Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews, it means so much to me! Sorry it took so long for this chapter, but I was really busy with a new job (which I don't have any more) and school. I hope that you all enjoy the chapter and have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice or whatever you celebrate. Please leave a present(coughreviewcough)!
Yuugi blinked sleepily, wondering what had woken him. The last thing he remembered was Snape-sensei going to do something and Yuugi had sat himself down in one of the arm chairs. So how did he get in this bed? Yuugi yawned and sat up, looking at his surroundings. He rubbed his eyes to clear the sleep and noticed that not only was he still in Snape-sensei's sitting room; he was wearing the infernal pyjamas that Madam Pomfrey had kept trying to put on him.
Yuugi pouted and threw back the warm and comfortable blankets. He found his clothes sitting at the end of the bed, neatly folded. Not seeing anywhere he could hide and change, Yuugi burrowed back underneath the covers and quickly changed into his clothes.
'I really need to get some more clothes. The way Snape-sensei made it sound, I could be here for a while.' Yuugi thought as he fingered the Millennium Puzzle.
Stretching, Yuugi got up off of the bed to explore a bit. There were three doors in the sitting room and Yuugi's curiosity had been piqued. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Yuugi opened the door that was straight across from his bed. The door opened, creaking slightly, to reveal the hallway that he and Snape-sensei had come from.
Slightly disappointed, but content at least with the knowledge that he knew how to get out of the room, should he need to. It wasn't that he didn't trust Snape-sensei, but it was something that was good to know.
Yuugi was sure that Snape-sensei would have woken up by now, but then again for all he knew it was like three o'clock in the morning. After all he had been asleep for a week. It wouldn't be strange for his sense of time to be out of whack.
Yuugi leaned against the door and sighed. He didn't know what to do. He had to get home and find Yami, but according to Snape-sensei it would be all but impossible for him to go home. Then again, from what little he had seen of what they called magic was very different from what he and Yami used. Maybe there was something Shadow Magic could do that Snape-sensei's magic couldn't.
Yuugi pushed away from the door and made a decision. If Snape-sensei couldn't help him, Yuugi would find the man who had brought him here and question him. That would have to do, for now at least. But until then…..he could explore!
His stomach made a timely growl, causing Yuugi to sigh. Maybe he should find some food before he started exploring.
Yuugi walked towards the door in the corner, hidden in the shadows. Perhaps he could find Snape-sensei and get him to get Yuugi some food. The shadows of the corner pulled unnaturally towards Yuugi, embracing him and offering comfort.
Shadows had always been drawn to Yuugi as far back as he could remember. It wasn't until he solved the Millennium Puzzle and been reunited with the missing half of his soul that he understood why he could hide in the shadows so well. He had learned much from Yami and Malik. Even the Dark Magician, who helped guard the deepest part of Yami's mind had taught him things.
Despite all of this Yuugi was not well nor thoroughly trained, but he made up for it in sheer power. He was just as strong as Yami, and he could easily see why as a Pharaoh, they were a force to be reckoned with.
Yuugi pulled himself out of his wandering thoughts to grasp the handle of the door that had been hidden. (Unknowing of the fact that he wasn't supposed to be able to see the door) He peeked past the door and didn't see anything so he stepped forward, into the other room.
The other room was practical looking, but there was no way it could be mistaken for anything but what it was. A class room.
'But a class room for what?' Yuugi asked himself as he peered around. There were tables and stools meant for students, a chalk board and a demonstration table at the front. Off to the side there was a desk that had some scrolls of paper and what looked like quills and ink wells. Along the other wall and the back were a door and shelves full of things.
Yuugi made his way to the back of the class room, morbidly fascinated by what he saw on the shelves. There were jars with unidentifiable things in them and along the bottom shelf there were a few books (all with English titles of course) and what appeared to be…………..cauldrons! This must be a potions class room!
Perhaps this was Snape-sensei's class room, that would certainly explain why there was a door connecting it to Snape-sensei's sitting room.
Yuugi stepped away from the shelves and their disturbing contents.
Wait, was that an eye?
Yuugi looked back quizzically to find that, yes, there was indeed a very large eye floating in one of the jars.
Ewww……
Yuugi turned away, slightly grossed out, but a plan in mind. Just before all of this began, Malik had been teaching him about a potion and a spell that his family and other tomb keepers used to track thieves. If he could get the ingredients needed, he could use the spell and potion to find Yami….or at least if Yami was here with him. Yuugi prayed to anyone that would listen that he would find Yami. And hopefully if he did find Yami they could find a way home, together.
