Nothing much happened in the next few days Ichigo spent at Hogwarts, although he did make sure to keep a closer eye on the Potter boy. If the reports and the reason he was here were true and Voldemort was about to return to a functioning body, then no doubt Potter would be Riddle's prime target. It wasn't a strategically sound plan, to target someone in the middle of a well-protected school with many powerful teachers around, but it was simply human tendency. Riddle would target Potter simply for ego's sake. Surely it wouldn't be good for the so-called 'Dark Lord' if he wanted to gather his followers to be known by the legacy of being defeated by a mere baby.
One morning, however, Ichigo woke up to an irritated owl pecking at his head.
"Ow, what the hell!" Ichigo shouted, lashing out instinctively, accidentally batting the owl in the head and knocking it head over claws backwards in an explosion of feathers and a startled squawk! "Crap… sorry," Ichigo said, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
The owl hooted indignantly, pecking Ichigo again and dropping an envelope on his chest before flapping its way out of the open window. Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned them to the envelope, slitting it with a small dagger which he then returned up his sleeve. Skimming over the contents of the letter from the Headmaster, Ichigo smirked. It seemed that the representatives from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would be arriving today. This would be interesting.
Ichigo crouched on the roof above the courtyard where the entire school had assembled to await the arrival of the two other schools. He didn't like crowds, but he didn't want to miss this. He listened idly as the crowd below babbled on.
And then Dumbledore called out from the back row, where he stood with the other teachers, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"
Ichigo's sharp eyes and senses had picked up on the approaching giant flying carriage a while back, but the wizards didn't have that advantage.
"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.
"There!" yelled a sixth-year, pointing over the Forest.
Ichigo watched as the flying carriage grow larger, and rolled his eyes as the students freaked out, trying to guess what the large flying object was.
The giant carriage landed and Ichigo was slightly surprised at the size of the horses pulling them, but he had seen hollows that were much larger than these. A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Ichigo's eyes widened at the size of the woman who stepped out immediately afterwards. The woman was easily the size of Zaraki Kenpachi.
Dumbledore started to clap. The students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman. Her face relaxed into a gracious smile, and she walked forwards towards Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.
"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice that caused Ichigo to choke a bit, "I 'ope I find you well?"
Ichigo remembered that Beauxbatons was located in France, which explained the accent. He winced slightly as he also realized that it was more than likely that the students would be dressed according to the French weather and would probably be unprepared for the chilly English climate.
He was right. They were shivering, with a few of them having wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. From what Ichigo could see of their faces, they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.
"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.
"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"
"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses-
"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation which has arisen with some of his other, er, charges."
"My steeds require, er, forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong…"
Ichigo snorted in amusement. He could probably handle them by himself. Animals were instinctive creatures, and they usually knew when they were in the presence of a being much greater and more powerful than them.
"I assume you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.
"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly, "will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"
"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.
Madame Maxime was about to lead her students inside when Dumbledore seemed to remember something. Ichigo rolled his eyes again. It took the old man long enough to remember.
"Ah, before you go inside, my dear Madame," he said, catching the large woman's attention, "I would like to introduce you to a special guest we at Hogwarts are very privileged to host this year. We have with us Ichigo Kurosaki, special envoy of the magical government of Japan. He is here representing his government as they begin to open themselves up to the rest of the magical world."
"Wonderful!" said Madame Maxime. "I am very 'appy to 'ear zat. But where is he?" she wondered, looking around. Ichigo smirked from the roof. This was his cue. Oh, how he loved dramatic entrances.
Maxime and her students started as he appeared in a flurry of black, his overcoat billowing around his figure, before her, kneeling politely. Standing, he took her hand and kissed it. "Greetings, Madame Maxime," he said. "It is a pleasure to meet such an esteemed member of the French magical community."
Maxime seemed to be dumbstruck for a moment at his sudden appearance, but before she could say anything somebody shouted from the crowd behind them, "The lake!"
From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water – except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface. Waves were washing over the muddy banks. Then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor.
Ichigo was slightly surprised. He didn't think that the wizards had assimilated with mundane technology enough to acquire a submarine or similar. It turned out he was right. A skeletal-looking ship which, Ichigo estimated, looked to be about late 17th century in design, rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. Dim, misty lights shimmered at its portholes, looking like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide towards the bank. A few moments later, Ichigo heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.
People began disembarking; Ichigo could make out their faces as they passed the lights in the ship's portholes. He noted that all of them were muscular and large. It seemed at first that they were bulky and broad-shouldered as a whole, but Ichigo saw that they were covered in heavy, shaggy brown fur coats. But the man that was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.
"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you my dear fellow, how are you?"
Ichigo frowned as he took in the man's reiatsu. It seemed normal enough, except for an odd dark, slimy reiatsu that oozed off the man's right arm, similar to Snape and Moody. Another potential variable in his plans, apparently.
Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice, and Ichigo disliked him immediately for it. The thin man reminded him of the haughty Kuchiki elders when they initially tried to prevent him from marrying Rukia. Luckily, Byakuya was able to pull some strings and they shut up after that.
"And who is this?" Karkaroff asked after greeting Madame Maxime, looking at Ichigo with a critical eye.
Ichigo bowed politely, causing Karkaroff to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki," he said, "special envoy of the magical government of Japan, captain of the Twelfth division of the Thirteen Imperial Court Guard Squads, president of the Research and Development Institute, minor lord of the Kuchiki clan. It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor Karkaroff."
Dumbledore chuckled merrily at both Madame Maxime and Karkaroff's slightly startled expressions. "Captain Kurosaki here has a great many titles," he said with amusement. He clapped his hands, attracting the attention of all, including the Hogwarts students who were apparently gawking at a particular Durmstrang student. "Now! Let us go inside to warm up, I am sure none of you want to stay out here in the cold for very long."
