Notes: I wanted to build up on the background, not just plop them into the Academy
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Yu-Gi-Oh
Harry Potter and the Duel Academy
Ch. 2: The Early Years
Harry Potter didn't have an easy life. His happiest times were when he was at school. His cousin Dudley was sent to a private school, so at least he didn't have to endure his tormenting outside of home. When he started primary school, he became somewhat acquainted with a few of the kids. There was a redhead who came from a big family, a frizzy-haired girl who finished her work very quickly, and a clumsy chubby boy. While he talked to them, he didn't get a chance to really know them. His aunt and uncle always either picked him up immediately after school, or made their neighbor, an older lady who had a lot of cats, do so. His early years went by fairly quickly and were rather boring. It wasn't until he started the second half of primary school, around year three, that things starting changing. Harry was actually rather excited to start school. He was getting his supplies together in his back pack when Dudley sauntered in.
"Hey, cousin! Getting ready for your dumb old public school?"
"I'm kind of busy, Dudley."
Dudley grabbed him by the shirt.
"I was busy before with my friends this summer, but now that we have our free time, I want your birthday presents."
"I didn't get any. I never get any."
"I know there must be something you're hiding. Dad's always grumbling about how someone comes over to check on you."
"There's someone checking in on me? They never told me that."
"Of course not. Mum and Dad never even told you about your parents, did they? Except that they were stupid. Just like you!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Since the Dursleys couldn't care less about Harry, they left his old baby basket in his room. The light was emitting from underneath it. Two large holographic figures quickly formed on either side of the basket. A tall man in a purple costume and wielding a staff, who appeared to be a magician, was now on one side of the room, and a sparkling white dragon with a long nose was one the other. The magician pointed his staff at Dudley, while the dragon simply roared. Dudley was surprised enough to run out of the room. Harry was also surprised, but he was more fascinated at their appearance. The magician smiled at him, and the dragon lowered its head. As Harry reached out to touch the dragon, they vanished. Harry looked around, but then remembered he saw the light emit from his old basket. He looked and found the envelope. Inside were two Duel Monster cards and a short note.
"Duel Monsters cards? I've seen a few kids play the game, and glanced matches on TV…until Uncle Vernon changes the channel."
Harry,
I'm sorry you had so little time with your parents. I know this doesn't make up for your loss, but these are yours by right. These two cards were your parent's ace monsters. The Black Magician was your father's, and Stardust Dragon for your mother. I know that you'll eventually enroll in Duel Academy, and I know you'll make them both very proud.
Harry checked the other side of the note, but there was no signature. He gave a small smile and placed the cards on the table beside his bed.
The next morning
Harry woke up early so as to avoid seeing the Dursleys. The school wasn't that far away, so he decided to walk. Surprisingly, there was someone else waiting outside the school: the smart girl with frizzy brown hair.
"I knew there would be someone else at the school this early. Are you as excited as I am?"
"Actually, I just left early because my family is a bunch of gits."
"Oh," she looked down at the ground.
"But I applaud your enthusiasm. I'm Harry Potter."
Her head snapped up, "Harry Potter? That name sounds familiar…"
"I guess it's a common name."
"No, well, yes, maybe it is, but for another reason. I'll think of it when I least suspect later, but it's going to bug me all day. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Hermione Granger."
A few more kids were walking up to the entrance. A trio of redheads, two of which were twins, and the slightly chubby boy from kindergarten were among them.
"Here we are, Ronny," said one of the twins, "First day of school. We'll be sure to keep an eye on you."
"Really?" asked the younger redhead.
"Actually, we'll be really busy," replied the other twin, "So sorry, Ron. I'm sure you'll manage not to ruin your reputation…or lack thereof."
The twins walked off a ways to talk between themselves. Harry walked up to the boy left behind.
"I remember you from earlier primary school. I'm Harry Potter."
"Ron Weasley," the redhead mumbled.
Hermione seemed to appear from out of nowhere.
"Did you say Weasley? Apart from those twins, do you have any other brothers?"
"I actually have five brothers, counting Fred and George. I've also got a sister, but she's still in the first school."
"I knew it. I've seen your older brother on TV. He's already a famous duelist."
"You must mean Bill. Charlie's still at the Academy, and Percy's planning on going."
"I want to go there when I'm old enough."
Ron cocked his eyebrow, "You don't seem the type."
"Now look here…what was it again?"
He sighed, "Ron."
"Look, Ron. Don't judge someone before getting to know them first."
"I didn't mean to sound like I was judging, but from what I remember from school, you seemed like a real bookworm/scholar type. You always finished the assignments quickly."
"If you get your schoolwork out of the way, that leaves more time to practice playing Duel Monsters."
"I guess so…and I guess I'd better not underestimate you…what was it again?"
She smiled, "Hermione Grainger."
