804Merry Christmas.
Naruto sat crossed legged in his bed with the curtains fully drawn. His kitten was resting comfortably in the space between his legs, in his lap. Sitting across from him was a clone, looking bored as he held his wand in hand, casting a continuous Lumos charm for light in place of the unsound Rasengan.
"Could you hurry up? I want to go see the forest already," his clone muttered.
"Just need to make sure I don't get caught," Naruto said as he put on a face mask similar to that of Kakashi's. He was dressed in all black clothing; the same Anbu would use during spy or infiltration missions. This consisted of a black flack jacket above a steel mesh shirt, tight black pants, and a pair of comfortable sandals.
Above all of that, he donned a full body cloak with the hood pulled over his head to conceal his very distinctive hair.
He'd gotten used to wearing Hogwarts robes, but he truly felt at home in his current attire.
"Ya'know, if you'd stop being shit at chakra control, we could've used the old pervert's Transparency Jutsu," the clone pointed out.
"Hey," Naruto began, placing a hand on his clone's shoulder. His copy was right to be nervous because he formed a Rasengan using that same hand, dispelling him. He ignored the memory of essentially killing himself with his own favored technique and quickly caught his wand in hand. He immediately resumed the flow of chakra, resulting in only a minimal flicker before the light resumed. "Shut up."
Unlike kunai, shuriken, and other such weaponry, his wand could not be duplicated when he cloned himself. Naruto found it curious but not concerning. Wands were special pieces of equipment; essential tools for a Wizard and Witch. Far more than simple steel, it stood to reason such a magical item could not be influenced by his chakra.
A distinction he'd yet to make.
Whatever the case, in three months since arriving at Hogwarts, Naruto felt as though he learned much of magic, and not enough about it. Wands were conduits of sorts, not the main source of a Wizard's magic. He likened them to hand signs in their ability to control and amplify one's chakra, or magic, to cast a jutsu.
Naruto was almost certain that his chakra had to have been the Wizarding World's definition of magic. At least, it was what made the most sense to him given that he could feel his wand draw on his reserves every time he casted a spell. From there, and depending on the spell, the amount of chakra he pushed through his wand would amplify the power of the spell.
That was, of course, according to his limited experience thus far. Beyond very base levitation, transfiguration, and charms, he knew very little spells. Spells such as Lumos, required the incantation and concentration to cast, then chakra flow to maintain. Pushing chakra into his wand before casting, he quickly learned, would result in explosive consequences.
This was quite literally in the case of the Lumos spell, as when he learned it in Professor Filius Flitwick's Charms class, resulted in the momentary blinding of the Slytherin who sat around him, as well as the slight scorching of his own hair. His Housemates weren't happy with him after that one.
After some trails and plenty of errors, Naruto finally came to this conclusion. From then on, learning spells came rather easily to him. Some more so than others, and there weren't many, but he was happy with his progress when it came to the Wizarding arts.
His Shinobi skills, on the other hand, he felt were still severely lacking and even slipping.
He'd lost his head too many times, and his temper was beginning to rear its ugly head into his day to day. Granted, it wasn't as if though it was entirely unprovoked. After all, he was still in the snake's den that was Slytherin. After asking around, he learned that asking to leave one's home was tantamount to high treason.
Unfortunately, that meant he was stuck in a home filled with elitist, and sometimes downright racist House mates. Their hatred of him and other Mud-bloods was concerningly real. While not all of the younger or older Slytherin held such a view, they were the unfortunate minority. Those who exercised prejudice were vehement in their beliefs and dangerously so.
Naruto encountered many instances of dangerous and hateful bullying from the Slytherins, enacted on those they deemed impure from the other Houses. He was lucky enough to avoid most of the more physical aspects of their wrath in parts because of his own anger projecting a shield around him, but he knew it was only a matter of time before someone acted against him.
For as renowned as his best friend was, he didn't doubt the Slytherins would hurt her to get to him. Or simply hurt her purely out of their own violation, as sentiments of the Girl Who Lived were not very high in the snake's den because of her association with those they considered impure.
There was only so much he could do in the confines of his bed to train in the Shinobi arts. At least not in the way he so foolishly focused on for far too long.
While Ninjutsu was certainly important for a well-rounded Shinobi, most battles began and ended with fists and steel. All the Jutsu variety he had envied Sasuke for was certainly not wasted effort, but some of those very techniques were better equipped for large scale, or open combat.
If he perceived a threat to his cover, or more importantly, Harriett, Naruto was resolute in quashing that threat. He preferred to do so in a peaceful way, but she was too important for such noble restrictions.
Now more than ever, Naruto was ready to fully embrace what it meant to be a Shinobi, knowing that could mean killing in the name of what he held dear.
But to do so, he would have to continue his training in any way he could.
Naruto quietly made his way out of his shared room. By his estimation, it was sometime past midnight and he really needed a watch. He encountered a few older Slytherin in the common rooms, chatting about girls and quidditch. To bypass them he took to the walls, crawling slowly and just out of their line of sight until he reached the space above the door.
Having anticipated such a predicament, he had filled his pockets with a few pebbles. Naruto cast one down the hall and listened as it clanked and pattered across the stone floor.
