January 14th, 2004 - Important Note: Taking too long, so I decided to take Jill's advice and post what I have so far, lesson be damned! XD I’ve also taken Innominate's advice and posted chapter 8, so that those of you with me on author alert will actually get alerted. ^^()

As you can tell, I got stuck writing the actual lesson, not so much because I didn't know what to have him teach, but because I didn't know what attitude he should have. I've had some really cool profs in my time, one of which could well be an Onizuka clone (right down to the blonde hair, sunglasses, gold earring, white muscle shirt and laid-back attitude... he's into body-building and partying **quirks an eyebrow**) but even thought he was cool and obviously knew what he was talking about, I often ended up skipping his classes to do work for the more serious ones... I mean, having your teacher tell you that anarchy rules and plagiarism is a form of art isn't exactly conducive to "proper" study...

Warnings: Bad language and the usual bad puns. Also, spoilers for book 5, the YGO AE arc. Long chapter. ^^ Currently unedited.

Japanese Glossary

Aa (or "un") = (informal) "yes"

Aibou = "partner"

Ahou = "fool", Bakura's favorite name for Ryou (in my fics anyway) 'cause it resembles Yami's nickname for his "aibou". **scratches ear** It should actually be "yadonushi", which means "host" or "landlord".

Ano = "um.../uh..."

Che = "shit"

Daijoubou = "It's alright/I'm fine"

Iie = "no"

Kami-sama = "God"

Maa maa = "Now now..."

Nani = "what"

Chapter 7 - Too Much Information

-missing scene-

Yugi shook his head ruefully as the class filtered out of the class and turned his gaze on the two remaining boys. He pulled two wands from his belt and held them out to their respective owners.

"Don't let me catch you dueling," he ordered seriously, violet eyes pinning the two teens on the spot. Internally, however, the conversation had a different angle.

/Now there's something I never thought I'd hear myself say.../ Yugi observed wryly. His yami chuckled.

Draco took his wand with a sneer, still unhappy with the prospect of learning Muggle history on top of everything else.

"My father-"

"Doesn't attend my class," Yugi cut in. "Am I mistaken?"

Lips thinning, the blonde turned his back with one final glare and strode out of the class.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Yugi yelled after him. "1945! Look it up!"

The door slammed heavily.

"...His father is powerful," Harry cautioned after a moment, claiming his own wand.

"Thanks for the warning," Professor Mouto replied with a small smile, looking none too concerned as he walked around his desk.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry watched the prof, in all his slightly-more-than-five-feet-tall glory, and smiled a little himself. Lucius Malfoy would have a hard time cracking Yugi Mouto. He pocketed his wand. "1945, sir?"

"A coincidence," Yugi said enigmatically. "Hurry Mr. Potter. You don't want to be late for your next class."

Harry blinked, looking at the man with his head tilted slightly to the side. "See you later professor."

Yugi nodded almost absently but just before the dark haired teen reached the door, the foreigner called out again. "Mr. Potter..."

"Yessir?"

"...Are you alright?"

Eh? An undecipherable expression flitted across Harry's face for an instant, before vanishing as if it never were. Bright green eyes glanced back to the front of the room.

"Of course, professor," he smiled, and shut the door quietly behind him.

- Hagrid's Hut -

"Ev'ryone 'ere? Let's get started then," Hagrid boomed, smiling his friendly smile and rubbing his large and calloused hands together in excitement.

To the pack of wary fourth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws that pretty much translated into, "here be dragons, tread cautiously"...

And that saying might well be taken to the literal extreme, Ginny Weasley thought wryly, observing the long-suffering looks on her classmates. Hagrid's penchant for dangerous creatures was almost as much of a school legend as the notorious DADA curse.

"This way, this way," Hagrid bustled, ushering the students along.

The air vibrated as something snuffed and as the students pulled to a stop, their mutters faded away into looks of horror as they saw their latest "project". Low rumbling assaulted their ears... Something big... something that most likely had fangs...

"Takes yer breath away, eh?" Hagrid said in the stunned silence. The creature moved, chains rattling angrily, and the students took several steps back.

Three animals merged into one formidable shape: the head of a lion, the body of a goat and... well, looks like we've got the tail end of a dragon.

Someone squeaked.

"It's...It's..." someone stuttered incoherently. "That's..."

"A chimera?" supplied another voice from the back of the crowd and Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin. That voice did not belonging to a student.

Attention shifted, and Professor Mouto blinked as he suddenly found himself to be the center of attention.

When? Where? Ginny wondered.

Hagrid grinned at the smaller man, taking his sudden appearance in stride. "Aye, a chimera. What're you doin' down 'ere, Yugi?"

"I was heading for the lake," he replied, tugging at the edges of his cloak. Violet eyes flickered to the beast. "I didn't know it was possible to get a chimera."

"Their eggs are Grade A Non-tradable goods," Hagrid confirmed, "but grown chimera are used to protect items sometimes. It's rare, but not unheard of."

"Isn't that thing poisonous?" a young Ravenclaw exclaimed.

"Only if it bites ya," Hagrid corrected cheerfully. "It's much more likely t'breathe fire at ya." Chimeras were known to be dangerous creatures. Rated XXXXX by the MoM, they were fierce, fast and hard to kill.

