A.N. So, here's the next chapter! ^_^ Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own either YGO or HP.
Chapter 11
Yugi, Ryou, and Malik sat together at a table in the library, their schoolbooks piled to one side. They had finished their homework a few minutes ago, despite Snape's apparent determination to burry them in the stuff, and Ryou was dueling Malik to pass the time. All three duelists had started feeling the lack of duels a few days after the school had started, and, though they couldn't use the duel disks they had brought, both due to the fact that technology didn't work well in the castle, and to the obvious risk factor, of scaring the other students with the life-like holograms.
"Though I dare say I'd like to see the looks on their faces," Malik smirked, slipping into Japanese now that the three of them were finally alone, a far off look in his lavender eyes, "I can already see it! It really is a pity the disks won't work around here, maybe a little bit of shadow magic would make them work…"
Ryou shook his head, laying two cards face down, "Shadi would really have your head for that! And it's your turn Malik."
Normally, Yami would have been straining to watch his hikari's two companions duel, despite the fact that all their moves were announced. But today he had something else on his mind. Yami and Yugi were pouring over the pages of the Records of the Shadow Games, taking in and trying to memorize each and every glyph and picture.
:I never knew that the shadow games were recorded. How come you never told me?:
::It isn't recorded exactly,:: Yami explained, ::it is more like a representation of how shadow magic was used during the reign of the shadow games, created by the shadow realm itself. No mortal could have written everything. Even I could not have.::
-((Hah! The Pharaoh has admitted his inabilities!))-
-::Who asked you to eavesdrop, Tomb Robber?::- Yami growled, and he would have been glaring it he had been able to see the white haired spirit.
-((Well, you didn't exactly say it was a private conversation did you?))-
-::There is such a thing called respect!::-
-((Which you do not deserve.))-
-;;Am I missing something here?;;- Ishtar's voice joined in the conversation. He had been getting bored when he sensed the others talking and decided that it would be more interesting if he had someone to talk to. Or an argument to listen to, as the case was more than likely to be.
-;Really, I thought you three didn't like to talk to each other,;- Malik had won the duel by then and was shuffling his deck.
-(This is turning into quite the meeting, don't you think?)-
-;;Quite,;;- Ishtar said agreeably, -;;Now we're just missing—;;-
-:Guys?:-
-;;Bingo!;;-
-:Huh?:- Yugi asked in confusion, -:Was that supposed to mean something?:-
-::There's no privacy in this place,::- Yami complained, -::you can't even talk in one's mind without getting interrupted.::-
-((Put up a sign next time, Pharaoh))- Bakura said sarcastically, -((Is anyone else here bored? Or is it just me?))-
-;;I agree with the tomb robber,;;- Ishtar stated, -;;I need some fresh air!;;-
-::We could look around in spirit form while you three are in classes.::-
-(But the wizards can see ghosts,)- Ryou pointed out, -(what if that means they can see your spirit forms as well.)-
-:Well, we could set up certain times and let you three take over,:- Yugi suggested, -:during the weekends or after classes when we don't have homewo—:-
"Look what we've got here," came an unpleasantly familiar, sneering voice, "three idiots staring at nothing. The looks suit you, you know? Properly vacant."
Malik glared at the person who had interrupted their conversation. His glare only got fiercer when he registered who it was and exactly what Malfoy had said.
"I assure you, Malfoy, that if anyone here qualified as an idiot, you would most definitely be on the top of that list," Malik said in a deceptively calm voice.
Crabbe and Goyle grunted threateningly, like the stupid but loyal cronies they were, but Malik ignored them. The two buffoons weren't worth his time and effort. They had less intelligence than a worm between them.
Malfoy sneered, "I'm not the one playing some stupid muggle card game. You probably don't have the brains to even understand REAL games."
::Real games is it?:: Yami growled furiously. Almost all the duelists had the same reaction, but Malik was the quickest to speak.
"Real games? You want to see real games do you?"
He snatched his deck from where it had been placed on the table after his and Ryou's duel, but aforementioned duelist grabbed Malik's wrist before he could do anything.
"Malik!" he hissed, "Don't!"
((Just let him!))
But Ryou didn't let go of his friend's wrist. It would do no one any good if Malfoy ended up soulless in the hospital wing, not after what the yamis had done to their teacher, and definitely not with all the students in the library to watch them.
"Get out of here, Malfoy," Yami commanded, placing a had protectively over the book that still lay open on the table in front of him, "no one wants you here."
Malfoy crossed his arms, "Make me."
Malik opened his mouth angrily—and the librarian stalked over, glaring at them suspiciously.
"No fighting allowed in the library," she said sharply, "stop it at once or l will tell your heads of houses."
