The One Who You Fear

Chapter 13: Twilight Walk

Jack headed for the Gryffindor common room. When he entered the crowded room, he made his way to the fireplace and stood on the mantel. "Listen!" he ordered in a louder than usual voice. "I want all of you to pay attention and answer me. Which one of you is named Potter?"

No one stepped forward. Everyone just looked at him funny and mumbled to each other. Very well, he will find out himself. If he remembered right, Potter was the last name. Collin and Dennis couldn't be it. Their last name was Creevey. Ron and Ginny were the Weasleys, so it couldn't be them. Lee's last name was Jordan. But Jack was not sure about anybody else.

Jack pointed at one of the girls who have hounded him since he first showed up. "Lavender. It's you, isn't it? Lavender Potter."

"I wish," she answered. "But no, it's Brown."

He pointed next to her. "Parvati Potter. It has alliteration."

"Close. It's Parvati Patil."

Jack pointed to the female Quidditch players in the back. "Katie Potter!"

"Katie Bell."

"Alicia Potter!"

"Alicia Spinnet."

"Angelina--"

"Johnson! You know it's Johnson!"

Movement in the crowd showed people coming forward. Ron, Hermione, and Neville were moving up front. "Neville?"

Neville cowered. "No! It's Longbottom!" He ran back into the crowd.

"Hair--Herme--no time for this, is it you?"

"Sorry. It's Granger."

"You know who it is, Jack," Ron said. "Think."

Jack tried to think, when a voice yelled in the crowd, "Oh, come off it!" Movement occurred at the back again, and someone Jack knew came before him. "Quit playing your twisted game, Samson. I'm Potter!"

"Potter," Jack whispered. "Harry . . . Potter."

"Yeah. You know you're not only nutters. You're also rather dense."

Jack was only looking at Harry in complete shock. "All this time. All this time," he whispered to himself. "We were friends."

"No we weren't," Harry muttered. Many in the group gasped.

Jack looked vengefully at his other friends. "You knew! You knew all along who he was, and you never said a word!"

"Everyone knows who Harry Potter is," Ron answered in a flat voice. "Even Muggle-borns."

"We only assumed that you knew as well," Hermione added.

"Oh, I know who Harry Potter is," Jack replied solemnly. He got off the mantel and looked Harry straight in the eyes. "Harry, you can feel however you wish about me, but do me one favor."

Harry rolled his eyes. "What is it Samson? I'm probably not going to do it, but tell me anyway."

"Tell me it's not true."

Harry was bewildered. "What?"

"Tell me you're lying! Tell me there is someone else!" Jack couldn't hide the tears in his eyes as he grabbed Harry's shoulders. "Tell me you're not Harry Potter!"

Harry pulled away from him. "I wish I could! Darn it, I wish I could! Do you think I like it? Living my life with no parents? Famous for something I can't even remember? Sometimes I hate it! Sure, it's better than living with my aunt and uncle, but still. Yet, I can't deny who I am. When I try, it stares me in the face." He pulled back his hair and revealed his lightning bolt scar, which seemed to be more inflamed than the time Jack had first seen it.

"Of course," Jack whispered. "It was there, right in front of me all along! Why did I not see?"

"Hang on," Collin said. "You don't want Harry Potter to be Harry Potter? That's what makes him so cool!"

"Yeah. Didn't you read The Quibbler?" Seamus asked. "Because the Daily Prophet wasn't telling the truth."

Jack heard many more confused comments all around him, all asking why he was speaking against Harry Potter. "You poor, innocent children!" Jack cried. "You do not know what shall befall you!" All went silent again. Everyone looked at Jack. Jack took a deep breath and stood on the mantel again. "It is probably better that you know now that you may be ready.

"Hear me! I know what I say is true. I have seen it. The day is coming when those who know magic will lose their souls. All those of your world will become puppets to the One Who You Fear. When he encounters a problem that he cannot control otherwise, he sends them. They are his last resorts, for they are his most secret, most dangerous weapons. They hide among mortals and are not distinguished, save for one mark of a shape of their choosing. This is why they are called the Scarred Ones. The mark is either on the head, the neck, the back, the wrists, even over the heart. For these have tasted death once and yet have survived. Because of this, they are given the power to speak two secret words. They speak these words to whomever the One Who You Fear desires, and those words are always the last things the victims ever hear. They are called the Words of Death."

"The Killing Curse," Hermione whispered.