The Slytherins, three boys, paused their conversation to look in the direction of the sound, but quickly dismissed it. Naruto tossed another stone in the same direction. They seemed to find the noise odd, but were otherwise uncaring.
Naruto rolled his eyes before palming two stones, flicking one at the head of the dumbest looking boy, and the other towards the boy's dorm in quick succession.
"Why you little!" The boy shouted as he and the other two rushed towards the hall.
Keeping his chuckle suppressed, he landed in a crouch and quickly made it through the winding halls, many of which he was readily familiarizing himself with.
The chill of the early October night air felt exhilarating as Naruto ran, truly ran, darting in between shadows and beneath windows. He cut across the large field used for flying practice, staying low but running fast until he broke into the forest.
Naruto came to a stop almost immediately, feeling on edge and in danger the moment he entered the forest. His instincts were on full alert, feeling as though he was in the forbidden forest again, only there was something distinctively ominous permeating the air.
It almost felt like a killer's intent.
The feeling was far from being enough to frighten or discourage him, but it wasn't something he could ignore either. Naruto opened his right hand and unsealed a tri-pronged kunai from within a seal in his palm, and hung it from his index finger.
The forest was incredibly dark and there was an underlining ominous sensation in the air. The crescent moon could only be seen in jagged slits through the massive and thick trees and what little light managed to make it through, seemed to be sapped by the branches and leaves themselves. Worse yet, it was too quiet. He knew that was a clear warning sign of a predator on the loose.
Or many.
Naruto felt a rush of adrenaline rush through him, and he couldn't fight off the smirk on his face as he rushed through the forest, jumping over thick tree roots, dodging massive stones. Soon, he took to the trees.
He felt free and unrestricted as he jumped from tree to tree, feeling the air rush by his hair and face. It was much-needed exercise after months of being restricted to classes and the castle. Unfortunately, Hagrid had yet to secure a safe room for them.
He came to a stop and perched himself on a bare branch and the silence persisted. It was still dark and while his eyesight had since adjusted, it was harder to see than he would have liked.
Naruto wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing but he'd yet to encounter a single creature or monster of which they warned about. Hagrid often spoke of giant spiders, equally large snakes, and over all extravagantly large versions of common animals and insects. Those being the ones he recognized by name.
While he was hoping for a fight, he couldn't completely begrudge the fact he hadn't. Naruto had already proven to himself he could sneak out of Hogwarts; the castle at least. As far as he surmised, Hogwarts had some sort of protective charm keeping it hidden from the rest of the world.
Naruto snapped to attention when a sudden breeze caressed his face, carrying with it the unmistakable yet subtly different, smell of blood.
He just so happened to be in a opening in the woods, giving a clear view of the crescent moon in the sky. He could use it to tell his direction for a short time before its position in the sky would change, and he would lose his sense of south. If he wanted to investigate, he would have to do it soon.
It was a forest, Naruto had to remind himself. Animals died in the forest all of the time. It was nature's law.
Finally, he decided a quick look wouldn't hurt. If nothing else, it was more time to stretch his legs before returning for the night.
He had Harriett's flying lessons to attend in the morning, after all.
After about only a few minutes of travel, he found the source of the smell and Naruto was perplexed at what he was seeing.
Near a small river, he found what looked to be a large white horse. It was dead, but even in death there was something almost ethereal about the poor creature. It had a long horn on its forehead, setting it apart from any horse he'd seen before.
It didn't look like any animal attack he'd encountered before. The horse-like creature had a large wound at the base of its neck so large he could see form his perch. Beneath it, staining its pristine white mane, was a dark puddle of blood.
"This forest isn't safe for a child."
Naruto tossed down a smoke pellet, jumping through the trees until he was at least four trees from where he once was, as well as higher near the top tree line. He stared at the direction of the voice and found yet another oddity.
It was a half horse, half man creature. It looked powerful in its stance, with long hair that shined in the low light of the forest, and fierce blue eyes. Eyes that were on him despite his attempt.
"I mean you no harm, child. I am merely here to caution you," the creature said.
With his kunai hidden behind his back, Naruto dropped down a few branches until he was closer to the intelligent creature. It appeared benevolent but he wasn't going to risk an assumption. Despite this, he was interested in what it had to say.
"What are you?" Naruto asked.
"I'm what you Wizards call a centaur. But my name is Firenze," the Centaur introduced himself with a solemn nod. "And you should not be here, child."
"Why's that?" Naruto asked.
"This forest is forbidden to students unless strictly accompanied by a professor. Beyond that, there is a great evil currently on the prowl," Firenze said, motioning towards the fallen creature. "That unicorn was not killed by a predator, for it has no natural predators within this forest."
"What evil are you talking about exactly?" Naruto asked, suddenly feeling the chill in the air turn eerie. "And what do you mean that horse has no natural predators? It's just a horse."
"No, not just a horse, a unicorn," Firenze said, his voice turning sad as he looked to the fallen creature. "Unicorns are pure creatures. Only the vilest of beings are willing to drink their blood, for the benefits are great, but the consequences are dire. Once unicorn blood touches your lips, you are cursed with a half-life. That is why I am warning you to return to your castle at once, child. You are strong, that I can see, but not enough to face such an evil."
