Soldier

A/N: We are not really bashing anyone. Hermione, in canon, although she means well, believed that those in authority could do no wrong. She was always right. Although Harry did take Ron back after fourth year, he didn't really trust him. This Harry would not put up with them. He has left them behind.

Now that Harry is back in England. Please just assume he is speaking English now.

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

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Chapter 11: Cheat a Friend

A lone figure wearing a long dark cloak and a silvery green scarf stepped onto the Hogwarts Express as crowds of people milled around. He chuckled as he walked down the train's aisle looking for an empty compartment.

Finding a compartment with single occupant, he slipped in. It was the best that he could find. At least it didn't have Ronald Weasley or Hermione Granger in it!

He really didn't know what to think about his former best friends. He also didn't want to confront them this early in the day.

"Hello," he said, to the blonde haired girl who was reading a magazine upside down. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course, Harry," the girl said, with the magazine still hiding her face. "I like the new you. You've finally lost the wrackspurts that have been bothering you."

Harry sat down across from her and blinked, lowering his cowl. "Uh. . . I thought no one would recognize me."

"I'll always know you," the girl said as she lowered her magazine. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

Harry noted once more her blonde hair and pretty silver-gray eyes. She was wearing Ravenclaw robes. "Harry Potter, as you obviously already knew. What are wrackspurts?"

"Naturally," she said with a smile, as she cocked her head to one side as she studied him. "Wrackspurts are tiny creatures that like to hang around people with muddled thinking."

"I see," Harry said with a smile.

"I like the new look, Harry. I didn't know you visited Japan this summer."

Harry blinked. "How. . . ?"

"The kenseikan," she said giving the hair clips their proper name. "Only those of the ancient noble clans wear them. They suit you."

"Arigato, Lovegood-san. Er sorry, still trying to switch back to English after being in Japan for the last month," he said as she giggled. "The head of the Ancient and Noble Kuchiki clan adopted me into his clan a short time ago. So, how was your summer?"

"Daddy and I spent it looking for the crumple horned snorkack in the Falkland Islands."

"Did you find one?" Harry asked with interest as he could feel Muramasa's quiet amusement in the background.

"Not really, but we had a great time looking," she said as she picked up her magazine, only to go back to reading it upside down.

Harry refrained from commenting on this peculiar method. In many ways Luna Lovegood reminded him of Orihime Inoue. It was just plain scary. 'I just hope she doesn't like red bean paste on everything,' he mused with a slight shudder.

Harry closed his eyes and leaned back. He knew he didn't have much time before the others found him, so he wanted to take the time to calm and center himself. Now was a perfect time to perform 'jinzen*' that Urahara taught him.

He opened his inner eyes to see the over-sized nursery with its rocker and Muramasa sitting there.

"Move over, please," Harry told him as he hopped up onto the seat.

Muramasa smiled and made room for his wielder. "That girl is fun to listen to. She will be good for you," Muramsa stated with a teasing grin.

"You are good for me. But you are right, she seems fun to be around. She reminds me of Inoue-chan." Harry leaned against his friend and sighed. "I hate this. I want to go back to Japan. I have found a new life there, plus I promised to clear your name."

"I know Harry," the spirit said as he wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulders. "You are clearing my name by bringing me with you to England and with your help, I will restore my honor. We need to find the pieces of that soul, as we have been asked to do."

Harry leaned closer and buried his face into Muramasa's fur collar as he basked in the warmth of the spirit's approval. Muramasa began to run his fingers through Harry's wild hair. Their relationship was developing into one of mutual respect and brotherhood. With their past abuses, both sought and needed each other's approval and support.

"All will be well, Master," the spirit teased, knowing full well that his wielder hated to be called 'master.'

"Ugh! I hate it when you call me that!" Harry protested as he sat back up, glaring at the spirit.

"I know," Muramasa smiled as he ruffled Harry's already messy hair.

Harry noted that Muramasa was starting to take on more of Harry's appearance now. His once teal eyes were becoming more green and cat-like. The white robe and fur collar remained pristine, and the purple striping that ran through the robe had changed to gold. Muramasa's very long purple finger nails, while remaining long and narrow, had changed color and now were a more cat-like bronze.

