Chapter 17: Interrupt and Improvise

Chapter 17: Interrupt and Improvise

"Hitsugaya Toushirou, Captain of the Tenth Division; sir!" The tan bluetooth in the said captain's ear rang like an intercom, as the said captain did away with an Arrancar, it's white mask contorting into a silent roar.

"What is it?" Toshiro snapped icily, as he sent a kick to another hollow, shattering the mask.

"You are going to be transferred in an audio only conference during a Captain's Meeting; sir." The Twelfth Division communications officer announced as the ice captain did away with the surrounding hollows, dealing swift punches and kicks to the masks, sheathing his zanpakuto.

"Acknowledged." The ice captain said, as he spun with a round house-kick, allowing Kido to shoot from his feet, connecting and destroying the offending hollow. Landing without a sound, rain showered the captain, rejuvenated in the cold showers as they dripped onto his freed form.

"Hitsugaya-taicho. Can you hear me?" The Head Captain's voice sparked through the intercom, to which the ice captain shunpoed into the Forbidden Forest, his white haori billowing behind him as he landed.

"Yes, sir." Toshiro responded swiftly, as he unsheathed his blade just as quickly, slashing away with the last of the hollows with almost arrogant ease as he was filled in the meeting's highlights.

Apparently, hollow activity in Karakura Town has increased along with the area surrounding Hogwarts, but was easily dealt with due to Kurosaki who complained once more that the shinigami assigned to the said town did not recognize his badge. After the Fullbring episode with Kurosaki, and all that happened before, one would think that everyone would know that orange-haired substitute. Considering all the trouble he caused ever since he had entered their world.

Just as the said substitute was going to make his report of dealing with all of the hollows, a horde of differing reiatsu entered his radar. Shunpoing to differing branches, the captain did not fail to notice the accurately fired arrows at his every stop, teal orbs narrowing at the choice of weaponry.

Centaurs. Toshiro cursed internally as he whispered into his bluetooth, loud enough for his colleagues in Soul Society to hear but too quiet for his adversaries, in the growing rainfall.

"Hitsugaya Toushirou, Captain of the Tenth Division, reporting." The said person whispered in his native language, luring his pursuers away from the school and deeper into the forest. "Currently pursued by Dark Beasts in the Forbidden Forest; fifteen hollows and three arrancars from previous signal, obliterated."

"Hitsugaya Toushirou, out." Toshiro finished as he cut the communication line, finally stopping as he unsheathed Hyorinmaru once more, rendering the firing arrows useless with an almost lazy swipe. Shunpoing to the ground, the captain waited, his teal orbs narrow and Hyorinmaru still unsheathed.

Slowly, one by one, the centaurs made their appearance.

Hidden in fog and murky mist, they surrounded the captain, the shadows as if clinging on their figures, calloused fingers gripping notched arrows on their finely crafted bows, ready to fire at any moment. The creatures themselves, were as the myths foretold, having the torso, head, and arms of a human but the body of a horse for the lower part of their bodies.

However, unlike most creatures, centaurs were sentient; even enough to rival a mortal's. However, by the Ministry, they were Beasts; if the captain recalled correctly which he did.

Like dragons, they had pride. Not wanting to share the classification of Being with hags and vampires. And expectedly enough, the shinigami captain, ice zanpakuto, and wand guardian couldn't blame them. It was like stuffing the classification of death gods as equal stature with hags and vampires. Why didn't the West understand the concept of respecting the dead?

"Who are you, child?" A centaur asked gruffly, his leather quiver behind him and bow notched with an arrow.

Their leader. Or at least one of them. Toshiro thought internally, not moving Hyorinmaru neither from his defensive stance, as the captain sported a visible frown at the term. I am not a child.

Be cautious, Master. Hyorinmaru warned as Sephiroth did the same with a low growl, echoing. They appear to be in ill terms with wizards.

Taking in terms of the warning, the captain obliged but with vague terms, not dropping his position in the slightest. "I am Hitsugaya Toshiro. And you, centaur?"

"I am Bane." The said centaur nearly spat as his own ebony orbs narrowed over the captain. "You are most unusual, young one. You smell of a wizard, yet you are not. You smell of the dead, yet you are not. You are not alive, yet you exist here. What in the world are you?"

Making no external implication or reaction to the centaur's words, the ice captain questioned back icily. "As a centaur, Bane, you are able to read the stars and predict futures, what has your readings foretold you of the night's events?"

