Yu-Gi-Oh!
Dawn of Fate

CHAPTER SEVEN – ANOTHER YEAR AT HOGWARTS

Diagon Alley was the place to go in London for magical supplies, especially for students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So it was no surprised to find Yugi, Yami Yugi, Ryou, Draco, Marik, and Seto walking the streets together a few days before the start of school. Random chitchat was the order of the day as they wandered about; stopping by the various shops they needed to go to in order to pick up their supplies. When they had to stop by Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions so as to get Yami Yugi his own set of robes, another requirement for the year came to light.

"Dress robes?" Draco groaned. "No…! I hate getting dressed up."

"Are dress robes really that bad?" Yugi asked, looking down at his own school list.

"They're… okay," Draco replied, making a face. "It really depends on what you get. I know the ones I had were horrible."

"So, you'll just have to get better ones this time around," Seto pointed out, opening up the door to the shop.

Getting fitted for dress robes turning out to be not nearly as bad as Draco implied. The garments they settled on turned out to be not much different from their normal school robes, only a little nicer and different colors. Both Yugi and Yami Yugi settled on dark purple robes, while Marik's was more of a lavender hue. Seto got a blue one with a silvery-white trim and Ryou chose a robe that was almost as white as his hair. Draco took nearly an hour to choose what he wanted, but when he finally did, he ended up walking away with a light green robe that seemed to change hues each time he moved.

With their new robes in hand, the boys prepared to leave the small shop, only to bump into their friend, Ron's, mother. Mrs. Weasley engulfed each of them in a bone-crushing hug as she said hello.

"Got your new robes for this year, I take it?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Yugi answered cheerfully. "Where's Ron-kun and the others?"

Mrs. Weasley put a hand to her chest, surprised. "You mean you hadn't heard?"

"Heard what?" Yami Yugi asked.

"Goodness," she muttered. "About the Quidditch World Cup. Death Eaters attacked after the match. Nearly killed the muggles in charge of the camping grounds. Poor Harry almost ended up in the middle of it; his wand was stolen and used to send up the Dark Mark. We've been keeping everyone inside the house ever since."

The boys exchanged bewildered looks as Mrs. Weasley bid them good day. The six of them left the shop and managed to make it back to the Leaky Cauldron before expressing their bewilderment.

"The World Cup takes place around the same time as Battle City," Draco pointed out after they finished ordering lunch. "They planned this! They were probably after Harry as well as the God Cards! You're always saying there's something special about Harry, Yugi; something other than the fact that he was the Boy Who Lived."

Yugi bit his lip, a bit nervously. "There is… somehow, Harry-kun's tied in with the Millennium Items. I don't know how, and I really don't understand why he would be."

Seto sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Has anyone ever tried asking him? You never know; maybe he knows why he's connected to the rest of us."

It's never that easy, hikari, Yami Seto pointed out in his mind.

Seto sighed.

"Well, there isn't much we can do about anything at the moment," Yami Yugi pointed out, as a waitress started to make her way to their table with their order. "Let's try and focus on school right now. If anything else happens, we can always ask Dumbledore. He seems to have most of the answers."

-.oOOo.-

Seto was the last to barrel through the portal to Platform Nine and Three Quarters that stormy September first at King's Cross Station. He tossed his head back and forth, shaking the rain droplets out of it, pushing his cart one handed (as his arm was still bound in an air cast) as he followed the others through the busy station. The cart swerved suddenly, and he would have lost control of it if a set of hands had not appeared to help him.

"Easy there, hikari," Yami Seto admonished. "You got it okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," Seto replied shortly, putting both hands on the cart before running off the catch up with the others. The high priest sighed half-heartedly, before following the young man, least he got dragged around the platform.

The five boys and two spirits dropped off their luggage before boarding the large scarlet steam engine. Yami Seto hung back a bit, his hands in his pockets and a sullen look on his face. It was starting to get to the point where he was envious of his pharaoh again, though not for the same reasons he had been five thousand years ago. Panseru understood his hikari so completely and loved him so much that he was starting to miraculously develop his own body – he was not stupid, he knew what as going on. While he did not want to have the same relationship with Seto as the pharaoh had with his hikari, he still wanted to at least be able to understand him. He was such a hard person to approach, and that was even considering the fact that he had lightened up considerably since he had come to Hogwarts.

