I'm back!

I don't own Harry Potter or Naruto.

A little refresher...

Dog = Naruto

Cat = Sakura

Bird = Sasuke

Enjoy.

.:Ghosts:.

Harry began to stare down at his empty plate, only half listening as Hermione explained to a less than interested Ron about the affect Umbridge's presence on Hogwarts.

He only turned his attention back to the extravagant podium again when Professor Dumbledore had reclaimed his place behind it.

"Yes, thank you Professor, that was a very…enlightening speech," Harry's lips quirked as even Dumbledore seemed to struggle with the right words to use in addressing Umbridge's rather dreadful monologue.

"Before we all tuck into our evening meal, I find it necessary to introduce you all to the new security measures that will be employed here for the school year…"

Harry tensed a bit in his seat as he thought about the strange guards that hadn't laid eyes on since there strange encounter in the train station. He wasn't sure if it was dread or anticipation that weighed heavily in his stomach. Their presence here would certainly make the school year run differently than he was accustomed to, whether that was a good thing or not had yet to be seen.

"…they are trained professionals from a land very far from ours. They possess a different form of magic than you or I…"

Harry's brow creased in confusion, surly he hadn't thought them to be muggle, but they never quite seemed magical either. He heard Hermione practically bursting with a sudden slew of questions he was sure to be bombarded with later, question he obviously would not know the answers to.

"…be wary though, they are fierce warriors. While they are here to protect you, I do not think they would take kindly to any undue behavior…"

Dumbledore's eyes shifted imperceptibly over the Gryffindor's table.

"I would like to introduce you all to the—"

"WAAAAAAAAHH!" Aloud screech echoed through the Great Hall .

Several dozen students stood in shock unsure of whether to stay or flee, Harry was silently pleased to see one of them was Malfoy, conviently ignoring his own hand wrapped tightly around his wand.

Seconds later a figure came hurtling through the previously shut door of the Great Hall.

The shock of blonde hair let Harry know it was Dog who cam barreling into the dining hall. Shortly after him were Cat and Bird walking in a slightly more composed manner.

Harry's eyes flickered to Hermione and Ron who were sitting in similar states of shock, much like the rest of the student population. Looking dumbfounded up to Dumbledore he found the rather eccentric Headmaster hadn't even flinched, his broad smile still in place as if the whole thing was unfolding just as he had expected it to. The new Defense Professor did not look as equally amused.

"I quit!" Dog yelled as he reached the front end of the tables, several feet still separating him and the Headmaster.

Harry's eyes widened at the sudden exclamation and he heard Hermione release a similar gasp of surprise and what he could have sworn was a sigh of relief from Ron.

"I quit, no person ever speak of persons of dead swimming in the sky, I no stay! I no stay!"

…What?

Dog was flailing around wildly throwing out random strings of foreign and English words in his distressed state making absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Bird and Cat finally reached their companion and Dog began spouting off in a loud manner to them in words Harry had no hope of understanding.

Harry silently wondered what could have left him in such a distressed state. It had to be serious, right? These were supposedly trained professionals in the art of protection or whatever it was Dumbledore had said. Perhaps they realized that it was hopeless for them to try and protect them all from Voldemort because it wasn't possible.

"Gyaaah!" Harry jumped a bit as Cat smacked Dog so hard upside the head he stumbled forward and face planted into the steps.

So much for professional, they looked more like a circus side show….albeit an intimidating one.

"What do you think he was saying?" Hermione leaned over to him.

Harry shrugged keeping his eyes glued to the guards he had spent the summer with, standing up before Dumbledore.

"What happens to be the problem?" Dumbledore asked calmly and Harry could almost feel the whole student population lean in to hear the response of the odd group. "Who are these swimming sky people?" It was such an odd sentence to be spoken aloud in such a serious manner.

Cat looked over to Bird apparently expecting him to speak, a gesture Harry found odd considering the dark hair man rarely spoke within the last month of their awkward acquaintance.

"The apparitions are unsettling."

The what…?

"WAAAH! They back! They back!" Dog jumped up and down in a panicked frenzy before shoving Cat towards the door. "Take her, I no taste good! Promise!"

Harry's head whipped around as his wand flew out of his robes as many other older students reacted in the same manner. Wands raised ready to face the approaching threat, ready for something so terrifying that not even a fully trained guard would dare face it down.

Ready to face…Nearly Headless Nick.

"I dare say, what a rude manner in which to greet a gentleman," he sniffed before floating away.

It was silent for a moment before a rather snide tone broke of the crowd.

"He's afraid of the ghosts!" Cackling laughter broke out over the hall, it grew louder and louder as more students began chiming in.

"Settle down, settle down," Dumbledore called out over the chaos quelling the boisterous atmosphere into an excited hum.

"I promise the castle's ghosts will do you no harm during your stay here," Dumbledore smiled in addressing them before turning back to the students. "As I was saying earlier I would like to introduce you to the guards who will be protecting our beloved school this year. "Dog," who stood trembling behind, "Cat," who was simultaneously trying to shake him off while looking over her shoulder for any kind of support from, " and Bird," who stood sullenly with his arms crossed over his white chest plate. "Be assured that as long as they are here you will be safe."

Just as the words left Dumbledore's mouth, Dog fell back in a dead faint because one of the other house ghosts had gotten a tad too close, Cat began shaking the unconscious man and yelling him in exasperated annoyance ad Bird just crossed his arms and walked out of the Great Hall.

Yes, their fearless protectors. Harry felt safer already….

It's been quite awhile and I must apologize I've had quite the eventful few months and my inspiration for writing died. I'm back though...however it will take a bit of time to get back up to par. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you have something you want to see let me know and I will try my best. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon.

Also, if you were curious the inspiration for this chapter came from Naruto's fear of ghosts displayed in a few filler episodes of Naruto.

Hope you enjoyed it!