Like I have said in twenty-two other chapters, I do not own YuGiOh or Harry Potter. They belong to Kazuki Takahashi and JK Rowling, respectively.

EDIT 6/19/08: The end of the chapter's been edited, so check it out for a slightly different ending paragraph.

Chapter 23 (Nooooo! It's over! sniffle, sniffle)

The week ended, bringing the June sunshine, and cramming for exams. The first weekend of the month, everyone was outside, forgetting their upcoming tests.

Harry was relieved to know that Malfoy hadn't been spotted anywhere near the school.

"I was just thinking about what Malfoy said to you at the first attack, 'Mione," said Harry, sitting with his friends by the lake. The sun was shining on top of them, leaving the air warm with a nice breeze. The giant squid kept chasing away the birds that landed on the lake by going to the surface, flopping its tentacles in the air, then returning to the depths of the lake, waiting for the birds to continue.

"Yea?" she asked, watching the squid have fun.

"Remember how he wanted you two of the way so he could be the best, well think about it. I think he's serious."

"What do you mean?" asked Seto, walking down the hill, sitting next to Hermione.

"Well, after he made his claim," said Harry, "he tried to kill you, 'Mione. Then, while everyone is running around the day of the attacks, he's sighted again. Seto finds him, but was taken down. Malfoy said he needed you out of the way. Then he tries to kill you a second time!"

"Oh, I see…"

"HE DID WHAT?" exclaimed Seto, turning to Hermione, "when did he try that?"

"When you were locked in the bathroom, he tried to strangle me, but it didn't work."

"Well, obviously."

"He had us fooled for a minute, he disguised himself to look like you, but the Marauder's Map showed that it was really Malfoy. Before we could completely catch him, he disappeared. He always showed up when Dumbledore's not around. And Dumbledore left this morning, and nobody knows where he is!"

"You think he'll come back?" asked Hermione, leaning on Seto's shoulder as he sat down on the grass, fiddling with his cell phone.

"Maybe, but there's no telling for sure," said Harry, looking down the lake. Ryou, Marik, and Bakura were playing exploding snap while Set and Yami were still trying to teach Ron how to play Duel Monsters.

Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map, popping a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean into his mouth, and nearly choked. A dot labeled Draco Malfoy was on the seventh floor. Harry's eyes followed dot until it disappeared in the center of the corridor.

"He's back!"

Seto put his phone in his pocket and peered at the map, "Malfoy? I don't see him."

"He disappeared. Hey Hermione, what's on the seventh floor?"

"Um," she thought, "Seto and I have Ancient Runes class when you have Divination, that's on the seventh floor, right?"

Seto shook his head, "no, the sixth."

"Oh, erm…what about…oh! Harry, the Room of Requirement!"

"That's it! That's where Malfoy must be going!"

"What's the room of requirement?" asked Seto, glancing at his hand. The bandages were turning red all over again. "Crud." He reached into the inner pocket of his Battle City trenchcoat, and brought out a new roll, cleaning up caked on blood and replacing the bandages.

"Are you ever going to stop putting those on?" asked Harry, taking his eyes off the map.

"Yes, whenever the scars disappear. Why can't that woman use normal quills!"

"Because she's rotten to the core."

"Look, over there!" pointed Harry. Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Pansy Parkinson, and some brunette Slytherin Harry didn't recognize were huddled not too far away. Hermione looked over at them, "what about them?"

"Who's the other guy?" Hermione shrugged.

"It's not your business to know everyone in the school, Harry," she said, and then began fiddling with the navy-blue belt-like armbands on Seto's upper arms.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" asked Yugi, coming towards them. She stopped fiddling and smiled at her friend, "nothing really."

"Yugi, do you know who that Slytherin is over there?"

"Nope, ask Ron."

"Oh, that's it! Yugi, do you still have the extendable ears that Ron gave you for Christmas?"

"Yea, why?" Yug pulled them out of his bag, and gave them to Harry. He watched his friend toss the ears near the Slytherins, his ear in the other end. Yugi, Seto and Hermione huddled together, listening, unnoticed, behind a large tree.

