Yami Quatre: Konnichiwa minna!

Quatre: *shoves Yami Quatre out of the way* I've decided to have a new contest. There is one anime cameo in here. Whoever gets the character and show right will get a small part!

Yami Kenshin: Stupid contest.

Quatre: We don't own anything. Now, enjoy!

One month and many, MANY pranks later, they were finally at Hogwarts. Yugi looked apprehensively up at the castle gliding towards them across the lake.

/It's big!/

//We'd do well not to get lost.//

/I'll say! You'd starve before you ever got back to civilization!/

Yami chuckled. "I doubt that."

They docked in an underground cavern and headed up a flight of stairs. Yugi, Ryou, Yami, and Bakura followed the first years into a large entrance hall.

"All righ', kids, wait 'ere for Professor McGonagall. She'll be out in just a minute." Their giant escort vanished through a set of double doors, through which Yugi glimpsed what looked like the entire school population.

//Don't be nervous, Yugi.//

/What if we aren't put into the same house?/

//We should be. And if not…well, we can still talk, can't we?//

Yugi glared at his other half. "You're not helping."

"I kinda hope Bakura gets put into a separate house," Ryou said thoughtfully.

Bakura pouted. "I'm hurt."

"I can see his point," Yami pointed out.

"Wait a minute…Did you hear us?" Yugi demanded.

Ryou flushed. "Only a bit. Sorry."

"We've noticed that when we're in close proximity, we can kind of hear what you guys say to each other," Bakura said, idly flicking lint from his robes.

"And how long have you been eavesdropping?"

"Only since we went to HQ, I swear," Ryou assured them.

The same tall witch they'd seen in Egypt came out of the Great Hall. "First years, come with me. Transfers, wait out here until the first years have been Sorted."

They nodded and moved aside to allow the younger students to pass.

Yami, to pass the time, decided to try something. Bakura, you're an ignorant baka.

Why thank you, Pharaoh.

Yami rolled his eyes. His theory, however, had been proven.

Over their half-hour wait, they drifted to various parts of the hall. Yami was studying an ancient tapestry when McGonagall's voice boomed, "Transfer students, enter!"

Yugi climbed to his feet and pushed the double doors open. The four of them regrouped and entered the Great Hall, uncomfortably feeling the stares of every student in the school.

They stopped in front of the High Table, where the teachers sat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall said warmly. She indicated a very shabby hat. "When I call your name, put on the hat. Then go to the table it indicates."

"How do we know which is which?" Bakura demanded.

She ignored him pulled out a small slip of parchment. "Bakura, Ryou!"

/That's me,/ Ryou hastily told Bakura. He jumped up onto the stage (the High Table was raised above the House Tables, mostly so the teachers could keep an eye on the students) and pulled the hat onto his head.

///Well, well, well, what have we here?///

Ryou jumped out of his skin. Bakura scowled.

//Damn hat! Don't scare him like that!//

///Interesting. I've never sorted students quite like you. The four of you have a very special bond, yes?///

/H-hai,/ Ryou replied nervously.

The hat chuckled. ///Relax, child. No need to be so tense! Now let's see… A very good mind… But there's also a good bit of courage…///

Bakura snorted. //Yeah, right.//

Ryou glared.

///Ah, yes, I know where to put you!/// "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ryou jumped off the stage and handed the hat to Bakura, whom he knew was up next. He then raced over to where McGonagall pointed him and took a seat next to Harry.

"Congratulations!" Harry grinned, slapping him heartily (and painfully) on the back.

Bakura climbed up and pulled on the hat before McGonagall could call his name. She shrugged and watched him.

///So you are the one who shares Ryou's soul. I can't see why he'd put up with a ruffian like you.///

//Shut up if you value your life,// Bakura threatened.

///I can't die.///

/Bakura!/ Ryou admonished. /It's only doing its job./

//It doesn't have to insult me like that.//

How is it insulting if it's telling the truth?

Bakura glowered at Yami. Shaddup, you. This is private.

Payback sucks, don't it?

All right, can we just get on with the sorting? Yugi asked impatiently.

//All right.//

///Mr. Yami, if you don't mind, Sortings are generally private. Please refrain from listening in.///

I hate psychic hats.

///Now lets get down to business. I see that you truly care for your light, as the brother you never had, in a sense.///

If Bakura could have killed by thought alone, the hat would have died five times all ready.

/Is that true, Bakura?/

//I am so going to kill you later, hat.//

He could have sworn the hat smirked.

///You do not wish to be where you could not protect him. That alone disqualifies you from Slytherin, where they only care for themselves. You are not really the brainy type, so Ravenclaw isn't quite right either… I'll say/// "GRYFFINDOR!"

Bakura ripped the hat from his head, handed it to McGonagall, and walked over to where Ryou was sitting.

