The Most Dangerous Thing

It's a dangerous business, going out your door.

You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to. Bilbo Baggins, Lord of the Rings.

AN: Before anyone reads this, let me explain that I've never even been in an airport once, especially not a Japanese one. I'm just guessing and stealing ideas from movies and a show called Airport voiced over by Tony Robinson from Time Team. Plus a lot of imagination. I feel sorry for Yugi's mom. I kept thinking of fitting her in; it would make sense, ne? But alas, it wasn't to be. Events wouldn't let her. She's so forgotten, looking after the Kame shop in 'Jii-chan's absence. . . feels like doing an Omake just for her, looking depressed. Oh, and just so you know and aren't confused, the others know about the mind-link thingy by now. They were told at the end of / after the end of last chapter. I didn't write it 'cause it'd just be repeating a scene.

To quote Little Kuriboh – I'm bringing smexy back! (okay, not much of a back, but he does appear.)

Fic Trivia: My characters (and the story) have changed a lot since I wrote the first draft for my first scenes. Originally, the sleepover Yugi and Bakura had leaked the secret that 'it was Bakura who let Yugi win'. That was before I'd read or watched Battle City. The first 'Letters' scene was actually a lot similar to the one you've already got; only in the original, Marik was already in Domino (before I'd known he'd left just after Battle City) and had burst in on Yugi and Bakura with his letter. The whole idea for Marik phoning Bakura up was from the simple fact that at the start of the fic Marik wasn't in Domino, or even Japan. I had to get him in (drag him in), somehow. He also had his yami still (I still called them 'Yamis' in the story, then).


The rest of that and the better part of the next day were both filled with the organized chaos that is packing. Marik and his family, who had only just arrived in Japan, didn't need to do much, and Bakura was somewhat used to moving about, but the others had less experience, leading more to people getting in each other's way as they wondered whether or not to bring sun block, or did the clouds in England cover the sun so much it wasn't needed? Which clothes should I take? Will I need my deck? Will the Duel Disks work, and should we take them with us?

Organized chaos, indeed.

Bakura, Yugi mused as he threw a couple of black vests, a shirt and few extra belts in his suitcase, was probably having the worst time of them all. He'd been called at seemingly all hours by phone (that'd be Anzu-chan and Jii-chan) and by mind link (Yugi, Marik and some rare times, the Pharaoh) about what England was really like. He reminded them all constantly that although Anzu-chan and the others only had to prepare for summer and unexpected rain, he, Yugi and Marik would have to pack for all weathers – even though the letters said they'd be getting robes and cloaks as their uniforms. It never hurt to be prepared, after all. So Yugi had added another jacket just to make sure, and Marik had appeared to be ready to invest in an entirely new wardrobe until he was reminded by both his sister and Bakura-kun himself that most of what he would be wearing once he got there would be the robes on the list anyway.

Their flight out to London, England was due to leave at about four-fifteen on their second day, leaving room for only a short last-minute scramble for keys and other belongings on the not-to-be-forgotten list. Passports and their whereabouts, such a hassle to normal people going on holiday, seemed minor inconveniences when Bakura-kun served as a human locator.

They made a motley group. Marik was back in his lavender belly-shirt and cargo pants, but lugging not only his suitcase, but also a well-sized 'handbag'. It had been Bakura who had encouraged him not to take the Rod in a trouser pocket by asking him if he'd ever been through customs before. When the Egyptian had said yes, but only since Battle City's finish, his friend had politely explained how customs would see the Rod as 'Sharp and Pointy and Dangerous'. It had been the Spirit's idea to put the Item into hand luggage; it could be passed off as an ancient artefact that neither he nor any of the others trusted to be kept safe in the cargo. Which was, admittedly, all true, although it had taken nearly an hour for Yugi and the Pharaoh to convince him that they didn't mind that he had the Item back for now – at least, so long as he behaved, the Pharaoh added with an amused twinkle in his eye.

Bakura himself had surprisingly little. One suitcase was comprised of clothes and other odds and ends while the other contained what could only be a rather small collection of Monster World dolls and the pieces of landscape he'd grown particularly fond of. Dressed in his blue-and-white striped T-shirt and pale jeans with a baseball cap to keep the sun's glare off, for once he wasn't hiding the Millennium Ring under his clothes. He'd decided that for at least this part of the journey, it was pointless. Everyone who mattered, knew all about it. The Spirit (although he'd be extremely angry if he ever heard his host say anything of the sort) was harmless. Nothing would be able to get past Yugi-kun and Marik-kun. What would he be able to do on a plane, anyway?

Yugi was dressed in a lighter version of his usual getup of black vest and dark blue trousers. His old uniform jacket was in his suitcase, along with the rest of it all. Which included his Duel Disk, the Millennium Tauk, the God Cards in the golden box the Puzzle had originally came in before he had solved it, various cards safely tucked away (just in case he needed them) and a large collection of mementos including a Capmon monster figurine (Beeton). Various other bits and pieces weighed him down, but still he followed after the others with a smile on his face and – somehow – a bounce in his step.

