May 5, 1998

Harry Potter, 17 year old wizard, The-Man-Who-Won, and several other names looked down at the knife sticking from his chest. He reached up and tried to pull it away from the seventh year Ravenclaw that he didn't recognize. "Why?"

The Ravenclaw student pulled his hood down so that harry couldnt see his face any better. "You killed the Dark Lord but nothing you do will change this world. I am ensuring that the normal wizards and witches don't have to follow another Light Lord into ruin." He twisted the bottom of the knife letting a clear substance flow down the blade. "Even if the knife doesnt stop you the Basilisk Venom will." He stood up and looked at the crowd surrounding him. "You may kill me but nothing will stop our future."

Many spells slammed into the Ravenclaw and sent him flying away from the wounded hero. Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger were the first to get to Harry. Hermione cast a spell that froze the liquid but not before some of the Venom entered the wound. Harry began shaking as the pain reached extreme levels.

Between the two they ran The-Man-Who-Won to the hospital wing all the while crying and screaming for the Ravenclaw to be taken alive. People tried to help but only got in the way until Hagrid started shoving his way through, letting the two girls follow his wide path.

May 12, 1999

Harry woke up with a start and clutched at his chest. The Blonde guarding/watching over him nearly fell out of her chair in shock. She quickly screamed for the healers. Harry just rapidly tore the shirt off so he could see the wound. The only proof that he had been stabbed was a straight scar with black lines drifting a couple of centimeters from its sides.

"What Happened?!" he asked as people in healers robes tried to push him back down into the bed. "Leave me allone?!"

"Harry you need to calm down." Hermione yelled over the noise as she shoved people out of her way. "Everyone back off!"

Harry couldn't help but notice that Hermione seemed bigger and older that when he saw her last night. He tried to place the other healers and recognized some as those who helped during the battle. "Hermione?"

Hermione smiled softly at his confusion. "A lot has happened Harry. Let the healers run their tests then I will explain what I can ok?" Harry nodded and let the healers put him back to bed.

When they were done Hermione started explaing. "You were stabbed last year and fell into a coma, Harry. The person who attacked you died from the number of spells hitting him and unfortunaly still has not been identified. The DMLE has tried to find out anything about the dagger, where he got that Venom, or even why he would think you would destroy the Wizarding World but have come up with no leads. Several Healers and Unspeakables have studied you and the dagger but don't have any answers. It took a lot of convinceing and the Weasleys attacking one Unspeakable who tried to take you away." She looked sheepish as one of the nurses gave Harry some water. "Sorry."

"You're still at Hogwarts, but we moved you into an unused room near the Hospital. Many people have donated their time and money over the last year and Hogwarts has been repaired to better than ever. Because of the number of people hurt in the Battle, which is a national day of remeberance now. And many families have moved from all over to Hogsmead, so much so that a Muggle road has been added for the Families to visit." She took a breath before looking into Harry's eyes. "Everyone is being forced to get along because a couple of Muggleborn got the Military involved last August when the trials started and people were threatening to go back to fighting. Her Royal Highness stepped in and declaired that the Wizards could either follow her rule or leave. Everyone has to Swear an Oath to follow the laws of the Muggle World now and."

"Hermione!" Harry interupted. "What happened to me? I can learn about the rest later!"

"OH! Sorry!" Hermione looked away in shame. "Something caused you to de-age back to a twelve, well eleven but that was last year, year old. No one knows what or why just that you literally de-aged during your coma. We were afraid you wouldn't stop but you did and now you are awake and ."

"De-aged! But what about the knife, or why was I attacked in the first place? What do I do from here?" Harry started to hyper-ventilate. "I was Seventeen! I was free! What Happened!"

"We don't know. I could be a curse on the dagger, Hogwarts trying to protect you, or even the Deathly Hollows. No-one can come up with an answer that makes sense." Hermione admitted. That was too much for Harry as he just laid back and stared at the ceiling, tears running down his face. "I will figure this out Harry." Hermione promised.

May 15th, 1999

It was a couple of days later before the Healers would let Harry out of hte Hospital Wing. He spent the first hour of freedom just sitting on the steps of Hogwarts main entrance. A guard was always nearby, but they never tried to speak to him. Harry guessed that looking like a starved twelve year old again made some of the people he grew up with realize his home life wasn't good. Of course the fact he never spoke up to any adults outside of the Headmaster was his mistake. Hagrid didn't count simply because the poor man was blinded by Dumbledore and his Good Grandfather routine.

