Harry Potter and the Face of Destiny
By Bronze Eagle
Chapter 5
A/N: Thanks to all reviewers!!! Please don't stop reviewing now, I still enjoy reading them! And ... well, I know I should name the chapters, but ... give me time, I'll get around to it eventually!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
*****
The week seemed to drag by for Puck. She was firmly convinced, by the third day after the trip to Diagon Alley, that there was absolutely nothing to do at Malfoy Manor. Draco was off by himself most of the time; in fact, she hadn't seen him except at mealtime since the night they'd done their homework together. She was shocked at how pale he'd seemed when she did see him, though. However, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy barely noticed Draco at all. It seemed that they didn't really care that their son looked as though he were being haunted by his own personal army of ghosts.
Puck sighed and started reading her letter from Hogwarts for about the hundredth time. I hope I make some friends there, she thought miserably. And not like the 'friends' I had at the Academy, either ... she blinked away sudden tears. They'd just stopped talking to her, cutting her off so completely that she felt like she were surrounded by a big glass bubble. She could see out, but no one would look in and see her for what she was; they just saw the bubble that surrounded her. No one will find out at Hogwarts, she thought fiercely. I'll make sure. I'm not going to loose Harry and his friends, too. She couldn't bear to think if Harry Potter knew ... no, that would never happen. She wouldn't let it.
*****
Draco was so miserable he felt like throwing up. He thought he could understand why Potter hated Voldemort so much now. The Dark Lord had come up to gloat openly in front of him every night since the first, and it was beginning to wear him down. He was right, Draco thought dully, there's nothing I can do. He's won already. Harry and Dumbledore will never be able to stop him, not if he can control people the way he controls me. Of course, it may be because I'm so weak that he can do this to me in the first place ... He shook that thought off. No, he had to be strong, had to fight Voldemort. He wasn't sure how much longer he could do it, though. He just wanted to lie down and rest; sleeping for a few years sounded really good just then, and when he woke up, it would be all gone; no Voldemort, no Puck ... But did he really want Puck gone? They'd gotten along well enough, but now ... well, frankly, he didn't want her to get hurt. I never thought I'd end up protecting someone from the Dark Lord, he thought wryly. I guess I've spent too much time around Potter. A bit of his goodness has rubbed off on me. I hope he doesn't need it, because I'll need all the help I can get.
Voldemort laughed in his ears, jerking him almost painfully out of his half doze. 'Worried, Draco? You shouldn't be. I've got everything under control.'
'That's what I'm afraid of,' he thought back tiredly.
*****
Harry was wide awake the last night of the holidays. He couldn't seem to get to sleep, no matter how tired he felt. He'd been having nightmares about Voldemort again, though he could never exactly remember them when he woke up.
He rubbed his face tiredly. His scar was hurting worse than ever; it was a constant, throbbing ache between his eyes, and it wouldn't go away. He knew that had to be bad, but he didn't know what to do about it. He had finally written Sirius when the pain felt as though it would never go away. He'd been practicing Quiddich when the throbbing in his head had suddenly increased. He nearly fell off his broom, but fortunately, no one noticed.
"I'm getting hungry, why don't we go in?" he'd called to Ron, Fred, and George.
"Sure, good idea, I'm hungry too!" said Ron, and they'd all marched into the kitchen, the other three too immersed in their snacks to notice that Harry had slipped off to write his letter.
He sighed. He knew he would have to sleep sometime, but he wasn't looking forward to another nightmare. Please, he thought, just for once, can I have a nightmare-free sleep? I'm so tired ...
His head slowly dropped back, and Harry slipped into oblivion ...
*"Who is your master?" sneered a cold voice.
"You are," replied a tired one. "Can't I sleep now? I'm so tired ..."
"Who controls your every move?" continued the first voice, as though it had not heard the second.
"You do, not that I have much choice in that," said the second voice. "Please ..."
"Will you destroy Potter?" asked the cold voice. Harry jumped slightly, but didn't open his eyes.
