Okay, now that everyone knows about the name change.

My darling flash drive, Timothy was mutilated yesterday, when he was vacuumed. –sobs uncontrollably-

Beyond that, I have a new love, and it's name is 'Switchfoot'. I'm, like, listening to it currently.

Thanks to: Kai, Shashuko the Paisley Maiden, suberXxXduperXxXfun machine, Shrimps of Mass Destruction, Shukoru, Kina Lupi, Kikyo Uchiha, Sheenio, and natsi..

Back to the story. I realized I've been neglecting Harry and his friends…even painting a bad portrait of them. Oops. Anyway, this chapter will be as seen by them. Sort of.

At the end of the class, the only ones who had finished the potion were Hermione and Sakura. Harry was a bit surprised how smart Sakura was—she had almost finished before Hermione.

That was unheard of.

"So…You like school so far, Sakura?" Harry asked.

"Oh, it's great. We never got to do potions back home! It's so fun," she gushed, her cheeks pink. "I mean, I've mixed medicines, but I don't have to do it often. My favorite thing to do is find antidotes."

This led to a long discussion between Sakura and Hermione about which was better—antidotes, or transformation potions, like Polyjuice. Sakura favored antidotes, Hermione, the Polyjuice.

Finally, Sakura burst out. "But you don't need transformation potions! There's a perfectly good jut-" Naruto popped out of no where and covered her mouth.

"Uh, hahahaha, we'll be right back." Naruto dragged Sakura over to the side and talked to her sternly.

(And this is what he said…Harry didn't hear, thankfully)

"Sakura! Are you crazy? Telling them about jutsus? You'll blow our cover. Be careful."

"This, coming from you," Sakura muttered exasperatedly.

Naruto glared at her.

"Okay, okay. I'll be careful." She walked back over to the four teenagers.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"Professor Haku's class—Defense against the Dark Arts."

"Cool. Oh, and by the way—Haku is a guy. Whatever you do, don't say 'Yes, Ma'am'," Sakura explained.

They looked at her briefly and started laughing. "That's kind of mean, Sakura," Hermione pointed out, "Claiming that she's a boy."

She shook her head. "Your problem, not mine. Enjoy his vengeance."

"HEY GUYS!" Naruto was back. He seemed to like yelling, quite a bit.

"Naruto, isn't Haku a guy?"

"Yeah. Don't call him a chick, he might kill you."

-Insert crickets chirping-

"Kill us?"

"Yep. It doesn't happen often, but every once in awhile, he gets so mad, and he'll at least seriously injure you." Naruto said all this with a shrug. Then he added, "Trust me…I know."

"Look, you don't believe us, fine. But seriously, don't imply that he's female. If you're uncomfortable with that, don't imply that he's male, either. Just say 'yes,' instead of 'yes, sir/ma'am.' Easiest way to do it."

"That's bogie," Ron said, shaking his head. Harry burst out laughing, and they all went to class.

"Oi, Gaara! Sit with us!" Naruto yelled.

Gaara rolled his eyes. He was sitting at his own table, Meg and Hinata, who was looking down and blushing, were at the table next to him.

Then Haku was behind Naruto. "Mr. Uzumaki…I don't tolerate yelling in my classroom…Shut up and sit down."

Naruto frowned, and sat down at a table next to Sakura. Hermione and Ginny sat at the table next to her, and Harry and Ron sat in front of them.

Harry was intrigued by the classroom. It had changed a lot since his last year. There were these thick mirrors everywhere, and masks on the wall, with four squiggly lines on the forehead. It was definitely…different.

Professor Haku herself was interesting. (A/N: Although, if Naruto and Sakura were correct about Haku, it was 'himself.' Moving on.) She (or he) calmly waited for everyone to sit down.

Looking at 'her', Harry decided that whether or not he would learn anything in this class was unlikely.

Not that he was cocky or anything, he just reasoned, (rather understandably) that if he could defeat Voldemort, he could defeat anything.

