Chapter 5: Progress

Summary: Motivated, miffed, and magical, Shikamaru Nara was a force to behold. Whoever had placed him here was going to get it, but first he'd have to get through a school for magic. And he'd thought ninjas could be stupid. Troublesome.

Rating: T, and should stay that way.

Genres: Friendship, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, maybe more, I don't know yet.

Warnings: Language, SPOILERS FOR NARUTO AND HARRY POTTER, bullying by adults, implied child abuse/neglect, some angst, lots of non-canon shtick, Shikamaru totally has cape-envy, warnings are individual per chapter, might change next chapter or might not. No slash or yaoi, yuri, Shounen Ai, or Shōjo Ai. Or incest…just…no.

Pairings: As far as romance goes, it's canon for both series. Friendship!Shikamaru/Harry&Ron&Hermione&Neville&Fred&George. Mentorship!Snape/Shikamaru. I might add more later, if I think of it.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Emphasis on words

(#) A/N at end to explain stuff

Regular text

A Shadow in Wizard's Robes Chapter 5: Progress

By: AngelicSilverWolf

'First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.' - Napoleon Hill

Age 7: Five years before Hogwarts

"And we are ready."

"And you're sure this will work." Shikamaru looked at the working - hypothetically - rocket model. His friend, Dan, nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah. I tested out so many parts, it's not even funny," he said, liberally applying duct tape.

"Parts," Shikamaru repeated. "But not the actual rocket."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. You doubting me?" Dan stood and fixed him with a frown.

"Yes," Shikamaru said flatly. Dan grinned good naturedly.

"There's my pessimistic partner in crime. But seriously, don't worry about it. It'll be fine. Now, back up unless you wanna catch on fire. Or, just in case...you know."

"In case it explodes and sends shrapnel our way." Shikamaru did back up though.

"Yeah. Which it won't, but there's gotta be some safety precautions." Dan fumbled for his controller, retreating to stand beside his friend. "Alright. We're gonna be famous. Let's just take a minute to look at it."

"Not too long. Someone will come to find out where we've been," Shikamaru told him. He looked all the same. It was rather messy and befitting of two genius children who could care less about the appearance on the prototype, but it was impressive all the same. It was almost completely black, but Dan had found a silver pen and written on the side, Dan Hill and Shikamaru Nara present: Nighty Night, Bitches!

"This is gonna be great." Dan beamed. "Alright. Count down. T minus ten, nine, eight-"

In spite of his reservations, Shikamaru was curious to see where this would go. Should it succeed, Dan would be correct in how much attention the two of them would receive. Just for safety, he ensured that he was in front of the other boy.

"-three, two, one, blast off!" Dan hit the button, and the tiny engines fired up. Then, it all went wrong. Of course it did. Bad luck was contagious, and Shikamaru's had apparently spread to Dan and he hadn't noticed until now.

"Oh, shit!" Dan yelped. Shikamaru's slightly slower than acceptable reflexes made him stretch out his arm to catch the enormous bar of metal streaking towards them. Because he was too slow, he just barely missed it. It didn't hit him either way.

He looked in fascination at the metal held suspended by…

Magic. Must've been . First time he'd used it so purposefully though.

"What the hell!"

Shikamaru was shoved from behind, losing his invisible grip on the bar in the process. It clattered to the ground as he turned around. Dan looked incensed and...fearful. Shikamaru stilled. He knew that look. Recognized it as the same expression that the villagers used to cast towards Naruto. In this way, he also knew that nothing short of metaphorically saving the village a few times would prevent the confrontation that was coming.

"You're one of them?" Dan spat furiously.

"Whom?" Shikamaru asked carefully.

"A-a magical - a freak!" Dan backed away. A shout redirected Shikamaru's attention, and he saw multiple adults from the orphanage rushing towards them and their flaming rocket wreckage. Excellent timing, as always.

"Dan! Are you alright?" one of them called. Shikamaru could never be bothered to remember their names. Dan didn't answer.

