Hogwarts Express
September 1, 1986
Narrator: Shippo, Iruka Umino, and Naruto 'Tao' Uzumaki
Iruka
"Where are we?" He wonders as he looks from Anko and then to Shizune. Anko snorts by moves to look out the window.
"Since when do trunks not only float in the air but follow people?" Anko asks and he moves to take a peek out of said window. "Are those dresses?" He wonders as he notes at the fashion statement being made by of those with flying trunks.
"I don't believe we have our ninja tools or headbands." Shizune says and within seconds, he's patting himself down. They each find a stick, each made from different kinds of wood, each in their pockets but nothing beyond that.
"This thing doesn't even have a valid point to it!" Anko says in disgust as she tosses it to the seat across from her. "I won't toss it way, it might be something important to our mission." He says as he tosses it back to the purple haired girl.
The sound of something moving causes them to tense up and to reach for a weapon as the door opens and standing before them is a very familiar face. "Iruka? Is that you?" Naruto asks with wide eyes and clearly not believing what's before him.
"Tao, you know them?" A pink haired teen asks as she suddenly appears at his shoulder, looking into their compartment. "Well, yea, only they're grown ups back home." The bewhiskered youth answers before moving more into the compartment.
"This is Yachiru by the way." Naruto introduces the other teen. "Yachiru, this was my academe instructor Iruka. The one with the tench coat is Anko and finally, Shizune."
"I wonder if Kenny's going to be this small when he arrives." Yachiru wonders as a pair of floating trunks arrive behind the two. He watches as Naruto and Yachiru both take out two sticks and with a flick, the trunks fly onto the overhanging racks.
"Anyway, Yachiru and I will show up later, right now we've got Perfect duties to attend to." Naruto says and then pauses at the door, "If a red head shows up, that's Kurama, he's just another who's been assigned to this assignment too."
"I say Kasumi will show up first. After all, she is the one with the movie equipment." Yachiru says as she follows after Naruto. The door shuts, leaving them very much alone and even more confused.
He turns to gaze down at the stick in his hand and then begins to turn it over a few times, trying to figure out how to activate it after seeing those two's demonstration. "Where's the one switch for this thing?" Anko demands.
Then with a particularly hard flick of the stick, something slices into the cloth of the seat across from her. "All you had to do was focus chakra into it?" Shizune asks as he bends down to examine the thing scratch on the seat.
Just before they can give that a try, the door is open by a younger looking teen with bright red hair. "Kurama?" Shizune asks after a few seconds. The red head's eyes flicker up at the racks before nodding.
"Naruto and Yachiru been here then?" Kurama asks and they nod as the boy comes more into the compartment. "I'm Yukina." The girl standing behind Kurama says with a smile, one that oddly enough, put him at ease.
"I'm Iruka and these two are Anko and Shizune." He says, introducing the two girls and himself. "Oh! You were Naruto's academe teacher! It's a pleasure to met someone who Naruto holds in high regards." Yukina says and he couldn't help but flush.
Once more the two are trailed by two flying trunks and they were sent flying up onto the racks with minor flicks of their owner's wands. Once the door is shut, Kurama keeps his stick out and mutters softly under his breath as different kinds of energy are sent flying about the room, by the time the red head finishes, the space seems to have grown.
"How did you do that?" Shizune asks and Kurama smiles in an ironic sort of way. "By magic. You'll get a chance to learn these spells and others at Hogwarts, after all, you're just been enrolled simply by being on this train."
"Just how many others are there on this 'assignment' so far?" He asks after glancing at the other two.
"Let's see, Naruto arrived first, next came Yachiru, Kasumi, then Yukina and myself. Finally Kagome and Shippo arrive just last year. Seven last year, ten this year." Kurama states and then the door opens to reveal a sandy haired kid with noticeable pointed ears and a girl with black hair with a tint of blue to it.
"My ears were burning, you weren't just talking about us now were you?" The sandy haired kid asks with a mischievous grin. "This is Shippo and Kagome." Yukina pipes in as the pair enters into the room.
"Kasumi got dragged away by Bill and Charlie to met their family. But I expect she'll be here soon enough with those two in toe." Kagome says as she brushes her bangs to the side of her face before they walk into the room.
It came as no surprise to him when another pair of flying trunks enter behind those two and were sent up on the overhanging racks. The two take seats across from each other.
"These are Anko, Iruka, and Shizune." Kurama tells the two arrivals. "Really?" The two say and they turn to regard them. Just what has Naruto been telling these people?
"Do you really summon snakes?" Shippo asks Anko and Anko smirks. "Yea, yea I do."
"Just how big do these snakes get?" Kagome asks and from the others, he gets the feeling that there's an underlying reason why they're asking. "Large enough to attack a town." Anko says before narrowing her eyes, "Why do you want to know?"
"Well, we've hear that you're snakes talk, like in a language you can understand..." Yukina says and Kagome seems to pick it up, "You see, we've got this ancient basilisk who we want to talk with. And you see, in this world there are people who are capable to speaking to snakes."
"They call it tongue Parseltongue and those that are born being capable of speaking it, Parselmouths." Shippo adds. He's not sure why this is important but decides to remain silent as Anko asks, "And why are you interested in this ability?"
The older student all share looks before Kurama explains, "Naruto think that Onyx is a touch insane because of living in solitary confinement and we're not sure if we agree with that assessment, which is why we'd like for you to summon a serpent and see if your snakes can speak Parseltongue and finally communicate with her."
"We also want to try and get more then a few potions into her to get her healthy." Yukina adds. "All this for a snake?" Anko asks and they all look bemused.
"Well, we've wouldn't mind getting her permission to gather up blood samples, milk her for her venom, and maybe get a few scrapings from around her eyes. All without having to worry about such things containing a taint of being forcibly taken from her." Kurama explains.
