Disclaimer: I hold no rights over the Harry Potter series or the Danny Phantom series. Any and all direct quotes and texts belong to J. K. Rowling and are used for entertainment purposes only and not for profit or any additional benefits.

ΔOl

Chapter Twenty-Five – The Egg and the Eye II

Snape's jaw clicked shut very abruptly. He and Filch both looked down at the foot of the stairs and Harry saw Mad-Eye Moody limp into sight through the narrow gap between their heads. Moody was wearing his old travelling cloak over his nightshirt and leaning on his staff as usual.

"Pyjama party, is it?" he growled up the stairs, "Looks like Fenton didn't get the invite," Danny huffed haughtily at him.

"Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," said Filch at once, "I found a champion's egg – and then Professor Snape discovered that this boy had broken into his off—"

"Shut up!" Snape hissed to Filch, at the same time Danny cried, "I did not!"

Moody took a step closer to the foot of the stairs. Harry saw Moody's magical eye travel over Snape, up to Danny and then back down to, unmistakeably, himself.

Harry's heart gave a terrible jolt. Moody could see through Invisibility Cloaks... he alone could see the full strangeness of the scene: Snape in his nightshirt, Filch clutching the egg, Danny dressed in full-muggle attire looking ready to bolt at the first moment, and he, Harry, trapped in the stairs just below. Moody's lopsided gash of a mouth opened in surprise. For a few seconds, he and Harry stared straight into each other's eyes. Then, Moody closed his mouth and turned his blue eye upon Snape again.

"Did I hear that correctly, Snape?" he asked slowly, "Someone broke into your office?"

"It is of no importance anymore," said Snape coldly.

"On the contrary," growled Moody, "It is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?"

"A student, I daresay," Snape glared up at Danny. Harry could see a vein flickering horribly on Snape's greasy temple, he looked like he was constraining himself very hard in front of Moody, "It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard... students attempting to cheat their way through the Tetrawizard tournament, no doubt."

"I haven't been anywhere near your precious cupboards! I don't even have my wand on me!" Danny gritted out, stamping a step closer to Harry. He could now feel the cold chill that followed the boy constantly as it sunk into his bones, making him shiver – in actual coldness or fear of being caught, Harry wasn't sure.

Moody ignored Danny entirely, both eyes fixed on Snape, "Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?" said Moody, "Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?"

Snape's sallow face turn a nasty brick colour, the vein in his temple threatening to burst.

"You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said in a soft and dangerous voice, "As you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."

Moody's face twisted into a smile, "Auror's privilege, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye—"

"Dumbledore happens to trust me," Snape retorted through clenched teeth, "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"

Moody didn't back down, "Course Dumbledore trusts you, he's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me, I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"

Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand as though it was going to try and jump right out of its socket.

Moody laughed, "Get back to bed, Snape."

"You don't have authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed, shoving away his arm as though angry with himself, "I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!"

"Prowl away," Moody offered, his voice full of menace, "I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor sometime..."

Snape looked far from mollified at the threat as he twisted away, but just as he had reached the tapestry, Danny's voice called out, "Hey, Teach', I think you dropped something!"

With a stab of horror Harry watched Danny point at the Marauder's Map, still lying on the staircase six steps below him. As Snape and Filch both turned to look at it, Harry threw caution to the winds; he raised his arms under the cloak and waved furiously at Moody to attract his attention, mouthing, "It's mine! Mine!"

Snape had reached out for it, a horrible expression of dawning comprehension on his face—

"Accio Parchment!"

The map flew up into the air, slipped through Snape's outstretched fingers, and soared down the stairs into Moody's hand.

"Sorry about that," Moody said calmly, "It's mine – must've dropped it earlier..."

But Snape's black eyes were darting from the egg in Filch's arms to the map in Moody's hand, and Harry could tell he was putting two and two together, as only Snape could...

"Potter," he murmured.

"What's that?" said Moody calmly, folding up the map and pocketing it.

