The Stranger

" He's going to the house my Lord." A tall dark man was kneeling beside a chair, that the pale frame of Lord Voldomort was sitting in. " Good, thank you my servant. You will be rewarded grandly." Voldomort said in his high voice. The other man bowed deeply. " Has there been any sign of the prisoner Severus?" Voldomort asked. " No my Lord. Peter has a alert out though, my Lord." Snape said loyaly. Voldomort nodded, and waved his hand in a dissmal air.Snape bowed again, and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Harry woke up, sweating. He glanced at the clock, and saw that it almost four o'clock. He got up and brushed his hair, and went down to the ktichen to get a snack.

Ron and Hermione was down there, and they looked very guilty when Harry got down. He rolled his eyes and snapped " Don't you have anything better to do? I thought you were ging to try and see what Charlie was talking about.". Ron looked at him with a glare and said " What's wrong with you? You've been up there sleeping for hours!" Harry looked at the ground and muttered " Sorry." Hermione looked at him with concern " Harry, what's wrong?" Harry didn't answer, and Ron said " Harry, come on mate, what is it?". Harry took a deep breath and aswered " I had a dream, Voldomort was talking to...to Snape. He was talking about the prisoner again, he said that Wormtail has a alert out. Voldomort seemed to be in a good mood, but I don't know why."

Hermione looked at him with sympathy, she knew how much Harry hated Snape.

Ron looked mad also, like he wanted to hurt someone. Harry took a shaky breath and asked

" Wheres Ginny?" Ron answered, with a hint of anger in voice. " She's in the room that has her spell stuff in it." Harry nodded and went to find her.

The next day, they were all eating breakfest, and talking about Esther English. Hermione was saying " Well, I looked her up, and she was a Slytherin. She was a freind of Toms also. I think we should go see her." Ginny looked at her with some suprise " Hermione, I thought you'de be against it, I mean you didn't trust Charlie much did you?" she said.

Hermione glared at her and muttered " I'm not a spol sport Ginny. I'm just a little, cautius." Ginny rolled her eyes.

After they had all eaten, they got their wands, and apperated to Jenny Trail. Like Charlie had said 416 was a large red brick house. This time instead of being nervous, and stalling, Harry went up and knocked the brass knocker. After about two minuetes, a medium sized women with grey hair answered the door.

She looked at them, and said briskly " You must be those kids researching Tom. Charlie said you were comeing." She looked at them expetantly, then said " Well, are you comeing in or not? I don't have all day." Harry nodded, and follwed her through the door. She shut the door behind him, and then lead them to a dimly lite room. They sat down awkwardly, on a bright green sofa. Hermione cleared her throat and said in a buisness-like way, " Alright then, let's get started, we don't want to waste your time.When were you and Tom freinds?" Esther glared at her and said coldly " We've always been freinds. From year one, to seven." Hermione looked strained, and didn't reply, just wrote that down. Ginny asked the next quistion. " Were you very close?" Esther rolled her eyes, and said just as coldly " We were very close, I helped him with everything. " Ginny bite her lp, and also didn't reply. It went on like for about a hour. Then when Harry asked her

" Did Tom ever ask you to be a Death Eater, after school?" She looked up, and for the first time, didn't say anything rude. " Yes." she replied simply. " How did he take it when you refused?" Ron asked courisly. " He didn't, I execpted his offer." Harry looked up quickly, wondering how she was still alive, Voldomort usaully killed anyone who left his services. " When did you leave?" She smiled broadly, and said with a smirk " I never left." Ginny gasped and said " Then that would mean..." Esther grinned again. " Yes Ms. Weasly, that would mean that I am still a Death Eater, and the Dark Lord's most faithful and trusted servant." Harry stared at her with shock. He reached into his pocket, and felt his wand there. " The Dark Lord is not happy Mr. Potter, not happy at all. He wants to see you. Right now. So let's leave easily, alright?"

Harry stared at her, then said coldly " Thanks, but I don't think so. In fact, I know so." Harry pulled out his wand and pointed at her, and his freinds did the same.

" Fine, if you want to do it the hard way, ok." All of a sudden there was loud cracks all around the room. Death Eaters apperead, and pointed their wands at Harry.

