This chapter was like a bug in my brain so I have to get it out. Harry will appear someday. Enjoy, read and review.

The Darkest Magic

Tifa Strifeheart

~ Last Time ~

Lying bound on the table, Yami's eyes snapped open as he silently whispered a single monotonies word as if in a trance: "Yugi."

Chapter Six

Folding another sweater, Ryou threw it into one of the two suitcases that he was packing not as neatly as he usually would have. He was happy that they were finally doing something and wanted to be off, yet at the same time he couldn't just leave like Bakura had suggested. Thinking of his yami had him glancing around at the darker half. Bakura was sitting on the room's only armchair his eyes closed and the millennium ring around his neck pulsing with a golden glow. While he stayed and packed, Bakura was in the Shadow Realm speaking with their monsters. They too had been affected by whatever it was that had happened to Yugi. How exactly they had been affected Bakura refused to go into though. He sighed and turned back to the suitcases, staring between them and checking things that they needed off his mental list.

After Yugi disappeared, Ryou had thrown himself into school and, after that, his work. Bakura had stuck with him throughout it all. With almost three years now, with no vacations and very few sick days, he was talking it all now with interest. He dropped their toothbrushes in one of the cases little pockets. The only other option he had would be to quit the Museum, something he may have to consider if the search for his friend took too much time. Something that he hoped would never happen. Thinking back he realised that he had wasted too much time he couldn't help beating himself up because of it. He aimlessly pushed a folded pile of cloths to make some space inside Bakuras suitcase; in the space he fit the container of their unused card. He should have gone after Yugi as soon as he disappeared. He should have done something to get him back. Now, almost three years later he would do something… and he would make the people that hurt his friend pay. He realised that he was trying to force some random piece of clothing into the already packed suitcase and had to force himself to stop. Now that they were setting out, finally, he felt himself becoming stressed. The worst part was that he didn't even know what it was that was getting to him. He guessed that it was the fact that there was so much that they didn't understand and didn't know. For starters; who killed Mutou Sugoroku? He didn't think that the man had any enemies, not that he could say he knew the man very well. But even more pressing; what was it about the murder would make Yugi leave everything that he knew.

"You're thinking too much." He turned his head slightly to the side as an arm came around and gripped him by the shoulder. He sighed as his back pressed against Bakuras chest. He had learned that he was a very physical person once he and Bakura had come to understand one another. Even now he felt his stress being drained out of him and into his other half and his mind and body easing at the contact. This was something he needed. Large amounts of stress and shadow magic were never a good combination. When emotions ran too high or too wild, shadow magic tended to creep in and affect the user. Their minds and eventually their control were affected by the presence of the shadows on them. When he learned of this from Bakura it explained so much. Like why so many of the people they met were crazy. Emotions on high were best to be avoided when one dabbled in shadow magic, even the pharaoh himself had had times where his emotions got the better of him to everyone's chagrin. He sighed and closed his eyes as the tension left him.

"I'm sorry." He felt Bakura move.

"Don't be." There was silence for a bit while he concentrated on his breathing. "Are you almost done here?" He opened his eyes with a small nod.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure that there is nothing else that will fit." He straightened breaking contact with his Yami except for his shoulders where Bakura rested his hands. He glanced over the cases. "Yep everything's there." He turned where he was sitting. "Did you finish what you wanted to do?" Bakura looked down at him and shrugged.

"Not really. They want to see you." Ryou gave him a questioning look and it was returned with a dry one. "Well that's what you get when your being a worry wart all the time. You're not the only person in your head half the time if you bother to care to remember." Ryou couldn't help but smile at Bakuras scolding tone. He couldn't help but think how much things have changed.

"Should we finish here first?" Bakura nodded as he straightened up turning his back on Ryou. They finished with the leftover minor packing in a matter of minutes. Ryou made sure everything was off while Bakura made sure all the doors were locked. Once done they stood side by side in the middle of the silent apartment, one suitcase on the floor beside each of them. Fondly Royu stroked the deck resting in its case on his belt. Though similar to Bakuras the two decks did have their differences but the same theme was predominating throughout. He felt that he shared something with the horrifying monsters that served him. Like him they were always misunderstood simply by what they looked like. That was something that he could really understand. He glanced at him yami. It was something that they could both understand. "You know the exact place where the used their powers last?"

