Review Reply to JustMe: And that, my friend, is why there are two stories: If Only You Knew tells the story from Vincent and Severus' point of views while Divided in the Darkness, United in the Light tells the same events from Yuugi, Ryou, and Amun's point of views. Although this is a crossover, just think of the Yuugiou characters as other students of Hogwarts. Amun, Akefia, Yuugi, and Ryou will eventually become Vincent's new group of friends, as Vincent cannot risk reacquainting himself with Ron, Hermione, Luna, etc. (At least, not at this point in the story.)
Bottom line is, don't give up on this so soon! It may seem like a lot (and it is, trust me, I know) but since I've split this universe into two stories, you won't get all of that crossover mumbo-jumbo that people usually throw at you. The previous chapter was just setting up things for the future. This will strictly focus upon Severus' and Vincent's relationship as well as my own theories on magic (Elemental, Mind, Soul, and Heart), which need the YGO characters to help explain things.
Warnings: Yes, this is a crossover. However, you do not need to know anything at all about Yuugiou/Yu-Gi-Oh. All that needs to be explained will be. If you do know about Yu-Gi-Oh, you'll just have a sight advantage.
The companion fiction to this is Divided in the Darkness, United in the Light, told from the Yuugiou characters' point of views. But, as I said, there is no need to read that story or know anything about Yuugiou in order to understand what's happening in this fiction. I do encourage that you do read it, though, if you want the full experience of the universe I've created.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Yuugiou/Yu-Gi-Oh. Everyone would hate me if I did. =)
If Only You Knew
Written by Fenikkusu
Chapter 5: Mutare (To Change)
Vincent Adrian Evans.
His file was short and to the point, which normally would have put Snape at ease. However, there was always an exception to prove the rule. The information said that Vincent Adrian Evans had gone to an American magical academy for six years but nothing else. No criminal record, no outstanding achievements. According to his file, Vincent was a regular magical boy who went to an average magical school until Voldemort destroyed everything.
Something just wasn't rightabout him, but Snape couldn't quite put his finger on it. The Headmaster glanced over at the prone body lying upon the table as he sat on a chair standing against the wall. The sharp cheekbones, the long black hair, even the way Vincent acted reminded Snape very much of how he was when he was Vincent's age. They do say that everyone has a twin in the world, the rational part of Snape's mind tried to reassure him. There is no possible way he could be my…
When Minerva told him to pay attention to this year's sorting, Snape merely shrugged her off. A transfer student was rare, yes, but not improbable, especially with the Dark Lord loose.
"Evans, Vincent."
At the last name, Snape sat up in his seat. Was this new student a relative of Lily and indirectly—Merlin forbid—the recently deceased Potter? As the boy stood up from the Gryffindor table, Snape's obsidian eyes widened. This must be some sort of trickery. He spared a glance at the Gryffindor head-of-house, whose expression blatantly said, "I told you so."
Hazel locked with black. At the shocked expression on Evans' face, the Headmaster steeled his own into his usual mask. The boy just as quickly controlled his own surprise. Why on earth would there be a need for such a mask at his age? In Snape's line of business, controlling one's emotions was essential. But to see such control in one so young… something in Snape's gut told him to be wary.
That uncomfortable feeling was only stirred on by the long conversation the hat had with the boy. As to what exactly they were talking about, Snape had no idea. "I cannot place him," the hat finally spoke, causing the Great Hall to erupt into a roar. Snape flicked his wand and cast a wordless silencio.
The Headmaster took a deep breath before he made his reply. "Is there a particular reason why not?"
"He meets the standards for all four houses equally and exceptionally well," the Sorting Hat continued bluntly.
Snape resisted the urge to snort. I may be a spy, but I am no idiot. Snape couldn't remember a time when something like this had occurred. He glared at Evans' back and pushed a tendril of legilimency forward. He wasn't expecting the interlocking walls of lightning to block his path. Snape quickly pulled back from the student's mind completely baffled. Occulmency walls that specific and fortified could only be obtained through rigorous training. Who are you?
"Then let our newest student choose his house for himself," Headmaster Snape drawled, folding his hands together under his chin.
"Slytherin," Vincent announced immediately.
