Hm, I'm late again, huh?
Sorry, I got kind of caught trying to save what hair I have left from my second freak hair dying accident… atleast my bangs are white now, even if they almost disintegrated and then I discovered the goddess herself, White Angel, updated… so yeah, I don't have anyone to blame for my lateness but myself – it's called procrastination and I'm a pro at it.
Anyway, now to a few comments/questions:
Will Yugi and Bakura be attending Hogwarts, or anything in that manner?
No way! Sorry if I had you hoping, but I find it overdone. I assure you, Kaiba is the only transfer student. And I'm trying to focus mainly on Seto, but the other characters are begging for a little attention… and I think they deserve some. Yugi-tachi, the Ishtars, and Harry & co. will play a part in this fic most defiantly – just not as transfer students.
Zoo-chan has a new fanfiction contest up already! And the theme is very… appealing. **evil grin**
(Check it out, here: yugiohfanfiction.20deep.net – just add "http://" before the rest. Damn FF.net and their url probs.)
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Turmoil
By Kaitourei
Chapter Nine: Purebloods And Potions (Part II)
"Perhaps, I shouldn't have assumed… after all you are a pharaoh, and like most of the ugly louts you're righteous, pretentious, and as punctual as hell."
-Yami no Bakura
"Comfortable?"
The voice was harsh, sinister, and English. But they could understand it somehow. There were far to many 'somehows' to think about for the siblings. Somehow they were captured. Somehow these people, whoever they were, knew about the Ancient Scriptures. Somehow…
Red eyes hung in the dark, as the darkly clothed and hooded figure stood outside of the bars. The two figured within the cell, cringed back. The dark haired woman pressed herself against the far wall – her eyes wide in fear. The blonde boy was next to her, although a heated fire burned within his lavender eyes. He glared.
Without hesitation, the boy launched himself toward their captor ignoring the cuts and bruises that lingered on his tanned skin from his last fight. Although unarmed and behind the cell bars, he landed a fist squarely on the captor's temple, but it had little effect. The red eyes slowly turned back to the blonde and a pallid hand gingerly touched the wound.
"How… cute," the figure hissed. A hand lunged out and caught the stunned boy around the neck, holding him above the ground as he kicked. The blonde gasped for air as the captor continued to hold him.
"Malik!" the woman dashed forward.
"One ssstep clossser and you loossse your brother," their captor warned in a hiss. "Consssider yourselvesss lucky, I would have killed both of you for that… ssstunt." The boy was dropped roughly to the ground. He scurried backward, as far as he could from the cloaked figure.
"What do you want from us?" the woman asked, her voice was weak but it held a mysterious authority she was infamous for, whether it be in the workplace or at home.
"Misss Isssisss Ishtar…" The figure chuckled, sending chills through the two onlookers. "You are a renowned archeological and Egyptologissst… You know sssomething I need. Both you and your brother, for I think you are more than just a mussseum curator."
"What are you saying?" Malik Ishtar asked, some fight still left within his soul.
"I'm sssaying you can read thisss," the cloaked figure pulled a thin piece of papyrus paper from his cloak. He held it toward Isis, who grabbed it away from him as quickly as she could. "Ssso…?"
"I- I…" Isis stuttered a bit. "It outlines a spell involving something, I can't read the rest. The hieroglyphics are old and the papyrus is burnt. Why do you want this anyway?"
"That would be none of your busssinesss," the man hissed. "Perhapsss, I'll ssstrike a deal with you… I am about to obtain another copy, transsslate it and you go free, if you choossse refusssal… letsss jussst sssay," he chuckled menacingly and turned to Malik. "My followersss will have sssome fun with your sssissster before you both die... painfully, I might add."
"Bastard," The blonde whispered, crossing his arms. "What's to say you'll keep your word?"
The man laughed again. "What other choice do you have? You ssseee," he pulled out a lengthy wooden rod. "You'll transsslate this manussscipt whether it be of your free will or not."
Isis stood, the papyrus shaking in her hand, while Malik turned back to the cloaked man with a mocking smirk. "Bullshit."
Light erupted from the wooden shaft, throwing the two roughly against the far wall to their cell. They collapsed simultaneously next to each other. The cloaked figure looked down at the two and smirked. How easy. He tucked the wand away and turned abruptly heading out of the dungeon-like chamber.
There was a stairs at the end of the chamber, as the cloaked man ascended flashed of light from the torches illuminated his pale face that was concealed under his hood. This face was beyond white; it was a sickly pale that seemed to hold no known hue. Two snake-like red eyed blinked back the light as he ascended another flight of stairs. Thin, hue less lips parted in a sadistic smirk, the sharp canines showing forebodingly.
