/Blah/ Spirit to host.

/Blah/ Host to spirit

Chapter 4: Storytelling

The office was eerily silent as its occupants waited for the hour to roll by. Yugi was flipping through some old magazines Mokuba had saved that featured his brother. Mokuba was seated next to him on the leather couch, a notebook propped up on his knees and a textbook beside him as he worked on his homework. Occasionally, he would side-eye read over Yugi's shoulder. Bakura had grabbed a book off the shelf and appeared to be reading, but every so often Yugi could see his eyes phase in and out of focus, as if he was in conversation with the spirit of the Millennium Ring.

A set of footsteps made Yugi look up from his magazine. Roland had returned with a steaming mug of coffee. He placed it on the corner of his employer's desk and then resumed his position standing between the window glass panes.

Seto didn't seem to even notice Roland had walked in and around his desk. He was sitting ramrod straight in his office chair, looking over a stack of papers in his hand. It looked like he was concentrating on whatever was on the page, but Yugi noticed his eyes were unmoving and completely unfocused…

/Are you still angry with me?/ asked Set.

/Yes./

/I apologized for my actions against the little one. I was merely trying to keep him away from Bakura and the Millennium Ring. You don't know what he's capable of./

Seto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he was still seated behind his desk, but was now in his soul room. Yugi and the others had disappeared, and Set was pacing in front of him.

"The only thing he's seemed capable of that I've seen is holding his own in a Duel Monsters match against Yugi. Whatever his motivations were 5,000 years ago, he doesn't seem to be interested in it now."

"Don't fool yourself into a false sense of security with him. Bakura is more powerful than you give him credit for. He was quite the strategist. If he is choosing not to act now, then he is still planning out his moves."

Seto scoffed. "Bakura doesn't scare me, and I think we'll have other things to worry about, if there's any truth to what this Dumbledore has written."

Set looked down at the Millennium Rod in his hands. "Yes, well, he should be here momentarily, if that shiny sundial on your wrist is anything to go by."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "You mean the watch?"

He ignored Set's chuckle, left his soul room, and returned his gaze to the budget proposals on his desk. He wasn't sure just how long he had been seemingly staring into space, but there was a fresh cup of coffee on his desk. Mokuba was still doing his homework, and Yugi and Ryou appeared to be reading.

The instant the clock chimed for the next hour, Yugi and Ryou looked up and towards the door. There were no sounds of footsteps in the hallway.

The silence was suddenly broken by what sounded like a cross between a gunshot and a car backfiring. Yugi, Ryou, and Mokuba rushed to the window and looked down at the street below as Roland began to reach for the handgun hidden in his suit. Everything looked calm on the ground, so where did that noise come from?

A quiet chuckle brought everyone's attention back to the office door. "It seems my arrival has startled some of you. My apologies."

Yugi turned to see someone straight out of one of his childhood books. An old man was standing in the doorway wearing long magenta robes and a matching hat. His long silver beard hung down long enough to be tucked into his belt, and warm blue eyes sat behind half-moon spectacles hanging low on his nose.

"A-are you…uh Mr. Dumbledore?" asked Yugi.

Dumbledore removed his hat and performed a sweeping bow. "Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Forgive me again for my rather loud arrival. Apparating directly into someone's home – or office in this case – is something I consider to be just as rude as kicking down someone's front door. I thought the end of the hallway would be far enough to not startle you, but alas, what's done is done."

Since Seto seemed to make no move to do so, Yugi gestured for him to enter. Mokuba quickly gathered his homework from where it was strewn all over the couch and made room for the odd old man to sit down.

"I see I have a larger audience than I originally expected," said Dumbledore pleasantly, taking the cleared seat next to Mokuba. "And what are you working on, young man?"

Mokuba pulled a sour face. "Math."

"Ah," said Dumbledore, "An important subject to learn. I take it you are young Mokuba Kaiba?"

Mokuba nodded, wide-eyed. "How did you know?"

"I did do a spot of research before making my journey here today. And…" Dumbledore's smiled, eyes twinkling, "It seems your brother has been trying to glare through me since I've sat down." He held up his hands in a non-threatening manner. "Fear not, Mr. Kaiba, I have no ulterior motives here today; I have come merely to talk."

Roland moved to close the office door and took up his guarding stance next to it. Yugi took a seat next to Bakura on the couch opposite Mokuba and Dumbledore and gasped upon seeing Dumbledore's hands. While his left hand looked rather normal for someone his age, his right hand and wrist was blackened and looked almost decayed.

