It was a calm October morning. As a matter of fact, it was the last day of October. The last two months had passed by without further incident. A bright blue sky was enchanted onto the ceiling of the Great Hall, and fluffy white clouds drifted by. It was a weekend, and everyone in the Great Hall was chatting excitedly about the first Quidditch match of the year, Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin.
"So people fly around broomsticks and try to shoot balls through hoops?" Neji's tone indicated that he didn't have a very high opinion of the sport.
"Yeah. Harry's the captain of the Gryffendor team," Winry smiled, linking arms with her boyfriend. Harry and Winry had started going out sometime in September.
"It's the national sport of the wizarding world," Harry explained.
"Good morning, guys," Neville joined them at the Gryffendor table. "Where are Hermione and Ron?"
"Good question," answered Harry. "I don't see them that much anymore."
"Ron spends all of his time with Rose, and Hermione hangs around Iruka-sensei a lot," said Winry. Sitting a few feet away, Lavender Brown made a noise of contempt. Ron stumbled into the Great Hall, yawning.
"Hi Ron. Are you excited about the match? We're going against Ravenclaw soon, you know," Harry reminded him.
"Ron's also on the Gryffendor team," explained Winry. "Where's Rose?"
"Dunno. Probably helping Pomfrey. I stayed up all night doing Defense Against Dark Arts homework," Ron yawned. "Man, that Lust is even worse than Snape!"
"No she's not. You just think she's giving us more homework because Hermione's not helping you with it anymore," Harry informed him. "You've really got to make up with her, mate. Even Rose's become friends with Hermione!"
"Hi, guys! I just got off duty and I'm starving!" Alphonse plunked down into the seat beside Hinata. He grabbed a plate and loaded it with food.
"Slow down," Neji frowned.
"I have 4 years' worth of eating to make up for," Al explained. "It's so good to be able to do all these things again! It's good to have my body back! One thing's for sure: I'll never break any rules in alchemy again. I'll be happy if I never see Truth or that gate ever again!"
"You went through so much, Alphonse-kun," Hinata looked at Al fondly. "You deserve your body back."
"I feel kind of bad that I had to leave my armour behind. I had some good memories while I was in that armour," Al put an arm around Hinata and smiled at her affectionately. Hinata, as usual, blushed. Neji snorted in disgust. His relationship with Hinata had been sour at best since she punched him.
"I think Edward-san is happy as well," Hinata nodded across the Great Hall, where Ed and Temari were sitting beside each other, having breakfast.
"It seems everyone's being paired up these days, huh?" Neji noted the fact that Edward and Temari had started going out.
"I am never doing something so stupid again!" Ed told Temari, stretching his right arm. "You have no idea how good it is to be free of that stupid machine! I might've gotten me through a few tough spots, but nothing beats having your own limbs!"
"I hope I never have to experience what you went through," agreed Temari, eating her breakfast. "Maybe it was the weight of the auto-mail that was stunting your growth. You might finally get taller, pipsqueak!"
Girlfriend or not, Ed was about to snarl something very nasty to her when Lee and Sakura approached them. The Slytherins immediately started to boo.
"No Hufflepuff losers allowed here!" Pansy yelled.
"Are you going to the match?" Sakura asked Ed and Temari, ignoring the Slytherins.
"I doubt it. I've got better things to do than watch a bunch of idiots chase each other around on broomsticks," Ed made a face.
"They look really uncomfortable," agreed Temari. "I'll stick with my fan, thanks."
"Edward-san, I heard that your sensei Izumi is a really powerful alchemist," said Lee.
"Evil, too," Ed frowned.
"Do you think she'd be willing to train me?" asked Lee.
"What? Why would you want that?"
"Well, as you know, I have some alchemic powers. I've asked for training from Roy-sensei and Armstrong-sensei, but they're too busy," explained Lee. "Alphonse told me that Izumi-sensei also does alchemy without circles. Gai-sensei is the best teacher ever, but what he can teach me is limited by my lack of ninjutsu and genjutsu skills. He taught me very well in taijutsu, and I want to sharpen my alchemical skills to make them as great as my taijutsu."
