Ok, here's Chapter 7 part 2 ^_^

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Now only Fred and George remained standing. They scanned the crowd and eventually, their eyes fell on Sai. Their eyes began to sparkle and Hotaru could see that they were already plotting something. Hotaru smiled slightly. Fred and George had definitely picked the wrong opponent. They would have been better off picking someone like Lee ...

However, Hotaru watched with interest as Fred and George casually walked over to Sai and stood in front of him. "Do you mind if we sit here?" Fred asked cheerfully.

"No," Sai replied simply, and was about to move across so that the Weasley twins could sit together, when George stopped him.

"It's alright, you don't have to move," George said with a mischievous smile, and he promptly sat down on Sai's left hand side.

And before Sai could protest, Fred had sat down on Sai's right hand side.

Hotaru smiled slightly, and then cleared her throat. "Alright, before I begin the introductions ..."

"Harry," Ron sighed, interrupting Hotaru. "Remember Bagman, at the World Cup? He wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, I remember." Harry replied with a sigh. "Hey, perhaps it has something to do with the Quidditch World Cup? Perhaps the Irish team is coming to Hogwarts to recruit new members?"

"Could be," Ron replied thoughtfully. "Hey, if you were Irish, Harry, you'd make the team easily."

"You reckon?"

"Yeah! I mean, you're probably one of the best Seekers in school."

"That's not true. Cedric's pretty good." Harry replied softly.

"No he's not!" Fred and George exclaimed at the same time. "Harry, if it hadn't of been for those dementors, you would've stayed on your broom."

Harry smiled slightly, "thanks, but I actually wasn't thinking about that incident. I really think Cedric's a good Seeker."

"You're kidding, right?" Fred and George intoned at the same time. "Cedric's just lucky, that's all."

Harry hesitated a moment and then sighed, "if you say so." It was obvious that Fred and George loathed Cedric. They still hadn't forgiven the captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff house Quidditch team, for beating Gryffindor in the first Quidditch match last year.

And then Ron sighed, "but I still can't believe my own mother won't tell me what's going on. She's so ..."

"Excuse me," Hotaru interrupted Ron in a stern tone of voice. "I would appreciate it, if I had everyone's attention."

"Sorry," Ron replied softly.

"Now, where ..."

However, at that moment Hermione raised a finger to her lips, "shh!" She exclaimed. Hotaru frowned slightly, and then she heard the familiar drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

"... Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the Headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore ... the man's such a Mudblood lover ... and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riff-raff. But mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defence rubbish we do ..."

"So, he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" Herrmione said angrily. "I wish he had gone, and then we wouldn't have had to put up with him."

Harry frowned slightly, "Durmstrang's another wizarding school?"

"Yes," Hermione replied matter-of-factly, "and it's got a horrible reputation. According to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts."

Hotaru frowned slightly, "I wonder why Malfoy was talking about another wizarding school.

Ron shrugged, "who knows. But I think I've heard of Durmstrang before. Do you know where it is, Hermione?"

Hermione sighed, "no-body knows where it is."

Harry frowned slightly, "er ... why not?"

"Do neither of you read anything?" Hermione replied irritably.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and then turned their attention to Hermione and shook their heads.

Hermione sighed, "I doubt you know anything about other wizarding schools either," she snapped, rounding on Fred and George.

The Weasley twins gave Hermione a pained look, "Hermione shame on you," Fred began, "for thinking that we know nothing about other wizarding schools." George finished.

"Then why don't you tell us all about Durmstrang." Hermione replied icily.

"Uhh ... Well ... You see," Fred began hesitantly.

"We missed that lesson," George finished with a sigh.

"How can you miss a lesson?" Ron asked simply.

"Easy," Fred replied with a slight smile. "We were too busy experimenting." George added with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Hermione sighed, "typical."

However, at that moment, Sakura cleared her throat. "What were you experimenting with?"

"Oh, well Fred and I were experimenting with different things to create items for our dream joke shop." George replied simply.

"Really?" Sakura asked, her tone of voice conveying her interest.

"Yeah," Fred replied simply, however at that moment, he saw the look Hermione was giving and sighed. "However, we can talk about our joke shop later on. Right now we should let Hermione tell us about other wizarding schools."

