Harry was starting to almost feel optimistic that they might be able to hold out long enough for help to get to Hogsmeade. Then Professor Northstein made a horrible wet gasping noise as something hit him through his defense and Harry scrambled to get an arm under him as the man started to slump over. He was taller than Harry and quite a bit thicker all around. But Harry planted his feet and did his best to keep them both up and moving, even though it sent a horrible ripping pain all up and down his own side. They had to stay on their feet. As soon as one of them went down, that was going to be it for that person. There were too many of them and Harry was getting desperate. He had thought for a moment there that he could manage this one again. He was outnumbered, but sometimes being cornered was what made you desperate enough to get through. But then more of them had arrived and Harry had wanted to scream in frustration. How was he supposed to withstand this?

And then Sasuke and Naruto arrived.

They both appeared in the same way they did everything else. Naruto came running in, yelling and plowing into the closest person to him and taking them down with a distinctive crack of broken bones. Harry would have cheered, but he didn't have the space or air left to do anything but try to hold his own. Naruto might be terrorizing those on the periphery, but there were still plenty of trained dark wizards between them and it was only a matter of time before they realized just how dangerous Naruto was and went after him with something more advanced than some slicing curses.

It wasn't until Sasuke came darting in, silent and swift as ever, that Harry started to hope. There were three of them now. It didn't matter if Naruto and Sasuke didn't have magic. They were far more clever than most people Harry met and without a doubt more violent. It was going to be enough to get them out of this, Harry just knew it. They'd done okay together before, hadn't they?

Northstein was gasping painfully but he was still managing to keep up a steady stream of blasting hexes and other curses that forced their opponents to keep their distance. He'd stopped casting shielding charms though, and Harry was struggling to keep up steady coverage for both of them and hold his own offensively. The Professor was getting heavier and they needed to get out of here now and get help or Harry didn't know what was going to happen. He was just considering doing something very, very stupid when there was a sucking pulling feeling of the world trying to pull itself one direction only to get pushed out sharply as something that wasn't there a moment before suddenly was. Harry jerked back instinctively, faced with a rippling black cloak. Too close. He had his wand up, the first spell he could think of halfway done, but at this close it was going to catch them both in its wake.

A hand grabbed his tightly below the elbow and twisted to the side and up and something tore horribly. Harry gasped, high pitched and choked off at the end, as he struggled to keep his grip on his wand even as the muscles needed were mangled horrible.

He dropped Professor Northstein. It wasn't a conscious thought, so much as the awareness that if he didn't do something fast with his one good arm, neither of them were going to survive this. But no sooner had he let the other man go then there was the sharp jerking motion like being in a car that was going too fast, only to slam on the brakes. Except so much more.

Harry didn't stumble so much as it felt like he was only saved from having been flung to the ground by the tight painful grip on his arm. He tried to twist free, even as he felt that bizarre jerking sensation happen again. It wasn't as nauseating as side-along Apparition, but it pulled on every joint and muscle Harry had, and every hurt flared to life again as bad as ever. By the fourth jump, Harry was struggling to fight back black spots from his vision and was seriously concerned that something in his leg and arm might be permanently damaged. But he didn't stop trying to twist free. Over the years, Harry had more than once managed to wiggle his way free from people like Dudley and his friends, Slytherins and Devil's Snare, and even Dark Lords and nin. He knew how to fight his way free. But no matter what he tried, he couldn't shake that grip that seemed to bite into his flesh.

That didn't mean he stopped trying. If there was one thing life at Hogwarts had taught Harry, it was that you weren't dead until you stopped trying. And finally, something seemed to work. His arm slipped free, fabric twisting and almost catching, but the momentum of whatever spell or jutsu this was helped pull him fully clear. Unfortunately, it also sent him stumbling back, disorientated, and trying to catch himself. His knee buckled. He couldn't lock it well enough to keep his ankle from twisting and the whole thing sent him tumbling to the ground. The fall rattled his bones, lighting up each over-strained muscle and bruise with pain, but he did his best to roll with it. It wasn't graceful, by any stretch of the imagination. But rolling got him further away from danger, and the momentum helped him force himself back up to his feet. And he never lost his grip on his wand.

The whole horrible disorienting experience finally ended with him half standing, half crouched over. Most of his attention was taken up by trying to pant through the pain, but he had his wand up and ready as he tried to figure out what the hell had just happened to him now.

Where he had previously been boxed in on one of Hogsmeade's narrow stone streets, he was now standing on the gentle swell of a hill. There was grass beneath his feet, only lightly dusted with what looked like frost instead of snow. The land sloped down behind him to a small trickle of water and there was a field stretching out in front of him about the width of two or three Quidditch pitches. Trees lined the far side, but they didn't look very thick. Not a proper forest. But it was enough that there wasn't a bit of civilization to be seen in any direction. He had no idea where he was. Was this land still considered part of the wizarding world, or had he been dropped in some field out behind a factory or along an unseen motorway?

