A/N: Thanks again to you amazing people reading and reviewing, and to my great beta DemonKittyAngel =3
Disclaimer: HP and YGO, not mine.
Avoid the defense professor, and avoid Malfoy. That should be easy, right? Not for Ryou. It was a simple thing, though, to come up with excuses to not be alone in the same room as Moody. He could always whip out something along the lines of 'my friends are waiting for me' or 'I have a ton of homework'. It also helped that Moody hardly tried to question him, which also made him wonder if the man really suspected him at all. But Malfoy was another story.
"Bakura, why don't you sit next to us?" The Slytherin and Ravenclaw houses were having potions together and, like usual, sat in opposite sides of the room. Malfoy was standing besides his chair with two empty ones on his left, and Crabbe and Goyle on his right.
Ryou and Nott were already seated as part of the borderline between the houses. "Thanks." Ryou said politely. "But we're fine here."
"Why is he always doing that?" Nott whispered, his head bent low. "It's like he's desperate to be your little buddy all of the sudden."
"He thinks I'm hiding something." Ryou whispered back.
"Are you?"
"No!"
"Right. Malfoy is just pulling this all out of thin air." Nott smiled. "Well, it's really not my business anyways." Ryou started opening his mouth but was cut off. "Just don't worry about it too much. I'm sure he'll leave it alone once the two other schools get here today."
"That's today?" Ryou looked down at the date he had written on his notes to realize it was, indeed, the last few days of October. How time flies.
Nott shook his head. "So forgetful Bakura. Which reminds me." He turned away to dig through his bag. "A friend of mine drew this sketch you have to see it." Finding the right paper, Nott pulled it out waved it in front of Ryou. "What do you think?"
Ryou's mouth fell open and Nott let out a stifled laugh at the reaction he got. "Th-that's me!" He stared at the simple ink drawing of himself, tilting his head and smiling with small triangle ears half hidden in his hair and a tail wrapped around his body.
He reached for it just as Nott pulled his hand away. "Sorry, Bakura, but this is mine."
"Hey! Watch where you're flinging that." Both boys turned to the two glaring Ravenclaw girls besides Nott.
"I'm sorry." Ryou quickly apologized. With Nott looking back, he tried reaching for the paper, which was pulled farther back.
"Sorry." Nott said. "And to make up for it, I'll let you see this wonderful sketch."
The girls looked annoyed but accepted the paper. They looked over it for a few seconds before chuckling to themselves. "I remember this." One of them said.
Ryou groaned and let his head fall down on the desk. He felt Nott place his hand on his shoulder. "You are too easy to tease, did you know that?"
Thankfully, Snape entered the classroom then and everyone quieted down. "Today, you will be making a simple potion, so I expect them all to be no less than perfect." He got to the front of the room and turned to face them with a sweep of his cape. "It is the Nocturna Suppressio. Who can tell me what that is?"
Nott raised his hand. "It is a nightmare potion. When the victim drinks it, he will be plagued by his worst thoughts and memories the moment he falls asleep."
Snape nodded. "Correct. Five points for Slytherin. Now, I want you all in groups of four using only one cauldron. All of the ingredients have been set up on the side table, and the instructions are on page 53. You may begin."
Ryou peered on the Slytherin side to see that all of them had grouped up already. He leaned over Nott to speak to the two girls from earlier. "Ano, would you like to work together?" He smiled as politely as he could.
The girls looked at each other, sharing a secret message. Finally, one of them shrugged. "Fine. But we don't want any messing around."
Nott shrugged his shoulders and placed his cauldron up on the table. He then held out his hand. "I'm Theodore Nott, by the way."
"Ryou Bakura." Ryou had to stretch hard to reach the girls' hands.
"I'm Lisa Turpin, and this is Mandy Brocklehurst."
With introductions over with, they each stood to retrieve a couple of the ingredients and spread them out before them. Between the four of them, the potion was turning more into the dark purple shade it needed to be. The silence they had was appreciated for it let them work in peace. It became clear right away that they each knew what they were doing.
Ryou was busy cutting small slits into the stem of a purple flower with his nail when Nott glanced over at him. "What are you doing?"
