Chapter 1
Harry groaned as he blinked his eyes open. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. It looked as though he was at a massive white Platform 9 ¾. He grabbed onto a bench and pulled himself up. Harry looked around in confusion as he glanced around the Platform. Suddenly, a loud cry filled the station. He blinked in surprise, noticing there was a weird, baby-like thing under the bench. “Wha-”, Harry crouched down, moving to grab the baby from under the bench.
“Do not touch it, Master.” A voice came from over his shoulder.
Harry quickly stood up and turned around to where he heard the voice come from, yet saw nothing there. “Who’s there?”, he called out.
“Ah yes, I forgot.” A dark mass appeared and began to wither into a new shape— a black stag. The stag looked just like Prongs, the only difference being Prongs was a bright silver-white and the stag in front of him was as dark as a shadow. The stag’s luminescence white eyes focused on Harry. “Hello Master, now can you see me?”
“Uh, yeah.” Harry blinked. “Who-, what’s happening?”
The stag- who he firmly decided to call him Not-Prongs in his head (after all who would hear it?) -walked over to him. “Follow me.”
“Wait, what about the baby?”, Harry asked as he turned to look back at the baby under the bench. He crouched down and reached under the bench to grab the baby.
Not-Prongs laughed softly, “That’s the Horcrux, Master.” Harry made a face at the baby-Horcrux-Mini Tom thing when he heard the ugly little thing cry out yet again.
“I want to save it. Can I?”
“You may take it with you.” Not-Prongs agreed. “But there is a price.”
“Can I make it happy?”
“Kind Master,” Not-Prongs answered. “If you take it with you to wherever you go next, then you will not have the chance to be separate from it again. It will become one with you. There will be no second chances.”
“Why is it like this?”, Harry asked, confused beyond belief at the whole situation.
Not-Prongs laughed softly, waving its antlers as a way to use magic to conjure a chair- kinda like a normal wizard would wave their wand. “Sit Master, I will explain to you all you wish to know.”
Harry glanced at the chair before he sat down on the floor, choosing to stay near the Horcrux thing. “So, what is happening? ” he asked, waving his hands around. “Like, what happened to 9 ¾?! Why is it white? Who are you? Why are you calling me Master? Am I dead? Why is the Horcrux like this?”
“Calm, Master and let me answer”, Not-Prongs answered. “In a sense, you are dead.”
“Ok, that’s a start.” Harry nodded. He froze for a second before he realized what Not-Prongs said. “Wait, Whatta ya mean ‘in a sense’? Can’t you just be dead or alive?!”
Not-Prongs laughed. “You are in the In-Between. You are neither dead nor alive, you are between the two worlds.”
“Great.”
“Each In-Between is different. You see Platform 9 ¾ as the place where you first were given a taste of freedom. It was the first time you saw the light. So your In-Between is Platform 9 ¾.”
Harry nodded slowly. “I get that. Kinda.” He looked back at the Horcrux. “Why is the Horcrux like this?”
Not-Prongs chuckled. “Now, I think you know the answer to that, Little One.”
Harry glared at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You walked to your death, knowing if you died, all of you would die.”
“I never meant for it to become this.”
“There is not much to be done now.”, Not-Prongs shrugged. “But you do have some choices.”
“What do you mean choices? What choices do I have?” Harry asked as he stood up, pacing around. “How do I even have choices?! I’m dead!”
“Once there were three brothers.”, Not-Prongs said, as if that answered everything .
Harry paused, the pieces slowly falling into place. He turned slowly towards Not-Prongs. “The Deathly Hallows?”
“Correct Master.”
“You mean, I am the Master of Death?” Harry asked, disbelief coloring his voice. “Is that level of magic even possible? Wait, are you Death?”
Not-Prongs, Death , laughed. “Yes, Master. You are the Master and I am Death. Two Hallows were my power to give. One was not, but my friend knew what I was planning to do and permitted it.”
“Was it the Wand?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Do you need to call me Master every time to say something to me?”
“Are you annoyed by it?”
Harry shrugged. “I’m just Harry. It’s not needed.”
“You have not changed.”
“We’ve met before?”
Death nodded his head. “A few times, in this life and the previous one.”
“I had a previous life?”
Death nodded. “You did.”
“Perhaps it is best if I were to explain.” A melodic voice came from Harry’s left.
Harry yelped as he turned to look at the voice. “Who-?”
“I am who you would know to be Life.” The disembodied voice answered.
Death let out a chuckle. “My dear, I would recommend choosing a physical form to take.”
“Very well.” With a flash of light, the Lady manifested her energy into the form of a dove. “Hello.”
“Hi.” Harry fidgeted. “So what exactly am I doing here?”
Life cooed softly. “Shush my child. Listen to what I have to say and then you may ask any questions you would like answered.” Harry tensed for a second before nodding. Life flapped over and landed on his head. She groomed his hair as she began her tale. “Once there were three brothers, each who received a Gift from outsmarting Death. Yet each passed in time, claimed by the Dark One. When each brother passed, they received a boon from Lady Magic, each dependent upon what they did with their gift from Death.”
“The eldest- for being the first to lose his gift -would have the power to one day return to the mortal world to live only for one mortal life. The second brother- for being the second to lose his gift -received the ability to return to the mortal world to live two mortal lives. The youngest- as he was the one to keep his gift until he passed it to his son -received the power to return and live as a mortal three times. Yet the youngest brother refused his gift. He saw no need to live once again. He had been happy in his life and saw no need to return. His only wish was to be with his family once more.”
