Chapter 14: - Deal With the Devil
Some had drugged his pumpkin juice! Evil. Definitely an evil mastermind at work.
Yugi would pay… just as soon as he woke up.
But this place was strange, filled with silver mist, and he knew he was asleep. Certainly strange.
It was almost like being in the shadow realm, apart from the colour scheme.
He started walking.
What else was there to do?
He shivered, it was cold here, and it numbed him.
It was nice not to feel.
He didn't want to feel anymore, it was hard and painful and it hurt. It was tearing him apart.
The silvery light that lit the mist was fading now, and with it the mist.
There was someone else here.
Then he saw the shadows, surging against the boundary of mist and light.
The shadows divided them, and he couldn't see the figure clearly through the mist.
The shadows wanted him.
Why else would they fight so hard against the silver mist?
He didn't want the mist to go. It had stopped the pain, for a brief while.
The mist failed, and the shadows rushed forward to engulf him.
They were so warm, so very warm. The memories started to return, and with them the pain.
Mine.
This he knew. He had resisted for so long, so very, very long. He hadn't been doing a good job of resisting lately.
He was theirs, and they were his.
He couldn't move, couldn't breath, and couldn't think.
Why would you want to?
He was theirs. Their toy.
Mine. Forever.
Why did he ever pretend to be more?
You are mine. You belong to us. The words echoed through his soul, driving away coherent thought.
Leaving only a denial. "No. Never."
You do. Look here.
The image was flung at his heart, and caused more pain than a dagger.
Yugi, looking at him in terror as he attacked, and an overwhelming flash flood of anger.
"No, I won't. I wouldn't. I couldn't!"
We don't lie.
Silence.
You gave yourself to us. You are ours. You are one of our creatures. Remember.
The pain was intense, terror in the faces of his opponents, and unending anger.
You can't escape.
"I don't believe you."
Let go. Give up.
After all, we already control you.
"I won't hurt my friends."
You won't.
"You will."
We won't. Join us and we'll protect them all, all that you name.
"But…" The offer sounded familiar, the memory remained elusive.
They need protection.
He wasn't alone. Someone was watching. Yami's eyes sought those that watched him.
"Bakura?"
"They won't." The voice sounded strange… almost like… crushed.
You are ours, let us protect those you care about, let us free.
"Don't." Barely above a whisper. Why was Bakura… just why?
If Bakura didn't want something then… it had to be something good… didn't it?
Yes. Let us in. Let us free.
"Watch." Bakura held up his hand, and a rush of images filled Yami's mind.
The emotions were dead, but the pain was real, the chaos was real. There were too many images. Yami tried to shake himself free of them, and they slowed… then halted altogether.
Yami stared at Bakura in shock. The lack of emotion had made them all the more horrible. Why would Bakura hurt his (if not friends then allies) like that?
"Why?"
"The shadows can numb as well."
How dare you? He was broken. How dare you defy us?
"There is nothing left that they can do to me."
You are wrong. You are ours, and you will break.
The shadows rose up; Bakura's expression didn't change, as the shadows tried… something.
You won't stop us. We will be free.
The shadows were coating his skin, caressing his. Yami had to suppress a shiver.
You broke before, you'll break again. You will send us food and we will feed, and grow in power and then we'll be free.
"No, I'm not that person anymore. I won't send you souls."
You tried to join the light. We will destroy them. You will destroy them. You are ours. They hate you now. They always did. They will betray you.
"I won't betray my friends."
You are one of us. You belong here.
"No…"
Yes.
"Never."
Always and forever. We won't let you go again.
A knife appeared, hovering between the two spirits being held in position.
Take it.
Their hands obeyed without consulting their minds. Both hands grasped the dagger at the same time. Both held it tightly.
They were after all only spirits while in the shadows. Their hands lay over the same handle, overlapping, sharing the same place.
Neither would or could let go.
Any ghost will tell you if asked rightly, if they share space with another of their kind, they would share emotions at the least. The more powerful spirits could hear thoughts, and see memories.
What ever else you thought of Yami and Bakura, they were very old and powerful spirits.
And now they were in each other's minds.
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Kari and Ombre cast spells sealing the doors to the empty classroom as Ryou and Yugi made sure that the knots that tied Bakura and Yami to the chairs were secure so that they didn't try to kill anyone… or run away, and these chairs had deliberately been placed so they could see everyone else but not each other. Ombre had gone to Professor Flitwick yesterday, to ask if she could borrow the classroom for the afternoon.
What she'd failed to mention was that she'd chosen it because it was the classroom with the least amount of things in.
Yugi sighed as he reached for the Puzzle that rested on Yami's robes…
Before he was thrown halfway across the classroom.
Kari wheeled around, and helped Yugi to his feet.
"Who was that?"
"It can't have been Yami, he's not awake."
"But it wasn't us…"
"Can the Puzzle act on its own?"
"It did the other day… or at least the shadows did…"
"That's the second time that the Shadow Magic has acted without Yami directing it." Ryou stated.
"Third." Ombre said, shaking her head. "There was an incident earlier this week, on our way back from Care of Magical Creatures that most people don't know about."
"And there are probably others that Yami hasn't told us about. He hasn't exactly been talkative these past few weeks."
"Ryou?"
"You want me to try taking the Ring off of Bakura? That's idiocy verging on suicide."
"I know, but what else can we do?" Ombre replied.
Ryou sighed and turned to Bakura, he seemed to wait for a few moments. Then… "It doesn't want to come. Not now."
"What did you do?"
"The Ring comes when called, and sometimes goes when it's sent, or mostly chooses itself when to come and go."
Yugi was staring at the Puzzle, and walked over to Yami.
"Yugi?" Kari asked, "What're you…?"
Kari didn't have time to finish her question as Yugi grabbed the chain, instead of reaching for the Puzzle. But instead of lifting the Puzzle off and tossing it out the window, like previously planned, he put the chain partly over his own head, trying his best to ignore the jolts of Shadow Magic that were shocking him warningly.
And Yugi's eyes closed with a snap.
"Of all the stupid… idiotic… dumb ass…" Kari started, rushing over and reaching for the chain.
She crashed into Ombre as the Shadows hit her hard.
"What can we do?" Kari asked.
"Not much." Ombre sighed, "Just wait and hope."
Ryou looked to Yugi and wondered why he had done it the hard way. Unless Yami was trying to keep him out.
At least Ryou didn't have that worry; Bakura had never tried to lock him out. He sat down against a wall and closed his eyes.
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Yugi found himself in the shadow realm.
He hadn't expected that.
Yami was no where to be seen, but he had expected that, and was ready for it.
The only question was 'how long would he last?'
"Take me to Yami." He requested. The shadow realm normally answered to his requests.
There was no sense of movement in the shadow realm, but power was being pulled out of him. It was doing as he asked.
Suddenly he stopped moving. He didn't know how he knew, but then he didn't know a lot of things about the shadow realm. It was only now that he was starting to think that was a mistake.
The shadows were flowing, like the tides, in and out, and always a little more in than out.
He needed to go to the centre. The shadows wouldn't take him any further. Not willingly.
There was something forming at the centre. Yami had to be involved. Who else could it be?
He started walking, and brought his magic to the surface. Yami always called him Hikari, the light. The shadows didn't fear light, Yugi had learnt that long ago, but they did flee before it.
It allowed him to pass freely, but would cost him later.
He would pay the cost gladly if it gave him the time to save Yami from himself.
Two shadowy figures came into view. Yugi swallowed. They were little more than darker shadows, was he too late?
They didn't seem to notice him. Except… he hadn't imagined that they flinched when their eyes darted to glance at him, and so Yugi let his light fade a bit.
They were holding a knife. A wicked looking dagger that seemed to be the only item apart from Yugi that wasn't coated in shadows.
"Yami? Bakura?" He asked, half expecting one or both of them to lash out at him.
Instead he watched as a struggle was fought across both their faces, until as one they turned their heads and snarled the words "Be gone, you are not wanted here."
Yugi felt his heart waver. His light faded.
Mine, be mine. The shadows whispered, pulling at his mind. Yugi answered both statements with a firm "No."
He fed more power into making light. It would keep him safest in this realm.
Yami and Bakura hadn't waited for his reply, instead turning back to face each other. Yugi studied them for a moment, and realised something was wrong.
Their outlines were blurring, especially around the hands that held the dagger. Then it dawned on him, they were overlapping.
What was with the dagger?
Touch it, take it, will you be mine?
Yugi shook his head, trying to clear the shadows out of his mind.
"I miss you Yami, the real you. The Yami that was my friend, and would never let me down."
There was no reply.
Yugi reached out to touch him. The shadows retreated from his light, not by much, but maybe… just maybe enough.
The touch was electric.
Pain screamed through Yugi's mind, images flashed in front of his eyes quicker than he could see them, power tore at his mind, tore at his soul.
