Chapter 13: - Meow
Bakura was in a gloating mood. "Look what I have!"
He waved the piece of parchment at Draco.
"What is it?" Draco asked, it could be anything, Bakura got countless letters, and most of Draco's as well. It had to be good news, Bakura hadn't seemed this happy in weeks.
"The results of that test I took last week. Now I just need to past the third level, and have my finances examined and I get the hippogriff! I can't believe it's been this easy!"
Bakura threw himself onto his bed, and started to read the letter in depth again
"Easy? Easy!" Draco began, thinking of the weeks of studying, and the days before the exam... Bakura had taken stress to a new level, and if Bakura had to suffer then so did everyone else. He had implemented study timetables, and enforced them.
Bakura glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. Draco calmed himself down. Bakura happy was a good thing. Then again... Bakura too happy, that might be like Bakura angry, or Bakura sad, or Bakura bored. Any extreme of emotion tended to end in the same way. Draco didn't want to think about that, surely Bakura happy wouldn't result in... No. Stop that thought there.
"So when's the next test?" Draco asked, it might just be a safe subject at the moment.
"They have scheduled it over the Easter Holidays because it's more practical than the others, and a lot longer. It's funny, if they knew my true age I wouldn't have to take so many tests. Hagrid only ever had to take the first test because of his age, and his experience as Hogwart's groundskeeper."
Bakura shrugged, as at least as much as he could while lying stomach down on his bed. "It doesn't matter, their records say I'm nineteen now, when I turn twenty one I don't need to have the third test. When I turn twenty five I wouldn't even need the second test, just a written statement of my experience and the relevant OWL exam."
"You didn't want to wait six years, but you're willing to wait two? I thought your plans were..."
Bakura reacted so quick Draco didn't have time to blink, but suddenly his voice was cut off by the hand over his mouth. "We may have only allies in this dormitory, but never speak in so public of a place, anyone could come in here. Do I have to remind you again?"
Draco nodded. "I didn't need reminding, I wasn't going to say anything... that might be considered a secret by either of us." He said when the hand was removed.
The good mood was mostly gone now. It was probably thanks to that good mood that he wasn't in pain right now. Then again Bakura was always more reasonable when...
"I'm going to see Ryou tonight." The voice was almost inflectionless. If Draco hadn't sensed that brief flash of pain at the end of their link he would have thought... no, don't think, thinking is bad... just let the thoughts drown beneath the lake that was his mind.
Ryou meant Bakura would retrieve that thing. That thing... Bakura was always darker, more dangerous when he had it, but sometimes... like just a few moments ago, a different Bakura... would rise to the surface. It never lasted long. That thing... it must remind Bakura of what needed to be done, at all costs, and it was only when he forgot for a moment, always a moment of pride, achievement, or fun, he came back down to earth, an earth where he had plans, and justice was needed. Draco kept his shivers inside, beneath the lake, results at any costs, even if it took everything. It was at these moments that Bakura seemed to be more Slytherin than the rest of the house put together.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gryffindor approached their next Care of Magical Creatures class with relish.
While it wouldn't be as interesting as their first lesson, Hagrid had managed to stay away from the more dangerous varieties, with flobberworms being a prime example of non-dangerous but the lessons had thankfully been more interesting since Bakura stormed out a few months ago.
None of the animals could normally be described as cute, except that few were bigger than a medium sized dog, and tended to be… as Bakura described them 'prey'.
A squeal of Lavender alerted them, shortly joined by an 'awww' from Pansy as the Slytherins joined them.
Normally Yami would have immediately noticed the absence of Bakura from his housemates, but was instead staring in horror.
It was cute.
It was too cute.
It was a little bundle of fur and it was purring.
Lavender knelt down and petted the small dark furred kitten. Its purr got louder, and it rubbed itself against her hand.
Hagrid came into sight, looking slightly worried, followed by two house sized cats… with wings, following them was six more little fuzzballs of cuteness.
When Hagrid sighted the kitten a glad smile broke through. "Yeh found Tuna. Thought we had lost teh little guy."
"Tuna?" Lavender asked, glancing up from the kitten; who promptly try to gain her attention again with a pitiful little mew.
