Ron finished his explanation of who Hagrid was, Kakashi now recalled that he had heard the name mentioned before, as Harry came darting down the stairs with a silvery cloak that looked… floating, in his hands. Harry threw a jacket at Ron who grabbed it and put it on. Hermione came down the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory pulling on gloves and with a home made, knitted hat on her head. Ron and Harry gave her a look and she shrugged saying something in the lines of 'its cold outside'. Harry glanced at Kakashi.

"Oh," Ron began. "He's coming along, okay?"

"Sure" Hermione said and pulled the hat down further.

"Well," Harry didn't look like he wanted Kakashi to come along. "The cloak can't cover all of us."

"Oh," Ron actually looked disappointed. The way they talked about it (and by the way it looked) Kakashi figured that the cloak was some sort of invisibility device.

"It doesn't matter," Kakashi said with a shrug. "I won't need it." Hermione threw him a sideways glance and Kakashi gave an uncharacteristic smile. It was not a real, or especially happy smile and Kakashi wasn't sure if much of showed through the mask, but he hoped that it'd work anyway. Ron looked impressed.

"You're allowed to walk around at night? You don't have to stay in your room?" Ron had obviously not picked up what Hermione and Harry seemed to have figured. Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"I think he means that he can make himself invisible without the cloak," Harry said grimly. Perhaps, Kakashi thought, Harry believed that he was out to take his friends from him, Hermione never seemed to have anything against him (except for curious suspicion) and Ron constantly seemed impressed with what he could do. Maybe Harry didn't like him because Kakashi hadn't known who he was during their first meeting. They all were quite self centred brats, really.

"Let's go," Hermione said.

The three Gryffindors stood closer together, Ron hunched up because of his height, and Harry threw the cloak over them. Kakashi blinked. Now that was impressive. That an object could hold such an ability, even their smells disappeared. The sound of their footsteps didn't, though. Kakashi cringed when their steps were heard loudly as they moved out of the common room. Kakashi performed his genjutsu; a quite brilliant one. The technique didn't make him invisible, not really; it made the eye unable to focus at him, anyone who 'saw' him would just look past him and still be unaware of his presence. It didn't take even half as much chakra as real invisibility jutsus did.

Kakashi followed the sounds of the others' footsteps as they all moved through the halls. Kakashi pulled up his hitai-ate for a second to look at them with the sharingan. Even more impressive, even the sharingan couldn't see through the invisibility, not even a trace of chakra could be spotted. He started to wonder if that device could even fool the byakugan.

They crept further down the stairs and corridors and eventually out on the grounds, towards the cabin at the edge of the forest. It looked small from a distance, but Kakashi had found out, upon closer examination, that the house was built for someone towering well over normal height.

Kakashi looked towards the forest as they approached and felt a bit guilty, he hadn't visited the skeletal, black winged filly he sort of though of as 'his' in days now, and silently promised to bring her a bigger piece of meat than usual tomorrow.

They reached the door and Harry's hand suddenly appeared, by the looks of it floating in the air. The boy underneath the cloak knocked heavily three times on the door. A dog began to bark inside.

"Schh Fang, be quiet!" a voice was heard from within the cabin.

"Hagrid! It's us!" Harry yelled. Well, so much for discretion. Had anyone been outside at this time they would have easily discovered that someone, who wasn't supposed to be, was outside. It echoed.

"Should've figured it'd be you," the raspy voice continued as a bolt was pulled away from the door. It creaked loudly when it was slowly swung open. A figure was visible in the light of the room inside. Now that was a big person. A big person that had obviously been badly beaten up. What could be seen between the bushy black hair and beard was covered in bruises and blood trickled steadily from a cut above the man's left eyebrow. Hermione gave a shout, straight into Kakashi's ear. He felt like smacking the back of her head, as he would have done if it were Obito or Rin, as payback but decided against it. "By Merlin's beard be a bit quiet!" the big man – Hagrid, exclaimed. Kakashi didn't know who 'Merlin' was, but he agreed.

"I'm sorry but, Hagrid!" Hermione's voice spoke. Hagrid rolled his eyes.

