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||Characters are speaking Japanese||

:Zanpakuto speaking:

:Inner Hollow speaking:

=Hell butterfly messages=

Chapter 13

"Miss Masaki said you would be coming; Master gave Taffy an order that Taffy had to obey; that's how Taffy knows that you is Master Ichigo," the elf explained, her fingers touching him lightly. "Master has finally come home."

Ichigo gaped at the little house elf, his brain short-circuiting at her words. His mother had definitely left out a few things…

He finally started coming out of it when he felt someone tugging on his shirt. "Master Ichigo? Master Ichigo, is you okay?"

"Wha-?" he turned to look at Winky with a bit of a dazed look. She was giving him a very worried look; no wonder, as he was acting very unlike himself.

"Why is you calling Master Ichigo 'Master Ichigo'? You is a free elf! You has no master!" Taffy said sharply. Winky glared back at her, and standing straight up to her full four foot height.

"Winky is not a free elf –"

"Winky is wearing clothes!"

Ichigo groaned, and then whimpered when the two house elves started arguing back and forth about whether or not Winky was free or not and nearly getting into fisticuffs over it. He looked back at Professor Dumbledore with a pleading look; he didn't think he'd be able to explain it to Taffy, not at all, and the Professor had successfully explained to Winky how things worked in Japan and how house elves behaved there… and Winky had adapted quite well, memorizing everything he had told her, which had helped her adapt to living in a foreign country.

The Professor, however, was smirking at him, his hand in front of his mouth and his blue eyes twinkling at him over his half-moon spectacles; Bill was openly grinning at him; Moody appeared rather bemused and amused; Byakuya bored and irritated at the high-pitched voices; and Snape stared with an eyebrow raised, occasionally wincing at a particularly strident note.

"Ahem, ladies –" Professor Dumbledore finally parted the two elves, taking pity on Ichigo. "Taffy, Winky is indeed correct – while she might be wearing clothing, she has entered into service with the Kurosakis in Japan, and they have a different way of doing things there. All house elves wear the same uniform – such as you see Winky wearing, and they are also paid for their service, by whatever means they choose."

"House elves is not paid money…" Taffy said stubbornly, pouting and crossing her stick-thin arms over her chest.

Oh, Lord…. He was going to kill Hichigo at any moment if his inner hollow did not stop laughing uproariously over the situation… between the raucous laughter coming from his inner world, the high-pitched arguing that had gone on under his nose, and the morning he'd had… Ichigo was on the verge of developing a killer migraine. Especially as he was fairly certain he'd heard a chuckle or two coming from Zangetsu this time, as well, the traitor.

"Winky is not paid in money," Winky sniffed as if she had just been highly insulted, "Professor said Winky could choose what Winky wanted, Winky chose marbles."

"Marbles?" Moody and Bill echoed at the same time. Both Byakuya and Snape nodded.

"Marbles," Byakuya confirmed with a brief nod. Someday, Ichigo thought, he was going to ask the Sixth Squad Captain how he had found out about that. Because Ichigo hadn't told anyone except Urahara, who was helping him procure the glittery glass orbs. The prettier the better.

"Oh, okay," Bill shrugged, then shook his head. Whatever…

It was going to take time for Taffy to come around, Ichigo realized, as she was much older than Winky, and far more set in her ways… and she had not been won over by Yuzu, the way Winky had. Ichigo listened as Professor Dumbledore reasoned with her, cajoled, and explained in five different ways… until she finally understood. Maybe, he mused thoughtfully, Winky had accepted it so quickly because she had been that desperate to be with Yuzu… or be with a family again, and there they were, ready to accept her into their home and their hearts…

Taffy however – stubbornly clung to her ways, until finally she caved. She did not, Ichigo realized, like the idea of another house elf taking care of his family. That was her job. And no upstart was going to do it for her…

Oh, no, he worried, trying to think fast as another battle threatened to erupt, How to change her mind? How…

"Taffy," he said suddenly, "Are you okay with staying here? You've done such a good job so far, I can't see leaving this place in the care of anyone else."

"Taffy will continue to takes care of it for Master," she nodded; she really didn't have a choice.

"Good," he said, smiling, "and you won't be alone; we'll be using the house as a headquarters…"

"Headquarters?" she wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, Ichigo mused, but she finally nodded. "People will be doing comings and goings? Taffy will have peoples to serve?"

"That's right," Ichigo nodded, "The place will be protected by the Fidelius Charm…"

Taffy gasped. "That is powerful magic, Master Ichigo," she squeaked, "very powerful!" Well, at least she knew what that was, he thought with some relief.

