I don't own bleach or Harry Potter so please don't sue

Chapter 9:

Ichigo stood solitary upon the stairway. Below him, only half a dozen steps down, was the front door. The exit. His ticket to freedom from this weird circumstance he had found himself in. He had waited until everything had calmed down. Which was something that had take quite a while, the people of the black manor making their way to their respective rooms. Then even longer for the occupants of each to fall asleep.

Fists were clenched tightly as he stared hard before sighing. Letting the air out of his lungs slowly, though he wanted to huff. He forced his muscles to loosen. His fingers to let go.

He took one step back on the landing and studied the curtain to his right. Behind which a malevolent spiritual pressure lay. Dark oil colors painted over an old canvas, images grotesquely shaped, contorting into sick movements between the elaborately carved wooden frame. These memories played across his thoughts for a brief moment. However that wasn't all he was thinking about. With ease his mind reeled back to only a few hours previous. His body still jittered with anxious energy.

FLASHBACK

It had felt, in that moment that seemed to last an eternity, like Ichigo had lost the ability to breath. As if his heart had forgotten how to beat the blood through his veins. There was a portion of his mind, a small part, that was still trying to reason with the rest of him. That was trying to force logic into this all encompassing sense of hopelessness that was attempting to devour him. It was a whisper; 'none of this is real! Remember what the little witch girl told you! It's not real!' But a dull roar had drowned it out. It had been so stupid of him, but his curiosity of what something as silly sounding as 'boggart' could do. But right now it didn't matter if this wasn't real. Because it could be happening right now, while he was stuck here, playing magic. He couldn't protect his family from here.

Ichigo had wanted to c lose his eyes. To shut this out. But he wouldn't have been able to. Yuzu's face, Karin's, Tatsuki's his Father's, they were now burned into his retina's. The body count would just go up for every second he remained here. So even as more familiar faces appeared around him with death glazing over their features sickeningly as Aizen walked towards him, the hougyouku pulsing in his chest Ichigo kept his eyes open.

He barely registered the weight of a gnarled hand on his shoulder before two shadows passed over him. The drawing room jumped back into focus around him. Nothing but a pale orb (what looked to be a crystal ball, or maybe a full moon) floating chest high remained as Lupin stepped in front of Ichigo.

"Redikulus" the man said almost lazily, but the arm that waved the want was stiff. His voice sounded far away to Ichigo. Muffled. Somewhere behind him he could vaguely hear sobbing before something warm enveloped him.

It was Molly, she was still crying, talking through her own panicked tears; apologizing? Ichigo was no longer sure. The portion of his brain that had been translating everything the last couple of days had shut down. Lupin's face swam into view. His lips were moving as well but Ichigo couldn't even bother trying to understand at this point.

Mad-eye and Sirius helped him stand and with a start he realized he was shaking. Lupin was unwrapping something before he handed whatever it was over to Ichigo.

Harry's voice was the first one to make it through clearly. "Isn't chocolate just for dementors?"

"It can help to calm nerves in any situation." Lupin stated, passing another bit to Arthur as he attended to his wife.

Ichigo looked down to the portion in his hand but couldn't bring himself to eat it. More people had been filing into the room. Twins asking loudly what had happened to no avail, for none of the people who had witnessed the boggart's attack of Ichigo seemed inclined to fill them in.

"Ichigo." Hermione stepped in front of him, sharp eyes scrutinizing yet kind, with a large dollop of worry softening them further. "Are you okay?" He tried to speak. To open his mouth and force sound to fill words and just come out already. Finally he simply shook his head. Harry was whispering quickly to the girl, no doubt painting for her a grotesque picture of what he had just witnessed.

While he had watched Aizen walking slowly towards him Ichigo had felt a numb despair weigh his body down. Never before had he been assaulted so realistically with the possibility of his failure to protect everyone.

But now, standing an entire world away from those he had sworn himself too, surrounded by complete strangers, a palpable panic was setting his veins ablaze.

"I have to get out of here." He choked out, not knowing if it was in Japanese, English, or a mixture of the two language. He lunged towards the door, stumbling and then catching himself.

Multiple sets of hands also flew out. Some to help, but some to hinder.

"Let go!" His voice was hoarse, his patience had run out.

"Ichigo," the orange haired youth's eyes flicked up, heart pumping loudly in his ears. Molly seemed to have regained herself and she placed a warm hand over his own. "I know that it's sometimes hard to believe that the things we're afraid f aren't real." She stated softly, her eyes tearing up as she looked around the room.

