Kitty: (holding Yugi really close to her, her eyes are closed)

Lina: Any change, Yugi?

Yugi: As tight as ever. She's taking the plot bunny's idea very hard.

Atem: Was she even able to write the chapter?

Kitty: ( does not open her eyes, but slowly points at her computer)

Lina: Her first signs of life in minutes!

Yugi: Neko-chan? Kitten, are you alright?

Amelda: Hopefully she'll be in good enough condition to answer the reviews.

Noa: She will be. She was able to survive Yugi being taken by the Seal to a certain extent...

Atem: After how much crying?

Noa: About a week's.

Amelda: (sighs) R&R!

Chapter Nine:

A New Host and Hikari

Harry didn't exactly know how he got to sleep again that night after seeing his friend Petrified, but he did indeed wake up the next morning, his glasses still on, and found his arm full of bones again.

Madame Pomfrey was putting new flowers in the vase next to Yugi's bed; Harry climbed out of his bed, absently staring at Yugi's blank face.

Madame Pomfrey turned and smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry, dear."

Harry said nothing as he sat down on the bed next to Yugi. Madame Pomfrey obviously sensed he wanted to be alone, so she picked up the Millennium Puzzle and turned to leave.

"What are you going to do with Yugi's Puzzle?" Harry finally spoke.

"I'm confiscating it," Madame Pomfrey said quietly.

Without really knowing why, Harry took the Millennium Puzzle out of her hand.

"I'll hold it for him," he replied, "I'm his friend…and I think he'd feel better knowing I held onto it for him."

Madame Pomfrey didn't say anything for a moment, and then she nodded curtly and left.

Harry looked down at the Millennium Puzzle quietly for a moment, before putting it around his neck.

A bright white light flashed in front of his eyes, blinding him. Then, when he could see again, he found himself in a room he'd never seen before.

It was definitely a bedroom, with broad windows to show large fields, with people on broomsticks flying off in the distance. The room was covered with pictures of his friends and he goofing off, as well as Quidditch posters that looked a lot like the ones Diana and Ron were always showing off.

Harry looked around the room, trying to figure out where he was, and then saw a door. Without hesitation, he seized the doorknob and opened the door.

He found himself in a black and purple hallway, and across the way was another door, painted black with the gold Millennium symbol on it.

Right then, the door opened, and a very familiar face appeared.

-Harry-kun…-

Diana, Marik, Hermione and Ron were in the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom working on the Polyjuice Potion, when they heard the door open.

They all raced to hide from Percy, until another voice greeted them.

"Dare? Marik? Ron?"

"Harry!" Diana came out from behind a bathroom stall, "You scared us half to death!"

"Did you hear about Yugi?" asked Hermione worriedly.

"Yeah," replied Harry, before pointing to something around his neck.

"Why do you have the Millennium Puzzle, Harry?" Ron asked in shock.

Harry shrugged. "I thought I aught to hold onto it for him…but I didn't expect this…"

Right then, Atem appeared in his spirit form next to Harry.

"Hi, all," the Pharaoh greeted sadly.

"Atem!" Diana said, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm using Harry as a substitute host until Yugi can be un-Petrified," Atem muttered glumly, "Sprout's working on it."

"Ryou said he wrote to Kitty about what happened," Hermione said tentatively, "But she hasn't written back yet."

"Neko-chan will be crushed," Atem whispered tearfully, "Why didn't I protect him well enough? Why couldn't I save him?"

"Don't go beating yourself up, mate," Ron tried to comfort him, "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is," Atem moaned, "Yugi-kun was going to go see Harry-kun in the Hospital Wing after dark, and he heard something. I got scared for his safety, so I tried to take over…but I felt myself being slammed into the back of my soul-room and the door closed. I tried to open it, but it was locked. I tried to use the mind-link but he wouldn't answer…I kept calling and calling and he wouldn't answer…"

Diana couldn't remember ever seeing the Pharaoh so sad, let alone crying.

"C'mon, Atem," she whispered, "If you want to help Yugi, crying isn't the way to do it. We need to get proof that Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin so he can get the proper punishment for hurting our friend. So let's get to work on this potion."

Atem at first didn't reply; then he wiped away some of his tears, and nodded faintly.

"How long will it take to make?" asked Harry.

"Unfortunately, a month," Marik sighed, "And although tons more Muggle-borns could be attacked by then, we've got nothing better."

"And the whole school could be counting on us," Hermione added.

"So full steam ahead, I say," Ron finished.

A week later, posters were put up all over Hogwarts about a new Dueling Club starting. With the threat of the Heir of Slytherin and Diana ready to strangle them if they didn't come with her, the friends knew not going would be foolish.

