Author's Note -

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make any money off of writing this. This is for enjoyment only.

I have rated this as "M" because I expect things to get a little steamy later in the story, so not "M" now but later on. This is SLASH, if you don't like Harry paired with a male character please find another story as that will be a large part of this one.

I am my own beta so there are bound to be some mistakes. If you find any please reference them and let me know what the correction would be so that I can fix it.

"…" = speech

'…' = thought

Word = Japanese that will be explained in the AN at the end

Enjoy the story!

Harry walked down the empty corridor as dusk. He knew that right about now everyone would be settling down in the great hall for another amazing meal to finish off the third week of classes created by the house elves. However, he just didn't find himself hungry, nor could he force himself to eat if he went. It was still too early in the school year to have overcome the food deprivation he encountered at the Dursley's that summer. Even with a few weeks spent at the Weasley's he just couldn't force himself to eat more than two meals a day. This year wasn't as bad as years when he was younger before coming to Hogwarts; especially with Petunia giving him more than a slice of bread each day in a small show of thanks for saving Dudley from the dementors. But until a few more weeks went by and he got used to eating the rich foods again Harry planned to stick to two meals a day at most.

As Harry drew near the doors leading out onto the castle grounds he saw Headmaster Dumbledore, Professors Snape and McGonagall, and both the Head Boy and Girl, a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw respectfully this year, opening the doors to welcome someone. Harry paused half way down the stairs trying not to draw attention to himself. After all, Hermione already threatened to tell McGonagall and Pomfrey that he wasn't eating if he skipped any more meals and Harry didn't want to find out if she followed through. Both women could be scary in their own right, but when combined together on a mission they were worse. It would see Harry locked up in the Hospital Wing for a few days at minimum. Something he wanted to avoid very much.

Harry brought his attention back to those below him when he heard multiple feet cross the threshold. In through the doors walked a large group of violet robed wizards with their hoods up surrounding a group of three. Two older, mid-50s looking men with shoulder length wavy black hair stood on either side of the younger man in dark grey and midnight blue robes. The young man looked slightly older than Harry and seemed to be wearing a mix of golden brown and silver robes and had short red hair that was closer to the color of flames than the Weasley's ginger. They were also the only ones to have their hoods down. The younger man spoke briefly and quietly to one of the violet robed men on his right before turning his attention to the professors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I hope your travels were good and calm." Dumbledore began as the violet robed wizards spread throughout the hall creating a big circle around everyone in the middle. Harry was concerned that he would be pointed out and told to leave but the one that stopped before the stairs, who he realized was the same one spoken to earlier, seemed to wink at him before turning around to face the middle with a blank look on his face.

"Yes, the trip was fine. May we move past the usual pleasantries to the reason we were called here? It's not often we are called in for a job at a school." The older man on the left said as he looked around the hall, his black eyes briefly landing on Harry, and starting to change to brown, before moving on to look at those gathered before them.

"Of course. We can head to my office. This is our Head Boy and Girl for this year. I thought they could offer a student perspective to our conversation and why you were called in. As well as my Deputy Headmistress and one of our Head of Houses and our resident Potions Master and another Head of House." Dumbledore said gesturing towards the two students who nodded their heads in greeting and Professors McGonagall and Snape.

"Very well."

"Good, good. This way, please follow me." Dumbledore started leading the group towards the stairs opposite of where Harry was standing. The young man in the middle locked eyes with Harry before following after Dumbledore with an enigmatic smile. Harry was startled to realize that the man's eyes, which looked silver from where Harry was standing, had flashed to blue just before they left him. Before the guards all left, after all Harry couldn't think of what else they would be surrounding the three in the middle as they do, the one standing before the stairs Harry was on turned and walked towards him. Eyeing him warily Harry slipped his wand into his hand but refused to back up the stairs; he was a Gryffindor. It would be expected that he would stand his ground and be brave when an unknown guard came towards him.

"Stay calm. I only wish to pass on a message." The guard said coming to a stop a few stairs down from where Harry was standing.

"What's the message?" Harry slowly started to relax at the guard's calm voice.

