I apologize for such a lateness but I warned you. So here you go, another chapter of my story. Enjoy!

CHAPTER 10 – HOGSMEADE

Marik opened his eyes. It was still dark. He looked around. Everybody was sleeping. Flame slept besides Yugi. Ryou's Night had decided to sleep besides his master rather than in owlery. Hikari, Marik's owl had decided the same. Even Harry's Hedwig for unknown reason slept with Harry. And Pig, Ron's tiny owl had followed Hedwig.

Marik blinked. And he blinked again. Slowly on Marik's face spread wide grin. He slowly got up and dressed. He tucked Millennium Rod under his robes and took his wand. His silver wand sparkled in that little what was coming from outside. If it was possible, his grin became even wider. He quietly went closer to doors. 'Better be safe' he thought. Marik raised wand. He mixed little bit of Shadow Magic with this modern magic and waved wand.

KABOOM!!!!

Pets started to fly around. Night attacked Marik.

"You're not better than Bakura!" Marik run away.

Harry was looking for glasses, Yugi had fallen out of bed but Bakura fully awake stood with knife in his hands.

"What is that?" still sleepy Ron pointed to Bakura's knife.

Bakura blinked and hid knife behind his back.

"What?" he pretended to be Ryou.

"What was in your hand?" asked Ron and yawned.

Knife behind Bakura's back disappeared in the Shadow Realm and Bakura show his hands to Ron.

"In which one?" he innocently asked.

"Oh nothing, I'm going to sleep." and Ron immediately fell asleep.

Marik peeked from his hiding place. 'It seems that coast is clear' He got out of the space between fireplace, wall and big chair. His eyes gleamed. 'Nice…' And suddenly somebody poked him. He slowly turned and saw Vanumi. She was fully dressed and held a heavy book. But what took Marik's attention were her eyes. In those eyes he could see Bakura's pleasure to get revenge and kill and Yami's anger. On top of it was her strange eye color. Her eyes, like Victoria's, were steel blue with some brown dots and with yellowish lines, which sometimes made those eyes to look green. This kind of look was creepy.

Vanumi raised book.

"What are you…" he couldn't finish his sentence because Vanumi knocked him out with book.

Sun had risen. In fireplace last flames could be seen. Vanumi were half-sitting, half-laying on the couch. She read a book what lay besides her on the couch. Shadow sat besides her master.

"Good morning Vi… oh, sorry Vanumi" Ryou greeted "Where is she?"

Vanumi raised her eyebrow.

"And how do you think?" she sarcastically asked "Gone for a walk?"

Ryou scratched his head.

"Oh, yeah, stupid question…"

A big yawn came from stairs.

"Good morning everybody!" Yugi yawned again.

"Somebody has seen Marik?" Bakura suddenly pushed Ryou out of control.

/Hey!/ Ryou tried to regain control.

//Stay calm, Hikari, I have some things to do// Bakura pushed Ryou back.

/Fine!/ Ryou pouted and closed his soulroom's door.

"Why do you need him, Bakura?" Yugi asked.

"I want to kill that stupid Tomb Keeper!"

"Hey, what's up?" Ron and Harry came down the stairs.

"Hey, guys, nothing much." Yugi answered.

Bakura tried to make puppy-eyes for Vanumi but failed to make them to look like they should be. Vanumi smirked and pointed near fireplace. Bakura grinned and went toward it. By the time Bakura got near there could be heard a groan and Marik got up from the ground holding his hand on his forehead. Ron came near.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Nothing much, she hit me." Marik answered.

"Who?" Ron didn't quite catch the meaning.

"Who, who, Va…" Marik make a fake cough "Victoria" he finished and lowered his hand.

Suddenly Bakura almost fell from laughter. Ron's eyes widened and Harry came near.

"Dark Arts Through Ages. Isn't that a book Victoria is reading?"

"The same." reply came from Vanumi.

