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/Text/ Spirit to Host

/Text/ Host to Spirit

Chapter 31: Discussion

It appeared that, as far as the weather was concerned, nature had decided that Yugi had dealt with enough rain and snow during the autumn months in Scotland and kept Domino City a continuous ray of sunshine to help counteract the unusually cooler temperatures currently across Japan. Yugi woke that morning and dressed for the day quietly. Careful not to wake Harry, still fast asleep on the sofa, Yugi reached into the closet and pulled out a lighter coat. The sun was already moving high in the cloudless sky, but it was still fairly early in the day, and he didn't want to feel frozen once he finished his fifteen minute walk to the Domino Museum.

Yugi slipped down through the door leading into the shop. Grandpa was already awake, setting up a new display for its first day of release to the public.

"You're up early this morning," said Grandpa. "Going somewhere already?"

Yugi nodded. "The museum."

Grandpa frowned. "Are you going to be long? Harry will probably be up soon, and your friends were going to be by today to take him and his friends for a tour. I thought you would be joining them."

Yugi shook his head. "I was sort of taking advantage of the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be occupied with exploring Domino."

"I see…" said Grandpa. "Are you walking? Would you like me to drop you off at the museum?"

"Nah, that's ok, Grandpa. It's a nice day, I'll walk. Besides, the shop has to open soon."

"Oh, pish posh," said Grandpa, "It's my shop; I can open it whenever I want."

"Gramps…today's release day for the new mini figure set." Yugi peered out the door to the shop. "And there's already a few people waiting. It'll be fine. I could use the fresh air anyway."

"Well, alright. But don't stay out too late. We're all meeting at that café down the road for dinner later!"

Yugi smiled and waved. "I won't forget. If you need help later, call me. I'll have the phone on."

"Will do – and give Ishizu my regards!"

"I will."

Yami phased out of the Puzzle after Yugi turned the corner from the shop, heading in the general direction of Domino's Arts District. "I hope Ishizu has recovered enough from the attack."

"Me too," said Yugi, "I just hope after this, we'll have a better idea of what we're up against."

"I, for one, want to know how Voldemort got into the museum in the first place, considering that Professor Dumbledore and his associates put protections around it. If the museum was still vulnerable, then so are our homes."

"That's what I'm worried about too," said Yugi. "I'm…just wondering if we're doing the right thing by not telling Bakura about this meeting. He's in this just as much as the rest of us, and I feel awkward keeping this a secret."

"But you were having doubts about the Spirit of the Millennium Ring," said Yami.

Yugi nodded, ignoring the odd looks a few random pedestrians gave him as he passed by, seemingly talking to himself.

"I know. It just seems like anytime the Spirit is friendly or helpful, there's another angle involved. Remember how Tristan told us that he was helping him to save Mokuba back in Duelist Kingdom, only to want to use his body as a vessel?"

"I do….He also conspired with Marik during Battle City and injured Bakura in the process – although, he did turn around to save the good Bakura from further injury during our duel on the blimp."

Yugi sighed and crossed the street as the traffic signals changed. "He shouldn't have been put in that situation to begin with. The Spirit did all that just to try and make a grab at the Millennium Items."

"He also did help us break into Kaiba's mind while he was being attacked. Without him, Kaiba may have been trapped by that demon monster for far longer, and may have suffered far worse than those bruises."

"I don't know how he managed to do that," said Yugi, "Shouldn't the powers of the Millennium Items be the same? How did he get through, but you and Set both couldn't?"

"I couldn't say, Yugi. But as you know, each Millennium Item has its own unique power."

Yugi shoved his hands into his jacket pocket. "I just…I want to believe that the Dark Bakura was being helpful…but…we just have had such a terrible track record with him, I have to think he was being friendly for a reason. And because he keeps things so secretive…I just can't trust him."

"Ryou Bakura though, has every right to know what's going on."

Yugi frowned. "I know…I'll…just have to fill him in later. I just hope he won't be too upset with me."

He finally stopped at the base of the steps leading up to the museum. "…It's hard to believe that everything that happened to us over the last couple of months…started when we came to visit Ishizu about the Millennium Rod over the summer."

"You're right, Yugi. It was from here that we went to Kaiba Corp, and received Professor Dumbledore's letters."

Yugi began the climb to the front doors. "It's like going full circle. And even the last time – there was a break-in at the museum, even though we didn't know about it at the time. I'm feeling some serious déjà vu."

"Woah, hang on there, pal," said an employee outside, sweeping the steps near the front entrance. "We're not open yet, sorry. We don't take visitors for another few hours."

"I have an appointment with Ishizu Ishtar," said Yugi, "She's expecting me."

The employee raised an eyebrow. "This early?" He sighed and reached for the small walkie hanging on his hip. "Hang on, I'll call in. If she's there and can verify, we'll have someone let you inside."