"You! This is your fault," another accused, pointing at Shikamaru. He slouched insolently.

"It was a joint effort," he drawled. Actually, it had been Dan's idea. But he wasn't going to pour more gas on the fire.

"Is this true? Dan?" Another - relatively fairer - adult asked, turning to the silent child. Dan said nothing for a minute, and then his face twisted in distaste. Shikamaru mentally sighed. There went that friendship then (and he pretended that it didn't hurt just a little).

"As if I'd work with a freak like him," Dan sneered. Shikamaru smirked and his eyes narrowed. The nearby adults instinctively retreated a step.

"For a genius, you sure are good at playing the spoiled child," he said archly. Forget oil and fire, this brat needed the same lesson that the villagers had. Dan scowled - along with the orphanage staff.

"Mr. Nara!" one admonished. Shikamaru shrugged languidly.

"No use getting mad. I'll just leave so that my freakishness doesn't accidentally spread," he said lazily. Without another word, he spun around and walked away.

He would later find out that Dan's parents had been murdered by a Death Eater. The similarities between this situation and Naruto's were almost humorous.

Dan was adopted shortly after the incident, and the two never spoke again.

…

Present:

"Oi! Get up already."

Shikamaru was ripped from his slumber quite rudely. He opened his eyes to see Ron peering down at him. He groaned and turned back over. The one time he got to sleep in after actually sleeping through the night. These kids would kill him someday, he swore.

"What?" he asked grumpily when Ron jabbed him in the back. Thankfully he'd removed all of his equipment except for an emergency kunai the previous night.

"There's some people who want to talk to you," Ron said, not sounding particularly happy about it. Shikamaru thought about it.

"Are they teachers?" he asked.

"No."

"Then tell them that it's Sunday, and therefore it's my day off, so they can just fu-"

"It's a group of Slytherin first years," Harry interjected. Shikamaru stopped. And sighed. He'd probably have to actually get up for this. Son of a bitch.

"Fine," he said to his pillow. Fine. He sat up and changed into suitable clothes. He didn't know why they were supposed to wear robes even on the weekends, but every school had its illogical rules. It was probably more influenced by the culture of the people rather than any sensible dress code reasoning.

"Take me to your leader," he muttered under his breath as he followed Ron and Harry out of the dorm.

"What?" Ron asked. Shikamaru shook his head.

"Nothing." He occasionally missed the times when people would understand his references.

"Here he is. Are you bloody happy?" Ron said in a slightly irritated tone.

"Thrilled," Blaise Zabini answered coolly. He eyed Harry and Ron with barely hidden distaste. "You can go now. We only want to talk to him."

Before either Harry or Ron could protest out of some misguided gesture of protectiveness, Shikamaru stepped in. "Let's go," he said. He picked a direction and started walking.

"Where are we going?" Theodore Nott drawled. Shikamaru shrugged.

"Somewhere else." After a couple minutes, he abruptly halted and turned to face them. "Alright. What's important enough for you to go out of your way to talk to me on the weekend?"

The three Slytherins shared a glance, and then turned back to him with unreadable expressions.

"You see," Zabini said slowly, "we don't like to be in debt. It's a pain, and personally I would rather just pay it off as soon as possible."

"Point is, tell us what you want," Nott interjected shortly. He seemed to be a boy of few words. Shikamaru eyed them speculatively. This was for when he stepped in during that confrontation between them and the Ravenclaws, then.

"I was going to ask for a favor whenever I needed one," he began. They noticeably tensed. He guessed they didn't like people telling them what to do. "But I can think of something better for now," he finished. They didn't relax, but their shoulders went down a notch.

"What?" Bulstrode asked warily. He let his mouth twitch into a slight smile.

"I want you three to gather some non-associates of Flint and Malfoy. I'll meet you and whoever you choose in the library tomorrow after classes. I'll let you know there," he told them.

