Holy crap! Look at this super fast update! FIVE DAYS!! I think I've broken my record.
Thank you my totally awesome reviewers! Romantiscue, KatonRyuuka, SumireMayonaka, Mesonoxian, Peter Rabid, DarkRavie, Reikson, GodOfStorms, Little Kunai, Moonfayth, Lupanari, Acara Whitefox, Kakashifangirlnumber1000, FullMetalExorcist, Ce-Ce Riddle, Orihime-San, spiritkiller1000, Kitty-chan and Nya-chan, Megaoli, cardcaptor eternity, KakashiKrazed, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, Diamonds-r-4ever-so-am-I, kimcat, Jumpingbeans480, frik1000, AvatardsUnite MM, AznPuffyHair, PedroCullenBloomTM, SaphireShade, Lana-shino, wednesday1990, dragoncrazy247, SharinganKumiko, ., Shai Neko (2), Sceptre, yaoifangrl4ever, pamellka, Madeline Cullen, Seventh Seed, Zetsu's Other Half, DarcSlayer, SutaakiHitori, Loesmar, ShadowHeart251, mysteryP, Sakamoto Michiko, ColorfulDesert, Utena-Puchiko-nyu, MadnessLover, batmanfan0214, FantomoDrako, T., ConnectFire611, 2-10-11eyesFINGERStoes, ArrangedloveMatch, Namikazelil, The-Eighth-Sin, actressforever, the true elec, Belle Mort 13, Vero-Enelya, Fury074 (2), redfoxrose
As far as reviews go, I think that the ones from last chapter were the most entertaining ones I've ever gotten! I got more threats than I ever got in my life, and some people suggested I castrate Voldemort! 8D While that does not happen in this chapter, I can promise you that he won't like what happens to him.
The lucky Orihime-San has caught the 1,000th REVIEW!! For this special occasion, she will get a oneshot from me—a Naruto/Avatar crossover! It'll be up soon!
And then Fury074 has caught the 1,050th review! The request will be fulfilled later.
And so, I just want to profusely and eternally thank everyone who has made this amazing thing possible! When joining this site I thought I would be lucky to just get a few reviews and I was just fine with that. All that mattered to me was that I had fun doing what I luv more than anything, and to know that others enjoyed my stories. I NEVER thought something like this would happen! Getting this many reviews was a sort of dream that I thought would be fun but unattainable. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!! -wipes tear-
All right, mushy stuff over. Let's get to the story! :)
The long line of people slammed into the ground, their faces pressed against the grass. It had taken all of their energy to stay together during their journey, and now all they wanted to do was rest. All breath had left them, and neither wanted to face the cruel reality of those dead beside them.
An explosion of sound greeted them, beginning as a cheer, but then it changed to screams when they noticed all five were not moving.
"Harry! Harry!"
Said boy opened his eyes lazily and noticed Dumbledore crouched over him, shaking him awake. The fear that was in the headmaster's eyes disappeared for a moment then was replaced by concern.
Naruto and Gaara lifted themselves off the ground as Harry cried, "He's back. He's back. Voldemort's back."
The man called Fudge rushed forward and held out a finger to Cedric's neck. "My God—Diggory! Dumbledore—he's dead!" he shrieked. His exclamation was met with gasps and cries from the crowd.
Naruto could only gaze at his sensei, tears clouding his vision. Sobs began to rack his body, and he screeched his sensei's name, as if it would bring him back to life. Tears welled up in Gaara's eyes, but they did not fall. Instead, he watched as Dumbledore looked at the two boys with pity. He knew that they would be needed to assist Harry, but he never would have thought it would come to this. The headmaster began to have second doubts about the lengths he went to (and forced others to go through) for the greater good. In a last desperate act of hope, Dumbledore put his finger against Kakashi's neck.
"He's not dead," he whispered in amazement. Gaara frowned, not sure he heard correctly. "He's not dead!" the headmaster said louder, some relief in his face. "Someone summon Madame Pomfrey! He's barely alive, but he still has a chance!" At that Dumbledore gently let go of Harry and desperately tried to save Kakashi's life.
Naruto ceased crying and bent down, his ear pressed against his sensei's chest. Sure enough, he was breathing! His breaths were very shallow, uneven, and barely there, but he was nonetheless alive! He yelped for joy, but as Naruto was about to hug him, Gaara held him back.
