Sorry for the long break between updates, but we've been busy with RL.

Arie is house hunting (still waiting to hear how that's going), and my mother has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. So the not only are the opportunities to write few and far between, the will hasn't exactly been there...

Chapter 22

After dinner was done, Draco slipped away and made his way up to the Room of Requirement to the secret meeting he'd set up. He had given specific instructions to the others for getting into the room and apparently they had been followed as the people he had picked out for the group were all present and seated around a large, round table, talking softly among each other. He felt another flash of excitement hit him as he moved to the table.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed as he sat at one of the remaining seats.

"There had better be a good reason for this, Draco," Daphne said to him with displeasure in her tone. "There are things I need to be doing. I don't have time for this now."

Her younger sister Astoria was sitting next to her and on her other side sat Millicent Bulstrode. The two new Japanese Slytherins, Ginjo and Tsukishima, sat on one side of the table while Blaise Zabini sat next to Millie.

"What is this about, Draco?" Blaise asked with some curiosity.

"You're all here because the Sorting Hat deemed you to be trustworthy," he said as he felt his expression change to a firm and stern look, "and that you are in agreement philosophically with what I'm going to propose to each of you."

"And what is it you are trying to propose?" Millie asked.

"Let me ask this of you first: Do any of you know what a Fifth Column is?" Draco asked as he looked at the group.

Only the two new Seventh Years gave any indication that they understood the term when they glanced at each other and then looked back at him with intrigued expressions.

"A Fifth Column," Ginjo said slowly and thoughtfully a moment later, "This references a group of people whose actions are designed to undermine a larger group from within."

Draco nodded once, again finding himself having to contain his excitement. "Exactly."

"You want to start a Fifth Column here at Hogwarts?" Blaise asked, astounded and somewhat confused.

Draco could practically see the wheels spinning in Blaise's head. He was a Death Eater... what was he thinking trying to start a hidden rebellion? However, his answering smirk was Blaise's only reply. The group looked at each other, not knowing how to respond to this 'plan'. Was it a trick? A trap for them in order to catch them out as traitors to the Dark Lord?

"This idea is fully supported by the true Heir of Slytherin," Draco said slyly.

"Impossible!" Blaise leaped to his feet as the girls put their heads together and started whispering.

"You weren't listening to my words, Zabini," Draco said slowly, his sly grin still in place.

"What –"

Blaise paused when the door opened suddenly. The assembled group turned as one to look at the newcomers and they all froze, eyes wide and fearful – except for Draco and the two new Slytherins. Their gazes were more wary than fearful. He turned and stood in a semi-relaxed manner, waiting...

As Professor Snape strode towards them, Ichigo not a half step behind him. The Professor's eyes swept over the group, who all stared at the pair like deer caught in headlights. To see these two together after the blatant animosity seen in public… Even the newbies looked a bit confused but seemed to be putting things together a little more rapidly than the long-time students.

"So, Draco," Snape said, stopping in front of him, "This is the group the Hat suggested to you?"

"Yes, sir," Draco said with a slight bow of his head. "There were some First and Second Years, but the Firsties have no training and the Second years are still too green as yet to be of effective use."

Jaws dropped. Professor Snape knew what Draco was up to? And was okay with it? Draco noticed that the two newbies put their heads together and he caught a murmured comment about the long-time students reacting as if they'd seen 'pigs flying'. Draco knew it was a Muggle saying about the impossible being proven possible and found himself fighting a smile when he thought of how easy it was to make a pig fly in the wizarding world.

What made the dumbfounded expressions even funnier was that it was fully apparent that Ichigo was in on it as well.

"I don't think Draco's gotten very far in his explanation," Ichigo said with some humor. "Zabini looks like you could knock him over with a feather. Although," he glanced at Ginjo and Tsukishima, "I'm not surprised to see you two here. I had a feeling."

The pair shrugged in response but said nothing that would elaborate on Ichigo's 'feeling'.

"Sir," Daphne was the first to find her voice. "What – what is going on?"

"How far have you progressed in your explanation?" Snape asked as he took a seat. It was only then that the group noticed that there were now two extra seats at the table.

"Forming a Fifth Column with the full knowledge and support of the true Heir of Slytherin," Draco said with a satisfied smirk.

Snape's brow rose with some amusement as Ichigo grimaced and rolled his eyes as he dropped down onto the second seat.

