Lost Chapter 20

Minato appeared on his back porch with a thunderous crack and landed heavily. International apparition was always difficult and loud.

Swiftly and quietly, he disabled the locks on the back door and stepped into his silent house. Walking through the house, Minato checked for any differences, any movement.

The only difference he had found was the box full of mail that was in front of his door. It contained all the mail from the last week. At the top were two letters made entirely of parchment.

He opened the first one and his heart nearly stopped.

There were lights on on the other side of his eyelids. And he was laying in what was most likely a bed.

The lights were very bright. Too bright. He was not ready to wake up yet.

"Why isn't he waking up yet Dad?" Naruto looked at his brother sleeping on the bed in the Hospital Wing. His dad was sitting on the other side of the bed.

Harry was very pale, almost ghost-like. It had been nearly a week since he had been found at the end of those traps that Dumbledore had disabled. Harry had already been missing for two days.

Then their dad had shown up, nearly out of his mind with worry.

Harry had been lucky to survive. They still weren't sure when he would wake up.

"Is he up yet?" Neville entered the Hospital wing and went straight to Harry's bed. He had been very angry at himself when Harry went missing. He had been the last person to see Harry.

"No, not yet." Neville sat down with a FLUMP in the chair next to Naruto.

"Hermione is worried too." They had revealed the existence of Hermione to the Headmaster when they had discovered that Harry had disappeared, she had been the one to find him.

"Tell me how you met her again?" Minato was extremely curious about this ghost friend of theirs, especially since Naruto was terrified of ghosts. Neville sighed, he had been repeating this story over and over.

"-we were waiting in the bushes until Harry and Naruto came out. That's how they met." Harry opened his eyes with a grimace.

"You forgot that we nearly skewered you." Everybody sitting around him almost fell over.

"Harry!" Harry winced as they all yelled.

"That's m'name." His voice was very weak. "Where's my glasses?" A set of hands pushed them onto his face.

"Hey Dad." Harry smiled weakly as he saw his dad sitting to his left, Naruto and Neville to his right.

"It's nice to see you awake Harry. Your grandfather says hello as well." They referred to the Sandaime Hokage as their grandfather.

"Tell Jiji that I said hi back." Minato smiled. Harry was fine.

"How long have I been out?" Harry took a drink from the glass of water on his bedside table. It was also piled with gifts.

"Nearly a week my boy." Everyone looked up as Professor Dumbledore entered the wing.

"Hmm. Longer than I thought." Minato shook his head. Only Harry would think that being out for a week was not that important.

"So, did I miss the exams?" Minato snorted as the Headmaster looked startled at the sudden change in conversation.

"Only you Harry." Naruto shook his head in mock disappointment as Neville tried to stifle a laugh.

"Wha-at? I am a Ravenclaw after all." By now, Dumbledore had recovered and tried to take control of the conversation again.

"Yes, you missed your exams, but we can schedule a time during the summer for you to make them up. I'm sure-" Minato cut him off.

"Actually, Albus, my sons and I won't even be in the country for most of the summer. These plans have been in place for several years now." Dumbledore tried to hide his anger at being completely rerouted. Minato had never been one of his favorites.

"May I enquire where you are going? You are, after all, taking our country's most famous person with you." Minato's eyes went icy cold and both Naruto and Harry shivered.

"I don't have to tell you anything. They are my sons. Not pawns in whatever scheme you are making. Harry will take his exams during the first week of summer break. After that, we're gone." Dumbledore fumed. Minato had again shut down his plans.

"Fine. Harry, your exams will start the day after Madame Pomfrey releases you. Good Luck." With that, Dumbledore turned and left.

"So, you guys won't be here all summer?" Neville was disappointed. His only friends wouldn't be in the country for him to visit.

"Sorry Nev, we planned to tell you tomorrow. Dad's had us down for the chunin exams this summer since we were 6 or 7." Neville nodded in understanding.

"Can I come too?" Minato raised his eyebrows.

"Harry? Care to explain?" Harry took a deep breath and told his father all about Neville's training and how he and Naruto had basically formed a team with him.

"Alright. While I can't say that I approve, I guess Neville can be your third member. If- and only if- his grandmother approves him coming." Neville paled and Harry thought he would vanish.

"Neville. You have the week after you get home to convince your grandmother to allow you to come." Neville nodded.

"I won't let them down sir!" Minato's eyebrows raised again and a faint smile came to his lips.

"Good, good." He looked at his watch, a present from the third.

"I've got to go now, paperwork and stuff to do. See you boys tomorrow." Minato stood and walked down to the doors.

"Oh, and Harry," A vicious grin appeared on Minato's face, "don't forget that I control your training." Harry groaned and flopped back into his pillows while Naruto smirked.

"You know, normally it's me that gets the punishment training." Harry swiped at his brother who danced out of his reach.

"Don't even start…"

Harry groaned as he put his head down on his desk. He had just finished his charms essay and all that was left to do was the practical. It was finally his last day of exams. They had all been rather easy, and afterwards he would get to talk to Hermione a lot. She was sad that they would all be gone for the summer, but expressed a small amount of excitement when she heard the plans for their summer.

"Are you finished Harry?" Professor Flitwick stopped at the front of his desk and Harry sat up.

"Yes sir." Flitwick floated to essay over to his desk and stood up on a stool to watch Harry better.

"So, all I have to do is make this pineapple," he pointed to the fruit at the end of his desk, "dance?" Flitwick laughed.

"Yes Harry. All you have to do is make it dance." Harry nodded and pulled out his new wand. As Quirrell had snapped his other wand, Minato had taken Harry and they had gone and gotten a new one. This one was cherrywood with a core of ink and a piece of fur from one of the giant tigers in Konoha. The ink apparently helped stabilize the fur much better than any other liquid. Harry didn't particularly care what was in it as long as it worked for him.

