Chapter 10 is here. Thanks for being patient and waiting. I would have it out sooner but I had a lot of work to do along with revision for some tests and finishing off a project. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

As for the review answers that I couldn't message:

Elsepth - As for your answers, Dumbledore and other Wizards know about the existence of Soul Reapers and the Quincy. They don't however know of the identities of them except for a few. Also, Ichigo's power currently is Fullbring, which is unique for the person. He can't identify results from it because he is unfamiliar with how its energy feels. As for is the Soul Reapers do any soul reaping? Who knows.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

10 - Mirrors and Christmas

Uryuu looked out of the window at the falling snow, watching it land on the ground outside. He had been happy enough at Hogwarts for Christmas but his grandfather had insisted he come back and visit.

"Why do I need to be here?" thought Uryuu as he glanced around the room. His grandfather's house was a small place but very cosy. Small decorations were all over the place, a roasting fire in the corner where his grandfather had taken up residence. "Why," Uryuu wondered, "Couldn't I have just stayed at Hogwarts? I was enjoying being away from here."

"Because I wanted to see my grandson," Souken said over by the fire, his head turning towards Uryuu slightly to give him a smile.

Uryuu scowled at him as he turned back towards the window. How his grandfather could predict what he was thinking, he would never know. It was damn annoying though.

Souken stared towards his grandson sadly. He had been different since he had returned. More cold towards him, yet it seemed so forced at times. Was he trying to reject who he was so that he could be more like the Vandenreich? Or was he confused about who he should be and was trying to find himself?

Uryuu had barely contacted him for the past few months. His letters had been small and few since Hogwarts began. The only reason Uryuu had been persuaded to come was because he had written to the headmaster to request Uryuu presence for Christmas day. Dumbledore had been happy to help luckily. It seemed a few other guardians were in similar situations like himself and the school had compensated because of it. It should also help him with his 'problem' that he was informed about.

"If only Ryuken was here too," Souken thought sadly as he turned back to the fire. "Family is important after all. You can't replace it, no matter how hard you try. Maybe if those two reconciled, Uryuu would accept who he was and stop trying to be like the others."

Uryuu meanwhile was still staring out the window, his mind far away. "Can't time go by any faster," thought Uryuu impatiently. "I need to check that mirror again. Maybe it's different this time."

For the past few weeks, Uryuu had been visiting a strange mirror that he had found in an abandoned classroom, never staying more than a few minutes at a time. He had been making trips almost every time he had a chance, just to see what the mirror would show. He never risked staying longer that he did though. There was something off about the mirror. Something terrifying about it. He didn't know how he knew but he could tell that if he stayed for a second longer than he did, he could end up staying by it for an eternity.

Then there was the problem with Ichigo. He had helped him. Why? Ichigo Kurosaki was the son of Isshin Kurosaki, a Soul Reaper. He was the son of a Quincy, admittedly a disgraced Quincy who had abandoned his role, but a Quincy none the less. He and Ichigo were meant to be enemies from the moment they were born. No mercy should ever be shown, no help offered, no kindness given. That was the natural of the relationship the two beings had between each other. Hadn't the others in the Vandenreich taught him all this since the moment he could talk. The Quincy have been enemies with Soul Reapers since they first meet. They were the darkness of the Wizarding World while we are the light. That's what he had been taught.

"So why," thought Uryuu as he contemplated all of this, "Did I help him and his friends? I could have let the troll crush them but I didn't. Why didn't I? It's not like his friends were innocent. It was their fault for hanging around him. They would have been acceptable losses for the death of a Soul Reaper right? I could have just walked on by and left them to die and I would have been praised for doing so. So why did I act like how dad would or how grandfather would? I don't want to be an Ishida like them."

So caught up in his thoughts, Uryuu barely noticed time passing and when he was finally able to go back to Hogwarts, he didn't even bother to say goodbye before he left. His mind was too busy on other things. By the time he reached Hogwarts, he headed immediately towards to the mirror's location, hoping and praying that the image had changed. He didn't want what he saw. Right?

