Deal
A/N: Yes, I am alive. I just spent a week and change with my family down in Texas. My two great-grandsons birthday happened and as a loving and dutiful grandma I had to go. The train ride was well worth the trip. I am back and here is the next chapter.
Disclaimer: See chapter 1. And as always, reviews are welcomed, flames are not. Thanks to White Angel and Miriam1 for their help.
Chapter 11
A grinning Naruto and Haru moved away from the professors when a very tired and anxious Minato Namikaze arrived in a yellow flash of light.
They both had the same idea, now that their Tou-san was here. Let the adults battle it out. They really hadn't done anything wrong. They were only minding their own business when they were interrupted.
However, a glance from their father froze them in their tracks, wiping the grin off their faces. They knew that look. They had better be innocent in whatever trouble they were in.
"Report," was all Minato snapped at the boys.
Knowing that tone of voice and the fact that he spoke in English caused both boys to snapped to attention, as Haru stepped forward and started. "Sir, since the Welcoming Feast when my birth name was outed as I wrote to you, I would tell anyone who called me Potter that wasn't my name. Only Flitwick-sensei and a couple of others respected my wishes."
The first-year shot a hard look at the Headmaster before continuing, "After the second week, I ignored them. It isn't my legal name anymore, why should I answer? Plus, the staff also were being very unprofessional in not cracking down on the mix-up. One teacher is very adamant about calling me by my birth name and then gets upset every time I ignore him. Again, it's not my name. He then gets upset that I apparently disrespecting him. How can I? When he refuses to use my legal name?"
Several people in the office looked over at the scowling potions master.
Naruto, then, took up the report. "Tonight, we just entered for the Great Hall like we always do, when Blondy over there. . ." he nodded to the food-covered Draco Malfoy, ". . . called out 'Potter' which Freckle-faced told him to bug off calling him a 'slimy snake.' Haru and I ignored them both as have done in the past, but then Freckles started to place his arm around Haru. You know how Haru hates being touched by people he doesn't know. Of course, Haru then grabbed Freckles' arm and tossed him at Blondy, which landed them on the top of the Hufflepuff table."
"Then Snape-sensei called out 'Potter' and shouted 'Detention and 50 points from Gryffindor.' I told him there was no Potter here," Haru continued. "Tou-san, I'm really getting tired of this. How stupid can they be? Can't they understand my name is Haru Namikaze!?"
Minato didn't say anything but glanced over at the potions master before returning to his sons.
Naruto nodded. "Then McGonagall-sensei came over. The next thing we knew we were escorted here."
Minato looked over at the food-covered food boys and frown. "I see." He turned to the pair and asked, "Do you have anything else to add?"
Draco Malfoy remembered his father once mentioned that this wizard was a foreign pure-blood that even the Dark Lord was afraid of. He overheard his father talking to Parkinson's father. "That foreign blood traitor took out twenty Death Eaters in a raid and 15 werewolves in mere seconds without getting so much as a scratch. Whatever spell he used, no one could get a spell off as he moved through the ranks that night."
The blond paled as he looked up at the tall wizard and gulped. He was ready to invoked his father but the words died on his tongue.
Maybe riling the pair of Gryffindors up was a bad idea. He hadn't been able to get a rise out of Potter since that first day. Of course, the Weasel was easy.
Ron Weasley paled; this guy was more scary than his mother, and that is saying something.
"Now see here!" Snape snarled, breaking into Draco's thoughts. "This is a school matter. . ."
Minato smiled as he raised an eyebrow. "What school matter? My son's right. There's no Potter attending this term. He has been very patient with everyone, and according to the letters and reports he is sending home, it seems that the staff isn't doing their job. And in all fairness, you are ignoring the problem. This is unforgivable. My sons have a right to defend themselves, which they did."
He glared at the adults if they were the ones in trouble. "I have legally adopted Haru and he now bears my name. You need to let go this idea that Harry Potter exists anymore."
Albus Dumbledore just sat behind his desk, stroking his beard, allowing his two head of houses take up the argument.
"But he IS Harry Potter," Ron Weasley piped in. "He's the Boy Who Lived! He can't change his name!"
"See tou-san. That's what I have to deal with," Haru whined, "They want to run my life. Who I am! How I need to act or who I can associate with! It's MY life! For Kami Sake! I don't want to be Harry Potter. It is not who I am!"
"If I may," Professor McGonagall spoke up, looking a bit pained. "If you will note, the fifty points from Mr. Namikaze did not register on the Points Counter. Hogwarts doesn't recognize that a Harry Potter is attending this term."
The headmaster frowned, as his hand stilled on his beard, then reached behind him to the Book of Enrollment. He opened it up to where Harry Potter's name would be located. Then he sighed, as he closed the ancient tome.
While the Headmaster was checking in the book, Minato did a quick hand signal to the boys. They nodded and turned back to the Headmaster.
"I'm afraid that you're right, Minerva," Albus said, with a very disappointed sigh. "There is no Harry Potter attending this term. Magic recognizes him as Haru James Potter Namikaze."
Both Malfoy and Weasley shouted in dismay! Snape snarled as the Haru and Naruto grinned.
"However, we do frown on violence here at Hogwarts," the headmaster chided, peering over the rim of his glasses at the brothers.
"But it was self-defense. Weasley was going to put his hands on me!" Haru said. "I acted in instinct, like Tou-san taught us. Weasley was in my blind side. I didn't know what he was going to do. I acted as if I was being attacked. We may be Gryffindors! But we are not friends! I don't hang out with him or anything. He can't even get my name right! Why would he put his hands on me?"
