"Would Harry Potter please report to my office?" The commanding voice of Chancellor Sheppard rang throughout the halls. Many of the students winced in sympathy while others danced in glee. A visit to the Chancellor's office is never good.
Harry Potter simply looked up from his homework assignment. A trap essay for the good Doctor Crowler not due for a week but it was the only assignment he had left before the winter holidays. Tilting his head in curiosity he stood from the table and walked towards the door only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"Did you do something wrong?" The worried voice of Alexis sounded from behind him.
Harry simply turned and looked right into her brown eyes. "Duelled in a shadow game, one I created. Duelled against, subsequently stole, and returned to the rightful owner, the greatest deck known to modern man. And play poker with the most beautiful female in the school in my own room." Alexis's face was completely crimson at the last part, having gotten progressively redder as he continued. "But no I'm probably fine."
Alexis hugged him before he left and he continued on his way to the Chancellor's office undeterred.
The first thing he noticed was that he was alone in the office with the Chancellor. The second thing he noticed was that despite the size of the Chancellor's office, it was actually quite bare. The third thing he noticed, was that the large television on the wall was on, and an industrial illusions logo was on the screen.
"Tell me he's not waiting on the other end of that." Harry asked Sheppard before he had a chance to speak.
Sheppard shook his head gesturing to the seat in front of him. "Your father will be with us in a moment normally he would just use the video caller in your dorm room but I requested this meeting." He leaned forward on his desk. "I may be old, and many may consider me a fool, but I know power when I see it."
Harry looked his Chancellor in the eyes and shrugged. "I don't know what you mean sir. Aside from a basic understanding of duel monsters history I am just a normal student."
A new voice sounded from behind him and Harry immediately shrunk in his seat. "A commendable performance Harry but I took the liberty of informing the good Chancellor of your situation when I filed for your enrolment."
Such was a testament to their relationship that Harry immediately knew what his father was talking about. Situation was the key word that told Harry Sheppard knew of his shadow powers, but nothing more.
"Very well" The Obelisk student replied. "Hello Dad." He greeted with a nod. "So you're aware of my powers. Much like Jaden Yuki I can see spirits. Unlike him I have various matter manipulative powers and the ability to bring Duel Monster spirits to life for a short time."
"You also possess two of the cards of chaos." Sheppard nodded.
"Three if you count the sorcerer, though not many do."
Pegasus was silent as he watched the proceedings. Harry was his son by adoption but he normally allowed him to maintain his own conversations. Harry still had a deep mistrust of authority due to years of neglect.
"It is my fear, that this power could be a danger to other students."
Harry tilted his head slightly. The eye of Anubis appeared on his forehead for a brief second to show Sheppard that he could indeed control his powers. Pegasus on the other hand was now silent for another reason, Harry didn't know just how much power he had, and he wasn't going to reveal it unless he had to. He had seen it years ago and many more times when he had to defend himself but Harry was ignorant of the majority of it due to the situations in which it had to be used.
"You have waited a long time to express your concern, my dear Chancellor." Harry commented. "Do you fear I would use my powers for the wrong reasons?"
"To be quite frank I do not know. Power corrupts, and yours defies all explanation. The monsters that you wield should tell me that alone." They sat in silence for a few moments while Harry digested the information. The chancellor had no reason not to trust him, on the other hand, he had every reason to be cautious. 'Very well', he thought to himself, 'I'll just have to prove I don't mean any harm.' "The school duel is about to happen." The Chancellor abruptly said. "And in this case you would be the top candidate to represent our school given the circumstances."
"Circumstances?"
"North Academy will be sending a freshman to represent them."
"I decline."
Even Pegasus was shocked, Harry never passed up a chance to duel nor did he pass up a chance to show off. "You decline?" His father asked.
Harry turned to the screen looking his father in the eyes much like he had the Chancellor, only this time it was a deep affection and respect reflected in his eyes.
"Yes Dad, I have no desire to compete in the school duel. I would much rather watch."
The two adults stared at Harry. Seeing their shock he smirked before explaining.
"The entire school has witnessed me duel at one point or another. They see the cards I hold and the skills I wield. To be selected for the school would tempt many to challenge me and cause more stress than I desire."
"But you would win!" Sheppard exclaimed.
"Perhaps, perhaps I would lose. I simply do not care."
Pegasus wished he had his Millennium eye for the first time in many years so he could see inside his son's head.
Harry left the office with a goodbye leaving his Father and Chancellor to discuss this revelation and headed straight back to the room he and Alexis had been occupying beforehand. Finding it empty, he sighed.
Willing his powers to reach beyond the worlds. He called the Black Luster Soldier to him. 'Can you find her?' He asked the Chaos spirit.
