Thanks so much for the reviews, I love you all. More more more please!!
Oh, to answer some questions :
koriaena: The reason why I made Yami say stuff like, "Go QUAFFLE!" was because I've noticed that he says "Go" with a lot of things when he's not duelling. Such as when he was playing Dungeon Dice Monsters with Duke, and Monster World in the manga with Bakura, he kept on saying stuff like, "GO! DICE ROLL!" and things like that. I don't know if it's meant to be, but I found it rather unnecessary to yell "GO DICE ROLL!" during his duel with Bakura in Monster World. So naturally I thought he'd also say "Go" whenever he throws something. Iono. XD
.. Really boring chapter..will have one mostly devoted to Sirius and Ryou in the next chapter. I just wanted to get some of Harry's suspicions out of the way. It was so tedious to write this. I'm glad that I can write about Padfoot and Ryou now.
Dont' own YGO or HP
Read, REVIEW and ENJOY!
Chapter Eleven
Harry carefully placed his Firebolt back into his trunk gently, where it laid glimmering in the dim light of the dormitory. Madame Hooch had taken off points from Slytherin by a large majority, despite the fact that the Slytherins were all stupefied. That was not enough to satisfy Harry's anger though. The thought of Malfoy sabbotagging his new friends made him extremely irked.
Ron was sitting on the edge of his bed, polishing his own broom as Hermione came in and sat next to Ron.
"What are you doing here, Hermione?" asked Ron incredulously as he peered into his own reflection on the broom.
Ginny appeared next to them suddenly too.
"Just...wanted to talk about Yugi," Hermione said slowly.
Harry blinked and shrugged. "He's going to be okay, if that's what you mean..."
"No, Harry, that's not what I mean," said Hermione. "You know perfectly well what I mean."
Harry blinked again, but Ron groaned.
"What now?"
"You don't still believe they're on Voldemort's side, do you?" asked Harry.
"You were such good friends with 'Kura!" exclaimed Ron.
Hermione had a dark look. "I know..."
"So then, what's the problem?"
Hermione frowned. "I want to discuss about their personality shifts," she said bluntly.
"Personality shifts?" repeated Harry. He grimaced in memory of the incident on the train. "Oh yeah..."
"Something's not right," said Ginny. "You know what I heard Marik and Bakura say today when I was walking to Herbology? Marik said that 'the pharaoh was glad that Kaiba died,' but Ryou replied that 'Yugi or Yami wasn't like that.' Who is Yami?"
"When Ryou said that, it obviously indicates that Yami might be the same person as Yugi," said Hermione. "Because Marik pointed out that it was just...Yugi looking glad."
"He could've just been referring to Yugi's nickname or something," said Ron.
Ginny shook her head. "Nuh uh, Ron. Hermione, tell them."
"You don't remember what they joked about? In the halls?"
"What?" asked Ron.
"That Marik would've liked to stay sixteen, not a few thousand years old. Bakura's not a few thousand years old."
"Maybe they were just...indicating a role-playing game," suggested Harry.
"I don't know," said Hermione biting her lip. "You saw how Ryou was today! He was so nice and then suddenly he got all...hyper and insane and mischevious. I know he was the one who said the Alohomora spell, I just know it. And Marik usually calls him Bakura, not Ryou. Yet when Ryou looked apologetic, Marik called him by his first name."
"That's not enough proof," protested Ron. "What do you have against them?"
"Anything can happen, Ron!" retorted Hermione indignantly.
"Honestly," said Ron, rolling his eyes, "and you thought I had the weirdest theories? Snape's more likely to be on You-know-who's side than Kura!"
"Snape's not on Voldemort's side!"
"He's more likely to be than Kura!" argued Ron exasperatedly."Ryou's a kid, Hermione. So are Yugi and Marik. They aren't old enough.."
"We're sixteen," said Hermione back. "They're sixteen. Barty Crouch was only nineteen when he became a Death Eater!"
"I still say that Snape's more likely going to kill Harry than Kura."
"He's on our side, Ron!"
"Where's the proof?"
"Ron!!" Hermione looked very disgruntled, but gestured towards the open door. Ron hastily fell silent, but was looking stubborn all the same.
"Okay, say that that is not enough," said Ginny finally. "What about the main important thing? That their personalities change when someone provokes them?"
Harry was uneasy. "It's not that...big of a deal..."
"Yugi would never hurt anyone," stated Ginny. "Seriously. He's too much of a pushover."
"He's not really a pushover when someone provokes him," argued Ron.
Head throbbing from pondering, Harry massaged his head. "This is so confusing..."
Hermione suddenly gave Harry a look. "Harry...has your scar been hurting lately?"
Harry frowned, but admitted under Hermione's replica of McGonagall's stare. "Yes."
"When?"
Harry was silent for a while. "When...well...last night, I saw Ryou stand up and get some water...well..he didn't really get water, he sort of just...stood there. After a while, he suddenly stabbed the oak dresser..." he pointed to the said drawer, "...and then I went over to get a glass of water, and then my scar hurt.""That obviously..."
