Alone at Heart

A tingling sensation fell over Whght from head to toe. Every year he stood in this exact spot while memories ripped through his head. He had made peace with what had happened years ago. He knew they were dead and there was nothing that could be done to bring them back; he knew because he had tried to find a way to do so by seeking the answers in his books. He accepted the past and kept every memory he could, but as time went on it became harder and harder to do so. He no longer let himself cry when he visited them. At times it was almost impossible, but he kept control of himself.

Whight didn't answer Jack for at least a full minute, he hadn't even acknowledged that she had followed him. He stood staring trying to let him thoughts calm and when they had he spoke. "They are my parents," he said in a low voice. "They were murdered when I was eleven, killed by a muggle." He began to walk toward the graves. If felt as if lead had filled his shoes and each step took a bit more energy to walk than it otherwise would have.

He approached his fathers stone first. "My father. He was an auror, a great wizard who was assisting in revolutionary things." He ran his hand over the etchings on the stone and made his way to the other grave. He knelt down and said, "And this is my mother. One of the kindest women whoever walked the Earth. She was the Deputy Prime Minister who worked day in and day out for the betterment of man kind. Once she met my father they began working on plans for the betterment of both worlds." He placed the flowers on the ground, closed his eyes in reverence and then rejoined Jack who was standing close by.

"They were going to do great things you know, life changing things. Now that I'm the only one of us who is left, well it's my responsibility for the time being." He glanced to Jack for the first time sending her a light smirk. This was his secret. A secret the said that told a great number of things about his past that very few knew about. It as now obvious what kind of life Whight must have had when it was known that his parents were dead.

There was a silence and Jack dropped her hand again, not in any terrible rush to find out the secret- she would hte if someone rushed her into telling a secret. Usually Jack was very impatient, but she had mostly grown out of that and was learning that the best of things came to those who waited for them. And so she would wait.

He finally began to speak and Jack's head turned, her eyes briefly looking up the the face of the man that was so freely admitting a secret she would never have told anyone. Had she a secret spot for the graves of her parents (and had she a loving relationship with her parents) she would have guarded the secret and keep anyone from ever knowing it. And yet he told a stranger.

What was going on here?

She turned back to look at the tombstones, watching them as listened to Whight's words, imagining a happy family. He finished his comments and she nodded, listening to his concluding comments. It must have been nice, coming from somewhere that gave you a direction in life. Jack was on her own, having to make her own name and her own way.

"It's a nice purpose," she said quietly. "What happened to the muggles?" She understood the need for vengeance, now. After the death of her cousin, the only living family who actually gave a care about what happened to her. She would take down Ne'Os for it. One day. But now she wanted to know what Whight's revenge might have been, if there was any.

Whight knew he had to be careful with his next words as to not frighten her. "I took the life from him that he took from others," he said simply. Whight hoped his game was working and he would soon find out. He opened up a large part of his past to someone he barely knew and considerably disliked, but it had to be done for the promotion of their cause.

Whight had began doing many things out of his own character lately. The responsibility was placed upon him and Silvyr to do most of their recruiting. Since Whight knew very few people and had never attended Hogwarts, he had to use his ability to analyze people to it's fullest. Yes it came off as odd to strangers for him to be offering them such extravagant promises, but it was all he could do really without having to rely on who Aaron thought were potentially good members to seek.

He hoped that Jack had some sort of courtesy in her. Usually when someone lets you in on secret of theirs, you reciprocate. Whight knew it was a dirty trick but with his work he had to gain trust a knowledge as quickly as he could.

He turned and made his way to the edge of the water. He picked up a rock and skipped it across the flat surface with a bit a magic to power it. "So what's your story?" he asked reaching for another smooth rock.

Jack nodded at his words. She was apart of the Order, ex leader of Potter's Army, Gryffindor, working for the Ministry, taken over the shop of the Weasley twins. By nature, she could not be one who condoned killing. Not after the hell Vito put her through. Not after telling the Order they couldn't kill Grindelwald. Not after facing pureblood supremecy. Not after swearing to do good.

But this she understood. Because everytime she saw Ne'Os Emof, she heard her cousin's voice, telling her that he would always try to be there for her, telling her that when he couldn't, he needed her to do the right thing and be strong for the both of them. And everytime she heard those words, and saw Ne'Os alive while her cousin was gone. Well, she felt if she did not kill him soon, she might die herself.

She didn't like it. But she sure as hell understood it.