Haku stood in the center of the room, looking at the students. Several of the male students were staring at him a little too closely. As usual, he felt that vague feeling of discomfort, but brushed it off. He'd set them straight later.

He spoke at last. "My name is Professor Haku. You may think I'm unable to teach you anything," he said, looking directly at Harry, who colored slightly "Or that you're safe now that the Dark Lord is dead.

"You're wrong. I don't care who you've faced, I don't care how well associated you were with the Dark Lord." Here, his eyes rested on Draco. (A/N: To me, he's Draco, not Malfoy. Sorry, Charlie)

"I've seen worse. I've performed worse. And I can teach you to defend against it." He looked at them calmly. "And lastly…we're not out of the woods yet…" He let the ominous words hang, calmly taking in the now attentive faces.

Hermione tentatively raised her hand.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Professor, we don't have a book selection for this class."

"I know."

"Why?"

"This class will be a bit more…active. Textbooks are dry and confusing. And so, I will explain to you in a way that hopefully you'll understand. If not…well, then. Too bad for you. Now, for today—"

Usagi chose this point to burst into the room. "Hey, Haku-kun. Ha, that sounds funny. Anyway, I was wondering, could I borrow Mr. Subaku and Mr. Uzumaki?"

Haku nodded. "I guess so."

She flashed him a gorgeous smile, and his stomach flipped over. What the mess?

"Thankies! C'mon, Gaara-kun, Naruto-kun!" They followed her out of the room.

"Why does she say '-kun'?" Harry asked.

"It's our culture," Sakura explained. "It's a term of endearment for boys. '-Chan' is a term of endearment for girls."

"Ahh, I see—"

"Ms. Haruno, Mr. Potter. Care to share your conversation with the rest of the class?"

Sakura quirked an eyebrow. "Sure. I was just explaining why Professor Thuuran was calling you, Naruto, and Gaara '-kun'."

Haku frowned, knowing he couldn't intimidate her. He sighed. "Just don't let it happen again, Sakura…-chan. Today we'll be learning about..." (A/N: lacking creative energy...and the classes aren't that important. So he's explaining...whatever he's teaching them about.)

Sasuke smirked. Draco was so gullible. He would certainly enjoy this...

His snake, whom he had finally named Zenaku, meaning good and evil, raised herself up, and let him know she was there with a flick of her tongue against his ear. (A/N: congrats to Shrimps of Mass Destruction! It took some effort (my brain hurts) but I couldn't resist the name...Zenaku...come on... You gotta admit, it pretty much rocks)

What's happening? You radiate...anticipation and excitement...and also hilarity.

"You'll see..." he murmured, softly enough that no one would hear him.

"Excuse me, Ms. Haku?" Draco said, raising his head. He had a confident smirk on his face.

Haku's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Sasuke's smirking face.

Looks like Sasu-kun's up to something...

Surprisingly, he decided to play along. "Yes, Monsieur Malfoy?" He leaned against a mirror.

Draco grinned. "So...are you doing anything on Friday?"

Haku was repulsed. He allowed himself to be pulled into the mirror, and reappeared at the other side of the room, right behind Draco.

"Are you gay, Mr. Malfoy?" he breathed on Malfoy's neck.

Sasuke's only thought was that he wished Naruto were here to see this...

Draco jumped and turned around. "No..."

"Then why are you hitting on me?"

Draco flushed. "Wh-what?"

Haku smirked. "The correct title, Mr. Malfoy, is Mr. Haku. Preferably, professor Haku. Any more questions, class?"

The class had dissolved into giggles, but for Hermione, who's mouth hung agape. "H-how did you get over there? You can't apparate in Hogwarts! I read it in--"

"Hogwarts, a History," Harry and Ron finished for her. This resulted in more laughter.

Zenaku whispered, Ah...I see.

"What an idiot..." Sasuke whispered back.

The look on his face was rather funny. Zenaku replied.

It was true. Draco, pale as his skin was, had turned redder than my best friend's hair...But you don't know my best friend. Oh well. Really red. Strawberry or Tomato? Yeah.

