Disclaimer: I'm getting a bit tired of having to disclaim two fandoms every chapter, so this is a blanket disclaimer for the whole story. Harry Potter is copyrighted JK Rowling. YuGiOh is copyrighted Kazuki Takahashi. I own nothing. I am making no profit from this fanfiction, bar my own personal practise and enjoyment.

Summary: YGOHP. The Orichalcos has fallen, but it has not vanished. The Duel Monsters World Championships are upon our heroes and Voldemort's uprising begins again. But who is the mysterious Dark One aiding him?

A/N: Its back!

Yeah, I know. I said I'd be gone a year. It's been...almost four years. I'm not proud of myself. I actually don't have much of an excuse for this thing languishing in development hell for about two of those years. If you want a full list of excuses, PM me, but otherwise it doesn't really matter. The important thing is that the story is here now.

When I first posted the last story I was nineteen and I'd just started the big scary world of university. Now I'm twenty four, I've got a Bachelors degree in Media Studies, a Masters in Creative Writing and I went into a job that involves neither of those subjects – and let me tell you, that's the real big scary world.

I just hope I can be adult enough to finish what I've started.

So, excuses aside, welcome everyone to the sequel of Witches Wizards Shadows and Souls.

The loose ends from the first story will be tied up, and hopefully I'll give everyone a few surprises. One change in particular will be the length of this story. I've plotted for around twenty five chapters (give or take, as the ending is still being written), which is shorter than the original. That shouldn't be too surprising as the timeframe of this story is much shorter than the first one, which was spanned over a year. Updates will be every two weeks.

Second, there are more characters in this story, purely because I'm bringing more of the YuGiOh world to the Harry Potter characters, unlike the last story where I was sticking the YuGiOh characters into the Harry Potter world. Hopefully it works well and won't be too confusing.

Thirdly – and I can't believe I'm saying this – I am letting my fluff muses out for just a little bit. You saw hinting in the last story, and I can safely say I will be shipping in this story, but it will not be the main focus. My characters have more important things going on than their love lives and I make a point of never sacrificing plot for pairings unless I'm writing a romance fic (which I don't do often – I'm rubbish at romance).

Fourthly – duelling. Given the settings of this story it would be impractical not to have duels, and there will be more than in the previous story. But you'll be pleased to know I'm not covering every second of every duel that happens to be mentioned – just the important ones. I know duelling doesn't appeal to all of my readers, but I do feel that it wouldn't be a Yu-Gi-Oh fic without at least one children's card game. That said, the real life rules apply to duels in this fic – so we start from 8000 life points and card effects are real life, save for any custom or anime cards. The only exception is Card of Sanctity, which follows its anime ruling.

On the subject of duelling, I have three people to thank in particular. My friend ardee, my brother MichaelDJ54, and my boyfriend 7th Librarian – three highly talented writers in their own right, and who I'm honoured to know and work with. Thank you so much for your help guys. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.

Finally, I need to thank Isis the Sphinx. Most betas would throw up their hands in disgust over the level of procrastination I've achieved. But you haven't, and I owe you a great deal for sticking with me. So thanks dear.

I believe that concludes this monumental authors note, so let's get this show on the road!

OOO

Chapter 1: Don't Forget

Cali Hudge screamed again as pain wracked her petite form. Her captors circled her like birds of prey, their wands drawn; their faces alight with malice. She whimpered as the spell ceased its rampage, and she hung against her restraints, trembling and sobbing from a combination of shock and self-disgust.

Her memory of the past half a year was one giant gap, punctuated by small slices of recollection that struck her occasionally. She remembered everything up until the Easter holidays. She remembered being attacked, beaten and then the strangest feeling of floating away, surrendering control of her body and just going to sleep. She had vague flashes of her school and glowing green stones, which danced before her like slivers of a broken mirror.

And then she had come back to herself, only to find she was bound before a group of Death Eaters who were blaming her and the magic she wielded on their Master's disappearance. She was bewildered. She didn't know what magic they meant. Her sense of time was hazy after four and a half months under the Imperious curse, and now she was in pain. She was in no state to comprehend what they were saying.

The little whispering voice in her head was however, and it was this that frightened her the most.

"Poor, pretty little pawn. Does it hurt pretty one?"

"Y-yes…please…make it stop…"

"But why would I do that?" the voice crooned. "You deserve this pain for all that you have done."

The girl froze.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't remember pretty pawn? I'm not surprised. My other pawn's magic was very useful for controlling your every thought. Let me remind you."

The next round of crucio was administered, but Cali barely noticed it. She had gone beyond the pain, retreating far into her own mind as she relived the acts she had committed under the Imperious curse and her exposure to the Orichalcos.

"Those people…" she choked. "Their souls…I…oh God!"

"You set the stones in the school," the voice hissed, in a sing song voice. "You stood by as those Aurors were attacked. And then you took the stones and put them back in the castle, all for me…such a good, pretty pawn."

"I…I," Cali sobbed for herself now. "I never meant to…"

"But you did," the voice taunted. "You are a monster, pretty pawn…not as much as my other pawn, for he truly was a monster. But you are an easily manipulated, scared little girl, who has hurt so many people…that is a monster."

Cali cried, tears flooding down her cheeks. This was worse pain than any torture the Death Eaters could put her through.

"Time to go to sleep pretty pawn," the voice soothed. "It's been nice, but you've outlived your usefulness."

Cali's eyes slid closed, and she knew no more.

The Death Eaters were confused as to the girl's sudden stillness, until the Seal of Orichalcos flared to life on her forehead. All of them raised their wands, ready to fight, but the voice that hissed from the small girl was not her normal nervous cry.

"Fools! Your Master rots in the depths of the Shadow Realm!"

One Death Eater stepped forwards. "Who are you that dares mock our Lord?!"

The voice laughed, throwing back Cali's head. The girl's eyes were white and the Seal glowed brighter."

"I am the magic of Atlantis! And you made a mistake when you chose me for power! The Orichalcos always wins!"

The mad cackling frightened every Death Eater present, and the one who had stepped forwards, waved his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Cali's body crumpled to the ground like a rag doll, and the Seal faded from her forehead as the magic left its vessel, leaving a used, broken and beaten girl in its wake.

OOO

Dear Yugi

Eight days and counting (though by the time you get this it'll probably be one day), and then I'll be gone from the Dursley's forever. A few friends of Dumbledore's are coming to get me. I won't say exactly what time in case this letter goes astray.

I'm staying with Ron until its time for the Championships. Hermione is trying to sort out accommodation for us. We'll let you know where we're staying closer to the time. I can't wait to see you guys again, and meet the rest of your friends (properly this time). I've enclosed the language patches for everyone – A friend of Dumbledore's, Mad-Eyed Moody, managed to get them for me. There's one for everyone who can't speak English.

I've been writing to Ryou since he got back. Things seem stable – his father hasn't found out about Ryou's significant other, if you get my meaning. He sounds a bit depressed actually. He must really miss you guys. I haven't heard from Malik since he went back to Luxor, but obviously Hedwig can't be two places at once, so I haven't been able to write to him.

