Upon reaching the ground, Yugi’s puzzle glowed and Yami took over, knowing he would likely be needed. Ron halted for a second and did a double take, blinking at the form running in front of him.

Hermione nearly crashed into him. “What! Why’d you stop?!”

“D-did you just see...?”

“What?”

“Nevermind. Come on, let’s hurry!”

In the teacher’s section, Dumbledore stood and made his way down as fast as his old body would allow. The other members of the staff stared after him, the majority assuming this was a prank. “Would you like some assistance?” Professor Flitwick offered.

“Yes,” Dumbledore called back. “Professor White, please come with me.”

Sirius did as he was asked. Snape frowned and crossed his arms, no doubt of the opinion that the headmaster could have chosen better help.

Halfway down, Professor McGonagall met up with them. “Albus, what are we to do? I’m not sure I know any spells to stop this!”

The headmaster kept moving as he answered her. “We won’t know until we’re down there, Minerva.” Exasperated, she followed.

“Just how much danger are the students in?!” Sirius questioned, concern for Harry on his mind.

“I’m afraid that depends on several factors I am not yet aware of,” Dumbledore answered. Sirius frowned, not liking the situation at all.

The Quidditch players looked at one another for an explanation to the sudden dark fog that seemed to be engulfing them. Several accusations flew at the Weasly twins, but they honestly denied it (though secretly they would have liked to claim responsibility). The darkness struck Harry as familiar, though he couldn’t place where he’d seen it.

Malik, Yugi, Ron, and Hermione dashed across the grass towards the playing field. Malik reached it first. He could barely see those inside and it was growing more and more difficult to make them out by the second. Without hesitation, he ran through the shadow until he was enveloped within as well. Yami followed, several steps behind. Though they were baffled by the blackness ahead of them, Hermione and Ron continued on into the shadows as well, making it in just before the darkness finished forming, sealing them in, and everyone else out, as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Sirius discovered upon their arrival.

Sirius was the first to attempt to enter, being the fastest. He’d seen Ron and Hermione enter, even though their forms were no longer visible. He assumed he could do the same. He plunged into the shadows, but they sent him back out, just the way he’d come in.

“What sorcery is this?” Sirius said, mouth agape as he stared at what was once the Quidditch field.

“Albus, what should we do?” McGonagall said, doing her best to retain her composure, but a slight quiver in her voice gave away how concerned she truly was.

The headmaster eyed the darkness, as if sizing it up. It engulfed the entire field, and no one had emerged from it since its appearance. Dumbledore adjusted the gripe on his staff and reached out with it. The staff penetrated the shadows, and reemerged beside itself.

“Is it a variation of the Impervious charm?” Sirius questioned.

“Perhaps an ancient form?” McGonagall suggested.

“Similar,” Dumbledore replied thoughtfully.

“Then the appropriate anti-charm...”

“No,” Dumbledore said. “This darkness is composed of a variety of ancient spells fused seamlessly together. Were we to use our magic to disable any one of those spells, we’d run the risk of the shadows collapsing on themselves, putting everyone inside in greater danger.”

“Then what, Albus?” McGonagall asked expectantly.

Dumbledore turned to her and Sirius. He seemed to smile with his eyes only. “We trust those inside to handle it.”

“You can’t be serious,” Sirius replied. “We can’t just stand idly by-“

Dumbledore put his hand up for silence. “Mr. Bakura has apparently lost control of himself. But Mr. Mouto and Mr. Ishtal are in there as well. They are his allies and they know the magic they’re dealing with well. They are far more qualified than we to deal with this event.”

Sirius still looked doubtful. “Are you sure that they’re even in there?”

“Certainly. Where else would they be at a time like this?”

Sirius and McGonagall knew better than to question the Headmaster’s logic.

While this was going on outside, Malik was trying to assess the situation from within. Above him the Quidditch players still flew, some of them laughing at what was most surely a great joke, others darting about nervously, eager for the joke to end. The match was all but forgotten. Even Harry gave up the search for the Snitch (which, along with the Bludgers, kept moving even thought the game was paused) in an effort to find out just what was going on. Bakura had not yet made a move. ‘That’s good,’ Malik thought. If they could get to Bakura and stop him before he started anything further, it would save a lot of trouble.

“Malik?”

Yami’s voice broke his train of thought. “What? Have an idea you’d like to offer?”

“We’ve got additional company.”

“Say what?” Malik turned to face Yami, who then turned his own gaze towards what, or who, he was speaking of.

Hermione and Ron’s mouths fell open as they stared at their surroundings. “What...the bloody Hell is this?” Ron muttered. Hermione shook her head, for once at a loss for an answer. The darkness swirled around them, seemingly endless, going on forever in all directions. Black upon black, the only things standing out were Malik and Yami in front of them and those on broomsticks overhead.

