The One Who You Fear

Chapter 11: Unravel

Luna talked to Jack for a little while. She understood very little. She didn't know what Jack was doing. Jack merely assured her that she had no reason to be afraid and warned her not to tell anyone yet. He would take care of things.

Jack later had another disturbing dream. Jack was staring in the waters of the enchanted well when he saw a new image, Undertaker handing something to Professor Snape. Jack stood to challenge Snape, who looked darkly at him. Snape threw whatever Undertaker gave him at Jack's feet. It exploded.

When the smoke cleared, Jack was flying on a broom, a bludger bat in his hand. Another player cut him off, yet as Jack looked closer, he saw it wasn't a Hogwarts student. It was another samurai in a black robe. Jack remembered him. Aku created this samurai out of Jack's own anger. But Jack had defeated him long ago. What was he doing here?

"Where did you come from?" Jack asked.

"Where did you come from?" the dark samurai mimicked.

"Mock me not!"

"Mock me not!" His dark side laughed and flew circles around Jack. He stopped and flew close to Jack's ear. "The good news is I'm not here to attack you. The bad news is . . . " He looked around stealthily, smiled deviously, and whispered, "He knows, and he's in a bad mood. There are no more secrets."

Jack had no idea what he meant. "There are no more secrets?"

The dark samurai pointed at him and laughed evilly. From nowhere, Jack could hear Aku laughing as well. Jack looked all around him, but he could not see Aku. Jack looked down at himself and saw that his robe was now black. Then he turned back to his dark side, but he had vanished. A Bludger was in his place, and it charged straight at Jack. At that point, Jack woke.

Jack thought about the dream often, but he never could think of the meaning. He grew more wary of the oncoming Quidditch match with Ravenclaw because surely it meant something was going to happen.

The Weasley brothers' escape was the talk of the school, but Jack was just about the only one not wishing to discuss it. "With all respect and honor," he told Ron, "your brothers are fools."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised. That's nothing new at all," Ron answered as he bit off a huge piece of toast. "I'm just glad Mum's out of commission right now. It would have been my fault that they left. You did manage to see them off safely, did you?"

"They were not harmed," Jack said uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. Ron was so apprehensive that Jack could not bear to tell him the boys' true fate.

As for Undertaker's role, it was hard to tell. Jack didn't see him for days. No one else had seen him either. Some students took this to mean that Undertaker had left, and they snuck off to the adjoining village. Believe it or not, for once, Professor Umbridge was permissive. Perhaps this was because that was strictly Undertaker's rule and she did not agree with it.

Jack decided that he should visit the sibyl as he promised he would to get her advice. She was surprised to see him. "My dear, did you not find it?"

"I did find it," Jack answered remorsefully.

"Then how--?"

"It was torn from me."

"Oh, my dear. Fate has dealt badly with you. Well, come in. As I have told you, there is one more thing we can do."

Immediately when he came in, the sibyl immediately closed all of the window curtains super-tight. She turned off the lamps and put out the perfume fire. She lit a few candles and spread on the floor a board with huge English letters written on it.

"What is oo-eye-ja?" Jack asked looking at the name at the top of the board.

"It's Ouija," the sibyl replied. Jack had no idea where she would get "wee-jee" out of that word. "It is our direct connection to the spirits themselves. I only use it as a last resort. You never know whom you're talking to. Many a séance has gone awry. Now, all you need to do is to put your fingers on this pointer. I shall speak on your behalf."

Jack nodded and put his fingers on the strange magnifying glass with tiny wheels. "Spirits, we beseech you," the sibyl said in a loud, dramatic voice. "Are you among us?"

There was a brief, uncomfortable pause, and then the pointer slowly started moving toward the word "Yes" at the side of the board.

"How did you do that?" Jack asked.

"Oh, I didn't," the sibyl smiled.

Jack was confused. He certainly didn't do it. Was there truly another force from the great beyond guiding him?

"Answer us truthfully, spirits," the sibyl said. "Are you for us? Are there any troublemakers or dark spirits among you?"

After a few moments, the pointer glided slowly to the word "No." Jack wondered which question it was answering.

But the sibyl seemed very convinced. "They're on our side. That ought to cut back on a lot of problems." She cleared her throat and continued. "Spirits, consider this young man, Jack. He is looking for his home. Where can he find his way back?"

