Author's Note: Wow. I had no idea so many people were reading my fic. Its makes me feel all tingly inside. Yaaay! I had fun writing the last chapter and I had lots of fun with this one to. I love Kuriboh and Snape is just so fun to write. Especially with Inner Snape there to let me have my fun. This chapter is especially for flamethrowerqueen, because you have reviewed so much and left such wonderful and encouraging comments for my stories. Thank you to EVERYONE! You guys are awesome.

Hogwarts Castle

Snape blinked as he found himself suddenly awake. There was no transition from sleep to wakefulness. He was just suddenly awake. All traces of sleep were gone and Snape lay in bed despite his awakened state. His bed was comfortable and everything was pleasantly quiet.

Snape closed his eyes and sighed. All of the really bad days started out the way this one was. Peaceful and otherwise good until he got out of bed. Briefly, Snape considered not getting out of bed. Then the thought of taking his up coming bad day out on the students. Particularly the Gryffindor students. Yes, that would make the day bearable at least.

Snape held back another sigh as he finally pulled himself out of bed to get ready for the day. When he finally left his room he was washed and dressed. Ready to face whatever the day and whatever it was going to throw at him.

Except what was waiting for him when he left his personal chambers.

Yuugi was not where he left him, passed out on the chesterfield. Nor was the boys cloak where it should be. At six-thirty in the morning, an AWOL Yuugi was not something he wanted to deal with. EVER. Supressing a growl Snape studied the room, looking for evidence of any sort of struggle at all. Finding none, Snape left for the Headmaster's office to let him know what was going on.

Snape stalked through the empty hallways, making his way quickly to Dumbledor's office. Snape spat out the password and stormed up the stairs, not even bothering to knock on the door before opening it to see Dumbledor sitting at his desk, eating a lemon drop with a pencil at hand while he stared at his desk.

"It may intrest you to know that the boy is missing." Snape growled. He was NOT pleased. He wanxted to start pacing, but managed to supress the urge for the time being. When he found the boy he was going to string him up by his strange hair and let Peeves at him.

"Yes, Hagrid is looking for the boy as we speak. He went for a walk last night and never came back. I fear he may have had a bit of trouble. " Dumbledor said, not looking up as he wrote something down.

"And no one thought to wake me or stop the boy!" Snape thundered, his fists clenched at his sides. His left eyebrow twitched in a menacing manner.

"You need your sleep my boy, and as for Yuugi... That poor boy has been cooped up in the castle for months now. I thought it would do him some good to get a bit of fresh air." Dumbledor continued on as if Snape hadn't said anything. He wrote something else down and then turned a page to start again.

"That boy was the product of an ancient and powerful ritual and you thought it would be a good idea for him to 'get some fresh air'!" Snape all but roared. He was shaking with fury now. Headmaster or not, the man could be infuriating! How could he do something like this? 'You tell him like it is!' Inner Snape cheered, bright happy yellow pom pom's in his hands as he danced around.

"Come now Severus, boys will be boys. If I recall correctly, you didn't need always the Marauder's to get you in trouble. I remember the time when you brewed that wonderful.." Dumbledor started, a reminicent smile on his face.

"That was a long time ago!" Snape yelled, his face bright red with embarrassment as Dumbledor's words conjured images of his past. 'Its always the quiet ones...' Inner Snape said sage like, the pom pom's gone.

"Tea?" Dumbledor offered, waving his wand before going back to what he had been doing before Snape had so rudely burst in. Snape took the tea and sat in the chair provided. He draped himself appropriately across the chair and sipped at his tea. Peppermint with just a touch of honey, his favorite. He would wait, not so patiently for Hagrid to bring the boy back.

Forbidden Forest

Yuugi held back a yawn. He was tired and drained. He wanted nothing more than to go back to Snape's room and sleep. Sleep and then think on how he was going to find Yami. He still couldn't reach his dark through their link, and more than once it had started to wear at him. It was hard to go on with out the other half of his soul. Yuugi looked over to his side where BlackSilver was walking quietly. The other boy looked about as tired as Yuugi felt. He hoped that they would find BlackSilver's family soon.

"Anything familiar?" Yuugi asked, breaking the weighty silence. It felt like it took half of his energy just to muster up the strength the ask that question.

