Welcome back! Those two weeks felt like forever didn't they? But we're here now! So Harry's been Game, Ron and Hermione are distraught, Umbridge is (probably) jumping up and down with glee, and the entire school is on edge. What now?
Enjoy!
As expected, news of Potter's Game spread through the wizard community like wildfire. The wizard paper had a short article about it on the Monday following the Game, giving the reason that it was Potter's need to be a hero that got him into the situation. They weren't entirely wrong, but it was still disgusting how the government was attacking a child because they didn't want to face the truth.
Malik was the first one off of guard duty and was lounging in their chambers when there was a knock on the door to the Mages' chambers. Confused, Malik got up to open the door, the Shadows ready to pounce if it was anybody wanting to cause harm. "Ah, Miss Lovegood! Please come in." Malik held the door open for the girl as she entered their chambers.
Since her initial visit over Christmas break, Luna had been welcome by all the Mages to visit whenever she desired. Usually it was when she needed to get away from the other witches and wizards around her who still teased her. Even Bakura had taken a liking to her and offered to "take care of" them, but Luna had refused politely, saying that actions taken out of fear would be empty gestures.
"Good afternoon, Mage Malik," Luna replied, "I suppose you know the school's in a terrible uproar since one of you Gamed Harry."
"We are well aware," Malik informed her, not unkindly as she took a seat without being asked. The Mages were still very intrigued by this girl who didn't seem to fear them in the slightest.
Yami was still trying to figure out how a witch could have a soul nearly as bright as a hikari's and would often sit down with her and enter deep conversations about her upbringing, her beliefs, and the way she rationalized things. Usually these conversations took place over a game of chess, which Luna was surprisingly good at.
"His friend are terribly upset," Luna continued, "They tried to go see him today, but Madam Pomphrey won't let them in. She won't let anybody in actually. Why is that?"
"The matron is right in keeping students and teachers away. To see a body without a soul is a disturbing sight, Miss Lovegood," Malik said gravely, "It is not like they are asleep or unconscious. You cannot see any visible marking on them that indicate anything is wrong. Yet you know there is because there is a sense of hopelessness around them. Sometimes they are limp and cold as if they were dead, they hardly breathe. Sometimes they-"
"Malik," Yami's voice cut him off, "Are you trying to scare Miss Lovegood?"
Malik turned to face the Pharaoh indignantly, not at all fazed by his sudden appearance, "She asked a question," Malik defended, "I was just elaborating on my answer."
"Pharaoh," Luna greeted, bowing respectfully to him.
"Sit, please," Yami invited, "What brings you here today?"
"I was looking for my shoes," Luna indicated her barefeet that neither Mage had noticed until now, "I was passing by and thought I'd say hi."
Malik stared at the girl's shoeless feet with just a hint of underlying anger. "Who took them from you?" he asked, knowing the girl hadn't simply misplaced them.
"Some of the people in my dorm," Luna replied playing with her wand and leaving behind a glittering trail, "They do it all the time because they think I'm strange. All of my missing items come back eventually, so I don't worry about it."
"You remind me very much of Yugi when he was your age," Yami smiled. He was positive that if she so much as hinted that she wanted the people who hid her things to be punished, he'd have a line of Mages begging for his approval.
Luna cocked her head curiously, "Really?" she asked. The Mages didn't really talk about their pasts.
Yami nodded, "He was the strange boy in school and was picked on by plenty of people. He too, never sought to get even or revenge, despite my offers. In fact, two of his best friends were once his worst tormentors."
"No wonder he represents the light," Luna mused.
"Indeed," Yami agreed.
"You'll have to excuse me," Malik said suddenly, "The Shadows are telling me that the Malfoy boy has accepted his Penalty and will be waking soon."
"Go ahead," Yami told him. Malik gave a short bow to the Pharaoh and a wave to Luna before disappearing into the Shadows. Yami pulled out the chess set and began setting it up, "As long as you're here," he said to Luna.
