Authors Note: I've not really placed many of these in here, and I'm not going to make a habit of it. Before I continue on, I just want to remind everyone that Sakura and her team have watched over Potter and his buddies for two years. To those of you worrying about how fast Sakura is becoming attached, it's perfectly normal. Yes, she will start regulating it, but Sakura's character has always been emotion. It's not like I can just swipe it all away just because I switched some things around. Also, I'm planning on writing a prequel. It'll explain how she grew up, how life was since it was non-massacre, and how she dealt with her mother's death at such a young age (well, she obviously became pretty epic, huh? Definitely wanting to go down the revenge path, but had those who tried (and try) to talk some sense into her.).
Enough of my spew. Enjoy!
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I heard the words, "Very well, very well… cleared of all charges," and was finally able to take in a deep breath.
Dumbledore then briskly exited the dungeon, sending me a fond smile before practically floating away. I couldn't help but notice that he hadn't congratulated Potter or anything before leaving abruptly. It rubbed me the wrong way.
Potter exited shortly after, almost colliding with Mr. Weasley. Now that I looked at him, he looked rather pale. Perhaps I should have spoken to him, eased his mind, instead of focusing so hard on his opposition in the chamber.
"Dumbledore didn't say—"
"Cleared of all charges!" Potter announced as he closed the doors behind him. He looked at me with a large smile, his relief obvious. He hadn't looked so relaxed in a long time.
Mr. Weasley clasped Potter's shoulders, his smile wide. "Harry, that's wonderful! Well, of course, they couldn't have found you guilty, not on the evidence, but even so, I can't pretend I wasn't—"
The courtroom opened, cutting off Mr. Weasley's ramblings.
Madame Bones greeted Mr. Weasley, but the majority of wizards and witches averted their eyes. However, several of them stared at me, almost as if they weren't sure if I was a threat or not.
"Merlin's beard, you were tried by the full court?"
"I think so," Potter replied quietly.
Fudge and the toad woman were the second and third last to leave the dungeon. While the witch started down Potter (she was very short, so it was an impossible feat), Fudge glared daggers into my person. He paused for only one moment before muttering out the threat, "We'll be watching you. And your little friends, too."
I couldn't keep the conceited smirk from my face. What can I say, spending all these years with Neji and Sasuke must have affected me. The old wizard truly believed he was any match for me or any of my subordinates? Comical.
"I'm going to take you straight back so you can tell the others the good news," Mr. Weasley declared, beckoning Potter. I noticed one of his sons walking away. If my reports were correct, that was Percy, the only true fool in the Weasley family. "I'll drop you off on the way to that toilet in Bethnal Green. Come on…"
They began moving forward and I noticed Neji's eyes narrowing, his Byakugan still activated. Potter asked the leader of clan Weasley a question, but I paid it no mind. Neji had just noticed the presence of a potential threat.
"Lucius Malfoy."
I tensed and then took two long strides to Potters side as Neji placed himself on the right of Weasley. If need be, I could throw myself in front of Potter.
I doubted Lucius would attack in front of Fudge but he was a Death Eater after all.
One of the few I would destroy.
.
"Well, well, well…" Didn't he know he sounded like the typically bad guy? "Patronus Potter."
Potter's form tensed, as if he was straining to carry his burden that had all but disappeared a moment before. I knew he was reliving that night, remembering those gray eyes from the graveyard.
Lucius' eyes flickered to me, once, twice, and I knew he recognized my guise. He knew my mother. His jaw clenched before focusing on Potter. "The Minister was just telling me about your lucky escape, Potter. Quite astonishing, the way you continue to wriggle out of very tight holes…. Snakelike, in fact…"
My fists clenched to keep myself from attacking the man or calling up my Summons to do it for me. My eyes slid to the movement from Mr. Weasley, his hand tightening on Potter's shoulder in warning.
"Yeah," Potter responded, his eyes narrowing, "yeah, I'm good at escaping…"
He was hinting at the graveyard. That was obvious.
Lucius raised his eyes to Mr. Weasley. "And Arthur Weasley too! What are you doing here, Arthur?"
The hand tightening on Potter's shoulder wasn't just for Potter anymore.
