Note: This chapter has replaced the previous notice.
OH. MY. GOSH.
It's been over a month since I last updated! I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE!
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!!! It really helped me get motivated to write! I've finally settled in my new house (In Colorado, yay!) but I still don't have my own computer, and I still don't have a job. I'm writing this on my neighbor's computer (she's sooooo nice :3) but it's still hard.
Enough about me, on with the story!!!!
This chapter was originally 13 pages in microsoft word, so I split it into to halves. There's alot of information in this chapter...it was fun to write though.
...in case you're wondering why all of the chapter titles begin with "r"...I really have no idea. There are some really interesting r words, so why not?
Disclaimer: Nope, not today. BUT SOMEDAY I WILL, MARK MY WORDS!!! –dun dun dun-
Thinking"Speaking"
"Speaking in a language the current point of view cannot understand but is written so that you can under stand"
---------------------------
One week earlier…
A joyous yelp of "Harry!" was all the warning he got before he was tackled to the floor outside the bedrooms by an armful of Hermione Granger. Harry had only arrived seconds before at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, before being hurried up the rickety stairs with a gruff (and confusing) order from Professor Moody ("Get upstairs and stay silent, boy! Wouldn't want to wake anything up.") Hermione's grip was vice-like and somewhat painful, but the wind had been forcibly knock out of him by the impact, and he couldn't manage more than a pained wheeze.
"Easy, 'Mione! Loosen up a bit, he can't breathe!" said Ron worriedly behind them.
She finally released him, apologizing, "Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry!"
Harry rubbed his sides gingerly, checking for cracked ribs. "'S all right. Thanks for the save, Ron."
"Any time, mate" Ron said grinning.
"Ssssshhh!" came a hiss from downstairs. "You'll wake something up!" It sounded like Molly Weasly, if he wasn't mistaken. Harry realized they must have been making quite some racket, and suggested that they all move into the bedroom. They did so, Harry closing the door softly behind him. He turned to face his best friends.
"So, what is this place, anyway?"
As she and Ron sat together on one of the newly-made beds, Hermione answered, "It's the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."
"I know that, but what is the Order of the Phoenix?"
Ron spoke up this time, "A bunch of witches and wizards who want to kick You-Know-Who's scrawny pale ass."
"Ronald!"
"What? It's true."
But Harry wasn't listening. "Wait, an Anti-Voldemort group? Sign me up!"
Ron twitched violently at the name and Hermione gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, they say you have to be of age to join. At the very least out of school."
What!? "Why!?" he demanded.
She winced, "Please don't yell, we wanted to join too."
POP!
Fred and George materialized suddenly on top of their youngest brother, who squawked indignantly at the sudden intrusion of his personal space.
"Yes, it's a shame, isn't it, Harry?"
"We're old enough to use magic legally now-"
"And even we weren't allowed to enlist in the noble cause-"
"But hope is not all lost my friend-"
"For we have in our possession-"
"The wonderful-"
"The miraculous-"
"The appropriately-named- "
"Extendable Ears!" The twins completed in chorus.
It took Harry a moment to respond, thrown off as he was by their rapid-fire dialogue. "Extendable –what, now?"
"I daresay a demonstration is in order, don't you think so, George?"
"Oh, yes, Fred, I quite agree."
The next thing Harry knew, the twins had linked arms with him and dragged him backward out of the bedroom, heels skidding all the way. He could see Ron and Hermione following, the former thoroughly amused the latter wondering if she should come to his rescue or not.
A few seconds later the twins released him on the landing and he was free to jerk away and ask 'just what the heck're you doing!' But he was silenced by Fred-or-George with a gesture. The other twin reached into his jeans pocket and produced what appeared to be a thick flesh-colored length of yarn. He pointed to Harry's eyes and then to the string, obvious sign language for, "Don't ask. Watch."
He leaned over the railing and brought the string up to one ear. It became longer and longer until it was long enough to touch the ground. (Oh, Harry thought, Extendable Ears. Right.) Then, quietly and cautiously, it snaked its way across the ground floor and poked under the door to what Harry believed to be the kitchen. Fred's face (for it was indeed Fred who was operating the Ear, Harry finally realized) was radiating sheer concentration as he tried to get the positioning just right. But he brightened up shortly and cheerily gestured for Harry to come closer.