"Yer under cloak, ey?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Come inside now, will you," he stepped inside and the sound of three pair of footsteps could be heard following. Kakashi stepped in after them and when they had thrown of their cloak and the door was closed, he dropped the genjutsu. And was immediately attacked by a huge, slobbering tongue. Dogs were usually happy to see him but this was a bit too much. The damn dog was as big as he was, probably bigger. And he wasn't actually used to this kind of welcome. His, and his father's as well for that matter, nin dogs were well behaved and trained. They would never act like that.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Fang! Stop it!" Hagrid practically growled as he grabbed the dog's collar and pulled it away from a now drool-drenched Kakashi. "Uhm…" the giant looked at him. "Who're you?" Ron cleared his throat.

"Hagrid, this is Kakashi Hatake, sort of foreign exchange student, Kakashi, this is Rubeus Hagrid." The silence was only broken by Fang's tail, swishing through the air.

"So," Hagrid eventually spoke. "Anyone want tea?" The three Gryffindors answered that they did and Kakashi simply shook his head.

A huge, still packed backpack was leaned against a chair, revealing that Hagrid had just returned. As the man moved around carefully his hair glistered with blood. It also seemed like he had broken several ribs. Hagrid had to continually reassure Hermione that the injuries were nothing to worry about.

Now Kakashi noted that the groundskeeper didn't exactly smell human. Or, he sort of did, but there was something else as well, a smell Kakashi couldn't place. He hadn't noticed it before because the smells of blood, dog and not-so-fresh meat hung heavily in the air. A big chunk of mentioned meat was lying on the table. Kakashi hoped that Hagrid weren't going to eat that. It was even turning greenish.

Soon four cups filled with were placed at the table where they all (except Hagrid) now sat. Fang had placed his head in Kakashi's lap and the ANBU's grey robes became even more soaked. Hagrid were standing by the kettle on the fire, making tea. Kakashi still couldn't get why the wizards hadn't taken in the use of electricity yet. Sure, they didn't really need it, but it seemed to him that they could use it anyway.

"What's happened to you?" Harry asked.

"I told ye' already, nothing!" Hagrid sighed.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Ron put in

"Just leave it, I'm fine!" Hagrid straightened up and tried to smile happily, it turned into a grimace of pain instead.

"Wow, it's great to see you three again," Hagrid said. "And of course to see you fer the first time as well," he said to Kakashi. It didn't really sound like he meant it. Kakashi felt like he was intruding. "So, what've ye' all been up to this summer?" Hagrid asked expectantly.

"Hagrid, someone's attacked you!" Ron said. Hagrid gave something that sounded like a mix between a growl and a sigh.

"Fer the last time, it's nothing! I told ye' I'm fine!"

"Hagrid, you should go see madam Pomfrey." Hermione kept pushing. "Those wounds look nasty." They weren't that awful, Kakashi figured. Head wounds always bled more and looked worse than they were.

"I'll take care of it, don't worry," Hagrid said as he walked back to the table and picked up the chunk of meat. He put it over his left eye, the place of his face that was battered worst.

"That looks poisonous," Hermione said.

"It's dragon flesh, it's supposed to look like that. It actually helps against the sting." Greenish blood trickled from the meat into his beard.

"That," Kakashi said and everyone looked at him. It seemed like they had completely forgotten about his presence. "Is rotting," he concluded and pulled out a small jar of salve from a pocket. He had taken it with him because he had planned on going into the forest to train later; and it was always useful to have some medical… equipment with you, even if you almost never had use for it.

"Put this on instead," he said and pushed the small jar across the table towards Hagrid. "That meat will give you infections for sure. Hagrid lowered the piece of meat.

"Uhm… thanks," he said as he dried his hands on a dirty kitchen towel. Hagrid picked up the salve and there was another moment of silence.

"So," Harry said. "Are you going to tell us what happened?" Kakashi glanced at Harry. The boy seriously wanted Hagrid to spill classified information about this 'order' in this place? It had no security at all and if someone stood beneath the window they would probably easily hear everything spoken inside. Plus, Kakashi was there; it was not like he would be going around and spilling all the information if he found out, but the others didn't know that.

"I can't, it's classified." Well at least he had a brain behind all that hair.

"Hagrid, were you beaten up by the giants?" Hermione asked in a lowered voice. Hagrid dropped the jar he had tried to get open for the last minutes. Perhaps he didn't have much of a brain after all; he couldn't even open a simple childproof jar.

"Who said anything about giants? Who've ye' been talking to?" Kakashi felt like banging his head in the table, or something similar. Why the hell was a guy like this entrusted with classified things? The apparent nervousness he showed just confirmed the 'giants' theory.

"We guessed it," Hermione said in an apologising tone.