"Meow."

The small sound of the cat filled the night air as it travelled down the road. A few people stopped to stare at the cat before continuing on, not giving it another thought. Just another stray they believed. What else could it be?

There would have been a completely different response in the Wizarding World though. Most people would treat the cat the same as the muggles would and wouldn't think anything of it. Then they would turn back round in shock, looking at the black fur of the cat with its golden eyes. A few seconds would pass between the two, the cat discretely moving a bit faster, before the chase would begin.

At first, the chases had been welcomed. She had found it quite funny to lead the Witches and Wizards on wild goose chases. They were so easy to escape from and they never posed a problem. Nothing they did could catch her. The looks on their faces when she got away were always funny.

After a while though, the chases became a nuisance. No longer could she travel around places like Diagon Alley normally. She had to stick to the shadows when she moved, using her stealth skills to the max. Whoever had created that Chocolate Frog card was going to pay. Slowly.

Moving along the stone covered paths, the cat saw its destination ahead of itself. It was easy to identify if you knew what to look for. The fact that even the house itself was covered in decorations made it easier. Unlike the houses nearby which might have had a snowman or two in the garden, it was more like a legion by this house. There were even lights hung all over the house.

"Honestly," thought the cat as she approached the house. "That man is like an overgrown kid. He just can't resist can he?"

Silently jumping up, the cat peered through the window. She could see two little girls opening presents excitedly, an older orange haired boy nearby watching them happily. An older man was jumping about crazily, taking photos as he did so, while a blond haired man stood in the corner by the window she was at, trying on a new bucket hat.

Kisuke looked towards the cat before making a motion with his hand. Excusing himself from the group, Kisuke headed upstairs till he reached his room, opening the window to allow the cat in.

"Nice to see you again," Kisuke said as the cat jumped through the opening. "Are you going to stay like that to talk or are you going to revert to your normal self Yoruichi?"

The cat gave a small smile before it started to change. The body grew bigger, limbs extending to their original lengths. The fur retracted by into the body to reveal the clothes beneath and the claws retracted as the paw returned to its starting shape, thumbs reappearing. A few seconds later and Yoruichi stood in the place of the black cat.

"Yo, Kisuke," Yoruichi said joyfully as she reached into one of her pockets. "Merry Christmas." She chucked over a small box for Kisuke to catch and waited for him to open it. Kisuke tried to say something but she cut him off immediately and gestured towards the box.

Finally giving in, Kisuke unwrapped the present only to find a name inside it on a piece of paper:

"Nicolas Flamel."

Yoruichi smirked at Kisuke's expression. "Told you I'd find something. The vault belonged to Nicolas Flamel. I don't know what he kept in that vault but only one thing ever resided in that place. My guess it was something valuable. Something he couldn't have kept safe with himself perhaps."

"Interesting that it was his vault that was broken into," said Kisuke, his tone neutral. "It's also a very interesting coincidence how Ichigo suddenly sent me a letter asking if I knew who Nicolas Flamel was."

"You don't think…" Yoruichi's couldn't keep the shock out of her voice.

"Of course I do," answered Kisuke. "What place is said to be safer than Gringotts? Hogwarts. Even Soul Reapers have felt safe at Hogwarts. That's how powerful and secure of a place it is. The Wards of Hogwarts have never once fallen even to this day and even then, they are nothing more than the first line of defence. When locked down, that place is a fortress."

Yoruichi tried to asks something but Kisuke didn't notice and kept talking. He was too busy thinking, his thoughts being spoken out loud without him knowing. "Albus Dumbledore is known to be good friends with the Flamels. He and Nicolas even worked together at one point. If Nicolas trusted anyone to guard the stone, it would be him."

"So what do you want me to do?" asked Yoruichi, pulling Kisuke out of his thoughts. "Do you want me to head into the school? It's Christmas currently so with the few students being there currently, it would be an easy job to head in and check out what's going on."