"Idiot," he said. "Let . . . let him breathe." Naruto nodded sheepishly, and instead turned his attention to Harry. The boy was simply staring at Cedric's body, which was currently being sobbed over by someone whom Naruto guessed to be his father.
Suddenly Harry was being dragged along by Moody, who hobbled on his good leg. "It's all right, son, I've got you . . . come on . . . hospital wing," to which Harry protested in a groggy voice, but he allowed Moody to carry him. As they passed the two ninja, Moody stopped and pondered for a moment, then ordered, "You two should come as well, you need attention."
Naruto shook his head and dove for Kakashi again, not wanting to leave until his sensei spoke to him, but Gaara grabbed his shoulders and stood up.
"We need to receive treatment as well." Unable to disagree, Naruto slowly nodded and limped along with Gaara, still leaning on the other for support as they followed the Professor. Everyone was too busy with weeping for Cedric or attempting to save Kakashi's life to notice them drifting away.
They walked in silence as Harry explained to Moody what happened. Their strength had mostly returned, but the two shinobi felt like doing nothing but sleeping for many hours. Gaara, of course, could do nothing of the sort, but maybe (just maybe) the extraction attempt had weakened Shukaku enough that he wouldn't try anything. Perhaps Gaara could manage ten minutes of real sleep!
When they finally reached Moody's office he magicked three chairs and gestured for Naruto and Gaara to sit while he assisted Harry, who looked like he was ready to faint any second. Once he saw the three of them were properly situated he rushed to his desk and with his back to them, quickly filled three goblets.
"Drink it you three, you'll all feel better." He handed them each their own cup. "Come on, now, Harry, I need to know exactly what happened." The peppery liquid burned their throats, but it helped them focus and feel more awake. Moody was glancing at the three of them in fear, and Naruto had to admit that their arrival must have been quite alarming, even for a hardened wizard like Mad-Eye. He must have felt somewhat responsible when Harry disappeared and—
"Wait!" Everyone turned to Naruto, startled by his outburst.
"The coins you gave us brought us to the graveyard!" Naruto accused. "You—"
"Use your head, Naruto!" Moody barked. "Those coins were using a transmission! Dumbledore was trying to contact you when someone interfered, and I fear that is how Voldemort was able to take you." The professor leaned against his desk wearily. "When Dumbledore told me that you didn't respond to his message I knew something was wrong, but you were already gone when I arrived." He rubbed his temples in frustration. "Kakashi was already there, trying to figure out a way to reach you and no matter what I said, he wouldn't listen. I'm glad he found you though," he added while smiling faintly at the trio.
"I deeply apologize for putting you in danger like that. If I had known—" Naruto and Harry gave the professor sympathetic looks as his voice wavered, but Gaara narrowed his eyes. Maybe he was just too suspicious from his assassin-filled past, but there was something odd about the way Mood was acting.
"So, Harry . . . how do you know Voldemort's back?" Moody asked, turning to Harry. "What happened? How could something like this be possible?"
"He took stuff from his father's grave, Wormtail, and from me," Harry said quietly.
"From you? What?"
"Blood," Harry said, raising his arm. Naruto and Gaara looked at him in alarm.
Moody swore, then said in a furious voice, "And I suppose all the Death Eaters returned. How did he treat them? Did he forgive them?"
"Yes, they did and he—wait? What do you mean by—" Harry gasped as he remembered what he should have told Dumbledore. "Death Eater! There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts!" he exclaimed. "He put my name in the Goblet of Fire, made sure I got through to the end—" Harry tried to stand up but Moody pushed him back down.
"I know who the Death Eater is," he said softly. Gaara clenched his fists and did a mental check of his sand. Most of it was still wet, but he was sure there was enough that had dried to incapacitate the man if necessary.
"Karkaroff? Where is he? Have you got him? Is he locked up?" Harry demanded.
"Karkaroff?" said Moody with an odd laugh. "He fled like the coward he is as soon as he felt the Dark Mark burn on his arm. He thinks he can get away, but the Dark Lord has ways of tracking his enemies."
"He's gone? He ran away? But then—he didn't put my name in the goblet?"
"No, he—" Moody winced in pain and covered his face.
"Are you okay, professor?" Harry asked. Naruto and Gaara narrowed their eyes, noticing that Moody's smell was fluctuating oddly. It was as if he were two different people.
"Who are you really?" Gaara demanded.
"Wh-what are you talking about? Some funny game?" Moody chuckled nervously. He reached for his personal flask and poured the contents into his mouth—or rather, he tried to.