"Can't tell us now?" Nott looked supremely unimpressed. Shikamaru shrugged.

"I'm not giving a trio of Slytherins more information than I have to," he said. It was both a backhanded compliment and a statement of caution. He didn't trust them, but also recognized what they were capable of. Judging by the considering gleams in their eyes, they knew.

"Say we don't show up," Zabini said suddenly. "What then?"

Shikamaru had suspected he'd get the most trouble out of this boy. Nott just wasn't liable to give a shit, and Bulstrode was halfway decent. Zabini, however, was more Slytherin than anyone Shikamaru knew, save for maybe Professor Snape. Shikamaru's eyes fell to half mast, and his smile turned into a sharp smirk.

"Then I guess you owe me," he said simply. Zabini paused, read the meanings there, and then nodded.

"Fine. We'll be there. But this had better be for a good reason, Nara," he warned. He nodded at his companions, and they left. Shikamaru sighed. And now to gather the rest of the pieces. Who to hit first? Meh, he'd get the badgers. They seemed to be the most easygoing out of the four houses.

With a huff, he turned and started for the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron were probably working themselves up, and dragging Hermione and Neville into it as well. He'd just started on the last set of stairs, when he heard a voice.

"Mr. Nara."

Shikamaru stopped and turned to see Professor Snape behind him. The man reminded him of an abnormally large bat - dark, imposing, and dangerous in close quarters.

"Professor?" he said.

"I take it that Mr. Potter didn't tell you?" Professor Snape asked, black eyes cold and unwelcoming.

"Tell me what, sir?"

"...You have a detention with me tonight for missing class. Be there at eight o'clock, and bring potions supplies," the professor said coolly. Then, he turned on his heel and swept away, cloak billowing out behind him impressively.

Shikamaru would figure out how to do that some day. It was probably a charm.

…

He knocked on the heavy wooden door.

"Enter."

Professor Snape didn't look up when he did so, but he did point to a desk near the front of the room.

"Sit."

Shikamaru sat. The silence dragged on, and he was just wondering whether this was supposed to be some sort of power play, when the man stood up.

"You're advanced abilities in class are signs of higher comprehension," he began. Shikamaru wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a fact. "Tonight you will show me how far ahead you are capable of going. Prepare the most advanced potion you know. Feel free to use the stores in my cupboard if necessary."

Shikamaru thought for a moment. He'd better go with Draught of Peace. A fifth year potion that was a bit of a pain to make. It was also one of the ones he had yet to tweak due to its precise measures and unfortunate consequences should it be brewed wrong. He gathered the ingredients and spent the next hour or so making it in silence. He turned his thoughts to the Slytherins, leaving half of his mind for the potion.

He had talked to the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. He... hadn't decided on Gryffindors yet. As great as his house was, they weren't the most subtle. All the other houses could be counted on for discretion. In battle terms, the houses represented the military forces like this: Gryffindors were like the front line men, the infantry, the foot soldiers; the Hufflepuffs were like the support with medicine, messengers, communications, and public outreach; the Ravenclaws the logistics, the strategists, the commanders behind the lines making sure everything went smoothly, the ones researching new tactics to ensure victory; and the Slytherins were like the shadow force, the assassins, the infiltrators, the scouts, the ones who went into enemy lines and brought them down from the inside. This all meant that Gryffindor would probably only need to be pointed in a direction to shoot, metaphorically of course.

But did that mean they should've been left out? Shikamaru rolled the problem around in his mind as he finished the potion. He handed it in, perfect like expected. He didn't know. Obviously it would've been advantageous to have some housemates in the meeting, but whom?

His thoughts were interrupted by Snape.

"So, Mr. Nara. What caused your collapse in class?" the man asked.