"As for your question, Ms. Granger, that wasn't apparating. I just did something only my family can do. And I'm the last of them."

"What's that?" she asked. Her expression was innocently curious.

"...That's classified," he said simply.

Usagi, Naruto, and Gaara returned to the room. Sakura tried to catch Naruto's eyes, attempting to see what Usagi had said, but he refused to look at her. His eyes were lowered.

(What Usagi said...)

The friendly sparkle in her eyes was gone, replaced by a hard glint. "I'm sorry to tell you this, guys...but I think we're getting too attached to the ones we're here to protect."

Gaara glanced at her in surprise. "I understand, but what does this have to do with me?"

Usagi sighed. "You and Hinata...are too close to Meg Ryder. We're not even assigned to protect her."

Gaara felt his rage growing--not really because he couldn't hang out with Meg, or even that Hinata would be unable to hang with her best friend.

Because Usagi was ORDERING him to do it. Subaku no Gaara, the Kazekage--she saw fit to order him around?

Funny...he hadn't had a tantrum since...he was 13. Probably. His eyes narrowed. "...No."

Usagi looked miffed. "Excuse me?"

"No. What right do you have to tell us that? You aren't team leader."

"No, but neither are you!" Her voice was frustrated.

"Maybe, but I am still in charge of you," he snapped, his voice quiet, but firm. "And Temari. Don't question my judgement."

Usagi's face clouded over. She glanced at Naruto. He sighed. "Gaara's right--you can't order him around. But I'll try to put distance between myself and Harry. We won't be friends any more. Just...associates. Aquaintances." His voice was sad.

Usagi nodded. "That's all I can ask." She glanced at Gaara. Anger still radiated from him, but his face and eyes were expressionless. She frowned. "I'm...I'm sorrry Gaara. You're right--it wasn't my place."

Gaara's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have snapped at you." But he didn't take back what he'd said.

There was no way he was going to throw away a friend, or ask Hinata to.

Usagi seemed to acknowledge this.

She cleared her throat. "That's all I had to say."

They returned to the room

At the end of the period, as she walked out of the door, Sakura felt someone grab her shoulder. "Sakura..." a voice said, "Walk with me."

Though his voice had matured and deepened, it was undeniably him.

Sasuke.

Her stomach churned as he fell into step beside her. He didn't speak for a moment, and thus, left her to her thoughts.

When they called his name...when I heard it...when I saw HIM...

Oh, man. This pretty much...sucks.

He interrupted her reverie. "How's Konoha?"

She turned her cold green eyes to his carbon-colored ones. (A/N: cuz onyx is overused.) "Better. Than. Ever." She dragged out her words.

He raised an eyebrow and didn't respond. Instead, he asked, "I'm surprised you got sent on this mission--I heard only the elite were going."

This succeeded in pissing Sakura off more. She was so mad, she turned an punched a whole in the wall. "Reparo..." she muttered, flicking her wand at the rubble.

Sasuke stared at her in new found respect as the anger seethed from her eyes.

"Elite? ELITE? I happen to be the apprentice of the Hokage, rank of Jounin. A lot has changed since you left, Sasuke. One thing being me. I don't need your approval. I don't need to focus on impressing you. I don't even think about you! So get out of my face.

"I'm not useless! You have no idea...how long I have wanted to say that to you..." She stormed off.

And for once, the equation had a converse. (A/N: Geometry term--means you turned the statement around.)

Sasuke admired Sakura.

And not vice versa.

I think here is a good stopping place. I have updated most of my stories recently, (Big accomplishment!) save for the one that I'm not writing.

I do not want to hear anyone whine about how OoC Sasuke is.

He's not. Although Sasuke appears to be a log/ice cube/cockatoo, he is human, and thus has human feelings--admiration, cockiness, and finding funniness in the most uncomfortable situation.

OH...I hope you all enjoyed the little scene between Draco and Haku. Tehehe. That was fun to write.

That's all I have to say...

IBG out!