Castle Guards

By Ammie Hawk

Disclaimer: I'm not going to cry...

AN: Alrighty folks we have made it. This is the final installment of Castle Guards. I want to thank all of those who have stuck with me through this for the past two years of long waits and writer's block. I hope to see you all around for the sequels, of which the next one should be up soon, title Gundam Siege: A Harry Potter Gundam Wing Crossover. Anyway, hope you enjoy the ending.

Chapter 26

The Time for Parting

'He Who Must Not Be Named Returns

In a brief statement Friday night, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned to this country and is active once more.

"It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord—well, you know who I mean—is alive and among us again," said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe that the dementors are currently taking direction from Lord—Thingy.

"We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defense that will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within the coming month."

The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumors that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more."

Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening.

Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable for comment last night. He has insisted for a year that You-Know-Who was not dead, as widely hoped and believed, but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile the Boy Who Lived—

"There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at him.

They were in the hospital wing. Harry was sitting at the end of Ron's bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Ginny, whose ankle had been mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed; Neville, whose nose had likewise been returned to its normal size and shape, was in a chair between the two beds; and Luna, who had dropped in to visit clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, was reading the magazine upside down and apparently not taking in a word Hermione was saying.

"He's 'the Boy Who Lived' again now, though, isn't he!" said Ron darkly. "Not such a show-off maniac anymore, eh?"

He helped himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside cabinet, threw a few to Harry, Ginny, and Neville, and ripped off the wrapper of his own with his teeth. There were still deep welts on his forearms where the brain's tentacles had wrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else, though since she had started applying copious amounts of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction, and Sakura's continued visits, there seemed to be some improvement.

The pink haired kunoichi had been the only one to visit them so far and then she was clinical and distant, leaving almost immediately afterward. The other shinobi had been around, but Harry realized that their job of watching them must be over, as they were no longer tailing him constantly, and they hardly spoke to anyone, let alone their former charges.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," said Hermione, now scanning down the article. "'A lone voice of truth... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story... forced to bear ridicule and slander...' Hmmm," said Hermione, frowning, "I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering, though..."

She winced slightly and put a hand to her ribs. The curse Dolohov had used on her, though less effective than it would have been had he been able to say the incantation aloud, had nevertheless caused, in Madam Pomfrey's words, "quite enough damage to be going on with." Hermione was having to take ten different types of potion every day and although she was improving greatly, was already bored with the hospital wing.

"'You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine...' Well," said Hermione, folding up the newspaper and throwing it aside, "it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago..."

88

The castle seemed very quiet even for a Sunday. Everybody was clearly out in the sunny grounds, enjoying the end of their exams and the prospect of a last few days of term unhampered by studying or homework. Harry walked slowly along the deserted corridor, peering out of windows as he went. He could see people messing around in the air over the Quidditch pitch and a couple of students swimming in the lake, accompanied by the giant squid.

He was finding it hard at the moment to decide whether he wanted to be with people or not. Whenever he was in company he wanted to get away, and whenever he was alone he wanted company. He thought he might really go and visit Hagrid, though; he had not talked to him properly since he had returned...

Harry had just descended the last marble step into the entrance hall when Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle emerged from a door on the right that Harry knew led down to the Slytherin common room. Harry stopped dead; so did Malfoy and the others. For a few moments, the only sounds were the shouts, laughter, and splashes drifting into the hall from the grounds through the open front doors.

This was the first time, since before the Ministry, that Harry had seen the blonde. He desperately wished the two gorillas on either side of him would just disappear. He wanted to talk with his boyfriend, if he could still call him that. Would Draco forgive him for sending his father to prison? He didn't know.

Grey eyes drank in the sight of the Boy Who Lived. He was so glad that he was okay, but at the moment, the Gryffindor looked like shit. He was frustrated that Crabbe and Goyle hadn't left his side since they'd heard about their father's arrest, he had told them to head outside, but they wouldn't leave him. He glanced around, he could risk it and talk plainly with his boyfriend and tell the other two oafs at his side that it was all in their head, but there was the off chance that they could be overheard.

