I'm so so SO sorry that it took me so long to update this. I didn't forget about it, but every time I tried to start on this chapter, it felt like I had something else to do or I had a brilliant idea for one of my other stories that just needed to be cranked out. I really hope this chapter makes up for the long wait. It's a bit on the short side, I know, but I'm hoping for quality versus quantity and it provides a bit of some much needed action.

I now have a tumblr page. If you would like to put in a request for a drabble or a prompt for a one-shot, put it in my ask box and I'll be happy to oblige. I'll also be posting the links to my chapters on there, just in case the alerts go down on (You know, like they've been doing for the past month...) The link is chey-la-enne[DOT]tumblr[DOT]com

NOTE: The poll regarding pairings is officially closed. The winner of the poll will be announced at the end of the chapter (as will Harry's guardian). Let me tell you, it was a close one.

When a black skeletal horse with wings and reptilian features landed outside the restaurant, Ino stopped in midsentence, forgetting what she was talking about upon seeing the beast. Chouji nearly dropped his chopsticks and instinctively went on the defense. Asuma, the team leader, unconsciously reached for a kunai due to his years of shinobi training. Shikamaru blinked and narrowed his eyes slightly. He had never heard or read about a creature such as this one.

Harry, noticing the odd reactions of his companions and the sudden shadow that had fallen over him, reluctantly turned around. His stomach felt like it was being twisted into knots and being dropped off the Eiffel Tower as he did so. It was the feeling he normally had right before things became complicated.

The green-eyed teenager wanted to wail when he saw the thestral that was uncannily staring right at him. For once, things had been going the way he wanted and now he suspected was the moment that all his careful planning would go to hell. You know, like it normally did.

"Asuma-sensei, what is that?" Ino asked, looking at the older man. Sarutobi Asuma made the cigarette in his mouth twitch, unsure of what to say. If he could determine whether the creature was a threat or not, then he could probably make something up to tell his students. If the creature was a threat, then it would be detained or killed and given to the Hokage and her team for study. If it wasn't, then it would still have to be captured and the Hokage would have to be informed about the situation.

"I'm not quite sure," he finally said. Harry tried to hold in a sigh of relief. If the shinobi with the most experience couldn't tell what the thestral was and where it came from, then it most likely wouldn't be linked back to him. He could be safe for a little while longer.

"What are we going to do then?" Shikamaru drawled, unlocking his hands from behind his head and bringing them to his sides, where he could easily reach kunai. "The others have noticed it."

True enough, other Konoha shinobi that were around the restaurant were looking in their direction and seemed to debating about coming closer or not. Most of the civilians were oblivious to what was going on, as the shinobi were being rather subtle and they couldn't see the thestral. The few civilians who could see the magical being had decided to clear out of the area. Unknown creatures and battle-ready shinobi were always best to stay clear of.

The thestral trilled softly, taking a few steps closer to Harry. It's long black tailed swished from side to side as it came closer. Harry tensed, which proved to be a very bad move on his part for two reasons.

One, it proved that he could see this creature so it left feigning ignorance no longer an option for him. His lack of reaction at first seeing it could be used against him later. The lack of reaction, besides for the slight look of dread and fear that crossed his face, could easily prove that he was familiar with this type of beast.

Harry tensing up was also a bad move because it prompted the shinobi to attack. Kunai and shuriken began to fly as soon as the black-haired boy reacted. Ino and Chouji, the two closest to him, yanked Harry down to the ground, out of the way of the flying projectiles.

The thestral gave a louder trill that ended in a screech and flapped its black, leathery wings as it was attacked. The screeches grew, both in volume and in intensity, as kunai and shuriken bit into its skin and wings. The continuous flapping of its wings drew air under the thestral, allowing it to take flight. Despite the numerous tears and gashes in its wings from the kunai and shuriken, the thestral was able to gather height quickly. A few kunai were able to lodge themselves in the thestral but a moving target was much harder to hit than one that was stationary. The wings of the disturbing winged horse became the targeted area for the shinobi because each time one of their weapons stuck in a wing, the thestral's ascent slowed and once or twice, the thestral even lost height.

Harry didn't realize he was holding his breath until he felt faint. It was only after he felt himself falling backwards that he remembered to breathe. The first couple of breaths hurt and he was pretty positive that he inhaled dust and a bug or two. The civilian broke into a coughing fit as his lungs struggled for air. The harshness of the coughing fit made his eyes tear up and Harry lost sight of the thestral, his first real contact with the wizarding world since he had arrived in Konoha.

Over his coughing fit, Harry was able to pick up on an extremely loud and long trill. The trill was repeated for a second and third time before it cut off sharply. Harry pushed back his coughs, despite the burn it provided to his lungs. The tears in his eyes were wiped away just in time for Harry to see the thestral flying away, out of distance from any more flying projectiles launched by hostile shinobi. He took note of which direction it flew in so he could attempt to find it later. Later being when he wasn't surrounded by shinobi.

"Akago-kun, are you okay?" Ino asked, as Harry's coughing fit resumed. He nodded and then doubled over as a particularly harsh cough came over him.

