Once upon a time, I fell in love with HPYGO fanfiction. After rereading the first Harry Potter, this was born. No pairings, romance is too hard for my brain to understand. No guarantees that this will be finished either, I tend to be very lazy. Also, this probably won't be the most exciting or original story and no card games shall be played. *le gasp* Probably going to change the title.
On another note, I've realized that when Hagrid met Harry, he must have sent the letter to McGonagall before or on July 31st and then they got the school supplies and were off to Hogwarts the day after. There is a month between July and September I believe, so where did it go? Just curious, Rowling.
Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter and Yu-Gi-Oh! Mwahahahaha! Now I shall make Thiefshipping canon! And in the 7th movie Neville will hook up with Luna! Not to mention I'll be screwing the rules and making Dramione canon! In case you didn't get the idea, I don't own either series and they belong to their respective authors.
"Blah" : thinking
Chapter 1: Acceptance
"Promise you'll come home for Christmas," Ryou Bakura pouted. His little sister Amane nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
"I will, I promise,' Ryou's father nodded, and hugged the both of them tight. Ryou, at the age of eleven was used to his father being away from home for months; he'd been putting up with it for five years when he took up archaeology. To be honest, Ryou really wanted his father home with the rest of the family, but if his mother could stand him being gone so long, then so could he.
"Bring us home something exotic!" Amane begged. Ryou's mother chuckled and kissed her husband goodbye.
"Call us when you get there and any time you find something important," she told him. The threesome waved farewell to him as he passed through the first set of security sensors at the airport. They would miss him every day he was gone and he would think of them with an ache in his heart. He wasn't a cruel and heartless man who'd leave his family easily. In fact, they travelled with him for a few years. But the fact that Ryou's father spent every waking moment at the dig site meant that even if they did go with him, he'd still be extremely busy to spend time together. Not to mention that the children wouldn't be getting an education in schools where they couldn't speak the language. The remaining family returned to their home and continued life in their normal fashion.
Summer was quite boring for all members of the household. Ryou and Amane, not having school, were constantly lazing around the house with nothing better to do. Their mother, having no need to pack lunches and juggle school events and extracurricular activities went to work but always returned in the evening with nothing to do.
"That's it," their mother sighed after coming home that evening to see her children in the same position they were in when she had left that morning. "You guys need some fresh air. Both of you, out." She turned off the TV and dragged them to the door. "Go to the park, walk around the neighborhood, do anything that's not indoors. You can come back in an hour when dinner's ready." With that she closed and locked the door.
"Now what do we do," Ryou grumbled. Amane stood up and took a glance around the neighborhood.
"Let's go to the park. It's nearby," Amane shrugged. Ryou nodded and the duo set off to the park.
When they had returned home after their necessary hour had been up, they were greeted by their mother loudly shouting "shoo!" A step into the kitchen and they couldn't believe their eyes; a large Barn Owl was fervently fluttering around the kitchen, avoiding Ryou's mothers grasp. When it spotted the children, it swooped down and dropped a letter on the ground. It then proceeded to perch on the back of a chair, smoothing out its feathers.
"What's an owl doing in our house, mum?" Amane asked, cocking her head to one side, imitating the owl.
"Flew right in through the window! It started hooting and flying around and I was worried it'd poop in our house!" she glared at the creature before picking up the letter it dropped. "Apparently it's for Ryou," she handed the letter over to him. "Don't tell me this is a prank set up by the kids at school."
"Have they been spying our house?" Amane peered at the envelope. "Creepy, they even know what room he lives in." Ryou flipped it over and ran his finger over the H sealing the envelope. He opened it and read it aloud to his family,
"Dear Mr. Bakura,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await you owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress" He lowered the letter and looked at his mother in bewilderment, as though she'd know the answer. "Is this a joke?" His mother just stared and snatched the letter out of his hands. She reread it multiple times, trying to see an "idiot" or "fooled you" somewhere on the parchment.
