Harry Potter and the Face of Destiny

By Bronze Eagle

Chapter 8

A/N: I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry!!!!! I really meant to have this up sooner, but then school started. ::shudders:: Anyway, I tried to make up for it by having this chapter be extra long. Please forgive me!

Disclaimer: Since I don't feel like typing one of these at the beginning of every single chapter, you can just go look at Chapter 4, 5, 6, or 7 if you want written proof that I did not, in fact, invent Harry Potter or write any of the books. ^_^ I may put individual disclaimers on later chapters, though.

*****

Harry was having trouble concentrating on getting dressed that morning. He kept involuntarily flashing back on the nightmares he'd had the nights before. Okay, he thought to himself, pick up the sock - *"Avada Kedavra!" bellowed a voice in his ears* - put it on - *he saw Cedric lying spread-eagle on the ground, dead* - now pick up the other sock -* A ghost-like Cedric billowed slowly out of Voldemort's wand* - put it on, too - *"Harry," the shadow whispered, "take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents. . . ."* - good, we've gotten on the socks, now for the shoes - *Cho Chang, standing silently at the Leaving Feast, tears streaming down her face* -

'Leave me alone, will you?!' Harry finally roared.

'Uh, Harry, are you okay?' asked Draco.

'Did .... did I say that in my mind?'

'Yeah, you only just about blasted my brain out through my ears,' Draco replied cheerfully. Then, in a more serious tone, 'If something's bothering you, Harry, you can always tell me about it ....'

'No, I .... well, I was having nightmares last night, and ....' his mind-voice trailed off.

'You couldn't get them out of your head. I know how that feels.'

Surprised, Harry could only reply, 'Thanks. I'll .... see you at breakfast, I guess.'

'Yeah. See you then.'

Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry pulled on his shoes and raced down the boy's staircase to the Common Room.

*****

Puck decided that it was a good thing that her adoptive brother had four years of experience backing him up as they walked to the Great Hall. She would have gotten lost at the first turn if she'd had to try to find the way herself, and was, she realized, a long way from knowing her way around the castle. Heck, she thought glumly, I'll be lucky if I can find my way to breakfast by Christmas.

As she and Draco finally came out into the Entrance Hall, Puck noticed Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys all gathered around a large, black dog.

"Hey, Draco, let's go see what they're doing over there!"

"Wha- Oh, sure, let's go."

She looked at him suspiciously for a minute, but then let it slide as they threaded their way past groups of students heading into the Great Hall.

"So, whose dog is this?" she asked brightly as they got closer. They all jumped and turned to face her.

"Uh ...."

"Well ...."

"It sort of, um ....."

"It's not really anyone's dog," said Ginny. Everyone stared at her. "Er, well, I mean that it sort of adopted us and it's been wandering around the school, but it actually belongs to Professor Lupin," she finished hastily. Harry beamed at her.

"Oh, neat," said Puck. "What's it's name?"

"His name is, er, Snuffles," said Harry quickly. (A/N: If you haven't figured out who the dog is, then I suggest you read Chapter 27 in HP & the GoF again and/or get your brain checked.^_~)

"Can I pet him?"

"Sure."

'That was a bit too close,' Harry said to Draco as Puck petted "Snuffles."

'Yeah, tell me about it.' Draco hesitated. 'You will tell her sometime, though, won't you? I don't want to have to keep more secrets from her than absolutely necessary.'

'Sure, but the Entrance Hall at breakfast time doesn't strike me as the place to do it.'

'Ah, right, that makes sense.'

'You know, this mind-speaking stuff is pretty convenient. If I hadn't told you about "Snuffles," you might have blown the whole thing.'

'I would never blow your cover!'

'Not on purpose, anyway,' a voice said, sounding rather amused.

Harry and Draco managed not to shout, jump out of their skins, or do anything to call attention to themselves, but it was a close thing.

'Who said that?' Draco asked shakily.

'Not me,' Harry replied.

'It was me,'said the strange voice.

*'Sirius?'* asked Harry incredulously.

'The one and only,' replied the voice smugly.