A whirlwind of pain and regret and hatred. A whirlwind he couldn't escape from. He was trapped in the dark.
Yami! Yugi tried calling out with his mind. He felt the shock of recognition, seemingly echoed, and then utter despair.
Yugi felt his light fading. He couldn't fight this.
Yugi! Someone shouted, and then again "Yugi!"
The voice showed his the path.
Yugi withdrew from Yami, letting their link go dormant again.
He blinked, "Ryou?" They were both still standing in the shadow realm.
Mine.
The blond sighed, "I thought you were gone too."
I want.
"I thought I was." Yugi said, he had honestly had thought he would be destroyed then.
"What did you see?"
"Nothing I understood, apart from the pain."
We'll take the pain away.
"The shadows want them back to how they were before we came along and changed them."
They are ours. Not yours, ours.
"But why?"
"Because they had more to feed on then."
Hungry. So hungry. Feed us, please feed us.
Yugi shook his head again. He was so tired, and now the shadows seemed to be whispering to him, calling to him.
Ryou was watching him carefully. "I don't think you should be here much longer Yugi, you're fading."
Yes, turn off the light. They burned once too, but the light went away.
"I can't just leave Yami here." But as he said this he felt a shiver, glancing at his hand he could clearly see through it.
Stay. Mine. Don't go yet. This is his home, our home, make it yours as well.
"Both Yami and Bakura will last far longer than us. They lasted five thousand years, I doubt a few more minutes will make much different." Ryou replied, but Yugi could hear the lie in his voice.
Even a few minutes in the shadow realm could feel like a lifetime.
"There has to be something we can do."
Yes there is. There always is. Stay. Don't go. Yami doesn't want you to go.
Pain lanced through Yugi.
"Yugi, you have to leave now, while you still can, the shadows won't let you leave if they can stop you."
"You can hear them too?"
"Yes, now go, before it's too late."
Yugi sighed, and nodded.
"I'll be back."
Yes, you will.
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Yugi opened his real eyes, quickly slipping off the chain of the Millennium Puzzle, and attempting to get to his feet… attempting was the right word as Ombre had to assist him over to a desk, where he could sit and think.
"You two are bloody mental!" Kari was fuming, Yugi could see real fear in her eyes, he wasn't surprised if he looked as bad as he felt.
"The Shadows are trying to reclaim Yami and Bakura." Yugi stated, feeling more tired then if Wood had had him playing Quidditch twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
"The Shadows?" Ombre asked and frowned.
"But…" Kari looked at her yami, "Our Shadow Magic, while wild at the moment, is nowhere as out of control as the others…"
"Yes, but ours isn't exactly pure Shadow Magic is it?" Ombre partly asked her hikari, "Other then a brief time, when you were petrified, our magic has always had a golden glow, we're not safe from the problem, but we're not in immediate danger, our magic's still protecting us and refusing to take orders from the shadows…"
"It was purple and black when it escaped me after the fight with Ron." Kari admitted.
"You're right. So the magic that's gone rogue is just the Shadow Magic, and not our magic. It's probably because our magic is related to Shadow Magic that the Shadows came out then."
"So you two have the most resistance to it?" Yugi asked.
Kari frowned, "I'm not sure, the Shadow Realm affected me pretty damn quickly in my Game against Bakura…"
"I think we just don't use Shadow Magic, but clearly it can use us."
"I don't like that thought." Kari growled, "I don't like that thought one little bit." She stared at the Puzzle and the Ring, "We can't let the Shadows have Yami and Bakura back… Yugi what was Yami like before?"
"I can't remember a lot of the earliest Shadow Games, but he was willing to let Kaiba jump at Duellist Kingdom…" Yugi trailed off, Kari was thinking.
"There's no way you can go back in there as you are, Yugi." Ombre told him.
"I have to!" Yugi protested, "I can't let the Shadows take Yami from me!"
"You go back in there now, and you will fade away!" Kari snapped at him, then her eyes widened and she shot round to look at Ryou, who was pale, but didn't seem to be having half the trouble Yugi had had.
"So what am I supposed to do?" Yugi demanded.
Kari bit her lower lip, "Ombre…"
"You're not going in there. No way…" Ombre glared at her hikari, then smiled warily, "But I will."
"Ombre? What if the Shadows try to pull you in too?" Kari asked, worried.
"The Orb will protect me, but I need someone who can get me in there in the first place, the Shadow Realm has never answered my call…"
"I'll help." Yugi said, holding her gaze. "Yami needs me."
Ombre opened her mouth, saw the look on Yugi's face and sighed, "Yami will never forgive me if anything happens to you…"
"Then I'll go, I'm not as tired as Yugi." Ryou cut in.
Ombre jumped, she hadn't realised Ryou had come back. She nodded and Yugi looked positively murderous as Ryou and Ombre closed their eyes and Kari growled.
"There's got to be something we can do on this end!" Kari growled, hating feeling useless and helpless. She saw Yugi make a move towards the Puzzle again and drew her wand, "I'll stun you before you're halfway across the room if you try, Yugi."
His only response was to glare at her.
"Fine, so you want Yami, Joey, your Grandpa, Tristan, Tea, Ron, Harry, Hermione…" Kari kept up the list for quite a while, distracting Yugi, "All to kill me for letting you go back into the Shadow Realm? I'm worried about Ombre, she's a yami too, Shadow Magic or no, we have to wait and see, there's nothing else we can do."
"Yami needs me." Yugi growled mostly to himself, glaring at the floor, while his hands curled so tightly into fists that he could feel his nails cutting into his palms, "I can't stand here and do nothing…"
"Yugi…"
Yugi stared at her, and Kari stared back.
What she missed was him slowly pulling his wand out of his back pocket of his robes.
"Stupefy!" Yugi shouted, pointing his wand at Kari who wasn't fast enough to counter, and was knocked unconscious by the spell. Yugi grasped the chain of the Puzzle, not thinking about the fact that this time the Puzzle didn't try to shock him, and slipping it on.
Kari could kill him later; he had more important things to worry about.
Like getting Yami back.
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The Shadow realm was darker, the currents he had noticed before were moving quicker.
Yugi was glad to feel that for once it wasn't being… noticed. But there was danger in that as well. Not for him, but it meant someone else had the shadow's attention.
Enough that he couldn't just ask to be taken to Yami like he had done before. He would have to use his own power.
He followed the currents again, travelling deeper into the shadows, back to its centre.
It wasn't until he came into sight of Yami and Bakura that the shadows noticed him.
Mine.
Yugi shivered.
Welcome back.
Yugi was starting to wonder if this had been a good idea.
"What are you doing here?" Ombre shouted when she noticed him.
"I came to help."
Help! Don't burn, let us out, free us.
Yugi's breath caught in his throat. "Did you hear that?"
"The shadows lie Yugi. Don't listen." Ryou said.
Why would we lie? You are one of us. We wouldn't lie to one of our own.
"But it doesn't sound like lies." Warmth washed over Yugi, the shadow's way of saying 'Thank you'.
"But they do. They are trying to break Yami and Bakura."
Why would we break them? They are ours, part of us, they forgot us, forgot the price, they always forgot too much. Lonely. So very lonely.
"What are you going to do?"
Turn off the light. The light hurts, it burns. Keep it away, turn it off.
"Break them out of this paralysis." Ombre said.
No, you'll hurt them. You will take them away, don't take them away.
"But how? They don't respond. They haven't even notice us." Yugi said, looking towards the two statue-like figures. "They are blurring." It was true; while Yugi had been gone the boundaries between Yami and Bakura had starting to fade. It was near impossible now to see the differences between the two hands that gripped the dagger so tightly.
Ours. One of us. Part of us. Don't hurt us.
"It would help if we knew what the shadows were trying to do." Ombre said, circling around them.
Go away dawn's light. Don't want you. Stay away from us.
"Dawn's light?" Confusion showed on both Ryou's and Yugi's faces.
Doesn't belong here. Isn't wanted here. Keep her away. She hurts us.
"It means me?" Ombre asked. "But… that's strange, why would it call me light?"
Ryou shook his head, "The shadows lie. We know this. It can't mean anything."
Little light, feed us. Aren't you hungry? We are. Feed us.
"Why are you hungry?" Yugi asked quietly.
Hidden light knows.
Ryou's eyes widen slightly. "No I don't. Why would I?"
We hear. We remember. The thing that devours souls steals our power.
"Devours souls?"
Locked away in shadows, but a thing of darkness, we can not hold it well, but here it is held.
"The Dementors."
Devours souls and takes our food, and when we don't feed them, they feed on us.
"No, that doesn't make sense. The shadows were acting up long before Yami sent those Dementors to the shadow realm."
Feed us? Hungry.
"What would you eat?"
Clever little light. Want you. Keep you. Memories, hopes, dreams, fears.
"They why do you want souls?"
