Fickle Fate:Chapter 1

Hello! This is the HP story I was doing on the side while publishing Propriety. A while ago I got a kick out of reading BadLightSide and GoodDarkSide, and thought it'd be fun to try it for myself. I tried to avoid a bunch of the typical plot lines I saw in the stories I read. I had a hard time picking Light characters to be bad (XD) but hopefully I still get my point across.

This story is set right after 5th year and keep in mind I haven't read the book in YEARS and therefore have likely messed up the timeline significantly. Please suspend disbelief with me for a while.

I am back at school and classes are already kicking my butt, so please be patient. I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.

Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.

Please enjoy!

Betrayed

The atmosphere at the Burrow was so thick you could almost see it. The battle at the Ministry happened two days ago, and as Harry was reminded nearly every minute, they were lucky all of them had made it out alive. The Order had saved them and his godfather reprimanded him for being so stupid when they met up at the end. Harry had been shocked when after only a few brief moments with Sirius, Dumbledore sent him home with Ron for the summer. Though he couldn't stay with Sirius, he was beyond happy he didn't have to go to the Dursleys'. Hermione was staying for a while too, since her parents were out of town.

That being said, while Harry was happy to be at the Burrow, a number of the other occupants were not happy that he was there, Molly in particular. Harry was used to being smothered in hugs and having food practically shoved down his throat, but when Professor McGonagall dropped the trio off, Molly barely even looked at him. At meals he served himself, which he didn't mind, but Molly served everyone else first, ensuring there wasn't much left for him at the end.

To be honest, it hurt, but he could understand. He had led two of Molly's children into danger and they had gotten hurt.

Ron and Hermione noticed the odd behavior too, and though they didn't comment, they stuck by Harry's side. It helped his loneliness some but didn't do much to get rid of the guilt. Even Ginny was giving him the cold shoulder. It made everything hit home that much harder.

Currently, Hermione, Ron and Harry were seated together in the den and Mrs. Weasley was preparing lunch in the kitchen. The Trio didn't talk. They just huddled close, each mind wrapped up in its own thoughts. Mr. Weasley was off at work and Ginny was busy trying to curse the visiting twins for turning her hair green.

The Trio's relative quiet was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mrs. Weasley stopped her cooking to answer it before Ron could get there. The three students were surprised when she opened it up to Dumbledore, Kingsley and Mad Eye Moody on the other side. The Headmaster smiled at Mrs. Weasley.

"Ah, Molly. Everything is going well, I hope?" Molly graced the Headmaster with a tight smile.

"As well as can be expected, Albus. Please, come in." The three entered and Ginny and the twins popped in after them. Albus looked around and smiled at the Golden Trio.

"And how are you three doing? Recovering swiftly?" They all nodded hesitantly. Something felt…off, especially with how Mad Eye and Shacklebolt were glaring at Harry.

"Yes, Sir. We're…doing well." Albus nodded.

"Good, that's good." After a moment of awkward silence, he lifted his hands and brought them together in front of him in a small clap. "Well, I did come to share some good news. I have found a way to help the Order of the Phoenix's financial troubles." Harry's brows pulled together.

"Sir?" Albus gave him that same soft, 'all-knowing' smile, though the twinkle in his eye didn't seem as comforting as it usually did.

"Harry, my boy, I need you to accompany me." Harry tensed, and his hand slipped to his pocket for his wand. Hermione and Ron noticed and did the same.

"Where?" Dumbledore sighed, as if he was greatly disappointed.

"Now, Harry…" The next moment, Mad Eye and Shacklebolt whipped out their wands and disarmed all three of them. The Gryffindors were stunned. The two Aurors handed Molly Hermione and Ron's wands.

"Professor! What are you doing!?" Dumbledore glanced at Ms. Granger and shook his head.

"I already told you that I found a way to lessen our financial troubles. I'm sure you are aware of the danger Harry led you both into a few days ago. Unfortunately, the risk he will do so again is just too great." He turned his attention back to Harry. "Lucius Malfoy has offered a great deal of money if we simply deliver him to Malfoy Manor." Harry's heart skipped a bit and he couldn't breathe for a full five seconds.

"Are you bloody mental," Ron screamed.

"Ronald Weasley, that is no way to speak to the Headmaster!" Ron stared at his mother with incredulity.

"Mum, he just said he's selling Harry to Lucius Malfoy! That's insane! He'll kill Harry in seconds!" Molly's lips pinched together.

"I know what he said Ronald. But he also said he'd just be delivering Harry to the Manor. Albus never said Lucius would kill him." Before Ron could scream at his mom again, Mad Eye cursed ("For Merlin's sake!") and reached forward for Harry. The young wizard tried to pull back but the Auror caught his arm easily and held tight.

Harry was dragged roughly to the man's side. As soon as he got his bearings back, he fought.

"No! Let me go!" Mad Eye locked his other arm in his grip and still Harry fought. Hermione and Ron rushed forward to help, but each were caught by one of the twins.

"You traitors! Let us go! Harry!" Ron couldn't escape from George's grip and neither could Hermione from Fred's. Ginny just stood there watching, glaring with her arms crossed over her chest.

"No! Let go! 'Mione! Ron!" Bruises were already forming on Harry's arms but he didn't care. He finally slipped one arm free and reached for his friends. Mad Eye's now free arm wrapped around Harry's waist instead and dragged him back. The Headmaster and two Aurors started moving towards the door.

