Chapter 21: Poisons
Yami made his way up to the dormitory. Ryou's reply to Yugi's letter about the Treaty sign had arrived. It had been nearly a week since they had sent it. Yugi had been wondering if the letter had gotten lost. Yugi was waiting up when Yami arrived and he opened the letter without speaking and read through it. Yami read over his shoulder, taking a little longer to translate the elfin language.
I am sorry my reply has taken so long, but I had to look a few things up to answer your question.
The Treaty Sign is a symbol which was used many years ago, before I was born, in the time of the last Queen. A treaty between elves and humans was made, a treaty of peace.
At that time humans hunted elves and used our hairs for their wands. The magic from these wands was more powerful than other wands though their owners were, typically for one who killed an elf, also cursed with bad luck.
The treaty was that humans would stop hunting the elves, destroy all elf-hair wands and peace would be between our races. In exchange for this the elves provided three gifts, a cloak made by the Mountain Dwellers, a stone from the Death Walkers and a wand from the Forest Elves.
Unfortunately I know nothing about the first two gifts; however I do know that the wand was made with wood from a Great Tree and a hair from the elfin Queen herself. Because the hair was given voluntarily the wand was exceptionally powerful without the usual curse.
As far as I know these three gifts have been lost or hidden, though the Treaty has been honoured since then; at least before Voldemort started killing our people.
I hope this has helped, though what the Treaty Sign would be doing on a ring is beyond me. By the way it would be best if we restricted communication like this, the others are becoming a little distressed about the number of darkings arriving in the village. Ryou.
Yugi looked up as Yami finished reading. /Well what do you think?/
Yami shrugged, /I have no idea, I still do not think it is important, the ring could have belonged to one of the people who organised this treaty./
/I wish I had a better look, that could have been the stone, I did not even think to look at it./ Yugi sighed regretfully.
Yami tugged Yugi's hair. /You could not have known, you can always ask Dumbledore what he did with it./ Yugi looked at him and rolled his eyes. Yami grinned. /I should go, before they wake up./
Yugi nodded and folded the note into his spare shirts. Yami went back down to the common room and considered his plans for the day.
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Harry opened his eyes to the sound of wrapping paper. He grinned over his pillow at Ron. The redhead was ripping apart the paper covering the presents sitting at the bottom of his bed. Yugi had been sitting on the window sill watching, but now made his way over to Harry to watch from the better vantage point of the end of Harry's bed. Harry slid out of bed and began to hunt through his trunk for the present he had gotten Ron. He discarded a few bits and pieces before he managed to find what he was looking for. The wrapping crackled as he pulled it out and tossed the package to Ron. "Cheers mate." Ron called. Neville, Dean and Seamus wandered over to look over Ron's presents.
Harry noticed that Yugi was frowning. He wriggled around and sat next to him. "What's wrong?" Yugi looked up and his frown deepened. He pointed at the presents.
Harry didn't see what was so confusing, but then he remembered that he hadn't mentioned to Yugi that Ron's birthday was coming up. "It's Ron's birthday." He said.
Yugi blinked and gave him a quizzical look. Harry stared at him blankly, Christmas he could sort of understand Yugi not having heard of. It was a human holiday after all, but birthdays? Surely that was something that everyone celebrated.
"Birthday, the day you were born, when you are officially another year older." Harry said, disbelievingly. Yugi blinked and then shrugged and shook his head. He slid back off the bed and began to prowl through the mess of wrapping paper and Harry's things on the floor.
Harry shook his head back and leant forwards to be impressed with Ron's various presents.
After a few minutes Harry lost interest and pulled out the Marauders Map. Tapping it with his wand he searched around the school and located all the people he knew. Dumbledore in his office, Hermione and Ginny were in the common room. Harry sighed faintly and watched Ginny's dot for a few minutes.
He was distracted slightly as Neville, Dean and Seamus left. Ron and Yugi were eating something and talking happily now that the others had left. Harry went back to the Map, Malfoy was in the Slytherin common room pacing, the only other people in there were Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry looked away, whatever Malfoy was planning this year it had sort of back burnered in his mind compared to the information Yami had been giving him on the Death Eaters movements and Voldemort's search for magic to fight the Shades. Yami had also begun giving them a little information about the spread of Shades across England. Harry hadn't had a dream about Voldemort in months, though he wasn't sure if that was because his head was so full of other information, or because of something that Yugi could be doing.