"I've been reading some more strategies," she replied, adjusting herself to reach the board easier, "I might just beat you this time."
Yami smirked. She was beginning to sound like Seto. "We'll see," he entertained her.
The two settled into their positions and Luna made the first move. An hour into the game and they were tied. Yami carefully studied the board before moving his knight.
"There's something I've been curious about," Luna spoke up as she looked at her options.
Yami looked up with interest, "What would that be?"
"Why didn't you guys take over when Dumbledore left?" Luna asked, "I know I'm not the only one wondering. I've even heard some people say that it would be better if you did."
"And what do you think?" Yami countered.
"Not much can be worse than Umbridge," she admitted, "At least with you guys everybody is treated the same, no favorites."
"Some might disagree with you about favorites," Yami gestured to her.
"If I broke the rules you would not hesitate in Gaming me," Luna waved off, "But that does not answer my question."
Yami heaved a sigh and leaned back, his ruby eyes boring straight into her crystal blue ones, "Our main reason was that we are simply not interested in running a school. You know we do not care for wizards and they do not particularly care for us unless we are bailing them out of a situation they got themselves into. Also, by placing ourselves in such a position, we would appear to be either submitting to the authority of that fool you call your Minister, or that we would be acting to take control of the wizard world. Besides, if we took over, all rules would be subject to Yami no Game and we did not think that would be right or fair to the staff and students considering the state of things."
Yami turned his attention back to the game while Luna pondered his answer. He quickly took her exposed rook with his bishop, "Checkmate."
Luna stared in awe at the board, "One day I'll beat you," she promised.
"Seto has been saying the same thing for hundreds of years," Yami chuckled.
(Malfoy)
Malfoy ran through the darkness towards the light that had suddenly appeared, slightly surprised that he was going unhindered. Up until this point, the darkness had had an unrelenting hold on him.
He had just resolved to find a trustworthy friend to confide in, finally realizing the path he was on would only lead to personal disaster. Voldemort was nothing more than clever speeches to sway people to his side. The Dark Lord was perhaps the loneliest, despite having so many followers.
Everything Malfoy had strived for, even if he hadn't realized it until this point, led to his deep desire to have the same close friendship he witnessed time and time again with Potter, Granger, and Weasley. The thought of those three still made him sick to his stomach, his penalty hadn't changed his feelings towards the Gryffindors, just his desires about the kinds of people he wanted around him now.
The light was blinding as Malfoy grew nearer until he was consumed by it. He slowly became aware of the fact he was laying in a bed, and if the uncomfortable mattress underneath him was anything to go by, he was in the Hospital Wing.
"You awake?" a hesitant voice asked from beside him.
Malfoy carefully opened his eyes, blinking quickly to get used to the light. Turning his head to the side, he saw Timothy Spencer sitting there, looking nervous.
"What do you want?" Malfoy demanded, sitting up and looking around. This was definitely the hospital wing. Curtains surrounded the bed to keep prying eyes away. "And for that matter, how are you even here? Last I checked the Hospital Wing was off limits to everyone."
"Last you checked was nearly a month ago," Spencer informed him. Malfoy gaped in shock. He'd been stuck in his penalty for that long? "But Madam Pomphrey still keeps it off limits. Mage Malik came and grabbed me just before you woke up. I'm not entirely sure why. I think maybe because I know a little of what you just went through."
"I doubt that," Malfoy snorted, "That Mage told me that everybody's Game and penalty is different."
"But I know what it's like going back into the Slytherin dorms after a Yami no Game," Spencer argued.
"It won't be an issue for me," Malfoy said stubbornly, "I didn't turn into some bleeding heart Hufflepuff like you."
Spencer blinked at that. "I didn't turn into a Hufflepuff," he denied, "I'm just as Slytherin as you, I just learned to respect others different from me. I can be as cunning, resourceful, and ambitious as Salazar Slytherin himself."
