Okay, here it is, what you have all been breathlessly waiting for! The first chapter in part three of the trilogy! Just so you know, this won't be updating as quickly as the other two: I've been having some physical issues going on that have been making it difficult to write, we're in the middle of a house move, plus I'm trying to find another job. So… there's a lot on my plate right now, so pleas to update will be ignored. I am moving at a snail's pace. But I am working on it! Any updates to the timeline, etc. will be posted on my profile.

Oh, and I am still taking submissions for the Bleachy the Bard one shots, if anyone is interested…hint, hint.

As always, I do not own either Bleach or HP, just the storyline that my warped little brain came up with.

Chapter 1

Draco Malfoy, the only son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, studied the clothing he had laid out on his bed with a critical eye, the elderly House Elf Taffy by his side. She was also studying the clothing with an equally critical eye.

"Taffy thinks clothes look good," she finally said with a decisive nod.

"You don't think we need to fray the cuffs a little more?" He found himself, much to his bemusement, valuing her opinion. She had a good eye for what he was attempting to do, and had immediately figured out what he was up to when she had come upon him picking at some of the threads at his jacket cuffs with a small, sharp knife. She might not be, as her master Ichigo Kurosaki put it, "the brightest star in the sky" otherwise, but in this she had immediately understood what needed to be done and had taken the steps to assist him.

The House Elf shook her head. "Mister Draco does not wants his clothes in too poor shape; Mister Draco just wants to looks likes he has been hiding in not nice places."

Draco nodded. "Exactly," he said as he examined the right pants cuff a little more closely.

His parents had come upon the pair sitting in the garden, using rough stones to fray strategic spots on his pants and sleeves. After several moments of watching the pair working industriously away, his mother had finally asked what they were doing.

"Trying to make it appear like I've been in hiding," he had replied, "Not living comfortably in a manor."

Narcissa had smiled faintly at him and left the pair to their task. Lucius had been baffled by the whole thing, until his wife explained it to him – rather slowly. She was quite proud of her son; he was thinking for himself, and thinking quite far ahead; and she was sure most of it was a desire to prove himself to Ichigo Kurosaki – who, she was certain, had become something of an idol. She also felt that there were worse people he could aspire to be like; the few times she had met Kurosaki after he had rescued her from her 'secure' spot at Voldemort's old home, she had been impressed with the young man.

Snape also was in and out of the Kurosaki manor, running errands both for the Order and Voldemort, and checking on them when he had time. He was in residence when Ichigo arrived with his two younger sisters in tow. Narcissa's gaze had immediately fallen on the fair haired one, as Draco had told her that Yuzu was supposed to be the image of her mother. She did resemble Masaki quite strongly, his mother thought, as the girl gave a quick, and nearly perfect curtsy in front of her when they were introduced. Draco's face had lit up when he saw all three, but most especially when he saw this girl. He does have it quite bad, she thought, watching them surreptitiously. Very bad indeed.

Ichigo studied Draco's attire critically. "Going for the shabbily chic look?" he queried, with a faint smile that hinted in the fact that he might actually know what Draco had been up to with his clothes.

Draco had again explained what he was up to; the dark haired girl then spoke up.

"I can spar with him if you want," she offered, "then he'll look like he'd tussled with someone trying to get away from them –"

"Karin!"

"Relax, Yuzu – I won't hurt him much. Besides, it would do him good to learn how to fight and not rely on that pair of gorillas. I think most wizards and witches don't get enough physical exercise, anyway."

Ichigo rolled his eyes at his sister's comment and had shared a silent but amused look with Snape. "Give me the jacket," he said, holding out his hand. Curious, Draco handed Ichigo the jacket and watched as the young man stepped back outside. A few minutes later he returned, and handed the jacket back. The bottom of the left sleeve was lightly singed, and there was a burned streak from the side to the front.

"I don't understand," Lucius admitted, studying the pattern. This was not surprising to anyone, as there was quite a bit he did not understand these days. Ichigo rolled his eyes and looked at Snape, who gave a slight shrug. Lucius had not improved much, was the message conveyed.