"I work here," Mr. Weasley said shortly.
"Not here, surely?" Lucius' eyes glanced at the door over Mr. Weasley's shoulder, once again flickering over my form. I could see his gloved hand tighten around his walking stick thing. A tool that was also his wand…
I felt my skin erupt in goose flesh, anticipation curling my lips.
"Sakura," Neji warned, his voice so quiet no one else could hear.
"I thought you were up on the second floor… Don't you do something that involves sneaking Muggle artifacts home and bewitching them?"
"No."
There was no way to detach Mr. Weasley's fingers from Potter's shoulder without causing a scene. It was time to leave.
Potter questioned Lucius and their conversation quickly ended with Lucius and Fudge striding off towards his office, speaking in low voices. Lucius looked back at me once and I allowed my face to take my mother's signature look when she knew someone had done something wrong. My head cocked to the side, as if picking out what I knew to be lies, my eyes narrowing and a small smile pulled at my face. Well, it wasn't a happy smile. I remembered it as if it was yesterday. It was a scary smile that promised punishment. A lot of punishment.
Lucius' eyes widened very slightly with a worried frown.
.
We walked with Mr. Weasley and Potter to the entrance, with the fountain. There, Potter dumped out coins, probably showing his gratitude that he was going back to Hogwarts.
At that point, I informed Mr. Weasley that we could escort Potter back ourselves. He had stopped for a moment and stared me down, as if deciding whether to trust me. He now knew I was the daughter of Sirius, something the others didn't know. He had more reason to trust me. And he was, technically, staying in my house.
He nodded to himself and me, making his decision. He clapped Potter on the shoulder with a smile and congratulated him once more before turning and making his way towards the hexed toilet in Bethnal Green.
.
We returned to the chorus of Fred, George, and Ginny singing, "He got off, he got off—"
Potter spoke with his friends and Neji disappeared from us as soon as we entered (probably to dispel that ghastly henge and slip on his mask) before I could ask him to report to Dumbledore—which I should really be the one to tell him—I was captain, after all. I could only wave to my father before I disappeared. I wanted to talk to him—more than anything—but I had to keep my priorities straight.
"I have to report—" I tried to announce but Fred, George and Ginny cut me off with their chant.
"He got off, he got off—"
"I have to—"
"He got off, he got off—"
Annoyed, I glared at the redheaded idiots. "SHUT THE HELL UP!" I turned my glare on Sirius when he chuckled.
"You're just like your mother."
I huffed softly, but the sad remembrance in my father's eyes melted my anger. "I have to report to Dumbledore. I will be back shortly."
And then I was gone.
.
Dumbledore's office was the same as it was when I was called here at the end of the school year a few months ago. I had been… I was not myself. I remembered the emotions that had gripped at my being, emotions I had not felt in a long time. I had thought I was going to rein it in then, that it was an eye opening experience. I had to lose my emotions or I would lose myself.
And yet here I was again, feeling the same stupid emotions. Potter was a bad influence on me.
All those months ago, Dumbledore had called me here to tell me that Cedric Diggory's death was not my fault and it was time I got a little vacation time of my own.
I'd glared (still very much attached to my emotions) and said no. Only not quite as polite. I'm sure I might have cursed a few times.
Dumbledore stroked his phoenix, Fawkes's, glossy feathers. The bird looked young, it must have died recently.
The beautiful phoenix noticed my presence and leapt into the air, away from Dumbledore's gentle fingers and onto my shoulder, nuzzling my cheek with his beak.
"He has missed you, my dear," Dumbledore chuckled softly, turning to give me an appraising look. "It still amazes me that a young witch such as yourself is so talented. It is quite a feat, to be both witch and kunoichi."
I allowed a small smile to curve my lips. "I am certainly not the norm here."
"It makes me wonder if others could become like you…"
His wishful thinking caused all emotion to slide from my face. My hand left the phoenix's feathers and returned to my side.
"As I told you before, Dumbledore-san, I, nor my teammates, will never teach our jutsu. It is dangerous enough that anyone can use the Unforgiveable Curses. I will not become an enabler. Not to mention they are village secrets."