"What you're drinking smells like a potion!" Naruto accused, pointing a finger at Moody.
"Don't be ridiculous!" the professor snapped. Gaara noticed that his hands were shaking and he and Naruto leapt off their chair into a defensive position.
"If you're trying to trick us, it won't work!" Naruto threatened.
"Oh please," Moody smirked. "You've already walked into all my traps little ninjas, and you just stepped into another one. Epotus!" Naruto and Gaara cried out in pain and fell to their knees, with Gaara clutching his head and Naruto's arms wrapped around his chest. They felt nauseous and their vision was seriously impaired, only able to see blotches of colored light in front of them while their head and chest throbbed.
Harry could only stare in shock at his two friends writhing in pain on the ground while Moody chuckled in front of them, his wand trained on Harry.
"What . . . cat got your tongue, Potter? Or have you finally realized that the culprit has been me all this time?"
"I . . . it-it can't be you!" Harry protested. How could this be possible? Mad-Eye Moody—a Death Eater?
"Easy. I put your name in the Goblet of Fire under a different school. I frightened off everyone who might have tried to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament. I persuaded Hagrid to show you the dragons, and showed you the only way to beat them." Moody slowly stepped closer to Harry, his wand pointed at his heart.
"I'll admit it wasn't easy, especially with your constant fouling up, but it all worked out in the end. I gave the Longbottom boy a book that discussed the uses for gillyweed and all you had to do was ask him! But no, you didn't and so I had to tip off that house-elf you mentioned at the Yule Ball about gillyweed so he would bring it to you. Then you had to be a noble git and stay down in the lake forever, but thankfully that optimistic oaf Dumbledore took it for bravery."
"In the maze, I got rid of a lot of your problems for you, including the other champions. It seems like you saved Cedric Diggory and he came along for the journey, but thankfully he was properly indisposed of." Harry felt his blood boil at the sneer on Moody's face as he talked about Cedric's death so cheerfully.
"It seems like luck has been on your side again," he continued, gesturing to the suffering shinobi on the ground, "but now there is no one to save you." Harry backed up in the chair as Moody rested the wand on his chest. "Imagine how the Dark Lord will reward me, when I manage to kill the infamous, Harry Potter," he whispered, a dreamy look in his eyes.
Suddenly there was sand everywhere and Moody jumped back, narrowly missing a small, tendril-like configuration of sand. It slammed into the ground and splintered the wood. Harry glanced back at the shinobi and saw Gaara's sand flailing around him, giving him the appearance of a crazed, human octopus. He was still clutching his head and was kneeling with one hand on the floor for support, but he was glaring at Moody while in obvious pain. One eye was closed but the one that Harry could see looked the same as it did that day he partially transformed into that monster. His pupil had shrunk and the blood vessels were more pronounced.
Harry backed up in his chair and did his best to avoid the uncontrollable assault by Gaara's sand. The wizard heard Moody swear over the roar of the miniature sandstorm, and bellow, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Gaara!" Harry cried, but it was no use. Moody had magicked one of his Foe-Glass on the nearest wall to move towards Gaara and by some odd luck, remained unscathed long enough for the professor to drop it on the genin's head. The glass shattered and Gaara's eye returned to normal as he passed out in surprise. The sand immediately ceased swarming around the small office and fell to the floor in a heap. Harry shook his head to get all the sand out of it and spat out the small amount that managed to get in his mouth. He then glanced in concern at the genin's crumpled body while Moody laughed.
"There's still one more!" Harry felt an odd desire to cheer as Naruto charged towards Moody, a kunai already in hand.
"Protego!" Naruto was thrown back by the effects of the spell but he twisted in the air and threw his kunai. To Harry and Moody's surprise the kunai landed quite a few feet above Moody's head in the wall, above the shield.
"That was pathetic!" Moody snickered. "Do you really think you can defeat me when that toxin affects you so much you can't even aim properly? You may be from another dimension or world, but wizards are far superior. Haven't I shown you that yet?"
Naruto landed on the ground somewhat gracefully and calmly stood up. "Oh, you've shown me something all right. I've learned how stupid wizards are!"
Moody frowned but before he could say anything there was a kunai at his back and his wand was wrenched out of his hands.
"You should have learned to never underestimate a shinobi," a voice hissed from behind him. Harry was astonished to see another Naruto in back of Moody and was confused at how Naruto did that. The shield spell made it impossible for anyone to—Harry looked back to where the kunai had hit the wall, noticing it had disappeared. He recalled back to when Naruto played that trick on Snape earlier in the school year, how he had transformed one of his clones into a fox. Naruto must have transformed a clone into his weapon so it could avoid the shield spell and get behind Moody. It was quite impressive.