Yugi nodded. "O-okay."

/I don't remember there being such a mess to visit Ishizu in the past./

/We saw Ishizu during business hours the last time. And maybe they've upped security after she was attacked./

/Possibly./

The employee listened to his garbled reply and pocketed the walkie again. "Sorry 'bout that. I didn't realize she was taking visitors before opening hours. Someone else is here to see her too, and security had flagged 'em in already."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling he knew who it was, but, he felt the need to ask anyway. "Really? Who?"

"I was just arriving, so I didn't pay too much notice. Some guy in a suit. Probably rich too, since there's a limo parked in the back lot." The employee shrugged. "Probably some investor or something."

Yami had to chuckle. /I suppose Kaiba is here./

/Sounds like it./

A security guard appeared at the door and waved Yugi inside, led him down the corridor past the Egyptian exhibit, and into an employee-only area. "Last door on the right."

"Thanks."

Yugi passed through the door and down the indicated hallway. As it turned out, the security guard didn't have to tell him which door belonged to Ishizu; Roland was standing at the end of the hall, speaking quietly to someone on his phone. Upon seeing Yugi's approach, he pointed towards Ishizu's office.

Yugi nodded, knocked on the doorframe, and walked inside.

"Good morning, Yugi," said Ishizu, and she gestured to the empty seat in front of her desk next to Kaiba. "I'm glad we were finally able to meet."

"Me too," he said, "Are you alright?"

Ishizu smiled softly, "I've recovered enough from the attack, thank you." She gestured to Bill, sitting off to the side of the desk. "I didn't have the chance to speak with you on the call with Kaiba the other week, this is Bill Weasley. He has been stationed here both as an assistant to the Egyptian wing of the museum itself, and as a protector of the stone tablets."

"Nice to meet you," said Bill. "I heard you had your first Quidditch game. How did it go?"

Yugi turned a slight shade of red. "It was great! We won."

"Very good!"

Seto eyed Bill warily.

Bill took notice of the blue eyes scrutinizing him and chuckled. "You're friend doesn't like me," he said to Ishizu.

Ishizu sighed. "It is alright, Kaiba, Bill has been here for quite some time. He is aware of our situation."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "…Is he."

Yugi looked at Bill apologetically. "Kaiba…doesn't trust easily."

"That's alright." Bill didn't seem fazed at all. "I understand. But I'm here to help."

/Then where was he when Ishizu was attacked in the first place?/ Set mused from their corridor.

"If we're done with pleasantries," said Seto stiffly, crossing his arms. He turned back to Ishizu. "What happened here exactly?"

"I really didn't get to hear much of anything of the attack," said Yugi. "Can you start from the beginning?"

"Of course," Ishizu sighed. She met Bill's gaze before turning back to Yugi. "I was here, working late one night, well after closing time. I had gotten up to take a walk and clear my head, when lights began just turning off on their own.

"…I thought maybe security was overriding the sensors and didn't realize I was still in this part of the building, but the next thing I knew, this man had appeared, from this same hallway. I had just walked through there, and he hadn't been there before. It was – for lack of a better term – like magic."

"What did he look like?" asked Yugi.

"He was tall, perhaps about your height, Kaiba," said Ishizu, and she closed her eyes to picture him in her mind. As if she was really able to forget anything about that night. "He called himself Lord Voldemort. His face was kept hidden most of the time, but when he removed his hood…."

She cringed visibly. "…He was so pale, almost white. And his face…he hardly resembled a man…."

When she shuddered again, Bill reached over and gave her arm a slight reassuring squeeze.

Ishizu opened her eyes again and nodded at Bill. "…His eyes were so unnaturally red, and his face so distorted, I can't imagine what might have happened to it. But he had a wand, and used it to close the security gates without even touching them."

Ishizu clasped her hands together in her lap. "We were in the exhibit room, with the stone tablets."

"Did he ask about them?" asked Yugi.

Ishizu paused. "…Not at first."

Yugi blinked. Assuming Voldemort was after the Items, like Dumbledore believed, that would have been one of the first things he would have asked about, considering the Pharaoh's Tablet had two of them right on it.

Ishizu took a deep breath. "He produced a relic and was very inquisitive about it. It was one that was recovered from a dig near the Valley of the Kings, and had gone missing shortly after. It was also the site of the Death Eater attack, where a tomb guardian had gone missing."

"What sort of relic?" Yugi asked.

"A sword, albeit a broken one, for most of it was missing. He was quite adamant that there was something very special about it, but at the time, I couldn't see it."

"Could it have belonged to the Pharaoh?" asked Yugi.

