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 8

Ichigo smirked.

"What…?"

Both death eaters fell on the ground. It was Ichigo's turn to grasp the collar. He lifted the man called Travers in the air.

"Oh? Really? I wouldn't care less." he lifted his glance and Travers saw abnormal eyes: Golden yellow with black sclera.

"I would prefer to ask few questions first" Ichigo's voice turned distorted when he let some of his Hollow powers out.

"What are you?!" Travers asked with shaky voice. Other guy stood up and took a defensive position.

"That's not important; didn't I say that I'm the one who asks the questions?"

Ichigo grinned maniacally.

"I want you to take me to "Dark Lord" of yours." Travers eyes widened when Ichigo ripped wizard's sleeve off. Skull and snake tattoo came visible.

"But, but we can't do that! We will never betray our Lord!" Travers yelled.

"Shh, you don't want to catch the attention, right? I just want to make a deal with him."

"A deal?" Now other wizard stepped in: "What kind of deal?"

"Don't you get that he's screwing with you!" Travers spat. Ichigo tilted his head, grinning even more: "I am screwing? Yeah, your arm!" Ichigo twisted death eater's arm backwards with loud cracking sound.

"Satisfied?" he cackled and other guy backed away.

"Believe me, he will be angrier if you don't take me there."

"FINE!" Travers cried out. He held his broken arm. Muscular guy stood there dumbfounded: "What did you say? ONE BROKEN ARM AND YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE UP!? YOU CALL YOURSELF DEATH EATER?"

Ichigo tilted his head and sighed mentally.

"That one is pretty stubborn." Zangetsu chuckled.

"Hah! Just scare the shit out of them!" Hollow laughed. He could see pure horror in the eyes of wizards.

"Yeah. It's been a while I have done something like this." Ichigo scowled: "But I guess that you are the expert Shiro."

Ichigo let his Hollow to take partially control. Shiro was much better with persuasion like this. Now when Hollow had softened them with his… sweet talk, it was Ichigo's turn.

"Oh come on", he stepped forward and two guys flinched noticeable.

"Don't you have enough trust for your Lord that he can kill me if I am not trustworthy?"

They glanced each other. After the broken arm, they didn't think that he could be from the Ministry. And According to the Dark Lord, Ministry didn't believe that he had arisen. That's why they needed to drag people in the alleys in order to kill them. This was really frustrating.

"What are you?" Travers spat.

"Me? Just a regular guy…" Ichigo lowered his hood.

"Regular guy… right…" Travers snorted.

Ichigo shrugged: "Believe me or not. Anyways, shall we go?"

Travers took few steps to the other Death Eater. He glanced him and they both seemed to agree to something.

"There's no way that we could take you to Him! There are some strict rules what we need to obey, or otherwise…" Travers shivered.

"But all of that is for the safety of the Dark Lord!" Muscular guy announced proudly.

"Eh right…" Ichigo coughed once: "It seems that we need to do this other way then." he shook his head.

The orange head lifted his gaze and saw two men crouching on the ground. He sighed: "I meant your way."

Wizards looked relieved and stood up: "Ah…! Right!"

"What if you take me as a normal recruit?" Ichigo thought: "You could tell to him that there is one potential ally waiting for invitation." Wizards were nodding fiercely. This sounded better.

"We agree with you! We are going then!" they sneaked in the shadows.

"Wait a second." Ichigo was snapped out of his thoughts: "My name is by the way Ichigo Kurosaki. I need to know your names as well. You sneaky-looking guy are Travers, but you…?" he pointed at the muscular man.

"I am Walden Macnair. And remember, the consequences will be painful if you give our names to anyone else!"

"Yeah yeah… Why would I do that?" Ichigo waved his hand and turned to other way: "I shall be going now. Contact me… When there's next Hogsmeade day. I will be in the same pub then. And believe me, if you don't show up, I will find you."

"Okay…" Travers scratched his chin: "Ah! Where are you working? I am sure that Dark Lord wants to know."

"I am the person in charge of security at the Hogwarts." Ichigo answered without turning around and disappeared.

Macnair lifted his eyebrows: "In charge of security of Hogwarts?"

"Dark Lord will be very satisfied." Travers whispered gleefully.