Hermione says she's finished all the set homework for this year (Ron says she's mad). She is coming with the others to pick me up – it'll be a lot easier when I'm seventeen and I can apparate. That reminds me – since its Ryou's birthday in just over a month, and since you guys aren't coming back to Hogwarts, Ron, Hermione and I have decided to club together and get him something. We'll give it to him before the end of the World Championships.

Taiyo is getting impatient, so I'll finish this up. I'll see you on the first of August!

All the best.

Harry.

OOO

Yugi grinned and allowed Taiyo to nip his finger, as the barn owl regained his energy after his exhausting trip half way around the world and back. The letter was gripped between his thumb and middle finger, as the owl bit down gently on his index before returning to the water bowl. In Yugi's other hand, a curious voice was radiating from the phone.

"Yugi? Yugi? Are you still there?"

"Sorry Tea," Yugi apologised, placing the letter on the desk and turning back to his bed, upon which sat a half open suitcase, with most of the contents strewn around the blanket and pillow. Said contents were clothes for the most part, along with a couple of books on ancient Egyptian history, a duel disk, and a golden box with hieroglyphs on it, which was also open to reveal a small stack of playing cards.

"Its okay," the perky brunette on the end of the line said. "I was just worried – it's not like you to be silent for two minutes straight. I thought Yami had blown up the toaster or something."

Yugi laughed, remembering the fate that the microwave had suffered the previous week at the hands of his technologically inept darker half. "No he's downstairs shutting up the shop with Joey, and trying to figure out a Rubix cube Grandpa gave him. He reckons he can crack it before dinner. I was quiet because Taiyo just got back."

Tea's voice changed from curious to excited. "Oh good! How is everyone?"

"Fine from the sounds of it," Yugi said. "Harry's bored, but he's getting away from his relatives in a few days. He and Hermione are going to Ron's for Harry's birthday and then they're coming to London to see us."

Tea sounded cheered. "It'll be great to see them again. Especially under less trying circumstances."

Yugi winced, remembering the first time his friends from Domino had met his British friends, had been when Harry, Ron and Hermione had burst through the Ishtar's fireplace with news of Hogwarts being attacked.

"Yeah not the most suitable situation to meet people in," he agreed. "Speaking of London though, are you packed?"

"No!" came Tea's frustrated voice. "I just can't decide what to take and what to leave behind! I've never been to England, and I have no idea what the weather is going to do!"

"Pack for four seasons," Yugi said immediately.

"Are you sure?" Tea asked. "I mean it'll save me a lot of space if I can just…"

"Tea, trust me," Yugi said patiently. "It's England. Pack for four seasons."

Tea sighed. "I need some female friends. You boys don't get how hard it is for a girl to fit all she needs in one suitcase."

"You'll have Mai to talk to when we get to London," Yugi reminded her. "And Serenity. And Rebecca."

"Yeah, I guess," Yugi could tell from Tea's voice that she was not thrilled at spending time with Rebecca. He knew exactly why – the last time they had seen the eleven year old child genius at the KC Championships, she had had an unhealthy love of clinging to Yugi and proclaiming to the world that they were dating, much to Yugi's mortification and Tea's jealousy.

"And there's Hermione," Yugi added. "You'll be fine for female companionship. We're all going to have a great time!"

"Yeah," Tea sounded cheerful now. "It'll be great to see Ryou and Malik again too."

Yugi smiled. Malik had finally moved back to Luxor a few weeks after the end of the summer term at Domino High school. The Ishtars were back where they belonged now, though they still kept in close touch. Malik had been invited to the World Championships after one of the contestants had dropped out. The same was true of Ryou. Though they had not competed in any of the continental tournaments this year due to Hogwarts, they were still considered the fifth and fourth best duellists in the world since they had never officially lost their titles.

Ryou himself had stayed in Domino until two weeks previously before flying back to Britain to spend time with his father while he was on his recovery leave. Despite the excitement their friend had originally felt however, Yugi knew Ryou was not having a good time. His father was still burying himself in the paperwork that seemed to have multiplied during his coma, and Ryou was lonely and desperate for the World Championships to begin so that he could see his friends again. Apparently even Bakura was miserable and it was taking every ounce of control Ryou had not to let his darker half go on a mad killing spree in his new solid form, just to keep himself entertained.

The solid forms had been a source of fascination, and testing over the holidays, as the bearers and the spirits of the Items had spent time trying to find out their limitations. Answers had been quick to come about. The solid forms Yami and Bakura could sustain, were amounts of Shadow and Wizard magic, which locked onto their souls and fleshed them out, rather like water filling a sponge. These 'bodies' could not be held indefinitely, and would vanish after twenty-four hours, at which time the spirits had to return to their soul rooms for rest. The spirits could willingly give them up whenever they wanted however, and they were still linked to their hikaris and still able to take their bodies over too, when not in solid form.

This had of course given Yami and Bakura a lot more freedom, and both enjoyed it immensely. Yami was taking advantage of being able to learn more about the present day – often with disastrous results when it came to household appliances. And Bakura was using the opportunity to make mischief. Though for the most part, both spirits had to be subtle, as doubles of people were not everyday occurrences. So far only Yugi's friends and his grandfather knew about Yami, and much to Ryou's relief, his father had so far remained clueless about Bakura's existence.

"Yugi?"

"Hmm? Oh sorry Tea." Yugi blushed a furious shade of red, and was grateful that Tea could not see him.

"Am I distracting you?" his childhood friend asked.

"No," Yugi shook his head, his eyes landing on his open suitcase. "I was just thinking I should finish packing too if I want to be able to get to my bed tonight…" his eyes gleamed suddenly and he grinned. "Hey. Fancy a race?"

Tea laughed. "You're turning packing into a game, Yugi?"

"Why not?" Yugi asked, his cheeks flushing slightly. "It'll get it finished faster."

"SUCCESS!" Came a triumphant yell from downstairs, and Yugi clapped a hand over his free ear.

"Ow…" from the sounds of it, Tea had heard the exclamation on the other end of the line. "I take it Yami has finished his Rubix cube?"

"From the sounds of it," Yugi winced, rubbing his head before switching over to the mind-link. /Yami, you're shouting/

/Sorry Aibou/ the Pharaoh quietened down. /Joey's locking up and I've just finished cashing the till. Are you still on the phone with Tea? Its been almost an hour?/

/It has?/ Yugi checked his watch and gulped. /Whoops! I didn't notice!/

/Enjoying yourself much?/ Yami smirked. Yugi blew a mental raspberry.

/Go back to celebrating Pharaoh/

Tea was chuckling.

"Okay Yugi, I'm game. Since all I need to do is choose which clothes to leave behind and repack, I'm sure I can win this one!"

Yugi was grinning wider now. "We'll see. Whoever packs slowest has to buy the other a drink when we get to Britain."

"I'm not legal in Britain until two weeks after the end of the World Championships," Tea reminded him.

"Okay, I'm buying, you're paying me back," Yugi shrugged.

"That's if you win Yugi," Tea smirked.

"I'll win," Yugi said confidently. "I promise you that."

"Well then I'll see you tomorrow morning!" Tea said. "Sleep well. And happy packing!"

"Bye Tea! Game start!" Yugi proclaimed as he made to hang up. He heard Tea laughing as the line went dead.