Our purpose. One of the choices. We are sealed; we no longer have that purpose.
"What were the choices?"
Choices? What choice?
"You said your purpose was one of the choices."
Rebirth, resettlement, retribution, cleansing and ending.
"Side tracking Yugi, it doesn't matter what the shadows say, they lie. Why don't you go back? You can't focus."
Hate. Go away dawn's light.
"What price do you want for Yami and Bakura?"
Who?
"The two you are holding here." Yugi indicated.
Burning shadow and grief's shadow?
"I guess. What is the price?"
Price? They are ours, one of us. Would you ask your price as well?
Yugi sighed. In many things the shadows seemed like a child. "What price is their freedom?"
They are free. As much as all of us. We can't leave, let us free?
"Would you let them leave?"
Free us. Then they'll be free. Let us out. Let us free.
"Yugi that's not going to work. Stop talking to the shadows."
Go away! This time it was shouted. The shadows surged, and Ombre vanished.
"Ombre!" Ryou and Yugi yelled.
"What did you do to her?" Ryou ranted at the shadows.
Sent her away. Sent her into the coldness. Don't want her here. She was hurting us.
"Fine. Send me there too."
No. Mine. Like you. Keep you.
"Yugi, I think we should leave." Ryou said, and Yugi, after some hesitation, nodded.
No.
Yugi's eyes started to fill with terror. "I can't leave."
"The shadows… I didn't know they had this much power over us."
Mine. Mine. Like you. Won't let go. Feed us?
"Why won't you let us leave?"
One of us. Be one of us? Like you. Won't hurt you.
"Let us go."
Why? You're part of us, one of us.
"We don't belong here. We'll die."
The shadows were silent for a moment then. Die?
"Yes, we can't live here. We'll die."
No. Don't want you to die. You're one of us. We won't let you die.
Yugi and Ryou share a glance. This was new.
"What about our friends? You're killing them."
They forgot us! The darkness said this would make them remember. Won't kill them. It hurts. Why does it hurt?
"They are dying. It hurts when you die. Ask Bakura."
We remember. Don't die.
"Will you let us go? All four of us?"
Will you come back?
"Why do you want us?"
You are one of us. Hurts when you aren't here. Hurts when we can't feel you.
"Will you let us go?"
Don't want you to go.
"Will you let us go?"
Promise you'll come back?
Yugi nodded, and Ryou after a second thought nodded with him.
Promise!
"We promise to return."
To release them from themselves you must remove the knife. The knife will only be released when it spills blood. Since it holds two, two must spill blood.
"It can't be that simple. I don't trust the shadows Yugi."
The shadows were oddly quiet.
"Do you have a better idea? It didn't sound like they want us to die."
"No, they just want us to stay here forever."
"Ryou, I can't do this on my own. Now are we going to get Yami and Bakura out of here or not?"
"I…"
Don't want to leave.
"Yugi, I still can't go. The shadows aren't letting me go." More than a hint of panic could be heard in Ryou's voice.
"Why not? I thought they had agreed to let us go?"
All or none. Free us, or don't. None or All.
"Ryou, I don't think we have much of a choice here." Yugi stepped up to the dagger, and his hand reached out to touch the blade, or tried to, the blade moved away from him, and Yugi noticed a tremble along Yami's arm.
"Yami, either I do this or the shadows don't let any of us go."
With a sigh Ryou came to stand beside Yugi. "I'm with you Yugi."
The two boys made a grab for the dagger's blade, grasping it. Blood flowed. There was no pain.
They stood for just a moment like that. Then Yugi collapsed, Ryou was dragged down with him.
The dagger fell.
With a cry of outrage both Yami and Bakura leapt back from each other, newborn hatred in their eyes, but also a glimmer of understanding.
Come back soon. The shadows called out as they fell away from the four boys. Promises must be kept.
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Yami woke, and drew in a deep breath. "Never again. Never do that again." He uttered, to find his words were being uttered by his hated enemy.
It really lost its impact when he realised Kari was the only one awake in the room, except for himself and Bakura.
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Hermione glanced up from her homework as a group of four Gryffindors entered Common Room.
Kari and Ombre, Yugi and Yami.
She sighed with relief; she hated it when her friends were fighting.
Hermione was also the first to realise they were ill at ease about something, and for the first time in a long time, not at each other. Except that the entire group seemed annoyed and worried about Yugi, and anyone being annoyed with Yugi was weird in itself, but…
Yugi seemed fine, except he kept rubbing the palm of his hand, and looking exhausted.
Joey was well aware they'd had something planned to try to sort things out, but from the looks on their faces, the shit had hit the fan when they'd tried whatever they'd tried.
"The Shadows called you Dawn's light?" Kari asked quietly. "Does that make me Dawn's shadow?"
Ombre smiled slightly at that, "I wouldn't have thought so Hikari, I don't think the shadows would mistake you for a yami."
Yami was staying quiet. He didn't know what to think at the moment. Yugi had slipped that sleeping potion into his drink, making it easy to trap him in the shadows. He definitely wasn't happy about what Yugi had had to do to get them all out of the Shadow Realm, but where did they go from here… other then bed, which was where Yugi was headed.
The Common Room's noise had quieted for a second, and then started back up again as Third years and upwards studied, and tried to get homework done. A task that was proving difficult for the Quidditch players, as Wood had them on the Quidditch pitch everyday, in preparation for the upcoming Gryffindor vs Slytherin match, and Harry was being driven to the point of distraction about the fact Harry should 'only catch the Snitch if we're more then fifty points up, or we win the match but lose the cup.'
After shouting at Oliver Wood, on the Friday, Harry didn't feel much better, as Yami had dropped out… or been kicked out… of the Team. He was the only Seeker Gryffindor had and that meant he was a prime target for the Slytherins. He wanted to win, more then anything, the rivalry between his group, and the Malfoys' group had never been higher. Between the match and whatever had happened that Saturday, Bakura was out for blood.
Never, in anyone's memory was the atmosphere more highly charged, Wood had had to put a guard on Harry, since everywhere he went, Slytherins tried to trip him up, or get him injured in some way. Harry who was more concerned for his Firebolt's saftey then his own, checked it constantly during breaktimes.
The Friday before the match most of the Professors who took classes of Slytherins and Gryffindors were docking points at fanatic rate. It got to the point where Hufflepuff was in the lead for house points. The fights breaking out in the corridors were getting bad enough that more than one student would be missing the beginning of the match. Class work related injuries climbed, ending when a furious Professor Sprout escorted Hadrien Strife, a sixth year Slytherin, with Nigel Thorn, a sixth year Gryffindor, to the infirmary after pairing them up in class.
No one was quite sure how trimming an orange walking tree had gotten both students in the infirmary when normally the two students in question were mild in temperament, and the argument had only gotten as far as harsh words.
Luckily that was the last class before the match.
No Gryffindor Quidditch player was allowed to go anywhere alone, by Wood's orders, but Yugi had managed to slip past his guards when Harry's contingent had left after class since he wanted to go up to the Monster's Wing to check on Boh. The smallest duel monster had been getting some of the fallout from the problem, no one dared attempt to bully Mahado, or Mana, or any of the other Gryffindors' Duel Monsters, but poor Boh had exploded five or six times over the last week when Slytherins had tried to bully him. Even though Boh kept putting those Slytherins in the hospital bed over night, the Slytherins hadn't learnt their lesson, and Boh was getting depressed.
Yugi found himself in a position that he didn't realise he'd put Joey many times before, he was trying to protect Boh and cheer him up, while debating whether or not to go to someone with the authority to really do something about it. The thing was he didn't trust the Teachers not to shrug it off as something to do with the upcoming match, and just assign the bullies a detention and then think the problem would go away. Professor McGonagall would do something but she was constantly either teaching or dealing with a problem, and he wouldn't even contemplate going to Professor Snape, he would be given a detention for no apparent reason, probably for 'breathing too loudly'.
He reached the Wing just as Boh slipped out the door. "Hey Boh." The littlest light sighed, walking back down the corridor with him.
What's wrong? Boh asked. He'd been worried ever since that Shadow Realm incident.
"I don't feel well." Yugi admitted, "But it's just a cold, nothing serious."
Have you told Yami?
"He'd make me go see Madam Pomfrey, and I'm not that ill. Have you seen the amount of patients she has?" Yugi stopped and looked over his shoulder, as they wandered down an empty corridor, "Are we being followed?"
Not sure…
"Muto!" A teen yelled.
Apparently, yes…
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Oliver stormed into the Hospital Wing, surrounded by Harry, the gang and quite a few more Gryffindors.
At one end of the room, were several Slytherins, all of whom looking like they'd been through a blender and looked absolutely petrified of one of the many Gryffindors down the other end of the infirmary.
Yami and Yugi were in beds at the other end.
