We're back to Harry, as an AU-from-canon adult. This is my absolute favorite so far.

~Multi-Faceted~

V: Mercy

By nature, Harry Potter was not a forgiving person.

Oh, he would love people despite their faults, sure. That, however, did not mean he would forgive injury or betrayal. He was not his beloved mentor, after all, and in this he would never be like him.

The war began and dragged on and was over, and the wizarding world at large looked to Harry to lead them in punishing the cruel, the deceptive, the mad and the haughty. But Harry could not be sure of himself - in his own loss he wanted blood, but in times of quiet like these he wanted only peace.

The dead whispered to him, pointing to the innocent, to the bereaved, and then to the sick cold-blooded killers, and then to the ones on the wrong side and desperate to survive. He saw all, felt the pain of all -

Desperately, he sought Albus out, pleaded for advice. But his father figure shook his head regretfully, and reminded Harry that the public wanted the opinion and guidance of the Chosen One, He-Who-Had-Defeated-The-Latest-Dark-Lord - not a "half-mad" old man like him. Further, he could not "grow and change for the better" if Albus was always making decisions for him - "as much as I would like to, little one."

So Harry stood in a dark, cold courtroom facing a hundred witches and wizards, some the convicted, some the acquitted, and with their fate in his hands he hoped his headmaster would be proud of him.

"They should pay for their crimes against the wizarding world - our world," he affirmed strongly; but equally strongly he delivered the hammer blow to this greedy, lusting crowd. "But we will not become monsters with them to make sure of it. There will be no Dementor's Kiss. We may not forgive, and we will never forget, but we will not seek a base revenge. We're better than that. I propose..."

He saw people smile as he spoke his proposal, and he saw them frown. There were cries and moans and cheers, but Harry ignored the majority. He sought one man, and found him toward the back - present but muted. Albus's eyes caught Harry's and twinkled.

Harry smiled.

He had seen all, felt the pain of all - but he could not really punish all.

He'd been as gracious as he could be.