The clone Naruto pulled Moody's protesting arms behind his back while the original Naruto dug into his weapon pouch for some more weapons and string. "You . . . yo-you can't do this to me!" Moody screamed.
Naruto growled at Moody, his usual blue eyes now a deep red with slitted pupils, and his clenched teeth were much sharper and more feral. "Oh, yes I can!" Harry blinked and suddenly Moody was bound and pinned to the wall by some of the genin's shuriken and kunai. The original Naruto nodded to the clone who then disappeared while Naruto slowly walked over to Moody.
"Good-bye," Naruto whispered, holding a kunai against Moody's throat.
Suddenly the door burst open and Harry spun around to see Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape all standing in the doorway. McGonagall stared at Naruto in fright while Snape glanced around the room in surprise, but Dumbledore was another story.
It was then that Harry could easily see why Voldemort only feared Dumbledore. His usual kind smile was gone, replaced by such a cold look that Harry involuntarily shivered. It was the same suffocating feeling Harry felt whenever Kakashi was furious.
"Naruto! Let go of him!" McGonagall ordered. When he didn't move she tried again, but Harry could tell Naruto wasn't able to hear them. There was pure hatred in Naruto's eyes and Harry could easily see him for the shinobi that he was. Harry had never killed anyone before, but he finally understood that Naruto had already killed more than he ever had or will at a younger age. Harry had always known, but he had never been able to believe it until now.
"Naruto! Kare o hatsubai!" The genin blinked, finally registering that there were others in the room. He looked back towards Dumbledore, kunai still around Moody's neck. "We need information from him," the headmaster said sternly. "You of all people should understand how important an informant can be." Naruto eyes widened before he nodded in embarrassment and pocketed the kunai.
"And if you wouldn't mind," Dumbledore continued, "could you remove him from the wall so that he doesn't die from blood loss before we can get any information out of him?" Naruto nodded sheepishly and then freed Moody while Snape and Professor McGonagall put him in a chair, leaving him bound in the string. As Dumbledore walked over to Moody he placed a gentle hand on Naruto's shoulder and turned to Harry.
"I apologize for not coming sooner. I was so preoccupied with getting medical help for Mr. Hatake that I did not notice you three had run off." He sighed. "The real Alastor would never have removed you from my sight like that, and when I discovered you were gone I knew what must have happened."
Whatever Dumbledore had to say next went unheard by Naruto as he fainted, the adrenaline rush over and the danger averted. As his eyes closed to the concerned voices all around him the genin looked forward to a comfortable rest. He could find out what happened later.
The Malfoy Manor shook with Voldemort's screams of pain.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!" he demanded. All those present in the room had no explanation to give, and were currently doing their best not to recoil in disgust. Blood slowly dripped from Voldemort's eyes and mouth, while orange and purple wax oozed from his left and right ear, respectively. His hands, shoulder, and legs were strapped down to the bed to prevent him from snapping his neck or spine from the terrible spasms of pain that would periodically rack his body.
A few minutes after the group of five had departed the graveyard Voldemort screamed in fury and fell to the ground, thrashing about. It took the Death Eaters a few moments to realize their Lord was sick, having taken his actions to be a sort of childish tantrum. Lucius immediately offered up his home and they left Avery's body behind, Kakashi's fatal victim. They planned to come back for it once their master was taken care of.
"Tell me what's wrong and I'll spare your life!" Voldemort threatened. The poor doctor quivered and nodded vigorously, too frightened to speak. Mr. Alan Curts had been enjoying a pleasant evening with his family when Lucius Malfoy (his most beneficial patient) demanded his services, saying it was a matter of life or death. Alan had been led to believe Mrs. Malfoy was in danger and he came immediately, having found her the most attractive woman he had ever met. However, when Alan arrived, he not only discovered that Lord Voldemort had returned from the dead, but he was the patient! Now, while he gladly cared for the Malfoy family when they were sick, it didn't mean he appreciated the Dark Arts. In fact, he rather despised it but the Malfoys paid well, so why not? He had actually been saving up for a trip to Morocco with his wife and three children once school was out for the summer.
"TELL ME!" Alan whimpered at the harsh tone.
