"So if I want to stay at Hogwarts I have to follow you around all year." Naruto finished as he looked over at the green eyed boy next to him. "The sorting hat said I'd be in Griffindor anyway even if I didn't have to be and the Old Man said he'd pay for all my things if I protected you, though I just need books and supplies for 'Potions'. Magic doesn't seem that hard, even if I have only been learning for a month. What do you think about this arrangement? You seem like a nice enough guy. And even if you aren't I've had plenty of experience with the cold and angsty type that I'm used to it now. Actually that's what my best friend back home is like…"

Harry listened intently to the Blond's rant like chatter. Did he ever shut up when he wasn't injured?

"So what's your story? Why do you need a bodyguard in the first place? The Old Man said you needed to tell me yourself. What do ya think I'm up against if you do get attacked?"

Harry looked surprised. Why wouldn't Dumbledore tell Naruto about Voldemort? Why did he have to do it? Wait a minute, did he just say he'd only been learning magic for a month! "Why do I have a magically ignorant kid my own age assigned to be my body guard?" He half yelled and pushed Naruto into flourish and blots, blushing madly at the stares they received.

"Because I'm a Ninja!" protested the blond just as loudly. Thankfully there were only a few people in the shop at the time.

"Ninjas are extinct!"

"No they're not! I'm a Ninja! Most my village are Ninja! Most the villages around my village contain mostly Ninja! So don't tell me there are no Ninja left because that's exactly what I thought about Wizards before I came here." His voice had lowered in volume as he went so he ended in a deathly whisper, eyes being shadowed by his fringe. They had made him take off his forehead protector so as not to draw attention so he had nothing to keep it out of his eyes. "I can't get back home and for all I know everything I hold dear could be gone, destroyed by one of my most precious people because of his hatred of his brother. So don't tell me anything you don't know for sure."

Harry took a step away from the blond. The shift in mood had been too drastic. This was the first time he had seen the boy this serious and the venom in his voice was harsh, so uncharacteristic.

Naruto, realising his slip bit his lip. "Sorry…I didn't mean to be so mean. I'm just worried…I don't like not knowing what's going on. The Old Man can't even contact my home town let alone get me back there. Anyway, what's your story? You didn't answer me before. Oh, and I am quite capable of hiding you, even if I cannot defeat your enemies. I've been at this for years."

Harry still didn't trust that the boy was as strong as he said he was but the power he had radiated in his moment of anger had been frightening. Maybe… "When I was one year old my parents were killed by an evil wizard named Voldemort. He tried to kill me too but his spell backfired and he was killed instead. Only he wasn't human enough to be killed entirely and last year he returned in the flesh and has been gathering followers ever since while trying to kill me on the side. The ministry of magic only just recognised his return after a whole bloody year of me telling them that he was back!"

"Well that's pretty slack. Even if I told the Hokage one of our enemies had returned we'd get immediate action. And I'm the most unpopular kid in the whole village! At least they seem to like you to a degree. You don't get the hate filled eyes I get back home." He only muttered the last sentence but Harry still heard it.

"And what's your story? Why do people hate you back where you come from?"

Naruto viably stiffened. He didn't want to tell anyone in this place about Kyuubi. He could go wherever he liked and not be shunned or glared at. He could just be himself and no one would resent him for something he didn't do. "Don't ask because I'm not going to tell you."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He'd told him about Voldemort and his parents, and yet he wouldn't trust him with his past. But if he doesn't want to tell you then it must be something really bad and not something he likes to share, reasoned a voice in the back of his head and he gave in, sighing.

"Don't worry, even my team mates don't know…I don't want anyone who doesn't already know to know. It's just nice to get away from that here." said Naruto, placing his hands behind his head and giving a dazzling, vulpine grin. "So what books do we need? You have the list; the Old Man said I should use yours to save paper since we're obviously doing the same subjects."

Once again shocked by the sudden change of mood, Harry fumbled around in his pocket for the paper. They had already been to Gringotts, the Wizarding bank (in which time Naruto had filled in Harry on the arrangements of their lives for however long Naruto was there) and were set to go about their shopping. It was only now that Harry realised there were no guards other than the one boy who had been chattering for the last half hour. Dumbledore must trust him more than I thought! Geeze, is he really that powerful?

"Can you read it out to me Harry? The spell may let me read for a little while but it's not quite as effective at letting me read after a while, even if my speech isn't impaired." Naruto said sheepishly.

"There's only two books on the list this year. Standard book of spells grade 6 and Ancient Monsters. You can probably get the other books second hand if you need them, though I doubt it." They made their way up to the man at the front desk and bought their book in the matter of minutes. This early in the afternoon on a Thursday probably wasn't ever really busy.

