Chapter 1: Busier than Usual

Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Squads of Soul Society, stood within an overlooking room just above the interrogation ongoing below him as he watched, his expression as cold as the element he wielded with mastery. Donned in his usual shihakusho under his captain haori, the ice captain appeared no different than he had two years ago. Teal orbs obscured by his white bangs, the white-haired captain still wore his zanpakuto clipped to his back, a teal scarf over his neck as Soifon appeared beside him, just as unchanged from the two years prior.

It was a rare sight to find the ice captain in the Second Division as the Thirteen Court Squads rarely or even near the likes of never, interfered with one another whether they wanted to or not unless it was under the case of orders. This, however, was not an order.

"Do you still have it with you, Hitsugaya?" Soifon questioned, not harshly but not nicely neither as the ice captain nodded, holding out a sealed ebony box before her. Narrowing her grey orbs over the seemingly harmless music box, the assassin sent a skeptical look at her colleague.

"If you doubt it, Soifon, you would have little lose if it proves useless on your prisoners." Toshiro reasoned as the assassin pondered for a moment before conceding, as the ice captain unsealed the box.

"Very well, Hitsugaya." Soifon nodded before snapping her fingers, summoning a member of the Onmitsukido, issuing orders in a harsh tone. "Place this with the prisoner and no one except Hitsugaya and I are allowed to enter under any circumstances."

"Yes, Soifon-taicho!" And with a swift shunpo, the shinigami was gone.

"This is a Boggart?" Soifon questioned, her voice skeptical but expectant, trying the term on her lips as the ice captain nodded, explaining.

"It is a shift-shifter, for the lack of a better term." Toshiro elaborated, gesturing to the prisoner that Soifon had chosen for her test subject for seeing the effectiveness of the gift that the ice captain had brought for her division, the prisoner refusing to speak. "It takes on the form of the viewer's worse fear, whether it be a person, situation, or even fictional entity."

"And their power levels?" Soifon shot, as they watched the prisoner near the box that was set before him, looking at it curiously as the temptation to open it was glaring blatantly to both of the captains.

"Weak to near nothing." Toshiro answered. "However, their power levels are obsolete as their performances of the viewer's worst fear are often enough to counter that. Besides, if we are to use them on prisoners or for interrogations, it is not like they would have a weapon or anything to counter them with depleted reiatsu in the first place."

Nodding, the assassin gestured for him to continue.

"However, if the viewer has multiple fears; the Boggart will shift from each to the next." The ice captain pointed out as the two captains narrowed their respective orbs at the prisoner who reached for the box, which had been unsealed, free to be opened with a simple lift of it's lid.

"Explain, Hitsugaya." Soifon asked, as they kept their eyes on the prisoner, who's fingers danced over the lid.

Sighing softly, the ice captain obliged, adding an afterthought as the prisoner opened the box. "If the viewer were to have a worst fear of loved ones to be dead, then the Boggart would switch from loved one to loved one, like from a son to a daughter and so forth. And in the likeness before you."

With slightly widened grey orbs, the Captain of the Second Division watched as a killer that her subordinates had incarcerated in the outskirts of Rukongai trembled and cried in anguish before a dead woman who was revealed in the opening of the small box, her body mutilated and broken as her neck was obviously snapped. A moment later, the Boggart transformed.

Now, it displayed two small children who appeared to have tried to protect one another before their death, but only to have resulted in both of them dead in vain, their glassy orbs forever staring into the heavens. From the amount of blood that pooled before them from stab wounds in their small abdomens, the children were clearly dead.

A cry of anguish broke the assassin from her stupor as she turned to her colleague, nodding at the effectiveness of the gift as the prisoner bellowed yells of mercy and cries of surrender to inform them of the victims that he had held hostage for his freedom, causing both captains to raise an eyebrow at the prisoner. Soifon had said that the prisoner was resistant to her interrogation for days, and yet within thirty-eight seconds with the Boggart released, he was already breaking.

"It's effective." Soifon complimented softly as the ice captain made no comment, other than a ghost of a smirk as they shunpoed to the door, with the door beyond the room that they were just overseeing, both ignoring the soft sobs and cries within, already well too accustomed to them in their ears.

"But if you are unavailable, how will I place it back into the box?" Soifon questioned as they neared the door. "Won't it just perceive me as it's viewer?"

"Not exactly." Toshiro answered as he flicked out his wand. "The Boggart can only focus upon one viewer at a time, taking several seconds to shift. And within these seconds, you may use Kido to paralyze it and hold it over the box to which I have enchanted to seal when you do so. However, it is only applicable to you, Soifon. None of your subordinates will be able to do the same."

"I see." Soifon nodded as she readied a hand as the captains exchanged subtle nods, entering the room.

