Chapter 17: The Trial of Different Paths
"I wish this was an actual mission…" Naruko thought with a slight pout. She was pretty sure it was a B ranked mission, or at least a high C rank. They were potentially saving the magical world and would be facing a Dark Wizard of some kind.
The problem was… this wasn't a sanctioned mission Dumbledore and Jiji set up. Unless they did something afterwards, it wouldn't count as a mission. She was fine with this, even if she wished it was an official mission.
The group entered a room. It was mostly dark with just enough light to see a bunch of plants everywhere. The group didn't really recognize any of them. They did see some kind of spores puff out of a plant further down the hall.
"What do we do here? Just go?" Ron asked.
Hermione shook her head. "I'm not an expert on plants. I don't really know much more than we've been taught in Herbology. I can tell those spores do something though," she said.
Harry frowned in thought. "Maybe we can just shoot magic and blow them away?" he proposed.
Ron was in thought too. "Maybe if we use water from Aguamenti we can force the spores to the ground," he suggested.
Naruko was already ahead of them though. She quickly slapped a seal on each of their chests. Hermione gave a cute "Eeep" sound and blushed, even though Naruko hadn't touched her boobs or anything. The group felt something come over them once the seals were placed.
"What did you do?" Harry asked.
"Purification body protection seal," she said. "We should be good from whatever they would do. It might be fun go tripping, but that would waste time."
The other three still looked a little apprehensive. "Fine. I'll go first," Naruko said with a roll of her eyes.
Naruko was fine after crossing the room and getting hit by every spore cloud. She called back to them, "See! Totally fine! I think this is fairly easy considering its a trap guarding the stone."
The others shrugged and took in deep breaths before running across just to be safe. Harry was first with Ron right behind him. Hermione brought up the rear and was a bit winded. It wasn't a short corridor.
"You really should do some training Hermione," Naruko said with a serious expression.
"I'll try. But I'm not used to exercising and such," she said with a frown.
Naruko gave a silent giggle and spoke to her quietly, "If you wait until next school year... I'll give you full body massages for all your muscles afterwards."
Hermione blushed to that. "Narukoooo," she pouted. That seemed to be something she did often with her friend. Naruko ate it up every time.
Naruko giggled but seriously said, "I really will. If you haven't exercised much before, you might need it afterwards so your muscles will be fine."
"Okay then… You could be less… suggestive about things," Hermione said with a frown.
"You're the one who takes thing that way," Naruko said with a grin. Hermione blushed.
"Let's see what's behind door number two," Ron said from up ahead of them with Harry standing next to him.
"I can't see much…" Harry said. He pulled out his wand and used Lumos. It was only a little better.
Naruko could see fairly well because of her heightened senses. "It looks like a sewer," she said with a crinkle of her nose. "Smells like one too." The seals they had earlier were useful, but already served their purpose. It wasn't a very long lasting seal... yet.
Ron swallowed nervously. Hermione seemed to be trying to hold her nose. Harry started walking. "We can only go forward," he said to the others.
[-] [-] [-]
The group kept walking and soon the smell was even worse. "Anyone else getting the feeling I am?" Hermione asked with a frown.
Naruko nodded. "A troll," she said.
Harry and Ron got ready hearing that. They hadn't even thought of that. Then again, that whole incident was much worse for Naruko and Hermione. They were trapped in a bathroom with one, even if only briefly.
"Ugh…" Ron said with a grimace. "I'm glad we didn't have to take on that one."
The troll was already defeated. It was even larger than the one they fought on Halloween. Naruko jumped down to look at it closer. She frowned and looked to the others. "It's dead," she said.
"Whose trap was this?" Harry asked.
"I remember hearing Professor Quirrell was gifted with trolls," Hermione said after a moment of thought.
"Oh?" Naruko asked in a curious manner.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"Professor Quirrell is gifted with trolls. Yet Harry and Ron told us he fainted after shouting about it on Halloween. If he was able to get this one in here…" Naruko said.
"Then why didn't he deal with the one on Halloween?" Hermione asked.
"A good question. It's almost like he's been putting on an act," Naruko said. She wasn't too smug about it.
"Professor Snape wouldn't need help from him on how to deal with a troll either," Hermione mused. She was starting to think Naruko was right and it was Professor Quirrell who was suspicious the whole time.
"Yeah… Well… Snape wouldn't know it was a troll unless he first got the information out of Quirrell. As for Halloween… Maybe he just panicked?" Ron asked. He didn't like this. It was seeming Snape wasn't the bad guy. He was still Slytherin though.
Harry didn't say anything. He mulled over the information. Naruko made some really good points about Professor Quirrell, now that he thought about it. He narrowed his eyes in thought. He wondered about the broom incident.
Hermione let out a gasp. "The broom…" she said.
"Yeah that's right! Snape was jinxing the broom!" Ron said feeling vindicated.
"No. That isn't it at all," Hermione said.
Ron, Harry and Naruko came to a full stop and looked to her. "We bumped into Quirrell causing his turban to fall over his eyes before I set fire to Professor Snape's robes," she said.
Ron frowned to that.
"Whether it's Quirrell or Professor Snape. Though I'm sure it is Quirrell. It doesn't change the fact we need to continue," Naruko said getting them back on track. Harry nodded to that and they moved out.
The group entered a new room. This one was mostly bare. There was a door on the opposite side.
"Huh…" Ron said.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Just wondering what this room does," Ron said.
"Be careful. It looks empty, but we are dealing with magic," Naruko said.
"The lighting is actually rather bright in here," Hermione said.
"It is," Naruko said.
Suddenly the light flashed. The group couldn't even try to react to it. Naruko wasn't even quick enough. It seemed like nothing happened, but the friends seemed to be still.
[-] [-] [-]
"Hn. Figures the dobe would sleep through team assignments, even after she cheated her way to a headband," Sasuke said with a smirk.
Sakura was sitting next to him with hearts in her eyes. "You're so cool! Sasuke!" she said.
Naruko snapped awake and glared at him. "I'm not asleep! I'm just bored of waiting. I didn't cheat! I helped capture a traitor," she said with a smirk of her own.