"Well, this is not a prank sent by children at school. To elaborate," she started. "It says here that we're supposed to send an owl back to them, so we can ask more questions." She set down the parchment and got a pen and paper. "Let's ask a little more about this school and then we'll see whether you'll be going." Ryou's mother scribbled down a few questions and approached the owl cautiously. She carefully reached out for it before drawing her hand back as the owl snapped. "You attach it, Amane." She shoved the rolled up paper in her hand. Amane tied the paper to the owl's leg and they all watched as it set off out the window and disappeared into the distance. After a moment of silence, Ryou burst out,
"Mum," he whined. "Why'd you do that?"
"Why not? We need to know a little more about it before I send my son there."
"But what if I don't want to go? I like my normal life here with my family; I don't want to be sent off to some school where I don't know anyone."
"Ryou, honey, you've always got to be open to new ideas and challenges. Plus, if you're really a wizard, you can do so many things that aren't possible for those of us without magic. You might be able to fly, let's just use for an example. Don't you think that'd be fantastic?" Ryou nodded. "But you wouldn't be able to if you didn't have magic."
"Plus, I'm so jealous that you get to be a wizard!" Amane put in. It took a while, but eventually Ryou was excited at the prospect of being a wizard.
After several more letters back and forth with questions and answers, it was only a couple more days until July 31, when the final decision had to be made. At last, they sent out Ryou's confirmation.
"Now only a month before you leave us for a year," Amane sighed. It had been explained in one of their Q and A letters that Hogwarts students stayed in the castle and lived there throughout the entire school year. They could only visit home during holidays such as Christmas.
"Don't worry, when I come back I'll do tricks and bring back a bunch of presents from the magic school," Ryou said.
"The way you say that makes you sound like dad…" Amane trailed off. Ryou, sensing the meaning, quickly reassured her.
"I'll write to you as often as I can, maybe even every day! We're going to stay connected, I'll tell you all about every single thing that happens at Hogwarts and you'll do the same for me, right?" he smiled.
A wizard had popped up at their front door on July 2nd without any notice.
"Arthur Weasley, pleasure to meet you!" a cloaked man greeted when Ryou's mother opened the front door. She had slammed the door in his face muttering "Stupid salesmen" before the man appeared before her in the hallway. "Excuse me, so sorry for barging in like this, but I can't dilly-dally at the door. I need to see Ryou so that we can go." She stared at him for a minute, sizing him and his odd clothing up before asking,
"You don't look like an ordinary salesman. Are you one of those wizards?" He nodded, smiling.
"Could I speak to Ryou?" he asked. By that time both children were in the area, wondering who it was that their mother slammed the door on. She nodded before beckoning him to a chair in the living room. "Fascinating!" he exclaimed when he saw the TV on in the corner. "Incredible things you Muggles come up with!"
"You wanted to speak with us, sir?" Ryou inquired.
"Oh, yes! Well, the Headmaster at Hogwarts, Dumbledore, feels that Muggleborns should have a little bit of an introduction to the magical world before being immersed in it. Should make the transition easier, I guess. Our first year trying it, I hope all goes well. I'm supposed to take Ryou school shopping and then he'll be staying at the Leaky Cauldron—great inn—so that he can get used to magic. Can we be departing soon?"
"He's leaving already?" Amane gasped. "But school doesn't start in month and it can't take that long to get used to magic!"
"I understand how you feel, but not only will Ryou be exploring the magical world, he'll be meeting a few of his classmates to get acquainted. They'll all be Muggleborn like him and can get accustomed to it together. Please consider this." Ryou's mother and Amane looked at Ryou worriedly. Ryou was staring at his feet, not liking the pressure.
"I—I think it's a good idea on the Headmaster's part, and I guess it would be for the best," he avoided the gloomy look coming from his sister and mother. "Mum, you wanted me to go to Hogwarts and I want to meet my classmates. Can I go, please?" he whimpered, giving puppy eyes to his mother. She groaned before nodding. Mr. Weasley beamed and stood up.
"Thank you very much, allowing him to go," he shook Ryou's mother's hand. "I'm truly sorry we have to depart so soon, but we have a busy day of shopping ahead of us. Please pack your things, Ryou." Ryou nodded and shot upstairs, Amane following behind. "Now, could you explain how this box makes those pictures move without magic?" the siblings heard Mr. Weasley ask before they were out of earshot. Ryou immediately started packing a duffel bag, avoiding Amane's accusing gaze.
"Why do you want to go so bad?" she glared. "I wanted to spend this month together before we don't see you for a whole year! Mum feels the same way." Ryou continued packing, feeling guilty. "Why couldn't you have stayed? Do you really not want to be with us? To be off in some other world where we don't even see you?"
"Of course not!" Ryou snapped back, tired of her ranting. "I love you and Mum more than anything or anyone else in the world! But I don't want to go to a school where I don't know anyone. If I go to that inn where other new students are, then I might make some friends and be more accustomed to magic! I don't want to be in a completely unknown world, having someone else there will make it that much better," he finished, and continued to pack. Amane, now understanding the predicament he was in, hugged her brother tightly.
"I'll miss you, Ryou," she said softly.
"I'll miss you too, Amane," he hugged back. After a moment they both broke away and Ryou zipped up the bag. "Well, I should get downstairs, Mr. Weasel— Weasley, that's his name I think, is probably anxious to go.
On the contrary to what Ryou thought, Arthur Weasley was not anxious to go. He was asking Ryou's mother about everything that he set his eyes on.
"What's this?"
"A phone."
"How interesting! What does it do?"
"It's how we talk to people who aren't here."
"Unbelievable! So you talk into this end and another person talks on the other end? Hello? Hello? All I hear is a tone, is it broken?" Ryou's mother chuckled and before she could respond her two children came down.
"Ready to go, sir," Ryou said.
"Right, we'll be off then." He thanked Ryou's mother and headed to the door. Ryou hugged his mother before both the wizard and her son were gone.
In a moment of surprise and nausea, Ryou found himself in a dingy little pub. Before he could ask, Mr. Weasley spoke.
"Sorry we couldn't Floo here, your house doesn't have a fireplace. I'll admit, it's a lot more comfortable than Apparition. It's a difficult magic, you won't learn it for several years. I didn't tell you before it happened because people tend to do better when they don't know it'll happen. As for where we are, we're in the Leaky Cauldron where you'll be staying for the month." Mr. Weasley rambled.
"This place?" Ryou looked around incredulously. "But you said an inn, not a dirty pub!" he was more than surprised that he'd be staying at this less that clean bar. "This doesn't seem like the safest place for an eleven year old without parents around!"
"Looks are deceiving. This is a safe place, safer than any other inn for miles. And the rooms are cleaner and brighter than down here, rest assured!" Mr. Weasley laughed and led him through the maze of chairs and people. They stopped at a brick dead end, where Mr. Weasley pulled out his wand and tapped some bricks on the wall. Ryou didn't know which ones; he was too busy looking back at the pub where more cloaked adults talked over drinks. "Wizards aren't so different from non-magical people than I thought." But when he turned around he reconsidered.
Before him was a colorful and lively street, lined with shops and bustling people. Off in the distance was a white marble building sitting at the intersection of three streets that led to more stores. Ryou hurried after Mr. Weasley, noticing the man was making his way into the crowd. After a difficult time of squeezing through the groups of people and bags, Ryou found himself in a clothing store. This place was less busy than the other shops and it seemed to be where everyone bought their cloaks. A squat, kind-looking woman stood pinning the measurements for another man.
"Just a moment," she said to the newcomers through a mouthful of pins. Mr. Weasley and Ryou sat down at the side patiently until the man slipped off the robes and she ordered him to return in a couple hours. She beckoned Ryou to the mirrors and pulled a black robe over his head. "What should the measurements be, dear?" she asked him. Mr. Weasley answered with "Standard length" before Ryou could ask. She nodded and started to make conversation as she pinned. "Another Muggleborn, Arthur?"
"Dumbledore's orders, sorry for bringing in more customers, Madam Malkin," he chuckled.
"What's a Muggle?" Ryou asked. He'd heard Mr. Weasley say something about how incredible they were.
"Non-magic folk," the lady—Madam Malkin answered before continuing the conversation. Eventually the measuring and pinning were done and they both bade farewell to her.
"Mr. Weasley, she didn't ask for any payment," Ryou said as soon as they left the shop. "Is everything free in the magical world?" Mr. Weasley laughed,
"Madam Malkin will ask for her fee after the robes are finished. And we use money just like Muggles. You don't have to pay anything because it would be an unfair thing to ask of all of the Muggleborns."