"Yes, we know, Taffy," Professor Dumbledore replied, his blue eyes continuing to twinkle behind his spectacles; Ichigo was glad he found it so amusing, "It would make us all very happy – but most especially Master Ichigo – if you would be so kind as to assist us in this."

"If this is whats Master Ichigo wants, then Taffy will help," she nodded, after looking over at Ichigo, who nodded.

"It is, and thank you."

"Now about the other three…" Professor Dumbledore started to discuss the griffon and the winged horses, only to come to a full stop as he exited the house.

"It looks like they decided to follow you," Bill laughed, seeing the trio standing not far from the door. Ichigo groaned when he saw them. What was he going to do with them? He couldn't take them back to Soul Society! Or Karakura Town, for that matter!

"Well," Professor Dumbledore mused, upon seeing them. "Well, well."

"I'd leave the griffon here as a guard," Moody suggested, studying it carefully, "Since that's probably what it's been trained to do, and take the other two back to Hogwarts. If I remember, the Thestrals are the only winged horses there, and not everyone can see those."

"The Crup will have to remain as well," Ichigo sighed, looking down at the dog that was staring at up at him and had been dogging his every step since it had found him, "I can't bring him back to Karakura, and although we know he won't go for a Soul Reaper," he indicated the fact that it was ignoring Byakuya, "I'm not going to be home, or in Soul Society, for eight months. He's probably better off staying here."

"Yes, I'm in agreement with that," Professor Dumbledore nodded, "if you've never had one before, you are better off leaving it here with Taffy, as she has obviously been taking care of it. And I do believe that Hagrid will enjoy taking care of such beautiful creatures…"

"I think he'd enjoy the griffon more," Ichigo said dryly. The others chuckled; Hagrid's predilection for dangerous creatures was very well known. Even Byakuya was aware of it and smiled faintly. Well, Ichigo could always bring him to Hogwarts for a day for Hagrid's class… since all they had was a Hippogriff herd, and no griffons. If anything would earn him a friend for life in the half-giant, that would.

"So, how does this 'Fidelius Charm' work?" Byakuya asked once they were outside the gate.

"Once I cast the spell, only those of us standing here will be able to bring others and show them the location," Professor Dumbledore replied, "it will be invisible to all eyes – wizard, muggle, and Soul Reaper – and it will not show up on any maps, not even those that have already been created."

"Miss Masaki put a very powerful spell on it," Taffy volunteered, having followed them out, "Miss Masaki told Taffy it would move Miss Masaki's house to a different place if anyone came that was nots supposed to sees it."

"To a different… did she say where?" Ichigo asked her. Taffy shook her head.

"No, Taffy is sorry, Miss Masaki did nots tell Taffy."

"Ah, well," Ichigo shrugged, thinking he would have to discuss it with his mother later to find out what she had actually done, "Don't worry about it."

Bill had looped a rope around the necks of the horses, and led them outside, and was waiting for them. Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore would take them back to Hogwarts with them, and Ichigo would be able to see them during the school year; hell, they'd probably get angry at him if he didn't... Moody, meanwhile, would find the others and let them know about the success of their little trip. Ichigo had something else he had to do.

He still had to take Rukia to buy a ring.

#

"Ichigo!" Rukia threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly right before she drove a fist into his stomach, causing him to double over as she drove the breath right out of his lungs with that punch. "Where the hell have you been?"

Karin watched and shook her head, while Winky fretted over him as he wheezed something out.

"What?" she glared at him, waiting for him to repeat what he had tried to say.

"Master Ichigo said Master was in England, with Professor Dumbledore," Winky said helpfully. Well, of course she knew where he'd been – she'd been there with him.

"What in the hell were you doing in England with Professor Dumbledore?" Rukia screamed at him. Everyone – even Isshin – winced at the loudness.

"Geez, Rukia, I don't think they heard you in China – want to try to scream a little louder?" Rukia glared at him and raised her fist while waiting for an answer. "If you want an answer, I have to be able to talk, don't I?"

"All right – spill it," she growled, not lowering her fist; she opted to wait until she heard his explanation. If she didn't like it, she'd hit him again. Harder. And probably kick him, to boot.

He explained everything that had happened, and Rukia soon forgot she was angry at him.

"Nii-sama? Why did he send my brother?" she asked, puzzled. It would have made more sense to send Rukia, Momo or Toshiro.

"Ah – something about not being behind in paperwork…"

"Oh…" Of course Yamamoto would be thinking about paperwork.