Following Yugi's gaze, Dumbledore lowered his hands and shook the long sleeve of his robe over his right hand. "Ah. Nothing to worry yourself over, Mr. Muto. I was merely careless with a cursed artifact. Now, may I be introduced to your friend?"

"I'm Ryou Bakura, Professor. I'm not completely certain of what you've come here to tell us, but I have a feeling I have a part to play in what's going on."

Dumbledore studied the white-haired teen carefully. He was wearing one of the oddest necklaces he had ever seen. It looked like it belonged in a set with the upside-down pyramid Yugi wore. He cleared his throat. "Very well. Let me begin with a question. What do you know about magic?"

/Choose your answers carefully, Yugi, until we know the angle this man is playing. While he appears to be open and friendly, it may just be a front./

/Right./

"It depends on your definition of magic," said Seto, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. "Someone who performs parlor tricks with shaved cards or conducts high-risk escape acts with hidden keys do so under the guise of magic tricks. It's nothing but an illusion to fool their audience into thinking they can see the impossible. Others can make a wish on a star in the sky when they go to bed at night, wake up the next morning, find a pocketful of money they had forgotten about for a week and call that magic, when it's really just coincidence and pure carelessness. People as a whole tend to chalk up anything they can't adequately explain as magic."

Set chuckled in his head. /Unless they were you before today, correct?/

Seto ignored him.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, yes. Well, perhaps a demonstration to be a bit more specific is in order." He took a glance around the room. "Mokuba, may I borrow your textbook? I promise to return it."

Mokuba reached into his backpack and handed him the requested item. "What are you going to do with it?"

Dumbledore placed the book on the center of the coffee table. "Nothing dangerous, I assure you." He reached into the pocket of robes and pulled out a long wand with ornate carvings running down its length. He tapped the book and it instantly vanished.

Yugi and Ryou shared wide-eyed looks. Mokuba reached over and put his hand where his book had been moments ago. "It's gone!"

"It's…here, Mokuba." Seto said, just barely hiding the surprise in his voice. Upon vanishing from the table, it had reappeared on his desk next to the Millennium Rod. That's impossible! No one had moved!

/After what you've experienced today, are you really going to believe that was a trick?/

Mokuba jumped up and retrieved it from his brother's outstretched hand. "How did it get there? None of us could have reached over that far." His eyes widened. "Woah. That's cool. What else can that stick do?"

Dumbledore chuckled and stood up. He walked closer to the desk, noticing the bloodstains on the floor, and the bandages around Seto's hand. "It appears there was an accident here. Scourgify."

Yugi watched as Dumbledore aimed his wand at the floor, and the blood spots vanished. "That's amazing!"

"Now, Mr. Kaiba, if you will allow me, may I see your hand? I'm afraid my knowledge of curative magic pales in comparison to Madame Pomfrey, but this should still do the trick." Sensing apprehension and skepticism, he added, "This will not be damaging or painful."

"Go on, Seto!" said Mokuba excitedly. "It's ok, really! Nothing happened to my math book!"

Seto studied Dumbledore for a long moment before carefully unwrapping Mokuba's handiwork. Dumbledore took stock of the damage done by the Millennium Rod, waved his wand seemingly at nothing, and then a bowl appeared on his desk, filled about halfway with a murky looking liquid.

"Essence of murtlap," Dumbledore explained, "Which is a solution made from pickled murtlap tentacles. Soak your hand in that for a bit, and it will take the edge off and help expedite the healing process." He pushed the bowl across the gleaming hardwood surface to rest next to Seto's propped elbow.

Seto looked at the bowl, then to Dumbledore, and back again before lowering his hand into the liquid. It felt cool to the touch, and almost instantly, the throbbing seemed to mellow itself out.

Dumbledore sighed. "Now, to the matter at hand. There is much to discuss, and quite some history to tell, so I beg you indulge this old man in his tale." He took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Yugi took the other, and with another wave of his wand, created two more for Mokuba and Ryou. "Ah, that's better isn't it. Now we don't have to talk from across the room."

Settling himself, Dumbledore returned his wand to his pocket, and clasped his hands into his lap. "Let me first begin with some back story. Much of what has happened in our world did not make its way to this side of the globe, and anything that has would have been covered up by the Japanese Ministry of Magic, so you likely wouldn't have noticed anything unusual.

