Destiny

The Necromancer

Chapter 9

From her position in Harry's arms, Destiny smiled happily. 'I'm in Heaven!' she thought ecstatically. It was then that she decided that it was time to make a human ally; to tell someone, someone who was alive, the truth.

Pulling out of his arms, Destiny looked up at him. "I need to tell you why Voldemort is after me." Taking his hand, she led him to a large rock beside the lake.

"Okay, why is he after you?" Harry asked with patient concern.

Taking a deep breath, she began her tale.

"Even though I was actually born on March 30^th 1982, it had been prophesized for years that me and another would be born to stop the spread of evil. The prophecy was supposed to help the Light Side but it caused more harm than good."

"What's the prophecy?"

"Born from the Dark,

Destined to fight for the Light,

The Ghostly Seer will be the difference

Between victory and defeat.

Befriended by the most powerful Mage,

Neither alone can conquer the Dark.

Only in standing together will the Light finally reign."

"Wow... You're really important..." Harry said, slightly awed.

'Thank you, Mr. I-state-the obvious,' she thought, slightly annoyed.

"Who's the Mage though? Do you know?"

"You."

Very seriously, Harry replied. "That's not funny. If we can figure out who it is, we can be rid of Voldemort forever!"

"Harry... Haven't you ever wondered how you keep surviving against him?"

"I've always just been concerned with the surviving part!"

"When you go up against him and you panic, it causes you to be able to access your powers- even if it is only unconsciously- so that you can survive. My powers are different from yours though. Mine have been trained to react on command, so they can never be used without my full intentions.

"What sort of powers do you have? What does Ghostly Seer mean?"

"They're actually the same question. As you already know, I'm a Seer- YUCK!" Smiling sheepishly, she said, "Okay, I'm good! Moving on! I don't actually make prophecies but I do have visions. That's what I generally live my life by. I knew I had to come to Hogwarts after I had a vision involving the prophecy. I had it when I was around seven or so... The Ghostly part is what I am."

"I don't get it. What are you?"

"Well... I'm not human..."
"Why didn't you just tell us. It's not like it would have made that much of a difference."

"Yeah, well, all my life I've been hated for one reason or another. When I was little, it was because I was Sirius Black's daughter. But, it got even worse as I got older and it became very obvious that I was the Necromancer."

"Necromancer?"

"I talk to the dead."

"So? I made friends with Nearly Headless Nick."

"No, I can see not just the visible ghosts, but also the invisible ones; the ones that no one else can see. Spirits that for one reason or another can't or won't move on. I can see them, make them solid, and make them visible to the living. Also, I'm able to walk the roads of the dead and help the spirits that have become lost on their journey to their final resting-place. These roads are called the Ghost Roads."

Harry's eyes were wide with realization.

"That's why Lupin wanted you to tell me yourself! Can you see all ghosts?"

"Yes." Drawing in a rattling breath, she made her eyes as wide as they would go and whispered, "I see dead people..."

Harry didn't even bother to attempt a smile.

"Have you seen my parents?"

Looking at him sympathetically, she said simply, "Yes."

"How are they? Where are they? How--"

"Whoa! Turn down the switch to snail pace! First, they're fine- they're free to leave and move on to Heaven or Hell whenever they feel like it. Second, I don't know where they are. They took off yesterday because they think I can't think for myself. They'll be back though. They always come back."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked quietly.

"It wasn't the right time."

"Why can you see them but I can't?"

"Because I'm a Nec-"

"That's not what I meant! Why are some ghosts visible but others aren't?"

"You know, that's a really good question! Nobody's ever asked me that before. Um... Let's see... The visible ghosts are that way because they have some type of unfinished business that can't ever be finished. They're doomed to walk the earth for the rest of eternity searching for a way to right the wrong, or what ever. Spirits though are still here because they either are afraid to try to travel to their final destination or they don't want to leave. Your parents are the second type of ghost. They can leave and move on whenever they want but have chosen to stay behind because they felt they were still needed. At first it was because of you. They wanted to see you grow up, even if they couldn't participate in your life. Later though, it was because they felt they had to make amends to my father- for his being imprisoned- even if it didn't physically help him. Now they're here to protect you- even if it means putting me in danger to do it." The last part was said in a sarcastic sort of voice.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to put you in danger."