Ron finally had a small smile on his face. Hermione suddenly turned to face Harry.
"Oh, sorry, Harry. I feel like we forgot about you."
"I know you didn't mean to," he replied, chuckling, "Unlike my aunt and uncle who do it on purpose."
As he said that, Harry couldn't help but notice the slightly chubby boy was standing off to the side, like he was the only person there. Harry knew how that felt, so he went over.
"Hello, I'm Harry Potter. We've been in class together before. What's your name?"
The boy looked surprised, like he never thought anyone would speak to him.
"Neville Longbottom."
Ron stifled a snicker, and Hermione nudged him.
"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Ron Weasley. Do you play Duel Monsters, Neville?"
"A little, but I'm not very good at it."
"You know what it's all down to?" said a voice, "Practice and the right deck."
It was a young black boy. Next to him was another redhead.
"He's right, uh, Neville, was it?" added the redhead, in a distinct Irish accent, "You need a deck that suits your style. I already know what kind I like. Fire all the way!"
"Thanks for introducing me, Seamus," said the first boy, "I'm Dean, and I use Elemental Heroes."
Just then, the bus pulled up, and a stream of kids poured out. Dean and Seamus waved, and then took off into the crowd.
"Talk to you guys later," Dean called out.
"Let's get to class," Hermione said.
"Looks like Fred and George ran inside already," Ron said, "Figures."
As Harry walked alongside his new friends, he looked around at the other kids. There was a redheaded girl named Susan walking with her friends, a blonde girl named Hannah and a boy named Ernie. Behind them was an older boy named Cedric walking with a girl named Cho. Twin sisters of Indian heritage, Padma and Parvati, were walking with their friend Lavender. He thought he saw Fred and George with a trio of girls named Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. Hermione's talk of the Duel Academy got him wondering, would all these kids be going there? Only time would tell.
Later
It was finally lunch time, and Harry sat with Ron and Neville.
"So, Harry," Ron said, "Do you have any Duel Monster cards at all?"
"Funny you should ask me that. I just found these yesterday."
Harry took the two cards out of his front shirt pocket and placed them on the table.
"Wow, a Black Magician and a Stardust Dragon. They both make for great combos."
Just then, Hermione sat beside them.
"I stopped by the library real quick to print out some articles. It's about your parents, Harry."
She noticed the two cards.
"You have their ace monsters! Look at this."
Famous Duelist Couple Found Dead
"It basically goes on to say they're not sure how they died, and that they left behind their son."
Harry looked at their pictures at a loss for words. Hermione noticed, and grabbed another article.
"Here's another one."
Duelist Couple Rises through the Ranks
"Your parents were excellent duelists. They started off by dueling each other. You can watch videos of their duels online."
Harry perked up, "Really?"
"And someone apparently gave you their cards," Ron said.
"Too bad you don't have more," Neville said at last, "A deck is at least forty cards."
"Very true, Neville," Hermione added, "And that's not including the extra deck. By the way, Harry, you can keep those articles. I can always print new ones."
Harry smiled, "Thank you."
There was then a commotion over in another part of the cafeteria. It was Fred and George Weasley, and they were playing a tag team match of Duel Monsters. Harry and company went over to watch, but it went by so fast, they barely caught the tail end. The twins won, so the crowd dispersed.
"You can always get a rematch after school," Fred announced.
"Better luck catching a match next time, little brother," George said.
"As if you haven't seen our deck enough times," Fred said, "Seeing as how we wipe the floor with you every time."
The twins then noticed Harry.
"Hey, you're Harry Potter," George said, "Mum said we'd see you."
"We got this for you," Fred said, handing him a card, "It's a pretty nasty card, so it's more our style. But since we know your dad used 'Magicians', we thought you could use it."
It was a monster card: Old Vindictive Magician.
"Oh, speaking of cards," Hermione piped up, "Harry, I wanted you to have this."
It was another monster card: Royal Magic Library.
"I love going to the library, but I think it would suit you more."
"Wait a minute," Ron said, "He hasn't even played the game yet, and we're just assuming he's going to use a 'Spellcaster' deck like his dad?"
"Well," Harry replied, "If dad used this Black Magician, then I want to. Same goes for this Stardust Dragon."
"I've read up all the rules," Hermione said, "I can help you learn. Of course, I don't have a deck of my own yet…"
"You learn best by doing, Harry," George said.
"We can help you there," added Fred.
The bell rang, and everyone shuffled back to class.
Time passes
A year flew by, and Harry had learned the game of Duel Monsters, but he still had no deck. His friends always offered to buy him one, but he settled for picking up a few cards he liked here and there until he could buy a deck of his own. The next school year, he met Ron's sister Ginny. She was a rather shy girl. There was also a boy named Colin who had apparently looked up information about his parents, as he knew quite a bit about them. There was also a blonde girl named Luna Lovegood. She seemed to keep to herself mostly, but she'd always say hello. The three new students would often hang out together, as Ron said Ginny should stick with those her age.
