Stormseeker: Borrowed Destiny

We go to stay with Neville and his grandmother for the remainder of the summer. Neither he nor Hermione wanted to stay at the Grangers' place for even one day longer, after Lockhart's death. Theodore was less obviously bothered by it, and he almost seemed to not even want to go home, so he came along with us to the Longbottoms'.

One day, while the three of us are working on our summer homework, the fireplace flares green and Draco steps out.

"Draco?" I wonder, looking over to him in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I... I want us to be friends again," Draco stammers.

"I thought your father didn't want you associating with me anymore," I say.

"He... he doesn't," Draco says, looking at the floor. "He doesn't even know I'm here."

I find myself a little stunned. "I told you I didn't expect you to choose me over your family," I say quietly. "I didn't want to force you to have to make that sort of decision."

Draco shakes his head. I've never seen him this nervous before. Is he honestly terrified of me, and just trying to hide his fear? "It's not right, you know?" he replies. "And I don't even understand why this all happened in the first place. We had that nasty argument over Easter and all, but we've been through worse things, haven't we?"

I exchange a look with my other friends. "Draco, what exactly do you remember?" Hermione asks.

"About what?" Draco says.

"Anything," I add. "What was that argument even about? What happened on the day we met?"

"I'm not sure what you mean about the day we met," Draco says. "It was a long time ago, but I don't remember anything special happening then. The argument over Easter, that was about my father not wanting me to associate with Mudbloods. You got upset about it, and he wouldn't believe that Hermione is really Ravenclaw's secret heir. You wound up storming out of the place in a huff. Why, don't you remember that?"

"I see," I say. That must have been Dumbledore's handiwork.

"Are you afraid that your memories have been modified or something?" Draco wonders, raising an eyebrow.

"No," I say. "But yours have been."

"What?" Draco demands.

"There's more going on here than you realize," I say. "But are you certain that you want to go back down this path again? I really miss having you as my friend, and I know you didn't break it off by choice, but you have to be sure of this."

"Oh, come on," Draco says. "Do you seriously expect me to say no?"

I chuckle softly. "Alright, Draco. Let's go pay a visit to Dumbledore. And more importantly, his Pensieve. This, you have to see for yourself."

Draco nods, and the two of us step through the Floo to Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster is currently at his desk, scribbling diligently at a piece of parchment, no doubt performing work for one of his many jobs.

"Sorry to interrupt, Headmaster," I say. "Do you mind if we use your Pensieve for a bit?"

"Are you certain that this is wise, my boy?" Dumbledore says, looking dubiously at Draco. "Remember what happened before."

"That wasn't his fault, and you know it," I say. "He's come back to me now, of his own free will and against his father's wishes, despite everything that happened, and despite not knowing the whole story. That's got to count for something."

Dumbledore sighs. "Very well. Go ahead, if you are certain of this. I'll be here when you're finished if you require any Obliviation."

I go up to the Pensieve and pull out some choice memories to put inside. That fateful day in Diagon Alley when I accidentally spilled out my secrets. Quirrell being arrested. Telling him who I am. What really happened in the Chamber of Secrets, and the aftermath in the hospital wing. Scenes from the week that followed, when we realized Lockhart was Obliviating people, and the terrible realization that he'd gotten the Malfoys, too. The argument at Easter...

The two of us enter the Pensieve and start to view the memories. "This will probably be pretty long," I say. "So I apologize for that. But I didn't want to leave out anything important."

"It's alright," Draco says. But that's the last thing he manages to say for a while as we watch the memories. He goes speechless, gaping, as the scenes unfold before us. By the time we get to Easter, he's actually visibly shaking.

When the Pensieve memories end, we emerge back into the Headmaster's office. Draco sits down heavily in the nearest chair, putting his face in his hands and trembling. He can't actually be crying, is he?

"Draco, are you alright?" I ask gently.

