Deal

2051

A/N: Well, I guess I didn't make it quite clear. Although I have done most of the challenge that White Angel of Avalon, the story still continues. I did, after all, promise to post most of everyone's reaction in this chapter. I repeat: This story is far from over.

WARNING: There is a mild racial slur in this chapter. It is crude and rude, but fits what I was going for.

Chapter 15

Albus appeared into the chamber where he had stored the Philosopher's Stone. He had been sent on a wild goose chase to the Ministry, which could only mean – it was time for his trap to be sprung.

When he had arrived back to the castle, he was informed that Haru was missing. Naruto Namikaze and Neville Longbottom had been found knock-out in the DADA corridor. However, since then, Naruto disappeared the moment he woke in the infrimary. Where he went – the staff didn't know.

As the headmaster surveyed the ruined room, he noted what he isn't finding – Harry and the stone. Quirrell was certainly dead; there was some sort of growth on the back of his turban-less head.

There was no blood, but the magic residue gave him a strange report. Quirrell's wand registered that he did fire off the Killing Curse.

Harry!

Where was he? Who was here with him? He couldn't get a sense of any other magic.

He sighed as he searched for the stone. With the mirror smashed, it should've fallen out, but then, the mirror was considered to be unshatterable. It shouldn't have happened!

He feared for the stone; if Tom had it, then they were looking for Lord Voldemort's return sooner than expected. He needed to prepare for the worse.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Minato brought both boys home to a waiting Sirius and Tally. Although both were still awake, the adults knew they were on their last legs.

Sirius stayed with them as Minato had to return to Hogwarts quickly.

The dog animagus shivered at the look on his former law enforcing partner. Minato finally had enough the headmaster's games.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Albus was still trying to piece together what happened down in that chamber last night.

He was concentrating so hard that he missed the bright yellow flash and the appearance of Minato Namikaze.

The clearing of a throat behind him was Albus' first clue he wasn't alone anymore.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A few days later, the boys returned for the Leaving Feast amidst the questions and rumors that were floating around.

They had been questioned by their tou-san as well as someone from the aurors about what happened. Through it all, the boys knew that their tou-san was angry; however, not at them, but at Dumbledore for playing his games with his students' lives.

He had only allowed them to return to Hogwarts so they could say good-bye to their friends and ride the Express home.

"Where were you, mate?" asked Weasley, with a mouth full of food.

"UGHH! WEASLEY!" came shouts from the table as half-chewed food spewed at them.

Haru, who finally had enough of the red menace, shot a spell at him, removing the boy's mouth.

A cheer erupted. Many had wanted to do that all year, but were afraid of the twins' reaction.

"A good one," cheered someone as another shouted, "Finally!" The twins looked at each other.

"Why didn't . . ."

". . . we think of that?"

Haru gave a satisfied nod as he returned to his plate. Naruto gave the struggling Weasley a nod before returning to the conversation with Hermione. They had been discussing summer plans.

"Mr. Namikaze!" came Prof. McGonagall as she came to check out the disturbance.

"Yes, Sensei?" the dark-haired student looked innocently up at her.

"Undo it! Five points for hexing a fellow student!"

"Only if he promised to chew his food before he speaks. You would think at eleven, going on twelve, he would have better manners than he does." Haru glared at the smug look Weasley, the youngest, was giving him.

"Although you have a good point, we do not hex a fellow student," she informed him, sternly.

Haru sighed and muttered 'Mendokusai!' as he undid the spell. "If he talks with his mouth full again, I wouldn't be responsible for what others will do to him. We are fed up with his poor manners and this is, after all, the Leaving Feast and you cannot assign us detention, especially the leaving seventh years."

A gasp rang through the table as several of the older students nodded. Percy Weasley, who had fetched the professor on his youngest brother's behalf, looked at the other seventh years and sighed. There was no way he could continue protect his baby brother against his whole House, and the twins were grinning evilly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Ron Weasley found himself unable to finish his meal. After a year of putting up with his ill manners, his dorm mates had finally had enough.

Upon reflections, this year hadn't been the best. He wasn't the best mate to Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, like his mother and Dumbledore wanted. This Potter wasn't anything like the books or what the headmaster had told them.

Harry Potter wasn't even Harry Potter any more, for Merlin's sake!

All of his plans were in ruins. His mother wouldn't be happy with this.

Then there was Potter's so called 'brother.' That kid was a menace, in his opinion. Whoever heard of a name like Naruto? And what's with the two speaking that weird japo language? Why couldn't they speak English?

Satisfied that Percy sicced McGonagall on the prat for hexing him, he returned to his over-piled plate of food. As he stuck his fork into a pile of mushy peas, he watched as it disappeared. Looking up looked around to see who did that and gulped. Several of the other older students down the table were glaring at him.

Many had their wands out and pointed at him.

Oh, bugger. He had been warned about his eating habits, but Merlin! He was a growing boy, after all. He needed to eat.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A very bruised, bandaged, and tired Albus sat and looked over at the gathered students and mentally sighed. The traps failed to catch Tom. He was now certain that Lord Voldemort would be back. It was only a matter of time.

