First and only disclaimer of the story: I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter. They belong to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling and affiliates respectively. Some material may not be suitable for younger readers. This chapter contains dialogue and material taken directly from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I do not own any of this material, it belongs to J.K. Rowling only.

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Death Eater Attack at the World Cup!

Ministry Inept, Dark Mark Appears Over Chaos

Mysterious Stranger Responsible for Capture of Fourteen

Ichigo glared in annoyance at the bold headlines screaming up at him from the page of the newspaper as he sat down for breakfast. It seemed at the press in the human world, even in the wizarding world, was always meddling in other peoples' affairs. He had elected to wear his black overcoat today, as well as a black Victorian-style hat that covered his face and bright orange hair. He had heard several of the pub's occupants chattering excitedly over the newspaper article, and he didn't want to attract any attention to himself. It would simply complicate his mission if the press got too nosy with his personal business, considering his entire identity was forged and fake, no matter how well done it was.

His sharpened senses detected a large group of people entering the pub, and he looked up casually to see a family of red-heads, a bushy-haired girl, and a black-haired boy walk into the room. They sat down with a clatter at the table next to his and began talking. He began listening to their conversation discreetly, since several of the red-headed children and the other two looked about the age of Hogwarts students. Perhaps they would give him some insight as to what he could expect.

"Looks like the Daily Prophet didn't get a good look at that stranger at the World Cup," Harry commented as he sipped his water. "Weird. You'd think that with all those people somebody would have seen what he looked like."

"Well, you know what people are like with this sort of thing," said Arthur Weasley with a wry smile. "They tend to exaggerate." He frowned at the article lying on the table before them. "The press does it too, blow things out of proportion. 'Ministry inept…' for Pete's sake. It seems Rita Skeeter's at it again."

Harry ignored a pompous outburst from Percy and turned to his two friends. "Say, I really do wonder who that guy was. That was some incredible magic he performed back then. Blocking all those spells, apparating into mid-air, I didn't think that sort of stuff was possible."

"It isn't," Mr. Weasley cut in. "If what you kids say you saw him do was true, then that wasn't any sort of magic as we know it," he said, a serious look on his face. "It was something that we've never seen before. In fact, the Ministry is already on the hunt for this stranger. The official stance is that they want a statement from him, maybe to thank him." He lowered his voice, whispering conspiratorially, "But rumors have been floating around the office that he's wanted by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Harry choked and spluttered on his mouthful of eggs. "What?" he managed to get out as Ron pounded on his back. "He saved those muggles! Why would he be wanted?"

"Rumor has it that some of the Death Eaters that were captured were some high-standing pureblood wizards. I heard they pulled some strings to get out of punishment and now they're after that guy's blood for physical harm," Mr. Weasley said, shaking his head in disapproval. "I haven't heard any names though…"

"I bet Lucius Malfoy was one of them," Harry said angrily. "Remember how we saw Malfoy in the woods?" Before he could get started on a rant on how Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater, however, he was interrupted.

"Excuse me," Ichigo cut in smoothly. He knew it was a risk to talk to them, especially as it seemed that they had seen him at the World Cup, but he had to get some information as soon as possible. Besides, his hat was covering his hair and most of his face, so as long as it didn't slip, nobody should be able to recognize him. He had seen plenty of shady characters in the pub, so they would probably assume he was just another of them.

"Yes?" asked the red-haired mother. "How can we help you, sir?"

"I just have a few questions," he said. "You kids are Hogwarts students, yes?"

Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys nodded in confirmation. Ichigo smirked mentally. Perfect, these would be excellent sources of information. "What do you think of the Tri-wizard Tournament?"

"The what?" the students chorused together.

Before Ichigo could explain, the parents shushed him quickly. "It's a secret," Mrs. Weasley said hastily, shooting Ichigo a secret glance. Ichigo grinned, playing along. Clearly, the students didn't know anything about the Tri-wizard Tournament. Perfect. The parents had probably been hiding it from them for a while, which meant that now they had an outside person who clearly knew something they didn't, the students would probably seek him out and ask him questions.

"Sorry," he said, shooting a rueful smile at the students. "It's a secret." Before the teens could ask any more questions, Ichigo continued, "Who's Rita Skeeter?" She had seemed like a person who could potentially compromise his disguise at Hogwarts.

"A reporter," said Mr. Weasley disgustedly. "She has a reputation for blowing stories way out of proportion. I hear she has a quill of some sort that allows her to twist the words of whoever she interviews into whatever she wants to say. Everything she writes is slanderous lies!" The others nodded in agreement.

Ichigo cursed inwardly. If this woman were as bad as they said she was, he had to be extra careful. He couldn't use force to silence the woman, since she probably wasn't a Death Eater. That meant that he could only use wit to outsmart her. "Thanks for answering my question," he said, nodding to the group at the table.