"Nothing." BlackSilver replied shortly. He was tired and wanted to go home. He never wanted to go out into the forest again. Neither boy spoke again, walking in silence.

The sound of something very large moving through the dense brush of the forest to their left caused both of them to freeze. What had made that sound? Did they chance making any noise, hoping that who ever it was was familiar to one of them? Yuugi wasn't sure if he could muster up the power to fight off someone should they prove to be hostile.

"Yu'gee! YUUU'GEEEEE!" A deep voice bellowed, calling out into the silence. The voice wasn't one that Yuugi recognized, but who ever it was knew his name and as far as he knew, the only ones who knew his name were the faculty of Hogwarts. Yuugi spared a glance and BlackSilver and saw that he was wary but curious like Yuugi.

"Should we let him find us?" Yuugi asked, turning to his newest friend. The other dark haired boy shrugged and looked around, trying to find out where the voice was coming from.

"Why not? If it turns out to be someone unfriendly, you can just do that freaky thing that you did to those others." BlackSilver replied, shifting his weight as he tried to figure out whether or not he should go withYuugi. He really hadn't liked that place that Yuugi had sent the bad humans. It scared him, and he had no desire to return.

"Yeah..." Yuugi said, his voice beguiling the uncertainty that Yuugi felt. He was tired and worn. He wasn't sure he could pull himself, let alone anyone else into the Shadow Realm.

"Over here!" BlackSilver shouted, more curious than afraid since he had Yuugi at his side to protect him should anything bad happen. The person who was looking for Yuugi turned and tromped not so quietly through the forest. The person that greeted Yuugi and BlackSilver was massive. Yuugi had never seen such a tall person. He was as big as some of Yuugi's duel monsters!

"Ah! Ther' ya are Yu'gee! An' who's this? Do yer Elder's know yer runnin' about by yerself in the forest?" The huge man rumbled in a friendly manner. His face was cheerful and happy despite a large bruise that marred his cheek. Yuugi could tell that he was a good person with all the best intentions.

"I apologize, it is my fault that BlackSilver is lost. I..." Yuugi began, trying to explain why he was out and hadn't come back to the castle but BlackSilver interupted him.

"Yuugi saved me!" BlackSilver countered, scowling at the boy who tried to argue that he hadn't really done anything. He had only done what anyone would have done, right?

"How 'bout we get back and talk to Dumbedor, eh Yu'gee? Don't 'spose you know that Snape is lookin' fer ya?" Hagrid asked as he lead the two youngsters back the way he had come. He would get BlackSilver back to his herd, hopefully before the Centaurs found them first. The two youngin's were quiet as Hagrid lead them through the forest, in a completely differeny direction than they had been heading.

"Ooof!" Yuugi said as he walked into Hagrid's leg. The giant of a man had stopped and had a crossbow cocked and ready. He kept scanning the trees nervously as if he was looking for something. BlackSilver had stopped and was keeping close to Yuugi and Hagrid who could protect him easily from whatever it was that was out there. Hopefully it wasn't any of those retched spiders, BlackSilver thought with a shiver.

"Go no further, Hagrid." A voice from somewhere hidden in the brush spoke out. BlackSilver stilled, his eyes wide, he recognized that voice...

"Father!" BlackSilver shouted happily, creeping away from Hagrid slightly. He knew better than to move suddenly when the warriors of his herd had someone in their sights.

"BlackSilver? Thank the stars you are alright!" A roan coloured centaur said as he leapt into view. He had dark eyes and equally dark hair, his face was angular, and his mouth was wide with a grin. There was no sound, but other centaurs came into view from the bushes, completely surrounding Yuugi, Hagrid and BlackSilver.

"We thought that beastly Gaint had gotten you as well, foal." A completely black centaur said, crossbow in arms.

"We have told you before Hagrid are no longer welcome here. That Giant is a menace to everyone in the forest. And he was proven that he has no qualms with killing centaurs. Grawp must go." BlackSilver's father, Orion said, pulling his son away from the humans.

"Grawp would never do that!" Hagrid defended his half-brother, vehemently.