Dumbledore nodded. He expected my answer. After all, in the years I'd known this man, not once has my answer changed.
It's like he's waiting for it to change.
Well, if I could be certain the brats wouldn't use it against us, I would teach them taijutsu. They rely too heavily on their wands. If they lost them… they were screwed.
"I assume you did not stop by just to say hello to Fawkes?"
I nodded. "Yes. Lucius Malfoy was speaking to Fudge on level nine."
He was silent, a troubled look etched on his face as he thought. Then he turned to me, a calculating look in his eyes. "It is more serious than I thought. Sakura, you are entirely devoted to protecting Harry Potter?"
I didn't skip a beat. "Yes."
"I was delaying this as long as possible, but it seems that with Voldemort's return to his body I have no other choice. Sakura, I would like to formally offer you acceptance into Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
.
For the next few days, everything was relatively quiet. My team and I didn't have much to do and it soon became known that I was Sirius's daughter. Potter and his friends cleaned all the dusk the old house had accumulated and Sirius sulked as the holiday slowly came to an end. We had our talks, and I told him of my life, how I'd been surviving since my mother was gone. We danced around her, never saying her name and he never asked how she died, but it was on both of our minds.
Dumbledore and I had discussed my appearance and decided it would be for the best if I dyed my hair to become less conspicuous and go by my mother's maiden name. I would enter with the first years and be sorted like any other student and Dumbledore will announce that I be treated like any other student as well. No matter what, my goal was to be in Gryffindor to continue watching over Potter. I would be placed in all of his classes, no matter the difficulty and if need be, I would receive help with my assignments.
Then he explained who the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher was. He told me to be wary of her, but I didn't need to be told that. The woman was Fudge's spy in Hogwarts.
While I was easily Dumbledore's spy.
So, of course, the day the booklists came in, I was dying my hair.
I could easily hear Hermione's screeches as Neji (helping by force, he'd never bleach anyone's hair otherwise. He believed it was inhumane) rubbed the bleach into my hair. Dabbing a bit more onto my scalp, I saw him roll his eyes in the mirror and then activate his Byakugan.
"The booklists came in," he said, frowning for a moment. "Hermione and… Ron have become prefects."
I mirrored his frown in the mirror. "Are you sure it's Ron? I would have thought…"
"So would I. Potter was holding the badge for a moment before giving it back to Ron with gestures that easily showed that it was not his."
He slipped a bag over my hair and gave me a pointed look, the veins around his eyes still sticking out. "Do not itch. It has to sit for a few minutes. Then you have to go wash out the color."
I kept the sad look from my face. I would miss my pink hair, but if it would help keep Potter safe, I would become a blonde.
"Sakura…"
I looked up at Neji, my head cocking to the side slightly. "What is it?"
His eyes narrowed like he could see into my soul and then I remembered his kekkei genkai was still activated.
Glowering, I asked, "Neji, where are you looking?"
His face, the one so usually devoid of emotion, flushed, turning a bright red. He stammered and then poofed away before I could hit him.
I watched myself in the mirror as the emotion fell off my face and I laid a hand on my side, right below my right breast. I knew Neji wasn't looking at my chest, but where my hand was. Gingerly, I lifted the fabric of my shirt, revealing a scar. The skin was black and had been healed poorly. It was my brutal reminder of the night my mother died. And of the night in the graveyard. It was bigger than I remembered.
Not a good sign.
Pulling out gauze and a medical ointment I'd concocted myself, I smoothed it over the old wound and then wrapped it, hiding it from wayward eyes.
I didn't try to heal it with chakra; I'd learned from the past that it seemed to suck the chakra up without giving any results. It was a black hole.
That was slowly getting larger.
Not a good sign at all.
.
At dinner, Mrs. Weasley threw Ron and Hermione a party. Apparently, becoming a prefect was something to be proud of, not that I could see the point of it. Seeing as I was going to be going to Hogwarts (not that anyone knew yet, I was keeping that to myself. Dumbledore had explained that he would take care of everything, from my books to the uniform, and that it would be delivered to me in a timely manner) and Sirius's daughter, I didn't have to wear my mask. Of course, that didn't mean I was accepted.