The Ravenclaw looked suitably horrified, shuffling slightly to the side as if expecting to get flambéed at any given moment, but Professor Mouto merely snorted quietly in amusement.

"Wanna join the class, Yugi?" Hagrid invited.

Tri-coloured locks shook from side to side. "Maybe later," Yugi grinned impishly, then softened when he noticed the students anxiety as they shifted from foot to foot as if contemplating the nearest escape route. "...As much as I'd love to," he continued and actually reached out to pet said poisonous beast.

"Yugi-" Hagrid yelped in surprise.

Look out! Ginny's eyes widened, opening her mouth to scream a warning, but choked it down an instant later, jaw dropping in synchronization with the rest of the class. Under Yugi's hands, the lion's head purred lowly, nuzzling the Japanese man in pure bliss...

"Hm?" Yugi asked, arching an eyebrow at his audience with an innocent smile.

Hagrid hesitantly scratched his thick black beard. "Errr... never mind, lad."

In his soul room, Yami shook his head in mock-disagreement. //You have an unhealthy penchant for doing the unexpected, aibou.//

/Maa maa, I'm just showing them that they don't have to be afraid./

The spirit rolled his eyes. //And one day someone will end up losing an arm trying to pull one of your stunts,// he chided.

Suppressing his laughter, Yugi leaned closer to the beast. "Chairo, philos. Agrypneo. Chresteuomai." Greetings, friend. Be watchful. Be kind, he whispered softly in a tongue few remembered, scratching just behind two feline ears.

"What was that?" Hagrid asked curiously.

"Greek," Yugi answered simply, and then the hand was lifted as Yugi waved an all too casual goodbye to the stunned students.

Ginny could've sworn the man was laughing. She narrowed her eyes.

"No. Way." a student whispered after a full minute of silence. "Did he just... and didn't get his hand bitten off?!"

The creature rumbled, and Hagrid cleared his throat experimentally. There was indeed something odd about Yugi Mouto. First the squid... then the chimera... both seemed unusually familiar with the foreign professor.

Wonder if Dumbledore knows, he thought, before turning his attention back to the lesson. "...So, er... volunteers?"

- Gryffindor Tower -

"1945?" asked Ron as they gathered in the common room after lunch. He and Harry had a spare period before Charms and were currently bent over a chess board. "Why would he tell Malfoy to look that up?"

"He said something about coincidence," Harry shrugged, moving a pawn forward. "Your guess is as good as mine. Herm might know, but she has arithmancy right now."

"It's Grindelwald," Neville said quietly and smiled sheepishly as the two boys turned to look at him. "Dumbledore defeated him in 1945. It's on his chocolate frog card," he explained, licking the last traces of the hard-to-catch candy off his fingers and holding up the card.

"Still doesn't explain why he'd tell Malfoy to look it up. It's old news and the ferret doesn't like Dumbledore. As far as he's concerned, Grindelwald probably should've won."

"What are you talking about?" someone bounced and when Harry raised his head there was a click and a blinding flash. Ron snickered quietly at the blank expression on his best friend's face.

"Alright there, Harry?" Collin Creevey grinned, camera in hand.

Harry blinked the spots out of his eyes, squinting at the boy with mousy brown hair. "Hey Collin," he said, and hoped he didn't sound too obviously exasperated.

"So, what were you talking about?" the other boy prompted again, oblivious to his idol's annoyance.

"Nothing," the redhead waved a hand dismissively.

"1945," Harry said ruefully.

"Oh, World War II?" Collin asked.

"What?" Harry asked bewilderedly.

"World War II," Collin repeated, head tilted to the side. "It ended in 1945. VE day's in May. My grandfather was a soldier."

Harry's lips parted silently. Dumbledore defeats a dark wizard and a Muggle war ends... he's right, that is quite the coincidence... Green eyes narrowed contemplatively.

"Harry?" Collin prompted, looking a little unnerved. There was something about the way those emerald eyes glinted...

Harry shook his head and the moment passed. Think about it later. "M'fine, Collin. You were pretty helpful."

Collin beamed. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Ha," Collin grinned, and scampered away. Somewhere down the corridor a "Wait 'til I tell Dennis that Harry thought I was helpful!" filtered back to the common room.

Ron smirked, moving his bishop. "He's never gonna leave you alone now (Harry rolled his eyes). World War II?"

The dark-haired Gryffindor frowned. "Muggle war. One of the biggest."

Ron eyed the board. "You think they're related?"

"Can't be," Neville said nervously. "Wizards aren't allowed to interfere in Muggle matters."

"Hm," Harry grunted, fingers absently moving his queen. Two pieces of the puzzle found, only to discover hundreds more missing.

Ron moved a knight. "Checkmate."

The other boy threw his arms up. "I don't know why I try-"

"Guys!" Seamus yelled from his position at the window where a crowd was gathering faces pressed against the glass.

"What the hell?" someone yelped.

"Oh my God..."

Harry and Ron traded looks and jogged over. "What's going on?"

"Fire! Something's loose out there!" Seamus hissed, looking down at the field. "By Hagrid's hut!"

Pushing their way to the window, Ron leaned against the glass and paled. "Harry..." he whispered in a strangled voice, "Ginny has Care of Magical Creatures right now."

And then he bolted for the portrait hole.

When Yugi first caught the faint whiff of smoke on the wind, the lake was already in sight.