Malik’s eyes widened considerably when he realized what just happened. ‘They must have followed us in just before the darkness finished forming,’ he thought. ‘Now how are we supposed to explain this?’ Well, there was no sending them back.

It suddenly occurred to Hermione and Ron when they noticed the eyes on them that they had done something they perhaps shouldn’t have. “Well, we, er...didn’t know what was going on and we wanted to help...” Hermione murmured. “Um...what exactly is going on here?”

Malik and Yami exchanged glances. The blonde Egyptian smirked suddenly. “I’ll leave this one to you, Pharaoh.”

“Pharaoh?” Hermione muttered, confused.

“Me? Why me?” Yami demanded.

“Because I have other matters to attend to,” Malik said with a wave. “Somebody needs to stop Bakura before he goes completely berserk. And you’d just tick him off more, anyway.”

“Wa...Wait, Malik!” But Malik ignored him. Yami really didn’t like being in this predicament, and he was sorely tempted to exchange with Yugi and let him deal with it.

“Um...” Hermione spoke up timidly. “I realize Ron and I are probably in over our heads and shouldn’t be here. Um...I guess we’ll go now.” Ron nodded dumbly.

“Try to leave and you’ll end up wandering the darkness forever,” Yami said.

“Wha...?” Ron said, putting a hand to stop Hermione. “What do you mean?”

Yami sighed. “I hate Malik for leaving me with this,” he muttered to himself before addressing his fellow Gryffindors. “Uh, you see...I’ll have to give you a brief explanation because I really should make sure Malik is stopping Bakura rather than egging him on...Bakura and I are not quite what we seem...I’m not sure how to explain it exactly.” He glanced upward to see Ron and Hermione eyeing him expectantly. Yugi was offering no help. Yami sighed again. Best to focus the attention on Bakura. He was the current problem after all. “You have walked into a Game of Darkness, and we’re all stuck here until the game is over, or we bring Bakura to his senses.”

“Game of Darkness?” Hermione questioned. “You mean Bakura is the one doing this?”

“Well, yes and no...” Yami replied, not sure how to put what he wanted to say delicately. “See, there’s another Bakura and he’s the one doing this. He is Bakura’s other personality, and he acts rashly when he’s angry. Bakura is...”

“Possessed?” Hermione finished, surprisingly unfazed as she came to this conclusion.

“And you’re...You’re the other Yugi, aren’t you?” Ron asked, almost accusingly.

Yami was speechless. He stared blankly at Hermione and Ron, trying to find his voice. “You knew,” he said finally. “How?”

Hermione shrugged. “We guessed as much. There were clues here and there.”

“We must be losing our touch,” Yami murmured, mostly to himself. “I kept our friends back home in the dark for months...”

“This spell...” Hermione said, still in awe at her surroundings. “How did he do this? It seems like very advanced magic...”

Yami was growing concerned with the passage of time. The darkness wasn’t dispersing. That meant Malik hadn’t talked Bakura down yet, and it had been several minutes. “I know we owe you a proper explanation,” he said. “And I promise you’ll get it later, but for now...” Yami paused mid-sentence. He heard a chilling sound. A laugh. A laugh he knew all too well.

It seemed this Game of Darkness was just beginning.

.................................................................

Malik yelled to Bakura as he neared. The white-haired boy was about seventy feet in the air, not high by Quidditch standards. He should have been able to hear his fellow calling him from below. But if he did, he offered no response. He remained deathly silent.

“Bakura!” Malik called, not willing to give up. “Come on down! You don’t want to do this!” No answer. Malik tried again. “Come on! They’re not worth it! Think about what you’re doing!” Malik’s pleas appeared to be falling on deaf ears, but he kept trying to coax the angry spirit down.

Even if Bakura didn’t seem to be listening, Malik’s shouts were drawing attention from the other Quidditch players. They paused and stared at him, a few of them flying in closer to see the spectacle and maybe find out what was going on.

Higher above, the Slytherin captain Malfoy was growing panicky. He recognized this shadow as one he had seen before. On Halloween, he’d seen monstrous horrors emerge from this darkness. He knew the cause. And Malik’s unexpected arrival didn’t calm his nerves in the least. He was sure the Egyptian was in on it. He yelled at the nearest Slytherin Beater, the same one, in fact, who had hit Ryou earlier. “Stop him!” Malfoy ordered, pointing a shaky finger at the silent hovering form. “He’s doing this! Take him out!!”

The Slytherin Beater didn’t know what else he could do if the first blow had not knocked out the white-haired Gryffindor chaser, but he knew questioning his captain would jeopardize his place on the team. And so he did the only thing that he, as a Beater, knew to do and sent the first Bludger he could reach streaming towards his appointed target.

‘Idiot!’ Malik thought as he saw the ball shoot through the air, aiming for Bakura once more. “Watch out!!” he yelled. ‘That stupid Malfoy is gonna send him even further over the edge!’ he thought frantically.