"Some time ago, a wizard gained a cult following and rose to power. Calling himself Lord Voldemort, he started a war against Muggles – ah, those without magical abilities – and muggle-born wizards, in favor of a pure-blooded wizarding society. He gained the support of dark creatures that had become outcast from society and many Muggles and Muggleborns were senselessly murdered."

"So what happened?" said Yugi. "How did the war end?" He gestured to his letter left on the corner of Seto's desk. "You said that there was peace in your community for years…was that all before this?"

Dumbledore nodded solemnly, "There was indeed peace, broken only a short while ago. During the war, I helped lead the fight against Voldemort. Many Aurors, or policemen, became known enemies of Voldemort and his followers. Only a select few were threatening enough that he dealt with them personally. The Potters were one of them. Sixteen years ago, he found them in hiding and murdered them, but when he also tried to kill their infant son Harry, he found himself unable. It was one of the greatest mysteries of our time. Voldemort's killing curse rebounded on himself, and his body was destroyed. With their master gone, many of his followers were either caught or feigned innocence due to being brainwashed. The war ended on Halloween night all those years ago, and we all began the quiet rebuilding of our communities.

"However, even with his body gone, Voldemort was not dead, and due to some very dark magic, had regained his body at the beginning of last summer. Young Harry Potter was witness to his revival, but aside from himself and Voldemort's own followers, no one was willing to believe him and disrupt the calm that everyone had become so accustomed. It took a year and a battle in our own Ministry of Magic for our government to finally acknowledge Voldemort had returned.

"Now, no longer working in the shadows, Voldemort has made his attacks much more open. There have been numerous attacks on Muggles and Muggle-borns, and some of the lands' darkest creatures have sided with him. The war has started once again."

Yugi frowned. "That sounds horrible…but what does he have to do with us? We've never heard of you, or this Voldemort before. As far as I can guess, we haven't done anything to get on his radar. What would bring his attention all the way here?"

"Voldemort fears death above all else, and over the years has quested for immortality. Harry Potter became his enemy the moment the curse rebounded and failed to kill him. Without even knowing how to walk or tie his own shoelaces, he had done the one thing Voldemort had been striving for: cheat death."

"That must be putting Harry Potter in danger then," said Ryou.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Potter has been the target of many threats over the years. Voldemort is still actively trying to kill him, not just to complete the task he started years ago, but as he's been growing up, Mr. Potter has thwarted Voldemort's plans on more than one occasion. He's become quite the nuisance to him. Thankfully, he is quite well protected.

"As for your involvement in this – it falls back on Voldemort's quest for immortality. Now that he is no longer working from the shadows, my spies have informed me that his search has led him to Egypt. As I'm sure you may know, one of the Ancient Egyptian customs was preparing souls for the next life after death."

Dumbledore reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of photographs and laid them on the edge of the desk. "While there is no proof that some kind of afterlife exists, he did uncover something else. Something called 'Shadow Games' which were played by the ancient Egyptians. Very little information exists on what the Shadow Games were like, but all of a sudden, all traces of them disappeared from history. In fact, after doing some research of my own, there is a gap in some of the old records. The Shadow Games were not mentioned from that point on. The little we do know is that battles with powerful creatures were involved."

Yugi and Ryou shared a look that did not go unnoticed by their foreign guest.

Dumbledore reached for the photographs he placed in front of them. "Last night, one of your museums was broken into. I understand your local government in investigating, but I'm afraid they won't find anything. The intruder in question was a double agent of Lord Voldemort. Nothing was damaged or stolen, thankfully, but he did take photographs. It seems whoever was looking into Shadow Games discovered some interesting footage from one of your card game tournaments, and seemed to believe that you were Shadow Dueling."

Seto narrowed his eyes. He had a sneaky suspicion he knew where this was going. "The Battle City tournament was broadcast all over the world, but we weren't the only duelists. Many of the matches that took place across half of the city were recorded."

"Be that as it may…" Dumbledore tapped his finger against the photographs. "Voldemort has seen the images of the tablet mural in the museum that depicts two figures that look remarkably like you and Mr. Muto. As the Egyptians believed in predetermined destiny and reincarnation, it is possible Voldemort believes the two of you will be able to channel Shadow Magic."

