The One Who You Fear

Chapter 8: Home

Things were getting more and more sour at Hogwarts. Hagrid was put on probation, and Jack did not like it at all. At least when they were studying thestrals, Jack had a feeling he was studying a beast that he could possibly encounter and control. Jack very seriously doubted that he would ever face a crup, and even if he did it would not pose a threat.

Muggle Studies also became ruined. Professor Adams informed the class that they would no longer be using their textbook, and the entire subject matter will change.

"You weren't put on probation, were you?" Hannah cried.

"Thankfully, no," the teacher replied, "but the High Inquisitor threatened to put me on probation if I didn't do this. I assure you, I do not like this at all. I am absolutely no expert on the subject. But I have no choice. Quills out, please." Professor Adams pulled out a tablet. "Write as the topic, 'Famous Leaders of the World.' We will begin with American Presidents."

"What's going on with this sudden shift?" Ernie said after class. "I know this is Muggle Studies, but what do we care about Muggle leaders?"

"Well, if we ever move to America, I know they make you memorize all the presidents if you hope to become citizens," Hannah replied.

"If the High Inquisitor is behind it, there must be a hidden agenda," Jack said quietly.

"No doubt about that," Ernie nodded. "Have any idea what it is?"

"I will tell you later."

Jack and the sibyl tried again and again to learn Jack's fortune. There was nothing wrong with the crystal ball, and it produced the same results. Then the sibyl tried other methods. She asked for Jack's birthday, but their calendars weren't compatible. So she couldn't consult the stars. She tried the Tarot cards, but they were very vague to her.

"This one says that you will soon suffer a grave injury, but I do not see one that tells me that you will find your way home."

"Well, thank you for trying."

"No, I refuse to give up! I have other means, dear. Come in a few days. There is one option that I use as a last resort. It is very powerful, but also very risky. It is sure to give us an answer."

Jack went to supper asking himself, "What grave injury did she mean? Am I going to be in a fight? Will I confront Undertaker?"

"Oh Jack, I'm glad I found you," a voice said above him.

"Good evening, Angelina," Jack replied.

"Listen, Quidditch practice is going to be more frequent this week. Our game with Hufflepuff is soon, so I expect to see you on the green."

"Yes, thank you." As she left, Jack knew he had his answer.

As she promised, Hermione was ready that Friday to put her plan into action. She and Ron stationed Jack in the Great Hall's antechamber. Hermione brought in a flask of pumpkin juice and two empty goblets. "I'm going to put a thirst charm on the threshold. That way the first person that comes IN will be very, very thirsty. We'll put the potion in the pumpkin juice. All we got to do is make sure that Malfoy comes in first. Then he'll be so thirsty, he'll want to drink the pumpkin juice." She poured a glass of pumpkin juice and gave it to Jack. "He may want to see you drink it first to ensure that this is alright."

"This seems rather dishonest," Jack said warily.

"Let's face it, sometimes you gotta be dishonest to do good," Ron answered.

"I do not think so."

"Well, it's the plan we got, so let's go with it."

Hermione finished getting everything set up. "Alright. Ron and I are leaving. We're going OUT, so the charm won't affect us. But make absolutely sure that the next person to come in is Malfoy. Anybody else will ruin everything."

She and Ron got out of the room, and immediately Ron cried, "Wait, I forgot my--!"

He almost stepped over the threshold, but Hermione pulled him away by his ear. "He'll get it to you later."

So Jack waited in the doorway for Draco to come by. A few minutes later, Parvati and Lavender found him. "Hey Jack," they shrilled together.

"Hello ladies," he answered bashfully.

"Professor Trelawney told us how hard a time she's having telling your future," Lavender said.

"Maybe we should give it a try," Parvati suggested.

"Good idea," Jack smiled nervously. "Perhaps another time."

"Oh, we could do it now," Lavender said. "Right here in fact."

"No. Right now, I am concerned with things in the present."

"Homework, right?" Parvati said. "Gotcha."

"We'll meet you in the common room," Lavender said, and they left. Just as they were leaving, Jack saw Draco and his two henchmen heading toward him.

"Malfoy, good evening to you," Jack bowed. "I need to speak with you for a moment, in private."

