Fickle Fate:Chapter 4

Back to school and back to exhaustion Well, at least you guys get a new chapter out of it. :)

This story is set right after 5th year and keep in mind I haven't read the book in YEARS and therefore have likely messed up the timeline significantly. Please suspend disbelief with me for a while.

I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.

Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.

Please enjoy!

What to Expect

The sun came up over Malfoy Manor and breakfast was nearly upon its inhabitants. As the minutes ticked down and Harry still did not join them, Tom grew more and more irritated. Finally, as the clock struck seven thirty, Tom stood. All of his followers looked to him, apprehension clear as his anger rolled off of him.

"I will go fetch the boy, myself." They all wondered what state the boy would be in when Voldemort dragged him down. Bellatrix was practically vibrating in perverse excitement.

Tom stalked silently up the stairs and down to Harry's room. He raised a brow at finding both Lestrange brothers still standing outside the door. They bowed when they saw him.

"He has not answered our calls to wake up, My Lord. When we tried to enter…something hissed at us," Rodolphus said.

"Something hissed at you? Well, maybe I should give our guest a wake up call, myself." He opened the door and slid in without any trouble. What he found when he entered, however, stopped him in his tracks.

"Be quiet, Tom. Young One needs his rest." Nagini was completely wrapped around the boy with her head resting on the pillow adjacent to his. Harry's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and he twitched every so often. Voldemort didn't miss the slight puffiness of the boy's cheeks indicating he had been crying at some point during the night. However, that was not his concern.

"It is time for breakfast, and he didn't come down to dinner last night." Nagini gave the snake equivalent of a sigh and knew Tom was right. Harry needed to eat. So, the snake gently bumped her nose against Harry's cheek to wake him. It took a few tries, but she eventually succeeded. Harry's eyes snapped open, and he immediately began to struggle upon feeling restrained.

"Calm, Young One. It is just me." Harry looked down and saw that, yes, he was wrapped up in Nagini. He wasn't tied to the bed.

"My snake seems to have taken quite the liking to you." Harry gave himself whiplash throwing his head around to see the Dark Lord standing at the foot of his bed. The older wizard lifted a brow at him, and Harry scowled.

"I'm not trying to steal your pet, Tom." Harry was soon freed from Nagini's grasp and sat up. "What do you want?" The anger and antagonism Harry was displaying were not surprising in the least, but what Tom felt through the link he shared with the boy made the Dark Lord suspicious of something. He'd have to keep observing though and examine Harry through their link at a later time.

"I want you to pay attention to the time and come to meals. I won't have you starving yourself in defiance. You already missed dinner and are late for breakfast. Get up and get dressed immediately." Harry scowled at the Dark Lord.

"One, I wasn't hungry last night. Two, how the Hell am I supposed to tell the time without a clock in here or my wand and three, no." Tom counted to ten slowly and clenched his jaw. Teenagers, angst, hormones, sold to his mortal enemy. Tom reminded himself of all these things and forced himself to be patient with the boy.

"I will have a clock brought in for you as long as you promise not to throw it. I understand you throw some impressive tantrums." Harry blushed and scowled at the jibe. "You will have your wand returned to you when we start your lessons. You will not be returning to Hogwarts." Harry looked ready to protest, but Tom held up a hand and the boy, surprisingly, snapped his mouth shut. "Finally, get up and get dressed in something acceptable. I can feel the Resizing Charms on your clothes all the way over here." The young man scowled, though Tom could see his cheeks turn red even as the boy stomped towards the wardrobe.

Harry was more than a little surprised to find jeans and plain t-shirts in the wardrobe (alongside far too many wizarding robes) but quickly grabbed a set. He turned to see the Dark Lord watching him intently.

"Aren't you going to leave?" Lord Voldemort narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"And allow you to barricade yourself in the room? I think not. I'm going to personally escort you down." Harry scowled and stomped off to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Knowing there was no point in fighting or stalling any longer, Harry got dressed. He was surprised to find the clothes fit him perfectly, but just put it down to the obvious explanation of magic.

He reemerged from the bathroom to find Tom hadn't moved an inch. Harry folded his old clothes and left them on his bed, before mockingly motioning for Tom to lead the way out the door. The Dark Lord gritted his teeth. He had promised himself the night before that he would restrain himself from Crucio-ing the boy. It was proving to be quite the challenge.

To remind himself to be patient with Harry, Voldemort peeked at the boy's emotions through their link. His anger dried up when he found that Harry was terrified and hurt more than anything. The defiance was to cover up how scared he was.

Sufficiently sobered, Tom opened the bedroom door without a word. Harry's scowl deepened upon seeing the Lestrange brothers, but he decided to ignore them rather than comment. Nagini slithered alongside the boy, which gave the Gryffindor an odd sense of comfort. Harry followed Tom down to the dining room silently, though he was covertly taking note of doors and which appeared open, hallways and how many turns it took to get to the room on the first floor. His looking wasn't as secret as he had thought, however. Voldemort was quietly impressed.

They finally reached the dining room and Harry tensed at seeing all of the Inner Circle present. He noticed Bella's smile fall, so he could only assume she was disappointed to see him unharmed. Lucius gave him a small, smug smile in greeting. Narcissa inclined her head. Snape was as surly as ever.

"You will sit next to me, so I ensure you eat. Bella, move." Had the situation been entirely different, Harry would have laughed at the devastation on Bellatrix's face. A quick glance at the woman's husband showed he didn't bother hiding his smirk of amusement. Unhappy marriage then. No surprise there, Harry thought. He begrudgingly sat where directed once Bellatrix seated herself farther down the table and found himself seated right across from Severus Snape.

"So glad you could grace us with your presence, Mr. Potter," the Potions Master drawled. Harry pursed his lips and pointedly scooped some eggs and then fruit onto his plate.