Yugi and Ryou leaned closer as Dumbledore tapped a second photograph. "One of my acquaintances is a curse breaker currently in Egypt. Some time ago, they had discovered a ruined temple that housed this carving in it. Unfortunately they did not get a very good look at it as there seemed to be some very protective magic guarding the area and they immediately retreated. However, from what we can see on this image, this rock was made to hold several artifacts, and all of them are gone."

/…How did these mere mortals stumble upon the Millennium Tablet?/

Ryou flinched. He had been so engrossed in what Professor Dumbledore had been saying, he had forgotten he wasn't alone in his head. /If a Dark Wizard has found the Millennium Tablet, do you think they would go looking for the Items?/

/It would depend. We need to get more information out of this old man./

Mokuba looked at Yugi, Ryou, and Seto. They all had unreadable expressions on their faces. "That photograph isn't very good," he admitted. "You can barely see the outlines of what those items are supposed to be. What does that have to do with my brother and Yugi?"

Dumbledore pointed back at the first image. "The pyramid up at the top here matches the one your image seems to wear, Mr. Muto. It also roughly fits the empty spot here." He paused, eyes set on Yugi. "And if I may say so, it looks just like the pyramid you're wearing around your neck. While it impossible for us to know for certain, it is not improbable to assume that Shadow Magic can be channeled through that item, or any other items that may exist."

Yugi looked down at the Puzzle and frowned. Uh oh…

"And, if I may, Mr. Kaiba, this golden staff here also resembles the one depicted in your hand on that tablet."

Seto scowled.

"If Voldemort and his Death Eaters have also made that connection, they may decide to come pay you both a visit. His greed and desire for power will not let him pass up this opportunity. He may use you to either gain access to the Shadow Magic, or force you to use the magic for his own bidding. And if you do not cooperate with him, he will either force your hand or simply dispose of you and take the power for himself."

He blinked, surprised as Ryou suddenly began to laugh. When he spoke next, Dumbledore could tell this was not the same Ryou Bakura who had shyly introduced himself minutes ago. Yugi was also giving the white-haired teen a disapproving glare – but wait. He could tell Yugi looked different now too. How peculiar.

"If that's what your enemy has planned, then he has another thing coming to him," said Bakura. He crossed his arms across his chest, and Dumbledore's eyes were drawn to the Millennium Ring again.

"Bakura…" Yami growled.

"I see you also have one of these items," said Dumbledore calmly. "May I ask you a question, Mr. Bakura?"

"You may ask as many questions as you like," said Bakura, "But I won't guarantee an answer."

"I am a very good reader of people, Mr. Bakura. In this moment, I can tell you are no longer the quiet boy I just met. That interesting piece of jewelry you wear around your neck is more than just for show, is it not?"

"How do we know that you are not a spy for this Voldemort character?" said Yami in a quick attempt to change the subject. "We obviously knew nothing about your world. For all we know this could be some sort of distraction for him to attack."

"I cannot force you to believe me," said Dumbledore, "But as I said when I first arrived, I have no ulterior motives here today. Had I been working for Voldemort, as you suggested, then you would already be trapped in his clutches."

/What do you think, Pharaoh?/

/I'm not quite sure what Bakura is doing, but I don't sense any malice from this man. I think we can trust him. There would be no sense in warning us if he was going to attack, unless it was truly to throw us off track. Somehow, I don't think that's the case. But Bakura's Millennium Ring has the power to look into someone's soul. He would already know if Dumbledore speaks the truth./

"Look, assuming everything you said is true," said Seto tiredly, drawing Dumbledore's attention away from Bakura. "What do you expect us to do about it? If this lunatic of yours truly thinks we have something he wants, it sounds like he's going to come after us no matter how much warning you give."

"Quite right. Therefore...I would like to offer you protection at my school. Despite meddling in his affairs as much as I have, Voldemort has never challenged me directly. Hogwarts has a number of protective enchantments to keep him and his followers out. You would be quite safe there."

"At a school?" asked Mokuba. "What kind of school?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "A school of magic, of course. If what I suspect is true, then your connection to shadow magic should also allow you to perform modern spells as well. This would be an excellent opportunity to learn defensive magic. Since you are of age, you would be admitted as sixth-year students in the upcoming school year. Of course, Mr. Bakura, I would also offer you an invitation as well."

"I'm not one to turn tail and run like a coward," said Seto, "After everything we've been through, this Voldemort character doesn't frighten me."

"And I can assure you, that if this dark wizard of yours tries anything, that we are fully capable of defending ourselves in our own way," said Bakura. "Your enemy seems to have just begun to dabble in powers thousands of years old. He truly does not know just what, or who, he is dealing with."

