Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great weekend! Please enjoy!
After hours on the train, they finally reached Hogwarts. While the students were changing into their school robes, the Mages were changing into their Egyptian clothes. Carefully, crown's were placed on Yami and Yugi's heads just as the train came to a stop; the final piece to the image they created.
"I'll go let the students through the barrier," Bakura said, knowing nobody would get through without him.
"Stay in the Shadows," Yami nodded his permission. Bakura dissolved into the Shadows dramatically with a smirk on his face. Ryou shook his head fondly at his actions.
"He really went into the wrong profession being a thief," he said, "He should have been in theatre."
"Everyone from Ancient Egypt should have been," Yugi said, glancing at Yami. "You know you can be overly dramatic sometimes," he told his dark at his offended look.
"You really can be," Seto said, backing up the prince.
"You're all incorrigible," Yami brushed them off.
"Shall we head up to the school?" Yugi asked.
"What's the rush?" Malik asked lazily, playing with his gauntlets.
"We should be there before the students," Ishizu told him.
"Fine," he gave in, "Let's go." The six of them disappeared into the Shadows, not quite as dramatically as Bakura. It took quite a while for the students to trudge up the steps and get settled in the Great Hall for the opening feast. The Mages stayed hidden in the Shadows during that time, joined by Bakura after about 30 minutes.
Finally, McGonagall led the new first-years into the Hall to be sorted. An old, tattered hat was placed on a stool and silence reigned over the Hall. "What the hell?!" Bakura hissed to Yami as the hat began to sing!
"It must be how they sort the students," Yami deducted, "That hat must be able to look at your mind and determine your character. It explains how each house has such defining traits."
"Sounds similar to what the Eye can do," Malik said uneasy. Nothing they had witnessed so far showed the wizards had anywhere near the strength of the Shadow Mages.
"The magic on that hat is old," Ryou said, "I doubt any wizards today know how to cast such a spell. Or even know a spell to do that."
"The hat seems to be be sentient," Ishizu observed, "How can that be?"
"Do you want me to borrow it later?" Bakura asked.
"'Kura," Ryou sighed, "We all know you mean 'steal'. Why bother with the act?"
"It's not stealing if I plan on putting it back!" Bakura argued.
"It is if you do it without permission or knowledge of the opposite party," Ryou argued back, "And if the hat is sentient, then it's basically kidnapping. Who's to say it won't talk to the first person it sees after we're done with it?"
"Fine," Bakura pouted, knowing his hikari had several good points.
"I don't think the hat is going to matter during our mission," Yami told him, "If it shows up again after tonight, then you have my permission."
Yugi, Seto, and Malik were paying them no mind and were instead betting on which house each new student would get into. No money was being exchanged, but something must be on the line because they had a list of their names with tally marks next to them. Seto was only losing by a couple of points to Yugi while Malik was far behind. "That one's got to be a snake!" Malik exclaimed.
"He has an honest face," Yugi said, "I think Hufflepuff."
"Ravenclaw," Seto said as the hat was placed on the boy's head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat announced to the hall.
"Yes!" Yugi cheered, putting another tally next to his name.
"You think they would know better by now," Bakura said to Yami as new bets were made, "Yugi never loses."
"Let them have their fun," Yami smiled fondly at the group, "I'm surprised Seto's actually participating."
"The prize really must be worth it."
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat sorted the last student. Yugi cheered while Seto and Malik moaned.
"You have to do my chores for a month when we get home!" he said happily, causing Yami and Bakura to deadpan. That was what they were playing for?
"To our new students, welcome!" Dumbledore greeted, "To our old students, welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but now is not it. Tuck it!" The tables were magically filled will all sorts of food and the students dug in enthusiastically.
"Do you mind if I steal us some food?" Bakura asked the Mages in general. The food they had on the train didn't really count as a meal.
"Only if you bring enough for everyone," Yugi told him. Bakura smirked and left, skillfully using the Shadows to take a variety of food from each table without anyone noticing.
"Think this is enough?" he asked, putting all the food in a large pile and placing plates next to it.