//Where there's smoke...//

The Puzzle bearer whirled around. /There's fire!/ he yelped, and pounded back the way he came.

There was a steady stream of grey whirling lazily into the sky.

/Kami-sama, what's going on?!/

Distantly, there was a roar of fury, getting louder.

~ Fear. Anger. Pain! ~

Yugi's eyes widened. /The chimera? But why-?/

//Something's been thrown off balance,// Yami growled dangerously. //Hurry aibou.//

Silently, the young man put on an extra burst of speed.

Merlin! Ginny thought as she waved her arms frantically, trying to get the beast's attention. What am I doing?!

Giving a chance for others to escape, she answered herself, then paled dramatically when glowing golden eyes pinned their burning gaze on her. And trying not to get gruesomely killed! she yelped as a line of flame headed straight for her.

Ginny stifled a scream as she was knocked to the side, arms wrapping protectively around her before she hit the ground.

She shook her head, breathing heavily as adrenaline pumped through her system. Heat licked at her skin. "Wha-?"

"Che," someone swore quietly, and Ginny realized that the person holding her was none other than the foreign professor, bent over her and keeping her head low as he shielded her with his slim frame.

"Professor?!"

"Daijoubou..." the man soothed unintelligibly, then seemed to realize his mistake and switched to English. "It's alright." Keen violet eyes searching for an escape route. "What happened?!"

"I- I don't know," she whispered back, oddly comforted by the man's presence. "It was fine... and then it just started attacking..."

"No one did anything to set her off?" he asked, voice deep and soothing and commanding.

"Not that I could see-"

At that moment, something else drew the chimera's attention.

"Ginny!" Ron yelled as ran into the field, followed closely by Harry as well as several teachers.

The chimera, sensing new prey, leapt with a deafening roar. ~ Hurt. Tear. ~

"No! Wait!" Yugi called to the beast.

"Look out!" Harry warned, and plowed into his friend from behind.

The chimera swiped furiously and caught them both in the side, sending them tumbling a few feet a away.

"Stupefy!" several teachers shouted at once, but the beast, lost in unnatural rage, merely stumbled... and ran for the two boys lying dazed on the ground.

"Ron!" Ginny screamed, stumbling to her feet and waving her arms madly.

The professors raised their wands again.

/Why won't she stop?/ Yugi asked forlornly, fingers reaching for his belt. /She's so angry and I don't understand why.../

//Aibou, we don't have the time to ask! Just try to stop her with as little damage as possible.//

The creature crouched low to pounce...

Leaped...

/I summon Chimera! Winged Mythical Beast!/

The shadows trembled, weaved accordingly and-

BAM!

The professors stumbled back as something equally large slammed into the berserk beast, momentum carrying them sailing over the boys.

A mess of fur and fangs.

"Merlin's beard, there's two of them," Professor Flitwick squeaked, watching wide-eyed as the two beasts wrestled for dominance.

The second the chimera was easy to differentiate from the first. Unlike the first it had two heads: the lion's head had a single horn jutting from its forehead like a unicorn's horn and the goat's head had two horns curled like a ram's. Its body was a brownish-gold color and its tail was a snake's head, hissing in defiance. It also had wings.

Professor Lupin, face grimly determined, darted in and grabbed the two boys, pulling them farther away from the combating beasts.

Underneath his cloak, Yugi's left hand tightened around his deck as his right sought out his kogatana. His yami's magic pulsed, warm and familiar, supporting their monster and calming Yugi's nerves. Finding his balance, Yugi darted in, running for the piece of broken chain writhing with the chimera's every move, and slammed the blade through a chain link into the ground until it touched the hilt.

"Hold," Yugi commanded lowly, feeling the shadows wrap around the blade and clinging to the earth, pinning the chain in place.

"Yugi!" Dumbledore voice warned, and the Japanese man ducked in time to avoid getting bashed by a swing tail.

The hikari scampered back, breathing fast, and felt hands steadying his shoulders. "Mme Hooch?"

"Reckless, aren't you?," she said lowly tugging at his arm and helping him to his feet.

The chain leash clattered and strained against the sword, the chimera roaring at her sudden lack of maneuverability. Now that the beast's range was limited, teachers began to close in.

/That's enough,/ Yugi whispered tiredly, reaching for the heart of the cards.

The second chimera, as if sensing the teachers' approach, leaped away with a powerful beating of wings, and regarded them with surprisingly intelligent eyes. 

/I can handle it from here. Thank you, my friend./ 

//Thanks from us both.//

Discretely, Yugi nodded his acknowledgment and the monster bent his head slightly in a miniscule bow, then to the astonishment of every witch and wizard present, simply vanished in a blink of an eye.

"What on earth...?" Mme Hooch whispered bewilderedly.

"Stupefy!" Minerva yelled pointing at the remaining beast and shaking off her shock. She was soon echoed by other voices and the chimera finally succumbed to their spells, tumbling over, oblivious.

"Ron! Harry!" Ginny yelled, running towards her brother and friend. Ron sat dazedly as his sister hugged him.

"Gin? You alright?"

"Am, I alright?" she repeated furiously. "Ronald Weasley!"

"Can we get a stretcher over here?" Lupin's voice interrupted softly. Cradled in his arms, Harry lay still.

