Chapter 12 : Voldem… sorry, You-Know-Who

It was very difficult for the students to go back to school after two weeks of holidays. Especially since it hadn't stopped snowing since Christmas and it was very tempting to go for a snowball fight after school or make tracks in the pristine snow.

A few daredevils allowed themselves to do so but the Professors reminded them that they should not postpone their homework as the exams approached.

"They are in June !" Arcturus complained, crossing his arms as he and Akira completed their Transfiguration assignment in the Gryffindor common room. "The snow is right now ! I won't be able to play hockey anymore if the ice melts."

"That would be a bit complicated." Akira admitted, without looking away from her parchment.

"Besides, I think Madam Hooch noticed that a flying broom is missing because every time I try to get one, I see her prowling around. It sucks, there are no more Muggle sports to do in winter."

"There is still skiing." Akira announced, scribbling an answer on her parchment. "But to practice it you will need a steep slope of snow."

"Yes, so like I said, there is no more sports to do." Arcturus replied, sounding even more grumpy. "I will have to keep fixing my radio to pass time."

"Or you can do your homework as the Professors recommended." Akira reminded him while looking at his parchment. "You haven't written much yet."

"But I have all the answers in my head. I would just have to write them right before I give it back."

"As you wish but I prefer to do it in advance." Akira replied while she was answering the last question as Arcturus got up to go get his broken radio.

Once Akira was finished, she put her books and parchment in her bag before relaxing in her armchair. With nothing more to do, she stared at the fire burning in the fireplace, then her attention was drawn to a newspaper lying on a table right next to her. She straightened up and grabbed it. It was a copy of the Daily Prophet. Akira had already seen this journal with its moving images when she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron to shop for Hogwarts school supplies. However, she had never subscribed to it because she was not very interested in news from the wizarding world since she didn't get out of Hogwarts. Nevertheless, she had hesitated to subscribe when her classmates started talking about a war that had just started shortly after the start of the school year. According to what some were saying, a sinister wizard was rallying more and more followers to his cause known as Death Eaters. This wizard seemed to inspire terror among the other students and it was not uncommon for him to make headlines and this edition of the Gazette was no exception.

Akira flipped through the journal and found that this wizard was recruiting magical creatures and this news seemed to worry the wizarding community. In the words of the Minister for Magic "it is the worst situation imaginable because these creatures are numerous and have a lot of anger towards wizards for having rejected them". Akira was so caught in her reading that she didn't notice that Arcturus had returned. He sat back in the armchair he had just left with his disassembled radio that he put on the table in front of him, then leaned over to Akira to see what she was reading.

"The war is on." Arcturus said wearily. "At first, You-Know-Who was rather discreet but now he wants to impose his law to everybody."

"Why is everyone calling him like that ?" Akira asked him, finally taking her eyes off the article. "I've seen this name two or three times already but it doesn't mean anything."

"If you had grown up in the wizarding world - like me - you would learn that his real name inspires fear and terror so we avoid pronouncing it. Instead we call him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And if not, we also call him the Dark Lord to change."

"And what is exactly his real name ?" Akira asked with a mischievous smile.

"Forget it, I will never tell it to you !" Arcturus said with fear, looking around to verify that no one was overhearing their conversation. "I don't want something bad to happen to me."

"But nothing's going to happen to you since it's just a name !" Akira replied to him, rolling her eyes. "And if you don't want to tell me, I'll just have to go and ask someone else..."

"You better not otherwise everybody will think that you try to draw attention to yourself or that you are up to something bad. I can't tell you his name in one word but I think it's okay if I spell it out." Arcturus said before taking a deep breath to cheer himself up. "V-o-l-d-e-m-o-r-t."

After saying that letters loud, he began to shake a little.

"Could you repeat it ? I don't remember all the letters. You said first V then o and l, that is Vol… and then a d but what was after that ?"

"-e-m-o-r-t." Arcturus told her in one breath.

"So d and e, Volde… and finally m-o-r-t. Is his name Voldemort ?" Akira announced aloud as Arcturus jumped in his chair.

"Not so loud !" He scolded her in a low voice. "I told you we are not allowed to say that name."

"I really don't see why." Akira replied, beginning to find his attitude exasperating. "Even though he is a terrifying wizard, calling him Voldemort or something else doesn't change who he is. Besides, it's not even an English word. It's a French word that means more or less "Theft of Death"."

