Saturday, January 1, 2005

Harry Potter and the Millennium Items-chptr 1
Chapter One
“The things one finds in the sock drawer”

The aging head master of the school of Hogwarts made his way, late, but gracefully, into the conference room at the Ministry of Magic. His deep indigo robes made no sound as took his seat. A man, down at the other end, the head of the table, cleared his throat, and Dumbledore looked at him through his half moon spectacles.
“What is it Fudge, I do have important school duties to perform now that the summer months have arrived,” his tone was brisk, but monotone.
The Minister cleared his throat. “Yes, Headmaster, I am well aware of that fact, yet this too involves your school.”
“Really, are you again tired of the way I am teaching it, and wish to replace the rest of my staff?”
Fudge ran his hand through his thinning hair, nervously. “As I said before Headmaster, I apologize for Umbridge’s actions; she had no right.”
“Exactly my thinking, that is why I am replacing her. You pulled me away from a very important interview as it, so please, make my wasted time spent well.”
Fudge moved a bit nervously. “Dumbledore, you are aquatinted with the International Magic Counsel, are you not?”
“I thought I recognized Elizabeth Skye from Australia,” he smiled to a sandy haired woman of about thirty-three who sat three chairs down. “Good to see you again ‘Liz.”
“An’ ta you too, Albus.”
“Yes, yes, now that the pleasantries are out of the way,” Fudge cut in. “Lisa Tang, and Aswan Azrak have been watching strange boys for the past year now.”
“Oh really?” Dumbledore took interest now. “How strange could the children of Egypt and Japan be?”
“The Japanese and Egyptian branches have detected four youths with extraordinary magical abilities of a variety that has not been seen in centuries. They were originally found in Japan near the end of last summer, then one of them went to Cairo, Egypt, and as thus far, obtained occupancy. The other three have been in Japan up until recently when one has moved to the England area. There are adults with this magic, too, but our Interpol branch will handle them. It is the youths that we are concerned about. For some reason yet to be determined, this ancient magic hadn’t surfaced in them until a year ago. Their powers exceed anything that has been seen in someone their ages. The counsel feels that they could be a danger to themselves as well as others without proper schooling. But that is the problem. They are well above the age of beginning students, at sixteen to seventeen years of age. With that and their already high levels of magic with no training whatsoever, the counsel is having a difficult time finding a school that will accept them. None of the wizarding schools in their areas will take them on. They claim they haven't the means to catch such students up with their age group. That is why we asked you to come.”
“Tell me, Lisa, why won’t the Imperial School in China take the two in Japan?”
The oriental woman shifted slightly. “As the Minister has said, they are well above our admittance level, perhaps if they were twelve there would be no problems, but seventeen. It is unheard of, Albus!”
“And, Mr. Azrak, I have not yet had the pleasure to meet you.”
“It is an honor sir,” the Egyptian bowed from his seat. “I have only heard good things.”
“I assure you they’re all lies. But, Mr. Azrak, why would the school in India not take them? I know it is far off, but usually residents of Africa do go there, do they not?”
“Aye, they do, but the school’s been over crowded lately. I also checked with the New School of Celtic Magics in the US, but they said the same as Fudge and Lisa; they were too old.”
“Hmmm…” Dumbledore took a moment to think it over. “You said one was living in England now?”
“Right out side of Greenwich,” Fudge answered.
“Well, I see no reason why I would have to refuse him, but,” he tilted his glasses down to stare directly at Fudge. “The other three I have no obligation to.”
“You’re going to turn them away?” Fudge was shocked.
“Albus you can’t!” Lisa Tang stood up.
“Sir?!” Aswan Azrak said now, curious.
“Now, now, everyone calm down,” he reassured them. “I didn’t say that, I just merely said that I was under no obligation to take them.”
“Well, what does that mean then?” Fudge demanded.
“I will accept them,” Dumbledore said. “Though why you waited this long is beyond me.”
“We had to be sure that these powers were permanent, not just a fluke,” Lisa said. “Some muggles with a wizarding bloodline do have minor flukes of power every now and then. Usually it deals with seeing into the future, then they turn into TV psychics.”
