Disclaimer: Sadly, JK Rowling owns everything Harry Potter. I'm just trying to improve upon her stories where she failed.

Author Note: This is currently my first fan fiction. I do not know how I am going to do but I will try my best.

This story begins at the end of OOTP in Dumbledore's Office.

Please note that the beginning, and most of the chapter when it's talking about the events around them in Harry's view, it's Harry's or the people's thoughts who are talking/thinking. Also note that this story ignores the books 6 and 7 of Harry Potter, otherwise known as The Half Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

I know the other five's wounds may not be as serious as they were in the book, but it has a point later on.

So please enjoy this story, please review, and please don't flame.

Thank you,

Remus James Black

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Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Numb, that's all Harry Potter was feeling at the moment. Then again he thought, how is one suppose to feel when the closest thing he had to a real family, a father figure, and most of all someone who cared about him disappear to never return right before his eyes. He was taken away by his own cousin, who was led by the man who caused much if not all of Harry's grief in his life; Tom Riddle; otherwise known as Tom Riddle. This was the man who killed his parents, although Harry did not still know why. This was the man that has been after him once again since he was eleven, had tied him to a god damn tombstone and took his blood in his fourth year, and now has taken away his godfather.

He thought to himself once again; he didn't listen to Hermione. Hermione had told him it was a trap, that Voldemort was planning false images into his head, but he didn't want to believe her. He was reckless, and in doing so he put his five friends in danger. He had watched Ron get attacked by those brains, but what crushed him even more was seeing Hermione go down with that purple spell that hit her. It was like a slow motion movie, and he felt some relief when Neville said she still had a pulse.

He had wanted to kill those Death Eaters right then and there. For his parents, for Cedric, for his godfather, for everyone they are going to harm, and most of all for Hermione. His thoughts turned to Hermione for a moment, his best friend of five years now. His best friend who believed it was a trap and yet went with him anyways. He didn't deserve her friendship, any of their's in his opinion. His best friend had helped him with the D.A this year, and many a times he felt like if it wasn't for her he couldn't of done it. His thoughts always back to a fact; if it wasn't for Hermione he would have been dead a long time ago.

Now he sat in Dumbledore's office, the man who look tired more then ever; Albus Dumbledore took a seat down in his desk. He wanted to feel pity for the man, but the man had not suffered like he has on this night nor has he ever had to grow up like he did, then again Harry thought he grew up like this because of him.

"Lemon Drop Harry?" spoke up Dumbledore.

Harry sat there in silence, and shook his head, still staring at Dumbledore and at the office around him.

"Harry, I am truly sorry about Sirius. If it any comfort, he like your parents died doing what they would want to die doing; protecting you," said Dumbledore.

Harry had said one word and one word alone, "Why?"

"What do you mean Harry? I don't follow what your saying," said Dumbledore looking at him more closely.

"Why did you leave with the Dursleys?" asked Harry with a look of anger in his emerald eyes.

"Harry, I wanted you to have a normal childhood. It was for the greater good," said Dumbledore.

"THE GREATER GOOD!" exclaimed Harry. "Does the greater good include a boy getting mentally and even sometimes physically abused in his childhood? What am I Dumbledore? Some pawn in a chess game versus you and Tom? If that's the case I'm taking myself off the board and ending this." said Harry with more anger then he ever said in his life.

"Harry, I'm sorry for not telling you everything sooner. I just wanted to protect you, I wanted you to have a happy childhood," said Dumbledore who's voice had not changed.

Harry had stood now, "A happy childhood? Does a happy childhood mean getting malnourished, emotionally abused, unloved by the people who you left my care, did you even bother to check up on me over the years?" asked Harry still angry.

"I admit I did not, I did not figure those muggles would be so cruel. Harry remember when you asked me in your first year why Voldemort was after you, well there is a reason. The reason occurred before you were even born, and I'm sorry that I did not, a folly of a old man" said Dumbledore.

"A great man once said Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth or easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he can encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realized that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of his policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events," said Dumbledore with a look in his eye.

"Sir Winston Churchill," said Harry, and Dumbledore looked at him with a look of curiosity. He continued, "It was in one of Hermione's books when she was in muggles studies, World War II and all that stuff," said Harry looking at the floor now.

"I never expect you to forgive me Harry. If I were you I would perhaps not forgive myself either. I just want you to know that I, and even you to a certain extent thanks to Voldemort are the slaves of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events," said Dumbledore in a calm voice.

"I want to know the reason why Voldemort is after me. I want to know why he killed my parents, had Sirius killed tonight, and everyone else who has died protecting me," said Harry looking at Dumbledore now.

