Danny shares some tough stuff, and he alludes to dissociating through shock at the end of his story, so beware.
When he had asked who this Voldemort person was, (and seriously? Voldemort? What the heck kinda name is that?), he had never expected how involved the story got.
The trio had given him wide eyed looks, and then looked at each other for a moment. He could see the silent conversation held between them, all significant looks and subtle shakes of the head. When they'd finally made it back to the school, and were safe from the wind and on their way back to the common room, Harry finally spoke.
"Danny, this will be a long story, so once we get to the common room lets sit down, and we'll tell you. We'll tell you everything."
"Oookay? That sounds a bit ominous." He said, half jokingly. But when that didn't take the serious looks off their faces, he knew that this wasn't a joking matter.
Once they'd gotten settled in a far corner of the common room, so far removed that they were sure they wouldn't be bothered or interrupted, they told him everything.
Harry's parents murdered, him living with his (pretty much instantly implied as abusive) muggle relatives until he was introduced to the magical world. Harry being famous without even knowing, because he defeated this evil Voldemort guy by surviving a killing curse when he was a baby.
Their first year; fighting trolls, and trials and possessed teachers to protect the Philosopher's Stone.
Second year; battling giant spiders and giant snakes, Ron's sister possessed, and the school was more interested that Harry could talk to snakes, than in students being attacked.
Third year; escaped murderers, godfathers, werewolves, rats and betrayal, not to mention the happiness and soul sucking monsters, (Danny actually had to stop them a minute when they explained what dementors were. He felt his core, his essence, his soul, in his chest and shuddered at the very thought of that being taken away from him).
Last year, their fourth year; a government sponsored tournament, known to kill contestants in the past, kept going even with the signs of the revival of Voldy, and prominent terrorist attacks at an International sporting event. Harry's name entered, and then being made to compete against his will, and him winning along with his fellow champion, only for that to all be a part of the evil plan. Witnessing the resurrection of the big baddy, and watching as his friend is killed in front of him, and then escaping with the body. (WTH!)
And to top it all off! No one believes him when he tells them what he saw! What he survived! No, no, this 'government' of theirs actively tries to discredit him and make him seem unhinged so that they can proceed with the status quo! And that's where Umbridge comes in.
They send this pink toad lady to a school, where she has no business being, for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on Dumbledore, and make sure that the students aren't trained in Defense, to prevent them from fighting back?
Well then.
He'd messed with Vlad just for being a pompous friutloop, who had no idea what the word 'boundaries' meant. But Umbridge, ooooh boy. Someone who actively enjoyed tormenting school aged kids, torturing them, (He'd felt his eyes flare angrily when Harry showed him the scar on the back of his hand.)
Oh, he was going to enjoy showing this lady who, exactly, she was messing with.
"And that's why we know that if Umbridge found out about our plans for this club, we know it wouldn't turn out well for anyone involved. That's why we've got to find a place to have it." Hermione finished.
He sat in silence a moment, just mulling over everything they'd told him, when a memory from the secret Defense club meeting came back to him.
"But- Hold on- Then why was everyone so angry and upset that Chloe and Miranda and their friends were there today? Umbridge is refusing to teach all students, right? What do you guys have against Slytherins?"
The trio looked troubled at this, and he honestly had no idea why. What was the big deal?
"Well- What you have to understand is that… there's an -intense- rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and that has sort of bled into other houses where everyone just sticks to their own, pretty much. Slytherin though…"
"Slytherin is known as the house that turns out the most dark witches and wizards." Ron explains slowly. "A lot of the Slytherins come from Pureblood families with the common Pureblood prejudices. Which leads many of them to join You-Know-Who..."
"It's not a nice reputation, and from our experience, we've only been treated horribly by Slytherin students, but today…" Harry trailed off. "Today opened our eyes."
They sat in contemplation for a moment before Ron suddenly looked at Danny in confusion.
"Wait a minute. That Slytherin with the short hair; Miranda. She knew your name. Called you 'Danny.'"
"Yep." He replied.
"Did you know them from before?"
"Also yep. They come and talk to me before dinner on the days I wait for you three to get out of Defense. They didn't tell me they were going to be coming to the meeting, though. And, I figured I didn't know enough about the situation or know anyone well enough to invite anyone to the meeting. They're really nice though, really care about their friends." He paused, thinking a moment, and then comprehension hit him like a freight train.
"Oh my gosh. Is Daphne from one of those Pureblood families?" He said sitting up straight in his chair. "Is that what they meant when they said that it was worth the risk of getting caught? Why Daphne is so afraid of her dad finding out her secret, but is joining anyway because she wants to protect…" His words get caught in his throat. That situation sounded way too familiar.
Harry, Ron and Hermione are looking carefully at him. They have a knowing look in their eyes, and he feels his stomach drop… because he knows that he can't keep his past from them much longer.
"Danny," Hermione says gently.
He forces himself to look up at them again, nerves jangling unpleasantly, as he prepared himself for what he had to do.
And he did have to do it. He couldn't just keep his messed up past all to himself, and they had just told their story. It was now time to tell them his.
"You don't have to if you.."
"No." He cut her off, "No, Hermione, I do need to tell you. I've told you some of my past, but you guys," He huffed a laugh devoid of humor, "you trusted me with your whole story, so you might as well know mine, too."
He looked at the fire for a moment, still crackling merrily in its grate, even though the common room was now empty except for them. It'd gotten very late.