"I saw Snape doing it like this once, to get more of the juice out." He finished and, holding onto the closed bud, started mixing the potion as it changed to a deep violet. "See."
The Ravenclaw girls looked into the cauldron. "Interesting." Mandy said. "What did you do?"
"I cut the stem a bit, to get the juice out." Ryou repeated as the girls wrote it down in their notes.
Lisa finished grinding powder from a large claw. "How many pinches of dragon's claw did we need? Three?"
"Four." Mandy took the book to double check, then nodded at her friend to continue. The substance sizzled but otherwise stayed the same. "And now for the last step: 'three drops of snake's venom to call the dark, or five to leave the drinker a mark'. I guess we get to decide if it should be a light dream, or a nasty, horrible one." She smiled.
"I go for a nasty one." chose Nott. "How about you, Bakura?"
"Whichever you are all fine with." He said, but hoped that they would pick five drops.
"What if we have to drink it though?" Lisa thought out loud.
Nott raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think Professor Snape would be allowed to give his students their worst imaginable nightmares?"
"Good point." Lisa looked down at the book one more time then brought her head up grinning. "Go for it then, make it a horrible dream."
Ryou was the one holding onto the vile and slowly tipped it over. The thick, yellow-green liquid ran down where it paused at the opening and slowly released five drops. The potion didn't change until Nott moved it around clockwise ten times that the shade took on a more clear tone. "And we are done." Nott placed the spoon back on the table to let the others observe their work.
Since they had finished quicker than most of the other groups, they relaxed to converse. "Nott, was it?" Mandy began. "About that drawing, you don't mind if we keep it, right?"
"Of course not. My friend can make more." Nott waved the matter away (ignoring the bewildered stare coming from the model of the artwork).
"It was, um, nice. Meeting you both." said Lisa. "At least we didn't get paired up with other incompetent Slytherin, no offense."
"We all have opinions." Nott scratched his chin. "Like, I used to think Ravenclaw were the nerdy bunch who refused to socialize much."
Lisa narrowed her eyes. "Really? Well, I always believed Slytherins to be nothing but arrogant jerks."
Nott chuckled softly at that. "It's true for a lot of us."
Snape moved along the aisle, inspecting every potion as the last few ingredients were added. Once he arrived to Ryou's group, he leaned into the cauldron. "The clearest violet I have seen so far." Ryou couldn't hold back a smile at which Nott gave a sly grin. The professor stepped back to finish his inspection before going to the front of the class. "Every potion turned out adequate enough, but only one was made close to perfection." He glanced at Ryou, knowing well that the boy had digested every piece of information he had let out during the summer, intentionally or not. "Both Slytherin and Ravenclaw are awarded 10 points each."
The group smiled to each other as Snape told his students to place their potion on the side of the front table. Ryou volunteered himself, grabbed the cauldron with both hands, and stepped into the aisle. He was looking straight at the blackboard as he moved down, blinked, and found himself staring at the chandelier hanging over him. Ryou stilled in confusion. He wanted to ask what was happened, but as soon as his mouth opened, thick, warm liquid invaded his lips, threatening to choke him if he didn't swallow. On instinct, Ryou sat up, wondering how he ended up on his back in the first place.
Nott was at his side a second later, pounding on his back. "Breathe Bakura!" He kept slamming the palm of his hand against Ryou while holding onto his shoulder to keep him from falling forward. Nott wasn't as worried about his friend choking at this point, since he was coughing lightly now, but whether or not he had swallowed anything. Once Ryou stopped, Nott grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a shake to get his attention. "Bakura, did you drink any of it?"
Ryou calmed himself first from the sudden turn of events before registering what Nott had asked. He paled. "I did..."
The girls behind them looked at one another and grimaced. "We made it to be a horrible nightmare too." Mandy murmured.
"What is going on here?" Snape was starring, quite irritated, at the mess.
Ryou looked down at the ground, partially in shame and embarrassment. "I'm sorry professor. I'll clean it up."
"Sir," Nott cut in, "is there any way to reverse the effect of the potion?"
