Chapter 12 is here. Sorry for the delay. I think I have my ideal releasing time now. About a one every four days sounds roughly good since it gives me time to do anything else I need to and should let me get ahead on chapters if need be. Anyway, enjoy.
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
12 - Progress and Punishments
Things had taken a turn for the worst for Uryuu. The exams were rapidly approaching and the teachers were really beginning to pile up the work. Free time was becoming more and more of a luxury, especially when he was expected to get top grades like all the other Ravenclaws. Plus, he couldn't be seen to be doing worse than people who weren't even Quincy. His pride just wouldn't allow it.
It wasn't this that was a problem though. The work was proving to be far too easy. The control required for some of the spells may have been difficult for some but it was child's play for a Quincy. They were born to have perfect control unlike Soul Reapers.
No, what was the problem were the other events happening around school. Ever since that mirror, he had felt his life turn upside down. First, he was being far more helpful to 'them'. He still didn't know why but he just was. Then there was what he had overheard from the trio of Gryffindor. They had been discussing a Philosopher's Stone and stating how they believed Snape was going to steal it.
It was utterly ridiculous he thought. Their minds were blaming him because of little childhood grudges. He was evil to them and he had questionable morals so he was automatically the thief. They didn't even bother looking for any other suspects.
Uryuu couldn't stand it. They were making evidence to fit their theory and ignoring that which didn't support it. They had discussed to Hagrid that Snape had tried to Jinx the broom at one point and, thinking back, it must have been them who caused the fire in the teachers' stand. Did they not consider that the panic in the stands would have caused all the teachers do be distracted, meaning that any of them could have been casting the Jinx. Another teacher there could have easily been casting a counter Jinx so Snape could have been helping them for all they knew.
Sighing, Uryuu couldn't believe how much that had affected him. That simple fault in their logic had caused him to try and solve the mystery himself. He had seen that Snape hadn't been a traitor but he doubted they would believe him. Judging by their looks at Quirrell, they must have seen what he saw but interpreted it differently. He had wondered what that shadow nearby had been.
Uryuu watched the two Professors from a distance, just close enough so that he could hear them. He stood atop a tall tree, balancing easily on a branch as he looked down at them. He knew he would be in trouble if they caught him here. Not only was he listening in on a private conversation but he was also out of bounds. The forest was forbidden for a reason.
That was the main reason Uryuu had decided to follow them. They were acting too suspiciously. They had even found the need to have a conversation in the Forbidden Forest of all places, in fear of students or teachers overhearing them it seemed.
Looking down at the two, Snape looked similar to how he always did. He had a scowl on his face, his presence strong like normal. He practically radiated confidence. It was a complete opposite to Professor Quirrell who stood there with him. The Professor was stuttering more than he usually did, his turban stuffed with the smell of even more garlic than usual.
Yet the smell didn't distract Uryuu from what he was sensing. It was faint yes, and very weak, but it was there. A second presence right by Quirrell. Was the presence invisible or something. He had heard of certain spells that could cause similar affects but the presence was almost completely overlapping Quirrell's soul. It was like they were both in the same spot. He couldn't work out what it was but something felt off. That itself though brought the stuttering of the Professor into question.
Listening carefully, he could make out roughly what they were saying.
"I d-d-don't know why y-you wanted t-t-to meet here of a-all places Severus…"
"Oh, I thought we should keep this conversation private," said Snape, his voice filled with ice. "After all, students aren't aware of the existence of the Philosopher's Stone, much less its location in the school. It's better that things stay that way."
Quirrell tried to make some excuse about getting back and Vampires but Snape cut him off.
"Save me your excuses," he snarled. "Tell me, have you learned how to get pass that beast of Hagrid's yet?"
"B-b-but Severus…"
"You're a smart man Quirrell," Snape said, taking a step towards the man. "You don't want me as your enemy."
"I-I don't know what you -"
"You know what I mean. Don't try and pretend otherwise. I'm not in the mood to play games."
