Magic and Reiatsu: Chapter 1

A/N: Like I said in the first chapter, this is an AU meaning Alternate Universe. Meaning it's going to be different, I NOTED in the notes also it's going to be confusing and it'll be explained later. Apparently a lot of reviewers don't understand what I'm saying. Part of why it's happening is going to be explained in this chapter.

To Jiyle: It said in many of the profiles on websites that it was Urahara Kisuke. I checked with a friend of mine who's big on Japanese culture and he said you were right on the saying. Thank you for correcting me and I'll change it accordingly. Also, thank you for your encouragement in later communications via messages.

As for everyone else out there who still say this is inaccurate despite all my other sayings, I have one thing to say…

*turns on music full blast, it being the original score of Harry Potter* I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE MUSIC!

Please review.

Disclaimer forgotten last chapter: I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter.

o*o

Healing

Pain greets her as she stirs; wincing as her ribs jolt in agony, protesting the movement. Her eyes peel open, slowly trying to pull herself up as she felt the tug of the bandages holding her chest together protest the movement. She panics for a moment, looking around, only to relax when she recognizes the surroundings, she and the little boy she saved last night were safe, for now.

"Well, you made quite an entrance last night, Sara." The voice seems light and teasing, but has a harsh bite to the words. Sara looks over to see a woman, tall and muscular, leaning against the doorframe of the room. Her eyes narrow, taking in the state of her patient. "I don't know what on earth you were thinking kidnapping a boy like that. I take it he's a wizard?" Her voice is sharp, accusatory, but at the same time she walks over and checks the bite wound on her patient, pulling her brown, almost black hair back into a ponytail as she does so the hair still nearly reaching her waist.

Sara winces slightly as the fingers probe the bite gently, glad that she was transformed in her wolf form when fighting that werewolf last night. Sheer adrenaline making her forget how fatal a bite is to a shignami who isn't transformed. "Yes, Arianna" she squirms at the glare she receives from the woman, even though she just graduated high school, the Vizards had well over a hundred years to perfect glares. "The boy would've been dead if I didn't." She defends herself weakly, not adding the part about the pack law, very few would understand it.

"Then there would be one less." Arianna says harshly, then softening her expression on the look on Sara's face. "I didn't mean it like that." She sits on the edge of the bed, making herself more comfortable for a long chat. "I'm just worried about the consequences, as strong as the shignami and Vizards are against the wizards themselves, they know our weaknesses to some spells and magical beings to kill us. Take that werewolf you fought last night, one bite and you would have been dead if you weren't in wolf form. Such is the penalty of being bitten. There are many other threats out there outside of just wizards, but the raids ended ten years ago, I would like to think they wouldn't start again."

Sara sighs, leaning against the pillows holding her up with an arm draped gingerly over her ribs. "I know," she says quietly, closing her eyes as her head drops, thinking about what would've happened if it went differently. "If we are bitten by a werewolf, it's an instant death penalty. A shignami living with that kind of curse for as long as we live is considered more torture than anything else in the world. Or if a reducto or some other curses even brushed against me, it would've killed me instantly."

Arianna's gentle hand comes under her chin and lifts it, forcing her to make eye contact when brown meets brown. "Yes, it could've been ended like that. But it wasn't, and even though I am worried about the consequences of your actions, the boy is now in our hands." She hesitates, brushing a single strand of light brown hair out of Sara's eyes before continuing: "And I think you did the right thing. No matter what else happens in the future, I believe you did the right thing saving the boy's life." She says quietly, studying Sara's reaction as she lets go of her face.

Sara nods, feeling the sting of tears of relief in her eyes. Angrily, she wipes them away, shaking her head to clear of her thoughts. "I really don't want you or anyone dead." She says softly, letting out a soft breath. "I just had a feeling that he needed to be saved, there's something about him that wanted me to make sure he was okay. Is the boy okay now? Do you know anything about him?"

Arianna's face shifts to sadness at Sara's words, moments of silence pass without a word. Sara's eyes again fill with tears, thinking that she put everyone in so much danger for it to be useless at the end. Arianna reads her face easily, centuries of experience knowing the signs, even as a toughened warrior, her heart goes out to her, knowing that last night's decision was a rough one to make, and she was worrying if it was for nothing.

Arianna offers a tissue, giving Sara a moment to collect herself before explaining. "The boy is alive, but there are some major worrying issues we have. First is the collar we saw around his neck when you carried him in. I assume it was attached to something?" Sara's head nods once, her eyes focused on tearing the tissue in her hands to shreds in worry. A gentle hand stops her, making Sara look up into her friend's eyes. "He was chained there, on a full moon?" No answer was needed, and there was none offered. "Even ignoring that part of abuse and neglect on the hands of the child's family, he has several scars and severe malnutrition. He's also massively withdrawn, he doesn't speak, and he barely eats. He's terrified of all of us, but has instantly taken a shine to Night."

