Chapter 11: What Class Are You Good At?
Harry and Ron entered the common room shortly before dinner to find Yami and Bakura deep in a duel; Bakura was winning, and Yami looked extremely frustrated. The game looked very interesting, but it was almost over, so they didn't catch much of it, except for the end. Yami drew a card and got a thoughtful look on his face.
"All right th-Ryou, I'm going to end this game."
"With Dark Sanctuary on the field? I think not–"
"Activate 'Change of Heart' on your 'Possessed Dark Soul' allowing me to control it. Summon 'Slifer the Sky Dragon' (1) by sacrificing my three monsters!" Yami placed the red card down on the table with a triumphant look on his face.
"What?!"
"I have four cards in my hand, Ryou, giving Slifer four thousand attack points, which is more than enough to defeat you–"
"Aghhh, I hate those damn God Cards!" Bakura exclaimed.
"Slifer will attack your Puppet Master, and since they're both in attack mode the damage gets directed right at your life points! I believe I win."
"Damnit!" Bakura exclaimed, throwing his hand down on the table. "I can't beat you with those stupid God Cards in your deck."
"That's right, you can't," Yami answered with a smirk as he gathered up his cards. "Good game, though. I haven't had one that close since Battle City."
Bakura glared at him and then noticed they'd attracted a lot of attention with their duel, particularly that of Harry and Ron. He put on a fake good-natured smile and held out his hand. "Good game, Ph-Yugi. We should duel again soon."
He found Yami's reaction to this priceless, but the pharaoh took his hand nonetheless and agreed about the duel. Harry and Ron glanced at each other in confusion and shrugged; they had no idea what had just happened.
"Hey guys," Ron started, "We came to tell you that it's about time for dinner."
"Thanks. Let's go, Yugi." Bakura dragged Yami out the portrait hole and down the hall a bit more roughly than Yami thought was necessary, but the thief had just lost a duel and he was hungry. Not a good combination. Ron and Harry had to almost run to catch up with them, and they found Yami with a pained expression on his face as he was dragged down the hall.
"Are you always that good at chess, Yugi?" Ron asked excitedly once he caught up.
"How good?"
"Like last night. Even I didn't see that move you gave Harry. Are you always that good?"
"Well, I haven't played chess in a while, so I wouldn't really know. I guess."
"I'm the Gryffindor champion, you know," Ron said proudly.
"Well, that makes things–ack! Ryou! What are you doing?!" Yami exclaimed, for Bakura had just accelerated in a new direction, dragging him along. The thief had just spotted something interesting, and as he closed in on his target, he almost laughed at the predicament. Closer, closer, and...
"Aghhhh! Ryou, what the hell?!" exclaimed Malik, as the thief had just kicked him in the backside. Bakura broke out with laughter, and he pulled a small piece of paper off his companion's back and gave it to him. The sign read "Kick Me" in rather neat handwriting. Malik glared at the tomb robber.
"It's not funny, you know. You didn't have to take this stupid thing seriously, too," he growled, tossing the paper to the ground.
"Ah, ah, no littering, Malik," Bakura scolded jokingly, though he kicked the paper aside himself. "I wonder who did that, though."
"I have a pretty good idea," Malik answered as they passed through the doors to the Great Hall and found Malfoy and his goons instantly begin to laugh. Malik sighed and scoped out a seat by the Slytherin first year he'd made friends with. "I guess I'll see you guys later. Oh, and 'Mr. Bakura'–" he clapped a hand over Bakura's shoulder– "don't harm your body with whatever you eat tonight. Today's only Monday, remember, and you've still got classes tomorrow." With that, Malik walked off and left Harry and Ron very confused.
"Does he call you that often?" Harry asked, baffled.
"Relatively," Bakura answered as he sat down across from Hermione. "What's for dinner?"
"Wouldn't it be cool if we got burgers?" Yami suggested as he sat next to the thief. The others regarded him incredulously. "It was just a suggestion," he said apologetically.
"That's one thing I've never figured out about you," Bakura answered. "How you can be so obsessed with hamburgers–"
"I'm not obsessed!"
"Could have fooled me. Ah, about time! I'm hungry."
Bakura glanced over the just appeared food with varying degrees of dissatisfaction, finding nothing to his taste. Unhappily, he helped himself to a bowl of noodles and then covered his plate with sushi and, more pleasurably, sashimi. Yami watched him with disgust, as he'd never been one for raw meat, and instead took a bowl of soup.
"I've never understood how you Japanese can eat that stuff," Yami mumbled, earning an elbow in his side, courtesy of Bakura.
"You're Japanese too, idiot, remember?" Bakura hissed. "It's a wonder no one's figured out yet, with everything you've been saying."
