Chapter 1: - Past and Present
Domino Ice Rink, beautiful, calm and, best of all, Kaiba free! Kari skated around the rink, she and her yami where the only ones that came here at this time of the morning, leaving the ice free for what ever she wanted, today she was just venting, Kaiba could be such a jackass sometimes…sometimes? No all the time! Never mind, the vengeance she had planned would be sweet.
Kari jumped and tried a Triple Axle, but messed up the landing and hit the ice hard. She needed her old ice skating coach to be able to pull something like that off ever again. Back in England she'd had a coach, she'd ice skated while Rai had… her twin brother had played rugby for a professional team. Kari felt tears welling up and got back to her feet, she had to get over it, Ombre was her partner, and Kari knew she could rely on the Princess, no matter what, even with Ombre having her own body now.
Ombre was on the ice in seconds, about to skate over and help Kari to her feet, but the hikari didn't need it. She was too stubborn for her own good sometimes. Kari had still to tell her what held her back from letting her move on from the death of her twin brother. As far as Ombre was aware Kari had never told anyone about that night, the memories were locked behind a door that that was hidden in Kari's soul room.
The Princess had seen the door once, Kari had it hidden behind the bookcase in her soul room, but had moved the bookcase and opened it for apparently no reason she could give Ombre, and Ombre had found it when she hadn't been able to sense her hikari sleeping. It led to a second passageway and another soul room where Ombre had found her hikari sleeping, though it looked like the girl had cried herself to sleep.
The other soul room had been dark and cold, bare of life, but yet there had been traces of humans being here. Rugby boots, balls, posts, who ever had had this room had been rugby obsessed, a photo on the side had made Ombre realise who this other room had belonged to, though they'd never spoken spirit to spirit, each of the twins had had a soul room in each other's minds and Kari hadn't erased Rai's soul room to make room for Ombre's she'd just shut Rai's away, where no one could find it but her.
Ombre had picked up the sleeping form of her hikari and watched over her after tucking Kari into the bed in the girl's own soul room, hiding the door again. Kari would face it when she was good and ready, it was no good forcing it on the girl.
An owl pecked at the rain smeared window, snapping Ombre out of her thoughts, Kari was off again, skating around the rink and pulling off moves Ombre knew she'd never hope to pull off as she stepped off the ice. Mana, Kari's Dark Magician Girl, went over and opened the window, letting the soggy owl in. It gave the monster two letters and took a sip of Kari's water and left again, Shadowfae, Ombre's Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, flew out the window and Mana shut the window after them before she passed Ombre the letters. "Kari!"
Kari stopped, Ombre wouldn't disturb her while she was skating unless it was important, Ombre was waving an envelope at her, it could only be one thing if it was owl delivered, it had to be her Hogwarts letter. She skated over and took the envelope, she was right, it was, and Dumbledore had been right again about where she'd be.
How did he do that?
Miss K Ironhide
Domino Ice Rink
Domino
Japan
She opened her letter and read it, putting it back down and skating back out onto the ice as the doors opened and a very wet Yugi entered the ice skating rink, his spiked hair drooping, and water running off of his jacket, a sopping wet ball of fur not that far behind, it shook itself off and looked around, Boh had followed his partner. "It's not very…" He trailed off as he watched Kari pull of a Triple Lutz and continue round the rink.
"Nice out there?" Ombre asked, Yugi smiled and shook his head, before wringing his jacket out, "What're you doing up this early anyway? You're not normally up for another three hours."
"Couldn't sleep," Yugi answered, Ombre noticed he wasn't carrying the Millennium Puzzle. "And I didn't want to wake Yami, so I came here, I knew that Kari often comes here at this time of the morning," He sneezed.
"Bless you." Kari said as she passed.
"Thank you," Yugi smiled, "I thought I'd see how you were doing." Yugi pulled a severely soggy envelope out of his pocket and looked at it, noting the emblem on the back, before smiling at Ombre who was waving her Hogwarts letter at him. He nodded and read the address;
Mr Yugi Muto
Out in the rain
Pavilion Street
Domino
Japan
Kari stopped next to the wall next to Yugi and Ombre, "You haven't slept well since Shadi visited you two."
"What's wrong?" Ombre asked, concerned for the smallest light, "You've not been looking very well either."
"I'm fine, has Kaiba left you alone about your decision to retire from tournament duelling yet?" Yugi asked Kari, changing the subject. Kari growled as she stepped off the ice. "I guess not."
