The canonical characters from the "Harry Potter" books and movies belong to Joanne K. Rowling, as does the Wizarding World and all associated concepts. Ms. Rowling is utterly unaware that I or my stories exist, and is probably happier for it. This story is written to serve as nothing more than an outlet for one of my hobbies. I'm doing it because I felt like it and am not planning to realize any sort of monetary award for it.
The plot for "Harry Potter & The Search For Peace" is mine.
Harry looked around as everyone entered the Room of Requirements. He, Ron and Hermione had decided that there was a small group of people who deserved to know what they had been doing for the last year. The group included the Weasleys, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Professor McGonagall and Acting Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt. As everyone settled into the chairs, Hermione got up to cast the protective charms around them.
"Let me help you," Professor McGonagall offered. "No," Harry spoke hurriedly, "I am sorry, Professor. It's not like that I don't trust you but I will be more at ease if Hermione does it. Her protective charms kept us alive." Professor McGonagall sat down again, wondering what exactly these students of hers had been through.
As Hermione sat down, Harry began, "In my sixth year, Professor Dumbledore told me everything he knew about Lord Voldemort, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was the son of Merope Gaunt, who was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, and a muggle Tom Riddle, whom Lord Voldemort killed when he was sixteen. Merope had given Tom Riddle a love potion and when she stopped, he ran away. Voldemort grew up in an orphanage. He grew up without friends and never had friends in his life."
Hermione continued from thereon, "Voldemort was obsessed with immortality. In order to achieve it, he made Horcruxes…." "In plural," Bill Weasley exclaimed. The three friends nodded.
"You know what Horcruxes are?" Ron asked. Bill nodded. "A Horcrux is an object in which a Dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul in order to become immortal. Horcruxes can only be created after committing murder, the supreme act of evil. The process for the creation of a Horcrux involves a spell and a horrific act performed soon after the murder has been committed," Hermione told for the benefit of others.
Everyone's eyes widened in horror. Ginny, however, spoke, "So the diary was a horcrux." Harry nodded. Hermione quickly briefed Kingsley and Fleur about the Chamber of Secrets. Harry continued, "Voldemort was fascinated by the idea of seven-part soul. He intended to make six Horcruxes. He made seven." Everyone gasped. The story of last year hadn't yet begun and they all were already horrified. What would happen when the actual horrors came in?
"The diary was destroyed by me. Professor Dumbledore destroyed the Ring Horcrux. The night Dumbledore had died, we went to retrieve a third Horcrux. It was Slytherin's locket. One of the protections to get to the locket was a potion which Dumbledore drank. He was already weak when we came back. After he died, I checked the locket but it was fake. Someone had already stolen it with the purpose of destroying it. Someone called RAB."
Professor McGonagall gasped, "Regulus Arcturus Black." Harry nodded. He told about their escapade at Tottenham Court Road. He told them about discovering the identity of RAB. He told them about Kreacher's tale and locating the Horcrux. He told them about breaking into the Ministry and the identities they took.
"It was you. You warned me about being watched," Arthur exclaimed. Harry chuckled and nodded. "You know how difficult it was. I could not look at you in the eye as I was worried you would recognize me. I almost called you Dad," Ron muttered. "Ask me about it," Harry spoke, "I hope you never look at me again with that expression on your face."
Hermione continued the story. She told them about their escape from the Ministry, about Ron splinching his shoulder. And finally, she told them about that dreadful night.
"The Horcrux was playing with our minds. It sucked out every bit of positive thought. It was like having a personal dementor. Then Harry and I had an argument and I left them," Ron whispered. Everyone was shocked. They scolded him, rebuked him for leaving his friends in such a situation. He accepted it all. He had never actually stopped feeling guilty. Suddenly, he felt himself being hugged. He looked at the person, it was Ginny.
"It was not your fault, you know. Just like it was not my fault for setting loose a basilisk in the school. It was Voldemort who did that." She glared at others. They ought to know that he regretted it.
"I was the one who told him to go," Harry spoke quietly. He gestured Ron to continue. "I wanted to come back the minute I'd disapparated, but I walked straight into a gang of Snatchers. Told them I was Stan Shunpike. First person I could think of. They had a row about whether I was Stan or not. It was a bit pathetic to be honest, but there were still five of them and only one of me and they'd taken my wand. Then two of them got into a fight and while the others were distracted, I managed to hit the one holding me in the stomach, grabbed his wand, Disarmed the bloke holding mine, and disapparated. I didn't do it so well, splinched myself again and I came out miles from where they were. By the time I got back to that bit of riverbank where we'd been . . . they'd gone."
"Meanwhile, Hermione and I went to the Godric's Hollow. We wanted to know about this mark," Harry drew the mark of Deathly Hallows in the air, "We visited my parents' grave and then Bathilda Bagshot. She took me away from Hermione. I never actually learned to differentiate between English and Parseltongue. I don't know what kind of magic it was. Suddenly Hermione was there and then, I was reliving the Halloween of 1981."
Everyone was quiet for a few minutes. He relived the night of his parents' murder. How cruel is that? "Anyway, when I woke up, I found that my wand was broken. That is when we first mentioned Ron's name among ourselves." Then Ron dived into the story of how he heard Hermione's voice coming out of the Deluminator. He told how he waited for them and finally, saw a Silver Doe and then Harry. "This git took off everything except the Horcrux. Obviously that vile thing tried to kill him. Had to get him and the Sword of Gryffindor out of the lake. And then I destroyed the Horcrux."
"And then," Harry said, looking at Ron. They both looked at each other in the eye and shouted in the best imitation of Hermione's voice, "YOU COMPLETE ARSE RONALD WEASLEY." Everyone chuckled while Hermione and Ginny hit the two boys on their heads. Ginny had taken a permanent seat next to her brother.
The friends went to describe their visit to Xenophilius Lovegood. They told about the Deathly Hallows, about Mr Lovegood's desperation to bring Luna back, about escaping the death eaters. "Forgive him, Luna, he was just trying to save you," Harry said.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat when they heard about the capture. They couldn't stop their tears when they learned that Hermione was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. "You lied to her while she was using the Cruciatus Curse on you?" Kingsley asked Hermione, surprised. Hermione smiled softly, "I knew these two would leave no stone unturned to save me. And I could hear Ron's voice. That is what kept me sane."
The story continued. Mrs Weasley was upset that her eldest son and daughter-in-law had not told them about Harry, Ron and Hermione being with them. Harry choked when he talked about Remus Lupin naming him as Teddy's Godfather. The escape on the dragon interested Charlie Weasley too much. When Harry mentioned that he had used Cruciatus Curse on Amycus Carrow, Ron spoke, "I don't blame you mate, no one insults Minerva McGonagall." Harry chuckled.
"You were the seventh Horcrux?" Bill exclaimed. Harry nodded. Everyone wondered what kind of courage it would have taken him to walk to his own death. "You died for us," Mrs Weasley wept. Ron shook his head, "He came back for us. He died for the entire Wizarding World." Everyone stared Ron.
"He met Dumbledore in what we can suppose was between life and afterlife. Dumbledore gave him an option to stay, that is remain dead, or come back to us. Think from his point of view, by staying there, Harry could have met his parents, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred…yet he came back. He came back to us, for us."
Harry smiled. He continued the tale – Narcissa's lie and finally the end. "Your parents would be proud of you. So would be Sirius and Remus. I am proud of you, all three of you in fact. You have shown more bravery than people twice your age can even fathom."