Bakura moved so subtly that few caught the actual movement. One hand released its grip on the handle of his broomstick and rose, making as if to catch or block the Bludger that was about to hit him head on. Then, as if obeying a silent order, the Bludger stopped inches in front of Bakura’s outstretched hand. Onlookers were struck dumb. The Bludgers never stopped moving.

The surprises were not over. Bakura drew the frozen Bludger closer with his hand without ever actually touching it. A wicked grin spread across his face and a low laugh rose from his throat. The laugh grew louder, radiating with a maniacal glee and chilling the blood of all who heard it.

The Weasly twins blinked in surprise at their teammate. “Oi, Harry,” Fred said, “Did that knock on the head turn ‘em nutty?”

“I should hope not,” George said, “I wanna know how he did that.”

“Yeah,” Fred agreed. “I thought nothing could stop a Bludger short of a really strong spell.”

“But he never took his wand out...”

“Do ya think he did this blackness, too?”

Harry was nearby, but didn’t add to their conversation. He remembered now where he’d seen this shadow before. Where he’d heard that laugh... That day in Sirius’ office. The boggart. This was what Bakura had feared more than anything else. Himself...no, this thing that was now in control of him. Maybe it really was an evil spirit. A demon... But no, Sirius said it was nothing they should have had to fear. And Dumbledore must have thought so, too.

Harry glanced downward in his confusion and his heart sank to his stomach. Malik was on the ground beneath Bakura. And running towards him was Yugi, Ron, and Hermione. They were now in the same danger he and his teammates were in. But Malik and Yugi...maybe they knew what to do. If he could just get down there to talk to them...

Bakura’s laugh died away gradually. All eyes were on him. He raised his head finally, revealing his gleaming eyes, locked in a narrowed glare. He wore a devilish smirk that spoke silently of ill-intent. The blood drying on the side of his face enhanced his dark expression. The Millennium Ring glistened against his chest. He didn’t look anything like the Bakura they’d seen before.

“Perhaps,” he said, speaking softly, yet somehow everyone was able to hear him, “it is time we played by my rules.”

“Don’t do it!” Yami yelled from below.

“Shut up!” Yami Bakura shouted, turning his glare from the Quidditch players to the Pharaoh below. “Unless you want to be a participant, I suggest you back off! That goes for all of you!” He stared at each of the other groundlings in turn. Hermione and Ron were intimidated and shrank away. Yami and Malik glared back but had nowhere near the effect Yami Bakura had.

The dark spirit turned his attention back towards the players and grinned widely. “We’re going to play a new game now.” The Bludger hovering in his hand suddenly burst into flames. Strange purple flames, which engulfed the ball but did not consume it. Several shocked gasps escaped the spectators. “I’m going to release this ball, and when I do, you’ll all take care not to get hit by it. Should it strike you, you’ll lose the game...and so much more.” He laughed again, low and menacingly.

“Er, Whitey?” George said, “Great gags and all, but don’t you think it’s time to lay off of it?”

“Even we know when enough is enough,” Fred agreed.

“As Beaters, you two should pay extra attention,” Yami Bakura said, ignoring their suggestion. “Only the Beaters can protect their teammates. Your friends’ well-being is in your hands.”

The Weasly twins exchanged glances. “Look, Whitey...”

“Stop...calling me that,” Yami Bakura said. “It’s always rather irked me.” He stared at the rest of the players. “When all members of a team are eliminated, the opposing team is declared the winner. I shall, of course, be playing for Gryffindor in this high-stakes game. Now...I’d say it’s time to begin...”

“Wait!” Harry shouted. “What do we lose?!”

“GAME START!!!”

The ball shot from Yami Bakura’s hand, streaking across the field towards a Slytherin Chaser, moving easily twice as fast as a normal Bludger. The Chaser narrowly avoided it. The other players took this as a signal to scatter; they all spread out, keeping a watchful eye on the cursed Bludger.

Yami Bakura moved to action as well, climbing higher into the air and getting a good look at the chaos below. The cursed Bludger darted about the field like a comet. It would only be a matter of time before it would catch somebody. Then panic would set in. He licked his lips thinking of it. It had been so long. So long...

He suddenly became aware that he wasn’t alone. “Following me, Harry? Interesting strategy.”

“Why are you doing this?” Harry demanded. “Who are you?”

“Clever boy,” Yami Bakura responded with a grin. “I am merely a dispenser of justice. A wrong was committed against me. I am rectifying it.”

“Look, I know they cheated and hurt you, but you can’t just do something like this! You’re going too far!” Harry shouted.

“And I’m certain you would be the expert on crossing the line to right a wrong,” Yami Bakura smirked. Harry opened his mouth to say something back, but no words came out. The dark spirit’s grin widened when he saw that he had struck a nerve. “Yes, Harry. I’ve heard stories about you around school. You have no right to judge.”

“But...but this is just some personal issue for you!” Harry said, finally finding his voice. “You’re out for no one but yourself!”

