Chapter 14: It Had to be Dragons
"I'll just be going then. See you lot 'nother time," Hagrid said with a wink as he awkwardly shuffled out of the library. He wasn't very silent about it, so Madam Pence was none too pleased with his behavior. Harry, Ron, Naruko, and Hermione were all four looking in their friend's direction with confusion.
"I'll go see where he was," Hermione whispered to them. She made her way to the aisle where they saw Hagrid peeking from earlier.
The group of friends were working on a Potions' assignment together. Harry and Ron would swear it was more difficult than it should have been, because of how the last Quidditch match went. Snape decided it was his time to rise as a referee. He was only allowed to do so because Slytherin wasn't playing. Everyone knew he was going to do exactly what he did. Look for any excuse to give Gryffindor fouls and Hufflepuff penalty shots.
Fortunately, Harry stuck to Oliver's plan and caught the snitch early on in the game. His efforts foiled. Professor Snape was nastier in the next Potions lesson. This was why Ron and Harry were sure he gave them more homework than necessary.
They didn't care Naruko pointed out the Slytherins would have more homework as well, if that was the case. Ron was half convinced there would be a house meeting where Snape told the Slytherins they didn't need to worry about it.
Harry was of mixed thoughts. He doubted there would be such a meeting. He would admit that was too unfair, even for Snape. He wouldn't be surprised if the man marked that down as an acceptable cost for giving Harry more homework though.
"I can't believe it! He was looking up dragons. How to raise them and such," Hermione said in quiet shock. Madam Pence was not one to test when it came to noise levels in the library. She would either glare at you or shush you nastily if you were too loud for her liking.
"I believe it," Harry said.
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"He told us, remember. Back at the start of the school year when we visited him," Harry said.
"That's right! When he was talking about your brother," Hermione said looking to Ron.
"Yeah. But still… In that hut of his?" Ron asked in disbelief. Harry shrugged. "He does realize it is made of wood with a straw roof. Right?" Ron asked.
"I'd guess so, but I don't think it would stop him," Harry said. He then shook head. "That's assuming he was able to get a dragon in the first place," he added.
"I hope he doesn't. It's very illegal to raise a dragon outside of a reserve," Ron said.
"Do they let people raise dragons on a reserve? Or is it just the Dragon Handlers?" Naruko asked.
"Just Dragon Handlers. Charlie told me sometimes they have a sort of adoption event. Its where someone or a group of people can donate a lot of money and get to name the dragon," Ron said.
"I bet that sells well," Naruko said. She thought it would be really cool to adopt a dragon like that.
Ron was in thought for a moment. "It isn't too popular… But it does attract enough people with money. That's what Charlie says at least," Ron said.
"Well… Whatever the reason. Hagrid was looking up dragons," Hermione said. She then let out a sigh. "I'm not the only one worried about this. Am I?" she asked.
The others blinked dumbly in thought. It was Ron who sighed and said, "I guess we'll find out soon enough… I really hope not. Wood and fire breathing dragons do not go well together."
"Let's finish this up," Harry said as the others nodded. Potions needed their attention more at the moment. If Hagrid did have a dragon… They needed as little distraction as possible for dealing with that situation.
{-} {-} {-}
The group knocked on the door to Hagrid's Hut and heard the booming barks of Hagrid's dog. They were both happy to see Hagrid again, but worried what they might find inside his hut. It didn't help matters that all of the windows to his hut seemed to be closed with the curtains drawn.
"Back, Fang!" Hagrid grumbled before opening the door just a tiny bit. It was like he wanted to make sure he saw who it was first. "Oh good! You all made it. Come on in," Hagrid said as he let them inside and closed the door quickly behind them.
"Why do you have it so hot in here?" Hermione asked as she fanned herself.
"Bit of a chill out there," Hagrid said too quickly.
"It's actually warmer than usual out there," Hermione said with a slight frown.
"So, what all was it you wanted ta talk about?" Hagrid asked. He then frowned at them. "It isn't about Nicholas Flamel. Is it?"
"Nah. We already figured that out," Ron said.
Hagrid frowned.
"We mostly just wanted to see what you were up to lately," Harry said. He was slowly learning about tact.
"Oh. Well I've been real busy lately actually. Got meself some extra project going on, but still busy with watching over the grounds and all," he said before looking to Naruko. "I've been actually meaning to talk to ye about that, Naruko. It's ahhh… well something to talk about in private."