"We warned you! That creature has killed five of our warriors, I will not stand idly by as your kind wipes out mine!" The pure black centaur declared, raising his crossbow and aiming at Yuugi and Hagrid.

"No!" BlackSilver shouted, leaping away from his father and between his Elder's bow and his new friend Yuugi.

"BlackSilver! Get back here this second! Bane, lower your weapon, damn it!" Orion screamed at the black centaur who still had his weapon aimed, despite the fact that there was now a centaur on the other end of it. Yuugi's eyes were wide as everything was happening. They were all speaking to fast for him to keep up. He was getting better at his English, but it wasn't perfect yet. All he knew right now was that BlackSilver was standing between him and a readied weapon.

"No! I won't let any of you hurt Yuugi! He saved my life and has become my friend. I owe him my life!" BlackSilver proclaimed. He stood proudly between his friend and the crossbow. He would not let Yuugi be hurt.

Bane lowered his weapon, shaking his head in disgust as Orion walked towards his son.

"Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on! You are all speaking to fast fpr me to keep up!" Yuugi proclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. He was tired, cranky, drained and all around not in a good mood. He was all over emotional and he suspected it was from being seperated from Yami. He wondered how his darkness was holding up. He mentally sighed and watched as people were shouting at each other and waving weapons around. Yuugi was not impressed.

"My Elders aren't exactly fond of humans to say the least. They also don't listen, because if they did they would know that it was Death Eaters and not the Giant that killed the warriors. They would also know if they cared to stop and let someone else speak, that you saved me." BlackSilver explained slowly for Yuugi, turning towards his friends and shooting his Elders a strange look. Some of the Elders had the good graces to look properly abashed. Others, like Bane, had sour expressions.

"BlackSilver, you are young and inexperienced. But that should not have stopped us from letting you tell your tale." A white dappled centaur said. She had white blond hair and piercing green eyes. Her crossbow was gripped tightly, but at her side. Ready if need be.

"Tell us what happened, child. Adara is right, we should not have been brash, but the forest is no longer safe the way it once was." A chocolate coloured centaur said, his hair pulled back in a braid.

"Che, it doesn't matter. Hagrid has been warned not to come into the forest before. That warrents their punishment." Bane said, hefting his crossbow to his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, it is my fault that Hagrid-san is in the forest." Yuugi apologized, his cheeks tinged a little pink with embarrassment. If he hadn't left the castle for a walk Hagrid wouldn't be in trouble, but then BlackSilver could very well be dead.

"Silence all of you and let BlackSilver tell us what happened." Adara, the white centaur spoke clearly. Her voice cut above the din of everything else. All of the centaurs quieted down and evenYuugi and Hagrid were silent.

"Thank you Elder Adara." BlackSilver said, bowing his head and stomping his front hoof.

"You may begin your tale," Adara said and stood back, giving the boy room.

"I had snuck out after the warriors thinking they were just going on a patrol, I didn't want to wait until morning for my naming ceremony. I wanted to see what the forest was like since they never let the foals out of the glen. I think they were investigating something because they headed straight for the Death Eaters. Everything happened so quick, all I remember is a lot of green light. One of the warriors managed to fire off a couple shots, hitting one of them in the arm but he was dead before he could do it again. I can't remember but I think I screamed around then. It drew their attention to me and they started taunting me and prodding me. They were playing with me and then something distracted them. They called out saying they would kill me if the person did not show themselves. Then Yuugi stepped out into the clearing. He challenged them to a game and one of them agreed. Then strange something happened. It got so dark and the darkness seemed to pull at me and the humans.

"When I opened my eyes all I could see was purple-black smoke swirling everywhere. Yuugi was standing a little ways away with a horde of creatures behind him. There was even a massive red dradon! There was a blur and some screams and I saw two of the stranger looking creatures devour the Death Eaters. I was shaking, what if these creatures ate me next? That was when Yuugi came over, pale and looking like he hadn't rested in days wanting to know if I was alright and trying to placate the more curious creature. He was so kind and he talked to me. We left and started walking together until Hagrid found us." BlackSilver said, telling everyone what happened. He rubbed at his injured arm nervously. It was probably going to scar...

