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Chapter I
- Emptiness -
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He rose from his chair and turned to look at the Unspeakables and Order members. ''Let us start.'' Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Warlock Chief spoke, standing in front of the Veil of Death. It had been a month since Harry had pushed Siruis from the path of Bellatrix LeStrange's curse and fallen into the Veil. Everyone had taken it hard, for most Sirius, who he had saved. A circle of magic wrapped around the Veil and there were six people in certain spots. Miss Granger, Mr Weasely, Sirius, Miss Lovegood, Mr Longbottom and himself. The Unspeakables would help keep the ancient ritual steady. Harry's body had come from the Veil after the battle, but as the Unspeakables found, it had no soul. The ritual was to help retrieve the soul. Slowly, he began to speak again in an old Latin chant that made everyone's hair stand on end and blood curdle. Darkness began to rise from Harry's body and coil, forming a chain from the center of his chest. The students and Sirius raised a hand and cut themselves, letting their blood fall on the circle as Dumbledore chanted. Within the time it took to complete the ritual, the chain was seven feet long. It stirred, then rose to his height. A voice made him jump.
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''What, old man, do you want?'' Dumbledore shivered at the sound before answering.
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''I want Harry Potter's soul back in his body, chain.'' He replied in a calm voice that he did not have inside of him. The chain eyed him as best it could.
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''Why, old man? He is mostly safe where he is.'' It almost growled out the words and Dumbledore's eyes narrowed.
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''Return him. Those are my orders. Go!'' He commanded harshly to the chain, which seemed to snarl before whipping around and plunging into the depths of the Veil.
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He managed to hold on to a scrap of reiatsu. That in turn practically ate the reiatsu in the air. Regeneration. One thing Ulquiorra prided himself on - if he felt anything. His regeneration had been painful, but necessary. He felt the stirring in his chest. My...heart. That woman...I am reviving. My body died, but I remained. Something's coming. He turned toward the reiatsu source. Ulquiorra felt the source was sharp and step sided quickly. It glinted and twisted.
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''Harry Potter.'' The chain hissed. ''An old man called me to return you. I must return you to your human body.'' He felt something he hadn't in a long time: dread.
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''I cannot go back.'' Ulquiorra-Harry answered monotonously. ''I do not wish to go back to trash. To nothing.'' Dumbledore. Damn the teme. The chain curled and looped. It was deciding. Then, it swerved toward him, lashing out. He sonidoed away. It was a strange game of tag under a cold crescent moon. It hurt. The chain crushed his leg viciously and then wrapped around him. Ulquiorra grabbed the chain with dull eyes, mouth still frowning. Suddenly, the chain stretched forward and slammed into his chest. A pain not unlike when he tore off his mask arose. He, however, did not scream nor whimper nor grit his teeth. It simply was there. Damn. But I still have my pride. Now, I am sounding like that trash, Grimmjow. Shit. Ulquiorra sighed inwardly. Standing and brushing sand from his white scrapped uniform, he noticed he still had the number four etched into his skin. Ignoring it, he checked his reiatsu. Three-fourths full. He could go into his Segunta Epata for nearly four hours. Usually he could use it indefinitely, unless destroyed as the trash Kurosaki did to him. Gripping the chain still, he said, ''Bring me to them.'' He was jerked away to the very edge of Hueco Mundo. A black garganta like hole was there. Glancing back at Hueco Mundo, Ulquiorra spoke to the chain. ''Will I be able to return?'' The chain grumbed faintly.