Chitsuki-hime: Okay maybe I took a little bit longer to get this up than expected and for that I appologize. I even made this chapter a WHOLE 1000 words longer than the norm! Don't hate me!
Standard discliamers apply for this chapter like those before it. I do not own Bleach, nor do I own Harry Potter
After the initial confrontation with Charlie Weasely, the three had cleaned up and fixed their injuries as best as they could. Neither Weasely claimed to be well versed in the forms of medical magic, at least they knew no spells that would really help them out at the moment, so they made do with what they had. That being a first aid kit, and some potions that were made to treat nerve damage, broken bones, and general lack of any energy; it wasn't as though Hitsugaya could help them with healing spells, his kidou were not accessible to him and Zaraki would never dabble in anything as mundane as healing. So they had showered, bandaged up, and then proceed to take in many different potions to help them for the moment. They had finished telling Charlie exactly what had happened at Riddle Manor and about how they were able to escape. It bothered Charlie, really it did. The events leading up to Bill's capture were ones that no one in the Order had been able to predict, yet they had happened. Bill might have been very proficient in sealing ruins and deciphering foreign texts, but he didn't think that Bill was so accomplished that the Dark Lord himself would keep an eye out. But disregarding that, Bill had also probably been chosen to upset the Order and to maybe retrieve some information out of the older redhead. Charlie knew better though, Bill wasn't one to cave to demands and authoritarian figures. Everything seemed so surreal when he was sitting beside his brother, it seemed as though Bill had never been captured in the first place; but then he saw the gauntness of his face and the bandages he wore and he knew that it had all happened. That Bill had been taken for 3 months now. But he was grateful that his entire family was safe for the time being.
Rather the only problem that he saw, were the two that were seated opposite to them. It wasn't that he thought they were bad people, but he wondered if the Order would even help them out. However they had been transported here, they needed information to formulate a way to get back and the only man he knew that had enough connections to help them out was Dumbledore; but it was questionable if the man would actually extend his aid. Charlie shifted in his seat again as he gazed at their guests. It was, uncomfortable looking at the tall imposing man that had been introduced to him as Zaraki Kenpachi, but he could see that this man was capable of doing whatever had been said in their story and more. He radiated power and it was daunting in the way that he looked at people. The man was someone you did not want to get on the bad side of, and the bandages that covered his torso did little to take away from his overall creepiness. They had charmed a pair of pants to fit the man, seeing as most of his upper body was bandaged to help keep a poultice in place to help in healing the bruises and internal damages that had been wrought. Not that any of it had bothered the man, Charlie thought that the man was rather machoistic in the way that he handled and lauded his injuries.
Charlie had no idea of what to think of the boy, Hitsugaya Toushiro. It was obvious that he had been handled just as roughly as Zaraki, but the way that he acted was somewhat despondent. He wasn't ignoring anything that was being said, no, if anything it looked as though Hitsugaya was storing away all information that he had gleaned through the reiteration of their daring escape from Riddle Manor. He was smart; Charlie could give the kid that, the intelligence that was shone from his cat like teal eyes was unnerving. Though, it seemed as though something was bothering him. Maybe it was the way that he held himself, or the way that he spoke when prodded, or maybe it was the way that he fidgeted with the small white bear that he had come here with. He didn't know what exactly it was, but he did know that something was wrong. But he would not ask because he did not know them well enough to assess if his concern would be received positively or not. He hoped, though, that it wasn't anything too serious or that he would at least share whatever happened with Zaraki. But he wouldn't count on it. Hitsugaya, regardless of his apparent listlessness, didn't seem like someone who would go to another and share all their troubles.
Aside from the initial assessment, Charlie mused about how the explanation of the situation was going to go. Briefly he entertained the idea of allowing Zaraki to meet Mad-Eye mood but quickly pushed thought away, things would get too interesting if those two were to ever meet. He shook his head a little to clear away any other random thoughts that may come to him as a result of his slight hysterics. He had to wonder exactly how it was that they were going to help them; there was no question about providing assistance, after all Voldemort was going to be targeting these two, the problem stemmed from actually being of help. The Book of the Damned wouldn't have counter spells lying around in other random works, but they did have Albus Dumbledore, who had his own personal collection, and access to both Hogwarts and the Black Family Library. If these two were to agree to stay under the protection of the Order then they would have access to works that would likely help them out. It would be best if the senior members of the Order were here to help take care of things.
"I'll go inform the Order of the events. Mind you, I don't plan on going into detail, and I should probably inform the Headmaster on the new guests that we have." Charlie got up from his spot on the couch and made his way into the fireplace. There wasn't much else he could do and Charlie, not for the first time, wondered if this was actually happening or if it was a bizarre dream. He didn't know why he was leaning to the latter rather then the former; maybe it was because Bill was here, and well, not dead.
