Scuttling Through Fate

I do not own Harry Potter.

This is in reply to 'mysterioustgexpert's reverse animagus challenge. If interested, see him. Also, if anybody needs inspiration, search the title of your favorite franchise and add the word 'challenge.' This sight is home to some lazy geniuses. With all that out of the way, on with the show.

Chapter 1: The Official Start

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You ever notice how the worst luck always hangs onto the protagonist like a plague? That sums up the life of Harry Potter in a nutshell.

Harry never asked for this life. Sure, it was better than his old one, but it was still crazy. He was only through one year of magical schooling and he had already faced a batty professor, a three headed dog, a screaming book, a killer chess set, and his parent's killer who was stuck to the back of one of his teachers.

Then he gets back to his barnyard family- a whale, a horse, and a pig -and they beat him and lock him in his room with metal bars. Thankfully his friend broke him out and he was spending the rest of the summer in 'The Burrow' with the Weasley family. They laughed, they ate, they flung gnomes. Then came the day for school shopping and Harry's first introduction to Floo travel.

Mr. Arthur Weasley handed Harry a small hand full of green dust. "Now listen carefully Harry. Just step into the mantle, announce your destination clearly, and throw down the dust. Simple."

Harry gulped inwardly. He had just seen his best friend go up in flames and now said friend's father wanted Harry to do the same. Shakily, the messy-haired second-year to be stepped into the fire place. He gulped again before announcing "Diegginelly." The boy-who-lived went up in green flames.

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Harry felt extremely disoriented as he slid into a dark store he didn't recognize. A small chime could be heard as he left the public chimney and a friendly voice came from the back. "Welcome to Arachne Robes. How may I help you?"

Harry looked up to see three women in black robes walking up to him. Wait, it was only one. Her black curls fell behind her head in a simple but pretty pattern. The robe stopped at just below her knees, revealing a stunning scarlet silk dress underneath. She gave him an analytical glance with her dual-colored eyes.

"Funny, you don't seem like my usual customers. May I ask your name?" Apparently his bangs were still covering his scar.

"The name is Harry Potter, ma'am." A dawning look came to her face and Harry was prepared for the whole 'boy-who-lived' drama.

"Oh, you're James and Lily's son. How nice to meet you. I miss them." Harry started blinking rapidly. "Oh, sorry. My name is Casses Silk. I'm the owner of this shop."

"Ok, Ms. Silk. You knew my parents?"

"Ah, yes. James and Lily were both exceptionally gifted at Hogwarts. Lily was a bookworm while James was a prankster but they got along well enough. They dated during their seventh year and got married soon after they graduated."

Harry watched as Ms. Silk got lost in the nostalgic memories of yesteryear. It brought a small smile to his face.

"I'm sorry for rambling Harry, dear. Did you need to be somewhere?"

Harry nodded. "I'm supposed to be in Diagon Alley for school supplies."

"How did you end up here then? This is in Nocturne Alley."

"First time using the Floo. I think it misfired." Casses actually smiled at that. "I understand perfectly. Same thing happened to me my first time. Ended up in the Flamel's property. Come on Harry. I'll escort you to Diagon. Nocturnals pay well but can be kind of sketchy." Harry chuckled at that as Casses closed up the store.

Several seedy characters noticed as they passed but a glare from the seamstress had them all backing away. As they got closer to the end of the alley, Harry noticed the light growing significantly. Casses smiled as the let. "It feels nice to get some sunlight now and then."

Casses's skin glowed in the light and it made her seem even prettier than before. As they walked down the alley, Casses asked a question. "Harry, I must ask. Who have you been staying with this entire time?"

The seamstress could see him shiver. "My aunt and uncle."

A look of confusion crossed her face. "Petunia?" Harry nodded. "Who sent you there?"

"Apparently I was dropped their as an infant."

"Why would someone do that." Now Harry looked confused. "I remember several Christmases at Hogwarts where your mother would stay at Hogwarts instead of going home because of the way her sister treated her."

Harry sighed. Now he had another reason to hate his 'family.' "I really don't have an answer."

The two of them got Harry's money from Gringotts and made their way to Flourish and Blotts. Instantly he was pulled into a bear hug by Mrs. Weasley. "Harry, you're okay! Oh, we were so worried. And WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" The last part was directed at Casses.

"Molly, he is not your child. Don't suffocate him." The Weasley matriarch took one glance at Casses's eyes and knew who she was talking to. Little Ginny looked intimidated. By whom is anyone's guess.

"Neither are you, Silk, and I'm much more of a mother to him than you will ever be." Casses tore Molly's arms away from Harry who gasped for air. "You almost suffocated him. Great job at mothering." The women were locked in a glaring contest until a voice broke through the crowd.