" I thought we had already done this, don't you think so Ron?" Harry said with a forced smile.

"Ya, it does seem familar." Ron said, and also forced a smile. " Well, then I soppose we'll just have to kick their butts again won't we then?" Harry said, this time with a real smirk.

The Death Eaters around the room, shifted slightly.

" SECTUMSEMPRA!" Harry shouted, and it hit a large Death Eater in the chest.

He yelled in pain, and feel to the floor, unconcuis, but not dead. Spells started flying back and forth, just like the hotel.

Harry had just put a Taratallegra curse on someone, and was watching them tap dance, when the door was knocked in, and a man came into the room, and shouted a spell, and it froze everyone.

He came over and unfreezed Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron, then said rushidly

"Follow me, quickly." and walked out the door. Not hesitating, they follwed him, and tried to keep up with his fast pace. They got to a small clump of trees, when he turned and said " Apperate to Brown Meadow, you know were it is Hermione, and I'll meet you there and explain." Then he left with a pop. Harry turned to Hermione and said, " Hermione, do you know him?" Hermione shook her head. " Well he knows you, were is Brown Feild?" Hermione told them it was near Hogwarts, and then said " Should we go, what if it's another trap?" Harry shook his head and said conifedently " No, that was John Doe-Doe. I'm sure." Ron nodded, and agreed

" It sounded just like him, besides, he kept hinting something would happen."

Hermione looked doubtful, but agreed.

When they got there, they saw a small shack, and went up to it. Inside the man was sitting there. He smiled warill at them, and pointed to a small foldout couch, and they all sat down.

John took a breath and said " Yes, I am John. Charlie knew this was going to happen, he was a Death Eater, but didn't want to be. He was told of the plan, and he then told me. But then Voldomort started to doubt that he was on their side, and made him make a Unbreakable Vow. I was then also put under it, because the Vow mean he couldn't tell anyone, but he had already told me. So I was imieditly under it also. I knew it was going to happen, so I came to help. Charlie couldn't because it would blow his cover." John took a breath, and waited.

They had all been staring at him with shock, and Harry seemed to snap at out if after a minuete. " So Charlie was a Death Eater? Why...how?" John shook his head and answered, " I can't say anything else, you must get back to your homr. Go now, and don't leave untill you hear from me." John looked at them seriosly " I know this a lot to digest, but I need you to trust me." Harry hesitated, then nodded slowly. Ginny and Ron did the same.

Hermione was still staring at him open mouthed though. Ron elbowed her, and she blinked, then nodded also, looking red-faced. John noddd, and said it was tme to go.

They apperated back to Black Manor, and sat in the girl's room, talking abou everyhing.

" I think we should trust John, Hermione. He hasn't done anything untrustworthy." Ginny was saying. Hermione shook her head, and replied " But he's so..I don't know. He won't tell us his real name for one." Ron sighed, and said " Okay, let's just go to bed. Harry and I will sleep in here tonight, just incase anything happens." And he conjured up two beds, and got into one. Hermione rolled her eyes, and got into her own bed. Everyone was very quiet, but Harry knew they weren't sleeping.

Harry fell asleep at about two, and slept dreamlesly.

When he woke up, he was feeling very weird. He stood up, and relized what was wrong. He had a large gash on his back, and hadn't noticed it. " Harry! What happened?" Harry looke up, and saw Ginny in the door way, staring at the long cut on his back. " I don't know, I just noticed it, it must have happened yesterday." Harry said, wincing slightly. Ginny came over, and waved her wand over the cut saying " Ferula>" and bandages apeared on the bed. Ginny bandaged him up, and then helped down to breakfeast.

A/N Hey everyone, the next chapter is my 10th one, so I'll tell you who John is then. I think it'll be a very pruductful chapter. What did you think of this one? Thank you for my two reviewers on the last one, Mix'n'Match3 and Violinistgurl (Who is my cousin, so therefore is my favorite reviewer. Sorry guys...). Also, HPreaderandreviewer, thank you so much! Thank you so much to everyone, I haven't gotten one bad review. I think that's a good thing, so thank you everyone! Remember to review on your way out! They keep me going people, so please do.

Sam