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Chapter 1: The End of a War and the Beginning of the Apocalypse

Location: Somewhere in the Scottish mountains near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Time: 11:30 pm

Date: June 19, 1997

Harry POV

A warm summer wind blew through the mountain top clearing I sat in. A full moon shined down on the Scottish landscape that stretched out in all directions. In the distance, only visible in the night due to the moon illuminating it, sat a majestic castle. It had four towers at the cardinal points of the compass, another tower – the tallest – rose from the middle. It had numerous battlements and turrets and the windows lining the towers were designed to have a good view of the surrounding land without presenting an easy target. While it was now exclusively a school, many forgot that it was designed with the complete and overwhelming safety of its occupants in mind. After all, Hogwarts was a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; designed to educate and protect young wizards as they learned how to control their powers far from the prejudice of the Muggles of the Dark Ages.

To me however, it was my first and only home. A home that had been taken over by Voldemort, the man – if he could be called that any longer – who had taken my parents, my godfather and grandfather in all but blood and the families of countless other people in his crazed quest to take over Wizarding Britain and probably the rest of the world. However my grandfather, Albus Dumbledore had figured out how he was able to come back to life and cheat Death over and over again. Horcruxes. Objects that contained a piece of someone's soul that had been ripped off through the use of a vile ritual and the cold-blooded murder of an innocent.

Grandpa had destroyed one but a curse placed on it had begun to kill him. I tightened my fist as I remembered the greasy haired traitor who had finished the job. However, Grandpa had passed on the secret to me. Ron, Hermione and I had spent majority of the past year looking for them. We'd hunted down two different Horcruxes; one had been destroyed, another was still in our possession and knew the locations of the last two.

When we succeeded in breaking into and out of Gringotts to retrieve one, Voldemort had finally cottoned on to what we'd been doing. He'd begun to track down every single one of his Horcruxes soon after. Having a back door into his mind was rather handy now. I'd watched with malicious glee as Tom had tortured Lucius Malfoy for allowing the diary to be destroyed. Three nights ago, he destroyed the cave that held the locket with Fiendfyre after finding said locket gone and most of his Inferi destroyed (I have to learn that flame tornado spell Grandpa used. It looked useful and made the caster look really cool).

Two nights ago, Tom was pulled away to a false alarm from one of his Death Eaters about a Potter-sighting. After he'd Crucio'd every single person there and killed a couple of muggles, he'd once again gone on the hunt. His obsession in making sure that all the Horcruxes were safe meant that we'd been given a breather. Soon, he would head for Hogwarts where the inevitable battle was to begin. Tonight, I expected to be pulled into a trance/dream about him finding the ring missing.

The ring… oh how I wanted to laugh at him. Voldemort had the key to his dreams of escaping Death forever right there; but like Gramps always said, Tom ignores anything that he considers beneath him – including children's stories. I looked down at the Golden Snitch in my hands, the first one I had caught, and my father's Cloak wrapped around my shoulders. That day at Lovegood's home, it seemed so long ago. However, I still remembered how he drew the symbol on the paper. 'The Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in the world, it will always bring its master victory…', a single line in the middle of the page; '…the Resurrection Stone, capable of bringing back a shade of the dead…', a circle drawn so that the bottom of the circle touched the end of the line; '…and the Cloak of Invisibility, able to hide the wearer, even from the eyes of Death himself...', a triangle drawn to encompass the line and circle; 'They are the Deathly Hallows…'. "…And whosoever shall bring them together, will forevermore, be the Master of Death." I finished.

For the longest time, I had supported Hermione's thoughts about the existence of the Hallows. While the Elder Wand and Invisibility Cloak may be real and their powers exaggerated, the Resurrection Stone couldn't possibly exist. No magic could completely bring back the dead. But ever since I'd heard the story, especially after Malfoy Manor, every time I uttered those last words, something deep inside me (my soul maybe?) would almost hum in contentment. Later, I realised that when I was in close proximity of the Snitch or my Cloak, as I was now, the hum would be strong enough to make me shiver. Slowly, but surely, I realised – I probably knew, but didn't really want to admit it – the Deathly Hallows were real. And I had two of them.

I knew what some people would say if I told them that I had two of the Hallows under my control. Ron and the rest of my dorm mates would probably tell me to try and find the third, maybe even share it with them. Hermione would likely scoff and say that the Hallows were just clever inventions. Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley – they'd probably worry themselves about the implications, just as I did. If I were the Master of Death, would I ever die? Voldemort wanted immortality more than anything else. Me… I knew the value of friends and family, not having any for the longest time. I did not want to outlive them. They're the only people I have. Before my gloomy train of thought could continue, I felt a sharp pain in my head, like someone had taken a baton to it. I knew that this was the beginning of Voldemort's dream about the ring. I triggered the alarm spell that Hermione had set-up in case a vision happened during my watch; and with my luck, of course it did. I proceeded to pull up the shields I'd begun to build with Grandpa's help. I focused on protecting the knowledge of the Hallows. We had enough problems without Voldemort going after the Hallows as well.

Hermione and Ron ran out of the tent and sat down next to me, wands at the ready. They gave me small smiles, tired but confident that they could deal with any trouble. I was more worried about the 'trouble' not being able to face Hermione and Ron working together. I let my hold on the waking world go and slipped into the vision that Voldemort was forcing on me. The darkness covered my eyes before it cleared. I was now looking at the same deserted street that ran in front of the Gaunt shack. I could hear slithering near me. I mentally smirked, careful not to let my amusement leak to Voldemort. I sat back to watch the show. I only hope Tommy boy doesn't turn his anger on Little Hangleton.

