Prologue
The night was unusually cold for this time of year, a light layer of snow coated the ground as he walked towards the cottage that held his targets. This war needed to end and soon. Too much magical blood had been spilled. And now due to a prophecy, he was cornered into doing a task that he swore to himself that he would never do, kill a young child. But to ensure that their world would survive and prosper, he would do whatever was necessary. At least he will make it quick and painless. Lord Voldemort may be a monster, but there were few lines he would never cross.
His little spy was watching the children tonight, so it was easy to enter as Wormtail groveled before him. Pathetic little creature. As he strode into the nursery with Wormtail a few steps behind him, he was greeted by the sight of two toddlers were sitting in the crib, Heir Hadrian and Richard Potter. Though the two boys shared a womb together, they shared few similarities. Richard favored his father in appearance but with his mothers coloring, though his eyes were more hazel than green. His twin, Hadrian however, was the opposite. He favored his mothers elfin-like features with his fathers coloring, though he thought there was a red undertone in his black hair. Though his eyes eerily resembled the green of the killing curse, similar to how his own eyes now resembled the red of the cruciatus.
It was those eyes, staring at him with curiosity while the other cried, that had him decide to point his wand at the elder twin first.
"Though this life shall be cut short child, I wish you a bountiful next life. Avada -" He stopped mid spell. There was something else in the room.
He turned to look at his follower and found that Wormtail looked to be petrified, or more exactly, frozen in time. Disgust flowed through him when he beheld the worms expression, it was filled with glee as if he was going to greatly enjoy watching his Lord kill the babes. Voldemort made note to correct that at a later time as he turned to face the children once more. Richard sat frozen mid wail like Wormtail was, but Heir Potter was mobile, and playing with a man that wasn’t there a moment ago. This man was bone pale, draped in a shimmering silvery cloak with long black hair that flowed down to his collar bone. His face was avian like, but those eyes that were locked onto Hadrian told Lord Voldemort that what was before him was not human and something he could never hope to match, those eyes with their snake-like pupils burned like they held the fires of hell within the black voids of the sclera. And Voldemort, felt fear.
“It is good that you stopped Tom,” said the being, “I wished to have a conversation with you.”
“Is it not proper to first give your name, especially as you seem to know mine, before this conversation is to begin.” Hissed Voldemort at the one who dared to use his birth name.
A soft chuckle escaped him as the being answered “I am known by many names among mortals, you may call me Thanatos. But to all, I am simply Death.”
For the first time in his life, Voldemort didn’t know what to do. The Ancient Eldritch that he tried so hard to escape was before him. He had to pull himself together, find out what Death wanted. The Gods don’t cross into the mortal plain for no reason, he had to tread carefully if he wanted to come out of this alive.
“And what is your business here, you mentioned a conversation.”
“Yes,” stated Thanatos softly, “In part, I wished to make a deal with you.”
A deal with Death thought Voldemort, what is the world coming to?
“I shall listen.”
“The world of the Wix here on the Isles is tearing itself apart. Wizards and Witches have forgotten their roots, the reason the power that flows through their veins is even there. The rituals that renew their power and that of the ley lines are being forcefully forgotten by those that call themselves Light and good, only those that call themselves dark remember anything anymore while the neutrals sit aside and to nothing as the world destroys itself.”
Voldemort agreed with this, that is the reason this war even began, to keep the magic alive.
“My sister Hecate once blessed the isles long ago, due to the blessing, a convergence of seven ley lines was created at the sight of the blessing, no other place has this high of a number of ley lines meeting, Hogwarts now stands directly above this convergence and uses it to power the wards. But there is a negative side effect of this as well. The ley lines are like the blood vessels of the world, all are interconnected to spread across the world, and it all flows beneath that school, where it becomes poisoned.”
This shocked the Dark Lord, magic was being poisoned at Hogwarts, how?
“It started while Dippet was Headmaster. I don’t need to remind you who taught there at the time do I.”
No, he did not.
“It started small with only him, until he started corrupting the minds of others. Then a few became many, and the lines poisoning began in full. With this, the magic of the world began to weaken and wither away. The Rituals for the eight sacred days taught by my sister to the First Wix of the Isles, the ancestors to what you know as the Sacred Twenty Eight, were to help the magic of the earth and keep the balance. Magic is dying Tom, and the deities can do nothing as our laws prevent us from interfering with the lives of mortals.”
“If the gods can not interfere, how can you speak to me now, here on the mortal plane of the living?”
Death chuckled, “You already know the answer Tom, use that great intelligence of yours.”
He already possessed the answer. What is it. Wait, the date, today is October 31st, near midnight no less, the most powerful point of one of the eight sacred days, Samhain. The day where the veil between life and death was at its thinnest.
“Yes Tom, but that is not the full answer, there is another reason why I can speak with you on this night.” Said Death, startling Voldemort from his thoughts.
“What?”
“Your Horcruxes Tom, by splitting your soul you are no linger completely mortal, combined with the fact that you began the spell of death when the veil is thinnest opened the way for me to come here for a short time, with the help of Chronos stopping time for us to complete our talk.”
“I see, what is it that is needed to repair magic and what of the deal.”
Death leaned back against the wall with the child held tenderly in his arms. “I need you to ‘die’.”
“Not happening.” Snarled Voldemort.
Before he could continue, Thanatos stared directly into his eyes and Voldemort felt vulnerable with Death staring directly into what was left of his soul.
“It would benefit you to hear everything I have to say,” said Thanatos, “What is needed of you is for your body to die. You shall not cross to my realm yet with your horcruxes to keep you anchored in the mortal realm. In 13 years time a new body shall be created for you, free of poisons and curses cast upon you by the fool.”
It was almost tempting but, “Why 13 years?”
“It will be the time for my chosen to learn and grow into his power, and he will help in your revival when the time comes.” Said Thanatos turning his now fond gaze to the child in his arms. “During those years you are gone, your followers will be tested, the light will celebrate, your culture and magic shall degrade and fall deeper into the corruption. With your revival however, provided you make the best choices available to you, magic shall be revived and the rot consuming this world shall be contained, eventually to be eliminated and balance restored. While you are ‘dead’, we deities will teach you everything you need to know so that when you have a body again you may teach the Wix their roots again, revive this world on the brink of collapse. This is the task that We of all the pantheons of this realm place upon you Tom Marvolo Riddle, Chosen of The Morrigan.”
It was a massive task given to a monster such as him, but it was given by all the gods, spoken through Death. This task is what he was planning on doing though but on a larger scale.
“So, I must lose my body, let my friends and followers suffer, allow the degradation of the world for 13 years, so a teenager may then revive me to revive the world with your teachings. And what do you mean that I am the chosen of the Morrigan?”
Thanatos only nodded but had this look about him as if he was holding back information and simply said “Many of your answers shall come to you in time Tom. So make your choice.”
Truly, was he even able to make the choice. For everyone to survive, he had to follow the wishes of the gods.
“Place the child in the crib, and it shall be as you said.” Replied Voldemort softly.
Death smiled.
They smiled and then traced two runes above the child’s right eye. The first he didn’t quite catch while the second was cut into the babes skin was the sowilo rune. The child was placed back into the crib with his brother who was slowly starting to move again.
“Cast the curse Tom, and let us all begin.”
And so, the curse of death was cast so that the world may once again know life.