Return to the Old Ways

by kayono

The Pharaoh and King have returned, but the Fates and Destiny have yet to let them out of their grasp. There's more in the darkness than is known, but 'life isn't interesting unless there's a chance of dying.'

15. The Summer of Mourning

Return to the Old Ways

Chapter 13: The summer of mourning

Warnings: The usual. Oh, this was written sometime during September-October of 2006, but I kept forgetting to post it... so yes, some things are strange. Besides that, a little bit of the usual torture, especially considering what happens in this chapter. Um, not much else... I guess this is just another example of why this story is rated 'T'.

Notes: Ah ha, I'm horrible. I wrote this HOW long ago? I finished DH and the first thing out of my mouth was, "Damn! That means I have to change this!" See why I didn't post it until now?

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to, I don't own anything, except for possibly the plot. All YGO chars and references belong to Takahashi, Pern stuff belongs to Anne McCaffery (and apparently her son, To...d (?) McCaffery), Axis stuff belongs to someone else. There was something else in here, too... Oh, duh. HP stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling, who I'm beginning to believe might be able to speak to God.

---

Yugi awoke suddenly as the sun was just rising, shining onto the back wall and reflecting off the mirror into his eyes. Atemu growled, burying his head further into his light's chest to avoid consciousness.

A slight tugging in his mind made Yugi groan, wanting to deny the summons. He sat up, looking down at his darkness as Atemu made himself comfortable without the other body. Apparently, he was the only one being called.

Another tug, this one accompanied by something that almost felt like a shove, sent Yugi giving up his quest for clothes as he just threw his cloak around his shoulders, Shifting down to the indoor garden before proceeding down to the Pit.

To his surprise, the entire contingent of Celestials were already waiting for him, shifting on their 'feet' and moving to let him into the circle. Yugi hurriedly bowed to them, straightening and nodding to each in turn.

"What need have you of me?"

A ripple of humour around the ring of heavenly forms made Yugi feel slightly awkward- it was always fine when Atemu was around, but without his yami he felt open and like everything about him was bare to the world.

(-(You have what I/We have given you?)-)

Yugi hesitantly brushed against the packet of energy, nodding as he felt the surge of power. "Yes."

(-(Good. But you must be careful. Let no one know of it. Never use it. Don't check to see if it is there. Do you understand?)-)

Yugi blinked, feeling rather out-of-sorts about this whole situation. "Pardon, but why did you give… it to me if I'm just to ignore it? And what is 'it', anyways?"

Another ripple of laughter, and Yugi began to wonder what exactly was so funny.

(-(It is something of Mine/Ours that is very important. Let it grow and live within you, feeding off your energies and emotions, until such time that I/We tell you otherwise.)-)

Yugi wanted to pout- why did it sound like he wasn't going to enjoy this?

(-(You may go. Tell Atemu that there is no need to come here more than once a month- I/We have other things to do besides discuss with you.)-)

The words were harsh, the tone was not, and it was the most obvious dismissal ever. Yugi bowed to them, making his way back up to the indoor garden before Shifting back up to their rooms.

He found Atemu glued to his side almost instantly, wrapped by strong, tanned arms and a head buried in his hair. "Aibou…."

Yugi chuckled, feeling the new energy squirm slightly. He ignored it, determined to do exactly what the Celestials had said to do- he didn't need to get on their bad sides. "Yami…."

"Where were you?!"

Yugi rolled his eyes, pushing away from the darkness to find some clothes. "They called me down and told me to essentially ignore Their 'present' until They tell me not to."

Atemu blinked, surprised. "Are you sure?"

Yugi huffed. "If not, then that was a really weird dream."

The Pharaoh examined his hikari again, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright then. Anything else happen?"

Yugi turned around with some clothes folded over his arms, making his way to the bathroom for a shower. "Yeah- They are getting annoyed with our constant visits. No more than once a month, Yami."

Atemu felt shock overcome him, then laughed. "And this straight from the falcon's beak, hm?"

---

Yugi and Atemu decided to break their fast early as they had many things to do that day- specifically, a desk that had been just laying around had been moved into a small study-like room which had become their office had, in turn, become buried under five stacks of paper which were waiting for some attention.

Few people were up at the moment- Jessica's mother, Seline, Lasine, and another young woman from Tunaydah were just preparing the first meal of the day, and only a select few workers and one or two young men who called themselves 'guards' were awake to enjoy the smell of the cooking. Lasine walked over to them with two plates piled with foodstuffs, Seline following behind her with two goblets of some sort of juice.

"So, do we get to know where you two disappeared to yesterday?" Lasine asked casually, setting down the plates and turning around to grab another for Seline. The young dragonrider gave each their drinks, sitting down lightly on the chair beside her, acting the proper young woman- and then Lasine placed her plate in front of her, and all pretences disappeared as she dug in hurriedly.

Yugi chuckled, Atemu edging slightly away from Seline as she realized her manners and who she was eating with, blushing as she quickly adopted a calmer, less-messy version of eating. "No, Lasine. But we won't be gone so often- just once a month now."

Lasine smiled, poking her Master in his arm. "Good. Less paperwork for everyone else."

Yugi sweatdropped as Atemu chuckled. "You're always down here in the kitchens, Lasine. Don't tell me that they're making you do some of the work?"

"Of course not! I'm not a 'proper authority figure', though apparently I'm good enough to complain to like I can do something about it!"

All three of the others sitting at the table chuckled, Lasine excusing herself when a group came into the kitchens for their breakfast. This let Yugi and Atemu turn their attentions to Seline, who was now nibbling at her food, the initial hunger somewhat sated.

"Miss Seline? I don't believe that we've been introduced," Yugi commented, offering her his hand.

Seline blinked, looking up at him. "Oh, um, no. I'm Aturenarth's rider, from Cairo."

"And you have a… brother and a cousin in ATC training, correct?"

Seline looked shocked, lowering her eyes back down to her plate. "Yes, sir. I am- I am honoured that you would know of that."

Yugi bit his lip as Atemu chuckled, both their eyes twinkling. "Dear Seline, as the ATC will end up being responsible for co-ordinating all air traffic around Khemet, I would hope we know what is happening in regards to it."

Seline blushed, and Yugi, feeling somewhat sorry for the embarrassed girl, gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry- not much goes on here that we don't know about. I was wondering if we might not be able to see Aturenarth?"

"Of course! She will be very happy to see you, I'm sure!"

The green rider bolted down the rest of her food, scooping up all the dishes to give to Lasine before leading the two Pharaohs down to the back courtyard by the Hatching Ground.

---

As Seline ran to get her dragon, Yugi chuckled as he watched Adrian tending to Semanaerth on the banks of one of the Ring Rivers, Jessica and Valinath beside them. They were in the middle of a water fight, although Yugi was sure that the riders must be feeling a bit chilly- the sun had just barely climbed over the Inner Ring Wall, and hadn't had a chance to warm the air.

"I am glad that everything has worked out alright," Yugi commented aside to Atemu, smiling as he saw Jessica dump a whole bucket of dirty water onto Adrian and Semanaerth, who in turn knocked the two females into the muddy ground around them.

Atemu nodded, stepping slightly closer to Yugi as they watched the two riders start to wrestle. "Indeed. And I do believe that we know who will probably be the first to rise to mate."

Yugi shot him a look, but he turned around to see the 'fighting' weyrlings, and could only smile. "Perhaps. It is good for them, to have someone who understands what they think and are going through."

The darkness hadn't a chance to respond as Seline, leading Aturenarth, came out from the Hatching Ground and Weyrling barracks, Aturenarth finishing slurping what suspiciously looked like a large piece of raw meat.

Yugi and Atemu bowed graciously to the young green. Aturenarth eyed them before bowing her head, eyes now glowing a subtle green-blue. Seline smiled as she heard her dragon comment. "Aturenarth says to say that you are the- sorry dear heart, what was it again? Oh yes, the 'best human specimens' she has seen."

Yugi continued to smile while Atemu quickly hid a cough. "Well Aturenarth, you are one of the best Pernese dragons- any breed of dragons, actually- that we have ever seen."

Aturenarth made a whistling noise that certainly seemed happy, before she nudged Seline over to the Ring River, where Adrian and Jessica were just walking up from. They stopped to speak for a bit to each other, and then Seline bid Adrian and Jessica farewell as she ran to catch up with Aturenarth- who was already on the river bank.

Adrian and Jessica made a bee-line for Yugi and Atemu, smiling and bowing their heads as they walked. The light and dark met the two dragonriders halfway, bowing to Semanaerth and Valinath. The bronze and green trumpeted lowly, nodding their heads to the Pharaohs as they decided to plop down on a nice patch of grass, back-to-back, and have a nap.

The two riders laughed at their dragons, coming to a halt before the other two. "Yugi, Atra! Good morning!" Adrian greeted them, Jessica giggling as she curtseyed.

