Chapter 15: Dark Holidays

Chapter 15: Dark Holidays

The holidays were finally over, but the ice captain was not on the train to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was, unfortunately, already there. After arriving to Hogwarts to assist Lupin in improving Potter's proficiency in the Patronus Charm, the holidays were halfway over; therefore the captain saw no point in returning.

So there he was in the library, with a book unveil on a rather boorish topic.

Grindylows. Small, green water demons. Ew.

Arguing took the ice captain from his thoughts as he lifted an eyebrow that the chaos. They all were children, but at the very least, they knew that they needed to be quiet in a library, right?

Apparently not. Toshiro snapped as he snapped the book shut.

It seems to be Potter, Granger, and Weasley. Sephiroth commented as Hyorinmaru chuckled at Toshiro's darkening temper.

Of course it's them. Toshiro snapped once more, the dragons taking the hint as they fell silent.

"Unless you've been ripped to pieces!" Weasley's voice all but announced his arrival as his redhead poked up behind the tall bookshelves.

"Ripped to pieces?" Harry's voice echoed next, his unruly black hair trailing behind his friends, with Granger between the two males. "What are you talking about?"

Join the club, Potter. Toshiro snapped, rolling his teal orbs. For once, I have no idea what the three of you are conversing about. Not that it's hard to eavesdrop to learn what.

You act like stuff gets done in the captains' meetings. Hyorinmaru chuckled as Toshiro scoffed with Sephiroth following with a snort; having seen his fair share of meetings.

The day that stuff gets done in that room, the two of you will breathe fire.

Roars of laughter echoed in the Inner World as the dragons humored the thought, laughing at the sheer incredulity of it as the ice captain turned to the loud threesome, only growing in volume.

"Ronald has lost his rat." Granger stated matter-of-factly to answer Potter's previous question as the redhead looked at his friend incredulously.

"I haven't lost anything!" Weasley bellowed as he pointed a finger at his bushy-haired friend. "Your cat killed him!"

So that's what this is about. Toshiro thought. Huh, all of this uproar over a lost rat. Or should I say a Peter Pettigrew?

"Rubbish!" Granger spat at the accusation as the red-head abandoned trying reasoning from the female, turning to his best friend.

"Harry, you've seen the way that bloodthirsty beast of hers is always lurking about." Weasley accused. "And now, Scabbers is gone."

"Well, maybe you should learn to take better care of your pets!" Granger retorted, anger lacing in her voice.

"Your cat killed him!" Ron interjected as Hermione turned back to face him.

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Didn't!"

"Did!"

"Do the three of them ever shut up?" Toshiro growled as the Trio's voices trailed off, having been yelled by Madame Pince, the Librarian at the library of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She was not exactly the most favored person of the magical institute, having resembled an underfed vulture and was possessive of Hogwarts' books. But she seemed to have a soft spot for the ice captain, but Toshiro suspected it was due to him being aware when a book was misplaced and was able to recall all read books with word-by-word accuracy, despite having read the selected manuscripts once.

"Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no." A smooth yet childish voice echoed softly as the captain's teal orbs met steely slate grey ones, clashing almost instantly. "But it is to my understanding that you have been placed into the wrong House, Hitsugaya."

"That is a manner of perspective, Malfoy." Toshiro shrugged lightly, clearly indifferent toward his House, whether he was misplaced or not. "To a Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff; perhaps your opinion holds true. Yet to a Gryffindor, it may not. Or even vice versa."

"Perhaps." The blonde played lightly as a smirk colored his lips as if he had won something while the captain did not seem to care in any case, both striding off with Malfoy deeper into the library and Toshiro making his exit.

How the hell did I get here? Toshiro lamented internally as he had found himself seated at the stands of a Quidditch match.

Well. Sephiroth began as he recounted the events in a whimsically, matter-of-fact tone. While you were about to check up on Black ever since you had left him for the holidays, you were intercepted by a pair of wild Weasley twins that had heard from their younger sibling that you have 'committed' the 'sin' of being ignorant of Quidditch.

Not even bothering to hold back his low growl of anger as Hyorinmaru chuckled in the background, Toshiro turned to the said younger Weasley with an icier than usual glare, to which the said red-head recoiled having being flanked beside him, easing the captain's irritation a tad but not much.

Granger, who sat in other side of the captain, was not much better neither. After the explosive episode in the library, the Trio was forbidden from her sanctuary for the next week. Adding to the fact that her cat was accused of murdering a twelve-year-old rat—Peter Pettigrew's Animagus, somehow was 'missing'—, the captain figured if Potter was not a participant, she wouldn't be here.