"Hey. Speak of the devil," Ed commented as Izumi and Wrath walked into the Great Hall. Wrath headed towards Sloth, who was eating at the teachers' table. Izumi stopped to chat with Al, then walked over to Ed's table.
"Good morning, everyone. Has anyone received the newspaper yet?" she asked.
"No. Why?"
"I heard McGonogall talking to that one-eyed man Winry gave auto-mail to. They were talking rather quietly, but they didn't sound too happy. I heard the word 'Azkaban' several times," said Izumi. "That's the wizarding prison or something, isn't it?"
"Lee? Don't you have something to ask Izumi-sensei?" Sakura prodded Lee.
"What is it?" Izumi asked the boy kindly.
Lee fell onto his knees. He bowed to her. "Izumi-sensei, will you become my alchemy instructor?"
"No," Izumi refused. "After this student became a dog of the military with the skills I taught him, I've decided I'm not taking any more apprentices."
"I promise I will work hard! I will do everything you tell me to!" Lee kept on bowing. "I know that I am competing against Edward-san and Alphonse-san, but I will be the most hardworking, studious apprentice you've ever taken on! I'm very diligent and dedicated! Just ask Gai-sensei!"
"He is very hardworking," as if he and Lee had a psychological connection (which they probably did), Gai dropped in on the group. "He was my only student that mastered the Lotus technique. His lack of ninjutsu has been a handicap all his life. Now that he has discovered another talent to replace it, please don't deny him the right to become all he can in that area!"
Izumi furrowed her forehead in contemplation. Lee was still begging. Izumi snapped her fingers. "Give me 200 pushups."
Without a moment of hesitation, Lee switched positions and began doing what she asked. After exactly 200, he stopped and looked at her pleadingly. His large, round eyes pleaded in a puppy-like fashion. Izumi sighed.
"Fine. I'll train you in the basics, but I'll have to subject you to a test before I fully take you on," Izumi told Lee. Edward shuddered, remembering the test she was talking about.
"Oh, thank you, Izumi-sensei! You won't regret it!" Lee jumped over and hugged her like he did with Gai.
"Gai, you have to do me a favour, too," Izumi told Gai after she broke away from Lee. "See that dark-haired boy in the cropped black top? That's my son, Wrath. After becoming human, he lost his ability to do alchemy and magic. However, he is still able to do ninjutsu. Unfortunately, his knowledge in that art is practically non-existent. He was sulky about it at first, but he's decided he wants to make do with what he has. I want you to train him in the jutsus. Go on and talk to him. He's become less anti-human after he became one."
"Certainly. Good luck, Lee!" Gai bowed, and went over to Wrath. The group watched as Gai started talking to Wrath. To everyone's surprise, instead of the unfriendly greeting Wrath usually gave and Gai usually got, Wrath seemed to agree with everything Gai said. Wrath explained something to Sloth, who nodded. Wrath and Gai turned to Izumi. They both waved and left the Great Hall.
"We should start training, too," Izumi told Lee. "Come on, I want to see what you're capable of."
"Hai, Izumi-sensei!" Lee bowed, and they left the Great Hall as well.
"What was that all about?" Tenten and Shikamaru joined the little group gathered at the Slytherin table.
"Lee's training in alchemy with my old sensei," shrugged Ed. "I hope he's ready."
"Lee's tough. I always felt sorry for him because he could only do taijutsu. He always wanted to beat Neji, but he never had a chance. He never gave up, though." Tenten smiled. "I bet he's going to be an incredible alchemist. He might even have a chance against Neji now."
The delivery owls suddenly swept into the Great Hall. Many landed on the Slytherin table. Harry noticed Draco Malfoy never received anything anymore. It seemed that sadness always clouded Malfoy's expression lately. He didn't even tease people anymore, and when he passed by Harry in the halls, he always gave him a gloomy smile. His mother's death had changed him greatly. An owl landed on the table in front of Ed and Temari.
