Chapter 23: True Fear

Harry and the Weasley's quickly greeted Jake and Hermione, with Arthur giving him a quick apology for his irrational and unacceptable behavior at the end of last year, and began to rush to get on the train. Jake and Hermione quickly said goodbye to her parents and Arthur had to talk to Harry, and he almost missed the train because of it. Jake held his hand out for him and pulled him on before it fully left the station.

"Close call there, mate," Ron said to him.

"Come on, let's just find a compartment," Harry said shortly, "I need to talk to you three privately."

"That means go away, Ginny," Ron said rather rudely to his sister.

"Oh, that's nice," she said, angered at him, "It was great seeing you again, Jake," she said before disappearing from sight.

"Couldn't have said that any nicer, Ron?" Jake asked him.

"Who cares?" Ron asked back. Jake had only seen him for about five minutes, and he was already getting on his nerves.

They looked for an empty compartment, but the farther down the train they went, the more full each compartment seemed to be, "Remind me why you Weasley's wait so long to get to King's Cross?" Jake asked him, remembering how late they arrived last year, and assumedly in their First Year as well.

Ron ignored him as they found a compartment with a single occupant, "Might as well," Hermione said, squeezing into the compartment with the three boys; she sat next to Harry and Jake sat next to Ron, but across from the man. The occupant was sleeping next to the window and looked very out of place, considering that the Hogwarts Express was reserved for students, minus the conductor and trolley lady that asked anyone if they wanted sweets. Jake assumed teachers either never left, or used the Floo network to get to and from Hogwarts.

The man sitting with them was wearing shabby looking wizard robes. He also looked quite ill and exhausted, which would explain why he was asleep. He still seemed quite young, minus the exhausted look; his brown hair was flecked with grey spots.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron asked.

"Professor R.J. Lupin," Hermione whispered at once.

"How on Earth could you possibly know that?" Ron looked at her, wide-eyed.

"It says it right there, on his luggage," Jake pointed out. Sure enough, on the luggage rack, there was a piece of luggage that had his first two initials and last name on it.

"I wonder what he teaches?" Ron asked as he looked at Professor Lupin with a frown.

"That much is obvious," Hermione said with an air of superiority, "it has to be Defense Against the Dark Arts, that's the only vacant position."

"Well... I hope he's up to it," Ron said doubtfully, "one good Hex looks like it would finish him off, doesn't it? Anyway," he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?"

Harry then began to explain all about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's argument they apparently had and the warning Arthur had given him. When he finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, Hermione had her hands over her mouth, and Jake didn't look any different than usual, "I mean... trouble has a nasty habit of finding you, Harry, if he did escape for a reason, it doesn't surprise me that it was because of you."

"I don't know why Harry would want to go find him anyway, that's just asking for a quicker death," Ron said as his face paled.

Chloe, who had been flying beside the train, suddenly flew into the compartment, flew around a few times, and perched on Jake's shoulder, "Hello, Chloe, get tired of flying?"

She wasn't paying him any mind. Her beady eyes were on the door, as though she was waiting for someone or something to walk through it.

They continued on like that hadn't happened, and a faint noise could be heard, "What is that?" Ron asked.

"It's coming from Harry's bag," Jake pointed out. He stood up and unzipped his bag, pulling out something he hadn't seen before.

"Is that a sneakoscope ?" Hermione asked interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah, mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron pointed out, "it went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" Hermione asked shrewdly.

"No! Well... I wasn't supposed to be using Errol, you know he's not up for long journeys, but how else was I going to get Harry's present to him?"

"Just throw it back in there, Jake," Hermione said, "before it has a chance to wake Professor Lupin up."

He nodded and tossed it back in Harry's bag, "We could get it checked in Hogsmeade?" Ron asked, "They sell all sorts of stuff in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff, Fred and George told me."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked him, "I've heard it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain."

"Yeah, I think it is," Ron said in an off-handed sort of way, "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes."