"If its something regarding my being a kunoichi. I already told them," Naruko said as the others nodded.
"Well, that's good ta hear. Got ye some good friends if they stay by you after learning that," he said giving them each a grin. The others felt proud to get such approval from Hagrid. "Well then, I'll say the basics and we can set up the particulars in private later. Doubt they want to be around for that stuff."
Hermione looked like she was going to say she wanted to hear everything, but she didn't get a chance. She was a little slower to react because of how hot it was. She was pretty sure she was sweating something awful under her robes. The guys looked like they felt the same way.
"When your mom was her, she sometimes helped me with some of the things I do. That way she could get mission experience while away from Konoha. We'd set it up with your leader and Dumbledore would use some of the budget for payment," Hagrid said.
"That sounds good. We can go into more detail later and I can ask the Hokage if we can do that again," Naruko said.
"Hagrid," Ron started.
"Yeah?" Hagrid asked.
"Can we crack open a window? It really is stifling in here," he said.
"I don't think so," Hagrid quickly shot him down.
"Hagrid… What is that in the fire?" Harry asked. He really didn't want to hear the answer he knew Hagrid would say.
"Ah… that's ummm…" Hagrid started. Naruko and Hermione sighed at the same time.
"Where did you get it?" Ron asked in worry.
"Won it off a bloke," Hagrid said.
"Where did you win it?" Ron asked looking to Hagrid.
"Down at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade," Hagrid answered.
"Hagrid… There is no way they could have gotten it legally," Ron said frowning.
"Get all sorts of folks in the Hog's Head. Said he needed to get rid of it. Wanted the right kind of person to have it," Hagrid said.
"You can't seriously be thinking of keeping it," Ron said.
"If I am?" Hagrid asked with a frown.
"Where would you raise him?" Hermione asked.
"Right here! Been reading on them. I even know this dragon here is a Norwegian Ridgeback. Been keeping the egg in the fire, ya see. Cause in the wild their mother keeps breathing fire on the eggs to keep them warm," Hagrid said. He was now aglow with happiness.
"But what about when it starts growing and breathing fire? Your hut is made of wood…" Ron said.
"I've already treated the interior… Besides… I ain't keeping him in here forever. I was going to let him stretch his wings and such in the forest. Forbidden Forest is mighty big. Magically expanded and all of that," Hagrid said.
"Is that a good idea? You would be introducing a dragon to the forest," Hermione said.
"Oh, don't you worry about that. There's all kinds of critters in tha forest. You'd be surprised what calls it home. That's the reason it is called the Forbidden Forest," Hagrid said.
Hagrid looked them over again and looked outside. "Now then… If ye ain't got nothing else to say. I supposing ye all best be getting back. We'll talk about that matter later, Naruko. I know I need to be as specific as possible and such," he said.
Harry looked like he was about to say something, but instead said. "Later, Hagrid. You be careful with this dragon matter though. We'll visit again another time."
Hagrid looked touched at Harry's words. "Aye. That I will be… Really are kind hearted like your mother, Harry. She'd be proud of ye," he said giving Harry an affectionate tousle of his hair. Harry couldn't help but smile as he led the others outside.
{-} {-} {-}
"Thought we were going to ask him about the stone and all of that," Ron said quietly as they headed back.
"I almost did," Harry said.
"But?" Naruko asked in a leading manner. She seemed really happy about something.
"I realized it would just get him angry at worst and mildly upset at best. I also came to sort of realize he probably doesn't anything else other than what he let slip," Harry said.
"So… you used this tact Naruko always talks about?" Hermione asked with a smile.
Harry nodded.
"Ahhhh! You're growing up so fast, Harry," Naruko said in a half joking manner.
Harry might have been upset by this, but instead he just enjoyed the hug Naruko gave him as she grinned at him happily.
Ron wasn't sure what to think about this interaction. Once he felt it went on long enough, he said, "Still wish we knew more about it and all."
"We can hypothesize some more," Hermione started. Ron looked to her in question. "I think Harry is right about Hagrid not knowing any more about the stone. I think it is even safe to say all of the professors contributed a little," she clarified.
"It's probably safe to say Dumbledore didn't let them know anything about the other Professors' contributions. He probably got their word not to talk about it as well," Naruko said.
"Maybe… Why do you think that though? He seems very trusting of his staff," Ron said.
