Summary:
AU. Just as Dan Phantom is defeated, time all across the Realms goes awry, something not even Clockwork will stop as the Zone itself fights back against the unwanted power. A portal opens and everything goes black for six teens of Casper High. Across the world over ten years before, six teens are caught in a crossfire after dueling in the corridors and everything goes black. Something is wrong with time and space itself.
I no own. This is the only chapter in this format.
Chapter One:
The sky turned red for a second then grey. It could only be magic . . . or fate.
Hermione glanced around the corridor at Ginny and Draco then to Potter and his friend Weasley. Both of which had their wands drawn. She sighed and looked at the moon, the full moon. Stars glimmered in through the window and she enjoyed the view. The grounds were empty as it was passed curfew and they were not supposed to even be out of bed.
It would have been better to be anywhere but where she was. Hermione wished she had detention with Severus like Neville who was in for extra lessons, though no one else knew that.
And to make matters worse, the Ravenclaw tower was clear across the school!
"Draco," she said so that the others could not hear, but Luna leaned in closer anyway. Hermione just kept looking at her best friend. "Just leave it. I mean, they aren't worth it. Think what your father would say if he knew that you had stooped down to Potter's level." It seemed to help and Draco lowered his wand more, sneering at the other boys. "Please," she added and Luna turned away finally. Hermione went after her, which left Draco with no choice.
"Fine," he muttered. Discreetly, Hermione and Luna peered back around at the boys, who would act now that their backs were turned. Potter. She rolled her eyes and kept walking.
Ginny gave a quick look between her brother and friends. At Weasley's glare, she stayed behind.
The words echoed in his head. "Your time is up, Danny. It's been up for ten years." and with a stab of something he never wanted to feel, he could only give in. It was true. All too true, but…
Since when did that mean he would give up?
"Wait for it," Luna said happily in her dreamy voice and a skip returned to her step just as they were rounding the corner to the Great Hall. "Now!" and just like she said, two streaks of red light lit the corridor and three more followed soon after, different colors and shades. The problem: there was only so much room in the alleys and there was not much left with the three of them walking so close. Without thinking, Hermione pulled Luna down with her as she hit the floor and Draco followed a second later.
Shouts of more jinxes flew passed and they quickly got to their feet. "Stup-" Luna and Draco said but were stopped with the footsteps of teachers in the halls. No! Hermione thought. We're all going to get in so much trouble. At least, us three.
Danny got to his feet as he sped up with a cry of rage and a 'No!' of horror as the spindle hit red. The explosion was loud and large, and he felt his heart tear in two.
Potter and Weasley would get off. She just knew it. The famous Harry Potter.
Where was he when she was stolen from her life by the very people that killed her parents? He was asleep in his bed with mommy and daddy. If he could defeat Voldie, why did he not stay dead? Just like she knew he would not. The man who all had ruined her never was dead.
Until just last year, when Neville stepped up. Now, the world was safe and she could redo the year she lost without fear of death or pain. But she had to thank Voldie for some things.
Like if he hadn't taken her, even though there was no hint of magic in her at age four, she never would have lived with Severus. He was a good guardian.
A sharp gasp brought Hermione back. Draco shook his wrist to rid it of a stinging hex. Hermione faced Potter with a glare.
Potter was not be worthless, Jolly Saint Potter. Sure...
Famous for something he did not do. Dumbledore just made it seem that way. An attack at the Potters just as Voldie killed Neville's parents. Neville was the real hero. He deserved it, but no one knew. No one but Severus and Luna and Draco and her.
The teacher rounded the corner and her heart stopped. And then she grinned. Maybe not, they might still survive the night; it was Severus!
Luna crouched to kneel just above the ground and stood slowly, rubbing at her thigh and Draco approached her.
Hermione glanced around for Neville.
He felt nothing. Danny let his face fall and closed his piercing eyes.
Then a light appeared followed by some strange clock shape. He know who it was, the man or ghost who let all this happen. Danny turned away and then felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't move.
"You have given everyone a second chance, Daniel. You deserve one too."
"What is going on here?" Severus asked, knowing what it was and who started it. Both sides were at fault. Hermione dropped her gaze. After everything he did for her and she couldn't keep Draco from fighting...
Neville peered out from behind Severus with his shy eyes. The Puff was not the bravest but he was a good friend. Draco had learned to get along after his fourth time in the hospital wing for not being nice to the boy. Luna had also agreed through letters and once sent her adopted brother a howler. Ever since, it had just been the three and the next year, four.
And then Ginny had joined with them.
Harry glared at the five, calling with his gaze that they had planned all this out. Hermione wanted to tell him that he brought it all on himself.
And so she told the truth.
The ray of hope struck the breath from his lungs. He fell to his knees in relief as a silent sob threatened. Danny wasn't sure how the ghost floating before him would take the tears so he inhaled and stood. Then he exhaled and turned around.
Clockwork gave a gasp of surprise as Danny crushed him with a hug. And then Danny stood back up, rubbing his neck nervously.
Severus looked away from her, sighing. He was disappointed in her. It seemed like she always gave him some reason to be disappointed. She was muggleborn. He worked for a purist. It wasn't the best combination.
He gave up so much for her.