He was about to turn away when the black-haired boy, Harry, called out to him, "Hey, you didn't introduce yourself!" He was quickly shushed by the girl, but Ichigo turned back and grinned at the boy.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said quietly, causing the kids to look at each other with confused looks. "After all, the school year is starting soon, and I wouldn't want to miss it for the world."

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After a while, the man wearing black went up the stairs to his room. Harry cast the retreating figure's back a curious glance, then turned back to his friends. "Who do you think that was?" he wondered.

"Maybe the new Defense teacher?" said Ron, shrugging. "He did imply that he was gonna be at Hogwarts this year… What I really want to know, though, is what he knows about this 'Tri-wizard Tournament' that he mentioned. It's gotta be the same as what Mum and Dad have been hiding."

Hermione frowned. "He did seem a bit strange, though. I think his overcoat was the same style as the one that the man at the World Cup was wearing. Do you think he could be the same guy?"

Harry nodded. "He never took off that hat that he was wearing while he talked, and he was intentionally hiding his face. Maybe he didn't want people to recognize his hair."

Ron shuddered. "Or his eyes," he said quietly. "Do you remember those eyes from that night? It looked like they were glowing golden… and the feeling I got from just looking at them…"

"It seemed like he wanted to kill something," Harry said, nodding. He himself had felt chills run up his spine that night when he saw those glowing eyes…

"His voice was completely different, though," Hermione mused. "The man from the World Cup's voice was deeper, more raspy, than his was."

"It might have been a spell," suggested Harry. "Either he changed his voice to be more scary, or he changed it to seem less suspicious. His normal voice could either be all raspy like at the World Cup, or normal like just now."

"I don't think he's evil, though," said Hermione, clearly thinking hard. "After all, he attacked those Death Eaters and rescued the poor muggles. He has to be against the Death Eaters."

"He was scary, though," said Ron. "Even if he was fighting the Death Eaters, he had to have been Dark. The way he dressed, his eyes, that laugh…"

Harry frowned. "I wonder what Dumbledore is thinking, allowing that sort of person at Hogwarts. As if the dementors last year weren't enough… that's assuming this guy does in fact have permission to be at Hogwarts. Maybe he's a spy."

"A spy for whom?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Voldemort?" suggested Harry, ignoring the flinches his friends had at the name. "I somehow get the feeling that he isn't dead like everyone thinks he is. He was attached to the back of Quirrel's head first year."

Hermione cut off Ron's complaints. "Well, assuming Voldemort is still alive, why would a spy working for him attack his own Death Eaters?" They had no answer for that. Hermione continued, "I think you two are jumping to conclusions. We can't pass judgment on this guy until we can observe him more frequently. If he's going to be at Hogwarts, it'll be a perfect opportunity to figure him out."

Harry and Ron nodded. This stranger in black had piqued their interests and suspicions, and they wanted to know who exactly he was. There was only a few days left before the start of school. They would not have to wait long.

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"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

Outside the large doors in the hallway, Ichigo rolled his eyes. He had met with the headmaster to discuss the matters of his lodgings within the school as the official envoy from the magical government of Japan, and the old man had seemed quite… long-winded. He waited for the old wizard to finish speaking and finally introduce him. Ichigo rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He was rather fond of dramatic entrances, especially if he got to shock some people.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Ichigo smirked as he heard gasps and exclamations of protest from within the Great Hall. It seemed that Quidditch seemed quite the popular sport, even in school.

Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an even that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy, but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"

Something pushed Ichigo aside from the doors from the Great Hall, and Ichigo looked around in annoyance at the person who had pushed him. He caught a glimpse of a wooden leg carved like a claw, a very scarred face, and a spinning blue eye before the figure entered the hall and slammed the door shut behind him. Ichigo took a mental note of the new character. Another variable he would have to account for in his planning.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody," said Dumbledore, far too cheerily in Ichigo's opinion. There was the sound of applause, but it seemed to be only one or two people clapping, one of which was Dumbledore, no doubt. Ichigo scowled. The man was far too optimistic for his tastes.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Tri-wizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year!"

Ichigo closed his eyes and tuned out the excited roaring of the student body. 'Geez,' he thought irritably. 'These British are so excitable, it's so annoying.' He continued to tune out much of Dumbledore's history lesson about the Tournament, as he already knew all of it.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October, and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us. Speaking of foreign guests…" Dumbledore said brightly, and Ichigo perked up. This was his big entrance.

