A.N. Thanks to Ceebee for edits, Jon for content edits. I appreciate all your reviews and the ideas you come up with, surely you will see some in here being used. There's a small homage to other manga/anime in this chapter. See if you can find them.

Back to School

The princess of the Shiohin noble family kneeled by her friend Shiba Kukaku. She realized it was unseemly especially in her elaborate robes, but her concern for her friend superseded demands of her station. She'd never expected her friend to attempt the entrance exam for the Spiritual Arts Academy; the princess couldn't imagine her friend being disciplined enough for it.

Kukaku and her companions including the boy who had wowed them were lying in the makeshift healing station at the side of the tunnel's opening. The princess watched disinterestedly as those who had been healed attempted the Bridge of Despair; their screams annoyed her. She wondered why their pride didn't keep their lips sealed against the pain. They sounded pathetic to her. But of course they thought that when a ruffian from the outskirts of Rukongai could do it then why couldn't they? She scoffed to herself.

Her mind turned to the boy not lying too far from Kukaku. Captain Unohana was treating him herself. The princess frowned in thought. She had wanted to judge the young man's reiatsu but it was dampened by proximity to the bridge. Even when she'd tried to get close to him while he ran on the bridge Captain Unohana's shockingly frightening reiatsu had blanketed her senses. The captain of the healing division had flared her spiritual power when she went to save Kuchiki Byakuya but for some reason didn't bring it back under control till the boy's test was over.

The princess couldn't shake the feeling that Captain Unohana intentionally was spreading her own reiatsu to hide the feel of the young man's spiritual pressure. The princess would have had difficulty looking past the odd behavior even if it was a young and inexperienced captain, but for the oldest and one of the most powerful captains of the Thirteen Armies to 'forget' to control her reiatsu was worrisome if not suspicious.

Then again, the princess thought to herself, walking the Bridge of Despair was even more severe than trials her own special secret forces suffered through at the beginning of their training. It was reasonable for a captain renowned for her compassion and gentleness to be disturbed by it. The princess quickly blanked her face before her scowl betrayed her irritation. She was annoyed at losing her opportunity to figure out the young man.

She cataloged what she'd learned about him. His skills at hand-to-hand combat were deplorable, his flash steps technique was ill developed, but he was still surprisingly agile in the air… And then there was the matter of how he suddenly disappeared from the clutches of her correctional squad to appear by Byakuya to heal him. It seemed to her that no one had noticed since they were all preoccupied by the Kuchiki grandson getting impaled. To have poor flash technique in general and then suddenly have such a high level of it that even she couldn't follow it was impossible. She wanted to know the secret.

With the right training his movements wouldn't be so awkward, she thought. But what had attracted her attention the most was his Kidō skill when fighting her correctional squad. A constant glow of reiatsu or what she suspected was Kidō covered his body. He was able to cast magic at incredible speeds without tiring. The way the glow on his skin fluxed when he cast spells made her suspect that it wasn't just reiatsu flaring but Kidō - it was a technique she had been developing, albeit differently. To see a 'nobody' show up using something so similar to her had her more than intrigued.

"Your friend will be fine, Yoruichi-san," Captain Unohana's voice brought the princess out of her musings. The captain of the healing division was smiling gently down at her, having finished treating her patient.

The princess realized she had been staring at the boy. She quickly averted her eyes and scanned her friend's face. The girl was sound asleep. "Thank you, Captain Unohana. I'm worried for Kukaku, what if being on the bridge has…" she trailed off, unwilling to put into words her fear.

Captain Unohana put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it in soft comfort. "It is lucky Potter-san was there to protect her. He healed her injuries and protected her reiryoku with his own. She is exhausted, nothing more."

"He must be a very powerful healer. Can you tell anything about him after treating him, Captain Unohana?" Princess Shiohin Yoruichi asked, heartened by the older woman's words.

Captain Unohana nodded. "One develops an instinct about people after being a healer for so long, but I think you can judge him better by his actions than anything I can tell you, Yoruichi-san. Little Byakuya is alive thanks to Potter-san and Matsumoto-san, as is your friend. It's safe to say the kindness I felt in his spirit is in his actions as well, wouldn't you agree?" she smiled at the princess.

The princess smiled back but wasn't sure the captain had shared everything with her. She'd created an opening for the captain to say something about the boy's healing skills but she hadn't even expressed a desire for him to join her division, which would only be reasonable. The princess allowed the much senior woman to keep her secrets. The wise never liked saying what they thought, she noted to herself. "Who is Matsumoto?" she asked.

