Aniyu: Lalalala, I can't hear you! Lalala!
Sirius: I know damn well you can hear me!
Remus: Do I want to know?
Anayi: She's confirmed the main pairings. Sirius isn't overly happy about them.
Remus: Oh?
Anayi: Yeah. The confirmed pairings are as follows: Draco/Harry, Johan/Jaden, Marik/Ryou, and Atemu/Yugi. The others will be confirmed in later chapters, and these are subject to altering.
Remus: Well, that explains why Padfoot is rather unhappy.
Anayi: (nodding) Yes. Anyway. We don't own Harry Potter, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or Yu-Gi-Oh!, so don't sue. We do own Carrion so don't borrow without asking.
Aniyu: I'm not listening! (runs)
Sirius: Get back here!! (chases)
Year One: A New Start
Chapter Three
Harry felt really badly for Jaden, and only partially knew what he was going through. It wasn't everyday that a complete stranger told you that the people who disowned you weren't even your real parents.
"If it helps, Jay, I can understand a little of what you're going through. I've never known my parents, and my aunt and uncle lied to me about how they died, about what I am."
That brought a smile to Jaden's face. "Thanks Harry. Man, our families are so messed up." Harry nodded in agreement with a smile.
Johan breathed a sigh of relief, and mouthed a 'thank you' to Harry. He hated seeing his friends upset, Jaden especially. "All right. We have wands, now let's go to the Magical Menagerie."
Marik grinned. "Race you slow pokes there!"
And with that, Marik, Jim, and Hassleberry left them all in the dust. Once the others figured out what Marik had said, they went tearing after them. Once they arrived, they found Jim grinning while Marik was pouting.
"I'm guessing that means Jim won, right?" Yugi asked with a smile.
Both Hassleberry and Marik nodded, pouting, while Jim flashed a victory sign before entering the shop. Everyone followed him, with Marik and Hassleberry arguing over who was second. Inside, it was like a miniature zoo; animals all over the place, most they had never seen before.
Johan, Ryou, and Jaden went to look at cats, while Seto, Marik, and Syrus went to look at owls. Jim, Yugi, and Hassleberry wandered around the shop. Draco was following Harry, who was drawn to a beautiful snowy owl.
"Going to get her, Harry?" "Yeah, I think so." And with that, Harry took her and some owl treats to the checkout counter. Draco continued looking.
Yugi found himself drawn to, what he confirmed as, a Kneazle. Its fur was black with golden speckles, and red highlights that showed under the dim lighting. It's eyes were crimson red, reminding him of Atemu's eyes.
"Hello there. Would you like to come with me?"
Surprisingly, the Kneazle nodded and Yugi opened the cage. The Kneazle climbed into his arms as the shopkeeper approached. "I'm a little surprised that little guy took to you."
"How so, ma'am?" Yugi tilted his head in curiosity.
"Well, this little one came from a really unique litter; they were born with the ability to change their appearance around muggles. His brothers and sisters were already sold, but this little guy refused to go near anyone who wanted him. I suppose he was just waiting for the right person."
The witch rang him up, making sure he got all the necessities. Yugi turned to see Hassleberry standing behind him with a large owl. "It's an Eagle Owl," Hassleberry explained at Yugi's surprised look.
Seto checked out after Hassleberry, having chosen an ebony owl with pale blue eyes. Syrus chose a small, chestnut owl that had silvery markings around its eyes, giving it the look as if it were wearing glasses. "He's really adorable, and the sign said he was bred for quick deliveries," Syrus told Yugi when he met him outside.
Ryou and Marik came out of the store next. Ryou was holding another Kneazle; this one was white with tan speckles and had red-brown eyes. Marik had a desert falcon on his arm, with gray, tan, and cream plumage. At the looks he got, Marik smiled sheepishly.
"He was practically calling my name!!"
Meanwhile, Draco was kneeling in front of a cage with an odd looking cat. It was a male lion the size of a cub, with a white body, and a gold mane and tail tuft. It had large hematite wings on its back and emerald eyes.