"It's a lot to take in," Draco replies. "This is all real? This all really happened?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore says, looking up from his desk again. "I can remove my own Memory Charm if you like, but I fear I cannot undue the damage Lockhart did to you. Alternatively, I can make you forget this all again and you can go back to blissfully not knowing the truth."

Draco shakes his head quickly. "No, no, no," he says. "No way. I don't want to forget. I wish Lockhart had never done what he did. I would rather remember everything as it really happened. Merlin..."

Dumbledore obligingly pulls out his wand and waves it over Draco, muttering a few words. "That should do the trick," Dumbledore says. "How do you feel?"

"Horrified," Draco replies. "Harry-- Lexen-- Stormseeker-- can we go back to the others now?"

"I'm sure Dumbledore would like to get back to work," I say, bowing to Dumbledore. "Sorry for taking up your valuable time."

"It's quite alright, my boy," Dumbledore says. "Run along now and enjoy your summer holiday. Do feel free to contact me if you need anything else."

Back through the Floo, the two of us return to the Longbottom estate. Draco is still in a bit of a daze, as if not sure what to think of this all. I imagine that this must be really hard for him.

"Merlin," Draco breathes. "And the rest of you know about this all already?"

"Yeah," Neville says. "My gran doesn't, though. She's upstairs right now."

"Muffliato," Hermione casts. "And she's not going to, either. We don't want her overhearing anything."

Draco sits down across from the others, still looking at the floor. "There's something I should tell you all, first," he says. "I lied."

"About?" I ask.

"My father actually sent me here," Draco says, looking shameful. "He wanted me to... infiltrate your group again."

"I can see why," Theodore says.

"Look, I'm sorry," Draco says. "I didn't know. I didn't really know what was going on. I suppose I can be a double agent or something. Can I?"

I'm looking at him with a touch of hurt and disappointment, but I say, "Of course, Draco. I'm not going to turn you away. You're my friend, and I always considered you my friend, even when we weren't really speaking."

"Has Theodore told you what things have been like in Slytherin House ever since Easter?" Draco says. "Even Crabbe and Goyle would rather be your lackeys than mine, but they just stuck with me anyway out of loyalty!"

"Because the Stormseeker treats them with respect, and not as lackeys at all," Theodore says. "Personally, I don't want to be anyone's lackey, or join anyone's gang. But actual friends? That's something else entirely."

"He's a crazy Gryffindor who would die for any of us without a second thought," Draco says, shaking his head. "Barmy, I say. A real nutter." He chuckles softly. "And I owe you a bloody life debt because of it, too."

"You know I don't really expect anything of you because of that," I say.

"Because you're such a bloody Gryffindor sometimes," Draco says.

"Although there is one thing I could use from you," I say. "Your verbal ass-kicking to keep me from moping when everything doesn't go perfectly. Or even when it does sometimes."

"Ugh, yes, you're bad about that sometimes," Draco says.

"No kidding," Theodore agrees. "You should have seen him after we murdered Lockhart."

"Wait," Draco says. "You murdered Lockhart?"

"He murdered Lockhart," Hermione says. "Although the rest of us helped to capture him and dispose of the body afterward."

"Damn, I'm sorry I missed that," Draco says. "And the world just thinks he went off again to the middle of nowhere like usual... You guys are brilliant."

"Theodore gets the credit for that idea," I say.

"Yeah, that seemed a little too Slytherin for the rest of you," Draco says. "I bet you didn't even think about the consequences."

"Not really," I admit. "I just wanted the fucking bastard dead. Especially when he dared to come try to attack Hermione."

"It was the perfect trap," Theodore says. "He wouldn't have expected any defenses in a Muggle home."

"I would have been helpless..." Hermione murmurs.

Draco's face contorts in anger. "I should have been there," he says. "Damn him. Trying to break up our group like that. Never again."

I nod in agreement. "I don't want to let anything like that happen again."

"Look, I ought to get back to my father and tell him that I was successful in infiltrating your group again," Draco says. "Can you ask Mrs. Longbottom if I can stay here for the rest of the summer? I... really don't think I want to be around my father much at the moment, and I can convince him that it's all to, you know, solidify my position again, or something."

