Disclaimer – Harry Potter and all associated characters are property of J.K. Rowling. Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite.
To Love Even In Death: Chapter Two
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
"We love you too, Momo" whispered Harry as he slowly opened his eyes. "And you're going to see a lot more of us than you think" said Hitsugaya. Wiping away her tears, she turned her head towards Hitsugaya, a look of confusion on her face. "What do you mean, Shiro-chan?" asked a curious Hinamori. Before Hitsugaya could retaliate to the use of his nickname, Harry answered her. "What he means to say is that starting next month, we'll be attending the shinigami academy." As what Harry said slowly processed within Hinamori's mind, she turned her head back and forth from Harry to Hitsugaya. "Wha…? When…? How…?" muttered a shocked Hinamori. As what Harry said hit her, she grabbed the both of them into a fierce embrace. "Oh my god! I'm SO happy for the two of you!" squealed Hinamori.
"Ack! Hinamori…" gasped a suffocating Harry. "We can't breathe!" gasped an equally suffocating Hitsugaya. Realizing what she was doing to them, Hinamori immediately release the two of them and apologized, blushing at her stupidity as the two boys quickly breathed in air. "I can't believe it…You two are actually going to become shinigami!" exclaimed Hinamori. Suddenly, she turned to them with a curious look on her face. "What happened to not wanting to go to shinigami school?" she asked. The boys quickly replied with "Boredom."
Technically, it was true. They were tired of having nothing to do while Hinamori was away. Though they managed to survive those past five years, both Harry and Hitsugaya was getting quite tired of it. What they wouldn't tell Hinamori, however, was that they had another reason to become shinigami. To them, Hinamori was an important individual to the both of them. Whether it be the role of a sister most of the time and even sometimes a mother, the two truly did care for Hinamori…and in order to protect her, both Harry and Hitsugaya would strive to become strong shinigami capable of protecting her and, though they never thought about it, each other.
Thus began Harry James Potter and Hitsugaya Toushirou's journey to become shinigami.
The Year of 1969, Soul Society, Shinigami Academy, Freshman Number One Class
"Greetings, new students. Our central spirit technique institute is an academic institution with a long division of creating future Secret Mobile Corps and Thirteen Court Guardian Division Members" welcomed one of the professors of the academy. "I want you all to apply yourselves everyday so that you are not embarrassed by that tradition. I am your primary instructor, Oounabara Gengorou." Oounabara was a strict bald man with glasses who took his classes very seriously. He wore a golden bracelet around his neck, and wore a set of grey robes overlapped by another black set of robes. The classroom they were in was a traditional lecture hall, albeit on the small side, with a podium in the front where the professor stood. Various long desks were placed in front of the podium, each easily capable of seating five students comfortably.
"This freshman number one class is a so-called special advance class where those who achieved the most exemplary scores on the entrance exams are gathered. In order for you men and women to become not only members of various divisions, but eventually the shinigami at the top thereof, I hope you will do the best in your training" finished Oounabara as he began his lesson on the basics of kidou.
Harry Potter slowly opened his eyes as the lesson began. He had almost fallen asleep during Oounabara's welcoming speech, and was glad the man's speech had ended just as he was about to fall asleep. Otherwise, he would have probably already fallen asleep which would have resulted in him getting in trouble on the first day…Definitely not something he wanted. Taking out a sheet of paper, along with his brush and ink, Harry began taking notes on the lesson. Over the century of living in Soul Society, he had picked up various languages used throughout the world. Some individuals spoke French, some spoke Italian…Basically, many languages were in use by the people of Soul Society. However, it seemed that the use of Japanese and its literature was mainly used in the Central Academy of Spiritual Arts. Harry had never been gladder at the fact that he learned the Japanese language as he began taking notes.
As Oounabara began to explain the various types of kidou, such as destruction spells and binding spells, Harry noticed with a sweatdrop that a certain white haired friend of his currently had his eyes shut while the lesson was taking place. Thinking about how stupid Hitsugaya could be sometimes, Harry took one of his sheets of paper, crumpled it, and threw it at Hitsugaya's head. As the paper ball made contact with Hitsugaya's friend, his ice green eyes slowly opened as he rubbed them with his hands. He then looked at Harry with a hint of annoyance on his face, wondering what the hell he wanted. Seeing Harry tilt his head towards the professor, Hitsugaya looked at Oounabara, back towards Harry, before they closed one again as Hitsugaya drifted off to sleep…again.
Disbelieving eyes started back at Hitsugaya for a second, before turning back to the blackboard to focus on the lesson. Harry Potter sighed as he did so. Now he had to take notes for the both of them…'Hitsugaya so owes me one' thought Harry as he began taking notes at a rapid pace.