Ichigo opened a senkaimon and went straight to his own office. "I will sleep like a corpse." he said out loud and put out the candles.

Next weeks went by quickly. Ichigo hadn't made any progress with Ministry or with the Death Eaters. Only new development was that Umbridge named herself as High Inquisitor. She really wanted to take over the whole school. Ichigo still remembered when she got the permission from the Ministry; she had called him immediately.

Flashback:

"I am glad that you made it here", Umbridge smiled when Ichigo closed office's door: "Take a seat my dear." Ichigo nodded and took a chair. He had somehow gotten used to this pink room, even if it was still hideous.

"You had something to tell me?" Ichigo crossed his legs and took curious look on his face.

"Ah right! I just got permission from the Cornelius Fudge. I have been made as the High Inquisitor of this school!" she said gleefully and gave Ichigo a cup of tea. Ichigo smelled and sipped it. He had learned that she didn't poison his drinks. She didn't need to.

"Really? That's fantastic. What are you going to do now?" Ichigo lifted his eyebrows.

"I think that I am going to examine some people from this school. There are so much rotten souls which need purifying…" she sighed.

"So I was thinking that could you tell me if you happen to see any… disapproving behavior."

"You can count on me", Ichigo nodded and stood up: "But now excuse me, I have a lot work to do." Ichigo bowed and left.

Flashback ends:

"That fucking bitch…" Ichigo whispered out loud at the memory. Fred and George turned to look at him curiously: "Who?" they asked in unison.

Ichigo was sitting with Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and with the twins at the coast of lake next to Hogwarts.

He lifted his head unaware that he had talked out loud: "What?"

"You just called someone as a bitch", Hermione straightened up: "I assume that it has something to do with woman dressed in pink?"

Ichigo chuckled: "How did you know?"

"Well, I can't imagine anyone else who you would call that." Hermione shrugged. They all knew Ichigo as a gentle person.

"Point taken. That woman just annoys me."

"Why have you been in her office so often then?" Hermione peered at him behind her book. Her voice was filled with curiosity. Others looked at him too: "Yeah, that's true! Why does she keep calling you there?" George asked. They all had wondered that.

"Eh…" Ichigo scratched his neck: "She somehow thinks that I am working with the Ministry." he didn't lie; he just left out the part where he actually wanted her to think like that.

"What?" Harry gasped: "Why's that?"

"I don't know…" Ichigo shrugged: "I guess that she's just desperate. Ministry needs all allies they could get."

"Why don't you tell her your real opinion of her?" Ron asked. Fred smacked him on the head: "Idiot! Why would he do that? It is better that she thinks that he is with the Ministry. It gives Ichigo free hands to do whatever he wants to."

Ichigo nodded: "Yeah, that's why I am tagging along with that bitch." Harry and the others gave out a laugh.

Twins started to talk about next Hogsmeade visit, and Ichigo realized that there was only few days left.

"Soon we will know that were we convincing last time." Ichigo thought.

"Ha! I am sure that those wussies will be there!" Shiro laughed and Ichigo could feel his bloodlust: "And if they aren't…" he left sentence hanging in the air.

Ichigo had his hands full of work, and soon it was the evening before Hogsmeade visit. He had assigned as watch for the students so he could go there without suspicion. He hadn't been in contact with other members of the Order, but he knew that there would be someone to look out for Harry too.

Ichigo was sitting on the big and soft sofa, which he had in his bedroom. He was looking absently at the fire in the fireplace. How were his friends doing now? The orange head had left without notice and he was sure that Rukia was pissed off. It would be good to see them for a long time. In the Christmas holidays maybe?

Ichigo stood up, and wandered around his room. It would be best just go to sleep.

Next morning was chilly. Big and cold castle made Ichigo miss Soul Society. He dressed warmly to winter robe and went downstairs to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. It was weekend so there weren't many teachers around. Some students were eating who were going to Hogsmeade, others still sleeping.

Ichigo took a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Somehow he didn't have his normal appetite. He ate half of the bread before going to main entrance.

"Ready to go?" he grinned at Harry, Hermione and Ron who were waiting with the other students. There was so much people going this time as well. Well, Hogsmeade is popular place.