"So what do we do now?" Asked Naruto once they had gotten all their supplies (for potions and general stationary). He loved this street. It was so cheerful, even if it was wartime. Having experienced war many a time in his sixteen years he was used to the brave outward front people produced in protected places. An effort, he knew, which was aimed to take minds off thoughts of disaster. "Can we have something to eat? When are we getting picked up by the Order?"

"Crud! We have about three minutes to get to the meeting point!" gasped Harry as he checked the time on his new watch; an unexpected gift from Mrs. Figg for his sixteenth birthday.

Naruto smirked, and turned so his back faced the other. "Get on and I'll have us there in ten seconds."

Harry raised an eyebrow and let out a harsh laugh. "Yeah right. No one can run that fast."

"Really? Get on and I'll show you."

Harry rolled his eyes but after making sure no one in the near deserted street was watching, climbed onto the other boy's back. He didn't think he'd ever been carried like this before. Not when he was conscience anyway. He clung to Naruto's shoulders and felt him tense. Then in one swift movement they were in the air. One story, two, they cleared the roof. Jumping from roof to roof as he did in trees they speed towards the predetermined meeting point and were there in seven seconds flat, landing gracefully in the cobble stone street. Naruto dropped Harry on the ground not so gracefully and crossed his arms, poking out his tongue in a not-so-adolescent manner. Harry himself just stared at the childish teen as if he had grown a second head. "How-wha-ok I now that wasn't normal."

"It is where I come from. I told you I was a-"

"Mr Uzumaki!" interrupted a not-so-pleasant sounding woman, lips pursed into a thin and angry line. "What did I lecture you on for twenty whole minutes this morning!"

"But Old Lady McGonagall-"

"No buts Naruto, you were explicitly told not to use your powers in public. That includes that speed of yours."

"But-"

"I said no buts, now we're using floo powder to get back to Hogwarts. Mr Potter, you are not catching the train this year, rather you are now going to come straight there with Mr Uzumaki and I. The train is unsafe for you in particular."

Harry nodded rather unenthusiastically. He didn't feel like arguing though, especially after being shown up by Naruto. He wanted to hang out with Ron some more but that wasn't going to happen for another few days since school was still two days away. With a sigh Harry followed behind the transfiguration teacher with Naruto bring up the rear. Oh well, back to gloomy old Harry.

XXOO

Teachers started to arrive the next day to plan the next few months of their jobs, effectively shunning the two teens allowing them to wander unhindered through the humongous castle that was Hogwarts during the daylight hours. Naruto, having lived there for a month already knew every nook and cranny, including the various hidden passageways scattered here and there. Being the ninja he was he couldn't help but memorising any and all ways to hide, run away or get places easier to be more efficient in his work now that he actually had a job to use them in.

The tamed Thestrals that inhabited the forbidden forest had seemed to have taken a liking to the blond because of his training in the forest and every now and then would wander a little ways out from the trees, to see if he was going to visit them that day. Once he had asked the gentle half giant Hagrid about them he often brought fresh meat with him so they wouldn't lick at any wounds he inflicted upon himself accidentally. Incidentally that was how they had meet when the youth had passed out from over exertion. Today was no different except for the fact that Naruto brought Harry with him to see the beasts.

Harry followed his bodyguard out into the grounds wordlessly, having been given explicate instructions not to leave the other's side for more than a moment. He didn't know why they were heading down this far after passing Hagrid's hut until he saw at least five Thestrals waiting just beyond the trees. He faulted, pausing for a moment in shock at seeing them again before the ghost of a smile curved his lips. Now he knew what was in the bag Naruto was carrying.

Naruto's own mouth widened in a grin and he jogged the last few yards to pet the first of them to nudge him with their skeletal noses. All of them seemed to want to get to him at once and soon he found himself almost bombarded by all of the creatures until he ran back a few steps and dumped the contents of the sack onto the ground. Several skinned rabbits fell to the ground and the Thestrals dived on them instead of the Chuunin. Naruto walked back to Harry, dusting off his hands having discarded the bag for the moment.

"You can see them?" Asked Harry, slightly bewildered at how friendly they were being to the boy. "Who'd you see die?" He didn't care about how blunt he sounded. He wanted to know.

