A/N: Part of Chapter 2 where Seto first meets Set has been tweaked for the sake of continuity moving forward. It was a minor detail (practically insignificant) that had to be changed, but kudos to anyone who remembers enough that far back to find it!

/Text/ Spirit to Host

/Text/ Host to Spirit

Chapter 22: Intrusion

"It is quite remarkable really," said Voldemort, settling back into his armchair that evening. Nagini slithered across the floor and up the side of the chair to rest across the arm. "The mental strength of these tomb guardians..."

The familiar golden eye gleamed from the shadow that appeared across the room next to the broken sword.

"It is curious how these Muggles have managed a basic form of Occlumency," Voldemort continued. "I was not aware that Muggles even had the ability to shield their minds." Of course, in any other circumstance, he wouldn't have cared enough to find that out.

You should not underestimate the chosen guardians to the seven Millennium Items. They would more willingly die than to let their secrets out.

"And how would you know this?"

The creation of the Millennium Items was a closely guarded secret. I was the only survivor of that plot. The use of those Items nearly brought doom upon the world.

Voldemort stroked the back of Nagini's head and stared curiously at the shadow. "Is that your mission? To gather them all again and cause chaos once more?"

It is only by returning all seven Items to their stone tablet can the Dark One be revived. The world was nearly burned once, and it took a great sacrifice to stop it. Imagine having that power at your disposal. This Dumbledore fellow that you are so against will not be able to thwart your plans, and your defeat at Harry Potter's hands could be avoided completely. No man on earth is powerful enough to stop him. Why set your sights on control over this small island, when you can have the entire globe at your feet?

Voldemort paused. "Without knowing where the Items are at this moment, that task seems a touch difficult."

Have you truly gained nothing from the tomb keeper? Even with a heightened mental defense, I find it quite hard to believe he has bested the likes of you.

Voldemort waved a hand dismissively, "He has either shown great resistance to the Veritaserum, or he does not truly know who the Eye was given to." He studied Aknadin's shadow. "It was the Eye you sought first, wasn't it?"

We will, of course, require all of the Millennium Items in due time, but yes – the Eye was mine while I was alive. That guardian was responsible for keeping the Eye safe. He should have been present when it was handed off to its modern-day wielder.

"From what little they have been able to probe from him, the guardian witnessed a man with silver hair be forcibly given a golden eye by someone with a turban. But no names. A man with silver hair could be almost anyone, and there are plenty of individuals wearing turbans out in the desert."

A man with silver hair…may be all the information that we need.

Nagini hissed quietly.

"How so?" asked Voldemort.

If you recall, I revealed myself to you so long after you received the sword fragment was because I had been…preoccupied.

"I remember."

Prior to my banishment, I forged a connection – however brief – with one of the other Sacred Guardians of the Millennium Items. While incredibly weak, I have been able to reopen that bond.

Voldemort leaned forward, intrigued. "Oh? And who would that be?"

Like the Pharaoh himself, it appears that his High Priest – the one depicted on that image of the stone slab – has also returned to this world. I have been making attempts to search their minds for the remaining Items.

How interesting, Voldemort mused. Perhaps they wouldn't need the stubborn guardian after all, if this High Priest of Darkness could find the information out elsewhere. "Have you been successful?"

Not quite. My powers are still broken, and the connection forged to the Priest is poor. It takes a great deal of energy to project into the boy's mind, and in my current state, I cannot stay for long. But now…I have something specific to seek.

"What would make this search easier?"

The distance between us is quite great. Having him close would allow me to reallocate my energy into finding what I seek rather than simply attempt the journey, but your enemy keeps him and the Pharaoh too well guarded.

"Worry not about that," Voldemort shook his head. "Moves are already being made to breach the castle."

Then finding the other half of this sword should be a higher priority. The Priest and his reincarnation possess the Millennium Rod, and in the very brief flicks of memory that I have been able to access, the boy has been in contact with the others. If this tomb guardian will not share the locations of the other Millennium Items, then we will force the information from elsewhere.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "I already told you that I have men scouring the desert. The other half of that sword could be anywhere."

You must hurry. I have gone mostly undetected so far. The Priest is aware of my probes, but not who I am. Not only does attacking Seto Kaiba's mind take a great deal of strength, but I must also keep the spirit of the Priest at bay so I am not forced out prematurely. I can already sense the unease in the Priest's mind. It will not be long before he attempts to lock me out of his host completely. We cannot allow that to happen.

"Surely, if that were to occur, there are others that know of the Millennium Items."

And how will you find them? You have held that man in the cellar for weeks, and all you have been able to wrangle from him is that the wielder of the Eye has silver hair. The other guardians will be just as difficult to read, if they can even be found. By now, news of this one's disappearance will have sent the others to hiding.

Voldemort frowned. "So this Priest – or at the least, his host – is our best bet to finding the other six Millennium Items."

And so much more. Alone, the Millennium Items are not enough to return Zorc the Dark One to this world. Another key is required. Additionally, restoring this sword is not enough to grant me a new body. An ancient spell will need to be performed. The casting requirements hail from a forbidden text – the same one used to forge the Millennium Items, but I am sure that by now the book has been long gone.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow and got up to pace the length of the room. "If this text is lost, how do you expect to have your body restored? It would seem you would lose out on this little agreement of ours."

