::28::
For a moment, Harry was afraid he had given Professor McGonagall a heart attack as she gaped at them, clutching at her heart. Then finally, her face regained some of its color as she sputtered at them. "Potter! And Sai! What in the name of Merlin are you doing here?"
"Professor, it's good to see you too." Said Harry moving forward, "But we need your help with something."
"If you had any brains in your head, Potter, you would forget all about that and leave Hogwarts immediately. It's not safe for you here!" She strode toward them, shaking her head and muttering "Can't even begin to understand what you were thinking…coming here now…"
"Professor, it's something of dire importance." Said Sai.
McGonagall didn't say anything as she looked Harry over, looking every bit like a doting mother. His hair was shaggier now and he had a small stubble coating his cheeks, but otherwise looked healthy and unharmed. Harry was glad she couldn't see beneath his clothes or she likely would have been appalled at the scars he had obtained.
Finally McGonagall sighed. "Alright then, what is it, Potter?"
"Ravenclaw's diadem." Said Harry quickly. "We need to know where it is."
McGonagall looked at Harry with incredulity. "The lost diadem? This is madness, Potter! No one knows where the diadem is! It's been gone for centuries!"
She suddenly looked as if she would faint, as if Harry's antics were just too much for her to bear. Grasping her shoulder, Sai steered her into an abandoned chair which she collapsed into.
"It may not be the diadem." Sai offered. "But at least something of Ravenclaw's…"
"Maybe if we could speak to Professor Flitwick!" Said Harry. "Maybe he would know of something!"
Mcgonagall shook her head, a hand to her forehead. "If the Carrows knew that you were here…"
"There's no need to worry about the Carrows." Said Sai. "They've been dealt with."
Harry winced, noting how Sai had made what they did sound much more sinister than tying them up and locking them in a broom closet on the 5th floor.
McGonagall looked at them aghast. Harry was about to say something to assure her that no, they did not kill the Carrows when another dose of pain lanced through his head. Groaning, Harry clutched at his head and crouched down, putting his head between his knees. He was in the cave, staring down into an empty basin of water. There should have been a locket, glimmering inside, but there was no locket in sight…He slapped the surface of the water in rage.
Harry came to and found McGonagall crouching beside him in concern. "Potter, are you alright?"
"He knows the locket is gone." Harry answered, mostly speaking to Sai, "We're out of time. He'll be here soon and then…"
He didn't have the courage to finish his sentence. Voldermort knew that Harry was after the Horcruxes now, knew that he had eliminated four out of at least six of them. He wouldn't simply come looking to protect the remaining one here at Hogwarts. He would attack Harry for what he had done and this time he would kill him for sure. With the Elder Wand in his possession and without the safety of the twin cores, Harry very well knew luck was not on his side this time. But to make matters worse, Harry knew that Voldermort wouldn't mind killing a couple of students here and there if it came to it, in retaliation for what he had done.
How could he let that happen?
"He'll?" Said McGonagall, breaking through his thoughts. "As in… He Who Shall Not Be Named?"
Sai and Harry both nodded their heads. "Professor Dumbledore gave us instructions to find something and we know it's here." Said Sai. "But unfortunately, so does You Know Who. And he's coming to stop us."
McGonagall closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose. "I suspected as much." She said softly. "You said you're acting on Dumbledore's orders?" She asked, opening her eyes once more.
When Harry nodded his head, something in McGonagall changed. She stood up, brushing her robes down and Harry noted how fierce her expression looked, like a true Gryffindor riding into battle.
"Well then Potter, we shall just have to secure the school He Who Shall Not Be Named while you search the castle."
Harry shot to his feet and even Sai looked taken back by McGonagall's proclamation. "Professor!" Harry exclaimed.
"Of course if there is to be a major battle on Hogwart's grounds, most of the student body will need to be removed at once." Said McGonagall furrowing her eyebrows. "That will not be an easy task…Apparition is impossible on school grounds and with the Floo Networks being monitored…"
"The Hogs Head." Said Sai quickly. "It's the only passageway between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade that isn't being monitored."
McGonagall shook her head. "We are talking hundreds of students, Mr. Sai and with Hogsmeade being on lockdown with both Death Eaters and ninja alike…"
"They'll be so concentrated on what is happening here, they won't care what's going on in the Hogs Head."
McGonagall considered this for a moment before she gave a brisk nod of her head. "It's the only choice we have, we'll have to go along with it. But we must inform the other Heads of House and of course…something must be done with Professor Snape…" She said, a slight bitterness to her tone.
"Professor," Said Harry again. He shook his head. "I didn't want it to come to this. Are you sure? About holding the castle?"
"You forget, Mr. Potter," Said McGonagall, "That we teachers are quite good at magic. It's high time this damned war came to an end."