How isolated was he? Because he was going to need help and need it fast. The muscles along his rib cage and hip on his bad side kept spasming and he could feel that it was wet and warm all along that side. He'd gotten knocked about the head at some point – either by a piece of falling roof or someone's hex, he wasn't sure. It wasn't bleeding too bad but it hurt something fierce and he had a feeling there shouldn't be the faint ringing in his ears or the wobbliness.

The worst part, however, was the nin standing across from him.

He had to be Itachi Uchiha. Harry had only seen him the once, in his Aunt's front garden as everything had gone to hell. It hadn't been the clearest look. In fact, at the time he'd been more frightened by Sasuke and his friends showing up on his doorstep. He'd barely gotten a glance at Itachi before he'd been running for cover and dodging jutsus. And it wasn't exactly like Sasuke kept pictures of the guy around the house.

But Harry recognized that hair. And the general shape of the face. And most importantly, the eyes.

Harry had never gotten used to the sharingan. Sasuke had explained what it was, why it was useful and even demonstrated on several occasions. But it still made Harry's skin crawl to see his cousin with red eyes.

And that was nothing compared to seeing a mass murder with them.

This was the man that had killed all of Sasuke's family. And, incidentally, all of the family Harry hadn't known he had had until after they were gone.

And this was the man that very much wanted Harry dead.

"Please don't try to run," he told Harry in a surprisingly quiet voice. "It will only make this unnecessarily unpleasant."

Wouldn't want that, now would they? But Harry had learned when to poke the tiger and when to keep his mouth shut. Some people were easily distracted and would become flustered and make mistakes if prodded. Others just got violent. Harry wasn't sure if Itachi would be the latter but he was fairly certain he would never be the former.

"What do you want?" Harry demanded. Because he wasn't dead yet, which seemed to suggest this man actually wanted something from him other than just to kill him. And Harry had a sinking suspicion it was something that was not going to end well for his cousin. Harry had lost sight of him in the scuffle, but he had to believe that the other boy was fine. And probably furious to have lost Harry. Which was fine. Sasuke could be as furious and as unpleasant as he wanted once Harry got back. Harry would be more than happy to let him. Once they were both well behind some good wards.

"To talk," Itachi replied.

Harry shifted his weight. His knee kept threatening to give out on him and the slight incline wasn't doing him any favors. Itachi was right in that running wasn't going to do him any good. Even on a good day, Harry never had a chance of beating a nin in a race. The best he'd ever managed was drawing out a game of cat and mouse when he had places to hide and they weren't trying too hard. On an open field like this, running was just going to get Harry killed. Keeping calm and looking for his best opening was his only shot. Spells were faster than jutsus and Harry was very fast at magic.

If Itachi wanted to talk, then that's what they could do for a while. Until Harry came up with something better. "Right," he replied slowly. "Talking. You know, the last time I saw you I didn't get the impression that talking was all you wanted to do."

Itachi shrugged. It was a very minimalistic kind of movement that barely even ruffled the cloak he was wearing, but it still felt very pointed and dramatic. A performance that he wanted to be sure Harry saw. "We also did not have the opportunity to talk, did we?"

Harry snorted but kept his opinions to himself. Things had happened so very fast that day, but he was pretty sure Itachi had started it. And made an unholy mess out of his Aunt's beloved flower beds. Maybe, if Harry was lucky and stalled long enough, his cousin would manage to come swooping in the way he had last time. Arrive just in the nick of time and blow everything up as much as possible until they were able to escape. Sure, they might not always agree on how to approach a problem or on personal boundaries, but for something like this? Harry would love to have Sasuke's particular brand of problem solving.

Itachi watched him silently for a moment. He had to guess Harry was stalling but he also didn't seem to be in a rush to move things along. In fact, Harry was almost worried there was something Itachi was looking for, something Harry didn't know he knew, but something Harry might accidentally give away. It made him even more nervous and not just terrified.

"Things have changed since then, have they not," Itachi finally declared. It wasn't really a question but it left Harry scrambling to try to think of how. "Or rather," Itachi continued, "what I know of the situation has changed. I wonder if your understanding has as well." He paused, still watching Harry closely. Harry wasn't sure what to make of that or what expression he was supposed to have in return. His understanding was fairly straight forward and he didn't think there was much else to know about any of it. And he doubted there was anything Itachi could have to say that would change his mind about anything. Murder tended to be very straight forward, after all. And Merlin only knew what exactly this mad man expected him to say back.