"There isn't." Snape looked at Ryou's defeated face understanding that he must have drank some of it, and added, "Come after classes for a different potion that might cancel the Nocutrna Suppressio. But you will have to make it yourself."
"Hai." Ryou bent back down to pick up the cauldron (Snape took the action as his signal to return to inspecting the students' finished products). More of the purple mixture oozed down from his robe before plopping on the floor with the rest of it.
Lisa hopped off her desk, holding her wand out. "Here, let me help." She muttered a fast spell and the entire potion began to disappear, as if soaking though the floor and clothing completely. The pot Ryou was holding began to feel heavier as the potion filled it.
"Thank you." Said Ryou gratefully, then finished putting their completed assignment with the rest of the class'.
"Are you alright?" Nott asked after Ryou returned to his seat. "You looked like you blanked out for a second before falling back."
Ryou nodded. "I get clumsy sometimes." Although this was true, he knew the blame fell upon the spirit. Since he had lost a portion of his landlord's obedience, he now saw fit to torture him any way he could, and the Nocutrna Suppressio was the perfect opportunity.
Sensing the negative thoughts about him, Bakura laughed inside his head. Sweet dreams. ~dude, just evil.~
~/~/~/~/~
Because classes had ended early, Ryou and Nott had more than enough time to finish the sleep potion. It would put the drinker right to sleep, without any dreams. Ryou could only hope that it was stronger than the other one. He carried the small vile in his inside pocket as he and Nott went outside to join the rest of Hogwarts. It was cold, but everyone shivered from excitement instead. They all waited impatiently, some just wanting to get it all over with and return to the warmth inside. Nott was one of them.
"I don't get w-why we have to freeze out h-here." He was hugging his body to preserve the bit of body heat he had. "I-I mean, they can show off inside t-t-too."
Ryou laughed lightly and buried his face deeper into his scarf. "How will they arrive anyways?"
"W-who knows. But it b-better be impressive." Nottt huddled closer into the Slytherin crowd.
Everything was quiet, until exclamations and shouts were heard, accompanied by fingers being pointed at the sky. Ryou followed the gazes to a...giant carriage? He squinted. It wasn't only the carriage that was giant as it got closer, but the white, winged horses too. His jaw dropped as the massive structure flew lower and landed on the snow.
"Look! Over there!" Ryou turned his head around at the anonymous voice towards the lake. The surface shook and the still water rippled. A pole, or a mast as it turned out to be, broke through, followed by the whole ship it belonged to.
From his distance he was able to see figures stepping out of them both, but couldn't make them out. The Sixth and Seventh years were also all in the front, forcing Ryou to hop a few times just to get a clearer view.
Eventually, Nott grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along. "Come on, they opened the doors. You'll see them inside." They were a few of the first people to enter the Great Hall and take their seats. They had been planning to eat at their usual spot at the edge of the table, but it was already taken by older students, so instead they chose a spot a few meters down.
"Finally." Nott had plopped himself down and waited for his trembling to die down. More students began to fill the empty spaces, farther down the row so that it left a gap between Ryou, who was sitting at Nott's left, and the rest of his house.
Ryou still wanted a better look at the new people and kept glancing at the doorway, until the first school stepped in. They were led by a woman even larger than Hagrid, it seemed. Her presence even dwarfed the shivering students walking behind her. "That's Beauxbatons." Nott motioned towards them with a nod.
"Then that must be Drumstrang coming in." Ryou had heard the schools being mentioned plenty of times, so he didn't feel too clueless about it.
The second school stood around awkwardly before moving towards the Slytherin table and sitting in the empty space by the two boys. Just as the area was filling up, Malfoy and his followers appeared across from them.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." Malfoy greeted the guests with a broad smile. Nott rolled his eyes. "You are Victor Krum, if I'm not mistaken." The boy continued as he leaned in to one particular elder Drumstrang boy.
"I am."
Malfoy smirked and took a quick glace over his shoulder. Over at the Gryfindor table, there was a rather displeased redhead glaring their way.
"He's doing this on purpose, isn't he." Ryou whispered to Nott.
