Harry Potter and the Fate of Destiny

Chapter 5

I sighed quietly that night. No Ronald Weasley meant that I had a moment's reprieve. Now the next question was apparent. What should I do to unmask him? Was it even possible? I clenched my fist as I sat my myself in the corner of the common room. For a long moment I closed my eyes as I listened to the dull chatter of the students. However, I heard a voice whose owner I had a serious crush on.

"That's Professor Snape. Besides Ronald should have known better than to insult him." Hermione chided Harry coolly.

Maybe I was stupid but I decided to approach them.

"That's what happens when you don't use your brain." I said coldly staring at the boy-who-lived.

"Lammings? What do you want?" Hermione growled at me.

I managed to ignore her and the pain I felt from her cold tone.

"Weasley's an idiot and he'll drag you down Potter. Before you know it he'll betray you and when he does you'll have no one to blame but yourself." I stared into Harry's eyes and noticed the fury boiling up within them.

I knew I had gone too far in his eyes and I was barely able to dodge out of the way of a flung punch before Hermione grabbed Harry's shoulders.

"Lemme go Hermione!" He snarled.

I sighed slightly.

"And for being some kind of 'hero' you certainly can't control your temper. I'm surprised that you've managed to be able to survive so long what with all the escapades you get into. If someone insulted your parents why...I bet they could get you to attack in a heartbeat. If I was going to...Take advantage of that I might insult them after say...A quidditch game. I'm sure with the current political set up the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor would be more than happy to take advantage of that. Who knows you might even be kicked off the team that way."

"Damn you!" Harry yelled before prying himself free of Hermione and rushing me.

He was fast. Far faster than Ron was and I was knocked to the floor and all I could do before he brought his hand up to strike at me was bring my arms up to defend my upper body.

I felt a tremendous force strike my forearm and it was almost blinding. He hit far harder than Ron could have.

"Even if..." I gasped in pain as another strike struck my other arm, and I felt the bone crack.

As the beating continued I began to understand a few things. Maybe...I should have listened to my parents back before I left...Maybe I should have taken grandfather's lessons to heart...But...At least...Even though I felt incredible pain I felt that I was doing the right thing. Potter needed this. Even if he didn't know it.

"Even if you managed to beat me to a pulp you'd still lose Potter. You..." I felt something give way in my right arm and I knew he hadn't broke that arm but instead, had shattered it completely.

"You can't control yourself!" I gasped, my voice shaky but louder than it had been due to the sheer pain I was feeling.

Harry Potter paused as he heard voices around him.

"Mum was right. He is insane."

"We need protection from him."

He stood and glared at me.

At that I forced my aching body up to my feet a tear trailing down my face at the pain in my arms.

"See Potter? If...You continue to let your anger...Control you..." I felt dizzy and my head spun.

"You'll end...up...Worse..." At that I toppled forward, and knew nothing more.

The next time I woke I was in the hospital wing with Hermione sitting next to my bed and my arms while sore didn't hurt anymore.

"I thought...You hated me." I commented a little surprised to see her.

She nodded coldly and I felt my heart break all over again.

"Even more now." She added.

"That doesn't explain why you're here. If you hate me so then why are you here?" I asked a little surprised.

"Thanks to you Harry is in a lot of trouble. I want you to tell them that it was your fault." She explained.

I knew it was too good to be true.

"Why would I do that? He brought it upon himself. He was the idiot to recklessly attack another student who was simply telling the truth." I said coldly before I got out of bed.

Why had I liked her? She hated me and wasn't willing to listen to reason.

"I don't get what I ever saw in you Granger." I added coldly as I looked around for my shoes and other clothing.

"What do you mean by that?" She glared at me.

"I respected you. You were the only person I could consider and intellectual equal! I...Liked you. But no, you and your entire nation are all the same. Blind to reasoning." I noticed a sleeve of my uniform sticking out of a drawer in the dresser and pulled it out before tossing it on my bed, thankfully all my clothing including my shoes were in the drawer.

"Weasley will end up hurting you Granger. He'll simply use you and then throw you away once he can no longer find use for you. Potter is an idiot who can't control his temper. Hopefully the little lesson up in the common room will help teach him that much. Maybe he'll try to take anger management or something now..."

"You don't know anything!" She yelled.

I turned to her.

"So what if 'they' saved you?" I approached her and without blinking glared into her eyes.

"Just because you help someone doesn't mean that you have to like them. Just because you're saved by someone doesn't mean that you owe them the rest of your life. Besides, this is Potter's mess. One that I may have...Given help to birth but it was his decision to rush another student and beat them badly. He ignored you to instead beat that student."

I paused.

"Maybe he isn't a 'bad' person. But he has to grow up. As do you." I stated coldly before turning my back to her.

