Chapter 7: Hogsmeade and Horror

The day of the first trip to Hogsmeade had finally arrived. Every student year three and above was excited to be able to visit the village. Every one, that is, except for Harry Potter.

"We'll tell you all about it," Hermione told Harry at breakfast. "And we'll still have the Halloween feast together!"

"Yeah and we'll bring you loads of sweets from Honeydukes. It'll be like you were there!" Ron exclaimed.

Meanwhile, in the back of the Great Hall, a very different conversation was taking place. "Ebisu, Guy, you'll accompany the students leaving for Hogsmeade. Kurenai and I will remain with the rest of the students in the castle. The dementors patrol the village every night but there's literally no protection during the daytime. Keep your guard up."

Ebisu and Guy nodded. "One other thing," Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out two small drawstring bags. "Lord Third had Dumbledore convert a small part of our wages for this mission into wizarding money." Kakashi handed them each a bag. "Try to stay out of trouble. We'll see you at the feast tonight."

As Kurenai and Kakashi watched them go, Kurenai said, "do you think that was a good idea?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I can't expect you all to be at a hundred percent with no down time. And it's difficult to visit a village for the day without any pocket money."

Kurenai gave him a look. "Relax," Kakashi reassured her. "Even if they're enjoying themselves in the village, they're still more protection for the students than they would have had without them at all. Besides, how much trouble could they get into?" Several hours later, Kakashi got his answer.

"What happened?!" Kakashi demanded when he and Kurenai burst into the hospital wing.

Ebisu had sent a clone to say that the students had returned safely but Guy was in bad shape. The two ninja had rushed into the wing to see Guy laid out on a bed, gripping his middle, shivering in pain. Madam Pomfrey was fussing over him.

"Honeydukes," Ebisu responded, pushing his sunglasses up.

"What? Is that some magical creature? A spell?" Kakashi asked, eyes searching for Guy's injury.

"Idiots," Kurenai sighed, shaking her head at Ebisu and Guy.

Kakashi looked at Kurenai, then Ebisu. His concern melted away and annoyance replaced it. "Explain," he said to no one in particular.

"Honeydukes is the candy shop in Hogsmeade," Kurenai clarified, glaring at Ebisu. "I'm guessing that Guy has a stomach ache. Is that right Guy?"

"Such youthful candy," Guy gasped out. Madam Pomfrey tutted at him.

"I'm going to head down to the feast," Kakashi said flatly. He looked down at Guy, "each of you follow as you are able." He turned on his heel and left.

When Guy assured them that he'd be right behind them, Ebisu and Kurenai headed down as well. As soon as the two were alone, she smacked him upside the head. Ebisu looked at her.

"Why did you do that?" Kurenai hissed. "Your clone purposely made it seem like you two had been attacked. You knew that Guy only had a stomach ache."

"Just wanted to knock him down a few pegs. Remind him that he's not the master of the universe."

Kurenai nearly punched Ebisu down the rest of the corridor. "I think Kakashi of all people knows he's not the 'master of the universe'. I know you try to crack his cool persona every chance you get, yeah, Guy and I have noticed." Ebisu opened his mouth and then closed it again. Kurenai's voice was slowly getting louder. "But that needs to end. Kakashi trusts you as a comrade and I know you trust him. All you're doing now is making this mission more difficult."

Ebisu stared at her in stunned silence.

"I'm sorry," Kurenai said, "I shouldn't have yelled."

"No, you're right. I like to needle Kakashi every once in awhile, 'the boy who made jonin', but I went too far. I'm just causing problems now." Ebisu sighed and looked down the corridor.

"Nobody here thinks they're better than you you know," Kurenai said, putting a hand on Ebisu's shoulder.

The genin grunted in reply.

They walked the rest of the way down to the Great Hall in silence.

Guy made it to the feast but when he did arrive, he looked as green as his outfit. He didn't say anything the entire time, much to the pleasure of Slytherin House.

After the feast, each guard accompanied their students to the various dormitories. When Kakashi, who had brought up the tail end of Gryffindors, arrived at the corridor leading to the portrait of the Fat Lady, the entrance area was clogged with students.

