Harry Potter and the Face of Destiny

By Bronze Eagle

Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!! I *really* appreciate it, it means a lot to me. Also, I tried to update my profile, but it didn't work, so it's depressingly short right now. Thanks to Demosthenes for the story! *This chapter has been edited by Ariel, my beta, and reposted by me. Kudos to Ariel, thanks!*

*****

Puck was in a daze. She had spent the last fifteen minutes sitting on her bed where Margaret had left her, thinking. Meeting the Malfoys was really just a token gesture, everything was practically settled already. She'd be moving to England in a month, just in time to pick up her school things.

She had heard good things about the school. She'd even read about it at the Academy.

A lump formed in her throat as she thought of her old school. I'll miss it, she thought, even though I don't really have any friends there. Of course you do, another voice in her head said. But not *real* friends, she replied miserably.

She shook herself. Great, I'm talking to the little voices in my head now, she thought. I suppose they'll come in person next ...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a shout. "Puck, are you ready yet? You still haven't had breakfast, you know."

"Oh! Right ... I'm coming!" she called back. Where were her socks? The wooden floors were always cold early in the morning. She glanced at her watch. 10:48. Great. The Malfoys would be there any minute ...

*****

Draco groaned and sat up. "Thank you, mother," he managed to say.

"You really shouldn't make your father angry, you know. He's been feeling much more -"

"Yeah. I know. You don't have to say it."

"You should get changed. Your father won't be pleased at all if you wear those clothes. We need to make a good impression, and if we fail to get the girl, it won't be only him who suffers."

Her son winced. "Right."

Narcissa stood and walked to the door. "Ten minutes, Draco," her voice floated back to him.

Draco stood and walked after his mother.

*****

Puck fidgeted nervously in her seat. Normally, she would have loved the chance to look around the Green Room. All official business was conducted here, so there were cabinets full of papers on everything from complete biographies of everyone who lived at the orphanage to how many times a week the director had strawberry jam on her toast. The room was green in name only. Puck had no idea where that name came from, except that Margaret had called it that. Now that she was part of the official business going on here, however, Puck was not nearly as keen to be where she was.

"Well, are you ready?" Puck jumped. Margaret walked, smiling, into the room, and announced, "Just a minute or so left."

"Yeah, I noticed," Puck said dryly. She had been staring at her watch for the last five minutes.

"Well, just act like yourself, and think about if you think you can get along with them. If you *really* don't think it'll work out, you don't have to go through with this."

"Yeah, but I was thinking, you know, I'll ... I'll have a family again."

Margaret grinned. "That's the spirit. Oh, look, here they come!"

The fire was glowing bright green.

*****

Draco decided that he *really* didn't like traveling long distances with Floo powder. Normally, of course, he was just fine with it, but spinning around and around was starting to make him seasick. He glanced down, but seeing the waves crashing below wasn't reassuring for some reason.

Glancing up, he saw his mother and father emerging from a fireplace up ahead. Thank God, he thought, we're nearly there. Then, before he knew it, he was standing, breathless, in the fireplace of a strange room.

*****

Puck looked up. For about thirty seconds, nothing happened. What's taking them so long? she thought frantically. Maybe they fell into the ocean. Or not, another voice said. "Shut up, both of you," she muttered under her breath. There was something in the fireplace, spinning and growing, and suddenly, a man was standing there.

He was tall, and had a thin, pointy sort of face, Puck thought. The man stepped out of the fireplace to make way for a woman, who looked rather pretty, at least when she smiled. Behind her was a boy, who could only be Draco. He looked exactly like a younger version of his father.

Then Margaret was on her feet, smiling at the family as though they were long-lost relatives.

"Hello, how are you? I'm Margaret Wilson, director of The Orphanage for Wizarding Children in North America. You must be the Malfoys."

"Yes," said the man, "I am Lucius. This is my wife, Narcissa, and our son, Draco."

Lucius turned to Puck. "And you must be Robyn Goodfellow," he said in a soft voice. "We are all very pleased to meet you."

"It's very nice to meet all of you, as well," she replied nervously, trying not to notice that Draco was staring at her with a puzzled look on his face. She stood up, and shook each of their hands, shuddering slightly as she shook Lucius's. It was icy cold, as though he had a body temperature of about fifty degrees.

