The One Who You Fear

Chapter 5: The Eyes of Two Snakes

"Great reflexes," Angelina Johnson said.

"Yeah, and he's amazingly handsome," Alicia Spinnet swooned.

"And he's got the hero music and everything," Katie Bell said.

"Wonder what that thing is in his hand?" Alicia said. "His wand?"

"I don't know," Katie said. "Maybe it's a special silver bat for Beating."

"It kinda looks like a sword," Angelina said. "Of course it can't be that." She turned to Ron. "Hey Ron! You know that bloke? Get him down here!"

Ron called up to the stands, "Hey Jack! Come down here!" Jack nodded, picked up his book, and walked down the stands. "Man, what you did back there with the Bludger was so wicked!"

"It was?" Jack asked. He looked offended. "I . . . did not intend to be evil."

Ron laughed. "No, no, I meant it in a good way."

"When is evil ever good?"

Ron looked as though he had no way to answer. So Angelina spoke for him. "Jack Samson, right? I'm Angelina Johnson, Gryffindor Quidditch team Captain." She shook his hand. "So, have you ever played Quidditch?"

"No. What is Quidditch?"

"It's a fun game. We think after we saw what you did that you would make a great Beater." Angelina held out a bat. "All you gotta do is hit those same flying balls away from the rest of us. Would you like to give it a shot?"

Jack pondered for a moment and then replied, "No. I do not compete this way."

"Oh, come on!" several team members said at once.

"Don't look at it as competition," Ron said. "Look at it as a way to protect us."

Jack shook his head. "I am sorry, but I have more important things to do."

Angelina put her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, but you're going to be our new Beater whether you like it or not. We're not going to find anybody else as good as you. You're letting down a lot of people, you know, like the whole student body, and the staff--"

"Is Undertaker coming?"

"Oh yeah," Ron answered. "He never misses a Quidditch Game."

Jack thought it over and decided it would be worth it to see this mysterious faculty member. "Very well." He took the bat from Angelina. "Let's play." He gripped the handle and looked about him defensively.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ron said. "One detail we forgot to mention. We fly."

Jack did not like the sound of that. "I am grounded. I am not able to fly."

"Well here's a spare broom," Angelina said. "It's not the greatest racing broom in the world, but it'll do."

Puzzled, Jack investigated the broom. How could this fly? He tried sweeping with it. That only led to the whole team laughing at him.

"It's ok," Ron said. "He was just confunded pretty good some years ago. He just doesn't remember. See Jack, you straddle it, like this."

Jack said down. Oddly enough, it was rather comfortable, like sitting in a chair, but there was no cushion to been seen.

"Good. Now, you kinda kick off like this."

Jack kicked rather hard, and his broom took off like a rocket. It zoomed. It zigged. It zagged. Jack couldn't control it. He became so dizzy. He wasn't sure if he lost his grip or it tossed him off, but after so long of this horror, Jack found himself in a lake.

The water was deep, but Jack was managing to float. Suddenly, a tentacle surrounded him before Jack could get his sword. It had too tight a grip around him for Jack to muscle out of. Then, to his relief, the tentacle sat him down on the shore. The Gryffindor team was waiting for him.

Angelina shook her head. "Quit playing around." She checked her watch. "We only have twenty minutes left. If you want to be a Beater, you have to learn how to fly within that time." She handed Jack the broom back and stomped off.

"Jack, you can't let it take control like that," Ron said.

"I do not like to fly," Jack answered.

"It's not too hard. Just try to keep your mind clear."

"I can do that." He straddled the broom again, breathed deeply, and kicked off. This time, it wasn't so bad. Jack was able to fly comfortably and direct the broom where he needed it to go.

"He looks like he's ready," Ron said.

"Release the Bludgers!" Angelina ordered.

One huge, black ball headed straight for Jack's face, and he immediately knocked it out of the way.

"That was great, but don't hit it toward the stands," Angelina advised. "There are going to be people in them, and it will get us a penalty."

Jack nodded. Another came toward him. This time he hit it, and it went right through one of the hoops on one side of the pitch.

"Er, Jack, you don't need to score with the Bludger. Leave that to the Chasers. The best place to hit that is toward the other team, because we want to knock them off their brooms."