There was a very long pause. The pointer remained stationery for quite some time.

"What advice can you give him?" the sibyl finally asked.

The air felt very eerie. Jack was about to give up and remove his hand when then pointer began to move again. Jack held his breath. The pointer moved to the L, continued to an O, pointed to the O again, and then to a K.

"Look," the sibyl whispered.

Jack bit his lip. The spirits knew where he had to go, and they were going to tell him where to look.

The pointer moved back to the O, then to the U, and finally stopped on the T.

"Look out," the sibyl nodded.

"Look out where?" Jack asked.

"I think the question should be for what."

"Ask them both."

But before the sibyl could, the pointer moved like lightning to the same letters. "L-O-O-K-O-U-T-L-O-O-K-O-U-T."

Jack felt as though his hand might fall off, but the sibyl shook with a great fear. "We are in danger."

But Jack was beginning to see something hovering in the air just above the board. "I don't think so." He grabbed a fistful of incense and threw it upward. It revealed the once invisible, "MYRTLE!"

The ghost shrank back. "Hi Jack. I was still trying to think--"

"This is not a place to play! This was important to me!"

"But I've never been summoned to a séance before, and I was just saying thank you for what you have done."

"Be gone depressed spirit! BE GONE!"

Myrtle floated out of the classroom crying.

"This isn't going to work, is it?" Jack asked.

"No," the sibyl sighed. "I wouldn't had guessed that our own ghosts would interfere, except for that impish one. I haven't sensed his presence in quite some time, though."

"Is there anything else we can do?"

"I'm afraid not. Forgive me, my dear. I do not know why the fates would close my third eye to you."

"Thank you for trying, sibyl," Jack bowed. But as he left, he began wondering if Hermione was right, that the sibyl was nothing but a fraud.

The second floor was flooded for several days afterward. Many times, when Jack waded through, he could hear Myrtle wailing. Jack would often pause and listen, filled with guilt. Then he remembered what she did and passed by in anger.

Jack wasn't getting a lot out of classes because it was about time for exams. Professor McGonagall told Jack that he was excused. Still, Jack attended just to see what was happening.

"Takes notes on this, because I will only teach it once, and there is a strong chance that it will be on the exam," Snape said. "This is the Duplicos Potion. It is one of most potent potions I will ever teach you. It works on contact. Any substance, save living tissue, touching the potion will create an immediate copy."

The potion was very complex, but just like the other potions Jack closely followed the instructions. As he was stirring the potion he stopped. "Professor Snape!" he called.

Snape hesitantly walked over to him. "What is it, Samson?"

"Is this supposed to happen?" He lifted his metal spoon out of the mess. It had two scoops and looked like it was continuing to divide.

Snape sighed. "For goodness sake, Samson, use a wooden spoon."

"Why?"

"Were you even listening? Wood absorbs the potion, unlike other material."

"I listened to every word. You never mentioned anything of the sort. However, it is all right. I will use a wooden spoon." After the lesson, Jack left a sample of the potion and thought no more of it.

Next, Jack finally learned what Undertaker's motive was for changing the subject matter in Muggle Studies. It came really as no surprise.

"Class, this was the most difficult part for me," Professor Adams explained, "but I have to teach it. Listen closely, and take notes. This will be on your O.W. L. Yes, Mr. McMillan?"

"I'm not raising my hand, professor, I'm swatting at a fly," Ernie replied. Immediately, Jack caught in his hand the fly that was buzzing around Ernie's head. Hannah applauded lightly. The fly, however, escaped Jack's hand and landed on the wall.

"Yes, well done Mr. Samson. Now," Professor Adams took a deep breath and began. "The most ancient kingdom in the world is the Aku, or Evil, Empire. Evidence of this kingdom can be traced back to a kingdom in feudal Japan, some thousands of years before Common Era. Most scholars believe that this is governed by a dynasty of dictators. We are not really sure. Each dictator is called Aku and wears a costume of black and a green mask, so it is a mystery what members of the Aku dynasty really look like. The empire currently comprises most of Asia and Europe, with prominent countries being Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Germany, and most of the Middle East. Magical beasts roam freely in these countries, but there is little activity or contact from any wizard community. The Muggles under the Aku's rule are very superstitious. They serve the Aku out of fear. Several claim that the Aku is an evil wizard, but there has been little evidence of this.