"What's that?" Jake asked, for no reason, really, as he wasn't going to be heading there anyway.

"It's this sweetshop," Ron said, his mouth beginning to water a bit, "where they've got everything ! Pepper Imps, Big Chocoballs full of Strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent Sugar Quills," Ron went on about sweets.

"But it's also a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione asked, urging him to give up more information, "In Sites of Historical Sorcery , it says the Inn was the headquarters for the 1612 Goblin Rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted place in Britain-"

"- and massive Sherbert balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," Ron continued, plainly not listening to Hermione at all.

She then turned to Harry, "Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"I expect it will..." Harry said heavily, "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"What d'you mean?" Ron asked him.

"I can't go... the Dursley's never signed my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either..." Harry said, not looking at any of them.

Ron looked horrified, " You're not allowed to come ? But - no way - McGonagall or someone will give you permission-"

Harry gave them a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall of Gryffindor House was very strict.

"- or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle-"

"Ron!" Hermione said sharply, "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose-"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall would say when I ask for permission," Harry said bitterly.

"But if we're with him," Ron said spiritedly to Hermione, "Black wouldn't dare-"

"Ron... I don't think Black will care... mind you, Jake is easily the most powerful of the four of us, Harry might stand a chance against Black if he's there, but Jake can't be with Harry at all times," Hermione pointed out matter-of-factly.

Jake wondered for a moment if he should tell them that he won't be going to Hogsmeade. Before he had much of a chance to think further, Hermione heard a scratching on the closed compartment door and quickly opened it to see Crookshanks lazily meander in, "Jake, this is Crookshanks, I got him yesterday at Magical Menagerie, the same shop you got Chloe at. The shop owner said he'd been there for so many years."

"Why is that thing out?!" Ron snapped at her.

Upon walking in, Crookshanks leapt onto the seat beside Hermione, stretched, yawned, and then sprang onto Ron's knees. The lump in his pocket began trembling something awful. Before anyone could do anything about Crookshanks, Chloe flew off of Jake's shoulder, her talons facing Crookshanks. She pushed him off of Ron's knees and hovered in place with a gentle flap of her wings. She stared Crookshanks down, and he lazily stared back at her, but his form was poised to attack if she tried anything.

"Chloe," Jake said slowly, "That is enough out of you," she lowered to the ground, planting her talons on the floor, but never once did she take her eyes off Crookshanks. Jake knew that Chloe had to know about Crookshanks, as they both came from the same shop and Crookshanks was there for a long time, just like Chloe.

No one said anything for a good minute. Professor Lupin stirred, and their gazes switched to watch him apprehensively. He merely was turning his head the other way, and slept on.

Eventually, Chloe and Crookshanks came to an armistice, with Chloe going back to Jake's shoulder and Crookshanks leaping onto an empty seat next to Hermione, "I'm sorry about that, Hermione, I don't know what came over her."

"It's alright, it might just have been an old rivalry between them. You did say she had been at Magical Menagerie for a long time, after all," she smiled at him.

He smiled back and they settled into a mostly comfortable silence as the train moved steadily North. The scenery passing by, and a landscape that Jake never got tired of seeing. Scotland had some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, he felt. Not that he saw much else, though. He enjoyed it while he could, because the clouds overhead became thicker, darkening the landscape.

People were chasing backwards and forwards outside of their compartment. A moment later and the plump Witch with food came by, asking them if they wanted anything.

"D'you think we should wake him?" Ron asked, nodding towards Lupin, "He looks like he could do with some food."

Hermione approached him carefully and tried to wake him up, to absolutely no avail.

"Oh, don't worry dear," the Witch spoke as she handed Harry a stack of Cauldron cakes and Jake got some Pumpkin Pasties and a Chocolate Frog, "If he's hungry when he wakes up, I'll be up front with the conductor." She smiled as she slid their compartment door closed.

