Chapter 9: - Christmas Begins
Christmas approached fast. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts awoke to find several feet of snow covering the ground. The lake froze over, giving Kari a chance to go ice skating for the first time this year. The Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban and Yami's owl had to be nursed back to health when it arrived back with all of Yami's Christmas presents to everyone.
No-one could wait for the holidays to start. While the common rooms and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the corridors and classrooms were freezing cold. Worst of all were Snape's potions classes, where the group would often gather around their cauldrons to try to keep warm, as their breath rose as mist.
"I feel so sorry," Said Draco Mouthboy, one potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."
He was looking at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled, Bakura smirked. Harry, who was helping Ron measure out potions, ignored them. Kari blew a raspberry at him and Ombre grinned. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant towards the group since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that Slytherin had lost, he had tried to get everyone to laugh at Harry's flying in the Quidditch match, however since that had failed he'd gone back to making fun of Harry's family.
It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come round the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up right away. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying too, as well as Yugi, Yami, Kari, Ombre, Joey and Ryou.
When they left the dungeons at the end of potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out the bottom and a loud puffing told them that Hagrid was behind it.
"Hi Hagrid!" Joey said, sticking his head through the branches, "You want any help?"
"Nah, I'm alright thanks Joey."
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them.
"What's the matter Wheeler, trying to earn some of the money you owe Kari?" Bakura asked, smirking, "After all, doesn't your father drink…" He never got to finish the sentence as Joey attacked him, unfortunately Yami and Ombre didn't pull him off fast enough as Snape saw what was going on.
"WHEELER!" Joey let Yami and Ombre pull him off.
"He was provoked, Professor Snape." Said Hagrid, sticking his face out from behind the tree. "Bakura was insulting his family."
"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid." Snape said, silkily, "Five points from Gryffindor, Wheeler, and be glad it isn't more. Move along, all of you." Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Bakura pushed their way past the tree, smirking broadly.
"I'll get him," Joey growled, "One of these days I'll get him…"
"I hate all three of them, Snape, Malfoy and Bakura." Harry said, glaring at the four boy's retreating backs. "At least Bakura isn't staying here over Christmas…wait where's he going? He can't go back to your place, Ryou."
"If you'd believe it, Mouthboy's taken him in for Christmas because he comes from a pure blood family, not true I know but he hasn't told Mouthboy everything yet." Ryou sighed.
"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas." Hagrid cut in, "Tell ya what, come see the Great Hall, looks a treat." The group followed Hagrid into the Great Hall, where Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations. The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls and no fewer then twelve Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with icicles, others with hundreds of tiny candles.
"How many days you got left until your holidays?" Hagrid asked.
"Just one," said Hermione, "And that reminds me guys, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."
"The library? Just before the holidays, bit keen, aren't ya?" Hagrid asked.
"Oh we're not working," Yugi told him brightly, "We're trying to find out who Nicholas Flamel is."
"YOU WHAT? Listen here, I've told ya, just drop it. It's nothing to do with you, what that dog is guarding."
"We just want to know who Nicholas Flamel is, that's all." Hermione said, turning to go.
"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble." Harry added, "I know I've read his name somewhere."
"I'm not saying anything." Hagrid said flatly.
"We'll just have to find out for ourselves then." Said Ron and the group turned and went up to the library. Unsurprisingly they found Seto Kaiba sat at a desk, on his own, with his laptop, also unsurprisingly he was going back to Domino to do work within his company over the holidays. Kaiba seemed to have a holier-then-thou expression on his face once he realised who they were looking for, driving Yami up the wall to the point where he had to leave the library and go calm down. Yugi sighed, it didn't matter if he had his own body or not, Yami still hated Kaiba, and the thought that Kaiba might have one over on him drove the Pharaoh up the wall.
It didn't matter though, even without Yami they still checked way too many books, to the point where Joey complained all he could see was text. Hermione looked around; Harry had wandered off to the restricted section. He'd been wondering if Flamel was somewhere in there, but he didn't have a teacher's note to look inside one of the restricted books and was sure he wouldn't get one. Harry managed to get himself kicked out and five minutes later the others joined him. As they walked down to dinner Hermione turned to the group, "You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" She asked, "And send me an owl if you find anything?"
"You could always ask your parents, that would be safe."
"Very safe, they're both dentists."