"Hey, I got something," Ed noted.
He took the package tied to the owl's leg and unwrapped it. Temari took the card that lay on top of the present. When she opened it, a paper pumpkin popped out. "Happy Halloween, Temari, Ed, Naruto and Ino! From Mrs. Weasley!" the pumpkin sang. Four homemade pumpkin-shaped chocolates were packaged in sparkly containers with their names on them. Ed's pumpkin was decorated with the Flamel's cross, Temari's with Sunagakure's symbol, and Naruto's and Ino's had the swirly Konohan leaf.
"Look, we got one, too," Sakura smiled as two more owls came bearing gifts.
"I'm going to go give this to Luna," said Tenten, taking Luna's pumpkin over to the Ravenclaw's table. The owl that was sent to the Gryffendors had a little more to deliver.
"No one can cook like Mrs. Weasley," Al declared happily, munching on his chocolate. Hermione suddenly raced into the room.
"Guys! Did you see the front page of The Daily Prophet?" she was clutching onto the newspaper so hard her knuckles were white. She shoved it onto the table.
" 'Prisoners escape from Azkaban'," Neji read the headline.
Harry took the paper from him and read it out loud: "October 31- It was discovered last night that prisoners noted for Death Eater activity has escaped from the wizarding prison. How it came about is unknown. Authorities report that these criminals has been kept under lock and key, and checked on three times a day. It was reported yesterday that someone had bewitched logs to make them appear as the prisoners. It is unclear how long this has been going on. Authorities recommend that citizens exercise extreme caution, and report to the ministry immediately if any of the following prisoners are sighted."
Ron turned the page. The pictures of the prisoners were printed on it, with their names underneath. "Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Walden Macnair… everyone's there."
"Stupid ministry! They are so incompetent!" Hermione growled.
"I bet you'd make a better Minister for Magic than that idiotic Scrimgeour, Harry!" Ron declared.
"I'm going to take the paper over to the Slytherin's," decided Hermione.
"Are you crazy?" Ron demanded.
"I'm not going to let a little unfriendliness between our houses keep me from sharing news with my friends." Hermione snapped. She stepped towards the Slytherin table.
"Go apologize, Ron," Harry urged him.
"Why should I apologize?" Ron grumbled.
"You've been best friends since first year. You don't want to ruin a beautiful thing, do you?" Al told him sensibly. "It won't do if members of the Order of Phoenix are constantly fighting."
"What about Sakura and Ino?" asked Ron. Everyone gave him stern looks. "Alright! Going!" He turned and caught up to Hermione. "Er, Hermione?"
"Yes, Ronald?"
"I'm sorry about, well… making fun of you and Iruka," Ron frowned, thinking how easy it was for the fight to come about.
"That's okay, Ron. We do fight very easily, don't we?" Hermione echoed his thoughts.
"I want you to know that I do want to keep being friends, but I don't really, er… feel that way about you, and, well… I broke up with Lavender because she was annoying, not because I wanted to be with you. You're my best friend, but I like Rose." Ron blushed.
"I understand. I don't feel that way about you, either. I'm happy with Iruka." Hermione grinned. "Just so you know, I like Rose, too. She's very nice. I get along with her so much better than Lavender."
"Okay, great. I'll see you at the game. Oh, by the way," Ron shot Lust, who was sitting at the teachers' table a dark glance. "Do you think you could help me with my Defense Against the Dark Arts essay? I don't get why we have to write about homunculi. They're not from our world, and there's nothing in the library about them!"
"I'll check it over for you, Ron," Hermione sighed. "You should really figure things out for yourself. I'm not going to be doing your homework forever, you know."
"Just until the end of this year," Ron grinned. "Thanks, 'Mione! See you at the match!"