"Do be careful when you telling mum about it, won't you?" Bill asked as he watched his brother's form with slight unease; Molly Weasely was truly a force to be reckoned with. Bill hoped to anyone that was listening that he would be able to console his hysterical mother and the rest of the Order that would, no doubt, be curious and interested in the fact that he was back.
Tossing his brother a slight smirk, Charlie reached for some of the Floo Powder that they had in the mantle and threw it into the fire, alighting it a vivid emerald. Stepping into the fire and oblivious to the stares that the two Shinigami were giving him, he called out the address of the Order headquarters, an address that was unheard by the two aforementioned staring pair.
Both Hitsugaya and Zaraki were slightly entranced by this odd method of transportation that wizards utilized. It was, perhaps, the most bizarre way to transport people, slightly curious as well, seeing as the fire hadn't burned and had changed to an emerald colour before consuming Charlie and returning to its previous merry crackling. Hitsugaya shifted a little, holding back a wince, and wondered exactly what was going to happen to them and if they would ever reach Soul Society. It would do no good if they only came back to the ruin of their home; he would have to put his title of 'Tensai' to use if he planned on returning home. Hitsugaya sighed lightly at the thought of putting centuries of knowledge into his head to find a way to get out of here; he doubted that there would be a set and straight out answer as to how they would get out of this world.
"If there's anyone that can help you, it's Albus Dumbledore." Bill offered to the two Shinigami. He worried though, if Dumbledore actually would be able to help them out. Whatever type of magic that Voldemort had used, Bill had never seen anything like it before. The feeling, the power, and the intent of the magic was something foreign to him; he had seen dark magic before, but that magic wasn't so much dark as it was evil. He didn't exactly know why it bothered him as it did, but that type of magic was just not natural. He wondered if there was anyone that would be able to help them find a way to get back to wherever it was that they had been pulled from. The two would probably stay here or at Girmmauld Place, either way they were safe in that regard. The only problem that he saw coming up was their ability to help them. Things like inter-dimensional travel weren't exactly common. Well, like he had assured them if anyone could help out in this type of situation, it would be Albus Dumbledore.
Five months. That was how long that they had been stuck in the Wizarding World. They had found, to their disappointment and expectations, that there were no books or spells in existence that would allow for them to return to Soul Society. There was, after all, no known counter to the Book of the Damned, therefore meaning that there were also no way to reverse the spell without that book. Though, it wasn't as though they would use the Book anyway seeing as though that it would probably require some heavy sacrifice. Thus that idea had been shot down immediately. In return Dumbledore had offered the Shinigami access, through him and/or the Order members, to his personal library and that of the Black family; an offer that was readily accepted by Hitsugaya. He had already prepared himself for the worst and was ready for the news that there was no existing way for them to get home, and so he was ready to start researching a way to make his own way back. A process, which was proving to be very complicated and frustrating. The amount of knowledge that he had to possess to even begin making his own spells was vast but to make something as complex as inter-dimensional travel was turning out to be more work then he predicted.
Magic, he found was very intricate and yet very basic. Intention seemed to have an impact on how well the spell was preformed but as the spell became more difficult so did the amount of concentration and power needed to direct the spell. But it seemed as though for purposes like that of which he was researching, potions and ruins were used to make it easier. The purpose of these catalysts was simple enough, to provide power and direction because without them the magical core of a person was doomed to be depleted, resulting in death, comas, or loss of magic for the remainder of their lives. Those were easy enough to understand, but the sheer delicacy and care that had to be used for it was unnerving. Potions was complex subject that required perfect timing and precision, Ruins needed a vast memory of how the ruins worked together and what each symbol meant. That was where the intricacy lay in this whole problem. If he wanted to even attempt this type of spellwork he needed at least a Mastery in Potions, Arthimacy, Charms, Ancient Ruins, and Magical Theory. Meaning that he had to have a great knowledge in all the magical subjects as a base for the Masteries that he was going to need for his attempt to get back to Soul Society. This all resulted in much of his time being occupied by books. A vast amount of books. He had found that wandless magic, while being extremely difficult and rare, was indeed possible. This fact was something he took advantage of; he had attempted to see if he was capable of doing magic because if not, he would have to give his research and work over to someone else that would be competent enough to use it correctly. He did not want to appeal for outside help, this was not their problem, and he had preferred to work alone, but imagine his surprise at being able to use this 'Magic'.