"That is quite the tale." Orion said, breaking the silence that was clinging to the area like a dense fog. He moved so that he was standing next to his son and glanced over at the strange looking humn boy who his son claimed was his savior. Orion didn't know what to say, his son's story seemed more like a tall tale than actual events. What was the strange magic that allowed the odd looking boy to control so many creatures?

"Yes it is, and one I believe to be true. Hagrid you may take the child back to Hogwarts. BlackSilver, you have had quite the experience. I think it would be best if we returned home." Adara said, and gave everyone a piercing stare that spoke of her leadership over all. The centaurs faded into the forest until the only ones left were BlackSilver and Adara.

"Good bye Yuugi. You will always be someone I call friend." BlackSilver said quietly, his voice soft and full of happiness and sadness.

"You as well BlackSilver. Do try and stay out of trouble though." Yuugi said, his voice laced with the same emotions.

"Come along Yu'gee. We best be gettin' you back ta the castle with Professor Snape." Hagrid said gently, resting a massive hand upon Yuugi's petit shoulder.

"One last thing Hagrid. Our people will not warn you again about Grawp. He is dangerous and must leave the forest." Adara said before pulling BlackSilver into the trees, both of them fading away from view.

The rest of the trip was spent in complete silence as Yuugi contemplated his fate. Snape was opening up to him but that didn't mean it was going to spare him any of the dark man's wrathe. Yuugi gulped and prayed that it wouldn't be to bad.

Yami

Yami looked around, curious. He was in a rather drab room. It was a large but plain room with a wooden desk and fancy chair in the middle of it. Potted plants peppered the room, giving it the feel of something akin to an office of some sorts. Yami tilted his head as he caught a flash of green. He moved so that he could see the chair better and found that there was a confused looking man. The man was nothing special, balding and a little on the rounder side of body shape. He wore a horrid bright green suit and a bowler's hat was clutched tightly in his hands.

"Gah! Who are you, boy!" The man demanded, leaping from his seat and facing Yami. Yami blinked at the man. What was this person doing in his mind? Why could Yami get into this strange room but the door to his aibou was heavily chained shut?

"I am called Yami." Yami stated as he prowled closer, trying to find any sort of reason as to why he was in the strange room. Yami's attention was drawn away from the strange little man as he studied the walls and the door that had closed itself behind Yami. Yami rapped his knuckles against the door of the soul room, frowning when there was no echoing sound.

"Ugh! That god awful pounding is back!" The man moaned. Yami lifted and eyebrow curiously as he stopped his tapping. The man's face melted into a smile as his pain stopped. Yami started again and watched with a detached sort of fascination as the man's face contorted with pain again. "You! You're the one who has been causing my suffering! Where the hell are we! You're working for Voldermort aren't you! Thats why you look like that boy isn't it!"

Yami froze and slowly turned so that he was staring directly at the awful little man. Had he just said whatYami thought he said?

"Boy?" Yami asked, his voice and face deviod of all emotion as he stalked towards the man like how a cat might if it were hunting prey.

"Just like that strange boy at Hogwarts..." The man mumbled wildly to himself as he looked around, trying to find a weapon to fend off the predator like person that was getting ever closer. He grabbed a heavy looking paper weight and raised it above his head only to have it slip out off his sweaty grasp and conk him on the head. His eyes rolled back and he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Yami leaned over him curiously and was upset that the man had knockled himself unconscious before Yami could question him more. He paused and thought. Perhaps he could go about getting information a different way? He closed his eyes and concentrated on moving forward. Yami Bakura could posses people other than his host and other half so why couldn't he? He didn't particularly like the idea but if it was going to get him back to his other half he was willing to do anything.

Yami breathed in as he found himself in unsteady control of the body. He tried to move a hand but succeeded in only twitching. His eyes refused to open and he could hear voices all around him.

"Mr.Fudge, can you hear me?"

"Nurse go get the Medi-Wizard on duty, I think Mr.Fudge is coming around."

"Mr.Fudge do you know where you are?"

The voices continued to banter on like that and Yami surmised that he was in a hospital of somesorts. He felt stirrings as the body's owner came back into consciousness. Yami faded back enough so that this Mr.Fudge person would have control but Yami would still know what was going on.

Yami would have his hikari back and then there would be hell to pay for the one that seperated them.