Chapter 4: - Lessons, Talons and Trouble
Yugi was already eating when the other joined the students in the Great Hall. Harry caught Malfoy in the middle of a ridiculous swooning fit which had the Slytherin table in fits of laughter, well, most of them, Bakura was one of the few not laughing as was too busy staring at Yugi maliciously across the hall. Yugi, on the other hand, was doing his best to ignore the Tomb Robber and eat his breakfast.
"New third year timetables." George Weasley said, passing them out as they sat at the table, "Hey! Where's the other Muto twin?"
"Still asleep," Joey snorted, "Yuge, question."
"Uh huh?" Yugi asked through a mouthful of toast.
"When you did that… uh, you know what… with Mouthboy, I thought he couldn't do anything to the group, as the Penalty Game for losing?"
Yugi sighed, "That's the problem, I said he had to leave the group alone. Since he is staying away from us and not technically doing anything to us…"
"It doesn't count," Ombre finished, "You have to be specific and besides, if you've noticed, now we're in the room, he's stopped." Ombre paused, looking at Kari as she ate some really weird combination of food and drank hot milk, "Eating fast enough?"
"No." Kari replied and continued eating.
"Leave getting Malfoy back to us," Fred Weasley said with a smirk, "The little git wasn't so cocky last night, or that brother of his."
"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, still ignoring Bakura. He was too busy listening to Yami's mental ranting about the fact he'd be late to breakfast because he'd run into Peeves the poltergeist on his way down.
"Well Mouthboy nearly wet himself," Fred growled as he glared at Draco contemptuously, "And Bakura has no right to joke about Harry passing out."
"Why?" Joey asked as Yami rushed into the Great Hall and took a seat opposite Yugi, Fred passed him his timetable before he continued.
"Bakura had a fit, or at least it looked like it, the moment the Dementors got anywhere near him. He came round as we were puling into the station."
"Then it's not just me." Harry sighed.
"I wouldn't worry about it," George said bracingly, "That's why Azkaban is so terrible…"
Meanwhile Hermione and Ron were debating over Hermione's new timetable, "I'm looking forward to starting the new lessons," Yugi said, "But we'd better hurry, it'll take ages to get to room 313, the staircases weren't going directly to the third floor earlier."
"What do you mean Room 313?" Yami questioned, looking at his timetable, "I'm in the North Tower this morning!"
"I'm over in the East wing." Joey put in, Yugi reached for Yami's timetable.
"This can't be right," Yugi said as he took it, "Let me look at your timetable…" They compared, Yugi muttered under his breath and Yami picked at his food as they did so. "I can't believe it!" Yugi said, shocked, "They've spilt us up! We've been put in separate Arithmancy and Divination classes."
"Well at least we'll have Transfiguration and Hagrid's first Care of Magical Creatures classes together." Ron put in.
"But they can't spilt us up!" Yami growled, "It's just wrong!"
"I'm sure if we talk to Professor McGonagall, she'll sort it out." Yugi said as he passed back Yami's timetable. Kari and Ombre were comparing theirs too.
"They've done it to us too!" Ombre growled.
"They can't have thought about this properly," Kari said, "I'm sure Professor McGonagall will set it right."
Yami and Ombre fumed right up until they spilt up for class. Professor McGonagall hadn't shown up for breakfast and Kari was certain it had been deliberate so they couldn't complain until second period Transfiguration.
'Divination is comfusing!' Yami complained over his mind link with Yugi during class, 'I'm supposed to be reading tea leaves but it doesn't make any sense!'
"Yami, please, I'm trying to concentrate… Ow!"
'Yugi?' Yami asked, slightly panicked, 'Why the ow?'
"I just got poked for not paying attention," Yugi replied, smiling sheepishly at Hermione as he did so, "Thanks a lot."
'Sorry Yugi, ouch!'
"Alright, why the ouch?"
'I got poked too…' The rest of Arithmancy passed quite quietly except for Yami's occasional bursts of… 'Bored…bored…bored…bored.' Which caused Yugi to wonder if Yami had only taken it because Yugi had.
Yugi ended up walking to Transfiguration by himself, Hermione had vanished at the end of the lesson and Yugi was late to Transfiguration because the stairs had decided to change just as he'd reached the top step. Hermione had beat him to class, much to his surprise and he wondered what was going on as everyone seemed uptight.
They waited until Professor McGonagall had set the class working before they asked to speak to her outside the classroom. Once the door was closed behind them Yami spoke…
"Professor McGonagall…" Yami started.
"If this is about your timetables, I'm not going to change them…"
"But…"
"But nothing, Miss Ironhide, your timetables are like that for a reason."
"But Professor," Yugi said, looking up at her, "What possible reason could there be for splitting us up?"
"It is traditional for twins to be separated for some, if not all of their classes for the Third year and beyond. Twins, especially magical twins, tend to be too reliant on each other. It'll do you four good, not to be together all the time."
"Professor," Ombre growled, "I'm sure you are aware that we are not truly twins, it is too dangerous for us to go our separate ways!"
"What possible danger could you four get up to in a classroom, Miss Ironhide?"
"Trouble usually finds us," Yami said, trying to keep himself from growling and failing miserably, "You tell us what possible danger there is in Hogwarts…"
"Mr Muto, this conversation is pointless, even if you threaten to send me to the 'Shadow Realm' I won't change your timetables. Yugi has to learn to stand on his own two feet at some point and at least here it's in a safe environment."
"Define safe!" Yami snapped.
"If he isn't safe on school grounds, there's not much hope for you both, is there? Now if you don't mind, I have a class to teach." Professor McGonagall said as she opened the door. They trailed back in and sat back down.
"Well, it could be worse." Yugi said optimistically, "At least we've got all our lessons with Slytherin house together." Yami nodded but Yugi could sense that he was still fuming.
"Kari!" Hermione called, pulling the girl aside as they walked down to lunch, "Ok, I'm probably going to get beaten up for this, but I have to know…"
"What?" Kari asked, craving a mint choc chip ice-cream sandwich.
"Are you…?"
"Am I?" Kari sighed, "I wish she'd just ask already." She thought she heard Ombre's mental laughter and sighed again.
"Kari, we're best friends, right?" Kari nodded, "And you know I'd tell you anything, right?" And Kari nodded, "Well would you like to return the favour?"
Kari laughed, "How could I expect you not to notice? Yes, I am pregnant, about 3 months gone, and yes the child is Joey's."
"Does he know?" Hermione asked, surprised with how honest Kari was being about it.
"Yeap," Kari continued to laugh, "Why do you think they've been sticking to me like glue?" Hermione smiled and though she wasn't happy about the fact Kari could be ruining her entire education, she could see Kari was happy as they made their way down to dinner, where a mint choc chip ice cream sandwich was waiting for Kari.
An argument blew up about Divination, but Yugi was confused. Hermione was talking about the class as if she'd been there, but she'd been sat next to him in Arithmancy. Finally Hermione snapped, "If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolutely rubbish compared to my Arithmancy class!"
