbol etched into it. Harry frowns but keeps hold of the ring.
''You said another was in this room,'' Harry mumbles, still looking at the ring.
Dumbledore doesn't respond at first, and Harry looks back at the man. The man is watching Harry closely, almost with a greedy expression. ''Sir?''
Dumbledore startles and nods. He seems to think for a moment before looking up at Harry's scar. Harry blanches and takes a few steps back. He knows his face has paled.
''Sir, pl-please tell me that you're wrong,'' Harry whispers, horrified at the implications.
''Unfortunately, my boy, I'm not. Your scar-''
''So I need to die?'' Harry asks in a whisper. God, he can't have nice things, can he?
''Yes, and Voldemort needs the one to kill you.''
His magic can't be controlled, it lashes out, and in a small tornado, it tears through the office, Harry doesn't know it, but his eyes glow, his green eyes are lighting up like the curse that tried to kill him all those years ago.
''Harry - It's for the greater good.''
That made Harry snap.
''Hell no. I'm going to stop Voldemort, but if you think I'm going to stand there and wait until he kills me, you are wrong!'' Finally, he sees what Dumbledore was leading to. He has raised Harry like a lamb to the slaughter.
''But my boy, please try to see reason-''
''NO! I deserve to live! Just like anyone else, and you're telling me just to lay down and get killed. Well, fuck you! You have no right to ask this of me!'' Harry snarls. He sees Dumbledore eyeing him with fear, and he sees Dumbledore reach for his wand, but Harry is done, done with being played and manipulated.
''I need you to calm down, Harry,'' Dumbledore tries, but Harry isn't going to listen to him, not anymore.
Harry's magic is still swirling madly through the office, and Harry snarls at Dumbledore.
''Calm down? Calm down? How the fuck can I calm down if I just found out I need to die? Huh!? Would you take that lying down?'' He demands of the old man, but Dumbledore doesn't respond.
Then Dumbledore did something he will regret for the rest of his life, he raised his wand at Harry and fires a stunner.
Harry's magic formed a powerful shield, and with just a wave of Harry's hand, Dumbledore's wand flies out of his hand straight into Harry's.
Harry and Dumbledore both gasp, and Harry's magic settled down. A lot of objects that were flying through the room crash to the floor and some of the old headmasters that had fled their portraits shuffled back in, too curious about what was happening.
''You raised your wand at a student?!''
''Dumbledore, how could you!''
''Harry, are you alright?''
Questions came from all of the portraits, and Harry was startled when he saw who asked him if he was alright. Phineas Nigellus Black, Harry knew he was one of Sirius's ancestors. He remembered how he had reacted when Sirius died.
Harry nodded slowly at Phineas, and the man seemed relieved before turning a furious glare at Dumbledore.
''How dare you raise your wand at an heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black!'' He snarls at the Headmaster, who was staring dumbly at Harry's hand with his wand in it.
Dumbledore ignores the enraged former headmasters and steps up towards Harry, who quickly retreated a couple of steps.
''Harry-Harry, please, give me back my wand.'' The Headmaster pleads with him.
Cries of outrage sound from the portraits, and Harry knows one thing for sure, he was never giving this wand back to Dumbledore. Something just clicked when Harry was holding the wand, it belonged to him, and Harry knew that for sure.
Suddenly he feels something settle on his shoulders, and he looks around wildly before seeing that it is his invisibility cloak. The ring he was still holding his hand appeared suddenly on his ring finger, and Harry sucks in a deep breath. It was as if he just came up for air for the first time in his life.
''He will do no such thing.'' A voice booms through the office, making Dumbledore and Harry jump.
A large figure appears next to Harry and looks with disdain at the Headmaster before looking with a soft expression at Harry and kneeling in front of Harry. Harry's eyes widen. The man looks like Sirius one moment before shifting in an older version of Harry- wait, no, the eyes weren't right, they were hazel instead of green. The longer Harry is looking at the man, the more the man shifts in appearance. And Harry just knows deep in himself that this is a man of true power. Which kind is not something he knows.
''Who-who are you?'' Harry asks with curiosity.
''I'm the one with many names. I'm the one that everybody fears, everyone but one.''
Harry can't help the small uptick in his mouth and bites down on his bottom lip.
