/mind to mind/
*Egyptian*
^Japanese^ &a change of perspective&

(A/N there may be pairings(in all probability one-sided infatuations), but it is unlikely that I'll pair all our shadow mages up. I mean, really, in real life or in books, not everyone finds someone or settles down. I will not clarify who will fall for who, because I'd like to keep it a surprise! But guess away :D)

MY CHAPTERS JUST GET LONGER AND LONGER...yay!

BTW:
Just to clarify some things:

(Ryou: sees auras.

Yuugi: calms people with his presence.

Marik: senses strong intentions: good or bad)

Seto CAN use Shadow Mage magick (yes, an Item chose him, so obviously...). HARRY iS NOT GOING TO HAVE SHADOW MAGE POWERS! He is not a mage, and even though he has a little sliver of Voldemort's soul in him, it's hardly half his soul. And Voldemort is hardly a shadow mage either.

Bakura: Snake-man? A shadow mage...? Are you trying to insult us *pulls out a knife*

Ryou: Harry doesn't have a damaged soul. He can't be a shadow mage. Sirius does, but I don't think he's one either.

Marik: That teenage twerp could never be a mage. No level of discipline. And that's ME speaking. I think that Potter boy is competing as one of my most hated alies, and that's going up against KAIBA! (Binky-boy :D)

Yami Marik: Any other Yami's and Hikari's would be getting a little repetitive. *nods*

Yuugi: O_O *gaping*

Yami: *fainting*

Mokuba: did Yami Marik just say something normal?

Seto Kaiba: these 'Yami's' don't exist Mokuba. *keeps typing on his laptop*

the others: let's pretend Marik ate the cat, and then we'll all feel normal again.


Ryou sat up suddenly. So suddenly, did he rise, that a body jolted beside him and Marik's eyes snapped open, a hand instinctively brandishing a knife at the doorway.

*You're awake!* the Egyptian boy immediately dropped the knife and grabbed Ryou's wrist to check the time.

His eyes in slits and his mouth tight, Marik spoke: *Five hours.* He slipped a cool hand over Ryou's forehead, brushing the feathery bangs out of his eyes.

*Your temperature has returned to normal. It seems,* he crushed Ryou's fist harder over something very solid and lumpy (which, the albino realized with a pinching feeling in his stomach, was the Millennium Necklace) *that this Item merges well with you. Although it does not correspond perfectly...* Ryou felt the unspoken words: 'like the Ring' *it re-established your inner magick core. You should be fully recovered in the next few days.*

Marik leaned back, stretching bronzed limbs. There was an unreadable expression on his face. For unknown reasons, he switched to English. "You saw him, didn't you."

Ryou did not ask his best friend of whom he was referring. He nodded slowly; swallowing painfully.

Marik noticed and silently offered him a cup of dubious, amber-coloured liquid. His odd expression had not altered. If anything it had intensified a little.

Ryou choked on the strong drink, eyes wide and tearing up a little. "What is this?"

"Brandy," said Marik calmly. "I snitched some from downstairs." He tipped up the cup back to his friend's lips, "Drink some more."

His tone left no room for argument. Ryou obediently sipped and blinked away the water in his eyes. In a minute, all the dizziness faded and a pleasant buzzing filled his ears.

"That's enough," Marik's hand reached out and pried the cup from his fingers. Tanned hands pushed him gently back onto the pillows of his bed. Ryou's hair fell around his face with a little 'pouf'.

Marik pushed away the hairs that had gotten into Ryou's eyes and carefully felt his forehead again.

"Are you comfortable? No dizziness, over-exhaustion?" His gaze probed Ryou's.

He shook his head. "I'm tired," he admitted. "But not enough to fall asleep yet."

He closed his eyes and snuggled into the covers; purring softly. "So warm..." his pale fingers dug into the soft mess of duvet around him.

He could feel eyes on him. Marik was watching closely. Ryou didn't understand why.

Marik had always been a little protective and since he had become ill, the Egyptian had taken care of him so painstakingly. It nearly hurt, how wonderful Marik was. But it was odd; having him just standing there silently, watching like that.

