Alex was walking down a London street. He was on his way to a place called the Leaky Cauldron that he had been told to go to by Snape. A few days after the duel with Seth and Axalis, Snape had found Alex at a hotel just outside of wales. He had told Alex to go to the leaky cauldron in London and wait for him there as he had something to take care of beforehand. Alex turned a corner and saw the rundown building next to a book store and a small game store. He decided before he would go in he would by a few packs of cards. He entered the store and saw an older lady behind the counter.
"Good morning young man," she greeted, "how may I help you?"
"Do you sell Duel monsters cards?"
"As a matter a fact we do," she said smiling, "We just got a new shipment this morning. They don't really sell well here in the UK but there still are a few how do come here." She pulled a box from behind the counter and put it there. She then opened it and Alex came over to pick out a few. With Seth's and Axalis' decks in his possession he decided that he would make a deck of his own. He picked out 8 packs and paid for them. He had chosen to wear a pair of navy blue jeans, a dark grey Short sleeve shirt and kept the dark grey leather jacket and black shoes. As he left the store he saw Snape coming down the street.
"Hello Severus," Alex called Smiling when he saw the professor.
"Good morning Alex," Snape said curtly and motioned to enter the small pub. Alex figured that Snape had something to say. Alex followed Snape in to the pub and they sat at a table off in the corner, Snape Waved off a toothless older gentleman who nodded curtly and went back behind the counter to serve another customer. Alex sat down and put his bag on the table that had the cards he had bought and picked out a pack. Then Snape started to explain what was going on.
"It seems that the Dark lord is trying to move on controlling more than what I thought at one time."
"He is moving to control the ministry faster than expected isn't he," Alex stated opening the first pack pulling out the 5 cards he had gotten and looking at them. He had gotten the Arcana Knight Joker fusion monster, Tenkabito Shien Effect monster, the Solemn Judgment trap card, the monster reincarnation Spell card, and the lightning Blade equip spell. He nodded, he had gotten some good cards and put them aside. He reached in and grabbed another pack.
"Yes he is," Snape replied, "Mr. Kaiba and his wife are going to be at the school to help me protect the students but that doesn't mean that he won't send a death eater or two to take the positions of teachers. Alex opened the next pack he was listening to Snape intently but something was pushing him to open the rest of his packs. In this one he got the kings knight, Mirror force, double spell, call of the haunted, and mage power, "so what do you want me to do?"
"I want you when you are at the school to be the student's guardian angel and keep them safe to the best of your ability without arousing suspicion in case the dark lord posts some death eaters at the school."
Alex nodded at this and opened another pack. He revealed the Dark red enchanter, polymerization, berserk dragon, Magic cylinder, and tribute to the doomed, "fine but if I am found out I will need a fool proof excuse as to why I am there," he reached in to the bag and picked the next pack.
"I am working on that. The kaiba's will be there as well as the rest of their friends minus Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, and the elder Mr. Muto."
Alex opened the next pack and looked at the cards. He had gotten big bang shot, a deal with a dark ruler, radiant mirror force, gandora the dragon of destruction, and the queen's knight, "so the entire court will be at the school minus the pharaoh, the chosen one, and the queen." He reached into the bag and pulled out the next pack.
"I guess that it is one way to put it. There is also one of their own that is outside of the school."
Alex opened the pack he pulled out, "his name is Odion Ishtar. He is the other tomb keeper," he pulled the cards out and looked to see what he had gotten. The pack had revealed the dust tornado, double coston, heavy storm, Gemini elf, and big shield Gardna. He put them in the pile and reached for the next pack.
"Odion, is he trust worthy?"
"As much as Kaiba and Krista are." Alex replied pulling the next pack and opening it. He had received the swords of revealing light, luster dragon, the dragon dwelling in the cave, double summon, and premature burial.
"I see." Snape replied.
"He is the courts oldest member chronologically by today's standards, buy atem has the most experience," Alex explained. He pulled out the last two packs out of the bag and put the wrappers in the bag and opened the last two packs and put their contents face down on the table in a stack and would reveal them one at a time. He drew the first card, the spear dragon.
