Wizard and Deat Reaper: Hogwarts
Chapter 13

"Defense Against the Dark Arts? Harry?!"

Hermione immediately seemed to shrivel up under Ichigo and Toushiro's sharp gaze after she delivered the plan of 'taking care of the Defense Against the Dark Arts' herself in the quiet recreation room as all the children had already come down for breakfast. Harry and Ron who were standing behind Hermione were agitated. The Golden Trio read the rejection in the expression of the two shinigami.

"Yes," said Hermione quietly, looking doubtful now. "You know, there's nothing useful in Umbridge's lessons, and we think – I think – with Harry who knows a lot about defensive spells because he experienced it first-hand, anyone who wants to learn the real defense can know through Harry."

"It was very unwise," said Toushiro sharply. "With Umbridge we should have avoided…"

"But we have other more serious things to avoid than Umbridge" Hermione said. "How could we just keep quiet without knowing anything of the Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"How, Toushiro?" Ichigo looked at the white hair who had a stiff expression. "They have a good reason."

"It's illegal, isn't it?" toushiro said, giving a statement in question. Hermione looked grim.

And then both Ichigo and Toushiro looked at Harry, who was immediately nervous.

"I don't think that's a good idea" said Harry slowly. "But Hermione said…"

"That's a great idea," sambar Ron immediately, followed by Hermione's excited nod.

"Don't start again" murmured Harry sharply.

"We've discussed this, Harry, please," said Hermione tired.

"If you know how hard it is. I'm not sure I can teach you all that! To anyone!" harry was frustrated. "The spells are completely different from the classroom lessons, Hermione! You don't know what it's like…"

"Harry.." Hermione looked scared now, throwing a look of help at Ron who was dumbfounded on the spot. Ichigo and Toushiro looked at them seriously.

"Yes!" harry said angry. "You don't know what it's like when you face the moments when you're about to be tortured, see your friend die! Even a fraction of a second, you could be the one to die! They don't teach it in class! How can you defend yourself when-"

"- time is so narrow that he can even kill you," Toushiro said inside. They were all looking at him now. "There is no limit between deaths living within the range of a finger. It feels like he's taking your breath and your life slowly.The piercing pain reaches every cell of your brain, but because death will tear you from everything you love, that you will leave behind, even the pain and then leave you…."

Toushiro's voice was deep and emotionless, as if he was speaking from a very distant place. But Harry and Ichigo could see the turquoise iris implying something. Experiences. The experience of death.

And then those eyes blinked, looking at Harry straight. Harry was happy as he spoke then his tone was as cold as ever.

"Am I right?"

Harry nodded slowly. "How about.. You know?"

"I've been dead once," said Toushiro bluntly, without a tone; Hermione begged to hear it. "as a human. And I also felt it, almost, in some battles, as a shinigami."

Ichigo frowned looking at the tiny hair. It felt like he was carried back to the flash during Winter War, where Toushiro was drenched in blood, his arms and legs almost severed by Aizen. And a few months ago, when he found Toushiro dying, pale as a corpse after fighting Cang Du, one of Quincy's officers. Of course Toushiro experienced moments of death almost robbing him of his life, even after he surpassed his human life.

Ichigo felt an extremely cold ice flood his heart to see the tiny figure beside him. He did not see a commander, that second. He saw the human boy from the past, who was too young to be caught and held captive by death.

Is it ironic that this boy is a shinigami? Only the Soul King knows.

"You can't protect everyone, Potter," said Toushiro softly. Ichigo looked at Toushiro with widened eyes in shock; ron gaped; Hermione gasped; harry could not believe what White hair had just said.

"Oi, Toushiro-o!"

"Nobody can prevent death, it's only a matter of time…"

"What are you talking about, Toush-!"

"Even if you try to protect, if time has claimed he must go with death, there's nothing you can do."

Anger bubbled at the bottom of Harry's stomach. At first he thought Toushiro said so because he had felt the same position as Harry. But his cold and uncaring manner of speaking, for Merlin's sake! What exactly is he thinking?!

"Don't talk like you know" said Harry in a trembling voice.

"I knew. More than you know." Again, the voice was deep and emotionless.

"Enough, Toushiro," infuriated Ichigo. Toushiro blinked quickly, then looked at Ichigo, before toward Harry who seemed to be trembling with anger. Slowly, Toushiro retreated towards the painting hole, sighing; it was only when Harry realized that Toushiro was clenching his hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Let the people you care about know how to protect themselves, that's the best way to protect them. I'm not gonna stop you from continuing that plan."

Followed by the swish of the robe and the soft debam as the painting closed, the small figure of the 10th Division Commander vanished, leaving the Golden Trio in place and Ichigo still staring at the back of the Fat Lady's painting.

"Blimey," sizzled Ron softly, half afraid of being half unnerved. "Why him?"

"I can't believe he said that" said Harry, still shaken. "He's…"

"Trust me, he understands your position" Ichigo said, patting Harry on the shoulder, though his eyes were still in the same spot.

"If he understands why"

Ichigo frowned at the high pitch of Harry's voice. "Listen, Harry, don't think the only one who knows about losing is you. The only one who knows about almost facing death is you. We know, and for Toushiro, he experienced more than me, even more than I know!"

Harry took a step back; only this time did he see Ichigo look angry.

"If you want to know, he also does not have parents – rarely have konpaku who have parents after they are in Soul Society. He had no one, and everyone stayed away from him because he was too different! Almost everyone humbles him! You see what he is now? One of Seireitei's elite army commanders! One of the strongest shinigami I've ever known! Don't you dare say he doesn't know anything! Once one of his friends was also killed before his own eyes! And how many times do you think he lost his own partner on dangerous missions, huh?! I'm sorry, you did lose your parents, you also saw your friend killed by Voldy who it was, but have you ever thought there were people out there who experienced something like you, even worse? Don't think it's just you! Last time I saw it, the universe wasn't centered on you, Harry Potter!"

Ron and Hermione were stunned on the spot. Harry looked at Ichigo in disbelief. And Ichigo, he tried to catch his breath, only to realize he was screaming at Harry. He was surprised how angry he could be. Shaking his head slowly, he looked at Harry who was shaken, visibly wounded.

"Gomen, sorry, Harry, sorry," Ichigo said immediately. Harry saw the orange hair looking regretful. "I didn't mean to…"

"No. You're right" said Harry trembling. "You're right, Ichigo…"

Silence covered them for a few minutes. An unnatural silence. Ron and Hermione looked anxiously at Harry, who was still standing with less and less trembling. Harry himself was filled with guilt, at Toushiro, especially. He forgot the important facts about the white hair. Her childlike figure disguised her true self. He forgot that the white hair had lived longer than him. And perhaps, Harry swallowed the new fact he discovered so suddenly, that life formed the cold person of Toushiro Hitsugaya.