ooo 1 year later, end of Hogwarts school year ooo

ooo Platform 9¾ ooo

"Seeya, Harry!"

Harry turned back to see his best friend, Ron, waving at him.

"Bye!" he called back. "Until next year!"

Ron ran up to his side. "Not likely," he panted, slightly tired after running to catch up with Harry. "We'll probably fetch you soon. Don't worry, we'll come earlier this time so you don't get too annoyed with the Dursleys and perform magic outside of Hogwarts."

"Actually, it's not too bad now. Uncle Vernon is much nicer, and Dudley just leaves me alone, now. Well, most of the time, anyway." Harry grinned. "And guess what? Uncle Vernon actually remembers my birthday! I hope he buys me another packet of YuGiOh cards, th-"

Ron's ears twitched. "What did you just say? Did you just say YuGiOh? And did you also just say again? Harry! Why didn't you tell me before, when we were at Hogwarts?"

"Well..." Harry trailed off, surprised at Ron's words. YuGiOh was a muggle card game, and Harry was surprised that Ron knew what they were. Ron's knowledge of the muggle world and its technology were quite... limited. The first time he had called Harry using a telephone, he had shouted through the mouthpiece, thinking that because Harry was quite a distance away, he would not be able to hear Ron speaking if he spoke normally.

"Blimey!" exclaimed Ron. "YuGiOh! Do you have a deck? You do? Great! I've got one, too! We should play sometime soon... then we can play tag team with Fred and Geroge, they refuse to play with me because they specialise in tag team dueling. We'll definitely come for you early! Maybe... hey Harry, would you like to come home with me now? Say, that's a good idea!"

"Erm, maybe not," Harry said. "I left my deck at home."

"Oh... okay then," Ron said, looking disappointed. Then he brightened up. "But we can still come for you early! We can-"

"Oh, look! Uncle Vernon!" Harry suddenly exclaimed, with unusual enthusiasm. "Sorry, Ron, gotta go!" He hurried away, relieved to be freed from the torture of Ron's continuous talking. He was nice, but he could carry on about something if he was too excited. But then again, thought Harry, why did Ron know about YuGiOh? And Fred and George, too, he thought, remembering that Ron had said that they played as well.

"Harry! My boy!" Uncle Vernon's shout distracted Harry from his thoughts. "Over here!" Uncle Vernon was standing over by his car, the car door open beside his plump physique. Uncle Vernon was waving at Harry to get his attention.

"Coming!" Harry smiled. Uncle Vernon still looked unusual waving and smiling. To Harry, anyway. Uncle Vernon had been cruel and punishing to Harry for the first 12 years of his life, and last year, on his 13th birthday, had suddenly come over a change of heart, and had actually remembered Harry's birthday. And had even bought him a gift.

But at least now that Uncle Vernon was nice to Harry, he didn't dread going home anymore. Now it was a home to Harry. Harry got into the car, and Uncle Vernon quizzed him about his year at Hogwarts all the way back home.

ooo 1 month later ooo

"Duel!"

They started by drawing five cards each. Harry had just arrived at Ron's place a few hours earlier, and Ron had immediately dragged Harry to his room, yammering ceasingly about YuGiOh.

Ron started, drawing another card. They had made variations to the game, so now the cards really did appear 3D, thanks to a little magic. Done by Arthur Weasley, of course. They didn't want to get into trouble for underage magic, after all, did they?

"Alright! I play Cloudian Squall and the field spell, Umi! Next I'll place 1 card face down, and put Cloudian – Poison Cloud [0/1000] in face-up attack mode. Activate Umi's effect! My Poison Cloud now has 200 atk and 1200 def points! Your turn, Harry!" A red cloud with popping veins appeared on Ron's field. Then, the entire arena was covered with magicked water.

"So, Ron, how come you're so interested in YuGiOh? After all, it is a muggle card game," Harry said, trying to make canversation as they dueled. He played Warrior of Zera [1600/1600] in attack mode. Then, Harry set 2 cards in his spell/trap card zone.

"Warrior of Zera [1600/1600], attack Cloudian – Poison Cloud [200/1200]!" Harry cried. His miniature warrior sprang forward and slashed at the deep red cloud on Ron's side of the field. "Good-bye, Poison Cloud! And you take 1400 points of damage to your life points because your cloud has 200 attack! So now your-"

"I don't think so!" Ron countered. "I play my face down, Tornado Wall! As long as Umi is on the field, I take no damage to my life points! And when my face-up Cloudian – Poison Cloud is destroyed, the monster which destroyed it goes 'BOOM' as well! So good-bye, Warrior of Zera! Now, the other effect! When Poison Cloud is destroyed, my opponent takes 800 points of damage! Which leaves you with 3200 life points!"

"Hmm..." Harry muttered, put off. Ron was clearly more experienced than he was. "Okay then. I'm done."

(4000/3200)

Ron drew a card. Then he smiled. "I play Cloudian – Acid Cloud [500/0] in attack mode! Due to the effect of Umi, the new stats for my cloud is: [700/200]. Effect... when Cloudian – Acid Cloud is summoned, 1 fog counter is placed on a monster of my choice! So now Cloudian – Acid Cloud has 1 fog counter on it. Done!"

Harry drew a card, not bothering with the conversation anymore. "Trojan Horse [1600/1200]! Attack mode and attack Cloudian - Acid Cloud [700/200]!" A wooden horse appeared and started charging toward the cloud. But the blow never came. The wooden horse just ran through the cloud that was on Ron's field.

"Hey! What happened?" Harry exclaimed, seeing as Cloudian – Acid cloud was still on the field. Ron grinned sadistically.