"I do," Narcissa nodded with approval as she studied the pattern. "A spell just missed him as he was fleeing – passed under his arm, and grazed the front of his jacket as it flapped open while he ran."

Ichigo smirked at her. "Very good," he said, nodding back at her. He appeared to be very pleased with her progress, at least.

Yuzu beamed at them both. Draco was thinking very far ahead – and using his brains, as was his mother. Lucius was still recovering from his stay at Azkaban, and was very easily led by his wife – and his son.

Ichigo explained then that he had brought Yuzu to the manor to see Draco and to meet his parents – to give them some time alone together, away from the oppressive school atmosphere (oppressive in the fact that Draco could not openly show his feelings for her). The young man for a moment appeared quite overcome by this, and his mother was very impressed by Ichigo's kindness towards the young couple. Karin had wanted to explore the house and see what was there, so she had tagged along. Ichigo had told her she could pick a room all for her own and decorate it anyway she wished; this excited her, as she had always shared a room with Yuzu, and sometimes with Rukia.

While Karin explored, Ichigo went out to check on the garden and see the griffin, leaving Yuzu to charm the Malfoys, which she of course did with very little effort; within an hour she had both of Draco's parents wrapped around her little finger (very easy to do to Lucius) but Narcissa found the girl to be quite winsome, and very kind and gentle. It was no wonder that her Draco had fallen for the girl. When Ichigo returned, however, Karin had apparently been watching for him.

"Ichi-nii? Can I see you for a moment?" she called down from the second floor.

"I wonder what that's about?" Yuzu said, watching as her brother went upstairs to join her twin as Professor Snape rejoined them from the library.

"I wonder…" Narcissa mused, pouring another cup of tea, "If Karin has managed to locate the boggart?"

"Boggart?" Snape repeated with alarm, his back stiffening and his eyes widening.

"Yes – it appears to be rather intelligent, and moves around quite frequently. It doesn't stay in the same place – we've been having some trouble pinning it down to drive it off –"

They all blinked in surprise as Snape fairly flew up the stairs to the room where Karin had summoned her brother. Alarmed at his reaction, they followed him without hesitation. When they arrived, they found that Karin was banging and pounding on the door and calling out her brother's name in a near panic.

"He's locked it!" she turned and ran to the group when she saw them. Narcissa reached out to take hold of the trembling girl and pull her out of the way, while Yuzu was clutching Draco like a lifeline.

"Damn it!" Snape swore, pulling out his wand, as Draco and his mother did the same. Three Alohamora spells impacted at the door at the same time, blasting it open with some force.

Inside the room, Ichigo was kneeling on the ground, Zangetsu in his hands, a smelly, steaming mass of – something – in front of him. The twins flew at their brother, both of them hugging his shaking body tightly.

"That's…what a boggart actually looks like?" Draco grimaced and pinched his nose closed with his fingers. "Gross."

"Ichi-nii, are you all right?" Yuzu asked, as Ichigo started to uncurl his body as the shaking started to subside.

"Yea, I will be," he whispered, hugging her back tightly.

"What was it?" Karin asked, "What –"

Ichigo shook his head jerkily. "All I'm going to say about it," he cut her off, "Is that it takes the same thing for Byakuya and myself. Killing it outright is the only way for either of us to deal with it and make it stop."

Snape gave him a sharp, calculating look, even as Narcissa nodded. And even Draco understood, then, in that moment, what Ichigo was saying.

Byakuya Kuchiki was Rukia's brother. If the boggart took the same form for both men, then it had something to do with Rukia, something, some event they had in common…

He saw Karin and Yuzu sharing a look over their brother's head, as if they could guess – or even knew – what it was Ichigo saw when he faced a boggart, and why magic failed him when he did. Of course, Kurosaki didn't have much of a sense of humor…even Draco saw that. And that was the trick to defeating boggarts – laughing at them.

Ichigo finally took a deep, shaky breath and stood with his sisters' aid.

"You need a good hot cup of tea," Narcissa said firmly, stepping forward. "Taffy –" she called out, softly.