Jake handed Hermione one of the Pumpkin Pasties, which she accepted. Upon first bite, her face indicated that they were, quite simply, the best snack she'd ever had, "This is amazing! Thank you so much!" She said to Jake with a near full mouth.

"You're welcome, I wasn't sure if you'd like them, but they looked good," he shrugged and opened the Chocolate Frog, grabbing it before it could run and biting its head off; thankfully it was pure chocolate. He looked at the card when he was done, "Bowman Wright," he flipped it over, "A skilled metal-charmer, Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow is credited with the invention of the Golden Snitch."

"Really?" Harry asked him. "You wanna trade for it?"

"What are you offering, Potter?" He said in a challenging tone.

Hermione shook her head as she smiled, eating her third Pumpkin Pasty, "I'll never understand the Chocolate Frog Card craze."

"Don't ever collect your first one then, otherwise you just might," Ron warned her.

Professor Lupin let out a sudden snore, reminding them he was there. He might not be very good company, but his presence in their compartment had its uses. In mid-afternoon, just after it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps in the corridor again. Soon, appearing at their door, were the three least liked people amongst the four, as far as students were concerned at least. Draco Malfoy and his two goons flanked him, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Draco and Harry had been enemies since they first met two years ago to the day. Malfoy was shorter than his cronies, with platinum blonde hair and he had a pale, pointed, sneering face half the time.

"Well, look who it is," Malfoy said in his usual lazy drawl, "Potty and the Weasel." Crabbe and Goyle began to laugh hideously, "I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, did your mother die of shock?"

Jake stood up and walked right up to Draco, "I'm going to say this as politely as I can, okay?" He paused for a moment, "Fuck off."

Draco took a step back. Crabbe and Goyle were no help to him, because they were honestly a bit afraid of Jake. He's never had to fight them, but they honestly didn't want to find out who'd win.

Malfoy looked past him, "Who's that?"

"New teacher," Harry responded in kind.

"Come on," Malfoy muttered to his goons. He wasn't stupid enough to do something in front of a teacher.

Ron was fuming, "I'm not going to take any more rubbish from him this year. I mean it, if he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get a hold of his head and-" Ron then made a wringing gesture with his hands.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet further north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering grey, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept, 'Out like a light...'

"We must be nearly there," Ron said, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black windows. The words had hardly left his mouth as the train began to slow down, "Brilliant, I'm starving. I want to get to the feast."

"When are you not hungry?" Jake asked, but his question was quickly overshadowed.

"We can't be there yet," Hermione said, looking at her watch.

"So why are we stopping?" Harry asked her.

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the rain and wind sounded louder than ever against the windows.

Harry got up from his seat as he was nearest the door and poked his head out of the compartment.

The train suddenly came to a full stop; distant thuds and bangs could be heard, telling them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Distant 'ow's' told them some people had been hit with said luggage.

Without warning, every lamp went out and they were all plunged into darkness. Jake pulled his wand out, not going to put up with the dark, " Lumos Maxima !"

Light was suddenly cast brightly inside their compartment and expanded a far distance, allowing others several sections away to see almost clearly.

"Brilliant!" Hermione said excitedly, "I haven't practiced with Lumos Maxima so I didn't know exactly how bright it could shine."

"Should've seen it last year in the Forbidden Forest when we were following the spiders to see Aragog," Harry said to her.

"What d'you think happened?" Hermione asked.

"Did we break down?" Ron asked.

"Dunno..." Harry replied.

Ron stood up and looked out the window, having to step in between Jake and Lupin, "There is something moving out there... I think people are coming aboard-"

Neville appeared at the doorway, "Do any of you know what's going on?" He asked, walking in and sitting down between Ron and the wall.

"No. Your guess is as good as anyone's at the moment," Jake told him.

Ginny also showed up moments later, "Ron! What's going on? Do you know?"

"No idea," Ron said with a shrug.

Jake held his wand limply and was the only one to hear Professor Lupin speak, "Extinguish your light."