More greetings were exchanged as they moved to sit under a tree that was close enough to the dragonets that neither rider would be too distracted. Quickly, talk turned to the most recent happenings in Khemet and around the world (everyone readily agreed with Marcus's idea that there should be no hotels- if you stayed in the Weyr-Hold, you would have to work to earn your keep).

"Yugi? I was wondering about something…." Adrian finally stated after a few minutes of peaceful silence as the sun finally was high enough to make a change in the temperature and more people were moving about.

"What is it?"

Even Jessica looked at him in interest- apparently, she wasn't privy to all the bronze rider's musings, either.

Adrian looked like he just wanted to say forget it, but a light, encouraging rumble from Semanaerth caused him to sit up straight, unconsciously filling the role that would all too soon officially be his. There was no hesitation in his eyes or posture now- and certainly not in his voice.

"I want to officially change my name to A'dran."

That caught everyone off-guard, but quickly they were asking him about why, what had brought this decision around, and just in Khemet or legally changed in England?

"Officially, legally. I think it would be a great tribute to the other riders out there- wherever they are."

Yugi beamed at the bronze rider as he felt his darkness' sudden approval of the young man. Jessica nodded, commenting how she almost wished it was tradition to shorten a female's name as well.

"With so many past dragonriders, it's almost like a return home- they came from a terran planet, and now they return to one."

"Then you are hereby Adrian no longer, but A'dran- and tell the other riders that, if they wish, they can do so as well."

---

That proclamation had spread through Khemet faster than anyone had anticipated, and by noon everyone else were referring to the dragonriders by their shortened names. The dragons, too, seemed to be enjoying the 'new' names of their riders, to the point where they wanted to fly around and blast their happiness to everyone.

Another week, and that want had prompted every single weyrling into the sky, the riders having to hold on tightly to keep from falling off their enthusiastic partners. A'dran was obviously a very skilled flyer (when the Abhorsen crew came down from England for a break, Katie quite proudly said that was due to her Quidditch training), and was soon practicing short jumps between around Khemet, then out to isolated, usually abandoned, landmarks around Egypt. In his spare time he helped the rest of his wing, Mnementh and Ramoth overseeing the lessons.

The search for the Horcruxes, meanwhile, had long ago turned sour. The informant that Yugi and Atemu had met in November (although Yugi was always very careful to be vague about the meeting that he had skipped out on in anger) had given them many possible leads, none of which actually led anywhere.

"I'm beginning to think it would be easier to just post a message somewhere, asking for someone with one of mouldy wart's Horcruxes to meet us somewhere," Malik commented at a small meeting they were holding at Abhorsen's House, A'dran and Semanaerth practicing their between jumps from their farm to Khemet and back again.

Bakura flicked a rolled-up ball of paper at the tomb Keeper, levelling a glare in the blonde's general direction. "Right, and get a whole bunch of nutters sending in information?"

"Well, at least it was an idea."

Ryou placed a warning hand on Bakura's arm, preventing him from rising and strangling Malik. Isis did likewise with Malik (only to prevent him from running), while Rashid, Lessa, F'lar, Seto and Jounouchi sat around the table, eyeing the four empty chairs.

"But what can we do about this?" Jounouchi grumbled, indicating the newspapers that littered the table. All were from English newspapers, only a few not coming from a certain one- and all of those articles about the 'Opinions' section from the main. The pen-names 'AI' and 'Levis' were common, the dates reaching from before Christmas to the morning's.

"Burn them?" Seto commented off-handed, busy trying to wrap his mind around the 'Horcrux' idea.

Lessa slapped the pale hand that reached for the nearest paper. "No. Yugi said that he wanted to keep them- for 'ammo' against this 'AI' person."

F'lar blew one of his dark bangs out of his eyes. "It seems to be working. There hasn't been any new groups formed to take on this 'dark lord' or 'death eaters' since this started, and everyone has really been getting into the debate."

"The point is, Yugi might very well need to repeat something that he's said earlier if this continues- the main debate about the Occurrences has started coming full circle to the original problem of private investigations, and the UN." Isis pointed out, shifting the stack of papers to show the earliest ones and the newest ones.

Jounouchi was about to make another comment, but stopped when he felt Seto's hand on his wrist.

The door creaked open slightly, allowing Yugi, Atemu, Dumbledore and Minerva to enter. Dark cloaks swirled around all four of them (although Dumbledore's was trimmed in a bright, lurid orange and green). Taking their seats, the two Pharaohs gestured for their English allies to begin their report.

"We may have been able to track down one of the Horcruxes," Dumbledore began, to some cheering.

"Thank you, Mr. Bakura, for letting us poor, incompetent Mark mages do this on our own," Minerva added dryly, remembering what Ryou had offered (much to Bakura's chagrin), only to have his offer turned down. Bakura had taken it as a personal insult, and had sent many letters saying so.

"Of course, Professor McGonagall."

As Dumbledore began to outline the process (in the hopes that the same basic idea might lead them to another Horcrux or three), plots and plans and ideas began forming in everyone's minds. If they could take out the Horcruxes, not only would six sevenths of Voldemort's soul be destroyed and his claim to near-eternal life be erased, but any possibility of a power boost would also be removed- and an end to this reign of terror could be wrought.

"So I would like someone- anyone- to check out the location before anything else is done. I promised Harry that I would take him along the next time I found a Horcrux to destroy, and I plan to keep that promise. Otherwise I would have personally done this job."

Nods all around, before Yugi and Atemu turned to Bakura, Ryou and Malik. "Well? What does the King of Thieves think about a recon mission?"

Bakura shrugged carelessly, smirking at the tone in Atemu's voice. "Why, is the Pharaoh admitting to not be as good as a common thief at something?"

Yugi nearly had to sit in Atemu's lap to keep him from launching himself across the table at Bakura. Instead, Atemu bit out, "Only something spawned from a rat could do what we're asking you!"

This was a rather round-about way of insulting Bakura's mother and residents of Kuru Eruna (which was a big no-no). Yugi actually sent Atemu out of the room, Ryou accompanying the Pharaoh as Malik, Isis and Yugi worked to calm the thief down.

"Fine. As long as it gets me away from that bastard."

Yugi bit his lip, frowning in Bakura's general direction. Technically, if Atemu was a bastard, then Yugi could be considered one too….

Bakura patted him on the head. "Not you, midget. And are you sure that I can't take anything?"

Yugi wasn't much mollified.

---

A'dran's wing landed neatly on the open dirt area outside Abhorsen's House that had been created just for that reason. Seline, Nayoa from Tunaydah, and Jason- now J'son- from New York were awed by the eerie calmness- and morning coolness- of the English countryside.

A'dran led the riders to the parlour-turned-meeting room, leaving their dragons (who were now each at least the size of a small house) to find a sunny spot and relax.

"Come in."

The double oak doors swung open, allowing the riders to enter. "You called us here, Weyrleaders?" A'dran asked formally, for the benefit of everyone in the room.

"A'dran, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, as well as Yugi, Ryou and Malik, have all consented to teach you cloaking charms. We want you to do sweep rides of England and Egypt every week using them, looking for anything that might be considered 'weird', even for mages."

A'dran eyed F'lar, for he was the one who had spoken, before turning his attention to Lessa, and then the others at the table. When everyone either smiled or nodded, A'dran allowed himself to relax, feeling the other riders behind him doing the same.

"Alright. When do we start?"

"As soon as you like," Lessa told him, standing. "I have to get back to Khemet. Niyern has declared herself Headwoman, and we're trying to organize all our matters."

F'lar left with her, Isis and Rashid leaving soon afterwards. Seto and Jounouchi opted to hang around for a bit before leaving, both being firmly beaten by Atemu and Yugi in a quick game of two-on-two Duel Monsters. With only the 'teachers' left, they set to work teaching the riders how to properly perform a cloaking spell. Dumbledore and McGonagall watched the student's progress, noting the abilities of the casters.

By dinner time, every rider could completely cloak themselves and their dragons for upwards of one hour straight (which, according to every experiment and study done on the case, meant that the caster should be able to hold the cloak for as long as necessary). Dumbledore left, apparently also having a large stack of paperwork sitting somewhere in his office that needed to be attended to. Minerva remained behind, drilling the riders in getting up the cloaks quickly and proficiently.

"Yugi, Atra, can I speak to you for a moment?"

They had been on the way to dinner, but Minerva's summons caused them to turn around and speak with the Deputy Headmistress. "Yes, Minerva?"

"I noticed that some of the riders- A'dran, the browns, and a few of the blues and greens- were quite adept at casting. The Headmaster had asked me to ask you if you would let them enter Hogwarts next year- admittedly, as first-year students, but as most of them are under the age of fifteen, it shouldn't make much difference."

Yugi blinked at the normally severe face which had softened itself for the moment, Atemu frowning. "Why are you asking us? Lessa and F'lar are the Weyrleaders."

Minerva's face stiffened again- though whether it was because of the question, or Katie and Anriel passing behind them towards the dining room laden with trays of food was up for grabs. "Because this recommendation would sound more important and helpful if it came from you than us."

