Harry apparated Dumbledore while Steven apparated Jared and Danielle. Dumbledore chuckled.
"It doesn't seem so long ago that I was apparating you to a strange place in order to employ Horace. But I suppose it feels longer to you," Dumbledore mused before frowning in concern at Danielle as she stumbled but was caught by Steven before she fell.
"Oh my, is she alright?" Dumbledore inquired. Harry bit his lip but nodded.
"Yeah, Dani will be fine in a few minutes. Magical modes of transportation don't agree with her. Especially Floo powder," Harry replied. Dumbledore glanced at his previous student. Harry led the way to the front door of Fenton Works. Dumbledore followed, looking at the eccentric building with interest.
"I do believe the Lovegoods would like this building," Dumbledore muttered with amusement. Harry smirked.
"Probably. By the way, the Fentons are muggles. But they are aware of the magical community," Harry informed the wizard before knocking on the door.
"Door's probably open," Danielle called to them as she walked unsteadily over to them. Steven and Jared followed her, concern on their faces. Harry glanced at her before trying the door. As Danielle predicted, the door was unlocked.
"How can you be sure not to get robbed?" Steven remarked. Danielle chuckled.
"You'd have to be nuts to try and rob here. Besides, there is a security system. If anything ever went missing, we can check that," Danielle answered.
"How did Danny keep his secret then?" Jared inquired. Danielle shrugged.
"Probably deleted the tapes. Jack and Maddie don't really notice when things go missing unless someone points it out," Danielle replied.
Jazz walked down the stairs and frowned at Dumbledore.
"I thought you were checking Danny's apartment for clues, not collecting another wizard," Jazz pointed out.
"We didn't plan on it. Clockwork paid us a visit. This guy is from the past. Died shortly after he came here," Danielle informed her.
"Dani! I don't think you should-" Jazz scolded with wide eyes.
"Oh no, it's quite alright. I'm aware of what will happen to me and I hope it doesn't disappoint," Dumbledore interjected. Jazz blinked in surprise and glanced at the other wizards.
"It was the plan for Professor Dumbledore to die. We have to explain a few things," Harry explained. Jazz blinked before nodding slowly.
"I'll get my parents. Sam! Tucker!" Jazz decided, shouting for her brother's friend and girlfriend. The duo emerged from his room and sprinted down the stairs, almost crashing into Jazz on the way.
"Did you guys find a lead?" Tucker asked excitedly. Sam frowned at Dumbledore. Harry gestured to the couch.
"This is going to take a lot of explaining," he warned.
A couple of hours later, everyone, bar Vlad who was unreachable while in contact with his ghostly employees, had been introduced and Danny's halfa status was explained, with help from Danielle and a demonstration. Harry and Dumbledore had also explained who Dumbledore was and why he died. Dumbledore actually recognised Jared once the younger wizard introduced himself since he'd been at Hogwarts, in his third year, when Dumbledore died.
Dumbledore adopted a thoughtful posture as the Fentons once again recounted the events the previous weekend.
"Jazz, you seem quite certain that your brother wouldn't have missed this date. If you can tell us why, perhaps we can determine a time frame. He may not have wished to miss the evening with Miss Manson, but he may have been running late which causes timing issues. I do believe that if we can identify the time of Daniel's disappearance, we will have an advantage," Dumbledore speculated. Jazz bit her lip nervously.
"Professor… I really don't think what I know would help. Please just take my word for it that Danny wouldn't want to miss that date," Jazz pleaded.
"Jazz! Enough! We need to know!" Sam snapped impatiently. Jazz glanced at the gothic girl.
"I… It's not my place to-" Jazz began.
"Jazz, you told us, before Danny told his parents his secret, that if he was ever in danger because of it, you'd tell whoever you had to. Remember. Well, now you have to tell us what you know," Tucker reasoned.
"Even the smallest thing could help," Harry urged. Jazz searched for anyone to help her, but no one was forthcoming.
"You don't understand. This has nothing to do with why Danny went missing," Jazz attempting, almost begging them to drop the subject.
"Jazz, please," Steven muttered gently. Jazz suddenly looked trapped.