But then Itachi seemed to disregard that conversation entirely, launching into a new one with no warning. "My dear little brother has been trying to teach you chakra. How has that been going?" he asked, with the same polite tone of voice normal strangers used to ask Harry how his studies or quidditch were going that year. Harry had always found those questions frustrating. No one really wanted to hear about how he was struggling to keep up with his school work and balance whatever disaster was happening that year. They only asked because they wanted to force Harry to talk to them, regardless of if he had anything to say or not. But getting that question from a crazed nin – that was a whole new level of unsettling.

Particularly since so few people had known about it to begin with.

"How did you find out about that?" Harry demanded back. They had been careful! That hadn't wanted anyone to know that Team 7 had something other than magic. They certainly hadn't wanted anyone to know that Harry was trying to learn it. The only people who had any idea were Ron and Hermione and a very small number of Order members.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and said nothing back.

Which was bullshit. Harry had been around Sasuke enough to know when he was trying to gaslight the hell out of someone. Nin didn't just magically know something. They might be very, very good at finding things out secretly, but that was all just tricks and other methods meant to make it look like they were omniscient or something. And that look – that look was very much Sasuke trying to be a smug bastard about something.

"No one would have told you," Harry said. "So you must have found out some other way." Except the wards should have kept Itachi out. They were designed not to let strangers in. Even parents had to enter a certain way, or else the school would have been overrun with nosy, busy-body parents. There was no way Itachi just waltzed in. Even if they still didn't know how he had gotten through the wards on Harry's Aunt's house. At the very least, one of the teachers would have noticed or Harry would have spotted him on the Marauder's map. Harry had been using the map so much these days, he probably knew what everyone was up to. There was no way Itachi had evaded all of their magic. Even Team 7, that had been working with Harry for months, hadn't managed anything close to that. They were good at working around magic these days, and they have a very good working knowledge of what its limits were, but they couldn't completely undo it.

Itachi continued not to answer. He also continued not to say anything. It was like he was trying to make it clear that this whole conversation was only going to go the way he wanted and nothing else. Harry scowled, frustrated, but what else could he do? Even at full strength, he wasn't going to escape easily. And as hard as he tried to hear or see anything that might be of help or even hint to where they were, there was nothing. They could be anywhere in Great Britain. Anywhere in Europe. Hell, who knows how far Itachi could take him? For all he knew, they were already back in nin country.

Harry bit at the inside of his cheek. He couldn't run, he didn't know where he was. He had his wand and a few choice spells he wouldn't mind getting to use, but as soon as he started that, this was all going to be over with very quickly. He might manage to be fast enough. He might not. He knew how to take that leap when needed but this waiting was so much harder. If he attacked – if he forced Itachi's hand – he might lose the only chance he had for rescue. But standing there doing nothing was slowly driving him insane. His body hurt. It was easier to ignore when you just had to keep moving, but holding still, trying not to look threatening but being tense and ready to move at a moment's notice… He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up.

"I was surprised to see you back here," Itachi told him. When Harry stared back at him in confusion, Itachi did something almost like a smile gone horribly wrong. "I would have thought my dear brother would not have let you outside of the protections of the village," he graciously explained. "If you can call it protection."

Which did hit a bit closer to home than Harry would have liked. Sasuke hadn't argued about Harry going back. For all that he was difficult, he had seemed to understand there wasn't going to be a discussion on that. But it had clearly distressed him. All of the stupid fights they had had – they always did come back to that, didn't they? Sasuke wanted Harry somewhere safe. And Harry had insisted otherwise. And now look at where they were.

"I had school," Harry finally answered. It was, after all, the simple answer. Harry had Hogwarts – and everything that went with it. Classes, quidditch, his friends, dark wizards and a war he was so ingrained in he didn't know what it was like not to be a part of it.

Itachi didn't frown so much as he stopped any pretense of being a normal person. It was like watching a human face turn into something too still to be alive. "School," he repeated. As if the word was something foreign and somewhat distasteful. Harry had gotten the chance to see what nin schools were like, and they had even spent a few evenings talking with Naruto's old teacher. It had been leagues away from what Harry was used to, but some things had been consistent. Seemed like it didn't matter where you grew up or how old you were, some parts of being crammed into a classroom together for hours on end remained the same. Team 7 had all found it somewhat funny that Harry was still in school but they had at least understood that it was important to him.

"Have you learned enough at this magic school to keep yourself alive?" Itachi asked.

Harry instinctively took a step back. It was stupid. That tiny bit of distance wasn't going to do him any good. But all of his instincts were screaming at him to get as far away as he could.

"Do you think your magic is stronger than our jutsu?" Itachi continued.

Harry didn't do something as obvious as lift his wand higher, but he did make sure he had it at the right angle. He was going to get one shot at this and it was going to have to be big enough to take him down. "I don't know," he answered, stalling. "I wasn't planning on figuring out."