The high priest was snapped out of his self-pity party by a familiar voice welcoming them. He looked up in time to see that they had arrived at their usual train compartment, and that Marik was practically getting glomped by his girlfriend, Hermione Granger. This brought another pang to his heart; it was obvious just by looking at their hikaris that some people connected to what happened in Khemet in the past had been reborn in body, but he had yet to see… her, and he was starting to fear he never would again.

"Geeze, Yami Yugi!" Ron exclaimed, poking the pharaoh in the arm, only to have his finger sink slightly into his flesh. "You're becoming so real, your gonna start getting the letter every year!"

Yami Yugi laughed. "Well, that would be something hard to explain to Yugi's mother."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Both Yugi and Yami Yugi shot sour glances in Yami Bakura's direction, who had appeared next to his hikari as soon as they arrived in the compartment.

"Long story," they said at the same time as the tomb robber smirked.

Draco pulled Harry and Ron into seats at that moment, practically demanding that they tell him all the juicy details about the Quidditch Cup. Marik and Hermione sat together, when Aishisu appeared in the seat next to her hikari, yawning lazily before saying hello to everyone. Yugi and Yami Yugi took their seat – the same seat, with the hikari sitting on his yami's lap – while Bakura and his yami sat across from them, with the tomb robber giving off his usual belligerent comment.

Seto pulled out his laptop from its case, which was slung about his neck and under his arm, before sitting down. Yami Seto followed just as the train started to move, sighing as his hikari opened his laptop and started typing one handed, his speed slightly impeded by this fact. Having nothing to do himself, the high priest looked about at the others, when his eyes stopped on the tomb robber. Yami Bakura was talking animatedly to his hikari, who was laughing heartily. Was it just his imagination, or was it a little bit harder to see through the tomb robber…?

Yami Seto bit back a growl; that was just his luck. The idiot tomb robber had a better understanding of his hikari than he had of his own, and it seemed like he was being rewarded for it. He mentally swore; how come he could not get his hikari to open up to him? It should not be that hard, but something was preventing him from revealing himself to him. The high priest knew that what his adopted father put him through was enough to mentally damage anyone, but there was something else… something Seto had not told anyone, something that was buried so deep, that he doubted his hikari even knew about it himself.

"Hey, do you guys know what's going on this year?" Harry asked suddenly, snapped Yami Seto out of his thoughts.

"No… isn't it just like any other year?" Ryou asked.

"Apparently not," Ron replied. "Mum and my oldest brothers kept implying that something special was happening this year."

Draco frowned. "Special? I wonder what…?"

"Well, you would know, Draco honey, if you hadn't gone all soft."

Everyone whirled on the door, glaring at the all too unwelcome sight of Draco's slightly older cousin, Ecillia Lestrange. As per usual, Draco's former goons, Crabbe and Goyle, two thick bullies whose skulls were as thick as the rest of them, flanked her. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, before leaning against the doorframe in an almost predatory manner.

"Uncle Lucius told me all about what's happening this year," she said idly, before turning a sly smile to all of them. "I wouldn't be surprised if none of you had enough courage to enter; most of you are nothing but cowardly mutts."

"Look who's talking," Yami Bakura muttered under his breath.

Ecillia gave him the dirtiest look she could muster, before beckoning to Crabbe and Goyle and leaving the cabin. Draco got up, muttering under his breath, and slammed the door closed so hard that he broke the glass.

"Draco!" Hermione exclaimed, getting up to use a quick Reparo spell on the glass.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it!" Draco cried, frustrated. "She gets on my nerves so much!"

"Don't worry about it so much, Draco-kun," Marik said, reassuringly, pulling him away from the door and guiding him back to his seat. "I'm sure once the Quidditch season gets started, we'll get another chance to show her up, just like last year."

-.oOOo.-

The self-drawn carriages that carried second year students and above to the doors of Hogwarts castle came to a gradual stop at the front entrance. As soon as they had stopped, students came pouring out of them, trying desperately to get into the school before they got too soaked from the rain that was still coming down in sheets.

"Goodness!" Hermione exclaimed, trying to shake out her bushy hair. "The lake is going to overflow the way it's raining out there! Look at this; I'm soak—EEEEKKKK!"