"I . . . I-I can't t-tell," he stammered. "There seems to be n-no reason for this. All I can say is that there is a . . . a strange power in your body that is causing this. It's slowly decreasing, but until it is g-gone for sure it's going to be painful. But I can help lessen the pain!" he protested quickly when Voldemort's murderous glare bore into him.
"Do it." Mr. Curts frantically poured some hot liquid into the Dark Lord's mouth and then ran his wand over the Voldemort's entire body, muttering a long string of words.
"My Lord," Lucius began, stepping forward. His wife was beside him and held his hand tightly. "It appears that the energy harnessed by the boys is too harmful for your body. It must be only controllable by them, and if you went ahead and had tried to obtain more—" The unfinished sentence hung in the air, forcing the Dark Lord to pause and consider the new information.
"I believe you may be correct," he said, with a trace of sadness in his voice. He cried out again as a fresh wave of pain coursed through his body and he thrashed against the bounds that held him there. When it was over he waited to speak again, choosing to catch his breath as he panted. "This just means we need to convince the two boys to work for me and use their powers in my service." He looked at his Death Eaters with an evil grin while Mr. Curts almost wet his pants.
Voldemort turned his attention back to the physician. "The pain is weakening, so it appears that you have done an excellent job." Mr. Curts bowed to the ground and began muttering his appreciation. "Help me rise and I shall award you, for Lord Voldemort always rewards his helpers." While it was apparent that Alan Curts would rather do nothing of the sort, he obeyed and stood awkwardly next to the bed as Voldemort slowly took his wand off the nearby nightstand.
He smirked. "Your services were appreciated. Avada Kedavra!" Alan Curts fell to the ground, the surprise and shock still etched on his face.
"He was our best doctor!" Lucius complained. "And now I'll have to compensate his family for their loss." He turned to Voldemort angrily. "Why did you do that?"
"Because he knew I was alive, you fool!" the Dark Lord growled, pointing his wand at the Malfoys. "And if you don't keep your tongue and remember who you're speaking to, I may reward you in the same manner!"
Narcissa tightened her grip on her husband while Lucius gulped. "I-I apologize, my Lord," he said quickly, bowing his head. "I promise it won't happen again."
"See that it does," Voldemort sneered. "Now, put these bindings back on me so I don't hurt myself."
Professor Snape was silent as he carried Naruto and Gaara to the infirmary. What Potter had told them happened and what they uncovered from Barty Crouch Jr. was certainly unsettling. Lord Voldemort was back? He actually got a new body? The repercussions of that were sure to be severe, and Severus couldn't help but shiver in fear in anticipation of what Dumbledore was undoubtedly going to ask him. Could he go through with that? It would be more dangerous than anything he could ever imagine and he wondered if he would succeed. Were it not for the two deadweights in his arms, his hands would be shaking.
He glanced down at the two children and had to admit he was impressed and somewhat proud of them. They weren't like Potter, who relied on everyone else to save him. They obviously fought for themselves as well as others and certainly had the power to do so. Over the course of the year he had observed them, as well as the adult of their group, and knew that at their age they were more mature than most of the brats that came to Hogwarts. Were it not for the adult and redhead's arrogant behavior and the blonde's pranksterish tendencies, Snape would have been more pleased at their appearance at Hogwarts.
"What happened to them?" Snape raised an eyebrow, irritated at Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley's brusque nature. They were bright enough to go straight to the infirmary for their friends, and he noted with disdain that there were other members of the Weasley family inside the infirmary as well. The professor chose to ignore the two students and carefully laid the two shinobi on different hospital beds. He then walked over to Madame Pomfrey who was still bent over the adult.
"Professor Dumbledore wishes you to finish up with Mr. Hatake and then care to Mr.'s Uzumaki and Sabaku. I will return with the real Alastor Moody and then your services will be needed to care for him." Madame Pomfrey nodded her understanding despite the strange use of "real" and focused her attention back to the adult. Snape's eyes widened slightly as he glimpsed the man's exposed face. His pale skin reminded him of Voldemort, and he seemed much younger than Snape originally thought.
Madame Pomfrey glanced back towards him and gave him a look that he took as a silent dismissal. Snape coughed and tried to cover his mistake and quickly strode out of the hospital while he saw the Weasleys and Ms. Granger fret over the unconscious boys. As he shut the door behind him, Severus couldn't help but hope the three strangers would be all right.
When Harry finally entered the infirmary he was assaulted by Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley. Bill was there too, but he gave Harry his space, which he was grateful for. Sirius nudged his leg with his nose, and Harry had to smile at the comfort his godfather gave him.