Naruto didn't often like finding out new facts about himself. He hadn't liked figuring out that there was a bloodthirsty demon lurking in his body and much in the same fashion, he didn't like finding out that he screamed like a girl when frightened.
Naruto, Ron and Hermione had escaped the confines of the Room of Requirement, thankfully without anyone spotting them although they did have a close call with Filch who was inspecting the hallways as per usual with Mrs. Norris.
Hermione lead them into a familiar girl's bathroom and then straight to the sinks. It had been quite a while since Ron was last in here and as he peered around at the sinks, looking for the small engraved snake that led to the Chamber of Secrets, someone poked their head in to see what they were doing.
"Whatcha doin'?" A girl's high pitched voice asked.
Naruto turned, ready to tell whoever it was to screw off when he found himself staring at a girl who was see through. Not only that, but she didn't appear to have any legs.
It was then that Naruto let out the aforementioned girlish scream as he jumped away from the ghost and crashed into the sinks before falling to the floor.
"Bloody cheese on rye, Naruto!" Said Ron, covering his ears. "Put a lid on it unless you want to wake the entire school!"
"What the hell?!" Naruto shouted, his eyes still on the ghost as he scrambled backward, practically hiding under the sink. "What the hell is that? Is it dead?!"
The ghost in question let out a schoolgirl giggle and covered her mouth with her hand as she looked at Naruto slyly. "Well naturally." She said.
"Naruto, it's only Moaning Myrtle." Said Hermione as she offered a hand out to the blond shinobi. "She's harmless, really."
"A bit of a pervert though." Said Ron as he bent his head under a sink. "Harry told me about that time in the showers…"
Naruto took a deep breath and accepted Hermione's hand, but he kept his eyes firmly planted on Moaning Myrtle and made sure he kept and adequate distance from her. It was wrong and unnatural to see people who had died. If they were dead, well then they should remain dead, not be lurking around in girl's bathrooms and talking to people. Naruto recalled there were a few times when he saw strange, misty like people floating through the hallways and at the Great Hall during meals. Naruto just thought that they were strange wizards or it had something to do with magic. Not that they were dead.
"I've never seen you in here before." Said Moaning Myrtle as she sat upon the sink next to Naruto who then quickly proceeded to switch places with Hermione. "You're kind of cute."
"Hurry up, Ron." Naruto hissed.
"Found it!" Said Ron suddenly, poking his head up from a sink a few down from where Hermione and Naruto stood. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he and Hermione joined Ron.
"I forgot where it was." Said Ron sheepishly as Hermione and Naruto peered at the small engraving of a snake upon the pipe underneath the sink.
Naruto scratched his head. So this was supposed to be a secret entrance of some sort? "So now what?" He asked. Were they supposed to press it or say something?
Ron rubbed his hands together. "Well…here goes nothing." He bent down and did what Naruto thought was his best impression of a snake. Or perhaps a really bad lisp? When nothing happened the first time, Ron rubbed at his mouth and then tried again. It took his two more tries before something actually happened.
And what did happen had Naruto's jaw dropping to the ground. "This place is just full of secrets, isn't it?" He muttered, peering down into the dark hole that had opened up where the sink previously stood.
"You don't know the half of it." Said Hermione, grinning. "You were brilliant, Ron! Harry will be so impressed." She said as she threw her arms around his neck. Ron was looking decidedly pleased with himself as he patted at Hermione's back.
"How about you, cutie pants?" A voice sighed in Naruto's ear. "Do you have a hug for me?"
Naruto didn't care about whatever was down in that hole. He was the first to jump in.
Professor McGonagall was nothing if not efficient. She had Patronuses conjured and running through the halls to the Head of Houses before they were even out of her study. Once they did leave, both Sai and Harry safely underneath the Invisibility Cloak, Sai could see how McGonagall's hand kept flexing and relaxing her grip upon her wand, as if she were mentally preparing herself for their confrontation with Professor Snape.
They were halfway down the hallway toward the staircase that would lead them to the Headmaster's office when Sai felt an unknown presence in their midst. Without revealing himself, he brushed his hand against McGonagall's arm to alert her. But she too, must have felt it because in an instant, her wand was out and at the ready.
"Who is there?" She called out into the shadows of the hallway.
"It is I." And they were greeted by the sight of Snape himself stepping out of the shadows of a suit of armor. He too, had his wand at the ready although it was held loosely in his grip so he wouldn't be immediately perceived as a threat.
At the sight of Snape, Sai felt Harry bristle beside him, his mouth curling into a sneer as he gripped his own wand in his hand. The Professor honestly looked as if he had seen better days but Sai didn't let that perception cloud his judgement if this were going to come down to a fight.
"Severus." Said McGonagall lightly. "I didn't expect to see you out, roaming the halls."
Snape ignored this comment. "Where are the Carrows?" He asked, quietly.
McGonagall feigned nonchalance. "Where ever you told them to be, I expect."