He took a steadying breath and began. He started off easy. He told them of his trouble with controlling his powers after the accident, and the lower level specters that had seemed so strong at the time. He told them of his recurring enemies, what they wanted and how dangerous they were. How he beat them down, captured them, and threw them back into the Realms.
He told them about Vlad, what a creepy fruitloop he was, but how Vlad was just like him. A half ghost but with twenty years more experience. How powerful and unbeatable Vlad seemed, but with help from friends, he was still able to beat him.
He told them of how he was seen as the villain, as a monster, and was hunted down by his parents and other ghost hunters. How difficult doing well in school became, as he hunted and fought ghosts throughout the day and night.
Then, he told them about his tougher enemies. Spectra, Freakshow, Pariah Dark, Undergrowth, Vortex, Nocturn… Dan.
He could tell that Hermione tried to keep from interrupting him with questions, but she couldn't resist, it seemed, when it came to time travel (He kept Clockwork's name out of it, he didn't think the old stopwatch would appreciate his existence as the Master of Time being known so freely), or when it came to Danielle. Ellie.
It had taken some time to explain the concept of cloning a person without magic to Ron and Harry, but eventually they had a rough idea of what everything meant.
But all too soon, Danny came to the part of his story that was still so fresh in his mind. He had been doing better these last few weeks at Hogwarts. He knew he was safe here, and he was making friends here. But… that didn't mean that he could just forget and move on, after what happened.
He had been sitting forward, elbows on his knees, and hands clenched so tight his knuckles were white, and silent for so long that Harry spoke up.
"This is when you started… 'traveling on your own,' isn't it?"
He could only nod. He took a deep breath, and began before he could try to think of a way out of it.
"It had been a few weeks since Red and I saved Ellie from destabilizing in Vlad's lab. She'd been staying with me to make sure that she was really alright, after everything. She was posing as my long-lost cousin to my parents, and staying in our spare room."
.
"You're sure it's okay for me to stay this long, Danny? I don't want to make things harder for you, especially with Vlad…"
"You let me worry about that old fruitloop, and you can stay here as long as you like. He won't get to you while you're here, I'll make sure of it."
.
"Things had been going strangely well. Vlad hadn't tried to take Ellie back. Red had stopped hunting me down, and we'd made a sort-of truce. My parents had been kept busy with a special commission project from some anonymous rich guy on the East Coast, and they had been slowly coming around to the idea that Phantom, at the very least, may not be all bad. The ghost attacks had died down too, until not even the Box Ghost was making trouble." He huffed a laugh, and put his face in his hand. "I should have known it was too good to be true. I should have realized something was up. But- but I was so ready for a break. So ready to just be a teenager again that I ignored it. I ignored all of it."
.
"Hey Danny, wanna come and play Doomed after we finish that essay for Lancer? Jazz took Ellie out to the mall for stuff to decorate her room, right?"
"Yeah! I'm almost finished anyway, I did most of it last night."
"Sweet! Sam, you want in?"
"I'm always down to crush your gaming egos… wait, what's that?"
"What?"
"That! I'm sure I've never seen it before. It's right next to the school and we never even saw a construction sign? What gives?"
"Well, it isn't hurting anyone, it's just- sitting there. C'mon Sam, it's nothing to worry about."
"Hmm. Whatever. C'mon slowpokes! Last one to Tucker's house doesn't get the new cheat-code that I found for the new update!"
"What!"
.
"It started off so slowly. Random structures that looked like telephone poles with crazy looking sculptures on top started showing up around town. I honestly thought they were made by an artist trying to do some kind of publicity stunt. It got a little weird when I began to feel like my powers were getting weaker every time I transformed, but I just thought that was because I wasn't fighting ghosts as often as before. I wrote it off, just like everything else. But then- "
.
"Danny! Come quick! They're talking about Vladdie on the news!"
"Uuuugh."
"Don't be like that! Get down here!"
"But why….
"Breaking News: Vladimir Masters, Mayor of Amity Park No More"
"WHAT!"
"Mayer Masters' resignation has just been announced here at City Hall, to no small amount of surprise. Masters was unavailable for comment, as he has already left Amity Park for his secondary home in Colorado, as his Wisconsin Property is still being rebuilt. His secretary has this to say:"
"Mayor Masters was really quite frantic as he left. Said things like 'how did things go so wrong?' and 'Why didn't I see this coming?' I don't know what to make of it? Bad business deal, maybe?"
"There you have it folks. Amity Park is now relying on it's Deputy Mayor, Teddy Brookes, to keep the town running smoothly until a new mayoral election can be held."
"V-man… left? Without saying goodbye?"
"Honey, I'm sure that he meant to, but it looks like he had some kind of emergency. We'll call him soon to make sure he's alright, okay hun?"
"Your'e the best Maddie-cakes!"
"Oh you!"
"Ugh. Really? Right in front of me? I'm going back to my room."
.
"That's when things started to just… fall apart. Not even two hours after it was announced that Vlad had left, they came."
"They?" Hermione whispered, as he paused. He looked up at them, saw their unnerved expressions. He almost laughed at that, because there was so much more to come.
"The GIW."
"The people who tried to blow up the Infinite Realms using your parent's portal, and came after you when you had that bounty on you?" Harry asked quietly.
"Yeah. Their official name is the Ghost Investigation Ward, -but those horrible white suits, everyone just called them the Guys in White."
He sighed. "It was always so easy to write them off. They were just incompetent men who wanted to cause pain to what they didn't understand, with too expensive equipment that didn't even work half the time. They were stupid, impulsive, annoying; the joke of any government division… until they weren't."
