OK, my plot bunny, like, disappeared. Then reappeared, and then was eaten by Bakura. So the poor thing's been through a lot. I started over on this chapter a good three times before I found something I liked. But as a result, it's nice and long.

The idea of Mokuba's trick came from an interview with Eoin Colfer (Author of Artemis Fowl) who said something to the effect of, "If I had Holly pull out a gun that turned everyone's hair bright blue, no one would believe me!" Well, we'll see.

As always….I do NOT claim to own Harry Potter, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Yu-Gi-Oh. If you don't see this on TV or on DVD, it's not mine, baka ningens.

Yugi - /Speech/

Yami - /Speech/

Ryou - /Speech/

Bakura - /Speech/

Treasure Hunt

"Stupid bastards….how can they even….when I…oh, they've got something else coming…act like they're the kings of the world….how can anyone be so fucking conceited!"

A crashing of odd colored trees announced the arrival of Botan behind the still-irate Mokuba, her cheery voice not far behind. "Now, Mokie! That's not very nice to say! They're part of your own house, after all!"

Mokuba glared up at the fast approaching ferrygirl. "Shouldn't you be guarding the other brats?"

A quizzical look came over Botan's face, then cleared and brightened. "Nope! Bothering you's more worthwhile!"

"Great. I'm overjoyed, can't you tell?" growled out the teen. A sigh of relief escaped him as he saw a familiar spiked head of hair not sixty yards away. "Hey, Yugi!"

Yugi looked up from a piece of parchment he had been studying, quill dropping from his hand and towards the ground as he witnessed a levitated Draco exiting the Forest. "Mokuba! What did you do to Draco?"

The Shadows supporting Draco's body pulsed with each step Mokuba took. "I didn't do anything. Dumbledore's wonder boys did." Mokuba paused and rubbed his temples as Yugi opened his mouth to speak. "I know, I know – I shouldn't let my emotions get out of control like that because it affects the Shadows. But they just make me so –" the Shadows flared around Draco again and Mokuba looked embarrassed. "Right. Well, I'm taking him up to the Hospital Wing. Goodness knows I certainly know the way by now," he snarled to himself.

Yugi smiled. "Right. Thanks for bringing him up." Looking at Mokuba's still angered frame, he continued, "I think Professor Snape will give you a Calming Potion if you need it."

Mokuba blinked slowly, then regained a more balanced composure. "Good idea. I'll….I'll bring one up for both of us, alright?"

"Thanks. I think Atemu will appreciate that, too. Oh – you may not want to carry him up like that; Madam Pomfrey's a little shy of the Shadows, thanks to Bakura. Try Mobilicorpus."

"Madam Pomfrey? I've got another patient for you!" Mokuba waltzed into the infirmary, talking in a singsong voice. "This one's less violent, I swear!"

Madam Pomfrey's haggled form came around the corner, and she quickly ushered the unconscious Draco to a bed beside Bakura. "Thank you, Mister Kaiba. Incidentally, I have a letter here telling you to meet Professor Dumbledore in his office as soon as possible – the password remains 'Pocky'."

"Wonderful," he muttered darkly, "I've got something to discuss with him as well." Mokuba took the letter from her, heading towards the door before pausing. "He'll be alright, won't he?"

The nurse nodded distractedly. "Yes, yes. Just a few counter spells and a healing potion for a few cuts."

Mokuba smiled. "I meant Bakura, but thank you. You do realize our most esteemed Professor is awake, right?"

The white-haired professor twitched at this statement. Pomfrey smiled at him. "Yes, but he's doing a rather nice job pretending to be asleep, so I thought I'd leave him that way for a bit."

Mokuba chuckled slightly at this. "Well, inform him when he wakes up that if he doesn't hear Atemu scream within the next thirty minutes, I'll be raiding his office for those fireworks."

"Of course, Mister Kaiba."

"What did we do, what did we do?" mumbled Hermione to herself. "How are we going to get ourselves out of this mess?"

The trio had been walking in silence since their encounter with Malfoy – not quite dauntless enough to go after Mokuba, they had seen no sense in standing stock-still in the middle of the Forbidden Forest (Those who did had a tendency to get themselves eaten), and had continued on with the class assignment. Four out of five of the necessary flags were being carried by Ron.

Hermione's personal admonishment, however quiet, caused Ron to round on her with a vicious speed. "What do you mean, 'What did we do?' Malfoy had his wand pointed right at Mokuba – what were supposed to do, keep walking? The kid was up against a tree!"

