Wow, it's been almost a year. I'm so sorry it took so long. This story is mainly a side project, and I was busy this last. I doubt next year will be any better, since I'm starting college. However, I'll try to get a chapter or two posted over the summers, and maybe I can come up with something throughout the year. We'll just have to see.

I'm sorry this is rather short. I figured that it would be better to get something out there, and I lost all my notes and the part of the chapter that I had written to some computer trouble. Malik's stay in Egypt, for example, was supposed to be much longer. Now, I will leave you to enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in here you recognize, unless it's an OC that I've already introduced.

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Malik Ishtar stepped from the plane at the Cairo airport. His flight, while long, had been made much more comfortable by the first class ticket the Order had been able to get him.

Now, however, he felt like everybody was staring at him. He was an illegal in this country, and aurors filled the airport. He knew he had to step lightly. So, when he saw an old friend of his from his days as an auror, he walked up to him.

Hafiz was like Malik, he believed in equality in the eyes of the law. However, unlike Malik, Hafiz was smart enough to keep his head down. Now, Hafiz was Malik's only chance to get into the country.

Hafiz turned around as he heard a voice in his ear. "Would you turn in an old friend?" However, he found behind him exactly what he had found in front of him: nothing. Hafiz remained undaunted, however, and a wave of his wand dispelled the disillusionment charm, revealing Malik.

"What the hell are you doing here? Are you an idiot?"

Malik winced against the harsh whisper. "Look, I have to, okay. If you have officially not seen me, it would make life a lot easier. Just come by my families house tonight, okay? Tell them that you're looking for me."

Hafiz didn't say anything. He continued not saying anything as the alert that told him a magic user was walking through his station and out to freedom.

Later that evening, Hafiz stood in the desert, near the valley of the kings. He stood facing a stone wall, making a decision. Setting a firm look on his face, he knocked on the stone wall.

Hafiz appeared unsurprised when a chunk of stone slid back to reveal a tall, slender Egyptian witch wearing a gold necklace and no other adornment against her plain clothes. "Hello, Ishizu."

"Hello, Hafiz. Please come inside."

He entered. The inside did not look like one would expect. It appeared to be similar to the ancient homes, if more ornate than usual. Hafiz expected this, he had been here several times before. However, he did not expect to see his old friend with several aurors, council members, influential muggles, and other high rollers of Egypt. Ishizu closed the door. "Malik said there would be one more. I'm glad that it's you."

Hafiz looked at the Egyptian woman. Malik and he had been friends since before auror training, and he had spent much of his teen life in this room. He and Malik's older sister had even had a relationship at one point, and neither had truly gotten over the other.

However, she simply glided – he had noticed that, she never walked, she always glided – to the group, sitting down with the rest of them. Hafiz also took a seat, and Malik Ishtar stood in front.

"Well, it looks as though we're all here. Thank you for coming. As you may know, I was recently kicked out of Egypt. I moved to Britain, where I have a job working for Harry Potter, headmaster of Hogwarts, and defeater of Voldemort. I have come here from him."

Mutterings spread about the room at this point. Malik gulped, white in the face, and wiped his sweaty palms on his robes. "I am here to bring the Order of the Phoenix to Egypt. I believe that all of you would like to see Bassam defeated. Is there anyone here who would not do that, even on face of torture and death?"

None spoke. The room was deathly silence for a few minutes, then he heard a councilman speak. "How will I be able to fight against such a powerful chair while on the council?"

Malik looked at the man. "We would need spies. I think you would do wonderfully. Everyone here would have to continue just like you are now. We can't have Bassam getting suspicious."

That night, all the people in the room became the founding members of The Order of the Egyptian Phoenix. They left, with the Ishtar home now under the Fidelius charm. Soon, the Boy Who Lived would speak with them.

---

Yuugi sat behind his desk. He was reading a document about magical history in the far east, especially about it's place in the Chinese Han dynasty. He had just finished a paragraph about the use of magic in Taoism when he heard his door open. Looking up, he saw Malik standing there.

Ever since Malik had returned from Egypt, he had been looking to corner Yuugi about the document he had found. Yuugi, however, had not seemed to want to comply, and was always with someone else. Malik had also been busy with Order business, helping the Egyptian order.

Yuugi, on the other hand, sensed that Malik wanted to talk to him about something unpleasant. He had been trying to avoid him, but now the jig was up. He looked at him, not about to give anything away. "Can I help you, Malik?"

Malik sat down in front of the the short professor and pulled out a file. He then handed Yuugi a copy of the Hieroglyphs found on the tablet. "What do you make of that?"

Yuugi raised his eyebrows at the teacher of ancient runes, but he looked down at the tablet. Immediately, his egyptologist's eye was attracted to the most important parts of the document. "It appears to be a description of types of magic common in ancient Egypt. I would estimate that it was from approximately the time of Ramses II. Why?"

"Did you read all of it?"

"No, should I?"

Malik nodded to the paper, and Yuugi started reading. He came across an interesting phrase. The Magic of Darkness it read. It had already described white magic, both it's dark and light forms, as the second most important form of magic in Egypt. Intrigued, Yuugi pulled a magnifying glass out of his desk, where he kept his archaeological tools, and read closer.

Here is what he read:

With out a doubt, the magic of darkness is the most important type of magic Egypt has. Unlike many types of magic, it is not granted by the gods, and does not hinge on their worship. Unlike White Magic, it is stored in the souls of the living, rather than their blood. Priests must have a soul of dark secrets (Yuugi assumed that this meant that they must be able to use shadow magic, something in his head told him he was right) to be trained. It is these priests who have control of the darkness, and it is they and their illusions that control the world.

The magic of the darkness stems from a realm of shadowy night. The shadows of darkness may be called to earth by a priest or sorcerer. The sorcerer may then shape the shadows to their will, creating monsters, illusions, and binding the souls of people to the games they play.

The article went on to identify the current priests and assure the reader of their immortality. However, the mention of a Pharaoh as the master of games, the master of royal tombs as a master of illusion, and a priest-turned-enemy of the Pharaoh as being master of many monsters disturbed him. He was a master of games, this much was true. But that meant that someone could be a master of illusion, and another could be a master of monsters. It was important that he find these people.

"Where did you find these hieroglyphs?"

"In a tomb."

"Which?"

Malik paused. He didn't want to share this information. "I don't remember."

"You're lying."

"Yes."

Yuugi stared at the Egyptian man. Malik stared back. Then, Malik noticed that something was changing about the short man's appearance. Slowly, Yuugi's forehead began to glow, and the room became steadily darker. Malik, far from being scared, felt more and more secure. Yuugi's voice spoke, a little deeper and much more confident than before. "Then I challenge you to a game."

Malik gasped. He knew that the professor with tri-colored hair was a master of games, and that a game with him could turn deadly. However, there didn't seem to be any way to refuse. "What game?"

Yuugi smiled. "A duel."

---

I would like to say a couple things. I will not be delving into Ishizu's relationship with Hafiz, I'm not even sure that he'll be showing up again. Then again, he just might. Second, I didn't send this to my beta's because it's been so long. However, if anyone would like to, I would love to receive any friendly criticisms they might have.

With that, I just have to remind you to review!