"The moment they took control of the town, they put new rules in place. A curfew, an escort system, new surveillance cameras all over the city. They patrolled the streets at night, and had agents patrolling the shopping centers, the parks, and even our school during the day! You couldn't go anywhere without seeing a stupid white suit carrying an ectoweapon!" His anger at the injustice of it all still burned.
"But they couldn't get away with that, surely!" Hermione seemed just as upset.
He huffed a laugh. "No. While they did have permission from the higher government, or so they said, Amity Park didn't let them get away with it without a fight. Amity Park may be small, but we were tight-knit and proud . We were proud of our spooky ghost town, and proud of it's heroes. We took care of our own problems, which meant that the government coming in to try to 'fix' everything just made everyone angry"
"Fights broke out between agents and the people of Amity more and more often. The Creeps in White started arresting anyone who spoke out against them and threw them in jail. There were riots on City Hall, and protests through the streets... but the GIW were persistent. They weren't getting what they wanted, so they became ruthless. They forbid anyone from leaving the city, setting up barricades and not letting anyone in or out. They started raiding houses, accusing people of harboring ghost fugitives. They became more violent, injuring anyone who stood against them; broken noses and black eyes became a fashion statement at school. It was absolute chaos. But strangely, they left my family alone." He sighed angrily and ran a hand through his hair.
"That should have been what tipped me off. I should have realized… They never pulled their punches, they were never afraid of confrontation and had dealt with my family before, but this time they stay away? No. They were planning something, but I just couldn't see it. But then Ellie… She started to destabilize again."
.
"Hey guys, there's something weird going on…"
"Gee Tuck, what makes you say that? The fact that we're all sitting here trying to figure out why Ellie can't transform, or the fact that there are agents patrolling the streets and beating up Amity Park for no good reason?"
"Sam, please. What's weird Tucker?"
"Thank you Jazz, at least someone here still has some manners."
"Tucker…"
"Alright! Alright! I think the suits are monitoring and filtering all of our outgoing data."
"What?"
"At least, I think that's what they're doing? It's either that, or they're just stopping all outward communication outright. That's probably why there hasn't been any kind of reaction from the rest of the world."
"Those bastards."
"Sam! Not in front of Ellie!"
"Hehe!"
"She doesn't seem to mind."
"Danny!"
"People, people, I still have more bombs to drop."
"Bombs away then."
"You know those towers we saw? The ones that were built before the suits even got here? I think they're what's messing with Ellie's powers and causing her to destabilize."
"How are they doing that? And why now? I can still transform."
"Yeah, but you said your powers have been weaker ever since those things started showing up, right?"
"Well, yeah, but not by much."
"Well, those towers are actually siphoning off the ambient ectoplasm from around Amity. I can see great big spikes in their readings too, which is probably whenever either of you transform. Since Ellie can't generate her own ectoplasm like you can, the loss of the ambient stuff has made her ghost form too weak. So, my guess, is that Ellie is like the other ghosts you fight, dude. She needs a constant supply, or else her body will become unstable."
"Hmm. Frostbite may be the best to ask about this. I think going into the Realms will help you feel better anyway, if Tucker's guess is right. Eh, Tuck?"
"Ah! Careful with the ribs! I think that agent bruised them yesterday at school."
"Oops, sorry Tucker."
"Man, what a mess. What are we going to do? What's the GIW's goal here?"
"I don't kn-"
"KIDS! Come quick, they're making an announcement on the News! Something important!"
"Well, maybe they'll just tell us now."
"Right. Like our lives are ever that easy."
"Breaking News: GIW capture Phantom."
"Wha- No they haven't!"
"How do you know that, Danny-boy?"
"Uh-"
"We have been given special instructions here at the studio to show all of Amity Park the truth about our own ghostly hero. We have been told to announce that Danny Phantom is in fact… [gasp!] Danny Fenton! And here we have video evidence as proof!"
"Danny!"
"How did they-!"
"Phan- Phantom…"
"Mom- Dad- wait! You have to understand!"
"You're…"
.
"They planned it all out. Those towers they built were meant to take my powers away little by little until I couldn't use them anymore; only Ellie has a similar ecto-signature to me, and my body generates it's own ectoplasm, so it never would have worked anyway. But, they… knew from the start who I was, that I was both Danny Fenton and Phantom. When they saw that Ellie's levels bottomed out and she couldn't use her powers anymore, they acted. They had video proof of my transformation, and sent it to every screen in Amity. Everyone, my parents, my friends parents, even my classmates and teachers, everyone found out my secret."
"And your parents… they…"
He barked a sudden humorless laugh, making the trio jump.
"That's the thing! I'd been reluctant to tell them my secret for so long, but they… they accepted me. Just like that. It didn't matter that I was part ghost. It didn't matter that they were ghost hunters. They still loved me."
He held his head in his hand, and felt his cheeks grow hot as he desperately held back his tears.
"For that single moment, everything was perfect."
.
"Phantom! We know you're in there! Come out and surrender yourself peacefully and no one needs to get hurt!"
"Danny!
"You won't have him while JACK FENTON is still breathing! You can be sure of that!"
"Subject is resisting! Commence extraction, capture Phantom at any cost!"
"Downstairs to the lab! Quickly!"
.
"We ran. Mom and Dad held them all off as they broke through the door and windows. Jazz and Ellie were screaming and glass was raining down on us, but somehow we all made it down the stairs. Tucker started to initiate the defenses we have in the house and Sam grabbed weapons, while Jazz and I were calming Ellie down and trying to get her through the portal to go to the Far Frozen. But then everything went dark. They had cut the power to the house, and when the backup generator for the lab started up, and the lights came back on…"
.