Dumbledore studied Bakura for a few moments before standing. "I see. You are certain you will not require assistance?"

"Well," said Yugi thoughtfully. "We really don't know what to expect if he does decide to attack, but we've also got a good deal of experience dealing with all sorts of…um…weird situations. You've dumped a lot of information on us in a short time. Do you think we can maybe think about this?"

Dumbledore nodded. "That is a perfectly reasonable request." He reached into one of the pockets of his robes and produced three silver coins. Pulling his wand out of his other pocket, he gave it a little wave over the coins. They emitted a green hue for a moment before returning to their normal color.

Pocketing his wand again, he handed out the coins. "With Voldemort working much more openly than before, I would prefer to act sooner rather than later. I will return here at the same time next week for your answer. Now, these coins have been enchanted. If you come to a decision sooner, or find yourselves in need of assistance, simply squeeze the coins and say 'Hogwarts'. I will be alerted at once."

"Thanks," said Yugi. "Hopefully we won't need them, uh, to call for help that is."

"I will remain optimistic," said Dumbledore. He turned his attention back to Seto. "Now, Mr. Kaiba, how is your hand doing?"

Seto lifted his hand out of the bowl and shook the excess liquid off of it before turning it over. The weird goo had washed off the rest of the blood, and the burns certainly looked a lot better than when Mokuba tried to clean it.

"Ah, excellent," said Dumbledore pleasantly, taking his wand back out and vanishing the bowl. He waved it once again and a bottle of the same liquid appeared where the bowl had stood. "This is an extra bottle. Soak it once more before going to bed this evening, and it should be good as new by morning."

After vanishing the extra chairs he summoned, Dumbledore gave another sweeping bow. "Many thanks for your patience, gentlemen. I will see you in a week's time." He straightened, turned, and with a loud pop, disappeared from the office.

"I see you didn't waste any time coming up here, Minerva. I've only been back for a few minutes," said Dumbledore cheerfully.

Professor McGonagall took a seat in front of him. "How did it go?"

"About as well as I expected, in a way. While they did not specifically say so, I can confirm that there is something going on with those teenagers – and it's not just Mr. Muto and Mr. Kaiba. I met a third one today, a Mr. Bakura. He had a similar golden artifact to the other two. As he was not depicted on the stone carvings, I did not realize he would also be in danger."

"So these boys have those shadow powers that You-Know-Who will be after?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I believe so. I also believe that they are hiding something powerful in those ancient artifacts of theirs. I watched Mr. Bakura's personality shift rather drastically. His physical appearance changed a bit too. I saw the same for a moment with Mr. Muto."

"What do you think it means, Albus?" asked McGonagall.

"At the moment, I am not quite sure. The Egyptians believed in resurrection and historical repetition in addition to life after death. There is a lot about these artifacts we don't know simply because there is a lack of information on the subject. The tablets themselves are worn away, being as old as they are. Even Bill Weasley confirmed that some of the ruins that held the records of all the Pharaohs have sections that were forcibly chipped away. Without these item bearers being more forthcoming, it will be difficult to get more information on them."

"Well you can hardly blame them for not being entirely truthful," McGonagall crossed her arms. "This is the first they've ever heard of our world. You probably sounded like you were uttering nonsense to them."

"They took it rather well, considering," said Dumbledore, turning in his seat slightly to pet Fawkes. The phoenix had been reborn that morning, and the tiny baby was still covered in the ashes of its former self. "For now, they have declined my offer."

"They have?" McGonagall shot to her feet. "You know that You-Know-Who will strike if he thinks they are unprotected. How could you leave them to that kind of fate?"

"These are people living their own lives, Minerva. I cannot just spirit them away against their will. Mr. Muto offered a compromise to consider my offer. I will return in a week's time to get their answers."

"A lot can happen in one week, Albus."

"I am quite aware, and left them the means to contact us should they need the assistance. I have to abide by their wishes. If they choose to accept, I can only hope they will be more open about their involvement with these strange artifacts at that time."

"And if they choose not to accept? What will you do then?"

Dumbledore brushed off stray ashes from his fingertips. "There is nothing I can do, Minerva. Forcing aid on those boys will only make them enemies, and if it's possible that they're as powerful as Voldemort may believe them to be, then I don't wish to have to fight a war from two fronts. Unfortunately, all we can do now is wait."