Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or YuGiOh. If I did I'd own my own Quidditch stadium, and we'd all be able to buy duel disks...oooh I wish. I really do.
Warning: Bad language on Malik's part. He's in a foul mood though so it's not entirely unexpected.
Chapter 10: Poor Anger Management
"Hehehe! Time for you to pay up Pharaoh!"
"Pharaoh! I won't let this happen to you!"
He materialised next to his other half, and pushed him firmly between the shoulders, and out of harms way. Yami turned in shock to face him.
"Yugi?! Stop! What are you doing here?"
Even with the Seal branded on his forehead, Yugi could not be angry with him. He was his other self. He always forgave him.
"It only needs one of us," he explained sadly. "So I'm letting the Seal take me instead."
"No! Yugi!"
Yugi bowed his head, feeling himself get taken, torn away from his body...his senses…his friend. But to his horror, he felt a wrench at his heart and the same feeling of being taken away…coming from Yami.
The Seal was taking him too!
"No! Yami no! You were supposed to be spared! The Seal was supposed to take me, not both of us! Yami! Yami!"
OOO
"No!...Yami! Don't…not him too! No!"
"Yugi! Yugi! Wake up!"
Yugi was shaken out of his disturbed sleep by a frantic looking Ryou. Harry was also kneeling next to the bed, looking extremely concerned. The rest of the boys in the dorm were sitting upright, worried expressions on their faces, all except Malik and Ron who were still fast asleep.
Trembling, Yugi sat up. His forehead and the back of his neck were damp with sweat and he felt like he had just wrestled a Blue Eyes. The Puzzle felt heavy around his neck, and he gripped it unconsciously. A wave of reassurance met him and he relaxed slightly. Yami was fine, but he could tell from the undercurrent of panic, he was just as shaken up as he was.
"Are you alright Yugi?" Ryou asked, making sure to speak Japanese, as Yugi was not wearing his language patch. He handed it and a glass of water to his friend, and Yugi accepted gratefully.
"I'm fine," he said faintly, once the patch was back in place. "It was just a nightmare."
"Don't be stupid," Ryou snapped. "This is the seventh time in the last three weeks! This is more than a nightmare Yugi and you know it."
He turned away and hurried to Malik's bed. The Egyptian's possessions were strewn around his bed, making the place look remarkably like a bomb site. What was even more astonishing was that most of these items were books. Since the trip to Hogsmeade, Malik had been fiddling around with the duel disks in his spare time, occasionally bugging the other two, who were more proficient at most of the spells, to come and help. The half modified duel disk lay on his bedside table, along with his deck (Malik slept with the Rod under his pillow). Ryou peered over the pillow and sighed at his snoring friend. A glass of water later, and a spluttering Malik was awake.
"Malik! Up!" We are having a talk and we are having it now!"
Muttering profanity in Arabic, Malik pulled himself out of bed, shirtless, face wet, and hair sticking up porcupine style. He slapped the language patch on his arm, and his complaining switched abruptly into English.
"This better be good, I was dreaming about Honeydukes," Malik muttered, not noticing that Ron was now awake and was once again, pointing out his scars to Harry. Harry took a cautious glance at the Egyptian's back, and was stunned to see that the scars were not randomised as he had originally thought. He realised with horror, that someone had carved hieroglyphs into their friend's skin. Clearly they were not the only ones that had noticed, as he could hear Dean and Seamus whispering. To divert attention, Harry suggested once again to Yugi that he go see Madam Pomfrey.
"Really I'm fine Harry," Yugi repeated, slightly irritably. Truthfully, he was not fine at all. The nightmares had been going on for the last three weeks. First they just started out as flashbacks. Then they had progressed into something far worse, showing the Orichalcos taking Yami's soul along with his own…
Yugi shook his head, angry that he had allowed himself to get into this state. Malik plonked himself down on the end of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Are you alright Yugi?" he asked.
"For the last time, I'm fine!" Yugi snapped, before covering his mouth with his hands. "Sorry…I didn't mean to shout."
"Meh, it's natural for nightmares," Malik shrugged.
"And I should know," he thought bitterly before yawning.
"So if you're alright, can I go back to bed?"
Bakura, who had come out at Ryou's command, rolled his eyes and smacked him around the head. He drew the curtains around Yugi's bed to cut out the stares of the rest of the dormitory.
"If you would both pay attention to my Ring," he said, speaking in Japanese so that no one else could understand. The faint glow from under his t-shirt indicated that the Ring was active. "I would be able to tell you that this is no ordinary nightmare. There are traces of dark magic all over your souls…also I can tell you that high highness is panicking."
A harassed looking Pharaoh appeared in Yugi's place.
"I was not panicking Bakura!" he snapped angrily. Bakura folded his arms smirking.
"Really? The Millennium Ring would beg to differ with that opinion. Or had you forgotten my Ring ability to see into people's souls?"
"Stay out of our souls Thief!" Yami ordered furiously. "Everything is fine."
"I know why you're so freaked out," Bakura said. "Its not just Yugi having these nightmares and you sensing his panic. You're both having them."
It was a statement, not a question. Malik's eyes widened. Sprits did not normally dream. Only something really powerful could have caused Yami's to dream at all, let alone have such a violent nightmare. The Pharaoh bristled.
"It's none of your business what we dream."
"You're worried about losing Yugi like you did last time, aren't you?" Bakura said, with a smug look. "How sweet."
/Bakura, watch it/ Ryou warned. Malik however, interrupted.
"What do you mean, 'like last time'? What are you talking about Bakura?"
"How do you know about that Bakura?" Yami demanded, wondering for a second if Yugi had perhaps told Ryou and Malik without him knowing.
"You told me remember?" Bakura said obviously. "'That is what the Orichalcos does to you Bakura. It rips souls apart' Weren't those your exact words? It wasn't that difficult to work it out"
"It rips souls apart…you mean?" Malik trailed off, turning towards the gobsmacked Pharaoh. "You lost a duel? An Orichalcos duel? And your soul was taken?"
Yami shook his head, as he sank back onto the bed, shoulders slumped in defeat.
"I did lose," he admitted. "But it wasn't my soul who suffered."
"Then who's…" Malik trailed off as he pieced it together. "Yugi…"
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Bakura asked, though it was not a forceful demand. He honestly had no idea that the Pharaoh's hikari was capable of doing something that brave. Yami's crimson eyes narrowed at the thief.
"I'm not exactly proud of the fact Bakura," he said irritably. "It was the worst thing I've ever done in my life."
"You can't blame yourself for losing," Malik said. "The Orichalcos is designed to give unfair advantages. We all know in a fair duel you're unbeatable…as much as it pains me to say it."
Yami shifted guiltily in his seat. He still had not told them the worst part – that he had been the one to activate the Seal in that duel. He debated over the idea for a few seconds, before deciding that he would rather keep it close to his chest for now.
