ahjshdjsds so sorry for getting this out so late, had a bad case of writer's block :') not too happy with this chapter, but it does finally get some stuff out of the way, so hopefully the next few chapters should be easier for me to get out now that i can finally focus on some scenes i actually really wanna write lol
tysm for all the comments! enjoy!
"Fuck her," Jake swore heatedly, dropping Harry's hand. His eyes shone a glaring red, his lip curled to reveal his sharp teeth bared in a snarl.
Harry shoved his hands in his pocket and looked down at the ground. "It's fine. It's already Thursday, I just have to suck it up two more days."
"You shouldn't suck anything up!" Jake snarled. "I don't know what it's like here with y'all, but in America, if a teacher did this to a students, they'd get fired and probably put in jail!"
"Jake is right, Harry," Hermione added. She walked next to Ron, whose expression had remained dark and guarded. "You can't keep this hidden."
Harry's eyes flashed dangerously. "Watch me," he scoffed, picking up the pace to surpass the group, disappearing around the corner.
Danny stared at his back, barely noticing everyone else had stopped. Hermione and Ron gave each other worried looks, and Jake's glare could burn a hole through a wall.
"I'm gonna kill her," Jake spat. He flexed his fingers, and Danny noticed pinpricks of red scales rushing beneath the surface of his skin. "I'm gonna wrap my claws around her throat and rip it out, I'm-"
"Jake!" Hermione cut in. Her face had whitened, her eyes wide. "You wouldn't do that, don't say that!"
Jake grit his teeth, scratched at his skin, and the scales disappeared. Suddenly he deflated, his shoulders slumping. He looked vulnerable. "Yeah, I know," he said in an infinitely smaller voice. "I'm sorry. Sorry, I just-" He ran his hands through his hair. "I hate her. How can she get away with this?"
"She won't," Danny gasped out. "Trust me, she definitely won't."
Danny's chest had felt tight all last night, carrying well into the morning, and now, he could feel something akin to static buzzing throughout his body. His chest grew cold, his fingers tingled, and he wanted nothing more than to let out a blast of energy and bring fear to those around him.
Umbridge's smirk wiped off her face, candles blown out, a freezing wind seeping into the room, frost covering her skin, eyes widening as she began to shake with cold, petrifying her, staring into toxic green eyes, and she won't be able to hurt anyone ever again because Phantom will keep them safe and her away-
Horrified at his train of thought, Danny pushed away the voice in his head and shrank into himself. What was he thinking? He wasn't someone who enjoyed tormenting others, and he certainly wouldn't use his powers like that. He wouldn't act like the ghosts in Amity Park, who laughed at destruction and fiercely enjoyed making people's lives a living hell.
But Harry was hurt, and for some reason he refused for people to help him, and wasn't it Danny's duty to protect those who needed it, no matter the cost?
Self-sacrifice, he told himself fiercely. Not at the expense of others. Only of yourself. What the hell are you thinking?
He glanced down the hall, where Harry had long since disappeared.
You sound like Vlad. You're not ruthless.
Then.
You sound like Dan.
"Repressing that," Danny murmured to himself, inconspicuously shuffling closer to Jake, whose body was warmer than his.
Ron and Hermione said goodbye to them as they made their way into the Great Hall, wearing equal pinched expressions, casting furtive glances towards the Gryffindor table. Jake waved, whereas Danny simply nodded jauntingly.
The two of them made their way out the front door and into the light of the morning sun, and a comfortable breeze blew Danny's hair out of his face for a few moments.
Jake cleared his throat. "So any reason you're basically rubbing against me like a cat?"
Danny looked down in surprise to see that yes, he'd ended up pressed against Jake's side. The dragon hadn't moved away, though he shivered slightly, and Danny felt a flush of guilt as he realized it was probably his lower body temperature that had caused it.
"Sorry," Danny muttered, beginning to move away, but Jake snorted and linked their arms together.
"Don't be, Casper," he said. "What, you cold?"
"Kinda?" Danny wasn't sure what this was, only that it scared him and made him want to punch something. Preferably another ghost.
"It's not the first time this has happened," Jake babbled. "People pushing against me when they're cold, I mean. My chi is fire-based, which I guess you would've known based on my transformations, but… yeah. I'm like a human heater. Trixie and Spud usually keep a hand on my arm during the winter. Especially in New York. It's cold there, and honestly, I've gotten used to avoiding strangers accidentally touchin' me because I'm warm and it's like an instinct? I don't even know, it's kinda weird, but I've gotten used to it, and-"
"Thanks," Danny interjected, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Human heater. Got it. Weird flex, but okay."
Jake laughed. "I rambled a bit there, didn't I?" He pressed himself closer to Danny, who sighed in relief at the flush of warmth that loosened the tight feeling in his chest. "Here, dude, I don't mind, seriously. Winter is coming, and I'm already anticipatin' wizards wanting a group hug or somethin', too. Man, that'll be wild, huh?"