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Once the holidays started, the gang were having too much fun to consider looking. Without anyone else in the dorms, and the common room empty most of the time, the entire room became a duelling arena, normally pitting yami against hikari, with desk they'd created just to play each other, each match normally ending when meal times came up. It didn't seem to matter how many times they played each other, neither could beat the other. The Fat Lady who guarded the portrait was annoyed quite a few times when Ryou was allowed to come into the Gryffindor tower to join his friends.
When it fell dark they'd often grab the best armchairs round the fire, though sometimes they had to share chairs, and toasted anything that was edible that would go on a toasting fork, and plotting ways of either expelling or Shadow Gaming Malfoy, which were fun to talk about, even if half of them wouldn't work.
While Kari was teaching Ombre how to ice skate, and Yugi, Yami, Ryou and Joey were duelling, Ron also started teaching Harry how to play wizard chess. Yami was interested and watched, as Ron taught him the rules. It was almost exactly like muggle chess but the pieces were alive. Ron's set of pieces was very old and battered, an advantage in this game as he knew the pieces so well they did everything he asked. However the set Harry had borrowed from Seamus we're as reliable as they kept shouting advice to him.
On Christmas eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the food and fun, but not expecting any gifts at all, so it was a surprise when Yugi woke him up by pulling his covers off his bed, to see a mound of presents at the foot of his bed. "Yugi!" Harry groaned as he sat up, the small teen…teen..?
"Yugi, put on your amulet!" Yami groaned as his over excited hikari nearly bounced down the stairs with his presents without it. "Merry Christmas!" Yugi yelled at the top of his voice, startling Joey from his bed, where he'd been trying to go back to sleep, then dashing down the stairs before Joey could catch him and his presents.
They took their presents down stairs, where the girls were waiting by the fire and opened them, finally getting Yugi to stand still long enough for them all to settle. Harry's second parcel made Kari choke back an outraged remark, "We received your message and enclose your present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia." There was a fifty pence piece sellotaped to the card.
"That's friendly." Harry and Ombre said at the same time. Ron was fascinated by the 50p.
"Weird. What a shape! This is money?"
"Keep it." Harry laughed then opened another present, it was a Weasley jumper in emerald green and a box of fudge. His next present contained sweets too, Chocolate frogs from Hermione. He opened all the gifts and had just one left as the others finished opening theirs, something silver and fluid fell to the floor. It was a cloak and Harry tried it on.
"I've heard of those, it's an invisibility cloak, they're very rare though." Yami snatched a note off the ground,
'Your father left this in my possession before he died.
It is time it was returned to you.
Use it well.
A very Merry Christmas to you.'
There was no signature, and Ron was enviously eyeing up the cloak, "What I wouldn't give for one of those, just don't let Bakura know you have one, or you'll have to take it every where with you like Yugi and the Millennium Items."
Before they could say anything else the twins bounced down the stairs and Harry hid the cloak, "Merry Christmas!"
"Hey look, they all have Weasley sweaters too, even Kari and Ombre." The twin proceeded to bug Percy, until they frog-marched him out of the room and Yugi watched them go, laughing.
------------------------------
(Present lists)
Harry: -
50p – Dursleys
Wooden hand carved flute – Hagrid
Jumper and Fudge – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
More chocolate frogs – Joey
Even more chocolate frogs – Kari and Ombre
Bertie Bolts every flavour beans – Yugi and Yami.
Ron: -
Guess What! Even more chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Maroon Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
More chocolate frogs – Joey
Even more chocolate frogs – Kari and Ombre
Bertie Bolts every flavour beans – Yugi and Yami.
Kari: -
Guess What! Even more chocolate frogs – Hagrid
White Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Duel Monsters Booster pack – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi and Yami.
A new deck box - Ombre
Ombre: -
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Purple Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Duel Monsters Booster pack – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi and Yami.
Duel monsters structure deck and fudge – Kari
Yugi: -
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Amethyst Jumper and chocolate frogs – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs and fudge – Hermione
Duel Monsters Booster pack and chocolate frogs – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yami.
Duel monsters structure deck and chocolate frogs – Kari and Ombre
Chocolate frogs – Harry
Yami: -
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Black Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Duel Monsters Booster pack – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi
Duel monsters structure deck and fudge – Kari and Ombre
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Joey: -
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Deep Blue Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Chocolate frogs – Harry
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi and Yami
Duel monsters structure deck and fudge – Kari and Ombre
No-one could wait for the holidays to start. While the common rooms and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the corridors and classrooms were freezing cold. Worst of all were Snape's potions classes, where the group would often gather around their cauldrons to try to keep warm, as their breath rose as mist.