An owl hooted nearby, blocking out whatever Snape said next. The only other thing he managed to hear was Snape promising Quirrell they would have another chat soon to find out who he had his allegiances with. With that little parting message, Snape had left Quirrell alone, the man frozen solid. From the corner of his eye, Uryuu thought he spotted one of the shadows move but it was gone before he could identify it.
What shocked Uryuu though was Quirrell's next actions. He looked up to where the shadow had been, as if he had known someone had been there. As the person left, his posture had become straighter, his scared look vanishing. He waited another second before vanishing into the forest.
Uryuu didn't follow. Something was wrong and it wasn't wise to act on it right now. He was a first year, even if he was a Quincy. Better to leave him to his own devices and learn more.
"It must have been Harry," Uryuu decided, deep in thought. It would explain how they heard about the conversation. Whatever was going on though was surrounding Harry. Quirrell had known Harry had been there, yet he hadn't told Snape. The moment he had left, he had dropped his guard and given Uryuu a glimpse of the man beneath the act. He wanted Harry suspecting Snape. There was no other conclusion.
There was no doubt in his mind that Quirrell was the enemy but why would anyone believe him. I mean look at Quirrell. He was the biggest scaredy cat anyone had ever met. Who would ever suspect him but then, that was the point. No one would believe him since no one would believe it themselves. It Uryuu hadn't seen under the mask himself, he would have also had trouble believing it.
Then there was that dragon that he had seen. Well, he hadn't actually seen it but the clues were enough. The gatekeeper had been collecting a few dragon books from the library if what he had seen was correct and, ever since then, the trio had been very nervous. After a bit of luck, it had been easy to figure out that it existed and it was going to be sent away to safety soon. The only problem left now was Ichigo.
His presence wasn't something that could be ignored by those who were sensitive to the energy people like himself and Ichigo gave off. It was too massive, too uncontrolled. It made him easy to find and that was the problem. He had disappeared from his senses a few times recently. He couldn't have disappeared from the grounds since his last position was up high in one of the towers. There had to be something up there that hid him from view.
The problem was that the tower he disappeared at was close to the Astronomy tower. Uryuu didn't know when the three were dropping off the dragon but the Astronomy tower was the best place to do so due to the exposed area it had at the top of the tower. If Ichigo disappeared on that night and then was caught on his way back, they were going to question him. Why would he be out so late they would ask. And if he was doing what Uryuu thought he was doing, they couldn't learn the answer. They were outsiders and under no circumstances could they learn the secrets they possessed. Right now, Uryuu didn't care if he was going to help Ichigo. If he was caught, it would be trouble for the both of them.
Ichigo ducked under a slash aimed at his head, the blade hitting empty space. Using that distraction, he kicked out with his foot, smashing it into Kugo's chest. Kugo grunted as he got knocked backwards, barely bringing his sword back round to dodge Ichigo's attack. The tsuba was deflected and bounced off to another side of the room.
Using it to his advantage, Ichigo whipped his hand back round, the chain forcing the tsuba's direction to change and launch back towards Kugo. As it was about to hit Kugo, he jumped. Green light flickered along his feet as he took to the air before he smashed his sword down as the tsuba passed. The tsuba's shape broke, causing the Fullbring to disappear.
As Ichigo quickly reformed his Fullbring, Kugo got close and slashed towards him. Ichigo swung the reforming tsuba around its path and moved the sword off course, wrapping around the blade as it did so. The blade restrained, Kugo struck out with his fist, hitting Ichigo in the face. The attack forced him back and gave Kugo ample time to free his sword from the trap.
"Not bad," he called over as he brought his sword back. "But let's see you block this."
A large amount of energy gathered along Cross of Scaffold, green in colour. The attack covered the blade and Kugo swiped with his sword. The energy flew off in an arc, smashing into the area in front of him. When the energy cleared though, Ichigo was nowhere to be seen.