Naruto dropped down to Firenze's level, revealing just how large he was. There was far more to the centaur than he first imagined. He seemed astute and articulate, and was somehow able to detect his strength without a proper display. While that was somewhat concerning, his main worry stemmed from the mention of a great evil.
"What evil are you talking about? And does this mean we're in danger at Hogwarts for how close the forest is to the school?"
"The Wizarding world as a whole is in danger. Now, I am under the impression that you are not native to such a world. So, tell me, child, have you heard of the one called Voldemort?" Firenze asked.
Naruto felt his stomach drop.
"Voldemort?" He repeated. "Are you saying he's alive?"
"I am afraid so. And he prowls these very grounds, for he is after something very important within those castle walls," Firenze said.
"Is anyone else aware of this?" Naruto asked. "Does Dumbledore know? What's he after?"
Before he could answer, both snapped their heads in the direction of distant but encroaching hoof beats.
"You must go now, child! My brethren will not be as reasonable as I, and if they find you, they may harm you and I cannot protect you in such a situation!" Firenze warned, motioning him away. "Go now and be careful, for nowhere is safe!"
Naruto offered Firenze a thankful nod for the important information he learned. He made his way out of the forest, moving with true haste, and a harrowing newfound knowledge.
He returned to his dorm with no further issues but he never found sleep that night. Naruto could think of nothing else but the fact that the monster that had taken so much from Harriett, was alive. There was no telling what he was doing around Hogwarts, or exactly what he wanted.
Firenze never did tell him what he wanted within Hogwarts and he couldn't help but wonder if it was Harriett herself. He wanted to know for sure if it was even true before telling her, but he wasn't about to wait until it was too late.
When Naruto arrived at the quidditch field. Harriett was already up in the air, shooting through the sky in maneuvers that would always worry him. Though he did flinch seeing her dive down very quickly, his mind was debating the decision he had come to the previous night.
He wanted to tell her of what he learned, but he wasn't sure how. Or if he even should considering all he had was the word of a centaur he met in a forest he shouldn't have been in the first place.
"Did you see that, Naruto?" Harriett asked with a flushed face and a dimpled smile. She was hovering before him on her new Nimbus Two Thousand broom, a surprising gift from Professor McGonagall of all people. Her breath was heavy from exhilaration.
Just when things were beginning to fall into a true sense of normality, Naruto begrudged. Harriett was the happiest he'd ever seen.
He couldn't worry her. At least not until he was sure there was something to worry about.
He just wasn't sure how he would know for certain.
"Awesome as usual!" Naruto praised. "Would it matter if I told you to be careful again?"
"I always am!" Harriett said before shooting off into the air once more.
With that, Naruto decided he would have to investigate the matter further.
The day had come and gone before Naruto realized.
He was having dinner with the Gryffindor, whom by then had grown accustomed to his presence around Harriett. While there were a few who didn't fancy him for his Home, they were a minority as most were more than welcoming to him.
Harriett was seated at his side, chatting animatedly with Parvati about her practice while Ron listened on in awe, adding his own commentary every so often.
"What's wrong?"
Naruto blinked and looked up from his steak to find Lavender Brown staring at him with concern. He hummed his acknowledgment but didn't answer the question.
"You've been awfully pensive today," Lavender said.
Harriett had formed something of an acquaintanceship, possibly even a friendship, with her dorm-mates. She spoke highly of them, stating that though they were gossip prone, they were kind to her and that immediately put them in his favor.
"Just thinking," Naruto muttered.
"Oh yeah?" Lavender said, leaning forward with her chin in her hand, she batted her eyelashes at him. "What about?"
"Ya'know, stuff," Naruto deflected.
"What kind of stuff?" Harriett asked beside him.
Naruto began to grow somewhat uncomfortable noticing the sheer concern coming from those around him. Girls and boys alike were staring at him closer than what he was both comfortable with and used to.
"Oh ya'know, classes and homework," Naruto lied.
"So, there's nothing else on your mind, maybe something you're forgetting?" Harriett asked.
Naruto wondered why she was staring at him so intently. For a brief moment he panicked, thinking maybe she had seen through his misdirection. Harriett often both surprised and reminded him of just how smart and insightful she could be at times.
"Not that I can think of," Naruto said. Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he became nervous for other reasons. "Wait, did we have any more weekly assignments due tomorrow other than for Professor McGonagall or Snape's classes?"
That earned a few snickers from those around and a saddened expression from Harriet.
"You really don't remember?" Harriett muttered. "I did."
Naruto glanced between her and those around him, who's attention remained on him.
"Uh, I honestly can't think of anything. Why are – "
"Surprise!"
Naruto heard a pair of feet approaching him before they actually reached him but he restrained himself from reacting as a pair of hands swiped his Wizard's hat and replaced it with a bright colored one with sparks shooting out of the tip.
"Happy birthday, Naruto!"
All at once, those surrounding him shouted.
Naruto was momentarily confused as he heard disjoined singing, clapping, and laughter surrounding him. In the blink of the eye, there was a cake on the table with his name on it in glowing orange lettering.