Ron frowned as Hermione stalked away. "What's she talking about?" Ron asked, "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet!"
Yes she has," Yugi said, "She was sat next to me all class."
"That's not possible." Yami frowned, "She was sat with me in Divination."
"But she's the one who poked me when you were talking to me!"
"No, she poked me when I was talking to you."
"Fine, don't believe me." Yugi said, looking down, Yami could sense the hurt radiating from the boy, but it wasn't possible for Hermione to have been in two places at the same time.
"Yugi…" Yugi got up and left the Great Hall. Yami could sense he was upset and annoyed, but the link went dead as Yugi slammed it shut. Yami's head spun slightly, but he figured it was because Yugi hadn't slammed it shut with that much force before.
"Is he alright?" Ron asked, watching Yugi go. It was almost unheard of for Yugi to lose his temper when Yami was around.
"He's been like this since he got that letter last year. You know, the one he got the morning of the Duelling club last year where Harry ended up talking to that cobra." Yami sighed, tempted to go after his hikari, "Yugi's parents… were found in Egypt by wizards."
"Then he should be happy!" Ron said, Joey shook his head.
"There was a problem, Yugi told me about it, they'd lost all their memories, the hospital in Cairo only knew their names because they had passports on them. Apparently they'd been asking for a person by the name of Yugi, but they weren't sure what relation the person was, or if they even really knew anyone of that name. It wasn't until Yugi's name showed up in the magical who's who, that anyone contacted him."
"Then, his parent don't know who he is?"
"Yugi won't go and find out; he doesn't want to…"
They didn't see Yugi or Hermione till they reached Care of Magical Creatures, where they were both patiently waiting for the lesson to begin. Malfoy was talking quite rapidly at Crabbe, Goyle and Bakura, who was beginning to show signs of annoyance with his 'brother.'
Hagrid looked over the class, checking everyone had arrived. "C'mon now, get a move on!" He called to the last few stragglers, "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
The class walked round to an empty paddock.
"Everyone gather round the fence here!" Hagrid called, "That's it! Make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll need ter do is open yer books."
"How?" Said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Eh?"
"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. Bakura sniggered as everyone else began to take out books that had been bound shut. Bakura's, on the other hand, was behaving, even purring slightly.
"Is Bakura the only one bin able to open his book?" Asked a crestfallen Hagrid; Bakura was grinning.
"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," Said Hagrid, "Look!" And with that word, he took Hermione's copy, tore off the spellotape, and ran a finger down the spine. The book quivered and fell open, lying quietly.
"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy started, but before he could go on, Bakura had closed his book and hit Draco over the head with it.
"I like them," Bakura said, "I've been training mine." No one dared ask what exactly Bakura had been training it to do, but Yami was willing to bet it wasn't commands such as 'Sit' or 'Stay.'
Hagrid smiled at him, "Right, yeh've got yer books, now yer need the magical creatures. I'll go and get them, hang on." Hagrid vanished out of sight as a group of dragons flew over, led by Kisara.
Draco was glaring at Bakura, while Bakura bared his teeth at Draco. Crabbe and Goyle were looking worried and confused; their eyes darted between the two.
"Um…" Yugi tried to break the terrible silence that had fallen over the class.
"Oooooh!" Squealed Lavender Brown, pointing and breaking the silence as she pointed towards the end of the paddock, where Yugi was holding the gate open for the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen.
They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, heads and wings of what appeared to be giant eagles. The talons on their front legs were long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts was wearing a thick leather collar which was attached to a long chain, the ends of which were held by Hagrid.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren't they?"
Harry and the others could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the shock of seeing something that was half-bird, half-horse, you could appreciate the Hippogriff's gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, a pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut and inky black.
"So," Said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "If yer want ter come a bit nearer…" Most of the class hung back, however the gang, and much to their surprise, Bakura, approached the fence. "Now, firs' thing yer gotta know abou' Hippogriffs, is they're proud. Don't ever insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yer ever do…"
"Like Pharaohs then…" Bakura muttered under his breath, unable to resist. Yami glared at him but Bakura was more interested in the creatures in front of him as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle talked in an undertone, standing well away from Bakura. Yugi couldn't hear what they were saying but he was sure it wasn't anything good.
"Yer always wait for the Hippogriff to make the first move," Hagrid continued, "It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yer bow and yer wait. If he bows back, yer allowed to touch him. If he doesn' bow then get away from him pretty sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Right, who wants to go first?"
"I will." Two voices said, Hagrid looked over, beaming at the pair.
"Good on yer both. Harry, yeh first, let's see how yer get on with Buckbeak." Hagrid untied one of the chains and pulled the grey Hippogriff away from his fellows and slipped off the leather collar. Malfoy's eyes narrowed maliciously while Bakura was wearing a look that Yami recognised from somewhere. "Easy now Harry," Hagrid said, "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not to blink… Hippogriffs don't trust you if you blink too much…" Buckbeak turned his great, sharp head, and was staring at Harry with one piercing orange eye. "That's it, that's it Harry… now bow…" Harry gave a short bow and quickly looked up. Buckbeak was still staring at harry, Hagrid broke the nervous silence, "Ah… right, back away. Now, Harry, easy does it…"
Then, to everyone's surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly sank into an unmistakable bow. "Well done, Harry!" Right… yeh can touch him! Pet his beak, go on!" As Harry petted the Hippogriff the class broke into applause, all except Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. "Righ' then Harry! I reckon he migh' let yer ride him! Yeh, climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint, an' mind yer don't pull any o' the his feathers, he won' like that…"
The class watched as Buckbeak took off, circling around the paddock, before landing again. "Good work Harry." Hagrid roared, "Now if the other volunteer will step forward…"
Bakura climbed over the paddock fence, pausing to smirk at Yami before he walked over to Hagrid. Yami suddenly remembered where he'd seen that look, it was the same look of longing that Bakura gave the Millennium items. Bakura approached a second Hippogriff, an inky black one, and bowed to it. Unlike Buckbeak, it didn't hesitate to bow and Bakura petted it.
"Ok, who else wants a go?" Hagrid asked as Bakura turned back to the class. The rest of the class climbed into the paddock. Harry watched Hermione and Ron practise on the chestnut as Yugi burst into giggles at the staring contest that had developed between Yami and the bronze Hippogriff.
"This is very easy." Yugi heard Malfoy drawl as he calmed down, "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" He asked the Hippogriff, "Are you, you great ugly brute?"
The entire class jumped as a high pitched scream cut through the air. Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar, the group of dragons from earlier, attracted by the scream, forced Buckbeak to stay on the ground, while Hagrid got the collar on.
Malfoy was curled up on the ground, blood blossoming over his robes. "I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled, as the class pointed, "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
Bakura scowled at his 'brother', who was whimpering now, "It's just a little scratch," He pronounced, "I've been injured worse then that before."