"I dunno, I guess that's sort of up to you," drawled the second voice. "Considering you can take me over and control whatever I do, I suppose I'll end up with some part in your mad scheme to take over the world." Harry shivered. He'd suddenly realized who these people were ...
"Are you asking for an early death, boy?" asked Voldemort. "Because I can give you that, if you really wish to be so insolent. You can die from the Cruciatus Curse eventually, though it takes a very long time."
Draco shuddered convulsively. "Er, if we could avoid that, I'd be obliged."
Voldemort chuckled darkly. "That's what I thought. It's time for me to go. Such a shame, I always have fun with our little chats ... Remember, if you breathe a word of this to anyone-"
"Yeah, I know, I'll pay. Really, can't you come up with a more original parting line? That's the sixth time in a row you've used that one, and frankly, I'm getting rather sick of your smell, too ..."
Voldemort gave a snarl of rage. "NEVER INSULT ME, BOY! YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD NEVER BEEN BORN WHEN I AM FINISHED WITH YOU!"
"Temper, temper," muttered Draco as Voldemort snatched up his wand. Harry only had time to marvel at Draco's foolhardy courage before the spell hit. Draco screamed, and fell to the floor writhing in pain. Harry watched helplessly as the minutes stretched on, and the boy on the floor continued to jerk weirdly.
Suddenly, Voldemort's head snapped up, and his wand pointed away from Draco, who was moaning in pain.
"I know you're watching this, Potter," he said. That got Draco's attention.
"What do you mean?" he gasped, but Voldemort continued.
"I'm betting you're dreaming now, aren't you? Enjoying your last day of the holidays? Well, I'm sorry to say that dear little Draco here isn't." Draco's eyes widened suddenly.
"Harry! If you're here, wake up! I think he can hurt you from far away now, he's gotten much stron-" whatever else Draco was saying was lost in his screams of pain as Voldemort cast the Cruciatus Curse on him again.
"Watch your back Potter. Expect me to be waiting around every corner, because one day, I'll be there."
Draco managed to gasp out, "Go!" before Voldemort turned on him with a demonic glint in his eye.*
Harry felt that he was being pulled back to himself with an effort.
He slowly sat up. "What was that all about?" he asked the empty room.
*****
It hurt to breathe. Draco was lying in his bed, feeling sick. He had to get to Hogwarts today! The train left at eleven. He glanced at his clock. Three hours. Just a few more minutes of sleep ...
He wasn't exactly sure how long Voldemort had tortured him the night before, but it had been long enough that he had fallen unconscious soon after, barely making it into his bed.
He wasn't sure why he had said that to Potter. Harry had been there, though; through his connection with the Dark Lord, he had been able to sense that much. He supposed that he had felt that everyone's last hope rested with Potter's survival. It was amazing how much his opinion of the Dark Side had changed in the last week. From becoming a known hater of Harry Potter and all he stood for, Draco had suddenly found himself clinging to the hope that the Light would somehow prevail. He had looked at himself through what he supposed were Potter's eyes, and had been ashamed. He saw a sniveling, spoiled brat who was so self-centered it made your teeth hurt. This boy had no friends, wanted no friends, and yet still looked down on all those he considered "beneath himself." He wasn't someone Draco thought he'd really like to meet. Yet that had been him, just a week ago. Perhaps longer, actually; Puck had brought out some good in him. But still ... his sudden enslavement by Voldemort had forced him to totally reexamine everything he thought he stood for. He'd been startled at what he'd seen. The boy he had been would have found what was happening to him now funny, if it had happened to someone else ...
"Draco! You're not up yet? It's nearly time to leave! Are you packed?" He started as Puck bounced into the room, fully dressed, with a breakfast tray in her hands.
"I got something for you in the kitchen, here, you can eat now."
"Puck, I'm not dressed!"
She rolled her eyes. "Really? I'd have thought you would be, seeing as you're lying in bed ..."
Draco managed a weak chuckle. "Thanks for breakfast. I'll be down soon, I'm almost done packing."
"Okay, I'll make sure my stuff is all in my trunk." Puck skipped out of the room, humming.