"Oh, there are those who resist this fate. Some hide from him and do good works to others, but they will be discovered before their lives are over. Others have successfully resisted the One Who You Fear but at a terrible price. They lose their minds and perform their magic haphazardly.

"And how do the wizards fall into his hands? Does he attack them and take over, as he has done to mortal nations? No. For centuries, he had tried, but there is some barrier between them that he could not cross. Instead, they are handed over by a fifteen-year-old young man. A young man who practically worships the One Who You Fear, a young man who becomes the first dictator of the Scarred Ones and tortures his colleagues to be scarred and join his regime. A young man named Harry Potter."

There were cries of disbelief in the crowd. Harry looked at Jack in utter horror. "You are mental! Completely mental!"

"It's all right, everyone," Ron said. "Jack's just horribly confunded. He doesn't know what he's saying."

"Yes Ron, I do!" Jack said. "I cannot tell you how many people I talked to who told me of the horrors of the Scarred Ones, how they lost loved ones either to death or to the scar. They blamed a wizard named Potter. This is surely he! Do you not see?" Jack took Harry and pulled back the boy's hair over his forehead. "He is the first Scarred One!"

There was commotion all over the place. The Gryffindors just didn't know what to make of Jack's accusation. They couldn't decide if it was true or if Jack was crazy. They continued to mutter about it as they walked to their dorms. Harry was completely beside himself. He looked at Jack with total loathing. "Samson, you have done so many absurd things since you have come here, but this takes the cake! How can you say this about me? Why would I worship him after all that he has done to me? And I'm certainly not going to hand my friends over to him! Samson, I'm not evil!"

"Prove it," Jack said.

"And how do you expect me to do that?"

"Never go back to Undertaker again."

"I can't do that! He's protecting me from him! He's showing me how I can get my revenge!"

"He's lying! Harry, he's going to hand you over to the One Who You Fear. He's coming tonight!"

"Brilliant! We'll get to stop him once and for all!"

"Harry, I mean it. If you go to Undertaker tonight, you will forever be lost."

"Don't tell me what to do, Samson!"

Harry turned to the staircases. Ron also looked at Jack coldly. "Ron," Jack said. "I am sor--"

"Don't even talk to me," he answered. "I thought you were cool, but nobody who talks that way about Harry can be my friend." He also walked on to the dormitory.

Hermione, though, was going to her dorm, but then she stopped. She ran to the other staircase and called, "Harry, can I borrow your cloak tonight?"

"GET YOUR OWN!" Harry screamed and walked on his way. Hermione looked shocked and walked down to the common room.

Dean and Seamus came up to Jack. "Jack, you got to understand where we're coming from," Dean said. "We don't disbelieve you, but it can't be Harry."

"Yeah," Seamus added. "Dean and I have been talking about it. Maybe you're looking for another Harry Potter."

"Perhaps a Harold Potter from Australia."

"Who goes to . . . Warthog School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Good one, Seamus."

"Yes, quite clever," Hermione spoke up. "Too bad there's no such school, at least not listed in--"

"Don't even tell us where you read it, Hermione. We made it up."

"Yeah, thanks a lot, killjoy."

"What makes you think that it could be another?" Jack asked. "The evidence points to the contrary."

"Because Harry is a hero!" Dean answered. "Didn't you even listen to us, about he got that scar?"

"You told me that the One Who You Fear killed his parents and tried to kill him."

"Yeah, but that's only the beginning of it. You-Know-Who said those 'Words of Death' that you talked about to Harry when he was a baby. That's how Harry got that scar on his head, everybody knows that."

"But something strange happened," Seamus continued. "The curse rebounded, and it nearly killed You-Know-Who. He disappeared until a few years ago."

"Then Harry kept him from getting the Philosopher's Stone," Hermione interjected. "That was his first year. The next year he killed the basilisk that You-Know-Who set free. And last spring, he held You-Know-Who off. Didn't you even read that Quibbler article? I have a copy right here if you haven't."

"So you see," Dean concluded, "it can't be Harry. It wouldn't make sense. Why would he protect us from You-Know-Who for so long, and then change his mind?"

"He could be allowing you to believe a lie," Jack answered.

"No," Hermione shook her head. "I've known Harry longer than you. He wasn't leading us on to anything. However, it could be possible that something has changed. I mean, you've seen how Harry's demeanor has been growing more and more sour. I do believe You-Know-Who has something to do with that, and with him coming back tonight--"

"Wait, he's coming here?" Dean said.