Kugo kept his sword ready as he let his eyes look around. Ichigo had dodged somehow since there was no body in the blast. He was fast but he wasn't fast enough to slip past him. Not unless-
Hearing movement behind him, he brought his sword back round to intercept the surprise attack heading for him. He allowed himself a breather as he watched Ichigo reel the attack back in.
"That was Bringer Light wasn't it," Kugo said, inspecting the remaining flickers of green light around Ichigo's feet. His suspicious had been confirmed. "I didn't even teach you that yet. I'm impressed Ichigo."
"I can't wait for you to tell me everything," responded Ichigo, his eyes focused on his target. "What good would that do if I don't learn myself?"
"I see." Their silent truce ended as the two launched back into the fight, exchanging blow after blow. Ichigo's Fullbring caused him to fight further away than he would have liked but he was using it well considering. Kugo kept him on his toes though with his close range Fullbring, not letting Ichigo fight like he wanted to. He said it was to prepare him for the future. Your enemy would always exploit your weaknesses so you should learn how to deal with that now.
This had been the latest of many sessions, Ichigo's Fullbring slowly becoming more and more effective as he learned how to use it. When he had started, he had barely been able to get the chance to throw it much. Now, he knew not only how to get himself the room to act but also how to control the attack, even after being thrown. And now he had learned the movement technique that would allow him to get more room between them or launch surprise attacks.
"It won't change much though," thought Kugo as he blocked another surprise strike. The moment Ichigo tried to pull back his Fullbring, Kugo used Bringer Light himself and appeared right in front of Ichigo. "Now that he can use it, I don't need to hold back with it."
His sword came slashing down, Ichigo literally having to throw himself to the side to avoid being hit. In the process, his Fullbring was forced to dissipate back into energy, forcing him onto the defensive.
Kugo let him retreat, waiting patiently for him to reform his Fullbring. The problem with their two Fullbrings was that while his was a physical manifestation, Ichigo's was an energy manifestation. He's couldn't reform his Fullbring like Ichigo could but it was a lot harder to shatter and break. It meant that in their long sessions, he had to allow some time for Ichigo to recover when it broke. He still attacked a few times though. Any enemies he fought wouldn't wait so why should he?
At least his stamina had increased. A few of their original fights had been constricted since Ichigo's limit had been an hour at max at the start, even when Kugo was holding back. It had increased dramatically though and even though he weren't fighting as serious as he could, Kugo was impressed that Ichigo could fight against him for as long as he did. They were up to somewhere between two and three hours but he wondered how long he would be able to keep it up when it wasn't training. There was a difference when your opponent actually went at you with the intent to kill.
He discarded all those thought from his head as Ichigo charged back into the fight, just focusing on responding to his attacks. All that mattered right now was experience. It was the easiest way to develop Fullbring and Ichigo's should reach the final stage soon enough. Until then, all he could do is wait.
As they backed off once more, Kugo raised a hand towards Ichigo. "Okay. We're done for tonight."
"What?" protested Ichigo. "I can still keep going."
Kugo gave Ichigo a quick once over and shook his head. Ichigo was hiding well but he had already reached his limit. His legs were straining to even keep him standing and his hands were shaking slightly. The Fullbring attacks in the last few minutes had also clued him in. The accuracy of his throws had been slowly dropping and the strength behind the ones that had hit were far weaker than they normally were. But he knew Ichigo wouldn't accept excuses like that as a reason for stopping.
"It's getting late," Kugo said, letting his Fullbring return to its original state. "We're already far past midnight and we still need sleep. People are going to be suspicious if we are extremely tired in the morning. After all, they would have seen us go to bed early."
"I suppose you're right," Ichigo said, annoyance heard in his voice. He could feel himself getting stronger ever second and didn't want to stop when he felt he was so close to something.