"…What do you mean, Nott? Think I can't get it done?" asked the brunette. "I'll let you know that since Father was arrested during the London Massacre, the Dark Lord has been putting more faith in me. He wants the job done tonight, when Dumbledore returns to the school."

"But Drakie-poo!" exclaimed Pansy, ruffling the brunette's hair, "how are you supposed to pull it off?"

"Yea, Malfoy," said Crabbe, "smuggling them in doesn't seem possible!"

Harry gave a tug and the ear returned. He gave it back to Yugi. "It seems Malfoy disguised himself again," he muttered, looking at the Marauder's Map. The dot labeled Draco Malfoy was right on top of Nott's, Parkinson's, Goyle's and Crabbe's.

"We need to stop him. Something about Dumbledore's return has Malfoy on a roll and we have to end this before he hurts someone else."

Harry and Bakura looked the entire map over all day, in the boy's dorm. Hermione and Seto were on the floor, making some type of potion near the windows, the breeze allowing circulation of the fumes. Ryou, Yugi, Marik and Set were four-way dueling, Yugi in the lead, followed by Ryou, Set and Marik. The lead was narrow as it was only the fifth turn for each of the players. Yami was talking to Mokuba online and Ron was finishing his homework essay for Divination.

Bakura suddenly pointed at the Astronomy Tower, where a dot on a broomstick doodle labeled Albus Dumbledore approached the tower. "Look there! He's almost back!"

"The potion's done!" called Hermione, adding the last stir of the potion. She poured it all into a large bottle, "I'll go get Ginny and Neville." She left the dormitory. Harry picked up the bottle she had labeled Felix Felicitus, the luck potion. When she returned, Harry handed out a fairly large bottle and small cups. "Here. Share this among yourselves and Ginny and Neville. Hermione has more for the DA if anything happens…"

We'll be fine," said Ron.

"Well, Yugi and I are going to go," said Harry, pulling out the invisibility cloak. "I have a feeling Malfoy planned something BIG. Just be on your guard." They left the common room. Hermione distributed the Felix Felicitus (luck potion)

"Cheers," she muttered and they all took a swig. "Alright then, Harry left us some' instructions to do while he breaks Malfoy's neck." She pulled out a sheet of parchment.

"It says that Yami, Ginny, and Neville watch the Room of Requirement, in case Malfoy tries to get away. He seems to go in and out of there a lot. Seto and Set are to patrol the dungeons."

"Got it," said Neville.

"Ron, Harry asks you to take Hedwig and contact the Order in case something goes wrong, and Marik, Ryou, Bakura, and I are going to the hall of staircases. Ron, you'll be with Yami."

"Right, now let's go."

Harry and Yami ran up to the Astronomy Tower steps, hidden from view under the invisibility cloak.

"I hope we're not too late," Yugi said, huffing it up yet another staircase, "this castle is too big!"

"Nah, your legs are just too small!"

"HEY!"

"There's nothing to patrol all the way down here. The dungeons must be thirty miles from the Astronomy Tower," said Seto, heading up the dungeon hallway past Professor Snape's class.

"Did you tell Mokuba yet?"

"Tell Mokuba what?" asked Seto, turning to look back on his ancient self.

"That you have a girlfriend now."

"I emailed him. He didn't respond back yet. No point really, the school years almost over. We'll be back in Japan in a few weeks."

They headed into the entrance hall. "Something must be going on up there by now!"

An echoed shout drifted down the marble staircase.

"Like that." Seto darted up the stair, Set hot on his heels.

Yami Yugi paced the corridor with Ron.

"How do we even know that the ferret is in there anyway? He could be at the Astronomy Tower as we speak!"

"Well, Harry and Yugi went up there to investigate."

Without warning whatsoever, Malfoy darted past them, throwing a smoke bomb as he passed. Unable to see, Ron was able to make out way more than one set of running footsteps across the corridor.

"Malfoy must have brought his buddies along!"