Nott shrugged. "Slytherin habbit."
"How about a tour of our school later on?" The blond continued. "That way, you won't get lost too often."
"How kind of you." The boy, Krum, said.
Malfoy then directed his attention to Ryou. "You'll help too, right Bakura?"
"Huh?" The question caught him off guard. "Oh, well...I just got here so I'm not too sure..."
"That's why you have Nott with you." Malfoy pressed. "And Crabbe, Goyle, and I will be there too."
Ryou really couldn't say no, especially with the 'tourists' right next to them. Then again, they were going to be part of a larger group. He sighed to himself. "Ok."
They ate after Dumbledore spoke, explaining the tournament once again along with how the Goblet of Fire worked. The age limit had been placed at seventeen, but even if Ryou had been old enough, he wouldn't bother to try entering.
Small chatter dominated the meal while Ryou picked at his food. The nightmare that was to come had him worried. What would he see? What would he remember? He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked up at the muscular Krum. "Are you done eating?" His accent was heavy, but still comprehensible.
Ryou put his fork down. "Yes, I'm full already."
Krum shook his head disappointingly. "Eat more. Fill those bony arms." He poked Ryou's arm lightly. "Men need to have muscle. "
A few of the people listening giggled. Ryou smiled. "I already eat a lot; I just never gain any weight."
"Exercise!" Another Drumstrang student called out. "Run a lap around the school every morning, like I do."
"He'll die of of exhaustion before he even go halfway." Nott laughed.
Ryou nodded in agreement. "I'm better at reading and studying anyways."
"He's right, you know." Said Malfoy. "He's pretty good at potions even drinks them himself to make sure they're made right."
Pink rose on Ryou's cheeks at the mention of his earlier blunder in front of the class. He was saved from deeper conversation on that subject as they were dismissed to their dorms.
Ryou stood then bowed towards the new students. "it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy your stay here."
The students all bowed their heads in return. "We are honored to be here."
They all went their separate ways out in the Great Hall. "That was entertaining, for once." Nott stretched his arms up high as he yawned. Cairoshell greeted them as they entered the common room with a loud meow.
His owner bent down to give him a good scratch behind the ears. "Yeah."
"Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning. Hope the potion works."
They said goodnight to each other and Ryou scooped up his cat in his arms and carried him into his bed. He was just finishing switching into his night clothes when he heard Bakura's voice.
Don't drink the potion yet. Ryou ignored him and pulled out the vile from his robe. Growing a backbone now? It's a little lat for that. Again, Ryou paid him no attention as he pulled the cork out with a loud pop. I am not powerless Yadonushi. In fact, with all of this magic around, I'm actually stronger than I was before. If you don't do as I say, then there really is no point in staying here. I could just...kill a couple of people, send a few more to the shadow realm, and disappear. And guess who will be left behind with the blame.
The potion was right at Ryou's lips, only a movement away from being tipped into his mouth. Which human should be first? Maybe the Nott boy, and Snape. There's Malfoy too–
Ryou slammed the potion shut before letting it drop on the covers. "What do you want?" He could picture the smirk the spirit had as he spoke.
We need to get started on that spell. Tonight, go to the dungeon room and go over it so that you can start getting what you need.
Cairoshell jumped onto the bed and circled the pillow before curling up. He kept his head up, watching the three others that had just entered. To avoid any confrontation, Ryou bid them good night and closed the curtains around him.
For an hour, he laid on his back while his cat kept him awake. Cairoshell seemed to have known that Ryou would be leaving in a while, and decided to pounce all over as if hunting invisible mice. After everything quieted down, Ryou got up and put on his robe over his pajamas and tip-toed out of the room.
Ryou slipped the ring out and let it guide him back in. The soft glow it gave was barely enough to allow Ryou to walk without tripping on the occasional stone slab that poked out of the ground. Cairoshell followed, which he was glad for. He didn't really like the idea of moving around in that black abyss all alone. Technically, Bakura would always be in his head, but he wasn't the most comforting person to have around.