"The planets and stars have had no implication of your entrance, young one." Another centaur spoke as Bane visibly frowned darkly at the centaur's entrance.

Unlike the rest of his kind, this centaur did not wield his weapons, his white-blonde hair long and his eyes a light blue.

"I am Firenze, child." The said centaur introduced himself. "Why have you come to our homeland in this dark hour?"

"I have come to eliminate my adversaries and do my duty as a superior of my society has bequeathed me." Toshiro replied civilly yet subtly colored with ice, as he vaguely elaborated. "Having finished my business, I was departing when your arrows had entered my circle of notice."

"Do you speak of the creatures that have hunted our kin, child?" Bane all but interrogated hotly. "The ones who bear the white mask?"

"That is them." Toshiro allowed to reveal as his orbs were lidded halfway. "However, I ask you to not engage these creatures. For you cannot kill them."

"Nonsense!" Bane spat at the captain, who turned a wary eye at the centaur who yielded his weapon. "Once we plant enough arrows into the blasted creature it would be killed just like any other!"

Firenze, however, ignored his kin as he neared the captain, asking a question of his own. "Why can we not subdue these creatures, young Hitsugaya?"

"Only a specialized blade, such as my own is able to kill these creatures." The ice captain explained when a cry echoed from the back of the centaurs and a crackle from the captain's bluetooth rang in his ear.

"Captain Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division." The said person whispered in his native language, as he shunpoed to the cry.

"Hitsugaya-taicho!" A disembodied voice of a member of the Twelfth Division replied, his voice quick and to the point. "A low-leveled Arrancar has appeared at the grounds several feet from you."

"Spotted and in pursuit." The ice captain replied swiftly as he appeared just as quickly the words left his lips, to see the said Arrancar attacking the centaurs, with one in it's hands. It was more Hollow than Arrancar in appearance as it was towering in size, but with it's undoubtable white mask, it was an Arrancar. Arrows flew uselessly as they flew harmlessly through their target, the masters of archery finally realizing the futility of their efforts.

"You cannot kill the souls of the dead with your mortal weaponry, centaurs." The ice captain hissed darkly, as he sliced away the Arrancar's arm, saving the captive centaur. "I, in the other hand, can."

True to his words, with a perfectly executed swing of Hyorinmaru, the Arrancar was no more, leaving a perfectly unharmed Tenth Division Captain and a rather frazzled bunch of centaurs as an audience.

Then with a step forward from his kin who had gathered their composure and their ranks, Bane looked at the child before him who appeared no older than the age of twelve; and bowed. Following in suit with their leader, the centaurs, too their knees, one by one.

"We, the centaur colony of the Forbidden Forest, are in your debt, young Hitsugaya Toshiro; for saving one of own. As centaurs, we promise and swear to return such a favor, of risking your life to save one of our own." Bane vowed as the addressed captain bowed in reply, sealing the vow with a mutual respect with one another as the rain fell over all to witness.

Debt and retribution. Toshiro thought as he exited the Forbidden Forest, the hidden stars glowing brightly as the clouds hid their precious jewels, the rain continuing it's reign. They are a strict and prideful kind; none too different from Soul Society.

Yes, Master. Hyorinmaru chuckled as he entertained the thought. They do serve with the same concept of 'shoot first, then ask questions later,' don't they?

You know as well as I do that it Yama-jii and Soifon's tactics, not mine. Toshiro argued, memories of actions executed merely on the basis of orders coloring his mind. Besides, if none of us were like that at least to an extent, Soul Society would be long gone.

You say that as if Soul Society can die or something. Sephiroth commented off-handedly as Hyorinmaru and even Toshiro let out a small laugh, his ice cold breath sinking in the freezing rain.

What? Sephiroth questioned indignantly, obviously not in the joke.

Deciding to save the younger dragon his embarrassment, Toshiro explained with a small smile, gaining his composure. Soul Society is the destination for the dead already, Sephiroth. How can you kill something that is already dead?

Scoffing at the realization, Sephiroth muttered something about 'mean masters and older dragons' as the captain reached the school, entering the open window next to his bed without a sound.

Just as he was going to enter his gigai along with Hyorinmaru into his, Toshiro was about to allow sleep to overtake his mind when, the teal orbs narrowed at the sign that something was off. Lifting the covers and his Charmed drapes, revealed the ice captain and his mod-soul still in the gigai, donned in an ebony hakama, with a sole white dragon embroidered on the back, jaws in mid roar and claws clutching a small daffodil for sleepwear.