Yami was sat up, watching his Hikari, who was either sleeping or unconscious, Wood could quite easily work out what had happened, and couldn't decide wither to start tearing up Slytherins or his team mates, as the third years that had followed him went over to their class mates.
However, before he decided, Bakura Malfoy was brought in. He was carried by Crabbe and Goyle, with Draco Malfoy guarding their rear, his wand out. Bakura looked worse for wear, not that Oliver cared.
What he did care about was the fact that Madam Pomfrey said that Yugi Muto would not be fit to play tomorrow, he wasn't even to be let out of the Hospital Wing until at least Sunday, possibly before lessons Monday.
Flint stormed in seconds after Wood left. An increasingly large group of Gryffindors and Slytherins were starting to block the corridors. A fight began to break out as Madam Pomfrey informed the Slytherin captain that 'No, Bakura Malfoy would not be fit to play tomorrow morning,' and, 'You can go speak to Professor Snape if you like, what I say is final and he will not be fit to play tomorrow.'
Flint was furious hat he'd have to use a reserve and slammed and banged around and was finally kicked out of the Hospital Wing by an irate Madam Pomfrey who glared at the group outside her infirmary and started to shout.
The students scattered. Somehow being put in the infirmary by the school's medi-witch didn't appeal to anyone.
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Harry slept badly. First he dreamed he'd overslept and Wood was shouting, "Where were you? We had to use Nevile instead!" And then he dreamed the Slytherin Team had turned up to play on dragons, and he was flying at breakneck speed to avoid Malfoy's dragon's flames when he remembered he didn't have his Firebolt. He fell through the air and woke with a start.
It took a few seconds for Harry to remember that the match hadn't taken place yet, that he was safe in bed, and that the Slytherin Team definatly wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons.
As quietly as he could, Harry got out of bed and poured himself a glass of water from the silver jub beneath the window.
Harry set down his glass and was about to turn back to his bed, when he spotted an animal of some kind prowling the lawn. He quickly grabbed his glasses, and hurried back to the window.
It couldn't be the Grim, not now, not right before the match.
He quickly scanned the ground again, and was relieved to find it wasn't the Grim at all, it was a cat. Harry sighed in relief as he recognised the bottle-brush tail, it was only Crookshanks.
Or was it?
Harry watched as a gigantic shaggy, looking black dog emerged from the trees, moving stelthily across the lawn. Crookshanks walking at his side.
If Crookshanks could see it, it couldn't be an omen of Harry's death. Right?
He tried to wake up Ron or Joey, but neither would without a great deal of noise and when Harry turned back to the window, both dog and cat were gone.
The Gryffindor Quidditch Team entered the Great Hall on the morning of the match, to enormous applause, Harry grinned as he saw Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were cheering too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed, Draco looked paler then normal.
Wood spent the whole of breakfast encouraging the team to eat, while eating nothing himself. Then he hurried them out before anyone else had finished, to another round of applause.
Wood paced the pitch, giving advice based on the weather or the hardness of the ground, then ordered them into the changing room as the rest of the school started to flood down to the pitch.
No body spoke as they got changed, Harry felt like he'd eaten something extremely wiggly for breakfast. The team were welcomed onto the pitch by a tidal wave of noise. Three-quarters of the crowd were wearing scarlet rosettes or waving Gryffindor flags, or brandishing banners that said things like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" or "LIONS FOR THE CUP!".
The other quarter were stood behind the Slytherin Goalposts and were wearing green, and waving Slytherin flags, Professor Snape was sat in the very front row, with a very grim smile plastered on his face.
"And here come the Gryffindors!" Lee Jordan called, "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley and Wood! Widley acknologed as the best side Hogwarts has seen for a long time." Lee's comments were drowned out by boos from the Slytherin end, "And here comes the Slytherin Team, looks like Flint's made a few changes to the line up too, going for size rather then skill."
Harry looked, Lee was right, other then Malfoy, the Slytherin team looked huge.
"Captains shake hands." Oliver and Flint looked like they were trying to crush each other's hands. "Mount your brooms!"
"Three." Hermione activated the spell to allow Yugi to watch the match from the Hospital Wing.
"Two." Draco smirked at the Gryffindor Team.
"One." Harry tensed, ready for the…
The whistle's shriek was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms took off at once.
"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Bell passes to Spinnet, and she's headed straight for the Slytherin Goalposts… Argh, NO! Quaffle intercepted by Warrington of Slytherin, Warrington's tearing up the pitch… Nice Bludger work by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, which is caught by Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession… Come on Angelina! Nice swerve round Montague, duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger! SHE SCORES! TEN – ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"
Angelina punched the air as she soared round the end of the pitch; the sea of scarlet screaming its delight.
"OUCH!"
Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her.
Next moment, Fred Weasley had chucked his Beater's Club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.
"That will do!" Shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between them as Katie retrieved Fred's club, "Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"
"Come off it Miss!" Fred protested, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty.
"Come on Alicia!" Lee yelled into the silence that had descended on the crowd, "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY – ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry turned his Firebolt around sharply, to watch Flint, whose nose was still bleeding freely, fly forwards to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood, however, was in front of the Gryffindor Goalposts, his jaw clenched.
"Course Wood's an excellent Keeper, very hard to pass… very difficult indeed… YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"
Harry turned back to making sure Draco didn't catch the Snitch until Gryffindor was at least fifty points up, while listening to the commentary.
"Gryffindor in possession, no Slytherin, no Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the pitch… THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"
Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had grabbed her head instead of the Quaffle. Katie had cart wheeled in the air, but managed to stay on, however she'd dropped the Quaffle.
Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Boll and Montague and started shouting at them. A minute later, Katie had put the penalty past the Slytherin Keeper.
"THIRTY – ZERO! TAKE THAT YOU DIRTY CHEATING…"
"Jordan, if you can't tell it in an unbiased way…"
"Just telling it like it is, Professor."
Harry smiled, but kept his attention on the game… he felt a jolt of excitement, he'd seen the Snitch, glittering at the foot of one of the Gryffindor goalposts, but he couldn't catch it yet, he had to stop Draco from seeing it… He pulled his broom around and shot towards the Slytherin end, it worked, as Draco went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there…
WHOOSH
One of the Bludger came streaking past Harry, hit by the other Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Next moment…
WHOOSH
The other Bludger grazed Harry's elbow, Bole was closing in.
Harry turned his Firebolt upwards at the last second and the two Beaters collided with a crunch.
"Haha!" Lee Jordan yelled, "Too bad, boys! You'll have to get up earlier then that to beat a Firebolt. And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle… Flint alongside her… poke him in the eye, Angelina! It was a joke Professor, it was a joke… oh no… Flint in possession… Flint flying towards the Gryffindor goalposts…"
Harry could see Katie streaking after him but it was obvious she wouldn't catch up.
"Come on now Wood! Save!"
But Flint scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical microphone away from him.
"Sorry Professor, Sorry! It won't happen again! So Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession."
It was turning into the dirtiest match Harry had ever played in. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were resorting to any means possible to get the Quaffle; Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams' penalties, Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty – ten to Gryffindor.
The Snitch had disappeared again; Malfoy was still keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it. Once Gryffindor were fifty points ahead…
Katie scored, fifty – ten, Fred and George were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherin team, were thinking about revenge. Derrick and Bole took advantage for their absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.
Madam Hooch was beside herself, "YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" She shrieked at Derrick and Boll, "GRYFFINDOR PENATLY!"
And Angelina scored, sixty – ten, moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Alicia seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal, seventy - ten.
In response Slytherin took possession of the Quaffle, and made it seventy – twenty
"Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on Angelina, come on!" Harry looked around, every single Slytherin player except for Draco, was streaking up the pitch towards Angelina, they were going to block her…
Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forwards. Like a bullet, he shot towards the Slytherins.
"AHHHHH!"
They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed towards them; Angelina's way was clear.
"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES!" Harry however wasn't paying attention, he'd turned around and seen something that made his heart stand still, Draco, with a triumphant look on his face, was diving towards a tiny golden glimmer a few feet above the grass… the Snitch.
Harry urged the Firebolt downwards, but Draco was miles ahead, "Go, go, go!" Harry urged his broom, they were gaining on Draco. Harry had to flatten himself against the handle to avoid the Bludger hit in his direction. He managed to get level with Draco, and knocked his hand out of the way and…
"YES!"
He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings beat hopelessly against his fingers.
Then Wood was speeding towards him, half blinded by tears, seized Harry around the neck, and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them, then Angelina, Alicia and Katie's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!"
Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor Team sank to earth, where Danni was waiting, beaming, the crimson decked supporters flooded the pitch and Harry and the rest of the team were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Hagrid was jumping up and down and cheering with the rest, Professor McGonagall was sobbing even harder then Wood, and was wiping her eyes on a Gryffindor flag, and the rest of the gang were fighting their way through the crowd.