Harry scanned the rest of the map quickly. Yami, they had discovered, only showed up on the Map when he was in human form. It was as though the magic couldn't detect his shadows until they were condensed into something more solid and substantial.
Harry looked up at Ron and Yugi and blinked in confusion. Ron had a dreamy look on his face and Yugi was examining a chocolate cauldron, his face pale, one arm wrapped around his stomach. A cold rush went down Harry's spine. "Yugi where did you get those?"
Yugi looked up, and said in a sick voice, "In the wrapping paper, I thought they were Ron's." He flinched and doubled up.
"Harry, have you ever noticed Romilda Vane?" Ron asked in a far off dreamy voice. This confirmed Harry's suspicions. The chocolate cauldrons were the ones which had been laced with love potion and from the look on Yugi's face love potions were not good for him.
Harry scooped the shaking elf up and made for the door. "Come on Ron." He called.
Ron ambled to his feet and followed dreamily. "Have you seen her Harry?" Ron asked desperately. Harry rolled his eyes despite himself. He then paused. He could go to the Hospital Wing, or he could go straight to Slughorn who would probably be the one to brew the cure. Harry bit his lip. Slughorn would be quicker, but he needed a translator. "Yugi can you call Yami, tell him to meet us at Slughorn's office." Yugi nodded, his jaw was clenched and tears were leaking out of the corners of his eyes.
Harry was feeling desperate; he really hoped that the potion wasn't a toxic poison for Yugi because he should probably get Ron fixed up at the same time. "Yeah Ron, I know where she is too, I'll introduce you come on, quickly."
Harry ran down the stairs. Ginny and Hermione had vanished in the few minutes since Harry had been looking at the Map. Harry hurried past the few people sitting in the common room and, with Ron following close on his heels, went down the hall towards Slughorn's office.
They were just rounding the corner; Ron was doing a strange excited leap forward, when Yami appeared. The Shade didn't say a word, instead snatching a curled up Yugi from Harry's arms and singing softly to him in elfish. Yugi shook his head vigorously and then gave a very soft cry of pain. Harry's heart nearly stopped. Yami looked up, so Harry prepared himself for a look of absolute fury, but there was only worry in Yami's face.
"What did he eat?" Yami asked, falling into step with Harry and giving Ron a bemused look.
"Love potion, Ron took it too; hopefully Slughorn will have an antidote." Harry said.
"Antidote to what Harry? Where are we going, I thought you said we were going to see Romilda." Ron gave a desire filled sigh and Harry bit back a laugh. His head was spinning a bit, he was worried about Yugi, the elf was still curled up around himself in Yami's arms, but watching Ron lust after Romilda was funny.
Yami glanced at Ron, "I do not think this is a good idea, the antidote may make him worse."
Harry shuddered as he knocked anxiously on Slughorn's door. He hadn't thought of that. "What else can we do?"
He was interrupted by Slughorn opening his door. "Harry, what can I do for you?" His Professor looked nervous, probably wondering if Harry was back to ask questions about the Horcruxes again. "Professor, it's an emergency, Ron and Yugi have both eaten some love potion, but Yugi's reacting really badly to it." Yami pushed forwards. Slughorn leapt out of the way and the Shade passed into the room. Yugi was crying softly now. Harry pushed Ron into the room as Slughorn examined, very carefully, the elf in Yami's arms.
Harry hurried over, leaving Ron to his own devices. "Professor can you do something?"
Slughorn cleared his throat and looked down at Yami. "I'm not sure, I recognise the love potion by the effects on your friend, but it obviously doesn't affect elves like it affects humans. Anything I give him may make him worse."
Yugi was openly sobbing now. Yami smoothed his hair. "Use a bezoar." He said. Slughorn coughed, "Well that is not really appropriate, after a simple potion..." Slughorn trailed off as Yami's eyes flashed up.
Slughorn hurried over to a box and opened it. He hunted around for a moment before coming up with the small wrinkled stone which Harry had used in the lesson the other day. Slughorn held it in his hand for a moment, watching Yami warily.
