Chapter 14: Shady Tidings
The Shrieking Shack lay nestled just outside the village, hidden away in the dense undergrowth. The forest that surrounded the small shack seemed to help hide the decrepit place, darkening the sky to cast it into shadows. Whether it was the bordered-up windows, it's rotting wooden frame, or maybe it was the peeling, patchy paintwork, there was a dark, gloomy presence to this place. It was a stark contrast to the cheery, quaint village that was Hogsmeade. Unlike the rest of the town, something screamed danger and beware to any that dared approach it. It's rumors and tales of a ferocious ghost haunting the house were justified, due to the blood-curdling screams that had come from the place many years ago. Though the shack had fallen silent, many of the locals dreaded approaching the place, for the fear that they would awake whatever was within.
Which of course, made it a perfect dare spot.
On this once such wintery day, Colin Fletchley was about to test his bravery against the Shrieking Shack. As fifth year Gryffindor, he had a lot to prove to his fellow housemates, practically to the young six-year Ravenclaw who had dared him that very morning. Colin walked away from the eager group, pausing once he made it to the fallen over picket fence. Before him rose the Shrieking Shack, a looming shadow that made his heart quicken at the very sight of it.
What are you waiting for Fletchley!" Sung out the Ravenclaw, Celia Merrickson, earning a giggle from her supporters. He whipped back, spotting his sneering Gryffindor's buddies and the girls. They thought that he was scared, a chicken, that was clear to see. Merrickson grinned back, flicking her raven hair back behind her shoulder. "You're not scared, are you?"
He flushed, he wasn't some coward! "Course not!" he bellowed, taking out his wand. "I'm not scared of some old ghost! And if it does show up, I'll show it!"
His housemates cheered him on, Celia rolling her eyes unimpressed with his act. With a puff of his chest, Colin stepped over the collapsing fence, marching up the muddy path to the steps. But the closer he got, the less confident he became. The legends of this shack came back to him, the rumors that the professors had told them of a gruesome murder happening within the place resurfaced. Even Nearly-headless Nick shivered when talking about the shack, stating it was not a good place to go. And he was a ghost! If he was scared, what hope in hell did he have?
The steps were suddenly there in front of him, daring him to climb them. He paused at those steps, shuddering as a feeling of dread descended on him.
"Are you going to touch the door or what?"
He gulped, putting on a brave face as he turned back to the watching crowd. "Got to give you some suspense, or this wouldn't be fun!"
It earned him a laugh from the girls. But when Colin turned back to the place, his stomach sunk to the floor. What if… what if it really was haunted by some murderous ghost?
Taking a small footstep onto the creaking steps, he made his way onto the porch, wand held little higher. Underneath his feet the floorboards of the pouch crack and groaned, complaining from the sudden, unfamiliar weight. And there it was. The front door. Peeling and rotting in front of him in a foul smell. Colin gulped again, trembling when the air abruptly dropped, a chill settling on his skin.
He froze, his legs turned to jelly. There was an aura about that door that made his heart quicken, the air was dropping colder and colder by the second, or was it just his imagination? With a deep breath, he held out a trembling hand. He'd just touch it and run. That's all. His left hand reached for the wood, hand beginning to shake so bad he couldn't stop it. Gritting his teeth, he shuffled forwards, fingers inches from the wood.
He did it. Three, tiny taps, so soft that even he barely heard them. But at least his witnesses saw him touch the door. There was a loud applause behind him, and he imagined the thwarted look on that know-it-all's face. A low sigh escaped his lips, not realizing he'd been holding his breath. He'd did it! He'd touched-
-Something suddenly shot out of the door, grabbing his wrist so fast he didn't have time to think. A bitter coldness hit Colin, so cold that it felt like his very blood was freezing over. His breath misted in front of him. Blinking back his shock he finally gained enough sense to look down at what was holding him. It was a hand; a glowing, pale hand was sticking out of the door. Through the door.
Before Colin could react, he felt himself being pulled in. He slammed against the wood, his grip losing on his wand as it clattered to the floor. Panic gripped him, tugging back against the grip with all his might. He heard a cry of alarm from his friend, but it was then in horror that Colin realized something; his own arm was sinking through the door. He shrieked, thrashing madly away, trying to pull himself from the vice-like grip. Finally, he was able to twist around, shoes squeaking for grip on the floorboards. With all his strength, he wrenched himself away from the door, crawling back to the safety of the stairs. The arm followed him, and Colin turned in fear to watch what emerged from the door.
A body half-phased through the door, glowing and translucent. Burning, sickly green eyes blazed down at him. They locked onto him, rooting him to the spot, freezing him in place. The ghost grinned wickedly back, it's hand suddenly covered in a burst of green flames.
"G-g-g-g-gh- GHOST!" if it was possible for one to jump out of one's skin, Colin certainly did then. With a scream, he sprung up, all but tumbling down the old steps. Without stopping, without turning back, he dashed off to his friends, they too now bolting back towards the safety of the village. Half tripping over the picket fence he sprinted into the trees- and ran right into the backs of his friends.
They all gasped in terror, trying to keep their footing as they gripped each enough to stay standing. Colin gripped them, still shaken by what had just occurred. But at the sight of the stern, familiar emerald witch before him made his heart sink further.
"P-Professor McGonagall! Th-Th- There's a-a!" all of them chorused together, spewing out their words together in a jumbled mess. The Professor glared down at them, not at all pleased to find them far from the village, and here of all places. Colin pushed passed his friends, eyes wide. "It was a ghost, Professor! At the Shrieking shack- "
"Pardon me, but did you just say the Shrieking Shack, Mr. Fletchley?"
The students fell into dead silence, all now remembering that the place was supposed to be forbidden to them. They all knew that no matter how they looked at it, they were in deep trouble.
"It's not what you think, Professor- "Celia started, to everyone's amazed trying to sweeten the situation, but the witch cut her short before she could finish.
"I know perfectly well what's going on here, Miss Merrickson. Don't you all know why this place is strictly off-limits to students in the first place? And to think you would clearly ignore such warnings…"
"Wait. Professor! -"
"-Please- "
"-I have every right excuse to take points from all of you!"
Knowing that it wouldn't be just his friends who would be disappointed, but the entire school when they realized how many house points were gone, Colin stepped in front. Even though he'd run away with his tail between his legs, he saw this as a good way to regain some of his lost pride.
"Oh, please Professor, it was my idea- "
"That's enough." She sighed, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. The students quivered, an icy, bitter cold seemed to befall them. Colin was reminded of the ghost just now, quickly looking behind him in fear it was there lurking there in waiting.
She looked back down at them, masked anger crossing her brow. "While dealing punishment to all of you would be the right course of action as your teacher, I have enough to worry about today than some lost points. And frankly, I'm sick of Slytherin winning the cup. All of you; leave this place now and don't let me catch you here again!"
They all nodded guiltily, scrambling passed the witch and back through the trees as fast as they could. However, even after everything that had happened, Celia was still quick to point out Colin's failure. It made him bristle, knowing full well his housemates were never going to let him live this down for the rest of the schooling year.
"Hey, I did touch the door! I didn't see you running to help me when that ghost showed up!"