"So you were enjoying yourself?" Came a smug voice from the doorway. Yugi turned to see his darker half framed there, his arms folded and a smirk on his face. Yugi's face went cherry red.

"Quite Other Me," he scolded. Yami chuckled and tossed a small complete Rubix cube idly in his hands. Teasing his Aibou was so much fun.

"Are we all set for tomorrow?"

"Not really," Yugi said honestly, picking up his clothes and throwing them into his case.

"Don't forget to pack the disk," Yami reminded him.

"No way!" Yugi said, throwing said Duel Disk into the suitcase on top of a pile of underwear. "Kaiba would never let us live it down!"

The phone rang again. Assuming it to be Tea, calling to tell him something she had forgotten, Yugi picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"I'm not finished yet Tea, and I refuse to believe you have too."

"Do I sound like your girlfriend, Midget?!"

Yugi blushed heavily.

"Bakura!" he dropped his voice and tried to sound less mortified. "Tea is not my girlfriend!"

"Coulda fooled me," Came the irritated reply. "Is his Royal Shortness there?"

Yami, who had heard all this through the open mind-link, strode towards the phone and took it from Yugi.

"Don't insult us, Thief," he snapped. "What do you want?"

"Information," Bakura got straight to the point. "Who aside from the old man –"

"Professor Dumbledore, Bakura," Ryou corrected immediately. From the sounds of it, the phone was on speaker.

"Yes, him," Bakura amended. "Who else knew we were the ones who took down the Leviathan?"

Yami frowned. "The school faculty were informed of course, and all the members of the DA are aware, but they don't know how we did it. The teachers know we used our own magic, but they don't know the exact details either. Why?"

"The Daily Prophet this morning," Bakura said, and there was a rustle of paper on the other end, that indicated the thief had just picked the aforementioned item up. "Page one had details on the latest attack on St Mungos…"

"Another one," Yami sighed, and Yugi looked horrified. The Death Eaters had been keeping up a stream of small attacks on public places recently, presumably reminding everyone that they were still alive. Not two weeks ago Kings Cross had been attacked at rush hour, causing hundreds of casualties.

"Ra spare those poor people."

"Will you let me finish?" Bakura snapped petulantly. "Page one was all about the attack, but page two column four was the last of the trials for the Death Eaters at Hogwarts, and then page three was all about the investigation."

Yami groaned.

"So they're actually investigating?" Yugi asked, taking the phone from his dark and putting it on speaker so he didn't have to eavesdrop through the mind-link.

"Unfortunately yes," Bakura said. "And worse, I've been poking around some of my contacts, and someone in the DA mentioned the duel monsters running around collecting the Orichalcos stones. And since we're the ones that introduced them to the school in the first place, they're investigating us now too."

"Who blabbed?" Yugi asked.

"No idea," Ryou chimed in. "That's what me and Bakura are going to find out tonight."

"And you're going to do this how?" Yami asked, his eyebrows arching above crimson eyes. Yugi liked his darker half's eyes. Yami and Bakura's solid forms were supposedly replicas of how they had looked five thousand years ago (minus the tan because they had been trapped in the darkness for five thousand years). Thus Yami was a few inches taller than Yugi, with hair that was almost identical, only with blonde shooting through his spikes instead of flopping down in his face. His eyes were narrower than Yugi's, but like Bakura's they were red. Yugi knew that Yami's eyes had been purple in his past life, and Bakura's blue, but both of them were red now, almost as a permanent reminder of their past sins.

"Break into the Ministry?" Yugi suggested.

"No way!" Ryou sounded horrified and Bakura laughed.

"Good idea Shrimp, but not nearly so crude. We're heading for Knockturn Alley to see if we can dig up any information. I have a few acquaintances I can check in with."

"You didn't waste any time making friends," Yami summarised.

"I wouldn't say friends," Bakura said in an offhand manner. "But information is a useful weapon, especially when you are dealing with a world so seeped in shady dealings."

"Well be careful," Yugi cautioned. "We'd like to see you both at the World Championships in one piece."

"So you can lose to us in a defeat so humiliating that you will retire from duelling permanently?" Bakura asked hopefully.

"Go jump in front of a bus Bakura," Yami said, before turning and leaving the room.

/I'm going to see Joey off/ he informed his hikari.

/Got it/ Yugi nodded. He knew Joey was heading to the station to pick Serenity up. She and her brother were staying the night with Yugi before they headed off the next morning.

"I'm sorry Yugi," Ryou took the phone.

"Don't worry about it," Yugi shrugged. "I've got used to Bakura now – so much in fact I think I would be worried if he wasn't insulting us…so how are things with you?"

"Good," Ryou said, his voice falsely cheerful. It didn't fool Yugi at all.

"No Ryou, how are things really?"

There was a long pause, and then a sigh on the other end.

"Stressful," the white haired hikari admitted. "I'm so glad we're heading for the Championships in two days. I don't think I could hold Bakura back from causing chaos for too much longer. I'm glad in a way we decided to go to London today – he's got the chance to sneak around with a legitimate reason."

"What are you doing awake so early anyway?" Yugi asked checking his watch. It was ten minutes past six in the evening in Japan, which meant in England it was… "Its ten past six in the morning for you."

"I can't sleep in this house," Ryou admitted. "Too many memories."

Yugi felt a wave of sympathy. He knew Ryou and his father were staying in their old family home, the place Ryou had lived before the Ring had come to him and he had been forced to move to Japan. It must have a lot of memories of his mother and sister before they died.

"And besides," Ryou continued briskly. "It's probably a good thing – father is still sleeping, so Bakura doesn't have to worry so much about getting caught."

"He still doesn't know?" Yugi asked.

"No and it's going to stay that way," Ryou said firmly. "It would go down like a sack of bricks on a mouse. Even if he did believe it, he would never be able to accept it. He's an academic, and spirits possessing teenagers does not conform to any known physical laws."

/Academic?!/ Bakura snorted. /Your father is a glorified tomb robber!/

/Pot kettle black, Thief King/ Ryou spat back irritably. He was getting annoyed with Bakura's constant jabs at his only living relative.

"I suppose you do have to see it to believe it," Yugi agreed. "The only reason Grandpa was not surprised was because he's the one that studied the Shadow Games and found the Puzzle in the first place."

"Well father won't be finding out," Ryou repeated. "So long as Bakura doesn't draw attention to himself – again – we will be fine."

/That wasn't my fault Ryou!/

/Tell that to the bar staff at the Royal Oak!/ Ryou retorted, referring to an incident a week past when Bakura had wound up in a fight at a local pub, and almost got himself arrested.

/I am no stranger to bar fights Hikari/ Bakura said patiently.

/Yes but you are a stranger to modern police, and I'd like it to stay that way!/

"You will be," Yugi assured him. "And we'll see you in a couple of days. We're going to have a blast in London!"

"I hope so," Ryou agreed. "It seems every tournament we go to winds up in disaster."

"Don't worry," Yugi grinned. "I've had Rebecca check all the competitors for me, and none of them have any connections to Egypt, the Orichalcos or Death Eaters. Everyone has clean records, and the two that dropped out did so for legitimate reasons. It should be a good, fun tournament if all goes well."