"Unlikely," said Ishizu, "Possessions that belonged to a Pharaoh or other high-ranking official would be carefully preserved and left in the tombs, so they would be with that person when they crossed into the Afterlife. But this sword was badly damaged and was found loose in the desert. Time had clearly done its course.

"But he was determined to find the other pieces, and claimed there was magic in it." Ishizu shook her head. "It didn't make sense to me. Even despite the obvious wear, I could see it was just an ordinary sword. There was nothing ornate about it at all to suggest otherwise. I tried to make him see reason in hopes he would leave. There was no telling how many more parts to that sword there were lost in the desert. The odds of anyone finding them were so small, but he would hear none of it."

"And then what happened?" asked Yugi.

"…Voldemort moved on to the tablet, and said he could sense the magic contained inside."

"Did you tell him anything about it?" asked Yugi, nervously.

Ishizu quickly shook her head. "No…not to him."

Yugi's brow furrowed. "…I thought he was the only one there with you. Did he have Death Eaters with him?"

"No," said Ishizu, "But he was right. The sword did have magic. Dark magic." She glanced at Bill again. "It summoned the Shadow Realm."

/What? How is that possible?/ said Yami.

/I don't know…but it can't be good./

Yugi swallowed nervously, for he was almost afraid to ask the questions running through both his and Yami's minds. "Then what?"

"A figure came out of the sword. It was nothing but a shadow, but it clearly had control over the Shadow Realm," said Ishizu, looking down at her lap again. Her fists clutched to the fabric of her dress to keep her hands from fidgeting. She kept her head low, eyes closed. "That was what…."

She didn't need to say anything else, but when she lifted her head she did catch the twitch that broke through the blank mask Kaiba had worn through the entire conversation thus far when she mentioned the shadow figure. Had Kaiba been in contact with it before?

Seto studied Ishizu's pained face for a moment before turning on Bill. "And where were you during all of this? Weren't you supposed to be here to stop this sort of thing from happening?"

"I had been recruited by some of the other staff that evening in setting a new exhibit in the Greek and Roman wing. They needed help moving some of the larger pieces. I had no way of knowing something like this was going to happen," said Bill, "But we all came running when we heard her scream. It took a few minutes to get the gates open around the exhibit hall, but when we got inside, he was gone."

"I have been at the home the wizards had set up here in Domino until I was well enough to return to work," said Ishizu. "It has been a harrowing week."

Yugi turned to Seto for a moment before looking to Ishizu. "…If Voldemort summoned the Shadow Realm…what did he do? I didn't think Shadow Games were possible without a Millennium Item."

"Neither did I," said Ishizu, "And what worries me is that there is no mention of a magical sword of any kind in the ancient scriptures."

"Then where did it come from?" asked Seto.

Ishizu shook her head. "I do not know."

She raised a hand, pressed it to her forehead, closed her eyes, and made a face as if she was ill.

Bill frowned. "Are you alright? Should I fetch you something?"

"Some water perhaps," Ishizu smiled apologetically, and opened her eyes again. "I don't mean to trouble you, but I fear the headache from the last few days is coming back."

"No trouble," said Bill, getting up. He turned to Yugi and Seto. "Can I get you two something? There's water, tea and coffee in the meal room."

While looking away from the desk, Bill didn't see Ishizu slightly nod her head at Yugi and Seto. Yugi didn't notice either and politely shook his head.

Seto, however, did see the silent signal Ishizu was trying to give him. "Black coffee."

Bill nodded. "Sure."

Ishizu waited for Bill to leave the office and close the door before focusing her gaze back to her two guests. Any pain on her face instantly vanished. "The employee room is on the clear other side of the museum," she said, once Bill's footsteps were no longer audible. "So we can speak freely for a few moments."

Yugi blinked. "…Are there things about the attack that you didn't tell anyone? Are you still not feeling well?"

Ishizu nodded. "I assure you, I'm fine. Bill Weasley and his friends have done much to help protect both myself and the museum, and were very attentive whilst I was recovering, but I didn't share all of the details with them. As helpful and good their intentions, I would not trust them or anyone else with the secrets of the ancient scriptures. This is why I wanted to speak to you in person."

Seto pressed his fingers against the "KC" pin on the lapel of his jacket. "Roland."

"Yes, sir."

"Give us a warning when Bill Weasley is on his way back."

"Of course, Mr. Kaiba."

Yugi looked quizzically at Seto. "Wasn't he just on the other side of the door? You could have just spoken to him like a normal person."

Seto rolled his eyes.

Shaking his head, Yugi leaned forward in his seat. "So…what else happened that you didn't want to tell anyone else about?"

Seto cut in before Ishizu could say anything. "You also said a shadow came out of the sword. What did it look like?"

"It took the form of a man – or, rather, the general shape of one. It was much taller than an average person, with hands that seemed to be more like claws. It had no distinguishing marks."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "…Taller than myself?"