(She has a point.)

((Doesn't mean we have to like it, aibou.))

Yugi smiled up at the Transfiguration Professor. "Of course. We'll talk to them either tonight or tomorrow, and get our message to you by this weekend."

Her face once again softened, before she led them into the dining room and dinner.

---

Bakura, Ryou, and Malik weren't the only guests to arrive just before lunch one week later. A number of the dragonriders were bombarded with owls, all of them carrying a sheaf of parchment letters, some so thick that the owl could barely fly.

Those riders who didn't receive the invitation didn't mind- Yugi, Ryou and Malik promised that they would have their complete education, including Aura, Mark, Mio and Spirit training. Some of those who did receive the letters also opted not to go, wanting to focus more on taking care of their partners than anything else.

A'dran, Jessica, Jacqueline, and the brown riders were the only ones to accept the invitation. Heather was the only rider to not get an invitation but still wanted to go- fortunately, she was quickly distracted by her dragonet, who dunked her into the first Ring River.

"Thank you!" Those going chorused, smiling up at the Weyrleaders and Kage no Mage.

F'lar's eyes roamed the group, frowning at the riders. "You know our conditions, though."

A'dran stood straight, nodding his head. "No ignoring our dragons, and reporting back here once a week. Sweep-riding in the mornings, lunches, any spares we may have, and after school."

F'lar nodded, turning to Liam, now L'am. "And while your Wingleader and Wingseconds are off, you are in charge of training and leading this wing. Understand?"

"Yes sir!"

Yugi smiled from where he stood, leaning against a railing. A number of balconies had recently added themselves to the outer walls of the complex, one of which was just above and to the right of the Weyrwoman's quarters. This let anyone standing there have a wonderful view of the Southern Courtyard, where the dragons were trained and taken care off.

"Isn't it amazing?" The light breathed, turning to his darkness with eyes aglow. "Who would have thought that this was possible- and that everyone is accepting it?"

Atemu chuckled, turning his head slightly to the north-north-west, eying the third set of Gates that would need to be opened sooner rather than later. "Around here maybe, aibou. And with Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix, the residents and members of which are always open-minded. But if the Mark mage community in general found out about this- if larger groups of people not related to mages in any way found out- then there would be quite a bit of trouble."

Yugi bit his lip, his happy feeling dieing down fairly quickly. They had helped to create a paradise in the middle of nowhere, one that put the Hanging Gardens to shame- but only as long as it remained a hidden paradise, a legend or rumour. The moment news about Khemet got out….

"We need to prepare, aibou."

"But how?!"

Atemu took Yugi's hand, Shifted to their rooms, and led the hikari out to the spiral staircase that went up to the top of the tower and the glass-walled observation room. Yugi blinked the sun out of his eyes, looking around him at the bird's eye view of Khemet incredulously. "Wow…." The Outer Wall was a clear, solid dark ring around the green oasis, Tunaydah visible as a darker splotch on the horizon.

"Here, aibou. Like the dragonriders cloak themselves for the sweeps, we will cloak Khemet. A power source here will keep the cloak up all the time, and we can extend it to cover Tunaydah."

Yugi frowned at him. "And then how will people move about? Desert traders come through here all the time- the disappearance of a whole town, not to mention this place after it suddenly appeared would be kind of noticeable, hm?"

Atemu pondered that for a moment, then smiled. "We'll set up guard towers along the Outer Wall, with similar power sources- maybe those energy stones-"

"Iyoku?"

"Yes, we'll have a large Iyoku here, smaller ones in the guard towers- and the shield will be above Khemet, so that if you approach from the ground it will look the same, but it will be invisible to anyone or anything from the skies."

They both paused, thinking that through. "Guard towers sound like a good idea, regardless of what we use them for," Yugi commented, walking over to the windows and staring out at the sprawling estate. "But there's always the problem of word-of-mouth…."

"We will keep Khemet to legend and rumour. If anyone comes to see for themselves the validity of those rumours, we'll extend the shield down to the ground, so that Khemet is completely cloaked."

"…we'll have to think about this. And talk to F'lar and Lessa…." Yugi mused, frowning at the possibilities that presented themselves so annoyingly.

"Of course."

Far below, Semanaerth lifted from the ground to start the day's sweep-riding, half of his wing following him. Some dust and sand were blown away by the powerful downward strokes, blowing into the faces of those building nearby. Once at sufficient height, all nine dragons winked out of existence- probably to reappear in England eight seconds or three breaths later. The other nine, with K'dall on brown Dorleth leading, rose from the ground. Instead of going between, they started off on their sweep of Egypt, disappearing from sight because of the cloaks they summoned.

Yugi hmmed, turning around to grab Atemu's hand and head down the stairs again. "For now, let's see if Bakura managed to keep his hands to himself."

Indeed, Bakura had managed to get out without stealing anything- "Because the only thing there to steal were dead bodies, and yadonoushi didn't want me touching those."

"For a good reason!" Ryou defended himself, frowning at his darkness. "You can't kill something that's already dead-"

"No, I didn't know that," Bakura rolled his eyes, wandering around the kitchens to try to find some raw meat.

"-and those things are set to attack if anyone goes near the water! And I'm alive!"

Bakura stopped, pondering this- then shrugged. "So? Shift."

Ryou growled, whirling on his heels and passing by Yugi with an almost inaudible, "Reporting to Dumbledore," before he disappeared into the Shadows.

Malik sighed, leaning back against his seat. "Well, as luck would have it, I guess I get to report to you instead, hm?"

Atemu nodded stiffly, glaring at the thief's back for his apparent unconcern for his light's safety. "Please do."

"Well- it's a cave. Either you fly or swim, but there's no way to walk in there. Then you have to shed some blood to get any further, after which you have to row a boat to an island, and then- apparently- drink this really weird poison. Which we didn't do, since this is 'recon only' (do you have any idea how much Bakura hates those words?). Anyways, our guess is that Dumbledore is going to take Potter to this cave on the coast to get the Horcrux, and we're supposed to be guards or something and make sure everything stays nice and quiet for our tomb-robbers-in-training."

Atemu snorted, continuing to glare at the spot that Bakura was last in- a doorway down to one of the cold cellars. "Anything else?"

Malik shrugged. "Couldn't tell you. Everything seems to be a bit… weird up there right now. Apparently, Potter has some 'crack-pot idea'," Malik make quotes with his fingers as he said this, "that some Draco Malfoy kid has some sort of Dark device to do something evil with. And Dumbledore is still tracking Mr. Young and Paranoid."

Yugi frowned at the Keeper. "He has a right to be. We've been sending letters back and forth every month or so, and there's been a series of not only weird events, but he's been having really weird dreams. Besides, he seems to have a target on his back nearly as big as mine."

Malik laughed as Atemu frowned. "That's not reassuring, hikari."

"Of course it isn't- it's the truth," Malik admonished, grabbing some fruit from a bowl on the table. "Oh, Ryou's decided to stay at the House more often, work out some of the secrets…."

"Good. We might need that," Atemu commented, turning his head to finally look Malik in the eye.

"Well then, I'm off to see how my sister, brother, and clan are doing. If you need anything…?"

Yugi smiled, quickly embracing the other hikari. "Of course- thank you, Malik. See you later!"

"Bye!"

As he left, Bakura came out of the cold cellar, finishing up a piece of meat, raw juices trailing over his face. He ignored the two still in the kitchens, walking past them and off to wherever he was going.

F'lar and Lessa entered then, sitting down beside the two Pharaohs. "What have you two been up to?"

Yugi shrugged, standing up to rummage in a fridge for some ambrisac fruit. "Not too much- just thinking about some defensive measures."

F'lar looked intrigued, Lessa curious. "Oh?"

Ryou walked back in then, a slight frown on his face. "F'lar, Lessa," he nodded to them, smiling faintly, before returning his attention to Yugi and Atemu. "Dumbledore wants myself and Bakura to guard the school tonight while he's at the cave with Harry. You three are supposed to stand by outside the cave, in case help is needed."

Yugi and Atemu stood then, nodding to Lessa and F'lar. "We'll continue this discussion later."

The two Weyrleaders nodded as the Kage no Mage left the kitchens, Ryou leaving to find his yami and Malik Shifting up to Yugi and Atemu's chambers with them.

"We can scout out the area before anything happens- Dumbledore won't take Potter with him until after school is done for the day." Malik explained, watching as the two dug in their closet for their leathers, bag of weapons, and cloaks.

"Alright. Malik, would you mind grabbing that pot on the window sill?"

Malik did as he was asked, surprised, although not shocked, to find the two completely adorned in leather when he turned back. The sight they presented did look imposing- dark, leather armour, black amber tattoos barely visible on Yugi, black cloaks, dark kohl around their eyes, and Shadows surrounding them.

"Shall we?" the Keeper asked, smirking at them.

"Let's go."