"Ah, that's the girl over there, she's the one that struck down Byakuya-san and also the one who called Potter-san for help when she noticed she'd hit a child," Captain Unohana explained happily.

"I hope you won't call him a child in his hearing, Captain Unohana. Byakuya is very sensitive." The princess smiled conspiratorially at the captain making the other woman laugh.

"It seems the Captain Commander is creating more work for me," Captain Unohana said looking out towards the bridge where people were being picked off once they couldn't go on longer.

The princess made a derisive sound, forgetting to act her place. "It's their pride or stupidity that's making work for you, Captain Unohana. They've passed the test but their egos want more. Power isn't the only requisite to cross that bridge. Resolve is the first and most important quality you need to survive it. As if glory seekers could last more than five seconds on it," Princess Yoruichi said before she realized her voice had risen. Some waiting to attempt the bridge or those who were in the healer's hands after already trying had heard her. She raised her chin and looked about her imperiously. Their eyes turned away from her and they stopped their muttering. She hoped she'd shamed them.

"Well said, Yoruichi-san, well said. I'm happy that you will one day take over the Special Forces officially," Captain Unohana said with a proud smile.

The princess blushed; she knew she'd said too much and too harshly but the captain had smoothly covered her indiscretion. Captain Unohana had the grace the princess found so hard to find in herself even though it was she who was forced into the trappings of nobility.

"You are kind, Captain Unohana. Thank you," the princess said with a short bow. "I hope that young boy, Potter Harry, will make a full recovery. I want to understand his willpower." The princess said in a whisper looking over to where the boy laid.

Captain Unohana patted her shoulder and said, "He is a little cute isn't he?" as if in agreement with the princess.

The princess snapped her eyes back to look at the captain's serene smile. "That's not what I meant!" She couldn't help the color that rose in her cheeks.

"Mhm, I wanted to say, you look very beautiful today, Yoruichi-san. Much better than when you're running around in that Special Forces uniform. Now I must go see to my squad." Captain Unohana patted her shoulder again, and left the princess speechless.

"Meddlesome old women. Is every one of them trying to find me a boyfriend," she grumbled to herself.

She brushed her fingers through Shiba Kukaku's hair and thought dolefully that they wouldn't have time to get up to mischief anymore. She felt a presence next to her and realized the Captain Commander had joined her. She stood up in respect, expecting he was there to speak with her. The Captain Commander seemed to be looking at Potter Harry.

"I want a special containment cell reserved in the detention area for Potter Harry," he said quietly.

The princess was stunned. "Why, Captain Commander?" she asked. The wizened Shinigami rubbed the hand he had caught the boy's sword with and showed her his palm in answer. There was a thin cut on it. The princess arched her brows and asked, "You haven't healed it?"

"I tried and it resisted the healing. I can overwhelm whatever power that is keeping it from healing, of course, but I want to see how long the cut will stay. You know, Shihoin Yoruichi, that those whose swords dominate them are a danger to Soul Society and must be put away," he said.

The princess nodded finding it refreshing to be addressed just by her name and not by any titles or honorifics. "Yes, but every Shinigami struggles to master his or her sword. It is a natural thing to happen in the course of development. If one fails it is usually not difficult to eliminate the threat. Unless…"

"Unless," the Captain Commander took up her thread, "the sword and the Shinigami are especially powerful or have a dangerous ability. Otherwise, I agree, a Shinigami dominated by his sword is trash and no more a threat than a rabid dog."

"Is he that powerful, Captain Commander, that you are worried?" the princess asked. Indeed his spiritual pressure had been remarkable when he burst out of the tunnel, but he was no more special than many others in the Thirteen Divisions.

"He's a little pup with power gained several decades too early, other than that it isn't notable." The Captain Commander cleared his throat dismissively. "It's the sword that's the problem. He didn't give me the cut on my hand; his sword did that on its own. Either he learns to hold it or he goes to the Maggot's Nest. Please relay my request for a special containment cell to your great uncle."

Yoruichi's face fell as the seriousness of what the Captain Commander said. He must have been cut after the boy fell leaving his sword in the Captain Commander's hand. The sword was acting under its own will, not its master's. Such Zanpakutō became abominations, cursed weapons that betrayed master, friend, and foe alike.

"It will be done, Captain Commander. I won't need to disturb my uncle with this matter," she said. She had heard the old Shinigami's veiled message clearly: if she didn't do as he asked, he would simply ask the head of the Shihoin family. She wondered where he had learned their unofficial name 'maggot's nest' for the detention cells, but she put it out of her mind for the moment. She was worried about the conflict in her heart between her duty to the Shinigami and the debt she owed to the mysterious boy for protecting her friend, Shiba Kukaku.