Jack nodded in acknowledgement, but he decided in his mind that this was the last thing he was going to do. He did not want to hurt anyone. So when the next Bludger came to him, he hit it hard and sent it flying high up in the sky. The rest of the team continued to marvel at his speed, reflexes, and strength.

Finally, they decided Jack was ready enough to practice with the rest of the team. Unfortunately, after five minutes, Madame Hooch blew her whistle. "All right, Gryffindors. Time's up." The Gryffindors groaned and begged for a little longer as they came down, but they couldn't persuade her. "Come now. Make room for the Ravenclaws." She motioned to a group of young wizards and witches wearing blue robes and holding their own broomsticks. They looked very impatient.

"But we only chose one Beater!" Angelina whined.

"Well, hurry up. Pick one."

Angelina sighed. "Andrew Kirke, you're on the team." A young man on the sidelines cheered.

The Gryffindors passed by the Ravenclaw team in a single file line. Jack walked by them with little interest until one of them touched his elbow. "What?" he said, puzzled. He turned to see the girl from the Great Hall.

"Excuse me," the girl said in a soft voice. "Do I know you?"

Now that he got a closer look at her, he saw that she looked much like his friend from his childhood who once chased crickets with him. When they lost the cricket, he made an origami cricket for her, and she repaid him with a kiss. But there was no way this girl was the same. "No."

"Are you sure? You look so familiar to me."

"You remind me of someone I used to know, but . . . no, we have never met."

The girl smiled. "Can we meet now?"

Jack nodded. He saw no harm in that.

The girl extended her hand. "I'm Cho Chang, sixth year Ravenclaw."

Jack shook her hand. "Jack. Gryffindor. I'm new."

"You look a little old to be a first year. Are you--"

"Chang!" someone from her team yelled. "Come on! The clock is ticking!"

Cho started to back away. "So you play Quidditch?"

"Yes, Beater."

"Nice. I'm a Seeker. Well, I guess I'll see you." Jack waved to her, and she ran back to her team.

Jack didn't think much of his new position until Harry found him much later that evening. "So, I heard you got on the Quidditch team."

"Yes."

"Well, congratulations," Harry said unenthusiastically. "Now, what were you doing with Cho?"

"She only asked me a question."

"Sure she did. So, it's not enough to steal my life. You have to steal my favorite sport and my girlfriend too."

"I am stealing nothing from you!" Jack replied annoyed, but not raising his voice.

Harry ignored him. "I got news for you. She kissed me tonight."

"Well, good."

"Quit patronizing me, Samson. 'Night."

Jack shook his head. "Let's change the subject. Tell me about Undertaker."

"GOODNIGHT, SAMSON!"

Jack had a strong feeling that there was something Harry wasn't telling him. Why did Harry have such animosity for him?

He had another dream about being in the mist. Again he could not see anything, but after walking for a while alone he heard a bird singing. A bluebird flew toward Jack on a southeastern wind and lit on his shoulder. Jack tried to stroke its feathers, but it gave a frightened coo and buried its head in his hair. As Jack walked on, he could barely see a woodland creature stalking him and gazing at him with suspicious eyes. Then Jack saw what appeared to be a harmless green snake binding two people with vines. Jack couldn't see who they were, just that they had red hair. He was afraid that they were Fred and George. He reached down to push away the snake and unbind the people. Suddenly, the snake became a cobra. It hissed, leapt up, and bit Jack on the wrist. Jack screamed and woke up.

Another scream came out of the darkness.

"Harry! HARRY!"

Jack was sure he was still dreaming. He looked at his wrist, but it was whole. Ron kept screaming Harry's name. Harry replied by vomiting. This sounded serious. Jack opened the curtains. Neville was getting out of bed panicking, while Ron was actually standing over Harry's bed.

Harry finally spoke through gasps of breath. "Your dad . . . your dad's . . . been attacked."

"What?" Ron asked.

"Your dad! He's been bitten, it's serious, there's blood everywhere . . ."

Bitten? Jack held his breath. Neville ran out of the room to get help.

"Harry, mate, you . . . you were just dreaming . . . " Ron tried assuring Harry.

"No! It wasn't a dream . . . not an ordinary dream . . . I was there, I saw it . . . I did it . . ."

"Harry, you're not well. Neville's gone to get help . . ."