---

The night was cold for the beginning of June. Cold enough that most people were inside- cozy, warm, and safe.

Then, of course, there were those who didn't get such luxuries, and were stuck- outside- with only one thermos each of warm drink. They didn't complain about the weather- their duty was too important.

Well, they didn't complain much.

"I can't believe that he's making us stand out here for how long, just in case a skeleton or thousand decides to make them join them!" Malik grumbled, glaring at the crevice in the rock face at the base of the cliff.

Yugi pulled the collar of his cloak further up, almost completely hiding his face from view. "Malik, you do realize what you just said, right?"

"But it's cold!"

The third figure whirled, the wind whipping his own cloak around his legs and the rock spire he was standing on. "You'll be even colder if I have to throw you into the sea to get you to shut up!"

Yugi snickered at the look on Malik's face- or what he could see of the Egyptian's face. He shifted his feet slightly, not wanting to loose his precarious grip on the top of the rock spire he had chosen. "Yami, be nice."

Atemu sobered, returning his piercing gaze back to the crevice. "Yes, aibou."

Yugi had just gotten comfortable on his perch when a sudden blast of energy made him almost loose his balance. He flailed for purchase, the Shadows reaching up to help steady him. A new shape in the sky high above lowered itself- Anriel, barely holding her broom steady as she was buffeted by the wind.

"Something has happened back at the school!" She screamed at them over the wind. "Master Bakura was able to get through Dumbledore's defences to tell him that, but he said not to interfere with anything on school property- he wants everyone to head back and help guard the school!"

As they prepared to Shift, Yugi glanced down at the crevice, wondering how Harry and Dumbledore were faring. And then they were in the woods just off of school property, and the feeling of wrong was oh so tangible, and-

"Oy! Pharaoh, Midget, Keeper! Over here!"

The wind was almost non-existent here, so Bakura didn't really need to yell. It was more of a hoarse whisper, anyways.

Gathering, the five watched the steadily flickering lights up at the castle. Everything seemed quiet enough….

"I thought you said something was happening?" Atemu hissed at Bakura, glaring at the thief.

"I said that something is happening inside- not much yet, but enough to stir up the school's energies and send little fluffy creatures scurrying for cover." Bakura retorted, eyes focused on the dark silhouette.

They didn't have long to wait- a few minutes later and the very faint silhouette of one visible broom, and one broom covered in an invisibility cloak appeared overhead, heading towards the tallest tower of the castle. Yugi felt something pull him away from the group, so, touching Atemu's arm to let him know he was leaving, the light moved quickly to the right, taking care not to make a noise or leave any evidence of his passage.

The few aurors that were still awake stood guarding the school, glaring into the forest. They obviously hadn't realized that something was happening at the school yet, though they would soon.

It was about then that a large explosion was heard, the aurors turning on their heels and running up the sloping lawn to the castle, leaving the perimeter undefended. Yugi snorted at their reaction, his eyes trailing over the colossal black structure for damages or ambushes. He watched a dark shape fall off the top of the astronomy tower- and felt his heart fall with it, as though something terrible was happening and he had no power to stop it.

A few minutes later and a whole group of people came running out of the building, and heading their way- dressed in dark robes, a few with white masks, and obviously Death Eaters. The smallest one had no visible insignia on him, and- when there were some explosions behind them, a taller, darker figure ran with the smaller- protecting him?

Yugi glared at the two shapes, or as much of a glare as he could muster. Once passed the gate off the grounds, the taller one apparated, obviously assuming that the shorter would follow immediately. Unfortunately for him, the shorter took a moment to look back at the castle- and that was when Yugi struck.

To be fair, even a Shadow Mage could barely hold a match to Lasine when she was happy, let alone angry. And the Valkyria was beyond angry- between Yugi and Atemu and herself, she probably felt enough mostly unexplained anger coursing through her to allow her to chop down 100 trolls without a break.

"I give! I surrender! Just please don't kill me!"

Yugi looked down at the young man cowering at his feet, Lasine looming over him, sword at the ready. He gestured to her to step back, wondering if perhaps he shouldn't have called upon Mahado to act- the Hight Priest was at least a bit more diplomatic. Lasine obeyed, slowly and almost reluctantly. The moment that she moved away, the young man had lifted himself into the position a sprinter takes before running- and was already almost out of the clearing.

Yugi cursed, holding out his hand towards the other human, the card held in it glowing a bright white. Mahado had the young man pinned against his chest in seconds, the Dark Magician's staff pressing into the other's neck. The light gave the escapee a hard look, reaching up to place two fingers against his forehead. 'I don't want to do this, but I don't want to risk it... Go, my Shadows, seek his mind and heart and soul! Let him be bound to me, until such time as he can no longer be!'

The whole process took barely a second. With a sigh, a worried smile and a quick salute, Mahado disappeared into the Dominion again, dropping the young man to the forest floor. Whether it was because of the binding, past experience, or Lasine glaring at him from just behind Yugi, he didn't try to escape this time. Yugi bent down to the teen, prying his wand from his hands- this time, he wouldn't take any chances.

"What's your name?"

"Malfoy! Draco Malfoy!"

Yugi felt only a slight amount of surprise. Harry's letters were very explicit and descriptive, and few he had heard of bore both the Slytherin insignia and platinum blonde hair.

"Well, Mister Malfoy, might I ask what you were doing, escaping Hogwarts?"

"I wasn't escaping!"

"Then what were you doing?"

Malfoy paused before answering stiffly. "A tactical retreat."

Yugi nearly burst out laughing if the situation hadn't been so serious. This boy was not only in the company of Death Eaters, but-

Wrenching out his arm, Yugi pushed up his sleeves to gaze at the Dark Mark imprinted on his forearm. Although Yugi still felt anger at the boy's actions and decisions, he had heard enough about the Malfoy family to not feel the righteous anger that he normally would have (still for that inexplicable reason that that falling shape had wrought).

Yugi, still holding the arm out in front of him, tilted the boy's head up so that he could see the other's eyes. Cold blue returned his look without flinching- at first. As Yugi slowly worked through all the mental barriers that had been put in place, he felt a mix of pity and rage at what this young man had been put through.

"If I could free you from this, would you let me?"

The question caught Malfoy off-guard, and he frowned at the elder. "Can you?"

"Answer me first."

A painful moment's silence, then the lowering of his head. "…only if I could still help my mother and father."

"And what? Be forever their puppet, a puppy at their beck and call? Save them if you want, but don't go back into that hell you can free yourself from."

Blazing eyes rounded on Yugi, and- if he had been the same person he had been when he had first solved the Sennen Puzzle, he would have flinched, backed down and apologized. But that was then, and nearly ten years had passed since.

"My life has never been a hell!"

Yugi snorted. "So says the person in the glass cage."

At this he received a questioning (if slightly demeaning and imposing) look. "Meaning that you're so wrapped up in the luxuries, you don't realize what your actual situation is. Look at it from my point of view before you say anything more." And, without waiting for permission, Yugi used his link to Malik- and therefore the Sennen Rod- to stream his own thoughts on the topic into Malfoy's mind. The younger man gasped, sinking back to the ground and holding his head.

Finally, he raised his head again, blue eyes filled with tears. "My life isn't really like that!" At Yugi's deadpan look he paused, biting his lip. "...is it?"

"It depends what you mean by 'like that', you know," Yugi replied, watching with some amusement the different faces Malfoy made as he absorbed all this new information.

Finally, he signalled Lasine over to Malfoy again. The boy winced, holding up his hands to prevent another attack- but Lasine just grabbed his arm, twisted her blade, and brought it down on its flat side onto his arm.

His scream pierced the silence, but a few moments later it subsided. Silent tears streamed down his face, but he held back the sobs that were wracking his body. Yugi and Lasine were somewhat impressed, but worried- not many people who had lived the supposedly soft, cushy live the Malfoys were supposed to lead could have handled that with any sort of grace.

Finally, Draco got shakily to his feet, quickly brushing away the tears on his face with his sleeve. "What now?"

He kept his eyes lowered to the ground, which disturbed Yugi- he gently reached down and lifted the other's head and eyes to meet his own. "Now, Draco Malfoy, you come with us. Your education can be completed in Khemet, where you can live and work and have immunity from whatever your actions here were."

Draco's eyes widened with surprise and- surprisingly- alarm. "But I am responsible for the death of-" he stopped himself, carefully looking away. "Of… people. Of very important people."

Yugi looked at him then, watching the hunched, almost cowardly stance the younger boy had taken. The hikari wanted to weigh his words carefully- he had the strangest feeling that he would soon be in a position where he might want to take back whatever he said to Draco. Yet there was something about this boy that was worth redeeming, worth working with him to kindle and bring to the fore. Therefore, Yugi mused to himself, he would have to support the other as well as he could, and give him chances to redeem himself. Starting with:

"Did you actually kill anyone?" Yugi asked him, watching the other's expression.

"…no."

Lasine raised an eyebrow, but neither could contest the boy's proclamation. "Then why are you worried?"