"Like you could! You're the Dead Last. You can't even do a clone properly," Sakura said with a scoff. "Besides… Sasuke's so cool! So much better than you," she said with a dreamy sigh.
"Whatever you did, dobe. Don't get in my way," Sasuke said. He was pretty sure the world would sort her out soon enough. Next it would be the Pink banshee. Then he could finally be at peace to train properly. Teams just slowed Uchihas down, everyone knew it.
Naruko glared at him. "I'm really hoping I'm not on your team," she said.
"Team seven will be Naruko Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha," Iruka-sensei said.
"What?!" Naruko shouted.
"Sasuke and I are together. We don't need her," Sakura said as she glared at Naruko.
"Your Jonin-Sensei will be Kakashi Hatake," Iruka-sensei said ignoring their outbursts.
"I just had to say it… nnnuummm," Naruko whined.
"Don't think cute Naruko sounds will change anything," Sakura said almost hissing at her. How dare the blonde menace try to be all cute in front of Sasuke. Sakura grabbed Sasuke's arm. Sasuke looked like he was about to explode in anger. Sakura quickly looked apologetic and let go of his arm.
Naruko sighed, "Why did I have to get that reputation." She was the Dead Last in their class, but apparently always made cute Naruko noises. Whatever those were. The Sasuke fangirls hated it when she did that. She didn't believe it, but one of them claimed Sasuke actually looked to her one time when she made one, and almost blushed. There was no way the Uchiha bastard would care about that though.
"So… Where is our Jonin-Sensei?" Naruko asked.
"You will just have to wait for him to pick you up," Iruka-sensei said. He gave a small sigh and added under his breath, "It might be a while."
[-] [-] [-]
Hermione gave a yawn and a mighty stretch. She got out of bed. She looked around a little sleepily. She blushed as she realized she did it again. She fell asleep while reading a book. It wasn't too bad. She made it to her bed this time, but not under the covers or into her sleeping clothes.
"Hermione! Honey. Time to wake up," her mother called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Coming!" Hermione called as she got up and quickly changed clothes. It would not be good if her parents saw her wearing yesterday's clothes.
Hermione quickly ran down stairs and entered the kitchen. "Good. You are up. I was starting to think I would have to call you a second time," her mother said.
Hermione was always a bit jealous of her mom. Her mom didn't have massively frizzy hair. Her mom's hair was a lovely cascade of loose curls. Her mom also had a very attractive body, especially for her age.
Her father was sitting at the table reading the paper with a cup of morning tea. He gave it a quick sip and asked, "Are you ready for your second year at that school, honey?"
"I am," Hermione said cheerfully. That was one thing she had her mom didn't. She was a witch.
"I'm still surprised you got to pick a magic school," her mom said.
Her father made a disappointed sound. "I don't get why you chose to go to that school in France," he said.
"It is a very respectable institution. Hogwarts claims they're the best in England, but that's because they're the only one in England. I'm just really glad I met a couple of witches visiting from Beauxbatons," she said.
"But it's in France… They're French," her dad said.
Hermione harrumphed at her dad.
Her mom sighed. "You just don't like our daughter going so far away. She'd be leaving us anyways," she said.
"I know… It just seems even further away, since she goes to France," her dad said in defeat.
"It's a wonderful school though. It is literally a palace!" Hermione said with a smile. It really was a very beautiful school.
"Isn't Hogwarts in a castle?" he asked.
"Yeah. In Scotland. It's also extremely drafty and so terribly dark. They use actual torches for lighting the halls… torches…" Hermione said. She heard about Hogwarts too and saw some wizarding photos of the place. She was not impressed.
"But they speak French," her dad said with a sigh.
"You and I both know our daughter is very proficient in the language. She's even better after being there for a year. Plus… The girls' uniforms are really pretty," she said.
Mrs. Granger turned to her daughter with a smile and said, "Light blues really suit you, Honey."
Hermione blushed to that. Her hair may be a mess, but her mom was right. She also really liked the color. It was much better than the all black for dark and dingy Hogwarts. That place may be magic, but it seemed so depressing.
She also heard the news a troll get into the castle on Halloween and actually kill a first-year girl who was in the bathroom at the time. There was also the infamous poltergeist that roamed free and molested students on a regular basis. Those things never happened at Beauxbatons.
"Look at it this way, dad," Hermione started. "Beauxbatons may be further away, but it is so much safer than Hogwarts. I've told you what I heard. Dumbledore may be an impressive wizard, but he doesn't seem to know how to run a school."
"Fine… Just write us plenty," he said in a pleading manner.
Hermione gave a soft smile. "I always do," she said.
Beauxbatons really was so much better. She didn't even tell them the worst she heard about Hogwarts. It turned out one of their professors was possessed by Lord Voldemort and tried to steal Nicholas Flamel's famous stone!
A trio of boys tried to save the stone, but were found badly hurt. The first was unconscious and almost died from bleeding out before he was found. The second was found poisoned badly. It seemed whatever he drank landed him in St. Mungo's Closed Ward with his parents. The last one was covered in burns that would never fully heal and his magic core was damaged. He was the infamous Boy-Who-Lived as well!
Their attempts didn't matter in the end. The possessed professor ended up caught in some special trap Dumbledore made. Somehow Voldemort still escaped, if the rumors were to be believed. The British Ministry was running around like chickens with their heads cut off at the moment. They were claiming Dumbledore lost it and made it all up to pass the blame onto someone else for his failures.
Lord Malfoy was stepping in as Head of the Board of Governors to have Dumbledore removed as Headmaster before this next school year started. It was most likely going to be a unanimous decision, since The-Boy-Who-Lived was so badly hurt. Hermione did kind of wish she had at least met him before all of this happened. She heard from other girls he was on the shorter side, but had such rich and delightfully messy black hair with the most entrancing green eyes.
Hermione sat down and helped herself to some breakfast. She did miss her mom's cooking. She loved French cuisine, but it wasn't good old English food. She could also eat a little more at peace here.