A few weeks later, the freshman number one class was gathered outside in the courtyard, both Harry and Hitsugaya with them. Since the day they arrived, the two boys had become bored out of their minds. Everything they learned in the academy was so…boring. The various skills and techniques they were taught were nothing to the two of them, and Hitsugaya once even suggested that they drop out of the academy…Of course, the idea was never given any more thought than that. In order to keep themselves busy, the boys had found themselves in the academy's vast library, throwing themselves into the various tomes and scrolls located there. There, even the lazy Hitsugaya became interested in the skills and techniques found in what they were reading. The two of them absorbed the knowledge they read like a sponge, quickly moving from one piece of writing to another.
Whenever they had free time, the two of them practiced what they learned inside one of the many training rooms, unknown to their classmates. The various fighting techniques in which they picked up from their reading slowly began showing up in their movements. They practiced Hakuda (Hand-To-Hand Combat) on one another, though both were only about average in the area. Harry, being the taller one, had difficulty landing a hit on the shorter Hitsugaya, who was able to move much quicker than his friend. Harry had once accidentally made a comment about this, resulting in him being kicked in the stomach for making a remark about Hitsugaya's…problem. Hohou (Movement) was quite easy for both of them due to years of running away from Hinamori whenever she was angry. The two of them were quite fast, but to master the various skills that involved rapid movement would take more than simply a few weeks.
Kidou (Demonic Magic), however, was Harry's area of expertise. While they were able to understand the spells easily, Harry was able to master the lower level spells at a rate that surprised the both of them. Kidou spells could be separated into three categories: Destruction, Binding, and Healing. Spells required an incantation to be said before the spell could be used, though higher level shinigami were able to completely skip the incantation…Each spell was given a number to give an indication of how powerful the spell was. The higher the number, the stronger the spell. Both Harry and Hitsugaya were proficient in the areas of destruction and binding, though Harry was better than Hitsugaya when it came to healing.
Zanjutsu (Sword Arts) was an area both boys loved. While they were only able to wield wooden swords during practice, both boys sparred with the best of their abilities against each other. Both equally talented in the area, it was difficult to determine who would win the spar at times. Even the theory behind the sword arts was interesting. Each soul slayer, a Japanese katana, had three forms in which it could achieve. Its first state was its normal form, where it was sealed and seemed like nothing more than a regular katana. Each soul slayer was an actual spirit given physical form, and it was through an understanding of their avatar that a shinigami was able to grow stronger. Avatars could take many forms, whether it be in the form of an animal or the form of a human spirit. Various soul slayers existed through Soul Society, and no two soul slayers were ever the same. The second stage was referred to as "Shikai" (First Release). In order to attain this state, the name of the soul slayer must be learnt. Though this task may sound simple, some shinigami never learn the name of their soul slayer. Once learnt, however, a new stage of power is achieved. Through an incantation unique to each soul slayer, the shikai is unleashed. The third and final stage is referred to as "Bankai" (Final Release). Increasing the strength of the soul slayer by a possible factor of ten, only the strongest individuals within Soul Society can achieve this state, and is sometimes referred to as the mastery of being a shinigami. In order to unleash this stage, the words "Bankai" are spoken. Each bankai was unique to every individual.
Harry and Hitsugaya both yawned as they took a seat in the in the back. Their class was outside in the courtyard in order to practice the kidou spell, Red Flame Cannon, which was the 31st spell in the destruction category. Their professor, a man with black hair wearing blue robes, had split them into three groups to prevent any accidents that could occur if they all practiced at the same time. Harry and Hitsugaya were in the last group, and both watched in boredom as the first group was called up. "It's been awhile since we've last seen Hinamori…" said Harry, as he remembered their friend. Hitsugaya turned his bored look towards him. "It's to be expected. She's busy after all" replied Hitsugaya as the second group was called up. "The faster we get out of this academy, the more we'll be able to see her."
"Yeah…I suppose so…" replied Harry before they were interrupted. "Potter! Hitsugaya! Perhaps you would like to demonstrate to us how to perform the spell correctly seeing as how you're busy talking" yelled their professor. Sighing, Harry and Hitsugaya got up, as the rest of the class snickered at their misfortune. As they took their positions, Harry could hear some of their classmates taking bets as to whether they would succeed or not. He rolled his eyes. 'Idiots' thought Harry.
The objective of the task was simple. Lying at the end of the courtyard was a target which they were supposed to hit with the Red Flame Cannon. Nobody else in the class had managed to hit it so far and, undoubtly, their professor did not expect them to either. "Alright! Go ahead, you two" shouted their professor.
Both Harry and Hitsugaya placed their left hand on their right forearm as they eyed the target they were supposed to hit. Unknown to them, their professor's eyes widened in shock as a blue spiritual aura surrounded them. "Ye Lord, Mask of blood and flesh, All creation, Flutter of wings. Ye who bears the name of man, Inferno and Pandemonium, The sea barrier surges, March on to the south!" chanted the both of them as their classmates and professor looked on. "Way of Destruction, number 31, Red Flame Cannon!" As they finished the spell, the rest of the class could only look on in shock as twin large red fireballs appeared from the boys' hands, and stuck their intended target…and the remaining targets around them. Their classmates had barely been able to conjure a decent fireball, never mind actually hitting the target. Seeing they were done, Harry and Hitsugaya returned to their seats without a word, ignoring the stares they were receiving.
