Hollow - Part Two
The Itch

He'd been in gigai for two weeks now, and was starting to get irritated. There was no sign of Hollow activity anywhere in London. It seemed, to him, as though there was a distinct lack of spiritual activity in the city at all. The air felt... light. No souls, no spirits, no Hollows filling the city with their presence.

The wizards, it seemed, did not only police themselves and their half-rate magic while in the presence of mortals, but also anything that could even be remotely considered "out of the ordinary." Hitsugaya had already been forced to evade wizarding forces several times, for doing what the shinigami were meant to do. This, of course, only added to his irritation.

With a distinct lack of Voldemort or Voldemort-related activities to investigate, Toushiro had come to the conclusion that there was only one thing that he could do. He would have to find a place that had, without doubt, been occupied by Voldemort's soul either before or after he had become a Hollow. He would be able to get a good feel for the Hollow's specific aura, enough that he would at least be able to recognize it on sight.

Which was how he came to be standing on the doorstep of Number Four, Privet Drive in Surrey. He was dressed in his best 'normal' clothing, his black hair swept back and out of his face in it's usual disregard for gravity. He was trying not to wiggle his toes-- western footwear felt so strange after so many years.

"Yes?" a blonde haired woman had opened the door, ad Hitsugaya found himself looking up at his aunt for the first time in six years.

"Hello," he had rehearsed what he intended to say, having never forgotten her treatment of all things 'weird', no matter how hard he had tried to purge the memory, "I am H... Toushiro Hitsugaya--"

"Are you lost?" Petunia wondered, cutting him off. She quailed under the flat stare the eleven year old Shinigami gave her.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't interrupt. As I was saying, my name is Toushiro Hitsugaya. I am a member of an underground society dedicated to the... removal... of certain unnatural dangers." Every word, every pause, every emphasis had been on purpose. Specifically calculated to draw his aunt in, "Out group has recently become aware of an increase of such activities in this neighborhood, and your residence in particular."

Petunia had gone absolutely white, quickly ushering the young boy into her home, wringing her hands, "Is there anything I can do to... to help?"

"Sit back and relax," he pulled a pair of simple sunglasses out of his pocket, "These are the latest in military issue HUD glasses. They should be able to analyze the objects in your home to see if someone on... their side placed an unnatural object in your home for whatever reason."

In reality, they were a simple pair of glasses he'd taken from his host in London, borrowing for the sake of this little play. With his eyes covered, she wouldn't notice that he was more focused on the spiritual side of things than the physical one.

She was still pale faced as she waved her hand slightly, "Please, look. If you find anything, destroy it."

"That was the plan, ma'am."

"My name is Petunia... Petunia Evans."

"A pleasure," he smiled tightly, still scanning the room inch by inch. If any part of Voldemort had ever been in this home, he'd find it. He worked in silence, feeling Petunia's heavy gaze on his back a full fifteen minutes before she spoke again.

"How did a boy your age get involved in this sort of thing?"

"It was an accident," Hitsugaya didn't turn around, "A few years ago, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If I hadn't been lucky, I would have died along with my family."

"You poor dear," Petunia cooed, eyes distant, "Those... those unnatural freaks brainwashed my sister, then got her killed. If I had known of your organization at the time...!"

"It wouldn't have done you any good," Hitsugaya's voice was soft, considering. How many reborn Shinigami had been mistake for wizards? Had their destinies stripped away by that "special" community, "It's not a simple task to become an agent of Soul Society."

There! The cupboard under the stairs, where he'd been moved to, shortly before his body's destruction. The negative energy of a Hollows' transformation almost caked the tiny "room". Yamamoto had certainly not been joking when he had said that Voldemort had been unable to change for too long.

"Soul Society?" Petunia was curious about the unusual name.

Hitsugaya flashed her a smirk over his shoulder. He felt no need to lie to her about this-- especially not when he now had a fairly accurate read of what Voldemort's energy was like. It would be easy enough to find the Hollow, now that he knew what he was looking for, "Heaven, is what I believe you westerners call it."

"Then you are...!"

Hitsugaya tipped his head slightly, "I am but a man doing my Lord's bidding."