Location: Hogwarts, Central Courtyard

Time: 3:00 pm

Date: 21 June, 1997

Harry POV

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Two beams of burning energy, one scarlet and the other emerald, lanced across the courtyard. They collided in a flash of energy and the point of contact turned into a glowing ball of gold energy. My wand was vibrating so quickly it looked twice as big due to the after images it left behind. I struggled to keep hold of it; at least Tom seemed to be having the same problem.

Minutes passed as we held the stalemate; both of us feeding a constant flow of magic into our spells. Sometimes one of us would give a great push and gain some ground before the other rallied and regained it. As the deadlock continued, something came over me. Here I was, fighting what was probably the last duel between the two of us. Just like in the forest, a peaceful calm stole over me. I knew that there was only one way this war would finally end. But this time, I won't give up so easily. This time… I won't feel the cold power of the emerald Unforgivable. This time… I would win.

"Tom…" my voice cut clear through the crackle of energy from the spells colliding. "This stalemate's lasted long. You know that one or both of us will die today. I'm ready to meet the family you took from me. I'm ready for my next great adventure. But what about you, Tom? Are you ready to meet the people you have killed? Are you ready to face judgement for your mistakes? Are you prepared to see your soul, dark as the blackest night, as tattered as the oldest, most used rag, laid bare; all your deeds spread out for them to see? Your horcruxes are gone. You won't be returning this time. I'm ready to die. Are you?" I was panting slightly at the end, the effort of speaking and keeping up a draining spell for so long getting to me.

I could see the anger and the smallest trace of fear in his face. I knew what my words had done to him; I'd been in his head. I knew his fear dying. I had him. It was time to end this. I dug deep into my reserves and poured the magic into my spell. Tom's lack of concentration allowed my Disarming spell to overwhelm his Killing Curse. A crimson flash connected our wands before Voldemort flew across the courtyard from the force of the spell. The Elder Wand flipped through the air towards me, catching the sunlight in a hypnotic dance. In a movement born from my Seeker instinct, I raised my hand. Almost like metal being attracted by a magnet, the Elder Wand smacked into my hand. I curled my fingers around it. I brought it close and admired the Wand for a second, feeling some connection to Albus. He was the only one who had never fallen to the temptation of the power it offered. That's when it all went to hell in a hand basket.

A wave of pure magic rippled out from me, it was colored gold, black and silver. Personally, I couldn't have cared less if it triggered the Apocalypse. I gasped and stumbled back one step as magic flooded through me, rejuvenating my reserves and wiping away some of my exhaustion. I heard a flutter before my father's Invisibility Cloak settled around my shoulders. My right hand burned and I raised it to examine it. A band of gold light surrounded the bottom of my king finger. Silver lines flowed through it, winding and twisting as though vines of Devil's Snare. The lines began to thicken into a simple silver band. Then in a flash of light, a stone was set into the ring. A stone I recognized well. The Resurrection Stone. The crack along the depiction of the Elder wand was gone and it shone like obsidian. Vines of color, this time black, wound out from underneath it, making a complex design across the silver surface. It looked beautiful.

The Elder Wand heated up before the formerly dull gray color darkened into an inky black, like raven's feathers. There were spirals of white running through it. The elderberry design disappeared and it was replaced by a 13" length of wood that spiraled into a wicked point. It looked like a unicorn horn. Another flash of light and Draco's wand disappeared and I felt a sense of satisfaction from the Elder Wand. I raised my eyebrow. Was the Wand… jealous? I couldn't think on the absurdity of it all for long. I fell to my knees as another surge went through me before an ocean… no an entire planet's oceans worth of pure power and magic flood through me. I felt my senses sharpen, the remaining exhaustion I felt being banished as if by a spell. I felt my reserves grow by several thousand orders of magnitude and filled to the brim. What was going on?

I heard movement and looked up. Tom had pulled his original yew wand from somewhere. "Potter. I don't know what you did to gain the kind of power I feel radiating from you, but it will not help you. Go and join the family that you so desperately wanted to join. Goodbye! Once and for all… AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Still reeling from the influx of power, I could only watch as the green light hurtled towards me. I closed my eyes. 'Mum, dad, Sirius, Remus, I'm coming.' I waited for the energy to fall over me. However, the cold embrace of death did not drag me away. What did happen was all sound stopping and Tom letting out an outraged scream. I opened my eyes and was dumbfounded. In front of me was a glowing rune circle as tall as a grown man (therefore taller than me, a part of my mind whined), hovering in the air. In the centre was the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, the power of the AK trapped within the circle of the symbol.

Then the circle vanished and in its place was a figure. And what a menacing figure it was. A black cloak shrouded it completely from view. It flapped and moved in a non-existent breeze. A hood kept me from seeing the figure's head and deciphering whether it was male or female. The only things I recognized was the symbol of the Deathly Hallows on its cloak, a skull where the symbol of the Stone would be and the ten foot black scythe with a silver blade that it held in its right hand. The most important thing was the fact that the figure was holding an orb of green light in its left hand. With a start, I realised that it was the Killing Curse that Tom had cast at me. Speaking of… I turned away from looking at the figure and its blatant disregard for the rule 'The AK is unstoppable', to Tom whose eyes had gone so wide it was almost comical. Not that I doubted that I suffered from the same condition.

"Who… or what are you?" For the first time, Tom spoke without making grand statements. Understandable. This was a new element, an unknown. I gripped the Elder Wand tighter and edged to the right, keeping Tom and the figure in front of me. They spoke and my grip and jaw slackened slightly at the response. "I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, am someone who is extremely pissed off with you!" The voice decided it. The person who just YELLED at the Dark Lord Voldemort was a girl. Well… a woman, but still! Tom looked just as incredulous as I felt. "And that would be?" And suddenly his sneer was back as well as his 'Mightier and unholier than thou' attitude.