"Just what's so special about this snake?" Shizune asks and Shippo replies, "Well, for one thing, just a quick look into her eyes alone can kill you instantly. Of course we've rediscovered an ancient charm used to neglect that ability of hers."
He couldn't help but stare, not sure if they're kidding or not about this so call Gaze of Instant Death. "We're not kidding about that, less then fifty years ago we know that somebody awoke her and that during that year, Onyx killed this one girl; who to this day, haunts the main entrance to the very place where this snake is resting." Kurama states.
As they thought about this, the door opens and a much older teen, not as old as Naruto or Yachiru, is revealed. "Sorry I'm late but Ginny tried to keep Gin." Kasumi, he believes, admits as a silver canine with odd tattoos peers from behind the girl.
"Gin, if you please." Kasumi asks once the door is closed and the others begin to get up off their seats. He mimics this action, though he's a bit confused as to why. "Thank you Gin."
"Welcome!" A voice chirps in reply while his view is block but it wasn't long before the room seems to adjust to so many people standing that he finally manages to see a trunk. Kurama takes out his stick and within seconds the who room expands so much that he can barely see the side seats.
Next Kagome takes out her stick and the far part of the room behind him suddenly sports a white sheet, one that you find in a movie theater. Shippo then takes out his stick and he soon finds that he's standing not too far from the edge of a step.
Yukina takes out her stick and within seconds a set of miniature furniture, comfortable looking chairs and couches moves by the closest step and then with another flicker, the furniture not only enlarges but duplicates itself all over the larger steps, leaving the smaller steps alone.
His attention is turned to find Anko and Shizune on either sides of Kasumi as she slowly brings out a collection of tins. "We're going to watch a movie?" He asks curiously, trying to grab onto something before he faints from this bizarre scene he just experienced.
"Or three." Kasumi muses while Anko picks up one of the tins while Kasumi enlarges a projector. "Death Wish 3?" Anko muses while Shizune counters, "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor? The Last Dragon?"
"Might want to put aside the Ewok one." Kagome says. "How does Logan's Run sound to you guys?" Kasumi asks once she's finished with the projector.
"Sounds perfect." Kurama says and Shippo adds, "Then we can show that Ewok one to help them wine down."
He shouldn't help but shake his head as Kagome takes a small tin and heads for the door, leaving Kasumi to close her trunk after enlarging the two film tins and handing them to Yukina to thread them into the projector.
"Just how many films does this work make in a year?" Anko asks and the group just seems to pause to look bemused at the question. "Let's just say that there's live action films like Logan's Run and then there are animated films like the Ewok one. They both take different amounts of time to produce." Kasumi says.
"That reminds me, are we going to be showing Naruto's film this year? I know it's scheduled to be released this October." Kagome asks.
"Naruto made a movie?" Anko asks with a hint of disbelief. "It's more that he pulled a prank but made sure to record it. The 'real' acting and filming came during the first two weeks of summer, using miniatures to develop a story line to what he recorded." Kasumi explains as they head to the first large step to take up seat on that bunch of furniture.
He couldn't help but sigh at the mention of the word 'rank'. "I thought he grew out of that phase..." He murmurs to himself.
"Don't be too hard on Naruto for it. It's gotten to be a kind of tradition for a prank to happen during Halloween. Though the end of the year prank is the one who's theme hasn't really altered." Shippo says to him.
"And a lot of these people are just asking for it too." Yukina admits. "Last year's prank had poked at one of the weakness of the school's defenses too. A poke that's hard to ignore at that." Kurama adds as the door opens to admit a group of students ranging in ages.
"Hey Charlie!" Shippo calls out and a red head holds up a hand as the group walks pass their step to take a spot more up front. And so with that, more and more student begin to appear as a whistle sounds out.
By the time the flow of people dies off, the movie finally begins and the lights seem to dim. He's a bit surprise at the fact that the movie is in color but gets over it as time marches on.
"Good movie, eh?" Naruto's voice whispers next to his ear, causing him to jerks but manages to keep from crying out as a chuckle and a giggle sound from a familiar young woman and a much older young man with red hair. "Shhh!" Most of the others hush at them and he just settles for leveling a glare at the blond.
It didn't take long before Naruto and Yachiru to sit down at the far right while the red head only moves down a row.
Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony
Naruto
"Looks like Meanie's had a hard summer." Yachiru muses softly as they wait for their three latest members to be sent to their table. "Bumblebee too, but then, that might be because he didn't get the right treatment after the prank." He adds.
"It's like he doesn't have any hair on his body..." Shippo admits and sure enough, Dumbledore lacks his usual beard and even mane of white hair. "Anything other after effects that weren't given the right treatment?" Kurama asks.
"Dairy produces likely causes him to... well, he'll spend a lot of time on the toilet depending on how much he either drinks or eats." He answers and a few snickers erupt from a few of the others. "His current diet should be a hefty amount of fruit and vegetables, with little meat if he wants to remain healthy. He's body temperature is likely a few degrees colder then normal, so he has to be careful of overheating since at this moment, that is his normal body temperature."
"I also wouldn't be surprise of those spikes try and grow during this coming winter. He should also try not to drink any cool liquids during that season too or else he might get slush for blood." He finishes after he finishes recalling the rest.
"Pretty harsh after effects." Kagome admits and he sighs. "Oddly enough, if he takes a general poison potion every four hours for three weeks, the after effects will vanish and he'll be fine." He tells her and Kagome looks kind of startled.
"That's it? That's the right treatment?" Yukina asks and he shrugs. "That treatment works because its been a month since that prank occurred. If feed a three certain potions within twenty-four hours of said prank, those effects wouldn't have had a chance to kick in. And those potions were a Pepperup potion, that general poison potion, and a powerful bowel potion, and they didn't need to be taken within that order either."
"Why would he need the laxative potion?" Shippo asks. "It gets rid of the last traces of the portion of the prank potion that's still in his body. That's what causes the after effects really." He answers.