"So ye' did, eh?" Hagrid gave her a stern look.

"It was kind of obvious," Ron added. Harry just gave a nod. Kakashi felt ignored.

"I've never met kid's knowing more than they should than you three," Hagrid sighed. "It's not that good, ye' know." The small smile he gave contradicted the reprimanding tone and words.

"So you've been out looking for giants?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I have," Hagrid said with a grunt. He had picked up the jar again and tried to get it open.

"And did you find them?" Hermione asked.

"Well, they ain't that hard to find, they're quite big ye' see."

"Where are they?" Ron asked eagerly.

"In the mountains." Wow, that was a very… helpful, explanation.

"Then why aren't muggles…?"

"They are, it's just that they always blame their deaths on climbing accidents."

"Come on, Hagrid; tell us what you've been doing!" Ron was practically bouncing on his chair. "If you tell us what you've been doing Harry can tell you about how he got attacked by dementors!" Hagrid dropped the still closed jar again and Harry spilled out his tea.

"Whaddya mean attacked by the dementors?" Hagrid asked. Kakashi wondered the same. Weren't the dementors supposed to guard that prison of theirs? Azkan or something like that.

"You didn't know?" Hermione gasped.

"I don't know anything that's happened since I left! I was out on a secret mission, remember? I couldn't exactly have owls follow me everywhere. Bloody dementors! Ye' serious!?"

"Yeah, I am," Harry said. Kakashi wondered if he had somehow ceased to exist. A slobbering dog's tongue in the face ended his suspicion. "They showed up in Little Whinging and attacked me and my cousin, then I was expelled by the ministry…"

"What!?"

"…and I had to go to this hearing and stuff, but tell us about the giants first."

"Ye' were expelled!?"

"Tell me of your summer and I'll tell you of mine." Hagrid glared at Harry before he took a sip of his tea. It seemed that he had abandoned the salve.

"Alright, alright…" Hagrid sighed. "We left immediately after the school year had ended…"

"So madam Maxime went with you?" Hermione put in.

"Yep, the two of us went…" Hagrid continued with an explanation that pretty much told them how amazing Olympe Maxime was. There was more questions thrown out and Hagrid answered all of them. Kakashi sighed quietly. At least they didn't seem to get onto what could be called classified yet.

"… So we got into France and pretended that we were headed for Olympe's school, were we were tailed someone from the ministry, ye see. We had to take it slowly at first but managed to loose the guy at this place called Di-John or whatever…" Hermione interrupted by saying that the place was called 'Dijon' and that she'd been there on vacation. "… Anyway, after that we could risk using a little magic…" Kakashi stopped listening. If this was as bad as it was going to get, it didn't really seem necessary to even call it classified. Then Hagrid began to tell them something about what Dumbledore had found out about 'You-know-who', a.k.a. Voldemort, and his followers. "…So we had to be very careful to not run into any Death Eaters…" Kakashi cleared his throat. Hagrid became quiet and looked surprised while the others looked at Kakashi, clearly annoyed.

Kakashi knew that he was supposed to gather information, but this was getting ridiculous. Who had ever considered any of these people appropriate for handling classified information? Probably Dumbledore, but still.

"You should be more careful with that classified information of yours," Kakashi told Hagrid as he opened the jar of salve for him. The man just gave a 'Huh?' in response. "It is not a good idea to share this kind of information I a place like this," he continued and made a gesture to show that he meant the cabin before putting the now open jar on the table. "And it's an even worse idea to speak of things supposed to be kept secret in presence of someone you don't know if you can trust."

"Who…?" Ron asked, Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"How long have you known me? And how well do you know me?" Kakashi continued.

"But you can't be involved with any of this," Hermione said calmly. And Kakashi had thought her to be the smart one. "You just got into the country a few days after the start of the semester…" Kakashi sighed.

"I said I got into the country a few days after the school year started, how youknow that I spoke the truth? And I think you all know that Voldemort has stretched his influence beyond England," Kakashi looked at them through a half-lidded eye. These people all needed to be taught how to handle matters of secrecy. Not that he intended to teach them.

Kakashi heard the steps outside before anyone else did. And he recognized them. Great, the toad's coming.

"Hurry! Someone's coming! Harry, the cloak!" the three other teenagers hurried into a corner and Hagrid threw the invisibility cloak over them. Kakashi performed a quick genjutsu, more draining than the last, since this one bent the direction of the light, making it look like there was only an empty corner. Kakashi was quite impressed on how fast Hagrid managed to clear the table of everything but his own giant tea cup.

