Well, guys, only six chapter left of Tom Riddle's Item. Then the sequel! I plan to upload the first chapter of the sequel sometime end of July early August, but it's not set in stone just yet.
I don't own YuGiOh or Harry Potter, or any randomness that creeps itself into a chapter.
Enjoy!
Chapter 16
Voldemort twiddled his thumbs, "So you're saying that another portkey was activated, correct?"
He looked murderously at MacNair.
"Yes, sir."
"And you're saying that it wasn't the missing item-holder but the Mudblood Hermione Granger of Potter's friends, correct?"
"Yes, sir," MacNair was getting scared.
"And you locked her with the two item holders in the dungeon downstairs, correct?"
"Yes, sir?" MacNair squeaked.
"AND you knew perfectly well that those brats are bait for Potter, correct?"
"Yes, sir!"
"And now, you come to me, after bringing them some type of breakfast as I wait to carry out my evil plan…saying they aren't there?"
"There was no way for them to escape! The lock was completely fool-proof!"
"CRUCIO!"
"GAH!" (twitch, twitch) Voldemort looked MacNair menacingly in the eye.
"Go to that dungeon. Find them. Bring them to me…" Voldemort stroked the handle of the Millennium Sword, "or this blade will be through your head…"
"YES SIR!" MacNair turned to leave.
"Wait! You said you had them in the torture cell with the mutant skeletons, correct?"
"Yes."
"Wonderful! Don't bother looking for them!"
"S-sir?"
"They've gone through the secret passage underground! After they pass the stairs, there
s the endless hallways with my mind-controlled zombies waiting for them! Plus the hall walls are made of inferi, a good scare, wouldn't you say?" Voldemort smiled his creepy smile. He then went back to twiddling his thumbs… "When Yugi Muto and his escaping pals find their way out of the endless halls and scariness, they'll show up here, in the house. All we have to do is wait."
"But sir, how do you know where the tunnel leads?"
"I got lost in it once…"
Dumbledore paced his study, McGonagall at his side.
"It's been too long, Albus, he's been captured!"
"I trust, Minerva, he will return within the hour."
"Trust? Within the hour?You said that an hour ago!"
"Yes, I do believe I did…"
The fireplace activated and a hooded figure tumbled out.
"It's in France, Albus. One of the ancient castles."
"Thank you, Brennings, were you discovered?"
The man shook his head, "I transfigured into a housefly so I wouldn't be noticed. A death eater made a swipe at me with the Prophet, but I'm still in business."
"Thank you, Brennings, I will call when I need you."
The man called Brennings bowed at Dumbledore and left the room. Dumbledore turned back to McGonagall, "as I said, Minerva, he had avoided capture and had returned within the hour…"
"Skulls and bones," Yugi muttered, walking down the stairs as centered as he could, "why skulls and bones…why not stone and mud?"
"Ask later," said Seto, "we reached the end of the staircase."
"About time too," added Hermione, shivering, "it seems like the endless bodies were watching us go, as if they were alive…sends chills up my spine."
The torch had gone out a short while ago, leaving them in almost-darkness. Hermione stopped suddenly, sending Yugi crashing into her.
"What was that for, 'Mione?" asked Yugi, getting his bearings straight.
"I thought I heard something, like footsteps," she murmured. "I think…" the others stopped and listened.
"I don't hear anything…" said Yugi, looking around.
"Shh!" hissed Seto, putting his ear to the ground. "Something's coming."
"Or someone," Hermione whispered.
Yugi took an unlit torch from the wall. "It would help if we were able to see! Light it up for me, Seto!"
"I'll do it," said Hermione, "Pyriuso!" A small flame landed on the torch, bringing some light into the hallway.
"I still don't hear anything."
Then the smallest of sounds could be heard. It was more like a clunk than a footstep.
After a minute, Yugi spoke up, as they continued down the hall.
"Um, Seto, why is your hand on my shoulder?"
"Yugi, I'm not touching you." The reincarnate of the Pharaoh slowly turned around, to be face-to-face with a half-decomposed zombie. Hermione screamed and backed into another, which grabbed her upper arm. She struggled against its grip, which had to be from magic, because it was really only a pile of bones. After losing feeling in her left hand, a jet of red light blasted it apart, freeing her.
Seto was merely blasting them with his wand, sending them into the wall, the bones shattering.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Yugi dashed past the others and straight into another inferi.