Snape jolted upwards, blankets pooling at his waist. He breathed deep, trying to calm his racing heart and at the same time recall what had caused such a reaction from him.
Once his heart rate had calmed down, Snape got out of his bed and dressed, knowing that he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep. He cast a quick spell and found that it was 4:20 am.
'So much for a good night's sleep' Snape thought ruefully.
What to do then? Ah, that was it! He could start the Wolfsbane potion for Lupin. The full moon was in a week and the werewolf would be needing the potion. Especially considering what he would be doing this summer. Snape knew from experience that infiltration and spy work was not easy on a body. The potion would keep him sufficiently distracted until the boy woke up.
Snape straightened his robes and opened the door, stepping into the sitting room.
The empty sitting room.
Blasted child!
Where had he gone? Snape moved quickly, looking for anything out of place, only nothing had been touched. He had no idea where he could have gone. Snape's left eye twitched slightly. Gods above! The only way that this could possibly be any worse was if the boy had some how gotten into his potions ingredients and destroyed a good chunk of them.
It was then that Snape noticed that the door leading to the potions class room was slightly ajar…..
No…only Fate could be so cruel.
'More like an evil little bitch!' Inner Snape growled to himself. Snape growled lowly to himself as he flung the door open. If that pest had touched any of his ingredients, that boy would find himself the next main ingredient in one of his potions!
THUMP!
Snape stumbled back slightly from the force of whatever had run into him but didn't fall. Glancing down Snape saw the boy that he had been looking for, sprawled across the floor with that ridiculous pendant of his clutched protectively in one hand.
Snape watched the boy slowly get up and groan slightly. Served the boy right for sneaking about a place that wasn't his.
"Mind telling why you felt it was necessary to be in my potions class room, Mouto-SAN?" Snape said emphasising –san so that you could easily tell that he didn't mean it in any sort of respectful manner at all.
Yuugi's cheeks turned bright red from embarrassment.
"I apologize Snape-sensei, but I got curious…and when you said something about a potion last night it got me to thinking." Yuugi explained.
"And you got it in your colourful little head that you could make the potion that Masters could not?" Snape interrupted, sneering at the small boy. Amethyst eyes glared at him ineffectively.
"No Snape-SENSEI, you interrupted before I could say that it helped remind me of a potion a friend taught me. If I can make it I can at least find out where my….friend…is." Yuugi said, unsure of how to explain Yami to someone he had just met.
"And you want to make this potion, I assume? Please Mouto-san, tell me how a potion would let you find a friend of yours who is backwhere you came from, therefore where you were?" Snape asked, a lone eyebrow rising in disbelief. He hadn't thought the child overly intelligent, but he hadn't marked the boy as being that stupid either.
"Do you believe spirits exist, Snape-sensei?" Yuugi asked, seemingly out of the blue. Though, it wasn't really. Yuugi was gauging to see how likely Snape was going to listen and believe him about Yami.
"Yes, it's rather hard not to when there are several floating around the castle." Snape replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. What was the boy up to now?
'He's plotting to kill us' Inner Snape screamed dramatically.
"Well the reason I want to make the potion is because I need to find out if my friend came with me. And the only reason I even thing he mighthave come is because he is a spirit that is bound to the puzzle" Yuugi explained swiftly, gesturing to the Millennium Puzzle around his neck.
"I see" Snape said, digesting what the boy had said. If the boy spoke the truth (they couldn't really be sure, after all they didn't know who this kid was) then why was he looking for this spirit. Why was it so important to him?
"Please Snape-sensei, can you help me? The potion isn't hard to make and I can even write it out. I can even get most of the ingredients! Please Snape-sensei. You can't possibly understand how important Yami is to me…" Yuugi pleaded, his eyes shining beseechingly. Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Fate was out to get him. It was the only reasonable explanation.
He could easily deny the boy, but then it would him that would have to deal with the boy until the Headmaster set up an alternative…..and who knew how long that could be.
"Very well" Snape relented. He was going to regret this. He was sure of it.
"Yatta! Thank you so much Snape-sensei!" Yuugi cheered excitedly and reached forward, lightning quick, and hugged Snape. He let go quickly and ran back into the potions class room to set up everything.
Snape was frozen in place. What was wrong with that child? Couldn't he see how evil Snape was? Couldn't he see what a evil slimy git he was? Snape exhaled slowly and counted to ten before he carefully made his way into his potions class room that he realised wasn't going to be his anymore.
That was the whole reason he had agreed to this madness.