The boy and his cat arrived at the black wall that turned itself into a gate once they were close enough. Ryou had expected the spirit to take over and grew suspicious when nothing happened. Well, since you want me to take control so badly... Before Ryou could protest, he was shoved back into his mind, but still left conscience, looking through Bakura's line of sight. The gate before them opened as he stepped through.
Ryou had brought the book with him and Bakura leafed through it, using his host's memory to read English. "I am only letting you stay awake because you're going to be the one gathering everything." He spoke out loud. When he found the right page, he leaned back against the wall and read silently along with Ryou.
Soul Transfer (to a different vessel)
More complicated than possession is creating a new, functional vessel. Usually, the body is already on the verge of death, before soul transferring since the present body's grip on the soul lessens, if not break apart completely. The new body can be made of any material as long as it comes fresh from the earth, such as clay, mud, or wood. However, it has to be made by hand of magic origins for it to adequately house a soul.
This spell also depends on the strength of the soul itself. Should it be weak, the body, although it accepts it, will refuse to move and continue to be inanimate. The stronger it is, the more movement and control it has. But once it has been transferred, it cannot be undone unless it has a living body to return to. Otherwise, the soul will remain trapped until its vessel is destroyed.
The soul transfer is not to be confused with a horcrux for it can only work if the spirit is complete. It is advised that this spell be done as a last resort; even the smallest of mistakes made during the spell or potion can destroy the entire process.
Beneath it was a list of at least fifteen different ingredients ranging from plants to blood and bones. The procedure was specific and incredibly detailed too, so Ryou didn't believe he would have any problems following it. But where to get everything asked for?
"You steal it." Bakura stated as if it was the most obvious answer. "That potions professor must get all of those things from somewhere."
I can't do that! Ryou gasped.
"You can and you will." Bakura snapped. He went through the ingredients again "The body will have to be made first, but I don't have time for a perfect imitation." It's not like you can make one anyways.
Ryou stayed quiet. In a way, he was happy to agree with the spirit. There was just no way he would be able to create a perfect body that could blend, noticeably, with humans. This spell wouldn't work.
"Don't forget I have my own magic." Shutting the book, Bakura laid it on the floor in the corner farthest away from the door. "You can carve well enough, so all you'll need is a knife and some wood to create the shape. Then you can start collecting everything you'll need."
He started leaving the room, not pausing to give Ryou back control. Wait. What are you doing? Ryou panicked.
"Teaching you to obey." The spirit grinned. "I've been wanting to meet your little friends for a while."
N-no. You can't! Ryou searched for a reason to turn back. They'll find out you're here. Wizards can sense you.
"When they're asleep, their defenses fall; stupid wizards think they're perfectly safe in their little bubble of magic."
Please, don't do anything. I promise, I'll finish that spell quickly.
"How quickly."
There was a pause. Two months.
"I'm giving you one."
But the spell's too complicated, not to mention carving a full-sized body.
Bakura became irritated at this point with his host's whining. "I am already being generous with you. A month is all you get. After that, I can guarantee that people will start dropping like flies around here." To Ryou's relief, he gave him back control of the body just as they were nearing the entrance.
Ryou sighed, slipping the ring back underneath his robe and hurried to the safety of his bed. However, there was still one more task to complete. Go to the kitchen first.
"The kitchen?"
Yes, the kitchen where food is made. Bakura remarked, as if Ryou were the stupidest person on earth. You can find knives in there.
But why tonight?
Because there will be others sneaking around. That gives you less of a chance of getting caught.
Ryou was about to ask why anyone would be up at this hour, when he remembered the Goblet of Fire. There was always people, too shy or too embarrassed, to sign up to such an event and so would sneak in their name when there was no one around to watch. Maybe that's why it was left out for 24 hours. I don't know where the kitchen is, though.
Your cat does. Ryou searched around him for Cairoshell, and found him licking his paw a few paces behind him.
"Cairoshell." His ears flickered towards the voice but otherwise kept cleaning himself. Ryou moved closer and bent down. "Do you know where the kitchen is?"
The cat paused, stretched lazily, then trotted away and left his owner to follow. Soon, there were out of the dungeons and on the main floor, circling behind the Great Hall. They stopped at a wooden door made as boring as possible, probably to attract little to no attention at all.