"That's the problem with you and your society. You can't accept that things aren't okay as they are. Potter isn't perfect nor will he ever develop if you coddle him."

She took in a deep breath trying to steady her anger and I knew that I was on the verge of being hexed but at that point I didn't care.

"If you were actually his friend you'd stop coddling him like that. To be an adult requires a few things Granger. And most importantly is a single phrase I heard a while back...'Live with Honor'. It isn't an easy road and Potter isn't treading that road right now either." I commented before shutting the curtains to dress.

Grandfather had once told me to 'Live with Honor' and back then I didn't understand but...After the beatings I had taken recently I was starting to revise my position. I didn't like the person who had been staring me back in the mirror.

David Lammings was an arrogant bigot that considered everyone beneath him. I...Didn't want to be that David Lammings anymore.

"It's easy to be book smart. But...I found out that it's not the only thing you need." I admitted quietly.

"When I first heard that phrase...To...Live with Honor...Before I came here I didn't understand...But after what's happened...Maybe...Maybe I'm starting to. And if Potter is to ever be half as great as his parents were supposed to be he needs to learn a few things. Starting with that." I said firmly as I realized suddenly that I was taking Dumbledore's mission to heart.

"You...You're trying to help him?" She asked quietly.

"What I'm doing doesn't matter Granger. What you do is what does." I replied simply throwing my robe over my body, finally dressed.

"I'm going to be leaving at the end of this year Granger. What you do afterwards is none of my concern. I don't care if you hate me anymore. I don't care if Potter and Weasley attack me in the halls. I don't care if Weasley gathers up a posse and attacks me again. Because...I finally understand something." I commented with a faint smile.

"I may never have your ability to study...But right now..." I looked over at her.

"You're not even close to me."

She opened her mouth several times her mind swarmed by the flood of information that I had sent her way.

"Now if you'll excuse me it seems that I have some work to do now." I commented before heading out the door, and hearing the nurse behind me calling me back.

I paused for a second before looking at her.

"I'm fine, I'll take it easy and won't do any heavy lifting for the next forty eight hours and if I feel any pain I'll contact you immediately." I assured her.

With a sigh she released me. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.

I then began to head to my next destination, the headmaster's office. I walked the varied halls before finally arriving, although I had to take a detour thanks to Peeves throwing water balloons around and swinging from the chandelier.

"Is the headmaster busy?" I asked the gargoyle who didn't answer but moved to the side revealing the door behind. I then made my way up the stairs and knocked on the headmaster's door.

"Come in Mr. Lammings." He called.

I really wanted to know how he did that to say the least. However, that was a topic that I could hopefully bring up later. I opened the door to the office and entered. Inside was Harry Potter, Severus Snape and Professor Flitwick.

"This is a bad time Mr. Lammings." Professor Snape Commented.

"Actually sir, this might be the perfect time. Almost everyone is here after all." I couldn't believe that I was able to say that so clearly.

Maybe I had subconsciously decided that the lot of them needed leadership or something. Looking back I still wonder that.

"Almost everyone?" The headmaster asked with a raised eyebrow.

"His head of house should be here right? After all it is a duo of Gryffindor students involved." I explained.

"Quite right however she's currently discussing things with Madame Umbridge."

I frowned slightly but understood why.

"Then I guess proceedings will have to be without her?" I asked as Harry glared at me.

"Yes but that isn't exactly-" Professor Flitwick began before I turned to the headmaster.

"Excuse me for interrupting your meeting and you Professor Flitwick but...Since I assume the full incident has been revealed by the other students might I make a...Novel suggestion?"

The entire staff turned to me with a bit of surprise at that and I was a little shocked at the confidence I was displaying.

"I will concede that I did goad him to some extent." I admitted freely.

"However." I turn to face the boy-who-lived.

"This does not mean that the reaction was a reasonable or acceptable one. Normally an offense like this would mean at least a detention. Yet...Seeing as I was the reason that this happened in the first place..." I sighed knowing what would happen might be one of the most reckless things I had ever done.

"I propose that he spends an hour with myself each day for a full month. If he can restrain himself during that time the I think no further action would need to be taken."

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow at me and I gave a faint smirk in response. It wasn't long before I felt something...Foreign in my mind. However, I let it pass without resisting.

The potions master smirked in response to my plan.

"I think Lammings might be onto something. Why not give it a try? It wouldn't hurt. We can say Potter's in detention for the duration of these visits."

I felt my heart stop for a moment. It seemed that Professor Snape liked the idea.

Albus Dumbledore sighed before staring at Potter.

"If you don't manage in this then we will land you in detention for the rest of the school year." Dumbledore warned him.

Even the headmaster? I was surprised but maybe...Maybe he figured that I had a great plan...Or maybe he trusted his Potions Master that much.

Potter gave a reluctant nod to the headmaster before I turned.

