"Nathaniel, at least send the reinforcements" James demands, the argument was still surging and nothing was happening.

"No" The arrogant man replies. "It's not time, well send them at sunrise"

James pauses; he is walking slowly around, circling Nathaniel. His hand on his chin, thinking. He walks over to the door and asks a student there to bring him something. The student nods quickly. Everyone at the academy wanted to get all the rider's back, they nicknamed them the fortisvirferrarius seven, or in English the brave hero's of iron. They named them iron because it was the strongest, pure metal. It was shortened to fortvirfer seven. (Fort-vi-fair) The student ran down the hall, skidding as he tried to turn. He grabbed what he needed and shot back. He came and, panting, handed the item to James. Breathlessly he bid him good luck and hoping for the best. James nodded and shut the door again. He walked back over to Nathaniel.

"Sunset, you said?" James asked, bringing the mood in again.

"Yes" Nathaniel sighed.

James circled him, his voice becoming elemental, powerful, and mystical.

"What scared you as a child?" James asked his voice smooth at glass.

"What?" Nathaniel asked, caught off guard.

"Your nightmares? Now, we've learned that darkness is the biggest fear among most people. Do you know why?" James paused. "It's because there is a different kind of life that lives within the shadows. Children can see these things, these creatures, and these images. We adults pass them off as nothing, but they are real, and a threat! If you came face to face with one, you're most likely doomed. Two, and you are dead. Hunters in the night, like wild beasts stalking their prey. And the aura, the feel, the magic of the night when your off in some deserted place, alone, or when something horrible is happening" James explained.

"I know all about that, what of it?" Nathaniel asked impatiently, he was tired.

"So, these creatures and the aura" James continued, ignoring Nathaniel. "There is a book written about them" James holds up the item the student got for him. It is a book titled 'The Secrets in The Night.' "It explains all about them, it explains the desperate hope that people alone at night with something horrible happening, feel. If dawn would only come! They cry, please end this madness, this sickness, this pain, and end the night. Make the sunrise and bring this agony to an end. It becomes unbearable. Evil grows stronger at night, it feeds off the fear. The poor soul knows that, lurking in the shadows, is a death"

"I know all this!" Nathaniel shouted, squirming uneasily around in his chair. Uncomfortable and sweating.

"There are seven people out tonight" James leans closer to Nathaniel so he is looking over Nathaniel's shoulder and speaking into his ear. "They are far away from help and therefore hope" James's voice become a hiss, a whispering hiss of emotion. "They are being attacked by evil and dawn is a world away!" James pauses, backing away from Nathaniel. However, Nathaniel doesn't relax, he is tense and stiff. Eyes forward, pupils growing smaller. "You!" James continues. "Are one of those creatures" James finished.

A deadening silence fills the room as if to emphasis James's point. James simply looks at the glowing orbs that are lighting the room.

"How sure are you that, Voldemort, is not in this room right now?" James used the name to make Nathaniel shudder. "Waiting in the shadows to ...welcome... a fellow creature, such as you. You send people to die in the night, he is happy to kill them. Maybe he is here now, wanting to...repay... the favor" James can hear Nathaniel's heartbeat and raises his wand.

"Caligo!" He casts. All the lights go out and he can hear Nathaniel's breathing. James lowers his voice to a whisper. "Death awaits in the dark... the only hope is light"

Silence. Sweat drips down Nathaniel's forehead. That book reminded him of everything he was afraid of, and darkness triggered it. He wasn't a sheep, scared of the people who liked the dark, he simply knew what could happen in the dark. He knew what happened in all the stories to those who had caught the attention of a night creature. They weren't all animals, oh no. They could also be human. He knew of a family in Japan, a very wealthy family, they had the blood of the creatures in their veins and the creatures roamed freely around their property. He didn't know much about it, most people knew very little about it, yet everyone knew something. The thought of one of those creatures in the room was horrifying. He tried to remain calm, but he could hear is heart pounding in his chest and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The darkness seems to engulf him and his breathing becomes hard. This is unbearable! He hasn't slept, eaten, or done anything except talk about death and he was beginning to see things in the shadows. His skin begins to crawl and he feels as if someone is about to grab him. He feels hot breath on his neck and-

"Enough!" Nathaniel cries out.

James relights the orbs. Sorry for having to revert to that tactic. However, he knew it would work, even he was so tired that he saw a few things in the shadows, yet he ignored them. He had to get Nathaniel to send reinforcements, that was what was important.

"James, I've been listening to you all day and nothing you say will convince me-" Nathaniel starts, his voice is wavering and not as confident as it usually is.

James walks toward him and takes a big, silver locket out of his pocket.

"Look" He says simply.

Nathaniel's eyes disobey him and focus on the photo inside the locket. He sees a woman with long red hair and brilliant green eyes, next to her is the man standing in the room with him, below that is a boy, about the age of 19, blond hair and amazingly blue eyes. He is kneeling and has his arm around a little girl with white blond hair and silver eyes.

"That" James says. "Is Cota, and the little girl is his" James hesitates a fraction of a second. "Adopted sister" James notices that it was a slight lie, yet unbelievably true at the same time. "That is only one of the riders who are out there tonight. Think of the others. They all have lives, families, dreams, hopes, and ambition! You, sir, are killing it!"

Nathaniel feels a tugging at his heart and James uses his wand to make pictures of the other riders.

"Foramier, Paula, Sandra, Lyle, Zalik, Cota. Seven!" James states the names like a death omen. "Seven lives, times ten for their family and fifteen for their friends. That is how many lives you are destroying. One-thousand- fifty lives. Do what is right and call them back!"

"I can't!" Nathaniel exclaims.

"Then send reinforcements" James says.

Nathaniel looks nervously around the room. Then shakes his head. He wants a promotion, but he can't shake the image of the rider's faces. He was a fool. There was no getting around it. Nathaniel drops his head into his hands. How could he be so stupid. He had jumped at the chance to be in charge of this mission form the Ministry. However, now he wished they had never butted into the academy's business. Nathaniel weakly waves his hand, a signal of defeat. He stares into James's strong, confident eyes.

"... I don't know how early I can send the Reinforcements" Nathaniel states.

"Now is as good a time as any" James urges.

"Then now it is, get them assembled" Nathaniel smiles.