She shook her head. "Ron, I don't know if you understand what I'm saying. We've attacked another student – who, yes, I'll admit, appeared to be attacking another student at the time, but when the student that was being attacked by the student we attacked rebukes us after our attack on the student that was attacking him, well, that presents a completely different scenario to anyone in authority, not to mention nulls our own actions against Malfoy!"

Harry and Ron stared at the bushy-haired Gryffindor as if she had grown an extra skull. Harry hesitated, "Meaning….?"

Hermione sighed and fixed both the boys with a level glare. "Meaning, Harry Potter, that we are in deep shit and may have interrupted something vitally important that Mokuba was trying to get out of Malfoy."

"Oh."

Hermione jostled a stray strand of hair out of her face and pointed towards the top of a sinister looking tree. "Yes, well, there's the last flag up ahead. You two get it and I'll try to find a way out of this mess."

"You wanted to see me, Professor?"

Albus Dumbledore looked up from the papers adorning his desk. "Ah – young Mister Kaiba. Yes, I have been wishing to gain your insight onto a few matters. Lemon drop?"

Mokuba sighed and sunk into a chair he already knew was detaching itself from the wall. "Why does everyone call me that? Honestly – my name is Mokuba Kaiba, and not any variation thereof." Mokuba cut off the elderly headmaster's retort with a wave of his hand. "Nevermind. I wanted to talk to you about something, too."

"Oh, really?" The infuriating twinkle was set firmly in Dumbledore's too-blue eyes yet again.

Mokuba rolled his eyes in a less than discreet manner. "Yes, really. I want to know why the mind of Draco Malfoy is being controlled, despite the fact that he is in your care." Mokuba's eyes shot violet daggers at the headmaster's carefully controlled expression. "And don't you dare give me any of that bullshit telling me you didn't know. He's not acting of his own free will and I'm sure you can tell better than anyone."

Professor Dumbledore remained quiet several moments, as though formulating an answer. Mokuba refused to break the silence, and did not object as a large, fiery colored phoenix landed on the desk.

A sparkle in Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles caused by the rays of light still streaming through the window was the only clue the man gave as he began to speak. "First off, Mokuba, I must commend you for even sensing the obstruction of Mister Malfoy's mind to begin with. Such a skill indicates you are well beyond your years in the practical application of magic. However, I must ask if you thoroughly explored that which is controlling Mister Malfoy's mind before you came to me with it."

Mokuba flushed a little. "I….no, I did not, Professor. I just recently discovered it myself – actually, the only reason I could tell was because he was unconscious – And, well, I haven't had the time to look deeper, seeing as Draco's in the hospital wing right now."

Dumbledore nodded, pleased. "If you had, Mokuba, you most likely would have come across the fact that we cannot remove the tie without knowing both the identity of the caster and their location. If both are not known to the one that removes the curse, Draco will die. I assure you that is something I have not been eager to witness."

"And I suppose you don't know either one?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "Though I have my suspicions, I am unwilling to risk Mister Malfoy's life on them."

Mokuba nodded slowly. "I….suppose that's wise. I'll check with the others and see if they know any way to help. But I noticed it's not a full control – why is it so strong?"

Dumbledore looked surprised. "Correct again, Mokuba. Any wizard under a full Imperius curse for as long as Mister Malfoy has remained under his would have been driven mad with resistance. I believe that which is placed upon Mister Malfoy is a modified example of the Imperius, and, while it leaves his mind in control, offers up strong suggestions that may be otherwise against his nature. This would not allow the spell any less strength, per say, but it would keep his mind intact, and keep his actions from arousing suspicion."

The black haired teen nodded again. "Makes sense. …I'd like to go back to class now, if you don't mind."

The headmaster nodded as Mokuba stood. "You are dismissed."

Mokuba went towards the door, then stopped. "Professor, what did you wish to see me about?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Oh, nothing too life altering – I'll find the answer myself. Be on your way."

Mokuba blinked. "Alright. Thank you, Professor. And I apologize for my outburst."

He was waved out by Dumbledore's hand. "No harm done."

Little did Mokuba know an envelope from a certain Lord Koenma was hurriedly pushed out of sight upon his exit.

"Feelin' any better, kid?"

Draco groaned and opened his eyes, only to see the ever-familiar peaks of the infirmary's ceiling. "What hit me?"