He did so and Fred placed the Ear in his hand. Harry cautiously brought it up to his own non-extendable ear (for you could never be too careful when it came to the Weasly twins) and was instantly rewarded by the voices of those in the kitchen, as clear as if he had been standing in the room with them.
"…really think it's safe? The guards two years ago were a fiasco. They almost Kissed Harry!" That was Mrs. Weasly.
"It's different now, Molly. Dumbledore was clear in his distrust of the Dementors. This time, he has professed his great faith in the new guards. He seemed to be quite familiar with them, in fact." Kingsley.
"I still don't like it," Moody grumbled, "What did he call them? Own-boo, or something. Sounds like eastern gibberish to me."
"That's ANBU, Mad-Eye. Though it is strange that none of us have even heard of them before…"Mrs. Weasly wondered aloud.
"Dumbledore told me that they were like an organization of mercenaries." Kingsley supplied. "That they'll do near anything for pay, everything from finding lost pets to being hired killers. They'd do anything for the right price, and do anything to make sure the contract was fulfilled. Or so he said."
Momentary silence, then-
"Oh, dear. I'm not sure I like the sound of that."
"At least they're on our side."
"Can you be so su-"
Suddenly the debate was cut off by an amused, "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Harry jumped at the incriminating adult voice that was most definitely not coming from the Extendable Ear. "Only ten minutes after your arrival and already you've been caught eavesdropping. You're slipping Harry. I know you can be more covert than this."
Wait, that voice! Harry whipped around and sure enough, standing behind him with a cocky smile on his face was…
"Sirius!"
He tackled his godfather with all the pent up frustration the summer had brought him and pulled him into a tight, desperate hug. Staggering a bit under the onslaught of affection, Sirius returned the favor and Harry positively melted. It just felt so good to be back with the only real family he had left.
Sirius patted Harry on the head a few times in a fatherly sort of way before pushing him back gently. He gave him an evaluating look. "Seriously, though. That was the most lousy attempt at sneaking I've ever seen in my life. Next time, try not to hang yourself halfway over the top landing of a staircase while listening in on a private conversation, eh?"
Harry gave him and embarrassed smile.
Suddenly Sirius frowned slightly, "So, what did you manage to hear?"
Great. This is the part where I get in trouble. He wondered nervously how just much the Order didn't want him to know. "Just something about new guards. I'm guessing for Hogwarts."
Though he was expecting a negative reaction, his godfather's face looked relieved. "Ah, that's fine, then. We were planning on telling you all about that anyway." After a brief moment of thought he added, "You want to go join the conversation now?"
"Huh? Really?"
His godfather nodded. "It's non-Order related, and it'll be public information soon enough, so I don't see why not." He glanced over his shoulder toward the bedroom door and called, "You can all come too."
Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George shuffled sheepishly from the dark room they had fled to (and left harry on the landing to get caught), each one agonizing over their possible punishments. Sirius noted the pained expressions on their faces.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. I'll tell you what. George, give me one of those interesting strings and I won't tell your mother you've been dropping some serious eaves again."
George immediately fished a spare Ear from his jean pocket, and handed it to dark-haired man, who placed it in his coat pocket with a satisfied, mischievous grin.
"Now, then. Shall we?"
----
An hour and a very tasty and fulfilling dinner later (both for his stomach and his mind) Harry had a vague grasp on the guard idea. Mrs. Weasly was hesitant to say anything on the subject of course, but Sirius' argument that it was soon to be common knowledge had convinced her to discuss it over the evening meal. The Order didn't have much information on them, however. In fact, all they really knew for sure, other than what Harry had heard on the Ear, was that they were definitely of a foreign organization of some kind. They didn't know exactly who, how many, or how much authority they would have at Hogwarts when the term began the following week.
The entire situation sounded fishy to Harry. But he trusted in Dumbledore's judgement, so he did nothing to give his suspicions voice.