"Nah," she said, waving away his apology, "I'm going to be hunted down and the Ministry is going to attempt to murder me anyway."

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm a Dark Creature. Seeing the dead is considered the darkest of Dark Magic-"

"Just like talking to snakes is, right? Des, I don't care what those idiots at the Ministry say about you. I just want to be friends!"

"Really?"

"Yes," he said firmly to push all doubts out of her head. "Now start at the beginning."

"At the beginning, the most beautiful-" Hearing him snort with laughter, she stuck her tongue out at him and started again. "You already know the story about your parents and most of my past- I just omitted some things. After my father was sent to Azkaban, my mother destroyed everything he owned that he had left in the house. The next day- November 2^nd 1981-, my mother found out she was pregnant with me. She resented me from the start. As I got older, my mom began to see me talking to 'imaginary friends'. It didn't take her long to figure out that there was really somebody there and that they were also dead. That didn't go over well, as you can imagine. She didn't want dead things in her house- no matter if they used to be her friends or not-, which I can completely understand. I mean, if I wasn't what I am, I'd find it creepy too. I wouldn't want to have something there that I couldn't see. It's just human instinct. The final blow that destroyed any chance of us getting along came when I started to use my powers in front of her and not just when she wasn't looking. From that moment on, she forbade me to use my powers- ever. She said they were evil and it would make me even more evil than I already was. Lily and James- your parents- always made sure to come through afterwards to do damage control. They encouraged me to use my powers so that one day I could stand up to her."

"I ended up going to four different schools before I came here- including the infamous Salem... I hated it there. Everyone hated me for one reason or another- actually they just hated me because I was different. They see differences as bad; they're very superstitious. One day last spring, while I was at Salem, I had a vision of a giant castle and of me as a student there."

"How did you know you were a student there?"

"I would never wear a black, plain robe if it wasn't required. Anyways, when I told James-"

"My dad?"

"Yes, but more about him later; my story now. I told James and he had me threaten the Headmistress of Salem. He told me to tell her that unless she asked Dumbledore to allow me to transfer- without telling him what I was, of course- I would set every ghost within a ten-mile radius on her and her students. She agreed, even though I'm sure she did it for her sake more than for anyone else's. She was never a very nice person; only cared for herself. So, hear I am!"

"You said that before," Harry said smiling. Deciding to take Sirius advice- just because it felt like the right thing- he said, "Des, would you like to join a secret organization dedicated to the destruction of Voldemort?"

"Sure," Destiny said as if she were asked this type of question everyday.

"You'll have to tell Dumbledore though."

Looking thoughtful, she asked curiously, "What if he expels me? It'll be your fault if he does, since you're the one telling me to tell him..."

"He won't. He let Lupin come to school here and gave him a job. He'd accept you!"

"Perhaps... Fine, but you have to come with me. K?"

"I'd be glad to. Come on, let's go!"

*****

As Harry walked with Destiny to Dumbledore's office, his mind was in chaos. He had been told so much that he was having a hard time absorbing it all. The only thing that was clear though was that Destiny was on their side.

'Plus, she wants to join the Order, which means I'll get to spend even more time with her!'

As he knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't asked her about Voldemort. When the Headmaster saw who was waiting for him, he quickly let them in.

"Sir, Destiny's willing to tell you her secret." Looking around, he was surprised to see Lupin and Sirius. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to discuss the Voldemort situation," Lupin said as Sirius glanced in Destiny's direction.

Giving Lupin a sharp look and a barely perceptible shake of his head, Dumbledore, smiled at Destiny and asked for her to sit and explain.