The two big guys were already stepping back. They remembered how easily he pushed them over last time. Draco rolled his eyes at them. "Alright. Make it quick."

Draco stepped into the doorway. He paused and blinked, but then he casually sat in a velvet armchair and gave a bored yawn. Was the charm somehow broken?

"Get me a drink. I'm thirsty."

Good, he did go under the charm. Jack poured some pumpkin juice from the flask and gave Draco the goblet. Draco took a long swig, then spit it all out. "What, was this made from rotten pumpkins? The taste is very off-color."

"I have some here from the same flask, and it is fine." Jack sipped from it and showed Draco the glass. "You see?"

"I don't trust you, but I'm so thirsty I could drink a whole bottle of Skele-grow. If I get sick, though, it's your fault."

Draco took a long gulp and suddenly coughed. He dropped the goblet on the floor. Then he looked up at Jack with the straightest face ever. His pupils had become so small, they looked like tiny dots of ink.

The potion worked. Jack only had five minutes, so he spoke quickly. "Who put you under that trance?"

"Antaeus," Draco answered. He had a small, strained voice, as though it were fighting against something.

"So it is Undertaker. Tell me about him. What do you know?"

"Last summer, after the Dark Lord returned to power, Father wanted me to grow where I lacked so that I would be of service to the Dark Lord one day. Therefore, he circulated a want add among the Death Eaters for a dark arts tutor. Antaeus was the first and only applicant. Father did not want him because he did not recognize his surname thus was not sure if he was a Pureblood, but I wanted to keep him from the start. I do not know why. Ever since then, Antaeus has put his own power into me. Father does not know that he is not preparing me to work for the Dark Lord but for a new leader. One day soon, the Dark Lord will fall, and Antaeus will usher the new leader into power. He has promised me that I will be his chief servant. I will be paid handsomely, for I will ensure that only my kind survives."

"This is why Undertaker claims he is protecting Hogwarts from the One Who You Fear."

"Father was furious when he discovered that Fudge appointed Antaeus as a school governor. He felt betrayed. Father does not know the truth. He will not know."

"Why were you in a trance?"

"That is the way he calls me. Every night at midnight, he summons me to his secret chamber. He enchants me so I do not know where I am going, that I would not be tempted to go there in the day. He enchants Mrs. Norris, Filch, and the teachers to sleep so that I would not be caught. I go to him, and we plan for that glorious day that shall come. His spell deprives me of sleep, but the result will be worth it."

"Are there others working with you and Undertaker?"

"No."

"What do you do?"

"We remove all obstacles."

"Do you mean as in what happened to the Weasleys?"

But Draco closed his eyes and shook his head. "What happened? Why is pumpkin juice all over my shoes?"

"I will clean it. Thank you, Draco. You have told me what I needed to know."

Draco rose with a confused look on his face, but as he reached the door he turned with a grin. "Didn't I hear that you replaced one of the players on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"

"Yes," Jack replied.

"Well then, I can't wait to see you play. I think I can finally make a couple more verses to my song." Draco laughed coldly and left, singing at the top of his lungs:

Weasley is our king,

Weasley is our king,

He always lets the Quaffle in.

Weasley is our king.

So, this is a song of ridicule, probably at Ron. That will have to wait. For now, Jack made up his mind. He will learn once and for all what Draco is doing.

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

"That's strange," Hermione said once Jack told her what had happened. "Veritaserum doesn't have any taste, I believe. It's one of the reasons it is so powerful."

"Oh, Draco was just being mean," Ron said.

"Speaking of which," Jack added, "what exactly does he mean by that song?"

Ron sighed. "He's rubbing in how I'm a terrible Quidditch player."

"You are not terrible," Jack said quietly. "I do not think you are. What is it that you do again?"

"I'm the Keeper. You remember, the Quaffle is the ball the Chasers pass to one another to score through the hoops. My job is to defend the hoops. I really don't do a good job."

"You just need some confidence in yourself," Jack answered. "You know Draco is being cruel, so do not listen to him."

"I try not to, but he always manages a way to be heard."