Anzu and the others who were only going for a short time had needed to take less. In fact, just like the last time, Rishid could be carrying one or even two more suitcases at a time than he really needed to, but was more often than not the one taking them from those in their group who, like Yugi, showed signs of struggling with their loads. Jonouchi and Honda were both there, as was Shizuka, who had arrived by train earlier that day. She had been slightly disappointed to find out about the unlucky coincidence, but her spirits had returned when she had been invited to see the party of travellers off. Which often – resulting in bouts of minor coughing in Marik and some of the others – meant Honda ogling at her in her summer dress, which meant Jonouchi aiming not a few punches of brotherly protection his way. Ishizu had led the way to their departures gate, and now all that was left to be done was wait for the plane to come. Almost everyone was there.

The terminal clock was reading three forty-five when the commotion started by the entrance, and a strikingly familiar figure cut his way through the crowds straight towards them.

Six foot six, white trench coat billowing in the breeze of his long strides and an almost non-existent wind and a dark haired little brother following close by, Seto Kaiba looked like a storm about to hit. The clouds were already gathered, and lightning was just waiting to strike.

"Hey, Yuge. Any idea what that bastard's doin' here? You didn't go and invite him, did you?"

Yugi shook his head. "No. I-I don't-"

"Yugi. What the hell are you doing here?!"

Lightning struck. Yugi flinched slightly, but stood, making sure that his things wouldn't fall over in his absence. The others looked on in curiosity, the standard milling crowds at the airport straining to catch a glimpse or a photo of not just Seto Kaiba of Kaiba corp., but Seto Kaiba of Kaiba corp. in the same space as his rival, Yugi Mutou.

"Why shouldn't I be here, Kaiba-kun?"

Kaiba two new red spots in his cheeks. "Why shouldn't you? I'll tell you why, Yugi. Have you been blind these past weeks?"

Yugi frowned slightly, affronted and confused. "I can't speak for everyone, but we've had a lot happening lately. We haven't been able to-"

"The Duel Monsters Regional Championships are being held this week, and you're going on holiday?"

Marik sighed in relief. At least he wouldn't have been expecting me to come. I'm not regional. Bakura nodded absently.

Yugi, however, lost the confusion but the frown stayed. This was it? The only reason? He sighed with a touch of sadness and shook his head.

"Kaiba-kun. . . Mou hitori no boku didn't enter Duellist Kingdom or Battle City just for a title or rare cards or anything like that. We all had reasons for being there and taking part. Mou hitori no boku for his memories. Jonouchi-kun for Shizuka-chan and his own honour. Even Marik-kun had a reason to be there, even if it wasn't the right one. It was something he believed in at the time. And because he was there, everything turned out all right in the end, ne?" I'm willing to bet that even Bakura-san had his own reasons, just the same as Marik-kun. And because he was there, Bakura-kun got to know him better. That's gotta be good, right? "I don't really think that a regional championship is as important as – as – other things."

Kaiba flushed and paled in the space of a minute, and for a while he didn't say anything. Mokuba looked distinctly uncomfortable, but didn't say or do anything to defend either his friend or his brother. Yugi knew and understood that for Mokuba, his brother meant everything, but he could also see a lot of things that the older Kaiba couldn't – or wouldn't.

Finally, Kaiba snorted. He looked away for a moment, and when he looked back he had an amused smirk on his face.

"So you really are that naive. I could almost hope that for once you wouldn't get stuck on a White Rabbit chase, but obviously that's too much to ask for, apparently." At Yugi's affronted look, he chuckled, but his mood turned sombre and serious without warning. "Do what you like, Yugi – it's not like what I say will actually make any sort of difference. Just make sure you don't get yourself killed, because I still have to defeat you."

With that, he was gone with a swish of his coat, Mokuba running to catch up after giving Yugi and the others a quick smile and wave.

Marik turned to him after they'd gone with a strange look on his face. "If I hadn't been there, none of that would have happened."

Yugi smiled again. "If you hadn't been there, we wouldn't have been able to help you. You wouldn't have been able to help us."

Ishizu shook her head in amazed wonder, while Rishid smiled warmly. Yugi simply grinned openly at the strange expression on Marik-kun's face.

"The sixteen fifteen to London, Heathrow is ready for departure. All passengers for London Heathrow to Terminal five . . ."

That's us, then.

Jonouchi, Honda and Shizuka said their goodbyes, giving out hugs and handshakes. Shizuka stuttered and bowed a lot, her brother head cuffing Yugi before clamping a hand down on Marik and Bakura's shoulders, enveloping them both in a bear hug and wishing them well. Honda did much the same, but instead of Jonouchi's thumbs-up, he gave his friends a heartfelt 'Be careful'. Promises to keep in touch no matter what were made all round. Tears were shed.

And then they were leaving, those still in the airport growing smaller and smaller in the distance, waving them off as the seven travellers found their seats and, eventually, the plane took off.


Yugi had been sleeping almost peacefully, head and spikes resting against the plane's cabin-style window, reminiscent of a certain blimp not too many months ago.

He had been sleeping.

"Oi. Wake up."

White. The walls – the inside of the plane. The backs of the seats. The clouds in the sky that seemed so close. And, as he turned to look at the owner of the voice that had so rudely woken him up, white hair.

"Oi!"

Yugi blinked. "All right, I'm awake already, Bakura- . . san?" He cut off warily and wearily. He hadn't been expecting angry spikes and eyes so very amber to be looking back at him.

"Yadonoushi's asleep," came the short explanation. "I got bored."

Yugi frowned with all the sense and tact of one just woken up without any coffee.

