Wow...this took way too long to type up. Damn homework...

Well, I hope you all like this chapter! I wrote it during some of my classes at school. xD It's kinda boring, though...mainly explanations in this chapter...but I need to get everything set up for later on. Bear with me here, people!

Thanks to my "sister" and friend Hisana, who helped me with the Japanese honorifics for this chapter, 'cause I completely suck at those. xD

Oh, and Rukia's still OOCish...I apologize again for it. Also, there will be spoilers for the Soul Society arc of Bleach and up in later chapters. Just wanted to warn you.

Enjoy :D

Part 1: Mission Impossible?

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Chapter 1: The Mission! Identities Revealed

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Rukia shot down the hall towards the 1st division captain's office, her chest contracting painfully, her face flushed red from running. 'First that incident with Nii-sama, and now I'm late for an important meeting! What's wrong with me?!' She burst through the doors."I-I'm sorry I'm--"

A mocking voice interrupted her. "What's wrong, Rukia? A little bit of running too much for ya now?"

Rukia's gaze traveled over to the corner of the captain's office, where a tall, black-robed figure with orange hair cockily leaned against a wall. She grinned and said, as her usual reply to his gibes, "Shut up, Strawberry!" Rukia ran over to Ichigo and playfully punched him. Hard. (Harder than usual, at least.)

Ichigo flinched. "Oww! What the hell, Rukia? Damn, that hurt!" he yelled in protest, swinging his arms out in front of him as a shield.

Rukia froze, her fist in midair about to hit its target once again. Something in her expression changed. Her eyes widened in unexplainable fear and worry. She backed away from Ichigo, clamping her hands over her mouth. "Oh! Sorry, Ichigo!! I'm--"

"What, is all you do nowadays apologize?" came another teasing voice belonging to a tall red-headed boy bearing the badge of a 6th division vice-captain on his arm.

Rukia spun around. "R-renji?" Confusion clouded her eyes briefly.

Renji crossed his arms and frowned. "What, you're not happy to see me?" he asked, raising an elaborately tattooed eyebrow.

'That expression…' Rukia violently shook her head. "Wh—ye—no—I mean, of course I am! I'm--"

"Don't. Say. It." Renji held up a hand to prevent Rukia from (once again) apologizing.

Rukia stopped short and took a deep breath. "Okay…" She tentatively smiled, seeming to break away from her sudden odd behavior. "So, have you two been told about this "important mission"?...That is what you're here for, isn't it?" she asked, looking at Ichigo and Renji to make sure.

Ichigo got off the wall and walked over to Rukia, lightly smacking her on her head. "Of course, dumbass. What's wrong with you? You don't think we came here just to hang out, now do ya?"

Rukia smacked Ichigo right back on his head good-naturedly, grabbed his arm, and twisted it backwards. "Now look here, Strawberry," she said as Ichigo's face clenched in pain, "I--"

"Excuse me, but would you quiet down?" An old man wearing the uniform of a 1st division captain walked into the room. He looked inquisitively at the struggling pair that was Rukia and Ichigo, and looked at Renji, who was rolling his eyes, trying to tear the other two apart.

As the trio suddenly became aware of the captain's presence, they stumbled away from each other and bowed clumsily. "H-hai, Yamamoto-sou-taichou!" Rukia and Renji hastily said.

"Hai, Jii-san…" muttered Ichigo, who promptly received another smack from Rukia.

"Ichigo! Stop being so rude!" she whispered between clenched teeth. She was about to hit him again when a deep laugh sounded from the Captain.

"Don't hit him too hard there, Kuchiki-san. We don't want him being injured before the mission even begins! Now, why don't you three have a seat over here?" the Captain gestured to the couch in front of his desk.

"Hai, Yamamoto-sou-taichou…" Rukia mumbled, backing away from Ichigo.

The trio went over to sit down in front of the Captain, who had shuffled over to sit down behind his desk and was now eyeing them closely. Ichigo stared back at him impudently, while Renji played with the bandana around his head and Rukia smoothed out non-existent wrinkles in her uniform.

"So, what's this mission we're going on, anyways?" Ichigo burst out suddenly, not able to take much more of the odd silence.

The Captain chuckled. "Eager to leave now, are we?"

"Damn right…" Ichigo said under his breath.

The Captain didn't seem to hear. "Well, the three of you have a difficult job ahead of you. I can only hope that you're up to it."

