::14::

She watched with steely eyes as the train quickly approached, turning from a size no bigger than an ant to a looming spectacle as it glided over frosted tracks.

As it neared them, the horn trilled suddenly and the breaks screeched to a stop with a horrible grinding noise as sparks flew from the wheels and snow sprayed up from beneath. Finally the great mechanical beast came to a shuddering stop, sighing as it did so.

Sakura's black robes fluttered around her for an instant as the snow spray settled. When the train doors slid open and she stepped in, it suddenly fell as silent as the grave. The students around them, some in casual robes and others still in their school uniforms stared at them wide eyed, some even with tears in their eyes but Sakura ignored them.

She began moving calmly up the aisle, ignoring the student's inquisitive gazes and the muted whispering as some of them recognized her. She passed the sweets trolley and gave the witch a small smile which was not returned. She fondly remembered her first and only ride on the Hogwarts Express and how Harry had showed her, Naruto and Sai how to eat the chocolate frogs and which flavors of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans to avoid. At the thought of Naruto and Sai, Sakura's head began hurt so she stood still and waited for it to pass before moving again.

Sakura slid open a compartment door and was greeted with openly hostile glances, but the girl wasn't there so she closed the door and moved on. She passed an Oto Nin guarding one of the exits but pointedly ignored him.

A quarter of the way through the train, she heard her name being called toward the back and disappeared in a shunshin. She pushed past two Death Eaters who were standing at an open compartment and walked inside. "Luna?"

Luna Lovegood shot to her feet, surprise in her pretty eyes as she took in Sakura's appearance. Beside her, Ginny Weasley gaped open mouth as Neville Longbottom shot to his feet. "S-Sakura? Is that really you?"

"What's going on? What are you doing here?" Ginny asked. "Last time we saw Naruto and Sai over the summer, they said you had been kidnapped!"

Naruto? Sai? Kidnapped? Something began clawing inside Sakura's head.

"Shut up, you stupid girl! Silencio!" The Death Eater pointed his wand at Ginny and the spell hit her, instantly silencing her next words. She stared at him angrily, mouth moving but no words coming out.

Neville angrily took a step toward the Death Eater when the Death Eater menacingly turned his wand on Neville and ordered him to sit down.

"Please," Said Sakura, struggling to smile, "Everything is going to be fine. No need for violence."

With a stiffness in his jaw, Neville returned to his seat.

"Why are you here, Sakura?" Luna asked calmly. Sakura could see the terror lurking in her eyes.

"I'm here for you." Said Sakura smoothly. "You need to come with me." Her smile began to turn up a little too far at the corners.

Luna's eyes widened and the fear became apparent. "Why? What have I done?"

"Nothing." Said Sakura calmly, through the screaming in her head. "It's your father...he's wrote some...inappropriate things."

Luna exchanged a nervous glance with Neville. "What...what type of inappropriate things?" Asked Luna softly. Even Ginny was now regarding her with a strange look in her eyes.

Sakura dug her nails into her palm and pretended to ignore the screaming. Her next words tasted like vomit in her mouth. "Unfounded lies about the Dark Lord." Said Sakura. "And support for the blood traitor Harry Potter."

Sakura suddenly gripped her head. It felt like someone was splitting her into two. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed it to go away.

Seeing as Sakura was incapacitated, one of the Death Eaters stepped in front of her. "Don't make this hard, girl." He said to Luna. "Come with us and your blood traitor father will realize the error of his ways. The Dark Lord ensures that no harm will be done."

"Fat chance that we'll believe anything he's got to say!" Said Neville standing up. "Now!"

He aimed a stunning curse at the Death Eater, hitting him square in the chest as he grabbed Luna and pushed past Sakura out of the compartment. Ginny charged the other one, distracting him from pursuing.

Sakura fell to her knees, ignoring the clamor around her. Her fingers were pawing against the carpet hard enough to give her carpet burn.

'Back, back, back, back...' The woman chanted. 'Get back, you stupid girl!' She was struggling to break free. She could almost do it…the ropes were beginning to break…

"Get up!" The Death Eater shouted above her. "The halfwit is escaping with the Lovegood girl! Do you want to disappoint the Dark Lord?"

No. Sakura's eyes snapped open. The Dark Lord was the only lord she obeyed.

