"Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls if you'll look out the window to your left you'll get your first look at duel academy."

Fifteen year old Harry Potter was one of those boys and girls. As he looked out towards his new home for years to come he couldn't help but open his mouth in shock and awe much like he had four years ago as he stepped into Hogwarts for the first time. Despite being the adopted son of a billionaire, the friend of another, and the student of the best duellist of all time, he had still seen nothing greater than the multi-coloured form of architecture before him in his time in the world.

Over the past four years he had grown. Shaking off the effects of malnourishment he was now a well-built young man of average height. Pegasus truly had put some meat on his bones and in doing so created a strong man. Between duelling with Kaiba and Yugi, for both the challenge and in an effort to control his powers, he was no slouch when it came to throwing down his cards. He aced the entrance exam, privately courtesy of knowing the owners, and was decked in a blue blazer. At his side however was his true treasure.

As a child he had wanted to form a collection to rival that of his fathers and he had tried to the best of his ability, dragging Yugi around to competitions, using the prize money to collect the rarest and strongest of cards and forming them into decks of varying strengths and powers.

Yugi had encouraged him to form decks that were right, balanced, and he could believe in. And so he did. Despite having thousands of cards in his bags, in the metal case at his leg, was his duel disk, and his decks. Three he had formed and he was more proud of them than he was of anything he had ever created.

'Admit it, it helps that we're in them' the dark shadow of the Dark Magician loomed beside him, unseen by anyone on the plane due to either seating or inability. He would not foolishly assume that a duelling academy did not have one student who could at least see spirits.

"It helps yes. I am always grateful for your company Mahad." Yugi had imparted him with that bit of knowledge once his ability to call the spirits out for their cards had manifested. Mahad swore undying loyalty to the Pharaoh and his incarnations but here was a child brought forth by a divine decree, he accepted without hesitation and had been given a friend because of it.

'I do miss the king though'

Harry mock pouted, "Am I not good enough to replace Yugi?" He shook his head in silent laughter, the smile never leaving his face, "Besides, knowing our luck, we'll need to see him again eventually."

And he wasn't blindly stating that. Since his powers had begun to manifest and his card collection growing, hunters of both had begun to come after him. Any time he left the sanctuary of Pegasus Island he would be stalked by them until they grew the spine to challenge him. To this day he had never lost but that didn't mean he had gotten away scot free the multiple scars on his body from various games of both shadow and danger could attest to that.

"Now if you'll put you would kindly put your seats into their upright positions its Duel Academy in five folks."

Time to show them what you're made of. Harry thought to himself, Mahad nodding alongside him as he did.

They landed at long last at the docks and Harry got off to see three other helicopters landing beside them. Grabbing his case, he made his way away from the helicopters and waited for the others to pass him by. He knew he was in the blue dorm and knew well enough where it was from studying the map of the island so now he just wanted to scope out the competition of the school.

'Starting with my fellow blues shall we?' He thought. 'Let's see, a few gorgeous women, more than likely trying to prove that women can duel just as well as men, that's fine but what about just as well as me?'

'A little cocky Harry?' Dark Magician appeared out of nowhere. The shining sun no diminishing his features in the slightest.

'Not at all, I'm willing to accept my losses, but there haven't been many since we duelled Kaiba and Yugi.' He tilted his head towards the group of male blues 'Those on the other hand. Arrogant, raised with the finest cards Daddy could buy and sent to the worst schools, schools who told them they would be the best just because they went there.'

'Just think, that could have been you'

But it's wasn't, and as Harry watched the blues strut over to the lower class dorms he didn't feel anger or disgust, only pity for the young boys who were raised so poorly, and for the others who never had the privileges that he and the others had.

"The reds were what had his attention the most though. While most of them showed looks of relief on their faces, having barely scraped a pass mark on their exams, one in particular had him smiling once more. Because decked in a red jacket and trailing a blue haired boy behind him, was a Slifer red who just didn't care.

"Excuse me." A female voice sounded from behind him. His attention was stripped from the one in red and drawn to one of the female blues he was observing earlier. His eyes widened in realization but he did not say anything prompting her to continue. "Sorry, it's just you looked a little lost."