"Of course I am," replied Kugo, leading the two of them over to the archway. Like always, Ichigo pressed his palm to the runes and allowed the portal to open for them. One step later and they found themselves back inside the castle. They left down the stairs and separated to their own directions, not knowing they were being watched.
Ichigo stepped down the corridors leading to the Hufflepuff dorms when he heard a dreaded noise behind him. His body froze and he felt his blood turn cold. Turning around as slow as possible, he spotted the worst fear of every Hogwarts student at night. Mrs Norris.
He stood still for a second, the two of them staring at each other. Ichigo prayed that the cat would let him pass but he knew it was hopeless. He could almost swear that the cat was mocking him, its eyes gleaming in superiority. After what seemed like hours, the cat slowly began to open its mouth.
The instance the cat started to make a sound, Ichigo ran. He knew that Filch was the bane of all students out of bounds and could turn up from nowhere. Still, you never knew if you didn't try. Ichigo sped down the corridors, jumping for a staircase as it was about to move and ran down it. A left, a right, he lost count of how many turns he had made or even where he was. To make things worse was that he had been trying to go down but had somehow ended up higher than he had been previously. God, he hated this school's layout sometimes.
Before he could move any further, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning round to accept his fate, he found himself facing the last person he expected to see this late. Uryuu Ishida.
"What are you doing here Ishida?" he whispered, afraid any sound would alert Filch to their location.
"I'm here to give you a hand Kurosaki," he said back, acid in his voice. "I thought you would be a bit more careful with your practices but I guess not."
Ichigo froze before turning to Uryuu. "What -"
"Not now," Uryuu muttered.
"What do you mean not now," Ichigo exclaimed. "How do you -"
"Quiet," Uryuu said abruptly, listening carefully around him. "Do you want that blasted caretaker to find us?" He instead found himself held against the wall.
"How do you know?" Ichigo demanded, saying each word with as much force that he could summon. It helped calm the pit of worry that was slowly building in his stomach.
Uryuu sighed before answering. "I could sense you. I worked out where you were since you kept vanishing from my senses so I knew where you would reappear and, as for what you were doing, I have some… prior knowledge. Does that satisfy you?" He said the last part sarcastically but it seemed to be enough. Ichigo released his grip and his expression turned now to confusion.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Events out of our hands forced the caretaker to be more… vicious on his searches tonight. And I don't want people learning about what you were doing. Do you?"
Ichigo shook his head. Uryuu was about to point out their best route of escape when they heard a soft noise nearby. The call of a cat.
The two exchanged a glance before running. They reached the end of corridor and turned -
"Hello boys," came a voice. The two boys slowly turned to look down the corridor they were turning into and felt the chances of escape drop drastically. In front of them was the worst person they could have run into. Filch. The man stood there, staring at them while stroking the cat held in his arms. The worst thing was his smile, as if he was having the time of his life tonight. "Going somewhere?"
Ichigo and Uryuu were marched down path after path, staircase after staircase. They didn't know they were going but Filch obliviously did. They finally arrived at the first floor where they were led to one of the rooms. Filch gave a quick knock before letting himself in. The two boys had no choice but to follow, Mrs Norris hissing at their feet.
As they entered the room, the saw a furious Professor McGonagall, anger radiating off her. Currently, she was laying into the three other students in her office. Harry, Hermione, and Neville. Harry and Hermione looked upset but Neville was absolutely terrified. It made both boys wonder why he had been outside his dorm this late in the first place.
"More?" Professor McGonagall spat out, turning her glace at Ichigo and Uryuu. "Where did you find these two Filch?"
"The fifth floor," Filch answered gleefully. "They thought they had escaped but I caught them in the end. It's always much more fun when they run."
"Thank you Filch," responded the Professor. "Keep a look out for more students out of bed. I don't want any getting away."
The caretaker nodded before retreating, leaving the students with the Professor. With him gone, she turned her full attention to Ichigo and Uryuu. "Well?"