----
The next six days were mostly spent dodging Order members, who were popping in and out of Grimmauld Place with surprising frequency, and a disgruntled house-elf (Kretcher) who seemed intent on hoarding every last Black family artifact into the tiny boiler room at the base of the stairs. The chaotic activity did not last long for Harry, who was preparing to depart for Diagon Alley for the annual before-school shopping with the Weasleys and Hermione.
After Mrs. Weasley's last minute checks ("Everyone have their trunks? Owls? Cats? Socks?" etc., etc….) They each in turn took a pinch of Floo Powder from the mantle and disappeared into the roaring kitchen fire.
----
Harry thanked his lucky stars as he made a firm, steady landing in the Leaky Cauldron pub, exactly where he had intended to be, and breathed a slow sigh of relief. Recalling back to his first use of the Floo Network, he was rather proud of his successful arrival.
He brushed himself off, taking care to move away from the fireplace so that the next member of their group could come through without crashing into him. Glancing around he noticed an unusual lack of customers in the pub. But on second thought he realized it was ten o'clock in the morning. Not exactly prime time.
He caught Hermione's bushy hair out of the corner of his eye and went to stand with her and the rest of the group at the front desk.
"...Ah, yes," Mr. Weasley was saying serenely to the innkeeper, "and how much will four rooms cost?" His face fell slightly at the answer, but he nevertheless opened his wallet and paid, the wallet looking woefully empty afterwards. A wash of guilt swept through Harry and he couldn't help but speak up.
"Mr. Weasley, I can pay on my own…" but he was immediately silenced by a laugh.
"Don't be silly, Harry! It's no trouble, no trouble at all!" With that Mr. Weasley recovered his luggage, mumbled a "good day" to the innkeeper, and trundled loudly up the stairs, his heavy suitcases making a ruckus each time they made contact with the wood.
He sighed in defeat. The redheads always denied his attempts to pay for his own things.
"Come, on Harry!" Ron called from the stairs, "We get our own room this time! No more sharing with Fred and George!"
-----
Only a few minutes and a minor pillow fight later Harry and Ron were seated comfortably in the dining area of the Leaky Cauldron. Ron had once again challenged his friend to a game of chess and, once again, Harry was putting up a valiant fight but was losing nonetheless. He didn't particularly mind, though. He thought that one of these days he might actually beat Ron, or at least tie him. But, sadly, today wasn't the day.
"Checkmate," said Ron calmly. Harry sighed. Nope, defiantly not today. With a scrape of chair-on-wooden-floor, Ron stood and gathered Harry's sadly mangled chess pieces off the table, along with his mostly intact ones. "Wow, Harry. You've lost poorly before, but this is just ridiculous. I'll have to ask Hermione or Mum to fix these for me before tomorrow." He made a makeshift pocket out of his shirt and stepped carefully up the stairs, making sure not to drop any pieces and harm them any further.
Harry shivered slightly. Without the chess game there wasn't anything to keep his mind off of the unusual September cold snap England was experiencing. Edging his chair closer to the fireplace, he leaned in to soak up some extra warmth. He relaxed as heat enveloped him, quite comfortable now that the goosebumps were gone. But alas, it was not to last.
Without warning, the flames suddenly flashed green and grew larger. Recognizing the signs of a Floo Powder arrival, Harry tried to move back, but he was too slow. Two bodies tumbled out of the fire and into his lap knocking him and the chair to the floor with a loud smack.
Harry groaned. Though impact had jostled him a bit, he felt all right. He stood, staggering slightly. Must've landed on my leg funny… he thought.
"ITAI!"
Harry whipped his head around to the source of the sudden exclamation. One of the people who had just careened out of the fire had slipped and fallen squarely on his back on the hard wood floor. The stranger sat up slowly, then stood, looking somewhat disoriented.
He was wearing all black with blue jeans, and a black hat with some foreign writing covered a head of long blonde hair with was pulled back into a ponytail. He had three thin markings (tattoos?) on each cheek that reminded him instantly of whiskers, and appeared to be around Harry's own age, perhaps older, judging by height (he was a few inches taller than Harry himself).
The curious blonde newcomer was presently rubbing the side of his head furiously, as if nursing an injury, which he probably was. He turned to his black haired companion on the floor, who had the bridge of his nose pinched between his fingers and his eyes screwed shut. "Oi, Sasuke," he said in an exotic sounding language Harry couldn't even begin to understand, "daijoubu ka?"