"How do you know, Hermione?" Seamus asked.

"Well, it's rather obvious," Hermione answered. "Every time You-Know-Who has come for Harry, Dumbledore has been absent. I'm kinda surprised he hasn't come sooner, even though he is trying to hide. And Jack just said that he's coming, didn't he?"

"Yes," Jack nodded. "I must face the One Who You Fear."

"Jack, do you really know what you're up against?" Seamus asked.

"Yes. Better than you do. It is why I have been sent here."

"But you got here by accident, didn't you?" Dean said.

"That's what we thought, but it is not so. Perhaps the whole reason I am here is to stop Harry, that the Scarred Ones will never be."

"You may be too late," Hermione asked. "What you described sound much like You-Know-Who's supporters, who call themselves Death Eaters. There are plenty of those. Remember, they were just freed from Azkaban? Here, why don't you just read the article?"

She passed the magazine over to Jack. He sat down and started to read. "This doesn't sound like him," he said quizzically.

"Yeah, like I was just telling you, he's been changing throughout the year!"

"No, I mean this is not like the One Who You Fear."

"What do you mean? How is he not like Vold--" Hermione gasped and covered her mouth.

"What does this mean that he arose with the help of his father's bones? He has no father, save the evil of the world."

"Maybe you do take your kennings a bit too seriously."

"And he does not use a wand. He does not need it. Maybe this is another persona. He changed to deceive you."

"Changed? You mean he's a Metamorphmagus?"

"A what?"

"He can change his appearance at will."

"Of course."

"I didn't know that about him. I had thought about it, after what you said that first D.A. meeting you taught. What form do you know him as?"

Jack looked around suspiciously. "Aku," he whispered.

Hermione gaped at him. "Are you serious? The same Aku who . . . but he . . . well, it could be . . . I never considered that. I must think about this!" She ran up to her room.

There was something very strange about all this. Jack went up to his dormitory and rested on his bed for some time. Ron passed by his bed and looked at him in contempt. Jack just mulled over troubling thoughts. That seemed the only thing he got out of this experience, troubling thoughts. Then he remembered his promise to Firenze and got up to take a walk.

Yet as he was heading downstairs, he heard Undertaker's voice coming from a room he didn't recognize followed by Umbridge's voice. Jack quickly hid himself and pulled out his Extendable Ears.

"Where have you been all this time?" Umbridge demanded.

"I've been looking for the Headmaster," Undertaker said casually. "I was successful."

"Oh really? And where is Professor Dumbledore?"

Undertaker chuckled darkly. "I'll leave that for you to ponder, Headmistress Dolores."

"Very well." Professor Umbridge clearly sounded disappointed, but then she spoke more confidently. "I have something of my own for you to ponder, Antaeus. Shortly after I became Headmistress, I walked into my office and felt like something was different. Yet I couldn't for the life of me think of what it was."

"You mean the niffler? I heard about that. Such a cruel joke, I wish I knew--"

"No, before that. It occurred to me about the end of my first day. I had a new plate in my collection. It had a black kitten with the most adorable green eyes and a little red bow around its neck."

Undertaker chuckled again, though it sounded a bit more embarrassed this time. "All right, you got me. I was still upset that you became Headmistress, but I decided to let bygones be bygones. You have such an interesting taste in décor. I decided to get the plate for your collection."

"Well, that was thoughtful. But that's only part of the mystery. Sometimes the plate is there, and sometimes it is not."

"Well . . . " Undertaker sputtered for a while, as though he was searching for a lie. "It's . . . it's a vanishing plate. It's very rare. That ups the value of your collection."

"And it doesn't always behave as the others do. I've seen it looking at me very strangely. I do believe you when you say you've given me that plate. I believe that there's some sort of charm upon it to spy on me."

Undertaker replied with a hearty laugh. "Am I the kind of person who would do that to you?" Umbridge did not answer. "Oh, Dolores," he said suavely, "We are a formidable team, aren't we?"

"I don't know if I can agree with you. We hardly ever agree on anything."

"Oh yes, but at the heart of it all we stand on even ground. We punish those who don't follow what we say. We rule with an iron fist. That is why I want to let you in on something, because I don't want you to lose your job."

"Are you threatening my position as Headmistress?"