"Harry?" Ron asked, suddenly hushed.

Ginny's eyes widened as she saw Harry propped up in Lupin's grip,. "Harry?! Professor, what's wrong with him?"

"It's alright, I think he just hit his head," the werewolf answered quietly.

"Dumbledore," Hagrid called, limping up to them.

"Hagrid," Minerva scolded. "Honestly this is too much-"

"It wasn't..." Hagrid stuttered. "I don't know why... not like this...! Poor Harry... is he..."

"Hagrid, please, not now!" Minerva McGonagall interrupted curtly, tone made sharp out of concern for her students as she helped load Harry into a magical stretcher.

The half-giant shook his head. "Y'don't understand, Minnie..."

"He's right, there's something funny going on," Yugi cut in tiredly, walking up beside the Magical Creatures prof and scrubbing at his cheek. "The chimera had no killing intent in the beginning of the class. I was there. Something changed and she didn't go berserk on her own will."

"Albus, please," Hagrid begged, but didn't clarify any further.

"I'll try my best, Hagrid," the headmaster promised, face unusually grim. This was not the type of incident Hogwarts needed... especially not now with its shaky relations with the Ministry.

Hagrid nodded. "That's all I ask." He glanced around. "Eh? What happened ta that other chimera?"

If anyone had been paying attention, they might have noticed the miniscule twitch of Yugi's hand. "Went back to where ever it came from, I suppose," he said as casually as he dared, squishing the urge to chuckle nervously.

Hagrid scratched his beard thoughtfully. "I wanted t'say thanks."

Yugi's lips curved into a smile. Hagrid was one of the few people who'd ever consider showing a beast any form of gratitude. That type of thoughtfulness was rare in person. "Maybe one day," he consoled.

"Aye."

//I'll pass the message,// Yami agreed with a faint smile. //Are you all right, aibou?//

/Aa... I just... don't understand what happened./

Sighing, the Egytian spirit reached out to his other. //Daijoubou...//

....

Not too far away, at the edges of the Forbidden Forest, a rat scurried away unnoticed, silver paw digging into the blackened ground.

- Diagon Alley -

A white-haired figure stood, black-gloved hands stuffed into the pockets of his trench coat as he surveyed the building in front of him. A smirk played around his lips as the brightly-clothed shoppers flowed around him obliviously, almost as if he were invisible, despite the menacing, piratical aura the young man exuded.

Casually strolling up the marble stairs and through the first set of bronze doors, a near-crimson hazel eye flickered to the warning inscribed into the inner silver doors.

Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.

"Oi, you there! What do you think you're doing: window shopping?" one of the goblin guards at the door growled sharply, eyes narrowing above a hooked nose. "No loitering!"

"Sorry," Bakura chuckled softly as he turned away, brushing his bangs away from the black eye-patch he wore to cover his right eye. That's just fine with me... he thought confidently as he exited the famous wizarding bank. Next time... he smirked, I intend to do more than just look.

- Later, somewhere in suburban London -

Bakura Ryou... or Ryou Bakura as he was known here, groaned frustratedly. His other-self had had his eye trained on Gringotts ever since they'd discovered the existence of wizarding world. Apparently the old tomb raider considered it to be something of a personal challenge...

The young man smoothed his features as he approached the white-washed porch. "Evening, Mrs. Darby," he greeted quietly as he passed.

"Evening, Ryou dear," the elderly lady smiled, pausing in her conversation with her guest. "May I introduce you to my old friend, Mrs. Bones?"

"Ma'am." Ryou smiled shyly, eyes half-hidden under his snowy-white bangs, and bowed politely to the visitor.

//Witch...// Bakura hissed quietly in warning, his Shadow-powers scanning the visitor briefly.

Ryou sighed imperceptibly. /Somehow I don't think that was supposed to sound as insulting as it did./

The dark spirit shot him a wry look. //Who's to say?// he eyed the gray-haired woman contemplatively. //Any relation to the Bones I banished in Battle City?//

/I don't want to know!/

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bones, and I apologize, but I don't really have time..."

"Ah, I'm sorry dear. A handsome young man such as you must have better things to do than entertain two old biddies, hm?" Mrs. Darby said with a wink.

Ryou blushed faintly. "N-no, it's not like that at all! I-"

The old landlady laughed. "Oh, off with you, dear. I was only teasing."

Ryou coughed self-consciously. "Excuse me please, ladies," he excused himself and slid into the house.

"My, he's so well mannered!" the visitor said, warming her hands around her cup as she and her host sat peacefully at the table out on the porch. "And shy! That's rare in young men these days."

Mrs. Darby smiled. "He's the perfect gentleman. Half the time he's offering to help around the house, the other half he's so quiet I barely even remember he's renting the attic."

The two old women tittered, nibbling on their scones. "He sounds like a little angel. Is he a student?"

"No, he's older than he looks. Works as a sculptor, would you believe it? Amelia, you should see the things he makes. There was this one darling chess set... it was so well crafted I could've sworn the pieces were alive!" Mrs. Darby exclaimed. "He's got to be the best kept secret in London. He'd be famous otherwise."

"Oh my," Amelia breathed, sipping at her tea. "But what about... you know..." she gestured to her eye. She hadn't failed to notice that the young man wore a patch over his right eye, nor did she fail to notice the faint scar that peeked out from under it.