"Yer not dyin'!" Said Hagrid, "Bakura's right. Someone open the gate… gotta get him outta here." Bakura had lost interest in Malfoy, he was too busy studying Buckbeak with the same look he'd been giving the whole group of Hippogriffs just minutes before. Harry saw that Malfoy's arm had a long, deep gash in it, as Hagrid ran, with Malfoy, up to the castle.
Yami waited behind as the rest of the class followed Hagrid at a walk. Yugi was walked around the outside of the paddock, Boh, bouncing along beside him, while Bakura was staring at Buckbeak from behind the fence. "Don't even think about it!" He told the Tomb Robber, Bakura turned to face him with a sly smirk on his face.
"Why, Pharaoh? What do you think, I'm thinking? I thought you wouldn't dirty yourself by looking in my mind." Bakura laughed, "Don't worry, Pharaoh, I won't do anything dangerous… it's not like I'll blow up the castle… today… thanks for the idea though." He said, then turned, "Crabbe, Goyle, come on, we have work to do." And Bakura marched them back to the castle while Yami watched them go.
"And how, exactly, did I give him the idea?" Yami asked, more to himself then to anyone in general. A laugh snapped him out of his confusion; Yugi was sat on the fence next to him.
I wouldn't even try to guess," Yugi said, continuing to laugh, "You can't be sure what goes on in his mind."
"Well there is a way to find out…" Yami started.
"Yami!" Yugi said, sounding slightly peeved, "I don't think you should use the Millennium Eye to read Bakura's mind."
"So… are you talking to me again?" Yami asked as Yugi opened the mind link and they walked up to the castle.
"No," Yugi said with a mental giggle, "I'm thinking to you."
"Yami?"
'Yugi, how much chocolate did you eat during our lunch break?'
"None."
'I don't believe you.'
"Fine," Yugi said, shutting the mind link again, "I'll go talk to someone else." Yami started after him, wondering if other people got headaches from their friends. Maybe Madam Pomfrey will let me have a painkiller. He thought as he changed direction, heading for the hospital wing.
When Yugi joined his friends at the Gryffindor dinner table, Kari was the only one eating and even she wasn't eating as much as usual. "They wouldn't sack him, would they?" Hermione asked, anxiously.
"They can't." Joey said, poking his steak-and-kidney pudding.
"They'd better not!" Said Ron.
Harry was watching the Slytherin table, where he was sure they were cooking up their own version of events. To his surprise though, Bakura wasn't with them.
"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back." Ron said gloomily.
Yugi poked his pudding and it leaked gravy. He glared at it as if to say 'you're a pudding, start acting like it!' He sighed and pushed it away, deciding to stare at the ceiling where a few clouds were being chased around the sky.
After trying, and failing to do much of anything, the group, with some pointed comments from Hermione, tried to get started on their homework.
"Who's that?" Harry asked suddenly, looking out a window. Nearly everyone crowded around it, except for Hermione who looked out the window next to it.
"It's a student." Hermione stated. Kari snorted.
"Yeap, so that leaves only 800 people it could be." Ombre winced at the sarcasm in Kari's voice.
"Well," Hermione said defensively, "Who do you think it is?"
"It has to be someone from our class today," Yugi said, then looked around, "But all the Gryffindors are here."
"So it's a Slytherin." Yami stated.
"Maybe we should go investigate then." Joey said; Hermione shook her head.
"Wait a minute. I don't think that's a good idea." She said, glaring at Harry.
"I'm allowed to walk across the grounds." Harry said pointedly, "Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors here, has he?"
"And it's not like Harry will be alone, Hermione." Kari said, standing up, "Come on." She called as she headed out the portrait hole.
"Wait up!" Joey called after her as the rest of the group followed.
"Can't, we'll lose the Snake." Kari called as she dashed down the stairs, "Eeep!" There was a loud thud, "Ow…"
"Kari?" Ombre panicked as she rushed down.
"I'm ok." Kari laughed as she picked herself up, "I landed on my butt, come on, we wanna see what the Snake's up to." They were glad no one was around as they made their way down to the Main Entrance, as they were unsure if they were allowed to go out. By the time they got round to where the student had been, he… or she… was long gone.
"They're gone…" Yami growled, "We were too slow…"
"Sorry guys," Kari apologised, "We might as well see Hagrid now, since we came all this way. See if he's alright…"
They knocked on Hagrid's door and a voice growled, "C'min!" Hagrid had been drinking, but sounded a bit cheerier then they'd expected. "Sorry abou' the firs' lesson. Jus' thought it would make a good start, after Malfoy… I've been gien a warning." He said gloomily.
"How is Malfoy?" Ron asked.
"Good news about that. That Bakura's a good sport. Dunno why you lot complain abou' 'im so much. He came down ter see me just so he could tell me how Draco's getting on, and to check up on Buckbeak." Hagrid told them.
"Bakura. Was. Here." Yami said, biting the words.
"Yeah. Said his brother often made a fuss, often abou' nothing. Said Draco likes being the centre of attention and would probably moan for days if he's allowed to."
"Bakura. Was. Here." Yami repeated, not believing his ears.
"More importantly, why is he being nice?" Ombre asked.
"Well you know those Slytherins, they enjoy tormenting you Gryffindors at any chance they get, but us teachers are above that."
The group conferred, was Hagrid blind? Anyone could see the house heads took it very seriously.
"Bakura. Was. Here."
"Hello? Earth to Yami?" Joey said as Yugi poked the stunned Pharaoh.
"Bakura… was here… and being… nice?"
"I think this'll take a while." Yugi sighed.
"Wha' do yer mean?" Hagrid asked.
"It'll take a while for it to sink in." Joey added helpfully.
"Right." Hagrid nodded, "Well, I think I've had enough to drink…" Hagrid got up and walked out the door.
What's he doing?" Yugi asked as Hermione went over to the door.
"Hagrid stuck his head in the water barrel." Hermione replied.
Hagrid walked back in, his long hair and beard soaking wet, and he was wiping water from his eyes. "Tha' better," He said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all, "Listen, it was really good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really…" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realised he was there.
"WHAT DO YER THINK YER DOING?" Hagrid roared so suddenly that they all jumped, "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WONDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN' YOU LOT SHOUDN' LET HIM!" Hagrid grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to the door, "C'mom." Hagrid said angrily, "I'm taking yer back up ter school, an' don' let me catch yer walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!" As Hagrid marched them back up to the school, Yami was still in shock.
He repeated his last sentiment, "Bakura was here… and being nice?" several times but the gang had decided to let him come to terms with it on his own. The front door opened and a very angry Professor McGonagall was standing on the threshold as they reached the castle.
"Thank you, Hagrid, for bringing these troublemakers back." She said, glaring at the group, "I'll make sure they get back to their dorms." She continued and finally looked at Hagrid, "Good god, man, go and dry yourself off, what did you do? Fall in the lake?"
Hagrid blushed at this statement, "Well, um, right you are Professor." He walked off, not looking back.