"Not threatening, no. I'm just giving you a forewarning so will not lose not only your position as Headmistress, but also as a professor and as, what was the position, oh yes Senior Undersecretary to the Minister."

"I'm not going to lose all of those jobs."

"Listen, Dolores. I'm going to tell you a secret I kept from you all year. I'm not working for the Ministry. I'm working for someone else. He's going to be changing things around here. All is in readiness for our takeover. I want you to be part of something big, because he will make you great. You'll never have to worry about You-Know-Who. He'll be gone forever."

"You're going to . . . no! I'm sorry, I remain loyal to the Ministry to the end!"

Undertaker chuckled again. "Dolores, Dolores, Dolores. We've had our number of tiffs, haven't we? Well, I'm afraid you're not going to disagree with me this time." Suddenly, the air grew bitterly cold, and Jack heard the crackling noise of magic. Another voice spoke, but it wasn't Undertaker's smooth voice. It almost sounded like a voice with which Jack was very familiar. "I WON'T LET YOU!"

Professor Undertaker began to scream. "Stop. Stop!" Then she gasped. "Let go of me!" she demanded.

Then Undertaker was thrown out of the room. "D-D-Dolores? So, you'll think about it?"

"Get out of my sight, Antaeus Undertaker! You're fired!"

Undertaker stood and dusted himself off. "I wouldn't be so hasty. Remember, I'm the High Inquisitor and Governor."

"But I have ties to the Ministry that you do not. I hereby declare that if the High Inquisitor sets one foot on the Hogwarts grounds again, he will immediately be sent to Azkaban!" As she spoke a parchment appeared in her hand. "This in accordance with Educational Decree Number Thirty," she read.

Undertaker glared at her. "You've made a big mistake, Dolores Umbridge. And when you send me to your little prison, you'll find that not even Azkaban can hold me." He walked away.

Umbridge spied Jack as he came out of hiding. "Well, Mr. Samson, I have taken your advice. I have severed all ties with Undertaker. You need not worry about him anymore. You were right about him."

"Apology accepted," Jack answered darkly.

Umbridge chuckled a high, girly laugh. "That was not an apology." She closed the door, and Jack saw Professor Snape standing on the opposite end of the hall. The professor raised his eyebrows at him and walked after Undertaker.

As Jack proceeded to the forest, several new questions buzzed in his head. How long had Snape been watching? What was he doing? Did Jack hear what he thought he heard?

Jack passed by Hagrid's hut to make sure Firenze was telling the truth. Jack saw the man's shaggy profile in the window, but Hagrid did not move. Jack didn't like it, but he made up his mind to investigate it later.

The forest actually looked somewhat cheerful in the sunset. Yet as Jack walked into the forest, something fell in front of him. He caught it. It was a cherry blossom. He looked and saw cherry trees and imperial palaces. He was home. Yet a biting wind blew the flower out of his hands, and it crumpled like a dried leaf. He saw the misty world of his dreams. It looked bleaker than usual, with everything black and the trees dying. The cold wind blew through the woods. Jack blinked, and everything changed back to normal. He shook his head and pressed on.

He saw nothing of interest until he came into the heart of the forest. Quite suddenly, an arrow whizzed by his head. Jack quickly drew his sword and looked directly to an oncoming army of centaurs with bows and arrows drawn and pointed directly at Jack's heart. A black-haired, chestnut-bodied centaur advanced toward Jack. "Who are you?" he asked coldly.

Jack thought he would best impress the army and avoid trouble if he earned their respect. So, he used the term one of their kind chose for him. "I am the Hunter."

The rest of the centaurs muttered to each other. "What is your name?" the leader asked.

"They call me Samurai Jack."

"A samurai, eh?" There was another brief pause. "What are you doing in our forest?"

"Your forest?" Jack asked angrily. "So, you are what Hagrid is hiding. This is a trap."

"Trap?" another young centaur yelled. "What is this about traps, human?"

"One of your kind told me to come to take a walk this night in the forest, and I knew--"

"He was sent from the traitor Firenze!" the first centaur yelled. "He must be destroyed!"

Without another word, the centaurs all began firing at him. Jack had not encountered a great challenge involving archery since he faced the three blind archers, and this was no exception. Jack dodged all of the arrows successfully and sliced several in half with his sword. Then he charged at the centaurs with a loud war cry.