"Well, Tom was insistent I not starve myself. Though, I think seeing your face is doing a good job of making me lose my appetite." Bella cried out in dismay at hearing Harry call her Lord by his Muggle name, but a dark look from Voldemort silenced any further outbursts. Lucius coughed and covered his mouth to hide his smirk.

"Now, Children…shut up." Harry's jaw dropped for a moment, but then he had to clamp down on a bark of surprised laughter. The Dark Lord was definitely interesting…not that it made Harry like him…at all.

Harry felt Nagini slither up and settle on his feet. He speared a couple of sausage links and snuck one down to her. Her laugh unsettled the others who didn't know she was there and she gave Harry her thanks before taking the meat.

"Those aren't good for her. I'd rather you not encourage her begging." Harry raised an eyebrow and shifted his feet under the heavy snake.

"Laying on my feet is her begging?" Tom's lips twitched, and he nodded.

"Quite. She insists she does not act like a common mutt and yet…" He trailed off as Nagini gave an indignant hiss and bumped her face against his knee in protest. Harry once again had to fight down laughter. Maybe the papers were right to call him crazy. Here he was, sitting next to the Dark Lord and laughing. His mind was no doubt on its way to shattering.

To distract himself, Harry started to eat some of the fruit. He had always liked fruit. Hogwarts didn't offer much beyond apples and oranges, and he never got anything beyond bread and scraps at the Dursleys'. Besides, fruit was too healthy for them. Here though, they had grapes and bananas and cherries and blackberries…well, you get the picture.

Harry was so absorbed in trying the different fruit, he didn't notice the disgusted look on Tom's face (he caught a glimpse of the boy's thoughts, explaining his interest in the fruit) and the contemplative one on Snape's (the Potions Master assumed the boy would go for the more cavity-inducing sweets the House Elves had laid out).

"Harry." The boy looked up at the Dark Lord addressing him. "You will begin training with Lucius, the Lestrange brothers and Severus tomorrow morning after breakfast. They will teach you Defense, true history of the Dark Arts, how to conduct yourself in proper Wizarding society, potions and dueling." Harry thought to protest, but paused and then saw it as an opportunity to maybe get out of the Manor.

"I'll get my wand back then?" Tom nodded.

"Yes. However, it will be taken away again should you prove to be a danger to yourself or others." Harry snorted and turned his attention back to his plate.

"Fine. Though you might want to work on that condition. I've been told I'm a safety hazard when it comes to Potions." Severus scowled at the boy for what he saw as a deliberate attempt to get him in trouble with the Dark Lord. Voldemort, however, simply raised a brow.

"Well, you are known for proving people wrong. I'd suggest you give that a shot when it comes to your studies." Harry couldn't help but feel like he was being condescended too and bit his tongue to stop from saying something he'd regret. The sharp pain reminded him to start thinking before speaking.

The meal continued with more subdued talk, and Harry ate fruit until he started to feel sick, allowing his eggs to grow cold. Only his obsession with not wasting food led to him finishing everything that was on his plate. His stomach twisted, and he knew he was going to regret the eggs later. Harry was startled from his thoughts by Voldemort clearing his throat.

"As you are aware, this is Malfoy Manor. As such, Draco resides here. He was spending time at a friend's house these past couple of days and will be returning here later this morning. I don't expect you to become friends, but I do not want to be told there was a duel in the hallway. You will completely avoid each other if necessary to prevent a brawl. Is that clear?" Harry assumed he would be the only one getting this warning and nodded begrudgingly. No one ever seemed to care that he never went looking for Draco to start the fights, or that he was never the one to start them.

They ran into each other plenty at Hogwarts, and that place was a lot bigger than Malfoy Manor. Harry knew already that this wasn't going to end well.

"Good. Now the Lestrange bothers will give you a more in depth tour of the place. Lucius, Severus, I wish to speak with you. Bellatrix, Narcissa, you will meet Draco when he arrives and inform him of the situation." Tasks all doled out, everyone stood and parted ways. Harry reluctantly walked up to the Lestrange brothers. They smiled cheerfully at him and led the way out towards the front of the Manor.

Once it was clear they were all alone, Rodolphus turned to him.

"I must say, that was one of the most entertaining breakfasts we've had in a while." Harry's facial expression clearly said he didn't believe him.

"No one besides Lucius ever goes after Ol' Snape. They either fear him as the left hand man of the Dark Lord or respect him for his abilities," Rabastan explained. Harry was both surprised and not at the same time. Plenty of students feared Snape, but very few respected him. It would also take an idiot to not see that the Slytherin was good at what he did. Despite what that same man always said, Harry wasn't a complete idiot.

"Trust me. It's not anything new. Now, where are we?" They had traveled into a hallway filled with moving portraits. Harry guessed they were all of Draco's relatives, because they all sneered down at him.

"Who is this piece of filth you've dragged into our house?!"

"Are you one of Draco's friends? That boy is no Malfoy I tell you. No spine in him!" Harry grit his teeth as all of the portraits started to join in. He found it slightly amusing that they didn't approve of Draco for all the blond touted being a Malfoy.

"Now I get why they're left in a unused and dusty hallway," Harry growled. A number of the portraits gasped.

"Why I never!" Harry smirked, flipped them off and proceeded down the hallway to the sound of frames shaking with rage and the Lestrange brothers cackling. The two men soon caught up to their charge and Rabastan threw an arm over the boy's shoulders. The young man tensed and threw the older man's arm off of him, but the brother allowed it without comment.

"I think we are going to get along splendidly," Rabastan said with a wide smile.

"Don't hold your breath," Harry snorted. The brothers smirked to each other and continued the tour. Hopefully young Mr. Potter would grow to like them…at least a little bit.

I like sassy Harry. :)

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