Harry Potter and the Legend of the Shinobi
A/N: I'm sorry for the space between updates, but you should expect that it will take at least a week for new chapters to be posted. First of all is the evil reason: When you update the story shoots to the top of story lists and more people come across it. The not-so-evil reason: I want to space out the updates so I won't run out of chapters. I've been on a Charmed kick so I haven't written any new chapters so I'm trying to stretch out the life of the chapters currently written. And finally the completely understandable reason: I lost my USB thumb drive and didn't have any more blank disks, so I couldn't get the chapter from my laptop to the desktop. (The only computer with internet) So really sorry. Thanks for all the reviews! I've never had so many for the first couple chapters ever before. I hope you continue enjoying my story. Oh and in this chapter, Umbridge's speech is taken directly from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It is correctly cited in MLA format. So I'm not professing to have written it, please don't sue me! Happy Reading!
Chapter 3:
The Feast and a Fight
"Before we depart for our warm beds, I, as usual, have a few announcements." Dumbledore said to the mass of students in the great hall after the start of term feast. "First of all I would like to extend welcome to three exchange students from the South. I'm sure you will all be courteous to our guests." He said with a smile. It seemed that everyone turned to look at the Gryffindor table, whispers spreading among the crowd. Sakura's face turned bright red, a side effect of having bright similarly colored hair. Dumbledore cleared his throat to silence the whispers. The hall returned its attention to the headmaster. "On behalf of Mr. Filch, our caretaker, I would like to remind everyone that magic is prohibited in the corridors between classes. And that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to everyone. That includes some of our senior students. And now to the staff announcements. It seems I have to do this every year." He said with a laugh and a twinkle in his eye. "We are pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will take over our Care of Magical Creatures class. And I would like to introduce Professor Umbridge, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
The students applauded politely, if unenthusiastically. Dumbledore continued with a few uninteresting announcements. Naruto stared at the ceiling, still amazed by the spectacular stars that mimicked the night sky. He returned his gaze to the headmaster when he abruptly stopped talking. Umbridge was standing, clearing her throat. It was obvious that she intended to address the students. Dumbledore consented by sitting down and turning his attention to the stout woman. Many of the staff looked shocked, and the students looked like they were about to laugh at her.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Umbridge said in a high childish voice. "for those kind words of welcome." Sakura got a bad feeling from her. She exchanged a glance with her teammates, and leaned close to Hermione.
"Do new teachers always make a speech?" She asked. Hermione just shook her head, looking a little shell shocked. She was paying rapt attention to the speech, her expression darkening as she absorbed the words. Sakura turned her attention back to Umbridge, curious as to what made Hermione's expression so contemplative.
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!" Sasuke looked around. No one was smiling. "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Sasuke's mouth twitched. He didn't like this woman, she irritated him. He didn't like being treated as a child when he was in fact an adult shinobi. I guess I'll have to get used to it. He thought with a sigh.
Sakura was listening to the speech with a growing interest. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching." Sakura noticed that the teachers were looking positively venomous. "Every Headmaster and Headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress these will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tired and tested traditions often requite no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." (1) At this point Umbridge smiled at them and sank back into her seat. Scattered applause broke out, mostly polite teachers and students who were only happy to see the dull speech end.
Harry, Ron and Hermione bent their heads together and spoke in a whisper inaudible to everyone else. Sakura turned to her own friends.
"What do you think that was supposed to mean?" She asked. The boys shrugged. Sasuke looked contemplative.
"She mentioned something about the Ministry of Magic. I think that's their government, so maybe it has something to do with politics." Sakura nodded.
"It seemed as if she was talking about making changes to the school." Naruto looked confused.
"How did you guys pay attention to that entire speech? I got lost after the first sentence." Sasuke smirked.
"It was easy we have attention spans longer than a second and the more brains than a retarded monkey."
"WHAT!" Naruto almost shouted at him. Sakura poked him in the ribs.
"Quiet. It's not the best time to be fighting. Anyways, I don't think this woman will jeopardize the mission in anyway. We should be fine if we stay out of her way." Sakura turned away just as Dumbledore dismissed them. The students stood up and started towards the enormous doors that led out of the Great Hall. "But I still want to ask Kakashi sensei about her on Friday." Sakura looked around for their target. Hermione and Ron had to guide the first years to the tower, leaving the genin alone with Harry.
"Oh!" He exclaimed when he saw them standing there waiting on him. "I forgot, you guy probably don't know where the tower is." Sakura nodded.