"Urusai, Naruto…" the dark haired one mumbled. He too stood, though a bit more steadily than his friend did. "Orera wa doko ka?"
The blonde shrugged. "Doukana…Riiki Karudureno?"
"Sou desu…?"
"Aa…kamoshirenai."
They both paused and glanced around curiously, the blonde one still massaging his head. Just then, Harry put two and two together and realized something. They must be lost! Maybe they got off at the wrong fireplace! Heaven knows it happened to him before. Harry sympathized.
"Ah, hello…? Are you okay? Are you lost?" he asked slowly, in case the two didn't speak English.
They both turned back to stare at him blankly. Yeah. Definitely don't speak English.
----
"Ah, hello…? Are you okay? Are you lost?"
Sasuke turned away from his survey of the room (pub? tavern?) when he was addressed in a vaguely familiar language…English? Well, at least the language was right. From his readings he had learned that Floo Powder travel was risky business. If you weren't careful, you could end up anywhere. Like Africa. That would not be good in any sense of the word.
The speaker was a young boy, with messy black hair and green eyes, which were hidden behind round glasses that reminded him faintly of Kabuto. The concern in his voice was evident, and Sasuke managed to decipher most of what he had said, picking out key words like "hello," "you," and "lost," but he frowned at his own disability to understand completely. Reading English was one thing, actually speaking it seemed to be another matter altogether. He should have paid more attention in the Foreign Language class at the Academy.
Sasuke was about to respond, but Naruto beat him to it. He piped up in near perfect, though heavily accented English, "We don't know. This is The Leaky Cauldron, ne?"
Sasuke bristled. Curse Naruto and his random abilities. Honestly, you never knew what kind of trick he could pull out nowhere. Sasuke vowed to practice his English more, if only to catch up with his friend. He hadn't thought the language barrier would be this much of a problem when they left.
"Y-yeah, it is!" The English boy sounded surprised, probably that Naruto could speak the language. That much Sasuke could tell from the inflections in his voice.
"Good, good! No, not lost, then." Naruto responded grinning. "Hey, Sasuke, he says were in the right place."
"Peachy," he replied caustically, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. "Now what? Where's the guy who's supposed to meet us?" Sasuke glanced at the boy, who was looking on curiously. "It can't be this kid." It'd better not be.
"Yeah, you're right. I wonder wh-" Naruto began, but was instantly cut off by the sound of the front door opening. Usually this occurrence would have gone largely unnoticed, but seeing as how the pub was completely empty except for the three by the fireplace, they all spared a glance at the ruffled-looking newcomer. The English-speaking boy reacted first.
"Professor Lupin!" He exclaimed, rushing over too greet the worn man.
"Ah, good morning!" he replied warmly, "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. I was just here on my way to meet someone here. Two someones in fact. Rather short-notice, you see."
"So soon? What do you mean?" he shook his head and changed the topic. "Wait, two people just fell out of the fireplace. Maybe they're the ones you are supposed to meet? They look kind of lost, but they say they're in the right place, so maybe they're waiting for you?" He gestured behind him at Naruto, who tense and straight-backed for some reason, and Sasuke, who had long since lost track of the conversation, though he was trying his best to look as though he understood every word.
The worn-out teacher ("Professor Lupin," they boy had called him) gazed at them solemnly. "That would depend on their response to this…"He raised his hand and Sasuke stiffened. His instinctual reaction was unwarranted, however. Lupin's hand traveled to his throat and fiddled with some kind of shiny silvery device. "Hello, and welcome to the Leaky Cauldron. I am Lupin Remus. Are you from The Village Hidden in the Leaves?" He asked in perfect, unaccented Japanese.
Sasuke gaped, but only for a moment. The device around his neck…it must be some type of enchantment for translation purposes, he reasoned. This time he spoke before Naruto did, "That depends. Who sent you?"
Lupin smiled knowingly. "Your employer, of course. Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I do believe the letter he sent to your Godaime was written in green ink, was it not?"
