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"Everything smells clean" Harry thought, as he lay down, unsure of his surroundings. As he reached over for his glasses, he realized he was in the hospital wing, with Professor Dumbledore sitting beside him. Slowly lifting himself up and out of bed, Harry turned to the professor while sorting his thoughts between what he thought happened and what he felt he imagined. "Professor, what exactly happened with Voldemort? My head is pounding and it feels like my memories are all jumbled up." Albus nodded and adopted a pensive look.
"To be perfectly honest Harry, I was rather hoping you would be able to shed some light on the events that transpired in the mirror chamber. As I understand from both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, the three of you were convinced that someone was making a move on the stone. Naturally, you felt inclined to prevent its theft but in the end, only you went through the wall of fire while your friends returned to the school and entirely by coincidence managed to find me standing outside Fluffy's door. I thoroughly expected to find you doing your best against Professor Quirrell, however you can imagine my confusion at the scene that lay before me." Harry felt his headache receding while listening to the professor but felt more confusion after processing his last words. "What do you mean Professor? What did you find?" He asked, hoping for a simple explanation. "All that remained in the room was a lingering impression of a dark spirit, along with two bodies – yours and the young man in the bed over there." Dumbledore responded while gesturing at Naruto, sleeping soundly in the bed across from Harry.
"It was real then. Everything in the chamber actually happened." Harry thought to himself, numb at the reality of what transpired. The sudden realization that he only had three years to kill Voldemort was enough to make anyone vomit but instead he merely felt focused. With everything the Gatekeeper told them, he realized that he could do no less than prepare for the final fight and prepare to help Naruto with his journey. Drawn away from his musings by Professor Dumbledore's light cough, Harry had the decency to blush realizing he had effectively zoned out of the conversation upon his revelation. "I'm sorry sir, could you repeat the question?" he mumbled, while Dumbledore smiled in his grandfatherly way. "Not a problem my boy, I wonder if you would be so kind as to tell me what you know about our surprise guest." But as he spoke, Naruto's eyes snapped open as he rolled out of bed confusion written all over his face.
"What just happened? Hey Harry is that you over there?" Naruto said as his confusion cleared up. "Oh man the Gatekeeper was right, this must be your world right? Aww this is gonna be so cool, we get to do magic and train and stuff right?" The sheer excitement in his voice was infectious as Harry couldn't help but smirk as he watched Naruto bounce around. Professor Dumbledore it seemed was not immune to Naruto's exuberance as he too was smiling before finally taking a moment to speak to this strange young man.
"Hello young man. I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Could you please tell me who you are and how exactly I found you downstairs with Harry?" Naruto looked at him carefully noticing that while there was a jovial look in the professor's eye, there was that glint of steel that he had only seen in one other person. "Jiji…" he whispered, before the looks of confusion brought him back to reality. "Eh, sorry about that, your eyes look like someone close to me. Anyways, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of Konoha!" Dumbledore nodded filing the innocuous comment away for future thought. "Well Mr. Uzumaki, it is a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps if both you and Harry are up to it, we can continue this conversation in my office. The walls have ears around here" he said with a smile but both boys immediately understood the subtext of his statement. The boys nodded and followed Professor Dumbledore out of the hospital wing and up towards his office.
The walk to the office was one of the most surreal experiences of Naruto's young life. He could summon toads to fight with him, make physical clones of himself and had a living entity made entirely of energy sealed within his mind, yet the idea of an ancient castle filled with ghosts just blew his mind. It took every ounce of self-control not to run after the ghosts and bombard them with questions. Soon enough however, without running into any students, the trio made it to Professor Dumbledore's office.
The office was large and seemingly cluttered, but having seen the Sandaime's office, Naruto knew this man must know where everything of use was. As they moved towards his desk, Naruto's attention was drawn towards the bright red bird sitting on his perch. "Whoa, what kinda bird is that?" He asked, his excitement finally getting the better of him. "Fawkes is a phoenix my boy. He's been my companion for years and has stuck with me through some tough times." Dumbledore stated, while Naruto nodded as though understanding. "I see, so he's your partner, kinda like me and Gamakichi," he said as they all sat down. While Dumbledore had no idea who Gamakichi was, he did agree with the notion that Fawkes was his partner.