'You can mind-speak in your animagus form?' Draco asked suspiciously.

'Only because I'm extremely skilled at it, and because I'm talking to two people who're also good at mind-speaking,' Sirius answered.

'But we've only just started mind-speaking,' said Harry uncertainly.

'And I can already tell that you're both very good at it,' Sirius replied. 'You might want to try channeling your thoughts a bit more, though. If you don't do that, anyone can overhear what you're saying.'

'Um, thanks, Sirius.'

'And, Harry, I'd like to talk to you sometime, so you can tell me how you've been.'

'Sure, that'd be great! How about meeting me in the library sometime, if Madame Pince will let you in.'

'That's a pretty big "if," if you ask me,' Draco commented. 'Well, it was nice meeting you, Sirius, but Puck'll kill me if I'm late for breakfast.' And he walked off.

'Sirius, I have to get to breakfast too, but it you want to come in ....'

'No, that's all right. I'll see you later, Harry.'

'Yeah, see you.'

*****

Puck bounced happily into the Great Hall, awed once again as she looked around. Today the ceiling was clear, with just a few wisps of cloud to mar the bright blue that was spreading across the sky. She still marveled at the perfect imitation of the outside that the roof of the Hall displayed, although she had read about that, as well as many other fascinating enchantments of Hogwarts, in one of her textbooks; Hogwarts, a History. (She'd had a *lot* of time to read her new books during her time at the Malfoy's.) The Founders were amazing, she thought as she stared upwards. I wish I'd listened to more of the song that hat sang yesterday.

She glanced impatiently back at Draco, who was hurrying up beside her. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go have breakfast! I'm starved!"

"Yeah, me too," he said unenthusiastically.

Puck apparently didn't notice his shockingly un-hungry-sounding response; she was already half way to the Slytherin table. Draco sighed, and followed.

*****

Harry sat at his seat, trying to ignore Ron and Hermione's spirited "discussion" about spew (Hermione had brought up the subject with the air of someone who was about to hand you an extra large birthday present that morning) and wondered how the heck he was supposed to finish his entire bowl of cereal. The only times he'd ever felt less hungry was when he was facing one of the three tasks of the Triwizard Tournament. He scowled at his soggy cornflakes.

'How could *anyone* feel like eating?' he asked Draco mournfully.

Draco's mental voice seemed a little strained. 'I don't know, ask Puck.'

Harry glanced around. He could just see Puck if he leaned backward and looked over that Ravenclaw's shoulder ..... He stifled a snort. There were Puck and Draco, with several seats empty on either side of them. Draco was picking raisins out of his toast and putting them in a pile next to his plate, and Puck was picking them up absently and putting them in her cereal, which was disappearing at an alarmingly fast rate. She also, to Harry's amusement, had a plate stacked high with more toast at her elbow. A large pitcher of pumpkin juice sat between them.

'Um, I guess she *is* hungry, huh?'

'Yeah, just a little.'

There was a pause. 'You've got plenty of elbow room, don't you?'

Harry saw Draco grimace across the Hall. 'I think the rest of them don't like Puck very much because she was actually *cheering* for Professor Lupin last night. I guess I'm just as bad, because I hang around with her.'

'Ah,' Harry replied intelligently. 'I guess she was giving your table a bad reputation, huh?'

Draco managed a grin. 'I - '

He was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. Although all of the older students were used to hundreds of owls streaming in through the windows by now, the first years and Puck gaped in open-mouthed astonishment. 'Got to go,' Draco said hastily, and Harry saw him turn to Puck. Harry looked up and was glad to see Hedwig coming down to say hello.

He looked up at the staff table, where the teachers sat, and watched Dumbledore open a letter absently as he scratched Hedwig's back. He was surprised to see the Headmaster turn pale, and turn to Professor McGonagall. She opened her mouth slightly, then closed it and firmly nodded her head. Harry watched in growing amazement as McGonagall got up and started to make her way around the table.

'Draco, look at McGonagall. What's she doing?'

'Harry, not right now, Puck's ...... What *is* she doing?'