'In hindsight' Mahad added 'Perhaps staring off into space was not the best look for a new student. Even one of your calibre.'

Ignoring the spirits words he opened his mouth to reply only to have someone hit his back and force him to the ground. Getting annoyed with the constant interruptions to his musings he turned still on the ground to find the boy from red earlier on top of him.

"Sorry." 'Well at least he apologized' Harry thought. "We were on our way to the red dorm."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You do know that the red dorm is that way right? He asked pointing over towards where he had originally come from.

"Oh." The boy finally stood up. Giving a hand to Harry who raised himself to his feet and grabbed his case which had fallen away. "Name's Jaden by the way." The hand which had helped him up was now outstretched.

Harry took the hand. "Harry." He turned round to the girl from earlier. And offered her the hand as well. When she took it, he bowed low and gently laid a kiss to the back of it. Mentally thanking his father for the lessons on etiquette when he saw her faintly blush.

"Alexis" She finally said.

Jaden, not noticing anything unusual, peered at the metal suitcase in Harry's hand as if he could see through it. "What's in the case?" He finally asked.

"Just my decks"

Both of the others raised their eyebrows at the pluralization of the word. But only Jaden talked.

"Cool, want to duel?"

As much as Harry wanted to accept the challenge, he was itching to duel after not doing so since his exam. He knew he had to get to the blue dorm in order to be greeted by his 'illustrious' headmaster.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to be late if I don't make a move. You guys have your greetings as well don't you?"

Both nodded before looking at the time. The next thing Harry saw were dust clouds as they both took off.

'You know you're going to be late.'

Looking around Harry saw that the sun was setting on the island and he was the only one on the docks bar his spirit companion of course.

"We both know that's not true my friend." Looking around him and seeing the docks empty he simply waited a few more seconds. As the sun peaked the nearby mountains, a shadow was cast over Harry and Mahad. The two disappeared soon after.

The two appeared inside the magnificent dorm as if the simply walked out of a dimly lit corner. As he walked to the table to join his classmates he soon began to draw their attention.

"Who are you?" One brave soul asked. "You weren't at the exams."

Apparently this is all it took.

"He's a cheat." One person shouted.

"He snuck in here."

'They're not that clever are they' Mahad observed. Throughout all this Harry had not moved one iota merely eating his food calmly. 'Are you not going to respond?'

That got his attention 'You would have me rise to their bait? What would Yugi think?'

'Yugi is a kind soul and a master duellist, but what you should be thinking is what Kaiba would think. Politics have not changed even in five thousand years, they want you to prove yourself. Better to do it on your terms than somebody else's"

"Get him Chazz!"

'See what I mean?'

All heads turned to the first year eating by the Headmaster's side. He finished his bite before putting his fork down and turning towards Harry. Glaring at him, but getting nothing in return he turned to look at the Headmaster who hadn't even stopped eating his steak. Either he knew about this and expected Harry to defend himself. Or he didn't care.

"Crowler hasn't kicked him out so he must have done something to get in here. Nobody but the elite wear blue." He sniffed and looked down his nose at Harry "Besides, he isn't worth my time. I have plans tonight."

Now that annoyed Harry. That student clearly had a brain if he deduced that Harry had a place here yet thinks himself better than him without words being exchanged. No, Harry would not stand for that. As dinner finished Harry learned the name of this upstart, Chazz Princeton.

'Well Chazz,' Harry thought as he stepped inside his room and laid his case on the bed. "You're plans just got cancelled." Opening the case revealed rows of cards surrounding three deck boxes coloured red, blue and black. Taking the blue one.

Standing up he turned to his luggage which had been brought to his room. Opening a duffer bag he took out his duel disk, not the academy one. His.

So dressed in a blue uniform and wielding a black duel disk with a wicked razor edge he looked out his balcony to where Chazz was walking towards the main building. The moon fell behind the clouds, and Harry disappeared in the darkness.

Meanwhile With Jaden:

"Be at the duel arena at midnight, loser forfeits his rarest card." The message was from Chazz, and Jaden knew there was no way he wasn't going to go.

