A/N: Before I continue, I think I need to say that Yugi and the 'powers' of his item will be explained to Dumbledore.  Yugi's past (my own interpretation), and how the powers of the pharaoh/the item will aide the wizarding community in their battle against ickle Voldy-Poo.  Because what would the purpose of a classic crossover be without Yugi helping Dumbledore take care of Voldemort in some way?

I had a few people ask why Harry and Co. would be less than friendly.  I shall explain: Dumbledore was the person that asked the Weasley's to help.  He's in charge of admittance to Hogwarts, and in the past he's made some less than stellar choices for teachers, what's to say he doesn't make bad decisions about the students he admits?  With a history like Harry's, and the year he's just had, he's not going to just trust anyone Dumbledore tells him to.

On with the ficcy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Harry Potter.  – insert corny 'don't own, don't sue' joke here – comprenez-vous?

/Yugi to Yami/

//Yami to Yugi//

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Unexpected Rivals

Summer in London, England – 1997

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Yugi turned his head to catch his first glimpse of a wizarding family.

A group of redheads, Yugi counted six, looked over to the booth where the foreign boy sat.  A boy with messy black hair and an odd scar on his forehead, and a girl with a mess of brown hair were with them.  They looked hassled and upset.

//Be careful, aibou, that woman looks like she's ready to pounce.  Should I take over?  You seem nervous.//

/Hai, I am.  According to the professor, they've been at the school together for five years already.  What will they think of me?/

//If you'd like, I can take over.// The pharaohs voice reiterated.

/That would be good./

The millennium item glowed briefly as Yami Yugi took control of the body they shared.  His violet eyes turned crimson, but, in the shadows of the Leaky Cauldron, no one in the Weasley family noticed the change.

"Are you Yugi Motou?"  The woman with flaming red hair asked.

"Yes, I presume you are Mrs. Weasley?  Professor Dumbledore wrote me a letter about you." Yami smiled brightly, much as his hikari would, hoping to leave a good impression on the Weasleys.  He cursed inwardly at his inability to hide the accent Yugi had tried so valiantly to cover.

She appeared to be taken aback by the polite tone of the foreign boy.  His accent was indeed different, but she did not trust the boy, despite Albus' belief in his innocence.  She replied curtly, "Yes.  I am.  These  are Fred, George," she motioned to the twins, "Ginny, and Ron.  And Ron's friends, Hermione and Harry." Yugi looked at each of them in turn.

"Pleasure to meet you." He responded, put off slightly by her lingering cold tone. "So, which of you are the fifth years?"

/They don't seem too friendly./ Yugi stated through their mind-link rather bluntly.

Yami inwardly gave a snort of laughter, //Hai, hikari, they don't.  I wonder what's gotten them so tense.  Something the professor obviously neglected to tell us.//

Harry, Ron, and Hermione introduced themselves as Hogwarts' fifth years.  Mrs. Weasley glanced at the group and at Tom, then turned to her other three children, "Come on now, let's leave them in peace for a bit.  We need to stop at Gringotts." She addressed Ron, "Meet us at Madame Malkin's in half an hour, dear, Ginny needs new robes."

Ron nodded.  Near her mother, Yami smiled slightly as he heard the young redhead girl whining, "But mum why do they always get to stay and meet the new people?  Can't I stay?  Please?"

"No, Ginny.  He's not in your year."

"But mum!" and with that, the five other Weasley's exited the Leaky Cauldron.

The three fifth years sat down at 'Yugi's' table.  After the brief shuffling of chairs, they were met by an uncomfortable silence.  Yami cleared his throat, "So… - "

"Who exactly are you?" Hermione interjected.  She glared at the odd boy, then began talking to Ron and Harry.  Yami finally recognized the cold undertones in their voices, they didn't trust him.  Dumbledore clearly had a bit to explain.  Unless they were always like this.  Which Yami doubted, owing to the fact that Dumbledore had asked for them to visit him in the first place.  Why would the professor send people that didn't trust newcomers?  It didn't make any sense.  So something must have happened to make them so uptight.

/You're thinking too much./

//Gomen, Yugi.  I didn't realize the link was open.  But it's true.//

/I know.  Let me take over./

//Are you sure?  These people could potentially be dangerous.  They are wizards…//

/Wizards that can't use their magic outside of school without having their wands broken by the ministry./

//Oh.  Where'd you learn that?//

/Just let me take over./

//Probably good.// The spirit sighed, //I was about ready to - //

/I don't really want to know what you were about to do.  It was probably either very gruesome or it involved the Shadow Realm./ Yami laughed in his soul room.

