Here it is folks! The chapter you've all been waiting for!
In Every Darkness
Chapter Sixteen: Truth About Tatsu
21.7.1996(Afternoon)
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "Does this have something to do with why you called Snape Snivellus?"
"Yes, actually," Tatsu sighed. "Tell me, Harry, what do you know about Sirius Black?"
Harry froze, looking at Tatsu in complete surprise. For a moment, Harry looked into Tatsu's eyes, and he saw that there was no hate towards Sirius there.
"I know that he was convicted as a Death Eater and given a life sentence in Azkaban," Harry said. He saw doubt in Tatsu's eyes. "I know that he escaped twelve years later, three years ago now." More doubt, even sadness. This decided Harry. "I know he was named a Death Eater because the Ministry of Magic thought that he was my parents Secret Keeper, and that they think that after he betrayed my parents he killed his 'friend' Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles."
Tatsu looked like he was about to interrupt. "I also know that Sirius is my godfather and innocent of the crimes he was accused of, and that Peter Pettigrew is alive still, and a Death Eater who was the one that did everything Sirius was accused of," Harry finished.
"Thank god. You do know … I was starting to get worried about that. I did not think that Sirius would have done any of those things … You know him you say? He was a friend of mine, can you ask him if he would come to meet me?" there was a hopeful look in Tatsu's eyes.
"There is one other thing I know about Sirius, Tatsu … I do not know if this last thing is something that you want to hear or not … But I will tell you. I also know that Sirius is dead. He died to help me and my friends stay alive, before the Order of the Phoenix could arrive to help us."
Tatsu bowed his head, an expression of pain and grief washing over his face. "He's dead …" he whispered, obviously pained.
"You knew my godfather," Harry sated, softly.
"You were one of his friends, weren't you?"
"Yes. I did not hear that he had been
convicted as a Death Eater until I returned here from Japan about two months
ago now. I could not believe it, and I knew he was innocent. I thought that I
could find him, hear his story and take it to the Ministry, prove to them also
that he was innocent …"
"He died the way he wanted to," Harry said softly. "Fighting for what he believed in. It was Bellatrix Lestrange that killed him."
"His own cousin …" Normally so controlled, Tatsu's voice was filled with grief. "Well, I suppose I'd better tell you about myself eh?"
"Please," Harry replied.
"I was born Luis Malfoy, a few minutes before my twin, Lucius, was born. We were raised in the manner of a pure-blood family, to hate Muggles above all else. That if you did not have magic, you were somehow inferior to the rest of the world.
"My best friend was Sirius Black, Lucius never liked him much, but I had always found Sirius's rebellious attitude refreshing. Sirius did not believe that being a 'pure blood' or a wizard meant that you were better than anyone else, and I quickly came to like the idea.
"We were the same age, and as we grew older, Sirius and I became better and better friends. I knew your father, James, very well also. He was another 'pure blood' who believed as Sirius did.
"Their friendship meant a lot to me – especially once I found out that I was, in fact, a Squib. The first squib the Malfoys had ever known. A taint in the family.
"My parents wiped my name from all records – they did not want anyone to know that the Malfoy's had ever had produced any blight upon their perfect history.
"When I was eleven and they knew for sure, they cast me from house as well. I was homeless and alone … Or so I thought. But my friends, Sirius and James, came to me when they heard.
"They offered to give me money to get out of the country, enough for an ticket out of the country with a wizard tour and then to start a life somewhere else.
"At first I did not want to accept. Me, Luis Malfoy, a squib. My only way of survival was through others charity. They insisted, and in the end I took them up on their offer.
"I went looking for a way out of the country, not knowing, or caring, where I would end up. My world had been turned upside down, and sometimes I really felt like I wanted to die and escape it all.
"The first tour leaving the country was headed for Japan. I joined them at the last moment, and as soon as we arrived in Japan, I disappeared.
"I don't know if you know this, but part of the services a tour offers is a spell to allow you to speak the language of your destination.
"Now I was away from Britain, I had to find some place to stay, somewhere on the borders of the wizarding world and the Muggle one, somewhere that I would be accepted.
"Eventually I ran into another squib, this man was an all Japanese man, and he somehow knew me for what I was … He took me to his place, where there were several others, just like me."
Harry had not interrupted once during this account, his mind reeling with shock. So Tatsu, his tutor, was actually the uncle of Harry's greatest rival in school.
"I know this must come as a shock to you, but believe me, I hold no alliance to my former family. The Malfoy's can rot in hell for all I care. They are not my family any more," Tatsu told him.
Harry smiled. "You aren't like them. Lucius's son is in my year at school … We don't really get on well," he said.
"If he's anything like his father, I don't blame you," Tatsu remarked dryly.
"He's his fathers carbon copy," Harry replied, and Tatsu winced in sympathy.
"There's more, isn't there?" Harry asked, after a few moments of silence.
"Yes, Harry. There is a lot more. That part of my life was easiest to tell. I was virtually unknown, and I liked it that way. The Japanese man I met, his name was Usakai, told me many things.
"He told me that not all Squibs were without magic, as people had always told me … Among the Squibs, there are those who have a completely different branch of magic.
