Chapter 7

"The first few sessions are going to be about the basics of defense, starting with proper wand posture. After all, if you can't get the fundamentals right, how can you expect to get more complex spells mastered?" Ichigo explained to the group before him.

Most of the faces in the crowd were familiar to him, but there were a few new students he hadn't met yet. They could've been transfers, or just children that hadn't felt the need to speak with him. Whether or not that was a good thing remained to be seen. Of course there was Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, but so was Cedric, Luna, and Neville. Ichigo was disappointed that he couldn't find Draco amongst the students, but he figured that Harry hadn't thought to invite him. Regardless, Ichigo was sure that Draco was receiving a different kind of training from his father. That thought, however, was for a different day.

"Normally, this kind of training occurs over the course of several years, but we don't have that kind of time," he explained. They were all within the Room of Requirement, it being the only space large enough for the D.A. to take place secretly with all the students. It kept the same sandy expanse that Ichigo had used earlier, which made the students uncomfortable. They had probably never been in that kind of environment before. Good.

Ichigo remained inside his gigai, but he had changed into more breathable clothes and kept Zangetsu on his hip. Winky, faithful as ever, was a few feet behind him. "While we relearn the basics of defense, I will also reshape the way you view combat. Just because you lose your wand, that doesn't mean the fight is over. You have a body -- young bodies, use them to your advantage! These witches and wizards won't hesitate just because your children. They will kill you, given the chance."

"Don't give them that chance," Ichigo continued. "It's impossible to outrun a spell, but that doesn't mean you can't dodge it. They force your wand out of your hand using a spell, so knock their wands out with your palm. Don't think of your wand as a tool, think of it as an extension of your body. Be conscientious of your body, know your kinesthesia... Now, everyone pair up. We'll start with expelliarmus."

Ichigo watched as the students partnered together. He took his own wand out and performed a demonstration by moving his wand in a spiral motion. "Expelliarmus is a quick and easy spell to master. As easy as it is to use, however, it's also as easy to predict and deflect, so don't let it become your crutch. Begin."

One advantage of the Room being a desert was that there was plenty of space for the children to spread out. Shouts of spells and defensive charms came from almost every direction. This was good. In the event of a full-scale battle, they would be used to fighting battles amongst chaos, as they usually went, and stay focused. They also needed to know how to work together and play to their strengths. Not every wizard was gifted in defense, but that didn't mean they were useless in battle.

Even with that thought in mind, however, Neville was indeed the first student to fall. Ichigo gave the boy a once over, but he seemed no worse for wear. "Up and adem, Mister Longbottom!"

After letting them get the hang of expelliarmus, which thankfully many students already knew, Ichigo moved them to stupefy. It progressed slower than he'd like, but they made progress and he couldn't really argue with that. Even though they weren't adept at the spell yet, it was getting late and Ichigo had to call it a night.

"That's enough, everyone. You've only got an hour until your curfew, so best get to it. Everyone did good work today, and we'll be back here in a few days."

The students nodded and bid him farewell. Ichigo waited and watched all the students leave before he turned to Winky. "Ready to go?" He asked.

The house elf nodded, but Ichigo doubted that she would answer any different if she wasn't. They stepped outside and Ichigo waited for the door to the room disappeared before leaving. When he turned around he locked eyes with Miss Norris, but didn't see it as a cause for concern. Whatever reservations people had for Filch, he wasn't the most intelligent, so Ichigo doubted anything of importance would come from his snooping.

When they returned to his chambers Winky gave him an outfit for bed. As he changed, he couldn't resist the opportunity to ask for his friend's advice. "Well, Winky, what did you think?"

"Winky thinks the children look silly, that she does."

Ichigo laughed. "Yes, I suppose the wizards you've served in the past were much more adept at the dark arts."

The shinigami realized what he had said only after it had come out of his mouth. If Winky was bothered by the topic, she didn't show it. Ichigo's eyes softened nonetheless. "I'm sorry, that was out of line."

Winky's face pinched up, just for a moment, but it was enough to betray her. Her hands twitched and Ichigo assumed she was struggling not to ball them into fists.