"Don' look bored."

Amber glared out at him, together with a promise of Tell and you Die that wasn't heeded. Instead, Yugi yawned, turned his attention back to the clouds and his head back to its resting place.

The seats that Ishizu had been able to get for them weren't all together; as a last minute order outside of Egypt, they hadn't gotten the best. Yugi and Bakura were a few rows forward of the back of the plane, Yugi by the window and Bakura beside him. Another two people were on Bakura's other side, strangers who didn't know who they were and happily left them alone. Jii-chan and Ishizu were in another row as many seats back from the front as they were from the back on the other side, talking about history and swapping stories. Marik, Anzu and Rishid were in another row not far from them. Of all of them, only Ishizu, Jii-chan, Anzu-chan, Bakura-kun and Yugi himself seemed to be perfectly comfortable. The rest, as Yugi had surmised from various feelings (not to mention the look in Bakura-san's eyes) were less than at ease. Normally he would have laughed at Bakura-san for being jumpy at an airplane ride, but somehow – even through sleepy eyes – he knew that it wouldn't be a good idea 'til they were off the plane and onto firm ground.

Apparently noticing that trying to wind Yugi up would make him more bored than ever, the other Bakura shifted his attention elsewhere, tapping his fingers tensely against the armrest as he did so and achieving spasmodic twitches in the trying-to-sleep Yugi beside him that he didn't even see.

Marik, at that moment, had been talking amicably with Anzu. He told her about some of his stories of Egypt, and she told him about his Pharaoh, and Yugi. Sometimes, Rishid broke his silences to tell them stories of Marik's early childhood, when things had been more innocent, to compliment Anzu's stories and tales. They were laughing over something when, out of the blue –

((OI!))

Marik seemed to jump a foot in the air, or would have if he hadn't been buckled in. Turning around in his seat, he cursed angrily in Egyptian, making the other passengers stare, some bemused and others angrily calling for the hostesses to calm him down. 'Bakura' chuckled, the slightly manic sound drowned by the commotion.

Ah . . . Chaos is achieved. . .

Yugi squirmed, but smiled. Life was normal again.


Once they were back on solid ground and the still-shocked Marik had stopped threatening Bakura, they took a shuttle bus into London, where the letters said that their stopover point was. Diagon Alley, an apparently entirely wizarding street, was supposed to be hidden behind a pub called 'The Leaky Cauldron'.

For a while they wandered all but aimlessly, not having a clue as to where to start. Yugi was looking around everywhere with new eyes, asking someone what something meant every other minute, making Anzu – who was only slightly less awe-struck, and a lot more fluent in English – tease him for not having paid attention in class. Bakura was getting used to his other mother tongue once more, having been in either Japan or Egypt for the last five years. Marik, Rishid and Ishizu were sharing the experience of seeing the massive city – together. Only this time, Ishizu was able to hide some of her astonishment behind her mask of professionalism. Marik still acted like a child on his first holiday, or his first sight of the light.

Eventually, though, someone was bound to ask where exactly the pub was. The instructions were hardly instructions; simply a piece of paper that said 'find this place'. It wasn't on any maps, and no one they asked seemed to know of the place.

"So, does nobody know how to get to this place?"

Yugi sighed. They'd all been walking for what seemed like simply ages, and although he hadn't complained, his feet were getting sore. The last time he'd felt like this had been back on Duellist Kingdom. There'd been a lot of walking then, too. "Not really, no."

"Ishizu-neesan, are you sure you didn't . . . I mean, back when you had that necklace . . ." Anzu trailed off, aware of people staring at her. Ishizu, however, shook her head, having understood what she'd been trying to say.

"I am afraid not. I saw nothing after my duel with Seto Kaiba, as I told you before. What I had seen before then were all events linked to Battle City, what happened between my brother and the Pharaoh. The last vision the Tauk gave was to the Pharaoh, after I gave it to him."

"Oh. Never mind."

Bakura, meanwhile, had stopped in his tracks, almost causing Yugi and Jii-chan to trip over him. His hand went up to slap his forehead.

"Anzu-chan, you were absolutely right! Good Lord, I must be a fool . . ."

So saying, there started a small concentration of Shadows around the pale boy, his hand going up to his chest, where the Ring had been hidden under his shirt at their arrival into the capital. After a tense moment, he relaxed, smiling. The hand that had been resting against the Item pointed in a certain direction. "That way. Definitely that way."

They followed him through the broadways and the alleyways, sometimes pausing for him to get a fresher reading, always with him pointing in a constant direction. Once or twice they'd stop for something else – Anzu would see a Broadway theatre and have to be reminded that they couldn't stop to pick up a programme or two. Yugi had to be pulled away from Burger King and MacDonald's, wanting to know how westerners made his favourite food. It was starting to get early in the evening when they finally stopped just opposite a street corner. The Ring around Bakura-kun's neck quivered eagerly towards a space on the corner before dropping. On one side of where the Ring's pointer had directed was a multi-story book store, while on the other side of the road there was a run-down records shop, looking like it had been owned by the same person for the last thirty to forty years.

"So where's it supposed to be?" Marik was smirking, bemused.

"Right there." Bakura frowned, not unlike a child who had just been proved wrong. "It's supposed to be there. The Ring's never been wrong before . . . I definitely told it to find the Leaky Cauldron."

