"So, what do you think?" Ichigo shrugged in his seat. He was currently sitting across from Dumbledore in the latter's office. It was three days from the beginning of the fall semester, and Ichigo had all of his supplies, he just needed to know what he was actually going to be doing.

"Well, I believe it would be better if we have you placed as a peacekeeper."

Ichigo stared at the man before him and arched an eyebrow. "A peacekeeper? Hogwarts has never had one of those before, I would know."

"The cover would be that you're just keeping the rising tension between the Gryffindors and Slytherins at bay. In actuality, however, you would really be keeping an eye on Potter and and the like."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair, smirking. "That seems so silly that it just might work, professor."

"Please, Lord Ichigo, just Albus is fine."

"Perhaps in private, if you address me as just 'Ichigo'. But we must address each other correctly in view of the students so that we don't arouse suspicions. That's the last thing we need at the moment."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Alright, Ichigo. Anyways, now that we're alone, I've been meaning to ask you how you knew about Minerva and I. After all, you've been sealed for centuries."

Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed.

"I figured you would ask me at some point. When I was sealed, I entered a trance-like state, and I was unable to burn up my mounting magic. In order to release it, I began to observe the magical world through the magic that courses through every wizards' and creatures' viens. I could do it now, if I so wished, but it would use up all of my energy, and return me to that trance." he answered.

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed in wonder, "To be connected with every magical being in the world, it must be astounding, I couldn't even imagine such a concept."

Ichigo's features took on a crestfallen appearance. At once, Dumbledore regretted his inquiry. "There is so much wonder in the world," Ichigo began, "so much beauty. I observed the rise of kingdoms and nations, of rulers and leaders. I saw the innovations and creations and inspiration that this glorious world had to offer, from both children and adults alike. I saw weddings and births, and all things full of passion of emotion."

Ichigo paused for a moment.

"With this in mind, I saw so much destruction, so much devastation. I've seen wars and battles, the fall of nations and kingdoms. I've seen the fall of good people and the rise of corrupt. I've seen so much death. All of the funerals, the grief and loss, the murder and thievery. I've experienced the loss of every stillborn child in the past nine centuries. I've witnessed so much pain, more than any other could ever imagine."

"But, I've also seen the birth of Harry Potter. I saw how his mother sacrificed herself for her child for nothing short of true love. I've seen him grow and learn, develop his magic, gather friends, and face astounding obstacles... We can never truly hide from grief and pain, but we can always overcome them. This is the reason I accepted your request, because this world needs a little more hope. Because I'm tired of watching the wicked have their way."

Dumbledore was silent. "You really have seen it all, haven't you?" he whispered. All Ichigo could do was nod.

"Well, no sense it worrying over it now. You have a room to get settled into. Just for appearance, I put your room between the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms. That way, you can be close to Harry while keeping up your persona. It also relatively close to everything, so I imagine you will be able to get along smoothly throughout the school.

"Ah, thank you for your hospitality, Albus." The two stood up.

"Nonsense, Ichigo. After all you've done for us, it's no trouble at all. Come, I'll show you to your chambers." Ichigo followed after the headmaster as he lead the way out of his office. His robes trailed behind him as he sauntered down the halls -- his halls. Ichigo couldn't help but smile at the man's enthusiasm during such dark times. Ichigo felt a well of pride begin to surge within himself when he observed the school during their trek.

He had a hand in all of this wonder. The ghosts, the moving paintings and staircases, the house elves running amuck trying to prepare for the new students -- all of it. Every wisp of magic and wonder, all of it had been his doing. Sure, he could see the school while he had been sealed, but being able to see it with his own eyes, in his own body, was a gift in and of itself. Ichigo watched as they passed the Gryffindor common room, and down a few flights of stairs. They stopped at an intersection of the bottom of a staircase and the top of another. With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, a large wooden door appeared along the wall in front of them.

"And here is where your chambers will be. I've specially enchanted the room to keep all of your, shall we say, excess magic from leaking out and disturbing other students. I've heard the stories passed down from my ancestors about how your power supply is so immense, that when you're not using it or actively thinking about it, it would leak from your being."

"Ah, I see. Well, Albus, your ancestors were not completely incorrect. Although I do have an extremely large power reserve, it only becomes a problem when I become angered or agitated. I do appreciate the effort, however, because nightmares do have a way of sneaking into my bed at night."

