Chapter 18: Stingy Jack
Words: 4,762
Recap: I had enough keeping secrets from my friends and they had enough letting the secrets kept them from helping me. I didn't want to do my quest alone, nor do they want me to.
So I told them my secrets.
One morning, I got up and looked out the window from the hallway. I admit I was grinning like a loon seeing the stack of snow covering Hogwarts like a comfy white blanket. I knew without looking that the lake should be frozen solid by now. There were many pranks and spells involving snow (and no it's not us. Me, Sev, James, and Sirius aren't the only ones who know how to prank). The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.
People were either cooped up inside their common room or the Great Hall where they had the heat of the roaring fires comforting them. The drafty air of the corridors had become icy and bitter wind rattled the windows. It was a weird feeling; having fewer ghosts would make the school feel more haunted.
No one could wait for the holiday to start, including me. However, it's for a whole different reason. Others might be excited to spend time with their families again. I'm just glad I won't have to deal with the suspicious stare and the whispering gossip around me.
It won't be a happy holiday for me though, nor for Severus and Lily. The three of us decided to stay for the holiday this year which I was grateful for. I couldn't decide whether to follow Lily home or stay to investigate had she decided to be there for Christmas. That, and the guilty feeling I would have if Sev was left alone here on Christmas because he certainly wouldn't want to come home, not even for Lily.
"You sure you're fine staying here for the holiday?"
Lily smiled and said lightly but no less determined, "It's fine, Percy. I owled my parents and they were understanding. Besides, we need to figure out where Jack is hiding or they'll just be more victim over the break."
Oh yeah, like I said. I had explained everything to them. About when I first saw the Will 'o Wisp, what Dumbledore has asked me when he took me to his office, and where I found out from him about the ghost Jack 'o Lantern. Not to my surprise, they knew nothing of it. Just that it had been what carved pumpkin they put out was called on Halloween. Making Sev very put out that he never questioned the source of something so widespread.
I tried to question him if Halloween has other significance for the Wizarding world to which he just shrugged.
"Some say muggles had started it as a Harvest Festival, some say it was a celebration of muggle and wizard co-existing once, I'm not sure which. I do know that because of how widespread it is, it became the day that wizard could go out among muggles without worrying the statute of secrecy so we celebrated it as well."
In short, nothing significant about the day itself.
Anyway, they know practically everything I know about the case... except about me being a demigod.
Yes, I know I said I would tell them everything. But Hecate did say not to tell anyone unless I'm prepared for the consequences. While I have a streak of ignoring every or most word of god. It doesn't mean I don't try to hold it as long as I could until I'll most likely break it. After all, the warning is there for a reason and there was a second reason I couldn't tell.
'Secrets unfold, a price to behold' That was what the Groove had whispered to me. And whatever price I had to pay, I'm not looking forward to it.
Afterward, we've been spending more time in the library with no luck with our search and still are from every possible section we could find about it. We search through the 300+ page book of studying the form of ghosts and how their lives and beliefs affect their afterlife form, mentioning many famous ghosts even from Hogwarts. We couldn't even find a single clue of Jack 'o Lantern from books like 'Mystery of the Afterlife' or 'The Unknown Mystery throughout the Modern Wizarding'.
Sev and Lily might have no problem reading through their problem, but it was torture for me and had myself complaining loud enough of almost getting Madam Pince, the librarian, kicked us out. Sev finally had enough and irritably suggested I should search where the ghost might all be hiding to asked some question which was exactly what I decided to do.
Turns out the challenge was easier said than done. Trying to explore Hogwarts would have been the most challenging and confusing thing I've ever done if I haven't gone to the Maze. But it's a close second. With the moving stairs, the secret chambers or corridors, and the hidden doors that would appear and disappear at any given moment. Even if I live the rest of my life here, I don't think I could have explored it all.
"What I would give for a map right now."
I turned on one corner and almost bumped to one of the least likely people I want to meet, and couldn't hide my grimace in time. James and Sirius made the same face before turning a one-eighty and smiled brightly at me that just screamed suspiciously. Peter and Remus were there too but while Peter looked nervously up at me, Remus was slowly edging away but kept a polite smile.
"Hey, Priss...I mean Percy. Where are you going this time of the day?"