She shrieked just as a large red balloon exploded on her head, drenching her in even more water. Marik went to make sure she was okay, before turning an angry gaze above their heads. There was Peeves, the school poltergeist, armed with an armload of water balloons, and he was already taking aim at Yami Yugi.

"Peeves!" an angry voice shouted from the top of the main foyer stairs. "Get down here at once!"

Professor McGonagall came running down the stairs, a beyond furious look on her face. She skidded on the wet floor, her hands flailing out until they managed to grab onto Seto's injured arm in her effort to keep from falling. Seto's eyes practically bulged out his head as he bit his tongue in a desperate attempt to keep himself from screaming.

"Ouch!" the professor muttered, letting go. "Sorry about that, Mr. Kaiba."

"No problem," he assured her, though his high-pitched voice got a few sniggers out of the crowd. Professor McGonagall did not notice, however, as she was too busy with Peeves.

"Peeves, get down here now!" she shouted.

Peeves stuck his tongue out at her, before throwing a few well-aimed balloons at Yami Yugi and Neville and dumping the rest randomly into the crowd.

Once the poltergeist was out of sight, McGonagall guided the large mass of student into the Great Hall, though Seto was hardly paying much attention. As soon as he was seated in his usual seat at the end of his table, aloof from the others in Ravenclaw house, he pulled out his computer and continued the work he had started on the train. He had so much to do, between reaffirming that the proper staff was redirected to their new positions on his cloning project, to making sure that the families of the murdered scientist and guards had received compensation; he could not afford to pay attention to the sorting ceremony, or the whispered rumors of something strange on the lake surrounding the school and on the grounds of the school, or to his other self who had come out to idly twirl a fork about his fingers.

What finally did draw the CEO's attention away from his computer was a startled shout from the Gryffindor table. He turned slightly to see Harry and Marik half standing out of their seats, shocked looks on their faces. Dumbledore, from his usual place at the teacher's table, motioned for the two boys to sit and they did so, however reluctantly.

"Yes, gentlemen, there will be no Quidditch this year," Dumbledore repeated. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing through most of the school year. I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts –"

The headmaster was cut off by a loud bang accompanied by a deafening boom of thunder. The students in the Hall turned as one to see what Seto could only describe as something from a corny old American movie. The man was swathed in a grimy old black traveling cloak with a tangle of gray hair sticking out of it that made Hermione's unruly hair seem reasonable. As he passed by Seto on his way to the professor's table, the young CEO could see that while one of his eyes was perfectly normal, the other was a vivid electric blue, and seemed to exist on a different level from a normal eye. It kept rolling around, right back into the man's head, revealing nothing but whiteness.

The man reached Dumbledore, a clunking sound following his movements. The two exchanged words, before the headmaster addressed the assembled students once more.

"May I introduce out new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" he asked brightly. "Professor Moody."

Dumbledore and Hagrid were the only ones who applauded the man. Seto caught the whisperings of, "Not Mad-Eye Moody!" from the other Ravenclaws, while his other self stared at him, repulsed.

"You've gotta be kidding…" Yami Seto muttered. "How much do we have to pay to get Lupin back?"

Professor Moody took his seat as Dumbledore cleared his throat to continue.

"As I was saying," he said, still smiling, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

Another round of disbelieving murmuring went through the crowd of students once more, only be cut short by yet one more loud bang of the double doors. Everyone turned once again to see a severe looking man in a sleek gray fur cloak leading a line of young wizards – the majority of which were boys – dressed in robes that were mostly covered by matted brown fur cloaks. There seemed like there was nothing special about them, though Seto heard the name, "Viktor Krum" muttered amongst his fellow classmates. The students and the man leading them lined up at the head table, just to the side of Dumbledore.

What came next even Seto was not expecting. The woman that followed could only be described as gargantuan; the young CEO had only seen one other person that came close to this woman's size, and that was Hagrid. Somehow – while he estimated they were probably about the same – it just seemed like the woman was much bigger. Following her was a line of students, mostly girls, dressed in rich-looking blue and light blue robes.

Seto dismissed the whole thing – it probably was not something he was going to bother with anyway – when Yami Seto gripped his good arm suddenly.

"Hikari, look up, now," he ordered, sounding breathless.