"..proves that Kura is with Voldemort? Get real, Hermione," snapped Ron.
"What was it that you said about Kaiba, Ginny?" asked Harry.
"Well..." Ginny looked a bit hesitant before continuing. "I heard that the Order was going to recruit Kaiba for the OotP, because it turns out that he possesses some magic himself."
"What happened?"
"He rejected," said Ginny. "Rejected as though he absolutely wanted nothing to do with us, as though he was proud being Muggle."
"But...you don't think that's because he's with Voldemort, do you?"
"I don't think he was," admitted Ginny. "Or else why would the Order want him?"
"Don't you think we ought to just....stay clear of this, for now?" asked Harry. He wanted to be friends with Yugi and Ryou and...well, maybe not Marik as much, but he certainly liked them."I'm not going to be convinced that they're going to kill me unless something happens to me first. But until then, I'm not going to believe that Yugi and Ryou and Marik are Voldemort's supporters. The Sorting Hat put them in Gryffindor didn't it?"
"The Sorting Hat wanted to put Marik in Slytherin," said Hermione. "It was cut off short. I'm not sure what made it change its mind."
"Wormtail was in Gryffindor, wasn't he?" said Ginny softly. Everyone was slightly uneasy.
"I'm still not going to believe it yet," said Harry finally, rather firmly, though he was slightly troubled. "Come on...we'd better get to bed."
"There's no one else here," said Ron. "We're not disturbing anyone."
"Just need sleep," explained Harry wearily as he got into bed. "Good night, all."
"Harry," said Hermione's voice warningly. He blinked in confusion before he disgruntledly sat back up.
"Occulimenio," he muttered dully, pointing his wand to his forehead.
"Good night Harry," said Hermione brightly.
So... Bakura thought to himself as he stood next to the doorway, hidden within the cloaks of the shadows. So...they think I'm a supporter of the Dark Lord? Interesting. I haven't even done anything yet...well, nothing frightening. Not enough to prove myself that I'm capable of whatever the Dark Lord is.
He pressed his back silently against the wall as he watched Hermione and Ginny walk down the stairs unsuspectingly.
Interesting, he thought again. I'm not a supporter of Voldemort...I wonder what the little girl means by the "Order"? Perhaps this can be used to my benefeit in the future...me, a supporter of the Dark Lord? Of course not. I am Bakura sama, King of Theives, fearsome Tomb Robber of all of Egypt. I don't obey anyone. I make the rules myself and I do the dirty work myself. And I do it proudly too.
I wonder how I can use this to my benefeit...
He suddenly stopped, cursing. Somehow, although they had just given him a chance to be fearsome and evil once again, something pulled him back. Something. Something made him feel as though it wasn't right to be thinking sadistic, evil thoughts like that again, which made him feel more angry. Something.
Damned hikari, he thought to himself as he entered the dormitory.
Yugi awoke the next morning to the sound of cheerful chirping. Smiling, he yawned and stretched, quite relaxed and refreshed. His shining belt buckle laid next to him on the bed. The Puzzle glowed seem to glow almost just as cheerful as the weather outside as the darker spirit extracted himself from the Egyptian relic. Yugi beamed at his half in greeting.
"Morning Yami!" he said brightly, squirming in the bed.
"Good morning, Yugi," smiled the ex-pharaoh, looking quite pleased himself. "I daresay you rested well?"
"Better!"
Yami's small smirk split into a wide smile as he playfully ruffled his hikari's tri-colored locks. Yugi giggled as he shut his eyes tightly.
"Yami!"
"Morning to you too, hikari," laughed Yami, sitting down on the bed. "How did you sleep?"
"Very good," said Yugi.
"You're sure you want to get up today? I don't want you hurt again."
"Thanks Yami...I'm fine though. Really." Yugi stared at his other half. Yami seemed to be unusually cheerful today.
"Now you are," replied Yami as he looked up at the silent form of the Celtic Guardian. Regaining his royal aura, he nodded firmly at the elf.
"You have served me well, Celtic Guardian," the pharaoh said, his low voice trembling throughout the empty stoned walls of the hospital wing. "You are excused."
The elf bowed humbly and began to evaporate. He soon had disappeared into a floating mist that darted into Yami's pocket, where obviously his duelling deck was kept. Yami picked up the belt buckle and handed it to Yugi, who began strapping it to his slim waist.
There was a soft noise of footsteps approaching. Yami was about to retreat instantly when a familiar voice called out, slightly coldly,
"No need, Pharaoh. I want to talk to you."
Yami pulled the curtains slightly and saw lavender eyes staring deeply back at him.
"Marik!"
"Who else?" snapped the Egyptian boy as he slipped through the curtains and settled on Yugi's bed. Crossing his dark arms over his chest, he looked at Yugi.
"You okay?" he asked, without much concern in his voice.
"Yeah," replied Yugi.
"What is it that you wish to discuss, Marik?" asked Yami lowly.
Marik stared indignantly into Yami's red eyes. After a while, he huffed and unexpectedly shot off the bed, walked past the pharaoh briskly, and vanished. Yami looked slighlty bewildered as he watched the tomb keeper stalk through the curtains. Yugi blinked.
