Kuroshitsuji belongs to Yana Toboso, Harry Potter to JK Rowling.

This unlikely crossover idea, Cain Kruspe and the words are mine though so please don't take them.

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Chapter 10: The game

Finding time to read the diary wasn't easy and Ciel felt his frustration grow as he was sitting, struggling with yet another essay for the Defence Against the Dark Arts. Some students thought that this particular lesson will become easier but, if anything, it became more demanding as time went. Ciel wasn't sure, however, if it was due to anything else than Professor Kruspe's regular arguments with Professor Snape, because Potions were becoming unbearable even to the Slytherin students. For himself, Potions were a difficult subject ever since he got caught listening to an argument of Snape and Kruspe, where the latter basically threatened to kill the former.

Come to think of that – he was curious if Snape really stopped digging around for the truth. Sebastian hasn't been able to find anything out because Snape got suddenly very suspicious of the black cat and was even more careful in choosing meeting places.

'Ciel! You'll be late for dinner!' Elizabeth called and Ciel closed the book almost gratefully. He was reaching his limits for the new-info-uptake anyway.

'Thanks for reminding me,' he said as he came up to her and she smiled. Recently he had a habit of skipping meals, between reading the diary, doing homework and trying to find conclusive proof that Lucius Malfoy was not his tormentor.

'No problem,' she answered and they walked together, sharing a friendly conversation. Somehow the announcement of their engagement two months ago made them become closer, made them talk more and get to know each other better. Surprisingly, Ciel found himself caring for Elizabeth more and more – up to the point when Sebastian chose it appropriate to remind him just what exactly was their deal.

'You seem very busy,' Elizabeth noticed as they walked.

'The homework is becoming difficult to cope,' he replied casually, making her nod.

'Especially those two… I have no idea what has gotten into them to get so vicious lately,' she agreed. "Those two" has become a popular expression encompassing the Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers after Snape has given a detention to a student who's only fault was to associate the two teachers in one sentence.

'I wonder,' Ciel said, fighting not to smirk. He really wanted to see either of them snap and finally attack the other.

'So what's the notebook you're carrying every time,' Elizabeth asked, changing the topic and pointing to the notebook that Ciel was holding even now.

'The diary of my father,' he said, seeing to reason to lie about that. 'Somebody left it for me on my birthday,' he added and watched how Elizabeth's eyes widened.

'Are you sure it's safe?' she asked immediately. 'You have heard about that diary of Tom Riddle, right?'

'Lizzy… It's the diary of my father. I know his handwriting.'

'Alright, alright, don't get angry at me, Ciel,' she said quickly. 'I just don't want you to get stuck into any weird situation.'

'It's ok, I-' he was cut off by somebody bumping into him, making him fall back on the floor. Elizabeth made a scared noise and went to help him but, but he was too busy glaring at the red-haired idiot who bumped into him.

'Watch where you're going!' Ciel hissed, his hand already reaching for the wand, even as Ron Weasley raised his hands in surrender.

'Hey kid, sorry!' he said. 'You could have watched where you're going as well,' he added in an uncharacteristically reasonable way. Ciel looked at him with narrowed eyes.

'Ciel, where's your diary?' Elizabeth asked suddenly and Ciel immediately realized that he indeed let go of the diary when he fell and that now it was not there anymore.

With a growl he turned back to the retreating figure of Weasley and pointed his wand.

'Phantomhive!' he registered somebody calling his name, but he was too angry to care. Wordlessly, he cast a spell and Weasley fell to the floor with a scream.

'Ciel, no!' Elizabeth screamed at the same time as a hand gripped his wrist brutally and he looked at a furious McGonagall.

'What are you doing, Phantomhive?'

'He stole my diary,' Ciel said without flinching. He wasn't afraid of a teacher.

'So you cursed him? Midford! Go and get Madame Pomfrey, I will take Phantomive to the head of his house to decide what is the appropriate punishment,' McGonagall said and Ciel bit back a groan – Snape has been looking for an occasion to punish him for a while now. Elizabeth shot Ciel a miserable look and went to fetch the healer, while McGonagall pulled Ciel behind herself. He resisted.

'Let go of me,' he said through his teeth. 'I can walk on my own.'

'Why you!' she almost hit him but something stopped her. 'Impertinent child!' she added, but let go of his wrist. He glared and marched off, towards the Potions classroom, hearing that she followed him quickly to catch up.