He looked back at Harry and said in a low voice, to keep up pretenses, "You're dead, Potter."

Harry raised his eyebrows, apparently he wasn't forgiven. "Funny," he said, "you'd think I'd have stopped walking around..."

Malfoy looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him, but in truth he was frustrated. Couldn't that idiot he called his boyfriend tell he was acting?

"You're going to pay," said Malfoy in a voice barely louder than a whisper, desperate now for Harry to believe his insincerity in the statements. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done to my father..."

"Well, I'm terrified now," said Harry sarcastically. "I s'pose Lord Voldemort's just a warm-up act compared to you three—what's that matter?" he said, for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had all looked stricken at the sound of the name. "He's your dad's mate, isn't he? Not scared of him, are you?"

"You think you're such a big man, Potter," said Malfoy, advancing now, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him, not that that's what he'd wanted. "You wait. I'll have you," he almost laughed at the innuendo in that statement. "You can't land my father in prison—"

"I thought I just had," said Harry.

"The dementors have left Azkaban," said Malfoy quietly, more as a warning than a threat. "Dad and the others'll be out in no time..."

"Yeah, I expect they will," said Harry. "Still, at least everyone knows what scumbags they are now—"

Malfoy's hand flew toward his wand, he wanted, no needed Crabbe and Goyle gone so he could knock some sense into the teen in front of him, but Harry was too quick for him. He had drawn his own wand before Malfoy's fingers had even entered the pocket of his robes.

"Potter!"

88

Ron and Hermione left the hospital wing completely cured three days before the end of term. Hermione kept showing signs of wanting to talk about Sirius, but Ron tended to make hushing noises every time she mentioned his name. Harry was still not sure whether or not he wanted to talk about his godfather yet; his wishes varied with his mood. He knew one thing, though: unhappy as he felt at the moment, he would greatly miss Hogwarts in a few days' time when he was back at number four, Privet Drive. Even though he now understood exactly why he had to return there every summer, he did not feel any better about it. Indeed, he had never dreaded his return more.

Professor Umbridge left Hogwarts the day before the end of term. It seemed she had crept out of the hospital wing during lunchtime, evidently hoping to depart undetected, but unfortunately for her, she met Peeves on the way, who seized his last chance to do as Fred instructed, and chased her gleefully from the premises whacking her alternately with a walking stick and a sock full of chalk. Many students ran out into the entrance hall to watch her running away down the path and the Heads of Houses tried only half-heartedly to restrain them. Indeed, Professor McGonagall sank back into her chair at the staff table after a few feeble remonstrances and was clearly heard to express a regret that she could not run cheering after Umbridge herself, because Peeves had borrowed her walking stick.

Their last evening at school arrived; most people had finished packing and were already heading down to the end-of-term leaving feast, but Harry had not even started.

"Just do it tomorrow!" said Ron, who was waiting by the door of their dormitory. "Come on, I'm starving."

"I won't be long... look, you go ahead..."

88

Harry walked slowly and miserably back up through the empty castle, wondering whether he would ever feel cheerful again. He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, but he did notice when a hand shot out and pulled him into an empty classroom.

He didn't even have time to struggle or go for his wand before he found himself pinned to the wall with his hands above his head. A mouth descended on his and he found himself in a fiery kiss that, once completed, left him breathless.

"Do I have your attention now, Harry?" his assailant whispered in his ear. "Cause if not, I would gladly do that again."

"What do you want, Malfoy?" he couldn't bring himself to look at the Slytherin.

"Oh, so it's Malfoy now, is it?" Draco stepped away, freeing the raven haired teen from the wall. "What happened? Why are you avoiding me?"

"Me?" green eyes rose and flashed with a fire that hadn't been seen in them since the Department of Mysteries. "You're the one who's mad at me, remember?"

"Dear god, Harry, you're such an idiot at times," he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not mad at you. I was, am, fucking worried about you! Back in the entrance hall the other day was all for show because those two fucking buffoons wouldn't leave me alone for one fucking minute! The only reason I'm alone now is because there's fucking food in the Great Hall!"