Ishizu nodded. "By quite a bit." She paused and took a breath. "But the one feature that it did have…was the Millennium Eye in its head."

/That cannot be a coincidence./ said Yami. /Ishizu just described the very creature that has been forcing its way through Kaiba's mind./

Yugi looked to Seto worriedly.

Ishizu eyed them both carefully. "By your reactions…," she said, "…you've seen this being before."

Seto muttered under his breath. "Unfortunately."

Yugi bit his lip. "Well…what did it want?"

Ishizu shuddered again, the painful memories still fresh in her mind. "It was very forceful for information on the Pharaoh's tablet and the ancient scriptures, and it seemed to push through memories to see what it wished." She paused. "And…it seemed to think I was someone else. It kept referring to me as 'Isis', though I don't know anyone by that name."

/Isis…it can't be…./ From his listening point in their corridor, Set looked down at the Millennium Rod in his hands. /

/What are you on about?/

/Do you remember when I mentioned that I was able to recall a Master Aknadin that once wore the Millennium Eye?/

/…No./

/No? It was just the other morning when – ah. Never mind. You were sleeping off your battle wounds from your night in the Room of Requirement./

"Kaiba?" Ishizu said gently. The moment she had mentioned the name 'Isis', Kaiba's face had gone blank, and his gaze remained fixated on the arm of his chair, unmoving, unblinking.

Yugi looked over. "I…I think he's conversing with the spirit in the Millennium Rod."

After a good silent minute, Seto suddenly roused himself from his stupor and returned his focus back to the conversation. He straightened up in his seat and Ishizu noticed that his eyes didn't seem quite as deep a blue than before, and even the stiffness of his posture had changed.

He bowed his head. "My apologies for starting you, Miss Ishtar. I am Set, High Priest of the Pharaoh, and Sacred Guardian of the Millennium Rod."

Ishizu blinked, obviously surprised.

Yugi's eyes widened incredulously. "Kaiba let you out?"

Set shrugged. "Seto was not favoring to share, and the information we have is important." He tilted his head lazily towards Yugi in the most unKaiba-like fashion. "You know well enough how stubborn he is."

Yugi nodded.

Ishizu studied Set curiously. "I am glad to finally make your acquaintance, High Priest," she said, "I was not aware the Millennium Rod contained a spirit until the group call we all had with Yugi's friends."

"It was a shock to us too," said Yugi.

Set took in Ishizu's appearance again, and she noted he looked almost sad. "If I may ask, while the Millennium Necklace was in your care…was there not another presence inside? Like how the Pharaoh and I are bound to our Millennium Items?"

Ishizu shook her head. "The Necklace granted me only glimpses in time, but if there was someone trapped within it, I was unaware."

Set sighed, clearly put out. "…I see."

Yugi's eyes darted to the door. "I don't know how much time we have…."

Ishizu nodded. "You are right. Please – how do you know about the Shadow?"

Set sighed. "The Shadow has been attacking Seto during the night sporadically throughout the last several months; the latest one had locked him into a crude one-sided Shadow Game while it searched through his memories." He gestured to the walls around them. "One of the visions that it saw contained the two of you here with the Pharaoh's tablet. I fear that was what made you a target for attack."

"What information would Kaiba have that you wouldn't?" asked Ishizu, looking from the Spirit of the Rod to Yugi.

Yugi sighed. "We were wondering that too. Hang on, I'll let the Pharaoh come out."

There was a brief flash of gold, and Yami emerged out of the Millennium Puzzle. "The only conclusion that Yugi and I could come up with was that it was searching for the Millennium Items."

Set shook his head. "No. I think it is more than that." He looked to Ishizu. "Forgive my staring, but you seem familiar to me. There may not have been a spirit in the Millennium Necklace, but it is possible that you are descended, or at the very least, are reincarnated from Priestess Isis, for she wore the Necklace during my lifetime."

"Do you remember her as well?" asked Yami, and he couldn't help not hiding the trace of excitement in his voice. Even with most of his memories gone, the few scattered remnants Set had were enough to give glimpses into his past. Sure he didn't know his own name, or what specifically led to him sealing himself into the Millennium Puzzle, but now he knew of three individuals who served under him. With names.

"By name mostly," said Set, shaking his head, "But when I look at your face, I see someone I have known for quite some time, despite only having met you today. Seto and I are near identical to each other in appearance, so Miss Ishtar - I do not find it hard to believe that you may be close to a mirror's image of the Priestess."

"Then…" Yami began, "Perhaps the Shadow was looking for my allies. He did address me personally during that one instance in Kaiba's mind. The two of you have both been attacked, and we just found out that Duelist Kingdom was as well. I haven't been in touch with Pegasus in some time, but he did wear the Eye. Could he be a reincarnation of the Master Aknadin you remember?"