"Maybe it found a book called Leaky Cauldron. That looks like a big book store, Bakura-kun."

"I was very specific. I said a pub, not a book . . ." He sighed. "Oh, well. Only one way to find out, I suppose."

With that, he proceeded to cross the road with great care. Then, being on the side of the book store, proceeded to stop and stare at the suddenly not-space right next to it.

Occupied by what had just previously been nothingness, was now a grubby looking old pub, just like their letters had said there would be. It looked at least a hundred or so years old, with the sign above the door dirty and dusty, showing its namesake swinging in the modern street. Shrugging, Yugi and Marik waited for the traffic to calm down again before crossing to join Bakura, who was now staring through opaque windows at the goings-on inside.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Inside, all of you."

"Heh – no need to tell me, Jii-chan!"

The old man chuckled at him, waited for Anzu to go past before entering himself, followed by the others.

The pub was as shabby on the inside as it was from he out, but that didn't stop them from staring. It was all so different. Not just because they were in the west, but there were the tiniest things. . . everyone was wearing robes, for one. The chatter that had been halted when they had entered had started back up again, covering topics as menial as the price of potions ingredients to politics. Soon, the only one left watching them was the barman, who although he was old and bald gave off a friendly air.

"Excuse me? This . . . is the Leaky Cauldron?"

The old barman nodded at Bakura, who was at the bar already. Yugi noted with renewed curiosity how his friend seemed to just fit into the place without any real trouble.

"Would you mind telling us how to get into a place called Diagon Alley? We were told that we had to go there, and that your pub was on the way there."

The barman smiled – something that would have been toothy, if he'd had any teeth – not far off a grin. "You could say that." He gestured to the back door. "What you do is you go out that door, hit the right brick with your wand, and go through. Not much point now, though – near everything's closed by this time."

"Oh. I suppose that at least now we know where to go back to. Do you know when we should head out by tomorrow?"

The barman grunted. "Hmph. Hard to say. Some places open early, some don't until late."

Bakura took a long look around the dingy place, noting things and seeing things.

"I see. Would you mind if we stayed the night?"

Both the barman and not a few members of their strange party started. How did- ? When did he- ?

After a few minutes' haggling that meant that they could pay the next day when they had the proper currency and their rooms had been assigned, they could be seen going their separate ways into their rooms – Ishizu and Anzu in one, Marik following Rishid into another not far from the girls and Yugi and Bakura sharing, leaving Jii-chan the only one who got a room to himself. Yugi flopped and Bakura collapsed onto their respective beds, suitcases forgotten for the moment. Arms crossed behind his head, Yugi asked something that had bothered him.

"Ne, Bakura-kun. Where'd you learn all that downstairs?"

"All what, Yugi-kun?"

"The way you got us the rooms. You were really cool back there."

"You think so?" He shrugged, an interesting manoeuvre from his position on the bed. "It was nothing. I've had to pick up a few things over the last few years. To tell the truth, it isn't me who pays the rent – it all comes out of my father's account. He insisted at it, but . . . it's still been me who had to haggle for the rent, find a new place to live each time I had to move."

"That must've been hard," Yugi sighed. He still clearly remembered their discussion from the night before they received their letters. For him, all this had started about just a year ago. Maybe more, but not much more. For Bakura-kun, it had been four years of uncertainty and fear. "But – hey. It's not so hard any more, ne? You've got all of us here!" He laughed for a moment, but then turned serious again. "You don't have to hide any more, either. At least, no more than me or Marik-kun will. Everyone who counts, knows, right?"

Ryou Bakura, lying on the other bed, sat back up thoughtfully. After a minute or two, he went back to his suitcase to find his pyjamas, letting a thought slip out like a whisper on the wind. (That's right. I really can relax now . . .)

Yeah, Yugi thought with a yawn. And we're gonna make it so you can. He received a strong reassurance from his other before yet another yawn sent him on a quest for his own pyjamas. I don't care about time differences, he grumbled to himself. I've had a long, tiring day, and all I want to do – he plopped back onto the bed and into the covers – is sleep.


Bakura woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and rested after a long sleep. He checked his watch, which had been left under his pillow before he went to sleep and adjusted for Greenwich meantime the moment they entered the time zone – nine-thirty. Ish. That wasn't so bad. With a nine-hour time difference, things could have been worse. Yugi-kun was still snoring, covers half kicked off the bed. The chatter and noise from the outside world still seemed sluggish and slow, but that might just be because he was inside, and everything was muffled. With a stretch as he sat up, he got out of bed, washed and dressed in the same as yesterday – no use getting anything new out of the carefully packed suitcase before they knew whether or not they'd need to pack up again quickly, after all.

Out in the hallway, he found Marik leaning against the wall opposite.

"You know, I was wandering how long you were going to take. I've been up for hours."

"I only just woke up."

"I noticed."

For a few moments they didn't speak while a greying wizard in emerald robes walked past, muttering under his breath while cleaning his teeth out with his tongue.

"Where are Ishizu-san and Rishid-san?"

"Out. They went to find the bank – the guy from yesterday said it was called Gringotts. They should be back soon."

"Good. Then we can go out soon. Is Anzu-chan awake yet?"

Marik shook his head. "Nee-san said she wanted to let her sleep for a while longer."

