CHAPTER 38 - LAS VEGAS, TUESDAY, 8/13/1996, Part B

The interview with Shiko Shiroma was scheduled for 2:00 o'clock. Greg and Steven asked if they could be there to greet him too, they hadn't seen their old sensei in several years. They had decided that the interviews would be held in the small banquet room next to the restaurant, Felix would let them know when their guest had arrived and be sure refreshments were available. Felix popped into the main room at exactly 2 saying Mr. Shiroma had arrived. Armed with their list of questions those in the group who were going to the interview got in the elevator and went down to the first floor. Annie, Sarah, and Emma decided not to attend, this would be a good time to get a start on their TO-DO lists for the wedding since both Tonks and Remus would be attending the interview.

When the group entered the room Mr. Shiroma was standing with his back to the room, looking out the window watching the people at the pool. Greg and Steven walked forward and addressed him. "Dai-sensei Shiroma, welcome."*

Mr. Shiroma spun around at the form of address, he didn't think any of those he was expecting to meet today would be familiar with such things. As soon as he turned both Greg and Steven folded their hands together and bowed from the waist. Dai-sensei returned the greeting to his former students. "Senpai Malony, Senpai Grahamson. I am surprised, but pleased to see you, what brings you to Las Vegas?"*

"We met this group when they came to visit our school in St. Louis and when they told us they were coming here we suggested they contact you. We only arrived this morning, and they told us you were coming this afternoon, so we wanted to surprise you."

"You have done that indeed!" As Greg was well acquainted with Mr. Shiroma he undertook the introductions.

Remus began the interview with a short explanation, "Mr. Shiroma I think we should explain what our goals are, and then maybe you can tell us if you would be able to help us achieve them."

"A very good place to start Mr. Lupin."

"Please Dai-sensei, call me Remus."

"Of course. I am curious though. Why do you address me as Dai-sensai? While I have earned that rank, it is usually a title only used by those who have also studied the same disciplines."

"Yes, I understand that, I was meaning no disrespect, I only meant to honor you. I hold a black belt in tai chi and a brown belt in tai kwan do, so I understand what that title means. I hold those of your rank in high esteem."

Mr. Shiroma folded his hands and bowed to Remus who returned the bow, "Senpai Lupin, you honor me with your respect. Thank you."

"For reasons that we won't go into as they are not relevant here, we have started a school. While it is acceptable for the magical children in the United Kingdom to be homeschooled, we have elected not to go that route, although at first it was a possibility. At the moment, these four teens are our only students. As I am sure you have heard we are fighting a war in Britain, again, against the same tyrant as the last. Harry here is at the center of that fight and it is our intention to help him win at all costs. That is why we have left Britain for the time being and are looking for private tutors to help him and these others survive. We have had a lot of discussion regarding their training. It was has been decided that they don't need to learn a whole bunch of new spells, they just need to improve the use of their current arsenal. To that end we feel like some training in the martial arts will help, the discipline needed will help with their concentration and the exercises themselves will have the added benefit of toning and tuning their physical bodies. We only have three weeks here in Las Vegas, but plan to continue with our efforts even after we leave here. Other than the meditation exercises I am sorry to say that I have not kept up with my disciplines and therefore don't feel that I can be a proper instructor, but I am hoping I will also be able to get myself back into shape as we go along. The kids have already had some experience with meditation when we spent some time with Shaman Buffalo Eagle in Four Corners and I am hoping that will help speed along the beginning process."

"As it happens I was in Britain the end of July visiting with my brother. He is an editor for a small paper in Wales and got rumor of something important taking place at the Wizengamot session on the 29th of July and that he should be there. Since I was visiting with him he took me along with him." Shiko paused to compose the next part of his story. "After the opening of the session the Chief Warlock had some new business to bring up. Apparently he is not thrilled that you Mr. Potter abdicated your title of Lord Black. Not that he was against you abdicating your title, since he was trying to get them to overturn your emancipation that came along with it. His concern seemed to be that you had abdicated your title to a werewolf." Everyone in the group gasp. They knew Dumbledore would try to overturn Harry's emancipation, but they didn't think he would play the werewolf card.