Ichigo was going to have to make several trips to the house, to make sure everyone saw it. More work for him…and this would put him behind in his paperwork – which would mean another Bankai session. Zangetsu grumbled as that thought flitted through Ichigo's mind; this was a waste of their talents. They were not meant to be used for paperwork.

"Anyway – seeing as he's in Soul Society most of the time, he's one Secret Keeper we won't have to worry about," he continued, ignoring Zangetsu's grumbling. Tensa Zangetsu was the one who was going to grumble even louder if Ichigo had to use his Bankai…

"True." Rukia stared at him for a moment. "So – Ichigo…"

He knew that sugary sweet tone of voice, and he managed not to groan. "Yeah?"

"When are we going to get my ring?" she asked him. He refrained from shuddering. It was the voice he hated, the one that Dumbridge had also used, but that Rukia did so much better than she did…

"Well, unfortunately the stores are closed right now, so we'll have to go tomorrow," he sighed, glancing at the clock. Nope, it was way too late to go shopping now.

"If another disaster doesn't occur…" Karin said ominously, causing everyone to cross their fingers and hope for the best. And pray that Karin had not just jinxed them.

They actually did make it out the next day, and – to Ichigo's annoyance – they were not alone. Karin had been dragged along with them, and when they ran into Tatsuki and Orihime on their way to the fourth jewelry store, that unfortunate pair got roped into going along with them as well.

"Sorry about this, Ichigo," Tatsuki murmured under her breath, as they left jewelry store number seven. Ichigo shrugged fatalistically. Rukia had seen something she liked in each store, and had taken notes, but she wasn't going to make a decision until she had visited every single store in Karakura Town – and Tokyo, if they had to go there as well. The proprietors of the stores had all been a bit surprised to see a couple as young as Ichigo and Rukia, and not alone…. Apparently they were an oddity among shoppers, which didn't surprise Ichigo any. Trying to be helpful, Orihime had told them that it was an arranged marriage, but they really didn't mind the arrangement… as they had been dating before their families agreed to it. A rather backwards way of doing things, but if it worked for them…

Rukia finally found something she absolutely loved in store number ten – or was twelve? Ichigo had long ago lost count. Karin was yawning by then, as was Orihime; Tatsuki had fallen asleep on her feet several times already, but only because she was bored silly. The ring was not overly large – a good thing, since anything huge would have looked ridiculous on Rukia's hand. The stone itself was a blue diamond surrounded by white diamonds and sapphires – and was quite expensive and nearly made Ichigo cringe when he saw the cost. At least he'd gotten a rather extensive lesson from Kisuke in how to grade diamonds… so he knew the ring was worth the price and he wasn't being ripped off. And luckily it did not have to be sized (how did they happen to have it in her size, anyway? Was something they all thought, even Rukia). Ichigo doubted that it was really an engagement ring, and they were just showing it to her as one to appease her. It was probably some type of children's ring, and Rukia just happened to fit it – and liked it. Hichigo, of course, had been in rare form all day, and had contributed to Ichigo's growing headache. It didn't help that Zangetsu had put in his yen's worth several times…

They left the jewelry store, with Rukia happily admiring the ring on her hand, and the others more than ready to fall into bed. Karin trailed them home, dragging her feet, studying her brother and his petite fiancée, something that Orihime had told her bouncing through her head.

While they had been sitting in the corner of one store, waiting for the couple while Rukia examined each and every ring, Karin had looked over at the other two girls appraisingly.

"What is it, Karin-chan?" Orihime had finally asked her.

"I feel like the universe has gone topsy-turvy," she had admitted to them.

"Why's that?" Tatsuki had raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" Karin had thought out her words carefully, not wanting to upset the karate champ, "To be honest, for the past couple of years, except for Orihime, no one has shown any interest in dating, or in any person of the opposite sex," she had said, shrugging, "Now all of a sudden everyone is hooking up with someone. You have a boyfriend, Ichigo is engaged, Ishida appears to be on the verge of having a girlfriend, and Orihime looks like she's found someone other than Ichi-nii to crush on. It just seems… odd, that's all. Even Chizuru has a girlfriend."

The other two girls had chuckled, to her relief.

"Well, I think I know the answer to that," Orihime had nodded, with a smile, "See, before that, we were all rushing around, fighting and trying to save the world; who had time for romance? Now we've all taken a step back, we aren't fighting and training all the time anymore, so –"

"We have time to give in to hormones," Tatsuki had admitted dryly, with an eye roll. "And you left yourself out there, kiddo. I've seen the way you hang out with Toshiro, so you had better add yourself in that category."