Ever since that day after their apparition lesson where Yami had claimed Hogwarts as his territory and under his protection in front of half of the school, people had been talking. They were still terrified of the Shade, but they were a little less frightened of being attacked themselves.
Harry had even heard some of the fifth years discussing what would happen if the Death Eaters tried to attack Hogwarts. Everyone had bet on Yami winning that fight.
However slightly approving of a Shade and actually standing next to him and being comfortable were different and people still avoided contact with Yami. Harry grabbed the small stone from Slughorn and leant down to Yugi's eye height. He held out the stone. "Swallow this." Harry said. Yugi opened his eyes and after taking a few quick breaths he grabbed the stone and put it in his mouth. Harry watched him swallow and then go very still his eyes closed.
Harry's heart stopped and he reached out, Yami's hand caught his wrist. The Shade's fingers were like ice. "Wait." He said, Yugi's eyes opened and he smiled. Harry's heart restarted and then he fell forwards as something smashed into the back of his head. "Harry, you said she would be here." Ron yelled. "Where is she?" Harry rolled over, but Yami had already moved, hissing he grabbed Ron with ropes of shadows and smashed him against the wall, holding him there. "Antidote human and hurry." Yami snapped at Slughorn.
The portly professor started. "Right of course, just a moment." He pulled out a few vials from the same box the bezoar had come from and mixed them together. "Come now, drink this down." Slughorn held the vial up to Ron's mouth, but Harry's friend pressed his lips together and shook his head, "I won't drink it, what is it?"
Yami stepped forwards and leant in close to Ron. Harry smothered a smile, when Yami was that close all the hairs on your arms stood on end, warning you to run. Ron swallowed once and opened his mouth. Slughorn poured the potion into his waiting throat and everyone stepped back. Ron looked around at them for a moment, looking confused and then he looked mortified and sunk down onto the couch. "I'm an idiot."
Yami snorted and Harry laughed. "Don't worry mate no harm done; except to your pride." Ron glared at him.
Slughorn chuckled and with a wave of his wand. "Well I think this calls for a little celebration." Four glasses and a small cask floated over. One glass floated over to Harry, one to Ron, one to Slughorn and finally one to Yami. The Shade looked at the glass and then up at Slughorn. Yugi nudged him on the knee and smiled up at Slughorn.
"I think you may be a little young for this, Madame Rosmerta's Oak Matured Mead." Slughorn chuckled. Yami took the glass and looked inside. Ron was already taking a mouthful. Harry turned his glass around in his fingers and looked up at Slughorn. Perhaps this was going to be a good chance to get the memory off of Slughorn, if Harry just waited until he had drunk a bit more.
Harry's thoughts were interrupted as Ron began to choke. For a moment Harry rolled his eyes. Ron must have swallowed the alcoholic drink too quickly, but as Ron collapsed onto the ground Harry's amusement died. Yugi gave a startled cry and jumped off of his seat. Yami had grabbed Slughorn and was snarling at the deathly pale teacher.
Harry dropped to his knees next to Yugi. "What is it?" He asked desperately. Ron was choking, froth bubbling up to his lips, his face going blue. "Do something." Harry cried at Yugi. The elf could heal; surely he could fix a poisoning.
Yugi looked up at Harry and something passed through his eyes. Yami snapped around, "No!" He yelled, releasing Slughorn who collapsed and lunged for Yugi. Purple light laced with shining white exploded from Yugi's palms, it totally enveloped Ron. Harry fell backwards as the light blinded him. It lasted less than a moment and when Harry could see again, Ron was breathing easier, though his face was pale and his eyes were closed. Worse than that Yugi was lying next to him, his slim chest barely rising and falling, Yami scooped him up and checked him over.
Shadows were drifting away from his body. Harry took a few unsteady breaths and got uneasily to his feet. "Yami..." He started, he didn't get any further as Harry found himself flying through the air and crashing into a table. Harry grunted in pain.
"Now see here..." Slughorn tried, stepping forwards uncertainly, but Yami was apparently in no mood to be polite and with Yugi unconscious, there was no way to get the Shade to behave. "I suggest you call your healer witch to deal with Ron." Yami hissed at Slughorn, not even sparing him a glance.
