I can't believe no one has ever tried writing a story like this before, I've looked and could only find one where Harry turned into a ghost, that was a strange story, I didn't finish reading it.
The Realm of Passing
Chapter 1: A Spell and a Wand
Harry Potter was scared. More scared than he had been in his entire life. An older boy, whom he considered a friend, had been murdered by the same man who had betrayed his parent to Voldemort. Then that Death Eater, Wormtail, tied Harry up and proceeded to exhume a bone of Voldemort's father, cut off his own hand and draw blood from Harry's to use in the rebirth of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Other Death Eaters had been summoned, Voldemort told everyone how disappointed he was in them and how great he was and how much he loved himself then he and Harry proceeded to enter a Duel. A Duel that ultimately lead to two spells being incanted at the same time.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
The spells of Harry Potter and Tom Riddle (more commonly known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, You-Know-Who or Voldemort) streaked towards each other. They came close, but didn't quite touch, for Harry had aimed slightly to his left, for Voldemort's wand arm, to maximize the effect of the charm. Disarming Voldemort was the best chance he had to survive but in the end it was in vain because before the charm could hit Voldemort's arm, Voldemort had moved it in order to use the killing curse. The curse struck Harry right on the heart and he could just feel himself being hurled into the air as his soul departed the land of the living.
ORACLE2PHOENIX
Harry woke up in strange surroundings. Strange white surroundings. Naked.
Harry did not understand. Everything was completely white: the building behind him, the water and the pond, the overgrown grass and the hills, the trees of the orchard, even the sky, the clouds and the sun were all white. Harry found his naked form to be the most colourful thing around. Then he heard a shriek of pain.
Harry spun on the spot. He could make out quite clearly, under a tree on the edge of the orchard a… something, he did not know what, but suddenly he felt being very uncomfortable being naked in such close proximity to such a disturbing creature, for though Harry could not properly see it from where he was the entire creature had an undesirable aura about it that Harry could sense.
Suddenly a set of robes appeared out of thin air before him. Harry took them and wore them, finding they were quite comfortable. Then drawing on his courage he walked towards the… thing. As he got closer he was able realized more what it looked like and jumped back in shock. It was like a deformed baby of sorts. Harry suddenly realized what it looked like. It looked like Voldemort just before his rebirthing. It was breathing very lightly as if dying and suffering too much to even cry out.
"Voldemort?" said Harry unsurely to the child
But the child didn't even acknowledge him. "Not Quite!"
Harry spun around. Standing before him in a set of red and gold coloured robes was an older carbon copy of himself. Except the eyes were hazel.
"Dad?" said Harry, his voice catching his throat.
"Hello son." Said the man
Harry did not know what made him do it, but he ran directly at the man "Daddy." He yelled tears streaming from his eyes. When he reached the man he threw his arms around him and hugged him as hard as he could.
James Potter held his son tightly in an embrace. Harry didn't know how long he was there, but he was brought out of his musings by the shrieking of the abominable child.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Said Harry "I messed up. I messed up so badly. I tried but I, but I…"
"Shoosh Harry!" said the man calmly and kindly "I know you haven't had it easy and I know everything you've been fighting for but understand this. None of what happened is your fault."
"But I…" began Harry, but they were again cut off by the unholy shriek of the deformed child.
"Let's step inside." Said James. With an arm around his son, he lead them into the building and into a kitchen.
Harry was just processing the fact that this white world, for lack of a better term, looked exactly like the burrow. But that ceased to matter when he entered the kitchen and saw her…
"Mum?" and without giving her a second longer to confirm this he ran up and hugged her too.
"Harry, my sweet, sweet boy. You have done so well. Your father and I are so very proud of you."
"Yeah!" said his father "The youngest Seeker in a century. Now that is definitely an achievement that trumps all others."
"Don't listen to your father Harry. It's been nearly fourteen years and he is still a Quidditch nut."
Lily's last statement reminded Harry of the horrible events that had happened throughout his life. "I was in the Graveyard." He said, still in Lily's embrace.
"Yes!" said James
"I was hit with the killing curse."
"I'm afraid so." Said Lily
"So I died then. This is Heaven?"
"Well not exactly." Said Lily
"Well I would say not at all." Said James.