However, I still felt offended when Mrs. Weasley—oh, screw it. I was past being polite—asked Moody to look in the writing desk with his electric blue eye. She knew Neji could easily see through walls and would have done as she asked—
A hand patted my shoulder as the owner seated himself next to me. Sirius grinned at me, seemingly happy, but I could see the sadness in his eyes.
It was like he'd gotten a son and daughter only to lose them both. Despite what Molly—
You really think it's so horrible to call the old lady by her first name? Oh, you are so rude—
—thought, I knew my father knew the difference between Potter and his father. And Hermione can shove it too, for all I care.
The hand on my shoulder tightened and my father sent me a look. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.
I took a deep breath. My ramblings would get the better of me one day. I carefully filed my emotions away in the little box as Inner looked on sadly. I hesitated, would it really be better for me to lock them away?
One look at Potter seating himself directly across from me, his eyes wide at my new hair color, gave me the answer.
Yes. Yes, it was.
"What did you do to your hair?" he asked, his brows furrowing.
I took a long look at him, savoring the way I felt when I looked into his green eyes. The chills that ran down my spine, the goose flesh that erupted on my arms, and the warmth in my belly. I took a deep breath, reveling in my feelings. And then I locked the box and shoved it as far away from me as possible.
I felt cold.
I shrugged noncommittally. "I needed a change."
No need to tell him I would be joining him at Hogwarts. I don't know if I could take it if I saw his eyes light up in excitement or darken with disappointment. The box was going to need more locks if I was to get through this term.
.
I've thought it before, but Moody was an idiot. Showing Potter a picture of his deceased parents and talking about how each of the other members died… No one without a military background could like it. They would not think that they person had died honorably, fighting to the end. They would only think about how that person was not there, the lives they had cut short.
Potter left the room quickly and my radio buzzed as Naruto's voice filled my ear.
"Molly is having a break down. Sakura, I need you to get rid of this boggart. She can't do it herself."
As I appeared in the room before Molly, wand upraised, I wondered when Naruto started calling her Molly. Certainly started before me.
Well, you hoped that maybe she would treat you like Harry. Like an adopted daughter.
Way to throw that out there, Inner. Nice.
"Riddikulus."
The boggart turned into the one person I didn't want anyone to see. I didn't want anyone to see the one person I both feared and hated. The one who would die by my hand.
The woman's hair was jet black, matted and unkempt, her eyes crazed. Her wand was poised, a spell on her lips and it took everything in me not to stab her, civilians present or not.
My second cousin's lips curled in a snarl, and I concentrated on her becoming something funny.
"Avada—"
I waved my wand and she turned into a log. The log fell to the floor loudly and I felt my father's presence behind Potter and knew that he had seen the boggart as his cousin. He turned his disbelieving eyes to me, not understanding how I knew her.
And I was not willing to impart that knowledge.
I imagined a toilet flushing, any leftover emotion emptying as I truly became emotionless. Raising my eyes to my father's face, I secured another lock onto my box of emotions. I could never tell him the bloody truth, not when my mother's death was still very fresh for him.
I don't think he could take it.
Molly sobbed at my feet, and Sirius took his eyes off me as Lupin entered and comforted her. Potter watched me closely as I poofed away to my shared room, putting on another lock for good measure.
.
That night, I dreamed.
Usually, the only dreams I had were nightmares.
But there were times, two in particular, when I Saw things. Visions.
I was not Trelawney. I did not believe in Divination. I did not believe that I was, in any way, a seer. It was enough, wasn't it, that I was both a witch and a kuniochi?
That was before, when my drive was weak. When I'd become complacent in my life. When I was happy.
No seven-year-old should see her mother die—killed before her. Not even a shinobi. Much less twice.
In my dream, vision, I watched, immoveable, as Hogwarts students fought Death Eaters. Some were disarmed, others knocked unconscious. I tried to look around, spot Potter, make sure he was okay. If there was a fight, Potter was always in the middle of it. Where were my teammates? Why were they not intercepting? We had our orders; we were to make certain students didn't put themselves in harm's way.
And then a student, his wand thrown from his hand, moved forward, catching the Death Eater off guard and executed taijutsu, disarming the man and then hitting all of his pressure points exactly.