The ropes snapped back into place and other fell back, completely defeated, her energy spent. The woman stepped forward, ready to take the reins.

Sakura picked herself up of the ground calmly, a certain sass in her step as she exited the compartment.

Harry sat stark still, watching as the shadows in the trees shifting as the sky slowly warmed in color. His breath steamed in the cool morning and his frozen fingers idly plucked at the grass he sat on. He was supposed to be keeping watch, but all his mind could do was revisit the events from last night. Over and over again, he saw Ron storming out of the tent; heard his accusing words as he blamed Harry for all their current misfortune. He shouldn't have yelled at Ron like that, but still, his heart burned with anger and betrayal at what his best friend had did.

He tried to pretend that he hadn't heard Hermione crying all night, or heard Naruto endlessly shifting in bed. He wondered if the blond shinobi had gotten any sleep at all. Maybe it would be better this way. Ron would be better off at home…he would be safe there. Harry tried to console himself with this fact, despite what his heart was telling him.

He put his head in his hands for a minute and when he looked up, he saw a girl with a long dark cloak staring directly at him…or at least it certainly looked that way. She was strangely beautiful, with wide eyes hidden behind framed glasses and flaming red hair. A minute later she completely disappeared, leaving Harry confused. He spun around, looking for her before peering intently into the trees. Yet he couldn't find any trace of her...

Inside the tent, the air was silent and still. Sai closed the notebook he had just been painting in and capped his brush. From where he was sitting in one of the comfy armchairs, he could see that Naruto and Hermione were still sleeping. He was still sort of in shock by the raw sense of emotion he had seen from everyone the night before. Naruto, Harry and Ron seemed so angry at each other and Hermione spent the whole night crying. Was it because she had formed bonds with Ron and they had just been broken? It all baffled Sai and he hoped he could learn a bit more about bonds during his stay here.

Sai also noticed the way Ron acted regarding Naruto and Hermione. Sai noticed what inconsistent species women were. Could Hermione simply not decide between Ron and Naruto? Sometimes she seemed to favor Naruto, other times she favored Ron. Sai wondered if the case between Ron and Harry was similar between what happened between Naruto and Sasuke. Did Ron leave to break bonds? Even if it wasn't his intention, he had surely done so now.

"Naruto…" Said Sai, sitting down beside him on the bed.

Naruto looked over at Sai with dreary eyes. "Nani?"

"Did the bonds between Harry and Ron break like the ones between you and Sasuke-kun did?" Naruto looked at Sai, slightly surprised by his question.

"Our bonds didn't break." Naruto said stubbornly.

"But… Sasuke-kun said…" Said Sai in protest.

"He was lying." Said Naruto loudly. Sai stared at him blankly.

"Gomen…" Said Naruto sheepishly. "I don't think their bonds broke. They're just angry, that's all." Naruto gave a halfhearted smile. "Ron didn't betray Harry. He will come back sooner or later to apologize."

Naruto stood up to get his stuff ready for the day and Sai thought how strange it was how fake Naruto's smile seemed to be. Did he even believe his own words?

The weather was turning colder by the day. Hermione was reluctant to move, but eventually they moved camp, not staying in one place for too long. Ron seemed to have left a gaping hole in the group since he left and it followed them where ever they went. Now, Hermione was always so quiet and sometimes Naruto was certain he heard her crying at night. Harry seemed the same, but Naruto could tell he was disturbed about Ron's leaving. Naruto himself didn't really feel good. It reminded him of the loss of Sakura and Sasuke all over again. Sai was the only one who remained undisturbed and had taken to wearing the locket more than the others as it didn't seem to affect him much. Naruto blamed it on his lack of emotions.

The days drearily past by and soon, the first snow was falling from the sky. Naruto quickly threw himself into the task of mastering wizarding spells and Harry did his best to help him, ignoring Hermione's exasperated glances whenever they went out to practice. Really, it gave them something to do, something to occupy themselves with since they weren't finding Sakura, they weren't destroying the Horcrux they had, nor finding new ones. It also took away from the pain that Ron's departure had brought them.

Naruto zipped his black sweatshirt higher around his neck as Harry instructed him. "I think you need more wrist, less arm." He said.