"It's still my fault Malik," he said. "I lost him. And now when we keep reliving it every night…"
"Which you shouldn't be," Malik said fiercely. "Spirits shouldn't dream unless it's a prophetic dream or unless there is an extremely powerful magical force influencing them. And it certainly shouldn't be repeating itself for this long."
"Can you pinpoint any dark magic in the castle?" Yami asked. Bakura shook his head.
"There's too much magic in Hogwarts to focus. Unless I specify exactly what kind of magic I'm looking for, say another Millennium Item for example, then the Ring can't locate it. It'll just point towards anything that gives off a magical energy."
He demonstrated as he spoke. The pointers of the Ring jingled, pointing in all directions, before falling silent.
"No luck there then," Malik said. "Unless we find out what's causing these nightmares, we can't track it down."
He trailed off, the three of them sitting there helplessly, before Yugi appeared in spirit form and broke the silence.
"Maybe we should get dressed. The others are probably starting to wonder what we're hiding."
It was a good idea, particularly to Malik, who now realised that he had been wandering around the dormitory shirtless for the last ten minutes. He really did not want another confrontation with Harry and Ron over his scars. Along with the incident on the train, their new friends had caught sight of his back again one evening, when Malik had forgotten to draw his curtains and they had walked in on him changing. The questioning had started again, but Malik had drawn his curtains forcibly and cut them off. He had soon learned to keep his curtains closed, especially when sleeping, as he tended to go shirtless.
The curtains were pulled back and Malik and Ryou vacated the bed. Harry and Ron had pulled on their own clothes and bundled their Quidditch robes up for the match later that morning. The other boys were also getting dressed in Gryffindor colours. They all looked up when the three transfers reappeared.
"Are you sure you're alright Yugi?" Harry asked again, bracing himself just in case his friend blew up at him. This time however, Yugi gave him a reassuring smile, which was a lot more like his usual self.
"I'm fine now Harry. Don't worry about me."
"Malik," Ron said. "What happened to your back?"
Malik didn't look at him as he pulled on one of his short lavender shirts.
"Nothing happened Ron," he replied in an almost bored voice.
"Clearly something did happen," Harry said. "I thought those scars were accidental. But those are hieroglyphs aren't they?"
"It's really not important okay," Malik said firmly, drawing his curtains closed and pulling a clean pair of black jeans on. He was trying very hard not to lose his temper. Ron seemed to catch the tone and he stayed quiet.
"Sorry, just asking," he muttered.
"Yeah, well don't," Malik snapped, remerging, now fully dressed, with kohl on his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay…but maybe it would help to talk about it," Harry said, remembering his own experiences. Certainly since telling the Prophecy to Ron and Hermione he had felt much better.
"For the love of Ra will you all just drop it already?!" Malik exploded. "Which part of that sentence do you not get?"
"Just trying to help," Seamus said. "No need to get nasty."
"You're not helping," Malik retorted, grabbing his hoodie and zipping it up. "You're just being nosy. All of you."
"Don't blame us for being curious," Ron defended, ignoring the 'shut the hell up' gestures coming from Yugi and Ryou. "Someone clearly happened to you, and we're just showing concern. We're all supposed to be mates, but you're keeping stuff secret from us."
Malik's temper finally snapped.
"You want to know what I'm keeping secret?!" he shouted, watching in satisfaction as everyone jumped. "How I had these hieroglyphs carved into my back with a hot knife when I was only ten years old?! How I was pinned down on that table by the man I called father, while he cut each one of these fucking symbols into my skin?! How I couldn't move from my bed for almost a month because I was in so much pain?! Or perhaps you want to know how it feels to have your flesh ripped apart with a knife? How each slice draws blood that seems to taint every inch of you it touches? Or how lonely and desperate you feel when your only family has turned their heads away from your pleas because its supposed to be your destiny to have this shit inflicted upon you…"
He finished breathing heavily. The rest of the boys were completely speechless. Harry and Ron were looking horrified, while Seamus and Dean were looking shamefully down at their blankets, clearly sorry that they had ever pushed the matter. Neville looked as though he wanted to be sick, and Yugi and Ryou were watching with fear in their eyes. They had never seen Malik lose his temper like this before, nor had they ever heard their friend talk willingly about the Tomb Keepers Initiation.
Malik fixed Ron with a glare.
"The next time you pry into someone's personal life Ron, ask yourself how much you really want to know."
And shoving the Rod and his deck into his pocket, he stormed from the room, banging the door again the wall of the staircase as he went. For a long time, no one spoke. Then Bakura decided to take over and break the silence.
"Well done you lot, you officially pissed him off. Hope you're all happy."
He grabbed his deck and began pulling on his shoes.
"You're going after him?" Yugi asked, surprised. Bakura shook his head.
"No we'd better give him a minute to cool off. If he hasn't joined us at breakfast then I'll go look for him. Besides," he switched to Japanese. "It's not like he can hide from me. He took the Rod with him."
Fortunately however Bakura's hunch was indeed correct. Malik showed up half way through breakfast. He was not speaking to anyone and still looked glum at having been forced to think about the initiation. Yugi and Ryou decided best not to say anything and Hermione, who had spent breakfast that morning hidden behind a text book, also seemed to realise that the Egyptian was in a bad mood and best left alone.
It was not just Malik who was moody however. The animosity between Gryffindor and Slytherin had never been so high. The excitement of the upcoming match seemed to have given way to an all out war between the two houses that had been going on for most of the last three weeks. Nearly all the Gryffindor and Slytherin players had been sent to the hospital wing at least once with various injuries or ailments, as a result of provoking the other team. Malfoy as the captain, seemed to be the primary instigator behind this little animosity.
As if thinking about him had summoned him, Malfoy sauntered into the hall. Harry gripped his goblet tightly, anticipating the moment when he would be able to show the blonde Slytherin up in front of the entire school. Malik was also glaring at him, looking as though he would like nothing more than to take the jam covered knife he was holding and thrust it between his ribs.
"He caught me on the way down from the tower," he said briefly. "Bastard tried to trip me."
"Think we could persuade Melissa and Corvin to hit him with both Bludgers during the match?" Ron asked, referring to the two new Gryffindor beaters.
"Probably," Harry agreed. "I heard that Malfoy had Crabbe and Goyle beat up Melissa's little brother the other day. She'd definitely be up for it."
"Are they always this unpleasant or is it just the Quidditch match?" Ryou asked.
"They're always like this," Ron said immediately.
"That's not true Ron," Hermione said. "It's just the Quidditch match. And it's not like the Gryffindor team are totally innocent either. Ginny sent two Slytherin's to the hospital wing the other day, courtesy of Bat Bogey Hexes."
Ron raised an eyebrow, looking rather impressed at his sister's team spirit. They were distracted however as Malik used his spoon to flick a piece of Ryou's sausage at Malfoy.
They said goodbye to Harry and Ron, and Hermione led them into the stands of the Quidditch pitch. Malik was still grumbling in a mixture of Arabic and Egyptian, and from the poisonous look on his face when the two teams came out of the changing rooms, it was not hard to figure out what he was miffed about.