Sasuke nodded. The man had provided enough information to confirm his connection with Dumbledore. Satisfied, he bowed as much as his pride would allow him to. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Naruto doing the same. "What are your orders, sir?" they said in unison, as was ANBU custom when addressing a superior.
The poor man looked flustered. "Now, now, there's no need for bowing! I'm just a messenger, so please treat me as you would anyone else."
Gladly, Sasuke thought, as he stood straight again. His eyes flicked to the black haired boy and said, "We should take this somewhere a bit more private. Even if he can't understand us."
"Yes, you're quite right." He fiddled with his translating device once more and turned to the young man. "Wait here. I'll be back in a few minutes." He gestured to the two shinobi and walked out of the pub into a back room.
The round room was small and poorly lit by a single gas lamp, and contained nothing but a circular table and four wooden chairs. Lupin took one and Sasuke and Naruto took two directly opposite him. Naruto sat rigidly, his piercing blue eyes never once leaving Lupin, Sasuke noticed, and he had not said a word since meeting the contact. What has him so uptight all of a sudden, he wondered.
"So," Lupin said, once more in Japanese, "down to business. Just as a confirmation, you two are indeed the guards Professor Dumbledore hired one month ago?"
"Yes," Sasuke answered when Naruto didn't speak.
"Forgive me, but you seem so…young."
Sasuke sighed. He had expected this. "We've been doing this professionally for seven years. Age has no effect on skill," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Lupin did not seem convinced but he did not press the subject. "Right then." He pulled a folder out from the front of his tattered robes and pulled out a sheet of parchment and a Muggle pen. "For the record, what are your names? An alias will do fine. The teachers just need something to address you by in case of emergency."
"I'm Fox," Naruto finally said, though is voice was tight.
"Then I'll be Crow," Sasuke answered, deciding to go a long with the theme.
Lupin copied it down on his parchment. "You'll want those to be in English, I expect. Not Kitsune or Karasu?" They both nodded. "Very well, then." After jotting down the quick note, he folded the parchment and replaced it in his robes, bringing out a map of London in the same movement. "Now, your orders." He spread said map over the petit table, covering it so that the edges drooped over the sides like a tablecloth. "In five days you are to make your way to Kings Cross Station. We are here (he pointed to a crowded section of the map) and the station is here (he gestured to a large building with miniature train tracks running from it). You'll have to get there on your own. It's not that far, if you take the Muggle Underground. Rumor has it difficult to navigate, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Here are your train tickets," he handed Sasuke two nondescript slips of paper, "Don't lose those, they contain all of the information you need to find the Hogwarts Express."
Once you board the train, you are to go to the front car. There will be a compartment reserved for you where you will not be disturbed."
When you arrive, a teacher by the name of Professor Flitwick will escort you to the castle's Great Hall (he's a short fellow, you'll know him when you see him). There you will wait in a back room until Professor Dumbledore announces you in his speech after the Sorting Ceremony."
From then on, you will guard the school as you see fit. You will have equal authority with the teachers, so they cannot order you around, but you in return cannot order them around. The only one you answer to is Dumbledore. I will be teaching this year, too, by the way," he added as an afterthought. "If a student fails to obey you or breaks the rules you are entitled to take House Points (which will be explained later) or give a detention that you will oversee. Any other questions can be answered by the Hogwarts staff members or students."
At this point Lupin pulled another piece of folded parchment form one of his many pockets, along with two silver necklaces with a silver ball attatched to the front and two silver earrings. "This has all of the information I discussed earlier, in case you want to go over anything. And these are enchanted to translate between English and Japanese. Turn the metal ball on the necklaces clockwise to change between spoken languages. The earrings translate what you hear automatically."
Sasuke graciously took one of each, thankful that he wouldn't actually have to learn any more English. Naruto, however, crossed his arms and was hesitant to go anywhere near the man.
"Is something the matter?" Lupin asked, genuinely confused at his distrust.
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "There's something…different about you. It's hard to make out, but…it's like you're not quite…" he paused, as if wondering if he should continue.
"What?"
The blonde shook his head. "I probably shouldn't say this, but…It's like you're not quite human."
Lupin's face turned grim and Sasuke stiffened, surprised by Naruto's blunt rudeness. "Baka! You don't just go around saying things like that!"