Now, he had a second thorn in his plans. Minato Namikaze. According to his spies in the Ministry, the man was not only a Hit Auror, but a Rune Master and a possible Unspeakable. The man was untouchable, and no dark wizard, for all his strange abilities.

True to his word, Minato Namikaze let the headmaster know what he thought of his little test of his son.

Plus, there was their little 'chat.' It had taken all his wits and skills to keep up with the man as the angry blond got his point across in a very violent and pointed way. He barely escape with his life and magic.

Poppy was reluctant to heal him, feeling he deserved most of his injuries with the way he had behaved all term. She decided to do the bare minimum of care. "Maybe you'll learn for once that you are not Merlin incarnate," was her only comment.

If only he had known more about the man before James and Lily died. He would have tried to either convert the man to his cause or departmentalized him. Now his lack of foresight had cost Albus much, including the allegiance of the Elder Wand.

The problem was Albus didn't think he would be able to regain the ancient wand back. No. This wouldn't do, AT ALL!

With a sigh, he looked down at the Gryffindor table and specifically at the two who caused many of his plans to fail or be discarded. He needed this summer to rethink on things.

Well, time to award points and close the feast. Thank Merlin, this year was over.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Severus Snape sat at the end of the head table to keep an eye on his Slytherins. Many had come to accept that there wasn't a Harry Potter anymore and crossing both Namikaze boys was a very bad idea.

Their father was far worse. It had become known that Minato Namikaze was unstoppable with that strange magic that he used. The headmaster had learned that the hard way.

He looked over at his godson holding court over the rest of the first years and sighed. What was Lucius thinking by ruining the boy?

Draco Malfoy had not finesse or subtlety to build a political base on his own. In all his conflicts with Namikaze, the boy never won. Severus was almost ashamed to acknowledge his connection to the son of his friend.

Then there was his Dark Mark. It was gone. Not faded – but gone. He had wanted to tell Albus, but a visit from Namikaze, Sr. put a stop to it.

"Snape-sensei, he won't believe you," Namikaze the elder informed him the next morning, when the blond came to report that he had come to Hogwarts to take care of whatever test had set up for testing 'Harry Potter' at the beginning of the year. "The headmaster has it in his mind that the evil one will return soon and that only because of his age and experience has the skill and knowledge to fight him."

Severus gave snort before replying. "Of course, he'll come back. He informed us he took steps."

What infuriating to the potions master was the smirk on the blond's face. "Not when the shinigami wants his soul and took it last night. That is one spirit no one should ever cross."

The potions master didn't have anything to say about that. He agreed with Namikaze – Albus would only dismiss it out of hand.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

That morning, the headmaster had called a staff meeting to report that the traps had failed and the stone was missing.

"A set-back," the older wizard announced, dismissing everyone's concern. "I will inform the Flamels of the loss of their stone. However, something happened last night that makes me believe this isn't over. We shall see the return of Voldemort soon."

Set-back, indeed. So, after the students left for the summer, the potions professor returned to his rooms and got drunk, all the while toasting to Haru Namikaze, Lily Potter and the end of his servitude to the evil wizard.

His thoughts turned to Lily's son. He did have to admit that the boy was her son, through and through. Not only did he forego his father's last name, he didn't act like his father. If anything, he acted more like Lily. Her son certainly had her temper and sense of justice.

And that brother – Naruto? Those two were a pranking menace. Thank Merlin, their pranks were aimed more towards the two Weasley menaces than him or the student populace at large.

All he could say, "Thank Merlin, this year was over!" as he raised his tumbler of Ogden's Finest in salute.

Now he had to figure out how to get out of his contract with Albus; then he would truly be free.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Professor Filius Flitwick smiled as Albus finally ended the Leaving Feast. Finally, the run of Slytherin wins had been broken, and all because of two young wizards.

Haru Namikaze refused to be placed in the mold that the Wizarding World had put him in. No one could say that boy didn't have a backbone. He knew who he was and no one could gainsay it.

His brother was always at his side, fending off most of the hangers-on, which caused many of the Gryffindor and Slytherin losses.

But that was how he and his brother were raised. Teamwork. They had each other's back.

Their father Minato Namikaze was a teacher as well as a warrior. He was the only wizard that the goblins acknowledged as a true brother of the axe.

Even Filius had gone against him, time after time, during the year to test himself. He couldn't defeat the man.

Those boys of his were also something else. He had tested them in magic, skill and weapons. Minato hadn't skimped on their training. It was regretful that they had sneak around to keep up their training but they managed.

He was honored that they had came to him at the beginning of the year for his help.

He will miss them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: I do apologize for skipping the scene between Albus and Minato. I figured the readers' imagination would to a better job of it than I could write it.

The Hogwarts Arc is over but the next part of the story is now of my own imagination and the obvious conclusion of this story. I do have an idea where I want to end it. So you have to wait for it like everyone else. Sorry.

My life is starting to straighten out. Check my profile for updates.

Mendokusai – troublesome. A favorite Nara phrase in Naruto canon.