Umbridge was let into the cabin and the following conversation mostly consisted of her threatening Hagrid – Kakashi didn't really listen but that was what he figured. When she mentioned that she had seen three sets of footprints in the snow outside, Kakashi could hear Hermione gasp. He rolled his eyes, even though there was no one who could see it. If you had mastered the art of water-walking using chakra, then walking in snow without leaving tracks was a peace of cake, it only took a bit more control and focus.

After her final words; "The ministry is determined to clear this school of all incompetent teachers," Umbridge left at once, slamming the door behind her.

After a while, when they were all sure that Umbridge was nowhere close, the four teens came out of hiding. The three Gryffindors stared at Kakashi who ignored them.

They told Hagrid more about the current 'situation' at Hogwarts and Hermione desperately tried to convince him to not bring anything too dangerous to the lessons in Care of Magical Creatures. On their way back to the castle she told them in an angry voice that she'd even plan all Hagrid's lessons for him if she had to.

Outside the entrance to the Gryffindor tower Kakashi tapped Hermione's shoulder as she was about to go inside.

"I," he began. He felt silly, he had just pretty much scolded them for being unable to handle classified information and now he would practically beg to be allowed to be a part of their secret 'club'. He didn't take a deep breath, though he really wanted to. "I would like to join DA, and figured you were the one to talk to." He was very glad at the moment that he could look straight at her and didn't have to look up. Hermione gaped. He almost wished he'd had a camera at that moment. Her face looked hilarious.

"I- How? Who told you?" She obviously believed that the document she had made all the members sign was a completely foolproof method and that no one would be able to find out what they were doing. Too bad that they sucked at maintaining secrecy in any other ways. Kakashi hadn't even tried to find out what they were doing.

"No one, it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going on."

"Oh… Well, I guess…"

"Don't worry; I'll sign your list."

"Okay then… So, you want to help Harry teach or something?" Right. They all thought that he had graduated already and knew this stuff.

"Well, I'm not really good at Defence Against the Dark Arts, so I rather thought that I'd learn and, besides, If you're going to fight Voldemort…" he saw her tense up at the mention of the name. Kakashi nearly rolled his eyes. What was the point of calling someone 'You Know Who' all the time? These wizards overall way of talking in code was quite amusing as well; once a member of 'the Order' came to leave a report to Dumbledore and told the old wizard something in the lines of 'We suspect that You-Know-Who will strike you-know-where at you-know-when'. Kakashi had almost laughed right out then, but had satisfied himself with a small smirk.

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment but nodded.

"You can sign it at the next meeting, it's-" she was interrupted by Kakashi.

"I know when it is. And you shouldn't tell me in a place like this," he hesitated for a moment. "The paintings have ears!" he whispered in a joking tone, loud enough for anyone who could have passed by to still hear every word – including said paintings. To his surprise, Hermione laughed. He hadn't really meant to make a joke, and he had always been quite sure that he couldn't be able to make anyone laugh even if he tried to. Except for Rin, way back when they'd still been teamed up with Obito and Minato-sensei and she'd had a crush on him. And Sensei himself, but he had usually laughed a lot anyway.

Hermione said that she'd get him one of those galleons they used for informing the members of the next meeting, and Kakashi was about to tell her that she didn't have to, that he could figure out the times anyway, but then he realized that he wanted one of those coins, he wanted to be able to feel like one in the group. But at the same time, he didn't. He didn't belong here, he wanted to go home.

--

"What was that about?" Ron immediately said as Hermione entered the common room. Harry just glanced at her from a chair by the fire. He had seemed annoyed ever since they had walked down to Hagrid's.

"He asked if he could join DA," she glanced at Harry who was staring into the flames in the fireplace.

"And…?"

"I said he could," Hermione exhaled slowly, the angry words she'd expected from Harry never came.

"So he wanna help teaching or what?" Ron asked.

"No, he actually said that he wanted to learn." Hermione glanced over at Harry who slowly got up from his chair.

"He was right, you know," Harry said. The other two were pretty clueless as to what he meant. "We don't know if we can trust him, and now you just invite him to DA?"

"Well, I…" Hermione hesitated for a moment. "He already knew about it, and wanted to join and it seems like he's known about it for some time and not told anyone so I figured-" Harry interrupted her.