Itachi did that not quite a smile thing again. Apparently he found Harry's attempts at not dying humorous. "No, I suppose you hadn't. In that, at least, you may be slightly more practical than my brother. But only slightly. Tell me, cousin, if given the opportunity, which would you choose, magic or chakra?"

What kind of game was this? "I wasn't aware I had to choose," Harry retorted. Maybe Itachi was more unhinged like some of the dark wizards Harry had fought. It made them unpredictable, but it opened possibilities. Harry did not want to engage in a jutsu battle. He might be able to pull and push on chakra now, but he wasn't up to forming anything. The best he had managed was some self-defense. But somehow, he didn't think Itachi would be willing to stick with magic and have a proper wizarding duel instead.

"We all have to make choices."

Right. Harry knew that. He had learned that the hard way over the last few years, had he not? Everyone had to make choices and those choices would follow you. Harry didn't regret coming back. He didn't regret choosing to work with the Headmaster. He wished he could have done that without fighting with Sasuke, but he still would have made the same choice. He just wished he had been better at forgiving Sasuke. And asking for forgiveness.

"I am curious," Itachi told him and Harry knew it was exactly that – that curiosity – that was why Harry was still alive so far. Maybe it was just as weird for Itachi to suddenly have a new family member as it had been for Sasuke. Harry could remember how surreal it had felt to have Sirius in his life, both when he thought his godfather had murdered his parents and after he found out he hadn't. Maybe even dark nin had trouble making sense of hidden relatives. Maybe that was why they were having this long drawn out conversation that felt very much like a game of cat and mouse.

Itachi was watching him closely. "If given the choice," he asked. "Which would you choose?"

"What do you mean which would I choose?" Harry exclaimed. "Magic or chakra? You're kidding, right? You expect me to hold my own in just a battle of jutsus, are you crazy?"

And okay, maybe admitting that he wasn't capable of fighting back was not the best strategy, nor was calling the crazy mass murder crazy to his face, but that had to be about the dumbest thing Harry had ever heard. And he had had more than one conversation with Voldemort.

But Itachi just waved him off. It was the first time Harry had seen him really move and he had to bite down on the urge to jerk back in response. "That would be ridiculous," Itachi agreed. "You are even less capable than my dear little brother was the first time he came after me. Do try to think a bit more. I am curious, cousin, if you would choose this world or the one my brother has offered you."

Sasuke's idea of a properly ordered world would have Harry hidden under a rock and guarded by about six layers of wards. Somehow, Harry didn't think that was what Itachi was referring to. It took him a moment to figure out what Itachi had meant when he had said magic or chakra. Wizarding or nin. They had been trying so hard to find a way to combine the two and they didn't have much to show for it. Sure, Harry could sense chakra now. Maybe even channel a little of it to give him an edge. He'd even managed to rip apart a couple of low level Justus the way he would counter a hex. But that didn't mean he understood it. Not like he did magic.

"Magic," Harry answered.

"So certain," Itachi replied. And then he stepped forward.

Harry scrambled back, nearly pitching himself down the hill. The frost on the grass wasn't doing him any favors as he struggled to stay upright. He had his wand up and a curse half formed but Itachi stopped. He'd only moved a step closer, no more than that. And with the way Harry had flinched back, they were now even farther apart than they had started. But the threat was clearly there.

"Are you sure, cousin?" Itachi asked him again. "You would pick this world? No matter the cost?"

"The cost of what?" Harry demanded.

"Sasuke."

And Christ, if hearing Itachi go on about his 'dear little brother' had been creepy, somehow having him say Sasuke's name was worse. Harry wasn't stupid. If Sasuke could kill this man, he would have by now. If Team 7 could kill this man, they would have. If Itachi was going to threaten Sasuke then there was the very real possibility that he could and would eventually follow through on that threat. Harry also wasn't a stranger to dark wizards (or now nin) who'd rather play with their prey than simply kill them.

"Sasuke can hold his own," Harry argued.

"Against magic?"

Harry wanted to say against anything. Sasuke was a tenacious pain in the ass. Harry had a great deal of faith that he could bully his way through just about anything if he wanted to. But magic was different. It was wonderful and dangerous and no matter how much Harry tried to explain that to Sasuke, he never seemed to understand.

"We're managing," Harry told him. It wasn't the yes he wanted, but it was going to have to be enough. They'd make sure it was. If Harry got out of this, it didn't matter how hard it was, or how much they argued with each other. He was going to make sure Sasuke could handle it.

"Are you?" Itachi echoed and Harry wanted to hit him then and there just for being annoying. "Do you think you will survive this, cousin?"

"If by this, you mean you, then yes." Harry snapped back, far more confident than he had any right to be but damned if there was anything else he could be. "And if by this you mean this stupid war, then yes!"

"You won't," Itachi told him.