Harry stumbled to his feet and pulled out his wand. "Yami, what?..."
"What, human, what? You very nearly killed him that is what, you are his parent his protector and you nearly kill him to stop a poison a human could have cured with their own magic." Yami spat.
Harry shivered, Yugi's protective spells were strong, but even they were having trouble standing up to Yami's fury. "I didn't mean..." Harry was more than a little frightened. He had never been on the receiving end of Yami's anger, now he knew what everyone was so scared off. Being called human was sort of the clincher. It was a title that Harry knew Yami reserved for those humans who he really despised and Harry didn't even know what he had done.
Yami interrupted again, "I do not care human." Yugi moaned softly in his sleep and Yami stopped. He looked up at Harry, his gleaming red eyes still flat with distrust and hate. However he held Yugi out to Harry. "I will be watching and you had best be careful." Harry took the sleeping elf from Yami and the Shade vanished in a furious flash of shadows.
The door to Slughorn's office opened and McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape and Madame Pomfrey hurried through. All but Dumbledore knelt over Ron, Dumbledore turned to look at Harry. There was worry in his eyes so Harry forced a smile.
Harry hugged Yugi close, and wondered why the earth magic hadn't reacted to protect him. After all he was sure Yami had been close to killing him. Harry looked down at Yugi and guessed that the earth magic had somehow known that Yami would never kill Harry because that would also kill Yugi. Harry shook his head and cradled his elf as Ron was levitated off the ground and taken to the hospital wing.
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Yami gathered up magic, ripped a tree from the ground and hurled it across the clearing. Birds exploded into the sky and several Bowtruckles snarled at him as their trees were knocked over. Yami hissed back at them.
This was what came from trusting a human. Any human. Dumbledore was proving incapable of protecting any of the people here and now Harry nearly kills Yugi. Yami started ripping pieces off the tree he had just uprooted. He daren't take it out on Harry in case he hurt Yugi more, besides the earth magic had already seared him once, but the human needed to learn. He was getting away with far too much. How dare he hurt Yugi and think that Yami would not take revenge.
Yami's shadows congealed into a partial human form. He would wait, Harry risked too much of himself now that he had another life depending on him for survival, but Yami would give him one more chance. He shook his head and deflated, he was getting soft in his old age.
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Harry sat in the hospital wing and mused. Mr and Mrs Weasley had arrived and after fussing over Ron they had disappeared off to Dumbledore's office. Hermione and Ginny had arrived a few minutes after they had left and were now alternating between worrying about Ron and Yugi.
No one was quite sure how to deal with the unconscious elf. He was currently sleeping soundly, but no one was willing to give him anything for fear of making him worse again. Harry had answered Dumbledore and McGonagall's questions, told Madame Pomfrey that unless she wanted a visit from a seriously angry Shade she would do nothing to Yugi and then had settled down to wait. Yami may have been angry, but Harry knew that he wouldn't be able to stay away from Yugi for very long and Harry wanted to talk to him.
Harry still didn't really understand what Yami had been talking about; he hadn't done anything, just asked Yugi to heal. After all Yugi had healed Mr Weasley. Sure he had slept a lot afterwards, but something like that couldn't kill him, surely.
Madame Pomfrey bustled around the beds and was leaning over to check Yugi when Hagrid exploded through the door. He was carrying a dead something, Harry didn't look too closely at exactly what it was. "Are they alrigh'?" He asked.
Madame Pomfrey looked up, scandalised. "Please remain quiet." She demanded, and then squeaked as Yami's shadows swirled around Hagrid's bulky form and solidified into human form. Yami ignored everyone else in the room and sat next to Yugi. The elf shifted slightly in his sleep, his fingers reaching out towards the silent Shade. Yami took his hand, his eyes down and focused on Yugi. Harry realised that he was holding his breath and let it go.
"Yami." Harry said softly. Everyone was silent. Hermione and Ginny could obviously sense the cold heaviness in the air and were aware that Yami was not happy. "Yami please tell me what I did."
Yami's eyes lifted and Harry swallowed. "If you cannot see what you have done then you do not deserve him."