"By George, it's Harry Potter!" A narcissistic blonde grabbed Harry and pulled him in front of the press. "Look everybody. Harry Potter has come to buy my books for his schooling. That is right people. I, Gilderoy Lockhart, shall be supplying this year's defense against the dark arts texts. " Harry was looking very uncomfortable in front of everyone.

"Of course, you may not need my books considering who you are." Nobody noticed as Casses strutted up to the front with rage in her eyes. "Smile for the cameras, Harry."

The boy-about-to-cry felt immense relief as Casses slapped the narcissistic blowhard in the face. He actually seemed to shrink as she glared at him. And it was caught on film! Several of the fan girls in the crowd cried out in outrage.

Lockhart looked gob smacked. "Oh, Madam Silk, I'm sorry for not noticing you earlier. Did you need something?" He chuckled nervously as she looked away from him in disgust and grabbed Harry's hand. "You sicken me Gilderoy. Using Harry as a way to gain popularity. Ravenclaw INDEED."

Several in the crowd started yelling in objection at this display. Casses walked past them and stared straight into Molly's soul. "And you would have let that happen." The seamstress lowered herself to Harry's level as she looked to him with a smile. "Don't let anyone take advantage of you and come by the shop anytime. I'm sure you have plenty of questions about your parents." Casses walked out of the establishment with a flip of her hair and a smirk forming. Every occupant save Harry was steaming.

Harry was looking on in awe.

"That was brilliant." Mrs. Weasley looked hurt. The twins were away so they couldn't protect their family honor so all the matriarch had was wrong. His face matched his hair.

"Harry, she insulted my mum!" Harry turned red. "Sorry Ron. I didn't mean what she said to your mum. I meant what she did to Lockhart." Harry rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I think she's a nutter." The boys turned to a bushy haired girl with an irritated face.

"Not you too Hermione," Harry groaned, but Hermione wasn't done yet.

"Who is she to treat Mr. Lockhart like that? He is one of the greatest wizards of our time. He may as well be the next coming of Merlin."

"What told you this?" She held up one of the books she was holding. Harry was unamused.

"I knew it!" cried out Ron. Harry looked to where his friend was pointing. Madam Silk was hugging a silver haired woman in long black robes. The silver haired man next to her was maintaining a stony expression. The ferret faced boy with them- whom the golden trio recognized- was looking at Casses fondly. Like you would a close aunt. Leaning down, she said something to the boy and went on her way.

Molly watched as her husband and her twin sons walked in, the silver haired family walked in. The sir smirked as he saw Lockhart. "That buffoon really can't do anything right. It's almost pitiful." He then turned to Arthur. "Weasley."

"Malfoy," Arthur shot back just as cold. The Malfoy matriarch pushed past everyone without another word, probably to find his son's books for the year. Ginny looked scared. Ron was angered by Malfoy just standing there. Hermione was back in her book. Harry and Draco were looking at each other, rivalry and confusion in their eyes.

"So then, Potter, how is it you know Madam Silk?"

"None of your business, Malfoy."

"I think it is. That is my godmother."

"I knew she was evil!" Ron shouted. Draco went red. "Shut your mouth Weasley! She is the kindest woman in the world!" Ron was nearly blown back from the force of Draco's voice. Narcissa Malfoy smiled even if she felt slightly hurt at her son's words.

"Ron, you really need to learn to stop talking." Everyone, Draco included, had been metaphorically slapped. Ron choked slightly.

"Mate? Are you okay in the head?" Final evidence that Ron has less than no tact. Harry's top blew at Ron's comment.

"Don't even try to give me that! I get enough of that from my stupid 'family'! You send me up in flames and I land in Madam Silk's shop and do you want to know what she said to me? 'You're Lily and James son.' Better than 'could I see the scar' anyday! What have you got to say to that!?"

Everyone shrank into a corner as Harry came down from his tantrum. The kids were visibly scared. The adults were staring at him. (Arthur, Lucius, Narcissa, and Molly) They all took the same thing from his rant. "You live with Petunia!?"

Luscius got over it quickly enough. Arthur was boiling. Narcissa was shocked. Molly was nearly crying. The red-head mother of seven tried to go up to Harry to comfort him in a hug. Harry pushed her away. "Stop that! I'm not your son so stop treating me as such! Maybe if you treated Ron like a proper son he would have better manners!"

Harry stormed out of the store with a slam of the door, breaking every window in the process. He was headed for Nocturne Alley.

Unseen by the rest of the group, Arthur and Narcissa made a temporary truce. Get Harry out of that Merlin damned house. Oh, the Dursleys would pay.

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What do you guys think? I tried to make it entertaining and filled with some unseen moments. I also tried to make this chapter longer than the prologue chapters. Please review and see you guys next chapter.