They watched silently as the professor walked over to the Gryffindor table. Then, 'I can't see her anymore. Who's she talking to?'

'Er, it looks like .... Oh, it's Lavender Brown. McGonagall's bending down -'

Suddenly Harry stopped as a heart-rending shriek sounded through the Hall. Lavender stood up suddenly, staring at the professor. Harry winced as her hysterical voice reached his ears, but then he gasped as what she was saying hit him.

"NO!!! THEY CAN'T BE DEAD!!!" Her voice quieted slightly. "My .... my sister was going to college this year. Was she there when ....." Lavender broke off, apparently too stunned to continue.

McGonagall's normally stern face looked unusually sad and compassionate. "I'm glad to say that your sister left earlier that day, but your parents ......" McGonagall blinked rapidly and looked away.

'What did they say?' Draco sounded frantic.

'It's Lavender's parents. I ..... think they were ..... that Voldemort ..... he killed them."

'No ........' Draco thought, more to himself than Harry. 'Wouldn't he have come to tell me? To gloat?' Suddenly he stopped. 'The dream!'

'You had a dream about Voldemort killing Lavender's parents?' Harry asked incredulously.

'That must have been what it was about,' Draco thought distractedly. 'I thought it was just a nightmare, but .....' His mental voice suddenly broke off.

Harry looked worriedly over at the Slytherin table. Draco was hunched over in his seat, his head in his hands. Puck was standing on her chair next to him, trying to look over the heads of other students to see what was going on.

'Draco?' Harry asked worriedly.

'Draco is .... out at the moment,' hissed a voice in his mind. Harry recoiled as Draco lifted his head and stared straight at him. There was a definite red hint to Draco's eyes.

*'You,'* he glared.

*****

Professor Dumbledore's head suddenly snapped up. Voldemort? Where .... but no, the man himself wasn't here. Some sort of projection, then ......

Dumbledore's sharp eyes swept across the students milling around in front of him. He'd have to quiet them down, soon; the last thing Lavender needed at a time like this was to have everyone asking her questions.

His eyes rested upon Harry. The boy was staring at something across the hall. Or maybe someone ..... The Professor looked across the Hall to the Slytherin table. Who was Potter looking at? Then he saw Draco Malfoy. He was glaring malevolently across the Hall, right back at Harry, it seemed, but the mental conversation he and Sirius had overheard suggested that the two had finally worked out their differences. Why were they suddenly enemies again?

His eyes narrowed as Malfoy collapsed onto the table, and the aura he had felt slowly drained the room. No, not all of it. Now that he knew it was there, he could just barely sense a wisp of the essence of his former student. He looked over at Potter. The boy was up out of his seat, apparently trying to get to the Slytherin table. Of course, with all of the confusion caused by the news of the death of Lavender's parents, he was making very little progress.

Dumbledore was suddenly brought to himself by that thought. He stood, mentally shaking himself free of those thoughts. They would be dealt with when the time came. Right now, he had to calm down the students.

"Please!" he called out with a ringing authority that somehow made itself heard over the deafening noise of the hall. Everyone quieted and looked up at the Headmaster. "Professor McGonagall, will you please take Miss Brown to your office? Her sister will be here shortly." The solemn-faced professor led a sobbing Lavender out of the Great Hall. The rest of the students turned to Dumbledore, who cleared his throat. "I would like to request you all to not ask questions of Lavender unless and until she feels that she is ready to talk about this subject." Several students shifted uncomfortably. "I would also like to ask that you all return to your seats, so we can have some small amount of order restored to us." All of the people in the Hall started to move slowly back to their seats.

Harry took advantage of the pause in Dumbledore's speech. 'Draco, are you okay?'

'I'm fine, I was just -'

'Unconscious,' Harry finished bluntly.

'*Really*? I had no idea. I guess *that's* why I feel so groggy and everthing,' Draco replied sarcastically.

'Oh, good,' Harry said, relieved.

'What do you mean, good?!' Draco asked indignantly.

'Well, you were being all sarcastic, so I could tell that you were feeling better,' Harry said hastily.

'You know -'

'Harry.'