Snape took a step closer to them, although it was a small step. Perhaps he was worried about scaring McGonagall off. "I heard Alecto apprehended an intruder."
"Oh?" Said McGonagall. "What would have given you that impression? I had heard nothing of the sort."
Snape didn't answer, his left arm twitched slightly as if he were shaking something off. McGonagall caught the movement and gave out a scoff. "Oh, yes of course. I forgot that you Death Eaters have you own means of communication."
"Why are you out roaming the halls, Minerva?" Snape asked instead. He took another step closer, although it was almost unperceivable. Slowly and quietly, Sai removed a kunai from his holster.
"I was in the mood for a light stroll." Said McGonagall. "There has been a lot of my mind lately and it's been difficult to get to sleep. I'm sure you can understand the sentiment."
Snape didn't answer, but there was a slight pursing of his lips. His dark eyes stared into McGonagall's, but McGonagall did not flinch, nor look away.
"Minerva," Snape finally sighed, "If you have seen Harry Potter, I really do insist –"
McGonagall moved so fast, even Sai was surprised. Her wand slashed through the air, and for a minute, Sai thought that the aging Professor had gotten the jump on the Death Eater. But instead of crumpling to the spell, Snape conjured a shield, the force of it causing the wizards and ninja to take a step backward.
If the point was to get rid of Professor Snape, they might as well do it sooner rather than later. Sai burst out from beneath the Invisibility Cloak. He threw the kunai in his hand, purposefully missing the Professor. It clanged down the hallway, causing enough of a distraction that Sai was about to advance closer to Snape by kicking off the wall. He grabbed a torch that was ensconced on the wall and threw it straight at Snape's head.
McGonagall swung her wand around, causing the flames to change into a fiery lasso. Sai landed, tucking into a roll to avoid the flames. With a wave of his wand, the flames were changed into a large, writhing snake that unfortunately brought up a lot of bad memories for Sai. But the snake was gone in an instant, turned into harmless black smoke with a wave of McGonagall's wand. But the smoke was gone soon after that, having turned into hundreds of pointy tipped kunai knives.
Everything was happening so quick and so seamlessly, Sai didn't know which way to turn. One second Snape was in danger and the next it was McGonagall. So this is what real wizards were capable of.
McGonagall became distracted then, in dealing with the kunai knives so Sai took the opportunity to attack Snape before he could get the chance to send another curse toward McGonagall. Sai slid across the hallway floor, spinning his leg out and swinging around on his hands so that he knocked Snape's legs out from underneath him. Sai went in for a lunge, but had barely laid a fingertip on him when he was being ripped away from the once Potions Master by a pair of metal hands. The suit of armor had come to life and it slammed Sai into the wall as its hand came around Sai's throat, trying to choke the life out of him.
It was hard to hurt an inanimate object, so Sai was grateful when the suit of armor was pulled away from him by an invisible force and flung into the wall where it clattered apart.
Harry had decided to make himself known and he flicked his wand at Snape, a curse issuing from the tip, but it was easily dodged. With a great sweeping movement, McGonagall had the pieces of the broken suit of armor moving through the air at incredible speeds toward Snape.
Sai had a scroll and ink brush out, ready anticipate Snape's next move when Snape did the unthinkable and turned to the window. With a flick his wand, the glass shattered and Sai and Harry both took cover from the shards. When the glass settled around them, tinkling on the stone ground like tiny bells, Snape was nowhere to be seen. Harry, Sai and McGonagall rushed to the window where they caught sight of Snape flying through the night sky before disappearing from view.
"COWARD!" McGonagall shouted after him. Some tendrils of greying hair had escaped her bun in the ensuing fight and now drifted lazily about her face as the cool night air greeted them from the open window.
"He can fly…" Said Sai. Out of all the things he had seen so far, he wasn't sure why the sight of Professor Snape flying left him in disbelief, but it did.
McGonagall scoffed. "Another little trick he learned from his master."
Naruto dropped through the hole, landing on a pile of small bones and dank sewer water. He covered nose with the sleeve of his jacket in disgust as Hermione, followed by Ron dropped down beside him.
"Ugh!" Said Naruto in disgust. "Either something really big died down here or someone took a huge crap."
"Thanks for that bit of imagery, Naruto." Said Ron.
"Boys." Said Hermione sternly, but even her nose wrinkled in disgust. But she seemed too proud to show that she was affected by the smell so while Naruto covered his nose with both of his hands and Ron covered his with a hanky from his pocket, she stood there, hands on hips.
"Well, Ron, will you show us the way?"
Ron nodded. "I didn't make it all the way to the Chamber, but I should be able to find it easy enough. Well, let's get a move on, then. The sooner we are out of this stench the better."
Ron led them through the tunnels, kicking aside stray bones and kicking through murky water on the way. A few times, they ran into a dead end, but Ron steered them out and they were on their way again. It actually took them only a few short minutes before the tunnels opened up into the Chamber, but for Naruto it felt like hours. His nose hurt from pressing his hands so hard upon it.