"I'm close enough. But don't you have something to do before we head out." Ryou sighed as he opened himself to the shadows and began to push. An instant later both boys were gone.

As soon as solid ground was under his feet again, Ryou felt his knees give way and was caught at the very last second. "Damn it! Tell me if you can't take it." Ryou took a deep breath reaching for one of the walls of the ally that they appeared in and resting both of his weight on it.

"I'm fine. Really I'm fine." Above him Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Sure you are. Look, wait here. I'll find us a place to stay." Immediately Ryou shook his head and pushed himself off the wall taking deep breaths and ignoring for a second that the world had faded for a second there.

"I'm fine. I'm just not used to using for so long." It took effort but he straightened completely aware of Bakuras critical eyes on him. Taking care he bent over to grip the handle of his suitcase. When he was sure he wasn't going to collapse again he straightened and gave his Yami the driest look that he could muster. "Well are you coming or not?" Bakura let out a bark of laughter before turning away. Ryou released the breath that he had been holding and watched his yami walk away. Taking a step he and feeling the weakness in his legs, he wondered how long he would be able to keep it up. He just hoped that they got to a hotel soon so that he could sit down. Even take a nap if possible. It was only when Bakura stop walking that he noticed the crowd that was standing seemingly staring at the woods. With how tired he was feeling it was a marvel that he noticed anything at all. 'Note to self: when considering travel via shadow realm, next time – don't.'

"What the hell is everybody staring at?" Ryou noticed that a number of people Bakura a look at his language but said nothing. Sighing Ryou took a few steps forward and reached out to touch a man's shoulder. He froze mid movement as he felt the wave wash over him; after spending half the day surrounded by this feeling there was no mistaking it. A very large amount of shadow magic had been used here and not long ago. Behind him he could feel Bakura frowning at him.

/Come here./ Without asking why, Bakura took walked towards him. Inches from him his yami stopped, his eyes narrowing. Ryou watched as he turned to the nearest woman tapping her shoulder. "Could you tell us what happened here?" So his darker half could be nice when he wanted to; Ryou had know but it was still a shock when he actually witnessed it. The older woman turned and gave both Bakura and him a once over before she spoke.

"Well looks like there was a construction accident in the middle of the night. Took out a whole lot of trees and burned some land in the forest." She cocked her head as she placed a hand on her chin resting the elbow on her other crossed arm. "The funny thing is that I don't remember them saying that there was going to be any sort of work done. Not any time soon."

It came so suddenly; and seemingly out of nowhere. In an instant Bakura was at his side, hand already on his deck at his waist trying to stare at everyone around them at once. Even though he wasn't sure how much good he would be in a fight he had his hand hovering over his pocket just a breath away from grabbing at his link to the shadows. No one else however seemed to notice what was happening. The woman in front of them stopped speaking for a second. If the – whatever it was – hadn't been directed towards her and Ryou hadn't been watching for something he would have missed it entirely. For a second her face went completely blank, the next moment she was animate again and chuckling.

"My, these things always get away from me. They were scheduled to work; something to do with clearing more land for some new houses or some such." She leaned in a bit with a smile. "You didn't hear this from me but I was told that they were clearing the place to build a new mall." She let out an exaggerated sigh. "It really is too bad about the accident." Ryou nodded at the woman and gave her a smile if not just out of thanks then just to shut her up.

"Thank you for telling us." She waved with one hand.

"No problem." As the woman turned away Ryou turned to Bakura who was still scanning the crowd.

"I highly doubt that there was any such 'construction accident.'" Bakura snorted.

"You can bet your ass that there wasn't. The million pound question is how the hell they got everyone here to believe that whatever the hell it was that happened was a construction accident. Cus with the sheer amount of residual shadow magic here it can't look like an accident of any sort." He frowned. "There shouldn't even be any residual magic here. Man the pharaoh must have really let loose." Ryou gave him a look.

"What really concerns me is what we just felt. And whatever they did changed that woman's memory entirely. The only thing I know that can do something like that is the rod and that is nowhere near here." Bakura straightened looking less off guard to anyone who didn't know him. His hand still hovered above his deck and his direct connection to the shadow realm just a hair away.

"Well obviously the rods not the only thing that can do it then. I want to take a look at the site." Ryou nodded as he bent to pick up the suitcase that he dropped. It was halfway down that his body remembered that it was nowhere near being healed enough to take any sort of strain. Once again his knees gave way and once again he was saved from falling flat on his face. When he looked up Bakura was glaring down at him. He grinned up shyly at his darker half and opened his mouth to tell him he was fine when that glare intensified.

