Fate's Request: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Hogwarts was buzzing the next morning as David made his way into the Great Hall alongside Astoria, as they were both been checked over by Poppy.

Saying their goodbyes, David made his way to the Ravenclaw table and saw that much like the majority of the school, they were all hovered over copies of the Daily Prophet.

The names of the two Death Eaters that had been suppressed for so long had been released.

"Wow, Nott's father was one of the Death Eaters found… look everyone keeps staring at him over at the Slytherin table," a seventh-year Ravenclaw said out loud, causing even David to look over at Theodore Nott.

Theodore had a grim look on his face as he faced the mumblings and murmurs of the entire school but seemed to be holding up quite well as he slowly ate his breakfast.

Draco could be seen whispering to Theodore, but this only caused him to grow angrier. Whatever Draco was saying hadn't help as Draco had received an elbow in the ribs for his words.

With a shake of his head, David borrowed Padma's copy of the Prophet and read over the article.

Ministry employee, Walden Macnair and Theodore Nott's father were listed as the only rouge Death Eaters captured and the Ministry was pinning the blame on Sirius Black as the ring-leader.

Questions of the Ministries incompetence were raised due to the fact they had a supposed 'imperioused' Death Eater amongst their midst, something Amelia Bones had confirmed in an interview that this time around, wasn't the case.

Thanking Padma, David gathered a bowl of porridge and fruit for his breakfast and quietly ate, contently enjoying his breakfast as the rest of his House was still in a quiet uproar over the Death Eaters.

---

Soon enough the lesson where Professor 'Moody' would demonstrate the Unforgivables was upon them.

It had already gotten around the school that Moody was an excellent Professor, who brought a real sense of what was out there to his students, even if he was a little barmy.

The lesson began much like how David expected it, with the Professor asking the class if anyone knew what the Unforgivable Curses were.

The Ravenclaws answered immediately, with almost all hands going up in the air almost immediately.

He showed the entire class what each looked like and their effects and such. Everyone was fascinated and a little fearful.

David however, was not.

He'd already read all about the three in detail and knew just how to combat them and even cast them, not that he ever had a d.e.s.i.r.e too.

David was more interested in overcoming the Imperious that the Professor would eventually cast on the lot of them. But that lesson would probably take place next lesson.

As such, David was forced to write down details of the curses off the blackboard with a disinterested expression on his face.

Unknown to him, the headmaster was a little worried of how David would take to the knowledge of the Unforgivables, he did not expect, however, that he was uninterested in learning and watching such magic be performed.

This worried the old headmaster a little, for every student, even the Slytherins were a little shaken up at viewing the curses in action. But not David Cross.

---

After hearing Hermione rant about Professor Moody and how he performed the Imperious on the entire Slytherin and Gryffindor class, the time for his own house, accompanied by the Hufflepuffs, to experience the curse was upon them.

"Right, today, I'm going to be casting the Imperious on the lot of ya," Professor Moody said to the class.

"But, but that's illegal!" shouted a Hufflepuff in shock.

"Aye, but the headmaster wants you all to know what it's like. Or would you rather learn the hard way? Eh? A Dark Wizard casting it on you, making you murder your entire family without any say? Is that what you want, laddie?" he asked in a gruff voice, magical eye spinning rapidly.

Following a silence from the protesting student, the Professor said out loud, "Right, Abbot! You're up first missy!"

As the terrified Hannah Abbot got up and made her way to the front, the Professor cast the Imperious and made her pirouette in front of the entire class, causing the class to chuckle awkwardly.

After Hannah, it was her close friend, Susan Bones who was up next. She seemed to put up a bit more of a fight but was soon doing star jumps on top of a desk.

Right after Susan, David was called to the front, "Right, Cross, you're up next!"

David made his way to the front of the class calmly, something that brought a twitch to the eye of the false Professor Moddy and a grimmer face to the hidden Albus Dumbledore.

"Imperio!" he shouted with a jab of his wand, a little annoyed at the boy for being so calm about this.

David felt the command wash over him as the spell hit him. He felt a voice in his head telling him to take off his clothes and David's immediate thoughts were that this was a little too far.

~Removing my clothes? Really?~

But unfortunately for the Professor, David resisted the curse expertly, with a mix of his will and mastery of Occlumency, much to the confusion of the class and two Professors.

Shocked that the child hadn't even made a motion to follow his commands, Moody said out loud, "Well… would you look at that, Cross here resisted the curse, completely! Twenty points to Ravenclaw!"

As David made his way back to his seat, a little proud of himself for resisting the Imperius, the Professor called the next student to the front and continued to embarrass them one after another.