Dumbledore motioned him to his pensive and Harry began to look into the memory of Albus Dumbledore.

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July 1980

A younger Albus Dumbledore and Professor Sibyll Trelawney sat in a corner at the Hog's Head while the bar was mostly empty. It seemed like a normal job interview and Harry could tell that Dumbledore didn't much like the idea of her being a teacher at Hogwarts.

However suddenly, Professor Trelawney went into a trance and began to speak in a voice unlike her own:

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...

Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..

And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,

But he will have the power the Dark Lord knows not...

and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...

- Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (Ch 37)

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Harry and Dumbledore had sat back down in their respective chairs, although Dumbledore noticed that Harry was more slower then before. Harry had sat down and thought about it; he was the one who had to kill Voldemort. He couldn't do it, he just tried tonight and if it wasn't for the Order him and his friends would be dead. He would put those friends in danger, and they would end up just like Sirius. He was all alone, not even Dumbledore could help in the end. The last line of the prophecy kept playing back in Harry's head like a broken record player.

He heard Dumbledore mention it could of easily been Neville, but Neville was not marked equal by Voldemort. At that Dumbledore had looked at the scar thunderbolt on his forehead as he said that. Dumbledore had also told him that someone at the Hog's head who knew the first part up to born as the seventh month dies and that they were a Death Eater. They immediately told Voldemort and that had led to Harry's parents destruction.

"Who?" was all Harry repeated over and over in a cracked strained voice.

"Harry, I don't think it's best you know that piece of information at this moment." said Dumbledore.

"THIS IS WHY I'M IN THIS SITUATION IN THE FIRST PLACE DUMBLEDORE. IF YOU HAVEN'T KEPT ME IN THE DARK FOR FIVE YEARS, IT WOULDN'T OF HAD TO COME TO THIS. HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED HIDING THINGS FROM ME ONLY HURTS IN THE END?" asked Harry with more rage then he ever had in his life. In fact when he was yelling, he had stood up and Dumbledore swore to the day he died that he saw fire in Harry's eyes that he never saw in someone before and Harry had sat back down, looking at him back to his silent self.

Dumbledore sighed and removed his half-moon spectacles, knowing he had to tell the boy the truth. "Harry, it was Professor Snape who was the Death Eater that had led to your parent's deaths, he however has regretted it since that day," said Dumbledore with something in his voice for the first time in a long time;fear. Fear of what Harry's reaction would be.

Harry had heard up to the part where he had said Snape's name. Snape, the man who had taunted him for five years about his father's death and about his godfather. The man who had always accused and tried to get him expelled. The man who had mind raped him last year during the lessons that were suppose to help him, instead it was the cause of Harry's eventual seeing Voldemort's fake vision. Harry had decided that it was Snape's fault he had fallen for Voldemort's trap, and in the back of his head something snapped and he lost it.

Dumbledore had looked at Harry and suddenly saw his eyes go blank, no longer full of life. His eyes rose with fear and he shook Harry who was still in his chair. Dumbledore was no doctor but he knew the young boy had gone into some sort of shell shock. The depth of what happened finally happened. This usually happened to people on the battlefield, it wasn't the first case he seen and probably not the last.

He had picked up Harry in his arms and ran to the hospital wing as fast as he could, the boy laid out in his arms in front of him. He was worried, wondering how big of a mistake he had made. He entered the hospital wing to see Poppy and Minerva tending to the other five who were with Harry that evening. The seven of them all gasped as they had seen a scared looking Albus Dumbledore enter the hospital with Harry Potter in his arms.

"Albus, what happened!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall.

"Poppy! We have a case of what I believe to be shell shock," said Albus Dumbledore, his voice strained.

Dumbledore helped laid Harry down on the nearest bed. The sight of him to many including the people occupying this room, downright scary. He was somewhat covered in blood, but the most scary thing was his eyes, his usual emerald eyes that shone were empty, lifeless.

Hermione who had just awoke up from her own wounds, saw the scene before her and ran to Hermione's bedside, running her hand through his hair. She put her head on his chest and began to sob, the others just in shock that this happened. It wasn't everyday that you see Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Professor McGonagall, and most of all Luna Lovegood silent and with a look of shock on their face.

Poppy was trying to tend to Harry and had to get Hermione to move. She knelt back up and looked at Dumbledore and pointed her finger at him, "What did you do to him?" said Hermione with venom in her voice.

Dumbledore made a decision to tell them, maybe they could help Harry better if they knew. Plus, he knew that they would know eventually, and he wouldn't make the same mistake twice, now more then ever when the stakes were too high.