"Not so fast, ghost boy!"
"Mom! Dad! No!"
"Let them go!"
"Wha-! Subject can still transform! What is the meaning of this!"
"You tagged the clone you idiot! You were supposed to monitor the original!"
"How do you know about-"
"Detain them! Now!
"NO!"
"KIDS!"
.
"My parents were being held down, they couldn't move. Sam and Jazz were handling long range weapons to keep the agents back. Tucker was trying to get to my parents with Ellie. I was in the thick of it using fist-to-face tactics. It was steadily working, and we were winning. Then, their backup arrived. It was just… too much..."
.
"There's too many! Jazz! Open the portal!"
"Danny!"
"Ellie! Get in there! Go to Frostbite! Hurry!"
"But-!"
"NOW!"
.
"Ellie made it through the portal. Jazz was able to close and lock it. The agents… they didn't like that she got away. They came at us all at once. I couldn't- couldn't stop them. I couldn't protect…"
.
"Gah! The clone! Don't let Phantom get away!"
"Danny! They're after you! You need to get out of here!"
"No! I can't! I won't leave-!"
"That's it! Open fire!"
"NO!"
.
"I couldn't get to them in time. They got Mom and Dad point blank. Jazz, Sam and Tucker… they tried to get out of the way, but the GIW wanted me at any cost. They died trying to protect me… and I couldn't move.
.
"I've got him! I've got him! He's not going anywhere!"
"Keep up a constant current in that collar! We don't want him escaping. And you-"
"No… Agh!- Please!"
"Get used to it freak! We'll give you a real reason to cry once we get you back to-"
"Sir!"
"What!"
"One of the stray shots! It hit the portal containment seal! It's destabilizing!"
"How long unti-"
.
He could still feel the heat of the explosion passing through him. The shrapnel that tore through the agents bodies just before they burned. When the rocking of the earth stopped, there was nothing but ash within a crater.
"The portal explosion took the agents and the rest of the house with it. The instant the shock collar was turned off, I turned intangible and just lay there, letting it pass. When it was over, I think I was in shock for a bit. I just… sat there, in the ashes of my life burned down. Everything… everything was gone." He choked out as tears fell freely as he remembered.
He'd lost everything. He couldn't even bury their bodies. They were just… gone.
"I... I don't really know what happened after that, I couldn't really... process what was going on. But, they must have caught a glimpse of me as I ran away, so they knew I was still alive. I was on the run from them ever since, until I was summoned here."
His throat was burning, and his vision clouded with tears, but he didn't care. He'd been reliving his greatest failure over and over again in his dreams and quiet moments alone almost every day since he'd been at Hogwarts. It isn't the first time he'd cried because of it and it wouldn't be the last.
"Oh Danny…" But he wasn't alone this time.
Hermione's face was glazed with pouring tears, shoulders shaking with held back sobs. Harry was wiping his cheeks, and Ron was oddly still, staring at nothing, and making no move to wipe his face dry.
"Ah. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you guys upset, I just wanted to tell you what happened." He said hoarsely, wiping his face.
"Danny…" Harry's voice was thick with emotion, but was devoid of any pity, which he appreciated.
"Really guys, I'm- well I'm not fine, but I'm doing better. … Ron, are you okay?"
Ron started and came back to himself, staring wide-eyed at Danny.
"Your family… Just like that. I- I can't even imagine…"
That's right. Ron had a big family. A family that he loved. He looked down at his knees, not knowing what to say.
"Danny, I never realized… Are you sure you're doing alright?" Hermione's voice wavered slightly, but her eyes were dry.
"Yeah." He tried to say casually, not really knowing if he managed it. "I'm safe from them here, and I've had time to process everything. The nightmares can be pretty bad, but I just go out and fly to clear my head when I can't get to sleep."
"So that's where you go." Harry said. "I'd wondered… But Danny, why not… escape before the explosion? Why not phase through the- the collar?" Harry asked carefully.
He sighed, a hand finding it's way to cover his throat without his realizing.
"They made it from a special material that ghosts can't phase through, a purified iron compound. Ghost proof. But, more than that, it was… a shock collar. It had a constant electrical current running through it, and… I… don't do well with electricity." He finished quietly. Harry's eyes widened at the admission.
At their looks of deepened sadness, he felt he needed to make something clear.
"Listen," he said, his voice gaining strength, "I didn't tell you all this to make you feel sorry for me or anything. You trusted me with your story, with everything you guys have been through together; and you have been through some traumatizing stuff. Stuff I can hardly wrap my head around. So, I wanted you to know what I've been through to end up here, as I am. So," he gave them all a tentative smile, "now that we all know each other's tragic backstories… it's kind of funny…"
"Funny?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Yeah. How in the world…? How is it that when I get summoned away from one horrible government scheme, I find people that have magical government problems, along with wizard terrorists. I mean, how?"
Harry gave a huff of laughter, "Well, when you put it that way…"
"It was the stars, mate. The stars went and said 'you know what? This bloke needs more people who have messed up pasts. Let's summon him and see what happens.'"
"Oh, Ron, you wound me. The stars definitely don't sound like that, that would be ridiculous! They would have deep southern American accents, I can feel it in my bones."
They all burst out laughing, and once they had started, they just couldn't stop. Wheezing, with tears still clinging to eyelashes rimming red eyes, they laughed and laughed.