Jake looked at him curiously before whispering, "Nox."

The bright light disappeared and everyone was plunged into darkness, once again. Hermione was about to ask him why he did that when there were suddenly soft, crackling noises and a shivering light that filled only their compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, grey face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

Jake exhaled and saw his breath, realizing just how cold it had gotten. He turned as the door to their compartment slowly opened. He didn't even remember seeing Ginny close it or see her sit down, but she was between Hermione and Harry. His eyes moved immediately back to the door. It was halfway open and he saw a hand, sickly grey and scabbed. Jake looked up and saw that it was to the ceiling, but it was floating off the ground, so it wasn't as tall as the ceiling.

He sensed nothing but danger from this thing. His eyes changed colors, but before he could hit it with anything, his eyes changed back to their usual Blue, and then he heard yelling.

'GO UP TO YOUR FUCKING ROOM!'

Jake looked around, his breathing erratic, he didn't know where the voice was coming from, the only thing his mind told him was to get away from this creature and that voice. Especially that voice.

'YOU SHOULD'VE LEFT IT THERE!'

'What the hell was that!? What did you DO!? *smack* GET BACK HERE!'

He closed his eyes and cradled his head in between his hands, trying to make himself as small as possible.

Then suddenly, the feeling was gone, but he didn't feel any better.

Hermione saw him and was beside him in a second. Jake was huddled into the corner of the compartment, feet up on the seat, fear in his eyes. His lower lip was shaking and his breath was uneven. She placed a hand on him, but removed it when he flinched. Seeing him like this broke her heart, "Jake?" She spoke softly, but he remained unmoved. It was almost like he was in a catatonic state.

Ron and Neville had helped Harry back into his seat when he came to, "Are you okay?" Ron asked him.

"Yeah," Harry said, his eyes jolting quickly to the door. The hooded creature had long since gone, "What happened? Where is that - that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed..." Ron said, looking nervous.

"Maybe not for us..." Hermione said, looking back at Jake. Whatever that thing was, whatever that thing did, it almost broke him.

She looked at Professor Lupin when she heard a snapping sound. He had a bar of chocolate and was breaking off pieces, giving Harry a slightly larger piece, and he handed one to Hermione, "If he's able to, get him to eat that, would you?" He asked, referring to Jake. She nodded, and would try in a few minutes.

"What was that thing?" She heard Harry ask. She looked over and he hadn't eaten the chocolate yet.

"A Dementor... one of the Dementors that guard Azkaban," he said briefly. He crumpled up the empty wrapper and stuck it in his pocket. They all looked at him, except for Jake, "Eat, it'll help. I need to talk to the conductor, excuse me," he said and made his way out and towards the front of the train.

Hermione took a bite out of her piece and felt better for sure, despite not being affected that much by it. She looked over at her best friend, the boy she secretly loved, "Jake?" She asked gently. He didn't look at her, or even acknowledge she spoke to him, "Can you please talk to me?" She asked, softness in her soothing voice. He had since dropped his hands to his lap, hidden behind his knees, and his feet were on the seat still. He did, ever so briefly, glance over at her.

"Hey... do you want some Chocolate?" She asked him, smiling at him, "It might help?" His eyes darted around for a moment, as though surveying his surroundings to be sure it was safe to move. He did slowly turn and place his feet on the floor again; Hermione held out a hand with some Chocolate for him to take.

He slowly extended his arm and took it from her. He bit into the Chocolate and the life came back into his eyes, the color back into his face; Hermione smiled at him.

She heard Ginny sob across from her and she went and comforted the poor girl. Lupin came back a moment later, "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes." He turned to Harry, "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Fine," Harry tried to reassure Professor Lupin.

The rest of the journey to Hogwarts was spent in silence. Hermione looked and saw Jake feeling much better.

She looked and saw that Chloe had perched herself on the luggage rack above them, and she saw Crookshanks at her feet.

