Mordred's Bane

-Note-
This was a one off for now. It was an idea that struck me and I wanted to get it out in case of further use.
-Note- 

Cedric was dead, Voldemort was back, and Harry was stuck in his room. It made no sense. He had hoped that someone would come break him out. Fred and George had done it before. Surely, everyone could see it needed to happen again. That had been his hope at first. Now, it had been two weeks and there was still nothing.

Harry stared out his window, this time it didn't have bars, at the sky. He had sent letters off to Hermione and Ron a couple of days ago. He had planned on writing to Sirius as well, but Hedwig hadn't come back yet. He hoped that meant she was still with them. Hermione was probably in France with her parents again. That would be a long trip.

A sudden, loud crack made him jump. His blood froze in his veins. There, on the street in front of the house stood Tom Riddle. Red eyes met green as the newly reborn wizard strolled up the walkway to the front door. Harry couldn't move, he couldn't think. Everything was pressing in on him. Weren't there supposed to be wards? The final showdown was going to take place in a muggle neighborhood. That made sense in a cruel logic. Both of them were muggle-born.

The doorbell rang. Voldemort had just rang the doorbell. Harry felt mad laughter building in his chest. There was nothing he could do. His wand was in his trunk which was locked in the cupboard under the stairs. He would have to cross in front of the door to get to it. Running didn't cross his mind, where would he go?

"Boy! Get door." Vernon screamed up the stairs.

Harry started to laugh. He shrugged and walked down to the front door. Harry couldn't stop laughing as he opened the door. There, waiting patiently, was the pale visage of Lord Voldemort.

"Excuse me." Voldemort slid by Harry.

He could feel the magic as Voldemort stormed through the house about casting the Killing Curse on his uncle, aunt, and cousin. Harry closed the door. He walked into the kitchen and got himself a soda. They never let him have soda. It wasn't available at school either. He figured he'd like to have one before he died. The bubbles tickled his nose. He turned to see Voldemort walk into the kitchen then sit down at the table. The wizard watched Harry drink the rest of the can.

"How is it?" Voldemort asked.

"A bit too sweet." Harry replied. "Do you want one?"

"Thank you, no." Voldemort waved his wand, pushing out a seat. "Please, sit."

Harry chuckled. He took the offered seat. "Thanks for killing them first. I don't care if you burn the place down when you're finished."

"That's not why I'm here." Voldemort placed his wand on the table. "Killing them was just a nice bonus."

Harry cocked his head to the side.

"I took your blood and crafted my new body." Voldemort sighed. "It had some unexpected side-effects." He tapped the side of his head. "I've got your life bouncing around in my head. It's strange remembering a life that isn't yours."

Harry let out a dry chuckle. "I know the feeling."

The two stared at each other for a long, silent moment.

"What if you could be happy?" Voldemort finally broke the silence. "What if we could both put this war behind us and live the lives we wanted?"

"After you've killed all of my friends and enslaved the magical world?" Harry countered. "No thanks."

"That wasn't the plan at first." Voldemort adjusted a pair of glasses that weren't there. "I got lost as the years went by. Ancient forbidden rituals that that required great sacrifice. I was obviously too powerful and knowledgeable to fall victim to their negative effects. The horcruxes didn't help either."

"Horcrux?" Harry asked.

"Splitting my soul into shards in a bid for immortality." Voldemort explained. "That scar on your head is one. I didn't plan on making it. Using your blood while having that piece of my soul latched on you for the past fourteen years caused this unexpected side-effect."

"Now what?" Harry asked. His eyes darted to the wand. "You kill me and go on with your plans?"

Voldemort leaned back and laughed. It was not a pretty sound.

"Your mind is soaking deeper into mine with every passing moment." He hissed. "How can I continue on with my plans when you're damn voice is pushing me to save everyone?"

"You have my sympathy." Harry deadpanned.

"I can end this." He said. "Give you the life you always wanted. Give me the life I wanted."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Ancient forbidden rituals that require a great sacrifice." Voldemort chuckled.

Harry could see now that their postures were practically mirrored.

"I will use my mark to drain every drop of magic from all of my Death Eaters." He continued. "Using that as fuel, you and I are cast among the infinite worlds to find the one where we are happy." He sighed. "Who knows, maybe I'll be the longest running defense teacher in Hogwarts history."

"Why are you here? Couldn't you just do it on your own?" Harry asked.

"You are in my head." Voldemort growled. "I can't stop thinking that I should ask you first. You're part of this. We're bound to each other in this world."

"What happens once the ritual is done?" Harry asked.

"Anyone with the mark will die." Voldemort replied simply. "Their magical power will funnel through us. Our bodies will burn away while our souls move on. Voldemort and Harry Potter will be no more."