"I'll contact Bakura," said Yami, "see if you can follow them!"

"Right!"

Yami pulled out the golden coin Hermione had given him. He tapped it with his wand (a duplicate of Yugi's)

"Tomb-Thief!"

"Yes, Pharaoh! I'm a bit busy now! Take a message and I'll call you back!"

"BAKURA! Listen to me! Malfoy just left the room of requirement with – was that a roar?"

"Oh yes, Seto and Set joined in, and the Priest revealed his monster, the White Dragon. You should come down here," Yami listened as he ran to the staircase hall. "It's a blast! We're not even getting hit!"

There was a tap on the thief's shoulder as a jet of red light zoomed past.

"Oh, that was fast, Pharaoh."

"Why are we using monsters?" he asked as he sent a Stupefy toward a Death Eater.

"Well, we know more Shadow Realm fun than spells. Put your strength to use! Go Dark Necrofear!"

Ryou ran up to them. "Guys! What are you still doing here? We got the death eaters into the stair hall now!"

There was another roar from Set's dragon.

"What took you?" ask Marik, stuck in combat with a burly Death Eater. "Ron contacted the Order. They're battling in the Entrance Hall." He ducked a killing curse, which hit the burly death eater, sending him over the rail of the banister, to his already-dead death floors below.

There was a bright green flash coming from the Astronomy Tower and Yami saw Malfoy and Snape dart down the stairs, Harry and Yugi close behind them, firing spells and Dark Magic Attacks from Yugi's Dark Magician.

"Look! They're firing at Snape!" Marik looked down. Meanwhile, on the seventh floor stairs, Seto was in a battle with an extremely short Death Eater with a stubby wand. Set ran up to him.

"Seto, you may want to call forth a monster, incase you lose your wand."

"Good point," said Seto, dodging green light in the nick of time, "unleash my ultimate beast."

"Sure thing." Set raised the Millennium Rod, "come Ultimate White Dragon!"

"Come forth my Great Beast!" laughed Seto, shooting a spell at the Death Eater. Blue Eyes Ultimate took flight (sort of, there were moving stairs in the way), and shot a blast at the Death Eater, missing slightly and it ripped the mask off.

"YOU!" thundered, Seto, "I should have known."

"Yes, Dumbledore was a fool to hire me back this year!" laughed Professor Umbridge, "he has met his end by the teachers he had trusted the most!"

Grrrrrrrrrrrr. "You can't win, Umbridge, Neutron blast!"

"Protego!" she shouted, protecting herself from the attack.

"Impedimenta!" Seto shouted, and while Umbridge was blocking the Blue Eyes attack, she was blasted down the currently moving stairs, catching the railing, and stood, bracing for another attack.

"I always thought something was fishy with you after you took Malfoy's side (she sort of did anyway, instead of working with McGonagall, she didn't apply any punishment, after claiming she was the one to do it) when Hermione was first attacked! You took his side. And according to Harry, Malfoy came out of your classroom when I was attacked the day of the massacres around the world!"

"Yes, Malfoy and I have been working together this entire year, and now, once he fulfills his mission, he will take his father's place!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" he shouted, sending spells and attack combos at her, forcing her down the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor to avoid attack.

"You haven't gotten it by now?" she asked, grinning ear to ear, "the attacks on Miss Granger, and yourself? The muggleborn attacks!"

Flashes of light were coming from the other end of the hall and Umbridge smirked, "I guess you don't know then. Malfoy's mission was to kill a muggleborn in the school before tomorrow! However, this is his last chance, otherwise he can't become one of us!" She laughed, "he wanted to get rid of Hermione Granger since the end of last year, as she was beating him in every class! But now, you arrived, with your friends, and you took his place, putting him at third. His father wanted the perfect child, in grades, and loyalty, but of course that can't happen now."

"You're more nuts than I thought!"

"I knew our argument would never end since you left Minerva McGonagall's office that night after the first attempt!" she continued, ducking into her office, and he followed her inside, and mentally opened his link with Set.