"Shall we start today then?" I asked the headmaster and the assembled teachers who merely gave me a slight nod.

"Right then. Might as well get this over with for today." I sighed knowing that this was going to seriously cut into my study periods but felt that it might be the best thing too.

I stood quickly and gave a respectful nod to Professor Dumbledore once more before turning.

"Thank you professors. I'll keep you posted and...I'll explain my plan in further detail at another time if that's okay?"

They all gave me assurances that they were more than a little curious to know what was planned and so I headed out the door with Potter following behind me sullenly.

"We're going out to the grounds for today." I explained as I led him down to the grounds and to a couple trees.

I managed to ignore the students talking before we made it out to the trees that I had decided we'd be sitting under.

"Do you know why I suggested this P...Mr. Potter?" I asked.

I mentally reminded myself that it wasn't for Hermione. I didn't care about her anymore.

"No and you can go to hell for all I care." He glared at me as I leaned against a tree.

"That's not a very positive attitude to have Mr. Potter." I commented dryly before looking at him.

"And I care because?" He glared at me.

"Firstly, I do believe you when you claim that Voldemort has returned. But unfortunately you're in no shape to be facing off against him...Not yet anyways." I noted.

Harry blinked as he lost the fury bubbling within him.

"How many killing curses does it take to kill a person?" I asked him.

"One but what does that have to do with-"

"Everything." I interrupted him.

"Imagine I'm a death eater in disguise okay?" I told him firmly.

He nodded faintly.

"I want you to stand there as if you're walking around outside okay?" Harry stared at me like I was stupid but nodded.

I stood as well and walked up to him secretly pointing my wand at him through the fabric of my cloak.

"Hello Potter." I 'greeted' getting into character.

"Lammings."

"Your mother was a miserable excuse of a witch." I sneered before Harry rushed me as I expected and I cast a blue colour change spell.

"You just died Mr. Potter." I said falling back and moving to the left and of the way.

He paused before turning to face me.

"Look at your body. You're blue now. If I was a death eater I would have just killed you."

Harry paused looking at his new colour.

"Do you get what I'm getting at. I used your anger for my own benefit. Now if anyone would have accused me of being a pure blood sympathizer they'd have no legal ground to stand on. I could simply say I was defending myself. I'm not saying you can't express anger Mr. Potter." I said quickly raising a hand to stop his oncoming objection.

"Instead learn to harness it. It's no secret that I don't like you and vise versa but if you're lucky you might just learn something here to keep you alive." I approached and tapped his forehead.

"Use this and you'll have a lot better chance at coming out of this upcoming fight with your dark psycho much easier."

"How do you know that I'll be in a fight with Voldemort?" He suddenly asked trying to make heads and tails of the sudden change of my actions towards him.

"It's obvious isn't it? As long as anyone who opposed him...Willingly or not is still alive...Well, he'll hunt them down. Teachers aren't meant to make a survival expert. And I'm no expert either but...I can hopefully teach you the most important thing: keeping your wits about you."

Harry glared at me but slumped knowing that I was right.

"How about this Mr. Potter...A truce? As long as we meet in these 'detentions' we treat each other with respect. Afterwards, you can do whatever you feel like. Call me a creep, an idiot or whatever you feel like. But during this time, play nice and hopefully I can help you just a bit. In exchange I will extend you the same respect. Furthermore, I will not be allowed to speak of any personal information regarding you. Such as say embarrassing or humiliating things about you." I offered.

He frowned thoughtfully for a long moment before nodding.

"Then a truce it is." I extended a hand to him and the two of us shook.

"Now during these sessions I might try to provoke you, to try to make you angry with me. I will notify you before I do so and during those times I'll want you to resist and stay as calm as you can for as long as you can. You might even be able to use it against Professor Snape if nothing else." I said wryly before sitting again and drawing my wand.

"I David Lammings hereby swear to Harry Potter...On my life and magic not to reveal any sensitive information given to me freely unless his life or well being is in danger. Sensitive information includes home life, friends and family, and general secrets that he might decide to share."

"Now that that's out of the way I'm going to have you do something odd. Write down your entire life story over the next two hour detentions. Then I want you to go over it again and ask this question: 'Is there anything wrong with this picture'? And that means with how you acted or how others acted." I told him handing over a piece of parchment and a quill.

He grit his teeth but did as he was told, knowing that he could actually be in detention with the teachers and I assumed that it would have been far worse.

I would later learn that I was correct but I had no idea how much better this was compared to what Umbridge's detentions were.

I'm back and after a rough patch of no writing I think I'm starting to knock off the rust. Maybe I'll just wrap this guy's adventure's up in his own quick story...David Lammings is a Dynamic character and prone to change. As you might have seen in this chapter.

Anyhow hope you all enjoyed.

Sincerely, Defender Paladin