Then it hit him. It was his birthday, and he'd forgotten it.
Naruto turned to Harriett and though she was smiling at him, he could see the sadness plague her eyes as she sang along. He mouthed his apology to her before returning his attention to those singing for him and the smile on his face at that time was real.
Hagrid's boisterous singing him alerted him to the fact that he, along with Headmaster Dumbledore, and Professor Flitwick were all singing merrily along. Professor McGonagall even offered him a small smile and a nod.
Having friends; it felt nice, Naruto realized. For that dinner, he forgot about his worries and the name Voldemort.
After having a delicious cake and participating in laughs with the Gryffindor, Naruto pulled Harriett aside.
"I'm sorry I forgot my birthday," he began sheepishly.
"Why are you apologizing to me? It's your birthday you forgot," Harriett muttered, clearly unhappy with the matter.
"You're upset and it's because I forgot my birthday," Naruto said, implementing their rule to be more direct.
Though he felt like a hypocrite for what he was keeping from her.
"I'm not upset with you, or that you forgot your birthday. It makes me sad, and a little angry at the people from your home. They never celebrated your birthday, did they? You wouldn't have forgotten otherwise," Harriett said.
They celebrated October the tenth, but not for his birth. Instead of looking forward to that day, Naruto grew to fear it because the villager's wrath intensified that day for reasons he wouldn't understand until later on in life. His birthdays were amongst the few times in which actual violence was enacted against him.
Though it waned in the last few years as a result of the Sandaime Hokage's personal Anbu, he didn't find any reason in celebrating another year of isolation.
And that was yet another truth he kept to himself, weighing on his conscious. He knew the longer he kept the Kyuubi a secret from Harriett, the worse its reveal would hurt her.
"I won't forget anymore, I promise," Naruto said in lieu of anything else. He truly found it touching that she was getting angry in his stead.
"Well you'd better not! And to make sure you don't, I got you this," Harriett said, giving him a small box sloppily wrapped.
"You got me a present?" Naruto asked in surprise.
"You got me one," Harriett said, using her free hand to hold the necklace he gave her for her own birthday.
"Thank you," Naruto said and immediately tore away the brown wrapping paper, revealing a small black box. Within the black box was a beautiful raindrop amber pendant. He gently picked it up by the dark brown leather necklace, and was further amazed to find an Uzumaki swirl at the center. It was made of some sort of black crystalline substance, suspended in the center of the pendant itself.
"D-Do you like it?" Harriett asked nervously. "I had Hagrid help me – "
In his rushed emotion, Naruto kissed her on the cheek.
He'd done so on a few occasions, and while it was slightly embarrassing each time, and on both ends, it was a genuine gesture of his gratitude. However, in his excitement, he rushed forward just as she turned, resulting in his catching the very edge of her lips with his own.
Naruto nearly fell as he shot back, his entire face hot. Harriett herself was wide eyed and similarly flushed.
"Ah, sorry!" He almost shouted. "I didn't mean to!"
"It's okay," slowly, Harriett's face fell behind a curtain of her dark hair. "It was an accident. D-Don't worry about it."
"Yeah," Naruto said following a sheepishly awkward laugh. "Er, thanks again for the gift, Harriett. It's the best thing I ever got."
Naruto meant what he said and put on his gift. He looked down at the hanging pendant and was amazed at how beautiful it looked as it glinted in the flickering light of a nearby torch.
"How did you get this?" He finally asked after a passing moment of heavy silence.
"Well, I know you must miss your home, and I remembered your family crest, s-so I had Hagrid help me find someone to make it. I'm not sure how he did it, or who he went to, because I only gave him my best drawing of it, along with your favorite color, so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. I'm just happy you liked it," Harriett explained with a small smile.
Naruto thought of Konoha in that moment and for the first time in at least a month's time, he wondered if anyone would have surprised him with a birthday party, or if anyone would have even remembered. The Ichiraku's always did remember, as well as the Hokage, and as much as he cared for the former, it was becoming increasingly more difficult justifying ever leaving his new life, with new friends.
More importantly, Harriett needed him. And he would admit that he needed her too.
"It's the best gift ever! Thank you, Harriett," Naruto said, hugging her.
It took Harriett a few days to rid herself of the butterflies that stirred in her belly every time she saw Naruto after what little time they spent apart. Especially following their kiss, or partial kiss, she wasn't quite sure what to call it, and her opinion was ever changing.
It was a confusing feeling for certain, though not truly uncomfortable.
Thankfully, Naruto seemed to move past it and so had she. After all, in the three months since arriving at Hogwarts, things had gone better than she could have ever hoped.
Her quidditch training was going spectacularly and Naruto was ever supportive. He was, of course, anxious every time he saw her take to the skies, and is reactions were admittedly humorous when she performed particularly risky maneuvers. But he was beginning to relax and was very encouraging of her. In fact, he never missed a single one of her training sessions, no matter how early they began, or how late they ran; heedless of the changing weather.
Before she knew it, Harriett found herself feeling at home in Hogwarts. Between classes, quidditch training, and just spending time with Naruto and a few of her new friends, Harriett felt the days melding seamlessly into one another. Days became weeks, which turned to months, and she was finally beginning to understand the expression of time's dilation when one was having fun.