Finally, Hermione pulled them all into a group hug. They reveled in the gentle contact, and the comfort in each other.
Sadly, none of them noticed the dancing fire flash an emerald green for half a heartbeat.
Monday morning broke with some of the last autumn sunshine of the year. Crookshanks was making the most of the golden rays and was stretched luxuriously along the windowsill. Hermione smiled down at her clever companion, putting her school books into her bag to head down to breakfast before classes.
She heaved a sigh, as her thoughts returned to Saturday. It had been an eventful day. The meeting for the Defense group had gone really well, and had shone light on a few issues that she had just… never considered. Then, they had traded stories with Danny.
She, Harry and Ron had told him everything; from the good times to the awful details of what they'd experienced through the years. Danny had reciprocated in kind.
She had suspected that Danny had been through a few rough experiences himself, but she truly couldn't have predicted what he'd gone through.
She chuckled sadly to herself. Danny was right, how funny to have found someone who'd been through enough to match her and her boy's 'trouble magnet' ways.
They had spent all of Sunday on their schoolwork, not speaking about the previous night's conversation, but she knew that something had changed between them. An understanding, a deep connection; she knew they'd all be alright.
Hitching her bag up higher on her shoulder, she made her way to the staircase leading to the common room. Who knew what kind of trouble those three were getting into without her?
Just as she was about to descend, a wailing alarm shredded through the air, and the stairs flattened into a chute. As the wailing stopped, she could hear Ron's colorful curses coming from the common room, along with echoing laughter. She sighed fondly, and jumped down the chute, sliding out into the common room to witness Ron grumbling to himself, and Harry and Danny trying and failing to conceal their laughter. Oddly, Danny was in his ghost form, hovering a few inches above the ground.
"-ione's been in our common room before?"
"Oh, Ron, it's stated in Hogwarts: A History that the founders thought that girls were more trustworthy than boys and so they put in that safety measure on all the girl's dormitories. Why were you trying to get up there, anyway? And Danny, why are you in ghost form?"
"Oh." Danny said, his green blush turning scarlet as he transformed into his human form, "The… alarm?.. startled me a bit, that's all."
"And we wanted to show you something." Harry answered her first question, with no trace of his previous amusement.
They brought her over to the notice board, where she read the new, prominently displayed, sign.
She felt her expression harden as she read over the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four. The implications of Umbridge putting this decree into motion not two days after their Defense group meeting was not lost on her, and neither was it lost on her friends.
"Umbridge knows! Someone must have blabbed to her!" Ron said angrily.
"They can't have done." she replied in a low, sure voice.
"What makes you say that?" Harry asked.
"Because I put a jinx on the parchment we all signed. If anyone who signed their name told Umbridge, they'll be regretting it now and we will know exactly what they've done."
"What'll happen to them?"
"Let's go down to breakfast, and you'll see."
Upon entering the Great Hall, it was apparent to all of them that Umbridge's notice hadn't just been posted to the Gryffindor notice board, but to all of the House common rooms. They were instantly hounded by Fred, George and Ginny, all wondering about the status of their little rebellious club now that Umbridge had apparently taken notice. They assured them that they were still working on a place to hold the meetings, and they would still be having the Defense meetings, no matter what the toad tried.
As more of their group from the other houses began coming towards them for the same reason, she panicked somewhat at them looking too suspicious, so Ginny went off to tell her boyfriend, Michael Corner, and the other Ravenclaws, Ron went to head off Ernie and Hannah and let the Hufflepuffs know, she and Harry told the rest of the Gryffindors as there were so many of them, and Danny left to inform the Slytherins.
She felt awful about it, but she still kept her eye on Danny as he spoke to the four Slytherins. What she saw were a myriad of expressions on the other Slytherins faces, some positive and some negative. She noticed that Malfoy seemed incredibly interested in the fact that Danny was speaking so casually to others in his house, and kept sending strange looks at the the group speaking in low, whispered voices.
She also realized that no one seemed to have triggered her jinx, which meant that the decree was a very weird coincidence, or Umbridge found out about the group form another source.
She thought the latter option was more likely.
Then, thankfully, excitement died down, breakfast was eaten, post was delivered, and they were making their way to History of Magic when Angelina dropped the bomb on Harry and Ron that the Decree had not just meant study clubs were disbanded, but Quidditch teams as well. As she and Danny tried to console the distraught quidditch players, they made it to their classroom, and the lesson began without further incident.
She could only marvel a moment at how much Danny's presence had changed the dynamic of History of Magic, as Professor Binns animatedly told them of the Giant Wars and their gruesome impact on wizarding history. Which was all well and good for their retention of the information, but made it a bit more difficult to alert Harry to the next incident of the day.
Hedwig was perched outside of the classroom window, a letter tied to her leg. She kept prodding Harry in his side until finally, he looked around at her directly, a questioning and disgruntled look on his face. She pointed towards the window, where his owl sat, and watched with trepidation as Harry skillfully went to fetch her as Professor Binns' back was turned.
Thankfully no one snitched on him as he sat back down, Hedwig safely in his lap. Up close, the snowy owl looked simply awful; feathers ruffled and standing on end, and her wing held at an awkward angle.
"She's hurt…" Harry breathed in alarmed panic, "Her wing…"
She couldn't blame him; Hedwig was likely as close to Harry as Crookshanks was to her and Pigwidgeon was to Ron. A familiar was as close as family; it was why Ron was hurt so much by Scabbers' supposed death and betrayal.