Sighing as he wrapped his scarf loosely, the captain donned his school robes without his cloak, of course, despite the lingering chill of winter in March. His snow-white hair blown to it's perfect gravity-defying style, the captain appeared his usual composed yet aloof self.

Royal red and gold colors from streamers, flags, and banners colored the stalls of Gryffindors as the same for Ravenclaws could be said with a royal bleu and bronze. Cheers and jeers alike echoed in the field as the players flitted out on their brooms, all floating in differing levels in the center, as Madame Hooch, a respected yet kind witch who had short spiky grey hair and a pair of yellow, hawk-like orbs; threw up the Quaffle, beginning the game.

The said referee to the game wore a collared shirt under her ebony robes, a prominent golden whistle and a dark blue tie with the crest of Hogwarts embroidered on it. Leisurely, the witch surveyed the game from her Silver Arrow broomstick as the captain grumbled incoherently about how much this was a waste of time.

Eventually, the game had reached a climax.

Potter, disheveled and obviously worn from the game, had finally spotted the Snitch. Flitting toward the near impossible to see winged ball, Potter had the Snitch nearly in his grasp with the Ravenclaw Seeker, a pretty girl of Asian descent —most likely Chinese, Toshiro suspected— with kind and intellectual brown orbs, right behind him.

Cheers for their respective Seekers cried into the game as the Seekers' flew and maneuvered in air and the grounds, the Snitch almost twinkling in mischief for the trouble it caused for it's pursuers.

When suddenly, just as Potter was going to reach out to capture the golden winged ball, a scream echoed, none noting how the captain had disappeared from the stands. Harry turned to find the scream echoing from the Seeker hovering behind him, the Snitch caught in his gloved hand. Looking around to see what would cause such a distress on his fellow Seeker, black caught his eye.

There at the stands, was three Dementors.

Reacting immediately, the Chosen One flicked out his wand. And with a shout, he incanted correctly and seemingly with ease. "Expecto Patronum!"

Blown off by the sudden burst of white wisps from the charm, the disguised Dementors fell off the stands to reveal a barking Malfoy and his two muscle lackeys, dressed in ragged black robes that at first glance could be mistaken for Dementors.

"Harry Potter has caught the Golden Snitch, earning Gryffindor one-hundred and fifty points! Winning them the match!" The announcer bellowed as cheers rang out from the Gryffindor stands. With the official wave from Madame Hooch, the victory was set.

Hovering over to Malfoy and his lackeys, Harry fisted the Snitch when a voice made him turn to a pair of icy teal orbs.

"Professor McGonagall shall take over from here, Potter." Toshiro merely droned as if he was speaking lightly of the weather once more, as if he were tired of informing them of it's insignificance.

"You are to return to the festivities of the House victory, Mr. Potter." McGonagall ordered as Hermione and Ron bounded toward their friend, expressions silently out of breath. "You two as well, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. Mr. Hitsugaya and I shall deal with Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle."

Not knowing what to say other than nod their compliance, the three obeyed, with intelligent chocolate brown orbs and icy teal ones exchanging glances.

Streamers flew in the Gryffindor common room, with mini Charmed fireworks illuminating the warm royal red and gold room, as Gryffindors celebrated their victory against Ravenclaw, securing that they had a chance to combat in the Finals against Slytherin.

Entering the room, the white-haired captain sighed at the festivities.

He had just returned from McGonagall's private execution of Malfoy and his goons, the blonde's expression angrily smug when he regarded the Transfiguration professor while he merely was impassive at the captain's presence, not that it made a difference to the captain in any case.

"Oi, Hitsugaya!" Ron's voice cried as the redhead bound over to the captain, Harry and Hermione in the tow as the Weasley grinned goofily. "What happened to Malfoy and his blokes, mate? McGonagall shove them off?"

Raising an eyebrow, the captain replied indifferently. "Professor McGonagall had removed fifty points from Slytherin and placed the three of them in detention, if that was what you were trying to inquire, Weasley."

"Revenge, mate." Ron sighed as he moved to put an arm around the captain's shoulder, before sheepishly smiling after receiving a glare that said you-will-not-live-to-regret-if-you-touch-me. "It tastes so good."

"They deserved it." Harry scoffed angrily before smiling at Toshiro. "Lupin told me that my Patronus is getting stronger. And he's glad that I am no longer shaking in fear when a Dementor is present."