Most of the girls at Beauxbatons would complain about the food being too heavy with too many calories. It seemed almost every girl was on a diet of some kind. Hermione did the same, even if she didn't go as overboard as the other girls. Guys were lucky because they didn't have any such worries.
[-] [-] [-]
There was a knock on the cupboard door. "Time to get up Harry," his aunt called from the other side.
Harry sat up and stretched. He yawned and put his books away. Most would think it was odd he slept in a cupboard. If he did so every night, it would be. That wasn't the case though.
He stepped outside of the cupboard and yawned in the morning light.
His aunt sighed and shook her head. "You're acting just like Lily did," she said fondly.
Harry grinned to that. He lost both his parents before he could even remember them. His aunt and uncle took him in though. "How so?" he asked.
"When she found that loophole in the rules, she too spent most of her time inside small spaces," Aunt Petunia said.
"I can see why. To think, they don't actually enforce that whole underage magic thing in most cases. You can also avoid the whole Statute of Secrecy if you practice magic somewhere muggles can't see it," he said.
It was a really odd loophole, but the wizarding world as a whole was odd. For crying out loud, they used owls for mail! They had no clue how to dress like muggles either. He saw his friend's dad wearing the most hideous golfer pants with a tuxedo top. Mr. Weasley was exceptionally eccentric, even Ron was embarrassed by him on a regular basis.
"Where's Pops and Duds?" Harry asked as he helped his aunt make breakfast. Both would usually be around the kitchen by now. He called his uncle Pops and his aunt Mum. Dudley was either Dudley or Duds. Sometimes if he was really in the mood, he went by Dudster.
"They needed to do something this morning," Aunt Petunia said a little evasively.
"That's odd," Harry commented. He licked his lips. He was hungry and it seemed they were having his favorite breakfast foods today.
Harry helped set the table and again looked up wondering where Dudley and Uncle Vernon were. "They still aren't here?" he asked his aunt.
"Go ahead and sit down, Harry. I'm sure they'll be here soon enough. I need to excuse myself for a moment," Aunt Petunia said.
"Okay…" Harry said as he sat down. He wanted to start eating, but it felt wrong on his own. He instead poured himself some Pumpkin Juice. He mentioned it to his aunt and uncle and they gave it a try. Dudley loved it as well it turned out. It was a juice usually found in the magical world, but his uncle knew a place to get it.
Harry was just about to start eating despite wanting to wait, when suddenly he heard footsteps. He looked back in question. He smiled as his aunt, uncle, and cousin came in with a poster. He forgot today was July 31st. His birthday.
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Harry. Happy Birthday to you!" the Dursleys sang together.
Harry clapped as they cheered and gave him a cupcake to go with his breakfast. He blew out the candle and grinned as they sat down with him.
"We'll be having that ice cream cake you wanted after we get back from the amusement park," Uncle Vernon said with a big smile.
Uncle Vernon was a large man, but he was just as nice as he was big. He was still stern when needed though, something that helped him in business dealings. He wasn't the type to be fake polite and friendly like most sales men. Clients respected that about him.
"I'm pretty sure I'm just as excited as Harry is," Dudley said with a big grin. He inherited it from his father.
Dudley was big and strong, but he and Harry were like brothers who actually got along well. When they had their fights, it was usually solved over a round of video games or other fun competitions. They were always good afterwards and they were tied for wins and losses.
Harry chuckled. "I was like that last year when we went to the zoo for your birthday."
"Yeah. Still awesome you talked to that snake," Dudley said with a grin.
Dudley thought Harry's magic was cool. He liked hearing about it and Harry promised when he was of age, he would show Dudley plenty. They were family so it was technically alright for him to show them magic, but it was still frowned upon. His mother was lucky there it seemed. Aunt Petunia said she demonstrated magic a number of times and never got so much as a warning. Harry wasn't going tempt fate like that though.
"I've heard this amusement park is one of the best!" Harry said in excitement.
In their family, Harry and Dudley alternated who got to have a big birthday party each year. The other got to go to a movie or something that was still fun, but smaller in scale. Harry was glad things were good between him and Dudley. Dudley didn't have magic. Harry worried things would get like they did with his aunt and mother.
Aunt Petunia told him about his mother. She even admitted she felt really bad about how she strained things between them. She felt guilty when she admitted, she kind of wanted to make things up to his mother by treating him like another son. Harry was touched by her words. He really didn't want to know what things would have been like if she was still extra bitter after all of these years.
[-] [-] [-]
Ron gave a loud and mighty yawn as he walked down stairs to the kitchen.
"Good Morning, Ron," Ginny said from the table. She then giggled and said, "Maybe I should say Good Afternoon."
Ron shrugged and gave a lazy grin. "Don't care. Got plenty of sleep," he said.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "You always get plenty of sleep. I've never understood why mum allows you to sleep in so much. She doesn't let anyone else do that," she said with a pout.
Ron chuckled. "In my defense… I am the youngest Seeker and next in line to be Team Captain already," he said grinning.
"He also has really good grades," his mom said.
"You're just lucky to also be good at Quidditch, especially strategies," George started.
"Otherwise we would think you were a mini-Percy," Fred said.
"Oh please… Everyone knows I'm too awesome to be a Percy. I'm the one always getting one over on Malfoy," Ron said with a grin.
"You also managed to catch Snape trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone last year as well. Even when everyone believed it was Quirrell," Percy said as he entered the kitchen.
"Yeah… Who would have thought Professor Quirrell was actually under the Imperus Curse the whole time? He was told to act like a coward to distract everyone," Fred said in awe.
"Well… It was You-Know-Who pulling the strings the whole time really," George said.
"Yeah. Professor Quirrell was amazing to resist it as much as he did," Ron said with a nod.
"I still can't believe you ended up being the one to save everyone. I figured it would be Harry. The-Boy-Who-Lived," Ginny said in awe.
Ron shrugged. "Harry's good, but he doesn't really know much about the magical world yet. His relatives also treat him like crap. They're the type the Bloody Snakes claim all muggles are like," he said.
"Could you at least try to mind your language?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a frown as she shook her head.
