Soldier

A/N: In Japanese it is customary to put last names before the given name. Since the setting is in Japan, we did that too. See below for more details.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Reviews are welcomed, flames are not.

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Chapter 7: Their Very Own

Harry soon found himself kneeling at a low table surrounded by several other teenagers. Ichigo introduced them as Inoue Orihime, Sado Yasutora who Ichigo nicknamed Chad, and Ishida Uryu.

Just as he finished the introductions a black cat leaped onto the table to greet everyone. "This is Yoruichi-chan," Kisuke Urahana introduced coyly from behind the fan hiding his face.

The cat gave off the same vibes as Professor McGonagall when she was in her cat form. Harry raised an eyebrow. "I see."

A shy, doe-eyed girl set out the tea service as Ichigo went on to explain to everyone present about meeting Harry in England. How Harry had written to his father asking if he could visit, as he'd discovered he was distantly related to Ichigo's mother.

"Harry's a wizard. He can do magic through a wand," Ichigo rambled on in an offhand manner.

"It surprised me, Goat-face was very focused while we were away. He said that he had actually done some research on Harry before we left home." He paused and scowled. "When we got there something else happened. . ."

The lanky teen huffed in annoyance as he remembered how they met in Surrey. "Geta-Boshi, what do you know about . . . Oi, Harry, what did you call those two that attacked us?"

"You mean the Dementors? They're foul, wraith-like creatures that guard the Wizarding prison of Azkaban," Harry explained with a shudder. "They suck out all your happiness and force you to relive you worst memories! What's even worse, they suck out your soul by 'the Kiss'. They're considered one of the foulest and most dangerous creatures in the Wizarding World." He went on to explain how the Ministry was the only authority that could command them.

Harry was surprised as they seemed more concerned about the Dementors than the fact he could do magic.

"Ah. I will have to do some research on them, Kurosaki-kun," Urahana said, tapping his fan against his chin. "I am sure I have heard of them before. . .why do you ask?"

"I had to kill two of them." The orange-haired teen scowled. "They felt like Menos, but they were only a little taller than I am, and I couldn't see any holes because they wore tattered robes."

Everyone around the table exchanged nervous looks.

"There is one more thing," Ichigo finished. "Muramasa chose Harry that night as well."

Urahara dropped his fan as everyone looked at a very embarrassed Harry.

"Uh. . . yes?" Harry said, nervously. "But I had to learn his name, took me a week! He's been great, was a big help with the healers."

"Can you call him out, Harry-san?" the blonde shopkeeper asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"Uh. . .not yet. He says that I need to 'learn to focus my spirit pressure' first. That my magical core's still too unstable from having blocks, and a soul parasite removed. So he can't." Harry ducked his head in embarrassment.

"What do you mean Harry-san?" Urahana asked, slapping his fan closed.

"Muramasa told me that someone had placed several barriers around my magical core. That my 'spirit pressure' and magic were so busy fighting to be free they've become unstable. When the goblins removed all the blocks it only made things worse.

"He says once everything's stabilized, he'll be able to materialize in the Living World, like he used to. I suspect Dumbledore was behind everything that was done to me, but I can't prove it."

"I think,"Yoruichi, the cat spoke in a male's voice as he sat in front of Harry. "We need to bring Tessai and Hachigen into this. They might have techniques to help you with both your magic and your unstable core."

Harry peered down at the cat. "You know you feel a lot like Professor McGonagall when she's a cat, but she can't talk."

"So you're not surprised?" Orihime asked softly. She was a very busty girl with long reddish-orange hair.

Of course, being a fifteen year old male, Harry had a hard time keeping his eyes above chest level. He should be used to it, as the girls on his Quidditch team liked to embarrass him by shoving their cleavage into his face in the locker room. But come on!?

"Not really," Harry said as he studied the cat, trying to ignore the cleavage in front of him. "Why do you feel like a girl? Besides isn't 'chan' used in addressing a girl?" he asked the cat.

"Very astute observation, my good man. That's because she is," Urahara answered, snapping his fan closed abruptly. "Yoruichi-chan why don't you go and change?"

Ichigo snickered. "Yoruichi likes to tease people when she changes forms."

The cat huffed and left the room.

