Small Note

Sakura: Thanks for the reviews! This has to be my favorite chapter I have written so far and it will be pretty obvious why near the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Hogwarts High Inquisitor (Part One)

The common room had been quiet until the portrait was swung open causing Yami to jump. He had been calmly sitting on the couch minding his own business enjoying a cup of tea and going over his lessons for next week when Yuugi stormed into the room looking pissed off. Yami had not been surprised that morning when he woke up to find Yugi gone, but he was surprised that he had returned so quickly. The older wizard figured he would have to find his husband after a while if he did not show up for lunch.

"I thought you were going to be gone for a while," Yami said as he put his work aside to welcome Yuugi into his arms as the younger collapsed on the couch. He was even more surprised when Yugi crawled up in Yami's lap as if he was scared of something. "Did something happen?"

Yuugi nodded his head as he said, "I don't know what to do Yami… I thought things would be better once we got to Hogwarts, but it seems like things are just as bad here."

"What happened?"

"I didn't see Harry at breakfast this morning, but I got to talking to Hermione and Ron," He looked up at Yami and it was then the other saw the red rim eyes of his lover who must have been crying not too long ago. "They told me that Umbridge has been giving Harry dentition and she has been using some medieval quill that causes the writer to use their own blood to write something on parchment." He snuggled farther into Yami as if trying to hide from the outside world. "It was awful Yami, I found Harry to see the truth for myself and his hand was so blackened and there was a scar with the words I shall not tell lies. How can they let a woman like her into this school?"

"Dumbledore may have not had a choice," Yami said as he wrapped his arms around Yuugi to comfort him. "Did you talk to Harry about this?"

Yuugi looked away from Yami, "He wouldn't tell me anything. Kept telling me everything was alright but he was sorry for avoiding me said something about he kept feeling like he was alone since most of the students did not believe him and Dumbledore about Voldermort."

Yami sighed knowing that must have been why Yuugi was crying, "So what did you do?"

"I walked with Harry to go see his friends then I told him I had something quick to do and that I would meet up with him later."

"And what are you going to do?"

Yuugi let out what sounded like a sob as he tried his best to hold back more tears, "I don't know Yami… I really don't know. So badly I just want to kick her ass for what she has done…"

"But you know that will do more harm than good," Yami finished for Yuugi knowing his partner could see that confronting Umbridge would make Yuugi look even more bad in the ministry's eyes. They had already run from them and if Yuugi tried to do anything to Umbridge… well that could look even worst as if he was fighting on Voldermort's side.

"Yami what should I do?" Yuugi asked wanting some advice from the one person he trust more than anything in the world. He needed his husband's help in this so that he did not do something stupid.

Honestly Yami wasn't sure what they could do with something like this, but he knew they needed to tell someone else about this. There were guidelines in place that professors were supposed to follow to punish those who misbehaved and he was pretty sure Umbridge had crossed a line. There was only one person Yami knew of that he knew they could go to who might listen to them.

"Come on Yuugi, let's go see Professor McGonagall about this," Yami said as he helped Yuugi to sit back up.

Yuugi wiped at his eyes as he asked, "You really think she can help us?"

Yami nodded as he stood up and offered a hand to Yuugi, "It's worth a shot. Umbridge has crossed a line and I'm sure McGonagall will know what to do about this. We can't just sit by and let her hurt Harry more."

Of course Yuugi was in complete agreement over that as he took Yami's hand and stood up. If Harry wasn't going to help himself then they would have to look after him like they promised Remus and Sirius they would. Yuugi just hated he had not seen the signs before and could have stopped it earlier. "Hey Yami…"

"Yes Yuugi…"

"Thanks…" Yuugi felt the need to say. His temper could get him into trouble sometimes and he was glad to have Yami by his side to keep him level headed.

Yami smiled as he kissed the top of Yuugi's head. His little werewolf was just a bundle full of emotions and he knew all the tricks to keep him from going off the deep end. However if Umbridge kept pushing buttons it wouldn't be long before even Yami would probably not be able to stop his lover from doing something he would come to regret.

Once they were able to location the professor, the talk with McGonagall went surprisingly well and she believed every word they told her. She also told them not to worry about it and that she would have a talk with professor Umbridge, which was good because Yuugi did not think he could be in the same room as that woman after what she had done. So once that was taken care of the two made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. The day just seemed to fly by with everything that had happened.