They seriously think they're going to get me to talk with that poor excuse of their acting skill, "You're behaving awfully nice Sirius. Considering you wanted to punch the light out of me a few weeks ago."
Sirius's eyes took a dark turn and his jaw twitched in a grimace, "Yeah, sorry about that." His tone did not sound apologetic. "Narcissa may not be my favorite cousin. I don't take anyone hurting my family lightly and got hot-headed for a bit."
"Uh-huh, then I'll be on my way now. Y'now, things to do and stuff to take care of." I turned, quickly walking away from them but I forgot how persistence they were. James and Sirius flanked on my sides, a forced grin on their face while altering questions between themselves.
"Can you show us this stuff you have?"
"Maybe you need help with that stuff of yours?"
"What's is the stuff you're talking about?"
"Can't. No. And none of your business," I answered promptly in return without looking back.
That got them to shut up but it didn't deter them from following me. I sighed irritably at their antics and thinking if they seriously believed I would fall for their awful acting. Remus seemed to think so if the roll of his eyes as he silently watched them was any telling.
I looked around for possibly anything that could distract them but stopped short when I heard a voice. I turned left and right to find the source and saw a familiar face by the window, holding up an ax and pulling a big fir tree by one hand. I didn't hide the grin I wore on my face while shouting out to him.
"Hagrid!"
My big hairy friend paused and looked aside to see me, he waved his hand in greeting and I walked up at a fast pace toward him. I was too caught up being happy from seeing him after cooping in my studies and the Ghost Problem. I was late to noticed the four boys walking alongside me until Hagrid pointed them out.
"'Ello Percy, who did yeh brought there? Friends 'o yours?"
I looked pointedly annoyed at them before denying his thought, but James was quick to answer while looping his arm around my shoulder. Throwing me off as he put on that charming smile of his.
"Yes we are, my name's James. This is Sirius, Remus, and Peter there," he said as he pointed out each of them, who all greeted him with a smile and a wave of their hand. "Percy never mentions you though, aren't you the...eh...what was it again?"
"Keeper of Keys and Groundskeeper," Remus supplied from behind.
"Right, that!...what is that anyway? Some kind of fancy name for gate watcher or something?" Remus sighed, lightly slapped the back of his head and whispered 'Rude' to him.
"Sorry about my friend, he doesn't know when to stop putting his foot on his mouth sometimes," Remus apologized for his friend's stead
Hagrid laughed light-heartedly like I knew he would, taking the comment in a stride. "No offense taken. To answe' yer question, I'm the one looking after the school keys an' watchin' ove' the grounds so none of yeh go where yer not supposed to, like the Forbidden Forest fer example an' some othe' task the school like to ask me."
We all nodded in understanding, then Peter pointed out the tree he was dragging, "What's that for then Hagrid?"
Hagrid looked down at the tree he was dragging, "Oh this? It's for Christmas o' course. Someone has to provide the decoration. We can't have those stayed for the holiday not celebrate Christmas now can't we?"
An idea then sprouted. The annoyed look I had was replaced with an eager smile, "How about we all help you with that then?"
The boys all looked at me as if I was crazy while Hagrid just waved me off, "Nah, no thanks fer that Percy. I can handle it on meh own."
"Doesn't mean you have to. We insist. For Christmas Spirit and all that." I faux my eager spirit. Well, actually I was eager...eager to get rid of them.
James had to suppress the urge about doing handiwork, "Bu...but if you don't need one then I guess we could-"
"But of course you would," I cut James off before he could pull me away with the others. I didn't need to look at them to know they were getting paler. "I'm sure there's something we could do for the hardworking staff of Hogwarts."
Hagrid looked bashful and proud at being mentioned to be a staff of Hogwarts, "Well...I do need to cut around 12 Christmas trees to decorate the Great Hall, but I don't think you boys have learned any cutting spell to help with that. Though, having some help with levitation spell would be great."
"We can help that if you have some axes for us," I suggested, which to the boys just makes me sound even crazier than I already am. Peter is already backing away and tried escaping, but Sirius was faster and grabbed the back of his coat without looking away, making sure he stays.
