Kakashi's Room, Hogwarts

Buckbeak had lost his appeal. His execution date had been fixed today, at sunset, and Dumbledore required one of the ninjas to attend. There was also the other small matter of Buckbeak's executioner. Dumbledore wanted this to be small, so what else could he do but make his hired mercenaries do it?

Kakashi glanced at the letter again. Another set of orders from Dumbledore. He read it.

Well, yeah, he could do that.

At this moment, the guard watched the owl fly away. He took up his ANBU mask and stared at it thoughtfully before putting it back on his face.

Well then, he just had to borrow Hayate's sword. He could not get attached now, not now. He was a ninja, shinobi, a tool for killing. Tools didn't feel.

Kakashi zipped his jacket to hide his bone-white armor, and then taking a last look of his room, turned and left.

Gryffindor Common Room, Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts

"Buckbeak lost." Ron said sadly. "He sent us a letter."

Kakashi glanced at it before nodding. "I know." He replied and stood up a little straighter. The three glanced at him for a moment before shrugging it off.

The two foreigners who had arrived overnight were just entering the room. One of them looked ready to drop dead while the other was Gai, whom they all knew (and secretly cheered for the simple reason that he annoyed Snape).

That said, it was too difficult to hate Gai. It was like kicking a puppy.

The sick one tried to get away and ducked behind an unlucky Gryffindor who was tackled as Gai mistook him for Hayate.

The sickly one made his escape and ran towards Kakashi and began to converse in their native language. The guard seemed to look around before shoving the trio aside and leading the sick one to one side and speaking in an angry tone.

"My orders are to----"

"I know your damn orders! This is insane! Does Dumbledore-san actually expect Konoha shinobi to fail an execution?"

"What fail? Our orders are to let the thing----"

"I know the orders! I'm not too happy with this; it makes us look incompetent…" The guard seemed to compose himself. "But, go ahead and do it, demand a raise, Kami-sama knows I need one..."

Gryffindor Common Room, Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts

"We have to visit Hagrid." Harry spoke determinedly. The other two nodded. "With the guard distracted, now's the perfect time. The guard's distracted and everyone else is going somewhere anyway. We'll blend right in. Get the cloak Hermione, I'm not letting Buckbeak die like this." Ron spoke, determined as Harry told Hermione where he left his cloak.

Kakashi's Room, Hogwarts

"You know what to do?" Kakashi asked Hayate. The former ANBU nodded and gave a tired smile. "Affirmative."

Kakashi gave a smile and made a seal. A few seconds later, Kakashi the teacher stood in front of the other shinobi. Hayate gave an approving smile and soon Gekkou Hayate headed out of the room, leaving behind Professor Hatake.

Hagrid's Hut, Hogwarts Grounds

As Hagrid shut the door, Harry tore the cloak off their bodies. Soon they were visible.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?"

Hagrid's hands trembled so that the milk jug in his hands slammed to the floor. "I-I took him outside. I h-hear that one of the foreigners would be doing it…" His voice was shaky, as if the very mention of the shinobi made him shake in fear, as he was doing now. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta get some fresh air and so…"

Hermione hurried over to clean up the mess of the milk jug. Harry opened his mouth.

"Isn't there anything you can do, Hagrid?"

Hagrid sat down on a chair, making it creak slightly. "Dumbledore's tried. He told 'em Buckbeak's alright, but they're scared…with Dumbledore making one of the foreigners do it…according to Dumbledore, they've never failed such an easy task…"

Harry did a double take. "Hold on. One of the foreigners? Then…the guards or the new guys would be doing it…" His voice faded. They all knew. If the guards did it, there was no hope.

Hogwarts Grounds, Hogwarts

Hayate had coughed so much during the trip from Castle to Hagrid's hut that once in a while, the entire party would stop and wait for him to finish.

Fudge thought he'd fall down and die after the last coughing fit. Amazingly enough, the ill ninja made it all the way to the hut without falling down.

Dumbledore raised a hand and knocked on the door.

Hagrid's Hut, Hogwarts

Previously…

Ron practically hugged Hermione as he took Scabbers from her hand. He smiled widely as he kept speaking to the rat as if the rat could understand.

Scabbers looked dreadful, like that sick foreigner who looked ready to drop.

Hagrid suddenly stood up; his eyes fixated on the window, his normally ruddy face had gone white.

"They're coming! And they're bringing one of them!"

Hagrid turned to them and ushered them to the backdoor. "Go! Go! You're not supposed to be here…"

There was a knock at the door. Once Hagrid was so sure they had left the hut, he answered the door.

Dumbledore's face was grim, but his blue eyes twinkled. "Good evening Hagrid…"

Hagrid bowed. "Headmaster…"

Fudge appeared inside, followed by the foreigner, McNair, and finally an old Ministry wizard.

The sick one cleared his throat and coughed for a few good minutes before speaking.

"Be it cough, coughthat all people cough, cough present at this ti- cough, cough time in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry cough, cough know and understand the terms. That this cough, cough storm grey Hippo- cough, cough -griff with black wingtip markings will be executed this time today…Dumbledore-san, the time…"

They waited as Dumbledore filled it in. And then the foreigner coughed for about five minutes before continuing.

"---Let it be that this time of 5:35 in the afternoon (that's five-thirty five) that I, Gekkou Hayate cough, cough will be the executioner this afternoon of 5:35 (that's five-thirty five) cough, cough."

A vein was throbbing on Fudge's temple by the time Hayate finished the long speech. He made everyone sign and then took out his sword.

"So, where is it?" He asked, looking out the window.

The rope that tethered Buckbeak to the pumpkin patch looked like it was cut by a small sharp object…

ANBUHound's Q&A:

Here are some questions you'll all be glad to see answered:

Is Kakashi really going to leave after all this time?

Yes, unfortunately. As per agreement with Hogwarts, Konoha will not interfere in the Triwizard Tournament.

When will Itachi make his appearance?

Sometime later. Can't tell right now.


Is he going to be the replacement?

Maybe. :D

How long is Gai staying there?

Until the end of school year.

Will Kakashi be back?

Of course.

Itachi, in this fic, is he going to be good or bad?

Good, for now.

What does Bijuu and Jinchuriki mean?

Bijuu – tailed beast

Jinchuriki – the human in which a Bijuu was imprisoned in (ex; Naruto, Gaara)

Is Lupin a Jinchuriki?

No.

And thanks, Ashen Rose, for the poem:

Jumping from branch to branch,
forcing the mission through.
I don't know if I should take the chance,
to get away from you.

This is going to be hell,
and I'm now running pell-mell,
out of these woods and back to the school,
where I can hide in the sewer pools.

Anything is better than with you, Gai.