"I'll ask her," Neville says. "I don't know if she'll agree, though."

"Just tell her that he had a disagreement with his father," I say. "Which is sort of true."

"Alright," Neville says. "I suppose I can make this sound sympathetic."

"For the record," Draco says. "I normally wouldn't like to be opposing my father like this. But he honestly has no idea what's really going on, and it's probably safer all around if he never does. I know that he would, and did, support you when he knew all the facts, however."

"SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN!" proclaims the Daily Prophet, accompanied a picture of a scruffy-looking fellow that appears to be quite mad. At least this story is more news-worthy than the recent bit about the Weasleys winning some sort of prize and blowing it on a trip to Egypt.

"Have you seen this yet, Hermione?" I ask across the Longbottom's dining room.

"Someone escaped from Azkaban?" Hermione says, looking over. "Nobody's ever escaped from there! It's guarded by Dementors!"

"What's a Dementor?" I ask.

"I read about them!" Hermione says. "They sounded like really horrible creatures. They feed on happiness."

"That's awful," I say. "I wonder what this Sirius Black did to deserve getting thrown in such a place." And I got Quirrell sent there for a crime so petty as illegal dragon trafficking? Considering he was possessed by the Dark Lord, I can't really feel too bad about it, though.

"You don't know, Harry?" Augusta says gently, coming over to us.

I shake my head. "Should I?"

"He was the one who betrayed your parents, you know," Augusta says. "He's the reason why You-Know-Who was able to find them."

I frown deeply, and look at the picture of the bedraggled escapee again. "He's the reason my parents are dead?"

"And he murdered thirteen Muggles with a single curse," Hermione adds.

Augusta nods. "But not to worry. You'll be safe at Hogwarts, I'm sure."

"It would seem kind of strange if he waited this long to come and try to finish the job," I say.

There are times that I hate being Harry Potter. My friends are giving me horrified looks. They know I'm not actually Harry Potter. But Augusta doesn't know that. And more importantly, neither does Sirius Black.

"That's a morbid thought, dear," Augusta says. "Don't you worry about it. The Aurors will catch him and put him away again in no time."

I sigh softly. Well, it would hardly be the first time someone has tried to kill me. I'll just have to keep an eye out for my friends to make sure they don't wind up getting caught in the crossfire.

"Well, if he tries anything, I'll hex the pants off of him," Draco says.

"There are probably other hexes that would be more useful to use, however," Theodore says with a crooked grin.

Augusta was dubious about Draco at first, but she softened up a bit after seeing him around us. He's been giving Neville pointers on his dueling and wandwork, and while Neville still isn't going to be winning any championships, he's still slowly improving.

Our trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies is tense, with an air of fear and caution about the place. Augusta Longbottom as well as Neville's Uncle Algie accompany us to watch over us and keep us safe. Luna and her father have also joined us for the trip. Augusta muttered something about "safety in numbers", but Xenophilius Lovegood seems to be just as eccentric as his daughter.

"I wonder who's going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year," Neville says.

I don't know, either. Dumbledore didn't send me any letters asking for my opinion this time. Probably because my judgment call last time proved to be really, really bad. Things wouldn't have gone so wrong if I hadn't antagonized Lockhart from the start, and I made the fatal mistake of underestimating him.

"Did you know Sirius Black is actually Stubby Boardman in disguise?" Luna asks us.

"Should I know who that is?" I ask.

"He was the lead single for a band called the Hobgoblins," Luna says. "But he retired after having a turnip thrown at him during a concert."

"I see," I say. I have no idea what else to say about that.

"I'm surprised your father let you come here with us, Draco," Hermione says.

Draco shrugs. "I guess he figures I'll be safe enough. It's not like I've been hanging around him all summer, anyway. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Don't say things like that," I say, groaning.

"Say, look at that broom!" Draco says, drawn to the Quidditch shop as though it had a Summoning Charm on it. "The Firebolt... Wow, I wish I had one of those."

