Death is but the Next Great Adventure

"It is Not Death, it is Dying That Alarms Me"

Chapter Summary: Harry finds out the truth about his parents, Tom Riddle, and even more about Hogwarts. Harry goes to the Zoo with the Dursley's for Dudley's birthday and later Harry receives his Hogwarts letter. One Harry's eleventh birthday, he finds out the truth about what exactly happened that night in Godric's Hollow and experiences his first death since he was an infant.

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When Harry turned nine, he finally asked the question he'd been avoiding since finding out about his heritage. 'What happened to Lily and James Potter?'

By then, Harry had come to believe that his invisible friend was exactly who he claimed to be—Death. Between believing that he was a complete nutter or that he was magic, Harry would much prefer the latter. As Death, he would have to know something about what happened to his parents.

Harry wasn't really shocked or surprised when he heard the story of how he'd lost his parents. His companion had of course mentioned the First Wizarding War when explaining what Harry would be submerged into as soon as he made an appearance at Hogwarts. He'd heard tales of the Dark Lord in great battles and the fear that only his name had brought.

Over time he explained more, settling more and more pieces of the puzzle into place for Harry to see. It started with the night his parents were killed and how he had supposedly vanquished the Dark Lord—Harry had scoffed at that part and the incredulity of an infant defeating an all-powerful wizard. The tales were told unbiased and apathetically, which Harry found strangely comforting. People always say that history is written by the victors, and Harry much preferred his information without opinions attached.

Harry found the complex and fantastical tale to be fascinating, and would often ask about Voldemort and Dumbledore and Grindelwald and the epic that had become his life. Harry soaked up all of the information like a sponge, along with more spells and charms and even a hex or two, wizarding etiquette, basic lectures on the wizarding world system and how it relates to the muggle world. It was a lot to take in, but surprisingly, Death was a good teacher. Apparently the dead didn't like to converse with him, they were too scared to, and so he enjoyed discussing the different things he'd witnessed about the changing world (both muggle and magical) around him, with Harry.

When Harry's tenth birthday came and went, Death began to focus more on the Hogwarts curriculum and social structures within the school. Harry's demeanor in regards to Hogwarts mellowed out quite a bit, but he was still very excited to see this new world that'd been just out of his reach all those years.

Along with more information about the school, Harry was also given more information on the man who had killed his parents. More specifically, who he was before he'd barged into Godric's Hollow. Tom Marvolo Riddle had been a powerful and prodigal half-blood boy before he slowly transformed into the dreadful Dark Lord that had terrorized Wizarding Britain for decades. An ambitious boy who sought out immortality, despite the grave costs, in order to avoid a mundane and 'muggle death'.

Harry was given vague information about Horcruxes. Harry didn't know the specifics, but he knew the basics of how they were made, how they tampered with the soul, and that Voldemort had somehow made more than one and it was one of the main contributors to Tom Riddle's devolution into Lord Voldemort.

It had shocked Harry to find out just how similar their early lives were. Half-blood orphans left in the care of muggles who feared and hated them. Harry didn't feel bad for Tom. They had such similar experiences, but Harry wasn't headed down the same path. He wasn't consumed by rage or the need to prove he was superior. Harry didn't feel much of anything towards his relatives, in fact. They weren't good people by any stretch, but they also weren't worth the time and effort.