"As if I'd get tangled with some ghost, and besides, we all could see you shivering in your cloak from the fence! Face it Fletchley; you were scared even before you touched that door!"
Colin ears burned and was about to retort something foul back when he suddenly felt like a bucket of ice had been dump on top of his head. He could have sworn a hand touched his shoulder. Trembling, not wanting to stay here another minute or show how terrified he was, he pushed in front of the group, sticking out his lip stubbornly.
"Whatever. Let's just head back somewhere warm."
The group trudged off dully, none of them noticing the teen ghost that appeared out of thin air behind them. Danny smirked as he watched the kids vanished off into the pines, drifting lazily back to where the witch stood, arms crossed.
"What...On come on, how could I not scare them! That kid was partially begging for it."
The Cat lady snorted back, unamused by Danny's playful grin. "You know full well you shouldn't have done that. If Fletchley hadn't been so afraid, there's no telling what kind of spell he might have cast upon you. However…" She chuckled, a rare smile crossing her face. "It was…entertaining to watch."
"See, I knew you thought it was funny." He floated back down to the ground with a soft thud, turning back in a burst of light. "Oh, by the way, that kid dropped this." He held up the wand that the kid had dropped in fright, curious to see one up close. It didn't look all that special to him; just a stick with a slight bend in the handle, odd cravings on the wood like it been chipped away. To him, it wasn't what he'd thought an all-powerful magical tool would look like. Indeed, instead of feeling powerful at the thought of holding it, he just felt stupid holding a stick.
"Fletchley's wand! Honestly, after all those defence against the dark arts classes, he still ended up losing it… thank you, I'll give it back later once the humility sets in."
Danny handed the wand to her, turning his attention back the building behind him. "So that's the famous Shrieking Shack… It fits the bill for the haunted house label. Old, depressing, and way too creepy. No wonder those guys were frightened of it." Closing his eyes, he focused briefly on his powers, sending out his ghost sense for even the smallest hint of a ghost in the area. Although he already knew the answer.
"Yes well; fun and games are over." She replied authority, adjusting her fur collar tighter. "Now is the time to focus on the task at hand. And prepare to encounter that ghost- "
"-Sorry to disappoint you, but there are no ghosts here."
He felt, more than saw her halt in surprise. "No ghost? How do you know?"
Opening his eyes he grinned sheepishly back. "Let's just call it my half-ghost intuition. But anyway, even if Luna isn't here right now, it doesn't mean she hasn't been here. I still want to check the place out and make sure it's all clear."
With that Danny headed up the muddy path, stepping over the picket fence carefully so as not the catch his sneakers. Quickly, without any hesitation, unlike the boy, he walked up the old creaky steps with hands stuffed in pockets. Surveying the pouch, he tried to spot for anything unusual he'd missed in his prank, but besides the new cracks he'd caused in the wooden door, nothing really seemed to point out 'ghost'.
"No luck with the front entrance; now for the inside." He turned back to the witch, amazed to find her hovering at the foot of the stairs, a nervous look knitted on her brow. Her wand was now firmly in her hand, raised and at the ready.
"Wait… you're not scared of this place too…are you?"
Her lips from a hard line. "Scared is not the proper word. Now concerned; that would be the correct term to how I feel about this place."
"What's to be concerned about? It's an abandoned house."
"You don't know it's history like I do."
"History?"
"It isn't called the 'Shrieking' shack for no reason. Every month, about twenty-five years ago, this place summoned the most awful sounds. The screaming and howling was awful, and would go for hours throughout the night."
"Ah," He nodded, looking back at the tightly bordered windows. If a malevolent ghost really had hung out at this place long ago, it seemed it had done the typical, 'beware' act to the locals.
"In any case," The witch tutted, rising her wand higher as she joined him on the porch, wincing at the decaying smell. "We must proceed with caution. Whether your ghost is here or not, something else might be lurking in there. We must enter carefully."
Danny blew his fringe out of his face, bored. If anything dangerous was in there; he'll just blast it. "Sure, if that's what you want to do. Anyway, take my hand."
She jolted with astonishment as he offered an outstretched hand. "Pardon?"
"I don't feel like kicking down the door, and unless you know any spells that'll let us walk through, I can just phase us through it in two second's flat. All I need is for you to just hold onto me, and I can pass us through without any property damage."
The Cat lady laughed away his hand, stepping past him. "Please, all we need to do is unlock the door. Alohomora!" she swished her wand in a graceful manner, taking the door handle in the other hand. " See Danny, no need for- "
But the door didn't budge.
"That's strange…Alohomora!" she flicked her wand again, but still, the door refused to move. He watched with an eyebrow raised, entertained as the witch became more and more frustrated.
"Um, does that usually happen?"
She huffed in irritation, twisting the handle as hard as she could. "This should work. There's no way such a door is enchanted. Why on earth would it be?"
Curious himself, Danny try turning the handle and found that not only did the door not budge, but the handle didn't as well. It didn't even twist or jiggle in his hand. Now that was odd, normally a lock door's handle should move, even just a tiny bit. At least, from his experience of breaking and entering, it should. And yet this one didn't even rattle when he pushed it. Fascinated, he summoned up his ghostly strength into his hand, and gave the doorknob a hard twist-
-and snapped the entire knob from the door.
The witch gasped back at the hole now in the frame. "Merlin's Beard, what do you think you're doing!?"
"It's fake." He stated, holding up the broken handle for her to see. Instead of the metal lock, the handle was carved into the very wood. No wonder the Cat lady couldn't unlock the door, the whole thing wasn't real! "See. It isn't a door at all, it's just craved into the wood to look like it. This front door was never meant to be used, it just looks like the entryway."
She merely stared dumbfounded at the handled in his hand, Danny suddenly remembering something. "Oh wait, did I say, "without property damage?" What I meant to say was without some property damage."
He dropped the handle, the thing tapping loudly to the floor. "Whelp looks like we're going along with plan A."
"Good grief…Reparo," with a sharp flick of her wrist, her wand glowed softly, the handle flew back into place. In seconds, the doorknob was mended back in place. Any sign that Danny had broken it was all but gone, the cracks fading into nothing. As he curiously tested it, the witch eyed the door, puzzled.
"Why would the door be fake? I would never have thought- why would you build a house without a proper door in the first place? It just doesn't make any sense."
"Well, it's clear whoever built this place didn't what anyone coming in. Good thing I'm here though," he held out his hand again, summoning his intangibility.
She turned her attention back to him, looking down at his outstretched palm. Realizing that she had no other choice in the matter she returned her wand back to her pocket. With a slight pause, she took the offered hand, Danny gripping it firmly, touching the door with the other.
"You might want to close your eyes for this. Walking through stuff can be frightening if you're not used to it."
She nodded, laughing like what he said had been some kind of joke. Danny waited to see if she was ready, then passed them into the shack. Her hand shivered in his as he phased them both into the gloom, letting go to let the witch know they were done. With a fluttered blink, she looked about in wonder, turning back to the solid wall they had just walked through.
"…Incredible," she whispered, touching the door to check if it really was real. "Absolutely extraordinary!"