Before he could even touch one of them, the ground started to shake. A crashing noise sounded around all of them. The centaurs turned their attention away from Jack and pointed their arrows upward. Two trees parted and revealed the misshapen visage of a giant. He gaped down at the creatures.

"Hagger!" he groaned. He repeated the word a few times, but no one replied.

"You are not welcome among us, giant!" the first centaur yelled.

"Where Hagger?" the giant yelled.

Jack thought closely and it occurred to him what Hagger could be. "In his house," he yelled. The giant looked at him, puzzled. It seemed he did not know the language. Jack spoke loudly and slowly. "I" (he pointed to himself) "know" (he pointed to his head) "Hagger. I have seen" (he pointed to his eyes) Hagger in his house" (he made his hands form a rooftop). The giant looked almost as though he understood. Jack gestured with his hand. "Come."

He "jumped good" so that the giant could see where he was going. The giant crashed after him as he ran enthusiastically after Jack. Finally, they reached Hagrid's hut. Jack pointed. "There is Hagger."

"Hagger?" the giant grunted.

Jack nodded and knocked on the door. "Hagrid, there is a giant wanting to see you. This is what you were hiding, isn't it?" No reply. Jack opened the door, only to find Hagrid inside the doorway enveloped in purple lightning. He didn't looked as frightened as the others. In fact, Hagrid was pointing a pink umbrella rather menacingly toward his attacker.

"Hagger!" the giant yelled. He reached down his hand. Jack screamed at him to stop, but the giant did not. As his massive hand surrounded the lightning column, he received a large shock. The giant removed his hand and wailed like a wounded animal. He put his fingers in his mouth. Tears streamed down the giant's face and splashed onto the ground creating a swimming pool-sized pond. "GRAWP WANT HAGGER!" the giant screamed. He began to slam his fist down onto the earth.

"Grawp control yourself!" Jack blurted out.

Just as Jack was saying that, Grawp began to slow down. "Grawp sleep," he moaned. He fell backward with a monstrous crash. A snore validated that the giant was truly asleep. Jack tried to leave the giant be, but he found himself right in the middle of the centaur herd. Once again they had their arrows pointed at him.

"What did you do to the giant?" the same centaur that inquired of him before demanded.

"Nothing. He fell asleep of his own accord, unless you shot him with a poisoned arrow."

"We do not believe you, Hunter. You are the one who would be so dishonest to use poison."

"I did nothing, unless he listened to me when I--" He stopped. Things were changing again. The bitter wind blew and everything looked dead once again. The centaurs were no longer holding arrows. They were wearing shackles on their arms and hooves. Something Jack couldn't see was whipping them, and they screamed in pain. Grawp was twisting and groaning in torture beside him.

"What are you staring at, human?" one of the centaurs voices said. Jack blinked and everything returned to normal.

"Listen!" Jack said. "A great evil is going to come upon this school tonight."

"Then why are you here? We do not concern ourselves with the school where the traitor has chosen to serve."

"It will affect your forest as well. You will be enslaved. You must put down your weapons and aid me. We stand together or we do not stand at all."

"It's a trick," a young centaur whispered.

"No!" Jack yelled. "I . . . just saw a vision."

"He uses the secrets the traitor taught him!" the young centaur yelled. "We must destroy him!"

"I will not fight!" Jack answered.

"Take his weapon! Destroy the human!" the centaurs chanted.

Jack sat down and would not stop them. "You are making a mistake!" he yelled at them. At that moment, he heard hooves coming from behind. The army of centaurs stopped.

"Thestrals!" the young one yelled.

Jack turned around and saw the whole herd charging toward them. Jack didn't know what to do so he jumped out of the way. The centaurs shot down something from the trees and tried to offer the carcass to the oncoming stampede in order to appease them. It was no good. The thestrals continued coming, biting and kicking. Their ruckus shook Jack out of the tree and knocked him out.

He awoke when he felt the smooth texture of a thestral's head. He opened his eyes and saw Grane. She whinnied (if you could call it that) and licked his ear. She didn't hurt him. She was happy to see him alive. Jack smiled and reached up to stroke her face, but then something jerked her head back. A rider sat upon Grane's back. Jack recognized him at once. It was his fellow warrior, the man who opened his eyes to thestrals. He looked young again, and he glowed like a star.

"You," Jack whispered.

"Well met, Samurai Jack," the rider replied. His voice was barely over a whisper, but somehow it still echoed throughout the forest.

"You are a ghost."