When the stairs were conquered, the snake-like man had immerged in a hallway. With a flick of his wrist and wand, which he drew on instinct from his robes, the doors that lay ahead of him flew open revealing an enormous hall in which the walls were illuminated with the same fumeless torches that seemed to fill the surrounding stairways. Its enormity matched a coliseum, as did its central area – which was no more than a large seemingly bottomless pit that took up most of the floor space. There was a puncture to ceiling, but it had been covered many years ago. Chains and assortments of wood planks, most of which were broken and rotted with age, hung from the unharmed areas of the chamber, all toward the pitch-black pit. On a raised platform, facing the pit, were two thrones, both simply adorned, yet on a raise to show the seated men's dominance.
The pale man seated himself in the thrown to the left, leaving the other open. He inhaled deeply, taking in the ancient sense that hung throughout the hall. Its walls were adorned in hieroglyphics as wells as ancient depictions of Egypt in its prime. The thin reptile-like lips curled further into a malicious grin.
"My Lord," The double doors opened again, this time a familiar face walked through. It was Avery. "Forgive me for my delay."
The Dark Lord scowled. "This once, Avery, and only this once I shall only forgive you, merely becaussse you are needed for thisss infiltration…"
"I understand my Lord, but I find it hard to apparate into this chamber."
"You will have to sharpen you apparation ssskills, then won't you, Avery?" The Dark Lord mocked slightly.
"Yes, M'lord," Avery bowed slightly. "Shall I set for the infiltration tonight?"
"No," The Dark Lord hissed. "Tomorrow night isss much more convenient…"
---
The booming noise filled the room, surprising most of the students. It was then that masses of talking teens erupted in groups through out the classroom and students began to push back and forth as they filed out. To say the least, Kaiba presumed this sound was the bell. Students had begun to move restlessly, beginning to leave as they turned to their friends, most defiantly asking each other what Kaiba had done and what Malfoy's actions were for. The CEO sifted in his seat as he placed the charms book in his bag, next to his ever-present laptop.
Flitwick, remembering to assign homework, began shouting instructions over the murmuring masses – allowing Kaiba a chance to slink out of the classroom unnoticed by the students. Confidently the CEO walked out for the room like nothing had happened, oblivious to the stares he would be receiving in no time.
The halls were instantaneously filled with students, most of which were heading toward the great hall for their luncheon. Kaiba had made up his mind to skip the meal entirely, seeing as he was the newest gossip subject. He hardly ever ate at this time anyway. Instead he found himself in the library, which was one of the few places he actually appreciated in the school.
He seated himself in the far corner, making sure that no one was around him. Then it came. Kaiba tried to shake the feeling. Paranoia began to flow, surging within his veins. His grip on the unlucky chair's armrest tightened, his knuckles paling. Someone was watching him; he could almost feel their eyes boring in on him.
Cold, callous eyes… belonging to a man. Tawny brown skin and a dark beard and mustache, cut in an Arabic style. Eyes glittered under the sun, which was as blinding as it was sweltering. He was standing next to a horse, with many other men – all of them soldiers, all of them equipped for battle.
The unfamiliar man locked eyes. There was something desperate within them, something like a dwindling fire of hope – or perhaps a dark fire of truth.
There must be war for victory, blood for peace, a kingdom for my son… I am willing to risk it.
Kaiba found himself staring at the desk in frount of him; the varnished oak glittering at the candles around the room illuminated it. He was breathing heavily; sweat was once again on his forehead. And deep down, Kaiba couldn't help but blaming Yugi Motou and his friends for all of this… somehow.
Her glanced around the room once more, his penetrating gaze falling on a man at the librarian's desk, a good twenty feet away from the CEO. Kaiba couldn't help but notice him, there was something about his poise, the way he talked to the librarian sternly. Then it hit him; this man was most definitely the father of Draco Malfoy. And Kaiba wanted nothing to do with that bloodline. He turned away.
The CEO sat, with a standard potions book set out in frount of him, retaining the knowledge almost automatically as he read paragraph after paragraph of potions and their history. Slowly his eyes drooped, the small voiced in the back of his head – which he never knew existed – became louder and more familiar.
"Two foreign sorcerers…" someone whispered. "Can we trust them my lord?"
"Trust comes in sums of gold theses days," this voice was more than vaguely familiar. "Tell us, Salazar, how much do you and your friend require?"
There was a short chuckle. "You're on the bring of war, Priest, your treasury has been severely I expect you do not have enough to pay what we are worth."
"Perhaps not now, but when the sacrifices are dealt with, we will."
"And that means?" A new voice asked.
"Kuru Eruna hold more than sand, Ollivander, it holds what once was buried within the tombs our esteemed pharaohs."
