𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 ; ʜᴘ

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

destiny ; a pretty story we tell ourselves while lurking beneath it are only people and the terrible choices we made

aurora norma black ; the broken child and the forlorn warrior. dull brown hair with scars painting her wrists

harry james potter ; a tired hero and a regretful man. sorry for what he did and what he failed to do

it took years to build hogwarts into what it was today. thousands of years of work and determination. beloved by all who graced its grounds, from the magical to the mundane. but its allure couldn't shield it from the ravages of a thirteen-year war.

yes. thirteen years. thirteen years of war.

thirteen years of fighting this endless war. no dark lords, no death eaters, no saviours and no saints. just the norms and the wizards. two different species fighting for nothing and everything.

and what did it mean? mass destruction.

everyone fighting with the intent of winning. no matter the costs. killing children, small children. humans but no humanity. muggleborns being caught up in the middle of this mass destruction. killed by neighbours, strangers, parents alike. some kept as captives so they could be studied.

they called it self defence. i call this bullshit.

the wizards had magic on their side yet it could do nothing against a nuclear bomb. they were at the best completely unprepared for a war against the norms. a war only destroys. a gruesome slaughter of everything living. no one can really escape from a war. no one. not even the survivors.

who would have known that the cause of * world war iii * would be magic.

magic that has now begun receding from this cruel planet. crying as her children were slaughtered in their sleep. promising in the presence of the five elements that she will take her revenge. filled with vengeance, she begins to seek him in the realm of the dead.

"i've been waiting for you." a familiar voice called out from behind her. she turned to glare at the tall man with albino white skin so pale that it was almost translucent with shoulder length black hair.

"thanatos!"

"magic!" he replied with fake enthusiasm. "got lost looking for your mother?"

"let her be." a soft voice was heard from behind him, stopping the fight that would've definitely happened here if not for her interruption.

"you always ruin my fun," death pouted as he looked at his counterpart.

"life." magic breathed in awe as she looked at her. face soft with an unnatural glow to it, a pair of green eyes with long brunette hair which were wildly curled and tucked in a long braid that reached her hips. a white golden floor length dress that hugged her body in contrast to her maroon red lips.

"stop gawking" death grumbled, his mood souring.

"umm hello." harry's voice broke the silence, his presence a stark contrast to the otherworldly beings surrounding him.

life turned and gave a beaming smile to the new person. "harry."

magic also turned and looked at this harry. he was tall, with messy black curls which framed that beautifully sculpted face but just not her type.

"you called me?"

"we, the council, have decided to send you back to restore the world and magic on earth." life answered as she smiled at harry.

"we did?" death and magic questioned in unison, their eyes narrowing at each other.

"yes we did," life confirmed, her voice firm.

"but why me?" harry asked, his confusion evident.

"yes why him?" again came the question in sync.

"why not you?" life replied, her gaze fixed on harry. "we've seen the things you've done, the sacrifices you've made."

"the risks and all the sacrifices i made didn't make them all that worthwhile to me," harry countered, his voice filled with doubt.

"yes, and now we all are giving you a chance to do all those things you'd failed to do the last time, save her this time around. you know the future. do it all right."

harry didn't respond. because before he knew it, the world around him had turned black.

"manipulation doesn't suit you well," death said to life who just smiled cryptically at him.

"will he be okay? i just feel that we just send him on a kind of suicide mission." magic mused.