''That doesn't answer my question.'' Harry snarks with a raised eyebrow. Harry could hear Dumbledore gasp and whimper, but Harry decided to ignore it.
The kneeling man seems amused by Harry and bows his head before answering.
''Some call me the Grim reaper, but the most used and simple name is Death, Master.''
Harry swallowed, but for some reason, he didn't feel threatened by the deity. Death chuckles and rises from his knees again.
''Why did you call me Master?'' Harry asks when he thinks a little about it.
''Because that's what you are. You, Harry James Potter, are the first one to hold all of my hallows and be accepted by them as their Master, and in extension, have become my Master.''
''Master of Death?'' Harry whispers in awe, this-this was unexpected, but his magic is humming in agreement with the statement. This, this is what he was, what he always was meant to be.
Death bows his head again at Harry, and Harry smiles at the man.
''No, no, Gellert was right, no, the boy is too young, you can't give him these powers!'' Dumbledore starts in a whisper but ends in a shout. Death turns to the Headmaster with a grimace.
''My Master already had the powers, Albus, always had, and always will. He is the only one who ever shall wield them. He is the chosen one for this responsibility.'' Death tells them in no uncertain terms. Harry grimaces at another bloody title. Was that ever going to end?
Dumbledore pales further and backs away from the deity. Harry can't help but chuckle at the sight, the oh so mighty Albus Dumbledore, afraid and shaking in his boots.
Harry looks at the deity again, who is still glowering at Dumbledore.
''Why are you here, Death?'' Harry finally asked when he's a little afraid that Dumbledore is about to wet his robes. That was a sight Harry really didn't have to see.
Death turns back to Harry and gives Harry a smile again.
''I came here to congratulate you for becoming my Master, and to give you an option for the-'' Here he glares at Dumbledore again. ''- problems that have been caused by multiple people.''
''Problems? You mean Voldemort?'' Harry asks curiously.
''Indeed, Master. Voldemort should've died that night long ago when he tried to kill you, but he didn't. That was an insult to me, and I take those very seriously.''
''He didn't die because of the Horcruxes,'' Harry states while rubbing his head - his cursed scar apparently.
''Correct, but as I told you, I also came here to give you an option. Something you wouldn't have had if it had been up to the old coot.'' Death explains with a snarl aimed at Dumbledore, who is still looking with terror at the deity. Harry snorts, and so did a couple of portraits. Some sounded shaky, and when Harry glanced at them, he saw multiple empty, but Phineas Black was looking with wide eyes filled with awe at the deity and Harry.
''Alright, what are the options you want to give me,'' Harry said, readying himself and crossing his arms. He pulled on his Gryfindor courage to pull through all of this. He was a little shaken from the deity in front of him and a lot from being called Master by the powerful creature.
''The first one will be to continue the way this timeline wanted to go. With you destroying all of the Horcruxes and dying at the hands of Voldemort-'' Death raised his hands when Harry wanted to protest, and Harry took a deep breath to calm himself down. ''-because you're my Master, you won't die, you simply would come back, but Voldemort's soul piece will be destroyed, and you have the opportunity to kill him once and for all.''
Harry nodded, he really didn't want to die, but he could understand that the soul piece in his head needed to go. And if he came back- oh bloody hell, he was immortal.
''I'm immortal? Can't I ever die?'' Harry squeaked before clearing his throat and blushing from the fact that his throat betrayed him like that.
''You can, when you wish to, but unless you wish it, you will be immortal.'' Death tells him like it wasn't a big deal.
Harry let out a relieved breath. He could work with that. But he still didn't like the first option. He was still expected to kill Voldemort. He grimaces at that thought. ''What is option two?''
At this, Death smiled fully at Harry. ''The second option would be to travel back in time, and to make sure nothing of this war ever happened.''
Harry gasps in shock and immediately knew that he wanted to do that. What if his parents never died? Sirius? And so many other people!
Death's smile turned sad, ''Master, you should understand fully what it means. To travel back in time, you would become someone else, and you will never be the Harry you're now, and you will never be able to come back to this timeline. You won't grow up with your parents. You will never become friends with Hermione and Ron. That dream will be for another Harry.'' Death explains to him with true sadness and understanding. Harry is sure that if he chooses the first option Death won't think any less of him.