As Destiny gave an abridged version of the story she had told him, Harry watched everyone's faces. Dumbledore's face was impassive but not condemning, Lupin's was pitying, and Sirius's shocked.

"So, now I'm here," she finished after leaving out the parts about his parents.

After a moments pause, Dumbledore spoke. "While I understand your hesitation to tell your secret, you should have come to me immediately and informed me. I would have helped you conceal it. I would not have turned you away until you had given me a reason to do so."

"Yeah, well, I didn't particularly want to risk being expelled before I'd even had a chance. Excuse me for reacting the way I've always been forced to. Not everyone understands and most don't even try-"

Cutting in, Remus exclaimed, "Alright that's enough! Destiny, we know Voldemort has been targeting you and that you were in the forest with him earlier today. What happened?"

Looking offended that he had pretty much told her to shut up, she replied to his question in a huffy voice. "I've known for years that Voldemort is after me. So... when I heard him calling my name, I just decided to stop postponing the inevitable and get the meeting over with. So I just went into the forest to where I knew he would show himself." Seeing more shocked faces, she continued. "I'm tired of running, of hiding so that other people can remain in blissful oblivion. I decided that I would rather be a brave dead person than a living coward. Voldemort was there recruiting... he offered me a position as his Second in Command. He also bribed me. He said I could have anything I wanted: clothes, jewels... The real question now is... Why should I stay on your side?"

'Whoa! Rewind!' Harry thought when he heard this. 'I thought...'

Seemingly unaffected by her question, Dumbledore replied calmly, "We don't bribe people to work for us. The light side gathers its recruits from people who only want to help because it's the right thing to do."

"Yeah, well, pretend I am all that; do you honestly think that your precious little Order is going to want me? I mean, seriously!"

"You would have to prove yourself of cour-"

Turning away from the Headmaster, she kicked the wall angrily.

"Prove myself? Prove myself! You know, I was tempted to join Riddle the moment he said I'd be his second. I wouldn't have to 'prove myself' on the Dark side! Did you know that Voldemort just barely missed the mark on what I wanted."

"What do you want?" Sirius asked soothingly, confused and desperate to keep his daughter-or anyone- away from the monster. "Whatever it is, we'll give it to you!"

Going from angry to sad in an instant, Destiny replied quietly, "If you have to ask... then you could never understand..."

While trying to think of what she could possibly want that was so important that she was willing to go over to the Dark side to get it, he heard the Headmaster respond. "We may not understand but if you tell us, we can consider getting it for you. Of course, it has to be reasonable."

Giving the old man a look that made it seem as if her soul was dying, Destiny whispered, "But that's just the point. If you couldn't understand, how could anyone else?" Without another word, Destiny turned and walked out of the room.

After a moment of silence, Sirius exclaimed, "Come on people, think! What is it that she could possibly want that you have to know without being told? Something we wouldn't understand?"

"Freedom..." Remus whispered mournfully.

"What? She's not a prisoner to anyone," Sirius said confused.

"No, not physical freedom. Freedom to be who she wants to be... My God, that's it!" Turning to face them all, Remus exclaimed excitedly, "She wants people to know what she is but to just be treated like everyone else at the same time! She wants people to hate her because of her looks or attitude, not because she can do something that others can't! And she doesn't just want it for herself; she wants it for all Dark Creatures. I mean, how many times did she call herself one? She considers herself to be one of them, even if she is the only one of her race that's alive at the moment. That's all she's asking for!"

Looking suddenly very old, Dumbledore went and sat at his desk, leaning his head into his hands. "The one thing she wants just happens to be something that nobody can give her."

Hearing the defeat in the Headmasters voice, Remus said with defensive anger, "She's not asking for a miracle; just for you to try. All it takes is one person who is willing to try, for the ripple effect to begin. If people see somebody willing to accept the differences, maybe they will feel more inclined to try themselves. But somebody has to start it... And it would help tremendously if they were human."