"Sorry mum," Ron said. He didn't at all sound apologetic. She just shook her head again and smiled at him.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Naruko were all slumped together on the floor now. They had a sort of dazed/glassy look in their eyes. Professor Flitwick was proud of the impressive charms work he did in his first room of protections. He would have been horrified to realize students were victims of it currently.
The Trial of Different Paths was serious business.
[-] [-] [-]
"Why?!" Naruko asked in a hurt voice, which had nothing to do with the cuts and scratches on her body.
"Konoha's just holding me back," Sasuke said as he looked to Naruko seriously.
"But why leave?! We can make it better," Naruko pleaded.
She came across Sakura in tears and found out Sasuke was leaving the village. She came to try and stop him. They had fought and it was tough. Sasuke looked unscathed, but even he was in bad shape.
"Why try to stop me? You've never held anything but contempt for me," he asked with a frown.
"I'm not the brightest, you know. I thought that was our thing. We pushed each other and teased one another, but actually had each other's backs and cared for the other," she admitted with a frown.
"Really?" Sasuke asked in surprise.
Naruko nodded and gave what had become known as a cute Naruko pout. She didn't even realize she had such expressions.
Sasuke looked her over and disappeared. Naruko blinked at where he was. She held up her guard.
"Come with me then," Sasuke whispered into her ear.
She gasped, but not in fear. Sasuke was holding her very intimately. She really liked how it felt, but still kept up her guard.
"I've seen how the villagers treat you. Why stay and defend them? They're like I used to be, but even worse. They actually do wish you would die," he said in a serious tone.
"I have important people. I will protect the others just to protect them, if I need to," she said.
Sasuke was silent for a moment. "You really are something, Naruko Uzumaki," he said.
He turned her face so she was looking right into his dark eyes. Her blue eyes really were astonishing. He also liked that she controlled her features and could tell she was ready to defend herself if needed.
"Most don't even remember your clan, even though we literally have the Uzumaki symbol on our insignia. Many are still alive who were around during the third war when Whirlpool was destroyed, even our Jonin-Sensei was a part of that war," Sasuke said.
Naruko was a bit surprised he knew that. Her breath hitched and she was hyper aware how close he was to her.
"I'll admit I was wrong about you during our academy years, Naruko. You aren't some wannabe kunoichi. You're the strongest kunoichi in our year. I wouldn't be surprised if you were already one of the strongest in the village," Sasuke said.
"Then why leave? You've seen how strong I am. I can help you with getting your brother. What he did is terrible and can't be forgiven," she pleaded.
"That's why I want you to come with me. If we go together… I'll be able to return once we deal with my traitor of brother. I don't know if that will be possible if I go alone," Sasuke said with a slight bit of emotion in his voice as he put a little distance between them. Her blue eyes were too intense and so was her wonderful scent, even when mixed with sweat.
"Can't you move on a little at least? Show him, by not letting his actions control your life," Naruko said.
"I want to. I want to more than anything, Naruko. I know how I acted, but really… I felt the closest connection to you. I wanted to take you up on your many offers of friendship. But I'm haunted by what he did. Haunted every night. I can't rest or move on until he gets what he deserves. I'll get strong enough to deal with him myself. I'd rather you were there as well though and getting stronger by my side. Itachi wouldn't stand a chance with both of us," he said.
"We're a team, Sasuke. We can all work together," Naruko said.
"I wish that was true. I meant what I told her. Sad as it is, Sakura really is the weakest member of our team, if not year. She can't even get over obsessing about me. You casually mentioned that was the one thing holding her back. She won't let go of it though. She's only getting worse the longer I'm around. She hasn't changed since the academy and all of the rest of us have substantially. You especially," he said.
Naruko couldn't refute that.
"Can we talk to Jiji? Get him to assign us a long-term special mission? Track down and deal with your brother. We can train together and roam the hidden countries. We can get stronger that way. We won't have Lazy Sensei holding us back. I don't want to turn traitor to the village. We can't change it that way. I don't want to lose you…" Naruko said fighting back tears while keeping focused.
"Would that even work?" Sasuke asked. He looked away not wanting to see her tears. Her blue eyes shouldn't ever have them.
"It would. I'll pull out all of the stops to make sure it does. I'll even tell him I know who my father really is," Naruko said as she stepped closer to him.
"Why would that matter?" Sasuke asked as he looked back at her.
"If I correctly use that leverage, if even needed, it will work. He might not be happy about it, but we would still be loyal ninjas and have the freedom needed to track Itachi," Naruko said.
"Who is your father?" Sasuke asked. Her parents were always a big mystery.
"That's something I'll tell you later, but only if you let me try things my way first," she said coyly.
"Hnn," he said in thought.
Naruko smiled as she shook her head. She was probably the only girl in all of Konoha who learned to understand what each and every 'Hnn' Sasuke used meant. It really was so weird how things played out in life. They couldn't stand each other in the academy, and here they were both admitting the other was the person they were closest to in life.
She wasn't going to say it out loud, but Naruko felt they might actually have love for each other. That would be a hoot. The girl Sasuke bickered with the most in the academy. The girl he called names almost all the time. The only girl who didn't have a crush on him and wasn't a part of the Sasuke fan Club. (Hinata was, but she wasn't as overboard as the others.) To think, she was the one he actually cared about the most.
"Fine…" Sasuke said after a moment. "You can't mention my plans to him if this doesn't work," he said.
"I won't," she said smiling.
"I still don't know about this…" he said to her in worry.
Naruko nodded to herself. "Take this," she said to him as she handed over a paper with a seal on it.
"What is it?" Sasuke asked.
"Think of it as gesture of trust. That seal will get you out of Konoha. Use it if this goes south… I'll still track you down and haul your ass back here if you leave," Naruko said with that slight smirk she had that was ridiculously cute.
"Hnnn," Sasuke said shaking his head in amusement. He didn't doubt she would.
"But…," she started. "It will at least give you a head start to begin hunting your brother. I've always seen us as similar in a way, but I'll admit I've no idea what it's like to lose your whole family to the hands of your brother," she said in understanding.