Set frowned. "It's…possible. I would have to see the man in person. Unfortunately, I don't recall much of Master Aknadin except for his name."

"I think…that would make the most sense," Ishizu said. "It seemed to think I was someone else for quite some time, and I believe it only fled when Bill and the others tried to break back into the exhibit hall. Although…"She directed her attention to Set again. "Are you the only one of the three of you to suffer these attacks?"

Set nodded. "So far. And the only hints I can go on as to what the Shadow may have been looking for are the visions that repeat themselves."

"Which visions are those?" asked Yami. "When we tried to help that one time, memories continued to cycle around until we broke through. But they were all different."

Set shook his head. "Seto doesn't reveal much to me, but I know his first visit here, when he received Obelisk the Tormentor was one of them, as was the visions he experienced during his tournament duels. If there are others, he hasn't shared what they are."

"If I may," Ishizu began, "What were the visions he saw during the tournament?" She had a vague idea of what they might have been. During her entire duel, Kaiba had been insistent on summoning and using Obelisk to defeat her, confirmed by the brief flashes that the Millennium Necklace had given her ahead of time. It was only at the last possible moment that he had dismissed that strategy altogether and summoned his Blue Eyes White Dragon to finish her off. Clearly he had seen something strong enough to wreck an entire duel's worth of buildup.

Yami turned to Seto. He had never bothered to ask what Kaiba saw during Battle City either, though, although at the time he doubt Kaiba would have admitted to any of it. After all, the Millennium Rod had to burn him, knock him clean out and force Priest Set into his mind for him to stop dismissing the magic as a cheap trick, and that was all well after he had his soul stolen for the second time in two years.

"He saw the tablet, of course, and then a flash of my own life. From what he remembers of it, I was before the stone carving of a dragon with a woman."

"A woman?" asked Ishizu. "Who? The Priestess you mentioned?"

Set closed his eyes and shook his head. "I do not know."

"Ishizu, you know more about the ancient texts than anyone," said Yami, "…Could this Shadow be the enemy I sealed away 5,000 years ago?"

Ishizu shook her head. "I don't believe so, but unless we can find out what it is after, we'll never know for certain. But its ability to summon the Shadow Realm is especially troubling. That power should only reside within the seven Millennium Items. But if it is, you must be very careful. That evil was supposed to be locked away, and nothing good can come of it escaping."

"And how would we go about finding that out?" asked Yami, "There is no rhyme or reason to when it decides to pay Kaiba a visit."

"It would seem the only repeating thread during these attacks that you've mentioned is the Pharaoh's tablet," said Ishizu, "I don't know what has made Kaiba's limited exposure to it so unique, but…" she trailed off and observed Set cautiously, "Have you considered trying to set a trap for it?"

Set immediately tensed.

Yami leaned forward. "Trap it how?"

"Well…" Ishizu said nervously, not taking her eyes from Set, "We know that, for whatever its reasons, it comes for Kaiba. What if you caught it in the act?"

"That's not a terrible idea," said Yami, ignoring the harsh look Set sent his way. "Perhaps like how we were able to rid Marik of his dark side by defeating him in a Shadow Game, we might be able to do the same here. After all, Shadow Game penalties are absolute. The only way someone banished to the Realm can leave – even one that's used it before – is through the terms of another game. I've already been able to interrupt a Shadow Game before, so I know I can do it again."

Set's shocked eyes darted between Yami and Ishizu, horrified and outraged more at the Pharaoh's agreement to Ishizu's suggestion than the plan itself. "Listen to yourselves! Do you realize just what you're suggesting? That we use Seto as living bait? That monster has caused enough damage to my host's mind without an open invitation."

Ishizu withdrew back in her seat. "I'm sorry – I meant to try and cordon off this Shadow before it got to that point. I didn't say that intending to cause Kaiba any harm."

"Mr. Kaiba," said Roland. His voice quietly broke through the tiny hidden speaker on the back of the pin, "Mr. Weasley is on his way back."

Yami and Set quickly retreated back into their Items, leaving a wide-eyed and concerned Yugi and a rather livid Seto in their places.

"There are three flaws in your little plan," Seto snapped. He held up his hand and tallied off on his fingers. "One – the attacks get stronger over time. It started off as little more than invasive dreams over the summer. The last one? I was literally pinned down and assaulted within my own mind, and it took the work of three spirits to get it to leave.

"Two – there is no rhyme or reason to the attacks. I haven't been visited in well over a month, and there's no way of knowing when it decides to come back until it happens."

Yugi grimaced. "What's the third problem?"

