Summary:Tsunade makes history, having finished her paperwork. With that evil now gone, she can focus on the situation in England. Asuma, Kurenai, Ibiki, Zabuza, and Shizune are waiting for when they will be heading for Hogwarts. While Tsunade is debating between a nap and sake, Naruto has the decision made for him and is dragged of by Sasuke to bed for a nap. Hints of a party to come are given. Pictures are taken and Jiraiya's arrival at Hogwarts goes almost unnoticed. What conspiracies are being made? Are two demons finally coming out to play? Will there really be a prank war? What exactly does UTAH have to do with Umbridge? And just who is wandering Hogwarts at night?

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either Naruto or Harry Potter, with the exception of a few books and manga.

Warnings: Out of character, boy x boy relationships, yaoi, language, etc.

Pairings: Sakura x Lee, Ino x Chouji, Tenten x Neji, Hinata x Kiba, Temari x Shikamaru, Tsunade x Jiraiya, Iruka x Kakashi, Kurenai x Asuma, Zabuza x Ibiki, Haku x Gaara

Future Pairings: Naruto(uke) x Sauske, Kankurou x Shino, Hermione x Ron, Harry x Draco, Shizune x Gai. The poll for Remus, Sirius, Anko, Itachi, and Snape will officially be closed whenever I post the next chapter. I'm in the process of getting an up to date tally. If you really want to know where the pairings currently stand, check my profile in the next week or so, which is when I hope to have updated it.

A/N: Happy April Fool's Day. This really isn't a chapter, but an extremely long author's note explaining just why I won't be continuing this story. Who the hell am I fooling? This is the next chapter, not as fat as I thought it would be, but still pretty chubby. Anyway, there will be a longer note at the bottom. Read, review, enjoy, all that jazz.

'Call me cute and you die.' --Demon talking telepathically/usually the Kyuubi, sometimes Shukaku

"Try to cuddle me and I'll kill you." --Demon talking/usually the Kyuubi or Shukaku

'Stop reading my mind' --thoughts

"Shut up, stop talking." --speech

"Ohayou. Buenos dias. Bonjour." --different language other than English/usually Japanese

Don't ready my love letters. --writing, usually notes or letters

Chapter Nineteen: Of Demonic Pets and Conspiracy Theories

Naruto fought back a blush as he realized that his breathing pillow was Sasuke. 'You've got it bad Kit.' 'Shut up Kyu, I know that.' Naruto grumbled as Kyuubi's laughter echoed through his mind. He did not need to be teased about something that he already knew. Stifling a yawn, Naruto slowly climbed out of bed, stretching as he yawned again. Even though he had taken a nap, he was still rather tired. "Naruto." Turning at his name, a grin split his face as he saw Gaara sitting on his bed, a small raccoon sitting in his lap. "Hey Shukaku." "Brat. Summon Kyu. Temari's orders." Naruto blinked, but did as he was told. In a poof of smoke, a cat sized fox appeared at his feet. "It feels good to stretch my legs. Should have bugged Kit to let me out earlier." Naruto rolled his eyes as he picked the fox up. "Won't it be a little strange if we suddenly show up with these guys?" Gaara shrugged. He didn't care what others thought. "That's why they will be coming with me."

Both jinchuriki turned to see Itachi standing in the doorway. "It's dinner time now, go ahead and wake Sasuke up. I'll take these two with me. I expect to see you eat dinner Naruto." Naruto frowned, wondering why everyone seemed to be babying him all of a sudden. Shrugging it off, he nodded to Itachi as he left with Kyuubi and Shukaku. "Sasuke, time to get up." The Uchiha groaned as he sat up, grumbling quietly to himself at being woken up. Uchihas did not like being woken up, at all. "Come on, it's dinner time." When Sasuke ignored him, Naruto shrugged as he jumped onto Gaara's back. "Carry me." Gaara rolled his eyes as he hooked his arms around the blonde's legs. "To quote Temari's boyfriend, 'this is troublesome'." Naruto merely snickered in response, earning a resigned sigh that sent him into a fit of laughter.