"It'll be nice," Ryou acquiesced. "To have a game just for fun-"

He broke off suddenly and Yugi was surprised to hear a low "MROW!" from the other end of the line. Ryou huffed.

"Yes, yes Bastet. I'm coming...you'd better not pester Mrs Wilson like this when she comes to feed you next week. Grumpy puss..."

Yugi laughed. It sounded like someone was hungry. "You'd be a grumpy puss too if you looked like you'd swallowed a balloon! When's she due again?"

"Two weeks," Ryou reported. "But I don't care what the vet says. I don't think she's going to wait much longer." He sounded worried. "I hope she does hang on – I don't want her to have them while we're at the Championships –"

"MROW!"

"Alright!" Ryou sounded positively tetchy by this point, and Yugi heard him huffing as he moved to get food. "I'd better go feed her again before we go out."

"And I'd better finish packing," Yugi commented. "But I will see you in two days!"

"Bye Yugi."

Setting the phone back down on the table, Yugi turned back to his suitcase, putting his game face on as he remembered that he had a bet to win. Now what else hadn't he packed…

/Toothbrush Aibou/ Yami reminded.

"Oh yes!"

OOO

Harry Potter paced his room restlessly, the amber eyes of Hedwig fixed on his form. The snowy owl was most displeased about being shut in her cage, but Harry was too distracted to pay her any heed. There was a happy bubble in his stomach as he watched the hands of the clock tick slowly round, each one getting him a second closer to leaving Number Four.

He could hardly believe this day had come – it was July 30th and he was a day away from turning seventeen – a legal adult in the eyes of the wizarding world. There had been a time in his life when he had feared he would be doomed to stay in this house forever…or kicked out on the streets at sixteen and forced to survive on his own. Hogwarts might have brought its share of dangers into his life, but it had ultimately given him the ability to survive on his own.

On cue, the doorbell rang and the bellowing voice of his uncle echoed up the staircase, making the door rattle slightly.

"BOY! GET THE DOOR!"

Beaming, Harry shot down the stairs, almost ploughing over Dudley, who looked surprised to see his cousin so keen to answer the door. Harry wrenched it open and was immediately tackled by a mane of bushy brown hair.

"Harry! It's so good to see you!"

Harry laughed and hugged Hermione tighter. Behind him, Dudley's jaw dropped open, and he waddled as fast as he could into the kitchen.

"Dad! It's his freak friends!"

Hermione heard this and released Harry, with a frown.

"Wow…Ron really wasn't kidding when he said they were rude!"

Harry grinned, and looked behind Hermione to see Mad-Eyed Moody and Remus Lupin standing in the doorway. Moody's head was flicking back and forth down the street as though he expected Death Eaters to jump out and attack any second. Remus was watching the scene in the hall with a face of amusement.

"Ready to go Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "Just need to get my trunk."

"Ah Mr. Dursley," Remus's voice was light and pleasant as Uncle Vernon appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, his face a furious purple. "Before we leave I should run over the safety precautions we shall be laying around your house…"

"S-safety precautions?" Uncle Vernon's voice was incredulous.

"Yes," Remus nodded simply. "Since Harry is moving out the protective charms around the house will break once he leaves so we are taking temporary measures to protect you and your family once he is gone…"

Vernon's bewilderment increased. "He's leaving?" There was now a significant note of hopefulness in that voice.

Resisting the urge to laugh at the stupefied expression on his uncle's face, Harry led Hermione upstairs to his room, which had been stripped bare of all his possessions, leaving only Dudley's old broken toys as the testament to the room's use.

"Wow…" Hermione remarked. "It's…"

"Small?" Harry chuckled. "You didn't believe Ron when he told you that either did you? Believe me it was smaller a week ago before I started packing. You would not believe the number of old Daily Prophets and lesson notes I threw out to make room in my trunk for everything."

Hedwig hooted as Hermione stroked her head before picking up the cage.

"I'll take Hedwig. Are you okay with your trunk?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded; taking the end and feeling six years worth of possessions weigh it down heavily. He hoped he could at least make it down the stairs without breaking his neck.

"I got a letter from Ryou yesterday," Hermoine said, as they went down the stairs. "It had all the details for where they're staying in London during the Championships."

"No room for us?" Harry asked hopefully, feeling his trunk jerk with each step. "Or are we staying at the Burrow and commuting to London each day?"

"No room at the hotel," Hermione shook her head. "Each competitor is only allowed one guest, and with all their friends it's going to be a big group."

"So we are commuting in?" Harry asked, feeling a slight sense of dread.

"No need. I've booked us all rooms at the Leaky Cauldron," Hermione said. "I was lucky to get them too. I didn't realise just how popular Duel Monsters had got in the Wizarding World, but Yugi, Ryou and Malik really started something big while they were at Hogwarts. The Leaky Cauldron was almost booked up. People have been trying to get last minute tickets so they can go watch."

Harry was impressed. In just a year, their friends had started a popular trend. But it was not just the Wizarding World. He knew for a fact that Dudley had recently got into the game as well, and the local newsagents had just started selling booster packs. After several years in Japan and the United States, it looked as though Duel Monsters was finally hitting Britain, and it couldn't have hit at a better time.

By the door, Remus had finished explaining the new protection spells that were being set up around the house, and Uncle Vernon's face had gone from purple to a more normal tone, now that it was clear that Harry was leaving permanently.

"Ah good timing!" Remus smiled, taking Hedwig from Hermoine.

"How are we getting to the Burrow?" Harry asked.

"Side-Along apparition," Hermione said. "You're going with Remus."

"For Gods sake hurry up!" Moody snapped from the door.

"Okay Alastor," Remus soothed. "Give Harry five minutes to say goodbye."

"That won't be necessary," Harry said quickly. Remus raised an eyebrow, but he knew something of how strained the relationship between Harry and his relatives was, so he just sighed, and took Harry's trunk.

"Very well. Let's move."

Hermione left behind him. Harry turned to face the Dursley's for what would probably be the last time. All three of them stood semi frozen in the doorway.

"See you then!" Harry said, unable to keep the smile off his face. He could tell his Uncle was thinking "I bloody well hope not" but he didn't really care. Petunia's face was somewhat conflicted, as though she couldn't make up her mind how to feel. Dudley just looked down at the floor.

Harry closed the house door behind him, and hurried across the road. He assumed this was far enough away from the house to apparate without setting off the protective enchantments – not that it would matter since he was leaving now. Moody stood with Harry's trunk, and Hermione had her belongings alongside herself.

"Ready everyone?" Moody asked. Remus offered his arm, and Harry took it.

"Hold on tight Harry."

"Three…two…one…"

And Privet Drive vanished from Harry's sight for the last time.

OOO

True to what he had said to Yugi that morning, Ryou and Bakura arrived in London at five minutes past seven that evening. London Waterloo was still crowded with people, but the rush hour was over, and so were the waves of commuters desperate to catch the train's home and put their feet up.

For the two white haired males, their jobs were only just beginning.

/So do we have a plan?/ Ryou asked, as they headed for the Underground.