Harry finally released himself from his mother's embrace and looked back at his father. "What do you mean? Is this Hell then?"
"Hell?" said James laughing "You think in hell you would be sent to your parents in a carbon copy of one of the few places you've felt at home? The one place in the world that in living memory you have felt loved?"
"Well… then... what?" asked Harry
"I suppose one could call this limbo." Said Lily. "This is the realm that exists between that of the living and that of the dead. It is known as the Realm of Passing. It is essentially a stopping point on route to the afterlife."
"So I died and I came here?" said Harry "Then I will go on to the Realm of the Dead right?" he felt excited, he could leave the troubles of the world behind him and get to know his parents.
James and Lily looked troubled. They could tell what Harry was thinking.
"The matter of your death is debatable." Said James. "At this current time, and I use that word loosely as time has no meaning here, no you are not dead."
"Not?" said Harry
"Perhaps we should explain." Said Lily "When I died to save you I granted you a protection that rebounded Voldemort's killing curse."
"I know, you died to save me, so Voldemort could not touch me. But he can now, I've ruined your sacrifice."
"Harry Sweetie the events that happened tonight were beyond your control." Lily said pulling him into a hug. Think about it, what could you have done differently?"
Harry looked at her "I don't know but… I could have taken the Triwizard Cup on my own or I could have taken it straight back to Hogwarts. I could have stunned Wormtail when he approached. I could have…"
"Harry you didn't know what was going on. You did what you thought was best, what everyone thought was best. You fought your hardest and sought to get yourself through the tasks you were set, against your will I might add." Said James.
"But I still screwed up." Said Harry
"And you think anyone else in your situation wouldn't." said Lily "You need to bear in mind, that you could never have known that you were entered into this tournament to win. You have to admit that it makes more sense that you were entered in order to get killed in one of the tasks."
"But I wasn't…"
"But you couldn't have known that." Said James
"But…"
"Harry, your father and I are going to go over this with you again and again until you accept that this wasn't your fault." Said Lily "So please just accept that we are right."
Harry nodded.
"Anyway as I was saying, when Voldemort failed to kill you as a baby, part of him ended up inside of you."
"That's why I can speak Parseltounge." Said Harry
"Yes but Dumbledore kept a huge part of the information from you." Said James. "When Voldemort was reduced to a wraith, it wasn't so much some of his powers that he transferred to you. It was a fragment of his soul attached itself to you. That fragment was attached to you for nearly fourteen years until moments ago when Voldemort destroyed it."
"When he hit me with the curse?" said Harry
"Yes." Said Lily
"But how can this be possible? A soul fragment, attaching itself to me, how does that happen?" asked Harry
"Well when one commits murder they commit an act against nature. That act causes the soul to split into two pieces. Unless one can feel remorse for killing another, then the soul portions can exist entirely separate from one another." Said Lily
"The Diary." Said Harry "Two years ago a diary was planted on a friend of mine… I mean on my friends sister."
James burst out laughing "Harry it is ok to call Ginny your friend. I must say if she was 10 years older and I was 10 years younger…"
"James Charlus Potter!" said Lily dangerously.
"… I would still go for your mother, but there is no denying that Ginny Weasley is one hot girl."
"Ginny?" said Harry in confusion "As in my best friend Ron's little sister?"
"Yes but we're getting off topic… again." Said Lily. "Harry, yes the enchanted Diary was more than a simple cursed item. It was a device used to contain a fragment of Voldemort's soul. As you can see that device was really dangerous. But there is a lot more to it than what you saw Ginny suffer through."
"Voldemort probably made more than the two you and we know about." Said James. "The fact that he turned you into one suggests that his soul his heavily unstable from making them. Eventually when all the fragments are destroyed they'll all end up here in the Realm of Passing."
"That child." Said Harry "That is the fragment of Voldemort's soul. The one I destroyed in the Chamber of Secrets? Isn't it?"
"Part of it is." Said Lily. "The other part was the fragment that latched itself onto you. When the killing curse struck you, the soul fragment died."