"I feel so sorry," Said Draco Mouthboy, one potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."
He was looking at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled, Bakura smirked. Harry, who was helping Ron measure out potions, ignored them. Kari blew a raspberry at him and Ombre grinned. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant towards the group since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that Slytherin had lost, he had tried to get everyone to laugh at Harry's flying in the Quidditch match, however since that had failed he'd gone back to making fun of Harry's family.
It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come round the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up right away. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying too, as well as Yugi, Yami, Kari, Ombre, Joey and Ryou.
When they left the dungeons at the end of potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out the bottom and a loud puffing told them that Hagrid was behind it.
"Hi Hagrid!" Joey said, sticking his head through the branches, "You want any help?"
"Nah, I'm alright thanks Joey."
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them.
"What's the matter Wheeler, trying to earn some of the money you owe Kari?" Bakura asked, smirking, "After all, doesn't your father drink…" He never got to finish the sentence as Joey attacked him, unfortunately Yami and Ombre didn't pull him off fast enough as Snape saw what was going on.
"WHEELER!" Joey let Yami and Ombre pull him off.
"He was provoked, Professor Snape." Said Hagrid, sticking his face out from behind the tree. "Bakura was insulting his family."
"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid." Snape said, silkily, "Five points from Gryffindor, Wheeler, and be glad it isn't more. Move along, all of you." Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Bakura pushed their way past the tree, smirking broadly.
"I'll get him," Joey growled, "One of these days I'll get him…"
"I hate all three of them, Snape, Malfoy and Bakura." Harry said, glaring at the four boy's retreating backs. "At least Bakura isn't staying here over Christmas…wait where's he going? He can't go back to your place, Ryou."
"If you'd believe it, Mouthboy's taken him in for Christmas because he comes from a pure blood family, not true I know but he hasn't told Mouthboy everything yet." Ryou sighed.
"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas." Hagrid cut in, "Tell ya what, come see the Great Hall, looks a treat." The group followed Hagrid into the Great Hall, where Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations. The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls and no fewer then twelve Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with icicles, others with hundreds of tiny candles.
"How many days you got left until your holidays?" Hagrid asked.
"Just one," said Hermione, "And that reminds me guys, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."
"The library? Just before the holidays, bit keen, aren't ya?" Hagrid asked.
"Oh we're not working," Yugi told him brightly, "We're trying to find out who Nicholas Flamel is."
"YOU WHAT? Listen here, I've told ya, just drop it. It's nothing to do with you, what that dog is guarding."
"We just want to know who Nicholas Flamel is, that's all." Hermione said, turning to go.
"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble." Harry added, "I know I've read his name somewhere."
"I'm not saying anything." Hagrid said flatly.
"We'll just have to find out for ourselves then." Said Ron and the group turned and went up to the library. Unsurprisingly they found Seto Kaiba sat at a desk, on his own, with his laptop, also unsurprisingly he was going back to Domino to do work within his company over the holidays. Kaiba seemed to have a holier-then-thou expression on his face once he realised who they were looking for, driving Yami up the wall to the point where he had to leave the library and go calm down. Yugi sighed, it didn't matter if he had his own body or not, Yami still hated Kaiba, and the thought that Kaiba might have one over on him drove the Pharaoh up the wall.
It didn't matter though, even without Yami they still checked way too many books, to the point where Joey complained all he could see was text. Hermione looked around; Harry had wandered off to the restricted section. He'd been wondering if Flamel was somewhere in there, but he didn't have a teacher's note to look inside one of the restricted books and was sure he wouldn't get one. Harry managed to get himself kicked out and five minutes later the others joined him. As they walked down to dinner Hermione turned to the group, "You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" She asked, "And send me an owl if you find anything?"
"You could always ask your parents, that would be safe."
"Very safe, they're both dentists."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once the holidays started, the gang were having too much fun to consider looking. Without anyone else in the dorms, and the common room empty most of the time, the entire room became a duelling arena, normally pitting yami against hikari, with desk they'd created just to play each other, each match normally ending when meal times came up. It didn't seem to matter how many times they played each other, neither could beat the other. The Fat Lady who guarded the portrait was annoyed quite a few times when Ryou was allowed to come into the Gryffindor tower to join his friends.