Later, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Winry, Neji, Hinata, Temari, Ed, Sakura, Tenten and Shikamaru joined the rest of the school in watching the match. They found nice seats with good views. It was such a nice day that Shikamaru immediately fell asleep in his seat.
"Ino will be disappointed," remarked Temari as the team captains met at the middle of the pitch to shake hands. "She's so obsessed with that Malfoy kid."
"Go Draco!" someone shrieked, plunking down into the seat beside her. Unfortunately, Edward already occupied that seat, and she landed on his lap.
"Ew! Gross!" Ed yelled.
"Get the hell off him!" Temari hit Ino. "Aren't you supposed to be on duty?"
"Don't tell me you left the Great Incompetence known as Naruto Uzumaki by himself!" Ed groaned.
"And miss a chance to see Malfoy-kun in action? No way!" giggled Ino. "Naruto's fine. That Mei girl's with him. I personally don't see why anyone would want Naruto's company. Oh yeah! I also saw Lee training with your sensei, Ed! She's working him to the bone!"
"We expect no less from Izumi-sensei," Ed and Al exchanged grim looks.
"That Gai person's training Wrath, too," added Ino. "Looks like you'll have a new audition to your team, Neji and Tenten."
"Is he going to replace Lee?" Neji asked hopefully. He was sitting in a seat below them, and looked up as he said this. Something black flashed by the roof, catching his eye. Neji activated his Byakugan.
"What is it?" questioned Tenten.
"Hinata, look at the Astrology tower," commanded Neji. "Do you see what I see?" Hinata activated her Byakugan as well. She gasped.
"What's going on?" asked Al.
"There's three people on the roof… two snake-like men and…"
"That girl from Sound. It looks like Voldemort, Orochimaru and Kin." Neji narrowed his eyes. "But how? I thought this castle was protected."
"You have to remember that Orochimaru is one of the Legendary Sannin," Kakashi appeared with a puff of smoke. "Voldemort is the most powerful wizard in the world, and Dante is a strong alchemist who has lived for a long time. Between the three of them, breaking in shouldn't have been hard. I've just informed the other members of the Order. The rest of you are needed inside." The group leapt into action. "Keep an eye on the students," Kakashi told the teachers, who were sitting a short distance away.
"Kakashi! We came as soon as we got McGonogall's message!" Bill, Fred, George, Fleur, Shacklebolt and Lupin all met them at the front entrance.
"Eez eet true?" Fleur asked. "'As the Death Eaters really come?"
By then, Gai, Lee, Izumi, Wrath, Hagrid and everyone on the second shift had joined them as well. Kakashi and Gai slowly pushed open the doors. They were met with an awful sight. The Entrance Hall was completely filled with Dementors and Inferi. They looked creepy even in the brightness of day. The other members of the Order had left their posts, and were fighting them.
"They're afraid of alchemy!" Riza reminded everyone, blowing a few Dementors to pieces. "Anyone who has those alchemical bullets should stay!"
"Jiraiya! Harry! Lust and the others are already on their way to Voldemort! We should go, too!" McGonogall told them. "The Inferi and Dementors aren't the only ones here, but they're definitely all over the school."
"The Nurse's ward! Rose is there!" Ron recalled.
"Neville, Ginny, Fleur, Winry, you go protect the nurse's ward!" McGonogall commanded. They did as they were told. "Teams 7 and 10, come here!" The teams obeyed, slashing apart whatever unpleasant creatures got in their way. "Naruto, do you remember the Veil of Death? It's in my office! I need you children to go get it! You know where my office is, right?" everyone nodded. "Good! The password is the name of the creature that resides within Naruto! Go!" Sakura, Ino, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Chouji, Mei and Xiao-Mei all looked at Naruto questioningly, but hasted to obey.
"Some of you should stay on this floor and take care of the Dementors and Inferi. The Inferi aren't very good with stairs, so they should be on this floor, and maybe in the basement. The others should find the Death Eaters and take care of them!" McGonogall commanded. "Come on, Harry and Jiraiya! You two have to come with me! We're going up to the astrology tower!" With that, they ran off.
