Chapter 36: The Cat is Out of the Bag

Yugi gestured for Harry, Ron and Hermione to enter the room, and smiled trying to diffuse the sudden tension in the air. The trio entered the room and Ron shut the door as he was the last to enter the room.

Mahaad moved to sit on the ground between the two beds, but Yugi patted the bed beside him, as he leaned with his back against the wall, as he sat cross legged, but leaned forward toward his friends. Mahaad perched on the edge of the bed, his back straight.

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, Harry broke eye contract first. Harry rubbed the back of his neck, and readjusted his glasses.

"Have you guys noticed anything strange lately?" Harry asked.

Mahaad frowned, while Yugi shook his head. "Not that I can think of. Do you have something specific in mind?"

"Well...yes, actually. Yugi...do you have any periods where you can't remember what you were doing? Or wake up and find that you don't remember how you got there?"

Yugi's eyes widened as he shook his head. "No."

The three of them had taken seats on Mahaad's bed and looked expectantly for Yugi to elaborate.

"Why do you ask?" Mahaad asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Ron elbowed Harry in the ribs, and Harry gave him a dirty look.

"Well...Ron and I think Yugi might be possessed."

A flash of surprise crossed Yugi's face before his eyes glazed over. Mahaad's expression remained stoic. "And why would you think that?" he demanded.

"You and Yugi acted strange mate. The other night when you attacked Bill," Ron stated. "You didn't act like yourselves."

"And you think means we are possessed?" Mahaad asked giving Ron a flat stare and folding his arms.

"Hetep, Mahaad." the Pharaoh commanded. Peace, Mahaad. The magician turned to look at the Pharaoh who had taken over, he raised an eyebrow at Mahaad's questioning look.

"Who do you think we were possessed by?" Yami asked fairly.

Ron's ears turned red. "You-Know-Who?"

The Pharaoh snorted, his lips curling into a smirk. "Wrong. Though only partially."

Ron's eyes widened in shock and Hermione gasped. Harry leaned forward eagerly.

"I am willing to divulge some of my well kept secrets, but first you must swear to me that you will get approval before telling anyone else. Is that clear?" Yami asked, his piercing gaze fixing on each of their faces in turn.

The three teens nodded.

"You were correct in your assumption that Yugi was possessed; however, you were wrong about the source."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Yugi took over control from Yami. "My grandfather brought me this Puzzle from Egypt on one of his digs there. It took me eight years to solve it and when I did..." He took a breath before continuing. "I unlocked part of the secrets it contained. There was an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who had been trapped inside for almost 3,000 years."

"You mean to tell me that some long-dead Pharaoh lives in your necklace?" Ron blurted out.

He started laughing but then stopped when no one else joined in. Harry narrowed his eyes thinking hard. Hermione cocked her head to the side.

"That is crazy!" Ron said, turning to see how his companions were taking this.

Harry stared at Yugi unblinking.

"Is the spirit evil?" Harry asked, ignoring Ron.

Yugi shook his head. "You've spoken with him before. I'll let him introduce himself properly."

The Puzzle flashed. "Hi everyone. I am Yami," the Pharaoh said, his eyes sweeping each of their faces in turn.

"Hi...Hi...Yami. So you died 3,000 years ago? How did you get trapped in Yugi's necklace?" Hermione asked timidly.

"Yes, I died 3,000 years ago. This necklace is called the Millennium Puzzle. I sealed myself in it to lock away a great evil, known as the Thief King, during my time. Upon my death the Puzzle shattered and remained in pieces until Yugi solved it."

Ron shook his head in disbelief, and Harry looked overwhelmed.

"How does Mahaad fit into all of this?" Hermione asked.

The Pharaoh glanced at Mahaad briefly.

"I was a servant, during his lifetime-"

"-Mahaad is too modest. He wasn't a mere servant. He was a member of my court and the Vizier of Upper Egypt. Proceed Mahaad"

"I too, possessed a Millennium Item, the Millennium Ring. When the Thief King attacked I vowed I would serve my king forever..." Mahaad glanced at Yami who nodded.

"...So I fused my ba and my ka—parts of my soul together to gain enough power to fulfill my dying oath. I was destined to serve my king as a Duel Monster until my king decided to resurrect me and grant me a body again."

Ron turned a little pale, and the blood drained out of Hermione's face.

"Duel Monster...?" Ron sputtered.

Yami withdrew his Deck from his holster and showed them the Dark Magician.

"You have purple hair? And you lived in a card?" Ron asked.

"I had purple hair. And my soul is still bound to that card."

"What would happen if someone shredded it?" Ron asked, attmpting to lighten the mood.

"They would regret it dearly," Mahaad vowed, his eyes glittering in the firelight.

Yami cleared his throat.

"The Millennium Puzzle is part of a set of seven Items. Each has its own unique abilities. They can all summon what is called the Shadow Realm, it is part of the Underworld. When I was a young prince my Uncle created them without my Father's knowledge or approval."

"Where are the other Items now, sir?" Hemrione asked timidly, unsure of how to address the Pharaoh.

Yami raised an eyebrow. "They are accounted for by my servants. Marik, Ishizu and Ryou all have Items. But I will let them speak for themselves if they want to share the details or not."

Harry shook his head. Hermione looked bewildered, her mind racing.

"I know you must be quite overwhelmed right now," Mahaad said looking at the trio worriedly.

"You can say that again," Harry agreed.

"I need some time to think," Hermione said rising. The two boys got to their feet too. "Yeah, we'll see you at dinner," Harry said.

The three wizards left the room, leaving the door open. Mahaad shut it and sat on his bed facing Yugi.

"How do you think that went my Prince?" Mahaad asked Yugi who had phased out of the Puzzle and was stretched out on his bed.

Yugi shrugged. "I think it went as well as it could have. They are still in shock, but it will be more telling how they react once the shock has worn off."

Author's Note:

I hope you liked this chapter! It was kind of hard for me to write...I hope it lived up to any expectations you may have had. :)

A note on the timeline. I've mainly watched the dub and I know that it says Yami and co lived 5,000 years ago. But the Japanese version says 3,000. And for me the dub shows the Valley of the Kings which wasn't in use 5,000 years ago.

Review Responses:

YumiStar: That's a good question. I think sometimes she tries too hard to be a surrogate mother to Hogwarts students.

Fireking492: Thanks for reviewing! I've never actually thought about that before... He might like some of those bands.

Suzululu4moe: Haha yeah, that's true. Hopefully things will get straightened out soon.

I think Ron especially wouldn't know how to handle holograms very well. But I intended for them to be more suspicious about all the random things that happened around tournaments and more of a sense of mystery and unfamiliarity around the game itself.

Guest: I hope this lived up to your expectations!