Sorry for being gone so long! I knew I had to make this chapter as perfect as I could! Please tell me if this was an acceptable battle!
Harry was stunned, kneeling next to his fallen friend. The Death Eaters were serious about the prophecy, and had just raised the stakes. Now, everybody was in danger, because of him. If only he hadn't brought them along, then they wouldn't be in this mess. Harry knew that Voldemort wanted to finish him off himself, so retrieving the prophecy alone would have ensured that nobody would die at Death Eater hands. But now... Harry had no choice. Slowly, he pulled the prophecy out of his robes.
He didn't have the chance to reveal it. Without warning, something whistled in from above them, striking Malfoy's wand hand below the wrist. At first surprised, Malfoy began yelling in pain, then pulled the familiar weapon out of his wrist. It was a kunai. Shocked, everybody looked back at the door they all entered through. Standing there... was a familiar blond boy.
"Sorry I'm late. What did I miss?" he asked.
"YOU!" Malfoy shouted up to him. "But I just killed you!"
"You did?" he thought, hand on his chin. "That's funny. It'll take more than that to kill me."
"I'll make sure of that," Malfoy agreed, picking up his dropped wand with his good hand.
"By the way, I'm not alone," he revealed. From behind him, multiple streams of white smoke shot into the room. Several of them headed straight for the surrounding Death Eaters. The Death Eaters, in response, became black smoke and whirled away with the white, immediately separating them from the students. One white stream, however, came down next to Harry, between him and Malfoy. The smoke receded, revealing Sirius Black. Taking advantage of Malfoy's shock, Sirius turned to Harry and said "Who started the party without me?" Malfoy, however, recovered from the surprise appearance and began dueling Harry's Godfather.
Naruto jumped down from the doorway and joined Harry across from Naruto's downed body. Harry looked up at him. "Is this... a clone?"
"No, I am," NaruClone revealed. "Naruto made me back at the Order Headquarters, to let them know what's happening. Luckily, Professor Snape came and gathered the Order for me. After we explained what was going on, we left to get you. Every time Naruto made a clone, and it popped, I knew where you were at the time and led them here."
"If you're a clone," Harry asked, "is Naruto..."
"Dead?" NaruClone finished the sentence. "Nope. I would have disappeared if he was. Whatever happened, I think I could help. If I release myself, all my Chakra will return to him. Lets hope for the best." Without another word, NaruClone disappeared.
Harry looked down at his friend. At first, there was no difference. But after a few seconds, Naruto opened his eyes. After blinking a couple times, Naruto spoke. "That wasn't so bad." Surprised at his revival, Harry hugged him. "Itaiii!" Naruto yelled softly. "That's worse!" Harry quickly let go. "What happ-... Never mind. Can you help me up?"
With some difficulty, Harry got his friend to lean on him. Soon, both were standing and together surveyed the battle. Some Death Eaters were still fighting Order members as smoke. Those that weren't were dueling on the ground with wands. There was usually an Order member fighting them, but there were one or two that were facing multiple DA members. On the platform with them, Sirius and Malfoy were dueling as hard as they could. While he was using his left hand, Lucius was still good enough to hold off Sirius. However, Sirius was distracted by trying to protect Harry from stray spells, and Lucius was starting to take advantage, pressing Sirius closer and closer to the archway, which was starting to flicker.
Everyone around the archway was surprised at a guest fighter. Coming out of smoke, Bellatrix hurriedly shouted "Avada Kedavra!" That spell hit Sirius dead on. It made made him go limp, then fall through the archway. Through it, Naruto could make out movement, somebody was coming. However, the portal closed before anybody could react. Sirius was gone.
Harry couldn't take it. He thought he lost Naruto, was about to lose his friends, and now lost his last family member and great friend. He could feel his throat and mouth working, but couldn't hear anything. He started running to the portal, dropping Naruto, and felt hands hold him back. Harry then turned around and saw only one person, Bellatrix. She was laughing; he heard her. She then turned around and fled through a door. Without thought, Harry chased her. "Harry!" Naruto tried to stop him. But Harry didn't hear, and left the room.
Noticing Naruto, Lucius began to approach, wand outstretched. "This time, I'll make sure you stay dead, even if I have to curse you one hundred times!"
'This won't turn out well...' Naruto thought, still unable to move and without enough Chakra to enter Sage Mode.
