This is only a preview of chapter twelve of Mission to Another World, in honor of the story's second anniversary!

Harry noted that he was more happy for the rest of the week than he had been since the term started. He and Ron spent most of Sunday just catching up on homework, and although it was no fun, the sunshine of autumn pressed on, so it wasn't all bad. Instead of being clustered up inside, the nice weather gave them the chance to work outside.

Hermione, who obviously was already caught up with her work and then some, continued to bring wool outside and sit with the other two and read. All the while, she had bewitched her knitting needles so they clicked and produced more hats and scarves beside her.

Just the knowledge that they were doing something to defy Umbridge and the Ministry, and that he himself was a very important part of the rebellion, gave Harry a feeling of great contentment. He continued to relive Saturday in his mind. Just...all those people coming to him, and their impressed-looking faces, the fact that he now knew they didn't think he was just some crazed/liar/weirdo...

Naruko had noticed a great rise in Harry's happiness over the past few days. He didn't seemed as stressed as he did when they first met him, or the first week of school. This was good, that meant Naruko had less to worry about. If Harry was happy then she was too. Still, there were the matters of her nightmares, which had continuously been occurring...

Harry and Ron were heading downstairs from the dormitories talking about Quidditch practice, and when they were halfway across the morning lit common room, their attention was attracted to a small group whose attention was grabbed by something on the bulletin board. A large sign had been put up on the board, and it was so big that it pretty much covered everything else that was on there. The new sign contained large black lettering and there was quite the official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.

-BY ORDER OF-

The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts

All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded.

An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.

Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).

No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.

Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four

Signed:

Delores Jane Umbridge

HIGH INQUISITOR

And while Harry and Ron read the notice, Sakura and Naruko were coming down the stairs.

"And they're still not getting better?" Sakura asked with a frown. "The genjutsu didn't work, so now what do we do?"

Naruko yawned, "I don't know, but I'm worried. These dreams just started, as soon as we were set with this mission." she replied, "Do you think they have anything to do with each other?"

Sasuke tapped her on the shoulder and when she turned, he went to her other side, and tapped her again. She scowled at him.

"Well, you would think, because since it is Orochimaru, he would be plaguing me with his nonsense." he said, turning serious, "I just wonder what that crazed child-molester is thinking." He would never get his hands on Naruto – Sasuke would put his life on that. If it was the last thing the raven ever did, he would protect Naruto from him.

"What's going on over there?" Sakura pointed to Harry's and Ron's backs.

Sai looked around them, "Looks like some kind of sign." And he went to sit down on one of the couches.

As Naruko moved over to Harry's side, he read through the notice again. His happiness was draining away and was being replaced with rage that was boiling inside him. "This isn't a coincidence..." he gritted out, his hands clenching in fists. "She knows."

Ron jumped on that, "She can't."

"Face it, there were others listening in that pub, and we don't know...how many of the people that showed, we don't know how many we can trust. Any one of them could have turned and told Umbridge..." Harry explained quietly. He was so distraught; he thought they believed him, even...admired him.

"Zacharias Smith!" Ron said at once, punching a fist into his other hand, "Or, you know – that Michael Corner looked somewhat shifty too-"

"I wonder if the others have seen this yet," Harry said, looking around the common room, only to notice Naruko, who seemed to come from no where – again.

"What's up with the crowed?" Naruko asked curiously, barely taller than the second years in front of her. The stupid female body was shorter than when she was in her real form as Naruto.

"I'll go get Hermione," Ron said, turning to the girls' dormitories. And when he was on the sixth step, it happened. A loud, wailing sound later and the stairs smoothed themselves out to make a long stone slide. Poor Ron tried to keep going, tried to keep running, his arms working crazily like windmills. And when that didn't work, he toppled back down backwards and came down to rest Harry's feet.

Naruko couldn't help it; she couldn't keep it in. Her face was red and that's when she let it go. The common room filled with her rich laughter, causing heads to turn and people to come down from the dormitories.

Harry was laughing as well, and when he offered his hand to Ron, "I don't think that we're allowed in the girls' dormitories." he said, helping his friend to his feet.

"How come? Why aren't we allowed up there, when Hermione comes into ours all the time?" Ron complained, still a little scatterbrained from his tumble.

"It's an old-fashioned rule," Hermione said, neatly sliding down the newly made slide and landing softly on the rug. She was now getting to her feet, "In Hogwarts, A History, the founders thought that boys were much less trustworthy than girls. And that aside, why were you trying to get up there?" she asked, glancing at the still giggling Naruko.

"I was trying to get you – so you could see this!" replied Ron, dragging the girl over to the bulletin board. When there, Hermione's eyes quickly scanned over the Decree, and once done, her facial expression became stony. After Ron saw this he said, "Someone must've blabbed to her!"

Sakura appeared at Hermione's side, "That's impossible." she and Hermione said at the same time.

"Don't be so naïve! You think that just because you're all trustworthy and honorable -"

"No, seriously," Sakura interrupted, "they can't have because Hermione and I put a jinx on the parchment we all signed. Believe me, if someone told, we'd know. And they would really regret it." she explained grimly.

Ron was looking eager now, "What would happen if they told?"

"Think of it this way," began Hermione, "it'll make Eloise Midgen's acne look like a couple of cute freckles. Now come one, let's get down to breakfast and see what everyone else thinks of this. I wonder if this decree has been put up in all the other houses...?"

Once in the Great Hall, it was very apparent that yes, the Decree had been put up in all the houses. It was a strange intensity in the large room with all the chatter and various people running up and down the tables discussing on what they had read. The trio and Team Seven had barely sat when Dean, Neville, Fred, George, and Ginny bombarded them with questions regrading to whether they thought the Horrible Pink Menace knew or not. And while they were asking these questions, they were all looking at Harry; he glanced around to reassure himself no teachers were spying.

"Of course we're going to do it anyway." he said simply. And this, this one little act of defiance made Naruko think of being a kid again. All the trouble he caused the Third. The good days.

"Knew you would, Harry." George said, beaming and giving Harry a firm thump on the arm.

"And...the prefects as well?" Fred continued, somewhat quizzically. He looked at Ron and Hermione.

"Of course," pressed Hermione coolly.

Later, after much fussing of whether gathering would be much too obvious or not, Ron turned to the others, "Bet she's in History of Magic right now..." he said grimly after they all set off for Binns's class, "'Cos she hasn't inspected him yet, so I bet she's there..."


Be looking forward to it!