"And the general poison potion helps neutralize what's already circulating in his body..." Kagome says, clearly impressed. "And the Pepperup potion to help get rid of the aftereffects of the coldness." Kasumi muses.
Iruka
"Mitarashi, Anko." Professor McGonagall states calmly and Anko moves toward the stool with a slight swagger to her walk. "She does know we're only eleven, right?" He asks Shizune, who shrugs in reply.
About two minutes after Anko has the hat on her head, it finally states, "Kirin!" Anko takes off the hat and stalks off towards the smallest student table of the hall, the same one where Naruto and the others are sitting at.
"The house name is Kirin? Really, Kirin?" He wonders out loud as the next student walks up to the stool after the old lady calls out their name.
Finally the crowd is thinned, leaving Shizune and himself. "Umino, Iruka." With a blink, he walks up to the stool, not sure what to expect from the strange enchanted item.
"Such a sharp mind. A very fine teacher you are, too bad that none of the staff have your ability. And don't beat yourself up too much when it comes to Naruto, you just arrived too late to fix the damage done by his previous instructors at that academe of yours." The hat informs him and he sighs in a defeated sort of way.
"I almost wish you hadn't confirmed that." He admits privately to the hat. "He's been more then able to confound the headmaster more then once. His last prank was quite brilliant. Albus was very much alive despite the fact that he was only a icy, moving skeleton."
"Kirin!" The hat says before he can ask for more details. Try as he might, the hat doesn't reply for the next few seconds, so he's finally forced to take it off before he gets up to walk to table he's expected to sit at.
A chair appears as he arrives and he sits down in it. "Shizune." The professor calls out and he turns to watch Shizune walk up to the stool and put the hat on.
"What kind of prank causes a person to become an icy, moving skeleton?" He asks after the hat calls out, "Kirin!"
"Could we talk about that when we're at the dorms?" Kurama asks as the red head teen glances at the old bald man wearing some colorful robes. "Sounds like a interesting story." Anko muses while he glances at Naruto with a raised eyebrow.
"A few final announcements before we tucker into our feeding trenches..." The bald man says while Professor McGonagall moves to put the stool and hat away.
Kirin Common Room
Shippo
"How did you not manage to kill him?!" Shizune demands after hearing about the Farewell Feast prank. He feel like shrinking away from her and she's just four feet away from where he's sitting.
"I managed to put a soul stabilizer rune scheme on his chair seat and a soul binder scheme on the back of his chair." Naruto answers with only a slight wince. "Well, that explains why he didn't die..." Kurama muses thoughtfully.
"Anyway, Naruto, I need your help with my Animagus training. I don't suppose you have another series of steps I can go through then the three the UK has?" Kasumi asks while Shizune seems to be trying to figure out what exactly a rune scheme is.
"I think know the one, it's the same one I used since the others kept trying to pin a fox form on me." Naruto admits and he couldn't help but perk up at that. "How many tails?" He asks and Naruto gives gives him a bemused look.
"None, and I really do mean that they kept appearing tailless, no matter what kind of fox showed up." The blond says and he snickers while his fellow Yoko has a slight smile.
"What animal did you end up with, brat?" Anko asks and Naruto answers, "If you must know, I'm a raven Animagus. As in the one of the largest corvids which is also known as Corvus Corax."
"Well, you are a natural wind user." Shizune says though she seems to be frowning. "You think you'll take a fox as your second form, Tao?" Yachiru asks before adding, "Hey! Maybe I should join you when you help Kasumi! I wonder what I'll transform into?"
"I'm betting into some kind of weasel." He says with a sly grin while Yachiru huffs at him with her arms are crossed over her chest. He feels Kagome give him a slight push in the shoulder, though she is sporting a warm smile.
"Maybe some members of this house should attend this training." Yukina muses and he's not the only one giving the ice maiden a look. "I agree, it might come in handy considering that we need really can't afford to be caught doing, well, in anything." Kurama says.
"Not all of us can be demons, Kurama." Kasumi agrees and that causes the three newest members of the house to freeze. "I'm a Yoko, so is Kurama, and Yukina is an ice maiden." He says, breaking the thick tension, which causes the three to stare between them.
"Naruto can technically be a half-breed." Kagome points out. "I guess we should add that I'm a Shinigami and Kagome is a priestess." Yachiru states in a matter of fact way.
The three just stared at Yachiru with wide eyes and their mouths moving but not saying anything. "I think we overloaded them. We should have waited until Christmas to tell them that." Kasumi admits with a sigh.
"Maybe we should come up with profiles for each member of our house?" He muses and the rest hum before Naruto stretches.
"Well, I say we move this discussion to the pool." Naruto says as he gets up. "I second that." Yukina says as she follows suit.
Being closer to the three, Kurama and Kasumi nudge the three and get them to follow them. He's more then a bit eager to relax in the artificial hot spring that the House Elves created because Naruto requested it.
September 6, 1986
Iruka
"Thanks for inviting my brother and I for this, Yachiru." Bill says as they wait for Naruto to finish walking and double back by this section of the wall. "More the merrier, Crimson!" Yachiru says.
"We'll keep it a secret, after all, a lot of people have access to the Animagus registration as it is." Bill says. "Especially since most of the Death Eaters got away." Charlie adds.
"I'll never know why your government never questioned them under that truth potion. Sure, torturing people for information has its thrills but you can get conditioning for it too." Anko says and he nudges her in the ribs while Shizune hisses at her.
Both Bill and Charlie look startled and Charlie asks, "And you'd know this... how?" Anko is saved from answering from Naruto whistling for them to come. Naruto holds the door open as they enter into the room often called the Come and Go room.
"Why aren't Kurama, Shippo, and Yukina here?" Bill asks as Naruto moves put a large, heavy wooden beam onto the back of the door. Yachiru moves forward to this table to open this box, without the lip covering it, he finds something that looks like a toy tower with a glowing sphere hovering at the top.