"Let me through please, I'm Head Boy," Percy called over the noisy heads of his fellow Gryffindors.

I'd better make this one tiny. Kakashi stepped in front of Percy and quickly weaved some signs. Wind Release. The Gryffindors that had clogged the corridor were suddenly nudged to either side of the passage, split down the middle by a gust of air. This left a clear path for the Head Boy.

After a moment of blinking surprise, Percy closed his gaping mouth and said, "ah, thank you Kakashi." But when Percy saw the Fat Lady's portrait, he froze mid-step. To no one in particular he said quietly, "get Professor Dumbledore."

Kakashi nodded, staring at the marred canvas as he made more signs. A single clone of Kakashi burst into life and took off. It seemed like Dumbledore was there in seconds. Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape were not far behind.

Surprisingly it was Peeves the Poltergeist who had all the answers that night. "When the Fat Lady wouldn't let him in, he cut her painting to ribbons. That Sirius Black has an awful temper."

Kakashi didn't wait for an invitation. Ten clones sprang to life and waited for Dumbledore's orders. The students' jaws dropped. Last time Kakashi had produced a clone they'd been focused on the Fat Lady's portrait and hadn't seen it happen.

"Kakashi, please inform your team that all of the students need to be brought to the Great Hall. We also need to search the castle immediately." The ten clones scattered to carry out Dumbledore's orders.

"Percy," Kakashi prompted.

The Head Boy closed his mouth again and became business-like. "Right, come on let's go, back to the Great Hall everyone. Stay together."

Kakashi brought up the rear of the line of frightened and confused Gryffindors.

"Did you see what he did?" "How did he do that?"

Kakashi ignored the students' mutterings, uncovered his other eye, and looked around. He couldn't see much through all the magic. His shadow clones, Guy, Kurenai, and Ebisu were lost to him among the pulsing of magic through the very walls of the castle. He recovered the eye. No finding him that way.

When they all met in the Great Hall, Kakashi stationed his clones along with the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl. His team searched the castle with the teachers. Black was nowhere to be found.

Guy, Kurenai, and Ebisu proceeded to search the grounds. Meanwhile Kakashi regrouped with Dumbledore in the Great Hall.

"Did you find him sir?" Percy asked.

"I'm afraid not Percy. The Fat Lady has been located but she's quite frightened. I've found a replacement portrait for Gryffindor tower but we'll have the students sleep here tonight. There's no point in waking them all up now."

"Some of them are already awake," Kakashi commented. Harry, Ron, and Hermione snapped their eyes shut.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I must go tell the dementors that our search is complete."

"Didn't they want to help sir?" Percy asked.

"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "But no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I'm headmaster. Thank you for the help of your team tonight Kakashi."

The ninja nodded. "I'm sorry we weren't able to catch him tonight sir."

After Dumbledore had left, Kakashi suggested, "you, the Head Girl, and the Prefects should get some sleep too."

Percy looked at him and spoke a sincere, "thank you." The excitement of the night could only keep one awake for so long.

"Just doing my job." Kakashi eye-smiled at him. Protecting the students is our mission but if we'd caught Black, the mission would be over. The dementors could go home and so could we. Kakashi frowned under his mask and began to patrol the Great Hall alongside his clones as the last few students bedded down for the night.

The next morning the students were told that they could return to their various dormitories. Kakashi leaned casually against a wall near the main exit, his team around him. As they left, the students were astonished to see multiple Kakashis sprinkled throughout the hall.

When all of the students had vanished, Kakashi released his clones. A second later he was sliding down the wall, barely conscious. The fatigue from his clones returning to his body assaulted him with a wave of weariness.

Kurenai, who was closest, grasped Kakashi's arm and slung it over her shoulder, supporting him. "I told you you shouldn't have kept it up all night."

"Watch what you say," Kakashi breathed. "Or I'll tell Asuma."

Kurenai scoffed at the distasteful joke. She would have dropped Kakashi right there if he hadn't passed out a second later. She didn't want his genius brain splattered all over the floor. Instead she grabbed his other arm and boosted him up, jackknifing him over her shoulder. Kakashi's arms swung limply behind her as she carried him out of the hall. Ebisu and Guy followed her silently.