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For a moment when I woke up I thought it was just after I'd gone to sleep in District One with Retsu healing me. But the place was different and Retsu's hair was styled in a new way. My head was still resting in her lap though. I reached up and brushed my fingers against her glossy locks braided in front instead of the back like usual.

She smiled softly. "Do you like it, Harry-kun?"

"I think you're supposed to put it behind you to keep it out of your way…but it's nice," I said. "Is it over?"

"Yes, finally. You're within the city of Seireitei, and you won't be found out here. I'm very proud of you," she said with a beatific smile.

I took a shuddering breath in relief. I was in the Shinigami's sanctum. I was one step closer to learning about the terrible afterlife I was stuck in and how to escape it. After many months the pain in my heart for my friends and the worry for them burst like a fresh wound. The battle at Hogwarts must've been long over but I would get back anyway I could to pick up the pieces. That was all I could hope for.

But there was something that concerned me about my test that could jeopardize my entrance to the Academy. "Retsu, I lost control over my spirit pressure at the end of the exam… Zero div-"

She covered my mouth with her hand. "Shush! Don't speak of that now. You're in Seireitei; it's more likely here than in the outlands that someone knows what you're talking about. Be careful, Harry-kun."

"Ok… so what about my reiatsu?" I asked.

"The bridge is a powerful artifact, it doesn't allow reiatsu to spread very far…and I also did my part in hiding you. Isshin-san said that he was the only one chasing you from his group. For now, you are safe," she explained. "Now, tell me about your Zanpakutō. I'm so happy you learned its name." She beamed at me.

"Err…she's a little disturbing, I don't know what to do with her," I confessed.

"She? It's a woman?" Retsu asked in surprise. "That's not common at all, Harry-kun. There's only one other male I know with a female Zanpakutō… Although it makes sense that sword has a woman's spirit."

"What do you mean?" I asked seeing that smile on her face that she had for only herself. I could never tell what was happening in her mind when she had that look.

"Never mind that, Harry-kun. You've been very sneaky. I never knew you were so in touch with your feminine side to have a female Zanpakutō." She grinned. "I'm so happy to have a new girlfriend in you, Harry-chan."

I groaned. "Why me? Why can't I have a normal sword? Please don't call me Harry-chan, I'm a manly man."

Retsu's face fell. "Isn't it so sad, Harry-chan? An accident of nature; you were meant to be a sweet girl. You must feel trapped in a boy's body." She patted my cheeks.

I glared at her. "Retsu, are you trying to make me die of embarrassment?"

"See? There's that unpredictability of a woman as well. Is that how you react to my sympathy for you, Harry-chan?" She was smiling wide now showing her neat row of teeth.

"You make me helpless, Retsu." I despaired. She let out a peel of laughter which made me smile. I dared a little and from feeling her new braid I moved my fingers and brushed them against her cheek. It was as soft as I always thought it would be. "I missed you, Retsu," I said feeling the ache of everything that had happened in the last four months.

She reached up and took my hand. She put it on my chest and began running her fingers through my hair. I was worried that I'd been too forward but her touch was unbelievable soothing and washed away my concerns. My eyes shut of their own accord.

"Harry-chan?" she called softly, still using that cutesy honorific to annoy me. "Many things will change now that you're in Seireitei so will you promise to stay my friend?"

I opened my eyes to Retsu looking seriously down at me. Most Japanese women I'd met didn't have blue eyes, but Retsu did. They always looked striking on her gentle face and sharply contrasting dark brows. Those eyes showed a weariness and sadness I didn't expect of them.

"Retsu…" I whispered. "Nothing will change that. What's wrong?"

She smiled and the unusually naked emotion in her eyes was replaced with her typical mischief. "Everything is well, Harry-chan, go to sleep. I will stay a while."

I knew she was casting some Kidō to relax me with her warm fingers on my head. "I know what you're doing; stop drugging me so you don't have to talk about what's worrying you."

"As suspicious as a woman too, you're so adorable, Harry-chan," she said softly.

Her spell is too strong, I feel myself drift into oblivion.

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I woke up to Isshin-sensei staring down at me. I looked at him for a few seconds unable to figure out if it was a dream or reality. My head wasn't on Retsu's lap, where it was the last time, and my vision was blurry. He wasn't moving or blinking.

"Shoo, nightmare," I said and shut my eyes. Something pinched my nostrils shut. I jerked back startled and fully awake.

