Chapter 28: Invasion
Yami prowled his way through the empty corridors of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was early morning and everyone was asleep, everyone except a certain bright eyed elf who was politely telling Yami off.
Yami wasn't entirely sure how someone could be so nice and so irritated at the same time. Yami didn't really say much, except repeating that he was sorry. It was a blatant lie and Yugi knew it. Yami wasn't sorry, Yami was never sorry. Harry had attacked him, threatened him and in doing so he had threatened Yugi's safety. Yami had forgiven Harry for the last time. This time he had gotten his revenge, and it had been worth it.
The Gryffindor's were now inaccessible; Yugi had sealed off the common room. Yami had calmed down a little overnight and was wandering around the corridors surrounded by thousands of over energised darkings.
/So you have finished your little spat then?/ Yugi sent.
Yami flowed back into shadow form and rounded a corner. /It was not a spat, but yes. I would not recommend coming out yet, there are darkings everywhere./
Yugi gave a mental sigh and agreed. Then something twanged. Yami rolled and headed for the alarm. The earth magic was still swarming around the school so the corridors were being changed almost constantly, sometimes when Yami was halfway along one. Unfortunately this also meant that Yami's boundary spells were dulled down, he couldn't feel them as well as he should be able to. Yami pressed on, sometimes outside of the castle. The twang came again. There were Death Eaters at the gates. Yami snarled. /What?/ Yugi asked.
/Did Dumbledore send a message out of the castle?/ Yami asked as he made his way rapidly to the outer boundaries of the school with a thousand darkings trailing behind him. If the Headmaster had sent a message to the Ministry then it was possible that Voldemort had heard about it.
/I do not know, why?/ Yugi replied.
/There is a horde of Death Eaters at the gates./ Yami replied as he reached the gates, there were nearly thirty humans and a mass of dementors.
/I will tell Harry./ Yugi said.
/No, I do not want to hear from him, see him or have anything to do with him anymore./ Yami snapped down the bond. Yugi went very quiet; Yami winced as he watched the Death Eaters giving orders to the others around them. They obviously thought that because Yami had attacked the students he wasn't going to protect the school. Did they not realise that as long as Yugi was within these walls Yami would guard them until the end of time? Stupid humans.
Yami rocked backwards and waited, there was a bit of arguing about exactly how they were going to attack. Yami waited patiently, the darkings dashing around him energetically. Surrounded by so many darkings Yami was hidden from the dementors senses, what a nice surprise for them.
Finally the Death Eaters came to some sort of agreement. Yami waited and the dementors swept over the boundary into the school. /Yami what was that? The walls are singing./ Yugi sounded alarmed.
Yami didn't reply, simply allowing an image of the invading Death Eaters to filter through their bond. Yugi went very quiet and Yami could sense his concern. Thankfully Yugi knew that Yami was much better at this sort of thing and the elf just let him go.
Yami waited until all the dementors were inside the grounds and the Death Eaters had followed them. Then he sealed the gates and set the darkings on the humans. Yami hadn't reeled in his fear spells from yesterday so he redirected them on the Death Eaters as well.
He didn't even bother tempering them. Three quarters of the Death Eaters collapsed immediately. Yami examined the remaining conscious humans; they were trembling and shaking, babbling uncontrollably. Interesting. Normally he would adjust the amount of strength behind the spells depending on the number of humans he was trying to effect. Turns out when you didn't do that the effect on the humans was quite startling.
Yami snickered and moved closer taking human form as the dementors turned and headed back. The darkings dashed over to Yami's cousin-race, consuming the dementors latent magic almost before it was released. Yami turned his head. "Leave now and I will not destroy you." Yami told the dementors. They were all watching him from under their hoods. Yami flexed his magical muscles.
The dementors moved, they weren't the most intelligent of races, but they did know when they were outnumbered. A hundred dementors against one blood-eyed Shade with captured humans was guaranteed to end in a hundred dead dementors. Yami followed the dementors to the gates and as they began to leave he hit the last three with his death spell. The spell dragged on his strength and sent his vision a little wonky for a moment, but the last three dementors vanished with a whisper of shifting fabric.
Yami looked down at the Death Eaters. The unconscious ones were unlikely to wake up anytime soon and the others all appeared to have gone insane.