"But I didn't. Why?" asked Harry
"He took your blood." Said James
"My Blood?" said Harry
"And mine." Said Lily. "Voldemort despite what he thinks, did not make himself immune to my sacrifice. He merely changed the nature of it. Thanks to his soul fragment you have had a connection to him for years, a connection that understands Voldemort as an enemy of you. When Voldemort took your blood he changed the nature of the connection. When he fired that curse at you the protection I gave you as a baby…"
"…saved me again from the inside of Voldemort." Said Harry now realising what was going on. "So I'm not dead, I have to go back?"
"That choice is yours Harry." Said James "You can go back or you can come with us to the Realm of the Dead."
"With you?" said Harry "I don't have to go back? I can come with you?"
James and Lily looked at each other again sadly.
"If that is what you wish Harry." Said Lily. "Then yes you can go on. But I would not jump to that so quickly. While we all have to die you are only fourteen."
"So?" said Harry "Cedric was only seventeen and he's not coming back to life is he?" Harry felt really upset now "There is nothing for me in the Realm of the Living, all I had was you and you died when I was a baby. I have nothing. I have no one."
"Harry." Said James
"I don't blame you, either of you." Said Harry. "But right now. Everything is just so hard. No one else had to fight a dragon, no one else was branded a liar and made fun of for being an orphan."
"Your right Harry. The Wizarding World has been too hard on you." Said James "And it's going to get even harder for you, should you go back."
"Then I won't go back." Said Harry "I'll go with you. I can get my parents back, I can get to know Cedric better. I really didn't befriend him as much as I should have. I have nothing in the Realm of the Living to make me want to go back."
"Are you sure about that Harry?" asked Lily "Are you sure you don't have anything to go back for… or anyone."
Harry stopped and suddenly realised that they were right "Ron and Hermione?" he said in understanding.
"And the rest of the Weasleys." said James. "You cannot deny that you'd miss them, especially that daughter of theirs she…"
"James!" said Lily warningly
"What is it with you and Ginny, Dad?" asked Harry "I mean she's pretty cool and pretty cute." Harry covered his mouth "Where did that come from?"
"Oh Harry." Said Lily "Ginny has always been your type you've probably just never stopped to think about it."
"I… I must have done… I mean… I know she fancied me… sort of… and Ron even suggested I take her to the Yule Ball. I'm quite glad I didn't now, I don't think Parvati will forgive me anytime soon."
"You don't know that Harry. You spent the entire evening wanting to be with Cho Chang. If you were with Ginny you might have been able to have more fun." Said Lily
"What should I do?" Said Harry "I know that I have so much good stuff in the Realm of the Living but… I don't want to… I don't to fight this anymore. I want my parents back, I want some peace in my life… Everyone else has it, can I not have it too?"
James and Lily took Harry in another hug.
"In the end Harry," said James "you need to decide. Is what you love in the world worth fighting for or is the Realm of the Living not worth fighting for."
"If I go back can I change the world?" asked Harry
"We can't say for sure what you can achieve Harry." Said Lily "All we can say is that we believe in you and are proud of you no matter what. But I can promise you this. If you return to the Realm of the Living, you will not be the same person that left."
"You mean I have something more?" asked Harry
"No you will have something less." Said James "Said something is currently lying outside in agony."
"Voldemort's soul piece?" asked Harry
"Yes." Said James "Without it, you will see a clear difference in yourself. Without it holding you back, you will truly become who you are. Voldemort defiled you when you were a baby and you have suffered for it, with little to no help from anyone. If you go back, you will go back and show them what Harry Potter can truly accomplish."
Lily looked proudly at her husband "You are strong Harry. Stronger than you will probably ever accept. Stronger than Voldemort will certainly ever accept. If you go back, I believe you can win. Worst case scenario is that you don't but unlike Voldemort who can never be forgiven for his acts against nature, you have nothing to fear from returning here. Should you fail you can still rest with us in peace."
And that was it. Harry knew he had to go back. He nodded "Neither of you wanted me to go to the Realm of the Dead did you?"
"No, Harry we didn't." said James
"We love you. We always will. But we want you to live your life to its fullest, and you still have a life that can be lived some more."
"And a little Miss Weasley that needs snogging." Said James
Lily growled "Just do me one favour Harry."
"Yes Mum?"
"Should you choose to enter a relationship with Ginny then whatever you do, don't be an arse like your father was."