"Take my power!" Kyuubi spoke up.
'No way!' Naruto responded. 'Why would you help me?'
"Because you're helpless," Kyuubi answered. "I can't just let my jailer die. Besides, that spell hurt me as well. I don't want to die, and I want revenge on him!"
Naruto thought about it. 'Fine! But not too much, I don't want to lose control.'
"Agreed. And don't worry about control," Kyuubi revealed. "The natural energy of this place is strengthening the seal, protecting you even more from my influence."
"Avada..." Malfoy began, before something made him stop. The boy he was about to kill again began to glow and bubble orange. Slowly, a bubbly tail emerged from the boy's rear and feline bubble ears and snout appeared on his head. His fingernails grew longer, and his orange coating formed claws. Naruto looked like he had been possessed by a ghostly fox.
Naruto slowly got up and looked up at the man, revealing that his whisker marks had deepened and his eyes were red with feline slits. Suddenly, Malfoy feared for his life, and cast as strong a Shield Charm as he could. It was in the nick of time. With unheard of speed and an inhuman yell, Naruto's claws raked the shield, easily scratching through it. However, the orange fire spread with his swipe, burning the rest of the charm away. With little choice, Malfoy fled for his life as black smoke.
Naruto's yell alerted everyone else in the room to his transformation. Fighting on both sides stopped all around him as they looked in awe and fear at Naruto's newly revealed ability. The Death Eaters were shocked at Naruto's quick disposal of Lucius, and feared Naruto turning his fierce gaze on them. However, Naruto looked at the door Harry and Bellatrix went through, and sped after them.
Turn after turn, door after door, Naruto followed his new-found instincts, guiding him towards Harry. He found himself leaving the Department of Mysteries, crashing through the staircase, and back in the Floo entrance corridor of the Ministry. There, he saw Harry being protected by a stone centaur, while Dumbledore stood against Voldemort. Their duel was intense, as Voldemort was casting a giant fire serpent who reeked of dark energy. Before it could strike, Naruto leaped forward and struck its neck. Kyuubi's dark energy clashed with the dark fire, then overpowered it. Lifelike in style, the snake shrieked, fell down, then died out like a normal fire.
The three onlookers were surprised at Naruto's brute method of defeating the snake. However, only Harry seemed surprised at Naruto's form. "So," Voldemort spoke up, "the Demon Fox's Sacrifice has revealed itself."
Surprised at Voldemort recognizing his greatest secret, Naruto charged. With little hesitation, Voldemort began firing Killing Curses at the approaching ninja. While they blasted off Demon Chakra, slowed him down, and exposed Naruto momentarily, Naruto quickly regenerated enough to recover each time. Closing quickly, he got ready to claw the Dark Lord in half. However, Voldemort turned himself into dust, rendering Naruto's attack ineffective. Reforming behind him, Voldemort created a fiery noose to string up Naruto. However, Naruto's tail reacted, whipping the rope in half. The tail continued to extend to Voldemort, who once again turned to dust, reappearing on the other end of the room. With little hesitation, Naruto chased him down.
However, Voldemort had a new trick. This new spell began to create a circular defense in front of him. Without hesitation, Naruto sped into it, trying to slash his way through. However, once inside, he realized the sphere had gravity in its middle, which pulled him in. Once secured in midair, Naruto felt the vacuum. This spell was designed to suffocate the victim! Knowing how dangerous this trap was, Naruto let his Demonic Chakra run wild, pushing it to reach the ground and pull himself out. It was difficult, but he managed to do it before he ran out of breath. The moment he escaped, the rush of air startled him and popped his ears, but he quickly recovered.
Seeing that much power come off this boy, Voldemort vanished again. However, Naruto was figuring out how to sense him. Quickly, Naruto felt him heading towards Dumbledore and Harry, and ran to intercept. However, Naruto arrived too late; Harry began to shake with crazed spams. As much as Naruto wanted to beat Voldemort, he couldn't risk hurting his friend. So Naruto exited Kyuubi Mode and watched as Dumbledore tried to help Harry.
Harry spoke with Voldemort's voice. "Kill me now," they spoke. "Help me, kill me." Naruto couldn't tell who was talking, or if it was both of them. However, Harry soon went limp, and Voldemort reappeared a ways away, winded.
At that moment, Naruto heard a fire blaze to life for a second. Turning around, he saw a Floo Fire release guests to the Ministry. It was none other than Fudge and some of his assistants. Seeing reinforcements, and his return revealed, Voldemort quickly left.
Fudge could do nothing but gape at the appearance. While they were dazed, Bellatrix crawled out from under a broken witch statue and black smoked away. "... He's back!" Fudge finally managed to gasp out.
"Well DUUUUUH!" Naruto ridiculed him. "Does Dumbledore seem like the type to overthrow the government?"
"Well," a witch thought out loud, "he did deny becoming Minister twice when the chances were handed to him..."
"Uzumaki?" Fudge noticed him. "Dumbledore?! I... I..."
"... humbly apologize for being the biggest pig-headed fool in Ministry history?" Naruto offered. "And that's saying something, I read about a guy who tried to call Trolls Intelligent Beings. And there's another guy...
"As you have yourself seen," Dumbledore began, "Voldemort is indeed back. If you head downstairs, you'll find several of his loyal Death Eaters captured and restrained outside of the Department of Mysteries. You may interrogate and deal with them as you so wish." Quickly, Fudge sent two of his men downstairs to have the Death Eaters properly incarcerated. However, before he could question Dumbledore, the Headmaster spoke up. "Now, if you don't mind, I see that several of my students are out of bed after hours. I will see to it that they are returned to Hogwarts, then I will be willing to answer every question you may have for me."
Leaving a stuttering Fudge behind, a face that Naruto figured would never gets old, Dumbledore turned to Naruto and Harry, then pointed his wand at a statue's head that was between them. "Portus. Would you two mind?" Recognizing it as a Portkey, Harry and Naruto grabbed the head. "I'll meet with you two as soon as my business with the Ministry are done. But until then... Three... Two... One." With perfect timing, the Portkey activated, sending the duo to Dumbledore's office.
Naruto noticed some of the ex-Headmasters stir upon their arrival. However, they quickly feigned sleep as soon as Naruto looked at them. All of Dumbledore's equipment was out, as if it had been in use before they arrived. For all Naruto knew, Dumbledore had been hiding in here since he 'left' Hogwarts. However, one portrait decided it was time to wake up. "Ah, Harry and Naruto. Who let you in? Let me guess, you have another message for my disowned great-great-grandson?"
"Sirius is dead!" Harry blurted out, causing some more portraits to awaken. After that outburst, Harry collapsed and cried. Naruto understood what Harry was going through. If Harry hadn't gone after the prophecy, if Harry hadn't let his friends come, then nobody would have been hurt, and Harry wouldn't have lost Sirius.
Naruto got down on his knees and gave Harry a comforting pat on the back. He wasn't sure exactly how to help, but he'd at least try. "I know how you feel. I felt the same thing when I failed to protect my precious people. I lost my only caretaker, Old Man Hokage, to a man a lot like Voldemort as well. I know rage, and guilt, and wanting to avenge him. But that's not how he would have wanted me to live. Please Harry, remember Sirius, and live like he would want you to."
While it didn't have the usual affect his speeches did, Harry did calm down a bit. After a long while of waiting, Dumbledore appeared in the room, traveling via Floo Powder. With the Headmaster back, and both Harry and Naruto present, many of the portraits woke up to watch the spectacle.
"I think you would like to know that there were no injuries among your fellow students during today's event," Dumbledore told the duo. "There were a couple injuries among the Order, but nothing serious. I'm proud of how you prepared your companions." Those words didn't help a bit, Harry seemed more sullen due to them. "I understand what you're going through," Dumbledore tried again. "But I believe this pain is your greatest strength."
"Strength?" Harry asked back, a hint of anger in his voice.
"I agree," Naruto helped out. "I knew a ninja who had no respect for life. Can you imagine killing, or watching people get killed, with no remorse or guilt? You'd be cold, as cold as Voldemort. Are you like him?"
"NO!" Harry almost yelled.
"Then accept your feelings," Dumbledore continued, "and move on. Learn from them, and grow."
"Sirius is gone!" Harry yelled, ready to throw the biggest tantrum he'd ever done before.
"And it's almost entirely my fault," Dumbledore agreed. That statement shocked Harry. "I knew that Voldemort would try to lure you to the Department of Mysteries. But instead of warning you, I had Snape teach you Occlumency to try and block Voldemort out. I also knew that Sirius would go after you should you get in trouble. By staying away from the Order, I failed to restrain Sirius, which led to his death." That pronouncement left Harry dull, unsure of how to react.
"Both of you, please sit down," Dumbledore ordered nicely. With little resistance, both joined him at the table. "I believe I owe you both an explanation as to what's happened. Fifteen years ago Harry, you got your scar. Even from that time, I suspected the scar held a connection between yourself and Voldemort."
"I know," Harry cut in.
"Yes, but I don't," Naruto spoke up.
"This connection, when Voldemort was still disembodied, was limited to his presence or his strong emotions."
"Wait, so Voldemort jumped bodies?" Naruto clarified. How many more similarities does he and Orochimaru have?
"Indeed," Dumbledore answered. "Ever since then, your sensory abilities became more pronounced. I began to fear that Voldemort would have a similar connection to you. That he would listen in to everything you hear. That he would try to attack me, through you. He realized how strong the connection was the night you witnessed his attack on Arthur Weasley through his snake Nagini..."
"The night I sensed something wrong with Harry?" Naruto confirmed.
"The night Naruto was there!" Harry demanded.
"Naruto, it was that same night," Dumbledore told him. "Harry, Naruto wasn't there. Fukasaku was on guard duty with Arthur that night. I believe that Voldemort, even then, was conscious enough of your connection to him to allow himself to manipulate your sight and perceive your friend. This would help to drive a wedge between you two, separating or even makes enemies of you two."
"And why would he want to do that?" Harry asked.
"Let me finish this explanation," Dumbledore requested. "Once he realized what he could do through you, I tried my hardest to give him no reason to do so. I stayed away from you, had Professor Snape teach you Occlumency... But alas, that plan failed.
"You continued to dream of Voldemort, and of the prophecy," Dumbledore continued. "Only those who the prophecy refer to can retrieve them. If Voldemort had done so, the Ministry would immediately know of his return. So he planned to retrieve it through you."
"But he didn't take it," Naruto spoke up. "I did."
"Indeed," Dumbledore turned to Naruto. "The prophecy refers to you, as well as Voldemort and Harry."
"Can we hear this prophecy?" Naruto asked. "Harry, do you still have it?"
"...No," Harry revealed. "I dropped it when I ran after Bellatrix." He said that name with some venom in it.
"Then it's a good thing," Dumbledore headed for one of his silver trinkets, "that I have a copy." Reaching above the saucer, Dumbledore grabbed a vial, spilled its silvery substance into it, and stepped back. "This, Naruto, is a Pensieve. You can store memories to view later, either in first person, or of a solitary figure." Sure enough, the Pensieve created a familiar person.
"Professor Trelawney?" Harry identified her.
Then the memory spoke. "Two with the power to defeat the Dark Lord approach. The first born to those who thrice defied him, as the seventh month dies. He and the Dark Lord shall summon the second, born to those who thrice defied the Dark Servant. The Dark Servant shall have the second marked at his birth, and shall have the powers of the Demon Fox. The Dark Lord shall mark the first as his equal, but he shall have powers the Dark Lord knows not. The second shall help the first to kill the Dark Lord or be killed, for none could live in their homes while their opponent survives..." Her message done, she descended back into the Pensieve. Dumbledore got back up to return the memory to its vial.
Naruto was stunned by that prophecy. Never had he considered things to be fated, but here was proof. Professor Trelawney had seen him coming over a decade ago! But then again, the prophecy was very vague. It seemed more like a basic guide than a full-proof fate map. "What... did that mean?" Harry asked.
"It means," Dumbledore revealed, "that there are two people who together could defeat Voldemort. One of them was born late July, 16 years ago. His parents defied Voldemort three times."
Dumbledore looked pointedly at Harry. "Wait... that's me?" Harry almost choked out.
"Indeed," Dumbledore confirmed. "However, there was another boy who could qualify, based on this first part. That boy, is Neville Longbottom."
"Neville?" Naruto clarified. "The boy who has trouble managing simple spells for his year?"
"However," Dumbledore continued, "he wasn't marked as Voldemort's equal personally. He gave you, Harry, your scar, marking you as the one of the prophecy."