"I could've killed you thirty-four times while you laid there, Potter-kun," Isshin-sensei said. "Which in hindsight, I should've for your rudeness."

"Thirty-four times? That's awfully specific," I grunted, pulling the sheet around me because I was inexplicably naked under it. I sat up against the wall of the bare room, wondering where I'd woken up in. This was yet a different room than the one I was with Retsu last. How many times had I been moved?

"That's how long I've been sitting here waiting for you to notice my reiatsu and wake up, Potter-kun. So I hear you made it to Class One! I'm so proud of my Potter-kun!" he chortled.

I narrowed my eyes, not so much in anger but to bring his unshaved face into focus. "Can you not call me Potter-kun in that tone? It's making me uncomfortable."

"Why? Can't a master be emotional about his pupil being the talk of town?" He sounded genuinely upset.

"Some master," I scoffed. "The old teacher at the entrance exam kept saying I couldn't even hold a sword," I said.

"Who was it?! I'll eviscerate the bastard!" he yelled, jumping to his feet and reaching for his sword.

I made shushing motions. "I don't know who it was. A really old man…he had a scar on his bald head in the shape of a cross. A real bastard."

The mock angry expression melted from Isshin-sensei's face, and a very serious one took its place. I was reminded of the time he had grabbed my hand at the bar and was trying to crush it. It made me anxious. He sat down and looked me full in the eyes. "Tell me everything," he said.

It took me a long time but I explained everything that happened. As time went by I became more and more apprehensive by his unchanging expression. At the end of my story he found his own piece of wall to lean against and lit up a cigarette. It was a strangely reassuring reminder of the life I had had on earth, but it still looked out of place.

"Potter-kun…that man was not a teacher at the Academy. He is the commander of the captains of the thirteen divisions of the Shinigami called the Gotei 13. People in Rukongai usually don't know much about how we're organized so I expect you don't understand what that means. Basically you had the misfortune to run into the oldest and most powerful Shinigami. I'm not surprised he berated you into nearly killing yourself," Isshin-sensei said flicking the ash on the stone floor and staring off.

"…Is that bad?" I asked. Inside I was ecstatic, if the commander of all the captains was going to keep an eye on me as that old man had said then all I had to do was impress him into making me a captain one day. As far as I was concerned I was that much closer to my goal of learning their secrets. No one is going to trust a 'nobody,' but what about the commander's favorite?

"The Captain Commander is a dangerous man, Potter-kun, because of this." He tapped his head to indicate the old man's mind. "He took a personal interest in you, it could be you pissed him off and he wanted to put you in your place himself, it could be that he saw some threat in you that he wanted to weigh himself."

I admit my stomach dropped at that. "Maybe he was impressed, maybe he saw potential. I stood up when he thought I was just going to die," I said angrily. I was mad at Isshin-san for taking my moment of triumph away. I wanted to believe that things were going right for me, that maybe sooner than later I could escape my afterlife.

Isshin-sensei laughed ruefully and put out his cigarette in the floor. "Potter-kun…if you had lived more than two thousand years, brought to heel an entire world, established the order that manages the balance of souls in two worlds, what would it take to impress you?" The remains of the smoke billowed around his face shimmering mysteriously in the moonlight pouring through the window.

I leaned my head against the wall, feeling cold. I thought of all the things I'd done right, that shouldn't have made me seem like a threat, "I managed my reiatsu except at the end when he was taunting me and telling me to die. I didn't release my Zanpakutō. I misaimed my Kidō spells on purpose so I didn't hit anyone directly."

Isshin-sensei raised his finger to interrupt me. "You know misfiring Kidō spells at that high a level is a little strange."

I shook my head in anger and slammed my fist against the stone wall; I didn't even feel the pain. "I fucking healed a kid who tried to kill my friend while those bastard Shinigami were cutting into me with their swords. I made sure no one died because of us." I swallowed the scream of rage throbbing in my throat. Instead I whispered, "What more could I've done, what else is there to show I'm not a threat, Isshin-sensei?"

He sighed and cracked his neck loudly in the quiet night. "Your reiatsu probably isn't the problem. The Captain Commander wouldn't even have noticed it, trust me, I've seen him battle. But maybe he saw something that I…" he trailed off.

I met his shadowed eyes staring at me. I couldn't make out the expression in them, but there was tension in the air. I wished I'd had a chance to talk to Retsu about him and find out who he really was. "Speak your mind, Isshin," I said, foregoing the honorific. I guess it had the desired effect; his fingers tapped the hilt of his sword. I wondered how strong Retsu's faith was in him.