"So, are you going to Hogwarts this winter?" Draco asked in a high, nasal voice.

"Yeah, do you go there now?" she replied, thinking, Well, he talks, that's something.

"Of course, that's the only place to go, it's much nearer than Durmstrang or Beauxbatons," he said, rolling his eyes as though it were obvious.

That may not be such a good thing, though, she thought as he turned to inspect the room.

"Puck, why don't you show Draco around? I've got some things to discuss with his parents," Margaret said.

She was annoyed. Spend time *alone* with that snob? No, thank you!

"Yes, go on Draco, it will be an excellent opportunity for you to get to know each other," the cold man, Lucius, said.

Draco raised his eyebrows at his father, but said nothing. The beating was still too fresh in his mind.

"Yes, I'd like to see this place," he said finally, after a sharp glance from his mother.

"Um, right, well, come on then, this way," the girl said, walking out the door.

Draco scrutinized her carefully. She looked so familiar. He felt as though he had seen her before, but couldn't quite recall where. The green eyes, the slim, short figure, the dark hair that looked as though it was usually poking out every which way, although now she had it pulled back ... He nearly groaned aloud in frustration. Where had he seen her?

Puck, for her part, didn't seem too keen on striking up any sort of conversation. She merely walked around, pointing at doors, and saying things like, "This is the girl's dorm, but I can't show you it because boys aren't allowed in," or "This is the kitchen, but they're working, so we can't go in."

Finally, Draco grew frustrated. "Is there anywhere in this place where we *can* go?" he drawled.

Puck spun on him, anger flashing in her eyes. Draco drew back a step, almost involuntarily. Now he recognized who she looked like. That was the look Potter got in his eyes every time Draco started baiting him or his friends.

"Listen, I didn't ask to show you around, so if you want a real tour, you're gonna have to find someone else." Draco almost smiled. This girl didn't seem to have the same sense of ... decency ... as his rival.

"My apologies," Draco said, unable to keep a smirk off his face.

"What's so funny?" she snarled.

"I was just thinking, you're going to get along pretty well with Harry Potter and his bunch of do-gooders."

She looked puzzled. "You know Harry Potter? And you actually talk about him like that? He defeated the Dark Lord when he was a year old!"

Draco grinned more malevolently than ever. "Defeated him, yes ... temporarily."

"What do you mean, 'temporarily'?"

"Haven't you heard over here in the States? Of course, Fudge probably kept it hushed up ... he's back."

"Who?"

"You-Know-Who."

"No I don't, and it's very rude of you to ..." She trailed off, staring. "He's *back*?" she croaked. "Why wasn't it in the paper, for Heaven's sake?!" Draco smiled. "You're just lying, aren't you? I suppose you think it's funny, joking about it like that! Well it's not, and I'm going to ..."

What she was going to do, Draco never found out, for he interrupted her, saying quietly, "I'm not joking."

She stopped in mid-sentence, staring at him. "That's not funny, I don't believe you."

"Believe what you like, you can ask Potter on the train in three weeks. He was there."

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY, JOKING ABOUT IT LIKE THAT!" she shouted, then paused. "Three weeks? I thought we had at least a month until school began," she said with a suspicious tone in her voice.

Trying to ignore the stares from people passing them in the hall, Draco said, "No. Term starts the first of September. You'll be sorted, just like all the first years, then."

"Sorted? What do you mean?"

Draco sighed. "Well, there are four houses at Hogwarts; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each one has different qualities that are looked for when you're sorted, and you're put in whichever house suits you the best."

"Oh, right, we learned a little about that at the Academy."

He gave her a startled look. "You learned about Hogwarts?"

Puck made a face. "Yeah. Our professors wanted us to learn about 'foreign wizards' and 'how their education differs from ours'. No one paid much attention, though. Which house are you in?"

"Slytherin," he replied, thinking, Why don't *we* learn about other wizarding schools?

"Really? I haven't heard much about any of the houses, so I don't know much about them. Which one's Harry Potter in? And what year is he, anyway?"

