The Price of Peace

Chapter IX

Monday, January 6, 1997

Harry woke up a little after 6:00, before anyone had come down to the common room. This was fortunate, since he and Hermione were tangled together in what most would think was a 'compromising position.'

Harry untangled himself, waking Hermione up in the process. As Hermione rearranged her night clothes, she tried to apologize to Harry.

"Don't worry about it," Harry told her, vanishing the double-recliner now that they were out of it. "Let's get dressed and go down stairs." He sighed. "It's not going to be an easy day."

Luna was again waiting for them just outside the great hall. She came and hugged them both, kissing Hermione on the cheek and Harry lightly on the lips. The trio held the hug for several moments.

"Hem hem," came a voice behind them, making all three jump.

All three were relieved to see it was the Bloody Baron. "Your lordship," Hermione greeted.

"Sir Nicholas suggested I find you two Gryffindors. If either of you would care to see your friend's clay in private, now might be a good time to do so." He paused. "The funeral this afternoon will be a bit public for any private words."

"Is he there to hear them?" Hermione asked.

The ghost shrugged. "There is no way to know. Despite our situation and experience, we know no more of these matters than the living. If those beyond the veil can hear us, proximity to their remains may help."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, and Luna gave them a slight push. The trio approached the door, which opened for them.

The three other house ghosts were still present. Harry and Hermione approached Ron's body, hand-in-hand, with Luna trailing behind them. Hermione went the last few yards alone. She leaned forward and brushed Ron's hair, and murmured what were obviously words of affection. She then kissed Ron's forehead, and came back to hug Luna. The pair watched Harry.

Harry took a deep breath, and walked up to Ron. "Thanks for being my friend," Harry said. "I hope I didn't cause this; and if I did, I'm sorry. I hope you forgive me for anything I ever did to hurt you. I'll look out for Hermione and Ginny, I promise. Say 'hi' to Sirius and my folks, if you can." Harry noticed something then, and looked carefully. He then lifted the hem of Ron's robes, and smiled.

"What?" Hermione asked when Harry walked back towards them.

"He's got his Chudley Cannon shirt and socks on," Harry said.

"A true fan for eternity," Hermione agreed.

The rest of the day was a blur to both Harry and Hermione. Neither ever remembered more than snippets. The five deceased students were well-honored by the fellow students as well as their families. A small plaque with their names was added to the trophy room, commemorating their sacrifice.

For most of the students, it had been a horrifying, even traumatic experience. However, it was one they would soon recover from, even if most could never forget it. For other students, the trauma went deeper.

Harry and Hermione went back to their normal dorms that night, and almost every night thereafter. On those nights when they couldn't sleep, and they sat in the common room late at night, they came on separate nights, and so sat alone.

Neville and the two Slytherin students were recovered by the end of the week.

Despite how some people had felt on the day of the attack, life did go on. There were repercussions; many lives had changed. But everyday affairs kept flowing at its normal, if irregular, pace.

For example, Cornelius Fudge did not recover politically that week. He went down fighting, but he went down never-the-less. Amelia Bones took over as the new Minister of Magic and Arthur Cosby moved in to her position as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Amos Diggory took over for Cosby as the number two man in that Department. Arthur Weasley was promoted to be the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Percy Weasley was moved to Arthur's old department, as the junior member.

On Saturday (January 12), the Quidditch players (minus Malfoy and Meliflua, who was a Slytherin chaser) met to talk about the rest of the season. Ron and St. John-Pole had been team members, (St. John-Pole had also played chaser) and the two Slytherins were banned. Ginny was the only player closely related to any of the students killed, and Harry was one of just four players who had been close friends to one of the victims.

"So," Katie asked, "what do we want to do? Hold try-outs for the four missing players, or cancel the rest of the season? If we do hold try-outs, should we go with the current schedule, or delay the first two games?"

Everyone looked at Harry. "I'm willing to play, if you all want to," Harry said. "I don't know how St. John-Pole felt about Quidditch, but I do know Ron would have wanted the season to go on." He shrugged. "That's not a great reason for it to go on, but it's all I have to say."

"I'll play, too," Ginny piped up. "I don't know how well I'll play, but I will play."

"Ravenclaw is the least-affected team," Cho said. "I think we should go along with whatever the rest of you decide."

Millicent Bulstrode, now playing beater, agreed. "We lost two players because they're on the wrong side. We'll go along, too." She smiled. "Besides, without . . . that certain person playing seeker, we might have a better team, anyway."