Ryou cracked his eyes open and patted the space beside him. "Sit?"

He felt the mattress groan as Marik sat. Still, the boy said nothing. Just stared. Scrutinized.

Ryou turned his face away in slight discomfort. It was queer to have Marik say nothing. Marik was rarely silent. Marik being quiet for a long time was as odd as the idea of Seto Kaiba going googly-eyed over a bubbly cheerleader*cough*slut*cough*. Not happening.

Finally, Marik's voice came from beside him. "Ryou. He...he came, you said he did. You can tell me. Tell me what happened."

Ryou felt a burning in his eyes before wetness clogged his eyelashes. There was a strange cramped feeling in his lungs. It took him the good part of five minutes to merely get his mouth to form words.

Father. Dear, dear father. I'm sorry. It's my fault. I wasn't good enough. I never was.

Ryou told Marik, in shaky, tremulous tones, what he had seen that day at the tomb. Ryou had never told Marik the details. He had been depressed, not to mention ill to the point of being hallucinogenic, and Marik had found out more through Ryou's daily silence, and shrieking nightmares than anything else.

When he finally broke down and cried, cried, cried, he felt arms encircle him. Ryou felt more ashamed than ever. He was so weak. What boy his age cried?

"One who's gone through more in the last few years than most people do in a lifetime," said Marik sharply, and Ryou realized that he had asked that last question aloud.

But Marik had gone through just as much. Why couldn't he be strong like Marik? Marik had fought his Yami; conspired against him.

The naturally soft features of Marik's face that were so often tight and sharp with pain and hidden emotions had become tighter still and his eyes had narrowed to bright slits.

"We'll make it better, Ryou. We'll make it better."

And still, there was that unreadable expression that came when he glanced at the albino in his arms.

Marik was the greatest friend. Marik may worship Yuugi's very footprints, but he was Ryou's best friend.

Ryou hugged him tightly, downy head nestling in the crook of the Egyptian boy's neck. Long eyelashes fluttered shut, like silk against his cheek. Little, hot puffs of breath hit Marik's chest.

Comforted and recovering, mentally and physically, Ryou fell asleep.

And although Marik did not for the next few hours, he did not budge an inch.

&Harry&

Harry woke up the next morning; his mind buzzing with thoughts and wild speculations.

Ever since last night when Sirius mentioned a 'weapon' Voldemort was going after, he had tried to figure out what it was. All the same, his best bet was to discover Hermione's thoughts on the matter and mull them over.

George called him for breakfast (in fact, that was how Harry had woken up in the first place) and when he mentioned Doxy-cleaning, Harry was too caught in his thoughts to complain.

That, and, being in the same house as the Dursleys for a long period of time made absolutely anything seem enchanting in comparison.

Harry was also wondering about the foreigners. They were young - just his age, in fact - and Mrs Weasley had repeatedly clarified that they were most definitely not part of the Order. She was so busy being defensive that she let it slip that they were here for protection.

So Hermione had been right. Ryou had been attacked. Did this somehow tie in with the 'weapon'? If it did, it would be good to question the foreign children.

Where were they from, actually? He had never found out.

Half an hour later Harry and Ron, who had dressed and breakfasted quickly, entered the drawing room, a long, high-ceilinged room on the first floor with olive green walls covered in dirty tapestries.

The carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot on it and the long, moss green velvet curtains were buzzing as though swarming with invisible bees.

It was around these that Mrs Weasley, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George were grouped, all looking rather peculiar as they had each tied a cloth over their nose and mouth. Each of them was also holding a large bottle of black liquid with a nozzle at the end.

"Cover your faces and take a spray," Mrs Weasley said to Harry and Ron the moment she saw them, pointing to two more bottles of black liquid standing on a spindle-legged table. "It's Doxycide. I've never seen an infestation this bad - what that house-elf's been doing for the last ten years -'"

Hermione's face was half concealed by a tea towel but Harry distinctly saw her throw a reproachful look at Mrs Weasley.

"Kreacher's really old, he probably couldn't manage -"

"You'd be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to, Hermione," said Sirius, who had just entered the room carrying a bloodstained bag of what appeared to be dead rats.