/What's wrong with him?/ he asked, his voice full of concern.
/I'm not sure.../ Yami peered out of the curtains. He looked back at Yugi.
/You can use my body now, if you want,/ offered the small boy. /I'm fine, really. Go ahead./
/You sure, aibou?/
/Anything to see what's wrong with Marik/ replied the hikari. Shrugging, Yami quickly entered his aibou's body and gained control. In (Yugi's) pajamas, the pharaoh got up and hurried after Marik.
The tomb keeper was outside the hospital wing, staring through a nearby window. It must've been early morn, as the halls were empty and there was utter silence throughout the castle, despite the bright sunshine outside.
"Marik?"
The tomb keeper turned around, frowning.
"What do you want, Pharaoh?"
Yami watched Marik closely, analyzing each of his features as clues as to why he was so moody. Finally, the pharaoh shrugged casually, his royal, demeaning stance gone, now replaced by something that seemed more human as he leaned casually against the wall.
"If you don't wish to speak, Marik," he started, his narrow eyes relieved slightly, his firm glare softening, his lips forming into a small, simple smile that expressed peace, "then I will. I have something I want to tell you."
Marik was silent in return. However, Yami took no notice and pursed on forward.
"I want to thank you," he said. "For caring for Yugi afterwards. And for attempting to defend him against Malfoy."
Marik scowled.
"Don't take it personally, pharaoh," he snarled. "I don't like owing debts. Especially big ones."
Yami didn't look fazed. In fact, Marik found his demeanor a lot more...human. He was smiling pleasantly, unusual from his frequent serious expression or sarcastic smirk.
"You wanted to talk, didn't you?" asked the pharaoh. "Well, then, correct me if I'm wrong, but your intended discussion with me was solely based on this particular subject, am I wrong?"
Marik's expression was hard to read.
"I just wanted to thank you," said Yami firmly, returning to his sterner side. "If you seriously wish to not be in my debt, then consider yourself relieved of it. You helped my aibou. That is enough." He lightly punched Marik in the arm, who seemed even more surprised. "I have to leave, Marik. Once again, thank you." And with that, Yami left back towards the hospital room, his ankles showing beneath (Yugi's) too short pajama pants and his belt shining sharply in the darkness.
Marik snorted as he turned back to the window.
The pharaoh thinks that I'm his friend...he thought, slightly bitterly. He had no precise idea why he was so bitter, or why he didn't readily accept Yami's thanks, but all he knew was that it irked him slightly. There was this nudging pain inside of him, as though tugging on his heart, and it felt extremely annoying. Conflicted by his emotions, Marik thrusted his fist into the stone wall.
Cursing loudly in Arabic as he flailed his hand in the air, Marik jumped back until a cold voice brought him to his senses.
"Ishtar...is your head as thick as the walls you just hit?" drawled a familiar voice.
Marik swirled around, his lavender eyes flashing in annoyance.
"Malfoy," he snarled. "What are you doing here? How long have you been standing there?"
"Enough to find a few things interesting," replied Malfoy. Marik noticed that the Slytherin's hair was slightly red and was bandaged with a thin layer of bandages. Malfoy didn't look very mischevious anymore. He looked downright cold, a pure hatred radiating from his narrow eyes.
"Nothing concerning the pharoah and me should be interesting to you," retorted Marik venenmously.
"I make it so that everything intrigues me," said Malfoy smoothly.
"Intrigue? You want intrigue?" Marik was about to reach into his back pocket where his Rod stuck, when a sudden, better idea came to him. It would certainly help hiim clear his mind...make him think something else...have something else to worry about other than his conflicting emotions...
"If you want intrigue, Malfoy," said Marik smoothly, leaning back against the wall. "Then why don't you meet me tomorrow night?"
Malfoy laughed. "And do what, Ishtar? Prance around the halls, wearing flourishing dress skirts and dangling gold jewlery? No thanks, Ishtar. Let me give you a suggestion. Go back to where you came from."
"I would certainly like to," replied Marik sarcastically.. "In Egypt they don't quite have blonde haired ferrets dancing around in the streets, Malfoy."
Marik turned back to the window, and Malfoy saw an unnerving gleam in the Egyptian Boy's eyes.
"Or are you too scared to meet me tomorrow?" asked Marik softly. "Being the coward like you are? Like father like son..."
"My father...will turn your life into a living hell," snarled Malfoy. He regained a sarcastically snobby presence. "That is...if he even has the ambition or the time to waste on pieces of crap like yourself, Ishtar. You know you do resemble crap, don't you Ishtar? That Egyptian skin certainly makes us wonder what you are truly made of."
"You need new insults, Malfoy sama."
"It's not insulting that matters, Ishtar. It's what's true."
"And what is true," snarled Marik. "Is that you're afraid to duel me, aren't you? Imbecilic little coward, hiding behind his father's cloak..you are sixteen, Ra-dammit. Be a man."
Malfoy was about to reach for his wand when Marik produced his Rod from behind.