"He says it's just because I lost to Yami in the Quarter Finals but it's really because I don't have time to duel professionally any more, between school and work, my duelling standard has slipped. I'm no longer a match for you, Yugi, you trounce me heavily with that new deck of yours. However, I'm proud to say Ombre's skill has improved." Kari said smiling. Ombre grinned as Kari pulled off her ice skating boots. "By the way Yugi, you have to buy the newest Kaiba Corp game."
"What? Duel Monsters Singster?" Yugi grimaced, "I dunno…"
"You have to, and Yami has to see it, oh and Joey has to buy it too." Kari laughed.
The door opened and Jasmine, the professional ice skating coach, and her skaters walked in, "Kari! Hi!" Jasmine called, "Hi Ombre. Who's your friend? Is that Joey, the boy I've heard so much about?
Yugi blushed, "No," Kari said, laughingly, "This is Yugi, he's one of my best friends, Joey is taller then us, and blonde, you'd know him by sight, I've talked about him often enough."
"Nice to meet you, Yugi." Jasmine turned to him and smiled, "Your friend is one hell of a skater. Hey Kari, do I have any chance of convincing you to leave Kaiba Corp and come skate professionally today?"
"Tempting, since Kaiba won't leave me alone, he's always either bugging me about work or about the fact I gave up duelling professionally." Kari smiled slightly.
"Well, will you just help me with a demonstration today before you go?" Ellie, the youngest skater, smiled up at her and Kari started. They'd all grown, and she hadn't noticed, she guessed that spending two years as her younger self had made her realised just had much her real form had grown. The entire group had grown.
"Alright." She said, smiling. She put her boots back on and joined Jasmine, Ellie, Sophie and Rachelle on the ice. She looked over to Ombre and Yugi and smiled.
She wondered if Yugi was aware he'd grown to about the height Yami had been before they'd gone to Hogwarts, though he still hadn't caught up with the Pharaoh, who'd grown over the two years too, and now Yugi's voice had broken, causing great hilarity over the summer, it was really quite funny, Yami and Yugi's voices were almost identical now, and their friends kept getting them mixed up over the phone.
"Kari?"
"Huh?"
The three of them walked out of the ice skating rink an hour later, "What did you and Yami send Harry for his birthday?" Ombre asked, as they walked back to Kari's car. Yugi and Ombre got into a lengthy conversation as Kari's phone rang.
As she got off the phone Yugi turned to her and smiled, "So why do you want us to buy the game?" he asked.
--days later--
"Is he still laughing?" Kari asked as Yugi struggled to make himself heard over the phone, Yami laughing loudly in the background. "When did you guys unlock it?"
"An hour ago, Yami hasn't stopped laughing since." Yugi said, "Joey's unlocked it too."
"I know." Kari grinned, though Yugi couldn't see her, "He was happy he had a better singing voice then…"
"IRONHIDE!" Kaiba roared.
"Uh oh, Gotta go Yugi, see you at the airport tomorrow."
"Bye Kari… Yami…" The line went dead as Yugi started trying to talk to his other half.
"Ironhide!" Kaiba stormed as he came into the room, "Do you have any idea why your mangy mutt of a boyfriend keeps phoning me and singing the chorus of 'You're not me' then laughing his head off?"
"No idea." Kari said, laughter in her eyes but not a trace of it on her face.
"You're a really bad liar, unless you're duelling." Kaiba snorted.
"I don't know what you mean, Mr Kaiba, sir." Kari said, backing away slowly.
"I know you know why, and I'm going to find out." Kaiba said, worryingly calm. "Go back to your workstation and finish downloading the work to your laptop, after we fly out tomorrow you won't get a chance to use your workstation again until June."
'Uh oh! What's he planning?' Kari thought as she turned to go. She heard Kaiba talk to someone.
"What do you mean an intruder?" Kaiba growled, "Where's my security? Out… cold? One man? Bit… of… stick… What does he look like?" Kaiba snarled as he heard the description, he wheeled around to Kari.
"Do you have your wand on you?" He snarled, pulling his out of his trench coat. Kari nodded and drew hers out from her jacket's inner pocket.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"Malfoy Senior." Kari growled, that man was persistent she had to give him that. "What floor is he on?" Kaiba snapped into the microphone built into his white trench coat. "What do you mean he's in the VR Department!" Kaiba was snarling again, Kari blanched, all of her workers were still there, she'd just finished her late lunch break. Kaiba strode out of the door and Kari rushed after him.
