Chapter 12: - Sunset
Joey approached his dates with trepidation. It was mid-December and while he was looking forward to the ball now that he'd been on a few dates with the girls, and was certainly getting on better with them then Yami was with Astraea, but he had a proposition for them that he wasn't sure they were going to like.
He had to ask them before he went before Professor McGonagall, but he was dreading their reactions.
He'd mentioned in a letter to Serenity that they were having a 'Yule Ball' and that it was on Christmas Day and in response to that, Serenity had replied saying that there was nothing interesting going on at her school for the holidays and that she wished she could come to the ball.
Joey had been thinking on it, and didn't see why, since he figured that the students from the other schools would be allowed to bring their partners from home, why he couldn't sneak his little sister in. However, first he had to check it was ok by his dates and then he'd have to convince the school.
There was a Hogsmead trip today, to allow people to pick up Christmas presents before they went home, not that many people were, what with the Yule Ball coming up, and Cordi and Alecia were waiting for him by the doors to the great hall, discussing an assignment they'd been given for potions, and grinned as he approached, bombarding him with questions about a rumour they'd heard.
"Woah girls." Joey held up his hands, "I thought we'd already established the truth about our ages and where we came from."
"You didn't tell us you were famous!" Cordi giggled.
"Oh…" Joey facepalmed, "Yeah, we try to avoid telling anyone that. Yugi and Yami have enough fangirls of the Muggle verity, without having the same problem with Witches."
Alecia laughed, "So that was what that was about… we did wonder."
"Huh?"
"When Lockheart was still teaching. You remember Valentine's Day, don't you?"
"Oh yeah." Joey cringed, remembering the pile of letters and the fact that had been when he and Kari had gotten together…stupid Bakura.
"Joey?" Cordi sounded concerned as they headed down to Hogsmead.
"Ummm…I've told you about my little sister, haven't I?"
"Serenity, right?" Alecia asked. Joey nodded, ""What's wrong?"
"Nothing, but she mentioned that she'd like to come to the ball and all of the guys have dates and I was wondering if it was alright if…"
"You'd like to bring her as well." Alecia nodded.
"If I can get permission."
"I don't see why not." Cordi giggled, "I mean Serenity's a Witch, isn't she?"
"Uh huh."
"I don't mind. Will she have anyone to dance with though, if she has to share you with us?"
"The guys have already said they'll take it in turns to dance with her and most of their dates don't mind."
Alecia snorted, wondering if it was Yami's date that was being awkward. "Sure, I want to meet the girl you've talked our ears off about. You said she was looking at becoming a Healer, didn't you?"
"Uh huh."
"Cool, we'll have something to talk about then." Cordi looked delighted.
Joey sighed, relieved and started planning what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall, the two girls giving him a helping hand.
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Yugi barely dodged a snowball thrown by his date, who was giggling and helping her friend pelt her boyfriend.
They'd retreated to the field by the Shrieking Shack in order to have a riotous snowball fight, without getting into trouble in with anyone.
"At least Luna's not here." Mokuba panted, ducking behind Yugi and allowing the older one to get coated in snow. "She and Harry seem to be getting on really well."
Yugi didn't get to answer as he was pounced on, sending him sprawling backwards into the snow. "Hi Rebecca."
"Hi Yugi." She giggled, watching as Ginny pounced on Mokuba.
"You know, I'm going to get a cold, led like this."
"I know."
"So can I get up?"
"Nope."
"If I'm ill, I can't take you to the ball."
Rebecca thought about it, then scrambled off and helped him to his feet. In exchange, Mokuba, who had wriggled out from under Ginny, shoved a snowball down Rebecca's jumper, causing her to shriek and start pelting Mokuba relentlessly. Of course Yugi had to join in, causing Mokuba to protest because Yugi was supposed to be on his side.
So Ginny took a snowball, and snuck up on Yugi, attempting to shove it down his jacket, failing miserably and ending up with a face full of snow for her efforts.
"I'm just sorry you two can't go to the ball." Yugi said, as they finally bored of getting each other snow coated and headed down the hill towards the Three Broomsticks.
Mokuba grinned and Ginny giggled.
"Alright, what are you two planning?"
"I happen to have been asked to the ball by Ryou." Ginny said, still giggling.
"But I thought he was taking Ombre."
"No, Ombre's taking me." Mokuba said with a straight face.
Then it clicked and Yugi laughed, "Not that there's going to be a partner swap early on in the evening at all is there?"
"No." Mokuba denied, "You'd never catch us doing any such thing."
Yugi decided that 'catch' was the important word there.
"So?" Rebecca laughed, "Butterbeer?"
"Warm Butterbeer." Yugi emphasised.
They reached the bottom of the lane and headed down the high street. "I'll catch up with you." Rebecca laughed, "I just want to pop into a store down the road, some of my potions supplies are getting low."
"You sure you don't want a hand?"
"I can handle it."
"Never said you couldn't, I just wondered if you wanted a hand."
"No, I'll be fine, thank you."
"Ok, see you in the Three Broomsticks."
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"Hermione!"
Hermione jumped and turned around, seeing Kari weaving through the crowds to wards her.
"Hi Hermione," Kari grinned, face rosy with the cold, "Hello Krum." Kari half bowed to Hermione's date as the crowd parted for Seto, allowing him through, before they closed in again. "It's a bit mad today, isn't it?"
"When are we going to mention that thing?"
"Which thing?" Kari frowned, hand going to the disk that hung on a cord around her neck.
"You know, the one for just in case."
"Oh, the ingredients came this morning." Kari nodded, "So we're just waiting on the OK from the others. So later, maybe?"
"Ok." Hermione giggled.
"Viktor Krum" Kaiba nodded to the international Quidditch Player, before turning to the two girls, "I've spoken with Mokuba about this, and we'll go along with it if the plan goes ahead."
"Alright," Hermione looked slightly relieved, "Thanks Seto."
Seto shrugged, "It's in our best interests."
Hermione laughed, "You just feel left out."
"No, that's Mokuba." Seto said, trying not to smile, "I've already worked out we're part of the family, no matter how much I might protest."
Hermione and Kari laughed, "Alright, we'll mention it tomorrow at training."
"OK, meanwhile, I believe I offered to buy you lunch." Seto said to Kari, who nodded.
"See you later, Hermione." Kari and Seto shot off.
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It was very hard to buy sweets when your date kept making funny comments about your choices, however, Harry was quite happy to put up with it, since Luna's comments were all about how the sweets seemed to multiply every time they came in, and did they hire Yugi to use multiply on them and that she wondered if the shop had a Farbat to prevent mice getting in and eating the sweets.
"Oh, they do have a Farbat, look."
Harry looked where Luna was pointing, but couldn't see the difference between the bat that hung upside down in the rafters and the thing Luna had described as a Farbat.
Of course, admitting this, led to a lecture on the differences between the two.
Harry found Luna was a refreshing change from the pace of reality. She was grounded enough in it to know when to stop and let things go, but was off in her own world often enough that Harry could take holidays there and not think about the fact that neither he or Kari had managed to work out how to get the clue from the egg, bar that horrible screeching noise.
"What do you think?" Harry asked, holding up a bag of jelly spiders and a couple of boxes of chocolate frogs, "Sweets for the twins?"
"Fred and George would like anything that isn't another sweater." Luna pointed out.
"Point." Harry took the sweets along to the till, "Do you have everything you want?"
Luna put her purchases down on the till. "Uh huh."
"Cool, butterbeer next?"
"Can I have warm Butterbeer instead?"
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Yami and Astraea had come to an agreement. She got to spend part of the day with her friends and then Yami got to meet up with the Gryffindor group later on.
Currently the two were in the Three Broomsticks, warming up with a hot drink, not really saying much, but the funny thing was that they'd gotten past the really awkward phase, where they hadn't know what to say to each other, and would often discuss issues like the work they had in school, or issues brought up in articles that weren't written by Rita Skeeter. Intellectual issues, that Slytherins could be interested in, after all, especially when one was graduating soon, you had to know the issues out there to be able to make informed decisions and manipulate people into following them.
Yami often surprised Astraea with his level of depth and understanding. She wasn't an all out Gryffindor hater like some of her friends, but Yami was the first one she'd really spent any time with, and he had a surprisingly large amount of Slytherin traits and while he was too loyal to his friends to admit it, he would have made a very good Slytherin.
Dark didn't necessarily mean evil, and Yami knew it.
And Astraea found that she liked the fact.
Alright, so she could do without some of his friends, but even there, from what she'd seen, there were those who would have fitted in better in other houses.
She never quite knew how to take the teen she was dating either, he had a sharp mind, and a wit to match, but he never seemed to relax long enough for her to get to know the Yami underneath all of the barriers and defensives. It was as if he was expecting an attack at all times and didn't want to let anyone in, for fear of getting anyone else hurt.