Ichigo gritted his teeth. "Easy for you to say." He ignored the many surprised glances that were went his way. But Molly appeared unruffled.

"Come here Ichigo. Sit down." the group seemed to move with him and Ichigo struggled with the dueled feelings of being trapped and being comforted. Molly remained his focal point however, for she kept in contact with him, her guiding hands so gentle that he realized with a start that he was sitting, not knowing when he had done so. Her eyes never left his, even as she spelled a chair out of thin air and sat across from him.

"It is easy." She agreed, nodding. "What do your parents do for a living?"

Caught off guard by the question he answered without thinking. "My Dad runs a local clinic."

"Ah, and your mother helps him?" Her voice was so calm, though her eyes were still red and puffy, the only traces of her heart ache.

"No." Ichigo broke eye contact as he cast his gaze downward, "She died when I was younger." He left it at that, not wanting to go into details. Her hand squeezed his and the shaking of his body seemed to lessen.

"What would your father be doing right about now? On a normal day?"

"Ichigo met her gaze once again, letting out a long breath as he felt his heart rate slow. "Probably eating Yuzu's dinner."

"And who's Yuzu?"

Ichigo closed his eyes against the image of her bloody neck. "My little sister." Focusing on the correct English nouns, verbs and sentence structure was helping to distract him.

"Oh! So you have siblings!" Molly sounded delighted.

Ichigo nodded. "Hai, two little sisters. Twins actually," He flicked his eyes towards the red headed family's set of twins, still in the room and beaming at him and their mother. Speaking of his family to this hodge podge band of witches and wizards felt so surreal to him, dreamlike in fact, "Yuzu and Karin... though," He added, almost as an afterthought, "they're not identical."

"So it sounds like Yuzu is the cook yes?" Again he nodded. Molly's smile was so warm, so inviting. But though he had managed to calm down he still couldn't remain idle. Not any longer. He looked around the room, trying to find the words to say, to convince them to let him go. To find someone who would listen to him, instead of placating him.

as his eyes passed over Harry he noticed something odd about the boy and his two friends. Harry had a scowl on his face, paired with extreme determination. Hermione looked thoughtful and Ron worried.

"Hey Ichigo." It was easy to tell that the boy was trying to keep his voice neutral. "You called the boggart a name. What was it again?" Ichigo gave Harry an odd look. What a strange thing to focus on.

The adults in the room shifted uncomfortably. Molly went to speak, her body language already chastising.

"Aizen." Ichigo interrupted. He was not calmed down enough for his voice not to shake in rage as he said it.

The reaction was instantanious. Molly had jumped to her feet in a sudden movement. "It's time for bed." Her voice rang out as Arthur was already trying to herd the other teens from the room while Moody, Lupin and Sirius went to stand around Ichigo. The orange haired youth stood just as more words were coming out of Harry's mouth.

"Isn't that the name of that diplomat guy who had been with Fudge and Malfoy?" His voice was loud, anger seeping in to his tone.

Ichigo's blood ran cold.

"What." Even though his question was only whispered Ichigo's voice rang clear in the room, which had grown eerily silent in those few scant seconds. Like the calm before a storm.

Harry pressed on and it was evident that nerves were not making his voice fluctuate so, but anger. "Yeah his name had been Sosuke Aizen."

The adults were once again talking fast and all at once, only Moody staying by Ichigo's side as the rest tried to contain Harry and the twins who were pushing back. Even Ron Ginny and Hermione were arguing.

But Ichigo couldn't hear any of it. The only sound that penetrated was his own heavy breathing. A strange since of relief had washed over him.

Aizen wasn't in Karakura town. Aizen, and maybe even Gin, were here as well, trapped in this strange world with him. And for a moment this relief was even enough to overpower his irritation that had arisen within him at these wizards. Ichigo was no idiot. He'd known that they'd been manipulation him. He just hadn't been aware of the extent. He still really wasn't.

When Ichigo finally did tune back in the order members had succeeded in pushing Harry and the others out into the hallway, where their volume was growing thanks to the raven haired youth. Ichigo glanced up at Madeye who still stood over him, both eyes focused in on him. Ichigo had already grown so used to the electric blue eye constantly rolling that it was uncanny seeing it so still. Regardless Ichigo met this mismatched gaze unflinching, holding it before he began to move towards the hallway as well. There was only one thought on his mind now. If Aizen was in this world than Ichigo had to find him.

