AN: I'm sorry; I meant to write that I MAY be continuing the FMA story, but for now it's on hiatus. I'm not really pleased with this chapter. I don't think Kakashi's in character. I hope you enjoy anyways.

Chapter 2

Pins and Needles

Kakashi opened his eyes. Then he quickly closed them. There were two things wrong here. First of all, he was lying in a bed, and his head hurt like hell. Second of all, his sharingan was not covered, causing half his newly restored charka to be consumed.

Eyes closed, he sighed. This always happened when he was put in the hospital. People didn't think before taking off his headband and mask. This time the mask was gratefully in place. It had also been repaired, and cleaned.

He opened his black eye and peered around. There was his headband on the table next to his bed, lying on top of his clothes, which also seemed so have been fixed. There were signs hanging on the walls warning him to "BE CAREFUL OF HAIRY SCALLED FLINKERS," because there was some kind of disease going around.

Ah, Yes I'm in that school. This must be the infirmary.

There was a slightly flustered woman waddling towards him.

"Oh, my dear, I'm glad you're awake. Albus has told me to get you up and ready, despite the fact that I told him you should not be out of bed yet! You are to get your school supplies today, and start your back-lessons." The words seemed to tumble out of the woman's mouth without any sign of stopping.

Kakashi blinked the one eye. Then he swung stiff legs over the side of the bed. He pulled on his headband first and adjusted it over the sharingan. Then he bowed slightly to the woman who bustled off to fetch something. He closed the curtains around his bed and, after removing the paper-thin hospital garment, dressed himself. His pack full of ninja-gear was there too. He tied it to his leg as usual.

Sitting down on the bed he rubbed his temples. The headache was not going away, and the smell of antiseptic was not making any better. Sighing, he stood again and opened the curtains.

"Eat this, dear."

A platter of toast and eggs was shoved into his hands. Hesitantly he pulled down his mask, covering his mouth with one hand and holding a piece of toast in the other, he nibbled on the toast.

There was a loud creaking of hinges and a pair of familiar horn-rimmed glasses entered the room. It was the man from last night.

"Hello, Kakashi, it is good to see you much healthier than last night."

Kakashi merely nodded in response.

"We have only a few days until the school year begins, so I am afraid that I must pull you away from Madame Pomfrey's care earlier than she would recommend. We must leave, now for Diagon alley, and the beginning of your mission. We'll be traveling by flu powder."

With that Dumbledore walked over to a fireplace and dumped a small packet of powder he's been carrying into the flames. They burst into green light.

"Now, if you will step into the fire."

Kakashi looked at him dully, trying to figure out if he was joking or not.

"Kakashi, I assure you this is completely safe. It is 'magic' which is quite similar to your 'jutsu.' This is what you will learn to control here at Hogwarts."

Kakashi stepped into the fire. The flames did not burn. Instead there was faint, tingling sensation crawling up his legs.

"Now say 'Diagon Alley.'"

"Diagon Alley." The flames swirled around him, and pulled him roughly up into the air. It seemed like it took hours for the sickening spinning to finally begin to slow. When it did, he instinctively adjusted his feet to land on the floor. As a result he landed, if not gracefully then at least up right. His feet banged harshly onto the hearth nearly making his still weak knees give out beneath him. He stumbled forward just in time for Dumbledore to eloquently pad down onto the spot where he had just been.

"Ah, I see that you handled flu powder well! My first time using the stuff, I flew right out of the fireplace and into a rack of potions. It took quite a while to clean up the mess, and even longer to remove the warts that one of the potions inflicted on me."

Either Dumbledore was mad, or the young shinobi gave a small smile underneath the dark mask. Of course, it could very well have been both.

"Eh, Dumbledore-san, what—how will I be getting my things if I have no money."

"There is no need to worry, my boy, Sarutobi and I have worked something out. The first things we must get are your robes. I know you will object to the dysfunctional manner of them. However, I will allow you to keep on you mask and headband, as well as wear your normal clothes underneath."

Kakashi sighed, but followed Dumbledore without complaint.