Merely nodding, the ice captain turned to Hermione, whispering only loud enough for her to hear. "Be careful, Granger. You may be intelligent, but even you and I can make mistakes. Do not allow them to repeat."

Blushing slightly, the girl nodded with a disappointed sigh, her mistake being nearly seen when she was under the use of the Time-Turner, but was saved by Hitsugaya who had silenced the witness with a look. A report to McGonagall later in the midst of the private execution, the muscle lackey's memory was altered and done with.

Deciding to turn in after saving these children more than once in the school year, the captain waved off the calls for celebration, his migraine already growing. Although the three children had reconciled with him, the ice captain could see the subtle lacing of suspicion in their respective eyes, they were simply too nosy for their own good.

Entering the empty dormitory, everyone else in common room celebrating, Toshiro quickly removed his robes, donning a black hakama in it's stead behind his Charmed drapes. Having made sure the drapes were surely placed, the ice captain seated himself without a sound, opening his school bag to reveal an ominously colored purple and black book.

Secrets of the Darkest Art. Toshiro read mentally as he summoned another item. It was silvery crown, with a beautifully carved eagle as it's base, wings outspread with small diamonds, in the center an oval royal bleu sapphire. Etched on the rim of the crown, was the words: "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

The ice captain was not ignorant as to what this crown was. Or what it contained. Or at least what it used to.

Before the Holidays…

Ignoring the phantom pain blossoming in his shoulder, Toshiro bit back a litany of curses as he made his way to the Room of Requirement. Apparating, the white-haired captain appeared before the disguised room, not alone.

"You should know that even if you are dead; you cannot fool me, Lady Ravenclaw." The captain addressed to seemingly no one, when the Grey Lady appeared a moment later, a poorly veiled expression on her pale face.

"You must forgive me, Captain Hitsugaya. I have watched students after students who were unable to even perform the easiest of spells over the centuries that it has become a habit to underestimate." The Lady smiled sadly as she neared the captain in the empty hallway.

"A fatal habit." Was all Toshiro commented before his icy teal orbs grew icier.

Hook. Toshiro thought.

"You know what it is that is in the Room of Requirement." Toshiro stated, well aware that his words were fact, displaying in his tone despite being indifferent as the Lady froze, her grey wispy orbs widened. "A Dark Item resides in that room. And you are connected as to how it is there."

Line. Hyorinmaru growled.

"Those are grave accusations, Captain Hitsugaya." The Lady snapped, her composure breaking as furious grey clouds battled ice-cold teal daggers. "How are you sure that it is truly due to me that my mother's diadem is in that room?'

And sinker. Sephiroth finished.

"So that is what I have been sensing since you have led me here." Toshiro concluded, teal orbs narrowing in triumph as grey clouds widened before darkening in anger for falling for the captain's play with words.

"You dare!" The Lady snarled, almost lunging for the captain, but that was as far as she got; when she found the captain's unsheathed zanpakuto a mere centimeter above her ghostly throat, the captain outside of his gigai as he held her in place from behind, the mod-soul with a wand at the ready in front of her.

"Yes. I dare." The ice captain replied icily, his voice cold and as sharp as diamonds. "Do not forget your place, Helena Ravenclaw. Your actions of thievery and selfish greed for knowledge are just enough for you to spend your afterlife elsewhere. I am not a child that you can merely snarl at so that they will cower away. You will do well to remember that."

The Grey Lady scowled as she felt herself being released, well aware now that she was playing on thin ice; and that she had nearly fell into the icy tempest.

"Am I understood, My Lady?" Hitsugaya whispered, tone dark and indifferent. Receiving a nod after a terse moment, the captain released her.

As the captain returned to his gigai, the Lady sighed silently as she began to speak.

"It's true." She breathed silently as she floated toward the wall disguising the Room of Requirement. "I stole the diadem. I had lusted knowledge, to be more important than my famously intellectual mother. And that same mother, pretended as if it were still in her possession, even after she had learned it was I who stole it."

The Grey Lady began to laugh bitterly as the ice captain opened the room; only to reveal it as the Room of Hidden Things. "But it made no matter. I had died before I could have even used it, making no use to me. I wandered through the depths of Soul Society for years, determined to find my mother."

The captain quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, Captain Hitsugaya." She answered with a small smile. "I retained my memories, but not very much. Only a drive of guilt and the wish to apologize, but for what I did not know until I had arrived to Seireitei."

Nodding to the Lady, the ice captain made no other comment.