What? Even Snape had to stare as the boy walked over to the table and sat at the end. A flick of the Headmaster's wand ended the spell, and for a few moments blessed silence still reigned. Inevitably, however, the whispers began again. Snape wordlessly ordered the food to be brought out, thereby cutting off most of the gossip already starting.
Dinner itself was mostly a silent affair for Snape. Even Minerva, who usually talked up a storm, sat eating her food silently. Occasionally the two shared a glance, but their attention lingered on the newest snake. Snape's eyes narrowed as the boy piled food onto his plate as if he hadn't seen food in ages. "Minerva, do you see that?"
"Yes, I do," the Deputy Headmistress commented before stuffing another piece of meat in her mouth. Once she swallowed, she looked Snape directly in the eyes. "I have no unusual information about him. His file is remarkably short."
Really now. "I would like to see it."
A nod. "I'll bring it after dinner then."
"Very well." Since Snape was a quick eater, he quickly downed his dinner—which honestly wasn't much to begin with—and walked around the table to stand in front of the podium. He took a few moments to look at the pristine finish of the wood. Albus stood here for quite some time. For the students to see his… his murderer standing here… His thoughts trailed as his gaze flickered to the Gryffindor table. Granger glared, and Weasley looked like he was about to kill him. Foolish Gryffindors, meddling in affairs you could not possibly understand.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," he began, glowering at the students. "As you may have noticed, there will be a few… changes.
"As always, the Forbidden Forest shall keep true to its name. If I catch any student attempting to trick a new one into venturing inside, I shall personally see to the detention. Furthermore, students shall traverse the school in groups of two or three. No exceptions." Snape turned his infamous glare to the Golden Tr—Duo, whose gazes hardened more.
"Now, I would like to introduce you all to Mister Amycus and Miss Alecto Carrow. They will begin teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies, respectively. They have also been appointed by the Ministry to be in charge of discipline. If any regular detentions are given out, you are to report to them."
As much as Snape despised the two Death Eaters, he had no choice but to appoint them the positions. If he were to keep spying for the Light, he needed to be in the Dark Lord's inner circle. Although Albus was gone, that didn't mean that the fight was over, oh no.
But everything seemed hopeless, now that Potter was gone. "In other news," Snape continued, wondering why it felt so difficult to get these next words out, "Harry Potter's memorial shall be blessed this coming Friday. As such, all classes will be cancelled in order to honor the Boy-Who-Lived."
"Crucio!" As the Headmaster was not expecting this from the Weasley, he found himself crumpling to the floor. The hatred to cast the Unforgivable was present, but this was nothing compared to the work of the Dark Lord. Weekly meetings and torture sessions made Snape accustomed to the spell.
The shout of "Operstitium fulmen!" barely reached his ears. Snape gasped as the pain suddenly ceased. There was no doubt that was an Elemental spell. But control over lightning? What else are you hiding, Evans? He shook his head and pushed himself onto his knees. Madam Pomfrey scurried over to him, but the Headmaster stood by himself. The mediwitch knew that he had anti-cruciatus potions in his rooms.
"Detention with me, Weasley…" Snape hissed, shocked that he sounded that weak. "Mister Evans…" he continued, glancing at the student who glared at him. "come to my office. You are all dismissed." His cloak swished as he about-faced and stalked out the passageway only used by teachers.
A knock at the Headmaster's office door caught Snape by surprise. However, when Snape checked who it was, he keyed the wards to the visitor's magical signature with a flick of his hand.
"I am in the adjoining chambers," Snape said telepathically, once again clutching the amulet close. He stood up and walked to stand next to Vincent. A closer look showed that Vincent had gone paler than before, and a thin sheet of cold sweat covered his skin. To a normal person, he only needed some dreamless sleep. To an Elemental who could see auras, much more damage was done. The glowing line representing Vincent's soul was torn, shadows preventing it from closing.
A man walked in garbed in mostly black clothing. A crimson shirt was the primary splash of color. His heavy cloak swished in the same way that Snape's did, revealing red beneath. A royal purple blindfold wrapped around his eyes and beneath his shoulder-length black hair. His mouth formed a terse line. "As glad as I am to meet with you, old friend, I only wish that it wasn't under such circumstances," the visitor began, standing opposite to Snape.