But that wasn't the case for everyone, Harriett was reminded as Hermione rushed by with tears in her eyes. She cast a look of disappointment at Ron, who's ears grew red at the look.
"What? It's not like what I said isn't true," he tried to defend himself.
Hermione had made an utter fool of him, which wasn't hard to do considering her intelligence and Ron's inattentive and wondering mind. He wasn't necessarily dumb, as his skills in chess proved, but he could be bullheaded and at times, downright rude.
He proved as much by badmouthing Hermione so close it might as well have been to her face.
"Is she going to be okay?" Neville asked nervously.
Hermione never forgave her or Naruto despite his now occasional attempts at mending mistakes. In fear of driving her further away with his persistence, he decided to give the girl her space and life simply continued. Somewhere along that time he managed to sway Neville back into his good graces by always standing up and protecting him against would be bullies.
This had the unintentional effect of drawing Neville closer to Naruto as a friend, and away from Hermione, who every liked to talk about and rarely was it ever in a favorable light.
Harriett couldn't shake the feeling that it was unfair she was having so much fun, and was making many friends, while Hermione remained alone. She knew it wasn't entirely on her, but she had definitely contributed to it with her selfishness.
"You okay?" Naruto asked as he slurped on a bowl of chicken noodle soup, of which he liked to complain was nowhere as good as ramen. Yet he ate it rather consistently all the same. "You've been quiet all day."
"It's just that…" Harriett trailed. The subject of Hermione had been a touchy one for Naruto because though he no longer pursued her friendship, the lingering stares of regret remained. "It's Hermione."
He set his bowl down to look at her, the final noodle disappearing between his pursed lips and suddenly the butterflies were back.
"What about Hermione?" Naruto asked quickly, seemingly taking notice of her absence as he looked down the Gryffindor table. "Is she okay?"
"Parvati and I found her crying in the girl's restroom earlier today," Lavender chimed in as she often did when in regards to Naruto.
"What? Why?" Naruto asked.
In her peripherals, Harriett saw Ron sink into his chair.
Naruto had garnered something of a reputation amongst the Gryffindor. He was one of the few Slytherin most would tolerate, but he was also something of a renegade in that he could be frightening to those who bullied others.
The complete antithesis of a Slytherin.
"A certain someone said something rather hurtful to her," Parvati said, casting a glance at Ron, who proceeded to sink further into his chair and behind a smiling jack-o'-lantern.
Naruto followed Parvati's accusatory gaze to find the obvious guilty party. He glared at Ron for a moment before sighing with a shake of his head.
"Did any of you girls at least check on her?" Naruto asked.
The butterflies in her belly turned into swarming bats at the question, very much like the ones currently swooping overhead.
"She… told us to go away," Lavender muttered.
Naruto looked at her for confirmation and she was never good at lying to him.
"Did you girls try to talk to her?" He asked, turning the question to Parvati, who for some reason, also had a hard time lying to Naruto.
She gave herself away by looking away.
"I hope she's okay," Naruto muttered.
Before Harriett could say anything, though what she wasn't sure, Professor Quirrell entered the Great Hall making a scene. He shrieked in between gasps and made for quite the sorry sight as he stumbled to the head table, nearly falling atop it.
"Troll in the dungeons!" He managed to gasp before promptly fainting.
"And that guy's supposed to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Naruto's voice was loud in the silence before the storm.
Headmaster Dumbledore directed the prefects to lead their respective Houses back to their dorms. Percy sprung into action, corralling the first year Gryffindors. Harriett held on to Naruto's hand as they were ushered away before a sudden thought occurred to her.
"Hermione," Naruto said the moment their eyes met. It was apparent he had come to the same conclusion.
"Maybe she's already at the dorms?" Harriett suggested.
"But if she's not?" Naruto countered. He leaned his head close to hers and began to whisper. "Follow Percy up to your House, I'll sneak away and make a clone to come back and stay with you. I'm going to go check the girl's restroom, just in case."
"No! I'm going with you," Harriett whispered back with a conviction that surprised even herself. "Besides, do you trust a clone to keep me safe from a troll, or yourself?"
"That's… not fair," Naruto muttered. "Using my own word against me."
"Who do you think I learned it from?" Harriett asked with a smirk.
Naruto eventually returned the smile with a relenting sigh.
"Fine, but whatever happens, you stay behind me," Naruto said.
They managed to sneak away from the group when the others rounded a corner. They hid away inside empty classrooms or whatever cover they could find to avoid rushing crowds of students and teachers. The further they got away from the dorms, the less students they encountered until the halls were all but empty.
Harriett was about to continue until she felt herself being held back by, Naruto, who held a finger to his lips before she could speak. He stood in before her and from behind, she could see his hands flashing through what she recognized to be hand-signs, his way of conjuring spells, or techniques.
He grabbed onto her hand and she almost gasped seeing both herself and Naruto grow transparent.
"Stay still," Naruto whispered slowly.
Not a moment later, Professor Snape stalked by, rushing off in some odd direction.
"I wonder where he's going?" Harriett asked once Naruto dropped the technique. "It didn't seem like he was going in the direction of the dorms."