A gnarled hand reached out and snatched roughly at Ichigo's shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked gruffly. Ichigo noticed with a start that Moody had managed to pull his wand out of the folds of his dusty robes. It wasn't pointing at the orange haired boy though, at least not yet.

Ichigo scowled and rolled his shoulder easily out of the clutches, not answering.

Tonks stood in the doorway, looking awkwardly on as the argument outside the room grew. Harry and company were on the stairwell voices still ablaze. Tonks started hair changing from the spiky pink to a fire engine red, as Ichigo pushed past her. "Feeling better are ya?" She quipped, Ichigo once again ignored the words aimed at him. He slipped by her. He could hear the thunk of Moody's wooden leg as the old man hobbled after him.

the ruckus that all of the young witches and wizards were making would have been a perfect distraction. if they all weren't blocking his path.

he stifled a sigh, readying to vault over the railing, knowing that he could be out of that house before Moody or anyone could piece together how he had escaped.

At that exact moment however whatever thin strings that had been barely holding Harry's patience together finally snapped and he dropped all of the previous pretences that Ichigo had seen from the boy.

"I'M THE ONE WHO SAW HIM COME BACK AND COULDN'T STOP IT!" His voice broke out, shattering the previous decibel levels of everyone gathered combined. Ichigo turned to stare, curiosity dissolving his previous resolve. Harry's eyes were wide, the green swirling tremulously like a poison being brewed. His face was red, fists clenched and knuckles white. The tremors that shook his body were violent enough for even Ichigo to notice from his vantage point farther back from the rest of them. It looked like he was going to say more, and in truth he probably was, but an ear splitting howl ripped through the hallway echoing up and down the stairs and off the walls. Startled Ichigo clamped his hands over his ears. The screech curdled the blood and raised goose bumps across the boy's flesh. His eyes widened, for it sounded almost exactly like the cry of a hollow. Ichigo found his body tensing for a fight out of natural reflex. But what had happened wasn't something the boy from another world was prepared for. The dust heavy curtains behind Harry had flown open with an almost theatrical flourish. The horrendous ear shaking noise came from what was behind it. Words formed on twisted lips, the brush strokes harsh and jagged as the mouth contorted on what Ichigo supposed was a woman in a black cape, which swirled around her like oily storm clouds. Each detail seemed to have been meticulously painted across this magical canvas, the artist having put something more. Ichigo felt sick. this was why it had felt like souls lines these halls, for as the woman screeched more velvet curtains flying apart, all of the words that flew shrilly from behind their yellowed teeth were ones he didn't quite recognize. 'mudblood' being repeated like an echo. He put a hand over his mouth, feeling a pressure build up inside his skull that he tried to push back against. Cursing under his breath.

this was disgusting.

Adults rushed around him as he tried to process things, Ichigo had of course noticed how pictures had moved in this world, Hermione explaining in her textbook fashion how it worked to Ichigo, breaking the process down in an almost scientific way that Ichigo knew a certain ex-captain and current captain of the research division would have greatly appreciated, but which had flown so far over Ichigo's head he hadn't even felt the jet stream.

This however was something different. The men and women bustling around him shot spells at them and it affected them as if they were people. Ichigo shuddered as the silence, somehow even more sickening t5han the cacophony, rang between his ears. Now that he understood on a spiritual level. Everyone else of course felt relieved when the noise ceased.

No one save for Mad-eye was paying any attention to Ichigo any longer, and only the crazy eye was trained on him. Everyone else was looking to Harry, so Ichigo followed suit, the boy was still shaking in rage, but there was another emotion beneath it, masked, a feeling Ichigo instantly recognized and understood. Shame.

Before anyone else could speak Sirius stepped forward. Facing Harry directly. "Okay," He stated voice surprisingly calm. "What do you want to know?"

