1 Yami's laughter continued to echo through Yuugi's brain all through breakfast the next day. The look of sheer terror on the blonde boy's face had been priceless, and Yuugi had fallen asleep with a smile on his face.

Draco was fine, of course, with very little harm done to him. Yuugi had to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that perhaps it was a little harsh what they had done. The Malfoy son was a blubbering mass of hysterics and drool in the healing ward at the moment. He kept going on and on about teeth big large teeth shining and mean want to eat me I didn't do it I didn't do it leave me alone it wasn't my fault it wants to eat me I'm going to die... Yami was laughing so hard his metaphysical body felt like it was going to bust a gut. Draco would be back to his bullying self in less than a couple days and, for some strange reason, not remember what happened to him but always believe that the sight of Yuugi equaled mass amounts of treasure.

And of course, by nature of living in a castle bursting at the seems with curious students, the rumors were already flying. After all, everyone was going to Hogsmeade that day, and Draco was strangely absent.

Harry noticed, just barely, the slight feral grin that was on Yuugi's face as he came down to breakfast that morning. Colin Creevy was heavy on the dramatics as he explained one of the versions of the rumor to his captive audience. "I'm telling you," he was saying, "people are saying there's this giant dragon on the loose in the school! It's intent on eating us all! Draco's goons keep going on and on about it! It was all red and shiny, and it tried to eat Draco whole!"

"What stopped it?" A girl next to him asked, clearly caught up in the story.

"No one knows," he said ominously.

Yuugi nearly broke up in a fit of giggles. He had to hide his face behind his hands and try to not lose the bite of oatmeal he'd just eaten.

Harry looked at Yuugi dubiously. "You know something," he stated in a whisper.

Yuugi's shoulders shook with his effort to restrain the laughter. He cleared his throat and waved his hand, dismissing the matter. "Later," he said.

Ron and Hermione joined the table a few moments later, Hermione with a big book in her hands. The spine said, in a very dulled gold leaf, Creatures of the Cold Blooded Kind, a Safety Resource. "Doing some research?" Yuugi asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"I've never heard of a dragon that had red, shiny scales. I want to know just what it is they think they're talking about."

:Try armored scales at that,: Yami added.

"Serves him right," Ron stated, shoving a bite of blueberry muffin in his mouth. "Al-ays pick'n on peoffle," he muttered, his mouth full of dough.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Hermione said, sounding very much like a mother.

"What happened to him?" Harry pressed again.

Yuugi once again waved the question away. "I'll tell you guys later," he said.

Hermione's head snapped up. "You didn't...!"

Yuugi tried so hard not to laugh. "It's not really that bad. He'll be fine."

Her face flushed. "You...! You're as bad as these two blockheads!" At this, she pointed to Ron and Harry. "After all this time! You'd think men would learn-! Gah!" She closed her book shut, grabbed a muffin, and huffed out of the great hall.

Ron ate another piece of food. "She'll get over it," he said breezily.

Yuugi finished his breakfast in relatively good spirits and left the grand hall too, ready to go back upstairs and prepare to leave for Hogsmeade.

"Yuugi."

He stopped just as he was about to place a foot on the first step. That mystery clouded voice boded a headache, he was sure. He turned around and saw the guarded eyes of Isis looking stoically back at him. "Yes Isis?"

"You know as well as I do that the wizards of the this world would never, ever be able to trace or feel shadow magic, for the sheer fact of its nature."

"Yes."

"But you also know that those who use shadow magic can."

"Yes..." Yuugi didn't think he liked what she was getting at.

"You and the Pharaoh must be careful with your use of it here."

Yuugi sighed and allowed Yami to have control. He was much better at dealing with Isis than he was. "Isis," his deep voice began, "I know how to keep my powers in control. I also know that the nuisance of Mr. Malfoy would have been a terrible distraction to our studies here. He is unharmed, but he will not bother us again." He starred levelly back at her. Back in Japan, she had most certainly not been his superior, and he intended to let her know that his powers were as strong as ever.

Her eye twitched. He knew she was direly annoyed that she could do nothing to get him to see her reason. "Very well, Sire."