He was still chuckling when they entered the Great Hall. His laughter died in his throat when he glanced around the Great Hall, his eyes going wide as he stared at the head table. Sitting next to a flustered looking McGonagall was none other than Jiraiya. Just then, Jiraiya looked up, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Gaara, I have something for you and the gaki." Making his way to the staff table, Gaara ignored Naruto telling him to put him down. "Wow, Hime was right, you are chibi." Naruto sulked, saying nothing. "Naruto, you're sulking." Naruto pouted before a grin took over. "Ero-sennin, I still have to get you back for throwing me off a cliff." Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "That can wait for later. Tsunade-hime wanted me to tell you that she better get her cookies. She actually managed to finish all of her paperwork." Naruto felt his jaw drop, but didn't care as he continued to gape at Jiraiya. "Flies Naruto, flies." Snapping his mouth shut, Naruto continued to stare at Jiraiya, trying to determine if he was joking or not. "She threatened to ban ramen if she doesn't get her cookies." He wasn't kidding.

"I'll make them as soon as I can. What do you have for us Ero-sennin?" Jiraiya mumbled something under his breath as he reached down and picked up a large cat carrier. "Your pets were driving me insane. I've already spoken with Dumbledore and he's fine with you having them here. Take the little demons and go sit down. I better see you eat something Naruto or I'll write Tsunade a note." As Gaara took the cat carrier from Jiraiya, Naruto scowled darkly at the man. "I will, 'Tachi's already bugged me about eating." Jiraiya frowned at him for a moment before nodding. "Good. As soon as you let those demons out of the carrier, it'll disappear. You two are never going to rope me into looking after those demons you call pets again." Naruto snickered when he heard Kyuubi growl from inside the carrier. "You better behave yourself Ero-sennin or I'll tell Baa-chan and Iruka-sensei." Jiraiya shuddered slightly. "Go eat already brat."

Seeing the girls once again gathered, this time at the Ravenclaw table, Naruto felt a chill run down his spine. Spotting Shikamaru sitting in the middle of the group, sandwiched between Temari and Anko, he gave the lazy genius a salute. If he survived the night, Naruto planned on getting him a medal. Sitting down in Haku's lap, Naruto opened the carrier that Gaara had just put down in front of him. Immediately a streak of red leapt out of it, closely followed by a tan streak. The carrier disappeared in a whisp of smoke before he could even blink his eyes. Naruto let out a whoosh of air as something collided with his chest. Looking down, he saw Kyuubi looking innocently up at him. "Kyu. I thought I told you to behave for Ero-sennin." Gaara looked into golden eyes for a moment before dropping Shukaku on the table. "Naruto, you do remember that you are talking to Kyuubi, don't you?" Naruto blinked at Gaara before chuckling. "You're right. Kyu, why don't you and Shukaku go and say hi to the others. Maybe even rescue Shika from the girls."

Looking over at the Ravenclaw table, Kyuubi listened in to what they were whispering about. Teeth bared in a feral grin, Kyuubi leapt out of Naruto's lap and onto the table. 'I think I just might rescue your lazy friend. Come on Shukaku.' Students stared as the two demons made their way over to the Ravenclaw table. Naruto watched as Kyuubi seemed to say something to Temari and Anko, Shikamaru practically fleeing with tears in his eyes when the two girls let him go. He slumped down next to Chouji, his friend patting him on the back before he returned to eating. Naruto blinked owlishly at the sight before turning back to the plate that Haku had made for him. Not wanting anyone else to fuss at him to eat, Naruto began to dig into his food.

Umbridge frowned as she saw the girls once more chattering to each other, only at the Ravenclaw table. They were planning something, which simply couldn't do. She would have to see about giving them detention until she could find out what they were doing. She also needed to find out who was responsible for messing with her paperwork. She had absolutely no clue as to who it was, but she was sure that it was a student. She just needed to get the proof. Once she had the proof, she would enjoy torturing them.

Iruka glanced at Umbridge, suppressing a growl. The potion that Snape had slipped her wouldn't take complete effect for another week, but that didn't matter at the moment. She was plotting something, and judging by the way she was sneering at the group of whispering kunoichi, it had to do with trying to wreck Naruto's surprise birthday party. It didn't look like she knew just yet what was going on, and he was going to keep it that way. He was not going to let the toad ruin Naruto's birthday party. He may just have to speak to the twins about acquiring something that should distract her for the entire day and night. It was that or he could try having Kurenai come by and place her in a genjutsu for the duration of Naruto's party.