Shikamaru thought for a very fast moment on what to say. He obviously couldn't just come out and say that Goyle had managed to replicate the sound of a tailed beast almost perfectly. He didn't know how, but the boy was worse than Neville at potion making. For all of his issues, at least Neville didn't create life with his potions. Goyle's potion had startled him enough to let the memories slip through, and then it had devolved into chaos - in his mind anyway - from there. His efforts of keeping his flashback from overwhelming him, restraining his magic and other instincts, and ensuring Neville remained calm had all mixed together and had caused his mind to give up and his body to follow suit. Thus proving that Goyle's powers of inadequacy were simply beyond comprehension.

But Snape was waiting not-so patiently.

"I had a flashback, sir," he said simply. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I know that. I'm not dull," he said with a sneer. "But what would you have a flashback of?"

Well, Shikamaru thought that was a personal question he had no business asking, 'concerned' professor or not. Besides. What was he supposed to say? Sorry, sir, my memories of an enormous being made of a foreign energy flooded my mind before I could lock them down because of your student's alarming ability to create something living out of a potion. And did I mention that these memories are from a different life?

Ha. No.

"Goyle's... unorthodox-" and by that he meant completely ridiculous "-potion brought up a flashback of…" Hm. Maybe he'd start a different way. "You ever been in a war, sir?"

Snape's eyes sharpened. "Once," he replied shortly. And once was enough, went unsaid. Shikamaru let his expression lose the regular apathetic of its norm, leaving him looking decades older. Leaving him looking like the war veteran he was. Snape's eyes narrowed, visibly trying to fit the pieces together.

"Yeah. That's about what it brought up for me," Shikamaru said quietly. He turned and walked out without being dismissed.

He was done answering questions that his professor hadn't earned the answers to.

…

"Hurry up, Shikamaru! We're going to be late!" Ron hollered up the stairs. Shikamaru sighed irritably and tied his holster on. He exited the room and found the redhead anxiously shifting on his feet. Hermione and Neville also stood beside him, but both looked much calmer.

"Does it really matter if we get there five minutes late?" Shikamaru questioned, half teasing. "All we'd miss is the handshake and maybe a goal or two."

Ron looked scandalized. He didn't even deign to answer. He just marched out of the common room, duty as a friend apparently completed.

"You shouldn't wind him up so much," Hermione whispered as they followed at a more sedate pace. Shikamaru tossed her a smirk.

"But he makes it so easy," he said. She withheld a smile and shook her head. Despite Ron's complaints, they arrived at the match with plenty of time to spare. And by that, Shikamaru had literally just sat down when Madame Hooch blew her whistle.

"And they're OFF!" Lee Jordan exclaimed into the microphone. "Gryffindor takes the Quaffle!"

Shikamaru would have spent this game like any other. Completely ignoring the going-ons while his brain summoned a few other things to think about. He would have spent the entire time in a haze of both bored apathy and mind-melting thought trains except-

Harry's broom was no longer under his control, and Shikamaru had seen where it had come from.

"Go knock over Quirrell," he said to Hermione. She was the best bet. Ron's hair was too noticeable, and Neville would probably knock over the wrong person. She gave him a startled look even as Harry's broom started to roll over.

"What? But, Snape-" she began. So she had noticed. Good girl. But it was the wrong target.

"Trust me. I'll explain after." Hell, she could've knocked them both over. As long as she managed to fit Quirrell in there somehow, he didn't care. And he now had a test subject for his group this afternoon.

Right after he got Harry off of that damned vehicle of death, of course. (1)

…

Harry was fine. Shaken and elated simultaneously, but fine. Good, because they had other things to focus on.

"Shikamaru, why did you have me go after Quirrell? It was Snape - I know cursing signs. He was showing all of them! He wasn't blinking, he was muttering under his breath - and his wand was out!" Hermione ignored Hagrid's sputters of surprise and mild indignation. So did Shikamaru.

"Yes, Hermione, I'm aware. But those are signs of counter cursing as well. Besides, didn't you see Quirrell? He was doing the same thing. Only difference is, when you interrupted him, Harry's broom stopped spinning," he said patiently. Her frown deepened in thought and she started to pace.