"If you say so," Malfoy said disbelievingly.
"Look, it won't matter how much or how little you changed because of your Yami no Game, you won't be accepted the same by the Slytherin house. Too many people have been through them and woken up drastically changed for you to go back and act like you're unaffected. You'll be outcast the same way I was."
He was right and Malfoy knew it. "What of it?" Malfoy said defensively, "I don't care what they think about me."
"You used to," Spencer told him, "I think your Game changed you more than you want to admit."
"Shut up," Malfoy growled.
The two teens fell into silence. Malfoy vaguely wondered why Madam Pomphrey hadn't been by yet. Surely she heard the voices.
"What went on while I was out?" Malfoy finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Not too much," Spencer told him, "Fifth years had career counseling, but I'm sure Professor Snape will let you make that up. Oh, and Potter was Gamed."
Malfoy stared, not sure if he heard quite right. "Potter?!"
Spencer nodded, "Apparently had a run in with one of the Mages just a few days ago. Nobody's quite sure what happened or which Mage was even responsible. The Prophet is claiming that Potter tried to be a hero against the Mages to get back into the limelight."
"God the Prophet is thick," Malfoy moaned, "Let me guess, Umbridge was the one giving them information?"
"Naturally," Spencer agreed. He peered around the curtain, looking for any sign of Madam Pomphrey. "I don't think Madam Pomphrey is coming until we reach some sort of conclusion," he commented.
"And what conclusion would that be?" Malfoy challenged, crossing his arms.
Spencer eyed him carefully. "Tell me what your penalty was…"
(Mages)
Yugi sat hidden in the Shadows, carefully keeping his thoughts away from Yami. He had "borrowed" a book from the school library about various spells and curses the wizards used. While Yami wouldn't object to Yugi researching these things, he would want to know the reason and Yugi couldn't tell him that he was researching his own death.
At this point, Yugi was almost certain that the spell that hit him in the vision was the Killing Curse; the same spell that Harry Potter was famous for surviving. The green light was a dead giveaway. The Shadows could block the spell based on Ishizu's Game with Crabbe, which is something no wizard could do, though it wasn't surprising considering the Shadow's considerable power over wizard magic. If the vision was to be believed however, Yugi wouldn't have time to block the attack properly, despite the practice he had put in with Bakura.
Nothing he found showed how the spell worked or what exactly it did to the person it hit. If he knew exactly what the spell did, he could focus his efforts on that rather than the whole spell. Did it stop the heart? Did it fry the brain? Did it eject the soul violently from the body in a manner that made it impossible for it to return? Did it destroy the soul?
That last one was a terrifying, yet highly plausible, explanation. Yugi had more than enough experiences with ghosts and spirits to know that if the soul of the deceased either had unfinished business or were scared of death, the soul could remain in the world as a ghost. The fact that there were no ghosts of people who were hit by the curse supported Yugi's theory that the curse destroyed the soul.
The Prince closed his latest book with a sigh and carefully returned it to the library shelves using the Shadows. He hadn't found anything definitive about the curse, so he was left assuming the worst. Maybe it was just time to accept it.
In the middle of his brooding, a familiar presence made itself known in the Shadows.
"Hey, Bakura," Yugi greeted without turning around.
"Found anything new about the spell?" Bakura asked without preamble, coming to sit next to the Prince.
"Nothing," Yugi sighed, "The wizards have next to no information about the Killing Curse, only that it kills instantly."
"But you have your suspicions," Bakura read what Yugi wasn't saying. Sometimes Bakura was scarily good at reading the Prince; almost as good as Yami at times.
Yugi nodded. "If that spell were to actually hit me and my soul survived in tact, what would happen? You said before i would get to rest. Is that true?" he asked somewhat hesitantly.
Bakura paused for a moment. "I don't know," he finally said, "I suppose it would depend on the gods. Though I can't see any of them denying you rest, or any of us should the day come we die."