"How did he know? We didn't tell anyone that I had done that."
"He said it was a matter of public record. He seemed to think that your abdicating your title to a werewolf was proof that you were not mature enough to be emancipated."

"Did he say who this werewolf was?"

"No. Actually he didn't. I was surprised at that at the time, but it actually never did come up. Then someone from the floor, I think they called her Mrs. Tonks…"

"Way to go mum!"

"…Called for a vote on NOT overturning the emancipation and she then pointed out why the reasons that the Chief had mentioned were not valid ones. He tried to stop the vote by bringing up the werewolf issue again, and there was even a woman there in a pink sweater that tried to help him, but she was quickly put in her place by a Madame Bones, who then seconded the motion and it was voted on very quickly. It passed 25 to 20 to leave it stand. So it would appear Mr. Potter you are still emancipated."

"That is probably why he never got around to telling who the werewolf is. He probably had the whole thing planned out, get the people on board by bringing up the werewolf issue and then ride the coat tails of that with the emancipation issue. When it happened quicker than he was expecting, he was thrown off his steed, he is used to calling the shots and then someone else got the reins and he was left holding an empty bag."

"I don't understand the problem though. Why is your abdicating your title to someone who is a werewolf a problem?"
"It's not a problem as far as I am concerned, and obviously the Black family magic doesn't have a problem with it since it accepted him as the head of house, but there are a lot of pure blood bigots in England and they unfortunately control the government for the most part. They won't allow any magical being except humans any kind of control, and then only if you are considered a pure blood, even I am not considered worthy because my mother was a first generation witch, and even though my dad can trace his ancestry back to before the founders of Hogwarts I am still considered a half-blood. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's the way they see things. The funny thing is the guy they are all bowing and scraping to, Voldemort, is only a half-blood too. His father was a mundane and his mother a witch. Of course, none of his followers know that, if they did they wouldn't be following him."

"I am curious Mr. Potter, who is Lord Black. Mrs. Tonks said he was traveling with you this summer, but she also didn't mention his name."

"No, she wouldn't. She knew it would not be safe for him if she did. Actually, it's Remus here."

Shiko was more than a little surprised, "You're Lord Black!?"

Slightly defensively, "Yes, I am. You seem surprised."

"I am, you are not at all what I was expecting. After spending that time in the Wizengamot and then milling around afterwards I met several Lords, or should I say I saw several Lords, and you are not at all like them. I would never have picked you out as a Lord."

Deflating a bit, "Thank you, I think."

"Yes, it was definitely meant as a compliment."

A worried expression on his face Remus said, "Of course if Dumbledore was able to find out it won't be long before everyone will find out. Most likely it has already made the papers in England and everyone knows. They are probably all looking for me. I just hope they don't decide to take out the vengeance of not being able to find me on any other weres they do find."

The interview continued for a short time with Mr. Shiroma agreeing to teach the children the basics in tai kwan do. It was a good thing for him that they weren't going to be ready to start until after September 1st as he was involved in several tournaments around the U.S. and had a trip planned to Japan the last week of August. He would be available to them anytime after September 1st, but would prefer an early in the week schedule, Mondays and Tuesdays would be best for him. After hearing Remus's explanation he also agreed with their assessment that learning a lot of new spells didn't seem necessary, but the discipline of a martial arts study would come in handy. He decided that tai kwan do would suit them best, and as it was one that Remus would be able to help them with when he wasn't there, it was agreed on by the group. They set their first training date as Monday, September 16. By that time they would be back from Egypt and be ready to buckle down. The meeting place would be arranged later, at this point they weren't sure exactly where they would be. It would depend a lot on the climate of England (Dumbledore) at the time. He was fine with working there in Las Vegas and was not at all opposed to working at Paradise if that was what was decided.

