Carry Our Burdens.
Chapter Three.
Not So Frightening.
Edit: 06.10.11
[Take your tears, put 'em on ice]
Fox watched Harry exit his room on the morning of his hearing. The ANBU captain had heard him shoot out of bed early and get dressed in a most clumsy manner. He had taken it upon himself to watch the boy instead and let the rest of his team sleep a little. Most had been up half the night on guard shifts. Normally this wouldn't bother them. They often did not duties but the time change was really starting to get to them. Only Fox's boundless energy kept him up.
He leaned against the railing of the landing as his bright blue eyes followed Harry down to where he joined Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Lupin, and Tonks. Whatever they were talking about seemed of little importance to the boy so Fox tuned it out. The adults seemed to avoid speaking of the more classified topics when the children were around.
Fox growled, a bit miffed with the adult's outlook on age differences. Technically every member of his team was now a legal adult by the English view but in Konaha they had all met the legal age requirements six years ago (seven for Dove and Panda). They had all graduated the academy by the time they were twelve. From what he had heard and been told (since he never read the scrolls that Tsunade gave them), most twelve year old wizards and witches were only in the second year of school.
The captain winced as Tonks knocked over a chair. The sharp noise pierced his sensitive ears with all the grace of a foghorn. And it was early in the morning. This was already turning out to be a bad day. He back flipped over the railing, just for the heck of it, to land easily on the ground below. Nobody else had noticed the maneuver so he popped his ankle where he had heard it crack on the landing. Perhaps he hadn't landed as easily as he had thought.
"I guess I'm getting rusty," he murmured. He glanced around the corner at the group sitting eating breakfast. Potter and Mr. Weasley were standing up, preparing to go. Fox walked out from his half-hidden spot in the shadows.
"Leaving?" he asked. They nodded and the captain glanced up at the top of the stairs. The rest of his group had appeared, standing there nonchalantly, looking incredibly dangerous in a very lazy fashion; alert even this early in the morning. He waved to them as a sign for a couple to come downstairs. Viper and Dove were the only ones that moved. The girls stayed where they were, completely motionless.
Ginny peaked out her door when she heard the sounds of talking downstairs. She saw the three female shinobi. They looked like models. All of them wore just their black halter tops, tight black pants, black boots, long black gloves that almost reached their shoulders, and their masks. Panda leaned backwards over the railing, bending her back gracefully so she could see what was going on. Mouse was resting her stomach on it with her chin propped up on her hands. Slug had one hand on it, the other rested at her side in a serene posture. The red head just watched them, a little embarrassed but unable to tear her eyes away. She wished she looked that beautiful.
Hermione stirred behind her. "Is Harry already gone?" the bushy haired girl asked softly, rubbing her eyes. Ginny nodded and retreated back into the room. She saw the women turn to look at her door when it creaked while she tried to shut it.
As the men left the house the female nin talked to each other in hushed voices before knocking quietly on Ginny and Hermione's door. Hermione pulled it open quickly, obviously thinking that it might be Ron or the twins. She blinked in surprise to see the three masked shinobi standing there.
"May we come in?" Slug asked sweetly. The girl nodded in mute surprise. The three entered silently and sat down on the beds without making the old mattresses let out so much as a squeak.
"I don't think we ever got your names," Slug said. Ginny and Hermione looked at each other.
"I don't think we ever got yours," Ginny said bravely. The pink haired woman laughed. The sound was incredibly bright and cheerful. She sounded just like a normal teenager when she did that.
"Well, I'm Slug. The blue haired girl is Mouse and the other one is Panda," she said, waving her hand in the general direction of her companions as she said this.
"Why am I just 'the other one'?" Panda asked, sounding a little affronted.
"What else was I going to say?" Slug responded swiftly. "The be-bunned one over there?" Panda snorted and the sound had a funny hollow sound because of the porcelain mask. Ginny giggled. They seemed okay.
"I'm Ginny Weasley and this is Hermione Granger," she said.
"I thought you looked like a Weasley," Panda said, "You're all redheads right?" Ginny nodded. "Cheerful people," she heard the shinobi mumble under her breath, unaware that she was thinking of another redhead that was not nearly so nice; a certain Sabaku no Gaara.
As the girls continued talking they found that the women were more than happy to answer their questions as best they were allowed. The pinkette seemed to be the most talkative and Panda seemed to be the sarcastic one of the group. Mouse was quiet, only adding her two cents when she was asked a direct question.
[This world is just an idiot's parade]
Harry shivered as he walked along the roads with Mr. Weasley. He was only barely conscious of the three male ninja following him from the shadows. All three wore dark cloaks over that were pulled over their masks to make themselves look a little less conspicuous. Fox was always the one nearest him and usually the only one he could see when he looked around. The blond captain seemed to have the job of being close enough to Harry to be able to take care of whatever could come at him. Every once in a while he would see Dove or Viper slipping throw the darkness of buildings with a professionalism that sent chills down the boy's spine.
As the buildings grew steadily more shabby and dirty looking Harry began to think that perhaps they had made a wrong turn. It wasn't impossible, Mr. Weasley usually Apparated to work anyway. He smiled a little at Mr. Weasley's obsessing over several broken down telephone booths before telling him to get in one of them. He complied, albeit a bit hesitantly. The redhead man waved to the three guards and they entered as well.
