By Freddie

I don't own anything in this story except Jack O' the night, 'The Man' (He's Kind of a Character, not a Key one but anyway), Lizzy, and Al (You Meet them Later)

When I arrived at Hogwarts to learn I was well aware that very few teachers would trust me, that I would have to work very hard, so I did. When I arrived at Hogwarts to teach I was well aware that very few teachers would trust me, that I would have to work hard to earn their trust, thankfully no pupils came from the same background as me, so they had never known my name. It took a long time, but I eventually earned their trust. Having Albus's trust from the start helped.

I never know whether to wish that I had not met them that day. But if I hadn't they could have died. Then 'you know who' would definitely have risen to power, again. Then he would have had the support of the 'sewer rats' as we were called. I was born on the streets, as a child I lived on the streets and I remember being determined not to die on the streets. My mother died when I was born and my father; well I'd rather not go into that. My mother was a 'lady of the night' as some people call them. I was raised with criminals, Jack O' the night, he was my best friend. His mother was the mother I never had. But there were others. They stole, I didn't. I'd never have grassed on them though. I suppose they call that honour among thieves. But I knew those streets like the best of them. The maze of alleyways and passages that was where the criminal fraternity lived. I knew everyone who was anyone in the criminal underworld and I had their trust. Or at least, I did. That was then, this is now, or that was what I thought a few days ago. I thought that I would stick out like a sore thumb if I went back.

It was two weeks before the beginning of term. Albus had allowed Harry to stay with the Weasly's and they were going to Diagon Alley to buy their school supplies. Hermione was supposed to meet them there. Instead, she met them on the underground. Who knows what possessed Mr Weasly to try and get them there on the underground, but he did. Thankfully Hermione managed to get them off at the right stop, well she is muggle born. I'm half-blood; at least I think I am. My mother was a witch and I presume that my father was a muggle, but I could be wrong. I was just sitting on a bench in Trafalgar Square when I saw them; well, it was pretty hard to miss the Weasly's. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy. His wand was raised, in the middle of muggle London. Then I realised, he was going to kill Harry. I had to do something. By the time the words left his mouth I was almost there. I grabbed Harry and, for some inexplicable reason, Hermione. Through the screams of the muggles I could hear him swearing and his footsteps coming after us. I didn't stop running. Nor did Harry or Hermione. I led them into an alleyway. I knew that I could lose him here. I knew these streets like the back of my hand. Better in fact. I turned, Left, right, left, right, right, through a passage. I don't think I even realised when we lost him. I just kept running, with Harry and Hermione in tow. I could hear their footsteps, and mine, echoing round us and my heart beating. Suddenly I stopped. I could feel Harry's fear.

"He was trying to kill me. Wasn't he?" He asked. I don't think that he had realised where he was.

"Yes," I replied, no use in lying to him, "Yes he was"

"Where are we Professor?" Hermione asked. Suddenly I heard someone coming.

"Stay in the shadows," I told them. Lucius Malfoy ran over to me. I didn't think that he would recognise me in this half-light, but my hand gripped my wand by my side anyway.

"Have you seen a woman and 2 kids pass here, a boy and a girl?"

"Nah" I replied, changing my accent to the one that I had used as a kid, "I ain't seen nufink" He carried on running, turning left. Fat lot of good that would do him. If he carried on that way and went left, right, left, left, he would end up in Bond Street. I turned back to Hermione and Harry.

"Sorry about that. We're half way between Bond Street and Oxford Street. We need to get you back to Professor Dumbledore. The only question is how." I thought for a moment. What we really needed was someone who knew where the deatheaters were likely to be. What we needed was Jack. As if on cue I heard footsteps. Not Malfoy's running steps, but slower ones.

"Don't talk to these people unless they address you" I told them, "Ok?" They nodded. I fumbled with my hair, letting it down. No one in these parts wore their hair up. By the time the person came round the corner I knew exactly what I was going to say.

"Ex, Excuse me sir" I tried to sound as scared as I could.

"Yes" He replied.

"Do you know where Jack O' the night is?"

"Who's asking?" I knew that I'd hit on gold this time.

"Me name's Mary, I knew Jack a long time ago, I need to see 'im. Me two kids are starving" I motioned to Harry and Hermione hoping that they'd get the idea.

"What are your names?" He asked them.

"This is 'annah," I said, motioning to Hermione, "And this is 'enry" I motioned to Harry.

"Can't they speak for themselves?" He asked.

"Sorry sir"

"Well, no harm done" He said kindly, almost too kindly for my liking. Having lived with criminals (some of whom would sell their own mother if they thought that they would get enough money) all my life does tend to make me a little distrusting.

"Come with me" He said. Harry, now Henry, and Hermione, now Hannah, followed me as I followed him. I kept my wits about me, making a mental note of where he was leading us. It tallied with my memories of where Jack had hidden in the past, which worried me slightly. Oh, he was a good thief, but I don't think he was that good that the authorities wouldn't even get a sniff of where he was. Then I remembered that he had several hideouts and this was the best hidden, they'd never find this place.

"Stay here" He told us when we got to a door. He went inside.

"What are we doing Professor?" Hermione asked. I didn't answer her question as such.

"If there's anyone around at any time, call me mum. We're going to see someone who will know what the deatheaters are doing" The man came out just as I finished speaking.

"You can come in" He led us into a dimly lit room. There was a fire at one end and a chair in front of it. The dancing light of the flames silhouetted the man who was sitting in it with his back to us. The man in the chair dismissed the other man with a flick of his hand. I gripped Harry and Hermione's hands tighter than ever and tried to keep my breathing steady. What if he didn't remember me? What if this was a different Jack O' the night?