A/N:

Mother tongue isn't English. Inform me about any major mistakes if there is, what lazy bastard I am. As always I hope they wont distract your reading experience.

"Thoughts"

"Zangetsu"

"Hollow"

War after the war: Chapter 3

Ichigo glanced at him. He thought that there wasn't no need to hide it anymore. And besides, it will be hell a lot easier after explanation. Ichigo got special orders that he could reveal his real identity, but only to wizard and if it was necessary. He's expressions was unreadable: "Well. Guess that you have right to know. I am… A Reaper." Ichigo said with serious tone.

"Reaper? You mean like… Grim Reaper?" Harry asked carefully. What the heck?

"Yeah." Ichigo hang his head down: "But that's classified information so you can't go in the streets to yell about it."

Harry just stared at him: "Classified information? So you hide from everyone like we hide from the muggles?" Ichigo nodded and Harry blinked:

"You are just as old as me! It's not possible to you to be some kind of soul guide." Harry snorted. He had seen many weird things as wizard, but this went too far. I mean, Grim Reapers? And if they exist shouldn't they be like skeletons with long coats? Not teenagers?

Ichigo just chuckled at him and looked straight to his green eyes.

"I am guide for souls from living world to Soul Society or Soul Section. Known as Soul Reaper. Shinigami." he started: "Do you think that normal living teenager would get that job?" he emphasized word living. Actually he got this jobwhen he was fifteen, and alive, but it was trivial matter.

Harry's eyes widened: "Are… you… D-dead then?" Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah. I got involved in the war of Shinigami when I was about your age. And then, in the end, I found myself as casualty of the war." he sighed at the memory.

"H-how old are you then? And how it seems that you are so alive right now?"

"I turn 46 in this year. And this is known as false body, more like a doll where my soul can move." Ichigo said softly and let his scowl off. He looked much older, and that look in his eyes made Harry think about Sirius. There was something familiar with them.

"46!?" Harry breathed: "You look like 15!" Ichigo nodded: "Yeah, I stopped aging after I died. It seems that I will be stuck like this. At least for a while though."

Harry just stared him with widen eyes. Soul reaper? Doesn't get old? His thoughts were running wildly: "But how are you my cousin then?"

Ichigo scratched his head, thinking easy way to explain this: "Actually there is no Ichigo Junior, the truth is I am Petunia's and Lily's cousin. Ichigo Senior, as I put it."

"Why didn't she recognize you then?" Harry was taken aback about the fact he knew his mother.

"It's been many years since we have seen each other, and we were so young. And why you think I acted as my own son?" he grinned: "We had to look same." Ichigo wanted to ask about

"But tell me something about this wizard world of yours if you please? I have several things to ask." Ichigo asked and smiled.

Next hours went quickly while Harry explained and tried to answer Ichigo's questions and they discussed about dementors: Why would they be here? What was their motive? Harry got a letter from the Ministry of Magic which said that he would be expelled because using spells underage. Ichigo didn't understand that, why he didn't have any right to protect himself? He reminded Harry to keep quiet about his status, since it was actually forbidden to tell to humans about Shinigami matters. After a long day they both just decided to go to sleep.

Next day went silently. Dursleys had left to see a doctor since their little Duddy didn't have his normal appetite. Ichigo had stayed behind with Harry. He said that he might have leave today, it was almost end of the summer. But Ichigo knew that he would need to find other place to stay.

Along the day he told some things about Shinigami and souls and Hollows to Harry when he asked. Anyway, he didn't tell anything specific, only basic information.

It was getting dark already and Dursleys didn't seem to come home anymore today. Ichigo was just glad about that.

They were sitting in the Harry's room like always, discussing about… everything. Harry realized that he had actually started to think Ichigo more like… Sirius. He glowed that same feeling of safety and maturity. Harry wondered that did Ichigo have any kids. Could Shinigami get kids?

When Harry was telling Ichigo about Diagon Alley, place where wizards buys things, they heard loud CRASH from downstairs. Ichigo stood immediately, and stepped to the door. "Someone is there." he glanced at Harry who just sat there with widen eyes and opened the door quietly. Harry paled.

Could it be Voldemort? Or someone who he had sent to kill Harry? He told Ichigo about Voldemort and whole thing what has been happening, so Ichigo thought the same way. Harry's eyes widened even more when Ichigo pulled a sword from the thin air. It was black, long and slim. You could describe it as work of artist.

Ichigo had told Harry about shikai, bankai and Zanpakutou. "I will show you if there is need for that. But I hope there won't be."

The orange-head sighed: "Whoever there is, they doesn't try to keep voice down. Maybe they thought that the house was empty?" Ichigo stepped out of the room Harry behind him. It was good that he had learned to seal Zangetsu, it would be too hard to stay hidden with five feet long cleaver.

