Chapter 9
Linked Dreams
"Ichigo, to say I'm concerned would be an understatement." Said man fidgeted in his chair across from Dumbledore's desk.
"Believe me, Albus, I'm just as confused as you are. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I meant what I said back in the infirmary, it was a dream, just a dream, but it's affected my magic, and my physical health. Even I am at my wit's end trying to figure out what it is." Winky placed a timid hand on her master's arm in an attempt to soothe him.
It wasn't a surprise that Dumbledore would try and figure out what had happened to Ichigo once he was able to use his magic again. Ichigo, at first, had not been too disturbed by the event, but the more he thought about it, the more confused and worried he became and his nervousness did not go unnoticed by those closest to him. "Whatever the cause," Ichigo continued, "it needs to be dealt with."
How am I supposed to protect people if I can't even protect myself...?
A hesitant knock at the door of Dumbledore's office brought the two out of their thoughts. A scraggly black-haired boy entered the room, "Professor?"
"Ah, Harry, come in! I'm glad you could join us," Dumbledore chimed. Harry stepped further into the room and sat down next to Ichigo, confusion spread across his face. "You see, Mr. Kurosaki, Harry has problems with nightmares quite often, and now that you've gotten a rather nasty one, I can't help but feel the two are related."
Ichigo turned to the boy. "Harry, why didn't you tell me you had nightmares?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know, it just didn't seem that important, but if you're having them too... maybe Professor Dumbledore's right." Ichigo nodded in agreement as Dumbledore moved to the side of his office and waved his hand as what appeared to be a large ornate hand washing bowl appeared. Ichigo and Harry both stood and joined Dumbledore.
"What is it?" Ichigo asked.
"A Pensieve," Dumbledore answered. "It allows one to view another's memories, and hopefully, help us get to the bottom of what's ailing you, Mr. Kurosaki."
Ichigo's eyebrow raised. "And what did you have in mind, headmaster?"
"Simple," the man pressed his wand against the side of the shinigami's head and pulled out a glowing blue strand. "This is your dream, at least, what you can remember of it. I'm going to place it in the pensieve, and Mr. Potter and I are going to watch it. Dreams are powerful things, as I'm sure you're aware. Best for us to get an idea of what we're working with."
Ichigo nodded, giving his consent, although, he wasn't entirely sure he had a choice. He watched as Dumbledore placed the strand into the water, and as he and Harry dunked their heads in as well. It was several minutes later when they both emerged, their breaths short and faces full of concern.
"That, I mean, that was," Harry stumbled. Ichigo guided the young wizard to a chair as Dumbledore found the way to his. The three sat across from each other, dismay etched across their features. "That dream," Harry continued, "I've had the same exact one. It's Voldemort sitting in the chair, I know it is, but why did you have the same dream Ichigo? You've never even met the man, and you said the dream took away your magic, but it never did anything like that to me."
"Perhaps..."Dumbledore mumbled to himself. He looked towards Ichigo, who returned his gaze. "Mr. Kurosaki, you said that you were connected to every wizard, because, they all have a piece of your power... do you think that's what's causing this?"
Ichigo leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his head. "Although that's true, it's not quite as simple as that, I'm afraid. I'm not so much connected to the actual wizard, but to their magic specifically. I can spread out my own magic, and connect to versions of my magic within other wizards, and sense the world through it. This process, however, is very taxing, so I cannot do it on a whim, I enter a similar trance-like state to the one you awakened me from, and even then, my mind and body are not strong enough to retain all of the information I gather, so I quickly forget small details and events, only remembering what's important."
"But this doesn't go both ways. The versions of my magic flowing through you and Harry, and everyone else, is not strong enough to make that same connection back to me, so that doesn't explain why Voldemort is sending me dreams as well, nevertheless why it caused me to loose my magic. In all honesty, I don't think Voldemort is even aware that he's sent me the dream, or that I even exist. He is not behind this, but something else is, and it seems to be out of our control." The three looked at each other, a growing sense of unease filling the room.
Dumbledore dismissed the two of them, each of them going their separate ways, Harry to the gryffindor common room and Ichigo to his own quarters farther down. "Winky, oh Winky, what do you think of this whole mess?"
Winky shut the door behind her master as he stepped farther into the room, scurrying to get his clothes for the night out of his dresser. Once she sat them down on her bed, she stepped back and paused to think about Ichigo's question. "Winky does not know, sir."
Ichigo turned his head back to face the elf as he slipped his pj shirt on over his head and smiled. "Hmm, try again. Think really hard."
Winky closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, finding the words to convey her thoughts. "Winky... thinks that perhaps, something is connecting You-Know-Who and yourself, and it's not the obvious. Mr. Potter is connected to the dark lord because they encountered each other when he was a babe, perhaps something similar is occurring now."
