A Change of Destiny

Chapter 1

Family Time

It was cold; freezing cold as Harry was held to a wall in a room her barely knew of. His hands were shackled to the wall and he made no attempt to move. The shackles holding him were laced thoroughly with the Cruciatus Curse. If a mere finger was moved, Harry would feel shots of pain run through his entire body, leaving him twitching and aching; then the binds would react again. It was nonstop torture.

From his observations, it had been more than a week of being in captivity at Voldemort's headquarters. Harry, of course, had no idea how long he was there exactly but every torture session was a marking of a new day. He found himself being "played with" as Bellatrix called it hours at day. It was more than pain, it was quite more.

Only yesterday Harry had experienced the worst torment in his life. A dementor was sent into the room where they were holding the sixteen year old. One junior death eater was sent in a long with Lucius Malfoy and practiced on him. Although the person was not experienced, the pain was unbearable.

Harry's screams were heard over and over again just like a broken record player. The days began blending together and Harry couldn't seem to keep a concept of time anymore. As he just laid there, his thoughts that had been so jumbled in his mind began to clear a bit. His thoughts were filled with images that he barely remembered; he had been gone for a long time although it could seem short to someone else.

An image of his friends appeared in Harry's head. It was a memory that Harry remembered quite fondly. It was of Hermione, Ron, himself, and Ginny. They had been playing around by the lake when Ron had fallen into the lake, pulling Harry along with him. When the splashed into it, Hermione and Ginny became aware and fell over laughing hysterically at them. Harry's head came up and he gasped for air. Ron who was not quite the swimmer had decided it would be a good idea to grab onto Harry's shoulder and hold on for the ride. He was now swimming to the coast of the lake with Ron on his back. Ginny and Hermione were laughing harder than they had ever before and when they finally did get out the lake Ron was still holding on for dear life mumbling about how he was too young to die.

Harry used his tired muscles to smile for the first time in a week. He came out of his thoughts as the door creaked open and suddenly the cold room became even colder. He knew this feeling all to well. It was a dementor.

"Hello Harry, how are we doing today?" a woman's voice drawled to hair. He had no energy to even look at the woman but he knew the voice well. She came in the third day Harry was here. Narcissa came in with all of her blonde hair and looked at Harry with satisfaction.

"Just great Narcissa," Harry said so quietly it was a surprise that she heard him.

"Still got your wit, ay Potter. Well, I don't have much time to be quite honest but I brought one of your dear friends," she smirked happily, "I believe you have missed them very much. Have fun."

She walked out of the room and the coldness that had filled Harry moments ago came back. Harry could hear his mother's shrill screams in his head echoing as they did every time he experienced a dementor.

"NO! Not Harry!" she would scream. Harry knew it all to well.

"Move aside you silly little girl," Voldemort's voice snarled to Harry's mother.

"NO!" Harry could just imagine his mother holding him protectively, trying to save her only son.

"Fine," he could see in his mind, Voldemort raising his wand and saying the dreaded curse.

Green light engulfed Harry's mind and he woke up screaming.

"Harry! Shh, calm down!" a voice told Harry. His vision was blurred but Harry could make out the outlines of his parents. For a moment, he was surprised that they were there, that they were with him but then he realized he was in his safe room.

Harry let out a deep breath trying to keep calm and push the memory out.

"Harry?" James said softly sitting on the edge of Harry's bed, "was it another dream?"

Harry put his head in his hands and continued to breathe deeply. He nodded his head and wiped the sweat off of his brow line. It was barely a month into the holiday and Harry barely slept anymore. He was constantly reliving the terror of his captivity night after night. Harry however felt guilt in a way for waking his parents up every night with his terrified screams.

"Oh Harry," Lily whispered rubbing his back in circles, "how about some tea? Okay? We can sit and… talk at the table. It's," Lily looked at her watch, "4:00. That's not too bad!"