A look of pure surprise passed over Harry's face as a number of people reacted all at once. Ichigo closed his eyes, simply listening for a moment to the barrage of voices, Molly's, Ginny's, the twin's, Moody's Arthur's, they all mixed into a confusing jumble that the boy didn't even want to try and follow along with. When he opened his eyes again he realized that Moody had finally stepped away from Ichigo. Everyone had something to say it seemed. Some opinion to put in and so giving Ichigo his perfect opening. He sidled backwards, making sure that no one's gaze would snap back to him with the small movement. When they didn't he let out his breath, preparing to shunpo, and blast past the strange barriers, or spells, if he had too. But something in the way Each person was reacting, or in what they were saying, held him. He grunted, sighing in irritation, aimed more at himself than anything, as he once more stepped closer. Listening intently to what was being said. Seeing if he could glean anymore useful information. Gain any answers to his many question.

so, for now, he would stay, despite his need to find Aizan, to prove with his eyes what harry had said, for his better judgment had won out, a small voice in the back of his head asking him what he would even do if he did find the power hungry shinagami, without a zanpakuto or a way home.

Ichigo crossed his arms, leaning against the railing he had been about to vault over. With an exasperated sigh he tuned back in.

"Since when did someone have to be in the order to ask questions?" Sirius stated, putting his hand on Harry's houlder. "Harry's has more of a right to know what's happening than some of the 'adults' we're letting in." Ichigo wished he'd been focusing more a little earlier on, but making the decision to stay had not been easy.

"Hang on!" George interjected loudly, breaking Ichigo cleanly out of the debate that had been about to continue within him.

"How come Harry get's his questions answered?" Fred added on, ever on the same page as his twin. Ichigo thanked whatever gods there were that Yuzu and Karin were not like this.

"We've been trying for ages-"

"To get a bite of info outta you!"

"But we haven't gotten a single stinking bone from the lotta ya!"

"You're too young to be in the order" Fred made an eerily good impression of the tone Molly took.

"Harry's not even of age!"

"That's up to your parents of course." Sirius stated calmly, "Harry on the other hand-"

"It doesn't fall on you to decide what's good for Harry!" Molly's foice rang higher and sharper than Ichigo had ever heard it go as of yet and a look of seething anger that didn't suit her normally warm personality had contorted her face. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said have you?"

Harry stepped forward, eye's ablaze and brows drawn together, ready to argue when Sirius pulled him back, shifting to stand before his godson.

"Ah yes, you mean that bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know." Ichigo could see that Sirius was trying to keep his tone light, but his fists shook. "This might come as a surprise to you Molly, but I can retain information for longer than a day."

Ichigo stuffed his fist in his mouth to suppress the snort that had fought its way up his gullet, this was better than a daytime drama, his neck was already beginning to ache as he snapped his head back and forth, following the argument.

Everyone else was watching in quiet anxiety to see what the outcome of this would be, just as Ichigo was but Lupin's eyes were fixed on Sirius.

"I don't intend to tell him more than he 'needs to know' Molly." He said, "but as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back," A collective shudder moved through the hall and Ichigo raised an eyebrow. What had that been? He wondered. That was definitely something he'd have to ask Hermione about later, since she seemed to be the one with all of the answers.

"He's only fifteen!" Molly shot out and Ichigo shifted, for he wasn't too much older, in fact, he had been that age exactly when Rukia had crashed into his life, and shoved a sword through his chest to give him her own shinigami powers.

"He's dealt with as much, if not more, than others in the order-"

"No one is denying what he's done! But he's still a-"

"He's not a child!"

"He's not James!"

There was an awkward pause in which Harry could be seen, eyes wide and fists clenches, no one seemed to want to move.

Sirius took a deep breath in, his next words low, almost a growl. Ichigo tuned back out as they continued on, back and forth, instead wondering if Harry would blow up again.

Finally, other people began to join in the argument, and it appeared that Mrs. Weasley was being outnumbered. Which was something that Ichigo was eternally grateful for. Maybe now he might also get some answers finally.

But it didn't seem like the plump ginger was going to go down without a fight as harsh words burst from her lips.

Azkaban was yet another thing that Ichigo would have to learn about.

And yet again he wondered why all of this drama seemed to be centered around Harry. Ichigo was surprised that Harry was able to stay silent through all of this. But when Lupin gave him the chance to speak he stumbled forward, wide eyed and over eager.

"I want to know! Tell me!" his voice trembled with a mixture of rage, excitement, and disbelief.

Molly seemed to shrink somewhat as she looked around, "very well..." she murmured, all the conviction gone from her tone and Ichigo felt a pang of sympathy for her.

Sentiments that were apparently not shared, as Fred and George bellowed, "WE'RE OF AGE!"

"If Harry's allowed, why can't I?" Ron shouted.

"Mum I want to!" Wailed Ginny.