"I ride steeds such as these on the plains of Valhalla alongside the beautiful Valkarie. Yet fear not, my friend. Thy life is secure. The centaurs are also safe."

"It was you who sent Grane to me the night the Weasley brother ran away."

"Yea, 'tis so."

"Why?"

"Long has it been known in Valhalla that the Monster would attack this world. I have felt it my place to intervene, that the young boy and his companions will not meet my fate, or worse. That is why I have sent for thee."

"You? But it was Dumbledore who sent for me."

"Yes. He knew the monster was approaching and that thy weapon was the only tool to defeat it. I guided his heart and mind and have revealed thee to him."

"I hope you have done the right thing."

"I knowest that I have. You do not realize how much you have done already, and now that the Monster walks within your midst . . . I come to thee with a message and a boon. These thestrals are now at thy command. Long have they known what thou hast done for me. They know that thou hast respect for their mistress."

"I do not understand. Their master is Hagrid."

"Hagrid is their earthly master. I speak of Lady Death who hides her beasts behind a mysterious veil and givest them power. The thestrals honor thee. If thou needest them, all thou hast to do is call upon them, and they shall serve thee. And now, farewell."

Without another word, the warrior turned Grane around. "Wait!" Jack called after him. The warrior turned, but he looked impatient. "You know of the boy's evil. Why do you care for him?"

The warrior almost smiled. "You do not know the power this young lad holds in his destiny. The Valkarie sing of him, that he shall balance the world upon his fingers, for good or for ill. If the Monster lays hold of him, it shall surely be for ill. But if it is for good, how good it shall be!" He once again turned Grane around and trotted her off until they disappeared.

As the vision passed, Jack shook his head and continued walking. Why would he need the thestrals? How would they help? As he walked on, a black dog came out of nowhere and walked by his side. Jack petted its head. He walked on a few more paces than looked to his side. The dog was no longer there.

"Sirius?"

"Hello Jack."

"What are you doing here? You know you are protected in your house."

"Yeah, but I can't stay there. There are only two people left in the Order--me and Snape, and I don't trust Snivelus. How are things going with you?"

"Not well. Why did you not tell me that your godson was the infamous Harry Potter?"

"Dumbledore told me not--wait a minute, infamous?"

"Well, he is infamous where I came from. Before I was sent here, I had an unpleasant experience with a wizard. I bumped into him without knowing who he was, and he turned me into a chicken."

"Goodness! But turning Muggles into animals is illegal."

"This wizard had lost his mind. He did his magic haphazardly. A cruel man caught me and made me fight beasts and robots for his own profit. He threatened that if I refused or tried to escape, he would wring my neck. Never have I experienced such humiliation and dishonor. It was only by luck that we bumped into the same wizard and he changed me back and imposed my fate upon my unkind master. Naturally, I did not want that to happen again. I asked several people who that wizard was and what happened to him. They referred me to some people to talk to. They showed me the people affected by the Dark Lord's curse and told me what had happened." Jack explained what he told the Gryffindors.

Sirius shook his head. "You should never believe what people say about who's evil and who's not. I'm living proof of that."

"What do you mean?"

"You remember when I told you that I was hiding because of my past? Well, I'm wanted for . . . murder."

Jack felt he could guess that. "Self-defense."

"No."

"You were fulfilling the last wishes of a friend, granting him a good, honorable death."

"Uh-uh."

"He was your enemy."

"Jack, you don't get it. They say I killed thirteen people, mostly Muggles, with one curse."

"You did not!"

"No. I'm not guilty of any of those deaths. It went like this. One of my best friends in school was Harry's father, James Potter. After school, we remained good friends. He made me Harry's godfather. But then the Dark Lord came after Harry. Dumbledore told us that it would be the best to hide them with the Fidelius Charm. That's the same charm put on my place. James wanted me to be his Secret-Keeper, and I almost agreed. But then I decided that this was exactly what the Dark Lord was expecting. I was James' best friend. Once he made me Secret-Keeper, the Dark Lord would come after me. So, at the last moment, I suggested that he make the Secret-Keeper a certain weakling who tagged along with us. The Dark Lord would never expect that." Sirius sighed and looked away. "I still regret that."

"He told?"

"More than that. He was the Dark Lord's servant. His name is Peter Pettigrew. We called him Wormtail because he could turn into a rat. He told the Dark Lord where the Potters hid, and the Dark Lord killed James and Lilly."