/I'm thinking we hit the Leaky Cauldron, and then Knockturn Alley/ Bakura explained, glaring at anyone who came close to him. Several businessmen heading in the other direction, muttered something about "youth these days" and were rewarded with a deadly stare that sent them scurrying into the station.

Ryou had to admit, up close his dark was menacing. He was dressed in black jeans, boots and a blood red shirt under his black trenchcoat. Ryou knew beneath those clothes, he was armed to the teeth, with a knife in his belt, two strapped to his wrists beneath his sleeves, and another concealed in his boot. He had a look in his crimson eyes that warned people not to get in his way if they knew what was good for them.

Ryou was similarly clad, only his jeans and shirt were blue, and his jacket was grey. Unlike his dark, whose hair fell into messy downward pointing spikes, two of which sprouted into horn like formations at the front, Ryou had taken to tying his hair back out of his face. It had made telling he and Bakura apart easier when they had both still been in Domino, and his dark had got sick of Ryou's friends greeting him with a slap on the shoulder, thinking he was the mild mannered hikari. He fell into step beside Bakura, making sure to stick close as they made their way through the ticket barriers, and down the stairs for the Bakerloo line.

/I hate Knockturn Alley/ Ryou muttered. It was true. His last encounter with that place had left Bakura and Malik being chased by an angry group of magical beings, which while humorous now, had been slightly scary for him at the time.

/Relax Hikari/ Bakura smirked, showing a set of pointed canines. /Just don't talk to strangers, and leave everything that looks dangerous to me/

There was a draft of wind that came down the tunnel, causing the shorter bits of Ryou's hair to escape the hair tie.

/Train is here/ he stated needlessly, as the rumbling engine got closer, and the people on the platform started to make their way forward. /And what danger? I thought we were going incognito tonight?/

/We are/ Bakura agreed, as the train rushed into view. /But its good to always be prepared for a fight…you are prepared aren't you?/ He gave Ryou a piercing look.

/You know perfectly well I am/ Ryou said huffily. /I have the Ring, and my wand, and you all but forced that knife on me earlier…/

/You'll thank me when you have to use it/ Bakura promised, as they both boarded the train and took seats by the door. There was a hiss as they slid shut and a rumble as they started moving. /You'll be fine if anyone tries anything with you/

Ryou fingered the Ring, which was beneath his shirt – wearing it outside on full display was just asking to be mugged at this time of night. It had also been discovered over the course of the summer, that Yugi and Ryou had to be in possession of the Items in order for Yami and Bakura to be able to conjure their solid forms. This had been learnt the hard way, when Bakura had been wearing the Ring, and had barely made it out of the house before he was unable to hold himself together and disintegrated, his soul returning to its usual place in Ryou's mind. Thankfully in the time it took for Bakura to wake his dozing hikari and get him down to the doorstep, no one had made off with the Ring, which had sat there on the ground twinkling innocently. From then on, Ryou kept the Ring around his neck, and Bakura's magic in his physical projection was restricted to summoning monsters – much to his disgust.

A group of three girls were seated on the opposite side of the train, and had begun a hushed conversation as soon as Ryou and Bakura had appeared. Ryou groaned mentally as he saw one of them giggling. They were dressed for a night out, and from the looks they were sending him; he knew that they were no different from his fangirls at home. Two seats down, a harassed looking mother was clutching her squirming toddler in her lap. Bakura rolled his eyes. He hated kids. Not only did there always seem to be one little brat throwing a tantrum in every public venue he visited, but there was always at least one kid a week going up to him, tugging on his jacket and asking for a present, thinking he was Santa Clause. It pissed him off to no end.

Thinking of kids however, turned his thoughts inward to something close to his heart – his sister. His sister who he knew now waited for him just before the Hall of Judgement. His mother and other sisters waited in Aaru for them both to join. He still could not believe it from time to time – thinking that the whole trip the Dominion of Souls had been a vision cooked up by his rattled mind after that exhausting battle. But it was the truth. Akila – slightly timid, but brave, four year old Akila – had chosen to wait five thousand years for her big brother, just so he would not have to go through judgement on his own. The thought moved him more than anything in the past five thousand years had.

He looked to his side at Ryou. He knew the trip to the other dimension had had its effect on Ryou too. Ryou had seemed more at peace with Amane's death than Bakura had ever seen him. To some degree, it seemed to comfort the young man, who had never had many friends, had lived most of his life alone, and part of it with fear of the malignant spirit in his head, to know that a loved one waited for him, and that when he did die (Ra forbid that happen soon) he would have a smiling face waiting on the other side.

Being back in England however, had killed most of Ryou's good spirits. Bakura's eyes narrowed at the thought. He hated that house. He hated that man who called himself Ryou's father. And he hated this damn country. Even with one of the hottest summers on record, it still felt chilly to him. He never thought he would miss Japan, and he certainly never thought he would miss some of the people Ryou hung out with. Yet he had found himself on more than one occasion wishing for Malik to mess around with or the Pharaoh to have a sniping match with. They were twisted relationships –but they were some of the very few that Bakura actually had in this life.

"Hey there boys…" a sultry voice purred in his ear, and Bakura's scowl deepened as he realised that two of the girls had seated themselves on either side of he and Ryou, and were now pressing themselves against them in a manner that was borderline indecent. Ryou was squirming as the girl at his side slipped an arm around his shoulders, and the girl on Bakura's side suddenly found herself on the receiving end of a lethal red glare.

"Touch me, I break your fucking arm off," the thief hissed. The girl recoiled, and her companion looked up from smiling at Ryou, with a face that expressed surprise.

"No need to be so hostile," she said. "We're just trying to be friendly…"

Bakura rolled his eyes and yanked Ryou away from his admirer. "We're not interested," he said firmly. Ryou looked as though he didn't know where he wanted to be – sitting closer to the young woman who was doing her best to look seductively at his dark, or sitting closer to Bakura, and risking getting caught in the fire when he inevitably unleashed his anger.

"You might not be," the first woman said. "But I'm sure your friend can speak for himself. He doesn't need his big brother to dictate what he does."

Bakura almost choked. It wasn't the fact that he and Ryou had been mistaken for siblings (that happened quite a bit these days) but it was the sheer persistence of these two women that surprised him. He was sure people weren't this persistent in his time, unless it was a festival…but that brought up memories he would rather leave buried, so he focused instead on the situation at hand.

"Please just leave us alone," Ryou said politely, but surprisingly firmly. "We really aren't interested."

Far from being dissuaded, both girls smiled and the one closest to Ryou let out a giggle.

"You're so polite...you wouldn't leave two ladies alone on a night out would you?"

She accompanied this with a flutter of her eyelashes, and Bakura finally snapped, getting to his feet and seizing Ryou's arm. Outside the window, the train was pulling to a stop at Charing Cross.

"I don't see any ladies," Bakura growled, the tint in his eyes becoming more pronounced. "I see two desperate whores who don't know the meaning of the word no. Now I'll reiterate for the last time – fuck off, we're not interested."

The mother two seats away covered her toddler's ears, and glared reprovingly at the angered white haired male, but Bakura didn't care. He was already dragging his blushing light out of the train and onto the platform.

"That was really rude Bakura," Ryou reprimanded. Bakura rolled his eyes.