"I've felt the same way. I don't know what it's like to not have a family in the first place, or to be so hated by the villagers," Sasuke said as they went to the Hokage's office to give Naruko's plan a try.
Sasuke had his doubts, but if anyone could manage this… It was Naruko, the most surprising Kunoichi in Konoha. He would also admit she was the prettiest one too. If this worked out… he wouldn't be surprised if they stayed together for the rest of their lives.
[-] [-] [-]
Hermione gave an enchanting laugh, something she never thought would be possible, as she walked the halls of Beauxbatons with her best friend. They became friends back in second year. That was three years ago now.
Naruko, her best friend, was originally going to Hogwarts as well. That was until she heard about the problems the school had, especially when it came to Defense professors. Naruko saw Defense Against the Dark Arts as the most important class. She felt having to settle for substandard professors, who never stayed longer than a year, really reflected on the poor quality of your education as a whole. At Beauxbatons, their Defense professor was serving his 12th year. To Naruko, that meant it was a much better school.
Hermione was actually surprised she was best friends with Naruko. The blonde girl was so very pretty and very much what you would picture when it came to the 'popular' girl. She was very popular with the guys and even some girls. She was rather smart too, if in a more practical wanner. Naruko was very talkative and had the deepest blue eyes Hermione had ever seen on someone.
If that wasn't pretty enough, Naruko had three whisker marks on each cheek. It was a family trait. The girl also had really long and lovely yellow blonde hair she usually wore in twin tails. It was a style usually seen as 'immature', but it worked wonders with Naruko and came off as 'hot and sexy'.
"I still can't believe Draco Malfoy transferred here last year," Naruko said with a shake of her head.
"I can understand it. Both of us chose Beauxbatons over Hogwarts. I don't find it that surprising even their own students do the same," Hermione said.
"I get that. I just didn't even know it was possible to change magic schools in the middle of your schooling years," Naruko said.
"Well… It is uncommon, but the international charter for magical education allows it. The fact he's from a very prominent family, probably helped," Hermione said.
Naruko giggled. "You mean very rich," she said.
"It is more or less the same thing," Hermione said.
"True enough. That's probably why they were able to ensure the things they did before fleeing France during the eleventh century, have never since seen the light of day," Naruko giggled.
"Yet… Almost everyone knows of it," Hermione said giving another enchanting laugh as Naruko joined her.
"It is too bad though. He is handsome, but his family's beliefs leave much to be desired," Naruko said.
"Maybe Draco will be enamored enough by a pretty girl to change them," Hermione said with a snicker looking to Naruko.
Naruko rolled her eyes playfully. "I wouldn't try hinting such things, Hermione. It is more likely you're to be the target of his affections," she said mischievously.
Hermione paused and just stared at Naruko. Naruko giggled at her expression. Hermione shook her head. She didn't believe it, but Naruko many times said she was one of the prettiest girls in their year.
Hermione would admit she changed a lot, but that was too far. Her hair was less an all-out mess and more of a sexy mess, but it was still a mess. Naruko's was so silky. Hermione did have smooth skin and a healthy figure, but Naruko's skin was smoother. Naruko also had a figure that was the envy of many girls. One afternoon Fleur Delacour actually asked Naruko if she too was part Veela.
[-] [-] [-]
"Fred…" Fred said to George.
"Yes, Forge?" George replied.
"How did we end up with another Prefect in the family?" Fred asked.
"I can't tell you, Forge. I've been wondering the same thing… Have we failed as older brothers?" George asked.
Fred gave an exaggerated sigh. "Maybe…" he said.
"Oi. Do I need to give you two extra practice?" Ron asked with a frown.
"You know… thinking about it… I don't think we did. I'd say we succeeded. He is the Quidditch Captain as well after all," George said.
Fred gave a sage like nod. "He has his priorities right," Fred said.
Ron shook his head as Ginny giggled. Ron could put up with their teasing, but it was still fun getting back at them like that. He was pretty sure they were just jealous. He was dating Lavender Brown after all, and had been since last year. She was the hottest girl in their year and one of the hottest at Hogwarts. He was the envy of more than a few guys because of that.
On top of that, he was best mates with Harry Potter. After he got Harry more used to the magical world and undid all the Dursleys did to him, Harry was even cooler than before! Ron had almost lost count of how many adventures they'd been on. That was before adding the ones Headmaster Dumbledore assigned them in secret. They were ensuring the Death Eaters never rose again.
He was a little miffed at times Harry was dating his sister Ginny, but Ron had to admit there wasn't a better bloke for her. Harry could protect her with ease and he treated her right. It was also like a dream come true for Ginny, especially once she got to know the real Harry Potter instead of 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'.
The only sour spot on their year was Hermione. She wasn't as bad as she was when they were younger, but she was always lecturing people about studying more. She got a little bossy at times, but Harry usually set her right by better explaining something he called tact to her. When you wanted help with something, Hermione was usually the go to witch. She never did the work for you or anything like that, but she would point you in the right direction. She wasn't too bad looking now, which had got her a few fans oddly enough.
Draco Malfoy gave a scoff to them. Ron and Harry looked to him with raised eyebrows. "When I tell my father…" he drawled out.
"Tell him what?" Ron asked in challenge as he stood next to Harry.
"Yeah. Tell him what? How you lost Slytherin the Quidditch match and cup this year in just the first game? Tell him how a muggleborn girl is beating you academically in every class with ease? Or maybe how you keep annoying the heir to House Potter? Everyone knows its much more important and wealthier than House Malfoy," Harry said.
"I didn't lose the match!" Draco shouted.
"Yeah you did. Everyone knows you have to win the first match of the year by at least 400 points to even stand a chance against Gryffindor under my watch," Ron said with a smirk. Everyone laughed to that, even a couple of the Slytherins.
Draco turned red and stormed off crying "I'm telling my daddy on you!"
Harry chuckled again. "Really… To think, he actually thought I would shake his hand back in first year on the train. You got him good even then," he said to Ron.
Ron grinned. "Well he is a Malfoy… Everyone knows they're the biggest overgrown blood purist babies," he said.