"You expect me to trust you?" Harry asked.

"Of course not." Voldemort laughed. "I could have killed you already. There's no need for all of this. Killing you would destroy one of my horcrux, but there are others out there. Getting rid of you would make it worth the sacrifice."

Harry closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. What other options did he have?

"Fine." Harry took off his glasses and set them on the table. "If I see you in my next life, I will kill you."

"I know." Voldemort smiled offering Harry his hand. "Take my hand."

Harry stared down at the pale male.

"Come on, Harry. Won't you shake a poor, sinners' hand?" Voldemort chuckled.

Harry took it, gripping it solidly. Voldemort winced at the pressure. Harry counted that as a victory.

"This might sting a little." Voldemort whispered.

That was an understatement.

~§~

Harry jolted upright in bed. His head was throbbing, and his body was covered in sweat. It had been a nightmare. A rather detailed one, but just another nightmare. He was no stranger to them. He reached over to the bedside table for his glasses. His vision cleared up once they were on. In fact, he hadn't seen this clearly in his entire life.

He looked around the room. This wasn't his room. He had been in the healing ward enough times to recognize a hospital when he saw one. It was on the nicer side of things well. There was a wide window letting in plenty of sunlight, a comfy chair was pulled up beside the bed, and there was even a small bookshelf nearby. Harry looked down at himself. He was noticeably thinner, almost skeletal, even with the hospital gown covering him.

Harry scooted to the edge of the bed. His feet touched the floor for a brief second before his legs gave out. He hit the chair on the way down, knocking it over onto its side, which then collided with the bookshelf, scattering the books over the floor. He winced at the sound.

He grabbed the side of the bed and began to pull himself back to his feet. His muscles shook from the effort. It was taking way too much focus to get his body to do what he wanted it to.

"Harry!" A woman's voice yelled from the other side of the room.

"I'm…" His throat was scratchy. "I'm ok. Just fell out of bed."

He let out a deep, shuddering breath as he made it back to his feet. Harry flopped down onto the bed. Now completely drained of energy. Keeping his eyes open was a herculean effort. It was a losing battle. He heard someone running across the room. The chair screeched as it was pushed further away.

"Harry!" The voice repeated.

Gentle hands ran along his scalp. Harry scrunched his brow. He felt skin on skin contact… on his head. Harry forced his eyes open to see a flash of red hair covering his field of view.

"My wonderful boy." The woman sobbed. "I thought we lost you. I'm so sorry. Oh, Harry."

The woman helped him get situated in bed. Harry stared at her. She was older than the pictures, but he would recognize his mother anywhere.

"You're beautiful." Harry gasped.

Lily smiled even as tears streamed down her face. "Did you hit your head when you fell?"

"I think I did, but that doesn't change the fact you're beautiful." Harry smiled at her. The world spun for a few moments. "Why am I so tired?"

"Holy shit." A voice whispered.

"James! Language." Lily said.

"He's awake?" James rushed over to join his wife. His father wrapped him in a tight hug. "My boy."

"I missed you too." He managed to say. "Need some sleep. Going to be here when I wake up?"

"Of course." His parents said in unison.

"I'm going to get your sisters." James hopped back up.

Harry was mostly asleep before James was out the door. "Sisters?"

~§~

One skill that Harry had learned over the years was playing dead. More specifically, pretending to be unconscious while listening. It was amazing the things he learned simply by being still, breathing slow, and letting people talk. Being gravely injured help as well. From the brief period that he had been listening he had learned quite a bit.

It seemed that the ritual that he and Voldemort had started was a success.

It was the summer after his fourth year. And that was where things stopped making sense. Everything was different. His parents were alive, he had two younger sisters, and as far as he could tell, he had died. This Harry had suffered from a fatal illness that they couldn't cure.

It amounted to the fact that for the past year Harry had been in St. Mungo's dying. That was why he was bald and was why he was so weak. He couldn't stand because the muscles in his legs were more dead than not.

"I can't get them here until the tonight." James grumbled as he came back in.

"Shhh." Lily said. "He's sleeping. Actually sleeping."

"Sorry." James dropped his voice to a whisper. "Minnie sends her love, but the girls are in the middle of class."

"Did you talk to Sev?" Lily asked.

"Yes." James sighed. "They don't have Defense until Monday morning. He couldn't help."

Harry couldn't keep quiet now. He blinked awake, grabbing for his glasses.

"Sorry." James hurried over, placing a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. His father helped him adjust to sitting up.

"It's fine." Harry smiled at him. "What's going on?"

"You sisters will be here this evening." James answered. "They are in the middle of class right now and can't get away. Not even your Uncle Sev can sway the Headmistress once she's made up her mind."

"Sorry. I'm a little confused." Harry spoke slowly. "I'm a lot confused actually. How long have I been out?"

