The four shinobi stood outside of the great castle of Hogwarts as they saw their superiors off. Tsunade and Shizune bid the four good luck when Shizune hugged Naruto.

" Good luck in the third task, Naruto-kun. Tsunade-sama and I will be back in time to see you. Good luck, and behave yourself." She said. Naruto nodded and watched as the two females disappeared in a puff of smoke. Just as they were about to head inside, Gaara felt a presence from the forbidden forest. The others noticed this too, but all around the forest, surrounding Hogwarts. Shikamaru immediately took hold of the situation.

" Neji, find out what is watching us. After this, Naruto go to Dumbledore and inform him of this and ask for orders." Naruto and Neji nodded as the Hyuuga activated his Byakugan. After a few seconds of searching, Neji deactivated his bloodline and turned to Shikamaru.

" There are about fifteen creatures in the forest, surrounding the castle. Each had the body of a wolf, three tails, and two heads; a wolf head and a lion's head. They have black fur and look threatening." He finished. Shikamaru nodded and looked to Naruto to see that he was already on the way to Dumbledore's office. He then looked to Gaara.

" Gaara, until we get orders of what to do, I need you to put a wall of sand around the castle." Gaara nodded and let the sand to come out of his gourd. He watched as his sand morphed into a defensive wall around the castle.

With Naruto

Naruto quickly ran toward Dumbledore's office, weaving through the crowds of students going to their next class and running to the Gargoyle. He immediately said " Sugar quills" and watched as the Gargoyle moved out of his way. Naruto then ran up the stairs and ran into Dumbledore's office, to see that the old man was having another meeting with the other headmasters. At seeing Naruto barge in, Karkaroff spoke to Dumbledore.

" Why is it that every time we have a meeting, this one keeps interrupting us?" He asked, but Naruto ignored him and went straight to Dumbledore.

" Dumbledore-sama, my friends and I have discovered fifteen creatures surrounding the castle. We think that they might pose a threat, what are your orders?" He asked. Dumbledore looked to the young ninja and spoke.

" I want you and your friends to capture them without killing any of them. Hagrid and I will be down shortly." He finished. Naruto nodded and ran out of the office. Once Naruto was with the other shinobi again, he told them the orders they were given. As the sand fell to the ground, the shinobi saw the creatures charge the castle. The four Nin separated and fought with the creatures.

Shikamaru met up with three of the creatures. They were growling dangerously as they approached him. He quickly formed some hand seals and sent his shadow toward the creatures. The creatures struggled against his jutsu. Shikamaru then threw some kunai to hit the creatures in an exact spot. After making sure the creatures couldn't move, Shikamaru turned around to see that Gaara had captured most of the creatures with his sand. Neji had knocked two of them unconscious; while Naruto had hog-tied the largest of the creatures with ninja wire.

After capturing all of the creatures, the ninjas looked up to see Dumbledore and Hagrid walking towards them. Once the two approached, Hagrid inspected the creatures. Dumbledore then asked what the creatures were.

" These are chimera, Mr. Dumbledore sir. Fine creatures, almost as rare as a dragon egg. Ne'er seen this many in such a large group. Usually chimera's would stay in packs of four, ne'er fifteen. Chimera's are usually peaceful creatures, these 'uns were just startled or sumthin." The half-giant said. Dumbledore nodded as he went to the ninjas.

" Well, I'm glad that you have captured the chimera without killing them, now let them go after making sure that they will no longer attack the school. After you are done, you may do what you wish." With that, the old wizard left, while Hagrid gave the chimera some treats, calming the beasts enough for them to be released. At being released, most of the chimeras ran away, all except for the one that Naruto had captured. Before it left, it bowed its head, then disappeared into the forest.

Naruto scratched his head while he went back into the castle with the others. He was walking with them to the dining hall, when his advanced hearing heard a sob come from the library. He told them that he would meet up with them later, and went into the library. After taking a few steps, he found where the sobbing was coming from; a bushy, brown haired girl crying in the corner or the library. Naruto, being the concerned person he was, walked over to the girl and sat next to her.