Harry swallows harshly and looks away out of the window. He thinks about it hard, and he knew that he still would sacrifice everything. Why did it need to be him that lost everything? Why could Harry never have nice things? Why did he need to suffer through all of this?
A hand cups his cheek, and Death softly brushed the tears away that rolled over Harry's face, Harry hadn't even known he was crying. Harry turns into the touch and sniffs. He already knows what he will choose. If another Harry could grow up with his parents, have a full and happy life, then this Harry would make it possible. And Harry knew that Death also knew what Harry would choose.
''It will be okay, Master. You will live a happy and fulfilled life. The start is just hard and not without obstacles.'' Death told him in a soft voice, and Harry nods.
''What do I need to do?'' Harry asks when he finds his courage again.
''NO! Harry! You can't! We need you here!''
Harry turns with a glare aimed at the Headmaster. All of the little respect he had for the man has vanished the last hour he had been here.
''You can't tell me what to do. I'm going to help everyone. Can't you see?''
''But Harry- my wand -''
''It's mine now,'' Harry said with a finality that makes Phineas Black cheer in his portrait. Dumbledore sits back in his chair, his face full of remorse and guilt, but Harry doesn't care anymore. Dumbledore told him that Tom Riddle had been manipulative, but Dumbledore had been the same. He only wanted Harry to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Well, fuck that. Harry is going to go his own way.
''Master, you need to get ready.''
Harry rubs his sweaty hands against his robes before looking determined at Death. ''Do I get to say goodbye?'' He asks Death.
Death pulls him forward until he was right in front of him and brushes Harry's hair away from his face. Looking at the scar with the Horcrux, Death finally answered.
''They will not remember you, but I will take care of you, you will see them again, eventually,''
Harry wants to protest, wants to say goodbye to his best friends, but he knew Death was right. He swallows heavily and smiles when Fawkes gave a mournful song, how fitting.
''Okay, I'm ready,'' Harry states, and Death leans forward before kissing Harry on his forehead. Harry leans into the touch, lets it ground him, and he likes to believe it feels like his father or Sirius's touch.
The world starts spinning wildly around him just as it had when Hermione had turned her time turner in their third year. Only it went on for far longer. What is to be expected if Harry was going back in time, he suddenly is afraid of where he is going to end up. He wants to ask Death, but for some reason, he can't find the words.
When the world finally stopped spinning, Harry bents down braced his hands on his knees, and pants for a moment.
''That-that was intense.'' He says between breaths. Death chuckles and strokes Harry's back until he felt better. When he looks up, Harry was shocked to see that they were in Diagon Alley.
''What-''
''You need to be a different person, Master. At Gringotts, we can secure this.''
''You do your business at Gringotts?'' Harry asks incredulously, only making Death chuckle.
That seems somewhat logical, so Harry simply nods, and they start walking. It didn't take Harry long to figure out that they were in a different time. He sees some shops he didn't recognize while he knew Diagon Alley pretty well after his stint of running away in his third year. The other obvious thing were the clothes everyone was wearing. Now, wizards always seemed to be stuck in the middle ages, but the robes definitely looked different than before.
''Did you figure out at what time we are?'' Death asks, sounding amused. Harry grumbles a bit before replying. ''A lot of years ago, but which year it is exactly, I have no idea.''
''It's the year 1943. It's the middle of the second world war and the magical war against Gellert Grindelwald.''
Harry was startled. Well, that was unexpected. ''Why did we go back so far?'' Harry asks curiously.
''Because you can save a lot of people by being here. You're the savior of the magical world, that didn't change, no matter which time you're in.'' Death simply replies to much dismay of Harry.
''Bloody hell, I hoped to get rid of that pesky thing.'' Harry tries to joke with a grimace. Death chuckles again and opens the door towards Gringotts for Harry. Harry bows his head in thanks and enters the bank. Death walks with confidence towards the head goblin, and Harry follows like a lost duckling. Feeling like one too..
''Goodday, Master goblin, may your gold ever flow.'' Death says smoothly.
''And may your enemies drown in their blood.'' The goblin replies with a grin or a grimace. Harry really wasn't sure.
''We have an appointment with Bogrod, please tell him, Death has arrived.''