/Set! This would be the time to get someone down to Umbridge's office/

/I'll be there with the Pharaoh in a minute. Why/

/I'm in her office with her, and she's a Death Eater, plus, she's telling me what's been going on over the year and isn't trying to kill me…yet./

/Right! Be there in a sec./ Umbridge cleared her throat with a 'hem, hem' and continued.

"I gave you detention in our next class the minute you raised yourself above the rest, trying to make me look bad! The blood quill showed it's effectiveness, and I made you come back over and over in nine hour periods for a reason, besides sheer torture."

"Yea, and what's that?" he growled, tightening his grip on his wand.

"At your last detention before Malfoy attacked you, I jinxed the quill. All last year, Potter has used that quill, but not once did his hand continually open up in blood all of the time! No, I weakened you to the bone, making your hand continually open itself to give you a constant reminder in hell that I have beaten you, once and for all! Well, look at that, it's doing it as we speak!"

Seto looked down at his right hand. He had removed the bandages so he would have a better grip upon his wand, but now, the words etched into himself tricked blood down his wrist, stopping at his silver wristband thingies.

"Well you haven't beaten me yet!"

"True, but once I do, Malfoy will only have to be rid of the Mudblood he chose to kill, your girlfriend! But I'm not going to just end you. You've been a pain in my side too long, so you're going to get picked off piece by piece. Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" He cancelled her spell. Set, where the heck are you? "Wait. I do have one question before you attempt to blast me apart. When did Gozaboro become a Death Eater scum like you, although it fits him, he was a snake."

"Ah, Gozaboro," smirked Umbridge. "I suppose I can tell you, as a last request," she smiled horribly, "Well, he joined the Death Eaters when Voldemort was still in power, when he turned eighteen. Then he opened his muggle corporation, making machines of war with a magical twist inside them. He would have brought his son up to be a supporter of the Dark Lord like himself, only an accident changed that. He was Voldemort's right hand man, next to Peter Pettigrew. Then he adopted you, thinking he can bring you around like he had wanted with his original son. However, before he could begin, you took over his corporation, shutting his life work down. He retreated to Voldemort's side, although the Dark Lord had not yet returned, and was caught a few years ago at the World Cup incident."

I have a sneaky suspicion that my stepfather is going to come after me again. This time I'll be ready, and he won't get away.

"Now onto your demise!" shouted Umbridge. She sent curses at him, but they missed their target. While Seto aimed his wand at Umbridge and began an incantation, she shot him first.

"Crucio!" Seto was unable to block the spell in time, and he fell over, twitching horribly until Umbridge released the spell.

Harry and Yugi ran down the entrance hall, following Snape, "Where did Malfoy go?" exclaimed Harry as they ran.

"I thought we were chasing him too! I'll head back, alright with you?"

"Fine, I want Snape!" Harry kept on running and Yugi doubled back.

Yugi headed into the staircase hall, where he saw Set and the Pharaoh run down a nearby hallway.

"Pharaoh! Where are you going?"

"Umbridge's office!" called Yami, "she's a Death Eater!"

"What? Wait for me!"

Set braked to a halt in front of the office door and blasted it open.

"REDUCTO!" The windows shattered from Seto's spell, making Umbridge look away, to not get any in her eyes.

"Seto!" Set rushed over. The CEO was shaken up, and his wand arm was trembling from being hit with the unforgivable curse over and over (she did it about four times, each time longer than the one preceeding)

"Dark Magician!" commanded Yugi and the Pharaoh at the same time, "Dark Magic Attack!"

"Protego!" Umbridge blocked the attack.

"Neutron Blast attack!" commanded Seto.

"Your big-bad-dragon isn't even in here!" Umbridge cried, sending a spell at Seto who dodged the attack.

"No, but he's out there!"

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon' heads were poking through the broken windows. "Neutron Blast!" Umbridge was blasted off of her feet, hit the wall and slid down. Yami ran forward. "It's time to pay for your crimes! "MIND CRUSH!"

Professor Umbridge fell over, her mind shattered.

