Chapter 4: Party Crashers

Once the students were settled into their compartments, Kakashi and Ebisu began to patrol the corridors of the train. While they did so, Ebisu filled Kakashi in on what they had learned about the castle and grounds.

Secret passages? Expanding wings? Classrooms that have been empty for years? A forest full of dangerous creatures? This place sounds like a security nightmare.

"A, Professor McGonagall, also mentioned a hidden chamber that only the heir of Slytherin can open," Ebisu pushed his glasses up his nose.

"What?!"

"But she said to 'not pay it any mind, it's been shut up'," Ebisu continued.

Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose with two of his fingers. How am I not supposed to worry about something like that?

"There's also a lake that the students are discouraged from swimming in," Ebisu added, only enjoying Kakashi's discomfort a little.

Kakashi stopped rubbing his nose and closed his eye. "I know I'm going to be sorry I asked but, why?"

Ebisu consulted his notes, "it is inhabited by merpeople, a giant squid, and a few other things I can't pronounce. One of which they called a 'water demon'."

Kakashi's eye popped open in shock, "demon?"

"I believe they mean 'demon' as in 'a terror' in this case. It's called a," Ebisu sounded out the odd word, "grindylow. From how they described it, it isn't anything a genin couldn't handle," Ebisu smiled.

Kakashi eye-smiled at Ebisu's joke. "I have complete faith in your abilities Ebisu."

"I know sir."

"Any other information you want to torture me with?"

"Not at this time."

Kakashi smiled blandly and started patrolling again. There were students running back and forth along the train. A raised eyebrow from him got them settled into a compartment.

A little later, a plump witch pushing a trolley down the aisle asked Kakashi, "anything for you on the trolley dear?" Her eyes took in his clothing with confusion but she smiled nonetheless.

"No thank you," Kakashi replied as he eyed the strange sweets. He briefly wondered who seemed stranger to whom.

000000

The storm clouds that had been hovering over the train since noon began to drop their rain. Kakashi observed the gray downpour as he met up with Ebisu. "That's ominous," Ebisu stated, indicating the dark skies.

Just then, three students walked past the pair. There was a small blonde wizard and two larger ones, one of whom had a haircut very similar to Guy's. Ebisu and Kakashi watched them pass. The blonde boy glared at them but didn't say anything as they went by. As the party got to the last compartment on the train, the blonde boy threw open the sliding door and just stood there, talking to the occupants.

"I'll go see what that's about," Ebisu offered. Kakashi nodded and headed back toward the middle of the train.

As he approached, Ebisu heard one of the boys inside of the compartment say, "new teacher. What were you saying Malfoy?"

"Problem?" Ebisu asked, startling the three standing at the door. He was directly behind them.

They turned around, "who are you supposed to be?" Malfoy sneered.

"I could ask you the same thing," Ebisu responded. "However, I already asked a question that has not been answered. Is there a problem here?"

"No problem. Now tell me who you are," Malfoy demanded. He was irritated by Ebisu's compliance, or lack thereof.

"I'm a guard, hired by Dumbledore to protect Hogwarts. That's all you need to know." Ebisu forced a smile.

"I hadn't heard about any guards for the school except for the dementors," Malfoy challenged arrogantly.

"Excellent," Ebisu replied with false cheer, "then if we see Sirius Black at all, we'll have the advantage of surprise." Because I'd definitely expect a student to know everything about what goes on at Hogwarts.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed at this response. Then, "why are you wearing sunglasses indoors?"

Ebisu smiled but said nothing.

Malfoy quickly became uncomfortable with the prolonged, silent smile, "come on Crabbe, Goyle, we've got better people to talk to." He walked away from the ninja a little too quickly.

Ebisu turned and stuck his head into the compartment. "Everything okay in here?"

"Everything's fine- um…" Hermione began.

"Ebisu," the ninja filled in for her. The two wizards and witch introduced themselves.

"Anyway," Ron said boldly, "Malfoy wouldn't have tried anything with Professor Lupin here." He gestured at the sleeping man in the corner.

"I see."

"Ebisu," the other boy began. "You're Kakashi's friend, right?"

"Yes," the genin replied slowly, like he was pondering the nature of his relationship with Kakashi even as he said it.

"Is he always so…"

"Yes." Ebisu replied immediately and smiled.

Harry blinked. "How did you even know…?" But Ebisu was gone.

"Bloody hell, are they all like that?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged and turned to watch the rain on the window. He thought about what Ebisu had said, and not said.

The sky and storm got darker and fiercer as the train lumbered on. The rain was not letting up and the constant pounding of the drops on the glass dimmed all sound in the cars.

Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine and squinted out the window. What is this?

The train had started to slow down and Ebisu was at Kakashi's side instantly. "Ebisu…" Kakashi began.

"I feel it too. And you're right, it's too soon for us to be arriving." Ebisu straightened his glasses in agitation. "Is this an attack?"