"Don't bother," Kisuke said, shaking his head at her suggestion. "I know all we need to know from Ichigo. The third floor corridor was made out of bounds to all that didn't want to die painfully. He also heard from Tatsuki what was in there. As long as Ichigo stays away from it like he said he was going to, I'm not too bother about what is happening. Dumbledore will keep his own problems away from the students."

"What do you think it is anyway?" said Yoruichi curiously.

"I have no idea," Kisuke said, his voice betraying him. Yoruichi didn't waste the opening.

"Come on. Tell me Kisuke. You obviously have an idea. What could be so bad about telling me?"

"It's most likely a Philosopher's Stone." That shut Yoruichi up instantly.

"What…" Yoruichi shook her head lightly as she gathered her thoughts. "Are you sure?" It couldn't be. That was the most prized object of the Flamels. They would never part with it.

"About ninety percent. I can't think of anything else it could be except for perhaps the notes on the stone itself. Either would be bad news for the Flamels. The better question is who is powerful enough to threaten its safety."

Kisuke stopped himself from continuing along those ideas. He wasn't getting involved here. Not unless it affected his family.

"Regardless," he continued, "we can't dwell on things like this. We have more important matters. Did you get in contact with Tessai?"

"Yeah. It took a while for him to return but he said he would do it this summer. I'm assuming that's when you need it for."

Kisuke nodded. "He should know where to put it. I marked out the entrance already."

"Are you sure it's not too early Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked, her eyes subconsciously looking at a spot on floor where Kisuke was sure Ichigo was under.

"He learns fast," Kisuke answered. "It helps since we don't have the luxury of time anymore. Events have been set in motion and we don't know when they will unfold or what they will be, only that they have begun. I would rather Ichigo be as strong as possible when they happen, even if it means we need to accelerate his training."

Yoruichi just sighed as she climbed out of the window, waving goodbye. Kisuke was right, like always. They didn't have time to waste anymore. They could delay things for as long as possible but once events have started moving, they could never return back to where they had begun.

Jumping out of the window, Yoruichi shifted back to her cat form and ran down the street, leaving the snow covered clinic behind her as she left back for her home. She had jobs to do and information to gather. And no one was better at gathering information than her.

Uryuu picked up his pace as he sped down the hallways, skidding around the corners as fast as he could. Even the paintings stopped to watch him strangely as he strode past, his pace not even hesitating from their looks. Going back for a few hours on Christmas day hadn't been good he had decided. He had structured himself a strict schedule during the holidays, ensuring he hadn't had much free time. If he hadn't been reading in the library, he had been practicing his spell work and his other abilities. With the remaining time left, he would visit the mirror, the schedule always forcing him to leave to keep on track with it. The moment he had got back though, he had found the calling of the mirror far too strong to resist. He had spent less time practicing and more in front of that death trap. The worst thing is that he couldn't help it. Even though part of his mind shouted at him to stop and resist, it was drowned out by the part of him that had grown attached to the mirror, the part of him that was causing him to move towards it now.

Spotting the suit of armour by the room, he dashed over to the door and snuck inside. The classroom had been abandoned long ago. Desks and chairs were stacked against walls, covered in dust and cobwebs. Barely a creak could be heard from the room and an eerie silence filled the room.

Uryuu though didn't bother with any of that. His gaze was locked on only one object in the room. A tall mirror stood by one of the walls, everything cleared away from it. It was a magnificent sight. The mirror stood on two clawed feet, surrounded in an ornate golden frame. It was so tall that it actually reached the ceiling of the classroom. A lone inscription stood carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi.

It hadn't taken Uryuu long to work out what it meant. It was a mirror after all so it was only logical that the inscription itself be reverse like any writing shown to the mirror would be. I show not your face but your heart's desire. The fabled Mirror of Erised.