"The first one…? I've lost count of how many people I've seen die. And how many people I've killed myself for that matter. You must remember I'm a ninja. It is just a part of being a ninja to have to kill someone. In the words of the first person I saw die 'I can destroy my kind heart with a blade, and become a true Shinobi.' His name was Haku and even if we were enemies he taught me one of the more important things I've ever learnt. He died protecting his most precious person. That was his dream, like mine is to become the leader of my village and have everyone acknowledge me. How about you?" Naruto finished, testing the wizard's reaction upon learning he had actually killed people.

Harry accepted that Naruto was a ninja now, having witnessed first hand the other's speed and transformations. That he had killed was just another thing about him. Harry would have to kill eventually, or be killed himself. "My rival…In my fourth year I was caught up in a competition I didn't want to be in and he was the other participant from Hogwarts. I was transported by a portkey to a graveyard and Voldemort's henchman killed him." Harry was numb to this story now, having repeated it so many times in his mind. No longer did it have that heart wrenching effect on him."

"Well this is a sort of morbid consolation prize. They are pretty cool though." Once again the grin was back on Naruto's face as he watched the Thestrals devour the last of the meat. "Now, I have to tell you exactly what I can do."

At this Harry perked up. "You mean besides transforming into other people without a potion and super speed?" He asked with a smirk. This guy was so cocky.

Naruto glared playfully at the other and crossed the middle and forefingers of both hands to form a plus sign. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" He yelled and in puffs of white smoke fifteen Narutos surrounded the black haired teen. The original stepped forwards, rubbing his nose slightly sheepishly. "Opps, didn't mean to make so many. Anyway this is a move advanced replication technique. Unlike just plain bunshin these are real flesh copies rather than just an illusion, see." To prove his point he called forth one of the clones and clapped it on the shoulder.

"And this is the Rasengan!" Light blue energy began to form in his left hand, guided by the hands of his clone into a ball of rotating light. Harry stared transfixed on the orb and didn't even register when the Thestrals fled back into the forest. All the clones disappeared the same way they had come as Naruto trust his hand forward and rammed a pine tree with the attack. For a moment nothing happened then it began to bore right into the thick trunk of the tree. With a defiant crack the injured plant then began to fall down landing inches from Naruto, who had had to jump out of the way.

Harry was flabbergasted, how the crap did he do that? "What…the…?"

Naruto crossed his arms smugly. "It only took me few months to learn that! Even the fourth Hokage took longer then I did!" he proclaimed proudly, brimming with said emotion. "I mould and control the energy in the ball, keep it at full power and then attack whatever needs to be attacked. Combine that with my clones and I'm almost unstoppab-!"

"You ruddy kid, Naruto! Not another one!"

Naruto slowly and rigidly turned his head to face the half giant running down the hill. Grabbing Harry and throwing him onto his back he only paused long enough for Harry to get a good hold before running away. Vaguely Harry heard the last of Hagrid's loud shouts, "I told you not to cut down any more of the trees with that darned shiny orb!" before he was out of sight and they were racing down the corridors headed for the common room where Naruto knew Hagrid couldn't follow.

Flopping down on one of the armchairs by the fire after depositing Harry in another, Naruto let out a loud laugh. "At least there'll be lots of firewood." He said unperturbed by Hagrid's anger.

"Will you stop carrying me around like some child!" Harry grumbled sinking into his chair. He didn't like it now that he was over the others speed. "It's degrading."

"Well excuse me if I wanted to run away from a huge angry half-giant!" Naruto retorted. "I'd rather not be beat around the head by Hagrid, even if I am a ninja."

"Hey! He wasn't angry at me! If you hadn't cut down the tree in the first place showing off-"

"Oh yeah, I was showing you my skills so you'd know how I could protect you and you wouldn't freeze if I did something new!"

"I can protect my damn self!"

"Then why does everyone baby you all the time, protect you like you're some sort of porcelain doll! I tell you I'm sick of people treating the high and mighty orphans like gods! What about the discarded orphans, hu! What about the ones who grew up with nothing and still have just that!" Naruto froze, blue eyes wide as he realised what he'd just said. He moved his head to the side, turning his face so that his eyes were out of Harry's view.

Harry glared at the other boy who had gone uncharacteristically quiet. Didn't he remember that Harry himself had spent ten years in the hell that was his aunt and uncles' care? But then again, Harry had been taken away from all that. What exactly was Naruto's story? Quickly his anger faded as he remembered the loneliness he'd experienced as a child. As much as he hated to admit it, he could relate to the blond shinobi. "Naruto," He started but was stopped as said boy stood up.

"I'm going to bed. Don't stay down here on your own too long. I don't want to fail my mission on the second day." And with that he left for the sixth year boys' bedroom leaving Harry to mull over the argument.