Notes: The work below is a product of sleep-deprivation and caffeine. Proceed with caution, ignore any mistakes in grammar and don't forget to review. ^_^

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Turmoil

By Kaitourei

Chapter Two: The First Encounter

"Apparently the Wizarding realm isn't as behind-the-times as I thought… They take checks."

- Seto Kaiba

          A dark figure paced the room quickly. The four other occupants, seated in large armchairs looked on with idle eyes. One of the four pointed a slim stick at the fireplace, and with a flick of his wrist, flames erupted. The golden-orange flames engulfed the room in a thick brightness, causing many of the occupants to look away.

"Well?" Asked the wand holder. "Where is it?"

The man stopped pacing and looked at his superiors, "You know as well as I do, Nott, that I don't have anything worth using."

"Really? Why might that be?" Another of the men in the chairs asked as he smoothed a wrinkle in his robes. He turned his cold gaze back onto the man standing. "I heard otherwise."

"It was all burned, damn it," the man picked up a briefcase that lay against the wall behind him. Undoing the clasp, he poured the contents at the feet of his superiors. Pages and pieces of ancient papyrus covered in blurred hieroglyphics lay in a pile. "All burned."

The third speaker reached down and pulled a piece of the half burnt transcript from the ruins. Silently the others watched his actions.

"Isn't there anything useful left Zabini?" he asked in a callous voice.

Zabini, who remained standing, snorted, "As if we could make the hieroglyphics out in the first place, Malfoy. The manuscript's been burned so bad all we can see is the words 'darkness' here and 'seven' there – a lot of help that is."

"So there's now way to repair it?" Nott asked.

"Like I know," Zabini shrugged. "This was burned five thousand years ago, and those centuries did not help."

Malfoy looked snide, "Our Lord's commands were left unfulfilled. You all know of the consequences…"

One of the unspoken men stood in Zabini's defense, "Not yet Malfoy."

"And why not, Avery? You know the Dark Lord's policies."

Avery pulled the piece of papyrus from Malfoy's hands. "Because, Lucius, if there's a translation there's always an original."

"You're implying there may be a surviving copy after all these centuries?"

"I'm not implying," Avery looked confident. "I know it exists, I've seen it."

---

Life was full of irony, as the young Harry Potter had learned. The scrawny, black haired boy sighed as he completed his daily round of chores – which, his rather larger, cousin, Dudley had no part in. For all of his remembrance Harry had lived with his Aunt, Uncle, and said cousin; who weren't the most pleasant people in the world. You see, after his parents were killed Harry was turned over to his mother's sister, being his Aunt Petunia Dursley.

One would think Harry would have had at lease a small piece of the Dursley's affection and respect, but due to his mother's (and father's) certain abilities all was lost in the three's prejudice. Eleven years into Harry's life, he discovered he also had special abilities, not that this helped his current situation with the Dursley's. He was excepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which in turn opened up a new world and perspective in front of the boy's eyes. There the powers of unbelievable proportion and danger, unseen to regular humans, were unleashed. This was both a virtue and vice, for Harry as he learned who killed his parents and his true destiny – to defeat Lord Voldemort, who in turn had killed his parents and threatened the Wizarding world. Harry had escaped Voldemort's clutch five times, once when Harry was an infant. And it was this incident, in which Voldemort failed to kill young Harry, which brought fame to the boy.

Not that fame was all it was worked up to be, the young Potter was in his aunt's garden weeding in the summer sun. Perspiration dripped down the boy's face and bare back as he pulled a final weed from one of the many rows. He was deep in thought as he moved on to another row, hardly noticing the woman on the other side of the fence peaking over at him.

"Hi!" She chirped, making Harry jump back in surprise. "I'm Elise Akila, my husband and I moved in a few days ago from Damietta."

Surprised by her straightforward attitude, Harry was at a loose. "Er, Hello Mrs. Akila…" He said not having the slightest clue to where Damietta was. "Um… is there any particular reason you're here?"