"Just the next day, Peter cornered me on a busy street. He openly accused me of betraying Lilly and James. I tried to kill him there, but he had a wand hidden behind his back. He made the curse and killed everybody that happened to be around. Then he turned into a rat and scurried into the sewers. Just before he transformed, he cut off his finger. So everyone thought I blew Peter and all those Muggles to smithereens, but I was framed.

"The only people who know the whole, true story are Harry, his friends, and the Order. Everyone else still believes that I am evil. Until I can bring proof that Peter is still alive, I will have to hide. Do you see?"

Jack bowed his head. "Yes. I see." They had walked into a clearing. Jack sat upon a log. "I do not belong here."

"What do you mean?"

"I have no magical abilities. I do not know your ways. I've haven't had enough of a chance to be myself. All I have done is made mistakes."

"Nonsense," Sirius said sitting beside him. "Dumbledore says you belong here, so you belong here."

"Why did Dumbledore summon me?"

"You know, I'm not really sure. It certainly didn't make sense to me after Remus was attacked when Dumbledore said he was going to summon a Muggle samurai warrior who was trapped in the future. But Dumbledore is wise, and he knew what he was doing. Look, if you don't feel confident, I'll come with you."

"I would appreciate that."

They walked back toward the school. At the main entrance, they saw something quite remarkable. Several columns of energy lined the way. Sirius ran to the first one he saw, which contained someone in tattered robes who looked more like a beast than it did a man. "Remus! Remus! It's me, Sirius! Can you hear me? Moony, it's Padfoot! Answer me!"

As Jack came to get a closer look, Remus looked to him and solemnly bowed his head. "That's strange. He saw you, but he didn't see me," Sirius whispered.

A middle-aged wizard beside Remus also bowed to Jack as he passed. Next to him was an elderly witch who bowed her head. Next to her were Arthur and Molly Weasley, and they also bowed. They didn't look frightened, as when Jack first saw them. They looked resigned.

Several wizards and witches stood in the procession. Some younger ones did not bow to Jack but smiled and made friendly gestures. Jack wondered why Dumbledore wasn't in line, but actually he was. He stood in front of the door, free. "Professor Dumbledore," Jack greeted with a bow.

Dumbledore looked at Jack with solemn eyes. "There is still hope," he said in a weak tone of voice. He opened his hands to Jack and revealed an old-fashioned, ornate, golden key. Jack looked at it for a moment. What was it meant for? Did it open the door behind Dumbledore? How will it help? He turned back to Sirius, who only shrugged. The others were looking imploringly at Jack, as though they were urging him to take it.

So, Jack stretched his hand forward and took the key from Dumbledore's open palm. Immediately, Dumbledore lurched as though he was having a heart attack. He stiffened and fell. His body rolled into line, and he was trapped in the black lightening column.

"Dumbledore!" Jack and Sirius cried at once. Jack almost drew his sword, but Dumbledore held up his hand to stop him. He looked toward the door.

The lock had the same decoration as the key, so it must work. Jack unlocked the door and opened it.

Darkness filled the other side. Aku's laughter came forth along with a burst of energy. Sirius didn't see it coming and stepped forward first. It got him, and Sirius was also trapped.

"Sirius!" Jack cried, but then Sirius was gone. Jack found himself in his bed with the curtains wide open. It was all another dream. The moon was high in the sky. Midnight was approaching fast.

So, what did this dream mean? "There is still hope." What hope? What could be accomplished by Dumbledore's attack? The sibyl said it tore the barriers away, but--wait, what did Dumbledore say before he left? "I am aware of the risk. Understand, though, that it will not happen unless I allow it." That's it! Aku would not attack with Dumbledore here. He had to get rid of the headmaster and every defense he set up. The only way for him to come was for them to be out of the way. That's the mysterious reason of why such strong, powerful wizards were so easily beaten. They allowed it to happen! They put themselves in the line of fire so that Jack could get to Aku! What a brave plan! Jack made sure to remember it.

Then, there was a loud groan. "He's coming! He's coming! I can feel him!" Harry screamed. Jack could feel him too. The evil presence was stronger than ever. Jack was almost sure that he heard a whisper. "Now? Now is the time? Is it safe? OK, I'm coming."

The curtains to Harry's bed opened, and Harry got out. He was clearly in a trance. He left the dorm room whispering once again, "The time is now."