Chapter 2: When Harry met Kakashi

Harry sat at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor doing homework as usual. That's his fifth sundae today! Kakashi thought. How is he not sick?

Thinking that he'd waited long enough, Kakashi walked over to Harry's table and asked if he could sit down.

Harry took in the masked lower part of Kakashi's face, the crooked headband with an alien swirl on it, and the white breastplate and arm guards. Harry's brow furrowed at the sight of the stranger.

Kakashi was just beginning to wonder if his attire would be frightening to young wizards when Harry's face brightened.

"I've seen you at The Leaky Cauldron!"

Oh, he was only trying to think of where he'd seen me before.

"If you don't mind my asking, why do you want to sit by me?" Harry asked, gesturing at a chair in invitation. Kakashi pulled it out and sat down.

"I thought it was about time I introduced myself, I'm Kakashi Hatake. Dumbledore has requested me and my team to guard the students at Hogwarts this year."

"Oh I see," Harry replied, understanding brightening his features. "I'm Harry Potter. Dumbledore sent me an owl about you but didn't say how we'd meet. I thought you'd be older." Harry felt that that was rude but he couldn't think of any other way to say it. He blushed, embarrassed.

"I get that a lot," Kakashi reassured him. "Anyway, this whole place is new to me. Would you mind showing me around?"

"Well, I've just finished my paper, but I've still got some shopping to do for school. If you don't mind coming along for that, I can show you around as we go?"

So the shopping began, along with Kakashi's wizarding world observations. First they went and got Harry more ingredients for potions class. Then Kakashi watched Harry get fitted for new school robes.

The uniform hats confused Kakashi immensely. The hats didn't seem to be designed for warmth, to block the sun, or for any other practical purpose. Still, they were a part of the uniform so Harry bought some to match his new robes. Then they went to the book store, which actually interested Kakashi.

"Is that normal?" Kakashi was looking in the front window of the bookstore. Just inside was a large cage filled with books that were ripping each other to pieces.

"No." Harry said slowly, frowning at his list. "But those are the required books for Care of Magical Creatures this year. Now I know why Hagrid got me one."

"A friend of yours bought you one of those?" Kakashi asked, pointing at two books that were ripping a third apart at the binding.

"Yes," Harry replied, actually cheering up. "You should have seen the spider he considered to be a friend."

Kakashi's eye widened but he said nothing.

The clerk in the bookstore was relieved to hear that Harry didn't need The Monster Book of Monsters. He then started talking about The Invisible Book of Invisibility and how they could never find it after it had been delivered.

Seriously? It sounds like they got tricked into buying nothing, Kakashi thought.

When Harry noticed, Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming, Kakashi just chuckled.

Harry looked at him. Kakashi simply explained, "I've seen the worst and it doesn't look like any dog."

Harry thought about asking what he meant but decided against it. It seemed like kind of a personal question to ask someone he'd just met.

Then Kakashi turned his head sideways to better observe the cover of the book. "That actually kind of looks like a dog I know."

Soon they left the shop with Harry's new books and headed back to the inn. Kakashi had new information in his head while Harry's kept filling up with new questions about his companion.

Over the next few days, Harry and Kakashi got to know each other. Well, Kakashi got to know Harry anyway. But Harry didn't mind the company. Kakashi was one hundred percent better than the Dursleys, even if he was evasive.

The masked man wouldn't tell Harry where he came from, why three fourths of his face was covered, or what his family was like. When Harry asked Kakashi what he did for fun, Kakashi had said, "many things." Harry banged his head into the table in frustration.

"How old are you?" Harry asked a few hours later.

Kakashi looked at him and Harry prepared for that question to be side-stepped also. "Fourteen," Kakashi replied.

Harry's jaw dropped open. "You're only a year older than me," Harry exclaimed.

"Good to see they're teaching you math," Kakashi muttered.

"Sorry?"

"I said," Kakashi lied, "that I'm legally an adult. I take care of myself." His voice had gone hard but Harry barely noticed with this new revelation.

"How long have you been an adult?" Harry asked.

Sensing where this line of questioning was going, Kakashi said, "awhile now," and left it at that.

Harry realized that that was all he was going to get out of the guard for the time being and clammed up.

The unruly haired wizard kept running into classmates as the days went on. Kakashi met Dean, Seamus, and Neville but he could tell that none of them were who Harry had been waiting for. It must be Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Kakashi thought. The ninja was looking forward to meeting the Weasleys because Mr. Weasley was supposed to fill Kakashi in on any recent news about Black. He could have read the newspaper but one: there was no way for him to tell if the information reported was accurate and two: the moving pictures made him feel watched in the most unsettling way.