Ichigo was about to say something when Uryuu beat him to it. "It's my fault Professor. We have a small rivalry you see and we thought that the best way to settle it would be with a duel. We didn't want to be discovered so we had to wait till late at night."
Ichigo kept his emotions from showing, his mind extremely confused by Uryuu actions. He created that story so quickly and it only manipulated small facts of truth that the teachers already knew. The teachers had, after all, seen Uryuu competing with him in class, most of all Flitwick. There wasn't even any hesitation in his answer. How long had he prepared that excuse for?
Professor McGonagall seemed to buy it though. "Disgraceful," she said to them. "If you need to solve petty rivalries, do it in lessons. What would you have done if one of you had been injured? Could you have got them to the Hospital Wing in time?"
Uryuu simply looked at his feet, keeping up his act. Ichigo felt his expression growing more morbid as she spoke, acting like he had been part of it as well. The Professor believed to have got her point through as she turned back to the Gryffindors.
"And you three. With Mr Malfoy, that makes six students out of bed in one night."
"Seven," Ichigo mentally said. "She missed Kugo."
"Frankly I'm disgusted," she continued. "I've never heard of such a thing happening before in all my years at Hogwarts. Though with Mr Kurosaki here, I shouldn't be surprised. He is known for being good at breaking records, so you being here actually doesn't surprise me as much as the others."
It looked like she was still angry at his and Tatsuki actions. Ichigo could have sworn she had gotten over it. Then again, they did still get the odd detention when tensions were high and they just couldn't resist punching the idiot who had been unlucky enough to have annoyed them.
"And you Miss Granger. I expected better from you. I believed you to have more sense than this. Mr Potter. I was under the impression Gryffindor meant something to you? Am I wrong? And Mr Ishida…" She just shook her head as she looked at him. "You are the last person I would expect to see out here this late. All five of you will be given detention with Mr Malfoy. Don't look at me like that Mr Longbottom. Nothing gives you the right to walk around these hallways late at night, even with the best of intentions. Especially not these days. Do you ever think that it could be dangerous?"
"Of course," Ichigo thought as he watched the Professor continue her rant. "What else would anyone call fighting Kugo?"
"Not only that," the Professor continued, "But each of you will lose fifty points each." This was met with a lot of protest from the Gryffindors.
"Professor please -"
"You can't -"
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do Potter," Professor McGonagall said angrily. "Now I want you all back to your dorms now. If I catch you out of bed again, the consequences will be far greater than this time."
Despite the points lost, Ichigo couldn't help but feel relieve as he was escorted back. Professor Sprout had been angry but at the same time, accepting of it. It was like she assumed that students would sneak out at night. She had said herself that he wasn't the first Hufflepuff to get caught but expected better from him. Ichigo was actually lost when he tried to work out whether she was disappointed in him for being out or disappointed in him for being caught.
The worst thing was that he knew his friends were going to be a lot worse, especially Tatsuki. She would be furious that he had not only been sneaking out, but that he didn't invite her to come with him. Chad would be harder to tell. He was a hard guy to read so he wasn't sure how he would respond. The one question rattling around his head though was about Uryuu. How had he known about where he was? He said he could sense him but how? And what did he mean by prior knowledge. Who had taught him about Fullbring? Leaving the matter alone for now, he let himself fall into a deep sleep. He wanted to get a few hours peace, needing the rest after the night's activities. He wasn't looking forward to the morning though.
So what do you guy think of chapter 12. Fullbring training is getting near the peak and Uryuu seems to be onto the mystery as well. Next chapter we should see the trip to the forbidden forest. I have a good plan for them while they are in there. Just a bit longer and we reach the trip to the third floor corridor. Look forward to it.
As usual, tell me what you think. Ask your questions and review with your ratings. I answer all questions though say if you don't want too many details in your answers. I have a tendency to lose track when I'm answering and normally like to go into detail if it is an idea I like and have developed.
Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.