"We know the general direction, but his castle's so big we've gotten lost every time we've ventured out." Sakura ended the sentence abruptly. She realized that she may have given away an important piece of information but fortunately, Harry was distracted and did not press her. They walked up the tall stone stairways, weaving through passages. Sakura was glad they had Harry to guide them, as she was sure that they would have been lost in minutes. But Harry seemed moody, staring at the floor. People parted for them as they passed, and stared. But not at the newcomers as one would expect, but at Harry. The three exchanged a look. After twisting and turning passages lit by unwavering, yet unmistakably, candles they found themselves looking at a large portrait of a fat lady, dressed in a bulging pink dress.
"Password?" She asked regally, as if she were a painting of a queen. Harry looked at her, then blushed.
"Er…" He scratched the back of his neck realizing that he had no clue to what the password was. The genin knew it, but were unwilling to give it away since it would reveal that they had not actually come on the train, as they were pretending.
"I cannot permit entrance without a password." The lady said, turning away. Harry sighed, unsure of what he was going to do.
"Hey, Harry!" A boyish voice called at them. It belonged to a round faced, nerdy looking boy who was currently jogging down the hall towards them with a plant cradled in his arms. "Do you need the password? It's mimbulus mimbletonia." He said waving the plant. The portrait slid open.
"Oh, thanks Neville." Harry said. "Guys, this is Neville Longbottom. Neville this is Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto." The three nodded at Neville, and they all climbed through the portrait hole.
"So are you guys first years?" Neville asked when they stood in the common room. Naruto, tired of answering the same question over and over again, irritably responded.
"No, transfers."
"Oh." Neville said, sounding surprised.
"What's up with the plant?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes at the ugly vine. Sakura poked him, irritated by his tactlessness. Neville was undeterred.
"It's a mimbulus mimbletonia. Like our password." He grinned foolishly. "It was an early birthday present. This vine has one of the strongest defense systems of any plant!" Neville spewed into a long lecture about the mimbulus mimbletonia and its characteristics. Fortunately the unwilling students in Neville's herbology course were saved by the arrival of Ron and Hermione. On the pretext of being exhausted, Hermione led Sakura towards the girl's dorm while Harry and Ron led Sasuke and Naruto up to the boy's dorm. Upon arrival in the tower room, Sasuke and Naruto were introduced to Seamus, a moody looking Irish boy, and Dean, a black, amiable looking boy.
"Hey, welcome to Hogwarts mate!" Dean said, with a wide smile and a handshake. Seamus barely acknowledged them and returned to unpacking his socks.
"What's up with you Seamus?" Ron called across the room, confused at the normally friendly wizard's icy mood.
"Oh, don't mind him. His mom didn't want him coming back to Hogwarts this year, and he's a little mad about…other stuff." Seamus slammed his drawer shut, and whirled around.
"It's not that I'm mad, I'm just…okay, fine I'm mad. I mean, how can you guys believe that You-Know-Who is back? It's completely impossible!" Harry tensed.
"Yeah? So you think I'm disturbed too, huh?" He said poison lacing his manner. Ron took a step towards Harry.
"Why don't we all just take a breath?" He said, trying to ease the tension in the room. Sasuke and Naruto stood in the shadows, watching the exchange.
"Yeah, I think you're completely mad!"
"Then why don't you just stuff it up your ass!" Harry shouted at him. Seamus got into bed and flung the curtains around the bed, blocking him from view. Dean didn't speak either. He got into bed, but gently shut the curtains, instead of slamming them. Ron sighed, tired. But the genin were not about to let this exchange drop without questions.
"What was that about?" Sasuke asked at the same time as Naruto blurted out, "Why are you insane?" Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and decided that they were trustworthy enough to know the details of last year's attack.
"Last year Hogwarts hosted a tournament," Harry found himself relating the entire story of the Triwizard Tournament. He always thought that telling this story would be hard, after the initial paralyzing shock had wore off and he had enough time to think about the meaning of the events. But as the words fell out of his mouth, he found that it was almost soothing to have the words float into the air.
"And then I ran to the cup and was transported back to the grounds." He stopped talking. Naruto and Sasuke stared at him, unsure of how to react to this news.
"Wow." Sasuke said, looking blankly at the floor thinking. "Wow."
"And so, this Voldemort is the most powerful wizard in the known world. And he wants you dead." Harry nodded.
"You don't believe me, do you?" He said sadly.
"No, we believe you." Sasuke said, looking at Naruto with raised eyebrows. "Shit, I really wish it weren't true though."
(1) Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic Inc, 2003.