"I will help you, though this is something you must try to do on your own." A crowd had gotten together in the Common Room as Fred and George continued to display their wares. It was becoming hard for Ron and Jack to talk. They went up into the dorm room. "If only those hats made more invisible than just the head," Jack mused. "It would be helpful for tonight."

"Tonight? You're spying on Draco tonight? No problem, Harry's got an invisibility cloak. Hey, Harry!"

"What?" Harry said sleepily.

"Can Jack borrow your invisibility cloak?"

"No," he replied flatly.

"Come on, he's going to spy on Draco."

"I said no."

"Harry, this is very important. He's going to find out what happened to my parents."

"You're a prefect. You're not supposed to let people out after hours."

"That's right, I am a prefect, aren't I? Therefore, I can tell Professor McGonagall that--"

"Oh, alright. He can have the stupid thing. But you better be careful with it, Samson. It's my Dad's. If you lose it--"

"I will not," Jack answered. "Thank you."

Harry opened his trunk and gave the cloak to Ron, who gave it to Jack. Jack decided to follow Draco from the Great Hall up to see if he really went up to the seventh floor. So, Jack stationed himself by the Great Hall, put the cloak on, and waited for midnight to come.

After what seemed like forever, Draco appeared in a trance state. Draco did indeed go up to the seventh floor. Jack followed Draco down a couple of corridors that somehow looked familiar. Jack was about close enough to whisper Malfoy's name when a poltergeist flew in front of Jack. "Oooh, naughty, naughty ickle student wondering out after hours," he taunted.

"Be gone, spirit of mischief!" Jack hissed.

"Peeves cannot see, but he knows someone is here."

"I said be gone!" Jack repeated sternly.

"Must tell Filch, he must. Must teach student a lesson."

Jack had other ideas. He remembered a chant his si-fu taught him to ward off evil ghosts. He, closed his eyes, held his finger out in front of his nose, and moved it down his face in a straight line as he whispered the Chinese incantation. Then he moved it aside in a swift, cutting motion. Peeves turned into a mist and was sucked into a suit of armor.

"Hey!" Peeves yelled. The suit of armor shook and clamored as Peeves yelled unclear words. Jack casually closed the visor and etched onto the suit of armor a holy sign so that Peeves could not get out. Draco was going into a room. Before Jack could follow him, the suit of armor fell. Jack pushed it back into place and raced after Draco.

Draco was gone. Jack saw a rather tall and ornate mirror sliding over a hole and closing. He ran to the mirror and tried to push it back. It would not move. He even drew his sword and tried to wedge it open. No luck.

Jack tried to look for another way around, when he looked at the mirror in fear and concern. He was still wearing the cloak, but he could see his reflection in the mirror. He tried to tie the cloak tighter to himself, but the image didn't disappear.

Then he saw a blossom fall at his feet. Yet he looked down, and there was nothing. In the mirror, though, he was standing in a rain of lotus and cherry petals.

And then, in the mirror, the room disappeared. Jack saw castles, shrines, and all the places that made his home. Two young people came to him and bowed.

"Mother. Father," Jack whispered.

The reflection of the empress came nearer and hugged his reflection's shoulders.

Jack leaned upon the glass. "Forgive me. Father, I should have heeded your warning of how easily evil can conquer. I let Aku--"

But the emperor gestured to a place far on a hill. A dying tree stood there, and Jack knew that Aku had once again been defeated. The father smiled and put on Jack's reflection an imperial robe.

"Why am I just watching this?" Jack thought. "I should be there!" He hit the glass hard with his fists. He kicked it. He threw his sword at it. None of his efforts even scratched the glass, much less break it. Jack did not know what broke his heart more, the fact that this was merely an illusion, or that none of the reflections mirrored his anguish.

Jack fell on his hands and knees and wept. He wept harder than ever in his adult life. His mirror mother and father did not seem to care. Jack hated this scene, but he could not tear himself away.

The overwhelming sorrow finally brought Jack to sleep. It might have been his mind playing tricks with him, but before he fell into slumber, he heard a whispering voice. It was his own, and it was a strange whisper. It almost sounded as though it was speaking backwards, but he could still understand what it said.

"I will see you. I will see you soon."