At the moment, it was holding a paw between the cage bars, almost reaching for Draco. That was enough for him. "You want to come with me? All right."
The witch running the shop was surprised, but didn't argue. "The Soul Lion has taken a liking to you, I see. Make sure you take good care of him."
"I will," Draco replied, wondering why he'd never heard of such a creature before.
Yugi and Ryou both cooed at the lion when Draco brought it out. "It's so cute!"
Marik whispered to Seto, "Are we sure they aren't really girls, Seto-kun?"
Several witches and wizards turned at the sound of a double slap. The group chuckled at Marik, who now bore a slap mark on both cheeks. "Somehow I doubt I deserved that."
Jaden and Johan emerged last, each holding a cat. Jaden's was chocolate in color and seemed to be a small tabby. Johan's was a sleek cat, so black it seemed to have blue highlights.
"So that's everything, right?" Johan asked.
Ryou pulled out his list, read over it and nodded. "Yeah. The only thing we would be missing is actual ingredients for Potions, but according to our letters, we aren't required to buy those until third year."
And with that, everyone returned to the Leaky Cauldron.
(A Week Later)
In a way, Jaden wasn't too surprised that Dumbledore came to see him. He was surprised that he came with two other people. Sitting beside the headmaster in the back room, were two women. The first was an elderly woman with a stern air about her, emphasized by the horn-rimmed glasses she wore. The second was a middle-aged woman in what had to be medical robes.
"Ah, Mr. Yuki, please sit. Mr. Ollivander informed me of your discussion when you went to receive your wand."
Jaden sat across from the headmaster, looking at the two women with nervous curiosity. The younger woman gave him a kind smile.
"Do not be frightened, Jaden. I'm certainly not going to harm a child I helped bring into the world."
That caught Jaden's attention. Dumbledore explained with a smile. "You see, Mr. Yuki, your mother went into labor while she was visiting Mr. Ollivander, so the three of us came as witnesses for your birth. The nurse to my left is Hogwarts' very own Madame Pomfrey, and she helped deliver you. The witch to my right is Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, who is also the Transfiguration professor."
McGonagall leaned forward slightly, her gaze kind. "Mr. Yuki, would you mind telling us what you told Mr. Ollivander?"
"Well, I was a little confused because had referred to my parents as if they were dead. So I told him this exactly: 'Sir, what do you mean by were? My parents are still alive, but my Aunt Jasmine and Uncle Leon died when I was a baby'. Then he told me that I had it all wrong."
Now Pomfrey leaned forward, an imploring look on her face. "Mr. Yuki, did your aunt and uncle tell you they were your parents, or was it something you assumed?"
"They told me I was their son…though I guess it doesn't really matter since they disowned me when I was accepted to Duelist Academy," Jaden replied sadly.
Pomfrey's face contorted in a scandalized look. "How dare they?! Not only did they lie, but they cut you away from the family?!"
Dumbledore laid a gentle hand on Pomfrey's arm. "How long have you been disowned?"
Jaden quickly counted in his head. "I am in my third year at the Academy, so almost three years." "Where did you go for holidays?" "Nowhere. I didn't want to go back to them, not to mention I couldn't. And considering all the crazy things that happened at the Academy, it was a miracle if we actually got to enjoy holidays."
"Ah yes, I was keeping an eye on what took place a few months ago. Viper and Yubel caused you and your friends a lot of grief," Dumbledore mused.
A wince escaped Jaden at the mention of Yubel, and all three adults noticed. McGonagall exploded. "This wouldn't have happened if the Ministry wasn't full of morons and had let Jasmine name--" "Calm down, Minerva. What's done is done," Dumbledore interrupted firmly.
"No wait, what did she mean? Was someone else supposed to take me in?" Jaden was now more confused than ever.