As Snape's gaze found Yuugi's busy form he realised that though he wanted to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, he didn't really want to give up the potions class room. Not even to his old Potions Professor, Slughorn. (when Snape thinks this he doesn't know that it is Slughorn, what he's saying is that he wouldn't give it up to any one, not EVEN Slughorn)
Snape wondered idly who Dumbledor had roped into this mess.
"Um…Snape-sensei, do you have a pen and a paper that I could use to write everything down?" Yuugi asked, snapping Professor Snape away from what he had been thinking.
"Hn." Snape replied, but went over to his desk and pulled out a spare bit of parchment and picked up a quill and ink well from on top of the desk.
"Thank you" Yuugi said kindly, meeting Snape halfway and carrying the items back to where he had placed the cauldron.
"I suppose you'll want ingredients next" Snape said evenly. Ever since the stupid child had reached out and hugged him, Snape had been a little off. Such a strange young man.
"He's insane, that's all there is to it!' Inner Snape chirped happily, pleased with the hug, even if it wasn't him directly it was still Snape and he was very much a part of Severus Snape.
"Sorry, but yes. I just need some water…the willow sap I'm not sure you'll have…" Yuugi said and gave the piece of parchment to Snape to look over.
Malik's finding potion
1 Sphinx feather
1 Griffin feather
1 pinch of fertile soil
1 pint of tree sap (preferably willow)
¼ quart of water blessed by an Egyptian Pharaoh.
Add tree sap and water together in cauldron, heat to just below boiling point (70 degrees Celsius) Add soil, stir once with each feather(counter clockwise with the sphinx, clockwise with the griffin) Potion should turn the colour of sand. Add feathers and bring to boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. The potion should be off-white with a slight sparkle. Potion is ready to be used! Please use potion in conjunction with Finding Spell and appropriate crystal or pendant.
Snape frowned as he read it. It didn't resemble any potion he could think of.
"Where, might I ask are you going get the feathers?" Snape asked. The sap would be easy to get, Hogwarts had gallons of the stuff from various different trees. Willow sap just happened to be the one they had the most of in stock. The water blessed by an Egyptian Pharaoh was going to be a different matter entirely. There was no other potion under the sun with such an ingredient. Hell there wasn't any other potion with such a short ingredients list either.
"Don't worry Snape-sensei" Yuugi said cheerfully. He was so happy! With this he could find Yami (hopefully), and at least he wouldn't be alone. And as a plus he wouldn't feel that gaping hole with the other half of his soul back. He was sure that Yami was going through the same thing. Poor Yami….it must be horrible for him….he had to wait five thousand years for him, and all he had to wait was 14 years…. BAH! Enough of that kind of thinking!
"It won't matter anyway, where ever you get the feathers from. The only 'blessed' water that Hogwarts carries is water blessed by the herd of Unicorns that live in the Forbidden Forest." Snape replied and handed back the paper to the boy. It was to bad, he seemed so excited too.
"That's okay! I can work something out" Yuugi assured Snape, fidgetingslightly from being so excited.
"Very well then…." Snape said and went off to get the young man what he needed. As soon as Snape had turned his back, Yuugi had scampered over to the darkest corner of the room. He called upon his magic and summoned the Dark Magician.
"Have you been able to find Yami?" Yuugi asked hopefully as soon as the Magician appeared.
Said Magician shook his head, 'No'.
"Oh..I guess I really am going to have to make it this time…I hope I don't screw it up this time…Could you please get me the feathers for the potion? You know which one, right? If it's not to much trouble…." Yuugi asked hopefully, knowing full well that it was quite possible that the Magician might not be able to get everything.
The Dark Magician nodded once and faded back into the Shadows.
Not more than a minute later, the Dark Magician returned with a small pouch in his hands. The Magician handed the pouch to Yuugi and bowed his head.
"Thank you…" Yuugi said, a small and sincere smile on his face as he accepted the little bag.
The Dark Magician smiled back before he faded away again.
Yuugi turned to go place the pouch on the table and found that Snape was just entering the room.
"That was close" Yuugi whispered to himself. He really didn't want to reveal to much about himself, at least not until he found Yami.
"Here. Don't blow up the class room, griffin anything tend to be volatile" Snape warned as he handed Yuugi the ingredients.
"Thank you Snape-sensei" Yuugi said politely as he took the jars from Snape.
The first thing that Yuugi did as take the water and place a hand over it. He mumbled a few words in Ancient Egyptian and then eyed it critically. It would have to do. Hopefully half of and ancient Egyptian Pharaoh would work.