When the train came to a halt at Hogsmeade station, there was a scramble to get off and up to the Castle. Hermione couldn't imagine how the First Years felt.

They stepped outside and immediately felt like they were freezing, the cold weather and the rain pelting them, it was too cold for this early in September, but Hermione had a feeling it was because of the Dementors, "Firs' Years! Firs' Years over here!" They heard the familiar voice of Hagrid. He spotted them, "All righ', you four?" They waved at him, but had no chance to talk to him.

They were ushered onto a mud tracked pathway that led to about a hundred or so Carriages. Hermione knew something was pulling them, she could feel them but she couldn't see them. Jake could see them, though, and she wondered why.

Hermione and Ron did keep an eye on Harry after they climbed into a carriage after he fainted. She also kept an eye on Jake, but he seemed much better, so she trusted him to be alright.

The carriage came to a halt and everyone began piling out, "You fainted , Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted ?" Came the ear scratching tone of Draco Malfoy.

Hermione had stepped off after Harry and Ron and stared at the loathsome cockroach that was Malfoy, "Shove off, Malfoy," Ron said with a clenched jaw.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" Draco snickered, "Did the scary old-" he stopped talking immediately.

Hermione only had to look behind her to know why. Jake was standing behind her, giving Malfoy a cold and blank, yet murderous glare. He really knew how to make the air thick around him; she was finding it a little hard to breathe as well.

The crowd, rather quickly, hurried into the school to get away from both the rain, and Jake. It was known by now that he was immensely powerful, and could make the air around him thick and heavy. Only his immediate friends were not put off by him.

"Potter, Granger, Fernandes! I want to see you three," came the voice of Professor McGonagall.

They all turned and she was looking at them over the crowd. McGonagall always had a way of making you feel like you did something wrong, and the look on their faces must've been just that.

"There is no need to look so worried - I just want a word in my office," she said to them, "Move along there, Weasley."

Ron stared at them as they followed Professor McGonagall. The three of them accompanied her through the Entrance Hall, up the marble staircase and along a corridor.

They found themselves in her office, a large, welcoming fire in the back of the room. McGonagall motioned for them to sit down, and she herself sat behind her desk, "Professor Lupin owled ahead and told me what happened on the train. He said that both Potter and Fernandes were the most affected by the Dementor?"

Before any of them could answer, Madam Pomfrey, the school's Matron, entered the office, "Oh, it's you two," she said in a tone that indicated she wasn't surprised, "what dangerous thing did you do this time?"

"It was a Dementor, Poppy," McGonagall informed her at once.

Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened and she shook her head, "Setting Dementors around a school, honestly," she said and began checking over the both of them, "Well, you two won't be the first who collapse due to a Demen-"

"Jake didn't faint," Hermione said quickly.

Pomfrey looked at her, "Then what did happen?"

"W-Well... h-he went into this - like, Catatonic state..." she explained.

Madam Pomfrey looked at Jake warily, "The Chocolate Professor Lupin gave us really worked, I felt better after biting into it."

"He looked better as well," Hermione said, not immediately realizing what she said.

"Really? A Defense Professor who actually knows what he's talking about? Mark it on the Calendar, Minerva," Pomfrey said, looking at McGonagall. Hermione had only just realized her word choice and hid her face behind her hair.

"Are you sure you both feel alright?" McGonagall asked again, just to make sure.

"Yes, Professor," Jake replied before Harry could. He was clearly agitated about this.

"Very well," she said and turned to Harry, "Potter, I ask that you kindly wait outside while I discuss with Granger and Fernandes their timetables, then we can all go down to the feast." Harry got up and left, glancing back just before he closed the door, "Now, you both understand what it is I am about to hand you, correct?"

"Yes, Professor," Hermione answered.

"Perfectly," Jake said.

