Okay – a short that explains how McClaggen got changed back… ties up a loose end I left (oops, my bad!) as suggested by sanny17… so here it is.

As always, Arei and I do not own either HP or Bleach. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

Mole-Ratty Blues

"No," the stubborn voice of one Ichigo Kurosaki echoed in the medical wing of Hogwarts.

"You must turn him back to normal!" came the angry, and desperate, voice of the Deputy-Headmistress; Professor McGonagall.

"No," Ichigo said again with more of a bite.

"Mr. Kurosaki, I will give you detention for the rest of your time here in this school if you do not turn Mr. Mclaggen back to normal!"

"I don't care what you threaten me with, I said 'no'," Ichigo said as he crossed his arms. "Name the little bastard Rufus and give him to some blonde boy in America for all I care. Living as someone's pet for a while might teach him the value of common sense."

"Mr. Kurosaki!" came Professor McGonagall's outraged shout. "He is a fellow student in this school!"

Ichigo leaned forward suddenly and growled. "You realize that if Harry had been this much of an ass I would have done the same thing to him regardless of the fact that I was brought here to keep him safe, yes? I mean it is easier to take care of a mole rate or a rabbit then it is to take care of a teenager, wouldn't you agree?"

Professor McGonagall fell into a stuttering, flustered, irate fit that didn't make much sense. It didn't help that her brogue accent was becoming more and more pronounced the longer she argued with Ichigo over Mclaggen's current state of existence.

Harry, Hermione and Ron had been watching the back and forth between the two, their heads whipping back and forth as if they were watching a tennis match, for the past half hour with alternating expressions of amusement and worry. Harry, at Ichigo's latest comment, went white when he heard it and swore to himself to never ever ever reach the level of 'prat' that Mclaggen had somehow managed to reach. He didn't want to live out his life as a rodent. Hermione and Ron shared a look, momentarily sharing an instinctive burst of near-Legilimency, agreeing with a glance that they would do their best to help Harry avoid such a fate and, if they failed in their task, to run for the hills until the smoke cleared and it was safe again. Only Hermione wondered about Ichigo's comment about Ichigo having been brought to Hogwarts to keep Harry safe…and determined to look into it. She would not confront Ichigo about it – but there were two dorm-mates she could certainly focus on…

The argument continued while the subject in question sat in a small cage, pleading, tearful eyes turned on Ichigo as Mclaggen tried to catch the older boy's attention and made occasional begging noises. Every now and then Ichigo pinned the changed boy with a glare that sent the boy-turned-mole-rat ducking under the blanket in the cage in fear for minutes at a time before he would come out and try again with the 'cute' eyes/tears. Harry was quite sure that look didn't work as well for a Mole-rat as opposed to a rabbit.

"Enough Minerva," said the calmly voice of reason that was the Headmaster as he entered the room. "I have what we need to make Ichigo turn the Mr. Mclaggen back."

"Oh, I seriously doubt that," Ichigo sneered, actually sneered at the Headmaster. The trio was surprised at his audacity and disturbed by how he suddenly seemed to be mimicking Professor Snape's mannerisms. It was... unnerving.

The Headmaster simply smiled at Ichigo and stepped to the side to reveal a tearful woman standing behind him. Ichigo's face lost its sneer in an instant as he recognized features of Mclaggen in the woman, or more that Mclaggen shared her features. This was the Prat's Mother. And she was crying. His expression was the very definition of 'Oh... Shit.'

There was a sudden cry from Mclaggen's cage as he somehow managed to make noises that sounded distinctly like 'Mum! Mum!' as he scrambled at the cage door trying to open it. Mrs. Mclaggen rushed over to the cage and tried to out her son to hold him close, crying all the while. After several minutes of weeping over him, she turned her teary gaze on Ichigo who flinched but managed to hold onto his obstinate stance...for the moment.

"Please," she whispered tearfully in the suddenly quiet room. "Please turn my baby boy back. I'll make sure he is never so foolish as to endanger his schoolmates again like he did but please, this is too great of a punishment for him to stay like this any longer."

Every please and sniffle from the woman caused Ichigo to twitch and flinch, even turn to stare out the window, before he finally let out a heavy sigh and took out his wand. He'd actually lasted a full forty-five minutes, Harry mused, admiring his backbone. Harry wouldn't have lasted five. Mrs. Mclaggen smiled tearfully before moving a few steps back. Ichigo pointed his wand at his schoolmate and glowered at the cage.

"The only reason I am doing this is because I hate seeing your Mother cry," Ichigo said coldly. "I'd leave you like this otherwise and will not hesitate to turn you back if you prove to be such a Bakayarou again, understand me?"

Mclaggen nodded his understanding and Ichigo flicked his wand once; Mclaggen was turned back to normal, clothes included, and was immediately drawn into his Mother's tear-filled embrace. Ichigo turned away from the scene with a huff and crossed his arms, his scowl fierce.

Professor McGonagall made her way over to the Headmaster's side and nudged him with her elbow. The trio could just make out their quiet words.

"How did you know to get Mr. Mclaggen's mother?" she asked.

"Ichigo himself gave us the answer a while ago my dear Minerva," Dumbledore responded with a twinkle in his eye. "Something along the lines of 'No mother should have to cry because something bad happened to her child', yes?"

McGonagall was quiet for several seconds before she shook her head. "That was borderline dirty, Albus."

"Was it?" the Headmaster said with a smile. "I merely expressed my concerns that Mrs. Mclaggen might want to talk to Ichigo directly to show her concern for her son's state. No more, no less."

"Dirty," McGonagall reiterated.

The trio shared a look at that and burst into a soft fit of laughter when they noticed that Ichigo must have overheard the pair himself as his expression changed to full 'sulk mode'. Really, they had the best Headmaster ever.

"Wily old coot," McGonagall muttered fondly as she turned to leave.

"Did you say something dear?" Dumbledore asked as he moved to follow.

Author's Notes:

Bakayarou: An insulting Japanese term frowned upon and thus rarely used in Japan, basically translates into "asshole" or similar English insults.

Pronounced: Bah-kah-yah-roh

Anata wa bakayarou desu. You are an asshole.