FOREWORD

People who have kept an eye on my sample chapters and abandoned story archive The Cauldron will have noticed the first two chapters of a Harry Potter/Yu-Gi-Oh! Crossover. Named Shadows Games and Philosopher's Stones, it was going to be the first part of a massive saga that spanned at least up to Fourth Year. But when I first wrote the story two years ago, I lost interest. I only posted the two chapters because it was an interesting work anyway that I thought some people might enjoy.

The response was surprising, and people wanted me to actually start writing the story in earnest. Sadly, I have no more interest in writing First Year stories, despite some of the interesting ideas I had for blending the two universes. I had also lost interest in doing Harry Potter fanfics, given that there's only so many stories you can do.

And yet, the concept of doing a crossover never really went away, and inspiration struck. This, then, is set well after canon of the Potterverse, with Harry being in his twenties, though while things have mostly gone to canon plot, Harry is not with Ginny, nor is he an Auror on the make. Instead, he's a Cursebreaker and single…though it won't be for long. I had this weird idea of shipping Harry with Mai.

This story will be more based on the manga than the anime most know. There will be references to the anime, and even a blend of some of the plot elements and setpieces, as well as some usage of the dub names (Mai will be Mai Valentine here, though there will be a reference to her Japanese name of Kujaku). Oh, and there WILL be references to Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series.

Incidentally, the title means 'fire tests gold', a reference to the refining of character, though Harry's already gone through that.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and Yu-Gi-Oh!

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, and sexual references, as well as dark themes. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and Yu-Gi-Oh! are the property of their respective owners. Please, support the official release. Otherwise, Melvin will give you a hug…with a chainsaw.