Her smile broadened, "Not really, just thought I'd like to say friendly hello to my new neighbor."

It was at that moment Aunt Petunia burst through the back doors, in a huff. "Will you please hurry!" She practically screeched, "I need help with the canning, as you should know, and I don't want you - " Her eyes widened for a moment as she saw the middle-aged woman leaning over the fence near Harry. " – to get any kind of confounded skin cancer," she said quickly. "Ah, the youth of today, please Harry… just… go…!" Petunia finished the sentence with a sugary smile.

Harry saw the chance and took it, "Well, I'll see you later Mrs. Akila. It was nice meeting you." With the final sentence, he shuffled off to the door, trying his best not to run. He could hear his new neighbor chatting idly behind him.

"Nice kid, that Harry," Mrs. Akila was saying as Harry closed the door softly. Funny she knew his name before he had introduced himself, but the thought never occurred to him as he tore off to the bathroom for an ice cold shower.

It wasn't until that night when Harry lay awake in his bed, smiling to himself as the clock on his nightstand his twelve midnight – proclaiming his birthday – that suspicion began to arise in the boy's mind. It started with a crash from Mrs. Akila's house. Harry, letting curiosity over power his logic, pushed off his covers and walked over to his window and peeked out. The street was dark, only illuminated by the streetlights lining it. From his current viewpoint, Harry could see light flashing from Elise's window like a TV or slide show projection.

Next to him Hedwing squawked as a flash, brighter than most, illuminated the bushed opposite to the window. Shushing the bird Harry backed away from the window. Lying back down, he glanced at the clock. It was only 12:03. Slowly Harry fell asleep, only to wake up the next morning the hear his uncle ranting on about "cars driving from the neighbor's house at all times of night" and "beauty sleep" (which Harry mentally added, his relatives could use.)

None of this seemed relevant, because at one o'clock that following day Harry Potter left the Dursleys and drove off to his friends Ron Weasley's house for the rest of his summer, shoving anything related to Privet Drive to the back of his head. Hogwarts time was finally coming and with it, Harry suspected, a new venture.

---

Ruebus Hagrid prided himself in being one of the few men Albus Dumbledore could trust to carry out "official Hogwarts business"; but there were times he almost regretted this. Almost. The first time Hagrid set his eyes on Seto Kaiba, he knew the boy would be trouble for him. Looking into the boy's eyes was like looking over a frozen lake, it could be perfectly safe, although there was that change the ice would break under your footing and send you to an inevitable death. But all this was beside the point. Hagrid was doing as Dumbledore has instructed. His newest mission, find and help supply the said Seto Kaiba with the needed school material.

But Hagrid, at the moment, did not know Kaiba and did not know the dangers. The half-giant was sitting by the Leaky Cauldron having his "usual" when the door swung open. A cold gust of wind flew through the room as a dark figure stepped in, out of the rain, which proceeded to pour down in bouts outside. The boy looked very out of place among the raggedly clothes, what with the long black muggle trench coat and the silver buckles and clasps adorning his waist and arms. Slowly, gripping a silver suitcase he ascended, sending ice cold glares at anyone who dared look at him.

It was at this moment Hagrid approached him. "Er… You Seto Kaiba?"

"Yes," Kaiba answered in perfect English. "Are you the informant Dumbledore said I 'couldn't miss'?"

"Yup, tha'd be me, Ruebus Hagrid's the name," Hagrid said with a wary grin. "You gonna be able to able to speak English okay, 'cause I can take you down to the Ministry for a language charm if ya need one - "

"I'm a business man," Kaiba interrupted in his ever-present monotone. "I have to know these things naturally, I think I'll be able to handle it."

"Right then," Hagrid said uncomfortably, somewhere deep inside he felt as if he was dealing with Draco Malfoy all over again. "If you'll follow me…"

The duo left the prying eyes of the Leaky Cauldron's occupants and headed for the brick wall in the backroom. Kaiba followed cautiously, and stopped as Hagrid did. The CEO observed the giant man tapped the bricks with a pink umbrella. Hagrid watched Kaiba's face as the bricks reformed into an entrance to Diagon Alley. The brunette didn't blink.