"Yeah." Danny looked ahead at the path. They'd already gone some ways away from Hogwarts, now walking along the Black Lake.
"I'm a little confused as to how you feel so cold, though. Your temperature is usually like this, what's different now?" Jake paused. "Actually, no, I think you may be colder today. It's warming up now, though. Your ozone-smell-thingy is stronger, too."
"It is?" Danny swallowed and took a deep breath to ground himself. Jake had mentioned him smelling of ozone and electricity a few times before, but what could he mean by it being stronger now?
Suddenly itching to get rid of the nerves in his body, Danny snuck his arm out of Jake's and tapped into his (cold, tight) core. "Why are we walking?" he asked the dragon. "C'mon, let's fly."
Jake, though he looked at him worriedly, shrugged and assented.
The two boys took to the skies, Jake doing lazy swoops in his dragon form while Danny focused on the ectoplasm humming beneath the surface of his skin. The halfa snorted in frustration and shot a few ectoblasts, blinking in surprise at the relief flooding him as he did so.
He flicked his finger experimentally and started at the abundance of energy that came flying from his fingertips. Nestled in his chest, his core hummed happily, and a nagging thought entered his mind. The overwhelming feeling of wanting to shoot something overtook him.
"Jake," Danny said, still staring at his hands. "Combat practice."
The dragon gave him a toothy grin. His chest inflated and out of his maw came a torrent of flames; adrenaline kicking in, Danny dove out of the way, the searing heat spurring him onwards.
Tumbling through the air, he laughed, and took a moment to right himself before firing a rapid sequence of ectoblasts at the dragon, who twisted and turned with practiced ease.
Danny's fingers shook and his wrists began to ache with all the ectoplasm rushing through his veins. The blasts came out stronger, faster still, until Jake could barely keep up.
"Danny!" Jake yelled as he barely missed a shot to the neck. "Dude, slow down!"
In the back of his mind, Danny tried his best to reign in the power, but it continued to build in his chest; images flashed in front of his eyes. He saw Amity Park overrun by ghosts, he saw buildings collapsing and people screaming, he saw himself rushing to save the day, punching Technus, sucking the Box Ghost into the thermos, evading Skulker for the third time that day. He saw Harry, then Umbridge, and a wave of fierce protectiveness washed over him.
It wasn't until Jake cried out a second time that Danny forced himself to lower his hands. The dragon's shoulder had erupted into golden flames, and for a moment, human clothing could be visible. Then it'd been replaced by scales, and Jake descended to the ground, where he changed back into human form. He rolled his shoulder experimentally, his face white.
Oh my God, Danny thought, did I hit him?
He rushed to the ground and let the rings travel up his body to change him into Fenton. Jake had moved his clothes out of the way, and Danny was relieved to see there didn't seem to be any injuries.
"You shot me," Jake murmured, meeting Danny's terrified gaze. "The hell. What'd you shoot me for?"
"I didn't mean to," Danny said numbly. "Are you okay-"
Jake took a step back as Danny moved forward. "I'm fine," he said, and Danny's eyebrows shot up at the venom in his voice. "My shoulder tingles, is all. But it got rid of the magic in my shoulder for a moment there. I thought I'd lose control of my dragon form."
Danny realized he'd begun to take rapid breaths. "I'm sorry. Ancients, I don't know what came over me, I just… I don't-" He ran a shaky hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Jake. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Jake shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at the ground. His gaze had softened. "You scared me, Danny."
Danny bit down hard on his tongue. "Don't be." Oh, hell, that was barely a mumble. Guilt wracked his body, bringing heat into his otherwise cold chest.
A few moments passed in which the air around Danny felt like it was keeping him in a chokehold. Finally, Jake sighed and took his hands out of his pockets to rest on his hips. He gave the ghost a friendly smile. "That was the fastest I've seen you shoot stuff. You're getting really good."
Danny let out a shaky laugh, shoulders relaxing. "I honestly don't know what happened."
"Does that happen often?" Jake asked, his voice colored only with innocent curiosity.
"No." Danny flexed his finger experimentally, relieved when only a few small sparks flew out. "I don't think I have enough time back at home to actually try something like that. Ghosts get in the way."
Jake nodded uncertainly. A breeze picked up again, and when Danny looked to the sky, he noted the fluffy white clouds becoming thicker by the minute.
"It looked like a lot of built-up energy," Jake speculated. "But I don't know how ghost powers work. You may have just been stressed. You didn't notice how fast your were firing?"
Danny rolled his eyes. "If I knew it was so dangerous, I would've stopped, Dragon Breath."
Jake cocked an eyebrow. "You sure?"
His tone made Danny slightly uncomfortable, scrutinizing him as though accusing him of lying. Danny cleared his throat and looked away. "I feel fine now, in any case. Pent-up energy, like you said. Let's go."
He didn't give the dragon a chance to answer as he turned around and made his way towards the cliffs at a brisk pace.