/Yugi can you get Dumbledore to send a message to his Order to come and collect thirty Death Eaters?/ Yami asked and settled cross-legged on the ground to watch the shivering humans.
/Alright./ Yugi replied. Moments last he asked a question. /Dumbledore wants to make sure that you won't attack the Order people who come into the school./
/So long as they do nothing more than come through the gates, collect the Death Eaters and leave. If they try and come further into the school then they are mine./ Yami replied and poked one of the Death Eaters with his toe, the man didn't even shift.
/Okay they will be here in a few minutes./ Yugi said.
Yami eyed the Death Eaters and then leant closer. He shook his head. Now that he looked at the humans lying in front of him, only two of the thirty humans were actually Death Eaters, the others either had traces of the controlling spell on them or lacked the dark tainting which marked them as Death Eaters. Yami leant backwards. Voldemort must be starting to run out of Death Eaters who could fight, what with those he had been losing to the Shades their numbers were starting to dwindle.
The darkings swirled around him; those which had been following these Death Eaters had mingled with the mass of others and were lost. There was no way that Yami would be able to tap into the spy network with the darkings so high on earth magic, he would have to wait to see what effect this little downfall would have on Voldemort's plans.
His boundary spells sung out again and Yami turned to watch the Order members walk into the school. They were followed closely by several of the Dark Wizard catchers called Aurors. Yami shifted around until his human form was standing. Yugi mentally poked him, so Yami backed off allowing the frightened and wary humans to enter the school and approach the unconscious Death Eaters and their followers.
The Order members knelt down to check the unconscious humans. The Aurors were watching Yami. "Shade, you have proved yourself to be a danger. We will be removing you from this school." One of them yelled. Yami swelled his shadows and readied himself. If the humans were stupid enough to attack him then they deserved to receive fear spells in the face. Yami knew what his spells could do to a small number of people now, and it was very entertaining. /Yami!/ Yugi called.
/Only if they attack, if they leave peacefully then they can go. I have full reserves and no issue with them./ Yami replied, the true Shade part of his self was a little disgusted that he would let prey get away so easily, but the elf tamed part was content that they had so far done nothing wrong.
The Aurors lifted their wands so Yami decided to cut them off. "If you attack me I will kill you, take the Death Eaters and leave and you are free to go."
The grizzled Order member who was also an Auror stumped over. "Dumbledore sent us a message saying you had attacked the students and that makes you dangerous."
Yami snorted. "I have always been dangerous; I am a Shade, but these children having nothing more to fear from me. You however are at a far greater risk as you are now trespassing on my territory." Yami allowed some of his fear spells to leak across; he tempered them appropriately this time. "Take them and leave, now."
The Order waved their wands and the Death Eaters were levitated. "We're going."
Yami prowled forwards and the Aurors backed up. "We'll be back." Their leader said.
Yami snarled and surged forward in shadow form. The humans ran for the gate, Yami moved just slow enough to allow them to reach the gates and get through them before Yami smashed against the inside of the anti-Shade spells on the walls. The humans staggered away and Yami retook human form. The humans all disappeared with the characteristic pops and Yami smirked and turned away. Humans really were too easy to scare. /Can we come out now?/ Yugi asked.
Yami prowled into the castle and looked around. /Probably not the best idea, the school is still full of darkings./
Yami could almost feel Yugi banging his head on the table. Yami brushed blonde locks out his eyes and sighed, /I can try and lure them out into the forest, but a lot of them will not come, there is a lot of magic here./
/Boy when you get cross you really pull out all the stops./ Yugi noted. /I will tell Harry to pass on that we should stay inside for the rest of today, but I think the teachers will risk coming out. Will that be okay./
Yami shifted, the other humans would be alright, he hadn't totally gotten himself under control, but he did have nothing against most of them. /Yes, I am going to take the darkings and hide in the forest for a while, I am not in the mood for dealing with humans at the moment. Tell Harry that if he looks for me I am going to break his arm again./ Yami shut the bond as tight closed as he dared. He needed to be on his own for a while. Sending out thick ropy strands of shadow magic Yami lured as many of the darkings into following him as he could and then made for the Forbidden Forest.