"What's this?" Bill asks as the older Gryffindor bends down to get a closer look. "A portable warding device that Tao is thinking about selling to parents of muggleborns." Yachiru says proudly and he glances over at Naruto, finding it hard to connect the lonely prankster student with this young man who seems to be the leader of this odd group.
"Really? How did you manage to make it without a ward stone?" Bill asks as soon as Naruto moves to the table.
"Well, first off, I've gotten around to making my own warding stones. But for now, let's turn to the task we're here for. And yes, we are missing three of our number but they're currently managing our film club for today. I already arranged with Pocky to get lunch sent up here as well as our supper so that when we're done for the day, we can go directly to the theater." Naruto says as the teen picks up an incense burner off the table.
Naruto walks towards a circle and puts the incense burner at the center of the circle. Without a word or the use of a wand, the burner begins to smoke as they move to stand just outside of the circle. It's then that he spots out lines of skulls resting on the other walls of the room.
"Those weren't there before..." Kagome says and as he turns to look at Naruto, he jerks slightly at the image of a raven resting on Naruto's head. The bird looks more solid then the skulls but it also seem to have the same white outline that the skulls have.
"You have a..." Charlie trails off while Naruto just smiles slightly. "Be glad its not wrapped around me or else I would look like a humanoid raven." The blond says in a dry tone.
"Huh?" Charlie says and Naruto waves that away. "If one of is lucky today, you'll see it for yourself before lunch or supper." The blond says before motioning for them to take seats around the circle.
They spread out, though both Bill and Charlie look a bit unnerved by the strange skulls. Not that you can blame them. He admits as he tries to ignore the fact that the hairs on the back of his neck were perking up.
"Where did those skulls come from?" Yachiru asks curiously. "The best way to explain them are that they're the makings of this Animagus training. As you meditate or find yourself dozing off, some of those skulls will find their way into your mind and what happens after that is that which ever skull you 'feed' will become your Animagus form."
"That's kind of creepy..." Kagome admits while Naruto just sighs. "This is a very primitive way to get a form but it also allows you to pick in a way. How else would I end up with a bird through this instead of a fox?" Naruto admits as he moves to the only chair and picks up a drum.
With a sigh, he sits cross legged and as Naruto begins to gently beat the thin drum, he began the steps that he had been taught to enter into his mediation state on him.
Naruto
It's so much different to witness this then to experience it. He muses to himself as he watches as various skull seem to flirt between the various people resting in the circle. He wasn't all that surprise to see that Yachiru had fallen asleep, as had the two Weasley brothers.
Most of the others seem to have entered into their meditative states as he continues to beat the drum at a smoothing rhythm. There were times went instead of a human hand clutching the drum and drumstick, there were scale like forearms with talon 'fingers'. Slowly some of the skulls finally vanish from the collection as well as a few of them stop flirting about the various people within the circle.
Those skulls look more like shaped mists then ghostly outlines floating in the air. It's too soon to really made head or tails of which skull belongs to which animal, although he did take note of the few bird and lizard shapes that remain, though the mammalian types were the most popular.
It didn't surprise him much to see that the collection of skulls around Kasumi were thinning out faster while a select few were growing more 'solid'. She has tried other methods to become an Animagus. So she does have a species she hoped to become. He notices as many of the skulls did look very similar to each other, although they vary in different sizes.
Out of the group only two people still had misty skulls by the time lunch arrives. With a sigh, he stops drumming and the various skulls back away to rest beyond the circle before the others stir.
"Huh? What?" Charlie wonders before a stomach growls. Kasumi looks embarrassed but she wouldn't be the only one as everyone else's stomachs growl.
"Lunch is served." He says as he waves at the huge pot of stew with his right hand. They didn't need any more encouragement as they descend of the pile of empty bowls to fill them, they grab their spoons in as if as an afterthought.
He waits until they've had their second helpings to grab a bowl himself. He's not at all surprise by their ravenous appetite since he, too, had gone through this train and had needed at least four meals, two breakfasts and two lunches, before he had 'feed' his animal enough that it became solid.
By the time they were on their fourth helpings, they had slowed and with their fifth helping, they were full. "I never though that this training could be such hungry work!" Bill says as he pats his mid-section.
"I can't believe I ate so much!" Anko states and he hums softly. "The number of skulls seem to have shrank and some look like they're made of ice." Kagome notes.
"Or mist." Bill agrees before he gets up to put the dirty bowl on the table. It wasn't long before the rest follow his example before they return to sitting within the circle.
He knocks on the table and the dirty dishes and empty pot vanish before he begins to beat that steady rhythm on the drum once more. It takes a few minutes before they've return to their previous states, which is signaled by when the skulls move from their positions by the walls of the room to circle around their chosen.
And by tomorrow night, they'll be done feeding their inner beasts. Then they'll just need to learn how to transform into that beast. He muses as he continues to beat the drum.
October 30, 1986
Iruka
"Just what are these suppose to do?" He asks as he watches as a pair of Naruto's shadow clones sticking to the wall as they place something high up on the walls in the hallway. The clones glance at each other before puffing away just as a group of fifth year Slytherins rounds the corner.
They sneer at him and a few glance around before drawing their spells, likely to attack him. He just sighs as he prepares to counter attack them. "Fifteen points from Slytherin each for bullying a first year." Naruto says calmly as he comes out of a classroom.
"You can't do that!" The larger brute proclaims. "A hundred points from Slytherin for fighting with a Perfect. And ten points from Slytherin for every minute each of you remains in this hallway." Naruto says as he leans on the doorway of the classroom with his arms crossed over his chest.
"You won't get away with this! Just wait until our head of house hears about this." Another shouts and Naruto smirks as he says, "Five hundred points from Slytherin for threatening a Prefect and let me explain why I can take these points. It's because your own head of house uses the same excuses when taking points away from other houses, see?"