---

Later that night, Albus Dumbledore and the fake Alastor Moody were sitting in his office, with the Headmaster drinking a glass of mead and Barty sipping from his Polyjuice.

"Alastor, what can you tell me about David Cross?" Dumbledore asked, having witnessed the student cast aside the curse far more easily than any other.

He grunted in response, still annoyed a fourth-year cast aside his curse so easily.

"He's strong, didn't even budge… Potter fell to the floor whilst resisting, but Cross… didn't affect him one bit," was in answer.

"I see… You didn't hold back, did you?" Dumbledore asked with a disarming, hopeful twinkle in his eye.

"No. I didn't Albus," he responded, anger growing and struggling to hide it.

Albus Dumbledore hummed to himself at the answer and bid Moody a good day as he thought over what to do with David Cross.

Eventually, he came to the conclusion that a meeting between him and David had to occur, and soon. And maybe a little use of Legilimency on him to discover his motives, hopefully putting the matter of David Cross to rest.

---

Unknown to David that he'd brought the eerie of the headmaster upon him, David spent his time in the Room of Requirement, working up a sweat daily.

He'd been impressed with Madam Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt at the World Cup and had picked up a trick or two from them. Of course, he wouldn't reach his potential until he was seventeen, but he'd be forced to battle death eaters before his final maturation occurred, therefore he needed to be as quick and nimble as possible, for time was running out.

One method of practice David employed was conjuring birds to dart at him at speeds reminiscent of the fastest curses.

David worked hard, daily, battering them all away with spells and shields of his own and slowly felt himself growing something akin to a sixth sense.

Whenever an attack came at him from a blind spot, a feeling of danger in that particular direction overcame David, giving him a chance to retaliate.

It wasn't easy, the range of this new 'sense' seemed to be contained to the immediate vicinity of David and many times he was forced to simply allow the attack to hit him, albeit in a much less dangerous area of his body.

It was with this rigorous training session that David was hit with a surprise. The headmaster wished to see him in his office.

---

"Right this way David," Professor Flitwick said, directing David towards the headmaster's office.

Arriving at the Gargoyle which guarded the entrance to the headmaster's office, Professor Flitwick stepped forward and spoke clearly, "Sherbet Lemon!"

David knocked on the door to the headmaster's office, after seeing Professor Flitwick encourage him to do so.

He heard a muffled 'come in' through the door and promptly made his way into the headmaster's office.

"Ah, David, you've made it. Please take a seat," the headmaster said, peering at David through his half-moon spectacles.

"Hello Professor," David said as he took a seat as instructed.

"That will be all Filius, thank you," the headmaster smiled, dismissing the Charms Professor.

Albus Dumbledore also took a seat across from David and peered at him closely for a minute, making David uncomfortable.

"How can I help you, Professor?" David asked, a little annoyed now.

"I've heard glowing reports from all your Professors, David. You truly are an excellent student," Dumbledore said, ignoring David's question for now.

"Uhh, thank you, Professor," David answered, not knowing what else to say.

"However, you don't seem to be very interested in your classes, David. What do you say to this?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling a little.

"Well, I read ahead a lot as I find the curriculum a little slow for my pace, Professor. Though the lessons with my fellow students tend to be a good revision," David answered, just as he felt an attack against his occlumency shields.

The attack was not too powerful, as the headmaster had not expected David to have reached this level of proficiency in magic yet. As such, he swatted aside the mental attack with ease and tensed up and glared at the Professor angrily.

Silence engulfed them as the headmaster had a shocked expression on his face and David continued to glare, reinforcing his shields as he preparing for another attack.

~Why did he attack me… What's made him so suspicious? Is it… ugh, he probably thinks I'm another Tom Riddle, f.u.c.k me~

"Extraordinary," Dumbledore breathed, still shocked David had mastered Occlumency to such an extent. Of course, he'd palmed his wand under the table, just in case.

David had done the same.

"Why?" David asked, breaking the long silence.

Sighing, the headmaster desponded, "You have such potential… I've only ever seen this potential in three other individuals in my life."

The headmaster decided to take the honest route, for he would have to really attack David with intent to injure to get through those shields of his, which he assumed could take more of a battering than he'd initially given.

"If I could be so bold as to say, one such individual, being myself… so many years ago when I think back on it," the headmaster explained, reminiscing of old times, before shaking his head slightly and continuing.

"And another, Tom Riddle."

"Ah… Voldemort," David responded, knowing he was right about the headmaster fearing he was his second coming.

"Miss Granger has been filling you in, I see," he smiled sadly.

"Well, I was down in the Chamber with them, she explained to me what Harry learned afterwards. I think that was only fair," David said, daring the headmaster to challenge Hermione's position.