"Taffy is here," her voice said quietly, "Taffy saw, Taffy has water on. Taffy can takes Master Ichigo down and takes care of Master Ichigo." Her large eyes were full of concern. The pair vanished with a pop, to be followed by his sisters rushing out the door, leaving Snape and the Malfoys to stare at the remains of the boggart.

"What do you think he sees when he faces a boggart?" Lucius asked quietly, "If he and his future brother-in-law see the same thing, then –"

Snape nodded. "Yes, it must have something to do with Rukia Kuchiki. I have heard," he said slowly, "That Lord Kuchiki calls his sister his 'pride'."

"I am surprised that he would consider anyone good enough for her, in that case," Narcissa waved her wand over the remains, causing them to vanish.

"Yamamoto's bloodline is perhaps the only one he would consider worthy," Snape explained.

Draco snorted, drawing the Professor's attention.

"Remember Draco, that in Japan the bloodline we find important means nothing. It is the line that comes down from Kurosaki's great-grandfather Yamamoto, through his father, that they honor. To them, Hogwarts is only a school – and Slytherin is only one of the founders. That is all."

Draco sighed and nodded; he had indeed forgotten, and he needed to remind himself of that. Kurosaki had himself told him that, and even Potter had mentioned it. And as much as he disliked listening to Potter… he had actually been to Japan, seen how the magical community worked there.

"Why are you here today, Severus?" Lucius asked. Draco was glad his father was starting to ask questions; he'd been jumpy and nervous ever since he'd gotten back from Azkaban, and allowing his wife and son to take the lead. He hoped it was a sign that his father was starting to recover.

"News," Snape said grimly. "Things are moving faster than we anticipated. He has called a meeting for the beginning of July; I am to bring Draco with me. And…" he paused, "Charity Burbage, a Professor at Hogwarts, has been taken."

"What did she teach?" Narcissa asked. The name was not familiar to her.

"Muggle Studies," Draco replied, puzzled. "Why go after her? She's pretty – well, worthless. I can't believe he would even deign to notice her."

"I am not entirely sure. It is possible she knew something. Or it could just be the subject matter," Snape replied. "The Dark Lord does nothing without reason or purpose. We just do not know what it is, yet." His lips twisted sardonically. "I also believe congratulations are in order?"

The three Malfoys appeared confused, and then understood.

"A werewolf," Lucius muttered, "Of all the…"

Narcissa gave him a look, quieting him. Nymphadora was her niece, Draco's cousin; as unhappy over the wedding as she was… there was little she could do about it. She had learned a great deal from Kurosaki about the value of family over the past few weeks. Andromeda and Nymphadora were family, just as much as Bellatrix, or Draco.

Narcissa had always felt more strongly about family than her husband. Looking back, she realized she had only gone along with Andie's shunning because…well, because. She had loved her sister, still did, and was fairly certain Andie would welcome patching things up with Narcissa should her younger sister reach out to her. It would, however, have to wait. Things were too – unsettled – right now, and they could not risk a meeting at the moment; it might get back to Bella, and she would tell the Dark Lord. That was something else she had learned from Kurosaki – His background. For all his harping on blood purity, he was only a half-blood, whose father had been a Muggle. The truth of this had been known to a precious few: Dumbledore, Snape, Wormtail…

Lies; so much of His power had been built upon lies and half-truths. She stepped to stare out the window, and saw the three Kurosaki children near the garden with the griffin. She was well aware that Kurosaki was keeping things from her – he'd practically admitted it. When one of her questions got too close to something he didn't want to answer, he gave her this Look.

She would stop questioning at that point, as she was well aware the young man did not want to lie to her – hated lying, in fact. When he could, he would tell her.

Those same questions also made Snape uneasy, which meant – he knew the answers already. However, he would not break his protégé's confidence, unless absolutely necessary.

"We should work on your Occlumency," she heard Snape say suddenly.

