Egyptian Sorcery

By AlantisB

"The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed..." - Dumbledore

*

Earlier that Morning..

Rags or Snuffles, depending on which House you asked, calmly trotted to the direction of the Headmaster's office. The dog sniffed occasionally at the armor or the new scent he picked up, often following it until he lost interest. He wasn't in any rush to go, yet. Soon he reached the gargoyle that guarded the staircase of the office. Sitting on his hunches, the dog tilted its head to the side for a moment before issuing one bark at the statue. Suddenly it came to life, twisting to the side as the staircase leading up to the Headmaster appeared. The dog bounded up the steps quickly, sensing the pressure of time as he finally reached the heavy oak door that read, Headmaster. The door swung open on its own as a kind voice said, "Come in."

The dog walked in as the door closed behind him, his form melting and shifting until it was a man with wild black hair standing in front of the Headmaster's desk. Sirius rolled his neck as it cracked bones back into place, feeling a lot better now that he was back in his natural form.

"Sirius? Have you found out anything important from our young transfer student, Yugi Mouto?" Albus Dumbledore looked up from the papers he was reviewing and calmly motioned for the man to sit. "Lemon drop?"

"No thank you," Sirius automatically replied. "Not too much, though I believe what I know can put the school in danger if it's well known. Yugi knows who has stolen the souls and why, but he's not willing to stand up and tell anyone."

"Oh?"

"It seems that since he is a Slytherin, he thinks no one would listen to what he has to say." His eyes glittered with acknowledgement that what the boy said was true. "And he's insane." Sirius added as an afterthought.

"Genius and Insanity have fine lines, Sirius. It depends on the social standings of that era that define which are which. Now, I am already aware he and young Mr. Malfoy know who stole the souls, but they have no proof to help defend their claim. What I need to know is during your stay at Mr. Mouto's home, did you notice anything else?"

Sirius frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I thought it was a bit odd that Meioh, Yugi's guardian, would sometimes call the boy Master Yugi and other times Master Yami—as if he knew when which personality was in charge. When I watched for those personality changes, I noticed he changes—he gets older and more refined as if he grew up from the naïve personality."

Professor Dumbledore eyes gained a small twinkle as he said nothing, allowing Sirius to continue.

"I've also recently found out that Yugi is a Shadow Master."

Suddenly the headmaster sat straighter. "Are you positive?"

"Yes, Meioh is one of the monster teachers. Malfoy has gained one as well, just last night, he'll soon be trained."

"What types?"

"Dark Magician and Celtic Guardian."

"Ah," the professor leaned back in his seat. "You may go back to Mr. Mouto now, Sirius."

"Albus?"

The professor waved him away. "Now now, breakfast is almost over. I believe your companions have class outside today. Enjoy yourself!"

Sirius transformed back into a dog and ran out of the office before Dumbledore could finish the sentence.

*

In the Slytherin common room, Legolas paced thinking about all the things he had learned since he had become a teacher overnight. His charge was priest material, fit to be a high priest of the pharaoh, but lacked the training and the gods to worship to get them in favor. And he was a teacher. The Pharaoh was in danger as one of the strong Millennium holders was in the castle, ready and willing to do whatever it took to get the puzzle in his control. And he was a teacher. Meioh is a teacher of the pharaoh but doesn't know what has been happening because his stubborn charge refuses to owl him with news. Idiotic half-pint men think they know the world in fifteen summers-- Did he mention he was a teacher?! How in the name of Valar did that happen?

Legolas stopped pacing, taking in a deep, relaxing breath. He needed to think of a plan. The first thing he had to do is owl his friend the latest news of happenings and just what is going on at the school. Then he had to find out how to protect both his charge and his former charge. After that, he had to sit down with his current master and figure out just how much he had to teach him and to get to know him.

He picked up his card for what seemed like the hundredth time and stared at the ghostly reflection of his self. Tucking it safely away on his person, he grabbed a quill from Draco's trunk and a piece of parchment. He sat down at Draco's desk and set about writing his oldest friend a letter.