"I've just been feeding Buckbeak," he added, in reply to Harrys inquiring look. "I keep him upstairs in my mothers bedroom. Anyway ... this writing desk ..."

He dropped the bag of rats into an armchair, then bent over to examine the locked cabinet which, Harry now noticed for the first time, was shaking slightly.

"Well, Molly, I'm pretty sure this is a Boggart," said Sirius, peering through the keyhole, "but perhaps we ought to let Mad-Eye have a shifty at it before we let it out - knowing my mother, it could be something much worse."

"Right you are, Sirius," said Mrs Weasley.

They were both speaking in carefully light, polite voices that told Harry quite plainly that neither had forgotten their disagreement of the night before.

A loud, clanging bell sounded from downstairs, followed at once by the cacophony of screams and wails that had been triggered the previous night by Tonks knocking over the umbrella stand.

"I keep telling them not to ring the doorbell!" said Sirius exasperatedly, hurrying out of the room.

They heard him thundering down the stairs as Mrs Black's screeches echoed up through the house once more:

'Stains, of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth...!'

"Close the door, please, Harry," said Mrs Weasley.

Harry walked over to the door and would have listened in a little to the conversation in the hallway, but as he touched the knob to close the door, someone appeared in the doorway.

"Marik?" said Mrs. Weasley, sounding surprised. "I thought you were watching Ryou."

The scowling Egyptian boy nodded, blinking his eyes rapidly. "Ryou's awake now. Yuugi's sitting with him. His fever's gone and he's stopped coug-I mean he's actually slept a decent amount of time."

Harry had noticed that neither cheerful Yuugi, nor ten-cutting-insults-per-second Marik, nor this mysterious Ryou (that he had already pegged as a sickly looking, white-haired dufus of a Hufflepuff) had been present at breakfast.

They were all watching Marik interact with Mrs. Weasley curiously.

Ron had told him last night that the foreigners hardly spoke with anyone except Remus, (a couple times with Sirius), occasionally Snape, and Dumbledore himself. Yuugi had talked with everyone in the house at least once, but even he was usually sleeping after staying up long nights beside Ryou's bed.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes were still narrowed over the half-way-through-word-then-sudden-change that Marik had pulled off. But her motherliness had yet to falter. "You should really get some rest yourself. Ryou has been prime concern, I understand, but you have been staying up most days and nights all week! You look like death warmed up."

Harry had not noticed at first, but after second glance at Marik's face he saw heavy, dark bruises beneath his eyes and droopy eyelids. Marik's hands were twitching involuntarily, but they stilled when the Weasley matron spoke.

"I'm fine. Ryou slept soundly last night. Five hours straight, then another seven. I've had plenty of sleep. Since I have presently nothing to do, I thought I'd make myself useful. I am, after all, living off your mercies."

Before anyone could utter a word, Marik was fastening a cloth over his stiff features and Ginny tossed him her Doxicide, announcing that she was going to retrieve another.

Fred and George gave her jealous looks, knowing for certain that even if she did so she would take her time while doing it.

Ginny walked past Harry and muttered: "I'll see what I can find out."

Then with a flick of flower-scented red hair, she was gone.

Squirting Doxies was not Harry's choice way of spending the day.

Although, he was happy to hear from Fred and George about their plans for the joke shop. He was very pleased at the method of which the Tri-Wizard Tournament prize money was going to be put to use.

Marik was just as grumpy as ever. When half a dozen Doxies decided to attack him at once, he shot three of them down - fast as lightning - dodged two, and smashed the third in the face with his spray bottle.

Harry winced with Hermione. The bushy-haired girl gave the Egyptian boy dirty looks for the rest of the time they cleaned.

Ginny had spent a good half hour 'getting a new spray'. Her eyes glittered as she passed him, and Harry knew she had discovered some important information. Probably only a scrap, but every scrap was useful.

When cleaning time was over, Marik slipped out the door silently. His bronze skin gleamed in a sliver of light peaking from between the curtains.

Harry glanced at the others before following him slowly. He wanted to know why Marik was so important, or rather, why Ryou was so important. Did they have information on Voldemort? If so, what information?