"Right…" Said Naruto. "Let me try again. Expelliarmus!" Naruto flicked his wrist out in the motion that Harry had taught him. Nothing happened.

Naruto sighed. "I didn't even feel a thing."

"Hmm…" Said Harry thinking. "Magic…is a very emotional thing. Take the Patronus Charm for instance. You need to be able to conjure the happiest memory or feeling you have to make the spell work. Maybe you're just not…feeling it."

"So…" Said Naruto. "I need to feel like I need to disarm my opponent? Is that even a feeling?"

Harry shrugged. "Expelliarmus is really second nature to me, I couldn't tell you. But maybe for you to make it work, that's what you need."

Naruto sighed. "I suppose spells aren't really that good for ninja." He said. "Shinobi aren't supposed to have emotions, especially on the battle field."

"That would make sense." Mused Harry. "It probably helps the, ah…coping process if you had to kill people every day."

Silence echoed between them for a few beats before Naruto attempted Expelliarmus one more time, still with no avail.

"Maybe you'll have better luck." Said Naruto, sighing.

"Let's hope so." Mumbled Harry. Pulling his face into a frown, Harry concentrated his efforts onto his wand and pointed. "Bunshin no Jutsu!"

They waited for a moment, but nothing seemed to happen. Harry glanced down at his wand and was dismayed to find that not even any sparks were emitted.

"Any advice?" Harry asked, feeling disappointed.

"Heh…" Said Naruto sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "I never could perform that jutsu exactly…"

"But…!" Sputtered Harry. "You said that this was the easiest one! You said school kids could do it!"

"And they can!" Exclaimed Naruto. "But did I mention I was sort of a dunce back then?"

Harry groaned. For the next hour, each tried without avail at mastering the other's technique. Naruto had suggested that Harry attempt the jutsu without his wand, which resulted in several minor explosions and Harry getting blasted off his feet when he tried to expel the magic from his body in order to create an illusion of himself. Naruto did no more than wave his hand around, only to create a nice breeze.

"You know, I just had a thought." Said Harry, from his spot lying on the ground; the result of his latest attempt.

Naruto turned toward Harry, his eyes weary. "Well…I'm no Hermione," Harry began, "But jutsu involve physically attacking your opponent right?"

"Yeah…" Said Naruto, unsure of where this was going. How would the jutsu be useful if it didn't physically attack the opponent?

"Spells, you see, don't involve us physically attacking our opponent…" Said Harry.

"And…?" Asked Naruto excitedly, feeling as if Harry was on to something.

"So…maybe you should try…er…pushing the chakra out of your body, try to actually physically do whatever it is you are trying to do with your chakra." Said Harry. "Here," He said, jumping up and jogging away from Naruto. "Try it. Try to disarm me with your chakra."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Ok, here it goes…"

Closing his eyes, Naruto held out his hands and began to mold his chakra into his hands. Feeling it flowing within him, he tried to push it out, to extend it toward Harry. "Expelliarmus!" Naruto cried, waving his hand.

Opening his eyes, he found that his hands were glowing blue that quickly faded as he dispelled the chakra. "Anything?" He asked Harry hopefully.

"That was, ah, pretty? But no, didn't even budge." Said Harry regretfully waving his wand.

"Dammit." Naruto grumbled.

Naruto gulped down the last of his tinned pears and was left fuller than he had been in a long time. He smiled contently – his first smile in week –at everyone who was enjoying their dinner on the floor. Naruto watched Hermione get up and curl up into the sagging armchair, bringing The Tales of Beedle the Bard with her. He saw her shiver at bit. Hermione frowned as she called Harry over.

"Look at this symbol here." She said pointing above the title.

They all peered at it. It seemed to be a triangular eye with a line down the pupil. "Have you seen it before?" Hermione asked.

"I've never studied Runes, Hermione." Said Harry.

"It looks like that symbol from the wedding." Said Sai.

Everyone looked at him before it finally clicked in Harry's mind. "Oh yeah, Luna's dad was wearing it."

"That's what I thought." Said Hermione.

"Then its Grindelwald's mark." Said Harry.

Hermione looked at him speechless. "Grindelwald's mark? I didn't even know he had his own mark!"

"Yeah," Said Sai suddenly remembering. "The Hulk seemed angry when he saw that sign."