The courage to face things alone, was that why he'd been placed in Gryffindor when he would have been much better suited to Slytherin?
"Are you alright?" Yami asked, with a tilt of his head that reminded her of his twin brother, "Do you need a refill?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you." Something amused the Gryffindor about her reply, and she would have asked what it was, but he'd already headed up to the bar to get his own drink, meeting up with one of the Ironhides, Astraea figured that it was Ombre, since she was with the Hufflepuff Bakura, or rather Ryou Bakura.
That was another thing she didn't understand about their group, she was certain that almost identical twins weren't that common, but there were three pairs who had all transferred to Hogwarts, Yugi and Yami Muto, Kari and Ombre Ironhide, and Ryou Bakura and Bakura Malfoy, and she was sorry, but something was up with that last pair at least, because there was no way Bakura Malfoy had formerly been Bakura Bakura.
Of course they all knew the rumours, but not many people believed that Yami, Ombre and Bakura were really spirits who had managed to gain bodies of their own, after all, there were ways, but none of them really seemed dark enough to do them, not even Bakura and that was saying something.
She watched as Yami chuckled at something Ombre had said, and waved over his brother and his date, that irritatingly smart Ravenclaw girl, Hawkins or something.
She couldn't complain, however, he had had to sit with her friends and put up with their pointed comments, so she figured that she had to do the same, if she wanted to keep him interested in her.
Yami was back first, in the middle of a conversation that could have been greek for all that she understood it. She knew it was about that 'Duel Monsters' game they played, and were in fact the best players in the world, but she didn't understand where the conversation had come from.
Right up until Yugi started laughing and explaining that Kaiba had challenged him at the top of the high street, so they'd used their Duel Disks and fought it out there and then and now Yugi was hiding from the CEO because his Sunrise Magician had knocked some of the branches of a tree above Kaiba and now Kaiba was soaked through because of the snow.
With that, Yugi sneezed.
"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave." Astraea prodded.
"Brave yes," Yugi agreed, with a smile, pulling out a chair for Rebecca and then sitting himself, "Particularly fond of getting snowballs down the back, which is what Seto was threatening, no."
Astraea and Yami laughed.
"You did win, though?" Yami asked, sounding unconcerned but like he wanted confirmation.
"Yeap." Rebecca giggled, putting her bags carefully under the table, "Easily, Seto got distracted, what with all the snow down his trenchcoat."
"You do realise…" Yami started.
"He's already asked for a rematch." Yugi laughed. "I think that was a record for him as well."
"Two point four three seconds." Rebecca giggled.
"I don't get it." Astraea said, looking at the three sat with her, "What is the big deal with Duel Monsters anyway? I mean I get that you two," She indicated Yami and Yugi, "Are the best in the world, but I don't understand why it's such a big deal."
With this, she was introduced to the game and most of the things surrounding it.
She hadn't realised it was so influential in the Muggle world…
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"Goodnight, Bakura."
Bakura smiled and held his date's hand a moment longer, "Diana, wait."
The seventh year Gryffindor gave him a puzzled look. She'd spent all day with the Tomb Robber, and it hadn't been dull to say the least, it was amazing how much there was to do in Hogsmead if you really looked.
The only thing they'd done the same so far was get hot drinks at The Hog's Head, other then that, they had done so many things; Diana's head spun just thinking about it.
"Yes, Bakura?"
"I wanted to thank you for not interfering earlier." Bakura said,
"What was that about?" Diana asked, flicking dark blue, almost black hair over her shoulder, "Should I have?"
The issue in question had been when Bakura had approached Ron Weasley for some reason. He'd asked her to stay back, and when it hadn't looked like they were going to do more then glare at and talk or shout at each other, Diana had stayed back. She had a feeling that the conversation between the two had been something to do with Potter's group and those odd gold things that seemed incredibly important to that whole group as well as a few people outside of it.
"It's nothing important, I hadn't realised Weasley was as far out of the group as he is. He must have done something monumentally stupid for even Yugi to stop talking to him."
"Weasley's jealous." Diana explained the situation as most Gryffindors understood it, "He stopped talking to the group because Potter got into the Triwizard Tournament and managed to anger the others by accusing them, to their faces, of putting Potter's name in."
"But everyone was accusing them of that." Bakura frowned, "Not that those goody two-shoes ever would…"
"Then he was entirely unsympathetic when Potter's relatives were killed," Diana continued, "And now he's refusing to apologise, because he's realised that they don't actually need him. They certainly don't miss him."
"It has to be said that I don't blame them." Bakura said, "Ron Weasley isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and even Yugi has his limits on how much stupidity he can tolerate from his friends."
"That might not be the full story." Diana warned, "But that's as much as we Gryffindors understand, which is certainly more then the other houses."
"Thanks."
"S'ok." Diana gave him a reassuring grin, "Guess you'll just have to find out what you wanted to find out some other way."
"Uh huh." Bakura sounded really enthusiastic on that point making Diana laugh.
"On that note, today has been amazing, but I have homework of my own to do…"
"G'night Diana."
"Good night Bakura."
A kiss and then Diana headed up to her Common Room, while Bakura headed down to the dungeons. Diana was not the only one with work to do.
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"Professor McGonagall?"
The Professor in question paused to let the student who was calling her catch up, wondering who could possibly want her help at this time of night on a Saturday, and found herself surprised to find that it was Joseph Wheeler. "Mr Wheeler?"
He nodded nervously, making her frown and wonder what had happened this time, "What is it?"
"Who are we allowed to bring to the ball?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well… If I wanted to bring someone from home, would I be allowed?"
"I thought you had two dates."
"I do, but I've asked them and they don't mind, as long as I'm allowed to bring her."
"And she is a Witch, right?"
"Yes Professor, she's a student at a magic school in Japan."
"And she has permission to travel?"
"Yes Professor." Joey nodded. "We've been trading letters all term, so I know she's free to come, if I'm allowed to bring her."
"I don't know…"
"I just thought I'd ask." Joey sighed, "She just happened to mention how much she'd love to come, and it would be an opportunity to show an intelligent witch, who happens to be graduating this year, the kind of hospitality English witches and wizards could provide…"
"Mr Wheeler, I hope you're not trying to sway my decision…"
"No, I'm no good at that outside of Duels." Joey shrugged, "I just thought I'd bring it up."
"Hmm. You do realise I'd have to speak to Professor Dumbledore."
"I know, but you're my Head of House, so I figured I should come to you first."
"And I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you Professor." Joey bowed, "Have a good evening."
"You too, Joseph."
Joey grinned at her and headed up to the dorm, where, no doubt, his friends were waiting for the news. Professor McGonagall shook her head, amused by the group, who seemed to have the monopoly on weird goings on, and headed up to her office, wondering how she could broach the subject with Professor Dumbledore.
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"Guys, wait."
When Yami turned around to look at the two girls, he suddenly found himself glad that it was the weekend, since it looked like they had a lot to say. "What's up?"
"Well…" Kari looked around quickly, not that she expected anyone to be around, and then said those immortal words, "We've been thinking…"
"Uh oh, hit the dirt!" Joey yelped, causing Ombre to punch him in the arm. "Ow!"
"Haha, very funny Joey." Hermione said, glaring, then sighed, and turned to the others, "After the Dursleys were killed, we decided that we were going to look up the magical laws on guardianship, just in case something happened to someone else's family…" Or to Sirius… Hermione thought but didn't add, "Apparently, in the absence of another family member, or appointed guardian, the child in question would in fact become a ward of the state and, in the case of pure or half bloods, would be placed with the closest related family, however muggle born children don't get that treatment." Hermione sounded peeved, "They get left with whatever family is willing to take them in or have to find somewhere by themselves, the laws don't even come into effect unless it happens during your school years!"
"That can't be right…" Yugi frowned, "What happened to all the children orphaned during the war?"
"Left to fend for themselves mostly." Kari growled. "Oh, and the best part is that we worked out that the closest related family to Harry, after the Blacks, are in fact the Malfoys."
"You're joking!"
"We wish." Seto growled, "I've been sat in on the planning sessions and the girls had me check their findings. In the event of something happening to Harry's Guardian, he would be placed with the Malfoys."
"So what do we do about it?"
"Normally there's nothing we could do." Kari said, "But we found a loophole."
"What is it?" Harry asked, not really wanting to have to live with Bakura and Draco.
"It's called the 'Clan Law', where a bunch of magical families can come together under one banner, and look after the children of other Clan families legally, as well as providing other bonuses, like part citizenship of which ever countries the Clan Members come from, for example, we'd end up British and Japanese."
"We could possibly have Egyptian citizenship as well, but we'd have to check that." Kari pointed out.