He blushed in embarrassment, twisting around to the dark room in front of him. It was just as decrepit on the inside as it was on the outside. The place was filled heavily with dust and cobwebs, so thick it was hard to breathe in the grime. The bordered windows, caked in dirt and years of dirt had turned yellow, casting the dim hall in an eerie, milky light. Crumbled pieces of wallpaper and leaves coated the floor, the walls covered in peeling paper and large slash marks. The smell was foul from the mold, though Danny found it far better than Sir Nicholas's tower room.
"Lumos," The witch spoke behind him, a sudden white light shone from the tip of her wand, illuminating their way.
"Thanks," He muttered, slicing his way through the cobwebs blocking their path. Clearing a route for them to proceed, Danny entered the closest room; its door seemed to have been ripped off the hinges long ago.
It was clear to him something long ago had rampaged here. The small amounts of furniture that dotted the space had been torn apart piece by piece. Broken shards of wood littered the floor, along with yellowed wallpaper that had been torn from the walls, just like the hall. Everywhere that Danny could see, there was damage, heavy gashes and claw marks covered every inch of the room. Bite marks on what little remained. Whatever creature had been here before, it certainly had done a number on this place.
"Good Heavens," whispered the witch, following him into the space. "I imagine it to be bad, but not this bad."
Danny bent down and touched one of the long claw marks, tracing it. The grooves were filled with dust, leaving a black smudge on his with his finger. "Whatever was here before, they're not here now. These marks are old." He stood, brushing the grime off onto his jeans. "You said about twenty-five years ago the sounds were happening, hear anything else after that?"
"No. One year it just stopped. No one dared to even investigate." Stepping over the remains of a chair, she hovered the light closer to the marks. Studying them she brushed the dust away, placing her own hand to match the grooves. "The creature that did this was big, most likely the size of a human. See how the lines match close to the layout of my hand? It means that they had a wide, flat foot." She then frowned, pushing down her hand harder, dragging it alone. "There are five lines. Four long straight lines, one further out and jagged. Thicker than the others."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that this creature had a thumb, Danny. Which limits the beast down to but a few things, if it was not a ghost."
The witch stood quickly, eyes scanning the room taut. Her posture changed; a stern, fighting attitude as she strained her hearing. "What?" He muttered back.
Turning slowly, she locked him in an apprehensive stare. "Werewolf."
"Seriously!?"
"Yes. Of course, there are other creatures it could be, but they don't live this far north. A werewolf would be the most likely cause. And it would explain the monthly episodes, now that I think about it." With a flick, the light from her wand grew stronger, her stance shifting to the side as she gazed around the room. "If the werewolf is still inside, it will be in its human form. But a bite from one would still be problematic. We must be vigilant."
As she returned to the gloomy hallway, Danny followed eagerly. "So, wait; living werewolves actually do exist? Like are we talking about the same-turning into a wolf on a full moon type of werewolf? That's so cool!"
The Cat lady gasped back, shooting a harsh glare his way. "It is not cool! It is a crippling and tormenting affliction that haunts a wizard or witch for the rest of their lives! Don't joke about such things."
"Okay, Okay; I get it. But like, it's like something out of a horror story. You got to understand before I came here I thought only ghosts were the freakiest things out there. I didn't even know you guys existed before, so finding out that there are other magical beings out there with weird powers is kind of hard for me to believe."
They entered what used to be the kitchen, but didn't stay long from the horrid stench of mold and rot coming from it. "I understand for a Muggle like yourself that the sound of werewolves might be… enthralling, however, Lycanthropy isn't something that should be taken lightly. Unlike your abilities, a person inflicted with the curse of the werewolf cannot control their transformations. And when they do transform, they are hell-bent on biting ever human they encounter."
"Oh," with the lower level checked for any hint and coming up negative, they made their way up the creaky steps, walking carefully over the holes in the floorboards. "I guess being a werewolf is just as back as the stories make it out to be, huh?"
"Indeed," the witch retorted softly, the pair entering the main bedroom. Unlike the other rooms, some of the future was still intact, if barely. A grand four-post bed lay decaying in the corner, along with a half-collapsed wardrobe beside it.
Danny strolled out into the middle of the room, footsteps grinding from his weight. "This is the last room, right? Doesn't look like there's any sign- "
The next second his foot cracked through the floorboards, jolting him forward violently. Before either he or the witch could react, Danny found himself plummeting down back into the hallway below. Thankfully for him the fall wasn't terrible, he'd fallen much further in his ghost hunting. But still, he landed with a heavy thud on his front, scraping his chin in the progress. He hissed through his teeth as his jaw jarred, freezing as his body was hit with a quick, stinging pain as he bit his tongue. As quickly it came, it went.
"Urgh… Great job Fenton, real heroic, that was…"
Pushing himself up onto his knees he heard the witch swiftly rush down the stairs. With a flurry of her emerald silk robes, she knelt down next to him.
"Good heavens, are you alright?"
"Ah, terrific," He grunted as his chin throbbed, touching the tender spot with a hiss. "All I need now is for the whole shack to fall down on top of me; then this day will be perfect."
The Cat lady sighed, whether from relief or frustration, he didn't know. With a rustle, she pointed the tip of her wand at his chin, so close it took him by surprise. "Episkey," she exhaled, moving the wand in a long, graceful flick. He felt a sudden tingle run along his jaw, feeling an odd tug of his skin followed by a cooling relief. The stinging faded, and gently he prodded the spot, only to find it smooth and restored.
"Wow, okay… That was awesome. Was that the spell you were about to use on me that night?"
"No," standing slowly, she brushed the dust off her cloak, coughing as it swirled back up into the air. "I was going to remove the stains on your shirt, not heal the cracked ribs. The injuries you had that night were far worse than a sore chin. Episkey is a basic healing spell, one of the few I know."
"Huh. Thanks, but you didn't need to do that. Give it a few minutes and it would have been gone."
An eyebrow curled, the witch looked at him peculiarly. "I know. You- "Abruptly she coughed, covering her mouth in the fit to protect it from the filthy air. "In- in any case, it's clear that your ghost is not here. And as much I know as you would like to continue searching, I think it's best if we retreat into fresh air."
Dejected, Danny realized that she was right. Luna wasn't here, and if she had, still hadn't stayed long enough to leave tracks. It had been the perfect place for a ghost to hide. But maybe it had been a little too perfect. Even though he'd hoped to find her here, deep down he knew it wouldn't be that easy to find his enemy. Nothing about this mission was turning up 'easy'.
"Your right… there's no point wasting time here."
Without another word, Danny returned them back out into the clear, cold air. Both of them inhaled, now suddenly grasping how bad the shacks stale air really was. Though they hadn't been inside long, a dark cover of cloud had enclosed the sky, threating to snow. The forest now seemed larger, gloomier, and Danny realized that his next best idea was to check the woods for anything. If that didn't take him months to do so.
"Great… Of course, things can't be that simple…"
"Your disappointed that she wasn't there?"
He glared back, abruptly finding himself quaking in anger. "Urgh, of course! That was the whole point of going in there! But no, I should have known from the beginning that Luna wouldn't hide in the most obvious place in the whole woods. That would be too easy, now wouldn't it! Just like with everything with this stupid mission!"