"Oh, that's even better! I won't kill you! You will have to stay that way!" Bakura still laughed.

"That I call a heavy reading" Yugi giggled.

"Maybe somebody could be so kind and tell me what is so funny about me?" Marik still didn't catch up.

"Oh, nothing, she just printed her book's title on your forehead." Yugi grinned.

"She WHAT!" Marik screamed and run away.

After minute he ran back.

"You will pay!"

"Make me!" Vanumi grinned.

/Darkness…/ Victoria spoke to Vanumi.

//Yes, my light?// Vanumi turned full attention to her light side.

/You've done?/

//I had my fun, thank you//

/You're not better than Bakura./ Victoria jokingly shook her head.

//The same goes for you.// Vanumi smirked and retreated to her soulroom.

"… make your hair pink, hide your things, wake you as early as possible, burn your essays…" Marik was counting things that he would like to do.

"Oh, really? Like you have enough guts to do that!" Victoria interrupted Marik.

"I'm not a coward!" Marik tried to hit Victoria with closest thing – some forgotten book, but Victoria moved just enough to escape the flying book. Victoria smirked. Marik blinked. "Oh, it's you…"

"I'm going to eat. Soon lessons will start" Victoria said and got up.

She went to the portrait hole.

"Wait for me!" Yugi ran to her and Bakura followed.

"I'm going to Madam Promfey" Marik said still angry and turned to leave.

When Marik had gone, Hermione came from girls' dormitories.

"Good morning, guys"

"Good morning, Herm" Ron and Harry answered simultaneously.

"Can we speak?" Hermione seriously asked.

"Yes, of course" Harry answered.

"When I came down, I saw Ryou…" Hermione started to speak but Ron interrupted.

"How could you see him? He just left!"

"Don't interrupt me, Ron" Hermione said. "I was standing there for a while. Now listen. When I came down FIRST TIME, I saw Ryou and he said good morning to Victoria. He started to say her name but then stopped and said something I didn't understand. And then they both spoke in strange language."

Ron wanted to say something and Hermione noticed it.

"No Ron it wasn't Japanese. It sounded different. You heard it too when Ryou started to laugh."

"What about it? They just know one more language." Harry said.

"I didn't recognize it. But what turned my attention and why I didn't come down – when he stopped saying her name it looked like he had mistaken somebody with her."

"It's impossible! There isn't anybody who he might mistake with her!" Ron exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Hermione said.

"But…" started Harry but didn't finish, because other Gryffindors were coming. "We'll finish later"

Dark room in dungeons, filled with many smells. On every shelf stood cauldrons with something in them and yellowish labels on them. This was Snape's classroom. Everybody worked in complete silence. Well, at least Gryffindors. Although even Slytherins didn't make too much noise.

Victoria was working with Ryou. Yugi worked with Marik. After first lesson they had learned not let two of them together. Or more precisely, Bakura and Marik. The reason was that Bakura, Marik and many dangerous things always means trouble.

For the first time from first lesson Snape was ignoring Ryou and Victoria. Completely. And they both were thankful. Their potions had never been perfect, but they were good. But that didn't stop Snape of making comments.

//Victoria.// Vanumi seriously called.

/Yes, Vanumi?/ Victoria responded.

//You should let me take over. You know we should be prepared. I think you know what consequences could be after my 'monkey speech'//

Victoria mentally chuckled about Vanumi's statement.

/OK. We have finished our potion. You can do the rest./

Victoria and Vanumi switched places. Ryou had finished filling the small cauldron for potion marking.

"Give me that, Ryou." Vanumi quietly said to Ryou.

Ryou turned and his eyes widened.

"What are you doing?! Why are you out?"

"Haven't Bakura told you what we have done to Snape?" Vanumi raised her eyebrow.

"Oh that!" Ryou remembered.

"I think you understand." Vanumi smiled and took the small cauldron.