"You seem ta be takin' this well," Hagrid observed as they stepped out onto the street. "How long have ya known yer'self to be a Wizard, Seto?"

"A week," Kaiba said without sentiment. "And if you wish to call me something, I will be Kaiba, not Seto."

"Erm…" Hagrid made a sound of understanding. "Right." He turned toward Gingotts the Wizarding bank. "Ye're gonna need some money ta buy those supplies, c'mon."

"I suppose this… realm has a bank?" Kaiba said as he matched Hagrid almost stride for stride.

"Only one," Hagrid replied sagely. "Gringotts, one of the safest places in the world, 'xept Hogwarts as I always say."

"One bank for the whole world?" Kaiba didn't hide his skepticism. "Doesn't that seem a little foolish?"

"The only folly would be on those who try to break into one of those vaults," Hagrid said, proud to be able to tell the something to the youth. "Guarded by dragon's they are, and them goblins don't check them of'in."

"Did you say 'dragons'?" This subject sparked Kaiba's attention.

"Yup," Hagrid said, again happy to inform Kaiba about another thing he didn't know of. "They're rare, very rare 'n fact. I was lucky 'nough to get me hands on a Norwegian Ridgeback egg a few years back, but the little guy had to be sent to a colony." Hagrid finished a sentence with a slight bit of sorrow, "Haven't seen poor Norbert since…"

"I'm guessing that's the name you gave the dragon."

"Yea," Hagrid said as they climbed the myriad steps up to the entrance. "How come yer' suddenly interested in dragons, Kaiba?"

Kaiba smirked. "Lets just say they fit my taste."

"And what might that be?" Hagrid inquired.

"Power."

A chill ran down Hagrid's back. "Mus' be a acquired taste then."

Once inside the bank, Hagrid guided the student over to an open teller. "Goblins, don't be afraid," Hagrid cautioned. "Not that friendly, but you ain't a ray o' sunshine yer'self."

Kaiba didn't answer; instead he walked confidentially over toward the little man and spoke. Within a minute he returned with a snide look on his face.

"Apparently the Wizarding realm isn't as behind-the-times as I thought," Kaiba said without warmth.

"An' why do ye say that?" Hagrid growled. Kaiba was getting on the giant's nerves.

"They take checks."

---

Ollivander's was Seto Kaiba's last stop, before he would rid himself of Hagrid. Glad that the day with the giant man was almost to an end, Kaiba stepped into the dusty shop, letting the aroma of old paper and other foreign smell wash over him. An old, balding man was sitting in a corner, head bent as he skimmed through a large black book.

"Excuse me," Kaiba said, but his words were as harsh as always.

The man's head shout up like a cat's. "Ah…" he said, his wild eyes surveying the youth in front of him. "Tell my your name for I have been expecting you."

"I am Seto Kaiba," the said youth answered and walked toward the counter. "I'm here to buy a wand."

The man, who Kaiba suspected to be Mr. Ollivander, stood up and began to look through the rows and rows of small black boxes. "I know what you're here for," he said from behind a stack. "I merely need to find the right wand for you to yield."

Kaiba idly set his packages down on the counter and waited, arms crossed. Slowly, as if guided, his eyes fell on the book Mr. Ollivander had been reading. From what he already knew, it was written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Straining his eyes Kaiba read the first few sentences, outlining the rule or the pharaoh *Ka.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Ollivander had almost appeared next to Kaiba.

"Very," the CEO answered, refusing to let the elder man's trick spook him.

"It's rare for someone like you to have the ability to read hieroglyphics, but…" he said, eyes shining. "That is not the point, is it?"

"No, it is not," Kaiba agreed looking at the four boxes the old man had brought forth. "Which do you recommend?"

Mr. Ollivander smiled, "The wand shall choose you, young Seto Kaiba. Reach out and it shall choose you."