His emotions bubbled, and quickly without thinking he punched the fake door in frustration. Instead of the thing cracking from the force like he'd thought would happen, ice suddenly exploded from his fist, covering the door and his hand in the solid mass. It startled him more than the witch, the icy chill quivering down his spine. With a hard wretched he yanked his hand out of the stuff, shards of ice clicking to the ground. As quickly as the ice episode had come, it faded away, leaving his head spinning.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Danny gritted through chatting teeth, glaring down at his hand. He'd though with winter coming these things had stopped. But now it just decided to come back? He just didn't get it!
"Are... are you alright?"
"I'm fine! - Sorry, I'm fine…" shaking head he tried to brush it off like it was nothing. "Just some ghost problems, nothing to worry about. Once I'm home I'll get it sorted."
She didn't look convinced, eyeing the melting ice warily. But thankfully for Danny, she seemed to drop the subject, turned back towards the woods. "Anyways… so your enemy isn't in the Shrieking Shack. Honestly, out of all the places outside of the school, I cannot think of anywhere else a ghost might hide. Do you have any ideas, Danny?"
He frowned, rubbing his chest, not missing that the witch pulled her cloak closer to her. "Some. I mean, I've got to search the woods for her. Maybe her hiding spot is deep in the woods, where no one goes. Or…maybe the lake?" Now that he mentioned the lake, something clicked. Luna could control water; wouldn't that mean the best spot for her to hide was in the Black Lake? The more he thought about it; the more sense it made.
"Urgh, duh! The Black Lake! That would be the perfect place for her to have a base. Why the hell didn't I think of that in the first place! It's murky, dangerous and full of hazardous creatures that I've been avoiding since coming here. Naturally, it would be the perfect place for a weird ghost to live."
"Really? Why is that?"
Danny jumped, forgetting that the witch was still here.
"Err well. Ghosts… ghosts; I mean, they like having a lair. It's something that they do; have a place they own that they don't like others intruding. Kind of like a safe house. I thought… maybe that Luna might have some kind of lair around the school. Like in this place. But… but Luna isn't here permanently. She's out of town, like me. She wouldn't have set up a permeant lair. Or at least, I don't think so."
"A Lair?"
He groaned, uncomfortable with the questions. Of course, she wouldn't know anything about ghosts. People generally thought that they were all mindless spooks and that was the normal people. He turned to her, rubbing the back of his neck. "All ghosts have some kind of lair. Like… like Peeves. Peeves lives in the school all the time, so it counts as his lair. Even if everyone thinks that he doesn't own the school, Peeve's himself does. So he won't stand intruders and protects the place. Because it's his home, get it? "
The witch looked at him curiously, brushing some cobwebs that had settled on her shoulder. "Ah, so when you're talking about ghosts, you're also referring to creatures like Peeves?"
"Err, what?"
"Poltergeists." She sighed, seeing his irritated face. "We don't call beings like Peeves "ghosts" but Poltergeists. In fact, I would call your "ghost form" a Poltergeist, not a ghost."
"Oh really. What're the differences?"
The question made her smile a little, folding her hands neatly in her sleeves. "Let me explain; To the wizarding community, were refer to ghosts as the being like our dear house ghosts; beings that are mere echoes of the person. When a person refuses to move on, what remains is a transparent form of their living self. They are nothing more than whispers of what they were before. Now poltergeists are completely different to that of a ghost, due to being a solid mass. We know that they are made up of pure ectoplasm, but unlike a ghost that is created by a departed soul, a poltergeist is created from the ectoplasm itself: ectoplasm that has become corporeal. That's why the community doesn't refer to them as ghosts, we believe that they are their own sub-species, a species made from pure ectoplasm taken form. And while there are still debates whether they too are made from a departed soul, they are classed differently due to being very formidable."
"Urgh, you sound just like Plasmius…" Danny growled, ignoring the curious look in gained him, he stomped down the steps, walking out onto the muddy path. "Call us what you what. But I think I've got more experience than your entire "wizarding community"." Turning back, he glared at the witch, challenging her to say otherwise. Instead, he found her staring blankly at him.
"What?"
"It's just, sometimes I forget that you're still just a teenager. It's hard to remember that when talking to you."
"Oh geeze, thanks."
She laughed, shaking head. "I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. Most of my senior students would be petrified at facing a poltergeist in combat. And some of them are almost fully-trained graduates! But you barely even care about such things; they're trivial to you. It amazes me still how you speak about such things without concern."
It was his turn to the laugh. "Well, that's what being me is all about. I don't have time to be 'scared' or 'petrified' when I've got a ghost trying to waste me."
Stuffing his hand casually into his pockets, he turned back towards the town, trying to locate the sun through the clouds. Using it he tried to pinpoint the direction of where the Black Lake was, trying to picture a map in his mind of the school. Taking a guess, he headed south of the shack, hearing the witch follow instep behind him.
"You think you understand more than a seasoned scholar, do you?"
"Yeah! I've been to the Ghost Zone personally! I think that give me more credits than some old wizard who's never even met a ghost!"
"The Ghost zone?"
"It's like… a place where ghosts live? It's totally different from here. Earth. There's no gravity at all, and it's green from all the ecto-energy in the atmosphere."
"Does that mean, in a way, it's the afterlife?"
He shrugged, not really knowing if the Ghost zone really was the afterlife or just some weird dimension connected to theirs. It would take far too long to explain to the witch, not the mention he didn't want to tell too much about ghosts to her. She might be a magical witch herself, but he had no idea if what he told her she'll tell others about. Stepping into the shadowy forest he trudged through the dead, wet leaves, praying that the Cat lady would just leave him alone.
"Another thing. Before you said that poltergeists have lairs and that Peeves treats our school as his; which from experience I can completely understand. But what I cannot understand is if Hogwarts is his lair, how has he allowed you into it, like you said earlier? Do polter- ghosts, form pacts with each other when entering other ghost's lairs?"
The question staggered Danny, he himself not really knowing the answer. "Um… I suppose Peeve could sense I'm a strong ghost. Weak ghosts don't normally like to start fights with stronger ghosts if they can help it, though that won't stop them trying." He rubbed his chest, feeling the cold underneath. "Peeves probably sensed how strong my ghost core is, along with the fact I'm a half-ghost to boot. We agreed not to fight as long as Peeves leaves me alone, and the same with me to him. Lucky for me he's more spineless than some. Some ghost really hates others intruding on their turfs."
He signed, slowing down so he could walk side by side with the witch, seeing he wasn't getting rid of her. "Back home, my town's always being attacked by ghosts due to the portal there. While I think most of the ghosts just what to make my life miserable, I think a good chunk of them what to take over the town because of that portal. Since they're always yelling about taking over the world. That's why most of my time is spent fighting them and kicking them back into the Zone. So, I guess… in a way… you could say my lair's my house if that makes any sense."
"It does. That was the portal you mentioned that night, the one that turned you into a half-ghost?"
"Yeah." He frowned, recalling that night in the Headmaster's office. Now that he thought about it, he really had blabbed his secrets out. That was strange, why had he done that?
"Do ghosts usually invade other lairs to take them over?"
