HD: here is Chapter 16!
Alvar: HD no own.
COH: on with the story!
Chapter 16
Professor O'Connell was seated in her office. She was staring at a velvet box which sat on her desk in plain view so she could look at it. She wasn't concentrating when the door was pulled open, or when Sirius Black, the older, strode in and sat on the seat in front of her desk.
"Concentrating rather hard on that box, aren't you." He observed, breaking her daze.
"What?" She looked up at him and blinked. "Why are you here?"
"Just thought I would come see you…" He picked up a small glass box on her desk and started tossing it and catching it.
"You haven't pulled up enough courage to even leave your room have you?" Kirra's smirk was full of dark amusement.
"I have courage, I am a Gryffindor!" Sirius argued.
"Oh please, if memory serves I believe you had to ask the hat to place you in that house." Kirra lent back and watched him carefully.
"Well at least I wasn't like you, and had the hat refuse to sort me." Sirius smirked back, imitating her.
Her expression darkened. "Why don't you just go confront Harry?"
"Why don't you? You are his Godmother." Sirius snapped.
"As far as the world is concerned Sirius Black, you are his only Godparent." Kirra's eyes darkened as she watched Sirius.
"That's only because you walked out on everything." There was an undertone to the words and Kirra and Sirius both understood.
"I don't regret anything…" Kirra's words were colder than ice.
Sirius stood up suddenly, placing the ball back. "There is nothing left anyway." He turned to leave.
"Talk to him Sirius." Kirra called after his retreating back.
When Harry and Malik walked into the dorms they saw Jou and Ryou surrounding a slightly scarred Yugi. When they noticed the bruises Malik ran to the boy's side.
"What happened?" Malik demanded, moving Yugi's arms to see his stomach.
"Its nothing, I'm ok." Yugi tried to assure them.
The bathroom door opened and three people walked out. One was Seto but the other two Harry didn't know. The first was an almost identical copy of Yugi, except he was taller and his eyes were a dark crimson, reminding him a fresh blood, the tipping of his spiky hair was the same colour and his skin was darker.
The second was more like Ryou except his hair was spiker and his eyes were a deep brown-red. His skin was also darker and he was taller.
The one who looked like Ryou notices Harry and stops. "Shit!"
"It's ok!" Malik spoke up. The others look at Malik. "He knows. He could see Marik when he was in spirit form."
The one who looked like Yami turned his eyes on Harry. "You can…?"
Harry nodded numbly. Yugi took the opportunity to slip from his friends and stand at Yami's side.
"How long?" Yugi asked quietly, taking the shirt Yami was holding and slipped it on.
"I just told him." Malik informed them, stretching.
Yami was watching Harry carefully.
"Do you think it's wise?" Bakura asked, drawing their attention to him. "He is a mortal."
"Bakura, I'm mortal too." Ryou pouted.
"You're a Hikari." Bakura waved it off.
"So? I'm still mortal."
"No your Hikari, it's different." Bakura stated stubbornly, using his 'the-fight-is-over-I've-won' voice.
"Whatever." Ryou rolled his eyes.
"I trust Harry." Jou cut in. Harry sent him a grateful smile.
"I do too." Yugi nodded.
"Same." Malik and Ryou chorused. Seto, Yami and Bakura nodded, agreeing with their partners.
"What did happen to you, Yugi?" Malik prodded. He wasn't about to let Yugi off so easily.
Yugi looked nervous at being under the spot light.
"He fell." Bakura cut in. Everyone looked at him. "What?" He snapped.
"Sine when does Thief-King Bakura help out Yugi?" Malik smirked.
"Thief-King?" Harry voiced.
"Oh, I forgot, Bakura and Amber-Lee are thieves." Malik explained simply.
"Thieves?"
"Yea, you know, robbing tombs, stealing gold and pretty shinny things." Malik's eyes brightened.
"Uh…"
"Ignore him." Ryou muttered.
Yugi yawned quietly. "I'm going to bed, good night." He headed over to his bed with Yami following.
"Good thinking…" The others started to head to their own beds.
It was a temple, large and dark, in-scents were placed around and a table of offerings was placed in the centre.