The woman, presumably Madame Malkin judging by the shop's name, had poked him several times with needles and pins. She could not seem to remain focused while staring at his strange clothes and hair. About the tenth time he'd asked if "There was some way in which he could help her to tailor the robes without poking him with pins." She'd flushed and finished the job in a hurry, ushering him out of the shop with an apology.

They then proceeded to the bookshop, where they bought his schoolbooks, as well as the books from the three previous years he had missed. Dumbledore instructed him to try his best to at least learn the basic first year material before the beginning of the year in three days.

After buying a cauldron, scales, and various ingredients for potions, they made their way to the shop called "Ollivander's."

He stepped into the dusty shop, coughing on the musty scent. The place smelled like ashes, water and a remnant of… pumpkin pie? A white-haired man came out from a back room rubbing what appeared to be... yes, pumpkin pie off of his shirt.

"Ah, Albus, how good to see you." By the tone of his voice he was not surprised at all. "And who is this?"

"You already know, don't you?" Kakashi wanted to ask.

"This is Kakashi Hatake, he will be attending Hogwarts this year. We were hoping you could find him a wand."

"Of course, of course. Hold out your wan—dominant arm." Kakashi lifted his right arm. He could write with both, but the Sharingan put his left in his blind spot when his eye was covered. Immediately, tape measures sprung into action, measuring even the length of his earlobe. He watched them curiously. He was beginning to get used to this magic, and was intrigued. At least he would be able to learn about it while he was on this miserable mission. "Try this one, Maple, unicorn hair core, very good for conjuring." Kakashi flicked it experimentally. A pumpkin pie fell out of nowhere and landed on Dumbledore's head. That explained the smell. "Yes… that wand seems to like pumpkin pie a lot… Try this one, ash, dragon heartstring, good for offensive magic." This time thousands of scarecrows appeared out of thin air and filled the shop. Kakashi sighed beneath a particularly large scarecrow; this was going to be a long few hours.

Swish BAM EEAAGeaangyangyangyang

The wand—Holly, with a phoenix feather core—shot out Kakashi's hand and twanged into the wall behind Ollivander's head.

"Well, it is definitely not that one." The weathered old man stated perfectly calmly. "Hmm..."

He seemed to consider the boy for a moment before retreating into the back room. Kakashi let his arm flop back to his side. It was getting on towards dusk, and he really wanted to get started on reading through the wizarding books they had just bought. Dumbledore was standing there, peacefully, flipping through a book titled "Flubber Worms Throughout the Ages." Finally Ollivander returned with yet another dusty old box that presumably contained a wand.

How much longer is this going to take. He took the proffered wand without even bothering to look at it. As soon as his calloused fingers touched the smooth wood a soft, blue light encircled him. He felt his chakra begin to gather in the still sore places from the previous day's ordeal. When the light disappeared so did the soreness.

"That's a very powerful wand that's chosen you Mr. Hatake. It is made of white ash and has the fang of the white werewolf as a core."

The young shinobi remained silent, and finally examined his new wand. It was white, with a silver handle inscribed with hieroglyphs he could not understand.

"Kakashi-kun, you may go back to the Leaky Cauldron and begin your studying. Ask the bartender—Tom— for a room. I will take care of the bill."

He just wants me to go so that he can ask Ollivander about my wand. I'd like to know to… but an order's an order. I have no choice. He left the shop without a word.

"What is it about the wand that makes it his?" Dumbledore asked smilingly.

"It—" Ollivander started hesitantly. "It was the only one that was not afraid of him."

"Afraid?" Repeated Dumbledore.

"Yes. They were afraid of him. Only time will tell why I suppose."

The golden pieces exchanged hands with a worried nod on each side.

An entire day wasted. Kakashi slouched in the chair in the room he was temporarily staying in. He managed to finish and memorize the first year charms book in the past two hours, but he was going to need more time than that to memorize the books on potions and transfiguration. It was easy to remember mindless movements and word, but harder to remember formulas and laws.

He decided to try the first charm he had memorized.

"Wimgardium Leviosa." The potions book floated gently into the air. Well, at leas he knew that memorizing all of this wasn't useless. He could do magic.