"Nuh uh, Malfoy," said Marik. "We're going to settle this like men. A duel tomorrow night, at midnight, on the Quidditch pitch."
"Why don't we make it tonight?"
"The faster, the livlier," replied Marik."It's your fate, baka. It is decided then. Tonight I will destroy the good name you hide behind, and reveal your family for the nothing that you are."
Marik was about to leave, when a hand suddenly grabbed his robes. Malfoy was glaring him with a sinister evil smirk.
"It's not only bravery that's important, Ishtar. It's also skill, knowledge...intelligence. And tonight, you will see that I possess all those traits."
Marik nodded his head sharply at the Slytherin before abruptly turning away.
"You will pay, Ishtar," whispered Malfoy venomously, subconciously rubbing his arm. "Pay."
Marik arched his eyebrow sardonically at Malfoy's arm as he stalked down the dark hallway.
No sooner had Marik turned the corner did someone else appear from the depths of the shadows.
"You must stop doing that, Bakura," said the keeper dryly.
The tomb robber appeared, as though materializing from the darkness, his arms crossed, his face in a wide smirk.
"A duel, Marik?"
"A duel," replied Marik shortly.
"Pity I won't be there," said Bakura, joining his comrade down the hall.
"Why? What are you doing?"
"Ryou wishes to do something tonight that requires my presence," replied Bakura. "Not sure why, but he was pratically begging me this morning to."
"Guess you should just do as he says," shrugged Marik with indifference.
"I have better things to do other than aid my hikari, Marik," Bakura said. "The weak friends of Potter's believe that I'm acutally a servant of the Dark Lord Voldemort."
Marik's burst of laughter echoed off the halls.
"Servant my ass," snorted the keeper, laughing as though it was the world's biggest joke.
"Precisely." Bakura's smirk grew wider, looking as though he was about to chuckle himself.
"You're not actually going to do anything, though?" asked Marik, looking slightly curious.
"It's enough to make me do this," replied Bakura, thrusting a note into Marik's hands.
After a silence as Marik read the parchment, he looked up, his eyes wide and gleaming.
"He wants you to steal something?"
"I'm quite infamous, keep that in mind."
Marik looked sinisterly breathless. "I'm coming."
"The more the merrier, my friend," smirked Bakura as he laid his arm across the keeper's shoulders.
Back in the hospital wing, Yami was talking to Yugi. They were having a deep conversation before Yami suddenly vanished into the Puzzle.
Blinking, Yugi tossed around to look for his darker side, but soon realized why the ancient pharaoh had suddenly departed when Ron poked his head through the curtains.
"MORNING YUGI!" he bellowed.
Startled, Yugi almost fell off the bed, but Ryou appeared on the other side of the curtains and caught him before he fell.
"Ron, stop it," Ryou laughed. "Yugi's been through quite the ordeal."
Yugi began laughing too. "Morning, Ron," he said.
Harry, Hermione and Ginny appeared soon behind Ron. Harry's face beamed, Hermione's looked anxious and Ginny looked relieved.
"You're alright!" she said.
Yugi nodded as his stomach gave out a loud rumble. Ryou chuckled.
"You're getting quite the appetite, aren't you?"
Yugi smiled as he eyed the bowl of fruits next to him.
"That's odd..." he said. "These weren't here yesterday."
"House elves," said Hermione, picking through the fruits with a wrinkled nose. The fruits looked perfectly ripe to Yugi, who had mistakened Hermione's expression for contempt. Realizing his thought, Yugi asked, "Are you still going to go on about SPEW?" as he reached for a juicy apple.
"Yes," said Hermione, sniffing. "Do you realize that your beds are cleaned, your sheets are washed, your food delievered..." at this, Yugi looked slightly guilty at the the apple in his mouth, his cheeks bulging. "...and that they don't even have wages of any sort at all?"
"Drop it, Hermione," said Ron. "Don't scare Yugi. Like Ryou said, Yugi's been through the ordeal. You don't want to torment him and give him a heart attack, do you?"
Hermione looked rather crisp before Ginny interrupted loudly.
"It's Saturday, Yugi. Want to go out to Hagrid's?"
"If Madame Pomfrey lets me," admitted Yugi, finishing his apple.
Within five minutes, everyone had left, leaving the disgruntled Madame Pomfrey to tidy up Yugi's sheets.
Halfway across the grass, they were soon joined with Marik. Abruptly after that, Luna came streaking through the grounds, clutching a magazine in her hands, her dirty blond hair streaming behind her. Marik glared at her disdainfully as she seemed to loose her usualy misty personality as she thrusted the Quibbler into Harry's hands.
"Hey Luna," smiled Ginny.
"It's finally here!" said Luna breathlessly, her usually dim eyes alight with excitement.
Yugi craned his neck to look at the cover of the magazine. He let out a gasp; Ryou and Marik blinked in surprise, and the tomb robber sufficiently managed to grab the magazine rather rudely out of Harry's hands.
"No way..." breathed Marik.
"What is it?" asked Harry, slightly annoyed.