Courtesy of his lieutenant, of course, who had insisted that the small captain wear her clothing and send her pictures for the newsletters, the said captain declining the latter of that request with a slight irritation and several bursts of an icy reiatsu.

Finding only four reiatsus rather than five in the room other than his own, the ice captain's teal orbs narrowed darkly over the crumpled sheet work of the empty bed, as he turned to his mod-soul, behind his drapes.

"Did you see Harry Potter leave this dorm?" Toshiro all but interrogated the mod-soul with an icy voice.

Designed to have a personality and behave similarly to him, the mod-soul bowed as he reported in a stern manner. "Yes, Hitsugaya-taicho. He had just left a mere ten minutes ago, with his wand and a worn piece of parchment in his hands."

The Marauder's Map. Toshiro thought as he narrowed his orbs at the thought. Why would Potter leave the dorm with the map? It may tell him where people are but, what is the significance for him to get out of the dorm? Especially since Black known to enter and escape Hogwarts, undetected?

Perhaps he saw something, Master. Hyorinmaru offered. It may be perchance that Potter saw something and wanted to see the scene for himself.

But what? Sephiroth voiced the question on all of their minds as the captain made up his own. Turning to the mod-soul, Toshiro narrowed his orbs and the doppelgänger of a mod-soul mirrored the captain, as rain outside the school poured, adding to the ominous air.

"Follow me."

Teal orbs watched in shadows as the captain watched Harry in hall, the Boy Who Lived dressed in pajamas and the reported wand and map in hand; the said wand lit with Lumos, no doubt.

Now, Potter. Toshiro thought darkly, as he stood in mid-air, his snow-white tresses brushing the ceiling. What the hell are you doing out of bed?

Portraits surrounding the living boy snarled and snapped at the offending light of Potter's wand, their foul tones and moods obviously understandable being the middle of the damned night and a bloody light as bright as the sun was plunged in your face. Anyone would be bloody damned rude if they awakened you at an ungodly hour.

But alas, Harry Potter was concerned about other things.

And as for the captain, due to his hours in doing paperwork well into the night and early morning, he didn't sleep much anyway.

Speaking of the captain, Toshiro watched as Harry came to a stop, the green-eyed-boy's orbs expectant and, oddly enough, wand at the ready. As if he were expecting something to appear. With his perfect vision in the dark, the captain caught the name.

A rat has been scrying around. Toshiro nearly spat, as his teal orbs grew in icy ferocity. I am beginning to tire of this Peter Pettigrew.

Make that three of us. Hyorinmaru growled as Sephiroth followed in suit. Shall we kill him here, Master?

No. Toshiro replied after a moment of silence. We will awaken the entire castle if we do. We cannot guarantee that the scuffle will reveal our presence, not to mention Black.

Well, then. Hyorinmaru thought with cold indifference. We will just have to bring the rat to the dog.

And how do we lure the rat to the dog's maws? Sephiroth asked almost whimsically; rhetorically even, with a hint of sadistic pleasure in his cold voice.

With cheese, of course. Toshiro hinted as the teal orbs glanced over to the only living boy in the vicinity. The, oh so very interesting, cheese.

Scratching scurrying crackled in the air as Harry waved his lighted wand for sight, making glances toward the map. Only to have the darkness veil the rat's scurrying, as in accordance to the map and the captain's gaze; as it literally walked past him. Leaving Potter flustered, the said boy waved his wand wildly, eyes searching.

Snape is approaching. Toshiro said as the portraits reprimanded Harry for his offending wand, waving in front of their faces. And knowing the two's relationship; this can last until morning.

Time for us to depart then. Hyorinmaru growled. No sense in the cheese getting himself in trouble now.

Yes, elder. Seeing as young Potter's antics will get him killed one day. Sephiroth observed quietly as an idea entertained the captain's thoughts.

Let's use that to our advantage.

Then with an inaudible pop, the captain disappeared.

In his gigai once more, with a small cup of roasted brown rice in boiling water, the captain was at peace and it was silent. Just as he liked it. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that he was at his office, in the wee hours of the night, when he had finally finished the paperwork and his tea was freshly brewed and…

With a burst of the doors, entered Lupin with a shamed Harry in tow, as the captain opened his orbs to find the map in the werewolf's hands. Sighing lightly, as Lupin invited Harry in with a stern command, Toshiro set down his cup as he turned lidded orbs to the living boy, who made no indication that he noticed the captain's appearance.