Everyone who had seen the spirit before he had been given to Harry had been amazed at the changes in him. To those in the know it meant that Muramasa was healing them both as he melded more and more with Harry's damaged soul.

Harry's thoughts went back to the events that happened yesterday at Gringotts. He'd arrived early, during the breakfast hour. The bank itself didn't have any customers waiting when he was ushered into the Potter Account Manager's Office.

Waiting there for him were Padfoot and Flintlock. Their meeting lasted for several hours during which Harry claimed everything that had been lost to him since the death of his parents. Lord Harry James Potter sat with calm elegance as he was given the Potter Family ring, smiling when he put it on his finger as it warmed and shrank to fit.

Padfoot was pleased with the 'new' Harry. While he'd been missing, Harry had added several inches to his height and no longer looked under weight or sickly. The messy hair was still there, but part of it was held back by a pair of hair clips attached at the left side, over Harry's ear. Harry's bright green eyes were now behind a pair of elegant silver framed glasses that didn't hide them. The scar that had so dominated his face during his formative years was now faded to almost nothing. He was looking less like a copy of James and more like a prefect blend of his parents.

Harry pulled off the dark cloak that hid most of him to reveal a lean, fit body. He was wearing a snug, black trenchcoat and fitted dress slacks. Around his neck he wore a silvery green scarf.

"Looking good, Prongslet," Sirius whistled in appreciation. "I would not have recognized you."

The meeting went well. Many plans were discussed. Including what Urahara had discovered about Tom Riddle.

You mean that scar held a horcrux!?" Sirius practically shouted. "How . . . why?"

Harry explained that it was discovered, and removed, by the goblins. And what more he had yet to deal with. He mentioned the fact that the Soul Society took a very dim view of anyone splitting their soul just to remain in the Living World.

The Visoreds and Urahara had asked Harry, when they found out about them, to collect those soul shards for study. Urahara, the ever mad scientist, even gave Harry the means to detect and collect them.

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When the goblins returned Hedwig to Harry he sent her off for a book list. With the goblins' help Harry was able to get all of his supplies, plus new robes designed in the Japanese style he was now accustomed to. Of course, the goblins charged a fee for their services.

Harry didn't mind. He had money to burn. He knew he would be spending most of the year, going over his portfolio that had been laying dormant since the death of his parents. They hadn't been extremely rich but they could and did live comfortably. Plus the money in the family vault had been collecting interest for 13 years, much to the goblins' dismay.

They left just before lunch, bypassing the lobby where they knew wizards from the Order would be waiting.

The rest of the day was spent at Grimmauld Place, out of sight of the Order who were diligently seeking him.

Remus stopped by and reported that the Order was running around like chickens with their heads cut off looking for Harry. They were very disappointed to have missed him at the bank.

While they were talking, Muramasa appeared beside Harry freaking both of the older Marauders out.

"Whoa! Who. . . ?" Remus jumped back with a start.

"And this is Muramasa," Harry introduced with a snort.

Muramasa smirked as he faded away.

"Who in Merlin's name is that!?" Sirius demanded.

"And why can't I sense him?" demanded the usually calm Remus.

"He's part of me now, Padfoot. You could say he's my familiar, a part of my soul," Harry said. He then went on and told the two men how he bonded with Muramasa that night in Little Whinging.

"Dementors?! You can't kill Dementors!" Sirius screeched.

"Ichigo can," Harry assured the two men and continued with a touch of pride in his voice. "My cousin's one scary guy. Dementors didn't have a chance."

The teen chuckled softly at their reaction to the fact that Lily had family living in Japan. Of course Harry didn't tell them that his cousin dealt with monsters bigger and more deadly than just mini-menos like dementors. He was a substitute soul reaper and that's what he did.

Harry knew he had left out a lot of what happened, but they really didn't need to know that. It wasn't his story to tell. Maybe when this year was over and he left for good. . .?

"You are worrying too much, Harry," Muramasa said, bringing Harry back to the present. "As Zangetsu says always move forwarrr . . . ."