Mrs. Darby shook his head. "I never asked for details. I don't think he likes talking about much."

Amelia tutted sympathetically, looking in the direction the boy had gone. "The poor dear..."

Just inside the door, Bakura was sneering in the back of his host's mind. //'Poor dear',// he mimicked, //'Sweet little angel'. You've got women tittering over you no matter where you go, hikari. Frankly I'm surprised you haven't been conned into marrying someone's wench of a granddaughter yet.//

/That's not funny,/ Ryou frowned, refusing to blush as his dashed up the stairs.

Bakura chortled at his other's discomfort. //Ahou. Hurry up. We have a meeting at Pandora's tonight.//

Face-palming, Ryou sighed long-sufferingly.

Just what he needed.

- Number 12 Grimmauld Place - Black Mansion -

"A thief," Sirius said dryly.

"A purveyor of goods," Mundy corrected innocently.

"A thief," Sirius repeated. "Why are you going to meet this guy?"

"'Cause I need those documents Malfoy classified and he's our best bet at getting them. This guy's good at what he does, Siri."

"Uh huh," the animagus stated flatly.

"Have a little faith," Mundy chided with a grin as his stared into a mirror, touching up the glamour he was wearing. He was currently a full head shorter than he usual was, made even shorter by the slouch of his shoulders. His normally clear aqua eyes were bloodshot and baggy and when he grinned, you could catch a glimpse of yellowed teeth, partially hidden under an uneven ginger beard.

"You looked better before," the mirror informed him prissily.

"I'm not trying to look good," Mundy shot back wryly, messing up his hair even more. "So, Pads, you coming with me or what?"

"I-"

The decision was taken out of Sirius' hands when Fawkes flew in, flapping agitatedly.

"Fawkes?" Sirius frowned. Fawkes didn't usually deliver mail unless it was extremely urgent or important. The phoenix trilled a tune, impatiently sticking out its leg, and the dog animagus hurriedly untied the scroll.

"What is it?" Mundy asked, glancing at the man out of the corner of his eyes as he adjusted his coat. He did a double-take when Sirius' face suddenly paled to an alarming white. "Sirius?!"

"Something's happened to Harry," the Marauder explained in a rush, already heading out the room. "I'm going to Hogwarts," he called back, digging around for his cloak.

"Whoa there! Aren't we forgetting a little something about being a fugitive on the run? You aren't supposed to leave the mansion for another coupla days... until after Shacklebolt sends everyone on a wild-goose chase."

"My godson's collapsed under suspicious circumstances and I'm definitely not leaving him on his own," Sirius snapped, searching through his closet. "...Dammit, where did I put the frickin' thing..."

Shaking his head in resigned understanding, Mundy picked one of the hooded cloaks off the coat stand and handed it over, Sirius throwing it over his shoulder with a hasty nod of thanks.

"Watch your back," the auror warned, uncharacteristically serious.

"You too," Sirius returned, before disapparating with a *crack*.

The instant the fugitive disappeared, Mundy closed his eyes. Kid, you better be alright, he prayed silently, running a hand over his eyes in a rare display of weariness. I really don't want to know what Sirius will do if you're not.

Pandora's Poison was a medium-sized bar near the very end of Knockturn Alley. It was crowded enough to hide in and isolated enough to afford some privacy, which made it an ideal place for a meeting.

In general, the customers tended to be less than reputable characters... but not so much in those who dealt in the Dark Arts. Those folk tended to have a holier-than-thou-stick-up-my-ass attitude that Mundy had no appreciation for, and besides they wouldn't be caught dead in a "lowly" establishment like Pandora's. However, the bar was very popular among the ragtag "working" crew of Knocturn Alley... and by "work", we don't mean the traditional office stuff.

Push comes to shove, Mundy liked Pandora's. The atmosphere was surprisingly friendly, the company was always interesting and Pandora herself... well, let's just say she was rather easy on the eyes (not to mention the fact that she made one mean Dragonblood cocktail on-the-rocks).

So pushing open the door, the undercover Auror shimmied in with a toothy grin.

"'Ey! Dung, you li'l piece of Streeler-shit!" someone hollered jovially. "What rock 'ave you been 'iding under, mate?"

"Would'na y'like ta know, Sleeve?" Mundy chortled, assuming his street accent and persona with ease. Here, he was just a small-time thief and peddler by the name of "Dung". Not the most flattering name, mind you, but at least it was one no decent, self-respecting auror would ever choose.

Mundy chuckled at the irony.

Smiling, he brushed past the scruffy, rambunctious men at the bar, giving Pandora a lecherous wink. "Pretty as ever, m'lady!"

"So you say that to every girl, Dung," Pandora stated dryly, not looking up from the glass she was drying.

"Naaaaaw," Mundy scoffed, "Only those who deserve it."

Beside her, a stocky built waiter snorted in disbelief, giving Mundy the evil eye as he passed.

Mundy wiggled his fingers in a mocking wave, heading for the table in the back corner. "Could ya send down a Dragonblood cocktail, mate? And vodka fer me friend? Thanks! 'Preciate it!"

"You're early," the figure in the shadows noted calmly, not bothering to look up from the knife he was tending to. The white-haired outlaw was coating the silvery blade with a substance that Mundy suspected was poison.