"Under Clan Law, if a Clan child is left without a parent or guardian, the guardianship automatically defaults to the naturally oldest Clan Member."
"So me, rather then Ombre." Seto nodded.
"So I'd be Harry Kaiba?"
"Not unless you want to be." Hermione shook her head, "It's complicated but basically being a Clan means that we don't have to give up our family names, but we're still considered family under magical law." She giggled, "So while we're all from different families, our usual rule of 'pick on one of us, pick on all of us', is much more understandable and actually recognised as a valid response by the Wizarding community."
"We would also have first right of refusal if something happened to Grandpa and Joey, about where Yami ended up, instead of Bakura." Seto said, reminding Yami of what the American government had said, and the fact that he was, in fact, classed as little more then a pet by Wizarding law.
Ombre was suddenly glad that someone had registered her as human, rather then a pet. Of course the gang would have done that for Yami too, had they not known too late, about the registration laws.
But who had registered her? That was the question that no one had been able to answer. Kari thought she knew, but she hadn't been able to work up the courage to ask.
"So what would we have to do to become Clan?" Yugi asked, more then happy to go along with it.
"We were waiting for the ok from you guys to request the paperwork, but we already have the potion ingredients."
"That was fun." Hermione rolled her eyes in a manner that indicated the exact opposite.
"What sort of potion?" Joey asked, "I mean, is this blood magic or…?"
"Not really." Kari frowned, "The potion is more to provide verification that the forms weren't signed under duress. All it requires is that you drink a mouthful and make sure you put a droplet of blood in the correct place on the form."
"Apparently it goes green on the page if you willingly signed the document." Hermione grinned.
"Ewww, mouldy blood."
"Thank you for that lovely image." Harry twatted Joey.
"We're in." Seto indicated himself and Mokuba, who, with his friends, had started coming down to training with them after the first task, "Kari, Ombre and Hermione are in as well…"
"I'm in." Harry nodded, "I don't really want to end up with the Malfoys."
Yami and Yugi looked at each other and nodded, "We'll take part."
"Me too." Joey nodded.
"I wanna be part of the family too." Rebecca complained.
"You'd need your Grandpa's permission." Seto said, looking at her.
"I'll get it." Rebecca nodded. "How long do I have?"
"I think we should have everything ready for the day of the second task." Kari said, thoughtfully, "It'll depend on how long the paper work takes to arrive."
"I want in." Ginny said, "And I think we should include Fred and George too."
"Why?"
"Because they've got as much right to be family as the rest of you considering how often they helped Yugi out during third year." Ginny said stubbornly.
"She has a point." Yugi said, remembering the fun and games he and Boh had had around the time of the Quidditch Finals.
"We'll ask." Yami said, nodding, "The worst they can do is say 'No'."
"Do I have get Mum's permission?" Ginny double checked.
"You're underage, so yes." Hermione nodded, "I've already asked my parents."
"Does this mean I have to ask Sirius?" Harry asked, suddenly realising what it meant.
Kari nodded, "I wouldn't have thought he'd mind though, since it's a protective measure for all of us, not a slur on how well he could look after you."
"If I'm allowed, I would like to be a part of the family." Luna said, "I'm sure my father would allow it."
"Sure, you're one of us, aren't you?" Joey grinned, then he turned to Kaiba, "Of course you do realise that as 'brothers' we have the right to kick each other's butts."
"Please," Seto snorted, "If you can't beat me now, being my 'brother' won't change a thing."
"So we're all in?" Kari looked relived and amused as everyone nodded. "Cool, one question, what name do I put on the application paperwork as our Clan name?"
"Something really cool." Joey said enthusiastically and didn't stop making suggestions the entire way up to the school.
Seto poked Yugi, "Rematch?"
"After we've had a bath and eaten breakfast." Yugi said, grimacing, "As much as the training is helping, I hate being all sweaty like this."
"All right, I'll meet you outside the Great Hall after breakfast."
"Fine." Yugi mock-glared, "But I'm not gonna go any easier on you because we'll be brothers soon."
"Good, I'd have to withdraw my acceptance of a place in the Clan otherwise."
Yami, who'd overheard, snorted, which caused Yugi to shove him.
Yami shoved back.
So Yugi shoved back again, making Yami stagger this time, falling on his rear and getting coated in the mud that had replaced the snow over night.
"Now I really need a bath." Yami complained, paused then and looked at Yugi, who squeaked and attempted to flee.
He didn't get very far as Joey grabbed him, and soon the boys were involved in what was basically a mud wrestling match, which Seto took no part in… until Joey just happened to 'accidently' splash mud on his t-shirt.
"Who knew," Ginny commented as Seto proceeded to get Joey covered in mud, "That Kaiba was as big a kid as the others."
"I did." Mokuba grinned, then got mud to the face.
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"You ready Seto?" Yugi called, Duel Disk active and facing the CEO of Kaiba Corp, who smirked, casting the charm to make it work and activating his own Duel Disk and nodding. "You wanna go first?"
"No, you can have the pleasure." Kaiba waved at him.
Yugi nodded, drawing his first hand and jumping at the card in it. He hadn't actually drawn it since he'd managed to pick up his own copies of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, but it was one of a combo that had saved him during the events of the first Summer, that was the reason he hadn't taken it and the card it went with out of his deck yet.
Well, it looked like it wanted to play today, so he'd see if he could get it on the field.
"You playing or staring at your cards all day?" Kaiba taunted.
"Ah stow it, Seto." Yugi replied, summoning Obnoxious Celtic Guard in attack mode and placing a card face down. "It's your move."
"I summon Lord of D. in attack mode and play Flute of Summoning Dragon."
It seemed like it was a day of old tactics, as Kaiba brought two Blue Eyes White Dragons to the field and attacked Yugi's guardian, inflicting 3200 life points worth of damage, but because of Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's effect, it wasn't destroyed.
"When did you put those back in?" Yugi asked as he drew and switched Celtic Guard to defence mode and set a card in defence mode. "Lord of D. and your Flutes? We haven't seen 'em for a while. Your move, by the way."
"Last night," Seto answered, drawing, "I knew you didn't have anything to counter it." He set a card face down, "And I end my turn."
"True," Yugi admitted, "I don't have anything to stop you from summoning your Dragons, but I do have this," He held up the card he wanted, "I sacrifice my Celtic Guardian and my Alpha the Magnet Warrior for Sunset Magician."
Joey remembered this pair, Sunset Magician was one of two cards that worked in tangent with each other and gained attack and defence points when they were both on the field, but he didn't get it. Sunset Magician had only 2800 attack points, which still put him underneath Blue Eyes…
Until Yugi activated Mage Power and set another card in face, boosting his Magician by 1000, "Sunset Magician, Starlight Blast!"
The Magician, whose robes went from dark blue at the top to yellow at the bottom, as if there was a sunset on them, levelled his staff, with it's dark blue sphere on the top, at Seto's Lord of D. and fired a blast that left stars in it's wake.
Lord of D. exploded and Seto went down to 1400 life points.
"I end my turn."
"They haven't lost any of their skill." Joey commented from the side lines, "Even if the only people they get to fight nowadays is our group."
"You forget," Hermione said as Seto switched his Dragons to defence mode, "That they may only be fighting our group, but within it is the best Duellists in the world, if anything it's honing their skills."
"True, but we're a little rusty when it comes to fighting the new cards." Yami commented, "We're out of the loop here and if it wasn't for Kari's constant updates on what cards are coming out, we wouldn't know what half of the new cards do."
"I want to play next." Harry said, watching Yugi set a card in defence mode and use 'Starlight Blast' to destroy one of the dragons on the field as Kisara flew overhead.
"I'll play you." Kari nodded.
"Thanks."
Completely oblivious to the conversation, Kaiba drew, setting the card face down and activating his face down card, Burst Breath, giving up his Blue Eyes White Dragon to destroy Yugi's Sunset Magician, as Blue Eyes's attack was 3000 and Sunset Magician's defence was only 2100.
"And I summon Battle Ox in attack mode and attack your face down card."
Yugi giggled as it flipped face up, revealing his Marshmellon, which wobbled but didn't vanish as the attack struck it and Kaiba lost 1000 life points.
"I'm really beginning to hate that monster." Seto growled, "I end my turn."
Yugi grinned, "Yami hates it too, Marshmellon's like my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, but it can't be destroyed in battle at all."
Seto grumbled at him.
"I play Monster Reborn, by the way, to bring back my Sunset Magician and he attacks your Battle Ox."
"I activate Wish of Final Effort, allowing me to add Battle Ox's attack points to my life points." Kaiba went up by 1700 and down by 1100, putting him back on 1000 life points.
Yugi nodded and passed the turn back to Seto.