Naruto takes out a scroll and with a slight flick of his wrist, the scroll unrolls. "This is the calculation of points and reasons why Snape took them from other houses last year. Oh yea, eight points each from Slytherin for poking your noses into another house's business. And another four points from Slytherin for not being shining examples of your house."
The gang glare at Naruto and it wasn't long before one of them fire off a spell. "Five thousand points from Slytherin per spell you fire at me and at my fellow Kirin and decreed that your house is allowed to grain negative points too because of your idiotic bravery. Then you'll each be serving detention by being living targets for any first year and second year student for the next five months and that you can't even cast spells to defend yourselves or to counter attack them." Naruto states as the spells seem to get absorbed by something before they even reach Naruto.
With a roar the group charges towards Naruto only for Professor McGonagall to storm into this part of the hall and demand, "What in blazes is going on here?" But the group doesn't stop because she showed but because they rammed into something.
"These students challenged my authority as a Prefect, Deputy Headmistress, particularly my right to use the same reasons their househead used last year. Then when they fired off spells, I not only took points away but gave them detention and, well, you saw what happened." Naruto says as he calmly rolls up the scroll and Professor McGonagall looks at him and asks, "Is this true?"
"It is, Professor." He says and now the group has finally realized that they were offically screwed. "To your common room and I double the detention young Mr Uzumaki has given you." Professor McGonagall states in a stormy tone and they pale even more before they turn away and walk off.
"And just what kind of detention are they to serve?" Professor McGonagall asks after she calms down. "Well, seeing as they're about to rough up a weak and unlearned first year, I thought they should know what it's like on the end of the victim."
"Oh?" Professor McGonagall asks and Naruto nods in a solemn fashion. "Yes, I had assigned them to serve as living, moving spell practice targets for first and second years for the next five months without being allowed to cast spells to defend themselves or to counter attack. And all things considered, they should be glad that I didn't include any other year in their detention since I'm sure they'd suffer more so at the end points of a third or fourth year then a first or second year."
Professor McGonagall just blinks before she nods slightly. "While I don't approve of this particular punishment, I can't exactly think of any other punishment to replace it, so I believe it stands." Professor McGonagall says.
"For the next ten months?" He asks dumbly and the professor looks started to see him there before she realizes what he meant. "I did double it, didn't I?" She muses and Naruto nods. "That you did, professor, that you did."
"Now if you excuse me, I believe I shall have to have a word with Professor Snape about this group's behavior in regards for Prefect's authority." The professor says and she heads off in the direction the group took.
"Too bad I won't be there when Snape not only learns that his house has gathered negative points, but the punishment they're to serve. His look will be priceless." Naruto says as he pockets the scroll.
"One would think you have something against authority figures." He remarks as Naruto comes to stand by him.
"Of course I do! It's just that I now have a much more legal way to get back at those bullies with legal authority. Just wait when your a fifth year and you're given this position, after all, you're the only boy in your year so you're bound to be a Perfect." Naruto tells him.
"And its not as if the man isn't a bully..." He admits as Naruto directs them into the room. "Err... why are we going into here?" He asks.
"Well, Kurama's been working on this teleportation platform to speed our way about the castle. The main problem is that they get destroyed within a week's time." Naruto says as he closes the door behind him.
He notices the platform and couldn't help but compare it to a tube or can. "By the way, what are those things your clones are installing?" He asks and Naruto answers, "Well, starting tomorrow morning there's going to be a masquerade. Not only will you not be able to say your own name but nor can you say the names of your house-mates. Also, it forces you to take a descriptive name like 'Archer' or 'MoonSong'."
"So do we have to dress up?" He asks after he arrives in the study hall of the dorms and once Naruto appears. "No, a stylized masked costume will wrap itself around you as you exit out of the common room entrance doors. It's not harmful and I've already got a few teacher to sign permission slips for a dance after supper. The illusion will fade around nine tomorrow night."
"That doesn't sound too bad..." He admits and Naruto smiles slightly. "Well, Kasumi and Yukina wanted a romantic atmosphere this year and the fact that people are expecting horrific only adds to the surprise." Naruto tells him.
"And next year?" He asks and Naruto sighs, "Well, I think I'm going to pass the pranking duty onto someone else next year. I think Shippo's interest as is Kurama."
"Kurama, really?" He asks and Naruto gives him a slight smile. "He doesn't need much of an excuse to snoop around but I'm leaning more on Shippo since he'll be here longer to pursue them." Naruto admits as they exit into the library.
He shakes his head but doesn't really have much of an opinion on the topic. "I don't know why you trust them so much." He admits and Naruto snorts softly.
"Most are more worry that I seem so normal then anything else." Naruto states softly, causing him to pause as Naruto heads out of the library. He couldn't help but blink as he tries to absorb that statement before just shaking his head.
Something which I'm beginning to wonder about as well... He admits, not really use to Naruto being so mature or so willing to 'stick it to the man' in the most brutal way as possible. Or maybe without having to worry about somebody reporting this to the council, he's finally revealing a suppressed and forgotten part of himself...
October 31, 1986
Naruto
He takes a few seconds to study his costume before touching his mask. Must be one of those unicorn templates... He muses as he studies the golden cloths he has on.
He shakes his head and feels his new hair length whip about his back. "I believe I'll call myself Trail." He muses softly as he begins to move away from the entrance, making sure to move out of Su Xia's path as Yachiru comes out into the hallway.
"Hey Su Xia, hey --- wait up! ---?" Yachiru calls out and he turns to find Yachiru dressed up in a fox costume. "You can't say my real name, remember? Just call me Trail!" He calls back and Yachiru nods as she scratches Su Xia behind the ear.
"Well, I guess for now I'm Yoko." Yachiru says with an ironic tone after feeling her mask and then notices the bushy tail. He smiles but the mask hides it as he nods in acknowledgment of her 'name'.
As he waits for Yachiru and Su Xia to catch up, most of the others exit out of the entrance and have their costumes wrapped around them, also keeping them from using their names and those of their house-mates. "Oh my." Kasumi says as she begins to study herself.