"ZOOOOOMBIEEEE!"
"C'mon!" Seto called, urging Hermione forward. Yugi was already a few steps ahead of them, his little legs trying to surpass the skeleton attack. It appeared that some of the inferi were able to go through the walls, asSeto figured out when a hand, partially decomposed. latched onto his ankles, sending him crashing down.
"Reducto!" cried Hermione, using Seto's wand. The hand blew up and she gave the wand back, running past, as the zombies continued to chase them...
"That's right, my creatures of darkness, slow them down!" smirked Voldemort, the Millennium Rod in his hands. "Now my zombies, lead them straight to me! Our game of cat and mouse has ended Yugi! Time for me to end this! Hahahahahahahahaha!"
/Yugi/
/Pharaoh/
/Thank goodness! Yugi! Good! We have a link! Is Seto and Hermione with you/
/Well, Seto's running with me, and Hermione's just behind us…/
/Be careful! Voldemort is controlling the Millennium Rod! He may take one of you over at any moment/
/Thanks, Pharaoh/
No sooner than it was established, the link was lost. They rounded another corner and stopped to rest.
"Do you think we outran them?" asked Yugi, huffing and puffing.
"I hope so," Hermione muttered, leaning on the uneven wall.
"Hey, there's a light up ahead!" Seto pointed down the hall.
"Maybe it's the way out!"
"Yugi, it very well may be, but we'll never know unless we get a move on."
At the end of the corridor was a large stone door.
"Here goes…" Yugi said, pushing it open.
They were back in the castle, in Voldemort's study. The armchair was empty, and the Millennium Sword was nowhere to be found. However, Voldemort's laptop and the other Millennium Items were on the table.
"…after mixing lacewing flies, your potion should smell like lilacs."
Harry took a whiff. It reeked of bad eggs. Without the rest of the gang, none of his friends were doing well in potions. Ron's potion emitted black smoke and had the scent of a "winter pine" car freshener.
Snape then rounded on Harry.
"Potter, what is this catastrophe?"
Draught of the Living Peace, sir (I know they seem to make this in all of my stories, at least thirty times a year….)
"Really?" sneered Snape, "ISHTAR!" he snapped, at Marik, Harry's partner, "Why did you not warn Potter to add a skin of leech after his potion simmered for five minutes. Not that I blame you. When it comes to potions, Potter, your brain can't measure a teaspoon of sugar. Ten points from Gryffindor!"
The bell went off and the class left in a hurry.
"It doesn't feel right, with them gone and all," said Ryou sadly.
"I know, now I can't look at Hermione's homework for answers…"
"Ron!"
"Just kidding!"
"Might as well go look for them on our own," thought Marik aloud, "it doesn't seem the teachers are doing anything about it!"
"I heard from Professor McGonagall that Dumbledore planted a spy within Voldemort's ranks and was giving them information. They may be planning a rescue mission," Ryou said, looking down the hall, "well. We have lunch now. What's Mokuba been up to?"
"He went back home this morning," answered Marik, "Hagrid took him. Dumbledore said he would keep him updating him on news. Poor kid."
"Yugi's Grandpa said he would take care of Mokuba until Seto returned home for the summer," said Harry, "well, that's what Mokuba said last, anyway."
"Maybe we should go on our own rescue mission," said Ron, thoughtfully.
"Are you mad?" exclaimed Ryou, "we don't even know where they are! Might even get killed trying!"
"Maybe Dumbledore has some new news. We can see him after classes today."
"Ah, Potter!" Gryffindor's head approached them, "about your friends. Professor Dumbledore left this morning with the finest Aurors this morning for the south of France."
"France?"
"A spy reported that Voldemort (Ron flinched again) was taking base in an abandoned castle, in the southwest region of the French Alps." She watched their faces light up in excitement. "Hopefully, they'll be back within the next couple of days."
"The items!" Yugi hurried forward into the room. The spirits phased out, excited.
"Yugi! You found us!"
"It wasn't easy, Pharaoh," said Yugi, placing the Puzzle around his neck once more. Seto picked up the Rod and the Ring.
"Yo, Moneypants! Put me on!" Bakura snapped, flaring his arms up and down. Seto smirked.
"With that tongue? I think not, here Yugi."
"You're giving me to Mr. Goody-Pharaoh? NOOOOOOOO!"