"You don't think old man Yama had a reason to suspect you because you didn't release your Zanpakutō," said Isshin-sensei making the hair on my body rise in fear. I didn't realize I'd betrayed myself. He continued, "Will you tell me, Harry, did you release your Zanpakutō in District 80?"

I bet he saw my eyes widening. I shot my hand to the sword lying by the threadbare bed. Next thing I knew a light shone in my eyes and an unmovable force had gripped my arm. Moonlight reflected off Isshin-sensei's naked blade where it rested on the bridge of my nose. He kept my sword arm pinned.

My sudden fear disappeared. I was caught and at his mercy, my only option was to disapparate away, but that meant running from everything I'd gained. Some choices are not really a choice. "It was the first time I released her," I said. "I was dying. She told me her name, so I called it…and I've neverreleased her since."

Isshin-sensei moved his blade away and sat down cross-legged again. There was little space between us and I was glad for it; whatever needed to be said would be said in whispers. He sheathed his sword and rested his hands on his knees. "Are you the one they call the Shade of Zaraki?"

"It's not a name I gave myself. The last man I fought there said it was because they couldn't see me when I fought. No one uses Hohō there…" I explained.

"Is it true you killed those men in revenge for the women they executed for sheltering you?" he asked in a flat tone. I wondered how he knew that, I didn't think I'd left any witnesses alive.

"Yes and because I was sick of Rukongai, sick of being in this hell where no one cares for anyone else, where people are hungry, dying, and lost and no one is there to help. Where those same women who died because of me were going to kill one of the only two people who've protected me. I wanted them to die for not caring, I wanted them to suffer for the wretchedness they lived in and the wretchedness they spread every time they fucking breathed." I raised my head and stared in his blank face. "And I bled them long before I called the name of my Zanpakutō..."

I stared at him, challenging him with my eyes to say something, to kill me, to scream, but the bastard reached inside his robes and pulled out another cigarette. He offered me one. I didn't take it but looked at him befuddled. He blew the smoke out of his nostrils and leaned on his knees as if in deep thought.

"I told Unohana Retsu what I'd found…she still believes in you. She said it was her fault that you had to do what you did. You know, Potter-kun, I've never been to Hell; the only place close to it is District 80. Most men there are demons but you are your own special kind of psycho." A sardonic smile touched his lips as if what he'd said was funny.

"She knows…" I said in a shocked whisper. Cold sweat broke out on my body and I felt dizzy. I was suddenly nauseous, furious, and devastated at the same time. I couldn't bear to think of the look of betrayal in those gentle eyes. "Why did you tell her?" I shouted almost leaping out of the bed and the sheets that were keeping me decent.

"It was only right to tell the woman who put you in my care that I was going to kill you. But she took me to your pretty little friend, Matsumoto-chan. You need to thank her for your life. She's wise beyond her years," he said and stood up. I wondered what Rangiku could've told him. I didn't think she would betray my secrets.

"You agreed to teach me the sword before you talked to Rangiku. You knew I was the one who murdered those people. Why didn't you say anything then?" I asked.

He gave me a long look. "Because I'd rather not break Unohana Retsu's heart. You're not the only one she's saved, Potter-kun. And I lived in this world in the times before this beautiful city existed for the Shinigami, I know a thing about the kind of monster you are, I've been one myself. Just make sure that's in your past, killing the filth in Zaraki is one thing, but Seireitei is a different place. If you change like I did, there won't ever be a need to have this talk again." He walked the door, apparently having said what he had to say.

"What happens now?" I asked tiredly.

"I'll teach you to fight with your Zanpakutō. By the way, I don't think what you did is Unohana's fault. Every man is responsible for the blood he spills. I'll make sure you carry that burden all on your own."

And with that he left.

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The next time I had a visitor I was awake. The conversation with Isshin-sensei had left me disturbed and numb. I kept thinking why Retsu never said anything to me about Zaraki District. She'd spoken to me after Isshin-sensei had told her everything, she hadn't once given away she knew. Was she that much of a saint?

Rangiku came into the room dressed in white and red robes of a Japanese style. She cheerfully greeted me and threw a bundle on me. I was frozen under the sheets due to my nudity. My best guess was that my clothes were so ruined that the healers didn't deign to give them back.

"Wake up. I picked up your uniform. Look, doesn't mine look nice? It's so clean and freshly pressed, and I got to bathe, and soon we'll have food. I'm so hungry I could die. Come on get ready already!" she said in a hurry skipping around the room. She turned her back to me to give me some privacy. She could've left the room but we were past that point.