If only there had been a Dementor around, Harry thought as Wood passed him the Cup, he was certain he could've produced the world's best Patronus.
Yugi would pay… just as soon as he woke up.
But this place was strange, filled with silver mist, and he knew he was asleep. Certainly strange.
It was almost like being in the shadow realm, apart from the colour scheme.
He started walking.
What else was there to do?
He shivered, it was cold here, and it numbed him.
It was nice not to feel.
He didn't want to feel anymore, it was hard and painful and it hurt. It was tearing him apart.
The silvery light that lit the mist was fading now, and with it the mist.
There was someone else here.
Then he saw the shadows, surging against the boundary of mist and light.
The shadows divided them, and he couldn't see the figure clearly through the mist.
The shadows wanted him.
Why else would they fight so hard against the silver mist?
He didn't want the mist to go. It had stopped the pain, for a brief while.
The mist failed, and the shadows rushed forward to engulf him.
They were so warm, so very warm. The memories started to return, and with them the pain.
Mine.
This he knew. He had resisted for so long, so very, very long. He hadn't been doing a good job of resisting lately.
He was theirs, and they were his.
He couldn't move, couldn't breath, and couldn't think.
Why would you want to?
He was theirs. Their toy.
Mine. Forever.
Why did he ever pretend to be more?
You are mine. You belong to us. The words echoed through his soul, driving away coherent thought.
Leaving only a denial. "No. Never."
You do. Look here.
The image was flung at his heart, and caused more pain than a dagger.
Yugi, looking at him in terror as he attacked, and an overwhelming flash flood of anger.
"No, I won't. I wouldn't. I couldn't!"
We don't lie.
Silence.
You gave yourself to us. You are ours. You are one of our creatures. Remember.
The pain was intense, terror in the faces of his opponents, and unending anger.
You can't escape.
"I don't believe you."
Let go. Give up.
After all, we already control you.
"I won't hurt my friends."
You won't.
"You will."
We won't. Join us and we'll protect them all, all that you name.
"But…" The offer sounded familiar, the memory remained elusive.
They need protection.
He wasn't alone. Someone was watching. Yami's eyes sought those that watched him.
"Bakura?"
"They won't." The voice sounded strange… almost like… crushed.
You are ours, let us protect those you care about, let us free.
"Don't." Barely above a whisper. Why was Bakura… just why?
If Bakura didn't want something then… it had to be something good… didn't it?
Yes. Let us in. Let us free.
"Watch." Bakura held up his hand, and a rush of images filled Yami's mind.
The emotions were dead, but the pain was real, the chaos was real. There were too many images. Yami tried to shake himself free of them, and they slowed… then halted altogether.
Yami stared at Bakura in shock. The lack of emotion had made them all the more horrible. Why would Bakura hurt his (if not friends then allies) like that?
"Why?"
"The shadows can numb as well."
How dare you? He was broken. How dare you defy us?
"There is nothing left that they can do to me."
You are wrong. You are ours, and you will break.
The shadows rose up; Bakura's expression didn't change, as the shadows tried… something.
You won't stop us. We will be free.
The shadows were coating his skin, caressing his. Yami had to suppress a shiver.
You broke before, you'll break again. You will send us food and we will feed, and grow in power and then we'll be free.
"No, I'm not that person anymore. I won't send you souls."
You tried to join the light. We will destroy them. You will destroy them. You are ours. They hate you now. They always did. They will betray you.
"I won't betray my friends."
You are one of us. You belong here.
"No…"
Yes.
"Never."
Always and forever. We won't let you go again.
A knife appeared, hovering between the two spirits being held in position.
Take it.
Their hands obeyed without consulting their minds. Both hands grasped the dagger at the same time. Both held it tightly.
They were after all only spirits while in the shadows. Their hands lay over the same handle, overlapping, sharing the same place.
Neither would or could let go.
Any ghost will tell you if asked rightly, if they share space with another of their kind, they would share emotions at the least. The more powerful spirits could hear thoughts, and see memories.
What ever else you thought of Yami and Bakura, they were very old and powerful spirits.
And now they were in each other's minds.
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Kari and Ombre cast spells sealing the doors to the empty classroom as Ryou and Yugi made sure that the knots that tied Bakura and Yami to the chairs were secure so that they didn't try to kill anyone… or run away, and these chairs had deliberately been placed so they could see everyone else but not each other. Ombre had gone to Professor Flitwick yesterday, to ask if she could borrow the classroom for the afternoon.
What she'd failed to mention was that she'd chosen it because it was the classroom with the least amount of things in.
Yugi sighed as he reached for the Puzzle that rested on Yami's robes…
Before he was thrown halfway across the classroom.
Kari wheeled around, and helped Yugi to his feet.
"Who was that?"
"It can't have been Yami, he's not awake."
"But it wasn't us…"
"Can the Puzzle act on its own?"
"It did the other day… or at least the shadows did…"
"That's the second time that the Shadow Magic has acted without Yami directing it." Ryou stated.
"Third." Ombre said, shaking her head. "There was an incident earlier this week, on our way back from Care of Magical Creatures that most people don't know about."
"And there are probably others that Yami hasn't told us about. He hasn't exactly been talkative these past few weeks."
"Ryou?"
"You want me to try taking the Ring off of Bakura? That's idiocy verging on suicide."
"I know, but what else can we do?" Ombre replied.
Ryou sighed and turned to Bakura, he seemed to wait for a few moments. Then… "It doesn't want to come. Not now."
"What did you do?"
"The Ring comes when called, and sometimes goes when it's sent, or mostly chooses itself when to come and go."
Yugi was staring at the Puzzle, and walked over to Yami.
"Yugi?" Kari asked, "What're you…?"
Kari didn't have time to finish her question as Yugi grabbed the chain, instead of reaching for the Puzzle. But instead of lifting the Puzzle off and tossing it out the window, like previously planned, he put the chain partly over his own head, trying his best to ignore the jolts of Shadow Magic that were shocking him warningly.
And Yugi's eyes closed with a snap.
"Of all the stupid… idiotic… dumb ass…" Kari started, rushing over and reaching for the chain.
She crashed into Ombre as the Shadows hit her hard.
"What can we do?" Kari asked.
"Not much." Ombre sighed, "Just wait and hope."
Ryou looked to Yugi and wondered why he had done it the hard way. Unless Yami was trying to keep him out.
At least Ryou didn't have that worry; Bakura had never tried to lock him out. He sat down against a wall and closed his eyes.
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Yugi found himself in the shadow realm.
He hadn't expected that.
Yami was no where to be seen, but he had expected that, and was ready for it.
The only question was 'how long would he last?'
"Take me to Yami." He requested. The shadow realm normally answered to his requests.
There was no sense of movement in the shadow realm, but power was being pulled out of him. It was doing as he asked.
Suddenly he stopped moving. He didn't know how he knew, but then he didn't know a lot of things about the shadow realm. It was only now that he was starting to think that was a mistake.
The shadows were flowing, like the tides, in and out, and always a little more in than out.
He needed to go to the centre. The shadows wouldn't take him any further. Not willingly.
There was something forming at the centre. Yami had to be involved. Who else could it be?
He started walking, and brought his magic to the surface. Yami always called him Hikari, the light. The shadows didn't fear light, Yugi had learnt that long ago, but they did flee before it.
It allowed him to pass freely, but would cost him later.
He would pay the cost gladly if it gave him the time to save Yami from himself.
Two shadowy figures came into view. Yugi swallowed. They were little more than darker shadows, was he too late?
They didn't seem to notice him. Except… he hadn't imagined that they flinched when their eyes darted to glance at him, and so Yugi let his light fade a bit.
They were holding a knife. A wicked looking dagger that seemed to be the only item apart from Yugi that wasn't coated in shadows.
"Yami? Bakura?" He asked, half expecting one or both of them to lash out at him.
Instead he watched as a struggle was fought across both their faces, until as one they turned their heads and snarled the words "Be gone, you are not wanted here."
Yugi felt his heart waver. His light faded.
Mine, be mine. The shadows whispered, pulling at his mind. Yugi answered both statements with a firm "No."
He fed more power into making light. It would keep him safest in this realm.
Yami and Bakura hadn't waited for his reply, instead turning back to face each other. Yugi studied them for a moment, and realised something was wrong.
Their outlines were blurring, especially around the hands that held the dagger. Then it dawned on him, they were overlapping.
What was with the dagger?
Touch it, take it, will you be mine?
Yugi shook his head, trying to clear the shadows out of his mind.
"I miss you Yami, the real you. The Yami that was my friend, and would never let me down."
There was no reply.
Yugi reached out to touch him. The shadows retreated from his light, not by much, but maybe… just maybe enough.
The touch was electric.
Pain screamed through Yugi's mind, images flashed in front of his eyes quicker than he could see them, power tore at his mind, tore at his soul.
A whirlwind of pain and regret and hatred. A whirlwind he couldn't escape from. He was trapped in the dark.