"Because I was the one who fixed the Vanishing Cupboard! I was the one who let the Death Eaters into the school, and I was the one who… who…."

"Were you on top of the astronomy tower?"

Another slight hesitation, and Yugi began to worry. "…yes."

Yugi wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer to his next question- in fact, something was telling him to be completely against it. "…who- or what- was it that fell off the tower a couple minutes ago?"

By now, the sound of screaming and crying had somehow made its way back to the forest, and Yugi was beginning to get worried. Draco, hearing it, began to panic.

"I didn't do anything, I swear! I was supposed to, I had to, but I couldn't! I swear I didn't do it, I'll swear on… on my own life or something! I know I had to, but I couldn't, and Snape-"

Yugi felt the cold in his guts only getting worse. Two loud screams from his right caught and held his attention, until he got the 'all-clear' from Atemu again. He turned back to Draco, sensing the others moving their way plus two more- two more on the verge of death.

"Draco, what did Snape do?"

Tears began falling down his face again, and Yugi was fairly certain that they weren't in fear of what would happen to the platinum-haired boy whenever he confessed. His eyes said everything: 'No no, please don't hate me, how could I have done that, I don't care, save my mother, please see if he's alright-'

"Aibou?"

Draco looked stunned as Atemu and Ryou walked into the clearing, Malik and Bakura apparently not too far behind and dragging the other two near-deaths with them. The boy turned beseeching eyes on the Light Pharaoh, as though asking him to not let these others interfere.

Lasine accordingly stepped between Yugi and Draco and the others, holding out her sword to indicate that they should halt. Yugi turned back to the other, kneeling down before him. He forced himself to ignore his gut feeling which was telling him to get up to the school as soon as possible. "Draco… what did Snape do?"

The tears slowly stopped, but the boy's head remained lowered. "…he… Dumbledore and… and maybe someone else was there… probably Potter, but Snape- he… he said he was helping me, and turned to Dumbledore and- and used…."

Yugi stilled, already knowing the end of the sentence. If Dumbledore had been tortured or had some limbs blown up or put under Imperious Draco wouldn't have been in such a state.

Yugi stood, gesturing for Lasine to come towards him. He noticed that there was still confusion on Atemu's and Ryou's faces- Bakura and Malik entered the clearing, raising eyebrows at the panorama before them.

"Lasine… go with Anriel and Shimasu. Malik, can you and Ryou go with them as well? And young Draco of course. Draco, you need to tell F'lar and Lessa everything that happened, and leave nothing out. Including that I've granted you asylum unless or until we find reason to doubt you. Ryou, make sure that the Weyrleaders call all the section heads in for the meeting, alright? I… we need to get up to the castle. Now."

The urgency is his voice alerted everyone to the situation, and all too quickly Lasine had grabbed Draco's hand and was leading him, Ryou and Malik out of the clearing, probably to meet with Anriel and Shimasu. As it turned out, their path took them right by the two 'spares' that Malik and Bakura had been dragging along, causing Draco to scream.

"They… I know the-… what happened to them?"

Bakura looked at him, a feral grin on his face. "They got in our way. Care to see how?"

Draco looked about ready to faint, and Yugi found himself rolling his eyes, regardless of the news he had just received. "Bakura…."

Ryou took care of the rest of the threat silently, and Bakura shot him a look of disbelief (they were all fairly sure they didn't want to know Ryou's "or else"). As they proceeded out of the clearing, the two yamis turned to look at Yugi- who was on the verge of collapsing.

All he wanted to do was curl up into a ball, hide away somewhere and just start crying. However… "That is not an option right now," Yugi muttered to himself, concentrating on getting through this next little bit.

"Aibou?"

Yugi turned to face the two Kings, trying to keep his face blank. "Apparently, Draco was up on the astronomy tower with- with Dumbledore and Snape." Based on the looks on the other's faces, Yugi could assume that they had seen the object- 'Body,' he corrected himself- fall.

"Snape… Snape decided to 'help' Draco- the son of two Death Eaters- and he… Dumbledore…." Yugi could feel his calm starting to fail, so he hurried on, "Snape used Avada Kedavra."

There was a complete stillness in the clearing- for the thousand time that night, a far-away part of Yugi's brain commented- before the hikari found himself wrapped in a bone-crushing hug, Bakura's total silence enough evidence to assume that the Thief was grieving as well as the words began to sink in.

"Oh, Yugi…."

The image he had created for himself failed, and Yugi found himself crying into the other's shoulder, trying to bury himself away.

---

The entire population of Khemet gathered in the Southern field, outside of the Hatching Ground. The time was not important- for a meeting such as this, enough lighting was supplied by both electric and magical means to light thirty football field stadiums for two years straight. In that one part of the complex and surrounding area, it was like day instead of night.

Visitors from Tunaydah and many people who had never before set foot on Egyptian soil (Yugi was pretty sure that most were the same people who had shown up at his grandfather's funeral) mingled with the crowd, though perhaps 'mingling' was not the best descriptive word.

Everyone was dressed in black, and many of the outfits had been three-second tailored and occasionally made by Madam Malkin, who was present with Niyern and the other section heads, all of whom were standing near the outside stairs which led up to the Weyrwoman's Quarters.

All at once F'lar and Lessa appeared on the balcony, Yugi, Atemu, Ryou, Bakura and Malik behind them. Ramoth and Mnementh settled on ledges above their weyrmates, while the other eighteen dragons and their riders emerged from their own personal weyrs, taking places around the field. The lights dimmed a bit, leaving the impression of twilight.

"I am not sure if everyone has yet heard, so for those of you who have not, then hear this," F'lar began, his voice carefully controlled. "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, Head Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and honorary resident of Khemet Weyr-Hold has fallen this night. Not in battle, per say, but betrayed by one of his own advisors and closest companions.

"But let us not dwell on the injustice- it will be dealt with soon enough," and the promise in his words aroused a faint cheer from the crowd. "I wish tonight to honour a man who has helped and supported us, as both allies and friends. A man who had done more and made more of a difference than most people will ever make. A man, without whom we would have never made it through our first few months here. To be honest, I never knew him that well- nor did many of us. But, from what I've heard from those that did, he was a man one could look up to and truly believe in, one who was approachable, understanding, kind, and one who went out of his way to help another, even if it would only end in pain for him.

"So now, I ask for a moment of silence to honour Albus Dumbledore, role model, companion, friend, and defender of all those who would merely speak his name."

The lights completely turned off, but no one noticed. Everyone had their heads down, eyes closed, and were praying for- or at least remembering and honouring- the age-old wise wizard.

Five minutes passed and the lights came back on, only as a subtle back glow. Lessa stepped forward, looking powerful and strong even for her diminutive size. She threw a fist in the air, looking out at the crowd assembled below her. "May his memory forever live on with us! All Honour to the Wise Wizard!"

"All Honour!"

The dragons- all twenty of them- roared deafeningly, leaping into the air in a great V and spiralling around and out of Khemet, their mournful yet defiant cries echoing into the night.

---

The actual funeral had been more of a farce than anything remotely touching- or at least, that was the common opinion of those who had been present for Khemet's tribute the night before. Most people were too stunned, traumatized and frightened to realize anything beyond that their greatest defence against all-out Death Eater attacks was suddenly dead and they were vulnerable.

Most of the Khemet group stood by the tree line, with only F'lar, Lessa and A'dran venturing to sit in the seats with the rest of the crowd. However, they sat in those seats nearest to the rest of the group, and furthest from the front.

Yugi might have found A'dran's situation funny, having to sit almost right beside Hagrid and his giant brother, Grawp. He might have also decided to stalk up to the front, knocked the current speaker unconscious, and directed the funeral himself. He might have done a number of things, he knew, but he wouldn't.

This funeral was that of a Mark Mage approach, and nowhere near as heart-felt or such a true send-off as the one in Khemet.

Finally, the commentaries- as that was what they really were- were over, and the pedestal on which Dumbledore's body had laid burst into flames, forming a beautiful, marble, White Tomb. Although most people were shocked, everyone stood then and began making their way back to their homes, paying little to no heed to the body or the memory of the person who they were supposed to be honouring.

Although it left a sour taste in the mouths of everyone from Khemet, the hikaris, yamis, and riders met up with each other and Professor McGonagall near the White Tomb when most people had moved away.

"I am sorry to have subjected you to that," she started off, but Lessa shushed her.

"This is merely a ceremony- we held our tribute the moment we heard."

Minerva- for the first time that any of the group had known her- looked close to tears, but hurriedly blinked them away and gestured to the Tomb. "This is not my place to ask, but any blessing or tribute to… to Albus would be…."

"Appreciated?" Ryou finished quietly, smiling reassuringly up at the newly-made Head Mistress.

Minerva nodded again, excusing herself and hurrying up to the school- and, Yugi guessed, her office.