"Come on," Seto ran from the room, back toward the battles on the stairs.

"What?"

"Malfoy's going after Hermione, this time, he's going to make sure he kills her!"

"Impedimenta!"

Hermione was blasted into the railing on the stairs from behind.

"Malfoy!" she cried, getting back up, "what do you want now?"

"You don't know?" he sneered, then grinned, "I've been after you all year Granger. It was my test to enter the Dark Lord's ranks. Now that I'll complete it, you'll be out of my hair, and I will take my father's place."

"I don't think so! Impedimenta!" Malfoy barely dodged the attack, but just as easily sent one at her, "Crucio!"

She screamed and fell, twitching horribly. Malfoy kept the curse going for a good minute and then stopped (when you count it out, sixty seconds is no three-two-one thing).

"Have fun yet?" asked Malfoy, not expecting an answer. "Time to say good-bye! Avada Keda – what the?"

A large dragon opened its mouth and let out a neutron blast.

"Hit him again, Blue Eyes! Neutron blast!" shouted Seto as he climbed staircase after stairway, heading up to the floor under the Astronomy Tower, the Pharaoh, Yugi, and Set a ways behind him.

Malfoy was blasted backwards by the attack. Seto reached the final flight, racing up, three steps at a time.

"Expelliarmus!" Malfoy's wand flew from his hand and fell flights below. Seto raced in front of the ex-Slytherin, blocking his path from Hermione, who was lying on the ground, "stay away from her, Malfoy," he growled.

"Oh I'm sooo scared!" said Malfoy, "what are you goin' to do, Kaiba? Throw me over the edge?"

"The thought has crossed my mind," he kept his wand aimed at Draco. "Go Blue Eyes! Hit him with White Lightning and Neutron Blast!" Seto's original Blue Eyes and his three-headed dragon let out an intertwined stream that hit Malfoy, throwing him against the banister.

"You haven't won yet, Kaiba," Malfoy spat. He flung his arm over the side, and using wandless magic, his wand returned to him.

"Impedimenta!"

"Protego!"

"Sectusempra!" yelled someone, other than Seto or Malfoy, and Hermione saw someone with greasy curtains of hair, a crooked nose, and a certain Potion's Professor run forward, grab Malfoy's arm and the two disappear, like Malfoy had during his second attack.

She got hold of her wand, looked at Seto, and screamed in panic. Blood had spurted from his face and chest as if slashed by giant swords, and he crumpled to the ground with a soft thud, blood staining into his starch white trenchcoat. His wand fell from his limp hand and nearly rolled down the stairs, but Hermione caught it.

Set, Yami, and Yugi had arrived, hearing her scream echo through the halls.

"Hermione, are you – what in the name of Ra happened here?"

"S-snape," cried Hermione, tears falling freely from her cheeks. "Snape cast it. Seto was…(sniffle) protecting me from Malfoy after…he tried it again…but…why did…?"

"Hermione," said Yugi, kneeling beside her, "Snape turned on all of us. He killed…he killed Professor Dumbledore!"

"N-n-no," she stammered, "Professor D-d-d-dumbledore (sniffle) can't be dead. He just can't be!"

"Harry and I both saw it. Malfoy was there first, and he and Dumbledore seemed to be arguing about something. More death eaters arrived and then Snape, who just uttered the curse. They both ran, but we lost track of Malfoy and I doubled back as Harry ran after Snape…"

"Talk later!" growled Set, and he traced his wand around Seto's facial and chest wounds, preventing more blood from escaping. He hoisted Seto's arm around his shoulder. "C'mon. Story time later!" He led his other half to the hospital wing, Yugi, Yami and Hermione in tow, tears falling silently from her cheeks.

The halls were more silent now, and Harry entered the hospital wing an hour later. The members of the Order; Tonks, Lupin, Mad-Eye, and Kinsley, and the Weasley's were huddled around one of the beds in the ward while Yugi, Yami, Set, Bakura, Ryou, Ron, Marik, and Neville were around the other. Hermione was at Seto's bedside, his hand in hers and tears were falling from her cheeks.