"But why would Quirrell go after Harry?" Ron asked from where Fang was drooling on his lap. "Everyone knows it's Snape who hates him."

"Exactly," Shikamaru said, at the same time that Hermione's eyes widened in realization. It was nice to have another smart friend around.

"Oh," she breathed. "But - that's genius if it's true."

"No one would suspect," he agreed.

"Care to fill the rest of us in?" Ron asked dryly.

"If you were to target someone, how would you do it? Not by making yourself a suspect. Why bother when there's already one lying around?" Shikamaru said, slouching further in his seat. And Snape and probably Dumbledore know - God knows who else. This goes deep. But why Harry?

It wasn't personal, he was decently sure. Quirrell might have been a good actor, but one couldn't hide hate. At least, not from a master shogi player/strategist that read people on a daily basis as a survival habit. Quirrell was indifferent at best, and certainly not openly antagonistic like Snape. So what was his game?

He tuned back into the conversation in time to hear Ron call Quirrell a slimey bastard.

"Not that I don't agree, but what brought this on?" he asked mildly.

"Hagrid mentioned that Quirrell's been acting strange since he got back from his expeditions," said Harry, who'd been surprisingly quiet. Shikamaru turned to Hagrid pensively. The tall man unconsciously straightened under the scrutiny.

"Alright." He had decided. "Today probably won't be an isolated incident, which means we need to stop Quirrell before he does permanent damage. Harry was lucky that Snape was there and that Quirrell either can't plan well, or just wasn't trying that hard today."

"Well, the teachers-" Hermione started hesitantly.

Ron cut in impatiently, "The teachers clearly know that something is going on. Why else would Snape interfere like that? I think we all know he'd be pretty happy if Harry had a 'Quidditch accident', but someone told him to stop it if something suspicious happened. Besides that though, they aren't actively doing anything to stop it. Which is why we should do something." He turned to Shikamaru. "That's what you were going to say, right?"

Shikamaru's lips quirked up. "Thanks for stealing my thunder, Ron," he said dryly. The redhead crossed his arms and frowned.

"You were too slow." Ah, the patience of youth.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and turned to Hagrid. "Can we use your place as a base of sorts? You know everything we know." Probably more than, actually. The man puffed his chest out proudly.

"O' course!" Then he paused uncertainly and added, "Er, well, tha' is if you promise ter be careful."

"Between my propensity for analysis and Ron's ability to strategize decently, I think we'll work something out that won't be too dangerous," Shikamaru said a little wryly. He'd helped plan a war on multiple fronts. Investigating a clear amateur assassin in a school environment with teachers just around the corner and a seemingly omniscient headmaster would be cake. "It's strictly investigation anyways." At least, that the Idiot Trio would know about. He'd personally go about it differently with the meeting this afternoon. Which they wouldn't know about.

His indifferent demeanor vanished suddenly, and he looked at his friends seriously. They looked back, surprised at the change. He had to admit that he didn't often show this side of himself around them. He'd been lax since he got here. Clearly he'd need to do better.

"If we're going to do this, we're doing it right. That means next to no actual risks. All moves will be planned ahead, and they will have backups. We'll need to get some outside help, and if anything starts to go wrong we tell a professor. Agreed?" he said. It wasn't really a question. It was non-negotiable. Whatever Quirrell was up to wasn't worth their safety. Harry would be fine in a school this big. The portraits could talk, and there were students everywhere.

"Alright," Ron agreed a tad reluctantly.

"Good. Ron, you can help me strategize. Hermione, the teachers mostly love you, so you can be the one to subtly get information from them. Harry...try not to be caught alone. Go places with company - it doesn't have to be one of us either. Someone from Gryffindor or a professor would be best, if you can," Shikamaru listed. Ron looked surprised.

"Really? I get to help strategize?" he asked. Shikamaru nodded.

