Author's Note
Well, I missed making a release last month. Sorry. I had this written and I intended to do more, but then my motivation ran away and school work has been trying to run me over (it hasn't succeeded yet), so I decided to post what I've got and see if something more comes together later this month and if not, well at least I didn't miss two months in a row.
So anywho, this chapter is short, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.
The next morning Harry has his fears confirmed. Voldemort's happiness comes from the release of ten of his more vicious Death Eaters that were incarcerated in Azkaban. The Ministry blames Sirius, of course, (it's not like he can say Dumbledore was right after dragging his name through the mud for six months) and the Ministry's failure seems to add a greater drive to Umbridge's bid for power over everything at Hogwarts, including an exercising of this power via a sacking. The only question was which of the two teachers on probation was going first, Hagrid or Trelawney, seeing as neither was doing too well under the pressure. The little bit of good news was that the escapees lit a new fire under the DA as well, pushing all of them to redouble their efforts, especially Neville since Bellatrix Lestrange was one of them.
"Wait, so you're supposed to think of nothing to get this Occlumency shit to work?" Ichigo asks after hearing Harry complain about his troubles with learning the art from Snape.
"Yeah, that's what Snape said." Harry moodily replies.
"Che, that's stupid. It's like when you get told not to think about something and then you can't help but think about it." Ichigo grumbles, questioning the methodology of closing the mind. "If it were me, I'd give him a nice wall to stare at."
"What do you mean 'give him a wall to stare at'?" Hermione asks.
"They have stuff like this in fantasy manga and light novels all the time and usually if people want to keep someone out of their head they do visual training exercises or something." Ichigo explains, only getting confused looks. He sighs and further explains, "Basically, they do something like picture a wall in their mind and focus on building this mental image of a really strong wall without any holes or cracks. This wall is the image they use to shield their minds, just like how a real version of the wall would keep people out of whatever it surrounded. Or they just focus on one thing so that that's all the mind reader can see."
"So, you're saying I should picture a wall instead of emptying my mind?" Harry asks.
"If it works, it works, right?"
"I guess…"
To Harry's surprise, Ichigo's suggestion was more successful than the attempts to blank his mind.
"What was that… wall, Potter?" Snape asks, after extracting several images of Harry's past from his mind until he hit the image a brick wall and got nothing else besides the wall.
"Just… a wall, sir." Harry pants out. It was their third attempt that evening and Harry was fed up enough to try Ichigo's wild, fictional suggestion.
"I mean, Potter," Snape says, as if he cannot contain the contempt he feels for the boy in the one word, but is willing to try, "is what did you do with that wall? You had failed again and unlike how I must usually release you to stop your pitiful life from playing before me, I reached this wall and found nothing else. Explain."
"Well, sir," Harry returns, trying to match Snape's disdain for his name, "it was suggested to me that I should try building a wall in my head to block you, and since emptying my mind hasn't been working, I thought I might give it a try, sir."
"And who, exactly, put this idea in your head?" Snape asks, his tone suggesting that he would have words with this person. The truth was that he was rather curious. As a highly skilled practitioner of Legilimency and Occlumency, he was reluctantly impressed with Harry's sudden ability to keep him out with this technique. As a spy, he was cautious of whoever taught Harry this trick because it was unknown to him and obviously rather effective.
"Ichigo did. Sir." Harry stiffly replies, almost forgetting to address Snape properly. He almost feels bad ratting Ichigo out to Snape, but the chance that Ichigo might punch Snape if pressed lessens it with the unholy glee of such a thought.
Snape simply raises an eyebrow in response, questioning the validity of the answer. Why would something that has natural protections know further methods of protecting the mind? "And did he mention how he came across such knowledge?"
"He said something about reading about it in books, sir." Harry answers.
"Hmm. Well, let us see if you can do any better then, shall we, Potter?"
And to Harry's satisfaction, imagining a wall does work somewhat. Snape manages to get past Harry's walls several times, but mostly they do succeed in keeping the potions master out.
"It would seem this method is effective in repelling known assaults, but I must insist that you continue with your attempts at clearing your mind to protect yourself when unconscious, as the headmaster wishes." Snape says as they conclude the lesson.
"Yes, sir." Harry bitterly responds in disappointment. He had hoped that the success of Ichigo's method might mean he could get out of these stupid lessons sooner, but apparently his luck wasn't as such.
It is just after midnight on Valentine's Day when the swarm of hollows show up just past the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Ichigo and Uryu are quick to rush to the battlefield and are soon joined by Shinji.
"Jeez, it's like all the hollows that should have showed up during our stay decided to all come tonight." Ichigo complains as he cuts down two hollows with his larger blade and reverses the grip on his smaller one to drive it backwards into the mask of a hollow trying to charge him from behind.
"It is odd that they have suddenly appeared in such numbers." Uryu muses, shooting a volley that wipes out a dozen hollows. "They were probably sent to test our defenses and combat abilities."
"Or they're a distraction." Shinji mutters darkly, cutting down three more hollows. "Keep your senses open."
Meanwhile, Orihime remains behind in Gryffindor tower, moving down to the common room to wait for their return. They'll be fine, she tells herself and she knows they will win, but it doesn't stop her from worrying about them and any injuries they might bring back when the battle is done.
"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Hermione asks, coming down the stairs with Ginny right behind her.