"Professor Binns!" Harry stood quickly, hiding Hedwig behind his back. "I don't feel well. I think I need to see Madame Pomfrey."
"Don't feel well?" Professor Binns had stopped midway through a rousing tale of war and bloodshed.
"Not at all." Harry said firmly.
"Well… alright. Just be sure to…"
"Thank you Professor!" And Harry was out the door without even collecting his school things.
The class was left in surprised silence for but a second before the next event of the morning materialized before them. Sighing internally as Peeves materialized, cackling down at them all. She decided that Monday mornings were now her least favorite mornings, despite it being the return to the classes that she loved.
"Why Binns, boring the students into being so sick they throw their brains in a bin? Why not just throw the information at them? They'll remember it all much faster!" Peeves zoomed through the air, hurling heavy textbooks down on all their heads. The students took cover under their desks, as Professor Binns tried to tell Peeves off. All but one student, that is.
"So, you're this Peeves I've heard so much about?" Danny's voice halted all movement within the classroom, Peeves looking like he'd been frozen midair.
"Oh." Was all the poltergeist said, before he tried to bolt through the wall. Danny was much too fast for him though. A flash of light and a whoosh of air later and Danny was holding tightly onto Peeves' wrist in midair, his green eyes bright.
"Professor? Would you mind if I had a quick word with Peeves? It won't take long."
"By all means, Sir Phantom, by all means." Binns said with a smile on his face.
As Danny dragged a panicked looking Peeves through the wall and out into the corridor, she realized that the rest of the class, barring Ron, had looks of shock on their faces.
"Blimey…" Dean breathed in awe. "So that's what he looks like as a ghost? I'd heard about it, but to actually see him change, and fly, and grab Peeves…"
"But his eyes" Lavender dithered, "His eyes were the same green as…"
"That is because of the unique way in which Phantom came to be, Mrs. Brown." Professor Binns interrupted suddenly.
The class stared at him, realizing as one just what it meant that both their Professor and their fellow classmate were ghosts.
"But why does he look so different from you and the other ghosts of Hogwarts? Is it because Danny is still half human?" Seamus asked boldly, the class more attentive than ever as they awaited the answer.
"While Sir Phantom is indeed different to all ghosts due to his unique status as a hybrid, he is quite similar to other muggle ghosts who are denizens of the inner-dimension called the Infinite Realms. Now, muggle ghosts are exceptionally rare in the first place, due to there needing to be a deep seated, emotional reason for them to remain on this plane, as well as a supply of ambient ectoplasm, which is provided to the world through weak spots between our dimension and the Realms. If these two conditions are met when one encounters death, then a ghost, much like our Sir Phantom, is formed."
"So, all these muggle ghosts, they're solid, have color and powers like Danny?" Parvati asked incredulously. "Then why don't wizarding ghosts form near this ambient ectoplasm, then?"
"Ah, well therein lies the difference between our magic and the power of the Realms. You see, ectoplasm and dimensional energy are naturally resistant to magic, which is why summoning rituals rarely ever work, as most of the beings that are being summoned are within a different dimension, and magic can't break that barrier without dire consequences. It is also why natural portals, and ambient ectoplasm are never found around witches or wizards, especially not a highly magically concentrated area such as this." He said in his reedy, echoing voice as he gestured at the classroom and at the grounds outside.
"Then how are wizarding ghosts formed if there's no ectoplasm around, and no way into the Infinite Realms?" Ron asked shrewdly. She was just wondering the same.
Binns took an unneeded breath and hummed before he continued. "Now that is a bit more involved than you would think, since, as you say, ectoplasm and the Realms are unavailable to one with magic upon their death. The best theory as of right now, is that when a witch or wizard has coherent thought just before death, they can choose to use their magic, all of the magic they possess, to tear a tiny, infinitesimal hole through the dimensional barrier to gain enough dimensional energy and ectoplasm to regain their form and consciousness, but nothing more. We are but mere shades of who we once were in life, and without magic, cannot move on until we find the peace we were seeking upon our death. Many never find it."
The class fell silent at the morbid explanation. That is, until they heard a bout of echoing laughter out in the corridor that pulled the class's minds away from the dreary topic.
"But then, how does Peeves touch and move things?" Neville voiced the sudden question on all their minds.
"Peeves is a poltergeist," Binns said, "He was not born from the passing of a human soul, but created magically through the coalition of chaos and disruption that are common occurrences when so many young witches and wizards are brought together in one place."
"Wait. There are ghosts that are not created from human souls?" Seamus asked confused.
"Yep!" Danny's echoing voice, and sudden reappearance, caused a few of her classmates to jump. "A lot of my friends and allies in the Realm were created by the Realm itself, and then grew into family, or city units by themselves. Actually, a lot of the enemies I've fought are the same, they just live by themselves because they're mean, or antisocial." Danny gently landed in his seat again and transformed into his human form with a flash of silver light.
After blinking to get rid of the spots in his eyes from Danny's bright transformation, Neville asked excitedly, "You have friends in this Infinite Realms place? What are they like?"
But before Danny could answer, the bell signaling the end of the lesson rang, and they packed their things up, ready to head out into the chilly courtyard for morning break.
She remembered to grab Harry's things, her mind still buzzing with the new information of ghosts and death.
They made their way to an alcove in the corner of the courtyard to wait for Harry. Danny finished telling them how he'd told Peeves off for hurting students and giving him tips on how to prank people properly, (she had a tinge of fear run down her neck at the mischievous look in Danny's eyes as he said this), and then asked what was up with Harry and his owl.