When they entered the Chamber, however, the sight of it was enough for Naruto to drop his hands and open his mouth in awe.
"What the f –!"
"Naruto!" Said Hermione, cutting him off.
"What is that?!" Naruto asked in alarm as he thrust his hand out toward the basilisk carcass. The huge thing was still lying on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets, practically unchanged from the day Harry had slayed it. Only now, the smell of rot radiated from it and patches of its skin were mottled away and in the process of decomposition.
"It's bigger than Manda!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Completely bonkers, isn't it?" Said Ron, peering at it for the first time. "That's a basilisk. Harry killed it his second year here."
Naruto's eyed widened and he stepped closer to the body, examining it. "Harry killed this thing?" He asked in disbelief.
Ron nodded, almost proud. "Stabbed it straight through the mouth with the Sword of Gryffindor." He said, demonstrating with his finger pointed upwards under his chin.
Naruto shook his head. Harry was no ninja, but sometimes his feats put Naruto's to shame.
Hermione was ignoring their antics and was squatting near the dead basilisk's mouth. She had her wand out and was jiggling it until finally one of the basilisk's large fangs popped out. Hermione turned to them, beaming.
"Brilliant." Said Ron. It was then that he took the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff out from his jacket are carefully placed it on the cool stone ground.
Hermione approached them, basilisk fang in hand and sighed as she looked down at the cup. "A shame that such a relic will have to be destroyed…" She said mournfully. "Such…such arrogance on Voldermort's part that he corrupted a historical item with a filthy, vile…"
She didn't finish as Ron had let out a gasp at her words.
"What?" Hermione snapped. "It makes me angry! And it's not like he doesn't already know we are here…"
Naruto chuckled before squatting before the cup. "Well, who's gonna do the honors?"
Ron and Hermione shared a glance before Hermione extended the fang toward Naruto. "The honor is yours, mate." Said Ron.
"Me?" Said Naruto, looking up at the wizards in disbelief. "But shouldn't you…?"
"Nah." Said Ron, shrugging. "I got my chance with the locket and that was more than enough for me. Besides, after everything, you deserve a chance to stab something." Ron paused for a moment and then, as if he remember something, he added, "A word of advice though? It will put up a fight. The key is to just not listen to a word it says. Harry really was not kidding about that part…" The last part came out as more of a mutter.
Naruto took the fang from Hermione's hand and looked at it before looking at the cup.
"There you are," Said Horace Slughorn, hands on his hips when McGonagall finally pushed through the doors of the Great Hall. "What on earth is the meaning of…Dear Merlin!" He cried when he caught sight of Harry walking in behind McGonagall.
Slughorn was staring at Harry, aghast and the sight of him also had Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout exchanging alarmed glances.
"Mr. Potter, my word!" Said Flitwick. "Minerva, what is the meaning of this?" He asked, turning to the Gryffindor Head of House.
She fixed them each with a look, her mouth pulled into a tight line. "Filius, Pomona, Horace," She said, acknowledging each of the teachers. "I'm afraid I have grave news and not much time to say it. He Who Shall Not Be Named will be arriving shortly. Potter and his friends are here doing work for Dumbledore and we'll need to set up every protection this school has in order to but him some time."
There were several gasps. "My word, Minerva!" Slughorn exclaimed. "You can't be serious! Severus – "
"Has fled the school, no doubt to assist his master." Said McGonagall, her words as sharp as a whip.
"You do realize that we can't keep him out forever." Said Sprout, shaking her head. "You Know Who, pounding on the doors of the school, mercy me." She said, putting a hand to her chest.
"Yes," McGonagall agreed, "I agree this is something we never saw coming. But I suppose it ought to be sooner rather than later. Do I have your assistance?"
"Of course!" Flitwick cried. "Basic protection must be established and quickly, I presume…" His eyes glanced around the Great Hall and he began muttering to himself under his breath.
McGonagall nodded. "The evacuation of the underaged students is also a must. I suggest we gather our students and meet back here in the Great Hall. If any students of age insist on staying to fight, however, I think there is little we can do to prevent them."
"Agreed." Said Sprout. She turned and began to hurry toward the doors. "I'll meet you with my students in twenty minutes!" She called out.
Harry watched her go, listening as she muttered about plants and which ones the Death Eaters were bound not to like.
"I shall start setting up the school's defenses." Flitwick said, his eyes fierce and determined. He began to head toward the doors to the Great Hall.
Recalling their dilemma over the diadem, Harry ran to catch up with him. "Professor, I have some questions for you."
"Walk with me then, Mr. Potter." Said Flitwick who moved surprisingly fast for such a tiny man. "There is much to be done!"