"It's a legend edition!" squealed Luna. Suddenly she fell back into her dreamy pretense. "A legend edition..full of legends that could be true...that are true!"
"How do you know they're true?" asked Hermione crisply.
Marik gaped at the magazine.
Because the ancient texts are true, he thought. Because he really did reincarnate...almost..he's here...
/Because...the pharaoh's here.../thought Bakura, his expression crossed and surprised.
/Because I'm here.../ thought Yami as he stared in disbelief at the cover.
"My mother used to be an International Ministry official," replied Luna, slightly haughtily. "She worked as an Egyptian archeologist and found these. Her reports were found in dad's attic...that's how he could've written this first-hand experience article."
"What's up?" asked Ron, peering at the cover. He blinked and squinted.
"Oy, Harry...look at this."
Yugi stared in disbelief at the cover.
"Ancient Legends...Fact or Fable? The Legendary Egyptian Nameless Pharaoh. Details Inside."
On the sheened parchment paper was a dark, shadowed figure...with a firm, strong figure and muscles, his tunic hidden among the gold jewlery, his royal purple cloak flicking dramatically in the wind...his black spiked hair streaked with gold, tipped with crimson, blond angular bangs in his eyes, shading his face from view..
/Yami.../
"Yugi.." said Harry softly. "That looks like you."
Actually, other than the hair, the figure didn't look quite like Yugi at all, in Harry's perspective. The figure on the magazine was much darker, his skin bronzed, and his figure obviously more masculine. Harry couldn't help but have this little voice in his head, saying that Yugi could never have that sort of physical structure. The figure looked much older, much more stern and confident, despite the shadows blocking his face.
Marik flipped through the pages.
"' The Nameless Pharaoh is an ancient Egyptian legend passed down generation to generation. The legend depicts of the monsters in ancient Egypt, once alive and flourished, as a strong form of Egyptian magic, roamed the lands and helped defend the palace. The monsters were creations of the noble Kas, the spirit of ancient nobility and royalty, such as the priests and pharaoh, created to defend and fight. Each monster could only be summoned properly by means of a magical item Millennium Items and only obeyed those of their hosts. (One of the infamous Kas of all is the Sorcerer or Illusion or Magician of Illusions, or Dark Magician who was a loyal servant to the pharaoh.) The Nameless Pharaoh's legend depicts that when these monsters soon were the cause of a devastating war, they eventually destroyed much of ancient Egypt. To defeat one particular monster, the Nameless Pharaoh sacrificed himself to seal the monster ka / spirit away. It is said, however, that the same games that were played in Egypt were about to prevail again, and the Pharaoh would return to defeat them once again and save mankind. More on page A4...'
"Nothing we don't know," grumbled Marik offhandedly as he passed the magazine back at Harry.
"Wow...amazing," said Ron in awe.
"I've heard of him!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Why is he ...er, nameless?" asked Harry, slightly confused.
"When he supposedly saved the world," said Hermione, "it requred too much magical energy that it drained him. It made his memory go blank. He couldn't even remember his own name. It's in one of the sample texts we had to learn in Ancient Runes."
"But wouldn't it be written on pyramids or something?" asked Harry.
"Most records of him soon disappeared during the monster war," explained Hermione. "Hogwarts is the only place, I think, that has as much as the original texts from the pyramids."
Marik snorted.
"How's he to save the world without even knowing his name?" asked Ron, bewildered. "Sounds like a story to me. It's hard to save to world when you can't even remember what you're supposed to save the world from, really."
/It was fate,/ murmured Yami softly from the back of Yugi's mind, almost absently.The hikari felt a slight melancholic sigh, as though the mention of his darker half's poor knowledge of his past was too overwhelming.
"What's the huge deal?" asked Ron. "No offense, but it seriously sounds like a story to me. Not facts."
Luna glowered slightly, but she wasn't the only one. Marik was lookind extremely pissed at the mention of Ron's opinion. He was about to open his mouth angrily when Yugi hurriedly stepped on his toe.
"How can you be sure that he's real?" asked Yugi to Luna, as Marik hopped around on one foot, clutching his toe, scowling at the shorter boy.
"My mother...worked for the ministry," said Luna, slightly hesitant. She regained her dreamy demeanor. "She was a Primitive Magic Archeologist..you know...those people who like to find foreign, ancient, extinct magic that are no longer on earth? She was in Egypt and brought home all these reports...I liked to look at them, when I was young."
"That still doesn't quite indicate that it's true," said Hermione, sniffing, though she was looking cynically at the pharaoh's hairstyle. Her eyes were darting from Yugi to the picture in the magazine.
"I wonder how he'd return," said Ron, looking thoughtful. "Like a spirit? A ghost? Like Nearly Headless Nick...?"
/In a matter of speaking,/ said Yami, slightly indignantly. /Thought I'm not quite headless./
Yugi smiled.
"Millennium Items..." Hermione peered at Yugi, here eyebrows knitted together in a puzzled expression.
Ryou looked rather uncomfortable. He was shifting from left to right, looking a slight bit guilty and embarrassed.