“Both the eldest and second returned to the mortal world and used all of their lives. The youngest refused again and again. Death saw the third as his closest friend. The youngest brother knew the Dark One quite well. So he offered the youngest a deal. The third brother’s sole descendant and the last of his line was barren. The youngest could exchange his remaining two lives if he returned to the mortal realm and lived happily as his descendent’s son.”
“The third brother agreed. The Lady’s offered the third brother’s memories of his previous life to be removed and saved for when he moved on to his After. The brother agreed and left for the mortal world.”
“And with the decision made, James Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans were blessed with a baby boy.”
Harry blinked. “Wait, I’m the third brother?”
“Ignotus Perverell.” Death said, affection coloring his voice. “I have no shame in admitting you to be my favorite mortal.”
Harry nodded slowly. “I died twice. Once as a baby and just now.”
Death shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, my dear friend. I was looking forward to walking with you, but the deal was for you to live happily . You must complete a life in happiness before you will be able to pass on the rest of your lives.”
Harry blinked. “But I was happy.”
“You were happy at times, but not happy to live.” Life told him softly. “You proved that yourself when you chose to walk to your death rather than fight for your life.”
Harry sat there for a moment. “So I need to live again?”
“You have some more options now, Ignotus.” Death told him. “You can return to the life you just left.”
Life flapped her wings. “Though I do not think our Lady would count that as your one life.”
“You may start a new one.”
“The easiest solution.”
“Or you may return to the first time you faced and overcame me in your previous life with the memories of your lives and what you have gained here”
Harry bit his lip. “Ok, I have some questions.” He took a deep breath. “If James and Lily couldn’t have kids then how did Harry Potter come to exist?”
Life cooed. “That’s an easy answer, dear. A body is blood, flesh, and bone. You were given a bone from Death, blood from Cadmus’s descendent, and flesh from Antioch’s line.”
“Cadmus and Antioch?”
“Your brothers, dear friend.”
Harry nodded slowly. “Did they choose to…” he bit his lip, unsure of how to continue this question.
Death nodded. “They did. When Antioch heard what you wanted to do, he was confused. He could not imagine giving away such a massive form of power. Cadmus found it entertaining as it sounded so much like you.”
“I don’t want power.”, Harry shrugged.
“Then you haven’t changed at all, Little Brother.” A deep voice came from behind Harry. He turned ever so slowly, taking in the appearance of his two brothers.
“Uh… hi?”
The taller one laughed. “Yep, that is definitely you.” He walked over quickly and embraced his younger brother. “Hello, Iggie.”
Harry blushed slightly. “Hi,” he replied as he awkwardly hugged him back.
The other brother snorted. “He doesn’t remember us.” he reminded the other. He turned to his younger brother. “Iggie, I’m Antioch and the sentimental idiot is Cadmus.”
Cadmus glared at him. “I’m not an idiot.”
“Well, considering your death was because of your love I’d say you are.”
Harry laughed slightly. “But you died before him because of your pride, Titi.”
Antioch glared at him a second before preening. “You remember me.”
“A little,” Harry admitted. “I guess being on this side again is weakening the hold there is on my memories.”
Life flew over to Death and landed on his antler. “Oh, please. Of course, his memories are returning. Death would never willingly let his favorite walk without the past he shares with him.”
Cadmus looked at Death. “May I ask why you appear as a stag, oh Dark One?”
Death laughed quietly. “My appearance is to fit my needs. My Master’s greatest fear was Dementors, who I resembled in that form. So I took the shape of my Master’s spirit.”
“That’s my next question,” Harry asked as he raised his head. “How did I become the Master of Death?”
Life cooed happily. “Oh, my dear sweet, little boy. Our Lady is the only one who can truly answer that question.”
“Can I ask her?”
Death chuckled. “Not yet, my friend. You will meet her when your one life is up.”
Harry nodded and paused, frowning. “Wait. if I were to complete all my lives before I live a happy one, would that count for all my lives?”
Life and Death shared a glance. “No Master.” Death shook his head. “You made a deal with our Lady. She is kind but stubborn. Only once you live happily is when you may move on.”
Harry groaned. “Bloody hell, are you kidding me?! So I need to keep living over and over again till I fulfill my end of the deal?”
Death shrugged. “Sorry Master. I can’t command the Lady. Nor can you.”
“Great.” Harry covered his face. “So we can’t cover the Master of Death thing.” He paused as he looked down. “But aren’t I the Chosen One who has to defeat the Dark Lord or something like that?”
Death laughed. “No. The prophecy was fake. Besides, it was the Dark Lord’s blood that created you.”
“My whole life was dictated by a prophecy that wasn’t even real?!”
“Sorry, but yes Master.”
“Great.” Harry snarled. “So what exactly does living happily mean?”
“You live for what you want and what you want alone.”, Antioch told him with a grin.
Cadmus placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Just don’t go overboard and get yourself killed early. If you die early or unselfishly, then you have to restart again.”
“Great.” Harry sighed.
Antioch smirked. “This means sticking with the house you actually want, not holding back for others, sticking up for yourself-”
“Titi.”
“Yes?”
“Shut up.”
“At least you will see your sister this time,” Cadmus said cheerfully.
“Wait, what sister?” Harry asked slowly.
“Lily Potter had a child before you. Did you not know that?”
Harry sneered. “No, because no one ever told me anything.” He sighed in frustration. “Where was she then?”
“She died in 1995. She was on a mission and died saving her friend.”
“So the saving-people thing is an Evans family thing?” Harry rubbed his face. “I think I know what I want to do.”
Death nodded. “What do you choose Master?”
“I choose to go back to the first time I died in my previous life as Harry Potter.”