So he had practiced what he could doing simple spells to work on the ease at which he could cast spells and stamina so that he could perform difficult spells with confidence. It was not easy by any means, but he had worked his magic to the best of his abilities; at least this allowed for some form of protection even if he wasn't able to access his reitsu. When he had first begun working on his 'project', he could tell that the wizards were curious and willing to help despite his protests but Zaraki had dissuaded them from interfering. The way that the older man had figured it, it was easier to let the 10th squad captain work on it alone, it would be more efficient that way. Zaraki had taken to accompanying some of the Order members on their missions so that the man wouldn't get cabin fever. It had taken much convincing on Hitsugaya's part to explain to them that it would be easier to let the man go then to have him destroy the house and go looking for trouble; at least this way, there would be other people around to help if it became a problem. It was later decided by the Order that Zaraki should only accompany those that were going into dangerous territory that required a merciless attitude or missions that only required destruction. This move on the Order's part made everyone a little more comfortable and happy. It was these missions that helped Zaraki discover the limitations that this world had on his reitsu and the effectiveness of it against magic. It seemed as though only direct manifestations through sword, kidou and physical abilities like shunpo only worked, but required more energy than it would in their own world.
This occupation of both Shinigaimis' time resulted in them barely seeing each other, or in Hitsugaya's case, barely seeing anyone at all. The young captain had taken to locking himself up to get his research done as quickly as possible and had only come out of the Weasely brother's guest room when it was imperative, which wasn't very often. To him it was more important to find a way to get out of there then to socialize or maintain a routinely intake of food. But after five months of intensive research he had some methods or ideas that he may employ but over all he had exhausted his book list and needed more. Ignoring whatever the time may be, he made his way down the stairs towards the kitchen. He ran a hand through his hair and made his way to the Cold Box to retrieve something to eat. He honestly couldn't remember the last time that he had ate and he was beginning to feel fatigue as he slowly allowed his brain to relax. He needed coffee, preferably black and strong. Looking around for the coffee pot he saw it on the counter half full, that was when he noticed that he wasn't alone. He nearly cursed himself for his inattentiveness, but refrained from making any indication that he was surprised that he wasn't the only one in the kitchen.
"I haven't seen you for a while." Stated Bill as he slowly drank more of his coffee. Bill eyed the boy curiously, partially to take his mind off things and partially because he was curious as to what the white haired child had been up to. He had acquainted himself to the boy, but Hitsugaya was unnatural child even by Bill's standards. It wasn't that he was weird or odd in any outstanding way, but rather how the boy presented himself. Bill had learned that in spite of appearances, Hitsugaya was an extremely intelligent and wise child. The way that he acted and talked showed a greater understanding of things than what Bill and others, had expected of him. But Hitsugaya Toushiro was also a very focused individual, so much so that it bordered on obsession. These studies and the vigour in which Hitsugaya had been tackling this problem was fierce and rather frightening; Hitsugaya had disregarded everything in the pursuit of achieving a method he could use to return to his home. Bill had noticed that in the time that they had been here, he had barley seen the boy; Hitsugaya had dark bags under his eyes and seemed to have lost an excessive amount of weight during his captivity. Aside from those changes he looked well enough, at least to the point where he looked as though nothing was wrong contrary to his appearance.
"Do you mind?" Hitsugaya asked motioning toward the coffee pot, and after getting a shake of the head, poured himself a cup of the aromatic beverage. Raising an eyebrow at the boy as he took a sip of the drink, he gave the white haired boy a funny look as he seemed to relax and look, well, less exhausted and dead.
"So, why is it that you're drinking coffee at", Hitsugaya tossed a glance at the clock on the wall, "3 in the morning?" Asked Hitsugaya as he looked at the taller man.
"Problems arose at the Headquarters. Turns out that the Dark Lord had set a trap for a few students at the Ministry and Sirius Black ended up as a casualty." Bill said looking at the mug. Bill wondered what the reaction he was going to receive was. Would he cry? Be angry? Depressed? Or not show a change in his façade? No matter how young he looked, Hitsugaya acted far too mature and stoic, sometimes to the point of reminding him of some of his previous professors.
Hitsugaya stopped in the motion of lifting his mug, and placed it back on the table without taking a sip of it and looked at the man beside him more carefully. He had met Sirius Black on more than a few occasions; the man had been lively, annoying and intelligent. The man had developed and irritating habit of trying to pull him away from his books, and engaging him in anything from arguments, to debates and conversations and socializing with others. And regardless of any denials, he had developed a bond with Sirius Black, because sometimes it was so hard to stay mad and not return his vicious grins and cynical remarks every once in a while. They had talked a few times, seeing as the falsely accused convict couldn't exactly go out and party, and the man had helped him with his studies. Very often Hitsugaya would go to the Black Family library, losing himself in there for hours and only being brought out by the man that was now dead. It was through these visits that his ability to use wandless magic improved drastically. Sirius Black had taken it as a pet project to see how much the white haired prodigy could remember and was able to do; needlessly the man was impressed and a trifle less bored overall. There was no question as to whether the man was powerful, but he was also one of the few who had kept spirits up when things went really downhill. He had reminded him of Matsumoto and perhaps that was the reason why he had talked to the man, had to a degree, befriended the man. Sirius Black was truly a character. To think the man dead was odd; Hitsugaya had seen him as one of the ones that would survive. But if he had gone rushing headfirst into the fight, then he had to have been protecting his godson.