Hermione had explained the past year, the changes the Queen had made to the Wizarding World and how everyone was adjusting. Her Majesty apparently had an entire faction of her military made up of Muggleborn who left and had been collecting them since the late 70's. Unfortunatly she couldn't act because of the treaty her ancestor made with the Wizards for so long as their was a government in place. The three weeks after the Battle, while everyone was panicking over him, gave her the time needed to flood the Wizarding world with soldiers and take it over with no spells cast.

Hermione's parents hadn't been shipped to parts unknown like she thought, since they were picked up at the airport and had their memories repaired by the military. Hermione still hasn't been completely forgiven, but she is allowed home for dinners and things now.

A body scooted into the steps next to him and a thin arm drapped across his shoulder. "I still like being the bigger person." Luna Lovegood said with yet another shot at his height. "Why are you sitting out here again?"

Luna had stepped in the last week to be the kind of friend Harry always knew she would be. She gently helped him get back to a stable place, emotionally, and refused to let him sulk in silence. The first day, after he had rebuffed her, she sat the golden egg from his fourth year just out of his reach and opened it. She had apparently charmed it like a snitch to always be out of reach and left him chasing a screaming egg for fifteen minutes before stepping on the thing.

"Not sulking." Harry said quickly, he tugged her closer so that his smaller body was wrapped by her. "I'm just thinking about the future and where I will go with it. Everyone seems to want to treat me like a kid, even though I was seventeen and had just killed Tom before all this happened."

"Well, it is hard for normal people to not see a young adult in a childs body, when they are so used to dealing with children in adult bodies." Luna laughed. "What you should do is take next year off for self study and pass your N.E.W.T.s then you will have access to your trust vault without having to spend anything on Hogwarts. Then you can get whoever is supposed to be your advisor to help you get out of the country and live your life somewhere no one know about you." She smiled sarcastically. "You know, maybe the moon or another planet?"

"Where was this attitude two years ago, Luna? I think a lot of people would have treated you better like this." Harry smiled from within her embrace.

"Apperently the Lovegood property we were staying at was cursed." Luna grimaced. "When Her Majesty offered to let everyone who wanted too to move their home property to Hosmead she didn't expect us to just use a great switching spell and move everything in one go. How else she wanted us to move our houses and things I don't know. Anyway, when I moved the Rookery to Hogsmead apperently it broke the curse. And people can understand me better now."

Harry just shrugged, yet another thing that was different. "So who was assigned as my guardian anyway? I havent seen or spoken to anyone new in the past week. Except the people in uniform, but they don't like to talk back to me for some reason."

Luna stood up, dragging Harry with her. "Come on, you won't believe me if I just tell you." She took off running away from the castle with Harry and his guards close behind.

Dec 31st, 1999

Harry watched the clock as he stood in line to board his plane. The last six months had him rush the N.E.W.T.s under Hermione's tutorship and he spent some time catching up on his Muggle education equal to a twelve year old as well. Andromeda Tonks, Tonk's mother and Harry's cousin somehow, was his Guardian since she could blend in with both worlds, wouldn't treat him differently and had space for him to live with her and her Grandson. Andromeda was more than willing to let Harry study as hard as he like, was able to cut Hermione off when he didn't want to study something, and had a toddler to make sure Harry had fun. Even if that fun was just learning how to handle a bundle of energy that was a partial werewolf metamorphing terror in its twos.

Harry and Andromeda had discussed where Harry could go to get away from his fame and decided the Island of Japan was both far enough away and yet close enough to portkey back in case of an emergency or family visist. Everyone who was important to Harry saw him leave the house at 10:30pm for a midnight flight. Almost everyone.

The Weasley family had broken ties with Harry during the summer after Ginny graduated when Harry refused to become the child they took in to replace Fred. George also cut ties with the Weasley's on the same day. Ron was having problems finding a job since he refused to adapt to the new normal and get his muggle education. Ginny couldnt't look past his size and the fact that for two years she wasn't his girfriend. Molly just wanted to have someone to keep smothering since Andromeda refused to let her anywhere near Teddy.

The Malfoy family was able to escape jail time because they were able to prove that Voldemort had kept the prisoner in one way or the other since his rebirth, though they did supply the funds to Her Royal Majesty for the land around Hogsmead so that the wizard community could be together. Narcissica's memory of lying to Voldemort and Bellatrix instantly cleared her of any blame. The Malfoy faimily quickly did their best to merge with the new system and even reconnected to Andromeda during the year Harry was asleep. Draco was still a bigot, but he kept his words to himself now.