"Ron, be nice to your sister," Hermione reprimanded, "She can hang out with us if she wants to. She can even bring her new friends."
Ron merely grumbled in response.
Later
Since the Dursleys demanded Harry come from school before dinner (or he wouldn't get any), he didn't get to spend much time with his friends beyond school. He was explaining this to his friends, and Ginny happened to be standing behind Ron. The next day…
"My mum says to invite you to our house for dinner," Ron said.
"You've asked me before, but I've told you why. My aunt and uncle are strict."
"My mum and dad will talk to them if they have to. Besides, from what you've told me, they don't serve anything worth eating."
Harry laughed, "No, they never do. Thanks, Ron."
"Don't thank me. It was—"
"Yeah, why would anyone thank Ron for anything?" Fred butted in.
"It was Ginny who was adamant about the idea," George said.
Harry looked at Ginny, "Thanks."
She blushed and nodded. She then tapped George on the shoulder and whispered something to him.
"Oh, right. Mum also said you could invite that nice Hermione girl, Ron."
Fred, George, and Ginny began to snicker.
Ron's face became as red as his hair, "What?!"
"I'd love to come," Hermione replied, "I don't think I've ever been to your house, Ron."
"It's nothing special," Ron muttered.
Still later
Ron's house was very big, but rather old. The inside was very homey though. Mrs. Weasley immediately gave Harry a hug and told him he looked thin.
"I'm making a big dinner," she said.
Mr. Weasley shook Harry's hand.
"I work for Kaiba Corp. you know, Harry. Several people around here do. My passion, though, is that I love to tinker. You could say my love of machines was passed onto my boys."
"We've shown you videos of Bill and Charlie online," Ron said, "And you've seen Fred and George duel, did you notice the pattern?"
"They all use 'Machine' decks," Hermione answered.
"Ah, but never the same kind of machines," Mr. Weasley said.
"Bill uses some of the older cards," George said, "And he includes the Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
"Charlie favors 'Cyber' monsters," Fred said.
"And we've got Machiners and V-to-Z," they both said.
"What about you, Ron?" Harry asked.
Ron looked embarrassed, "I use Vehicroids and Deformers, but it's not perfected."
"No deck is perfect, Ron," replied Mr. Weasley, "It's up to you to make it work."
"He's absolutely right, Ron," Hermione added.
Ron looked at her, "And what kind of deck have you got, then?"
"I decided to go for a 'Warrior' theme."
"Ginny's the only one who doesn't use Machines," Ron said, "I think I saw her using Birds."
"We've been teaching her," Fred said.
"We've all been teaching her, really." George added, "Bill was the one who started. She could beat Ron now."
They had a good laugh, apart from Ron who simply grumbled under his breath.
"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Weasley announced.
More time passes
Another year came and went, and nothing truly noteworthy occurred. Life went on as usual. The year after that, though, was when Percy started Duel Academy and Charlie graduated from it. Two years later, Fred and George went as well. It wasn't until year nine of secondary school that the special field trip was planned. It was a tradition every year now. A large man with a bushy beard, and an older man with a very long, grey beard, came by to invite would be applicants on a tour of the local Duel Academy. When the older gentleman, who revealed himself to be the principal of the academy, made his announcement, Harry felt almost as though the man was looking right at him.
"What did he say his name was?" Harry asked.
"That's Principal Dumbledore," Hermione answered, "He's in charge of the Duel Academy. He was a great duelist himself once."
"Won't we need a guardian's permission to go on this trip?" Harry wondered, aloud, "My aunt and uncle would never—"
"Harry James Potter?" said a voice.
Harry looked up to see Principal Dumbledore standing there, along with the large, bearded man.
"Forgive me, but you look just like your father. He and your mother were some of my favorite students. I extend to you a personal invitation for this tour."
"My, how you've grown, Harry," said the large man.
"Do I know you?" Harry asked.
"Rubeus Hagrid, I guess you could say I'm a security guard at the academy. I've known you since you were a baby."
"You have?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat, and then Hagrid suddenly had a shocked look on his face.
"I shouldn't have told you that."
Hagrid walked off, still saying, "I should NOT have said that."
Before Harry could speak, Dumbledore answered, "All in good time, Harry. Perhaps we can talk a bit better on the tour tomorrow?"
He then walked away.
"Well," Ron said, "That wasn't weird or creepy in any way."
"It's obvious," Hermione said, "If they knew your parents, then they'd know about you."
Harry let the matter drop, but he'd be sure to ask questions at the academy.
The next day
The Duel Academy was everything Harry dreamt it would be. Fred and George, clad in yellow uniforms, came to greet the visiting students. Their older brother Percy, clad in a blue uniform, was there as well.