"…Suppose. Though from what I've seen most ghosts have full control of their lairs. I've just been unlucky enough that some have managed to get a good knockout on me. Plasmius's got a portal at his house too, but no ghost would dare try and take it from him unless they've got a death wish."
"Plasmius?"
Danny faltered, suddenly realizing that only the Headmaster knew about the other half ghost. "Oh, that right, you don't know. Vlad's another half ghost like me. Actually, he's…never mind. His mansions is kind of like his lair, I guess, with a portal. But he makes deals with other ghosts and partners up with them instead of making them his enemies like I always end up doing. If any ghost does try and intrude on his house, he'd wasted them in no time flat. Unlike me, who can sometimes barely send them back."
"You would never enter his house?"
He howled with laughter. "Me? If he caught me snooping around in his house, he'd ring my neck! The odd times I had entered that place was either I was invited in or he'd tricked me there. I'll never try and enter that place on my own. Plasmius is way too powerful, and not to mention Fruitloopish to even try."
He noted her concern, the worry that crossed her face at how carefree sounded about the whole thing. But he shrugged it off. Of course, the witch wouldn't understand his now normal way of life. It was a life filled with ghost fights and running from ghost hunters. To her it sounded like nothing that she had ever experienced herself. As they walked through the forest side by side, it dawned on him that she wasn't asking to riddle out secrets from him, or be meddlesome. She just wanted to know more about him; about his life living with his powers. It dawned on him to her, he was something she thought never could exist. And that before he came to Hogwarts, the concepts of ghosts were completely unknown. Or at least, misunderstood. He thought sombrely for a second, before continuing.
"I guess… my life sounds crazy to you and dangerous. But seriously, it's all fine. I heal quickly, so any injuries I get go away lightning fast. I'm used to fighting hand to hand all the time now, hunting ghosts is more of a boring chore than something dreadful back at home. This mission just like them, expect it's dragging out big time. In the end, I'll fight Luna, defeat that shade and I'll go home to fight the next ghost. It's as simple as that."
"Even so, you're so young."
The comment tugged on a nerve. "I didn't choose to have these powers, you know. I would ditch them in a second if I could if it meant going from freak back to geek."
They fell into a long silence, walking through the dense pine trees. Danny breathed at the awkward tension, realizing he was being a jerk. "Sorry. I just haven't had anyone to talk with for a while."
"I can see that. What with you being so far from home, our way of life must seem strange to you too. I must apologize though for being so prying. Your right; your life to me does sound unreal. Yet I find myself more and more curious to learn more about you, due to your life being so unfamiliar. To learn from others, that is what I find most interesting, and your life sounds certainly exciting."
"I guess…' he muttered back, unsure if he still liked her interest in his powers. "But you got to understand too that you guys are one of the few people that know about my powers. I'm still getting used to talking about it to adults; and actually, getting a good response back."
"You didn't think I'd liked your powers?"
Danny rolled his eyes, "You've got no idea."
Finding that he didn't would to drag out this topic, Danny took the lead, stepping over the tangle of roots and leaves lighting, stepping around the puddles of melted snow that hadn't hit sunlight. Throughout the walk he kept his eyes glued to the surrounding forest, trying to spot or sense anything that was different on the way to the lake. But the deeper they walked into the woods, the more he is stopping looking for a ghost and more for a shade. It was possible that weird teacher could be out here, recalling seeing him this morning. If that shade was sucking the life out of animals in the woods, it would mean that he might have to leave that teacher to do so. If that was true, it might be the perfect moment to stop him before the time event. Or all least learn how to fight him in advance.
Although, as Danny jumped over a large root, making sure the witch could clear it, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to chase after the shade now. He kept forgetting this wasn't just a simple mission; it involved time. If he defeated the shade before Harry met him, would that muck up time? He couldn't see how, but he knew from experience with the CAT test that one tiny thing could change the course of history. Change it for the worst.
The question was, should he risk it?
But the longer they walked, the less Danny thought they'd find him in the first place. The forest was just too huge. Forgetting about the shade and searching the Black Lake should be the number one thing. The best thing.
He paused, turning back the witch. "You sure you want to follow me? I can do this on my own, you know."
"And get yourself hurt again, absolutely not!" with a gasp she stopped to catch her breath, sweeping away his comment with a wave. "Besides, I haven't done something like this in years."
"What? You don't go for long walks through the woods often?"
"Something adventurous! And no, I don't go walking in the wood often either."
He was about to retort back, but a loud crack stopped him in his tracks, a branch cracking off into the distance. Whipping around Danny scanned the trees, tense and alert for any sign of an adversary. The Cat lady saw his rapid change, hand curling around her hidden wand.
"What's wrong?"
"I think…something's out there." He stepped forward toward where he'd heard the snapping. A rustle sounded, dirt leaves crunching under something heavy. He was just about to go ghost, ready to blast whatever it was in case it was that teacher when a head popped out from behind one of the tree trunks. Ever nerve he had went taut as the creature emerged slowly from behind the tree, and unexpectedly Danny found himself god-smacked at the enormous thing before him.
He'd never seen a wild wolf before. The closest he'd ever been to one was at the zoo back home, but the wolf before him was nothing like the thin, scruffy wolves that lounged around all day. This one was massive, it's head as tall as his chest. It's coat thick, fluffy and dotted with greys, browns and white of all different shades. It stood with pride, whole frame standing strong. It held the air of a hunter, a predator and that it wasn't afraid of him at all, half-ghost or not. But what freaked him out the most was its eyes. They were locked onto him, burning yellow, which paralyzed him to the spot.
Behind him, he heard the witch sigh with relief. "Ah, it's a wolf."
"Just a wolf!" He shrilled, not daring to take his eyes off the creature mere meters away. "Oh good, glad to know that someone's not bothered about the giant killer wolf that's just popped out of nowhere!"
She chuckled back moving to his side, back into view. "It must be from our resident pack. Don't worry Danny, it won't hurt you."
"Really? Because those guys at the pub said these wolves weren't friendly."
"What utter rubbish! At Hogwarts, it is us professors who start the rumors about dangerous wolves in the Forbidden Forest. It's a perfect way to keep the students out of it. But our wolves are not killers, certainly not. In all the time that they've lived here, they have never attacked anyone. In fact, they are very intellectual, beautiful creatures. More so than your average wolf- "
To their surprise; and to Danny's horror, the wolf began to move towards them. It gradually stepped out into the clearing, one giant paw testing the ground before the other. Its eyes never left his as it sniffed the air, testing. All to quickly it was before him, it's wet nose inches from his. He was hit with its overpowering smell, a burnt, heavy musk that stank of earth and wet-dog.
"Don't. Move." Breathed the witch, backing slightly off with her wand out. "It looks as if it's only investigating, but don't startle it! You mustn't let it bite you, not even a little. There's a possibility it might be carrying the Lycanthropy curse."
"What!?" he gulped, it's muzzle getting uncomfortably close to his chin. The wolf snuffed the air, a rumble issuing its jaws with eyes unblinking. Danny found himself rooted to the spot, unsure what on earth he should do next. With two small steps it was right there in front of his face, it's cold snout brushing his skin. He didn't even dare turn his head to see if the witch was still there behind him, or whether she was freaking out like he was. With a gruff, small grunt, it suddenly tucked its muzzle right under his chin, wet muzzle brushing the exposed skin of his neck.
