"Sometimes you just have to die a little inside in order to be reborn and rise again as a stronger and wiser version of you" - Aagam Shah

31st October 2022, Highgate Cemetery, England

Magnus was nothing like the story-book vampires: pale with overgrown canines and a dislike of garlic. He was like a regular guy, almost. His skin was a little on the waxy side, and he wore shades in the daylight, which didn't bother him at all. His sense of humour was dark though, no room for sentimentality, and he was the only person Harry knew who never got offended over anything. He'd seen it all, heard it all, done it all. He made no pretence that he'd never killed, apparently the wars were a banquet for his kin, all-you-can-eat. But it wasn't like he actually killed them, just made sure the blood didn't go to waste.

The only announcement of his arrival was a slight drop in the air temperature and the descent of absolute silence. Without turning Harry knew he was there, pale in the shadows of the cemetery. His voice came, high-pitched and cold, "My haven't you been a busy boy".

Harry glared darkly in no mood for one of Magnus lectures "I was beginning to wonder if you'd show up".

"I wouldn't miss this for the world". The vampire gave Harry a withering look and then gently remonstrance his young progeny "You know my childe, Time-related magic is unstable and dangerous at the best of times. You're meddling with very dark magic here. There's no guarantee this suicidal mission of yours, Harry will work and even if you do succeed. You'll effectively be travelling back in time to alter your own timeline. You have no idea how this will affect the future. The repercussions if you're discovered-".

Harry carded a hand through his hair and gave his old friend a side way glance "I'm well aware of the repercussions, Magnus. Please give me more credit than that. No one shall be any the wiser".

Magnus sighed as he leaned against a tombstone. Moss and ivy had grown all over the back of the great slab of grey granite, engraving almost worn away by centuries of rain, once sharp edged letters now rounded and so shallow as to be barely readable, standing as a testimony to the life of someone long forgotten, in the shadow of a great Yew tree. "Be as it may, Harry I know that many would jump at the chance to change their past", he commented."Especially one that has as much…horror in it as yours does. But your past will remain the same, no matter what you do. It won't change everything you've already seen or lived through".

"I realize that, old friend. I'm not a child any more Magnus, I'm old enough to know now that a longer life isn't always a better one. I'm tired…tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to me, tired of watching everyone die around me and for what? Another dark lord to take his place".

"And he won't be alone in his quest" Said Draco Malfoy who suddenly appeared from the shadows.

Harry's eyes widened "Malfoy, what are you doing here? Scorpius..."

"Is with my parents. I'm here for the same reason as you are. This reality is literally hell it's only a matter of time before your little resistance is wiped out completely and then what? This is not the future I want for my son. You and I both know you will need all the help you can get, Potter" He replied, rolling his eyes.

Magnus nodded, "He does have a point, Harry".

"What are you saying?".

"In times of war allies should be welcomed no matter how unlikely".

"He cannot be trusted, Magnus".

"I saved you're life, Potter or have you forgotten that?".

"To be fair Harry, look it at Malfoy's point of view. He's not used to being made to feel inferior and he wants nothing more than to impress his parents, especially his father. That's not to say that Malfoy is misunderstood victim of his upbringing, but if you grew up with a certain set ideology forced down your throat – you tend to believe it. And not to mention his path was already laid out before he was born. Draco had certain expectations to live up to and in the end he made all the wrong choices in order to win his father's approval and he certainly live to regret it. We both know where Malfoy's true loyalties lie and it is not with Voldemort". He walked towards Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder "Believe it or not childe, Draco is not a lost cause. He has a few redeemable qualities and some mortals unlike his father".

"How can I be sure that he will not betray me?".

Magnus stroked his beard in contemplation "Might I suggested a soul bond?"

"A what?" Both Harry and Draco questioned with furrowed eyebrows.

"It's when a pair of warriors who fight together are bonded by a blood pact. The bond not only reflects their closeness, but also their willingness to lay down their lives for one another. This bond enhances the natural feelings of love and friendship that already exist between the pair; however, this does not prevent rivalry of hate from forming between them. The blood bond placed upon them enables them to draw on each other's strength in battle. They also maintain a strong connection between one another and are able to sense each other's life force. The bond makes it impossible for the two to fight one another to the death. Should the bond be broken by a willing act of betrayal. The betrayer will suffer the consequences of breaking the pact".

Draco and Harry glanced at each other apprehensively and both nodded.