They walked in silence, neither suggesting flying again. Danny's phone lay heavy in his pocket, which would sound an alarm once it was half an hour before second period. That way, they'd get back in time and be able to attend their three classes, no problem.
They soon reached the same spot they'd been in a few days earlier. The air felt cooler here, somehow, fresher, and the sun had disappeared behind a large cloud.
Jake stayed back a few feet from where they remembered the ward being, nervousness evident in the way he played with his shirt and shuffled his feet. "You sure about this?" he asked Danny, his voice a few octaves higher than normal.
"Surer than the asteroid that was supposed to hit us back in 2012," Danny sighed, pushing down his nerves as he took a few steps forward. "Hey, if I die, make sure to carry my corpse back and drop it on Malfoy, 'kay? I haven't gotten to mess with him yet."
Jake made a strangled sound in the back of his throat. "Man, is this your coping mechanism for potentially dangerous situations? Morbid jokes?"
"Hell yeah." Danny shot Jake a grin over his shoulder. Before he could chicken out, he thrust his hands forward and touched the barrier.
The effect was instantaneous. A sensation not unlike going intangible, numb, traveled up his arms and into his chest, and his core buzzed strangely. Suddenly, heat spiked along the surface of his skin as if he'd stuck it into hot wax, but before Danny could shout and tear his arms away, it had disappeared just as quickly. A warmth grew in his chest until he felt himself near pulled to the ground, as if an anchor had been placed on top of him.
Narrowing his eyes, Danny pushed forward, and the heaviness only increased - however, though he found it harder to keep walking, he hadn't become frozen like Jake, and the weight was bearable. It seemed as if whatever ward had been placed had less of an effect than it was supposed to, because before he'd known it, the sensation had left and he stood at the very edge of the cliff, one foot already placed on the road leading down to the village.
Danny let out a triumphant shout, punching the air. "Ha! Take that, you stupid magic wall!" He spun around to look at Jake, who stared flabbergasted at the halfa. "Jake! Dude, I made it through!" Danny called.
Jake scowled, opening his mouth to say something - except the sound was all muffled, as though he were speaking through a wall. "Hard to hear," Danny could eventually make out.
The ghost nodded. "Same here," he said in a raised voice, exaggeratedly enunciating each syllable so Jake could read his lips.
"Did it hurt?" Jake asked him. Danny shrugged - Not really - and the dragon grinned, shooting him a thumbs up. "Sweet!"
"I'm coming back over," Danny said. He held his hands out again and braced himself, but raised his eyebrows in surprise at the sensation of walking back. It'd been greatly diminished; the heaviness and rush of heat was still there, but almost unnoticeable; a string of worry made its way into Danny's head as he realized the ward was, in fact, designed to keep them in.
"This is great," Jake gushed as Danny stepped back inside the boundaries. "You can come and go whenever you want! Ha!" He spread his arms. "Stupid wizards can't keep a ghost in!"
Danny's lips curved into a smug smile. "I think they thought it would work. Evidently I'm stronger than they thought." Though the fact it had affected him even though his body contained ectoplasm was certainly a point worth pondering.
Jake barked another laugh, practically bouncing on his feet. "Good thing we didn't tell 'em about all our powers. Aw, man, they totally underestimated us."
Danny grinned, Jake's good mood infectious. It was enough to make him forget about the worrying display of ghostly anger he'd exhibited earlier, of the fact that Jake still couldn't cross the barrier, and the matter of Harry and Umbridge. As Jake prattled on about "dumbass wizards and their overconfidence," Danny thought back to what he'd told the Order about his powers.
It really hadn't been much. He'd talked about his basic ghost powers like flight, invisibility, intangibility, and ectoblasts, but had left out his ability to overshadow people, as well as more obscure powers like duplication and teleportation, both of which he hadn't yet mastered. His Ghostly Wail wasn't something he planned on using during the year, anyway, so he kept that to himself, as well as his ice powers and core… though he had admitted to associating himself with the element in some ways after Sirius had inquired about his uncanny temperature.
In hindsight, Danny worried if he'd revealed too much. Despite Clockwork's promise of protection, he'd always have caution when it came to talking about his ghostly half, and hopefully the information given to the wizards wasn't enough to build a ward like this. If they really did have malicious intent, even showing his Phantom side might've been too much.
Then again…
You will not have to hide your ghostly half.
Maybe that's all this was: a misunderstanding. Maybe if they simply asked Dumbledore, they'd figure out just what the hell was going on.
Then Danny remembered Jake's response to the ward, and immediately pushed those thoughts from his head. If the wizards were lying to them, he didn't want to cause them to up their game. Jake shouldn't have to deal with any more of that.
Inwardly groaning at the questions flying through his head, Danny turned his attention back on Jake and noticed he'd fallen behind as they'd started to walk back. Mentally reminding himself to look into more of the library books on warding magic, he quickened his pace to catch up.
