Disclaimer: No one in Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to me, they are entirely Kazuki Takahashi's... And they can stay that way, thank you very much. (except Marik, he's MINE!)

Chapter Four:

Unexpected Individuals

"Inu! How do we get to the house and where is it, for that matter? I wanna go to bed!" Jennifer whined playfully after the meal.

"Just follow the crowd. I think this quarter's password is 'darkfire,' but I'm not positive." he responded, fighting to stay near them in the mad mod of people desperate to get to their rooms. The mayhem grew to a slight panic as a car flew through a window and two people fell out of it.

"Was that a BMW?" Jennifer asked, indifferent.

"Do cars often fly through windows on whatever planet you come from? They could be hurt--" Ari replied, cut off by a loud yell.

"Okay, Mokuba, what did you do this time? I told you not to mess with my car!" a snooty male voice exploded from one of the two on the floor inches from the UFV. (Unidentified Flying Vehicle)

"I just wanted to make it go faster." a childish male voice answered, sounding hurt.

"Well you sure did! Too fast! Now what are we going to do--!" the older, more violent voiced male yelled, noticing for the first time all the people standing and staring at them.

Ari recovered from the shock first and spoke up. "Are you okay? Can we help you?"

"Ari, let Dumbledore handle this! Don't get involved!" Inu hissed, pulling her back into the crowd.

"But, Inu, they could need help! Why do we have to stand back and watch?"

"Just trust me. Don't try anything out of our ordinary here. You'll get detention."

"For wanting to help someone! What kind of setup is that?" Inu stared her down. "Well..."

"May I ask who you two are?" Dumbledore asked, finally coming around to the matter.

"I'm Seto Kaiba and this is my brother Mokuba. May I ask what a castle like this is doing in the middle of nowhere and why you have several hundred children dressed in Halloween costumes locked up in here?" the elder responded snidely.

'Kaiba... I think Potter's mentioned that name before... an enemy name. He doesn't seem like an evil mastermind or one's disciples, though.' Ari thought, eyeing the rude intruder.

"Please come with me. I'll show you to a room for the night and possibly answer your questions. In the meantime, Prefects, lead your students to the common rooms." Mrs. McGonagall said, ushering them away. The mad mob of students began moving again as if nothing had happened and soon the car was out of sight.

Ari and Jennifer followed Inu to a large portrait of a demonic dog. A large crowd was already gathered before it. "Okay, okay, back off, people! Password coming through!" Inu called, worming his way to the front. "Darkfire." the portrait swung open and the people started filing in. "Your things are already in the dorms. Just find the door marked 'Fast Track.'" Inu told them after the initial swarm was passed.

"I think I'll stay down here for a while." Ari said, sinking into a chair.

"Me too. What about you, Inu?" Jennifer asked, following suit.

"Yeah, I guess I'll stay a while. It's always so crowded when everyone first gets through the portrait and to their rooms.

Jennifer pulled out her wand. "I've been wanting to try something."

"Jennifer, what are you planning...?" Ari asked suspiciously.

'Nngh... if she does it right, my transformation spell will be undone. I can't let anyone see me in my true form. If they did, I'd be kicked out in two seconds.' "On second thought, I think I will go unpack my trunk. See you later." Inu said, abruptly leaving the room and heading up the boys' staircase.

"Wonder why he changed his mind? Oh well." Jennifer pondered for a moment before going back to her wand.

"He seemed kinda... nervous when you mentioned the transfiguration spell... Then again, I don't feel too safe around ya either!" Ari smirked, running up the girls' staircase and to the dorm, Jennifer in close pursuit.

x x x x x x x x

"Kaiba, you said your name was?" Dumbledore asked, glancing at the intrusions to his school's secrecy.

"Yes. Is this some sort of... school?" Seto asked, looking at the stone walls and fire-lit chandeliers.

"Yes. May I ask just how exactly you found us?"

"Mokuba here enjoys trying out new inventions of his without telling me what he's done. He 'just wanted our car to go faster.' He did, alright. So fast I couldn't control the darned thing. Next thing I knew, we were here. Where is 'here,' by the way?"

"This is a school of magic. We only admit those with magical background and our laws say we must erase your memories and send you back to your world. However, if you wish to stay here and see if you learn anything, of which we will have to do a short test to see if you can even do the smallest bit of magic first, or we will fix your vehicle and send you home, having forgotten you were here. The choice is yours, Mr. Kaiba."

"Mokuba, what do you want?"

"If we forget, does that mean he'll forget what I did to the car?" the small boy asked innocently.

"Not a chance."

"Oh, well, it is interesting enough here. Let's stay anyway."

The elder brother sighed. "Okay. We'll stay. All I really want at the moment is to sleep."

"Hmm... It seems only the Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses have room at the moment, and not much at that. Let's allow the Sorting Hat to judge you and if you pass to place you." Dumbledore murmured, placing the hat on Mokuba's head. Much to their surprise, the Hat spoke.

"My my, my dears, you have the seeds of wizardry in you and they're at the end of their germination. If they wait any longer, they will be wasted. I place you in Ravenclaw and I wish you the best of luck, young man."

Satisfied, Dumbledore took the Hat and placed it upon Kaiba's head. "Now, these seeds... Oh, how deep they are buried. They lack the will to sprout, but yet are still alive. Given this chance, they may sprout, yessir, they may. I say take him and put him deep within Slytherin." the Hat mused, obviously happy about being useful a little more than yearly usual.