"As do I, Keiichi. What is the damage?"
Keiichi took a step closer to assess the situation. He opened his palms and pressed them against the hole in Vincent's side. Shadows pooled around his hands in puddles of viscous goop. Keiichi sighed in relief. "Thank Ra for your urgency. This shall not take long, though I do need some assistance." He turned his head to the Headmaster. "I do not doubt your intelligence, but who summoned me here?"
"About damn time!" came a woman's voice. Kiseki ran into the room, panting. "Sorry I'm late; I had to get two new students acclimated." She nodded to the Headmaster. "Yuugi and Ryou are resting in the Hospice Wing along with Amun. Can't find Akefia anywhere, but I'm sure he'll show up eventually." The Japanese woman took a deep breath. "What do you need me to do, mister Master of Soul Magic?"
"How—"
"Oh right, introductions! I'll make this one quick." Kiseki stood straight and saluted. "Kiseki Tamiya, Domina Mentis at your service! Can't believe I'm finally meeting you in person; I've read all about you. Anyways, let's get this show on the road. The quicker we do this, the more quickly Vincent will be able to heal." The healer hovered her right hand over a break in Vincent's aura. "I don't… I can't close this wound by myself. I have the knowledge but not the power. You, on the other hand, do."
"Severus, hold down his legs. Healer, grab his arms."
"Got it." Two hands of bright white curled around Vincent's biceps. "Severus, you might want to prepare yourself. He's going to scream," Kiseki warned.
Scream? Snape wondered. He cast a wandless shielding spell on his ears anyway.
"He will try his best not to, but there is only so much the mind can do while unconscious." Keiichi took a deep breath and concentrated his magic into his hands. "Prepare yourselves for some recoil." Once they were fully covered by his own Shadows, he began tugging at Osiris' poisonous ones.
Vincent's body arched as if possessed, and his first scream reached each nook and cranny of the room. Keiichi blatantly ignored the flinches from the other two; their fear would only distract him. This was a delicate process. Each ribbon of darkness needed to be carefully removed, like untangling a ball of strings. If Keiichi pulled too hard, the strings of Shadow would snap and recoil, damaging Vincent even more so. If not enough force was used, they would be there all night.
"Is there any way you can numb it?" the Healer shouted, nearly being drowned out by Vincent's screams.
"I'm trying," was the retort.
"You're not trying hard enough!"
"Arguing will not help him," Snape reminded them. He leaned forward to place more of his weight on Vincent's legs as the boy kicked again. "Can you help him in any way, Kiseki?"
Kiseki reached a timid hand forward. The Shadow Elemental nodded and took a few steps to the left. It hovered above the gap in Vincent's side for a few moments, but eventually she pulled back. The Healer went back to holding down his arms. Regardless of the screams, within a few minutes the break in Vincent's aura was reconnected.
Everyone took a deep breath and pulled away. Snape looked down at the boy again. Although not appearing any better than before physically, his breaths weren't labored. At this point Vincent just looked exhausted. "How long will it take for him to heal completely?"
"A few days' time," Keiichi replied after a deep breath. "As long as he does not participate in any strenuous activity, his aura should knit back together on its own." He nodded to the woman. "Thank you for your assistance."
A grin. "No problem! It's my job." Kiseki looked at Snape. "Oh hey. Didn't Dumbledore want to speak with me?" Snape nodded. "Do you mind watching over Vincent while I do? I think he'll want to talk to me privately."
Keiichi glared. "Why the secrecy?"
Kiseki shrugged. "Let's just say I have a hunch, 'kay?"
Neither man bought it. Snape conceded regardless, "I shall wait here until you return."
"I shouldn't be long," Kiseki answered with a smile as she departed.
As the door to the healing chambers swung shut, Kiseki glared at nothing in particular. "Headmaster Dumbledore!" she shouted when she stood in front of the seemingly blank portrait. The inky blackness faded into the pale, tired skin of the former head of Hogwarts. The twinkle behind the half-moon glasses didn't disappear, even after the old man's death. His fabled sky blue robes exhibited the same magic.
"My lady, I'm no longer Headmaster, and you know that."
"Cut the sweet shit," Kiseki hissed. "Muffliato." Her wandless spell encased both of them in a shimmering bubble. "What are you planning, old man?"