"Erm…why is Malik so…" Hermione cast about for a word that would not send the blond into an even worse temper.
"Temperamental?" Yugi supplied quietly. "Really Hermione, it's probably best that you don't ask."
Down on the pitch, Harry spotted his friends up in the stands. Hermione, Yugi and Ryou waved enthusiastically. Malik still looked grumpy.
"Thought he might have cheered up by now," Ron muttered on his left. With time to cool off on both parties however, Harry was feeling extremely guilty for his involvement in the argument earlier that day. He realised he should have known better than to pester Malik about what was obviously a painful subject. After all, he knew just how he felt, every time someone stared at the lightning scar on his forehead.
"Captains! Shake hands!" Madam Hooch ordered. She looked tense, as if she expected there to be trouble. Harry stalked over to Malfoy, who was smirking, and the two grasped hands briefly. Harry had to repress a shudder as he touched the other boy. Not only was his hand freezing, but he felt a sick feeling pass through his stomach when they made contact. There was also a glint in Malfoy's eyes, that he did not like one bit.
"Mount your brooms," Madam Hooch commanded. "Three, two, one…"
The whistle blew and the players rose into the air. Yugi followed Hermione's gaze to see Ron heading for the Gryffindor goal posts. Harry was rising high above the rest of the team, keeping his eyes peeled for the Snitch. Ryou's eyes were fixed on the Chasers and the movement of the Quaffle.
"Who's that doing the commentary?" he asked as a loud enthusiastic female voice appeared through the pitch.
"Maxine Daniels," Hermione said briefly. "She's in Ravenclaw, a year above us. Sounds like she's already getting on Professor McGonagall's bad side."
And sure enough…
"…Katie Bell in possession already, tailed quickly by Kenneth Emmert...pretty good looking, for a Slytherin…"
"Miss Daniels, the match!" McGonagall warned her.
"Okay, okay, I got it Professor. Anyway, Bell passes. Robyn Aries in possession, new find for the Gryffindor team, so let's see whether Potter made a good choice with her. Urquhart closing in along side…Emmert on the other. Don't fancy her chances of escaping, as you can see Urquhart is the size of a large boulder…"
"Daniels!"
"I merely speak the truth Professor!" she defended. "Aries doesn't look too confident with those two on her sides. Nope, she's got rid of the Quaffle. Passed to Ginny Weasley, who if you will remember, was seeker last year for Gryffindor. Let's see how she handles her new position."
Ginny appeared to be handling it very well, as she shook off the third Slytherin chaser, looped around the keeper, and put the Quaffle straight through the centre post.
"Ten zero to Gryffindor!" Maxine announced. Yugi and Ryou cheered along with Hermione, and even Malik managed to look gleeful.
Yugi stopped clapping quickly as the game play continued and Slytherin took possession. He'd felt something strange coming from the pitch. It was like a pulse of anger that radiated into the stands. In his soul room, Yami snapped to attention, appearing in spirit form to watch the game.
"Slytherin in possession," Maxine continued. "Vaisey with the Quaffle. He's an ugly looking one isn't he?…Is it just me or do most of the Slytherin team look too bulky to stay in the air?"
"Daniels! If you insult the players one more time…!"
"Sorry Professor, it just slipped out." Maxine did not sound sorry in the slightest. "Anyway, Vaisey has the Quaffle…OW! Nice bludger work from Melissa Sprite, another new addition to the Gryffindor team. Very powerful swing by the looks of things. Vaisey has dropped the Quaffle, and Bell is looking to intercept…Merlin! That had to hurt!"
There was a roar of anger from the Gryffindor spectators. Urquhart had turned his broom towards the sinking Quaffle, and slammed into Katie as she had reached it. She was sent spinning out of control, but managed to steady her broom and climb back on properly before she hit the ground. Ginny and Robyn checked over her worriedly, while Urquhart tried to explain to Madam Hooch that he hadn't seen her and that he hadn't been able to break in time. It was fairly clear that the referee did not believe him, and she eventually gave a blast on her whistle.
"Penalty to Gryffindor," Maxine announced. "And Urquhart's back in the air, and he is not looking happy about it folks! Neither does Malfoy come to that, he's screaming at him out there…"
Sure enough, Draco Malfoy was yelling what appeared to be a reprimand at his chaser. Harry however, was marking Malfoy close enough to hear what the seeker was really shouting.
"Next time, try and take her off the broom you idiot!"
Harry felt his own anger rise at the idea that Malfoy would have the gall to target his team like that. As Ginny flew in to take the penalty shot, Harry sped over to Corvin, who was squaring himself at an oncoming bludger.
"Corvin, hit Malfoy if you can!" he ordered. The smaller boy nodded, before swinging the bludger with as much force as he could towards the Slytherin Captain. A cheer rose from the stands as Ginny scored again, and it was followed by another scream of delight, as the bludger slammed into the side of Malfoy's head. Much to everyone's disappointment however, he managed to stay on his broom.
"Twenty zero to Gryffindor!" Maxine shouted over the din. "And Slytherin Captain Malfoy has been pounded by a bludger! That looked really painful! And Madam Hooch is coming to check him out…looks as though he'll be able to carry on though."
In the stands, Yugi suddenly doubled over as a wave of nausea hit him. Ryou and Malik felt a small twinge in their stomachs, and Hermione bent over Yugi, who was now looking ill.
"Yugi? What's wrong? Are you okay?" she sounded extremely worried. Yugi nodded, but he was far from okay.
/You felt it too didn't you Yami?/ he asked. The Pharaoh nodded.
//Let me take over Yugi// he said. Yugi nodded, and Yami appeared, his face white.
"Yugi?" Hermione asked, apparently still worried by his silence. Ryou noticed the change.
"Yami, what's wrong?" he asked in Japanese. Yami looked out over the match, no doubt left in his mind.
"There's Orichalcum at this match," he said in English. Ryou and Malik looked horrified, and Hermione's eyes widened.
"You mean…the weapon that Voldemort has? But how could it be here?...and how do you know its here?"
"Long story Hermione, but basically, Yugi can sense the magic of the Orichalcos," Malik explained, before looking up with a jolt. "…and I think we can too," he added, before turning to Ryou.
"When Yugi doubled over just now, did you feel something?"
Ryou looked horrified. "Like a twinge in your stomach?" he asked. "I felt that."
"We can sense it too," Malik said. "Like Yugi, Joey and Kaiba can, just not as clearly. Must have something to do with the fact its dark magic…"
"Hold on a second," Hermione said, waving her hands to get attention. "Didn't the paper say that they use the Orichalcos to…"
"Steal people's souls," Yami finished. "Yes. And if someone out there knows how to use the Orichalcos…"
"Then they could use the Seal to take the souls of the players," Ryou said, now looking utterly terrified. "Harry, Ron and the whole team are in danger!"