At dinner that night Greg said, "With all the excitement about the wedding announcement this morning I completely forgot to give you this. My dad was able to get the people at the ministry to put a priority on this since you were only going to be in the United States for a short time. Hope it helps you." He then handed an envelope to Remus.

"No, I think you should give that to Harry not me." Greg then hands the envelope to Harry, who opened and read it.

"Well, this certainly puts a whole new meaning to the prophecy." Harry hands the paper to Minerva and asks her to make copies for everyone, so they could all read it.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."

Mr. Potter,

I took the liberty of looking up some of your history after reading this 'prophecy'. I was curious where you got it? That was one thing I was unable to ascertain in my research.

I would like to take the lines one at a time: From the notes you sent it was spoken before you were born. When you sent Voldemort on his way when you were an infant you vanquished him, it doesn't say kill - it says vanquish - to vanquish is to defeat or conquer, to reduce. It would appear that you did those things - you defeated him and you reduced him to a spirit. So it would appear that you have already accomplished that line, and therefore have fulfulled your part of the prophecy, if it indeed refers to you at all, no particular person is mentioned as being the child, and it could refer to any one born in the end of July, not necessarily someone who was yet to be born at the time the prophecy was given. And from what you said you have vanquished him two more times since then, once in your first year at Hogwarts and then again in your second year. The next part - born as the 7th month dies, you obviously fit that part as you were born the 31st of July, but then so do how many thousands of other. From what I understand he marked you with a scar on your forehead. The power you have that he knows not, is a little more obscure. It could mean the actual level of your magical power. But it also says you "will have" the power, which could mean you possessed it at the time or something you will develop as you get older, since this was spoken before you were born this is a bit ambiguous. The next line is the one that really tells the whole story. "For neither can live while the other survives". This makes the whole prophecy bogus - as you are BOTH living now then obviously it is not a true prophecy. And if one line is bogus the whole thing is. Mr. Maloney was able to get the details of where the prophecy came from, and his son filled me in about how the prophecy came about and it is my opinion and that of my colleagues that whomever made the prophecy did it only to ensure themselves a place in history because they knew it would be self-fulfilling, or the person who supposedly heard the prophecy made up the whole scenario. Either way, it has become self-fulfilling because at least one person, Voldemort, believes it. My question is according to your notes the prophecy was spoken to a Mr. Dumbledore. Do you know this gentleman? Do you trust his word? If not, then I would not believe the prophecy is a true one. The problem is it would appear that this Voldemort does believe it and unless you can find a way to convince him that it is bogus, I am afraid he is going to continue to come after you until he fulfills the prophecy.

I do have a question for you though. Do you have any idea how he is continuing to return to life? If you vanquished him how can he continue to be around. There must be something else at play here. A normal wizard wouldn't be able to continue to live once he has been reduced to a spirit, his only option would be as a ghost or to cross over. If you have any idea what else is at play here I would like to know, it could make a difference in our interpretation.

Mr. Jamison

"Well, what do you think? Should be tell him our theory about the horcrux?"

"Of course. How else are we going to get a true interpretation? After all Dumbledore came up with this theory while he was in possession of all the facts. It's only right that everyone should be in possession of the same facts if they are going to come up with a working theory.

A new letter was drafted that included the information about the horcrux as the group had managed to figure them out. They also told Mr. Jamison that this was only a working theory on their part that fit all the evidence. Greg said he would post the letter the next day to his father and hopefully they would have any other ideas before they left the country.

A/N -

Sensei - "Teacher" - a title used to address teachers, professors, and some professionals or other figures of authority. Used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or other skill.

Dai-sensei - "one who teaches based on wisdom from age and experience", used to refer to the top sensei in a particular school or tradition, often translated as grand master.

Senpai - the more senior member of a group that has not achieved the level of sensei, particularly used for the most senior non-sensei member.