"I agree he is. But… He's also wise and been through two wars. First against Grindelwald and then again against Voldemort," Naruko said. Hermione and Ron shivered a little. She sighed to them and shook her head. She would get them used to his name and Harry would probably help. He responded in much the same way she did.
Naruko continued her thought, "I'm pretty sure he knows the importance of controlling information flow. He might be more likely to go overboard in that direction than anything. I sort of see Dumbledore as the Kage of the magical world."
"I guess I can see that," Harry thought out loud.
"It makes sense really. He's known for being really powerful. He's been through a lot and is highly respected. He also isn't taking the front and center of politics. He's like the shadow leader of Magical Britain. I don't know how good he is at it yet though," Naruko said.
Hermione was eagerly paying attention. She wanted to know as much as she could about how things in the ninja world. Ron seemed to be seeing Dumbledore in a new light. Harry wasn't sure if the Headmaster being a sort of ninja wizard leader was awesome, or bad news.
"Really though…" Ron started after a moment. "A dragon…" he said. The others sighed in agreement. They really hoped this ended well, but they weren't sure it would.
{-} {-} {-}
"So?" Naruko asked a little nervously in front of Snape's desk.
"Hmmmmm… About what I expected," Professor Snape said as he looked over the potion again. It was the completed final stage of the potion he first mentioned to her earlier in the school year.
"Meaning?" Naruko asked trying to remain neutral.
"If you were in a higher-level class… I would give it an A for Acceptable," Professor Snape said.
Naruko gave him a look.
"Given you are a first year… I would give it an E," the Potions' Master said.
"Not an O?" Naruko asked hopefully.
"Miss Uzumaki. I rarely hand out an O, even to my most exceptional students," Professor Snape said.
"Isn't an O required for your NEWT level classes?" Naruko asked.
"This is true. However, I am not an OWL Potions Exam Proctor. No professor at Hogwarts is an OWL Exam Proctor. Too much chance for bias in grading," Professor Snape said.
Naruko nodded. She then gave a smile and said, "Exceeds Expectations is still really good."
"That is one way of looking at it. You could also say it is proof you were unable to earn an O," Professor Snape said.
Naruko gave a slight frown that reminded Professor Snape of her mother. It was remarkable how a child could imitate their parent so well, even though they never met them.
"Or you could say an E is really good, but to keep it up," Naruko grumbled to herself.
"Regardless of your critiques on how I grade my students," Professor Snape started. Naruko looked a little apologetic towards him. "You have passed the test I gave you."
Naruko wanted to shout and cheer at his statement, but remained as calm as she could.
"You first approached me wondering how it was you could learn more about brewing potions. I will tell you something I was told when I was young. It changed my approach to Potions entirely. It is not something all will come to understand," Professor Snape said.
He was probably having a little too much fun with this. He was essentially telling Naruko what her mother told him. One could say by all rights he should have told Naruko this from the start.
"I was told the books and classes are only half of studying Potions. You have to figure out the rest yourself. To get that O you so very much want, you have to take what you learn and improve upon it," Professor Snape said to her.
Naruko was listening, but it was kind of something she already knew.
"I am not saying you are ready to start experimenting with different ingredients, or try to make your own potions. I am saying you should learn how to improve on the instructions for a potion. Learn how to go beyond what the book and instructions tell you," he said.
"Start with the potions you already know and try brewing them in different ways. Completing this potion, shows you are ready for that step. You should now know how to be careful and what signs to look for to make sure the potion won't explode or what not. By this point, you should also know how to test potions and see if they are effective or not. Take the lessons you learn on your own and use them in the future when brewing other potions," Professor Snape said.
Naruko gave a nod to him. "Should I still brew a potion the way it is written when we first cover it in class?" she asked.
"At this stage, I would say that is the best approach. Think of the recipe we use in class as a base line. The reason why so few make it into my NEWT level class is because they don't realize brewing the potion exactly by the instructions is the Acceptable level of that potion. If that alone was enough, then there would be little need for Professional Potion Brewers," Professor Snape said.
"How come you don't tell everyone this?" Naruko asked curiously.
"If they are unable to figure that out on their own, they do not have the makings for being a Potion Master. That given. You may be wondering why I have made an exception for you," Professor Snape said.
Naruko gave a nod.