Taking his usual seat, Uryuu stared into the mirror once more, watching as the same sight appeared before him as it always did. Always the same. By him, he saw his father looking down at him, a small smile on his face. His grandfather was nearby too, waving happily to Uryuu. The one thing that had confused Uryuu was that he had seen Ichigo and his friends in it as well, calling over to him. He couldn't understand why he desired that and refused to accept it. Once again, the mirror had shown him the same thing as it usually did. Where were the Vandenreich? Where were the rest of the Quincy? That's what he truly wanted his mind continuously told himself yet they had never once taken even a footstep into the image.

"Maybe I should stay here?" Uryuu thought hesitantly. "Maybe the image will change if I stay in front of it long enough." He tried to fight these thoughts but he felt himself losing his will, the call of the mirror too strong to…

A noise at the door snapped him out of daze, bringing him back to reality. The mirror's pull may have been strong enough to make him lose focus but his will was still strong enough to react to danger. He launched himself towards the desks nearby, barely hiding behind one before the door opened. Uryuu heard the door close and footsteps approaching. He slowly peered through a small hole in the desk to see the intruder.

In had walked Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster.

Uryuu forced himself to calm down. It wasn't like it was out of bounds to be here. It was only…

He froze as he realised the truth. His watch on his hand had confirmed it for him. It was almost midnight. "But how," he thought in panic. "It feels like it has barely been a few minutes yet I somehow arrived here hours ago."

The door opened once again and Uryuu stared in shock at the door. It closed by itself. How? There was no one there.

Until a cloak was removed by Harry Potter. Uryuu could barely hold in a gasp, shocked from disbelieve. How did Harry have an invisibility cloak? They were rare enough as it was. It was so effective that he hadn't even been able to sense him under that cloak.

Harry however didn't even notice the headmaster in the room. He just rushed over to the mirror and deposited himself on the floor, staring into the mirror in anticipation. He was so engrossed in what he saw that he didn't even move his eyes away from the mirror, just letting himself get lost in its wonder. Uryuu wanted to stop him. He wanted to grab him and get him away from the mirror. Every fibre of his being told him to do so, enhanced by the knowledge of what it was doing to himself.

Before he could say anything, Dumbledore spoke up first. "Back again Harry?"

"I… I didn't see you sir," Harry stuttered out, his face showing his panic of being caught by the headmaster no less.

"Strange how short sighted being invisible can make you," responded Dumbledore, his friendly smile reassuring Harry from what Uryuu could see. "So I see that you have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised like so many before you. Now that you have spent some time in front of it, would you like to take a guess at what it does?"

"It shows…" started Harry before rethinking what he was going to say. "It at least shows me my family. Ron saw something else."

"Ah yes," Dumbledore said. "I believe Mr Weasley saw himself as Head Boy if I'm not mistaken."

"How did you…"

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," Dumbledore said gently. "But knowing that, can you think of what the mirror shows us all?"

Harry shook his head.

"I see. Allow me to explain it for you then. If the happiest man was to look in this mirror, he would see nothing but his reflection. Nothing more and nothing less. To him, the mirror would be completely ordinary. Does that help at all?

"It shows us what we want," Harry said slowly. "Whatever we want."

"I wish," thought Uryuu as Dumbledore spoke.

"Yes and no. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest desires of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing alongside you. Ronald Weasley however has always been overshadowed by the actions of his brothers. He desires to be seen as the best among them, hence he sees himself standing alone. This mirror is a curse however. What lies in beyond the glass is not knowledge and not truth. What we see is merely an illusion the mirror has conjured up and, I'm afraid to say, many unfortunate souls have wasted away by this mirror, their minds shattered. Is what we see real? Is it fake? These questions attack the mind like a parasite and can invade your every thought. I would hate to see another boy get destroyed by it."

Even though Uryuu was hidden from sight, he knew that last part had been said to him.