"AHA!" said a high cold voice triumphantly. Seto, Yugi, and Hermione turned around slowly. Yugi gulped.
"I see you found the Items…no matter, nothing will matter to you soon…" Voldemort held his arms in front of him and the Millennium Sword appeared in his hands from thin air.
Yami Yugi took over.
"What are you going to do with – that's a Millennium Item!"
"Why yes, the Millennium Sword. Weapon and magical artifact all in one!"
"Bakura phased out, next to the Pharaoh. "What do you plan to do with that?"
"Why, thank you for asking, here's a sample of it's power…hahahahaha!"
The sword began to waves of bright light, blinding them.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
From the bright light, there was a large flash of light, and then it faded away. Yami blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light. Seto was kneeling on the ground, over Hermione who appeared to be unconscious.
"Baldy!" shouted Bakura, still in spirit form, "what did you do!"
"I took her soul, one of the powers of my Millennium Item. However, my Item is unlike other soul-snatching items and has a nasty side-effect. But enough of that!"
"Put her right, Voldemort!" shouted Seto, holding her head in his lap. He held her hand for a pulse. Set, in spirit form, could sense large amounts of bottled-up anger in Seto about to come out. He must feel very strongly for her…
"Gladly," laughed Voldemort, "If you can defeat me in a duel! Win and she's yours! Lose, and I'll take your souls and use your bodies like marionettes!"
"We have no choice, Yugi!"
"Right," said the Pharaoh. "Wait! We don't have our dueldisks and I don't have my deck!"
"That is a good point…" said Voldemort. He turned to Bellatrix, who was studying her nails, bored out of her mind. "Bella, portkey to the Hogwarts grounds, summon the decks and disks from Gryffindor tower and return. You have 1 minute or I'll kill you…"
She was gone for ten seconds.
Voldemort thrust the items at Yami and Seto, "happy now!"
Seto drew six cards, as he would begin first.
"DUEL!"
(Later on in the duel)
Yami looked at his hand and the field. Voldemort had Despair from the Dark on the field in defense mode and no cards face down.
DESPAIR FROM THE DARK
DARK 8-STAR
ZOMBIE/EFFECT 2800 ATK 3000 DEF
When this card is sent from your hand or deck to your graveyard by your opponent's card effect, special summon this card to the field.
Yami had Black Luster Soldier in attack mode and Magic Jammer facedown.
In his hand was Dark Magician, and Dark Magician Girl. He only had 1200 life points.
BLACK LUSTER SOLDIER
EARTH 8-STAR
WARRIOR/ RITUAL 3000 ATK 2500 DEF
This monster can only be ritual summoned by the Ritual Spell card, "Black Luster Ritual". You must also tribute monsters whose total stars equal eight or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.
MAGIC JAMMER
COUNTER TRAP
Discard 1 card from your hand to negate the activation of your opponent's spell card and destroy it.
DARK MAGICIAN
DARK 7-STAR
SPELLCASTER 2500 ATK 2100 DEF
The ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense.DARK MAGICIAN GIRL
DARK 6-STAR
SPELLCASTER/ EFFECT 2000 ATK 1700 DEF
Increase the attack of this card by 300 points for each "Dark Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in your or your opponent's graveyard.
Seto had no monsters on his side of the field, no cards facedown, and 400 life points.
Voldemort had 2350 life points.
Yami sighed. There was no sign of victory. Voldemort was just too strong! He had countered everything he and Seto had thrown at him, and all of his attacks had gone through clean.
/I guess the only hope we have left is for Professor Dumbledore and a team of Dark Wizard Catchers to somehow pop in at the last minute and save the day/
/True, the odds aren't in our favor. I don't know how long we can keep this up! Kaiba's in worse condition than we are, Yugi, with no monsters, magic, or trap cards on the field, and only 400 life points/
"Yoo-hoo! Pharaoh! It's your turn!" hissed Voldemort from the other side of the playing field.
Yami drew his card and placed it facedown. "I play one card facedown and I end my turn.
"Back to me," said Voldemort. "I switch Despair from the Dark to attack mode! Go! Finish off Seto Kaiba's life points!"
Seto braced himself for the attack.
"Go Black Luster Soldier! Block his attack!" Yami's monster intercepted the blow, and since Despair from the Dark had 200 attack points less than Black Luster Soldier, Voldemort's monster was destroyed and he lost 200 life points, bringing him down to 2150.