"Potter's alive though." Hitsugaya responded setting his mug down. He knew that Bill would not take kindly to how he coldly stated that fact but it was true. He knew that Bill would lash out; he planned for it to happen because he knew all too well what happened to those who went to the battlefield distracted with emotions. Therefore, the hand that slapped him didn't take him by surprise. Brushing pale bangs from his eyes, he turned to look at the emotional man that stood shaking beside him. He licked his split lip and pinned the man with his stare.
"Potter is still alive, that was all that mattered to Black." Sighing, he turned and made his way up the stairs and back into his room. He let out a short scoff as he shut the door, Black probably died laughing too. Quietly he gathered his notebooks and shrunk the reference material that he had been looking at, Bill was bound to come to his room to apologize soon enough, and he planned on accompanying the man to Grimmauld Place to pay his respects and to talk to the Headmaster. Pulling on a long sleeved baggy black shirt and loose black jeans, the colour chosen to show his respect for the now deceased, he put the shrunk books and notebooks into a book bag that he had slipped over his shoulder; he opened the door to face Bill.
"Are we leaving yet?" He asked giving no indication that anything had happened in the kitchen.
"Toushiro, I-" Bill began but Hitsugaya didn't allow him to continue.
"It doesn't matter, but we should leave." Hitsugaya said as he moved past the redheaded man and down the stairs.
"You really are something else." Bill murmured to himself as he followed after the short boy.
Arriving in the fireplace of Grimmauld Place, the atmosphere was already suffocating in its grief. The house was eerily quiet as were the people. There was harsh sniffling and crying but aside from that the house was dead silent. Hitsugaya knew that this was their first loss in the re-established Order but it bothered him at how harshly they were taking this. Yes, grief was expected but to wilt to this was a slap in the face of those that died for the cause already. Whispering screams and gruesome images of innocent children passed through his mind and he gripped the strap of his bag that held the white teddy bear that he had taken to bringing everywhere with him. It had taken him far too long to get over the deaths of those children, too long had he seen their faces every single time that he had closed his eyes. The guilt that plagued his dreams were, sometimes, a driving force in pulling all nighters for the sake of his research. But it had been pointless to examine and think about the 'what if's', and so he had moved past their deaths for the most part; it was only the guilt that resided now. But he wasn't in charge of the rebel fraction, the only people doing something against the Dark Lord, and he needed to make these people aware of that. If he needed to play devil's advocate to get these people to understand that losses were expected in a war, he would do it. Putting up a wall of ice between his heart and his mind he was going to snap these people out of this so that they would be able to get back up on their feet and continue to fight. He walked towards the kitchen where he knew that the Order had gathered and began to plan out his actions.
"Headmaster, these are your books and a copy of my notes. If you would go over the notes you would be able to see that I'm not close to finishing and that I need more material. If you are able to find me another source, I would be grateful." Hitsugaya said as he put the shrunken books and notebooks onto the table. The cold detachment in his voice brought a lot of angry and disbelieving stares to his face, in the background Zaraki nearly smacked himself because of the situation. Zaraki knew that the people were acting foolishly but, perhaps tact would be a good thing to use when in the Headquarters of the people he was mocking. Zaraki paused and was about to ponder on the significance of criticizing the 10th division captain on tact when he himself had next to none, but thought better of it and decided to watch the entertainment presented to him.
"Is that all you care about?!" Yelled a teary-eyed Tonks, enraged that her cousin's death was so overlooked by a child.
"Considering my situation, yes it is." Hitsugaya answered not breaking his gaze with that of the wizened headmaster.
"Have you no respect?! You spoiled little boy! Someone is dead and all you can think about is your research?!" Yelled Molly. Despite her disagreements with the man, he was important to her, had been important to Harry, and was James and Lily's best friend, and now the man was gone.
"As I was saying Headmaster, are there any other resources that I may be able to use? If by chance you know of any books detailing sealing and warding, those for the time being, are probably more important." Hitsugaya said ignoring the outraged looks around him. It didn't matter what these people thought of him, he knew what was needed and regardless of whoever's feelings he was trampling, he planned to carry out his goals. Discreetly he clutched at his arm; he had looked at the lunar calendar and found that the Winter Eclipse was fast approaching, giving him only 6 months to find a way to unseal Hyourinmaru and his reitsu before he and whatever else nearby him blew up in his face.
"Can't you see that we are mourning?!" Yelled Professor McGonagall. It was painful losing one of her favourite students and now of the Marauders only Remus and that traitor Pettigrew remained.