"I was too late." The once-alive lady sighed, quivering as the words grew in tact. "She had passed into the World of the Living, reincarnated. The Central 46 had informed me that my mother had declined ghosthood, and had requested for that position for me. Leaving a letter she had said…that…s-she…"

"She was proud of you." Toshiro breathed as he allowed a small smile to the shocked ghost before him. The captain had seated himself on one of the many chairs within the large piles of miscellaneous things; from broken furniture to bloodstained weaponry.

"H-How?" The ghost breathed as Toshiro shook his head slowly to the silent question as he spoke, images of an elderly woman and a brown-haired girl who looked slightly but not by much, older than him; both smiling. "I…was also once the same way, thinking and overanalyzing my words and actions that I could not see."

"Is that so?" The lady smiled softly as she hovered over to him, grey clouds soothed with understanding as she received a nod; only to sigh as the captain's darkened teal orbs returned to it's usual icy hue.

"It is." The captain replied as he revealed a velvet blue box in his hands.

There it was. Her mother's diadem nestled on the soft satin white pillow, shined to perfection. But the sapphire seemed to mock her. Gleaming in the candlelight as if to say even with it's power of invoking further knowledge, she still lost in the end.

A dark reiatsu. Hitsugaya thought as the two dragons in his Inner World growled. This diadem is infused with a soul.

No, Master. Hyorinmaru growled darkly. This presence is too weak for a soul, it appears to be a mere fragment.

This is a Horcrux. Sephiroth said solemnly, his deep voice dark. It is indeed what you say, elder, it is a fragment of a soul. An action that was and without a doubt, surely is still, forbidden by all to perform. For when a Horcrux is destroyed, the person who splits the soul lives, until all are destroyed.

Therefore, with the creation of multiple Horcruxes, a person maybe immortal. Hyorinmaru concluded as Sephiroth nodded.

Immortality. Toshiro almost visibly scoffed. What an inane thought. With every strength comes a weakness, only the naively moronic would pursue it, and believe that this would administer them immortality. There is only wizard that would lust for such a thing so absurdly.

However, to confirm… Toshiro spoke as he flickered his narrowed orbs toward the female ghost. "If you died before you could use this diadem, then how is it here in Hogwarts now?"

A guilty turn away from him was all the captain needed.

I am not the first that she has said this story to. Toshiro thought as he voiced the same aloud to the ghost who nodded ever so slightly that anyone mortal would have missed it.

But the captain was not mortal. Not even close.

Silence enveloped for a moment as the two undead beings seated themselves in the room, neither speaking until the icy teal orbs of the captain were unveiled once more; only to make the ghost freeze once more at his words.

"I am going to have to take your mother's diadem." The ice captain spoke, his blasé voice laced with the slightest hint of sympathy. "I am going to find out the contents and what he has done to it."

"How do you know it was a he?" Was the softly voiced question, making the ice captain passed in his silent stride to the exit.

"Just as I know that this is a Horcrux."

Leaving the lady in her shocked stupor, the ice captain exited, a mixture of relief and pain conturing his icy mask as memories colored his mind once more as if to tease his pain.

Regaining his composure once more after a fleeting moment of rare weakness, the ice captain shunpoed away.

Soul Society During the Holidays…

If there was a preference at where one should be imprisoned in the Thirteen Court Squads, it is dependent on the prisoner.

If taken to the First Division, there was the risk of hearing arguments over Eastern and Western cultures, and the overheating in temperature. In the Second Division, there was the risk of bloody interrogation, stealthy death, and overhearing the worship of cats. The Fourth Division may seem to have the kindest and easiest of comforts but prolonged stays and mysteriously added ills made any prisoner pause. The Sixth Division was not as welcoming, even indifferent, which maybe a good thing in this case, however; it was strict upon rules and indifferent in execution as well.

Not that the Seventh Division which represented moral obligation and compassion was any better, once one is a prisoner, prisoner thine are for the duration of thine stay. The Eighth and Thirteenth are also beautiful mirages, their captain kind and inviting, even the most abstract of fools know that these Divisions are not easily left. The Tenth Division is as cold as it's captain's power but, however, are countered with it's Lieutenant, the Division is reasonable and logical; yet, deception is unachievable. The teal orbs always watching.

Leaving the Eleventh and the Twelfth Divisions, their respective captains are a battle-lusting maniac and a mad scientist that loves to experiment on his subordinates, or worse, his prisoners.