The Boggart immediately shifted upon the captains' entry, choosing the assassination captain as it's target as it shifted to a familiar purple-haired woman, who snarled at the Captain of the Second Division disgustingly, making her falter slightly at the degree of hatred in those golden orbs.

"Soifon! It is not Shihoin! It is a Boggart!" Toshiro snapped as he noted her reluctance before his words sunk in, her stormy grey orbs steeled as she incanted with a palm held out, her glare dark upon the faux Yoruichi who sneered at her as if mocking at how weak her Kido was.

"Way of Binding: No. 30: Beak-Piercing Triple Beam!"

Generating a burst of crackling yellow energy at her palm, the assassination captain drew an inverted triangle before her as the three points solidified into three small triangles, firing as the faux Yoruichi found herself pinned on the opposite wall, growling and shouting insults lined with venom. Placing the music box before it's face, Soifon glared daggers as she spoke.

"How dare you impersonate Yoruichi-sama, you scum."

And true to the ice captain's words, the faux Yoruichi bellowed a scream before it was sucked into the box, sealed with a satisfying clamp of the lid as the ice captain held his unsheathed zanpakuto before the prisoner, who had managed to somewhat collect himself, standing shakily before freezing at the blade at his jugular.

"Thank you, Mr. Tanaka; for your assistance." Hitsugaya said icily as Soifon snapped her fingers once more, two members of her squad appearing as they took the stunned soul out of the room. Collecting the box, the Captain of the Second Division smirked a ghost of one as she sent a blushed glance at the ice captain who merely rose an eyebrow.

"T-Thank you, Hitsugaya; for the gift and for assisting me with it." Soifon said shyly. "I will use it well."

"I know you will, Soifon." Toshiro replied as he sent her a questioning look at her blush, as they shunpoed out of the interrogation rooms of the Second Division; her being a tad faster than him.

"How are the Potions that I have made for you, Unohana-taicho?" Toshiro questioned as he entered the Fourth Division, having seated himself in the respective captain's office, who smiled her usual serene smile as she gestured to the cabinet behind her.

"They are very useful, Hitsugaya-taicho." She replied, before reading off a list from her desk. "But we are running out of the Dreamless Sleep Potion, the Calming Draught, Babbling Beverage, Dizziness Draught, and the Fatiguing Fusion. Oh, and also the Forgetfulness Potion."

Raising an eyebrow at the extensive list, the ice captain gave her a questioning look. The first two, I understand. But the following four say something otherwise.

Maybe, the patients have too much energy? Or too clear-minded? Sephiroth offered in explanation.

"The Eleventh Division has been paying less and less visits after I have been administering your concoctions, Hitsugaya-taicho." Unohana smiled her terrifying yet serenely calm smile as the ice captain decided to keep it at that, putting the two and two together considering the potions that the Fourth Division had run out of.

Or too stupid. Hyorinmaru snorted as they envisioned Eleventh Division members running around in fear at the sight of Unohana holding the listed four Potions. Rolling his eyes internally at the mental image, the ice captain nodded to the Fourth Division captain, standing to make his exit.

"I will send them to you when I finish brewing them for you, Unohana-taicho." Toshiro nodded as he stood.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya-taicho." The healer replied politely as she walked him out of the office, closing the doors behind him as he shunpoed out to his own division. Opening the doors to his office, the ice captain found exactly what he expected. Laid on the couch, Rangiku Matsumoto, his loyal — lazy — lieutenant, was currently sprawled out asleep among an outspread of her paperwork, a mere tenth of the large pile done.

Sighing, the ice captain cleaned up the mess, leaving her to sleep considering she had awakened early — well for her, at least — and trained the new recruits that they had gotten, showing them the barracks and the training courts, while he had visited Soifon to instruct her in how to use the Boggart for interrogations. Setting aside the paperwork into his ever-growing pile, Toshiro seated himself as he lifted his brush, beginning what would be a long series of hours of doing paperwork.

It's finally overrrr! Sephiroth cried, Hyorinmaru snorting at the younger dragon as Toshiro set down his brush with a sigh, the pile of unfinished paperwork now a pile of the opposite other than several exceptions, Matsumoto choosing this moment to awaken groggily.

"Are you awake now, Matsumoto?" Toshiro voiced monotonously as the strawberry blonde turned to him with a sleepy voice, half whining.

"Taicho?" She said confusedly, rubbing her pale blue orbs. "What are you doing in my bedroom?"

"The administration office is not your bedroom, Matsumoto." Toshiro retorted as she stood, looking over to her desk, only seeing five papers on it as he spoke. "Finish the rest of the paperwork, Matsumoto. And have Takezoe to deliver them to the First Division later when you have finished."