Her Majesty also abolished the use of Dementors as guards anywhere and ordered them imprisoned in the dungeons of Azkaban Prison. This saw many of the survivors chearing, and even a few of the prisoners were released after the Crown's Court had reviewed their crimes.

The Goblins of Gringots were forced to adjust to the British pound, turn over their vaults, and follow the rules of Great Britian. Just like the wizards. They had finally gotten to be equals with the wizards, now they had to work hard to be equal with the muggles that seemed to show new advances every other day. The other races of the magical world were subjected to a review and forced into compliance. Those beings that needed human flesh to survive were quickly shown how to adjust to a "Sentient Free" diet or killed off. Lycanthrope sufferers were quickly registered, given sick days coresponding to the full moon, and trapped in a large area those nights by a timed portkey that was surgically imbeded into their buttock. Non-violent races were granted the use of their preserves and left to their own, though a census person would be by every six months to ensure they were not leaving.

Harry settled into the first class seat as the plane took off, his watch beeping to show that the new year had started. No matter what happened now, Harry Potter was free of Dark Lords and the Wizarding World. Next stop Naruki City and the apartment he bought with Andromeda's permission. Harry was going there because of the education and the hope that no-one would recognize him since there was a less than 1% magical community nearby.

November 2, 2022

Harry Potter, 34 year old english language teacher, rubbed the back of his neck as he and his girlfriend picked up their pre-order of the newest Full-dive MMORPG Sword Art Online. His girl was a beta-tester and reviewer of games and Harry finally had the operation that would allow him to dive with her. Harry's life was calm for the past twenty years and he was able to turn his ability to teach DADA into a profession teaching young kids english. While he studied Harry got a reputation of being incredibly advanced for a teenager and he had a knack for languages.

After getting his primary education finished and taking home college courses until he was able to get into a community college to become a translator for the local goverment Harry met his girlfriend, who was in his college classroom. Both were quick studies and their quiet natures fed off of each other until they were inseperable. They had been living together since they graduated in 2017.

Neither were outstanding in the looks department but thought the other was the most beautiful/handsome person ever. Rikona Momo, even after 20 years Harry still has trouble getting the family name first, just took over his life in the simplest of ways. Where Harry would try to help someone by showing them how to accomplish their goals Rikona would make sure that Harry got his done as well. Even their dates were only called that by their friends since Rikona and Harry never thought of dinner or lunches between classes as dates. Rikona was 4'9" and 108 lbs. She has recently cut her dark brown hair to just above her jawline. Harry had only reached 5'3" and 125 lbs. But he blamed that on a fast and loose diet during his teenage years.

"I cannot believe you finally decided to join me in the virtual world." Rikona hugged Harry's arm to her. "Especially SAO!"

"If I didn't I would never see you agian, Rikona." Harry snuffed her hair, making the teens behind them laugh. "I had to live with you while you were MMRHPHR"

"Shhhh!" Rikona pulled her hand from Harry's mouth. "EWW you liked my hand! But seriously don't talk about that here." She glared at the smile on her boyfriends face. BETA testers were under contract to not make public who they were. "Besides you loved taking care of me."

"Yes I did." Harry said happily. "So tell me about this game we are waiting for."

Harry, Rikona, and several people got into a large discussion from there about what they expected and hoped would be in the game. Both had to schedule the next 5 days off to make sure they could get their copies and because Rikona wanted to keep her space as one of the first thousand players.

November 6, 2022

Harry and Rikona each settled into their bed to log into SAO for its ingame launch party. Harry watched Rikona for a moment, they had just shared a shower so her skin was still glowing from the heat. Rikona looked at him with confusion.

"Just wondering if your ingame look will be as beuatiful as your out of game look." Harry said.

"Don't say things like that." Rikona blushed and pulled the NerveGear down over her eyes. "Don't keep me waiting Squire. Link Start." Rikona's body relaxed as the NerveGear took over her senses.

Harry pulled his own Gear down then slipped a promise ring on Rikona's left hand. "You never have to wait on me Mya." He settled on his pillow with a smile. "Link Start" The last thing Harry felt was his hand grip Rikona's and the cool metal of the engagement ring.

Squire grunted as he lifted the amazon-like woman off of him. "Mya, please don't do that,"

Mya just giggled as she helped Squire to his feet. Both Avatar's look like they could be similar since Rikona's carried over from the Beta and she used its settings on a male character to quickly make Harrys. Of course she had to make him exactly 4.1 inches shorter than her.

