Shinigami-chan, rayne, Evergladelord, Cherry, and Anime no Megami: Thanks!
Hikaru: It's okay. I am afraid I might offend my readers... Think about the chapter's title, 'Cypress and Cryptic'. Also read some books about Egyptology (and don't worry about conflicting opinions, this is one thing that almost written in stone). Do you mean pairing as in Ryou and Ginny? Take a look at chapter two and the reviews for chapter one. It was Yami Bakura who rightly guessed what wood and core to use.
DarkSpellCaster: Two cores for one spirit. Not a pyramid, Yami Bakura has no clue what it was, just it was maze-like.
Alaena Flame Dragonstar: You mean you don't want me to pair up Ryou with Ginny, right? Take a look at chapter two and the reviews for chapter one.
Cettie-girl: The willow wasn't right, wasn't... strong enough. Black unicorns aren't supposed to exist to the wizards.
Audrey Koch: You think it's spooky? Wow! How is it spooky? Another Yami Bakura fan? ^_~ Yami needs more time. And he should be getting some soon (two or three more chapters)
Sarah: I know what you mean 'bout going crazy, so I'm trying to get this written as fast as I can.
Silver Angel: Yeah, books are more my thing than anime (wonder what's the exception...)
Behold the Void: Did a quick scan of the last chapter a little while back. I should have looked in the books for the spelling of Hermione's name, not relied on the spell checker. -_-u I'm working on this on two different computers. I think I forgot to use one bit, I guess... I love Eddings too. Along with Magic's Price, Raven Ring, Operation Chaos--
Wind: Stella-a-a! We have a story to do!
Stella: ^_^U
Disclaimer: See last chapter.
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Chapter Fourteen: Class Decisions
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Professor Minerva McGonagall rode in the horseless carriage, thinking about what had happened. Those three boys were strong in magic. Strong enough for other wands, that were not their own, to responded to them. Sure, you could use other wands, but the one that bonded to you was the strongest. She had seen a marked improvement of Ron Weasley's wand work after he had gotten a new wand, that hadn't belonged to one of his older brothers. How each of the three's true wands had reacted was interesting.
The first wand, Yugi's, had sent out an illusion --you could tell it had been one because it had no shadow, but really good illusions or ones that just disguised something had shadows-- of a phoenix. A phoenix that had burst into flame above him and the sparks of ash drifted down on him. The second, Malik's, had been the most powerful of them all. Ryou's had been a maze-like mirage.
Malik and his sister, Isis, had met her at their door ready to leave. However, first McGonagall had to give them the potions. Isis had already learned English. Malik knew some other languages as well. McGonagall was glad she had had the foresight to take a second potion. One that translated Japanese into English, a well as the two that translated Arabic. She had the Japanese one because one might know Japanese, as they had been in Japan for a while that summer she had figured one might have learned it. And since it was Trelawney who had to make it, getting the potion was no hardship for McGonagall; in fact it had been the opposite. Malik had taken the Japanese translating one.
With a lurch, the carriage stopped. Minerva stepped out and at brisk walk went up to the castle. She found Professor Dumbledore visiting Snape in the Infirmary. After he had bid farewell, Dumbledore led her up to his office.
"So," he said, sitting down in his chair, after he offered her a lemon drop, "I suppose you have come to tell me about the wands."
"Why, yes," she said, shocked at his perspective. "How did you know?" She hoped he was not in one of his moods were you had to chase down the meaning of each word. But if his straight to the point beginning was any indication, he wasn't.
"Mr. Ollivander express owled me, giving a short account of what happened. He said that you would like be rushing back to tell me all."
Minerva frowned, but could not dispute it. She had rushed. "Well, here what happened for Mr. Motuo," she told him about the phoenix. Then she told him about Bakura's.
Dumbledore nodded as he heard it. "I noticed that you have not said what had Mr. Ishtar's had been. I assume what Mr. Ollivander put in his letter is true?"
"I believe so. His was --in my opinion-- the most powerful. As you probably read in the letter, he almost did a mass apparition. Almost, because something wasn't... right... He... I don't know how to put it, but I think he went-- well, you know how when you apparate, you go into the Layer? Well, I think he went deeper into the Layer. Instead of being muted, and foggy, it was sharp and shadows. I know, I'm contradicting myself, but that's the only way I can really describe it." Minerva stared at the desk between them, wishing that she could say it better. "One other odd thing is that they all seem to have met before..."