"You finished the rest?" Rangiku questioned surprisedly as she glanced at his finished pile. "But there was so much…"

"It doesn't matter." Toshiro brushed aside as if it were nothing as he stood, exiting the office when he paused at the door when his lieutenant spoke.

"And you, taicho?" Her voice lined with slight worry.

"I need to take care of some things." He replied evasively as the strawberry blonde narrowed her pale blue orbs scarily similar to her superior but nodded nonetheless as she understood the words of assurance behind his voice. "Take care of the division for a bit for me, Matsumoto; I will be back in a few hours after the Captains' Meeting."

"Yes, sir." She replied as she bowed, sending him a look as they met gazes, both exchanging silent messages.

Take care of yourself, taicho.

Look over the others while I am gone, Matsumoto.

Adding two measures of Standard Ingredient, which was a mixture of differing herbs, and four mistletoe berries into the mortar; the ice captain grounded the contents into a fine powder as he glanced at the Magical Drafts and Potions text, assured that he was right on task.

Now a medium-fine powder, Toshiro pinched two servings of it over his cauldron, stirring five times in an anti-clockwise motion before flicking out his wand as the potion was completed, shimmering a wispy and cloudy white, the last of the supply he was to replenish for Unohana.

The ice captain poured the finished potion in several bottles, labeled with clear writing and sealed each, for only Unohana to open as the captains had agreed to allow Unohana and the ice captain to be the only ones to administer the Potions to anyone, the former for her expertise in the medical field and the latter for being the only one who knew how to concoct them in the first place, leaving out a rather grumbling Twelfth Division captain. However, the usage of the Potions was limited, for solely that reason as the ice captain had little to no time as it was, being a captain, to brew Potions.

Glancing at the time, Toshiro gauged that he had a little less than three hours until the Captain's Meeting that was scheduled to start.

Washing the cauldron and replacing his tools, Toshiro read the instructions given to him, before raising an eyebrow at it; reading from the Advanced Potion-Making text after not finding it in the formerly mentioned one.

Draught of Living Death. Toshiro read as he narrowed his teal orbs over the instructions and ingredients, something off on this particular potion as the ice captain sent a glance at the description. The Draught of Living Death brings upon its drinker a very powerful sleep that can last indefinitely. This draught is very dangerous if not used with caution… This is an extremely dangerous potion. Execute with maximum caution.

Taking out the ingredients, the ice captain set to work.

Cutting up the Sopophorous Bean after throwing the silver knife at the fleeing bean with deadly accuracy, Toshiro poured the settled solution of measured water and African sea salt into the cauldron, setting the bleeding bean aside for the moment. Interchanging his hands with a scowl at the tediousness of the phase, the ice captain poured ten drops of Infusion of Wormwood, in three interventions. After much complicated chopping and precise stirring, the ice captain narrowed his teal orbs over the completed Draught of Living Death, a pale lilac color.

Inserting a silver of Valerian root, the potion soon became colorless.

Pouring it into a separate beaker, Toshiro took out the same ingredients as he narrowed his teal orbs over it, thoughts racing as the ice dragons sent pointed looks at their master.

Master? What's wrong? Hyorinmaru voiced, monotonously but tinged with concern. Is there something faulty with the potion?

No. Toshiro replied as he collected himself, teal orbs narrow. But this is a diluted version of the true Draught of Living Death, not one that the text describes. This one would most likely keep a mortal under for sometime but not as severe as the text describes.

I presume the author decided to place a less concentrated version as children would be attempting this. Hyorinmaru noted as he scanned over the freshly brewed potion. But how do you know that this is not as concentrated, Master?

Tests. Toshiro answered as he poured a ladleful of the said potion on a dish from the large beaker, throwing in a sprig of leaves. With a hiss, the leaves slowly died, becoming a wrinkled brown before it burst to flames, the ice captain remaining unmoved as he explained. If it were truly the real potion in it's original concentrated form, the potion would have incarcerated the leaves without a moment to blink.

Then how would you make the concentrated version? Sephiroth questioned as the ice captain elaborated.

I would have to place twice or at least one fourth more of a certain ingredient to make it more concentrated. Or it maybe something as simple as adding another stir here and there. Toshiro scowled as he scanned over the directions once more before glancing at the time, seeing as two hours had flew by, leaving the ice captain a little more than half an hour until his meeting. Deciding to finish the potion-studies for another time, the ice captain quickly cleaned up, set the potions that Unohana had requested into a wooden chest, placing it in his haori pocket as he shrunk the chest with a wave of his wand.

Throwing off his lab coat and replacing it with his haori, the ice captain shunpoed to the First Division from his laboratory, deciding to go by the rooftops rather than by walking, not wanting to see anyone as of late. Stopping by the Fourth, the ice captain was given a smile in gratitude as he handed the potions to the healer, having made more dosages as he had made them more concentrated than the previous.