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and then went after him.

"Where's he from?" whispered Harry, without turning.

"Egypt," hissed Hermione back. "Ryou's Japanese, and so is Yuugi, but Marik's Egyptian. Come to think of it, I think they were all in Egypt recently. They all can speak the language."

That was odd. They must be fluent in at least three languages...unless they used a language charm...

"Another thing," said the female of the Golden Trio. "I've never seen any of them holding a wand."

"Bloody nutter," whispered Ron about their quarry, and Harry agreed with the sentiment.

"What are you lot doing?" snapped a voice. Marik had stopped just before a door on the far end of the hall. He was glaring at them.

Something about Marik's anger drew Harry's out. He glared defiantly back.

"We...we wanted to see Ryou? Is he okay now?"

The Egyptian boy's eyes locked on the speaker. He gazed at Hermione for a few long moments before saying anything.

Then he said: "Ryou's not 'okay' yet, but I think he'll like to talk with you, Hermione."

The girl gave a little squeak. Harry had the feeling that Marik had never used her name before.

Just then, downstairs, there was yelling. Mrs. Weasley was screaming about Stolen Cauldrons. Mrs. Black was all-to-eager to join in the yelling.

An irritable look crossed Marik's face. "In." He said shortly, opening the door and motioning quickly inside.

Hermione hurried in nervously, and after half a second Ron and Harry followed. Marik closed the door behind them with an audible click-click.

"W-wait!" said Hermione, "T-this isn't Ryou's room!"

There were manacles on the walls and various rows of axes. Red, blotchy stains - some had turned rusty-brown - covered the walls in places.

Before Harry could spin around, he was pushed into a chair and cuffs sprang onto his wrists.

Ron pulled out his wand, but it flew out of his hand as did Hermione's. The girl ran for the door with a silent shriek.

It was locked. She tugged at it, wild-eyed and shaking.

"Now," said Marik calmly, pointing Ron and Hermione's wands at them, "We can have a little chat."

&Yuugi&

Ryou was pale-face and shaky, but otherwise he was unhurt.

He had agreed to play a game of Duel Monsters with Yuugi, although he said it was obvious who was going to win.

Yuugi blushed and muttered about Ryou's excellent tactics. Yuugi had always been modest. Even though he knew he was the best. He'd have to be stupid not to, and Yuugi was far from stupid.

Yuugi was just beginning to get a lead on Ryou when Yami's voice spoke in his head. /Someone's coming, you might want to hide the Necklace./

Ryou, who still clutched the Millennium item glanced at Yuugi, awaiting his turn.

"Hide the Necklace," said Yuugi quickly. "Someone's coming."

Since Ryou had told, however vaguely, the wizards about the items they used for magick, the Shadow Mages had been very careful to hide them.

Shadi still had the Millennium Key and the Millennium Scales. The Ring was kept in a pouch on Yuugi's person at all times. Seto Kaiba still had the Rod, Ryou was presently using the Necklace, and the Puzzle was around Yuugi's neck, as he would not lose sight of it for a moment and it was far too bulky to hide well anyway.

The only one unaccounted for was the Eye. It was odd that it had disappeared like that...

Malik wore so much golden jewelery that various members of the order often stared at him. It was possible that any of his jewelery could appear to be an Item. Yuugi and Yami had debated over whether the English wizards were suspicious over this fact, but whether they were or weren't, there was nothing to be done about it.

Ryou slipped the fist full of Shadow Mage magick under his duvet.

A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. Without waiting longer than a moment for an answer or recognition, the door jerked open and Severus Snape appeared, carrying several vials and a couple of letters in his arms. He lined the bottles on the table near Ryou.

"Dreamless Sleep, Migraine, Post-Traumatic-Stress Medication," a long white finger touched each of the stoppers in their respective bottles as he named them. Snape curled his lip back in disdain. "I believe Dumbledore will see you this evening. He told me to give you three letters, but I believe your other bodyguard isn't here."

"Arigato, I mean, thank you Sensei-Snape!" said Ryou trying to stand up and bow. Yuugi pushed him down gently and then bowed alongside him.