They reached the VR Department, which had been vacated quickly, though there were a couple of people who were unconscious. "Malfoy!" Kaiba snarled. The man turned on them, his wand pointed at Kaiba's chest.
"You've ruined my family! You've ruined our lives!" Malfoy snarled back, "And you'll pay!" Kari was suddenly aware of the sheer volume of people holding wands that had appeared from nowhere. "Avada Kedavra!"
Kari reacted quickly, knocking Kaiba off of his feet, and the spell passed over their heads. "Stupify!" Kari shouted, her voice mingling with others that came from the adults that had been behind them. Lucius Malfoy was knocked backwards and hit one of the computer panels, falling to the floor unconscious. "Seto!" Kari called, "You alright?"
"…" Kaiba didn't answer, he wondered if Ironhide was aware she'd called him Seto.
"Seto?" Kari asked, getting up.
"I want to know how he got in here!" Kaiba snarled, not particularly at her, but out of anger and frustration. He got to his feet and dusted off his trench coat.
"Mr Kaiba, Sir." One of the Japanese wizards addressed him, he recognised him as one of the wizard staff he'd taken on last Summer. "These people," He pointed out the ones who were taking Lucius Malfoy into custody, "Are from the Japanese Ministry of Magic."
"Japanese…" Kari trailed off.
"Yes." One of the Ministry Officers said, walking over, "He'll go to prison, the use of an unforgivable curse is a one way ticket."
Unforgivable? Kaiba thought. He saw Kari nod and decided he'd find out from her. Kaiba looked around; the VR Department looked like the mutt had hit it during one of his temper tantrums. Kari growled as she looked around her department, but she was glad that no lives had been lost, as the wizards pulled out.
"Ironhide…" Kaiba growled softly once it was only them left, any muggle who'd seen the incident had had their memories wiped, "Which unforgivable curse was that?"
"Avada Kedavra, the killing curse." Kari said softly, then she smirked, she knew something Kaiba hadn't.
"I wouldn't look too smug if I were you, you still have to clean up this mess and finish the urgent work before tomorrow." Kaiba smirked as Kari swore in English under her breath but he had a question that he wasn't sure he wanted to ask. Why did she save him?
"Ironhide…?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Never mind."
--next day--
"Harry!" Joey called as they piled into the Leaky Cauldron late the next day, Kaiba and Mokuba trailed in last, followed by the monsters, the barkeeper sighed. Whenever the exchange students stayed it always looked like a safari park had come into town.
Kaiba was giving death glares to Yami and Joey, while Ombre was hanging onto Kari like a little lost sheep dog.
"Hey guys," Harry said, looking at the entire group, "Kaiba annoyed with you again?"
Yami smirked evilly. "Yeap."
"We'll tell you why once we're settled in." Joey laughed, waving a tape recorder. Kari smiled and she and Ombre walked over to the bar. Yugi and Harry started talking.
"Did you hear about Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asked, the papers had said that he'd been arrested and thrown in prison in Japan. Yugi's cheerfulness faded.
"Yes…" Yugi said and explained what Kari had told them. Harry looked startled and looked over to Kari and Kaiba.
"Kari saved Kaiba's life?" Harry confirmed as Yugi finished.
"Yeah," Yugi nodded, "But I don't think Kaiba knows why."
While the others weren't looking Yami looked in his wallet. Yugi had made him promise to use the tournament winnings to buy himself a new broomstick, since he'd been using Kari's broomstick last Hogwarts year, and his school supplies, but that meant Yugi barely had any money for books and supplies himself.
Kaiba noticed Yami counting and snorted, he wasn't as oblivious to the state of the Muto household as everyone assumed he was. He also knew Yami would send him to the Shadow Realm if he even attempted to aggravate Yugi about the fact he barely had any money this year. He wasn't stupid either, so he wisely kept his mouth shut. He wondered how much money Kari had, considering it had to pay for two people this year, not just one.
"Yami?" Yugi asked, as Yami shut his wallet.
"Huh?"
"Alright spill it, what's wrong?" Yugi asked.
"It's nothing, I'm fine."
"Come on, I know you. You're worried about something and you don't want to tell me." Yugi sighed.