And then he asked for her story. She closed her eyes against the breeze. No one knew that, not in full. And no one needed to. There were things that no one else needed to know, and as strange and kind as it was for Whight to share his story with her, she could not return the favor in full. Not after just meeting him. But there were parts...

"My story is mine," she said. "My parents are muggles. And we've never got along. I got my Hogwarts letter and they refused to let me go. I found my own way. Not before our family was torn apart. Hogwarts was me, myself, and I. When I made friends, they pitted themselves against anyone else I knew. So I ended up with no one." She paused. "My parents disowned me, my brother decided he didn't want me around, my uncle disappeared, my cousin was murdered." She paused. It was not enough, he did not understand. "And I caused the battle at Hogwarts." She paused again, closing her eyes, and recited: "Candice Bowls, 16 years old. Garrett Conolly, 11. Ben Fisher, 12. Marki Gordon, 15. Marla Higgins, 21. Skeeter Hudson, 24. Simon McLaggen, 16. Lisa Stills, 13. Kaily Volkov, 14. Missing in Action, Dexter Carrigan, 17." She opened her eyes. "That's the story I've made for myself."

And it barely scratched the surface.

Whight got exactly what he was hoping for. He continued skipping rocks only to deceive how interest he truly was. He listened to her every word and things now started to make more sense to him. He now understood why she acted the way she did. He knew there was good story behind her scars and he had just gotten a small taste of it. There was clearly more to the story that she was not telling, but he had not told her everything about his past and she had not asked for more, so he paid her the same tribute.

"Looks to me that I'm in the presents of a hardened worrier," he said trying his best to make her past a good thing when compared to who she had become. "You would think that with a reputation like that the Order or the Death Eaters would be seeking you allegiance constantly," he didn't care if she responded to the statement, he knew it was none of hie business. After a moment he pressed on, "I am liking what I hear as terrible as that sounds." He stopped skipping rocks and just stared up the mountain walls as he spoke. "This may come off as a bit forward but I work for a man who is working to make things happen, great things. Change that the Order and Ministry could only dream of." The first part of his speech had just begun and he hoped that she liked what she heard.

"But know this conversation goes no further than right here should you choose to decline what I am about to offer," he said looking her dead in the eyes.

Jack could not help but smile as he called her a hardened warrior, but she expressed this smile to her muddy, cruddy sneakers. She liked the sound of it. There was a dingity to the sound, but it did not imply any sort of nobility. She liked that. She raised her head, setting it back a little so her striking green eyes took in the top branches. "I like the way you put that," she said.

At his words, she nodded. She knew he was not a Death Eater and even if he was, the only faction she had to be worried about was Grindelwald's followers. "The Death Eater's don't exactly like muggleborns, though," she reminded him, remembering the time the Dark Followers had kidnapped her. Well, that had not worked out well for them... Or for anyone really.

At his next words, Jack just glanced up at him, but he was not looking at her. "Understandable," she said, though she was trying to catch up to why he in particular liked to hear her story. She understood that he might like to hear that she was not just some crazy young woman that ran around chasing bad guy, that she might have some method to the madness.

He continued on and Jack listened. She had been growing weary with the Order, nothing ever got done and they were weak minded. What he was describing interested her... so long as it was not Grindelwald. Under Grindelwald she had been imprisoned and her cousin's murderer had gotten off scotch free. She looked right back at him and said, "So long as it's not Grindelwald or Ne'Os Emof, I'm liking what I hear."

Whight couldn't repress the laugh that came after her final statement. "No, no. I hope you don't take me for a fool," he said with a smile. "Grinelwald is weak and he grows weaker as the number pile against him. As for Ne'Os, well the Death Eaters aren't as strong as they once were and he will soon see." He let his words settle for a moment before continuing with his words so she could she he had no allegiances to any cause other than his own. He knew what needed to be said next and he was ready for it. He always trusted the words that came once he started.

Even though he knew they were alone, Whight still looked around to make sure no one was around just out of habit. When all was clear he went one saying, "I work for a new up and coming cause. Everyone asks the question of; What makes you so different from any others and their cause? Equality is their answer. We are tired of tyrants constantly gaining power and believing they are more powerful than everyone; that is where they fail to stay in power. We are seeking to promote equality throughout society. Yes there will be leaders and those who run the show, but they are only called leaders because they are the individuals that know what needs to be done to push the cause forward. We all hold each other fully accountable for what they are suppose to do, even the 'leaders'," he said wondering what was going through her mind at this point.