When it fell dark they'd often grab the best armchairs round the fire, though sometimes they had to share chairs, and toasted anything that was edible that would go on a toasting fork, and plotting ways of either expelling or Shadow Gaming Malfoy, which were fun to talk about, even if half of them wouldn't work.
While Kari was teaching Ombre how to ice skate, and Yugi, Yami, Ryou and Joey were duelling, Ron also started teaching Harry how to play wizard chess. Yami was interested and watched, as Ron taught him the rules. It was almost exactly like muggle chess but the pieces were alive. Ron's set of pieces was very old and battered, an advantage in this game as he knew the pieces so well they did everything he asked. However the set Harry had borrowed from Seamus we're as reliable as they kept shouting advice to him.
On Christmas eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the food and fun, but not expecting any gifts at all, so it was a surprise when Yugi woke him up by pulling his covers off his bed, to see a mound of presents at the foot of his bed. "Yugi!" Harry groaned as he sat up, the small teen…teen..?
"Yugi, put on your amulet!" Yami groaned as his over excited hikari nearly bounced down the stairs with his presents without it. "Merry Christmas!" Yugi yelled at the top of his voice, startling Joey from his bed, where he'd been trying to go back to sleep, then dashing down the stairs before Joey could catch him and his presents.
They took their presents down stairs, where the girls were waiting by the fire and opened them, finally getting Yugi to stand still long enough for them all to settle. Harry's second parcel made Kari choke back an outraged remark, "We received your message and enclose your present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia." There was a fifty pence piece sellotaped to the card.
"That's friendly." Harry and Ombre said at the same time. Ron was fascinated by the 50p.
"Weird. What a shape! This is money?"
"Keep it." Harry laughed then opened another present, it was a Weasley jumper in emerald green and a box of fudge. His next present contained sweets too, Chocolate frogs from Hermione. He opened all the gifts and had just one left as the others finished opening theirs, something silver and fluid fell to the floor. It was a cloak and Harry tried it on.
"I've heard of those, it's an invisibility cloak, they're very rare though." Yami snatched a note off the ground,
'Your father left this in my possession before he died.
It is time it was returned to you.
Use it well.
A very Merry Christmas to you.'
There was no signature, and Ron was enviously eyeing up the cloak, "What I wouldn't give for one of those, just don't let Bakura know you have one, or you'll have to take it every where with you like Yugi and the Millennium Items."
Before they could say anything else the twins bounced down the stairs and Harry hid the cloak, "Merry Christmas!"
"Hey look, they all have Weasley sweaters too, even Kari and Ombre." The twin proceeded to bug Percy, until they frog-marched him out of the room and Yugi watched them go, laughing.
------------------------------
(Present lists)
Harry: -
50p – Dursleys
Wooden hand carved flute – Hagrid
Jumper and Fudge – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
More chocolate frogs – Joey
Even more chocolate frogs – Kari and Ombre
Bertie Bolts every flavour beans – Yugi and Yami.
Ron: -
Guess What! Even more chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Maroon Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
More chocolate frogs – Joey
Even more chocolate frogs – Kari and Ombre
Bertie Bolts every flavour beans – Yugi and Yami.
Kari: -
Guess What! Even more chocolate frogs – Hagrid
White Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Duel Monsters Booster pack – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi and Yami.
A new deck box - Ombre
Ombre: -
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Purple Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Duel Monsters Booster pack – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi and Yami.
Duel monsters structure deck and fudge – Kari
Yugi: -
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Amethyst Jumper and chocolate frogs – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs and fudge – Hermione
Duel Monsters Booster pack and chocolate frogs – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yami.
Duel monsters structure deck and chocolate frogs – Kari and Ombre
Chocolate frogs – Harry
Yami: -
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Black Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Duel Monsters Booster pack – Joey
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi
Duel monsters structure deck and fudge – Kari and Ombre
Chocolate frogs - Harry
Joey: -
Again with the chocolate frogs – Hagrid
Deep Blue Jumper – Weasleys
Chocolate Frogs – Hermione
Chocolate frogs – Harry
Duel monsters advanced structure deck – Yugi and Yami
Duel monsters structure deck and fudge – Kari and Ombre