Ichigo stopped what he was doing and kneeled in front of her, but not close enough to impede her personal space. "Winky?"

"Winky is not... she is not mad at Master Ichigo..."

"It's perfectly alright for you to be mad at me. That was uncalled for and—"

"Winky is mad at herself."

Ichigo blinked at her. "I don't understand."

Winky's gaze darted to the bottom shelf of the tea cart where he had once stored butterbeer. Ichigo had, understandably, removed the temptation upon their return to Hogwarts. Simply removing the substance would never be enough to curb the craving, however, and the yearning he could see in Winky's eyes made his stomach churn.

"Winky's mad that she is mad. She shouldn't be upset over a dark wizard who hurt people, would have hurt Master Ichigo. But Winky still cares about her previous masters, she still worries, even if it is bad. Winky will accept any punishment Master Ichigo finds necessary for such bad thoughts."

Ichigo frowned. He reached a hand towards her and she flinched. He didn't hesitate. He grabbed her gently, pulling her into an embrace. She was stiff, confused. The situation reminded Ichigo of Grimmauld place. It was not the first time they discussed this and it would not be the last.

"Winky, I'm not going to punish you for having emotions, no matter what they are. As I've said before, Crouch Jr.'s actions are his own. It's okay to grieve for the person he was. Just because you care about someone, that doesn't mean you agree with their actions. You are not bad, Winky."

Ichigo did not care in the least that she was getting snot on his clothing and that he was going to have to change again. When her sniffles died down, she stepped back and got him a new shirt. While he finished redressing, a thought occurred to him.

"Winky, I think you should stay in here with me tonight."

"Winky doesn't--"

Ichigo held up his hand and she silenced. He shook his head, "You don't have to if you're uncomfortable with it, but I don't like the idea of you being alone right now."

Winky waited for a moment before she nodded. They followed their usual nightly routine with the exception of Winky crawling into the opposite side of the bed. Her frame was so small that Ichigo could barely notice the lump she made under the covers. He made sure to keep as much space between them as possible.

"If something starts bothering you, I want you to wake me up so that you're not by yourself. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I still want you to wake me, okay?"

He saw her nod her head. "Master Ichigo, Winky... Winky thanks you."

"Of course. We're family, aren't we? Now get some sleep."

It only took a few minutes for Winky's breathing to become soft snores. Ichigo smiled as he settled into the sheets. His thoughts traveled back to their discussion and what he said. It wasn't like him to be so insensitive and aloof, especially about such a delicate subject. Ichigo wondered what had come over him.

"Today we're going to focus on your physical abilities. Fred, George, if you'd come here please... yes, good, thank you." Ichigo maneuvered them five feet apart, making sure that everyone in the Room could see them properly. "Now, wands out and no funny business. Take a casting stance."

They did as they were told. Just like everything they did, they were mirror images of each other. Ichigo was going to use that to his advantage. He walked around them, taking in their posture and position.

He nodded to himself. "This is more or less what you've been taught in school for duels. When battling dark wizards, however, it certainly won't be a proper duel. It won't be one-on-one, it won't be in a clear environment, and you certainly won't have a countdown to start casting. Fred, stay as you are please," Ichigo asked.

The shinigami spread George's feet apart, straightened his back, tucked in his arms, and lifted his head. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. Ichigo turned to the group of students. "Alright, anyone want to take a guess as to why I changed what I did? Hermione?"

She cleared her throat, "Did you move his feet to give him better balance?"

"Yes, very good. Anyone else?" No one else raised their hands. "When you're battling someone, regardless of who or what they are, mobility and defense are key. You need to be prepared to lunge out of the way, turn around, jump, and anything else you may need to do to protect yourself and your friends. Pay close attention to the difference between Fred and George, and replicate it. Go."

Ichigo watched them do as they were told. He walked around and corrected them as he saw fit. As he passed Harry, he noticed him staring at Cho Chang and Cedric. Harry was so distracted that Ichigo was able to pluck his wand right out of his hand. "There's no point in training if you're not going to put any effort into it," he scolded.

Harry at least had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm sorry Ichigo."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw that Ginny was staring at Harry as well. "Don't worry, Harry, you'll have time for all that stuff later."