"Professor-" Bill tried to intervene. He knew that Hitsugaya wanted them to understand that this was a war, casualties were expected, and Sirius knew this just as well as any of them. The small boy was just far to cunning to tell them bluntly but it bothered him that Hitsugaya had yet to say anything in his own defence. The small boy looked no older than a very short 10 or 11 year old but the way that he acted, that he talked and carried himself spoke of someone with great experience.
"Don't you dare try to defend him Bill! He comes into Sirius' home and slanders him with this attitude! I will not sand for it!" Yelled the Weasely matron.
"This is a war, if he dies, he is dead; the way that you're all acting is desecrating what he worked for. Is that what you're trying to say juuban tai taichou?" Asked Zaraki as he watched the drama play out in front of him. It was irritating seeing how these people acted in a war type situation.
"I will be taking my leave now Headmaster. If you would request my presence as soon as you finish reading my research, I would be much obliged to discuss it further with you." Hitsugaya said bowing to the old man that sat at the end of the table.
"You have no right to treat us so patronizingly! You don't know what it is like to be at war; to see the people you care for and are responsible for, die! You don't know what it's like not being able to save someone when you can but don't!" Yelled a hurt Tonks as he was going to walk past them. But Hitsugaya stopped and the tightening of his grip on his bag was the only sign that he had been affected. A fluttering chilly laugh whispered through his mind accompanied by the smell of blood and burnt flesh.
"I'll be heading back first Weasely." Was the last thing that Hitsugaya said before he made his way to the fireplace and flooed himself back to Winter Cove. It was irritating, this blindness that the Order had shrouded themselves in. He knew that they would get themselves out of mourning, but the time that that process would take made him anxious. He didn't think that anyone really knew exactly what it was that Voldemort had wanted with the Book and his roll in the matter. But now that the Eclipse was coming up and they had no determined way to get back, he supposed that he would have to tell Dumbledore exactly what was going on. He hoped that the man wouldn't burst in anger, the wizened wizard reminded him of the Sou-taichou far too much for comfort.
Now aside from their original problem of being unable to get home, he now needed to devise a way to get the Seal off in a safe and orderly manner, something he knew that was going to be the cause of great ire to him. After all trying to get seals that were etched by reitsu removed by magic was something that probably needed lots of experimenting. Well now he was going to sleep, and hopefully Dumbledore would request his presence soon so that he could continue his work.
Bill looked at the room he was standing with more than a little annoyance. Did these people not notice that Hitsugaya was a child? The way that they were treating him seemed cold and rather ruthless, especially since all the small white haired boy was trying to do was make them get out of their moping. Bill knew that if Sirius could say something, he would probably yell at them for being a lot of sissies.
"It's a war, casualties are to be expected; he told me that. That and that keeping Harry safe was all that had mattered to Sirius. Am I right Remus?" Bill asked turning to look at the older man.
"That you are Bill." Murmured Remus. "We should probably focus on what Voldemort plans to do know rather then Sirius' death."
The responding silence was bitter and cold, but the Order began to move onto damage control for the situation.
Hogwarts was finally empty now, seeing as the train had left only a few hours prior. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sat in his office looking over the work that the small white haired boy had compiled for him and was astounded. It wasn't often that Albus Dumbledore had ever been so thoroughly gobsmacked as he was at that moment. Dumbledore knew that Hitsugaya Toushiro was new to the magical realm but the amount of knowledge that he showed through the notes was simply amazing; the boy was a genius. He understood so much of the books that he had read, and showed a very deep understanding of magic and yet he had only been introduced to the subject for five months. Never in all his years had Dumbledore met someone that showed such talent, such potential. It was understandably alarming to see how fast the boy had assimilated magic and produced research like this. Dumbledore knew that he did need to keep an eye on the boy. If the boy had so much ambition and intelligence as he had shown then he knew that he would keep an eye on the boy, if only to ease the doubt of the boy defecting. Not that it was likely, but Voldemort had ways to appeal to people like that. And therefore he thought it would be best to put someone with so much ambition in a place where he could watch him; there was also the fact that he could give the white haired boy a plausible reason as well. He knew that if Hitsugaya Toushiro wanted to continue his research then he would have to come to Hogwarts, after all Hogwarts had the largest and most extensive library in all of Europe.