Each of the group took the time to stand by different parts of the Tomb and either pray, reminisce, or recite some form of blessing. Accordingly, Ryou knew, he and Bakura would be going last, right after Yugi and Atemu. As the Abhorsen, they had to act together, and it would be their words and intent that would carry the most weight.

When the Pharaohs finally stepped back, Ryou and Bakura stepped forward, stopping directly in the center of the 'back' side, that which faced the lake. Ryou removed his Bandolier, Bakura unsheathing Abhorsen's sword and impaling it in the ground. Ryou draped the Bandolier over the hilt, letting it hang there as both stepped back.

They lowered their heads, closed their eyes, and, tentatively at first, then grasping at the other, joined their minds together.

"For the Heart of Strength, Courage and Harmony, of One who overcame and persevered. We Honour you here, and Will you through the Ninth. With the Power of the Seven Shiners, We so bid you Peace and Rest in your Dreams of Eternity."

Here Bakura stepped back, allowing Ryou the final verse.

"The tomb is not a blind alley, it is a thoroughfare. It closes on the twilight, it opens on the dawn. Only to Beauty Time belongs. Men may perish, but not their songs."

So saying, both focused their combined Will upon sealing the Tomb, Charter Marks unknowingly flowing past their lips to invisibly wrap around the structure. All around the White Tomb, the others from Khemet lowered their heads and added their own voices, the additional Charter Marks joining those already embedding themselves into the marble.

When it was done, Ryou found himself struggling to stay conscious and standing, surprise clearly evident on his face as he observed what had become of Tomb. Bakura signalled to Yugi that he was taking his light back to Khemet, with everyone except A'dran, F'lar, Lessa, Yugi and Atemu joining him.

The five left met again around the front of the White Tomb, Yugi with a faint smile on his face. "A'dran, F'lar, Lessa, perhaps you should use this now as one of your English reference points."

"Oh? And why is that, young Pharaoh?" Lessa shot back, finding herself fighting a smile at the look on his face at the title.

"Because, dear Weyrwoman, it's not everyday you turn a Tomb into a Charter Stone."

---

As much as everyone wanted to explore the implications of a place of death also being the place of one of the new Charter Stones, a new problem found its way to the surface just after everyone- including the students- had left.

The school governors had convened a meeting in the Head Mistress' office, without Minerva knowing. She hadn't been too pleased, and had promptly kicked them all out, deciding to hold the meeting in the library where the other teachers and other important input sources could join in.

The governors, of course, hadn't appreciated that, but allowed themselves to be temporarily displaced. In their minds, Professor McGonagall was still getting over the untimely loss of her mentor and leader, and suddenly found herself thrust into a position of power.

"Well, she's not, really," Yugi commented, having been up all night in the Sakura Realm with Atemu, working out his frustration, disappointment, and depression until he was nearly normal- or as normal as he ever got. Atemu had since retired to his soul room, wanting Yugi to concentrate solely on his petition to the governors. "Minerva's been Deputy Head Mistress and essentially running half the school since Dumbledore became Head Master. She's 'getting over' it, sure, but we all knew that, when fighting these kinds of battles, underhanded tactics like these are to be expected."

The doors to the library remained closed, as they had been for the last one and a half hours. The House Elves had made themselves known, setting up a kind of picnic outside the doors in the corridors, bringing blankets and pillows for their guests to sit on while they waited for admittance. The food was, of course, delicious, but much of the pleasure in eating the wonderfully prepared delicacies had been removed due to the occasion.

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" A'dran asked, somewhat worriedly.

F'lar reached over to grab a skein of wine- he had to admit, some of the ones here were nearly as good as Benden wine. "Succession of the Head Mastery most probably, A'dran. Then, of course, there's the usual details- security, protection… whether they'll stay open for the coming year…."

A'dran jumped to his feet, to the amusement of all those gathered (of which there were, in fact, quite a few). "But they can't close down Hogwarts! Regardless of what they assume, it's still one of the safest places on Earth, and if the new generation of Mages aren't trained, who do they think will help them against Moudly Wart?"

Malik's name for the so-called Dark Lord had caught on with everyone in Khemet, and all made a practice of using it, to show their disdain and anger with the self-righteous thing.

Yugi couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the Mark Mages in the hallway with them stare at A'dran, their eyes widened as they obviously ran the comment- and name- over in the heads. "A'dran, sometimes people don't see things the same way we do. For example, the governors are probably thinking, 'Who would want to come back and stay away from their families?' Honestly, most people I can think of would rather die with their family than be hidden away somewhere safe and have to grieve for their lost loved ones. Also, the costs of running the school, and, as F'lar mentioned, safety issues as well. If one of the students was audacious enough to help Death Eaters enter the school, no matter what the situation is, could that not happen again? And then there are the aurors stationed around the perimeter- they didn't even know there was something happening until after almost everyone was killed, and when they did leave, we could have easily walked onto the grounds, snuck into the school, and killed any number of people. There's a lot to be considered, you see- though, frankly, I do agree with you. Everything is rectifiable, as long as enough effort is put into it."

"Interesting opinions you have there, Mister…?"

"Levis. Yugi Levis Mouto."

The man behind him nodded, and Yugi noticed how classy he was dressed- for a Mark Mage. That was also when the hikari noticed that the doors to the library were open, and- as far as he could tell- everyone inside had heard his spiel about A'dran's complaint.

A'dran, for his part, looked properly mollified. Lessa and F'lar were hiding smiles behind their hands and goblets, while those others who had joined them in the hallway to speak with the governors and teachers looked either amused or severely crossed.

Yugi just continued to smile at the other man- a governor, he realized. "I'm sorry- are you taking petitions or whatever you would like to call our comments now?"

It was obvious the man wasn't sure whether to be amused or insulted by the hikari's pacifying tone, so before he could decide Minerva stepped in, ushering everyone in the hallway into the library to stand before the combined governors and teachers.

"Well then- you seem to have opinions about somethings. Please, we are interested in them," one of only three female governors told them. As Yugi had already (if unwittingly) said his piece, he gestured for the others to speak.

A witch stepped forward to go first. She was a pleasant-looking woman, her dark brown hair just beginning to grey, though for the most part she still looked the part of a thirty-year old socialite. "I am the mother of three of the students here. I know that I shouldn't speak for everyone, but I want my children to stay by me. If the school remains open, then they'll still probably want to come back and I- I just won't feel right if they're away from me in these times." As he finished, she caught Yugi's eye and gave a half-shrug- Yugi smiled back gently, understanding her fears.

The other few Mark Mages spoke about things similar to the witch's, though the opinions were fairly equally divided between keeping the school open or closing it to prevent students from trying to come back, see their friends, and possibly be killed in the process.

Finally, the petitioners came back to the four from Khemet. F'lar and Lessa decided to let Yugi take the fore again, as they preferred to speak in private with Minerva at a later time. A'dran, of course, took his cue from the Weyrleader's.

The elder woman who had first asked to hear the petitions raised an eyebrow as she saw Yugi standing there. "I see… we already know your comments, sir."

Yugi nodded, keeping his face neutral.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

That caught him off-guard, but he gave a faint smile, nodding. "Of course."

She nodded, more to herself than anyone else, and folded her fingers together, resting her chin atop them. "When you were talking to that young man, you mentioned that the auror defences of Hogwarts were weak. That you could have- what was it, gotten into the castle and killed any number of people. If you don't mind me asking, sir, could you please explain those comments?"

Internally, Yugi was cursing himself for mentioning that. Externally, he merely kept his straight, if faintly humoured face. "Myself and two of my friends have- had- known Albus for many years. We occasionally come here to meet and talk with him, or, if he has some spare time, he comes to visit us. That night, we had decided to take a trip to visit him- since we hadn't seen Albus in a while. Since Hogwarts has those anti-apparition charms around the grounds, we had to apparate to a spot just outside Hogsmead and we made our way up to the castle.

"We found ourselves by the gates, and all the aurors who should have been positioned there running up to the castle. We waited for a couple minutes, wondering what was happening, before walking up to see the situation. Professors Vector, Trelawny, Flitwick and Sprout met us, and told us what happened. We…." Yugi didn't need to fake the pause- the images were still clear in his mind, and the sensation of knowledge without action (as he had begun to call it) found it's way back into curling up his stomach.

"When we found out, we just couldn't stay. We headed back home, and… and came back for the funeral today."

Those in the room listened intently, running the events over in their minds. The head governess, as that was what Yugi assumed the elder woman to be, turned to those teachers he had named. "As far as you know, is what he said accurate?"

None of the four could speak, but all nodded- that night would forever be etched in their minds.

"Hm… and so, you walked up to the castle unimpeded until you met these four?"

Yugi nodded as well, adding quickly, "We were actually in the castle by that time, but when they saw us they immediately moved to head us off, in case of…."

"Ah."

Again, silence was all that was heard. Finally, the governor sitting to the head governess' right looked Yugi straight in the eye, though he spoke to everyone in the room. "I move we close Hogwarts next year, until such time as The Dark Lord is defeated."