Having Voldemort's "signature" made it much easier to track the bastard. Though it had been more luck, than skill, that had located the Hollow. Whether it was good luck or bad luck really depended on how you viewed the situation.

For example, Hitsugaya was sure it was good luck when he stumbled across the man coming out of the pub. His reiatsu had the peculiar doubling and warping of a possession, as well as the oppressive feeling of 'Hollow'. That Voldemort's aura signature caked the man with his presence, was only a bonus for the young Vice-Captain.

Hitsugaya had been feeling the urge that all eleventh division-- and former eleventh division-- soldiers felt from time to time. The all encompassing need to bash someone's skull in to relieve his frustrations.

He promptly launched a kidou attack on the man, ignoring the fact that he was currently in gigai. The moment his luck turned from good to bad was pretty much the second after the demon magic had hit it's target. The spell was a paralysis spell, intended to freeze a Hollow in place long enough that a lower level shinigami would have no problems destroying the mask. Though Toushiro did not need to use it, he was also wary of the forces of the Wizarding World, and wished to finish this as quickly as possible.

The problem that the target wasn't a single being. It was two in one body. And the spell only caught the soul in charge-- the mortal soul.

The Hollow rose on shaking legs, unused to a human form, and Hitsugaya pulled the dagger tucked into the waistband of his pants free. This would be harder to do than expected, and he cursed himself for a fool. He was a Vice-Captain! He should know better than to expect an easy battle, especially against a wizard-born Hollow.

The movement rate of a human body was thrown out the window-- a gigai was not a true body, and therefore lacked certain limitations and functions, while Voldemort ignored the constraints of his human host's body. Fists and feet flew at phenomenal speeds, and though Hitsugaya's dagger a pale imitation of his Zanpakutou, he had enough skill with the blade to inflict wounds on Voldemort's host. Still, he was far more used to the weight and heft of his Soul Slayer, the lighter, smaller blade throwing off his movements and reactions.

The close quarters of the battle was also causing him damage; he was far to used to a sword in his hands, and it was costing him. Voldemort used the host body as a Hollow would normally use his own, forgoing wand and weapon, curled fingers clawing at Hitsugaya's face and clothing. The sheer force of Voldemort's blows was enough to rake bloody gouges in his skin.

Hitsugaya bent over backwards, dodging Voldemort's wide swipe, twisting as he did so. His hands hit the ground, and he kicked out, intending to knock Voldemort off of his feet. The Hollow jumped the first leg, but the second one, raised higher, caught one foot, and changed his momentum. The Hollow managed to twist his body around, landing on all fours, before dropping and rolling out of the way of Hitsugaya's next thrust.

This time, when the Hollow attacked, he chose to go with the method he'd learned during his living years. Voldemort brandished his host's wand, ducking beneath Toushiro's punch, twisting away from his kick, and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

The flash of emerald light slammed full force into Toushiro, and the Shinigami was knocked from his gigai. There was no time to snatch it back up again, instead the Vice-Captain threw himself at the Hollow again, this time wielding Hyourinmaru.

Voldemort cursed at his misfortune; he hadn't realized his opponent was anything more than a mortal hunter, and now it turns out he was facing a Shinigami? He wasn't prepared for this; his plans needed to be fully in motion before he tangled with the idiots from Soul Society. As he was, his host body would only hinder him, and he had no doubt that this Shinigami would take out the human in order to get to him.

The upper echelons of Soul Society were known to be ruthless in the execution of their enemies, and this child had already reached Vice-Captain?

Luck was with Voldemort, however, as the sound of apparation caused the Shinigami to hesitate, glancing at his gigai. The boy was still just that, a child, and Voldemort took his moment of distraction to mutter his password and the lapel-pin portkey activated. It was Hitsugaya's turn to curse, and he dove for his gigai, reanimating it only seconds before the Wizarding police force arrived on the scene.

Worn out from being forcefully ejected from his gigai, and tired from long weeks of searching, Hitsugaya retreated to a rooftop a few buildings away. He was curious as to what the authorities would do in response to the battle, and what he saw only made him sick. One of the Aurors had held up an oddly shaped device, and Toushiro could feel the ambient spiritual energy of the area being sucked away. These wizards obviously did not understand what they were doing, not only erasing the evidence of the battle, but erasing the spiritual history of the area in only an instant.