"...And if my soul is torn apart?"
Bakura breath hitched. Yugi understood why; it was a terrible thing to happen to a soul. There would be no chance of reincarnation if that happened. "Do you think that's what the spell does?" he whispered.
"It might," Yugi replied, looking at his hands, "There is no hard evidence to support it, but it seems likely considering the lack of ghosts and spirits of those hit by the spell."
"That won't happen," Bakura declared firmly, "The Pharaoh might be unaware of the situation, but I am not. I will not let that happen to you."
Yugi shook his head sadly, "I'm beginning to think this is one of those fates that just can't be changed so I might as well make peace with it."
Suddenly there was a sharp, stinging sensation across his cheek. Coving his reddening cheek with his hand, Yugi stared at the thief who look unremorseful for slapping him. "Don't you dare start giving up hope," he growled, "If we work hard enough, we can change the future. We need you. The Pharaoh needs you. Are you just going to leave him alone?"
Yugi could only stare in shock at the tirade. Bakura stared straight back until he saw the determination return to Yugi's eyes. The thief finally broke eye contact and leaned back. "The Pharaoh's going to have my ass," he muttered.
"What do you mean?" Yugi asked.
Bakura gestured to the Prince's face where a handprint was clearly visible, "For slapping you," he said.
"Right," Yugi chuckled humorlessly, "Thanks for that by the way. I needed it. I'll make sure Yami isn't too hard on you."
A scream echoed through the Shadows. "What was that?" Yugi asked, only mildly concerned. They were all used to screams like that, it happened when a soul was torn apart and destroyed by the Shadows. It wasn't a common occurrence as both Yugi and Yami objected to the idea, but it still happened occasionally. Mostly when people got caught in their traps back home.
"That would be Ishizu destroying the last part of Voldemort's soul that I've been able to find," Bakura answered.
"So all that's left is the man himself," Yugi concluded soberly.
Bakura let out a frustrated sigh. "The Ring seems to think there's one more piece somewhere, but it won't show me where it is," he glared at the offending object resting innocently on his chest.
"Are you sure it's not Voldemort the Ring is trying to find?"
"Look," Bakura held the Ring up, concentrating on it. The tines perked up, flailing wildly before all pointing in the same direction. "That's Voldemort," Bakura explained, "I can find him whenever I want. But if I ask the Ring if there's anymore pieces..." he trailed off as the tines began moving again, this time not settling on any direction.
"The Ring's never failed before," Yugi commented, "What could be making it act that way?"
"Dunno," Bakura admitted, "It's never really acted this way before-"
A sudden explosion pulled them from their conversation as students and teachers began racing towards the commotion. Yugi and Bakura were quick to follow in the Shadows, noticing magically shaped fireworks wreaking havoc along the way as well as a swamp confined to the east wing corridor on the fifth floor.
"Not us," Bakura answered Yugi's questioning look, "But I have a pretty good idea who it was."
Familiarity set in as all the Mages converged on the entrance hall as they had when Umbridge had fired Trelawny. Already a crowd had formed around the Weasley twins who were standing in front of a gleeful Umbridge not looking repentive in the least. The Inquisitorial Squad stood around, looking just as excited, some even having their wands pointed at the pair of pranksters. Malfoy stood with them, but he look uninterested as he twirled his wand idly in his fingers.
"Umbridge has sent Filch to get forms to authorize her use of corporal punishment on those two," Seto explained as Yugi and Bakura approached.
Yami turned to greet them, but his face went cold when he saw the red mark on his hikari's face. He quickly shot a deadly glare at Bakura as he crossed over to Yugi to gently examine the mark. "What they hell did you do?" he demanded of the thief roughly.
"Yami, I'm fine," Yugi protested, pulling away from the Pharaoh.
"Your hikari was brooding," Bakura defended himself, not intimidated by Yami's glare, "Yell at me later."