Pomfrey gently explained, "You need to understand that times were very dark. Your mother had been bringing you here to present a case before the Minister; she was trying to name a friend as your Godparent, but the Minister was being obstinate because of the friend's condition. Somehow, You-Know-Who caught her and killed her. Your father had been killed just days before, but for some reason he didn't try to harm you. Your aunt and uncle found you and informed Dumbledore."
Dumbledore took over. "I believe something more important drew Voldemort's attention, so he left you there because you were now not worth his time. To my understanding, your mother died trying to protect you, thus you were gifted with the same magical protections as Harry. These protections are of blood, so you needed to be with someone of blood relation at least a week a year to keep the protections strong. Had you not been disowned, Yubel should not have been able to possess you."
Tears were in Jaden's eyes at this. "Then…the prophecy?"
"You would have also been protected from Voldemort. As the prophecy seems to allude to Voldemort returning, this means you are in great danger no matter who you stay with outside of Hogwarts."
Jaden asked, "Is it possible that the protections can be replaced?"
McGonagall shook her head. "That kind of magic is too ancient and complex to ever be recreated, even if you were with a new guardian. Harry also has these protections, as his mother died to save him. I believe Dumbledore told you about that incident."
Jaden nodded and McGonagall continued. "However, we believe that your Millennium Item may have revived those protections to certain degree. You see, a certain magical aura surrounded you while you were under the full protection your mother left on you. The aura was nearly gone when you first arrived here, but it solidified and grew quite a bit when you received your Item."
"So, the Item is guarding me?"
Dumbledore nodded. "The Items seem to have a fascinating relationship with their Holders. You guard the Items and they protect you. Of course, we also have to keep in mind that a spirit has not been released from your Item before; it is quite possible that you are protected by a spirit and not just the Item itself. I'm sure Mr. Mouto is more knowledgeable on that subject than I."
There was silence for a moment before Jaden spoke. "You still didn't answer my question, sir. Was there someone else who was going to take me in?"
"As Madame Pomfrey said, your mother had been trying to get the Ministry to let her name a friend as your Godfather. That friend, to no fault of his own, has lycanthropy. The Ministry tends to reject people with this condition when they apply for guardianship, marriage, and certain jobs," Dumbledore explained.
"So, he's a werewolf? But why judge him for it? It's not like it's his choice to be one," Jaden questioned with a pout.
McGonagall nodded in agreement. "That's very true. However, people fear what they do not understand or things that are different from them. You'll learn that these prejudices tend to extend to many magical creatures in the world, including giants and centaurs."
Silence reigned again for several moments before Pomfrey pulled a tiny book out of her pocket. Using her wand, she resized the book to reveal it was a thin photo album. She handed it to Jaden with a kind smile.
"Your parents would have wanted you to have this."
The brunette blinked at her in confusion as he accepted the book. When he opened it, his eyes went wide as he stared at the first picture, in which the two people in it were moving! "The-They're moving…"
"Yes. Wizards have developed a way to make photographs and portraits move."
Jaden stared at the picture and wondered how he ever could have believed that these weren't his parents. The two were sitting at the base of a tree, a huge lake and mountains in the background, wearing Hogwarts daily robes. The woman looked like Jaden's mirror image, but with waist long hair –minus the orange patch- and shimmering sea-green eyes. The male had Jaden's eyes and wildly spiked orange hair with a single braid trailing down to his shoulder next to his left ear.
Tears pooled in Jaden's eyes as he watched Jasmine and Leon wave at him. He closed the album with a smile.
"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. I really appreciate this."
The nurse smiled kindly at him before Dumbledore spoke. "You should return to your friends. We'll look into the matter of why your aunt and uncle lied to you. Have a good evening, Jaden."
The boy nodded and said goodbye, quickly heading to his room so he could look through the album. Upon entering the room, he was greeted by Johan.
"How'd it go, Jay?"
Jaden reiterated everything he had learned, receiving a hug from Johan when he finished. "I'm really sorry Jay. It can't be easy knowing all this."