The amusement she felt was clear even before she spoke. "Someone… who you have always been afraid of. Someone who you hate with all your being. Someone, who if you had your way, you wouldn't meet. You even committed the greatest crime any being could commit to escape me – you broke your soul apart. Care to guess?" Her tone had turned to dry sarcasm, interlaced with anger. Everything fell into place and my entire being was filled with terror. "Death?" My voice rang with my fear. This was a being, a primordial being, who had the power to f*** with your afterlife and not so much as twitch while sending you to the eternal damnation of Hell. Even I was not Griffindorish enough to be unafraid of this person.

Her head moved to the side before she turned to me. Her left hand closed around the AK and the curse disappeared. The hand then swept back the hood hiding her face. I inhaled sharply. She was beautiful. There was no other word for it. Long black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of black silk; her pale skin, high cheek bones and slightly slanted eyebrows giving her an ethereal look. It reminded me of the High Elves described by that author… Tolkien or some such. But her most striking feature were her eyes. They looked like they had been cut out of the night sky when the all the stars and nebulae were visible. Those eyes glowed with a power that commanded not just respect, but obedience and all powerful authority. They softened as she looked at me.

"Yes, Harry. I am the embodiment of the concept of Death… but I prefer Hela. And don't worry…" she smiled, it made her even more beautiful, "… I would never hurt you." I looked at her, confused. What did she mean by that? Wouldn't she eventually take my soul? She shook her head. I wondered why before I realised she must have… "Read your mind? No. Your face is just hilariously expressive right now." She sounded amused. I just looked at her suspiciously. I had enough of Tom knocking around in my head.

"Why did you shake your head?" I asked, still suspicious and slightly fearful since a notion had begun to form in my mind – a notion I did not like at all. She now looked a little sad. "Harry, you're a smart person. You can figure it out. I'll give you a clue. Look at the three objects on your person." I looked at the Elder Wand in my hand, the Resurrection Stone on my finger and the Cloak of Invisibility on my shoulders. Then, I could almost hear the click in my mind as the pieces fell into place. No. No, no, no, no, no! NO! She couldn't be serious. Xenophilius Lovegood was not in his right mind. There was no such thing as the Master of Death. How could one be Master of a being so powerful?!

"You are." Her voice was soft, full of the caring and love that I'd only heard in my mum's voice in my Dementor induced visions and in the forest. The caring and love that comes from family. "You united the Hallows, Harry. Lovegood was correct. You are the Master of Death." I looked at her, feeling confused, angry, sad and a multitude of other emotions. "Why?" I sounded as broken as I felt. Why had this happened to me? I felt her hand on my shoulder. It was surprisingly warm. I looked up to find her close to me, her eyes shining in happiness. "You will know soon. But first," her voice turned harsh, "Let's deal with the trash du jour."

If I were not such an emotional mess right now, I would have laughed at the most powerful Dark Lord since Grindelwald being called trash. Not that I disagreed. I drew myself together and locked away my turmoil. This could be dealt with later. I looked over to where Tom was still standing. His wand was now at his side as he looked horrified… no, terrified of the figure next to me. When he realised that we were both looking at him, he snapped back to reality and brought his wand to bear.

"Potter. I must admit that this is a brilliant play. Replacing yourself with an image and then using the cover of the explosion to create the illusion of this so called Death. Only I, Lord Voldemort have conquered death and I can do so again. I will create more horcruxes; the first with your death. These parlour tricks won't save you." Suddenly, a sound not heard in Hogwarts all year rang out. I looked at… Hela in wonder. She had thrown her head back laughing. It was a rather wonderful sound; not much like one would expect the sound of Death's laughter to be. "Oh. I have not laughed that hard in millennia. An illusion? A parlour trick? Me? Hah!" Suddenly, she went from amused to deathly (pardon the pun) serious.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am no illusion. You have upset the balance of this world and put the balance of this universe in peril. I will not allow you to continue. Now that Harry is my Master, I can finally manifest here and destroy you for good. There are a lot of people waiting for you beyond the realms of the living." She raised her scythe and deflected the curses that Voldemort had sent at her, terrified of her overwhelming presence and the power in her voice. She grabbed me and darkness hindered my vision for a second before it cleared.

We seemed to be standing a few feet away from where we were before, which was replaced with a large crater courtesy of Tom. He continued to fling curses at us. I quickly snapped out of my daze and brought the Elder Wand to bear. I now had massive reserves – might as well put them to use. The air sizzled at the power of the curses, jinxes and other spells that I cast through the Wand. Hela's scythe had become a six foot staff with a black gem at the top. Beams of light would erupt from the gem and strike at Tom. She would twirl and spin out of the way of powerful dark curses, effortlessly put up shields to cover us both and one time yawned as she sidestepped a curse. Graceful sweeps of the focus would turn rubble into stone giants or strange creatures I had never seen before. She was a one woman army. Or several armies. I had split seconds to note this and it still filled me with wonder how she was just playing with him. How did Voldemort keep fighting against her? The living embodiment of the force that was the End of All Things? Regardless, the combined onslaught pushed him back.