"If you knew all the horrors that he has inflicted on a number of wizards you wouldn't talk like that. So now that I've revealed to you his real name, I would appreciate if you never say it out loud again. The other students and teachers wouldn't like it and they would blame me if they found out that I told you about it. Especially since You-Know-Who officially declared war on wizards and has become more and more powerful."

"Okay, I won't say it again." Akira announced to him, crossing her fingers behind her back nevertheless. "Besides his name, why is there no one to stop him ?"

"Well, let's say that everyone without exception is afraid of him so they don't dare attack him. That's not hundred percent true because I think Dumbledore is the only wizard that You-Know-Who fears. By the way, an article had appeared before the holidays saying that Hogwarts was the safest place in England since Dumbledore is the Headmaster."

"The Headmaster of our school is the only wizard who scares Vol… sorry, You-Know-Who ?" Akira repeated, raising an eyebrow because she found it hard to believe that this white-bearded, jovial-looking old man could stand up to such a dangerous wizard.

"Yes. It must be said that Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard of all time. He defeated another Dark Wizard during his youth and he might even have become Minister for Magic if he hadn't declined the post. It's an honor to be able to study at Hogwarts with a Headmaster like him."

"And he couldn't stop You-Know-Who by himself ? The Gazette said that You-Know-Who is rallying more and more followers. If he builds up an army, it will be more difficult to neutralize him..."

"That's why the Ministry of Magic is investigating who are the followers of You-Know-Who and proceed to massive arrests. I've even heard that the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement - Bartemius Crouch Senior - is sending wizards suspected of having joined You-Know-Who directly to jail without a trial. So it can happen that he imprisons innocent people for no good reason."

Arcturus had started to tremble when he announced this. Akira guessed that Arcturus's father must have suffered the same fate a few years ago but she didn't dare to ask him knowing that the subject was sensitive.

"And You-Know-Who is recruiting magical creatures now." Akira announced, having just read this in the Gazette.

"It was just a matter of time before it hapened. The wizarding community has always seen magical creatures as inferior beings which do not have the same rights as wizards, so one day or another they had to rebel."

"But at the same time, if they're creatures they don't have a conscience like human beings." Akira pointed out while she was imagining a cat voting.

"It may be the case with animals in the Muggle world but in the Wizarding world, our creatures are a little bit different." Arcturus announced. "Some have precisely a conscience, for example the centaurs, the elves or the goblins that you saw in Gringotts. And these are the creatures which are not happy with their status and whom You-Know-Who rallies. In fact the centaurs and the goblins can be a recruit because the elves are too subjected to wizards to dare to rebel without their permission."

"I see the problem."

"The ministry is trying to stop the hiring of You-Know-Who but his ideals are shared by many wizards and creatures who crave power and recognition."

"It sounds like the description of the Slytherin house." Akira pointed out with a slight smile.

"It's a bit easy to say that but it's true that most of his followers are from this house."

"And you know some of them?"

Akira had asked this without thinking. She knew that Arcturus' family had been in Slytherin for generations so she made the connection without considering for a moment that she could hurt Arcturus.

"Maybe…" Arcturus announced while looking away. "But all I can tell you is that there is one at Hogwarts."

This information left Akira speechless as Arcturus seemed to panic about what he just announced. Apparently, he didn't meant to say that.

"A Voldemort follower is at Hogwarts and no one is stopping him ?" Akira exclaimed loudly as Arcturus grimaced after hearing the name. "Who's that ?"

"I can't tell you and if I were you, I would immediately forget what I just reveal you." Arcturus advised her. "It's best not to deal with these types of people too much."

"At least tell me if it's a teacher or a student." Akira asked him with curiosity.

"I already told you too much so I'm not going to say anything more." Arcturus announced in a categorical tone.

"How do you want that "I don't deal with these types of people" if I don't even know who they are ?"

"You got a point." Arcturus admitted as he lowered his voice even more, forcing Akira to lean towards him. "It's a teacher."

"A Professor joined the Dark Arts and walks freely around the school and Dumbledore doesn't fire him ?" Akira asked with disbelief.

"I don't think Dumbledore knows that a You-Know-Who supporter is here at school. Usually you don't spread the news widely when you've joined the forces of evil and if anyone ever finds out, you get thrown straight into jail so they remain in the shadows."

"But it's serious, if it's a teacher, he can attack the students !" Akira exclaimed while Arcturus was telling her to keep her voice down. "Don't you want to denounce him to avoid that ?"

"No, I don't want to." Arcturus replied quickly. "If it ever happened to spread that I denounced one of the followers of You-Know-Who, he will go after my family and I refuse to let anything happen to my two little brothers."