Dumbledore smiled. He was just happy to be learning so much. "You're welcome, L-- er, Ichigo. I'll leave you to get settled. I'll return in a few days to introduce you to our staff and vice-versa. If you have any questions, please come see me at my office. The password is 'sniggle warts'. I'll leave the rest to you, then." With that, Dumbledore began to make his way back up the stairs.

The old wizard -- or young, depending on your viewpoint -- turned back to the door of his new living quarters and quickly cast a spell where only those who were deemed worthy could enter. That way, it would keep any unwanted visitors from entering, not that he had anything to hide. He pushed open the large door and stepped inside.

Torches along the walls lit upon his entry. The room was simple, yet grand in every sense of the word. The room held a rectangular shape, with the exception of one corner being cut with another wall, creating 5 in total. Against that wall was a large fireplace with a couple armchairs in front of it. Across from on the other side of the room was a four-poster king sized bed. There were other pieces of furniture made out of solid wood. The room was bathed in blacks and dark reds. There were a couple doors that -- Ichigo assumed -- lead to a bathroom and closet. Ichigo would've laughed at the ordeal if he had not been so irritated by it.

'Got a little carried away, eh old man?'

Ichigo stepped further into the room as the door swept shut behind him. He wandered towards the large bed and sat gently on the edge. He ran his hands over the soft fabric. This bed was much too big for him. A sudden and suffocating weight rested on his chest as he thought of all of the friends that he has lost -- all of his family. His sisters, father, and mother, all of them gone. Even in this world, Ichigo was too afraid to make friends in fear of them leaving him. The only one close enough for him to call a friend was Merlin, and he sealed Ichigo away for almost a millennium.

The reaper shook his head to clear his thoughts. It would do him no good to dwell on the past. He should've learned after the last three thousand years. Ichigo left his room in favor of exploring the grounds. He decided to start from the bottom up. Ichigo met with the elves in the kitchens, saw the greenhouse, all of the common rooms, and the like. He ended up meeting fluffy and bonding with the large creature. He was on his way back to his chambers when he ran into a house elf. Quite literally.

"Oh, Dobby is so sorry sir. Dobby was not looking where he was going, that he was not."

"Don't worry... Dobby. It was my fault. Please return to your master."

"But sir, Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf."

Ichigo crouched down in front of the house elf. "Is that so?" he inquired. The wizard inspected the creature. He definitely looked less strained than the typical house elf, but his dressings were still less than satisfactory.

"Yes sir. Dobby is paid to work in the kitchens of Hogwarts."

Ichigo smiled. "Do you enjoy being a free elf, Dobby?"

"Oh most definitely, sir. Dobby has his own money. He can buy his own things and has no master. It is most enjoyable, sir."

"I see. I am happy to hear that, Dobby."

The young house elf smiled. "If I may, sir, Dobby does not know your name...?"

"Ichigo. My name is Ichigo."

"Ichigo. Yes, Dobby likes Ichigo very much. Not very many wizards are kind to free elves, but Ichigo is, and so is Harry Potter."

Ichigo stood back up. "I'm glad. Best get back to your job, Dobby."

"Yes, thank you sir." The house elf bowed before he scurried off to work. Ichigo felt a little lighter after his encounter with the young elf. He had met him once during his trance, but there was so much, his memory had been swept under the rug until he saw him again. Ichigo's mind was not big enough to store all of the memories he had collected while sealed, so his mind seemed to bury the ones deemed unimportant until later.

When Ichigo returned to his chambers, he was greeted by a floating message informing him of a small dinner held for those few that remained at the castle all year every night. It was in half an hour. Ichigo entered his room and laid down on the bed. Instead of turning to the dark thoughts that he had earlier, he instead turned towards more optimistic thoughts for the new year ahead of him.

What kind of students and wizards would he meet? Had he turned rusty from the nine centuries he spent sealed? What new innovations in magic had accumulated since he was last aware? They all became burning questions that never left the back of his mind. Even as he prepared to go to dinner, he couldn't shake them from his mind.

The walk there did not take nearly as long as he would've thought, but that might've been because he was looking towards to the new school year. Perhaps once Voldemort was taken care of, he could become a professor himself. Oh, all of the things he could pass on! Ichigo paused as a thought crossed his mind.

Will I be sealed again after Voldemort is over and done with?

It just depended on what he thought, Ichigo supposed. He hadn't wanted Merlin to seal him nine centuries ago, but he had no choice. It was for the best. Although technically, sealing Ichigo away was always for the best. Ichigo's mood was dampened, but only slightly as he was still looking forward to the school year.