"You're too nice Ryou," he retorted. "Now let's go before we get eyed up by anyone else."

Ryou frowned at his dark as they ascended the staircase, allowing his mind to brush against the fringes of his dark's, picking up thoughts and memories – some recent, that he recognised, and some unfamiliar and old that he did not recognise, before Bakura's thoughts turned to the task at hand. Ryou sighed. He knew Bakura better than he had a year ago, but he had a hunch he would never figure the ancient spirit out completely. No one could.

OOO

Yugi yawned and scratched his head. He really did not like early mornings, and he had not had a lot of sleep the previous night – truthfully he had been too excited to settle down properly. Despite the early hour, the airport remained as busy as ever, and Yugi mentally cursed the tourist season, which would force him and his friends to change at Paris en route to Heathrow, and consequently add about eight hours to their travelling time. He was already looking forward to getting to Britain and seeing Malik, Ryou and (to some extent) Bakura again.

By his side stood Joey, who looked just as eager to get on the plane as Yugi did. Taller than Yugi by a head, but ironically younger than him by seven months, Joey was often a picture of boundless energy, blonde hair falling carelessly into his eyes, which were wide with enthusiasm. As he turned to look at Yugi, a wide grin bloomed on his face, and Yugi had to smile back. Serenity, who stood by his side shouldering her hand luggage, had given up trying to calm Joey's hyperactive bounce, and was just letting him be. She had not changed much since the last time Yugi had seen her in Battle City. She was still soft spoken and kind to everyone – though her first reaction to seeing everyone again had been an enthusiastic hug.

Tristan and Tea were being hugged by their respective parents. Neither of them had changed much in the last year, a fact for which Yugi was grateful. He would have hated to miss any changes in his friend's lives while he had been at Hogwarts. Tea let out a laugh as her mother warned her to watch out for any nice English boys. The sound made Yugi smile. Tea was still the same outgoing brunette who had been his friend since childhood. Her blue eyes shone with infectious excitement. By her side, Tristan had finished being hugged, and was being given a list of things to buy for his parents when he came through duty free on the way back from England. He was shaking his head, but pocketed the list regardless. His hair, normally spiked to a point at the front, was a little bit messy thanks to the early morning start.

Solomon had already given both Yugi and Joey their goodbyes and was now advising them on keeping their seatbelts on during takeoff, and not to use electronics until the seatbelt sign was off. Joey's father had not shown up to say goodbye, but that was to be expected. Yugi was sceptical of whether the man even knew his son was heading for Britain for a week. It was probably a good thing he was not around to see them off – Joey would sooner praise Kaiba than let his father anywhere near Serenity.

Yugi checked his watch. It was twenty past nine in the morning. He did a quick calculation of the time, and wondered whether Bakura and Ryou were in London, and whether they had found anything yet.

"…And remember to let your drinks settle before opening the cans-"

"Thanks Gramps!" Joey interrupted swiftly. "We'll bear that in mind."

"And duel your hardest!" Solomon added. "I'll be watching you boys!"

"We know," Yugi nodded, as Tea untangled herself from her mother's embrace and joined them.

"Ready to go?" Tea was smiling just as much as the rest of them, and Yugi couldn't help but feel cheerful.

"Sure!" he replied. "Ready Tristan?"

"Am I ever!" hazel eyes twinkled, and Tristan joined the group. "Time to join the line?" He nodded at the queues for security.

"Time to join the queue," Yugi confirmed, grinning at his friends. All five of them waved to their family members, before heading towards the door. Serenity fell into step beside Tea, and both began listing off all the sights in London that they wanted to see. Yugi's heart felt light. He had missed everyone during his time at Hogwarts, and the prospect of spending an entire week with them was thrilling. Tea broke off her conversation with Serenity, and gave him a smile as though she knew what he was thinking.

"Excited to be going back?" she asked.

"Yup," Yugi nodded. "Going back with you guys is even better though!"

"I can't wait to see England!" Tea enthused as they stood at the back of the security queue.

"Me too," Tristan added, before looking down at the shortest member of the group. "Hey Yugi, you did remember those language thingies didn't you?"

"The language patches?" Yugi asked. "Yeah they're in my bag," he gestured to his rucksack. Aside from Tea, he was the only one taking hand luggage. "I'll give them to you when we get to Paris."

"They don't help you guys speak French though," Joey pointed out. "Just English."

"Well yeah," Yugi admitted. "But you're more likely to need English than Japanese in Paris."

"This tournament is gonna rock!" Joey was almost bouncing with excitement. "I'm gonna beat Kaiba in this one! I can feel it!"

"Yeah yeah," Tristan rolled his eyes. "We all know why you're really excited. It's because you get to see a certain blonde someone who we all know you totally have it bad for…"

"Zip it!" Joey warned, but a pinch of colour had appeared in his cheeks.

"No fighting in the airport you two!" Tea said firmly, noticing the disapproving looks they were getting from the security guards at the head of the queue.

"Mai is meeting us at Heathrow, right?" Serenity queried.

"Yup," Joey answered immediately. "She's been there for a few days already. She was staying in Italy during the European Championships and she was arranging for the last of her stuff to get moved back to Japan."

"Oh good!" Serenity was thrilled. "It would be great if she lived nearby! I'd love to see her more often!"

Joey was grinning. He knew Mai was like a big sister to Serenity, and it would be wonderful if she moved permanently back to Japan.

"Who else do we know is going to be there?" Tristan asked.

"Rebecca and Duke are on the last flight in from San Francisco tomorrow," Yugi remembered. "I'm not sure about anyone else. Kaiba will make his own way there, so who knows when he'll show up."

"He'll park his Blue Eyes White Jet on the roof of the hotel if he can," Joey snorted. "Rich Boy loves to make an entrance."

"Who else?" Tea asked, placing her hand luggage on the belt for the scanner, and removing her shoes.

"Ryou's getting the train up tomorrow," Yugi recalled. "And Malik is flying in tomorrow morning from Luxor."

"Are they bringing their families?" Serenity asked. She knew each duellist was entitled to bring one guest with them.

"I don't think so," Yugi shook his head. "Ryou's father is…well I think he's working. And Ishizu can't get time off so Odion is staying with her."

He slipped through the metal detector, which thankfully did not go off. As he collected his bag however, his phone rang in his pocket. Puzzled, as most of his friends were here with him, Yugi checked the ID, and his eyes immediately turned crimson. Yami recognised the number and he answered it quickly.

"Bakura, this better be important. International calls don't come cheap."

"Then stop talking Pharaoh," Bakura growled. "You may have some Aurors trailing you when you get to Heathrow. Hikari and I heard them mention it in the Leaky Cauldron."

"Where's Ryou now?" Yami asked, his voice low and intense, causing everyone else to look at him with worried expressions.

"Tailing the Auror," Bakura said. "I'm heading down Knockturn Alley. Have a good flight."

And he hung up.

Yami scowled.

"Bye then," he muttered sarcastically, before shoving the phone back in Yugi's pocket.

OOO

They had been lucky to strike gold within an hour of arriving in the pub, but Ryou was sure their luck was going to run out soon. He had been tailing the Auror for ten minutes, but the man's actions were erratic.