"Does that mean Seto and I are going to be split up?" Mokuba asked fearfully.

"Unless one of you would like to change rooms."

"I'll go to Ravenclaw." Seto compromised quickly, anxious to get to bed.

"Very well, then. Minerva, kindly gather them supplies for their year here."

'YEAR? Mokuba, you are going to get it so bad...'

"Right away, sir." the prim witch nodded, leaving the chamber.

Dumbledore led the brothers to the Ravenclaw portrait hole. "Darkfire. This will be where you live. The password is changed quarterly. Go up those stairs over there and find the door marked 'Fast Track.' That room will be empty and will be your dorm. Try not to disturb anyone. Classes start tomorrow and schedules will be passed out a breakfast. Try to get some rest for tomorrow, you'll need it." the silver-haired wizard instructed, leaving them alone in the common room. They tiredly went up the stairs, not noticing there were two sets and entered the door marked as instructed.

"Who's there? Reveal yourself!" Ari yelled, brandishing a cauldron ladle.

"We were just assigned to this room... Who are you?" Seto asked, stepping back.

"Hey, aren't you the people who crashed through the window?"

"Yeah, and you're the one who asked if we were okay. I'm Seto Kaiba and this is my brother Mokuba."

"I'm Ari and this is Jennifer... hey! Wake up, we have company!" Ari exclaimed, kicking the bed Jennifer was on.

"Hmm? Oh. Hi! You're hot!" she mumbled as she woke up.

"Umm... Err..."

"You'll have to excuse her, she's still half asleep—"

"Do you have any food?"

"Jennifer!"

"...a Hershey's Bar..."

"Gimme!" Jennifer squealed, exploding from her bed in search of the chocolately goodness.

"Hey, you said that was for me, Seto," Mokuba pouted, latching on the other end of the bar, fighting Jennifer for it.

"It's mine. Yarrrr!" she growled, making as if to bite him.

"Mine!" Mokuba growled back.

"MINE!" she glowered, scaring him off and retreating to her bed with the prize, tantalizingly eating it before them.

"Jennifer, you'll get food in the morning. Seto, Mokuba, it's nice to meet you, but here's the thing. There's two staircases, and I'm betting you took the wrong one. Girls dorms are up the right, and guys' are up the left. Easy mistake. See you in the morning."

"Okay, sorry to bother you."

"No problem. I couldn't sleep anyway. Although someone could..." she glared at Jennifer, still happily munching on the chocolate. "G'night." the brothers left.

"I think someone was flirting! I think someone has a crush on the elder Kaiba!"

"Do not."

"Do to."

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't. You don't see me telling the world how you like Inu."

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Maybe. Good night!"

x x x x x x x x

"Oh no! We're going to be late for breakfast! Jennifer, get up!" Ari cried the next morning, after looking sleepily at the clock.

"I'm up, I'm up!"

"Because there's food involved."

"Shut up."

Five minutes later they raced down to the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall. "I got your schedules for you. Here." Inu said, handing them each a half slip of paper.

"Oh! Thanks!" Jennifer smiled sweetly.

"So, you don't have a crush on Inu, eh? The evidence says otherwise..."

"Shut up! Oh! We all have the exact same schedules!"

"Lucky for you..."

"Shut up! Hey look, here comes Kaiba!"

"Eep! You might have won that round, but I'll be back! Hi, Kaiba!" Ari said breathlessly, ending her and Jennifer's side conversation.

"Hey, do any of you know how to get our schedules?"

Inu, slow on the uptake, asked "Hey, aren't you the people who crash landed here last night?"

"Yes..." Kaiba sighed, tired of explaining. "I'm Seto Kaiba and this is my brother Mokuba."

"So, how do we get our schedules?" Mokuba asked, eager to look around.

"Professor Snape. The one over there with the long nose and black hair." the Kaibas went to Snape and after a brief talk, came back with two pieces of paper, handing one to Mokuba.

"Hey, you have the same as all of us!" Ari noticed.

"Good for you, Ari." Jennifer taunted.

"Shuddup." she retorted.

"Students, teachers, ghosts, et cetera, the Hogwarts school year is about to begin. An exciting note: Quidditch try-outs will be available to all this year and a special Hogwarts-only Tri-Wizard Tournament will be held. Those who wish to compete must be sixth, or seventh year or on Fast Track to qualify. Write your name, house and year on parchment and submit it to this Goblet which shall be located in the Great Hall. For Quidditch try-outs, see Madame Hooch during lunch. Now, let the lessons begin!" Dumbledore announced.

"Hey, should we try for either of those?" Ari asked, interested.

"I don't care, but we'd be at a disadvantage being on Fast Track. Whatever you want, Ari." Jennifer yawned, draining her juice.

"I'm going for both." Ari declared, then looked at Jennifer for a response. The other merely sighed.

"I guess I will too, then. First class, Herbology. Onward to the greenhouse." she replied with little emotion, still half asleep.

Inu:

Inu-Yasha of Rumiko Takahashi's widely known manga. For this story, he's here because he can be! He has a spell on him keeping him in human form, but if it breaks, his full demon self will take over with a vengence. Good thing that only happens once... I think... ponders this and decides to reread own story... It's been a while, okay? Anyway, he's here for good measure, and because he had to do with the plot that died and will return in A Life Forgotten.