And soon enough, the ice captain found himself once more in a Captains' Meeting, the lieutenants in a meeting themselves in a separate location as the captains were alined in the accordance of their division numbers. While Toshiro kept his face neutral throughout the meeting which consisted of the same usual banter of Kurotsuchi and Zaraki butting heads, Soifon following orders to the tee, Unohana reporting the casualties, and Ukitake giving his opinion in-between coughs, Hirako and Otoribashi along with Kensei with their expressions as bored as ever, Komamura just as studious to the Head Captain's every word, as Kyoraku appeared to be doing the exact opposite, leaving Byakuya doing the same as the ice captain, the meeting went on; until the Head Captain slammed his cane upon the floor boards, gaining all of the captains' attention once more.

"This meeting is adorned! All but Hitsugaya-taicho and Ukitake-taicho are to leave!" The Head Captain commanded as all but the mentioned captains shunpoed out of the room, half out of relief of the meeting being over and the other off to do the things that they deemed to be of greater importance as they left the First Division in their dust.

The two white-haired captains stood before their superior as they exchanged glances, both having a general idea of what their requested attendance was mandatory of after the meeting. After a short silence, the Head Captain cracked open an eyelid at his youngest captain in history, gaze expectant.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, you may begin."

Bowing, the ice captain slipped out an envelope, the letter addressed to the other white-haired captain as he spoke. "In this letter from Dumbledore, the Headmaster expresses his disappointment in my absence the previous year, but has invited me back for my fifth year at Hogwarts."

"And the Horcrux under our surveillance?" The Head Captain addressed.

"Ever since Hitsugaya-taicho's discovery of the Horcrux, the captains have been interchanging, watching over the Horcrux to gauge what type of defenses, offenses, and now counters we are able to do with the use of Hitsugaya-taicho's Time-Turner." Ukitake reported as he frowned. "As far as the Horcrux is concerned, Bakudo and Hakuda are ineffective, but Hado and bursts of reiatsu, as long as they are powerful enough, Zanjutsu, Shikai, and presumably Bankai are also affective as reported by Hitsugaya-taicho through the use of his Time-Turner."

"Zaraki was the one to destroy it." Toshiro reported as the ice captain summoned the diadem of Ravenclaw, freed from the Horcrux, rested and gleaming on in a velvet box. "And from what the fragment was contained in, I would not put it aside that Voldemort had also placed other fragments of his soul in other artifacts of the founding Heads of Hogwarts."

"Leading to our discovery of Helga Hufflepuff's Cup and the search for Salazar Slytherin's Locket." Toshiro concluded as he summoned another Hogwarts artifact, the said golden cup gleaming even when it was contained in several Kido Barriers and spells that the ice captain had rendered to make the artifact near impossible to locate.

The cup itself, symbolized it's master as it was small with two finely-wrought handles with a badger engraved on the side of it, encrusted with several small onyxes that glittered as the light reflected off the gold body. The magical item possessed powers of food-relation as the cup was most likely able to conjure the Transfiguration of any object placed into it to become any type of food that the bearer desired.

"However, through Kisuke's newest invention, we would most likely be able to separate the soul from the artifact; unlike the resort in which we had undertaken for the first." Toshiro finished as he replaced the artifacts, teal orbs opening.

"Very well." The Head Captain nodded as he closed his orbs, the orders to the two white-haired captains as clear as day as they were issued, and all three disappearing without another word as they were issued.

Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore Apparated before the palace he had visited a year ago with Minerva McGonagall, only this time was accompanied by Severus Snape who sent the man a look as they both neared the wooden gates, the Headmaster rapping his knuckles on the wood. Echoing into the grounds, the professors merely awaited a moment before the gate was opened a thin crack, enough for the servant within to scan the guests.

"May I help you?" The servant voiced, his tone dark yet not unkind.

"I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The said person smiled kindly as he gestured to his company who merely nodded stiffly. "And this is Severus Snape, Potions Master and the Head of Slytherin. We have come to see your Master and Young Master."

"I see." The servant nodded, before opening the gate for them to enter as he bowed; resisting his urge to draw his zanpakuto. "Please follow me."

After a familiar series of turns and twists of the palace chambers, the Seventh Seat of the Tenth Division had led them to pair of paper and wooden doors, leading into an inner chamber. Knelt before the doors, the servant spoke loud and clearly.

"Young Master. The Headmaster and Potions Master of Hogwarts are here to see you. Shall I present them to you?"

"Enter." An icy voice answered, cold and indifferent.

Bending his neck and with a soft sound of acknowledgment, the servant nodded for the two guests to enter before he disappeared behind a turn of the palace halls. With a push of the doors, the professors entered.