“Not quite,” Yami Bakura answered. He turned his head sideways and stared at Harry. “You know more than you make known. I appreciate your silence...”

Waves of guilt passed over Harry. Maybe if he’d told someone what he knew, this would have never happened. “I know you’re not Bakura,” he said.

Yami Bakura gave a short laugh. “Guilty as charged, Sherlock.”

“What are you?”

“That is not important.”

“But all this time...Why are you doing this now?”

“They could have killed my host,” Yami Bakura said, narrowing his eyes. “I want to make sure they never repeat the mistake.”

Harry didn’t know what to say to that. Was this...thing...really just trying to protect the real Bakura?

“Relax, Harry,” Yami Bakura said, interrupting Harry’s thoughts and flashing a toothy grin. “You’re playing for my team. You can’t lose...”

Harry’s ears perked up. “Why is that?”

“Dodge.”

“What?”

Yami Bakura rotated his broom and made a quick turn, losing altitude along the way. Harry didn’t know what was going on at first, but then...

WHOOSH!

Harry had to jerk back suddenly. The cursed Bludger came flying through the spot where he and Bakura had just been talking - struck by a Slytherin Beater (who looked absolutely terrified). Harry shook his head to get over the scare. ‘Just what happens when you’re hit by that thing?’ Harry thought, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.

Harry looked around. Bakura was gone and Harry didn’t see where he went. He did see Ron and Hermione waving their arms wildly far below. With a quick look around to make sure there was no danger, he went into a dive and pulled up beside Hermione, Ron, Yugi, and Malik.

“Harry!” Ron shouted at him excitedly. “Harry, that’s the other Bakura. He’s gone mad!”

“I know,” Harry replied.

“Bakura may have lost his temper, but he’s not acting without thinking. He’s just too angry to care about the repercussions. I doubt he’ll listen to any of us,” Yami said. “What did he tell you up there?”

Harry pursed his lips together as he noticed this was the other Yugi. It made him uncomfortable now. “He said he was getting revenge for them hurting his host, or something like that,” he said. “He also said that Gryffindor couldn’t lose.”

“And why is that?” Malik asked.

Harry shook his head. “He took off before telling me.”

“Don’t you know how to stop him?” Ron asked, turning to Yami and Malik. “Don’t you have a counter spell or something? You use the same magic, right?”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Yami replied. “Only the person who starts a dark game can stop it.”

“Is there nothing we can do?” Hermione asked anxiously wringing her hands together.

“Hold up,” Harry said. “I’m still in this game of his. Just what is Bakura doing? He cursed that Bludger, but to do what?”

Yami and Malik shared a look that showed that neither wanted to be the one to say. Yami turned and eyed, Malik, silently saying that there was no way he was going to be stuck with the explanation again.

Malik scratched his head, trying to think of a way to phrase what he needed to say. “Uh, well...Bakura has this, um, special power to...uh...”

They were interrupted by a flash of light, followed by a scream. A Slytherin Chaser had been struck by the cursed Bludger and though he had only been grazed, he was now falling towards the ground. Automatically, Hermione pulled out her wand and shouted a spell. The fallen player slowed and landed softly on the ground. He did not move. Many of the other players panicked and tried to get as far away as they dared. Others sobbed softly in fear.

“What happened?” Ron asked, his mouth hanging open.

“Uh, well that’s what Bakura does,” Malik said. “He, um, has the power to steal souls and he likes to seal them in inanimate objects. It’s his trademark, really...”

“He WHAT?!” Harry, Ron, and Hermione exclaimed at once.

“He trapped my friends in Duel Monster cards and made me duel with them the first time we met,” Yami said. “It’s seems he cursed that Bludger to capture the soul of whoever it touches.”

“So you are telling me,” Harry said, speaking slowly, “that if I get hit by that thing, it’s going to steal my soul?!”

“Uh, yeah, that about sums it up,” Malik said with a nod.

Harry threw his hands up in the air in an exasperated manner. “So now what am I supposed to do?! I left my wand in the changing room! I’m defenseless and so is the rest of the team!”

“Get out there and just make sure you stay far away from that cursed ball,” Yami said. “We’ll try to get something together down here. We can get back the souls - don’t worry. You better get back to the game, before Bakura notices.”

Harry wasn’t happy about it, but as he had not other ideas, he did as was suggested.

“So now what?” Ron asked, as he nervously watched Harry fly off.

“If Bakura is unable to continue, then the game would end,” Malik said. “If we...I don’t know...knock him out again or something that should do it. Course, if it doesn’t work, he would just get ticked off at us, too. And Bakura’s already building on one knock to the head. Anything done to stop him will hurt the real Bakura, too. Gods, why did that idiot have to go and blow his top? He’s ruining it for the rest of us.”

“What about a stunning spell?” Hermione asked. “He would lose consciousness, but the spell won’t hurt him.”