"Well then boys, perhaps we should get down to business." Dumbledore said as he noticed the reactions of the two boys in the way that only an educator can. Harry adopted a more guarded posture, as though he was hesitant to show that he knew what was being asked of him, which worried Albus. Conversely, Naruto's change in demeanor was astounding. Gone was the inquisitive child; in his place was a young man whose posture would not have been out of place in a boardroom conference. Albus was visibly surprised by his reaction to the point where he felt the need to put the poor child at ease. "Naruto, you can relax. This is not a particularly formal event so don't look so official." He smiled as he spoke, but to his confusion, Naruto did not change his posture. "Sorry Albus-sensei, but as a shinobi, this meeting is akin to a mission report and this is the way I'm expected to report." He responded, leaving Albus somewhat confused but he always prided himself on his ability to roll with events, so he just pressed on.
"So then, would you please explain what exactly happened down in the chamber Harry? I feel as though Naruto's story intersects with yours soon after your confrontation with Voldemort." Harry nodded, took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened when he found Professor Quirrell. How Voldemort spoke to him and how his touch managed to burn the professor. Finally when he reached his entry to the Gatekeeper's realm, Naruto stepped forward and explained how he entered the realm as well. This was followed by the two boys explaining the goals given to them by the Gatekeeper, as well as the means by which their travel would be accomplished.
Dumbledore listened carefully to the boys and felt his true age strike him when he heard of the tasks before them. He wasn't sure what scared him more – that Harry had 3 years to kill Voldemort or that the memories of Voldemort were in the minds of both these children. As if that was not enough, Naruto was a container for a literal demon and had to deal with the defection of his closest friend. This struck a chord with Albus and reminded him of his time with Gellert. While he could do nothing to change his own past, he swore he would do everything in his power to help these two boys achieve their goals.
Harry looked closely at Dumbledore while he spoke, looking for any sign that the professor may have expected some of what he said. He felt justified when he saw Dumbledore flinch at the mention of Voldemorts soul being bound to Harry. Once Dumbledore was fully caught up, Harry felt he needed to ask for the truth. If Dumbledore knew that Voldemorts soul was attached to Harry and didn't do anything about it, then how much of the pain in his life could be laid at Dumbledore's feet?
"Professor, I need to ask you something and please be completely honest with me. When I said Voldemorts soul was attached to me, you flinched but weren't shocked. This tells me that you expected it but you didn't tell me anything about it. If you were privy to this kind of information, then you must have some ideas about my home life correct?" Harry said, his voice level with no emotional inflections. Albus looked legitimately confused before responding. "Harry, while I had suspicions that your scar was no mere scar, I did not have any concrete facts with which to bother you with. I felt it was more important that I allow you to have as normal a childhood as possible than to burden you with the as yet unfounded thoughts of an old man. As far as your home life, shortly after the death of your parents, I made the decision to send you to your Aunt's home for two reasons. The first was that if I left you with any of the wizarding families who wished to claim you, you would grow up to either be a puppet for a family looking to improve their status by raising the Boy who Lived. In fact, as a result of his political clout, you most likely would have ended up as a ward of the Malfoy family, which I can't imagine you would enjoy" He stated with a small smile. While Harry nodded along, he was still not fully satisfied. "And the second reason sir?" He asked, maintaining his neutral tone. "Well Harry, the second reason connects to the actions of your mother. Since Lily sacrificed herself for you, her protection is carried on in her blood. Blood that you happen to share with your Aunt, so you see that as long as you reside in her home, you are protected from those who wish to harm you. I dare say that if Voldemort himself stood across from Number 4, he would not so much as be able to enter the garden of the house."
Harry sat there, lost in thought. What Dumbledore said made sense, but there was one thing that still nagged at Harry, which needed to be clarified. "While that makes sense sir, I need to know – What do you know about my home life exactly?" Dumbledore paused, slightly worried and responded. "To be honest Harry, I do not know too much about your home condition. I know that your aunt and uncle keep their home in immaculate condition and besides the fact that you do honestly look a little underweight, I thought you had a comfortable home life."
