All I have to say about this chapter is that magic makes pranks fun!

Chapter 29: Hagrid's Secret

Harry had been right, chaos reigned throughout Hogwarts. Students were already applying those joke products that Fred and George had been able to sell before they left. The Skiving Snackboxes got the best run, with students in Umbridge's class all coming down with fevers, blood noses and vomiting.

Some students attempted to fight back more actively, spelling the members of the Inquisitorial Squad as they patrolled the corridors.

However there were two forces within the school which outdid everything anyone else did by a mile.

The first was a perfectly visible and understandable cause, Peeves. He had taken Fred's parting words to heart and could always be found zooming around the school dropping ink or water bombs on students heads, toppling piles of parchment or suits of armour and when he got bored making up rude rhymes about Umbridge and singing them at the top of his voice while he followed her around the school.

There was also the second and arguably greater force at work. To most people it seemed as though the castle had decided to take matters into its own hands.

Doors and rooms were inexplicably moved, at one point the entire Ravenclaw common room disappeared for a few days. Magic went haywire at random intervals, the best one being during Charms one day when no matter what spell they used they turned whatever they were spelling into a duck.

That day they had left a confused Flitwick in the classroom while all the students fell over each other laughing.

For those who were in the know, ie. Harry, Ron and Hermione they knew that it was Yami. The Shade had finally been given a chance to employ his magic to its fullest extent. Harry had no idea how he was managing some of his tricks, but he knew that the twins would have been impressed.

To all of their surprise Yugi did nothing, in fact Harry had caught him once or twice making suggestions to the Shade.

Some of the DA members would give each other significant looks whenever one of Yami's tricks came into play. They at least had a face to match to the chaos.

The next and final Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw to decide the Cup was to be played at the end of May. Harry was kind of glad that the games were coming to an end, he still felt that stabbing sense of loss whenever he watched the others practicing.

Harry was leaning against a wall near a disused classroom, trying to appear casual. Yami and Yugi were inside and from the length of time that they were taking to make Yami presentable to the human population they were having a deep and meaningful conversation at the same time.

Hermione hurried around the corner. Like Harry she wore Gryffindor colours and was looking a little harried. "Well Ron is heading down to the field, he looks as though he has swallowed a dungbomb though. Aren't they done yet?" Hermione gave the closed door a curious look.

Harry just shook his head and then started away from the wall as the door opened and Yami stepped through carrying Yugi.

Yami was dressed in his robe and scarf, his eyes dimmed down to the dark violet that meant that the colouring spells were in place. He also looked appropriately solid with nothing wisping away as he walked.

Yugi held out his hands to Harry and was duly transferred before they started off towards the Quidditch pitch.

The game started off poorly. Ron was obviously feeling the pressure, he allowed several goals in. It wasn't until he dropped down to their level to retrieve the Quaffle and he noticed that Yami was once again standing with them, that he went pale and the determined look reappeared on his face.

He caught the next attempt at goal.

It was at that point that Hagrid tapped Harry on the shoulder. Once Harry's knees had recovered from the shock he turned to look at their giant friend. He looked nervous under all the cuts and bruises.

"Harry, Hermione, quick while ev'ryones watchin' the match." Hagrid motioned desperately. Harry threw a quick glance at Yami; the Shade was turned very deliberately away from Hagird. As Harry looked at him, Yami's eyes slid to him and he shook his head very slightly and looked back towards the game.

Harry was going to take that as Yami was going to stay here.

Harry followed Hagrid with Hermione just behind them. By the time Harry remembered that he was carrying Yugi it was too late to turn back.

Harry was just a little nervous as to what Yami would do if he put Yugi in any kind of danger. The feeling redoubled when Hagrid began to lead them towards the Forbidden Forest. "Hagrid where are we going?" Hermione asked she looked as worried as Harry felt.

He had a bad feeling that what Hagrid was going to show them was going to get them in a great deal of trouble.

As they began to plough through the every thickening trees, Yugi slid from Harry's arms and began to trot along at his side. Harry had to say that he was glad, it gave him an extra arm to fight through the entangling branches. Yugi lifted his hand holding a glowing orb of light which lit their way more clearly, though in multiple colours.

Harry finally stumbled into a clearing, Hagrid had stopped just ahead of them and was now calling out, "Grawp, Grawp." Harry didn't know what on earth grawp meant, but he hoped it wasn't anything dangerous. Knowing Hagrid, Harry should have known better.

Grawp was sixteen feet tall and had a head like a boulder. Grawp was a giant. Yugi gave a very faint squeak and sat down, his eyes huge and startled. Apparently he hadn't expected this either.

OOOOOOOO
OOOOOO
OOOO

Yami jerked around when the stabbing of fear came along the bond from Yugi. Why had Harry not left the elf with him? Stupid question really, Yugi had decided that he wanted to go with Harry so he went.

Yami began to push through the crowd. People complained at him, at least they did until he glared at him. His eyes may have been dulled by Yugi's colouring spells, but that didn't mean he couldn't glare well.

It took him a good few minutes to make his way out of the sight of any of the humans and take his true form. He moved swiftly through the dim light of the forest, the shadows clammering for his attention. The remaining darkings were overjoyed to see him and many of them followed him happily.