At the Slytherin table, Naruto was completely oblivious to the various plots that were going on, nearly all of which concerned him in some way, directly or indirectly. His nap had been just what he needed. Thinking about it, Naruto came to the realization that he was sleeping more for a reason. His body was probably storing up the needed energy for him to return to normal little by little. With that in mind, a grin slowly began to spread across Naruto's face as he chuckled evilly, ignoring the fearful looks he was being given. If naps were going to become a routine for him, then he wouldn't be the only one to take a nap. He would pout/blackmail/trick/ask someone to take a nap with him. Sasuke had already done so, leaving him to decide who would be his next victim.

In the Gryffindor tower, the fifth years were beginning to realize just why OWLS were the number one reason that Madam Pompfrey needed such a large supply of calming draughts. Their homework just kept piling up, forcing even the laziest of them to sit down and scribble furiously in an attempt to keep their homework from becoming what would soon be a living nightmare. Even Naruto and Kiba could be seen working on their homework instead of goofing off with the twins like they normally did before half-heartedly working. The stress that the fifth years were under wasn't clearly acknowledged until one unfortunate fourth year knocked a bottle of ink all over Hermione's just completed essay.

One could hear a pin drop, it was so silent in the room. All eyes were on Hermione's slightly shaking form, waiting for the explosion that was bound to occur. If there was one thing that every Gryffindor had learned since Hermione's first year, it was to never ever mess with her homework. A seventh year had once made the mistake of using the back of one of her essays to draw out a quidditch play in an attempt to prove that his team was superior to his friend's when she was a first year. To put it simply, that seventh year found himself under every single curse, jinx, and hex that Hermione knew, which was more than just first year knowledge. From that day on, prefects made it a point to inform every new first year to never mess with one Hermione Granger's homework or notes. Ron had even passed on the warning to the new first years when Hermione had been distracted by something that the twins had done.

The fourth year that had spilled the ink was paralyzed with fear, having heard the stories of what she had done as a first year. Now that she was a fifth year, the thought was enough to paralyze him. Completely oblivious to the building tension, Naruto appeared by Hermione's side. "Ne, do you have an extra ink pot?" Not getting an answer, Naruto stood on tiptoe to look at the table. Seeing the spilled ink pot Naruto decided to be nice and help her save her essay. Climbing onto Ron's lap, Naruto pulled the ruined essay to him and quickly drew a seal in the ink. He grinned as the spilled ink slowly began to form a large quivering ball above the parchment. Picking up the ink pot, he held it under the ball of ink and poked it, causing a drop to fall into the pot. As soon as that drop fell, the rest of the ink was soon to follow. Grinning, Naruto took the now full ink pot. "I'm gonna borrow this. Thanks 'Mione."

Naruto had barely climbed out of Ron's lap when he found himself in a bone-crushing hug. "Naruto, I love you." Naruto blinked owlishly up at Hermione, not sure what to say when he saw the tears in her eyes. "You're welcome?" Seeing Naruto's confused face sent the fourth year into near hysterics as he laughed. Deciding not to ask, Naruto took the ink pot back to the table that he was sitting at with Kiba and the twins, the common room once more returning to its usual hum of noise. "Hey, how did you do that?" "Ero-sennin showed me it after I spilled ink all over a seal he was making. It's a simple seal that removes unwanted ink, but you have to be careful since it removes the ink in layers. It's usually used to save work from being ruined by a spill. You could ask Ero-sennin to show you how to do it if you want to learn." Kiba thought about it before shrugging. It could be useful to learn, but he would worry about it later. Hinata had asked him to think about a way that they could distract Naruto. The girls could easily get together to plan for his party, but the guys didn't have the same opportunity. It was an unspoken agreement that they would all take a part in some aspect of planning his party. They were running out of time as well, since the plans needed to be finalized at least a week in advanced, if not two.