When the trio enthusiastically nodded, the Captain went on, pleased, "Good. Now, you three are going to act as transfer students in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will be 16 year olds in their seventh and final year of school." He grinned, looking at Rukia. "Kuchiki-san, you, especially, shouldn't have trouble with pretending to be what you are not."

Rukia smiled, remembering the time when she posed as a student at Ichigo's high school. She glanced at Ichigo, who was staring off into space, his expression blank, but with a faint trace of a smile on his face. Perhaps he was remembering…? With great difficulty, Rukia drew her attention back to the Captain.

"I have spoken with Albus Dumbledore, the…former headmaster of Hogwarts. He has told me that a man by the name of Lucius Malfoy has succeeded on sending him to Azkaban, where he waits release from, hopefully, you three or the Ministry of Magic--"

The Captain abruptly broke off when Ichigo and Renji started snorting, trying in vain to hold back their laughter. Rukia stared at them, shocked that they would be laughing at a time like this.

"S-sorry, Yamamoto-sou-taichou! This all just sounds so…weird," Renji burst out.

"Haha, yeah, like something from a fantasy book or somethin' like that…something from a story children are told at night!" Ichigo laughed.

The Captain glared at them, which, in a second, immediately ceased their fit of laughter. " This isn't something to laugh about. Try and pretend at least to be serious you two, okay? ... Now, where were we? … Ah, yes. You three, as part of your other task, are going to have to, if possible, find a way to free Albus Dumbledore from prison. The other said task is to protect the Mudbloods and find a way to restore Hogwarts back to normal, getting rid of Lucius Malfoy in the process."

"Umm…sorry, Yamamoto-sou-taichou, but what exactly are 'Mudbloods'?" Rukia asked curiously.

"Oh, forgive me! I must explain…" the Captain said, fixing his gaze intently on the trio again. "Now, we have no such divisions here…well, actually, maybe we do. There are humans, shinigami, and hollows, for example. The shinigami can be divided into three classes: one with powers whose parents were both previous shinigami, one with powers whose mother or father was a previous shinigami, and one with powers who has no parents who were previous shinigami. Do you follow me so far?"

Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo nodded, trying to let the information sink in.

"Good. Now, in the world of wizards and witches, which you three will soon be transferred to, there are similar divisions of class. There are wizards who have parents with magical powers. These are called Purebloods. Then, there are wizards who have only one parent with powers. They would be called Half-bloods. Lastly, there are wizards who have been blessed with powers, although neither of their parents possess any magical abilities. They are called Mudbloods."

"Jeez…that's a damn insulting name…" Ichigo figured.

"How right you are, Kurosaki Ichigo. 'Mudblood' is a very degrading term...Which brings me to the other part of your mission. This Lucius Malfoy is a Pureblood, and how proud of that fact he is. Because he is now Hogwarts Headmaster, he has allowed Death Eaters to pour into the school. Death Eaters are servants of the Dark Lord, who I am sure you will hear about often once you arrive at the school. Anyway, these Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy himself, are all Purebloods, and take it upon themselves to rid the world of Mudbloods, who they find 'unworthy.' You three are to protect the Mudbloods in the school, somehow get rid of Lucius Malfoy, and free Dumbledore, all the while avoiding the Dark Lord, who will try and interfere with your mission. Beware, for the Dark Lord has many servants, many people who carry out his work, so you must be careful at whom you trust. Alright?" The Captain eyed them seriously.

The trio nodded. "Hai, Yamamoto-sou-taichou."

"Oh, and a few more things…you three will find out that in Hogwarts, your heritage may mean more than your abilities. When I say 'heritage', I mean your class. Are you are Pureblood, Halfblood, or a Mudblood? Where do you stand?"

"I'm a Halfblood!" Renji called out. When Ichigo and Rukia looked at him questioningly, he explained, "My father had shinigami powers; my mother didn't. I obviously inherited my father's abilities," Renji said proudly.

"Yeah right," Ichigo scoffed. "I'm sure your father was as much of an arrogant idiot as you are!"

"What did you say?" Renji stood up, glaring at Ichigo, who also rose.

Rukia sighed. "Will you two stop?" When they calmed down, she continued, "So, Ichigo, what are you?"

"Huh?...Oh, I guess I'd be a Mudblood. 'Cause my father doesn't have shinigami powers, and neither does my mother. Come to think of it, I only have these powers 'cause of you, Rukia, right?" Ichigo figured.