"Gryffindor. Along with all of his do-gooder friends. And he's in the fifth year too, or will be."

"You mean you actually have classes with him? Wow."

Draco snorted. "Only a few, and that's more than enough. He's not as great as everyone says."

"Well considering that you don't seem to like him much, I won't take your word for it." She glanced at her watch. "We'd better get back to the Green Room, it's nearly time for you to go." She hesitated. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Draco replied, startled. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all ... He hoped that the Dark Lord wasn't going to kill her. She was one of the only people who had ever treated him with some decency. Except Potter, said a voice in his mind. He was polite enough to you in that robe shop, when you first met him. Draco scowled. And then he pushed me away, first chance he got, on the train, he thought back furiously. You weren't exactly polite to him, though, the voice said. Shut up! he thought savagely. Little voices in his head were never going to change the fact that he hated Harry Potter.

*****

Harry now understood exactly why Hermione had looked so green when she came up the Dursley's path. No offence to Mr. Granger, he was a very nice man, but he wasn't sure he'd want him operating on his teeth.

"Nearly there!" Mr. Granger shouted over the sound the screeching horn of a car going in the other direction. Finally, Harry thought, I didn't think we'd ever get here.

Next to him, Hermione's face reflected many of the same thoughts. "So, tell me again," he muttered to her, "why your *mum* couldn't drive us?"

"She had to do an operation," Hermione groaned.

"Oh, right," Harry replied as they turned a corner and Crookshanks bounced into his lap. The cat, contrary to being terrified, looked as though he were having the time of his life. I guess he's gotten used to Mr. Granger's driving by now, then, Harry thought as they turned another corner and the cat bounced happily away. Lucky this isn't a convertible, or he might bounce right out.

"Here we are!" said Mr. Granger, screeching to a halt. "The Burrow, right?"

Harry grinned happily as the entire Weasley family (except Percy) piled out of the house to greet the newcomers.

"Hello, hello, how are you?" Mr. Weasley said as he shook Mr. Granger's hand. Mr. Weasley began excitedly to examine the car.

"So, this is called a 'spark plug'?" he asked Mr. Granger, who then began to explain the workings of the vehicle.

"Thanks for the ride, Mr. Granger!" Harry called as he dragged his things out of the trunk.

"No problem, Harry, anytime! Now, see here Arthur, this is the wire that carries the electricity to the motor, which ..."

Wondering briefly whether either of the men knew what they were doing, Harry dragged his trunk up to the house with the help of the Weasley boys (Charlie and Bill were both staying for a week to visit with the family). Hermione was chattering to Ginny animatedly as Ron, Fred, and George struggled with her trunk.

"Gee, Hermione," gasped Ron, his face streaming, "what do you have in here, half the bookshop?"

"No, I just got a few extra books to help with my studies. We *do*have O.W.L.s this year, and I thought I should start preparing now."

"Yeah, just a *few* extra books," Ron muttered to Harry as he fell in step beside him, "Lend a hand here, will you? This thing weighs a ton ..."

Seeing that Bill and Charlie had his (much lighter) trunk under control, he joined Ron, but after a moment wondered, "Um, Bill? Charlie? You two are out of school, right?"

"'Course we are, Harry old chap," said Bill.

"We've been out for years, you know that," added Charlie.

"Well, if you're fully qualified wizards, why don't you just float the trunks over to the house?"

The two looked bemused, as thought the thought hadn't struck them (which, Harry thought, it probably hadn't).

"Harry, my boy, you're a genius," Charlie proclaimed after a moment.

"Unfortunately, that idea won't get us far," commented Ron.

"My dear Ronniekins, it's superb, what are you talking about?" asked Fred in confusion.

"I think he noticed that you're already at the house," Ginny commented dryly from behind them.

George grinned. "Three of a kind, excellent. Harry, Ginny, and Ron can be our resident geniuses for the remainder of the summer. If you want someone to blow the socks off you with a really obvious statement, you've come to the right place." Everyone laughed and trooped into the house.

