Chapter 14

By the time the Slytherins grew tired of torturing Joey, it was early in the morning. They all had just gradually left the common room a few at the time, so there had been plenty of people to hurt Joey for many hours. Malfoy was the last one to leave, and was the most disgusting of all the Slytherins.

"So Wheeler, do you still think you don't need a Second to defeat me?" Malfoy boasted.

"I don't," said Joey softly, "if you play fair."

"Ha! You'd never be able to beat me, you measly Mudblood," said Malfoy. Joey lifted his fist, and put all his remaining strength into sending it at Malfoy's face.

Malfoy dodged it easily. "You're pathetic," Malfoy said. Then he leaned right up to Joey's face, and spat. Malfoy smiled, watching the spit drip slowly down Joey's nose. He then turned around and walked prissily up the stairs to the dormitory. Joey just lay there, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as soon as daylight reached Joey and woke him up, he ran as fast as he could to the Hospital Wing, not even bothering to change his dirty, bloody clothes.

He barged into the wing and looked up the rows of beds, and saw two people standing in the center of the room.

"Yugi! You're better!" Joey shouted, and then he looked at the other person. "Ryou, what are you doing here?"

The two people turned around and stared at Joey as if he had two heads. Then 'Yugi' looked terrified.

"Joey, get out of here!" he shouted.

Joey looked thrilled. "Ok!" he said, "I'm going to go tell everyone that you're better! And that you were sick…" And just like that, he was gone.

Bakura turned and looked at Yami. "Now where were we?" he asked. "Oh yes, I was about to defeat you in a Shadow Game, killing all your little friends."

Yami gritted his teeth, this was not supposed to happen. He remembered how it had started…

Yugi had awoken groggily about 10 minutes before now, grumbling about the pain. The nurse had burst into the room, smiling happily and going on and on about how lucky he was to be alive. Then she left the room for awhile, to go check on some of the other sick students.

Then Bakura had stepped out of the shadows.

"Hey Ryou," Yugi had said. Bakura had said nothing back, just walked closer and looked at the Millennium Puzzle around Yugi's neck.

"Where'd you get that?" Bakura asked.

"Oh," Yugi said, "My grandpa gave it to me. He got it from a dig in Egypt."

"Did you put it together by yourself?"

Yugi nodded. "It took a loooooooong time though; I got it when I was 8."

Bakura looked impressed. He grinned evilly and said, "Do you mind if I steal it?"

Yugi looked at him and said, "Yes." Then there was a flash of the Millennium Puzzle, and Yami stepped out of the bed.

"There is no way you're going to steal it!" he said.

"Then let's play a game," Bakura said.

Joey had run all the way to the Gryffindor tower and was banging on the portrait again.

Harry opened it groggily, but woke up more once he saw who it was.

"Joey, it's you!" he said, and turned and looked at Ron. "Ron, Joey's here!" He beckoned Joey to come inside.

"Did you cream Malfoy?" Ron asked.

Joey shook his head.

"How could you not beat him?" Seto asked indignantly from a couch near the fire. "You had my technology by your side!"

"Let me tell you the whole story," said Joey. "You see, I went in and Malfoy's wand made a bunch of sparks. One caught me on fire, and melted the watch."

Seto made a croaking noise like a dying frog. "Do you know how much money that was worth?!?"

Joey nodded and continued his story. "Anyway, I took off my coat, and accidentally threw it on top of Yugi. The coat burned him severely, and he's recovering in the hospital wing."

"WHAT?!?" gasped Ron and Harry, "We have to go see him!"

"I know! I came to tell you guys that!" said Joey, and the three ran to back to the Hospital Wing.

When they walked in, Yugi was lying on the bed, looking almost dead.

"Wow, looks like he went through a lot," said Harry.

Ron looked at Joey. "Did the Slytherins get mad at you for trying to cheat?" he asked.

"Uh… no," said Joey. "Not really."

"Then how did you get so bloody?" asked Harry.

"I fell down the stairs."

Harry and Ron looked at Joey skeptically, but didn't say anything more on the subject.

The nurse walked in and shooed them out of the Hospital Wing. Harry and Ron headed down to get something to eat, while Joey headed to the library.

Joey sat down and opened 'Ancient Genealogy', an old-looking book. He started reading, but soon became bored. He looked to his right, and saw Hermione sitting, reading very quickly.

"Hi Hermione," Joey said, "What are you reading?"

"I'm reading about some advanced spells I thought I might try," she responded. "What are you reading about?"

Joey told her all about the goblin in the bank, and how he had decided to look up in genealogy books his family.

"I can help you look, if you want," said Hermione.

"Ok, that would be great!" said Joey, and they spent the rest of the morning looking over ancient books together.

A few hours later, Joey went to go to lunch. As soon as he left the library, however, he felt a hand around his throat.