"Harry-san here is an interesting puzzle, don't you think Kurosaki-kun?" Urahana asked.

Harry blushed, looking down at the table. "My transfiguration professor is a cat animagus. She can turn into a cat, I've never heard her speak as a cat though. My godfather can turn into a dog." Well, really a Grim, but Harry wasn't going to tell them that.

Yoruichi came back and plopped down beside Urahara. She had purple-black hair, golden eyes, wearing a orange and purple jacket and skin-tight pants.

She smirked at Harry's discomfort as she leaned into Ichigo. "So did you know that you are related to the Boy Who Lived? The Savior of the European Wizarding World?" She teased.

Ichigo blinked. "That's dumb."

"According to the stories, Harry-san was the only one that survived the Killing Curse. It isn't known how he did it, but it is the consensus here that it was something his mother did," Urahara informed them.

"Still dumb," Ichigo quipped in, ruffling Harry's hair. "I leave my body all the time and no one gives me a dumb-ass title!"

"HEY!" Harry shouted, ducking away from Ichigo. "I really don't like that title either. I can't help they stuck that 'dumb-ass title' on me for something I didn't even do!"

"That's right, Ichigo's the original Boy Who Lived. Every time he leaves his body to fight hollows," the teen with the glasses, Ishida, commented as he readjusted them. "So now what?"

A very large man with a black handlebar mustache appeared in the doorway. "We train him."

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Harry sighed as he plopped tiredly down on his bed in Ichigo's closet. The day had been interesting but grueling. First he had met Ichigo's friends and found out about Ichigo's past. To think that spirits were running around in manufactured bodies—and they had weird abilities—was just too much, in his opinion.

After the meeting at Urahara's, Ichigo, along with the large man, Tessai took Harry to a rundown warehouse. There he met several others like Ichigo.

Hachigen turned out to be a huge man, almost as big as Hagrid, who used a form of magic that Harry had never heard of. Both were masters in the art of Kido and were a former captain and lieutenant of the Kido Squad in the Soul Society.

It took some discussion, but they came up with a schedule of mediation to fix Harry's unstable core.

Once done, Harry, Urahara, Ichigo and a blonde-haired guy named Shinji hashed out a training regimen. Harry was going to learn self defense, swordsmanship and something called 'Kido.'

Tessai then turned Harry's training over to Hachigen. "This will be good practice for you in teaching a student," he said. "I have my hands full with running the shop, but I will look in on you from time to time."

Harry complained when he realized he only had a month to learn everything before he had to return to Hogwarts for the school term. If he had his way, he would never step foot back in the school as long as Dumbledore was headmaster. But the law was clear; until he took his OWLS he had to attend.

Harry's eyes drifted shut. He hoped he didn't have a nightmare tonight with all of his past coming to life after after it was rehashed earlier.

Although he was extremely thankful for the presence of Muramasa, and his help with the nightmares, he still set up silencing charms around his bed. Add to that both he and Ichigo were teen age males after all, and they each deserved their privacy.

Muramasa sent a pulse of reassurance. 'Don't worry Harry. Sleep. Trust Ichigo Kurosaki.'

'I do trust him, Muramasa,' Harry thought back as he started to drift away. 'I'm glad you are with me.'

'I too am glad.'

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Muramasa watched as Harry drifted off. He had stepped several times into Harry's dreams to stop the nightmares from playing out. He really wanted to have a go at the adults in his new wielder's life. The pain that they had inflicted on his young charge was unacceptable! He would start with the old bearded fool and end with the nose-less wonder that used his new master's blood to be reborn. They would all pay!

The spirit had, since bonding with Harry, rescued him from the terror and guilt that came with the memories troubling his sleep almost nightly. Tonight would be no different.

Never had he seen a child go through so much misery as Harry. And yet, Harry shouldered his burden alone, refusing to ask for help. That was why he had grown to respect the child more with each passing day.

'I am glad that I chose you to bond with, Harry Potter. You may still be a child in years, but you are an old soul, and a true warrior.'

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The training was exhausting at first. What neither Ichigo or Harry knew was Urahara had called Ichigo's father Isshin to get his permission for the intense training that Harry needed.