"Plenty," Yami nodded his thanks and grabbed a plate and started grabbing food, prompting everyone else to do the same. Since there was no such thing as a floor, ceiling, or even walls in the Shadows, they decided to just sit where they were.
"We'd better not have to steal all our meals," Bakura growled, ripping into a piece of meat.
"I'm sure tonight was different just because it is the first night and we're supposed to make a huge entrance," Yugi said optimistically, "If it happens again, we'll have a few choice words with Dumbledore."
"Hey," Malik said, "Listen."
The Mages hushed and turned to the Eye bearer to find he was listening in on Potter's conversation. "That woman was at my hearing," he hissed at his friends, pointing at the woman dressed in a horrendous shade of pink, "She works for Fudge."
"She works for chocolate?" Malik asked confused.
"No," Ishizu smacked her brother, "That's the name of the Minister of Magic, remember?"
"Oh, right," Malik said sheepishly.
"She works for the Ministry?" Hermione said worriedly, scanning the Head Table, "No, it can't be," she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts.
"If I recall," Yugi said thoughtfully, "Potter was supposed to have been in trouble this summer for underage magic. Apparently that's a thing in this world. I think the Minister was hoping to expel him, but Dumbledore came and provided the evidence that would otherwise have never been presented to get him pardoned."
"So the Ministry is pissed at Dumbledore for doing that," Seto concluded.
"There's also supposed a power struggle between the Minister and Dumbledore," Ryou added.
"So Chocolate was pissed at Dumbledore and sent an insider to try to catch him at something to get him removed," Malik hazarded a guess.
"Basically," Ishizu confirmed, using the Necklace to verify the theory.
"She's the one we saw in Dumbledore's memory during his Yami no Game," Yami remembered, "So she's the one we'll have to watch out for."
"Ahh!" Malik yelled suddenly, stumbling backwards.
"What's wrong with you?" Bakura asked gruffly.
"Yugi," Malik addressed instead, "Don't go in her mind," he warned.
"Why?" Yugi asked concerned.
"It's all pink and full of cats!"
"It can't be that bad," Yugi said doubtfully, turning to focus on the woman before yelling out just like Malike, "It is," he croaked out. Yami looked at him doubtfully, so Yugi sent him a mental image of what he saw.
"It's like torture," Yami moaned, pressing his palms to his eyes, trying to erase the image from his mind.
"Told ya," Malik said victoriously.
"I'm gonna have nightmares for a week after seeing that," Yugi muttered.
"Ryou, check her soul with the Scales," Yami ordered.
Ryou obliged willingly. The Scales tipped dangerously, "Very dark," Ryou reported, "But more from manipulations and selfishness than actually evilness I think. If if comes down to it, I'll weigh it against a feather of Ma'at." Yami nodded his approval at the plan.
"Dumbledore looks like he's getting ready to talk," Seto observed, "We should get ready."
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg you a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Dumbledore said, "First years ought to know that the Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds. A few of our older students ought to know by now too." This was one school rule the Mages had decided to enforce, as it would be one of their rules too. They chose the Forest as a training grounds for themselves, and any students wandering in would be in danger.
"We have three changes in staffing this year," Dumbledore continued, causing mutters among the students. There were only two new faces at the Head Table. "The first is that we are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking over Care of Magical Creatures lesson. We are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." The students gave a polite, but rather uncaring round of applause at the announcement. "Our final -," Dumbledore began, but stopped suddenly, looking curiously at Umbridge. The students couldn't tell from their vantage point, but the short witch had gotten to her feet and gave a, "Hem, hem."
Dumbledore sat down and allowed the woman to take the floor. The staff members looked appalled at the gall of this woman, and the students were in shock. Nobody had ever interrupted Dumbledore before! The Mages went on high alert, knowing that the witch was about to reveal something about her purpose here.
"Thank you, Headmaster," she simpered, the sweetness in her voice making the Mages want to claw their ears off, "For those kind words of welcome. It's lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say," she smiled, "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
"How old does she think they are?" Malik asked, hands clamped over his ears.
"I don't know," Bakura answered, hands over his ears too, "But there was less sugar on that candy cart on the train than there is in her voice! I think I'm getting a cavity just listening to her!"