"That's dumb," Naruto spoke up. "If him attacking gave Harry power, why do it?"
"Because," Dumbledore revealed, "Voldemort only learned of part of the prophecy. It was given in the Boar's Head, a place where eavesdropping is all too easy." Harry hung his head at the reminder. "As for the power that he doesn't know, it's the power that saved you from his attack. The same power that drove you to save Sirius. Love."
"What about the second person?" Harry asked.
"Do you even need to ask?" Naruto almost facepalmed.
"Indeed. This boy would have his own dark opponent, who serves a greater evil, and who his parents opposed three times. However, this boy was granted the powers of a Demon Fox."
This time, both boys stared at Naruto. "Fine! I admit it! The night I was born, my village was attacked by Kyuubi, the giant nine-tailed demon fox. The Hokage of the time sealed it inside me. I can access its chakra, but I risk losing control and it getting freed."
"Nine tails?" Harry was surprised. "Isn't that a bit much?"
"Actually," Dumbledore revealed, "it may not be a fox, but a Kitsune, a creature of Japanese myth. But that is besides the point. The final part of the prophecy states that you, Naruto, must help Harry defeat Voldemort."
"And we'll have to..." Harry grew concerned, "kill him?"
"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed. "However, I think Naruto will have a bigger problem to deal with. The prophecy states that you each must face your opponent. The prophecy mentions the Dark Servant as yours, Naruto. It would stand to reason that, after you defeat Voldemort, you will then have to face him. Only then can you go home and live in peace.
"Speaking of home," Naruto remembered, "I saw it! That room the Order found us in. The archway reacted to my Sage Mode and showed my hometown!"
"Indeed?" Dumbledore mused. "While I was away from Hogwarts, I was searching for information on a person who disappeared decades ago. This new information could help me discover more about him, and how your world is connected to ours."
"What do you mean, your world?" Harry asked.
"Thanks a lot Dumbledore," Naruto muttered. "I guess I have to tell you. I'm not from Japan. Dumbledore made that up so that the Ministry wouldn't get suspicious. I'm from another world, and came here through the silver ball you and Moldy-Wart made."
"And now we have found a method to get you home," Dumbledore resumed. "However, the prophecy was right about one thing. You can't go back to the Department of Mysteries to return home. The Death Eaters the Order had confined were released by Voldemort, and together they stole the archway. I fear that, until we learn where they took it, you are still stranded here."
"Now, do either of you have any more questions for me before I send you to bed?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry, overloaded with information, and knowledge of other worlds, had nothing. Naruto thought for a moment. "Why didn't the Killing Curse kill me?"
"I find that interesting as well," Dumbledore mused. "Do you mind?" he asked, getting his wand out. "Metior vires corporis et animi coniungo. ... Fascinating. When your clone arrived at the battle with the Order, about how much chakra did it have?"
"... Maybe 1/5 my total reserves," Naruto guessed.
"And did you use any more chakra after that?"
"Nope. Kyuubi chakra doesn't drain mine."
"Your chakra levels are at about 1/5 full. It seems that the Killing Curse needs a new name," Dumbledore revealed. "For a long time, we couldn't identify the means by which it killed its targets. We also didn't know about chakra until now. It would appear that the Killing Curse drains its targets of chakra. Since people without chakra don't have discernible amounts, the Curse would instantly kill them. However, a person with high reserves, like yourself, would be anywhere from winded to knocked unconscious by the spell, depending on the strength of the spell."
"That makes sense, I think," Naruto agreed. "Come to think of it, back when we fought in the graveyard, every Shadow Clone killed by the Killing curse didn't return any chakra to me."
"Indeed," Dumbledore mulled it over. "If there are no more questions, I feel that a good rest would help both of you. Good night!"
I'm still not confident I made this chapter as epic as I could have. Don't worry, I have at least one more chapter for the Order of the Phoenix, and I hope it springboards me into Half-Blood Prince.
The Digger92 and others: Was the suffering worth it?
Ninuhuju: You read my Chapter 1 Author's Note, didn't you? Sirius was away.
SpiritWolf13: In Japanese, Dattebayo doesn't have an exact translation, but Naruto says it ALL THE TIME! Even in Shippuden! Fill in the blanks for an example: youtube _ watch?v=HpuFyhCQLiw
Have a good time!
AnonymousGX