There was a scream from the crowd, and the four of them turned their attention back to the match, just in time to see Ginny plummet to the ground. Madam Hooch's whistle blew, and Ron tore across the pitch and started screaming at Crabbe and Goyle. Apparently they had smacked the two bludgers at Ginny, who had not moved quickly enough to escape them both. On the ground, Harry was helping Madam Hooch to lead Ginny off the field.
"If there is Orichalcos on the field," Hermione asked in dread. "Does that mean that Ginny…"
"Her soul is fine," Yami assured her. "The Seal hasn't been played yet. Possibly the person who has the Orichalcum doesn't want to draw attention to themselves."
"So if they aren't playing the Seal, then what's the point of having it?" Malik asked.
"The Orichalcos affects judgement remember," Ryou said, remembering the conversation they had had after the attack in Domino Park. "It brings out the darkness and makes people angry."
"So they're using it to make the players angry," Hermione said, looking utterly horrified. "We need to tell the Professors! Quidditch matches are violent enough. Who knows what will happen if the players are having their emotions intensified? Ginny and Katie are already hurt!"
Ryou shot off down the stands. Malik cursed mentally, wishing they had picked seats closer to the teachers stands. Yami and Hermione turned fearfully back to the game. They appeared to have missed a few goals in light of their panicked discussion.
"What's the score now?" Hermione asked, alternating her binoculars between Harry and Ron. Yami was not listening. He was trying desperately to pinpoint where the Orichalcum was, but all the players were moving too fast for him to sense exactly who was holding it. He cursed loudly.
"Why did we send Ryou?" he asked aloud in Japanese. "We should have asked him to point the Orichalcum out with the Ring!"
Malik began cursing again, this time verbally. His swearing became louder as Emmert barged past Ron, who was so angry at his sister's injury that his concentration was slipping. The Quaffle went through the centre hoop, and everyone groaned.
"Twenty thirty to Slytherin," Maxine reported, sounding utterly disheartened at the moment. "And Gryffindor appear to be struggling with only two chasers, and I have to say I think Bell is mildly concussed from her collision earlier with Urquhart. She certainly doesn't look that focused."
Up in the air, Harry resisted the urge to break something (preferably Malfoy's neck) as Vaisey shot up in front of Katie and snatched the Quaffle from her grasp, and forcing her to pull away to avoid collision.
"Slytherin in possession," Maxine groaned. "Passes over to Emmert. Oooh! Almost had a bludger embedded in his skull! So close too! But he's now marked by Aries. She's not letting him get away! Emmert's climbing, possibly trying to shake her off…no he's not! He's dropped the Quaffle to Vaisey, who now has no chasers after him. It's all down to the keeper now. Can Weasley block it?"
There was a relieved cheer from the Gryffindors as Ron saved. He was clearly still angry, but he seemed to be channelling that into his game play now. He threw it to Robyn, who ducked as a bludger soared right over her head, slamming into Crabbe instead.
"Crabbe is down!" Maxine cheered gleefully. "Too slow to hit that bludger! Some beater he is! Guess he is more muscle than brains! And looks like he's out of it now! Too bad! And Aries is back in possession now..."
"They seem to be doing okay," Hermione said, clearly trying to reassure herself more than the other two. Malik was watching, his hands gripping the barrier of the stand. Yami scanned the crowd.
"Where on Earth is Ryou?" he asked. "He should have got to the stands by now."
Malik immediately began looking too. Even with Ryou's hair, it was hard to tell people apart in the mass of onlookers. Finally however, he spotted him in amongst a mass of green and silver. He groaned and grabbed Yami's arm. Ryou was about half way to the teachers stands, but he had been held up by a group of Slytherin seventh years, all whom were easily twice his size. From the way his hair was spiked at the top, the two could easily see that Bakura was out, and from his stance, he was raring for a fight.
"I'll go, you stay here and keep an eye on Hermione," Malik said, and he vanished without another word. He could see from there that if he did not step in soon, Bakura was going to banish half a dozen people to the Shadow Realm without a care in the world.
"I don't have time for this!" the thief snapped at the six surrounding him. His host had been pushing his way through the crowd when the six spectators had decided to corner him off. The fact that he was a Gryffindor seemed to make him an easy target for them.
"What the hell is a stuck up Gryffindor girl like you doing on our stands?" one of them demanded. Bakura raised an eyebrow lazily.
"That is none of your concern," he hissed, reaching in his pocket for his knife. "Now step out of my way…if you value your soul that is."
They all chuckled stupidly, and Bakura's temper snapped. The Ring glowed angrily, and the six of them keeled over in a heap.
"Enjoy your trip to the Shadow Realm," Bakura muttered, slipping into the crowd that began to gather around the fallen bodies. "Pitiful mortals…"
"Well as amusing as I found that, I don't think the Pharaoh will approve." Bakura's eyes narrowed into a glare as Malik approached.
"And since when have I given a damn about what the Pharaoh thinks?" Bakura asked pointedly. "Have no fear Malik, they shall be back to normal by the end of the day, if a little wiser for their actions."
"In the mean time," Malik said. "We have teachers to warn."
Around them, there was a shout from the Slytherin spectators as Katie took possession of the Quaffle.
"Gryffindor in possession!" Maxine announced. "All three Slytherin chasers closing in. Katie's going to have to pass. Oooh! Her aim is a little off! Definitely concussed! Emmert intercepts, and they're all streaking back to the Gryffindor posts…they're making very frequent passes, they clearly aren't letting the Quaffle go…Urquhart in possession as they enter the scoring zone. Keeper Weasley intercept…CHEATING BASTARD!"
The Gryffindors anger was drowned out by Hermione's scream of terror. Just as Ron had caught the Quaffle, Malfoy had ploughed into him from above, sending him flying off his broom. He skidded into the ground, slamming into the base of the goal posts as he went. Madam Hooch was completely livid.
"In all my years never have I seen such behaviour! Two penalties to Gryffindor!"
"Two penalties to Gryffindor people!" Maxine announced. "And it looks like they're taking Weasley off the pitch too. Don't think he'll be getting up for a while. And…my God, the Gryffindor spectators are attacking Malfoy!"
It was true. Around Hermione and Yami, the livid Gryffindor supporters had begun throwing things at the Slytherin captain, or else banishing them with their wands when he flew too far away. Binoculars, water bottles, shoes and other heavy items were thrown and then summoned back so they could be thrown again. Malfoy cowered at the other end of the pitch, but there was no escaping the magically flying objects being thrown at him in anger. The remaining Slytherins surrounded him in a vain effort to protect their captain, but they only succeeded in taking the brunt of the assault.
Yami fought down another wave of nausea as the dark magic of the Orichalcos flared angrily. If this match went on any longer the Seal could be played, and then nothing anyone did would be able to stop it. He frantically sought out Ryou and Malik. The two boys were almost at the staff stands. Some of the teachers had moved out to the stands in order to try and restore calm among the Gryffindor supporters.