The headmaster only smiled in response and continued, "Yes… I'm sure you've put two and two together and realise that Voldemort was once a student of mine."

Seeing David nodding, Dumbledore cautiously continued, explaining to David how he'd been suspicious of the boy ever since he'd come to Hogwarts, but never acted. Something he regrated immensely.

As the headmaster finished his tale, he ended with, "And, as such, I couldn't fail again and had to make sure that you, David, weren't another Dark Lord in the making. Of course, your mastery of Occlumency has ruined that plan," he finished, chuckling.

"Well… I can't exactly blame you for making that connection, headmaster. But the question is, where do we go from here? I certainly won't be dropping my shields and allowing you to enter my mind," David asked, daring the headmaster to try another Legilimency attack.

"Yes… it would seem we're at a bit of an impasse… but I do have some questions for you David," the headmaster said, smiling.

"Ask away…" David answered.

"Where do you live now? I've noticed, recently that you do not, in fact, live in the Orphanage anymore," the headmaster asked, starting with an easier question.

David thought to himself quickly… worst-case scenario, he would have to leave Hogwarts. Or he could lie, but the headmaster seemed to have changed his tact and was being honest with David. At least that he could be sure of.

Prior knowledge, while taking its toll on David, for he wanted to maintain the timeline for as long as possible, really was a blessing in dealing with the headmaster.

"I'm the heir of House Cross, the goblins restored the Manor for me, and I promptly moved in," David answered, not giving any information about his House Elf, Mel. The headmaster could presume about how he got back and forth all he wanted on his own.

"Ah… I've read briefly about Aquila Cross… quite the prodigious Witch, if history is correct… not much information exists about her and your family, David," the headmaster said, nodding to David's declaration of being the heir of a lost house. He was a little surprised the knowledge hadn't been spread just yet, but he assumed David had worked to make that happen.

'Clever boy' he thought to himself.

"Yes… there really isn't all that much regarding my family. I don't really feel like a Cross, truthfully. Being raised in an orphanage does that I guess. But I'll take the resources they've left behind any day" David replied with a shrug.

"Now, David, as you most certainly know, we have an infirmary and while I've been quite lax myself regarding my monitoring of students in recent years, I've noticed you going to see Madam Pomfrey quite a lot, every Monday in fact. While I have been curious about you and the nature of your visits, I do respect…. I believe the muggle term is, 'doctor-patient confidentiality'," the headmaster said, not quite asking the question yet.

"You want to know why I visit her every Monday?" David asked with a raised brow.

"I'd very much like to know David, I apologise. However, the ball is completely in your court," the headmaster said, dropping another muggle saying with a twinkle of his eyes.

"The Cross family died out due to Malediction, I have it," David answered bluntly, not having any reason as to lie about his condition to the headmaster, he'd respected his privacy long enough anyway.

Growing sad at David's answer, the headmaster responded with his condolences, "I apologise… truly, David. Is there anything that can be done?"

The headmaster knew that Maledictions were impossibly difficult to remove and has never been successfully attempted. Ever, as far as he knew.

David gave a coy smile, which the headmaster saw, and answered with, "I have a lead, headmaster."

Albus Dumbledore and David Cross continued to chat for a while, with the headmaster growing a little more comfortable with David as time went on. He still had his doubts regarding David, mainly due to the fact he couldn't see into his mind.

However, he'd heard from the other Professors and David showed no signs of being like Tom, showing much less interest in wooing his Professors and kept more to himself, along with a small group of friends and his girlfriend, Hermione Granger.

He decided that he would let David be, but continued to worry over the connection David had to Harry through Hermione.

---

David welcomed the Beauxbatons students, who sat on the Ravenclaw table, with the rest of his House, enjoying the French food immensely.

He loved the Bouillabaisse. It was a fish stew that originated in the port city of Marseille and decided he'd have to go one of these days, maybe Hermione would join him.

As he made idle chatter with the Beauxbatons students, David thought over his plans for the year.

He'd most likely be roped into helping Harry prepare via Hermione and if he didn't, he would offer. While he didn't want to babysit Harry with such simple spells, it was imperative to his plans that he help Harry get higher scores during the tasks, for his simple plan on saving Cedric hinged on Harry having far more time in the maze than the other students.

Without the death of Cedric, David also had to keep Barty Crouch Jr. with a soul long enough for a confession for Madam Bones.

He doubted Fudge would change his stance, he was a coward after all. But Harry needed some relief during fifth year, Cedric dying would be a rallying point that Harry would lose, as such, he needed some members of the Wizarding world to prepare for the coming of Voldemort and Madam Bones would hopefully help with that.

---

AN: He has a backup plan regarding Cedric if Harry is too slow in the maze.