Karin had blushed a little bit, but had not been able to reply, as Ichigo and Rukia had returned, and they had left to go to another store.

"I'm not tired at all," Rukia said with a bounce in her step.

"Oh?" Ichigo asked after they had waved farewell to the other two and walked back home. He barely managed to stifle a yawn.

"Let's do something else!" Had she traded personalities with Orihime when he wasn't looking?

Karin groaned and gave her brother a pleading look. Did they have to?

"What did you have in mind?" Ichigo steeled himself – he had noticed the latest Chappy movie was in the theaters, and hopefully she hadn't. He was really not in the mood to see the cartoon rabbit this evening.

"I want to see your house!"

"You… want to go to England? Now?" he stopped in his tracks and stared at her, dumbfounded. Where was she getting the energy?

"Sure! I'm not tired! Let's go!" She reached out and grabbed his hand. "And it's earlier there than it is here!"

"Whoa! Whoa!" Ichigo put the brakes on. "Hold on a minute!" he said, shaking his head. He looked at his sister. "Karin, did you want to go?"

"Yeah, I think I do – I can find the energy for that," she nodded. Mom's home? Yeah, she wanted to do that. So far, she was the only one who hadn't gotten to see mom yet, so she figured she should at least see her home.

"All right; and I hate to say it but – let's check with the old man, I wouldn't feel right going without him," he muttered, grimacing. Karin barked out a laugh.

"That's funny, coming from you, Ichi-nii! Have you lost your mind?" Karin asked, as Rukia gave him an equally baffled look. Ichigo sighed.

"Look – Pop never saw Mom's old home either… he'll just have to promise to be on his best behavior." Or Ichigo would turn him into something very small and furry. That thought drew a full five minutes of raucous laughter from his inner world.

"Think he can?"

Ichigo wasn't sure about that, but he knew that Isshin was capable of being serious when he had to be; he'd managed to be serious during the entire fight with Aizen, and during Ichigo's training in the Dangai. The Squad Five Captain had to do his usual "duck and cover" routine when he got home, with Rukia and Karin standing on either side of the doorway to avoid the Kurosaki patriarch as he went sailing out into the street, missing all of them by a country mile. When Isshin heard what Ichigo was asking him, however – after a moment of childish bawling, which was rewarded with him once again decorating the wall, Isshin promised to behave himself. He did want to see his wife's childhood home, which he had heard a great deal about, but had never been to see.

It was very fortuitous that they had decided to go when they did. When they exited the Senkai Gate from Karakura Town, it was to find Moody, Lupin and the elder Weasleys outside the gate, having a standoff with the griffon, who was not allowing them to step inside the perimeter. Both Mrs. Weasley and Lupin carried packages of some kind – in Molly Weasley's case it appeared to be cleaning supplies, and in Lupin's, a cloth covered cage. They were reluctant to use any magic on a creature that belonged to someone they considered one of their own – in this case, Ichigo.

Crap, Ichigo thought, hurrying forward, "Sorry – I guess we didn't make it clear enough to him when we left the other day…"

"Partially my fault. I should'a thought of it," Moody admitted, grumbling a bit, but looking a bit relieved at his arrival. He was probably irritated at himself that he had forgotten something.

Ichigo put his hand on the griffon and gently backed it up, allowing everyone to pass through the gates. The griffon ducked his head in a quick bow, and Ichigo was surprised to see an image flash through his mind, of himself scratching the griffon's ear tuft. Hesitantly he did so, and was rewarded with something that sounded vaguely like a purr. Huhn…

"Ichi-nii?"

"Hang on a sec…" he replied softly, as the griffon stared around at everyone, the pupils in his eyes enlarging and contracting as they focused. Ichigo figured that he had the same kind of vision as a raptor did. Then he turned back to Ichigo, staring straight into his eyes.

Ichigo stared back, and on a hunch, pictured in his mind his entire family. The head bobbed, and another image popped into his head: a mountain aerie, with two griffons and several small… grifflets? Forcing back a smirk, Ichigo pictured his entire family in the nest, replacing the two adults with his parents, and the baby griffons with himself and his sisters. The head bobbed again. Taking a deep breath, he plunged onward, showing himself leaving the nest, and joining Rukia in another, just the two of them… the large head then swung to focus on the petite Soul Reaper, who took a step back warily as he stared at her for a long moment, before he bobbed his head.

:Your thought is correct, Ichigo,: Zangetsu affirmed, :the griffon is mildly telepathic. But only with you.:

The griffon cocked his head, as if catching part of the conversation.