"I suppose. But we will need to be going out sooner rather than later."

His Egyptian friend shot an amused look his way. "You're impatient."

Bakura shrugged. "It is an entirely new world out there. Different to Egypt, different to Japan, different from –" He cut off sharply. (Different from anything we've ever experienced before . . . magic without Shadows. I think I deserve the right to be a little impatient, don't you?)

"Hn. Of course it is." ;So what's Yugi doing? I thought he was one of the ones who couldn't wait either.;

"Yugi is still asleep," Bakura said wryly. "Snoring."

Marik's eyes went wide with amusement, and was trying to hide his laughter in a snort when the door to the room opened once more. Yugi glanced blearily out, barefoot and still in his pyjamas. His hair – ordinarily an interesting study of spikes in different colours and various degrees of respect for gravity, was surprisingly limp and floppy, making it look much more normal than it was usually able to. His eyes, usually bright with curiosity and excitement, were being rubbed at by proportionately small hands. He fought against a yawn and the yawn won.

"Mariku, Bak'a-ku' . . ."

They both looked at him, torn between laughter and curiosity as to what exactly he was going to say next.

". . . coffee."

While Bakura went down to find Yugi's coffee and see when breakfast was served until, Marik had to hide his laughter in various snorts and coughs as his Pharaoh got dressed.

Just over an hour later saw them finally out in the sunlight of Diagon Alley, the brick entranceway closing behind them.

Anzu stared. For that matter, everyone stared.

Then, Yugi being Yugi, her friend started jumping about and running toward the nearest shop. Bakura followed at a more sedate pace, eyes as wide as she'd ever seen them. Jii-chan looked just as amazed as his grandson, laughing as he tried to keep pace. Anzu herself just stood there looking at everything for a whole minute before she caught up with the others. It was all . . . wow. People in robes were walking everywhere, in shades from every hue of the rainbow. There was a kind of magic in the air- no, there was magic in the air, all around her, and none of it had anything to do with dark Shadows or revenge or anything like that.

Grinning, she followed after them, taking note of places like Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and Gambol and Japes – a joke shop, by the look of it. Jou and Honda would have loved that.

"So – where do we go first?"

In the middle of the street, Sugoroku had seen the one kind of shop that would make his eyes go wide. A game shop. For once, though, Yugi was absently holding him back.

"Bank," the short duellist said in a final tone. "We can't get anything if we don't go there first."

Bakura glanced sideways at Marik before turning his attention back to the place in question, a masterpiece in white marble with the name 'Gringotts' carved above the doors. Marik smirked, but not unkindly.

"We're paying for the Leaky Cauldron. We're not paying for whatever you're getting here."

"Oh." He made some small jerk of his head, a cross between a half-shrug and a nod. There was a short pause while they mounted the stone steps and read the inscription in the doors.

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take but do not earn,

Must pay dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath these floors,

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware,

Of finding more than treasure there.

Marik chuckled darkly, eliciting a dirty look from Bakura-kun.

"Marik-kun!"

"What?" The Egyptian's tone didn't give much hope for innocence. "I never said anything."

"That," Yugi said deliberately, "is not the point."

Marik just snorted.

Anzu turned in bemused confusion to Ishizu.

"Why is it I feel like I'm only getting half of what they're saying?"

Ishizu smiled, but half of the mystery that was usually there had been replaced by a kind of amused irony.

"We are."

"Oh. . . I guess I forgot. They told me – us – what happened, but its kinda hard to believe. I mean, it was hard enough when Yugi started to talk to himself, and more than freaky when Bakura-kun started to do it to. I mean, the Ring, it . . ." she cut herself off, shaking her head. "And now they're all at it. I feel pretty left out, actually," she said, laughing self-consciously as they entered. Bakura-kun was still shooting accusing glances at Marik when they caught their first sight of the people . . . creatures . . . at the tills.

"Oh . . . God – are they . . .?"

"Goblins? Yes."

She started, jumping further than she would have done if she hadn't already been freaked by the . . . goblins. She shivered. Not only were goblins apparently very real, but Bakura-kun had just sneaked up on her and she still wasn't used to that at all.

"And they actually. . ."

"Yes, they do work here." This time it was Ishizu who answered her unvoiced question. Her tone didn't convey any surprise or horror, as if she was talking about a commonplace subject. "Excuse me? Two transactions . . . muggle to wizard, yes. . ."

Anzu watched as first Yugi, then Bakura exchanged their 'muggle' money for 'wizard' money; real gold, silver and bronze. She listened as the goblin explained in a monotone voice what they all were.

As they walked out, Bakura seemed to visibly relax. He let out a sigh of relief before rounding on Marik.

"I almost had a heart attack in there! You just had to taunt him, didn't you?"

"Well, he did deserve it."

"If you didn't realize, I was the one who nearly-" Bakura cut himself off, flushing, and his face went stony for a few moments before he spoke again. "Would you mind thinking next time? Please."

Marik's eyebrows rose. "Are you implying that I don-"

"Minna!"

They all stared at Yugi, who had had to all but shout to be heard.

"Thank you. Now – where's the place where they do post? Tom-san said it was down here somewhere."

"What do we need the post office for, Yugi?"

"Well . . ." Yugi rubbed an embarrassed hand at the nape of his neck. "They didn't exactly say how we were supposed to reply," he laughed, and set off in search.