"Oh Harry, what happened?" Hermione begged with tears in her eyes. Harry said nothing but glanced over at Naruto and Gaara.
"Are they all right?" he asked.
"Madame Pomfrey said they should be fine in a day or two," Ron answered.
"A-and Kakashi?" Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. Ron sighed.
"She said he'll make it, but she won't let us anywhere near him! He's over there," (he gestured to a bed completely enveloped by curtains right next to the nurse's office) "and she called over some healers from St. Mungo's. They're with him now," he finished softly.
"All right, all right," Madame Pomfrey interrupted. "You can talk later, because Mr. Potter needs his rest." She shoved Harry into a bed and threw the blankets over him. Mrs. Weasley held his hand tightly and Harry gave her a small smile.
"I'll be okay," he assured her. Mrs. Weasley smiled back and then wiped her eyes.
"You'll need to drink all of this, Harry," Madame Pomfrey instructed, handing him a goblet full of purple potion. "It's a potion for dreamless sleep."
When Naruto awoke, it was not because he was ready to wake up. Rather, it was because people were shouting.
"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" Naruto rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and discovered he was in a comfortable bed, with Harry and Gaara beside him as well as Hermione and some of Ron's family.
"When Dumbledore finds out—" The hospital wing doors flew open and Professor Snape and McGonagall entered, yelling at a heavyset man with a strange hat on his head.
"Where's Dumbledore?" the man demanded, directing his question at Mrs. Weasley.
"He's not here," she said angrily. "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to—" The hospital doors burst open again, and this time the headmaster strode through them.
"What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from the man to Professor McGonagall.
"What's going on?" Naruto whispered, startling Hermione.
"You're awake!" she said happily, rushing towards him. She then stole a look back towards the arguing adults with a frown on her face. "I'm not really sure, but I've never seen Professor McGonagall that angry before."
"Who's the other guy?" Naruto pointed to the man.
"Oh, that's Fudge, the Minister of Magic," Hermione explained. At Naruto's confused expression, she quickly added, "He's like your Hokage, the leader of all the wizards." Naruto raised his eyebrows and glanced back towards the man. He certainly didn't look like any Hokage Naruto had seen, and he was confused as to why Dumbledore would be angry at someone like him. And what were these dementors that they were talking about?
"The moment that—that thing entered the room," McGonagall screamed, pointing a finger at Fudge, "it swooped down on Crouch and—and—" Naruto was confused as everyone's expressions transformed into sheer horror.
"What's a dementor? What did it do?" Naruto whispered.
"It's a creature that sucks out all the happiness in a person," Hermione explained slowly, trying to focus on the argument while still helping Naruto understand what was going on. "It must have used the fatal kiss on Crouch—where his soul is sucked out through his mouth."
Naruto gulped. "But, who is Crouch? Wasn't he the guy in charge?"
"No, it was his son. He was pretending to be Moody the whole year," Hermione whispered. Now everything made more sense—Moody had smelled different in that office, but Naruto had taken it to be due to his impaired judgment from what happened in the graveyard. So the Fudge person must have used the dementor to kill the son, and Naruto was shocked that someone as powerful as a Hokage would kill someone with such important information to share. What kind of a Hokage was he?
"He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!" Fudge said in exasperation.
"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."
Fudge look quite confused and horrified, unable to comprehend what Dumbledore had said. Naruto watched as the Minister continued to deny what Dumbledore was saying and Naruto felt he was quite the idiot. If even he could understand, why couldn't that man?
Dumbledore offered to explain it further to Fudge and then glanced at Harry. "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."
Fudge had a curious smile on his face, and then looked back and forth between Harry and Dumbledore. "You are—er—prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?" There was a moment of silence, punctuated by a dog's growling. Naruto immediately recognized him as Sirius and wondered what he was doing in the hospital wing.
"Certainly, I believe Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes blazing. "I head Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, and they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer." Fudge was smiling again, and then glanced at Harry once more.
"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who . . . well . . . " He looked at Harry again and Naruto understood his hesitation.
"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," Harry said quietly. Most everyone jumped as they realized he was awake. Fudge then went into a tirade of how Harry was practically mentally unstable himself, something about a Parselmouth, and some accusations about his scar. Naruto sat there aghast at the terrible accusations and realized he should back Harry up.
"Harry wasn't the only one who saw Voldemort!" he protested, crawling to the foot of the hospital bed. Hermione tried to pull him back but Naruto pushed her away.