"Didn't your father buy you a brand new broom last year?" I say.

"Well... yeah..." Draco says. "But that was last year!"

"Come on," Hermione says. "We've got books to buy."

"Alright, alright," Draco says. "If Ravenclaw's secret heir wants to buy books, then buy books we shall."

"I've got to get books for Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes," I say. "What electives did the rest of you decide upon?"

"I really wanted to take them all, you know," Hermione says. "But I thought it would be best to stick to a schedule that didn't require time travel or something just to get to all my classes. So I'm taking the same ones."

I snicker softly. "Good idea. I know I'll have my plate full with the three I have."

"I went with Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Neville says.

"Divination's nothing but hogwash," Draco says. "I've got Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes as well. If I were you, I'd drop Divination and swap it out for something better."

"I don't know how good I'd be with Ancient Runes," Neville says.

"Never know unless you try it," Draco says. "Runes are really useful things to know. I'd bet you'd be good at it, actually."

"You really think so?" Neville says.

"I'll stake a galleon on it," Draco says.

"Is anyone seriously going to take that bet?" Theodore says.

"I don't gamble," I say, chuckling. "But I agree with Draco, regardless."

"Well, alright," Neville says. "If you really think so, I'll switch my schedule."

"I'm very interested in taking Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures," Luna says. "But sadly, I won't be able to start until next year."

We head into Flourish and Blotts to collect the books we'll need. I don't see any of the books we'll need for Care of Magical Creatures on the shelves, so I approach the manager. "Excuse me, sir," I say. "We need five copies of The Monster Book of Monsters."

The man visibly pales a bit, and goes to pull on some very thick gloves. "Just a moment," he says. He approaches a cage full of snarling books that seem to actively be trying to bite their way out. "I'm never stocking these things again! It's worse than when we got all those copies of The Invisible Book of Invisibility that we could never find afterward!"

He wrestles one of the books out, and starts to hand it over to me, but Luna snatches it away before I can take it and starts stroking it like a kitten.

"Be careful with that!" the man says. "Wait, it calmed down?"

"The poor things are just agitated," Luna says, handing the now-purring book to me. "I think they like being stroked down the spine."

The man reaches in and pulls out another, and tries that. The book promptly calms down. "Huh, well I'll be." He offers the book to her. "You're a life saver, girl. This one's free for you."

"Oh, I'm only a second year," Luna says. "I don't get to take Care of Magical Creatures until next year."

"Well, take it anyway," the manager says. "I've got too many of these things as it is."

"Thank you, sir," Luna says, taking the book and cradling it in her arms, absently petting it a bit.

Once we've got our books, we head back out to the alley again. Hermione says, "My parents gave me some money to buy an early birthday present for myself. I was thinking I might get a pet. Harry's got his owl Solomon, and Neville has his toad Trevor, but I don't have one yet. What do you think of a cat?"

"Maybe get one that's part Kneazle," Draco suggests. "Those are really smart."

We head off to a nearby shop selling magical creatures, with a sign outside that says "Magical Menagerie". There's quite a variety of beasts being offered within. Luna quietly goes off to stare thoughtfully at some of them.

"Maybe I can pick up something for Trevor while we're in here," Neville says.

We're not alone in the shop, however. Ron Weasley, of all people, is here, apparently picking up some tonic for his rat Scabbers, who is on the table looking in at a cage full of black rats.

"An ordinary non-magical rat can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," the woman at the counter is telling him.

"I don't really know how old he is," Ron says. "He used to belong to my brother."

Suddenly, like an orange flash, something large and furry zips toward the rat, spitting and hissing all the way.

"No, Crookshanks!" cries the woman, trying to grab the feline.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouts, racing after the panicking rat.

"What was that?" Neville says, staring wide-eyed at where they were.

"I think it must have been a bobcat," I say absently.

Draco is laughing aloud. "I like that cat," Draco says. "If you don't want that one, Hermione, I'll buy it for myself!"

"He's gorgeous!" Hermione says. "I'll take him."