Anzu sighed. "They. . . really are going then. "I'd . . . actually kind of hoped he'd . . . that they'd decide against it."

"I understand." Ishizu was looking fondly at her brother, who was running to catch up with the other two. He was smiling and laughing, the happiest she had ever seen him. "I think that it must be as hard for them as it is for us, even so. To be so separated from the rest of their friends . . . their families . . . my brother has had hardly any time to get to know us again, and now he must leave us once more, and so soon."

"But – then – wouldn't it just be better for him to stay with you?" she asked, confused.

Ishizu shook her head, but this time it was Rishid who answered.

"Marik-sama needs this. Although he is happy with us, the shadows of his previous life still haunt him. This will be a new life for him, far from anyone who knows of who he used to be other than the Pharaoh, and Bakura Ryou."

Anzu sighed again. I suppose.

The four of them walked along at a slower pace, cries in the distance telling them that Yugi had found the post office.

"This should be good for Yugi, too," Yugi's grandpa said. "Not only does he get the chance to learn amazing new things, but he also might be able to take down the swelling in his head."

Anzu couldn't help it any more – she laughed. "Jonouchi was saying before we left that Yugi was becoming like Kaiba-kun. I hardly think that's possible, but he was starting to get a little too used to the attention."

"We've done it! We've done it!" Yugi was back, just as his grandpa's chuckling had started to subside. "Bakura-kun said he needed to do something and we should go ahead and he'd catch up with us so I wanna go find where they do wands!"

"Wands."

"Yeah! Well, it said wand in the letter, so there should be a wand shop around here somewhere. I wonder what they look like."

Marik shook his head, a smile on his face. "They specified wand, not rod. I can only hope they're not those black ones with white ends you see everywhere. That would be embarrassing, no matter what they can do."

Yugi laughed. "I don't care what they look like, so long as they're not sparkly with stars on the end."

Marik shared a look with him, laughing while lifting his hands in a light shrug. "I concede defeat," he said. "Ryou wins."

Yugi broke out into a gale of fresh laughter. "Bakura-kun said a black wand with white bits on the ends and sparkles in the black bit and a pink star. With tassels."

Anzu shook her head. "That's just ridiculous."

"That's what he said," Marik told her, staring at an upcoming shop front. A sign hung from above the door, with a simplistic artist's rendering of a plain wooden stick shooting out sparks. "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC," came the muffled near-whisper. He shot a glance backwards. "And Ryou's on his way."

Bakura caught up to the rest at a run. He'd been told when Marik had spotted Ollivanders', and had rushed towards the place in excitement, curiosity stemming from both himself and the other person that wasn't him. He entered, jumping slightly at the bell that rang as he did so. Stared at the piles of small rectangular boxes that lined the walls, different colours and different sizes. Stared at the old man who was behind the counter. At the measuring tape that was checking the distance between Yugi's nostrils and making him go cross-eyed.

"So . . ." The old man's attention turned to him, and Bakura found himself all but pinned to the spot. "There are three of you, are there?"

"Y-yes, Ollivander-san."

"Good, good. I had a feeling there'd be more of you. Well – over here, then." Bakura wasn't sure whether Ollivander was talking to him or the measuring tape, because as soon as he walked further into the shop, the tape measure all but flew over to him, hovering in midair. "Wand arm, please."

He held out his left hand and the tape sprang into action, but he didn't take his eyes off of the man who had now started to scurry up and down the aisles like a librarian or researcher in search of a specific volume.

"Every Ollivander wand is different, Mr-."

"Bakura, Mr. Ollivander."

"They all have different cores of powerful magical substances, and each core is different. Just as no two phoenixes, dragons or unicorns are the same. That is how unique each and every wand is. In this way, wands can be said to say a lot about their owners, and not just in the area of what they might excel in . . ." His voice faded out as he went further away, and faded in again as he came back, stacks of wand boxes in his arms. With a quiet reprimand, the tape fell to the floor. "Of course, it isn't the wizard who chooses the wand, thinking of what suits them best, but rather the wand that chooses the wizard . . ." Mr. Ollivander opened up a number of the boxes, revealing beautiful wands made of different types of wood. Some were straight while others, more ornately decorated. "Here. Try this. Ebony and dragon heartstring. Fourteen inches. Strong."

Bakura took the stick of wood in his hand. He waved it around a bit. Nothing happened.

"Holly and unicorn tail hair. Nine and a half inches. Swishy," the wandmaker said as he replaced the other.

This time, something did happen. His hand felt a strange prickling sensation wherever it was touching the wand, not entirely an nice feeling at all. He almost dropped it.

"Obviously not. Here. Worth a try – maple and dragon heartstring. Eleven inches."

That one didn't work either. It was barely in his hand and it was being swiped away again. The pile of tried wands grew steadily higher, and Bakura was starting to wander about the whole thing. The only type of magic he knew was Shadow magic. Which Yugi had said he was good at, but he was proficient at. It came to a point where Ollivander, smiling like his Christmas had come early, disappeared briefly into a back room. When he came out, he held in his hands a large box, which, when he opened its lid, revealed a number of wands that looked just the same as the rest, except for the fact that they looked like they hadn't been made to sell.