"It's nothing." Yami lied. Yugi stared at him, Uh oh! Yami thought privately, I know that look, help someone, anyone, cutsie eyes of doom alert.
"You can tell me." Yugi said, Yami tried to look elsewhere, anywhere else but at Yugi as Mahado laughed at Yami's expense, the Dark Magician had learnt over the Summer that if Yugi pulled that trick then no one could resist. Boh bounced over to Harry who smiled and stroked the fuzzball.
"Yugi!" Joey called, distracting the small teenager and giving Yami a chance to get away. Yugi pouted and went over to Joey, who was about to play the tape for Harry since Kaiba had gone up to his and Mokuba's rooms. Harry listened and couldn't help but laugh as he heard Kari's recording of Kaiba's singing.
"He's terrible." Harry laughed as Kaiba's voice mutilated the chorus of 'You're not me.'
"I know," Joey laughed, "Hey Yami!" Yami came over, "You don't need to send Bakura to the Shadow Realm, just tie him to a chair and force him to listen to Kaiba singing," Joey couldn't stop laughing, "He'd soon give up." That set the rest of the group off and they spent the rest of the night just talking and duelling. Harry asked if another incident had happened with the dragons, "In all honesty we haven't seen much of our dragons all Summer, they've gotten very good at hiding from us, and they've taken to blocking us out when they want some privacy." Harry laughed.
Yugi and Yami were surprised to find that Harry had started buying the Wizards Duel Monsters cards that Kaiba had started developing last Summer and released this Summer, once he'd gotten to Diagon Alley. Harry also told them about his aunt…
"You didn't?" Kari laughed.
"I did." Harry said solemnly, Yami laughed hard while Ombre fought to keep her response to a smirk.
"Shame we couldn't visit, that sounds like fun." Kari said, she yawned and Ombre smiled at her.
"Come on you," She said, pushing Kari up the stairs, "Bed!" It was an order. Yami caught Yugi yawning next and pushed him up the stairs too. The rest slowly drifted up to bed, Joey was last to bed, only heading up when his dragon grabbed his shirt in its teeth and pulled him up the stairs.
"Look at it." Harry said the next day as they stared through the window of 'Quality Qudditch Supplies' at the newest broomstick, "the Firebolt." Harry said in barely more then a whisper.
Yami, Yugi and Harry all drooled over the broomstick, though Yami wasn't sure if he was envious of it, or if he wanted to run from it, screaming. He saw the look Yugi was giving it, and was ashamed that he couldn't afford to buy it for his partner.
"It's not the broom but the person who's using it." Kaiba stated. "You have to be sure of yourself before you get a broom that fast, none of you lot are good enough."
"Excuse you!" Yami snapped.
"You heard me!" Kaiba snarled.
"Yami." Yugi tugged on the Pharaoh's sleeve, stopping an argument before it started. "You have to go in, you need your own broom, remember." Yami nodded and entered the broom shop.
"Hi!" The shop keeper called, "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a new broomstick, suitable for playing Qudditch as a Seeker."
"A Seeker you say, which house?" The shop owner called as he looked over his brooms.
"Gryffindor."
"Well it depends how much you've got to spend." The bell on the door rang and Kaiba walked in.
"Just get him a Nimbus 2000," Kaiba said, "It's the same broom all your friends are flying." Kaiba glared at Yami, daring him to say something. "And get me one too." Kaiba turned to Yami, "I don't want to beat you just because I can afford better equipment, I want everyone to know who's the better flyer." Kaiba seemed like he was explaining himself, but Kaiba wouldn't do that, would he?
Kaiba monopolised the clerk, and paid for both, without letting Yami get a word in edgeways. When they left the shop Kaiba wore one of his superior smiles and Yami was looking completely confused. "Yami?" Yugi asked, "Are you alright?" Yami nodded, still confused as to what had just happened.
"Why is he being sorta nice to Yami?" Harry whispered to the group as Kaiba went off on his own.
Joey shook his head, "Well he's being sorta nice to all of us, he's only threatened me twice today."
"Quick, Joey, you better do something otherwise the world might turn upside down." Kari said, confused.
"Yeah, cause Kaiba being sorta nice is just too weird." Ombre continued.
"He might be acting nicer, but he's still a jerk." Kari whispered. She looked around, she felt guilty for saying it, and knowing her boss, he'd find out. No one was paying attention, but she felt that he'd know that she'd know that he'd know what she'd said.