Harry would have thought that it would have been too crowded inside with five people but somehow the ninja managed to press themselves against the glass enough to let him have plenty of breathing room. They seemed very good a making themselves small enough to get away from people. The operator's voice came out of nowhere, asking for their names.
"Arthur Weasley, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, here to escort Harry Potter, who has been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing, and Captain Fox, Viper, and Dove here as Harry Potter's guards–" further explanation was cut off as four silver tags clattered into the coin shoot. There was a Harry Potter, Disciplinary Hearing, one Captain Fox, Guard, a Viper, Guard, and lastly, Dove, Guard. The guards looked at them in annoyance before clipping them onto the belt loop of their pants to keep them out of the way and in shadow. Ninjas do NOT like shiny things.
Harry and Mr. Weasley walked across the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic amidst the constant popping of Apparation and Disapparation. The guards were close behind them, Fox striding slightly in front. At least now their cloaks didn't look out of place.
The crowded elevator made the guards nervous. They shifted behind Harry, the close quarters being one of their least favorite scenarios. Harry was tense the entire ride, not just because he was conscious of all the people's eyes snapping instantly to his forehead when they saw his nametag but also because Viper kept a hand on his elbow. Apparently they would do something along the lines of blow a hole in the roof of the elevator and drag him out if anything occurred.
Mr. Weasley's tiny office was no better. All three guards stood outside but Fox was angled more inwards so he could bolt inside if he was needed. Harry felt eyes on him at all times but he couldn't figure out whom it was. He guessed it to be one of the guards but none of them ever kept their eyes on him constantly. In fact, Fox and Viper seemed to be constantly sweeping the area. Dove was the only one that seemed fixated on one point.
When Mr. Weasley's associate told them that the time of Harry's court appearance had been changed the guards followed swiftly and silently. But what Harry noticed the most was that they did not argue to be allowed inside. At that point he wondered if they really did have the ability to keep watch on him no matter where he went. Even through walls.
Harry sat in the chair before the Wizengamont. The stares that he received here were even worse than the ones he had felt outside. He shivered but paid as close attention as he could while Fudge was speaking. One little slip of the tongue and he could be expelled.
[Outline of a storyboard with no idea]
Mr. Weasley stood outside the courtroom twiddling this thumbs. It felt very awkward standing next to the guards. They radiated power and pride and seemed to think that talking too much while they were out was unnecessary. The wizard had heard Captain Fox chatter nonstop when he wasn't on duty but the other two were a different story. The last time Mr. Weasley had heard Dove speak was when he had corrected Kingsley's mess up on his gender. He had never heard Viper talk at all.
Fox sighed and leaned against the wall and began speaking to Dove in their language. Mr. Weasley looked at the ground and tried to pay attention to the ants that went marching by. How rude, to talk in a different language in front of other people.
"How does it look in there?" Fox asked softly.
"Potter-san looks rather flustered, so does Fudge-san. Dumbledore-sensei is really laying into him. I can't hear anything though. It looks like it is turning in Harry-san's favor. Oh, they're voting. I believe that means he is cleared of all charges." Dove finished his sweep of the room using his Byakugan, never having moved from his place with his back against the wall next to the door into the courtroom. Fox didn't notice the Hyuuga press his fingertips to his temples to try to release the throbbing that was building up in his head.
At that moment, Dumbledore swept past them with a smile to Mr. Weasley and a courteous nod to Fox. The Captain flinched. They had yet to actually speak with their employer. Everything they had been doing so far was just a guess at what he wanted. They suspected that by the time they got to Hogwarts they would be given better orders but for now Fox was just annoyed that the headmaster hadn't even thought to leave them a letter telling them what to do.
Harry came out next.
"Cleared of all charges!" he said triumphantly. Mr. Weasley instantly moved to congratulate him but the guards started pushing them lightly down the hallway. They had to get out of here fast. All three of them were anxious to leave, the place gave them the creeps and it was the perfect place to lay a trap.
As they walked swiftly down the hallway they saw Lucius Malfoy talking to Fudge. The nin all tightened their grips on their weapons. Something about this man was just not right. Fox's expression turned stony as he viewed the contemptible way the man was looking at the boy they were to guard.
"'Well, well, well… Patronus Potter,' (AN: p. 223 in the large print hard copy version of book five)" the man said lazily. "And what do we have here, Arthur Weasley and three… interesting characters? Weasley, do you make it a point to, not only, obsess over Muggles but also to spend time in their company?"
"Potter-san, who is this man?" Viper asked coolly. He has pushed back his cloak and noted how the vile man reacted to the snake design. The shock and slight tremor, which came from a fear that was beyond that of a normal wizard, were enough to tell the ninja that this man was one of the Death Eaters or he had close conference with Voldemort.
"Lucius Malfoy," Lucius answered for Harry. His eyes were narrowed as he scrutinized Viper's mask.
"Malfoy-san," Viper said, his voice coming out in an angry hiss, "I understand that the wizards may be held under law not to attack people but, unfortunately, we aren't. Stop staring at my mask. You are giving yourself away." Lucius' mouth tightened into a thin line and he put a hand on Fudge's shoulder.
"Come, let's go to your office, Minister. There was something that you wanted to discuss wasn't there?" the pale man changed the topic as quickly as possible. Viper smirked and he heard a hollow snigger from Fox. It was good to know that he could count on his friend to support him.
[Author's Note]
The song lyrics are copyrighted Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, and Motion City Soundtrack respectively.