"Come on Squire, you usually like it when I'm on top." Mya giggled along with a couple other players who heard the banter. "Lets go get some gear and kill stuff!"

Mya and Squire went out into the field to practice against some of the neutral monsters right outside of town. Withing their first few drops Squire got a spear and Mya found a two-handed mace. Killing the pigs was easy once the skills were triggered.

Mya looked at the three directions from the crossroads they were at. Harry was studying his map as they tried to decide which way to go.

"Right/Straight!" they both called out with a laugh.

Mya glared, and Squire grinned "Straight/Right!"

"Fine." Mya backed away from her grinning partner. "Whoever wins a duel gets to choose which way we go, since they layout was changed from the Beta." She prepared her mace and sent the dual request. "You can't back out Squire. And don't try to bring Real Life into this. Some decisions in game can only be solved with a duel and you should get used to it quickly."

Squire sighed and pressed the accept button. "This is to the death and the winner will wait for the loser to catch up here. Where was the respawn point again?"

Mya smiled "It was that little shrine down the road towards the Town of Beginnings. Don't you worry, I will wait right here for you."

They spent the next few minutes chasing each other around the intersection, beginner weapon skills flashing and missing more than they hit. Nether had set a time limit for the dual so they quickly gathered a crowd of players who were cheering one or the other on. Squire dodged the final strike of Mya's mace and stabbed his spear through her chest. Mya died with a smile of surprise on her face.

After ten minutes everyone started getting worried because Mya hadn't returned. Harry ran back to the shrine with a couple of other players who were missing friends that hadn't respawned as well. When they got to the shrine one of the players tried to access it but nothing happened.

"Maybe it's a Logout Lock for the first day?" one of the players suggested. He quickly brought up his menu. "Does anyone have a logout function? Mine isn't here."

Everyone started plowing through the menu, while Harry ran back to the Town of Beginnings to see if Rikona had to re-login there. A feeling Harry hadn't had in twenty two years settled in his gut but was ignore. Rikona couldn't be dead because of this game.

Later Harry would glare up at the monster floating in the sky. Kayaba Akiiko just earned the hatred of Harry Potter for trapping 10'000 players in what should have been a safe game. Kayaba would find out later that capturing someone who survived a death game before would be the last thing he ever did.

Harry's magic had lay dormant for the past two decades because Harry was happy and safe. Now the protections swirled around his body and sealed his life into the NerveGear. No one understood what happened to him when he was stabbed and poisoned in '99, nor how he survived what should have been a deadly spell a week earlier.

The Deathly Hollows were not a trio of magical items that gave someone Mastery over Death, they simple brought the gaze of death upon the wielder. This being, who had followed Harry's ancestor throughout his life, refused to allow that good man's bloodline end. So it reset Harry's body back to the time when he had his first deathly experience. And now the magical force simply twisted a bit of programming inside the NerveGear to never let Harry lose his Last HP until Kayaba was killed.

Harry ignored the last part of Kayaba's speech, instead he started gathering up the children and shell-shocked players and moving them to one side of the town hall. Several other players broke their own shock and quickly began helping him. No words were spoken and several players formed a barrier around the kids. Once Kayaba ended his speach, a mad rush for the exit happened as more than 9500 players rushed to the exit without regard to each other. Harry and his compatriots were like islands of calm in the rush as they pulled the scared and immobile players out of the way.

Once the madness was over and silence, except for the crying, claimed the area Harry would thank those who helped protect others before making his way out of town. One player, an incredibly tall man who introduced himself as Agil stopped Harry and asked his name.

Harry looked at Agil with tears in his eyes. "My wife gave me a name and it killed her." Agil was shocked. "My name is Harry and I have someone that needs to die before I can join her."

Agil quickly grabbed the shorter man's shoulder. "You just saved about 50 people from getting trampled in there. If you hadn't started pulling those kids out of the crowd, who knows what would have happened. If your wife was anything like you then she wouldn't want you to throw your life away in this game."

Harry just looked up at Agil "She was better than me in every way. I never even noticed when I fell in love with her and just slipped an engagment ring on her finger before we logged in to this Death Game!." He took a deap breath. "Hopefully someone finds us, Hopefully Kayaba was lying but I don't think he was. I'm going to push myself to the limit and get to the top of this game and kill that man. And once I'm out of here I'm going to find him in the Real world and rip his heart out."

Agil watched as Harry turned and walked away, slipping past the other players who collapsed beside the street. Agil couldn't help but feel for the man, it was only the lack of funds that kept his wife from being in here with him and he honestly could not say he would feel different.