"Aye, I could'na wait t'see me ole pal, Jan," Mundy grinned.

The other snorted. "You're also lying through your teeth."

"That's a useful skill too," Mundy agreed affably with a toothy grin. Sitting down on a faded wooden chair, he observed the man across from him.

The thief known as "Janus" had appeared in the underground circles roughly a year ago and had already earned himself quite the reputation. He'd never blown a heist, never gotten caught and most of the time his victims wouldn't even know they'd been robbed until they found his calling card: a strange half-demon, half-angel hybrid holding a heart in her hands. No one knew where he came from, nor did they know his real name. "Janus" was taken from the two-faced Roman god of the past and future, and interestingly enough... doorways and passages. Pretty fitting, considering the man's profession. (fanart by saeto15: ww w.deviantart.c om/view/3993679/ Take out the spaces)

"You'd better have something interesting for me, Dung..."

Mundy seemed to perk up. "I've go' a shipment of cauldrons that-"

"Dung..." the other man growled exasperatedly. "I'm a thief, not a potions master. What in the name of Ra would I need caldrons for?"

The undercover auror pouted petulantly. "Yer loss, mate." He shrugged, then assuming a serious expression, he leaned forward. "Anyways, I need you ta... acquire sumthin' fer me..."

"Now we're on the right track," Bakura smirked sitting a little straighter in his chair. With the movement, the talisman around the thief's neck glinted golden, the eye embedded in it almost winking. Short-cropped, snowy-white hair fell around the thief's face in messy spikes, just brushing his shoulders. In the dim lighting, the faint scar that trailed down his cheek from his right eye to his chin was just barely visible, partially hidden under a black eye-patch. (fanart: ww w.deviantart.c om/view/3935007/)

For some reason, Mundy always thought that scar looked strangely like a bloody tear trail.... He shook himself mentally for being poetic on a business meeting. Fishing out an old, chipped pipe from his robes, he lit it with his wand and took a puff.

"The Min'stry's got certain documents, see," Mundy explained, blowing acrid-smelling green smoke into the air, "and I be needin' them ta... give me a 'eads up on the competition. There's another set I be wantin' at St. Mungo's, but I figure I can get those fer meself."

"Really, Dung, playing with the big boys now?" Bakura drawled, twirling his knife with deadly grace, the silver blade flashing so fast that it blurred. "What would a peddler like you need government documents for?"

"That's a secret," Mundy grinned as he wagged his pipe. "If I told ya, I'd have ta kill ya. (Bakura snorted) So how 'bout it, mate? I c'n give you th' floor plans and the shifts-"

Bakura shot him an amused smirk. "No."

"No?! Aw, c'mon, 'elp a fellow out! Don't tell me th'great thief's scared-"

Bakura glared, his reddish-brown eyes narrowing. The King of Thieves? Scared? He, who had broken into the palace and challenged the pharaoh in his own hall? "Hardly," he drawled. "Children could break into that place."

Well ouch, Mundy thought. "Then what's the problem?"

"I'm not interested in a heist that offers no challenge," was the flat reply.

"No challenge?" Mundy blinked, shaking his head. Most people considered the Ministry to be near impregnable, but then, Janus wasn't "most people". The auror sighed, looking around furtively before casting a ward against eavesdroppers. "Look, Jan, I'll come clean wit'cha. Those papers... they c'n clear up the whole Diagon Alley mess. Min'stry's just sittin' on that file. Word gets out an'-"

"Tell it to someone who cares," the Egyptian announced flatly, inspecting the edge of the blade. "I thought you said you had an interesting assignment for me-"

Mundy shot up, palms flat on the table as he hissed, "This is more than jus' an 'interestin' assignment'. I'm talkin' 'bout fifteen people dead! Justice-"

BAM!!!

It took a lot for Mundy not to flinch when a knife embedded itself millimeters from his flesh, right between his middle and ring finger.

"Justice is only a bauble used by power-hungry politicians when it suits them," the thief spat. "Don't preach justice to me, Dung, and stop trying to play vigilante. You got off lucky; fifteen people dead is nothing at all."

"But there're hundreds more just waitin' ta be killed!"

"So?" Bakura smiled bitterly, pulling the knife out of the table. "I don't believe in justice... I believe in revenge." (fanart: ww w.deviantart.c om/view/4019176/)

Mundy backed off, disgust and disappointment spreading across his features. "I thought you were better th'n that."

Bakura shot him a look. "You don't know me."

/Iie, but I do./

The spirit growled. //Back off, hikari,// he warned lowly.

Ryou shook his head fervently. /Despite everything, you've never been one to condone mass murder, yami. If you can help, don't you think you should?/

//Ahou, still naive as ever, ne? You realize we're up against the government? They control the media, they feed the propaganda and that mindless mass of magical sheep just eat it up. You think evidence would make a difference? They control the judiciary system.//

/That's never stopped you before,/ the soft-spoken boy pointed out.

//That was different.//

/Different how?!/

Bakura's eyes hardened, turning a stormy red. //Don't go there, hikari.//

/Why? Isn't it personal eno-/

//Don't go there, hikari!// the spirit snapped, his powers starting to lash out and causing his other half to wince and fall silent.

...

... ...

/...I believe in justice,/ Ryou whispered. I have to.

Bakura turned sharply to his light... Fool...

