Magic Comes Chasing

Chapter Two: The Suspicious Pub That Everyone Avoids

A Yugioh and Harry Potter Crossover

Mokuba made nice with the teacher, allowing Kaiba to ignore her existence. He walked through London, his hands shoved into his pockets and his coat billowing out impressively. Kaiba's scowl scared a few small children along the way.

Kaiba couldn't help but feel even more suspicious at the fact that the entrance to the "magical world" was supposed to be in a pub. If all these theatrics turned out to be nothing but set up for a drug trip then Kaiba didn't care what Mokuba's plan was. They would leave immediately and he'd call the police on these maniacs.

He understood the value of playing along with lunatics. There had been a reason why he'd put up with all of Noah's shenanigans as long as he did. As long as he stuck to the rules, then his opponent would be equally bound or they'd forfeit all rights to a victory. That wasn't to say Kaiba wouldn't go rogue if it suited him, but he'd make it the winning strike. He'd make sure that it finished the game. He'd make sure he obliterated his opponent.

Yet this was Mokuba's game. His brother had made that clear. Kaiba was supposed to go along with what his brother wanted. He wasn't really sure if he could really keep his distance but he was trying. For now, he'd just have to stack his deck with advantages and be ready to back his brother up if things went too far.

McGonagall pointed a finger to a place across the street. "The Leaky Caldron, gentlemen." Her lips thinned when she looked at Kaiba. "Now come on, let us not waste any more time."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and looked away deliberately. The Leaky Caldron, indeed. What a dump. It showed that hardly anyone even glanced at the place. People went out of their way to avoid it without even giving it a look. It was like everyone pretended the pub didn't exist.

Suddenly, he gained a new respect for Londoners.

McGonagall walked on and Mokuba followed her after a slight hesitation when Kaiba didn't immediately follow. Kaiba's eyes roved the street, looking for anything amiss. There weren't any suspicious vans, or people hanging around with obvious weapons. Of course, he couldn't tell what was inside the pub so it could still be an ambush, but at least his escape looked clear if they did have to run.

He turned his head back to where Mokuba and McGonagall had gone on ahead. His blue eyes widened. He clenched his fist. What was he doing here?

Kaiba knew that white haired dork anywhere.

He was even wearing his normal striped shirt. Did he own anything else? Then again, given that Kaiba's rival seemed only to wear his school uniform, this dweeb could be worse.

Kaiba thought about pretending he hadn't seen him. It'd be so easy. Even Mokuba had missed him. Then Kaiba could deal with this latest 'magical' stuff in peace.

Actually, no! After what he had pulled in Battle City, the dork deserved to be pulled into this!

"Bakura." Kaiba's voice carried even amongst the crowd. The boy's head swiveled and he had a look of utter bewilderment. "Why are you here?"

Bakura gave a nervous smile and awkwardly walked closer. A large man almost knocked him over but he dodged just in time. Kaiba didn't let himself breathe a sigh of relief that it seemed that this was Bakura's nicer and not absolutely psychotic persona. He still didn't understand how his Battle City tournament had brought so many duelists with dissociative identity disorder together.

"Hello, Kaiba!" Bakura waved. There was more than a little suspicion in his eyes. "I didn't expect to see you here. I just flew up to see my dad. He's back from an expedition and-"

"I don't really care." Kaiba cut him off. Bakura narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't argue. Good, perhaps he wasn't as bad as the rest of Yugi's little friends.

"However, I require your presence for the afternoon."

"What?" Bakura protested, bringing up his hands to the universal stop motion. "I really don't understand, erm-"

"Listen, dork. After what you pulled at Battle City, you owe me." Kaiba took a step forward. Bakura shrunk back. "This is right up your alley. Right now, there are freaks trying to get my brother to go to a magic school. It's utter nonsense, but Mokuba wants to check it out."

"Magic school?" Bakura's eyebrows raised and he looked more interested than frightened now. "I still don't understand why you think I'd be any help."

"I don't want your help," Kaiba spat. He ignored Bakura rolling his brown eyes. "But you have done these kinds of cheap tricks before." He growled, "At least you had the decency to keep it to theatrics during duels."

Bakura seemed to search for an exit. Then he sighed and shrugged. "Ok, I don't mind helping out my friends when they need it."

"We're not friends." Kaiba hissed.

"Friend of a friend then." Bakura managed.

Kaiba scowled but let it slide. That's what he got for enlisting a delusional fool.

With a growl, Kaiba turned on his heel and strode into the pub. Bakura followed cautiously, taking unsure steps. If he had been any slower then Kaiba would have yanked him forward.

Well… The customers of the Leaky Caldron sure knew how to put on a show. Kaiba couldn't help chuckling at their ridiculous outfits. Pointed hat? Robes? The mutt had better fashion sense. These people were just asking to be mocked.

"Uh, Kaiba? What exactly is this place?" Bakura asked quietly.

"Lame."

"You said something about a magical school? Are these people supposed to be magicians?" Bakura's eyes went wide when a man shook his wooden stick and a muffin went flying from across the room. The muffins owner, a young woman in a red hat gave a huff and pulled her own stick out. The muffin split in half, each piece flying in an opposite direction. "Is that magic?"

Kaiba scoffed, "It's a cheap trick."

"That's basically what you always say about magic." There was an edge of snark in Bakura's voice. His lips twisted into what would usually be called a smirk but the expression was somehow still innocent.

"Whatever." Kaiba had finally spotted Mokuba and McGonagall. Without a glance behind him, he rejoined the two.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Kaiba, so glad you could finally join us."

She didn't sound glad at all. Kaiba didn't dignify her with a response.