Cairoshell cried loudly, only once, and waited as if he had done it a thousand times before. The door was opened inwards by a tiny dwarf-like creature. "Kitty return for more dinner?" It said cheerfully. By the high pitched sound of its voice, Ryou could only guess that it was female.
When the elf looked up, her eyes widened in surprise before the smile returned to her face. "Need assistance, Mr. Wizard?"
"Yes, uhh..." Ryou struggled with how to proceed. He couldn't simply ask for a knife straight out, that would get him in trouble and make him seem more suspicious than he already was.
While he hesitated, the elf held his hand and pulled him inside. "Mr. Wizard want snack. Midnight snack. Just like nice kitty." A few more crowded around him, asking what he wanted to eat. One, wearing a simple rag, was holding out a plate of cookies while the one next to it held a glass of milk.
"What would you like, Mr. Wizard?" The female that led him in asked.
"Oh, I would like..." he searched his brain for something that would distract the overenthusiastic elves. "Ano...cream, puffs?" Ryou mentally slapped himself. Of course they wouldn't get to baking at such an hour. But most of them gave him the biggest, goofiest grins and trotted off to get to work. One stayed behind, seemingly awaiting more orders. "I hope you don't mind me asking for this but,"
"Ask away, Sir." The elf said.
"I need to borrow a knife." At the elf's scrunched up, confused expression, Ryou hurried up with his explanation. "It's for carving, like wood carving. Because, uh, I want to get started on these gifts, for my friends." He rushed the end, trying not to lie so much since he was, technically, going to be carving for someone else. Now that he thought about it, Christmas was approaching and he wanted to get his father and Nott something.
Don't get distracted Yadonushi.
"Carving knife Sir, for wood?"
"Yes. Yes, for wood." Ryou repeated.
The elf tilted his head. "Don't know, Sir. House elves not allowed to give them, Sir."
Ryou was about to accept it and let that be the end of it, if not for the spirit's interruption. You are not leaving without one. Ryou cleared his throat to try again. "W-well, it'll be just until Christmas. And I can come in here to do most of the carving, but I'll be very careful with it."
"Don't know, Sir." The elf sounded nervous now.
Biting the inside of his cheek, Ryou thought harder. "I'm not asking in secrecy. You can tell Headmaster Dumbledore if you're really not comfortable."
Good idea. Bakura chuckled. If we get his permission, no one else would bother us.
"Will do, Mr. Wizard, Sir." And in a puff of smoke, the elf disappeared.
The suddenness of it made Ryou flinch, then he wanted to call him back. It was extremely late, and he was suppose to be sleeping in his room. Now, the elf was going to wake up the headmaster to tell him that one of the students wanted a knife; there was no telling in what kind of trouble he could be in.
The house elves from before returned to take the other's place, one of them holding a plate full of the most delicious looking cream puffs he had ever seen, making him temporarily forget his worry.
"Did you really make these?" He asked as he took one and bit into the sugary, sweet heaven.
"You like them?" They asked.
"They are amazing!"
"Take them to room to eat." Quickly, they placed all six of them into a paper bag and gave it to Ryou.
Said boy accepted them and bowed. "Thank you very much."
Cairoshell had been drinking milk from a small bowl and took a few last licks before returning to his owner. He cried, wanting to go back to his warm spot on the edge of the bed, the pillow if he pestered his owner enough.
The elf returned, then, smiling and holding out a long pouch and a block of wood on the other. "Headmaster approves. Mr. Wizard uses Headmaster's knife."
Ryou thanked him, very gratefully, and took his leave, keeping hold of his little gifts awkwardly. That knife, he did something to it. Bakura stated out loud to Ryou.
I know. Ryou walked silently and with haste, wanting to return just as much as Cairoshell.
He was about to turn the corner that went past the main hallway when he stopped abruptly and hid back in the shadows. Cautiously, he peeked, letting only one eye look out.