If the goblin was surprised by hearing Death has arrived, he didn't let it show. Peculiar beings those goblins, Harry thought to himself.
''Please, follow me,'' The goblin simply responded and guided them towards a chamber with two seats in front of a big desk filled with golden knickknacks.
''Master, if you ever need to conclude business with goblins, always show respect. They will do so much more for you in that case.'' Death whispered at Harry. Harry nodded and thought back. He thought he always did treat them with respect, but he will do even more in the future.
It didn't take long for the door to open again. Another goblin entered the room and gave Harry and Death a short bow with his head before he took his seat behind the desk and clasped his hands together.
Another greeting was said, and Harry followed Death's instructions and made a greeting of his own to the goblin. This seemed to please the goblin a lot, so Harry knew he did the right thing.
''What can I do for you, gentlemen?'' The goblin asked.
''We need a new identity for my Master.'' Death simply said. The goblin, Bogrod, nodded and pulled out a black piece of parchment and a knife.
He then instructed what Harry needed to do. ''Please give three drops of blood. You can put them on the dotted line on the parchment.''
Harry did as told, and when the third drop had fallen, letters started to appear on the parchment.
Harry saw his entire family history appear on the parchment and was awed by it. After a couple of minutes, Harry's own name appeared and everything below it became blurry.
''What will the new identity be,'' The goblin asked, non-plussed that Harry was from the future according to his birthdate.
Death leans forward, and so did Harry. Death gave Harry a big smile when he saw one of his ancestors. Ignatius Peverell. Harry just shrugged, not knowing who it was.
''He was the first one to hold the cloak, and because you already are a descendant of him, it will do nicely as your new name.'' Death said when he saw that Harry had read the name and was looking at him curiously.
''So, Harry Peverell?'' Harry asks. He really wanted to keep his first name at least, something to hold on to and to remember his past by.
Death nods and instructed the goblin, who pulled out his wand and waved it over the document. Names started to change, and Harry was following it until it came back to his own name. His birthdate changed to 31 July 1927, his parents' names changed. Thankfully they only changed their last names.
And so, Harry James Peverell was now official in the magical world.
''Lord Death, Mister Peverell, has a right to the Peverell lordship. Do you wish to let him have this?''
Death smirks at the goblin's words, and Harry couldn't help but smirk back. A lordship could certainly work to their advantage.
''Master?'' Death asked Harry, and Harry nodded.
''Yes, I will take the lordship.''
The goblin waved his wand and a box came flying into the room and settled in front of Harry. ''When you put on the ring, you are official Lord Peverell.''
Harry nodded and pulled the ring out and put it on his right ring finger. It was a little weird because he never wore any jewelry and now suddenly two rings.
''If you wish, you could wear the stone around your neck instead of the ring.'' Death said as if he knew what bothered Harry.
''I would like that. How do I do that?''
Before Death could tell him, the ring shifted, and Harry was holding a chain with the stone in it. He smiled and put it on.
''Great, so what's next?'' Harry asked Death and the goblin.
''Getting funds and your stuff for your sixth year. Then you can check into a hotel before going to Hogwarts tomorrow.''
Harry grimaced but nodded. Getting funds was easy, he was Lord Peverell now, and apparently, he had inherited a big vault with a lot of books and gold. Then Death took him shopping as if Harry's life wasn't already strange enough.
When they were finally finished, Harry was glad and a little giddy for going to Hogwarts the next day, they had been in the second month of term when he left his original timeline, and Harry knew that things would be very different coming tomorrow.
Together with Death, they had come up with a good background story, and thankfully with his Master of Death powers, he was immune to Legimency attacks. Nobody could attack him, not even in his sleep, so he was safe from Dumbledore and, more importantly, Tom Riddle.
Death had told him what Harry could do to change everything for the better, and Harry had agreed to the plan.
Tomorrow at the welcoming feast, Tom Riddle wouldn't know what had hit him.
Tom sat in the Great Hall, waiting for the small firsties to come into the hall and be sorted. He was looking around him with a bored expression, but that didn't mean that he wasn't paying attention. Around him, his knights, his followers, were seated with him in the middle.