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Harry took a deep breath. It had been two days since Yami's attack on the school and the teachers were finally letting them out of the common rooms and restarting lessons. Harry knew through Yugi that Yami was going to avoid everyone; apparently he still hadn't forgiven Harry for cursing him. Harry pushed open the portrait and stepped into the corridor. He had been volunteered to be the first person out. It was apparently because he had such as good relationship with Yami.
They hadn't told any of the students, other than Hermione and Ron that it had been Harry's fault that this had happened and that Yami was less than pleased with Harry. The corridor was still a little dark, Harry paused and blinked rapidly, the darkness was different, not like normal shadows. A hand touched Harry's knee and he looked down, Yugi was looking out into the corridor. In the dimness Yugi amethyst eyes seemed to give off a soft glow of their own. The shadows skittered away as Yugi stepped out of the common room and into the corridor. He turned and smiled and Harry.
Harry followed him out and the rest of the Gryffindor house followed him. Harry picked Yugi up. "It's not Yami is it, it doesn't feel right?" Harry waved a hand around to the chilling shadows around them.
Hermione and Ron edged closer. Yugi shook his head and pointed down the hallway. Harry exchanged a look with Hermione and they followed their classmates down to the Great Hall, like Yugi they were sick of being cooped up.
Harry watched out the window as several of the students were hustled out of the school by their parents. That was ten now, spread between the four houses. Dumbledore stood on the steps watching the small group of people round the bend in the path and vanish from sight.
Yami had made no more appearances in the last few days. Nonetheless parents were terrified; Dumbledore's assurances after the revelation that there was a Shade living in Hogwarts had comforted them for a time. Yami's outraged attack on the school had damaged that irreparably. Harry sighed; even Ron and Ginny had received a letter from their parents asking if they wanted to come home. Ron had been furious and had burnt it, Harry had been grateful. Hermione kept busy and Yugi kept them apprised of both Yami's whereabouts and what he learnt from his spies.
Harry turned his attention back to non-verbally turning water into wine. More and more Death Eaters were losing Yami's spies. Voldemort was getting more magic from the Veil and he was passing it onto his followers. At the rate it was going Yami's spy system would be useless by the end of the year. Yugi claimed that Yami was getting close to giving up on the Death Eaters and turning his attention to the Ministry.
The door to the classroom opened and everyone turned around. Dumbledore was standing in the doorway. "I apologise, but may I speak with Harry, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley?" Dumbledore asked Professor McGonagall.
"Of course, Headmaster." Their stern Transfiguration Professor replied, motioning them to leave.
Dumbledore led them some way do the corridor and waved them into an empty classroom. Yugi trotted in behind them and climbed onto a chair. Harry shifted uneasily. "What did you want to talk to us about Professor?" He asked.
"I would like to warn you, particularly you Yugi, that the Ministry is sending several Aurors to try and capture or at least remove Yami from the school. There have been a great number of complaints and as you have no doubt noticed, several withdrawals from the school. The Ministry has decided to take action."
"But it didn't work before, what makes them think that they will succeed this time." Hermione asked.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Apparently they think they have discovered something more effective. After the last couple of days I have no doubt that any further attack on Yami would have disastrous results."
Yugi nodded and frowned at the floor.
Harry eyed him, "We can warn him sir, but I think that would make things worse. A warning might get his back up and get him ready. Don't you think Yugi?" He asked the elf.
Yugi nodded and then looked up, his face took on a determined look and he tapped himself of the chest.
Harry blinked. "You're going to take them on?" He asked.
Dumbledore shook his head. "If you were hurt then Yami's revenge would be even more vicious."
Yugi shook his head and pointed at Harry. Harry found himself wishing that Yugi would just talk to Dumbledore. "I guess it's up to us then." Harry looked at Yugi and the elf blushed and nodded.
Dumbledore looked between the four of them. "Thank you, I will help where I can."
Harry nodded. "Yeah, err...sir are you any closer to finding another Horcrux?" Harry asked, lowering his voice just in case.
Dumbledore smiled, "I am on the track of what could be one. Be patient. Thank you for your help. I believe that the Aurors will arrive tomorrow morning; they seem to believe that Yami will be weaker during the day. I am assuming that the idea is nonsense." Yugi snickered and nodded.
The Headmaster left and Harry turned to Hermione and Ron. "This is going to end so badly." He noted.
Hermione looked at Yugi, "Can't Yami sense when people are coming into Hogwarts though, he'll turn up before they are even through the gate."
