Chapter 5: Number Ninety-three, Diagon Alley
Though Bakura and Malik hated being led around and told what to do, this was exactly what Yami insisted on as soon as they got into the Alley. As far as he was concerned, he was still Pharaoh and had every right to boss around a traitor and a thief, and he seemed to be the only one who knew where he wanted to go anyway, so why not take charge? He actually had only a vague idea of where he was going; hence, he decided to let someone else lead for a little while (by this point they were almost hopelessly lost) and that someone happened to be…Phantom.
"I knew Ryou should have gotten rid of that demon cat," Yami muttered as Phantom flounced ahead of him, waving it's tail back and forth with pride.
"Well he doesn't like you either, Pharaoh," Bakura growled, in the same tone as whenever someone criticized something he was really fond of.
"I wouldn't have thought of you as a very sentimental person, Bakura," Malik said thoughtfully. "How do you know he doesn't like Yugi?"
"He told me."
"WHAT?!" exclaimed both Yami and Malik. Bakura shrugged and kept on walking.
"I told Ryou that cat was possessed," Yami grumbled. They continued on in silence until Phantom ran back, jumped up into Bakura's arms, and meowed loudly to indicate that he was done with his job. Before them stood a strange shop painted bright orange with fireworks framing the name: Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes; Yami gave a relieved sigh that was quickly drawn back. He had just noticed that the store was practically jam packed of customers with some waiting outside to see if more room might become available inside. Malik groaned softly, not enjoying the prospect of waiting outside; Bakura was bit more direct with his complaint.
"Pharaoh, you're not seriously planning on waiting out here just to go into that store and not be able to find anything?"
"I didn't know it was this popular," Yami answered. He was close to thanking Phantom for finding it, since this was the store he'd had in mind, but he thought better of it since he didn't like the cat. "I suppose we could look around elsewhere until it's less crowded," he suggested.
"Like Knockturn Alley?" Bakura said hopefully. Yami glared at him but he wasn't going to back down that easily. "Come on, Pharaoh, I know how to move around and not be seen. And since this looks like a hopeless cause–"
"Oi, Fred, come out here and have a look at this!"
The shout broke their conversation and put them on guard, especially since it had come from so close by. The culprit was an eighteen-year-old with flaming red hair and a load of freckles covering his face. Seconds later, an almost identical boy appeared right next to him, breathing heavily and looking very distressed.
"Blimey, I hadn't realized our jokes were that popular," the other boy said, glancing back at the store. "How on earth are we going to keep up with these crowds and fill the orders from Zonko's?"
"Never mind that. Look at them!" And to Yami, Bakura, and Malik's surprise, the first boy pointed right at them. The second boy's eyes grew wide with amazement, and he was the first to reach the gang when they jogged over.
"Wow, how did you do that to your hair?"
"And your eyes! That is so cool!"
The twins bounced around Yami&co. asking questions about this and that, mostly about their clothes or hair or eyes and so on, until it had become enough for Malik. He held up his hands and exclaimed, "Hold it!"
The twins stopped and stared at him.
"Who are you?" Malik asked irritably.
"I'm George Weasley," said the first twin, glancing back at Yami's hair in amazement. "And this is my brother, Fred."
"I go back to my original question. How did you do that to your hair?" Fred asked, mostly asking Yami since his was the most unusual.
"Do what?"
"You know, the colors and how it sticks up above your head like that."
"Oh, that," Yami laughed. "I thought there might be something wrong. My hair's natural. Eyes are too, for that matter."
"No…way…you're kidding!" George exclaimed, and he even went so far as to attempt to poke it, but Yami blocked his hand.
"No touching," Yami said flatly. So they turned their attentions on Bakura instead and became even more amazed, if that was possible.
"Hey, you're the kid Malfoy's been talking about," said Fred with astonishment. "He said you stole all his money."
"I would do nothing of the sort!" Bakura lied, acting like he was outraged to hear such an accusation. "I was just asking him for help and he criticized my hair."
"Well, Malfoy's the type to do that. But I can see why…your hair's totally awesome! He was probably jealous," Fred said matter-of-factly. He didn't notice Malik laughing behind him, but Bakura did.