Watching Naruto yawn, Kiba chuckled. "You're sleepy even after taking a nap?" Naruto nodded as he yawned again. "I think I'm going to take naps everyday. I think my body is trying to store up energy for when I turn back to normal, if I turn back to normal. I'll probably be less tired if I do take a daily nap." Silently thinking of how he could use this new information to his advantage as he stared at his homework, Kiba hnned. Naruto would be occupied for an hour, if not more for his nap, exactly what they needed to plan his party. They just needed a way to know when Naruto woke up so they wouldn't be caught together. This was too perfect an opportunity to pass up. Storing the idea for later, Kiba focused back on his homework. It was only slightly more interesting than filling out mission reports, if not a bit more annoying because of the sheer amount.

------Jiraiya's Room------

Lounging in his chair, Jiraiya frowned as he listened to Iruka's report on the castle. The former Anbu was concise and to the point, but didn't fail to include the tidbits on Umbridge as well as the surprise party being planned for Naruto. He would definitely help with that, the gaki deserved it. He was also positive that Tsunade would threaten whatever was necessary in order to be present for the party as well. What had him most concerned at the moment was the fact that aside from Umbridge, no one in the castle was really showing signs of having a hidden agenda. Not even the Slytherins were showing signs of more than childish agendas. If the plots to get back at their new teachers, as well as take revenge on 'insults' caused by their new housemates were anything to go by, the school was just a normal school. As normal as a school that taught magic inside a sentient castle was normal.

"That's worrying. If Orochimaru and Voldemort both aren't interested in what's going on inside the castle, then their plans aren't in danger of being interrupted. That, or they believe that we'll be too distracted by what's going on in the castle to be worried about their schemes. Who are the biggest threats in this moment?" Frowning, Iruka stroked his chin in thought. "It would have to be Umbridge, as well as some of the Slytherin students. She is the greater threat, since she has the Minister's backing. It's a political nightmare really. Fudge is an idiot and the Ministry itself is so corrupt it's actually amazing that Voldemort hasn't simply seized control of it himself. We'll have to be careful in our movements, especially with that woman watching us. It would actually be wiser if the five of us stuck with patrolling the castle at night. She'll look for any reason to stick the kids into detention, especially Naruto."

"We won't be able to get rid of her, not without discrediting Fudge and possibly causing mass panic in the public." "Itchy's right. We can't get rid of the toad easily. Since the majority of the citizens of the wizarding world are complete idiots, we can't do more than make Fudge lose public support. If we want to do that, we'll need to give parents a reason to want to get rid of Umbridge on their own. The Daily Prophet is useless when real information is needed, and the idiots here take it for fact." Snorting, Kakashi leaned forward in his seat. "Maybe we can use that to our advantage. Whoever owns the Daily Prophet is in control of what's being printed. If we were to buy the paper, we can control what is released. Since there is a smear campaign going on against Potter and Dumbledore, then it is safe to assume that it is either the Ministry that owns the paper, or one of Voldemort's followers, most likely a combination of both."

Chuckling darkly, Jiraiya sat up from his slouched position. "There is little we can do to put a stop to their plans, but that doesn't mean we can't prepare for the coming war. We have time to prepare, possibly a year, maybe even longer. We'll need to start making lists, gain control of the Daily Prophet, and knock some sense into the next generation. The last will be easy enough, since we're teaching the brats. The paper shouldn't be too hard either. It'll just take a bit of time so we won't arouse suspicion. The lists will be the hardest part. We'll need a list of Death Eaters, Voldemort supporters, who in the Ministry can be bought, hell, who in the Ministry isn't corrupt in some way. We'll also need someone to replace Fudge, that isn't an idiot and will actually go about fixing some of the problems of the wizarding world."

At that, they all snorted. Almost anyone would be better than Fudge. If it weren't for the politics, a competent Genin team would have been able to finish this mission in less than a month. All it really came down to was protecting the school for a year and killing Voldemort. Killing Voldemort would take maybe a month, gathering information as well as scouting out his base, the rest of the mission would essentially be a vacation since guarding the castle was rather simple, and could almost be compared to gate duty. Rather boring, since the gate was rarely used by anyone trying to infiltrate Konoha. It was the Chuunin equivalent of finding Tora-chan. The Jounin equivalent was still under debate, although the Anbu equivalent was agreed on guarding the Hokage's office.