"Poppy, I need these five to come with me. If only for a few moments before they return to their hospital wing beds. It concerns Harry here," said Dumbledore.

"Well Mr. Weasley will have to be looked at more but I can't see anything wrong now, Miss Weasley is fine, as well as Miss Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom for the most part, just scrapes and bruises, but Miss Granger will need to stay the night at least, she got the worst of it," said Poppy with a look of sadness before looking over at Harry once again, "well so I thought."

Dumbledore motioned for the five to follow, "Minerva you should come along too, and help Miss Granger if you could."

Professor McGonagall just nodded and the five began to walk, with she and Hermione walking side by side.

They quickly came to Dumbledore's office which automatically opened for Dumbledore and the rest of the group. He had walked into his office and pulled down something behind his chair. It was like a blank canvas and a little circle empty slot, Dumbledore walked over to his pensive and took out the memory he would need, and put it in the slot when it was inside a vile.

The six watched closely as they saw the same scene play out that Harry watched. The six of them heard the Prophecy and sat in shocked silence, seeing how they could break Harry and push him over the edge. The only noise in the room was Hermione sobbing quietly into her hands.

"That is the not only thing you all need to know. Harry was not broken by seeing that, though most would have been," said Dumbledore as if he read their minds.

Dumbledore told them all about Snape, Professor McGonagall had a look of disgust on her face, the others had a look of shock while Hermione stopped crying. Dumbledore continued and told them about how all of a sudden Harry's look went blank and he knew he had to do something.

The next moment, Hermione was out of her chair lunging at the headmaster, not giving a damn anymore. She would have had him too if it wasn't for Ron and Neville holding her back with all their strength, while Hermione wanted to rip Dumbledore to pieces.

"You bloody bastard! How could you do to this him! If only you had told him sooner, and now look at him! He seemed to have lost the will to live! He could never be the same again because of your greater good excuse," snarled Hermione in more anger then she ever had in her life. She had began to cry and the two boys left her go and she ran into the empty hallways due to the students being not allowed to go out since the six returned from The Department of Mysteries. Hermione had ran to the hospital wing, back to Harry's bedside.

Meanwhile Dumbledore and the others were back in his office, his face full of shock as well as the others. Dumbledore dismissed them, telling them to get a good night's sleep in The Room of Requirement so they would not have to face their fellow students and McGonagall led them. Professor Dumbledore went into his desk, and took out a glass, a bottle of Firewhiskey and began to drink, while waiting from news from the Ministry and the other members of the aurors.

It was not a good time to be Albus Dumbledore.

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Now was a not good time to make Hermione Granger angry. She couldn't believe what Dumbledore did to Harry. How she had lied and hid things from him for over five years for his own good. This is where his own good got him, almost lifeless in the hospital wing.

She had taken the chair next to his bed and his hand in hers, feeling how cold it was. She didn't care if hers got cold too, if she could warm it up then she didn't care. She looked up for a moment when she felt someone enter the room; it was Professor McGonagall. She had looked at Hermione holding Harry's hand and at her face and nodded, taking guard of the main door into the hospital wing.

She wouldn't let these two be disturbed if Voldemort himself came barging in at this moment. They been through him so much as it is, and they would only go through more, she felt a unknowing amount of sympathy for Harry.

Hermione was internally thankful that Professor McGonagall was keeping watch. Her thoughts turned back to the teenager in the bed; her best friend of five years, Harry Potter. He's been through fifteen years of hell and it never seems to end. She knew the real Harry Potter, and he was so caring and would walk into Voldemort's hands and die if it kept all his friends save from harm. She had a few secrets from him, but only because she was afraid to tell him the two secrets she held deep inside her.

The first that she unlike Harry had learned how to keep people from reading her mind and she knew how to read people's minds. She learned it in a year, like Harry should of. She wasn't called the brightest witch of her age for nothing. She read through those books, not for her own sake but Harry's. That wasn't the full secret she was hiding, she could read minds too. She never read anyone's mind of course, but she had the ability, and if needed she'd use it.

Her second secret was something that made her cry at this moment because she was helpless to help him so she thought. This secret was not in a book or on a piece of paper. It was something that was written on her heart; Hermione Granger loved Harry Potter.

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Author Note: I know, I know, a cliffhanger of a sort. I want to see people's reaction to this and if they like it, I will post how many chapters I will have written by then. I will be able to post in less then two days as I write this, and I plan on starting Chapter 2 tomorrow morning (it being 3 am.) If you like it, leave a review, and it will encourage me to post it sooner knowing people liked it.

Again, thank you for reading the first chapter of Harry Potter: War and Peace.

Please review, don't flame, and most of all I hoped you enjoy this piece of writing.