She seems so happy to leave, thought Draco with a strange pang. Of course, I suppose I've been avoiding her, so I guess it's partly my fault. Another thing the old Draco wouldn't have done, he thought wryly as he hunted for some socks; admit a fault in himself.
*****
The Weasley home was full to bursting, Harry reflected, yet he felt very alone with his thoughts as he and Ron ran frantically from room to room, making sure they hadn't left anything lying around. He was musing about his dream last night, although dream wasn't really the proper term. He was sure that he had witnessed something as it happened, although he couldn't figure out how Voldemort had know he was there ... He was equally uncertain why Draco had warned him, if he thought he was in some sort of danger. 'I think he can hurt you from far away now,' ... what was that supposed to mean? How could Voldemort possibly do anything to him over such a distance? I'll have to ask Draco on the train, he thought grimly. I don't know if he'll be able to talk about it, though ...
"Hello, Harry? Are you there? Anyone home?" said Ron, waving his wand, which was setting off gold sparks, in front of Harry's face.
"What? Oh, sorry ..." he said, pulling himself back to the present with a wrench.
"Get your trunk down to the lawn, it's time to go," said Ron. "I've got to help Hermione with hers, since Mum and Dad are too busy to just levitate it down ..." he made a face. "Honestly, I don't know what she wants all those books for ..." he trailed off muttering, leaving Harry to go get his own trunk down the five or so flights of stairs between him and the ground. He sighed. He'd have to find someone to help him, he wouldn't be able to get it himself ...
Occupied with these thoughts, Harry wasn't watching where he was going, and nearly fell backwards down the stairs when he crashed into someone going the opposite direction.
"Ouch!"
"Oh, sorry Ginny, I wasn't watching where I was going ... Want some help with your trunk?" Ginny's trunk, although not as heavy as Hermione's, still looked like quite a load.
"Oh, that would be great, thanks Harry; everyone's trying to get Hermione's trunk down, and nobody would help me with mine."
"Yeah, I'd be glad to help, but then I'll need help with mine, it's all the way up on the fifth floor," he said.
"Sure, I don't think Ron will want any help with Hermione's trunk anyway, he seems determined to show her how strong he is ..." she trailed off chuckling, and Harry joined her. It seemed Ron was attempting to show off to Hermione again, still determined to show her that he was better than Viktor Krum any day. He didn't seem to realize that she thought this anyway, since she and Krum had decided to just be friends at the end of last term.
After going down three flights of stairs with Ginny's trunk, the two then had to go back up to the fifth floor to get Harry's trunk. They were chatting amiably while they got the trunk from the room and started down the stairs once more, but in front of the room Ginny and Hermione had been sharing, they ran into difficulties.
"I've got it Fred, really!" gasped a voice from the landing below them. Sharing an amused glance, Harry and Ginny went down to see what the problem was, still carrying the trunk.
They nearly burst out laughing when they got to the third floor landing. Ron was attempting to drag the trunk out the door of Hermione and Ginny's room, not budging an inch, but still refusing help from the twins and Hermione, who were starting to get annoyed.
"Now really, Ron!" she said as he strained yet again to move the trunk. "If you won't let them help you, I'm just going to have to do it!"
"No!" he said quickly. "I guess if you want to be like that ... Hey, what are you two looking at?" He had just noticed Harry and Ginny standing on the stairs, wearing identical amused grins.
"Not much," said Ginny, causing the twins and Harry to howl with laughter.
"Seriously, though, Ron," said Fred, wiping his eyes.
"We might as well work together to get this trunk down, if it's going to get down there at all," said George, still snorting whenever he looked at Ron, who was doing a very good impression of Percy when the twins had taken his Head Boy badge and enchanted it to read "Bighead Boy."
"I don't need help," Ron would mutter now and then, looking at the twins murderously. Harry and Ginny had a very hard time not bursting into hysterical laughter, and ended up having to avoid each other's eyes for fear of breaking out again.
*****
Puck was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet impatiently. She could at least try not to look so excited to leave, though Narcissa with a sneer. She wasn't sure what the Dark Lord wanted the girl for, but he was certainly taking his time about letting them know. Especially since he was (for now) hiding in their secret chambers below the drawing room ...