He began to get desperate. He knew he could not last against us for too long. He became sloppy as he fired increasingly powerful spells. They weren't very well aimed either. More often than not, they would strike the walls behind me, tearing or vaporizing huge chunks off of them. He tried to kill me quickly with an AK and focus solely on Hela, but she just flicked her hand and the spell fizzled out. As the fight progressed, I noticed that every time one of Hela's pure energy blasts would be fired, Tom was focusing solely on deflecting them. As though reading my mind, Hela created a massive wave of force by slamming her staff into the ground, causing Voldemort to stumble. "Enough. I have toyed with you long enough. It's time for your eternal rest, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Though I doubt that the pain of oblivion will be very restful." I prepared myself as Hela brandished her staff and the most powerful blast of energy struck across the courtyard. A powerful metallic shield snapped into existence around Voldemort and the blast slammed into it with a sound like a gong.

I struck deep into my reserves. I pulled the energy and let it flow through my chest and down my arms. I grasped the Elder Wand with both hands, the focus trembling in preparation of the power that it was about to channel. I drew up all the hate and fury that I had locked away; the anger at the Dursley's treatment of me, their own blood; the hate for Voldemort for taking so many of my friends and family, leaving Teddy an orphan. I put that and the magic I had drawn up into the spell that had destroyed my life. "Avada Kedavra."

My whispered words still echoed loud in clash between Hela and Tom. Spell energy gathered at the tip of the Wand and shot out. Green lightning edged in black flashed across the courtyard; thunder sounded as it ripped through the air. Voldemort looked at his favoured curse turned back at him for the second and last time. He closed his eyes as the light stuck him. His body was lifted into the air, glowing, before it exploded outwards. When the dust settled, there was no sign of him. I fell to my knees one more time. My magic settled down and I felt strangely light. Maybe it was the hate and anger finally leaving me after all this time. Tears ran down my face as I began to giggle, then chuckle and finally burst into full blown hysterical laughter. I'd done it. He was finally gone. And this time, he was gone for good.

"Harry." Her voice brought back to reality. I still had to deal with the Master of Death debacle. I immediately started to hyperventilate. "Calm down Harry. Your magic is reacting." Her voice had an incredibly calming effect. I looked at her. "Hela, you said that you would explain all of this to me. That you would tell me why I had to become the Master of Death. You made it sound like only I could have taken the title. Please, I just want to be normal. I don't want to lose my friends. Take them back." My voice was hoarse, pleading her to tell me why I could not be normal.

"Oh, Harry." She sat down next to me. "I can't tell you much. Not because I want to keep it for you, but because the story is just so long. I'm keeping the rest of the school asleep. However for multiple reasons, my full power cannot manifest here. Plus I have to keep up my bridge to this realm. In this situation, even my powers have limits. So I can't stay long. But, I can tell you some things. Tell me, have you ever, oh I don't know, cursed Fate for your bad luck?"

I shot her my best deadpanned look. Was she really asking me that? She smiled sheepishly and looked a lot like another teenager rather than an immortal being of primordial power. "Right. Anyway, you weren't far off. A long story that I will explain later, short, the goddess in charge of Fate has had you in her bad books for a long time. I was unable to stop her plans. She's evaded me for centuries and continued to make your life Hell. Don't look at me like that. I will explain later. Now that you've taken up your position, I can utilize my full power to go after her." She put her hand to my cheek.

I felt angry. Someone who had a grudge against me was the one who made my life what it was. And Hela wouldn't even tell me why. I hated being kept in the dark. However, something told me that she wasn't like the others, purposely holding information from me. I swallowed my anger and indignation and nodded jerkily. She smiled slightly. "Good. It should take me a little more than an Earth year to track her down. Your friends should wake up a few seconds after I leave. And remember, don't tell anyone who you are now. The first thing that happens after you take up your title will be your lifespan gradually increasing until it becomes infinite. You know what happens when a wizard looks like he isn't ageing. So just… revel in your victory. You've been fighting for so long Harry. Now you can live a little." She smiled at me. I hesitantly smiled back. Having her caring about me, watching out for me… it felt like what I imagined having an older sibling was like. She smiled wider and backed up. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. She just wiggled her fingers goodbye. The rune circle from before appeared and she slowly sank into it, disappearing.

After that, a huge crowd with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville at the front came charging out of the Entrance Hall. They all froze in place when they saw me sitting on the ground and the absence of a Dark Lord throwing Unforgivables like candy. "Harry… Is he…?" Hermione asked the question that must have been running through all their minds. I looked at her and smiled. "Yes. And this time for good."

Deafening silence followed my six words. Then the shouts and cheers rang in my ears for hours afterward. Everyone looked so happy. I joined in, laughing and hugging everyone who came up to me, trying to thank me. I walked back into the Great Hall and immediately, my cheer disappeared. Grief still existed in our lives. There were rows of the dead in the middle of the Hall: Remus, Tonks, Fred, Colin, Cho and so many others I knew and those I didn't. It would be a long time mourning before things would be better and our wounds, both physical and mental, healed. I looked out to the Black Lake, where Albus was buried in his final wish to forever remain with the school and students he loved most. I looked back to the people who lay in the Hall, as though peacefully sleeping.

Slowly, overwhelming grief was replaced with a deep sadness and a bit of hope. The war was over. It was time to rebuild and recover. A smile crept over my face. These people died to protect our future. Time to honor that. I could almost see my parents smiling.

Location: The Burrow

Time: 7:00 am

Date: 21 June, 1997

Harry POV

It's been one year. One year since the Great Battle of Hogwarts as the papers called it. A snort escaped me. It was only the highly surprising and completely-out-of-left-field management of the Daily Profit by Rita Skeeter. Apparently, many of the reputations she had destroyed belonged to people who she found were secret Death Eaters. Her articles during the TriWizard were mostly a bad habit she couldn't quite quit and increasing pressure from a certain bowler spinning dunderhead. Now, with all the Death Eaters being put away under Draught of Living Death in Azkaban or being sent through the Veil, she decided to do some real journalism. She made a surprisingly good friend.