"Yugi...isn't your Puzzle from Egypt? Maybe that's a Millennium Item! Pity they don't show a picture of I see your Puzzle?"
Yugi looked exremely awkward. Yami was about to take over when Marik subtly interrupted.
"Our possessions are none of your concern," he said, frowning. His hand closed protectively upon the Rod behind him. Hermione bristled.
Yami suddenly took over.
"Luna," he said seriously. "Do you think you could bring some of your mother's reports here? To Hogwarts?"
Even Luna looked slightly surprised at Yami's requrest, but smiled all the same.
"Maybe...I'd have to ask Dad. I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you." Yami smiled. "I'd appreciate it greatly if you could."
"Do you like it?"
Yami smiled. "Most enjoyable."
Bakura suddenly took over, and began flipping though the magazine.
"Aw....they didn't even mention me," he whispered to Marik, slightly disappointed. Marik snorted.
The rest of the day passed, with the seven of them chatting in Hagrid's hut, (Yugi, Marik and Ryou were all strongly advised to pocket the treacle tart, not eat them, under hushed whispers), and then followed by homework in the common room. Harry and Ron were again in a deep and rather amusing discussion on their Divination project (Bakura snorted at their "tragic" predictions and once in a while noted one of his own favourites; Ron and Harry weren't sure to laugh since Bakura looked dead serious.) Hermione was looking eagerly through her ancient runes text book despite her opinion on Luna's article.
"Look, Harry," she said, thrusting the book forwards. Harry blinked at the vertical tiny individual pictures.
"Er...how do you read them?"
Hermione ignored his remark and flipped through the pages.
"It's only a sample," she explained. "So it just gets cut off at the end."
"What does it say?"
"Nothing much," admitted Hermione. "They never really said much about his past, but this one was engraved on his tomb."
"The magazine said something about him coming back, right?" Harry dared a glance at Yugi, who was attempting to banish a cushion. It hit Marik smartly in the fair head and he began to chase after the little boy, who was banishing other objects to protect himself. The common room seemed to be at much of an uproar at this, especially the girls.
"What are you implying?" asked Hermione, watching as a couple of girls stopped in front of Marik and told him to lay off "hurting" Yugi, at which Marik rudely replied that he was just as fine hurting them.
"A ghost? A spirit?" suggested Ron. "You know. How is he supposed to save the world without some sort of body?"
"Perhaps a reincarnate?" suggested Harry quietly, nodding his head slightly at Yugi. A large crowd of girls were now standing between him and Marik; some of Marik's fangirls had also joined and were also bickering.
Hermione looked awfully deep. "Yes...I suppose that could be it too..."
"Yugi, a reincarnate of an Egyptian pharaoh?" said Ron sceptically. "No offense to the kid, but he doesn't quite look like the guy on the magazine."
"I suppose," said Hermione. "I doubt it, anyways, Harry. Yugi doesn't seem to possess anything. Usually reincarnated forms of people always act somewhat the same as the people they were in their past life. Yugi's not really...that confident and commanding, is he?" She watched Yugi get knocked over by the purge of fangirls. Those who seemed to love Yugi shrieked and fell on their knees next to him, cooing over his innocent face. Yugi's expression was so awkwardly shy that he looked as though he'd gladly rather take Marik on than be surrounded by so many of the opposite gender. His shoulders were hunched in a feeble attempt to block himself from the girls, but it only made him look more childish and innocent than ever.
"Guess not," shrugged Harry, shaking his head at the absurdity of Yugi being the pharoah's reincarnate. "It's probably just the hair. Maybe he's a descendant or something."
"I still think it's gelled," muttered Ron.
"I don't trust what Luna has to say anyway," sniffed Hermione. "Those things are never true. The text says that the pharaoh was noble, brave, strong and daring." She gestured to the poor Yugi, who was being pulled up by fangirls. "If Yugi was really a pharaoh reincarnate...."
"...I'd reckon he was a bossy old coot," finished Ron. Harry laughed as Hermione looked rather sceptical.
"Come on...let's go to bed," gestured Harry.
"You said it!" said Ron, yawning, his unfinished parchment spilling onto the ground. "How come Snape's never taught us how to make sleeping draughts, eh, Harry?"
"Probably because he knows people sleep during his assignments anyway."
"We still have work to do," protested Hermione.
Ron grumbled. "Oh fine...." but he started up the stairs anyway.
"Ron, come back here!" said Hermione, with her McGonagall look on her face.
Ron returned, disgruntled. "With your attitude, we could've thought you were the pharaoh's reincarnate." Hermione glowered, at which Ron quickly held up his hands, as though surrendering.
"I was joking, Herm!"
"Come on," said Harry wearily. "We still need to finish aura predictions. I'm not going to say I died within the first few weeks of predictions."
"That's funny," said Ron. "Yugi being a bossy old coot's reincarnate. I'm glad Yugi's the way he is."
As they returned their faces behind their books, studying intently, they failed to notice that at that same time, "Yugi" had stood, threw the girls off with a majestic sweep of his arm, and boldly leaned against the wall, smirking. He said something that made the girls ooh at before smartly punching Marik in the arm.