The spirit disappeared into the sky grumbling about being nothing but a puppy for Harry in his mind. The aforementioned summoner smirked as he walked in the direction his spirit had flown off. He found not only her, but Syrus, Chumley and Zane standing near the Slifer dorm overlooking the cliff.
"Why is Jaden duelling a ten year old?" He asked startling three of the four people near him, though whether he startled Zane or not was unclear.
"She snuck into the school." Syrus explained.
"Dressed as a guy." Chumley continued.
"And snuck into my room, rifled through my cards soon after." Zane concluded.
"What did the Chancellor want?" Alexis asked gaining the attention of the three others who hadn't taken their eyes off the duel.
"A meeting with my father."
The young girl summoned Maiden in Love and Harry raised an eyebrow at the technique she was using. His interest in the duel grew until Syrus and Chumley began arguing over who she thought would be cuter of the two.
"Uh...guys, you do realize that she's just a card, right?" Alexis asked them slowly.
Zane chuckled, "Try and remember who you're talking to" he murmured, "When we were growing up, Syrus kept saying he was going steady with the Dark Magician Girl."
"Sy, did she break your heart?" Alexis asked teasingly, "Or did you decide to see other monsters?
"Syrus isn't the first, nor will he be the last to have a crush on the Dark Magician Girl, Yugi had one on her till he was fourteen." Harry smiled.
Oh it was so fun summoning her one day and watching him blush till he looked like a tomato.
Everyone looked to him at his blasé comment about the king of games while Alexis moved closer to keep talking to him, her interest in the duel fading with each passing second as her curiosity grew.
"So what did your father want?" She finally asked
"They were concerned about the usage of my powers." Seeing her raised eyebrows he elaborated by vanishing in a flash of purple light, and appearing on her other side, so engrossed in the duel the other three didn't even notice.
"Oh" She said in slight shock "Those powers"
"He also wanted to offer me the position in the school duel."
"Congratulations!" She exclaimed hugging him in excitement.
"I turned him down." He replied causing her to let go of him and stare at his face in shock.
"WHY!"
He pulled her away from the others and walked away from the duel. Neither of them noticed Zane watching in interest.
"I turned him down because there are more important things I want to do than prepare for a duel I have no interest in." He explained as they walked back to the obelisk blue dorm.
"But why not?" She asked more quietly. "It's a great honour to be selected, you should be excited"
Harry just grabbed her hand and quickly took her back to his dorm room. There were a few things of Alexis's scattered around the room due to the amount of time the two spent in here but other than that it was still all Harry.
Alexis could spot many differences in the room since she had last been in here. In the corner by the television there was an easel with a sketch on the canvas. Machinery was scattered around the room along with other things belonging to Harry. On his bed was his case that normally contained his cards only now the cards were scattered on the bed in several piles.
"I turned it down because I'm making a deck." He explained gesturing to the cards on his bed. "And I want to finish the painting I started."
"The deck I understand, even if you have three. But the painting? You turned down the chance to duel for the school for a painting?"
"I don't have three decks any more" He said walking to the bed and picking up one of the cards, flipping it over revealed, The Dark Magician of Chaos. "When I combined the three I had that night I created what I thought to be the best deck I was capable of, but the balance was screwed now I have to keep building it until I get it right."
Alexis took a seat at what had been dubbed her chair. In reality it was a two seater belonging to the set that was in his room but every time she used it she was stretched across the entire thing. Harry didn't even bother moving her instead flipping over the three seater and sitting on it upside down.
"So what's the painting?" She asked.
"It's going to be a new card." He explained gesturing to the machinery around the room. "My Dad sent me a few card scanners and printers so all I have to do is finish the paintings.
"So can you just make duel monster cards?" Alexis asked curiously taking her deck out from behind her and laying it on the table.
"No," Harry answered. "Making a duel monsters card requires an industrial illusion printer and for it to be registered with Kaiba Corp. If it's not registered, the card won't work in an official duel."
"Then how do your cards work."
"Because Kaiba likes me. There's an entire section of cards allowed to be activated that all belong to me. If they're played in a duel it will immediately cancel the duel and alert Kaiba Corp. But if they're just used..." He left it unfinished as it was self-explanatory.
"So who will be duelling in the school duel?" She asked him.
Harry rolled until he was sitting normally, the blood having rushed to his upper body in the time he had been upside down. "A freshman. North Academy will be using their best freshman so Sheppard feels obligated to do the same."
"Which would be you?"
Harry shrugged. "I do have the best grades. But Bastion is in second place and both he and Jaden haven't lost a duel all term. Odds are even if I accepted it would have come down to a duel."
"Jaden lost a duel." Alexis said drawing his attention from the cards in his hands. "He and Zane duelled a few weeks ago."
Harry nodded. Zane's prowess as a duellist had reached his ears since his first day. Even mostly shut in to his room Harry had heard of the Obelisk and his talents. Jaden losing was a little bit of a surprise given the Slifer's talents but an acceptable one.