Before Sasuke could continue, Lupin interjected, "No, it's fine. Please don't make a fuss." He looked at Naruto with a steady gaze. "What makes you say that?"
Naruto huffed, "Don't pretend you can't sense anything weird about me, too." Lupin nodded silently. "So why don't we just let our cats out of the bag, eh?" He grinned. "Let me guess, you're an ookamiotoko. A werewolf."
Lupin nodded tiredly. "Indeed I am." Sasuke stiffened. So that's why Naruto was so uptight with this guy! "Though I have no word for what I sense in you, sir."
"Jinchuuriki." Naruto replied simply.
"Sacrifice? What do you mean by that?"
"Well, it's a really long story. Basically I'm sharing a body with a big bad fox. Kinda like you, I guess, only you've got a wolf instead." Naruto turned is eyes on to full power before engaging the werewolf in a staring match. To Sasuke it seemed like the two were wordlessly sizing each other up.
Lupin held Naruto's gaze for an admirable amount of time before asking, "Are we on friendly terms, then?"
Naruto grinned amiably, "Sure."
And with that, the matter was settled. Naruto finally relaxed.
A few seconds later, a soft noise made them all glance around in alarm. What is that? Is it whimpering? Where is it coming from? They didn't have to wait long for an answer. Neru, slightly ruffled, though unhurt, poked his head out of Naruto's hoodie pocket and wheezed. He seemed glad for the fresh air.
Lupin stared at the tiny kit in mild alarm. "This…wouldn't happen to be the 'big bad fox', would it?"
Sasuke smirked, thinking of how absurd it must have looked to see Neru seemingly pop out of Naruto's stomach like that. Naruto paid no attention and pulled his pet gently out of the protective pocket and began worrying over him like a mother hen. "Oh my gosh, Neru! Are you okay, are you hurt? Speak to me Neru!" He began inspecting him from nose to tail, making sure not one single tuft of fur was out of place.
"That's just his pet," Sasuke said to Lupin, letting amusement seep into his voice slightly, "He's had a thing for foxes his whole life, for obvious reasons." He changed the topic, "Is there anything else?"
"Oh, yes, I nearly forgot. Here's some money to buy food and lodgings for the next week, and some Muggle money to get you to Kings Cross. There is an entrance to Diagon Alley, where all of the wizard shops are, behind the pub. You can only enter with a wand, so you'll have to ask someone to open it for you. There are a couple of inns in Diagon Alley, so it might be more convenient for you to get a room in one of those rather than bothering with the entrance everytime you want to come and go." He checked his watch casually. "Goodness, we've been here nearly a half-hour." He stood and bowed in a respectful Japanese manner. "Please excuse me, I have other appointments. I will see you next week, at the Feast."
They all bid eachother good day and Lupin left without a backwards glance.
"Well, he seems friendly," said Naruto absently as he stroked Neru comfortingly behind the ears.
"Yeah," Sasuke agreed. "I've never met a real werewolf before. He seemed normal to me though…what the heck were you sensing?"
"It was mostly the Kyuubi's fault. He just got all defensive and wouldn't talk to me, so I had no idea what I was up against. He never does that for no reason, you know. He just kept saying 'lycanthrope, lycanthrope, lycanthrope.' I had no idea what he was saying at first, but I remembered from the books we read. Lycanthrope is just a fancy word for werewolf."
"Ah, I see. He must be pretty annoying sometimes, huh?"
Naruto just groaned. "You have no idea."
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Translations
There was a lot of Japanese in this chapter, and most of it is probably wrong. Please feel free to correct me if am incorrect on any of these! (edit: Special thanks to Raebef for the help!!!)
Itai : ouch!
"Oi, Sasuke, daijoubu ka?" : Hey, Sasuke, are you okay?
"Urusai, Naruto…Orera wa doko ka?" : Be quiet, Naruto…Where are we?
"Doukana… Riiki Karudureno?" : I dunno…Leaky Cauldron?
"Sou desu…?" : You think so?
"Aa…kamoshirenai." : Yeah…probably.
Kitsune : fox
Karasu : Crow
Jinchuuriki : power of human sacrifice