"It is because you came to me without even finishing your first year, or even first semester, and asked how to further study Potions. You were not looking to simply improve your grade. That is not something many do. In fact, I can think of two others who have done the same. They both went on to earn a mastery in Potions after Hogwarts," Professor Snape said.
Naruko was in thought for a moment. She then gave a hum in comprehension. "The test you gave me taught me this approach. Didn't it?" she asked.
Professor Snape gave a slight nod. "That is why I mostly left it up to you for figuring out how you needed to improve each step," he said.
Naruko couldn't help but give a grin. "I'll continue my Potions studies and make sure I keep the tradition of students in my place earning their mastery after Hogwarts," she said.
Professor Snape almost gave her an ever so slight grin as he said, "I do hope so, Miss Uzumaki. I would hate for a Gryffindor to ruin that streak."
Naruko chuckled and gave a bow as she left. She was ready to start the next phase. A much better understanding in brewing potions would help with her plan for finding ninja world equivalents. She needed to know how to tell and improve potions before she could do that.
{-} {-} {-}
Harry made an unfortunate discovery a couple of days ago and he shared it with the others. After Quidditch Practice, he saw a cloaked figure run towards the woods. He stayed in the locker room a little longer than usual that day. He hopped on his broom and followed the figure carefully.
Harry made sure to keep a safe distance. He was thankful again for his excursions with Naruko. He knew much better how to keep a safe distance and not get caught. What he saw was unsettling.
"Don't play me for a fool, Quirinius," Snape said dangerously to a very pale looking turban wearing man.
"I-I-I don't know wha-wha-what you mean…" Quirrell stuttered out as he looked to be cowering below the Potions Master.
"Oh. I think you do. I will find out whose side you're on, Quirrell. You don't want me as an enemy," Professor Snape said to him.
Quirrell let out a whipper.
"We'll be speaking again…" Snape said before heading back to the castle.
{-} {-} {-}
"I'm telling you. It's got to be Snape!" Ron said. He figured Harry's tale of what he saw was more than enough proof.
"I'm not so sure…" Naruko said.
"You aren't?" Hermione asked. She was wavering on her own thoughts about the matter. She hoped her best friend's words would help her reach a decision.
"Yeah. I'm not sure what Snape was carrying on about. However, I feel if anyone is up to something… It would be Professor Quirrell," Naruko said.
"How come?" Harry asked in amazement.
"His stutter. His act. I don't know what all he's getting at, but he is up to something," Naruko said.
"His act?" Ron asked.
"Yeah. I have a good friend back home who has a real stutter. Professor Quirrell's stutter is too measured. Too perfectly timed. Stutters happen on their own and aren't in perfectly timed intervals. He is too terrified, even for what Hagrid said about him," Naruko said.
"I really don't get why you're on Snape's side here," Ron said with a frown.
"Ninja. I was trained to do as they say, Look underneath the underneath. I'm not on anyone's side really. We simply don't know enough. I would try to find out more… But Snape and most of the staff here are familiar with ninjas. I'm good, but I don't think I'm good enough to constantly spy on a professor who knows I'm a kunoichi. Not yet at least," Naruko said.
Harry decided to change the subject. He could tell Ron and Naruko wouldn't budge on their stances in the matter. He gave a chuckle. "I fully believe that. Especially the part about not being there yet," he said.
Naruko grinned. "Seems I won't be able to get away with anything when it comes to my friends either. I've already blown my cover," she said with a giggle.
Hermione grinned as she figured out what Harry was doing. She was about to say something herself, but just then there was a tapping sound on a nearby window. "Hedwig?" she asked pointing to the owl.
Harry quickly let in his owl. She was holding a letter in her beak. Harry quickly opened it. It was really simple, but he knew what it meant.
It's time!
Harry showed it to the others. "We're going right?" Ron asked as he handed it to Hermione.
Harry grinned. "Obviously!" he said.
"Cool!" Ron said with a matching grin.
"Are you sure about this?" Hermione asked in worry. It was getting close to curfew.
Ron looked to her and said, "Yeah. Seeing a dragon hatch is rare, even at a reserve. They don't usually let visitors witness it. Newborn dragons can be a handful."
"I'll grab my cloak," Harry said as he made his way to his room.
"You three can use it. I'll use my ninja skills to follow. I may not be to the level I can constantly spy on a professor. But I've always been good at sneaking around," Naruko said.
{-} {-} {-}
"Good! Good! Ye all made it," Hagrid said excitedly as he let all four of them in him hut.