"That will do for now." Dumbledore got up and began to pace. "Minerva, I want you to give Molly and Arthur this message." He took a scroll of his desk and handed it to her. "I would send it by owl--"
"But we don't want it to be intercepted," she finished. "Will do. Molly needs the eighth volume, so once I get that, I'll go back."
"Good luck," Dumbledore told her, "Madame Pince is cleaning..."
McGonagall swore.
***
Yugi fitting for the school robes had been going rather normally so far, but Malik's was --once more-- another story.
At least it unusual, not trouble (yet). It seemed Malik had slipped some of the gold ornaments he had kept, from the days he controlled the Ghouls. When Isis had seen them she rolled her eyes, but let him have is way.
Malik had not been at all adverse to wearing robes. (He wouldn't have made the standard wear for the Ghouls something he loathed now would he?) Yugi had accepted it with minimal objections. Ryou hadn't commented. The problems he was having was with the choice for the cloak.
"How many times do I have to say this?" Ryou asked. "I'm not wearing wool."
"The wool is spelled not itch or anything like that," the young attendant explained, again.
"I'm not wearing it!" Ryou repeated.
"Then what are you going to wear? Silk?" said the attendant trying to joke.
"Sure, Isis is paying..." Ryou said
Isis sighed and nodded. What she had said in the wand shop still held true; Yugi and Ryou only had yen and pounds, no Sickles or Galleons.
"Me too! I want silk!" Malik called from where he stood.
Isis sighed again, but couldn't protest. To her it was obvious why Ryou was refusing to wear sheep wool, considering whom he is/was in a past life. Once again Isis thoughts began to tread those paths. She had to rip her mind away, now was not the time. "Yugi, might as well get you a silk cloak as well."
"But--" Yugi began, still on the fitting stand, with a robe being tailed around him.
"I'm not waiting 'til we have left for you to remember Yami." Isis said.
"Yami?" asked Ron from where he stood being fitted with a new pair of dress robes that he twins were paying for. "I thought his name was Yugi..."
"Yami's a nickname," Malik said, making a quick save.
"Oh..."
Yugi had been checking with Yami. Yami wanted silk too, or at least cotton. As he pointed out, a silk canvas would work fairly well for a cloak, especially in Britain's water rich climate.
The problem with the dress robes was for Malik trying to decide which ones he wanted. In the end Isis bought him alone, three cloaks, four pairs of dress robes and the required uniform cloak, hat, and robes.
Malik, as they were leaving the shop with the parcels, realized something.
"Isis," he said slyly, "remember how you said that I was going to be getting a new wardrobe? My definition of a wardrobe includes jewelry..."
Isis blinked then vaguely realized how much this was going to cost. She was going to paying for all three's wardrobe. Ryou had the tomb robber; it was obvious he was helping with shopping. And she had seen in her looks into the past how much jewelry the Pharaoh had worn. "Fine," she said. She also had to admit that she was curious to see how metal work had evolved in the wizards' hands.
"We shall come too," said Mrs. Weasley, "Since you likely don't know where the shop is..."
"And while those two are doing that, we can go to Quality Quidditch Supplies," Ron said like it was already okayed.
"We three," corrected Ryou, shifting his grip on the package that held his robes.
"We four," Yugi added.
Ron just stared at the foreigners, shaking his head. They were weird! And odd.
"No, Ron we're going to stay with them, not go off and look at broomsticks." Mrs. Weasley said after her eyebrows had gone back to normal levels. The boys were a little different from most. But Professor Dumbledore was also eccentric. Perhaps it was a side affect of being strong in magic.
"Do we have to?" whined Ron. "One of you can stay behind and help them, while the other comes with us."
"No," said Mrs. Weasley. By that time they where already at the jewelers.
Ron continued to try to argue his mother around while the two Egyptians and the two Japanese looked. Yugi saw nothing to his taste, nor did Yami. Ryou looked at the gold carefully and saw that most of it was plated, and the stuff that wasn't was not something he would wear. Malik also came to the same conclusion as Bakura. Isis was disappointed; to her half of it looked like it was something you could find at the mall on the bargain table, just enchanted.
Ron was quite happy to leave the shop. The picture of Malfory walking by and seeing him in there motivated him to no end. Hermione had just pulled out a book on counter cruses and read it to a bored Harry. Jena also had a severe let down with the metal (she wouldn't dignify them the name of jewelry).
They left the shop, the girl who had been behind the counter reading a romance novel, by the look of the cover, said the usual corporate 'have a nice day'.