"Guy," Kurenai asked. "How are you doing?"

"I can function. I am still in the spring of my youth," Guy's declaration lacked the usual energy. It had been a long night and his stomach had not yet recovered from his adventure in Hogsmeade. "The three of us will cover the usual patrol rotation until Kakashi wakes up. However, since Black can obviously get inside of the castle without using the methods we're guarding against, we'll have to meet with Dumbledore immediately so we can re-evaluate our strategy. Kurenai, let's head up to the hospital wing."

Kurenai almost had to turn completely around to see Guy's face because Kakashi's body blocked her line of sight. "We're not going to let him sleep it off in our room?"

Guy shook his head. "We don't have the manpower to leave someone behind just to keep an eye on him. And I am not leaving him alone like that," Guy nodded at Kakashi's unmoving form, "when Black can apparently enter the castle undetected." Guy's large eyebrows furrowed. "No, he'll have to rest in the school's hospital."

"He's going to hate that," Ebisu muttered.

"I know," Guy acknowledged, "but we don't have a choice."

When the guards explained that Kakashi had over-exerted himself during the search for Sirius Black the night before, Madam Pomfrey was more than happy to take care of him.

"I can't thank you enough for looking out for our students." The witch expressed as she turned down the covers on the nearest hospital bed.

"Well, we are getting paid," Kurenai pointed out, glad to be relieved of her burden. Kakashi was now lying in a bed with crisp white sheets. They had removed his armor and placed it next to the bed on the floor.

The witch waved Kurenai's explanation off. "I saw Harry Potter and Hermione Granger after they got off of the train at the start of term. They told me what you four did. All the money in the world wouldn't make me brave enough to put myself between a dementor and complete strangers."

"We strive to always do our best," Guy replied. "Thank you again for taking care of Kakashi." The three ninja bowed to her and left.

Kakashi was awake by the next day. To someone who didn't know him well, his tone of voice would have indicated that he was maybe mildly irritated. Guy, Kurenai, and Ebisu knew better; he was furious.

"Why didn't you let me rest in our room? Sneaking away from this witch is harder than escaping the Leaf Village's hospital, which is full of ninja!" Kakashi eyed Madam Pomfrey suspiciously.

Ebisu rose to Guy's defense, laying out the logic in Guy's decision as it had been discussed previously. "Also, we are no longer permanently dwelling in that room and we thought it would be safer for you here. Each of us is now staying in a small room off of our Houses' common rooms. Based on the students' reactions, I'd say the rooms were not there before our arrival."

"We're allowed inside of the dormitories now?" Kakashi asked.

Guy nodded, "this was the new security measure that we agreed upon with Dumbledore. If for any reason the portrait fails, we will be a last line of defense. Ebisu has been staying in Gryffindor Tower and has a clone in with the Ravenclaws."

"Also," Ebisu chimed in, "your temper seems to indicate that you need more rest and should stay in the hospital wing another day."

Kakashi glared daggers at Ebisu.

Kurenai wanted to tell Ebisu off, especially after what they'd discussed, but she couldn't help but agree with him a little. Kakashi was never this angered by anything.

"Kakashi," Guy began. "Trust me; we'll manage for another day. I'd rather have you at one hundred percent tomorrow than fifty percent today."

Kakashi sighed and beat the back of his head once against his pillow in frustration.

"Very mature," Ebisu muttered.

Instead of looking angry, Kakashi pulled a hand out from under the sheets and rubbed his bare forehead, his headband sat on the nightstand. "I know. I'm sorry." Ebisu's eyes widened behind his sunglasses. When Kakashi pulled his hand away from his face, he looked very young. "Okay. Don't take any unnecessary risks. We're here to defend the students in this school, not apprehend Black like a bunch of heroes saving the day."

"True, but capturing Black would make the mission incredibly easy," Guy commented. The way he said it, it was hard to tell whether he thought that was a good thing or not.

"Right," Kakashi agreed, closing his eyes.

Kurenai signaled to the young men that they should leave. Unbelievably, Kakashi was already asleep.