"A Squib cannot do magic in the form of wands and spells, potions and broomsticks, but they can do other things.
"Usakai and his friends called themselves Modifiers, and that is what they, and I, were. Though we cannot perform 'wizards' magic, we can see spells that come from wands and we can change them. Modify them to our liking.
"Modifiers have different strengths, much as wizards do, some can change things only slightly, or can only change weak spells and enchantments.
"The stronger, however, can turn spells into something completely different to their original intention, no matter what the spell is … I was the very strongest of our group. There are limitations to a Modifiers ability, but they are unimportant right now.
"While I was in Japan I took to learning all the martial arts that I could … I had an aptitude for it that cannot be learnt. What I will begin to teach you is nothing like what you could learn anywhere else, my own blend of all the martial arts that I know."
"And there is still more," Harry said, knowing this to be the truth. "You haven't done anything to make you famous over here, at least, not that you've told me about."
Tatsu laughed. "No … there is quite a bit more. Almost fifteen years since I'd left the life of Luis Malfoy and begun that of Tatsu Kendo, I got an owl.
"It was from Sirius. He wrote to tell me of what was happening in my home country of Britain. Lord Voldemort was at the height of his powers, killing any who dared oppose him.
"Sirius told me that he was sure that my family was heavily involved in the killings, and I felt a wave of rage such as I have never known, before or since.
"I came back, against the wishes of the group that had become my family. I knew that if I ignored this, I would be as bad as any of my blood family.
"I knew that I could use my powers to help work against Voldemort. As Tatsu Kendo I returned, I joined Albus Dumbledore as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, though not openly.
"Working sometimes with them, sometimes alone, I fought with the Death Eaters. Always I worried that I would meet my family – if I did, could I kill them in cold blood? I did not know, and I didn't not want to find out.
"Eventually I told Sirius the truth. He was the only one who would ever know my connection with the Malfoy family. Everyone else thought I was just a part British wizard who'd grown up in Japan.
"I did everything I could. In fights, I could change the effects of the Avada Kedavra curse, change from a killing curse into something completely different, sometimes a cheering charm, sometimes a healing charm.
"I was one of those the Dark Lord wanted dead more than any other. It was around this time that I begun to be known, I was hailed a saviour in the war, and for a time I liked this idea.
"Then the prophesy came. Sirius, James, Lily, Severus and Dumbledore were the only ones among the Order to know of the prophesy at the time.
"Only a few days before Voldemort killed your parents and tried to kill you, I was in a battle against a group of Death Eaters.
"I was fighting them, using the knowledge of the martial arts I had gained, killing those I could not stun.
"When I finished fighting, I looked through the dead, as I did every time … and I found my father. I had killed him, Harry … There are no words that I could use to put what I felt into words …
"It was horrible, and I fled, back to Japan. I did not tell anyone of my intentions, filled with self-loathing I rejoined the Modifier group, and tried to put what I had done in Britain behind me.
"Everyone thought that I was dead, possibly including Sirius, though now I will never know for sure. After a while I heard about the deaths of Lily and James, and how you, Harry, had defeated the Dark Lord.
"I never heard of Sirius or his imprisonment, or I would have returned long ago," Tatsu finished his tale, tears in his eyes.
"Why did you come back?" Harry asked.
"I had to … I cannot explain it fully, but I was filled with a need to see my homeland once more, to meet up with those friends who still lived.
"When I returned I found that most had forgotten me, and by avoiding the attention of most in the magical community, I could avoid being noticed.
"Most wizards or witches would recognise me if they saw me properly, but I will do my best to keep a low profile. I do not want to be given glory for what I have done.
"Fourteen years have passed since that time, and never has the knowledge that I had killed my own father left me. But I knew it was time to put that behind me.
"The group of Modifiers in Japan has long since broken up. We all live different lives now, though occasionally we will hear from one another," Tatsu sighed heavily.
Harry rested a comforting hand on Tatsu's shoulder. "You did not know it was your father. You could not know that he was a Death Eater, not completely. You only ever suspected. You killed him to stop him killing others. You acted for the greater good … You can't blame yourself."
"You do not know how many times I have told myself that, Harry. You are the only one who knows why I left, the only one left alive who knows my past," Tatsu said.
"But why, Tatsu? Why are you telling me this, why are you teaching me?" Harry asked, curious.
"That, child, is a tale for another time. When I am ready, I will speak to you of my decisions, but for now, you will learn to find your centre at will and stay there as long as you wish to. Then I will teach you how to dismiss it, and then we will start work on martial arts training," Tatsu replied.
Harry sighed and nodded. He'd learnt a lot from the man, and he didn't think that it was right to push Tatsu for more information just yet.
***
Wasn't that fun? Now you know who Tatsu is! Only two people guessed he was a Malfoy! Next chapter we find out how Harry did so well at Potions in the OWLs – hopefully no one else has done this before, but I can't know for sure until someone tells me.
Also, as Tatsu said, there are limitations that Modifiers (or any other type of non-wand magic) have, which will be discussed at a later date. Before anyone calls Tatsu a Mary-Sue/Gary Stue, please hear what the limitations are!
~WolfMoon~