Hermione creased her eyebrows in confusion and was about to ask who the Hulk was, when Naruto spoke up. "If it's Dark, why is it on a child's book?"

"Yeah, that is weird…" Said Harry.

Hermione scrunched her forehead up and continued to study the small picture when Harry decided it was time to ask his question. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?" She said, absentmindedly.

"I…I've been thinking and…I want to go to Godric's Hallow." Harry asked, his fingers tapping almost impatiently against the arm of Hermione's chair.

Hermione looked up. "Yes, I've been thinking that too."

Harry looked at her miraculously, as if that hadn't been the answer he was expecting. "You did hear me correct, right?"

"Of course, I can't think of any other place where it would be." Said Hermione.

"Er…where what would be?" Asked Harry confused.

"What's Godric's Hallow?" Asked Naruto.

"The sword, Harry!" Said Hermione as if it were the most obvious answer. Then she turned to Naruto and Sai. "Godric's Hallow is Harry's birthplace, and also the birth place of Godric Gryffindor."

"Really?" Said Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Did you ever even open Hogwarts, A History?"

"Does anybody?" Naruto mumbled.

Hermione glared at Naruto. "I remember at the wedding…" Harry said, trying his best to suppress his smile. "Muriel said that's where Bathilda Bagshot lives."

Then Hermione gasped and they all jumped. "What if Dumbledore gave the sword to Bathilda?" Hermione seemed ecstatic at the possibilities.

"Wait, who is Bathilda?" Said Naruto, scrunching his eyebrows. There was something eerily familiar about the name…

Both Harry and Hermione turned to Naruto, with Hermione's expression being one of annoyance. "Really, Naruto, if you even deigned to look at Hogwarts, A History you would know…"

That's when it clicked in Naruto's mind.

"HOLY SHIT!" He screamed, suddenly scrambling for Hermione's bag and scaring Harry and Hermione in the process. "IT'S BASHIDA!"

Naruto began tearing through Hermione's bag, throwing a random assortment of books and personal belongings in the process. "Really, Naruto!" Hermione complained, red in the face as she grabbed some stray underwear while Harry looked on in confusion.

Finally, Naruto pulled out the tattered hitai-ate and held it up with triumph. "Bathilda, that's got to be it!"

He quickly thrust the headband under Hermione and Harry's nose and quickly explained the characters and the coordinates that he found engraved there. "How much do you want to bet those coordinates lead to Bathilda's house?" Naruto asked excitedly when he finished.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look. "But such an obscure reference…why would Dumbledore do such a thing?" Hermione asked.

"Because he didn't want the Ministry to find it." Said Harry, his eyes lighting up. "Hermione, you said it yourself that the Ministry meticulously studied the items before giving them to us, he needed to make it so they wouldn't understand and be suspicious!"

"But…why Bathilda?" Naruto asked.

"Maybe Hermione's right!" Said Harry jumping up. "Maybe Dumbledore left the sword at Bathilda's house and this was the only way he could tell us! He was counting on you to understand his clue!" He said, looking at Naruto excitedly.

Naruto grinned to himself. He had been smart enough to understand a clue by Dumbledore himself. It made him feel good.

"So we can go?" Asked Harry.

Hermione nodded, looking thoughtful. "Of course…but there will need to be certain precautions…"

Naruto tightened his scarf around his neck and Hermione placed her handbag into the pocket of her winter coat. "Ready?" She asked, looking around.

They all had just swallowed a dose of Polyjuice Potion that had transformed them all into Muggle counterparts. Hermione insisted on taking extra precautions and that included having Naruto and Sai disguised as well.

"Why?" Naruto had asked.

Hermione looked at him. "How do you think I would feel if you got killed?" She said in a frank voice before walking away.

Hermione held her hand out and Naruto grasped it before disappearing into the darkness. They reappeared on a small, snow trodden lane. The snow was gently drifting from the sky as they all disconnected and looked around. Cottages lined the road and Christmas decorations sparkled in the windows. They slowly and silently made their way down the lane, where they reached what appeared to be the center of town. A sparkling Christmas tree stood in the center and Christmas music drifted through the air.

"I think it's Christmas Eve!" Said Hermione.

"Hmm…" Said Harry. Maybe it was. They had lost track of the days at having not seen the newspaper in weeks.

