Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

Original story belongs to user Scififan33. Since the original story was removed by the author, I'm reposting this.

Chapter 7

Ichigo took a deep breath as he heard the door between their home and the clinic open and then close, locking. He really didn't want to do this, he wished he could just leave a note, but he needed closure and a clearing up of a few things. His emancipation paperwork was on the table in front of him.

Isshin walked into the house and was immediately hit by an air of tension, then he spotted Ichigo sitting alone at the table, obviously waiting for him. They hadn't talked much since the war ended, not about anything important anyway, not since he'd told the boy to stop scaring his sisters. He hesitated, but then sat down opposite him without going into theatrics. Ichigo pushed the papers over to him and Isshin picked them up, eyes widening as he read the official paperwork… signed by the Emperor of Japan himself! How? Why?

"You never even considered, did you Dad?" Ichigo asked and Isshin looked up at him.

"Considered what?"

"The damage having two-thirds of my soul sealed away would do to me. No one asked or even mentioned it was possible," Ichigo stated coldly, keeping his anger and grief tightly under control, he was going to spend all night meditating at this rate.

Isshin frowned, the Fourth hadn't said anything, neither had Urahara and if that was a risk they would have known. "Who told you that?"

"None of your business. The damage is being undone, it's odd not feeling like I have a massive hole in me anymore or feeling ice cold. I'm not fully healed yet, but the prognosis is good for a full recovery. I know you're the reason no one talks to me anymore, I needed them, and you pushed them away and they let you. Guess we weren't as good friends as I thought we were. You may have taught me situational awareness since Mum died but that doesn't make you a good father. If I could support them, I'd be taking the girls with me, but thankfully you do a better job with them. I'll come around to see them, but I can't live here anymore." He stood up and grabbed his box.

"Ichigo," Isshin stood, still shocked by his sons' accusations.

"Bye Dad," he walked out, not wanting to fight with him. It didn't take him long to walk to Harry's, the door opening for him as he approached. He went to the room he had used before and chuckled when he saw the new nameplate on the door with his name on it. He went in and found that along with the bed, bedside table and wardrobe, there was now a study area with a very nice sized desk, laptop, comfy chair and lamp as well as bookshelves. He put his box down and began unpacking it, setting the room up to suit his needs.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked from the doorway, not intruding in the room since it was now Ichigo's.

"The girls are okay, mad at Dad and Soul Society. I'll still see them. Dad… I just sort of threw facts at him and left before he could say a lot," Ichigo admitted. "Wonder if anyone will notice I'm missing tomorrow other than Chad?"

"Guess you'll find out tomorrow, you're meeting Chad after school, right?"

"Yeah. Tutoring starts tomorrow too."

"Busy day. I'll be in the lab if you need me, night."

"Good night," Ichigo watched him go and then decided he could use the extra sleep so he changed and fell into bed with a book.

Orihime glanced around in concern, it was almost lunch time and Ichigo still wasn't there. A quick look at Uryū showed that he didn't know where Ichigo was either. Chad was staring at the front of the room, so she couldn't get his attention but if anyone would know it was him. Once they were on the roof with their lunches, plus the rest of the group she spoke up, "Has anyone seen Kurosaki-kun today?"

Everyone answered in the negative, except Chad and they all looked to the silent giant who stared back before finally sighing. "Ichigo is being home schooled now," he finally answered.

"What? Why?"

"Why should he come to a school where he has no friends?" Chad demanded and they all pulled back in shock, tears gathering in Orihime's eyes.

"But we're his friends," she whispered, and Chad shook his head.

"No, friends talk and help each other. We abandoned him," with that he stood and walked away. He didn't like saying that, but they needed to understand what they had done to Ichigo.

Three weeks later, Ichigo lay down and forced himself to relax. He felt his body being immobilised and braced as best he could for the coming pain. The pain hit, and he screamed, over and over, eyes rolling back in his head as unconsciousness threatened. It felt like he was being torn apart! Thankfully darkness claimed him then.

Waking up hurt and it was hard, but he finally forced his eyes open to see his bedroom ceiling above him. Shaking arms pushed him up to sit and he found that once again his clothes had been changed while he was out. The door opened, and Harry walked in with a tray of soup and fresh bread. "Thanks…" he croaked as a pain potion was handed over.

Harry sat on the edge of the bed and quickly checked him over." How do you feel?"

"Like I was hit by a tank," he muttered, and Harry chuckled. Ichigo closed his eyes and focused inwards and was shocked to find himself standing sideways on a skyscraper. He shivered, rubbing at his arms as the cold hit, searching for any sign of Shiro or the Old Man but he was completely alone. He pulled himself out and found Harry had wrapped a blanket around his shoulders because he was shivering.

"Alright?" Harry asked gently.

"It's back… my inner world…. but it's empty," he answered, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "Cold too."

Harry nodded and moved to sit beside him, pulling him into a hug to share body heat. "That's a good sign then, not sure about the cold though maybe that is because it is empty."

Ichigo leant into the warmth Harry was radiating, soaking it up until slowly the shivers stopped. He never noticed he'd fallen asleep again or felt Harry moving him to lie down before leaving him to sleep.

Ichigo nodded as Chad joined him in the park and they both settled into stances before Chad attacked. They trained together twice a week, Chad had agreed that just because Ichigo wasn't a Shinigami anymore didn't mean he could slack off his fighting skills. There were still a lot of thugs around with reason to come after him, even without supernatural threats.

Tatsuki and Orihime had both tried to corner him since he'd left the school, but he had managed to dodge them so far. Ishida hadn't tried to seek him out, but he hadn't expected him to, they had a different kind of friendship, or they had once. Thankfully his tutor came to Harry's home, so he couldn't be ambushed on the walk anywhere.

Harry had even begun teaching him magic, not the kind he had learned as a kid at Hogwarts, but the kind practiced by most native traditions. Some of it was easy and tied in with things he'd learnt to be a Shinigami… other parts felt impossible. But he wasn't going to give up, maybe it would help his Kido skills once he had his powers back, and even if it didn't he never wanted to be so reliant on one skill again.

He grunted as he went down but rolled to avoid Chad's follow up strike, getting easily to his feet and going on the offensive. They eventually called a break and sat beneath a tree to drink some water and catch their breath.

Harry watched and then sighed as the Shinigami floundered against the Hollows, apparently the guy replacing Ichigo was not the best or the brightest on offer. He saw the man go down and reached out, feeling the tortured soul of the Hollow, he got a good grip on it and then forced it to dissipate, releasing the soul to its rest. By the time the Shinigami scrambled to his feet, it was gone. Harry reached out but didn't sense any more in town, so he went home.

Ichigo cheered with Yuzu as Karin made another goal. It was the last game of the year and he had come to cheer her on, not surprised by their father's absence. Chad had come as well, standing quietly behind them, lending his support. Ichigo blinked as he saw a hazy form across the field. "Chad?"

"Hm?"

"Across the field, is someone there?"

Chad looked over and then down at Ichigo. "Yes, Rukia. You can see her again?"

"Sort of, it's more of a haze than a person. Is she watching us?"

"Occasionally, switching between us and Karin's game. I don't think she realises you know she's there."

"Good," he whispered, despite it hurting to know she was there and that he had to ignore her, but he agreed with Harry, Soul Society did not have his best interests at heart. Eventually they would find out his powers were being restored, but the longer that took the better.