"Alright. Since you both are in the same House, and you have decided to take every class, there was no need to get more than one Time Turner," McGonagall said, producing the Time Turner, "You are to only use this for educational purposes. Any mishandling or misuse of this object will result in immediate expulsion and being tried in the Ministry for attempting to alter time itself. Understood?" She asked and they both nodded, "Good," she handed it to Hermione after Jake motioned for McGonagall to give it to her. "Let's go retrieve Potter and head down to the feast, shall we?"

They both nodded and collected Harry outside, making their way to the Great Hall. It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long house tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating above the tables in mid-air. Professor Flitwick, the shortest professor, and probably shortest Wizard in Britain, was seen carrying a three-legged stool and an ancient looking hat from the hall.

"Oh," Hermione said softly, but disappointed, "We've missed the sorting!"

Professor McGonagall strode off towards her seat at the teacher's table and the three of them went to find Ron at the Gryffindor Table. Several people looked and pointed at Harry. Hermione wondered if the news had spread that fast? It was Hogwarts; news and rumors spread like a nasty flu. Harry and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, and Jake realized he had nowhere to sit, "I'm sorry, Jake, I tried to save you a seat, but no one seemed to care," Ron said, looking regretful.

"It's okay," he said meekly and wandered down the table, looking for an empty spot. Hermione watched him walk away from her with a heavy heart.

"You should've tried harder, Ronald," Hermione said, more aggressively than she meant to.

"I'm sorry, okay? I really tried, but I can't clear a room like he can..." Ron said.

Hermione was about to reply when Dumbledore began to speak, "Welcome!" He said in a booming voice, the candlelight shimmering on his beard, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things I'd like to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it is best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled with our excellent feast..." he cleared his throat and he continued, "As you will be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban Prison, who are here on Ministry of Magic business," he paused a moment before continuing, "They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are here with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even invisibility cloaks. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects, and our new Head Boy and Head Girl, to make sure that no student runs foul of Dementors."

Hermione glanced over at Percy, who looked important with his chest puffed out as he glanced around at everyone.

Dumbledore had paused again, looking around the room seriously, and for a second, nobody made a move or a sound, "On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. Firstly, Professor Lupin, who kindly consented to filling the Defense Against the Dark Arts position."

There was lots of unenthusiastic applause, but at least six Gryffindor's clapped loudly for him. Hermione heard Ron tell Harry to look at Snape, so she did so herself and noticed he did not look happy. He never looked happy, but particularly so; he was looking down the staff table at Professor Lupin with a snarl. Really, people should be more grateful Snape didn't get it, Hermione thought.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued, "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs," Dumbledore said so casually. Hermione's eyes widened as he continued, "However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

There was a tumultuous applause at the Gryffindor table, and they saw Hagrid wiping his tears that seemed never ending.

"Well, I think that's all of the important stuff," Dumbledore said with a smile, "Let the feast... begin!"

The golden plates and goblets filled before Hermione's very eyes, like they usually did, but she never got tired of seeing the magic happen. Still, she couldn't enjoy the feast as much as she wanted to without being able to talk to Jake as well. She saw Neville across from them, and he was quite obviously avoiding looking at them, or at least Harry.

She leaned over the table somewhat, holding her hair up off the table, to see if she could find Jake. To her dismay, there were just too many Gryffindor's to find him. She sighed and sat back down, eating and drinking at a slower than usual pace.

When the feast was over, the three of them made their way to Hagrid to congratulate him. They arrived up there to see Jake, and Hermione smiled widely, "Congratulations, Hagrid," they each told him.

"All down ter you four," Hagrid said, wiping his shining face with a napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed the three of them away.

"Is Jake not coming with us?" Hermione asked her, noticing that he walked up to Dumbledore.

"He has something to discuss with the Headmaster, he will be there to join you all soon, now hurry up!" She shooed them again and they walked away, Hermione glanced back again to see him and Dumbledore talking for a moment.

They joined the stream of Gryffindors heading up the marble staircase and towards Gryffindor Tower. After finally arriving, a large lady in a pink dress looked at them, "Password?"