Dear Meioh,

You won't believe it, the oddest thing occurred last night. I became a Shadow teacher…

*

Yugi stared at the class. He blinked. They blinked. He blinked. They blinked. He felt a small smile that was quickly changing into a smirk at the sight of his entire Care of Magical Creatures class in a state of shock. He blinked. They blinked. He blinked. They blinked. He blinked—"Ow!" Yugi rubbed his arm where the Sphinx had lightly kicked him after sneaking behind him. He turned to the creature with the question in his eyes.

Draco answered for the Sphinx. "While it was amusing the first few times you did it, its bloody annoying now."

"Oh," Yugi grinned. "But it's like their robots or something! It's kinda cool. I blink, they blink, I blink, and they blink. See?"

Draco made some type of agreement noise. "I have one question."

"Yeah?"

"What's a robot?"

Aibou, I think I am going to take a walk.

Okay Yami, just don't go on a rampage again like you did in the Great Hall. No one even saw you except me. There would be no point to it.

I know that, I was angry that they had the audacity to say you did those horrible things.

It doesn't bother me as much anymore, I can handle snide comments like that. It's fine.

If you're sure . . . then I am off.

Have fun!

I will. Yugi didn't move at all as the puzzle flickered for a second and Yami appeared next to him. The spirit waved at his host before he walked off in the direction of the castle, leaving Yugi and Draco at their class.

"Well a robot is made of melted metal and muggle technology . . . " Yugi's voice drifted away as Yami reached out of ear-shot.

A few minutes later, Yami walked through the large oak door and stepped into one of the many hallways in the castle. Glancing around, he decided to take the left direction because from his previous explorations with his other, they had found a garden in one of the empty classrooms, as strange as that was. But the two just chalked it up that the castle was magic and it could do whatever it pleased.

He jumped back startled when the Bloody Baron floated through the wall. He hadn't met the Hogwarts ghosts outside of his host. He was curious as to whether or not they could see him as he could see them. One fact Yami noted immediately was that the ghost did not look so see through as he did when Yami was cased in flesh.

The Bloody Baron felt eyes on him as he turned to look at the spot where Yami was standing. There was nothing there. Just as he was about to go on his way, he noticed the haze in that one particular area. He concentrated and slowly, a form started to shape in the area of his vision. After a moment, he could see one of the members of his house, as if he were dead in front of him!

"What-?"

The student's eyes widen before he suddenly smirked, folding his arms. "So you can see me," the boy said with a note of surprise. "I did not think earth-bound ghosts could see free spirits."

"What is going on here?" The ghost drifted down in a fury to glare at the spirit. "You, you are of Slytherin house and should be at class, yet you stand in front of me, as dead as myself. Were you too, caught by the monster yet somehow freed yourself?"

"No, I was not attacked by the monster," Yami eyed the ghost for a minute and decided he could trust him with the secret. "A person can not be in both places at once but I am in class right now and I am standing in front of you."

"You speak in riddles boy, what is the meaning of this?" The Bloody Baron frowned, taking in the nonsense riddle, rolling it over in his brain for an answer. Then he smirked and settled down to stand. "You are a possession spirit that takes the form of whoever is your host."

"Wrong. I am the soul-mate. Yugi Mouto and I are the same person but not. Long ago, we were of the same. Then I had to split myself in order to guard something important and one half stayed behind, the other went off into the next life. Now we are both Yugi Mouto    and the pharaoh given the name Yami."

The Bloody Baron looked the spirit over. "I see. Then you are two people truly? Though with only one body, you or young Yugi can leave it to do other things."

"Correct."

The ghost smirked again. "Travel with me, I would like to hear more about this, it seems my House has much going on that I am not aware of."

*

Care of Magical Creatures class seemed to go on as normal as possible after Yugi gave his explanation that he loved Sphinx and that was why he was riddling with it. Draco was just glad their classmates were stupid enough to fall for such a story. Although he wasn't too sure what it had all been about either. He was however, going to argue with his friend about it until after class.

Hagrid cleared his throat, trying to get the class's attention. " 'Ere now, quiet down. Now a Sphinx is from Egypt, and wizards have been usin' the Sphinx fer centuries ter guard their possessions. Can someone tell me why?" Hermione raised her hand. "Go ahead."

"Sphinx, once they give their trust to the witch or wizard, will guard what they tell it to for as long as it's needed to. In Ancient Greece, Alexander the Great (one of the most famous wizards and greatest general muggles have ever seen) encountered a Sphinx who was guarding a city that would not let one person in or out. The Sphinx would kill all those that could not answer its riddle. When Alexander the Great managed to, the Sphinx allowed the city back into the hands of its people."