Kakashi, still staring out the window, weaved the signs to make a clone. The duplicate poofed into existence next to the original and instantly took off toward the front of the train. Kakashi gestured toward the middle of the train with two fingers together. Ebisu nodded and moved more toward the center so that they were evenly spaced out. Kakashi made his way to the rear.

Students' heads were peeking out of their compartment doors, looking around. "Stay inside and shut the doors," Kakashi ordered. He heard Ebisu echo the order further up. The sliding doors clicked shut one after another until all that could be heard was the persistence of the rain.

Just then, the train ground to a halt and the lights went out. Kakashi's eye adjusted quickly to the darkness. He scanned the corridor but saw nothing unusual. Reaching up, Kakashi straightened his headband and opened his left eye. It was as he'd suspected. The bright glow of their magic was like it had been shrouded with hundreds of thin black veils. The power was certainly there but it was wrapped in darkness.

Kakashi made another clone to relay his orders down the line. "These are the dementors Dumbledore told you about. DO NOT engage them unless they pose a threat. Keep the students in their compartments."

As if on cue, a red haired witch opened her compartment door and started to step into the corridor. "Ginny," Kakashi said, making her freeze, "get inside and close the door." The youngest Weasley looked at Kakashi with wide eyes and immediately retreated back into the compartment.

The dementors boarded the train and Kakashi pulled out a kunai. The weight of the weapon felt reassuring in his hand. The air temperature dropped by several degrees as the ethereal beings approached. Their thin bodies were completely covered in long black cloaks. One that drifted past Kakashi turned and appeared to look at him. Kakashi couldn't see its face but his Sharingan gave him an idea of where its head was at.

Kakashi- a familiar voice spoke inside of his head. Cold sweat broke out all over him as Kakashi recognized Rin's voice. He tightened his grip on the kunai. One of the dementors was opening the door to the last compartment.

Kakashi teleported into the compartment at the end of the train. The inside of the compartment was frigid. It was occupied by a man Kakashi didn't know, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Harry had slumped back in his seat and wasn't moving. Ron and Hermione were pressed back into their seats. The man was standing, wand raised. He said something but Kakashi only heard Rin's voice repeating his name through the sound of a rushing wind. The ninja placed himself between Harry and the dementor, the former was now on the floor.

Kakashi's hand felt like it was frozen to his kunai. He poised it in front of himself and shouted, "leave." He could hardly hear his own voice over the wind. His hand began to shake and a blinding white light appeared behind him. The dementors immediately retreated as the light overflowed the compartment and spilled into the corridor of the train. The lanterns immediately popped back on in mocking cheerfulness.

Kakashi stuck out his left hand to steady himself on the doorframe and tried to calm his breathing. He looked down at his right hand, which was still holding the kunai, but he didn't see it. All he saw was blood, his hand covered in blood. Kakashi, Rin whispered accusingly. Kakashi's vision blurred and he felt himself falling. He clearly saw Kurenai and Ebisu in his mind's eye, then nothing.

000000

"Kakashi, wake up," he heard Ebisu say. Then Ebisu spoke to others over his head, "his skin is like ice. What happened?"

Before anyone could answer, Kakashi opened his right eye. "Ebisu-" he began and tried to sit up.

"Relax captain, everything's fine," Ebisu said, forcing lightness into his voice. He made Kakashi lie back down with hands that shook. Ebisu clenched his fists to still them and turned to the man in the compartment. His voice was steely, "what happened to him?"

"When you're in close proximity to dementors, they make you relive your worst memories," Lupin explained. He handed out large chucks of chocolate to the students. "The worse the memories, the worse the reaction."

Kakashi was having a staring contest with the ceiling of the compartment. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides. The young ANBU closed his right eye for a moment, took a breath, then opened it and began to stand up. He nearly fell forward when he regained his feet but Ebisu grabbed him and steered him into one of the compartment's seats instead.

"I'm fine Ebisu," Kakashi bit out.

"I know," the genin said with false cheer, "I just thought you'd want to hear my report."

Kakashi closed his eye in an attempt to quiet the ghosts in his head. He sighed, "go ahead."

"Guy, Kurenai, and I had no incidents with the dementors. When your clones vanished, Kurenai and I knew something must be happening on your end. I was dispatched to investigate while Guy and Kurenai guarded the rest of the students."

Kakashi nodded and stood up out of his seat. Ebisu was relieved so see that he didn't falter. "We should get back to patrolling. The dementors are gone but we still have work to do."

"You should really rest a bit more," Professor Lupin insisted, looking at Kakashi's pale face. "An encounter with a dementor is nothing to sniff at."

"I understand that," Kakashi acknowledged, facing him. "But if I'm relaxing when I can go on, then I'm not only doing my team a disservice, but I'm also not doing my job."

Ebisu and Kakashi left the teacher and frightened students behind.

Dumbledore was right, Kakashi thought, the dementors are a problem. We won't be able to work with them at all.