"That is, an interesting perspective, Winky." Ichigo admitted. Ichigo finished dressing and sat cross-legged on his bed. He placed the back of his hands on top of his knees and closed his eyes. "Winky, I'm going to be... meditating for a while, so please don't disturb me until I am finished." Ichigo did not wait for an answer before he fell into his inner world, trusting Winky to take care of things in his absence.
The furniture of his room faded into the warm study that was his inner world. The smell of a roaring fire filled his nose and he sighed, always content in the deepest part of his soul.
"Well, King, glad you finally decided to stop by." Ichigo turned to see the hollow version of himself planted in an armchair across from him.
"Where's Zangestu?" The wizard asked. He moved across the room and sat down next to the hollow.
"He's resting."
Ichigo's eyes widened. "Still?"
Shiro nodded. "I'm just as surprised as you are, King. The old man, he used a lot of energy fighting -- whatever that thing was -- and now he just can't seem to get back on your feet. I'm not sure if his absence while battling was what caused you to lose your hold on your magic. It's strange though, I've never seen him so... exhausted."
"My nightmare... do you know what it was?" Ichigo couldn't help but ask.
Shiro sighed and shook his head. "No. Zangetsu probably has an idea, like always, but he's a bit incapacitated at the moment." Ichigo's fingers found the sides of his temples as he rubbed them in soothing circles. He could already feel the headache forming.
Sleep did not come easy to the shinigami that night. His thoughts were too scrambled, jumping to conclusions and theories, racing around a mile a minute, far too fast to actually stick to an idea. If Winky noticed her master's distress, she did not mention it the next morning. It was during his morning class that he first heard word of the Yule Ball. Students couldn't seem to stop talking about the never-before seen dance at Hogwarts, much to the distress of the professors. It was no surprise that at the end of the day, many students had chosen their partners.
"Have you ever been to a ball, Ichigo?" Hermione asked, the golden trio sitting around the fireplace in Ichigo's room a week later. The Yule ball was drawing nearer, and the buzz was unmistakeable.
Ichigo closed his mind as he thought. "No, actually. Not in this sense, anyway. I've been to gatherings and galas, but never with a partner or anything. I was expected there for my status and duties, not for entertainment or love." Ichigo admitted.
Ron frowned. "Aw, tough luck man, that's no fun. Although, I'll be in a sorry state if I can't find a date?"
"Why do you need a date? Can't you just go on your own?"
"You don't understand, Ichigo." Hermione spouted. "The only thing these balls are good for is so that these boys can one-up each other based on their partners, as if we didn't have any feelings." The following silence was deafening, the tension thick enough to slice with a knife. Harry and Ron both looked towards Ichigo as if he was the last hope of humanity.
"Hermi-"
Hermione abruptly stood up from her spot next to Ichigo. "I'm leaving. I'll see you boys tomorrow." The three pairs of eyes followed the young girl as she left the room.
"Geez," Ron murmured. "What do you think got her knickers in a twist?" Harry and Ichigo's stare bore holes into the boy's head.
"What?"
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Ichigo was on his way to his last class of the day, when he was stopped by a very flustered Fleur. "Ms. Delacour, what can I do for you?"
The young woman looked at the shinigami before she said in firm tone, "we need to talk."
Ichigo scratched his head and began to walk past her slowly. "I'm sorry, Fleur, but I really should get to class. After all the time I've missed, I really shouldn't mis-"
The veela grabbed Ichigo's sleeve and looked at the man. "It can wait. Please... I need to ask you something."
Ichigo paused and looked at the young woman. "Is there something wrong?"
Fleur let go of Ichigo's sleeve in favor of the hem of her dress. "Well, no. It is just, you know how the Yule Ball is coming up?" Ichigo nodded. "Well, you see, I was wondering if... If, well, if you'd want to go... with me." Fleur stammered.
"Oh." Ichigo grimaced. "Ms. Delacour, I'm not entirely sure how appropriate that is. I mean, I work at the school, and you're a student."
"I thought you would say that," she began, "but I don't see a problem with it. Yes, you do work here, and yes, I am a student, however, you are not a teacher, and I am not a student at this school. Also, you don't look that much older than I, 5 years at the most I would say." Fleur paused, the sudden rush of confidence leaving her. "That is, I will not force you to go with me, or anything. I just, I thought it would be fun, and I enjoy speaking and spending time with you, and--"
"I'll go."
"I just think... you'll go?" Fleur's eyes widened. "Really?"
Ichigo sighed, but smiled softly. "You convinced me. Plus, I enjoy spending time with you too."
Fleur threw her arms around the man's frame, "Thank you!" before she scurried off. Ichigo watched the slim figure disappear down the hall as he scratched the back of his neck and continued to class.
*I normally don't leave author's notes, but this chapter was so difficult to write! I probably scrapped and rewrote the chapter at least three times. I know how I want the story to go up until the end, but the specific parts and conversations and such I'm writing as I go. But nothing, and I mean nothing, felt right about this chapter. I decided to just write the bare minimum or I would never finish, so I'm sorry this chapter was so short! Be sure to let me know what you thought of it!