Just a Little Magic

"While adventuring in the Forbidden Forest to strengthen the relations between humans and creatures, Harry stumbles upon a small boy up in a tree. The boy is alone and Harry can't help but think that the boy needs someone..."

~xXx~

Tramping through the woods in search of Centaurs, Harry sighed at the futility. The creatures - all of them - only came out when they wanted to. Which was rarely ever when they felt a wizard in the forest. Of course, it wasn't like Harry blamed them or anything; they had plenty reason to be wary. The last hundred or so years hadn't done the relationship of magical beings and wizard any good. What, with all the wars between wizards and the dragging in of the magical creatures whether they liked it or not.

Pushing back a particularly low hanging branch, Harry found himself in a clearing where the embers of a fire still smoldered in the middle. Looking about, he didn't spy any hoof prints. That, though, didn't mean much at all he'd learned recently. They knew how to cover their tracks as well as any other being did. More than a little frustrated with himself, the centaurs, and the mission that had been entrusted to him, Harry shouted out:

"You can come out! I know you aren't far!"

A couple of strained minutes later, Harry shook his head in defeat and decided he'd come back tomorrow when-

A branch above snapped.

Wand out in flash, the young man pointed it upward, only to see a kid - about nine or ten - with goggles around his neck gazing down on him with big brown eyes. Staring at each other, the wizard slowly put away the wand and held his palms out open for the kid to see.

"Hey," he called softly, "what are you doing up there?"

The boy didn't answer right away. Instead, he started to rub at his eyes. "I was-" he sighed and slumped in on himself. "I got lost…"

Harry half-frightened and half-amused by the situation gestured for the child to come down. "I can imagine you would! This woods isn't meant for children…" Shocking Harry, the boy swung himself off the branch, but before the young man could get beneath him to catch him (because he was so going to break his neck) the kid landed effortlessly on his feet in front of him.

"You aren't that much older than me!" the kid complained. "And I always train in the woods, just 'cause I got lost in it doesn't mean it's not safe…"

More and more befuddled by the boy as his voice rose, Harry reached out unthinkingly, putting a hand to the boy's mouth. This earned him a very put-out glare and a smaller, gloved, hand came to rest on top of his as Harry looked down on him. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Uchiha Obito! Future Hokage!" the boy said, ripping the wizard's hand away.

This had to be the strangest thing he'd heard come out of the kid's mouth yet, Harry decided. "Okay, Uchiha," he muttered. "When did you get lost? I'm sure you're parents must be looking for you by now?"

Uchiha averted his eyes to look to the ground. "Oh, I don't know about that. Dad's always telling me not to come back until I can make him proud…"

This made the young man's heart pang in sympathy. How unfair it was for children to be raised by people who did not love and accept them for who they are (he would be a good father, he would love his children - blind, seeing, stupid, smart, magical, squib, young, old -no matter what). Wondering if there wasn't something he could do for the boy so his father would be proud of him, Harry questioned, "What do you need to do to make your father proud?"

This caused the dark-haired child to perk up. "He wants me to graduate from the academy with the rest of my year!"

He didn't know what the kid was talking about, but maybe it was like primary school? But for wizard children? "And what do you need to do to graduate?" Harry followed up, kneeling in next to the boy.

"I need to make a clone!" the kid exclaimed. "I really suck at them and they'll never let me graduate if I can't do that!"

"A clone…?" the wizard repeated uncertainly. Children his age didn't use wands. "How do you make a clone?"

This caused the kid to gape. "You don't know? Are you a civilian or somethin'? But even they know how ninja make them!" he yelled in surprise.

Ninja? Where was this kid from? Looking around the clearing, Harry wonders if he's really in the Forbidden Forest or if some old magic hasn't transported him to a different land. Smiling at the boy, the young man smiled. "I'm not from around here," he admitted. "Where I live, we don't have ninja."

The boy looked even more shocked - if that was possible. "None at all?" he whispered, "That's so weird!"

Harry smiled. "I guess it is to you, huh?" When the boy nodded vigorously Harry just grinned a bit wider. "Since I don't have ninja where I live, do you want to show me how to make a clone?" He implored.

Uchiha gave him a doubtful look. "I don't know…it probably will look nothing like me…"

Reaching out and squeezing his shoulder, Harry shifted his face to one of utmost seriousness. "You'll do fine, believe me," he said.

"If you think so," the kid sighed, shoulders slumping. Moment's later, the kid brought his hands together shouting something Harry didn't understand at all and next to him the ground smoked to reveal-

"See! I told you it'd suck!" the boy cried, rubbing at his eyes.

Harry gently snagged his hand and wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his robe. "It doesn't suck," he told the younger boy. "I think you did very well."

"But-"

"You tried hard, right?" Harry demanded.

This caused Uchiha to blink in confusion. "Uh, yeah?"

"Then you did great!" Harry insisted. "Even if it's not what going to hold up to standards, you tried hard and as long as you continue to, you'll make a clone like you're supposed to." Seeing that he's gained the dark eyes complete attention, Harry took the already calloused hand between his fingers and continued, "even if you don't graduate with your class, your teachers will see you tried hard and so will your dad. If he still thinks your not good enough, then he doesn't matter, alright?"

"I don't want to disappoint my dad though…"

Harry sighed. "I know you don't," he consoled, "sometimes, though, to grow, we have to do things our way and let go of what others expect from us." When those dark eyes just turned wary, Harry brought him close enough that they were practically hugging with the way Uchiha was under his arm. "Trust me, alright? I've spent my life living by other peoples' expectations - it's not the way to go about doing things. Live for yourself and your friends - they're all that matter."

"I get it, I think," the boy muttered a minute later. a spark actually coming to life in his eyes.

Nodding, Harry let him go and prompted, "Now, try making another clone."

"I don't-"

"You can't be afraid to fail to become someone great," Harry cut in.

"Okay…" Uchiha exhaled dramatically bringing his hands together and saying those special words.

He can feel the clone coming to life and with a bit of raw magic, Harry cast a light illusion over it and formed it into the boy's mirror (even if it's not all his work, it will boost the boy's confidence) and when that smoke cleared for a second time a doppelganger stood gazing back at the dark-haired boy.

"See! You did it! All it took was a little confidence!" Harry praised, grinning wide at the awed face.

"I did…" he mumbled. "I did!" Uchiha Obito screamed happily. Tumbling forward, he clamped on to Harry, hugging him with all his young strength. "Thanks! Thanks so much! You were so right! All I need to do is do it for me!"

Patting his back, Harry coaxed him to let go a moment later. "Hey, I think I know which way your home is, if you want my help."

Uchiha bobbed his head and so did his clone (how odd, how interesting,) in agreement. Pointing a little to the left, he said, "Just go straight from there and you'll be home in no time."

"Thanks Mister!" The little ninja shouted, running off in the direction pointed to by Harry and with a whispered prayer to the Forbidden Forest to guide the child safely home, Harry turned away from the clearing.

It was time for him to go back home too.

He needed to start taking his own advice.

Editing went a bit smoother than expected, I'm happily surprised to was Phoenix's Moon request for being the hundred and first reviewer of Youthful Endeavors a Naruto fanfic. She wanted a Harry Potter cross-over with Naruto. I hope you liked my interpretation and that I used Obito for the boy you reference in said prompt!

This was fun to write, so thanks a lot:)

I hope you like it too!

Thanks a lot for reading everyone and please review.