Surprisingly, more voices argued against that 'motion' than people had otherwise spoken out for it- Yugi even caught the witch who had first asked for Hogwarts to close complaining.

"Then what would you have us do? As that young man pointed out (F'lar didn't look too happy to be used as an example for the 'other' side), the security required to keep a building of this size in complete operation is far more than what the ministry could supply. And the aurors are needed elsewhere. Parents should be given charge of teaching their children how to use magic, and children should, in turn, stay with their families until the Ministry has regained control of all the rogue wizards and witches out there."

A'dran, having been silent until this point, finally spoke up. "And what is your definition of a child?"

The man levelled his gaze, trying to stare down A'dran. To his obvious surprise, A'dran didn't budge- if anything, his resolve grew. "You, for example, are a child."

"So the definition of 'child' depends on age, does it? What about experiences? I can name a number of people my age who are more mature than certain adults, who have done more than those twice, even three or four times their age."

The man was not put out. "Not all people your age are like that, of course."

"Of course not. But you're assuming that we are like that, immature and young, and should be protected from the world because we won't know how to handle it. Well, we have to learn some time. And don't forget- this is a school. Hundreds of Ma- of witches and wizards are within these walls at all times, many of them fairly well trained. I understand that without Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts is more of a sitting duck, but I believe that it wasn't just the Professor that Mouldy Wart was afraid of: I think he was afraid of the ideals embodied by the Wise Wizard, and now by others who have taken up the Professor's cause.

"We are safe here, because Mouldy Wart won't believe Hogwarts to be a threat without Professor Dumbledore. He won't look twice. And even if he does, if we show him that everyone in Hogwarts supports the ideals of freedom, equality, and the goodness that exists within a person's hearts, would he really try to attack? And if people who don't go to school anymore and don't live in or around Hogwarts also support this ideal, and Hogwarts itself, wouldn't that help to take him down another notch?

"And we could get others to help with the defences, too. Maybe even some of-"

"Enough!"

A'dran looked startled, blushing faintly as he realized he had been rambling. Yugi had to hide a smile. The only reason the young man had been allowed to continue on for so long was because most people in the room were still trying to get over the new nickname for the so-called Dark Lord. Those who had gotten over it had actually listened to A'dran's ideas and, what's more, found that they were supporting them.

Well, most people, anyways.

"What we are talking about here, boy, is something that you don't understand. In a child's world, death and plots and intrigue and betrayal play no part- they're just silly things that adults like to talk about. Which you're not. You don't understand what we're saying, you're looking at this like a minimalist, and, frankly, you shouldn't even be in the room."

Yugi frowned at the man, though most others remained emotionless. "If I might ask now, what do you have against children?"

"They're ignorant!" The governor burst out, obviously to the annoyance and anger of his fellow governors. "They're self-centered, immature, and couldn't make a proper, educated decision even if their lives depended on it- which is the case here!"

Yugi mused over the other's words, carefully picking his next ones. "So… would you consider someone sixteen to also be a child?"

"A child is anyone who has not reached their coming-of-age or is under the age of seventeen!"

"Alright then…."

Everyone blinked as Yugi lowered his gaze, his bangs shadowing nearly half of his face. F'lar, Lessa, Minerva and A'dran understood what had the light upset, and F'lar, as Weyrleader and therefore responsible for the well-being for all people living in Khemet, felt the need to speak up.

"What did you do when you were a child?"

The governor (and everyone else in the room) looked surprised, but he replied with much arrogance, "I was enrolled in different schools since I was five, until I was twenty-one."

"Well then, there's your problem," Lessa continued, knowing what F'lar was trying to do. The governor again seemed surprised, but he merely glared at her, allowing her to continue. "Since you only knew one thing when you were younger, you expect that everyone else was in a similar situation. The idea that anyone below the age of- sorry, what age did you leave school again? Twenty-one? Ah, okay. The idea that anyone below the age of twenty-one doing anything besides schooling or working is so foreign to you because school and work was all you did. You aren't willing to believe that-"

"Enough! This meeting is to determine whether or not Hogwarts should open next year- and I say not."

F'lar's eyes narrowed and darkened. "We are here to discuss whether or not students would be safe if Hogwarts was open, and therefore we are also here to discuss an average student's defensive and offensive capabilities, and therefore any so-called 'child's' capabilities, regardless of what they are."

"What a child is capable of has little standing in this discussion! Especially since they only have the capability for learning!" The governor spat, glaring around the room.

Yugi's head snapped up, he evenly returning the glare the governor was now aiming at him. "Then I guess you've never been nearly killed, had you soul stolen, or been tortured. You have never had to watch while others, many of which were your friends, were tortured as well. You were never forced to do things that would be considered despicable by the outside world. You have never had to make decisions most people will never have to make, like who lives and who dies. You've never actively helped to defend anything, always sitting back and watching the events from a nice, safe, little corner. You never have had to watch people suffer needlessly. You have never had to bear witness to countless murders, unable to do anything, even when those people were reaching out to you to save them."

He took a breath, needing to calm himself down. He looked back up at the governor, who was not the only person in the room looking at him with a new respect. "Before you count yourself able to make any judgements about another person, first take a look at yourself, and what you have done in and with your life. Don't ever believe that any human- regardless of their age- cannot do something. The human spirit and will is an amazing thing, and the will to survive can overcome almost any odds."

Yugi purposefully paused again, letting that bit of information sink in. "So. Would you like to know my opinion on all this? A'dran has it right- it doesn't matter whether we have protection outside. The shields around the castle walls itself can be strengthened so that it is impenetrable by all outside forces. It wouldn't take much to allow for more people to live here- there are countless empty rooms in Hogwarts, most of which have been unused for hundreds of years.

"The potential of this castle as a citadel is amazing- all it would require are a few alterations, and- voila!- instant, permanently defensible position."

The governor sneered. "Oh? And what if these protections get worn down? Are you going to come from wherever your home is, sneak through enemy lines, somehow get into the castle while under siege, fix the shields, and get back out again in just a couple of minutes? What are you, a god?"

"Actually," Yugi commented off-handedly, already seeing recognition in the other teacher's faces regarding what he was about to say, "I'm technically an off-duty teacher here. Myself and my two friends were supposed to work here this year, but due to a number of situations, it was impossible for us. Also, there are a number of your 'children'," and he purposefully made air quotations with his pointer and middle fingers, "who will be joining the ranks of the first years next year, whom I have had the opportunity and pleasure of giving rudimentary lessons to for the last few months- all of whom could probably give you a run for your money in a wizard's duel right now."

The hikari's tone booked no room for argument, and the governor, stunned into silence and yet silently seething, leaned back.

The head governess, who had been quietly watching the ongoing debate, smiled charmingly at Yugi. "If we let the school stay open, when can you start on your improving of Hogwarts' defences?"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "No questions or concerns?"

She winked at him. "I saw that ceremony you and those others held for Albus after the funeral- frankly, it was far more touching than that debacle. I am not sure what you did, but I went to look and test it myself afterwards- I've never felt anything like it. The White Tomb felt like it was filled with an energy so pure, so powerful… why, I thought that if a hundred Death Eaters appeared around me right then, I was sure I could take them all."

Yugi lowered his head, having thought that no one had seen them and properly abashed at being caught.

"Now now, nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, you should be proud. And so should you three- I saw you doing that Working as clearly as I see you in front of me now. Will you three be here next year, too?"

"Governess-!"

"Enough, Mister Arnott. We have heard your opinion, but I believe it is the general consensus that Hogwarts should remain open." The governor who had protested so much earlier sank back in his seat, thoroughly put out. The governess turned back to those who stood before her, smiling at them gently. "How many of your friends, whether teachers or students, can we expect to be here next year, Mister…?"

"Levis," Yugi finished, smiling back at her. "Let's see… 11 permanently, but we could probably rotate some of the weyrlings up here- that is, if you don't mind F'lar, Lessa, A'dran…."

"Of course not."

"Never."

"Go for it!"

The obtuse governor, Arnott, frowned at Yugi. "And why would you be asking those two… not-adults and that young boy whether they mind… what did you say? 'Rotating the weyrlings'? And what are weyrlings?"

Yugi sighed, wanting to just ignore the other. "I asked F'lar and Lessa as they are the Weyrleaders, and in charge of the Weyr. I asked A'dran as he is the Wingleader of the wing that we would be rotating around. Weyrlings are riders that are still in training and usually have yet to be assigned a wing. In this case, there is only one wing, so their assignments aren't in question, but…."

"Riders? Wings?"

F'lar had to fight down a smirk, wondering this 'Arnott's' opinion on Mnementh, but let Lessa take the floor.

"The defence force where we live is aerial. Hence the terms 'wing'. And, of course, humans can't fly by themselves and so therefore to fly, a person must ride something. Wouldn't you agree, governor Arnott?"

The governor grunted, looking away.