"You have a decent grasp on advanced chess plays. Those can be applied to real life with some work," he explained. He asked Hagrid for some parchment and a quill. He'd need to write things down for this. Especially if the meeting this afternoon went the way he'd planned

"W-wait! Can't I say something about this?" Harry burst in, looking a little incensed.

"No," Shikamaru said without looking up. Ron snickered and Hermione sighed. Shikamaru continued to write and added plainly, "You'd tell us not to risk it and I already have effort invested, so I don't want to hear it."

Ron guffawed and Hermione made a cut-off sound of amusement. Shikamaru raised his eyes to see Harry looking mildly offended. He bit back a grin.

"I wasn't going to say that," Harry protested. "I was just going to ask if I could do something more than 'stay safe'."

"Sure you were," Ron sniggered.

"We're trying to keep you out of trouble," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "For now laying low is best. I'll probably come up with something for you later on. It depends on what Quirrell does and what we find out."

"So where do we start?" Hermione interjected, casting a sideways glance at Harry's disappointed and slightly mutinous expression.

"Research," Shikamaru said, standing up and looking down at his shorthanded list of things that had jumped to his mind. "We should find out as much as we can about Quirrell."

"Any idea where can begin, Hagrid?" Hermione turned to their silent spectator. He scratched his beard thoughtfully.

"Well, Professor Quirrell sort o' disappeared off the face o' the earth before he accepted the job at Hogwarts. And when he came back, he wasn' really the same," he said. "I dunno what happened to 'im, but he wasn' the man that left."

"Where did he travel?" Shikamaru asked, at the same time that Harry said, "How was he different?"

"Professor Quirrell traveled 'round the world. He went and found a bit o' trouble in Southeastern Europe. I reckon he didn' know what he was doin'. Was the first time he got hands-on experience, see, and I don' think he was prepared for what his craft offered. As for how he changed - well, from what little I knew o' him back then, Professor Quirrell was quiet but didn' stutter none when he talked. He was an ambitious man at tha' time. Wanted ter know everything there was to know about whatever caught his interest. Now he won't even crack open a book," Hagrid said. "S'almost like he's a different person now."

"Has anyone checked to see if he's an imposter?" Hermione asked tentatively. Hagrid waved a large hand dismissively.

"Nah. Professor Dumbledore woulda' seen through any disguise," he assured them. That was enough for her, Ron, and Harry, but Shikamaru had long since learned not to take anything at face value. Not to say that he didn't trust the headmaster but...well, no, he didn't really trust him. In his defense, he usually didn't trust people until meeting them for the first time. Besides, he'd read all about the man before coming to Hogwarts. While he had many honors and titles, Shikamaru couldn't dismiss his brief friendship and partnership with Gellert Grindelwald, one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards in all of wizarding history.

"We should try and find out what happened during his travels," Ron suggested.

"But how?" Harry frowned. "It's not like wizards have an international information system."

"I'll see if I can get some newspapers from where we know he went," Hermione said thoughtfully. "It doesn't necessarily have to be wizard news. Muggles report about strange things even if they don't understand them."

"And I'll get some outside help," Shikamaru concluded. He surveyed their excited expressions and felt a spike of pride in spite of the headache this was gearing up to be.

Ah, well, what was life without a little pain?

…

"Where's your trio of followers?"

These were the first words to greet Shikamaru when he stepped into the library with Neville and Percy Weasley in tow. From three very clearly separated tables, members from the other three houses looked over at him. Blaise, the one who had spoken, sat with Theodore Nott, Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. Ernie Macmillan sat with his housemates Susan Bones and Cedric Diggory, talking quietly amongst themselves. They were the only ones to greet Shikamaru in an amicable manner. At the last table sat Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, and Marcus Belby.

"You're here at last!" Ernie said in relief. "Now, perhaps you can explain what this is about? You weren't too clear with your initial explanation."

"My question first, Macmillan," Blaise drawled. He aimed a pointed look in Shikamaru's direction. "Where's the Golden Trio?"