On the pitch, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Robyn came forward to take the first penalty shot. Melissa and Corvin were ready, taking advantage of the chaos to perform a dopplebeater defence, hitting the bludger at the same time to send it zooming faster and more powerfully than normal at Bletchly. The Keeper flew off his broom and plummeted to the ground. Robyn scored with no problems.
"Thirty all!" Maxine announced. "And Bletchly is down ladies and gentlemen! The bludgers are certainly living up to their name today! Bell comes forward to take the second penalty shot. She looks a little more focused. She must be angry. The Gryffindors want revenge against Malfoy for his filthy bit of cheating earlier…"
"Miss Daniels, an unbiased opinion please!"
On the other side of the pitch, Bakura and Malik barely registered the second cheer as Katie scored. They had finally made it to the teachers stands and were pushing their way towards the front. Most of the Professors were on their feet, watching the match with tense expressions on their faces.
"Professor!" Malik gasped, trying not to curse Snape as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher trod on his foot accidentally. "Professor Dumbledore!"
The headmaster turned his head, surprised to see the two transfers looking out of breath and extremely panicked. Around them, the other teachers backed away, staring in confusion.
"Mr Ishtar. Mr Bakura. What can I do for you both?"
"You need to stop the match," Bakura said. "Someone's bought Orichalcum to the game. That's why everyone's acting so violently."
As he spoke there was another cry of outrage as Melissa was knocked face first into her broom handle by Goyle's beaters bat. Her nose was bleeding freely, blood staining her robes a darker shade of crimson. Corvin retaliated by punching Goyle in the nose. He didn't do much damage to the larger boy, indeed he looked as though the impact had broken his fist instead. Madam Hooch, practically beside herself now, gave two blasts on her whistle.
"Penalty to Gryffindor and to Slytherin!"
There was a groan of disbelief from both sides of the pitch. With no keepers on the field, Robyn and Urquhart had no problems scoring, bringing the score up further.
"Forty fifty to Gryffindor!" Maxine said. "And I have to say, this is one of the dirtiest matches I've ever seen in my seven years of coming to this scho…The seekers are diving! The snitch has been spotted!"
Everyone's attention swung to Harry and Malfoy, who were racing neck and neck towards the centre of the pitch. Skimming the ground was the snitch. In the stands, Hermione was jumping up and down in excitement. Yami gripped the edge of the stands, completely on edge. If one of them could catch the snitch the game would be over and they would not have to worry about the Seal...
Malfoy it seemed, was not out of tricks yet. Harry had a seconds warning before his rival ploughed his fist his face. Harry felt his nose break and his glasses fly off. His vision was obscured badly. He could just about make out the glint of gold that was the snitch. Madam Hooch blew her whistle to indicate a penalty for the attack, but neither seeker listened. Harry was beginning to despair. Malfoy was flying much faster than him, and he could barely see the snitch without his glasses. It would take a near miracle…
"Come on Harry!" Hermione screamed. Next to her Yami prayed.
"Our souls are in your hands Harry."
"Come on!" Malik shouted, not paying any attention to the teachers behind him. Next to him, Bakura and Dumbledore watched with bated breath.
And a miracle appeared for the Gryffindors.
For the second time that day a bludger slammed into Malfoy. Corvin had swung his bat at the ball with as much force as he could muster, praying that he would hit Malfoy rather than Harry. This time the seeker was thrown sideways off his broom, almost upsetting Harry in the process. Harry, still unable to see clearly, made a wild swipe at the golden glimmer ahead of him.
The warm metal ball pressed into his palm, and he landed in a heap on the ground, the snitch clasped in his hand.
OOO
"Ow…" Ron groaned, as Madam Pomfrey slammed an ice pack none to gently on his forehead. The matron looked very harassed, probably because at present she was rushed off her feet. Not only did Ron have mild concussion from slamming his head against the goal posts, but he also had two fractured ribs from where Malfoy had slammed into him with the point of his broom handle.
On the next bed lay Katie, who had been dragged to the Hospital Wing by Professor McGonagall after she had collapsed at the end of the match from severe concussion. Next to her was Ginny, who was suffering from head trauma and a possible fractured skull. Melissa had a broken nose, which had been healed in an instant by Madam Pomfrey, and Corvin had dislocated knuckles from where he had punched Goyle. Harry sat by Ron's side, his own nose having been healed, and his glasses returned to him.
On the other side of the hospital wing were the Slytherin casualties. The two teams had been separated to try and prevent more injuries, but everyone seemed a lot calmer now that they were off the pitch. Bletchly was still unconscious and had the three chasers standing at his side as a vigil. Crabbe was mildly concussed and his only visitor was Goyle, who looked extremely lost on his own.
Next to Crabbe was the strangest sight. Six Slytherin spectators who had reportedly passed out during the match. They appeared totally motionless, but occasionally one of them would stir and mutter something incoherent under their breath, or else, whimper in a frightened manner.
It was at these six Slytherins that Yami was now directing his attention. He did not need the Puzzle to know that they were now in the Shadow Realm, and the fact that they had been the Slytherins who had cornered Ryou on his way to the teachers stands pointed all fingers firmly at Bakura. The thief was not even attempting to hide the fact. The smug triumph on his face said it all.
"You could at least look sorry," Yami said in Egyptian. Bakura gave the Pharaoh an exasperated look.
"For Ra's sake Pharaoh, I'm bringing them back at the end of the night! That's extremely nice for me. Considering that they were holding me up and threatening my host, they're lucky to be alive."
"Nasty match hey?" Ron interrupted, saving Bakura from further reprimand.
"Too nasty," Bakura said angrily. "It shouldn't have been like that."
Harry and Ron looked confused. No one had filled them in yet on what had happened during match, attending instead to everyone who was injured. Hermione leaned over and filled them in.
"Yugi, Ryou and Malik said someone bought Orichalcum to the Quidditch match. That's why everyone was acting so violently."
The two Quidditch players stared at the two transfers.
"What? How could you tell?" Harry asked.
"We can sense Orichalcum when it's near," Yami said briefly, really not feeling like explaining it right now. He turned to Bakura. "Incidentally, you got to the stands. Why didn't Dumbledore stop the match?"
The thief shrugged. "We told him, but Dumbledore did not want to cause panic. Plus by the time we had explained everything, the snitch had appeared. He said if the snitch wasn't caught then he would stop the match." He fixed Harry with a look. "Malik and I were worried that you weren't going to catch the damn thing, especially when your glasses came off."
"Where is Malik anyway?" Ron asked, noticing through the daze of his concussion that the Egyptian boy was not with them.
"He vanished at the end of the match," Bakura said. "He said something about, hunting down a snake."