"Stealing from your own bloodline, I see," there was a pause.
"…Desperate times make desperate men."
---
Yami no Yugi shivered. It was nearly midnight and he was walking in the park, exactly toward where the Yami Bakura had instructed him to be. It was empty so far, the path illuminated by what glow the streetlights provided. The trees closed in around the smaller boy in an ominous way, their branched outstretched like hands. In frount of him the path curved like a snake, leading toward the central, where a water fountain stood – still flowing through the night hours.
Silently he cursed himself for not setting up the meeting himself, after all, the Tomb Robber couldn't be trusted… even on matters that they both could connect on. Yami shiver once more as he approached the fountain. The white haired yami wasn't anywhere to be seen, but not for long as the former pharaoh soon found out.
"And I though you might not come at all," Yami Bakura [1] stepped from the opposite side of the water. "Perhaps, I shouldn't have assumed… after all you are a pharaoh, and like most of the ugly louts you're righteous, pretentious, and as punctual as hell." Yami Bakura laughed mockingly.
"Lets get to the point Bakura," Yami muttered, choosing to ignore the tomb robber's comment. He could always bring up one of Yami Bakura's many defeats if he needed to later.
"Ah, yes," Bakura sat down on the fountain's rim crossing his arms. "Where were we?"
"The Shadow Realm? England?" Yami suggested impatiently.
"Good to see your short-term memory is still working," the white haired yami smirked and tapped his head. "As I was saying, the person behind this is gaining power over it – control. You and I both know in ancient Egypt people where able to summon monsters, after all that's where '*Yami no Game' originated."
Yami Bakura paused, almost as if to think. Yami on the other hand, leaned against a tree, faced the other spirit and continued the conversation for him, "We both know all that, tomb robber. But why this happening?"
"Perhaps someone knows our secret." Bakura the shrugged, "Or perhaps it's all one big accident. Not that's it's likely, one of you silly mortal friends must have opened their mouth a little to wide - "
"Wait," Yami said in a commanding voice. His eyes widened. "This morning, Yugi, he was talking about Kaiba transferring to an boarding school in England…"
"…And that happens to be where the anomalies are coming from. Better yet, Kaiba is out High Priest reincarnate," Yami Bakura grinned wolfishly. "We make a good tag team pharaoh. Ever consider giving me those Sennen Items and joining my side?" The tomb robber asked mockingly.
Yami scowled. "Ever consider throwing yourself off a cliff."
"Once," the white haired teen shrugged. "But then my whole 'quest for world domination' would be in jeopardy. Oh yes, and my ungrateful little host's life."
Yami shook his head and then eyed the other warily. "And what exactly put you in high spirits tonight Bakura?"
"The fact that I knew more about these anomalies than you and the fact that I have a plan before you, and the fact that you will agree to it," Yami Bakura's eyes gleamed.
Yami raised an eyebrow, "What makes you so sure all of this will happen, or even has?"
"Have you corrected me my knowledge once? No, I didn't think so," he sneered. "And as for the plan, we're going to England – and we're going to correct this little problem. I know you can't refuse that, after all the imbalance could trigger a ripple effect, causing both of us some form of discomfort or even obliteration – and you most defiantly don't want to loose your precious Yugi."
"And the plan?" Yami asked skeptically.
Yami Bakura produced a pair of tickets from his pockets. Yami scowled again, causing the other yami to roll his eyes, "I didn't steal them if that's what you're thinking – atleast not directly. My dealings don't concern you, anyway."
Yami looked the other over suspiciously, "Tomb robber, what's to say this plane doesn't fall from the sky mysteriously?"
"The fact that I will be sitting next to you," Yami Bakura said with a sound of malice in his voice. "I was only able to get window seats." He motioned toward the tickets.
Yami looked from the tickets to Bakura and then back. He sighed, "I get window then."
---
When Kaiba opened his eyes, but it wasn't of his own free will. A second booming sound had filled the hallways and classrooms. Groggily, Kaiba peered around. It was then, when he noticed the empty library, that it hit him. He was late to class. Kaiba was never late to class. Composing himself, the CEO put his book together and headed outside to face his next teacher's wrath – not that is as much, compared to his own.
He couldn't explained why this was happening to him, in fact he would have liked to. It was like he was breaking down, stress and late nights were slowly taking their toll on the CEO. Or perhaps, he guessed offhandedly, the lack of coffee in this well-regarded school had begun to break through.
Kaiba was outside the potions classroom – if you could call it that, it was more like a dungeon. He frowned inwardly at the learning conditions. But, cool and composed as usual, Kaiba pushed the door open softly, waiting for the teachers remark so that he could shoot his own back.