"Ra-dammit, pharaoh," growled the Egyptian boy, rubbing his arm. "Have you been working out?"
"Why isn't there a Hogsmeade weekend today?" moaned Mungdungus. "Fine time for those Death Eaters to escape."
"Does Dumbledore actually know your plan, Mungdungus?" asked Lupin, shaking his head.
"'Course he does," said the undercover Ministry official. "I just ...never told him who, it was, precisely."
"Who is your robber, anyway?" asked Lupin, frowning. "I'm not going to allow you to put one of my student's life in danger."
Mungdungus's face in the fireplace chortled. "Have you had any things gone missing from your drawer, Lupin? Have you had a student who looks positively capable of hurting you?"
"No," said Lupin flatly, but as he felt his pockets, he realized that his wand was gone.
"Oh no...."
Mungdungus laughed despite his concerned look. "If you promise not to punish him, Moony, I'll tell you who did it."
"I am a teacher, Mungdungus," said Lupin exasperatedly. "The boy has to learn to control his picky fingers."
"He's bored, I reckon," joked Mungdungus. "But anyways...I can't help but tell. You wanna know?"
"Who is it?" asked Lupin wearily.
Mungdungus smiled a mischevious smile.
"Bakura."
Lupin blinked, his eyes wide in surprise. "What?"
"Bakura," repeated Mungdungus happily. "Bakura. He likes to be called Bakura-sama though, or something of the sort.""You must be mistaken," said Lupin, regaining his calm composure. "Ryou Bakura is a perfectly wonderful gentleman in my classes. He can't possibly be the boy that you're using to steal Relina's files."
Mungdungus snorted. "Looks can be decieving, Moony. He's probably stealing picking through your things without you knowing, and acting like a sweet angel. Believe me, when I met him in Knockturn Alley, he was postively deadly."
"When you told me his description," said Lupin, "I had naturally thought it'd be Bakura...who else can fit a description like that? But...in my classes, he's perfectly a wonderful gentleman! He is polite, intelligent, and very shy. It's hard to get him to the front of the class. No offense to him, but I highly doubt Bakura can even be capable of making fun of someone. He seems to be entirely innocent."
Mungdungus shrugged. "Good actor, I suppose."
"Mungdungus," Lupin groaned, exasperatedly. "The boy is not capable of stealing! He doesn't even have enough self confidence in himself. If you were to pick any of my students to use as a theif, he'd be the most unlikely one!"
"That doesn't sound like Bakura," agreed Mungdungus. "What does he do when someone provokes him?"
"Nothing," replied Lupin. "Nothing. Malfoy has a tendancy to mock him, but during classes he never even replies. He just ignores him."
Mungdungus frowned. "That doesn't sound like Bakura at all."
"What does he do in front of you when someone provokes him?"
"Looks as though he's ready to kill them, really," admitted Mungdungus. "Twirling that knife in his hands, smiling all the while, looking as though he was going to carve their hearts out alive..."
Lupin frowned. "That's sick...Ryou Bakura would never do that."
"Excuse me.." said a voice smoothly from the darkness. Lupin turned around.
"Good evening, Severus," he said. "Care for a drink?"
"Hardly," said Snape silkily. He laid a goblet on the desk. "Your drink." He frowned at the image of Mungdungus' head in the fire.
"Well well, what do we have here?"
"Hello Severus!" said Mungdungus brightly. "How's the old chap?"
"Not anything of your concern," replied Snape. "However, your subject of interest intrigues me. Do care to fill me in."
"Mungdungus hired Bakura as his theif," said Lupin wearily.
Snape looked cross, as he usually did. "I have two replies to that," he said finally.
"What?" asked Lupin. "I told him that Bakura would never be able to steal..."
"The boy certainly doesn't look capable of any rash acts," remarked Snape. "But he is. And for that, I am quite glad that Mungdungus has chosen him to steal Relina's files. Perhaps after he steals them he'll be out of my class..."
"You are not going to expel him for that," said Lupin sternly. "He is unknowingly doing things for the Order."
"Well..anyways, he said yes," said Mungdungus, hastily changing the subject. "He said yes. So he's meeting me in Hogsmeade soon."
"What joy," said Snape drily. He turned to Lupin.
"I have something of a delicate matter to discuss with you, Lupin," he said, darkly.
"I'LL be going," said Dung, and quickly vanished.
Lupin sighed as he watched his comrade disappear through the flames. He picked up the goblet and took a sip.
"Well, Severus? Do tell."
The common room was empty, except for Harry. He snuggled himself among the folds of his favourite chair, about to finish his last bit of homework. He liked working at night, it was much more peaceful, except for the sad fact that it usually deprived him of sleep.
He heard a slight shuffling behind him.
"Harry!" growled the form of Marik Ishtar from the shadows.
"What are you doing up so late?" asked Harry.
Marik looked annoyed. "Nothing. Nothing."
Harry looked at him quizzically.