"Dust," he heaved out once he had recovered enough to speak. That single word left him out of breath but Harry didn't mind, as it gave him an excuse to not talk about what just happened.

"What should we do about that creature? It's not native to Konoha or any of the lands that surround us," a shinobi was saying as he twirled a kunai between his fingers. Any civilians who had been eating at the restaurant or had happened to be in the area had cleared out, whether they had seen the thestral or not. It was safer to be well away from a battleground than to be in the middle of it like Harry had been.

"Tell the Hokage so she can send a team to track it," a kunoichi snapped out, as if it should have been that obvious of what they had to do.

"Ino-chan, you should probably take Hiru-san home. I'm sure he'll want to recover… from his fright," Asuma commanded quietly. In truth, he didn't want a civilian to hear about what would happen next. The shinobi of Konoha tried very hard to keep details of their jobs away from civilians, even minor ones like what they would do next or whom they reported to. The less that was known by civilians, the better.

"Hai," Ino nodded and gripped Harry's upper arm. She easily dragged him to his feet and pulled him away from the gathering shinobi. The wizard stumbled along behind her, trying to keep up and somehow convince her to let go or, at the very least, loosen her grip. However, Ino's pace barely allowed time for Harry to catch a breath. He certainly wasn't able to walk that fast and talk at the same time.

Once they were well away from the restaurant, Ino finally let go.

"Do you know what that was?" she asked him curiously, eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like it before and I've never heard of a wild creature, especially one that big, just landing in the middle of an area crowded by humans."

Harry hesitated. He didn't want to lie to the closest thing he had to a friend here, but he didn't want to tell the truth either. The truth was too complicated but Harry sucked at lying. A half-truth would have to do.

He shook his head.

"I haven't seen them before but I've heard of something that fits its description. It looked like a death horse to me."

"A what?"

"A death horse. Where I was born, there's a myth or two about them. Apparently you can only see them if you've seen someone die," Harry grimaced as the scenes from the graveyard flashed before his eyes. He would never be able to forget the lifeless look in Cedric's eyes or the way the boy had lain after being hit by the killing curse, all spread out and vulnerable-looking.

Ino let out a small gasp, covering her mouth with a hand. That would make sense as to why some of the civilians hadn't reacted until the shinobi had started throwing weapons. Then she took a closer look at Harry.

"So, you've seen someone die then." She stated. Harry closed his eyes and bent his head, trying to shield his face from view. He didn't have the best poker face.

"My family," he replied. "By rogue Nin, remember. It's why I'm here in the first place." Not one hundred percent true, but not entirely false either. Harry was here because he needed space from everything magical.

"How did you survive then?" Ino questioned. "I have a hard time believing that rogue Nin would kill everyone in your family but you."

She had a point.

"I was coming home," Harry made up on the spot. "I stopped before reaching my house because I saw flames. They burned everything, including everything living. My family was burned alive. I didn't have to be up close to see it to know that they were dead."

It was a bit morbid but it would do.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes. Before he knew it, Ino and Harry were in front of his apartment.

"I'll see you later," Ino said softly. Harry nodded but as she turned away, Harry abruptly drew Ino in for a hug. She was tense at first but relaxed when it became apparent that Harry was going to do nothing more than hug her.

"Thank you," he said. It was nice to not be given sympathy. It was all Harry had ever received since Sirius' death, even from his friends. It became tiring after a while. Ino gave Harry a smile and a finger wave as she drew away.

"Later!" she called as she walked away.

From a distance, Hatake Kakashi watched the interaction through a lazy half-closed eye. Automatically he flipped a page in his book, trying to ignore the irritation that threatened to overcome him. He had no reason to be irritated. It was just a hug, after all. Unless Ino and Hiru Akago were more than just friends. Kakashi didn't like the feeling that surged up in him when he considered that option.

"You do realize that no one actually believes you read those books anymore," a feminine voice came from beside him. Kakashi regarded the woman who had appeared coolly.

"Your point?" he asked.

"No point. Just a statement," the woman replied, removing the mask from her face. Her violet hair swung forward to frame her face.

"You've been working a lot lately, Yūgao," Kakashi commented.

"Your point?"

"No point. Just a statement," the silver-haired man retorted. The pair was silent for a moment.

"We deal with things in our own ways. You go to the memorial stone; I work harder just to have something to do. I don't need to move up any further in life." Kakashi said nothing. There was nothing he could say.

"What's he like?" Kakashi asked abruptly. Yūgao smiled.

"Who? Hiru-san?" she asked. "Why would I know anything about Hiru-san?"

Kakashi narrowed his one eye.

"Don't play coy," he said. "I've seen you talking to him. Obviously you know him."

"So do you," Yūgao pointed out. "You've talked to him."

Kakashi growled. This is why he and her had never worked together in ANBU. They truly represented their animals and dogs and cats never worked together.

"Well?" he demanded. Yūgao smiled.

"Find out for yourself," she said. "After all, that's one of the things shinobi do best."

Well, there's your answers. Hopefully things will start picking up from here on out. Review please!