"Mom. Dad. I promise," Jazz begged. Both parents bit their lips but nodded encouragingly instead of helping her keep the secret.
Jazz had tears of helplessness in her eyes at this point before sighing in defeat.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she whispered before turning to Sam specifically.
"The reason Danny wouldn't have missed that date… the reason is that… he-he had a really really important question for you Sam," Jazz revealed softly, almost apologetically. Sam's anger melted into disbelief. Jazz hung her head sadly.
"He… he was going to propose," Sam breathed. Jazz nodded reluctantly.
"So, he wouldn't have missed that date for anything," Jazz confirmed.
"How did you know?" Steven inquired.
"Danny asked me to help pick up the ring and to set everything up. He didn't want a ghost attack to interrupt it. He was planning that night for a month. He only told me the week before though," Jazz admitted quietly. The room was silent.
"I'm sorry Jazz. We should have listened," Tucker offered. Jazz shook her head.
"I should have told you. But I didn't want to ruin it. Danny left the house extra early for the date and even asked me to make sure the ghostkateers were ready to move. That's why they were so quick to respond to that ghost attack," Jazz replied. Everyone bar the wizards shared looks, realising that they should have realised before.
"So, with that knowledge. It is very likely that Daniel was kidnapped prior to arriving at the date location. I won't ask for details, and I apologise for ruining such a special moment Miss Manson," Dumbledore resumed. Sam nodded numbly.
"Can we be certain he was kidnapped though?" Jared interjected. Jazz nodded.
"If it was anything else, Danny would have called me to get the ghostkateers involved or informed Sam that he would be late. That night meant too much to him to let a ghost get in the way," Jazz confirmed.
Dumbledore nodded in agreement.
"From what I've heard, I agree with Miss Fenton. Daniel would have prioritised that evening above almost anything. Therefore, I believe we should look at potential enemies that would want Daniel out of the way," Dumbledore surmised.
"Do you think… they could have killed him," Danielle whispered fearfully. Dumbledore frowned in thought.
"Perhaps, for now, we should assume kidnapping and not murder. At least until we have proof either way," Dumbledore suggested, wanting to remain hopeful.
"Professor. Danny has a lot of enemies. I'm afraid looking at a list of who would want to hurt Danny isn't going to narrow it down. We'd be better off looking at a list of enemies capable of kidnapping Danny," Harry interjected.
"Clockwork said that looking to the past often helps," Danielle recalled softly. Sam and Tucker frowned.
"That ghost can't give a straight piece of advice," Tucker grumbled.
"Wait, maybe it does help. Maybe Clockwork is telling us that Danny's been kidnapped or subdued by this ghost in the past," Jazz interjected.
"Has that happened before then?" Jared prompted. Sam, Tucker and Jazz nodded.
"Vlad once kidnapped Danny. It can be done. But Vlad is on our side now," Tucker answered.
"Desiree once granted a wish I made during a fight to make it that I never met him. She erased Danny Phantom," Sam mentioned.
"Walker arrested Danny before too," Jazz added.
"As did the MACUSA," Harry remarked.
"He's been caught by ghost hunters too," Danielle remembered.
"Okay, so we need to make a list of times Danny's been caught or messed with so much he disappeared," Steven decided, conjuring a bundle of pages for everyone and they started to jot down everyone they could think of and how they trapped Danny. The next few minutes were filled with thoughtful humming and scratching of pens on paper. But eventually everyone finished their lists, Sam and Tucker's being the longest. Dumbledore conjured a chalkboard and asked for everyone to call out their list of names. A piece of enchanted chalk scribbled the names on to the blackboard. Once the list was compiled into one on the chalkboard, everyone turned to it and started to cross names off.
"Poindexter wouldn't be powerful enough to take on Danny anymore. Besides, he only goes after bullies," Sam decided and the name was crossed out.
"Vlad's on our side," Tucker called out as he spotted the name.
"But you heard him earlier. They had a big argument," Jazz pointed out.
"Yeah, but Danny and Vlad have had plenty of disagreements in the past. You know them. They get over it," Danielle remarked.