Their next stop was at The Leaky Cauldron for lunch. After eating, they stopped at various small shops, getting small miscellaneous things such as beetle eyes, cauldrons, gloves, parchment, quills, and telescopes. Finally there was nothing more to get but the books at Flourish and Blotts.
Malik, Ryou, and Yugi had to decide which of the elective courses they wished to take. They had been given the book list for each so they would have a little time to think it over. There were quite a few choices, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, study of Ancient Runes, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures. There was a minimum of two, they could take three if they wanted, but it wasn't advised, as they had much to catch up on. The three each independently (with their yamis, of course) decide to take Divination. At least there they might have the basics. Arithmancy was complicated and seemed to need knowledge of a completely different type of mathematics. Muggle Studies: after they found out muggle was the name for a non-magical person they lost enthusiasm. Malik's opinion on Ancient Runes was that he had enough odd language tutoring with his sister. Yugi was still puzzling his way through Ancient Egyptian; Yami had forgotten some of his knowledge even on even that, his own native dialect. Ryou had also denounced the class as he had enough on his plate already on that. Care of Magical Creatures was left by default. Each had to admit it would be interesting. Just how many creatures had resembled to the ones of Duel Monsters? And to what extent?
Once Hermione had been dragged out of the bookstore, the next stop was at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Hermione had politely declined; she and Jena --who had remained very quite after Ryou's waning-- had to go. Ryou had a raspberry soft serve, dipped in chocolate, with whipped cream on top studded with chopped nuts and sprinkles. He was enjoying immensely.
\\What is it?\\ asked the tomb robber. His hikari's emotion was leaking across their bond, making it impossible to concentrate.
\Just this ice cream I'm having... The wizarding jewelry may have been a dismal, but this stuff is good!\
\\Really?\\ asked Yami Bakura. He debated with himself and decided it would be a good move. \\May I take over and try some?\\
For the second time in less than a week, his yami had asked before he had possessed him, Ryou was in a light shock. \Go ahead...\ he said. There were three other Item holders near him, all of which knew about the thief, it would be fool hardy for him to attempt something. But the having three other Millennium Item possessors was also what worried him. Ryou knew, however, that if his yami wanted to try it bad enough, he would just take over the body anyway.
\\Thank you.\\
Isis saw the switch, as did Malik and Yugi, as both tensed. But oddly, all Yami Bakura did was lick the ice cream.
Yami Bakura's eye's had widen at his first taste. Yes, he could see why Ryou had leaked like that.
Isis was confused as all she saw the dark spirit do was finish of his light's treat. Yami Bakura eaten the rest of it quickly and was licking his fingers as he had not completely figure out how to eat ice cream. He let Ryou back into control. Isis's head was starting to spin.
Ryou's head wasn't all that tight either. Not only had his yami been polite, he had not been blocked out. Things seemed to be getting weirder by the second. And it wasn't only his yami...
"I'm back," announced Professor McGonagall.
"Oh, good. We're just about done shopping anyway," Mr. Weasley said standing up.
"But, Dad! We haven't even set foot in QQS!" Ron protested.
"Or Gambol and Japes!"
Mrs. Weasley frowned. Arthur needed to be back before sunset to handle it. At the rate they were going it might be another hour before they got back. An hour was cutting just a little to close for her.
"Back," said McGonagall panting. "I was afraid you would have left by now." She sat down to catch her breath. "Why haven't you left?" she asked suddenly, her forehead wrinkled.
"To much to do, to little time." Molly said with a forced grin.
"You need to get back soon..." McGonagall said softly, "We going to have to spilt up. I know, I know," she said, seeing the look on Mrs. Weasley face, "but we need to. How about I take the Ishtars and those two and you take your brood plus Harry? I would rather stick together but..."
"That arrangement will do," Mrs. Weasley said and stood up. "Isis, Malik, you and Yugi and Ryou are going to be going with Professor McGonagall for a while."
"Whatever," said Malik. Most of his attention was focused on a near by shop display which kept on changing colors.
It took Mr. and Mrs. Weasley very little time to get they others to Quality Quidditch Supplies; unfortunately, it would be a much harder task to get them back out.
After Minerva had a drink and got her second wind, she asked were they were to go next.
"I don't know," replied Isis, "You were the one with the list."
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Stella: Please review! If the editing is worse than usual, it's because I was editing it while I was watching The Mummy. It need a little accuracy check, but so what? It's still good. ^_^
The computer still is having problems, so it may be a while before we
update again. Like a week.