//Don't get any ideas,// Bakura thought to Ryou. //Call me onichan and watch what happens.//

Ryou smiled innocently. "I'd never do anything like that to you."

Harry looked questioningly at them before turning back to the Sorting.

"Muto, Yami!"

Yami walked up to McGonagall and placed the hat on his head.

//Just get this over with,// he thought impatiently.

///It is quite evident where you belong, Pharaoh./// "GRYFFINDOR!"

Yami handed the hat back to McGonagall and walked over to sit across from Ryou.

"Muto, Yugi!"

Yugi jumped up onto the stage and eagerly pulled the hat on.

/Hi!/ he chirped happily. /Please tell me I get to go with Yami!/

The hat chuckled. ///Patience, little one. It is not easy to place a child where he belongs.///

/I'm fifteen!/

///You would do well in any of the houses aside from Slytherin. Let me see…let me see…///

The hat lapsed into silence.

The hall was deathly quiet for five minutes while the hat decided. Yugi, bored, pulled out his Duel Monsters deck and began a mental duel with Yami.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Yugi was so startled he lost his cards. McGonagall gathered them with a wave of her wand.

///You have great hardships ahead of you, children of light. I wish you the best of luck.///

/Thanks./ Yugi pulled off the hat, handed it to McGonagall, grabbed his cards from her hands, and dashed over to the seat next to Yami.

"Welcome to Gryffindor," a ghost congratulated. "It is an unexpected pleasure, having so many new students in my house."

"Arigato," Yugi said sheepishly, accidentally switching back to Japanese. That was the language they'd been conversing in mentally, and when they were waiting in the hall, too.

Dumbledore stood. The hall immediately fell silent.

"Welcome back. As many of you know, Voldermort has returned. However, the Ministry of Magic is blatantly denying this fact. I advise all of you to stay cautious and disregard all you've read in the newspapers.

"We have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, although I'm sure many of you know who he is already. Please welcome Professor Lupin back to Hogwarts!"

All the third years and up applauded, Harry, Ron, and Hermione especially. Yugi, Ryou, Bakura, and Yami, though having met the werewolf, didn't know all that much about him.

"Now, I ask that you please assist our new transfer students. They are relatively new to magic, their school only lasting for four years, so they may not be quite up to your level."

Relatively new to magic? Bakura fumed. We're older than this school!

"Take it easy," Ryou whispered.

"You take it easy," Bakura shot back.

"Now," Dumbledore proclaimed, "Let's eat!"

Immediately the tables filled with food.

"Wow." Ryou's eyes widened at the sight of all the food.

"Hey, Japanese kids, I think this may be for you." A student passed down a tray of a startling variety of Japanese dishes.

Yugi grinned. "Thanks!" He and Ryou took the plate (it was quite heavy) and dished some food onto their plates.

"You mind if we try some?" Harry asked.

"No, go ahead," Yugi answered.

"Bakura, that's just rude!" Ryou scolded his darker half.

Bakura had been shoveling food into his mouth in a very Joey-like way. "Nani?" he asked obliviously.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Never mind."

"Arigato." He went back to shoveling.

Harry looked uneasily at Bakura. "Isn't he going to get sick eating like that?"

Yami shrugged. "If he does it'll be his fault."

Yugi pointed to Ron. "I think he has some competition."

Ron was also shoveling his food.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"What?" Ron asked innocently.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sweatdropped.

"Scary," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Just scary."

Harry wholeheartedly agreed.

"Let's see," Yugi mused, looking over his schedule the next day at breakfast. "The classes are, what, an hour and a half?"

Harry shook his head. "We have two classes in the mornings and afternoons all week. However, the ones on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are only an hour, unless the class is doubled. Tuesday and Thursday are an hour and a half."

"Tuesdays and Thursdays are generally your electives, though sometimes that's not entirely true," Hermione added. "Take your Divination, for example. It's the last class you have today. I pity you guys. Trelawney is a fake."

"Here, here," Ron added.

"So we've got Transfiguration and Double Potions, lunch, then Charms and Divination?" Ryou asked.

"And tomorrow we have Care of Magical Creatures, DADA, History of Magic, and Herbology?" Yugi added.

"Why in Ra's name do we have a class at midnight?" Bakura growled.

"Astronomy. When did you think we'd have it? When we couldn't see the stars?" Ron asked dismissively.

Bakura glared but refrained form saying anything further.

A bell rang, shaking the plates of everyone in the Great Hall. On cue, students began packing up their book and leaving.

"Come on. We've got the same schedules. We'll show you where to go." Harry and Ron pulled the four Japanese students out of the Great Hall. After going back to the dorm for their books, the group made its way to Transfiguration. Hermione excused herself, as she had Arithmancy.

"Transfers, please sit in the back and wait for me to talk to you," McGonagall said as the class filed in. Yugi and Ryou took the seats without complaint, Yami rolled his eyes, and Bakura glared at the teacher (only he knew why).