Jake let out a shout as he kicked the dummy across the room. It landed close to the wooden sticks, slumping against the wall as the enchantment that allowed it to punch back wore off. Almost immediately, another took its place, brand new and shiny from the few standing off to the side.
He grinned, jutting his jaw forward to relieve some of the tension from his larger canines lining the bottom of his mouth. His gums twinged in pain as they grew warm, his tongue splitting down the middle, fire-retardant magic coating the inside of his mouth and throat as he took a deep, shuddering breath. He tightened his throat and his fire-breathing glands rubbed together; in a moment, a space just above his Adam's apple widened, leading the acrid taste of smoke and heat to fill him for several uncomfortable seconds as he released a plume of fire from his mouth and onto the dummy.
It stumbled back as the fire hit it, holes already being burnt into the surface as the flames licked its rubber body. Jake, feeling an itch in his throat, stopped the fire, blowing out of his nose a couple times to keep himself from inhaling too much smoke into his lungs. He coughed, silently wishing the process was as easy in human form as it was as a dragon.
Just as Jake's tongue had returned to its human form and the residual fire went out, the dummy charged him with lurching steps and the dragon had to block a punch at the last moment, clumsily realigning his feet while it continued to hit him with some sort of manic fury.
Jake groaned and caught the next punch, pouring some dragon energy into his arm in order to keep his strength up. He was lucky the dummy had about the same strength as an angry goblin.
Jake grabbed the dummy's shoulder, pulled himself closer, and used his hips to heft it onto his back, where he flipped it on to the mat and barely had enough time to dance away before it threw itself back up onto its feet.
"You're awful, you know that?" Jake told the dummy. "I regret putting the combat setting up."
As way of answer, the dummy rushed towards him again and Jake was back on the defensive. As he blocked hits and tried his best to keep his footing, he heard his grandfather's voice in his mind: Use all abilities to your advantage. Moralities don't count in a fight, despite what others tell you. If your life is in danger, it is better to defeat your opponent while their back is turned than wait and risk getting hurt worse. Honor is noble and important, but too much of it will only get you killed.
Jake's dragon tail whipped out and swept the dummy of its feet. He tried to pin it while it stayed on the ground, but it was back on its feet too quickly. Frustration making his movements more erratic, Jake bounced back and glared at the dummy as they circled each other.
Its shoulder looked badly damaged by the fire, as well as the left side of its face and jaw. Its legs were the strongest part of its body, and though Jake had managed to get it down on the ground, it had no problem with leaping back up and immediately punching him. What was strange was that it never seemed to actually use its legs to kick him.
Jake nearly smacked himself. Oh, that's it!
The dummy ran at him again, but this time, Jake was ready. He stood his ground until the very last moment, and when the fist came flying at him, instead of blocking, he ducked and sidestepped. In a moment, the dummy had turned and begun to land another blow, but Jake pivoted on his heel and delivered a swift roundhouse kick to the dummy's neck.
It snapped to the side, and the already weak rubber twisted around and broke further as the dummy fell to the ground. Disoriented (if the thing could be disoriented), it took longer to right itself, and Jake fell to its side, where he held it pinned against him, using his tail to wrap around the thing's legs and hold it further in place. After a few seconds, like it had been spelled to do so, the dummy went limp, pronouncing Jake the victor.
He let himself relax and slumped to the ground next to the charred dummy, gasping for air. His ankle burned where he'd pivoted too abruptly and his elbow sent sharp spikes of pain up into his hand from where he'd hit his funny bone trying to pin the damn thing, but triumph bloomed in his chest and kept him elated even as the adrenaline wore off.
"Fenton!" Jake called, still on the ground. "I beat it!"
A muffled reply came from outside the training room and a moment later a disheveled head of black hair peaked through. "The strong one?"
"One weaker one that I kicked into the wall…" Jake took a moment to catch his breath as he pointed at the first dummy. "And, uh, this one. Strong. Yeah. Beat it, roundhouse kick, thank me later."
Danny sighed. "One-upping me, I see. I can't get through this math problem. Hey, you look like shit, by the way."
Jake stared, affronted, as Danny moved back out of the training room. "Wait, you-" He never finished the sentences, instead groaning as his ankle throbbed in pain. "Ugh. Casper, can you grab a vial of healing potion from my nightstand?"
"Which one?" came the halfa's voice. "There are, like, three."
"Colors?"
"Red, blue, and a really gross yellow."
Jake racked his brain. "Uhh… whichever is shinier."
"Red is shiny-"
"Except it's definitely not the red one."
"I dunno what to tell you, man."
"Aren't there labels?"
"Yeah, but they're in Chinese."
Jake groaned. "What - the smartass. He knows I can't read Chinese that well, is he trying to get me to study?"
From the main room, Danny snorted. "How about I just give you some ibuprofen from my bag?"
Jake gave a grunt of acknowledgement, forcing himself to his feet. He winced as he put weight on his ankle, but the damage didn't seem too bad. Hopefully it wasn't sprained.
He limped toward the bed, where Danny sat, holding out a small bottle full of pills. "Sam made me pack some extras in case I end up fighting ghosts," the halfa explained as Jake gratefully swallowed two hundred milligrams.
Jake handed the bottle back to him and turned to his own nightstand, where three different bottles stood. He peered at the colors, then took them in his hand and sniffed them each in turn; one seemed vaguely familiar. "Yeah, I think it's the blue one. I'm gonna have to ask Fu, though-"
"Or you could do your Chinese homework-"
"Yo, what you take me for? Productive?"
Danny snorted, closing his geometry book on his lap. "Fair enough. I got maybe two problems done."
Jake plopped down on his bed, sighing as he stretched his sore muscles. His grandfather had sent him the bottles earlier that morning through owl mail, as well as a parcel from Fu which, once opened, had yielded to a letter and notes on what he could find on the ward. Though it had taken a while to decipher the animal guardian's messy handwriting, Jake eventually managed to transfer it onto another, neater sheet of paper.
"Fighting clear your mind?"
Jake turned to Danny, meeting his icy gaze. The ghost's eyes were not so much a clear blue as just plain cold - like icicles in a cave, he thought, as if they belonged to a thing rather than a person. Subconsciously he rubbed his shoulder and shuddered under phantom chills. Finally, he flicked his eyes away. "Nah. Not really."
"Don't really feel like going to the library," Danny muttered. "I did way too much reading and taking notes today."
Jake let out a long exhale. "You and me both." He reached towards the nightstand again, grunting, and retrieved the letters. No matter how many times he read through them, they failed to ring any sort of bell in his mind.
Jake,
Hey! Sorry it's taken so long, my cell broke and they're repairing it. Anyway, I hope owl mail is good enough to get this to you sooner rather than later.
So, about the barrier. I asked around the Bazaar, went to our local Underworld libraries, and I've compiled a list of possible things it could be. I would've asked the old man, too, but you know how he is with these issues. He'd probably go alert the Council or something, then we'd really have a problem on our hands. And lots of paperwork. I'd rather just get this done as quickly and cleanly as possible.
Your chi freezing was a big major clue, except you didn't mention any sort of change in temperature, so I stayed away from elemental magics, which typically affect the manifestation of your powers (which isn't always a thing, but in your case, fire). It's also definitely not sphynx hair. You didn't change back to human form. But, anyway.
Whatever this is, it's clearly Old Magic - before you used Latin incantations or, in sorcerers' cases, just rhyming random words charged with power. It's a kind of magic that was used by the Ancients - you know, the big dragons who weren't shapeshifters but could still use their chis. Some herb witches still use it today.
A lot of Old Magic relies on soul- or mind-binding powers. Talismans and the like. I'd definitely look into the gemstone moldavite. Its uses and meaning can contribute to what may have happened.
Moldavite relies on the soul, or, in your case, the chi. It draws power from there and can be used to ground people, to balance disturbances, all that meditation mumbo-jumbo. There are rumors of it actually slowing down certain types of magic, drawing energy from it, and I think a high concentration of it could be enough to latch onto your chi and keep it in one place while it "healed" you. Once you calmed down, it probably let go since you were much more "grounded."
It can't have been only that, of course, since it's impossible to put pure gemstone powers into a New Magic ward. I asked around the potion-making community and here are a few ideas:
The Captivus Essence, or Prisoner's Curse, is designed to latch onto someone's soul and keep them trapped in an area, kind of like how some ghosts can't leave their haunts. Though I'm not sure if it can be used in a border, and from the way you described it, I'm guessing you could get through if you just kept calm long enough.
There's a wizard's spell, Protego Totalum, that's used for protection in wards, and I'm guessing that's part of what they use for the border. I'd say with the way these wizards work, it's extended into the real culprit. So I'd look into that particular spell and what other protection spells there are. You're not human, they probably have loads for you.
I thought there could be something with how the D.C. takes chis for suspensions? Some dragons have talked about there being a moment of paralysis for them. I don't think wizards would have the necessary amount of power for that, but you can never be too sure. Anyway, that spell is entirely reliant on Old Magic and using your core or chi. No words spoken.
There's also a potion called the Anchoring Potion, similar to the Prisoner's Curse, but it's used only with DNA instead of cores. Also, you have to ingest it. So unless you had something slipped into your drink, I would rule that out. Still - be careful with what you eat from now on.
Again, keep moldavite in mind. The caster of the spell, if it is a spell, might wear a charm of it.
I'm sure there's more, these are just what I could find. Keep looking in the library, and don't be afraid to dig a little deeper, but don't let anyone know what you're looking for.
You don't know who you can trust.
See you this Christmas, if you can leave. The folks say you can bring Danny, too, if you want.
Fu
PS: Tell McGonagall Lao Shi says hi. Apparently they've met before?
PPS: I really hope they haven't been screwing.
Though the letter was packed with information, it was just that: information. Information which, to some extent, they'd already found. It didn't give any concrete ideas, only further evidence to help along their search.
Maybe he shouldn't really be complaining all too much; aside from the absolutely awful last sentence, the letter had definitely shed some light on their situation. Jake had read stuff about protection spells while researching in the library, though he agreed with Fu on it having to be an extension, since the spell on its own wouldn't have been able to do anything.
And even if he wasn't human, being a shapeshifter would still make it difficult to pinpoint specific parts of him to enchant. Despite having only two primary forms, his chi did have the capability to manifest itself into many different bodies. He just needed a little extra help to tap into the power, and it was highly unpredictable and difficult to control. But it was there, so his point stood.
Jake sighed and tossed the letter back onto the nightstand. They'd been here, what, almost two weeks now? A week and two, three days? And apart from the occasional squabble with a teacher, nothing much had happened - nothing worth of note, anyway. Harry had finally gotten out of his detention, though that likely wouldn't last. Umbridge was as unpleasant as ever. They knew Danny could get through the barrier, if not slowly; they knew Jake might be able to as well, if he were actually willing to practice.
He scowled. Why had it affected him so much? He wasn't that sensitive; wasn't that easily frightened. He was reckless, he knew that, and he'd been told multiple times to just let things go, but this… this was something else. This had attacked his soul, essentially, and it had left him feeling vulnerable and violated for hours later.
Jake rolled over in bed to face Danny, who was staring intently at his phone. "Yo," the dragon said, "what time is it?"
"Uh, almost seven thirty. Dinner should be ending about now."
They'd grabbed something to eat early on, not really in the mood to mingle. Taking some food back to the Room of Requirement had been easy and certainly more enjoyable than stale pop tarts and decaffeinated coffee. And the dried apricots being served were to die for - why Jake had a sudden affinity for dried apricots, he would never know.
So most of the students would be in their common rooms by now, maybe the library. Jake groaned at the prospect of studying the barrier even further, but with almost everyone gone, it would be difficult to actually do something nice, unless they were to fly around in the darkening sky. With his muscles still sore, he wasn't quite sure if he was ready for even more training that day. Especially after Danny's outbreak.
"Where are the common rooms?" Jake asked. "Maybe we could hang out with the trio in there."
"Dunno." Danny shrugged and put his phone away. "Are we even allowed in them?"
Jake cocked an eyebrow. "You follow the rules?"
The ghost stared at him for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. "Aw, rich. I'm so bored, I actually did homework. Besides-" his grin faltered a bit, "-the wizards haven't really warranted our cooperation and trust lately."
"Oh, tea-"
"Never say that again. It's so weird hearing that in a New Yorker accent-"
Jake snorted. "Trixie's rubbed off on me, I guess. And anyway, my accent ain't that strong."
"I'm being dramatic," Danny snickered, then let his head fall against the backboard of the bed. "Not that it's possible to be anywhere near as dramatic as you, but, y'know, we'll get there."
Jake let out a laugh, flopping back onto his back. The two lay in comfortably silence for a few moments longer - Jake's mind wandering away from the castle and to the city hundreds of miles away, across the ocean, to his home in New York… Wonder what Trixie and Spud are doing now… and Rose… haven't talked to her in ages…
"Any new leads on the ward?" Danny asked, his tone light, though it was still fairly easy to pick up on the underlying apprehension.
Jake picked at his shirt. "Nah. I don't know what to do." He sighed. "It's just…"
"Frustrating?" Danny suggested. At Jake's grunt, he let out a breathy laugh. "Dude, I know frustrating. Y'know those days when you feel like nothing's ever gonna turn out okay? No idea where to go, like whatever you do, it's just gonna blow up in your face?"
"Don't get too heavy on me," Jake joked. "Remember, you're talking to a near-narcissist."
" Near-narcissist?" Danny shook his head. "Moving past that, I'm serious, Jake. The frustration, it's only gonna build. We gotta figure out this ward."
"Ya think I don't know that?"
"What if it's bigger than we think?" he insisted. "What if they strengthen it - what if, in a week, even I won't be able to get through it, or it'll start affecting you even without touching it? What if you come into contact with it again and it has a worse effect? What if-"
"You're being paranoid," Jake snapped, shooting up in his bed. Meeting Danny's blazing glare, however, sombered his mood. "Ugh, sorry, I'm." A frustrated growl in the back of his throat. "We can't keep thinking about all the things that go wrong. Who knows, maybe this is all just a misunderstanding, didn't you mention something like that, anyway? And the wizards weren't even the ones that put it up… if we just talked to them about it, maybe they could help-"
"You're kidding, right?" Danny swung his legs over the edge of the bed, held Jake's uncertain gaze with his own icy one. "Jake. These aren't our friends. We can't trust them."