Seto side-eye glared at him. "You already know what it is. How is your Pharaoh supposed to play the hero when the Shadow doesn't physically appear? You and I both know it doesn't waltz into Gryffindor Tower in the middle of the night."

Ishizu frowned. "It doesn't?" That was interesting. The Shadow came from the sword, and Voldemort had to bring it with him. If the Shadow had the capability to enter minds on its own, why would it wait for Voldemort to pay her a visit?

"No," Seto hissed angrily. "And the invasions are gaining intensity. I was nearly strangled the last time it broke in. The next time that freak comes back, I could be left in some coma by the time anyone realized what was going on."

The door opened a moment later. Bill handed Seto a steaming cup and passed a similar one with water back around the desk to Ishizu, along with a bottle of mild pain relievers. "Tamoda said this would help."

Ishizu smiled. "Thank you, Bill. I'll take them afterwards."

Seto took a sip of the coffee and pulled a face.

Bill chuckled. "Sorry – I never said the coffee was good."

Ishizu turned back to Yugi. "I'm sorry there wasn't much more information I could give you. Whatever that Shadow was expecting to find, I don't think I had it. The probe through my mind was very painful, but I don't think it managed to see anything of special consequence."

"It's alright, Ishizu," said Yugi, getting up, "But if you find out anything, will you let us know?"

"Of course," she said, and gave Seto a long look. "And please, take care of yourselves, and stay in contact."

"We will," said Yugi, and he turned to nod to Bill. "It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise, I just wish it was under better circumstances," said Bill, "Tell Ron I said hello – I hear he's staying with you guys for Christmas break."

It wasn't until they had passed through the end of the hallway leading out of the employee offices when Yugi finally spoke. "Well…that didn't reveal much of anything new."

"No," said Seto bitterly. Clearly he wasn't thrilled with baiting out the Shadow, and Yugi couldn't blame him. "Whatever this Shadow was looking for, Ishizu didn't have it – and that makes me all the more curious to why it thinks I do."

"So…" Yugi peered up at his rival. "…Do you have a plan?"

They descended a set of steps that led into the exhibit halls. "I assure you, it's not to play the waiting game."

They had started to cross through the Egyptian wing when Seto stopped suddenly. Yugi turned back.

Seto stood right in front of the Pharaoh's tablet. His eyes raked over every inch of it, and he sighed heavily.

/I think this is the first time he's actually looked at it. I mean, actually looked at it. From what we saw with him and Ishizu in the past, that didn't count./

Yami mentally agreed. /Although…he's studying it rather closely. If I didn't know any better…I'd say he was reading it./

/Reading it? You mean the hieroglyphs around the edging? Can you read it, Pharaoh?/

/No. I think that's from my memories being wiped. Remember Marik said that Kaiba had the ability to read the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra, and he admitted to having found a weakness in it, so he must be able to read them./

Seto huffed and crossed his arms. "All this fuss…over a rock."

"Well," said Yugi, "it is a magic rock."

Seto raised an eyebrow and gave Yugi an annoyed look before turning back to the tablet. "Ishizu stares at this thing all day long. You've seen it how many times since you found out about the Pharaoh? I've barely paid an ounce of attention to it once, over a year ago, and yet I've somehow learned some great secret."

"The only thing I can think of, off the top of my head, is the duel itself," said Yugi, gesturing to some of the other carvings along the sides. "It looks like, other than the main monsters, you've got a Monster Reborn, and a Battle Ox, and I have a Swords of Revealing Light and… Gaia the Fierce Knight? And while we've used those monsters, I don't get anything special from it."

Seto tilted his head and stared up at the carving of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. "It's rather fitting for our signature monsters to be there, isn't it? But Set was insistent that his ace back then was some warrior called Duos."

"Maybe he doesn't remember acquiring it," Yugi shrugged, "It's not like the Pharaoh can remember if he used the Dark Magician. But…the Pharaoh told me about his…uh….intervention that night, when you were attacked last. The Blue Eyes seemed to be very prominent, and even seemed to have an existence outside of just your memories. It really wasn't the Pharaoh or Set or even the Spirit of the Ring that got rid of that Shadow from your mind – it was the dragon."

Seto scoffed. "Something tells me that Blue Eyes isn't the reason I have a target on my forehead. And it's not the God Cards, because I don't even have those."

Yugi pointed to the bottom, where most of the eroded edging was located. "And you can barely see what's down there. Maybe that's what the Shadow was looking for…."

Seto shook his head. "I've never seen the original tablet before it was taken from wherever it was found. What's missing there is just as much a mystery to me as it is you."

"Yeah…."Yugi nodded, and his eyes lit up. "But I bet Ishizu has! Her family has guarded the Pharaoh's secrets forever! And Pegasus probably saw it too – he based Duel Monsters from the tablets he saw while he was in Egypt!"