"Anyone who works for the Ministry or the Daily Prophet," had been Bakura's instructions. "I want to know how our names got to the Ministry when no one else knew about our connection to the Leviathan."

Of course no one knew about Bakura's corporal form other than their friends in Japan, so it was Ryou's name that the Ministry had, and not Bakura's, but it did not sit well with either of them. If the Ministry could dig up the fact that Yugi, Ryou and Malik had something to do with the rotting Leviathan carcass at the bottom of Hogwarts Lake, then what if they could dig up information about their admittance to Hogwarts and the circumstances around their introduction to the magical world? If they found out about their Shadow Magic, that would really complicate matters. The last thing any of the bearers wanted was idiotic Aurors arresting them for wielding a dangerous, unknown and (in their minds) dark power.

Ryou crept down the streets of London, praying that he could remember the way back. He had been in London a lot over the last few weeks, making trips in with his father while the elder went to pick up work. Ryou himself had wandered around the magical world (his father had no interest in coming, saying that he saw enough strange new things in his work) using the time as an opportunity to gather information, and for Bakura to make some contacts in the magical criminal underworld.

The pavements were dark and grimy, and dimly the thumping sounds of club music could be heard from the next street over. Ryou knew the streets would be quiet around this time of night, with everyone having made their way to whichever pub or club they were planning on wasting the night away in.

The Auror turned off down an alley, and Ryou paused for a few seconds before sprinting silently down the pavement and pressing his back into the wall. There was a club the next street over, and Ryou could faintly hear the dull thud of the music, but the man's footsteps were still audible. It did not sound like they were moving away. Rather they were regular, and from the same distance. Ryou realised the man was pacing. He inched his head around just a little, and sure enough, he saw the Auror waiting, working his frustration and anxiety out into his footsteps.

Who was he waiting for? And why down a dark alley?

A dark alley in the middle of the night…

A dark alley where noise was muffled by the sound from the club in the next street…

A second before he was struck, Ryou realised his mistake.

"Impedimenta!"

He pitched forwards from the force of the spell, his whole body freezing up. Ryou felt the cold concrete under his hands, and the dirt mark itself on the knees of his jeans. There were a pair of footsteps coming from behind him, and the Auror in the alley had heard the commotion and was now approaching.

"You were followed Adams," one of the voices behind him said, in an obvious tone. The Auror, Adams rolled his eyes. He wore a dark cloak that concealed most of his body, and he had a hood over his head, but his face and steel coloured eyes were visible.

"Just a kid," Adams spat at Ryou. "He's been following me all night. Doesn't look a day out of Hogwarts if you ask me."

"Who is he?" a second voice asked, and Ryou mentally cursed, wishing he could turn around and at least see the people behind him. He focused on their voices instead. The first voice was deep, and the accent was Estuary English. The second sounded foreign, and the accent was thick, but Ryou couldn't place the country of origin, though he was sure he had heard it before.

/Bakura, get down here!/

OOO

Bakura was annoyed. His contacts were turning up naught, and he knew he was being followed. He had felt it ever since leaving the Leaky Cauldron, and trusting his instincts implicitly, he knew the person was not a Death Eater. Otherwise they would have pounced on him in Knockturn Alley where there were no witnesses to care if you screamed. He had made sure to be out of sight when he met the few contacts he had made – most of them were thieves or people who worked in Knockturn Alley, and Bakura knew for the best information you often had to go to the people who had nothing to lose from owning it.

He adjusted his hood. He wore it when he was in Knockturn Alley mostly to keep a low profile, but also because it was nostalgic and reminded him of having to keep his hair covered in Egypt. White hair was too distinguishable, and marked him immediately as a foreigner or sometimes as a demon child, and he had learned quickly not to draw attention to it. Here, while no one called him a demon, he still had to keep unnoticed, not just for his sake, but for Ryou's too. For that purpose, his contacts knew him only by the name of "Set".

No information here tonight though. All that was left to do was track down his hikari and find out where the Auror had gone…but first…

He swung around the corner and pressed into the wall, his knife in his hand, waiting and ready. As his stalker rounded the corner, Bakura leaped from the shadows, grabbing the man's throat and pinned him to the wall. The smell of sweat and stale tobacco assaulted his senses, and his knife went for the man's exposed flesh.

"Gerroff me! Gerroff you psycho!"

Bakura's hand went still. He could hazard a very good guess at who this man was.

"Mundungus Fletcher I assume."

The man paled further.

"How d'you know my name?"

"I know many things," Bakura said, before dropping his voice to a whisper. "I know you're Dumbledore's man. Why would you be spying on me? And before you answer that question…" he pressed the knife harder into Mundungus's windpipe. "Think very hard."

"Dumbledore said…" Mundungus choked. "Ministry is watchin' you. Keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get in to trouble…"

Bakura's rage ignited, not at the man in front of him, but at Dumbledore for thinking they needed watching.

"Why are the Ministry watching us?" he demanded. "Is it because of the Investigation at the school?"

"Yeah…" Mundungus gasped out. "But they've started testin' them stones too…"

He was cut off as Bakura's grip tightened in unrestrained anger.

"What stones? The Orichalcos stones?!"

"Yeah, them things…" Mundungus was going purple now. Bakura was about to ask further, when Ryou's panic rippled down the link.

/Bakura get down here!/

Hissing like an angry cat, Bakura released Mundungus.

"Tell Dumbledore we don't need watching!" he snapped, before sprinting back to the Leaky Cauldron, and hoping his hikari had not gone far.

OOO

Ryou was scared. That was understandable given his current situation. He was dealing with it by concentrating on getting the feeling back into his limbs…preferably before the men above him finished their debate about what to do with him.

"I say we just kill him," the first man said.

"I say no," Adams was snapping. "I say I take him to the Ministry. If he's Hogwarts age he might have information we need."

There was a silence, and Ryou concluded that the other two men were confused.

"You mean relating to the Dark Lord's disappearance?" the second asked, and he yelped as the first one blasted him with a hex.

"Mind your tongue muggle! Don't forget by whose hand you are still free!"

Ryou started. The second man, with the familiar accent was a muggle?! And the first man had to be a Death Eater! But what was an Auror of the Ministry doing with them?!

"I've had enough of this," the first man continued. "All of you stand aside!"

"Or else you'll do what?"

Ryou breathed a sigh of relief as his dark strode into view. He had removed his hood, and his horns of hair were spiking demonically, his eyes promising pain to the three men standing over his hikari. His coat flapped by his ankles, the only noise he made alongside steady breathing.

"Shit, the kid's got backup," Adams hissed.

"Avada Kedavra!" the first man whipped around, his wand pointing at Bakura. Ryou squeaked in fear, his now unfrozen hands flying to cover his mouth, but he need not have worried. The thief lazily activated a card from within his pocket, and the three priestesses of Waboku appeared, causing the attack to fizzle out. For the first time, fear entered the Death Eaters eyes, and Adams pulled out his wand.

"Who are you?!"

Bakura sneered at him. "I am the darkness…and now you will die!"