OOO
Malik Ishtar was not a fool. Ill tempered yes. Irrational maybe. But not a fool. He knew fourteen people did not get that angry and violent for no apparent reason, regardless of how intense the game was supposed to be. Someone had bought the Orichalcum to the match with the express purpose of making people mad enough to cause violence. Malik had been watching as the players had touched down after the match, and he had not missed the fact that Malfoy had not seemed that disappointed at the Slytherin loss, which was definitely suspicious. Plus the fact that he had not gone to the hospital wing despite being hit in the head twice with a bludger screamed something was up.
So that was why the bearer of the Millennium Rod was now waiting outside the Slytherin changing rooms. With most of the team currently in the hospital wing however, he did not have to wait long before Malfoy reappeared, carrying his broom and his robes under one arm. Malik tensed, ready to spring as the captain locked up the changing room door.
Malfoy had no sooner turned around to leave, when he was grabbed by the front of his robes and slammed into the wall. One hand went for his throat to assess the damage, and the other went for his wand. Malik however was quicker and ploughed his knee into Malfoy's stomach. The Slytherin doubled over and Malik set about removing his wand and throwing it into the nearest bush. Malfoy straightened up again to find the dagger at the end of the Millennium Rod against his neck, Malik smirked.
"I want a word with you Draco," he spat the name out poisonously. Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"If you think I'm scared of you and your pretty little knife then you're sadly mistaken Ishtar."
Malik pressed the blade closer against his throat.
"Where's the Orichalcum you brought to the match?" he demanded.
Malfoy blinked before snorting. "You really are cracked. Why would I carry Orichalcum? It's been defined as an illegal substance by the Ministry."
"Oh I don't know," Malik said with enough sarcasm to sink the Titanic. "Why would you carry a rock that steals peoples souls and inflicts anger and misery to all those nearby? Aside from the fact that you're a brat who likes to make himself feel better by making others feel worse, you're also the son of a Death Eater."
Malfoy's eyes hardened.
"Don't you dare presume you know anything about me or my father!" he snapped. Malik interrupted by pressing the knife into his skin. Any deeper and he would start drawing blood.
"I don't have time or the patience to argue with you right now," he cut off. "Now where is the Orichalcum. I know you had some. What else could have made everyone so angry during the match?"
"Maybe you're just a lousy team?" Malfoy smirked. Malik lost his patience. He placed the Rod in his pocket, before lifting Malfoy up by the scruff of his neck and slamming him against the wall again. Malfoy looked mildly dazed, clearly still suffering from the after effects of being hit in the head twice by a bludger.
"I used to head a group of international thieves you know Malfoy," Malik hissed in a deadly voice. "We often had to extract information from people, and if they didn't do it our way…well, we had to persuade them. You'll find I can be very very persuasive when I want to be. Now where is the Orichalcum?!"
He shook the boy, who now looked mildly afraid. Malik felt a small thrill run through him that he had not felt since his days of running the Rare Hunters. Oh how nice it was to have someone at his mercy, when just the slightest move could bruise him or even break a bone in his neck…Malik shook off his thoughts, horrified that he had been caught thinking them. That was his darker half talking not him! He was not like that anymore. He had decency now…well, more than he had previously at least.
"I swear Ishtar, I don't have any Orichalcum on me if that's what you're looking for," Malfoy said, trying to sound reasonable. "I don't know why the match was so violent. You've never seen a Quidditch match before, but anyone will tell you they're usually like that. Now why don't you let go of me before I…"
"Before you do what?" Malik cut him off scornfully. "You're wand is lying ten feet to my left. You have no other weapons save for the Orichalcum, and I'm holding you by the throat. Just the slightest squeeze away from you being in a world of pain…"
He tightened his grip for emphasis, and Malfoy began to struggle for air slightly.
"Are you not listening?" the blonde Slytherin gasped. "I don't have any Orichalcum on me!"
"Then why were you looking so happy at the end of the match?" Malik asked. "Because last time I checked, Slytherin lost that game. And you haven't gone to the hospital wing for your injuries. You're up to something."
"Are you kidding?" Malfoy asked. "I don't need to go to the hospital wing for two bumps on the head. Unlike the Gryffindor team, who seem to go at the first sight of pain, I can actually take it. And as for the game, who cares? Both Weasley's were knocked out in that match, and I managed to do something I've wanted to do for a long time – punch Potty in the face. I was so angry in that game all I wanted to do was hurt them. Hurt them for ever looking down at me like that…"
He trailed off as he seemed to realise what he was saying. Malik's eyes softened for just the barest second, but then he regained himself and clenched the boy's throat tighter.
"Were you anyone else, I might just have believed you were sincere," he said. "But I can sense the magic of the Orichalcos all over you Malfoy. I know you've got it."
"I…haven't…done anything!" Malfoy choked, grabbing Malik's hand in a vain effort to help him breathe easier. Malik's eyes widened as the blueish green stone on Malfoy's finger jumped out at him. He seized the Slytherin's hand and pulled the ring off, taking great care not to touch the stone if he could help it.
"Yoink," he said sarcastically. "Thanks for your cooperation."
"Hey that's my father's ring!" Malfoy whined. Malik dropped him to the ground, uncaringly, and pulled out a pair of black gloves from his pocket. He dropped the ring into one of them before pocketing it. He could feel the pulse of magic now that he was close to it, and he knew he had to get it to safe hands as fast as possible.
"Where did you get that ring?" he demanded, watching Malfoy scramble for his wand.
"I've told you it was my fathers!" Malfoy snapped, picking up his wand. "He sent it to me three weeks ago. You saw me coming down from the owlery after the Hogsmeade trip, remember?"
The Egyptian's eyes widened. It all made sense to him now!
"Are you trying to convince me that that rock in my ring is Orichalcum?" Malfoy asked sceptically. Malik gave him a dry look.
"You know perfectly well that it is," he said, folding his arms.
"It can't be," Malfoy protested. "I've been wearing it for three weeks, and I've still got my soul."
"The Orichalcos does more than steal souls Malfoy," Malik retorted. "It makes people angry, irrational and violent. Sound familiar?"
The Slytherin looked mildly horrified and Malik felt a small inkling in the back of his head.
"You really didn't know did you?" he asked. Malfoy shook his head, and Malik raised an eyebrow.
"Well I'll be damned," he muttered. The Orichalcum in his pocket flared slightly and Malik shook it off. The urge to leave was greater than ever now, but he couldn't leave without saying something first.
"Let me tell you something Malfoy," Malik said. "And listen, because it might help you one day. I used to bully people. I'd have my gang of thieves hunt people down and take what they loved the most. Then I tried to get revenge on people because I thought they deserved it, and I wanted them to suffer just as much as I had. I hurt my brother, my sister, and countless people I now call my friends, just so I could have revenge. Was it worth it? Hell no! In the end the person you wind up hurting the most is yourself."
And he turned on his heel and left at a brisk march towards the castle, wondering to himself just how nasty the Slytherin really was.
OOO
"I found it," Malik announced as he walked back into the Hospital Wing with Professor Dumbledore right behind him. He had made a brief detour to find the headmasters office as he knew the Orichalcum would be safest with him. Before he handed it over however, he wanted to bring the others up to date, so the headmaster was trailing behind him with a sombre look on his face.