"It's not, but I'm just glad I know the truth now…Did you know, I've never seen a picture of my parents before today? There were no pictures of them at the house, and my aunt always said that I didn't need to see them, since I had never met them before they died. I never understood why she seemed to hate hearing their names."
"What about your uncle?" Johan asked with a slight feeling of dread.
Jaden snorted. "If I even tried to ask him, he'd smack me with what ever he happened to be holding at the time and send me to my room. I stopped trying after about four times."
An angry scowl appeared on Johan's face. "That jerk…"
"It doesn't matter now; besides, Dumbledore's planning to question them, so I'll get my answers eventually. Right now, all I want to do is look through this album."
The two settled on Jaden's bed with the album in front of them. Winged Kuriboh and Ruby were asleep on Johan's bed, while Halo and Rayn –Jaden's and Johan's cats respectively- curled up beside their owners.
(Yugi and Seto's Room)
"Seto-kun? Have you seen little Yami?"
Seto looked up from Hogwarts: A History at him and shook his head. "No, I haven't, Yugi-chan. The last I saw him was after Critius returned from hunting; he was sleeping on your trunk."
Yugi pouted. "Well, the window's closed so I don't think he went outside…"
He went over to his trunk while Seto started to get up. "Maybe he wen-Hey!!"
Yugi turned in time to see Seto pout at his former seat. There, Yami the Kneazle was now curled into a ball, purring in contentment. The smaller duelist chuckled at Seto's disgruntled expression.
(Marik and Ryou's Room)
"Eep! Marik-kun, please tell Mahaado that my hair is not a nest!"
Of course, Marik was too busy laughing to oblige. So, Ryou called out sweetly. "Oh Sandune! Scratching post!"
The Kneazle got up, stretched lazily, and leaped at Marik's legs. Like Ryou commanded, Sandune proceeded to use Marik's clothed legs as scratching posts. Marik quickly stopped laughing and leaped back.
"Okay, okay! Call him off!"
(Jim's Room)
"Well now, sounds like Marik and Ryou are having fun," Jim chuckled as he got ready for bed.
Shirley growled in agreement, nonchalantly smacking the side of the bed with her tail. The bed quietly whimpered.
(Syrus and Hassleberry's Room)
"Um, could you please tell General to move? I really want to go to bed," Syrus asked nervously.
Hassleberry's eagle owl was perched on the small duelist's bed, staring at him as if he were a snack. Well, it looked like that from Syrus's point of view. Hazel, Syrus's owl, was sitting in her cage, giving Syrus a few soft hoots to soothe him.
"Sure thing, private. General, time to close down-don."
With one last glance at Syrus, General moved to his perch on the dresser.
(Harry and Draco's Room)
Harry was already sleeping, his owl Hedwig perched on his trunk fast asleep herself. Draco was sitting beside his friend and gently brushing a hand through hematite bangs. The Soul Lion, named Leonir, was lounging across the blonde's shoulders and purring with contentment.
'Sleep soundly tonight, Harry. May no dreams haunt you for once.'
(Several Hours Later)
(Yugi and Seto's Room)
"The Darkness will descend again, Light of the Pharaoh. And this time, you won't be able to stop it. Neither your light, nor your precious Atemu will save you."
He shook, frightened by the appearance of Necrophidesu. He backed up into a wall, wishing there were a way to escape. The corpse-like specter reached a hand out, aiming for his throat. The pressure of the Dark power around his body made him want to collapse and never get up.
"This time, the Dark will have a different face, a different host. You will die, and the Items will be the destruction of your worlds."
When the corpse was barely an inch away, a bright pillar of light crashed down on them. Necrophidesu disappeared with a screech as a powerful voice rang out.
"Your plan is doomed to fail, and you will not kill my Light! Be gone!"
He was blinded by the light, but felt safe. That feeling increased when a pair of strong arms encircled him.
"Don't worry. You're safe now. I'm still watching over you, my aibou. Wake up now."
"Hey, Yugi-chan. Time to get up!"