Jack dreamed that he was still staring at the mysterious reflection. He was completely frozen. As much as he wanted to move away, he could not move at all. Then the picture shrunk and lost its color. A bubble disturbed the image, and the picture rippled and disappeared. Jack could move again, and he backed away. He wasn't looking at that strange mirror. He was looking at that black magic well.

Feathers started falling into the well. Jack looked up to see Umbridge and Undertaker plucking an owl and laughing evilly. "Stop!" Jack yelled. He stood and began to draw his sword. Double U just raised their eyebrows at him and dropped the poor bird at his feet. Jack cradled the bird in his arms. It had huge eyes . . .

"OW! What the . . .?" a voice yelled. A boy had tripped over Jack and woke him. Jack sat up and tried to focus. It took him a while to realize he still had the cloak on. He took it off and looked closer at the boy.

"Zacharias?"

The boy turned around. It was indeed Zacharias Smith from D.A.

"Where did you come from?" Zacharias sneered.

"I believe I deserve an answer to the same question."

"What do you think? This is Hufflepuff territory! Get out of here! It's about time for me to beat you at Quidditch."

"It is morning already?"

"Yeah! What, have you been sleeping here all night?"

"I do not know. I just looked in that strange mirror and . . . "

"What strange mirror?"

Jack looked behind him. The mirror was gone.

"Perhaps it was a dream."

"Whatever." Zacharias ran out.

Bewildered, Jack got to his feet and walked out of the room. (Was this even the same room?) In his attempt to find his way, Jack walked right into a flag. He hadn't seen a flag like this before.

"Jack? What are you doing down here?" It was Ernie McMillan, Jack's friend from Muggle Studies.

"Ernie, what does this mean?"

"'Never tickle a sleeping dragon.' It's the school motto."

"I know that, but what do these symbols mean?"

"That's the school crest, of course! Each animal is the mascot for each house. I thought you knew that."

Hannah appeared at Ernie's elbow. "Hey Jack. Going to breakfast?"

Ernie replied first. "Yeah, I was a moment ago but--wait a minute. What is it?" Hannah began giggling and blushing.

Jack looked at her uncomfortably. "Go ahead. I have some thinking to do."

"All right then. Good luck today," Hannah smiled.

Ernie glared. "Let's go, Hannah."

They promptly left, but Jack continued to stare at the banner. The snake, the bird, and the mysterious creature in the woods were all here. Was there really something to these dreams after all? But there was not a lion in this dream. What did it mean?

Jack stomach growled. He needed to go get breakfast as well. He made up his mind to ask the others about it later.

The Great Hall really wasn't all that far away. As soon as he found a stairway, he was able to find his way. He sat down next to Ron at the Gryffindor table and silently began to eat.

"So, did you find what that idiot Malfoy's been up to?" Ron asked.

Jack sighed. "To tell the truth, I'm not completely sure if I really followed him."

"What? Then where've you been all night?"

"It's very strange." He described everything that he encountered, except for Peeves and his dream. Ron groaned when he heard about the mirror. "And when I woke I was in a different place. Could it have been a dream?"

"What was the mirror like?" Harry asked.

"I did not look at it too closely. It was tall, it reached the ceiling. I saw it had an inscription at the top. I did not take time to read it, but it looked like it was written in a different language."

"Oh, where was it Samson?"

"Don't answer that!" Ron interjected. "That was no dream. That was the Mirror of Erised. Jack, take my advice, don't go looking for that mirror."

"Why?"

"Harry found it our first year here. It nearly drove the both of us mad!"

"No, I mean why would I go looking for it?"

"Well, you just saw what you most desire. Most normal people would want to see it again."

"It is no good, Ron. I tried to get to the other side, but the mirror would not break. I knew it was no more than an illusion. What good is seeing what I most desire if it cannot give me what I most desire? I do not need to see it again to remember. Memories of my home have long been burned into my mind. They have haunted my dreams for years. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Jack finished his breakfast and left the table. "Wow. He has Dumbledore's wisdom already," Ron gasped.

Jack began heading out of the Great Hall, but before going out to the pitch he found his way to a second floor bathroom. A thought just crossed his mind.

"Myrtle? Myrtle?" he called quietly.

"Who's there?" the ghost said. "Jack?"

"You need not fear that spirit of mischief any longer."