I got up slowly still reeling from her morning assault. Most of my body was bandaged but I left them on even though I felt healed. Seemed I had the same type of uniform as Rangiku except it was blue and white. Really? Blue for boys and red for girls, I guess some things stay the same from life to afterlife. I started figuring out what went where; I'd never worn Japanese clothing before.

"So," I said. "Miss Wadiwashi my Wakizashi," I taunted.

"Wasn't that great?" she said happily still looking away from me. "It's not fair you have all the dramatic sounding Kidō spells. I had to make an impression on the judges too."

"Un huh. I think pretty much anyone there would know that wasn't a spell and you were fucking around calling out nonsense when projecting your reiatsu," I said feeling irritated for some reason.

"You're in a foul mood, why the hell are you swearing at me?" she snapped. "It was just a little fun."

"It was stupid and it distracted me and you nearly killed a kid," I snapped back, getting frustrated with the clothes.

She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "You get grumpy when you're hungry. It was fun, Harry-kun, it rhymed. You're just jealous you don't have a rhyming spell."

"It's not a real spell," I mumbled with the undershirt in my teeth as I tried to pull the billowy pants up to slip it inside. Everything was so loose that it kept falling.

"Harry," she said softly. "Can't you be a little happy? We finally made it. No more hiding from gangs, going hungry for days, we can bathe anytime we want, have clean clothes. Isn't this what we always wanted? We escaped Rukongai."

I lost my irrational anger at her. "Yeah…I'm sorry, Rangiku. I'm just…" how could I explain what was going through my head? Like I'd known, getting accepted at the Academy was the end of her quest to get away from her life; mine would only enter another stage of the same struggle.

She looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes when I hurriedly snapped the robes close. "I'm too hungry to keep waiting for you. Hold up your trousers," she said and came over to me. She kneeled to tighten the wide trousers with four straps that I hadn't quite figured out the function of. She slipped my undershirt in and showed me how to tie the robe like shirt. I just stood there while she dressed me, oscillating between embarrassment and relief.

"Thanks," I said when she was done.

She looked up at me with her expressive gray eyes to give me a half smile. "Promised to watch your back, didn't I?"

"You always do," I said with a smile. She put her arm in mine and we left the room to my first sight of the Shinigami Academy. The gloom of Isshin-sensei's words was left behind. That was probably the first time I realized how much I'd come to rely on Rangiku for my sanity.

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I whistled in appreciation at the imposing Spiritual Arts Academy. An arched gate led into a vast courtyard closed in on three sides by wings of a three story building. The wing directly across from the entrance to the Academy had levels built upon the three stories with great sloping roofs at each level. The design of the central wing was such that it was difficult to see exactly how many floors it housed but I guessed at eight at least. The walls were pure white and the wooden roofs looked like gleaming yellow icing on cake. Rectangular segmented windows marched along the outside walls. What the Academy lost to Hogwarts in intricate design it made up for in sheer magnificence of size.

It was another world. People were milling about; some resting against vibrant trees, others sprawled on the lush grass. There were fragrances of many flowers in the air and a cool breeze blew through the courtyard. Rangiku breathed deeply with a serene smile on her face. She looked content. It made me happy that in all the misery I'd gone through I'd brought relief to someone.

In the sunlight I noted that her cheekbones were just a little too sharp, and that there were bags under her eyes. When she smiled it stretched her skin so it looked papery thin. I'd always thought she was fair but now she just looked pale. I wondered if she'd always looked this way or if four months of living with me had ruined her health. Maybe it was just being surrounded by so many well-fed and healthy people that it pronounced the wear and tear of the outlaw districts of Rukongai on her.

I looked to those people and wondered if they'd ever understand the pains that my friend had gone through to be amongst them. Could they even imagine fighting for their lives on weeks of empty stomachs, of bearing injury upon injury to stay standing? No, they couldn't. Even if we were at her promised land, it didn't really wash the past away.

"Class 3, assemble here, I'll call out your names. Ikari, Ayanami, Soryu, Nagisa, Suzuhara…" a man spoke reading off of a thick register. People of different ages dressed in the same uniforms as Rangiku and I started forming a line in front of him.

It went on like that for a while with him progressing to class two and then one. Rangiku skipped off when her name was called for Class One. I saw Kukaku in that line too; she waved at me with that wide grin of hers that had put me off when I'd seen her for the first time. It had only been the day before I'd met her but it felt like it was a different age. I waved back at her with a smile; I was surprised that I was actually happy to see her.

