Chapter 1
Title: A Twist in Time
The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and the low rumble of chaos that surrounded the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry Potter stood on the battleground, victorious yet haunted. Voldemort had fallen, but the Dark Lord's last act, revealing a Time-Turner hidden in his pocket, sent a chill down Harry’s spine. Before he could react, Voldemort activated the device, and golden sparks enveloped him. In an instant, both vanished.
When Voldemort opened his eyes, the landscape was drastically different; he was back in 1977, a year that shimmered with untapped possibilities. As he glanced down at his hands, the Time-Turner shattered into a million gleaming shards. A wicked smile crept across his face. “Hahaha! Looks like I’m going to have to kill that Mudblood before that brat is born.”
With the cunning of a serpent and the cold ambition of a man reborn, Voldemort summoned his Horcrux. The air crackled as he drew the fragments of his soul back into himself, feeling a surge of strength coursing through him. His features morphed and twisted, replacing the visage of terror with that of a strikingly handsome young man. He looked every bit the charming enigma, a facade that could ensnare the unsuspecting.
Just then, a loud crash echoed through the air—a battered car careened wildly, edging closer to him. Unthinking, he raised his wand, feeling a thrill at the thought of obliterating anyone who dared to interrupt his plans. “Avada Kedavra!” he shouted, the green light shooting toward his target.
He hadn't calculated the trajectory of the vehicle. Inside, a jovial Vernon Dursley was animatedly recounting a recent encounter with a woman he deemed filthily poor but potentially his next conquest. “I’m telling you, Marge! She’s dead poor; all I have to do is shower her with gifts and money, and she’ll be mine!” he laughed, their cruel mirth echoing through the confined space.
“ Vernon, lookout!” she screamed as the car thudded against Voldemort, flames igniting and consuming everything in a vicious dance of fury.
In one perilous, chaotic moment, Voldemort, the master of death, met his end—not by the hands of a wizard but by something as mundane as a car crash. His ambition flared out, a mere wisp in the wind, just like the ashes that settled where flesh once was, leaving only a void behind.
Meanwhile, in a diner just down the block, Petunia Evans leaned against a rickety table, exhaustion etched on her face. The weight of labor bore down on her, and the bitterness boiled within. “Damn you, Lily! If you hadn’t gone off to that stupid school, Mom and Dad wouldn’t be buried in debt!” she spat out, her coworker Emma attempting to soothe her.
“Have you tried contacting your sister?” Emma asked, a note of concern lacing her words.
Petunia scoffed, wiping her hands on her apron. “I have! I reached out to everyone! All I got was the door slammed in my face, telling me Lily's too busy with her important life,” she replied, disdain dripping from her voice.
Just then, a man with a sinister air entered the diner. He had the look of a shark: slicked hair, tailored suit, and an unsettling smile. “You’re running out of time, dear,” he said smoothly, settling himself on the stool beside her.
Petunia felt her heart drop. "I’m trying—I swear."
“Listen closely. You have exactly one month to pay off your debts. If not…” he leaned in, eyes narrowing, “you wouldn’t like what happens next.” With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he departed, leaving her with a sense of impending doom.
“Emma,” Petunia said weakly, “I don’t know how I’ll manage.”
Her friend placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I wish I could help, Petunia. But you have to find a way.”
Defeated, Petunia trudged home. Outside, police officers were gathered around the remnants of the burned car, removing charred remains. She stepped closer, curiosity getting the better of her. “What happened?” she inquired.
“A tragic accident,” one officer replied. “Looks like the driver was drunk.” With a shrug, he walked away, leaving her muddled mind to process the news. As she turned away, the reality of her life settled uncomfortably around her, fueling her resentment toward her sister—the one who had left her behind.
Petunia wondered if the Dursleys were once again a part of a cruel twist of fate, all while the reality of her own struggles loomed like an unyielding shadow. With every step back to her dilapidated apartment, her thoughts darkened, consumed by the burdens that labeled her a failure in her own eyes.
Little did she know, life would soon throw another wild card her way—one that would change the very fabric of her existence and the legacy of the wizarding world forever.