He flicked his wand in the proper motions and the pineapple developed thin legs and arms. Out of nowhere, music began playing and the pineapple began doing the macarena.

"Oh… That's wonderful… Harry." Flitwick had burst out laughing and had fallen from his stool the moment the music had started.

"Did I pass?" Flitwick stood up again, tears still streaming from his eyes.

"You definitely did. You definitely did." The watched as the pineapple tried to dance off the desk before Harry ended the spell.

"Thanks Professor, I'll see you next year." Harry gave a cheeky salute and left the classroom. His father and brother were waiting in the tower they had found earlier in the year.

"Hey Dad!" Harry almost leapt from the floating platform as it sunk down to the bottom.

"Hey Harry!" Minato caught the flying kid before he could get hurt.

"How'd you do?" Minato and Naruto had been in the tower since term ended, neither of them had really left, they had just given the illusion that they had.

"I passed. Made it do the macarena."Minato burst out laughing and ruffled Harry's hair.

Another burst of laughter startled them. James and Godric were both trying and failing to not laugh. Lily was glaring at James.

"Good job Harry. I'm so proud of you." Harry smiled at his mum while Naruto gave a much sadder smile.

"So, you're all leaving in a few days?" Minato rubbed the back of his head nervously as Helga addressed them

"Yes. I'm taking the boys to Konoha to take their exams." Lily frowned.

"Are you sure that they're ready?" Minato studied the back of his hand.

"Actually, no." Harry and Naruto whipped around and stared at their dad.

"The only reason I am letting them try at this time is because the exams are in Konoha. If it were anyone else, I would make them wait a few years." Godric nodded solemnly.

"Besides, I have a full month and several time-compression seals on my home that I can activate. They are going to hate me." Salazar grinned as the two boys winced.

"I can't believe you managed to convince your gran to let you come." Harry mused as he, Neville, and Naruto followed Minato through the trees towards Konoha. As none of the three were actually registered yet (Minato had only started the paperwork, they needed to finish it themselves), they had to go the long way.

"I can't either. I honestly thought it would take a lot more work than it did." Minato smiled as he ran ahead of his charges. He was wearing the normal shinobi gear he had been wearing since he had started returning to Konoha.

The three kids chatted for a while longer before Minato signaled for them to slow down. They were approaching the great gates of Konoha.

"Hello Izumo, Kotetsu." Minato greeted the Perpetual Gate guards as he stopped.

"Hello Arashi. Who's the kids?" Minato smirked as the guards studied the kids standing in a formation behind him.

"My genin team. Naruto, Hari, and Nev." He had changed Harry's name so that it was easier to say in Japanese, while he had shortened Neville's. Naruto's was already Japanese.

"Naruto?" Minato shook his head, indicating that they shouldn't ask.

"Are we able to go in?" Izumo blinked while Kotetsu shrugged.

"I suppose. You are registering them as a Konoha team, right?" Minato smirked.

"Of course. Is there any way I would do anything else?" Izumo blinked again.

"Go through Arashi. Izumo's not doing his job properly." Kotetsu smirked as Izumo protested.

"Come on boys." Minato led his charges through the gates and through Konoha. They were headed to the Hokage tower.

"Hello Jiji." Naruto and Harry greeted the Hokage as their family while Neville just looked somewhat lost.

"Hello Naruto, Harry, Minato. Who is this third young man on your team, Minato?" Naruto nudged Neville while Harry translated what the Hokage had said.

"Neville." Neville introduced himself with only his name.

"He doesn't speak Japanese yet, Hokage-sama." With a simple change in how he was addressed, both Naruto and Harry snapped to attention with Neville copying them only moments later.

"I see." The Hokage reached for a sheaf of paperwork on the left side of his desk and handed it to Minato.

"So, he is the third on your team. How do you plan on getting them all up to par?" Minato grimaced slightly as he sealed away the paperwork.

"Time-compression. I've had this planned for months. The addition of Neville has only caused me to need to add a few more months." The Hokage looked at the three kids standing in front of him. All three of them were eleven, with Neville and Harry almost twelve. They had no idea about what Minato was going to put them through.

'Those poor, poor fools.'

"Urgh." Naruto flopped on the floor, exhausted. Neville had done the exact same thing over and hour ago, with Harry lasting only ten minutes longer.

"You all did really well this time." Neville finally had enough strength to pull his head up and glare at his new sensei.

"Yes, I know that I am evil." Neville groaned. Harry sighed and attempted to sit up. Keyword: attempted.

"Ugh. I think you overdid it Dad." Minato helped Naruto up before turning to Neville and Harry.

"Maybe just a little. But, you've got to admit that in the three weeks we've been in here, you've all improved greatly." Neville grinned weakly and took the glass of water that Minato offered to him.

"I don't regret it though." Harry smiled and took a deep drink of his own water.

"That's the spirit Nev!" Naruto cheered and Neville stared at him.

"How the hell do you have so much energy!" Harry sighed and stood up.

"He's always been like this Nev. Eventually you get used to it." Neville blinked.

"Round two I suppose?" He sighed and stood.

"But of course, would you expect anything less from our dear sensei?" Their dad had insisted on them calling him sensei while he was training them.

"Speaking of Dad, where is he?" Neville and Harry sat up faster than anyone would suspect as they all searched the room for Minato.

"Lunchtime!" Harry and Naruto barely flinched while Neville squawked in surprise at Minato appearing in the middle of them.

"Have I told you that I hate you sometimes?" Harry smiled as he took a sandwich.

"Everyday, Nev. Everyday."