*A/N: I'm really sorry about the wait - I didn't realise it had already been a week until yesterday I'm sorry. To make up for it this chapter's double the average size so far. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Eight

Clara tiptoed to their portrait, pulling it aside to find the Doctor already inside with his wand lit. Probably didn't want to be suspicious waiting outside, she thought. Once she stepped inside, the Doctor beamed. "I thought you wouldn't come," he admitted.

"How very little faith you have in me," Clara replied in a low voice, attempting to echo his.

He sniggered at the reference and casually took hold of her hand. "Come on, Clara," he said as he started to walk through the tunnel. Each time they used the tunnel, it seemed to be quicker now that Clara wasn't afraid something was going to creep up behind her. Amy and Rory on the other hand was a possibility.

"Is there a reason why you want to go ghost-hunting?" she asked.

"Because I've never done it before – isn't it exciting?" he answered excitedly.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"None at all," he said comfortably, not noticing the slight worry in her tone.

"Great."

They reached the exit soon after, the Doctor subconsciously conjuring the ladder and opening the lock.

"After you," he said, his hand swinging towards the rungs.

Clara didn't bother arguing and began to climb, light drops of rain falling to her face as she came closer to the top. Outside the grass was damp but luckily it seemed as though it had only been raining a minute or so given the lack of mud. She zipped her coat as she waited for the Doctor to catch up. Clara's eyes drifted to the Shrieking Shack ahead and she tried not to let the nerves she'd buried so deep she'd forgotten resurface. Her thoughts were interrupted, keeping the nerves buried when she felt cold fingers tickle her lower back.

She screeched quietly as she whipped round, her hand smacking his away in a swift, instinctive chopping motion. "Don't!" she said, stifling a laugh.

The Doctor grinned and leaned in, giving her a sweet kiss. "Kissing in the rain? Seriously, Doctor? I thought you were above clichés like that," she said teasingly.

He rolled his eyes. "We better get going," he said, looking up at the cloudy sky. The rain was getting heavier. "We've got work to do."


"Aloho-" Clara began, pointing her wand at the door. Her wand wasn't registered with the Ministry of Magic over here, she was pretty sure the Ministry it was registered with was a bit preoccupied with war to give a damn about some underage magic.

"No, no!" the Doctor interrupted. "This place has been bought now we can't just charm our way in. At least not in the literal sense." The Doctor simply knocked on the door. How Hufflepuff, Clara thought.

They heard footsteps and the door was soon thrust open by a man who looked to be in his late 30s/early 40s with black hair and glasses.

Before he could say anything the Doctor spoke. "Boo!" Clara stared, wondering what exactly was going to happen. Was the man seriously going to let two school kids go looking for ghosts in his house? "I'm looking for the ghost." Well the Doctor was certainly going to try.

"And you are?" he asked.

"I'm John Smith but you can call me the Doctor – in fact, please do call me the Doctor. Forget I told you my name was John – this is Clara Oswald, we're from the Ministry and we're here to look for ghosts," he answered, stepping inside and brushing past the man.

Clara smiled and followed him. That was one way to get in. She'd known the house to be dark and dusty, like it hadn't been used in generations but it wasn't as bad as she'd expected. The floorboards still creaked and were covered in dust, there was broken bits of furniture scattered around but the buyer had at least tried to make it more welcoming by cleaning up a bit and having gas lamps at regular intervals. The Doctor found his way around easily and was soon in a brightly lit room which had been furnished to almost the standard of a normal home.

The man chased after them slowly. "What are you doing? You can't just come into my house."

"Wait so you live here properly?" Clara asked, ignoring his implication of 'get out'.

"Starting to, yes."

"But why? I thought you bought it for the ghost stuff."

"I did."

"So you want to actually live with an old ghost that's haunting this place?"

"Not old," the Doctor informed. "All that time people thought it was haunted because of the screaming, the howling they heard but it was actually a werewolf."

The owner opened his mouth only to be interrupted by the Doctor again, "Sorry, I'm clever," he apologised, waving his hand as if it was a burden.

Clara raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait so it's not haunted?"

The Doctor opened his mouth but this time the owner interrupted him. "It is now, which is why I bought it. I pieced together the werewolf thing during my time at Hogwarts. I was classmates with the werewolf. I never said anything because he wasn't hurting anyone."

"Ah you knew!" the Doctor said in relief. "Thank goodness, this would take a lot longer if I had to try and convince you that your life beliefs were wrong."

"How come it's haunted now? Who's haunting it?" Clara asked.

"That is what we're here to find out."

"Sounds great. Only problem is, how do we find out?"