Harry wasn't worried. There was nothing to be worried about, according to Magnus; the ritual was simple enough and nothing would go wrong.

Draco hadn't seemed worried, exactly. There had been a kind of a nervous energy around him as the enormity of the decision they had made had only just started to sink in.

Harry couldn't blame him – he felt the same. The bond between them was something sacred almost like marriage.

Magnus took out a knife and made a small cut on both of their hands before the two on the ground clasped hands, together and made a vow to one another in a circle of blue flames as the last of the binding chains glowed brightly around their clasped hands.

After the ritual was over Draco took the blood pendant and placed it around his neck for safe-keeping with a notice-me-not charm for added security. He smirked and turned to Harry "It looks as if you're stuck with me, Potter."

"Fine, you want to come then so be it. But, know this Malfoy you're either on my side or in my way. You'd do well to remember that" Warned Harry as a beautiful swan size phoenix appeared with beautiful dark cobalt blue feathers and a white tail as a long as a peacock's. Her claws and beak are gleaming sliver and her eyes are black. Her feathers glowed faintly in the darkness, while the white frosted feathers are ice-cold to the touch. She began to sing a stricken lament of terrible beauty that reminded Harry of Fawkes Lament. He smiled sadly and spoke once more, "I suppose this is goodbye, sire".

"Indeed, we will my young progeny. Until then, I bid you both farewell and good luck on your new journey that you're about to embark on be it in this life or the next" Magnus replied taking a step back as Harry and Draco drew in a deep breath and whispered the unforgivable curse.

"There was a dual bright flash of green as the curse enveloped them. An enormous pentagram scorched the ground as they waited for the inevitable pain. Everything melted and turned black before their very eyes as a thousand sharp needles pieced them everywhere with indescribably hot waves of excruciating pain. It wasn't long before Harry and Draco slipped away into oblivion. All they could see now was the darkness that encased them, they could feel their heart slow, and they could hear their breath become still. There was nothing to do now, but throw themselves into death's icy hands.

Harry P.O.V

"Dad?" Questioned a semi-conscious boy.

"Ah, not the first time that I've made that mistake" The ghostly form of forty-two year old, Harry Potter reminisced with a sad smile as he glided over to the boy "I'm not dad…I'm you".

Harry frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion "I don't understand, how can you be me?" He questioned.

"I know this all must be confusing to you, Harry. Long story short I time-travelled thirty-one years in the future from an alternative reality" Forty-two year old Harry explained.

"But, why?" Harry asked with child-like curiosity.

"I made a lot of mistakes in my foolish youth" He admitted with a heavy sigh "It's easy to make mistakes, Harry. But, It's living with the consequences of them that's the hardest. Some of those mistakes I've lived to regret. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I made, Harry".

"Okay, but I still don't understand. How can you help me?" The boy asked timidly.

"My past is both a gift and a curse...I'm going to give you the gift of experience...and the curse of remembering those experiences. In the hopes that you will change our future for the better. My past will remain the same, no matter what I do. It wouldn't change everything I've already seen or everything I've already lived through. But, I'm sure that you can use my experiences and knowledge to your advantage for future reference in order to guide you and prevent certain events from taking place".

Harry nodded "I understand. But how?".

Harry furrowed his ghostly eyebrows "Good, question. I'm not entirely sure, but I have a feeling that if I go through you that my mind and astral body will fuse with your physical body and soul, and if it does then you will understand everything better. So what do you say?".

The boy meekly nodded, barely managing to stave off the darkness that was closing in on him as he fought to stay conscious "I've got nothing to lose".

"And everything to gain" Harry replied as he placed a ghostly hand on his younger self. A white mist from unknown origins started to swirl around them, and slowly ghostly Harry, was absorbed into his younger body. It wasn't a moment too soon as Dumbledore arrived with the other professors and found Harry laying crumpled on the steps.

Draco's P.O.V

Draco groaned into the pillow. His head felt like it was about to explode. He was in pain, confused and suffered from disorientation as old memories, emotions and new sensations, coursed through him.

He forced himself to turn over and saw his dorm mates staring at him.

Draco pushed himself upright into a sitting position "What's the date?" He grumbled

"Both Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and then answered "4th June".

"Are you okay, Draco?".

Draco scoffed "I will be. Once, I pay a quick trip to the hospital wing" He said and swung his legs over the side of the bed determined to make sure Potter had gotten back in one piece.