But Syrus didn't know Jaden all that well. "You can't go Jay, the ante rule is illegal here." He was worried that the only friend he had was going to get expelled before the first class even started.

"Chill out Sy, we won't get caught."

"WE?"

"Yeah, you're my pal. There's no way you're missing out an adventure."

And so the two set off just after Chazz did. Chazz got there first being the closest to the main building, or so he thought.

At the Duel Arena:

"When that Slifer slacker gets here ill prove he's nothing but a fluke. Without his rarest card he'll be useless." Chazz muttered as he entered the stadium and the lights turned on.

"I'm afraid you won't get the chance."

Chazz looked around to see who had spoken. Spinning on his toes in order to see the entire room but he couldn't find anyone. "Who's there?" He called worriedly, he knew campus security would be patrolling but not this soon. "Come out and face me!"

"Very well."

Out of the shadows stepped Harry. Chazz recognised him from earlier. "You're that punk from dinner. And here I thought you were a mute."

"Oh on the contrary Chazz, I'm no mute. I am however a duellist, a better one than you will ever be, and I don't take insults lightly."

"Insults?"

"Not worth your time am I?" Harry raised his duel disk, the entire time the two had been talking he had made his way to the opposite side of Chazz. "You may have had plans before. But now you're duelling me."

Chazz knew he didn't have much of a choice here. Harry stood in front of the only way out that didn't lead to campus security. But that didn't matter, he would win easily. "Fine" he agreed. "But when I win you forfeit your rarest card." 'And I can use that against Yuki'

The two prepared their duel disks. "DUEL"

Harry: 4000/Chazz: 4000

"I'll start first then." Chazz announced. "I play Reborn Zombie in attack mode. And play one face down before ending my turn."

Reborn Zombie At=1000

Harry was confused as to why he would play such a weak monster in attack mode, oh he knew the face down was a trap. But the fact of the matter was if the trap failed he could potentially lose.

"Make a move slacker." Chazz shouted interrupting his musings.

"Very well then I play Breaker the Magical Warrior." Breaker rose from an arcane seal wielding his mighty staff before it glowed blue and his attack points rose from 1600 to 1900 "When Breaker is summoned he gains a spell counter raising his attack points. But by removing that spell counter I can destroy one spell or trap card so here goes."

Breakers attack points dropped back to 1600 as he charged a plasma ball which he fired at Chazz's face down revealing it to be Chthonian polymer.

"A fusion trap card? Now just who were you plan on using that on?"

Chazz didn't have to answer as at that moment Jaden appeared with Syrus beside him, a look of shock on his face at seeing Chazz already duelling before it turned to confusion.

"I thought that we were duelling Chazz?" Jaden asked suspiciously as he looked between the two duellists. Just like with Harry earlier, he never got the answer from Chazz.

"You were supposed to, but he got here first." Everybody looked to the stands were Alexis was sitting watching the duel. "Chazz was prepared to duel you though so his decks a little unprepared for Harry's."

"Or he's just not that good." Harry replied turning back to the duel. "Well since the gangs all here, Breaker, take a dent out of his Zombie." No sooner had he finished than an electric blast ripped through Chazz's monster blowing him to pieces.

Chazz: 3400/Harry: 4000

"I think I'll just place these two face downs and end my turn."

"My draw then." Chazz looked at his hand and smirked. "I play my spell card Premature Burial, by paying 800 of my life points I can bring one monster back from my grave. So say hello to Reborn Zombie."

Chazz: 2600/Harry: 4000

"But he won't be around for long because I sacrifice him to summon my Helpoemer"

Chained to his cross-like throne, Helpoemer rose from the ground in a flash of light. It flexed his muscles as its attack points showed to be 2000, more than enough to destroy Harry's monster.

"Helpoemer, destroy his pathetic Breaker."

Chazz: 2600/Harry: 3600

"You should have stayed in your room slacker, soon your rarest card will be mine. Now make your move"

Harry just drew his card and looked at the four in his hand. He could win this right now. But he had something to prove, he would wait.

"If you don't beat me next turn, I win. Starting with this, Royal Magical Library."

Tomes and books began to float from the defence position card as it appeared in a flash of light.

"But that's not all. I play the spell card pot of greed to draw two new cards."