"You figured? Well at least I think that we shouldn't trust him. As he said himself."

"And that's exactly what makes me think that he can trust him!" Hermione was starting to become annoyed.

"Yeah, but I don't! Perhaps you should ask us before deciding things on your own!" Ron glanced at Harry, he understood the other boy's arguments, but to become that angry was a bit exaggerated. Hermione sighed. She didn't want to fight and she was too tired for all this.

"What exactly is it that you've got against him?" she asked. "I mean, he hasn't really done anything-"

"Hasn't done anything? Well, remember the broomstick? And all the weird stuff he can do? He just made himself invisible without a cloak or even a proper spell! Besides, he gives me this creepy feeling and remember his eye? His red eye? The only other person I know of with red eyes is Him." They all knew who he meant with 'Him'.

"He did tell us what that eye was, mate," Ron said after a few moments of silence.

"And I've actually found out some things about this 'weird stuff'." Hermione added. At this, the others looks turned to ones showing interest. "It's some kind of magic traditionally used by some people in Japan, and it's got the same source as the magic used by house-elves and goblins. Though I think he lied about that eye. My theory is that it's some sort of mark that distinguishes those who can use both kinds of magic, but why Kakashi's only got one I don't know. I can't really remember all the details either, but I'll show you the book tomorrow." Harry and Ron looked thoughtful. For about a second before Ron yawned.

"Well," Harry said, it didn't seem like he trusted that explanation. "I still don't think we should trust him completely…"

"You've got it," Hermione said before she bid them goodnight and walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

--

There was… something in the forest, something that hadn't been there before. Kakashi noticed as soon as he came past the trees at the edge. All smaller animals had seemingly disappeared and not even the soft digging of underground rodents could be heard. The thestrals, as Kakashi had found out was the name of the skeletal horses, did not seem to care though. The only one who seemed a bit tense was the big stallion.

The filly, which wasn't so small anymore; her wither now reached Kakashi to the chest, was as lively as ever. She ran around in high speed bucking and making wild, acrobatic jumps. How she made it without getting stuck in anything with her wings was a mystery. Kakashi had never planned on naming her, but as he began to train her in a similar way as his ninken and introduced her to Pakkun, the small pug had decided to call her 'Neesan', more referring to size than age, and the name had stuck.

Kakashi made sure that Neesan stayed with the other thestrals and didn't follow him as he went to investigate whatever it was that made him sense the strange presence. It was not like sensing chakra in someone else, but somehow he was still aware of it.

He could smell it before he saw it, and realized that he recognised the smell. Something apparently smelled like the scent he had picked up on Hagrid, and been unable to place.

Then, he looked down into a small clearing from a spot up in the trees, and there it was. He figured that it couldn't be anything but a giant. It was huge, not as big as the books described them, but still. It was at least 16 feet tall. Kakashi observed it for a while; it seemed harmless enough, even childish. But just as he moved to leave his hiding-spot a goddamned tree came flying towards his head. After years spent on the battlefield and in direct life- and death situations Kakashi's body didn't allow him to think for a moment. He rolled to the side, off the branch on which he had been sitting as he at the same time threw a perfectly aimed kunai towards the tree-throwing giant. He couldn't help but wonder how it had known where he was, he was an ANBU, after all. An ANBU captain even, one of the best of the best of the best in the village. Perhaps his skills were dulling from all the lazing around the castle he seemed to be doing. If the giant hadn't been just throwing around trees at random, and happened to fling one at that exact tree…

When Kakashi was entirely sure that the creature had no way of knowing where he was, he looked back at it again. The small throwing knife had hit it square between the eyes. But, obviously, the giant's skull was too thick to be pierced by such a small object, since it didn't just drop dead.

The giant sat down with a loud thud and poked carefully at the kunai which fell silently to the leaf-covered ground. A small trickle of blood found its way down the side of the humanoid being's puffy nose. Kakashi had thought that after a hit like that it would at least bleed more. It gave up a shrill wailing and tears started to stream down its face.

Before, he had thought it looked childish, but now, it was crying. He had hurt children worse than that, hell he had even assassinated children, and he had been disgusted and felt guilty at first. Now he felt positively evil. And that thing wasn't even human.

As he moved back towards the castle, after he'd retrieved the kunai (the giant had been too busy crying to even notice him), he began to wonder if he could ever go back to normal. And if he would ever be able to perform his job properly again.

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