Harry, Ron and Hermione might have commenting on how good Naruko was at staying unseen, but they had a dragon to watch hatch! The four quickly gathered around Hagrid's table. They didn't even complain about it being far too hot in the hut.
They watched with large eyes as a small crack started to form on the egg.
"That's it… Give us a push now," Hagrid cooed lovingly.
The crack started to grow. It grew a little more.
"Come on now. Ye can do it, Little Norbert," Hagrid quietly cheered it on.
Then the egg suddenly seemed to explode. Eggshell went flying everywhere. Naruko and the others instinctively ducked at some of the larger pieces.
Then they heard a small growl.
"Ain't he tha cutest!" Hagrid said in full on mother mode.
The others were indifferent about if it was cute or not. It was something to behold though. They each couldn't help but grin.
Norbert was small with leathery wings that looked far too large for him. His body was skinny with jet black coloring. His orange eyes were large with an equally overly large snoot. He also had stubby horns.
Norbert suddenly sneezed and sent a puff of a fireball right at Hagrid's beard. The giant of a man patted out his now singed beard and chuckled. "Look! He knows who his mummy is!" he said with a happy sniff.
"I don't know how Hagrid got that from a fireball to the beard," Naruko whispered to Harry who almost chuckled.
"Just how quickly is Norbert going to grow?" Hermione asked with worry in her eyes. She looked around the wooden hut again. Hagrid may have treated it, but dragon fire was very different from regular and magic fire.
Hagrid was about to say something but then the color drained from his face.
"What's wrong?" Naruko asked.
"Someone peeked through the curtain!" Hagrid said.
Naruko was there in an instant. She… growled… and turned to the others and bitterly said, "Blonde Sasuke!" She was half tempted to take him out, but he was quick and already close to the school. She was pretty sure the staff wouldn't take kindly to her tackling students and tying them up.
"Who?" Hagrid asked.
"Malfoy," Harry and Ron said together. They didn't really know who Sasuke was, but they knew who their friend referred to as Blonde Sasuke.
"You lot better get going then," Hagrid said.
They didn't argue and left quickly.
{-} {-} {-}
Surprisingly, all Malfoy's spying amounted to was a knowing look in their direction every now and then.
"He's being smug…" Naruko grumbled.
"Yeah…" Ron grumbled in agreement.
"He's up to something," Naruko said frowning over at Malfoy's back. She might have let a little killing intent out at him. Draco gave an uncomfortable shiver suddenly.
"Yeah…" Ron grumbled in agreement again.
"But what?" Hermione asked.
"Probably when best to rat Hagrid out," Harry supplied.
"Sounds just like the thing Malfoy/Blonde Sasuke would do," Naruko and Ron grumbled together. They then both angrily took a large bite of their meal in almost perfect unison. Hermione and Harry blinked in disbelief at how synced the two were at the moment.
{-} {-} {-}
Norbert grew three times his original size in just a week.
"Heh Heh… The little tyke," Hagrid said as he patted out a small fire Norbert started on the dining table. The friendly giant was covered in bandages from previous dragon fire burns.
"He's ummmm… Gotten a lot bigger," Hermione said uneasy.
"Course he has! He's a sweet, innocent, growing little baby," Hagrid cooed.
There wasn't anything sweet or innocent about Norbert. He decided to use one of Hagrid's chairs a fireball target practice.
"Ummm… well. Nice seeing you again… We should probably get going," Harry said.
Hagrid didn't notice as they left. They weren't even sure he really noticed they were there in the first place.
"We've got to do something about Norbert," Naruko said.
"Yeah… Malfoy could turn him in at any moment. Rotten Snake he is," Ron said with a scoff.
"Charlie!" Harry said suddenly.
Ron blinked at him for a moment and then smiled. "That's brilliant! Yeah! I can write him. He and his fellow Dragon Handlers have actually taken in a number of illegal dragons. They're always looking more," he said.
"Let us know when you hear back from him," Naruko said.
Ron nodded. "If you let me borrow Fukami or Hedwig, I'll send the letter tonight," he said.
"Fukami is sending something back home at the moment. More details about what Hagrid mentioned to me when we first saw the egg. He may be loony about that dragon, but he hasn't forgotten that. I don't know the details yet. He's been the one writing the Hokage about it. Apparently, he has a translation quill from back when he wrote missions for my mom," Naruko said.