"He wasn't heading towards where the troll's supposed to be, either," Naruto said before offering her a smile. "Great observation, though."
Harriett flustered.
"The girl's restroom should be just around the corner," she muttered.
Just as the door to the restroom came into view they heard frightened shrieks coming from within, followed by a roar.
"That's Hermione!" Naruto shouted as he crossed his fingers.
From beside her Harriett heard a pop and found herself being held by a clone of Naruto.
"Hey!"
"Sorry, but I need you to stay here!" Naruto said as he ran into the restroom.
"Naruto!" Harriett called out after him but he didn't stop.
Frustrated at being left behind, she looked over her shoulder to glare at the clone.
"I'm sorry, Harriett, but he's right. It's too dangerous for you in there," the clone cautioned.
"And I hope you'll forgive me," Harriett said, throwing her head back.
It was caught by his hand.
"Harriett what are you – "
She struck again, hammering her fist back into him.
With a groan he let go, holding himself between his legs, looking pained and betrayed.
"Why," the clone gasped in a high pitch as he fell to the ground, "there?"
He dispelled an instant later.
"Because you aren't leaving me behind!" Harriett shouted as she rushed towards the restroom, wand in hand, unsure of what she intended to do with it.
She opened the restroom and was immediately stricken by a terrible stench coming from the giant troll. It was large and grey with a dumb scary face and large floppy ears. It wore a tattered leather vest and matching loincloth. In its hand was a club shaped log.
Hermione was being held by another clone, who was ushered her over wordlessly and with pressing concern.
"Over here!" Naruto shouted, earning the troll's attention.
The troll roared and began to lumber towards him. Naruto charged forward as well, sliding beneath it's swinging club.
Harriett gasped and froze at just how close it came to striking Naruto. He continued his slide, slashing the troll's foot with a small blade along the back of its foot. The troll roared in pain and fell to one knee.
Naruto continued his slide until he reached the back wall and proceeded to run up it and then on the ceiling. He briefly glanced over to her, his concentration breaking into a frown.
That's when Harriett saw it again. His eyes were a glowing red, pupils narrowed to slits.
"Get her!" He shouted, likely to his clone, before shooting down onto troll, using his momentum, he brought the giant creature's head face first into the floor, kicking up broken tile and dust.
Harriett ignored the clone who was pulling her back, shaking away his hand from covering her eyes as she witnessed what happened next.
Naruto wasn't done.
The troll groaned as Naruto lifted it from the floor as high as he could given his own height and the giant's stature. He was holding it up by the chin with his left hand, and in his right a glowing red ball with streaks of dark blue spinning violently within.
It was a Rasengan, the technique Naruto had warned her never to touch. But it was a different color and for the first time, Harriett felt its danger.
Naruto pressed the glowing red ball into the troll's chest, directly into where its heart should have been. The troll roared a final, painful roar, before almost immediately falling limp. He dropped it where a pool of dark purple, almost black blood began to quickly pool.
"That was disappointing," Naruto muttered quietly to himself.
"Naruto?" Harriett called to him.
She saw him take a deep breath before turning to her and found his eyes had returned to that warm shade of blue that was currently regarding her with concern.
"What are you doing in here? Wait, did you really hit my clone in the – "
"Naruto!"
Hermione rushed by her to Naruto, who caught her. Harriett looked back to the clone, who merely shrugged his shoulders before exploding into a cloud of smoke, disappearing.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Harriett was still reeling from what she saw. Not only did she witness her friend in action, killing a troll no less, but his eyes were in fact red. She had not been seeing things back at the zoo.
"Come on, Harriett. We need to get out of here," Naruto said, motioning her with his head as he held Hermione, who continued to cry into his robes.
She followed after her friend and Harriett felt absolutely no fear this time; only curiosity. She wondered why his eyes turned such an ominous color, and why he hadn't said anything about it.
Did he even know? Harriett wondered.
They stopped at a turret near the Gryffindor dorms where Naruto finally sat Hermione down, taking a seat beside her.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Naruto asked.
Hermione sniffled and wiped her runny nose on her robe. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and her hair was messy; more so than usual, but otherwise she seemed fine and relieved.
"No, I'm not, thanks to you, Naruto," Hermione said meekly. "Thank you for saving me."
"Of course," Naruto said, patting the girl's leg with a smile. "I'm here for you, Hermione. I know you don't like me, but I couldn't let anything happen to you."
"That's not true," Hermione muttered.
"Look, Hermione," Naruto began sadly. "I know I said some things I shouldn't have, but I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry."
"No, I meant it's not true that I don't like you," Hermione admitted, hiding behind the tangled mess of her hair. "I was just being stubborn. I'm the one who should be apologizing."
Harriett was observing their interaction closely and wondered what she was ever thinking when she requested what she had of Naruto.
"So," Naruto elongated the single word unsurely, "does that mean you forgive me?"
"Only if you forgive me," Hermione said.
"Considering I have nothing to forgive," Naruto began, smiling and opening his arms for a hug. "I think we should put all of that behind us. Friends?"
"I would like that," Hermione agreed in a low voice, accepting the gesture.