It was abhorrent.

With a low growl, the Shinigami tucked his dagger back into his pants and made his way across the rooftops to the near-by supply shop. He'd been staying with the local earth-bound shinigami that ran it, as it was easier than trying to secure his own, temporary shelter.

"Charles? I'm back!" the young vice-captain called, moving through the store and into the living area. The large shinigami blinked a couple times, before holding out a weather beaten letter.

"This came fer ya, sir."

"Oh?" Hitsugaya noted the parchment's addressee with a raised eyebrow.

Toushiro Hitsugaya nee Harry Potter
Guest room, Odds and Ends Spirituality
London, England

The envelope stank with magic of various kinds, though Toushiro was reasonably sure that the name written on it had been written with magic, once it had arrived. This meant that it was likely that no one was actually aware that Hitsugaya was Potter.

It seemed odd that the Wizarding World wouldn't know about his death. Though, if they had been tracking his soul itself, then it was possible that without konso they had not actually "registered" the death. As such, they may never have even noticed that his mortal body had been destroyed.

Still, he didn't really care much for the Wizarding World and he tossed the letter back to Charles, "You can use it for kindling. It doesn't mean anything to me."

"If you say so," Charles shrugged, "You going to hunt tonight?"

Toushiro raised an eyebrow, "Isn't London your duty?"

"Ah, but you seemed to content to do it yourself, Fukutaichou! This unworthy one would not wish to intrude, Hitsugaya-sama."

The shinigami rolled his eyes, "No. You it yourself tonight. Wouldn't want your Zanpakutou to rust, would you?"

The large shinigami laughed, slapping the arm of his chair before he rose. The night was still young, after all.

Apparently, ignoring all those letters was z bad thin, considering the mess that Hitsugaya had currently found himself in. A grand total of three days had passed since he'd received the first one, and now he found himself hip-deep in letters. They were all from the same place, and all demanding a response.

Funny, he had thought that by not responding they'd get the message that-- dammit-- he didn't want anything to do with them.

No, apparently that was something that was too mundane for the damned magical masses as Hitsugaya learned. The fact that it was the mortal version of Jidanbou bashing down Charles' door in the middle of the night just made him irritable. Especially since Charles wasn't currently home and the young vice-captain was certain he'd get blamed for the destruction.

His sleep disrupted, Hitsugaya stomped down the stairs, for once wishing for the white hair of his soul-form. Hinamori, on more than one occasion, had expressed the opinion that he was quite frightening wearing his grumpy-face with his hair hanging limply in his eyes. Somehow, he didn't think that the look had the same effect with black hair, considering that the miniature, hairy Jidanbou was going on about how long it had been since he'd last seen "Harry."

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched, "Shut up."

The man didn't stop, now going on about how worried they were when he vanished after Vernon's death. Hitsugaya grit his teeth. Being Captain had better be worth this crap.

"Shut up," Hitsugaya repeated, louder this time, and the man apparently finally noticing the boy's agitation, "Unless you have a damn good reason for knocking Charles' door down, at midnight, then I suggest you get lost. Some people like to sleep at certain hours of the night. Like midnight."

"I was jus'... y'weren't answerin' yer letters... I bring cake?" the man faltered under Toushiro's death glare. Sleep was a commodity that the Shinigami thought precious and he hated it when his slumber was disturbed. "Not good enough," Hitsugaya hissed, "Get out. Now." He was not afraid to use kidou on fool.

"But Harry, I jus'--"

"Out!" Hitsugaya barked, and proceeded to do as he had mentally threatened. It was only a minor spell, designed to get the caster some breathing room. Still, it knocked the gate-guardian wannabe out of the shop, and Hitsugaya smiled tightly, "If you wish to talk, return at a normal hour. One that's between noon and seven in the evening. Oyasumi nasai."

Turning, he stomped back into the store, muttering sourly to himself. It wasn't fair that he had to have his sleep disturbed by an idiot.

End part.

Chapter note: Charles is English. He uses "Hitsugaya-sama" and "fukutaichou" mockingly. Just incase I wasn't quite able to convey that.

This part was originally about a page longer, but I decided to place that into the third part, since it fits better.