Harry's eyes were downcast as he began to tremble. While Albus assumed it was from sadness, he was proven wrong when Harry's head snapped up, his face deformed into a mask of rage. Albus was taken aback at how much anger was reflected in those green orbs when Harry began speaking. "A comfortable home life? I don't think I even know what the words mean! From the moment I was old enough to walk, I was basically a servant for those people. I slept in a cupboard under the stairs until Hagrid showed up with my letter for Gods sake! How am I supposed to trust you when you couldn't even be bothered to check in on me if you were the one who put me there in the first place?!" He spat, the venom dripping from his words. Albus felt as though he had been stabbed when he heard what Harry had to say, while Naruto stayed quite, but realized that Harry's life was not too different from his own. "Harry, I swear to you, I didn't know any of that. Had I know, I would have been the first to step in and change things but I can't change the past. All I can ask is that you give me a chance to help you now." Albus looked sincere as he spoke, but Harry's heart was raw with pain from this perceived betrayal.
"Umm, Harry I think you should accept his apology" Naruto stated, his face oddly relaxed, given the tense conversation going on. "Why should I bother?" Said Harry, knowing he sounded like a petulant child but not really caring at the moment. "When I was younger, the leader of our village was like a grandfather to me, but because he was the leader, he didn't get to spend much time with me and as such I had to fend for myself a lot. Most of the time, I didn't even know he had set up a protection system for me incase anything bad happened. It sounds to me that Albus-sensei did the same kind of thing for you. He seems honestly sorry for how things played out so I think you should give him another chance. After all, you don't want to carry a grudge like that, you never know when it may be too late to talk to the ones around you." He finished, looking at the ground, his voice wavering at the memories of the Sandaime.
Harry looked at him, shock on his face. It seemed that there were hidden depths to Naruto he didn't see at first. He nodded at Naruto's words, "You make a good point. Professor, I'll accept your apology just so long as you agree that we're working together from here on out. Just don't hide things from me that are about me directly." Naruto smiled and nodded, while Albus felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. "Thank you Harry, and you too Naruto for your words of wisdom. I promise, I will work with you both closely from here on out. I suppose then, that the first two things we need to do are create a reasonable explanation for why Naruto is here and find alternative living conditions for the both of you. I can't in good conscious send you back to the Dursley's knowing how they treat you." Harry smiled at the thought of leaving Privet Drive forever; feeling that one of his dreams had come true.
"Oh wait a minute. There was one more thing." Said Harry, getting the attention of the others. "Right when we left the Gatekeeper, he said we should pass on a message for you Professor. He said that the dog shouldn't be in the kennel when the rat runs free and that the truth will set him free. Does that mean anything to you?" The color drained from Albus's face as Harry finished speaking. "Are you okay Albus-sensei?" asked Naruto, worrying as to what could cause such a severe reaction. "I'm okay, just shocked because if what you say is true, then a good man has sat in Hell for 10 years." "What do you mean he's in hell? Is he dead?" Naruto questioned while Harry looked confused but did not voice it. "No, he's not dead Naruto but if I'm correct, the man we seek has spent 10 years locked away in Azkaban, the wizard prison." Albus stated looking disturbed. While Harry was visibly shocked, Naruto was confused as to the significance of 10 years in prison as a result of his upbringing, so he was unaware of the feared guards of the prison – The Dementors. "So these Dementors eat all your happy feelings and if they get close enough to you, they suck out your soul?" Naruto asked to clarify the explanation given to him by Harry. "Yeah that's what they do" he replied. "That's creepy. No wonder you guys are worried about him. So who is this mystery guy with luck worse than the two of us?" Naruto questioned. Albus was silent for a moment, then chose to respond to the question. "Interestingly enough Naruto, the man we are discussing is one of the most qualified people to solve the problem of guardianship for the both of you. His name is Sirius Black. He was your fathers best friend Harry, he was named as your Godfather and not 15 minutes ago, had you asked me who he was, I would have immediately said he was the one who betrayed your parents to Voldemort."
