Do I have to?
Terrence had just died. Nuff Said.
Except the Magical Ball of Energy (He refused to call it God!), gave him another chance, to live in the Harry Potter Universe. But he had to complete a task.
===
“Hello?”
Terrence didn’t open his eyes. He was dead that part was for sure. But heaven or hell? Or was the afterlife secular or was there no afterlife just an eternal field? Was it an eternal void?
OhgodOhgodOhgodOhgodOhgodOhgodOhgod
“Terrence?” A deep voice boomed, “Kindly open your eyes now.”
Okay so he wasn’t alone. Good. But where was he? The curiosity was killing him. Heh. – No not the time to joke- Ter, you can do this. Open your-
“Terrence Miller, open your eyes.”
He preferred not knowing anything the moment he would open his eyes the Shrodinger’s afterlife would become one final reality. But would it?
A different voice drawled, “Is this the boy you want to replace me with? He’s scared of opening his eyes! For Merlin’s sake! at least find someone who’s capable of walking in my shoes.”
He wasn’t a coward! Terrence’s eyes flew open as he glared at the person who was - Hot. He was hot. Like dark hair, great jaw structure and dark eyes hot.
And he was the person staring at him rather dismissively, next to a – Terrence blinked- A floating ball of energy which pulsed everytime it spoke. “Hello Terrence. Welcome to the Potterverse.”
“W-What?”
The boy rolled his eyes while the ball continued to speak, “You died. I brought you here. See, Tom and I, recently concluded a deal.”
The hot guy was Tom Riddle, of course he was, first guy Terrence met in the afterlife, and it was a murderous genocidal maniac. But Terrence wasn’t an idiot. “What does all this have to do with me?”
The Ball spoke, “You love the Potterverse. You are a potterhead and you can replace Tom, here in his role.”
Terrence narrowed his eyes, “So I’ll be stuck inside a diary, for who knows how long only to die when stabbed?”
“Wait how do you know the future?” Tom’s eyes glittered with curiosity, but not the innocent kind, the kind which was eager to dissect Terrence, and take him apart. But Terrence wasn’t going to tell Lord Voldermort, how to escape his fate. He pretty much deserved it.
“Answer my question!”
Terrence turned to the ball-no orb sounded better-yes Orb, ignoring him. “Answer my question.”
“The reason you are needed is simple an exchange is required a soul for half a soul to pass on.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Well, the answer to your question is unlike Tom, you won’t be restricted to the diary, at least not forever. See you are a soul who never cast the Horcrux curse, and you are a whole soul, not a part. This means your powers will naturally be stronger than Tom’s here.”
“But I’ll be a human right? I mean a muggle?”
“No, you see Tom here is half a soul and he is trading his let’s say situation here to pass on to the afterlife. So, he needs to give something extra-”
Tom was grimacing. “And that extra aspect means you get my magic, my knowledge, my memories and-” Now he was hesitating, what could make Tom Riddle hesitate? “My appearance.”
“Wait what?”
The Orb continued, “Tom will not gain your appearance either. He will look like me. He will be one among many and his memories will be wiped clean.”
Should he be happy? Like he would be a soul trapped inside a diary. No escape. But he would look like a teenaged Voldemort. Who was- Argh! Okay he wanted this, but he also didn’t- It felt shallow selfish and- Tom Riddle was sneering at him.
No. He was dead, and it was okay to do whatever. But first. “And what about after I become Tom? I do what he did- will do?”
“No, you can do whatever you want. Except for one thing. See, Tom will be transferred to the beyond, but he will not be whole. So, this exchange can’t be sustained since it still requires balance. So, you will need to destroy the remaining Horcruxes and return the remaining halves of his soul. Once you do so, your place here will become permanent. That is you will be able to live a normal wizard’s life.”
Killing the darkest wizard alive? That was one thing?
Tom sighed, “I have been trapped here for years. When I gave the Horcrux to Abraxas I never imagined this would result in a fifty-year prison sentence.”
He gestured around him. The room was a box. A grey brick textured walled box which inexplicably had light from somewhere.
“I would do anything to escape this prison if it means giving up on my dream and my – everything. I don’t care.”
“I’m not hearing a good reason to be you.”
He frowned, “I can see where you’re coming from but you have an advantage. You clearly know the future. Exactly how it works and based on what I’ve been able to deduce, you are not known to my other version. So you have foreknowledge and are unknown. That is a huge advantage.”
He smirked, “Besides you definitely want this face if nothing else. With my knowledge and my magic, you will be unstoppable. I will not be able to see you coming.”
He could see why people had gravitated towards him. He was good, really good.
And he did want that face. He wanted it and he wanted magic and he-
“Fine.” Terrence shrugged. “Let’s go.”