The governess turned to Minerva, smiling at the new Head Mistress. "Looks like you all get what you wanted then, Head Mistress McGonagall."

---

Lessa stood by the wall, not noticing the lumps and ridges from the carved design digging into her back as she watched the proceedings before her.

Yugi was sitting with the others teachers and the governors, outlining the plans he (and probably Atemu) had for the coming months. Nearly one whole hour prior a House Elf had come running into the room, laden down with large rolls of parchment, ink bottles, quills, and a number of rulers, protractors, and compasses. It was obvious that the majority of those seated around the table had no idea what the last three kinds of objects were, but Yugi, Minerva, Vector and, surprisingly, Flitwick and Trelawny were quick to take up said objects and immediately set to work designing something on the parchment.

F'lar and A'dran stood next to her, both of them half-interested in the conversations around the library. Madam Pince had long ago given up trying to keep everyone quiet, as that would defeat the purpose of the meeting. Instead, she sat behind her desk, occasionally shooting a thankful glance at the three riders, certainly pleased with their silence at least.

"Done," Yugi commented, the other four soon mimicking his words and actions as they leaned back, letting others look at what they had been diagramming.

Yugi turned away from the table, standing up to stretch and walking to the doorway, grabbing a glass of water from one of the waiting House Elves and downing it all at once. The others left in the room- essentially, everyone who had come to petition the governors and teachers- had crowded around the table, oo-ing and awing over the plans.

The three riders walked over to join him, looking back at the swarm the filled the centre of the room. "You know, they should probably get a bigger meeting room," Yugi commented off-handed, turning to address A'dran. "Hey. A lot of what you said earlier helped here. Thank you, A'dran."

A'dran smiled, the faintest hint of rose dusting his cheeks. "I… I was just saying what I thought. I'm sorry for speaking out of turn-"

F'lar gently cuffed him on the shoulder. "Sorry? That wasn't out of turn, A'dran- that was that Arnott guy being horribly obtuse about everything. You've done nothing to apologize for."

A'dran was about to respond when his face quickly blanked, the other three waiting patiently for him to finish speaking with Semanaerth. When he did, however, he was no worse off. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Semanaerth found something or… something… in the countryside on a sweep with some of the others. They don't want to do anything without supervision, so-"

"So we'll go with you, A'dran," Lessa stated firmly, F'lar nodding in agreement. "Go call on Semanaerth, Ramoth and Mnementh, and gather our riding gear- we'll be out to join you momentarily."

A'dran barely heard the end of the command, already out the door and near-on flying down the hallways. Yugi nodded his head to show that he understood, and the three turned around to find Minerva and inform her that they were leaving and would be returning later to talk with her- only to find everyone's attention focused on them.

"Lessa… F'lar?" Minerva asked, her brow creased.

Lessa strode confidently over to her, stopping and bowing her head, which Minerva copied somewhat awkwardly. "Forgive us, Minerva, but we must take out leave. The part of the wing doing sweep rides here found something that they'd rather have some guidance dealing with, all things considered," Lessa explained, turning her head slightly as the sound of A'dran's footsteps began to return.

Minerva nodded, taking Lessa's hands in her own. "The Weyr calls, of course. Be careful."

Lessa smiled, F'lar calling from the door where he was waving down A'dran, "Of course we will. We will see you later, Minerva."

"Good day Lessa, F'lar, A'dran," Minerva replied, smiling at the youngest rider of the three who had already donned his own riding gear (a heavy jacket, gloves, vest, leggings, and goggles) and was currently handing F'lar and then Lessa their own gear.

The three waved one last time, disappearing out the door. Yugi poked his head out to follow their progress, turning back into the room and depositing his third glass of water on the tray for that very purpose that one of the House Elves was holding out. "Back to work, hm?"

---

Ryou slowly came around, somewhat surprised to find himself back at Abhorsen's House and laying in his bed. He tried not to make a sound, enjoying that bit of piece and quiet that was hardly ever present in his home.

He thought about that last statement, smiling with faint irony. 'This might be Abhorsen's House… and I might be the Abhorsen… yet Katie has lived and worked here for far longer than I, and has far more claim to this house than I. I should thank her, again, for letting me stay.'

((Hikari, that Bella woman left the House to you. Katie should be thanking us for not kicking her out.))

Ryou rolled his eyes, opening them to see Bakura sitting on the edge of his bed, face emotionless. The light reached up one tentative hand- or tried to, as his hands were attached to his arms, both of which were currently pinned by the heavy quilt and numerous covers, sheets and coverlets that had been piled on top of him. He rolled his eyes, struggled to sit upright- only to have Bakura place both his hands on his shoulders and push him back into the bed.

((You are exhausted, ahou. Rest. Sleep. Everything will be better later.))

Ryou stared at his darkness, deciding to just give up, close his eyes and roll over, turning his back to the thief. (I really feel fine, yami. But, if you're going to be an over-protective hen….)

((The midget has made a deal with the governors and teachers on behalf of all of Khemet and the House. F'lar, Lessa and A'dran were there to witness it. We now must have at least eleven people from Khemet and-or the House on Hogwarts grounds at all times, no excuses. Once it opens again in the autumn, at least. Until then, we have our work cut out for us- apparently, the Pharaohs came up with some defensive measures for Khemet that they plan to alter and put into place inside Hogwarts. F'lar and Lessa, of course, have agreed whole-heartedly to it.))

Ryou noticed there was some spite in the other's words, and wanted to comment. Bakura noticed this and turned away, facing the opposite end of the room, eyes trailing over the Charter Marks on the rounded tower wall.

((No need to, hikari. It would be nice if that damned Pharaoh asked us once what we would like to do, instead of just assuming that we would. And you're still weak from creating that Charter Stone.))

Ryou sighed, rolling over again and attempting to curl his body around where Bakura was sitting to offer some form of comfort. (I want to help, yami. And I know that in your own way, you do, too. It's all that we can really do, you know, help where we can. As Abhorsen there is not much for us to do, as the tower wall so comfortingly proclaims. And as… as…)

((As the King, there is not much for us to do, either, as our title Abhorsen trumps our title as King and we can therefore only work to restore the midget and the Faro to their place as Pharaoh. I know, ahou, we've already been through this, yadda yadda yadda, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.))

Ryou looked up at his other then, somehow managing this time to struggle out from his cocoon of covers and wrap his arms around the darkness's chest, leaning against the other to support himself as much as to give Bakura some form of grounding.

(Ma'at and Life and Death. That is what we do, that is who we are. We cannot, although we might wish it was so, ignore the needs of those still living just because typically we deal with Death. Life is one of our Guards, and we must work to promote it as much as we work to keep Ma'at- or we should work to keep Ma'at- and as much as we work to stabilize Death. I know you don't always like it, yami- but it's all we can do.)

Bakura turned back to him, eyes loosing some of their fierceness as he lay back against the pillows, Ryou curled up beside him. ((I hate how you make sense, hikari.))

(At least one of us does.)

((Hey!))

---

Notes

1. Eh heh heh… I believe that at the bottom of my last set of notes (I'm pretty sure it was number 2) I asked if anyone knew the timing for Clutching. Silly me, I was reading through "Dragonflight" again and I actually decided to read the Teaching Ballads this time. On the top of page 127 of the DRoP anthology #1 (Flight, Quest, and White) is the three-part Ballad I should have looked at before:

Rise high in glory,

Bronze and Gold.

Dive entwined,

Enhance the Hold.

Count three months and more,

And five heated weeks,

A day of glory and

In a month, who seeks?

A strand of silver

In the sky…

With heat, all quickens

And all times fly.

I also, however, happened to notice a boo-boo with this Ballad: The mating flight is to enhance the Weyrs, not the Hold. The Weyrs protect the Holds, of course, but still…. (squinchy face)

2. Another silly-me comment. I decided to re-read the first few chapters of this. Why did no one tell-slash-remind me how many mistakes there are?! And why did no one ever comment about certain grammatical mistakes I made, not to mention how poorly written this thing was?! Yes, there's the whole thing about being your own worst critic, but please… I want people who review this to thoroughly chew me out if they see a mistake! Yes, Shadow, this includes you. I don't need my ego to be stroked (getting the highest mark on my English exam did that for me- as Sir said, "I don't understand you. You do better when you don't have time to think".) so CRITICIZE TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!

…

"Charity is a very labour-intensive virtue."

-The Will from Garth Nix's "The Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday" (the Will has a heck of a lot of good lines… gives me every excuse to not do things!)

…

"You mean I'm not allowed or supposed to, or is it actually impossible?"

- Arthur Penhaligon, "Arthur, Rightful Heir to the Keys of the Kingdom and Master of the Lower House, the Middle House, the Upper House, the Far Reaches, the Great Maze, the Incomparable Gardens, the Border Sea, and those Infinite Territories beyond the house commonly called the Secondary Realms…." (Or so says the Will in its letters to Arthur….)

Hee... the Will is sooo evil... Which is odd, considering that it is on the 'good' side...