Slightly annoyed, Seto looked up… and stared in disbelief. Walking along with the other blue-cloaked girls was what had to be the most perfect young woman he had ever seen. Sparkling deep blue eyes seemed to take in the room with slight disinterest. Long silvery blonde hair cascaded about her shoulders, and her skin looked as smooth as alabaster and about as pale as well. Seto knew he was staring at her, his mouth open in stupefied shock, but he did not care. She was just so…

"Hikari," Yami Seto said, tugging at his arm again as he stared at her as well. "It's her; I know it! It's Kisara reincarnated! I just know… hikari? Hikari? Hey! Why are you still staring!"

Seto barely acknowledged the fact he asked a question. "Beautiful…" he muttered.

Yami Seto face palmed. "D'oh!"

The high priest's exclamation must have caught the girl's attention, for she turned and looked straight at them. Seto closed his mouth, his whole face turning scarlet before he turned back to pay his neglected computer attention and missing the small smile she directed toward him. The young CEO was so busy pretending that he was not blushing like an idiot that he missed most of the rest of what Dumbledore had to say. He picked up some things he was saying – something about the delegations from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons and another thing about a goblet – but he did not notice much until a soft voice with a strong French accent made him look up.

"Iz zis seat taken?"

Seto's head snapped up to see the same girl from before, standing across the table from him. He felt the blood rushing to his face again as he burst out into a full out blush once more. He blinked again, looking around a moment to see the other blue-robed students were sitting in along with the rest of Ravenclaw house. Gulping rather loudly, he looked back up at the girl. What the hell was wrong with him! He dealt with cutthroat businessmen and women on a daily basis. Why could he not bring himself just to answer one girl!

Hikari, if you don't answer her soon, she'll walk away, and I'll have to hit you, Yami Seto's voice came from within his mind. He looked over to where the high priest had been sitting, only to see that the seat was empty.

Damn him!

"Uh…" Seto began. "N-no, no it isn't." He motioned to the seat. "Go ahead."

She smiled at him as she slipped gracefully into the seat, making him turn another vivid shade of red. He gulped again, trying to hide his face behind his computer. That defense did not last for long, however, as the screen was suddenly snapped closed. Seto looked up again, surprised that the rest of his body was not tingling from the fact that all his blood was currently in his face.

The girl laughed at him, taking his hand in hers.

"You don' need to be afraid of me," she assured him. Seto gave her a rather embarrassed smile, easing down a bit. "My name iz Fleur Delacor. What iz yours?"

Seto smiled softly. Fleur… how fitting…

"Seto Kaiba," he answered, bringing her hand up to kiss it. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Delacor."

Fleur giggled. "Ze pleasure iz all mine."

A soft chuckle came from the back of his mind. There's hope for you yet, hikari.

Seto mentally whapped him, though he did not really mean it. Hush, you're going to throw me off.

-.oOOo.-

Marik let out a mighty yawn, muttering a "G'night" to Yugi and the others before crashing into his familiar four-poster bed in the forth year Gryffindor boys dormitory. He did not even feel his head hit the pillow, as he went out like a light before he even knew what he was doing.

His dreams took him to a place the tomb robber would have felt the most comfortable. The graveyard was covered in a thick layer of mist that seemed to cover all the tombstones. The sky was blacker than the night, and an air of foreboding hovered over everything. Marik gulped, wonder why he would dream about such a dreadful place.

"Hikari-pretty…"

Marik swore loudly. "Not you again! Why are you bothering me! I have nothing to do with you anymore! You even said that yourself!"

"That's true, hikari-pretty," the voice of Yami Marik sneered in the darkness, his voice rising into an insanity pitch. "Bye-bye, hikari-pretty!"

Marik was about to demand what he meant by that, when the mist covering the graveyard suddenly glared a poisonous green. He took a step back in surprise, only to have his feet meet the air. Before he knew it, he was falling… falling through an endless sea of deadly green smoke that seemed to be choking him off from all life…

Marik let out a scream as he awoke, sweat literally dripping down his face. He looked around a moment, reaching out with a hand to grab the curtains of his four-poster bed and pushing them aside, making sure he was still in the Gryffindor boy's dormitory.

"Marik-kun…?" Yugi's sleep-drowsy voice came from behind his curtains. "Are you okay…?"

"Yeah… yeah, Yugi-kun, I'm fine," he assured him, trying to keep from breathing too hard. "Go back to sleep, okay?"

"Okay…"

Marik heard a thud as Yugi collapsed back into bed, though he was sure that his heart was still thudding louder…