"From tomorrow, the mirror will have a new home. I beg of you Harry, do not go in search of it. If you do ever come across it again, at least now you will be ready to face it. It is not a good idea to dwell on dreams while forgetting to live in the process. Dreams are only an escape from reality. Trust an old man on this one." Dumbledore glanced at the side of the mirror as he said that, his eyes softening at a memory only he could see. "Now why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and head back to bed. We wouldn't want Mr Filch to catch you after hours would we? I believe Gryffindor is doing quite well on house points since that last game."

Harry nodded slightly before moving to wrap the cloak around him. He stopped midway as a question came to him. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did so," chuckled Dumbledore. "You may ask me one more thing however."

"What do you see in the mirror?"

"Me? I see myself holding a pair of thick woollen socks."

Uryuu wanted to face palm himself at that. What an obvious lie.

"One can never have enough socks, my boy," explained Dumbledore. "Yet another Christmas and I received not a single pair. Instead I get nothing but books. I don't understand why."

Harry seemed to accept the answer and disappeared as the cloak covered him. Uryuu saw the door open and shut and waited for the headmaster to leave like Harry.

"You can come out now, Mr Ishida," Dumbledore said, turning towards the desk Uryuu had hidden behind.

Uryuu pulled himself out from his hiding spot to face the man. "How long did you know?"

"Since you began visiting the mirror," Dumbledore said quietly. "I didn't interfere before since I believed you had it under control. A few students in the past have been attracted by the mirror but being away from it quickly cures them of its power, hence the reason I agreed so quickly to allow you to leave."

"I did think it seemed slightly rushed. Grandfather did mention he only wrote to you a day or two before."

"I sent him a letter. As your guardian, he had to be informed of any decisions to do with you that can affect your health, whether they are good or bad." Dumbledore looked sadly down at the boy before continuing. "I'm stopping you now because the opposite of what we wanted has happened. I underestimated the affect that the mirror had on you and instead caused you to seek out the mirror more, as if you were having a withdrawal symptom. For that, I am sorry."

"It's okay," Uryuu found himself muttering.

"No," argued Dumbledore, "It isn't. I meant what I said though. The mirror must be moved. It will help, though you will be a bit anxious for the first few days. You won't find the mirror but I still beg of you like I did Harry, do not search for it. As long as you don't see the mirror for a few days, the severe effects it has had on you will wear off. Part of the allure of it is due to the knowledge of its location but once you have escaped its clutches once, you can resist it if you meet it again."

"You speak from experience sir."

"Maybe I do. Regardless, off to bed with you as well. You've been here long enough I think."

"Thank you sir," Uryuu said as he bolted as fast as he dared towards the door, not daring to look at the mirror.

The door closed behind him as Dumbledore sighed.

"At least I saved the boy before it was too late," thought Dumbledore guiltily, ashamed that he hadn't acted sooner. Part of it had been out of fear though. He had almost fallen prey to the mirror once before as well. Glancing to the mirror, his eyes fell on the girl in it, her blonde hair reaching down to her shoulders and her blue eyes catching his own. A small smile rested on her face. This was his sister, Ariana.

Yet Dumbledore didn't see the sweetness and kindness in her that she had. The smile was more sinister, watching him hungrily, tempting him to come closer. The eyes held no compassion in them and instead mocked him, taunted him. Dumbledore took a step towards the mirror involuntary before turning on his foot and running for the door. It may have not been inspiring to see someone regarded so much running from a simple mirror, but Dumbledore didn't care. Some things in this world were beyond the understanding of mortal men.

The mirror image of Ariana watched Dumbledore leaving for a moment before disappearing, an angry scream on her face as she vanished. Her prey had escaped.

And that's the end of that chapter. I had a lot of fun writing the mirror. Tell me what you think. Did I make it sinister enough?

This chapter was a lot more Uryuu intensive than previous ones. It was pointed out to me that I should show Uryuu a bit more and how his views are changing. There may be a few more moments for him but I thought he would suit finding the mirror best in this story.

You know the drill. Read, enjoy, review, ponder philosophically.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.