“That might just work,” Malik said, a thoughtful look on his face. “I nominate you for the job, Pharaoh.”

“You what?” Yami said. He couldn’t believe Malik was trying to do this to him again. “Why me?”

“Well, obviously, you’re most suited for the job,” Malik said matter-of- factly. “Yugi’s good with wand work, and thus, so are you. And you have that knack for winning in any situation, Mr. King of Games.”

“King of Games or not, my feet stay on the ground,” Yami protested. He wasn’t afraid of going against Yami Bakura. He just very much did not want to get on one of those bewitched brooms.

“Now you know I’m no good at wand work,” Malik said. “I’d fly up there and Bakura’d just laugh at me as I screw up the spell.”

“I-I can do-do it,” Hermione spoke up nervously. “I know the spell and I can fly a little.”

Malik gave Yami a look intended to make him feel guilty. It worked.

“No,” Yami said with a sigh. “We need you on the ground to keep those who fall from getting hurt. And I couldn’t let you get involved in this. Either of you,” he added, sparing Ron the obligation of having to volunteer. “Seeing as Malik is completely useless, I guess I’ll have to do it.” Malik clapped him on the back supportively. Yami just glared at him.

Hermione used a summoning spell to “borrow” the fallen Slytherin Chaser’s broom, a Nimbus two-thousand-and-one. She then proceeded to instruct Yami on the spell he would need to cast.

“Just point and yell ‘Stupefy,’” she said. “If you hit him, he should be out like a light.”

Yami still couldn’t believe he was doing this. While Yugi was relatively good at using a wand, Yami had yet to try it. He was quite comfortable using his own magic and had never seen the need to use wizard’s sorcery. Yugi volunteered to do it instead, but Yami was not about to let his lighter half step into a game of darkness against Yami Bakura.

High above, Malfoy was behaving less than valiantly after his teammate had been struck down by the cursed Bludger. He couldn’t tell if the player was hurt, dead, or something else. He only knew he did not want to suffer the same fate. Having seen Harry speak with Bakura, Malfoy was convinced that all of his rivals were ganging up against him. “Potter!” he yelled accusingly as he flew closer to Harry. “Call him off!”

“Don’t you think I would if I could?” Harry yelled back angrily.

“You’re in on this!” Malfoy continued. “Don’t pretend you’re not! You’re all going to get expelled, and that’s if you’re lucky! Once my father hears of this, you’ll end up in Azkaban!”

“This is mostly your fault!” Harry shouted. “You and your flunkies kept hassling him and he snapped! You almost deserve this!”

“That’s not how everyone else is going to see this, Potter!” Malfoy said, and even Harry had to admit he was right. Even if they managed to stop Bakura and get everything back to the way it was, there was little hope for the boy remaining at school.

There was another flash of light and a Slytherin Beater fell. Hermione made sure he landed softly. Yami Bakura smirked when he saw the Beater struck. He circled in and nicked the Beater’s bat, effectively arming himself. As he rose back into the air, he became aware of the newest player in his game. He narrowed his eyes. “Who told you to interfere?”

“You’ve got to stop this!” Yami said. “You’re causing trouble for all of us with this stunt.”

“I’d say the damage is already done,” Yami Bakura sneered. “I might as well have my fun.”

“Tomb Robber, don’t make me-“

“Don’t make you what?” Yami Bakura interrupted. “I’m doing nothing that you wouldn’t do in my place. These mortals have to be taught a lesson.”

“But you are not the one to teach it,” Yami shot back.

“Just try and stop me!”

Yami Bakura took off, deciding that if Yami was going to join in, he was going to have to increase the challenge, and he saw the opportunity out the corner of his eye.

Yami pursued him rather awkwardly and didn’t possess the skills to catch him if Yami Bakura didn’t want to be caught. But he didn’t need to catch him. He just needed to get close enough to cast the spell (and then hope it worked). Suddenly, something came flying at him. Yami flailed about in a clumsy dodge as a bright ball of purple flames shot past him. He stared up at the source after regaining his balance. Yami Bakura, looking somewhat pleased with himself held a Beater’s bat, having apparently just swung it. Yami couldn’t believe the Spirit of the Ring had the audacity to...

But it was more than just a personal attack on the Pharaoh, as Yami soon saw. Streaking against the blackness was not one, but two cursed Bludgers. Yami Bakura had just doubled the difficulty of the game.

On the ground, Malik could see that Yami was not fairing so well against Yami Bakura. The Pharaoh would never be able to get close enough to cast the spell at this rate. This was really one of the dumbest, most thoughtless things he could remember Yami Bakura ever doing. Once the shadow magic was invoked, the Ring Spirit was like a wild animal that had just gotten its first taste of blood – he became thirsty for more and was unlikely to listen to reason. Anger fueled him, and then his sadistic nature took over. The real Bakura was going to get so much grief for this...

