Wild cards
Chapter 10

…

"This duel is over!"

It certainly did look that way. Harry stood defenseless before the urchin boy and his monsters. He'd been backpedaling almost the entire duel but had somehow managed to hang on. Now he had nothing left to hang on to.

"Star nosed mole, attack!"

The ugly rodent rushed him, its oversized teeth flashing.

"I activate the Judas Contract."

The mole came to a screeching halt in its attack when a large scroll suddenly appeared before it. Dickey watched in disbelief as his monster read the contract then dipped its paw in an ink pot and pressed it to the parchment. There was a flash and the monster turned to face its 'former' master.

"The Judas Contract lets me take control of any monster that tries to attack me when I have no monsters on the field. Your monster is now mine."

Harry grinned while Dickey looked ready to spit tacks.

"You want the little vermin, fine. I'll just destroy him next turn."

Harry drew his card and never stopped smiling, "You won't get another turn" he said, "I sacrifice Star nosed mole to summon Soaring Roc."

The field was again buffeted with powerful winds and the 'Great Sky bat' found itself dwarfed by an enormous raptor with flashing eyes and a viciously hooked beak.

A 2000 D 1500

Now it was Dickey's turn to cower in fear.

"I'll also play Thunderous Wind Storm, increasing my Roc's attack by 200 points."

"Oh no!" Dickey wailed, staring up into a storm of defeat.

"Now this duel is over" said Harry, "Soaring Roc, attack Great Sky bat."

The Roc screamed as lightning flashed through the clouds. A single powerful clap of its wings created a sonic boom that not only destroyed the bat monster but shook the entire tunnel and knocked Dickey off his feet.

Harry had just enough time before darkness returned to see Dickey tumbling down the stairs. Then it was black and he was alone, he assumed.

"Hello!" he called.

But there was nothing. No childish taunt nor villainous threat answered his call.

"Never thought I'd miss his annoying voice" Harry said to himself.

Cautiously, he made his way down the stairs, and with great relief stepped into the light.

"Why do they not light those stairways?" Harry pondered aloud, "someone could get hurt in there."

"Socioeconomic disparity."

Harry jumped at the random dirty vagrant that decided to answer his question.

"Most folks just apparate in or out as they please. Those that can't take a broom or carpet up the main shaft there."

Harry stared at the informant tramp having understood all he'd said, except for socioeconomic disparity and...

"Apparate?"

The vagrant looked at him with jaundiced yellow eyes and smile showing a mouth full of rotted black teeth, "This."

And with a loud bang the man was gone. Harry stood awestruck for a moment before he realized his mistake.

"I should have asked him if he'd seen anyone come by here."

Harry looked around but saw no sign of either his tormentors or his quarry. He looked at the odd coin and frowned. He'd not been able to return it. Yet, as he looked at it he couldn't help feeling it was important somehow.

Deciding he was overthinking it he shoved the coin into his pocket then went in search of someplace he might acquire a broom, or a carpet, or better yet someone who could teach him to apparate.

And for the time being all thoughts of the coin or the man it had belonged to drifted to the back of his mind as he focused on his new task. It probably wasn't that important anyway. Right?

…

"Oh Stanley, what am I going to do with you?"

The finely dressed man in the Italian suit stared down contemptuously at the filthy thief on the ground. He twitched and spasmed erratically in the after effects of the most heinous torture he'd been forced to endure and was likely to endure again.

"I'm sorry" he whimpered.

"Sorry" the other man repeated, "yes, you certainly are."

The man flicked his wand at the thief and his body went stiff, a scream died, strangled in his throat as pain beyond description surged through his entire body.

"I trust you to retrieve an item for me, not steal, just retrieve, and you lose it."

"It must have fallen out of my pocket" he pleaded pathetically, "when I ran into that boy."

"What boy?"

The thief hesitated a moment too long and was punished for his lapse.

"What boy?" the man repeated.

"Harry!" he squealed, "I met him wandering around Knockturn Alley the other day."

"Can you find him?"

"He's staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Please, please…" he begged pitifully.

There was a flash of green and the begging ceased.

"Useless waste of a wizard" the man in the suit grumbled.

"What'ta we do boss?"

The pale gangly man wrung his large bony hands nervously as his master considered.

"Watch the Cauldron. Find this Harry and follow him. If he has the item, retrieve it."

"What if he won't give it up?"

"Convince him. Summon the others if you must. I want that item, and I will have it."