"What do you mean by that?"
Alex pulled the next card, the mystical space typhoon, "it is not my tale to tell."
"Another of that groups secrets."
Alex pulled another card to reveal Gilford the lightning, "they have plenty of secrets Severus, and it is just not my place to reveal them."
"I understand that concept."
Alex pulled the next card and revealed the Nin-ken Dog, "you should after all," he lowered his voice, "you are the spy for both the court and the Dark lord."
"How did you…"
"it is all over your face Severus," Alex replied back at normal tones, pulling the next card from the stack, revealing the Kaiser Sea Horse, "you seem to have aged a few years since I last saw you, the stress of being a spy affects you more than others Snape, you should only be what 35 years old maybe 36 and yet you look almost 45 to 50," Alex pulled another card, the Insect Knight, "The strain, it seems, has affected you more outward than in, I can hear your heart beat and it is strong," he pulled another card and it revealed gearfried the iron knight, "most people who are put through the same level of stress that you have more than likely passed from this world either from committing suicide or having a massive heart attack strong enough to stop the heart, " he pulled another card, the dark bribe trap card, "what surprises me is that you seem so healthy on the inside but look like you have been through enough for a life time on the out, normally it is the other way around," he pulled the second to last card, the negate attack card, "you are a very interesting person Severus Snape," Alex pulled the last card to reveal the last of the card suite Knights, the Jack's knight monster. He sifted through the now forty card stack on the table and pulled out the arcana knight joker and set it aside, pulled 3 cards out of a jacket pocket, added them to the stack and shuffled them together and put the stack of cards plus arcana knight joker in the another pocket.
"So I have been told," Snape replied. Outwardly Snape looked unfazed by this but inwardly he was shaken. This young man had knowledge beyond his years and it showed in only one place, his eyes. His eyes though a dull grey blue had almost the same qualities that Dumbledore's seemed to have when he was alive, the look that they were gazing right into the owners soul and reading their very thoughts before they were even formed, "what have you been doing while waiting for my call?"
"Just going around looking at the competition."
"Surely you don't mean wizards."
"Bless you, no. I have been looking at local tournaments seeing what the favorite dueling style is," Alex replied with a wide grin.
Snape chuckled softly at this, One minute Alex could be colder than ice and unwavering, and other times he could be almost like a child, kind, compassionate, and trusting. Cross him the wrong way and it might just be the last thing you would ever do, "you are a very different kind of person, young man."
"Alex, call me Alex," Alex replied still smiling, "after all it is my name."
"Very well Alex," Severus replied, "tell me Alex, Have you ever lost anyone?"
Alex smile faded and his expression became dark, "Yes I have, but I am afraid that I cannot tell the story yet. All I can say is I lost someone very near and dear to my heart long ago."
"Was it to a death eater?"
"Yes, one by the name of Bartimus Crouch JR. I know he is dead but it still does not take the pain away."
"I understand, I have lost someone very special to me as well."
"I know."
"How?"
"It is complicated. I do not feel like talking about it. So tell me, why did you tell me to meet you here?"
"I have another task for you, Stay in this area. I need you to keep an eye on Diagon Alley for a while and let me know if something happens, I will teach you how to get into the alley."
"No need my way of entrance is far more subtle and able to get pass all forms of security."
"Very well, keep a close eye on Gringotts, I feel that it will only be a matter of time before a disturbance is there."
"Leave that to the tomb robber to cause the disturbance, it is up his alley."
"So you have already surveyed the bank."
"Yes and its security are pitiful compared to the non-magical form."
"Very well just stay in the area. I will let you know when you need to go on the move."
"Of course, Headmaster," Alex smiling at the last word, "see you then?"
"Meet me at Hogwarts in 3 months' time to receive the full extent of your task." Snape said rising and turning to leave.
"Of course," Alex replied standing up and leaving the establishment. It was going to be a short 3 months.