Luna walked toward Hermione, placing a hand on her shoulder when she saw the older girl's expression. "It's not your fault, 'Mione." She turned to glare at the boys, her usually odd expression fading to be angrier than anything other emotion as she stared at Draco, Potter, and Weasley.
For some odd reason, Hermione always cared that the boys were fighting, even though she should have just let them at it. Yeah, like that would ever happen. Severus taught her to stick to the rules too much to just ignore them.
She couldn't look at Draco anymore. "Let's go, Luna." She said. "Neville? You coming?" And so then the two female Claws and male Puff left to not look back. Hermione was never there to see the Clock that appeared for a second. No one that was still there saw him either, but the pale blue ghost sighed and clicked his staff.
"Time, out."
They were safe. Danny could breathe again. He gave a surprised glance to Clockwork.
"They're really there," he gasped. And the ghost smiled. And then he heard a click and looked around. He was standing on the Nasty Burger road just before everything would have happened. A sad smile grasped Clockwork's features as he shift form for the third time.
"I'm sorry if this isn't the second chance you were hoping for." And Danny never got the chance to ask what he was talking about.
All in due time...
Clockwork had a strange look in his eyes, he knew this. Anyone that had spoken to the ghost before would know that. Even if they looked at him now after just one conversation, they would know.
The ghost of time was just a touch scared. He had disrupted the flow of time in the future and he needed to fix it, waste away time until he could be sure that Dan would never happen. For once, Clockwork didn't know the full outcome. He had seen himself being here, in the nineteen hundreds in this school, but from now on, it wasn't up to him.
It was the first time this had happened. He had never meddled so much before.
Danny opened his eyes. He was sitting on a stool inside Lancer's room. That could not be possible. That was yesterday!
And then Danny looked to Sam, and Tucker. And to his teacher. He sighed and grinned in a very Danny way.
"Mr. Lancer," he said, walking forward toward the front. "I found this outside the Nasty Burger. I'm sorry, I opened it." The man had this very disappointed look in his eyes but he turned to Danny instead and gave a soft smile.
Harry grumbled at the unfairness of it all.
How could it be that Snape was always the one to catch him out of bed? He was almost eighteen and able to make his own choice. He was a big boy who didn't need the bully of a teacher to tell him what to do.
Especially because that teacher took any side but his. He was the Chosen One, the Boy-Who-Lived. Not anyone else. They didn't take out a dark lord at the age of six.
"Mr. Potter," Snape sneered behind him. "In trouble again, are we?" Harry heard Ron groan from behind him and rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long night.
"You can make up the test next Saturday, when you take the retake."
Danny looked at Lancer and felt his face split. He would have a chance, he changed everything and it felt wonderful!
"Thanks, Mr. Lancer! You won't be disappointed." he added and with that, Danny left the room, a full on spring in his happy go lucky step.
And then there was suddenly a light. It was bright in the whole hallway and it blinded him. Harry almost felt his eyes burn and tilted his head down. He curled on the step and kept it there, in the dark of his clothes.
"Potter, what are you doing?" Snape demanded, thinking Harry wanted to blind himself for some odd reason. He was too scared of the brightness to argue or do anything about it.
"Ron!" he yelped instead, finding the robe of his friend and pulling him down. Harry heard a short gasp and the pounding of steps going closer to the Great Hall.
Ginny was on the run for some reason.
Danny moved through the halls of the school, now that he had another week to study. Once he reached the steps of the school, he saw Jazz sitting in front. Walking slowly down the steps, Danny looked over the border, leaning against it.
"How long did you know?" he asked.
Jazz gave a soft smile. "Since the Spectra thing. I was waiting for you to tell me on your own time. Guess this is the perfect time. You have something you wanna tell me, Danny?"
Danny nodded as he looked toward his sister. "Well, Jazz," and then, he gasped, fog coming from his mouth that told of a ghost nearby.
"Beware! For I am the Box Ghost!"
Hermione couldn't see Ginny.
She could not see anyone, actually, but it was Ginny that she was worried about. The girl had not very much fighting experience and yet she could hear Potter and Weasley yelling out for her. It was enough to twist anyone's stomach into knots.
"Ginny!" she began. There was no answer besides the soft pounding of running footsteps. Toward the Gryffindor tower. Hermione took off after her. She reached forward, only to feel air. Ginny had to be close.
She sounded right on top of the younger girl.
And then, Hermione felt a robe. She yanked down, stopping the girl just as the flash grew brighter. And then, it was all Hermione could see. It dimmed, like her eyes were closing.
"Hermione." Ginny said, sounding far away. Hermione closed her eyes.
Danny ran toward the road, yelling his catch phrase as he went. Jazz gave him an eye roll from the school but waved. He waved back.
"I have one minute." He said. "Time me."
Jazz gave her brother a thumbs up and got out her phone. She pushed the timer and it started. Within seconds, the Box Ghost was in the thermos and Danny was back at her side. That was when it started.
A bright light. It grew bright, so bright that Jazz closed her eyes. Without thinking, she grabbed Danny's hand. He gripped back. She could see the light through her eye lids. Then, she couldn't. Jazz leaned back and opened her mouth.
"Don't leave me," she whimpered.
Danny seemed to whisper, "I won't," right back. And Jazz knew that he, too, had closed his eyes.