An Author's note: Warning, mild swearing ahead (cause I think the spirit is the kind of guy who swears…).
As usual, no own…
Chapter 10
Voices and Suspicions
The spirit turned away from the image of the dragon in front of him, closing his eyes and growling. "You're not real, you are dead, go away."
"I'm hurt, little one…"
"GO AWAY!"
"…for now…I will, but I'll be back to bother you again."
The spirit shut his eyes, hoping that the creature would go away…when he opened his eyes and turned around there was no one there.
/Who were you talking to?/ Bakura asked the spirit.
/NO ONE!!!/
/…but I heard you talking-/
/NOTHING, RA DAMN IT!/ Long pause /…just a voice…/
/You are hearing…a voice…that I can't hear…oh dear…/
The next morning Bakura came to the breakfast table bleary eyed and grumpy looking. He had argued with the spirit all night long, and it showed.
"Bakura, are you okay?" Yugi asked
"No."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Is it…" Yugi leaned towards Bakura's ear and whispered "You-Know-Who?"
When Yugi asked "You-Know-Who" he meant the evil spirit. Unfortunately Hermione caught the phrase, and her mind started to whirl.
"No." Bakura grumbled.
"The what's-"
"LEAVE ME ALONE! THE VOICE IN MY HEAD IS HEARING A VOICE IN HIS HEAD!" Bakura had meant to shout in Japanese…but he ended up shouting in English.
A long silence came over the Gryffindor table, soon followed by copious amounts of giggling.
Bakura turned several shades of red, and then fled the dinning hall in pure humiliation.
"…what…" Ron gazed at Bakura's retreating form in shock. "He…hears voices?"
Yugi stuttered "Ummm, actually he was talking about…his brother! They got this weird mental link thing and sometimes they can hear each other's thoughts!" It sounded lame to Yugi's ears, but it was the best excuse he could come up with.
"Umm, excuse us for a few minutes." Hermione grabbed Ron and Harry and beat a hasty retreat.
Yugi groaned. Wonderful, now everyone thought that Bakura was nuts…
"Oi Spike! Time to pay up!" Fred and George literally assaulted Yugi and started dragging him away.
/I think I'll go into my soul room now…very deep in my soul room…/Yami muttered.
/What a great and wonderful help you are!/ Yugi shouted in his head.
"Okay, try this. Eat the purple end." George stuck what appeared to be a stick of candy in Yugi's face.
"What's its going to do to me?" Yugi asked suspiciously.
"You see, my spiky friend, we have a goal, a life's mission if you will." Fred said grandiosely "To deliver unto the public such items that, when used properly, can induce hilarity in any situation, no matter how tedious and monotonous it may be!" He was practically poising.
"….what?"
"Look, just eat the purple end." George said.
Yugi sighed and did as he was told.
The twins stared at him expectantly.
"How do you feel?" Fred asked.
"Nauseous." Yugi said.
"Hmmm, have to up the dose." George whipped out a quill and paper "Up dose on product ten…" he muttered to himself.
"…what?"
"That was a prototype of ours, a Skiving Snackbox. It's supposed to make you throw up so you can skip a class for a trip to the hospital wing…" Fred said.
"Is that why you need me? You want me to be a lab rat?!"
"Uh-huh." Fred nodded.
/Told you to be careful, didn't I?/
/Oh shut up./
Meanwhile, Bakura was busy pulling out his hair and groaning in the halls.
"Great, wonderful, 'the voice in my head is hearing a voice in his head.' Great job, Bakura!" he muttered to himself.
"Are you okay?" a slightly vague voice asked him from behind.
Bakura jumped and whirled around. It was that strange girl from the train, Luna Lovegood.
They stared at each other for a long time. "It's okay, you know…they think I'm crazy to…" she muttered.
Bakura did not know what to say. What were you supposed to say to statement like that?
"You're not okay, are you?" Luna was still staring at him.