Everyone looked at the Hufflepuff team. "We play for the House," one of them said. "We go on."

And so it was decided.

The school went back to its usual rhythm. Seventh and Fifth year students were harried, Fourth and Six year students looked at the students a year ahead of them and worried about the coming year.

Harry, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Parvati, and Lavender all tried hard to get Hermione out of the library as much as possible, and she allowed them to do so.

The faculty was busy with meetings, both amongst themselves and with various other schools and ministries across the world, trying to figure out what the courses, O.W.L.s, and N.E.W.T.s in Magical Culture would consist of.

Most of the meetings took place at Hogwarts, in part because of its reputation as the leading school of witchcraft and wizardry, but more because of Dumbledore and Edward Potter's reputations as experts in the field. Carole Potter had also published two articles in the field, and had been the first person named to a position to teach the field when it started (Hogwarts' classes in the field would start the following year).

Hermione organized a student committee to add student opinion to the creation of the classes. She was careful to include Full-and-Pure bloods, as well as Muggle-born and Mixed-bloods, and to include students from each House. By the end of May, she had chapters in twelve other schools.

Grumbling, but still in the pay of Edward Potter, Rita Skeeter gave Hermione's Inter-House Student Committee For Cultural Input wide publicity. It made the point that while the basic courses would no doubt be useful, there were plenty of Muggle-born and Mixed-blood students ready and able to contribute to the wizarding world. (Of course, that did not please all the Pure-bloods, who were secretly worried about exactly that.) Hermione was also determined to have some way that Muggle-borns such as herself, who completed Hogwarts and other schools before the new requirements went into effect, would have the chance to earn an O.W.L. equivalency.

Spurred on by these ideas in January, Hermione reformed S.P.E.W. as E.L.F. (Elf Liberation Front) and formed R.A.W.W. (Rights for Afflicted Witches & Wizards, for werewolves and vampires) in early February. (Hermione had taken E.L.F. from a suggestion once made by Ron; Luna had suggested R.A.W.W. Hermione, however, named the I-H.S.C.F.C.I.)

Skeeter reluctantly gave those publicity as well. With all the educators and coming through Hogwarts meeting with her, Hermione would have chapters of E.L.F. and/or R.A.W.W. set up at nine other schools by the end of the term (8 E.L.F. chapters and 4 R.A.W.W. chapters). To her surprise, Skeeter's stories on Hermione gave her more positive feed-back than she had ever gotten before in her career. It started her rethinking her career choices.

Hermione and Luna also organized a research group, listing and cross-listing the crimes admitted to by the former Death Eaters and members of the Pure-Bloods. They were looking for any inconsistencies. They also had a list of crimes and perpetrators secretly supplied by Severus Snape and by the other members of the Order of the Phoenix to cross-check against the confessions. It was work the Ministry should have been doing, but Fudge-like members were still holding up the work.

The leaders of the Order were meeting throughout January and February, trying to decide what to do about the up-coming peace. Bella Lestrange and her small band of terrorists had mostly laid low, but all the intelligence pointed to their just waiting for the 'peace' to go into effect before they started a new set of attacks. That would give the Pure-Bloods someone to denounce, and to make the group look good.

There was no right answer to the problems. The research group turned up enough discrepancies to bring most of the Pure-Bloods into gray-areas at worst. The problem was, that would leave the terror group free to do what they wanted. The only check on them was the group's political leadership.

After much debate throughout February, the leaders of the Order slowly moved towards a compromise that they hoped they could live with.

Thursday, February 27, 1998

Regulus Black, leader of the Movement for Pure-Bloods walked up to the main entrance to Hogwarts castle. He had been nowhere near the School since he left (11 N.E.W.T.'s) in June of 1979. It was a chilly night, and he was not totally certain why he had obeyed the summons. Black gathered his cloak around him and stood before the doors.

The doors swung open. "Edward," Regulus said, sketching a slight bow.

"Regulus," Edward returned. "Come along."

Black followed Potter into the deserted great hall. Dinner was long over, and there were no students studying there this night. Edward escorted Regulus to the room off to the side of the dais, and gestured him into it.

"I'm not meeting with you?" Regulus asked, surprised. He knew he was not meeting with Dumbledore, and had figured Edward as the most likely contact person.