"I see," Snape drawled.

"Professor," Millie leaned forward at that point, resting her elbows on the table and she waved her hands in a confused gesture. "We don't understand. You Know Who is the Heir –"

"He is an Heir," Snape corrected firmly. "One who has caused our House to be looked at with fear, loathing and distrust by the other three Houses and the rest of Wizarding Society the world over."

He saw Blaise nod slightly with agreement at this and continued,

"Once we were known for having produced one of the greatest and most clever of wizards that served the Light; Merlin himself. Now that feat is disregarded due to all the evil acts that have been performed in the name of Slytherin. If we are to regain our honor, Salazar Slytherin's honor, we must disavow the Dark Lord and follow another from the same – similar – bloodline."

"Wait," Astoria shook her head in shock at what she was hearing. "There's another branch of the family? More Slytherin blood? I thought – I thought he was the last."

Snape and Draco both nodded, though it was Snape who spoke. "Yes, there is another who holds a tie, a proven tie no less, to our ancient Founder."

"Who...?" she stopped then found herself slowly turning to look at Ichigo. "You?"

"Guilty as charged," Ichigo admitted sheepishly as he raised a hand to wave at the group.

Only the other two Japanese did not appear surprised at the admission and it would not surprise Ichigo to find out that they already knew the truth. All of it.

"But – you're a Gryffindor!" Blaise squawked out.

"I had a choice," he shrugged, "and I got Sorted last. To be honest, by the middle of Fifth Year I'd have turned nearly the entire House into rabbits if I'd chosen to be in Slytherin. Or at least have begged to be let out of it."

"He was a Hatstall," Snape explained to the still stunned students. "The Hat literally could not sort him. He had the qualities of all four Houses to such a strong degree that he was given a choice of where he wanted to go."

Daphne nodded her understanding of the situation. She could see that happening in her mind's eye, both Ichigo's reaction to who could have been his 'pure-blood minded' housemates and as well as the Hatstall. Ichigo's personality just did not mesh with the majority of their House... even if his personality did meet the listed qualities of a Slytherin. Snape and Draco were right – their House had lost its way... somewhat...

The group stared at the three silently, their thoughts, for the most part, traveling along similar paths and despite their attempts to keep their faces blank, the trio in front of them were easily able to read the students. Daphne found herself wondering if they should just nickname these three the Silver Trio and be done with it. The cough from Draco, the eye twitch from Snape and the sly grin from Ichigo made the girl wonder if they'd each somehow heard that particular thought.

Since they had come to Hogwarts, the Japanese students had impressed all of the teachers and their fellow students. Ichigo in particular blew all expectations out of the water. To find that he (and his sisters!) were descendants of Salazar Slytherin. To find out that not only a Malfoy, but their own Head Master, their former Head of House, had chosen to recognize him as the one, true Heir...

It explained a few things. Snape's very obvious favoritism for a Gryffindor, for one. Blaise though, raised his hand slightly a moment later.

"Yes?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm not saying that I do not believe you, case in point, I do," Blaise said as he laced his fingers together. "But for the others, what proof do you have that you are blood-tied to Salazar Slytherin? How do we know you are the 'True Heir' of a Founder?"

Ichigo's gaze went cold for a moment before he shrugged and leaned back in his seat and propped his feet up on the table.

"Moldy-mort," several startled at the insult to the point where Ichigo had to give them a few seconds to recover.

"Moldy-mort has never been able to access the Vault of Slytherin. The wards there have prevented him from accessing the Vault from the moment he first tried," Ichigo smirked. "I however, was able to access it on our first visit to Britain. Personally, I am going to enjoy it when I finally have the chance to rub that particular fact in the bastard's face."

Snape and Ichigo had had a conversation one day concerning those self-same wards on the vault. Later they joked that if they ever came across Salazar in the Seireitei, if he hadn't been reborn and if he still had his memories, and told him of how one of his descendants had acted in his name that the Founder would probably blow a gasket. Ichigo was also pretty sure that the evil Tom Marvolo Riddle had done in his life had earned the fool a one-way ticket through a particular set of gate doors. If a Quincy Arrow didn't hit him first, that is.

"Okay," Daphne finally said. "So I can see why we would all prefer to have Ichigo representing us as a Slytherin."