"Here. A strange collection, these. Born out of hobby and an old man's curiosity. Try this one." He held out one of the wands. "Beech. Dragon heartstring. But the thing stuck to one of the others before I made it. Eight inches. Snappy."

He wondered about what Ollivander had said, but before he could think too hard on the matter the wand was taken out of his hand, having done nothing.

"Shouldn't have thought so . . . here. Try this. Odd combination, even in these. Rosewood. Unicorn tail hair and dragon heartstring. Flexible. Twelve inches."

He knew it the moment it was in his hand. This time, there was a warmth in his hand. Something that made him smile widely. He waved it once, letting it give out a rainbow of dark-and-bright sparks. The Ring glinted under his T-shirt.

"Very good!" Ollivander cried out, "Very good indeed. Curious, yes, but good . . ."

The wand was put in its box and onto the counter. Mr. Ollivander moved some of the tried wands out of the way and turned to Yugi. After the wide, pale moons of his eyes had stared into Yugi's violet ones for a time, he went straight back to the box of wands where Bakura's had come from. He rummaged around for a while until he had found what he had been looking for.

"Here, Mr. Mutou. Try this. A nicely balanced wand, I thought. Ebony. Phoenix tail feather and unicorn hair. Whippy. Fourteen inches."

Luckily, Yugi got his wand first time, sending up his own set of sparks.

Marik's was a little harder, if a little more normal. The wandmaker had tried giving him similar wands to the ones that he and Yugi had, with double cores. None of them had worked, and Marik had received a worse reaction than Bakura when he had tried to wave one with double unicorn tail hairs, dropping it onto the floor after it sent out angry sparks that toppled some of the carefully stacked tried wands. Finally, when Ollivander did find the wand that chose him, it was just as strange as the others.

"Rowan wood. Phoenix tail feather. Thirteen inches. An interesting combination that seemed to want to be made. The feather still held some of the ash."

Marik took the wand with caution, but almost wasn't surprised when it responded positively to him.

(The wand chooses the wizard . . . you know, Marik, that wand must like you.)

Ollivander had bowed them out of the shop after they had paid for the three unusual wands. Now they were meandering up Diagon Alley.

;It's a wand. A stick of wood. How can a stick of wood like someone?;

Bakura smiled at him. (Rowan wood. Did you know that rowan wood is said to ward off evil?)

;. . . No.;

By now they'd reached the apothecary. Here, the shop assistant guessed that they were for Hogwarts, fascinating them with all of the different ingredients they might need in the year to come. Bakura was amused to find out that they really did use beetle's eyes and rat spleens as well as some other far-fetched sounding things. The place next door sold the cauldrons they were supposed to have, and he was surprised to feel his stomach flip when he saw some made out of gold. It hadn't been his reaction.

They got a more normal response of surprise and greed when he saw the golden scales, which only made the rest of them laugh ("They look just like the ones Shadi used!").

Their next stop was for their books, much to the insistence of both Bakura and Marik, who were fascinated by the place and had to be dragged out of Flourish and Blotts. Even then, they came out bearing more volumes than were on their school list. Ishizu had also found references to wizarding history that she said would be useful, but Bakura suspected that she liked reading just as much as her brother did. After stopping back at the Leaky Cauldron to put everything down, they headed out again after lunch to get what little that was left on their lists.

Madam Malkin's was fortunately at a low point for the day by the time they entered the squat witch's establishment. That way, they were able to all get measured up at the same time. At which point, as the assistant slipped long, black robes over their heads and pinning them to fit, Marik groaned. He had finally remembered that when it had said robes, black, it really did mean, well, black. He tried to put his hands to his head in misery, but was scolded by the seamstress and told to stay still.

"Great," he muttered. "By the end of this, I'm going to look like a Ghoul for the rest of the year. Just what I wanted."

Yugi, Bakura and Anzu sniggered. The rest seemed to have a hard time keeping the laughter back.

"Hey, I'm not going to mind."

Bakura held back a snort. "Yugi-kun, you've not looked far off from a Goth for ages. Robes now won't make much difference."

At Yugi's affronted look, Anzu giggled. "You know, he is right." He pouted. "Not in a bad way, though. It suits you."

"Er, thanks, Anzu-chan."

A few moments passed. Then; "How do you reckon I look?"

They paused to look at Bakura, who was standing as still as he could.

"You look like an idiot," Marik said blandly. "I don't know whether you're halfway between a vampire and a ghost or just plain stupid."

"Marik!"

The Egyptian looked at his sister with a look on his face as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"Nee-san, he did ask for it."

The rest of their time spent there passed almost quietly compared to those first few days. While they still explored Diagon Alley, normal, mundane London was not forgotten. Museums were visited, attractions attracted, new foods tried and new games played, including the Spirit of the Ring's 'How Many Times Can You Make Them Jump (Or Scream)', Anzu's steadily growing tally of the times they forgot to speak aloud and one (or more) of them would be seemingly going about having half a conversation, as well as the not-to-be forgotten new and revised version of Pictionary, otherwise known as Yugi trying to improve his English, with the help of a notebook and sign language.

The London Dungeons and Madame Tussaud's happened at Bakura's pleading request, just as had the theatre trip at Anzu's and the many motorbike showrooms at Marik's. At those particular two, however, Yugi was strongly reminded of how both Bakuras liked the occult, the strange and the things that go Bump in the Night. It was a little disconcerting to say the least – and especially when the other Bakura sometimes let his sadistic enjoyment through his mind link barrier on purpose.