Jake paused for a moment. "Hermione and Harry and Ron are-"
"What? Our friends?" Danny let out a disbelieving laugh. "Sorry to break it to you, but as friendly as they are, we don't… we don't know them. We don't-" He rubbed the back of his neck, something Jake had picked up on being a nervous tick. "I like them," he said. "I like them a lot. But I also know the people closest to you can turn out to be your worst enemy." A beat. "It sucks. Call me paranoid. But it's life. Or," he added with a humorless laugh, "the afterlife. You tend to learn a thing or two about human behavior after being dead for over a year."
"You're naive and hopeful, young one," said Lao Shi, "and as wonderful it can be when it comes to diplomacy, it can also be your greatest downfall. The hardest lesson you must learn is that with all the power you possess, you still should never, under any circumstances, assume yourself invincible. Even a god can fall to the hands of those he used to trust, if he gives them enough wiggle room."
"But what do I know?" Danny mused. "I'm not a magical protector or anything. I've learned to fight with my fists. Hell, my parents don't know the thing they hate the most lives the closest to them."
It wasn't often Danny opened up about his life back in Amity Park, as Jake had figured out quickly enough. Apart from the game of twenty questions a few weeks back, the only things he talked about were the ghosts he fought and relatively surface-level stuff about his social life, like who his friends were and how school was going, which teachers annoyed him the most and how often they gave him detention.
Jake didn't pretend to know he understood everything Danny went through back at home, but from what he'd heard about the Fenton parents, he knew the halfa held some semblance of respect towards them, and maybe - as awful as it sounded - a bit of fear. Having parents who hunted down the most important part of you couldn't possibly sit well with someone, and having to live with that for over a year… Jake was just glad Danny had such a good support system, from what he knew about his friends and older sister.
Danny was… he wasn't necessarily mean, but he certainly had a more negative outlook on life and the people around him, like he was just waiting for someone to pull a trigger. And while it was definitely understandable given his circumstances, it gave him an air of always being on edge, something much more palpable when his jokes and teasing increased; it was a coping mechanism. Healthy? Debatable, but Jake would take that over outright violence. It was the pent up energy he was worried about - he didn't know much about ghosts, granted, but there was talk of obsessions. Of urges and feelings of responsibility that didn't have too much credibility to them, but were nevertheless something that Jake figured he shouldn't forget.
Either way, Jake was glad he'd met Danny. As opposite as their reactions to people were, he finally felt like he'd met a kindred spirit. Danny understood the highs and lows of keeping power like they had a secret, and it made staying in Hogwarts a little more bearable.
The dragon smiled a bit as he remembered his initial feelings about having to spend a year around wizards. He'd been angry, confused, and had promised himself he wouldn't enjoy it. Then Danny had shown up, shown interest in his side of the story, and, as nihilistic as the boy could be, helped him come out of his comfort zone in a castle full of the people he was most annoyed by. He'd made friends here.
He was sure Danny knew it, too. Danny wasn't that good a liar - he enjoyed being here, in Hogwarts, as much as one could regarding their circumstances. Maybe the ghost was paranoid, or maybe he really did have a point… but the times when he'd laugh along to a joke a wizard said at breakfast, when the shadows in his eyes were wiped away for a moment to make way for a spark of life Jake never really thought he'd see in the halfa…
Danny wanted to trust them. Jake did, sort of, and maybe it really was him being too naive, but Gramps had never told him to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Lao Shi had always told him to treat his enemies as his friends until they gave him a true reason not to. Do not trust easily, he'd say, but do not shut everyone out. Let your friends in. Build an army. Find the balance between naivety and wisdom.
It had seemed, at the time, an impossible task; now, however, Jake felt he was up to the challenge.
Danny had lots to think about, he realized.
He had realized a while ago that not everything was as it seems. Not everything could be as perfect as he wanted to be, as straightforward, transparent (heh), or anything else that could produce some clarity. If he wanted something, he'd have to work for it, or it would blow up in his face. The CATs in particular taught him that early on.
Hogwarts had seemed like the perfect escape into a different world, a world where he wouldn't have to worry about ghosts or school, only about the different cultures of the people he'd never known existed. Almost too good to be true, but he'd believed it.
And, of course, it had blown up in his face. There was a ward. And since the only truly dangerous magic here could be committed by wizards, what was he supposed to think? Maybe it really was all a misunderstanding, like he'd previously thought and as Jake had said now. He really didn't know at this point. He knew Jake couldn't get through but he could. He knew they weren't any closer to figuring things out now compared to when they'd first learned of the barrier.
Maybe he was being dramatic, but it just felt… wrong, and especially tiring, that the one time he thought something would go right, it had instead gone to shit. As always, right?
Jake was always so optimistic, believing himself nearly invincible. The only times Danny had seen him really annoyed were when learning of more injustices towards magical creatures, and even then he eventually shut up and powered through it. That's what was expected of him as a diplomat. No doubt he'd had trouble with it in the past, but he seemed to be getting better.
And Danny… Ancients, he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the crowd and let himself be swept away by all the jokes and magic. Lately, though, it seemed the jokes were used to mask a deeper scar across the school, and the magic only enforced it. What was really going on at Hogwarts, and what did it have to do with him and Jake?