(Little did Shikamaru know that this name would catch on, otherwise he would have tried his hardest to stop such a ridiculous epithet from spreading.)

"They won't be coming," he said easily. "They don't know about this meeting." Blaise raised his eyebrows with mockingly polite incredulity.

"So you can be separated from your people," Nott cut in condescendingly, "fascinating. Care to explain why we're here?"

"On the surface, and with the approval of the heads of houses and Professor Dumbledore, this is an inter-house study group. The first in school history, actually." Shikamaru paused as several people made their displeasure known. They graciously allowed for him to finish. "In reality though, we might study later, but for now we'll actually be an information group. Our subject is why Professor Quirrell is so suspicious. Therefore, we'll be researching him a bit."

"Is that it?" Nott asked with a sneer. "If we wanted to look into shady professors, we could do that on our own time." He stood up.

"Sit down, Nott," Shikamaru said flatly. "I'm not done." Nott froze and seemed to internally debate. A nod from Blaise had him slowly sitting again. "In addition to research, we'll be schooling ourselves on Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Quirrell isn't teaching us what we need to know. His class period is effectively a waste of time."

"That's all very well and good," Ernie Macmillan interjected, "but we have different years here. Surely first years aren't on the level of, say, fourth years." He nodded at Percy.

"Maybe Hufflepuffs aren't," Blaise said smoothly. "In Slytherin house, however, we pride ourselves on furthering our knowledge."

"Interesting, I thought they prided themselves on just about everything," Susan Bones said mildly. He smirked at her.

"We have a lot of talents, love," he leered. She rolled her eyes.

"Ernie, you're correct about the different levels," Shikamaru acknowledged, ignoring the byplay. He didn't want anything to do with it; really, he was just here to create what he planned to be a future information hub. He had not signed on to be a diplomat between the houses. That was shaping up to be an endless and painful headache. "But the few older years I've talked to say that Quirrell might as well be holding them back a year for the information he gives them. Besides, I needed some older, more responsible students here in order for the professors to agree. Percy is a Prefect, and Diggory is the school's actual Golden Boy."

His mouth quirked up in amusement at that. People tended to accuse Harry of being the idol and popularity focus, but Cedric Diggory was far more well-liked and well-known than Harry. Not surprising, really. Cedric came off as a bit more... charismatic, while Harry tended to be rather socially awkward at times.

"Besides. With this inter-house study group, the older years will have access to resources they didn't have before," he continued. He let them think it over. "Aside from the Slytherins, all of you knew why you were coming here. And I didn't tell you-" here he directed his eyes to the Snakes "-because I wanted you to actually show up."

They seemed to grudgingly respect this.

"You're free to go, if you want, but this covers the favor you owe me," he concluded. They held a silent conversation. While they did that, Diggory looked curiously at Percy.

"I'm surprised you're here," he confessed. "I thought you wouldn't like investigating a teacher like this."

Percy seemed to puff up. "Yes, well, if there is a professor harming student education, it is the duty of us Prefects - and of anyone in charge - to see that such actions are ended," he said a little haughtily. Shikamaru bit back an amused huff at Diggory's bemused but unoffended expression. At least he had one person who didn't seem to mind Percy's eccentricities.

"Alright, Nara," Blaise said suddenly, "we'll play your game. But after this, we're through, deal? We help you catch Quirrell, and we don't owe you. Any of us."

Shikamaru let his amusement show with a slouch and an indolent smirk. "Sure. As you say," he agreed. Blaise's expression turned calculating.

"Excellent. Where do we start, then?" he asked. Shikamaru was a bit thrown by the sudden shift in mood, but didn't let it distract him.

"I thought we'd begin with…"

…

Shikamaru surveyed his "study group" and felt a flare of pride somewhere deep inside. The Slytherin's were actually deigning to interact with the other houses, handing off valuable information like it was nothing. The Ravenclaws were interspersed throughout the tables, using their keen intellects to problem-solve and troubleshoot. The Hufflepuffs kept everything moving smoothly with impressive diplomacy. Diggory in particular helped keep conflicts from arising.