"I'm sorry, but what was this argument about?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Oh, you see Vlad had a ghost relic called the skeleton key. It was stolen and Vlad tried to tell Danny about it. But I guess Danny was worried that it would interfere with the date he planned so he wouldn't listen to Vlad. They had an argument, apparently quite heated. Danny went missing the next day," Jazz explained. Dumbledore frowned in thought.
"The skeleton key," Dumbledore repeated.
"You've heard of it professor?" Jared prompted.
"Hmm? Oh only a handful of legends during my younger years. Very much like the Deathly Hallows. But the idea of a key that can open any lock, for a wizard I'm afraid it doesn't impress many," Dumbledore admitted.
Harry frowned.
"I guess the same applies to ghosts since they can just go through the door by turning intangible," Harry remarked. Sam hummed.
"Not really. In the Ghost Zone, ghosts can't go through most things there. Humans can in the Ghost Zone and Real World items," Sam informed him.
"So in the Ghost Zone, ghosts have to use the doors, so a locked door would stop them," Tucker added. Dumbledore glanced at them, clearly interested.
"If you were to hold Daniel, how would you do it?" Dumbledore inquired. Sam and Tucker blinked in surprise.
"Well, it depends. If Danny's locked in his human half, then this world. But if he was locked in his ghost form, then the Ghost Zone. But if he can change, then I guess, Ghost Zone. Humans can't move through the Ghost Zone as easily as ghosts can move around here," Sam explained.
"So, chances are Daniel would be kept in the Ghost Zone, I assume the ghost's world. Then the skeleton key could be advantageous to have. With that key, ghosts could lock or unlock doors as they see fit. Enabling them to find and utilise the best location to hold Daniel," Dumbledore proposed.
"Wait, you think that whoever robbed Vlad, kidnapped Danny," Jazz pointed out. Dumbledore nodded slowly.
"I don't believe in coincidences. I've seen too many in my life and regretted not linking them when they came to pass. Like I've told Harry, finding connections between events can enable one to understand situations better," Dumbledore decided.
"Alright, well… Skulker would never go against Vlad. And Walker isn't a thief," Danielle told the group and the chalk crossed out the names.
"The only two ghosts I can see on that list that could get rid of Danny cleanly would be Desiree and Nocturne. But Desiree can only use her magic when granting a wish," Sam informed the group. The chalk ringed the two names.
"So Desiree would have to have a partner," Steven pointed out. Sam nodded.
"That, or she tricked someone into wishing for whatever happened to Danny. But I dunno," Tucker interjected. Dumbledore nodded in understanding.
"Are there many people that would wish Danny to disappear?" Dumbledore inquired curiously. Everyone glanced at each other.
"To disappear? Not many. Not right now. But there are a few ghost hunters that would wish for him to get hurt or destroyed, or caught. The wizarding community have largely accepted Danny though. He's a senior member of the I.G.A.," Steven answered.
"International Ghost Association. Been running two years now after a big ghost crisis involving the type of ghost Danny and Danielle are," Harry added helpfully. Dumbledore hummed in understanding.
"Wait, what about after Vlad's argument?" Jazz interjected.
"Vlad wouldn't wait so long to make a wish like that. Besides, Vlad wouldn't wish for Danny to disappear, he'd wish for Danny to suffer," Danielle replied knowingly.
So… anyone expect Danny to have planned to pop the question?
Any guesses on who kidnapped Danny?
Let me know what you guys think so far.
Someone asked what age Danny is in this fanfic.
In Halfa at Hogwarts, Danny was about eighteen, recently graduated from high school. Harry is a year older.
A Ghostly Crisis was set two years after the events of Halfa at Hogwarts. So Danny was about twenty one and Harry twenty two. Harry had recently had James with Ginny.
Aftermath of the Crisis was a month after A Ghostly Crisis.
This fanfic is set two years after A Ghostly Crisis and Aftermath of the Crisis. Danny's about twenty three and just graduated from college. Harry is twenty four and has had James, Albus and Ginny's pregnant with their third child.
Until the next chapter.