"Three months." Lily answered. "The doctors put you in a charm-induced statis. Today was the last day. Once they removed it you would either wake up or…"

Her voice faded away. Tears once more streamed down her face.

"We thought we lost you." James was crying too.

"It's ok." Harry smiled at them. "Don't cry. I'm here."

"You stopped breathing." Lily hugged him tightly. "I watched you die. I felt your heart stop."

"I'm here." Harry stroked her back. "I’m right here."

He looked to James for help but only saw more tears. His father joined the hug.

"Did they say when I could get out?" Harry asked.

His parents both laughed at that.

"They're going to keep you for observation before we can take you home." James stood up, wiping the tears from his eyes. "You'll be on a potion and liquid diet for a while."

"You'll have to repeat this year too." Lily said squeezing his hand gently. "Violet and Dahlia will be happy to have their brother in their classes."

Harry smiled. A wave of drowsiness hit him. "I'm tired again. This is annoying."

"Drink these and then you can go back to sleep." Lily held out three vials.

He down the first which had no flavor. It made his mouth itch and distracted him from the vile taste of the next. The third and final potion wasn't nearly as bad. His eyelids were getting heavier with each passing moment.

~§~

It felt like he had just closed his eyes when he woke up again.

"Are you sure he's alive?" A hushed whisper spoke nearby.

"Violet." That was Lily's voice. "He's alive."

"He isn't moving." Violet, the first voice added.

"He's asleep." A new voice, also a girl. "Don't be so dense."

"I'm not dense." Violet snapped.

"Your potions grade says otherwise." The other girls snapped right back.

"I'm awake." Harry mumbled.

The room went silent. Two figures rushed over to him. Soon they had both practically jumped on top of him to give him hugs.

"Girls!" Lily chided. "He's still recovering."

"We thought you were dead." One girl said.

"Really dead." The other said.

"Not even the Potter Luck could save you this time." The first said.

One of them handed him his glasses. His vision cleared up. Two girls with long, untamed black hair hugged him. They had the same green eyes that their mother did. The one on the left wore glasses, aside from that they were identical. His sisters, he realized, they were twins.

"I think I was." Harry chuckled.

The one without glasses punched him on the shoulder.

"VIOLET POTTER." Lily snapped.

"He promised me he wouldn't die." Violet glared at Harry.

"That's true." The other girl, Dahlia he presumed, said. "He did promise."

"Does this happen a lot?" Harry asked looking between them.

They glanced at each other, then at him.

"My head is all…" He wiggled his fingers near his brow. "Feel like I'm trying to remember a new life."

"It was the curse." Dahlia said.

"The curse?" Harry repeated.

"Yes." Violet sighed. "THE curse."

"Repeating the same two words isn't going to make me suddenly understand." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Your magic grew strong enough to enact Mordred's Bane." Lily added. "It happens to all wizards. Only a fraction of them, like you, survive."

"Woah." Harry leaned back against the scratchy pillow.

"You really don't remember?" Dahlia asked.

Harry shook his head. "Sorry."

"You can get your own wand now." Violet shrugged.

"Violet." Lily warned.

"What?" Violet looked over at their mother. "He can't get the curse twice."

"I don't have a wand?" Harry asked.

"Finding a wand causes a surge of magical power." Dahlia explained. "It can trigger the curse early which and that is one-hundred percent fatal."

"Take your potions." Violet turned back to him. "You've got until the end of summer to get back on your feet. Then I can beat you and no one can blame the curse."

"You mean, Quidditch, right?" Harry asked.

"You don't remember us, but you remember Quidditch?" Dahlia rolled her eyes.

"Is there any other game?" Violet scoffed.

"Girls." A familiar, but less slimy, voice called from the doorway.

Harry looked over to see a very different Severus Snape. The man still wore black flowing robes, but they were much better quality, and it looked like the man had been smiling. In fact, the way he looked at his sisters wasn't in way, shape, or form inappropriate.

"Already?" Violet whined.

"Harry needs his rest and you have classes in the morning." Lily added.

Snape gave Lily a thankful smile. Harry had seen that expression before, just not from Severus. It was one that Fred and George would give Ginny on occasion.

Dahlia leaned over, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek. Violet did so as well, adding a tight hug at the end. The duo walked out the door. He could hear Violet grumbling the entire way. Snape moved closer to his bed. He stopped at the edge, looking at Harry with a warm, heartful expression. Harry cocked his head to the side as he noticed the man was crying.

"I thought we lost you." Snape whispered.

"It's ok, Sev." Lily stood up, giving the man a gentle hug. "He's already doing better."

Severus turned into the hug, gripping Lily tight. It was a familial embrace rather than anything romantic. Snape straightened up. He adjusted his robes and gave Harry a pat on the shoulder.

