I just finished reading HP 7! I squeed, wibbled, and sobbed through it. Not exactly what I expected, and I'm a little disappointed that the series is over. But there's still 2 movies left! And I just HAD to write a fic in the HP world.

SUMMARY: AU- set in HP world. She was his strength when he was weak.

PAIRINGS: MatsuHitsu

WARNINGS: Some violence, bloodshed and death (not Matsu or Hitsu!), but nothing of the graphic or extreme, squick type

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter

NOTES: Instead of Voldemort, Aizen is the evil wizard bent on world takeover/ Muggle and Mudblood killing, etc. And Arrancar Death Eater. Comprende? Oh, and I made Momo and Shiro siblings (it just made things less complicated that way).

Erm, seeing as this is AU and written to get the bug outta my system, it's most likely OOC. So there, you've been warned.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

CRIMSON CHRYSANTHEMUM

By Neko Oni

Hitsugaya's breath came in harsh, ragged pants that tore at his aching lungs. He leaned against the cracked, blood-smeared wall; he was too weak to stand up. Underneath his torn, blood spattered robes, his slender legs shook. The pure white of his velvet, silver trimmed robes was heavily soiled with dirt and blood, most of it his own. Every bone, joint, and muscle in his supple body screamed in agony. His vision was blurred; the scene swam in an out of focus.

He was past his limit, beyond the breaking point. Only sheer force of will kept him up. If he wasn't so stubborn, he would've collapsed long ago. His body couldn't go on. It was giving out on him, crumbling under the weight of his determination. He couldn't even stand on his own. The wall supported his slight weight, and his want kept slipping from his hand. The wood was slippery from sweat and blood; the small hand clutching it trembled.

His vision blurred as his eyelids grew heavy. Hitsugaya blinked, then stared ahead. At her. "Momo…" he mumbled, his voice slurred. His short arm struggled to rise in jerking movements.

Hinamori stood in front of an ancient, heavy wooden door, her wand pointed directly at Hitsugaya. "Shiro-chan, I can't- no, I won't- let you harm Aizen-sama." Her voice wavered, and tears shone in her brown eyes. She pleaded with him to turn around, to go away. But deep down, she knew he wouldn't. So she would defend her master with her dying breath. It was a duty he said he trusted to no one else but her. Because she was special to him. That thought strengthened her resolve.

"Momo…" His words were more breath than voice; he could barely speak. His large turquoise eyes pleaded with her, begged her to stand down. It was that Aizen bastard he wanted. He didn't want to hex her. He didn't know if he had the strength. On a good day, Hitsugaya could take her no problem. Hinamori was a mediocre witch at best, whereas Hitsugaya was one of the brightest wizards of their generation. But after fighting past a horde of Arrancars single-handedly, he was nearly half dead.

Brown eyes stared into brilliant turquoise. Momo bit her lip and tightened her grip on her wand. "Shiro…please…go back. I-I won't let you pass."

Hitsugaya winced in pain, thick, dark lashes fluttering closed for a moment. He gasped, leaning further into the wall and clutched his wounded stomach. Shaking his head, he could only open his eyes halfway this time. The darkness was closing in. He slipped further down the wall. "No….Momo…wand…down….Aizen…evil….murderer... traitor…"

Momo stamped her foot. This was it. The difference that tore two siblings apart. "Don't talk about Aizen-sama like that! He's a visionary! He's going to create a utopia for wizards and witches everywhere! He'll bring about a new world order full of peace and prosperity!" The tip of her wand began to glow.

The dark lashes lowered further and the battered, slender body slipped down the wall some more. Hitsugaya's empty hand clutched at the cracked stone while he struggled to raise his wand arm. He couldn't; he was too exhausted. He wanted to let go, to give into the darkness swirling around him. But he couldn't. Bruised lips twisted in a weak snarl. "A kingdom of…purebloods…built on bones and blood…of-of …innocent Muggles…and Mudbloods…". His tone was meant to be mocking and jeering.

"No!" Hinamori screamed vehemently. Sparks flew from the tip of her wand. "Go away, Shiro! Let me help Aizen-sama, and I'll ensure a place for you in our new world!"

"Momo…you stupid..fool…" His pretty face twisted as he tried to force his wand arm to rise. The short limb jerked twice, then his wand fell from limp, bloody and sweaty fingers to clatter at his feet. His partially open eyes sought hers over the light from her wand. "You're so blind…he's using you- he's evil…he must…die…" Speech was slipping further and further from his darkening grasp. His body was shutting down. He could barely cling to consciousness.