All of these voices broke through the hallway simultaneously and the adults made hushing noises.

Fred and George squared their shoulders, obviously not caring if they happened to re-awaked the souls within the paintings again.

Ichigo shrunk back during this part of the conversation, hoping no one would notice him. He's be damned if they tried to stop him from going.

"I think-" Lupin pitched his voice above the others who had finally worked out who all was allowed in (a ridiculous concept to Ichigo who knew that if anyone treated the people in his world like this, they would sneak in regardless, since many of the most powerful people looked nothing more than children themselves) "that we move this discussion somewhere else." The other adults nodded and Ichigo followed a few steps behind the group as they moved, ignoring the full fledged tantrum that was beginning behind him between Molly and Ginny.

Once back in the dining room everyone save Ichigo found seats, he opted to lean against the wall, further back in the shadows, which hadn't helped since Mad-eye's gaze had caught hold of him again. thankfully the grizzled man didn't say anything and that was enough of a invitation for Ichigo.

Everyone settled in, some looking nervous, some anxious, some timid, and like Harry, who sat on the edge of his seat.

"Okay Harry what would you like to know?"

That was a stupid question, Ichigo thought as Harry opened his mouth, taking in a deep breath before releasing a torrent of inquiries.

Ichigo kept his mouth shut through the entire conversation and made mental notes of what he needed to ask Hermione later. It was a hard back and forth to follow and Ichigo understood very little of the terms used. Words were flying faster and faster between Harry and the adults, mostly Sirius and Lupin, with everyone else sitting back just as Ichigo was. Though the twins leaned forward once, at the mention of a weapon.

Everyone else was too engrossed with the heated exchange to notice that Mrs. Weasley was back from putting Ginny to bed. If not for his heightened senses Ichigo might have missed her return as well.

As it were he looked to the side as she passed him, her face carefully cleared of all outward emotion.

"That's enougj." Her voice held a cold fury in it that caused everyone in the room, including Ichigo, to balk. "I want you all in bed right this instant."

"You can't boss us-" Fred began.

"Watch me." Ichigo resisted the urge to smirk at her immediate response, but just barely. She was trembling slightly as she looked at Sirius. "You've given him so much information that you might as well just induct him into the order now."

"Let's do it!" Har4ry jumped up, "I want to join! I want to fight-"

"No."

It was not Mrs. Weasley that spoke this time but Lupin, which surprised not just Ichigo, but apparently everyone else in the room as well. Sirius and Harry sporting similar looks of betrayal as all of the children stood up. Harry was the last one to move and Ichigo went to follow him. Molly pushed him back, not saying a word about it, instead; "I'll go make sure this lot get up to their own rooms."

Ichigo turned to take in the number of solemn faces. "Please have a seat Ichigo." Lupin motioned for a chair. The orange haired youth crossed his arms, not saying a words as he studied each face.

Moody shrugged his mismatched shoulders also standing. "Who, and what, is Sosuke Aizen? How do you know of him?"

'Wow, cutting right to the meat of it,' Ichigo thought, jaw tightening. Sirius sat back, apparently done for the night as Molly returned.

"Ichigo dear." Her motherly tone was back, though it remained tight with tension. He stepped away from her as well. Moody again repeated the questions. Again Ichigo remained stoutly silent.

"I'm not telling you anything." Ichigo finally stated, "I won't say anything unless it's to Dumbledore." He was surprised that his voice didn't sound as tired as he felt.

"I don't think you understand your position here boy." Moody growled. "You don't get too demand anything-"

"No," Ichigo flexed his reitsu just slightly until he could see the strain on each wizard's face, he felt bad, because the kids could probably feel it too. He gave it a couple of seconds before he released. "I don't think you understand. The only reason I am still here is because I choose to be. So unless you plan on filling me in on any of this secret order bull than I'm zipped." He was only barely able to keep his voice under control as he said all of this.

They all shared looks, each one conveying something different. He could tell that a few of them wanted to trust him. Though not badly enough, it seemed, to want to go up against Mad-eye, who looked positively livid.

It was Lupin, ever the peace bringer, who spoke. "It looks like either way we will have to wait for Dumbledore." He murmured, rubbing his eyes.

That seemed to be Ichigo's dismissal and as he turned to leave Molly caught up with him. She didn't say anything as he was marched up to his room. She bid him goodnight and Ichigo sunk to the floor once the door was shut. For hours he heard her continually patrolling the hallways.