He felt invincible. He knew people were jealous, envious of him, but he just was that much better than everyone else, and there was nothing they could do about it he thought a little smugly. Finally, the first years streamed in, looking around in wonder, and Tom sneered a little at them. He had never been full of wonder, or at least, never showed it.
An elbow softly poked him in the side, and he threw a glare at Abraxas Malfoy that was seated on his right hand. The blonde wizard had the gal to smile in response, and Tom rolled his eyes.
He knew he needed to appear charming and quickly plastered a convincing smile on his face. The firsties were soon all sorted, and Tom listened only half to the names and clapped when a new kid was sorted into Slytherin. House pride was something he would never fake, but that was because he was the heir of Slytherin.
He averted his eyes from the front of the hall when the last name had been called, and the hat had screamed ''Hufflepuff!''
Finally, they would be able to eat. He couldn't wait for when he could get out of the orphanage, his whole summer he hadn't eaten much, couldn't eat much, with the war above their heads the funds were low and almost dry.
Headmaster Dippet stood, and Tom thought he would just give his normal beginning of the year speech. But then Headmaster Dippet started telling them something else, something he had never heard of happening before, and Tom perked up curiously.
''Welcome back, students! Normally, we would now start with the welcoming feast, but we have one other student to sort before we can start. This is not a first-year, but a student that has lived in the United States and now has moved back to his roots. He will start in year six. Please welcome our new student, Harry James Peverell.'' Dippet stated, the doors of the Great Hall slammed open, and Tom's eyes focused on the boy that strode in.
Tom at first thought he wasn't anything special, yes the boy was good-looking, beautiful even, but surely nothing else? He walked to the front of the hall with confident strides, and Tom became more and more captivated.
The boy looked around the hall, and their eyes met. Tom almost gasped but could hold it in, a break of character he never gave into, the boy's eyes almost seemed to be glowing, Tom was frozen in those green eyes, and Tom could almost taste his magic, and it tasted so sweet it was addicting.
Peverell then did something Tom would've never expected. He winked at Tom! He winked! The bloody prat!
Before Tom could do anything, Peverell turned back to the front and settled on the stool. The hat was placed on his head. It took about a minute before the hat screamed the house the boy would go to.
''Better be Slytherin!''
Peverell jumped off the stool and gave the hat back to Dumbledore. Tom didn't know if he saw it right, but Peverell seemed to sneer at the man before quickly turning around and walking to the Slytherin table.
Tom didn't know what to do. For the first time in years, he didn't have a plan. He only knew that Harry James Peverell was going to be his.
The whole table seemed to be drawn to the boy like he was a shiny new toy, and Tom was a little ticked off about that, but he didn't worry, soon they would know that Peverell only belonged to Tom, and Tom would show him his place.
Peverell didn't stop at the first years but kept walking until he could join the sixth-year students, where he was soon settled between Orion Black and Julia Greengrass, Peverell smiled at them, and when the food appeared, he was soon drawn into a conversation that Tom couldn't hear, unfortunately.
''Abraxas, what do you know about the Peverell family,'' Tom asked his most trusted follower.
''To be honest, Tom, not much. I thought they had died out. They are an old family. According to rumors, their ancestors dabbled in Necromancy.''
Tom was even more intrigued to hear that. He hummed before responding. ''He should know that I'm a Prefect. He will need someone to show him around. We want him to feel welcome, am I clear.'' Tom said with enough volume so that his followers would hear. They all nodded, and Tom tore his eyes away from Peverell, feeling a little embarrassed that he had still been looking at the boy.
He resumed eating, but his thoughts never strayed far from the green-eyed wizard. Tom was pulled back to the wizard in question when Black and Greengrass, who were still talking with Peverell, started laughing hard at something Peverell had said.
Peverell seemed pleased and looked up. He immediately zoomed in on Tom and caught Tom watching him. But he only smirked this time. Tom quickly looked away and controlled his blush. Since when did Tom Marvolo Riddle blush?! This was not supposed to happen.
He quickly looked away when Rosier started talking to him and had never been so glad to lose eye contact. For some reason, Peverell seemed to enchant him, and that was something that just wouldn't do. Tom was the one that could enchant people with just a look and a smile. Not the other way around! Tom controlled himself the rest of the diner, thankfully, and wanted to leave the hall and go back to the Slytherin dorms as soon as possible, but just when he turned to leave, a soft tap was felt on his shoulder.