'He's insane….should just drop him off at St.Mungo's and then never worry about him again….' Inner Snape mumbled wistfully. Though the idea had merit if the boy was trying to bless water thinking he was a Pharaoh.
'Though who's to say he's not…. He isn't from here. Though it does say Egyptian, and the boy is definitely, not that.' Snape thought to himself as he watched Yuugi fiddle with the water.
Yuugi started a fire under the cauldron and began making the potion. A little more than forty-five minutes later and the potion was done, just finishing cooling. All the while Snape had been hovering over Yuugi, watching him.
The Potion's Master had to admit, the boy knew what he was doing at very least.
Yuugi fought and failed to suppress the small smile on his face. Snape really did remind him a lot of Kaiba.
"Well it's done. And it turned out better than last time to!" Yuugi chattered happily as he peered into the cauldron. Snape said nothing but noted that the potion was exactly as the boy's list described it to be.
"I presume that you plan to use it next?" Snape asked, watching as the boy messily scribbled something down.
"Yup. Though I'm not sure exactly how it works. Potions aren't my strong point, so the first time I made it, it didn't turn out. We were going to try again next lesson, but that's going to be a little difficult with me here." Yuugi explained as he pulled the stool closer to the table that had his potion on it.
Snape watched as Yuugi precariously balanced on the stool, sitting on his knees as he dangled the strange pyramid pendant of his into the potion. Then he spoke.
"Ra who's light shines so bright,
Guide the pendant with your might.
Show to me the one who hides,
Your will I do abide."
A golden glow emanated from the Millennium Puzzle as it began to float gently, but persistently leading Yuugi to the darkest corner of the Potions class room.
"I believe your spell has been unsuccessful" Snape said, a slight sneer on his face at the boy's ineptitude. The puzzle kept trying, despite Snape's words.
"It worked….Ano, Snape-sensei…it wants me to go into the Shadow…" Yuugi said slowly. He knew where the puzzle was trying to pull them. The Shadow Realm. But what was Yami doing in the Shadow Realm, and why couldn't the Dark Magician find him?
"Into, Well if you can go into a shadow, be my guest. I will not scrape you off the wall that you will meet." Snape said snidely. Yuugi rolled his eyes at Snape's attitude. Whatever.
The Shadows, sensing Yuugi's desire to enter their realm, leapt away from the corner and enveloped him.
Right along with Snape.
I couldn't resist……(and I'm to lazy to do italics)
Snape watched as Yuugi precariously balanced on the stool, sitting on his knees as he dangled the strange pyramid pendant of his into the potion. Then he spoke.
"Insert spell here" Yuugi frowned and Snape looked at him oddly.
"Insert spell here" Yuugi tried again and found that whenever he tried to say the spell all that came out was 'insert spell here'
"What on earth are you trying to do?" Snape asked as he continued to look at Yuugi oddly. What the devil was wrong with the boy?
"I'm trying to do the spell that goes with it, but every time I keep say 'Insert spell here'" Yuugi said, frown still marring his face.
There was a poof and a young woman in her late teens appeared. She had long hair pulled back with a clip and wore glasses.
"Sorry guys, but I haven't gotten around to actually writing the spell yet. Could you I dunno, go do something else while I think? My brain has taken a vacation since it's Christmas break" The girl said making odd gestures.
Snape didn't move, but he looked at the girl with disdain.
"Um, who are you exactly? And what do you mean YOU haven't gotten around to writing the spell yet? Malik's ancestors made that spell thousands of years ago!" Yuugi said, looking slightly confused.
"Well you see, I am an Author. And the reason any of this has happened is because I thought it would be really cool to have Yuugi here in the Wizarding World without Yami!" The girl explained in a chirpy manner.
"What" The voice was quiet and very flat sounding.
"Hm? Don't you speak plain Japanese?" The girl asked, confused. She was SURE that Yuugi spoke Japanese, didn't he come from Japan or something. She looked over at Yuugi at barely suppressed a shriek. He was scary looking! Aren't the Yami's supposed to be the bad ones?
Snape ignored everything and turned, heading for a small cabinet which he promptly opened and pulled out a bottle with the strongest fire whiskey that money could buy. He pulled the lid off and drank it straight from the bottle, hoping that he could drowned out the screams if he got plastered enough.
Come on, we all know that if any of the characters that we write up got a hold of any of us and knew that we were there tormentors, we would be murdered brutally. Don't ask where it came from cause I really don't know. Anyway, I hope you liked the whole thing and have a good Holiday!