"No. I don't want to hear it. We'll check out the site, after you've had some rest." Realizing that arguing was futile, Ryou just nodded and straightened out of Bakuras hold. Before he had a chance to, the yami took hold of both his own and Ryous suitcases and began walking without a word to his companion. He stared at the others departing back for a second before hurrying to catch up.

Even with the crashes and screams that Arthur heard as the small group consisting of him and a handful of aurors that had been running to the main atrium; none if it had prepared him for the scene that he meet when they burst through the door. He had to stop and stare in shock and, by the looks on the aurors face, he wasn't the only one. The only thing that was in still in one piece was the front desk and the Fountain of Magical Brethren everywhere where else there was evidence of some sort of destruction or another. Chunks were coming out of the walls and ceiling chairs and the like had been blown about everywhere and were scattered among wizards that lay groaning on the floor. He felt relief when he didn't see any bodies lying completely still. Looking away from the mess on the floor he saw the source of the chaos and he recognized it. The person that he had seen mere hours before was dragging himself to one of the atrium exits. Even as he watched, the spiky haired man raised an arm and something blasted out of his hand and knocked away three aurors that had been approaching him from his left. As if it was a signal, the aurors that had came with him flowed past him and towards the man impressively dodging the bodies of wizards and the people treating them. Instead of going with them Arthur frowned.

Why was this person doing this? By the look of him he was ready to collapse at any moment. It must have been sheer force of will that kept him moving and, strangely he wasn't moving towards the exit. Then it hit him. He wasn't trying to leave. Almost without thought, he spun on his heel and rushed down the hall. If that person was going to where he think he was then there was a short cut.

It took him almost fifteen minutes to get to the hallway and hoped that he wasn't too late. He glanced at the door at the end of the hall before stepping back to stand against the wall. All the time he waited, a voice in the back of his head – which strangely sounded like Molly's – asked what he was doing here. He silently replied that he had to know what was about this person. He didn't get the feeling that the man he had saw was a killer despite everything he had read and witnessed so far. He had stood there for ten minutes and Mollies voice was beginning to sound more and more convincing when he heard it. Both mollies and his own internal voices shut up and stood at attention. Before he could even decide what to the man appeared. He felt his body froze as the spiky haired man began to approach. Nobody followed behind him and Arthur figured that either they had evacuated this area and set up a barrier outside the hall or they were unable to get in. Either way he couldn't help asking himself what he had really gotten into. Slowly the man approached seemingly dragging his body as he did so and the wizard tried to make himself disappear. As he got closer Arthur noticed wisps of black smoke seemed to be floating around his body making parts of him disappear at times. He had begun to hold his breath as this man got within three feet of him and stopped. The spiky head turned away from the door that he had been staring at and turned to him.

Arthur's heart froze for a second before he realised what he was looking at, then that hand loosed its grip around his heart. Red eyes were dulled and seemingly unseeing; like a person who was sleep walking. Those eyes focused on him, well focused as much as blank eyes could. He began to raise his arm but froze mid-movement. Arthur, who had been reaching for his wand in the folds of his rob stopped as well. Those red eyes had left him and had turned to face the door. Slowly the arm dropped back to his eyes as his eyes closed. When they opened again he noticed from the profile that those eyes seemed less blank then they had a moment before. Without bothering to look at him again the man turned away and walked the few feet left towards the door before the spiky haired man disappeared behind it.

Releasing his breath Arthur wilted for a moment. The body of his companion had been left in the infirmary when they had been sure that he had been no wizard. There were going to dispose of it later that day. How he had known that the body was here at all was anyone's bet. Slowly he approached the door glancing back to see if anyone else was coming. The last thing he needed was for someone to come and surprised the man who had finally calmed down. Pressing his ear against the door he listened to any sound that he could pick up. Through the wood he heard a soft sound one that sound both familiar and strangely unsettling. As silently as he could he pushed the door open and slipped inside. He took a few steps into the infirmary and froze again. Whatever he had been expecting it was far from the sight that greeted him in that small room.