Yami! Yugi tried calling out with his mind. He felt the shock of recognition, seemingly echoed, and then utter despair.
Yugi felt his light fading. He couldn't fight this.
Yugi! Someone shouted, and then again "Yugi!"
The voice showed his the path.
Yugi withdrew from Yami, letting their link go dormant again.
He blinked, "Ryou?" They were both still standing in the shadow realm.
Mine.
The blond sighed, "I thought you were gone too."
I want.
"I thought I was." Yugi said, he had honestly had thought he would be destroyed then.
"What did you see?"
"Nothing I understood, apart from the pain."
We'll take the pain away.
"The shadows want them back to how they were before we came along and changed them."
They are ours. Not yours, ours.
"But why?"
"Because they had more to feed on then."
Hungry. So hungry. Feed us, please feed us.
Yugi shook his head again. He was so tired, and now the shadows seemed to be whispering to him, calling to him.
Ryou was watching him carefully. "I don't think you should be here much longer Yugi, you're fading."
Yes, turn off the light. They burned once too, but the light went away.
"I can't just leave Yami here." But as he said this he felt a shiver, glancing at his hand he could clearly see through it.
Stay. Mine. Don't go yet. This is his home, our home, make it yours as well.
"Both Yami and Bakura will last far longer than us. They lasted five thousand years, I doubt a few more minutes will make much different." Ryou replied, but Yugi could hear the lie in his voice.
Even a few minutes in the shadow realm could feel like a lifetime.
"There has to be something we can do."
Yes there is. There always is. Stay. Don't go. Yami doesn't want you to go.
Pain lanced through Yugi.
"Yugi, you have to leave now, while you still can, the shadows won't let you leave if they can stop you."
"You can hear them too?"
"Yes, now go, before it's too late."
Yugi sighed, and nodded.
"I'll be back."
Yes, you will.
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Yugi opened his real eyes, quickly slipping off the chain of the Millennium Puzzle, and attempting to get to his feet… attempting was the right word as Ombre had to assist him over to a desk, where he could sit and think.
"You two are bloody mental!" Kari was fuming, Yugi could see real fear in her eyes, he wasn't surprised if he looked as bad as he felt.
"The Shadows are trying to reclaim Yami and Bakura." Yugi stated, feeling more tired then if Wood had had him playing Quidditch twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
"The Shadows?" Ombre asked and frowned.
"But…" Kari looked at her yami, "Our Shadow Magic, while wild at the moment, is nowhere as out of control as the others…"
"Yes, but ours isn't exactly pure Shadow Magic is it?" Ombre partly asked her hikari, "Other then a brief time, when you were petrified, our magic has always had a golden glow, we're not safe from the problem, but we're not in immediate danger, our magic's still protecting us and refusing to take orders from the shadows…"
"It was purple and black when it escaped me after the fight with Ron." Kari admitted.
"You're right. So the magic that's gone rogue is just the Shadow Magic, and not our magic. It's probably because our magic is related to Shadow Magic that the Shadows came out then."
"So you two have the most resistance to it?" Yugi asked.
Kari frowned, "I'm not sure, the Shadow Realm affected me pretty damn quickly in my Game against Bakura…"
"I think we just don't use Shadow Magic, but clearly it can use us."
"I don't like that thought." Kari growled, "I don't like that thought one little bit." She stared at the Puzzle and the Ring, "We can't let the Shadows have Yami and Bakura back… Yugi what was Yami like before?"
"I can't remember a lot of the earliest Shadow Games, but he was willing to let Kaiba jump at Duellist Kingdom…" Yugi trailed off, Kari was thinking.
"There's no way you can go back in there as you are, Yugi." Ombre told him.
"I have to!" Yugi protested, "I can't let the Shadows take Yami from me!"
"You go back in there now, and you will fade away!" Kari snapped at him, then her eyes widened and she shot round to look at Ryou, who was pale, but didn't seem to be having half the trouble Yugi had had.
"So what am I supposed to do?" Yugi demanded.
Kari bit her lower lip, "Ombre…"
"You're not going in there. No way…" Ombre glared at her hikari, then smiled warily, "But I will."
"Ombre? What if the Shadows try to pull you in too?" Kari asked, worried.
"The Orb will protect me, but I need someone who can get me in there in the first place, the Shadow Realm has never answered my call…"
"I'll help." Yugi said, holding her gaze. "Yami needs me."
Ombre opened her mouth, saw the look on Yugi's face and sighed, "Yami will never forgive me if anything happens to you…"
"Then I'll go, I'm not as tired as Yugi." Ryou cut in.
Ombre jumped, she hadn't realised Ryou had come back. She nodded and Yugi looked positively murderous as Ryou and Ombre closed their eyes and Kari growled.
"There's got to be something we can do on this end!" Kari growled, hating feeling useless and helpless. She saw Yugi make a move towards the Puzzle again and drew her wand, "I'll stun you before you're halfway across the room if you try, Yugi."
His only response was to glare at her.
"Fine, so you want Yami, Joey, your Grandpa, Tristan, Tea, Ron, Harry, Hermione…" Kari kept up the list for quite a while, distracting Yugi, "All to kill me for letting you go back into the Shadow Realm? I'm worried about Ombre, she's a yami too, Shadow Magic or no, we have to wait and see, there's nothing else we can do."
"Yami needs me." Yugi growled mostly to himself, glaring at the floor, while his hands curled so tightly into fists that he could feel his nails cutting into his palms, "I can't stand here and do nothing…"
"Yugi…"
Yugi stared at her, and Kari stared back.
What she missed was him slowly pulling his wand out of his back pocket of his robes.
"Stupefy!" Yugi shouted, pointing his wand at Kari who wasn't fast enough to counter, and was knocked unconscious by the spell. Yugi grasped the chain of the Puzzle, not thinking about the fact that this time the Puzzle didn't try to shock him, and slipping it on.
Kari could kill him later; he had more important things to worry about.
Like getting Yami back.
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The Shadow realm was darker, the currents he had noticed before were moving quicker.
Yugi was glad to feel that for once it wasn't being… noticed. But there was danger in that as well. Not for him, but it meant someone else had the shadow's attention.
Enough that he couldn't just ask to be taken to Yami like he had done before. He would have to use his own power.
He followed the currents again, travelling deeper into the shadows, back to its centre.
It wasn't until he came into sight of Yami and Bakura that the shadows noticed him.
Mine.
Yugi shivered.
Welcome back.
Yugi was starting to wonder if this had been a good idea.
"What are you doing here?" Ombre shouted when she noticed him.
"I came to help."
Help! Don't burn, let us out, free us.
Yugi's breath caught in his throat. "Did you hear that?"
"The shadows lie Yugi. Don't listen." Ryou said.
Why would we lie? You are one of us. We wouldn't lie to one of our own.
"But it doesn't sound like lies." Warmth washed over Yugi, the shadow's way of saying 'Thank you'.
"But they do. They are trying to break Yami and Bakura."
Why would we break them? They are ours, part of us, they forgot us, forgot the price, they always forgot too much. Lonely. So very lonely.
"What are you going to do?"
Turn off the light. The light hurts, it burns. Keep it away, turn it off.
"Break them out of this paralysis." Ombre said.
No, you'll hurt them. You will take them away, don't take them away.
"But how? They don't respond. They haven't even notice us." Yugi said, looking towards the two statue-like figures. "They are blurring." It was true; while Yugi had been gone the boundaries between Yami and Bakura had starting to fade. It was near impossible now to see the differences between the two hands that gripped the dagger so tightly.
Ours. One of us. Part of us. Don't hurt us.
"It would help if we knew what the shadows were trying to do." Ombre said, circling around them.
Go away dawn's light. Don't want you. Stay away from us.
"Dawn's light?" Confusion showed on both Ryou's and Yugi's faces.
Doesn't belong here. Isn't wanted here. Keep her away. She hurts us.
"It means me?" Ombre asked. "But… that's strange, why would it call me light?"
Ryou shook his head, "The shadows lie. We know this. It can't mean anything."
Little light, feed us. Aren't you hungry? We are. Feed us.
"Why are you hungry?" Yugi asked quietly.
Hidden light knows.
Ryou's eyes widen slightly. "No I don't. Why would I?"
We hear. We remember. The thing that devours souls steals our power.
"Devours souls?"
Locked away in shadows, but a thing of darkness, we can not hold it well, but here it is held.
"The Dementors."
Devours souls and takes our food, and when we don't feed them, they feed on us.
"No, that doesn't make sense. The shadows were acting up long before Yami sent those Dementors to the shadow realm."
Feed us? Hungry.
"What would you eat?"
Clever little light. Want you. Keep you. Memories, hopes, dreams, fears.
"They why do you want souls?"
Our purpose. One of the choices. We are sealed; we no longer have that purpose.
"What were the choices?"