"The kitten. It wandered off a few minutes ago, me an' Bakura were just discussing his choice, and then he was gone."
Bakura smiled and nodded, and the class started, they had not noticed him before.
Yami froze.
Ombre glared.
Joey almost fell over as one of the kittens seemed determined to trip him up.
Kari was captivated as one of the adults stared into her eyes.
Harry, Ron, and Dean shared a look as the girls and half of the boys in their class were drawn in by the kittens. Luckily they didn't notice Crabbe and Goyle share a very similar look.
Hagrid tried to start the lesson.
The kittens started to play 'catch that tail'.
Hagrid whistled loudly.
Most of the class returned their attention to Hagrid, except for Lavender who had picked up the black kitten, Tuna, and was now murmuring pet names.
"Now can anyone tell me wha these little guys are?" Hagrid began, and then waited for someone to answer.
The kittens had won back the class's attention and while one still was trying to trip up Joey, the others were climbing, clawing, meowing, purring and were chasing around the students in weaving patterns.
Hagrid glanced at Bakura, who was frowning slightly. "Sorry." He muttered, then gave out orders. "Lock, Key. Round them up." The older pair, Lock and Key, came to attention and within seconds of furling their wings the kittens were sitting quietly, behaving.
Yami started making escape plans.
"Now, does anyone know what these are?"
Ombre's hand shot up first, Hermione's not far behind, and surprisingly so did Malfoy's. Bakura glaring at him may have something to do with that.
Hagrid looked surprised to have so many volunteers.
"Malfoy?" Hagrid said, and Bakura was watching.
"Pilot Cats. They don't have wings when young. The larger pair could be Falcats or Griplets." The words came out in a rush. Bakura was not the only one who seemed surprised.
Hagrid was nodding, "Yeah, these are all Pilot Cats. Now anyone know why they don't have wings when their young?"
This time only Hermione's hand shot up in the air. "Hermione?"
"They are live births, unlike Falcats or Griffins which are hatched from eggs."
"Good. Now why are Pilot Cats considered dangerous?"
No hand rose this time. Silence stood for a time. Yami broke it.
"Because Griffins will protect them like they are their own, they can bedazzle the mind, and paralyse anything weaker than themselves. They never hunt alone." His voice was quiet and harsh after speaking so little in the past weeks.
"Aren't Pilot Cats very rare?" Parvati asked.
"We don't know, they are so similar to young Griffins, and prefer to run with a horde Griffins, protecting the Griplets in exchange for a cut of the fish. The young Pilot Cats don't usually stay with the horde, much like cuckoos they will leave a young kitten with a new mother cat until the kitten gains its wings."
"But then why are they here, with the kittens?"
"Tha's in teh wild, domesticated Pilot Cats are even less common than their wild counterparts. They chose their owners…" Hagrid continued.
"Partners, not owners." Bakura interrupted.
Hagrid readily agreed. "Yes, and Bakura has a friend who breeds them, luckily Key" The Silver furred, blue winged adult purred loudly, "chose Bakura, and Lock followed his mate." The second adult of amber fur and golden wings growled and flared his wings menacingly.
"Now can anyone guess what they eat?"
"Tuna?" Was Lavender's joking reply.
Hagrid and Bakura were both nodding.
"They'll eat any fish, but the young uns like it mashed, while the adults prefer live fish." Hagrid said, gesturing to two medium sized barrels. "Today you'll be teaching the young ones to recognise food when it's alive."
Most of the girls paled, as did Neville.
Bakura seemed to be studying the sky.
"Now, don't over feed em."
"Why?" Neville asked with just a hint of fear.
Hagrid looked puzzled by this question, "You'll make em ill if yer do."
Bakura smiled a rather nasty smile at Neville, "What did you think would happen?"
Neville backed away a pace.
It seemed to dawn on the whole class then that these were Bakura's and it would be very likely that if one of them made a mistake, then they would be at the nasty end of his temper.
This Care of Magical Creatures class was not filled with cowards, after all half the class was Gryffindors, but somehow most of them had never expected to be in danger… no that was wrong, after the first lesson most of them expected some measure of danger in this class.