"The dynasty has only been challenged twice. Once it was quelled before it had even begun. As the mysterious force began to arise, houses were destroyed, and people vanished. The emperor went out to discover the source. Shortly after he left, the first Aku made himself known. His reign had not even started before the emperor returned. He bore a magic sword and attacked the first Aku. As the legend goes, the sword trapped the Aku's soul in a tree. The legend also says that the Aku was released under a total eclipse of the sun.

"This time the Aku conquered successfully. The sword had disappeared, and the emperor seemed resigned. However, the emperor's wife and son had both vanished. The empress hid in a temple, but no one is certain what happened to the son. Several artifacts found in various parts of the world suggest that a young Japanese man had traveled abroad. Whether this was the prince is not known. What we do know is that some ten or twenty years later, an unnamed Muggle warrior appeared with the same sword that had defeated the Aku before. He went to fight the Aku, and he was never seen again. The sword was lost. Most believe that this warrior met an untimely death at the hands of the Aku, and the dynasty encourages this rumor. Yet some believe that the warrior fled to a magic place and will return when the time is right to destroy Aku forever. Thus, this man is like Japan's King Arthur, and his fate is one of the greatest mysteries of all time. Any questions?"

It was very surreal to Jack hearing his own story like this. He felt very bewildered. He raised his hand, but several students raised their hands first. They asked very easy questions about Aku. The professor gestured toward Jack to call on him, but right at that moment the fly got into Jack's face. Jack caught the fly and slammed it on his desk.

"Oh, my mistake. I thought you were raising your hand."

"But I--"

"Yes, Ms. Spencer."

The bell rang right after Diane's question. Jack left confused with his question still pressing hard on his mind--were Aku and this mysterious, evil wizard everyone was afraid to name one and the same after all?

The next day was their final Quidditch match. Jack ate his breakfast and didn't pay any attention to everyone's encouragement/criticism. He kept thinking about the last dream, and he knew something terrible was going to happen.

But then he felt a hand touch his shoulder that woke him out of his worry. "Hey Jack," Cho said.

"Cho!" Harry said. His face brightened a little. "Have a seat."

"Hi Harry," Cho muttered. "Jack, could you come with me real quick? I have something to show you."

Jack nodded and joined her. Harry glowered at him as they went into the antechamber.

"This is my good luck charm," Cho said. She reached behind her neck and unlatched a golden chain. The chain had a pendant that looked like a tiny shrine. "Engorgio!" she said tapping the charm with her wand. The charm grew, and Jack saw that was actually a cricket cage.

Jack couldn't stop himself from laughing just a little bit. "I loved catching crickets as a child. I also thought they brought luck."

"Oh, it's not just the cage. Look." She opened the door. "This is a family heirloom. Mother says it is over two thousand years old."

She reached in and pulled out a cricket made of origami! She handed it to Jack and laughed at his stunned silence. "Animate!" she commanded with her wand. The cricket sprung to life and hopped out of Jack's hand. Cho and Jack playfully chased it around the room. It was good for Jack to get out some energy and to laugh. After the cricket was caught, Cho stopped it with a "Finite Incantatem!"

"Where did this come from?" Jack asked her.

"One of my ancestors. I don't know the complete story, but somebody gave it to her. I'm not sure who." Cho placed the cricket back in the cage and shrank it. Then she placed the chain into Jack's hand. "Jack, I want you to have this."

Jack shook his head. "No."

"Just for the Quidditch match. You looked troubled about it, and I'm sure it will give you good luck."

"I cannot accept this." He got an idea. "Give it to Harry."

"Harry?"

"He would be upset with me if I accepted this."

Cho laughed rather hard. "Oh, he thought that I . . . oh, I see."

"So, you are not . . .?"

"Jack, he doesn't completely understand. I like Harry, and I like you. But it's different." She took his hand and sat down, looking deep into his eyes. "It's strange, but I feel like you're someone I've known for a long time, like a long-lost relative."

"We've talked about this," he said quietly. "We've never met."