Not quite. I have committed much of the text to memory. However…there is one ingredient in particular we would need to gather. In the current state of affairs, it is unavailable to us, but that is something that can be collected later. For now, I must conserve power. Midnight draws near, and the mind is always the weakest when in rest.

"I am surprised that you choose not to peer through the Pharaoh's mind. What could this Priest offer you that the Pharaoh himself couldn't?"

He couldn't see it, but, by the tone of the reply, he would almost bet that Aknadin's shadow had smiled.

Everything.

"You should get some sleep or else you will be too tired to explore Hogsmeade in the morning," said Yami, perched on the chair next to Yugi's bedside.

"I think I'm too excited to sleep," said Yugi. "We haven't been able to leave the castle since we arrived. I was beginning to develop cabin fever."

"Do you think we'll find something for everyone back home?" asked Ryou. He sat propped against his headboard with his Divination book in his lap. "I hear there's a joke shop in the village. I'm sure Joey and Tristan will get a kick out of the things there."

"I'm not quite sure what Téa or Grandpa would like," said Yugi, drawing his blanket around his legs.

"Your grandfather was once an archaeologist, right?" said Ryou. "A lot of things they use here have that medieval feel to them."

Yugi laughed quietly, "Are you saying I should get him a quill and some ink?"

Ryou chuckled. "I didn't mean that."

"I know what you meant," said Yugi, grinning. "Although, he would probably get a kick out of using a quill to write with…I could see him balancing the shop's ledgers with it."

Ryou tapped his chin thoughtfully. "What about a book, like Hogwarts: A History? I bet he would love to read about the school."

"Oh, that might work," said Yugi. "That thing's enormous though. I don't know if an owl would be able to carry it that far."

"Why don't you wait until Seto's next visit home?" asked Set from his vigil at Seto's bedside. "Your grandfather and the others will have to wait about a week or so longer than having owls take your gifts, but at least you know they will arrive safely."

"We can ask tomorrow," Ryou shrugged. "Worst case is he says no."

Yugi nodded, and looked across the room. Seto had mentioned something about a headache and had gone to bed uncharacteristically early. Usually he was the last to leave the common room at night, but tonight he had left the others well before any of them had finished their homework. When he and Ryou eventually made it upstairs, the curtains around Seto's bed had been drawn, and Set hovered nearby, eyes down, focused on the transparent Millennium Rod he slowly twirled around his fingers.

"It was just a headache, Set," said Yami reassuringly. "You look as if you're about to fight something."

Set sighed and crossed his arms. "I expect to. The last time he retired early from something like this, he was attacked twice in the same night."

"That doesn't mean it will happen every time," said Yugi. "Maybe it was a coincidence."

"Even so…"

"It's happened more than once this way, hasn't it?" asked Yami.

"Seto normally works his way through his ailments," said Set, "But any time something has bothered him to the point that he actually stopped to rest, he was attacked. What's the point of trying to catch up on sleep if he's not going to get it?"

"There's truly nothing you can do to prevent that from happening?" asked Ryou.

"Their bond is weak," said Bakura as he phased out of the Millennium Ring. "And whoever is behind the attack is taking advantage of it."

Set narrowed his eyes as he looked back down at the Millennium Rod. It wouldn't be you, would it? "Seto has grudgingly agreed to work on strengthening it. But it will take time."

"Will you need help?" asked Yugi. "I don't know what it would entail, but if you want it…"

Set shook his head. "Seto will downright refuse it, but I–" He paused, hearing what sounded like a sharp, pained intake of breath from the bed.

Yugi frowned. "But what?"

Set held up a hand and stared off at the scarlet curtains as if he was seeing right through them. "No, no, no….." He jumped to his feet instantly, activated the Millennium Rod from the nightstand, and immediately disappeared.

Yugi and Yami exchanged worried glances. They had never been present when one of the weird attacks began. Yugi pulled his blankets back, padded across the room and pulled back one of the bed curtains. He raised an arm, hesitated and then shook his rival's shoulder lightly. "Kaiba?"

The Rod pulsed again, drawing a wince from Seto's otherwise blank face. He shifted, turning his head to the side, but didn't wake.

Yugi shook his shoulder again with a little more force. "Kaiba!"

A moment later Set was thrown back out, phasing right through Yugi to land in the center of the room.

"What happened?" asked Ryou, climbing out of bed to stand beside Yugi. Bakura stayed back by the window, arms crossed.

Set sighed angrily. "I've been locked out." Again. "Although…I did catch a bare glimpse of the…the thing doing this."

"Really?" asked Ryou. "Who was it?"

Set shook his head. "I don't know. You could hardly call it a person. It was tall without any sort of physical features. But I think I can say that without actually meeting him, it was not Voldemort behind the attack."

"What makes you say that?" said Yami.

"Because the only distinguishing thing in that hulking shape was what appeared to be a Millennium Eye."

Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"There has to be something we can do," said Yugi. "Maybe you can't stop him on your own, but perhaps we can help!" He turned to Yami, "Remember during the Battle City finals, you were able to breach Marik's hold on Mai's mind, even for a little bit during their duel?"

Yami nodded. "Maybe together, we can force the assailant out." He shared a look with Yugi, and with a quick gleam of the Millennium Puzzle, switched places. He reached for the Millennium Rod, but froze when it activated on its own, pulsating for a few seconds before dying out again. He watched Seto's face wrinkle in pain as he twitched in his sleep before going slack again.