"Yeah!" Hermione and Ron smiled, but Harry just nodded. He seemed to be very nervous of something. Ichigo was going to ask what, but Minerva arrived:

"Let's go then! And no running! If we hear that there have been any kind of brawl, persons involved will be banned to go again! Is that clear?"

Students nodded and doors opened. People flowed in the cold morning and started discussing what they would do.

Harry and co. went with the first ones and Ichigo left behind to check that all would be outside before he closed the doors.

He walked slowly, enjoying fresh air. When he arrived to the town, he checked that there wouldn't be any problems before disappearing in the alley. He glanced old sign with a sigh and stepped inside.

Ichigo was sank in his own thoughts while looking for two guys. He didn't notice pairs of several eyes which followed him from the couple tables.

"Isn't that Ichigo Kurosaki?" Cho wondered out loud. He was so easily recognized with his orange hair.

"It is. What is he doing in here?" Neville frowned: "Hope that he doesn't notice us!" Students looked around, trying to be more unnoticeable. Only Harry, Ron, Hermione and twins knew that it wouldn't matter even if he spots them.

But the orange head seemed to be so absorbed in looking for someone that he just passed them without noticing.

Group sat in the silence and watched how Ichigo found the persons he was looking for. There sat two men, dressed in black. They stood up and nodded at Ichigo. Other man said something and they stood up. Harry watched closely two men when they passed group of students, but couldn't identify them with their hoods on.

Door was smacked shut and silence filled the room.

"Well… Shall we start now?" Neville asked carefully.

Ichigo met Macnair and Travers in the pub. They had managed to convince Voldemort to trust him. Actually he was very pleased hearing that powerful ally would be coming.

Two men led Ichigo to alley outside.

"Well, are we going now?" Travers lifted his eyebrow. Ichigo thought a second.

"Hmm, I am afraid that I need to shepherd the students to the school so they won't be wondering that where I disappeared. Can you wait some time? I will be here after the visit is over."

Macnair frowned: "What? First you were so eager to go and now…" Travers kicked him: "Shut up! Of course he needs to do that! We don't want to make anyone suspicious!"

Macnair blinked few times. He was blessed with strength but not with brains. Travers facepalmed: "Please go. We will wait you here. Just be quick!"

Ichigo nodded and left to the main street. He narrowed his eyes and noticed that almost all students started to get back to the school. Only one group of students was missing including Harry and co.

Ichigo scratched his head: He was sure that he had seen them somewhere. He just couldn't remember where. Shaking his head Ichigo decided to wait outside of the village.

"You are late, everyone else have left already." Ichigo snorted at the Harry when he and other students appeared. The orange head was almost ice cube already. He had waited outside in the same spot almost couple hours.

"What were you doing?" he scowled. Some students changed glances: Did he notice them after all?

"I am almost sure that I saw you somewhere, just can't remember where…" Ichigo thought and tagged along with them. Some people gave a relieved laughter.

Harry coughed: "You probably just passed us sometime in the village."

"Yeah… That must be…" Ichigo shrugged and didn't think it any longer.

He waved at the students and said that he forgot something to the Three Broomsticks so he would go to get that. Some why they just didn't seem to believe Ichigo.

"What the hell. It's like they know where I am going!" Ichigo breathed mentally.

"That was creepy indeed, King. What if they actually read thoughts! That would be awesome…"

"Why would that be awesome? Then they know that where we are going!"

"But think a bit! What WE could achieve with that!"

"Krhm…" Zangetsu coughed. Ichigo and Shiro silenced down.

"They were in the Hog's Head when we went there."

"What!" Ichigo yelled out loud. Fortunately there wasn't anyone hearing. He and his Hollow were dumbfounded.

"Why I didn't notice them?" Ichigo thought. "And what the hell were they doing in a pub like that?"

Orange head flash stepped back to the Hogsmeade. Travers and Macnair were waiting him in the same alley.

"What the hell took so long? Anyways…" Travers frowned: "We need to keep going. I am sure that the Dark Lord is waiting for us already."

Ichigo nodded and grasped Travers' arm. With that they disappeared from the alley, not noticing black hooded person watching them.

Hope you enjoyed.