Marik sighed. "Fine. But you must promise not to tell anyone."
"Sure," agreed Harry.
"I'm going to meet Malfoy on the Quidditch Pitch for a duel."
Harry couldn't think of a way to react to that. Of course, he himself had done it quite a few times...
"You shouldn't do that," he finally said. "Malfoy most likely won't even be there at all. He's probably just in the Slytherin common room, having already told a teacher, and get you in trouble."
"Pathetic tactic," snorted Marik. "It doesn't matter to me. I need some excitement anyways."
"Uh..." Harry sighed. He could clearly see that Marik's mind was made up. "Wait." He hurried up the stairs and returned holding a silverly cloak and a old, battered piece of parchement.
"Very useful thing," he said as he waggled the parchement at Marik's sardonic look at the map. "This is...a map, of the school. It has everything on it. Where everyone is, and spells to get through some shortcuts." He handed the parchment to Marik, who opened it up and found it --
"Blank," he said shortly. "A blank sheet of paper is supposed to help me?"
Harry smiled and laid a wand on the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Marik watched in amazement as he saw black ink beginning to spread, like a spider's web, from Harry's wand.
"I think I'm going to like you, Harry." The tomb keeper gave Harry a mischevious smile.
"And this..." Harry threw the cloak over both of them. "Is the Invisibility cloak. You won't survive going through the night without those two things in Hogwarts."
"You're coming?" asked Marik as Harry retreated under the cloak as well. "Why?"
"My own reasons," said Harry. Truthfully, he had been having odder dreams again...he wanted to talk to Lupin...
They hurried out of the common room.
Ryou sat in the dormitory, in the privacy of his curtains around the bed. A spiritual form of his yami sat next to him, arms crossed, his face scowling, twirling a wand like a baton between his fingers.
"What do you want, hikari?" snarled his yami irritatedly.
"I'm sorry," apologized Ryou. He stared at the wand. "Where did you get that?"
Bakura smirked as he leaned against the headboard of the bed.
"I'm not a tomb robber for nothing, Ryou. You know, you are so easily distracted with work...."
"Oh no," moaned Ryou. "You stole it from a teacher?"
"Lupin," nodded Bakura. Ryou groaned again before expertly swiping the wand out of his yami's hands.
"Hey!" protested the tomb robber.
"Being your half has taught me a few things," said Ryou wearily as he pointed his own wand. Lupin's wand disappeared.
"Where'd it go?"
"I apparated it back to Lupin," replied Ryou. "You know...object apparation? That's allowed in Hogwart, I think."
The tomb robber sighed. "Fine, fine. That's one fun ruined. Now, what did you wanted me to do, hikari?"
Ryou looked at his darker half. "Yami...how is it...that I can perform a spell in my soul room? Can I do that?"
"I suppose," grumbled Bakura. "It's possible, yes, but no one usually would do that, because it might affect things internally."
"Example?"
"Say you banished a part of your soul room," explained Bakura dully. "A book, a chair, a toy..anything, then that thing it represents will then disappear from your personality and soul. No one usually tampers with their personalities, hikari."
"What about..." Ryou tried to look casual. "About a mind-communicating spell?"
Bakura frowned. "You're a pathetic liar, Ryou. And no, to answer your question, you cannot manage to create a mind-communicating spell to Black unless you are incredibly strong. The magic you're trying to attempt is not going to be able to fight through the masses of shadows."
"Can't we just cast it in his soul room?" asked Ryou.
"I'm not sure it will actually work..." admitted Bakura. He glanced at Ryou. "Oh, for Ra's sake, if you really want to meet him again, just fall asleep!"
Ryou looked disappointed.
Bakura grumbled frustratedly. "What now, hikari?"
Ryou looked up, unusally firm.
"I need to ask you a favour, Bakura."
"What is it?" asked Bakura, annoyed. "You do realize I'm missing out on Marik's duel with Malfoy, right? What makes you think that I'm not going to say no? I'll probably just take over your body as soon as I can."
Ryou suddenly smiled. "Thanks!"
There was a unbelievable silence as Bakura blinked and stared back.
"What?"
"Thanks, Bakura!" Ryou smiled brightly. He held out his hands. "My body is yours to take for tonight. Thanks so much, Bakura!"
Bakura's expression was most enjoyable; he seemed thoroughly shocked and confused, but quickly regained his suspicious attitude.
"Hmn..." The tomb robber stared at his hikari, sizing him up, with his face beaming, his brown eyes sparkling, his arms wide open.
"Whoa!" he suddenly said, realization dawning on him. "Whoa whoa...you're not...."
"If you take over my body tonight," said Ryou, "then yes. I'll be able to perform the spell myself. I can't quite do it if I'm not in my soul room when no one is currently in use of my body. Have fun Bakura!"
"What the--" but Ryou had already returned to his soul room, leaving Bakura in his physical form.
"Have fun! Don't get me into too much trouble now...!"
"You insolent..!"
But there was no more replies.
The tomb robber, the most fearsome theif of Egypt, Bakura sama, was now free to do as he wished for the rest of the night.