Harriett felt a smile pull at her face at the sight and chose to dutifully ignore the weight in her chest.
"I'd also like to say that I'm sorry," Harriett said as she took a seat on Hermione's free side. "I'm the one who asked him not to be your friend."
"Harriett?" Naruto muttered, seemingly confused at her admittance.
"I figured that out pretty quick," Hermione said cautiously. "And though I don't think it was fair of you… I forgive you."
"I understand, and thank you," Harriett said.
"Then we're all set!" Naruto announced cheerfully. Naruto announced cheerfully and moved to sit between the two, throwing an arm over both their shoulders. "We're all friends now!"
Harriett smiled at his infectious elation.
She decided she would ask him about what he saw later when they were alone.
"There is one thing," Hermione began, her cheeks red as she looked to Naruto.
"Yeah?" Naruto asked.
"How did you make a copy of yourself? And how did you defeat that troll? How are you so strong?" Hermione asked curiously.
Naruto's face seemed to lose color.
"Yeah, I, uh, I didn't really think that one through, did I?" Naruto looked sheepish.
"I saw how you… well, how you killed the troll! I also saw how you saved Neville, and how you've been able to restrain and even stop older, and much bigger students than yourself. Are you perhaps using some sort of augmenting spell? A potion, perhaps? Or is it all part of your family magic? Oh, and why were your eyes red earlier?" Hermione asked, shooting off questions at an accelerating pace and with genuine curiosity.
Naruto's face fell into a flat default, his eyes finding Harriett's.
"Were my eyes red?" He asked.
"Well, yes, they were," Harriett agreed reluctantly and with concern at his sudden change in demeanor.
He seemed nervous at the mentions of his strength, but the unrest he displayed when speaking of his red eyes was something she hadn't missed.
"I'll explain everything tomorrow, when we have more time," Naruto said, abruptly standing to his feet. He moved out from between them and regarded them both. "And more privacy."
"Naruto?" Hermione questioned.
"Come on, I'll walk you two back to your House," Naruto said.
Hermione followed quietly after Naruto and Harriett as he led them across a large field early the next morning.
She didn't know if it was the chill in the air or her nerves but Hermione found herself shivering slightly. Naruto had come early for them. He said he had secured a private room for them to speak, and after that, he and Harriett had gotten into something of a tizzy as they whispered to one another about something.
Hermione had a relatively good idea of what that something was. Naruto was different in ways she couldn't quite place. He was stronger and faster than any one person should have been. It could have been magic, and it likely was, but there were too many instances in which he exuded such abilities without the use of his wand.
It could have also been potions, but that didn't make much sense either. Naruto wasn't a terrible student by any means, but he was far from the best in Professor Snape's Potions class. And it wasn't as if he could purchase any potions, as first years weren't allowed off campus.
Then there was the fact he killed a troll with his bare hands!
No matter what she theorized, Hermione couldn't make sense of the enigma that was Naruto Uzumaki.
"Here we are!" Naruto announced with a grin.
Hermione blinked away her thoughts to see they were now standing before a rather modest hut with a steady stream of smoke billowing out from the chimney. Outside she could hear the clucks of nearby hens, as well as other idle crunches of other animals.
"Hagrid's hut? What are we doing here?" Hermione asked.
"He's going to let us use his hut to talk in privacy," Naruto explained as he knocked on the door.
Before Hermione could say anything in response, there were a few resounding dog barks to preface the opening of the door. She gasped when, much like the first time, Naruto was attacked by a large dog. Though logically she knew that wasn't the case, it was no less concerning to see the large canine looming over him.
"Naruto!" She called out frantically.
"He's fine," Harriett said with a giggle. "It happens almost every time we visit."
Hermione couldn't quash the feeling of jealousy and spite towards Harriett for all the time lost with Naruto. Feelings she decided to keep to herself knowing Harriett's standing with him was much higher than her own. It was a battle she wasn't in any standing to win.
"I wouldn't know."
But she couldn't help herself. Hermione almost found satisfaction in the guilty look which crossed Harriett's face at her words.
"Back, Fang!" A voice boomed from within the hut. Hagrid lumbered out of his hut a moment later, grabbing the massive dog by the scruff and pulled it away easily. "Sorry 'bout tha', Na-rue-to! Fang's always 'appy to see ya!"
"I noticed," Naruto commented dryly as he looked up at the two girls, his face wet with slobber and his hands raised. "Girls."
Hermione grabbed one of his hands whilst Harriett took hold of the other and they both pulled him to his feet. Though she noted that they both had to use both hands and a fair amount of strength to do so as he weighed far more than she was expecting.
"Hut's all yer's!" Hagrid announced with a smile, motioning them inside with a large arm. "I've gotta get some work done this mornin'! I'll leave ya to it, but remember, no this and tha'!"
Hermione was confused as to what the man was referring to.
"None of that," Naruto agreed with a blush and a brief glance in Harriett's direction. "We're just going to talk. I promise."
"Well, I'll leave ya to it then!" Hagrid said before nodding at Harriett and herself. "Mornin' Harriett. Hermione, it's good ta see ya again."
"Bye, Hagrid!" Harriett waved after him.