"Yep… We definitely did our jobs as older brothers," the twins said before laughing to each other. Ron shook his head, but chuckled as well.
[-] [-] [-]
"Whoa! You were right about Quidditch being the best sport ever!" Dudley said with a cheer.
"Yeah. That was really something! I'm on my house's team, but that's nothing compared to this. I've never fully appreciated watching a match before today. I've always wished I was playing a match instead," Harry said with a grin.
"I can't believe they move that fast…" Aunt Petunia said in disbelief.
"I can't believe you were able to keep up with the match the whole time! You even saw the snitch three times before the pros did," Dudley said.
"That actually happens more often than not. Flying up there is amazing and wonderful! It's also a bit chaotic at times. A good Seeker listens to the game commentary as well, just in case something like that happens," Harry explained.
"Ha! That's our Harry for you. Already able to give out pro tips on the sport's most important position," Vernon said with a good-hearted chuckle.
"I wish we could go and see a Hogwarts match at least once," Dudley said.
"I'm surprised you can't. I know there's the whole Statute of Secrecy thing, but immediate family and guardians are an exception to that. That's why we all could come and watch this game together. Every other school allows family to watch games. Hogwarts should as well," Harry said.
"Perhaps something you can get changed one day. You've always talked about how smart Hermione is. I can see her being a magical lawyer or something," Dudley said.
"That's a good idea, Dudley," Harry said.
"I get them from time to time," Dudley joked as Harry laughed.
[-] [-] [-]
"I can't believe my vessel is falling for this…" Kyuubi rumbled to himself.
Then again it probably wasn't too surprising. Naruko had never been good with things like Genjutsu and this was more directly effective then Genjutsu. Still…
"She should have realized something was up the moment she was put on a team with Sasuke and Sakura. Not to mention actually having romantic feelings for the Uchiha Bastard," the Kyuubi scoffed.
The nine-tailed fox then gave a large grin. It came up with a plan. It would be fun to see her freak out about the living dream. He might get a bonus if his chakra caused other problems as well.
"How about a little taste," the Kyuubi chuckled as it pumped chakra into Naruko's system.
[-] [-] [-]
Naruko suddenly felt really hot. She shouldn't, considering their surroundings… Where was she anyways?
Naruko blinked and looked around. She seemed bigger… More grown up. It was like she had the form she took when she did that Sexy no Jutsu as a dare from her teammates.
"No… I'm on team seven with Sakura and Sasuke," she thought.
Naruko shook her head. That wasn't right. She was on team 20! She didn't even graduate with Sakura and Sasuke. They would have done so just recently.
"Are you alright? Naruko-chan?" Sasuke asked with concern in his dark eyes. That was one of her favorite features about him…
"No… This is wrong…" Naruko said shaking her head. She was twelve and at Hogwarts for her first year! Sasuke hated her. She hated him.
"Are the twins kicking again?" Sasuke asked as he placed a hand in her hair. He always loved her yellow blonde hair.
"Babies?!" Naruko asked in surprise. She looked down and gasped. She was like super pregnant! What the hell?!
Naruko then tried to focus. She felt energy around her. It was that really hot energy. This had to be Genjutsu or something. She focused on it and formed a hand sign as she shouted with all her might, "Kai!"
"Kai! Kai! Kai!" she tried again. Everything seemed to waver but returned to place… This must be something more. Genjutsus didn't usually withstand her chakra flare.
She concentrated more. She focused on the area around her, much to a bewildered Sasuke's confusion. There had to be something… Something off. Something that was an anchor.
"Everything is so different! I'm not old enough to be starting a family. There is no way you would dare even think about having sex with me. You wouldn't think about doing it with anyone," Naruko said with a glare at Sasuke.
Sasuke blinked, but didn't reply. The world seemed to fizzle though. Naruko got an idea.
"Where are Harry, Hermione, and Ron?!" she asked.
"Who?" Sasuke asked as he tilted his head at an odd angle.
"I'm at Hogwarts! I'm not even in the ninja world currently," she said.
"You're making no sense, Naruko-chan," Sasuke said.
"You've never called me that. You always called be Dobe or Wannabe Kunoichi, even after I graduated from the academy before you," Naruko said assertively.
She flared her chakra again when everything seemed to fizzle. This time everything shattered around her.
[-] [-] [-]
Naruko gave a groan as she came too. She looked around the empty brightly lit room. She blinked and focused as she stood up. She wanted to make sure she didn't fall victim to whatever that was again.
Naruko gave a shiver. "Married to Sasuke and having his kids?! What the hell?!" she said with a grimace. That would be a terrible marriage. Every morning it would be:
"Morning, Dobe."
"Moring, Uchiha Bastard."
"Planning on being a wannabe kunoichi today?"
"Planning on scowling and annoyingly saying Hnn today?"
It would be a really bad sitcom about a couple that hates each other but still married for some reason. It would have one of those obnoxious laugh tracks too, not even the ones that are tolerable. It would probably have an annoying neighbor that had some kind of stupid catch phrase that the fake crowd would cheer to hear.
She shivered again as memories of her... intimate time... with Sasuke came back to her. She hated how he played perfectly to her sexual desires. She must be really horny... It wasn't easy getting privacy in the dorm room. She could just close her curtains, but when she opened them again everyone would probably know what she had been up to in her bed. Kunoichis were shameless, if not slighty slutty, but there were limits.
"Focus. Need to get the others free," she said to herself as a way to get her mind off of things.
She hoped she could get them free. Maybe if she first tried a super charged version of her chakra disruption technique. It was sometimes easier to get someone else out of a Genjutsu then yourself.
"Who first?" she asked herself with a sigh.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry gave a stretch and got up. He was excited about today. His girlfriend from Hogwarts was finally ready to meet the Dursleys. It was a big step for them both. It showed how serious they were.
"Phew… Seems to be a little extra warm, even for summer," Harry thought as he tried to fan himself with the collar of his night shirt.
Harry went downstairs and was surprised to be the last one for a change. He usually got up early compared to Dudley and Vernon. "Something wrong?" he asked with a yawn.