"Er, correct Hermione, five points ter Gryffindor. Anyone else have anything ter say?"

Yugi raised his hand and put it down when the professor called on him. "Sphinxes are highly intelligent and enjoy learning new puzzles and riddles, which can be the easiest way a witch or wizard could gain its trust—by giving it a new one it hadn't seen before."

"Correct. Er … five points to Slytherin. Now then, I got yer a box full of puzzles and I want each of you ter grab one an' go to the Sphinx in hopes to gain it's trust. First bow to it, keepin' eye-contact, greet it, then offer the puzzle. Ready now? Who wants to go first?"

Draco glared at his puzzle because it was a rubric's cube. He hated those things. He could never get the colors to match on all sides. He glanced at Yugi who hadn't picked up a puzzle or anything. His eyebrows rose in surprise, and he nudged the younger boy. "You didn't grab one?"

"Nope." Yugi glanced at him with a wicked grin and opened the flap of his robe to reveal the Millennium puzzle. "I think she'll enjoy something closer to home."

"She?"

Yugi shrugged. "It sounded like a she to me when she and Yami dueled in riddles. Besides, I don't think male sphinxes have breasts, do you? Unless they are hermaphrodites like hyenas."

"What-?" Draco snapped his head around to look at the Sphinx closer. Yugi was right. Under the fur, you could see the bumps of breasts--but only if you looked closely enough.

Soon it came to Yugi's turn, Draco having gone a minute before was surprised that the Sphinx liked the rubric's cube and had actually taken it and put it beside her. The class started to whisper when they noticed Yugi didn't have anything to give the sphinx yet he walked up to it anyway.

Yugi bowed, keeping eye-contact with the Sphinx before slowly standing up. He showed his hands were empty before he unbuttoned his robe and reached it to pull out the Millennium puzzle. Its solid gold surface glittered and sparkled in the mid-day sun. The sphinx stared at the puzzle in surprise and shock, before it moved closer to look at it. When it reached Yugi, it stopped and raised one of its paws to the puzzle, feeling the magic around it.

The Sphinx lowered its paw and stared Yugi in the eyes. Then it bowed, as close to the ground as it could. The class gasped. Hagrid grinned. "It likes yer puzzle, Yug'."

The Sphinx stood up straight and sat back onto its hunches and said one word:

"Panseru."

Yugi opened his mouth to reply but couldn't over the several voices saying, "STUPIFY" and he was grabbed in the spell and knocked into the fence. Hagrid's eyes widened when he spotted the aurors and the Minister from the Ministry of Magic walked over, ignoring the class going on.

"What's going on here? You can't just—" Hagrid was cut off when Cornelius Fudge smirked and held out a contract in front of the half-giant's eyes.

"I can and will. This boy is sentenced to Azkaban for the stealing of four souls, as per the agreement in this contract signed by myself, Professor Bakura, Professor McGonagall, and Headmaster Dumbledore."

"What!" Draco rose in a fury, his hands clenched so tight that the blood left his knuckles. "You can't take him! He didn't do it!"

"Oh?" Cornelius Fudge turned to look at Draco. "Are you confessing you did in his place?"

"Neither of us did it. You just wait until Father hears about this—"

"He knows boy," the Minister smirked. He turned back to the aurors. "Well, pick him up!"


The aurors looked at each other before moving over to Yugi. As they were about to pick him up, the Sphinx let loose a high-pitched screech, before jumping in front of Yugi to protect him. With a fury of movement, the aurors swooped in on the Sphinx with an assortment of spells to trap the Sphinx and overload its natural protection shields. "See here now!" Hagrid's furious yelling was cut off when the Sphinx was finally stunned but not before it could grab the Millennium puzzle and hid it under its body from the aurors.

Draco watched with wide eyes as his best friend was carted away, off to the worst place in the world for a wizard to go—Azkaban. In the background, he could hear the Dream Team say they were glad that another one of Voldemort's followers were captured.

The Slytherin prince whirled around, his robe violently moving with him as he stalked over to the three Gryffindors. He pulled back a fist and punched Ronald Weasley in the face, breaking his nose with a satisfying crunch.

TBC