On the subject of Death Eaters… a large numbers of pure bloods had become Tom's minions. They were all either incarcerated or on the run or dead. This had opened up many spaces in the Ministry, mainly high level ones. Hermione's first project, with the Department of Mysteries of all things, discovered that true Muggle-borns were actually rare. Most of the so called Muggle borns are actually descendants of a squib line from a family that was too inbred (eventually, when the genetic diversity was at the ideal level, Magic reappeared). The empty positions in the Ministry quickly filled up with Muggleborns or New Bloods as they were called now, who were previously kept at the lowest levels. Many empty seats on the Wizenagmot had members as well as seats that had shut down due to no family present. They were filled by people who had grown up with a far more democratic government than the Wizarding World's.

I smiled as I remembered how yesterday, Delores Umbridge screamed and ranted as she was dragged from court for being a branded Death Eater (no one was surprised), claiming that the 'Muggle-born scum had no right to pass judgement on me since I am a pure blood of the highest caliber'. Not a single face in the chamber didn't have a malicious smile seeing her get the Dementor's Kiss. Her deeds even made some Death Eaters who heard her sentencing look disgusted. I received a small note from Hela a few hours later. "Almost have her. Umbitch receiving personal attention. - Hela" I destroyed the letter, ran to my room and cackled until I couldn't breathe. I forgot to silence the room and Hermione, the only other occupant of the Burrow, came up to check on me. I only told her I was imagining what Umbridge must be going through in the afterlife. Screaming about 'pure bloods' and 'I should be in heaven' while being tortured. I was subsequently joined in my evil laughter.

The fantasy turned out to be popular at the party we'd had last night. Months of work had gone by; by morning we brought criminals through court and by night we did our best to restore Hogwarts. It was surprising that even after a year, so much of the castle was damaged. Hermione explained that a lot of the stone needed to be spelled in a very specific way so that it could meld into the framework of the castle. It had mostly gone over our heads. But anyways…

The important news about last night was that Hermione and Ron, following a slew of others over the last few months, had gotten engaged. We were all tipsy from the celebratory Firewhiskey. Apparently, there was some truth to the myth about alcohol being Felix Felicis that gave courage rather than luck. It most certainly let Ron get down on one knee (after falling over twice before he could keep his balance) and ask the question. Hermione's squeal had nearly shattered the windows and most of our ear drums. During the celebratory rounds, yes more than one, I had briefly looked at Ginny. Even now I thought of the life we could have had. But how could I watch as the woman I loved grew old and left me while I remained young and alive. Besides, even if I were Master of Death, I wasn't going to try and cheat. The story of the brothers taught me that. The dead were never meant to dwell with the living. So I just waited for Hela to return. Return… and tell me why I was the Master of Death and what I would do next.

This morning was complete agony. I cursed Seamus for bringing over his best Firewhiskey, regular whiskey, beer and wine from the pub he had opened in London. After all of us had staggered down to the kitchen table and been handed mugs of steaming hot coffee (that were made noisily by a disgustingly cheerful Hermione) we were put out of our misery by the production of a platter filled with ice blue hangover potions. The vials were taken and emptied in record time. A grinning Hermione received many a "Thanks, Hermione!" or "Bless you, Hermione" or Ron's memorable "Thanks, sweetheart", which had earned him a resounding snog to multiple wolf whistles.

Suddenly, a darkness crept over me. A feeling of malevolence and dread greater than anything Voldemort ever inspired. It was the ultimate bad feeling. Something had happened or was about to happen that would simply reek of the Potter Luck. As if on cue, I heard the Floo activate and the deep tones of Kingsley's Sonorous'ed voice trembling through the Burrow. "Potter! Weasley! I know you can hear me! Wake up and get a hangover potion in your carcasses! Voldemort isn't done playing Merry Hell with us yet! I want you both in the Ministry! Yesterday!" Hermione should not have introduced Kingsley to crime shows the Muggles had come up with recently. He was using their vocabulary far too often. Then his statement registered.

I could feel my blood drain from my face and horror sketch itself on my face. I bolted from the gardens and up the stairs, Ron, Neville right behind me. We had our under-armour and robes on in record time. I delayed half a second to put on my Head of the DMLE badge ('Youngest in four centuries!' Hermione had parroted Ron from back in first year). Ron and Neville both received snogs from Hermione and Luna (that one was a big surprise), while Ginny just hugged me and told me to come back safe or she'd find me, heal me and then Bat-Bogey me. I gulped, nodded and smiled. I didn't know whether to be more scared of the impending doom or Ginny's Bat-Bogey.

Actually… there was no contest. Ginny's Bat-Bogey was scarier, by far. I hesitated at the Floo. Driven by the fear that something was going to happen, I raced back to the living room and kissed Ginny, deeply. She reciprocated with just as much love. "Come back to me…" she whispered. "I will." I could hear the lie a mile away. I turned back and grabbed the Floo powder. Stepping into the fire place, I called out "Ministry of Magic!" The last sound I heard were Ginny's quite sob.

When I exited the Floo, it was chaos. Everyone was running from one floor to another, the elevators were jam packed and memos were flying through the air in packs so thick, the light was flickering. We looked at each other and rolled our eyes. A quick twist of our heels and we were able to use our privileged Apparition access to the area outside Kingsley's office; paranoid bugger had warded his private office to Avalon and back; couldn't even Floo in.