"Not just the skill and power, either," Millie added as she nodded in agreement.

"He's honorable," Blaise said decisively.

Ichigo coughed and blushed as he put his feet back down.

"Okay, I get it..." he sighed, "The point is, Slytherin House needs a makeover."

The others nodded their agreement of his assessment.

"I'll help you all bring it kicking and screaming back into the light," he case a sly look over at Draco that had the others wondering just what Ichigo had done to the blonde to cause that bright of a blush to appear. "But the real work afterwards won't be done by me."

"But –" Millie started, only to be cut off as he raised his hand.

"Karin and I will be going back to Japan when we are done with our schooling," he said firmly. "That's where we belong, both of us. Yuzu, however, will be staying here in England. With Draco."

Draco twisted his head to look at Ichigo, stunned.

"You mean –" Draco gaped at the older boy like a fish out of water.

"You've managed to convince me," he shrugged with a wry smile. "My only condition is that she finishes school first. Your mother agrees wholeheartedly with me. We've had several long conversations about it. She graduates before you two can even get officially engaged. Promised yes…engaged no."

Pure joy radiated out of Draco, nearly transforming him. The others looked suitably impressed with the blonde's luck. Marrying an Heir of Slytherin…

And that, Ichigo thought, as he shared a look with Snape, is what will change the perception of Slytherin House.

"I'm in," Daphne said suddenly.

"So am I," Millie chimed in. Astoria and Blaise quickly followed suit.

"Ichigo knew we were in when he saw us here," Ginjo said.

"Yes," Tsukishima spoke up as he bowed his head toward Ichigo. "Our families have served his for several centuries, going back to Japan. We will do whatever he needs us to do. So will the others, even though they aren't in Slytherin's House."

"Excellent," Snape said with satisfaction. "Though our first order of business is this; do any of you other than Ichigo and Draco know Occlumency?"

Only Ginjo raised his hand.

"I see. Then, before we start any subversive activities, that will be our first task– teaching you how to shield your minds," he then added thoughtfully, "and I think taking a Veritaserum preventative will be a priority, as well. Ichigo?"

Ichigo nodded in response. "Yes, while we know all of you here are on our side, you and Draco still have to be able to maintain your covers. It wouldn't do for anyone to unwittingly spill any secrets under questioning. And you'll have to maintain the cover and maybe do the questioning yourself."

"Have you any of this preventative?" Blaise asked him.

Ichigo shook his head, much to the group's disappointment.

"Not at the moment. I didn't know if my trunk would get searched. I do have all of the ingredients, though, spread out among all of us. And I know Professor Slughorn will willingly give me anything I need if I happen to run out. It's all labeled in Japanese, just in case," he shrugged. "It should only take me about a week to brew it up and since you'll be in training first, there's time."

"Excellent, we will start tomorrow, then," Snape said firmly. "While you work on the potion, I shall start the training. You shall assist when able."

Everyone nodded their understanding of the plan.

"Do we have a provision for bringing anyone else on board?" Blaise asked. "Like the First or Second Years that you say the Hat mentioned?"

"We shall monitor them and if we think they will be able to handle the stress of the situation, we shall then discuss it," Snape said. "Are we agreed?"

There was no dissension and the group broke up, leaving in pairs.

"What?" Ichigo asked Daphne when she shot him an amused look as they exited last.

"You really are full of surprises, aren't you?" she commented.

"That's what most people tell me. I do try not to be predictable."

#

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the required two days of Ron's bed rest trying to decide where to look first for the Horcruxes.

Harry thought ol' Moldy would have hidden something at Hogwarts, as the school held special meaning for him and he only used items that were meaningful, much like the muggle serial killers on the news. Yet Hermione argued that he had never been allowed to become an instructor and thus he would not have had a chance to hide anything there. Harry didn't think she was right but could not figure out how he could have left something there. He knew if he could just figure out the 'how' then they would have a more solid lead concerning his hunch about the school.

That left only the orphanage where Riddle had been raised. The location that was both Riddle's birth place and his mother's deathbed.

Leaving Ron in the care of the two Stealth Guards, Harry and Hermione slipped into London under the Invisibility Cloak to try to find the orphanage. They needed to dart into a library so that Hermione could use the internet link to research it and they found that the orphanage had been demolished – mysteriously, it turned out – many years ago. When they checked the site where the orphanage had stood previously they found a block of office buildings.