Inside, the class was quiet. Their solemn faces regarded him with mixed emotions, nevertheless he continued on toward his seat confidentially. The stillness in the room proving no discomfort for the CEO, although that seemed quite the opposite of what the Professor had hoped for. Once Kaiba had taken his seat the greasy haired man turned toward him, his face venomous.
"And you would be Mr. Kaiba?"
"Yes," was the CEO's reply.
Professor Snape, as Kaiba had read on his schedule, walked toward the CEO, his long black robes flying behind him in a faint imitation of Kaiba's own outfit. Now face to face with Kaiba, the professor held the brunette's gaze, "Care to explain to the class why you insist upon being late to my class?"
"I did not insist upon being late, Professor," Kaiba said coolly. "This is my first day, if I were to insist, I would have been late yesterday. Perhaps the day after that, also."
Snape seethed, "I see." He turned to the board, where directions to a potion were written out. "Then, Mr. Kaiba, if you insist upon being so smart, tell us what the next ingredients to this *Astrologicus Potion are?"
"*Artium lappa leaves, dried preferably." Hermione's hand never made it past her head.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Kaiba continued, "And newt kidney, mixed with *Carum carvi roots, *Tagetes lucida - "
"Incorrect," Snape sneered, interruption the CEO. "Tagetes lucida, will obscure the eyes. The sole purpose of the potion is to allow the drinker to observe the stars clearer – not cause hallucinations, as that plant would."
"If you would have allowed me to continued, I would have added you can counter the effect by adding an extra pint of water," Kaiba scoffed.
"That would weaken it potency," Snape countered.
"Only if the water wasn't carbonated," Kaiba added with a slight smirk.
The class was in shock. Not ever exchange student played a game of "potions tennis" (as Dean would dub it) back and forth with the potions master himself. Hermione was slightly pale and a lost expression played across her face. The others around her were no better.
"I see," Professor Snape said again. "And, pray tell, what would happen if the water wasn't carbonated?"
"Complete and utter blindness, without a known cure," Kaiba leaned back and crossed his arms. "Is that all Professor, or do I need to answer some more of your questions. I assure you, I can answer them all."
"And I assure you that, you cannot," Snape said with a hiss. "Mr. Kaiba, do not believe that you are special or that the rules here do not apply." Snape turned away, a sense of déjà vu could be vaguely felt around the classroom. "Ten points from Gryffindor."
Kaiba spoke up, "I'm assuming that my answers counted for something."
There were a few gasps from the Gryffindor side of the room. Snape slowly turned to face the CEO, "Are you asking to lose more house points, Mr. Kaiba?"
Kaiba could only watch the students around him falter, "Perhaps I am. After all, they don't matter to me."
Snape looked slightly perplexed. "As you wish, one point from Gryffindor for cheek," with that said, the potions master turned and headed back to the frount of the class. His robes still in a shameful mockery of Kaiba's own. That was the last time the Professor addressed Kaiba that day.
The class carried on, Snape maliciously taking jabs at students (some of his own) and continuously taking house point… which were only Gryffindor, not that it was surprising. Kaiba found the class slightly more interesting, atleast he didn't have to use his wand. When class was over and the dinner, too – which Kaiba attended quickly, eating only a small proportion far away from his housemates – the CEO sat down on his bed again, the laptop loading in his lap and the drapes drawn. Slowly, a company report came across the screen.
His right eye twitched. How the hell do elevators get jammed with peanut butter?
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*Yami no Game = "Game of Darkness" in Japanese, also known as the infamous "shadow games"
*Astrologicus = "Astronomic" in Latin
*Artium lappa = a real plant, know as Japanese Bardock
*Carum carvi = a real plant again, known as Carway
*Tagetes lucida = a real plant, known as Sweet Licorice Marygold. (It can seriously be used as a hallucinogenic, don't ask my how I know.)
[1] Now you may be thinking Yami Bakura is way out of character! He's not evil enough! In fact, I think he's pretty well in character, for a smugger, cockier Yami no Bakura. Despite the way the dub portrays him – as a totally evil megalomaniac bastard – Yami Bakura isn't that evil and cutthroat… atleast when it's in his best interest.
End notes: Yes, the Snape scene was quite short but fear not, Snape plays a large role in this fic. He'll get his 15 minutes in the limelight, actually… he'll get much more. The plot will start developing much more in the future chapters; these last eight were more of an intro. Review?
Next Chapter: Calm Before The Storm
After a few days of schooling and Mokuba's lack of response, stress takes its told on Seto. Halfway across the world, Jou gets it into his head that Mokuba might need some company (or maybe a human garbage disposal…) To say the least, the gang is in for a surprise.