"It's too hot…" groaned Dudley from his spot at the table. He was wearing his sleeping clothes.
"A bit eager to meet this girlfriend of yours. I ended up waking early," Uncle Vernon said in his bathrobe.
"Nothing wrong with me. You know I always get up first to start the day," Aunt Petunia said in her own bathrobe.
Harry was about to sit down when suddenly there was a ringing of the doorbell.
"She's early…" Harry said as he looked towards the door.
"Only by a few minutes, why are you still standing on the stairs?" Uncle Vernon asked. He was dressed in slacks with a polo shirt and holding the evening paper.
"Should I get the door?" Dudley asked. He was wearing jeans and a Weird Sisters shirt Harry got him. He put down the book Quidditch Through the Ages. Dudley really loved the sport, even if he could only watch it.
"No. Harry should get the door. We'll be waiting in the parlor. That way you two can take the time you need to get ready," Aunt Petunia said as she led the others to the parlor. She was wearing a light blue dress and heels.
Harry blinked in thought to that. He could have sworn it was just morning. Harry looked down and saw he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt. Harry seemed to try and clear his head. He took in a deep breath before opening the door.
Everything was really hot and bright white. Then suddenly it was just bright white.
[-] [-] [-]
"What?!" Harry asked as his shout echoed around the empty room. He frowned as he looked down and realized he was his shrimpy self again and sighed.
"Guess I wasn't the only one who was an older version of themselves," Naruko said.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"I think we all fell for Professor Flitwick's trap. That had to be a lot of charm work to show us a different reality," she said.
"Yeah…" Harry said with a frown. He really wished the Dursleys were that nice in real life.
"On to Ron and Hermione," Naruko said with a stretch. It took a lot more chakra to do this than she thought. It could be they were under for a really long time too. Maybe there were some side effects from her faux pregnancy with twins… She would like a family like that one day. Just not with Sasuke... ever!
"Anything I can do?" Harry asked.
"Not this time… I'm getting you all up using my chakra to disrupt the spell," Naruko said.
Harry nodded and sighed again as he stood up and stretched.
[-] [-] [-]
"That was amazing! I never knew how great a play using magic could be," Naruko said as she gave a loving smile and looked up to her date.
A tall young man with auburn hair and blue eyes gave a chuckle as he said, "I'm glad to hear that, but I have to give credit to Draco. It was his idea for us to go on a double date tonight."
Draco gave a chuckle as he said, "You and I both know our girlfriends are pretty much inseparable. It was also Hermione's idea we go see a magical play." He gave his own date a charming smile.
Hermione gave a giggle and replied, "Well, Naruko does need to experience some form of culture." She giggled a little more and added, "I also wanted to actually see Naruko dress up for a change apart from our uniforms."
Draco, Hermione and Grant, Naruko's date, all three laughed good-naturedly. Naruko playfully pouted before she gave a grin. "I do make dressing up look good," she said.
Naruko was wearing a red dress and black fishnet stockings with red heels. She also had her hair down tonight as well. Her boyfriend Grant graduated last year. They started dating last year and kept up a long-distance relationship throughout this year.
"Though… Hermione makes it look good too," Naruko said shooting her best friend a smile.
Hermione blushed a little in response. She was wearing a periwinkle blue dress with grey heels. She also wore her favorite silver necklace. Draco gave it to her as a birthday present. She wore red lipstick and the right amount of blush and eye shadow as well. Naruko actually taught her how to use make-up properly.
Her hair was no longer a frizzy mess, nor was it a sexy mess. Her hair was a dark brown curtain of lush elegant curls. Now, her mom was the jealous one. Hermione didn't even really have to try and 'enhance' it with magic either.
"I'm just glad the night isn't over yet," Hermione said with a lovely smile.
The four were standing outside of a fine wizarding establishment. It was so much better than the likes of Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron. Magical France wasn't 300 plus years behind when it came to architecture. They also didn't see Dingy as a preferable décor choice.
"I must thank you for this suggestion, Grant," Draco said to him. He then wrapped an arm around Hermione a little possessively and pulled her closer. "However, I feel this is where we part company for the night," Draco said as he gave her that charming smile of his.
Hermione blushed, but smiled brightly. They also started dating last year, but the romance of their relationship was still very much alive and felt fresh in all of the best ways. It really was something though. Hermione never would have guessed she would be in a relationship with Draco, especially because of his family's past.
Grant gave a chuckle as Naruko smiled and non to subtly nestled his arm between her breasts. "I think you're right there, Draco. My Naru-chan is very greedy when it comes to attention at times," he said.
"Like you've ever disliked that about me," Naruko said. She laughed and dragged her boyfriend into the place so they could get a table. Grant just laughed brightly and went with her. Hermione giggled, but couldn't blame him. She knew what it was like to have Naruko drag you off somewhere.
It wasn't long until Hermione and Draco were sitting at a table and nursing drinks. The place really was beautiful. There was lovely music playing in the background and the chatter wasn't too bad either. There was the odd cute Naruko sound that seemed to reach a little every so often.
Draco shook his head. "She really doesn't know she makes those noises, does she?" he asked.
Hermione giggled and shook her head. "She's always made them. If she did know she made such noises, they wouldn't be cute Naruko noises," she said as they both laughed.
"I really am glad my mother and I moved here before fourth year," Draco said.
"I'm both glad, and a little sad. It really is terrible about your father," Hermione said with a look of sorrow.
"I used to think he was best and he was right about everything. Luckily, that changed and once my mother and I came here, I learned more about my family. My father was an insult to the Malfoy family name, in every way," he said.
He gave a laugh. "I did find something funny recently," he started.
"Oh? In what way?" Hermione asked with a slight grin.
"Literally and ironically," he said.
"Do tell," Hermione insisted.
"It turns out my family wasn't opposed to keeping the magical and muggle worlds apart after all. They only acted that way after we moved to Britain," Draco said.
"Really? I do remember Naruko mentioning something about your family's past," she said.
"It is true. We never really married muggles, but we never had a problem with marrying half-bloods or muggle-borns," he said.
"To think, your family claimed to be pure blood all of these years," Hermione said.