Choices? What choice?
"You said your purpose was one of the choices."
Rebirth, resettlement, retribution, cleansing and ending.
"Side tracking Yugi, it doesn't matter what the shadows say, they lie. Why don't you go back? You can't focus."
Hate. Go away dawn's light.
"What price do you want for Yami and Bakura?"
Who?
"The two you are holding here." Yugi indicated.
Burning shadow and grief's shadow?
"I guess. What is the price?"
Price? They are ours, one of us. Would you ask your price as well?
Yugi sighed. In many things the shadows seemed like a child. "What price is their freedom?"
They are free. As much as all of us. We can't leave, let us free?
"Would you let them leave?"
Free us. Then they'll be free. Let us out. Let us free.
"Yugi that's not going to work. Stop talking to the shadows."
Go away! This time it was shouted. The shadows surged, and Ombre vanished.
"Ombre!" Ryou and Yugi yelled.
"What did you do to her?" Ryou ranted at the shadows.
Sent her away. Sent her into the coldness. Don't want her here. She was hurting us.
"Fine. Send me there too."
No. Mine. Like you. Keep you.
"Yugi, I think we should leave." Ryou said, and Yugi, after some hesitation, nodded.
No.
Yugi's eyes started to fill with terror. "I can't leave."
"The shadows… I didn't know they had this much power over us."
Mine. Mine. Like you. Won't let go. Feed us?
"Why won't you let us leave?"
One of us. Be one of us? Like you. Won't hurt you.
"Let us go."
Why? You're part of us, one of us.
"We don't belong here. We'll die."
The shadows were silent for a moment then. Die?
"Yes, we can't live here. We'll die."
No. Don't want you to die. You're one of us. We won't let you die.
Yugi and Ryou share a glance. This was new.
"What about our friends? You're killing them."
They forgot us! The darkness said this would make them remember. Won't kill them. It hurts. Why does it hurt?
"They are dying. It hurts when you die. Ask Bakura."
We remember. Don't die.
"Will you let us go? All four of us?"
Will you come back?
"Why do you want us?"
You are one of us. Hurts when you aren't here. Hurts when we can't feel you.
"Will you let us go?"
Don't want you to go.
"Will you let us go?"
Promise you'll come back?
Yugi nodded, and Ryou after a second thought nodded with him.
Promise!
"We promise to return."
To release them from themselves you must remove the knife. The knife will only be released when it spills blood. Since it holds two, two must spill blood.
"It can't be that simple. I don't trust the shadows Yugi."
The shadows were oddly quiet.
"Do you have a better idea? It didn't sound like they want us to die."
"No, they just want us to stay here forever."
"Ryou, I can't do this on my own. Now are we going to get Yami and Bakura out of here or not?"
"I…"
Don't want to leave.
"Yugi, I still can't go. The shadows aren't letting me go." More than a hint of panic could be heard in Ryou's voice.
"Why not? I thought they had agreed to let us go?"
All or none. Free us, or don't. None or All.
"Ryou, I don't think we have much of a choice here." Yugi stepped up to the dagger, and his hand reached out to touch the blade, or tried to, the blade moved away from him, and Yugi noticed a tremble along Yami's arm.
"Yami, either I do this or the shadows don't let any of us go."
With a sigh Ryou came to stand beside Yugi. "I'm with you Yugi."
The two boys made a grab for the dagger's blade, grasping it. Blood flowed. There was no pain.
They stood for just a moment like that. Then Yugi collapsed, Ryou was dragged down with him.
The dagger fell.
With a cry of outrage both Yami and Bakura leapt back from each other, newborn hatred in their eyes, but also a glimmer of understanding.
Come back soon. The shadows called out as they fell away from the four boys. Promises must be kept.
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Yami woke, and drew in a deep breath. "Never again. Never do that again." He uttered, to find his words were being uttered by his hated enemy.
It really lost its impact when he realised Kari was the only one awake in the room, except for himself and Bakura.
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Hermione glanced up from her homework as a group of four Gryffindors entered Common Room.
Kari and Ombre, Yugi and Yami.
She sighed with relief; she hated it when her friends were fighting.
Hermione was also the first to realise they were ill at ease about something, and for the first time in a long time, not at each other. Except that the entire group seemed annoyed and worried about Yugi, and anyone being annoyed with Yugi was weird in itself, but…
Yugi seemed fine, except he kept rubbing the palm of his hand, and looking exhausted.
Joey was well aware they'd had something planned to try to sort things out, but from the looks on their faces, the shit had hit the fan when they'd tried whatever they'd tried.
"The Shadows called you Dawn's light?" Kari asked quietly. "Does that make me Dawn's shadow?"
Ombre smiled slightly at that, "I wouldn't have thought so Hikari, I don't think the shadows would mistake you for a yami."
Yami was staying quiet. He didn't know what to think at the moment. Yugi had slipped that sleeping potion into his drink, making it easy to trap him in the shadows. He definitely wasn't happy about what Yugi had had to do to get them all out of the Shadow Realm, but where did they go from here… other then bed, which was where Yugi was headed.
The Common Room's noise had quieted for a second, and then started back up again as Third years and upwards studied, and tried to get homework done. A task that was proving difficult for the Quidditch players, as Wood had them on the Quidditch pitch everyday, in preparation for the upcoming Gryffindor vs Slytherin match, and Harry was being driven to the point of distraction about the fact Harry should 'only catch the Snitch if we're more then fifty points up, or we win the match but lose the cup.'
After shouting at Oliver Wood, on the Friday, Harry didn't feel much better, as Yami had dropped out… or been kicked out… of the Team. He was the only Seeker Gryffindor had and that meant he was a prime target for the Slytherins. He wanted to win, more then anything, the rivalry between his group, and the Malfoys' group had never been higher. Between the match and whatever had happened that Saturday, Bakura was out for blood.
Never, in anyone's memory was the atmosphere more highly charged, Wood had had to put a guard on Harry, since everywhere he went, Slytherins tried to trip him up, or get him injured in some way. Harry who was more concerned for his Firebolt's saftey then his own, checked it constantly during breaktimes.
The Friday before the match most of the Professors who took classes of Slytherins and Gryffindors were docking points at fanatic rate. It got to the point where Hufflepuff was in the lead for house points. The fights breaking out in the corridors were getting bad enough that more than one student would be missing the beginning of the match. Class work related injuries climbed, ending when a furious Professor Sprout escorted Hadrien Strife, a sixth year Slytherin, with Nigel Thorn, a sixth year Gryffindor, to the infirmary after pairing them up in class.
No one was quite sure how trimming an orange walking tree had gotten both students in the infirmary when normally the two students in question were mild in temperament, and the argument had only gotten as far as harsh words.
Luckily that was the last class before the match.
No Gryffindor Quidditch player was allowed to go anywhere alone, by Wood's orders, but Yugi had managed to slip past his guards when Harry's contingent had left after class since he wanted to go up to the Monster's Wing to check on Boh. The smallest duel monster had been getting some of the fallout from the problem, no one dared attempt to bully Mahado, or Mana, or any of the other Gryffindors' Duel Monsters, but poor Boh had exploded five or six times over the last week when Slytherins had tried to bully him. Even though Boh kept putting those Slytherins in the hospital bed over night, the Slytherins hadn't learnt their lesson, and Boh was getting depressed.
Yugi found himself in a position that he didn't realise he'd put Joey many times before, he was trying to protect Boh and cheer him up, while debating whether or not to go to someone with the authority to really do something about it. The thing was he didn't trust the Teachers not to shrug it off as something to do with the upcoming match, and just assign the bullies a detention and then think the problem would go away. Professor McGonagall would do something but she was constantly either teaching or dealing with a problem, and he wouldn't even contemplate going to Professor Snape, he would be given a detention for no apparent reason, probably for 'breathing too loudly'.
He reached the Wing just as Boh slipped out the door. "Hey Boh." The littlest light sighed, walking back down the corridor with him.
What's wrong? Boh asked. He'd been worried ever since that Shadow Realm incident.
"I don't feel well." Yugi admitted, "But it's just a cold, nothing serious."
Have you told Yami?
"He'd make me go see Madam Pomfrey, and I'm not that ill. Have you seen the amount of patients she has?" Yugi stopped and looked over his shoulder, as they wandered down an empty corridor, "Are we being followed?"
Not sure…
"Muto!" A teen yelled.
Apparently, yes…
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Oliver stormed into the Hospital Wing, surrounded by Harry, the gang and quite a few more Gryffindors.
At one end of the room, were several Slytherins, all of whom looking like they'd been through a blender and looked absolutely petrified of one of the many Gryffindors down the other end of the infirmary.
Yami and Yugi were in beds at the other end.
Yami was sat up, watching his Hikari, who was either sleeping or unconscious, Wood could quite easily work out what had happened, and couldn't decide wither to start tearing up Slytherins or his team mates, as the third years that had followed him went over to their class mates.