Just then Draco walked into the room. He looked terrible. His normally sleek hair was as messy as Harry Potter's, and he looked as though for once, he didn't put much time into dressing, since he was already wearing his Hogwarts robes.
"Draco, you should change into more suitable clothing. The chauffeur is taking both of you to platform 9 3/4, so you need to wear Muggle things."
Draco blinked. "Oh, right, sorry, I'd forgotten. I'll go change, then, shall I?"And ignoring the strange looks Puck and his mother gave him, he went out the door and back upstairs.
What's gotten into him? wondered Puck.
"Um, Narcissa?"
"Yes, Robyn?"
"Should I go get my trunk? Or will someone else get it?"
"The servants will bring it down. You do not need to worry yourself about such menial tasks."
"Oh, okay." Servants? What servants? She hadn't seen so much as a dusting pan lying around in the week she'd been here.
But sure enough, a group of people came in silently, not complaining about the weight of the two enormous trunks they were carrying. They set them down and left the room, not speaking a word.
Ten minutes later, Draco came into the room again, this time wearing black jeans and a black sweater.
"Is this better, Mother?"
"Yes Draco, although I wish you would do something about your hair ..."
"Can I do that on the train? We really should get going, we've only got about two hours."
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Have a good term, Draco." She turned to Puck. "I hope you enjoy yourself at Hogwarts, Robyn, and please owl us when you find out what house you're in. You can use Draco's owl."
"Okay. Uh, thanks for everything."
"Of course." She had an oddly twisted smile on her face. "You're part of our family, now."
Puck swallowed hard. She wasn't so sure she wanted to be part of a family anymore.
"Well," said Draco loudly, breaking the rather nasty silence, "we'd better get going, then. See you next summer, I'm not sure if I'm going to come home for the Christmas vacation."
"That's fine, Draco. Robyn, you are welcome to come home for the break as well, although you may stay at Hogwarts if you wish."
"Thanks."
"Now I believe you should go, you don't want to miss the train."
The servants reappeared at her words and silently brought their trunks out to a large, expensive-looking car. Draco and Puck followed them, Puck looking rather nervous, Draco looking relieved to be out of the house.
At first, the car looked perfectly normal, but Puck soon realized that it was quite different from any Muggle car she had ever been in. For one thing, everything was controlled by magic; so the chauffeur had almost no work other than steering. For another, they were moving suspiciously fast, and Puck was certain that they were making much better time than any normal car was capable of. She settled back in her seat with a sigh. Off to Hogwarts at last ...
*****
Harry was dozing off next to Ron and Ginny in the back seat of the Ministry car Mr. Weasley had gotten when he received a rather nasty shock.
'Hello, Potter, can you hear me?'
His eyes jerked open and he looked around for the person who had spoken.
'I'm in your head.'
Harry closed his eyes firmly. A dream, this was just a dream ...
'No, I'm afraid it's not. Just listen to me for a minute, will you? I need someone to talk to, and if you remember your dream last night, then you're the only one I can talk to. Do you remember it? Just think your answer in your head.'
'You mean the dream with Voldemort in it?' thought Harry uncertainly.
'Yes!'
'Who are you, anyway?'
'Oh, sorry ... this is Draco Malfoy.'
'Why are you talking to me in my head, and how did you know about that dream?'
'Voldemort's been doing this to me for the past week, I figured out how, and that wasn't really a dream. It was more of a vision.'
'You mean it actually happened?' Harry felt a bit queasy.
'Yeah.'
'What was Voldemort doing in your house?'
'Do you really need to ask? My father is a Death Eater, you know.'
'Does Puck know that he was there?'
'She doesn't even believe me that he's back.'
'You told her? I thought he said he'd kill you if you told anyone ...'
'No, I was, well ... I mentioned it when we went to meet her at the orphanage, before she moved here. That was about three weeks ago. I think Fudge has kept it pretty quiet, because she said that nothing had been in the papers. She actually sort of exploded on me when she thought I was joking about it ...' Harry chuckled to himself. 'Anyway, you remember the dream?'