"You got lucky this time, Kaiba," sneered Voldemort, watching his life meter drop, "when I finish you off next turn, you can join the Mudblood behind you soulless! Hahahaha!"
"Gone a bit soft, have you Tom? Playing a game instead of instantly silencing two teenagers?"
Voldemort swirled around to face Albus Dumbledore, the only man to call Voldemort "Tom" other than the idiot PschoKiller681 from VOIM (Villains Online Instant Messenger, I think that's what I called it…whatever it was, it was in Chapter 12)
"You!" Voldemort drew his sword, "Well, now that you're here, I can benefit on showing you my ultimate power, Dumbledore!" Aurors soon apparated into the room. Yugi retook his body as all wands were aimed at Voldemort. Yugi and Seto looked at each other.
"We have caught you at last, Tom," said Dumbledore calmly.
"So it seems, but I still have one last trick up my sleeve. Activate Millennium Item!"
Before any of the Aurors could attack, the bright light blinded them. There was the sudden brighter flash of light, but then Yugi was shoved into an Auror. The brightness faded away. Yugi readjusted his eyes and looked around. Voldemort was gone, the duel had "ended" and Dumbledore and the Aurors were looking around confused.
/Yugi! Seto's soul…/
Yugi looked to the spot someone had shoved him. Seto was lying on the ground, the Millennium Rod had rolled out of his hand. Yugi sensed someone kneel next to him.
"Yugi," asked Dumbledore, "what happened?"
"Voldemort activated his Millennium Item. He tried to take my soul…"
"Soul?"
"Some of the Millennium Items can take one's soul to the Shadow Realm, but Voldemort said his had a nasty side-effect, but he didn't say what it was. He forced us to duel by taking Hermione's as well. She's over there," Yugi pointed to where Hermione lay as motionless as Seto.
The Millennium Rod began to glow. Yugi placed it in Seto's outstretched hand. Set phased out, his face pained.
"Yugi, something isn't right!"
"What do you mean?" asked Bakura and Yami, also fading from the respective items.
"This doesn't feel right, when one's soul is sent to the Shadows! Usually, we could be able to control the host, until the host's soul is returned, but I can't!"
"But the only time something like that happens, is when the host is dying," said Bakura.
"Don't be ridiculous! Seto isn't dying!" snapped Set, "this must be the nasty side-effect, that I can't take over Seto, that's all."
"I hope so," said Yugi.
Alaster Moody entered, with another team of Aurors.
"We didn't find anyone, Albus, just this," he held up Voldemort's laptop.
"Hmm," Dumbledore examined it, "it looks similar to Mr. Kaiba's."
"Voldemort has a laptop?" Yugi asked, in disbelief. "This must be how he found out about the Millennium Items! But I bet there's a password log-in so a curious Death Eater doesn't sabotage it! If Seto was up and about, he could probably hack past it…sir? Can I hold onto it?"
Dumbledore nodded, but told him he would have to take it to Professor Umbridge to strip it of any curses it way possess. Yugi deactivated Seto's dueldisk and placed his companion's deck in his own pocket.
/Why are we holding onto Kaiba's deck/
/If anything happened to it before he woke up, he would probably beat me to a pulp…I just want to keep it safe./
Dumbledore then turned to the Aurors. "Thank you, Alaster, your teams may go now." The Hogwarts headmaster then picked up a random object from the desk, transfiguring it into a Portkey.
"It is time to go back to Hogwarts. Hold onto those Millennium Items, Yugi." Dumbledore took one of Seto and Hermione's hands and placed it on the object, which was a book on Controlling Your Enemies, for Wizarding Dummies.
"Three, two…one…
They were going back to Hogwarts.
Well, that's all folks! Chapter 17 up really soon! I want to thank you all for your patience with me and slow updatesin the beginning and whatever stuff like that. Thanks for your wonderful reviews, some of them did help improve the story! I hope when Tom Riddle's Item is finished, you all will join in for its sequal, Something New for the Hogwarts Crew. That's what I hope to call it. I've mapped out the chapters, but the title isn't set in stone yet. Stay tuned, chapter 17 is on the way. And for those who may be interested, a duel is coming!
Setoglomper
PS: Thanks for helping me pass the 77 review goal! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!