The only big event, per se, happened not too long into August. Bakura had gone out into Diagon Alley alone, having told them that he wouldn't be very long, but by the afternoon they were starting to get worried, and when by evening he still wasn't back, Yugi and Marik sent mental prods and pokes his way only to have them unanswered. As if he almost wasn't there. They went out into the Alley to search, and it was Marik who found the telltale sign leading the way to Knockturn Alley. He told the others before storming in, and came out not long later with a confused and apologetic Ryou Bakura who had next to no memory of the last few hours.

Anzu's departure for home was the thing that shook them the most. As a minor, she couldn't go back on her own, so Jii-chan chose to go with her, saying that he needed to get back to the Kame anyway. The day before she was due to leave, she presented Bakura with a keychain, one of the yellow smiley faces as a sort of pendant. "I'd been planning on drawing the face on our hands again," she said as she presented it to him, "but then you and Yugi got your letters and everything always happens so fast. It's kinda academic now anyway – you were there when Yugi duelled Pegasus, right?" A shrug. "Anyway – I thought it'd be nice." Bakura stuttered and said thank you a lot, attaching it to his suitcase so that it wouldn't get lost. He'd heard about the friendship ring that Anzu had drawn on Yugi's, Jonouchi's, Honda's and her hands, and was more than a little overcome to be thought of as officially one of the group.

All in all, the last few remaining days of July and August passed by quickly, and soon there was only a week left, then a few days, and then it was the day before they had to go. Packing wasn't as hard this time around, even though they had more things. They had attempted to keep things in some semblance of order, putting this and that away not long after it was bought. Marik's odd handbag was found again in case it was needed, and everything checked just to be sure that either it was there or it wasn't there; some things, like Yugi's Duel Disk, had gone back with Jii-chan after they found out that electronics didn't work. Yugi dreaded to think what would happen if Kaiba-kun ever decided to believe in magic simply as a business venture. If anyone could get Duel Disks (not to mention other things as well) to work with magic, it would be Kaiba.

That night was angst-ridden. They were going to be leaving, really leaving, with only the other two to keep them company. Marik's brother and sister couldn't go with him, only contact him by mail, and the same was true for Yugi's many friends as well as his family. Bakura had spent almost every other day at the post office, but none of the others had pried, unless you counted Marik's suggestion that if he was that fascinated with the postal system then maybe he should buy himself an owl. They'd all been surprised when he actually had, coming back one day with a dark eagle owl which he later decided on calling Shisha. He hadn't explained his true reasons, even to Yugi or Marik. The only one who knew was the Spirit.


AN: Whew. Now that's over with. Now for some explanations before I go onto the next chapter.

1-Capmon figurine, Beeton – During Yami Yugi's Death-T match against Mokuba, he won using a piece that evolved into the strong lv 5 monster Beeton.

2-Don' look bored – I hope this captures the essence of the many, many fics out there that have the highly unlikely scenario of the Yamis not knowing anything about modern life. cackles Yami Bakura just don't like air planes. Why? Ask him, not me. Bakura: Grrr. . . . or . . . maybe not . . .

3-Supposed to be there – the Leaky Cauldron is supposed to be invisible to muggles. Yugi-tachi's magic isn't originally wizard, so it takes them longer to be able to see it.

4-Coffee – Remember All The World's A Board? That time earlier, on the plane? Yep, continuity rocks. Heavily inspired by Roll the Bones by Vathara (You're blocking Kaiba-kun's path to the coffee) and History of Magic by Lizeth (Coffee is to mortals as ambrosia is to the gods).

5-Ryou wins – he had a little sister, remember?

6-Double cores. I saw this once, and couldn't get the idea out of my head. Kudos to whoever thought it up first, 'cos I can't remember. Some of these wands (even the ones that don't choose them) have stories. Holly and Unicorn: both of these are 'light' attributes. Ryou Bakura, who has shadows of his own in his soul without his own personal dark side to help him out, would not suit it. Beech...Eight inches, snappy: If you got this when you read it first time 'round, well done! It's a reference to Egyptian Bakura. Eight incheseight years, snappyslightly insane. If it was only the spirit, it would've been perfect. Rosewood: Pretty but thorny. You can't get too close without getting hurt. Describes the Bakurae perfectly. Ebony, Phoenix and unicorn: Darkness and light, rebirth. Marik's is already explained, and is quite easy to get. yet more cackling from off-stage and Marik-kun glares at me

7-Bakura. Finally I get to him. A running theme throughout the chapter is his knowledge of magic and the occult. He recognizes the goblins, he knows the properties of different woods, is interested in potions ingredients, as well as Madame Tussauds etc. I'm guessing at least one of the books he got covered the darker side of magic.

9:Pictionary: Remember that first chapter, the first scene? It did have a use, you know.

10:Anzu's 'minor' problem. One memorable quote from Roll the Bones "Minor. Illegal. Deportation.". Bwa ha ha!

12, and the last one: Shisha's name will be explained next chapter, or soon, anyway. Originally I was going to have Yugi get a cat and call it Isis just for fun, but then realized that it would be unnecessary and I'd keep forgetting the poor thing. Maybe I'll put it up as a drabble or something. After all, it was a funny story.