'That doesn't make sense, Kari.' Ombre said down the mind link. Kari laughed out loud.
"That wasn't meant to be loud enough to be heard, sorry." Kari smiled.
'It still doesn't make sense.'
Kari jumped and tried a Triple Axle, but messed up the landing and hit the ice hard. She needed her old ice skating coach to be able to pull something like that off ever again. Back in England she'd had a coach, she'd ice skated while Rai had… her twin brother had played rugby for a professional team. Kari felt tears welling up and got back to her feet, she had to get over it, Ombre was her partner, and Kari knew she could rely on the Princess, no matter what, even with Ombre having her own body now.
Ombre was on the ice in seconds, about to skate over and help Kari to her feet, but the hikari didn't need it. She was too stubborn for her own good sometimes. Kari had still to tell her what held her back from letting her move on from the death of her twin brother. As far as Ombre was aware Kari had never told anyone about that night, the memories were locked behind a door that that was hidden in Kari's soul room.
The Princess had seen the door once, Kari had it hidden behind the bookcase in her soul room, but had moved the bookcase and opened it for apparently no reason she could give Ombre, and Ombre had found it when she hadn't been able to sense her hikari sleeping. It led to a second passageway and another soul room where Ombre had found her hikari sleeping, though it looked like the girl had cried herself to sleep.
The other soul room had been dark and cold, bare of life, but yet there had been traces of humans being here. Rugby boots, balls, posts, who ever had had this room had been rugby obsessed, a photo on the side had made Ombre realise who this other room had belonged to, though they'd never spoken spirit to spirit, each of the twins had had a soul room in each other's minds and Kari hadn't erased Rai's soul room to make room for Ombre's she'd just shut Rai's away, where no one could find it but her.
Ombre had picked up the sleeping form of her hikari and watched over her after tucking Kari into the bed in the girl's own soul room, hiding the door again. Kari would face it when she was good and ready, it was no good forcing it on the girl.
An owl pecked at the rain smeared window, snapping Ombre out of her thoughts, Kari was off again, skating around the rink and pulling off moves Ombre knew she'd never hope to pull off as she stepped off the ice. Mana, Kari's Dark Magician Girl, went over and opened the window, letting the soggy owl in. It gave the monster two letters and took a sip of Kari's water and left again, Shadowfae, Ombre's Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, flew out the window and Mana shut the window after them before she passed Ombre the letters. "Kari!"
Kari stopped, Ombre wouldn't disturb her while she was skating unless it was important, Ombre was waving an envelope at her, it could only be one thing if it was owl delivered, it had to be her Hogwarts letter. She skated over and took the envelope, she was right, it was, and Dumbledore had been right again about where she'd be.
How did he do that?
Miss K Ironhide
Domino Ice Rink
Domino
Japan
She opened her letter and read it, putting it back down and skating back out onto the ice as the doors opened and a very wet Yugi entered the ice skating rink, his spiked hair drooping, and water running off of his jacket, a sopping wet ball of fur not that far behind, it shook itself off and looked around, Boh had followed his partner. "It's not very…" He trailed off as he watched Kari pull of a Triple Lutz and continue round the rink.
"Nice out there?" Ombre asked, Yugi smiled and shook his head, before wringing his jacket out, "What're you doing up this early anyway? You're not normally up for another three hours."
"Couldn't sleep," Yugi answered, Ombre noticed he wasn't carrying the Millennium Puzzle. "And I didn't want to wake Yami, so I came here, I knew that Kari often comes here at this time of the morning," He sneezed.
"Bless you." Kari said as she passed.
"Thank you," Yugi smiled, "I thought I'd see how you were doing." Yugi pulled a severely soggy envelope out of his pocket and looked at it, noting the emblem on the back, before smiling at Ombre who was waving her Hogwarts letter at him. He nodded and read the address;
Mr Yugi Muto
Out in the rain
Pavilion Street
Domino
Japan
Kari stopped next to the wall next to Yugi and Ombre, "You haven't slept well since Shadi visited you two."
"What's wrong?" Ombre asked, concerned for the smallest light, "You've not been looking very well either."
"I'm fine, has Kaiba left you alone about your decision to retire from tournament duelling yet?" Yugi asked Kari, changing the subject. Kari growled as she stepped off the ice. "I guess not."