But with Alastor Moody being your trainer in the Auror Academy meant that you learned to ward everything, even your toilet seat (apparently, an Auror recruit had not taken Moody's 'do not put your wand in your back pocket' advice – read 'order' – seriously, so the paranoid Head Auror had charmed the toilets in the Ministry to explode if said recruit sat down on one; made for a good story at the pub and a scary lesson in the Auror Academy). We knocked and entered. Kingsley was standing in front of the enchanted window that made it look like he was in a high rise building in London. "Kingsley, what the bloody hell is going on out there?! Everyone's running around like headless chickens!" Ron exclaimed. Then we saw his expression. I hadn't seen it since the height of the war. We immediately realised that this was bad. Very bad.

"Come with me." He spun around and walked to the opposite wall. He pressed his hand to a section of the wall. Lines of light spiraled out and formed a door. The door slid back to reveal a silver elevator. We all got in and descended. When the doors slid back, we gasped. We were on a balcony above a floor that looked like a battle station. In the centre of the room was a massive table that held a World Map 3-D hologram. All around it were stations that blended Muggle technology modified to work on magic and magical technology. This was the infamous War Room that Hermione, Luna and Susan had spent at least three months on.

Kingsley walked down a staircase on the side of the balcony. "Many Muggle world leaders have died almost overnight. The American president, British and Canadian Prime Ministers, France, Italy, Russia; all of them have had their leaders and important members of government assassinated. Magical governments were not affected; a good thing or else we'd have a magical war the likes of which haven't been since the time of Merlin." All of us froze. I snapped out of it first. "What's the situation? This damage is too well co-ordinated and quick to be Muggle. Was there a magical element?" One of the men standing at the table, I recognized him as Xenophilius Lovegood with a start, snorted. "You could say that Potter. ICW teams with curse-breakers and Journeyman-level wizards had to be called in because extremely Dark Magic had been used; by which I mean ICW-banned curses that not even Voldemort dared to cast. There were even a few AK's mixed in. This was meant to draw our attention and cause enough damage to enrage Muggle governments. The problem… whoever did this made it look like assassins from rival countries had been responsible for it.

"Magic this strong and dark leaves traces. Traces that can be followed. ICW strike teams that even Potter's power would struggle against, don't give me that look Weasley, Longbottom; they followed them to safe houses all over Europe. All of them were filled with Dark Wizards that had been missing for decades. All of them had the Dark Mark. The following interrogation revealed very bad news."

Kingsley took over the briefing. "These wizards were a part of Voldemort's final play. He was far more aware of the power of the Muggle world that we'd ever thought. All the leaders murdered are from countries with a vast and powerful nuclear arsenal. Voldemort personally Imperioed the leaders forcing them to declare that the murder of any high-ranking leader in their country for any reason would mean a declaration of war and an immediate nuclear response." All of were silent. I and some of the other New Bloods had told the Wizarding World through the Quibbler and the Prophet about the damage and terror caused by the nuclear strikes that ended World War II. Suffice it to say that the Wizarding World of Britain and the rest of the world knew that that many nuclear strikes would effectively destroy the world.

Neville poke up first. "How did the Muggle governments even agree to such a drastic response? Under our nose even? The leaders know about magic. How did Voldemort or the Dark Wizards get close? They should have had protections!" Lovegood snorted again. "What Luna sees in you I'll never know?! Magical Britain was at war. We never even knew about it. The wizards posted to protect the foreign leaders were not strong enough to impede such powerful Dark Wizards or the Dark Lord. They were massacred. Also we're rather certain Tommy-boy influenced the governing bodies." We sniggered slightly at the newest name proscribe to Tom.

Kingsley began again. "The Muggle United Nations and the ICW had been trying to stop them. The Ministers of Magic met with the new leaders and have tried to speak with them. More than one simply thought that they were hallucinations brought on by stress. Some were even attacked by muggle security for getting that close. However, they were Obliviated and the Ministers of Magic managed to escape. All the Ministries have been trying for hours to stop the, quite literal, blow up." As we all began to feverishly strategize, trying to find some way to stop World War III, once again the feeling returned. This time, I heard something. "My… final… gift… to the Master… of Death!" Another voice, I subconsciously recognized it as Hela, cried "NO! STOP, YOU BITCH!" My eyes widened. What the hell?

I suddenly felt eyes on me. I looked up to find Lovegood, Kingsley, Ron and Neville looking at me. Just as I started to come up with an excuse for uttering my statement out loud, multiple countries on the hologram flashed red. Could it be? My horrible feeling came true seconds later as a woman ran up to the map. She whispered something to Kingsley who hung his head. He looked up to me with dead eyes. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry and terrified to say that the Russians, Americans and several other countries who developed nuclear arms in secret have activated their arsenals. Europe, Asia and North America have officially entered World War III. Merlin save us all…" Ron looked at me and said, "Harry, what are we going to…" Suddenly, I heard a rising whistle. Seconds later, there was a tug on my navel and I was spun into darkness. When it cleared, I saw that I was on one of the tall hills outside London.

I looked at my surroundings, trying to figure out what happened before I heard a thunderous explosion behind me. I turned around and fell to my knees; the only thing I could say was "No…" because nothing but a mushroom cloud existed where London did only seconds ago. That was most of the Wizarding World of Britain… my only home… gone… in milliseconds. I collapsed on the hill. Tears fell one by one, quickly becoming a steady stream as I lost my family for the second time in my life. My magic pulsed as nuclear snow washed over me and radiation attempted to sow the seeds that would kill me; but it all simply deflected around me. Then my magic exploded. Anything not dead for ten miles, I felt instantly and utterly obliterated by the power of my rage and grief. Suddenly, something tugged on my magic. The wards on the Burrow! The Burrow! It would be far from the nuclear explosions. Maybe I could still save my family.