Kasumi's a dragon, Kurama's a satyr, Yukina's a swan, and Shizune's a falcon. He muses as the group takes time to glance at their cloth costume before feeling their masks. "I guess ----- was right with this years prank." Kurama says and he could just hear the frown when the Yoko finds himself unable to say Iruka.
"I'm Trail and this is Yoko." He says and Shizune just shakes her head while Kasumi declares, "Well then, I'm Tiamat."
"Call me Snow White." Yukina says while Kurama sighs, "I'm a...?" "Satyr." He says and Kurama says, "Pan I believe."
"GoldenWind." Shizune decides and with a parting way, Yachiru, Su Xia, and himself pick up the pace as they head off to their first classes, leaving those four to deal with the rest of the house.
Shippo
He watches as SwiftRunner, AKA Kagome, dance with a student dressed as a stage, ironically making them appear to be a matching set since Kagome is dressed up as a doe. "Concerned?" GoldenWind, AKA Shizune, asks and he sighs.
"I'm not sure I know how to dance like that." He admits and Shizune sighs. "Neither do we actually, although Trail seems to be managing fairly well." Shizune say and sure enough, Naruto is doing very well as he dances with somebody dressed up as a masked priestess of a 'agan' god or goddess.
"It's not that hard, its all about matching and mirroring your partner's movements." Pan, AKA Kurama, says as he motions to where Sparkle, AKA Anko, is dancing with another fairy.
"I guess we could try it out together, if you don't mind my inexperience?" He says to Shizune as he offers a hand to her. Shizune takes his offering hand and pulls him up off his seat.
Glancing over to a few couples, he tries to mimic their timed movements as well as trying not stepping on Shizune's feet. But slowly he gets the rhythm as well as manages to stop looking either at the other dancers and at his feet. "This is kind of fun, once you get the hang of it." He muses and Shizune nods in agreement.
"The steps are easy to learn once you relax." Shizune agrees. "It's a different pace then what was expected." Shizune muses and he smiles, though the mask hides it.
"Yea, a few of my age group wish that there was a repeat of last year then having this dance and this masquerade." He adds and he feels more then sees Shizune raising an eyebrow at that. "Really? They rather face a group of demons then a dance?"
"Well, they are a bunch of second year boys, you know. They're not into girls yet." He answers and Shizune chuckles at that. "Seems to be very different then where I'm from, Brave."
"But then, a lot of these guys can live to see ninety years of age instead of forty." He points out. "True, but then, these people have a multipurpose tool in their wands, not only can it be use to clean a house and cook, but it can be used to conquer things too." Shizune agrees.
"Which might be why those 'ure-bloods' and some 'half-bloods' don't have any real commonsense, they just expect to solve all of their problems using magic." He remarks.
Shizune doesn't say anything but he could tell that she agrees with his observation. "So... where do you think Trail learnt to play those instruments?" Shizune says after a while as the song changes and they're forced to change their dance pattern to match the song and how the others were dancing.
"I'll wager he had his clones take lessons during the summer months and once they go the basics, began practicing while here at Hogwarts." He muses and Shizune sighs, "He's truly made that technique his own, taking it beyond what anyone expected to use them as. But then, he does have a huge reserve."
"So, how are you coming along with your training?" He asks after a while and Shizune answers, "Doing well, I'm just having some trouble getting the fur to become the right color but that's about it."
"Must have come as a surprise to have a bat as your form." He muses and Shizune sighs.
As a new song is about to begin, a pair of people cut in and soon he's dancing with a fellow shaman, only with what appears to be a rabbit skin hiding her hair then his bear skin. "I'm Singing Bird." She says and it didn't take long before he places voice with face.
"I'm Brave." He says. "So, what do you think of this year's Halloween prank so far, Brave?" Singing Bird asks him.
December 14, 1986
Iruka
"You know, I finally found that girl who received a male color 'Fire-Lizard'. Her preferred name is Tonks and she got a brown one." Naruto says as they all relax in the pool.
"How'd you find that out?" Yukina asks and Naruto smiles lazily as he says, "It seems she came to me in hopes that I can redo the enchantment on it because she wants to experience it again."
"What's a 'Fire-Lizard'?" Anko asks and Kasumi decides to explain, "Well, you've seen that golden plushie I have? Well, for Kurama and Yukina's first year here, Naruto's Halloween prank revolved around similar plushies being sent to all of the students. The thing what that at a certain time, this spell got activated that made the plushies exchange their cloth and stuffing for, well, organic material as well as our minds going into these newly organic plushies."
"It ended at dawn and there wasn't any real harm done." Yukina adds and he blinks as that sounds kind of familiar with the exception of a few things. "The plushies weren't enchanted beyond having those eyes light up in that array of colors." Kurama says.
"Then what caused the exchange to take place?" Anko asks and Kurama grins in an ironic way, "By opening the boxes and taking the plushies, we completed a ritual that was placed on the boxes."
"Last I heard, everyone still has their respected 'dragon' plushies and a few of them are looking for ways to re-experience that night, like Tonks." Naruto admits.
"Did you help her?" Yachiru asks and Naruto chuckles as he sports a bemused smile on his face, "Well, it was either give her a copy of the ritual or have her give her evidence to our 'beloved' headmaster, what do you think? I made sure to impress upon her why not to try and alter anything in the ritual I gave her. Heck, I even had her swear an Unbreakable Vow to that effect after I explain the dangers of messing with it."
"What deadline did you put down for it?" Kasumi asks. "Dawn." Naruto replies and nobody felt like continuing that conversation.
"So... what do we have planned for this Christmas break?" Yachiru asks after a while. "I think we should leave Hogwarts again this year. Snape is on the war path, just waiting for any of us to step out of line while Dumbledore is trying to single us out." Kagome says.