"He says it's just because I lost to Yami in the Quarter Finals but it's really because I don't have time to duel professionally any more, between school and work, my duelling standard has slipped. I'm no longer a match for you, Yugi, you trounce me heavily with that new deck of yours. However, I'm proud to say Ombre's skill has improved." Kari said smiling. Ombre grinned as Kari pulled off her ice skating boots. "By the way Yugi, you have to buy the newest Kaiba Corp game."
"What? Duel Monsters Singster?" Yugi grimaced, "I dunno…"
"You have to, and Yami has to see it, oh and Joey has to buy it too." Kari laughed.
The door opened and Jasmine, the professional ice skating coach, and her skaters walked in, "Kari! Hi!" Jasmine called, "Hi Ombre. Who's your friend? Is that Joey, the boy I've heard so much about?
Yugi blushed, "No," Kari said, laughingly, "This is Yugi, he's one of my best friends, Joey is taller then us, and blonde, you'd know him by sight, I've talked about him often enough."
"Nice to meet you, Yugi." Jasmine turned to him and smiled, "Your friend is one hell of a skater. Hey Kari, do I have any chance of convincing you to leave Kaiba Corp and come skate professionally today?"
"Tempting, since Kaiba won't leave me alone, he's always either bugging me about work or about the fact I gave up duelling professionally." Kari smiled slightly.
"Well, will you just help me with a demonstration today before you go?" Ellie, the youngest skater, smiled up at her and Kari started. They'd all grown, and she hadn't noticed, she guessed that spending two years as her younger self had made her realised just had much her real form had grown. The entire group had grown.
"Alright." She said, smiling. She put her boots back on and joined Jasmine, Ellie, Sophie and Rachelle on the ice. She looked over to Ombre and Yugi and smiled.
She wondered if Yugi was aware he'd grown to about the height Yami had been before they'd gone to Hogwarts, though he still hadn't caught up with the Pharaoh, who'd grown over the two years too, and now Yugi's voice had broken, causing great hilarity over the summer, it was really quite funny, Yami and Yugi's voices were almost identical now, and their friends kept getting them mixed up over the phone.
"Kari?"
"Huh?"
The three of them walked out of the ice skating rink an hour later, "What did you and Yami send Harry for his birthday?" Ombre asked, as they walked back to Kari's car. Yugi and Ombre got into a lengthy conversation as Kari's phone rang.
As she got off the phone Yugi turned to her and smiled, "So why do you want us to buy the game?" he asked.
--days later--
"Is he still laughing?" Kari asked as Yugi struggled to make himself heard over the phone, Yami laughing loudly in the background. "When did you guys unlock it?"
"An hour ago, Yami hasn't stopped laughing since." Yugi said, "Joey's unlocked it too."
"I know." Kari grinned, though Yugi couldn't see her, "He was happy he had a better singing voice then…"
"IRONHIDE!" Kaiba roared.
"Uh oh, Gotta go Yugi, see you at the airport tomorrow."
"Bye Kari… Yami…" The line went dead as Yugi started trying to talk to his other half.
"Ironhide!" Kaiba stormed as he came into the room, "Do you have any idea why your mangy mutt of a boyfriend keeps phoning me and singing the chorus of 'You're not me' then laughing his head off?"
"No idea." Kari said, laughter in her eyes but not a trace of it on her face.
"You're a really bad liar, unless you're duelling." Kaiba snorted.
"I don't know what you mean, Mr Kaiba, sir." Kari said, backing away slowly.
"I know you know why, and I'm going to find out." Kaiba said, worryingly calm. "Go back to your workstation and finish downloading the work to your laptop, after we fly out tomorrow you won't get a chance to use your workstation again until June."
'Uh oh! What's he planning?' Kari thought as she turned to go. She heard Kaiba talk to someone.
"What do you mean an intruder?" Kaiba growled, "Where's my security? Out… cold? One man? Bit… of… stick… What does he look like?" Kaiba snarled as he heard the description, he wheeled around to Kari.
"Do you have your wand on you?" He snarled, pulling his out of his trench coat. Kari nodded and drew hers out from her jacket's inner pocket.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"Malfoy Senior." Kari growled, that man was persistent she had to give him that. "What floor is he on?" Kaiba snapped into the microphone built into his white trench coat. "What do you mean he's in the VR Department!" Kaiba was snarling again, Kari blanched, all of her workers were still there, she'd just finished her late lunch break. Kaiba strode out of the door and Kari rushed after him.