Harry looked down at Yugi and then back at Yami. "I just asked him to heal Ron, he's done it before; he healed Mr Weasley?"
Yami snorted. "That was a physical injury. You forget Harry that he is a child, and he had been poisoned not moments before. Healing takes the strength of the one who heals, in asking Yugi to heal Ron you were asking him to give strength which he did not have."
Harry shivered. "I didn't know Yami. I'm sorry."
Yami's eyes were still angry, "Then you should have asked before you demanded it of him."
Now it was Harry's turned to glare, "I didn't demand anything, I only asked him to heal Ron."
Yami hissed, his eyes burned bright and Hagrid shifted uncomfortably. "It is the same thing, you are his parent and he loves you. If you ask something of him, he will do it. That is how he works." Yami snarled and swirled to his feet, he stalked across the room. "You do not understand his people, what they need or what they are." Yami's deep voice filled the room and the atmosphere darkened.
Shadows filled the room. Harry shifted closer to Yugi; he had never seen Yami this mad and it scared him. He tried to call up the earth magic, but the magic remained stubbornly innate. Harry was shaking and was about to try pulling out his wand. Hermione and Ginny were huddled together and Hagrid got to his feet. Yami turned his fiery gaze on the half-giant. "Do not tempt me giant, I am not in the mood."
The door to the Hospital Wing opened and Dumbledore stepped through, followed closely by Mr and Mrs Weasley. All of them took one look around the Shade filled room and pulled out their wands. Dumbledore turned to the part of Yami which remained solid. "Yami, whatever has angered you please refrain from frightening my students."
Yami hissed, "My anger towards Harry is nothing compared to what I feel towards you Dumbledore. These children are under your protection and Ron is now the second to fall to an attack."
Dumbledore's wand lowered, Harry relaxed slightly now that Yami's fury wasn't directed at him. However he looked down at Yugi. Yami was right; he really didn't know anything about the elves. The fact that he had managed to do things right so far was mainly luck and Yami. Now he had nearly killed Yugi. Dumbledore spoke softly, his pale blue eyes sad. "I assure you that we are doing everything possible to determine the source of these attacks."
Yami's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you should be looking closer at your own, the tainting on the human child known as Malfoy has increased."
Harry looked up. Malfoy was behind this?
Dumbledore's look of sadness vanished to be replaced with a warning look. "I will take that under advisement, I cannot sense this tainting. However I ask that you leave Draco Malfoy to me."
Yami snorted and Yugi muttered something in his sleep. It was the first noise that the elf had made since he had fallen asleep. The shadows in the room lightened as Yami drew them back and wove them into his human form. Yami returned to his seat on the bed. Harry leant closer, brushing a strand of blonde hair from Yugi's eyes.
Yami rumbled something. Mrs Weasley stepped closer, "I'm sure he will be fine." She said. "And when he wakes up we'd like to thank him."
Mr Weasley laid a hand on her arm. "Now dear, I don't think this is..."
Mrs Weasley interrupted him, "Of course it is. He helped you, he saved Ron. We are starting to owe Yugi as much as we owe Harry."
Harry opened his mouth to argue, he really didn't want the Weasley's to think that they owed him anything and he was sure that Yugi would feel the same. However everything was interrupted by Hagrid sidling out of the room. He muttered goodbye and departed. Madame Pomfrey hurried out from her office. "Right everyone needs to leave now please, Headmaster." She nodded to Dumbledore and her eyes flickered to Yami. "Everyone.
Yami was still sitting watching Yugi, "Harry and I will remain."
Dumbledore shook his head, "Yugi will be fine here, I can assure you."
Yami ignored him, "Yugi needs his parent now, and I do not trust Harry to do the right thing. It is time he learnt what he should have learnt last year."
Dumbledore looked at them both before he nodded and everyone left. Hermione took one moment to tweak the blankets over Ron and smooth Yugi's hair before she said goodbye. Harry gulped and looked over at Yami. Madame Pomfrey shook her head disapprovingly, but returned to her office. Yami shifted his weight so that he was lying on the bed instead of sitting. "You will learn Harry or Yugi will die. Now close your eyes and focus your mind."
Whoa, not entirely sure where Yami's rant came from.