"This should be interesting," said Marik, "I mean, the only time I could've seen a Wizard's Duel was with Dare, Atem and Mione, and that turned out to be a trick to get us all in trouble."

"Ah, I see I'm not forgotten, even in the riffraff," mocked a familiar voice.

"Go away, Malfoy," Ron growled.

"So rude," Malfoy teased, before putting on a look of feigned surprised, "Oh, where is dear Starhead?" he smirked, "Oh, yeah…he's feeling a little unwell, isn't he? I do hope it's life-threatening…"

Seto looked ready to jump on him and beat the shit out of him, and Hermione and Ryou had a lot of difficulty holding the much taller boy back. Harry was trying furiously to keep Atem in his soul-room, as he was already shouting furiously in Egyptian through their mind-link.

"Shut your fat mouth, Malfoy or else I'll make you," snapped Diana.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Malfoy said sarcastically.

Diana's eyes flashed red, and Malfoy's eyes widened as he took a step back.

"You wouldn't dare," he hissed.

"Haven't you ever heard people calling me 'Dare?'" Diana smirked evilly, "Stick around if you want to see what I'll dare to do, you little-"

But her statement did not finish itself, Lockhart climbed up onto the stage, grinning broadly and cheekily, and started speaking over the crowd.

"Quiet down, please, quiet down! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me?"

Lockhart's grin broadened.

"Excellent! Now, in the midst of these dark happenings, I've decided to start this little Dueling Club, to defend yourselves if you ever need to, as I myself have done on countless occasions! I only wish I could have gotten to Slytherin's monster before it got to Mr. Mutou…I know exactly the spell that could've spared him; read my public works for more details."

Harry heard Atem growl in the back of his throat.

-Lockhart, Kisama…how dare you use my Hikari in your pathetic publicity stunt…-

/Atem, be quiet/ Harry thought, /I'm sure there's some room in the Shadow Realm waiting specially for him…but as we're in a huge crowd surrounded by rabid Lockhart fan-girls, you'll have to wait./

Lockhart cleared his throat. "And now, I'd like to introduce my assistant…"

Another person came up on stage, and Harry groaned.

"Professor Snape has sportingly agreed to help me with a little demonstration," Lockhart continued, "But I don't want any of you youngsters to worry…you'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear…"

Bakura appeared in Ryou's place with an evil smirk. "I'd be more worried about the Defense Against Dark Arts vacancy for the rest of the year if it were me…"

Diana laughed at the Tomb Robber's comment and Hermione whacked both of them on the back of the head, hissing at them angrily.

The two professors faced each other as they drew their wands; they held them in front of their faces and then lowered them. They bowed toward each other (or rather, Lockhart bowed and Snape barely inclined his head), and then they walked to opposite sides on the stage, brandishing their wands like swords in front of them.

"On the count of three," said Lockhart, "One…two…three!"

"Expelliamus!" Snape reacted immediately, red light shooting out of his wand and slamming Lockhart into the opposite wall and making his wand go flying.

The Slytherins were all cheering. Even Marik was clapping.

"I like that slimeball more than I thought," he laughed.

Hermione, on the other hand, was dancing around on her tip-toes trying to look over the crowd.

"Do you think he's alright?" she asked, obviously about Lockhart.

"Who cares?" Bakura and Diana said together.

Lockhart got to his feet, his wavy hair a little mussed up but still grinning broadly.

"Excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape," he commented as he picked up his wand, "That, ladies and gentlemen, was a Disarming Charm…an elementary charm that I easily could've blocked if I had wanted to, but as this is to teach you…"

Obviously catching Snape's dangerous look, Lockhart cleared his throat and said, "Now, let's have a volunteer pair, shall we? Randall, Weasley, how about you?"

Diana got up on the stage, but Snape stepped in before Ron could climb up.

"Weasley's wand causes the devastation with the simplest spells," he intruded coldly, "We'd be sending the rest of Randall up to the Hospital Wing in a matchbox."

Ron smiled sheepishly at Diana, knowing that Snape was right no matter how evil or unfair he might be.

"How about someone from my house?" asked Snape slyly.

Diana immediately gestured toward Marik.

"No, I don't think so," Snape smirked down at her, "Mr. Malfoy, get up here."

Diana glared as Malfoy jumped up on stage, smirking as he took out his wand. She took out her own and they faced each other, wands up at their faces.

"Let's see what you've got, Randall," whispered Malfoy so the teachers couldn't hear him.

"You're going to regret those words," snarled Diana.