"Oh, but we are," Draco said with a slight smirk.
"How so?" Hermione asked.
"There's a reason people will say they've been pure blood for a number of generations," he started.
"I'm not very familiar with the blood purity thing. It isn't popular here," Hermione said.
"And it really shouldn't be I've realized for a while now. The truth is if both sets of grandparents are magical, then you are a pure blood. All of the pure blood families in Britain, even the extremists, have muggles and/or muggle-borns in their family more than a few times if you go back enough," Draco said.
"Figures they would be rather hypocritical," Hermione said.
Draco nodded to that. "What I discovered that was funny, is my family were huge proponents against the Statute of Secrecy. They had their own selfish reasons for it, but they didn't want magical society keeping away from muggle society. I even discovered one of my ancestors tried to court Elizabeth the first," he said.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh out loud to that. She almost snorted out her drink she was laughing so much.
Draco chuckled. "As you obviously realized, he was not successful in his attempts," he said as they continued their date.
It was a very lovely and enchanting night. She was very much looking forward to where the night would lead. She never admitted it to anyone, apart from Naruko, but being with Draco, she felt she was living a romance novel. It was one of those novels when it came to their private time with each other.
Hermione eventually excused herself to the ladies' room. Once Hermione opened the door to the restroom, everything turned white.
[-] [-] [-]
Hermione blinked a few times. Her cheeks were blushing. She looked down at herself and reached back to her hair. "Awww…" she whined as she frowned.
"That disappointed to be back to real life?" Naruko asked.
Hermione sighed. "A little," she said. Then her eyes widened. "Okay… Maybe I just wish I somehow kept the hair from my dreams," she said.
"Eeeeewwww with Draco?!" she almost screamed inside her head. There were limits, even when it came to fantasies. She refused to barf like she wanted to at least.
[-] [-] [-]
Ron stood up as his name was called. He made his way to the stage where the professor table usually was. As he walked up, a number of people clapped and cheered.
Harry even got a number of people to cheer, "Weasley is our King! Weasley is our King! Weasley is our King!" Ron threw a fist in the air as everyone cheered. Everyone but the Slytherins, that is. Ron gave Draco a smirk as the slicked back blonde glared at him and looked like he was about to go crying to daddy again.
It was actually Draco who started the Weasley is our King chant. Back in sixth year during the opening Quidditch match, Ron let Slytherin win the game by 600 points. Draco thought his weak attempt at a ritual actually worked and Ron could no longer keep Slytherin from scoring. In truth, it was all a big prank on Slytherin.
Gryffindor won all of their other games, including the rematch against Slytherin for the cup. Slytherin didn't score a single goal that game. Gryffindor won by 800 points just to show they got them good with the prank.
When Draco asked about this, Ron shrugged and said, "I wanted some excitement for a change in Quidditch." He then gave an obviously over exaggerated yawn before adding, "I get tired of always winning so much and by so many points."
Ron received his Hogwarts diploma as several cameras took photos. Ron was the Head Boy and Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. He even ended up scoring the highest of the boys in his year. on exams Several people cheered and Ron tossed his hat in the air as most of the attending graduates copied his gesture.
Once he stepped down, Ron was immediately grabbed by two girls. Both of them kissed each of his cheeks at the same time. On his left side, was Lavender Brown. She was the most popular girl in Hogwarts. On his right side, was Daphne Greengrass. She was the famous Slytherin Ice Queen. Ron knew Daphne was very affectionate and far from icy in private. This was still an unusual public display of affection on her part.
Due to some laws in the wizarding world, he was actually going to be marrying both of them. All of the Slytherins and Pure Blood Idiots were completely jealous of him. He didn't even have to worry about that marriage contract business when it came to Daphne Greengrass. She was the prize of prizes when it came to Pure Blood Witches.
Harry came over and clasped Ron on his shoulder. Ginny was, as always, by his side. "Can't believe we made it," Harry said.
"I know. Think about how it's been seven years," Ron said.
"So… Did you take up that offer?" Harry asked a little cryptically as all three girls huffed and rolled their eyes. Harry and Ron chuckled at that. It was so much fun teasing them like that. They might get a little mad at times, but their tunes would quickly change in the bedroom.
"I did. It would be stupid not to take it up," Ron said with a confident smile.
"Oh? Are you two talking about your Ministry desk job?" Fred asked with a smirk.
"I think they are. And we thought Ron was saved," George said shaking his head in mock disappointment. He and Fred were wearing the most ridiculous and ostentatious suits ever seen. It was perfect for the two joke store owners.
"Think what you want," Ron said with a chuckle. They no longer got to him when it came to this stuff, but this was too much fun.
The desk job was just a cover. Harry actually tossed around an interesting idea last year when they finished a mission and were talking to Headmaster Dumbledore. He wondered why it was Magical Britain didn't have an International intelligence gathering secret agency like Muggle Britain did. He even said the things they did were exactly like what it would do and more.
Dumbledore agreed it was a good idea and he started setting it up last year. Harry and Ron were both offered positions in the new Magical Intelligence Agency. A few well known Aurors were also a part of it now. They were Aurors the two of them had worked with before on missions. The coolest part is Harry and Ron were going to be the top agents right from the start.
"I think the graduation party is about ready," Harry said.
"We should go," Ron said. He then gave a charming smirk and said, "Ladies." Daphne and Lavender both grabbed an arm and rested it between their wonderful breasts. Ron liked it when they did this.
Harry gave a chuckle as he offered and arm to Ginny. She happily took it.
As soon as they opened the doors to leave, everything went white.
[-] [-] [-]
Ron blinked and frowned. "Awww man… That wasn't real?" he asked.
Naruko gave a giggle. "Sorry. But it wasn't," she said in a playful voice.
"Stupid room. Let's get out of here," Ron said with a huff.
"Yeah. We were held up long enough," Harry said as he opened the doors to leave.
A/N: Yeah… Sorry for the long chapter. I make a point of never simply repeating the obstacles to the stone. I might have gotten carried away with this one though. The whole gauntlet thing will end next chapter.