"Coming through, coming through," Percy yelled over the crowd, pushing his way through, "The new password is Fortuna Major !"

"Oh no..." she heard Neville from somewhere behind them. He was notoriously bad with remembering things.

Upon entering the Common Room, the boys and girls separated to go to their respective Dorm Rooms, but Hermione stayed up in the Common Room to await Jake's return. She went over to one of the bookshelves in the Common Room and grabbed a random book to pass the time.

*******

Jake was walking with Dumbledore to his office. The corridors were dark and ominous with how dimly lit the candles were. They came to a gargoyle and Dumbledore spoke a password, "Licorice Wand." The gargoyle moved aside and Dumbledore led the young boy to a spiraling staircase that began to move when they were on it. They rode the steps all the way up to his Office Door. He opened the door and let Jake walk inside before he closed it. He briskly walked over to his massive desk and sat down behind it, motioning to the chair across from him.

Jake sat down and looked at the Headmaster with a neutral, but somewhat menacing look. Dumbledore felt the slightest bit of unease, "So..." he started slowly, "Tom the Barman told me that you have taken up a new residence?" In fact, the only thing Dumbledore even remotely feared was the power of Merlin.

"Indeed I have, sir," Jake said calmly.

"Might I ask where it is?"

"Somewhere safe and secure," Jake partially answered.

Dumbledore knew Jake wouldn't tell him, and for some reason, his Legilimency wasn't working on the boy. "Have you told your friends about any of this?" Dumbledore asked. Actually asking would be the only way he'd get information out of this boy.

"Just that I am related to Merlin," he gave a half-truth, "I didn't initially want to, but I figured it best if they heard it from me directly."

Dumbledore didn't pick up on it, though, "I see... before I get to it, I will inform you that I have kept your survival of the Killing Curse a secret from everyone. Only you and myself are aware of it. So, you asked me to tell you about your family at the start of term, so that is what I shall do. It's the least I can do for you," Dumbledore tried to ease the tension in the air, "Let me see..." he had to prod his own memory to find the information Jake sought-after. "As you're probably aware, Merlin's descendants were powerful Witches and Wizards, including you. For years, the lives of most of his grandchildren had been cut short, for one reason or another."

'That explains why most branches of the tree in the portrait at Merlin's Tower ended at such young ages. Even the ones who did live long enough to have children died not long after...' He couldn't place why that could be the case, though.

"To combat the low survival probability of Merlin's bloodline, many children were born, but most of them did not live beyond age four. Eventually, the Ambrosius Bloodline went to America and changed their last name to Ambrose. Children were still birthed at an alarming rate, and still the same thing happened. Eventually, having that many children stopped being sustainable, so your ancestors settled on having only one or two children at a time. That much has been historically proven. Eventually, it got to you, but your birth was unknown until five days before your Eleventh birthday."

"So... who were they exactly?" Jake asked. He could probably find the information at the Tower, but he wanted to see what Dumbledore told him.

"They held many jobs, both in and out of the Wizarding World. Believe it or not, your ancestors were actually the pioneers for the Magical Congress of the United States of America. I don't readily recall which of your ancestors it was, but he was the first President of MACUSA. For a century or two, it was your family that were the Presidents, before they were voted out one election year, and they never regained the momentum to win another. Steadily, their influence began to fall, and soon, it was all but entirely forgotten that the name Ambrose was Merlin's Bloodline..." Dumbledore trailed off.

Jake paled, "What? Forgotten?"

"Almost... When your mother died, that was when everyone thought the Bloodline truly died. You have proved that to be untrue," Dumbledore smiled at him.

Jake was speechless after that. He didn't really know what to even say.

"If it weren't for your eyes changing to red when performing wandless magic, I wouldn't have believed it myself," Dumbledore said to him.

"I think... I think I need to go and sleep now... this is a fair bit to process..."

