Venting out the madness that was her last 4 years of schooling to someone who actually cared and believed it was beyond satisfying. And having not just one but both of her attractive new friends empathize with her frustration at her destiny or role or whatever her fame as the Girl-Who-Lived was supposed to be categorized as was a much needed balm for her loneliness and ire this summer. Even with Ron and Hermione, Harrie's never really felt this free to be herself.

With Hermione, who rats her out whenever she does something against the rules 9 times out of 10, she's fallen into her old school habits with Dudley. She goes postal if she isn't the top marked student, even if she got an O proving that she's one of the top students in all her classes she'll foam at the mouth if someone else beats her in a single subject or test. Plus she feels it's her job to teach her friends (and everyone else really) how to do anything no matter what. Harrie decided to keep her grades passing but nowhere near hers so she can give her pointers and stay happy, it was preferable to pissing her off and maybe loosing her as a friend.

Ron meanwhile was simpler. He was the first friend Harrie ever had and, for the most part, had always done his best to make sure the three of them were happy and in the loop with wizarding culture. He and his family were and are what the raven always wished her family could be one day, the youngest Weasley son and his siblings being her surrogate siblings in a way. Given all that, and how easily hurt and jealous Ron could get about Harrie's fame and fortune, it was no wonder the Girl-who-lived was willing to bend over backwards to try and keep herself how Ron expected her.

While a proud and brave Gryffindor Harrie was just as much a snake at heart as a lion. She was a parselmouth for Merlin's sake! But as long as she feared Ron's disapproval, the disapproval of much of the wizarding world as a whole, the green eyed teen couldn't be anything but the textbook lion. Not unless she fancied a repeat of her isolation during the Tournament.

But Marik, Ryou, and Bakura didn't care about any of that. Harrie could gripe about things, talk about subjects she had to pretend she didn't enjoy with others at length, and even embrace her darker gifts without judgement. Hell, Bakura and Ryou were parselmouths themselves! And according to the tomb keeper being able to speak to snakes is revered in Egypt.

Speaking of snakes, her admission of being fond of the creatures actually came in handy at forming her deck. Both paler haired boys sorted out all the cards they had that were even remotely serpentine for Harrie to sort through, resulting in the raven getting a decent chunk of her deck ironed out. Apparently her talent with snakes extends to the monster spirits linked to the cards as well, go figure.

As she's giving them a recap of the Tri-Wizard Tournament's trials, having been asked to go into further detail when she glossed over them in his earlier summary of last year's events, Isis opens the door.

"Sorry to break this up, but dinner's here. Do you like pizza Harrie?"

The raven shrugged as she admitted reluctantly.

"I've never really eaten it before. But I've always wanted to try it."

The bespectacled girl missed the looks her new friends shared over her head as they followed the older girl downstairs. The female tomb keeper meanwhile smiled softly at the younger girl.

"I understand that feeling, my brothers and I are new to the dish ourselves but it's one we're quite fond of."

Harrie relaxed at that, glad she wasn't the only one new to something most considered normal here. The lack of judgement she faced in the Ishtar house was new, but she liked it. It made her feel normal.

There were 3 different pizza boxes open on the table, earning raised brows from the raven Brit. Noticing his look the white haired teen explained.

"Whatever pizza doesn't get eaten now can be put in the fridge to tide us over until we go shopping."

Marik adding.

"Also we have different tastes in toppings and dietary needs. Ryou and his tenant are the only ones who will touch that one."

The blonde points at one bearing multiple varieties of meat as toppings. On closer inspection both of the other pizzas carry different varieties of vegetables on them instead. A light goes off in the green eyed witch's head as she realizes.

"You're vegetarian?"

All three Ishtar's nod, Isis adding.

"The middle box is Marik's usual. He doesn't like mushrooms and likes pineapple, which Rishid and I can't stand, on his pizza."

Harrie, being the bold and curious teen she is, agrees to try a slice of both of the taller boys' favorite flavors. Meat lovers is pretty good, a bit too much meat for the raven's liking but not bad. And Marik's vegetarian friendly tomato slices, spinach, pineapple, red onion, and black olives is much better than she expected. Green eyes turned pensive as she tried to work out what mixture of the toppings on both would make a pizza she'd like best, because she was certain if you mixed both kinds you'd get the perfect blend of flavors.

On top of that dinner as a whole was great. While the chatter wasn't as loud or frequent as at the Gryffindor table, the Weasleys', or even the Dursleys' it was nicer than them all combined. Harrie had never felt quite so comfortable or included in her life as she did right now. So it was with great reluctance that she left number 5 to return to her relatives' house afterward.

As she stood by their door, grimacing at the thought of how pissed her Aunt and Uncle would be, she jolted when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. Marik was hugging her, she realized numbly, before returning the embrace. When the blonde pulled back, Ryou taking his place, the Egyptian said.

"You're welcome to drop by again tomorrow, or any other day."

As he pulled back from his own hug the whitette added.

"We're honestly going to be pretty bored here, we could use the company."

Harrie laughed, a blush on her face.

"I'd love that. See you guys tomorrow then."

With a wave as she walked away both teens watched as she made it across the street and entered the door of Number 4 as if there was risk of the door exploding. Judging by the muffled yelling they heard shortly afterward from both a deep and shrill voice in tandem that analogy wasn't inaccurate.

After a few moments the pair noticed Harrie's form in the barred window of the house waving at them before flopping down on what must be her bed below it. Violet eyes narrowed on the house before closing the front door, gears turning in his head and arms crossed over his chest. Ryou stayed silent as he watched the blonde put the pieces together in his mind, having guessed the same himself a while ago.

The threadbare hand-me-down clothes despite her fame and fortune, small stature and low self-esteem despite her achievements and intellect, and the sheer amount of things she was ignorant of that should've been normal with her family's lifestyle. The way she referred to her relatives as relatives instead of family, if she bothered to mention them at all. And the way she lit up at being taken seriously or shown even basic kindness or acceptance all painted a very unpleasant picture of her home life.

Marik shared a look with his fellow thief, declaring.

"If they're half as bad as I think they are, I'm getting her out of there."

Ryou smiled, though it was sharp in a way that would've better fit Bakura than the kind boy, as he agreed.

"Trust me, the spirit and I will be right there with you when you do."