Now that he had a way to get the boy under his watch, he could be sure that no one could get access to him that wasn't supposed to have access. Dumbledore knew that his excuses would be seen through, the boy was cunning enough to notice when he was lied to, but it wasn't likely that he would say anything since Hogwarts did have the most extensive library in all of Europe. It wasn't that he didn't trust the boy; he was more concerned with the temptation that could materialize in front of the boy in his search for a way to get home. But the other problem that he found troubling was the amount of effort and time that Hitsugaya had devoted towards developing a working thesis to work more in depth with. Both Weaselys that housed with the young boy showed some sort of concern with how seemingly obsessed with his work, they had, of course, talked to the boy but it seemed as though Hitsugaya had disregarded their concern and continued to research with fervour. In a few days then whatever left over work that he had would be completed and then he would be able to discuss everything with Hitsugaya; he hoped in the mean time that he would relax a bit. Sighing he looked at the cover of the notebook once more in an impressed fashion before making his way down to the feast in the great hall that the teachers held in honour of the students being gone.
It had only been 2 days but Hitsugaya could feel himself beginning to frazzle as he had no more books to pour his time over. Not that it had stopped him from going over books that he knew contained valid points about magical integration and wizardly means of transportation for extra information that he could glean from them. He knew that the ardour in which he studied was slightly obsessive but not wholly unexpected. He had finished the required 6 years at the Shinigami Academy in 1, but that was including the demonstrations, the kidou, hakuda, and his swordsmanship; all he was doing now was concentration on the academic part of magical theory. It was somewhat expected that he learn fast. Not that he had gone in depth with much of the basic work; he didn't have time be dallying in children's textbooks. Aside from review information that he knew almost by heart, he worked on his wandless ability. While it was not progressing as quickly as he wanted it to, it was developing. It was for the sake of practicing this that he even skimmed through the course books. Logically if he were to use spells constantly, it would in return build up his stamina so that he could do more difficult spells more easily, as Black had reiterated, but it was proving to be tedious and tiring. The faster that he could meet with Dumbledore, the faster he could get back to his research.
He knew that he was becoming slightly obsessed with the work but it wasn't as though he could do much else. It had been months since he had been pulled here and he had been dragged to this realm during the middle of an arrancar attack without knowing the conclusion of the battle. There was no telling if there was a difference in how time moved, and therefore he couldn't tell if Aizen had already attacked Soul Society, nor the results of the aforementioned acts; if they had happened at all. He supposed that he should relax a little because he would probably start working as soon as he met with Dumbledore again. But now his main focus would be trying to remove the seals on his reitsu so that he would be able to stop his own impending doom. Despite how melodramatic the whole sentiment sounded, it was in all truthfulness, quite accurate. He knew that what he was attempting was going to be more than a little dangerous, how often had people mixed kidou sealing spells with magical ruins. But he an idea of how to start; Bill Weasely was the one that had created the basics for making the shackles that kept Zaraki from tapping into his reitsu, maybe Bill would be willing and able to help him with this problem. But first he would have to clear it with Dumbledore. Maybe.
It wasn't as though they were under the command of the man; but staying here under their protection and being able to access all this knowledge made the two Shinigami indebted to the man. Both Shinigami understood and accepted the fact but that didn't mean that they would allow themselves to be manipulated freely. He would make it understood to Dumbledore that they were not pawns, they would help the Order as a sort of trade for their help, but it wasn't as though they would throw their lives away for this cause; they had their own war to fight after all. Dumbledore was not some that Hitsugaya wanted to alienate but at the same time Hitsugaya did not want to bend to the man's will, Dumbledore reminded him of Yamamoto-soutaichou too much for him to be comfortable. He would tell Dumbledore exactly what was going on, if only for the sake of allowing his labour to bring fruit earlier than expected. But first he needed Bill to agree to help him develop a way to get his bindings off.
Bill wasn't easily intimidated, usually he was the one doing he intimidating but somehow the short boy in front of him really commanded his attention. But it was kind of daunting being pinned under the sharp cerulean eyes; rather like being eyed by a hungry predator really. He was curious as to what had brought the boy out of his self imposed isolation, after all it wasn't often that he would see the boy seeing as he had his own job to work at as well.
" You're a cursebreaker, right? That would mean that you're fairly proficient at Ancient Ruins and Charms, right?" Hitsugaya asked as he peered at the coffee mug that he held in his hands.
"Yes." Bill answered simply, wondering where this conversation would lead him to.
Hitsugaya found this whole business troublesome and worth a lot of effort, it wasn't often that he asked for help; despite his looks he was not a child and did not like requesting help because he was not helpless. But in this situation, where he knew nothing of this world, their customs, their way of living; it made things difficult do it alone. And even though he liked working on things himself, he knew that Bill would be a great help to him since the man had experience with this brand of magic. If asking would help him not blow anything up, then he would be willing to sacrifice his pride for the sake of getting things done.
"You were the one that created the basis for the ruins that kept Zaraki under control, and it's because of that I request your help." Hitsugaya stated looking up at the taller man.
"What do you mean?" Asked Bill. As far as Bill was concerned, the boy would have accepted his help long ago if the aspect of Ancient Ruins was that difficult to grasp. Somehow he doubted that.