"Don't think I won't," Yami said darkly, placing himself between Bakura and Yugi as he turned back to the spectacle before them.
Yugi rolled his eyes at Yami's overprotective nature, but silently relished in it. Afterall, if he was going to die within the next couple months he wanted to at least pretend that Yami would be able to protect him from anything.
"You boys think you're pretty clever don't you?" Umbridge was crowing to the twins, "You think you can just turn a corridor into a swamp and set off a bunch of fireworks?"
"Yeah," Fred answered unabashedly, "How do you like 'em?"
"I personally think we're very clever," George added, "Who would think a school hallways would make a great swamp?"
"Think of all the animals that could have a new home!"
"We could do Care of Magical Creatures inside!"
"It'd be so much better than standing outside in the cold or rain."
"And I must admit that those fireworks are one of our best creations yet."
"Absolutely brilliant, George!" Fred agreed.
Umbridge's face was slowly turning red. "You boys are in an awful lot of trouble. You're about to see what happens to troublemakers in my school."
'"Headmistress! Headmistress!" Filch pushed his way through the crowd, "I've got them! I've got the whipping forms! Oh please let me do it now!"
Umbridge instantly switched from being angry to being giddy, "Of course, Filch. These two boys are going to be made examples of." She turned to the twins who didn't look at all nervous or scared, "You see, the best part about this is that the Mages can't do anything about this as I've gone through the proper channels to get permission to do this."
"They're planning to leave the school you dumb bitch," Malik muttered in the Shadows, eliciting chuckles from the rest of the Mages.
"How foolish can one person be?" Ryou wondered.
"I think she's set a new record," Seto answered.
The twins looked at each other amused. "You know what, George," Fred said, "I don't think we are."
"I agree with you wholeheartedly," George grinned.
The two raised their wands, "Accio brooms!"
A loud crash was heard somewhere in the castle and within just a few short moments two brooms came racing along, stopping obediently for the twins to mount them.
"Stop them!" Umbridge screeched as they took to the air.
The Inquisitorial Squad pulled out their wands and were about to start firing spells when Malfoy's voice rose above the commotion, "Who cares about a couple of blood-traitors? Let them leave! The school will be a better place without them."
Umbridge considered the boy's words for a moment. "You're absolutely right, Mr. Malfoy," she agreed, "The school is better off without troublemakers."
"Your Game actually did something," Bakura said.
Malik looked offended, "My Game's aren't useless, Fluffy. Of course it did something. He knows what he's doing is an act right now and is using that to not only his advantage, but everyone around him. He and Spencer are working on this together, getting stories and opinions from both sides to find a neutral solution. Malfoy has found a friend he can trust and rely on."
The Weasley twins stopped and stared in amazement at the blond Slytherin before shrugging and continuing their havoc. "Mystery pranksters!" Fred bellowed below him, "We don't know who you are-"
"But we like your style," George continued.
"Keep giving them hell!"
"And to all students, come see us in Diagon Alley!"
"Special discounts to those who swear to use our products to get rid of that old hag," Fred pointed at Umbridge who sputtered indignantly. The students cheered as the twins finally flew out the doors, away from Hogwarts.
"This isn't over," the Mages heard Umbridge mutter to herself as she stalked away, "Soon I'll have everyone, even those bloody Mages, entirely under the Ministry's law."
"Fat chance, Toad Breath," Seto muttered, anxious for her to finally act out against the Mages.
"Patience, Seto," Yami cautioned, knowing what was going on in his rival's head, "Your time is coming soon. She will pay for her crimes."
I hope this was worth the two week wait. Not the most exciting content...that comes next chapter. Ron and Hermione didn't make an appearance here, they'll show up next chapter. As will the O.W.L. examiners.
Also...soon. Umbridge's Game is coming very soon. You've all been very patient waiting for her to get her just desserts.
Anyway, please review!