Sighing, Dumbledore said, "I didn't say I wouldn't try, I just meant that there was no guarantee and that not everyone will treat her right, no matter how accepting the world becomes." Lifting his head from his hands, he gazed at Remus sadly. "Would you please explain that to her?"

Looking regretful for what he was about to say, Remus said firmly, "No, I won't. Life for a Dark Creature is difficult and hope is all that we have. I will not take that last bit of light away from her. The world will destroy it soon enough, but it won't be because of me. Now, I'm going to go make sure that she's not destroying anything in a fit of anger. You though are going to have to be the one to make the deal with her. And I suggest you hurry before she does something rash." Turning, the werewolf walked out without a back-wards glance.

After the door closed, Sirius raised his eyebrows and asked, "Did anyone else feel like a little kid just then?"

*****

As Destiny stormed away from the Headmasters office, she turned and headed away from Gryffindor tower. She knew that if she was to return to the common room, they would find her immediately and she just wanted to be left alone at the moment.

Sighing quietly, she thought, 'Why do I care so much about what they think? I knew they would react this way.' Her shoulders sagged when she realized the answer to her question. 'Because I thought they were different.'

'Harry is,' her mind whispered.

'No,' she thought fiercely, 'he's not. If he were, he would have said something in my defense.'

She was so wrapped up in lecturing herself she didn't even see the boy in front of her until she ran into him.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, looking up at him from her position on the floor.

"Hey Des!" Draco said with a small smile, leaning down and pulling her to her feet. "Don't worry about it." Seeing how miserable she was, he dropped his smile. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she muttered, looking at the ground.

"You CAN trust me you know."

Jerking her head up to look him in the eye, she asked, "Can I? Won't you just betray me to your Death Eater father?"

Eyes widening in shock, he exclaimed, "No! ... So they've tried to recruit you too?"

"Yeah... Been a bad day. Harry saw me. I had to give my life story. I didn't even like living it the first time, let alone having to purposely remember it all."

Standing there in silence for a moment, Draco finally said, "Well, no sense pouting about it. Come on, maybe we can get the house elves to give you something with alcohol to calm you down."

"How 'bout something sugary? Sugar equals happiness... at least in my book it does," Destiny stated unemotionally.

With a grin, Draco threw his arm around her shoulder, gave her a friendly squeeze and started pulling her in the direction of the kitchens.

"Whatever you want."

"Why are you so nice to me?" Destiny asked abruptly, confusion showing in her eyes. "I mean, I AM a Gryffindor."

"Because you cared enough to keep pestering me to be friends. You care about others so much you'd sacrifice yourself in an instant to save another... even if the other person was your enemy. Also, you act like a queen, even when you are treated like a servant. That, to me, makes you worthy of respect... Ahem! To quote that muggle book, 'A Little Princess', 'it's easy to act like a princess in fine clothes and all that, but a true princess can act like royalty, even in rags... Or something like that..."

Giggling, she cried, "That's not how it goes... but thank you. It helped."

"Don't mention it."

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she finally asked in an amused tone, "Do I even want to know why you were reading a muggle, GIRL book?"

"Oh, shut up you!" Apparently deciding it was time to turn the conversation- and Destiny's laughter- away from him, Draco said, "By the way, what exactly did you say to You- Know- Who? He looked a little shaken when I met him- and that's saying something! I didn't think he had anything to fear from anyone!"

"Let's just say, when I get mad, I get kind of dramatic... to put it mildly..."

*****

As Remus walked down the corridor looking for Destiny Black, he couldn't help but wonder what had been wrong with him lately. In the past few hours, he had gotten angry more often than he had in the past year.

'It's Destiny. She makes the people around her want to hope for something more, for a better life. I've never seen a Dark Creature actually put themselves in danger for others the way that she does.'

Deciding it was best to search places he would have gone, he turned to the one place where comfort could always be found: in food.

After tickling the pear and climbing into the kitchens, he looked around. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Destiny seemed to have found a friend her own age, one who would be more than capable of understanding her dilemma.

"Destiny?" he called to her.