Before Harry could answer he felt the Realm of the Passing around him begin to contract. He was going back, his time with his parents was up. Both of them still had their arms around him but he was losing the ability to see them
"Wait… I love you… I love you both…"
Harry heard two more I love you's before he felt himself re-enter his body.
ORACLE2PHOENIX
Harry's body was flying through the air when he re-entered it. For the briefest second everything became so clear to him. Harry realised that his head had never been clearer, that his pains: the acromantula bite, the effects of the Curciatus Curse, the cut made to draw out his blood; He couldn't feel them.
AS Harry rolled a few times in the air he landed on his feet in a crouched down position and then stood up. Voldemort and the Death Eaters looked at him in horror. Harry Potter had once again survived the Killing Curse.
"Well." Said Harry "That was enlightening."
"Avada…" Voldemort began incanting
"Accio!" said Harry
"…Kedavra!" finished Voldemort
A green beam of light left Voldemort's wand and hit… a tombstone? Harry's summoning charm had worked.
"Depulso!" yelled Harry forcefully. The Tombstone flew towards Voldemort at high speed and before Voldemort could bring up a shield or move out the way, as he was so shocked that Harry had survived his curses, the tombstone slammed into him with force.
Harry's mind was on fire, his brain was operating at a speed he had never thought possible, it was obvious to him that the soul fragment that had been in him had been holding him back. He was angry, very angry at Voldemort. It was all his fault, the death of his parents, Cedric and so many others and now this.
Voldemort somehow managed to stay on his feet. He glared at Harry but was heavily surprised that the boy didn't show fear, like he was use. The boy showed rage.
"You think you can survive another curse Harry?" said Voldemort, in an almost calm voice.
"Nope. Our situation meant that I could survive one curse from you and that's it. From this point on if I get hit by a killing curse from you or anyone else. That's me dead." Said Harry in a sly tone that held both anger and distain.
"And what situation would that be?" said Voldemort
"Ooh wouldn't you like to know Tom?" asked Harry mockingly
Harry's comment made Voldemort furious "Crucio!"
Harry sidestepped again and fired "Reducto!" at the ground in front of Voldemort, causing it to explode and shower dirt all over him.
"You dare use that name." said Voldemort, his followers were frightened and confused, why was Voldemort so… angry.
Harry noticed and decided to upset the gathering somewhat "What's the matter hasn't ever Voldemort told you the details of his upbringing?" said Harry, knowing full well he hadn't "Well we can't have that, now can we… I'll tell you all."
"Silence Potter!" snarled Voldemort
"Come now Tom Riddle Junior, middle name Marvolo, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. You're not the first Wizard to have a muggle father or to grow up like one of them."
Tom screamed in fury and yelled "Avada Kedavra!" at Harry. But even as the spell left his wand, Harry rolled to the side again and fired "Expelliarmus!" at Voldemort. As the killing curse soared to where Harry Potter previously stood, the Disarming spell rocketed towards Voldemort and this time its aim was true. Voldemort fell back as his wand soared out of his hand and flew through the air.
Harry didn't know whether it was seeker reflexes, an arrogant Gryffindor spirit or both; Harry would never know; but none the less he ran across and caught the wand. But Harry realised the second that wand landed in his hand and the warmth travelled up his arm, that he could use both of the phoenix wands to get out of there.
"Stun him!" yelled Voldemort.
Harry jumped into the air, avoiding the spellfire, and Yelled "Accio!" Gripping the new wand. He felt himself get tugged to his desired destination and he then pointed his own Wand into the air yelled "Accio!" again.
The result of the first summoning charm caused him to land in a heap by Cedric's body.
"Macnair, give me your wand." Voldemort force the wand out of his servants hand, thus unintentionally becoming its new master. He aimed to kill.
Harry pocketed his new wand and grabbed a hold of Cedric and then pocketed his own wand just in time to catch the cup.
He escaped Voldemort, less of who he had been all his life but never more the person he should have been. A new Harry Potter was returning to Hogwarts.
I don't know when I'll next update this. Right now I am prioritizing my Stories "Jessica Black and the Boy Who Lived" and "My Brother" as well as various Tales of Symphonia fics.
Please review.