Sara's head jerks up at the words, only seeing the reassuring smile making her relax, knowing that her faithful companion was safe despite the rough trip last night through the woods. "He's been through a lot; it's not every day that your family makes you go through something like that. He'll adjust, he just needs time. The sooner I and the boy go back to Japan, the better for all of us. You can't stay here, and I and the boy will be a burden to stay, me with cracked ribs and him too young and scared to help." She starts to stand up, only a gentle hand on her chest stopping her from getting too far.

"We'll be safe for a few more days. The barriers will make sure of that. After all, ten years ago, it took the best of ward breakers and curse breakers the wizarding world had to offer to destroy the barriers that protect the shignami and Vizards. Take those few days to allow your ribs to heal partially. The boy, even though he hasn't spoken yet, seems to be okay right this moment. If anything changes, I'll let you be the first to know."

Sara nods, settling back down, her eyes drooping shut as exhaustion takes over, Arianna smiles, adjusting the blankets one more time before getting up to leave.

o*o

The boy pets Night, his fingers running through the mane. Sara watches, surprised at the usually aggressive stallions actions as Night breathes softly into the boys black hair, making it, if possible, even mussier and causing the boy to giggle, Sara smiles, walking over and opening his stall, running a hand down her horse's coat, feeling a small amount of dust rising with it. "I see you have been rolling again." She says in a light scolding voice to Night, noticing the boy jump and tense at her words, hand dropping from his neck. "Want to help me brush him? Usually he's not this friendly to others, but he seems to have taken a shine to you."

The boy nods wordlessly, watching as Sara leads Night Sky out of his stall, the light catching his coat and showing his rippling muscles as she leads the thoroughbred to the crossties. "Here…" She says, giving the softest brush from the saddlebag to the boy. "If you want, you can brush his face. Like this…" She lightly runs the brush down Night's nose, going from his forelock to his nostrils a few times. "You try…" she says encouragingly, grabbing another stiffer brush and working on his coat, smiling in approval at the boys gentle actions, Night lowering his head as far as the ties let him to help the small boy reach. "You're doing a great job… What's your name?"

The words are barely audible; Sara has to strain to hear them. "Harry…" He mumbles, still focused on Night's face. "But mostly I'm called boy or freak. They say it's because I can't do magic like the rest of the family." Night nudges into his chest, Harry wrapping his hands around his halter and resting his head against Nights as tears start to slide down his cheeks. "Why did you save me? They said they'd love me if I allowed that creature to hurt me. "

Sara was glad for the moment that he was totally focused on Night; he didn't see the look on her face on his words. If the Potter's were there that moment, they would've either been dead by the look on Sara's face or she would've gone Bankai and allowed the pack to murder the family that would allow an innocent boy at probably two years old to be attacked by a werewolf and tell him that. Sara lets out a breath, trying to calm herself down as she kneels down to Harry's level. "Harry…" She says softly, forcing herself not to grab him and pull him into a hug, it would do more harm than good now. "Look at me."

Brilliant green eyes hesitantly meet brown, fear etched in them as Sara realizes that he was taught to not make eye contact at all. She lets out another huff of breath, trying hard to keep her temper clamped down in front of the boy. "You're a great child, and the Potters are idiots to not realize it. I rescued you because my own…" She hesitates over the words, thinking of a way to put it. "How much do you remember of that night when I saved you?"

Harry digs a hole in the dirt for a second, then jerks his head back up, remembering Sara's words to look at her. "I-I remember seeing a lot of big doggies. Some looking like Paf, but a lot more, I saw one fighting the monster before doing what Paf does and picking me up. I don't remember much after that."

Sara frowns, tilting her head sideways, confused about the Paf part. Her mind reaches out and connects with Uremetsu, knowing with his history, he would know more about wizards than her. Uremetsu, what does he mean by "doing what Paf does"?

Uremetsu looks up, sleeping in his cave in Sara's sword. He probably means Paf is an animagus. Meaning a wizard who can transform into an animal at will, probably Paf can transform into either a wolf or a large dog. Who Paf actually is, that will have to be solved later.

Sara nods slightly, letting out a small breath. Maybe this Paf can help out later with some more info about Harry and his family. But he has a lot to answer for even then because he allowed this to happen. Thanks, Ure. She thinks lightly, grinning slightly at his nickname she's developed over the years.