His nerves snapped, losing all his confidence when he remembered what the Cat lady had just said. He darted back, burning white rings zapping around his waist. In seconds he was in his ghost form, arms up at the ready.
"Okay Wolf, that's a little too close for…err, comfort?"
Danny expected the wolf to jump back in fright at the burst of blinding light or at least snarl back at his ghost form. Instead, it did neither; merely watching him with ear pitched forward, crooking its head to the side in interest.
"Um," he stole a quick glance at the witch, who seemed just as baffled as him. "Shouldn't this guy be like, running away now?"
"How odd," the witch murmured back, stowing her wand back into its pocket. "It appears to not be afraid of you."
"Isn't that a bad thing- Hey!" while he'd been distracted with the witch, the wolf had snuck back to him, pushing its muzzle hard against his chest, so unexpected he almost fell backwards. It sniffed the spot loudly like it was trying to work out were the white rings had come from. He was about to shove its head away when it froze him again with a piercing, yellow stare. All too uncomfortably it's jaw was back to his face. Danny saw the wolf shiver, it's fur rippling as a muscle twitch from the chill he was admitting. Its lips parted slightly, a low growl rumbling from its throat.
"Hey, t-there… nice Wolfy, no need to get- "
He stopped short with a long, slimy tongue licked his cheek, bringing with a rotting stench that he didn't want to think about.
"Oh thank heavens. I was worried for a moment."
"You were worried!" Danny gasped when he had the chance through the onslaught. "You're not the one who's got an oversize wolf clinging to you- okay stop it!"
With all his strength, he rammed the muzzle away with his hand, stopping the slobbery attack on his face. The wolf didn't stop though, transferring the licks to his gloved-fingers instead.
"And by the way," he grumbled back at her," What did you mean it's got the Lycanthropy curse? You're staying it could turn me into a werewolf if it bites me?"
"It's only a theory," She moved in closer but paused when the wolf glued its eyes onto her. "The pack are the offspring of two werewolves. Though whether they carry the curse in their bite, no one knows for sure. They don't actively hunt out humans like werewolves do; so, there's a likelihood that they completely harmless."
"Oh wonderful, that makes me feel so much better." He grabbed his fingers away from its grasp, happy that it finally stopped it's licking with a whine.
"But the fact that they're the offspring of a werewolf pair is why they are… unusual from that of a normal wolf. Hagrid used to tell me he believed they have the mind of a human, trapped in a wolf's body."
"Well, it might be as smart as a human, but it sure doesn't have the breath of one!" he cringed at the mess on his face, phasing the drool away.
A chorus of howls sounded off from the woods, all three freezing to listen. The wolf tilted its head to the side, paying attention to the jumbled cries and barks that echoed through the trees. It raised its own head in reply, sending a low, throat yowl back that made both Danny and the witch jump. The other howls quieted at the response, the woods returning to muffled silence as the echoes died away. With one, final look back at Danny, the wolf turned and stalked off, heading slowly back the way it came.
Danny let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, grinning back at the witch. "You got to admit; that was pretty cool, right?"
"Uff!"
A low sharp bark sounded, Danny, turning back around to the trees. The wolf was still there, poised at the bush it had appeared from. It made the noise again, pointing it's muzzled to the trees beyond before it twisted back to look at him.
"I think… it wants you to follow it." The witch whispered.
"I think your right." Danny breathed, watching the wolf repeat the same movement again. It was an odd thing, a wolf trying to get him to follow it and it made him wonder if it was wise to do so. But then what was the alternative? Follow a smart wolf see where it wanted to take him or go spend a few hours swimming around in a freezing, murky lake?
It didn't take him look to make up his mind.
He turned back to normal, stuffing his hands back into his warm pockets he strolled up to the wolf, glancing at her as he went. "You come, lady?"
Eyebrow crooked in amusement she chortled, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "What's this? You actually want me to come with you?"
"You're going to follow me anyways, so I might as well be civil about it."
She joined him as the wolf padded off, this time smiling warmly. "Your right there. And please, I prefer if you called me Minerva, lady makes me feel old."
He nodded, quickly catching up the wolf. Together they made their way through the dense forest, the ground became harder to travel as it rose and fell in small mounds. However, the wolf always waited for them if they got too far, barking to let them know where to go. The sight made Danny grin, he couldn't wait to tell Sam and Tuck about this when he got back. Sam was going to flip when he told her he'd been licked by a real wild wolf. He still felt a little giddy about it.
But as they traveled further into the dark trees, the wolf's demeanor change. He begun to stalk lower to the ground, hackles raised and tail held low. When they suddenly can into a large clearing, the sky opening to reveal a snow-dotted meadow, the wolf stopped short. If growled loudly, jaws pulling back to expose wicked, white fangs. Danny stilled, catching sight of something in the distance.
In the middle of the clearing was a deer, what looked like a stag, clearly lying dead on its side. Even though it was still a way of, he could just make out that its body was disarrayed, limbs sticking out at odd angles. Something felt wrong, something about the way it lay, that set his nerves on edge. Maybe it was the way the wolf was suddenly acting, or how as it stepped slowly towards it, a deep, low growl rumbling in its throat grew louder. Danny heard the witch catch up to them, inhaling at the sight of the deer.
"Something wrong," Danny muttered, stepping towards the deer for a closer look. He moved out into the clearing, finding his breath quickening in dread as the stag came closer into sight. But he hadn't even made it halfway before the wolf cut him off, using its body to block the dead stag from his view. The snapped viciously, nudging him away with a mix of a snarl and a whimper. The abrupt behavior from the wolf, mixed with the tales of dead animals showing up in the woods all clicked together like some demented puzzled. And suddenly Danny knew why the wolf wanted to take him here.
"Shade," Danny stated, the wolf snarling louder.
"What did you say?" uttered the witch as he turned towards her, fear suddenly dripping from her voice.
"Voldemort's been here."
It was like he had slapped her, the disgust and horror crossed her face at the mere mention of his name alarmed him. And yet he couldn't help it; the thought that the shade could be this close made him feel animated. It might not be Luna that he'd found, but the shade was the next best thing. Ignoring the witch's disturbed expression, he turned the wolf, reaching out to touch its shaggy shoulder. The snarls stopped, watching him as he leaned closer.
"Um… Hey wolf, can you follow it? The shade?"
It whined, conflicted at what he asked it. It licked its jaws nervously, shifting from paw to paw as it looked between him and the deer. But Danny knew that the wolf could understand him, knew that like the witch said, it was smart. It gave him an edgy growl before springing off into the woods at a surprising speed. He grinned, his excitement at a potential fight growing with every passing second. "Going ghost," he laughed, white rings passing around his body.
"Danny wait!-" the witch cried after him, but it was too late; he shot after the wolf, dismissing her warning. Now this is what he wanted, finally, he was going to show this shade what he was made of. The wolf yipped at him when he flew up beside it, seemly unfazed by the glowing ghost beside him. It moved skilfully passed the tree trunks and roots, lightly sprinting deeper and deeper into the woods without a sound, like it was a ghost itself. Quickly it dashed right, leaping over a small, shimmering stream. The wolf followed along its bank, Danny easily keeping up with its pace.