Harry looked up and smiled a tired smile as his parents pulled him out of bed and down the stairs. As they sat down at the table, Ron came stumbling down the stairs in his pajamas. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly and looking at the Potter's sitting at the table.

"You okay mate?" Ron asked yawning. Harry smiled and waved Ron away. The red-head gave a thumbs-up before once again stumbling up the stairs.

"Are you okay son?" James asked looking up from his tea. Harry looked at his father and faltered for a moment not sure of his answer.

"I'm fine, I just need some sleep. Thanks for the tea mum," Harry mumbled running a frustrated hand through his hair. He stood up and began to walk up the stairs.

"Harry, why won't you tell us what happened? Why can't you just explain it to us and maybe we can help you?" Lily begged as she stood in her night dress at the bottom of the steps. Harry looked at her letting his thoughts drift to Ginny who he had seen quite a lot this summer. His mother and Ginny did look quite a like.

Harry shook his head and let his eyes focus again, "I just can't. I'm sorry but… I can't talk about it. Not yet."

Harry turned and walked up to his room closing the door behind him.

"Ron! Ron! Wake up!" James whispered as he shook Ron awake in their guest bedroom. He had fallen in love with the room since it was personally made for him. Chudley Cannon's decked out the entire room and it was wonder he could sleep the room was bright.

"What?" he said agitated from being awoken twice in the last twenty minutes. James was already pulling him out of bed while Lily sat quietly at the door. Ron was stumbling again but with the help of James he made it safely to the dimmed living room.

This was a comforting place to sit. The leather couch was cushy and you could easily fall asleep in it while looking at the roaring fire that lit the fireplace. Ron sat down and almost knocked over the pictures on the small table next to the couch.

"Okay Ron, we need you to actually listen," Lily said trying to keep him upright. He also kept putting his feet on the wood coffee table and James kept swiping them off.

"Ron, I'll tell your mum what you did in the closet two days ago with Hermione if you don't stay awake," James whispered and Ron immediately shot up ready to listen.

"Why did you all wake me up?" he asked annoyed. James and Lily chuckled.

"Look let's get to the point Ron because I don't know how much longer you'll be able to stay awake," James said as he saw Ron's eyes droop than pop open as quickly as they fell.

"You know about Harry's nightmares right?" Ron nodded, "Well, we want, rather need you to try and get Harry to open up about it."

Ron leant forward, "I've known Harry for a really long time Mr. and Mrs. Potter and I know that you are his parents and all but one thing you should learn and know about Harry is that if you push him, he closes in further."

Lily looked at James and they made a silent agreement. She turned to Ron and gave him the saddest looking eyes she could.

"Please Ron, if you do it for someone do it for me," she said sadly. Ron leant back into the sofa and huffed.

"Damn those eyes... Alright, fine." Ron moved to leave but before he made it to the stairs, James hit him on the back of his head.

"Don't swear in my house Mr. Weasley. Or do I need to threaten you again?" Ron squeaked and ran up the stairs.

"Ah, I've still got it." Lily just rolled her eyes.

Harry felt the sun beading down on his eye lids and his emerald eyes opened slowly. He sat up and yawned looking around his room. It was late now, almost three in the afternoon. After the interesting vision or flashback Harry had, he found that he could somehow sleep more easily.

Reluctantly, Harry traipsed out of bed, not quite looking forward to facing his friends and family at the moment. He changed quickly into his new muggle clothes and walked out of the room.

"Morning Harry, Molly came over and showed me how to cook some new food so I made you some food," Lily said happily as her son walked into the kitchen.

As Harry looked at the plate before him he found that the word "some" was an understatement.

Mrs. Weasley obviously showed his mum how to cook because the plate was piled high with an assortment of lunch foods and meats and desserts.

"Mum, I don't think I can eat this much," Harry said trying to not test her temper. Lily turned around sharply.