Set looked down at the Rod. "That…that wasn't me that time."

"We better hurry," said Yami. He placed one hand on the Puzzle, and the other reached for the Rod again.

There was a flash of golden light from the three Millennium Items in the room. Yami closed his eyes against it, and when he opened them again, he found himself in a familiar, yet different corridor.

"It would appear that all of our hallway halves look exactly the same. Interesting."

Set whirled around to glare at Bakura. "What are you doing here?"

Bakura pretended to look offended. "I'm sorry. If you didn't want my help, you should have said so. I thought you were fed up with these attacks on Kaiba."

"I didn't think you would be willing to help, considering you two don't get along," said Yami.

Bakura looked around Seto and Set's corridor. "Discovering the culprit will also keep my host safe; otherwise I could care less what happens to Kaiba."

Yami looked about the corridor. Set's door did look the same as his own. And while Yugi's half of their corridor seemed warmer and more inviting (down the always-open door showing a room full of toys and games), it didn't surprise him in the least that Kaiba's half was a carbon copy of his company, down to the nameplate and the polished floor that contrasted heavily with the ancient stone on the other side. However, the office door itself was shrouded in a dark purple mist.

Frowning, Yami reached for the door handle, but was thrown back. "I take it this is normal?"

"Unfortunately," said Set, "All of my attempts to break through that door have failed."

"There are three of us this time," said Yami, but seeing the look Bakura gave him, corrected himself, "…Alright, two and someone to stand back and laugh at us if we fail."

Bakura didn't respond to Yami's baiting, instead just stared curiously at the shadowy mist blocking the door.

"Then we will try and force our way through at the same time," said Set. He clutched the Millennium Rod tightly in his fist.

The Millennium Items lit the corridor with their magic, but it did little to remove the mist.

/Pharaoh, what just happened?/

/Spirit – what did you just do? Are you hurting Kaiba on purpose?/

Bakura rolled his eyes. /I did nothing, Landlord, that was the Pharaoh and his Priest./

Yami frowned. /We hurt him just now?/

Yugi's voice came through his link. /Yeah…he reacted pretty violently that time, but it was only for a moment. Did something happen?/

/Set and I just tried to breach into his room, but there is a barrier in place. We were unsuccessful./

Bakura suddenly stepped forward, as if the light bulb over his head had flipped on. "You both are pathetic. It's the Shadow Realm."

"The Shadow Realm?" Yami turned to him incredulously. "Within someone's mind?"

"It makes sense," Bakura shrugged. "Shadow Games cannot be interrupted once they're started, assuming that's what is going on here. Don't you remember, Pharaoh, how you tried to interfere with my little gambit against Marik atop Kaiba's blimp? You didn't get very far, did you?"

Yami paused. Bakura had already lost the duel by the time he was able to confront Marik. "How did you know about that?"

Bakura ignored his question and stepped closer to the mist. He reached out for the door, and ignored Set's gasp when his hand went right through to grasp the handle.

"H-how?" Set stammered, before throwing the Thief back up against the opposite wall. He drew the blade out from the Millennium Rod and held it out against Bakura's throat. "It was you, wasn't it?" He asked darkly, "Admit, you are the one doing this to Seto – how else would you be able to pass through the barrier, and the two of us cannot?"

Bakura snorted, and shoved the blade away. "What reason would I have to snoop through his mind? He doesn't have absolutely anything I would want. Even if it was me, and this was truly about the Millennium Items, don't you think I would go after someone who actually knows something about them? Someone who, I don't know… possessed it for more than a few measly months and didn't spend most of his time denying their existence?"

"He has a point," said Yami. "Kaiba would know the least out of all of us." He paused. "But that doesn't explain how you can get through that mist."

Bakura scowled. Neither of them really needed to know the truth –not now. The only reason he had been able to put his hand through the Shadows was because it seemed to recognize him as the caster. It wasn't him, of course, but that didn't leave a good feeling in his mind. The Shadow Realm usually warped and listened to only the one who summoned it, so why did he recognize him? He had never stepped foot in Kaiba's mind before. But it wasn't as if the Priest would believe him. Set wouldn't waste any opportunity to run him through with the bladed end of the Millennium Rod.

This turn of events was stumping him, leaving a feeling of foreboding in the back of his mind.

The tomb robber pushed himself off of the wall, sidestepped the angry Priest, and sauntered over to the other side of the corridor. He jabbed a thumb towards the door. "I think you're forgetting the reason behind our little field trip. Which is it going to be – are you going to interrogate me, or save Kaiba?"

"This isn't over, Bakura," Set growled.

"Yes, yes, continue your thinly-veiled threats," said Bakura, unfazed. He raised the Millennium Ring from its resting place against his chest and held it up to the barrier to the door. The Ring began to emit a golden hue, before taking the same color as the Shadow Realm itself. The barrier seemed to respond to the Ring, but it did not disappear.

"I cannot dissipate the Shadow Realm completely," said Bakura, frowning, "But it should let us all pass."

Yami nodded and held a hand out hesitantly. Unlike before, where he would have rebounded off of the shadowy wall, it continued on. "Alright…let's go."

"If Seto finds out that we also invaded his mind, he will not be pleased. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes off on you again," said Set, more so to Yami.