Bakura sighed and turned away "It's bad enough that two teachers already hate me and one bores me to death, but now everyone in the Great Hall thinks I'm out of my mind!"
"I don't think you're out of your mind…you don't really act like it…except for that just now…" Luna said.
Bakura sighed.
"I bet it must be tough…starting late like this…" the vagueness was still there, but now there was also a bit of strange shyness about her voice "If you want…I could help you out…you know if you need to catch up…"
Bakura turned and stared at her. Her eyes were still incredibly vague, but there was also a bit of desperate loneliness there…
Bakura smiled warmly "I'd like that."
Luna smiled then cocked her head. "You better get to Herbology…"
Bakura eeped and dashed away.
"Monie, wha-" Ron said, or attempted to say. His mouth was full of breakfast.
"Did you hear what Yugi said!" Hermione asked as she dragged them out the door and under a tree.
"No, what?"
"He just asked Bakura if he was talking to Voldemort!" Hermione said.
Ron's jaw dropped, chewed remains of muffin falling from his mouth to the ground. "WHAT!"
Hermione repeated what she heard, or thought she heard.
Harry's eyes narrowed "You think Voldemort sent them here to spy on us?"
"But…they don't act like You-Know-Who's supporters…" Ron said.
"Neither did Quirrell or Crouch." Harry's eyes were narrowed and hard. "You don't expect spies to be obvious about it, or else they would not be spies…"
"I suppose…it is strange how two of them went to Slytherin and the other two to Gryffindor…" Ron said. "One House is full of You-Know-Who's supporters and the other has Harry Potter."
"They could have been sent to get you, Harry!" Hermione said. "I'll bet you anything that 'voice' Bakura was talking about is actually Voldemort…"
"Yeah, and remember how Marik just burst into our Common Room to attend that 'party.'" Ron was getting excited "I'll bet they were really reporting to their master!"
"And Bakura acted so strange with Snape yesterday!" Hermione agreed "He usually acts so nice and sweet, but he almost fought with Snape…"
"Yeah, and he punched Umbridge…" Ron agreed "Mind you she deserved it, but what kind of bloke punches out like that when he gets startled out of a sleep? Maybe…maybe was trained as an assassin!"
Harry was frowning "But…why hasn't my scar hurt when I'm around them…I mean, you would think if they where in contact with Voldemort I might have at least felt a prick…"
"Maybe they are being extra careful…" Hermione said.
"But then why would Bakura let it slip about a 'voice'…why would he act like that in front of Snape and Umbridge if he was trying to hide it…I mean, you would expect that a highly trained assassin would be able to keep up the act…"
"Maybe he's new at the killing business…" Ron said "Hey, maybe he just graduated from assassin school…"
"Maybe…or…" Harry paused "It's just…Kaiba said something really weird in Potions when Bakura started acting weird. He said 'Great, he's having a schizoid moment'. Maybe…"
"Schizoid…you think that Bakura's just barking?" Ron asked.
Harry shrugged "I don't know, but you know they are muggle born? Well, they probably don't know that You-Know-Who means Voldemort here in the wizarding world. They could have been talking about another You-Know-Who…"
"If Bakura really was…well schizophrenic…" Hermione thought "That could explain why Bakura always looks so…lonely…I mean it would have to be hard hearing voices that don't exist…and that voice could have been their You-Know-Who…"
"Or maybe Kaiba was just saying that to cover for him…" Ron said.
"Well, I don't want to go hurling accusations at them." Harry reasoned "If I am right, and Bakura is just a bit on the crazy side that would ruin any chance of friendship we may have with them, and frankly I kinda like Bakura and Yugi. I think we should just watch them. Be on our guard and don't do anything to make them think we suspect them."
"Good idea, and if they are spies and assassins, we shouldn't let them think that we are on to them." Hermione reasoned.
"I'll write to Sirius to, just in case…" Harry said.
Hermione's eyes widened "Oh no! We are going to be late for Herbology!"