As Harry drew the cards his Royal Magical Library glowed blue just like Breaker had before him.

"Next I activate the spell card Emblem of Dragon Destroyer which allows me to bring one buster Blader from my deck to my hand."

"No way" Jaden muttered as he drew the card from his deck and Royal Magical Library glowed blue once more. "He has one of the coolest cards in the game."

Alexis was just as shocked as Syrus and Jaden as she sat a little straighter in her seat. This boy had powerful cards. She knew Breaker wasn't rare but he wasn't exactly common either. Add in the Buster Blader and the cards to support it, she couldn't help but wonder what else Harry had in his deck.

"Big deal" Chazz commented. "You can't summon him."

"I don't want to, I told you Chazz, you have one turn. And because I end mine, here it is."

Chazz drew his card but saw there was nothing he could do to take down Harry's defence monster. "I summon Chthonian Soldier in attack mode. And end my turn."

"It's over Chazz, you had your chance. I win." Harry drew his card. "I play the spell card Graceful Charity which allows me to draw three cards but discard two." He did so. "Now I activate my trap, Disgraceful Charity which lets me take back the cards that were discarded by a spell card this turn."

As he took the two cards Harry only needed one more. And he knew he would get it.

"Tell me Chazz, do you trust your cards?" Harry asked suddenly shocking the audience and his opponent. "Would you trust them so much that you would make a ridiculous claim that they will win in one turn. Knowing that it might not come true."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about faith in your cards. They are more than just objects we use for fun. You should learn that, if nothing else, at this school."

"Make your move already."

"I already have." Harry stated. "By playing the three spell cards my Library is loaded with spell counters. And by removing all three it allows me to draw one card. One card that I know will let me beat you."

As he drew the card they suddenly heard a noise.

"Campus security" Alexis called. "If they catch us we're all busted."

"Why?" Jaden asked "We're students right?"

"We're not supposed to be duelling after hours, Chazz knew that that's why he asked you here." She explained.

"That doesn't matter" Harry intervened, his duel disk was still deployed but he had stepped away from the arena shutting off the hologram technology. "We have to get out of here now."

Together the four ran, leaving Chazz in their wake as they did so.

'Could he have really won?' He thought to himself as he ran in another direction to avoid seeing them again. "He's a blue, he has skills. But he said he didn't have what he needed. Could he have drawn it?"

The four others had gotten outside the main building and were gasping for air as the leaned against one of the stone pylons.

"That was a sweet duel." Jaden finally said once he got his breath back. "You're duelling me next!"

"I only wish I had a few more seconds, I would have won." Harry said.

"Did you draw what you needed?"

Harry didn't answer, instead he just turned over the card he had been holding on to since his impromptu speech. There, between his fingers, was the Dark Magician.

"I play polymerization!" Harry would have called. "Fusing together the Buster Blader in my hand and the Dark magician I just drew in order to summon the all-powerful Dark Paladin. With that I attack your Helpoemer!"

Chazz: 1700/Harry: 3600

Helpoemer would have disintegrated into a thousand pieced from the magical force emanating from Dark Paladin, once the dust cleared Harry would be standing there with an overturned card.

"This trap card is magicians circle. Since my spellcaster attacked we both get to summon one spellcaster from our decks with 2000 or less attack points."

"But I don't have any spellcasters!"

"That's too bad, I do, and I choose my Dark Magician Girl! And since I have a Dark Magician in my graveyard she gains 300 attack points."

"But that's still not enough!"

Harry just turned over one of the six cards he had left that he hadn't shown. Shrink.

"With this card I can reduce your Soldiers attack points by half. I may take the same damage as you do, but I think I can handle it."

"This was all I needed." Finally replied. The others knew what had happened. Chazz had lost. Nobody would ever know, except them. "I think I'll go to bed now. Goodnight guys." With that Harry walked away from the group. Only Jaden could see Mahad floating beside him, but it was too dark for him to see it clear enough.

'Well done, but you may have cut it too close'

"I could have won other ways. I still had five cards remember. I just wanted to make a point."

'And that is?'

"It doesn't matter who you are. Your cards are the ones who win duels for you."