"You can borrow Hedwig. She'd like the excuse to go for a long flight," Harry said.
{-} {-} {-}
"So… How will we handle this?" Ron asked as he put down the letter from Charlie. It had all of the details they needed. Hagrid agreed to let Charlie take Norbert after some convincing. He said it would be good for Norbert to be with his own kind.
"We can use the cloak to get us and Norbert up to the astronomy tower," Harry said.
"What about Malfoy?" Hermione asked in worry. "If he's going to do anything, it will be as we try to get up there."
Naruko nodded. "I'll help out there. I can use my shadow clones and have them henge into us. Girls can technically go to the guys' side, but guys can't go to the girls' side," she said.
"So unfair!" Ron grumbled.
"I'll need one of you two to show me the way. My disguised clones will be asleep in your beds until we finish. That way if Blonde Sasuke tells Professor McGonagall, or anyone else, and they check on us. They'll see us sleeping peacefully in our beds. I know you all well enough my clones should be able to pass as you for the night," Naruko said.
"Sounds like a plan," Harry said.
The group headed to Hagrid's hut one more time to check on things. Hagrid had been a little teary eyed lately, even if he knew it was for the best. "I'm gonna miss the little guy…" he blubbered.
Norbert was even bigger than before. It was a surprise he and Hagrid could both still live in the hut together at all.
Ron reached out a finger carefully to try and pet the seemingly snoozing dragon. Norbert suddenly chomped on his finger in response.
"Yeeeeoooow!" Ron cried out in pain as Norbert growled at him.
"Don't be bothering him!" Hagrid roared. "Ye'll scare him. He's just a baby."
"Scare him?!" Ron said in disbelief as he fought back tears in his eyes. "He bit me!"
"Get out of here now, Ye lot!" Hagrid said as he none too politely shoved them out the door.
"Ohhh nooo…" Hermione said looking at Ron's around swelling hand. "Norwegian Ridgebacks have poisonous fangs."
"We better get you to Madam Pomfrey," Naruko said.
"But she'll know it was a dragon's bite," Ron said.
"Her priority will be healing you. She's probably seen plenty during her years here. Plenty to decide it's best not to ask too many questions," Naruko said.
"I won't be able to help though…" Ron said with a frown.
"You getting better is more important and you've already helped a lot setting this up with your brother. Luckily, you described us in the letters. We'll tell Charlie what happened," Harry said.
"Will you all be able to handle it?" Ron asked.
Harry nodded. "Don't worry about us. If nothing else, Naruko can help me carry Norbert," he said.
Naruko nodded and grinned. "I'm a strong Kunoichi after all," she said while jokingly flexing as they helped Ron to the Hospital Wing.
{-} {-} {-}
Ron's hand didn't recover soon enough. Madam Pomfrey just frowned and made a sound of disapproval at him. As Naruko said, she focused on healing him instead asking lots of questions. In a way, it kind of worked out for the best. Ron was able to be there to lead a henged Naruko clone to the boys' room.
When the others got to the hut, Hagrid showed them the crate he made for Norbert. "He's got plenty of dead rats for the journey," Hagrid said in a blubbering voice as he blew his nose. "Good Bye, Norbert… Be good for mummy."
Norbert seemed indifferent as he was curled up inside the crate.
"Oops… almost forgot," Hagrid said as he put a teddy bear in the crate. "Norbert's favorite teddy. He'd feel lonely without it."
Harry doubted that very much.
Naruko looked over the crate and placed something on it. "What did you do?" Hermione asked.
"Placed a seal similar to a feather light charm on it. Since Norbert is inside, I only need to make the crate feather light. The seal wouldn't have worked on him directly," Naruko said.
"Couldn't you have lifted it with me?" Harry asked.
"I could have… But Hermione probably couldn't have done the same easily enough," Naruko said.
"I'm helping carry it?" Hermione asked in surprise.
Naruko nodded. "I figured it would probably be best if I used my stealth skills to watch over you three and keep any distractions away," she said.
Harry nodded to that. "Good thinking. Kind of like you did when we went to that Midnight Duel," he said.
Naruko nodded and they got to work.
{-} {-} {-}
It turned out to be for the best Naruko was there with them. Harry and Hermione were making their way down a hall when Peeves suddenly appeared.
"Who is it? I can sense you, but can't see you… Ickle Firsties out of bed?" Peeves mused to himself.