"I understand, have a good night, Jake, you and Miss Granger have a busy year ahead of you," Dumbledore said, knowing they had taken every class offered for Third Years.

Jake got out of the chair and left Dumbledore's office, trudging through the darkened corridor.

His family had once been so great in status, only to fall from grace. People seemed to stop associating the name Ambrose with Merlin, 'I wonder why that is?'

He got to the Fat Lady, "Password?"

His heart sank into his stomach; he didn't know the Password.

By the absolute grace of some Bushy-Haired Divine Being, the portrait swung open, "Jake!" Hermione said breathlessly.

"Hermione? What are you still doing awake?" He asked, stepping into the Common Room.

"I waited for you, obviously," she said like it was supposed to be obvious.

They sat down on one of the couches, "You didn't have to, but I'm glad you did."

"Yeah, you never were told the Password, were you?" Hermione asked him. He shook his head, "It's Fortuna Major ."

"Thanks... thank you again... for letting me in the Tower," he smiled at her.

She felt her cheeks burn, "Anytime..." They sat quietly for a moment, before she got up the nerve to ask him something, "Hey... I wanted to ask... where did you sit after Ron failed to save you a seat?"

"Oh... Katie Bell, she had scooted over as far as she could make her friends move, and... she let me sit beside her... it was nice of her," he smiled down at the floor a moment, missing the pained look on Hermione's face. "We should go to bed... Dumbledore said we have a busy year ahead of us," he said to her.

"You're right," she stood up quickly, trying to hide her hurt look. He stood up as well, but not as fast, and she hugged him, "Good night, Jake."

"Good night, Hermione," they pulled back from each other and he watched her go up the girl's staircase.

He turned to go up the boy's staircase when he heard someone call his name, "Jake, over here," he looked around for the voice, but didn't see it. "On the wall across from the fireplace."

Jake walked over to the wall opposite the fireplace and he saw Merlin in a portrait of someone he didn't remember the name of. Merlin was now occupying that frame, "Merlin? What are you doing here?"

"Terribly sorry for bothering you at this hour, but I may have eavesdropped on your conversation with... what did he call himself? Dumbledore? Yes, I believe so... what he told you was almost entirely true, but there was one thing that isn't true," Merlin said to him.

"What was that?"

"The eyes change to red when performing wandless magic. That is only true for myself, and for you. My own son and daughter were not capable of this. None of my descendants before you were capable of that. They were all exceptionally skilled at Transfiguration Magic, though, and would non-verbally and wandlessly change their eyes to red, to try and fool others into thinking they had that same ability. It appears that no one ever found out the truth," Merlin said, a distant look in his eyes.

"So wait... you mean to tell me that I'm the only other Wizard in history to have glowing red eyes when performing wandless magic?" Jake asked.

"Correct, my boy," Merlin smiled at him, "Well, I must return to the Tower, rest well and don't overwork yourself," he said and was gone. He did, however, return a moment later, "Almost forgot, I noticed that Dumbledore was staring right into your eyes when he wasn't speaking. Normally this isn't a big deal, but in the Wizarding World, there is a thing called Legilimency, and it allows you to delve into another persons mind. He was unable, because you are a natural Occlumens, like myself once was. Occlumency is the shield to Legilimency. Your mind will always be shielded, even without trying. Occlumency is difficult to Master, and if you ever catch someone staring at you without saying a word, like they are in some sort of trance, they are likely trying to pry. I wanted to inform you of this before I didn't get the chance to. Have a good night," Merlin said and disappeared again.

Jake looked bewildered, "Dumbledore... was trying to delve into my mind?" His respect for the old Wizard had just been cut completely in half of what it had already been dropped to. When Dumbledore hid the fact the books were blank, he'd lost respect for him then. Even before that, when Dumbledore wouldn't answer the two questions he had back in Diagon Alley before he started his First Year, his respect for the man had already been lower than what most people give him. Jake rubbed his face with his hands, frustrated, and went to bed.