Unsure of what to do, Kaiba picked up the Rosewood wand. As soon as his finger touched the polished wood, black sparks flew from the wand tip causing the CEO to drop it. Ollivander raised an eyebrow as the sparks ignited a parchment on his desk.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Kaiba asked uncertainty in his voice.

"No, no, go on. Choose another," the wand maker said with a bit of fear in his old voice.

Slightly wary, Kaiba reached down again and picked up a second wand. He froze in half shock and another half horror. This time sparkles and small puffs of blackish indigo purple mist flowed from the wand and wound their way around Kaiba's body. Whirling and whirling, the dark haze engulfed the youth, leaving Mr. Ollivander enough time to duck under his desk as a wave of magical energy passed straight over his head. The shelves rattled as the energy –in form of a deep amethyst – flew from Kaiba's frozen form outward in the way radioactive waves flowed from an atomic bomb right after detonation. The ripple effect passed through the walls of the shop and sent the door, itself, flying from its hinges. But as soon as this manifestation of power had come, it was immediately gone.

"Wha's going on 'ere?" Hagrid had burst through the door less doorframe. He looked in confusion from Seto Kaiba, who was on his knees using the counter for support, back to Mr. Ollivander whose head was just visible above the said counter. "Well?"

"Mahogany, thirteen in a half inches, three dragon heartstrings… It seems he's found the right one," Ollivander said quite shaken. "Are you alright?" He glanced at Kaiba, who was still on his knees.

"I- I'm fine," Kaiba stood up shakily, trying to regain his composure. "How much is it?"

Hagrid watched Kaiba make the transaction and pick up his parcels, "Ye're not gonna buy that, are ya? Didn't ya see what happened?"

"It's his," Ollivander said solemnly. "Only his."

"What?" Hagrid look from Ollivander, then to Kaiba, who was departing. "You can't let 'im keep that, that's dangerous! And just wha' was that anyway?"

Hagrid left Ollivander to his shambled shop and instead followed Seto Kaiba as the CEO headed toward the Leaky Cauldron. The CEO wasn't in a talking mood, from the frustrated look on his face, but the large man wasn't about to forget the incident. Kaiba was at the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, when Hagrid had pushed through the confused crowd and caught up.

"All right, rich boy," Hagrid panted. "Explain."

"Why are you still here," Kaiba hadn't turned around as he headed inside and ordered a room. "Business is over, I don't need a second shadow, you know."

"This isn' about business, ya son o' a bitch," Hagrid resorted, even if it wasn't is brightest idea. "This is personal! I 'aven't seen dark power like that since… well, 'ince, never! …'Xept maybe You-know-who, but I never seen 'em."

Kaiba ignored him as he took a pair of keys from Tom, the toothless bartender. "Well, you know what they say about your personal feelings; try too keep them out of your teaching career."

"Tell me now," Hagrid growled as he trudged up the steps after Kaiba.

"Fine," Kaiba said setting the parcels down outside his room door. He turned and glared at the other man with haunted blue eyes. "I'll tell you something… I'm not a dark wizard like you think; I'm not working for god-knows-who and I have no intention of doing so. I'm going to Hogwarts because I have personal matter of my own I'd like to… sort out."

Hagrid glared at Kaiba through his own wild black hair. "Fine," the half-giant sighed. "Fine. 'Ere's yer ticket, and don't let the number fool ya, just run between the nine and ten gates. The train for the actual startin' day left a while ago, so you'll be starting on the second day." Hagrid turned to leave. "Don't be late."

Hagrid slowly trotted away from the CEO. Reaching down to pick up his packages, Kaiba mumbled something indistinguishable, causing the larger of the two to stop and turn around.

"What did ye say?" Hagrid asked.

Kaiba was in the midst of stepping through his open doorway, before he stopped. "I said, 'it was the Shadow Realm'."

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Akila = intelligent

*Ka, a pharaoh who ruled Egypt in the late pre-dynasty. The 1st known pharaoh, I believe.

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