"The type of energy that Zaraki uses, somehow you were able to nullify them and I need someone who has the experience of using the two energies at the same time. I would do it myself but there extenuating circumstances that require me to be able to use them in 6 months." Hitsugaya said as he ran his hand over his bandaged and covered arm. Soon, he thought to himself, soon he would be able to ascend to the skies again.
"What exactly is it that I'm going to be helping you with?" Asked Bill.
"I-" Hitsugaya cut himself off before he could speak farther and rolled up his sleeve to uncover his bandaged arm. Slowly, carefully, he unravelled it and against his pale skin, the chained dragon stood out starkly. Bill paused as he looked over it. He could feel the wards working to keep some unknown power in, but as he peered at the tattoo more carefully he saw foreign symbols that made up the chain and winced. He knew that these were blood wards, and he also knew how painful they were when being grafted onto skin; it made him wonder exactly who it was that did this to him.
Moving to sit beside the boy, Bill took the marred arm into his hand and looked at it closely. He hadn't seen these types of wards in his life. His profession centered around wards from Egyptian origins, and these were distinctly Asian, although none like he had ever seen. He supposed that he probably could get the wards off, given enough information on the warding design used originally but it would take an insane amount of effort that he cringed at. And in 6 months! Maybe if he spent every ounce of time and focus onto this subject he may have been able to do, sleepless nights counted of course, but with working for the Order AND Gringotts, there would be no way he would be able to accomplish the task. He paused for a second; it wasn't as though he was working on-site anymore, the goblins and his mother had not wanted to leave him out for Death Eaters to capture again (the goblins preferably did not want to be sued), so it was likely that he could take and extended leave and return after things had gotten under control. But he would probably want to get another job regardless. There was always the Defence Against the Dark Arts post that he could take over. It would allow him to access easy information to help the by out, and he wouldn't be bored doing paperwork anymore. The job would be infinitely safer than working with the goblins, if he had been kidnapped once under their noses, it could happen again.
"Why do you even have blood wards?" Asked Bill looking slightly nauseated. Blood wards were, by technicality, dark magic; and exceedingly painful when grafted on live subjects. Of course the blood binding it made the wards stronger, because they were, in a sense, alive, and could adapt.
"Precaution. This Winter, there is an eclipse, I have deadline to get the wards off before that or risk blowing everything to hell, literally." Hitsugaya said ignoring the awkwardness of his arm being manhandled.
"Blow up?" Asked Bill taking his scrutiny off the wards and onto the face of the white haired boy that looked decidedly uncomfortable; Bill made sure that his amusement didn't show on his face.
"The wards keep me from accessing my abilities, similar to those of Zaraki, normally it wouldn't be a problem, that is, if I wasn't approaching my. . .inheritance. These wards are made to keep powers locked, they were not made to accommodate a sudden influx. It's this influx that's the danger." Hitsugaya sighed and pulled his arm back into his own possession.
But before Bill could actually say anything, their fireplace roared to life as Remus Lupin came into view.
"Sorry to interrupt Bill, but the Headmaster would like to have a word with Histugaya.." Annouced the dismembered head from the fireplace.
"Let's go Weasely." Muttered Hitsugaya as he put the mug of cold coffee down and moved towards the fireplace. Seeing that the eldest Weasely child followed after him, he activated the floo network and arrived at Grimmuald Place. Making their way to the kitchen, they noticed that majority of the core Order members were present and resolved that was going to be a long tedious meeting.
"Now that we have everyone here, we can begin the meeting. Hitsugaya, my boy, I have gone over your research and am undoubtedly impressed. I have gotten some of my very trusted colleagues to go over the work, each an expert in their various fields and they were also impressed. It is not very often that they have seen such sound deductive abilities. I, myself, have run a few of these experiments that you have listed that may show promise; with the results obtain, and the feedback I have gathered, I have made some modifications to your work.
"However, I was unable to find you many other references that you would be able to use; Hogwarts library is the most extensive in all of Europe but that means that there are protective spells that place upon them so that they cannot be removed from the school during the summer. Students usually have the material that they need for their course work at hand so the spells were not counter-productive but they now pose a problem. We could register you for the next school year, but that is up to your discretion.
"These are some of the better books on Sealing and Warding but overall it is an ancient art that cannot be learned through books alone, nor so quickly." Dumbledore had chosen to be quick and to the point, because he knew that this meeting was going to be dragged out for far too long and it would be best to get some the more unimportant matters out of the way as soon as possible.
" Thank you", Murmured the white haired boy as he gathered the material that was handed to him. He knew that he would have to tell Dumbledore the importance of the wards though, so that he would be prepared if things turned for the worse.
"There is, however, a problem with that." Hitsugaya responded wryly as the entire room had gone quiet at the audacity at which he treated the Headmaster.