Suddenly there were two people speaking to him at once. 'Wait, Draco, just a minute. Someone's talking to me.'

'I don't see anyone talking to you,' Draco said suspiciously. 'Are you - Oh, wait, never mind.'

Harry waited for a moment to see if Draco was done, and then said, 'Yes?'

'Harry this is Professor Dumbledore. I'd like to see you after breakfast in my office. The password is "Pepper Imps." Do you have your schedule yet?'

'Er, not quite,' Harry said, jerking out of his stupor and looking down the table. Why did Dumbledore want to talk to him? He hadn't even flown a car to school this year .... 'They're being passed down right now.'

'Excellent. What do you have first?'

'Transfiguration,' Harry replied, taking his schedule from Ron.

'I'll tell Professor McGonagall that you'll be late for her class. Thank you, Harry.'

'No problem,' he replied faintly. Dumbledore *couldn't* have found out about Voldemort, could he? Harry felt as if a huge ice cube had slid down into his stomach at the thought. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me, even if it means lying to Dumbledore.

*****

Ginny stared down the Gryffindor table at Harry, feeling confused and a little sad. Why was Harry being so distant? Ron and Hermione were arguing about S. P. E. W. again, and usually Harry joined in with those discussions, even if he was just being a peacemaker. But he obviously wasn't even listening to their conversation.

In fact, he looked as though he was in the middle of a conversation with someone else entirely. But there was no one else who could possibly be talking to him. Was there? Ginny wasn't so sure.

*****

"But it's not going to work, Hermione, I keep telling you," Ron tried once again.

"Ron, how many times do I have to say this?! It's people like you, who don't see anything wrong with the *enslavement* of other creatures, who allow this atrocity to continue!!" Hermione argued passionately.

"It's not an 'atrocity,' Hermione," Ron said patiently. "They *like* doing work. You've seen them in the kitchens here! They love their jobs!"

"They've been brainwashed," sniffed Hermione. "You only have to look at Dobby to see how much happier they are when they're freed."

"And you only have to look at Winky to see that most of them, the normal ones, anyway, think that being freed is the worst thing that could ever happen to them."

"I keep telling you, they've been *brainwashed,* and they don't know any better!!" Hermione insisted.

"Whatever," Ron sighed, "just give it up." He glanced down at the stack of papers he was holding. "Hey, Harry, here's you schedule." Harry took it with a vague "Thanks."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other.

"Um, Harry," Hermione began, "is anything wrong?"

Harry sat there for a moment before he realized that he was being addressed. "Er, sorry, what?"

"Are you feeling okay?" Ron asked. "You've just been sitting there for all of breakfast, and you haven't even taken two bites yet."

"I'm, uh, not that hungry," Harry said, pushing away his bowl. "I've got to go talk to go talk to Professor ..... Lupin for a minute. You go on ahead without me."

"Well, okay ..."

"If you're sure ..."

"Yes, I'm sure, it's fine," Harry said hastily. "You can walk to Transfiguration with Draco and Puck." It was then that the other two realized that the Gryffindors had Transfiguration with the Slytherins. While they puzzled over this, Harry quietly slipped away.

Only Ginny notice him leave.

*****

Harry's mind was far away as he made his way towards Dumbledore's office. How could Dumbledore have found out about Voldemort and Draco? For surely there was no other reason for him to call Harry to his office on the first day of school.

'Draco?'

'What? No, I - I mean, just a minute.'

Harry sighed to himself as he felt the other's mind slip away. Voldemort would have killed Draco if he had so much as thought about telling Dumbledore, so Harry wasn't sure why he wanted to ask Draco if he knew what Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about. He just wanted some answers ....

Suddenly Harry realized that he was at the stone gargoyle that was the mark of the secret entrance to Dumbledore's office. He shook himself out of his daze, and marched up to the statue. "Pepper Imps," he said loudly. The gargoyle silently jumped to one side, and Harry nervously climbed onto the moving staircase that would take him up to Dumbledore.

He stepped off at the top, and knocked timidly on the door.

"Enter," called a voice from inside.