"Do what she says!" yelled Moody.
"Is there anything we should know about the Death Eaters?" asked Hinata.
"There's one big bloke! Name's Greyback! He's a werewolf! Don't let him touch you!" Bill yelled. "We should split up into groups! Fred and George, you're coming with me! The rest of you: good luck!" The three of them ran off.
"Let's go find some Death Eaters!" Ed yelled at Kankurou and Temari, and they went off into a different direction.
"I don't want to miss out on the fun!" growled Moody as he left.
"We should help, too" Kiba told Shino, who nodded. With Akamaru perched on Kiba's head, they also left.
"Come on, Moony! Let's find that rat Wormtail and avenge James's death!" Sirius yelled. The old friends hurried away.
"I want to help, too!" Luna declared, racing off.
"Wait! Luna! It's not safe!" Gaara chased after her.
"I'm going to get my revenge on that git Voldemort for all he's done to me!" Hagrid snarled, exiting.
"I'm not going to run away anymore! I'm going to do something useful for once!" Hinata decided, running into the building.
"Hinata! Wait for me!" Al hurried to catch up to her.
"Idiot girl! Why would she think she can win against one herself?" Neji sighed. "I have to do my duty as a Hyuga Branch," he ran after Al and Hinata.
"Lee!" Izumi yelled.
"Wrath!" Gai bellowed.
"This is your first test!" the announced together.
"Hai, Izumi-sensei!" Lee saluted her.
"Oh, great," Wrath made a face.
"Let's go!" Lee and Gai shouted, each grabbing Wrath by an arm and pulling him after them as Izumi cleared a path for them.
"All my teammates are gone! I'm not going to be the wimpy one that stands around doing nothing!" declared Tenten, racing into the school.
"Don't be so stupid! You can't go alone!" Hayate Gekko followed her.
"Bellatrix Lestrange! She's here! I still have a score to settle with her!" Tonks remembered, running off. Kakashi shrugged and pursued her.
"Looks like they're doing fine with the Inferi," noted Ron. Asuma, Kurenai, Ibiki, Anko and Roy's crew weren't having any trouble slicing the foul corpses to pieces. However, they were advancing as fast "I need to go protect both Rose and Ginny!"
"Are you sure you're okay?" Iruka called to them.
"We're fine! Go find the Death Eaters!" Roy commanded them.
"Be careful," Hermione told them, and the three exited.
"We should spread out! We'll cover more ground that way!" yelled Hughes.
"The Genin wanted exciting missions," Kurenai sighed. "Well, they've got what they asked for."
Unfortunately, the teams sent to retrieve the stone was having a little bit too much excitement.
"Eeek! Get away from me, you ugly hooded freaks!" Ino shrieked, throwing a kunai at a Dementor.
"Ino, you stupid pig! That doesn't work!" Sakura yelled.
"We're here! We're here!" Naruto panted in relief.
"What's the password? Hurry up!" Chouji yelled.
"Something about something that's in Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. "Open the damn thing!"
Mei did her dagger trick again, and blew the Dementors up. She quickly retrieved her daggers, but more were on the way.
"The name of the creature that resides within Naruto!" Shikamaru recalled. "What's the password, Naruto?"
Naruto was conflicted. He didn't want to reveal his secret. His relationship with the other Genin were shaky enough as it was. He didn't want them to realize that he had… it sealed inside of him. They had been raised to know and hate it. What would they think if they found out that the creature that stole away their beloved 4th Hokage lived inside of him? No, Naruto didn't want to reveal his secret. On the other hand, he didn't want to die, either.
"Naruto! What's the password?" Ino screamed.
Naruto sighed. "The Kyuubi."
"What?" Sakura blinked.
"Did you just say…?" Chouji gasped.
"Yeah. The Kyuubi," Naruto directed the word at the gargoyle. There was a moment of inaction. Then, there was a creaking sound. The stairs to McGonogall's office was revealed.