''Excuse me, I was told you're the sixth year Prefect and could show me around. Tom Riddle, right?'' A smooth voice sounded behind him, and Tom turned to look into green amused eyes. Up close, Peverell was even more beautiful.
Tom took a deep breath and gave Peverell his most disarming smile.
''That's correct, and you're the new sixth-year student, Harry Peverell, was it?''
Tom held out his hand, and Harry returned the gesture. As soon as they made contact, there was a current flowing through Tom stronger than he had ever felt, this-this wizard in front of him was very powerful, and something in Tom just screamed; MINE!
Harry also seemed stunned for a moment before shaking his head and smiling at Tom.
''Yes, that's me. So, could you show me to the dorms?''
''Of course, follow me, Harry,'' Tom purred before turning around to strut out of the Great Hall.
Oh Godric, Tom was even more attractive in real life. Harry shook himself. He had a mission, goddammit. At least Tom wasn't still looking at him like he was ready to eat Harry. Merlin, Tom watched him so intensely the whole time. Harry had not expected that at all.
Tom was talking to him while guiding him to the dorms, he had waved his 'friends' off to do something else in the meantime. Harry secretly felt a little special.
''..And you will have transfiguration over there. What are your favorite subjects, Harry?''
Harry repressed a shiver at Tom's use of his name. ''Defense against the Dark Arts, I'm especially good in the Patronus charm,'' Harry replied happily. Tom's smile gave a twitch before he seemed to shake himself out of it.
''Really? That's the one spell I haven't mastered yet. I assure you, I will master it eventually.''
Harry felt a pang of sadness flow through him. The only reason he could think of why Tom hasn't mastered the charm yet was that he doesn't have any happy memories, or at least, not happy enough.
''If you wish I could teach you, I have taught multiple students at my former school.''
Tom frowned, ''Why? They are only for banishing Dementors,''
Harry chuckled in response, and he could see that Tom didn't like it. Probably because he thought Harry was laughing at him.
''They're not only good for that, because of the intent in the spell you feel protected, it banishes Dementors, indeed, but what do Dementors do? They banish all your happy thoughts, they suck away your happiness, and a Patronus gives back the feeling you get from it. It's like you are bathing in a warm bath or seek comfort in a hug.''
The look on Tom's face was enough to throw Harry almost into a fit of laughter, so he quickly averted his gaze and scraped his throat.
''But, you can also send messages through them, so that's a very useful skill to have in some situations.''
At that, Tom perked up. Harry wasn't sure if he should teach Tom a communication skill he could abuse, but he was here to better a lot of lives, and the first one was Tom's.
''Really? I didn't know that, could you show me?'' Tom asks with a gleam in his eye.
''Sure-'' Harry pulls out his wand before softly uttering ''Expecto Patronus.''
He smiles when Prongs shoots out of his wand and gallops a bit before turning back to Harry and bumping their heads together. Then Prongs disappeared again.
''A corporeal Patronus? And-you-could you feel it? From all I've read, they're like ghosts. You can't touch them.'' Tom sounds like he's being strangled, and Harry turns to the other teen. He wasn't expecting Tom to be gaping at him.
''Yes, I could've since I was thirteen,'' Harry says with a shrug before walking again, feeling amused that he could stun the 'Dark Lord'.
Tom recovers quickly though and changes the subject, and soon they found themselves in the Slytherin common room.
Tom showed him the dorm rooms, and Harry saw that his suitcase was already seated at the bottom of a bed. He was a little irked when he saw that Tom had the bed next to him. There was no escaping Riddle then. Too bad.
When they went back to the common room, Harry could tell that most Slytherin students were very curious about him. He took a seat and was almost immediately surrounded by Tom's followers, but Julia and Orion, the two students he had been talking to at dinner, seated themselves quickly next to Harry. The students introduced themselves, but most of the names didn't really stick—just a couple.
Harry felt amused. He didn't know why they were drawn to him until Death whispered in his head. They had talked about it the night before. Death would tell him everything he knew at the appropriate times. Harry just needed to school his features, so nobody thought that he was crazy.
'They can feel your power. That's also the reason why Tom is drawn to you. That and he believes you will be his.'