Malfoy snorted derisively, but he turned and stalked away from their table, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Now you three," the librarian turned on the duelists, "you may be new here, but the library rule still apply. Either follow them or leave."
"I'm really sorry about that," Ryou apologized, "we won't do it again ma'am."
She nodded curtly and went back to her dusting.
"One of these days I am going to send that fool to the shadow realm," Malik muttered, scowling as he replaced his deck on the table.
"Yes," Yami agreed, "back to the subject at hand."
The six of them continued their discussion, none of them noticing that Malfoy had stopped one aisle over and was studying them intently.
x-X-x
The weekends had passed without too much mishap, though by Sunday evening the hikaris had decided that they would let their yamis have Saturday evenings, and any Friday evenings when they didn't have homework. Ryou insisted on setting up 'dormwork' periods on all weekdays and Yugi agreed with him, much to Malik's disgust. The white haired teen had also set up a period of about two hours on Sunday for reviewing the previous week's learning, or for spell practice, which Malik was more interested in, a little. But the planning wouldn't be put into action until the following week.
"At least it isn't useless."
Hermione highly approved of the plans, though she told them that Harry and Ron wouldn't follow any of her study plans.
"They're so stubborn!" she had said disapprovingly.
"Hermione!" Ron complained, "We're right here you know?"
"Well, I was just stating a fact."
Harry and Ron exchanged disbelieving looks over their dinners.
The desert had vanished from the rows of golden plates while they were talking, and Dumbledore stood up, raising his hand for their attention.
"Now, I am sure you are all exhausted and are eager to get to bed," he began seriously, "but there is some news I believe is important for you to hear."
He looked around the hall seriously, "The Ministry has canceled our dueling class, due to the…ah…accident that placed Professor Darnik in the hospital."
;;What! But that was the only class that sounded interesting! At least with Shadi teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.;;
;Pity, but, there isn't anything we can do about it. And we are responsible for the 'accident'.;
"And they have decided that they will be sending a Ministry representative to assess our classes. Treat whomever it is with the same respect you would give a teacher," Dumbledore warned them.
;It just keeps on getting better doesn't it?;
x-X-x
Everyone in the great hall, from Slytherins to Gryffindors, were all staring at the Ministry representative at breakfast the next morning. It was a squat witch with the face of some bloated toad. The toad-like image was enhanced by her skin's greenish tinge, or at least the students fancied she was green, none of them were really sure.
When she introduced herself as Dolores Umbridge, they discovered her high pitched, and rather unfitting voice. Hearing that voice coming from the toad woman was like hearing a snake croak.
"So why are we here again?" Malik inquired as the hikaris, Harry, Ron, and Hermione dumped their books onto a table in the library.
"Umbridge is talking to the teachers, so classes don't start till later today," Ryou replied, "weren't you listening earlier?"
"She gives me a sort of creepy feeling," Harry stated, "I don't like her."
"Who does?" Ron collapsed like a sack into his chair and flipped through his potions index, not really paying attention to what he was supposed to be reading, "Who would?"
"No one in their right minds certainly. Talk about a face not even a mother could love!" Malik stretched ad sat back in his seat. He was the only one who hadn't unpacked any books, though he had taken a small book of hexes off of the shelves.
((Since when was he in his right mind?))
(And you are?) Ryou asked teasingly.
((I was a thief, not a murderer.))
(There's not much difference with some of the things you used to do…)
((Hey! Pegasus is still alive! And I can't recall anyone else I've stolen from recently who received any serious bodily damage.))
(Can we not talk about this? I'm starting to feel a little sick.)
"So, do you know if Professor Trelawney is going to let us join he rest of the class now?" Yugi asked, paging through one of his divination textbooks.
"She'll probably test you first," Harry told him.
"But it's not much to worry about," he added at the look on Yugi's face, "just make up a whole bunch of stuff. She couldn't tell you if you were right or wrong anyway."
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, "How can you say such a thing? Trelawney's a horrible teacher and all, but that doesn't mean it makes cheating any better!"
"It's not cheating," Ron said, "it's just answering her questions. 'What do you see'? We don't have written responses!"
The bell sang out throughout the school at that moment and they all started packing. The hikaris, Harry, and Ron were particularly frantic because the Divination classroom was all the way up in the north tower. So they simply grabbed the books nearest to them, hoping they wouldn't accidentally take one of the library books. None of them wanted the librarian after their heads. Then they shoved their chairs under the table and bolted out of the library.
TBC
Review Responses:
Silver Queen: It would have been fun to put Isis as the new teacher, but I have plans for her later. It was a good idea though, thanks for the suggestion. ^_^
A.N. As you can see, I brought Umbridge, because she's my least favorite character in Harry Potter, and I think she didn't get what she deserved in the book. Hehe. See ya next time!