Bakura turned to the laughing teen. "Oh Malik, haven't these brothers asked you about how your eyes got to be purple yet?"
"They're not purple, they're lavender!" exclaimed Malik with indignation, but the twins had already turned to him and started asking him questions, too. After a few minutes of aggravation for Malik, the twins backed off a bit, and Fred asked them, "Would you like to look around our store? I'll escort you personally."
"Yeah, maybe then you can actually see some of what we have to offer," George agreed. Bakura was suspicious of this offer, notably because of his encounter with Malfoy, but he followed the twins and Yami anyway; he was curious to see what was there.
As soon as they entered, they were hit by a wave of sound and commotion, as witches and wizards mingled around them. Fred and George weren't lying though; most of the people in the shop moved out of their way in respect when they passed, and as such, the gang was able to see all the products. Bakura was the most impressed. Lining the walls and on tables around the store were jokes and gags of his wildest dreams; fake wands, Extendible Ears, Skiving Snackboxes, Portable Swamps, Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs (which seemed to be enchanted fireworks), and others that he was eager to look at. He was very tempted to buy one of everything, until Yami glared at him with a look that plainly said, "Don't even think about it"; that discouraged him. Ryou, however, told him that it would be all right to buy some stuff, as long as he put limits on how much. Yami couldn't argue with that, especially when Yugi asked him to buy some of the items.
When they left, they each had in their bags a box of fireworks, a Portable Swamp, and a couple fake wands; Malik and Bakura had each bought a pair of Extendible Ears, for reasons they wouldn't tell anyone.
Fred and George watched them proudly as the group walked away.
"There go three of the coolest wizards I have ever met," Fred commented.
"What about Harry?"
"Yeah, Harry's pretty cool, natural troublemaker, but those guys are bloody brilliant."
Hermione arrived two weeks after Harry did, almost to the day, and she had problems nearly as soon as she entered the Leaky Cauldron. For starters, Crookshanks struggled at once to leave the building, and it only got worse as they went upstairs to her room. At one point, the cat actually grew completely still and then tried to run forward, away from the door they'd just passed. Neither Harry nor Hermione, nor Ron when he heard, had known Crookshanks to act like that.
The Weasleys showed up about a week before term started, and Ron announced that he would also be staying at the inn. By this time, several Hogwarts students had been seen in Diagon, including Malfoy, who claim his money had been stolen by "some albino freak", and various DA students had all ready asked Harry if they were going to continue the class this year. Harry told them they might, but they'd all have to see whom the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would be before anything was finalized.
The first thing Ron wanted to do as soon as they entered Diagon Alley was to find his brothers' store and see what it was like, but Hermione wouldn't hear of it. She insisted he buy his school things first, like a responsible prefect, and not mess around with dangerous pranks; unfortunately, Mrs. Wealsey agreed with her. Harry had no reason to go with them, as he'd bought everything he needed for school weeks before, but he would have felt guilty going on without them, which was why he hadn't even gone looking for the shop yet. He noticed Ron didn't go to as many places as he had, and the redhead also didn't have to get more Potions supplies, since he hadn't gotten an 'Outstanding' in that class on his O.W.L.s.
"Looks like Snape finally got what he wanted, eh Harry? We're not in the same class for once," Ron had said when Harry told him.
Consequently, they weren't able to go find Fred and George's shop until the next day. The twins came out to greet them personally, and they had a very strange story for them about three other teens with wicked hair. One of them matched the description Malfoy was spreading around. From the description the twins gave Harry, it seemed the mysterious teens were the same boys he had seen on the Knight Bus and around Diagon Alley the first day they'd arrived, and they were staying down the hall from him, behind the very doors Crookshanks had been afraid of. And one of them had been accused of stealing from Malfoy and going down into Knockturn Alley. Interesting…
It wasn't a very busy day at the twins' store, but Harry was amazed at how many people that was anyway. He had a feeling that it was the most popular shop in Diagon, Quality Quidditch Supplies being the only real competitor. Eventually, Harry and Ron bought several items, their favorite being the Wildfire Wiz-Bangs, but Hermione looked like she'd rather put Fred and George in detention for causing so much trouble…again. But they all could certainly see that the twins had picked the right profession and how they brought home so much money every month. Mrs. Weasley would not be too sorry.