"I've been practicing," Draco replied, "I was hoping Ichigo could test me before he leaves…"

"We shall see…" Snape said, leaving the uncertainty of Ichigo's mental condition hanging in the air. Narcissa had a feeling the young man would be fine in a few minutes. A good hot cup of tea, a few minutes alone in the garden with his sisters laughing at the antics of the Jarveys, and he'd be right as rain. In fact…

"He's coming back in," Narcissa said, "He was out with the griffin at the garden, watching the Jarveys."

They met the trio back downstairs, and as Narcissa had predicted, Kurosaki appeared normal. That was something else she noticed about him – he bounced back from things very quickly.

"You'll have lunch before you leave," she said to him, not framing it as a question.

Ichigo's lips twitched. "Sure," He shrugged. "Someone will come for the girls in a week. Hopefully…"

"It won't be dad," Karin muttered, rolling her eyes. Yuzu frowned and nudged her, while Ichigo coughed. No, he and Karin both hoped it wouldn't be their father. They wouldn't want to foist Isshin on anyone. Especially the Malfoys. Goat Chin might send everyone rushing for the hills in abject terror, and start wondering at Masaki's sanity for marrying him. This was something that her children often wondered when Isshin got started on one of his antics. Even Snape, who had met the man, raised one of his brows at the thought.

"It might be Yoruichi; Or Soifon. Or even Uryu, I'm not sure yet. I've got something I need to do, so I know it won't be me." He looked at Draco. "If anything comes up, you know how to contact us. Send the message to Toshiro."

Draco nodded. He still had a black butterfly tucked away in his room.

"I also want to test you before I go," he continued as he walked away into the kitchen, "So prepare yourself."

"Right!"

Narcissa gave her son an amused look as she followed Ichigo into the kitchen to ensure that he actually ate something, and Yuzu tailed Draco when he left to prepare for his test by Ichigo. This left Karin alone with Lucius and Professor Snape.

"I don't suppose you know what it is your brother has planned?" Snape asked, curiously. Karin's eyes darted briefly at Lucius, and she replied,

"Sort of. I didn't get all of the particulars, just the impression that it would give him a really big power boost."

Snape was able to correctly interpret all of what she said: one – Karin did not want to speak openly in front of Lucius; and two – she knew exactly what her brother had planned.

For Severus, who knew Kurosaki's story, a 'really big boost in power' could mean only one thing.

He was trying to reach the level he'd been at for the Winter War. Yamamoto had said his grandson had reached a transcendent level no Soul Reaper had ever reached, or could even dream of reaching.

And he was going to try for it again, after having willingly released some of that same power for the health and safety of his physical body.

Snape gave her a worried look, and saw his own worry for his protégé mirrored in the eyes of his sister.

#

Hermione looked around her room; the only thing left she that she hadn't stuffed in her purse was the owl that Ichigo had given her at the end of the last school year, and she wouldn't dream of doing that to Athena. The owl had become a treasured companion to her over the summer, and got along well with her cat, Crookshanks, who was sitting on top of his basket, watching her closely.

The plan had been worked out over the entire month of June, with a lot of input from both Orihime and Tatsuki. Her parents had been rather surprised when the two girls had shown up on their doorstep, looking for Hermione, but had graciously let them in and called their daughter.

"Any friend of Hermione's is welcome in our home," her father had said with a smile. Orihime had smiled back, and curtsied, which had surprised her folks at the formality while Tatsuki had shaken her head. They had then adjourned to Hermione's room to help her with the last vestiges of 'the plan' as it had come to be known.

She took a deep breath, and walked quietly into the living room, where her parents were sitting watching the telly. They were quietly discussing whether they should take the trip Hermione had tried to talk them into…

If only they knew the real 'plan.'

As she stared at them, pain clenched at her heart at what she was about to do. A hand reached out to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

"It's time," Tatsuki said gently. She stood on her left, holding onto Athena's cage, while Orihime stood on her right. Both had sympathetic expressions on their faces. Hermione was, for all intents and purposes, about to orphan herself.

She raised her wand, and with tears stinging her eyes, she whispered, "Obliviate."