While the teachers were plotting how to restructure the government, without risking political repercussions, the girls were bringing the boys up to date on the plans for Naruto's birthday party over homework. Kiba was the only one not being filled in, but that wouldn't last for more than another day. Keeping Naruto in the dark was the hardest part about the entire thing. Arranging everything and setting things up was easy in comparison. It had already been agreed upon that no one else would be brought in to help until all plans were finalized. Naruto's birthday party was going to be perfect, or blood was going to be spilled. Sasuke and Sakura would be leading the attack, the others following just a step behind.

Finished with the majority of his homework, Naruto packed his things away. He could finish the rest of it later. What really needed his attention at the moment was the prank war. Umbridge's detentions had really delayed its start. Grabbing a protesting Hermione, he dragged her upstairs and into his dorm. Once they were safely hidden on his four-poster bed, the curtains drawn, Naruto grinned. "We can't start our war until we have the rules. We'll both be busy during the next couple of days, so now's the best time to start. Please 'Mione?" Laughing at Naruto's puppy eyes, Hermione nodded and pulled out a notebook and pen. Why it had never occurred to her to use the muggle writing supplies to take her notes before hand, she would never know, but she was glad that she had decided to bring a large supply with her. It had been her mother that had suggested organizing her notes in composition books by subject, given that she had OWLS this year. Hermione could have slapped herself. She felt like she was a first year again, forgetting that she was a witch. Just because she was a witch, it didn't mean that she needed to forget her 'muggle' upbringing, and the inventions that they had. Grinning as she uncapped her pen, Hermione decided that tomorrow she would take notes with pen and paper. If she didn't get in trouble, it would save her time from having to recopy her notes. She should get Ron and Harry to do so too. Merlin knew that the two would need all the help they could get when the exams actually came around.

"Fine Naruto. Let's start with basic rules, then we can decide a ranking system so it will be easier for each prank to be scored." The wide grin that Naruto had was contagious, and Hermione found herself smiling as well as they sprawled on his bed, the notebook in front of them. Even with the privacy spell that Hermione had cast on the bed, Naruto insisted that they talk in whispers. The next hour passed in hushed conversation and muffled snickers. With a flourish, Hermione wrote the last word before exchanging a smug grin with Naruto. Between the two of them, they managed to come up with a list of rules, how targets were grouped, as well as a ranking system for the pranks. Reading through the rules one last time, Hermione made sure that they had covered everything. Naruto had been adamant that their prank war be both harmless and something that the entire school could enjoy. Which had resulted in the first two rules.

Rules of Engagement for Prank Club

1.) All pranks are to be harmless. Any prank judged to be cruel or overly humiliating will result in an immediate detention and the awarding of house points to the victim in compensation. Any prank that results in the intentional injury of its victim will result in the above, as well as loss in house points. Accidental injuries are to be avoided as much as possible, and will result in penalty points being awarded.

2.) Discrimination in targets is forbidden. All houses and teachers are to be pranked equally, with the exception of Umbridge. To avoid discrimination, the judges will assign a target group and the rank of the prank.

3.) All pranks are to cause minimal disruption to teaching and studying. And none may result in the destruction of notes or homework.

4.) For the safety of all beings, no pranks may be pulled in the potions classroom, the greenhouses, the library, or the hospital wing.

5.) All pets and owls are not to be subjected to a prank, including Mrs. Norris.

6.)Under no circumstances are participants to reveal the existence of Prank Club to those not in the know. If caught pulling a prank, silently take the punishment, do not try to deny anything or respond to questioning, especially if caught by Umbridge.

7.) All pranks must comply with the rank and target group given. Participants will receive penalty points if the prank does not comply.

8.) There are four Judges, two are known. Iruka-sensei and Professor Dumbledore are the two known Judges. The two unknown Judges will be chosen by them. Participants are forbidden from bribing, blackmailing, or trying in some way to alter a Judge's decision.

9.) Participants must keep up with homework, no exceptions.

10.) Every single prank pulled must have a signature unique to the participants. No credit will be given if a signature is not left. Participants are also forbidden from copying another's signature.

11.) Participants can only gain outside assistance with a prank when specified with a grinning scarecrow on the information slip.

12.) The winner(s) of the prank war will be determined by the grading system based on the criteria chosen by the Judges. Penalty points will result in the reduction of the overall 'score' of a prank.