"I think…" she said lowly, after she had explained how hurt Hedwig was, "that someone might have attacked Hedwig to read Harry's letter."
Danny's eyes widened with surprise, as Ron nodded in agreement. Before anything else could be said, Harry came jogging up to them, thanking her as she passed him his school bag.
"How's Hedwig?" She asked worriedly.
"Who did you leave her with?" Ron asked as well.
"I left her with Grubbly-Plank, and she said she'd be fine. But look at this…" Harry held out the parchment that was undoubtedly the message Hedwig had been carrying.
"Tonight. Same place, same time." Danny whispered aloud, "What does that mean?"
"It means Snuffles wants to talk to us tonight." Harry said, giving Hermione and Ron significant looks that they understood instantly.
"Snuffles?" Danny echoed confused.
"Snuffles is the nickname we gave Harry's… dog… friend…" She said in a halting whisper, not sure how to explain Sirius' code name while they were out in the open like this. But Danny seemed to understand, as comprehension lit his face.
"Ah. Okay."
She turned back to Harry to tell him her suspicions of what happened to Hedwig. He told them that Professor McGonagall had said something similar, cementing her worry.
Before much else could be said they were headed down to the dungeons for Potions, minds full of venom for the pink clad toad, who was undoubtedly the one who authorized an attack on Hedwig.
"Wait a minute. You think Umbridge will be evaluating lessons again, now that she has the heart to put out decrees, read our post, and destroy quidditch teams?" Ron asked as they descended the chilly stone stairs.
"Don't jinx it Ron." Harry groaned, "Danny being summoned has put her off so well, that she hasn't given me any detentions since the first week."
"I live to please. Or die to please. Whatever is more pleasing to you." Danny said deadpan, causing all of them to start laughing.
"And what are you lot laughing about?" Malfoy's voice was instantly recognizable, but the tone was different than the usual disdainful drawl. It held a genuine interest that she had never heard before.
"I was just making a joke about my half death. It sounds morbid, but I make it funny."
"If you say so." Malfoy said, trying to regain his usual swagger, but something about Danny just seemed to derail the Slytherin's efforts.
"Wait, Draco, I have a question for you, and I've been dying to know." Danny quirked the corner of his mouth in an effort not to smile. Harry and Ron were already sniggering to themselves, and she happened to catch Daphne and Tracy's eye as they all waited for Potions to begin. She gave them a small smile and wave, which they returned.
"What's your question then, f- Fenton?"
"Well, you said that your Mom's side of the family have the tradition to name their first born kids after constellations, and I was wondering what her name was?" Danny's voice had taken on that starstruck and excited tone he got when it came to anything to do with the night sky.
"Oh" Malfoy seemed to, again, be caught off-guard by Danny's question… or his enthusiasm, she couldn't tell.
"My mother's name is Narcissa, since she was the youngest child in her family, but my Aunt is called Andromeda." Malfoy answered slowly. At Danny's awestruck look he looked marginally pleased with himself, but then he looked around at the watching crowd of Slytherins and Gryffindors. Realizing they had an audience, Malfoy flushed and turned quickly away from Danny and stalked towards the Potions classroom door.
"Not like it's important what her name is. She isn't considered my Aunt anymore since she married a Mud… Muggleborn." Malfoy crowed haltingly over his shoulder.
"Aw, Andromeda is such a cool name, too." Danny bemoaned, causing her, Harry and Ron to chuckle at Danny's antics once again.
"What constellation is Andromeda, Danny? What does it mean?" Neville asked as he walked up.
She smiled as Danny lit up at the question and began his tale. Neville had gravitated towards Danny more and more ever since Danny had begun sitting with him during potions. From what she understood, Danny had seen how Snape treated Neville, and so began sitting next to him and deflecting a lot of Snape's attention onto himself. (She also remembers the look of awe and understanding on Neville's face as Danny described Potions as making soup out of the herbs and plants they learned about in Herbology.) Neville had been doing much better in Potions, lately.
"-then she was chained to the stone on the middle of sea, and Perseus came and saved her by defeating the sea monster, Cetus."
"Wow!"
"Just how much do you know about the stars, Danny?"
"Clearly, Mr. Fenton puts at least some effort into his academics, Mr. Weasley. Now, inside, all of you."
Snape had come out of his classroom at last, and they were silenced as they passed through the door. As she took her place beside Harry and Ron at the back of the classroom, Snape spoke again in a dispassionate voice.
"You will all notice, that we have a guest with us today."
And so they did; Umbridge sat in the shadowed corner of the classroom, her dratted clipboard held steady on her knee.
"You jinxed it, Ron."
"Ugh, my bad."
Ron and Harry's whispered voices brought on a grin that she viciously fought to keep off her face, as Umbridge eyed Danny as he sat next to Neville and set up his cauldron.
As they continued on their Strengthening Solutions from the week before, Umbridge just sat in her corner and took notes. Finally, the toad rose and began making her way to Snape.
She quickly stopped Harry from adding too much salamander blood as he was paying too much attention to the showdown between his least favorite Professors.
"Well, Professor Snape, the class seems fairly advanced for their level, despite some… setbacks." She said as she sent a furtive glance to Danny, who Hermione knew for a fact, could hear her perfectly well due to his enhanced hearing.
"Although, I question whether or not it is advisable to teach them something like the Strengthening Solution. I believe the Ministry would prefer if it were removed from the syllabus."