"Oh! You're up?" Orihime asks with a nervous laugh.
"You didn't answer the question." Ginny points out as the two cone to stand before Orihime.
"Ano, it's not a problem, I mean it is a problem, but not a big one! So don't worry about it! You can just go back to sleep. Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun, and Hirako-san have it under control." Orihime says with a nod and a reassuring smile, but the girls can see the worry in her eyes.
"If they've got it 'under control' as you say, then why are you down here?" Hermione asks.
"Just in case." Orihime replies, eyes sliding away to the window as she focuses on the ever so familiar feeling of Ichigo and Uryu battling hollows.
"Just in case what?" Ginny softly asks.
"Just in case they get hurt or something goes wrong." Orihime says softly, looking down at her hands clasped together in her lap.
"I'm afraid something has already gone wrong, Princessa."
Orihime's eyes widen as she quickly pulls the two girls behind her and throws her shield over the doors to the dorms. She would rather place the shield between the girls and the arrancar that was strolling out of a garganta into the common room, but those still asleep won't see any attacks coming, won't have the slightest chance of dodging, so she shields them instead and hopes that her skill and powers will be enough to protect Ginny and Hermione, at least until help arrives. Orihime knows that she has strength, she wouldn't have survived this long if she didn't, but she couldn't bear to hurt people, even though a part of her hates relying on others to fight for her just as much because they will get hurt. Instead, she dedicates herself to defending with all her soul until those not bound by pacifism arrive and then supports them and puts them back together when the fighting ends.
"[You won't hurt anyone.]" Orihime resolutely states, standing strong before the girls, Tsubaki perched on her shoulder and ready to take flight.
"[Of course, Princessa.]" the arrancar mocks with a little bow and a grin. "[My orders are to retrieve, not destroy.]"
"[You'll get nothing.]" Orihime says, tensing for an attack she is sure is coming, preparing to launch Tsubaki forward to drive it astray.
"[I wouldn't be so sure –!]"
The arrancar is cut off mid-sentence as he dodges the blade that comes crashing through one of the windows, embedding itself into the wall where his head had been. As he moves back into the still open garganta, he splays a hand at the girls and they all feel themselves get dragged forward by invisible strings into his waiting arms as the garganta snaps closed behind them.
Harry and Ron had head down towards the common room when they hear the soft murmur of voices and notice the open window alongside the absence of Uryu and probably Ichigo too, though they couldn't tell with the curtains drawn around his bed.
About halfway down, a golden barrier pops up between them and the common room and they can only watch in horror as a man with a mask on the left side of his face trades words with Orihime as he walks out of a tear in the air.
The crashing of glass and a blur of something black announces the time for the man's withdrawal and he does something to drag the girls away with him, the golden barrier disappearing as streaks of golden light return to Orihime's hand before the rip snaps shut, taking the masked man and the three girls with it.
"CHIKUSHOU!"
And just like during that first detention, the air seems to collapse around Harry as Ichigo comes out of a rolling crouch where the girls had been, roaring obscenities in Japanese. At least Harry thinks they must be obscenities from the way they violently spew from his mouth and the growl they are uttered in, but it's hard to think when he can barely stand, barely breath.
Ichigo reaches for black bands on his wrists, as if to rip them off, only for Uryu to appear, grabbing his wrists.
"Yamero. [Do you want to crush the kids here? You've already woken up everyone in this tower and knocked them right back out.]"
"[I could have gotten here faster if not for these stupid things! I could have saved them!]" Ichigo desperately growls, hand inching closer despite Uryu's attempts to stop him.
"[Yes, but taking them off now won't help anything. Think about it.]"
Ichigo only growls in reply, but, as he pulls his wrists free, some of the heaviness leaks out of the air, letting Harry and Ron breath again.
"You boys okay?" Shinji asks, having also appeared in the room at some point.
"[What do you think?]" Ichigo just growls back.
"Wasn't askin' you, idiot. I was askin' them." Shinji breezily replies, nodding at Harry and Ron who are sitting and panting on the staircase.
"Yeah, jus-just catching our breath." Harry pants out, Ron nodding in agreement.
"Gomen. I didn't mean to, I just…" Ichigo quietly apologizes.
"It-it's okay, mate. Just, you're going to do s-something, right? Get them back?" Ron asks, fear and hope warring in him. It hasn't fully sunk in yet, everything just happened so fast, but a part of him knows that his baby sister and one of his best friends just got kidnapped right before his eyes. Another part recalls one of the odd conversations back in summer about how Ichigo has mounted rescues before and hopes the same will be done here. The absent thought that he should really be freaking out also rolls around his shocked, numbed, and exhausted mind.
Ichigo's eyes widen in surprise for a moment before determination overtakes it, resolute and full of promise. "I promise, I will save them."
"That's all fine and dandy, Ichigo, but I don't know about you, but I ain't got a clue as to how to operate Urahara's garganta tech." Shinji blithely points out.
"Kuso!"
Author's Note
Chikushou- damn it /* Yamero- stop /* Kuso- shit
My first real cliffhanger in this story! Hooray! Or boo, depending on how you feel about it. I'd also like to say I'm rooting for Orihime in upcoming chapters. She's proved she can help Ichigo fight back during vs Ulquiorra when she shielded him, so I can't wait to see her fulfill her dream and help him. GO HIME!
Please comment/review to tell me how I did.