The owner smirked. "I think I'm prepared. Now, why don't you go back to the castle – don't think I believe that you're really from the ministry."

"We are! We're student trainees. I think some of the ministry discovered that they've been putting idiots in charge for years and it was about time they actually involved the youth since, it was seventeen year olds who put an end to the war," the Doctor said, smiling with a hint of 'we know I'm right so can we move on?' in his expression.

It was then that another witch came into the room. "Hello," she said, not seeming surprised by the two stranger's presence at all.

"Emma, I was just telling them that they should go."

"Why? They're both clever and brave. They can help us, Alec."

The Doctor beamed and pointed at Emma. "Oh you're a seer!"

She nodded, blushing.

"So you need our help," the Doctor said, sounding more grateful than boastful.

Alec reluctantly nodded. "We could do with maybe some extra hands," he admitted.

The Doctor clapped his own hands together and smiled broadly. "Excellent!" He turned to a table of instruments Alec and Emma had lain out and gestured for Clara to come over. She did as he wanted, hopping to his side.

"What is all this stuff?" Clara asked, reaching to pick up an item that resembled a telescope before the Doctor swatted her hand away. Clara glared at him and he embarrassingly looked at her, murmuring a soft "Sorry."

"Are you gonna tell me?" she asked, still glaring.

"Well I don't know what all of it does but they're all for finding the ghost and doing ghosty things."

"Oh I knew that," she said, sounding disappointed. "Why'd you get me to come over then?"

"Because I wanted to have a look and I don't like you being on your own," he answered as though it was the most obvious answer he'd ever given.

Whatever trace of the glare that was left on Clara's face vanished as her smile grew. She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "I'd kiss you but we have company."

The Doctor grinned before picking up a book from the table. He dropped it to the floor, allowing it to make a loud clatter as a few specks of dust fluttered from it.

Alec gave a startled jump. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Most frequently opened page," the Doctor answered, bending down to inspect the page it had opened on.

"Now why are you looking at this?" he asked grimly, his voice barely a whisper.

Alec's face flushed slightly, noticing the Doctor's change in mood. "Well, the ghost activity started soon after . . . I thought maybe that one of them might be the ghost. If I knew that I could find a relat-"

"Yeah I see," the Doctor said, looking slightly embarrassed that he hadn't put the pieces together faster. He stood up, avoiding looking at the book.

Clara bent down to see what had shaken him so much to see pictures of kids. Mostly kids anyway, almost all of whom were wearing Hogwarts robes. Her eyes flickered from one picture to another, smiling faces looking up at her. She'd been so busy looking for people she recognised in the pictures – she didn't find anyone – that she'd almost missed the fading heading.

Victims of the Battle of Hogwarts (May 2nd 1998)

Under each of the pictures were names and birth dates, all of which were followed by the same digits: 02/05/98. Clara shuddered. She understood what they meant now. Alec believed that one of them was most likely to be the ghost and he wanted to find out whom.

The Doctor cleared his throat and shook his head, removing his emotions for the case at hand. "Well, have you got any idea? What's your best hunch?"

Emma answered for him. "We're still not sure, but we think someone very young – too young to understand what it was they were doing when they became a ghost – or someone who knew their death would be the end of the world for someone so they felt the need to stay in contact."

The Doctor almost laughed. "And that's it is it? Your best guess is someone young out of about 50-something slaughtered school students?" Clara felt her knees weaken and she was grateful she was still bent close to the ground so it wouldn't cause a fuss that she sat down.

As she looked at the pictures she couldn't help but see the faces morph into ones she knew from home. That second year boy with the bucked teeth and curls, the girl who always sat at the back of her potions class, the girl with the freckles and orange pigtails… She bit the inside of her cheek as she tried to forget what was happening back home. Her dad was alive but for how long more?

Alec and Emma both blushed. "It's the best we could do. If we knew who it was we'd have this ghost deal sorted in no time," Alec explained.

"Aren't you a seer?" the Doctor asked, looking to Emma.

"Well yes I am but it…it's not working."

"Not working? How?"

"Usually, I make the connection easily and I can talk to them. Sometimes it is a little trickier and we need to find a relative to strengthen the link – but with this…" she trailed off, not wanting to talk about what she felt.

"But what?" Clara asked, finally able to speak.

"But when I try and make the connection I can feel them dying. And it's like – it's like they were waiting for it. Like they knew it was coming. But I still have no idea who it is," she said grimly, fiddling with her watch necklace.

"War going on…he or she was bound to have witnessed the destruction. It wasn't uncommon to be ready to die . . ." he said, his face paling with every syllable.