" Um...Are you ok miss?" He asked nervously. The girl looked up to him with red, puffy eyes. Naruto noticed that she was the other girl that was tied to the rock besides that Cho girl in the second task.

" Y-you're one of those guys that help the Champions. What are you doing here?" The girl asked. Naruto looked to her as he dead panned.

" I'm asking you if you are ok miss, um..." He left off as he couldn't remember the girls name.

" Hermione, Hermione Granger." She said. Naruto grinned.

" Uzumaki Naruto. But, are you ok Hermione?" He asked again. Hermione nodded.

" I'm fine. I'm sure you have something better to do than be worried about me, Naruto." She said with a smile that Naruto knew too well. Naruto sighed as he turned to look at the bushy-haired girl in the eyes.

" Hermione," he began, " I know that something is bothering you. I also know that although we just met, but you can trust that I will help you. I can't stand seeing a girl cry. So can you tell me what is bothering you?"

Hermione looked to Naruto to see that he had a sincere look in his eyes. She sighed as she began to explain.

" Well, it all started this morning during breakfast. Ron and I were arguing..."

Flashback

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were sitting at the Gryffindor table during breakfast when Ron and Hermione were arguing again. Ron still did not trust Krum and was showing his distrust of him.

" Why are you still with the bloody bloke Hermione? You should be helping Harry for the last task!" Ron said. Hermione just let out an exasperated sigh.

" Come off it Ronald! Not just three months ago, you would have done anything just to get an autograph of Victor!" Hermione shot back.

" That still doesn't explain why you were fraternizing with the enemy! Why did you go with Krum and not me or Harry!?" Ron yelled. At this point Hermione jumped out of her seat.

" Is that what you're sore about Ronald? You're jealous that I went to the Ball with Victor and not you? How childish can you get?!" She said, running out of the Hall. She then proceeded to go to the library and started to cry.

End Flashback

" And then you found me in the library." She finished. Naruto nodded as he tried to console the distraught girl. After a curious thought, Naruto led Hermione out of the library, and ran straight into Neji and Harry.

" Hermione?" Harry asked, surprised when he saw tears falling down her eyes. " Are you ok?"

Hermione, startled at seeing Harry so soon after her fight with Ron, barely managed to form a reply before Naruto cut him off.

" Of course she's not ok." He said coldly, gaining a nod from Neji. " She had a fight with one of her best friends, while her other best friend did not do anything to help her."

" But I didn't side with Ron!" Harry defended himself.

" But you did not even try to tell Ron that it wasn't my fault!" Hermione shot back. Harry flinched at that but nodded and looked down to the ground.

" I know, Hermione, I'm really sorry that I didn't stand up for you." He said. Hermione didn't look like she was listening, but Naruto saw that she had stopped crying.

" Please, Hermione. I'm really, really sorry. I know I messed up, but its just because I was worried about you." Harry pleaded. At this, the other three raised their eye brows. Naruto locked eyes with Neji and both thought the same thing.

' Is he saying what I think he's saying?'

" Why do you feel worried, Harry?" Hermione asked, slowly. Harry sighed as he looked to the two shinobi.

" Can I speak to Hermione in private?" He asked. The two shrugged and walked into the library as the two wizards talked.

" Why do you feel worried, Harry?" Hermione asked again. Harry mumbled something that she couldn't here. " Come again?"

" I said I was worried that I would lose you." Harry said, blushing slightly.

" What do you mean, lose me?" She asked.

" I mean, lose the chance to be with you." He said. Hermione gave a shocked look. " I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I didn't want to lose your friendship, and when I was finally going to say something, Ron and I started arguing..." He was interrupted when he was pulled into a bone crushing hug. " I'm so sorry, 'Mione." He said.

Hermione just nodded her head but then pulled back.

" What about Cho?" Hermione asked. Harry blushed slightly as he mumbled.

" Heard from Lavender that I should make you jealous when she, um, walked in on me practice asking you out." At this Hermione started to giggle, then ended laughing full out on the floor, holding her sides.

" So, do you forgive me?" Harry asked. Hermione was still when she pulled him into a deep kiss. After she pulled away from the kiss, she smiled.