Zangetsu decided to stay in his black form even when he wasn't in bankai. Ichigo sighed. He was so rebellious.

He had learned to use flash-step and summon zanpakutou in his gigai too. It wasn't that hard, but they just weren't as effective as in soul form.

Harry took out his wand and lit it up. Harry's and Ichigo's eyes widened. There stood eight or nine people downstairs and it felt like they were staring at Harry.

"Put your wand down before someone loses their eye." one of the people said in the low voice.

Harry's heart beat fast. He knew that voice: "Professor Moody?" he asked.

"I don't know 'bout professor", voice murmured: "I think that there wasn't much teaching? Come down here, we want to see you better."

Harry was going to take a step down when someone grasped his shoulder. He turned around and saw Ichigo: "Don't. What if they aren't who they say they are?" This made quite reaction downstairs.

"Who's in there? Harry! Are you alright?" some angry voices yelled. Suddenly all them lit their wands up. Finally Ichigo and Harry could recognize some faces. Atleast, Harry could. "Professor Lupin!" he yelled and Ichigo let his shoulder off knowing that there wouldn't be any risk anymore.

"Harry, could you tell us who that man with you is?" Someone asked from down and Harry recognized him as Kingsley. Ichigo stepped in the front of Harry.

"I could ask the same thing, but since Harry seems to know you, I suppose you are not threat. Are you?" Ichigo lift his eyebrow.

"We are not if you aren't."

"Good." Ichigo let his scowl drop and smiled while stepping down the stairs. Someone turned the electric lights on and everybody could see again. Ichigo reached the downstairs and Harry jumped behind him: "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We came to get you out of here before someone else would." Lupin said: "But someone was quicker than us. Who are you?" he turned to Ichigo. That was when Harry finally realized how tall he actually was. Moody looked pathetic with his twisted posture next to Ichigo.

"I suppose that there is no reason to hide it. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm Harry's relative from Japan." he bowed. Wizards looked amused.

"I thought that Harry didn't have any blood relatives left than Dursleys." one wizard wondered.

"Yeah, it came pretty suddenly for all of us." Ichigo turned to dark man: "We haven't been in touch for a long time with our relatives in England."

"Ah, I see. So you are wizard too?" Lupin asked. Ichigo glanced at him: "Nope."

This made several eyebrows to lift up. "What do you mean? Are you muggle? Why are you wielding a sword?"

"Ah, right." Ichigo glanced at his zanpakutou and sheathed it: "I didn't give you full introduction, I apologize that." Ichigo bowed once again: "Shinigami", he lifted his head: "Soul Reaper at your service." it seems to be easiest to tell the truth.

People just stood stunned at their places. Nobody didn't say anything. Then after a while, man called Lupin asked carefully: "Soul Reaper? But… Does they exist for real?" Ichigo nodded. "That's true. I would like to explain myself, but I got impression that you are in hurry? So you are taking Harry away from here now?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Yeah, we need to reach our destination soon." one of the wizards said in the low voice. Ichigo turned to Harry: "Go to get your stuff from upstairs", Harry nodded and went with some witch called Tonks.

"I'm coming with you. I want to make sure that Harry is alright." Ichigo said with tone which didn't leave any place for complains after those two disappeared to upstairs: "I will explain everything later."

"I guess that you won't leave us any opinions?" Moody grunted: "Since Harry seems to trust you, I guess that we need to accept that."

"I'm sorry that we need to be so rude, but you see, we can't trust anyone in these times." Lupin smiled at Ichigo who turned to look at him:

"I know." he sneered: "Don't trust even to your closest friends." Ichigo's eyes went blank when he seemed to remember something. Wizards didn't know what to say.

After a while Tonks and Harry stepped down in the awkward silence between wizards and Shinigami "We are ready to leave."

Moody told the plan, and how they would fly off. After that they got on their brooms ready to go. Then all of them suddenly turned to Ichigo, who just stood there looking bored: "How are you going to follow without a broom?" Harry asked curiously.

Ichigo smiled: "I will catch you up after you go. I check the area first so no one would come after us."

"And I need to dump this gigai somewhere; I think it's best just throw it into garganta. I will not need this anymore."

Moody gave an approving grunt and then they left towards the sky. Harry could feel happiness and see the lights of the town under them. Finally he got out from there! He turned his head to other side and surprisingly saw Ichigo running next to them. He just smiled as he ran with them. "There wasn't anyone." Ichigo yelled to others. They just looked shocked when they saw a man running in the air.

"Well, well, I think that there's a lot explaining when we get there." Moody grunted and Lupin laughed.

Hope you liked.