However, before he decided, Bakura Malfoy was brought in. He was carried by Crabbe and Goyle, with Draco Malfoy guarding their rear, his wand out. Bakura looked worse for wear, not that Oliver cared.
What he did care about was the fact that Madam Pomfrey said that Yugi Muto would not be fit to play tomorrow, he wasn't even to be let out of the Hospital Wing until at least Sunday, possibly before lessons Monday.
Flint stormed in seconds after Wood left. An increasingly large group of Gryffindors and Slytherins were starting to block the corridors. A fight began to break out as Madam Pomfrey informed the Slytherin captain that 'No, Bakura Malfoy would not be fit to play tomorrow morning,' and, 'You can go speak to Professor Snape if you like, what I say is final and he will not be fit to play tomorrow.'
Flint was furious hat he'd have to use a reserve and slammed and banged around and was finally kicked out of the Hospital Wing by an irate Madam Pomfrey who glared at the group outside her infirmary and started to shout.
The students scattered. Somehow being put in the infirmary by the school's medi-witch didn't appeal to anyone.
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Harry slept badly. First he dreamed he'd overslept and Wood was shouting, "Where were you? We had to use Nevile instead!" And then he dreamed the Slytherin Team had turned up to play on dragons, and he was flying at breakneck speed to avoid Malfoy's dragon's flames when he remembered he didn't have his Firebolt. He fell through the air and woke with a start.
It took a few seconds for Harry to remember that the match hadn't taken place yet, that he was safe in bed, and that the Slytherin Team definatly wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons.
As quietly as he could, Harry got out of bed and poured himself a glass of water from the silver jub beneath the window.
Harry set down his glass and was about to turn back to his bed, when he spotted an animal of some kind prowling the lawn. He quickly grabbed his glasses, and hurried back to the window.
It couldn't be the Grim, not now, not right before the match.
He quickly scanned the ground again, and was relieved to find it wasn't the Grim at all, it was a cat. Harry sighed in relief as he recognised the bottle-brush tail, it was only Crookshanks.
Or was it?
Harry watched as a gigantic shaggy, looking black dog emerged from the trees, moving stelthily across the lawn. Crookshanks walking at his side.
If Crookshanks could see it, it couldn't be an omen of Harry's death. Right?
He tried to wake up Ron or Joey, but neither would without a great deal of noise and when Harry turned back to the window, both dog and cat were gone.
The Gryffindor Quidditch Team entered the Great Hall on the morning of the match, to enormous applause, Harry grinned as he saw Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were cheering too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed, Draco looked paler then normal.
Wood spent the whole of breakfast encouraging the team to eat, while eating nothing himself. Then he hurried them out before anyone else had finished, to another round of applause.
Wood paced the pitch, giving advice based on the weather or the hardness of the ground, then ordered them into the changing room as the rest of the school started to flood down to the pitch.
No body spoke as they got changed, Harry felt like he'd eaten something extremely wiggly for breakfast. The team were welcomed onto the pitch by a tidal wave of noise. Three-quarters of the crowd were wearing scarlet rosettes or waving Gryffindor flags, or brandishing banners that said things like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" or "LIONS FOR THE CUP!".
The other quarter were stood behind the Slytherin Goalposts and were wearing green, and waving Slytherin flags, Professor Snape was sat in the very front row, with a very grim smile plastered on his face.
"And here come the Gryffindors!" Lee Jordan called, "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley and Wood! Widley acknologed as the best side Hogwarts has seen for a long time." Lee's comments were drowned out by boos from the Slytherin end, "And here comes the Slytherin Team, looks like Flint's made a few changes to the line up too, going for size rather then skill."
Harry looked, Lee was right, other then Malfoy, the Slytherin team looked huge.
"Captains shake hands." Oliver and Flint looked like they were trying to crush each other's hands. "Mount your brooms!"
"Three." Hermione activated the spell to allow Yugi to watch the match from the Hospital Wing.
"Two." Draco smirked at the Gryffindor Team.
"One." Harry tensed, ready for the…
The whistle's shriek was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms took off at once.
"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Bell passes to Spinnet, and she's headed straight for the Slytherin Goalposts… Argh, NO! Quaffle intercepted by Warrington of Slytherin, Warrington's tearing up the pitch… Nice Bludger work by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, which is caught by Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession… Come on Angelina! Nice swerve round Montague, duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger! SHE SCORES! TEN – ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"
Angelina punched the air as she soared round the end of the pitch; the sea of scarlet screaming its delight.
"OUCH!"
Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her.
Next moment, Fred Weasley had chucked his Beater's Club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.
"That will do!" Shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between them as Katie retrieved Fred's club, "Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"
"Come off it Miss!" Fred protested, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty.
"Come on Alicia!" Lee yelled into the silence that had descended on the crowd, "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY – ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry turned his Firebolt around sharply, to watch Flint, whose nose was still bleeding freely, fly forwards to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood, however, was in front of the Gryffindor Goalposts, his jaw clenched.
"Course Wood's an excellent Keeper, very hard to pass… very difficult indeed… YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"
Harry turned back to making sure Draco didn't catch the Snitch until Gryffindor was at least fifty points up, while listening to the commentary.
"Gryffindor in possession, no Slytherin, no Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the pitch… THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"
Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had grabbed her head instead of the Quaffle. Katie had cart wheeled in the air, but managed to stay on, however she'd dropped the Quaffle.
Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Boll and Montague and started shouting at them. A minute later, Katie had put the penalty past the Slytherin Keeper.
"THIRTY – ZERO! TAKE THAT YOU DIRTY CHEATING…"
"Jordan, if you can't tell it in an unbiased way…"
"Just telling it like it is, Professor."
Harry smiled, but kept his attention on the game… he felt a jolt of excitement, he'd seen the Snitch, glittering at the foot of one of the Gryffindor goalposts, but he couldn't catch it yet, he had to stop Draco from seeing it… He pulled his broom around and shot towards the Slytherin end, it worked, as Draco went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there…
WHOOSH
One of the Bludger came streaking past Harry, hit by the other Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Next moment…
WHOOSH
The other Bludger grazed Harry's elbow, Bole was closing in.
Harry turned his Firebolt upwards at the last second and the two Beaters collided with a crunch.
"Haha!" Lee Jordan yelled, "Too bad, boys! You'll have to get up earlier then that to beat a Firebolt. And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle… Flint alongside her… poke him in the eye, Angelina! It was a joke Professor, it was a joke… oh no… Flint in possession… Flint flying towards the Gryffindor goalposts…"
Harry could see Katie streaking after him but it was obvious she wouldn't catch up.
"Come on now Wood! Save!"
But Flint scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical microphone away from him.
"Sorry Professor, Sorry! It won't happen again! So Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession."
It was turning into the dirtiest match Harry had ever played in. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were resorting to any means possible to get the Quaffle; Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams' penalties, Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty – ten to Gryffindor.
The Snitch had disappeared again; Malfoy was still keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it. Once Gryffindor were fifty points ahead…
Katie scored, fifty – ten, Fred and George were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherin team, were thinking about revenge. Derrick and Bole took advantage for their absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.
Madam Hooch was beside herself, "YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" She shrieked at Derrick and Boll, "GRYFFINDOR PENATLY!"
And Angelina scored, sixty – ten, moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Alicia seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal, seventy - ten.
In response Slytherin took possession of the Quaffle, and made it seventy – twenty
"Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on Angelina, come on!" Harry looked around, every single Slytherin player except for Draco, was streaking up the pitch towards Angelina, they were going to block her…
Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forwards. Like a bullet, he shot towards the Slytherins.
"AHHHHH!"
They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed towards them; Angelina's way was clear.
"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES!" Harry however wasn't paying attention, he'd turned around and seen something that made his heart stand still, Draco, with a triumphant look on his face, was diving towards a tiny golden glimmer a few feet above the grass… the Snitch.
Harry urged the Firebolt downwards, but Draco was miles ahead, "Go, go, go!" Harry urged his broom, they were gaining on Draco. Harry had to flatten himself against the handle to avoid the Bludger hit in his direction. He managed to get level with Draco, and knocked his hand out of the way and…
"YES!"
He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings beat hopelessly against his fingers.
Then Wood was speeding towards him, half blinded by tears, seized Harry around the neck, and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them, then Angelina, Alicia and Katie's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!"
Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor Team sank to earth, where Danni was waiting, beaming, the crimson decked supporters flooded the pitch and Harry and the rest of the team were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Hagrid was jumping up and down and cheering with the rest, Professor McGonagall was sobbing even harder then Wood, and was wiping her eyes on a Gryffindor flag, and the rest of the gang were fighting their way through the crowd.
If only there had been a Dementor around, Harry thought as Wood passed him the Cup, he was certain he could've produced the world's best Patronus.