Bakura clapped his hands together. "Oh – well, in that case…" With an almost giddy expression on his face, he strode confidently through the barrier and threw open the door to Seto's room, disappearing inside.

"If it helps him wake up, I'm sure he'll get over it," said Yami, and followed Bakura inside.

Yami wasn't quite sure what to expect – would they see Seto asleep in his soul room? Would he be awake yet unable to fight the assault on his mind? Would they see the perpetrator outright? Would they have to find him?

He didn't expect to land right into one of Seto's memories, standing off to the side as if he had been a witness to the original events in person. They had been dumped into the top floor office at Kaiba Corp, with Seto behind the desk, fingers pounding relentlessly into his keyboard.

Yami barely had time to look around before the scenario they had dropped into seemed to fade away into the obvious purple darkness of the Shadow Realm. A new scene unraveled before them, as if they were stuck in the middle of a living slide show.

Yami blinked and studied their new surroundings. They were in the museum, where Ishizu kept the tablets depicting the early days of Duel Monsters.

"These carvings look like Duel Monster cards." Yami turned around to see Seto and Ishizu standing by the headlining artifacts in the room.

"Indeed – in ancient times, the monsters were real, summoned by sorcerers to do their bidding," said Ishizu. "Eventually, the monsters became too powerful to control, and were sealed into the stone tablets to prevent them from causing any more destruction. However…evil sorcerers found ways to release the monsters from stone and used them to wage war against the Pharaoh."

Ishizu walked down the room a few steps and stood before the second enormous carving. "Come here, Kaiba, for this is the reason why I called you here tonight. It depicts the Pharaoh himself, and his greatest opponent."

"I realize you want to watch the show," said Bakura, looking around the room with narrowed eyes, "And that none of were actually here at the time, but it's possible whoever is attacking Kaiba is also here with us."

"And how would we find him?" asked Yami.

"We don't belong here," said Set, "And neither would they. Something must look out of place somewhere." He shook his head. "I have never been to this museum. Have you?"

Yami nodded as they heard Seto gasp in front of the tablet. ("T-that looks just like Yugi!") "I have, but…" he took a quick look around. "I don't see anything yet…"

"…and that looks like his Dark Magician."

"It's true that the Pharaoh's loyal servant was the Dark Magician," said Ishizu, "But look there. Across from the Pharaoh stands his greatest opponent, and his loyal monster."

Set gasped and furrowed his brow. Were the stories true? …How did he become enemies with the Pharaoh, when all that he could remember was standing and fighting alongside him?

"What the –"

"That's right, Kaiba – that sorcerer is you, and his loyal monster is none other than the Blue Eyes White Dragon!" said Ishizu, "The legends state that the sorcerer challenged the Pharaoh to a duel with the fate of the entire world at stake. The Pharaoh of course accepted the challenge, and their epic battle began. No one knows the true conclusion to that battle, but it continues on, after 5,000 years." She pointed to an area near the bottom of the tablet, under the figure of the Pharaoh. "The victor of the battle may have been recorded here, but it has been since worn away."

At Ishizu's mention of the Blue Eyes, Yami could have sworn he heard a low growl in the room, as if it had come from the dragon itself. But that was ridiculous, there were obviously no dragons in sight, and Kaiba's duel disk wasn't active, let alone even in the room. …So where did it come from?

He didn't have time to ponder, before the memory faded away completely, going from the dark interiors of the Domino Museum to the sunny poolside of an extravagantly large mansion. At first, Yami thought it was Kaiba's until he saw someone get up off of one of the lounge chairs with a glass of wine in his hand. The long white mane was unmistakable.

"Ah, can it be? My dear friend Kaiba-boy!"

Yami watched Seto visibly stiffen. "Spare me the pleasantries. You and I have never been friends, so let's not start pretending that we are."

"Oh my, it sounds like someone needs a hug."

Bakura snorted.

Yami noticed Set looked uncomfortable watching Seto banter back and forth. He may not have been around during Duelist Kingdom, but it appears he found out about Pegasus one way or another.

"…I've come in search of a card powerful enough to beat Yugi's three Egyptian God Cards."

Yami nodded slowly, and looked around the bright landscape, for anything that would appear it didn't belong. So this was how Kaiba got the upgrade to his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon…. That entire drama that led to the destruction of the original Kaiba Dome was not something he really wanted to remember. He and Yugi were almost killed by a dark Egyptian spirit that had taken control of Kaiba for the majority of the duel. He was honestly surprised that none of them were crushed when the Dome's ceiling collapsed around them – especially Kaiba, who had ended up injured and unconscious when that entity cast him aside in favor of trying to do them in himself.

"…Oh very well, I confess, I have one card, that would help, but you can't have it!"

Seto glowered at him. "What!?"

Pegasus practically giggled. "I'm sorry, Kaiba-boy, but I don't think you deserve it. I may not see as well as well as I once did…" He put his hand up towards where the Eye used to be and moved his hair away from his face. Seto visibly shuddered. After a few seconds, Pegasus smugly moved his hair back to cover the empty socket. "…but to be honest, it doesn't take a magic eye to see just how thoroughly Yugi has trounced you again and again. If you ask me, it's downright embarrassing!"

Seto scowled at him and crossed his arms. "Well, in that case, you should have no problem defeating me in a duel."

Pegasus snorted. "And why would I duel you?"

Seto reached into the inner pocket of his white trench coat and pulled out his dueling deck. He didn't have to leaf through it, drawing only the top three cards and showing them out to Pegasus. "Because if you'll put up the card I need to beat Yugi, I'll wager these."

As Dream Kaiba held up his three prized Blue Eyes White Dragons, the three spirits looked up and around the patio together as that same roar was heard again. It was slightly louder this time, but there was still nothing nearby to indicate where it had originated.

"I know I wasn't the only one who heard that," said Bakura.

Set shook his head. It sounded familiar, as if he had heard it before, but not while in Seto's mind.

The scene suddenly changed, and Yami found himself up in the familiar balcony area of Duelist Kingdom, standing beside Joey and the others as they watched Seto's duel against Pegasus in the arena below.

"I don't know how you're cheating, Pegasus, but this has gone on long enough." He placed his entire hand down and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you can see my cards, then I won't use them."

"That's a really gutsy move," said Yugi.

"How do you figure?" asked Tristan.

"There's gotta be a hidden camera or something around here," said Joey, looking around. "I wouldn't put anything past that sleaze. But now that Kaiba's not even lookin' at his cards, he's gotta put his trust in the heart of the cards, if he's gonna have any chance of savin' Mokuba."

They watched as Seto closed his eyes, his hand hovering near his deck at the start of his next turn, and hesitated.

"I have to put all my faith in this one card…" Seto muttered. He quickly drew it and placed it in attack mode on the dueling arena, summoning a Blue Eyes White Dragon in a shower of light and color. Once it was fully visible in the arena, it lifted its head and gave its unmistakable roar.

The same roar that Yami could have sworn he heard twice already this night.

Yami wasn't even listening to the gasps of surprise from his friends beside him. His eyes were fixated on the dragon. Somehow…it seemed different than what he remembered from this duel. More…real. Part of him wanted to dismiss the idea, since this was Seto's memory of a holographic monster, and maybe Seto felt the dragon was more real to him than it actually was…but something in this memory felt more off than the others they had witnessed.

Set felt something twist in his gut. Ishizu Ishtar had said this monster was his loyal servant…but that couldn't be. His personal monster spirit was the warrior Duos. Where did the dragon come from, and why did he feel so connected to it?

Bakura narrowed his eyes and turned to the two spirits beside him. "Can you feel it?"

"Something isn't right here," said Yami. "I can't tell what it is, though." He watched Seto direct the dragon to attack the Toon monsters on the other side of the field, and sighed as the attack failed with the cartoon version of the Blue Eyes dodging out of the way easily.

Bakura turned away from the duel and gazed about the chamber. That same familiar feeling he had out in the corridor was back – but aside from the Shadows seeming to cycle through Kaiba's memories, he couldn't see it invading the memory itself. So where was it coming from?

Gripping the Ring tightly, he looked down at the five golden pointers. "Show me."

The dangling spikes raised themselves up and began to wave around blindly before freezing in place. Bakura scowled. That wasn't helpful at all. One was pointing directly at him, one at Pegasus, one at the Pharaoh (but not the memory's version of Yugi, which he found quite interesting), and one at Ryou, but the last one went wildly into the air. He looked up, but there was nothing to see but the next balcony up, and there was no one standing on it.

But why would the Ring point to himself…and Pegasus…and the Pharaoh's spirit, but not the memory of Yugi, when the Pharaoh himself was already in Yugi's body? What was missing? If the answer were the Millennium Items, it should have also pointed to little Yugi, because the Millennium Puzzle was as much around the shrimp's neck as the Pharaoh's spirit beside him. What was the common connection?

Yami watched as Pegasus played the Dragon Capture Jar, and the Blue Eyes began to disappear into the Jar. His jaw dropped. It looked as if part of the Blue Eyes phased out from itself and went into the jar, but the dragon still stood on the field. The memory continued to play out as if the Blue Eyes had completely left, but there it was, plain as day.

"It's the Blue Eyes," said Yami. "That has to be it. I think we have been hearing it roar this entire time."

Set scoffed. "Are you saying the dragon is giving Seto nightmares?"

"No," said Yami, "But it is unaffected by the environment. It was supposed to go into that Jar. And there it is."

They watched as the Blue Eyes that should have vanished rear up its head and open its mouth. Yami recognized the beginning of a lightning attack on the way.

"I don't know how real that is…but maybe we should move."

The dragon roared louder and aimed at the balcony above them.

NO!

The three spirits jumped at the voice – it seemed to echo throughout the entire room.

"Who was that?" Set asked, glancing around.

"I think we found our suspect," said Bakura. He craned his neck to look up at the exact spot the last spike on the Millennium Ring was indicating. "The Ring says it's up there."

"There's no one there," said Yami, but he gasped as the White Lightning attack flew past them and seemed to make contact with its intended target. There was the briefest glimpse of a monstrous shadow before the room seemed to tremor, as if Seto himself was shuddering in his sleep, maybe even in pain, before Duelist Kingdom faded away completely and they finally found themselves in Seto's soul room.

But they weren't alone.

The three spirits were left standing by the door as if they had all just entered. The shadow they had spotted for only an instant back in Pegasus's castle was thrown back violently from his spot standing over Seto's prone form on the office couch and into the opposite wall. The Blue Eyes White Dragon, who had managed to escape Seto's memories with the rest of them, landed in a low crouch that shook the room, forming a guarded stance over its master.