"What happened?" asked Harry, looking at Seto on the hospital bed.

"Snape hit him with something," said Yugi, "he was dueling Malfoy, when Snape popped up, according to Hermione, and cast the spell on Seto so he could leave with Malfoy."

"They just disappeared, like last time," said Yami, "the other Death Eaters too."

Harry walked over to the other bed. Bill Weasley was unconscious, a few slash marks on his face and various bruises on his arms.

"Ron, what – "

"He was bitten by Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf from Voldemort's ranks. Lupin said since it wasn't the full moon, he won't transform, but may have a larger liking for rarer meats and may have some wolfish qualities."

Mrs. Weasley was dabbing ointment on his cuts.

Madame Pomfrey came into the ward from her office, and began cleaning Seto's wounds. "He was just in here! I'll have to reserve a bed for the boy."

"All of us are always in here," snapped Harry.

Professor McGonagall entered the ward with Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, and Sprout. There were grazes on her face from the recent battle, and her robes were torn at the hem.

"Potter, Muto, according to Hagrid, you two were with Professor Dumbledore, invisible, when…when it happened, and you say Professor Snape…"

"Professor, Snape killed Dumbledore," said Yugi softly. Professor McGonagall swayed alarmingly, and Lupin conjured a chair under the Professor, and she collapsed into it.

"Snape," she repeated faintly, as Madame Pomfrey finished tending to Seto and moved back to Bill. "But Dumbledore…he always trusted Snape. I can't bear to believe it."

"Snape was an expert at Occlumens," said Tonks, pulling up a chair between Seto and Bill's beds and sinking into it. "We all knew that."

"Dumbledore swore that Snape was on our side," growled Mad-Eye.

Professor McGonagall dabber her eyes with a handkerchief, "this must be my fault, I asked Filius to fetch him, we needed help, the Death Eaters were advancing and Greyback didn't make it much easier for us."

"What happened to Professor Shadi through the entire thing?" asked Ryou.

Professor McGonagall smiled weakly, "ah, this you find amusing, although in this current situation, you may not be happy and amused, but he did join us in the fight, but every curse went through him, unaffected in the battle. Most of the Death Eaters had stopped fighting us and began trying him."

"Yes, he had that key around his neck. He pressed it against some of their foreheads and controlled each and everyone of their movements. And he had those scales with him, half of the Death Eaters we had to fight went mad!" exclaimed Professor Flitwick.

Bakura smiled, "that's because good ol' Shadi isn't alive at all. He's 5000 years old. He was the guardian of the Millennium Items, giving the Millennium Items to their destined owners, and was a grave-keeper of the Pharaoh, also the reincarnation of one of the Pharaoh's goody-two-shoed Priests."

"That's enough out of you, Bakura," growled Yami.

"What will happen to the school, Minerva? Leave it open?" asked Professor Sprout.

"I…will anyone come back? After this, I wouldn't blame the parents if they kept them home."

"Professor," said Hermione, drying the tears from her eyes, "um, Seto said this in a couple of shouting matches with Professor Umbridge, but since we're all in the middle of a war, shouldn't Hogwarts remain open for a lone student, if it comes to that, who wants to learn to defend itself, because learning Defense Against the Dark Arts will be so much more important to everyone now. V-Voldemort may unleash more attacks, now that Dumbledore's…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

"That is a good point, Ms. Granger, said Flitwick, "we must consult the governors. The fate of this school rests partially up to them, and we cannot leave them in the dark."

"Now, the students have to be sent home…" began Professor McGonagall.

"Not until after Dumbledore's funeral," said Madame Pomfrey, "Professor Dumbledore would have wanted to be laid to rest here at the school."

"He did more to this school than any other headmaster," said Hagrid. "All o' the things 'e contributed. This place was his home. The students could be sent home afterwards."

"Professor Dumbledore always enjoyed hearing your insight," said Professor McGonagall, "and so do I."