The woman, having finally caught the cat again, looks surprised. "Really? Poor Crookshanks has been here a long time. I was starting to think no one was ever going to buy him, and now two people in one day are clamoring for him?"

Hermione counts out some coins, and take the enormous ginger cat off of her hands. Beaming, Hermione heads out of the shop.

Before we leave, Luna asks the woman at the counter, "How much for the wolpertinger?"

"The what?" the woman replies, raising an eyebrow.

Luna points at an apparently empty cage. "The wolpertinger sitting in this cage."

"I don't see anything there," the woman replies.

"Well, of course not," Luna says. "Most people can't see them unless they're intoxicated."

"Are you saying you're drunk, Luna?" I say.

"Only in the permanent sort of way," Luna replies.

The woman snorts softly. "Maybe the old man picked it up while drinking too much at the Leaky Cauldron."

After the woman figures out a price, Luna passes over some coins and takes the apparently empty cage. "Thank you," Luna says. "He's adorable."

"A pity I'm too sober to see him, then," I say, chuckling.

"And you are not getting drunk at your age, young man," Augusta says, poking her head into the conversation. "Come on, let's get going."

"Yes, Gran," I murmur, following after her.

The first of September arrives, and we pile onto the Hogwarts Express for another year of school. I'm excited about starting third year. A lot of this stuff will actually be new to me. While I've read ahead, I have no doubt that there will be plenty of things to learn. And I don't even have to worry about hiding my skill or lack thereof anymore, either.

Theodore, Luna, and Neville take one compartment, and Draco, Hermione, and I take the one right across the corridor from them. The one we get stuck with isn't unoccupied, however, but there aren't any others. There's a man asleep in this one, and after a moment, I recognize him as Remus Lupin!

"Who is that?" Draco wonders quietly. "Looks like he could use some new robes."

"R. J. Lupin, apparently," Hermione says, pointing to his briefcase.

"Remus Lupin," I murmur brightly. "He was a friend of my parents. Dumbledore told me about him."

"He must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Hermione says.

"Wonder if he's any good," Draco says.

"He's brilliant, I hear," I say, winking at them knowingly.

It's a beautiful day, so I open up the window and lean out a little to smell the sunshine and fresh air, and watch the countryside fly by when we get moving.

"And we'll get to visit Hogsmeade this year, too," Hermione is saying. "I'm so excited!"

"Eh, it's just Hogsmeade," Draco says. "But I suppose it'll be nice to get out of the castle occasionally."

"Did you get anyone to sign your permission form, Stormseeker?" Hermione asks.

"Dumbledore sent me one already signed," I say. "He's technically my guardian, after all." I snort softly. "Of course, he sent it along with a letter commenting that I'd probably sneak out anyway if he didn't."

"He knows you too well," Draco says, snickering.

Before arriving at Hogwarts, however, the train comes to an unexpected stop, and total darkness encompasses the compartment. I pull out my wand, thankful that I always keep it in easy reach, and murmur, "Lumos. What's going on?" The light from my wand seems like a faint little candle in the midst of the Void.

"Stay here," Remus says, suddenly awake and heading for the door.

But there's something in the doorway. A creature in a black cloak. I almost think it's a man for a moment, but then I realize that it's very definitely not human.

There's a terrible feeling, an oppressive cold, surrounding me, choking me in darkness. A despair so deep that I feel like happiness could never penetrate it. Everything suddenly seems hopeless, everything I've done seems pointless. I hear a distant screaming, and with a horrific sense of dread, I know in my heart that I will never be able to save them.

Reflexively, I find myself scrambling to try to get away, as though my body is doing it on its own. My mind certainly isn't in any state to want to bother. What does it matter if I die, anyway? Maybe the world would be better off without me. I'm just the immortal brat that screws everything up.

There's an opening in front of me. The window. An escape route. Acting on purely animal instincts, I grab at the edges of the window and plunge myself through. Anything to get away.

I go tumbling out of the train and land head-first on the hard ground, and I know no more.

