Chapter 17: The Rise of the Dark Lord
James:
When Dumbledore said there was another Dark Wizard on the rise, I started to worry. I had heard my parents talk about when Grindelwald had been around. They had been young, but they remembered it vividly. My mother got misty eyed every time I ever said the word 'dark' because her father had been killed while protecting some innocent bystanders. I hoped that this person, Voldemort or whoever he was, would be easily stomped out by the Ministry.
That night, after Lily had stopped clinging to my arm, which I didn't think was all that bad, and gone to bed, I sat up in the common room thinking. I was scared of what might happen. I knew that Dumbledore would be able to keep him away from the school, but for how long. I sat there contemplating what could possibly happen, the good and the bad, when the clock struck twelve. I slowly got up and went to bed.
The next morning at breakfast, Dumbledore stood up and made an announcement.
"Good Morning all, I trust you slept well. I'm afraid I have some bad news, there was a killing last night, by the hands of Voldemort. Twenty people were killed. This is the first of what we fear to be many. Among the twenty were thirteen wizards and seven Muggles. I know you are thinking, 'why did he have to go and depress me at breakfast?' but I just want you to stay alert. These are dark times we are coming into. I urge you not to go anywhere with someone you do not know. Your first two classes are still cancelled. Thank you."
That was the first in a series of announcements of killings that the Headmaster gave us.
One morning, as Sirius and I were leap froging into the Great Hall, with Lily and Cat trailing behind in hysterics, I got a knot in my stomach. Oh no. Then, something out of the ordinary happened. Professor McGonagall tapped me on the should as I was getting ready to leap over Sirius.
"Come with me Mr. Potter," she said shortly. She had a very strained look on her face.
"Honestly, Professor, it wasn't me that turned him into a rat, it just sort of…"
"What are you talking about Potter?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. She gave me a puzzled look.
"Potter, this arrived by owl today. It's addressed to you, and when I tried to open it, It wouldn't open." I looked over at the letter that lay on Professor McGonagall's desk. It was thin, only a sheet of parchment folded over. I took and opened it. My mouth dropped as I read what the letter said:
Potter, Potter, wizard blood so fair,
embrace the darkness you will not dare,
one day the good heir of whom the oracle spake,
you will make,
and the darkness he can break-
therefore note,
each and every breath you take,
and that of whom you dote!
With that, the parchment burst into flames, but not before I saw who sent it. It was singed with the Dark Mark. I stood there, like an idiot, with my mouth open.
"Well?" asked McGonagall. "What did it say?"
"You couldn't read it?" I asked.
"No, I couldn't. What did it say?" she asked, starting to get annoyed.
"It was some poem. There was no name." I shuddered. This was only part of the truth. Yes, there was no name, but there was worse.
"Do you remember any of it?" she asked, holding her breath.
"No," I lied. I remembered the whole thing. It gave me the heebie jeebies.
"Oh well. Right Potter. Keep on your toes. I'll let you get back to breakfast. No doubt you'll want to tell your friends about this. Go on," she smiled. I smiled back. I had been her favorite since our first day. She loved me for my ability in Transfiguration and the fact I was in her House helped a bit. I could get away with almost anything.
I hurried off to breakfast, where Malfoy and his cronies intercepted me.
"Shove off Malfoy, I'm in a hurry, unless you want me to turn you into a rat. I personally think you make a good…"
"I don't care what you think. What's your punishment this time, Potter? Is it just another detention?" he sneered.
"I'm not in trouble," I said. I shoved past him, trying very hard to supress my laughter. I ran into the Great Hall in a good mood until I sat down. Dumbledore stood up. I groaned.
"Not again," I whispered. I had an immense feeling of dread. I could feel it. "Oh no."
"James, what's the matter?" asked Lily, quite concerned.
"I think my parents are dead," I choked. I didn't think it, I knew it. Dumbledore's eyes had flicked over in this direction, right at me as he stood up.
"I regret to inform you that there has been yet another killing at the hands of Voldemort. This on e is the closest to Hogwarts yet. No doubt he is heading to Hogsmeade." He sat down again.
All thoughts of the poem on the burning parchment faded from my mind. All I could think of was how my parents were dead. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at Professor Custos. "James?"
"I know Professor. I'm coming. I'll see you guys later," I tried to smile, but it didn't work. I knew it wasn't going to sink in until I heard it out loud from someone other than myself. Professor Custos took me outside the Great Hall. She led me to a stone gargoyle.
"Sugar Quill," she said in a shaky voice. The gargoyle sprang aside. I stepped on to a revolving staircase that led to a great oak door. Professor Custos poked her head in and said a few muffled words that I couldn't hear. She opened the door and stepped aside. Sitting behind a desk was Professor Dumbledore.
"Leave us here, Victoria. I'll handle James."
Handle me? What was going on?
"James, this may come as a shock to you, but…"
"My parents were murdered under the hand of Voldemort in Herrin's Cove last night. I know Professor. I thought you would have been informed of my - er- shall we say ability?" I said. I wasn't crying and wasn't going to. I was beyond tears.
"No," he said. Professor Dumbledore gave me a piercing stare.
"I don't usually readily admit it because my late parents were ashamed of me, but I'm a Seer. This morning, I felt that my parents were dead."
"James, one thing I hope you understand here is that one should never be ashamed. Do not denounce the Sight, it is a rare talent that should be celebrated. Your parents were very wrong to be ashamed. That is not, however, why I called you into my office. Your father told me to give this to you. It is his Invisibility Cloak. Highly useful. If you would like to take the day off, I would understand, and you need not make up any work. It is a terrible thing to lose ones parents. You may go now." I left the room and wearily made my way back to the Gryffindor Tower, and promptly fell asleep. Only did I wake up hours later to find Lily sitting over me, her face white and concerned.
A/N: I have to really give credit to Tammy on this one. She was my life saver, she practically wrote this part. She thought up the little poem because I don't rhyme. I give her a huge round of applause ::claps and screams energetically:: JKR owns anything you recognize. R/R please, flames welcome.
Got an idea? Drop me a line at TessWalker@aol.com. I LOVE getting email. I can usually only post on weekends, cause I'm a very busy bee. Oh, and if any one has heard of the poet Phyllis McGinty, tell me because I read one of her poems on the SSAT's and I loved it. I tried to remember part of it, but couldn't so if you know her poems, drop me a line. The poem I know goes like: "Give willy nilly/ Thanks for the lily/…" It would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanx a bunch!