As her parents sat there, vacant eyed while a whole new set of memories took place, Orihime quickly went through the remainder of the house removing all evidence that a third person had ever lived there. Once she was done, the three quickly moved to the front door – Hermione stopped once to look back at them when she stooped to pick up her cat; they were starting to stir, to come out of their stupor. No longer were they Hermione Granger's parents, they were now Wendell and Monica Wilkins, who were finally going to pursue their lifelong dream of moving to Australia.

Outside the trio was joined by the three Soul Reapers who had stood guard on the house while the others were inside: Rukia, Momo and Rangiku. All three had nothing but sympathy and admiration for Hermione for what she had just done.

"Come on," Momo said gently, "Let's get you to the Burrows."

Hermione nodded. "Right."

Rangiku drew her zanpakuto and unlocked the gate, while Hermione took one last look at the place she'd called home for eighteen years.

God willing, she'd be able to return. If not… her gaze strayed to Momo and Rukia. Well, at least she wouldn't be alone.

#

Ron stood outside the house, sometimes pacing, sometimes checking his watch, other times just staring at the place where he thought the gate was going to open. They did not have to place the stakes, as Rukia and Momo were going to be there, and could open the gate themselves; had it just been Orihime and Tatsuki, they would have had to go through all sorts of hoops to get Hermione here.

His mother, surprisingly, was not bothering him to help out with the work today. It was as if Molly Weasley knew her son would not be able to concentrate on whatever task she had given him anyway.

And it was not just Ron; Fred continuously dropped whatever he was doing and joined him outside to check if they had arrived. He was anxious to see Tatsuki, his younger brother supposed.

"Nothing yet?" Fred joined him for what was probably the tenth time since Ron had started his vigil.

"No."

Fred checked his watch, only this time, he did not return to the house; he remained outside with Ron. Together the pair waited with growing agitation, Fred checking his watch what appeared to be every few minutes.

"They're late, aren't they?" Ron asked, strain in his voice.

"Only a few minutes. They could have gotten held up…"

Just as Fred spoke, a glow appeared almost directly in front of them, coalescing into the familiar sliding shoji doors. Both brothers heaved sighs of relief when they saw the doors, and more importantly when the first people to step out of the doors were Tatsuki and Hermione.

"Do you get the feeling we're rather superfluous?" Rangiku asked Orihime with some amusement as she watched the enthusiastic greetings the two girls received.

Orihime chuckled. "Just a bit, but that's as it should be, isn't it?" she replied.

The rest of the family was starting to pour out of the house now, to welcome them.

"Oh, please, you must come in!" Molly started insisting, but the three Soul Reapers all demurred.

"We really do have to get back," Momo said with a smile.

"We'll see you for the wedding, won't we?"

"I'll be here," Rukia nodded.

"Sayonara!" Rangiku waved at the family as she turned to walk back into the Gate, Momo close behind her. Rukia hesitated, as she looked back at the three girls who were staying behind.

"If you need anything –"

"I know how to reach you," Hermione nodded.

"So do we," Orihime replied for herself and Tatsuki. "Don't worry, Rukia, we'll be fine!"

Author's Notes:

Alohamora: the incantation of the spell used to unlock doors. Counter of Colloportus

A boggart is a shape-shifter that takes on the form of its intended victim's worst fear. While real-life mythology describes boggarts as house elves who cause trouble, Rowling's Boggarts are more like Brollachans, magical creatures originating from Scotland. Boggarts like to hide in dark, enclosed places, such as closets and cabinets. Since a boggart changes shape upon sight, their unaltered shape is little known. (In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Mad-Eye Moody determines, with his magical eye, that there is a boggart in the desk in the drawing room.) In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin teaches his students in Defence Against the Dark Arts to approach a boggart in groups of two or more, so that the boggart will have difficulty in choosing which one to frighten. The Riddikulus charm is used to combat Boggarts, by changing their appearance into a less fearsome or even comical apparition, which weakens the creatures. http colon /en dot wikibooks dot org/wiki/Muggles%27_Guide_to_Harry_Potter/Magic/Bo ggart