Yugi awoke with a start, quickly looking around with wide eyes. Seto gazed at him with concern.
"What's wrong, Yugi-chan?"
"I…I guess I had a nightmare…But I could have swore that Atemu-kun was really here, holding me." Yugi seemed a cross between confused and disappointed.
Now Seto looked worried, but Yugi held up a hand before he could speak. "I'll explain at breakfast; I think this is something everyone will need to hear."
An hour later, the group was once again in the back room. Yugi retold his dream, making sure to explain who Necrophidesu was to Jaden and his friends.
"So, does that mean we're going to have the Shadow Realm to deal with?" Ryou asked in confusion.
"It's possible…But, in all honesty, I don't think we'll know what this means until it happens," Jim stated grimly.
No one could argue with him.
"Maybe we should tell Dumbledore about this," Harry suggested.
"That sounds good. I can ask him to come see us when I owl him today. I was going to ask him when he plans to question my relatives," Jaden replied.
With a plan set, the group proceeded to order breakfast.
(Two Weeks Later)
The Item Holders were called down to the back room by Tom, who explained at their confused looks.
"Headmaster Dumbledore is here, lads. I'll be sending in some tea soon."
Inside, the headmaster bid them to sit. "Mr. Yuki told me there was something troubling you, Mr. Mouto, that may involve the Shadow Realm. Could you elaborate please?"
Yugi recounted his dream again. When he was finished, a grim look came to Dumbledore's face. He was silent for several minutes before sighing.
"This is rather grim, but I can't say what it means. All we can do is wait."
The group nodded in response, having figured that out already. "On another note, we seem to have a bit of a problem, Mr. Yuki. Your aunt and uncle cannot be located; we believe they either moved and forgot to inform us, or they are hiding from us."
Jaden looked puzzled. "That's odd. I wish I could help, but I haven't heard anything from them."
"I thought as much. I will inform you if we find them. For now, try to relax, there's only a week before Hagrid will take you to King's Cross station."
The boys thanked him and said goodbye before going back to their rooms. They later explained what Dumbledore told them to the others.
"So basically, we have no way to really prepare for whatever is coming," Jim summed up.
Draco sighed, "Pretty much. Well, we might as well get back to reading our books. Like Dumbledore said, one week left."
(One Week Later)
"Jaden, Johan! Marik, Ryou! Hurry up, it's time for breakfast!"
Harry stood at the top of the stairs, hands on his hips and foot tapping, as he waited for the last four boys to get moving. It was the day they were to leave, and those were the only four not ready to go.
Soon, Jaden and Ryou came dashing out, followed by Johan. "Harry-kun, I think you'll need to get Marik-kun up. He won't listen to me," Ryou said apologetically.
The boy nodded and the other three hurried downstairs to meet the others. Just as they started eating, they heard Harry's yell.
"MARIK ISHTAR! Get your lazy arse out of bed and get dressed! You are running late and if you don't get downstairs in the next ten minutes you'll miss breakfast!!"
Everyone laughed as they heard what sounded like Marik falling out of bed. Both boys were down five minutes later; Marik looking like someone put a rubber snake in his bed while Harry was smiling innocently.
Ryou shook his head, amused. "You should have gotten up when I told you to, Marik-kun."
Marik grumbled while everyone chuckled at him. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, so where are we going exactly?"
Draco pulled out his ticket and replied, "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station."
The others all blinked at that. "Nine and Three-Quarters? I didn't think there was such a platform," Harry said in confusion.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Hagrid will show us where it is. If not, we can ask another wizarding family." Draco smiled at Harry reassuringly.
Hagrid arrived just after breakfast to take them to the station. The ride was interesting, as they had to take the London Underground and then walk to the station. While their train wasn't particularly packed, they still got several weird looks for all the birds they had with them.
Unfortunately, Hagrid had to leave once he brought them to the station. So, they loaded their luggage on to carts and looked for the platform.
"Now I'm confused. I see nine and ten, but nothing in between," Jaden stated with a pout.