Not that he could anyway, since the captain was hidden in a Kido barrier after he had ordered his gigai to explain to Lupin of Potter's location. And in the Defense Against the Dark Arts' professor's absence, the captain entered his gigai once more.

"I haven't the faintest idea how this map came to be in your possession, quite frankly, I am astounded that you didn't hand it in." Lupin scolded, as he turned furious orbs on his student. "Did it never occur to you that this, in the hands of Sirius Black is a map to you?"

Slow and timid shakes of the head was Harry's answer.

"No." Lupin worded as Harry echoed them.

"No, sir."

With a light sigh, sympathy colored the werewolf's eyes as he neared the boy, who lingered at the desks while Lupin had walked off in his lecture deeper into the classroom where the captain was seated at his desk.

"Your father never set much store by the rules either." Lupin admitted, as he made a point. "But he and your mother gave their lives to save yours."

Only to scold more, of course.

"Gambling their sacrifice by wandering around the castle unprotected, with a killer on the loose seems to me a poor way to repay them!" Lupin reprimanded with a harsh note as he waved the confiscated parchment. "Now, I will not cover up for you again, Harry."

"Do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir." Was the whispered answer as the captain observed quietly, as if he were planning the perfect way to snatch away a prize with an elaborate hand, waiting for it to spring.

"I want you to return to your dormitory and stay there." Lupin all but ordered sternly but not harshly. Just as Harry turned away after bowing his head, Lupin added another, with a wave of the parchment. "And don't take any detours. If you do, I shall know."

As the two turned to make their separate destinations, the captain watched expectantly as Harry turned, eyes dimmed but sparked with hope. So he will do it, after all.

"Professor." The said boy called out as he was at the door, eyes on Lupin who had turned after nearing his desk. "Just so you know, I don't think that map always works."

Noting the confusion on Lupin, Harry elaborated. "Earlier, it showed someone in castle. Someone I know to be dead."

"Oh, really?" Lupin asked after a short silence, entertaining the thought for a moment. "And who might that be?"

With confusion himself, Harry admitted. "Peter Pettigrew."

Fear and realization colored Lupin's brown orbs as he smiled almost nervously, as he spoke in a whisper. "That's not possible."

"It's just what I saw." Harry said as he neared the door. "Good night, professor."

And with that the boy left.

Lupin stood frozen for a moment, the map in his hands when the slam and lock of his classroom closed, turning to the only other person in the room. Toshiro stood indifferently, his normally brilliant orbs glowing in the night as he leaned comfortably against the door. Arm crossed and yew wand in hand, the ice captain's message was clear.

No one was leaving as of yet.

"Professor Lupin, unfortunately, Potter is correct." Hitsugaya began, not seeing the point of brushing aside the issue as he took the map into his own hands, unsealing the map, and laying out the corridor that a disguised Peter was hiding.

"Your poor and deceased friend, Wormtail, lives; Professor Lupin."

Harry stared dully into the cloudy glass orb that was suppose to assist him in foretelling the future —in theory, if he may add— with a snoring Ron beside him as he stole a glance to the table next to them only to find a rare sight. A furious and confused Hermione flipped her Divination textbook dully as if she hated reading, sharing the table with a slumbering Hitsugaya, his snowy tresses propped on his lean arms as a pillow.

Blinking, Harry found the image the same.

Finding Hermione flustered and confused on a subject was rare, and the white-haired transfer asleep even rarer; but to find both in the same table and time; the chances of winning a lottery and being struck by lightning were greater in chances.

Nudging his friend and noting how Professor Trelawney was busily speaking to another pale-faced student, Harry gestured the sight to his friend who woke up immediately.

"Oi. Harry. Am I dreaming, mate?" Ron drawled out indignantly as he pointed to the twosome beside them. "Or is that really a sleeping Hitsugaya and a confused Hermione for once?"

"Odd, isn't?" A voice cut in as the twosome looked up to find Neville seated with Seamus and Dean; who's eyes were also on the same pair. "Hitsugaya and Hermione have been high-strung lately, as you can see."

"We can hear you, you know." A voice snapped as the boys recognized it as Hermione's as they all turned to the other table, finding a cross Hermione frowning at them with a Hitsugaya across from her, with one icy teal orb open, brilliant but dulled with fatigue.