Dumbledore's eyes softened. "You still think so lowly of me after all these years, Miss Tamiya?"
The Light Elemental scoffed. "You haven't given me a reason not to. After all the hell you've put poor Severus through… all in the name of good! Where's the good in ruining this man's life? Hell, you've meddled in Lily and James' lives too. Even Harry wasn't spared." Her golden eyes peered up at the portrait, hate evident. "You sicken me."
The former Headmaster didn't answer.
"Well?"
"Your seal on Severus' memories is breaking."
Kiseki's rage vanished. She bowed her head and unclenched her fists. "Is that so."
"He said that the dreams have resurfaced. Tell me, does it have anything to do with this Vincent Evans?"
The woman laughed softly. "You tell me. Can't you see for yourself? I'd really not rather have to spell it out this early on."
"Is there anything you can do for him?" Dumbledore asked.
"Once a seal breaks, it cannot be restored. We both know that," Kiseki began. She raised her head and looked directly at the old wizard. "I think it's about time Severus got some answers, don't you? There are only so many secrets that can be kept, even if he is a spy. I can give him general answers, but I cannot tell him specifics due to the nature of the Unbreakable Vow he made me swear."
"All we can do is hope for the best."
Kiseki wandlessly cancelled her privacy spell as the door to the healing wards opened again. The Dominus Animi strode through, coming to a stop next to the woman. "I would like to speak with you as well, Dumbledore." He gestured to Kiseki with an incline of his head. "Privately."
Dumbledore shook his own. "No, she needs to be present as well, if I assume right. Is it about the Horcruxes?"
"Wait, just how many of us know about them?" Kiseki asked, an eyebrow raised. "And here I thought Voldie wanted to keep it a secret."
"I assume only us," Keiichi replied. "Though, we can never be completely sure. But that's not the only topic I would like to discuss." Keiichi straightened himself and glared up at the portrait. "Do you not understand the danger you are bringing to your school this year? The Carrow siblings, appointed as professors? Are you going to stand by and allow this to happen?"
"You know that the appointment of the Carrows was made by the Ministry; Severus held no power there," Dumbledore tried to reason.
Keiichi didn't buy it. "If you won't do something about it, I shall take care of the matter myself."
Kiseki cut in, "How are you going to manage that?"
"I arrived at Hogwarts—past the wards—with no problem. How difficult will taking out two Death Eaters be?"
"Enough," Dumbledore's voice boomed through the office. "I leave everything to you."
"Very well. I will relieve the Carrows of their positions. I expect to be installed as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor once I am through with them. I'll leave the appointing of the Muggle Studies professor to the current Headmaster."
"Well, if you need another professor…" Kiseki trailed, placing a finger at her lips. "I could talk to Severus about it. I grew up with Muggles, after all. It'll give me something to do aside from my apprentices!" She cheered. "Totally excited for this."
"This isn't a matter you should take lightly," Keiichi said, crossing his arms.
"Pfft. Who said I wasn't taking it seriously? I can be happy about it, can't I?" Kiseki ran to the door which led to the main halls. She turned back suddenly. "Hey, can I deal with dear Alecto? I have some personal issues that I need to sort out."
"Personal… issues?"
"Yeah! Can I please?" Kiseki prodded. She walked back to Keiichi and poked him in the chest, causing him to reel back. "You, mister Tough-Guy, can deal with Amycus. Unless you're too much of a wuss."
"Are you calling me weak?"
The woman dared to giggle at him. "I'll leave that to your imagination. See ya!" With a wink, Kiseki disappeared in a flash.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into," Keiichi muttered as he disappeared in much the same way. However, instead of light, darkness engulfed his form.
Dumbledore sighed, his gaze lingering on the entrance to the healing rooms. What have we gotten ourselves into, indeed. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh, placing a wrinkled hand upon his brow. Everything was coming apart at the seams, but perhaps that was for the best. It's about time you found some happiness, my boy. However, Miss Tamiya sealed all of your memories, and I fear… I fear that the pain overwhelms the joy.
But perhaps that boy can change you, Severus, Dumbledore thought as he closed his eyes to rest. These changes will undoubtedly affect all of us. I can only hope that this is all for the best.