"Couldn't tell ya." Draco turned his head towards the source of the voice and discovered the white-haired Divination Professor in the bed next to him, looking distinctly bored. "But take it as a good sign that you know you were hit."

Draco sat up slowly, looking carefully at the Professor before extending his hand in a flourishing fashion. "I'm Draco Malfoy, of the pureblooded line of Malfoy's since the year thirteen-ninety-two. I assume you're Ryou Bakura."

Bakura eyed the pale boy with sarcastic distaste after suppressing the urge to laugh at the fact that anyone would make the mistake of thinking him to be Ryou. "You make yourself sound like a bottle of wine. And yes, you have the pleasure of being in the presence of Ryou Bakura." He stared pointedly at Draco's outstretched hand, which was retracted within a matter of seconds.

/Feeling slightly unloved here./

/Well, it was partially true. You are here…./

/Just not speaking. Well, to him, anyway./

/Small technicality./

/Of course./

/May I carry on?/

/If you must. Try not to make me sound too pompous./

/Will do, hikari./

Bakura broke out of his internal conversation to play with a stray lock of hair. "Besides, fool," he added quietly to Draco, "If you insist upon shouting about your heritage, be sure you are not comparing it to someone who's magical lineage far outstrips your own."

/That's what I meant by pompous, 'Kura./

/Shush. I'm having fun./

Draco's eyes had instantly narrowed with Bakura's last sentence. "What, exactly, do you mean?"

Bakura sported, by now, a full-blown smirk. "My own magical ancestry can be traced back some five-thousand years from this date."

/Only five?/

/Kuru Eruna was a thieving village. You think we had family trees lying about the place?/

/Point taken./

Bakura made a disgruntled noise in Ryou's mind. /The Pharaoh would take this opportunity to say that his ancestry goes back another five-thousand or so from my own, seeing as the walls of the palace were required to depict it./

Draco looked awed ('Though he covers it well,' mused Bakura), quickly regaining a normal composure as Bakura spoke to Ryou, and once again held out a pale hand to the Professor. "Then I shall consider you a worthy ally."

Ryou and Bakura snorted at the same time. "You'll consider me nothing of the sort, thanks." Bakura gave a flippant grin. "Though I'll be glad to consider you an underling, if you wish."

Draco stiffened and sat rigid on the edge of the pristine bedsheets. "Not on your life."

The thief sprang lightly from his own bed, walking towards Draco as the younger boy gritted his teeth. With an eye that surveyed critically, he looked him up and down, carefully staying just outside Draco's personal bubble in an almost comical manner.

"You're one hell of a piece of work, aren't you?"

Eyes so light they resembled silver began flashing daggers at him. "Excuse me?"

Bakura heard Ryou laugh inwardly as his own mouth twitched in amusement. /This kid's trying to outdo Kaiba, I do believe./

A mental smirk came in return. /He's not succeeding very well, is he?/

/Not really./

/Not even close, you mean./

/But he's making a good effort. At what, I'm not quite sure. …Does something seem off to you? In his aura?/

/I'm not about to look into it. We've got enough troubles trying to keep ourselves concealed. Make Kaiba do it if the kid's so interested in becoming his clone./

/Can we at least keep an eye on him?/

/Hikari…../

"Are you going to stare into space all day or answer me?" Draco's hardened eyes broke through the two's conversation, Bakura shaking his head slightly to clear his hikari's voice from his head.

Grinning down at Draco, he tapped the blonde boy's forehead. "Well, you've got audacity, I'll give you that. I think I like you, kid – which is why we're getting out of this hospital wing, and we're getting out now."

Suspicion and amusement clouded the smaller boy's eyes as he stretched his legs and removed himself from the bed. "And where, exactly, are we going?"

Bakura's features were graced with the picture of innocence as he opened the heavy door of the infirmary. "Back to your class, of course!"

The Golden Trio had (with much frustrated climbing from both Ron and Harry and a final, exasperated, "Accio!" from Hermione) retrieved the fifth flag of the Treasure Hunt. Within moments of it flying into Hermione's open hand, Botan had appeared next to them, blue hair still flying from the wind.

"Harry-kun! Great, you're done. Now, as the official assistant of all things Quidditch related within Hogwarts, I would like to inform you of your election into the position of Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain – congratulations!"

Hermione looked at the ferrygirl from her perch on a nearby mossy rock with disgust, and Ron seemed torn between backing away and moving forward in curiosity. Harry shook Botan's outstretched hand, slightly embarrassed by the attention – even for all that he had expected the change in position. "Thank you."