“Ah, well,” Dumbledore sighed. “I must have permission though to allow them to do magic over the summer.”
“What? Why?” Fudge asked.
“We must catch them up if they are to be placed within the 6th years, now.”
“Can’t you just stick them as 1st or 2nd years?”
“Fudge, you have assigned me this task, and I would very much like to handle it my own way,” the aging headmaster said authoritatively. “Now, either you let me handle it my way, or I will not accept the foreigners, and only take the one living in Greenwich.”
Fudge backed down. “Fine, you win, Albus. You may summer school them, but only them. And I expect the four of them to be up to date.”
“Of course Fudge, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he rose. “Now, if this meeting is over, I’d like to have their papers please.”
Fudge slid a pile of paper down the table.
“Good day to you all.”
As he left the conference room, the council broke up. Dumbledore was skimming the papers he held. Yugi Mouto, age 16, Domino, Japan. Joseph Wheeler, age 17, Domino, Japan. Ryo Bakura, age 17, Greenwich, England. Marik Ishtar, age 17, Cairo, Egypt.
“Um…sir?”
Dumbledore turned around to find the young Egyptian coming out of the conference room.
“Ah, Mr. Azrak was it?”
“You may call me Aswan,” he bowed. “Sir, I felt that meeting could have gone better.”
“As do I Aswan. Was there something you wished to speak with me about?”
“Yes sir. I’m afraid the Minister forgot to tell you the condition of two of those boys.”
“Oh, how so?”
“One of the ones from Japan, Wheeler I believe, he hasn’t had his powers as long as the others. He just recently came into them about three months ago. And the Ishtar boy, he had high power when we first started watching him, but it’s slowly been fading. I think he maybe as Lisa described.”
“Is that it Aswan?”
“Yes sir.”
Dumbledore gave a slight smile. “Thank you for your concern, but I do not think that it will be any problem. Do not worry.”
“Yes sir. Have a good afternoon.”
“And to you the same, Mr. Azrak.”
* * * *
“Hey Gramps, gotta thank you again for letting me move in while my place was getting fumigated,” the blonde street punk said.
“Any time Joey, you know you’re always welcomed here,” Solomon Mouto said as he wiped off the glass counter.
“Yo Yuge! We’re going to be late!” Joey yelled up the stairs.
“Just a sec!”
Yugi’s room had turned into Joey central in just three days. Joey’s apartment building had a roach problem, and they were spraying, so the blonde had moved in with the Moutos for the time being. Joey was sleeping on the floor, but his clothes were everywhere, garbage in places where the clothes wouldn’t fit. Yugi was desperately pulling odd junk out of his sock drawer, looking for a pair of socks. Since Joey had moved in though, everything, besides socks, seemed to have moved in there.
//Perhaps letting Joey move in wasn’t the best idea in the world,// Yami astral projected and sat on the edge of Yugi’s bed.
“Gee, ya think,” Yugi said sarcastically, pulling out what looked like a stuffed lizard. “I mean, what would a stuffed iguana be doing in my sock drawer?”
//Sleeping I’d guess, because it’s not stuffed Yugi.//
“WHAT!?” Yugi leapt back as the lizard blinked; he was holding its tail. “JOEY!”
“Yeah, what can I do you for, Yuge?” he appeared at the doorway.
“That!” he pointed to the green lizard that, after getting its barrings back after being dropped on its head, crawled under the desk in the corner.
“Hey it’s not mine,” he defended. “Josh?”
The roman was sitting in his soul room, trying to act innocent. //What?//
“Sorry Yuge, Josh’s fault. Still can’t tell what he’s going when he’s in control.”
Yugi sighed. “That’s all good and well, but I don’t need an iguana living in my…hey, what’re these?”
He pulled out two letters. They were in heavy envelopes, and addressed in bright, emerald ink. He turned one over; the back was sealed with wax, imprinted with the insignia of a lion, a snake, a badger, and an eagle. He looked to the front of them; one read To Y. Mouto, The Northern most room above the Turtle game shop, Domino Japan, and the other To J. Wheeler, On the floor, in the Northern most room above the turtle game shop, Domino, Japan. Yugi looked back to Joey now.