Some of the darkings that he had sent out following the human had reported back insignificant details, but Yami had sent them to continue their work. As such the population in the Forest was slighly depleted.

Those darkings that remained and the three which he kept with him skittered out around him searching through the forest. Though all of them were now pointing out the 'big thing' that they had come to him with earlier.

Right so the big thing had scared Yugi, well it was in for a surprise now wasn't it.

Yami could sense that Yugi was getting closer and he was no longer frightened, startled a little, but no fear. After a little deliberation Yami changed course to head for Yugi rather than the big thing which was deeper in the forest.

Yami found Harry and Hermione in the company of the huge half-giant Yugi liked. They were all looking a little worse for wear and were talking excitedly. Then one of the darkings scurried up to him. Yami turned to question it, its reply was quick and to the point; centaurs with ill intent.

Yami hurried around to get into a better position; the group of centaurs was heading for Yugi's little group.

OOOOOOOO
OOOOOO
OOOO

Harry turned his head at the loud and approaching sound of hoof beats. Hagrid muttered a curse and checked his crossbow.

The centaurs moved out from the shadows of the trees. Harry made a desperate gesture to Yugi and the elf wandered over to him, giving him a slightly curious glance.

Harry picked up Yugi and wrapped his arms around him, hoping slightly desperately that he would be able to protect the tiny elf.

"Hagrid you have been told that you are not welcome in our forest." The black centaur that Harry recognised as Bane said.

"It ain't your forest." Hagrid replied his huge hands tightening on the crossbow trigger.

Yugi made an irritated noise and managed to twist around in Harry's arms to get a good look at what Harry was so worried about. When he saw the three centaurs standing there he sighed and pulled free of Harry.

Harry lunged forwards as Yugi landed lightly on the ground and moved forwards to face the centaurs. He sung something to them and then pointed. It was clearly an order, leave.

For a moment Harry was terrified that the centaurs would just shoot him full of arrows, but to his amazement they all three bowed deeply and backed up into the shadows under the trees. "We will allow you to pass this once, but if you come here again we will not be so kind."

It was at this point that Harry noticed Yami's shadows flowing between the trees. The Shade paused and watched the centaurs retreating backs before vanishing into the distance.

Harry gave a great sigh of relief and picked up Yugi. "I wish you wouldn't do that, you scared me."

Yugi smiled apologetically and accepted Harry's hug.

Hagrid hustled them out of the Forest very quickly, students were streaming out of the Quidditch stadium singing loudly.

Yugi turned his head curiously towards the crowd. Hermione gave a horrified sob as Hagrid left them. "A giant, Harry in the forest and we're supposed to give him English lessons. Oh.""She looked frightened and Harry didn't really feel all that much better.

He shifted Yugi around on his hip, the elf was tugging desperately on Harry's scarf, but Harry was more focused on Hermione.

"I wish they would stop singing that song." Hermione snapped as the tune to 'Weasley is our King' hummed out from the mass of students. Harry turned and frowned there was something wrong. Yugi tugged more insistently, "What is it?" Harry asked. The elf pointed and for the first time Harry saw that bouncing on the shoulders of the crowd was one very familiar figure.

Ron caught sight of the three of them coming up behind the mass of people around him. "Harry, Hermione WE WON, we did it." Harry couldn't stop grinning especially when he saw that Ron was holding onto the silver Quidditch Cup.

Ron was carried inside leaving his two scratched and bruised friends standing outside. Harry looked at Hermione and he could see that she was thinking the same thing that he was. Leave their news until later.

As they trekked back inside Harry looked down at Yugi. "Is Yami back?" He asked.

Yugi shook his head. "He is going to have a look at Grawp." At their slightly startled looks Yugi added, "Don't worry I've told Yami not to hurt him."

Harry wasn't sure who he thought would win that particular fight, but he was glad that he wasn't in it or anywhere nearby for that matter.

OOOOOOOO
OOOOOO
OOOO

Yami prowled deeper into the forest, only one of his darkings remained and it had tucked itself deep into Yami's shadows and was shaking badly.

There were very few animals in the area at all, Yami wasn't really surprised. Giants weren't known for their gentle nature.

When Yami located the giant he was very unimpressed. It was only half the size of the one that Yami had fought with and he seemed to be a particularly stupid member of his race. He was smart enough however to notice when Yami joined him.

Shades didn't affect giants as much as some of the other humanoid races, mainly because of their size and unusual inability to know when they were frightened.

However they could sense the presence of one of the living shadows even if they couldn't locate them.

The giant began to look around for him. Yami's last darking left, so he approached the giant and ran all over him, the giant freaked out a little at that. However his aimless blundering and arm waving proved very quickly that he wouldn't be any kind of trouble. He was definitely not one of the very rare and exceptionally dangerous giant mages.

Yami left, he could take care of a dwarf giant if the creature became an actual danger to Yugi or his humans.


Well that was fun, things are starting to heat up now, even if this chapter doesn't show it. This was all about subtle clues the sort that you might not notice unless you know exactly where I am going with this.