Botan beamed. "Speaking of which, I have a few professors who'd like to take a shot on a bona-fide British broom, so we might be off to the side of a few of your practices. Would that be alright?"

Harry looked at her, slightly confused. Their teachers had never so much as ridden a broom before? How odd. "Oh, yes, that's fine. Anything else?"

Botan's smile lost most of its sparkle. "Actually, I'm mainly here to collect you and bring the three of you back to Atemu – uh, Professor Mouto. He'd like to discuss your performance inside the Forest with you."

Harry clearly heard Hermione mutter, "Oh, shit," from behind him, but nevertheless all three began to follow her obediently.

"Here they come, Mokuba," murmured Atemu as he set down a glass of Calming Potion on a nearby table. "You've decided what you'll discuss?"

The younger Kaiba took a deep breath as he saw the three approaching out of the darkness of the Forest and set down his own goblet of potion. "Yeah, I can handle it. I still need to talk to you later, though, alright?"

The three that hiked out of the foliage looked decidedly nervous, managing to fidget even as they walked and drawing themselves into a tightly knit group, pulling even closer when they saw both Mokuba and the Professor sitting at the wrought iron table. Atemu motioned for the three to sit, and they rushed to the circular shaped benches.

After a few moments of silence, Yugi spoke. "I couldn't help but notice a certain Draco Malfoy floating out of the Forest behind Mokuba. Anyone care to explain?"

Hermione stared down at the table, refusing to meet the Defense Professor's eyes. Words tumbled out of her mouth at an alarming rate. "I – we – we're sorry, Professor Mouto. We came around the bend and saw Mokuba against the tree and Malfoy holding him there and it just, well, we thought he was being attacked! Sir, we were just trying to save our housemate!"

Atemu rustled in the back of Yugi's mind. /If she stares any harder at the table, I think it may just set on fire./ he commented with a chuckling overlay.

/So not the point./ Yugi turned to the black haired Kaiba. "Mokuba?"

Mokuba looked directly at Hermione's forehead. "I'd like to thank all three of you, I suppose. You were correct in the fact that I was being attacked; you just didn't," he grimaced, "Realize that I'm able to take care of myself when I get in a tight spot."

Ron and Harry looked at him dubiously.

Mokuba almost laughed at their faces. "No, really, I am. Hermione, look at me." The brown-haired Gryffindor finally looked upwards. "See, I'm fine. Not dead yet, I swear!" He was rewarded with a small smile, and in response made a more somber face. "I just….want you guys to think a little before you attack – with wands or otherwise, alright? In return, I'll attempt to keep the ranting and screaming down to a minimum. Deal?"

The Golden Trio nodded in unison, Harry holding out his hand to shake Mokuba's. "Deal."

Yugi smiled happily. "Wonderful! Now that we're all friends again, I'll….Mokuba?" The Professor stared at his wrist quizzically as Atemu took control. "Mokuba, what was in that potion?"

A flash of light erupted from Atemu's forearm, and he pushed back from the table with a yelp, soon to be engulfed in a bright blue haze. "Mokuba! You rat!"

Mokuba leapt away, laughing madly and setting off at a dead run towards the castle. "It was Bakura, I swear! All Bakura!" he shouted, and continued cackling.

For as the smoke cleared, Harry, Ron, and Hermione could see every inch of the Professor's skin and hair covered in blue.

"Sort of anti-climactic," whispered Ron, "I mean, now his hair's just one color."

Atemu growled, seethed, and vowed revenge, then began to swear profusely as the one person he did not want to see made his way down the grounds.

"Yo, Pha – Professor! I'm on return duty!" Bakura waltzed forward, Draco lagging behind, and pulled on one of Atemu's now-blue bangs. "Good color on you. Slightly less shocking than the last, though."

"Bastard."

Reviews

A huge thank you to….

Rosedark, Peeka-chan, Alex, Starlet36, RainOwl, Zanman (And I TOTALLY thanked you last chapter. Go check.), Darkdaisy, Latin101, Chaos Guardian Seth, LadyKatsu, ComputerFreak101, yllom21, The One Who Creeps You Out, Alex (Again), PenPusherM, Kenmeishouri, Kayono, Tira's Host, Lady Starlight2, - Glomps Yuugi -, Dreammistress Jade, Crazy Hyper Lady, and Chelley Angel.