"At the moment we are looking for membership. Strong, free-thinking individuals who will be there until the end; and from what you just told me, you are exactly that, which is why I'm making my offer. I know this sounds very farfetched, but I guarantee I am not promoting falsehoods. Great change is right around the corner. Where do you want to be when things get into full motion? On the side lines with others who wished they had taken the chance to matter? I'm offering you a chance to continue to do what you love doing, be a part of life changing events and get paid well to do it."

Whight didn't want to answer all the questions that he knew could possibly come up. Everyone always wanted to know what their position would be, what purpose they would serve; so Whight anticipated her next inquiry. He had done this many times and he could give full explanation to everything but he had to keep her interested and make her feel like she had some control over the conversation.

Jack listened intently, not stopping him as she was sure he probably had a long speech that he wanted to get through before she said anything. She sure did have a million questions, but she was not want to sit around and chat about things to be done- she was a doer. She prefered the action because it was the only thing that really moved people forward.

Jack had never felt terrible about inequailty, but she hated labels. She knew how hard it was to be a muggleborn growing up, and she had not liked any of their Ministers of Magic while they were in office. What Whight described sounded a bit socialist to her, though, and socialism was too close to communism. She did not want a violent revolution.

But she listened, because she did see a better quality in this idea. The Order were guardians, no more, they did not change anything. The Ministry was weak and only kept order on the surface level. This was something that could really help people, really change things... Or so it sounded. Jack was not easily swayed, but she was also eager for a change.

As he finished, she paused. She wanted to sort through her questions, save those that could be asked or negotiated later for a better time. She did have one little question. "Equality is hard to achieve, and so many others have tried. Usually someone ends up hurt. To what extent does this go? Are we killing those in office, or are we behind the scenes diplomats?"

Whight was responsible for making the their cause look like a peace making one. There was more to their cause that many wouldn't find out until they were well into the picture. Some would agree with what they were doing and other would disagree, the fact of the matter was that things would be changing and a new world would be opened for all.

"A valid question," he began. "Our plan is not to directly attack anyone, but measures are being taken that will prevent others from repressing us, others who will inevitably try. Equality is very hard to achieve, it takes more than one special individual to achieve such a feat. The cause must begin with a leader that believes in equality and he then only accepts those who are in complete agreement with just that. This way, he can keep them in check and they can keep him in check. Those in power ofter fail to see that all those below them have great power as well. When those that work below you become unhappy, mutiny can occur. Our man knows this and he does fear the numbers and having fear in something keeps you from becoming blind with power.

"Our goal is to not attack, it is just the opposite. We want unity, but we will do what we must. So how does that makes us any different then the ones we may have to fight? We are not one person seeking complete power, we are a body of people seeking equality, how can someone justify trying to destroy that? Grindelwald would fight because he would be loosing all the power and authority he has obtained over the years. Why would he want equality when he has everything? We will fight when we have to but other than that, we will continue to grow in size until it becomes known. People will either accept it or reject it, but let's be honest, you would be a fool not to be involved with the promotion of equality, right? Everyone would continuously question where you allegiances lay."

Whight hoped he had answered her question. He knew on one wanted to be involved in great blood shed, but sometimes it was unavoidable. The wizarding world was walking on a thin line, one slip and total disaster would take place. This was where their cause wold take it's greatest step.

Jack listened to Whight's explanation, again finding that it would be more rational and much better to just be quiet and listen to his full explanation. She let the information run through her ears, process through her brain, and digest throughout herself. She did not want to jump into something and get trapped up, but she was also craving a change.

What he said made sense. Jack had never been adverse to fighting; in fact, she liked a good fight. However, she had enough blood on her hands, and she did not want to push the envelope and feel even more guilty. Currently, she had a good two or three dozen people who she was responsible for killing. And not to mention trying to make it up to their families...

Yes, Jack was a person of equalizing. Maybe this whole equality thing was something she really did believe in. She needed to get in on this while it was small. She hated being on the fringe of a type of society, from being some faceless cog in a huge machine. She would rather distance herself from people she shared beliefs with than to be replacable.

Whight had finished and Jack looked forward, chewing her lip in thought. "So.." she said slowly. "If I am interested in joining this... this movement. And I mean interested." She paused and sighed to herself, knowing she was opening up a whole new can of dangerous worms- but at least it was something. "Then what would be the next step?"