They hadn't really expected Bakura to threaten them so openly. Except… well he always did threaten them, or at least the Gryffindors were always being threatened… and the Slytherin boys were always being threatened…
Students attending a class today were killed, not as you may expect from an magical accident, as we all know happens from time to time, but by a single third year pupil, Bakura Malfoy, however the teacher has defended this student, saying, 'He was driven to it, after the way that class were treating the poor kittens…'
Harry could clearly see it happening. He always wished his imagination wasn't so vivid at times like these. Somehow he always figured his death would be so much more meaningful.
The class began in earnest. It was surprisingly easy to get the kittens interested in the wiggling silver fish. Getting them to see them as food instead of toys proved to be a bit more difficult.
Bakura watched, Hagrid moved among the class trying to explain the best way to do it.
None of the fish got eaten.
Yami didn't even try, and just stood by one of the barrels, watching the fish. Still planning how to get out safely.
He was tired anyway, and trying not to watch his friends, while being very aware of exactly what each of his friends was doing.
That may have explained why Yami didn't notice one of the kittens sneaking up on him.
What it didn't explain was why Yami fainted when the kitten pounced.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why am I face down in the dirt?
A vibrating growling mass clawing his back reminded him.
"…that cat off of Yami!" Someone was yelling.
"I can't" hissed a second voice that Yami identified as Bakura.
"Wingardium Leviosa" A female voice shouted. That sounded like Kari…
"Not on a Pilot Cat!" Three voices shouted, and Yami had to agree. The cat was gaining weight as it absorbed the magic.
Someone whistled, then Bakura called, "Here little Worm, come here Worm."
The thing on his back growled louder. Worm? Worm! Which one of those terrors was called Worm?
An image popped into Yami's mind. It had been the smallest of the kittens, and a muddy brown colour.
"It isn't working Bakura!" Joey sounded hostile. Who knew Joey still cared?
"I know Wheeler. You obviously don't know cats very well, do you?" Bakura again, sounding vicious.
Yami opened his eyes. A close up view of the grass wasn't very helpful.
"Can't you get Lock and Key to get Worm off?" That had to be Hermione.
Then was a moment of intense silence.
Yami tried to move, and found that all he could feel from his limbs was a painful tingling. He couldn't move.
Mine.
Yami froze; the word stirring memories. No, it was a different voice, a different meaning.
Didn't enough things think they had a claim on his soul already?
"Key won't obey that order, and Lock and the kittens listen to her over me."
Panic started to set in. He couldn't move, no one was going to save him, there was no way out!
Why did Pilot cats hate him? Was he really evil? Felines were meant to be able to sense evil, and to drive it away.
That couldn't be true; after all they seemed to like Bakura readily enough. Unless Bakura wasn't evil… and Yami wasn't ready to go anywhere near that thought yet.
Mine.
The voice said again, stronger this time, and the kitten, after a few circles, decided to lie down, and start purring.
"No!" Bakura shouted, seeming surprised, angry and despairing all in one word.
"Bakura!" Several voices shouted, and there was suddenly lots of noise. Yami tried turning his head.
He was just in time to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Joey, Ombre, Kari and Yugi all facing off against Bakura with their wands pointing menacingly before Hagrid broke them up.
Bakura seemed to hiss as he spat out the words, "Fine. Have it your way." Before stalking away.
The kitten purred louder.
Well, you can't be all bad if you don't like Bakura.
Mine. Sounded in his mind again, sounding satisfied.
The kitten stood up then, leapt off of Yami, and landed in front of his face.
Crimson eyes stared in pale green.
The kitten licked him.
Yami sighed with relief as the pain in his limbs receded.
"Please don't do that again." Yami asked as he pulled himself up.
The class turned round, most of them had been watching Bakura leave, but now they were staring at him. Again.
"Yami?" Yugi spoke first. It would be Yugi, wouldn't it?
Yami wouldn't meet his eyes; the grass was so much more interesting when you were further away from it.
No one spoke for a moment.
"Do what again?" Yugi looked confused.
"I was talking to the thing." Yami replied, finding out once again that anger made it so much easier to meet his eyes.