"I play Soul Release to remove my two Blue Eyes White Dragons from play, and I activate Monster Reborn, to bring back my Battle Ox." Yugi frowned, trying to work out what he was up to, "Confused, don't worry, you'll get it in a minute, I play Cost Down to allow me to sacrifice my Battle Ox for my third Blue Eyes White Dragon."
"Oh." Was all Yugi had to say on the matter as the third Dragon appeared on the field and blasted his Sunset Magician, leaving him with just 200 life points.
"I'll win next turn."
"I don't think so." Yugi said, drawing. "I pass."
"What?" He could hear the exclamations from his friends, but he had no monsters to summon.
"I activate Return from the Different Dimension." Seto looked… well… irritated wasn't the word for it. "To bring both my Dragons back into play!"
Facing the three dragons, Yugi looked just a little outnumbered.
"And I activate Dragon's Mirror!"
The three Blue Eyes White Dragons became Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
"Overkill much?" Joey asked.
Yami frowned.
"Nova Attack!"
The three heads fired on Yugi simultaneously.
"Kuriii!"
Harry grinned, recognising the sound, but for once Kaiba didn't seem irritated when Yugi was shielded from the attack by Kuriboh.
"I don't get it." Hermione said, "If he knew Yugi had Kuriboh in his hand, why didn't he attack with all three Blue Eyes White Dragons, instead of using the last card in his hand fusing them?"
"Are you even trying?" Kaiba growled, "You're much better then this Yugi."
"I'm not getting the right cards." Yugi growled back.
"So what, you can't beat me without the Gods."
"Of course I can."
"Then prove it."
"What's up with them?" Joey asked Yami.
"Kaiba doesn't want to finally beat one of us if we're not playing our best." Yami replied, "And Yugi hates being accused of not giving it his all."
"Come on, Yugi, show me what you've got."
Harry edged over to where Kari and Ombre were stood, over by the lake, "Um, Kari?"
"Yes Harry?" Kari asked, a little bit distracted by the duel.
"Kari… Do you hate Robyn?"
"Huh? What? No! Why would you think that?" Kari wheeled around and stared at him.
Harry shrugged, "Robyn seemed pretty sure you hated her."
"What?" In a surprising demonstration of speed and strength, she had Harry by the collar and was dangling him over the lake before anyone realised she was moving, "What exactly did Robyn say?"
"I don't know!" Harry answered, trying to squirm out of Kari's grip, "Something about you never listening to her, that's all I remember, honest!"
"Kari! Put him down!" Yami snapped, already heading towards them, but he didn't need to interfere, as she dropped the young man, causing a splash as he hit the lake.
"Oh…" Kari said, "I don't hate her. I don't understand why she could even think that, I couldn't hate her."
Harry sighed at her from his position, sat in the lake, which luckily was only deep enough to reach his waist when sat like this.
"I… have to talk… have to explain…" Kari took a couple of steps back, not really looking at Harry now.
"Go." Ombre said, helping Harry up, "I'll tell you how the Duel pans out."
"Thanks." Kari nodded and rushed off towards the castle in time to miss Yugi using Mirror Force on Blue Eyes Ultimate and irritating Kaiba even further.
"She ok?" Yami asked as Yugi finished the Duel off by summoning Queen's Knight, who attacked Kaiba directly, wiping out the last of his life points.
"I don't know."
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"Excuse me Professor, do you know where Miss Golden is?"
Professor Moody looked at her, his false eye only stopping on her for a moment as he caught her outside the staff room.
"No, however I was hoping to have a word with you."
"Yes Professor?"
"Well you see, I was wondering if you knew much about underwater creatures…"
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"Did you find her?" Ombre asked, when they finally returned to the Common Room.
"No, but…" She looked at Harry, frowned and finally nodded towards the Girl's Dorm, leaving her Golden Egg in the care of Yugi and heading up with Ombre and Hermione.
"So she's found a clue then." Harry sounded relived.
"Guess so." Joey shrugged, sinking into the chair Kari hadn't long vacated, he pawed at her notes, "Breathing underwater? That doesn't look like fun."
"Sorry, did you just say breathing underwater?" Harry paled.
"That's what she's researching," Joey said, reading the complex notes, "And unless we're getting a mermaid in the Clan, I can't think of a reason we'd need that ability… alright I can think of a few but still…"
"Great, just great."
"Wait until Ombre or Hermione say something." Yami suggested, as the girls came back down and Kari glared at Joey until he vacated her chair.
"Come with me." Ombre grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him away.
Five minutes later Harry dove up to the dorm, grabbed his egg, and dove out the door again.
"Where's he going?" Yugi asked Ombre.
"To find out the clue inside his egg." Ombre shrugged with a small smile.
"So what's this about breathing underwater?"
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"Kari doesn't hate you." Harry said quietly over a cup of tea, having literally run into her on the way back to the dorm from the Prefect's Bathroom. Robyn always made a good cup of tea.
"It doesn't matter."
"Why not? You said friends were important."
A humourless laugh. "I'm rather messed up. I've messed up so badly. I never thought... it doesn't matter." Robyn wiped a hand over her eyes.
"But can't you just talk to her? Kari just wants to talk."
"Would you want to talk to the person who ruined your life?"
"Yes."
"Would you want to talk to someone whose life you had ruined?"
"…No." Harry sighed. "But Kari's happy. I really don't understand why you think you ruined Kari's life."
"I suppose if she's happy... that's the most important thing."
"She would be happier if you would just talk to her."
Robyn sighed again. "Chances are she won't get me Robyn, she'll get Seer Robyn."
"Yeah... I don't get that, Yami, Kari and Ombre says you get all riddlely every time they speak to you, but you aren't now."
"It's the problem of the medium. I am going quite mad."
"Is that why you poisoned Yami?"
"I didn't poison Yami! He was perfectly safe!"
"Explain then the craziness."
"I can't. That shouldn't have happened."
"But it did."
"What it should have done was make any outsider see Yami's thoughts as a jumble of puzzle pieces, from lots of different puzzles. From Yami's reaction I would almost think he's an outsider in his own mind."
"It's not his yet." Harry pointed out, "Until he gets his memories back, he won't know or belong in his own mind."
"...That doesn't work, no matter the lack of memories, Yami... oh. Great. Yami's delusional..."
"That was your fault."
"No I mean, Yami believes he isn't the real Yami, he thinks he's the shadow, the memory of himself, not the real Yami."
"Huh, like most ghosts think of themselves as less than they were in life, like something's missing?"
"Who knows, it's Yami's head, I'm not going in there, even if I could.
"Could I?"
Robyn glared. "Never enter someone's mind without their permission. Never."
"But if I asked Yami?"
"He'll say no. Then no again when you get Yugi to ask, then no again when both of you ask, and I don't care how much you think you can grind Yami down, he doesn't want you in his mind, so take his first answer and be held to it."
"But..."
"No Harry. It isn't right. It isn't fair. And if you try it... we won't be friends any more."
"Is that why you won't be friends with Kari anymore? Did she do something..."
"She does a lot of things I disagree with, but I know of nothing she has done that I consider morally wrong."
"Then why?"
"Let dust be dust, and ash be ash, there is no phoenix here." Robyn said angrily, slamming her mug down and walking away.
"..."
"Sorry." Came the soft whisper, "Sorry for there be pain, and loss in green leaves, and blue fire, and more to come, so much more."
Harry slipped away.
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"You checked the notice board?" Yugi asked as they waited for Harry to get back.
Joey didn't move from his seat but shook his head, prompting Yugi to wander over and check if there were any new notices.
"You might want to write to Serenity." Yugi called over.
"Oh yeah?" Joey asked, leaning backwards so that he could see Yugi, even if he looked upside down.
"Yeah," Yugi nodded, "In the interest of international cooperation and fairness to our visitors, a date may be brought to the Yule Ball from other Magical Institutions for Learning." Yugi quoted.
"You serious?" Joey grinned, leaning too far and falling backwards in the chair.
"Uh huh, says so right here."
"Great." Joey completely ignored the chair that had fallen and shot upstairs to get his writing stuff. "One letter coming up."
Harry was back by the time Joey came back down again.
"You know what the clue is now?" Kari asked.
Harry nodded, "An hour? Underwater?"
"I know." Kari grimaced, "I'm trying to find something to help now."
"What is the clue?"
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We can not sing above the ground,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took."
Harry recognised the melody that Kari sang to be the same melody that the merpeople had sang.
"So they're going to let the merpeople steal something important to you and you have to find it in an hour?"
"Sounds like it."
"So… how do we breathe underwater?" Harry asked Kari.
"Not allowed to help." Kari reminded him. "But one of the books has to have something in it."