I wake, shuddering uncontrollably. I'm in my bed at the Longbottom estate. Damn, I must have died. What in the Abyss was that thing? Was the train attacked? Somehow, I feel like I got off good just falling out a window and breaking my neck.

The worst of it is that, even after dying, I still feel like I've been drained of all hope and joy, tapped out like a barrel spilling out all over the floor. I don't even want to get up. I just want to curl up in bed and wait for the world to go away. What does it really matter if I go to school or not?

"Stormseeker!" Neville's voice is calling. "Stormseeker! Come on, we're going to miss the train!"

I grumble something and pull my pillow over my head. After a minute, Draco comes in and is literally dragging me out of bed. "I don't know what you're moping about today, you big lump of angst, but we've got to go! You already missed breakfast as it is."

"I don't want to," I mutter.

"What's wrong with you this morning?" Draco wonders. "Did something happen? Did you die again?"

I nod reflexively. "Train... was attacked... black thing in cloak... cold, so cold..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Draco says. "Let's get you dressed and get to the train, at least. Unless you're trying to warn me that we're all going to die or something?"

"Don't know," I say, shaking my head. "I broke my neck falling out the window trying to get away."

"Figures," Draco says, helping me get dressed.

I reluctantly let myself get dragged along to Kings Cross Station, and we wind up taking a seat with Remus Lupin again. I mutter something about him absently, and then curl up in the corner of the compartment.

"Stormseeker, you didn't eat any breakfast," Hermione says. "You should at least have something off the trolley."

"Here," Draco says. "Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Frogs, your favorites. Eat up, or I'll force feed you."

"Alright, alright," I mumble, and nibble on a Chocolate Frog. The oppressive despair has been slowly, slowly fading ever since I woke up, but the sweets help to put it behind me, like a warmth spreading through my body and dispelling the soul-chilling cold. And yet, I know that it's still ahead of me, too.

"Feeling better, Stormseeker?" Draco asks.

I nod. "For the moment, at least," I say. I glance to the window. At least it's closed now, and I won't wind up falling out of it to my doom. But will I survive the attack on the train? "Colloportus," I murmur, pointing my wand at the door to lock it.

"You think that'll help?" Draco says.

"Don't know," I say, glancing uneasily at Remus. If there's anyone I want to let in on my secret, the time travel bit at least, it's probably him. But I'm not sure about it as yet, so I still want to be careful what I say around him.

Sure enough, later into the journey, the train stops and is thrust into pitch blackness again. I shudder as I feel it start to press down upon me. I know I should probably fight, but how can I fight these things?

"You should stay here," Remus says, standing up. "I'll go--"

My Locking Charm breaks, and this time, there are not one, but three shadowy cloaked figures standing in the doorway. All thought of trying to fight flees from my mind. What's the point? I'm about to die. I can't fight these things. I let myself slip down into the darkness.

Then, a faint flicker of light, and my eyes open again. "You still have some of those Chocolate Frogs? Here, eat one. The rest of you, too."

I don't care to argue, and just nibble on the chocolate numbly. I start to feel better immediately, and look up to see Remus distributing more chocolate to my friends in the compartment across the corridor.

"What were those awful things?" I ask.

"Those were Dementors, Harry," Remus says. "Or should I say 'Stormseeker'?"

"I'd like that," I say quietly, with a faint grin.

"Damn, Stormseeker, you actually fainted," Draco says. "I didn't realize..." He glances aside at Remus and trails off, leaving the rest unsaid, but I know what he means.

"Finish up your chocolate, kids," Remus says. "I need to check to make sure the other students are alright." He heads off down the train.

"They were looking for Sirius Black," Hermione says, shuddering. "It's one thing to read about something in a book, but actually being in front of it is something else entirely."

"That's what I keep telling you, Hermione," Draco says.

When we arrive at Hogwarts, it does not make me happy at all to discover that they've surrounded the school with Dementors. Is this really supposed to protect us? All thoughts of actually enjoying the upcoming school year fly out of my head.