"Big brother!" Mokuba beamed at him, "Professor McGonagall was just telling me about some of the classes at Hogwarts. Hey, professor, would Care of Magical Creatures have any dragons?"

"No, it would not." She shook her head firmly, "Dragons-"

"Bakura?" Mokuba interrupted. His mouth fell open in shock but then he gave a friendly wave. "Wow, it's so cool to run into you here."

McGonagall seemed irritated enough at being cut off. She seemed to direct every molecule of disapproval at Bakura. "Mr. Kaiba, who is your friend?"

Bakura gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head. Kaiba took a step forward and narrowed his eyes. "He is not my friend."

"Heh, heh, well…" Bakura sent Kaiba a searching plea for help. Ha. He really should have known better. This was pathetic. "I'm Ryou Bakura. I suppose I'm friends with Kaiba's fr- rival," Bakura corrected at Kaiba's glare, "We're in the same class at Domino High." He squirmed under McGonagall's stern expression.

"Mr. Kaiba," McGonagall shifted her frown, "Do you remember the statute of secrecy I told you about? The law that forbids witches and wizards from telling muggles that magic exists?"

"Magic doesn't exist." Kaiba argued. McGonagall did not look impressed.

"To be fair," Bakura said after an uncomfortable moment of silence, "Kaiba has never claimed that magic was real. In fact, he's always denied it. I don't know how, really, with what he's seen and all but that's Kaiba for you."

"If anything, you broke your own rule." Kaiba smirked, "Not that it matters."

"Mr. Kaiba, you can't just bring a muggle into the Leaky Caldron." McGonagall sighed. She suddenly looked very tired. "Now the ministry will have to get involved."

"Uh, that's not a good idea, professor." Mokuba winced. He gestured to Bakura's chest. "You still have your ring, don't you?"

"I can't get rid of it." Bakura's voice was very small. "I've been lucky that he's left me alone this trip, but he could wake up at any time." He unconsciously rubbed a scar on his arm.

"Give me a break," Kaiba growled, "Contain your craziness this time. I don't have time for another one of your psychotic episodes. Keep it together and I'll buy you a therapist."

McGonagall looked extremely lost. She wrinkled her nose and asked, "Please explain, Mr. Kaiba."

Mokuba shuffled slightly and glanced at Bakura. Bakura shrugged awkwardly. Then Mokuba shrugged himself, "Well, Bakura already knows about magic. He has a cursed necklace thing."

"You mean a split personality." Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Mokuba, you really shouldn't feed into his delusions." Kaiba felt a little insulted when Mokuba didn't immediately nod.

"A cursed item?" McGonagall's expression had froze. It seemed like she didn't know whether to take it seriously or not.

"I'd rather not talk about it, thanks." Bakura backed away. He had an overly cheery smile on his face. It didn't do a thing to mask the worry in his eyes.

Mokuba took a half a step forward, "Anyways, I'm not sure Bakura's a muggle."

McGonagall skeptically turned her head back to him. She missed Bakura mouthing 'muggle?' to Kaiba. True to form, Kaiba ignored him. All humans were non-magical. The term was redundant and didn't make any sense.

"Well, Bakura, did you notice the pub before Seto told you about it?" Mokuba asked. McGonagall's eyes widened and watched Bakura's face intently.

"Uhh, he never actually said anything about here. And the pub was right in front of me, so yeah I saw it. I was trying to figure out why it'd have such a strange name. The Leaky Caldron does stand out."

Mokuba nodded triumphantly, "And didn't you say that there were muggle repelling charms here, professor? So Bakura has to be a wizard, otherwise he wouldn't have noticed the pub."

"You have to admit that this is a little hard to believe." McGonagall pursed her lips together. "What are that chances of your brother bumping into one of his schoolmates and it just so happens that Mr. Bakura is magical?"

"Seto tends to run into a lot of interesting people." Mokuba smiled disarmingly. Kaiba snorted. That was his little brother's rehearsed innocent kid smile. Kaiba himself had given him tips on that one.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba noticed more flying muffins. These people had the strangest illusions. The original muffin thief now had donkey ears and the woman's hat had shrunk down to something a doll would wear.

Kaiba retrieved his deck and started shuffling and the boring conversation continued. He didn't pay too much attention to the nonsense. It didn't concern him. He didn't care if McGonagall called her little fairytale ministry. Her resistance to Kaiba's attempt at bringing back up was telling. She wanted them alone. This was smelling more and more like a trap.

Mokuba better know what he was doing.

Eventually enough was enough.

"Look, lady," Kaiba gritted his teeth, "I'm not letting this dweeb get out of this. Bakura is accompanying us or I'm going to stop being so accommodating."

McGonagall did not give a snort of disbelief. Surely she understood that Kaiba was being uncommonly nice to all this madness. It wasn't as if he'd crashed a satellite into that school of her's… yet. Of course, he didn't have the coordinates for it. But Kaiba thought he was cooperating exceptionally well.

"Mr. Kaiba, I-"

A muffin flew. It was in a direct path to hit Mokuba's face. Kaiba didn't let it get that far and managed to slice it in half by throwing a card.

There was a bubble of silence as everyone who had seen gaped at him.

"I'm not gonna waste anymore time." Kaiba said clearly, stalking passed McGonagall. His coat flailed dramatically despite the lack of wind. He looked cool even though he had no idea where he actually needed to go. "Let's move, Mokuba… and losers."

A/N: So this has been fun to write so far! It started out as an amusing what-if and grew. I will say that writing Kaiba (and yes, I am basing my characterization off of the dub. This makes some of the... word choices interesting. Kaiba has literally used the phrase "dweeb patrol" and I will never let that go) has been interesting. I hope you have been enjoying this as much as I have!