"Me? Who lost their temper after our duel? Who called that someone by his name? Between you and Malik, I give us...one week, tops, before anyone figures out."
"Figures what out?" Ron asked curiously from across the table.
"Oh, nothing," said Yami and Bakura a little too quickly. Ron shrugged and went back to his food; nothing could keep him from that for long. Harry, however, had nearly forgotten about dinner; he'd been too busy studying the new students' actions. What they'd said about being found out reminded him of their conversation at lunch about You-Know-Who, but they didn't seem to be the same as then. Their attitude, personalities, even appearances, it all seemed different somehow, more like when he'd first seen them on the Knight Bus and when they'd come back from meeting with Dumbledore the previous night. They seemed a lot...darker now. Harry thought the new students were definitely hiding something he should know about.
Bakura growled softly into his food; he'd lost that duel, he didn't like the food, and Ryou had just started humming softly in his soul room. This evening was not going to way he wanted at all. Mind you, he was in control, and he had his weapons in Ryou's bag back in the dorm room, but that didn't block out what Ryou was singing.
{Where were you when I was burned and broken... While the days–}
{{Would you shut up?! I don't need to hear that one at the moment!}}
{–slipped by from my window watching... Where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless–}
{{Hikari...shut up!!!}}
{–Because the things you say and the things you do surround me... While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words–}
{{Aghhh–RYOU, SHUT UP!!!}}
Ryou's voice grew suddenly quiet, and Bakura almost sighed with relief.
{{Thank you. Pink Floyd may be one of my favorite English bands, but I don't need to hear that one right now.}}
{...You brought those weapons Professor Snape was talking about with us to school, didn't you?}
{{... ...}}
{–Dying to believe in what you heard... I was staring straight into the shining sun.}(2)
"Hey, are you all right?" Hermione asked suddenly, a concerned expression on her face. Bakura nodded, trying to block out Ryou's sweet singing voice, and just noticing that the others were staring at him with varying degrees of worry.
"I'm fine. I just have a song stuck in my head, and it brings back memories I don't need at the moment, that's all."
Later that evening, Ryou, back in control and trying to start on his homework, groaned softly and held his head in pain. Bakura had decided to return his hikari's 'favor' and was now screaming another song and making a terrible racket in his soul room, and it didn't help Ryou's headache at all. He hit his head on the table repeatedly to try and drown out Bakura and his headache, but he only succeeded in making it worse. Unhappily, he packed up his schoolbooks and stood up.
"I think I'm going to go to bed," he announced, turning toward the stairs up to the boy's dorms. "I've got a really bad headache and sleep always helps."
"O-ok," Hermione answered, still alarmed from when the white-haired boy had hit his head on the table. "See you tomorrow, Ryou."
"Do you need help?" Yugi asked, also standing up. When Ryou nodded wearily, he walked over and led Ryou up the stairs.
Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Harry leaned over the table and whispered, "Did you guys notice anything different about those two? Like their attitudes?"
Hermione stared at him perplexedly, but Ron nodded. "Yeah, I noticed it too. They were acting different then earlier."
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "Now that you mention it, they did seem different than this morning. But you said they were playing some sort of game before dinner; maybe they just act like that after a game or something."
"But I've noticed this before," Harry said quietly. "Before school started I mean. And–" he stopped, aware of how strange his next statement would sound– "and Ryou somehow entered one of my dreams back at the Leaky Cauldron. The one with Cedric."
"WHAT?!" Both Hermione and Ron looked extremely disturbed, and Ron had even jumped to his feet.
"Why didn't you tell us this before, mate?" he asked, fear creeping into his tone.
"I didn't think it was that important till now. And I haven't had that dream since then."
"But...You-Know-Who manipulated your dreams last year, right. He's probably using Ryou to get close to you, and that was proof right there."
"Oh for goodness sake!" Hermione exclaimed. "If Voldemort–oh honestly, Ron!– wanted to hurt Harry he wouldn't use wizards this young! Besides, if Dumbledore thinks they're okay, they probably are."
"Yeah? What about Moody? He was locked in a chest all year and Dumbledore didn't know. And Quirrell–"
"Harry," Hermione interrupted, "we'll keep a look out for you, but I'm sure it's just stress or something. I wouldn't worry too much."
"Yeah." Harry got up and walked to the window to stare at the stars outside; Ron and Hermione got the idea that he wanted to be alone for a bit.
Back with Yugi and Ryou, the latter boy was repeatedly hitting his head on the wall as they walked up the stairs to their dorm room. Yugi was about to ask what was wrong when Ryou yelled, "Aghhh! Damnit yami, stop making all that noise!"
[Whoa, Bakura must really be annoying him.] Yugi thought.
[[Wonder what he's doing to get Ryou to curse like that.]]
