A/N: Sorry! For whatever reason, the second half of this chapter really threw me for a loop... therefore it's a bit shorter... like by an entire page...

And I'm sorry for the late update! I would have gotten this out earlier, but I forgot and then had no access to a computer, sorry!

If there is enough noise about the erm... lack of Malfoy-beating-upage then I might write a one-shot about it.

IMPORTANT: This chapter has been EDITED to fit more correctly withing cannon (as per chapter 503). This means that there is an added memory sequence, with TINY (and I really do mean it) SPOILERS. If you don't wish to read it, it is the THIRD MEMORY SEQUENCE and is Minato's first memory of Kushina. It is not, however, very important overall as long as you realize that from this point forward, Harry somewhat knows who she is, though her importance is not yet realized.


Chapter Six – Ignition


"You deserve that black eye, you know."

Harry shot Minato a dirty look. Heh, at least he'd managed to kick Malfoy Sr. in the crotch before getting that bruise.

"Self control is one of the most important aspects of being a shinobi."

"But I'm not-"

Minato just gave him a look and he shut up. "Don't ever place yourself in a fight you can't handle. Your interference probably caused more damage than Mr. Weasley would have. What happened today has most likely damaged your reputation quite a bit, as well."

His eyes flashed. "I don't care about my reputation!"

"You should."

Harry opened his mouth to respond but the blond interrupted. "Think about it. You know how uncomfortable you are when everybody at Hogwarts adores you? What about when they dislike you? How will you feel then? Aside from that, things tend to go much more smoothly when you have a good reputation. People listen to you."

The wizard narrowed his eyes, not liking the implications of that at all. "You mean it's easier to manipulate people."

"…Not necessarily. Remember 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf?'

Harry growled.

"Calm down, Harry, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about anyway."

He took a deep breath and sat down on the uneven stone. "What is it, then? I was going to charge more seals…"

Minato hesitated. "I think," he said carefully, "that it would be best to avoid Ginny for a while."

Harry blinked. "What?" That had not been what he expected to hear at all. "Why?"

"She looks a lot like… well, seeing her has been causing some interesting emotions hasn't it? You keep being reminded of someone else."

"The woman in the Mirror," he replied promptly.

Minato winced. "Yes, her. Harry, you're not anywhere near ready for those memories. Not yet."

"Why not?"

The blond turned a rather interesting shade of red. "…Lots of reasons. Just trust me on this one, alright?"

"Okay…?"

Minato looked relieved.


"I want to join the Academy," he said without a trace of doubt in his voice. 'I want to be strong…'

His civilian teacher gave the five-year-old a bland look. It was not an uncommon request. After all, every child in regular school got to choose whether or not to go to the Academy. "Alright, Namikaze. Your birthday's January 25th, right? I'll have you transferred the following term…"


"Namikaze-kun?"

"Yes, sensei?"

"You seem bored in class. Is the material not challenging enough for you?"

He blushed faintly. He had hoped his teacher hadn't noticed his attention drifting, but apparently she had. "Not really."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do. For now, here are a few options you can consider…"


"I'm Uzumaki Kushina, and I'm going to be the first female Hokage!"

He eyed the new girl oddly for a moment then shrugged. It was his turn for introductions soon enough.

"My name is Namikaze Minato, and I want to be a great Hokage that everyone in the village will respect."

The red-head snorted loudly.


"Congratulations, graduates! From today on you will be considered adults in the eyes of the law; full fledged shinobi of Konoha."

The teacher paused, but every student was quiet and attentive.

"I expect all of you to treat this privilege with responsibility, and serve all of Konoha to the best of your capabilities."

He straightened slightly in his seat and resisted the urge to fiddle with his hitai-ate, not quite used to the feel of it yet. He was a shinobi! He almost couldn't believe it.

"Come prepared for team assignments tomorrow, class, and good luck to you all."


The rest of summer passed quickly and quietly (or as quietly as things at the Burrow could get) and soon enough, it was time to go to Hogwarts.

Harry perched on his trunk, watching in amusement as Ron ran around in an attempt to throw all of his things together. Books, clothes, and stationary were piled haphazardly in the red-heads' trunk, and he knew that it would take his friend weeks to sort it all out.

"Harry!" Ron shouted, "Where's my Cannon's book?"

"Didn't you leave it in the family room?"

He dashed through the door and the pounding of his feet could be heard all the way down the stairs. He barely made it back before Mrs. Weasley was shouting at them to get in the car. Good thing, too, Harry thought, glancing at the clock. They'd be cutting it pretty close as it was.

"Need some help with that?" Percy asked, gesturing at his trunk. Predictably, he was already packed and ready, and had moved his own belongings to the car.