"Class dismissed for the day, I want a foot of parchment on feeding Pilot cats and similar creatures." Hagrid said.
Yami broke off the staring contest that had developed with Yugi.
He walked away.
So deep in thought was he that he didn't hear the foot steps behind him, running to caught up.
A hand touched his shoulder, and he spun around.
"Get away from me." he hissed before even realising who it was. The look of surprise on Joey's face hurt.
"Yami, stop walking away from us." That was Kari, determination written across her face.
The shadow magic answered his anger, rushing to the surface, and hesitation appeared in Kari's eyes.
"Stay away from me, Ironhide." Yami bit out the words.
"Yami, don't go. We're your friends." Yugi, always looking so innocent, so fragile.
The shadow magic bubbled, fighting against his control.
"Friends?" Yami laughed; the sound coming out harsh and mocking, "Friends? You're not my friends."
Yugi took a step back, pain flashing in his eyes.
"How dare you?" Hermione had caught up, as had Ron and Harry, "They're just trying to help, and you hurt them? We are your friends and you would attack us?" Hermione started ranting in her lecturing voice.
Yami lost control.
He watched as the shadows rushed out, horror dawning.
Hermione had already reacted.
For the second time that day Yami lost consciousness.
For the first time the shadows didn't fade away when the duellist lost control.
Ombre leapt in front of Hermione, Orb ready.
One blinding light later, the shadows were gone.
And Worm was once again sitting on top of Yami.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The gang was late for Charms, having taken Yami up to the hospital wing.
They divided into pairs, Harry and Ron. Yugi and Joey, Kari and Ombre…
"Hey, where'd Hermione go?" Joey asked, confused.
The gang looked around, Hermione hadn't followed them in, yet Harry knew she'd been right behind him when Joey had opened the door.
"That's weird." Kari frowned.
"Maybe she just went to the toilet."
However she didn't rejoin them during the entire lesson as they practised Cheering Charms, and she wasn't at dinner either. By the time the Cheering Charms were beginning to wear off the gang were starting to get worried. They hurried up to the Gryffindor Tower…
And found Hermione sitting at a table, fast asleep. Her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. Harry, Ron. Kari and Joey ranged themselves around the table, then Harry prodded her awake.
Yugi and Ombre were discussing something over by the fire as Hermione awoke with a start, she dashed off to talk to Professor Flitwick and met up with the members of the gang who were in Divination, as they entered the tower.
Harry didn't fail to note one absence though…
Yami hadn't recovered yet, or if he had he was skipping class.
And halfway through Professor Trelawney's announcement about the fact that Harry had the Grim again, Hermione and the Professor had a shouting match and Hermione stormed out, shouting that she was dropping the class.
Everyone watched her go, stunned.
Harry hoped that Trelawney hadn't seen the Grim though; he didn't need another near death experience this close to the Quidditch Finals.
Yugi, Ombre and Ryou's plans swung into action the following Saturday, during the lunch hour after Yugi's Quidditch Practise.
Yugi waited until Yami wasn't looking, then slipped all the contents from a bottle from his pocket into Yami's pumpkin juice. Yami was going to kill him when he woke up, but it was necessary, the Shadow Duellists had to talk and this was the only way of getting him to stay still long enough.
He wondered how Ryou was going to get Bakura to take it…
After all…
Yami's reaction would be nothing compared to Bakura's.
In the hallway, Ryou and Bakura were talking.
"So Yugi and Ombre are trying to gather everyone together to work out some way of trying to rein in the Shadow Magic?" Bakura asked and Ryou nodded. "Pointless, but I suppose they don't expect me to come."
"Actually…" Ryou held up a small bottle, the liquid inside glinted in the light, "I'm supposed to slip this in your pumpkin juice but I couldn't see a way of doing it without you noticing."
"A sleeping potion?" Bakura asked, and he smirked when Ryou nodded, "I think the Pharaoh's Runt, and your girlfriend are losing their morals, but I'm not going. I quite like seeing the Pharaoh go through all of this, and the Shadows can't be controlled at the moment so it's pointless."
"Don't you want to know what they're planning at least, in case it affects you or your plans in any way?" Ryou asked. Bakura thought about it then snatched the bottle from Ryou.