The Goblet of Fire was there, right in the middle of the age circle like it had been all night. But there was the Defense Professor, Moody, with his back to Ryou. Now what? That path was the only way back to the dungeons, unless he circled around the whole castle, which he did not want to do. I'll just wait; maybe he'll leave soon. He continued to watch, hearing Moody mutter to himself, then drop something into the glowing fire. Curiosity made Ryou inch out a bit more to get a closer look, when his hold on the wood loosen and it dropped to the floor.
The loud clank it created froze Ryou's entire body before his senses returned. He pick it up fast and risked glancing at the teacher, who was staring right back. Knowing that he was still half hidden in the shadow and his identity still unknown, Ryou turned tail and sprinted. His reaction was too late as a spell was hurled at him. Ryou felt it and managed to side step at the last moment, but the action caused him to trip and fall to on his side on the ground. He was caught.
Bakura cursed loudly, then mentally prepared himself to defend them both should it prove to be necessary.
Ryou stood up painfully slow as he heard the uneven footstep approach. With his head hung low, he faced his teacher and waited, not trusting himself to be the one to initiate the talk. "If it isn't the little ferret boy." There was no hiding the suspicion coating those words. The younger simply hugged the items closer to his chest, too nervous to lift his head and see the angry look in the man's one normal eye. "What, exactly , are you doing out of bed?"
"I went to the kitchen, Professor." His response was soft, barely audible.
"And did you get what you wanted?"
Ryou could imagine that eye spinning crazily in every direction perfectly. "Yes, sir." He waiting for the next question he knew Moody would ask, about what he was holding or what he had received.
It didn't come.
Moody slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well lad, you better head off to sleep then. Don't want to be tired tomorrow now, do you?"
Ryou shook his head and continued on his way after Moody released him. His body was tense, and it showed in his heavy footsteps. After he realized that, just like Dumbledore had done, Moody had let him go, Ryou turned to him, bowed once said, "Oyasumi." and jogged away.
In the room, he shut the door with too much force once Cairoshell was safe inside. The noise caused a stir in the bed next to his. Ryou made his way to his bed casually just as Malfoy sat up sleepily. "Who's there?"
"Sorry, Malfoy. I didn't mean to wake you." Hidden behind the curtains of his four poster bed, Ryou removed his robe and shoved the pouch and piece of wood into his trunk.
"Where were you?" Came the testy reply.
"The bathroom."
"Liar." Malfoy whispered. "I can smell the food from here."
Ryou eyed the paper bad and decided that he was just no good at lying. After a pause, he answered, "I got hungry, so I went out to the kitchen to get some food. Do you want a crème puff? I think I got too many."
He heard Malfoy sigh. "Give me one then, whatever they are."
Grabbing the bag, Ryou left to sit on the small space Malfoy had made for him on the bed. The blond lit his wand and set it on his lap before reaching for one of the sweets. His eyes scanned over the small, round ball first, then took a bite. After deciding that it tasted good enough, he commenced in finishing it and took another. "Why did you jump in front of that spell." He asked.
Ryou looked at him, then shrugged. "I don't know, I just did."
"So it wasn't only you paying me back for before?" asked Malfoy.
Ryou's eyes widen slightly, realizing that intercepting the spell could become a debt paid. "I wasn't thinking of it like that at the moment."
They were only able to finish half of the desserts on their own until they became satisfied and Malfoy kick him off the bed. "Get off, I need my sleep."
"Hai, hai." He scrambled off and snuggled in his own, but had to sacrifice his pillow to the feline already sleeping on it. "Good night." Ryou called out as he reached for the sleeping potion.
"Good night." Yawned Malfoy. "Try not to scream too much."
"I will." Ryou uncorked it again and chugged the whole potion in one go. It had a bitter taste to it, enhanced by the midnight snack he just had. The effect was evident right away as his eyelids began to droop and his arms (became) too heavy to lift. The last thing he heard was the spirit's voice: I'll be enjoying the show, Yadonushi.
~/~/~/~/~
Burning. Screaming. Chaos. Everything was on fire so it was impossible not to breathe in the smoke that swallowed everything within reach. Men clad in armor carried spears and torches. They were impossibly tall with monstrous face and no eyes as they set more houses on fire. The city, Ryou's city, was slowly crumbling to the floor as hell rose to the surface.