Naruto looked around, enjoying the feeling of knowing it was Christmas. Somehow, Christmas was always a distant holiday for Naruto. He had no family to spend it with. Of course he always spent Christmas with Iruka and Kakashi-sensei and Sakura and recently Sai…he never got the true feeling. Even now…it was hard to comprehend.

"The graveyard." Said Hermione walking forward.

The crossed the square, Harry becoming more anxious with each step.

"Whoa!" Said Naruto staring up at a war memorial.

Everyone stopped and looked at it. It had transformed from a war memorial to a statue of three people. There was a man with untidy hair and glasses, a pretty woman with long hair, and a small baby in her arms.

Naruto took a sidelong glance at Harry. "Your parents."

Harry gazed up in awe before he finally turned away, having seen enough. With out a word, he finished crossing the square, the others falling in behind him. Hermione pushed open the gate to the cemetery quickly as they all stepped inside, their feet crunching on the untouched snow. They moved through the row of graves, Naruto feeling a slight chill settling over him.

"Over here." Hermione called from the next row.

"Is it…?" Said Harry.

"No, but look." They all crowded around the small gate next to Hermione and peered down at the small grave.

KENDRA DUMBLEDORE
AND HER DAUGHTER ARIANA

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also

They went their separate ways again. Naruto couldn't understand the weird feeling the cemetery gave him, but he decided to tag along beside Hermione instead.

"Here!" Hermione cried, looking down at a grave.

Naruto looked closer and shook his head. "That doesn't say Potter." He said.

"Oh sorry!" Hermione called out.

Naruto dusted some snow off the grave and Hermione bent closer. "Wait a minute…look here." She said pointing at a small mark beneath the name.

The grave was very old and it was hard to see the symbol. "It's the same symbol from the book." Said Hermione.

Naruto frowned. It looked like a blob to him. "Sure, could be." He said to humor Hermione.

"Ig…Ignotus." She said, reading the name.

Naruto silently moved down to the next row, keeping Hermione in sight as she stayed bent over the grave. Then, like a ghost, a white tombstone jumped out at him. This time, the head stone really did say Potter. He stared at the grave, not knowing what to say. It was odd for Naruto to stand there, over the spot where Harry's parents were buried. Here, Harry's parents were clearly defined and one could precisely locate them. As for Naruto, his parents were just a foreign thought to him, there was no proof they ever existed.

"I found them." He called out clearly.

Before he knew it, Sai, Hermione and Harry had appeared out of the darkness to stand beside him.

JAMES POTTER LILY POTTER

27 March 1960 30 January 1960
31 October 1981 31 October 1981

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death

"What is that?" Asked Harry, alarmed. "Some Death Eater philosophy?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's not like that." She said gently. "Meaning living beyond death…"

Harry stood there, staring at the grave when suddenly he felt the hot pressure of tears waiting to be released. There was no point in hiding them, so he let them fall, freezing his cheeks as they did as he thought of his parent's remains lying beneath his feet. Naruto could hear Harry's tears, as silent as they were as they splashed onto the frozen snow covered ground. He quickly turned away, somehow feeling that he didn't want to see Harry shed tears, that he didn't want to be here, standing over his friend's dead parents. He felt angry, angry that things like this happened. That good people like Harry had to grow up with such a terrible burden on their shoulders, without parents to help them. It seemed so unfair, and the fact that Harry's situation was so similar to his own only made it worse. Naruto felt his face grow warm and his eyes start to prickle.

Hermione tightly grasped Harry's hand and he squeezed back. With a small gesture of her wand, Hermione created a beautiful Christmas wreath. Harry caught it and laid it over the grave stone. Then Harry suddenly turned away, as if he could no longer bear to stand there and laid his arm across Hermione shoulders as she snaked her arm around his waist. With a gentle nudge, Naruto turned toward Hermione and saw her sticking his hand out to him, her face giving him a sad, sympathetic smile. A small smile tugging at his lips, he accepted her hand and even offered his other hand to Sai who had been standing there forlornly. Together, they walked away from the grave.

Bingo Book

Undesirable #5

Jiraiya

Status: Ninja, Sannin (Konohagakure)

Family: Unknown

Security Status: MISSING, working on tracing him by checking all former bases and possible Akatsuki hideouts.
Likelihood subject will contact Undesirable #2.