Harry nodded, and though Robyn's voice echoed in his mind, he picked up one of the books and started his own research the others soon joining them.
They didn't even notice when Joey slipped out to send his letter.
He had to ask them before he went before Professor McGonagall, but he was dreading their reactions.
He'd mentioned in a letter to Serenity that they were having a 'Yule Ball' and that it was on Christmas Day and in response to that, Serenity had replied saying that there was nothing interesting going on at her school for the holidays and that she wished she could come to the ball.
Joey had been thinking on it, and didn't see why, since he figured that the students from the other schools would be allowed to bring their partners from home, why he couldn't sneak his little sister in. However, first he had to check it was ok by his dates and then he'd have to convince the school.
There was a Hogsmead trip today, to allow people to pick up Christmas presents before they went home, not that many people were, what with the Yule Ball coming up, and Cordi and Alecia were waiting for him by the doors to the great hall, discussing an assignment they'd been given for potions, and grinned as he approached, bombarding him with questions about a rumour they'd heard.
"Woah girls." Joey held up his hands, "I thought we'd already established the truth about our ages and where we came from."
"You didn't tell us you were famous!" Cordi giggled.
"Oh…" Joey facepalmed, "Yeah, we try to avoid telling anyone that. Yugi and Yami have enough fangirls of the Muggle verity, without having the same problem with Witches."
Alecia laughed, "So that was what that was about… we did wonder."
"Huh?"
"When Lockheart was still teaching. You remember Valentine's Day, don't you?"
"Oh yeah." Joey cringed, remembering the pile of letters and the fact that had been when he and Kari had gotten together…stupid Bakura.
"Joey?" Cordi sounded concerned as they headed down to Hogsmead.
"Ummm…I've told you about my little sister, haven't I?"
"Serenity, right?" Alecia asked. Joey nodded, ""What's wrong?"
"Nothing, but she mentioned that she'd like to come to the ball and all of the guys have dates and I was wondering if it was alright if…"
"You'd like to bring her as well." Alecia nodded.
"If I can get permission."
"I don't see why not." Cordi giggled, "I mean Serenity's a Witch, isn't she?"
"Uh huh."
"I don't mind. Will she have anyone to dance with though, if she has to share you with us?"
"The guys have already said they'll take it in turns to dance with her and most of their dates don't mind."
Alecia snorted, wondering if it was Yami's date that was being awkward. "Sure, I want to meet the girl you've talked our ears off about. You said she was looking at becoming a Healer, didn't you?"
"Uh huh."
"Cool, we'll have something to talk about then." Cordi looked delighted.
Joey sighed, relieved and started planning what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall, the two girls giving him a helping hand.
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Yugi barely dodged a snowball thrown by his date, who was giggling and helping her friend pelt her boyfriend.
They'd retreated to the field by the Shrieking Shack in order to have a riotous snowball fight, without getting into trouble in with anyone.
"At least Luna's not here." Mokuba panted, ducking behind Yugi and allowing the older one to get coated in snow. "She and Harry seem to be getting on really well."
Yugi didn't get to answer as he was pounced on, sending him sprawling backwards into the snow. "Hi Rebecca."
"Hi Yugi." She giggled, watching as Ginny pounced on Mokuba.
"You know, I'm going to get a cold, led like this."
"I know."
"So can I get up?"
"Nope."
"If I'm ill, I can't take you to the ball."
Rebecca thought about it, then scrambled off and helped him to his feet. In exchange, Mokuba, who had wriggled out from under Ginny, shoved a snowball down Rebecca's jumper, causing her to shriek and start pelting Mokuba relentlessly. Of course Yugi had to join in, causing Mokuba to protest because Yugi was supposed to be on his side.
So Ginny took a snowball, and snuck up on Yugi, attempting to shove it down his jacket, failing miserably and ending up with a face full of snow for her efforts.
"I'm just sorry you two can't go to the ball." Yugi said, as they finally bored of getting each other snow coated and headed down the hill towards the Three Broomsticks.
Mokuba grinned and Ginny giggled.
"Alright, what are you two planning?"
"I happen to have been asked to the ball by Ryou." Ginny said, still giggling.
"But I thought he was taking Ombre."
"No, Ombre's taking me." Mokuba said with a straight face.
Then it clicked and Yugi laughed, "Not that there's going to be a partner swap early on in the evening at all is there?"
"No." Mokuba denied, "You'd never catch us doing any such thing."
Yugi decided that 'catch' was the important word there.
"So?" Rebecca laughed, "Butterbeer?"
"Warm Butterbeer." Yugi emphasised.
They reached the bottom of the lane and headed down the high street. "I'll catch up with you." Rebecca laughed, "I just want to pop into a store down the road, some of my potions supplies are getting low."
"You sure you don't want a hand?"
"I can handle it."
"Never said you couldn't, I just wondered if you wanted a hand."
"No, I'll be fine, thank you."
"Ok, see you in the Three Broomsticks."
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"Hermione!"
Hermione jumped and turned around, seeing Kari weaving through the crowds to wards her.
"Hi Hermione," Kari grinned, face rosy with the cold, "Hello Krum." Kari half bowed to Hermione's date as the crowd parted for Seto, allowing him through, before they closed in again. "It's a bit mad today, isn't it?"
"When are we going to mention that thing?"
"Which thing?" Kari frowned, hand going to the disk that hung on a cord around her neck.
"You know, the one for just in case."
"Oh, the ingredients came this morning." Kari nodded, "So we're just waiting on the OK from the others. So later, maybe?"
"Ok." Hermione giggled.
"Viktor Krum" Kaiba nodded to the international Quidditch Player, before turning to the two girls, "I've spoken with Mokuba about this, and we'll go along with it if the plan goes ahead."
"Alright," Hermione looked slightly relieved, "Thanks Seto."
Seto shrugged, "It's in our best interests."
Hermione laughed, "You just feel left out."
"No, that's Mokuba." Seto said, trying not to smile, "I've already worked out we're part of the family, no matter how much I might protest."
Hermione and Kari laughed, "Alright, we'll mention it tomorrow at training."
"OK, meanwhile, I believe I offered to buy you lunch." Seto said to Kari, who nodded.
"See you later, Hermione." Kari and Seto shot off.
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It was very hard to buy sweets when your date kept making funny comments about your choices, however, Harry was quite happy to put up with it, since Luna's comments were all about how the sweets seemed to multiply every time they came in, and did they hire Yugi to use multiply on them and that she wondered if the shop had a Farbat to prevent mice getting in and eating the sweets.
"Oh, they do have a Farbat, look."
Harry looked where Luna was pointing, but couldn't see the difference between the bat that hung upside down in the rafters and the thing Luna had described as a Farbat.
Of course, admitting this, led to a lecture on the differences between the two.
Harry found Luna was a refreshing change from the pace of reality. She was grounded enough in it to know when to stop and let things go, but was off in her own world often enough that Harry could take holidays there and not think about the fact that neither he or Kari had managed to work out how to get the clue from the egg, bar that horrible screeching noise.
"What do you think?" Harry asked, holding up a bag of jelly spiders and a couple of boxes of chocolate frogs, "Sweets for the twins?"
"Fred and George would like anything that isn't another sweater." Luna pointed out.
"Point." Harry took the sweets along to the till, "Do you have everything you want?"
Luna put her purchases down on the till. "Uh huh."
"Cool, butterbeer next?"
"Can I have warm Butterbeer instead?"
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Yami and Astraea had come to an agreement. She got to spend part of the day with her friends and then Yami got to meet up with the Gryffindor group later on.
Currently the two were in the Three Broomsticks, warming up with a hot drink, not really saying much, but the funny thing was that they'd gotten past the really awkward phase, where they hadn't know what to say to each other, and would often discuss issues like the work they had in school, or issues brought up in articles that weren't written by Rita Skeeter. Intellectual issues, that Slytherins could be interested in, after all, especially when one was graduating soon, you had to know the issues out there to be able to make informed decisions and manipulate people into following them.
Yami often surprised Astraea with his level of depth and understanding. She wasn't an all out Gryffindor hater like some of her friends, but Yami was the first one she'd really spent any time with, and he had a surprisingly large amount of Slytherin traits and while he was too loyal to his friends to admit it, he would have made a very good Slytherin.
Dark didn't necessarily mean evil, and Yami knew it.
And Astraea found that she liked the fact.
Alright, so she could do without some of his friends, but even there, from what she'd seen, there were those who would have fitted in better in other houses.
She never quite knew how to take the teen she was dating either, he had a sharp mind, and a wit to match, but he never seemed to relax long enough for her to get to know the Yami underneath all of the barriers and defensives. It was as if he was expecting an attack at all times and didn't want to let anyone in, for fear of getting anyone else hurt.