She turned in a way that nobody could see what she was doing. Shadows swirled around cauldron and then disappeared. Vanumi smirked. The rest of the class stood and slowly started to give Snape their potions. Vanumi stood and joined rest of them. She placed Victoria's and Ryou's potion next to Harry's and Ron's. She was the last that turned to leave. When she was in the middle of classroom, there was a sound of breaking glass. She turned around and saw that Harry's and Ron's potion cauldron had been broken, but the cauldron that she had put on the table, were rolling away from Snape's table. Snape stared at rolling cauldron.

"You cannot break it." Vanumi smirked and crossed her arms.

Snape turned his attention to Vanumi and glared. Vanumi didn't even flinch.

"I could be anything but not stupid. I very well know consequences of my action, Professor."

All class just stared at her, except Yami, Bakura and Marik. They just smirked.

"And may I know what have you done?" Snape asked annoyed.

"I just cursed cauldron." Vanumi said. "You cannot break it. You cannot damage potion in it. You cannot do anything but mark it. And you don't want to know what will happen if you mark it incorrectly."

"Are you threatening me?" Snape's voice couldn't be chillier, but Vanumi just smirked.

"No, Professor, it's a merely an advice." Vanumi said and went to her table and started to pack her things.

Snape took unbroken cauldron and placed it besides rest of them.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, I see that you will…"

"Oh, that's all right, Professor, here I got more!" Harry put another cauldron.

Snape stared at the next cauldron. Apparently Harry had learned from his fifth year this trick.

"Fine, put it there." Snape pointed at table.

You could almost see steam coming from his ears.

Everybody had packed and started to leave. Outside Snape's classroom everybody started to chat. Mostly it was "did you see that?", "did you see Snape's face" and so on.

"Vanumi." Yami said to Vanumi. "I didn't think that you are so careless..."

"Oh, come on, Pharaoh…" Marik interrupted Yami.

Yami glared at Marik.

"Could you be so kind and let me finish?" He turned to Vanumi. "I must say that I found it highly amusing."

Bakura and Marik froze and on their faces were shown pure sock.

"What?!" was all what Yami could say.

Bakura and Marik finally got over their shock and started to laugh madly.

"It's unbelievable! Pharaoh likes mischief! And he said it so right that it sounded so wrong!" Bakura managed to say between laughs.

"What is wrong with them?" Hermione came near.

"They are having fun." Vanumi smirked.

"Thanks a lot!" Yami sarcastically said.

"Oh, fine… I guess." Hermione was little bit confused. "Well, hmm, I wanted to ask, how did you curse that cauldron?" Hermione was quite eager to learn that.

"I… um, I…" Vanumi didn't know what to answer.

//Little help here!// there were slight trace of panic in her voice.

/How should I know what to do? Bakura is Thief here!/ Victoria answered defensively.

Bakura smirked. He saw obvious ask for help in Vanumi's eyes.

"We had little help from outside. But we promised keep it in secret. So I'm sorry but we won't tell you." Bakura told in a voice that showed that arguing was pointless.

Hermione was disappointed.

"Well, then I'm going." She said and went away.

Yami, Marik, Bakura and Vanumi looked how Hermione went away. Finally they were last that stood in the hallway.

"Fhoo, that was close!" Marik wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead.

It was Saturday in Hogsmeade. The weather was good and all Hogwarts students enjoyed trip to the town. Yami, Vanumi, Bakura and Marik were walking together. For their surprise they all morning had not seen Harry, Ron and Hermione. They had reached first houses of the town when Bakura grabbed Marik's arm and dragged him somewhere.

Yami raised his eyebrow.

"Do I want to know?" he asked.

"No." Vanumi smiled.

"If they will get in trouble I will SO not help them." Yami crossed his arms.

"Let them have fun." Vanumi put her arm on Yami's crossed arms.

"Fun?" Yami's eyebrow shot up again. "Fun for them means complete destruction, mayhem, chaos and so on."