'Yeah.'
'Don't tell anyone, please. What he said was true. He won't hesitate to hurt anyone he can get his hands on if he thinks it will help him get to you. I passed out last night when he was done with me.' Draco hesitated. 'It's becoming almost an obsession with him, killing you ... I'm not sure how safe you are, even at Hogwarts, so what I really wanted to say was ... truce?'
Harry was stunned. 'I thought you hated me! You said we'd all get what was coming to us -'
'I had no idea what the Dark Side really was when I said those things.' Draco sounded contemptuous of himself. 'I regret that now. You know, I was looking at myself through other people's eyes, or I was trying. I was really an idiot, wasn't I?'
Harry nearly burst out laughing. 'Yeah, you were.'
'Oh, thanks Potter ... Anyway, I'd rather be on the good side, against people who think it's okay to take others over at their whim. Don't worry,' he added, 'I can't take you over. One, I'm not powerful enough, and two, I don't know how anyway.'
'That's good to know.' Harry hesitated. 'Can he really send curses over long distances?'
Draco sighed. 'I think so. He was certainly threatening me with the Cruciatus Curse if I even thought about telling Dumbledore at Hogwarts. You know about it from that dream, that's the only reason he's letting me talk to you.'
'Can he get into my head through you?' asked Harry, suddenly alarmed.
'No, I don't think so. But Harry, I also wanted to say, he can take me over whenever he feels like it, so don't let Weasley punch me too hard if I insult his family. It'll probably be Voldemort trying to start trouble or something.'
'Okay, I'll try to keep Ron off you.'
Suddenly Draco's thoughts became worried. 'He's in my head again, I'd better go ...'
'Good luck, Malfoy,' thought Harry as Draco's presence in his mind began to recede.
'Thanks, Potter, I'll need it.'
*****
Draco's mind was in a whirl. He barely listened as Voldemort ranted on about what he would do to when he took over the world. He had someone to talk to! He could talk to Potter, and as long as neither of them told, Draco was relatively safe.
His thoughts were rudely interrupted by Voldemort, who seemed to have finally figured out that Draco wasn't interested in what he had to say.
'Why are you happy, boy?'
Draco immediately focused his thoughts on Hogwarts and thought, 'Oh, just glad to go back to school.'
'Really? I would have thought figuring out how to talk to Potter would have made more of a positive impression ...' Draco's heart plummet. 'You didn't think I wouldn't be able to figure it out?' He laughed unpleasantly. 'Draco, you can hide nothing from me. However, I will continue to allow you to speak to him. Perhaps I will do so myself someday ...'
'If you hurt him, you'll regret it,' Draco found himself thinking. Oh, God, what have I just said ...
'Are you thinking that you will stop me? Forgive me for saying so, but I could stop you with a thought. Indeed, I could have you kill him yourself ... Not that I would, for that honor belongs to me alone.' He paused. 'I can find you a nice, quiet classroom at Hogwarts and practice my skills at casting spells over long distances. If I were you, Malfoy, I would make sure you keep yourself - and Potter - in line.'
*****
The Ministry car got Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys to King's Cross Station with half an hour to spare. They were just wheeling their trolleys through the door when a voice called out.
"Harry! Ginny! Ron! Hermione!"
The four turned, and found themself face-to-face with Puck and Draco. Puck looked positively ecstatic, and even Draco looked happy.
"Are you also taking the Hogwarts Expr-"
"Shhhhh!" Draco hissed. "You don't want the Muggles to hear you!"
Puck grinned embarrassedly. "Oh, yeah, sorry." She lowered her voice. "Do all of the students take the train to school? It seems like there's an awful lot of people here ..."
"Yeah, but they all fit. There are a ton of cars," explained Harry. "It's a job getting them all onto the platform, though."
"How do we get onto the platform, anyway?"
"Follow us, it's not that hard. Just don't think about crashing, and you'll be fine." This didn't exactly reassure Puck, but she wasn't about to start complaining. She didn't want them all thinking that she was afraid, after all.