The thought of Ryou made Malik’s insides knot up in guilt. He’d promised to stop the Spirit of the Ring’s next foolish plan, and here he was, standing idly by and letting Yami do all the work. It was true that Malik was horrible at spells, but at least he would be able to get close enough to cast one. He knew what he had to do. He just hoped Yami Bakura wouldn’t resent him for it when he came back to his senses.

Malik sighed heavily. “Hermione, how does that stunning spell go again?”

Hermione blinked at him in confusion. “Stupefy,” she replied. “You’re not going up there, too, are you?”

“I have to,” Malik answered. “I have a promise to keep.”

“Wait,” Hermione urged, “If you cast the spell wrong, you could-“

As usual, Malik wasn’t listening. He ran towards the nearest fallen player and borrowed a broomstick. Mounting it after a running start, he took to the air. Hermione tried to stop him, but another soul-less player plummeted towards the ground (this time it was Josie, a Gryffindor Chaser) and she had to soften the landing.

Quidditch players were dropping like flies from both teams now that there were two soul-stealing Bludgers flying at double-speed. Yami Bakura watched sadistically over the chaos, sending one of the Bludgers flying at the nearest Slytherin whenever the opportunity arose, and moving about just enough to keep a safe distance from the King of Games, who couldn’t seem to operate his broom and his wand at the same time. Yami Bakura wondered vaguely just what the pharaoh thought he was going to do. The Dark Spirit cocked an eyebrow in interest when Malik joined the game, but was unimpressed.

“Et tu, Malik? Come to spoil my fun as well?” he asked as Malik neared.

“When your fun involves getting the other Bakura kicked out of school, then yes,” Malik replied.

“Better Ryou gets kicked out of school than face these mortals and their constant harassments and unprovoked attacks.”

“Is that the way he feels?”

Yami Bakura didn’t reply. Figuring he was touching upon the right subject, Malik pressed the matter. “How do you think he’ll react when he sees that you’ve once again put his friends in danger?” Malik asked. “Do you think he’ll still trust you when he finds out that you acted without considering his feelings again?”

“Just shut up!” Yami Bakura shouted angrily. “I know what I’m doing-“

“No you don’t! If you did, you wouldn’t be doing it! I know you better than that! You just got lost in the moment. But you can still call off the game!”

“No!” Yami Bakura declared defiantly.

“STUPEFY!”

At the sound of Yami’s spell, Yami Bakura’s eyes widened and he instinctively dodged left to avoid it. Malik nearly fell off his broom trying to evade the spell himself. “You nearly hit me, you clumsy idiot,” he said crossly. “Don’t aim your wand where I’m flying!”

“Don’t fly where I’m aiming my wand,” Yami retorted, at a loss for patience. He’d finally gotten close enough and he missed. Now Yami Bakura was putting distance between them again, and sent a Bludger their way to throw them off even more. It didn’t look like they were going to stop him in time.

Harry watched helplessly as Yami and Malik fought to subdue the possessed Bakura. He wished he could do more. Angelina, Josie, and Dean had all been struck by the cursed Bludgers and now lay soul-less on the ground. Fred and George were doing their best, but were tiring. They wouldn’t be able to keep up the fight much longer and both were feeling guilty at being unable to protect their teammates throughout this nightmare. Neither wanted to believe this was real.

Something small and golden flew just past Harry’s nose. The Snitch was still loose. The thought came to Harry that perhaps catching it would end this game just like it ended normal Quidditch. It was worth a shot. Harry flew after it finding it more difficult to keep track of with no sunlight to reflect off of it.

Slytherin was worse off than Gryffindor, having lost their Keeper, two Chasers, and both Beaters. Malfoy had taken a bat from a fallen Beater and was using it for added defense, leaving his only remaining teammate to fend for himself.

Seeing that the person he most wanted punished had not yet been sparked Yami Bakura further. Whatever the Pharaoh and Malik did, he wasn’t going to allow Malfoy to escape unscathed. As if sensing the eyes on him, Malfoy glanced downward and saw the angry spirit staring at him. His eyes widened fearfully. “You stay away from m-me,” he said shakily. Yami Bakura grinned in response, flashing his sharp canines.

Malfoy decided it would be a good idea to put as much space between himself and the white-haired psychopath as possible. Undaunted, Yami Bakura pursued.

Yami saw that Yami Bakura was now targeting Malfoy and he drew Malik’s attention to this. Perhaps they could make use of that.

Malfoy would have traded his right arm for his wand. His Nimbus two- thousand-and-one was much faster than Bakura’s Solar Flare, but he was still simply too close for comfort. Seeing a Bludger ahead, Malfoy put together a desperate plan. Armed with the Beater’s bat, he flew towards it and in a frantic attempt at self-preservation, he hit the cursed ball at Yami Bakura.