"Thank you, Fred. Alright, listen carefully. There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all of the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets."

"Come off it," Ron laughed. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts, how are you going to hide a dirty great castle?"

"But Hogwarts is hidden," Hermione replied in surprise. "Everyone knows that ... well, everyone who's read Hogwarts: A History, anyway."

"Just you then," Ron replied with a sigh. "So go on ... how do you hide a place like Hogwarts?"

"It's bewitched," Hermione replied simply, as though everyone present should know that. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is mouldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying: DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE."

"So, Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider too?" Harry asked curiously

"Maybe," Hermione replied with a shrug. "Or it might have Muggle-Repelling Charms on it, like the World Cup Stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Uplottable ..."

"Come again?" Ron frowned.

"Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot on a map, can't you?"

"Er ... If you say so," Harry replied softly.

Hermione sighed, "you two really are hopeless. Anyway, I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north," Hermione continued thoughtfully. "Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked curiously.

"I read it in a book," Hermione replied simply.

"Figures ..." Harry and Ron intoned at the same time.

"But think of the possibilities," Ron added dreamily. "It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident ... shame his mother likes him ..."

"You know ... I could always get rid of him for you ..." Sai added thoughfully.

"You serious?!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the thought of Malfoy disappearing for good.

However, at that moment Hotaru glared at Sai, "we've had this conversation a thousand times, Sai-kun. You can't simply go around getting rid of people you, or Harry and his friends don't like."

"But, Hotaru-chan that's what I do, that's what I've always done ..."

Hotaru sighed, "I know that, Sai-kun, but this isn't Konoha, is it? So, while you're here, you'll follow my orders, is that understood?"

Sai hesitated a moment and then sighed, "hai, Hotaru-senpai."

"Hotaru-senpai?" Kakashi said sweetly.

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" Hotaru replied with a sigh.

"We wouldn't necessarily need to get rid of this Malfoy person. I could always cast a gen-jutsu on him ..."

Hotaru immediately whirled around and glared at Kakashi. "Weren't you listening to a word I said, Kakashi-sensei?!" Hotaru exclaimed, stressing the word sensei. "Look, unless Malfoy provokes us, we're to leave him alone, is that understood? I don't particularly want to have to explain to Dumbledore, and his parents, why Malfoy's a quivering wreck because you've put him under a gen-jutsu!"

"I knew you'd say that," Ron muttered under his breath.

Hotaru sighed. "Ron, you know I don't like Malfoy either, however, I don't particularly want you, Harry or Hermione attracting any attention."

"Why would we attract attention?" Ron asked curiously.

"Think about it, there's something important going on at Hogwarts this year, and if Malfoy became a quivering wreck or disappeared, Snape would blame you right away."

"Good point," Ron sighed. Professor Snape, the dark potions master hated Harry, Ron and Hermione, just as much as they hated him. Snape disliked Hotaru, because she was in Gryffindor, however she hadn't done anything to directly incur Snape's wrath. Not yet anyway. However, Snape's reputation for slating Harry, Ron and Hermione at every possible opportunity was well known.

There was a short pause and then Neji spoke, "Hotaru-chan, the rain seems to be getting heavier the further north we travel.

"Yeah ..." Hotaru replied with a sigh.

And then Hermione cleared her throat, "uhh ... Hotaru, weren't you going to introduce us?"

"Oh, that's right!" Hotaru exclaimed. She took a deep breath and then spoke, "alright, the blonde-haired shinobi is Naruto Uzumaki."

"The idiot who called me worthless ..." Ron muttered under his breath.

Hotaru's eyes narrowed slightly, however, she kept calm and pretended that she hadn't heard Ron. "And the pink-haired kunoichi is Sakura Haruno."

"The cute Chuunin ..." Ron added under his breath. Sakura blushed slightly and Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but decided not to.

Hotaru sighed, "Ron Weasley." She said sternly. "Is it absolutely necessary for you to add a comment after I've introduced a person?"

"Not really," Ron replied simply.

"Then why are you doing it?" Hotaru snapped.

"Simple, it's helping me remember their names."

Hotaru hesitated a moment and then sighed. "You're hopeless ..."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing, Ron. Now where was I? Oh yes. Then there's Kakashi Hatake, the young, white-haired shinobi who suggested putting Malfoy under a gen-jutsu ..."