They reached the VR Department, which had been vacated quickly, though there were a couple of people who were unconscious. "Malfoy!" Kaiba snarled. The man turned on them, his wand pointed at Kaiba's chest.
"You've ruined my family! You've ruined our lives!" Malfoy snarled back, "And you'll pay!" Kari was suddenly aware of the sheer volume of people holding wands that had appeared from nowhere. "Avada Kedavra!"
Kari reacted quickly, knocking Kaiba off of his feet, and the spell passed over their heads. "Stupify!" Kari shouted, her voice mingling with others that came from the adults that had been behind them. Lucius Malfoy was knocked backwards and hit one of the computer panels, falling to the floor unconscious. "Seto!" Kari called, "You alright?"
"…" Kaiba didn't answer, he wondered if Ironhide was aware she'd called him Seto.
"Seto?" Kari asked, getting up.
"I want to know how he got in here!" Kaiba snarled, not particularly at her, but out of anger and frustration. He got to his feet and dusted off his trench coat.
"Mr Kaiba, Sir." One of the Japanese wizards addressed him, he recognised him as one of the wizard staff he'd taken on last Summer. "These people," He pointed out the ones who were taking Lucius Malfoy into custody, "Are from the Japanese Ministry of Magic."
"Japanese…" Kari trailed off.
"Yes." One of the Ministry Officers said, walking over, "He'll go to prison, the use of an unforgivable curse is a one way ticket."
Unforgivable? Kaiba thought. He saw Kari nod and decided he'd find out from her. Kaiba looked around; the VR Department looked like the mutt had hit it during one of his temper tantrums. Kari growled as she looked around her department, but she was glad that no lives had been lost, as the wizards pulled out.
"Ironhide…" Kaiba growled softly once it was only them left, any muggle who'd seen the incident had had their memories wiped, "Which unforgivable curse was that?"
"Avada Kedavra, the killing curse." Kari said softly, then she smirked, she knew something Kaiba hadn't.
"I wouldn't look too smug if I were you, you still have to clean up this mess and finish the urgent work before tomorrow." Kaiba smirked as Kari swore in English under her breath but he had a question that he wasn't sure he wanted to ask. Why did she save him?
"Ironhide…?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Never mind."
--next day--
"Harry!" Joey called as they piled into the Leaky Cauldron late the next day, Kaiba and Mokuba trailed in last, followed by the monsters, the barkeeper sighed. Whenever the exchange students stayed it always looked like a safari park had come into town.
Kaiba was giving death glares to Yami and Joey, while Ombre was hanging onto Kari like a little lost sheep dog.
"Hey guys," Harry said, looking at the entire group, "Kaiba annoyed with you again?"
Yami smirked evilly. "Yeap."
"We'll tell you why once we're settled in." Joey laughed, waving a tape recorder. Kari smiled and she and Ombre walked over to the bar. Yugi and Harry started talking.
"Did you hear about Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asked, the papers had said that he'd been arrested and thrown in prison in Japan. Yugi's cheerfulness faded.
"Yes…" Yugi said and explained what Kari had told them. Harry looked startled and looked over to Kari and Kaiba.
"Kari saved Kaiba's life?" Harry confirmed as Yugi finished.
"Yeah," Yugi nodded, "But I don't think Kaiba knows why."
While the others weren't looking Yami looked in his wallet. Yugi had made him promise to use the tournament winnings to buy himself a new broomstick, since he'd been using Kari's broomstick last Hogwarts year, and his school supplies, but that meant Yugi barely had any money for books and supplies himself.
Kaiba noticed Yami counting and snorted, he wasn't as oblivious to the state of the Muto household as everyone assumed he was. He also knew Yami would send him to the Shadow Realm if he even attempted to aggravate Yugi about the fact he barely had any money this year. He wasn't stupid either, so he wisely kept his mouth shut. He wondered how much money Kari had, considering it had to pay for two people this year, not just one.
"Yami?" Yugi asked, as Yami shut his wallet.
"Huh?"
"Alright spill it, what's wrong?" Yugi asked.
"It's nothing, I'm fine."
"Come on, I know you. You're worried about something and you don't want to tell me." Yugi sighed.
"It's nothing." Yami lied. Yugi stared at him, Uh oh! Yami thought privately, I know that look, help someone, anyone, cutsie eyes of doom alert.