Draco looked around calculatingly, before a smile appeared on his face. "Mrs. Weasley!"
The other boys looked to whom he was waving at to see a sea of redheads led by who had to be their mother. Mrs. Weasley smiled wide at the boys and motioned them over.
"Draco dear! Good to see you again! These must be the friends you and Dumbledore told me about."
The blonde smiled and introduced the other boys. When he finished, Mrs. Weasley hugged each of them in turn. "It's wonderful to see you all; I had the pleasure of knowing some of your parents and other relations. I'm Molly Weasley and these are most of my children. The one with glasses is Percy, and the twins next to him are Fred and George. The youngest of my sons is Ron, and the little girl is my daughter Ginny."
The boys couldn't help but smile at the woman, she was easily likable and reminded them of some people they knew. "Um, we seem to be a bit confused. How do we get onto the platform?" Harry asked shyly.
"Oh don't fret dears, it's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well! It's hidden behind a barrier in the wall, right between platforms nine and ten. Percy, could you go first to show them what to do?"
Percy pushed his cart over to the wall and disappeared before hitting it. The boys blinked in shock, jaws dropped. The twins chuckled at their expressions. "All right, Fred, you next," Mrs. Weasley said, pointing at one of the twins.
"He's not Fred, I am!" "Honestly, woman, and you call yourself our mother." The twins said with a shake of their heads.
"Oh, sorry George." 'George' moved his cart forward and said with a grin. "I'm only jokin', I am Fred."
The twins had passed through the barrier before Mrs. Weasley could say anything. Mrs. Weasley let out a frustrated sigh while Ginny explained. "The twins are the pranksters of the family and of Hogwarts. Do be careful, they try to prank at least two people a day."
It was decided that Draco would go next, followed by Harry. Then Jaden's group would go, followed by Yugi's group. Once everyone was on the other side of the barrier, they gawked at the lovely scarlet steam engine in front of them.
"Woah, I've never seen a steam engine in such pristine condition," Ryou said in awe.
"I've never seen one period," Jaden added, his eyes wide with fascination.
Draco chuckled at his friends. "Well, we better go get a compartment. We're rather early, so there should still be some good ones available."
The boys somehow managed to squeeze into a compartment at the back, and were shortly joined by the twins.
"Hello there!" "Hi Fred, George," the boys replied, making room for the two.
The boys all talked about the wizarding world and Hogwarts for a few hours before the subject of Duel Monsters was broached. The twins were immediately fascinated.
"Wicked! So all of you play?" Fred asked as he handed Jaden back his deck.
"Yeah! It turns out that the muggle world here has the game too. So, we taught Harry-kun and Draco-kun how to play, helped them get cards, and they developed their own decks. If you want, we could teach you," Yugi explained with a smile.
The twins jumped on the idea immediately. "Wicked!"
Jaden added thoughtfully, "I know all of us from Duel Academy brought all of our extra cards with us. You could probably make your first decks from them until we can get you some booster and starter packs."
Seto nodded. "We bought several extra packs while we were in London, so you'll have plenty to choose from."
So the next couple hours were spent helping the twins learn the game and build their decks. Fred made a warrior-based deck, while George made a Beast-based deck. They dueled Harry and Draco, and were soundly defeated by the Dragon and Aqua decks respectively.
After their defeat, Fred asked Jaden a surprising question. "So, is it normal for your Winged Kuriboh to show up like that?"
Jaden looked at his shoulder to see Kuriboh sitting there as usual. "Yeah, but I'm a little surprised you can see him. The ability to see Duel Monster Spirits is a rare thing in our world. Then again, Harry and Draco can see them too…"
"Maybe wizards can see them because things like that are rather common for us," George said with a shrug, right before a spirit appeared in his lap. It was Milus Radiant, his favorite Beast; the dog-like spirit plopped into George's lap and wagged his tail happily.
"Cool!" George stroked Milus' fur in amazement.