Rukia nodded proudly, then, turning to the Captain, she started, "Yamamoto-sou-taichou, what--"

"Wait, Rukia. You haven't told us what you are yet." Renji pointed out.

Rukia's shoulders stiffened. She turned around to glare at Renji, obviously not appreciative of his statement. Her eyes tore away from Renji's face to stare at the floor.

"Yeah, Rukia. What are you?" Ichigo asked, genuinely interested.

Her gaze stayed averted from her friends.

"C'mon, Rukia. What's the matter? It can't be that bad….I mean, I'm sure if Ichigo's a Mudblood, you surely can't be one." Renji told her nonchalantly.

Rukia sighed and faced Renji and Ichigo, finally looking at them with a distant stare, her hands clenched at her side. "…Nii-sama told me…" She paused.

Ichigo nodded his head, encouraging her on. "What did he say, Rukia?"

"H-he told me that he knew my parents…he said that they were both previously highly skilled shinigami before they became too old and weak to fight. So that would make me--"

"A Pureblood," Ichigo and Renji finished in unison.

"Damn, Rukia…that's so awesome!" said Ichigo, grinning widely.

"Yeah, it is," agreed Renji. "You never told me this!"

Rukia gave them a half smile. "Yeah, I guess its okay…"

"Hey, I bet that's why Byakuya accepted you into his family in the first place…'cause you were of pure blood, and he knew you had some sort of potential. You weren't just some needy, bratty orphan…like Renji was." Ichigo said.

Renji aimed a punch towards Ichigo's face. "You--"

Rukia rolled her eyes and turned her back on them and faced the Captain, who was still waiting patiently for them to finish. She saw that he was looking at her intently, some unexplainable emotions flickering in his eyes.

She decided he looked…concerned. He looked like he wanted to tell her something, but held back from it for some reason.

Then, he blinked. His expression became business-like again. "Well, now that all three of you have found out where you stand in the magical world, I'd like you to have a seat again. I need to tell you a few more things."

Ichigo and Renji stopped bickering, and immediately sat down next to Rukia, eager to start on their mission.

"You should arrive at Hogwarts in a matter of a few hours. When you get there, the students and professors should be in the Great Hall having their dinner. You will be introduced there as transfer students who are in the 7th year. Then you will be sorted. Now, this is why I am worried…There are four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. New students at Hogwarts are sorted into one of these four Houses depending on their skills, characteristics, and, unfortunately, their blood heritage. I know for a fact that only Purebloods are accepted into Slytherin. So only Kuchiki-san has a chance of being put in there…I can only hope that the three of you will be put in the same House. You see, I could've chosen anyone for this mission, but I decided on you three because of, firstly, your appearances—you all look around sixteen to seventeen years old, with the exception of Kurosaki Ichigo, who is sixteen. I also chose you three because I know you are very close—you have a strong bond of friendship. You work well together, despite your…frequent disagreements."

Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo looked at each other and laughed. "True, Yamamoto-sou-taichou," said Rukia. "But it's always these two. It's never me!"

The Captain smiled. "I wish I could believe that, Kuchiki-san…Anyway, the last reason I chose you was because of your personalities. I am assuming you all share the same values and similar characteristics. Because of this, you should all be sorted into the same House. It's not bad if you aren't, but it will be much easier for you to complete your mission if you are. You will share the same common room and the same classes. It will be much easier for you to communicate. Oh, and speaking of communicating, either myself or another captain of the Gotei 13 will contact you on a regular basis. You must make sure that you are ALONE when you are talking to one of us. You must tell no one the real reasons for you being at Hogwarts. Be careful. Understand?"

The trio nodded.

"Good." The Captain stood up from behind his desk. "Now, you three should best be off. Follow this. It will lead you to your destination." He released a Hell Butterfly, which fluttered its wings and, after flying around Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo, flew out the door of the Captain's office.

They bowed to the Captain. Then, after making sure they each had their zanpakuto, they turned to follow the Hell Butterfly. "Goodbye, Yamamoto-sou-taichou," called Rukia and Renji as they walked out the door.

Ichigo turned back to face the Captain, grinning. "See ya, Jii-san." He waved and ran after his friends.

The Captain smiled. "Goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo. And good luck."

So...how was it? Good, bad, something in between? Please leave a review, light flames accepted. :D

Oh, and the next chapter will probably be posted under 'Harry Potter' when I update, since Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo will be in Hogwarts and will no longer be in the Soul Society. It might be transfered back to 'Bleach', though. It depends on how well the story does over there.

-Red Princess-