Harry Potter: Raised By Roses

Chapter Fifty-Four: Ancient Cultures

(AN: This chapter is inspired by the anime of Yu-Gi-Oh and Cardfight Vanguard. It's two of my favorite anime of all time. There are also connections to the show Once Upon A Time.)

"Have you guys ever heard of Duel Monsters," Percy asked the trio the week as they all sat down to breakfast.

"Give me a minute to finish my Greek yogurt parfait and I will think about it," Krinos said.

"And I will finish my Tiropita or there will be Hades to pay," Harry says. "No one gets between me and my cheese."

"Only if they have a death wish," Melody giggled.

"The last time someone took away your cheese, you chased them out of the hall while channeling a tiger," Hailey laughed.

Krinos's parfait was one of his favorite things for breakfast. He generally layered strawberries and raspberries with Greek yogurt, which to him was just yogurt, and some sweetened ricotta cheese as well. If he wanted it to be sweeter, he would add some chocolate to the cheese and make it almost like a cannoli parfait with fruit.

Tiropita or tyropita is a Greek pastry made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with a cheese-egg mixture. It is served either in an individual-size free-form wrapped shape or as a larger pie that is portioned. When made with kasseri cheese, it may be called kasseropita. Since it included a lot of cheese, it was obviously one of Harry's favorite things for breakfast.

Where Harry got his love of cheese was still a mystery, but since Greek feta is one of the best-known cheeses in the world, they do not question it. Everyone has their tastes in food, anyway.

"What is with you and the jungle cats, anyway," White asked. "I know I tend to favor my black dahlia panther form, but you always tend to channel jungle cats. Lions, tigers, panthers, pumas, cheetahs."

"I even once saw you channel a mountain lion just to take a nap on a rock," Sofia remembered.

"What," Harry shrugged. "Mountain lions are the best animal for rock naps."

"Almost makes you think you may have a crush on T'challa," Abby giggled.

"Oh, do the twins have some competition," Percy smirked, forgetting his question for a second.

"Hades, no," both Harry and T'challa immediately protested.

"I love T'challa, but he is more of an honorary brother," Harry said.

"Harry is correct," T'challa agreed. "I have never had any romantic feelings for him. We are brothers, but just not as much as him and Krinos."

"Correct," Krinos said. "The spot of Harry Potter-Gardna's brother is filled and will not be taken by anyone else. At least not until Melody and I marry and he gains some brothers-in-law."

"I pity any girl that tries to ask you out," Hestia stated. "They will be in for the shock of their lives."

The healer laughed at her own joke.

"I am proud to be gay and if anyone ever has a problem with that, they will suddenly find themselves up to their necks in poison ivy," Krinos says.

"I am suddenly very glad to have you as a friend and not an enemy," T'challa chuckled.

"Most mystic souls are," Krinos smirked.

"So, what is it about this Duel Monsters thing, Percy," Hailey asked their British friend.

"I was helping Professor Milki was having me help him with some artifacts he had from his last trip to Egypt," Percy explained. "Some of them were old stone tablets that he had been translating. Most of them had been talking about an ancient magical game that the pharaohs had once used on the worst criminals of the magical world. It was said that the criminals would have a chance to use this game to duel for their freedom, but the pharaoh never lost a single match."