"Detention for you lot, I think. Tuesday evening, I'm sure I can find something to torture you with…" She lectured them all the way to the Gryffindor Common Room. "I'm disappointed in you all. You know there's a dangerous criminal on the loose, and what if a Dementor saw you wondering off?" She continued in this vein for quite some time.
After they had settled down for the night, with Yami acting like a zombie and repeatedly saying, 'Bakura was being nice?' Everyone did eventually fall asleep, Yami last of all, muttering, "What is he after?"
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He walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest and wondered if the chill in the air was due solely to the lateness of the hour. If the truth was to be known he was tired, bone-tired. He had searched and searched for a way home and had come up with nothing, and now the others were beginning to believe they didn't want to go home.
He felt such a powerful need for home, where the magics felt old and familiar, and where he didn't have to do anything, he simply had to be. But now this new place was beginning to feel like home, and he wondered if (no not if, never if), when they returned home would it still be home?
Normally when he patrolled he buzzed with ideas, always searching, always thinking. But now he was chewing over a new concept, or at least new to him. Where was home? So many places called to him now, but none of them felt like home… except he had called here home. He hadn't even thought about it until hours after it occurred, he had called Hogwarts home. The others had been doing it for months; Mana had started to call this new place home within a fortnight of getting their own rooms. Kisara hadn't, but would he have noticed? It wasn't like that painfully high and mighty dragon actually talked to him.
Mahado checked his surrounding again; he was almost to the lake. Nothing would happen tonight. But it could. His conscience whispered in his head, and you wouldn't notice it because you are too deep within your own thoughts. He hushed it, knowing he would notice something if anything truly threatened the school, he had too many protection and warning spells active upon the place, all neatly woven in or tapped into the school's own network, wizards had been building those protections for a thousand years.
He went back to his original question; 'Do I still want to go home?' And a part of him didn't. He felt so real here, more human than he had done in centuries. Things happened here. His memories of the past year were so vivid, so filled with colour and light. His other memories all seemed so dark compared, like he had been living in shadows. He almost laughed at this, he was the Dark Magician, and where else would he live? His power came from the darkness.
Kuriboh should be coming on duty now. Then he could almost hear Mana's voice in his head, His name is BOH! Use it; it won't unleash some deadly force upon the world. Mahado lifted his eyes to the castle's eastern towers, where the young dragon known now as 'No' normally stood sentry duty. Mahado always watched the dragonet wing his way to bed, if that dragon ever went astray he knew exactly who would get the blame for it.
He saw the small body gain height, circling around and around… Why was he climbing so much? Mahado didn't even dare claim he knew anything about flying (since last time he dared he had had to go into hiding for several months, dragons could hold a grudge) but No had never needed to fly this high before just to get to the duel monster tower. Mahado had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what No had planned. The real only question that concerned him was what should he do? He could well imagine Kisara's reaction if he so much as talked to one of her hatchlings, let alone start ordering it around. However if he did nothing… and the dragonet got hurt… Mahado winced, his well developed mind presenting him with a image of Kisara's reaction, then there was the third option, let No get into trouble then bail him out and make him promise not to tell, which wouldn't work since Boh would see the entire thing since he's on sentry duty and Boh has yet to keep a secret longer than a week.
As Mahado considered his options, No dived, and Mahado paled. He knew exactly where No was going. Dementors… The youngling was an idiot.
Mahado ran, tapping into the shadows to give him extra speed so that it seemed like a purple blur sped away the lawn. The shadows are stronger. He thought, they have been growing stronger for a while now, why haven't I noticed it before?
He was too late. A small greyish shape lay upon the floor, Dementors surrounding it, feeding off it… him. Wait. They are still feeding off him, he must be still alive.
"Get away from him." Mahado commanded, drawing himself up to his full height. Whispers began to fill his mind, draining him and for a moment he faltered.
Despair. Sorrow. Hate.
Kisara.
Mahado swung up his staff. They were too much like the shadows for him to fall completely under their power. He smiled cruelly. The Dementors were mere shadows compared to a Real Shadow Game. Dark magic flowed from his staff, driving back the cloaked figures from the small frail looking dragon on the ground.
"No. Get behind me." The dragonet eyes flickered open, widening in surprise when he saw his rescuer… Hesitating. "Now!" Mahado commanded firmly.
No crawled behind Mahado, his wings hanging limply. Was he hurt? Or just exhausted? Mahado backed away slowly, making sure to keep himself between No and the Dementors, and keeping his staff trained on one or the other of the Dementors at a time. They didn't fear his magic, but they were wary of it.
After what seemed like an era or five then reached the gates, and Mahado pulled at a strand of magic causing the gates to close in front of them. Mahado wondered if it would be becoming his stature to grin in front of a dragon. It had been a minor victory over the Dementors. Then Mahado remembered Kisara. She would kill him if she ever found out about this.
A small "Thanks" seemed to escape the youngling, and Mahado considered him carefully.
"Go to bed No… and don't tell your mother what happened tonight."
The young dragon looked up suddenly as if startled… or surprised with something suspiciously like hope in his eyes, "You won't tell my mother what happened tonight? Will you?"
"I have no desire to die anytime soon, so no. I won't tell your mother what happened. You have my word, may I have yours?"
The youngling giggled nervously. "But what about Boh?"
"Well I do have a plan…" Mahado began.
Kisara just wouldn't understand.
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The next morning everyone was digging into breakfast after fasting last night. Yugi decided to bring up last night. "So what do you think Bakura was doing at Hagrid's last night?"
"Bakura was at Hagrid's?" Yami asked, looking confused and the entire group gave him a disbelieving look.
"Yeah, you remember?" Yugi asked, "We saw someone going down to Hagrid's." Yami nodded, "Figured it was a Slytherin." Again Yami nodded, "But he was gone when we got there," Yami's nod was uncertain this time, "And Hagrid said Bakura had been down to see him and was being nice for once." Yami stared at him.
"Bakura. Was. Being. Nice?" Everyone groaned and Yugi banged his head on the table.
"I don't think Yami can dead with the idea." Hermione put in but by the end of first lesson, Yami was back to normal.
However, at lunch, Joey brought the subject up, "So Pegasus was helpful over the Summer, Kaiba brought Yami a broomstick and Bakura was nice to Hagrid. Do you think the world is ending… again?"
"Wait a second… Bakura was being nice?" Yami said and Yugi groaned.
"JOEY!" Kari shouted. Luckily Yami had reverted back to normal by the end of lunch.
Then dinner came around and Yugi said in a hushed voice, "Do NOT mention a certain someone, behaving in a certain way last night, ok?"
Yami heard him and asked, What person, doing what last night?" Ombre and Kari shared a glance and jumped on Joey before he could reply.
"Bakura was being nice last night." Ron said, paying more attention to his roast potatoes then the glares he was receiving.
Yami looked around at his friends, "I don't believe you." He said, in denial.
"Come on guys," Yugi sighed, "We have detention with Professor McGonagall in ten minutes."
"We have detention?" Yami asked.
"Yeah, you know, we got caught coming back from Hagrid's."