"Fine, I'll go."
He waved the piece of parchment at Draco.
"What is it?" Draco asked, it could be anything, Bakura got countless letters, and most of Draco's as well. It had to be good news, Bakura hadn't seemed this happy in weeks.
"The results of that test I took last week. Now I just need to past the third level, and have my finances examined and I get the hippogriff! I can't believe it's been this easy!"
Bakura threw himself onto his bed, and started to read the letter in depth again
"Easy? Easy!" Draco began, thinking of the weeks of studying, and the days before the exam... Bakura had taken stress to a new level, and if Bakura had to suffer then so did everyone else. He had implemented study timetables, and enforced them.
Bakura glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. Draco calmed himself down. Bakura happy was a good thing. Then again... Bakura too happy, that might be like Bakura angry, or Bakura sad, or Bakura bored. Any extreme of emotion tended to end in the same way. Draco didn't want to think about that, surely Bakura happy wouldn't result in... No. Stop that thought there.
"So when's the next test?" Draco asked, it might just be a safe subject at the moment.
"They have scheduled it over the Easter Holidays because it's more practical than the others, and a lot longer. It's funny, if they knew my true age I wouldn't have to take so many tests. Hagrid only ever had to take the first test because of his age, and his experience as Hogwart's groundskeeper."
Bakura shrugged, as at least as much as he could while lying stomach down on his bed. "It doesn't matter, their records say I'm nineteen now, when I turn twenty one I don't need to have the third test. When I turn twenty five I wouldn't even need the second test, just a written statement of my experience and the relevant OWL exam."
"You didn't want to wait six years, but you're willing to wait two? I thought your plans were..."
Bakura reacted so quick Draco didn't have time to blink, but suddenly his voice was cut off by the hand over his mouth. "We may have only allies in this dormitory, but never speak in so public of a place, anyone could come in here. Do I have to remind you again?"
Draco nodded. "I didn't need reminding, I wasn't going to say anything... that might be considered a secret by either of us." He said when the hand was removed.
The good mood was mostly gone now. It was probably thanks to that good mood that he wasn't in pain right now. Then again Bakura was always more reasonable when...
"I'm going to see Ryou tonight." The voice was almost inflectionless. If Draco hadn't sensed that brief flash of pain at the end of their link he would have thought... no, don't think, thinking is bad... just let the thoughts drown beneath the lake that was his mind.
Ryou meant Bakura would retrieve that thing. That thing... Bakura was always darker, more dangerous when he had it, but sometimes... like just a few moments ago, a different Bakura... would rise to the surface. It never lasted long. That thing... it must remind Bakura of what needed to be done, at all costs, and it was only when he forgot for a moment, always a moment of pride, achievement, or fun, he came back down to earth, an earth where he had plans, and justice was needed. Draco kept his shivers inside, beneath the lake, results at any costs, even if it took everything. It was at these moments that Bakura seemed to be more Slytherin than the rest of the house put together.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gryffindor approached their next Care of Magical Creatures class with relish.
While it wouldn't be as interesting as their first lesson, Hagrid had managed to stay away from the more dangerous varieties, with flobberworms being a prime example of non-dangerous but the lessons had thankfully been more interesting since Bakura stormed out a few months ago.
None of the animals could normally be described as cute, except that few were bigger than a medium sized dog, and tended to be… as Bakura described them 'prey'.
A squeal of Lavender alerted them, shortly joined by an 'awww' from Pansy as the Slytherins joined them.
Normally Yami would have immediately noticed the absence of Bakura from his housemates, but was instead staring in horror.
It was cute.
It was too cute.
It was a little bundle of fur and it was purring.
Lavender knelt down and petted the small dark furred kitten. Its purr got louder, and it rubbed itself against her hand.
Hagrid came into sight, looking slightly worried, followed by two house sized cats… with wings, following them was six more little fuzzballs of cuteness.
When Hagrid sighted the kitten a glad smile broke through. "Yeh found Tuna. Thought we had lost teh little guy."
"Tuna?" Lavender asked, glancing up from the kitten; who promptly try to gain her attention again with a pitiful little mew.