"I'm not so sure. Before you even came here, I had a dream about you. See, I was hurt by You-Know-Who. He took someone very dear to me named Cedric Diggory. Part of my heart will forever be in the ground with him. I had all sorts of horrible dreams of Cedric's death, and then in one of them You-Know-Who started turning on me. And then, when I found that I couldn't get away, I saw you. You looked like the only life in a world of death. You were far away, but I somehow knew you could save me. I had all forgot that dream for a long time, until just after the D.A. incident."

"I had already forgiven you. You did not mean to give Undertaker that information."

"Oh, it was worse than that. When I was escaping, I saw Pansy. I told her where to find the room, even though I knew your were there. I didn't want to, but something just took over for that second. You believe me don't you?"

Jack's face fused into a cold, determined expression. Cho sank to the floor and began to weep. "Get out! Get out!" she cried.

He picked up the chain and walked out of the room. Silently, he walked out to a secluded place outside and stabbed his sword into the ground. "I will find Aku and make him answer for the terror he has caused this school. I will avenge Cedric's blood. I swear it."

He heard a gasp. Cho was watching him, terrified. Jack quickly hid his sword, but the damage was done. She ran away.

It was about time for the match. Jack got up and went to the Gryffindor team's tent where the team heard another rousing speech. Then Jack picked up his broom and his bat. Something greasy was all over the handle of his bat. Jack found a rag and quickly wiped the residue off.

Lee announced, "Please make welcome the Gryffindors: Spinnet, Bell, Johnson, Kirke, Samson, Weasley, and Weasley!" The stands erupted into applause at Jack's name, and the Slytherins began singing "Weasley is Our King" at Ron's name. Lee yelled over the noise, "Remember, the winner of this match wins the coveted Quidditch cup for the year! So may the best team win!"

Jack resigned to keep a close watch. Gryffindor was hit with quite a blow when Ron missed another goal. The Slytherins continued to sing their song. Jack thought he did hear a verse or two about him, but he did not bother to listen. Jack priority was searching for Bludgers. Sure enough, a Ravenclaw Beater immediately hit one his way. Jack hit it off to the sky. He heard another coming from behind and hit that out of the way as well.

"Whoa! That one came back quick!" Lee said.

The first one that Jack struck was coming back. He hit it again. Then another one pelted him from the sky. He got it just in time.

But as he continued to look around the field, he wondered if somehow he was hit on the head. He saw five Bludgers on the field and more coming!

Jack flew near Ron. "Did you not say that there are only two Bludgers?"

"Yeah," Ron answered. "Where'd you suppose these are coming from?"

"I do not know, but Andrew will help me keep them out of the way. You continue to find your confidence." Jack continued to strike every Bludger he could find, but the problem only seemed to get worse. He searched like a hawk for anyone working hocus-pocus to make this happen.

"Who says Quidditch isn't full of surprises?" Lee asked. "I count no less than twenty Bludgers on the field!"

Jack looked toward the faculty/staff box to see if Professor Snape was up to anything. Instead, Jack saw a wizard in a black robe standing just outside the green with a smile of intrigue on his face. It was Undertaker. Jack glared. "I will play games no longer."

"Er, Jack!" Cho called at him, "Hey, you know you dropped your bat! I said you dropped your--oh no!

"What is he doing?" Jordan asked. "In the midst of all this chaos, Samson is dropping his bat? Does he have his head on strai--what? Now he's getting out of his robe! What is this, some kind of forfeit?"

The Gryffindors screamed at Jack to stop, but the Slytherins stopped their songs to egg him on. "Jack Samson, what's wrong with you?" Angelina yelled at him. "Are you mad?"

"Yes!" Jack yelled back at her. He tossed off the ripped Quidditch robe to reveal he samurai gi. "Yes I am!"

Jordan practically screamed, "MERLIN'S BEARD, WHAT IS THAT?"

The next Bludger that flew his way, Jack caught with his hand. He sliced the Bludger in half with his sword. From there he charged on his broom and cut every Bludger in his path. One flew toward the stands, and he sliced it right over the Ravenclaw stands. All the spectators screamed, but none looked more horrified than Luna. Most people in the crowd did not know how to respond, except for Draco. He kept urging everyone in Slytherin to sing exclusively the lyrics about Jack. A few did, but they seemed to not have the same gusto. Everybody seemed to be in agreement that Jack was out of his mind.