"Hey, Ryou, what's wrong?" Yugi asked, wincing as his companion began to hit his head on the wall again.
"My yami's singing Wearing the Inside Out (3) as loud as possible and doing other noisy things. It's giving me a headache like you wouldn't believe. Hi, Phantom," he said wearily to the black cat that had appeared in front of him on the stairs. He turned to the right into the dorm room, shuffled to his bed, and fell face forward onto the crimson sheets. "This has been an...interesting...birthday," he groaned into the sheets. Yugi stared sympathetically from the doorway.
"I'm sorry it wasn't any better," Yugi apologized. Ryou rolled over and leaned back on his elbows, shaking his head.
"No, it's not your fault. You don't have anything to apologize for, Yugi. I just attract bad-luck, I guess; I should have figured that out a long time ago, when my mom and sister..." He broke off and stared down at the floor, a glazed look in his eyes. "It was a really great birthday, anyway, being at a wizard school and all. Those presents were awesome. I just wish my yami would...SHUT UP!!!" He proceeded to hitting his head against the bedpost next to him, then fell tiredly back onto the bed. A wave of relief suddenly crossed his face, and, turning to look to his right, he whispered softly, "Thanks yami." And then he fell sound asleep.
[I guess we should let him rest a while.] Yugi thought as he watched Ryou sleep with half his body off the bed.
[[Maybe I can get Ron to play chess with me.]] Yami said hopefully.
[Iie, Yami.]
The next morning didn't yield much excitement in terms of abnormal fainting and such, but Yugi learned that he was better in at least one class than Ryou: Transfiguration. Once Professor McGonagall set the other students to changing chairs into cats, something they'd all sort of been looking forward to since first year, she began to teach Yugi and Ryou the basics. After a lot of note taking, she handed each of them a match to be turned into a needle. Though Ryou's wand was a lot better for spell work and such, Yugi managed to turn his match into a recognizable needle by the time they left the class. Ryou's match was sort of shiny and pointy but that was all. In a way, Ryou didn't see much of a use for Transfiguration; wouldn't it just be easier to go to a stare. It wasn't until later when Harry told him about Aurors that he understood why the class could be important; you couldn't really go out an buy something not on hand if you needed it right then, he supposed.
In Herbology, Ryou was better again, and they were beginning to think that maybe he was better at the more practical classes, like Potions and Herbology, where you didn't have to use a wand for everything. Hermione said he would just need to practice at using wand, and then he'd be as good as the others. Either way, they had a more enjoyable lesson then Malik had the previous afternoon, as there was no one named 'Malfoy' in the vicinity, but they understood what had caused problems the previous afternoon. Greenhouse four held a lot of trained man-eating plants, though they were still known to attack an unwary student every now and then, and that was probably what happened to Malik the day before. Anyway, Ryou's only real competition in the class were Hermione and Neville Longbottom, which surprised him since he hadn't seen Neville excel in anything so far.
Lunch definitely wasn't as eventful as the previous day, except that Ryou revealed he had almost blacked out three times that morning, and Bakura wasn't responsible, as he also promised to tell when he would possess his host. Then, after lunch, they had Care of Magical Creatures, which the Gryffindors had participated in for the last three years with the Slytherins and probably would again, judging from Ryou and Malik's schedules. However, when the Gryffindors in the class plus Malik approached Hagrid's hut, they saw Malfoy standing practically alone...and without Crabbe and Goyle. Ron elbowed Harry and openly pointed to the lone Slytherin boy.
"Yes, Harry! Malfoy's alone! Looks like Crabbe and Goyle were too stupid to pass their O.W.L.s!" he said loudly, sniggering as Malfoy's pale face filled with loathing. They made a point to high five where he could see them, and Ron did a couple of overly acted victorious punches in the air.
"Doesn't matter," Malfoy sneered as they got closer. "I hope your backside isn't too bruised, Ishtal." He laughed quietly to himself for a moment, but it was obvious he missed his companion's laughter. Malik's fists flexed warningly but he otherwise showed no signs of noticing the other boy's words.
"So Malfoy, how many other classes did Crabbe and Goyle fail because you weren't allowed to cheat on the O.W.L.s?" Harry asked mockingly, softly kicking Ron to get him to stop laughing.
"Probably less then you, Potter," Malfoy tried to counter, but it was obvious again that he'd lost a lot of his self-confidence without Crabbe and Goyle there.
"Didn't we tell you this would happen, Malfoy?" Ron mocked. "We told you that sooner or later you'd be all alone in the world and you wouldn't last five minutes. It has been proven," Ron said with a triumphant look on his face. Grinning, he and Harry, followed by the others, walked off to where Hagrid was standing a short distance away, leaving Malfoy with a very irked expression on his face.