"We didn't go to Hagrid's last night, I think I would remember."
Kari rolled her eyes and grabbed Yami's arm, "Denial." She said in a sing song voice as she dragged Yami to detention.
"New third year timetables." George Weasley said, passing them out as they sat at the table, "Hey! Where's the other Muto twin?"
"Still asleep," Joey snorted, "Yuge, question."
"Uh huh?" Yugi asked through a mouthful of toast.
"When you did that… uh, you know what… with Mouthboy, I thought he couldn't do anything to the group, as the Penalty Game for losing?"
Yugi sighed, "That's the problem, I said he had to leave the group alone. Since he is staying away from us and not technically doing anything to us…"
"It doesn't count," Ombre finished, "You have to be specific and besides, if you've noticed, now we're in the room, he's stopped." Ombre paused, looking at Kari as she ate some really weird combination of food and drank hot milk, "Eating fast enough?"
"No." Kari replied and continued eating.
"Leave getting Malfoy back to us," Fred Weasley said with a smirk, "The little git wasn't so cocky last night, or that brother of his."
"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, still ignoring Bakura. He was too busy listening to Yami's mental ranting about the fact he'd be late to breakfast because he'd run into Peeves the poltergeist on his way down.
"Well Mouthboy nearly wet himself," Fred growled as he glared at Draco contemptuously, "And Bakura has no right to joke about Harry passing out."
"Why?" Joey asked as Yami rushed into the Great Hall and took a seat opposite Yugi, Fred passed him his timetable before he continued.
"Bakura had a fit, or at least it looked like it, the moment the Dementors got anywhere near him. He came round as we were puling into the station."
"Then it's not just me." Harry sighed.
"I wouldn't worry about it," George said bracingly, "That's why Azkaban is so terrible…"
Meanwhile Hermione and Ron were debating over Hermione's new timetable, "I'm looking forward to starting the new lessons," Yugi said, "But we'd better hurry, it'll take ages to get to room 313, the staircases weren't going directly to the third floor earlier."
"What do you mean Room 313?" Yami questioned, looking at his timetable, "I'm in the North Tower this morning!"
"I'm over in the East wing." Joey put in, Yugi reached for Yami's timetable.
"This can't be right," Yugi said as he took it, "Let me look at your timetable…" They compared, Yugi muttered under his breath and Yami picked at his food as they did so. "I can't believe it!" Yugi said, shocked, "They've spilt us up! We've been put in separate Arithmancy and Divination classes."
"Well at least we'll have Transfiguration and Hagrid's first Care of Magical Creatures classes together." Ron put in.
"But they can't spilt us up!" Yami growled, "It's just wrong!"
"I'm sure if we talk to Professor McGonagall, she'll sort it out." Yugi said as he passed back Yami's timetable. Kari and Ombre were comparing theirs too.
"They've done it to us too!" Ombre growled.
"They can't have thought about this properly," Kari said, "I'm sure Professor McGonagall will set it right."
Yami and Ombre fumed right up until they spilt up for class. Professor McGonagall hadn't shown up for breakfast and Kari was certain it had been deliberate so they couldn't complain until second period Transfiguration.
'Divination is comfusing!' Yami complained over his mind link with Yugi during class, 'I'm supposed to be reading tea leaves but it doesn't make any sense!'
"Yami, please, I'm trying to concentrate… Ow!"
'Yugi?' Yami asked, slightly panicked, 'Why the ow?'
"I just got poked for not paying attention," Yugi replied, smiling sheepishly at Hermione as he did so, "Thanks a lot."
'Sorry Yugi, ouch!'
"Alright, why the ouch?"
'I got poked too…' The rest of Arithmancy passed quite quietly except for Yami's occasional bursts of… 'Bored…bored…bored…bored.' Which caused Yugi to wonder if Yami had only taken it because Yugi had.
Yugi ended up walking to Transfiguration by himself, Hermione had vanished at the end of the lesson and Yugi was late to Transfiguration because the stairs had decided to change just as he'd reached the top step. Hermione had beat him to class, much to his surprise and he wondered what was going on as everyone seemed uptight.
They waited until Professor McGonagall had set the class working before they asked to speak to her outside the classroom. Once the door was closed behind them Yami spoke…
"Professor McGonagall…" Yami started.
"If this is about your timetables, I'm not going to change them…"
"But…"
"But nothing, Miss Ironhide, your timetables are like that for a reason."
"But Professor," Yugi said, looking up at her, "What possible reason could there be for splitting us up?"
"It is traditional for twins to be separated for some, if not all of their classes for the Third year and beyond. Twins, especially magical twins, tend to be too reliant on each other. It'll do you four good, not to be together all the time."
"Professor," Ombre growled, "I'm sure you are aware that we are not truly twins, it is too dangerous for us to go our separate ways!"
"What possible danger could you four get up to in a classroom, Miss Ironhide?"
"Trouble usually finds us," Yami said, trying to keep himself from growling and failing miserably, "You tell us what possible danger there is in Hogwarts…"
"Mr Muto, this conversation is pointless, even if you threaten to send me to the 'Shadow Realm' I won't change your timetables. Yugi has to learn to stand on his own two feet at some point and at least here it's in a safe environment."
"Define safe!" Yami snapped.
"If he isn't safe on school grounds, there's not much hope for you both, is there? Now if you don't mind, I have a class to teach." Professor McGonagall said as she opened the door. They trailed back in and sat back down.
"Well, it could be worse." Yugi said optimistically, "At least we've got all our lessons with Slytherin house together." Yami nodded but Yugi could sense that he was still fuming.
"Kari!" Hermione called, pulling the girl aside as they walked down to lunch, "Ok, I'm probably going to get beaten up for this, but I have to know…"
"What?" Kari asked, craving a mint choc chip ice-cream sandwich.
"Are you…?"
"Am I?" Kari sighed, "I wish she'd just ask already." She thought she heard Ombre's mental laughter and sighed again.
"Kari, we're best friends, right?" Kari nodded, "And you know I'd tell you anything, right?" And Kari nodded, "Well would you like to return the favour?"
Kari laughed, "How could I expect you not to notice? Yes, I am pregnant, about 3 months gone, and yes the child is Joey's."
"Does he know?" Hermione asked, surprised with how honest Kari was being about it.
"Yeap," Kari continued to laugh, "Why do you think they've been sticking to me like glue?" Hermione smiled and though she wasn't happy about the fact Kari could be ruining her entire education, she could see Kari was happy as they made their way down to dinner, where a mint choc chip ice cream sandwich was waiting for Kari.
An argument blew up about Divination, but Yugi was confused. Hermione was talking about the class as if she'd been there, but she'd been sat next to him in Arithmancy. Finally Hermione snapped, "If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolutely rubbish compared to my Arithmancy class!"
Ron frowned as Hermione stalked away. "What's she talking about?" Ron asked, "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet!"
Yes she has," Yugi said, "She was sat next to me all class."