"The kitten. It wandered off a few minutes ago, me an' Bakura were just discussing his choice, and then he was gone."
Bakura smiled and nodded, and the class started, they had not noticed him before.
Yami froze.
Ombre glared.
Joey almost fell over as one of the kittens seemed determined to trip him up.
Kari was captivated as one of the adults stared into her eyes.
Harry, Ron, and Dean shared a look as the girls and half of the boys in their class were drawn in by the kittens. Luckily they didn't notice Crabbe and Goyle share a very similar look.
Hagrid tried to start the lesson.
The kittens started to play 'catch that tail'.
Hagrid whistled loudly.
Most of the class returned their attention to Hagrid, except for Lavender who had picked up the black kitten, Tuna, and was now murmuring pet names.
"Now can anyone tell me wha these little guys are?" Hagrid began, and then waited for someone to answer.
The kittens had won back the class's attention and while one still was trying to trip up Joey, the others were climbing, clawing, meowing, purring and were chasing around the students in weaving patterns.
Hagrid glanced at Bakura, who was frowning slightly. "Sorry." He muttered, then gave out orders. "Lock, Key. Round them up." The older pair, Lock and Key, came to attention and within seconds of furling their wings the kittens were sitting quietly, behaving.
Yami started making escape plans.
"Now, does anyone know what these are?"
Ombre's hand shot up first, Hermione's not far behind, and surprisingly so did Malfoy's. Bakura glaring at him may have something to do with that.
Hagrid looked surprised to have so many volunteers.
"Malfoy?" Hagrid said, and Bakura was watching.
"Pilot Cats. They don't have wings when young. The larger pair could be Falcats or Griplets." The words came out in a rush. Bakura was not the only one who seemed surprised.
Hagrid was nodding, "Yeah, these are all Pilot Cats. Now anyone know why they don't have wings when their young?"
This time only Hermione's hand shot up in the air. "Hermione?"
"They are live births, unlike Falcats or Griffins which are hatched from eggs."
"Good. Now why are Pilot Cats considered dangerous?"
No hand rose this time. Silence stood for a time. Yami broke it.
"Because Griffins will protect them like they are their own, they can bedazzle the mind, and paralyse anything weaker than themselves. They never hunt alone." His voice was quiet and harsh after speaking so little in the past weeks.
"Aren't Pilot Cats very rare?" Parvati asked.
"We don't know, they are so similar to young Griffins, and prefer to run with a horde Griffins, protecting the Griplets in exchange for a cut of the fish. The young Pilot Cats don't usually stay with the horde, much like cuckoos they will leave a young kitten with a new mother cat until the kitten gains its wings."
"But then why are they here, with the kittens?"
"Tha's in teh wild, domesticated Pilot Cats are even less common than their wild counterparts. They chose their owners…" Hagrid continued.
"Partners, not owners." Bakura interrupted.
Hagrid readily agreed. "Yes, and Bakura has a friend who breeds them, luckily Key" The Silver furred, blue winged adult purred loudly, "chose Bakura, and Lock followed his mate." The second adult of amber fur and golden wings growled and flared his wings menacingly.
"Now can anyone guess what they eat?"
"Tuna?" Was Lavender's joking reply.
Hagrid and Bakura were both nodding.
"They'll eat any fish, but the young uns like it mashed, while the adults prefer live fish." Hagrid said, gesturing to two medium sized barrels. "Today you'll be teaching the young ones to recognise food when it's alive."
Most of the girls paled, as did Neville.
Bakura seemed to be studying the sky.
"Now, don't over feed em."
"Why?" Neville asked with just a hint of fear.
Hagrid looked puzzled by this question, "You'll make em ill if yer do."
Bakura smiled a rather nasty smile at Neville, "What did you think would happen?"
Neville backed away a pace.
It seemed to dawn on the whole class then that these were Bakura's and it would be very likely that if one of them made a mistake, then they would be at the nasty end of his temper.
This Care of Magical Creatures class was not filled with cowards, after all half the class was Gryffindors, but somehow most of them had never expected to be in danger… no that was wrong, after the first lesson most of them expected some measure of danger in this class.
