Harry wasn’t sure where he was but he did know that it was all white and it looked like some ethereal version of Kings Cross Station. Dumbledore seemed to be waiting for him, sitting on one of the benches overlooking the tracks. “Ah, Harry, I was beginning to wonder when I would see you.” It was a statement, one that hit Harry in the chest like a train, Dumbledore had been expecting him, in a place beyond death.
Dumbledore had expected Harry Potter to die.
It seemed like an irrefutable fact now he thought of it, everything leading up to this very moment. All of the tests, his friends turning on him, the hopelessness at finding out he was the final horcrux, the convoluted plotting that the headmaster had used to end up at this moment, Harry wanted nothing to do with him.
Turning on his heel he span around to face away from the man and before he knew it he was running, way from any destiny that the man wanted to force on him and most importantly away from the man who seemed to have set him up to die, to become a martyr for a cause he was manipulated into believing was the only alternative to an almost unbelievable future.
It was only while he was running that he felt something settle over his shoulders, a familiar feeling, one that felt like home, before we knew it a wand had pressed itself into his right hand and a stone into the other.
Harry’s heart went cold, he knew the myth that went along with it, the Master of Death. He wanted nothing to do with it but he knew, he could see the spectral being just a few hundred yards away, cloaked in shadows with a large hood obscuring its face. There was no getting away from this being, his magic was almost singing with glee, anticipation and a sort of expectancy for what was next, he could only hope it was better than what he left behind him.
“Harry James Potter, we meet at last, although we must say that we hoped that it would have been longer than this” the being had a deceptively smooth voice, not male or female but calming, soothing, Harry hoped that whatever else this being had to say would be as kind as their voice seemed. “There is no need to be apprehensive little Master” the being said, tilting their head to one side “we’re merely here to offer you a choice, one that we intend for you to be fully aware of.”
‘I mean that’s a start’ Harry thought ‘and certainly better than any other I’ve had before.’
“Indeed it is little Master” Harry’s head whipped up, the being had responded to a thought, at least Harry thought that he had thought that. Maybe he hadn’t, maybe he was going crazy… Before he could continue the beeing spoke again,
“You’re not going crazy, little Master but we would like to speak to you properly.”
“I mean… if you're sure I’m not going crazy then… maybe…” Harry’s voice seemed impossibly far away to his ears; it felt like listening to someone behind a screen.
“We are very sure little Master, would you like to sit with us while we tell you of your decision?” the black robed figure swept their sleeve over the bench, an invitation to sit.
“S-Sure” Harry stuttered, not quite keeping the apprehension out of their voice.
“We’re not sure if you have fully realised what is going on, but we wanted to let you have all the information possible. To start with, we are known as Death, you may refer to us as Death or by any other name you deem appropriate.”
“Right, Death…” Harry’s voice trailed off, not quite up to providing his side of the conversation.
“You don’t have to say anything little Master, we will run you through what you can do and then you can have as much time as you need to make the next choice.” The being seemed so considerate to Harry, he’d never known anyone like this. Someone who was willing to wait for Harry to find the words when they failed him and not demand a response straight away and as much as he loved his sister in all but blood, Hermione tended to demand an instant response to anything she said.
“First things first, we must inform you that you died, but you died in possession of the three artefacts that we once bestowed upon the magical populace to produce someone with whom we could converse with, to keep us company.” Harry supposed he could understand that, he knew what being lonely was and he imagined that being Death was one of the loneliest jobs in the universe to do.
“We want you to decide what you do in the future, as it stands you have three decisions.” the spectre held up a hand, the sleeve sliding down until three pale fingers were seen. “The first is to go back to your body not long after your death.” Death put a finger down, “be aware this is only the first of three choices and we want you to listen to them all.” Death seemed to have preempted the next words out of his mouth, whether it was the saving people thing of the small part of him that was Dumbledore’s voice that told him this was the only right choice. “The second choice is to board a train, come with us and perform your role as the Master of Death.” Hary considered it, spending eternity with someone he might see as a friend, was it worth it? “The final choice is to change things, go back to that Samhain night nearly seventeen years ago and live a new life. We would find you someone to raise you, you would be loved and most of all you might gain a family.” He knew, he wanted that, was it selfish to wish he could have a family? Probably? Harry didn’t know what to do, he didn’t want to be selfish but at the same time…
“It is not selfish to wish for something you should have always had little Master” Harry’s head once again snapped up, ‘why wasn’t that selfish’ the thought seemed to spin in his brain ‘why…’ the next thing Harry knew was a hand on his own, fingers impossibly cold. The icy feeling grounded him before he spiralled.
“You are not a selfish person little Master, we wish for you to be happy most of all, if you want the third option then that is what you will have” the being’s voice soothed him, it was liberating to have a choice that was his, he could decide for once.
“W-What about everyone else?” Harry couldn’t keep the emotion out of his voice, was it still selfish to want a family at the expense of everyone else?
“No matter what you choose, the outcome for your friends in that world will be the same. The one named Tom Marvolo Riddle will perish, whether you are there or not.” And wasn’t that liberating, the thought that his decision would not impact what happened to his friends.
“Could I then… Can I…” words seemed to fail Harry as he twisted his fingers pulling sharply in an attempt to keep himself in the present.
“Of course you can, do you want that?” The being’s hand came up to cradle Harry’s face and for the first time two pitch black eyes stared back into his own. Harry nodded, not trusting words at that moment. “We’ll send you back with someone to teach you, as well as our own Hallows. You have already severed the tie to the horcrux in your scar and as such we won’t let that go back into your head.” Death’s other hand came up to hold the other side of Harry’s face before his forehead came forward to rest on Harry’s own. “We wish you well Master, we hope that you live a better life this time but you should still probably destroy those other soul shards if you don’t want that abomination to come back.” Death sat back, their hands moving to settle on Harry’s shoulders before he pressed a kiss into his forehead. “Please do call us whenever you wish, little master” and then all he knew was black.