The Spirit had been waiting for this. The possibility that Yami Bakura could hit it back had never crossed Malfoy’s mind, and he certainly had not prepared for that scenario. He swung to hit it back and missed. A flash of light later and Malfoy dropped like a rock to Yami Bakura’s echoing manic laughter. Had anyone other than Hermione been saving the falling players, they probably would have let Malfoy hit the ground with the full force of gravity.

Yami Bakura ran his tongue over his teeth. One. Slytherin. Left... And then the game would be won. Taking advantage of the distraction, Yami had positioned himself strategically above Yami Bakura, wand at ready. Closer, just a little closer... But the Ring Spirit glanced upwards and saw him. “STUPEFY!” Yami shouted, even though he wasn’t close enough to trust him aim. Sure enough, he missed. Yami Bakura sneered at him before lowering his altitude and retreated...right to where Malik was waiting for him.

On the other side of the field, Harry was closing the distance between himself and the Golden Snitch. He reached a hand out, almost able to reach it.

The confidence faded from Yami Bakura’s expression as he faced Malik’s drawn wand. Malik truthfully did not want to be in this position. Yami was really supposed to be the one doing this. But unwilling to let the berserk spirit escape again (this really was for his own good) Malik had to attempt the spell.

“STUPEFY!” he yelled, just as across the field Harry’s hand closed around the Snitch. The spell hit Yami Bakura, point-blank. As the Spirit of the Millennium Ring fell, the darkness gave way to the light of day. Hermione cushioned his fall.

.............................................

“Oh, I’m going to get expelled!” Ryou wailed.

He had awoken in the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey had treated his head injury, but after hearing what when on while he was out, he wished he had not woken up at all.

After the darkness had lifted, the cursed Bludgers returned to normal, as had all who had been struck by them. Yami Bakura had thrown some factors into the game that no one had expected, such as ensuring that all who played in the game had no memory of the events, excluding those with millennium magic. Even Harry didn’t remember. Ron and Hermione were a different story, however, as they didn’t actually participate in the game. He also manipulated the flow of time in the game. While the event seemed to last an hour or more to those on the inside of the darkness, on the outside, the shadows lasted for only a few minutes.

When the shadows dispersed, they left quite a scene behind. The majority of the Quidditch players were waking up on the ground, not certain how they got there. Those still in the air were equally shocked (Harry didn’t even remember catching the Snitch). No one threw accusations at Bakura, not even Malfoy, and all were surprised to see Yugi, Malik, Ron, and Hermione there. Students both on the field and off were anxious for an explanation.

Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Sirius knew what had happened (at least vaguely) but were greatly relieved to see that everyone was in one piece. The seriousness of the situation was not forgotten, however.

Dumbledore walked solemnly over to where Bakura lay accompanied by Hermione and Ron, and soon after Malik and Yami (who both landed rather roughly). He stared at the unconscious boy for a moment, then turned to the students around him. “I thank you for your help,” he said.

“Professor Dumbledore,” Malik said, moving at once to Bakura’s defense, “I know this looks bad for him, but he was provoked and-“

Dumbledore raised a hand for silence. “It will be discussed later,” he said. Malik shut his mouth and looked helplessly from Bakura to Dumbledore and back again.

Though Harry had caught the Snitch, it was decided that there was no winner and the game was called off, much to the disappointment of those in the stands. They trudged back to Hogwarts castle, trading rumors and guesses about the mysterious shadow. Bakura was taken to the hospital wing, where he now fretted about his uncertain future.

“It’ll be okay,” Hermione said, trying to comfort Ryou. “They know it’s not your fault.”

“Exactly, it’s that thing!” Ryou said, pointing at the golden ring he had tossed angrily to floor after hearing of his other half’s actions. “But they’re not going to risk keeping me around! They’re going to ship me back to Japan the first chance they get.”

“But everything turned out okay,” Harry said. “I’m sure Professor Dumbledore wants to keep you in school.” Having no memory of the Game of Darkness himself, Ron and Hermione had filled Harry in while waiting for Bakura to awaken. Then Yugi (who had regained control) and Malik were obliged to explain their own situation. As they were more or less caught, they spilled out all the details. They told of the Millennium Items, Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura’s past existence in Egypt, Malik’s and the Yamis’ history of violence and their change of heart, and important role dueling and Games of Darkness had played. The only detail left out was the involvement of Malik’s dark personality. Malik still didn’t feel comfortable with that topic.

The Gryffindors where shocked to hear the intricate history behind Yugi, Bakura, and Malik. A thousand questions popped into Hermione’s mind, and she was disappointed to discover that neither Yami, nor Yami Bakura had any memory of their life in Egypt. Ron remembered now reading an article while on his holiday in Egypt about the Ghouls, warning of the newly formed gang and their thievery. Yugi and Malik allowed them to ask their questions and make their connections. They figured they owed them as much.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, in return, explained how they were able to guess about the possession. Yugi would have never suspected that a hiding ghost would be the one to blow their cover. The Boggart Ryou had seen had served as a major hint as well, cluing Harry in enough so that he was able to see the subtle changes between host and yami. The three were about to tell Yugi and Malik of their own adventures when Ryou woke up.