The two boys beamed at the Potions Master, who - for someone who masked their emotions remarkably well - looked a touch surprised.

/Scandalized,/ Yami corrected, sounding mildly amused.

Severus Snape nodded stiffly, as if irritated that they had managed to catch him off guard. Then, with a parting sneer and a swish of black robes, he was gone.

"We need to speak with Dumbledore," Yuugi ran a hand through his wilderness of spiky hair.

Ryou looked up from his card. "About Kaiba?"

Yuugi nodded. Yami offered: /He sounded even more pissed off than usual./

Ryou's eyes drifted across the room as if trying to focus on an invisible object. "Did the Pharaoh just speak?"

"Your eyes," clarified the albino in reply to Yuugi's apparent curiosity, "they glaze over when you speak usually, but sometimes when he says something that you don't consider fair, you scrunch up your eyebrows together, like this."

Ryou acted out the motion.

"Oh. I never realized that." /Better work on your poker-face, Aibou./

Then /Aibou. I think something is going on with Marik. You should check on him./

Yuugi ignored the voice in his head.

Ryou laughed. "You did it again." He then began to choke on his laughter. A white hand snatched up a handkerchief and placed it against trembling lips.

When Ryou lowered the crumpled square of thin tissue-cloth, there was splattered crimson on it.

"No need to worry, Yuugi," the half-Brit laughed carefully (avoiding another choking spell) at the King of Game's expression, "Marik says when my magick core completes repairing itself, that will stop happening."

Yuugi was worried, though. And judging from the way Marik had held his lips tightly together when he watched Ryou, the Egyptian Mage was too.

He fiddled with the tall thin glass vial that Snape had put Post-Traumatic...wait! He had seen this medication before. Same colour, same smell, different vessel. But who, out of all the people he knew, took medication for trauma?

"Ryou, have you ever taken medication for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder before?" He tapped the vial lightly with a tiny finger.

The white-haired boy froze.

"Oh? Yes...for about a year. When mother and Amane..."

Yuugi, feeling very sorry for bringing it up, dove across the bed to clutch Ryou's shaky fingers. "You don't need to talk about it. I was just wondering."

Not Ryou then. Yuugi had not even known him until years after his parents died.

"Does Marik?"

"I don't know. Maybe he did before, goodness knows he's been through trauma!" Ryou fiddled with his fingers, sounding suddenly very guilty. "But he's probably changed to pills. Once he got out of that...that hole, and ventured into civilization. Most people use pills. I did."

/It was likely the Tomb Keeper, then./ said Yami thoughtfully. /I do not know anyone else who would take what may appear to be a less-than-modern cure. I do not think Ishizu or Rishid ever had to take any medication. But Aibou, there is no need to worry yourself over it. In all likelihood, it is someone you met only briefly./

Yuugi sighed. Ryou watched him closely, before flipping Change-Of-Hearts around his fingers. The game cards lay scattered and forgotten.

"I'm sorry," said Yuugi aloud, speaking to both Yami and Ryou, "Everything is going so topsy-turvy, I've begun to mull over every little thing. I think Marik is too."

"I suppose," said Ryou softly, staring into his lap and the Change-Of-Hearts "That it is like a repeat of Battle City, except we are not the villains this time."

Yami said nothing, but Yuugi felt the agreement behind his silence. "You and Marik were never villains. You never wanted to hurt anybody!"

"But I let him," Ryou looked up and tears were forming in the corners of his large bambi eyes, "I didn't even fight him. I am weak! Just look at me! I am weak! Weak! Both you and Marik have had to look after me simply because I touched a stupid stick and somehow my body rejects it. I always have to be looked after. You saved the world by shutting away ancient evils, what did I do? I harbored an ancient evil and made it extremely difficult for anyone and everyone!"

Yuugi stared at Ryou in horror. "Ryou, surely you don't think of yourself that way. He grabbed Ryou's wrists and looked him in the eye. Tell me you don't think of yourself that way! It wasn't your fault!"

"Marik had an evil Yami too," muttered Ryou, turning away from the King of Games. "He fought him."