The courage to face things alone, was that why he'd been placed in Gryffindor when he would have been much better suited to Slytherin?
"Are you alright?" Yami asked, with a tilt of his head that reminded her of his twin brother, "Do you need a refill?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you." Something amused the Gryffindor about her reply, and she would have asked what it was, but he'd already headed up to the bar to get his own drink, meeting up with one of the Ironhides, Astraea figured that it was Ombre, since she was with the Hufflepuff Bakura, or rather Ryou Bakura.
That was another thing she didn't understand about their group, she was certain that almost identical twins weren't that common, but there were three pairs who had all transferred to Hogwarts, Yugi and Yami Muto, Kari and Ombre Ironhide, and Ryou Bakura and Bakura Malfoy, and she was sorry, but something was up with that last pair at least, because there was no way Bakura Malfoy had formerly been Bakura Bakura.
Of course they all knew the rumours, but not many people believed that Yami, Ombre and Bakura were really spirits who had managed to gain bodies of their own, after all, there were ways, but none of them really seemed dark enough to do them, not even Bakura and that was saying something.
She watched as Yami chuckled at something Ombre had said, and waved over his brother and his date, that irritatingly smart Ravenclaw girl, Hawkins or something.
She couldn't complain, however, he had had to sit with her friends and put up with their pointed comments, so she figured that she had to do the same, if she wanted to keep him interested in her.
Yami was back first, in the middle of a conversation that could have been greek for all that she understood it. She knew it was about that 'Duel Monsters' game they played, and were in fact the best players in the world, but she didn't understand where the conversation had come from.
Right up until Yugi started laughing and explaining that Kaiba had challenged him at the top of the high street, so they'd used their Duel Disks and fought it out there and then and now Yugi was hiding from the CEO because his Sunrise Magician had knocked some of the branches of a tree above Kaiba and now Kaiba was soaked through because of the snow.
With that, Yugi sneezed.
"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave." Astraea prodded.
"Brave yes," Yugi agreed, with a smile, pulling out a chair for Rebecca and then sitting himself, "Particularly fond of getting snowballs down the back, which is what Seto was threatening, no."
Astraea and Yami laughed.
"You did win, though?" Yami asked, sounding unconcerned but like he wanted confirmation.
"Yeap." Rebecca giggled, putting her bags carefully under the table, "Easily, Seto got distracted, what with all the snow down his trenchcoat."
"You do realise…" Yami started.
"He's already asked for a rematch." Yugi laughed. "I think that was a record for him as well."
"Two point four three seconds." Rebecca giggled.
"I don't get it." Astraea said, looking at the three sat with her, "What is the big deal with Duel Monsters anyway? I mean I get that you two," She indicated Yami and Yugi, "Are the best in the world, but I don't understand why it's such a big deal."
With this, she was introduced to the game and most of the things surrounding it.
She hadn't realised it was so influential in the Muggle world…
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"Goodnight, Bakura."
Bakura smiled and held his date's hand a moment longer, "Diana, wait."
The seventh year Gryffindor gave him a puzzled look. She'd spent all day with the Tomb Robber, and it hadn't been dull to say the least, it was amazing how much there was to do in Hogsmead if you really looked.
The only thing they'd done the same so far was get hot drinks at The Hog's Head, other then that, they had done so many things; Diana's head spun just thinking about it.
"Yes, Bakura?"
"I wanted to thank you for not interfering earlier." Bakura said,
"What was that about?" Diana asked, flicking dark blue, almost black hair over her shoulder, "Should I have?"
The issue in question had been when Bakura had approached Ron Weasley for some reason. He'd asked her to stay back, and when it hadn't looked like they were going to do more then glare at and talk or shout at each other, Diana had stayed back. She had a feeling that the conversation between the two had been something to do with Potter's group and those odd gold things that seemed incredibly important to that whole group as well as a few people outside of it.
"It's nothing important, I hadn't realised Weasley was as far out of the group as he is. He must have done something monumentally stupid for even Yugi to stop talking to him."
"Weasley's jealous." Diana explained the situation as most Gryffindors understood it, "He stopped talking to the group because Potter got into the Triwizard Tournament and managed to anger the others by accusing them, to their faces, of putting Potter's name in."
"But everyone was accusing them of that." Bakura frowned, "Not that those goody two-shoes ever would…"
"Then he was entirely unsympathetic when Potter's relatives were killed," Diana continued, "And now he's refusing to apologise, because he's realised that they don't actually need him. They certainly don't miss him."
"It has to be said that I don't blame them." Bakura said, "Ron Weasley isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and even Yugi has his limits on how much stupidity he can tolerate from his friends."
"That might not be the full story." Diana warned, "But that's as much as we Gryffindors understand, which is certainly more then the other houses."
"Thanks."
"S'ok." Diana gave him a reassuring grin, "Guess you'll just have to find out what you wanted to find out some other way."
"Uh huh." Bakura sounded really enthusiastic on that point making Diana laugh.
"On that note, today has been amazing, but I have homework of my own to do…"
"G'night Diana."
"Good night Bakura."
A kiss and then Diana headed up to her Common Room, while Bakura headed down to the dungeons. Diana was not the only one with work to do.
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"Professor McGonagall?"
The Professor in question paused to let the student who was calling her catch up, wondering who could possibly want her help at this time of night on a Saturday, and found herself surprised to find that it was Joseph Wheeler. "Mr Wheeler?"
He nodded nervously, making her frown and wonder what had happened this time, "What is it?"
"Who are we allowed to bring to the ball?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well… If I wanted to bring someone from home, would I be allowed?"
"I thought you had two dates."
"I do, but I've asked them and they don't mind, as long as I'm allowed to bring her."
"And she is a Witch, right?"
"Yes Professor, she's a student at a magic school in Japan."
"And she has permission to travel?"
"Yes Professor." Joey nodded. "We've been trading letters all term, so I know she's free to come, if I'm allowed to bring her."
"I don't know…"
"I just thought I'd ask." Joey sighed, "She just happened to mention how much she'd love to come, and it would be an opportunity to show an intelligent witch, who happens to be graduating this year, the kind of hospitality English witches and wizards could provide…"
"Mr Wheeler, I hope you're not trying to sway my decision…"
"No, I'm no good at that outside of Duels." Joey shrugged, "I just thought I'd bring it up."
"Hmm. You do realise I'd have to speak to Professor Dumbledore."
"I know, but you're my Head of House, so I figured I should come to you first."
"And I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you Professor." Joey bowed, "Have a good evening."
"You too, Joseph."
Joey grinned at her and headed up to the dorm, where, no doubt, his friends were waiting for the news. Professor McGonagall shook her head, amused by the group, who seemed to have the monopoly on weird goings on, and headed up to her office, wondering how she could broach the subject with Professor Dumbledore.
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"Guys, wait."
When Yami turned around to look at the two girls, he suddenly found himself glad that it was the weekend, since it looked like they had a lot to say. "What's up?"
"Well…" Kari looked around quickly, not that she expected anyone to be around, and then said those immortal words, "We've been thinking…"
"Uh oh, hit the dirt!" Joey yelped, causing Ombre to punch him in the arm. "Ow!"
"Haha, very funny Joey." Hermione said, glaring, then sighed, and turned to the others, "After the Dursleys were killed, we decided that we were going to look up the magical laws on guardianship, just in case something happened to someone else's family…" Or to Sirius… Hermione thought but didn't add, "Apparently, in the absence of another family member, or appointed guardian, the child in question would in fact become a ward of the state and, in the case of pure or half bloods, would be placed with the closest related family, however muggle born children don't get that treatment." Hermione sounded peeved, "They get left with whatever family is willing to take them in or have to find somewhere by themselves, the laws don't even come into effect unless it happens during your school years!"
"That can't be right…" Yugi frowned, "What happened to all the children orphaned during the war?"
"Left to fend for themselves mostly." Kari growled. "Oh, and the best part is that we worked out that the closest related family to Harry, after the Blacks, are in fact the Malfoys."
"You're joking!"
"We wish." Seto growled, "I've been sat in on the planning sessions and the girls had me check their findings. In the event of something happening to Harry's Guardian, he would be placed with the Malfoys."
"So what do we do about it?"
"Normally there's nothing we could do." Kari said, "But we found a loophole."
"What is it?" Harry asked, not really wanting to have to live with Bakura and Draco.
"It's called the 'Clan Law', where a bunch of magical families can come together under one banner, and look after the children of other Clan families legally, as well as providing other bonuses, like part citizenship of which ever countries the Clan Members come from, for example, we'd end up British and Japanese."
"We could possibly have Egyptian citizenship as well, but we'd have to check that." Kari pointed out.
"Under Clan Law, if a Clan child is left without a parent or guardian, the guardianship automatically defaults to the naturally oldest Clan Member."