Hagrid laughed joyfully at that, "Why not? If you can handle it then who am I to stop you. Don't force yourself if you can't though." He took us to his cabin and I have to secretly admire their stubbornness if they hadn't back away by now.
He gave each of us an ax, most of them had difficulty lifting it right without having the sharp end facing them. Only Remus seemed to have some semblance of a sense of using them without getting himself hurt. Peter was fumbling it nervously, James and Sirius looked like they've never handled an ax or any sharp tool before. Well, those two rich boys never seemed to work a day in their life anyway.
Decided to spare some of them from the grieve, I asked Hagrid if he had any saw. Thankfully, he did have a large one that could be used for a pair.
Hagrid then showed us where the school harvest the fir tree grow for their logs and Christmas. He showed us the proper way of chopping down trees with an ax or a saw and that we should do it with pair. I ended up pairing together with Remus, James with Sirius as the pair using the saw, and Peter with Hagrid. We started working with it. Only the sound of wood chopping filled the air accompanied by the occasional rustling of naked branches, the cold sharp winter smell hit my nose in every breath I take, my untrained muscle felt the strain much sooner than I expected from just chopping wood but it was a good feeling.
No offense to wizards but learning spells are much more boring than self-defense or swordplay. They just stood in one place and just shout whatever spell comes in mind and you all know staying still is never a good thing for me. I miss the time where I held Riptide in my hand and training my body to the point of exhaustion. I miss the smell of sweat and the hot flushed on my face after a good daily workout. Maybe I should help out Hagrid more next time.
While chopping off trees together. There was an awkward silence hanging in the air between us. It didn't escape my notice how jittery Remus was with me, and I might as well act the same since my mind kept pondering about my dream and how Remus could 'smell' something different about me.
Which really gives me concern. Because usually there's only one type of being that could 'smell' the god side of me. I just hope he's not what I think he is.
Considering my luck he might as well be, but it's better if I at least give him the benefit of the doubt. Even if he is -through all the odds - who I expect him to be, doesn't make him bad. Not unless he gives me any reason for it. One of the few reasons that he's not what I think he is, was because he stayed away from me most of the time rather than approaching me instead.
Maybe it's from that train of thought that prompt me to initiate the first line of the conversation.
"So, Remus, how is sharing a room with James feels like?"
I wasn't sure what was wrong about my question, but it did make Remus froze from his chopping and gaped at me like I just ask him if he was a girl. It was just the first thing that popped in my head, and I always had wondered how in all of the Greek gods did he manage to snatch Lily in the future?
So yeah, I'm curious if this James kid is more than just the regular bully.
"You...you're asking me about James?" he asked like he couldn't wrap his mind that I could ever ask about him.
"Is that so weird?"
"Well... yeah... I mean, but you hate him so why are you asking me about him?"
"Hate is a strong word, more of a dislike really. He did insult my friend. I don't take it kindly from anyone, and why you ask…" I shrugged. "Curiosity I guess. You seem like a decent guy and you get along with him, so I thought I should ask what your honest opinion of him."
Remus blinked a few times, then looking he had a certain fascination with his shoes before continuing chopping down our tree. His words were a bit hesitant but he did finally talk to me so that's a plus, "James is…" his lips curled into a smile in reminiscent. "James could be a handful person obviously, but he's not much of a bad person, you know. An idiot maybe, but not bad. At first, I thought he was just another rude git. After all, the first time I met him was at the Great Hall, he took one look at me and say 'Blimey, that's a nasty scar you got there. Where did you get it?'"
Remus let out a mirthless chuckle at the memory, "Lily was beside him so he had a good dose of slap-on-the-head from her."
Hearing it, I couldn't help but chuckle along with him. "Good ol' Lily, you can always count on her with manners. So, what changed between you two."
"You'd be surprised how many seemed to either looked down or pity me just from my shabby robe and the scar." He waved his arm around, making me noticed that yes, his winter robe looked shabby. Worn down from years of using, not something a child his age would have unless it was a hand-me-down or used goods.
"Not James though," Remus continued, "He treated me the same just as with anybody. I didn't think I would fit in with the Lions when I think of myself more as a Ravenclaw, even then I always wondered if I'll ever fit in. But James, Sirius, and Peter made me feel I was meant to be here, and that meant more to me than anything since..." Remus paused, not sure if he should continue but he didn't have to.