When she heard his voice, her shoulders stiffened. "I do NOT want to talk to you."

"I know, and I don't blame you. But I do know what you're going through, and you have to understand that they're only human. You of all people should understand that no matter how hard they try, they will never truly understand. How could they?" Pausing for a moment, he decided to ask about Draco. "Does he know?"

"I know. She never told me, but I could tell. A ghost or Mage powers were the only things that could have made Professor Snape fall like that, and considering the topaz eyes, I knew which one it was." Turning to Destiny, he said, "Do you want me to leave?"

Nodding, Destiny replied, "Please. I'll come find you later. We'll hang."

"Hang?" Draco asked, looking as confused as Remus felt.

Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Never mind." After Draco was out of earshot, she demanded to know what had happened after she had left.

"We argued. They tried to figure out what you wanted-"

"Did they?"

"Yes, they know. Dumbledore will offer it to you soon. If he doesn't, are you- what are you going to do?"

"Hey, right now I'm more concerned with what Parvati is doing to my things without me being there!" Grimacing, she ground her teeth together. "As of now though, I need to get back to my dorm. I need to be ready."

"For what?"

"For the school to find out. When they do, I have to be ready to leave. I've learned it's better to disappear for a while, otherwise, people attempt to do horrible things to me."

*****

Destiny quickly threw everything she owned into her trunk. She hadn't told Remus the truth. The truth was, no matter what she chose, she would be hunted.

'Best to be far away from everything then.'

As she threw everything over her shoulder into her trunk, she was startled to hear a squeal of pain. Spinning around, she saw Hermione standing with a shoe in her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Packing," Destiny replied shortly.

"I can see that. Why?"

"I'm leaving."

"WHAT?"

"Ask Harry. He can tell you why."

"Weren't you even going to tell anyone?"

Hearing the hurt in her friends' voice, Destiny stopped what she was doing and looked at her with a blank expression. "I was going to leave a note. Feel honored I was even going to be kind enough to do that."

Seeing that she was serious, Hermione turned and ran out of the room as fast as her legs would carry her.

Destiny was just closing her trunk when Hermione returned with Ron and Harry on her heels. Shoving past his friends, Harry ran up to her, grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him.

"What is wrong with you?" Harry shouted, shaking his head in disbelief. "Were you just going to take off and expect no one to care?"

"Pretty much. It's what I've always done at my old schools. Get expelled, wait for holidays so I can go back to my mother," she replied tonelessly. "Let go of me."

"No! I'm not letting you leave!"

"Why? Why would it matter to you if I stayed or not?"

"Because I love you!"

*****

"Because I love you!"

At this, Destiny froze.

'Love me?' she thought numbly.

"Yes! I've been in love with you every since we first ran into each other in Diagon Alley!"

'Guess that came out, out loud.' she thought listlessly.

Hearing the echo of what James had said in the forest, she wrenched her arms away.

"Some things are more important than love. The survival of the Light Side- of the world- is more important than the life of anyone in this school!"

'... Lead the army you were born to command...'

Hearing James' voice once more, she finally understood what she had to do.

"Harry Potter..." Stepping up and taking his hands in hers, she looked him in the eye. "I love you too. But- but for the first time in my life, I understand that my life isn't important. I've spent my entire life only thinking of myself- of my pain- and following the orders others gave to me. Now I know it's time to... To lead the army I was born to command."

"I don't get it," Ron said. "What army?"

"An army of victims," she murmured. Bending down, Destiny shrank and picked up her trunk. Turning back to Harry, she said decisively, "I'm leaving now. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I can tell you that when I return, I will have an army backing me up. While I'm gone, people will get used to the idea of me being inhuman. Do what you can with the Order, but don't stress over it. When I return, be ready to train me in auror combat and also be ready to learn how to use you Mage powers. By the end of this year, I want to be ready."

"Ready?" Hermione asked, feeling dread creep over her. "For what?"

"War," Destiny whispered before turning and walking out the door.