They made their way slowly across the crowded station, finally reaching the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.
"Right, Ron, you'd better go first with Hermione; Pig and Crookshanks are drawing an awful lot of attention," said Harry. "Then me and Draco, we've both got owls too. Ginny, can you get Puck through?"
"Sure. All you have to do is walk right through the barrier, you can even close your eyes ..." she began explaining to Puck.
As Ron and Hermione slipped through, Harry thought to Draco, 'Can you hear me?'
'Yeah.'
'Are you all right? You sounded a little panicked when Voldemort came into your head.'
'Well ... he found out.'
'You mean he knows you can talk to me?'
"It's not like we're complaining or anything," Puck said loudly, "but I'd appreciate it if you two would hurry up!"
"Sorry," said Draco hastily as he and Harry pushed their trolleys towards the invisible gate.
'Yeah, he knows. I don't think he minds if I tell you, just as long as you don't say anything. I don't think he was joking when he was talking about finding an empty classroom to practice his long distance spell casting, though.' Draco hesitated. 'He might try figure out how to talk to you by watching me, so be careful.'
'Think he could do that?'
'I dunno ...'
Further conversation was made impossible by Ron and Hermione calling loudly to them, Ginny, and Puck, who had just come bursting out behind them. Puck was wearing an awed look on her face.
"This place is huge!"
And it was. Platform 9 3/4 was built to hold all of the students of Hogwarts as they waited to board the train, so it had to have certain magical traits. Harry supposed that it was made like wizard tents; much larger on the inside than the outside. He somehow didn't think that the Muggles would fail to notice an unplanned platform containing nearly a thousand students.
"Hello, Neville! Hi Seamus!" Ron was waving energetically at two of the boys from their dorm, beaming.
"Hey Ron, Harry ... Who's that?" They had just noticed Puck and Draco.
"This is, uh, Robyn Goodfellow, better known as Puck ... and you know Draco Malfoy."
There was a rather nasty silence. Then Dean Thomas came over and said, "Hi everybo ..." he trailed off. "Why is he here?"
'I'll leave now, they don't want me here,' thought Draco dully.
'No! I won't let them drive you away. The only way they'll accept you is if you show them you've changed,' Harry thought back furiously.
'Yeah, fat chance I have of that when Voldemort can make me say whatever he wants,' replied Draco. And, as if to prove his word, he found himself saying, "Well, I guess I'll just leave then. It seems I'm not wanted. Have a nice trip, Puck."
She looked at him, confused. "But, Draco, aren't you going to stay? You and Harry didn't kill each other at Diagon Alley, I thought you might learn to get along ..." She trailed off at the look on his face.
"Sorry. I'm not really in the mood to fawn over Scarface right now, I'll leave that to all of you." With that, Draco turned on his heal and stalked off, having conjured up Crabbe and Goyle, his two troll-like friends (if you could call them that) to push his trolley.
Puck stood staring after him, eyes suspiciously bright. "What ... but ... Draco ..."
Harry put a hand on her arm. "Just wait a while, Puck, I'll talk to him for you."
She looked at him. "Don't try to hurt him unless he pulls his wand first, all right?"
"Sure."
Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Dean, and Seamus all turned on him. "Harry, really ..."
"He'll probably curse you really bad if you don't have your wand out to block it ..."
"Be careful ..."
"You actually want to talk to him?!"
"That's almost nice for him, Puck, honestly ..."
"We'll all go find them and get the whole stinking trio together ..."
"Really, it's fine," Harry said loudly, "I can talk to him, it's not that big a deal. It's not like he's going to kill me or anything." From the looks the others were giving each other, they certainly thought so.
"You'd better find him on the train, Harry; we've got to get our things on, or it'll leave without us."
He sighed. "Yeah, I guess so ..."
The seven of them dragged their trunks onto the train and found an empty compartment. They stowed their luggage, then, as they hung out the window, waving to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the train pulled out, gathering momentum as it sped towards Hogwarts.
*****
A/N: Will Harry be able to help Draco? Your guess is as good as mine ... Please review!!