"Since you doubt you'll ever belong anywhere." I finished for him. Surprising him and myself. Like the words came out straight from within me, waiting to come out. "You know that you're different. You can't help feeling left out knowing deep down, you're different from everyone else. It wasn't your fault you're different and yet you had to accept your fate that it just happened. It doesn't stop you from hoping though, that somewhere out there, there's a place just for you where you can be who you are without being afraid about yourself."
At that moment, it became apparent to me then why I wasn't that worried about Remus than I thought I should. Remus and I are more alike than I could have imagined. Two misfits. Knowing we're different because of something outside of our control. Just trying to find a place we belong to. I found my place at Camp Half-Blood. Remus might just found his with his band of friends.
We stood silently. Gauging each other's reaction as certain kinship was exchanged. Remus looked like he was trying hard to find any sign of something remotely in common with himself, but his expression then should change to suspicion when a thought occurred to him.
"Hold on, how did you know I was his roommate?"
My muscle tensed, and in less than a second. Strings pile of curses flashed in my mind as the slip I made. Thankfully, I was spared from answering when Hagrid had yelled "TIMBER!" and we all moved over like a tree tip down the balance.
Remus was about to press further but then James appeared between us, surprising us both. "What were you guys talking about?"
"Nothing," I promptly reply.
"Boring stuff," Remus said at the same time.
James looked between the two of us, discerning if we were telling the truth then shrugged his shoulder.
"What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you and Sirius be sawing trees?" James nudged his head to the side where Sirius laid on the ground, his chest heaving up and down and mumbling about how he couldn't feel his arm.
"We thought we could use a little break and you know, get to know one another."
I raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. Subtlety is not James name. Remus rolled his eyes and thought he'd be better elsewhere and went to see how Sirius was doing.
"So...are you going anywhere this Holiday?" James tried to ask casually.
I sighed. "Nah. Me, Sev, and Lily decided to stay for the holiday."
"Don't have anyone waiting for you this Christmas?"
"Nope," I said while popping the 'p'. "My aunt doesn't come home much despite the holidays so... yeah."
"What about your parents?"
Feeling finally annoyed I made him talk straight to the point, "Okay, look James. Just cut to the chase and tell me what you want from me because you're not fooling anyone with your casual act."
James choked in his own air being caught on fast and looked like a kid who was caught with his hand inside a cookie jar.
"Wha...what are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about. Do you know what you're talking about?" James babbled much to my amusement but I kept my unimpressed look.
Seeing he was not convincing me in the slightest. He dropped his pretense along with his smile.
"Fine, if that's how you want to play it, who are you Percy Jackson?" he asked in all seriousness, "We both know you're not normal, so what are you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
James shook his head, "I know you're not normal. I'm going to figure you out and expose you to everyone who you truly are."
"Then I'll welcome you to try."
After the brief break we had, we continued until we finally got to chop all 12 trees down, the boys immediately dropped down in exhaustion while I was just left breathless. Hagrid beamed with a satisfied look in his eyes.
"Thanks fer yer help. Yeh boys have been a great help. Why don' you come inside and I make yeh some tea?"
I thought about it for a while and regretfully shook my head, "Why don't you just invite the boys Hagrid, I still have something I need to do. Besides, they would need it more than me, but don't tell them I left early."
"If yeh say so, Percy. Just don' be a stranger and visit anytime yeh like."
I nodded and rushed back to the castle. Heading toward the library. Just when I was about to open up the double door, Sev had opened it up from inside and looked like he wanted to bolt. A splitting grin made his way when he saw me, "Percy! We found it. We found out who Jack 'o Lantern is!"
Now there's news that got me eager to the library.
Once we got to our seat once more, Sev eagerly put down the book on the table and revealed to be a...children's book?
I looked at the front and back cover and confirmed it is what it is. It was a black cover with the white title reading 'Ghostly Tales' and cartoonish ghosts surrounding it.
"Lily found out a clue from there and she was brilliant! If she hadn't found it, I would have found a way to get a book from the Restriction Section."