The silence in the room was deafening. Naruto was in shock, even as a shinobi, he couldn't image betraying your best friends to their enemy. "Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash," he mumbled to himself. "Very true Naruto" Albus responded. "However, as you can see, based on your information, it is possible that he isn't guilty. I will need to investigate this carefully, but you have my word that if he is fact innocent, I will do everything I can do save him. In the meanwhile, we should come up with a cover story for Naruto here." Albus said, while stroking his chin. After a few moments of silence he spoke again. "Ah, I have it. Naruto, while you are here, if anyone asks where you are from, simply tell them you were raised in a small village in Japan. Your native language seems similar enough to Japanese that no one should be able to question it. Not too long ago, you had the good fortune to meet Nicholas Flamel, who in turn asked that I allow you to attend Hogwarts this year and enter you into second year. You met Harry while here in my office and the two of you became fast friends. You'll need to work hard over the summer to catch up to Harry's skill level, but with that delightful clone technique of yours, I think you'll catch up in no time." Naruto sat there, letting the idea roll around in his head before nodding in agreement. "That should be fine, if people ask me about my friends, I can talk about them without too much worry." Albus smiled while Harry looked content that his new partner had a reasonable cover story. "Now then, given that we have tied up most of our loose ends, I believe now is as good a time as any for the two of you to return to Gryffindor tower. Just so you know Harry, you are exempt from this years final exams due to them happening two days ago while you recovered in the hospital wing." Albus said, giving the boys leave to exit his office.
"Just a moment Naruto." Albus said, as Naruto was about to close the door. He paused and motioned for Harry to give him a minute. With the door closed behind him, he looked quizzically at Albus. "Yeah Albus-sensei, what's up?" He questioned. Albus polished his half-moon glasses before looking intently at Naruto. "Naruto, we have only known each other for a short time period, yet when Harry doubted me, you leapt to my defense. Why?" Naruto was a bit surprised by this question and rubbed the back of his head while answering. "Albus-sensei, if I had to guess, you strike me as the kind who would have tried to fight back against Voldemort right?" Albus nodded, not sure what this had to do with anything. "Then it stands to reason, that you had people who worked under you and that you were responsible for right?" Again Albus merely nodded and motioned Naruto to continue. "If that's correct, then when Voldemort disappeared, there was probably a ton of clean up that had to be dealt with and since you led the opposition, a lot of the responsibilities fell on you. You did the best that you could with Harry at the time and while you probably should have checked up on him from time to time, there's no use complaining over what could have happened." Albus was in shock. This child had just shown more wisdom and depth than most adults Albus had dealt with in his long life. "How could you possibly have drawn that conclusion in the short time we've been here?" Albus asked, truly befuddled by the young man's insight. Naruto just smiled, his eyes drifting into the past. "You remind me of Jiji, the man who was like a grandfather to me. He basically did the same thing when the Kyuubi attacked. He wasn't able to take care of me on a day-to-day basis, but he made sure that I was able to take care of myself. I couldn't sit there and watch Harry possibly break the bond between the two of you." Albus was silent as a single tear rolled down his eye. "Naruto, when we met you said you were the future Hokage of Konoha. What did you mean by that?" "I'll protect everyone in the village as though they were my own family. A leader who puts their lives ahead of my own. That is what the Hokage truly is." He responded, with absolute conviction in himself. Albus nodded, thanked Naruto for his time and watched as he left his office.
"A leader who puts their lives ahead of your own? I have no doubt at all that someday you will be an amazing Hokage Naruto." Albus said to himself as he began drafting letters to request an inquiry into Sirius's trial.
Author's Note: Hey everyone, so by now you kinda have an idea of where this story is going. I'm open to suggestions about which characters you'd like to see changed around but just two things to keep in mind. 1) This won't be a bashing story and 2) Some characters, I have plans for so bear with me if it seems like I'm not following your suggestions. As always, reviews keep the machine running.