Don't call me that, and you're welcome. Now leave me alone so I can go back to sleep. Came back the grumpy reply, Sara grins, knowing he didn't like to be disturbed. She refocuses back on Harry, smiling at his curious and a little worried look. "I'm okay; I just had to talk to someone." Sara says softly, "I won't explain it now; you're a little too young to get it. The doggies that looked like your Paf are my friends. They help me when I'm hurt or someone else is, they usually help people who they think need to be saved. They saved you because they thought you not only needed it, but because they thought you were special."

Harry's jaw dropped, feeling a slight glow in him at the girl's words, him, special? Usually he was called a "freak" or "worthless" whatever that meant, but him being special? He hesitated, thinking about the fighting and how this girl saved him. "I never thought of myself as special before." He says softly, slamming himself into Sara's chest and knocking her over, arms wrapped around her neck as he clings to her, tears soaking the bandages still wrapped around her ribs. "Thank you…" He said softly, clinging to her like a lifeline.

Sara winces, her still healing ribs screaming in protest at the rough treatment. "Take it easy, Harry… You're a strong kid." She says lightly, ruffling his hair. "It's only been a week since I saved you. I'm not fully healed yet. But I'm glad you're happy. And you're always special, never, ever let anyone else believe otherwise." She says softly, holding Harry tightly to her.

Alarms blare from above, shattering the peaceful moment. Sara jerks her head up, listening and feeling the blood drain from her face at the noise. Those alarms only meant one thing…

The wizards found a way into the place.

The trapdoor bursts open seconds later, the pale and panicked look on Arianna's face confirming Sara's worst fears. Sara gently pushes Harry off her stomach standing up as she catches Uremetsu from Arianna's throw. "How bad is it?" Sara asks, her heart hammering against her chest as ties the zanpakuto to her waist and grabs the saddle next to Night Sky, throwing it on and tightening the girth quickly ignoring the swishing tail and kicking hind leg in protest.

"Bad… Dementors, and wizards." Arianna says, Sara cursing more as she yanks the bridle onto Night's head, him jerking his head back in protest as the bit is shoved in his mouth. "You need to go, now. I'll hold them off."

Sara shakes her head, putting Harry in the saddle and pulling herself up right behind him. "No, get out of here. They already are going to get the rest of the group here. You shouldn't be here to die also." Tears form into Sara's eyes, and she ignores them, kicking herself on not leaving earlier despite Arianna's insistence that she needed to heal more. They could've left before this if it wasn't for her.

"You need someone to hold open the gate for you." Arianna's voice is insistent, walking to the space where she could open a gate large enough to get them through. "You know there needs to be someone holding the gate open for you to get through. You and the boy are more important than me."

"But…" Sara says helplessly, refusing to move. "Maybe you can still come with us, maybe the gate can hold on its own." She says, stubbornly refusing to give up. "It has worked before."

Arianna shakes her head, already preparing the gate process. "Only once, and they still don't know how it happened." The trapdoor bursts open, her slamming her sword into supposed air, a door forming as the gate opens. Arianna holding the gate open one door, her zanpakuto holding the other door to the gate open. "Now Go! Don't let the sacrifice of the others be in vain." She yells it, ducking a reducto curse aimed at her.

Sara blinks back tears, wrapping her arms around Harry as the chill of the dementors enters the air. She knew she had only a minute before everything went to hell. "I'm sorry…" She whispers hoarsely to Arianna, and she nods wordlessly, her eyes shining with regret and tears. Sara's heels slam against Night's ribs, him exploding into a gallop from a standstill, curses flying over their heads as he weaves an erratic pattern, the chill getting worse and worse the closer she gets to the gate.

Hurry… There's only thirty seconds left. Uremetsu's voice echoes in Sara's head, her crouching down and urging Night to go faster. A curse right where her head used to be flying by, Night thunders closer, the gate still a good distance away, but closing fast.

Fifteen seconds…

Sara's heart stops, they weren't going to make it. There was just too much ground to cover. There was no possible way they would make it. Her heels slam desperately into Night's sides, urging him to go faster, he stumbles, quickly righting himself and stretching full out. "Come on, come on…"

Five…

Four…

They were almost there; Night's head was already going through the gate…

Three…

Two…

His tail was clearing the gate…

One…

….. Zero…

Madness brushes Sara's mind, but it's already gone. She just barely got clear of the Dementor's effects before it fully sunk in. Night gallops on, his hooves thundering through the passageway between worlds, heading towards her father, Kisuke Urahara's, home, all the way across the world. Sara looks back, the last thing she sees before the gate closing the madness in Arianna's eyes before she charges towards the wizards, all her rational thoughts gone.

"ARIANNA!"

Sara's last, desperate cry as the portal slams shut.

TBC…

o*o

A/N: Please review. I hoped you like it.