My good mood didn't last too long. I frowned looking around to see that all the classes had filled and my name hadn't been called. Isshin-sensei had said I was part of Class One; he'd been proud. Rangiku was motioning me to join her. She was holding a place in the line for me. I didn't think sneaking into a class was going to be much help so I stayed put a little off to the side from the neatly assembled new students.

The lower numbered classes had the greatest numbers of students. Rangiku's class had less than ten. All told maybe there were a hundred students. It was a fraction compared to the throng of people who'd shown up for the exam. A hush fell over the crowd when a Shinigami from the Academy stepped forward.

He was a tall and large man with rimless glasses that went past his bald head. He wore a gold necklace with a fat pendent. He was flanked by the Shinigami with the register and two others who I guessed to be instructors by their black robes.

The bald one started speaking, "I am Gengoro Onabara, welcome to the Spiritual Arts Academy. I congratulate you on acceptance to our two thousand year old institute. You are now part of a long and glorious tradition; I expect each and every one of you to honor this place and your teachers. It takes six years to pass the grueling training that will prepare you to join the 13 Divisions, the Kidō corps, and the Special Forces. You are divided into four classes according to the skill and talent you showed at the exam. Should you excel beyond our expectations I will move you from the class you are in to the class above you, but if you should fall below our expectations I will recommend your expulsion from the Academy. Is that understood?" he demanded in a stentorian voice.

He got a general murmur of yes's and short bows. The look on his face was of someone unimpressed. I wondered if he could see me clearly enough hanging out by myself.

"To be a Shinigami is to maintain the balance of souls in the worlds. You will train to bury souls so they arrive in the afterlife safely and you will learn to fight Hollows, an abomination that threatens to destroy that balance. I will tell you now at least a third of you will die on missions within the first ten years of your service. This is an army, you are warriors, and your enemy is a monster that changes its face every second. Slack off in our classes and you might as well write your own death sentence. Do you understand? And this time I better hear all of you say something!" He glared at us all from his considerable height.

Inside I was scoffing at the thought of making sure souls made it to the afterlife. That didn't sound like we were doing anyone any favors. Sure if you landed right in the beautiful courtyard of the Academy it would be nice but out in the parts of Rukongai I came from it was cruel. "Sensei!" I raised my hand. "My name wasn't called out."

Everyone rubber necked to take a look at me. I ignored their stares; hell, I'd grown up as the center of attention at Hogwarts. What did it matter to me that they were whispering about the unmannered thug?

"I'm getting to you," the bald headed Shinigami said. He turned to the rest, "This is the first time we have different classes in the same year. Class One is the best of you, they will be in the accelerated program since they are the most gifted. It's possible for them to finish their training before the required six years. They are expected to be the backbone of the divisions they will one day join, and so they will have the most demanding training that anyone has seen in the Academy's history."

He strode over to the line of Class One students and walked up and down their ranks. It didn't take him long, they weren't many. "Should you of Class One survive your training, your entrance exam to the formal divisions will be waived and you will be granted an officer position. Class Two and Three, I want you to thank the gods you were spared the fate of Class One." He grinned menacingly which was at odds from his professional demeanor so far.

A lot of people were giving Class One jealous looks but quite a few seemed to be relieved they weren't part of the handful. Kukaku raised her hand. A look of displeasure crossed the bald Shinigami's face but he still nodded to her to have her say.

"Can I switch to Class Two, I'm only doing this because my brother is making me," she said sweetly. The students broke out in laughter as she grinned at them. The bald Shinigami teacher, Onabara, quietly looked at us sweeping his gaze from one corner to the other. The laughter died pretty quickly under the weight of his silent stare which he finally brought to rest on Kukaku. The mood was tense until Kukaku broke it, "I think I'll stay, big bro might be upset I gave up on being the best." The usual insolent tone was absent from her voice.

Onabara looked away from her to me, obviously dismissing her after having cowed her. "Class One is meant to be the first amongst all, but this year we will have a Class Zero which is above even the first. By recommendation of the founder of the Spiritual Arts Academy, Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto, Potter Harry is the single student in Class Zero. Come and stand besides Class One, Potter Harry." He waved me over.

In deathly silence I walked to my place feeling the weight of stares on the back of my neck. Onabara unfurled a scroll in front of my face. It looked to be an official form. "This is a blank personal will. Please fill this out and turn it in to me by end of day. Under normal circumstances everyone would make one in their sixth year before the first time they face Hollows, but the Captain Commander was kind enough to extend you the courtesy now. Please take this seriously, Potter-san."