Target Group Classifications

Non-Combatants (NC): any student or professor can be a target, including judges. Participants and Umbridge are not included in this category.

Combatants (C): any of the transfer students, or the new teachers, excluding Umbridge and the participants.

Cerebus: any professor may be targeted, with the exception of Umbridge.

Cynical Four (C4): any one of the four heads of house.

Any Student (AS): any student of any year from any house may be targeted.

Puppies: any first or second year, regardless of house may be targeted.

Dogs: any third, fourth, or fifth year may be targeted, regardless of house.

Wolves: any sixth or seventh year may be targeted, regardless of house.

Mini Security (MS): any prefect from any house, or the head boy or girl.

Snake Fangs (SF): any Slytherin student, regardless of year.

Raven Beaks (RB): any Ravenclaw student, regardless of year.

Badger Teeth (BT): any Hufflepuff student, regardless of year.

Lion Claws (LC): any Gryffindor student, regardless of year.

Snake's Pit: Slytherin's common room is the target or location of the prank.

Raven's Nest: Ravenclaw's common room is the target or location of the prank.

Badger's Burrow: Hufflepuff's common room is the target or location of the prank.

Lion's Den: Gryffindor's common room is the target of location of the prank.

Hatchlings: any first or second year Slytherin student can be the target.

Fledglings: any first or second year Ravenclaw student can be the target.

Kits: any first or second year Hufflepuff student can be the target.

Cubs: any first or second year Gryffindor student can be the target.

Ambusher: any third, fourth, or fifth year Slytherin student can be the target.

Scavenger: any third, fourth, or fifth year Ravenclaw student can be the target.

Forager: any third, fourth, or fifth year Hufflepuff student can be the target.

Hunter: any third, fourth, or fifth year Gryffindor student can be the target.

Rhumba: any sixth or seventh year Slytherin student can be the target.

Murder: any sixth or seventh year Ravenclaw student can be the target.

Cete: any sixth or seventh year Hufflepuff student can be the target.

Pride: any sixth or seventh year Gryffindor student can be the target.

Table Manners: all house tables and the staff table are the target or location of the prank.

Grave Adventures: any ghost or Peeves can be targeted.

Prankster's Honor (PH): participants, and only participants, are the targets.

UTAH (Umbridge Torturers Anonymously Hired): Dolores Umbridge is the target/victim.

The Ranking System of Prank Club

Genin: Prank can consist only of non-magical or 'muggle' supplies. There can be one victim to three victims. No more or less.

Chuunin: Prank can consist of non-magical and magical supplies. Magic up to fourth year knowledge can be used. No potions, runes, or seals of any kind may be used. Can be three to ten victims, no more or less.

Jounin: Prank can consist of non-magical and magical supplies. Magic up to fifth year knowledge can be used. Any 'legal' potion can be used, as long as the effects are not permanent. No runes or seals may be used. Can be ten to twenty victims, no more or less.

Special Jounin: Prank can consist of non-magical and magical supplies. Magic from sixth year knowledge and beyond may be used. Any 'legal' potion can be used. Runes or seals can be used, as long as their effects are not permanent. Must be a minimum of twenty victims or greater.

Anbu: Four levels, the equivalent of the above ranks, with level one being Genin and level four being Special Jounin. Umbridge is the intended victim. For example: Anbu1 means only 'muggle' supplies can be used, while Anbu4 means any 'legal' and non-permanent magic, potions, runes, or seals can be used.

Grinning, Hermione carefully closed the notebook and tucked it into her bag. She'd make a half dozen copies on parchment later, after she used a spell to make her handwriting unrecognizable. "Really Naruto, a cete and a rhumba?" Naruto gave her a sheepish grin. "Well, a flock of ravens is called a murder, a pack of lions is called a pride. A group of badgers is called a cete, and a rhumba is a group of rattle snakes, since there really isn't a term for just a group of snakes, that'll have to work. And rattle snakes are a kind of snake." Shaking her head, Hermione took down the privacy spell she had placed up while Naruto opened his curtains. "I'll get this back to you tomorrow after I finish making corrections. Really Naruto, why did you have to drag me all the way up here?" Catching on immediately to what Hermione was trying to do, Naruto pouted cutely. "Because, I didn't want to fall asleep in a chair." Snorting, Hermione reached over and ruffled Naruto's spikes, ignoring his protests as she did so. Bending, she placed a chaste kiss on his forehead. "Good night Naruto. I'll see you in the morning." Yawning widely, Naruto gave a sheepish grin. "G'night 'Mione."