"You can talk with your monster spirits whenever you want, both in a duel and out," Johan explained as three more spirits appeared.
Kneeling on Fred's shoulder was his Little Wing Guard, thrilling the redhead to no end. Harry's Red Eyes Black Chick appeared in his lap, cooing at the boy for attention. Draco's Aqua Spirit appeared at his side with a soft greeting.
Jim, who was lying against Shirley's flank, chuckled at the sight. "Ya know, mates, I couldn't see them until we came to this world." Hassleberry, Syrus, and Yugi's group nodded. "Same with us."
About an hour later, after having to shift around each other to change into robes, a bushy-haired girl opened the door to the compartment.
"Has anyone here seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one."
When all the boys shook their heads, the girl sighed before looking at them carefully. "Have you all been experimenting with magic? I've never seen hair styles like yours."
"Well, believe it or not, these are our natural colors and styles-don," Hassleberry said sheepishly.
The girl gave him a weird look before leaving. "All right, I really hope she's not in Gryffindor," the twins chimed.
Harry asked, "Are you two in Gryffindor?" The twins nodded.
"Yeah, our whole family's been in Gryffindor so far." Fred replied. "What house do you guys think you'll be in?" George asked.
"Hufflepuff, " both Ryou and Syrus replied.
"I bet Jim and Seto end up in Ravenclaw," Jaden said with a smile. Seto nodded in agreement while Jim shrugged. "Possibly. I just don't want to end up in Slytherin."
"Amen to that," the twins exclaimed.
An hour later, the train finally stopped in Hogsmeade Station and the students disembarked. They were told to leave their luggage, as it would be taken to their dorms during dinner. The group bid farewell to Fred and George before following the sound of Hagrid's voice.
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way! 'Ello there you lot!" "Hi Hagrid!"
All the first years followed Hagrid down to the lake where a large group of boats were waiting. "All righ', no more than four to a boat!"
Jaden, Johan, Harry, and Draco were in one boat; Jim, Marik, Ryou, and Hassleberry were in another; and Yugi, Seto, and Syrus were in a third with a boy holding a toad, Neville Longbottom.
"All righ', stay in the boats. Now, FORWARD!" Hagrid called out from his own boat. At his command the boats began to smoothly sail across a huge lake. "You'll be gettin' yer firs' view o' Hogwarts in a second. Just around this bend."
Every student's jaw dropped when the castle came into view. Hogwarts was huge! Seto nearly fell out of the boat in shock, and several of the others could have swore their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Once the boats docked, Hagrid led them up to the main doors, raised his large fist, and knocked twice. After a moment, Professor McGonagall opened the doors. "The firs' years, Professor."
"Thank you Hagrid. Please follow me, everyone."
McGonagall led the first years to a large room across from another set of huge double doors. Once all the students were inside, McGonagall gave them a kind smile.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can be seated, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."
The boys noticed how a slight note of bitterness was in the professor's voice when she mentioned Slytherin.
"Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your achievements will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will cause you to lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily, so please wait here quietly."
McGonagall left them in the room, and nervous whispers began to break out.
"How exactly do they sort us any way?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure, I've heard it's some kind of test though," Draco said nervously.
"It seems my dear twin is nervous. How pathetic," a scathing voice sounded a few feet over.
Fire sparked in Draco's eyes as he and his friends turned to see Carrion and his goons standing there. "You're one to talk, seeing as you're currently whiter than a ghost, Carrion."
Carrion scowled at Draco. "Oh I hope we both end in up in Slytherin. I'll make you wish you were never born."
"You will, or are you planning on having your goons do it for you? A coward like you shouldn't go making threats," Seto replied for Draco, an icy glare fixed on Carrion.
The dirty-blonde boy seemed to growl at Seto, looking like he would pounce on him. Before anyone could do anything, McGonagall returned.
"We're ready for you now."
TBC…
Aniyu: Well, there's chapter three!
Sirius: I dislike you…
Anayi: Get over it already, Sirius.
Remus: R&R please.