"How many of them are there going to their first year at Hogwarts?"
"Around twenty I think."
"That's an awful lot of students to pay for all of their supplies!" Ryou remarked. He didn't want to be a burden on the Headmaster, though he thought it quite kind of him to do so.
"Nonsense, it's simple courtesy that we do this." They continued their shopping spree, visiting a book store where a book about vampires caught Ryou's eye. Unfortunately, they had to leave before Ryou could look at it; a celebrity was signing books at the back and the fans were crowding up the shop. After picking up a cauldron, a set of phials, a telescope, and a set of brass scales, their arms were weary from carrying the bags.
"What's left, Ryou?" Mr. Weasley asked behind a pile of bags.
"We've got everything on the list except for my wand," Ryou skimmed over the parchment. He didn't bother asking about a pet, since those were optional and the less money he could spend, the better.
"Right then, we must be off." They went to a place entitled Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. When they entered, it was strangely empty. "People must not need new wands every day," Ryou thought. They set down their things and Mr. Weasley took a seat in a dusty looking chair.
"Welcome," said an eerily soft voice. Ryou jumped and fell over. Embarrassed, he was slightly glad to see that Mr. Weasley looked just as frazzled. "Mr. Bakura," an old man said, emerging from the shelves of wands. His hair was silver and nearly all gone, and Ryou would have pegged him as a senile man that needed to retire if it wasn't for his eyes, they held wisdom within them that made Ryou feel as though he knew something everyone else didn't know. "Mr. Weasley," he nodded to the red haired man who was regaining him composure. "Eight and three-quarters inches, Banshee hair, springy. Excellent wand, very lively. Now then, Mr. Bakura, we must find you a wand. Hold out your wand arm," Ryou held up his right, hoping Mr. Ollivander meant which hand he used for writing. A tape measure started measuring lengths around Ryou's body. How long his arm was, the circumference of his neck, how long his fingers were. While that was going on, the old man slinked back behind the stacks of boxes. "Did you know that every core of one of my wands has a core of a magical substance? No two of my wands are the same, just as no two people are the same. You won't get quite as good of a result with another wizard's wand; after all, it is the wand that chooses the wizard." He emerged from the dust holding a few boxes. He flicked his hand at the tape measure, who was measuring all of the dimensions of Ryou's hair, and it fell to the floor. Mr. Ollivander handed Ryou a wand, described it, and before Ryou could do anything, the old man snatched it back.
"Phoenix tail, of course not!" He handed another over. "Eleven inches, Mahogany wood, Doxie claw, powerful. Twelve inches, Unicorn core, springy, excellent at Charms." Mr. Ollivander rattled off descriptions about the wands he gave Ryou, every time taking it back before Ryou could do anything. His arm was getting tired, but eventually they found the right one. "Nine and a half inches, Mermaid hair, Pine wood, good at Defense." The moment he handed it over the air in the room changed, getting a little lighter and swirling around the boy. Ryou looked curiously at the wand, it warmed him inside yet he shivered.
"Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed. "Great bit of fun, finding your wand was." Mr. Weasley handed over several gold coins before they left.
"Mr. Ollivander always gives me the creeps," Mr. Weasley said as soon as they left. "I know his wand speech by heart, after taking five of my children to get their wands. I prepare myself for his entrance, yet I always get spooked," he chuckled uneasily.
"Surprised me as well," Ryou blushed.
"That's everything then. Let's return to the Leaky Cauldron." Mr. Weasley booked Ryou one room for the month and helped him carry his bags upstairs.
The room was plainly furnished but nonetheless clean. After setting Ryou's supplies and bag off to the side, Mr. Weasley gave him a few words of advice,
"Don't stray too far from the main street, you'll probably meet a few more students tomorrow around breakfast. You all should stick together, don't go roaming around by yourself, find at least one friend. After that's figured out, go ahead and look around. One September 1st, someone from Hogwarts will be sent to take you all to the train. Have fun, Ryou!" Mr. Weasley waved him goodbye before popping away in the middle of the hall.