"Potter!" Snape snarled, and he actually turned his head and stared right at the place where Harry was, as though he could suddenly see him, "That egg is Potter's, not Fenton's! That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I have seen it before, I recognise it! Potter is here! Potter, in his Invisibility Cloak!"

"So… he's got a few screws loose, right?" Harry heard Danny ask rhetorically, seemingly giving up all pretence that the egg ever belonged to him.

Snape stretched out his hands like a blind man and began to move up the stairs; Harry could have sworn his over-large nostrils were flared, trying to sniff Harry out – trapped, Harry leaned backwards, trying to avoid Snape's fingertips, but any moment now—

"There's nothing there, Snape!" barked Moody, "But I'll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Harry Potter!"

"Meaning what?" Snape turned again to look at Moody, his hands still outstretched, inches from Harry's chest.

"Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who has got it in for that boy!" said Moody, limping nearer still to the foot of the stairs, "And so am I, Snape... very interested..."

The torchlight flickered across his mangled face, so that the scars and the chunk missing from his nose, looked deeper and darker than ever.

Snape was looking down at Moody, and Harry couldn't see the expression on his face. For a moment, nobody moved or said anything. Then Snape slowly lowered his hands.

"I merely thought," Snape sniffed in a voice of forced calm, "That if Potter was wandering around after hours again... it's an unfortunate habit of his... he should be stopped. For—for his own safety."

"Ah, I see," Moody replied with a false sense of cheeriness, "Got Potter's best interests at heart, have you?"

There was a pause. Snape and Moody were still staring at each other, Mrs. Norris gave a loud meow, still peering around Filch's legs, looking for the source of Harry's bubble-bath smell.

"I think I will go back to bed," Snape said diplomatically.

"Best idea you've had all night," Moody nodded, "Now Filch, if you'll just give me that egg—"

"No!" said Filch, clutching the egg like it was his childhood security blanket and stabbed a finger up the stairs, "Professor Moody, this is evidence of that wretched boy's deception and lies! Obviously he's been stealing from the other champions in an attempt to sabotage them!"

"What?" squawked Danny, "You're crazy! How would I even—"

"I'm certain the champion who's missing their egg is worried sick about it," Moody held a hand out, "Hand it over, now. I'll deal with Fenton."

Snape didn't stick around to Filch's bemoaning, sweeping down the stairs as dramatically as he could in a nightshirt, he passed Moody without another word. Filch made a chirruping noise to Mrs. Norris, who stared blankly at Harry for a few more seconds before turning and following her master. Still breathing very fast, Harry heard Snape skulking away down the corridor; Filch handed Moody the egg with a look of longing that a starving man gives a Christmas feast and disappeared from the staircase too, muttering to Mrs. Norris, "Never mind, my sweet... We'll see Dumbledore in the morning... tell them what those wretched Caspers are up to..."

A door slammed. Harry was left staring down at Moody, but he didn't seem to be focusing on him, rather right over his head.

"You'll deal with me, will you?" Harry jumped in fright when Danny spoke. He thought the boy had left after Filch's dismissal.

Moody didn't react outwardly, but his voice was as cold as when he spoke to Snape, "With an attitude like that, I'd watch where you step, boy."

Danny let out a raucous laugh, "Was that a threat?"

"A warning," Moody said.

Harry watched nervously as Danny hissed through his teeth and stalked down the narrow staircase toward Harry, "I don't know what your angle is yet, but don't think that— Oof!"

Danny's knee collided with the small of Harry's back, sending Harry careening forward. He felt the invisibility cloak slip off him into a rumpled silvery heap.

Danny's face turned from belligerent to bemused as her stared down at him, "Harry?"

"Oh! I— er… hello."

ΔOl

As the next chapter is slightly filler, I will be posting it on Tuesday with the next chapter posted on Wednesday. Hopefully that will appease you all.

Quite a few of you thought that Danny could see Harry. I don't know why he would. It's not like he has ever had that power before, but there were some really good reasoning and suppositions behind it…

See you on Tuesday. Review! xx