"I am very pleased to announce that we have a very special guest who will be staying at Hogwarts this year with us!" Dumbledore announced with a twinkle in his eye. "As some of you may know, the magical society of Japan is one of the oldest and most developed magical societies in the world. Unfortunately, they have lingered in a state of extreme isolationism, cutting off all outsiders from their wizarding society, not sharing any of their magical findings and culture with the rest of the magical world. However, it appears that the magical government of Japan is finally beginning to end their policy of isolation. Therefore, this year, Hogwarts has the pleasure of hosting a special political envoy from the magical government of Japan. He will be staying and observing the classes as well as the Tournament, in order to see how our magical societies work, as well as provide extra security during the Tournament."

There were whispers of confusion at the last statement, and Dumbledore smiled merrily. "No doubt some of you are wondering why a Japanese envoy would provide security. Some of you may also be remembering the dementors from last year. Not to worry! Our guest is most definitely human and will not by trying to suck out your souls! No, I've been told that he has a most… special skillset. Now!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together, silencing the student body. "Allow me to introduce our special envoy from Japan, Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki!"

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The massive doors to the Great Hall banged open once again and all heads turned to look at the figure who strode through them. That the man was tall and broadly built was evident to all despite the long black wool overcoat that concealed much of his body. The upper part of his face and head was concealed by a black top hat, and the coat flapped as he walked, revealing neatly pressed black slacks and shiny leather boots, his heels clicking against the stone floor. What really drew people's attention, however, was not the man's physical appearance or his clothing, but what he carried.

Diagonally across the man's back, over the overcoat, a long katana was sheathed in a black scabbard. The hilt was tightly bound in black leather, and the guard was also black. Underneath the leather binding, the wood of the hilt was highly-polished ebony, gleaming in the light of the candles that lit the Great Hall. Slung perpendicular to the long sword was a shorter one, about half its length, also completely black. As the long overcoat, which reached down past the man's knees, billowed, it revealed a leather belt and a pair of holsters which held objects that many were unfamiliar with. However, the students and teachers who were familiar with the non-magical world recognized them for what they were: a pair of shiny black handguns.

Shocked whispers broke out from those who recognized the weapons the man carried. A familiar blonde Slytherin's snide voice carried above the rest. "He's a muggle! What could a muggle possibly be doing at Hogwarts? Security? Hah!" There were murmurs of agreement from around the hall as the students voiced their own opinions.

Ichigo rolled his golden eyes beneath the shadow of his hat. Foolish wizards and their in-bred superiority complex. He ignored the whispers and blatant insult from the students and climbed the short flight of stairs to the teacher's table and dais. He took a deep breath. This was it. In a sweeping motion, he whipped the top hat off his head, revealing his tell-tale orange hair. Bowing deeply to the students, and then to the teachers, he addressed the crowd.

"Greetings, students and teachers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." His voice, although soft, carried through the hall with an air of one who was intimately used to giving commands. "As Headmaster Dumbledore said, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki, Captain of the Twelfth division of the Thirteen Imperial Court Guard Squads, Head of the Research and Development Institute of the Court of Pure Souls, minor lord of the Noble Kuchiki Clan, special envoy on the behalf of the magical government of wizarding Japan. You may address me as Mr. Kurosaki, Captain, or Captain Kurosaki. It is a pleasure to be here this evening."

The entire hall was silent as Ichigo finished his introduction. Seconds ticked by, and Ichigo waited expectantly for the reaction that was to come. He was not disappointed.

"He's the one from the World Cup!" Harry whispered excitedly to his friends. "There's no way I wouldn't recognize that hair, those clothes, and those eyes!" And indeed it was so. A collective shiver ran through the hall as the students saw the envoy's eyes. A bright golden, they seemed to glow eerily in the light of the candles.

Malfoy was the first to overcome the shock from seeing the envoy's eyes. Jumping to his feet, he shouted in anger, "My father will hear of this! A muggle as a magical envoy? Don't try to fool us with your load of drivel!"

No sooner had he finished speaking did he suddenly realize that the man was gone. "Believe me," whispered a raspy voice, and Malfoy whirled around only to come face-to-face with the glowing golden eyes of Ichigo Kurosaki. "I am no muggle. I am capable of much, much more than you believe, more than you wizards have even seen. We Japanese… we are not ones to be underestimated." In a silent flurry of black, he disappeared again, reappearing on the dais in the blink of an eye.

The hall was struck silent at Ichigo's blatant display of his abilities, and Dumbledore took the opportunity to clear his throat in amusement. "As you can see, those from the Japanese magical society have abilities and techniques that we have never seen before. This is a wonderful way for us to witness first-hand what they have to offer by joining the global magical society. Please, treat Captain Kurosaki during his stay. Now, off you trot! To bed!"

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I tried to make Ichigo's introduction as badass as I could. Hopefully I lived up to your standards! As you can see, Ichigo has a fondness for wearing black! I wonder what suspicions this could arouse. Hehehe… I'm really enjoying writing this…

See you guys for the next chapter! Drop a review while you're at it, too!

~fokker333