"Didn't you know? My Cloudian can't be destroyed by battle. After all... it is a cloud, you know," Ron told Harry.

Harry looked annoyed at this. "Fine then! I play Red Medicine! It increases my life points by 500, making it 3700! Your turn!"

"Draw! And now standby phase! And that means that my Cloudian – Acid Cloud now has 1 Fog Counter on it, because of the effect of my Cloudian Squall!" Rain fell onto Ron's monster, then faded, leaving a trace of mist. "Now... Cloudian – Cirrostratus [900/0]! And due to Umi... [1100/200]! And the effect! When Cloudian – Cirrostratus is summoned, I get to place a fog counter on 1 monster on the field! And I choose Cloudian – Cirrostratus! Since you're a beginner, Harry, that'll do for now," Ron said. He was looking at Harry, waiting for his move.

"Alright then! Hmmm..." Harry looked over all his cards, reading the effect for every one of them. "Here goes! Ookazi! It's a spell card that does 800 points of direct damage to your life points! Which leaves you with 3200! Next I tribute Trojan Horse to summon – Elemental Hero Bladedge! Now m-"

"Hey!" Ron interrupted, peering at Harry's card. "Elemental Hero Bladedge is a 7-star monster... you need 2 tributes to tribute summon that!"

Harry smirked, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Not if I sacrificed my Trojan Horse to summon it, Ron. Because of my Horse's effect, it is considered as 2 tributes when I'm tributing an Earth monster, as of which my Bladedge is! Now... Elemental Hero Bladedge [2600/1800] attack his Cloudian – Cirrostratus [1100/200]!" A shining golden warrior zoomed towards Ron's Cirrostratus as if on roller skates. Sharp razors popped out of it's forearms, like an attached arm blade. The warrior slashed at the cloud, but...!

"Too bad, Harry! My Cloudian – Cirrostratus also has the ability to survive any battle with an opposing monster! Nice try, though... oh, and I receive no damage, either, because of Tornado Wall's effect!"

Harry ground his teeth in frustration. "Is there any way to get past your annoying clouds? Grrr... fine, done!"

Ron drew a card and smiled. "Of course there is," he said, answering Harry's question. "No hard feelings, Harry, but I've been playing for almost 2 years now. I'm not gonna let a newbie get the best of me, now, am I? Okay, time to finish you off! Cloudian Squall gives another extra 1 fog counter to each of my Cloudian monsters!" Rain fell, and faded, yet again, this time covering both of Ron's monsters. Which means my Cloudian – Cirrostratus has a grand total of 2 fog counters!"

"So?" Harry said, trying to look like he didn't care, but failing.

"So," Ron explained, "I activate it's special ability! By removing 2 counters on him, I get to destroy 1 monster on the field! Go! Destroy Elemental Hero Bladedge!" Ron commanded. Harry looked a his mighty warrior, now enveloped in mist. Suddenly, the mist formed into a giant hand and squeezed Bladedge until it was crushed to death. Bladedge let out a last scream and disappeared. Harry reluctantly placed his card in the Graveyard.

"Now..." Ron said, practically rubbing his hands with glee. "I sacrifice both my monsters to summon... behold! The mighty Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon [3000/1000]! Next, I play Heavy Storm to destroy all spell and traps on the field! Now that I'm rid of your 2 annoying face-downs, I play Double Summon! For this turn only, I get to summon or set an extra monster. And I summon Cloudian – Altus [1300/0]!"

Harry watched, horrified, as Ron paused for dramatic effect.

"Say your prayers! (Hehe, I always wanted to say that) Because now... Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon [3000/1000] and Cloudian – Altus [1300/0] attack your life points directly! Which reduces it to -600 life points for you! Yeesssss! I beat the legendary Harry Potter! I WIN!!! Woohoo!"

Harry smiled, after a while. "Nice game, Ron. You're really good at this, you know that?"

Ron turned a slight shade of pink and stopped celebrating. "Naw, you should see Fred and George in action. They've beat all their opponents so far in less than 5 minutes. They're League Champions, after all.

Harry glanced over at the twins, where they were currently trying to make a recipe for a cake that exploded (gently) on impact. Sort of like a cake bomb. "Really? They don't look it... oh well, I'll have to upgrade my deck, now. You'll help me, right? I've brought my booster packs."

"Great! Let's go to my room, we'll do it there. Then maybe later we can challenge Fred and George to a battle." They walked up the stairs and went to Ron's room. There, Ron waited while Harry got his booster packs. Then they sat on Ron's bed and looked through cards that might seem useful in a deck.

"Wow, look at this, Harry! Only 6 Booster Packs and you get so many rare cards! I'm jealous! You definitely should add these," Ron exclaimed, holding up 8 cards. They were 'Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4', 'Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6', 'Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8', 'Horus' Servant', and 3 'Level Up!'s.

"Then should I add these ones, too?" Harry asked, holding up 'Armed Dragon LV3', 'Armed Dragon LV5', and 'Armed Dragon LV7'.

Ron's eyes bulged. "What?! That;s definitely too many rare cards for just 6 booster packs... You're too lucky, Harry! Of course you should add them as well!"

They continued remaking Harry's deck until it was time for dinner, as Harry called it, but Ron called it tea. "Why tea?" Harry had asked. "We're not drinking tea, are we?"

Ron had just replied, "Ask the person who started calling it tea, not me, I'm just following his example."

After dinner, they dueled again, but was interrupted by Mrs Weasley shouting 'Bedtime!' at Ron, while saying 'You really should go to bed now, dear' to Harry, so unfortunately they didn't get the chance to decide the winner.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo