A/N: Happy New Year!

/Text/ Spirit to Host

/Text/ Host to Spirit

Chapter 19: Questions

"It would appear that Professor Umbridge has requested a sit down with the Headmaster this evening to go over some…behavioral issues she's noticed in her class." Professor McGonagall put down the note handed to her and looked across her desk to Yugi and Ryou. "I'm certain I've heard a rather skewed recount, so why don't you two tell me what's happened?"

Ryou scratched at his ear. "Well…what did she say?"

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "That you two not only are the victims of a personality disorder and quite possibly dangers to the school, but you also performed a good bit of dark magic and obliterated the subject of her lesson Friday afternoon."

"That's…sort of right," said Ryou, looking down at his lap.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Professor Dumbledore has made me aware of your unique situations. I'm sure he will have words for you this evening when he returns with Mr. Kaiba."

"Yugi had nothing to do with this – it was all my fault," said Ryou, "Please don't punish him too."

"Relax, Mr. Bakura," said Professor McGonagall, "Neither of you are in trouble with me. Not today. But let me offer a bit of –"

Yugi and Ryou looked up at hearing her pause, and followed her gaze to the ghostly phoenix that suddenly appeared in the room. It flew around the desk before disappearing, leaving a small sheet of parchment behind.

Professor McGonagall unfolded it to read its contents and then sighed. "It would appear Professor Dumbledore will not be returning at a reasonable hour this evening. He will speak to you tomorrow after dinner."

"What about our Transfiguration lesson?" asked Yugi, "We have that with you after dinner tomorrow."

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Don't concern too much over it. Assuming Dolores Umbridge doesn't keep you all hostage in his office all evening, come to class once you are finished, and I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower afterwards."

She cleared her throat. "As I was saying…Professor Dumbledore may have prepared the staff of your unique situation before your arrival at school, but he was also rather selective on the information he gave and to whom. Sufficed to say, Professor Umbridge does not know the entire story."

"Won't that make for awkward questions down the road? Maybe if he told her from the beginning, we wouldn't be in this situation today," said Yugi.

"Well, we can't go back in time, so dwelling on what could have been is pointless," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm sure by now you've heard accounts of what Professor Umbridge had gotten up to while here at Hogwarts last year. Despite the change in leadership at the Ministry, some things remain the same. Professor Dumbledore did not appeal to have her return this year – that was a Ministry decision. And I can assure you without question that she is just as untrustworthy as before."

Ryou blinked and bit his lip. "Professor?"

"I'm quite aware of the meetings she has tried to have with the two of you and Mr. Kaiba. Her little sit-down at the start of term? She's fishing for information. Professor Dumbledore and I have attempted to quell all the little office chats she has tried to summon you to since the start of September."

"I think we can handle nosy questions," said Ryou, "We're kind of used to people gawking and asking about our Millennium Items." He looked down at his chest, where the Ring was hiding under his vest. "That's why I've kept to hiding it."

Yugi gave off an awkwardly jealous chuckle. "Lucky for you that the Ring is pretty thin, huh?"

Professor McGonagall held up a hand to silence them. "I am telling you this to be on your guard. The Professor Umbridge of last term would be seeking information to feed back to the Minister of Magic, in a way similar to how she usurped Professor Dumbledore's position. But we have a new administration at the Ministry now, and quite frankly, we can't figure out why she's back either. It goes against most of Minister Scrimgeour's ideals to place someone so inept at teaching into the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. Her motives are not just out of plain curiosity."

Yugi and Ryou looked at each other. "Why are you telling us this, Professor?"

Professor McGonagall sighed uncomfortably. "For better or for worse, you have been dragged into a war that is not yours to deal. It is certainly not black and white. There are no clear enemies here. I am telling – warning – you, to be careful, and watch what you say around Professor Umbridge, or anyone outside of this school."

"Is it really that bad out there?" asked Yugi.

"The previous Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge spent so long closing his eyes to You-Know-Who's return, it paved way for the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who's supporters to bleed their way into the Ministry without being noticed. While he moves openly now, it is near impossible to find everyone he staged in positions of power. I know you all see the news in the Prophet, things are getting worse." She looked them both in the eyes, "That is why it is that much more important to keep your friends close. I know you've hit it off with Potter and his friends – aside from their knack of getting into trouble, they have enough 'real-world' experience dealing with Death Eaters and deceit to be very good allies. You can trust them."

She glanced up as a figure walking up the aisle towards her desk caught her eye. She sighed. "Is there something I can do for you, Dolores?"

Yugi and Ryou whirled around in their seats. Ryou visibly paled.

"Yes," said Umbridge. She was clearly still agitated over the outburst in her classroom; her face tried to hide it, but the aggravation was clearly evident in her voice. Her sugary voice was only 'half-there'. "I was expecting to see these two and Mr. Kaiba with the Headmaster this evening, and I seem to find myself locked off from Professor Dumbledore's office."

"Professor Dumbledore has not yet returned with Mr. Kaiba, and, on top of that, they will be delayed," said Professor McGonagall stiffly, "I received word from him a few moments ago. He will reschedule that meeting for tomorrow."

"This is the second time the Headmaster has disregarded my concerns. This is of utmost importance, Minerva. The safety and security of this school –"

"–Has not changed," Professor McGonagall finished for her. "No one is in any danger here at Hogwarts."

"Certainly, once you read the note I left, you will see my point of view, Minerva. Dark magic has been performed within these castle walls!"

"I have read your letter, Dolores," said Professor McGonagall. "I fail to see any true danger that has occurred here. No students were harmed from use of this accidental magic. There will be no punishment coming from me today. If that upsets you, by all means, take it up with Professor Dumbledore. I understand that this is a pressing issue for you, but he did not specify when he would be returning with Mr. Kaiba to the castle, so unless you plan to wait for him at the Entrance Hall steps all evening, this will have to wait until tomorrow."

Umbridge opened to her mouth to speak, but paused. After a moment, she looked up, and smiled almost apologetically. "You're quiet right, Minerva. I'm sure everything will get explained thoroughly when the Headmaster returns. The truth will get out."

Ryou watched her leave the office and turned back to his head of house. "That was…odd."

"Even if she's acting in her own self-interests, be very careful around her," said Professor McGonagall. "We don't need the Ministry interfering at Hogwarts again."

Their arrival just outside the gate was not quite as graceful as the return to Domino. Having landed on an uneven patch of ground, Seto wobbled a step before righting himself.

"I am quite impressed," said Dumbledore pleasantly as they walked across the grounds. "That cup didn't spill a drop."

"I charmed it – it's the only reason Madame Pince lets it into the library."

"Very impressive," said Dumbledore. They climbed the steps leading to the front doors of the castle. "I take it this trip will have no bearing on your scheduled return in three weeks, despite the events that have occurred this evening?"

Seto eyed the Auror posted outside as he passed. "That is correct."

"I see. Do you still wish to use your own transportation, or would you prefer a Portkey or side-along apparation? They are much faster than your aircraft, and you would have more time to spend with your brother."

"Portkeys are unreliable, and I don't care for side-along apparation."

Dumbledore sighed. "As you wish, so long as you are at least accompanied by a member of the Order. Voldemort has seen how you will react when confronted with danger at home, and there is a very good chance he will act on it. I cannot have you lost to his clutches."

If it was even him, Seto thought, side-eye glaring at him, "And I told you that I am no damsel in distress. I can handle myself just fine. I don't want nor need to be chaperoned like a child."

"Do not think that Voldemort is the only interested party interested in you and your friends. His spies are also in the Ministry of Magic, and it should go without saying that they will be curious of your abilities as well," said Dumbledore.

/Interesting. It was he who introduced us to this world, and touted Voldemort as the danger. Now he says the government is involved as well?/

/Probably from Professor Umbridge./

/Hm. I'll have to meditate on this while you sleep tonight./

"Hem, hem."

Seto's grip tightened on his coffee mug as he stopped, one foot on the Entrance Hall steps. Professor Umbridge was standing in the open doorway to the Great Hall.

"Good evening, Dolores," said Dumbledore, "It's quite late to be up, isn't it?"

"Not at all, Headmaster," said Umbridge in her falsely sugary voice. "I was just taking a walk around the school. It does wonders to clear one's head."

"That it does," Dumbledore agreed as the clock chimed midnight. "I hope you were not waiting for our return. I did send word to Minerva about our delay."

"Yes, yes, I was made aware. However, Mr. Kaiba and I have an appointment to keep."

Seto froze. "What?"

"Oh dear, have you forgotten already? You have a detention to serve, which you agreed to upon your return."

/You've got to be kidding me./

/You did say she could give you detention and that you would attend./

/I know what I said. Any reasonable person would schedule it for tomorrow or some other time before curfew./

"Now?" said Dumbledore, puzzled. "Surely this can wait for a more appropriate hour."

"I don't think so, Headmaster. My time was interrupted, and it is only fitting that this is returned in kind."

"Dolores, I insist –"

Seto held up his hand. He didn't particularly want to spend any time in her company, but it wasn't like he was tired anyway. "It's fine. You're taking my parting words very literally, but whatever."

/Are you sure about this? It is rather late…/

/Only extra Charms and Transfiguration classes tomorrow. I can sleep all day if I want. One stupid detention isn't going to ruin anything. And it's not like she's going to let up./

"Good," Umbridge smiled nastily, "Come along then. Good evening, Headmaster."

Seto sighed and followed Professor Umbridge back towards her office. The lamps bathed the room in a disturbingly pink glow. How anyone could coat an entire room with the color and not get sick of it was beyond him. He took a look around the office before taking a seat in front of her desk, noticing that all of the kittens plated on the wall were curled up asleep, probably dreaming of chasing mice or playing with laser pointers. The doilies on the tables around him were lined up so perfectly that he had an urge to shift them when Umbridge wasn't looking. Instead, his eyes followed Umbridge as she closed the door, moved across the room, and sat at her desk, studying him.

"You are out of uniform, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto's eyes flicked down to his suit before looking up incredulously at her. "Really? I just came back from Japan. Unless you'd like me to strut around as a walking advertisement for Gryffindor House amongst Japanese Muggles, I don't see why you're nitpicking on something so incredibly trivial, especially since I was ambushed three steps through the front door."

"Detentions are to be carried out in robes, Mr. Kaiba. I will let it slide this time considering you just returned to the castle, but…call it advice for the next time."

He stared at her. She was assuming there was going to be a next time, but there was no possible way he was going to sit in this room for more than absolutely necessary. That alone was enough punishment.

She clasped her hands on the desk. "Now, do you know why you're here?"

"You gave me detention. I thought that much was obvious."

She chose to ignore the attitude behind his answer. "Yes, but do you know why you were given detention this afternoon?"

Seto crossed his arms over his chest. Getting disciplined for worrying about Mokuba was just as ludicrous as her so-called lessons, but rather than voice that opinion, he stayed quiet. He assumed his anger in class was probably part of what landed him here in the first place. The sooner he could leave the pink pit stop on the way to hell, the better.

'You – and your friends – have caused too much disruption in my classroom. Their little outburst of dark magic will be addressed when we sit down with the Headmaster tomorrow, but you are here for blatant disobedience in my classroom."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "I had a family emergency. In any normal educational institution, that is a perfectly acceptable reason to leave class, and that has held true for other students at this school. I fail to see why my circumstances are any different than theirs."

"You, Mr. Kaiba, require an escort to be allowed home, which is a drain on our –"

"Your what, resources? Manpower? I don't think so. Professor Dumbledore forces those chaperones on me whenever I go anywhere. I don't ask for them, and quite frankly, I'd rather be without them. Furthermore, all of my trips are scheduled in advance, so it's not a drain on anyone. Today? Professor Dumbledore agreed to take me home without question once he was finished with his own work. If it was such a burden, he would have said no." He tilted his head up so even while sitting, he still glowered down at her. "But I think you're getting off topic. My transportation arrangements are not why we're here."

"…Quite right," said Umbridge, getting up. "Your refusal to accept my authority is what landed you here tonight." She began to circle the room. "You seem to forget rather quickly that this is not your office, and you are not in command here. I am. While you are in my classroom, you will follow my directions to the letter. I will not tolerate disobedience during my lessons. Failure to do so will result in punishment as I see fit. Is that understood?" She gripped the edge of the chair he sat in, and gloated seeing him immediately tense in his seat. It was about time something made him uncomfortable.

After keeping an eye on him and the other two new students, she knew Seto Kaiba would be the hardest one to break into her 'perfect little student' mold. Yugi Muto was a bright-eyed, friendly student who didn't seem to have much a backbone. And quiet Ryou Bakura didn't seem the sort to hurt a fly. Being that none of them had attended Hogwarts with her previously, they wouldn't have a reason to act out like the rest of the sixth year class while in her company. At least, until she set the boggart on them, and that completely warped her perception of them both. But Seto Kaiba hadn't been there for that class for her to see if he also had some freaky split personality. He was distant, much more so than the other two. How he fell into good graces with Potter and his friends she will never know, but it didn't surprise her at all that the first Hogwarts student he formed any sort of friendship with was Miss Know-It-All Granger – the brainy ones always stick together.

He didn't answer her. Frowning, Umbridge walked around his chair to look him head on, and tilted her head, puzzled. His eyes seemed glazed out, like he was staring off into some middle distance and was no longer here in the room with her. Hm. Perhaps there was an oddity about him, like the others. Dumbledore just had to go off and find the weird ones.

"Hem, hem."

She had to say it twice more before he broke out of whatever trance he had placed himself in, blinking angrily at her as if his momentary freak-out was all her fault. "I hope your little trip home hasn't tired you," she said smugly, "Because I expect you won't be going back to Gryffindor Tower for quite some time. Now, do we have an understanding?"

A sigh and his answer had to practically be forced from his lips. "Yes."

"Good," she said with a vicious smile, and returned to her desk.

Seto drummed his fingers along his opposite arm. "So what is it you're going to have me do for the next…hour?"

"Oh, it will probably be longer than that, dear boy," said Umbridge. "You disrupted my time earlier today, so I will return the favor this evening."

"I missed the second half of class. If we're treating this as an eye for an eye, then this should only last for the same duration, which was one hour."

Umbridge flashed him her sugary-sweet smile. "Dear me, it sounds like you are challenging my decisions again. For someone as bright as yourself, I thought after the conversation we just had, that this would be behind us."

She clasped her fingers together on the desk. The one good thing about him arriving back at Hogwarts so late was the time to think up his detention. Lines was always the fallback, and she was honestly surprised that her use of the black quill last year was not brought up when she received word to return to the school. There were a couple of different things she could force him to write until the sun came up, and she truly considered it. After spending all that time in Japan in the dark of night, he had to be exhausted. After all, one of her favorite memories of the previous year was keeping Harry Potter writing 'I must not tell lies' until the early hours, watching gleefully while he struggled to stay awake. For someone as seemingly busy as the teenager sitting before her, bed would be most welcome after the long day. What a shame he won't get it.

However…writing lines would be at least a partial waste of the valuable time that she wouldn't normally have. All of her previous attempts to wrangle a chat with her new students have ended up disastrous. But Minerva wasn't around to distract her this time. Here, she could attack his defensive barriers all she wanted, under the sweet guise of a friendly conversation. He certainly wouldn't see that coming.

While he seethed, she reached for the pot on the other side of the desk. "You know…" she began sweetly, "I do think I may have overreacted, just a little."

"You think?"

"Yes. In times like these, we must take care of family. I trust all is well at home now?"

"I wouldn't have come back otherwise."

"Professor Dumbledore would not be able to watch over you in Japan for long periods. He has a responsibility to the school."

Seto had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "I never asked him to."

"Well," said Umbridge, adding a fourth spoonful of sugar to her tea – ignoring Seto's near-visible shudder that even the sugar crystals were the same shade of pink as everything else in the room – and brought the cup to her lips. "It was quite lucky that someone at home was able to get a hold of you so quickly."

/…She's fishing. She pulled you from returning to Gryffindor Tower to talk?/

Seto scowled. "Is this my detention?"

Umbridge paused. "Excuse me?"

"This attempt at a casual conversation. Or is just keeping me in here in this pink monstrosity my punishment?"

Umbridge forced out a smile and put down her teacup. "My, my. You don't hold back your tongue, do you?" Something would have to be done about that.

"I don't like having my time wasted. Just admit what it is you want from me so we can both get this over with. If you're going to have me write lines, say so."

Umbridge let out a high-pitched giggle. "What makes you think that you'll be writing lines this evening?"

"Because they're just as ineffective as your classes. Be honest, Professor," he practically spat out her title, "What is writing a sentence or two a hundred – even a thousand times going to prove?"

If her fingers were wrapped any tighter around the handle of her teacup, it would have shattered. Yes, his voice was beginning to rise, but how did he continue to sit there so seemingly calm while riling her up at the same time? She could feel her face turning red, but nothing seemed to get past his mask. "They serve as a reminder, and therefore a deterrent to deviant behavior," she said, almost through gritted teeth.

Seto leveled a look of utter disbelief. "That worked so well for you last year, didn't it? The truth you and your puppet master at the Ministry didn't want getting out published for the world to see in an offbeat magazine, and a secret organization founded right under your nose to undermine your efforts."

"ENOUGH!" Umbridge shot to her feet. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself.

Seto unfolded his arms to look at his watch, and then went back to drumming his fingers along the edge of her desk.

/Now you've done it. I thought you weren't trying to end up in here more than once./

/I won't be intimidated into silence by her, of all people. She can come up with whatever laughable punishment she wants, but it isn't going to change anything./

Set slapped his hand to his forehead. /I hope you're looking forward to more of these. You two have been baiting each other this entire time. She has been trying to rile you up just to punish you out of spite, though I still don't quite understand why she is going to such extremes over something so trivial. It's not like you wasted her time, she still had lessons to teach. Imagine if that 'casual conversation' mentioned was your punishment, Seto. Bear with her questions for a few hours, and then you could be off to bed. Instead, you have thrown that out the window by insulting her methods./

/She doesn't have teaching methods. The only thing any of us have learned so far in her classes is how to damage our wrists from writing theoretical nonsense day in and out. In her practical class, she set a monster loose without even reviewing how the counter spell works. I'm with Harry on this – how did she get a returning position at this place?/

"Hem, hem."

Seto looked up. He didn't remember her saying anything.

"What's wrong, dear? Nothing left to say? The box," she repeated. "The thing you were speaking into in the corridor this afternoon. What is it?"

"The phone?" Seto rolled his eyes. "It's to keep in contact with my brother and company. I thought that was self-explanatory."

"That is a Muggle electronic, and therefore should be unable to work within the castle grounds."

"Well it obviously does, or we wouldn't be sitting here."

"I need you to hand it over."

What?!

"That device needs to be confiscated and thoroughly inspected to be certain that both our world remains safe from Muggle eyes, and that this device hasn't broken the protective wards around the castle."

"No."

"That wasn't a request, Mr. Kaiba. If you don't give it to me, I'll take it."

"All of my technology was confiscated when I first arrived, and then cleared to be returned. I will not give up the only means of contacting my brother." He crossed his arms over his chest again. Let her try to take it.

"All it takes is a flick of a wand," said Umbridge, but she refused to rise to his bait. Unlike some of her colleagues, she had done proper research on their three new students before the start of term. He may not have the dark magic that seemed to come from Yugi Muto and Ryou Bakura, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. Fine – let him keep his little toy, for now. "That will have to be one of the many things discussed with the Headmaster tomorrow evening. You and your friends have been given too much leniency around this school, and I will see that punishment is being given where deserved."

"And what about where it isn't?" Seto countered. "We're sitting here arguing in circles all because I rushed home to make sure my brother wasn't killed in a possible attack. You can't tell me you wouldn't hesitate to do the same for a member of your own family. I'm just being punished for calling you out on your ridiculous, over-the-top behavior. You can't be judge and jury when confronted with something you don't like or want to hear."

"Very well," said Umbridge stiffly, "You can protest your next session with the Headmaster. Oh yes, don't think I will just sit and take this petty squabble lightly. It is clear that your blatant disregard for my authority will not be treated in just one night. Clearly this will take time."

She waved her wand and a large roll of parchment appeared in front of him. Walking around the desk, she placed a sharply-pointed quill in front of him. " 'I will show respect'."

"Really? Lines?" He shook his head. "We could have skipped the word-slinging if you just started me on this when I first sat down."

Umbridge smiled wickedly. "I had hoped that your little outburst earlier was just a reaction to an emergency, in which case I could have had you cozy in bed by now. But it seems that attitudes must be changed. So here we are. 'I will show respect', until the message sinks."

Seto looked at the quill. He vaguely remembered Harry warning him and the others about having to write lines in this office and using certain quills, but having come from home and not Gryffindor Tower, he didn't have his bag with him to use his own quill and ink. Although…there was no inkwell on the desk, so the sharpened quill must use its own magical supply to write, which didn't seem quite like a terrible thing. ...But if Harry felt the need to warn them about it, there must be something going on behind the scenes. It didn't leave him with a good feeling.

"No ink?"

"You won't need it," said Umbridge smugly, as she sat back down and reached for her tea.

Seto sighed, lifted the quill to the edge of the parchment, and began to write. The quill did use its own ink, one that was dark red in color.

Umbridge watched gleefully, hiding a victorious smile behind her teacup as the back of his opposite hand began to redden, and the words spelling themselves out on the parchment also began to carve out into his flesh, only to disappear as the hand started to heal. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to notice until a few lines later, and froze, watching his neat script disappear from his hand, leaving it red but free of any scar or other indication that there were once words there.

He looked up at her with the coldest of ice in his eyes. Umbridge set down her cup, and leveled him an equally intense gaze. "Is something the matter, dear?"

"You expect me to write lines with my own blood?"

"Like I said before, Mr. Kaiba," said Umbridge, "Lines serve as a reminder and a deterrent. Keep going, I did not give you permission to stop."

"This is torture."

"This is your detention, Mr. Kaiba. The time for civil discourse has passed. You will write lines, with that quill, until I deem the message sufficiently understood. Unless, of course, you decide to reconsider and hand over any working Muggle technology of yours on the grounds for review by the Ministry of Magic. The choice is yours."

Yugi woke the following morning to the sun starting to stream into the dormitory, Ryou still sleeping quietly in the bed next to him, and Set pacing back and forth across the center of the room.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he crept out of bed, careful not to wake Ryou. "Set?"

Set stopped pacing and nodded at him. "Yugi Muto. Did you sleep well?"

Yugi shrugged. "Sure, well enough. We've –" He glanced over to where Ryou kept the Ring at night. "I've been worried. We figured you would have come back last night."

"We did," said Set, and he sighed, "though it appeared there were other plans for us upon our return to the castle. Professor Umbridge sunk her claws into him the moment we stepped through the front doors, insisting he sit for the detention she didn't quite officially give him back at class."

"Uh oh. I take it that didn't go very well."

Set snorted. "My host was either blind to the constant baiting she was doing, or refused to back down to her. What could have been a rather – dare I say, mundane – evening turned into a battle of words and will that lasted until only an hour or so ago."

Yugi frowned. "What did she have him do?"

"Lines," said Set angrily, "Because he refused to hand over his technology. If he was capable of putting aside his dislike for her altogether when he first set foot in her garish office, both of those choices may have been avoided."

"Lines? That was it?" That doesn't sound so bad.

Set pointed to his opposite hand. "Her quill forces the writer to use blood instead of ink, carving the words written onto the back of their hand. The words fade and the wound healed, but then once the quill is used for the next line, the cycle begins anew. Luckily, even though he sat in that room for hours, his hand is only red from irritation. The final writing of the lines did not scar."

Yugi's jaw dropped. That was an allowable punishment? "And he…just put up with it?"

Set threw his hands up. "He forced her hand into an ultimatum. There was no way he would have given up his phone or his computer, so that was his only option. If he would have just put aside his arrogance and contempt for just one evening, this could have all been avoided."

"Professor McGonagall believes she has been trying to get information out of us since the school year began," said Yugi.

"It makes sense. She seemed like she was asking probing questions under false sweetness and concern, but you know how stubborn Seto is." Set crossed his arms and glared at his host.

"Yeah…"

"When Seto wakes, I'm sure he will go over the details of the journey home. But for now, put your mind at ease. Your grandfather is fine, as are your friends."

Yugi let out a relieved exhale. "Oh, good!"

Set nodded. "Seto called on your grandfather once the sun rose this morning. Well, over in Japan at any rate. They discussed something technical that I didn't quite understand, so you will have to ask him about it. He did say that he was going to work on your phone this week, as well as your diadhank."

Yugi blinked. "My what?"

Set gestured to his arm. "Apologies. The contraption you use to duel. In my time, they were called diadhanks, and they called forth monsters from the ancient stones to do battle."

"Oh, duel disks," Yugi laughed quietly. "That would be great."

"He has been itching for a match with you for some time now, but he has been having trouble getting the dia – ahem, duel disks to work here at the castle."

"I wonder why that is…" Yugi mused. "The phone and the laptop seemed to be okay."

Set shook his head. "That is all well beyond my scope of expertise. If you are curious, Seto should be up by midday."

"That's okay," said Yugi. He grabbed his toothbrush as Ryou began to stir. "A duel with duel disks sounds amazing. We haven't done that in so long. It's been weird getting used to tabletop play again." He peered around Set and frowned. "…He wasn't having more nightmares, was he?"

"Seto? No," said Set. "But I did, in a sense, put him under for a few hours; otherwise he would never get any rest. The evening had him wound too tightly for him to fall asleep on his own. If it was up to him, he would probably work himself straight through the day without any sleep. And after staying awake through the night in Japan, and then again through the same time here, it was about time he went to bed himself. We both know what he is like when his steam finally runs out."

Yugi nodded and moved towards their bathroom. "And I did make that promise to Mokuba…"

"As did I," said Set.

Set had disappeared back into the Millennium Rod by the time Yugi finished readying himself for the day. Without a class until Divination that afternoon, it seemed Ryou decided to stay in bed this morning as well. Closing the door quietly behind him, he made his way down to the common room where he found Harry and Hermione sitting at one of the tables near the dying fire. Harry was looking over his map of the school, and Hermione was mixing a few liquids together to pour into a bowl.

"Morning," said Harry.

"Hi," said Yugi. "You're up early."

Harry shrugged. "I've been trying to tail Malfoy on the Map. He seems to wander off around breakfast and dinner, but I haven't caught him yet."

Hermione shook her head. "Honestly, you should just give it up, Harry."

"I know he's up to something, Hermione. I can feel it. And I am going to find out what it is, even if I have to stay up all night."

"Oh, don't do that," Yugi grimaced. "You'll turn into Kaiba."

Hermione sighed. "One grump among us is plenty."

/If I didn't know better…/ Yami mused. /That potion she's mixing together looks familiar to the stuff Dumbledore had when he first visited us back in Domino…/

/Yeah…kind of…/

"It is," said Hermione brightly when Yugi asked her about it, "After you went to bed last night, I was sitting up finishing that Charms essay, and Harry saw Seto return on the Map with Professor Dumbledore."

"So you know he had detention with Professor Umbridge too?"

They nodded. "I assumed she gave him lines," said Hermione, "It's all she seems to dish out, and Harry knows more than anyone the nightmare of using that hellish quill of hers. I made this for him last year, too. I just wasn't sure if Seto would want or need it, so I'm making a batch just in case."

Yugi thought back. "I saw Set briefly this morning. He said Kaiba's hand didn't scar or anything, so I take that as a good sign?"

"Oh, good." Hermione said, relieved. "Then once this is mixed, I can store it away for another time…unless he still wants it for pain." After all, it's probably only a matter of time before Harry ends up in detention this year. It's a miracle he hasn't antagonized anyone yet.

"It's weird…I wasn't really worried about that meeting with Dumbledore before, but now I'm sort of nervous about the whole thing," said Yugi, plucking a piece of fuzz off of his sleeve.

"Why?" asked Harry.

Yugi shrugged. "I think it's just from how easily Professor Umbridge just grabbed hold of Kaiba last night and had him sit for a detention he shouldn't have had in the first place. What if she's at that meeting tonight? Professor McGonagall made it seem like Umbridge doesn't know the truth about us. And…that's not really something I want her to know about. What if she still has ties to the Ministry, and they think we're too dangerous, just because of that one freak-out in her classroom."

"Well, she does have ties to the Ministry, but I don't think she has the sway with the current Minister as she did when Fudge was still in power," said Hermione, "That's why we're all a bit confused as to why she's here since it goes against Scrimgeour's agenda."

"She's gotta still be playing spy for someone, it's just that much more worrisome because we don't know who it is," said Harry. "If I was hauled off by centaurs and chased out of the school by the resident poltergeist, I wouldn't want to come back, either. And we all know how she hates teaching us anything useful."

"I really don't want her getting nosy about the Puzzle. Or any of the Millennium Items," said Yugi. "Set said she tried to take his phone away, and that's how got to writing lines instead."

"She tried to take his phone?" said Harry, "Why?"

Yugi shrugged. "Set didn't say. I would assume because it went off in class, and she was trying to set some kind of example – to who, I haven't a clue, since he's the only one who would carry one on him, but I guess that's Professor Umbridge for you."

"I can see why he wouldn't give that up," said Hermione.

"Yeah…but if she wanted to punish him that way, what's to say she won't go for the Puzzle, or Ryou's Ring? There's no telling who she might be involved with in the Ministry of Magic," said Yugi worriedly, "What if one of the Millennium Items falls into the wrong hands? I don't know if we would be able to keep her from getting them if a situation escalated."

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will be on your side," said Harry, "After everything last year, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have too much love for the government."

"I hope," said Yugi. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. "So…breakfast?"

Hermione nodded. "Let me put the murtlap away and then I'll go down with you."

Harry shook his head. "I'm gonna wait for Ron. Oh, Yugi – don't forget, we're doing Quidditch practice this Saturday. Make sure you okay it with Madame Hooch to sign out a school broom before then."

Yugi smiled. "Right."

"I'm surprised Ryou isn't up yet," said Hermione as they exited the portrait hole. "He's usually an early riser."

"Yeah, I know," said Yugi, "But he doesn't have class until after lunch today, and can sleep in, unlike the rest of us. And Kaiba just went to bed, so who knows when he'll get up. Worst case, I'll see him in our remedial Charms class this afternoon. At least Set told me that Grandpa and the others are okay, so I don't have to worry about that all day."

"Oh, that's great news," said Hermione. "I suppose you'll have to wait to get the whole story though."

Yugi nodded. "Yep." The descended the steps from the fourth floor when Yugi pointed to someone on one of the floating staircases moving upwards. "Hey…isn't that Malfoy?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Oh, Yugi – please don't tell me you're going to turn into Harry on this. We were going to review our Ancient Runes notes before class began."

"I know…I just figured maybe Harry would let it go if he knew where Malfoy went."

Hermione sighed loudly. "Harry was looking at the Marauders Map when we left. He probably is already watching him. Please, Yugi. One Harry is bad enough."

"Okay, okay. I'm coming."

"You gotta eat, mate," said Ron, watching Ryou push his fork around his plate.

"I'm really not hungry," said Ryou, "I'm just…a mess."

"Yugi was nerves this morning too," said Hermione. "You just need to get your mind off it – you're just going to make yourself sick over it."

"I can't – you don't know him," said Ryou, "It took years for him to treat me like a…a person, and not just a vessel for his spirit. And frankly, I don't know if he's really changed all that much. All she has to do is say something, anything, and he's going to go all Shadow Realm on her, I just know it."

"We'll be there to support you," said Yugi, "He won't do it again."

Ryou pushed his dinner plate away. "What's to stop him, hm? What could you possibly use as a deterrent so I don't get kicked out of Hogwarts?"

"I would offer to leave the Ring with Set, considering the two's history, but that wouldn't be fair on Set, Kaiba wouldn't take the Ring in the first place, and it would just find its way back to around your neck anyways," said Yugi. "So…in the end…I got nothing."

"Exactly."

Seto didn't look up from the lab development report he was reading as he sat down next to them. "Remind him that any punishment with Professor Umbridge involves sitting in her ill-decorated office for the majority of the night, surrounded by an overabundance of lace-covered surfaces, pink walls and annoying kitten plates."

Yugi pushed a plate towards him. "I was wondering when you would surface today, outside of Charms. Have you been in the library all day?"

"I've been working."

"Your hand isn't sore anymore, is it?" asked Harry. Just thinking back to all of his detentions from the previous year made the scar on the back of his hand itch.

Seto turned the page. Despite the words slicing into his skin all night long, it didn't faze him as much as he expected it to. Perhaps there was one thing from his harsh education under Gozaburo that he could be thankful for. "I have a high pain tolerance."

"So…Set gave me the abbreviated version, but is everything okay at home?"

"For the most part. Dumbledore agrees with me that this was a probably a test to see how I would react. Whoever apparated onto the property didn't stay long enough to do anything, and they left before security could reach them."

"But you don't know who it was?" asked Ryou.

Seto shook his head. "Security cameras couldn't get a clear picture in the dark."

Harry frowned. "Didn't they make it so no one could just apparate to your homes?"

"This was a house I barely visit. I never told Dumbledore about it."

"Then how did those wizards find it?" said Hermione, "That doesn't make any sense."

"Someone was digging into my affairs," said Seto, thinking back to the report Roland had given him the previous night. "It's the only way they would have found out about that address, and the probe originated somewhere in Britain."

He looked up from his report and over to Yugi. "I spoke to your grandfather this morning. He's fine, if not concerned. Give me your phone when we get back to the common room and I'll have it working again."

Yugi's eyes lit up. "Really?" Just like that?

"It's no use the way it is, unless you like having a useless paperweight." Seto said. "I haven't had the opportunity to get it running yet. Duel disks are going to take some more time. For some reason, I can get it to activate, but it won't project the holograms. I'm going to need to work on the emitters. Don't expect to do any hardcore dueling until after my next scheduled visit home."

"O-okay." Yugi bit his lip. "You didn't happen to see Joey or the others, have you?"

"No. But after tomorrow, you can check up on them yourself."

"Hem, hem."

Hermione jumped – Umbridge had appeared right behind her. "Professor?" The others looked surprised as well – how did she manage to get the drop on all of them?

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to startle you," said Umbridge sweetly, patting her shoulder, though the smug look on her face told otherwise. Sneaking up on them while they were all huddled together was exactly what she had been going for.

"Um, is there something you needed, Professor?" asked Yugi.

"I'm here to gather you three for our little meeting with the Headmaster," said Umbridge. "Or have you forgotten already?"

"Well, no," said Yugi, "But I thought dinner would have finished first."

"I'm afraid the Headmaster has a great many things to do this evening, as do I. And I expect you in my office afterwards, Mr. Kaiba, for our next little session."

"But we have Transfiguration after dinner, Professor," said Ryou, "Professor McGonagall is expecting us after the meeting."

"Yes, yes, and I've already informed her of his absence. The messages I am trying to relay will not truly be understood without proper repetition, now will they?"

Seto sighed and massaged his temples. This was going to be a long night.

"Come along children. The sooner we finish with the Headmaster, the sooner I can return you to Professor McGonagall."

/Stay calm. Try not to lose your temper at her again./ Set chided. /Or you're never going to have your evenings back./

/She's doing this on purpose, in case Dumbledore doesn't side with her. It doesn't matter that I had nothing to do with what happened in her class on Friday. She's going take her frustration out on me instead./

/Yes I know…but if you can make it through tonight without getting another detention, perhaps she'll get off all of our backs for a while./

/Was that supposed to be optimism? Because none of those things are probably going to happen./

Set crossed his arms. /Just sit there and write her lines. The wounds will heal. If you can't go one evening without antagonizing her, then perhaps I'll sit for that detention. It's not as if she could tell the difference between us, and it would keep you out of her office./

No

Set sighed and walked back into his soul room. /Will there ever be a time you relinquish control to me?/

/So long as I have a say – no./

Ryou nudged Seto's arm as they walked down the third floor corridor. "He's wondering if you're absolutely sure he can't use the Shadow Realm," he whispered, "Just for her."

Seto rolled his eyes.

"Hm? Anything you'd like to share, Mr. Bakura?" asked Umbridge.

"Huh – oh, no Professor," said Ryou, turning red. "I just told him I would take a set of notes down for him since he'll miss Transfiguration."

"Ah." She stopped them in front of a stone gargoyle at the end of the hallway. "Cockroach clusters!"

They watched as the gargoyle leapt aside revealing a winding staircase leading upwards. A set of heavy doors sat at the top. "In you go, boys."

Professor Dumbledore was seated behind his desk. How he managed to beat them to his office when he had been in the Great Hall when they left, Yugi will never understand. Maybe, being the Headmaster, he knew a sneaky path up to his office. Or, like most things – the answer was simply magic!

"Good evening, gentlemen. Dolores." Dumbledore nodded at them. "Please, have a seat."

Umbridge magicked her own (pink) armchair off to the side of his desk as the three students took seats in front of it.

Dumbledore clasped his hands together casually in his lap. "I do apologize it has taken several days for us to gather, and that this is the first I have checked in with you upon your arrival. Have you adjusted well to the school?"

Yugi looked both at Seto and Ryou before nodding. "I think so."

"Very good! I understand it that you have made the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, Mr. Muto. Well done."

"Thank you," said Yugi, "But I'm just an on-call player. I don't think I'll end up in one of the games."

"Do not sell yourself short, my friend," said Dumbledore, "To make the team in such a short time is exemplary!" His eyes twinkled. "I am sure you will do wonders out on the Pitch."

He turned to Seto. "I have heard from your professors that you are excelling splendidly in your classes, Mr. Kaiba, Transfiguration and Arithmancy in particular. For one so new and resistant to magic, that is quite an achievement for such difficult subjects. Bravo."

Dumbledore smiled at Ryou, "Mr. Bakura, Professor Trelawney tells me you are quite a gifted student at Divination. Is there a particular part of the subject that interests you the most?"

Ryou tilted his head thoughtfully. "Cartomancy, I think. I've held a deck before coming to Hogwarts."

"Ah, excellent." Dumbledore's smile faltered a bit. "Unfortunately, we are not gathered here to discuss your varying successes here. Professor Umbridge has made me aware of an incident that occurred in her classroom Friday afternoon concerning a boggart. I have already heard her recollection of events, and now I would like your story. Who would like to share?"

Seto leaned back in his seat and looked over at Yugi and Ryou. The only part the story he had heard was that the Shadow Realm had been summoned during Umbridge's class. Having already been in a terrible mood upon returning from Japan, dealing with Harry the moment he stepped foot in the common room, and getting his phone turned back on consumed all of his time over the weekend. He had never bothered to get the full account from Yugi or Ryou. This should be interesting.

Ryou looked down at his lap. Already upset over the incident landing them here in the first place, bringing up the memory of it in his mind – and by extension, the memory of the Spirit when he was first released, was making him more upset than he realized. How many times would have to relive this over and over?

Yugi cleared his throat. "Well…like I'm sure Professor Umbridge told you, we were supposed to review repelling boggarts. We were all in a line and one by one had to fight it with the 'Riddikulus' charm. Harry went right before us and it turned into this big, ghostly…" he trailed off, not sure how to really describe the Dementor.

"A Dementor," said Dumbledore, "I am aware of Mr. Potter's boggart. Please, continue."

"Okay, well, he cast some other spell at it, and that nearly drove it back into its cabinet. But Bakura was one step too far in front of everyone else and the thing turned to him and changed form right when Professor Umbridge was going to wrap up the class."

Yugi looked to Ryou. Would Ryou pick up the tale, or should he continue to narrate?

"Mr. Bakura?" Dumbledore said gently, "Might you share what happened?"

"I already told you what happened in the classroom, Headmaster," said Umbridge. If the boy wasn't going to speak up, it time she made her voice heard. "The boy is clearly afraid of some inner demon, and he summoned some dark cloud that swallowed the entire room – and the boggart – before returning us back to the classroom. It came from those gaudy gold artifacts they wear."

"It was an accident," said Ryou, looking nervously at Umbridge before turning back to Dumbledore. "He – I – didn't mean to."

"Ah." Dumbledore turned to Umbridge. "Dolores, would you mind leaving the room for a moment?"

"Headmaster?"

Dumbledore gestured to the door. "Just for a moment," he repeated, "I would like Ryou to feel comfortable sharing what has happened. I fear your presence is making him feel otherwise. Rest assured I will listen openly and impartially."

"I – but –"

Dumbledore held up a hand to cease her stuttering, "Mr. Bakura has shared something most private with me once before, and I will uphold that security. Please." He led her out and closed the door behind her, casting a silent charm on the door.

"Rest assured she will not be able to hear our conversation," said Dumbledore to the three students. "I'm afraid with continued ties to the Ministry; Professor Umbridge still may not be trustworthy."

"Then why is she here?" said Seto.

"A story for another day, I'm afraid," said Dumbledore once he was settled back behind his desk. "Now, Mr. Bakura. Are you able to tell me what transpired in your class?"

"My boggart…was him," Ryou sniffed. "Only it was a different version of him, the way he was when I first bonded with the Millennium Ring – or when the Ring bonded with me. I – I had tried so hard to forget…"

Bakura phased out of the Millennium Ring next to his host, arms crossed, and glared at Dumbledore. "I summoned the Shadow Realm, not my host."

Dumbledore blinked. He was staring at both the spirit and Ryou at the same time. This didn't seem possible back when he had met the three in Japan. Perhaps it was the magic of the school that allowed this. Interesting.

"Please, Professor, he did it to protect me," said Ryou, "I had lost it…I was scared, and he – It – was coming at me with a knife, and I forgot what I was supposed to do…"

"In his defense, Professor," said Yugi, "Professor Umbridge really didn't give us time to practice the counter spell. She just verified we all knew what it was and sent the creature loose on us."

"And what happened afterwards? When the Shadows were summoned?" said Dumbledore.

"I banished the monster into it and took us back," Bakura snapped, "In all it was less than a minute. I didn't leave anyone there, if that's what you're wondering. No students were harmed."

"I begged for him not to do it," said Ryou.

"Quiet." Bakura snapped at him before turning back to Dumbledore. "I was protecting my host," he said angrily, "And I would do it again if necessary. This mess could have been avoided if your instructors knew how to teach."

Dumbledore sighed. "There are always alternatives. Perhaps another student could have jumped in to distract it, or assisted with the proper spell. However, the damage has been done. Professor Umbridge will not take this lightly, regardless of how I choose to treat this situation."

"That thing could have killed him, and everyone else in the room would have just stood there and watched," Bakura snarled.

Dumbledore loudly cleared his throat. "Alternatives, Mr. Bakura. I understand your gut reflex is to deal with these situations as you are normally accustomed, but I have made it quite clear that the Shadow Realm is not to be used here in the castle. I understand that no one was harmed by their brief visit to that realm, but it cannot continue. I was given your word that this would not happen. I will not dole out any punishment today, but I will not be forgiving next time. The damage is already done."