"I'm fine! There's nothing wrong with me, it's your dad you got to worry about--we need to find out where he is--he's bleeding like mad--I was--it was a huge snake . . ."

Jack was seized with disbelief. "It is true!"

"Jack, what do you mean?" Ron said. "You had a nightmare too?"

Jack nodded. "I also dreamt of a snake, and Ron, your brothers are in trouble! Where are they?"

"In another dormitory, I'm not sure which one."

"It's not the same!" Harry yelled. "Mine was real! His was just a dream!" He made eye contact with Jack for one second, and then it happened. Harry screamed in rage. He ripped his sheets, tore down his curtains, and beat his pillows into a mess of feathers. "NOT YET! NOT YET!" he screamed over and over.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron yelled.

Harry immediately snapped out of it. "I don't know. Oh, my head!"

Professor McGonagall came in. "What is it? Where does it hurt?"

Harry looked up at her with hope. "It's Ron's dad. He's been attacked by a snake, and it's serious, I saw it happen."

"What do you mean you saw it happen?"

"I don't know . . . I was asleep and then I was there."

"You mean you dreamed this?"

"No!"

"It is true, Professor," Jack tried to say while Harry was describing his dream. "I saw a snake as well, and he was attacking two people in Ron's family. It might be Fred and George, I do not know!"

"I'm not lying, and I'm not mad!" Harry screamed. "I tell you, I saw it happen!"

"I believe you. Put on your dressing gown--we're going to see the headmaster. Weasley, Samson, you ought to come too."

"Where are Fred and George?" Jack said breathlessly. "Check on them first."

"One crisis at a time, Samson."

"Yes, Professor."

It occurred to Jack that he might have been in too much of a frenzy since his dream and Harry's were so much alike. He breathed slowly in an effort to calm down as they went to Dumbledore's office.

"Oh, it's you, Professor McGonagall . . . and . . . ah," Dumbledore said quietly.

Harry frantically recited what happened in his dream again. Jack added when he was through, "Dumbledore, it is true. I saw a snake in my dreams as well, and Ron's brother, or maybe his parents, it's attacking them and--"

"Jack, calm down!" Dumbledore said sternly.

"Yes sir." He sat in lotus position on the back of the wall, closed his eyes, and breathed. He hardly heard what Harry or the others were saying. He did not break out of his meditation until the other Weasley children showed up.

"Fred. George. How are you?"

They looked very somber. "Not so good," one of them answered.

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore said. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius' house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than the Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

"How're we going?" one twin asked. "Floo powder?"

"No, Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey." Dumbledore pointed to a black kettle on his desk.

A Portkey? What is that? And what is St. Mungo's, and the Order of the Phoenix? The questions and the mysteries of the dream swirled in Jack's head. He shut off again, until Dumbledore indicated them to come near. Jack came closer with everyone else, but Dumbledore stopped him.

"No Jack, not yet, not now. The rest of you have used a Portkey before? Good. One the count of three then." The children reached out to touch the kettle, and when Dumbledore counted to three they vanished.

Jack looked around. He and Dumbledore were alone. "Now, Jack," Dumbledore said softly, "tell me about your dream."

Jack sat down and related to Dumbledore all that he had seen. "I apologize for being so anxious earlier. Now that I remember, it may have been just a dream. It only surprised me that Harry and I both had a dream about a snake."

"I wouldn't discredit the dream so soon, Jack. It may not have much to do with Harry's vision, but it could still be a warning. The Weasleys already lost their two oldest sons to a mysterious attack."

"What does this dream mean?"

"I believe it means the Dark Lord is working through Undertaker to harm those dear to Harry. We should be on our guard."

Jack remembered something else. "Harry did not tell you everything. Something else happened. He threw a fit shortly after he woke, saying 'Not yet!' over and over."

Dumbledore looked decidedly troubled at that, but he only said, "I'll keep an eye out on the Weasleys, and if anything happens I will let you know."

Jack sighed. "Very well, sir. Good night."

************

Days passed. Jack saw several of his friends on to their vacations. Hermione, Cho, Lavender, and Parvati all asked him if he would like to join them, and Jack had to decline. He wanted to wait to see if anything was going to happen to the Weasleys first.

He decided another walk would do him good, and the only place he had not investigated was the forest. He started heading there when a voice called out to him.

"All right there, Jack!"

Jack turned and saw the large form of Hagrid heading toward him. "Hello, Haggis--uh, Hagrid."

Hagrid laughed. "Happy Christmas. Where yeh headin'?"

"I am taking a walk through the forest."

"Not really dressed for a walk, are yeh?"

"I will be fine."

"Jack, it's too dang'rous! I can't allow yeh to go in."

"I am not afraid. I can defend myself."

"Sorry, Jack, but the forest is out o' bounds. Yeh can' go in."

Jack looked at him hard. "You are hiding something."

"Now, wha' makes yeh think that? No, Jack, I mean it. Yeh can' go in. Walk somewhere else. I'm sorry. Off yeh get."

Seeing that there was no way of persuading Hagrid, Jack headed back to the school. He still thought it was fishy.

He had another dream of being out in the mist. The bird remained on his shoulder. The snake was coiled tightly around his arm. Jack still could not clearly see the other creature, but he saw its yellow eyes watching his every move. Then he came to a familiar sight--the Well of King Osric. He remembered that evil well. Jack once sought its power because he heard it could grant any wish, but then he learned from the three archers who used to guard the well that each wish was cursed. Jack swiftly destroyed the demon of the well. How could it be here again? He was about to move away when he heard a stern order.

"Put the animals into the cauldron."

Snape glared at him from the mists. He and Umbridge stood along side the well. Jack looked at its bubbling, black waters and shook his head. "No."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor House and detention if you do not comply, Mr. Samson," Professor Umbridge said coldly waving her black quill before his nose.

"But if I do it, they will fall under the well's curse." The bird cooed softy and buried its head further into his hair. The snake coiled even tighter. Even the mysterious, unseen creature seemed to move closer toward Jack for shelter. "See? They do not want to go."

"Then we will make them!" a cold voice said behind him. Jack turned to see a wizard in a hooded, black robe, and he knew it was Undertaker. The fiend tore the bird off of Jack shoulder and the snake from his arm. He threw them into the well along with the woodland creature. Jack tried to stop him, but for some reason he could not move. "It has begun."

Aku's hand appeared again. It lowered down to the well and opened. Harry fell out of the palm. Screaming, he was dumped into the well.

Jack felt the evil, black waters splash upon him, and he screamed. Then he opened his eyes and saw a strange creature with large eyes and big, bat-like ears. The creature was squeezing a wet rag on Jack's head.

"Jack Samson must wake up!" the creature squeaked.

Jack looked at the creature, covered in scarves, hats, and socks. "Who are you?"

"Dobby, sir, Dobby the House Elf."

"Hello, Dobby. What may I do for you?"

Dobby looked at Jack in amazement. "Jack Samson offers to serve Dobby?"

"Do not wonder at this. I am a servant of justice."

"Dobby is also a servant. Few serve him. Jack Samson is truly great." Dobby suddenly looked fearfully around and whispered. "But Dobby does not come for help. Dumbledore sends Dobby to fetch Jack Samson, so that she will not know."

"You mean Professor Umbridge?"

Dobby nodded.

Jack sat up. "What has happened?"

"Dobby is not knowing, sir. Dumbledore only sends Dobby to give Jack Samson this Portkey." Dobby took off the hat on the very top of the stack on his head.

"Oh yes. How do you use it?"

"You is touching it. It is taking you to a place. Dumbledore is waiting for Jack Samson, to show him."

Jack stood and bowed to the house elf. "Thank you, Dobby." Dobby looked practically thrilled. Jack took a deep breath and touched the hat. "Nothing is happing."

"You is needing to wait a few more seconds, sir. Three . . . two . . . one!"

Right then, Jack felt a painful jerk around his middle. He felt like a fish seized out of water. He had to admit, the experience was uncomfortable but not as uncomfortable as time traveling. He fell into a living room.

The house would have been whimsical and delightful at any other occasion, but it was too quiet. He found Ginny sitting at the base of a grandfather clock, crying. Pictures of Fred, George, Ginny, and Ron were pointed to "home," one more hands of someone Jack didn't recognize were pointed to "work." The four oldest pictures were pointed straight toward the top--"Mortal Peril."

The red haired couple tangled in the cobra's vines wasn't the Weasley twins. They were their parents.