The Year of 1970, Soul Society, Shinigami Academy
One years passed by rather quickly since the time they first stepped into the shinigami academy. Ever since the day they had first revealed their talents at the Way of Destruction practice, their fellow classmates had looked at them in awe and jealousy, which greatly annoyed the both of them to no end. They had earned a reputation within the school due to their unbelievable skill and knowledge which they displayed in class. Their test and exam results were always the top of their year, but neither of them could outdo the other…Knowledge-wise anyways.
Skill-wise was a completely different story. It was silently established amongst the both of them that Hitsugaya was not as talented as Harry when it came to Kidou. That's not to say that Hitsugaya was weak in that aspect. In fact, he was most likely far ahead of their year…and maybe a few of the other years. Harry simply had a natural talent for it, which Hitsugaya accepted. He, on the other hand, was a lot better at hand-to-hand combat than Harry was, easily able to be victorious in their spars. The same went for Harry, however. He was good at the field, just not as good as Hitsugaya was. Both were good at moving around, and had just recently mastered "Flash Step," a technique which allowed them to move rapidly from one location to another. When it came to swords, however, both Harry and Hitsugaya were able to show just how strong and talented they were. While they were still did not have their own soul slayers, they had upgraded from their wooden sticks to training swords.
Neither of them had seen Hinamori for two years. Neither she nor they had the time to visit one another, and both Harry and Hitsugaya were beginning to miss her cheerful presence. Today, however, was different. The academy was in a frantic state as they were preparing for the arrival of the Captain of the 1st Division, Yamanato Genryuusai Shigekuni, who was visiting personally to inspect the school in which he had created. While the professors and students tried to make a good impression for the leader of the Gotei 13, Harry and Hitsugaya were not. What made both boys excited about the day, however, was that Hinamori had sent them a letter saying she was coming to visit them, with permission from her Captain…
Harry Potter sighed. He and Hitsugaya were standing in the main courtyard, waiting for the esteemed guests of honour to arrive. It had been nothing but chaos for the past week. Professors screaming at the students to do this and that, students running around trying to make a good impression to the Captain, and Harry and Hitsugaya…Well, they didn't really give a damn and simply continued their routine. While everyone else was anticipating the arrival of their guest, the two boys were anticipating the arrival of their longtime friend.
"Shiro-chan! Midori-chan!" yelled an all too familiar voice from behind them. Turning towards the direction of the voice, Harry and Hitsugaya found themselves pulled into a bone-crushing hug that they had not felt since two years ago at their house…Except this time, the grip was even stronger than before and they felt some of their ribs crack. Harry tried to say something, but found that he was absolutely incapable of doing so. He turned his head towards Hitsugaya, his only chance at survival, only to find his friend in a similar situation.
Hinamori Momo was so excited at seeing her friends once again. It had been far too long since she had seen either of them and, while she had made new friends, nobody could compare to the two boys she had grown up with. Embracing them with all her might, she found it strange that they hadn't said anything to her yet. "Shiro-chan? Midori-chan?" She turned towards Hitsugaya, only to find his face becoming devoid of all colour as he was running out of oxygen. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Hinamori as she released the both of them. The two suffocating boys suddenly found themselves on the floor, gasping for air.
As he slowly began to feel air in his lungs again, Hitsugaya turned towards Hinamori. "Damn it, Bedwetter Momo. When did you become so strong?" coughed out a wheezing Hitsugaya. Hinamori blushed. Despite his situation, Harry laughed which caused the other two to look at him strangely. "You know, even though I'm in extreme pain at the moment, I can't help but feel happy at seeing you again, Momo."
This caused the three of them to burst out laughing, despite the situation there were in, causing onlookers to look at the three of them strangely.
Author's Note: This chapter was initially supposed to be longer, but seeing as how I ran into a small problem, I decided to cut the length of the chapter. It's probably for the best anyways. I'd rather write shorter yet quicker updates rather than one long yet slow update. I mean, I don't want to write some huge chapter Harry returns to Hogwarts…
By the way, if anyone has any ideas or theories that they think may be helpful, don't be afraid to post them . I'm still trying to figure out how each shinigami receive their own individual sword, never mind their shikai. If anyone has any ideas for when I bring the story back towards Earth, share! Whether it be what house for them to be sorted in, or which HP characters to interact with, I'm willing to listen…
In addition, the relationship for this story. Hitsu/Hina is a definite, and I'm still probably going to go Harry/Fleur. But Harry's relationship still could change, if anyone has any other ideas. Though I say beforehand that I don't like writing about Hermione or Ginny. Less developed characters like the Hufflepuffs are much more fun to write about.
Next time, special exams and a look into the minds of Harry and Hitsugaya as they reflect over their values, beliefs, and that which they wish to protect…