Now that everyone was at an understanding, comforting Ryou had taken top priority. He was terribly upset and seemed to hold no hope for himself. He was also furious with his dark half. Malik took the task of defending the spirit, as Yami Bakura couldn’t defend himself.

“He was angry because they hurt you,” Malik said. “You know how he loses it once he gets into a game.”

“No excuse,” Ryou said firmly. “Taking out his revenge on Malfoy is one thing, but Harry, the twins, and all my other teammates were involved in that as well. This is unforgivable.”

“I wouldn’t say that he threw their safety to the wind,” Yami said, surprisingly taking control to defend Yami Bakura of all things. Perhaps he was at a certain understanding because the Ring Spirit had been correct when he said that the Pharaoh would have done the same thing were if Yugi who was attacked. “His game was fail-safe...in favor of Gryffindor.”

“What do you mean?” Ryou asked.

“In your other half’s usual spirit of unfair play, the game was set up so that Gryffindor would not suffer permanently under the game’s penalties.”

“Explain,” Ryou said.

“The rules of the game were that the first team to be wiped out was the loser. But he was playing for Gryffindor. For his team to lose, he would have to be among those to fall to the cursed Bludger. But if he lost, the game would end automatically anyway, because he would no longer be around to supply the shadow magic. The stolen souls would have been returned unharmed. The game was rigged so that even if he lost, Gryffindor would be safe.”

Ryou blinked in astonishment at Yami’s deduction. He wasn’t the only one taken by surprise.

“So he really was only out to punish Slytherin,” Harry said.

“Humph,” Malik scoffed. “So the psycho did know what he was doing, kinda... He must have subconsciously remembered that Gryffindor wasn’t his enemy when he plotted that game. Ya know, before he totally lost himself to old habits.”

“Or it was completely by accident and I’m just looking into this too far,” Yami said with a shrug. Nevertheless, Ryou’s expression had softened when next he looked at the Ring. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel any better about his future at Hogwarts.

“Whether what you say is true or not, Professor Dumbledore’s not going to be able to overlook the fact that the other me tried to steal the Slytherin Quidditch team’s souls,” Ryou said forlornly.

An awkward silence followed where no one knew what to say. But the silence was broken by the sudden soft “tap, tap, tap,” of a beak against the glass window. Ron went to check it out.

“It’s Nightshade,” he said as he flung open the shutter. Nightshade fluttered in, landing on the post of Ryou’s hospital bed, a piece of paper tied around her leg.

“That’s it,” Ryou said, his voice bordering on a sob. “My dismissal papers. They’re kicking me out...”

“Oh, I’m sure they wouldn’t do that way,” Hermione said. “If they were going to expel you, Dumbledore would at least have the courtesy to tell you in person.” Somehow, this didn’t comfort Ryou.

Nightshade left her perch and flew over to Ryou, landing on his knee and stretching her leg out to be relieved of her burden. Ryou untied the message, then felt guilty because he had no reward offer the raven. She ruffled her feathers indignantly. “Promise I’ll give you double next time,” Ryou apologized.

He spread open the letter to find that it was, in fact, two pieces of paper: a hastily scrawled letter addressed to both him and Yugi, and a newspaper article.

“It’s from your Grampa,” he said to Yami. “’Thought you should see this,’” he read, translating the Japanese in his head.

“What’s that article?” Yami asked.

Ryou’s mouth fell open as he read the headline. Yami waited impatiently for an answer. “Well, what does it say?” he asked finally.

Ryou bit his lip. “It says, ‘Kaiba Mansion attacked...’”

Couple important things here. For one, in my effort to remain consistent, this story is, and shall remain, based on the original YGO (manga mostly) up to the end of Battle City (with a few changes made, mostly to keep Malik in the story) with maybe a few things from Ancient Egypt when necessary, and Harry Potter books 1-4 perhaps a few minor details from 5. Which means it’s Black Magician, not Dark Magician, Pegasus is dead, and books not directly relative to the Harry Potter plotline (such as Quidditch Through the Ages) were not considered during the writing (I’ve never even read them). Thanks for pointing out mistakes, but please keep this in mind in the future.

Another VERY IMPORTANT thing. Starting next chapter, The Millennium Library(sennen-ring . net) will be the first place to get updated with new chapters, followed a day or two later by Kokoro no Naka(kokorononaka . net ). Only after these sites have had a couple days will be updated. So in other words, if you want chapters as much as a week earlier than you would have otherwise, check these sites out.

Also, no matter how many times you ask, I will not tell you things relative to future plot developments, such as Seto’s involvement. You’ll just have to wait with the rest of ‘em.

And BTW, last chapter, despite the cliffhanger of evilness, was NOT short by any means. All of my chapters are 3700 plus words (and this one is especially long). Give me a break, eh?