"Today we'll start on self Transfiguration," McGonagall said. "There is a spell that allows a wizard to temporarily become his Animagus form. The length of the spell depends upon the wizard who casts it. We won't be trying the spell for a while. You will start on the theory. Please turn your books to page 583 and read."

Papers rustled as students opened books. Fortunately, Gryffindor took this class with Ravenclaw, so there was nothing to disturb the class.

McGonagall walked to the back of the class and conjured a chair so she could sit at Yugi's table.

"We will have to move fast. You take OWLs this year. We tried to get you an exemption, but Fudge wouldn't let us. Be prepared for mountains of homework for each class.

"I would ask that you not talk to each other during classes, as this only splits your concentration." At this she glared at Yami and Yugi. The latter blushed and mumbled an apology.

"If you need help, Hermione would gladly give it. Please try and work it out for yourselves, though."

At that, she handed them matches, instructed them on how to transform them into needles, and swept back to the front of the room.

Harry and Ron shot curious glances to the back of the room. On Hermione's advice, they'd read the entire book over the summer ("Oh, joy") and so pretty much knew what the chapter contained.

"They're a little strange, aren't they?" Ron scrawled on a spare bit of parchment.

Harry nodded. "Remember right after I got to HQ?"

"Yeah, Bakura nearly killed you trying to run away from Yami."

They both stifled a giggle.

"They only just got there, right?"

"Yeah, that morning."

"How many jokes did Bakura play?"

"About ten. Five on Yami."

Harry winced. "I'd hate to be him."

Ron nodded agreement. "Fred and George have officially adopted him into their group."

"I noticed." Harry winced. "Remember when they turned Yami's hair blue?"

A very memorable week that had been, what with Yami continuously trying to figure out exactly who had played the prank. His hair still looked a bit blue.

Then McGonagall returned to the front of the room. They were forced to stop "talking" and pay attention.

"This year will be much harder than your previous years. I will expect nothing less than perfection on your OWLs."

Harry glared at the back of Snape's head. Of course, like always, they had this class with the Slytherins, and he could see Draco shooting him a very pointed glare.

"There will be no babying. I will expect full participation from every member of the class. Now, turn to page 782 and prepare the potion given there."

Everyone grumbled as they turned to the correct page and began heating up their cauldrons. Many Gryffindors had taken pity on the transfer students and had paired up with them. Now, hopefully, they would get a decent grade.

…fst…Bak…wrm…

Harry started and looked up. Ron looked at him questioningly.

"What is it?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing. Just thought I heard someone calling my name."

Ron shrugged and went back to chopping up an unpronounceable root. Harry carefully measured out a clear liquid and dumped it into their cauldron.

"It's hopeless!" Yugi wailed, stirring his potion fruitlessly. It had turned a mud brown and whistled shrilly. Not the desired result.

Use a bit of Shadow Magic on it! Bakura snapped crossly.

So that's how you got your potion so perfect, Ryou noted. I wondered about that.

Snape cleared away the useless potion with a wave of his wand. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for making such a racket."

"But it wasn't my fault!" Yugi protested.

"Quiet!" Hermione hissed. She tugged on his robes, trying to pull him back down into his seat.

Yugi didn't back down. He'd acquired a stubborn streak from Yami and it wouldn't let him get punished unjustly.

Snape glared coolly at him, and inwardly he cringed. Outwardly, however, he kept his expression neutral.

"You should know that we transfer students are up to their level," Yugi said, modulating his voice into a calm intonation. "Therefore, can't you give us a little leeway?"

"Yeah, why can't you do that, Professor?" Yami asked, annoyed at having failed where Bakura succeeded.

"If you were not up to this level, you should not have been put into the fifth year. Another fifty points from Gryffindor."

Yami's eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he growled, his voice dangerously low. Yugi recognized that voice. It was the voice he used when especially pissed.

Be careful, Yami, he warned the spirit.

Snape scowled. "Are you threatening me?"

"The weak of heart always try to act strong," Bakura said dismissively. "Yami has taken it upon himself to knock them down a notch, the arrogant fool."

The entire class watched now.

"I suggest you change your mind about those points, Snape, and your treatment of us," Yami said. Yugi could vaguely make out a glowing Millennium Eye on his forehead.

Snape gulped. Visibly. The sense of power radiating from the boy frightened him.

"I will not change my mind. However, I will expect you three to work harder," he said shakily.

"He has a stronger heart than we thought," Bakura commented in Japanese.

Yami rolled his eyes. "He just does not wish to lose his power over the students."

"Still, it was rather amusing."

Ryou shook his head. "Of all of us, it was Yugi who was the first to cause trouble."

Yugi flushed. "Gomen."

"What are you guys saying?" Hermione demanded crossly.

