Chapter Text
As Harry stood opposite Voldemort, willingly allowing him to aim at him without raising his own in return, he considered his choices in life.
Could he have prevented this? Probably. Could he have his instead of seeking out his death? Definitely. But in the end, he felt he had to do this. For his friends…for everyone he cared about.
If removing this Horcrux gave them a chance, then he would face death with a smile on his face. And so, as the green curse washed over him for a second time in his life, he smiled at Voldemort "Gotcha Snake face. Checkmate"
When he was hit by the spell, Harry expected several things. He expected the bright light…the slight feeling of weightlessness. He expected pain, though there was none. What he was not expecting was the amount of noise!
His ears were bombarded by the sounds of hundreds of voices, of numerous feet walking around him. He heard the clanking of machinery and the unmistakable tone of a tannoy system, blaring out a message no one can really make out despite its volume.
Opening his eyes and looking around himself, he was surprised to find himself on a busy platform. All around him, people bustled to and fro, entering trains and pulling suitcases around. A quick glance around showed that he recognised this location. "Kings Cross? But…how? Why?
Deciding to try to find out, he stepped towards the nearest passenger, one that didn't seem they needed to get somewhere five minutes ago at least. "Excuse me? Could you tell me what the date is?"
The older gentleman he asked seemed to ignore him, continuing to walk steadily towards him with his focus on the train ahead. Harry frowned "Sir, I really need to…" was as far as he got before the gentleman, still walking forwards, simply didn't stop. Instead of colliding, however, he simply walked through Harry as though he wasn't there!
Harry flinched, shocked at the occurrence. Looking at his own hands in confusion. Some quick tests by running into more passengers in the station soon confirmed that this was not a one time deal either.
"What…I guess I AM dead. Am I a ghost? I don't look blue or transparent…" he thought, inspecting his hands closely. Looking around once more, he realised that he had wandered close to where the barrier to platform 9 was. "Maybe…I'll get my answers on the other side?"
Making his decision, Harry nods and starts striding towards the hidden barrier. However, less than half there, he was interrupted by a voice from behind him. "Are you sure that is what you want to do, Harry dear?"
Pausing and turning to the voice, Harry was shocked to see someone he had only ever seen once before, other than in photos…it was his mother!
Sat at a table (which looked quite out of place on the bustling platform) was Lily Potter. Looking at him from over the rim of a teacup, his mother was exactly as he remembered her from the graveyard, with long flowing red hair and bright green eyes.
Lilly placed her cup down, before gesturing to the empty seat opposite her. "Would you care to join me? I Imagine you have some questions."
Harry tentatively approached the table, but ignored the offered seat. "Yes, I have questions. What…is this place? And…how are you here?"
Lily smiled a slightly sad smile, before picking up the teapot upon the table and pouring out a tea into the spare empty cup. "The answer to one may help you to understand the other, dear. This is something of a halfway point. When someone is close to death…so close they may as well be, then they end up here." Lily then topped up her own cup, before taking another sip.
Harry wet his lips. He may be dead, at least everything pointed to such a fact, but that didn't stop him from being thirsty. "When was the last time I had a cuppa…we were on the run for so long…"
Eventually, his thirst won out, and Harry sat upon the seat and took up the cup and took a sip. It was just as thirsty quenching as he'd hoped. "Even if it's harmful, what would it do? Kill me again?"
As Harry enjoyed his tea, Lily continued. "As a result, this space is possible for those of us that have already died to visit…only briefly and usually only to greet loved ones that reach here."
Harry sighed and slumped a little "so, definitely dead…well I suppose it's what I had gone there to do…" As he said this, the sound of China cracking slightly caught his attention, and he watched as Lily, smiling a little too sweetly, was gripping her cup a little too firmly. "Er…are you ok?"
Lilly relaxed her grip and and more natural smile graced her face "Oh yes, just lamenting meddlesome old men and their grand ideas…"
Harry returned to his tea, not wanting to draw her ire in his direction "scary…" In order to distract her, he asked "so…what now? Do I come back with you?"
Lily looked his way with a more serious look. "Perhaps…perhaps not. As I said, you are nearly dead…so you still have a choice"
Harry looked at her, shocked. "I can go back? I can help fight Voldemort?" Lily nodded, though reluctantly. "You could. But I suggest you know all the options, before you make that choice" Lilly then gestured to the busy station, and the many trains coming and going.
" Each of these is an option you could take. One leads to the afterlife, where you could join me and your father. One leads back to a time before the resurrection of Voldemort in your fourth year. One may even lead to the future…you get the idea"
Harry looked around with a keener interest. There was a lot of stations…a lot of options. "And through there? You seemed keen to prevent me going though" he said, nodding towards the portal to platform 9 .
Lily frowned in its direction. "That is a choice. But there is but one platform in there, so only one choice." Harry frowned "That doesn't sound fair…like my choice would be made for me. I've had enough of that in my life"
Harry blinked as Lily's form rippled slightly. She sighed and looked at her own hand "I did say I could visit briefly, my time is nearly up."
Harry frowned. "I had hoped I could spend more time with you…" Lily looked to him "You could, if you choose the afterlife."
"Is that the choice you want me to make?" Lily shook her head "No mother wishes to see their child die, Harry. You are so young…I think you should live a full life."
Harry mulled this over, before looking to one of the trains. "You said one of these takes me to the past? To a time before Voldemort got ressurected?"
Lilly nodded. "Would I remember everything to this time?" Lily paused, and gave a more hesitant nod. "I believe so, yes."
Harry gained a determined look, before draining his cup and standing up. "Well, I think I have made my choice." He held his hand out in a handshake as Lily stood as well "Thank you, for the tea. For the help."
Lily ignored the hand and chose instead to step forward and hug Harry. "You are welcome, honey." Harry stood in shock for a moment, before returning the hug enthusiastically. "Thanks…Mum."
After several minutes of this, Lily's form rippled once more, prompting the pair to separate. "Well, it's time. Good luck." Harry nodded before striding onto the train. As the door closed, he turned and waved to Lilly, who smiled and returned the wave.
As the train pulled out and began to move out of sight, the portal to platform 9 rippled behind Lily. Shortly after, Dumbledore stepped out, before looking around in apparent confusion. Upon seeing Lily, and the train that has just left, he gained a look of horror.
"What have you done? That's the wrong train!" He exclaimed as he bustled towards where Lily stood. Lily kept her back to him, smiling where Harry had just left. "No, that is the right train. Far from your machinations, old man."
Dumbledore began to pace back and forth "No, no. This won't work. If he doesn't go back, who will finish Voldemort in our timeline? Neville perhaps…no, he's not marked as an equal…"
Lily turned then, turning her smile towards Dumbledore. Feeling a slight chill down his back as she looked his way, he blustered a little. "Surely you can see my point my dear? We need him too.."
"No, you need him to. All I wish is for him to make his own choices in life. To live his life to the fullest. And he'll be able to there, I reckon."
Lily then took a step towards Dumbledore, her expression changing to righteous fury. "As for you…I have just enough time left to make it clear how pissed off I am with you, Albus."
As Lily began to stalk towards him and draw her wand, Albus began to keenly feel the absence of the Elder wand at his side.