Classes were cancelled. Exams were cancelled. The sunshine that stayed for the next few days was extremely unfitting for the mood of the school. Seto was released from Madame Pomfrey's care yet again with a clean bill of health, although the nurse told him on his way out that if he returns next year, he has to be more careful, quit the Quidditch team and stop dueling dangerous wanted wizards.

The Japanese students and the Brits spent their time by the lake, and although the funeral for their passing Headmaster was the next day, they were trying to make the best of the situation and try to enjoy the sunshine. Ron had finally 'mastered' the basics of dueling and used Yugi's deck against Marik, getting helpful tips and learned more info with Yugi next to him every step of the way. Bakura and Ryou were playing Exploding Snap next to the duel site, Bakura sneaking pranks onto the Pharaoh, who had no idea who was casting them until Set caught the thief in the act. A round of Duel Monsters began between Bakura's deck and Set borrowed Seto's cards, with the promise that none of them would mysteriously vanish and nobody, besides him would touch his beloved Blue Eyes White, Ultimate and Shining Dragons (Since the end of the duel in the movie, Seto really never did anything with the card, so now it's still in his deck). Seto, Natasha and Hermione were together, under the shade of a large tree, playing Wizard Chess in turns.

"Seto?" asked Natasha, waving her hand in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"…oh, huh?"

"It's your turn."

"Is something wrong?" asked Hermione, Seto's laptop on her legs as she checked her email.

"I was just thinking, what ever happened to Professor Umbridge that day, after we blasted her out of her world…"

"What did happen to her?" asked Natasha.

"We were Wizard Dueling on a moving staircase," said Seto, retelling his duel, "Set summoned up my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and we combo attacked. She blocked the dragon, while I kept hitting her. We ended up in front of her office. She went inside for refuge, and I thought I had her, so I went inside as well. She let out a bunch of secrets during the year. She was with Malfoy, trying to fulfill his mission by having him kill a muggleborn to enter Voldemort's ranks. That's why he kept going after you, 'Mione. He probably would have tried sooner, but we were soulless in the hospital wing. Anyway, she too turned out to be a Death Eater, and she also revealed how my stepfather became a servant to Voldemort."

"Wow…"

"Yea, and then she tried to do me in, using a load of spells at once. Eventually she used an Unforgivable on me," he cringed, remembering how it felt like hot knives pierced everywhere through him, putting him in immense pain. "Set, Yami and Yugi arrived and drove her back, taking her wand off me, to bring my Blue Eyes around to finish her off with one of Yami's Mind Crushes. I think she went to Azkaban for use of an Unforgivable."

"Serves her right," said Hermione, "she helped plan Malfoy's attacks on me, and deserved everything that happened to her!"

"It's still your move, Seto," reminded Natasha, surveying the board. Anywhere he moves won't matter because on my next turn, I'll checkmate him with my bishop!

"Checkmate."

"HUH?" Natasha gaped as he moved his queen and took her knight. "That's game," he leaned back against the tree.

"I guess I lost again. What's the score, 'Mione?"

"Seto with two wins, no losses, and Natasha with one win, one loss, and I have one win."

"Rematch! Come on Seto, I'll get you this time!"

"You can try," he said, setting up white pieces on his side of the board, "but you won't."

"White moves first," she said, thinking up a strategy.

He moved a pawn up two spaces in front of a bishop.

After five more turns, Natasha was defeated again. "How do you do this?"

"Years of practice," he looked at his watch, "come on. Dinner will be out soon."

The rest of the group of friends came over, sitting in the shade beneath the tree.

"Hey, Hermione, I was thinking..." began Marik, "after your parents...died, and all, um...where are you going to live?"

Hermione thought back to the article that her Uncle Nate had clipped and sent. The entire block was destroyed, leaving debris everywhere.

"Well, Grandpa would be happy to have you stay until..."

"No, Yugi, it's alright." Hermione smiled, "That's taken care of. I'm going back to Japan withyou all."

"You are?" asked Ron, "where are you staying?"