"Gaara, Kakashi-sensei, and myself were there as well!" Fudge was staring at him in fear. "While we didn't see him come to life, we saw him standing there, perfectly alive and healthy! It was in a graveyard and there were all these other people around us—"
"His Death Eaters!" Harry cut in. "I can give you names! Lucius Malfoy—"
"Malfoy was cleared!" Fudge interrupted. "A very old family—donations to excellent causes—"
"Macnair! Avery—Nott—Crabbe—Goyle—"
"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily.
"He's right about Malfoy!" Naruto yelled. "Voldemort called him by name—"
"You could have found those names in old reports of the trials that acquitted those men!" Fudge argued. "Harry here has been telling crackpot stories last year as well, and he can talk to snakes Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"
"You fool!" Professor McGonagall cried. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"
"And my sensei was almost murdered by Lucius Malfoy!" Naruto leapt off his cot and stood in front of Fudge angrily. "How do you explain that!"
Fudge looked at Naruto fearfully, slightly startled by his actions but quickly gained control of himself. "Most likely the work of that lunatic! And don't think I don't know the stories," he continued, glancing towards Dumbledore, "of what these foreigners can do. I read the newspaper! It seems these two—" (he looked at Naruto and then Gaara) "—have some sort of dangerous power that put many of your students in danger, and there is the rumor that the adult is an assassin!"
"How do we know one of these three foreigners didn't just lose control and kill Cedric Diggory themself?" Fudge pointed out. "How do we know you're not covering up something?"
Naruto gasped at what Fudge was implying, and as everyone's voices rang out in protest he screamed angrily and charged towards Fudge. Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and Dumbledore yelled at him to stop in Japanese. The genin glanced up to the headmaster who looked at him sternly, and Naruto sighed in frustration. He turned back to Fudge who was staring at Naruto in pure fright. The man could have sworn those blue eyes were red a few seconds ago.
"That's it!" Fudge shrieked. "That boy and the others are monsters!" A lot of Naruto's anger that hadn't been fully abated yet swelled once more and he lunged at Fudge again, breaking out of Dumbledore's grasp. A few seconds later a hand shot out and grasped Naruto's shoulder, pulling him back and a needle was thrust into his shoulder. Naruto staggered and saw that Snape was holding his arm, a syringe in his right hand. The genin tried to fight the sedative, but he was just . . . so . . . tired . . .
"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly.
"Of course, Headmaster," Snape answered. He handed the sedative back to a frightened Madame Pomfrey and laid Naruto back on his cot. "I trust you will do better next time to keep Mr. Uzumaki under control while ridiculous accusations—" (he sneered at Fudge) "—are made in the future, Ms. Granger." Hermione nodded quickly before carefully covering Naruto with a blanket.
Naruto awoke the next day as well as Gaara, and they spent most of their time bombarding Harry, Hermione, and Ron with questions after they learned about Kakashi's condition.
"By all accounts he should have died," Madame Pomfrey explained in awe. "Though if it's as you say it is, the Killing Curse must have been altered after coming into contact with whatever energy Mr. Hatake blocked it with. He was just barely hanging on, in a sort of deep coma it would seem. The healers from St. Mungo's were able to jumpstart many of his vital organs that had started to shut down, and he is going to survive. Though it will be a while before he wakes up, and even longer until he is able to walk properly." She then walked over to Kakashi's bed to check his vitals once more.
"And what happened to us?" Gaara asked, directing his attention to the three wizards.
"Barty explained that he put some sort of powdered poison in your drink," Harry explained, leaning on a pillow for support. Hermione and Ron sat on his bed while Naruto and Gaara sat on the adjacent bed. Both genin felt perfectly fine, but Madame Pomfrey insisted they spend a few more nights in the infirmary. They agreed partly because they felt they had nothing better to do, and partly because they wanted to be near Kakashi. "It was only activated when he used his wand, and he said that he used the same thing on Kakashi, yet in a liquid form so that he would slowly be affected." Harry cringed, "He said that Voldemort wanted a small show of his powers, but Barty wanted to make sure he didn't mess up any of Voldemort's plans."
Naruto sighe and glanced back towards Kakashi. They still hadn't been allowed to see him, since Madame Pomfrey believed he was still too weak to be around people other than medical professionals.
"So why was Snuffles here?" Naruto asked.
"Dumbledore asked him to be," Harry answered sadly.