"I agree," Isshin had said over the phone. "With Ichigo still in school, Harry-kun needs to have something to do until he comes home. I get the feeling that Harry-kun needs all the training he can get. Just be careful. He doesn't trust adults, and if he does offer his trust, make sure you don't betray it. Just about every adult in his life has so far."

"Saw that did you?" Urahara asked, tapping his fan to his chin. "Don't worry. He won't get the training that Ichigo got. The situation isn't that urgent."

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Harry was disappointed that he couldn't call on Muramasa until he stabilized his core. Thus he suffered through long periods of mediation.

Early on, Urahana discovered that Harry was a bit like Ichigo – impatient, headstrong and extremely over protective of his friends, also one more important aspect. . .

"It figures that Harry-san is like you Ichigo-kun," he had explained to Ichigo and Harry together. "With each near death situation the more powerful Harry-san will become."

Ichigo sighed and agreed. "You are not severing his soul chain are you?" He hated how fast he'd had to learn, but really, he hadn't had a choice. It was the same with Harry.

"Oh no, Ichigo-kun," Urahara assured him, with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "We need not go that far."

It only took a week of intensive training after Harry came to live with the Kurosakis before he was able to call Muramasa from his soul. The tall spirit was very pleased to stand beside his new master.

"Master, you did it."

"Don't call me that, Muramasa! I'm your friend, not your master," Harry groused as the two stood on the ruined landscape of the small pocket dimension situated under Urahara's sweet shop.

The spirit smiled. "Yes, Master but I am not a human. I am a zanpakuto. Your zanpakuto."

"Zanpakuto or not, I refuse to allow you to call me master. You will call me Harry!" the teen commanded.

Muramasa smiled, fondly. "As you wish Harry."

Those listening in on the argument smiled. Harry would do well as a Soul Reaper, if he ever chose that path. Harry may not have been the original wielder of Muramasa, but they worked very well together. Both wizard and zanpakuto had been abused by those with authority over their lives, and both were now building a powerful relationship of mutual respect and support.

Harry was now able, with his magic and spirit pressure, to call up Muramasa in his katana form as well. He was still learning how to release the spirit sword's unusual powers, but with the help of Muramasa's calm voice Harry was slowly getting it.

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Ichigo came to Urahara for a meeting one evening. Harry was still in the underground training area, busy cleaning up and getting ready to head back to the clinic.

"Let me get this straight, Ichigo-kun," the blonde shopkeeper questioned. His face partially hidden by his hat as he peered at the causally dressed teen. "You want to take Harry-san to the Soul Society for a meeting with Byo-kun?"

Ichigo sighed, looking to the ceiling. "I need to. Byakuya will want to know that I passed Muramasa on."

"Do you know how dangerous that is? They are still cleaning up the mess that the spirit beasts made."

Ichigo grimaced, remembering all the zanpakuto spirits that went rogue because their wielders had been killed by Muramasa. Yes, it was dangerous, but he had given his word. "Ah."

The Soul Society didn't know that Ichigo had rescued Muramasa instead of allowing the zanpakuto to die. Only three other people knew at the time, Rukia, Byakuya and Orihime. No one was going to tell the Soul Society anytime soon.

"Uhh. . . why don't I have Yoruichi-chan send the request that he come here instead?" the blonde ex-captain turned shop-keeper offered, causing Ichigo to whip his head around to face Urahara.

"You think they'll allow a captain to come to Living World?" he asked in disbelief.

"They might, if the request was worded right."

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A/N:For those waiting for Rukia, she's busy at this time dealing with the Sword Beasts.

Again we wish to thank NeoRyu777 for the following definition:

For those who are unfamiliar with honorifics, they usually signify the relationship between the user and subject. For instance, Inoue Orihime calls Kurosaki Ichigo "Kurosaki-kun". The use of the family name suggests Orihime doesn't feel privileged enough to use Ichigo's given name. However, the "-kun" on the end signified that she feels like she is close enough to consider him a very good friend.

-kun – signifies close friendship or affection, typically used in regards to a boy

-chan – signifies close friendship or affection, typically used in regards to a girl – exception regarding use within family

-san – signifies a rather impersonal relationship, usually used as "Mr." or "Mrs."

Until next time. - GF and The Frau