People, men women, and even children, were dragged out of bed into the night of blood. Some were killed on the spot, usually the biggest of the men. The rest were led away with tear-stained faces and holding on tightly to their loved once that were still alive.
The environment fazed from his old home in Japan to dirt roads and sand covering every inch of ground. The people in jeans and colorful night clothes became dark-skinned and wearing rags and thin robes. The two worlds, from two different times, mashed into each other, leaving Ryou confused with where he was and who he was crying for. Pain and sorrow that wasn't entirely his, almost took a hold on him until he snapped out of it and began looking for a way out.
He went unnoticed at first while he was rooted to the spot outside, witnessing the massacre. But once he took a step back, the soldiers simultaneously turned their heads towards him.
Run! With only one goal in mind, he put distance between himself and the monsters chasing him. His heart beat too fast and loud, threatening to rip through his chest. Pure fear and anguish dominated his being as he stepped though pools of blood that appeared to get bigger the farther he ran.
When he took a step a few meters later, his foot sank and Ryou found he was in thick quicksand. Only, it wasn't sand that was pulling him into nothingness and certain death. It was liquid, golden and incredibly hot.
Ryou's throat was too dry to scream. He stared, speechless, at the faces that began to materialize in the surface. They too couldn't speak, their gaping mouths released no sound. But the horror in their eyes spoke for them, the same look Ryou had.
Hands shot out to grab Ryou's legs and help quicken his descent. Ryou looked upwards for something to grab and pull himself out. A small child stood high up was a platform. With beautiful long hair and petite body, fragile and slender, Ryou recognized her instantly. It was Amane, his sister. Ryou's heart sank seeing her so terrified and knowing what would happen to her. He no longer worried about himself and his situation. All his brain registered was Amane edging closer, cornered and with no where else to go. And then the guard behind her does it. He pushes her in and all Ryou can do is scream and try to reach her. Hands grab her first, pulling her under, and silencing her cries within seconds. Although he couldn't see her anymore, Ryou somehow knew that she was now one of the many faces and arms reaching out to him.
The dead in the giant cauldron had managed to sink Ryou down to his head. The last thing he did was shut his eyes and hold his breath before disappearing entirely.
Everything turned cold.
Darkness covered all, so having his eyes opened or closed made no difference. Was he floating? Was he going up, or down; was he even moving at all? Ryou rolled over, or at least he thought he did. That was when he saw the mirror, the one that had showed him his one desire. It was the Mirror of Erised, except that it showed something different. One lone man, wearing similar clothing as some of the people that had died that night, white robe and turbine on his head, stood facing him. Kind, but tragic eyes stared into his own. His lips moved, but no sound went through the glass.
"I can't hear you." Ryou said.
The man kept speaking, repeating the same thing over and over. Ryou could only shake his head. "I don't know what you're saying."
Smiling now, the man lifted an arm and placed a palm against the clear surface. Ryou copied the motion and pressed his palm up against the glass and the man's. Feelings surged through him, causing immediate tears to flow down his cheeks. But he didn't know the man, never seen him before, so why cry? How did he know that the one before him cared greatly for him? This stranger knew him, but not 'him' as he was.
They stayed that way, one wanting to understand the other. Sensing the end nearing, the man leaned closer to mouth a few words slowly. Forget. The real monster is no more. There is no reason left for revenge. You are free.
As soon as he finished, shadows swallowed the mirror to show the face of a diabolical creature with red eyes and sharp pointed teeth jutting out of its gums and mouth. It was laughing silently and if Ryou would have heard it, it would have pierced his ears and shook his entire body. But its words echoed in his head.
I am you, and you are me.
It laughed again and the mirror exploded in white light.
A/N: Just a warning, test are coming up so it's likely that I might disappear for a while XP. Sorry.
And if there's any tendershipping fans who want this fic to be one...yeah, probably won't happen. But! I did write a one-shot titled His Keeper's Keeper, so you can read that if you want. (TENDERSHIPPING FTW!)