"He had Sirius reveal himself to my mum and Snape," Ron said, a wide grin on his face. "You should have seen Snape's face! Dumbledore even made them shake hands."
"Aren't you worried Snape will tell?" Naruto asked in concern.
"Nah," Ron said. "He may be a git, but he's not that stupid! Dumbledore would probably kill him on the spot if he did."
"I'm curious as to what Dumbledore asked of Snape," Hermione remarked, looking worried. "Did you see his face? He looked absolutely terrified."
"It was a little strange," Harry said quietly. Despite his hatred for the man, Harry couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him. He had never seen Snape look like that before, and that made it all the more alarming.
"Visiting time over!" Madame Pomfrey declared, coming over to them. "My patients need their rest." Hermione and Ron stood up and said good-bye before leaving for dinner. The nurse looked at Harry's arm wound and gave him some more medicine before applying fresh bandages. Then she put on fresh bandages around Gaara's head. The Foe Glass had given him a concussion and Madame Pomfrey insisted on doing regular check-ups to make sure he wasn't adversely affected. To rest, she used a special spell to put him in a meditative state so he could awake if he needed to. For Naruto, the only injury he sustained was some scarred skin from the lightning spell in the graveyard, but to Madame Pomfrey's surprise it had completely healed overnight.
"I have no idea how something like this is possible!" she had exclaimed, unsure of what to think.
"Now I want no complaints tonight!" she ordered as she brought them their dinner. "If you get a good enough rest and I approve of your condition, then you may leave tomorrow."
"And can we see Kakashi?" Naruto asked quietly.
Madame Pomfrey's face softened at Naruto's concern. "If all goes well, then yes."
As Sirius slept on the couch in Lupin's house, he thought back to what he learned just a few days ago. It was just too horrible to think that Voldemort was back to life, but if Harry said that he did, then he did. What angered Sirius was that if Fudge was going to continue acting the way he had in the hospital wing, then when there were disappearances just like last time, he was the one who would get the blame. Fudge would use him as a scapegoat and it would be even harder for him to go have any fun. As soon as he told Remus what happened his friend immediately volunteered to round up everyone that Dumbledore requested instead of Sirius. He said that it was too dangerous for him and that he wasn't going to lose him again.
Sirius had to smile. Aside from Harry and his friends, Remus was truly the only friend that he had. It was out of this friendship that Sirius decided to respect Remus' wishes. If only he had more room though. Not that he was one to complain, but his furry friend had quite the small house. Now, it wasn't his fault—Sirius knew that. A lot of wizards were prejudiced against werewolves and Black knew his friend had to have it about as rough as he did living in the wild.
Who would have known? he chuckled darkly to himself. Never in a million years would he have thought that the friendship he and his three friends made during their 1st year at Hogwarts would have ended up like this; Peter betraying them all, James dying because of it, himself being framed for Peter's fake death, and Remus suffering all alone. If he had known what trouble would have come out of making friends with that rat, he would have never allowed it. Sirius had always thought the boy was a coward, but somehow the little git had wormed his way into all three of their hearts. Even though the kid liked to hang out with somewhat shifty characters, Sirius had made a point not to judge him about it, seeing as what type of family he grew up with. He hated it when people held his family name against them, so who was Sirius to judge?
Not that it mattered now, anyway. His thoughts then drifted to Kakashi, his newest friend. After he had gotten Buckbeak all ready to go, Sirius had snuck back into Hogwarts to say good-bye to the man, despite the fact that he was unable to hear him. He remembered pulling back the curtains and his eyes widened at what he saw. Kakashi lay there absolutely still, with so many tubes running in and out of him he looked part machine.
"While I'm not envying you right now, I've got to say I wouldn't have minded being there," Sirius muttered. "Even this would be worth it for a little action." He sighed and then rubbed his neck. "Dumbledore says that you'll most likely be gone before I can come back here or contact you, and I wish I could say good-bye in person." He placed a letter on top of the machine Kakashi was hooked up to. "So I decided to be old fashioned and leave a note, though I'm not expecting a response." He chuckled. "Penpals are hard enough, but interdimensional penpals must be impossible."
Sirius glanced at the enormous clock on the wall. "Well, I gotta go. Get better my friend, and I hope you have it easier in your dimension."
Did you really think I was going to kill Kakashi?! He's my absolute favorite character of all time! Hope I made some of you sweat though. –evil laugh- There are two more chapters after this. :(
Oh, and kare o hatsubai basically means "Release him!" if my sources are correct.