Inside they found the tables only partly full as students were probably still trying to make their way there for their evening meal. Yuugi quickly found Harry and his friends who were on more civil terms now and talking. That did not change either when Yuugi and Yami joined them.

"Where did you go?" Harry asked curious since it seemed to have taken Yuugi forever to run his errand.

Yuugi shrugged, "A little bit of here and there. I went to check on Yami too while I was at it and he did not want me to leave him alone." He grinned up at his partner, "Is that right Yami?"

Yami rolled his eyes, "Sure Yuugi I just love keep you hostage." He wrapped an arm around Yuugi tickling his sides.

The younger giggled a little loudly but quickly covered his mouth to stop any other sounds as he tried to move away from the roaming hand. "Stop," He managed to get out and blushed when he noticed the looks he was getting from others around him.

Hermione glared at a group of students down the way who were staring and they quickly stopped, "Don't mind them," She said as she turned to the two with a smile.

"We don't mind them. I've learned to deal with the looks." Yuugi told them as Yami stopped trying to tickle him and was letting the younger lean against him now. "So are you three doing okay again?" He asked trying to change the subject.

Harry nodded, "We've agreed to keep no more secrets and I agreed to stop trying to push them out."

"Well that's good friends should never push each other away or keep secrets. In times like these you got to know who your friends really are and stick close to them." Yami said offering some friendly advice.

Yuugi agreed with him, "There's no telling what tomorrow will be like…."

He was going to say more but was cut off by the rather loud voice of non-other than professor Umbridge. "Pardon me professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" She shrieked with that god awful voice of hers.

The voices sounded like they were just outside the Great Hall and nothing was going to stop Yuugi as he got up to see what was happening. Of course Yami, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were right behind him along with a few other students who were curious to see what was going on. When they gathered outside the Great hall they found both Professors on the small set of stairs just outside the Great Hall. They looked as if they were both heading up until they stopped to share words with each other.

"I'm merely requesting that when it comes to my students you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices." McGonagall informed her. It was pretty obvious to Yuugi what she was talking about. However when Yuugi and Yami told her about this, they did not think the two professors would have it out in the hallway.

"So silly of me, but it sounds like you are questioning my authority in my own classroom Minerva," Umbridge scowled as she took a step up on the stairs to be taller than the other professor.

"Not at all Dolores," McGonagall took a step higher to make herself taller once again as she said, "Merely your medieval methods…"

There was a gasp from Umbridge as if she could not believe what McGonagall was accusing her of, "I'm sorry dear, but to question my practices is to question the ministry and by extension the minister himself. I'm a tolerate woman but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

McGonagall took a step back down with a look of disbelief, "Disloyalty…" She scoffed.

There was a moment's pause as Umbridge took a few more steps up the stairs so that she was higher than everyone else. Then she not only addressed McGonagall but the students as well as she said, "Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared, Cornelius will want to take immediate action."

"And what's so bad here at Hogwarts?"

The question got everyone's attention as all eyes turned to Yuugi who had stepped forward. Yami went to try and pull him back but Yuugi just shrugged him off, "This school was doing great until you showed up. No one died and made you headmaster."

"Why I never…."

"Nobody really cares what you think," Yuugi continued to talk interrupting Umbridge from saying anything. "If anyone is disloyal it is you and your minister. You are blind to the truth that is right in front of your faces and due to that blindness you'll be putting countless lives at risk. Instead you come in here trying to brainwash all these innocent students into believing lies. If I didn't know any better I would think your precious minister was a follower of the dark lord."

There was a gasp from Umbridge, "How dare you!" She sneered at him turning a lovely shade of red in her anger.

Yuugi smirked glad to have stuck a nerve as he said, "Listen well Umbridge, I don't care what kind of lies you tell the minister about this school, but you do anything to harm these students like you have done before I will personal make it my mission to end you." He was trying to look out for Harry, but the other students had to be protected too. He didn't want what had happened to his little brother to happen to anyone else. Hogwarts was a school for learning not torture.

Umbridge looked as if she was about to stay something else, but quickly shut her mouth and turned on her heels leaving the area. Yuugi figured she was going to go rant to Fudge but he honestly didn't care. He wasn't scared of the ministry who would turn a blind eye to the truth and point countless people in danger. The minister was nothing but a coward.

"You really shouldn't have done that?" Yami pointed out.

Yuugi shrugged, "If you don't stand up to her she will walk all over you."