"I think I'm going to like that guy ..." Ron muttered under his breath.

"Ron Weasley," Hotaru said in a stern tone of voice. "Your mother seems like a formidable woman. Shall I tell her that you enjoy watching people suffer?"

"If you told her that I enjoyed watching Malfoy suffer, then I really don't think she'd care. She hates Malfoy as much as the rest of us, and would probably pay to actually see him humiliated in front of his friends, and family.

Hotaru hesitated a moment and then sighed. Ron had a point. The Malfoy's and Weasley's didn't exactly see eye-to-eye, despite the fact that they were both pure blood wizarding families. "Oh I give up ..."

"Does that mean we can put Malfoy under a gen-jutsu?!" Ron asked eagerly.

"No!" Hotaru exclaimed. "Now, where was I? That's right ... Next we have Yamato, the shinobi with the wide, scary eyes ..."

"Hmmm ... He's a tricky one." Ron muttered under his breath.

Hotaru ignored Ron and was about to continue, when Naruto spoke. "I'm glad that I'm not the only one who finds his eyes scary."

"Uhh ... Naruto, I hate to break it to you," Hotaru replied softly. "But you are the only one who finds Yamato's eyes scary."

"Nani?!" Naruto exclaimed. "So why did you say that his eyes are wide and scary?"

"Because it's the only distinctive feature he has ..."

"Thanks Hotaru-senpai," Yamato muttered under his breath in mock gratitude.

"Your welcome," Hotaru replied cheerfully. And then she took a deep breath, "alright, next we have Sai-kun. He's the shinobi who suggested getting rid of Malfoy."

"I think I'm going to like him too ..." Ron muttered under his breath.

Hotaru hesitated a moment, and then sighed. "I'm sure you and Sai will get along famously." She replied in an exasperated tone of voice. "Anyway, Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Kakashi, Yamato and myself, make up Kakashi-han, or Team Kakashi. From Asuma-han, or Team Asuma, we have Shikamaru Nara."

"Hey ..." Shikamaru replied lazily.

"From Team Kurenai we have Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru, as well as Shino Aburame."

"Oi." Kiba replied unenthusiastically and Akamaru remained silent.

"Moving on, we have Lee and Neji from Team Gai."

"I Rock Lee, Konoha's Handsome Green Beast, will protect everyone in my spring-time of youth!" And the over-enthusiastic Lee leapt to his feet, much to Neji's disgust.

"Lee, sit down," Neji sighed.

"But ..."

"Sit." And with a sigh, Lee sat back down.

"Thanks Neji."

"Don't mention it," Neji replied solemnly.

"Well, he could certainly do with a few laughs ..." Fred and George muttered under their breaths.

Hotaru smiled slightly, she could just imagine Fred and George trying to trick Neji. She'd end up having to explain to Dumbledore how the Weasley twins ended up in the hospital wing. And then she cleared her throat, "moving on we have Jiraiya-sama. He's one of the Legendary San-Nin ..."

"And a perv ..." Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Naruto-kun, I'm not a perv ..." Jiraiya replied matter-of-factly. "I research beautiful women for my books ... That's all ..."

"Your pervy books ..." Sakura added softly.

Jiraiya hesitated a moment and then sighed. "I can't win."

"Nope, you can't Ero-Sennin." Hotaru replied with a slight smile.

"Not you too?" Jiraiya replied in despair.

"Hai!" Hotaru replied cheerfully.

"Uh, Hotaru?"

Hotaru frowned slightly and turned to face Hermione, "something wrong?"

"What does Ero-Sennin mean?"

"Pervy Sage." Naruto replied simply.

"Oh ..."

And then Hotaru cleared her throat. "Anyway, let's move on. Last, but not least we have my little brother, Sasuke."

Harry, Ron and Hermione immediately turned to face Sasuke, who was sat with his arms folded and his eyes closed. Harry, Ron and Hermione had always wanted to meet Sasuke, but now that they had met him, what would they think of him? Hotaru watched nervously as the Hogwarts trio studied her little brother and then Hermione spoke.

"Well, he'll certainly get a lot of attention from the girls at school. However, he's ... he's not ... he's ... well ... he's ..."