"Maybe he hid it in the Foundations?" Hermione suggested weakly as they surveyed the buildings, as if she herself did not believe it possible.

"It's not here," Harry said and he showed her the phone, which indicated a blank screen – except for the faint blip where Gringott's bank was located. She sighed.

"We should get back, then," Hermione said and they quickly Apparated back to Ron, who was practically jumping up and down in excitement when they arrived.

"We've had some news!" Ron told them with excitement. "Tell them! Tell them!"

Harry and Hermione looked at the Stealth Guards with curiosity.

"Captain Kyoraku reported to the Head Captain the theory that your enemy may have jinxed his own name in order to allow his followers to Apparate to the location of the speaker without actually knowing the location of said speaker," one of them reported. "The Head Captain decided to test the theory."

"He – how?" Harry asked, wide-eyed as Hermione gasped. He realized that, as usual, she understood almost at once the only way that they could test such a thing.

"He sent several pairs out around Britain and they all spoke His name at the same time. They were all attacked within three minutes of speaking it."

"Are the groups all right?" Hermione asked, worriedly.

"Our people took no injury," the second Stealth Guard said with a satisfied sneer. "The Death Eaters were all killed."

"That – could backfire on them though..." Harry mused as he saw a few potential problems with the jinx.

"Indeed," said the first Guard. "However, the Hollows Nelliel and Grimmjow have volunteered to travel around and say his name until the Death Eaters either stop coming or overwhelm them with numbers and make it impractical to do so anymore."

Harry did not envy the patsies that Moldy-pants (how did Ichigo come up with those names anyway?) would be sending out to face Nel and Grimmjow. The two were a strange couple, especially when it came to the kitten Nel always had with her (the few times he'd seen her the cat was usually in places that left Harry blushing if he noticed said feline), but they were also as powerful as they were strange and their relationship clearly worked for them. He hoped that if the Death Eaters were smart enough to show up en masse that the two would be able to keep each other safe. A part of him knew they could take care of the Death Eaters easily, even without magic, but he shoved that part of his mind into a cubby-hole and told it to keep its mouth shut because if he started thinking about that he would start thinking about things that he did not want to think about at all.

"I wonder how long it will take before they catch on…" Ron mused, grinning, "That could seriously cut down on their numbers..."

"Not enough, though. He is reportedly amassing an army," the second Soul Reaper said quietly. "Even that pair cannot do that much damage to their forces if the numbers prove accurate."

"That... is depressing," Harry muttered.

"What is?" Ron asked as he turned to look at his green-eyed friend.

"That there are that many people willing to follow him," Harry responded despondently.

For a long moment they all stared at each other, as the implications of what Harry said sunk in. It was in fact a very depressing thought that there were that many dark-hearted people, or desperate and easily fooled people, in the world that Voldemort could assemble an actual army in one country. How many of those he was gathering had been promised the impossible? How many non-humans were fighting at his side because they had been told they would have better rights with him as leader than that which they'd been 'graciously given' by the current administration of the Ministry? How many of those who now followed him had no home and just wanted to belong so desperately to something that they would follow a mad monster? How many were threatened into obedience or outright had the Imperious curse cast on them? The weight of it all settled on the Trio like a gray fog.

"So," Ron finally asked, breaking the silence and trying to force away the dark mood. "Nothing in London I take it?"

The other two shook their heads.

"We found the site," Hermione said, "but the orphanage is gone. It's nothing but office buildings now and the only thing Harry saw on his phone was the one Horcrux that was in the general location of Diagon Alley. We already know about that one."

"So what now?" Ron asked as he looked from one to the other.

Harry shrugged helplessly. He had no new ideas.

"You should not stay in any place for too long," the first guard advised in the sudden silence.

"Agreed," Hermione nodded. "I think we should leave in the morning. We can plan as we go."

#

"Moldymort!" Nel called out as she practically skipped down the street of an abandoned town in the middle of what Grimmjow considered to be 'bum-fuk-no-where'.

"That's not the name," he said with a roll of his eyes at his mate's antics.

He didn't care if living humans called it a 'boyfriend/girlfriend' or a 'husband/wife' relationship. What it was, was simple; they were mates.

"Moldy-Oldy!" Nel called this time.

"That's not it either Nel," he sighed.