I Disapparated with a great crack to the Burrow. As I exited the Apparition I found myself on my knees again. I stared at the Burrow, or at least what was left of it. A smouldering shell where my home should have been. No! I got up, hoping to find them alive. But as I got close, I stumbled and fell to the ground. I couldn't even summon tears for what I saw, so horrifying was the sight. The cold, pale bodies of Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Luna lay on the front lawn. My eyes widened in rage, grief and horror as cuts opened on their body. Blood ran out from their bodies and shaped itself into a simple pair of statements. "A last gift from our Master, Potter. Celebrate your victory… ALONE!" I collapsed completely. Alone… no family, no friends, nothing. I was truly all alone.

All the grief that had built up in the last minutes came pouring out. How long did I stay there crying, no, howling and sobbing to empty air? Hours? Days? I felt no hunger or thirst. Just overwhelming, impossible grief. Then, it stopped. Slowly, the sobs tapered away and the grief died down enough that rage could take its place. Alone. They wished me to be alone did they? Well, then… I should complete the job. I stood up. Around me was a scene of destruction. My magic had lashed out multiple times it seemed. However, the bodies of the four women dearest to me were now healed. The macabre charm was destroyed and their cuts healed. I slowly waved my wand and levitated them.

Tying my magic to them, I Apparated straight to Hogwarts. I instantly appeared on the grounds. I frowned. The wards should have stopped me, bounced me to Hogsmead. I could feel their magic; they were still alive despite the nuclear bombs that should have messed with the ley lines that powered them. Suddenly, a ping came through my magic. A bitter smile made its way onto my face. The wards were bonded to my core. Looks like I'm the new Headmaster. I shook my head and Apparated on to the island in the middle of the Black Lake. I appeared in the clearing where Grandpa Albus was buried. I set Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Luna on the ground. I turned back to the clearing and raised the Elder Wand. I moved it with a single short, sharp downward jerk. Dirt, water and air coalesced into four massive columns before four large marble tombs appeared. Golden filigree formed images on the white marble; Hermione reading in her favorite armchair, other books piled up with her; Mrs. Weasley cooking while the rest of the family watched with hunger on their faces, another depicted that memorable moment where she destroyed Bellatrix in the Great Battle; Ginny flying Chaser with the Quaffle under her arm or reaching for the Snitch; and Luna playing with her Crumple-Horned Snorcacks that she had finally found to Hermione's exasperation and Luna's smugness. Another even showed her standing under the moonlight with Neville.

I laid them all to their final sleep. Their clothes I transfigured into fine gowns, setting the magic permanent. I sat down in front of Ginny's tomb. I could still feel her lips on mine. I flicked my wand carelessly, muttering Tempus. I stared at the time. It had not even been an hour and a half since Kingsley called us in. An hour and 15 minutes to destroy the world. Tom would be proud of his work. Suddenly, an epiphany struck me. I shot to my feet as thoughts raced through my head. Tom orchestrated this. He was dead, but the perpetrators of the action were still alive. I knew it. My resolve hardened with rage and thoughts of revenge.

I dug deep into myself. Bypassing the feeling of my magical core, I dug deeper. And there, in the deepest darkness of my mind, I found it. The vast oceans of power that were mine as the Master of Death. Locked away only to be used for the direst of the circumstances. I had used it only once before. Using the power and the memory of Hela's hand on my cheek and the care and love in her eyes, I had summoned a Patronus that had quite literally destroyed the Dementors.

I called forth that same energy, letting it flow through me. It covered me, filled me from head to toe, synchronizing with my heartbeat. I opened my eyes. Looking at the small puddle close to my feet, I saw that my normally emerald eyes were now completely black, no white at all, with orbs of silver flames as my irises. I felt the Invisibility Cloak wrap around me. Rather than hiding me from all, it molded to my body and turned into a black robe a lot like Hela's. The Resurrection Stone appeared on my finger, pulsing with the same black and silver as my eyes. I could feel my anger radiating from them. I Disapparated, silently this time, to the Burrow.

Upon appearing, I immediately raised the Elder Wand and sent my magic out in a black wave. It hunted, directed by my will to find the trail that had been left by the murderers. Soon, my magic found it. Portkeys… two of them. Hidden under powerful enchantments. I snorted. If they thought that they could hide from me after this… there were few greater fools. I sent my magic into the trail and with a sharp jerk, I spun away from the Burrow.

I reappeared outside a very familiar building. Malfoy Manor. My rage spike as I remembered the torture Hermione went through here. I knew giving the ferret and his parents a free pass because they developed a conscious for a while would come back to bite me. I walked towards the wrought iron gate. My aura flared and collided with the enchantments protecting the large building. The spells didn't stand a chance. The gates were disintegrated as the wards crashed – unable to warn their caster with the speed of their destruction. I walked up to the door of the lavish manor which was subsequently disintegrated by my aura as well. I latched onto the magical signature of Lucius Malfoy and followed it. On the way I faced a little opposition – if you could call a couple of seventeen year olds who were too terrified to even think about a spell when faced by an adversary 'opposition' – as I continued into the manor. Soon, I arrived at a set of grand doors, Lucy's magical signature emanating from the other side.