"That's not possible." Yami frowned, "She was sat with me in Divination."
"But she's the one who poked me when you were talking to me!"
"No, she poked me when I was talking to you."
"Fine, don't believe me." Yugi said, looking down, Yami could sense the hurt radiating from the boy, but it wasn't possible for Hermione to have been in two places at the same time.
"Yugi…" Yugi got up and left the Great Hall. Yami could sense he was upset and annoyed, but the link went dead as Yugi slammed it shut. Yami's head spun slightly, but he figured it was because Yugi hadn't slammed it shut with that much force before.
"Is he alright?" Ron asked, watching Yugi go. It was almost unheard of for Yugi to lose his temper when Yami was around.
"He's been like this since he got that letter last year. You know, the one he got the morning of the Duelling club last year where Harry ended up talking to that cobra." Yami sighed, tempted to go after his hikari, "Yugi's parents… were found in Egypt by wizards."
"Then he should be happy!" Ron said, Joey shook his head.
"There was a problem, Yugi told me about it, they'd lost all their memories, the hospital in Cairo only knew their names because they had passports on them. Apparently they'd been asking for a person by the name of Yugi, but they weren't sure what relation the person was, or if they even really knew anyone of that name. It wasn't until Yugi's name showed up in the magical who's who, that anyone contacted him."
"Then, his parent don't know who he is?"
"Yugi won't go and find out; he doesn't want to…"
They didn't see Yugi or Hermione till they reached Care of Magical Creatures, where they were both patiently waiting for the lesson to begin. Malfoy was talking quite rapidly at Crabbe, Goyle and Bakura, who was beginning to show signs of annoyance with his 'brother.'
Hagrid looked over the class, checking everyone had arrived. "C'mon now, get a move on!" He called to the last few stragglers, "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
The class walked round to an empty paddock.
"Everyone gather round the fence here!" Hagrid called, "That's it! Make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll need ter do is open yer books."
"How?" Said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Eh?"
"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. Bakura sniggered as everyone else began to take out books that had been bound shut. Bakura's, on the other hand, was behaving, even purring slightly.
"Is Bakura the only one bin able to open his book?" Asked a crestfallen Hagrid; Bakura was grinning.
"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," Said Hagrid, "Look!" And with that word, he took Hermione's copy, tore off the spellotape, and ran a finger down the spine. The book quivered and fell open, lying quietly.
"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy started, but before he could go on, Bakura had closed his book and hit Draco over the head with it.
"I like them," Bakura said, "I've been training mine." No one dared ask what exactly Bakura had been training it to do, but Yami was willing to bet it wasn't commands such as 'Sit' or 'Stay.'
Hagrid smiled at him, "Right, yeh've got yer books, now yer need the magical creatures. I'll go and get them, hang on." Hagrid vanished out of sight as a group of dragons flew over, led by Kisara.
Draco was glaring at Bakura, while Bakura bared his teeth at Draco. Crabbe and Goyle were looking worried and confused; their eyes darted between the two.
"Um…" Yugi tried to break the terrible silence that had fallen over the class.
"Oooooh!" Squealed Lavender Brown, pointing and breaking the silence as she pointed towards the end of the paddock, where Yugi was holding the gate open for the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen.
They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, heads and wings of what appeared to be giant eagles. The talons on their front legs were long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts was wearing a thick leather collar which was attached to a long chain, the ends of which were held by Hagrid.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren't they?"
Harry and the others could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the shock of seeing something that was half-bird, half-horse, you could appreciate the Hippogriff's gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, a pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut and inky black.
"So," Said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "If yer want ter come a bit nearer…" Most of the class hung back, however the gang, and much to their surprise, Bakura, approached the fence. "Now, firs' thing yer gotta know abou' Hippogriffs, is they're proud. Don't ever insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yer ever do…"
"Like Pharaohs then…" Bakura muttered under his breath, unable to resist. Yami glared at him but Bakura was more interested in the creatures in front of him as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle talked in an undertone, standing well away from Bakura. Yugi couldn't hear what they were saying but he was sure it wasn't anything good.
"Yer always wait for the Hippogriff to make the first move," Hagrid continued, "It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yer bow and yer wait. If he bows back, yer allowed to touch him. If he doesn' bow then get away from him pretty sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Right, who wants to go first?"
"I will." Two voices said, Hagrid looked over, beaming at the pair.
"Good on yer both. Harry, yeh first, let's see how yer get on with Buckbeak." Hagrid untied one of the chains and pulled the grey Hippogriff away from his fellows and slipped off the leather collar. Malfoy's eyes narrowed maliciously while Bakura was wearing a look that Yami recognised from somewhere. "Easy now Harry," Hagrid said, "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not to blink… Hippogriffs don't trust you if you blink too much…" Buckbeak turned his great, sharp head, and was staring at Harry with one piercing orange eye. "That's it, that's it Harry… now bow…" Harry gave a short bow and quickly looked up. Buckbeak was still staring at harry, Hagrid broke the nervous silence, "Ah… right, back away. Now, Harry, easy does it…"
Then, to everyone's surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly sank into an unmistakable bow. "Well done, Harry!" Right… yeh can touch him! Pet his beak, go on!" As Harry petted the Hippogriff the class broke into applause, all except Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. "Righ' then Harry! I reckon he migh' let yer ride him! Yeh, climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint, an' mind yer don't pull any o' the his feathers, he won' like that…"
The class watched as Buckbeak took off, circling around the paddock, before landing again. "Good work Harry." Hagrid roared, "Now if the other volunteer will step forward…"
Bakura climbed over the paddock fence, pausing to smirk at Yami before he walked over to Hagrid. Yami suddenly remembered where he'd seen that look, it was the same look of longing that Bakura gave the Millennium items. Bakura approached a second Hippogriff, an inky black one, and bowed to it. Unlike Buckbeak, it didn't hesitate to bow and Bakura petted it.
"Ok, who else wants a go?" Hagrid asked as Bakura turned back to the class. The rest of the class climbed into the paddock. Harry watched Hermione and Ron practise on the chestnut as Yugi burst into giggles at the staring contest that had developed between Yami and the bronze Hippogriff.
"This is very easy." Yugi heard Malfoy drawl as he calmed down, "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" He asked the Hippogriff, "Are you, you great ugly brute?"
The entire class jumped as a high pitched scream cut through the air. Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar, the group of dragons from earlier, attracted by the scream, forced Buckbeak to stay on the ground, while Hagrid got the collar on.
Malfoy was curled up on the ground, blood blossoming over his robes. "I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled, as the class pointed, "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
Bakura scowled at his 'brother', who was whimpering now, "It's just a little scratch," He pronounced, "I've been injured worse then that before."
"Yer not dyin'!" Said Hagrid, "Bakura's right. Someone open the gate… gotta get him outta here." Bakura had lost interest in Malfoy, he was too busy studying Buckbeak with the same look he'd been giving the whole group of Hippogriffs just minutes before. Harry saw that Malfoy's arm had a long, deep gash in it, as Hagrid ran, with Malfoy, up to the castle.