And the Gryffindors were holding their own. Percy managed to hold a modicum of respect that clearly pleased him, and Neville hung out with the nicer members - something Shikamaru had done on purpose to get his friend's abysmal self-esteem to acceptable levels. And Shikamaru himself was overseeing the entire thing. He didn't know when he'd tell Ron, Harry, and Hermione, but he could deal with that later. For now, it was enough to see progress.

Ninjutsu (Techniques):

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone technique): Creates copies of user, splits chakra in half for each clone, and transmits memories of clone to user after it dispels. B-rank, hand seals are Clone seal or Tiger seal. (Mentioned).

(1): Shikamaru doesn't like flying or anything associated with it. Ha.

Guest Reviews for Chapter 4 (Bottom to Top):

Guest: I used to think that way, but after multiple emphatic reviews, I can safely say that I've been convinced otherwise. Thanks for the support and review!

Wanderer13: It seems I never answered your review. Most sincere apologies! I don't mean to ignore anyone. Anyway, yes. Shikamaru is awesome, and he will have a far greater impact than anyone except us readers/writers will ever know - unless there's some fourth wall breakage, which there won't be. I understand your hesitations with Lupin and his status, and that will come up, but I...don't really have a solution for it yet. Hopefully I'll get one by the time it becomes an issue, because I can completely see how that would be a problem.

To tell you the truth, I'm really excited for every book after the second one, no matter how much we need it to set up the plot. Lupin will definitely be a professor. Thank you so much for this glorious review!

NatNicole: Thank you, thank you. And, now, because I've re-written the chapter, I'm not entirely certain what you're talking about with Ron...sorry I didn't get to answering your review before now. Thank you so much for your review.

Ake: No action! We need some plot, yeah? Besides, who needs action when you have *gasp* Slytherins? Yes, Ron's time to shine as a partner-in-strategy, though now because of my edits, Shikamaru's going to be managing two groups of people. Oh dear! So, Shikamaru does look like himself. Basically his body regressed completely, only to grow in the same fashion it did in Naruto. But his mind is untouched - or so we think so far *wink, wink*. And the rebirth and stuff will be explained! Eventually. As for the troll snot...sorry. I just thought, when reading through the books, that that part was particularly gross and didn't bear repeating. Sorry! Anyway, thanks for the great review!

A/N: Hello! As we can see, I've changed a few things. Important things. So. And I've taken a very long time for this. Apologies. My friend's been breathing fire down my neck, but it hasn't really helped my writer's block. Sorry again. If it makes you feel better, she's making me suffer for my delay. Hope you like or at least respect the changes! Drop off a review if you don't mind, and have an excellent foreseeable future!

RECOMMENDATIONS: (Tell me if you like them and if you have any to recommend yourselves!"

Effloresco Secondus – romantiscue: A crossover where Hermione has been reborn as Sakura! A very different Team Seven and a bit more realistic. No romance. There is character progression (love that in stories). Rated M – sorry! Again! No sex, but violence and intense situations. Just a warning.

One Eye, Full of Wisdom – MrBright01: A brilliant take on a more serious Kakashi and the resulting Team Seven. Team Seven centric, and there is no bias or bashing. It's a beautiful story with no romance. The author has a brilliant mind for strategy, you'll see what I mean if you read it. Rated T, for once.

Changes to the story in Chapter 4 (forgive me if I miss some details, but I'm focusing on the big stuff for those of you who care):

Names are mentioned during the childhood scene, and it is confirmed that ex-Death Eaters are behind Shikamaru's "therapy". Also, there's mention of a prophecy.

Shikamaru establishes that he does, in fact, know who Harry Potter is.

During the troll scene, Shikamaru sends Hermione and Harry off to find teachers because he finds himself cornered by the troll. Ron remains and tries to help. Snape saves the day by preventing the troll from falling on Shikamaru.