In front of the table was a tall man. His skin was pale and his hair a dark brown, his eyes stood out, icy-blue and his thin lips curved up. Opposite him were two people, the white haired man and the woman who'd been waiting for the Prince.
The woman spoke smoothly. "We need to find someone." She then went into an explanation of the situation of one of the Prince's servants had gone missing and they needed to find him soon. When she's finished the ice-blue eyed man was pacing and listening carefully.
"We should send some guards to look for him, up the main road to the Palace and around there. That's all we can do for now." The woman nodded and thanked him before departing with the white haired man in toe.
"So what are we going to do?" He asked, finally speaking.
The woman turned to him with a smirk. "Look for him ourselves of course." He smirked along with her as they headed to the stables. "Oh, before we go I need to get a guard, Brother's orders."
"I thought I was your guard." The man smirked.
"Oh please, brother trusts you as much as he trusts a common rat." Her smirk never left her face. The man pulled a mock-offended look and the woman merely chuckled. "I'll go get one."
She headed back to the palace leaving him alone. But she soon reappeared with a tall man with exotic tanned skin, wild platinum-blond hair and violet-red eyes. He took a guard's horse and they rode to the Nile. The two men talked as they rode, ignoring the sparkling clear water that rippled gently and had the allure of cool refreshment.
"We are here." The woman called back, letting her horse trot up the bank.
"What are we here for anyway?" The guard called, dismounting and leading his horse.
"We are looking for…"
"Harry!" Harry stirred reluctantly and starred up into honey-brown eyes.
"Huh?" He rubbed his head and sat up groggily.
"Finally, he's up." Jou called, drawing back from were he'd been.
"We'll come on I'm hungry." Malik complained, rubbing his flat toned stomach.
"You're as bad as Jou." Ryou chuckled.
"Hey!" Jou protested.
Ryou just smiled innocently and went about putting his shoes on.
Yugi was perched on the edge of his bed wearing no leather, for once. He wore simple jeans and a plain shirt. He looked much different with out the leather and chains.
"Yug, are you ok?" Malik came to sit next to Yugi, wrapping his arms around his small friend.
"I'll be fine." Yugi's smile was forced and he looked nervous.
"Here." Malik went back to his trunk and dug around for a moment before returning with a small bundle of silk. He handed it to Yugi who stuffed took it and unfolded the cloth to reveal a small dagger which he put in his pocket.
Harry pulled on some of Dudley's second-hand clothes and didn't bother with his hair.
"Let's go!" Malik grinned, heading out the door.
"Did anyone give him sugar?" Jou muttered as they followed him out.
Caytlin could feel her head pounding as she sat up. Kirra and Lily were perfectly fine.
"Damn them." Caytlin thought bitterly as she pulled herself out of bed and went about getting ready, slower than usually and nursing her aching head.
"Are you OK?" Lily asked when Catylin tried to put her shoe on her hand.
"Don't yell." Catylin hissed making her head hurt more.
"Really Cate, you shouldn't have drunk so much." Kirra scolded, flipping through a book carelessly.
"How come you two don't have hangovers?" Caytlin asked bitterly.
"We were smart enough not to drink." Lily smiled.
"Well that's just great, isn't it?" Catylin growled.
"Yep." Lily was still smiling happily.
"How much did you drink?" Kirra looked up and turned to Catytlin.
"Um…" Her head hurt from having to think. "Like…a lot…."
"Catylin…" Lily sighed fighting her smile. "It's just like you."
"Hey, what's that noise?" Kirra looked at the closed door which let in the faint sounds of girls talking.
Lily marched over to the door and wrenched it open on three third years who had been talking among themselves. "What's happening?"
One with straight fair hair raised her eyebrows and serving Lily as if she were below her. "Don't you know?"
"Know what?" Lily was growing suspicious and curious as she served the three.
One girl with red braids lent forwards. "Professor Ra-what's her name, the freaky teacher, yea anyway her and a seventh year Slytherin were found, dead, drenched in their own blood with no clue of the killers. Everyone is sure its Death Eaters."
Lily looked over her shoulder at Kirra and Catylin who both looked as confused as she.
"When did they find them?"
"Early this morning." The fair haired girl said, turning to walk away with the other two following.