The transformation went unnoticed by the trio, still talking amongst themselves.  Something about owls.  Yugi stood up and began walking toward the door.  Hermione glanced up and spoke incredulously, "Where do you think you're going?  We thought you wanted to meet people from your year."

"I wanted to meet people, yes, but I didn't want to be an imposition."  Yugi took a deep breath before beginning his miniature rant against the three, "Something's obviously happened here that I don't know about.  You don't trust me.  I understand that.  I probably wouldn't trust me either." He laughed quietly and added in an undertone, "Well, I probably would, but I'm very naïve.  But I thought you might give me a chance.  Since I don't know what's caused you to be so… cold, I can't make you change your opinions about me.  Since you're probably justified in your opinions, I'll let you know that if you ever do decide I'm not against you, I'll be there as a friend."  With that, Yugi turned and headed to his room.

//Well handled, hikari.  Though, I'm not sure I would have been quite that forgiving.//

/What if they decide to trust me, though?  I don't want to be that… unapproachable.  It's unnerving./

//Hai.  I think you've done what is best, but I still don't understand why they had to be so cold.// The pharaoh paused for a moment, //Should you write Dumbledore?//

/I will.  But first I want to send a letter to Jounouchi.  I'll tell him something about a boarding school out here that's offered to take me in./

//Why not tell him everything?  You told Sugoroku.//

/My grandfather is the only family I have.  He needs to know.  Besides, a book I was reading for school specifies that only immediate family can know about the magical abilities of their relatives.  Jou, despite the fact that he's constantly at the Game Shop, is not family./

//I see.  I suppose it makes sense.  It just seems to be a horrible waste of talent, being able to do magic and not flaunting it in front of certain tomb robbers…//

Yugi laughed.  Bakura… he hadn't seen much of the boy, or his less than trustworthy counter-part.  The robber had promised Yami he would no longer use his methods to attain the Millennium Items, and disappeared almost entirely from both the pharaoh's and his host's life.  Needless to say, Yugi wasn't altogether happy with the arrangement, as he'd considered Ryou a friend, despite the workings of the spirit inside him.

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"D'you think we should've been nicer?" The redheaded boy asked Hermione.

"He didn't seem like he was untrustworthy.  He actually seemed rather nice."  Harry stated.

Hermione sighed, "I don't know…"  the bushy-haired girl lay her head on her arms, "I don't know."

"Fancy that, Hermione doesn't know something."  Seeing it wasn't helping the situation, Ron changed the subject quickly, "But she certainly knew something on her exams."  He let out a long whistle, "Fourteen O.W.L.'s, can you believe it?  That's higher than Percy…"

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Dumbledore scanned the letter he received from the young Mr. Motou.  Letting out a sigh of frustration he began his response.

He voiced his concerns to no one in particular, though the phoenix beside his desk seemed to have no objections to the old wizard disturbing the peaceful silence, "Maybe I should have told him about these past few years… he is a fifth year now… maybe if he knew what Harry's been through." He stroked Fawkes' head, "Perhaps it was a bad idea to invite someone to meet with Yugi."

Finishing the letter, he came to an official-looking envelope.  "The Ministry of Magic,  hmm?"  He opened it and smiled, "Seems Fudge is listening to old Dumbledore once more.  Two more students.  Amazing, eh Fawkes?"

The phoenix gave only a squawk of affirmation before closing its eyes to sleep.

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I've made Dumbledore senile, haven't I?  I'm very sorry about that.  I didn't know a better way to voice what he was thinking than… voicing it. ;) sorry.  And I know it's a slight cliffie again, but I didn't know where to end it without it being stupid.  But, just so you all know, yes Ryou and Malik will be going to Hogwarts.

Thanks to my lovely reviewers

Curtis Zidane Ziraa

manga_nut – interesting review, by the way.

Duenna

Dark Magician Girl / Hikaru

Hillary – I read that fic, pity it hasn't been updated in ages

Cherry-San

Jenniyah

Mariel1337

Destiny's Dragon

ruth 4 kai

I can't promise updates so frequently anymore, but expect at least one once a week from here on out.  I have school, and last week was exams, meaning a lot of time to write.  I hope I can write more often, though.  I love getting reviews!