Ryou looked up. "Professor?"

"Dolores Umbridge has seen both the Shadow Realm, and your alternate selves. I have tried to keep her from finding the truth, in case she is in league with anyone in the Ministry with other ulterior motives, but what's done is done. She will demand answers, and the last thing any of us need is for the Ministry of Magic to get involved."

"Why?" Yugi asked.

"Minister Scrimgeour is about placating the people. The more arrests, the more it seems we are turning the tide in the war. Depending who has Professor Umbridge's ear in the Ministry, they may either treat your Millennium Items and powers as a godsend for their war effort, or a danger to us all."

"So he's making himself look better than the last leader by jailing anyone and everyone? How is that right?" said Yugi. How was that right in the slightest!?

"Whether or not we're truly dangerous is beside the matter now, isn't it? Didn't our admittance here have to go through your government?" said Seto. "If they thought we were going to be just as troublesome as Voldemort, they never should have allowed us here in the first place."

"You are correct, in part. But they were not truly aware of your abilities at the time. Therefore I must advise you to proceed with caution. We cannot undo what Dolores or any of the other students have seen, but we can prevent this from happening again. If the Ministry interferes at Hogwarts again, there will be only so much I can do to protect you. Now, I will ask again, and only once more, before I let Dolores back into the room. Do I have your word, all of you, that outside of anything that may come up in this office this evening that this Shadow Realm and banishing of creatures will not happen again?"

He waited for them all to agree before standing up. "Very good." With a quick wand wave at the door, he readmitted Professor Umbridge as Bakura disappeared back into the Millennium Ring. "Thank you for your patience, Dolores. I believe I have heard everything I needed."

"So you agree that these two put us all in danger. Their strange golden jewelry are cursed, full of dark magic that puts us all at risk!"

"Now, now," said Dumbledore. "Do not jump to conclusions." He turned to Yugi and Bakura. "This Shadow Realm, how do you summon it?"

Yugi blinked. "Professor?"

"In order to truly understand the depths of Dolores accusations, and your insistence that it was in defense, I would like to see this realm for myself. Can you summon it in the same manner as the previous time?"

Ryou swallowed nervously and nodded.

/Stop. Let me do it./

Yugi watched as the Ring activated against Ryou's chest and the room darkened, bathed in shadow.

"Yes, this is exactly what it was," said Umbridge, rubbing at her arms. It certainly got cold in this place.

"There aren't any monsters here," said Yugi. Not now, at least. "The boggart…is here somewhere, I think."

"You think?" said Umbridge, "You don't know?"

"The Shadow Realm is what the caster makes of it," said Yugi, "This is just for show, so there isn't anything here except the shadows themselves."

Dumbledore looked around before holding up his withered hand. "Alright, that is quite enough."

"Where does this Shadow Realm come from?" said Umbridge as the room returned to normal, "Is it that necklace? How did that get past the search at the start of term?"

"I was wearing it, just like Yugi wears his. They're old relics passed down. They're not dangerous…most of the time." Ryou hugged his arms to his chest. "I'm sorry if I scared you in class, Professor. It was an accident. I wasn't prepared to fight the boggart. Yugi was only trying to help me."

Umbridge scowled. "Professor Dumbledore, I insist we confiscate these strange relics immediately. This may have been an accidental use of what seems to be dangerous magic, but what's to say the next time won't be an accident? These items and their mysterious power could pose a threat to the school. I'm sure the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries would have a right time diving into the secrets of these artifacts."

Yugi visibly paled. The last time he was parted from the Millennium Puzzle, it ended up shattered in a burning warehouse.

"That won't be necessary," said Dumbledore, "I can attest to the security of these Items, and the safety of the school. I have given these students my word that they can keep them, under the strict knowledge that Shadow Magic was not to be used. And it would appear that they were not the only ones at fault that day, Dolores. I cannot force you to teach your classes any certain way, but may I advise review of counter spells and jinxes before subjecting the students to any more dark creatures. That should help prevent another occurrence in the future."

Umbridge opened her mouth to speak again, but Dumbledore silenced her with a stern look. "That is my final say on this matter. Mr. Muto, Mr. Bakura, you two are free to go to your Transfiguration lesson – or what would remain of it. There is another matter Professor Umbridge and I need to discuss with Mr. Kaiba."

"Thanks," said Yugi, getting up. "Oh – I have a question. I don't know if I should ask you or Professor McGonagall…but are we allowed to visit Hogsmeade Village? We never got permission slips to get signed."

"Ah," said Dumbledore with a smile. "Seeing as only one of you truly lives with a parent or guardian, I have waived that little snag. Headmaster's privilege."

Umbridge's jaw dropped.

Ryou's eyes lit up. He had been worried all this time that he would have to track down his father in who-knows-where to get a permission slip signed before the end of next week, so not having to do that was a huge relief off his shoulders. "Really?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore, ignoring the perplexed look Umbridge was giving him. "So long as you do not abuse that privilege, I will allow you to go without a form."

"Thank you, Professor!"

"You are welcome," said Dumbledore. "Now, off you get."

Yugi whispered to Ryou as the door closed behind them. "I think we got off super lucky."

Ryou nodded, wide-eyed. "I think you're right. Umbridge isn't getting her way at all."

Yugi shook his head as they exited the entrance to the Headmaster's Office and hurried towards the Transfiguration classroom. "But I have a feeling she's going to make the rest of Kaiba's night a nightmare instead."

... "Now, Mr. Kaiba," said Dumbledore, calmly, "If I understand correctly, you have taken up a rather large endeavor over the past month."

Seto stiffened in his seat. "You could say that."

"Electronics simply do not work on the grounds."

"There are radios in the common room. Explain that."

"Those radios broadcast to the Wizarding Wireless Network."

Seto looked at Umbridge. "And your point? It's built like a Muggle radio, but it obviously can't work like one. So why is it so hard to believe that a different piece of Muggle technology is working here?"

"The radios in the common room are not the same as the Muggle invention," Dumbledore explained, "They merely look the part. They are run entirely on magic. Electronics simply are not capable of working here at Hogwarts. There is simply too much interference."

Seto raised an eyebrow and pulled his phone from his pocket. He pressed the button on the side to wake it up and turned the screen towards both of his professors. "I can assure you that this works perfectly."

Dumbledore leaned forward, intrigued. "How did you manage that? Not that anyone previously had a reason to make Muggle technology work on the grounds, but that is supposed to be impossible."

"It wasn't an impossibility," said Seto, "It was a challenge."

"Regardless of what it was or wasn't," said Umbridge, "Working technology on the castle grounds disrupts the protective enchantments around the school, keeping it hidden from Muggle detection. Just how many of the wards did you knock down to get your little toys working?"

"None," said Seto coolly, "I didn't break down any of them. I worked around them – and no, you don't get to know how I did it."

"Can the school's security be compromised by your working technology?"

Seto shook his head. "No. The only way that would be possible is if someone used global positioning to find my exact location and knew that the school was here. There's only one person who would have a need to do that, and that's my brother. That's a moot point anyway, because he already knows where I am. He wouldn't need to use Muggle technology to come find me, he could arrange visitation with the wizards stationed at home."

Seto sighed and crossed his arms. "I read the laws before doing any of this. Nothing was broken, no wards were breached."