"Goodbye," Hermione waved at him shyly.
She watched the giant bound off in the direction of the castle with a pitchfork over his shoulder and a large burlap sack in his hand. Fang followed lazily after him.
"Alright then, let's get started," Naruto said.
Hermione sat on the rugged sofa near Harriett, watching as Naruto strode to every wall of the small hut, placing what looked like small tags of paper. After doing so, he began to pace back and forth with his hands in the pockets of his pants.
She was curious as to what he had done with the paper, but decided to wait for him to speak first. They had just rekindled their friendship, so she was trying her best to refrain from possibly annoying him.
"This was your idea," Harriett said after a stretch of silence.
"I know, I know, it's just, it isn't easy, ya'know," Naruto said.
"What is going on?" Hermione asked. "Are you going to tell me something?"
"I am, but first, I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you," Naruto said.
"I won't tell anyone," Hermione agreed, leaning forward in her seat with genuine curiosity.
"Promise," Harriett reiterated.
Hermione glanced at her with what she hoped wasn't visible annoyance.
"I promise," she said, returning her attention to Naruto. "I won't say anything, I promise."
"Okay then, how should I begin?" Naruto muttered to himself. "I've been practicing magic, a different kind of magic, from a young age."
"A different kind of magic?" Hermione repeated in confusion. "I wasn't aware there were different types of magic. Or are you perhaps referring to the different studies? While potions aren't magic in the typical sense, it's still magic."
"I think so?" Naruto muttered uncertainly.
"You think so?" Hermione pressed.
"I guess you can call it magic, I just use it differently," Naruto said.
"Different how?" Hermione asked.
"Different in how I channel it. Where most use a wand, I don't really have to," Naruto said before crossing his fingers in a cross. "Like this."
Hermione gasped when in a puff of smoke, there was another Naruto waving at her.
"I… but where… how did… without a wand?" Hermione stuttered out.
When he rescued her, she had been hiding in the stall, so she hadn't seen how he had created a clone of himself. She assumed it a spell. He did say he had been practicing magic from a young age. She never once imagined he could use wandless magic.
"I call it a shadow clone. I have a few other… spells that I can conjure using wandless magic," Naruto said.
"That is amazing!" Hermione exclaimed as she approached the clone to inspect him. She curiously pinched the clone's whiskered cheek and was finally able to confirm how they felt. His cheeks were soft while his whiskers were pleasantly coarse. "Why would you ever keep such accomplishments a secret?"
"Because I don't know how others would react to my abilities if they knew about them," Naruto said as he walked up behind his blushing clone. The look-alike seemed nervous as he glanced at the original from over his shoulder.
"Wait, boss, not ag – "
Hermione gasped once again as the clone disappeared just as it he had arrived, leaving Naruto standing behind it with an outstretched fist.
"Yeah, they disappear after about one solid hit," Naruto said, shooting Harriett a pointed look.
Harriett seemed flustered and failed to meet his eyes.
"I said I was sorry," Harriett muttered.
"Did you?" Naruto asked.
Harriett's only response was a huff.
"Anyways," Naruto continued. "My father's been teaching me how to use my magic this way and it's not something we want anyone to find out about."
"I can't say I fully understand considering just how amazing this is," Hermione began ponderously. "But I'll respect your wishes. Do you think you can teach others to use this kind of magic?"
"In exchange for you not to say anything?" Naruto trailed nervously.
"Oh of course not!" Hermione frowned, feeling offended at the assumption. "I've already promised I wouldn't say anything! Why would you assume that?"
"Sorry, it's just that, this is kind of a big secret of mine. I'm not exaggerating when I say I need this to stay between us," Naruto explained.
"And I've already said I wouldn't say anything," Hermione huffed.
"And I believe you," Naruto said, sounding sheepishly apologetic. He clapped his hands with a renewed smile. "Then I guess class is in session!"
"What?" Harriett seemed confused.
"You said you wanted to learn how to do some of the things I can do, right?" Naruto said, approaching to kneel before her. "I think it's time I taught you a few things."
"But… " Harriett briefly glanced at Hermione before leaning forward to whisper something in his ear.
"It's fine. I planned on teaching you what I could anyway and what better time than now? I figured it wouldn't hurt if she joined us. That is if you two want to learn?"
"Of course!" Hermione quickly agreed.
Her inner scholar was teeming to learn new forms of magic, while Hermione herself wanted to spend more time with Naruto. She was being presented the best of both worlds.
"I would like that, yes," Harriett agreed.
"Great!" Naruto said, standing again until he was between them both. "Just know that in my training, I'm not going to go easy on either of you. Now, our first lesson will be… magic control?"
Hermione wondered why he sounded so uncertain when he said it, and as to exactly what magic control was to begin with, but she was no less enthused to learn. Added to that, she still had many questions; the most important being his red eyes.
But Hermione decided that could wait. After all, she had plenty of time now that they were friends again.
Don't have much to say. Hope you guys all enjoy. Also, shout out to Elchabon for the well wishes.
Edited on 12/29/2019 because my dumb ass forgot that Hermione already met Hagrid. It's kind of hard to keep track of every detail considering I've already written over 100k words.
