Just so you know, Haitus is now over.
"Uh... how long have you been stood there?"
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"Long enough to hear the comment about not wanting to lie." Hermione answered, looking suspiciously him as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at his feet.
"What was that all about, Danny?" Harry asked, trying to break the silence and causing the hunter teen to jump slightly and bring his arm back down to his side as he answered, "Nick and the Baron just wanted to talk to me and Phantom. That's all."
"So what was that light then?" Hermione asked, looking around him as he made to move back slightly and shook his head, saying, "What light?"
"You sure you're not seeing things, Hermione?" Colin asked, standing on his toes and peeking over Ron's shoulder and at the hunter in front of them all, "I saw no light from there."
"The light you saw was from the Thermos, Hermione. Nothing more, nothing less." Danny said, eyes flashing as he crossed his arms and stared at the students as they shuffled about and looked at each other.
"Can we sort it all out later, guys? We're late for meeting the others." Ron stated, looking at the boy in front of them and sensing the tension around them as Harry nodded and checked the map that had fallen to his side at the sight of Danny. On the face of the map was a group of dots and it was approaching fast, too fast for the large group of Gryffindors to do anything about as Harry cursed under his breath and looked at Hermione and Ron and shook his head, before muttering, "Mischief Managed."
"What's going on, Harry?" Seamus asked, looking at him as he looked to the parchment in his hand and turned to Danny and saying, "Did your parents ever invent anything to cover a large group of people at the same time, Danny?"
"If they did, they've probably taken it with them. And it's a long flight to Amity even if they didn't take one." Danny answered, scrunching his face up and shaking his head as they all heard voices coming towards the corridor. Shaking his head, Danny raised an eyebrow as Harry said, "You don't want to know who it is, Danny. Seriously."
"I don't think I even have to, dude. I think I already know who it might be." Danny said, looking unimpressed as he crossed his arms and sighed.
"Really? Who?"
In answer to the question, Umbridge's voice sounded from just down the corner and Harry looked at Danny as he scowled and crossed his arms and saying, "Oh, for the love of the Ghost Zone and everyone who lives there."
"Hem hem?" came the girly cough that had everyone's hackles rising up as they turned as one and saw the plump little witch dressed in bright pink robes and smiling sickly sweet at them all. Giving a little cough, Harry tried to stuff the parchment into his pocket and hide it away. His actions weren't quick enough as Umbridge spotted him doing just that and snatched it out of his hand, holding it aloft and saying, "Well well well. And what is this, Mister Potter?"
"It's just a spare bit of parchment, Professor." Harry lied, trying to get it back as Danny pushed his way to the front and stopped dead, biting his lip.
"I'll have to make sure of that, Potter. After all, little children aren't allowed after curfew." Came the response as Umbridge glanced at the thick paper and back at Harry as Danny growled softly. Looking at him, she smiled sweetly and added, "And the same goes for little children who think that they can come and play hunting games in my school."
Trying not to gag, Danny felt his eyes begin to glow green as he scowled and said, "They were showing me around, lady. There was no need to get hostile, whatsoever."
"Just showing you around were they?" Umbridge repeated, looking at the large group before her and back to him as he nodded, "Well, may I ask where you were going?"
"To the trophy room. We'd agreed with Dumbledore when we met Danny here." Hermione chimed in, catching on as she looked at the boy in the front and smiling a little as Umbridge looked at the pair of them and looked like she wasn't about to back down any time soon.
"And this tour requires such a large group of Gryffindors, does it?"
"We thought that it would be a good idea at the time, yeah." Danny answered, looking at Harry nodding with them both as he caught the drift on, Ron doing the same a minute later.
"And yet with this young man being from out of town and not of our world, Dumbledore thought that it would be a good idea to bring him to a place that he had no idea of. That is reckless and worthy of imprisonment in Azkaban. Wait until Cornelius hears about this." Umbridge said, smirking triumphantly as she made to grab hold of Danny's arm and drag him away from the group, the boy yelling out in surprise as she grabbed a part of his arm that was sore.
"Watch it, lady. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I signed up for this job in the first place." He growled, ripping his arm out of her grasp and spinning around and under her arm, pinning it behind her back and positioning himself behind her right ear so he could whisper softly in it. He didn't do that as he turned her around and pushed her forwards and let go of her arm, crossing his as she turned to face him and the gobsmacked Gryffindors as they all stared at him.