"You cannot stop them" Vanumi warmly smiled and brushed Yami's blond wisp off his face. "For you are the same as them, deep in your heart. Maybe not this destructive, but still you have wicked sense of humor."

Yami looked in Vanumi's eyes and warmly smiled. "If you think so, my love, but the same goes for you."

Vanumi lightly laughed. "It seems so. So tell me, what was your Hikari's excuse?"

"He wanted to sleep." Yami smirked. "And yours?"

"Need to think." Vanumi smirked too. "They become more similar to us with every day."

"They are part of us after all." Yami smiled. "Well, if our Hikaris were so generous, we could use this day as good as we can." Yami made a gesture towards town's center. "Shall we?"

Vanumi smiled and nodded. "With pleasure."

And they both headed into the town.

"Do… You... Have… Ouch! Drag me like that?" Marik tried not to fall, Bakura just ran too fast.

"Fine!" Bakura suddenly stopped and released Marik.

Marik didn't wait that and ran into Bakura. Bakura didn't fall, but Marik did.

"Ouch!" Marik stood up and rubbed his but.

Bakura just rolled his eyes. "Whiner."

"And could you tell me why you dragged me here!" Marik hadn't heard Bakura's insult.

"Did you leave your brain behind or what?" Bakura leaned against wall and crossed his arms. "Malfoy is a pain in ass. Yes?"

"Yes…" Marik blinked. "But what…"

"You want to get revenge. Yes?"

"Yes and so…" Marik scratched his head.

"Malfoy is in Hogsmeade." Bakura patiently continued. "Got it?"

Suddenly Marik grinned.

"Oh, I get it now!" he rubbed his hands together. Suddenly he narrowed his eyes. "But what about Ryou?"

Bakura smirked. "We had a deal. He won't interrupt us."

"Nice…"

Malfoy with his usual guard dogs were walking around Hogsmeade.

'Where is Potter? I haven't seen him all morning.' Malfoy sneered. 'Probably hiding!'

Suddenly he felt that something is missing. He turned around. His eyes widened then narrowed.

'Where those two idiots have gone? Oh, probably gone to find something eatable…'

Malfoy one more time looked around then turned to go away, but at that moment his eyes glazed. After a moment his eyes returned to normal. He turned to opposite direction and headed towards hill.

Soon all houses had been left behind and Malfoy went up to hill.

'They must be somewhere near…'

Malfoy still went forward. Trees become darker with every Malfoy's step. Malfoy looked up. Sky was very dark.

'Probably rain is coming. Funny, it didn't seem that way just a moment ago…'

Suddenly Malfoy's eyes almost rolled out of his skull. Everywhere was pitch black. Just some streaks of purple color. All purple and black mist danced around him. It almost seemed that it was alive. Malfoy was sweating. Suddenly he noticed two hooded figures circling around him.

'Death Eaters? No, they wouldn't do that; they would know who I am!'

Malfoy started to panic. He noticed that both figures were holding hands on something metallic.

'Swords! They are not Death Eaters for sure!'

Malfoy nervously looked around for exit. Suddenly he noticed that both hooded figures had left between them a free space. Malfoy sprinted between them and disappeared in mist. One of hooded men raised hand. He was holding some cards.

"Come to my aid, my faithful servants!"

With flash of golden light there stood group of human alike figures which seemed to be torn out of their eternal peace. Among them stood knight who held his head in arms. Malfoy ran out of the mist right into knight.

"What?! How…"

"In the land of living dead we have feast today."

The figures come closer. One of them raised his eyes. Blood red eyes shone through the black mist, nothing more.

"And you will be the main food…"

A chilling laughter filled the air. Both figures raised their swords over Malfoy's head. Malfoy shreaked and passed out.

Mist disappeared and with it Shadow Monsters. There were left only Malfoy and both figures. They took off hoods and revealed white-haired and sand-haired boys laughing their heads off.

END OF CHAPTER 10