They reached the classroom, where Snape was correcting essays – an activity that always left him in a bad mood.

'Is there a problem, Professor McGonagall?' he asked, eyebrow raised as he saw McGonagall and Ciel arrive.

'Your student cursed Ron Weasley!' McGonagall informed him, still sounding scandalized. For a moment Snape looked like he didn't know how to react.

'And did Weasley deserve it somehow by his stupidity?' he finally asked in a silky voice and Ciel had to hide a smirk.

'This is not a joke, Snape – we cannot have students resorting to force like that,' McGonagall scolded.

'Fine, fine. I will deal out some punishment, thank you for bringing Phantomhive to me. Now if you could leave us so that I explain to my student how it is bad to curse other, annoying students?' Snape said, shocking McGonagall, but not Ciel. Of course he would deal out some punishment to Ciel, but he didn't want McGonagall to know that and grow suspicious.

Without a word, McGonagall left, slamming the door behind her and Snape looked up at Ciel, putting away the essay he's been grading. It was the first time that Ciel was all alone with Snape since the latter probably found out about him eavesdropping.

'It has been a while since you and me had some time to talk, Ciel, hasn't it?' Snape asked calmly.

'Sir?'

'You've been avoiding me, Ciel and I would like to know why,' Snape said even though they both knew the answer. What was he aiming at?

'I don't understand, Professor Snape,' Ciel said, putting up his best innocent face and hoping it was good enough for the old spy. There was a while of silence as Snape looked him up and down slowly, a while during which Ciel did his best not to twitch nervously.

'You have been eavesdropping on me some time ago. Why?'

'Sir?' Ciel pretended to think. He even went as far as furrowing his brow in the act. 'Do you mean that night when, em,' he pretended to be embarrassed. 'When Professor Kruspe… you know…'

'Yes, exactly that night!' Snape yelled.

'I was just passing by, Professor. It's very stupid to say but,' Ciel hung his head. 'I got lost,' he mumbled.

'You got lost?' Snape asked incredulously. Ciel nodded, still keeping his face down, because he knew that he was not good enough as an actor.

'Yes, Professor. I got lost and I was just walking down the corridor that I was sure led to my dormitory, when I heard a voice asking if he was being threatened and then I heard the answer and Professor Kruspe found me and walked me back. It seems that I was even more lost than I thought, because it took us a long time to reach the dormitory,' Ciel said, trying to make his voice tremble a bit.

'Do you know why he had said that?' Snape asked in a calmer voice and Ciel looked up at him wide-eyes, shaking his head.

'Why would he say something like that to you, Professor?' he asked with his best, naïve tone. Snape narrowed his eyes at him, but Ciel withstood the gaze.

'It is not appropriate for a student to curse another student, whatever the reason,' Snape said out of the blue, sounding as though he was reciting something he learnt by heart. Ciel jumped up when he started speaking, the change of topic was so abrupt. 'It is my obligation to make you understand how wrong it is to attack another human being. As a punishment you will write an essay for Professor McGonagall on the curse you have used, it's nature and origins, as well as on the historical uses of it and the controversies.'

Ciel had to wonder if Snape knew what curse he used and if he did – how in the world it was possible. Then he remembered who the man was, traitor or not. He pursed his lips into a tight line and nodded. An unpleasant smile twisted Snape's lips.

'I'm sure she will find the essay most enlightening and I will know, Earl Phantomhive, if you have written the truth,' he said. Ciel raised his head a bit up in a more regal stance, dropping the act of a scared student. Snape noticed and his smile widened minimally. 'And if I catch you wandering the corridors after curfew again, whatever the reason, there will be a hell to pay. Now leave before I change my mind.'

Fuming, Ciel left the classroom, careful to not give the other man satisfaction by slamming the door, like McGonagall did before. He took a couple of steps away and then turned into an unused corridor and cast a silencing spell on it.

'Sebastian.'

In a blink of an eye, his butler was standing in front of him.

'Ron Weasley, probably working with Harry Potter, stole the diary of my father. Get it back,' he said in a tone that didn't allow any arguments.

'Yes, my Lord,' the butler said with a bow.

'And when you're done, write that essay for McGonagall. I'm sure you listened in to my discussion with Snape.'

'Yes, my Lord.'

Once alone, Ciel marched down the corridor with determination. Time came to change the game.