Naruto nodded. "That is so, Tou-san. Haru didn't start anything, he just finished it. As you told us, -ttebayo."
Minato turned to Albus and raised an eyebrow and a slight smile. "Well?"
In the end, Haru lost 10 points for destroying the Hufflepuff's dinner. No detention.
Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy lost 10 points each for not respecting personal space and another 10 for name calling and detention with Professor McGonagall.
Draco Malfoy swore, "My father would hear about this. This is unfair."
Minato smiled slightly. "Please, Draco-kun. You do that. He's been avoiding me. I would love to sit down with him."
Draco gulped as he took in the man's dragon-like look. "Uhhhmmm. . ."
Ron Weasley grumbled as he realized something very important. "Dinner's almost over!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
All four boys were dismissed so that they could eat. Once the door was closed behind them, Minato turned to the staff. The calm façade that he adopted during the meeting fell away and the shinobi that had the 'Flee on Sight!' order in the Bingo books back in the Elemental Nations was present.
Suddenly a heavy aura flooded the office. Minato had not been pleased with the situation.
Both Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall took a step backwards, almost falling to their knees. Several of the portraits felt the pressure and started to protest or just abandon their frames.
"Headmaster, you were warned," he said with a cold but pleasant voice. "If I find that you are allowing staff members abuse my sons, I will step in and take action." He looked over at the potions master. "Already I am getting letters from Haru-kun that potions is difficult as the sensei isn't being professional in his teachings. He had been looking forward to potions as it was his mother's favorite subject. To find it lacking was disappointing."
"You have no proof!" Snape growled, trying to stand against the pressure.
Minato smiled. "What makes you so sure I don't already have that, sensei?" Minato's voice took on a hard note, before changing his tone. "Remember, I will not tolerate any schemes involving my sons. They are very precious to me. If I have to come back, then I will take steps."
He made a hand gesture and disappeared in a yellow flash.
The pressure ended with the blond's departure.
"Albus? How did he do that?" Minerva asked, unnerved as she grabbed the cover of his desk to help her stand.
Severus Snape snarled, as his courage returned, standing. "If he thinks he can get away with that. . ."
Minerva snarled, "Severus! I warned you! That boy wasn't raised in the shadow of James Potter. You will be professional in your dealings with him, or you'll answer to me!"
"Minerva, please," Albus again tried to reign in both his professors.
"Severus, if he comes after you, I can't protect you. His reputation during the war was very ruthless. Even now, in the Ministry his reputation is that of a very driven researcher and a defense master. It is well known that he'll take anyone down if they threaten his sons. As for what he just did, I have no idea."
A very angry and upset potions master left the office.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The brothers re-entered the Great Hall, arm in arm, laughing about something. A food-clad Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley walked in front of them.
Neither Namikaze boys refused to allow either of the temperamental boys walk behind them.
Hermione waved Naruto and Haru over. "So, what happened?"
"Well, we didn't have the fifty-point deduction," Haru told her as he sat beside her. "and I don't have detention with Snape-sensei. I got 10 points for destroying the Hufflepuff table. Those two got 10 points off for not respecting personal space and another 10 points off for name calling."
"Look, we're hungry, can we eat first?" Naruto whined, sitting across for them, reaching for a platter of meat.
Haru laughed and bounced a dinner roll off his brother's forehead. "You're always hungry. Onii-san, -ttebayo!"
That caused many who were listening to laugh.
While they ate, Haru told those who were listening a simple version of what happened. He glossed over the fact that their father arrived and mediated the meeting.
"You mean that Hogwarts doesn't recognize you as Harry Potter?" Hermione asked.
"Nope," Haru replied, popping the "p." "It's as I said, I'm Haru James Potter Namikaze. Magic says so."
There were gasps and sounds of disbelief from the students listening in to the conversation. Ron Weasley was too busy stuffing his face to reply.
The green-eyed Gryffindor scowled and told them, "So get over yourselves! That's why I've stopped answering to that name. If people don't get it, then it's their problem. NOT MINE!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Later that evening, in their make-shift dojo with Professor Flitwick, Naruto pulled out one of his father's tri-prong kunai and threw at the nearby wall.
"Nice shot Oniisan!" Haru shouted.
"Nyahh! I was aiming higher."
"Hello, boys," came their father's voice behind them.
Filius Flitwick gave a start. No one could apparate or use a port-key into Hogwarts. He had not been in the meeting in the Headmaster's office and hadn't seen the arrival of the man.
"Tou-san, this is Flitwick-sensei," Haru introduced. "He's been helping us in our training."
Minato smiled and gave a slight smile to the very confused teacher. "Arigato, Sensei for helping my boys. They can be quite the handful."
The next hour the trio filled in the Charms Master the ins and out of chakra and kekkei genkai. What wasn't mentioned was how the tall blonde entered the heavily warded castle.
Then the conversation turned to lessons and how the boys were coping being away from home.
Later it was a very tired but happy pair of boys that headed back up the dorm stairs to their beds.
They hoped things will be better, now that their father could come if they needed him.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Tou-san – Dad, Father
Oniisan – brother
Sensei – teacher, professor (in this case)
Chakra – life energy (not to be confused with magic)
kekkei genkai – Literally means: Bloodline Limit. According to Naruto Lexicon: It is an anomaly of the DNA that allows the wielder to use unique techniques.