Chapter 52: The Ritual of Death
Many sacrifices had been unnecessary from the start. If Dumbledore had chosen to place more faith in the next generation—to share his burdens and nurture them—things might have been different.
Even cultivating virtues like character, love, friendship, and courage does not hinder magical progress; in fact, it enhances it. These qualities often become the foundation of advanced magic. Though such "positive" magic is usually defensive in nature, it holds incredible power.
Consider Lily Evans—her sacrifice, born of maternal love, created a shield strong enough to rebound Voldemort's killing curse. She didn't need to defeat him in battle—her love was enough.
What if every young wizard possessed such a "shield"? Why would they fear Voldemort? How could dark wizards stand a chance?
"No, that's not right…"
His thoughts spun rapidly as wizarding intuition surged through him. Alexander Smith suddenly sensed a truth lurking beneath the surface.
It wasn't just about what Voldemort did… It was about what he lost.
The killing among the Peverell line… that was taboo.
Wait—James Potter was also a descendant of Ignotus Peverell. That's it!
That's why Voldemort, despite his mastery of Horcruxes, had an unstable soul. He created an unprecedented living Horcrux—Harry Potter—and never realized it.
He had killed his own blood relative.
James Potter.
Dumbledore suspected Voldemort's soul had been damaged by too many Horcruxes, but he never fully understood the Peverell legacy.
The three brothers: Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus.
Alexander had seen this truth in a dream-like state, while sleepwalking back into Smith's Alchemy Hut, just after he found Ignotus Peverell's empty tomb in Godric's Hollow.
Now it all made sense.
Voldemort, a descendant of Cadmus Peverell (through the Resurrection Stone) and of Salazar Slytherin (through the Gaunt line), killed James Potter, a descendant of Ignotus, the original master of the Invisibility Cloak.
A taboo. A curse of death. That's why the "children of prophecy" were Harry, Neville, and… Alexander Smith.
Voldemort was destined to mark his equal—but the act of killing his blood kin sealed his fate. In trying to destroy his greatest threat, he triggered his own undoing.
Even back when he murdered Tom Riddle Sr., Voldemort spared Morfin Gaunt, though he blamed the murder on him. Perhaps that was intuition—an unconscious fear of violating another bloodline taboo.
Had he killed Morfin then, while his soul was whole, perhaps Voldemort would have met an untimely and inexplicable death even before Harry's birth.
Alexander narrowed his eyes.
"One last question remains: does destroying a Horcrux count as killing a blood relative?"
Probably not—Harry lived a peaceful life after everything, and he only disarmed Voldemort. It was Voldemort's own curse that rebounded and killed him.
So, Harry didn't technically kill Voldemort. That's why he wasn't cursed.
But Alexander… He was also one of the children of prophecy. Did that still hold true after time travel?
His instincts screamed yes.
Still, the Horcruxes were dangerous. If he went after them himself, would he die like Dumbledore, for some mysterious, ancient reason?
Let Harry and Neville handle them.
Even if destroying Horcruxes doesn't count as "blood killing" among the Peverells, it wasn't worth the risk. Alexander's life was too valuable—unless he reached the level of a god, he wouldn't interfere directly.
Besides, the British wizarding world was small. Bloodlines were entwined through generations of marriage. Why were Harry, Neville, and Alexander the chosen ones? Was it lineage density… or the legacy of surnames?
Harry—Potter.
Neville—Longbottom.
Alexander—Smith.
Voldemort—Gaunt.
It didn't matter whether Ignotus Peverell was the youngest brother who became the God of Death or merely a descendant of him. The Deathly Hallows were real, and the God of Death still existed in the myths—and possibly, in reality.
Why did Voldemort curse himself by killing a blood relative if he truly sought immortality? Could he have misunderstood the legacy of Death?
Alexander conjured a black teacup from the void, took a slow sip, and shelved his thoughts. Kate walked in.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked, settling beside him and reaching naturally for the tea.
"Nothing much. Just… this trip has been really enlightening," Alexander replied cryptically.
Indeed, if not for this journey, he wouldn't have learned the names of the Peverell brothers, nor uncovered the secret ritual of death.
Three brothers.
Three legendary artifacts.
Three paths to the afterlife.
Three forms of death.
One who outlived the others becomes the Master of Death.
So… was Ignotus the God of Death? Or his heir? Or both?
Perhaps this position was a divine trial. Or perhaps, it was born from myth and legend—empowered by the belief of generations.
The eldest sought power: the Elder Wand.
The second sought love: the Resurrection Stone.
The youngest sought safety: the Invisibility Cloak.
And it was the youngest who won. Who became the master.
Fascinating.
Alexander's instincts urged him to continue pondering, but years of trained magical awareness—his mastery of the "Detection" spell—warned him to stop for now.
The Hallows had grown stronger through generations of legend. To master all three was to challenge fate itself. Would that trigger a new trial by Death?
Dumbledore had once said:
> "Perhaps one in a million is worthy to possess all three Hallows."
"I only ever deserved the wand. I used it not to boast or to kill, but to save."
"The cloak—I took out of curiosity. It never truly served me."
"The stone—I misused, trying to summon the dead. You, Harry, used them all selflessly. You are their true master."
Maybe that was the true test of the Deathly Hallows:
To wield them with self-sacrifice.
To become the Master of Death—not through conquest, but through compassion.
When Harry died, he too disappeared like Ignotus. Did he become the new God of Death?
Was this whole war merely a divine trial?
Had the suffering of Harry, Neville, and Alexander's families been a test?
The idea was maddening. Yet… it explained so much.
Powerful magical artifacts, deeply entwined bloodlines, and ancient rituals hidden behind fairy tales.
Alexander wondered if Neville's grandmother rejected the wand for a reason—because her grandson was meant to claim a greater wand, one steeped in death and legacy.
And Smith—his own ancestor—descendant of Antioch Peverell. Perhaps he turned away from the Elder Wand's dark path, delving into alchemy instead, forging his own legacy.
The more Alexander thought about it, the clearer it became:
This fairy tale was anything but simple.
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