Clara looked up at him in surprise at the chills his words sent down her spine. He was talking about someone who was likely to be a child. No child should ever be ready to die. She wanted to go home.

"We've been going through each person, we've tried about sixteen so far. We contacted the families – or friends if there's no family left," Alec said casually, "to see if we could have anything that belonged to them since in this situation we decided it was too risky to try a blood connection."

The Doctor nodded in understanding. "And none of them have been the right one yet," he stated to quicken the story.

"Exactly," Alec confirmed regretfully.

The Doctor forced a smile and clapped his hands together to create a false sense of comfort. "Well, better try again – I'm clever, did I mention? Trust me, with the combined help of me and my associate, Clara here I'm sure we'll have the job done in a flash."


"What are you doing?" Clara asked as he wrapped a dirty brown strip of thin metal around the spine of his wand. "Makes magic undetectable," he explained in a whisper, not wanting to completely blow their Ministry cover. If they were from the Ministry, there would probably be no need to do that.

"How do you know that?"

"Have you not realised yet? I'm incredibly clever!"

"Yeah I know, you've only said it ten dozen times." Clara snickered before remembering that he was about to go properly hunting a dead teenager. Well maybe not hunting but looking for a ghost all the same.

"Lumos," he said, his wand glowing.

"And what do you need to use that spell for?" she asked, hoping he wasn't planning on turning off all the other lights in the room.

"We're going to find the ghost," he said obviously. "Alec and the Mrs are gone to get a mirror so I thought-"

"What mirror?"

"The mirror I found out they weren't using and told them to use – anyway, I thought now would be a great time to do some investigating of my own."

Clara folded her arms and turned away. "Have fun," she said in a high pitched voice. The Doctor tapped her on the head.

"By my own I meant us," he explained impatiently.

"I know."

"Then are you coming or what?"

"Fine," she whispered. Clara turned back and frowned, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Dare me."

"I dare you. No takesies-backsies," he whispered.

Clara shook her head and grinned, assuring him that she would live up to the 'no takesies-backsies' condition. She tried not to think about who the ghost once was and she knew he was doing the same.

They wandered quietly through the massive house, avoiding the attic where Alec and Emma had gone to get the mirror, until they came to an old room with nothing but a battered piano.

"Do you feel anything?" he asked.

"No," she lied.

"Your pants are so on fire."

Clara glared uneasily. "Do you feel like you're being watched?"

"What does being watched feel like? Is it that funny tickly feeling on your neck?"

"That's the chap."

"Then, yes, a bit. Well, quite a big bit…what do you say, turn off the light?"

"NO!" she yelled instinctively.

"Do we have to?" she asked.

He smiled in apology as he nodded.

"Worst first date ever," Clara said loudly, but remaining in her whispered tone.

The Doctor whispered, "Nox," putting the room in total darkness.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Everyone knows the dark is the easiest magic-free way to get a ghost out of hiding."

There was the clear sound of soft footsteps.

"Is that you?" Clara asked hopefully.

"Is what me?"

"Those footsteps."

"Uh no. Is it you?"

"Don't think so, no."

"Oh well in that case…I think we should probably run now."

"That's a plan I can jump aboard," she agreed, grabbing his hand and running, narrowly avoiding the wall as they stumbled through complete black.

They rushed down the corridor until they came back to the overwhelmingly comforting, lit room.

"What's wrong?" Alec and Emma both asked as they stared, open mouthed at the two pale Ministry-trainees.

"You're so pale you could be the ghost!" Emma said, rushing over and putting a hand on Clara's shoulder to make sure she was alright.

"Well we found it, no biggie," the Doctor said through a soundless laugh.

"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" Clara demanded to know.

He stopped. "Because, it's fu- exciting."

Clara folded her arms and glared at him. That was not very fun. He smirked and booped her on the nose before walking towards the white clothed object that Alec was still standing beside. He swiftly pulled off the cloth to reveal the mirror behind.

Clara gasped, "But that's – but that's not possible," she said, approaching it. "That's – that's the Mirror of Erised!"

Alec nodded, proudly. "It came into my possession. Dumbledore tried to have it destroyed but that was easier said than done. It was cloaked, hidden, buried, moved and eventually a year ago it ended up in a Gringotts vault. It was sold in secret from person to person until I got it."

"I assume you've both stood in front of it," the Doctor guessed.

"Yes. But Dumbledore did manage to make a couple of alterations. It no longer shows what you desire the most but what you desire in the present moment. Or at least that's what it's supposed to do. The bloomin' thing won't work properly," Alec complained.