"Can we really trust that the Statute of Secrecy isn't being broken?" said Umbridge loudly, "Perhaps your devices need to be thoroughly examined. You are a new wizard, Mr. Kaiba, so it is highly unlikely you thought of everything in your little project."

Seto narrowed his eyes. "And I told you last night that there was no way you were getting your hands on any of it. This phone, my computer, any of it. They're not toys. I brought them to keep in contact with my brother and run my company."

"Which you can also do through conventional methods," said Umbridge.

"Please, your ideas of conventional methods are outdated. There's a reason why we stopped using carrier pigeons to send messages. Did you know it takes days to get an owl to fly to Japan? My brother is twelve. I can't check up on him by waiting a week for a message to get home and back, if I'm lucky." He tapped his fingers against his arm. "Portkeys are just as unreliable as birds, and I'm not setting up my fireplace to your Floo Network. Asking me to hand over my equipment is nearly equivalent of me asking you to give me your wands and still expect you to function in your society. Give it up."

He fixed his eyes on Dumbledore. "I may not be running the daily operations of my own company while I'm here, but you can't expect me to not check in on it. There are still matters that involve my attention wherever I happen to be. And it would look suspicious to the board of directors if I seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. As it is, I'm at some 'remote, unknown university' because I can't tell them I hopped on a plane to learn magic. If I broke all contact with them, there would be panic, and then, yes, someone would probably come looking for me."

"But –"

"And, like I told you last night, Professor McGonagall cleared my equipment when the year began. If she thought that they would bring Muggles down on your doorstep, she wouldn't have given any of it back to me."

"None of it was working at the time," said Umbridge, "She probably didn't know what any of it was."

"Alright, Dolores," said Dumbledore, sighing, "I'm afraid this has gone on long enough. I know very well that the protective magic around the school has not been broken, and so long as his equipment is not posing a disruption in class, I will not allow it to be taken." He turned to Seto. "I expect from this point forward that your devices will not intrude on any class, whether it be Defense Against the Dark Arts, or Herbology. I understand the need to keep contact in a dire situation, but for all other times, please keep it off or in your dormitory when in class. Otherwise, Professor Umbridge will have my authority for confiscation."

"Very well."

"And Dolores – please accept my humblest apologies. I should have made you and the rest of the staff aware of my agreement with Mr. Kaiba about his work prior to the start of term. Moving forward, I expect no punishment to be given on this matter unless it causes a clear distraction in your classroom." Dumbledore gazed at her over the top of his half-moon spectacles. "Do not let the matter linger."

Umbridge looked like she swallowed a lemon. "Yes, Headmaster."

"Well then," said Dumbledore, getting up and gesturing to the door. "We must let Mr. Kaiba return to what may be left of his Transfiguration lesson before the curfew sets in for the evening."

"On the contrary," said Umbridge, "Mr. Kaiba has detention with me this evening for his verbal lashing out in my classroom."

"Ah. I was made aware of that. Perhaps the delivery was not executed well, but his reasons were quite valid. In these times, I will not refuse any student their right to call upon their loved ones in a crisis. Put the matter to bed, Dolores. Tonight is the last to dwell on this topic. And in future, please do not schedule detentions during anyone's class. It would not do for any student to fall behind in a catching-up course."

Umbridge smiled sweetly at Dumbledore. "Of course." However, once her back was turned, the sugary smile instantly vanished. She led Seto out of Dumbledore's office and back towards her own.

/She certainly is pounding her feet against the floor isn't she/ Set mused.

/She's mad for losing both of her complaints against us in Dumbledore's office./

/She's just going to take it out on you. Try not to rile her up any further this time./

/Hn./

/I am surprised you did not bring up the wizard break-in in Dumbledore's office./

/Of course I didn't. For all I know he had a hand in it./

"Alright, Mr. Kaiba, have a seat," said Umbridge, once they reached her office. She slammed the door shut behind them and sat behind her desk.

"How long am I supposed to write lines this time?" Seto said, dropping his laptop bag down next to him.

"That is up to you," said Professor Umbridge. She waved her wand and a new roll of parchment appeared in front of him, along with the black quill. "Seeing as I only have you for one more evening (for this offense, she said to herself), things are going to be done a little differently this time. We're going to play a little game. Now, now – don't give me that look, I understand you're quite good at them. Winning should come naturally to you."

Seto narrowed his eyes, guarded. "What kind of game?"

Umbridge gestured to the desk. "In front of you is a new sheet of parchment. I am going to ask you a series of questions. I expect you to answer them for me. For every upfront, honest answer, that parchment will shorten in size. If you refuse to answer at any time, do not answer satisfactorily, or lay upon me one of your quick-witted verbal attacks, the end of the parchment will grow. I will ask the questions only once. When I am finished, you will write lines across whatever parchment remains until the sheet is full."

"What happens if I answer all of your questions?"

Umbridge's smile widened. "You win the game. The parchment will disappear, and you will be free to go about your evening. It's that simple!"

"And…if I refuse the terms of your game?"

Umbridge let out a high-pitched giggle. "Oh my, you are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" She tapped her wand against the sheet of parchment and it more than quadrupled in size. "You will write lines on that until the words sink so deep that you don't ever forget them, or it will be time for your first morning class, whichever comes first."

/It looks like you don't have much of a choice. It's either lines...or more lines./

Sighing, Seto laid his arms on the rests of the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. "Very well," he grumbled, "…start your game."

"See, things are so much easier when you are agreeable," said Umbridge, returning the parchment to its original size. She smiled warmly. "Would you like tea before we begin?"

"No."

"Alright." She poured herself a cup and scooped some of her hideous pink sugar crystals into it. "Let's ease into things. I will start simple." She held her wand over the parchment. "Your brother's name?"

"Mokuba. Why is that important?"

Umbridge shrugged. "It isn't. I'm giving you easy points, be grateful." She tapped her wand, and the parchment shortened up about an inch. "How long have you been in control of your company?"

"Over two years."

"Good, good," said Umbridge, scribbling down notes, "Quite an accomplishment considering your age. And your birthday?"

Seto pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there a point to this line of questioning?"

Umbridge raised an eyebrow and moved her wand closer to the parchment. "Is that a refusal to answer? And on something so simple, tut tut."

He glared at her. "October 25th."

"See, that wasn't so difficult. Mind that temper or you're never going to win this game. I take it you'll be seventeen in a few weeks?"

"Yes."

"Good, very good," said Umbridge, watching as the parchment got a little smaller. "Any romantic interests?"

That was so out of left field that if Seto had been drinking, he would have spat it out. "Excuse me?"

"Many of the female students here seem infatuated with you. Look at yourself; as a tall, good-looking young man, you must have no trouble at all finding a date."

"I have no time nor desire for romance," said Seto stiffly. "Not that this is any of your business."

"No…" Umbridge said, making more notes on her own parchment. "I suppose not."

"Ask about something else."

Umbridge pouted dramatically. "Did I touch a sore spot?"

"My private life is my concern, not yours. Move on."

"As you wish." She put down her quill, clasped her hands on the desk next to it. "You're doing so well, Seto." She smirked as he stiffened at her use of his given name. "What an improvement you've made over last night!"

Seto drummed his fingers against the arm rest.

"Now…" Umbridge leaned forward. "Tell me about Mr. Muto's necklace."

A/N: Cartomancy is a form of Divination using Tarot cards.