"Dead, how…?" Catylin had all thoughts of her headache gone and was concentrating on the new development.
Kirra looked down at her book, ignoring the words she thought how this could happen. The killing curse? No it couldn't be, they said they were drenched in blood. Maybe the muggle way, stabbed them or shot them or clubbed them over the head.
"If it was Death Eaters than why didn't they leave their mark?" Lily asked more to herself than her two friends.
"Maybe it wasn't Death Eaters, but students." Kirra and Lily looked at Catylin. "What?"
"No more mystery manga's for you…" Lily muttered.
"Hey!" Catlyin pouted.
"What do we have today?" Malik asked, smearing more peanut butter on his toast.
"Potions." Ryou muttered absently.
The group sat around, unaware of the schools panic over the dead people, Harry was shaken when they'd first told him of the Yamis doing but he calmed down and the problem didn't bother him.
"Damn." Harry mumbled. "I hate potions."
"Who's da teacher?" Jou asked, leaning over Seto's shoulder to see.
"Professor Slughorn." Ryou read. "He's head of Slytherin."
"And a real asshole, hey guys." Blitz sat beside Amaya and looked around. "Did you hear about the killings?"
"Yea, strange huh?" Amaya acted neutral and Harry silently applauded her.
"How could someone break into Hogwarts? It's impossible!" Blitz suddenly lent forward. "Someone thinks it could be a student."
Ryou, Amaya, Yugi and Malik exchanged guilty looks.
"Dumbledor is worried." Blitz continued, not seeing the looks. "He has no clues as to what happened."
"Class is starting." Seto stood abruptly.
"Yea, we better go." Amaya agreed.
The group left the hall, a little hurriedly. Yugi was stuffing a book in his bag and didn't notice the person headed straight toward him. The two collided.
"Ahh! Sorry." Yugi apologised quickly looking gup into dull-violet eyes.
"Hmmm…" The girl picked up his bag and handed it too the stunned Hikari. Yugi suddenly realised who it was. Kirra Mouto.
"Uh thanks." He took his bag and handed hers back. "Sorry." He repeated when she climbed to her feet.
"Don't worry…" She studied him once more before slipping past.
Yugi ran to keep up with the others who had stopped halfway down the hall.
"Yug, where you been?" Jou asked when Yugi caught up. Yugi just shook his head and walked on.
Kirra sat down next to Lily and after a short moment she looked at her muggle-born friend.
"Did you know there is a boy in this school who is almost identical to me?" She quizzed.
"Did you know there is a boy in this school who is almost identical to Potter?" Lily shot back.
"No way?" Catlyin's eyes widened. "You and Potter must have twins or something!"
Lily shook her head. "Harry, the one who looks like Potter, is only a sixth year."
"The guy I ran into must have been…third or lower."
"Same for you." Catlyin chuckled.
"I just have a delayed growth spurt." Kirra stuck her nose up.
"Sure…" Lily and Catlyin laughed, rolling their eyes.
"Shuddup."
The Teachers were gathered in an urgent meeting. McGonagall was pacing and Binns floated lazily in the air. The rest of the teachers sat around, talking in anxious whispers. O'Connell sat away, leaning agianst a wall and not paying attention.
"Teachers please." Dumbledore called over the buzz. "We needed to plan what we are going to do."
"We need a new teacher for starters." Slughorn called, taking a sip of his brandy.
"I'm working on it." Dumbledore nodded. "We also needed to talk with Mr Ranch's parents." He sighed. He eyed Slughorn's glass of brandy.
"Albus what are we going to do? We have killers on the loose and no ties to who they are." McGonagall's eyes were full of pain as she looked desperately at the headmaster.
"I'm…not sure…" Dumbledore rubbed his weary temples.
TBC…
HD: hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
COH: one of our longest chapters!
Alvar: thanks to the reviewers!
sam: can't resist eyes!
Kelly: thanks alot! hope you enjoyed this chapter!
hometweethome: Thanks! hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Cole: are they so dense as to not see the murders are right in front of them?
Bea: their mortals.
HD: please REVIEW!
HappyDevil, Bea, Cole, COH and Alvar.