There the man that had been terrorizing the entire ministry was on his knees beside a single bed. The white cloth that had been placed over the body had been hastily thrown to one side and the man had his head in the chest of the corpse's body. The similarities between the corpse and the man hunched over it were more startling then he had expected. The man's shoulders – the only part of him Arthur could see clearly were shaking and he finally recognized the sound that filled the air as sobbing. He had known but he hadn't been sure if such a being was capable of crying. Against his better judgment he felt his heart going out to the apparently broken man. Obviously they had been close. After spending some time just watching he had begun to ask himself what he should do when the man spoke quietly. He couldn't recognize the language that was being spoken – it sounded oriental in origin. Suddenly the man straightened on his knees and stared down at the bodies face. Staring at him, Arthur realised that there was nothing blank about his eyes and, as he watched, he saw determination form in them. Slowly the man began to lean over the other again but this time he brought his face closer to that of the corpse. He whispered something that the wizard just heard in a language he couldn't recognise at all be for there was a blinding flash.

Instinctively he threw up his arms and shut his eyelids to protect himself from the glare. When the light behind his eyelids finally faded he opened his eyes. Nothing had changed except for the fact that the red eyed man was gone. Hastily he turned around then ran to the door peering out of it. There was no sign of him in the room or in the hall. He had simply disappeared. Arthur frowned; it shouldn't be possible in the Ministry. A cynical voice told him that a lot of things that had happened recently shouldn't have been possible. He turned back to the only other 'person' in the room. Slowly he walked over to the bed and stared down at the body. This had been what the man had come for. His eyes widened as the corpse on the bed took a breath before its eyes slammed open. Large violet eyes stared up at something he couldn't see before he lurched into a sitting position gasping for breath. Arthur – who had thrown himself back in terrified shock – stared as the boy sat panting for breath.

"They should have called me the moment of the attack." Even with the scorn dripping from it that voice was the most wonderful thing that he had ever heard. With a sigh of relief he turned to Dumbledore who was staring at the corpse that was no longer a corpse any more.

They had followed the trail as much as possible but in that field Atemus and Yugis auras had spiked and faded there. Every lead had gone cold at the edge of the city. Neither he nor Bakura had seen reason to stay there so had returned to London. They hadn't gone home though. Instead they had followed that strange presence they had felt, the same one that had altered that had woman's memories. "Are you sure this is where the… magic leads?"

"Hell no," Ryou turned to his other as Bakura joined him at the window. His yami stared up and down the small street. "I have no idea where that 'thing' leads." Ryou opened his mouth and Bakura cut him off. "But there is something very similar to it in this area." He glared around and Ryou stared out the window trying to figure what it was that he was looking at. "Now that I know what I'm looking for… the bloody stuff is everywhere here. Like its pressing down on the people here in just this neighbourhood." Ryou looked up at him.

"Maybe there's something here? All that stuff could be guarding whatever us here?" Bakura shrugged.

"What the hell could possibly be in a place called," He squinted as he stared down the street. "Privet Drive. This back end of nowhere place." Ryou pinched him.

"Who would have thought that the items would appear in a place like Domino?" Bakura shot him a dry look.

"Kids play with monsters on the streets and teenagers run companies. Hell, there is something fundamentally flawed with that city as a whole." He shook his head. "Comparing the rest of the world to the massed up little hick town…" He sighed and turned away shoving his hands into his pockets and heading back through their newly purchased house. When he passed the suitcases still sitting unpacked near the staircase Ryou started with surprise and went after him.

"Wait, where are you going?" Bakura stopped with one hand on the doorknob and shot him a smirk. He'd seen that look before and it had never meant anything good for him or anyone else. He opened the door and gestured for Ryou to follow him. Standing in the doorway the only thing that he noticed was a boy stepping out of number four across the street. He glanced over at Bakura. "What…"

"Isn't it obvious," that grin was back. "We're going to introduce ourselves to the neighbours." The under tone of glee in his voice did nothing to make Ryou feel any better about his yami's brilliant idea.

That's it. If you enjoyed that please review. Hearing from people who enjoy my work means a lot. And for those who don't like my work I still want to know what you don't like about it.

On another note I'm glad so many people are reading this. (Yeah I checked my traffic) hope you all like it.

Cmpteraddict: Thanks. Exams were okay... they could have been better but at least school is done for now! Thanks for asking.

Escapedslave99: Thanks a lot!

Tigerwulf: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I'll really have to look into the deck. Thanks for the link though. I'm real happy that you're enjoying it.

Well, please review and see you all later.