"I'm sorry," Harry bowed his head, Draco was right, he was an idiot. "I figured you'd be mad at me for sending your father to Azkaban."

"Like hell I am!" Draco went over and pulled the smaller teen into his arms. "I wanted to ring Dad's neck when I heard he was involved in all this. Harry, you could've been hurt, or killed. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

The Gryffindor wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, grateful that he hadn't abandoned him. Draco sighed and smoothed the raven locks with the hand that wasn't holding Harry close. He placed a kiss on Harry's forehead and pulled back just a bit.

"I also heard about your godfather," he said quietly. "Want to talk about it?"

And for the first time, Harry wasn't torn about it. He actually wanted to talk with Draco about it. He nodded slightly, and Draco led him over to the wall, sinking down to the floor and pulling him onto his lap. It was almost as if a floodgate had opened and Harry couldn't stop talking. He told the Slytherin everything, from his fears and grief, to the prophecy that Voldemort didn't know.

"It doesn't matter, Harry," Draco said when he'd finally run himself out. "In the end, win, lose, or draw, I'll always be with you. And you know Ron and Hermione will as well. As well as Longbottom, Ginny, and Lovegood, apparently. We're all with you, Harry, not matter what."

Harry nodded and gave the blonde a small smile. It was nice to hear him say that.

"Now," he slowly maneuvered them to a standing position, "we should get back before someone actually misses us. I'll see you around, Harry, I promise."

With a last, lingering kiss, the Slytherin disappeared. Harry sighed and then continued on his original route back up to the Gryffindor common room.

He had turned the corner toward the Fat Lady's corridor when he saw somebody up ahead fastening a note to a board on the wall.

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When the feast was over, Ron returned to the dormitory and handed a note to Harry. Confused, Harry took it and quickly read through it. He looked up at his best friend in confusion.

"Don't ask me, mate," the redhead shrugged. "I got one too, as did Hermione and Ginny. We're all to go up to the headmaster's office."

Harry tossed a couple more stray items in his trunk and snapped it closed before following Ron down the stairs. They met the girls in the common room and together the four of them headed off through the portrait hole and off to the headmaster's office. In what seemed like no time at all they were standing outside the gargoyle. Harry said a few words in Japanese and the gargoyle sprang aside.

"Naruto did that when he brought me here before Christmas," he explained as they all stepped onto the revolving staircase.

The others merely nodded and followed him up to the office at the top. There Harry knocked and was bid entrance. They stopped inside but stopped almost immediately at the sight of the eleven individuals already in the office apart from the owner of said office.

"Please come in and have a seat," Dumbledore said from behind his desk, conjuring them some chairs.

"What's going on, sir?" Harry asked, confused.

Naruto pushed off the wall and took a few steps forward. He gave the four wizarding students a rather sheepish look.

"Well," he scratched his neck nervously, "this is it. We have to go home now."

"Mission's over, right?" Hermione shook her head.

"Yeah," Kiba chuckled slightly. "But if it's any consolation, we had a blast."

"Where's your other teacher?" Ginny asked, looking around at them all, apparently not paying much attention to the conversation at hand. "The one with the mask?"

"He's already returned home," Iruka smiled sadly. "He had to see our Hokage, for urgent medical attention, and returned immediately after the battle."

"I'm sorry," Harry bowed his head. "It's all my faul..."

"No!" Neji interrupted. "We are shinobi. We know the risks every time we take on a mission. It is not your fault."

"So, you're just gonna leave now? And that's it?" Ron gaped at them. "No nothing?"

"It's time for us to go home, Ron," Sakura shook her head. "We have been away for almost a year now. This has been one of the longest missions ever assigned to a group this size. We need to return."

"If ever you have need of us," Gaara stepped forward, arms crossed over his chest, "you can always use the contract."

"We'll keep that in mind," Harry nodded, he understood. He finally understood. It was time. It was not only time for their guards to return to their place in the world, but for those in this world to take up their roles and do things for themselves.

"Well," he extended his hand, "I guess this is goodbye."

With a grin, Naruto grasped the proffered hand and shook it. The others bowed to the wizards before gathering around Dumbledore's desk, where a ratty looking old sneaker was sitting.