"It's not that you're help isn't appreciated, I'll amend myself and clarify that it is. Rather the problem lies with my unwillingness to share our situation with you." It seemed to Hitsugaya that the Order wasn't exactly on friendly terms with the Shinigami duo and h wondered if they could be anymore close minded. It wasn't as though they had been the most trustworthy people off the bat either, but the war seemed to thicken their paranoia to an extreme.
"We're, Zaraki and I, not exactly normal by anyone's standards, but the problem stems from my inheritance of sorts." Rollling up the left sleeve of his shirt, he showed the Order the tattoo of Hyourinmaru. He had left the bandages off, and he didn't have as much of an issue showing these people the seal that was inked onto him; it bothered him of course, but it would have unnerved him more if these people actually knew what it was. That it symbolized his failure to protect the spirit that represented him, of his inability to do anything to help. No, these people didn't know what it truly symbolized but it didn't make it any less painful to gaze at the dragon that lay on his arm.
"The wards that are crafted onto my skin refraining me from accessing a power, that while similar to Zaraki's, is completely different in elemental affinity. Originally the seals were grafted to keep anyone from locating me, but it seems as though the method that Voldemort utilized completely ignores locating me by y essence. Since the seals didn't keep me from being located by him, they also served another purpose; a purpose in which he is unable to access the entirety of the Book. But the seals are like a valve, they don't allow for me to access my powers, and they won't be removed unless in a specific way. When I come into m inheritance and these 'valves' are still in place, it would cause a build up access raw energy that can't be released; I won't be able to control it since the influx, from my understanding is, well very large, meaning that the power get out. Besides resulting in my death, it could quite a catastrophe other wise. That is why the seals are so important for the time being." Hitsugaya explained. His throat felt dry now that he had finished speaking; that dialogue was perhaps the most he had said at once. . . ever. Looking around the room he could tell that these people were less than pleased about being kept in the dark about such a drastic event that may occur.
"And when exactly is this deadline?" Asked Dumbledore looking quite weary at the new problem that had appeared in front of them.
"The winter solstice." Hitsugaya answered with a slight wince at making the elderly wizard appear his age.
"And you didn't think it prudent to warn us sooner?!" Asked McGonagall, issues like these weren't supposed to be such short notice. It was hard enough to deal with Voldemort's increasing activites now that he had the Book but to deal with a problem like this, with a completely different art from another realm, mix it with magic to interrupt a impending blow up of epic proportions in 6 months! She knew that Dumbledore was going to help these two, and she would get roped into and her job didn't pay nearly enough.
"Did it not seem prudent that I keep in mind that I am in a different world where I know nothing of the people, their lives, their culture, and that not everybody was going to greet me with hugs and kisses? I would have kept this for myself if I knew a way where I wouldn't be a danger to anyone; I'm sorry that I don't throw my trust around like its the latest fad." Hissed Hitsugaya. It wasn't like the Order had shared their secrets right off the bat, they were being rather hypocritical towards him for not investing his trust as quickly as they had wanted hi to.
"Right well, that poses quite the problem. Bill I need you to copy all the characters of the seal down and get as much information from Hitsugaya as you can. I will take a copy for myself and we will begin trying to form a solution. I will get some other reliable people in later to help us with this. Hitsugaya, I wished to give you more time to think about this, but will you be joinging us at Hogwarts next semester?" Asked Dumbledore as he looked at the boy in question.
"If Hogwarts really does have the most extensive library in Europe, I have no choice but to go." He answered with a sigh. It was going to be like the Shinigami Academy all over again; except that the students were going to be hormonal teenagers. Joy! He didn't have an option though, this library could hold all the information that he needed.
"Then that is settled. Bill I'll have you as the liaison between the two groups, the longer you stay in contact with Hitsugaya the more understand you will have of the seals on his arm, therefore Bill, I hope you don't mind taking the Defence position next semester?" Asked the old wizard.
"Of course not, sir." Answered the redhead.
"Well then, I suppose we should move onto the other matters for the time being should we not." And the Order meeting continued on to discuss the movements of Voldemort and the hints towards what plans the Dark Lord had in mind.
Chitsuki-hime: So it's been a while since I updated, I got a rather big writers block on this seeing as I had two months worth of exams. Joy! But I'm sorry for making you wait! OH! I enabled anonymous reviews! I never realized it wasn't already like that! Anyways, review are much appreciated seeing as they help me spit out ideas faster! I hope I'll be able to get another chapter up soon but I rather not make a promise that i might not be able to fulfill.
Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed, i thought it kinda sucked but meh. . . I think things will probably start flowing in the next chapter or two.
READ AND REVIEW! Thanks to those that did for the last chapter, I owe it to you that i got this out!