They all exchanged glances and broke out laughing.

The bell rang, and they all filed out.

Charms was by far Yugi's best subject. He mastered the Levitation Charm in one try and was set to harder tasks.

Bakura scowled at his feather. "Float, damn you!" he yelled at it. In Japanese, of course.

Ryou stifled a grin. "Yelling won't help you any."

Yami smirked. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"I don't see you doing any better."

"Stop fighting you guys it isn't helping," Yugi muttered. He studied his book. "That can't be right."

"What?" Yami asked curiously.

"I think there's a typo."

Bakura craned his neck. "Let me see."

Yugi closed the book. "You get to work."

Harry glanced across the room to where the transfers were sitting. "I can't believe Snape didn't give those two detention."

"Yeah, if we would have pulled something like that Snape would have killed us!" Ron agreed.

"Am I the only one who saw a glowing eye on Yami's forehead?" Harry wondered.

"Yeah." Hermione studied her book before waving her wand at her pincushion. It began shooting pins everywhere.

"Kuso!"

"Who the hell shot pins at us?"

"Omae o korosu!"

"Momentai!"

"I didn't know you cursed, Ryou."

"…"

The entire class looked over to where Ryou, Yami, and Bakura were pulling pins from various limbs. Yugi was giggling like mad.

"Bakas," he laughed. "They're just pins."

Bakura jabbed him in the arm.

"Hey! Now that was uncalled for!"

"Settle down, settle down," Professor Flitwick squeaked.

Yugi gagged as they entered the Divination Tower. "Can't…Breathe…"

"You'll get used to it," Ron wheezed.

They settled around two tables and waited for class to start.

Harry flipped through his Divination book.

Snape…such…ass…

Watch…Bakura…

Sorry.

Harry shook his head. He must be hearing things. No one could communicate telepathically.

Professor Trelawney emerged from the shadows. "Welcome, everyone. This year we shall be focusing on tarot cards and dreams. I, however, decided to let you pick which comes first, as they will both be on your OWLs."

"Tarot!"

"Very well. Borrow a deck of cards from the shelf and deal them as indicated in your books, page 345."

They all did as they were told.

Ron frowned down at his cards. "Mine makes no sense."

Bakura had dealt the cards his own way. We've got an interesting future ahead of us.

I hope not, Yugi groaned. I hate having everything happen to us.

Ryou studied his cards intently. Where do dragons figure into things?

Dragons are evil.

Did you say that, Yugi? Yami asked.

Huh? Yugi looked up from his cards. Sorry, I was trying to decipher my cards.

Yami looked around and noticed Harry glaring suspiciously at them.

Yugi raised his hand. Professor Trelawney walked over to him.

"Is there anything wrong, dear?"

"I can't figure out what my cards are trying to say."

Trelawney studied the cards. She inhaled sharply, evidently shocked.

"My dear, this is an omen of death!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "There she goes again."

"It speaks of death and destruction sweeping across the land, and only a chosen few who can save it," Trelawney murmured.

"So who's going to die this year?" Ron asked in a bored tone.

"You if you don't shut up," Bakura said, shooting him a pointed glare.

"Come on, you can't believe what she says!"

"I can read what the cards say, thank you very much, and she happens to be telling the truth!" Bakura shot back.

"Then let's see what your cards say!"

Bakura pulled out his duel monsters deck. "Very well."

He dealt them quickly, then flipped them all over.

"Great evil hovers over us," he said, pointing to a card. "It will attack under the influence of a plague star." He pointed to another card. "In this attack five guardians shall emerge." He frowned. "The guardians of what?"

"Just get on with it."

"Very well. These guardians will be crucial in the final battle. Apparently, it will be held at night and during the day at the same time."

Ron snorted. "Impossible."

"You'd be surprised." Bakura glared at the cards. "However, they don't say how it will turn out."

Trelawney looked impressed. "Quite a reading!"

"I try." Bakura picked up his cards and leaned back in his chair.

/A bit dramatic, don't you think?/

//What did you expect? "Oh, we're gonna have beef tomorrow at dinner?//

/No…//

//Then don't complain.//

Everyone worked in silence until the bell rang.

They all made their way down to dinner.

"That was a cool class!"

"Divination hurts god."

Everyone stared at a white-haired Slytherin seventh year with a patch over one eye.

"What did you say?" Harry asked.

"Magic hurts god."

Everyone inched away from him.

"I hurt god."

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Excuse me? Could you go somewhere else?" Ron asked timidly.

"Humanity hurts god," the Slytherin said agreeably, walking away.

"He's nuts," Ron said, shaking his head.

"Insanity hurts god," the retreating Slytherin said.

"He's my kind of guy!" Bakura enthused.

Laughing, they all entered the Great Hall.

Quatre: You know who the cameo is?

Yami Quatre: It's kinda obvious.

Quatre: Review!