"About bloody time too Tomb Keeper!" Bakura snapped. "I was about to come looking for you."
"Icksnay on the Keeper-day if you please," Malik hissed, as he and the headmaster approached the bed.
"You found it?!" Yami asked eagerly. Malik nodded, and sat down on the bed next to Ron. Hermione and Harry, who were also gathered there, shifted up to make room for the headmaster, who sat down and offered each of them a Sherbet Lemon. Malik pulled the glove out of his pocket, and Hermione hastily drew the curtains around the bed so that they had a little privacy from the rest of the hospital.
"Is it safe?" Ron asked. "Didn't you say this stuff steals peoples' souls?"
"Yeah it's safe," Malik said, shaking the glove. "Just don't touch it."
He gave the glove another shake, and the ring tumbled out onto the bed. Everyone leaned over it. It was rather elegantly made, the ring itself being made of silver, with two snakes twisted around the Orichalcum. The rock itself was unpolished, but its glow made it seem like a priceless gem none the less.
"Where did you find it?" Yami asked.
"Malfoy," Malik said with a growl. "He was wearing the ring during the match. I cornered him as he was leaving the changing rooms."
"I thought he was flying faster than usual in that game!" Harry said angrily.
"Slimy little…" Ron trailed off realising he was in the presence of the headmaster. Dumbledore however, seemed more interested in the ring itself, and was peering down his long crooked nose at the item.
"That's not all either," Malik said, remembering the end of his conversation with the Slytherin. "He said his father sent it to him three weeks ago. Remember when we came back from Hogsmeade on Halloween? We ran into him as he came down from the owlery? That was when he got it."
"He had a package with him!" Bakura said suddenly. "That was what was in that envelope he was carrying! That's why we all acted so violently! And that's why the Pha…Yugi lost his temper!"
"And I'll bet it's why everyone's been so violent these last three weeks," Malik added. "It's not just the usual pre-game hype. It's been the Orichalcos all along."
"My nightmares…" Yami said, sounding horrified. "You don't think…"
"Possibly," Malik said. "They were flashbacks from the Orichalcos crisis last time weren't they?"
Yami nodded, but did not reiterate exactly what the dreams had been about.
"That would actually make sense," Harry said, feeling glad that he could provide input for something. He didn't know much about the Orichalcos, but from the conversation so far, he gathered that this small stone was the cause of Yugi's recent sleepless nights. "When you sleep your mind's defences are generally weaker. If this rock was causing the nightmares it wouldn't have been hard for it to influence what you were dreaming."
"How do you know so much?" Malik asked curiously. Harry gulped, not really wanting to go into details about his connection with Voldemort. In the end, he settled for a simple answer.
"I had Occlumency lessons with Snape last year," he said.
"Occlumency?" Malik asked, sounding utterly confused.
"Defending the mind against external penetration," Bakura responded, remembering something Ryou had discovered in one of his textbooks.
"In English please Bakura," Malik asked dryly. The thief rolled his eyes.
"Crudely put, it's a type of magic that specialises in mind reading," he said simply. Malik gave an 'oh' of understanding. Yami however, had just thought of something, fear descending into the pit of his stomach.
"So what's going to happen to it now? It's not going to stay in the castle…is it?"
Dumbledore leaned back from where he had been prodding the glowing rock with his wand. He looked thoughtful, and surprisingly, very puzzled.
"Why does it glow like that?" Ron asked.
"It responds to the darkness in human hearts," Yami said.
"We're not dark though are we?" Ron asked, looking suspiciously at his friends.
"Every human being has darkness Ron," Bakura said seriously.
"Some more than others," Yami smirked in Egyptian.
"Shut up Pharaoh!" Bakura replied. "You're hardly one to talk. I know what you did when you first came out of the Puzzle."
Yami felt a wave of anger that, coupled with the Orichalcum, made him want nothing more than to lean over and throttle the Tomb Robber. Yugi however, interrupted.
/No Other Me, don't think of that. It wasn't your fault and you know it. Don't let Bakura get to you/
Yami nodded, but he did not feel reassured. It was true, he was dark, and the nightmares only served to remind him of that. Bakura and Malik might not yet know that he had played the Seal himself, but he knew. He had lost Yugi before, and he was certainly capable of losing him again. He didn't want to lose his other again. He would not survive. He would protect Yugi with everything he had.
But what if it wasn't enough…?
While the Pharaoh went over his misgivings, Dumbledore seemed to have reached a conclusion. He cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him.
"This magic is far older and darker than anything I have ever seen. I think the best course of action, considering the events of the Quidditch match today, would be to destroy it."
As he said this, he tapped the stone smartly with his wand and muttered something. The ring remained where it was, completely unaffected.
"Orichalcum isn't easy to destroy," Malik said, as Dumbledore tried again. Finally the headmaster sat down again, looking even more troubled than before.
"Would any of you three…?" he began. Bakura and Malik immediately shook their heads.
"When we found the chunk of it in Borgin and Burkes we tried to destroy it with…our magic," Bakura adlibbed, remembering that there were those in the room they did not want to inform about their powers. Even Dumbledore did not know the full extent of the Item's powers. "It didn't work. Seems nothing can destroy that thing."
"The only case I've ever seen where Orichalcum has been destroyed," Yami admitted. "Was when Raphael lost against me and renounced the darkness in his heart. According to Joey the same thing happened when he lost to Mai. If the person bearing it comes to terms with their darkness then the stone no longer has a hold over them and it is destroyed."
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged looks. From the sounds of it, the three transfers knew more about the Orichalcos than they had led them to believe. Just how many secrets did they have? If the Orichalcos, and Malik's temper tantrum that morning were anything to go by, they had a lot. But then again, Harry wondered, remembering Malik's words, did they really want to know?
"So what do we do with it?" Bakura asked. Dumbledore frowned at the stone.
"I think for now, all we can do is keep it safely locked away here until we can find somewhere to put it away from human contact."
They could tell from the tone in his voice that the headmaster was by no means happy about keeping the Orichalcum in the castle, especially considering the effect it had had on the match that day. Yami cast about for an alternative desperately.
"What about sending it to Kaiba?" he suggested. "We could post it to him by owl and he could have it locked up. He's got a million safes miles under Kaiba Corp where he keeps things. It would be far away enough not to affect people, and no one could get in there, not even the Death Eaters.
Dumbledore thought about this alternative, but Hermione jumped in with a suggestion.
"I wouldn't send it by owl. If this thing is really dangerous the Death Eaters may try and get it back. Owls can be intercepted."
"We could give it to him at Christmas then," Yami said immediately. "It's only four weeks away."
The words sounded so long in his mind. Could he and Yugi last another four weeks having nightmares? They were barely getting enough sleep as it was.
"I could take it myself…" Dumbledore began but Yami interrupted.