"Come to this location again in four hours. I will await you by the door." The guard, finishing his message, bowed to Harry and then hurried to catch up to the group who was already making their way down the 2nd floor hall. Harry stared after him confused by the message, why would he come back in four hours? Who would be waiting for him and why? What did it mean that this group was showing up at Hogwarts this year? Were they here to help in the fight against Voldemort? Harry knew he wouldn't gain any answers standing in the stairway so he rushed back to Gryffindor Tower to grab him invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map. Maybe following this group after they met with Dumbledore could provide some answers.

Just over three hours later saw Harry at the top of the stairs leading to the entry way wondering if this was a good idea. He had been unable to figure anything out during that time since it seemed the group was planning to stay in Dumbledore's office for four hours. With so many names in one small room all Harry could see was black in the office on the map. Now, it was almost time for the meeting asked for in the strange message and Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to go down. Sure he wanted to know what was going on but the way the message was delivered as well as the strange change of eye color, he wasn't sure if he had actually seen something or not, he wasn't positive if he wanted to make the meeting.

Gathering his Gryffindor courage Harry made his way to the door, opened it, and decided to sit on the front steps. After all, the group will need to pass this way as they left and since one of them wanted to talk to him it made perfect sense to wait out there.

Harry drew his attention from the grounds and looked up at the stars. Some clouds were blocking out the moon allowing for more stars to shine through and with no wind the clouds didn't move allowing Harry to enjoy the sky.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Harry barely suppressed a shiver at the smooth voice speaking next to him. He hadn't even noticed when someone joined him outside or sat down. "That meeting went on longer than it should have. Your Headmaster likes to talk in riddles, circles, and shadows if you didn't know already."

Harry glanced over to see who was talking and was slightly surprised to find deep ocean blue eyes looking back at him. The longer Harry looked the more certain he felt that he imagined the silver earlier.

"Yes. He's been like that for as long as I've been here." Harry said unable to take his eyes off of the man sitting next to him. "Why…?"

"Hm?"

"I have a few questions but I'm not sure if I should ask them." Harry wasn't sure where this hesitance was coming from. If he was talking to the Headmaster the questions would be tumbling out; but for some reason he was hesitant to voice them now before this captivating person.

"Come, walk with me and ask your questions. I'll answer what I can." The man stood and reached out a hand to help Harry up. After a few moments Harry grabbed the hand and was led down onto Hogwarts' grounds. They started walking around the castle and Harry was so relaxed that he didn't realize that this stranger was still holding his hand.

"Now, what did you want to ask me?" The man prompted glancing at Harry.

"Um, I guess I was mostly wondering who you were. I overheard you when you first entered the castle."

"I know. That's why I sent you the message. If you hadn't been in the area I would have had to search for you. We are here to help where your Ministry cannot or will not."

"Why?"

"For various reasons the Ministry might not be willing or able to do something to help out whereas we are not bound by one country's laws, regulations, or political affiliations."

"But why would you be called here to Hogwarts? The one guy said you aren't often called to schools."

"Most schools are protected by their Ministries and various laws. However, whenever we are called we check out the situation and decide if we should step in."

"But why Hogwarts?"

"Didn't you have other questions?" The man steered them, with a hand on Harry's lower back, around the corner of the castle towards the back garden area next to the greenhouses.

"Oh, um. Yes I did. When I saw you earlier it looked like your eyes were silver, but when you were sitting next to me at the doors they were blue. Do they change colors?"

"What color do they look now?" The man asked turning to face Harry. Stopping their walk behind the greenhouses.

"Viridian." Harry whispered looking up slightly. The man smiled and back Harry up until he was against the outer wall to the castle.

"They do change colors naturally. It's a part of what I am. Can you guess what they mean?"

"I don't have any idea." Harry said softly staring into the eyes above him. The man crowded Harry against the wall a bit more.

"Let me give you a hint for the current color." He said lifting his hands to Harry's face. Before Harry could register what was happening the man was kissing him.