He went for Adams first, but the Auror moved faster than anyone thought possible, disapperating before Bakura could pull a card or his knife. Ryou got achingly to his feet as the thief turned on the muggle who was running as fast as he could away from the alley. Bakura summoned Dark Necrofear, and was about to order her to give chase, when Ryou was snatched up and a wand was jabbed uncomfortably into his windpipe.

"Call off your creature!" the Death Eater snapped. "Or I kill your friend!"

Bakura was breathing deeply through his teeth, and Dark Necrofear looked angered. Ryou knew the second Bakura stood down his arms they were both as good as dead. He couldn't let his yami die…

The knife handle was cool against his palm.

He dropped his shoulder and thrust the blade into the exposed flesh. Blood spurted from the Death Eater's shoulder, falling in a shower of crimson over Ryou's jacket. The man's grip slackened, giving Ryou enough leverage to turn and drive the knife into the man's throat. He fell with a gurgling noise to his knees, as his life's blood poured from his severed artery.

"Ryou…" Bakura hurried forwards, ordering Dark Necrofear to keep an eye out, with a quick bark of Egyptian. Ryou had sunk to the ground, the knife still clenched in his shaking fist. "Ryou, it's okay. Let go…"

Gently the yami prised the shocked young man's fingers open and took the knife from him, sliding it into his own belt. Ryou's hands were soaked in blood, tainting his pale skin crimson. They shook as Bakura took them both and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on," he said. "We can't stay here."

He took his trenchcoat off and placed it over Ryou's shoulders to hide as many of the bloodstains as he could, but they did not disguise the ones on the hikari's face, nor on both their hands. Ryou's trembling was getting worse, and as they left the alley and returned to the street, he doubled up and retched in the gutter. Bakura rubbed his back soothingly, nodding at Dark Necrofear, who looked on sympathetically.

"Check the man's body for ID," he ordered. "And then get rid of it. And the blood."

The monster nodded, heading back into the alley. Bakura did not want anyone to find out about this murder. He quickly scanned the area, and saw no CCTV cameras that would give them away. The nearest one only caught the corner of the kerb, and if anyone could see them, their faces would not be visible enough to identify, and anyone would just think that Ryou had had too much to drink. There would be no body or evidence for anyone to find.

On the pavement Ryou had started to cry, as he tried to get control over his body again.

"Its okay…" the thief whispered. "He was trying to hurt you…he's gone now. It's okay…"

It wasn't okay. Bakura knew this as he dragged Ryou towards the Leaky Cauldron, where they could clean up before they went back home. Ryou would never be okay after this. It was different for Bakura. He had killed, and would keep killing as he had done all his life. But Ryou was his light. He was Bakura's purity. And he should never have been forced to take life, because he could not deal with the darkness of death.

OOO

Dark Necrofear had only found one piece of identification on the man – the Dark Mark on his arm. But Bakura did not have to look far to find out who he was. As soon as they exited the men's bathroom of the Leaky Cauldron, Bakura had steered Ryou to one of the tables. There were still a couple of witches and wizards, and even a hag at the table, but most people had left already. Bakura quickly ordered two firewhiskeys, and Tom, who had got used to their appearance over the last few weeks, provided without question. Bakura had picked up a discarded Daily Prophet and scanned the wanted pages, quickly finding the face of the man from the alley – it was Augustus Rookwood, an ex-Ministry employee who had escaped from Azkaban some years ago.

At first Ryou would not drink, shaking his head firmly, which caused droplets of water to fly from his hair, where he had washed the blood out in the sink. Eventually Bakura got him to take a few sips of the potent alcohol, and his shaking began to lessen.

"…t-the police…" Ryou managed to say eventually.

"They won't find out," Bakura reassured him. "Dark Necrofear wiped all traces of us and those men from that alley."

He knew Ryou feared the muggle law far more than the wizarding law, and Bakura had to agree with him. The muggle police were far more equipped and technologically advanced to investigate a death than the wizarding law enforcement. Ryou knocked back the rest of his drink, and coughed a little. Bakura drowned his own drink, wincing a bit. He hated spirits, preferring to drink beer, but these events called for something strong.

"Listen Ryou," he said firmly. "You did nothing wrong in there. You know that, right?"

"I know," Ryou said. "But…I killed him Bakura…"

Bakura uncomfortably placed an arm around his hikari's shoulders.

"He would have killed you Ryou. We both know that. And if he had killed you, I would have died too. You saved both of us back there."

Ryou nodded, but he still felt ill.

"Why don't I feel worse?" he whispered. "I…I should hate myself…He was going to kill us…I didn't have to kill him…did I?"

Bakura sighed.

"Ryou…the first time I killed someone, I went through the same thoughts. Now I...don't really think about it anymore," he winced at how callous that sounded, but he couldn't lie. "You can't wonder about what might have happened if you had done things differently."

Ryou looked around, his eyes still fearful, but also a little more normal. "Who were they? The person you killed?"

Bakura shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't care. He was trying to force my mother. I stabbed him. I didn't think about it at the time. All I thought about was getting him away from her. I stuck the knife in his back, and then in his heart."

Ryou's eyes were wide and horrified again.

"How old were you?" he asked quietly.

"Three summers old," Bakura said. "And let me tell you, he was a big guy. My mother was no pushover – she could handle herself. And this guy was big enough to knock her down. If I hadn't done what I had done, nothing would have stopped him."

"And...how did you feel?"

Bakura could not explain why he carried on talking. But talk he did.

"Once it was over I was pretty freaked out. Any kid would be. I thought I'd never get into the afterlife. I'd just ripped someone's heart out and denied them entry to paradise…if they were indeed worthy of it. Mother found me later hiding on the roof – she made me tell her what was wrong – she didn't have patience for snivelling and feeling sorry for yourself. So I asked her whether the Gods would be angry that I had killed someone."

"What did she say?"

"She whacked me around the head."

Ryou made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a splutter. "She hit you?"

"Hey, even the King of Thieves got told off by his mother!" A faint line of pink was running across Bakura's cheekbones. "So yeah...she whacked me and then she hugged me. Told me I was an idiot – that the Gods would never reprimand me for protecting someone I loved."

A fond smile was dancing across Bakura's face. Tears welled in Ryou's eyes, as he remembered his own mother. He could almost imagine her saying the same words – though with a softer edge, but still the kind of tone that could only come from someone who loved you unconditionally.

And because his mother was not there to do it, Bakura hugged his hikari as he sobbed quietly into his shoulder.

OOO

A/N: Angst, angst, angst, angst…haven't you all missed me?!

I know I probably didn't do the Dursley's a lot of justice, especially given the send off JKR gives them in book seven, but hey, I'm not JKR, and I never will be.

So there we go! Number one is done! I hope everyone liked that! Don't forget the drill. Read, review, and if you want to see little additional details, updates or random thoughts, please stalk me on Twitter (MeiBennu).

Reviewers will be sent chocolate chip cookies.

People who give concrit will be given chocolate ice cream.

People who flame will have their comments put in my next AN to be translated for me by the reading public.

Isis: I suggest you guys get your wills in order, 'cause I got the author to spill on what she's going to do to you. It ain't pretty.

Yugi: How bad?

Isis: Makes the prequel look like a hard day at school with no sleep the night before.

Yugi: O.O!

Isis: (evil giggle)