Okay, you can do this, Harry thought to himself as he stepped into the room. He had always loved this office, but today its beauty was overshadowed by his feeling of extreme unease. The portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses seemed to glare down at him, and shadows lurked behind cabinets and tables. He pushed these thoughts away, and turned to face Dumbledore.

"Thank you for coming so swiftly, Harry," Dumbledore began. "Sirius told me he has spoken to you. I will be sure to inform Professor Lupin that he now owns a dog." The Headmaster's eyes twinkled.

"Thanks, Professor," Harry managed.

"I'm sure that you are wondering why I asked you to come here. Well, I will try to be truthful and to the point, as I hope you will be with me." Harry felt his insides shrivel up. "Today during breakfast, just after Lavender received word of what has happened to her parents, I felt a most curious aura in the Great Hall."

"Aura?" asked Harry, unable to stop himself.

"A .... presence, if you will," Dumbledore explained. "Each person has their own individual aura, and a wizard trained to do so can sense the aura of any person, Muggle or wizard. Muggle's auras are usually not as strong as those of wizards, but can still be sensed." Harry nodded, and Dumbledore continued. "The aura that I sensed this morning was none other than that of Lord Voldemort." He looked at Harry piercingly.

So *that* was how he knew, Harry thought, feeling slightly panicked. But I *can't* tell him. Voldemort will hurt more innocent people, like Lavender's parents. He forced himself to look up at Dumbledore again.

Dumbledore was looking steadily at him, gauging his reaction. "I have reason to believe that Mr. Malfoy and yourself know something about Voldemort's activities. I need to know how he was able to project himself into the very heart of this castle without any warning. His presence was strong enough for him to be able to do some serious damage inside the castle, and as Headmaster, I cannot allow this to happen. Do you know anything about any of this?"

Harry lowered his eyes, not daring to look up at Dumbledore, for fear that the Professor would somehow be able to read everything simply by looking through him with that piercing gaze. He felt Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, fly over and land on the back of his chair. His hands were shaking slightly. Voldemort could certainly do harm to those in the castle, that was true, but he *would* do harm to people in the castle, and most likely people who didn't live in the castle as well, if he told. Harry had no doubt that Voldemort would find out if he told, too. There seemed to be only one solution to his problem, but that was one he was reluctant to take. I won't kill anyone else, he told himself firmly, thinking once again of Cedric. I *refuse* to be responsible for more innocent deaths.

He raised his head slightly. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

*****

After Harry left his office, Dumbledore sat quietly at his desk for some time. He was sure Harry had lied, but why? Was he trying to protect someone? Did he believe that Dumbledore, and all of the rest of the adults in his life, would be unable to help him if he told them what was going through his mind? One thing was for sure; they certainly couldn't help him if they didn't know what the danger was in the first place.

*****

Harry felt terrible. How could he have lied to Dumbledore? And yet, how could he not? As he slipped into his seat in the Transfiguration, he wondered to himself if all of the questions he had might not just drive him insane. He rather hoped they might. Then he wouldn't have to deal with Voldemort or anyone again.

Stop that, he told himself firmly. Going mad won't help anyone.

'Harry ....'

He looked up quickly. Professor McGonagall was looking right at him.

"Now that Mr. Potter is *paying attention,* we can begin. Please take out your copies of Intermediate Transfiguration, and open to page 346."

'Thanks,' Harry thought as he dug through his bag.

'No problem. Hey, what did Dumbledore want to talk to you about?'

Harry hesitated. 'Well ...... have you ever heard of something called an aura?'

'I think so. Isn't that sort of like a field of energy, or magic, or something, that people have around them?'

'Yeah, that's it. Well, I guess you can sense them, and at breakfast today, Dumbledore sensed Voldemort.'

Draco looked at him across the room, with a horrified expression on his face, which would have been funny, had it not been such a serious moment. 'You didn't ..... you didn't tell him, did you?'

'No, I said I didn't know anything about it, but I don't think he believed me. We're going to have to be really careful. I bet Voldemort will be, too, once he finds out that he was almost discovered on the first day.'