Harry sent Sai a look over his shoulder and Sai nodded his head. He watched as Harry disappeared out of the doors before turning back to Professor McGonagall. "Professor," Sai began as McGonagall made her way back toward Gryffindor Tower, "You know it won't only be Voldermort and Death Eaters who come."
McGonagall paused for a moment. "Yes, I suspected that the ninja would come as well." She sighed. "Thankfully I've only had brief encounters with them thus far, but that doesn't bode well if I am to fight them."
Sai was about to respond when they were interrupted by Horace Slughorn calling out for Professor McGonagall. They both stopped and turned to stare at him as he jogged up. Sai couldn't help but think how ridiculous the man looked in his green silk pajamas, velvet dressing robe and slippers. This man was the current Slytherin Head of House? The man may have been a traitor but Sai couldn't help but think his old house had been better off with Professor Snape.
"Are you quite certain about this, Minerva?" Slughorn asked as he puffed for breath after his jog. "Hogwarts has history of typically staying out of situations like this and I think in this case it may be for the best…"
McGonagall held up a hand, effectively stopping Slughorn from continuing his spiel. "I will expect you and your Slytherins to be in the Great Hall in twenty minutes or less. If you choose not to take up arms with us and would prefer to leave instead, no one will hold up a hand to stop you. But," She said, her eyes turning steely. "So help me, Horace, if you attempt to sabotage our resistance, we will duel to kill."
Slughorn's eyes widened. "Minerva!" He said, completely taken back.
She shook her head before turning and continuing on her way. "I will see you and your students soon!" She called out.
Kakashi was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the baby's new room, rocking baby Teddy in arms and enjoying the way the baby would gurgle and make faces at him. It was incredibly late, and the only light gracing the room was the light coming from the moonlight outside the window. Kakashi hadn't really been sleeping anyway and when he heard Teddy beginning to fuss in his crib, he volunteered himself to Teddy's needs so that the new parents could get some much needed rest. Kakashi had only been holding him in his arms for a few minutes when Teddy ceased his fussing and instead started to laugh and smile as Kakashi puffed his cheeks out and made strange faces at the baby.
Kakashi reached down, tickling his nose along Teddy's when Teddy let out a delighted laugh and his small hands lunged toward Kakashi's face mask in an attempt to pull it down.
"Oh no." Kakashi chuckled, reaching up to pry Teddy's hands off. "No matter how cute you are…"
Teddy gurgled again, happily and Kakashi felt his heart tighten at the sight of him. Often over the past couple of weeks, whenever Kakashi was particularly enjoying himself, he would suddenly remember how he didn't belong in this world – not truly – and that inevitably he would have to return to Konoha and sever ties with the wizarding world. It was how it had gone the first time and that's how it was meant to be, if Tsunade's reluctance to talk about the wizarding world was anything to go by.
But how could he return? Sure, he did often times miss his bed and his cramped apartment, missed eating ramen with Naruto at Ichiraku and missed tormenting with Mite Gai. But when he thought back to Konoha, he realized that he would miss his talks with Kingsley, miss his muggle discussions with Arthur…even miss thwarting Fred and George's attempts to unmask him. And now most of all, he would miss Tonk's gentle smile and Teddy's sweet, adorable laugh.
Kami, he was turning into such a sap.
A resounding crack echoed from down the stairs and Kakashi bolted to his feet. Carefully, he placed Teddy back in his crib before withdrawing two kunai. It was impossible to Apparate into the house – it was protected by the Fidelius Charm with Andromeda acting as Secret Keeper – but Kakashi was still wary to those Apparating inside in the wee hours of the night while everyone else was still asleep.
Kakashi positioned himself in the shadows at the entrance to the door and listened as they walked up the steps to the upper level. When Kakashi spotted the tell-tale signs of the Lumos spell on the floor just outside the room, Kakashi launched himself from the room at the intruder.
"Gotta appreciate that killer instinct." George joked as Kakashi held the kunai to his throat.
Kakashi pulled the kunai away immediately. "Great Kami in Heaven," Kakashi cursed, "George, it's nearly midnight. Don't you have any boundaries?"
George was unusually somber as he held up what looked like a coin in the weak light. "It's time." He said.
When Kakashi stepped foot in the Room of Requirement, he was greeted with hushed voices and dozens of eyes staring at him. The staring made him feel oddly self-conscious, like he had walked in wearing nothing but his underwear…or worse yet…without the mask on his face.
"Oy!" Fred jumped from the secret tunnel to the floor and slung an around Kakashi's shoulders. "You act like you've never seen a man go prematurely grey before! Don't worry," He said to Kakashi conspiratorially, "I've been assured by several young ladies that it looks most dashing on you."
At Fred's sudden appearance, followed by George and the rest of the members of the Order of the Phoenix, the crowd in the Room of Requirement immediately softened, smiles gracing their faces as they embraced friends that hadn't been seen in a while.