"Well Harry James, that doesn't matter, does it? You were thin as a rail before and I want you to get some of that weight back now eat up!" she said ending cheerfully. She used that excuse quite a lot lately when it came to Harry and food. He ate, yes, but he preferred to eat small meals as he still found it hard to eat from his time at the headquarters.

Harry shuddered and dug in.

Lily watched as Harry began to eat his food. She smiled as she saw his eyes widen slightly from the taste and when he began to shovel the food in his mouth. Lily was happy that she had finally cooked something good.

Lily turned away, but watched Harry out of the corner of her eye. She kept an eye on him at all times, just to be sure he was there and sometimes she would simply observe him; look and learn his appearance and his mannerism, filing some of his less desirable traits in a mental file so she could work on changing them later.

Since they had come to Godric's Hollow, Harry's health had been getting a lot better. He could now walk with no pains and the scars were slowly fading from his body. He had gotten a healthy tan now that he was able to go outside and play Quidditch with his friends instead of sulking in his accursed room at the Dursleys.

His body was beginning to regain its shape and he was getting the bulk back from all the Quidditch and running. Every morning now, Harry would go into their own Room of Requirement wanting the room for training and the room would turn into a large field where Harry would run. Not as big as the one Hogwarts would have provided, and certainly not as big as the jog around the lake at Hogwarts but large enough. When Ginny, Hermione, and Ron had come over early to surprise Harry they found him in that room running his heart out. Ginny practically melted from what Lily saw and heard. Harry was running with his shirt off and that had apparently made Ginny almost faint. That detail had been kept from Harry though…

Harry's unruly black hair was once again sticking up madly all over his head and it was as jet black as possible. When Harry looked up, his eyes were still pained but the smile he gave his mother finally reached his eyes.

As the day rolled on, the two Potters left their house and apparated to headquarters. It was a whole new place now. The house of Black had transformed into a beautiful place. Sirius had lightened it up since he now lived there with Remus, the Weasleys, and the Grangers.

It no longer looked like the original Grimmauld Place that was dark and dingy. The kitchen was now quite tasteful with new wood furniture tables, shelves, and chairs. Lily smiled at Harry's amused look. The last time he was here, the house was in the middle of remodeling and looked like a demolished building.

"Hello?!" Harry yelled. The house was oddly empty. Where was everyone?

"Harry! Hey mate!" Ron said as he came tumbling down the stairs with Hermione and Ginny in tow.

"Hey guys," Harry said kissing Ginny and looking around, "This place turned out nicely." Hermione smiled proudly. She had helped Sirius with the décor.

"Where is everybody?" Lily asked walking up to the kids. When she came up to them, Ginny was standing taller and seemed to be smiling more than usual and Hermione was trying to look more sophisticated.

"They are all in the dining room if you would like to meet them there," Ginny said sounding a bit older than she normally did. Ron and Harry looked at them oddly.

"Go ahead Mrs. Potter, their all in there just walk on in. Mr. Potter was looking for you. Something about you taking his comb?" Ron said chuckling. He found it very amusing when he would go to the Potters and he would, of course, find Lily and James running after each other; normally James was chasing Lily around. He would find Harry sitting in the middle watching with an amused look on his face.

"Thanks Ron," she said warmly before walking away and into the dining room.

When the door closed behind her, Ginny and Hermione let out a deep breathe and went back to their normal selves.

"So! Let's go play exploding snap up in our room," Ginny said as she and Hermione walked up the stairs.

Harry was trying to hold back his laughter, "Are you… you two trying to impress my mum?"

Immediately, Hermione looked down at her hands and Ginny's face became quite red from her ears to her nose.

"No! We were just being polite for your information."

Ron and Harry exchanged looks, "Sure, that's it."

A/n: And so the sequel begins!!! Thx for all the reviews. A lot of them were helpful for writing. And just so you people know I will go back and edit The Change of Events later but for now let me focus on this story! Thx again! Oh and keep reviewing! I'd like to know if I'm writing better!