"So you . . . wow, how did you . . . oh, how could I . . ."

"There is no need."

"Oh, thank you Jack. If I wasn't dead, I'd kiss you."

"I should be going. I just wanted to tell you." Jack got out as soon as he could.

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

"All right team," Angelina Johnson started. "We lost our star player. Unfortunately, until Undertaker can get that decision overturned as he promised he would, there's not much we can do about that. I do believe, though, that we got at least three . . . er, two star players to compensate. We've trained well. We got heart. We've got courage. I have faith in all . . . that is, most of you." She looked straight at Ron. "Just don't listen to the Slytherins, and we'll be fine. All right, let's go. Good luck everybody."

Lee Jordan was finishing up naming the Hufflepuff team as the Gryffindors were coming out. "Now, let's hear it for the Gryffindors! Johnson, Spinnet, Bell, Kirke, Samson, Weasley, and Weasley!" Upon hearing the final name, the Slytherins burst into "Weasley is Our King." Jack listened to the song in contempt.

"Mount your brooms!" Madame Hooch ordered. "Kick off on my whistle."

The whistle sounded, and the teams were airborne. Jack watched like a hawk for Bludgers endangering any student. Every time he noticed such a problem, he flew as quickly as he could toward the student in danger and hit the Bludger high up to the sky. He paid little attention to the rest of the game. Once the other Beater shrieked like a coward when Zacharias zoomed at him. Ron was doing terribly. Occasionally, Jack flew near him and gave him advice and encouragement. It was good that he was over there, because that seemed to be a hot spot for Bludgers.

The crowd, besides the Slytherins, was cheering loudly as they watched Jack hit Bludgers high into the air. They were amazed at how fast and strong he was. Lee was beside himself. "I don't believe I have ever seen such action at the hands of a Beater, outside the pros. Samson is a brick wall, and no one can take him down! Now, if only Gryffindor's Keeper had that much spirit."

Around that point, Jack noticed that Ginny had changed positions for the first time. If Jack remembered what Ron told him correctly, this meant Ginny had seen the Snitch.

He may have been too distracted, or he messed up his trajectory, or he just wasn't thinking. Whatever the reason, when Jack noticed a Bludger heading for Ginny, he flew up and struck it out of the way--knocking a female Hufflepuff player off of her broom in the process.

"Nice work, Samson!" Angelina called over to him.

But Jack didn't feel like it was nice work. He flew down to the pitch.

"What is he doing?" Lee yelled.

Jack looked down at the girl. "Are you alright?"

She smiled. "Nothing Madame Pomfrey can't fix."

"Forgive me. I did not mean to hurt you. I did not wish to hurt anyone."

"Don't feel bad. It's part of the game. You better get back; you're doing grea--" the girl's eyes suddenly grew as big as saucers. "LOOK OUT!"

Jack turned, but it was too late. A Bludger hit him in the back and sent him tumbling off his broom. He managed to roll over and cough up sand.

"Whoa," Lee said. "If that isn't irony, I don't know what is. Wait, Ginny got the Snitch! GRYFFINDOR . . . loses by ten points."

Jack heard the Slytherin sing "Weasley is Our King" even louder than ever. He saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team somberly descend. Jack tried to get up, but his back hurt too badly.

"Alright Jack?" Ron said flying down to him.

"The sibyl has spoken," Jack mumbled.

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

Madame Pomfrey did fix his injury quite quickly. Jack returned to the common room to a huge crowd. "Everyone," Angelina said as she put her arm around Jack's shoulders, "I just want to say a few words. We all know that wasn't one of our better games, but if Beaters could score Jack here would have won us the game." The room applauded. "I mean, he's a shoe in for Wizard Wimbledon, Jack is."

"Don't you mean professional Quidditch?" Lee yelled.

"Maybe in due time, but for now he can still stand a little work."

Jack stepped out of the crowd and headed for the dorms, hoping to encourage Ron a little. Ron wasn't there, but Harry was.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around. "Samson! I've been looking all over for you. What were you thinking? I thought you had an excellent strategy, knocking an opponent off the field, but you could have cost us the game!"