"Oh just spit it out already," Ron sighed.

Hermione glared at Ron and then took a deep breath, "alright, he's paler than I expected ..."

"What are you babbling on about, Hermione?" Ron replied with a slight frown. "He looks like an idiot to me, just like that blonde-haired ninja."

Hotaru and Hermione's eyes widened and all of a sudden, Kakashi and Yamato were trying desperately to hold Sasuke and Naruto back.

"Let me go Yamato-taichou!" Naruto exclaimed. "That teme ... I said let me go!"

"Not until you've settled down, Naruto-kun." Yamato replied simply.

Hotaru sighed, this was going to be a very long year. A few minutes later, however, Sasuke and Naruto had calmed down enough for Kakashi and Yamato to release them. The pair glanced at each other briefly, before folding their arms and returning to their seats. The sky had become darker and the windows steamier, so much so that the lanterns were lit. And then, just as their stomachs were starting to grumble, the lunch trolley came. Hotaru promptly brought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes and shared them out amongst the group.

Morning turned to afternoon and the news that Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the front carriage had reached their school friends. And so, several students looked in on them, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom. Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette, however, some of its magic seemed to be wearing off, but it was still squeaking 'Troy! Mullet! Moran!' however in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way. Neville, who wasn't able to go to the Quidditch World Cup, listened jealously to the other's as they relived the Cup match.

"It sounds as if you had an amazing time," he said miserably.

"We did," Ron beamed. "And look at this, Neville ..."

Ron stood and proceeded to rummage around in his trunk which was located in the luggage rack above the seats. After a minute or so, he pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum. He then slumped back down in his seat.

"Oh wow!" Neville exclaimed enviously, as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand.

"We saw him right up close, as well." Ron replied cheerfully. "We were in the Top Box ..."

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."

Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway, accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's overly-large, overly-stupid bodyguards.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy." Harry said coldly.

However, Malfoy simply ignored Harry. His attention was drawn instead to Pigwidgeon's cage. "Weasley ... what is that?!" Malfoy exclaimed and proceeded to point directly at the sleeve of Ron's dress robes that was dangling from the cage, swaying with the motion of the train; the mouldy lace cuff very obvious. Ron immediately went to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him. He seized the sleeve and pulled.

"Look at this!" Malfoy exclaimed gleefully. "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean ... they were very fashionable in about 1890 ..."

"Eat dung Malfoy ..." However, Malfoy made no attempt to return Ron's dress robes.

"Perhaps I should parade these up and down the train ... What do you think, Weasley?"

Ron, who was now the same colour as his dress robes, went to snatch his robes back from Malfoy, but Malfoy quickly moved out of the way. "Too slow Weasley!" Malfoy teased, while Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.

"Malfoy, if you don't hand my dress robes over, I swear I'll hex you ..." Ron said threateningly.

"Wow, I'm scared Weasley." And Crabbe and Goyle's laughing increased. Malfoy smiled malicioiusly at Ron for a moment and then he spoke. "Go on then Weasley." Malfoy jeered. "I dare you ..."

However, before Ron could draw his wand, Hotaru had interfered. "I suggest you give Ron his dress robes back, Malfoy." She said icily.

Malfoy's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. "It's ... It's ... It's you."

"Wow, you're observant today, aren't you?" Hotaru replied coldly.

"What ... what are you doing here?" Malfoy asked, his tone of voice conveying his fear.

"Why, did you miss me, Malfoy?"

"Why would I miss something as ugly as you ..."

In the blink of an eye, Malfoy was on the ground, with a kunai pressed against his pale neck.

"I'd take that back, if I were you."

Hotaru's eyes widened slightly. It wasn't Naruto, or Kakashi, or Jiraiya-sama who was kneeling on Malfoy, it was in fact Sasuke.

"Malfoy!" Crabbe and Goyle exclaimed stupidly, however, Sai appeared menacingly in front of them, a kunai in his hand.

"Don't interfere," Hotaru's ANBU Roots subordinate replied coldly.

Malfoy, if it were possible, looked paler than usual. His whole body was shaking as he desperately struggled to free himself. However, Sasuke was just too strong for him.

"Let go of me!" Malfoy exclaimed.

"I don't think so." Sasuke replied coldly.