The door of the compartment slammed open, forcing Harry to come out of jinzen sharply.

"Harry!" came a very familiar voice.

Harry soon found that someone with bushy brown hair have enveloped him in a strangling hug.

"Hermione, can't breathe!"

"Harry! Why didn't you write to us? Where have you been? Do you know how worried we all were?" She fired question after question not giving anyone time to answer.

Luna moved over to allow the pair to enter the compartment, giggling at their actions.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" the bushy-haired girl demanded, with hands on her hips, glaring down at him.

Harry stood to face her. His face was impassive, as he had been taught. He would not shame his training.

"Oh so now you are talking to me? Where were you this whole summer, Miss Granger? Why didn't you call? You are, after all, a muggle-born and had access to a phone. Surely you know how to use one? Do you know how many times I tried to leave Privet Drive only to have my jailers return me to that hell hole?"

"Harry!" the girl shrieked. "Jailers! Of course, they were not jailers! They were there to protect you! It was for your own good, the headmaster said so."

Harry reined in his temper. It would not become him to show emotion to someone who he had once thought of as a friend. "I see. And I thought you were my friend. I see that I was mistaken."

She started to sputter indignantly.

"Hey mate, what's with the girly things in your hair?" piped in the second person.

Harry looked over at Ron Weasley. "First off, Mr. Weasley, I am not your mate. After what happened this past school year and your lack of care, you and your family are nothing to me."

"Harry!" Hermione admonished.

The red-head balled his fist. "What did you say?"

"Did you know that your mother stole from my trust fund? She took almost 500 galleons. Did you know that she and the headmaster contracted that I was to marry your sister Ginevra once she turned 17?" Harry asked calmly, straightening the scarf around his shoulders. "Thankfully, the contract was voided as it needed my seal of approval to finalize it. Your father has agreed to pay what your mother stole in payments—against my protests. Considering that, and your betrayal last year, I am not now, nor was I ever your mate."

Both Hermione and Luna gaped at this new Harry. Ronald Weasley looked liked he wanted to punch him. Harry almost wished he would try. He wasn't going to take any more of his jealous, envious and childish behavior.

Bowing slightly to Luna, Harry said. "Please excuse me, Miss Lovegood. Through no fault of yours I find this compartment no longer to my liking. I hope to speak with you under more pleasant circumstances at a later time?"

Luna smiled. "Really? No one likes speaking with me."

Harry smiled as he turned away. "You remind me of someone I met this summer. She too had a very unique outlook on life that I found quite refreshing. I hope your stories are just as good as hers."

With that he stepped out of the compartment to the very loud protests of the pair that had disrupted his mediation.

'Well done, Harry,' came Muramasa's voice. 'You do the Kuchiki clan proud.'

With a wave of his hand and a bit of wandless magic, Harry made sure that the obnoxious pair couldn't immediately follow him as he went looking for another compartment.

Over the past month Harry had spent in Japan, he'd learned what true friendship was all about. Ichigo had been willing to share his friends and family with the British teen. There were no feelings of jealousy, or any attempts to isolate him, like Ron did whenever Harry so much as talked to anyone else. Nor did Ichigo nag him, like Hermione did. Harry was allowed to, for the first time in his life, make his own mistakes, to be himself.

Harry remembered watching as Ichigo teased his friends as much as they teased him. Let's face it, Ichigo was a red-head and had the temper to match, just like Ronald Weasley. Unlike Ron though, Ichigo saved that temper for those truly deserving it. But when there was trouble, they all pulled together and worked through the situation. They had each other's backs. Ron was what Ichigo would call a 'fair weather friend', as he had so clearly proven in second and fourth years.

Harry envied his cousin. He wished he had friends like that. Comparing Ron and Hermione to Ichigo and his friends, Harry found that he didn't have that kind of friendship in the Wizarding World, nor was likely to find it anytime soon.

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Definitions:

kenseikan – hair pieces (clips, etc) worn by the nobles of the Kuchiki clan.

jenzen – the method used by Shinigami's to converse with their zanpakuto by entering their inner world through meditation.