"Harry," Percy began, "Work hard and you too will rise through the ranks quickly like me. I was in Obelisk Blue before I knew it."
Harry was about to reply, when he noticed that boy Cedric Diggory, also dressed in blue; he arrived to greet his girlfriend Cho Chang. Harry had thought before about trying to talk to her in the cafeteria, but hearing her go on and on to her friends about how great Cedric was made him keep quiet. Harry also noticed another school was paying the academy a visit. It was a rather elite private school. Principal Dumbledore had finally shown up.
"Welcome, prospective students," he said, "You are here so you can tour the grounds and get a taste of what awaits you should you choose to enroll here. This way, please."
They were shown various classrooms, sports fields, and the four dormitories.
"Depending on how well you do on the entry exam," Dumbledore explained, "Determines in which dorm you will begin your education: Osiris Red, Ra Yellow, and Obelisk Blue. The last dorm is divided between the boys and girls. All female students automatically begin in the Obelisk Blue girl's dorm."
Hermione raised her hand, "That doesn't seem very challenging, and what about our friends?"
Dumbledore smiled, "Ms. Granger, I believe? You have excellent grades. There will be plenty of other challenges to test you. There are regular matches between dorms, for instance. As to the matter of your friends, all students are free to visit the other dorms at the appropriate hours. Let us continue."
The Osiris Red dorm was small, but at least it looked taken care of. Ra Yellow was larger and more uniform, not to mention nicer looking. Both of the Obelisk Blue dorms were very large and luxurious. As they were passing the blue dorm, Harry noticed a group of kids looking the building over. A blonde boy was in the middle, flanked by a large boy on either side, while a tall black boy and a girl stood behind the blonde boy.
"So this is where we'll be staying?" the blonde boy said to his posse, "I suppose it'll do."
The two large boys chuckled.
"I wouldn't be caught dead at any of the other dorms," said the black boy.
"It's bad enough I have to share space with the likes of that Granger girl," the girl griped.
"My father already gave me a deck," said the blonde, "Cards passed down through the family. Only the best for the Malfoys, that's what my father always says."
This piqued Harry's interest. He walked over to them, with Ron, Hermione, and Neville following reluctantly.
"Can I have a look?"
The quintet turned to look at him.
"I've never seen you before," said the blonde, "You're not from our school, are you?"
"No, but I will be coming here next year."
"Wait a minute, you're that Potter kid. The son of those duelists that died."
He glanced at the other three.
"You have strange taste in friends. Chubby and the girl, don't know them, but I know a Weasley when I see one. My father sees your father now and then at his menial job. Your name isn't important, but mine is: Draco Malfoy. This is Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini. Now that you know who we are, I suggest you prepare to ditch those other guys once you enroll here."
Harry simply looked at him, "I've already made my choice, thanks."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Let's get this tour over with. The sooner we don't have to mingle with these losers, the better."
Later
The schools were preparing to leave. Dumbledore called Harry aside.
"I thought perhaps I should explain a few things before you go, but we can talk more next year. You'll be enlisting?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very good…your parents were fine students and duelists. Their deaths were felt all over the dueling community. It was myself, Hagrid, and another professor that delivered you to your aunt and uncle. You may think us cruel, considering how they treat you, but I felt it best you stayed with your only blood relatives. We made sure to always check up on you to make sure they gave you the basic needs. I'm sorry we could not do more, or even tell you about this sooner, but our duties here, the Dursley's attitudes, and not wanting to overwhelm you…all I can say is I hope you do not resent us for our decision."
"I do hate being there, but I've made friends."
"You may look like your father, Harry, but your eyes and your personality are like that of your mother. Your story did not have a pleasant beginning, but I can tell you have the makings of a great future. Your parents would be proud."
Harry started to get teary-eyed, "Thank you, sir."
As he quickly dried his eyes, he said, "Sir, I don't suppose you know how they died?"
"Alas, Harry, our time is up, but in due time, all shall be revealed. Cheerio!"
"Come on, Harry," Ron called, "You don't want to miss the bus!"
"Be right there," Harry replied, but when he turned back, "Thank you anyway, sir—"
Dumbledore had already disappeared. Harry noticed something in his front shirt pocket. Along with his Black Magician and Stardust Dragon, there were two more cards, both monsters: Skilled Black Magician and Debris Dragon.
Even later
"So he told you all that, gave you those cards and left?" Hermione repeated, "How odd…"
"I heard he was a little out there from Fred and George," Ron said.
Hermione smacked Ron on the arm, "I'm sure he knows what he's doing. He did say he'd tell you more once you enrolled. Also, those cards he gave you are perfect for getting your parent's monsters onto the field sooner."
"Now I really can't wait to start at the academy. Enrollment can't happen soon enough," Harry replied.