Ryou glanced around his surroundings with worry; it was cold and damp and the light was like that at twilight, and he couldn't see much around him other then trees and other plants. Where was he? There wasn't anywhere he knew of like this at home, or where he'd lived in England before they moved to Domino. He shivered as breeze passed over him, trying to decide whether he ought to look around or call for help; the latter might cause some embarrassment, but at least he'd know where he was. He was about to open his mouth to cry out when a hand clamped around his face.
"Shhh," said a voice from behind him, likely the owner of this hand. "You need to be quiet here." The hand left his face and he turned around to face the culprit. It was the boy from the bus.
"Where are we?" Ryou asked suspiciously. The other boy's forehead furrowed with concentration and his hair fell haphazardly over his eyes.
"I think this is the forest near where the Quidditch Cup was held two years ago," the boy answered, glancing around through the approaching darkness. Ryou had no idea what the boy was talking about but the tone in his voice gave Ryou the idea that it wasn't something very good.
"Uh, what is 'the Quidditch Cup'?" he asked cautiously. He knew it had been the wrong thing to say when the boy looked up at him in surprise. "Never mind," he said quickly.
The boy nodded, gestured for him to follow, and began walking into the trees; Ryou followed and soon they emerged and found themselves in a graveyard. Ryou had always been fond of graveyards, but a groan from the other boy told him that it was a very bad thing to be here.
"What's wrong?" he asked. The boy stared blankly at him.
"This graveyard...I thought...you shouldn't be here...wouldn't understand..."
"What is it?"
But the boy had tuned him out and was wandering wearily around the tombstone, checking each one and then shaking his head like it wasn't what he was looking for, calling after each one.
"Cedric? Cedric?!"
Cedric? Who is he calling for? Ryou wondered. Well, I guess I could help a little bit. I'm in a graveyard...
He began to sing softly, an old tune not many knew, in a language few remembered, "Little souls, gone to the west, hear my voice..."
The other boy stopped suddenly to listen.
"Find peace with the gods and truth from within..."
Ryou had closed his eyes, so he didn't see the silvery apparitions rising up from the ground.
"Let your spirits rise up and families not forget you..."
He sensed that the boy had come closer, but he decided to finish.
"Souls, I let you go in peace and faith to Osiris."
"What was that?" asked the boy, dragging Ryou out of his trance.
"Egyptian mourning hymn.(1) It's supposed to help restless souls," Ryou answered as he bowed once to the slivery forms.
"Thank you," said the boy, and he disappeared.
Harry woke with a start, the words of the white-haired teen still ringing in his ears. There was once statement in particular that made him wonder: "What is the Quidditch Cup?" Could it be that this teen didn't know what the Quidditch Cup was? One way to find out.
He got to his feet, silenty exited the room, and knocked softly on the door next to his. He was about to give up and go back to bed when the door opened and revealed a very sleepy looking teen.
"Yes? Can I help you?" he asked lethargicly, rubbing his eyes sub-consciously.
"Uh, I was wondering if–" Harry stopped, knowing how silly it would sound– "if you still wanted to know what the Quidditch Cup is."
The boy's reaction was definitely not what Harry expected; the teen's eyes grew wide and he began stuttering incoherently. Then he calmed down and with a knowing look said, "Of course...Phantom."
"Um, who?"
"My cat. He must have allowed me to enter your dream when we were both sleeping. There's no way I would have known about the Quidditch Cup, whatever that is, or that forest or the graveyard otherwise." The boy squatted down to pet a cat that had just appeared beside him. "Phantom's an amazing cat."
"He put you into my dream?"
"I know it sounds pretty strange, but I think that's what happened. Don't ask me how; I don't know. But I have a feeling that minipulation of dreams isn't the only power my cat has. We'll just have to wait and see."
1) I just made that up. But it would be seriously cool if I sub-consciously wrote that with help from memories of a previous life, eh?