"Um... Voldy-coldy!" she called out.

"No, Nel," his eye was twitching now.

"Hmmmm? Oh, I know! Rolly-Polly!" she asked him with a smile.

...and sometimes his mate made him twitch because of her strange nature. Really, she'd get along great with the Centaurs if he ever dared to introduce her to the Herd in the Forbidden Forest, regardless of the fact that her Resurrección form was half-ram and not half-horse.

"Nel! Cut it out!" he snapped. "You know damn well the bastard's name is Voldemort!"

She spun around to smile at him, her whole face was brightly lit up and another person might be foolish enough to think the woman simple, but he wasn't fooled. There was a smoldering darkness in her eyes just behind the joy that let him know that she'd been purposefully trying to piss him off. He would have jumped her right then and there but instead reached for his sword as she reached for her own, readying for the attack they knew was coming.

Oh, his mate could be an evil tease at times...

Both of them drew their blades half-way as they waited for the tell-tale 'pop' that signaled a wizard's Apparition. Sometimes it took only a minute, sometimes up to ten minutes, but the attack was coming.

*Pop!*

*Pop! Pop!*

*Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!*

The pair was suddenly surrounded by thirteen Death Eaters all with their white masks. Nel suddenly pouted darkly, as much as she enjoyed a good fight his mate did not like to kill. Grimmjow felt his own mouth twist in a dark smile though, his own feelings about killing a counterpoint to his mate's darkening mood.

"Oh, but did you lot make a mistake coming here," Grimmjow crowed out. The group tightened their circle around the pair, wands drawn. "You think numbers are going to help you lot against us? Ha!"

With that the pair burst into movement. They practically danced around the town-turned-battlefield as they toyed with the Death Eaters that had appeared. Their swords flashed brightly in the sunlight before sinking into flesh and each time they pulled their blades free they flicked the blades in a way that would send the fresh blood flying into the faces of their enemies. The masks the fools wore made it easy to target their eyes with the blood, blinding the lot. Even Grimm Jr. got into the fight by jumping from his 'mother's' head to attack the faces of their enemies before jumping to Grimmjow's shoulder and repeating the process by attacking the next enemy.

The last few times they had done this there had been no survivors amongst the Death Eaters. This time though, Nel and Grimmjow both noticed that a single wizard had done nothing more than cast a few shield spells on himself and those closest to him.

They finished off the rest of the Death Eater's before slowly moving to circle the remaining masked fool. Nel's sorrowful pout and Grimmjow's dark sneer had never faded once through the fight. Nel raised her sword to the wizards throat, ready to rid him of his head if he made a wrong move while Grimm Jr. stood on her head with his back arched, ready to pounce.

The wizard dropped his wand in response to the threat.

Nel kept her gaze on the man, her expression still sad but her eyes flashed with a small flicker of hope. Grimmjow frowned and yanked away the mask to reveal a boy of no more than sixteen summers. Terror wasn't the only thing that had prevented the boy from fleeing outright, there was some sort of desperate hope in the boys eyes.

"You beat them all," the boy whispered hoarsely. "Please, can you help me? My mother... my little sister... can you save them? I don't care if you kill me but please... please help them."

The boy collapsed to his knees then and Nel had to move her sword to prevent him from slicing his own neck open as he fell prostrate before them and wept. The pair shared a look and Grimmjow growled as Nel knelt down to draw the boy into a hug and started to coo softly to the boy. He pulled out his phone and started dialing in a number to the stupid hat man.

Really, he thought to himself as the phone started to ring in his ear, I'd been hoping to be doing something else right now other then bloody babysitting. Ah well, least this one has enough of a pair to ask for help. We've got orders to kill any of the lot who attack us outright and capture any that lay down their wands or outright flee. The last one Nel thought to spare had decided to attack instead of think. Spent hours with her crying into my shoulder...

As he watched Nel tend to the boy sobbing onto her shoulder he let out another sigh. When she wasn't being silly his mate had such a mothering personality... she loved taking care of people just as much as the Mother Weasley. That woman had taken one look at him in his 'bad boy' outfit, told him he needed a haircut and looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks and then made him eat a full-course meal that was fit for a King when he and Nel had first been introduced to the Order. The two women got along 'like a house on fire', as they say.

Maybe they should have a talk when the war, both wars, were over and done with...