"Quiet!" Yami shushed them, "Listen!"
Umbridge's voice had changed to something more business-like, but it was still painful to listen to, "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction."
"I call dibs on Gaming her," Seto said, looking at the woman in disgust as she continued talking.
"Oh come on!" Bakura complained, "That's twice in one day!"
"We told you," Yugi said, "You get as many of Voldemort's followers as you want."
"I should at least get to Game the fool himself when it comes time," Bakura said stubbornly.
"He doesn't deserve a Game," Ryou said, "Not after what he did to his soul."
"Even better," Bakura grinned.
"Does she even realize that none of the students are listening to her?" Yami asked, looking out over the glazed-eyed student population.
"I don't blame them," Ishizu said, "I feel sick just looking at her."
"Dumbledore seems interested," Yugi observed.
"Only because he's trying to decode her language," Seto said, "The world has really gone downhill if the government is trying to control the schools. Especially private schools like this seems to be."
"Is she wrapping up?" Malik asked, noticing a change in Umbridge's posture and tone, "Please tell me she's wrapping up."
"Let us move forward then," Umbridge said passionately, "Into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
"Oh she's really not going to like us," Malik commented dryly.
The woman sat down and Dumbledore clapped politely, joined grudgingly by the staff and some of the students were snapped out of their daze. Dumbledore stood up, "Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for that most illuminating speech. Now then," he continued where he left off, "Our final staff change is less of a change and more of an addition. School guards will be walking the halls and grounds this year, helping to enforce the rules and protect you all from any dangers you might come across. " Dumbledore's voice became very serious, catching the attention of every student, "There are only seven, but I warn you: follow both the school rules and their rules. They can be dangerous people, but only to the ones who cross them. Many of you have heard myths of Shadow Mages, but I tell you, they are no myth as they will be the ones guarding the school this year!"
Nothing happened and Professor Umbridge gave a small, condescending laugh, "Surely you jest, Headmaster," she said, "The world has been scoured by wizards trying to find a trace of the Shadow Mages, and nothing has been found. Even if they did, it was rumored they used Dark Magic. Would you really put the students in such danger?" Mutters erupted around the hall, all wondering what Dumbledore could possibly be talking about because Professor Umbridge was right, there was not a single shred of evidence that supported the existence of the Shadow Mages.
Then the shadows came to life, effectively silencing the witch and stunning the students and teachers who had not already encountered the Mages.. Candles flickered and shadows crawled through impossible places, twisting and turning wildly on the walls and ceiling. The Shadows began to take form at the front of the Hall and when they exploded, the seven Mages stood there looking powerful, gold glittering dangerously in the candlelight.
Yami looked every bit the Pharaoh he was. He was dressed differently than he was when the wizards first came though. His knee-length tunic was black and trimmed with gold, complementing the rest of the gold he wore on his person. His cape was blood-red, the same as his eyes that were staring out at the student population under his crown bearing the Eye of Horus. The Millennium Puzzle hung prominently around his neck.
Yugi wore a tunic similar to Yami's, but white instead of black, and no cape; the Key displayed proudly on his chest. Only the Mages got the underlying symbolism between the Prince and Pharaoh. Seto had his ankle length white, sleeveless robe on, and his blue tabards over it. Malik's robe was also long, but his was long sleeved and he wore a purple sash around his waist. Bakura was the last one who wore a color other than white. His tunic was short and open down to his waist, revealing his sculpted torso. Over it, he wore his red Thief King's coat. Ishizu wore similar clothes to what she wore during Battle City all those centuries ago, and Ryou wore the least amount of things: minimal gold and a simple long, white robe. His white hair and pale skin, combined with the Scales, made him look inexplicably terrifying. Like the innocent looking child in horror movies who turns out to be the killer.
"Let me start off my saying, that my Court and I have very little tolerance for wizards," Yami said after a few seconds of silence. His voice echoed through the hall, "So far, what I have seen of your people, is that you are self-important, self-righteous people who think they are better than everybody else. You think you deserve powers that are beyond your knowledge, simply because you believe a certain thing."