"Broad your minds." Professor Trelawney drawled with her dreamlike voice. "You must look beyond."

In icy orb scanned the professor before lidding once more, the captain having no intention in giving the professor any attention as of this class period. The thin professor was draped in gauzy shawls, with bangles, shining sequins and farthings of beads decorating her wrists and neck. A red and brown headband held back her bushy storm of hazel frizzled curls, while thick glasses that made her forest green orbs ten times larger than they actually were.

"The art of crystal gazing is in the clearing of the Inner Eye." Trelawney explained as if it were easily done, as she addressed the class once more despondently. "Only then can you see. Try again."

"Now." Trelawney turned to a bored Harry and once more, slumbering Ron propped on the table with an elbow. Noting their professor's attention on them, Harry quickly sat up and gave his best friend a whack, who quickly sat up at Trelawney's question. "What do we have here?"

"Oh." Hermione smiled with a facade as she neared the table with a seemingly aloof Hitsugaya at the tow, as seats were pulled out for them to gather around the crystal ball on all of the tables.

"Do you mind me trying?" Hermione asked civilly, as she turned to Trelawney.

"Ah." Trelawney waved with mirth and enthusiasm of a student volunteering as the to mortal boys sent a look to the transfer who merely shrugged, watching aloofly.

Without even a glance at the crystal, Hermione made her 'prediction'.

"The Grim." Hermione stated factly, with an afterthought. "Possibly."

Trelawney's face grew to a frown as she sighed almost disappointedly, nearing Hermione with what was suppose to be a comforting gesture, taking the girl's hand as if she could read something of it. "My dear, from the first moment you steeped foot in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination."

By this point, the three boys could see the ways that Hermione was currently conjuring to obliterate Trelawney then and there on the girl's face.

Still holding Hermione's hand, Trelawney pointed out. "No, you see there."

She pointed to the opened palm as she spoke. "You may be young in years, but the heart in you bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave."

Giving her a sympathetic smile, if the professor was expecting a smile back, or anything in the ball park, she was sorely mistaken. With a held-back shove of the 'comforting' hand, Hermione gathered her things, insulted as she caught the crystal orb in her sight. All eyes on her, the bushy-haired girl shoved the crystal ball off it's stand, down the door to the hall as she promptly walked out of class, with widened eyes of all other than the captain who merely shrugged.

"Have I said something?" Professor Trelawney questioned innocently, not understanding that she had just insulted one of her students. Shrugging it off, she moved on to the next table.

"Granger's going to be cross now." Toshiro commented off-handedly as he glanced at the lone crystal ball stand. "Not that she cared for Divination for any part, seeing as the both of you have heard your share of Granger's opinion."

Nodding simultaneously at the notion, the two knew all too well what Hermione's opinion of their Divination professor was.

"I don't get it." Neville cut in as the three turned to the boy. "It's not like Trelawney meant any harm, right?"

"Regardless, Longbottom; of Professor Trelawney's intent, Granger was insulted." Toshiro explained as he sent a nod toward the boy. "What if someone had off-handedly commented how horrid Herbology was?"

A look of horror and rare anger colored Neville's face as he pictured it.

"Or if some had badmouthed Quidditch?"

Similar looks that ensured spilt blood colored on Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean's faces as they entertained the thought in their minds.

"Same principle, Longbottom." Toshiro shrugged as he opened his Divination textbook boorishly, scanning the words.

"Then how would you react, Hitsugaya?" Ron asked suddenly as the ice captain rose an eyebrow at the boy.

"To what, Weasley?"

"To have someone insult something you cherish, like…um…" Ron trailed off, probably racking his brains figure out what the captain cherished dearly.

"How about your sword?" Neville cut in as the five boys watched a dark smirk color the transfer's lips, causing the boy to stutter slightly as chills ran up their spines. "Wh-What are you smiling about, Hitsugaya?"

"They wouldn't have a chance to insult my sword, Weasley." Toshiro smirked with mirth at them before turning back to his textbook, ignoring the last question.

After some nudging from the others, Harry asked the question. "Why wouldn't they, Hitsugaya?"

"Because," Toshiro glanced back at them with a look that told them that he was taking mirth in the fact that they thought he was kidding, which was drained away with his words, which were without a doubt, true. "They wouldn't have the chance to after I have silt their throats with the very blade they tried to insult."

Shrugging it off as if the answer were obvious, the ice captain turned back to his textbook, seemingly oblivious to the looks of disbelief.