"Well." Akira added, looking a little annoyed. "I respect your choice."

But the thought of one day unmasking this Professor didn't disappear from her thoughts. As it was getting late, Arcturus and Akira made their way to their dormitory and Akira had difficulty falling asleep that night. She lay in her bed gazing at the dark ceiling. She was thinking over and over about what Arcturus just announced her.

A powerful wizard was spreading terror in the wizarding world and had just started a war. And it was precisely to prevent Akira from fighting during the Second Great Ninja War that her father had sent her to Hogwarts, believing that she would be safe there. She was reluctant to write to him to explain the situation but she didn't want to worry him for nothing as Hogwarts was a safe place under Dumbledore's watch.

However she wondered if this was really the case with a Professor who had joined the ranks of the Dark Arts. She proceeded to review the teachers she knew and see which one was the perfect candidate for Voldemort. At least, it couldn't be the Heads of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw because they stuck too much to the description of their house. McGonagall was strict but fair, Flitwick was kind to all the students whether they were from his house or not and Sprout was too passionate about herbology to care about the forces of evil. Even Slughorn didn't fit Akira's description of a Voldemort follower. He was far too jovial even though he seemed to enjoy the company of famous and talented people to the detriment of others.

It remained the Professors of the other branches. Akira couldn't say in which house they were sent to when they were students at Hogwarts which complicated her decision. However, she eliminated from the list of suspects Professor Binns who was a ghost and Professor Stubbor who taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. The name of his lesson alone suggested to Akira that it was difficult for him to join the Dark Arts as he teaches the students how to protect themselves from it.

The only Professors that remain were Madam Hooch and Professor Corvi, the Professor of Astronomy. Akira assumed that maybe the follower could be Professor Corvi since she had a grudge against Akira since the first class. Akira put this possibility in the back of her mind and continued to enumerate the Professors list. There were still the Professor of Arithmancy, Divination, Muggle Studies… among others. It was harder to guess if these Professors might have joined the Dark Arts as the first years didn't have classes with them. Akira didn't know them at all and it was difficult to judge them just by seeing them occasionally sitting at the Professors' table in the Great Hall.

Exhausted from all these reflections, Akira eventually fell asleep but her dreams were full of dark shadows that looks threatening but that she couldn't catch.

Akira used the two days of class left before the weekend to observe her teachers a little more closely. She paid no attention to what they were explaining to the students during class. Instead, she stared at them with insistence what didn't go unnoticed so she was sometimes reprimanded by the Professor who told her to concentrate a little. She even spent her breaks between two classes near the staffroom, trying to listen discreetly at the door, especially to learn more about the Professors she never met.

Arcturus began to notice her strange behaviour and it infuriated him.

"If I had known that you were going to snoop around the school like that, I would never have told you anything." He whispered to her on Friday when they met in the Great Hall for lunch.

"It's your fault. You don't want to tell me who it is." Akira replied instantly.

"And what do you think you will do if you unmask him ? It will be your word as a student against that of a teacher. You might as well consider it's already lost." Arcturus pointed out to discourage her from further research.

"What do you think we should do ? Wait until he starts attacking the whole school ?"

"Well at least you would have a proof if it happens. But as long as it's not the case, I advise you to get that idea out of your head." Arcturus replied. "It can only get you in trouble if you persist. Instead, focus on your Quidditch practice. Is it true that Ana also makes you practice during the evenings of the week ?"

"Yes, she scheduled three trainings after classes in addition to the Saturday training and it is starting next week. She absolutely wants us to improve to not relive the difficult game we had against the Ravenclaws."

"You'll be busy with all of this." Arcturus pointed out, sounding relieved that Akira had less time to devote to her search for a dark wizard.

He was right about that. Quidditch practice had become more demanding with the extra trainings, so much that Akira often collapsed from fatigue at night without having the energy to do anything else. Therefore, she had to catch up with her late homework over the weekend and they also got more complicated as the exams approached. The month of January went by at full speed but Akira didn't lose hope of discovering which of their Professor had joined the forces of evil, especially when the students learnt almost daily in the Gazette all the horrors that Voldemort committed outside the walls of Hogwarts.

Hello dear readers,

The First Wizarding War is beginning !

Voldemort threatens the magical world and is becoming more powerful with the time, especially with all the allies he is recruting. Like Harry Potter twenty years later, Akira is no more in security at Hogwarts, especially with her status of Muggle-Born. Slytherins students will begin to choose their side and the Professor who joined the Dark Arts will not stay in the shadows forever.