Kakashi prowled the room, noting many familiar faces from his teaching days long past. Many, however, greeted him with uncertainty and Kakashi it supposed it was because it wasn't every day that you found out your teacher was a hired killer. He found Sai wandering the crowd, looking confused. It wasn't his expression that told Kakashi he was confused – his expression now was no different than every other expression he wore – but was more in the way he kept looking around as if he lost something.
"Kakashi-san." Said Sai when he noticed Kakashi weaving through the crowd to approach him.
"Sai." Said Kakashi, approaching the younger ninja. "Where are Harry and the others?"
"Harry was talking with Professor Flitwick." Sai explained. "I just…I just can't seem to locate Naruto, Ron and Hermione." Said Sai.
So that was the source of Sai's confusion. It wasn't surprising to hear that the impulsive ninja absconded with the two wizards in tow. But to do so now, at such a critical time? Kakashi hoped that whatever they were doing was worth it.
"Professor McGonagall plans on evacuating all of the underage students from the school." Sai explained. "Everyone is meeting in the Great Hall shortly."
Kakashi followed the exodus from the Room of Requirement as they made their way toward the Great Hall. Along the way, they were joined by dozens of other students as they dutifully followed the Prefects. Some were utterly confused at being waken in the middle of the night and others looked down right terrified as they walked along, huddled in small groups. A few eyed Kakashi warily, taking in his strange appearance while others whispered about as they recognized him.
"This won't be easy." Kingsley murmured to him as he pushed his way over to walk beside Kakashi.
What, thus far had exactly been easy for them? But Kakashi knew what Kingsley meant. This wasn't like the Death Eater raids or skirmishes they had thus put up with. This was going to be an honest to goodness battle and although Kakashi wasn't going to make light of the battle in Konoha a few months prior, the upcoming battle might just make that one seem paltry. Dealing with Voldermort, Orochimaru and likely the full onslaught of both of their followers? No it would not be an easy task.
When they reached the Great Hall, they found Minerva McGonagall standing as the high table along with the other Hogwarts professors. A look of relief passed over her face when she noticed the members of the Order of the Phoenix approaching.
"Thank goodness." She murmured. "I wasn't sure if I would be able to get word out to you."
"The self-proclaimed Dumbledore's Army took care of that with an ingenious bit of charm work." Kingsley explained. "You'll have to thank your Mr. Longbottom for alerting the Weasleys."
A smile quirked at McGonagall's lips as she turned to eye the Gryffindor table before she turned back to them, her face grim. "We've already placed most of our protective charms around the school, but they won't hold for long unless we reinforce it."
"Most of Hogsmeade looked to be completely abandoned." Kingsley reported. "Nary a ninja nor Death Eater to enforce the dreaded curfew. I might hazard a guess that they are on the grounds already."
McGonagall let out what sounded like a swear word, although Kakashi wasn't sure because it was in a language he had never heard before. Then she turned to address the school.
Sai caught sight of Harry as the students were beginning to leave en masse from the Great Hall. Sai noticed that Harry seemed almost giddy despite the impending doom.
"Sai! I know where the diadem is!" Said Harry excitedly when they reached each other. "It all makes sense now." Harry looked around, as if were expecting company. "Where are the others?" He asked.
Sai shook his head. "I don't know."
The excitement began to drain away from Harry, leaving him confused and a tad nervous. "You mean they weren't in the Room of Requirement when you went to get the others?"
Sai shook his head once more.
Panic was beginning to set in now as Harry's face drained of color. He pulled Sai from the Great Hall and they began a brisk walk back to the Room of Requirement. "You don't think…" Harry began, "You don't think…no." Harry shook his head. "No, Voldermort couldn't have…"
Sai's heart lurched for a brief moment as something uncomfortable settled along the back of his neck. It had never even crossed his mind that Voldermort could have somehow gotten a hold of Ron, Hermione and Naruto. Like Harry said, it couldn't have been possible…could it?
Sai didn't want to lie to Harry, so he remained quiet. "No." Said Harry finally, shaking his head. "No, Hermione must have pulled them off on some mission to free the house-elves or perhaps Naruto was hit with a moment of nostalgia and went to show them where he almost killed our entire year off in a Potions mishap. They'll be back soon, I'm sure."
Sai was glad that Harry managed to shake himself out of his own pessimism, but unfortunately that still left his own mind spinning.
"Did Professor Flitwick give you any clues about where Ravenclaw's diadem is?" Sai asked instead.
Harry turned to Sai, his eyes bright. "It's in the Room of Requirement."
Sai shook his head. "But we were just there…"
"No no," Said Harry waving his head. "Not exactly there…" Harry quickly explained to Sai how Flitwick had given him the idea to speak to the Grey Lady – the Ravenclaw Tower ghost. Harry explained his amazement when he found out she was the daughter of Helena Ravenclaw herself and had hidden the diadem in Albania. Harry explained his theory that after worming this information out of the Grey Lady, Voldermort had hidden the diadem in the Room of Requirement when he returned to Hogwarts to ask for the teaching position.