Lily blushed at Sev's compliment but she explained with excited face, "I was just skimming through random title when I stumbled on the Children's Book Section and remembered all those times we exchange stories between muggle and wizard fairy tales, and Percy's Greek Talk so I thought why not take a breather and look through it. It may not look like much at first but check out page 12 and read what I read."
There were so many questions running on my head that I just shrugged and open to read it. I was greeted with the title written in a fancy note that my dyslexia would have murdered my eyes if not for the glasses and a picture of an old drunken man with shabby clothing and a lantern made of turnip on his hand.
The title read Stingy Jack
I shot a questioning eyebrow at Sev but he gestured me to continue.
"Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who loved playing tricks on anyone and everyone. One dark, Halloween night, Jack ran into the Devil himself in a local public house. Jack tricked the Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil quickly turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack immediately snatched the coin and deposited it into his pocket, next to a silver cross that he was carrying. Thus, the Devil could not change himself back and Jack refused to allow the Devil to go free until the Devil had promised not to claim Jack's soul for ten years."
"The Devil agreed, and ten years later Jack again came across the Devil while out walking on a country road. The Devil tried collecting what he was due, but Jack thinking quickly, said, 'I'll go, but before I do, will you get me an apple from that tree?'"
"The Devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped up into the tree to retrieve an apple. As soon as he did, Jack placed crosses all around the trunk of the tree, thus trapping the Devil once again. This time, Jack made the Devil promise that he would not take his soul when he finally died. Seeing no way around his predicament, the Devil grudgingly agreed."
"When Stingy Jack eventually passed away several years later, he went to the Gates of Heaven but was refused entrance because of his life of drinking and because he had been so tight-fisted and deceitful. So, Jack then went down to Hell to see the Devil and find out whether it was possible to gain entrance into the depths of Hell, but the Devil kept the promise that had been made to Jack years earlier, and would not let him enter."
"'But where can I go?' asked Jack. 'Back to where you came from!' replied the Devil."
"The way back was windy and very dark. Stingy Jack pleaded with the Devil to at least provide him with a light to help find his way. The Devil, as a final gesture, tossed Jack an ember straight from the fires of Hell. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip...one of Jack's favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. From that day forward, Stingy Jack has been doomed to roam the earth without a resting place and with only his lit turnip to light the way in the darkness."
Finished reading the story, I looked up at them and they both have deadly serious faces. There were many things I wanted to comment but the first thing that came out of my mouth was: "This said turnip though, not pumpkin."
Sev rolled his eyes at the insignificant point I made out, "News flash for you, they used to make Jack 'o Lantern with turnips before they used pumpkin instead. Why they changed it? I don't know. Just that they did."
"So... you believe this is the true story of the Ghost of Halloween?"
Sev scoffed, "Don't be an idiot Percy, off course not. There's no such thing as Devils just as there is no such thing as those Greek gods you keep telling us."
Thunder rumbled outside, but no one seemed to pay any heed to it.
"I do believe that there's a truth inside a story and this is the best lead on Jack 'o lantern and fire from hell that we could deduce as the Will 'o Wisp. And no other sources we read have ever linked them together with other than this."
I really don't want to have our best lead coming from a folklore read to children so they could put them to sleep, but then I remembered the dreams a few weeks back and re-read the first part of the story again. My breath sunken at how similar it was and maybe, this story is more than just a story.
"So... where do we go from here?"
Sev grabbed the book and checked it out to borrow it, me and Lily followed closely beside him. "For now, we need to verify how much the book says is true so we need to ask the ghost a few questions. Did you find them?"
"Got sidetracked for a bit and considering how big the school ground is. Yeah, no luck from my part." I paused, and almost slapped myself that I didn't get to think of finding the one ghost that could either help us or waste our time. "There's one ghost we all know that we don't need to search for."
Lily looked puzzled by my words, but Sev understood almost immediately as he paled and shook his head. "No. No. No way Percy, who in the right mind would ask him for help, or for anything for that matter! That's absolutely a terrible idea."
I couldn't help but grinned at Sev's scowling face, "Just the usual then."
AN:There, you get your Percy-Remus scene. Hope it's up to your expectations and thank you for all your reviews, please keep it coming. :)))
Oh, and the story Stingy Jack cones from novareinna site and it's a real folklore so I can't take credit for that.