They hadn't really expected Bakura to threaten them so openly. Except… well he always did threaten them, or at least the Gryffindors were always being threatened… and the Slytherin boys were always being threatened…
Students attending a class today were killed, not as you may expect from an magical accident, as we all know happens from time to time, but by a single third year pupil, Bakura Malfoy, however the teacher has defended this student, saying, 'He was driven to it, after the way that class were treating the poor kittens…'
Harry could clearly see it happening. He always wished his imagination wasn't so vivid at times like these. Somehow he always figured his death would be so much more meaningful.
The class began in earnest. It was surprisingly easy to get the kittens interested in the wiggling silver fish. Getting them to see them as food instead of toys proved to be a bit more difficult.
Bakura watched, Hagrid moved among the class trying to explain the best way to do it.
None of the fish got eaten.
Yami didn't even try, and just stood by one of the barrels, watching the fish. Still planning how to get out safely.
He was tired anyway, and trying not to watch his friends, while being very aware of exactly what each of his friends was doing.
That may have explained why Yami didn't notice one of the kittens sneaking up on him.
What it didn't explain was why Yami fainted when the kitten pounced.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why am I face down in the dirt?
A vibrating growling mass clawing his back reminded him.
"…that cat off of Yami!" Someone was yelling.
"I can't" hissed a second voice that Yami identified as Bakura.
"Wingardium Leviosa" A female voice shouted. That sounded like Kari…
"Not on a Pilot Cat!" Three voices shouted, and Yami had to agree. The cat was gaining weight as it absorbed the magic.
Someone whistled, then Bakura called, "Here little Worm, come here Worm."
The thing on his back growled louder. Worm? Worm! Which one of those terrors was called Worm?
An image popped into Yami's mind. It had been the smallest of the kittens, and a muddy brown colour.
"It isn't working Bakura!" Joey sounded hostile. Who knew Joey still cared?
"I know Wheeler. You obviously don't know cats very well, do you?" Bakura again, sounding vicious.
Yami opened his eyes. A close up view of the grass wasn't very helpful.
"Can't you get Lock and Key to get Worm off?" That had to be Hermione.
Then was a moment of intense silence.
Yami tried to move, and found that all he could feel from his limbs was a painful tingling. He couldn't move.
Mine.
Yami froze; the word stirring memories. No, it was a different voice, a different meaning.
Didn't enough things think they had a claim on his soul already?
"Key won't obey that order, and Lock and the kittens listen to her over me."
Panic started to set in. He couldn't move, no one was going to save him, there was no way out!
Why did Pilot cats hate him? Was he really evil? Felines were meant to be able to sense evil, and to drive it away.
That couldn't be true; after all they seemed to like Bakura readily enough. Unless Bakura wasn't evil… and Yami wasn't ready to go anywhere near that thought yet.
Mine.
The voice said again, stronger this time, and the kitten, after a few circles, decided to lie down, and start purring.
"No!" Bakura shouted, seeming surprised, angry and despairing all in one word.
"Bakura!" Several voices shouted, and there was suddenly lots of noise. Yami tried turning his head.
He was just in time to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Joey, Ombre, Kari and Yugi all facing off against Bakura with their wands pointing menacingly before Hagrid broke them up.
Bakura seemed to hiss as he spat out the words, "Fine. Have it your way." Before stalking away.
The kitten purred louder.
Well, you can't be all bad if you don't like Bakura.
Mine. Sounded in his mind again, sounding satisfied.
The kitten stood up then, leapt off of Yami, and landed in front of his face.
Crimson eyes stared in pale green.
The kitten licked him.
Yami sighed with relief as the pain in his limbs receded.
"Please don't do that again." Yami asked as he pulled himself up.
The class turned round, most of them had been watching Bakura leave, but now they were staring at him. Again.
"Yami?" Yugi spoke first. It would be Yugi, wouldn't it?
Yami wouldn't meet his eyes; the grass was so much more interesting when you were further away from it.
No one spoke for a moment.
"Do what again?" Yugi looked confused.
"I was talking to the thing." Yami replied, finding out once again that anger made it so much easier to meet his eyes.
"Class dismissed for the day, I want a foot of parchment on feeding Pilot cats and similar creatures." Hagrid said.