"So me, rather then Ombre." Seto nodded.
"So I'd be Harry Kaiba?"
"Not unless you want to be." Hermione shook her head, "It's complicated but basically being a Clan means that we don't have to give up our family names, but we're still considered family under magical law." She giggled, "So while we're all from different families, our usual rule of 'pick on one of us, pick on all of us', is much more understandable and actually recognised as a valid response by the Wizarding community."
"We would also have first right of refusal if something happened to Grandpa and Joey, about where Yami ended up, instead of Bakura." Seto said, reminding Yami of what the American government had said, and the fact that he was, in fact, classed as little more then a pet by Wizarding law.
Ombre was suddenly glad that someone had registered her as human, rather then a pet. Of course the gang would have done that for Yami too, had they not known too late, about the registration laws.
But who had registered her? That was the question that no one had been able to answer. Kari thought she knew, but she hadn't been able to work up the courage to ask.
"So what would we have to do to become Clan?" Yugi asked, more then happy to go along with it.
"We were waiting for the ok from you guys to request the paperwork, but we already have the potion ingredients."
"That was fun." Hermione rolled her eyes in a manner that indicated the exact opposite.
"What sort of potion?" Joey asked, "I mean, is this blood magic or…?"
"Not really." Kari frowned, "The potion is more to provide verification that the forms weren't signed under duress. All it requires is that you drink a mouthful and make sure you put a droplet of blood in the correct place on the form."
"Apparently it goes green on the page if you willingly signed the document." Hermione grinned.
"Ewww, mouldy blood."
"Thank you for that lovely image." Harry twatted Joey.
"We're in." Seto indicated himself and Mokuba, who, with his friends, had started coming down to training with them after the first task, "Kari, Ombre and Hermione are in as well…"
"I'm in." Harry nodded, "I don't really want to end up with the Malfoys."
Yami and Yugi looked at each other and nodded, "We'll take part."
"Me too." Joey nodded.
"I wanna be part of the family too." Rebecca complained.
"You'd need your Grandpa's permission." Seto said, looking at her.
"I'll get it." Rebecca nodded. "How long do I have?"
"I think we should have everything ready for the day of the second task." Kari said, thoughtfully, "It'll depend on how long the paper work takes to arrive."
"I want in." Ginny said, "And I think we should include Fred and George too."
"Why?"
"Because they've got as much right to be family as the rest of you considering how often they helped Yugi out during third year." Ginny said stubbornly.
"She has a point." Yugi said, remembering the fun and games he and Boh had had around the time of the Quidditch Finals.
"We'll ask." Yami said, nodding, "The worst they can do is say 'No'."
"Do I have get Mum's permission?" Ginny double checked.
"You're underage, so yes." Hermione nodded, "I've already asked my parents."
"Does this mean I have to ask Sirius?" Harry asked, suddenly realising what it meant.
Kari nodded, "I wouldn't have thought he'd mind though, since it's a protective measure for all of us, not a slur on how well he could look after you."
"If I'm allowed, I would like to be a part of the family." Luna said, "I'm sure my father would allow it."
"Sure, you're one of us, aren't you?" Joey grinned, then he turned to Kaiba, "Of course you do realise that as 'brothers' we have the right to kick each other's butts."
"Please," Seto snorted, "If you can't beat me now, being my 'brother' won't change a thing."
"So we're all in?" Kari looked relived and amused as everyone nodded. "Cool, one question, what name do I put on the application paperwork as our Clan name?"
"Something really cool." Joey said enthusiastically and didn't stop making suggestions the entire way up to the school.
Seto poked Yugi, "Rematch?"
"After we've had a bath and eaten breakfast." Yugi said, grimacing, "As much as the training is helping, I hate being all sweaty like this."
"All right, I'll meet you outside the Great Hall after breakfast."
"Fine." Yugi mock-glared, "But I'm not gonna go any easier on you because we'll be brothers soon."
"Good, I'd have to withdraw my acceptance of a place in the Clan otherwise."
Yami, who'd overheard, snorted, which caused Yugi to shove him.
Yami shoved back.
So Yugi shoved back again, making Yami stagger this time, falling on his rear and getting coated in the mud that had replaced the snow over night.
"Now I really need a bath." Yami complained, paused then and looked at Yugi, who squeaked and attempted to flee.
He didn't get very far as Joey grabbed him, and soon the boys were involved in what was basically a mud wrestling match, which Seto took no part in… until Joey just happened to 'accidently' splash mud on his t-shirt.
"Who knew," Ginny commented as Seto proceeded to get Joey covered in mud, "That Kaiba was as big a kid as the others."
"I did." Mokuba grinned, then got mud to the face.
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"You ready Seto?" Yugi called, Duel Disk active and facing the CEO of Kaiba Corp, who smirked, casting the charm to make it work and activating his own Duel Disk and nodding. "You wanna go first?"
"No, you can have the pleasure." Kaiba waved at him.
Yugi nodded, drawing his first hand and jumping at the card in it. He hadn't actually drawn it since he'd managed to pick up his own copies of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, but it was one of a combo that had saved him during the events of the first Summer, that was the reason he hadn't taken it and the card it went with out of his deck yet.
Well, it looked like it wanted to play today, so he'd see if he could get it on the field.
"You playing or staring at your cards all day?" Kaiba taunted.
"Ah stow it, Seto." Yugi replied, summoning Obnoxious Celtic Guard in attack mode and placing a card face down. "It's your move."
"I summon Lord of D. in attack mode and play Flute of Summoning Dragon."
It seemed like it was a day of old tactics, as Kaiba brought two Blue Eyes White Dragons to the field and attacked Yugi's guardian, inflicting 3200 life points worth of damage, but because of Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's effect, it wasn't destroyed.
"When did you put those back in?" Yugi asked as he drew and switched Celtic Guard to defence mode and set a card in defence mode. "Lord of D. and your Flutes? We haven't seen 'em for a while. Your move, by the way."
"Last night," Seto answered, drawing, "I knew you didn't have anything to counter it." He set a card face down, "And I end my turn."
"True," Yugi admitted, "I don't have anything to stop you from summoning your Dragons, but I do have this," He held up the card he wanted, "I sacrifice my Celtic Guardian and my Alpha the Magnet Warrior for Sunset Magician."
Joey remembered this pair, Sunset Magician was one of two cards that worked in tangent with each other and gained attack and defence points when they were both on the field, but he didn't get it. Sunset Magician had only 2800 attack points, which still put him underneath Blue Eyes…
Until Yugi activated Mage Power and set another card in face, boosting his Magician by 1000, "Sunset Magician, Starlight Blast!"
The Magician, whose robes went from dark blue at the top to yellow at the bottom, as if there was a sunset on them, levelled his staff, with it's dark blue sphere on the top, at Seto's Lord of D. and fired a blast that left stars in it's wake.
Lord of D. exploded and Seto went down to 1400 life points.
"I end my turn."
"They haven't lost any of their skill." Joey commented from the side lines, "Even if the only people they get to fight nowadays is our group."
"You forget," Hermione said as Seto switched his Dragons to defence mode, "That they may only be fighting our group, but within it is the best Duellists in the world, if anything it's honing their skills."
"True, but we're a little rusty when it comes to fighting the new cards." Yami commented, "We're out of the loop here and if it wasn't for Kari's constant updates on what cards are coming out, we wouldn't know what half of the new cards do."
"I want to play next." Harry said, watching Yugi set a card in defence mode and use 'Starlight Blast' to destroy one of the dragons on the field as Kisara flew overhead.
"I'll play you." Kari nodded.
"Thanks."
Completely oblivious to the conversation, Kaiba drew, setting the card face down and activating his face down card, Burst Breath, giving up his Blue Eyes White Dragon to destroy Yugi's Sunset Magician, as Blue Eyes's attack was 3000 and Sunset Magician's defence was only 2100.
"And I summon Battle Ox in attack mode and attack your face down card."
Yugi giggled as it flipped face up, revealing his Marshmellon, which wobbled but didn't vanish as the attack struck it and Kaiba lost 1000 life points.
"I'm really beginning to hate that monster." Seto growled, "I end my turn."
Yugi grinned, "Yami hates it too, Marshmellon's like my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, but it can't be destroyed in battle at all."
Seto grumbled at him.
"I play Monster Reborn, by the way, to bring back my Sunset Magician and he attacks your Battle Ox."
"I activate Wish of Final Effort, allowing me to add Battle Ox's attack points to my life points." Kaiba went up by 1700 and down by 1100, putting him back on 1000 life points.
Yugi nodded and passed the turn back to Seto.