"Have a good day," Yami replied, turned, and walked up the stairs. It was nice to know that Isis wasn't going to outright try to tell him what to do, but the thought of observant eyes over his shoulder was a nuisance just the same. :Cheer up,: Yuugi said. :At least we get to try one of those infamous butter beers in the village.:

:They better be as good as everyone boasts, otherwise I'm gonna go to the city for some sushi, no matter what anyone says.:

Yuugi laughed in his head. Sounded like Yami was missing Japanese life, too.

x x x

The roads in Hogsmeade were muddy with the fall rain and mist. Witches in pointy hats and wizards in musty robes scurried by on their errands. Yuugi looked up curiously at the Three Broomsticks, knowing as soon as he set eyes upon it that Bakura would steer very clear of that little place. It was packed full of students. His eyes wandered down the road to a slightly shadier looking establishment. He decided to try his luck there. The moment he opened the creaky wooden door Yami took over. The shadows did well to make his rather small form intimidating just the same.

Something brushed up against his shadows as if in reply. This is certainly easier than I thought it would be, Yami thought to himself. Perhaps there was a fate up there that felt pity on him after all.

Finally his eyes saw what his senses already felt. There was a cloaked figure slouched over a table, the very picture of a brooding murderer. Yami went over without so much as a scape of his boots on the rough wooden floor and sat down in a chair opposite the cloaked figure. The man had a dagger, and was currently carving something into the wood of the table. "Hello Bakura."

The man snarled venomously. "Pharaoh no Baka." A glimmer of small fangs shone inside of the shadow of the hood. "Go away."

"Oh, Bakura, I'm touched you missed me so much."

Bakura growled. His frame shook a little with anger. "Go...away..." he ground out.

"Do you even have any idea where you are?"

Bakura dug deeper into the table with his dagger.

:Let me talk to him,: Yuugi urged. Yami relinquished control to his hikari.

"Hello Bakura," he said. For some reason, Bakura seemed to tolerate Yuugi better than Yami.

"Hello, Hikari no baka."

"What have you found out about this world?"

"That it's a hell hole," he spat. "This stupid nameless dark wizard trying to kill all, no ulterior motives but death...bakamono...whole world scared shitless to spill one ounce of information about it all, a stupid division between this stupid 'wizard world' and the ever infamous 'muggle world.' Fucking idiots running loose. That's what. And the shadows, oh the shadows! They're here, but they're not! My deck is one confused, jumped mess!" A crack spread down the surface of the table. He was nearly attacking it now.

"How's Ryou?" Yuugi asked, unaffected by Bakura's outburst.

Bakura's eyes grew large and menacing. He looked like he was about to bite Yuugi's head clean off his shoulders.

At the last moment, his shoulders drooped. "He's scared out of his mind," he said, deflated.

"Bakura, let me speak to him."

Bakura snarled, but before he could retort the blue of his eyes faded into a chocolate brown. "Yuugi?" he asked desperately.

"Ryou? Are you okay? What have you two been up to?"

Ryou shuttered. "Dark alleys and rusty blades, that's what. Bakura's past tendencies resurfaced a hundred fold when we were dropped into this strange place. What's going on?"

Yuugi extended his hand. "Come with me. Yami and I know the people running this world. There is a place that you can stay. Isis, and Shadi, and Malik are all here."

His face perked up a bit. "Really?"

Yuugi nodded. "Come with me, and we'll tell you everything." Yuugi suddenly remembered something of vital importance. "Ne, Ryou, did you ever end up giving the Eye back to Pegasus?"

Ryou chortled out a bitter laugh. "Are you kidding? Bakura still thinks he has a chance of ruling the world. He'd never give it up."

Yuugi giggled despite himself. "Figures." He stood up. "Come on, I've heard of these things called butter beers. You sound like you could use one. And where Yami and I have been staying, there's more food than you could ever hope to eat."

As if on cue, Ryou's stomach growled. "Oh, I sure could go for some food." Yuugi frowned, and wondered how long it had been since Ryou had a decent meal.

x x x

Three pairs of eyes stared at Ryou curiously. So far, they'd been told about his other, but they hadn't had the pleasure of meeting him yet. Hopefully, they never world. "Another one?" Hermione said.

"Yep," Yuugi stated.

"That can also summon dragons?"

"Eh...yeah," Ryou said, unsure of how to explain his situation.

Silence prevailed for a moment, before one male voice cried out "WICKED!" Everyone turned to stare at Ron, unable to think of the most appropriate thing to say. All Hermione could do was sigh.

"This is going to be a long night, isn't it?" Ryou asked. Yuugi just gave him a feeble grin.