Yugi nodded, "I will talk to him and make sure he stays away long enough for us to handle it."
"Is he going to be alright with that?" Harry asked. He doubted it, Yami seemed to have decided no one was capable of doing anything right.
"He will be." Yugi replied, "Look, I can keep Yami calm, but it will be up to you to talk them out of trying to capture him."
Ron shook his head mutely, probably thinking the same as Harry, that this was going to end in disaster. Harry suddenly remembered what time it was. "Come on or we'll be late for Defence Against the Dark Arts." He was mainly thinking that if he was late again Snape was going to give him another detention.
Harry picked up Yugi and the four of them headed for Snape's classroom.
The next day dawned and Harry trooped down to breakfast with his friends. Yugi said that he had warned Yami and the Shade was now skulking around the castle in case things went bad.
Yugi sat up straight suddenly and pulled hurriedly on Harry's sleeve. Harry looked down. "They're here already! Guys come on." Harry grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him after them. Hermione scooped up Yugi. Half the Great Hall was watching them oddly.
Harry ran to the entrance hall, arriving just as Dumbledore and McGonagall stepped into the room.
They all stood and watched as ten Aurors stepped through the great doors. "Dumbledore, glad to see you. Now where is the Shade?" The Head Auror said.
Harry looked over at Yugi; the little elf was sitting in Hermione's arms quietly. Dumbledore stepped forwards. "Perhaps we could have this conversation somewhere a little more private." He stepped back and motioned for the Aurors to follow him. The teachers led the way and Harry, Hermione and Ron followed behind.
The 'somewhere private' was McGonagall's office. "Now Dumbledore where is the Shade, we are taking him with us this time, and then we are going to restrengthen the anti-Shade spells. You have placed all the students under your care in a great deal of danger and you are not going to get away with it." The Auror who appeared to be in charge said.
Dumbledore gave his usual polite smile. "Harry are you aware of Yami's current location?"
Harry jumped, not expecting to be addressed. "No sir." As he spoke several bright white sparks shot out from behind him and latched onto the Aurors. Harry tried not to look at them, they were elfin spells and he didn't want to draw attention to whatever it was that Yugi was trying to do.
"Is there any way that you could find him?" Dumbledore tried.
"Not unless he wants to be found sir." Harry replied. Whatever Yugi was doing Harry couldn't see it, the sparks had vanished into the Aurors skin.
"Well gentlemen, unless you wish to scour the entire school for Yami then I suggest you leave." Dumbledore said.
"The elf can find him." One of the Aurors said.
Harry stepped in front of Hermione, blocking the man's view of his elf. "If you touch Yugi, there won't be enough of you left for Yami to even see." Harry pulled out his wand.
The Aurors laughed at him. "Look Mr. Potter, this Shade is dangerous. You were here the last few days, from all reports he nearly killed people."
Harry bit his lip. Most people still didn't know that it was Harry's fault in the first place. "Look just forget it. Whatever magic you think you have to catch him, it won't work. He's too powerful and you will just make him angry. Have you forgotten what happens when Shades get angry?" Harry snapped, turning the man's comment back on him.
"Where is the Shade?" The Head Auror asked again, obviously trying not to get angry.
"I don't know, but if you don't leave I'm going to call him and set him on you. Let's see how tough you are when you are drowning in your own tears." Harry glared and hoped that his totally empty threat would do the trick.
"Then we will just have to bring him out of hiding." The Head Auror said and pulled out his wand.
Dumbledore had his wand pressed to the side of the man's head before he could even lift his own. "If you intend to harm my students in order to follow an order which was essentially a suicide mission then I am afraid I will have to stop you." Dumbledore's eyes were as cold as ice, McGonagall pulled out her wand as well. Harry's was already in his hand and Ron fumbled in his robes for his. Hermione had curled her arms protectively around Yugi. The elf's eyes were closed, using all his strength to hold Yami back from attacking and still keep up whatever spell he was using on the Aurors. Harry opened up his strength for Yugi to use if he needed it. After a moment he felt some of his strength trickle down to Yugi, though the elf was trying to do it as subtly as possible.
Harry stepped forwards. "I suggest you leave and never come back. Yugi and I can deal with Yami far more effectively than any of you Ministry thugs. You don't know the first thing about Shades and you never will because you refuse to accept that he is far more powerful than you are. So get lost, before Yugi loses control and Yami storms in here and rips you into tiny pieces."