"Hem, hem," Umbridge tried to interrupt, "Excuse me, but who do you -," she was cut off suddenly by a knife at her throat held there by Bakura. The Hall erupted in gasps and more murmurs. Nobody had even seen him move!
"Never interrupt the Pharaoh while he is talking," he growled at her, though the entire room could hear, "Or any of us for that matter."
"You can't threaten me," she tried to laugh annoyingly, though she leaned away from the weapon, "I am the Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. Diplomatically immune from any laws you lay down."
"But we're not playing by the rules of government," Malik said, turning slightly to face her, and still address everybody, "We play by the rules of the Shadows, by which the whole world must abide."
"Who are you?" she demanded as Bakura stepped away at the slight shake of Yugi's head.
"Thank you for asking!" Bakura grinned maniacally, spreading his arms wide, "We are the Shadow Court!" The Shadows came to life again at the name, restless and ready to act at their Masters' call. "I am Mage Bakura."
"I am Mage Ryou."
"I am Mage Ishizu."
"I am Mage Malik."
"I am Mage Seto."
"I am Prince Yugi."
"And I am the Pharaoh of the Shadows," Yami concluded, Shadows flaring yet again, "Along with your school rules," he said to the students and teachers, "We will also have a set of rules for everybody, students and teachers alike, to follow." A scroll appeared in his hand and he unrolled it and read out, "You will not attempt, for any reason, to spy on us, follow us, or steal from us. Do not attempt to enter our chambers. If you are given a command by one of us, obey it without question. Do not challenge our authority. Do not try to attack us. Do not attempt to force our hand by manipulations including purposefully placing yourself in a situation where we are forced to act. Do not manipulate others into breaking the rules. If you must address us, you will do so respectfully, using our titles.
"The consequence for breaking these rules will result in a Yami no Game. Win the Game, and your transgression will be forgiven. Lose the Game, and your soul will be fed to the Shadows. However, we are not heartless people who cannot differentiate between an honest mistake and a careless or purposeful one. We have ways of knowing if you are truthful in your endeavors, and we will punish accordingly. Follow the rules, and you will have nothing to worry about. The rules will be posted in every common room, in the corridors, and the classrooms, as a reminder to those of you who are forgetful."
There was an outcry from the students and staff at the terms, which was understandable since the closest thing these wizards had to this sort of punishment were dementors, reserved for the foulest of foul. "That's Dark Magic!" a couple of braver students cried out while the teacher murmured uncertainly to each other, wondering about the sanity of the Headmaster.
"Enough!" Seto yelled, silencing the crowd immediately, fearful if they had incurred the Mages' wrath already.
"The terms are harsh," Yugi admitted, "But the magic we wield and protect is too dangerous to be taken lightly. Obey the rules, and you will have nothing to worry about."
"One final warning," Yami said, as they all began to dissolve into the Shadows, "We do not tolerate abuse of power, from student or teacher. Those of you with authority should be extra cautious." He finished just as the final wisps of Shadows took them away.
The Hall was left in silence as the Shadow Mages vanished ominously, the final warning hanging in the air. Dumbledore was the first to break the silence, "Now then, Quidditch tryouts are -," he continued with his announcements as if the last ten minutes never happened. But the students were only half-listening, too preoccupied with what the Mages as said. In fact, the first years looked absolutely terrified, excitement of going to a magic school gone.
At some point, Dumbledore's speech ended. "Come on, Ron," Hermione pulled at the boy, "We're supposed to show the first years where to go."
"Oh right," Ron remembered, "Oi! You lot! Midgets!"
"Ron!" Hermione scolded, "You can't call them midgets!"
"Well they're tiny," Ron defended.
"First years," Hermione called kindly, "This way please."
"Miss?" a young first year asked Hermione, "Were those people serious about what they said, or were they just being scary?"
"I'm afraid they were serious," Hermione said grimly, "But they have to put those rules in place to catch bad people. Follow the rules, and you'll be fine."
There ya go. Umbridge puts her foot in her mouth, the students don't like the Mages, and the Mages don't like anyone. Umbridge'll get Gamed eventually, but not anytime soon. We'll get to see the Mage's first "official" day next time!
Reviews are always welcome!