“When did these come?”
“When did what come?” Joey took his letter, which Yugi offered him; he took a moment to read it. “Josh, when did this come?” he asked aloud.
The roman projected out, and stood beside the pharaoh. //Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about those. I guess I put those in there when I put Skippy in there.//
“Skippy?”
“Who’s Skippy?” Yugi asked.
“I’m assuming it’s the lizard,” Joey said. “Josh got them, forgot to tell us. Sorry Yuge. What do you think this is all about?”
“Dunno the return address is in English.”
“Of course it would be,” Joey scoffed; foreign language wasn’t his best subject, actually, nothing was; he was only passing history because of his Yami.
“Well, only one way to find out,” Yugi tore his open, and Yami went to his shoulder to read along.
Dear Mr. Yugi Mouto,
My name is Professor Albus Dumbledore, and I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England. It has come to my attention, recently, that you have gained a great deal of magical ability, and I wish to extend to you an invitation to attend our fine school. We can teach you much about your new talents if you wish to learn. However, there is a catch. Most students your age have had years of practice, but I can only offer you the summer months. I have it all arranged for you, and a Joseph Wheeler to study together under a wonderful tutor by the name of Reiko Asakura. She will explain much to you. Please meet with her in the center of Domino City Park, by the fountain at four o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday. She will know you, do not worry. Everything will be explained to you in full and all your questions answered at that time. Please do come. I am eagerly waiting to making your acquaintance in the fall months. The term begins September 1st.
Prof. Albus Dumbledore,
Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Yugi looked back to Joey. “What does yours say?”
“Something about a school, and summer school, and that you’re going too,” he looked up. “You?”
“The same.”
//I don’t like this Yugi.//
\\What’s not to like? It’s school, right? And summer school doesn’t sound so bad, and if they’re accepting Joey, then they can’t be all bad.\\
//I know, but read the last line closely. “Witchcraft and Wizardry”. This could all be a prank.//
\\So? Why not have a little fun, and what if it is real, what then? Going to a different school could be fun.\\
//I’m not going to be able to change your mind, am I?//
\\Nope!\\
Yami sighed. //Fine you win.//
Similarly, Josh and Joey were conversing too.
\\There is no way I’m spending my summer, in school.\\
//C’mon Joey, it’ll be fun. We’ll be around people we don’t know!//
\\Yeah loads of fun. I have a hard enough time dealing with you around people who know you exist. People who don’t know me will think I’m a skitzoid.\\
//I promise to be good.//
\\Where have I heard that before?\\
//Well, look on the bright side; the girls there won’t know who you are either. They’ll think your prince charming.//
\\Hmm…you do make a good point. But only if Yuge’s going!\\
//If the Pharaoh’s going, there is no way you would stop me from following.//
Joey looked back to Yugi. “So, gonna go?”
“I’d like to, but I’ll have to ask Grandpa. How about you?”
He shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
//Joey’s actually agreeing to go to summer school?// Yami asked.
//I convinced him he could get girls if they didn’t know him,// Josh said.
//Oh, good idea.//
“So, are we going to still go to that movie or what Yuge?”
“Oh yeah, I’d almost forgot,” he pocketed the letter and went back to searching his sock drawer. “I still need to find a pair of…Joey…?”
“Yeah?”
“What’s this?” he drew out what looked like it must have been at one time a piece of pizza.
“Hey, I wondered where that went,” he grabbed it and took a bite. “I thought I’d lost this thing a week ago.”
“But you’ve only been here for three days.”
“Yeah, so?” he took another bite.
Yugi squirmed and closed the drawer. “I don’t think I need socks today.”
The things one finds in the sock drawer.

Note: not going to do this every time. Look, I hoped on the YGO/HP crossover bandwagon, and hopefully no one can sue because I put Josh (© me) into the story too! Yes, the Yamis can talk to each other when they’re in astral form. I’m sticking with the “Marik gave Yugi/Yami Rod” thing. Bakura’s in England because his father’s there for work. Yes, Yugi’s sock drawer is scary, but that’s Joey/Josh’s fault.

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