Yami was silent still, but this time it was the awkward kind of silence where one wants to say something reassuring, but comes up blank.

Yuugi grabbed Ryou's chin with a tiny, soft hand and turned Ryou's face to his own. Huge violet eyes met huge bambi ones. Both sets were wet, and yet the tears did not fall. "Look at me, Ryou. You - are - not - evil. And you - are - not - weak. You - are - not - useless! Do you really think Marik would be friends with someone useless?"

Ryou cracked a smile, thinking of his best friend's grumbling of useless people. The tears began to trickle from his eyes as they crinkled upwards. "No...I guess not."

He managed a weak laugh, brushing the tears out of his eyes and looking thoroughly embarrassed for crying at all. Yuugi's tears had also fallen, though.

He cried for many people. They said his heart was too big. People should not weep for their enemies.

But Yuugi had no enemies. The King of Games had allies, friends, and future allies, future friends. His future friends and allies were merely a little confused at the moment, and perhaps needed to be exorcized. (:D)

But they would eventually adore him.

/Everyone adores you, Aibou,/ said Yami softly, and there was a strange intensity in the way he spoke. /Everyone will always adore you...perhaps even against their will.../

And he was silent again, leaving his hikari slightly confused.

#Later#
&Marik&

Marik was having an excellent day. Sure, the Doxies had been a little irritating to tackle (he had been very tired, but not enough to fall asleep), but honestly, after living underground and having your skin carved off, as well as being charged with murdering your own father, blah blah blah etc, it was hard to complain about trifles like Doxies.

Ryou was feeling better, and he had finally gotten at that nosy Potter boy. Of course, Marik had simply scared them a little and warned them to keep their abnormally nosiness away from Ryou.

He had been a little nicer to Hermione, because she really had tried to be civil to him the past week and was actually concerned about Ryou.

He had also found out why they were so curious. They seemed to think that Marik, Ryou, or Yuugi had information on a secret weapon.

Well Yuugi most certainly did (but not even Dumbledore knew about the Yami's or the extent of Shadow magick), and all the Shadow Mages had secrets, not to mention skeletons in the closet. The last thing they needed were snot-nosed brats digging up dirt on them.

Well, he rubbed his hands gleefully together. He had definitely put a stopper on that.

With a little added skip to his step, Marik went into Ryou's room to check if the albino had eaten dinner.

Someone was talking inside the room. It didn't sound like Yuugi. No, he had passed the adorable panda-boy in the hall. Marik narrowed his eyes and pushed the door open.

He blinked at the sight.

Ryou had a tray across his lap ladened with a bowl of steaming soup and a plate of vegetables. A glass of juice with three iceblocks was on the corner of the tray, next to utensils and serviettes.

But that was not surprising. Even though Yuugi had not brought any dinner up.

Sitting beside Ryou - right beside Ryou - was the youngest redhead in the Weasley family, and consequently, the only female child in said family.

She was playing with Ryou's hair. "Goodness! It's sooo soft! Tell me your secret! What do you put in it?" And then she had the nerve to flash him a pretty smile.

"Hmm," Ryou spoke in a deep voice, nodding solemnly, eyes twinkling, "a wizard never reveals his hair products!" And he swished his long, silky mane to emphasize his point.

Ginny mock-pouted. She had really nice lips, actually, Marik noticed. Her bare legs were on the bed, one crossed over the other (right beside Ryou's) long and smooth and thin. She had removed her shoes and was presently wearing a short, checkered skirt.

Marik had not seen this coming.

Ryou caught sight of Marik in the doorway. He waved brightly. "Marik! Here, Ginny brought us dinner up. She said that all the folks downstairs are still in sour moods from cleaning." He tilted his head cutely to one side, "Is it true that you have to wrestle with moving curtains and various household appliances try to kill you?" His eyes were gleaming; as bright as diamonds.

Marik entered stiffly. He didn't trust the girl. Why was she so close to Ryou anyway? And why were they laughing so much together. Only HE made Ryou laugh that much.

But he couldn't help crack a smile at Ryou's morbid happiness at the thought of vengeful household items set on murder.