"I play Soul Release to remove my two Blue Eyes White Dragons from play, and I activate Monster Reborn, to bring back my Battle Ox." Yugi frowned, trying to work out what he was up to, "Confused, don't worry, you'll get it in a minute, I play Cost Down to allow me to sacrifice my Battle Ox for my third Blue Eyes White Dragon."
"Oh." Was all Yugi had to say on the matter as the third Dragon appeared on the field and blasted his Sunset Magician, leaving him with just 200 life points.
"I'll win next turn."
"I don't think so." Yugi said, drawing. "I pass."
"What?" He could hear the exclamations from his friends, but he had no monsters to summon.
"I activate Return from the Different Dimension." Seto looked… well… irritated wasn't the word for it. "To bring both my Dragons back into play!"
Facing the three dragons, Yugi looked just a little outnumbered.
"And I activate Dragon's Mirror!"
The three Blue Eyes White Dragons became Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
"Overkill much?" Joey asked.
Yami frowned.
"Nova Attack!"
The three heads fired on Yugi simultaneously.
"Kuriii!"
Harry grinned, recognising the sound, but for once Kaiba didn't seem irritated when Yugi was shielded from the attack by Kuriboh.
"I don't get it." Hermione said, "If he knew Yugi had Kuriboh in his hand, why didn't he attack with all three Blue Eyes White Dragons, instead of using the last card in his hand fusing them?"
"Are you even trying?" Kaiba growled, "You're much better then this Yugi."
"I'm not getting the right cards." Yugi growled back.
"So what, you can't beat me without the Gods."
"Of course I can."
"Then prove it."
"What's up with them?" Joey asked Yami.
"Kaiba doesn't want to finally beat one of us if we're not playing our best." Yami replied, "And Yugi hates being accused of not giving it his all."
"Come on, Yugi, show me what you've got."
Harry edged over to where Kari and Ombre were stood, over by the lake, "Um, Kari?"
"Yes Harry?" Kari asked, a little bit distracted by the duel.
"Kari… Do you hate Robyn?"
"Huh? What? No! Why would you think that?" Kari wheeled around and stared at him.
Harry shrugged, "Robyn seemed pretty sure you hated her."
"What?" In a surprising demonstration of speed and strength, she had Harry by the collar and was dangling him over the lake before anyone realised she was moving, "What exactly did Robyn say?"
"I don't know!" Harry answered, trying to squirm out of Kari's grip, "Something about you never listening to her, that's all I remember, honest!"
"Kari! Put him down!" Yami snapped, already heading towards them, but he didn't need to interfere, as she dropped the young man, causing a splash as he hit the lake.
"Oh…" Kari said, "I don't hate her. I don't understand why she could even think that, I couldn't hate her."
Harry sighed at her from his position, sat in the lake, which luckily was only deep enough to reach his waist when sat like this.
"I… have to talk… have to explain…" Kari took a couple of steps back, not really looking at Harry now.
"Go." Ombre said, helping Harry up, "I'll tell you how the Duel pans out."
"Thanks." Kari nodded and rushed off towards the castle in time to miss Yugi using Mirror Force on Blue Eyes Ultimate and irritating Kaiba even further.
"She ok?" Yami asked as Yugi finished the Duel off by summoning Queen's Knight, who attacked Kaiba directly, wiping out the last of his life points.
"I don't know."
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"Excuse me Professor, do you know where Miss Golden is?"
Professor Moody looked at her, his false eye only stopping on her for a moment as he caught her outside the staff room.
"No, however I was hoping to have a word with you."
"Yes Professor?"
"Well you see, I was wondering if you knew much about underwater creatures…"
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"Did you find her?" Ombre asked, when they finally returned to the Common Room.
"No, but…" She looked at Harry, frowned and finally nodded towards the Girl's Dorm, leaving her Golden Egg in the care of Yugi and heading up with Ombre and Hermione.
"So she's found a clue then." Harry sounded relived.
"Guess so." Joey shrugged, sinking into the chair Kari hadn't long vacated, he pawed at her notes, "Breathing underwater? That doesn't look like fun."
"Sorry, did you just say breathing underwater?" Harry paled.
"That's what she's researching," Joey said, reading the complex notes, "And unless we're getting a mermaid in the Clan, I can't think of a reason we'd need that ability… alright I can think of a few but still…"
"Great, just great."
"Wait until Ombre or Hermione say something." Yami suggested, as the girls came back down and Kari glared at Joey until he vacated her chair.
"Come with me." Ombre grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him away.
Five minutes later Harry dove up to the dorm, grabbed his egg, and dove out the door again.
"Where's he going?" Yugi asked Ombre.
"To find out the clue inside his egg." Ombre shrugged with a small smile.
"So what's this about breathing underwater?"
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"Kari doesn't hate you." Harry said quietly over a cup of tea, having literally run into her on the way back to the dorm from the Prefect's Bathroom. Robyn always made a good cup of tea.
"It doesn't matter."
"Why not? You said friends were important."
A humourless laugh. "I'm rather messed up. I've messed up so badly. I never thought... it doesn't matter." Robyn wiped a hand over her eyes.
"But can't you just talk to her? Kari just wants to talk."
"Would you want to talk to the person who ruined your life?"
"Yes."
"Would you want to talk to someone whose life you had ruined?"
"…No." Harry sighed. "But Kari's happy. I really don't understand why you think you ruined Kari's life."
"I suppose if she's happy... that's the most important thing."
"She would be happier if you would just talk to her."
Robyn sighed again. "Chances are she won't get me Robyn, she'll get Seer Robyn."
"Yeah... I don't get that, Yami, Kari and Ombre says you get all riddlely every time they speak to you, but you aren't now."
"It's the problem of the medium. I am going quite mad."
"Is that why you poisoned Yami?"
"I didn't poison Yami! He was perfectly safe!"
"Explain then the craziness."
"I can't. That shouldn't have happened."
"But it did."
"What it should have done was make any outsider see Yami's thoughts as a jumble of puzzle pieces, from lots of different puzzles. From Yami's reaction I would almost think he's an outsider in his own mind."
"It's not his yet." Harry pointed out, "Until he gets his memories back, he won't know or belong in his own mind."
"...That doesn't work, no matter the lack of memories, Yami... oh. Great. Yami's delusional..."
"That was your fault."
"No I mean, Yami believes he isn't the real Yami, he thinks he's the shadow, the memory of himself, not the real Yami."
"Huh, like most ghosts think of themselves as less than they were in life, like something's missing?"
"Who knows, it's Yami's head, I'm not going in there, even if I could.
"Could I?"
Robyn glared. "Never enter someone's mind without their permission. Never."
"But if I asked Yami?"
"He'll say no. Then no again when you get Yugi to ask, then no again when both of you ask, and I don't care how much you think you can grind Yami down, he doesn't want you in his mind, so take his first answer and be held to it."
"But..."
"No Harry. It isn't right. It isn't fair. And if you try it... we won't be friends any more."
"Is that why you won't be friends with Kari anymore? Did she do something..."
"She does a lot of things I disagree with, but I know of nothing she has done that I consider morally wrong."
"Then why?"
"Let dust be dust, and ash be ash, there is no phoenix here." Robyn said angrily, slamming her mug down and walking away.
"..."
"Sorry." Came the soft whisper, "Sorry for there be pain, and loss in green leaves, and blue fire, and more to come, so much more."
Harry slipped away.
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"You checked the notice board?" Yugi asked as they waited for Harry to get back.
Joey didn't move from his seat but shook his head, prompting Yugi to wander over and check if there were any new notices.
"You might want to write to Serenity." Yugi called over.
"Oh yeah?" Joey asked, leaning backwards so that he could see Yugi, even if he looked upside down.
"Yeah," Yugi nodded, "In the interest of international cooperation and fairness to our visitors, a date may be brought to the Yule Ball from other Magical Institutions for Learning." Yugi quoted.
"You serious?" Joey grinned, leaning too far and falling backwards in the chair.
"Uh huh, says so right here."
"Great." Joey completely ignored the chair that had fallen and shot upstairs to get his writing stuff. "One letter coming up."
Harry was back by the time Joey came back down again.
"You know what the clue is now?" Kari asked.
Harry nodded, "An hour? Underwater?"
"I know." Kari grimaced, "I'm trying to find something to help now."
"What is the clue?"
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We can not sing above the ground,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took."
Harry recognised the melody that Kari sang to be the same melody that the merpeople had sang.
"So they're going to let the merpeople steal something important to you and you have to find it in an hour?"
"Sounds like it."
"So… how do we breathe underwater?" Harry asked Kari.
"Not allowed to help." Kari reminded him. "But one of the books has to have something in it."
Harry nodded, and though Robyn's voice echoed in his mind, he picked up one of the books and started his own research the others soon joining them.
They didn't even notice when Joey slipped out to send his letter.