A bunch of coincidences; that was what Harry was telling him, but he didn't have time to comment when he heard a peal of laughter as three familiar figures coming from the opposite hallway. Sai gave Harry a nudge and pointed toward Naruto. Relief flooded through Harry's face and soon they were running to greet the others.
"Where the hell have you been!?" Harry said when they finally joined Ron, Hermione and Naruto.
Hermione looked at him as if she didn't have a care in the world. "The Chamber of Secrets."
"What?!" Said Harry incredulously, his eyebrows losing themselves in his hairline.
"It was a brilliant idea, really." Said Ron, shaking his head. "A masterful idea." Hermione just shook her head and gave Ron a playful nudge.
"Don't you need to be able to speak Parseltongue?" Harry asked.
Ron grinned a little before letting a slithering sound escape his lips. When Harry and Sai both stared at him, he just gave them a goofy grin and shrugged his shoulders. "Heard you do it enough."
Sai shook his head. "I don't understand."
"The Horcrux!" Naruto whooped. "We finally destroyed it! I destroyed it." He proclaimed proudly. "With this." He rummaged in his pocket before pulling out a basilisk fang.
"It was all Hermione's idea." Said Ron again.
Recognition was beginning to dawn on Harry but Naruto was not about to let his shining moment go without an explanation. "I see you are confused, Sai." Said Naruto slinging an arm around his shoulder, "But I'll be happy to explain it to you."
Naruto launched into a completely exaggerated retelling of how Ron and Hermione had granted him the honors of destroying the Horcrux because he 'deserved to stab something' and how, despite Ron's warnings, he let the Horcrux trick him into thinking that Sakura had turned into an evil bitch and was head over heels in love with Sasuke Uchiha. In the end, Naruto prevailed after he stabbed the Horcrux, stabbing it so thoroughly it was now an unrecognizable chunk of metal.
"Very…elaborate retelling." Harry admitted once Naruto was done.
"Helluva stress reliever." Naruto sighed. "Any ideas on where the next one is?"
Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, I have an idea."
It had been a long time since Sakura had been to Hogwarts. The feeling she had as she stepped inside was a feeling she associated with very few places. She had only been at Hogwarts for a brief time, but in that time, the school had charmed her, as it did so many. She felt safe ensconced in its walls and she felt here, more than any other place, anything could happen.
But sentimentalities such as that were for the weak and thus if it turned out that Voldermort's plan for that night was to reduce the place to rubble, well she wouldn't waste her time shedding tears about it.
She stuck to the shadows as she slunk about, moving quickly through the hallways. It was lucky that she recalled the place Voldermort had told her about and the staircases didn't steer her wrong.
Standing in front of the wall, she forced herself to condense her many thoughts into one single thought: I need a place to hide something.
It had taken a few moments, but when a large door suddenly appeared before her, Sakura let herself swell with pride before she pulled open the grand door and stepped inside.
The air inside was dusty and objects stacked to staggering heights all around her obscured her view of how big the room really was. As she slowly walked through a narrow corridor, her eyes on the lookout, she realized she was never going to find what she was looking for if she kept this up. Closing her eyes, Sakura concentrated as best as she could for a single chakra source. Other magical items with chakra sources of their own pulled at her senses, distracting her, but Sakura batted them away, seeking that which was familiar.
When she finally found it, she nearly crowed in delight.
She found the object sitting atop a bust of a funny looking wizard with a large crooked nose. Someone must have thought it would be funny to place a curly haired wig atop the wizard's head, coupled with a tiara that glittered even in the surrounding darkness of the room. Sakura reached up and carefully removed the tiara from the wizard's head and cradled it to her chest. Yes, this was definitely the item. She could feel the tiara – no, diadem – pulsing with energy as if it were waiting to be unleashed.
For a minute, as she stood there holding it, she felt an inexplicable urge to break the diadem, to crush it and feel it crumble beneath her fingers. But the moment passed and Sakura carefully tucked the diadem away within her robes.
Sakura smiled, satisfied before she moved off toward the exit. She didn't get very far before she felt the lurking presence of someone. A kunai slipped between her fingers.
"You!" A voice sputtered out in the darkness.
Sakura turned slowly and found herself face to face with Draco Malfoy and his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle. Sakura felt the tension leave her shoulders and she gave them an easy smile. "Draco. I didn't expect to see you here."
Draco blanched at her overly familiar tone with him.
The smile fell from Sakura's face then and her eyes narrowed. The transformation made her look like a harpy. "What are you doing here?"
"We was waiting for Potter." Said one of the goons from Draco's side. Sakura noted how Draco shot the goon a look of warning. She cocked her head to the side.