"No offence Professor, but Kaiba would never listen to you, much less do you a favour. He's stubborn and pretty self-interested. I can give it to him. He listens to me because I'm his rival."
Dumbledore did not seem happy at all, but he seemed to accept that Yami would definitely know how Kaiba would react. He did after all, know him best of all the people in the room.
"I think you're idea is a good one Mr Mutou. Though I would agree with Miss Granger and recommend that you take the Orichalcum to Mr Kaiba during the holidays. It would be inadvisable for you to travel to Japan by magical means, as they too can be intercepted. In the meantime, I shall write to him and ask for his assistance."
"If he says no I'll challenge him to a duel and make it a term when he loses," Yami said, thinking longingly of when they returned home and he would be able to challenge the CEO.
"That's the King of Games we know!" Malik smiled. "What?" he asked when Yami gave him a quizzical look. "You said when he loses, not if he loses."
"I always beat Kaiba," Yami said smugly. He was well aware that Malik was trying to make him smile and he was grateful to the Tomb Keeper.
"And as for these nightmares you have been experiencing," the headmaster continued, directing his comments to Yami. "Madam Pomfrey has an impressive supply of Dreamless Sleep potion. I shall have her send you some. And if nothing else, I'm sure Harry could give you some advice on how to block unfriendly thoughts."
Harry looked mildly sheepish, remembering his disastrous attempts at closing his mind the previous year. Yami however, just thanked the headmaster, who stood up, pulled a purple spotted handkerchief from his pocket, and wrapped the ring up inside, allowing Malik to take his glove back.
"I shall put this in a safe place for now," Dumbledore promised. "Until then…"
"Keep this to ourselves?" Bakura asked, looking pointedly at Harry, Ron and Hermione. Their three friends nodded and Dumbledore smiled at them all.
"Exactly Mr Bakura. Exactly."
And without another word, Dumbledore turned and left, taking the dark oppressive feeling of the Orichalcos with it. Suddenly breathing was easier, and everything seemed a little bit brighter. That was until, Harry asked;
"So how did you three learn so much about the Orichalcos?"
They clammed up immediately.
"No offence to you guys," Malik said. "But it's probably safer if you don't know."
"What can possibly be less safe than what happened out there today?" Ron asked, jabbing a finger out of the window in the vague direction of the Quidditch Pitch. The three transfers exchanged looks with each other. They could tell them…they could unload their burdens…But it was far too dangerous. The secrets of the Items, the Shadow Games, and the Orichalcos were not for just anyone to know. Even Dumbledore did not know the full extent. They had to keep them secret for as long as they possibly could.
"There are a lot of things more dangerous than what the Orichalcos did to the Quidditch match today Ron," Ryou told him seriously. "We can't say anything."
Hermione and Ron both looked like they wanted to push it further, but Harry shook his head at them, remembering the events that had unfolded that morning. If the transfers wanted to keep secrets, then maybe it was best that they let them. After all, he knew better than most that sometimes things were best left alone.
"Hey," Ron said eventually, smiling at the thought. "Even if we did all get beat up, we won the match. That's always good."
Malik grinned. "Sounds like us when we're duelling. Even if we lose, we got to kick ass. Wait till you see us duelling with the duel disks. You've shown us Quidditch, now we have to show you how we do things in Japan."
"That would be good," Harry agreed. "But in the meantime, there's a DA meeting next week. You guys know about the Orichalcos, and I think we should start teaching people how to defend themselves against it. I'm not saying you have to tell us anything," he said quickly as all three of them opened their mouths. "But if you know anything that could help us at the meetings then we wouldn't mind hearing about it."
It was not a minute too soon when Madam Pomfrey came and shooed them all out of the Hospital Wing, insisting that Ron and the rest of the team needed sleep. Harry, his mind still buzzing with the events of the day, and plans for the upcoming DA meeting, feel asleep with no troubles. The same could not however, be said of the transfers.
Yugi sat on his bed, staring at the lavender coloured potion flask before him. He didn't like the idea of being dependent on potions in order to get a good nights sleep. It seemed like the easy way out somehow.
//Yugi// Yami said, before materialising in spirit form next to his younger counterpart. "You should take that Aibou. You need rest, especially after everything that's happened today."
"I know but…" Yugi trailed off. He didn't really need to explain his problems, after all Yami could feel them clearly enough. But somehow, he felt that saying them aloud would help him get it off his chest. "I don't want to rely on a potion to sleep. I just don't think the nightmares will get better if we cheat our way out of them. If anything, I'm worried that they'll get worse."
"I know," the Pharaoh agreed. "The sooner that Orichalcum is out of the building, the better in my opinion. But we still have almost four weeks of term left, and since we don't know where Dumbledore put the Orichalcum, it could be closer to us than it was with Malfoy, meaning the dreams will only get worse."
Yugi shivered. The November winds had never felt so cold as they did today. He looked around the dormitory at the other beds. Ron's was still empty of course and Harry was already fast asleep, curtains still wide open. The shadows behind the other three beds indicated that Dean, Seamus and Neville had already turned in. On his other side, the curtains were drawn around Ryou and Malik's beds, but the lack of Malik's snores and the faint glow from the Millennium Ring, indicated that neither of them were sleeping yet.
"We have a fight ahead of us Yugi," Yami reminded him. "Take the potion, get some rest, and know that I am here if you need me."
Yugi nodded. He had to trust what Yami said. He had four weeks until he could go home and not have to worry about nightmares. But until then, they had a job to do. Dumbledore had asked them to protect the students here, and he couldn't do that if he was tired. He gripped the potion flask and, with a rueful smile, raised it in a toast.
"To Gryffindor," he said to his darker half. Yami chuckled as Yugi gulped down the potion. He barely had time to set the flask on his nightstand before he slipped off to sleep. Yami, who also nodded off as the potion took effect on both their minds, fazed back into the Puzzle.
A/N: Happy Christmas…sorta…
Okay it is for me. Basically since my family will be split up for Christmas we celebrated yesterday. It's a little weird going back to work and seeing people run around buying presents.
Thanks to Isis the Sphinx for beta-ing, even though I managed to scar you for life by sending you that list of every YuGiOh shipping known to the fandom. Seriously…very, very scary – its nine pages long, 10pt, and its got the name of each shipping title too (anyone who wants the full list, mention it in your review and I'll email it to you)!
I have a new AMV up on youtube. It's a tribute to all the siblings on YuGiOh. Go see! Link is (remove spaces)
http // uk . youtube . com / watch ? v (there should be an equals sign here but its not showing up) iuhyLXcSDrg
I hope that works. If it doesn't go to youtube and search for my penname. It's the same as on here (actually it's the same on pretty much any website I join). Anyway – Watch it! Comment it!
My reviewers are the most super special awesome people ever! Next chapter will be about New Year-ish. I'm going back to the UK for Christmas and I'll be in France for New Year, but at least we have internet in France so I will be able to update!
Merry Christmas everyone!