"No, thank-you." Unlike last year, where he'd barely been able to lift it, his trunk felt a lot lighter. He'd started his own physical conditioning (which had actually started shortly before the incident with the unicorn), which probably made it easier. Of course, he'd also recently added the Academy's regimen into his schedule, which was designed to quickly and efficiently enhance muscle mass and tone. Thankfully, there was plenty of space outside the Burrow to complete his exercises unnoticed, or he wouldn't have been able to practice the most interesting aspect of those memories: jutsu.

The three basic jutsu that the Academy taught were all interesting, though not particularly challenging. They were, however, draining. It really hit home exactly how far behind he was (he was two years younger than he was now when he'd mastered these the first time around) and he resolved to practice as much as he could. Therefore much of his time was spent outdoors improving both his physical capabilities and his chakra reserves. Ron did wonder where he spent all his time, but seemed more interested in lazing around than attempting investigative work on his best friend.

Breaking out of his musings, Harry slipped his trunk into the boot of the Ford Anglia and hopped into the surprisingly roomy car. He couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts.


True to his prediction, they arrived at the barrier with only five minutes to spare. Fred, George, Percy, and Ginny all sped through, with their parents close behind. Gripping their trolleys, Harry and Ron charged at the barrier.

…and flew backward. Hedwig shrieked as her cage rolled along the ground, having toppled off his upended trunk. Harry groaned dizzily from his position on the floor. That had hurt! It was almost as if an electric shock had passed through him. That magic had felt angry.

Ron seemed to be of a similar mindset (or would have been had he known what electricity was). "Bloody hell! What was that?" he moaned.

Harry (after King's Cross stopped spinning) hurriedly righted Hedwig, who gave an indignant hoot and refused to look at him.

"I don't know," though he certainly had a suspicion. The barrier should have still been open. There was only one person (or house elf, whatever) that was that desperate to keep him out of Hogwarts.

Ron turned to him as the attention the commotion had attracted started to die away. "What're we going to do now? The train's gone!"

"Well," Harry said slowly, "we could wait for your parents to get back. Or we could send off a letter." He glanced at Hedwig, and she turned her tail at him. "Um, let's just wait for your parents." He dragged his trunk out of the way and used it as a bench.

Ron sighed and copied him

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they waited for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to come back through. Harry dug a book out of his trunk and flipped through it, half-tempted to start meditating. Ron idly picked at the hems of his shirt.

Suddenly, he leaped off of his trunk. "I know! We can take the car!"

Harry blinked. "You want to drive to Hogwarts?"

"Of course not. We're going to fly."

"The car?"

"Did no one ever tell you? Dad enchanted it to fly. Installed an invisibility booster and everything."

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" he turned a page in his book. "Just be patient; they'll be back eventually."

Ron frowned. "Harry…"

Two red-heads burst through the barrier at that moment. "Ron, Harry! There you are. Why didn't you come through?"

"Sorry, mum. The barrier was blocked."

"Really?" Mr. Weasley asked, surprised. "That's strange. I was sure we had enough time..."

Mrs. Weasley huffed. "Well, if everybody had gotten ready on time this morning, it wouldn't have been an issue! Missed the train! I don't believe it! I don't think anyone's missed the train in decades."

Mr. Weasley sighed. "Come on, boys. Back to the Burrow. I'll floo the Headmaster."

Thankfully the Headmaster allowed them to floo to the school, which was eerily empty when the duo arrived. None of the other students had gotten there yet; they were all still on the train. Harry absently wondered why they even took it when using the floo was so much easier (albeit messier… he was again reduced to coughing up copious amounts of soot).

The few hours between their arrival and the sorting passed in uncomfortable silence. Ron was steadfastly ignoring Harry, who wondered what on earth he could have done to irritate his friend so much. Fortunately the red-head seemed to be in a better mood by the time the feast rolled around, though Harry wasn't sure that he'd gotten less upset so much as been excited by the arrival of the food.

"Harry, Ron," Hermione sat across from them, having spotted them shortly before the sorting. "Where were you two? I didn't see either of you on the train."

"We got caught up at the station," Harry replied. "The barrier was closed."

"Yeah," Ron grunted through a mouthful of potato. "At least five minutes early, mind you." He frowned. "Didn't think it be so violent, though. I mean, even muggles would notice something like that."

"What do you mean? The barrier is fairly passive magic," Hermione said. "Its only function is to hide the Express. The most it does is solidify the barrier, and only when in contact with a muggle."

"Well…" Harry briefly explained the painful shock. "I think I know who did it, too," he confessed.

"What?" Ron scowled. "You didn't tell me that!"

He shrugged. "Sorry? It's not anything concrete… just a suspicion."

The red-head, far from looking pacified, didn't speak to him for the rest of the night.


A/N: Someone told me in a review to leave out my footnote markers. Um? I'm not sure how well that'll work out, but I can try...