Snape turned to her slowly, expression stonily blank.
"Now… How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" She asked sweetly, quill poised over her clipboard.
"Fourteen years." Snape replied quietly, without emotion.
"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, correct?" The toad continued ruthlessly. (She almost felt sorry for Snape. Almost.)
"Yes."
"But you were unsuccessful?"
"Obviously." An edge of danger entered Snape's tone.
"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"
"Yes." She didn't need Danny's empathy to feel the waves of rage radiating off of the Potions Professor.
"Do you have any idea why the Headmaster has consistently refused to appoint you?" Umbridge asked.
"I suggest you ask him." Came the jerky reply. The class was silent. Nothing but the bubbling solutions in their cauldrons broke their concentration on the current battle of wills; one which, unfortunately, the toad seemed to be winning.
"Oh, I shall." Umbridge smiled widely.
"And may I ask why this is relevant?"
"Well, you see Professor Snape, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of a Professor's -background- to make a proper assessment-"
"How does you knowing Professor Snape's background help you make a teaching evaluation?" Danny's voice rang out as he abruptly cut off Umbridge's smug voice.
All focus shifted to Danny, but he didn't let his attention waver from Umbridge's incredulous gaze.
"What are yo-"
"I mean, I thought you were a teacher here and some high level government official? I'm just not seeing the connection between Professor Snape's background and his ability to teach?"
"You- half- F- Fenton…"
"I'm sorry Professor Umbridge, I didn't mean to put you on the spot, I'm just curious. I'm not all that knowledgeable of the magical government, you see; but I have extensive experience with parts of the American government, and I'm wondering how they're different."
Umbridge seemed to be too stunned to speak, and Snape seemed to be regarding Danny with a gleam in his eye, while she and the rest of the class were gobsmacked and disbelieving.
"Well first, Professor Snape," Danny finally broke eye contact with Umbridge, "to have applied for two teaching positions, you must have a Mastery in both subjects, right?"
After pausing to give Danny a calculating look, Snape replied, "That is correct."
"Very impressive, Sir! Professor Sinistra was telling me all about what's required to be granted a Mastery, so that is really cool! And you Professor Umbridge!"
Danny turned his unusually chilling blue gaze back to the frozen toad.
"You've climbed the corporate ladder to reach such a high and demanding position within your Government, all while completing a Mastery in Defense Against the Dark Arts as well! Incredible! How did you do it?"
Umbridge seemed to choke on her tongue, as the class turned it's attention solely on her.
"I did-" It seemed to physically hurt Umbridge to speak, "I don't have a… Mastery…"
"Oh. Then why are you working as a teacher here, Mrs. Umbridge?"
She gasped. She couldn't help it, but she wasn't the only one when Danny continued.
"I don't mean to be rude, but it seems a little irresponsible for this Ministry of Magic to appoint someone who doesn't have the proper qualifications to teach something as complicated and demanding as protecting yourself with magic."
The shock that pervaded the classroom could have frozen the potions that were steadily losing their potency as they watched. Danny had struck at the toad's heart; her pride in her power and position.
Umbridge seemed to be unable to string two words together in her rage, gaping and glaring daggers at Danny.
"You will address me as Professor." Umbridge finally managed, trying to regain control of the situation as the class' shock morphed into glee.
"But you haven't earned it? I mean, I'm technically a Prince, but I'm not making you bow down to me and proclaim your eternal thankfulness for being in my mere presence, or make you call me Sir, or Sire, or Your Highness, or-"
"ENOUGH!" Umbridge was apoplectic with rage, face blotchy red and heaving gasps.
She didn't know who did it, she didn't truly care, but she will forever be thankful to the person who snorted with laughter. At the situation, at Danny's carefully innocent look, or at the look on Umbridge's face; whatever set them off, it broke the entire dungeon into laughter that left them breathless and with aching sides.
Snape didn't move to quiet them, even when Crabbe laughed so hard he knocked his mortar and pestle to the ground, his partially crushed griffin claw powdering the ground. She even thought she saw a muscle twitch in Snape's cheek, but a moment later she was sure she'd imagined it, as she leaned on Ron to support herself as she wheezed.
Umbridge was beside herself, shouting at the top of her lungs to regain some semblance of control, but they were all beyond reasoning.
They almost didn't hear the bell that signaled the end of class, but Professor Snape did, and he quieted the class in a heartbeat with a mere look.
"The class is over. Put portions of your potion in a flask and leave them on my desk for an extra credit assignment. And now… Mrs. Umbridge, I believe your job in assessing my teaching aptitude is complete. If you will leave my classroom." He gestured to the door, and Umbridge stood open mouthed before him, unable to speak. Finally, she stomped to the door, glaring venomously at Danny as she left.
"Clean up your potions supplies, then you are all dismissed. Mr. Fenton," the class paused, holding it's breath, "this Strengthening Solution is very well brewed, 5 points to Gryffindor. Now all of you get going before you're late for your next lesson."
They cleaned, and packed, and left the dungeon classroom with bright smiles and a legendary story to tell.
By the end of the day, Danny was revered by the entire school, and no one was calling Umbridge 'Professor' anymore.
Well... I'm noticing that my chapters keep getting longer and longer, huh? Ah well, if it gets longer it gets longer I guess.
Anyway, my poor children share traumas, and then Danny brings out his Slytherin side and crushes Umbridge under his heel, like she deserves.
I know this is kind of a filler chapter with a lot of exposition and lore, but the story continues next chapter, so stay tuned!
Thank you for reading!