McGonagall after having gotten over the shock of the turning point in the conversation made her way down the stairs toward Yuugi. At first he thought she was going to lecture him, but instead she put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, "Be very careful young one… I know you are only looking out for others, but it's best not to make too many enemies." She left without another word leaving Yuugi and the group in disbelief.

There was gossip all around them as the others students started to file away since the show was over, but Harry turned to Yuugi to say, "How did you know?"

Yuugi raised an eyebrow at the question, "How did I know what?"

"About my hand..?"

"Ah well you see…" Yuugi really did not want to rat Hermione out, but she of course beat him to it as she said, "Ron and I were worried about you and we voiced our worries to Yuugi."

"I then went to see for myself if what Hermione told me was true," Yuugi said referring to Harry's hand which he continued to cover with a long sleeve. "I was furious to say the least, but not at you. I was mad at Umbridge for what she did when there are proper punishments less severe put into place. I then went to Yami to see what we should do and that was when we went to McGonagall."

Yami ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "Of course it looks like no matter what Umbridge will be here to stay no matter what we do."

Yuugi looked to his little brother and said in a very serious tone, "If she tries anything else, please let me know. She doesn't have the right to do those things to you." He looked at Harry's friends as he said, "None of you. I don't know what kind of sick mind she has but I don't like this woman one bit."

"None of us do," Harry pointed out before he said, "Thanks for looking out for me."

"You're not mad?" Yuugi asked just to be sure.

Harry shook his head, "Nah, you were only looking out for me and I really should have told you what was going on instead of bottling it up."

Yuugi smiled a real smile glad to know he had been of some help. He vowed right then and there that he would take on the responsibility of making sure no one would have to go through Umbridge's sick form of punishment. The truth would not die with the pack of lies the ministry was trying to make the people believe.

The next morning started out very interesting for Yami when he left his living quarters without his husband. Yuugi skipped out on Yami to go hang out with Harry and his friends saying they needed to catch up. Yami only got up long enough to see his partner off before he went back to bed for an hour and a half. Then his stomach started to growl, so he got himself ready for the day and then ventured toward the Great Hall to see what was left. On the weekends breakfast seemed to be served later and a little bit longer because students were sleeping in. Not that Yami could blame them because after a week of having your head crammed with all kinds of information everyone needed to be able to sleep in and be lazy. If students thought they had it bad they certainly did not know what it was like being a professor. It was twice the work and there were always so many papers to grade which the only time he had time to do that was on the weekend.

Yami didn't see how the others professors did it because it was hell trying to grade papers for over a hundred students. Although the other professors had more students than him and even though he liked being the professor he kind of missed when he was only the assistant.

Thankfully when he arrived at the Great hall he wasn't the only one around as there were still plenty of students lounging around and even a few professors. The headmaster was nowhere to be found, but Yami was able to recognize a familiar face. "How are you this morning professor?" Yami asked as he took a seat beside McGonagall who was reading the morning paper with a cup of coffee.

"I'm well and how are you?" She asked back as she watched Yami snatch up the cup of coffee that appeared in front of him. "Rough night..?"

Yami took a sip of coffee welcoming the warm liquid that would hopefully wake him up, "Sort of, I was up for a while finishing grading some papers so I could pass them back tomorrow."

"Well don't get burned out too quickly. Some students don't mind the wait when it comes to their grades," McGonagall said offering some advice.

Yami could see the logic in that after all the grading he did last night. Some papers were done as they should have and well some students looked like they did the assignments at the last minute which they probably did. "I'll have to remember that for next time," He watched as she turned to another page in the paper, "Anything interesting?"

"Not really, but there is this…" She turned to the article and handed the paper over to Yami.

As soon as Yami saw what was printed he could honestly say he wasn't that surprised, "Figures as much. I bet if she could she would have already replaced Dumbledore."

"She'll probably try, but Dumbledore knows what he is doing and there has never been a problem with this school until she showed up."

Yami took another look at the article where the front line said in big bold letters, 'Dolores Jane Umbridge appointed as Hogwarts High Inquisitor.' It was a load of bull is what it was and Yuugi was going to have a field day when he found out. Minister Fudge was giving Umbridge too much control in this school without even being headmaster. The school year was slowly becoming hell within a matter of days.

Sakura: I'm seriously surprised I made it through this chapter even though it's one of my favorites. It took me forever to write it when it should have been easy. Hopefully the rest of the story will be better than this chapter was.

Next Time: Umbridge begins to make some changes to Hogwarts, along with pissing off a werewolf again…

Yumi: Please Review!