Yami broke off the staring contest that had developed with Yugi.
He walked away.
So deep in thought was he that he didn't hear the foot steps behind him, running to caught up.
A hand touched his shoulder, and he spun around.
"Get away from me." he hissed before even realising who it was. The look of surprise on Joey's face hurt.
"Yami, stop walking away from us." That was Kari, determination written across her face.
The shadow magic answered his anger, rushing to the surface, and hesitation appeared in Kari's eyes.
"Stay away from me, Ironhide." Yami bit out the words.
"Yami, don't go. We're your friends." Yugi, always looking so innocent, so fragile.
The shadow magic bubbled, fighting against his control.
"Friends?" Yami laughed; the sound coming out harsh and mocking, "Friends? You're not my friends."
Yugi took a step back, pain flashing in his eyes.
"How dare you?" Hermione had caught up, as had Ron and Harry, "They're just trying to help, and you hurt them? We are your friends and you would attack us?" Hermione started ranting in her lecturing voice.
Yami lost control.
He watched as the shadows rushed out, horror dawning.
Hermione had already reacted.
For the second time that day Yami lost consciousness.
For the first time the shadows didn't fade away when the duellist lost control.
Ombre leapt in front of Hermione, Orb ready.
One blinding light later, the shadows were gone.
And Worm was once again sitting on top of Yami.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The gang was late for Charms, having taken Yami up to the hospital wing.
They divided into pairs, Harry and Ron. Yugi and Joey, Kari and Ombre…
"Hey, where'd Hermione go?" Joey asked, confused.
The gang looked around, Hermione hadn't followed them in, yet Harry knew she'd been right behind him when Joey had opened the door.
"That's weird." Kari frowned.
"Maybe she just went to the toilet."
However she didn't rejoin them during the entire lesson as they practised Cheering Charms, and she wasn't at dinner either. By the time the Cheering Charms were beginning to wear off the gang were starting to get worried. They hurried up to the Gryffindor Tower…
And found Hermione sitting at a table, fast asleep. Her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. Harry, Ron. Kari and Joey ranged themselves around the table, then Harry prodded her awake.
Yugi and Ombre were discussing something over by the fire as Hermione awoke with a start, she dashed off to talk to Professor Flitwick and met up with the members of the gang who were in Divination, as they entered the tower.
Harry didn't fail to note one absence though…
Yami hadn't recovered yet, or if he had he was skipping class.
And halfway through Professor Trelawney's announcement about the fact that Harry had the Grim again, Hermione and the Professor had a shouting match and Hermione stormed out, shouting that she was dropping the class.
Everyone watched her go, stunned.
Harry hoped that Trelawney hadn't seen the Grim though; he didn't need another near death experience this close to the Quidditch Finals.
Yugi, Ombre and Ryou's plans swung into action the following Saturday, during the lunch hour after Yugi's Quidditch Practise.
Yugi waited until Yami wasn't looking, then slipped all the contents from a bottle from his pocket into Yami's pumpkin juice. Yami was going to kill him when he woke up, but it was necessary, the Shadow Duellists had to talk and this was the only way of getting him to stay still long enough.
He wondered how Ryou was going to get Bakura to take it…
After all…
Yami's reaction would be nothing compared to Bakura's.
In the hallway, Ryou and Bakura were talking.
"So Yugi and Ombre are trying to gather everyone together to work out some way of trying to rein in the Shadow Magic?" Bakura asked and Ryou nodded. "Pointless, but I suppose they don't expect me to come."
"Actually…" Ryou held up a small bottle, the liquid inside glinted in the light, "I'm supposed to slip this in your pumpkin juice but I couldn't see a way of doing it without you noticing."
"A sleeping potion?" Bakura asked, and he smirked when Ryou nodded, "I think the Pharaoh's Runt, and your girlfriend are losing their morals, but I'm not going. I quite like seeing the Pharaoh go through all of this, and the Shadows can't be controlled at the moment so it's pointless."
"Don't you want to know what they're planning at least, in case it affects you or your plans in any way?" Ryou asked. Bakura thought about it then snatched the bottle from Ryou.
"Fine, I'll go."