"Hermione accepted my offer to let her stay at the mansion," said Seto, "when we leave for the summer, you guys can head back to Japan, but the two of us are going back to her house, see what's left to salavage that was hers, stay for the funeral and then head home."

She nodded, "I don't have anything left here, besides you, Harry, and Ron. Most of my family was killed in the attack. I have cousins in America, and in France, Uncle Nate in America said he would have liked to have mestay, but his life is complicated at the moment and I don't want to put them in a situation, and my Cousin Michele, gave birth to her fourth child in Nice, France."

"I see," said Ron, "we'll be sure to visit."

"Of course, owl post, birthdays. We'll all keep in touch!" exclaimed Harry.

The next day, the sun remained, though the atmosphere of the school was anything but cheery. The school filed out to the lake where hundreds of rows of chairs stood, all in dress robes. A carriage the size of a house flown by flying horses amazed the younger students, who didn't attend the time of the Triwizard Tournament two years back, and they were amazed even more when an extremely tall woman came out, towering over Hagrid by two and a half feet, Madame Maxime at ten feet and Hagrid at seven and a half. She ran up to Hagrid who greeted her with a bone crushing hug. Wizards and witches from all over entered the grounds to pay their respects. The Japanese and Brits took their seats at the end of a row beside the lake. Harry looked around and recognized Kinsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks – whose hair was the wildest he had ever seen and she was holding hands with Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, supported by Fred and George who were both wearing dragon skin jackets, Madame Maxime, Tom from the Leaky Cauldron, Harry's neighbor, Arabella Figg, the band called the Weird Sisters, Ernie and Stan Shunpike from the Knight Bus, Madame Malkin of the robes-for-all-occasions store in Diagon Alley, the witch who pushed the food cart on the Hogwarts Express, the bartender from the Hogs Head Inn, and the castle ghosts were barely visible in the sunlight.

Before long, all of the many seats were filled. The Hogwarts staff seated itself last in the very front row, Minister Fudge seated by a tear-streaked Professor McGonagall. Yugi nudged Harry and pointed to the aisle between the seats. Hagrid was walking up the walkway, Dumbledore's body wrapped in a gold and purple bag. Hagrid placed the body upon the marble table in front of the seats. Tears were fast-falling from Hermione and Ginny's cheeks. Hermione leaned against Seto's shoulder, and he took her hand in his. A short wizard in all-black robes got to his feet, which didn't make him look any taller and he stood in front of the body. From the side of the seats, Yugi couldn't hear what he was saying, but through the silence, 'Greatness of Heart' and 'intellectual contribution' reached his ears.

A great splashing sound reached their ears, and the merfolk surfaced, to pay their respects. The little man in black droned on, and Harry saw movement in the trees as the centaurs fired arrows at the table, all landing on the ground to not hit the body.

Harry realized how many people had protected him over the years from harm – his mother, father, Sirius, and Dumbledore, all of them gone, and that enough had died on his behalf and was not going to let anyone else get in his way between him and Voldemort.

At last, the short man stopped speaking and bright flames erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table he was laid upon. When the fire had vanished, was a white tomb, all marble, encasing the previous Headmaster's body and the table. The centaurs brought forth another tribute of arrows, this time soaring past the tomb, but short of the crowd. Some people began rising from their seats. Hermione was sobbing into Seto's shoulder, staining the jacket of his all-black suit with tears.

Harry looked up a a large puffy cloud in the sky, thinking of the sacrifices everyone had made for him. He knew the final battle with Voldemort was approaching - when it was coming didn't matter. As long as he wouldn't have to battle it alone; and he knew he wouldn't for not only would Ron and Hermione be by his side, but so were his new friends, and Harry knew it was friendship and love that would ultimately bring down Tom Riddle.

A/N, 7/18/20: There is a sequel to this story, titled "Return of the Millennium Sword" that has since been abandoned. However, as this story was written during my high school days, there is a much more polished version that is currently ongoing, titled "Of Lost Swords and Shadow Magic", which is a complete rewrite of this and the unfinished sequel. If you enjoyed my first attempt at fanfiction, I highly recommend checking it out. :)