"If you're ever in Japan," Shikamaru smirked as they all placed a finger on the Portkey, "be sure to look us up."

The wizards nodded as a blue light surrounded the shinobi and they disappeared from the office.

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The journey home on the Hogwarts Express next day was eventful in several ways. Firstly, Crabbe and Goyle, who had clearly been waiting all week for the opportunity to strike without teacher witnesses, attempted to ambush Harry halfway down the train as he made his way back from the toilet. The attack might have succeeded had it not been for the fact that they unwittingly chose to stage the attack right outside a compartment full of D.A. members, who saw what was happening through the glass and rose as one to rush to Harry's aid. By the time Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Antony Goldstein, and Terry Boot had finished using a wide variety of the hexes and jinxes Harry had taught them, Crabbe and Goyle resembled nothing so much as two gigantic slugs squeezed into Hogwarts uniforms as Harry, Ernie, and Justin hoisted them into the luggage rack and left them there to ooze.

"I must say, I wish Malfoy had been with them," said Ernie with some disappointment, as he watched the pair squirm above him. Ernie had never quite got over the indignity of Malfoy docking points from Hufflepuff during his brief spell as a member of the Inquisitorial Squad.

"Goyle's mum'll be really pleased, though," said Ron, who had come to investigate the source of the commotion. "He's loads better looking now... Anyway, Harry, the food trolley's just stopped if you want anything..."

Harry thanked the others and accompanied Ron back to their compartment, where he bought a large pile of Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Pasties. Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet again, Ginny was doing a quiz in The Quibbler, and Harry was surprised to see Draco sitting in the farthest corner hidden from view of the door window.

"What's going on in here?" Harry asked, looking pointedly at the blonde.

"I had to get away from those two idiots," the Slytherin shrugged. "They wanted to attack you and I didn't."

"I see," he nodded. "Then you'll be happy to know that they currently resemble slugs in a compartment down the train."

Harry sat down next to him and handed him one of the treats he'd purchased. Draco took it with a smile, pulling the brunette closer to him. The other three occupants of the compartment were watching with some amusement.

"Something you'd two like to tell us?" Ginny giggled.

"None of your business, Weaselette," the blonde smirked, not relinquishing his hold.

The four Gryffindors laughed, knowing there was no actual bite behind the words.

Harry and Ron whiled away most of the journey playing wizard chess while Draco watched and occasionally helped his boyfriend out and Hermione read out snippets from the Prophet. It was now full of articles about how to repel dementors, attempts by the Ministry to track down Death Eaters, and hysterical letters claiming that the writer had seen Lord Voldemort walking past their house that very morning...

"It hasn't really started yet," sighed Hermione gloomily, folding up the newspaper again. "But it won't be long now..."

"No, I don't suppose it will," Harry shook his head. "But no matter what happens, we need to keep going. I learned that from the shinobi."

Draco smirked and pulled Harry onto his lap, "I learned to keep your secrets and your friends close."

"I think we all learned something from them," Hermione grinned. "In one way or another."

"Well," the blonde sighed and moved his boyfriend back to his own seat, "I should be going. It wouldn't do be good if anyone found me exiting the train with you lot." He leaned down and gave Harry a chaste kiss on the lips, "I'll see you at some point during the holidays, I promise."

A faint blush stained Harry's cheeks as he nodded. Draco gave one final smirk before he exited the compartment. The other three just managed to contain their laughter at their friend's discomfort.

As the train slowed down in the approach to King's Cross, Harry thought he had never wanted to leave it less. He even wondered fleetingly what would happen if he simply refused to get off, but remained stubbornly sitting there until the first of September, when it would take him back to Hogwarts. When it finally puffed to a standstill, however, he lifted down Hedwig's cage and prepared to drag his trunk from the train as usual.

The sequel: Gundam Siege: A Gundam Wing Harry Potter Crossover is now up and running if anyone is interested and can be found here... www. Fanfiction. net/s/5996488/1/Gundam_Siege_A_Gundam_Wing_Harry_Potter_Crossover

Ammie