I raised the Elder Wand. All my rage was poured into two words – 'Furor Deorum!' A bright white light gathered around the tip of the wand. Magic built before a powerful beam of energy lanced through the air with a deep hum. It was a piece of Battle Magic used in Ancient Rome. I'd learned it after the keeper of the Magical Library of Alexandria gave me several books about it in thanks of saving his granddaughter. I was surprised when the enchantments on the door held on for more than a second, but I put just a bit more power into the spell and… BOOM! The doors flew of their hinges as the spell drove them backwards while simultaneously disintegrated them in the blink of an eye. As I walked into the room, I was faced with about 20 wands pointed at me. Some were unsteady. Caught them celebrating, did I?

"P…p…Potter?! You should be dead!" Malfoy senior looked rather surprised… oops, sorry… terrified. "Well, I must say that your master's plan caught me off guard. Luckily, I had someone looking out for me." I theorized that Hela somehow pulled me away. "Unfortunately, my friends and family had no such benefactor. You are the reason that I am all alone in this world and you… WILL. PAY!" My aura exploded outwards. Suddenly, I felt a pain in my heart and blacked out. The last thing I heard was the roar of magic and the screams of the Death Eaters.

When I woke up, I was on the floor of Malfoy Manor. Around me were the bodies of the DE's; they had been ripped apart by what was obviously an overpowered cutting curse, evidenced by the gouges in the walls behind them. Others were only signified by a nuclear shadow created when someone disintegrated from a blast of pure magic. The furniture was destroyed and the roof above me had a large new skylight. I closed my eyes. In a world where death was now commonplace, I had caused even more. However, I shed no tears for them. I Disapparated, reappearing outside the gates of Hogwarts.

My magic spread out from my body. It seeped through the ground, deeper until it encountered three massive monolithic ward stones. They began to soak the magic up, using it to power up the ancient wards that Voldemort had all but destroyed. The makeshift wards we had placed came down as wards hundreds of times more powerful took their place. The wards mingled with my magic, allowing my sense to expand across the entirety of the area they encased.

I could sense many creatures inside the Forest and Lake breathe a sigh as the wards snapped back into place. I knew that their relief would be short-lived. Not even the wards of Hogwarts would spare them the horrors of radiation poisoning. Only the most powerful of magicks could protect against it. Magically powerful animals such as unicorns and phoenixes would survive. Maybe a few dragons. But the wards would definitely buy them time. I stood at the shore of the lake now, staring at Hogwarts. I remembered the naïve wonder I felt that first day on the lake. I remembered Ron's 'Bloody Hell' and Hermione's distant rapid fire dictation of facts. I close my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. My finger twitched involuntarily. I looked down at the Ring.

How easy it would be to turn the stone, summon them. I swallowed and fisted my hand. No. I couldn't. As much pain as I was going through, they would go through more if they were pulled to the living world. I looked back to Hogwarts. I had to take my mind off of this, distract myself or I would go mad. I had to wait until Hela decided to return. She'd said I could live, keep my victory and live. That she's stop Fate from f***ing with my life. She was going to have to answer a lot of questions.

I cracked the stiff bones in my neck and in one smooth move, appeared in the Library. I had to repair my home. I had more than enough magic to do the construction on my own. My knowledge however, was not all that great. With the help of any libraries in the world and the ancient spirits that I could summon that would not feel pain, I could bring my knowledge up to speed. A small flash of fire and Fawkes appeared on the table next to me. My eyesight blurred with tears as I stroked the plumage on its head. He trilled and my soul hummed with it. I'd survive this.

I needed to.

My Dear Readers,

I am overwhelmed by the reception my rewrite has received. I apologise for the delay. Life seems to work against me. But I hope that the chapter is more than worth it.

There were many things that drove the rewrite in this chapter. One of my early reviewers told me that I had transitioned too quickly in this chapter. I decided that I straighten the timeline out. Therefore, instead of flashbacks, this chapter happens in real time.

I also added that small scene in the beginning to lay a foundation for the Master of Death Harry.

I'm sure that more than one of you wondered at the 'Grandpa Albus' stuff. Allow me to explain. A few years after arriving at the Dursley's, Vernon beat Harry for the first time. Now here, most Dumbledore basher fics would have Dumbledore heal Harry, Obliviate him and reward the Dursley's. My universe is opposite. The alarms that Dumbledore sets up to protect Harry registers his condition. Cue badass, destroyer-of-Dark-Lords Dumbledore; he blasts into Privet Drive, lays the slap down on the Dursley's and reminds them that there are more powerful things than them in this world, let alone Heaven and Earth and that if they ever even thought about doing what they did again, they would regret it.

Few years later, Albus returns to a Harry who has lived in the second bedroom, has decent clothes, chores, schooling and an indifferent family. Harry revels that he saw it all and waited until he returned. Harry is subsequently given his introduction to magic and Dumbledore gradually becomes his grandfather. I may write the scene out as well a few oneshots about Harry's life through Hogwarts with Dumbledore in his corner. We'll see.

I feel horrible about what I've put Harry through. I wonder if some of it counts as above T-rated or not. Anyways, some things that I forgot from the previous chapter. Jason Altair looks like Peter Gallagher as he appears in Covert Affairs with less grey in his hair. I don't know about Hela, Joseph, Raina and Leanne, but I'm looking. Any suggestions would be welcome and considered.

Any questions, confusions or clarifications can be addressed through reviews and PM's. So feel free. And remember, if you don't like it, then don't read it. I welcome constructive criticism and appreciative reviews. Any flames shall be doused under ignorance.

Next time: Hela and Harry have a discussion that's been 3 years overdue. Harry has questions answered and Hela gives him some news and an idea.

Hope you'll be ready for Chapter 2: Answers Overdue, Welcome News and Ideas Crazy

See you soon!

E.E.