"Oh yes," Ginny nodded seriously. "We were attacked by large spiders too - Ron's deadly afraid of them, ran from the room the moment they appeared - and there was a music box that began putting us to sleep before I slammed the lid shut."

"It's a good thing that someone there had some sense," beamed Ryou at the pretty girl, and Marik's dislike of her grew, "Although, I'm sure Marik would have ended up karate-chopping it in half if he had been close." Ryou giggled. "He did that before to..."

Marik decided that this 'Ginny' was trying to pump Ryou for information. She was being altogether too nice, too suddenly. And bringing Ryou food up? As well as Marik's? There was obviously something going on. Not to mention the short skirt and freshly waxed legs...

The Egyptian boy picked up his plate as he heard Ginny saying: "I don't know what happened, but Harry and Ron and Hermione all looked thoroughly shaken when we started on the cabinets. Ron kept muttering something about torture, but I think he was talking about the cleaning."

Marik hid a wide grin behind a forkful of steamed asparagus.

"Harry's going to court soon, actually. He used a Patronus to get rid of some Dementors that attacked him, and the stupid asses in the Ministy have the nerve to charge him with using 'under-aged magic' and perhaps even expelling him from Hogwarts and breaking his wand!"

Ryou looked dutifully horror-stricken. Marik did not. Big deal. He gave up his magick. Would this Harry boy die without magick? Would he stop breathing without magick?

Marik had tackled leadership of his whole clan and had gone up against the EGYPTIAN MAFIA without magick and come out victorious.

He didn't think much of the Potter dweeb anyway.

"What's a Dementor, and a Patronus?" asked Ryou carefully.

Ginny seemed surprised. Marik quickly cut in: "We don't have Dementors in Egypt."

She blinked and nodded, surprised that he had even spoken. Her eyes grew dark and far away as she quoted, with text-book perfection: "Dementors are among the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory until a person is left with nothing but his worst experiences."

Ryou had gone sickly pale, his hands were shaking. Marik was clutching the fork in his left hand so hard that he was certain it would snap in two.

"That's not all," said Ginny quietly. "If they manage to get close to you...they can give you something called a Dementor's Kiss. They...they reach down and suck out your soul..."

Ryou's spoon clattered onto the tray. He was hyperventilating.

Marik realized suddenly what Ryou was thinking. Soul...sucking out souls...and putting them into dolls...

"The Patronus charm," Ginny's voice grew tight and caught at places, "is the only charm that repel them. The Dementors affect Harry more than others because there are horrible things in his past that other people have not gone through. He was taught the Patronus charm in his third year by Remus Lupin," Marik looked up at her, "two years ago. And now the idiots at the Ministy are trying to expel him for saving his own soul!" Her brown eyes flashed.

Marik realized, with some unsettlement, that Ginny's eyes were nearly the exact shade of Ryou's when she was angry.

when Ginny left, clearing Ryou's empty tray and Marik's plate, the Shadow Mages were silent. Ryou was still shaking silently. Dolls...putting souls in dolls.

Marik squeezed his arm and Ryou jumped out of his reverie. "Ryou. We need to learn how to repel those weird-ass creatures. I do not want to see him again."

And the albino nodded fervently.

Yuugi walked in only moments after, with Dumbledore in tow. Yuugi was cheerful and bubbly. Marik could tell at once that it was a little forced. Yuugi did that sometimes. When he was anxious.

"Is it true," the aged wizard asked Marik, lifting an eyebrow, "that you tied Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, by their feet, to the ceiling of the torture room in an attempt to coerce information out of them, and you let the terrified Hermione Granger watch?"

Ryou and Yuugi stared at Marik. Then, simultaneously, they looked away. Ryou covered his eyes with one hand. *Please, Marik,* he switched from English, *tell me you didn't.*

"An exaggeration," said the Egyptian Mage flippantly, hiding an enormous grin behind a poker-face and mentally doing a happy-dance. "They were attempting to spy on me, so I locked them in the room - removing their nasty little wands - and pushed them into binding chairs. I questioned them thoroughly. I may have," he added as a casual afterthought, "hung the Potter *asshole* upsidedown for a few moments when he insulted me, but otherwise, the lot were as right as rain!"