They brought their wands down, and inclined their heads, not taking their glaring eyes away from each other. Then they started toward the opposite sides of the stage, and brandished their wands just like the two professors had.

"Now cast your spells to disarm your opponent…only to disarm," added Lockhart, "We don't want any accidents. On the count of three…one…two-"

"Averte Sactum!" yelled Malfoy before it was time; a light came from his wand and whammed into Diana, knocking her backwards onto the floor.

The Slytherins roared with laughter; Malfoy smirked down at her; Bakura yelled, "Get up, Dare-kun!"

Diana got up rather quickly, her temper flaring as she roared, "Stupefy!"

Her own flash of light slammed into Malfoy, throwing him back against the wall. He shakily got up, looking as though he'd gone numb in a few areas.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart said desperately, but neither Diana nor Malfoy cared.

"Tarentellegra!" shouted Malfoy, and a shot of light came from his wand.

Diana, however, was ready.

"Protego!" she yelled, and a white shield appeared in front of her and stopped Malfoy's spell, before retorting with "Rictusempra!"

Malfoy ducked Diana's spell, and shrieked, "Serpensortia!"

And to Diana's shock, a black snake came shooting out of Malfoy's wand. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back.

"Don't move, Randall," said Snape rather coolly, "I'll get rid of it for you…"

"Allow me!" interrupted Lockhart, brandishing his wand at the snake.

There was a BANG; the snake flew about eight feet into the air, before slamming back onto the ground, hissing and spitting irately.

It slithered toward Diana, its fangs bared; Diana stepped backward, trying to get it away from her.

Then out of nowhere, a hissing came from next to the stage.

Diana gawked at Harry, who was now hissing at the snake furiously. Her eyes widened, as the snake became docile on the floor.

"Vipera Evanesca," Diana barely recognized Snape's voice as the snake vanished into grey smoke.

Harry looked up at Diana, and Diana felt fear within her she'd barely known before course through her, before jumping off the stage and running out of the Great Hall.

Atem: Chapter completed!

Yugi: (still held onto by Kitty) Time to answer the reviews!

Noa: Who's first?

Lina: Ma-LI-KE he Kaiba, and she gave us presents! I officially thank you for everyone you mentioned as only a few of us are around today. (grins) Spa trip!

Amelda: (hugs his little brother tight) I officially love you.

Kitty: (SMILES!) Hi, Mikey.

Yugi: My angel speaks!

Noa: Are you okay, Kitty?

Kitty: Just to tell you, Mikey, I've always admired you for believing in Dina-Dude.

Mikey: (grins) I like you already. (looks at Amelda) Is she your girlfriend?

Yugi: (blushes in fury) WHAT?

Amelda: No...she's Yugi's. But she's a friend.

Mikey: Cool! (glomps Kitty)

Kitty: (hugs Mikey back) Now I know why you were so mad at Kaiba, Amelda! Your brother's a total sweetheart.

Yugi: (mutters furiously to himself)

Lina: The next review is from Claire.

Kitty: It's okay... (hugs Claire) I haven't updated in IWYF in a long time either... (mutters) Note to Self: gotta do that.

Yugi: (smiles) He'll never hurt MY Kitten. EVER. Even when he's joking.

Kitty: (kisses Yugi's cheek) And I am still upset. (cries) I shall never forgive the plot bunny for this. NEVER.

Noa: Of course, Malfoy did have something to say about Yugi being attacked...

Atem: (growls) That little ferret is lucky Harry was holding me back...

Amelda: And I'm kind of surprised Kitty hasn't flooded her room by now...

Yugi: Most of Kitty's crying is internal...which can make her run a fever, throw up, or be unable to move or speak for long periods of time.

Amelda: Gosh.

Lina: Next...Kyte.

Kitty: (sweatdrop) I won't bother you and Valon, believe me. I just expect to be able to say hi to him once and a while. (winks)

Atem: And now you know what happens to me...

Yugi: I'm kinda glad my Yami isn't gone along with me. That'd be terribly boring...

Noa: (rolls his eyes) And I feel like screaming that Malfoy is still alive, to be frank.

Kitty: Amen, Noa, Amen!

Lina: Last...Rainbow Guardian Angel...and she is upset.

Kitty: (smiles grimly) Someone noticed Marik's vagueness...but I'm not saying about it now, as it's too easy in the fic even for me to hint anything.

Atem: (smirks evilly) And I'll pass on the ice cream to Harry-kun... (runs away with the carton of ice cream)

Yugi: (sighs) Why do I not trust him to deliver the carton with the ice cream still in it?

Kitty: Because we know him too well.

Lina: R&R!