"I had violated a sacred vow. Long ago, I promised that I would never cause harm to an innocent. If I did not receive her forgiveness, I would forever be shamed."

"That must be the lamest excuse I have ever heard."

"It is not an excuse! It is the truth!" Jack answered defensively.

"Whatever. Get out of my sight." Harry shut the curtains.

Jack didn't let it get to him. He figured Harry was just bitter because he wasn't playing Quidditch anymore.

Things happened very fast after that. A magazine about Harry came out, but Jack couldn't find time to read it. Shortly after, Harry had another distressing vision about Aku torturing someone. When Jack tried to get details from Harry, something seized Harry's mind, and he started attacking Jack again.

Jack was able to teach the D.A. a couple more times. The group was starting to take him more seriously, and they were shaping up. Sometimes, Jack told them they could improvise using magic as long as they did not hurt anyone. They enjoyed that.

"I am proud of how far all of you are coming," Jack told them. "You are finding new strengths you have probably never realized. I believe that you are ready enough for me to begin the training to help you 'jump good.'"

"Jump well," Luna corrected. Many members of the D.A. snickered.

"No, 'jump good.' That is the name given by a primitive tribe of snow gorillas. It is the art of jumping so high, it is almost like flight. I will explain next time." Jack dismissed them and spoke to Ron on the way out. "Well done, Ron. This should help your balance and control."

"So, it will help my game?" Ron asked naively.

Jack opened his mouth to say, "yes," when he heard a scream coming from the stairway. Jack was down all seven flights in one minute. He recognized that voice. The sibyl was in trouble.

"No! NO!" she screamed. "This cannot be happening . . . It cannot . . . I refuse to accept it!"

Undertaker chuckled coldly. "You mean, you didn't see it coming? Did you or did you not violate Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six?"

"Sir?" she sobbed.

"I quote, 'By order of the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach.' I have a reliable source that says you were giving additional information to one student after normal class hours. And since you were already on probation, I have no choice but to sack you."

"You can't sack me!" the sibyl whimpered. "I've been here sixteen years! Hogwarts is my home!"

"It was your home," Umbridge answered, "until an hour ago. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us."

"No big loss," Undertaker said loudly for the entire hall to hear. "She was doing pitifully."

This was too much. "It is easy to be wise for others; it is difficult to be wise for oneself!" Jack yelled. All fell silent. He came through the crowd and stood in front of the sibyl. "Don't you dare touch her. Do you know what bad luck comes of harming the mouthpiece of the fates? Ask anyone in Troy."

The sibyl gasped and looked up to Jack in hope. Undertaker glided up to Jack in glee.

"Well, the guilty pupil arrives to defend his teacher. Enjoy your extra lessons, Mr. Samson? Did they tell you what you wished to hear?"

Jack glared. How did he know?

"You marvel at this?" Undertaker continued. "I thought you'd know. Unlike Esmerelda here, I have access to the real all-seeing eye."

Of course. Aku told Undertaker the truth. Jack tried to say something else. He was tempted to fight. Yet before he could do anything, Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore intervened and said that the sibyl would stay at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had found a teacher to take her place. They allowed Jack to help her back up to her room.

"Oh, my dear, thank you, thank you," the sibyl muttered. "I knew all along, ever since I saw you. I knew you would save me from danger."

"Yes. That is what I do."

"I see wonderful things for you, my dear, a long life, riches beyond your wildest--"

"Remember what I told you, sibyl?"

"Oh yes, the way home, the way home." She paused and looked straight at him, her huge eyes filled with the same pitiful expression as that poor owl in Jack's dream.

"The way home is here, in this castle!"

Jack stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"It's here! It's here!" she replied.

"Where is it?"

"The path is before you. It opens at your feet. Open your eyes, and see it!" Suddenly, she blinked her eyes hard and looked at him with the same expression he saw from Draco. "BEWARE!" she said in a harsh voice. Then she fell out of his arms.

Professor McGonagall picked her up. "There, Sybil, I believe you had a little too much sherry. I'll take it from here, Jack."

Jack held the sibyl's hand and looked into her dazed eyes. "Thank you. If I cannot find it, I will come and visit you again. Farewell, Sibyl." He watched her leave and wondered if he had heard the voice of fate.