So, becoming a prisoner within Seireitei was not exactly ideal. But the Eleventh and Twelfth are most certainly the worst, right? But that was also the case when it came to being in the Captain's Meetings.

Which was exactly why the Tenth Division Captain was once again standing in the middle of a Captain's Meeting, hearing these two idiots argue over his head. It was torturous to say in the least.

Why are they arguing again? Toshiro cursed darkly as the ice dragons too, groaned in annoyance. It was amusing at first, yes, but now it was just plain annoying.

The clown-faced scientist said something along the lines of 'recklessly charging into battle like a certain one-eyed ogre' and the spiky haired one replied with something around 'like your useless experiments can fight your battles for you, freaky clown.' Sephiroth recounted dully, with a hint of annoyance.

And it has been an hour since then. Hyorinmaru growled in irritation as Toshiro merely sighed, teal orbs darkened with a mixture of irritation and boredom.

"Enough!" The Head Captain ordered, snapping all the captains out of their thoughts. "Hitsugaya-taicho, you are to stay behind. Dismissed!"

Noting the slightest hint of irritation in the Head Captain's voice, the captains shunpoed out, leaving the ice captain and the Head Captain facing one another, teal orbs clashing with slit red ones.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, what is your report?"

Toshiro flicked out his wand, well aware of the close observation he was under, as he bowed his head. "Sir. Upon my investigation of the Western Wizarding World, I have discovered a new ability that may have interested Aizen and may have been way Aizen could not do away with Voldemort right away."

Red orbs made their rare appearance as they scrutinized the ice captain.

"Continue."

"Voldemort seems to have attained a form of immortality." Toshiro obliged as he paused. "By severing his soul into fragments."

A terse silence enveloped as the ice captain's icy teal met with his superior's fiery ruby.

To sever one's soul called for the use of Forbidden Kido, that was so powerful that the user would more than likely combust from it's incantation than complete it. Therefore, the method was burned away and deemed forbidden; any whether alive or dead, soul found severed was ordered to be destroyed on sight, without exceptions. However, if alive, it was the one time that shinigami, the deliverers of souls, were allowed to intervene with the living.

By doing away with them.

Once sent to their death, the mangled soul would then be sentenced to the Precipice World, never to reincarnate into the Realm of the Living once more or to enter Soul Society.

"How are you certain of this, Hitsugaya-taicho?" The Head Captain all but interrogated as the silence was broken.

"I have found a fragment within the walls of Hogwarts. It seems that Voldemort has attached it to a diadem of high value in the Wizarding World." Toshiro replied swiftly. "I have erected several Kido Barriers and protective charms over the diadem to ensure it's secrecy and to be undetected."

A silence. Then came the closing of Head Captain's eyes.

"Do you have the fragment with you, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"Yes, sir."

"Return to your division, Captain Hitsugaya. We shall discuss this matter elsewhere."

"Yes, sir."

Replacing the diadem and text, the captain ran a tired hand through his snowy locks, noting how they were growing in length. Pushing the thought aside for now, the captain curled beside his Transfigured zanpakuto and wand, laid carefully on the white sheets.

Running a hand over the weapons, the ice captain smiled at the comforting growls from the ice dragons.

Toshiro. Hyorinmaru addressed as the captain found himself in his Inner World, before the ice serpentine dragon with Sephiroth in his dragon form as well; facing both of them. Why are you so afraid? Even after all of this?

Flinching, Toshiro looked away.

The year is nearly over here at Hogwarts, yet you have made no friends. The zanpakuto continued. None that you consciously consider in this circumstance.

I-I cannot. Toshiro replied back shakily, as he did not bother to lie. What was the point of lying to beings that shared your mind? When they were well and fully aware why he was so guarded… So cold… And so distant…

But the dragons were firm.

You can, Toshiro. Sephiroth replied softly yet firmly as he hovered over to his master, nuzzling him with a small nip on the head. You may be a shinigami captain and authority in Soul Society; but you are the Japanese transfer student, here at Hogwarts.

You do not shoulder a burden here, Toshiro. Hyorinmaru added, as he too neared his icy wings over the captain, head knelt at his shoulder. You can laugh, cry, and speak as you wish here. Whether you want it to be as Captain of the Tenth Division or the Hogwarts Japanese transfer student, you may do as you wish.

Silence enveloped, as the dragons allowed the soft snowdrops fall, the icy snowflakes dancing as a saltine tear ran down a pale cheek, two soft words of gratitude following the snowflakes in their desolate dance.

All was quiet in the world for a sole moment.

When suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream echoed in the dormitory.