"Ah I see – that is good. What you desire the most in the moment you stand in front of it here is to know the ghost. Marvellous idea if it worked…but how do we get it to work? There must be a way." He scratched his chin in thought when Clara piped up.

"Maybe it's not showing who the ghost is because they don't know the ghost. It will show what you desire but it can't show what you can't see, am I right?"

The Doctor pointed to Clara once she finished speaking, a look of amazement on his face. "See that!" he said to the others who both looked almost embarrassed that they hadn't realised before. "Clara. Is. A. Genius." He walked to her quickly, holding her head to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. He twirled around and straightened his bowtie. "I guess this means me," he said with a tone of faked confidence. He put his hands behind his back and strode in front of the mirror.

He stood there for seconds before an image twisted into view, appearing from behind him. At first he smiled before his face flushed red.

"What's wrong? What is it?" Clara asked, noticing the embarrassment and confusion on his face. He slowly turned his head to look at her and he grew an even brighter shade of crimson.

"Doctor, what did you see? Who did you see?" Clara asked worriedly.

He noticed the panic in her tone so he decided to answer honestly. "I saw you," he answered sheepishly. Clara's eyes widened and she felt herself flush slightly.

"Oh for god's sake," Alec murmured. "This is the last time I try and work with teenagers. Emma didn't even get the chance to start the bloody spell."

Clara smiled bashfully at the Doctor before volunteering. "I can try," she offered.

"You know what is going to happen if it works?" the Doctor asked. He couldn't help but feel uneasy at the idea of Clara doing this.

Alec sighed but nodded. Clara patted the Doctor's cheek playfully and stepped in front of the mirror as Emma started the spell.

"Oh my stars," Clara whispered as she looked into the mirror, "But it can't it's – I'm not-" she felt a flash of shock and then Clara was somewhere else. Hiding in the back of her own mind as the ghost took over.

"I'm not a ghost," it spoke through Clara's lips. "I'm simply an echo. An echo of what happened."

"This is extraordinary!" Alec said, grabbing a notebook and quill, jotting down the words she said as fast as he could.

"How can we help you?" Emma asked.

"You must shatter the watch. The watch is all I am. I am nothing without it. Shatter the watch and I will cease to exist. Peace at last."

"But who are you?" the Doctor asked.

"I am death." Clara knew that was a lie but she couldn't say it. The ghost wouldn't let her. "I am an echo of the death and destruction that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardy that fatal yet prosperous night."

"An echo?" Emma asked, a look of enchantment on her face as she held her watch necklace between her thumb. "Is that really all?"

"It is. Now destroy it. Destroy the watch you received that night."

Emma unlocked it from the back and tossed it to the ground, unshaken at all by the job the echo was asking her to do. "It was my mother's," she explained. "She gave it to me that night as a remembrance of the time we'd escaped from. But I don't want to remember." She withdrew her wand, pointed it at the wand and whispered, "Incendio."

The watch burst into a crackling flame.

"Must remember. Remember me," the echo spoke before spilling out of Clara's body into nothingness. Clara gasped and fell to her knees in relief.

Emma put out the flame with, "Aguamenti" and the Doctor rushed to Clara's side. "Are you alright?" he asked, frantically, rubbing her head and pulling her into a hug.

"I'm fine," she said, laughing into his shoulder. She didn't know why she was laughing. It was hardly a funny situation, but the relief of it was too much to not laugh. It was a lot better than crying out of relief. The Doctor sighed happily and laughed as he shifted to look at her face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he repeated as a precaution.

"Positive," she said, leaning in to kiss him briefly to stop him asking again.

Alec – who appeared to have been hugging Emma – cleared his throat. "Well, thank you, Clara – and you too, Doctor. But mostly, Clara," he said with a smile.

The two of them smiled back even though the Doctor pretended he was offended. The Doctor's mind wandered until he remembered something. "Clara, when you first stepped in front of the mirror you said things-" he began.

"Don't bother," Clara interrupted with a sigh. "I can't remember anything that happened once I stood in front of it."

He smiled, curiosity still tapping at his skull. He shook it off, deciding it was best to not discuss the matters in front of the mirror. He still couldn't believe that it had shown him Clara.

They had a quick discussion with Emma and Alec before Emma finally said, "You two better be getting back to the castle – wouldn't want McGonagall finding out about this now, would you?" she asked. The Doctor had a feeling she knew they weren't from the Ministry.

He laughed. "Yeah you're right."

"Frankly, I don't want her finding out about it either," Alec added, "She is a scary woman when she wants to be. I don't fancy being scolded at this time in my life for letting two kids go ghost hunting in my house."