Harry wasn't sure what to do here. He was going to try and imitate the Bloody Baron, but he wasn't sure it would work. Naruko did something instead. There was the sound of something seemingly exploding around a different corner and an echoing giggle ringing through the hall.
"Oooo! That sounds like my kind of fun!" Peeves said before flying off and cackling madly.
"Let's get going," Naruko whispered from somewhere unseen.
After that little mishap, it was smooth sailing. The seal Naruko placed on the crate made it much easier getting upstairs to the astronomy tower. Harry stayed focused the whole way though. He was pretty sure if he didn't, fate would throw something at them that would ruin the whole plan. That's what his Potter luck seemed to always do.
The group quietly waited once they got to the top of the tower. There was suddenly a small disturbance as they heard the sound of a chomp and saw a piece of singed stuffing puff out of the crate.
"Bye bye, Teddy… We knew you so well," Naruko said in mock sadness. She even pretended to wipe a tear from her eye.
Hermione and Harry couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"I'm sure he'll be fine in Teddy Bear Heaven," Hermione said giggling. Harry and Naruko joined her.
"You know…" Naruko said after a moment. "I wouldn't mind being out here under the stars in different circumstances. You could even say it would be romantic."
Harry was surprised when Hermione gave a slightly dreamy sigh in reply. He figured it was a girl thing. The stars were pretty though.
{-} {-} {-}
The trio sighed in relief as they finally entered Gryffindor Tower. Naruko assured them the coast was clear. They almost blew it. Harry and Hermione at first forgot the cloak. Luckily at the last minute, Harry remembered it and the discussion about its importance. Without it, Filch would have discovered them on the way back.
Hermione let out another sigh. "That was close… But we did it," she said.
Harry grinned to them. "Malfoy got detention too," he said happily.
They came across Draco being led off by an irate Professor McGonagall. They avoided also getting caught by barely containing themselves.
Hermione smiled brightly to them. "I'm so happy I could do a jig! But its late… And I'm tired," she said and gave a stretch.
They went to their beds just as Naruko's clones dismissed themselves. The night had been a complete success. As they made their way up, exhaustion really settled in. Hermione and Naruko plopped down in Hermione's bed together. They each gave mighty yawns and quickly fell asleep.
A/N: After much thought, I've decided a few things about this story. The first thing I've decided is in this story the Hogwarts' school year is Sept. 1st to the first week of June. It may be due to my own school life I felt this way, but I always saw Hogwarts ending about then. It didn't really sink in, even after seeing timelines on the wiki, that the canon school year lasts until the end of June.
That would not have worked out with my plans for this story. I plan to have most of the Naruto story aspects happen during the summer or possibly holiday break. There might be some exceptions during the school year, but we'll just have to see. It will be pushing it, but I can see this working out if the school year ends early June, with the exception of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. For 4th year, school will last into the second week of June.
My plans would not work if Summer Break didn't start until the end of June. But hey! This is clearly very AU so I can change things up like that.
The other thing I've decided, is this story will actually be broken into two parts. I originally planned to keep it Teen all the way through and have all years in one story, but I realized that wouldn't work after a certain point. Then I thought to just change the story's rating once I got to that point, but I decided that was too long of a wait and might not be fair for those who have read this story up to that same point expecting it to stay Teen.
That being the case, the first part will cover years 1-3 at Hogwarts. It might get to being a strong Teen rating by the end, but I feel it will still work out. I've always felt the Harry Potter books took a drastic turn by the fourth book.
This actually works out for the best. Summer after fourth year will be when the Shippuden events start. Remember Naruko's birthday is Oct. 10th and she is actually 12 by this current point in the story. This means she will turn 15, which is how old Naruto is when Shippuden starts, during the course of her fourth year.
This means year 4 and on will be the second part and it will be rated Mature. I don't really intend to have lemons in the story… but there will be adult content and such. I will also show the lead up and afterwards of such scenes, but leave the meat of those scenes to your imaginations. I feel I will still be within an acceptable M rating by Fanfiction net standards, if I keep to this plan.
I know there are plenty of stories out there with full on sex scenes and some of them are very fetish heavy. I feel knowing my luck, if I tried that, Fanfiction net would decide to go through a purge again and I would get caught in it somehow. I won't be getting too gory and such with the second part, but I feel it won't be really Teen rating acceptable.
Hopefully this won't bother anyone. I am giving fair notice at least.