"Just be glad that that was gentle, professor." He stated, a hint of an echo in his voice as Harry cleared his throat and caught his attention, saying, "We should continue with the tour. Come on, Danny."
Turning away from the teacher, Danny huffed and blew some of his locks out of his eyes and smiled slightly, saying, "I now see why you hate her."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione and Ginny asked, looking at him as he shook his head and answered, "Phantom told me about earlier. About him getting caught in some kind of ropey spell. That's why he was pissed off when you and Harry walked in on him and the other two when they were talking."
"I never saw Umbridge get so flustered about us being out before curfew though." a second year piped up, his brother, Colin Creevey, nodded as Danny looked at them all and pulling a face.
"What was the armlock for though, Danny? It was really unnecessary of you to do that." Hermione commented, looking at him as his smirk turned into a grin that kept on growing large until he shook his head and answered, "You try living in Amity Park with a seriously crazed up fruitloop as mayor and ghosts who try to make your life hell every day. Let's just say that I had to learn self-defence and have done with it, shall we?"
"Now that you put it like that. But it isn't over for earlier" Harry began before he was interrupted by Danny as he added, "Besides. I wouldn't have been able to get this 'spare bit of parchment', would I?" as he held a certain wad of writing material aloft and smiling wickedly.
"How did you do that?" Seamus asked, looking at him as he showed the map to everyone in the group as he stared once more. Tapping his nose, Danny stuck his hands in his pockets and began walking again as he said, "That would be telling."
"In other words, he pick pocketed from the Toad." Dean supplied, noticing the blankness the conversation held. Smirking as the Wizards caught on, Danny handed over the map to Harry who took it with a shake of his head and smile.
"Next stop, the DA." Ron told them as they all walked down the hallway and started laughing, Harry muttering the incantation and taking the lead again.
"Why did you say those things? You talked about us as if you were something else." Hermione said, walking alongside her friends and the Ghost Hunter and not noticing the group looking at each other and whispering under their breaths as Danny rolled his eyes and looked at her evenly, his eyes flickering with an unknown emotion.
"I never mentioned you guys. I should have been speaking another language but most of the time I'm rusty." Danny said, looking down and to the right as he added, "Besides, I was talking about Amity Park," looking up, he stated, "Not Hogwarts. There's something about here that makes me want to stay. And I'm not talking about the ghost's. There's just something about the general feel."
"Like you want to stay?" Harry muttered, earning himself looks from the Gryffindors and their guest as the latter looked surprised and nodded, answering, "Yeah. You get it too, huh?"
"Yep." Harry nodded
"There's also that sense of safety. Especially around you, Danny." Padma added, smiling gently as she pushed her way to the front. Blushing, Danny hunched into himself as Hermione laughed and nodded, the rest of the Gryffindors agreeing audibly as a few others nodded silently whilst Danny walked in silence, smiling unknown to any of the students.
'Of course you'd get that sense of safety around me. It's part of my obsession.' he thought to himself as they caught sight of a larger group of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs waiting by a blank space in the wall.
"Harry! What took so long, mate? And is that a muggle with you?" A hufflepuff shouted, greeting them as they approached.
"Shut up, Zacharias. He'll no doubt be watching us as we practice. Plus, he's the Ghost Hunter who's been sent for to deal with Peeves." Someone said, hushing the first student as they approached
"We ready to go inside?" Hermione asked, looking at Danny as she added, "You can watch or read the books inside, Danny."
"It's probably best if I watch. I probably wouldn't be able to understand half of what's going on anyway." he answered, looking straight at her as she nodded and opened the door, ushering them all inside and softly shutting the door as Danny stared awed at the room inside.
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And I think that's a good ending. Don't you? If not, then let us know and I'll see what I can do about it.
As I said before, I would be back as soon as I possibly could, and yet, here I am. I'm now at college and am doing my GCSE's in English so my writing will get better in time. Also, I've been thinking of doing a slight rewrite of Avengers Ghostly Helper. I went through it a while ago and I thought that it was so simple to begin with, that it needed a little revamp and editing. If you think that this is a good idea, then please let me know.
Anyway, until next time,
Hermione Jean Burton xxx
