NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Another Way
He had to confront his past, unravel the tangled threads of his dark ambition, and seek redemption, not for himself, perhaps, but for the sake of a future he couldn't yet imagine. He had to find a way to coexist with Harry, his nemesis, his destiny, his… potential ally.He looked towards the horizon, towards a future that was both terrifying and, strangely, hopeful. He was no longer the Dark Lord, not entirely. He was something else, something… new. And that was the most terrifying, and potentially the most liberating, aspect of his current state. The days that followed were a blur of introspection, a chaotic jumble of self-doubt and uncertain hope. Voldemort, stripped of his power, found himself grappling with the unsettling reality of his past actions, the weight of his cruelty pressing down on him with crushing force. He spent hours wandering the grounds of the graveyard, lost in thought, haunted by the ghosts of his victims.He tried to reach out to his former Death Eaters, but the dark mark, once a symbol of power and fear. The graveyard felt less like a lair and more like a therapist's couch. Voldemort, stripped of his power, was having a serious existential crisis. Harry, surprisingly, was less "chosen one" and more "awkward bystander," offering the occasional concerned glance. Wormtail, however, was having a meltdown. His whole identity was tied to serving the Dark Lord, and now the Dark Lord was… questioning everything. It was messy.Voldemort tried contacting his Death Eaters. The response was… underwhelming. Some were skeptical, others terrified, and a surprising few were downright thrilled at the prospect of a less-murderous Voldemort. It was a PR nightmare. He'd need a new image, maybe a rebranding? "Voldemort: Now with less killing!" Didn't quite have the same ring.Harry, surprisingly, became a sounding board. They talked—shockingly—about their issues. Voldemort confessed his regrets, Harry revealed his anxieties about living up to prophecy. It was less a battle of good vs. evil and more a Tuesday night support group. Weird.Wormtail, meanwhile, tried to stage a coup. It involved a poorly-executed spell and a surprisingly effective pie in the face. Voldemort, devoid of his usual dark magic, was remarkably forgiving. He just sighed. It was exhausting.Voldemort started doing community service. He helped rebuild the damaged areas of the graveyard, quietly clearing rubble and planting new flowers. People were confused. Harry mostly just rolled his eyes. But it was oddly therapeutic.The Ministry of Magic was freaking out. The Dark Lord was gone, replaced by a… reformed? Confused? Gardening enthusiast? Nobody knew what to do. The news headlines screamed: "Voldemort's Midlife Crisis Causes Global Uncertainty!"Voldemort and Harry, surprisingly, forged an uneasy friendship. They bonded over shared trauma, bad decisions, and the general absurdity of their situation. They even went to a self-help retreat, though Voldemort complained incessantly about the meditation music.Wormtail, defeated and humiliated, eventually found a new job. He became a moderately successful pastry chef. His signature dish? "Wormtail's Revenge"—a deliciously spiteful pie.In the end, Voldemort didn't conquer the world. He conquered himself. Or at least, he was working on it. He became a moderately successful wizarding therapist. His specialty? Helping Dark Lords deal with their existential dread. The irony wasn't lost on anyone, especially Harry, who occasionally stopped by for a cup of tea and a good rant. It wasn't exactly how anyone pictured the climax of the wizarding war, but it was, in its own odd way, a happy ending. Or at least, a relatively less murderous one.