"And why not?" Malfoy replied bitterly through clenched teeth. "I don't remember offending you ... oh I get it, you have a crush on Hotaru, don't you?"

"No, she's my sister," Sasuke replied coldly.

"She's ... your ... sister?" Malfoy replied slowly, his eyes wide.

"Uh huh, and if you ever speak to her like that again, you'll be dead faster than you can blink."

Malfoy swallowed hard, "I ... I'm ... I'm sorry."

Sasuke hesitated a moment and then removed his kunai from Malfoy's neck before releasing Malfoy.

Malfoy quickly got to his feet and brushed himself off. "Are you ok, Draco?" Crabbe and Goyle intoned stupidly at the same time.

"Of course I am!" Malfoy snapped. "Let's just get out of here." Without another word, Malfoy turned and was about to leave when a thought came to him. "So ... Going to enter, Weasley?" Malfoy asked mysteriously, his back turned to them. "Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know? You'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won ..."

"What are you talking about," Ron snapped.

Malfoy turned, all memory of what had transpired a few moments ago, forgotten. "Are you going to enter?" Malfoy repeated simply. "I suppose you will, Potter. You never miss a chance to show off, do you?

"Oh just tell us what you're going on about, Malfoy." Ron replied angrily. "Or else get out of here."

A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face. "Don't tell me you don't know?" He replied delightedly. "You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago! He heard it from Cornelius Fudge himself. But then again, father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry. Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weaslety. Yes, they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him ..." And laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle and they promptly left the carriage.

Ron stormed over to the door, and slammed it shut so hard that the glass shattered.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped, and she pulled out her wand, muttered 'Reparo!', and the glass shards flew back into a single pane, and back into the door.

"Well ... making it look like he knows everything and we don't." Ron snarled. "Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry ... Dad could've go promotion any time ... he just likes it where he is."

"We know your dad likes it where he is." Hotaru replied quietly. "But you shouldn't let Malfoy get you so worked up. Getting angry and slamming doors isn't going to do anything."

"I'm not worked up!" Ron exclaimed, however, he promptly picked up his last Cauldron Cake and squashed it.

Ron's bad mood, however, did not subside and for the rest of the journey, they sat in silence, because if anyone spoke, including Harry and Hermione, Ron snapped at them. And when they changed into their school robes, he muttered irritably under his breath. He was still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last, and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station.

"About time," Ron grumbled and Hotaru couldn't help but smile. However, as the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder and Hotaru, startled, grabbed hold of Ron's arm. "Hotaru ..." Ron asked frowning slightly. "What are you doing?"

Hotaru, blushing slightly, released Ron's arm. "No ... Nothing ..." However, at that moment there was a flash of lightening and Hotaru flung her arms around Ron and buried her head into his chest. Startled, Ron hesitated a moment and then gently, almost protectively, embraced her.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of thunder and lightening?" He asked softly.

"I know, silly isn't it?" Hotaru sighed.

Ron hesitated a moment and then smiled slightly, "it is a little bit silly, considering the fact that you'll stand up to You-Know-Who no problem."

Hotaru turned a brighter shade of red, "but I can't help it if I'm afraid of thunder and lightening."

Ron smiled slightly, "I know you can't help it. I mean, I can't help being scared of spiders."

Hotaru hesitated a moment and then wiggled out of Ron's embrace. "But, I shouldn't be scared of thunder and lightening. It's a real pain when I'm camping outside and it starts."

"It's ok to be afraid of something Hotaru-senpai," Sai added, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I read that if a woman is afraid of something it can make them more adorable because they depend on you for support."

Hotaru blushing frowned slightly, "what on earth have you been reading, Sai-kun?"

"A book Kakashi-sensei leant me."

Hotaru immediately turned to glare at Kakashi, however, the Jounin had disappeared. "Kakashi-sensei ..." Hotaru growled under her breath. "Just you wait ..."

Jiraiya sighed, "I wouldn't want to be Kakashi-san right now." The San-nin muttered under his breath.

"Me neither," Naruto replied just as softly.

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Ok, a big thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far! Especially White Rose Of Oddity!! Please keep reviewing and again I apologise for not updating this story for months! And please tell me if the plotline has wandered!! I'll try and get it back on track!! And please tell me if the story itself needs editing!!