"I still expect you to do your homework." Severus mock-glared at Harry.

Harry nodded.

"Sev?" James called from the doorway.

Harry snapped over to look at his father. He gawked as the two men embraced. They spoke in low voices before Severus let out a hearty laugh. Snape broke away heading out the doors.

"We're getting a Welcome Home dinner set for you." James beamed as moved to stand beside Lily. "I made your Uncle Sev promise not to make anything."

Lily slapped her husband on the arm.

"Knock-knock." A somewhat familiar voice spoke, once more from the doorway.

There in the doorway he found Narcissa Malfoy waiting. She had a bright smile on her face. There was also a little girl, no more than four years old, hugging her leg. The little girl stared at Harry with wide, worried eyes. Harry smiled at her.

The little girl squealed and sprinted toward him. She stopped at the edge of his bed. Her face scrunched up in concentration for a moment before she scaled the side. She plopped down against his side.

"Are you better?" The little girl asked.

"Yes." Harry nodded. "I'm better."

"She missed her big brother." Narcissa sighed.

Harry froze. He watched as Narcissa joined his parents and slipped an arm around his father's waist. Lily leaned closer to them. The little girl settled into his side, wrapping herself around his arm.

"I cuddled Padfoot." The little girl said with firm determination. "Every night."

"Padfoot is at home, little dragon." Narcissa reminded her. "You can give him to Harry once he's home."

"I drew you a picture." The little girl looked over to Narcissa.

Narcissa unrolled a sheet of paper and handed it to the little girl, who handed it to Harry. There were a lot of colorful squiggles, what looked to be a stick figure family, and something that was either a house or a rocket ship. Underneath all of that was her name written in very big letters.

"Orinda." Harry said. "You wrote that yourself?"

"Mama said I can't put Rin." The little girl pouted.

"Orinda is a pretty name." Harry said softly. He fought to keep his eyes open.

"Come along, Rin." James stepped away from the two women. He held out his arms to the little girl. "Daddy will take you home. Harry needs sleep to get better."

Rin snuggled closer to Harry, squeezing tight.

"Thank you for the cuddles." Harry kissed the top of her head. "They will help me sleep so much better."

Rin giggled as James picked her up from the bed. Harry watched them go, fighting to keep his eyes open. He blinked. When he opened his eyes Narcissa was next to him. She squeezed his hand.

"I know you're tired." Narcissa whispered. "We can't wait for you to come home."

She kissed him on the forehead. There was something in it that was made the muscles in his head relax. He was asleep in an instant.

~§~

The next week was a blur of potions and sleep. By day five Harry had moved on to somewhat solid foods. His visitors had slowed down considerably to aid in his recovery. Unfortunately, they didn't give him anything to grow his hair. He felt odd when he looked in the mirror, especially not having eyebrows.

Through it all, he listened and learned about this new world. Mordred's Bane was a curse that targeted wizards. Every single male with magical power would suffer from it. Most died, which meant that the magical community was predominately made of witches. Different tactics had been attempted to circumvent the curse. Bringing in wizards from other parts of the world didn't work, in fact it was even more fatal to visitors. Removing wizards from the country didn't help either.

Overriding the curse with another, like lycanthropy, didn't provide consistent results to prove it actually worked. Exposing a child to lycanthropy was just as likely to kill them as the curse. Muggle born and half-bloods had a better chance of surviving. A squib was immune, which made them a hot commodity.

Harry wondered how Filch lived in this world.

Combined with a dwindling population, led to some drastic differences from his old world. Wizards weren't given a wand until after they had lived through the curse. Their schooling was altered as well. The practice of hiring a muggle to impregnate a witch was a common practice. For parents that didn't want to risk it, there were potions that could be taken in the early stages of pregnancy that ensured the child would be born female.

Polygamy, apparently, was common as well. His father had three wives: Augusta, Lily, and Narcissa. Harry had four sisters. The younger trio Violet, Dahlia, Orinda, and the eldest Stephanie. Stephanie carried the name Longbottom while Orinda held the name Black. Violet and Dahlia were both Potter, they were also twins. The marriages to Augusta Longbottom and Narcissa Black were line continuation contracts. Apparently, it was quite odd that Narcissa and Orinda actually lived with the Potters. Most of the time it was more of a business contract than an actual relationship.

From what he could tell, there had never been a Voldemort, Dumbledore, or Grindelwald. Either they hadn't survived to adulthood, or their lives were drastically different in this world. The world was a better place for it.

The Potter Luck had followed him into this world as well. Those wizards who survived Mordred's Bane, James Potter for example, rarely had male children. The few in recorded history hadn’t survived the curse. Harry was the first in recorded history. Once more, he was The Boy Who Lived.