Back in the common room, Hermione noticed that most of the lower years had gone to bed already. It was nearly eleven already, and she planned on going to bed since she had finished her homework, and copying her notes into composition books. She had just said her good nights to Ron and Harry when she noticed Kiba nodding off over his homework. Tutting softly, she gently nudged him awake. "Go to bed Kiba. Naruto's already turning in himself." Yawning widely, Kiba stretched, sighing in relief as he heard several cracks and snaps. Shaking himself, he gathered his things together, mumbling a good night to Hermione as she left. He had managed to finish all of his homework, and was actually wondering about what he should get Naruto when he started to nod off. The blonde was impossible to shop for. Kiba gave a soft growl of frustration as he climbed the stairs up to his dorm. Naruto was the kind of person that would be happy with any gift, but he was also the kind of person that you wanted to get something special, something meaningful for.

Dropping his bag on top of his trunk, Kiba grinned in amusement as he saw Naruto fast asleep on his bed, one shoe still on and only half out of his robes. Shaking his head, Kiba went over and finished undressing the blonde, easily lifting him up so he could pull the covers back. He was just about to tuck Naruto in when the small blonde latched onto his arm and refused to let go. Sighing in defeat, Kiba kicked his shoes off and managed to shrug his robes off by transferring Naruto to his other arm so he could extract himself completely. Crawling into the blonde's bed, he made himself comfortable before dragging the covers up over them both, Naruto resting on his chest and tucked against his side. Before he fell completely asleep, Kiba gave a sleepy grin as Naruto cuddled into him, vaguely reminding him of Akamaru, who was still with Hinata.

-----Somewhere in the Castle-----

Taking a deep shuddering breath, he tried not to think about the letter he had gotten that morning. He was already trying to think of a way to get out of returning home over the winter holidays. The letter his father had sent him was frightening enough. He had barely escaped being marked during the summer, but it didn't look like he would manage the same feet next summer. If he was anyone else, he may have given into his fear, but he wasn't. He couldn't give into his fear. He was already struggling with guilt, realizing just how wrong some of his views were, especially concerning a certain green-eyed lion. Shaking himself, he once again donned the mask he had perfected years ago, nearly before he had even first stepped foot inside Hogwarts. Slipping out of the room that had become his sanctuary since the start of school, he silently made his way back to his common room, sticking close to the shadows. He wouldn't get in trouble if he was caught, but he didn't feel like explaining that he was returning from a patrol.

Thankfully, he slipped silently into his common room without running into a single person or ghost. He hadn't even come across Mrs. Norris. What he had failed to notice was the shadow that had followed him since he had left his sanctuary, or the frown that had barely been visible as the shadow watched him enter his common room. The shadow stayed and watched the entrance for a few minutes before fading away completely as they left, their frown still in place. The shadow wasn't the only one to observe his movements, but a pair of scarlet eyes as well. They stayed a few moments longer than the shadow, before seemingly blinking out of existence.

A/N: It's been forever and a decade since I've updated, but life at the moment isn't all sunshine and daisies. That being said, I hope that I've brightened up at least one person's day with this chapter. It is very likely that updates will be sporadic from this point on, but I'll try to update at least monthly. Now that I've posted the prank rules, there will be pranks occurring in the future. To save my sanity however, I will probably make a companion ficlet that will contain the vast majority of pranks that will have occured in this war. That isn't saying that there won't be any pranks, just a dozen or two, instead of a few hundred or more. Also, so I can get back on track with where I was going with this story, the poll for the pairings will offically be ended when I post the next chapter. I will be updating my profile with current standings, as well as placing a poll there to make it a little easier on myself. You can still vote using reviews. Anyway, I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter. Pixie sticks, cookies, and candy galore to my faithful readers and reviewers. And do tell me if my spelling was atrocious, since I made the effort to edit this chapter numerous times in hopes of cacthing most of my mistakes.