I think he heard us…

:Perhaps; it realizes we are speaking, but not what is being said, nor how.:

Ichigo continued on, showing all of the Order, the Weasley family crowded into one large nest; and he hopefully showed everyone, grouped around them closely, the way the large, extended family groups did. The griffon bobbed his head again and bowed, then backed off, allowing everyone access to the house.

"What did you do?" Karin asked, her eyes wide.

"Ah – later," he said, giving her a long look. She nodded, guessing that it was something he didn't want to speak of in general company. "Dad, Karin, Rukia – this is Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and you already know Remus Lupin..." he introduced Ron's parents and the werewolf first, "And this is Alastor Moody…"

Isshin made good on his promise to behave himself as he greeted the other – adults. Well, despite the massive difference in ages, they were the adults, while Isshin was just an over-grown kid.

"What's in the bucket?" Rukia asked, peering at the supplies Mrs. Weasley was carrying.

"Oh – Professor Dumbledore said there was a doxy infestation in one of the rooms, and would I take care of it as I knew how…" she smiled at the petite girl who was Ichigo's fiancée, very pleased when both Karin and Rukia volunteered to assist her.

"And that?" Ichigo asked Lupin quietly.

"Ah – I heard you had a gnome problem," he said, with a glance at the Weasleys. Ichigo nodded as his suspicion appeared to be correct.

"Jarvey?" he guessed, raising an eyebrow. (AN)

Lupin nodded. "A pair of them."

"Pop – I'll be right back…" he said to his father, who had gotten into a conversation with Moody and Mr. Weasley as he and Lupin went out to the garden, the griffon following.

"I wasn't sure you'd approve," Lupin commented as they walked around the house.

"Hey, the gnomes could take one look and head for the hills – that's good enough for me," Ichigo shrugged. "Besides, it's nature. It's no different from wolves going after an elk, or lions and zebras…" he thought a moment. "And if there's a pair or family of Jarveys in the garden, then the gnomes will stay away and not keep returning the way they do to the Weasley garden."

Lupin eyed him with interest at his remark. "It's one pair, and if anyone sees them, they'll think that they're ferrets. Large ferrets – but just ferrets."

"I don't think the griffon will care. He's already been going for the gnomes, but only because he doesn't like them personally, not because he likes the taste. He finds them annoying. Highly annoying."

"Interesting. And you know this – how?" Lupin asked, smiling faintly at the young man as he put the cage down and took the cover off. The gnomes, who had been blatantly going about their business in full view of the pair, while only watching the griffon warily, stopped.

Lupin opened the door, allowing two sleek, ferret-like shapes to dart out. The moment the Jarveys saw the gnomes, they rushed after them, and the gnomes scattered. There was a lot of chattering and cursing – Ichigo's ears burned from the coarse language that he was hearing from the pair of Jarveys. Wow, the Care of Magical Creatures book hadn't been kidding when it said they used foul language. Ichigo didn't think he'd ever heard that kind of cursing from anyone – not even the entire Squad 11, or all of the punks he'd pounded into sawdust back in Karakura Town.

"Ah – the griffon is mildly telepathic. It can only communicate through images, though. I don't remember Hagrid or Professor Grubbly-Planke ever mentioning it, though. I'm going to have to take a look when I get back to Hogwarts," Ichigo explained. "It's possible that it could be tied into the house ownership."

"It's possible," Lupin nodded, tapping the cage and making it vanish. "There's a lot we don't know – and your mother, as we are both aware, was quite brilliant. She may have altered it a bit…" Lupin glanced back at the garden. "I'll get some Streeler Venom to take care of the Horklumps so the gnomes don't return – despite the Jarveys. Without the Horklumps there will be less temptation." The griffon was standing at the edge of the garden, watching the Jarveys chase gnomes, his tail lashing back and forth with amusement. He now had something to do while waiting to scare off intruders… watch Jarveys chase and catch gnomes.

At least someone was happy.

Author's note: And more from Magical Beasts by JKR:

The Jarvey resembles an overgrown ferret, and is commonly found in Britain, Ireland, and North America. The Jarvey is capable of Human speech, although true conversation with a Jarvey is impossible. The creature uses short, usually rude, statements and phrases in an almost constant stream. Jarveys live below ground, and their diet consists of moles, voles, rats, and Gnomes. Jarveys are particularly good at hunting Gnomes, and are sometimes employed to de-gnome a garden, although their methods are usually brutal. In the final scene of the movie "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2" where the action is 19 years in the future, Harry and Ginny's oldest son has what appears to be a ferret in a cage. It is possible that this is intended to be a Jarvey.