(I debated leaving it here but didn't want to do that to all of you lovely readers)

Harry didn't understand what was happening. His body felt like pulses were traveling through it from where he was connected to the man, down to the ground, and back. The pulses didn't feel bad. In fact they warmed him and he could feel his body relaxing into the kiss and eyes closing the longer it went on. He felt his body relax against the stone behind him, being held up by both the stone and the warm body that was pressed tightly to the front of him.

'Is this what a kiss is supposed to feel like?' He wondered bringing his hands up to grab a hold of the sides of the man's shirt. 'This is nothing like what it felt like to kiss Cho last year.'

Just before Harry believed he would pass out from lack of air a cough broke through the haze.

"Forgive me for interrupting. They will start wondering where he is. Student curfew started 20 minutes ago and we need to go back to our rooms." Harry blinked a few times before looking to his right to see the guard who gave the message earlier standing at the corner with four others. Harry felt a hand caress his cheek and then moving to tangle in his hair slightly caressing his head.

"Very well. Make sure Harry gets back safely. I'm sorry to leave things like this. I will see you in the morning and we can converse more than. Safe dreams koi." With one more short kiss the man pulled away and started to walk towards the castle entrance followed by four of the guards. The first guard beckoned Harry closer and Harry realized he really need to figure out their names, he couldn't keep calling them by numbers for much longer.

"Come along Harry, you need to get back to your dorm."

"How do you know my name? Who are you? Who was that man? What did that word mean?" Questions tumbled from his lips like water from a dam that burst as the haze started to lift.

"I shall answer your questions on the way to your dorm." Once more he beckoned Harry closer and started walking. "You were described in detail to us by your Headmaster. He wished for us to be aware of you and a few other students. My name is Minato. That is up to him to tell you, he will be quite embarrassed in the morning to learn he never told you his name. And I'll let him tell you the meaning of that word if you are unable to figure it out on your own." Minato responded while leading Harry up staircases that didn't move even after they got off.

"Why are all of you here? He didn't really say."

"I can't tell you. You shall learn why soon. And here we are, your dorms Harry. Safe dreams."

"Good night." Harry responded in a daze as he entered the portrait. It didn't cross his mind to ask how Minato knew to take him Gryffindor, where the dorms were located, or how The Fat Lady opened without a password. His thoughts were still circling around all that he encountered tonight.

"Harry James Potter! Where have you been? Ron and I have been worried sick. You missed dinner and have been missing since. I was about to go find a Professor!" Harry looked to his left and saw Hermione standing next to the couch by the fire with Ron sitting at the chess set.

"Yah mate, the cloak and map were gone too so we couldn't even search that." Ron added while pulling Hermione to sit down again. "Come sit and tells us what you've been up to."

Harry made his way over to the fireplace couches and debated what he would say. Something within him told him not to mention the guards or the kiss that was still at the top of his mind running on repeat.

"I went for a walk during dinner, grabbed some food from the kitchens, and grabbed my cloak and map to find a spot to quietly think. I wandered for a time and stayed out of trouble. I didn't mean to worry you. When I noticed how late it had become I made my way back." The small lies rolled off his tongue without a pause.

"As long you ate something I guess I can leave it. Don't do it again or send us a letter or something. I was worried." Hermione insisted before turning back to her studying. Ron rolled his eyes before turning back to the chess game he was playing against himself. Harry stared into the fire trying to focus on something other than the kiss but couldn't help but to remember the red of the man's hair that fit him perfectly with his color changing eyes.

After staring into the flames for another 15 minutes Harry stood startling Hermione and Ron.

"I'm going to head up now. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Night Harry."

"Night mate." Ron immediately went back to his chess game but Hermione looked after Harry slightly in concern. She had noticed how out of it Harry seemed when he came in and how focused he was on the fire. She hoped that everything was fine and that Harry would remember that they would be glad to help him if he needed anything. However, she mostly hoped that this year was quiet for Harry and they could all focus on their studies.

AN:

As a heads up I will be using Japanese words at times in the story and they will be translated here below. I use them not because the people are Japanese but because I wanted them to have their own language and Japanese is my 2nd language. It's much easier than making up new words.

Any Japanese names will not be translated and are chosen from the names of people I know (the characters are not based off of them just the names).

Koi: love (in this instance it is being used as a term of endearment)