Yami waited behind as the rest of the class followed Hagrid at a walk. Yugi was walked around the outside of the paddock, Boh, bouncing along beside him, while Bakura was staring at Buckbeak from behind the fence. "Don't even think about it!" He told the Tomb Robber, Bakura turned to face him with a sly smirk on his face.
"Why, Pharaoh? What do you think, I'm thinking? I thought you wouldn't dirty yourself by looking in my mind." Bakura laughed, "Don't worry, Pharaoh, I won't do anything dangerous… it's not like I'll blow up the castle… today… thanks for the idea though." He said, then turned, "Crabbe, Goyle, come on, we have work to do." And Bakura marched them back to the castle while Yami watched them go.
"And how, exactly, did I give him the idea?" Yami asked, more to himself then to anyone in general. A laugh snapped him out of his confusion; Yugi was sat on the fence next to him.
I wouldn't even try to guess," Yugi said, continuing to laugh, "You can't be sure what goes on in his mind."
"Well there is a way to find out…" Yami started.
"Yami!" Yugi said, sounding slightly peeved, "I don't think you should use the Millennium Eye to read Bakura's mind."
"So… are you talking to me again?" Yami asked as Yugi opened the mind link and they walked up to the castle.
"No," Yugi said with a mental giggle, "I'm thinking to you."
"Yami?"
'Yugi, how much chocolate did you eat during our lunch break?'
"None."
'I don't believe you.'
"Fine," Yugi said, shutting the mind link again, "I'll go talk to someone else." Yami started after him, wondering if other people got headaches from their friends. Maybe Madam Pomfrey will let me have a painkiller. He thought as he changed direction, heading for the hospital wing.
When Yugi joined his friends at the Gryffindor dinner table, Kari was the only one eating and even she wasn't eating as much as usual. "They wouldn't sack him, would they?" Hermione asked, anxiously.
"They can't." Joey said, poking his steak-and-kidney pudding.
"They'd better not!" Said Ron.
Harry was watching the Slytherin table, where he was sure they were cooking up their own version of events. To his surprise though, Bakura wasn't with them.
"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back." Ron said gloomily.
Yugi poked his pudding and it leaked gravy. He glared at it as if to say 'you're a pudding, start acting like it!' He sighed and pushed it away, deciding to stare at the ceiling where a few clouds were being chased around the sky.
After trying, and failing to do much of anything, the group, with some pointed comments from Hermione, tried to get started on their homework.
"Who's that?" Harry asked suddenly, looking out a window. Nearly everyone crowded around it, except for Hermione who looked out the window next to it.
"It's a student." Hermione stated. Kari snorted.
"Yeap, so that leaves only 800 people it could be." Ombre winced at the sarcasm in Kari's voice.
"Well," Hermione said defensively, "Who do you think it is?"
"It has to be someone from our class today," Yugi said, then looked around, "But all the Gryffindors are here."
"So it's a Slytherin." Yami stated.
"Maybe we should go investigate then." Joey said; Hermione shook her head.
"Wait a minute. I don't think that's a good idea." She said, glaring at Harry.
"I'm allowed to walk across the grounds." Harry said pointedly, "Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors here, has he?"
"And it's not like Harry will be alone, Hermione." Kari said, standing up, "Come on." She called as she headed out the portrait hole.
"Wait up!" Joey called after her as the rest of the group followed.
"Can't, we'll lose the Snake." Kari called as she dashed down the stairs, "Eeep!" There was a loud thud, "Ow…"
"Kari?" Ombre panicked as she rushed down.
"I'm ok." Kari laughed as she picked herself up, "I landed on my butt, come on, we wanna see what the Snake's up to." They were glad no one was around as they made their way down to the Main Entrance, as they were unsure if they were allowed to go out. By the time they got round to where the student had been, he… or she… was long gone.
"They're gone…" Yami growled, "We were too slow…"
"Sorry guys," Kari apologised, "We might as well see Hagrid now, since we came all this way. See if he's alright…"
They knocked on Hagrid's door and a voice growled, "C'min!" Hagrid had been drinking, but sounded a bit cheerier then they'd expected. "Sorry abou' the firs' lesson. Jus' thought it would make a good start, after Malfoy… I've been gien a warning." He said gloomily.
"How is Malfoy?" Ron asked.
"Good news about that. That Bakura's a good sport. Dunno why you lot complain abou' 'im so much. He came down ter see me just so he could tell me how Draco's getting on, and to check up on Buckbeak." Hagrid told them.
"Bakura. Was. Here." Yami said, biting the words.
"Yeah. Said his brother often made a fuss, often abou' nothing. Said Draco likes being the centre of attention and would probably moan for days if he's allowed to."
"Bakura. Was. Here." Yami repeated, not believing his ears.
"More importantly, why is he being nice?" Ombre asked.
"Well you know those Slytherins, they enjoy tormenting you Gryffindors at any chance they get, but us teachers are above that."
The group conferred, was Hagrid blind? Anyone could see the house heads took it very seriously.
"Bakura. Was. Here."
"Hello? Earth to Yami?" Joey said as Yugi poked the stunned Pharaoh.
"Bakura… was here… and being… nice?"
"I think this'll take a while." Yugi sighed.
"Wha' do yer mean?" Hagrid asked.
"It'll take a while for it to sink in." Joey added helpfully.
"Right." Hagrid nodded, "Well, I think I've had enough to drink…" Hagrid got up and walked out the door.
What's he doing?" Yugi asked as Hermione went over to the door.
"Hagrid stuck his head in the water barrel." Hermione replied.
Hagrid walked back in, his long hair and beard soaking wet, and he was wiping water from his eyes. "Tha' better," He said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all, "Listen, it was really good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really…" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realised he was there.
"WHAT DO YER THINK YER DOING?" Hagrid roared so suddenly that they all jumped, "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WONDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN' YOU LOT SHOUDN' LET HIM!" Hagrid grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to the door, "C'mom." Hagrid said angrily, "I'm taking yer back up ter school, an' don' let me catch yer walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!" As Hagrid marched them back up to the school, Yami was still in shock.
He repeated his last sentiment, "Bakura was here… and being nice?" several times but the gang had decided to let him come to terms with it on his own. The front door opened and a very angry Professor McGonagall was standing on the threshold as they reached the castle.
"Thank you, Hagrid, for bringing these troublemakers back." She said, glaring at the group, "I'll make sure they get back to their dorms." She continued and finally looked at Hagrid, "Good god, man, go and dry yourself off, what did you do? Fall in the lake?"
Hagrid blushed at this statement, "Well, um, right you are Professor." He walked off, not looking back.
"Detention for you lot, I think. Tuesday evening, I'm sure I can find something to torture you with…" She lectured them all the way to the Gryffindor Common Room. "I'm disappointed in you all. You know there's a dangerous criminal on the loose, and what if a Dementor saw you wondering off?" She continued in this vein for quite some time.
