Snape gaped at Danny Fenton on the hospital wing bed. For some strange reason he was wearing a Hogwarts uniform, Hufflepuff to be exact. His mind was reeling. How had Phantom become Danny Fenton!? Phantom, a ghost who watched Potter, fought in the Ministry, followed Draco. Danny Fenton, an until recently underage half-blood wizard from America who was stupid enough to get bitten by the Dark Lord's snake. How was it possible that Phantom became Danny Fenton? Snape scanned the room. No one else was here. That was good. How could they explain an order member ending up at Hogwarts? Snape didn't even understand it. But… it didn't look like an order member laying on that bed. It looked like a severely injured student.

Snape gulped down his nerves and questions. Fenton needed treatment. That's all that mattered. He had a broken nose and arm at least and numerous cuts and wounds. But they needed a cover story. Snape scanned the unconscious teen's face. He gasped. There was green blood on the sheets! With two flicks of the wand, Fenton was on the next bed and the green and red blood stains were cleaned. Wulf tilted a confused head at Snape. Snape then considered the teen. He had wounds, but his clothes were fine. They had to fix that. Unless they wanted questions that Snape had no clue how to answer, they had to fix that. Snape bit his lip and began to magically shred the Hufflepuff uniform. Satisfied that Fenton looked like he'd been mauled, Snape decided to find Madam Pomfrey. He'd delayed getting treatment long enough.

"Poppy!? A student needs treatment, urgently!" Snape called. The matron shuffled into the room before exclaiming and running to Fenton's side.

"What happened?!" she demanded. Snape bit his tongue and glanced at Wulf.

"I'm not entirely certain. Wulf found the student. But, I fear the student took a stroll through the forest," Snape offered. Madam Pomfrey wheeled out some curtains and quickly removed the school uniform to clean the wounds and treat Fenton's broken nose and arm.

"How bad?" Snape called worriedly.

"Oh, Severus, it could have been worse. Broken arm, broken nose-episkey- healed now, and broken rib or two. Numerous cuts. He may need a blood replenishing potion. There should be one in my office," Madam Pomfrey reported. Snape nodded and marched into the office and grabbed the blood replenishing potion and with a second thought, a pain relieving potion too. He brought both to the healer.

He caught a glimpse of Fenton on the bed, he was already covered in bandages, many of them quickly staining red with blood. Madam Pomfrey took the potions with a mumbled thanks and set them on the table beside the teen.

"We should probably inform his house head," the matron commented. Snape bit his tongue again. House head?! Fenton wasn't really a student. If Fenton had worn Slytherin robes at least Snape could have covered. Or Gryffindor robes, then Minerva McGonagall could have. But Pomona Sprout wasn't part of the order. She wouldn't cover for Fenton. She'd blow their cover!

"I'll inform her when we're done here. We'll need to discuss proper punishment for disobeying school rules," Snape offered sternly. He had a reputation for being strict, he had to keep that up. Madam Pomfrey glanced at him and gave a slight frown but didn't comment.

Twenty minutes later, Madam Pomfrey left Fenton to rest having finished treating him. Fenton's ruined uniform was draped on a chair, and he was now wearing a loose shirt and trousers Madam Pomfrey had to hand, and Snape was pacing silently at the bottom of the bed. He didn't know what to do. Pomona couldn't find out about Fenton masquerading as one of her house. Dumbledore was away until late that night. Snape glanced at Fenton. Nasty bruises had bloomed on his face to accompany his black eye and still red previously broken nose. There were large welts on his now bare arms too. Snape needed to know what was going on. Without that knowledge, he didn't know the correct course of action. And he needed to figure out his next move quickly. He had to teach a lesson in ten minutes. He could always blow it off, after all this was important, but it was Draco's year. Keeping a close eye on Draco was essential, especially since Phantom had turned into Fenton and Fenton was currently unconscious and injured. Snape sighed in frustration and resumed pacing. He needed a plan!

He finally had to admit defeat and tell Madam Pomfrey that he'd tell Pomona himself but it wouldn't be until later. He then excused himself to go and teach. Throughout the lesson, Snape was distracted. He tried to reach out to Draco, who as usual nowadays rejected every attempted approach. He avoided Potter's eye, knowing that the student would want news on Phantom. Snape had no obligation to inform the boy of Phantom's condition, but what if the student attempted to check on the ghostly teen for himself. Phantom wasn't there. Fenton was. And Snape still had no idea how that happened. But, he was willing to bet, it was meant to be a secret. After all, Snape had been one of the few order members that knew of Phantom's involvement from the beginning. If Dumbledore and Phantom didn't want the order to know about Fenton, then it was important Potter didn't find out.

The moment class ended and the corridor had cleared, Snape returned to the hospital wing. He said he was only there for a progress report and to be there when the student awoke to reprimand him. But honestly he was waiting for answers. Snape didn't leave, not even for dinner. It was almost the student curfew by the time that Snape left to find Dumbledore. Potter, thankfully hadn't attempted to see Phantom that day. It probably helped that Snape set a difficult essay with an unfair short deadline. Wulf hadn't left the hospital wing either. Madam Pomfrey had attempted to tell the ghost to leave but due to the language barrier had been unsuccessful so far.

Snape gulped nervously as he stood in front of the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office. He muttered the password and stepped on the stairs. He took a deep calming breath as he stood outside the large wooden doors and knocked.

"Come in," Dumbledore called. Snape stepped stiffly into the office. He found it difficult being in Dumbledore's presence since learning of his coming death, and what Snape's part would play in the elderly wizard's demise.

"I'm sorry for intruding so late Professor, but… Danny Fenton is currently unconscious is the hospital wing, quite injured," Snape reported. Dumbledore blinked before getting out of his seat.

"Do you know what happened?" Dumbledore asked, completely serious with concern pronounced.

"No. But he was initially Phantom. I don't understand how or why Phantom changed into Fenton but… I covered for him," Snape answered. Dumbledore nodded.

"Thank you Severus. You have no idea how important it is that Danny's secret remain as such. You said he was in the hospital wing?" Dumbledore replied.

"Yes, Wulf is there also. Do you know what's going on then?" Snape retorted with a curious raised eyebrow. Dumbledore sighed and nodded.

"I know about Phantom and Fenton's connection to each other. Yes. But I will need to speak with Wulf to understand what happened to injure Danny," Dumbledore admitted.

Both teachers marched to the hospital wing and Dumbledore excused Madam Pomfrey to ensure they had complete privacy. He also assured the witch that he'd inform Pomona first thing in the morning. Then both wizards sat down near Danny Fenton's bed while the teen rested, still not having woken up yet. Dumbledore turned to Wulf and the ghost explained that he and Phantom had gone to catch a ghost but it must have been a trap. Phantom was attacked by a lot of ghosts and Wulf was knocked unconscious.

So Snape protected Danny. Those Hufflepuff robes came in handy huh? Almost like I planned it…

I'll be honest, I had intentionally planned to use the uniform as a disguise during Umbridge's stay where Danny changed forms and messed with her head but the opportunity didn't present itself when I started writing. But when I decided I wanted Snape to learn the truth, I knew this would be a good way.

Let me know what you think though.

Until the next chapter.