The worst part was that he really did enjoy it here, could even relate to many of the kids here. It was just hard, he guessed, to be totally comfortable when the one thing he hoped wouldn't go wrong did. And he was supposed to keep going as usual.
Along with the questions on whether or not Dumbledore knew about the ward came much heavier ones: Did the students know, too? Were Hermione, Ron, and Harry really their friends?
And the thought made his heart crawl into his throat, both with guilt and disgust - because, hey, they're your friends, dumbass, you can't seriously think that, but also… if it were true, and Danny didn't see it, what did that make him? How ready was he really for the world he had so readily immersed himself in? Because, as abrupt as the trip to Scotland had been, he'd fallen into a routine. He'd gotten used to this. To magic. To Hogwarts.
Was he really willing to let that all go?
Through his musings, he caught Jake smile a little. A larger canine of his poked up from his bottom lip. His green hair was messy and stuck up more than usual, stray strands falling into his forehead.
"Do you really think they'd do that?" Jake asked him. "The trio?"
Danny didn't answer. No. Yes? I don't know? I don't know them. I thought I did. But I also thought I'd known Valerie, and Danielle when I met her. My parents.
"Hermione might be able to help with the ward," Jake continued. "She's smart. Really smart."
Danny bit back the urge to reply with a tease - something along the lines of, What, Long, got a crush? Don't you think she's a little tall for you? "I don't know," he said instead.
"Well, we gotta think of something. We're no good on our own. We're dumbasses, in case you haven't noticed."
Danny had to laugh at that, at least a little. Jake's grin was infectious. Annoyingly so. "Yeah, I guess we are." He dropped his head into his hands. "Argh. I'm so stupid. Sorry."
"Yo. What you apologizin' for?"
"I don't know." A laugh - incredulous, disbelieving of their situation. "Jesus Christ. I can't believe myself. Shit, I'm in a magic school, thousands of miles away from home, and I still can't stop letting Amity influence my choices. Ghosts aren't even dangerous here. Fuck."
"Did the swearing feel good?"
Danny peeked out from his fingers. "A little. Damn."
"Oh, come on, you can do better than that."
"Is this how you relieve stress? Punching things and swearing? I think my jokes are a better coping mechanism than that." A beat. "God- fucking- damn it. I hate this so much."
Jake gave him a sort of half grin, half grimace. He rolled out of the bed and took the few steps towards Danny's, plopping down next to him. He lay a head on Danny's shoulder and murmured, "Oh, thank Christ, it's so much cooler here."
Danny laughed and leaned into the dragon. "You're an idiot, Jake, but I'm glad you're here with me."
"Yeah, 'cause without me you'd be angsting all over the place. Blegh."
The two friends stayed there for a few moments longer, silent, and Danny began to breathe in tune with Jake - suck in some air, hold it for a moment, let it out slowly. Incredibly, his anxiety seemed to crawl back, and calm began to wash over him. Jake's body was comfortably warm against his side, and, finally, he relaxed.
"Oh, finally."
"Shut up," Danny muttered, leaning his head against Jake's. "Do all dragons have some sort of calming power?"
"Not that I know of, but maybe I should get that checked. This is, what, the third time this happened? Not that I'm complaining."
"Haven't breathed like this in a while."
"'Aight, edgelord."
"I will freeze you in an ice cube."
"Dude! You're begging me to call you, like, Elsa, or something. Honestly." Jake snickered.
Danny grinned and rolled his eyes. Inexplicably, His chest rose and fell. What a strange ghost he was. "Hey, sorry for being so paranoid."
"Nah. Don't apologize." Jake sighed. "You're probably right."
"No. No, I'm definitely not right," Danny argued. "We can't do this alone, like you said. We need help. Hermione might be our best bet."
"And if you were right about them being in on it?"
"Well." He scrunched up his nose. "We're supposed to be in charge anyway, remember? And I'm sure that - well, I just hope Clockwork knows what he's doing. Hopefully everything should turn out all right."
Jake gasped, taking his head off Danny's shoulder. "Do mine ears deceive me?" he shouted in a rather awful British accent. "Was that… nay, can't be… did Sir Phantom just say something positive?"
"Y'know, I'm really not that cynical-"
"My guy, you literally told me the other day that making you learn history shouldn't be legal because you're dead and it's 'not your responsibility' to know about human pasts anymore 'cause it's 'not your fault' if we all fuck ourselves over."
"Okay, listen- " But it was too late; Jake was already in stitches, and Danny soon followed.
Fu Dog's note lay forgotten on the nightstand, and would remain so for however long it took the two to finally get to bed. In the meantime, Danny let himself, finally, be swallowed up by genuine jokes as Jake regaled him with tales of pranks he pulled back in New York, leading to their near-daily routine of possible schemes for the year at Hogwarts.
i hope everyone has a wonderful day! don't forget to take care of yourself - friendly reminder to drink some water if you haven't already!
see you in hopefully less than four months lol