Standing and sitting on his bed, Harry flipped a card in his hand and slotted it into his deck. Thinking a thousand thoughts a second as he picked up the next and put that in.
"Grab a mat." He told the Obelisk Queen pointing to the duelling mats stacked on the desk nearby. As he grabbed the final three cards from his bed and put them into the deck it flashed a dark purple light which ran up his arm.
The two Obelisks placed their decks on the mats. And drew cards.
"Any stakes?" Harry asked his female companion.
Alexis thought for a moment before shrugging in response. "We'll think of something."
Harry: 4000/Alexis: 4000
"So what's it like duelling without holograms?" Harry asked as she drew the sixth card and planned her move.
"Reminds me of when I was a kid." She replied. "I play Cyber Tutu in attack mode. And then I'll play one card face down and end my turn."
"My turn then. I play skilled white magician in defence mode." Harry waited for a second grabbing two cards. "And I'll play two cards face down and end my turn."
Alexis drew a card. "I summon Etoile Cyber in defence mode. Next I activate the spell card Prima light. This lets me sacrifice my Cyber Tutu in order to summon Cyber Prima from my hand. My Prima attacks your monster."
"It would, if I didn't activate my trap card. Spellbinding Circle. But thank you, since you activated a spell my magician gains a spell counter."
"Fine I end my turn."
Harry drew a card and looked the field over once. "I activate the trap card Pitch Black Power Stone, once per turn I can remove one of the three spell counters on this card and place it on a compatible monster, and I choose my magician. Next I play the spell card Dark Magic Curtain, this allows either of us to summon a spellcaster from our decks."
"I don't have any spellcasters." Alexis whined quietly as Harry's card flew into his hand from his deck.
"I do. I special summon Dark Magician. And since my Skilled White Magician has three spell counters I can sacrifice him to summon my Buster Blader."
"Are you going to summon Dark Paladin?" Alexis asked.
"I could, but instead I'll just have Buster Blader attack your Cyber Prima."
Harry: 2000/Alexis: 3700
"And next I'll have my Dark Magician attack you directly."
Harry: 2000/Alexis: 1200
"I activate the quick play spell Dedication through Light and Darkness. By tributing my Dark Magician I can special summon from my hand The Dark Magician of Chaos. Since he was summoned, I think I'll have my Dark Magic Curtain back. Now I will then use him to attack you directly."
"I activate the trap card enchanted Javelin. This card increases my life points by the attack points of your monster. So I'm not out just yet." Harry smiled at the tactic. She had learned from his cards.
"I end my turn."
"I activate the silent doom. This lets me bring back my Etoile Cyber in defence mode. Then I'll activate the spell card Machine Angel Ritual. With this all I have to do is get rid of my Etoile Cyber on my field and the Cyber Gymnast in my hand in order to summon my Cyber Angel Dakini. And when she is summoned, you have to select one of your monsters and destroy it."
"The logical choice would be my Buster Blader"
"I end my turn."
"I draw then." Harry commented. "Close Alexis, but not close enough. I remove my Skilled White Magician and My Dark Magician from my graveyard in order to summon, Chaos Sorcerer. The first thing I'll do is use his ability to remove your Cyber Angel from play. Of course he can't attack the turn he does this but that's what my Magician is for."
Alexis: 0/Harry: 2000
"I thought you were going to summon Black Luster Soldier again." She said as Harry cleaned up the cards.
"I could have eventually." He replied. "He's in there." He tapped the now stacked deck with his finger. "Along with my knights, and a few other tricks. I have been trying to find the perfect deck for weeks now, one that counters every possibility while still having the power to fight. Of course, I aslo have to include the monsters that have been friends to me since I was a teenager."
Alexis didn't ask. Every now and again she could tell Harry was hiding something based on how he talked about his past. It was as if he was born only a few years ago. Knowing that he would tell her when he was ready she never asked but the curiosity was killing her.
Harry looked at the painting he had yet to finish and didn't break the silence. At least not yet. His mind was focusing on what his spirits had told the day after he had returned Yugi's deck when he attempted to summon Mahad back to his side.
"Alexis." Harry said suddenly gaining the female Obelisk's attention. "I'm going to be gone for a while. But I'll be back before the school duel."
"Where are you going?" She asked curiously, her head tilted to the side much like Harry's does.
"A friend of mine has gone missing. I want to find him."
Alexis nodded, she would look for her friends, and she still looked for her brother even after all this time. "Do you want any help?" She offered.
Harry shook his head. "No it's better if I go alone."
It would be dangerous in the spirit realm after all. And he would go to every corner to find Mahad. He doubted Yugi even realised that he was missing. But he knew, and he would see just what had happened to his friend.