His hikari would never know better, he mulled, but after a long, contemplative pause, he suddenly started to chuckle, then laugh out loud, head thrown back in hilarity.

Ryou gapped at him bewilderedly. /Nani?/

//Hikari, you realize you're asking me to break into a government building and pilfer evidence that could possibly lead to the usurpation of the current political power?// the tomb raider asked, a tinge of amused irony in his tone.

In his soul room, Ryou turned beet-red, eyes suddenly wide. /A-ano... well.../

//Heh,// the tomb raider grunted, grinning. "Sit down, Dung," he said out loud. "Let's talk prices."

Mundy, who had watched silently while the thief had his internal debate, sighed discretely with relief. Plopping back into his chair, his trademark easy-going grin reappeared on his face. "Bastard."

"Gotta make a living somehow," Bakura shot back blandly as the tension diffused around them. In his soul room, Ryou was still stuttering rationalizations.

/Ano - I mean - that's not.../

Just then, the waiter came with their drinks, frowning sourly. "Who's payin' fer th'drinks?" the man grunted.

"Jan," Mundy pointed.

And at the same time Bakura stated, "Dung."

"I paid th'last time!" Mundy protested.

"Your memory's going in your old age," the thief retorted.

/...I didn't mean... that... I.../ Ryou continued to object, oblivious.

The waiter glared at the both of them. "No pay, no service."

... ... ...

"Oh fine," Bakura finally growled exasperatedly, ducking his head. Pulling out a few coins out of a pouch, he handed them to the waiter, who then set their tray down with a grunt.

/But... but.../

Mundy smiled victoriously as he reached for his cocktail. "Thanks, mate."

"Anytime," Bakura smirked, setting the purse on the tabletop.

Mundy did a double-take, frowning. That pouch looked awfully familiar... "Wha-" he patted his pockets, staring comically at the purse as his eyes grew wider and wider.

Bakura snickered and downed his shot of vodka in one go.

Mundy hastily snatched his purse back with a glare. "Dammit, Janus!"

/Yami!/

Bakura raised his glass in mock-salute. "Cheers," he smirked.

- Hogwarts -

Yugi slipped quietly into the darkened rooms of the Hospital Wing, by-passing the wards by phasing through the Shadow Realm. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt he had to check in on the boy... the wizards probably had everything under control and Madame Pomfrey was reputed to be one of the best medi-witches in England, but he just felt he had to see...

Harry Potter still hadn't woken.

The headmaster had relayed that head wounds were tricky, but Yugi felt it was more than that.

/I should've done something earlier. I knew something was wrong with his aura.../ Yugi bit his lip.

//What's done is done, aibou,// Yami reminded, //Heed your own lessons.//

/I know,/ Yugi sighed, creeping against a wall and peeking around a corner. /I feel like Bakura,/ he added wryly. /Skulking around in the dark like this./

//I did not need to hear that,// Yami replied flatly, gazing upwards and causing his partner to laugh softly.

Making his way quickly down a long corridor, Yugi finally spotted a small, dark-haired figure lying on crisp white sheets. /He's so pale!/ Yugi said in alarm, staring at the boy's face in the moonlight. The boy's hair was matted with sweat and every now and again, he'd twitch in distress.

Yami, meanwhile, was studying the boy's aura. //Something's in his mind that should not be there... His defenses have been weakened...//

/Can we sever the link?/

//The bond is too deep to cut. I fear we may do more harm than good if we try to destroy it... and what's more I have no idea how his magic will react to ours.//

/What if we-/ Yugi cut off abruptly as a deep, menacing growl resounded in the room and a large, bear-like black dog suddenly placed itself between Yugi and Harry. /Whoa!/ Yugi cried in alarm, stumbling back.

The dog's hackles were raised and its white fangs were barred threateningly. Its entire stance screamed "stay away" as it opened its muzzle to bark an alarm.

Yami reacted immediately, the eye of illusion glowing brightly on his forehead and his own eyes deepening into a hard crimson as he took over. Fingers outstretched, he pointed sternly at the giant form. "Sleep!" he ordered forcefully, pushing the command towards the dog. "Sleep and forget."

Eyes still shining with fierce protectiveness, Snuffles wavered on his feet for a fraction of an instant, before tumbling over with a soft, mournful whine. Yugi released the breath he'd been holding.

/That's one big guard dog,/ he said bluntly, and squinted at the unconscious animal. There was something odd about that dog...

Shaking himself mentally, Yugi turned his attention back to the boy. /Would it work if we shield him like we shielded ourselves from foreign magic?/

//I suppose we could try. But then, you realize that to him, we are foreign magic?//

/I'm willing to try.../

Yami closed his eyes for a moment, weighing his options. Above everything else, Yugi's safety was paramount, but his could feel that his other was determined to try, no matter what the cost. That was the kind of person Yugi was. //Very well, if you're sure, aibou?//

/I am,/ Yugi nodded, gathering his strength.

//Saa...// Yami conceded and placed one hand over the boy's brow, the over over the boy's heart. Slowly, he pushed his mental shields outwards...

...And almost instantly felt the boy push back.

The spirit grunted in surprise. The boy's mental defenses still had some bite, eve when unconscious and weakened. It made him wonder just how something had managed to get into the boy's head in the first place. Frowning, he pushed a little harder, testing the boy's power. He paused when the boy groaned, turning his head away from his touch.

