Post Mortem

Prologue

HARRY POTTER'S POV

I looked around me taking in my loved ones, “You’ll stay with me?” I asked, my mother nodded, “Always,” she smiled. I nodded and began to head towards the meeting place, going to my death. I know I need to do this, of course I need to do this, to save everyone, it’s my duty. I set my shoulders and clenched my fists, making my strides longer, trying for the world in looking confident, trying to fool everyone, as usual. I came to the clearing and watched the sickening grin that overcame Voldermort’s face. “The boy who lived… come to die,” he smiled a gleeful smile and lifted his wand, I released a breath and opened my arms allowing the green light to overcome me.

I wasn’t expecting to wake up in a train station… or to wake up ever honestly. I slowly sat up from where I was laying on the ground, looking around in confusion. I began to slowly walk in a random direction, looking around for other people but I was very clearly alone. I kept walking, surely there will be a way out of here, I need to get out and help my friends if I can. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” a soothing yet rough voice said from behind me, I quickly turned to see a hooded being behind me, “What do you mean?” I asked with a furrowed brow.

“You’re dead Master Potter. I cannot allow you to go back to your reality. Your reality no longer needs you, it has played out as it should,” the figure said, though now I can only assume that this figure is Death, “Death is such a fickle name, please call me Mortem. You’re less likely to get confused when talking about being dead or death in general,” they said with a wave of a hand. I took in their features, there was smooth porcelain white skin with what seemed to be a skull intricately etched onto their face, I couldn’t tell the gender, the features could easily be female or male, they had short white hair that slightly peeked out from their hood. “I do not have a gender Master Potter,” they chuckled. I nodded, before grimacing, “I need to go back to my ‘reality’ as you put it. My friends need me, we’re in the middle of a war for crying out loud!”

Mortem sighed as he rolled his eyes, “They don’t need you, in fact those people never needed you, somebody else did however. I could send you back but the outcome would just be the same, you might live a little longer but overall everything would still be the same,” his tone was annoyed as he impatiently tapped his foot on the marble floor. I ran my fingers through my hair, and thought for a moment, though I could tell that whatever I’m thinking is definitely being heard by Mortem.

“What are my options?” I finally sighed, they scoffed, “What makes you think that you have options?” I raised my brows at them, Mortem sighed before turning their back on me and began to walk away, I quickly followed. “Alright here are your options; you can move on and reunite with your loved ones who decided to pass on, you can be reincarnated, or your final option you can go back to the past as you are now.” Mortem sounded completely put out and done with everything. “Are you normally this pleasant to deal with?” I sarcastically asked. Mortem smiled a pointed smile, “I’m only like this to the Master’s of Death, which happens to be you right now,” he sighed.

I furrowed my brows at him, “I’m the Master of Death? I’m the master of you?” I asked shocked. Mortem sighed as he massaged the bridge of his nose, “Yes, which means that you have the rare opportunity to come back to life however, I won’t let you because your reality is fulfilled, it’s done, you’re not going back.” they glared down at me in annoyance. “Right, then could you explain to me how I would go into the past as I am?” They smiled at me, “Certainly. What I mean is that I can send you back to any time you so wish, as you are; meaning that you wouldn't come back as an infant or any younger, unless you wanted to. I could send you back older and wiser, younger with all the knowledge in the universe, or I could send you back just like this,” he gestured to me in disgust. I sighed and scrubbed my face with my hands. “Can I think for a moment?” They sighed, “You have all the time in the world, for now. If you need me just holler my name,” with that he disappeared.

I sighed and sat on a nearby bench, I rested my head in my hands and began to contemplate. I could go way back in time to the time that Tom Riddle was in school and influence him… I could adopt him and care for him as my own. I could go just a little bit into the future and live as a completely new person. I could just move on and be with my loved ones. I could be reincarnated and live a completely different life with no recollection of this life. I sighed as I laced my fingers into my hair. I just want to go right back from where I just was and help my friends, but Mortem clearly doesn’t want me to.

That’s when it struck me the exact thing that I wanted to do, the exact thing that I needed to do. “That is an idea,” I turned to see Mortem looking at me in interest, “I have a feeling that we’re going to be partners for a while,” they smiled a shark like smile, before walking closer to me, “Let’s do this, I’ll give you everything you need and I’m only a holler away if you need anything. You’ll have a new name obviously and I’ll change your looks a bit so that you’re not so Potter. You’ll find everything you need to know in your office, and I’ll throw in a little gift for you. Knowledge and an actual working brain.”

I was just about to protest when they snapped and my vision went black.