YOU WILL NOT BEST ME AGAIN.

The shadow that Set could only assume was a rather large person got up. It clenched its claw-like fist as if to make another attack, and the same purplish aura that had surrounded them in the memories – and the outside of Seto's door was back, outlining both the monster and Seto, as if it were trying to go back and attempt another round in the CEO's memories.

The dragon raised its head again for another burst as Yami stepped forward, raising the Millennium Puzzle in front of him. He couldn't let this thing hurt Kaiba any more than it already has, even though he hadn't a clue what to do against it. "STOP!"

Set moved to stand next to him and raised the Millennium Rod in a battle stance. "Begone, intruder! Leave Seto's mind at once!"

Bakura stayed to the side and took in the form of the shadow, from its irregularly tall stature to the only feature visible in the dark mass: the golden eye, and narrowed his own eyes, deep in thought. There was something familiar about it…

The purple aura around the shadow faltered for just a moment as it noticed the three spirits for the first time, giving the Blue Eyes its opening to unleash another lightning attack.

Our fight has not even begun, Pharaoh. We will meet again.

The attack hit the shadow head on, and this time, it completely disappeared, taking the remaining bits of the Shadow Realm with it. But the dragon wasn't done quite done yet, and turned its gaze on the three spirits. Another bright flash of light blinded them all as the force of the final White Lightning attack forced them from the room.

Yugi and Ryou's spirit forms scrambled from Seto's side as Yami and Bakura were violently thrown back, their link through the Millennium Rod cut off as Seto eyes shot open and he bolted upright in bed.

Meanwhile, miles from the school, the glow of a broken sword died out, leaving the otherwise empty room in total darkness.

.

.

It wasn't uncommon for Seto's bed to be empty when they got up in the morning, but considering the events of last night, Yugi almost expected Set to force him into one of those deeper sleeps to make up for the rest that none of them really got.

"I haven't seen him," said Harry, at breakfast. "But if he doesn't show soon, he's going to miss the trip to Hogsmeade."

"Last night wasn't all that good," said Yugi, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah," Ryou yawned. "We…uh, heard him tossing in his sleep a lot." He had to remind himself that Harry and the others were still just under the assumption that Seto was a restless sleeper, and that they were completely oblivious to the magical attacks that had been coming and going over the past few months. They had promised to be more open with them, but would that be their story to tell, or Kaiba's? Because if it were up to him, they would never hear about it.

Hermione frowned. "Madame Pomfrey could probably create some sort of tonic for that, especially if it's also keeping you two up at night."

Yugi shook his head. "I don't think he would take it, so it wouldn't really matter."

Ron shrugged. "I can't wait to see what new stuff Zonko's got in this time. You think they've got any of Fred and George's stuff in there?"

"They're probably competitors, so probably not," said Harry. He glanced past his best friend to see Romilda Vane and her friends just a short ways down the Gryffindor table. "Which might be a good thing. Less love potions around the school." He grimaced. "I had to avoid two cauldron cakes from a third-year on Wednesday. I don't get it – no one ever thought to give me this much attention here before."

Hermione sighed. "It's because everyone realized that the Ministry was wrong last year and you're not the nutter they believed you to be."

"Sometimes I wish we'd go back to that," said Harry miserably, "Between all the 'Chosen One' bull in the newspapers and the adoring looks I keep getting here, I wish I could be left alone."

Yugi smiled grimly, "The price of being famous…unfortunately."

To their dismay, the windows to Zonko's joke shop had been boarded up when they finally made their way down the village road.

Ron's shoulder's slumped. "So much for this."

"Hey –Ron, aren't those guys your brothers?" asked Ryou. He pointed down a ways where two red-headed individuals had left Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.

"Yeah. Oi – what are you two doing here?" said Ron loudly.

"Well hello to you too," said Fred as he and his twin came over to join them.

"Fancy meeting you here," said George.

"What are you guys up to?" asked Harry, "I would have thought you would be in Diagon Alley today."

"Lee's running things down at the shop," said Fred, "George and I were contemplating buying Zonko's property and turning it into an outlet store."

"What happened to Zonko's anyway?" asked Hermione.

George shrugged. "Same thing as what happened to almost half the shops in Diagon Alley. People are afraid to stay open and are hiding with their families."

"I was looking forward to checking out the place too," said Yugi. "Ryou and I were hoping to send something funny back home to our friends."

"Well then," said Fred, "The next time you're in Diagon Alley, stop by and we'll set you up."

George noticed Hermione's reproachful look and quickly added. "Nothing dangerous, of course, all the mild, safe stuff that'll give your friends a good laugh."

"Better yet," said Fred, "How 'bout we send you a pamphlet or something of some of our goodies, and you can order what you want right from the comfort of the Gryffindor common room?"

"We'll even mail it home for you, no charge, just for being chums with our brother here," said George, playfully punching Ron in the shoulder. Ron scowled at him.

"That would be great," Ryou smiled. "Though…we won't get in trouble for giving nonwizards magical items, right?"

"Naah," said Fred, "What do you think happens to the Muggleborn students that go home each holiday? Now, I don't know what Japan's laws are like or anything, but if your friends are discreet about magic, there shouldn't really be an issue."