The Death Eater fell in a crumpled heap, and understanding washed through me. The technique the Hufflepuff student had used was Neji's own signature moves. Magic was essentially the same as chakra, only finer. Who's to say that if you block someone's chakra points, you wouldn't block their magic as well?
And then my body was turned to the side and I watched again as Bellatrix killed my father.
.
I woke to a slap, my face stinging as Sai stared into my eyes. The normally blank eyes showed expression and, dare I say it, emotion. Over the years, they'd taken turns waking me from my dreams, always having to slap me awake or dump water on me. It was Sai's turn this time.
My team was awake, each of them staring, waiting for me to divulge information. A quick glance at my watch told me it was just barely past one. I didn't allow myself to feel bad for waking them.
I looked them all in the eye before resting my gaze on Neji, my second. "I—" I stopped myself. No, after what I saw, it wasn't just me. "We need to go see Dumbledore."
Naruto's blue eyes looked worried. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "It's a bit late, don't you think?"
Not the first time he'd challenged my leadership abilities. And certainly not his last. I let it slide for now.
"No," I replied as I pulled on my white bone armor and the others did the same. "Not when you're delivering news of the approaching war."
.
We soundlessly appeared in Dumbledore's office, startling Fawkes out of his sleep. The fiery bird immediately took flight and landed on my shoulder when he saw me as Dumbledore appeared, a long night cap and sleeping robes draping his form. He positioned his half-moon glasses and his blue orbs looked at each of us curiously.
ANBU Black Ops armor, our animal masks and the fact that we were armed to the teeth (literally in Naruto's case) made us quite a sight. Neji and Naruto flanked my right while Sasuke and Sai were on my left… I was surrounded by power.
"And what do I have the pleasure of your visit today, Sakura? Although it is quite early…"
I nodded, my lips pulled in a grimace. "I know. But it is extremely important. Dumbledore, I had another vision.
Dumbledore's good natured smile slipped off his face. The last time I had a vision, I had foreseen Voldemort's return. No doubt he was remembering how I had come to him, told him my fears and he had waved them away.
We both were guilty of what happened.
He seated himself at his desk and waved his wand before his desk, five chairs appearing where there had only been two. Naruto and I sunk into the chairs quietly. Sasuke, Sai, and Neji opted to stand.
My news might make them wish they'd been sitting.
I did not waste time. I quickly explained what I had seen. Hogwarts students fighting Death Eaters. I couldn't give many details about where it was; I was so occupied on the fact that the wizard student had used Neji's technique.
Once I relayed that information, Neji looked at me sharply, as if asking if I thought him capable of betraying his clan like that. No self-respecting Hyuuga would teach an outsider how to use their signature clan techniques. It was a betrayal.
Dumbledore was not at all pleased that I could not tell him where the battle would take place or the fact that I had not seen myself or my teammates there.
After everything was explained and Dumbledore finished with trying to pick apart the vision, I narrowed my eyes at him and explained what I needed.
"Dumbledore, you are allowing me to attend your school. With what is to come, I need my team inside with me. Out of the shadows. I need to be able to communicate with them out in the open. The way we did things before will not—cannot —work any longer." I straightened my back and steeled my resolve. "You know my history. I want to protect Harry Potter as much as you do. We've done things your way. Voldemort is back."
Dumbledore, for the first time since I've met him, looked defeated. Something I said must have struck a chord in him as he stood and turned around looking up at all the portraits of the Headmasters of the past. "I suppose it would have been hard to explain why we were only receiving one transfer. Five would make more sense. The arrangements will be made."
.
Almost to Hogwarts, everyone! So close!
And the whole gang is going! And we learn more about Sakura! Yay! (And over four thousand words!) So, Sakura is trying desperately to close out Potter. There will be more development into that later. After all, two years of growing affection is difficult to ignore. And as for Potter, she's a mystery he wants to unravel. He's drawn to her, blah, blah, blah.
NEXT CHAPTER we will meet Malfoy! And maybe some DracoSaku! And some Potter angst/ jealousy will follow that, no doubt!
Until next time!
tbc…