*****

Time really does fly when you're having fun, Harry thought contentedly as he sat outside in the evening shadows. He and Hermione had already been at the Burrow for two weeks, but it seemed as if they'd arrived yesterday. Bill and Charlie had left, but not before Charlie had shown him some tricks for Quidditch. "Just in case you're the team captain this year," he had said with a grin. Harry felt much more confident now that he had Charlie's advice, but he still wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle being captain. The Gryffindor Quidditch team would need a new player this year, and five new ones next year, when Katie, Alicia, Angelina, Fred, and George left. He sighed. Maybe one of them could be captain ...

"Hi, Harry," said Hermione as she and Ginny walked over. The two girls had formed a strong friendship, and Harry wouldn't be surprised if he saw a lot more of the younger girl this year.

"Hi, Hermione. Hi, Ginny," he replied, noticing that Ginny didn't blush when he said something to her anymore.

"So, what're you going to get in Diagon Alley tomorrow? We have a load of new books we need, probably because of the OWLs."

Harry groaned. "You know, I was trying *not* to think about those ..."

"Well, think about them or not, you still have to take them," Hermione replied. "But, you know what's interesting, is that all we need for Defense Against the Dark Arts is a higher edition of the book we had for Professor Lupin."

"Really?" Harry took his list out of his back pocket. "Do you think he's come back?" he asked excitedly.

"Maybe."

"That would be really great!" Ron said as he came over. "Listen, Harry, we've got to help clean up the dishes."

"We'll help," said Hermione and Ginny together.

"Really? That's nice of you ..." Harry began. Ginny interrupted.

"As long as you two help *us* tomorrow," she said.

The boys agreed, so the four of them set to work cleaning up the dinner dishes.

*****

The same day, Puck was doing her final packing. She was sadly folding everything neatly and putting it in her trunk. She had to leave two weeks earlier than she had thought, because the Hogwarts term started earlier than the one at the Academy. She had said all her goodbyes earlier that day, and would travel by Floo powder to Malfoy Mansion that evening. Her new family would take her to Diagon Alley the following day to get all her schoolbooks and equipment. Her parents had had an account at Gringotts, and they had left her a sizeable amount of money, so that wouldn't be a problem. She grinned slightly to herself. The Malfoys wouldn't be able to touch the money, all of it was for her education. Of course, this meant that she had to buy certain things for herself, but it did feel good to know that even if she was a part of their family, they still couldn't control all of her.

"Puck, are you ready to go? The Malfoys are coming to pick you up, and they'll be here any minute."

"Yes, I'm done," she called down, closing her trunk and trying not to burst into tears. Draco wasn't that bad, even if he did hate Harry Potter and have delusions that the Dark Lord was back, but his parents seemed cold and distant, unlike anyone she was used to here. Maybe Hogwarts would be different, and she could make some friends.

"I need some help with this trunk, could someone come up here?" she yelled out the door. Friends, what an interesting idea, she thought, maybe I'll make some *real* friends at Hogwarts, not just fair-weather ones.

Margaret strode into the room. "Okay, I'll take this end of the trunk, you take that one."

"Right." I'll miss Margaret, she thought suddenly as they slowly made their way down the stairs. She's my only real friend, and she knew my parents. Thinking of her parents gave her the familiar lump in her throat. The only thing she had from them was a letter explaining her heritage, and a photo of the three of them, when she was only a baby. It was a wizard photograph, so they were all waving happily, but sometimes when she looked at it closely, she thought she saw tears in the corners of her parent's eyes. She wondered if they had taken the photograph knowing that they would soon be murdered. Blinking rapidly, she set down her end of the trunk as they entered the Green Room.

Suddenly, Puck threw her arms around Margaret and sobbed like a child. "I'll miss you," she choked out.

"I'll miss you too, Puck. You have to be brave, and I know you can. Your parents will be watching out for you, because they love you just as much as I do. Tell me all about Hogwarts in your letters, too. Your father went there, you know."

Puck lifted her tear-stained face. "Really?"

"Yes, but I'll tell you about it in an owl, because they'll be here any minute."

"Okay. Right." She sighed. "I think I'm ready for this."

"That's good, because here they come."

"Margaret?"

"Yes hon?"

"Goodbye."

"Bye. I love you."

"You too."

*****

Please review! And again, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it was great to read your comments!