As they looped around the bend of the stream it suddenly stopped, Danny almost flying into it. Tucked some ways off from the stream, hidden among a small clump of brambles was a cave; so small it was barely visible in the ground. The wolf whimpered timidly, dashing around in fright.
Danny pushed himself passed the skittish wolf, shoving the brambles away to peer down into the black hole beyond.
"In there?" The question earning him a quick bark, it almost appearing to nod. Danny beamed back, floating over the entrance of the cave. "Thanks."
He was about to drop down when he felt a pull on his hazmat suit. Twisting around he found that the wolf had grabbed onto his suit with its jaws, tugging softy with a whine. For a moment he paused, uncertain if he really should go down into the cave with the shade. But thoughts of the chance of going home pushed all doubts away. Phasing out of the wolf's grasp he laughed, flexing his fingers.
"It's okay wolf, this is my job. What's one old shade got against me anyhow?"
It looked back distressed, ears pressed flat against its skull.
Ignoring the wolf, he ducked inside the cave, creating a small ball of green light in his hand. Slowing he made his way deeper into the cavern, the space widening the deeper he went. The further he drifted, the more eager he became, his own powers itching to kick into gear. Though the story those two at the pub had told him reminded him to be careful when dealing with a shade; the only thought he had right now was he could end this mission. It might not be the event that Clockwork had told him about, but if he stopped Voldemort now, defeated him now, that would mean everything would be over, right? Luna would fail, not having an evil wizard kill of Harry. It would be a mission success. Wouldn't it?
He paused as the cave abruptly cut off into two pathways, one on the left was small and narrow, twisting downwards. The other way still as wide as the current pathway. Danny hesitated, wondering which pathway to take. He, of course, could try both, but the shade could dash away if he chooses the wrong one. He was about to choose the one on the right when a glint shined from the left, catching his eye. Investigating, he found that there were deep gashes in the stone, tiny drops of still-wet blood catching his glowing green light. S, this was the way it had gone.
Dropped down into the passageway he ducked underneath it. He could just fly down and cut through the stone, but he was starting to feel nervous about using too much of his powers. What if the shade could somehow sense him using them? So, to play it safe he stayed solid, bending down lower as the ceiling sloped closer to the floor.
He huffed, annoyed how far the cold passage actually went. Soon he was crawling on his belly, almost crushed to both sides the stone. It was becoming more and more tempting just to phase through, and he was inches from doing so when he paused, swearing that he heard something.
A small pitter-patter reached his ears. He stilled, holding his breath to listen in on the sound that was coming closer and closer. Strange, it was almost like the noise was coming from behind him-
Twisting to look back, he readied to kick back at whatever was coming up behind him. But he suddenly saw that he couldn't turn around, too wedged into the passage. Something touched his leg, and every hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Was it a rat, a snake? Or was it the shade, sneaking up to attack from behind?
Suddenly through the gap between his hip and the cave wall a small head squeezed through. It was a cat, a cat with a pair of rings around its eyes. Blinking the dust away it yowled back, clearly furious to see him.
"Cat lady!" Danny gasped, relief filling him. "Dammit, you scared me half to death!"
She wiggled through the space, scowling at him when she shivered from the cold of his ghost body.
"I know I know! But this could be my only chance to defeat Voldemort outside of the school! I can't just let this chance slide!"
The grey cat hissed back, a grumble rumbling from her throat. With one paw she jabbed back the way they'd come.
"No way I'm I am going back now! You can if you want, but there's no way I'm not going back till I've checked this place out." He twisted in the cramped space, now having to worry about not squishing the cat. "I've got this!"
She yowled back louder, poking him in the cheek.
"It isn't even your business what I do," he snapped, glaring down at her. "this is exactly why I didn't want you to come in the first place. This is my fight, not yours!"
She seemed like she was going the argue back. But suddenly the cat complete froze, fur bristling as she stared passed, Danny. He too froze from the look, feeling his own hairs prickle as an abruptly, sickly feeling hit his gut. Something… something seriously wasn't right. Even though deep down he didn't want to look, he turned to peer down the dark passway; only to come face to face with a pair of burning red eyes.
At first, Danny didn't react, it was like the eyes were just floating on their own. However soon he realized that what was in front of him was a being made of black, smoke-like mist. The eyes moved closer, and in the light that Danny emitted revealed that the smoke was taking the form of a face, an evil, sunken face. His breath caught in his throat, finally that he couldn't move.
"Vo- Voldemort?"
The shade hissed back, edging closer, blocking his path. The cat lady hissed back, back arched and fur puffed out as she trying to shuffle back. But Danny realized that they were stuck in the tight space together. The shade slithered closer, smoky skeletal-like hands strapping on the dirt. Danny grabbed the witch, pulling both of them away. But now that he was facing the shade in person, he was suddenly having second thoughts about the whole thing, the thought of using his powers all but vanishing from his brain. The air around the shade screamed danger, the whole thing reeking of terror. It was like just looking at the thing melted all of his plans away.
"H-Hey, um, no need to get-"
Before he could continue the shade screamed, hollow and viscous it bellowed, a scream that rocked Danny right down to his core. It was all he needed to know that if he was going to fight this thing; it had to be in the open. Quickly he scooped the cat to his chest, making both of them intangible so he could twist around. Rapidly he shot back down the narrow passage, well aware that the shade was following him. Once back to the widen cave, he ducked, felling the shade zoomed passed his head. The smoke touched him, his ghost powers responded with a wave of icy, fearful chill that ran down his spine. As quickly as the shade had come; it was gone, dashing to the entrance of the cave.
Gritting his teeth Danny bolted after it, blasting out of the cave, past the terrified wolf and back out into the woods. He spotted the misty figure through the gloom and he chased after it, but as the trees thin and the village came back into view; the shade suddenly vanished. It was gone.
At the edge of town, he stopped, breathing heavy with sweat dripping from his forehead. Where the hell had it gone? It couldn't have headed into the village, could it? Surely someone would have seen a smoky mass fly down the main street. But there were no cries or screams of alarm to be heard.
He'd all but forgotten about the cat lady in his arms, she herself stunned about the whole event that had just occurred. Danny was trying to find some small sign of the shade, but nothing was around besides the faint sound of voices and laughter drifted in the air. Seeing it was safe he turned back to normal before anyone spotted his glowing form. He followed the line of buildings, following a long stone wall in the hope the shade had done the same. When he rounded the corner though, he became livid at the sight ahead of him.
Some ways off, perched calmly on a stone bench, was the teacher with the turban. He sat unmoving, almost looking like he was asleep with his eyes closed. Danny quickly put two and two together, anger boiling so violently within that it made ice frost the wall beside him. There he was, the darn teacher who was one of the main individuals wreaking his mission. Built up fury from months of waiting from nothing pooled over and before even he knew it he was marching over to the teacher. The cat lady wiggled in his arms, seeing the danger that he was putting himself in. But Danny didn't stop, he'd had enough of this!
