Death was silent, making Harry want to squirm as being in His presence was always overwhelming.
"The magic he used to gain his immortality - " Death managed to put an astonishing level of disdain behind the word, "-is a magic I abhor. It splits the caster's very self, not just their soul, but their mind, magic, and emotion. To fix him, you must find a way to reconnect the pieces he cast off."
Harry withheld his sigh - he already knew that. "Yes, but do you know how to do that specifically ?" he asked, barely stopping himself from sounding like he was whining.
"I do," Death said. The silent 'but' easily heard.
"Yet…?" Harry asked.
"I think that it would be best for you to work for the results," Death said, making Harry want to cry with frustration. He was magically exhausted and Death was taunting him. "I am not fond of those who use such magics. I think that your soulmate can suffer however long it takes you to find the solution."
"But there is a solution," Harry wanted verified.
"Yes," Death confirmed.
"Fine then, I will find it," Harry vowed. He didn't blame Death for His decision, he just wasn't pleased.
"I have no doubt, master," Death said.
"What about the stone?" Harry asked, thinking about Death's words about those who sought immortality.
Death seemed to come closer without really moving. "Ah, the famed Philosopher's Stone, you really have been quite busy, master. That stone I actually do like; Nicholas did spend such a long time working on it," Death answered.
"So, you wouldn't be angry if I used it one day? Or gave it to Tom?" Harry asked.
"No," Death said. "I doubt you would wish to stay my master if your soulmate passed, and I would prefer him to use the stone over his other solution."
Harry smiled in relief. "Thank you."
"I have done nothing," Death said. "I shall go now; I have seen you are not in need of me. Remember, you can call if need, but know I shall not always answer." Like before, He disappeared into the shadows once again.
Harry stood for a moment before crashing; he really was exhausted and the conversation hadn't helped. Barely able to stay awake, Harry just about managed to make his way back to Ravenclaw tower. Getting to his trunk, Harry pulled out the stone and observed it. For such a small item, it really had caused a lot of bother.
Unlocking his trunk, Harry placed it in the most protected part and added numerous charms and even a few dark hexes to keep people out. At this point, Harry was barely awake, his magical energy was distinctly low and he struggled to undress before falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.
The next day, Harry didn't wake up until well into the afternoon. Stretching, Harry felt refreshed; he was surprised at how drained he had been, but considering he never had need to do so much magic at once, he summarised that he shouldn't have been so shocked.
Magic was like a muscle: it needed to be used and stretched. Yes, his magical core was large, but as he never had need to use much of it, especially as an eleven year old, it shouldn't surprise him that completing two such powerful rituals in just over 24 hours left him drained.
Thinking about that, Harry considered ways of training up his magical stamina; it would be hard to do it undetected, but he thought the benefits would be worth it. He had gained control over his new power levels, no longer having bursts of magic when he was angry, but he had yet to really explore them. Harry had kept his power masked pretty much constantly; stretching it would probably do his a world of good.
Making sure not to act suspicious when he finally went down to lunch, Harry made sure to casually look around and observed the staff. He didn't notice anything off and concluded that his plan had worked. He had gotten away with taking the stone.
Thinking back on his conversation with Death, Harry almost wondered if he had imagined it in his sleep deprived state, before he flicked the thought away.
....
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