Kakashi and Dumbledore had been exchanging owls but Dumbledore said the latest news could be best acquired through Arthur Weasley. Another thing Dumbledore mentioned was that Kakashi's team had arrived at Hogwarts to look over the grounds and would be joining him shortly. The team would consist of Guy, Kurenai, and Ebisu. Kakashi would have liked to look over the castle and grounds himself but he was the one sent first so he had to keep an eye on Harry.

The day before they were scheduled to leave, Ron and Hermione arrived. Harry ran to them but Kakashi hung back, not wanting to spoil their reunion.

Hugs were exchanged along with news. Ron and Harry started talking about quidditch but Hermione interrupted them. "Harry, is that man with you?"

"Oh yeah sorry," Harry turned and waved Kakashi over. Kakashi approached, hands in pockets.

"Ron, Hermione, meet Kakashi," Harry gestured with his head and eyes at the appropriate names. "He's one of the guards Dumbledore is going to have at Hogwarts this year. I've been kind of showing him around. He's riding the train with us."

"Doesn't he talk?" Ron asked. "Is that why he's got the mask on?"

"Ronald that's rude!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I speak just fine," Kakashi said. This is going to be a long year.

Ron excitedly spouted questions as they occurred to him. "Why do you wear the mask? Did you dye your hair to look like that? Are you a wizard? Where do you come from then?"

"Hm? Did you say something?" Kakashi turned a lazy eye on Ron.

Ron looked flabbergasted. Hermione didn't know if the strange man was being funny or genuinely confused.

Harry muttered, "Ron, he doesn't like to talk about himself."

"Oh," Ron said, immediately sobering. He looked at Kakashi again. "Sorry mate."

"No problem," Kakashi responded. He gave Ron an eye smile but it seemed to unnerve rather than reassure him.

"So Harry," Ron changed the subject but his eyes lingered on Kakashi, "did you really blow up your aunt?"

Blow up? Kakashi wondered. Like with a paper bomb?

Kakashi pondered this as they made their way down the street to a magical pet store. The smell of multiple animals assaulted Kakashi's nose as they entered the establishment. He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked up to see a ginger cat staring at him. Cats. He tried to ignore the irritating creature and pay attention to what the students were doing.

Ron was talking to the storekeeper about his rat Scabbers. Suddenly, Kakashi turned on instinct and snatched the offensive cat out of the air by the scruff of its neck. It had made to leap at Ron's head. Ron's pervading squeal of surprise had silenced all the animals in the store.

Kakashi gave Ron a disdainful look. The red head had reflexively leaned backwards over the counter and had a look of horror plastered on his face. Kakashi's attention returned to the cat in his hand. The furry beast hissed at its captor. Kakashi stared at it, holding it just out of claws reach of his face.

Ron and Harry ran out the door after Scabbers, who'd escaped in the heat of the moment.

"Oh I'm so sorry," the shopkeeper apologized. "Crookshanks, bad kitty."

Kakashi set the cat down on the counter. The ginger cat gave a half-hearted bat at his hand as he withdrew it. They glared at each other.

"I warned you Crookshanks," the witch behind the counter said. "That's it."

"That's what?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Oh it's just he's been here for years and I can't afford to keep him forever. I told him one more toe out of line and he'd be out on the street." The witch's voice became more syrupy and mournful as she went on.

Nobody's going to fall for that sob story, Kakashi thought.

"Oh dear," Hermione fretted. Hermione looked at the owls, then at the cat. Seeming to make up her mind, Hermione said, "I'll take him."

"What?" exclaimed the witch, a phony look of shock on her face.

What? Kakashi thought.

"How much?" Hermione asked.

"Oh well," the witch began happily but then she saw Kakashi looking at her. His black eye bored into hers.

"Since I was going to put him out on the street anyway…you can have him for free," the witch finished, terrified eyes glued on Kakashi.

"Thank you!" Hermione said joyfully. She looked back at the owls one last time before scooping the cat up and exiting the shop.

"Thank you," Kakashi said smoothly, politely. His eye asserted, don't ever try that scam again.

The witch nervously chuckled, then breathed a sigh of relief as Kakashi left the store.

That evening Kakashi met Mr. Weasley and the majority of his offspring. After Percy's formal greeting, Fred and George's parody of it made Kakashi eye-smile.

"Salutations Kakashi Hatake, I am Fred Weasley and this is my brother George Weasley. We will also be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year."

"Seriously though mate," George said after he and Fred had had their laugh at Percy's expense, "what's with the mask?"

"I'm horribly disfigured," Kakashi deadpanned.

"Really?" Fred gasped, remorse clouding his features.

"No."

Fred and George scowled at him. "You know we'll find out right?"

"What my face looks like or why I wear the mask?"

"Both."

"Not likely, although one is far less likely than the other."

"We know you have a team coming. We'll just ask them, won't we George?"

Kakashi eye-smiled at them and walked away to meet Ginny.

"I don't think he's taking us seriously George."

"Or," George replied thoughtfully, "many have failed before us."