Hagrid waved them all over to a table that had a numerous amount of earmuffs piled on it. A very soft cackling sound was coming from the other side of the hut, and Hagrid kept glancing nervously at them, as if to make sure all his students were still there. Ron glanced down at the earmuffs, then at Hagrid, then at Harry, who returned his glance.
"Gather 'round, gather 'round, and don't nobody wander off now!" Hagrid called as the students approached the table. "It's essential yeh follow my instructions exactly. Not sure exactly what effect they'll have on yeh."
"What's 'they'?" Malfoy asked, having regained himself now that he was talking to Hagrid.
"We're doin' Erklings, an' they can be righ' deadly if not handled the righ' way."
Hermione gasped. "Oh, but Hagrid, are you sure? Those can be really, really dangerous."
" 'S why I got earmuffs. I don' think yeh'll be 'n any harm, jus' a safety percaution, yeh know. So, anyone know what a Erkling is?"
As always, Hermione's hand was the first in the air. "An Erkling is a German elf-like demon whose cackle is especially enticing to children. Usually, an Erkling will lead the child off into a secluded place and then eats it."
"Tha's right. Fifteen points ter Gryffindor. Now, since yeh aren' exactly kids, yeh won' be as affected by 'em, but I want all of yeh ter wear earmuffs when we're near 'em. Hermione, I'd like yeh ter perform a Silencing Charm on 'em after 'bout fifteen minutes.
Now, like Hermione said, Erklings originated in Germany, and they have elf-like features, yeh'll see that. They're 'bout three feet tall though they can be taller or shorter. They are known to eat their victims, so I wouldn' get too close to 'em. I have 'em enclosed in a fence, so yeh shouldn' be able ter get to 'em anyway.
After yeh put yer earmuffs on yer ter follow me and not ter go inside the fence. I'll give yeh a thumbs-up when it's safe ter take 'em off. Now, grab a pair of earmuffs an' put 'em on."
The class hurried to grab the pairs that weren't huge; they seemed to be the same earmuffs they'd used when they were dealing with Mandrakes in second year. Hagrid grabbed the largest pair, which seemed only barely big enough to fit over his head and that was true when he put them on, then led them around his hut to a fenced enclosure. Inside the enclosed area, three small, supposedly crying humanoid creatures were jumping around and playing with each other. When they noticed the class approaching, they stopped and dashed to the fence, where the students could plainly see the creatures' pointed faces and sharp spiny teeth.
Once the class got to the fence, the Erklings started to run happily around again, probably cackling up a storm to lure at least one of the students into the pen. Yugi thought they looked rather like Duel Monsters that Ryou might have in his deck. Malik didn't like them, as they reminded him of the goblins in bedtime stories he'd heard as a child; he stayed near the back of the group to watch the elfish creatures. Ryou, however, was almost entranced by the Erklings as they danced, even though he couldn't hear them; he'd always been one for fantasy and fairy-tales and the creatures looked to him to be right out of a picture book. Bakura decided, since he couldn't possibly be hurt by the Erklings, that he wanted to have a closer look and separated from Ryou, and he walked through the fence to watch the creatures leap around. Of course, he could hear their cackling, as he didn't have earmuffs, and therefor, Ryou could hear little snatches of it. The next fifteen minutes went by rather pleasantly for the two white-haired teens.
Then suddenly the cackling stopped. Ryou and Bakura jerked and looked around bewilderedly. Hermione had performed her Silencing Charm on them and now there was silence from the Erklings. Hagrid gave a thumbs-up and they all took off their earmuffs to watch the Erklings' surprise at not having voices anymore.
The rest of the lesson passed by slowly, the only real highlight being when Harry, Ron, and Malik tried to trick Malfoy into the Erklings' corral. Unfortunately, for them anyway, Pansy Parkinson caught them and watched over Malfoy for the rest of the class.
Throughout dinner, Ryou barely ate anything because of his worrying. They were going to learn to fly after dinner. There were so many risks involved, so many things that could go wrong...his mind played scenario after scenario, a different accident happening in each one. He did not look forward to flying lessons.
1) I decided to use the English dub's card names, since that's all I've ever seen and I'm too lazy to go look up the Japanese counterparts.
2) Anyone heard of Pink Floyd? They're one of my favorite bands, and I feel that Bakura would like a lot of their songs. This one is called Coming Back to Life, and I think the first verse (which is all I put) is very appropriate to describe what went on with the Bakuras in Battle City.
3) Another Pink Floyd song. This one makes me think of Bakura more; the other one made me think of Ryou.
Note: I've never heard either one of these songs before; I've just read the words. So to those of you who have, don't blame me if they don't seem to go in the right places for the tempos.