" Does that answer your question?" She asked. They were about to kiss again when Victor Krum walked down the hall, instantly spotting them.

" Vat the hell do you think you are doing, Potter?!" Krum yelled at them. " Vy are you kissing my girlfriend?!" By now, a crowd was starting to form around the three, with Neji and Naruto coming out of the library.

" I was never your girlfriend, Viktor!" Hermione yelled back, " You just asked me to the ball before Harry and I got Ron to apologize. If we didn't have a fight Harry would have asked me out before you!"

Krum looked like he was going to pop a vein, when he suddenly pulled his wand out and pointed it toward Harry. It was at this point, that Neji appeared next to Krum, holding his wand in one hand, and pointing a kunai toward Krum's neck.

" I was supposed to protect Potter from jealous students, but I never thought I was supposed to protect him from a jealous, hormone-driven, teenage-drama queen, sorry excuse of a Champion!" Krum saw red.

" How dare you speak to me like that. You insolent, bastard!" He then saw a wand in a pocket and reached for it, grabbing the wand, and holding the owner of said wand by the neck.

Naruto felt his blood run cold as he saw some blood run down Fleur's neck, as Krum pointed the wand at her, with a crazed look in his eyes. It was his turn to see red.

" Let her go now, Krum, or I'll kill you." The blonde said in a deadly voice. Krum ignored him however, as he turned to Fleur.

" If I can't have the mudblood, then I'll settle for the Veela slut!" He made to kiss Fleur when he felt pain all over his body.

Each person there saw a blue blur then heard several cracks Krum fell to the floor, writhing in agony as Naruto held Fleur in his arms. He looked to the broken body of Victor Krum, with a broken wrist, both fore arms, and both legs, with the broken pieces of his wand stabbed into his shoulders.

The students started to disperse once they heard the Professors were on their way. Once they got there, however, they wised they hadn't. Karkaroff had immediately gone to the side of his fallen student as Madam Pomfrey healed the wounds on her neck before she went to Krum, with Karkaroff shrieking at her the entire time.

" Who is responsible for this?!" Karkaroff yelled. Naruto handed Fleur to Madam Maxime and stepped forward.

" I did." He said firmly. Karkaroff looked enraged at Dumbledore as he yelled.

" Dumbledore! This beast attacked my Champion for no reason! And Victor's guard did not even try to protect him!" He yelled. It then that sand wrapped around Karkaroff's mouth.

" I did not protect this man, because he was not Victor Krum." Said a voice behind them. Everyone turned around to see Gaara and the real Krum step up. Gaara had his look of indifference, while Krum looked worse for wear. Professor Dumbledore took a step forward and spoke to Gaara.

" Gaara, can you please explain what is going on?" He asked. Gaara nodded.

" I was walking down toward the dungeons when I saw Krum get hit with two red beams. I followed the two students into a class room in time to see two Krums. One Krum was tied up and the other left the room from a different door. I quickly knocked out the other student with my sand and untied Krum. We then went to look for the copy-cat Krum to find things like they were now." Gaara stated. Krum nodded at what the red head said. He then looked to Karkaroff.

" I am sorry to inform you, head master, but the two that attacked me, were from our own school." The Quidditch star said, looking ashamed. Karkaroff looked stricken at the information. They were about to say more, when a worried Shikamaru came running toward them. The look of terror on his face startled the Professors.

" Professor Dumbledore!" He yelled. " Have all students to go into the safest part of the Castle! We're gonna need back up! Have all teachers be placed around the main entrance! Gaara! Get ready to use your sand!" The Nara said.

" What's going on, Shikamaru?" Neji asked. Shikamaru said the words that made Naruto's blood run cold.

" We are being attacked by Orochimaru."

" Shit." Naruto cursed. He turned to Dumbledore and spoke. " Well, old man, are you going to just stand there or help protect your school?!" Naruto said as all of the Professors from all schools moved to protect the students as the Prefects herded the students to the main hall as the four shinobi got ready for a fight for their lives. Naruto had gone to the main entrance so fast, he did not see the look of sadness on Fleur's face.

Sorry for such a long time for an update, many things were happening and I had hella shit to deal with. I'll still try to update as fast as I can.