To which Kurama adds, "Although I doubt he has any real evidence to bring forth to expel us or to attempt to blackmail us so that he can control us. I rather no stay in a place without a lot of witnesses to make Dumbledore cautious. We know he has that Elder Wand of legend in his possession and he might want to try and 'defeat' us just on the off chance that one of our number is its new 'master'."
Kurama looks pointly at Naruto who sighs as he looks down into the hot pool then up at them. "He never did really started sniffing around until that end of the year prank." Kasumi admits and Naruto just seems to flush slightly.
"Not that any of us tried to talk you out of it." Yukina admits and Naruto glances at Yukina with a slight tilt to his head. "We were all fairly angry and bitter by that man's actions last year..." Kagome states.
"Actually, I'm pretty sure how he allows Snape such free reign goes to show how double face he is. He's done nothing about him despite the stream of complains that are coming from students, their parents, and even from professor Sprout, although she stopped submitting them the year before." Naruto says with a sigh.
"How would you know?" He asks and Naruto smirks slightly. "It isn't that hard to enter into his office once Clicky gave me this Invisibility cloak Dumbledore has in his possession. And since the cloak doesn't rightfully belong to the man, the House Elves are never force to reported that its gone missing, although they did leave a convincing fake in its place."
"Who does it rightfully belong to?" Yachiru asks and it takes Naruto a few seconds to reply, "To James Potter, which if I recall correctly, means that since his father is dead, that the famous Harry Potter owns it."
"And Harry hasn't given Fruity permission to have it." Yachiru says with a wide grin. Naruto nods in agreement.
"Anyway, back to our previous topic. Where should we go for the upcoming holidays?" Kurama says and he really couldn't say since he didn't particularly care where they go.
"Mexico?" Kasumi offers and Kagome muses, "How about Japan?"
"Jamaica or some place in and around that island?" Naruto states. "I don't really care, just some place tropical will do." Yachiru admits with a wave of her hand and Anko nods in agreement.
"Egypt?" Shippo muses and the older three members of the house smile at that. "Nice place, although Naruto did get an odd reputation there after an encounter with a Nundu." Kasumi tells them and he's not the only one to give Naruto a startled look.
"It was just a staring contest really." The blond protests with a slight flush. "How you manage to remain alive is truly beyond belief, Naruto." Kurama admits as he shakes his head, clearly in disbelief at Naruto's dumb luck.
"They were giving Tao job offers with great perks as well as free stuff in hopes of getting him on board once he graduates from Hogwarts." Yachiru remarks thoughtfully while Naruto just sighs. "I sent it all back with a time delay to keep them from sending it back to me." Naruto adds quickly.
"You're one lucky bastard, brat." Anko states with a snort. "So is there any other reason why Egypt can't be listed?" Yukina asks and Naruto shakes his head.
"How about Disneyland or Disney World?" Yachiru says with her eyes lighting up. "I was kind of hoping we can go either next year." Naruto admits before adding, "I already made the reservation for next year too."
"You don't even now how many of us there will be next year." Shippo points out and Naruto answers, "We're renting a house a few minutes away from Disneyland in Anaheim, California for the first week and another house in Orange Country for the last week of the break."
"That's... very well thought of, but how did you manage to pull it off?" Kasumi asks and Naruto looks bemuses before explaining, "Well, there are people who make a profit renting out houses for the signal purpose of renting them out to people for a weeks time. The renters get a house to sleep in, a bit of security with their stuff, and of course, they don't have to pay per night."
"That sounds like a good deal." He admits even though he hasn't a clue why these places were so popular, especially since Disney is primarily a film company...
Silence descends as they keep company with their own thoughts, for now at least.
Australia
Shippo
"What is that thing?" He asks as he points at this strange rodent that stands about four feet in the air while resting on its long legs. "That's a kangaroo." Kagome tells her before she takes raises her camera to take a picture of it.
The kangaroo then turns to look at them as it scratches its belly with both of its 'hands'. Then it bends down and 'walks' a few feet before beginning to graze on the taller stalks at the new patch. Finally they move onto another spot, though he does glance back to see where Anko, Iruka, and Shizune were since they decided to tag along with them instead of going with Naruto to some artificer.
"So... how goes your practice with your Animagus form?" He asks Kagome and she blinks before glancing at him before answering, "Well, I finally did manage to perfect it four days ago. I'm just not sure how Inu-Yasha and the others will take the fact that I can transform into a magpie, to be specific, an Azure-winged Magpie.
"That's pretty good, Kagome." He tells her and means it since there were still members of their house who's having trouble 'giving up' their human form for that of an animal. Anko and Iruka fell in that classification while Shizune and the rest had perfect it during November.
Bill and Charlie were having trouble finding places to practice and in the end, have been given one of Naruto's warding devices so they can secure a classroom for said purpose. It doesn't help that both of their animals were larger then three feet in size, Bill's inner beast being a stag of the Red Deer variety and, finally, Charlie's being a Red Panda of all things.
Although I think the big surprise was when Yachiru's turn out to be a Przewalski's Horse. He privately adds as they continue to walk down the mark path.
In about an hour's time, they'll be heading into the magical reserve, at least according to his modified watch; a watch that now can act as a radio or a 'hone' at a touch of a rune around the rim of the face plate.
"I wonder what's captured their attention?" Kagome wonders and it takes him a few seconds to turn his hand to see where she's looking. "A wombat?" He wonders, it was a name he got off of the guide book.
"You don't know what that is, do you?" Kagome asks him and he flushes. "I got it from that guide book you gave to me to read." He admits and Kagome just smiles at him as she tsks him.
"Maybe you should have made sure there were pictures in it of the critters before handing it to me?" He suggests and Kagome smiles as she promises, "I'll remember that for next time then."
He glances away form his 'mother' figure with his cheeks feeling a tad heated. He reaches for his water container and takes a sip out of it. He really does enjoy spending all this time with Kagome without any of the others around, not that he doesn't miss them, it's just that...