Madame Hooch kept blowing her whistle, but Jack didn't even hear her. Finally, when he was about to strike one of the last two, she grabbed his wrist. "That will be quite enough of that."

"Let me go! He wants to hurt them!"

"Come with me."

Most people booed as he walked out, though it wasn't completely sure whom they were booing. "So, who wants a spot of tea?" Lee finally managed to say.

Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Umbridge and Snape were all waiting for Jack.

"What were you thinking?" Professor Umbridge cried.

"He wants to hurt them! I was trying to protect them!"

"I realize that, but what if a player came up too close, and you cut off his or her ear?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"That would not happen. I have been trained too well. Go to Undertaker. He is behind this."

"Is he?" Professor Snape spoke up. "Well, I have been investigating your discarded bat, Samson. Madame Hooch, this bat has been saturated with a Duplicos potion. I taught this to Samson's class yesterday, and only one person finished. I'll give you three guesses who. If you need further proof, look at this." He held up a flagon. "Samson's sample completely empty. I found it on my desk."

"I did not go near your office or the Quidditch equipment, professor. I give you my word."

"What good is the word of a dunderhead?"

Jack looked Snape in the eye. "You can do whatever you wish with me, but you do not revoke my word and take away my honor."

"Mr. Samson, please compose yourself," Professor Umbridge. "In accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-five, where I as co-High Inquisitor was placed in charge of all punishments, etc. etc., your fate rests with me, not with him."

Jack fell at her feet. "Believe me, Professor. I have done nothing."

"Stand up, Jack. You're making a fool of yourself."

"No, first I must--"

"Stand!" Jack was forced to stand, so she must have used her wand. "I do not know if I can believe your story, Mr. Samson. You are fully aware that Undertaker has not been seen on the grounds since the Weasley boys escaped us. Even if I did believe you, your conduct on the field is inexcusable in my judgment. Therefore, I hereby ban you from Quidditch forever."

"If you see it as just, then so be it."

Jack's calm response did not sit well with Professor Umbridge. "Oh, is that not enough for you? Very well. This match is hereby cancelled, and I will take away twenty points from Gryffindor."

"That is also fair."

"You shall have another detention as well, and I will personally sit with you to make sure you are writing the lines I assign."

"Very well."

"One week of detention! Two weeks of detention!"

"Shall we begin tonight?"

Umbridge raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Samson, violence is one thing, but you are insulting me as co-High Inquisitor. Surrender to me your sword. You are expelled."

"No!" Jack yelled. "A warrior is never parted with his sword! And I must stay here! You will understand soon."

"Calm down, Jack," Professor McGonagall said. "Headmistress, I have an order from the Headmaster written and sealed before Mr. Samson had made his appearance. Therefore, it is still good. This order states under Paragraph 2 that he must stay on the Hogwarts grounds with his sword in his possession at all times until otherwise noted."

"Let me see that," Professor Umbridge ordered, but Professor McGonagall held it out of her reach.

"Sorry, but some of this is privileged information."

"Alright. Mr. Samson, I will let you keep your sword now, but if I see it ever again you will be expelled."

"Very well. I will never use it to harm an innocent."

Madame Hooch dismissed him. He walked out of the Quidditch field. Jack could hear a very loud chorus of "Weasley is Our King." The Slytherins were evidently gloating that the match was cancelled. But Jack listened closer. The song was different.

Weasley is our King,

Weasley is our King,

He didn't let the Quaffle in,

Weasley is our King!

So, the Gryffindors weren't depressed. They were congratulating Ron. He did a better job. Good for him! If only Jack didn't have his hands full, he might have seen.

Suddenly, things changed. The sky turned strange colors: red, green, blue, and yellow. Wait, he had seen those colors before. Immediately, a mist surrounded him, and instead of seeing the castle before him he saw the well. Something was coming out of the well. It looked like Harry, but he was black all over, and he had the same green face and flaming eyebrows as Aku. Jack wasn't sure if he should attack or not. Harry had in his arms the snake, the bird, and the woodland creature, which were now all black, and he released them. Wherever they went, they took away color. They spread darkness everywhere, and Jack could not stop it. Harry stared Jack down and the lightning bolt scar began to flash. It beamed some kind of purple lightning around Jack that trapped him.