Seto crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes at the bottom half of the tablet. "But she made it sound like it left her head empty handed. So whatever it's looking for – she didn't have the answers either, even if Ishizu saw the tablet in perfect condition back in Egypt."

Yugi let out a noisy exhale. "Then I'm out of ideas. Without trying to catch the Shadow in the act, we're just guessing in circles."

Seto shifted his sleeve to check his watch. He stared at it for a rather long time before speaking again, and the bitterness in his voice was staggering. "Considering waltzing up to Voldemort's front door to address the Shadow directly is out of the question, there really is only one alternative, isn't there?"

Yugi hung his head. The Pharaoh's suggestion to use Kaiba as bait didn't sit right with him. Yami would have shut that thought down in an instant if he was the one suffering from these attacks. Did he push for it knowing that his rival was learning to block the attacks? Or was it purely to just find out something about the Shadow? Either way, it wasn't fair. Kaiba had already suffered enough from the Shadow's advances. It wasn't right to willingly subject him to more.

Seto closed his eyes and sighed again. Turning on his heel, he stalked back off towards the museum's exit. "What's your day look like, Yugi?"

Kaiba sounded like he had just swallowed something horrid. Eyebrows raised, Yugi hurried to follow after him. "I, uh, was going to meet up with everyone later, after Joey and the others finished giving Harry, Ron, and Hermione the Domino City tour."

Seto rolled his eyes. "That's later. I'm talking about now."

"Oh, um, nothing, I guess?"

"Good."

"Are you sure this is wise?" said Yami. He was standing in the middle of Kaiba's office, having essentially been ushered along with his rival the instant they left the museum. He felt like he had been arguing in circles over the last three hours. "I know I suggested this, and believe me – Yugi's chewed me out over it ever since. But we don't have to go through with it."

Seto leant against the front side of his desk and twirled the Millennium Rod slowly around his fingers. "As much as I abhor the idea, the only way we're going to make headway on this is for the Shadow to come back. And despite not wanting to give the creep a golden ticket inside my head, if we can stop him now, it'll save me in the long run."

Yami frowned. "But you said so yourself it'll come back stronger. How are we supposed to fight it off – just the two of us, when it didn't work before?"

"You also said that my Blue Eyes got rid of it. You just need to be there when it arrives, not after. Challenge it to a duel, and get rid of it when you win."

Yami had to bite back a chuckle. "I'm glad you think so highly of my dueling skills. How do you know that it'll duel with me?"

Seto gave him a deadpanned look. "Because every nut we've faced over the years ended up dueling you. Why should this be any different?"

Yami waved a hand dismissively, but then his expression turned serious. "Okay. You win that one. But I feel I should remind you – the stronger the opponent – especially one with ties to the Shadow Realm – the higher the stakes involved. Aside of risking the chance that we can't rid it from your mind, what if holds your soul over my head?"

Seto leveled him a silent 'duh'. "Then you'll just have to win, won't you? With this ridiculous track record you have of pulling victory out the dregs of defeat, I don't see why you're so worried."

"I don't take pleasure in dueling with these stakes," said Yami fiercely, "And you know it. Please, Kaiba, at least think this through before making a decision on this grand a scale."

"I have," said Seto, angrily. "The way I see things, there are two options. We can continue onward, as if nothing has changed. I will be continuously battered around in my sleep by the Shadow until I've been reduced to nothing more than a breathing vegetable, and we will be no better off in stopping it. Or, I can dangle myself out there on a rope, and we can try to subvert all of my future misery by catching the Shadow off guard. You think I want to do this? I'd rather spend the rest of this break with only Wheeler or Pegasus, hell – even Dolores Umbridge for company. The Shadow is already more powerful than at least one Millennium Item. Do you really want it getting stronger, with no clear indication on how to stop it?"

Yami hung his head, exhaling deeply. "It isn't right. This isn't fair."

"Well," Seto deadpanned. "Neither was dumping me with the Millennium Rod after I had already told you no twice. Yet here we are. We can't afford to wait around anymore. What other option is there?"

The silence in the office spoke for the both of them.

A knock at the office door drew both of their attentions as Roland led Remus Lupin inside.

Roland moved around the desk to sit in Seto's chair and opened up the laptop. "Your schedule is cleared, sir. Though Mr. Pegasus was rather put out, as expected, and only agreed to push his meeting until tomorrow on the insistence that you actually attend this time."

Seto rubbed at his temples. "Of course he did."

Remus set two small potion bottles down on the desk. "I'm not certain I am the best man for this job."

Yami turned to Remus, "Why? What's going on?"

Seto said, "Look, from what Harry and his friends have said, you were the best defense professor they had. This is a backup plan."