Having some alone time with your mother figure is rather enjoyable, despite her current set of looks. He tells himself. It's not as if he's always going to have Kagome to himself either, he knew that the others will show up in time and then Kagome will be having a heck of a time concerning Inu-Yasha.
Farewell Feast
Iruka
"I can't believe she recited the negative number for Slytherin house." Kasumi admits as they listen with half an ear as Professor McGonagall continues on through the list before revealing who won this year.
"I'm more surprised that Bumblebee even entrusted her with the job, but then, he didn't have much say in the matter did he, beyond making her his deputy I mean?" Naruto muses softly.
"You swore you didn't do anything to him last week." He points out and Naruto sighs before whispering hotly in reply, "Of course I didn't! It's not my fault that the fool of a man has yet to try any of the potions I asked the House Elves to leave out on his desk in hopes of him drinking any of them! He's a stubborn old mule who refuses to look for help beyond this school's nurse!"
"Well, he doesn't really have much say in the matter now, does he?" Shizune points out dryly and he's not the only one to sigh. "I'm surprise he hasn't tried drinking his phoenix's tears." Yukina muses softly.
They all stop as their stand in headmaster finally gets to declaring their house the winner of House Cup. This, of course, causes the Slytherins to boo and for Snape to try and murder the lot of them with his gaze alone. The decorations transform into orange and brown banners with a kirin place between the two fields.
"I hadn't thought of using phoenix tears to see if that cure the effects." Naruto admits with a thoughtful look. "Why should you? The headmaster likely keeps any of those collected years under lock and key. I doubt even any of the castle's House Elves could give you a drop let alone a bottle full to mess around with." Kurama says in a calming manner.
"Well, I did use some of Yukina's tears when I made that potion..." Naruto admits and he glances at the ice maiden with a slightly startled look, he hadn't thought that anyone would use something from a demon in a potion.
"Aren't phoenixes beings of fire?" Kagome asks slowly as the food appears and they began to help themselves without giving the food so much as a glance since Naruto had already arranged for the more tolerant of English food samples to only appear at their table.
"So?" Anko asks as she pauses from sipping from a cup of butter beer. "Well, if a fire being's tears try and match an ice being's tears, which element would trumpet?" Kagome wonders and hears someone almost choke on something, it wasn't long before somebody is coughing with somebody patting their back.
"Well damn... that is a good one." Anko admits with a smirk. "I doubt it would help to remind people that her twin brother is a fire being." He points out.
Kurama waves his hand in a dismissive gesture as he points out, "Hiei wouldn't be Hiei if he wasn't male. Which pretty much ensured that he wouldn't weld ice like his own sister. I've never heard of a ice lord after all."
"Haku did bare a strong resemblance to a girl. Though it didn't help that he wore girl preferred colors or kept to a more neutral tone when speaking." Naruto admits with a frown, which reminds him that Haku had a ice based bloodline limit.
"He might have had leanings towards bi." Yachiru adds her two cents. "Well, he was with a man who welded a huge sword, if that doesn't scream masculine I don't know what does." Anko states.
"Anyway, I guess I would have to say that as long as water is in the picture, I'd have to say that the one with ice leanings would continually fend off the attacks without much difficulty." Kagome says, bringing them back to the original question.
"The teachers look edgy." Shizune muses after a bit of silence and he glances at the staff table to find that she's right. "Well, they don't know if something will happen without Bumblebee here, it has become something of a ritual after all." Kasumi points out, even using Naruto's nickname for said man.
"And before anybody asks, no, I didn't try to arrange anything with him in the hospital. I did how ever managed to locate this bowl filled with his memories. I manage to duplicated the lot before putting it back in its spot, although it wasn't hard to find since it was resting pretty much out in the open." Naruto admits and he's not he only one to stare at the blond.
"He must have been about to use it or finish with it when he fainted." Kurama says and Naruto nods.
"I did see one memory after I touched the surface of it and you know recall about that Potter kid? Well, I do believe I know what even we're early for. I think we're here to protect the whelp from Bumblebee's 'mercies'." His old student says.
"Why? What did you see?" Yachiru asks in a sharp tone. "That Bumblebee let an innocent man go to prison because it would 'ruin' his long term plans for Harry to be raised by anyone other then his 'caring' muggle relatives. So, I believe we need to get this Black guy out of this prison and start helping the man get healthy so he's ready to take care of his soon to be eleven year old Godson."
And with that, the prank the students and teachers were waiting for happened and he glances to stare in dumbfoundment at the sight before him. I don't think I'll ever forget this, not at all. He decides at the sight of McGonagall sporting long elf-like ears, three sets of ram horns, and then he studies her altered facial features which includes bleached hair with the tips being crimson in color, purple slitted eyes, and both sets of her canine teeth jetting out between her lips.
Professor Sprout looks quite at home with the spring green skin, black eyes, with leaves and flowers seemingly growing out of her head and her skin. "Is Sprout sporting grass for hair?" He wonders.
"I'm more curious about if that's really is acid or sludge coming off of Meanie." Yachiru counters and has to agree with Yachiru that it really does look like those two materials erupting from the man's head. It doesn't help that the man's pasty complexion has become tinted with yellow and what appears to be decaying flesh beginning to appear on the man's skin while the white of his eyes were now green and his eyes were an almost glowing green color.
"Those kind of remind me of Inu-Yasha's eyes those few times when his demon blood took over." Shippo admits softly. "I wouldn't mind having my whites dyed a different color, especially one that complements my eye color." Yachiru admits and Naruto sighs.
"I can see how that would be a sudden fashion statement among wizards actually. Particularly rebellious teens." Kurama says.
By the time a ten minute mark passes, their appearance reverts to their normal ones and dessert is then served. "Well, at least we won't be troubling Poppy this year." Professor Flitwich muses as they begin to dig into their dessert portions.
So Ends Year Five of the Kirin House