Yu-Gi-Oh and Harry Potter come together to bring you:

Arc of Solitude

Chapter four: Do you realise the danger?

Six O'clock. Bakura residence.

Ryou sat at his small desk, feverishly scribbling away at a chemistry report. Something about Sulfer Dioxide and the molarity of HCl. Or something.

[You spelt 'Sulphur' wrong.]

Ryou sighed and corrected the offending word.

[Also, are you finished yet?]

[[Be patient. It'll be finished when it's finished.]]

Bakura fell silent. Ten minutes later, Ryou put down his pencil. [[There. I'm done.]]

[Finally!]

Ryou drew back as Bakura took over. He stood up and brushed himself off – [Why must you be so messy with your pencil shavings?]

No reply.

Bakura shook his head and grabbed his coat from where it lay, carelessly tossed on Ryou's bed.

He exited the apartment, and promptly collided with someone, who swore in Arabic.

"Marik. What, exactly, are you doing here?"

Marik, for it was he, grimaced and rubbed his arm. "I came to get you. A man from that school turned up where Ishizu and I are staying, and he said to get you."

"Me, specifically?"

"He said Ryou."

Bakura sighed theatrically and rolled his eyes. "Then it seems my little errand is to be cut short. Again." He pulled back and roughly pushed Ryou forward.

[[That was quick.]]

[Shut up and go with Marik.]

Marik watched Bakuras face. If you looked closely, he blurred slightly when they switched.

"Come on, then, Ryou. We'll take my motorbike."

Ryou winced slightly. "But isn't it a one-seater?"

"And?"

Five minutes, twelve recklessly turned corners and one terrified Ryou later…

Ryou slid off the motorbike behind Marik and staggered away. His face was in interesting shade of pale green.

"Remind me to never ever accept a lift from you again."

Marik shook out his blonde hair and grinned widely. "Aw, you just need to get used to it."

[Ienjoyed it.]

[[You would.]]

[Especially the bit where you shrieked like a girl…]

Ryou frowned. [[We were about six inches away from death by drowning.]]

[It was still funny.]

[[Humph.]]

Marik tied his bike up and pulled a key out of the pocket of his tight jeans. He slotted the key into the front door of his family's loaned house, and they stepped inside. Ryou looked around curiously. He'd never been in Marik's house before.

The walls were papered in burning red and cool orange, with matching carpets and furniture. Everything was patterned in gold and red, including several Egyptian ornaments and a small statue of the goddess Bastet.

Marik nudged him. "They're in the lounge upstairs."

Ryou nodded and climbed the staircase. For a person who likes light blue and silver, this was slightly overwhelming.

When he walked through the gold-painted door to the lounge, he noticed Ishizu calmly sitting on the gold-patterned couch, talking to an old man in magenta robes with a really long beard. Odion stood in the corner, casting his imposing presence over the room.

"Um…"

The old man looked round. "Ah. Ryou. Please, pull up a cushion."

Ryou and Marik walked into the room. Marik pushed

Ryou out of the way to get the only free armchair, and Ryou had to make do with the floor.

Ishizu smiled at Ryou. "Dumbledore-sensei has explained to Odion and me about the school and the world of magic in general."

Ryou was slightly confused. "Um… Yeah. Who are you?"

It was Dumbledore's turn to be confused. "We met in the city, Ryou. I turned your knife into a chicken."

[[Wait, wait. You met this guy?]]

[Yup.]

[[And you pulled a knife on him?]]

[Yup.]

[[… And you didn't tell me?]]

[Yup.]

[[Why?]]

[I thought it would be fun to watch you squirm.]

[[Great.]]

Marik prodded Ryou, making him snap out of his mental conversation. "Oh! Sorry, Dumbledore-sensei. I have an odd memory – I suffer from spontaneous outbreaks of amnesia."

Marik grinned. "Yeah. We always need to remind him where he is."

Ishizu glared at her brother. Marik wisely shut up.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, to fill the odd silence that followed. "I think I'll come to the reason I came here – All of you are in danger."

Marik rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "In the wizarding world, there are several Dark wizards who would benefit from getting their hands on your Millennium Items."

Ryou was surprised "You know about the Items?"

"Yes. I also know what powers they have. Unfortunately for you, someone else does too – the darkest wizard of all time, a man that calls himself Lord Voldemort."

"Who?" Marik leaned forward, interested.

Dumbledore spent the next ten minutes outlining Lord Voldemorts history, ending thirteen years ago when Harry Potter vanquished him.

"But if he's gone, what danger does he present?"

"Quite a large danger. You see, Voldemort is not dead. He's resting, biding his time. He exists currently in a spirit form –" This caught Bakura's attention – "But I have evidence that suggests that he is planning to return, and then he will come after the Millennium Items – more specifically, the Rod and the Ring."

Bakura swiftly took over. "Why the Rod and the Ring? Why not the Puzzle, or the Key, or any other?"

Dumbledore looked searchingly at Bakuras face. "Ah. I wondered when you would be joining us."

Bakura did a double-take. "You know about me?"

"I know a lot of things."

"That's not helpful."

"I know."

Silence. Bakura fiddled with the Ring for a few minutes, and then said "You haven't answered my question."

"Why do you think he wants them?"

Marik interceded. "Mind control, right? And the power to seal away souls. Not to mention the power of every Item – to Summon creatures from the Shadow Realm."

"That's right. Voldemort will attempt to use them to further his iron grip over the Death Eaters"

Marik nodded. Dumbledore had told them all about Voldemorts group of followers.

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "So. You believe we'll be safe at this school of yours?"

"Yes. Hogwarts is the only place where I can assure your safety."

Bakura crossed his arms and huffed. "I guess we have no choice, then."

Dumbledore looked pleased. "Well, then. I know you have a week left of school here before the summer holidays – I'll be with you in a week to take you to the place where you will be able to buy your school things."

He stood up to leave, and Ishizu stood to show him out.

Silence followed their exit. Bakura stood too. "Well. That was certainly illuminating, but I can think of better ways to spend my Saturday."

He swept out of the room, his coat billowing out behind him.

Marik jumped up to follow him, but Odion crossed the room and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Leave him."

"But…"

"He needs to think. Leave him."

Marik flopped back down onto the armchair.

Well. Now, they all know Dumbledore, ect ect... Next, introducing Kerah, and a suspicious RPG that shares a title with this fanfic...

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