"You can tell me." Yugi said, Yami tried to look elsewhere, anywhere else but at Yugi as Mahado laughed at Yami's expense, the Dark Magician had learnt over the Summer that if Yugi pulled that trick then no one could resist. Boh bounced over to Harry who smiled and stroked the fuzzball.
"Yugi!" Joey called, distracting the small teenager and giving Yami a chance to get away. Yugi pouted and went over to Joey, who was about to play the tape for Harry since Kaiba had gone up to his and Mokuba's rooms. Harry listened and couldn't help but laugh as he heard Kari's recording of Kaiba's singing.
"He's terrible." Harry laughed as Kaiba's voice mutilated the chorus of 'You're not me.'
"I know," Joey laughed, "Hey Yami!" Yami came over, "You don't need to send Bakura to the Shadow Realm, just tie him to a chair and force him to listen to Kaiba singing," Joey couldn't stop laughing, "He'd soon give up." That set the rest of the group off and they spent the rest of the night just talking and duelling. Harry asked if another incident had happened with the dragons, "In all honesty we haven't seen much of our dragons all Summer, they've gotten very good at hiding from us, and they've taken to blocking us out when they want some privacy." Harry laughed.
Yugi and Yami were surprised to find that Harry had started buying the Wizards Duel Monsters cards that Kaiba had started developing last Summer and released this Summer, once he'd gotten to Diagon Alley. Harry also told them about his aunt…
"You didn't?" Kari laughed.
"I did." Harry said solemnly, Yami laughed hard while Ombre fought to keep her response to a smirk.
"Shame we couldn't visit, that sounds like fun." Kari said, she yawned and Ombre smiled at her.
"Come on you," She said, pushing Kari up the stairs, "Bed!" It was an order. Yami caught Yugi yawning next and pushed him up the stairs too. The rest slowly drifted up to bed, Joey was last to bed, only heading up when his dragon grabbed his shirt in its teeth and pulled him up the stairs.
"Look at it." Harry said the next day as they stared through the window of 'Quality Qudditch Supplies' at the newest broomstick, "the Firebolt." Harry said in barely more then a whisper.
Yami, Yugi and Harry all drooled over the broomstick, though Yami wasn't sure if he was envious of it, or if he wanted to run from it, screaming. He saw the look Yugi was giving it, and was ashamed that he couldn't afford to buy it for his partner.
"It's not the broom but the person who's using it." Kaiba stated. "You have to be sure of yourself before you get a broom that fast, none of you lot are good enough."
"Excuse you!" Yami snapped.
"You heard me!" Kaiba snarled.
"Yami." Yugi tugged on the Pharaoh's sleeve, stopping an argument before it started. "You have to go in, you need your own broom, remember." Yami nodded and entered the broom shop.
"Hi!" The shop keeper called, "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a new broomstick, suitable for playing Qudditch as a Seeker."
"A Seeker you say, which house?" The shop owner called as he looked over his brooms.
"Gryffindor."
"Well it depends how much you've got to spend." The bell on the door rang and Kaiba walked in.
"Just get him a Nimbus 2000," Kaiba said, "It's the same broom all your friends are flying." Kaiba glared at Yami, daring him to say something. "And get me one too." Kaiba turned to Yami, "I don't want to beat you just because I can afford better equipment, I want everyone to know who's the better flyer." Kaiba seemed like he was explaining himself, but Kaiba wouldn't do that, would he?
Kaiba monopolised the clerk, and paid for both, without letting Yami get a word in edgeways. When they left the shop Kaiba wore one of his superior smiles and Yami was looking completely confused. "Yami?" Yugi asked, "Are you alright?" Yami nodded, still confused as to what had just happened.
"Why is he being sorta nice to Yami?" Harry whispered to the group as Kaiba went off on his own.
Joey shook his head, "Well he's being sorta nice to all of us, he's only threatened me twice today."
"Quick, Joey, you better do something otherwise the world might turn upside down." Kari said, confused.
"Yeah, cause Kaiba being sorta nice is just too weird." Ombre continued.
"He might be acting nicer, but he's still a jerk." Kari whispered. She looked around, she felt guilty for saying it, and knowing her boss, he'd find out. No one was paying attention, but she felt that he'd know that she'd know that he'd know what she'd said.
'That doesn't make sense, Kari.' Ombre said down the mind link. Kari laughed out loud.
"That wasn't meant to be loud enough to be heard, sorry." Kari smiled.
'It still doesn't make sense.'