Ryou and Yuugi made fertive gestures to quiet him, and then sighed in despair. At least the silver-bearded Headmaster did not know the Egyptian word for asshole, and Marik did not know the English version. They had been, very, very careful not to let Marik learn any English curses, no matter how mild.

"Marik..."

Dumbledore's eyebrows had risen higher since the Egyptian boy had spoken. "I would like to speak with all of you about your future."

"Actually," Yuugi was hopping nervously from one foot to the other, "Um...Sensei, Kaiba sent me a message earlier, when you let me out of the building. (A/N ooooh, Yuugi's uncomfortable with half lies) He says he needs to speak with you. Something about wizards following him around, and something to do with Mokuba - that's his younger brother - being taken away."

The Headmaster looked at the small boy curiously. "Would he be working now?"

"He's always working," said Ryou dully. "Seto Kaiba doesn't know the meaning of a day off."

"You used Binky-boy's first name! Wow Ryou, I feel love in the air!" Marik threw up his hands in mock surprise.

"He said he wanted to see you as soon as possible," said Yuugi tentatively.

Dumbledore's light blue eyes twinkled over his half-moon spectacles, "We can go now, if you like."

Yuugi, Marik, and Ryou simultaneously blinked. "Okay..."

"Ryou shouldn't be out of bed," said Marik quickly, while Yuugi said: "Take us outside and let me call him first."

Ryou said: "Do you know the directions?" and then "You should probably wear something besides those robes. Kaiba doesn't like anything abnormal."

"Except the size of his ego..." muttered Marik.

Yuugi admonished him properly, and Ryou insisted he could come.

"He likes me better than either of you."

"He still hates you."

"Not as much as he hates you or you, or even you!" he pointed at Dumbledore, who seemed thoroughly confused.

"Why would he hate me?"

"Kaiba dislikes everyone other than Mokuba." "Kaiba doesn't like magick - he doesn't even believe in it for that matter." "You look happy. He doesn't like happy people."

Dumbledore's eyebrows were in danger of rising above his head.

Ryou threw the blankets off and pulled the sleeves of a patchy coat (courtesy of Mrs. Weasley) over his arms. He had already been dressed in bed.

"Let's go."

Marik sighed deeply. "Kaibacorp. Here we come."

"I think Kaiba must be really nice, deep inside."

Marik gawked at Ryou. "I thought that would be something for Yuugi to say. For a minute there, I forgot you are as horribly nice as him," he scoffed, rolling his eyes "Kaiba nice? Maybe deep, deep, deep, deep, deep-"

Dumbledore turned an old hat into a Portkey.

"-deep, deep, deep, deep, deep-"

"Hold on. This will take us to a secluded area in the Muggle countryside."

"Muggle means non-magickal, Yuugi."

"-deep, deep, deep, deep-"

"You can phone him there. Hold on, it will leave in a few moments."

"Marik put your hand on!"

"-deep, deep, deep-"

"You're giving me a migraine."

There was a flash and the four disappeared.

A word echoed around the room.

"Inside."


OKAY...REVIEW. Do you want me to continue making the chapters longer or do you prefer them short and to the point? The Kaiba brothers return in the next chapter, and Harry goes to court. Dumbledore makes an offer, and surprises happen. Sirius has to what...?

REVIEW AND FIND OUT.

Ryou: I hate Dementors. Isn't there some way to kill them? I mean, if it's possible to kill a dark spirit that resides in golden jewelery and turns mortals into playing figures, I'm sure there's got to be some way to kill these guys...um...wraiths...um...things.

Bakura: BUT YOU CANNOT KILL ME! MWAHAHAHAHA...they're wraiths, idiot Yadonushi!

Marik: we need to discover a way of doing the Patronus charm. I do not think our magick works the same way as these wizards'.

Yami Marik: yummy, yummy cat...

Yami and Yuugi: Normality is restored. Gross.

Kaiba: Just my luck. The dweebs are coming over now. I'm probably in the middle of an important meeting.

Mokuba: But Nii-sama, you called them in the first place!

*Kaiba carefully ignores this*: Hn.