"Harry! Harry! You can't do this! It isn't right!" Hermione had tears streaming down her cheeks as she struggled against the wizard that held her firm. Harry whipped his head around to meet Mrs. Weasley's hard gaze.

"Please, Mrs. Weasley! Don't let them do this!" Molly didn't say anything, and only continued to glare at Harry as he was dragged from the Burrow to the sounds of his friends screaming for him.

Harry fought even harder when they started to make their way down the lane to the edge of the property. Moody kept growling at him to shut it, but he refused. Harry wasn't aware of tears running down his face, from anger, fear and betrayal, but it didn't stop him. He fought like a wild animal.

The next moment, the back of a hand connected with his face.

Harry's head whipped to the side with the force of the blow and he fell limp for a moment in Moody's grasp. He tasted blood in his mouth from where his teeth cut the inside of his cheek. When he looked up, it was to see Kingsley scowling at him.

"If you don't shut up, Mr. Potter, we'll make you." Moody leaned forward then, and growled in Harry's ear.

"And trust me, boy, it will make what your Uncle did to you look like a cakewalk. Now, move." Harry was shoved into motion. His whole body was tensed and he was terrified of what they would do to him. They weren't kidding. Harry didn't make a sound as they moved on and when he looked over at Dumbledore out of some desperate hope that it was all a sick joke, the Headmaster didn't even look at him. This was very real and the man he had trusted for so long wasn't going to save him.

When they reached the end of the road, Moody's grip tightened once more and they Disapparated. They landed in a back alley of Muggle London. The three wizards cast a few Notice-Me-Not charms and Harry was dragged along. They reached a nondescript black automobile. Kingsley slid into the driver's seat and Albus sat in shotgun. Harry was shoved into the back, quickly followed by Mad Eye.

The Auror pressed his wand into Harry's throat.

"Scream or whine or even open your mouth and you get thrown in the trunk. Understood?" Harry's clenched his jaw tight and nodded once, his wide eyes never leaving the man's wand.

The car started and they slid into traffic effortlessly, speaking to Kingsley's surprising experience with Muggle transportation. Harry didn't bother looking out the window as they moved through the city and eventually out and into the country. The ride was deathly silent, though when they had gone a solid half an hour in quiet, Albus turned in his seat to speak to Harry.

"This was not a decision lightly made, my boy. However, your actions at the end of the year solidified it for me. You have become too reckless, Harry. You put your friends in danger without a moment's hesitation. They could have been killed, and it would have been solely your fault." Harry's chest ached as Dumbledore's words hit home. The Headmaster's face portrayed 'disappointed grandfather', but there was nothing grandfatherly about what he was doing.

"Sir, I'm sorry. Please, I'll do better." Moody's wand pressed harder in warning and Albus shook his head sadly.

"It's too late for that, my boy." Harry desperately wanted to scream and plead his case, but the threat of being thrown into the trunk was enough to keep him quiet.

Finally, they passed through some sort of shield and a sprawling estate came into view. Harry knew right away where they were. They slowed as they pulled up to the gates and Harry caught sight of white peacocks strutting around without a care in the world. Meanwhile, he was trembling as he was about to be served up to the Dark Lord on a silver platter.

The iron gates swung open when they got closer and the car slowly pulled forward. Kingsley stopped the car right at the front steps and shut off the engine. Harry was then pulled from the automobile by Mad Eye and was dragged up the front steps, a little ways behind Albus and Shacklebolt.

The Headmaster knocked on the door and a house elf wearing a surprisingly clean and embroidered pillow case answered. She must have recognized Albus, because she bowed and allowed them to enter.

"Master Lucius be in the front sitting room. Master Lucius has been awaiting your arrivals with anticipation." Harry shivered and desperately wished for his wand. At this point, he felt he could only hope for a swift death, though with his luck, it would be dragged out until he was begging to die.

They found Lucius right where the house elf said he would be, and the man stood when they entered. Harry wanted to punch the smug smile off of his face, but knew it was only wishful thinking. He was confused when the man's smile turned down.

"I thought I told you I wanted the boy in one piece." Albus gave the man a placating smile.

"Yes, well, when we came to collect him, he was in the midst of a disagreement with young Mr. Weasley. Things got a bit heated, I'm afraid to say. Teenagers and their hormones. I'm sure you understand." Lucius was not fooled by the man's excuses as his eyes lighted upon the rough cut in the midst of Harry's bruise and a thick ring sitting on Shacklebolt's finger. However, he did not bother to contradict the man.

"Quite. Well, it seems you've held up your end of the bargain." Lucius reached into his pocket and retrieved a healthy sized bag that jingled when it moved. "I suppose I must hold up mine." Albus took hold of the money and Mad Eye suddenly shoved Harry towards Lucius. The boy lost his balance and ended up on his knees in front of the blond. He glared with a fury as Albus handed his wand over to the man.

Then, without another word, the Aurors left and Albus turned to follow them. He paused however, and gave Harry another one of those disappointed looks.

"You must understand, my boy, actions have consequences. Some, like yourself, simply learn that a little too late." With that, he swept from the room, leaving Harry with the man who would undoubtedly lead him like lamb to slaughter.

He heard Lucius step closer and he scuttled back. Lucius knelt in front of him and smiled.

"Well, Mr. Potter. It's just you and me now."

A/N: Well? I'm gonna keep publishing whether you like it or not just because this story is so fun for me to write. ;) Clearly some of the characters will be OOC. That's just the nature of this story.