"You!" he roared, all but throwing the cat to the ground. The purple-robed wizard jumped with such a high-pitched squeak, eyes almost bulging out of his head as he jumped up.
Danny marched over to him, leaving frosted footprints behind. "How dare you come here with that shade!"
The professor gasped, twisting around to see if anyone was nearly, but luckily for them the students and the locals had safely retreated inside form the cold. He twisted back from the main road, the petrified, quaking look fading away to an annoyed scowl. He didn't notice the cat sneaking behind Danny, nor when she slunk under the bench.
"Well, well, I assume your that half-freak I was told about. Mind your tone, it would be unwise to blab about such things in public."
Danny was outraged, he balled his hands and glared at the man, eyes blazing green. "Yeah I am! And this half-freak is seriously deciding whether to smash your face into the ground, you and that stupid turban!" he was about the grab the man by his robes, but a sudden, foul, sour smell emitting from the turban stopped him short.
The wizards chuckled back, hands folded loosely in front at the sight of Danny choke. "You really are naïve, and even more so than I imagined. So, you've bothered to seek me to only make childish threats; how charming. Luckily, I've come prepared." He pointed to his turban, the source of the foul stench. Whatever was in there, it made Danny what to throw up.
"It's going take more than some nasty smelling hat to stop me from defeating you. You're lucky after the Fluffy thing I haven't come after you sooner!"
The man laughed, moving closer. It took all of Danny's strength not to back away. "You're saying you want to fight me? Then by all means boy, go ahead." He sniggered again, crossing his arms tighter, his expression openly daring Danny to stay true with his threats. "I'm sure you'll get far at it. I can envision it now. Poor S-s-hutter-ing L-little Professor Q-Quirrell attacked by a malevolent ghost. I'm sure that would go well. Not for you, of course, you'd be very much dead. But by all means, go ahead Phantom, I'll even give you the first shot."
Danny quivered in rage, hand flicking with ecto-flame that it burned at his skin. But he wasn't stupid; he knew he was being baited. They both stared each other down, till it became clear he wasn't about to do anything.
"Wise choice," nodded the wizard, turning to stroll away towards the main street. "Listen to this boy, stay out of my way. You'll do well not in interfere with my master's plans. For nothing and nobody is going to stop me getting the stone. Not even you." With that the man strolled away, leaving Danny shaking, seconds from going ghost.
"Y-yeah? Well, listen to this! You can act all high and mighty if you want, but there's no way in hell I'm letting you get that stone, you got that! Next time we met, I'm totally showing you and that stupid shade of yours who's boss!"
The only reply he got was a mad, loud laugh the wizard bellowed out, disappearing behind the building. He was left enraged, ready to follow him and show him who really was the coward here. But when out of the corner of his eye he saw the cat jump up onto the seat, peering up at him with narrow eyes, he remembered that he wasn't quite alone.
"You saw the shade! That guy's been letting Voldemort run loose killing animals round here. That seriously can't be overlooked, right?"
The cat chuffed, looking away and he rolled his eyes. "Come on! You can't tell me that you don't what to try taking that man down too, he's possessed by an evil shade roaming about the school. He's trying to kill Harry! Isn't it best that we take him down now before he gets the chance!"
The witch turned back to her human form, sitting lightly on the stone bench. She looked flustered, hair falling out of her tight-knit bun. "It's not that simple. Even if I want to stop him now, there is a reason why we can't. Just like Albus says; we can't let He-who-must-not-be-named know that we know he's within the school. They might not care that you know of their plan, but if they learn that the Headmaster does, they will run. And then we might never stop them."
With a groan, Danny tugged at his hair. "But that doesn't make any sense! I should have stopped him now- "
"If you had, I would have immediately stopped you."
"What? -"
"Danny please listen; what he said was right." She stood up quickly, gripping both his shoulders. "If you had attacked him now, everyone in the village would have heard the commotion. And what would the villagers see? They'd see a poltergeist attacking one of the school's Professors. It won't matter how much you try to explain to them that Quirrell is evil, that the Dark Lord is within him, they will only see it that you attacked him. They won't listen to you, Danny."
"But that wouldn't be true- "
"It doesn't matter if it's true or not, no one would believe you! And you know what would happen, Danny? It would bring Aurors after you. That ghost you're looking for and the Dark Lord would become the least of your problems. The Ministry would hunt you down. Not even Albus would be able to protect you."
Danny scowled back, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He understood what the witch was saying, but didn't she get how important this was? "Then if that happened I'll just tell them all about the shade and Harry. I'd even tell them I'm a half-ghost if it meant it'll save Harry and the worlds life."
She shook her head. Quickly she looked around to make sure they were still alone, before muttering in a low tone. "You mustn't tell anyone else about your powers, absolutely not, do you understand? Telling Aurors, telling anyone about your powers would only make your situation worse! Don't you comprehend the gravity of your powers? The very idea of a half-ghost existing opens up a can of worms no one knew even existed! If people learned about you, not only would people fear you, but the Ministry will absolutely hunt you down. They wouldn't allow you, a Muggle with magical powers walk freely around with the risk that you'll expose the wizarding community to the world. Please, I'm saying this to warn you, not to harm you. You must be very, very careful."
He looked up at her from his bangs, searching her concerned face. "I'll be fine. I know how to hide my powers. Geeze, I've been doing it all year." All the talk of his powers being bad, about how he'd failed to do really anything that day drove deep on his nerves. Why couldn't, just for once, everything just go right. And now he had the witch lecturing him about how careful he needed to be with his ghost powers? It was such a crummy day
Danny didn't what to be out here anymore. It was clear the shade and its host thought he'd be a walk in the park, well, maybe it was time to prove them wrong. He needed to think of some sort of plan… he just didn't know what yet. But being out here wasn't going to help him. And right now, fighting Luna was the last thing he wanted to do, knowing he'd probably just end up flat on his face.
"I understand your frustration, I do- "
"Whatever," Danny grunted back, shrugging off her grasp. He didn't care if that sound harsh. "I'm done for the day. I'm tired, hungry and have to check up on Harry quick to make sure he hasn't blown himself up." With a sigh, he turned away to make a start back to the school, giving the cat lady a small wave before he rounded the corner.
"Danny wait- "she called out, but he quickly turned invisible.
The witch didn't try to follow him this time, which this time he was deeply thankful about. But as he walked down the now quiet street, his mind was working madly. Whatever it was, that Quirrell and his stupid shade, they were going to regret messing with him. Making his way up the dirt path back through the forest, Danny came to one conclusion;
It was time to get dead serious.
AN: Yes. I decided to make Voldemort a little more… more in my story. Simply because I believed that Danny kinda was dismissing his power level and also the fact that right now, Danny could easily defeat Quirrell if he really wanted to. (I mean come on, Danny is very overpowered when putting him next to some of Harry Potter's magic) So, I used what you see at the end of the movie with a mash of the canon mythos lore and came up with a 'shade'. Apologizes for the later-than-promised chapter, I had to rewrite some of the scenes in this one. Mainly the wolf scene, which at first was a little hesitant to add, but then I realized that the Hogwarts Wolves never actually show up in the books, but are mentioned quite a bit early in the series.