Remus nodded. "I'll try my best, but I have to admit, there are better Occlumens and Legilimens out there than me. I am far from a master at these subjects."

Roland eyed the bottles suspiciously. He hadn't been able to keep track of his boss's rather heated conversation with Yugi Muto from the museum up to the request to go fetch Remus Lupin, and from what he was able to gather? Knocking Mr. Kaiba out in hopes that some magic monster would show up to wreck his mind didn't seem like a good idea in the slightest, and neither did ending said attack on the outcome of a card game. "What are in those?"

Remus gestured to each one. "The first one is a Sleeping Draught. And if necessary, the other is a Wiggenweld Potion."

"A what?"

"A Wiggenweld Potion," said Remus, "It's a healing potion that can reverse the effect of the Sleeping Draught."

"…I see." Roland picked up the Sleeping Draught and peered at the label over the top of his dark sunglasses. "And how long is this meant to last?"

"I've diluted it down a bit," said Remus, "but it will still last for several hours."

"But he will wake up from it?"

Remus nodded, "I assure you, the Sleeping Draught's effects are temporary."

Roland set the bottle back down, unconvinced. "Are you certain about this, sir?"

"Unfortunately," Seto muttered. He slipped out of his suit jacket, and sat down on one of the office sofas.

Yami reached for the chain of the Puzzle. "I entered your mind the last time by taking hold of the Rod while you slept. I think this time…." He removed the Puzzle from around his neck and held it out to his rival, "…it might work better if you wore it, and at least held onto the Rod. Try to maintain a physical connection with both Items."

Seto hesitated, clearly caught off guard. "…Why?"

"Well, it's not like you keep the Millennium Rod very close at all times. Perhaps the connection between the two of you isn't strong enough to fight the Shadow the moment it arrives. I'm wondering if keeping the Items in hand will help us fight the Shadow before it can do you any damage."

The moment the Puzzle left Yami's hands, control relinquished back to Yugi, and he failed to hide the odd smile that formed on his face, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Sorry, but you look weird wearing that."

Seto glanced down at the odd weight around his neck and back up at Yugi incredulously. "How do you stand to wear this all day?"

Yugi shrugged. "I got used to it. It's like wearing a duel disk I suppose; only that's around my neck, not my arm."

Remus took the Sleeping Draught and approached the sofa. "Now, even diluted, the potion will take effect almost instantly, so I advise you to make yourself comfortable before drinking it."

Seto nodded and stretched out, settling back against the cushions.

Yugi cringed. "It's not too late," he said anxiously. He didn't bother to mask how much he was practically begging. "You can still back out of this. We can try to come up with another safer way to find the Shadow."

Seto shook his head, gestured for the potion and propped himself up on his elbows.

Yugi sighed, but moved to the opposite couch. He watched as Remus uncorked the Sleeping Draught and poured a small amount of it into the empty mug on the coffee table. "Just to warn you – the taste isn't exactly pleasant."

Seto snorted. "Can't be worse than the museum's poor excuse for coffee."

Yugi pulled a face. "Was it really that bad?"

Seto paused just before raising the mug to his lips. "You have no idea." He quickly knocked the potion back and handed the empty cup to Remus. Settling back down with one hand holding the Millennium Rod at his side, he shifted his other to rest casually around both the chain and the top of the Puzzle as his eyelids grew heavy, and was out within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

.

Yami's eyes opened, revealing to him a corridor he had only once previously traversed. Unlike the last time he had set foot here, there was no mysterious Shadow Realm magic blocking his path, and he stepped through the open doorway into Seto's soul room.

Set glared at him from his seat in Seto's desk chair, rolled all the way over to sit adjacent to the office couch. "I can't believe you managed to make him think this was a good idea."

Yami held up his hands. "I honestly thought he would dismiss the notion altogether. But we both know that swaying Kaiba's mind once it is made up is nigh impossible. I certainly didn't expect him to want to do this, and in my defense, Yugi and I did try to talk him out of it."

Set drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair, unamused, as he seethed angrily. "Have you even considered that this duel you intend to challenge the Shadow to might just end up with both of your souls lost? What then?"

Yami sighed. "I suppose we'll have to cross that road if we get there."

Set bit out a harsh laugh. "We? I don't see how much good you will be with your mind lost to the darkness."

"I suppose you'll just have to bail me out then," said Yami.

Set huffed. "I suppose, this will be as good a test as any to see if my lessons have done him any good. Have you even considered that Seto's mind may fight off Shadow's attack before it makes its way inside?"

Yami nodded. "I have. And if he manages to at least weaken the Shadow ahead of time, then that may make it easier for us to get the information we need."

That did little to reassure Set. "I hope you know what you're doing, my Pharaoh," he said stiffly, "Or keeping Seto safe is going to be the least of our worries."