'Yeah, or else he'll think it's funny to watch us try to cover up for him.'

'Ha, ha,' Harry thought bleakly.

*****

Professor Lupin glanced up as he heard someone enter his office. "Ah, there you are," (his mouth twitched) "Snuffles."

'Very funny,' Sirius thought, his canine face looking up at his "owner" reproachfully.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. Did you find Harry?"

'Yes. I talked to him and Draco Malfoy.'

Lupin grinned. "So Draco and Harry really *have* been getting along. I was wondering if I should have sent an entry to the Guinness Book of World Records. I witnessed Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter standing within spitting distance of each other, and neither one said anything even remotely annoying."

Sirius replied with what sounded like a hacking bark; Lupin could only assume it was a laugh. Then he became serious. (No pun intended. ^_^)

'Dumbledore said that when he spoke with Harry in his office this just now, he asked if Harry knew anything about the aura that he sensed. He told you about that, right?'

"Of course."

Sirius nodded awkwardly. 'Well, Dumbledore's sure Harry knows something about it, but he said that he had "no idea what you're talking about, Professor."'

Lupin chuckled. "Prongs wasn't any good at lying to Dumbledore, either."

'Yeah, remember that time we got caught -'

"*You and Prongs* got caught. Chances are, I wasn't with you if you got caught."

'Point taken. However, I believe this was one of those *rare* times -'

Lupin raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, fine, maybe I was with you, but *don't* bring it up."

Sirius' doggy grin became, if possible, even wider. 'Oooh, remember that time we went out to the forest in our sixth year, and The Malevolent Snake followed us -'

Lupin began laughing. "Yeah, the expression on his face .... !" They dissolved into laughter (mental laughter, in Sirius' case).

'We got in a bit trouble for that one, though.'

Lupin grimaced. "I've avoided the trophy room ever since."

'Elbow grease. Ugh.' Then Sirius grinned his doggy grin again. 'I got him right in the eye, though.'

Both sat, lost in happy memories, until Lupin jumped up. "Look at the time! I've got a class in three minutes! See you later, Padfoot." He dashed out of the room.

Sirius curled up behind Lupin's desk and looked up at a picture of James sitting on the desk.

God, Prongs, I wish you were here, Sirius thought fiercely. Harry deserves more than a godfather who doesn't even own a house, can't even be seen in public without being arrested or killed. Did you realize what kind of life Harry would have when you made me his guardian? You couldn't have realized that Wormtail would betray you. You trusted people. You believed in giving second chances. I didn't. God, why didn't I think, even for an instant it could be Wormtail? I could have spared Harry the fourteen years he's spent with those miserable relatives of his .... I could have saved your *lives* .... I know you wouldn't want me to think like this, if you could hear me. But what do you want me to think? "Oh, of course you didn't suspect Wormtail, he was too well hidden, a servant of *Voldemort,* for crying out loud, he *obviously* knew how to hide, it's not your fault." Well, if it's not my fault, then why was it *me* who suggested the switch? Why didn't I keep an eye on Wormtail, find some way to watch him? Why for, God's sake, didn't I let you tell Moony or Dumbledore? "The fewer people that know, the better." I'm such an *idiot*!!!!!

Why am I talking to a ghost, anyway?

I *know* you're gone. God, if I could have a second chance, I'd make it right, Prongs. I'd kill the dirty little rat for you. I'd kill his master while I was at it, too. I would have made sure neither of them could ever touch Harry. It almost killed me when he disappeared last year during the Third Task, you know. He's all I have left of you, Prongs. I can't loose you again. I learned a lot about myself when I was in Azkaban, and I know that if I had to go through what I went through when I learned you were dead, *again,* I'd die. There wouldn't be enough will left in me to curse myself for the idiot I've been, much less breathe.

*****

Done!!!!! Yay!!! I'm sooooo sorry this took so long, I promise I will start the next chapter soon. Tell me what you think! BTW, *these* are used in place of italics, in case that was confusing you. ^_^ Again, I'm really sorry this took so long.

Don't forget about me!! I *will* get the next chapter up eventually!!! ~Bronze Eagle