The Aurors looked stunned. Harry glared at them and clenched his fingers around his wand, focusing on not drawing the earth magic up. The Aurors looked at each other, then over at Dumbledore. "This is not up for negotiation. We need to at least speak with the Shade to determine if he remains a danger to the students and the general population."
Everyone looked at Yugi. The elf opened one eye and shook his head. Harry turned back. "I don't think that is a good idea."
"There will be no negotiations Mr. Potter, we either determine that he is not a threat or we capture him and take him with us." The Head Auror looked Harry in the eye and winced. Harry nodded; the man was taking as much liberty as he could. "Yugi tell Yami we need to talk to him."
Yugi shook his head and looked directly at Harry, his eyes pleading. Harry looked back; he had no idea what Yugi was trying to tell him. "Yugi now please, it's important."
Yugi looked at the others in the room and his face went red. Then he reached out his hands to Harry. Harry stepped closer to take the tiny elf from Hermione. "What's wrong?" Harry asked.
Yugi wriggled around and leant close so he could whisper to Harry. "He is mad at you. If he comes in I cannot promise he will not hurt you. Besides I do not think that man is tell the truth. He is going to try and capture Yami no matter what. My spell has broken the trap they have set, but that does not mean they will not try something anyway."
Harry leant back and looked down at Yugi. "We'll have to risk it." He murmured back so as not to warn the Aurors. Yugi looked worried but his eyes flickered and the usual coolness which accompanied Yami everywhere began to seep into the room. Shadows swirled into the room and concentrated in the centre so that they were between the Aurors and everyone else. Red eyes appeared in the dark depths. Harry frowned, Yami appeared to be looking directly at Harry, but when he spoke he was addressing the Aurors. "You will leave now."
"I am required by the Ministry to ensure that you are no danger to the students of this school. You have already proved that you are willing to harm students of this school and as such I have been asked to remove you." Harry had to admit that the Auror was doing well considering he had obviously just realised that whatever spell that had activated to trap Yami was gone. The man was now absolutely terrified.
Yami's shadows shifted slightly, "You are a fool." Harry bit back a smile. That was typical Yami. Yugi was tense, apparently he was still worried about Yami turning around and attacking Harry instead. Yami however seemed rather intent on ignoring Harry altogether.
"You will leave now. If the children are unhappy here then they are free to leave, but I will remain here until Yugi leaves." Yami replied.
The Aurors all drew their wands and the Head spoke again. "Then we will take the elf and you will follow. If you attack us then we will hurt him." It was impressive that the man managed to get the entire sentence out. Harry stepped aside and pulled Hermione out of the way of the door. Ron jumped in the opposite direction with a grin on his face, he could see what was coming as well as Harry could.
Yami had lunged for the Aurors and they were lost in shadows. He then turned and made for the door. Everyone ran following him out. Yami was fast, but carrying ten fully grown humans slowed him up enough for them to keep up. They also nearly tripled his size and prevented him from passing around objects and people as easily. Several students were thrown sideways as the Shade passed through the hallway. Harry thought that this was an appropriate punishment for the Ministry Officials. Being carried within Yami's shadows was a particularly unpleasant way to travel.
Yami carried the Aurors to Hogwarts gates and threw them across the boundary. He then took human form just within the gates. "If any Ministry person ever sets foot on Hogwarts ground again then they are dead. I do not care what you are here for, not even Yugi will be able to stop me next time. I have had enough. You cannot capture me and you cannot defeat me. Forget trying and go do something useful with your lives." Yami snapped, then he turned and without making eye contact with any of the humans he took shadow form again and vanished into the nearby tree line.
Harry looked down at Yugi. "Well that went as well as can be expected." Yugi gave him a disbelieving look and they all watched the Aurors apparate away.
"Well, Yugi thank you. I am going to assume we won't be seeing much of Yami now." Dumbledore stowed his wand in a pocket.
Yugi nodded seriously and turned his head to where Yami had disappeared. Harry just hoped that Yami would still help them. Harry sighed; he had alienated one of the few people who could possibly have helped him to defeat Voldemort.
I've changed a lot since I wrote this chapter first and I think it is better now. Things were a bit waffly for a while.