Harry scoffs in his head but just smiles on the outside.
'Power? The Master of Death powers?'
'Yes, but even before that, you were a powerful wizard, Master.'
''So Peverell, why don't you have an American accent?'' A brown-haired boy asked, what was his name? R-something, at least his last name was Lestrange. That was something Harry remembered it was the name Bellatrix wore after marrying into that family.
''That's rude to ask, Rabastan,'' Malfoy tells him while rolling his eyes. Harry looks at the blonde wizard and feels a little amused and annoyed that Abraxas Malfoy looks so much like his grandson. It was as if a longhaired Draco was seated just a couple of feet away from him. Much to Harry's annoyance, but he won't hold his grandson's actions against him. Maybe Abraxas Malfoy was better than his grandson. Harry tried not to scoff at his own thoughts because it was clear that Abraxas was close to Riddle, so probably already one of his followers and soon-to-be Death Eater.
''I don't mind answering, Malfoy. Lestrange, right?'' Harry says levely, knowing it would annoy the boy that Harry didn't seem sure or didn't see him as important enough to remember correctly.
''I lived with my British muggle relatives. That was until they were killed, of course. That's why I moved back to Britain.''
Harry smirks at the pained looks he got from that statement alone. Muggle relatives raising a wizard, how absurd! It will certainly bring some stirring into Slytherin.
''I'm so sorry to hear that, Harry. How-why, sorry, I didn't mean to pry.'' Julia Greengrass says with a blush that was a little endearing.
''It's okay, Julia, they were killed by the followers of Grindelwald, and to be honest, I really didn't like them. Not that I wished them dead, but I'm not a grieving mess, and I'm not looking for pity.''
A lot of gasps were heard around him, but Harry only glanced at Tom with that statement. He was sitting close by and was watching Harry intently.
''Why did they kill them?'' Tom asks with burning intensity. Harry looks at him and knew that this could tip the scales.
''Because they were muggles, of course, Grindelwald wants all of the muggles gone from the world. They were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.'' Harry replies, looking at Tom, taking in how he processed the information.
''Serves them right. Muggles are nothing more than the scum under our boots.'' Another wizard says with a sniff. Harry saw the wizard glancing at Tom, searching for approval from his 'lord'.
Tom only inclined his head but was still watching Harry, probably waiting for how Harry would react to the statement.
''Sure, they are less than us, but we still need them, unfortunately. Otherwise, we will die out in the next couple of hundred years, and that, my friends, would be a disaster, don't you all agree,'' Harry said with a twinkle in his eyes. Tom's eyes widened a tiny bit, but he didn't comment, more because others already jumped on the statement.
''Wh-what do you mean by that, Harry?'' Orion asks with a shocked expression.
''Are you a muggle lover?'' Lestrange sneers.
Harry sighs and rolls his eyes. ''I just mean that inbreeding will only destroy the race. It's basic science. I'm not a muggle lover, as you call it, but I'm practical. Without muggles, the wizarding race will die out. Sometimes you just need fresh blood. It's one of the reasons that pureblood families are dying out while muggle-borns seem to pop up from everywhere, and I'm not even talking about the sheer power some half-bloods can have. Just look at Dumbledore and Grindelwald, both are half-bloods, but most of the world can see how powerful they are.''
He could tell that everyone was listening intently. He knew that not everyone would be swayed and that some don't want anything to do with what Harry was telling, but it was the first step. Harry was watching how Tom took in the information, and he could practically tell how Tom's brain was working.
''That can't be true. Grindelwald is not a half-blood!'' The guy that was named McCulliber said with wide eyes.
Harry sits back in the chair with a smirk, ''Look it up. His father was muggle-born.''
McCulliber pales and glanced at Tom. Tom wasn't looking at Harry anymore, and Harry was a little disappointed and a little relieved. The staring was becoming intense.
''And what are you Peverell?'' Malfoy asks with intense eyes. Harry turned to him, before dipping his head a little and smiling at the group. The glamor from his Lordship ring melted off, and he could hear a couple of gasps when people noticed the ring.
He then released some of his magic so that everybody could feel his magic. He saw Tom shudder when it touched him, and Harry smirked again.
''Well, I'm a half-blood, of course,''