"Well, we gotta run," said George, grabbing Fred by the arm and hauling him down towards the post office. "Have fun, and don't do anything we wouldn't do!"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So…where to first?" asked Ryou, "Since Zonko's is out of the question."

Yugi looked up and down the main street and frowned. "I don't see a Quidditch supply store here. That's a bit of a bummer."

"It's a long shot…" Hermione pointed to a shop a few doors down. "But Dervish and Banges might have brooms. They're usually a repair shop for magical instruments, but they have a few different kinds of things for sale."

Dervish and Banges, it turned out, didn't sell broomsticks, but they did have a great number of Sneakoscopes in all different sizes.

"They're dark detectors," said Harry, "When someone is doing something untrustworthy nearby, they spin and light up like an alert."

/Hm. I wonder if they work on spirits./ Ryou mentally smirked.

/Why don't you buy one and find out?/

/Do you plan on acting out anytime soon?/

Bakura sniffed. /Playing nice is getting old. Kaiba needs to get his blasted duel disks working because I have been itching for a good Shadow Game for some time…./

/SPIRIT!/

/Ugh. Fine. I'll wait until Christmas. Happy?/

Yugi purchased a small sneakoscope. "I wonder if it will help Grandpa in the shop. And it would fit right in, since it looks like a spinning top toy."

"So long as no one tries to buy it," said Ryou.

Yugi shook his head. "Nah, he can keep it behind the counter, or in the house. It may help him have peace of mind with all the weird stuff going on at home."

The next shop down the line was Gladrag's Wizardwear. "They specialize in ridiculous socks," said Harry, grinning. "We enjoyed finding gifts for Dobby the House Elf a few years ago here."

"I'm sure you could find a good gag gift for your friend Joey here," said Ron, "It's not Zonko's but I don't think they would expect their footwear to start berating them if it got too smelly."

"Really?" Yugi laughed. "That's awesome!"

They left the clothing store with fairly heavy bags. Yugi didn't really expect to gift his friends all socks, but surprisingly there was something for everyone in there, from self-warming socks that heat your toes when they get cold (for Téa), to ones that get quite vocal if they hadn't been washed in a long time (for Joey and Tristan, knowing they would find them hilarious).

The Tomes and Scrolls bookstore didn't have anything that caught their attention outright, but Ryou found it fascinating to peruse the shelves. This shop had much more in the way of wizard fiction than Flourish and Blotts, where mainly textbooks were sold.

At Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, they found inks in every shade under the sun (and some that were multi-pigmented, allowing the writer to write in an ever-changing rainbow of color), and a wide assortment of quills and other writing supplies.

"Do you think Kaiba needs a new quill or any restock on his ink or parchment?" asked Yugi.

Ryou shrugged. "Why don't you call him?"

Yugi shook his head. "Phone's in my trunk." He looked down the line of ink bottles and picked up two bottles – black, and one that was a dark navy, with a handsome black and silver quill to partner with them. "He's not here to pick out anything for himself if he wanted, so we'll call it a gift."

"I never would have guessed you would be buying Kaiba of all people a present," said Ryou.

Yugi shrugged. "I'm just surprised he hasn't broken the one he's using. We've all seen how frustrated he was when he was trying to figure out his tech problem. His current quill's been through a war and back."

Ryou picked up a few extra stacks of parchment. When he saw the wide-eyed looks Harry, Ron, and Hermione gave him, he blinked. "What? I have a feeling our homework load is only going to increase, and I don't want to run out of supplies."

Ron snorted. "That'll be plenty, mate. Gonna share that haul with the rest of us?"

Ryou smiled slyly. "Maybe."

Bakura huffed. /You should sell it and make a profit./

/No, Spirit. I don't need to try and win any coins off anyone at every opportunity. There are such things as sharing, you know./

"There will be other visits to Hogsmeade throughout the year," said Hermione. "For now, I would save your money and cut that amount down in half. You really don't need that much, even with the homework dump we seem to get this year."

"How often are the Hogsmeade trips?" asked Ryou.

"There's usually about one every one to two months," said Harry. "It's the end of October now, so the next one will probably be right before the Christmas Holidays, or right afterwards."

"Hm," Ryou mused, and put a couple of rolls back. "You're probably right."

After paying for their new purchases, they joined the throng of students out in the street. "It's a lot busier on this end of the village," said Yugi.

"The Three Broomsticks is down this way, along with Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," said Harry, "The Three Broomsticks is a popular hangout. We'll head there after you finish emptying all the stores on the strip. And you have to try butterbeer."

Yugi blinked. "Butterbeer?"

Harry nodded. "It's great, believe me. But stay clear of Madam Puddifoot's. It's the hangout for couples," he said, remembering the botched date he had with Cho Chang the previous year.

Hermione nodded. "Unless you want any more adoration from the female student body, I'd avoid that place like the plague."

Ryou laughed nervously. "Good idea."

They fought the crowd past the post office, and Yugi pointed between the buildings to a rundown-looking shack up on a hill between the village and the school. "What's that place?"

"That's the Shrieking Shack," said Ron, "It's considered the most haunted place in Britain because the villagers used to hear all sorts of moans and howls from the place."

"Really?"

"Turns out it was a werewolf using the shack to hide away during the full moon. It's not really haunted," said Harry.

Ron snorted. "Way to spoil the secret, Harry."