"No," Edward answered. "I'll be right out here, however. We thought you'd prefer just talking to one person, so that there isn't an extra witness. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Curious, Regulus swept into the small room. The only light was from the fire and one candle. The only furniture was a small library table and two chairs. Standing beside the further chair was a slightly-built teen wizard of at best average height for his age.

Regulus of course recognized him. "Mister Potter," he said. "Well, while I expected to meet with a Potter, it seems I anticipated the wrong one. What can I do for you?"

Harry sat and looked at Sirius Black's brother. They did not look very dissimilar, but not in any way totally alike. Harry waited until Regulus sat down opposite him.

"My friends and I seem to be in a dilemma," Harry started off.

"And they leave it to you to solve?" The mockery and disbelief were apparent. "I take it your friends include Albus Dumbledore, the most qualified wizard of the last several hundred years, and your cousin Edward, perhaps the most powerful wizard of the same period, and probably others, like that snaky traitor Severus Snape. And yet they allow you to speak for them? Why?"

"Because I killed Voldemort, and I hold most of the threads," Harry said.

"Yes, Riddle died of the charmed gunshot wounds you inflicted," Regulus started, but Harry shook his head.

"No, I killed Voldemort directly, on the Twenty-first of December, a few moments before midnight, about an hour after Bellatrix Lestrange finished crucio-ing him to keep him weak."

Regulus' eyes widened. Few outside of a few members of the Order, and fewer members of the Ministry, had known that. Obviously, this was one secret that had been kept.

"I was connected to him, because of his curse on me and this." Harry pointed at the famous scar, now slowly fading. "For a few months, he could influence me, but I then became quite adapt at Occlumency. After the battle at the Ministry, he couldn't touch me while I was here or at Potter Place. But that night, I wasn't in either place. Our minds touched, and I killed him. I destroyed the spirit in that fake body."

Regulus could say nothing to that, but this calm recitation made him very nervous.

"I learned a number of things that night," Harry went on. "Such as your unconfessed connections to the American Magical Mafia." It had actually been Edward who had uncovered that information, while Harry and Voldemort struggled, but it had been decided to let Harry run with this.

After all, the Pure-bloods had only gotten the nerve to turn on Voldemort because of Harry's injuring him and Harry's revelation of his half-blood status. Had not both occurred, they would have stayed his slaves. Even proudly Pure-blood and powerful followers like Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Regulus himself had to admit to themselves that they could never have stood up to an uninjured Voldemort.

Harry had not only stood up to Voldemort more than once, Harry had killed him -- not with a sneak attack as they had thought, but in a battle of pure power. Harry had also driven away half their former dementor allies, destroying six in the process, something they knew they could not do. Harry had even killed one of the Lestrange brothers, noted for their survival skills and ruthless use of terror. Harry was obviously someone to be wary of, teen or not.

Regulus pulled his wand, but Harry already had him covered. "Don't try it," Harry said with a deadly calm that did not show how nervous he really was. "I already have it all written down, in case you're thinking of trying to modify my memory. And even if you manage to do something to me, Edward would kill you." Harry smiled. "And you know that he could, and would."

Regulus slowly put his wand away.

Harry went on. "Something else you haven't confessed to; after Crabbe and Goyle -- the sons, that is -- were captured, Lucius Malfoy asked that you arrange their murders, and you did. And, of course, you haven't confessed that you're still in charge of all the former Death Eaters, including Wormtail and Bellatrix Lestrange, but then, that would end your amnesty, wouldn't it?" The attack on the train had come after the period for new crimes to be pardoned.

Regulus looked at Harry, but Harry didn't give an inch. Black was reminded of playing poker with members of the American Wizarding community. Potter had a 'poker face.'

"You wouldn't tell me this, if you thought you could prove any of it," Regulus finally said.

"Or, unless letting you off would give us something we want more than your head," Harry answered.

"I find it difficult to believe you, and I mean any of you, would do anything like that!"

"Thanks for the compliment, although I doubt it was meant as one," Harry retorted.

"Then why?" Regulus demanded.

"Because even if we get rid of you and Malfoy, and discredit your bigoted movement," Harry answered with slight anger in his voice, "that still leaves the terrorist group untouched. Our best intelligence says there are currently only nine of them at most, but they're all as crazy as Wormtail and your cousin Bellatrix!"

Regulus nodded. "They are a bit . . . unbalanced."