They turned and strode up the lawn towards the castle, but before they could take many steps, startled yells caused many to turned their heads back around, trying to see what the source of the commotion was.
Ichigo knew that things were about to get very, very complicated as he felt the familiar feeling of an opening senkai gate. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath, facepalming. Dumbledore, Maxime, and Karkaroff looked at him curiously. "I didn't really expect them to actually come. Apparently Luna has the ability to predict the future…"
The students and teachers, English, French, and Norwegian alike gasped and gaped as a set of glowing Eastern-style rice-paper doors appeared in the air. Ichigo straightened his clothing and strode forward towards the doors, which slid open, revealing a blinding white portal.
Five figures, none of which the European wizards recognized, stepped onto the grass, their woven sandals padding softly against the ground as they lined up facing the crowd of students and teachers. The doors slid shut behind them with a clack, vanishing mysteriously into the air.
Ichigo took in the sight of his comrades, who had apparently come to visit him at the perfect time. Turning back to the crowd of wizards and witches, he gestured to the five shinigami, although the magicals did not know them as such. "It appears that some of my companions have decided to join us here at Hogwarts," he said, his voice carrying through the chilly English air. "Allow me to introduce them.
At his nod, the first figure, a tall man with a scarred and tattooed face, wearing some sort of Japanese robe with a katana like Ichigo's sheathed at his waist, stepped forward. He stood stock-still, his sharp eyes taking in those before him.
"This is Hisagi Shuuhei, Vice-captain of the Ninth division, editor-in-chief of the Seireitei Monthly." Bowing politely to the wizards, Hisagi took a step back, and the next figure stepped forward.
To the surprise and bewilderment of many in the crowd, this one was rather short. Although he looked about the age of an older teenager, his hair was completely white, a white purer than even that of Dumbledore's hair. Dressed in the same robe as Hisagi, the wizards also noted that he wore a sleeveless white cloak with a turquoise lining, with a similarly-colored scarf wrapped around his neck. A thin golden chain with an elaborate clasp crossed his chest diagonally, and the hilt of a katana was visible over his shoulder, sheathed in a style similar to Ichigo's. Many girls in the crowd, especially the French ones, sighed dreamily at his eyes, which were a stunning teal-green hue.
"This is Hitsugaya Toushiro, Captain of the Tenth division, and a close friend of mine." Like Hisagi before him, Toushiro bowed politely and stepped back in line.
The next one, surprisingly, was a girl about the same age as Toushiro, with a warm and kind face. Her hair was tied in a bun behind her head, with two thicker bangs framing either side of her face. Her eyes were soft and friendly, and she smiled a dazzling smile. A katana was sheathed at her waist also.
"This is Hitsugaya Momo," Ichigo said, causing some gasps from the crowd, along with sighs of disappointment, as many realized what her name meant. "She is the wife to Captain Hitsugaya, Captain of the Fifth division, and is known as a kidou master within the Gotei 13." Momo bowed also, stepping back like those before her to rejoin the five.
Ichigo's sharp ears heard someone in the crowd mutter, "But she and that shorty look so young! And they're married?" and sighed. There clearly would be some explaining to do.
The next figure was tall and carried a noble air about him. It wasn't haughty like Lucius Malfoy, but the man still held a commanding presence. His black hair was held by several ivory, exquisitely carved clips, and an expensive-looking silk scarf was wrapped around his neck loosely. A sleeveless white cloak, similar to Toushiro's, albeit with golden lining and a high collar, graced his shoulders, and white fingerless gloves covered the back of his hands. His katana was sheathed traditionally at his waist.
"This is Kuchiki Byakuya," Ichigo introduced, and bowed to the man, which surprised many of the onlookers. "He is the 28th Head of the Noble Kuchiki Family and Captain of the Sixth division."
Finally, the last figure stepped forward. She was a shorter woman, girl even, but she held the same commanding air as Byakuya had before her. A similar white cloak as those before her framed her body, and although her robes themselves were black many of those watching had the feeling that the girl exuded an aura of pure white. White fingerless gloves like Byakuya also covered her hands, although unlike Byakuya's they extended to her elbows. Unlike the four shinigami introduced before her, she had not a single katana, but a pair. One, with a pure white hilt and white silk tassel extending from the pommel was sheathed at her waist, and another, an exact copy of the first, although looking as though it was crafted out of ice, was sheathed diagonally across her back. A bonelike clip, also exquisitely carved, adorned her hair, which was cut short in a bob, with a single bang falling across her face. Violet eyes stared sharply at the crowd, and many were struck dumb by her beauty and quiet grace.
"And finally," said Ichigo, and many were shocked at the soft smile that had crossed his face and at the way his golden eyes warmed to amber, "allow me to introduce Kuchiki Rukia, princess of the Noble House of Kuchiki, Captain of the Thirteenth division of the Imperial Court Guard Squads, kidou master, known to many in the Gotei 13 as 'The White Moon,' and…" Ichigo paused, and the soft smile widened into a grin that was neither bloodthirsty nor sadistic. "My wife."
#
Here's the next chapter! The highly-anticipated entrance of the other shinigami to Hogwarts, as well as the entrance of the delegates for the Tri-wizard Tournament! Also, I'm sorry to say that this will most likely be the last daily update for this story. School starts in a few days, and I've been catching up on summer homework (ew), so I haven't had much time to write lately. As a result, the updates will come less often, though I will still try to maintain a consistent rate. Thanks for reading, drop a review if you can, and I'll see you next time!
~fokker333