"Harry Potter?" She asked, carefully raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah." The goon continued, as if we was oblivious to Draco's misgiving about telling her anything. "We was lurking around the castle looking for Potter an no one even saw us!" He seemed to be very proud of this fact. What a buffoon. "We heard Potter say he was gonna come here, looking for a die-dum…what's a die-dum?"
Sakura ignored the stupid question. How had Harry Potter known to find the diadem here? Only the Dark Lord should have known! She was thankful that the diadem as nestled safety within her robes. Harry Potter would never get his hands on it now.
She took a step closer to Draco and his friends. "Why on earth would you be in here, waiting for Harry?" She paused, in a mock show of contemplating her own question.
"Unless…you were waiting in here in hopes of ambushing poor Harry and killing him? Now Draco," She admonished, taking another few steps closer, "Don't tell me you were thinking taking that pleasure away from the Dark Lord." She looked at him, her face all sharp angles and menace. Any of the teasing and familial kindness she had shown him earlier was gone.
Draco grew wide eyed at her words and he looked at her, positively terrified. Sakura knew then that she had gotten it wrong.
When she did finally work out his reasoning, she let out a bold laugh that reminded Draco so much of his aunt. She laughed, its high and cold sound echoing off the multitude of objects that surrounded them. "No, no," Said Sakura, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes. "You aren't a killer, Draco. You are too weak to be a killer." She sneered, the mirth vanishing from her face.
"But you are desperate, just like the rest of your family; your father, your mother, your horrible wretched aunt. Did you think by capturing Potter you would be back in his good graces?"
"Stupid girl!" Said the goon to Malfoy's left. "Shut your mouth!"
He lifted his wand and Malfoy realized a second too late what was going on. "Crabbe no!" Malfoy shouted, lunging for Crabbe's arm.
"Avada Kedavra!" Crabbe shouted, the green spell jetting out from his wand toward Sakura.
Every fiber in Sakura's being erupted into rage as she dove out of the way, tucking into a neat roll before disappearing into the darkness of the surrounding objects. The beast and the mad woman were both snarling inside her brain.
Malfoy had grabbed at Crabbe's arm, pulling it down. "You wanker!" Malfoy cried. "The Dark Lord will have your hide for this!"
"Shove off!" Crabbe snapped, undisguisable fury in his voice as he swatted away Malfoy's arm. "I dun take orders from you anymore; you an' your dad are done."
Sakura shook her head. Done indeed. She drove her fist into the pile of objects and was satisfied by the shouts of surprise she heard as objects raining down on Malfoy and his goons. She used a shunshin to appear before them and she palmed her kunai once more before letting it fly toward the one who had tried killing her.
Despite appearances, Crabbe wasn't nearly as stupid nor as slow footed as he appeared to be and he spotted her kunai and managed to dodge just in time. Meanwhile the other goon used the time to send a few stunning curses her way.
"No!" Malfoy shouted, acting very much like a man caught in the middle. "Stop it! You can't kill her!" He shouted almost desperately.
They weren't very coordinated in their efforts to possibly kill or maim her, but they made up for that by sending a variety of different hexes and curses her way. After a while, Malfoy stopped pleading with them to stop and began issuing a few curses on his own, although Sakura could tell it was more in an effort to subdue her and diffuse the situation rather than to kill her.
Crabbe's favorite seemed to be the Killing Curse. He sent the green colored curse her way while Goyle sent out the Cruciatus Curse. Sakura ran, diving to the floor and sliding toward them as the curses passed harmlessly overhead.
Crabbe advanced toward her, but she deftly spun, launching herself into an upright position before her chakra enhanced kick caught him in the stomach and sent him flying into another unsteady pile of objects. The commotion the objects made as they fell to the floor echoed around the room.
Sakura didn't bother to see if Crabbe was out for the count or was simply stunned for a bit. She used her speed to catch Malfoy off guard with a harsh backhand across the face that sent him sprawling down the floor before flipping over to her last attacker. Goyle didn't get the words of his next spell past his lips before she had him on the floor, his arm twisted behind his back as she knelt atop him.
"You appear to like using the Cruciatus Curse." She said, her words full of venom as Goyle squirmed in pain underneath her. "I wonder if you've ever felt the curse for yourself." At this, she lifted a finger that was pulsating with blue chakra. She brought it down on his shoulder.
"Crucio," Sakura whispered into Goyle's ear as his screams erupted around her.
Bingo Book
Undesirable #19
Charles 'Charlie' Weasley
Status: Pureblood. Known member of Order of the Phoenix
Family: Arthur Weasley (father) – Pureblood (see Undesirable #17), Molly Weasley (mother) - Pureblood (see Undesirable #20), William Weasley – brother (see Undesirable #18), Percy Weasley – brother (Accepted), Fred Weasley – brother, George Weasley – brother, Ronald Weasley – brother (see Undesirable #21), Ginerva Weasley – sister
Security Status: TRACKED. Has returned to work in Romania