"So, we know that you know where they are," Harry said. "You should also have the evidence that can put the seven who weren't directly involved in the train attack away. Above all, you can put Bellatrix and Wormtail away." The hate in Harry's voice startled even Black as he said, "I want them both taken out!"

Harry stopped and composed himself before going on. "Confess to helping Malfoy get Crabbe and Goyle executed by tomorrow midnight, without letting him know so he doesn't confess as well, and we both get rid of him. You know perfectly well that, sooner or later, he'll turn on you. Do it now, and make certain everyone knows about Draco. That won't be enough to put the little ferret away for long, but it will disqualify him from politics, too." Harry was obviously looking forward to that as well.

"And you'll just ignore my alleged connections to the Magical Mafia?" Regulus asked, disbelieving. "And ignore your mistaken notion that I knew they were going to attack the train?"

"If you connect the Malfoys to that, you could make any evidence look like it only applied to them," Harry answered. "It's up to you to avoid any evidence Malfoy can throw back at you." Regulus looked thoughtful.

"I'm hoping to become an Auror," Harry went on. "If you've kept up your criminal associations after five or six more years, then I might happen to investigate you. But you're planning to be the leader of a small but solid part of the wizarding community. I'm hoping Sirius' brother has the sense to have at least cut out any active involvement by then." Harry was very glad Edward, Snape, and even Dumbledore had coached him in likely scenarios. "As for this Pure-blood nonsense, I think we can at least hold back things getting worse. I'm willing to fight that out politically. Are you?"

Regulus sat back, surprised to say the least. "I never liked your father, Potter," he said at last. "But except for looks, you don't remind me much of him at all. You're much more like your mother and your cousin Harold, Edward's older brother."

Harry said nothing. Regulus looked at him some more. "I'll need Snape to be willing to testify, if I'm to 'get' Malfoy."

Harry got up and went to the fireplace. He tossed in some powder. "Professor Snape!" he called.

Snape's head appeared in the fire. "Yes, Potter?" He looked around. "Ah, Black." Harry was glad to hear even more loathing in Snape's voice for Regulus than there had ever been for Sirius.

"Am I to understand you will be willing to testify against Lucius Malfoy, in regards to the murder of Crabbe and Goyle?" Regulus asked.

"Yes," Snape almost hissed.

"Thank you, Severus," Regulus said with a sneer. Snape disappeared without another word. Regulus turned to Harry. "I think we have a deal."

"Fine," Harry said, a little ill now that he might have succeeded. He hoped getting rid of the terrorist cell and Lucius Malfoy was worth leaving this man active. It had been well-argued out, but they could have been wrong.

"Tell me, do you know if will I be able to reclaim my family's house?" Regulus asked. "It seems to be missing."

"Since you were legally dead, it went to your cousin Tonks," Harry answered. "There's nothing left there you would want, anyway."

"Ah," Regulus said, standing. "I take it we do not need to shake hands?"

"I don't think either of us would like that very much," Harry retorted.

Regulus went over and opened the door. "Ah," he said again, now with a twisted smile, "another old acquaintance. Hello, Remus."

"Regulus," Remus answered.

"That's all you have to say?" Regulus asked. "No curse for being on the wrong side? No thanks, for improving the legal status for werewolves?" Both questions seemed sincere. "Believe it or not, I was thinking of you. You're the only one of Sirius' friends and acquaintances I ever liked. Except under the full moon, you now have all the rights a Full-blood deserves."

"Thank you," Remus said in a deadly voice.

Regulus gave the pair a twisted smile. "I assume one of you will wish to see me out?"

Remus gestured, and the pair left. Edward went in to see Harry.

Harry was still seated, his head in his hands. Edward put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "It was a dirty deal, in many ways," Edward told his cousin. "In a perfect world, it would not be needed."

"But no one sane person could claim this was a perfect world," Harry answered in a sad voice, "could they?"

"I understand a few Muggle philosophers once claimed this was the best of all possible worlds," a voice said from the doorway. Harry looked up and saw Luna. As always, just knowing Luna was near brought Harry a lot of comfort. "I always thought they must have had very limited imaginations," she continued. Harry managed a slight smile.

"We did a necessary thing, Harry," Edward assured him. "Let's hope it's the last time you have to do something like this, at least for a long time." Edward left the young couple together, knowing Luna could comfort Harry the most.

Harry hoped so. He, Luna, and Hermione all worried that while this might end the legacy of Voldemort, it would just start something nearly as bad.