"You're the one whose blind! You don't believe in Aizen-sama! You're a-a blood traitor!" Momo cried in anger. She must defend her master. Aizen-sama came first. Before her. Before Shiro. Her dear Shiro-chan would never see the light. He would forever oppose Aizen-sama. And Aizen-sama did not tolerate opposition.

Her voice softened, low and firm. "I'm sorry, Shiro-chan. I love you, baby brother. But you're in Aizen-sama's way." Momo looked away. She couldn't bare to see his face. Tears trickled down her cheeks.

Nearly closed eyes flew partially open. Hitsugaya gasped softly, clutching his injured stomach. He'd never believe his sweet Momo capable of using… "Momo…"

Tears flowed down her cheeks. She wouldn't look at him, but she winced at his soft, ragged whisper. The tip of her wand glowed green. "Avada-"

"Avada Kedavera!"

All at once, a group of witches and wizards burst from the spiraling stone staircase behind Hitsugaya. Matsumoto was at the front; a jet of green light flew over Hitsugaya's shoulder and hit Hinamori. The girl crumpled to the ground in a limp, lifeless heap of black robes.

Matsumoto had no time to consider what curse or hex she threw. Soon as she raced to the top of the stairs, she heard Hinamori uttering the killing curse. She only had a split second to react, to save her beloved Shiro-chan's life. Without thinking, she reflexively yelled the same hex as Hinamori. At that instant, all that had mattered to her was saving Toshiro.

Hinamori's body barely hit the floor as Ichigo bounded over the corpse, shattered the door with a spell from his wand, and snarled, "Aizen, you're murdering ass is mine!"

No sooner had Ichigo disappeared in the doorway than the Arrancar chasing them spilled out from the stairwell.

Whirling around in a flutter of pink and brown robes and swish of long, wavy strawberry blonde hair, Matsumoto took a defensive stance in front of Toshiro. She had no time to check on him, for the Arrancar swarmed around them. She hexed any and all she could, especially those that came too close. Her goal was to get Toshiro and her out of this nightmare alive.

Fighting was everywhere in the small tower chamber. The small group of resistance fighters to Aizen's regime had attacked and battled their way through the castle of Los Noches, Aizen's stronghold. They stroke before he could; this was the last, decisive battle. This was the very last battle in the war against Aizen. The group of fighters defeated the castle until all that was left was the uppermost tower.

They were outnumbered ten to one. Curses, hexes and jinxes flew everywhere. Renji jeered and taunted with both mouth and wand; he battled three Arrancar at once. Ikkaku and Yumichika stood back to back, Ikkaku laughing madly, enjoying himself as he flung killing curses left and right. Zaraki's manic laughter drowned out Ikkaku's as he took on seven Arrancar at once. Yoruichi, Soi Fong, and Urahara worked together to handle a higher ranking Arrancar.

Seeing a barely conscious Toshiro, several Arrancar swarmed Matsumoto, who stood protectively over his prone body. She was forced to take several steps backwards as she cast a Shield Charm over herself and Toshiro. They threw curses at her, but she was more than a match for them. With a flick of her wand, she took two of them out with one blow. She parried spell for spell and finished off the third just as a jet of light flew under her raised arm and hit Toshiro. Throwing the killing curse at the Arrancar who got past her defenses and struck her beloved, Matsumoto heard a sickening crack of skull meeting stone, then an unconscious Hitsugaya crumpled to the floor with a dull thud.

Casting another Shield Charm, Matsumoto glanced over her shoulder. And her heart stopped. There was a spatter of blood, white hair, and some flesh where his head cracked off the wall. He lay in a crumpled heap, similar to Hinamori. His robes were torn, dirty and bloody. His white hair was thick and wet with fresh blood that poured out of his split skull and pooled around his head.

Something inside her snapped at the sight. Casting a Shield Charm only over his inert, lifeless body, Matsumoto flung Forbidden Curses left and right. She dueled like a woman gone mad, even cutting into other people's fights. Mostly it was Avada Kedavera she flung about, but several times she used the Cruciatus Curse. All the while, tears streamed down her face and she sobbed. She was out of her mind with grief and rage.

tbc...

&&&&&&&&

Review, or else Peeves the Poltergeist might come after you. And he's loaded with Dungbombs.