Magmatic Chapter 3

Celesta SunStar

As always, prompted by Igneous without being apathyinreverie. It's just something I would like to see. Stuff you recognize is probably not mine, though I do believe some of it is original.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! This is the moment you have all been waiting for…"

Skull knew that he wasn't Immortal, really he did. But dying wasn't in the cards for him any time soon. The Why on the other hand was a bit tricky.

People thought Skull was loud, crazy, gregarious, and lucky to be walking around despite the few too many hits to the head (and other accidents) he'd had during his stunt career. And he was to a certain extent; but lucky? He didn't need it. Death had a special relationship with Peverell descendants.

Only through old age, deliberate suicide, and a final fatal blow would Death take his favored mortal bloodline.

Sure, Skull flirted a lot with his stunt work, but he didn't really want to die. He was just an adrenaline junkie.

Wand magic on the other hand? Not so much.

After the Peverell brothers did Him a great service, Death rewarded them with his Gift. After which, He gave them different items with the instructions that the items were not to be possessed by a single person until the one He appointed collected them, unknowing of their significance. The brothers understood their new task and separated to never see their siblings alive again.

They and their families exchanged letters for a while until time and distance separated them completely. From family records, Ignotus, the youngest brother, insured that his item and its history was passed from oldest child to oldest child regardless of their gender until Iolanthe Peverell married Hardwin Potter and the gift remained in the Potter line. It was treasured by Ignotus' line even if the last descendant, Harry Potter, would not learn its history until he found the account in the family records.

Cadmus, the middle brother, had his line take up the name of Gaunt in honor of the image of their Patron. In their devotion, the importance of their item became their overriding purpose and the resulting self imposed isolation caused them to be the first to fall out of communication. Eventually, they forgot why they were guarding it and their magic slowly diminished. It was when it was tainted and discarded by Tom Marvolo Riddle that Death cursed the last of Cadmus' line and madness infected the self-titled Lord Voldemort.

Antioch, the oldest, undertook a completely different manner of protection. After consulting with his wife, and knowing he might die in the undertaking, he 'lost' his item out in the world where none but his family could truly know its importance. In his near-death state, for his attacker did not quite pierce his heart, Death came to him and asked why he had acted in that manner. Antioch explained all of the reasoning, great and small, for and against his actions. He finished with; "For those who do not truly understand what was entrusted to us, it serves as a lure and a trap for those who lust for power, breeding arrogance and their downfall." And waited for His Judgment.

Death was not pleased, but the reasons Antioch gave and his acceptance of the consequences prompted some leniency.

Antioch woke with the knowledge that his line had lost the ability to wield active magic until his item was once more safeguarded by Peverell blood. However, as long as the knowledge remained in his line, so too would Death's Gift.

As Antioch recovered, he and his wife wrought runes and blood enchantments to ensure that his line would not fail in their duty. None of Antioch's bloodline had ever tried to recover what was now known as the 'Elder Wand' and as Squibs wouldn't be able to use it anyway. They had however, kept track of it and its bloody history.

Skull de Mort, and yes, he had officially changed his name, was the last of the line of Antioch Peverell and did take his duty seriously. He had done some quiet research, and with the ending of the Second British/Voldemort Civil War he now had hopes that his children might be able use wands. He did wonder if they would keep the affinity for the Soul Flames that the mafia was so enamored with.

Actually meeting his distant cousin, Harry Potter, was probably too much to ask for.

"Did I tell you about Sirius?"

"Your prank and pun-loving dogfather?"

"He had a motorcycle that he built and enchanted from the ground up."

"You saw one of the flyers for that motorcycle stunt show coming next week."

"Sirius would have loved it; and probably done crazier and crazier stunts afterwards."

"Do you want to go?"

"…I am the IMMORTAL SKULL!"

End of Magmatic, Chapter 3