Yugi drew a sharp, worried breath. /Did we hurt him?/

//No, he'd doing a pretty good job of defending himself against us...// Yami withdrew his hand.

/But we can't just leave... Yami, his aura isn't getting better, it's getting even more chaotic!/

The Egyptian pressed his lips together thoughtfully. //Aa...//

/Here, let me try again.../ Yugi requested, and his other-self returned to his soul room. Replacing his hand on the boy's brow, Yugi closed his eyes and concentrated. This time, instead of pushing wall to wall, he broke his own shield into points (wincing as both Hogwart's and the boy's magic slammed against him) and threaded power in streams through Harry's defenses.

//Aibou!// Yami called in alarm, frantically reaching out to give his other some sort of protection.

/I got through!/ Yugi announced needlessly, then gasped, feeling a nauseating pulling sensation. /Wha-/

//Yu-!//

Any further communication was drowned out as the world tilted, and both fell headlong into a dream.

TBC

Spoilers!

(1) I'm not making it up. :P Dumbledore defeats Grindelwald in 1945 (ref. Sorcerer's Stone, chapter 6, if I'm not mistaken), and world war II ended on May 8th, 1945 in Europe. Coincidence? -_- Or "Grindelwald" might be based on "Grendel", the villain in the earliest English epic recorded. The hero of the epic is "Beowulf", who could be renamed "bee-wolf"... Dumbledore? Bumblebee? ...Ah whatever. That's just my guess. :P

(2) That's right, Ryou carves wizard's chess sets, among other things. I don't think the timing's right, but I'd like to be able to claim that he made McGonagall's giant chess set too... It would suit his style, don't you think? Something beautiful but possibly deadly. :P Anywho, Ryou is the best kept secret in London. He doesn't need to be famous, he's infamous. **evil grin** I've always thought that he had more of an affinity to board games and game pieces than card games... like the Monster World RPG and the Memory RPG. Bakura mentions that Ryou made that huge diorama of Thebes (I'm assuming it's Thebes? Well, wherever the heck Yami's palace was...) hidden in the back chamber of the Domino museum. Besides, if nothing else, being an artist would give him an excuse to keep odd hours. ^_^

(3) Amelia Susan Bones is a canon character introduced in book 5. She's the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ironic, really, since Bakura rants about the lack of justice in the wizarding world, and Amelia's a pretty fair judge.

(4) In book 5, the canon version of Mundungus (who Rowling nicknames "Dung" instead of "Mundy") runs off to settle a deal over some stolen cauldrons instead of watching Harry like he was supposed to. Canon Dung is now Mundy's undercover persona. ;)

(5) Kingsley Shacklebolt's the name of the auror in charge of the manhunt for Sirius, however he's a part of the Order and is fully aware of Siris' innocence. Basically he sabotages the investigation from within, giving his men false leads to look into.

(6) Yeah, I'm throwing in things left and right. Children do break into the Ministry in book 5 and Bakura does challenge Pharaoh Yami in his own throne room.

(7) The slaughter of Bakura's entire village was condoned by Yami's father. That's around 99 or so villagers dead. Little Bakura, of course, saw it all. And you wonder why he's bitter?

Notes:**arches an eyebrow** I'm sorry, was I being unclear or am I misinterpreting the reviews? THIS STORY IS NOT YAOI! The side-story is, and perhaps subsequent side-stories will be to, if people want them. Most of you got the message, but there were a coupla reviews where I just wasn't sure if it was merely a violently allergic reaction to yaoi or if I was too vague. ^_^; **shrugs** In any case I'm moving it to a separate page. The yaoi side-story can be found on my geocities page... just as soon as I update.

**wails** I didn't like this chapter at all! Felt very detached when I was rewriting it. Go read chapter 8. I'm much happier with that. **sniff** I think this chapter needs revising but I have an essay due soon, so it'll have to wait until the weekend.

The chimera used in this chapter comes from Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Underneath the passage on Chimera eggs being Grade A Non-Tradable goods, Harry's scrawled in, "Which means Hagrid'll be getting one any time now". ^_^ Figured I could take it literally. Strangely enough Rowling substituted the traditional snake part with a dragon and I'm wondering if that's because she didn't want a creature with both Gryffindor and Slytherin traits. Yugi's Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast (2100/1800) is usually formed with the fusion of Berfomet and Gazelle King of the Mythical Beasts. I know I probably slaughtered the Ancient Greek language. Between modern Greek and classical Greek and Erasmian Greek, I got confused pretty easily. x_x

Hey, out of curiosity, to anyone who has a house system, does the house points thing work at your school? Didn't in my high school... Or maybe that's just because we had 7 houses and no magical means to keep track of points? Heck the whole house thing doesn't work as ideally as it should. House heads were forced to beg people to attend house games and house mascots (stuffed animals) were usually defaced- **cough** Well, not quite defaced... hung out above the courtyard for a while... **shifty eyes** And it was a rival house mascot anyway... **looks contemplative** Okay, so there's a little house spirit. **devil horns**

Y'know they removed the gargoyles from the front of the school too... **is pissed** I liked those gargoyles and now there are little empty alcoves where they used to sit. Dangnammit, put them back!

Nanashi: She's in a really strange mood right now... please ignore her.