"Sniggle warts." The large statue leading towards Dumbledore's office moved and Ichigo stepped inside. Because there was only a fraction of the staff still in the castle, the dinners were held in Dumbledore's officer. It had been agreed that only those in the room with him when he was awakened would know about his true identity. Those in the order who had not been present would still remain in the dark. So as of this moment, only Albus, Minerva, Mad-eye, Severus, and Lupin knew about him.

When he entered the office Ichigo saw a large table that had not been there only hours before. Only Dumbledore was there at the moment. It seemed as though the rest of the staff had not arrived yet. Ichigo took a seat next to the headmaster, who was eating what appeared to be lemon drops, but Ichigo knew better than to try one.

Dumbledore greeted his guest without looking up from his treats. "Ah, welcome, Ichigo."

"Thank you, Albus." Ichigo said as he scooted closer to the table. "It seems as if I've come a bit early."

"Oh, that's because I told you it started a little earlier than it actually does." The headmaster replied. Ichigo's eyebrow arched, silently asking for an explanation. "Well, I felt that it would be better if you arrived before anyone else so that when they come in I can introduce you. As I'm sure you're aware, most teachers here are not quick to trust and tend to be on the offensive to new instructors."

Ichigo nodded in agreement. "Yes, that I am aware of. Although, it is not an unfounded anxiety."

Dumbledore took this moment to actually look at his companion in the eyes. "Quite unfortunate, isn't it?"

They fell into a comfortable silence, Dumbledore eating his sweets before dinner and Ichigo studying the moving portraits on the walls. The first one to show up was Minerva, which wasn't surprising, followed by Professor Sprout, and Professor Trelawney, as well as Madame Pomfrey. The last one to arrive was Hagrid. So other than Minerva and Dumbledore, no one else knew about Ichigo.

The new arrivals eyed Ichigo cautiously, especially Trelawney. Ichigo suspected that she had probably received a premonition about his true identity, but couldn't fully decipher it. They all seemed like a good bunch. Ichigo found it humorous how they tried to cover their stares, but were failing miserably. At least they tried. Minerva had made the smart decision to sit next to Ichigo since she knew that the other staff were very unlikely to choose the open seat next to him, and they only had enough for one a person, so no empty seats. He nodded in acknowledgement towards her and she smiled back.

"Excuse me," Dumbledore stood to address his guests. "I'm sure everyone's excited for the start of the fall semester in three days. The rest of the staff, as you know, will arrive back to their respective chambers the day before classes start. Now, to the address the goblin in the room... Minerva, you're birthday is coming up next month, correct?"

The transfiguration professor blushed at the unexpected attention, but she nodded nonetheless. The rest of the staff couldn't help but fidget at their headmaster's antics. "But seriously," Dumbledore continued. "This young man next to me is Ichigo Kurosaki. Because of the rising tensions between Slytherins and Gryffindors, I hired him as a sort of peace keeper. I doubt that anything physical would happen between the two, but he's just here to keep an eye on them when we can't. He'll be sitting in joint slytherin-gryffindor classes as well as monitoring the halls between their common rooms. Now, dig in."

The staff visibly relaxed as Dumbledore explained the new member of their staff. They relaxed even more when the plates before them filled with plentiful plates of food. Ichigo ate, but only just. Normally, one of his power would need to gorge themselves on food constantly just to have enough energy to get out of bed in the morning, but the fact that he was immortal balanced out, meaning that he only needed small amounts of food every now and then to keep him content. Anything more than that would make him severely nauseous.

The dinner guests made small talk while they ate. When they finished, they said their goodbyes and filed out of the office. Ichigo was about to leave himself when he felt someone about to grab from behind. Out of instinct, he whipped around and jumped backwards. He saw a flabbergasted half-giant with his right hand the air. Ichigo calmed when he realized that Hagrid was probably just going to pat him on the back.

"Well, you're a jumpy one, ain't ya? Don't worry, we'll get that fixed right up here at Hogwarts. The name's Rubeus Hagrid, but you can just call me Hagrid." He lowered his hand and held it out for Ichigo to shake. The reaper grasped the man's hand in his own and shook firmly. He was supposed to be a bodyguard of sorts, so he should probably carry himself as one. Not that it would be too far of a stretch for him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, but Ichigo will do just fine."

"It's night to meet ya. Good luck with those kiddos, they can get pretty vicious, believe me."

Ichigo smiled smugly, "I think I can handle it."