I took the scroll from him as if it was something much heavier than paper. I didn't look at it and simply slipped it inside my robes where it scratched against my skin, unwilling to be forgotten. I berated myself for the silly feeling. It wasn't as if I hadn't died once already or faced mortal wounds. But to have the expectation of people of me to simply die so formalized in a form was really fucked up.

"Onabara-sensei," Rangiku's voice piped up. "Can I join Harry? He can't really do anything without me. Just this morning I had to-"

"Rangiku," I hissed at her.

"No," Onabara interrupted both of us. "Matsumoto-san, I'm impressed with your abilities and your loyalty. I recommended you for Class One myself. Be satisfied, and more importantly, be silent."

Rangiku ducked her head but not in shame. She was furious. Color rose to her face so that she was red from neck to ear tips and she was mashing her teeth. Her fist was clenched with white knuckles.

"I'll be fine," I whispered to her, knowing we were the center of attention.

She snapped her head to me. I was taken aback by the shine in her eyes. She looked ready to murder. "Don't-fill-it," she said and looked away from me after nodding to the will peeking out from my robes.

"Alright, you're dismissed. Head to the mess hall. Follow Sousuke-sensei," Onabara indicated the Shinigami with the large register.

The students broke out in whispers as they started off to get food. I stayed rooted to where I was, wondering how right Isshin-sensei had been. Maybe it really was my misfortune that the Captain Commander had taken note of me. Was Onabara mad? Why did he think giving me a personal will to fill out was an act of kindness from that insane old Shinigami? I shook my head to myself thinking it wasn't because the old man was being nice, it was simply because he was a bastard. He liked to put me down, to make me afraid, this was just another trick.

But in my heart of hearts I wasn't really sure it was just an old man getting his jollies from terrifying a youngster. I didn't say anything when Rangiku and Kukaku came to stand by me. By some unsaid agreement they were keeping silent too, letting me brood in peace.

"Pardon me!" someone yelled behind me.

I turned to find a male student bowing deeply at the waist. I recognized him as someone who had been staring hard at me in Class Three's line. A little behind him two other men were bowing at the waist too.

"Che," Kukaku made a displeased sound. "They're already lining up to be your pals. I'm too hungry for this. Congratulations big brother, I'll see you in the mess hall." She sauntered off laughing to herself. Rangiku was hiding her smile; I figured Kukaku was making fun of me because I said I was older than her and Rangiku.

"What do you guys want?" Rangiku said coming to stand next to me.

"Forgive our interruption, miss, I'm Tokiwa... from District 80," he said while still in his deep bow. My blood rushed and I placed my hand on my sword just as Rangiku did. "The Shade of Zaraki spared me once, I wish to serve Shade-sama," he said using an honorific for someone far above one's station.

My throat was suddenly dry. District 80 was supposed to be behind me, why the fuck was someone using that stupid name for me in the middle of Seireitei?!

"And who are the men behind you, Tokiwa-san?" Rangiku asked in a neutral tone.

"They are my men, miss. They aren't from District 80 but we've been together for a hundred years. They are in Shade-sama's service as am I, miss." Then he added quickly, "And yours too of course. Everyone knows of the Shade of Zaraki's red shadow." He bowed even deeper.

Rangiku gave me a blank look and mouthed 'Red shadow?' I shrugged, at some other time I would've been amused by their terrible titles, but I was terrified of being found out. Rangiku indicated her sword as if to say 'Shall we kill them?' but then shook her head taking back her suggestion. There was no way we could just kill them inside the home of the Shinigami. Not that I would just murder someone to hide my secrets, I'd rather obliviate them. I just needed to learn how to cast that complicated spell.

"First, never call me Shade of Zaraki again or call her the 'red shadow.' Don't ever mention anything about District 80. My name is Potter Harry and she is Matsumoto Rangiku," I said. "And stand up before people notice."

"Forgive me, Potter-sama," Tokiwa said standing to his full height. He was a man at least twice my age with a long chin beard and a thin deeply tanned face.

Ah, finally, some minions. They will prove useful, my little flower. Oh, and before you pretend to ignore my voice, I shall be seeing you tonight. It is time you know what I learned after drinking that old Captain Commander's blood.

"Oh…" I said out loud feeling as if the earth had slipped from under my feet. A man can only take so much bad news in a day. I had a will to write, followers who knew my dark secret, and my bloody sword had pissed off the most powerful Shinigami there was by drinking his blood.

"Shall we escort you to the eating hall, Potter-sama, Matsumoto-sama?" Tokiwa asked as his two men speedily fell around us.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and let Rangiku guide me.

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A.N. So did you figure out my homage to Evangelion and Full Metal Panic? :P