After they had settled down for the night, with Yami acting like a zombie and repeatedly saying, 'Bakura was being nice?' Everyone did eventually fall asleep, Yami last of all, muttering, "What is he after?"
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He walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest and wondered if the chill in the air was due solely to the lateness of the hour. If the truth was to be known he was tired, bone-tired. He had searched and searched for a way home and had come up with nothing, and now the others were beginning to believe they didn't want to go home.
He felt such a powerful need for home, where the magics felt old and familiar, and where he didn't have to do anything, he simply had to be. But now this new place was beginning to feel like home, and he wondered if (no not if, never if), when they returned home would it still be home?
Normally when he patrolled he buzzed with ideas, always searching, always thinking. But now he was chewing over a new concept, or at least new to him. Where was home? So many places called to him now, but none of them felt like home… except he had called here home. He hadn't even thought about it until hours after it occurred, he had called Hogwarts home. The others had been doing it for months; Mana had started to call this new place home within a fortnight of getting their own rooms. Kisara hadn't, but would he have noticed? It wasn't like that painfully high and mighty dragon actually talked to him.
Mahado checked his surrounding again; he was almost to the lake. Nothing would happen tonight. But it could. His conscience whispered in his head, and you wouldn't notice it because you are too deep within your own thoughts. He hushed it, knowing he would notice something if anything truly threatened the school, he had too many protection and warning spells active upon the place, all neatly woven in or tapped into the school's own network, wizards had been building those protections for a thousand years.
He went back to his original question; 'Do I still want to go home?' And a part of him didn't. He felt so real here, more human than he had done in centuries. Things happened here. His memories of the past year were so vivid, so filled with colour and light. His other memories all seemed so dark compared, like he had been living in shadows. He almost laughed at this, he was the Dark Magician, and where else would he live? His power came from the darkness.
Kuriboh should be coming on duty now. Then he could almost hear Mana's voice in his head, His name is BOH! Use it; it won't unleash some deadly force upon the world. Mahado lifted his eyes to the castle's eastern towers, where the young dragon known now as 'No' normally stood sentry duty. Mahado always watched the dragonet wing his way to bed, if that dragon ever went astray he knew exactly who would get the blame for it.
He saw the small body gain height, circling around and around… Why was he climbing so much? Mahado didn't even dare claim he knew anything about flying (since last time he dared he had had to go into hiding for several months, dragons could hold a grudge) but No had never needed to fly this high before just to get to the duel monster tower. Mahado had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what No had planned. The real only question that concerned him was what should he do? He could well imagine Kisara's reaction if he so much as talked to one of her hatchlings, let alone start ordering it around. However if he did nothing… and the dragonet got hurt… Mahado winced, his well developed mind presenting him with a image of Kisara's reaction, then there was the third option, let No get into trouble then bail him out and make him promise not to tell, which wouldn't work since Boh would see the entire thing since he's on sentry duty and Boh has yet to keep a secret longer than a week.
As Mahado considered his options, No dived, and Mahado paled. He knew exactly where No was going. Dementors… The youngling was an idiot.
Mahado ran, tapping into the shadows to give him extra speed so that it seemed like a purple blur sped away the lawn. The shadows are stronger. He thought, they have been growing stronger for a while now, why haven't I noticed it before?
He was too late. A small greyish shape lay upon the floor, Dementors surrounding it, feeding off it… him. Wait. They are still feeding off him, he must be still alive.
"Get away from him." Mahado commanded, drawing himself up to his full height. Whispers began to fill his mind, draining him and for a moment he faltered.
Despair. Sorrow. Hate.
Kisara.
Mahado swung up his staff. They were too much like the shadows for him to fall completely under their power. He smiled cruelly. The Dementors were mere shadows compared to a Real Shadow Game. Dark magic flowed from his staff, driving back the cloaked figures from the small frail looking dragon on the ground.
"No. Get behind me." The dragonet eyes flickered open, widening in surprise when he saw his rescuer… Hesitating. "Now!" Mahado commanded firmly.
No crawled behind Mahado, his wings hanging limply. Was he hurt? Or just exhausted? Mahado backed away slowly, making sure to keep himself between No and the Dementors, and keeping his staff trained on one or the other of the Dementors at a time. They didn't fear his magic, but they were wary of it.
After what seemed like an era or five then reached the gates, and Mahado pulled at a strand of magic causing the gates to close in front of them. Mahado wondered if it would be becoming his stature to grin in front of a dragon. It had been a minor victory over the Dementors. Then Mahado remembered Kisara. She would kill him if she ever found out about this.
A small "Thanks" seemed to escape the youngling, and Mahado considered him carefully.
"Go to bed No… and don't tell your mother what happened tonight."
The young dragon looked up suddenly as if startled… or surprised with something suspiciously like hope in his eyes, "You won't tell my mother what happened tonight? Will you?"
"I have no desire to die anytime soon, so no. I won't tell your mother what happened. You have my word, may I have yours?"
The youngling giggled nervously. "But what about Boh?"
"Well I do have a plan…" Mahado began.
Kisara just wouldn't understand.
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The next morning everyone was digging into breakfast after fasting last night. Yugi decided to bring up last night. "So what do you think Bakura was doing at Hagrid's last night?"
"Bakura was at Hagrid's?" Yami asked, looking confused and the entire group gave him a disbelieving look.
"Yeah, you remember?" Yugi asked, "We saw someone going down to Hagrid's." Yami nodded, "Figured it was a Slytherin." Again Yami nodded, "But he was gone when we got there," Yami's nod was uncertain this time, "And Hagrid said Bakura had been down to see him and was being nice for once." Yami stared at him.
"Bakura. Was. Being. Nice?" Everyone groaned and Yugi banged his head on the table.
"I don't think Yami can dead with the idea." Hermione put in but by the end of first lesson, Yami was back to normal.
However, at lunch, Joey brought the subject up, "So Pegasus was helpful over the Summer, Kaiba brought Yami a broomstick and Bakura was nice to Hagrid. Do you think the world is ending… again?"
"Wait a second… Bakura was being nice?" Yami said and Yugi groaned.
"JOEY!" Kari shouted. Luckily Yami had reverted back to normal by the end of lunch.
Then dinner came around and Yugi said in a hushed voice, "Do NOT mention a certain someone, behaving in a certain way last night, ok?"
Yami heard him and asked, What person, doing what last night?" Ombre and Kari shared a glance and jumped on Joey before he could reply.
"Bakura was being nice last night." Ron said, paying more attention to his roast potatoes then the glares he was receiving.
Yami looked around at his friends, "I don't believe you." He said, in denial.
"Come on guys," Yugi sighed, "We have detention with Professor McGonagall in ten minutes."
"We have detention?" Yami asked.
"Yeah, you know, we got caught coming back from Hagrid's."
"We didn't go to Hagrid's last night, I think I would remember."
Kari rolled her eyes and grabbed Yami's arm, "Denial." She said in a sing song voice as she dragged Yami to detention.