Harry blinked. "What? It's true though."

Ryou pointed to The Three Broomsticks. "Are we going to be able to find a table in there? It looks crowded."

"We can stop in Honeydukes first," said Hermione, "It's the last shop on the strip. Don't get me wrong, it'll get crowded there too, but maybe the rush at the pub will die off in a little bit."

They walked through the colorful doors into the chocolate shop and Yugi's jaw dropped. There were more sweets in this tiny little shop than he had ever seen in his entire life. The walls were covered in shelves of chocolate bars and Droobles Best Blowing Gum ("The bubbles won't pop for days," said Ron, grabbing a handful), and cauldron cakes. Barrels were set up at the end of the aisles full of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. There were sugar quills along the front counter, licorice wands, and so much more that Yugi wasn't sure just where to start.

Hermione didn't bother to hide the amused look on her face.

"I…don't know where to begin? There's so much stuff in here!"

"On one side of the room is usually good," said Ron, grinning as he grabbed a box of chocolate frogs.

Yugi leaned over to Ryou, eyes wide. "This place is dangerous."

Ryou grinned. "Only if you brought money."

Yugi held up his pouch with the remainder of his wizard money and shook it, hearing the coins clatter together in the bustling shop. "But I have money!"

Ryou laughed and dragged his friend over to the chocolate bars. "Here, start with something tame."

"You're not going to buy anything?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head from her spot by the door. "No…watching them ogle everything like five-year olds is enough for me."

Harry purchased a chocolate wand and nibbled on it, waiting for them to make it back outside.

"Do you guys have any money left?" asked Ron, when Yugi and Ryou finally left the checkout counter.

Yugi laughed, his arms weighed down by his purchases. "A little bit."

Hermione gaped at the size of their bags. "Did you leave anything in the store?"

Ryou snickered. "Just a little bit."

The Three Broomsticks was just as busy as it looked from the outside. Somehow, Hermione managed to score a large enough table in the back, while Harry and Ron went to grab butterbeers for everyone. Eventually, they returned with five frothy mugs. Harry had to sidestep Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle on their way to the table.

"Mmm, tastes like butterscotch," said Ryou, after taking a sip. "Not bad."

/Tastes like sugary ale,/ Bakura grimaced. /I'm not impressed./

/Of course you're not. I think it's tasty!/

"Ugh," said a voice from the table next to them. Hermione glanced over to see one of the seventh year Hufflepuffs (Leanne, she thought), fiddling with the straw of her drink, bored out of her mind. "What is taking her so long?"

"Are you waiting for someone?" asked Hermione.

"Katie Bell," said Leanne, "She went to the bathroom, but that seemed like it was ages ago."

"Did you try to go looking for her?" asked Ryou.

Leanne nodded numbly. "Yeah, but it's so busy in here I didn't want to lose our table."

"You want us to hold your table for you?" asked Yugi. "Maybe she's not feeling well."

Leanne frowned. "She seemed okay earlier today."

Harry looked around the pub. "Isn't that her over there?"

Leanne looked over her shoulder. "Oh – yes, thanks Harry. I'll see you around."

They watched her cross the crowded bar. "Katie, where the heck have you been!?"

After the two girls left the pub, Yugi leaned back in his seat. "Do we really have to go back to the school? It's been so nice to get away from everything, at least for a little while."

"We've been out longer than you think," said Harry, glancing up at the clock behind the bar. "We don't have to leave this second, but we should head back out soon. The last thing we all need is to be the last ones back at the castle and for Umbridge to come down on all of us for being late."

Ryou blinked. "But it's the weekend."

Ron polished off his butterbeer. "Doesn't matter, mate, or do you really want to risk getting on her bad side?"

Yugi frowned. "Not particularly."

The crowds out in the street had diminished somewhat by the time Yugi and the others left The Three Broomsticks' cozy atmosphere. Hermione started to lead them back the way they had come towards the castle when Ryou stopped and peered down a side alleyway. "What's down there?"

"The Hog's Head," said Hermione, "It's another pub, but it's definitely not as nice as the Three Broomsticks. It's very dark and sort of dirty. You could say it attracts a lot of unsavory characters."

/Hm./ Ryou sighed as he heard the spirit in his ear. /We should check that place out, then./

/I think I'll pass./

"It looks like there might be another shop down there, too." Yugi ran forward a few steps and craned his neck upwards to look at the sign over the door. "Oh! A sporting goods place – and there are brooms in the window! Let's check it out!"

Harry frowned. "We really should be heading back up to the school…"

Yugi pouted. "Ugh…if we only we found this place sooner. What about a quick peek?"

"Once you start looking, you're going to want to buy something," said Ron, "Brooms have a way of influencing your wallet. Especially the shiny new ones."

Yugi shook his head. "I remember some of the racing brooms in Diagon Alley, and I know I don't have nearly enough money on me today to buy one. But I just want to see!"

"We should have enough time if we make a quick look around," said Hermione, "But then we're going to have to book it back up to the school to make sure we're back in time for dinner."

Yugi nodded eagerly. "I'll be quick, I promise!"

He was halfway down the alley when a blood-curdling scream tore through the air.

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A/N: Riddle me this, readers? Can you figure out why the Ring pointed to the people it did during the Duelist Kingdom memory and solve the puzzle for Yami Bakura? Share your theories! ;)