For the next few weeks, Danny split his time between keeping his cover with Voldemort and his Death Eaters, being a prominent face at Hogwarts openly defying the Carrows and occasionally visiting home to check in with the Ghost Zone and his family. The visits were worth it to see the Dursleys struggling to be civil around the Fentons. The pompous family were the exact opposite of Danny's family. While at Hogwarts, Danny maintained his friendships with Peeves and Grawp and when he visited Malfoy Mansion, he made sure to spend some time with Draco and often Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy too.
Snape was having a lot of trouble maintaining control over the school though. He was forced to reinstate rules Umbridge had used during her stay in an attempt to control Dumbledore's Army. But Danny could understand. The more the students rebelled the more danger they put themselves in. This wasn't like with Umbridge. If they rebelled back then and got caught, the worst that could happen was they got detention or expelled. But now, with the Carrows eager to punish and Voldemort in power, displeasing them could result in loved ones being killed, or the students themselves being arrested to control other family members and other horrible consequences.
It wasn't until Christmas Eve, which Danny spent at Malfoy Mansion to maintain cover that anything happened. Voldemort arrived at the mansion in a terrible mood.
"My lord, what's wrong?" Bellatrix ventured fearfully. Draco was cowering beside his mother and Lucius kept a wary hand on his wife's shoulder. Danny watched quietly in the corner. Finally, being a spy might pay off. Voldemort paced angrily, his pet snake Nagini had curled itself up in front of the fire. It was covered in scratches. Obviously something had happened involving the snake. Bellatrix glanced nervously at her sister.
"M-my lord. Do you require anything?" Bellatrix asked carefully. Voldemort spared the witch a glance before returning to his pacing. Danny sighed softly. If he wanted to get anything out of Voldemort that could be any way valuable for the order, he'd have to speak up. He considered a better way to approach the wizard than Bellatrix's current one.
"My lord? Is your snake injured? I could check it for you while you figure out your next move," Danny offered carefully. Voldemort paused in his infuriated pacing and turned to Danny. Suddenly Voldemort made a number of hissing sounds which the snake responded to in kind.
"Thank you Fenton. Nagini tells me that there might be some glass caught in some of her wounds," Voldemort muttered. Danny gave a quick bow and left the room briefly to get some water, rags and found some tweezers. He returned to the living room.
"I don't know many healing spells but when I was young I did see some muggle healing techniques. With your permission, my lord, may I administer that?" Danny informed the room. Voldemort's red eyes narrowed before dipping his head slightly. Danny knelt down beside the large snake and set down the things he gathered.
Danny carefully reached out a hand to the snake and gently touched it. The snake lifted its head and flicked its tongue at him. Danny gulped nervously. He was really starting to regret offering this. This snake was exceptionally venomous and dangerous.
"Uh, my lord, does your snake understand English? In case I need her to move," Danny called carefully, recalling that Voldemort called the snake a her. Voldemort paused in his pacing again and turned to Danny.
"I believe she will understand you if you ask her to move," Voldemort retorted, but Danny could tell that the wizard was starting to calm down. Danny flashed the wizard a quick grateful smile and surveyed the snake's body. He gently caressed a small wound and quickly scanned the room and shuffled closer to the snake and picked up the tweezers.
He wasn't going to be able to surgically remove the glass. He'd probably make it a hundred times worse. So, to get in Voldemort's good books and hopefully get the wizard to open up on what happened, he'd have to use his intangibility. Making sure he used his body to hide what he was doing from everyone and blocking his mind from Voldemort he pressed the tweezers into the snake's wound and pressed down ever so slightly. Enough to cause discomfort which caused the snake to hiss angrily. He quickly turned the wound intangible and the glass fell out. Danny then plucked it up off the carpet with the tweezers. He plastered a nervous grin on his face and showed the glass fragment to Voldemort.
"Got it," he announced before placing the glass on a rag beside him.
Voldemort blinked in surprise and gave a curt nod in thanks as he started pacing again. Danny gave a small sigh in relief and proceeded to resume removing the glass out of the snake. After ten minutes and fifteen shards later.
"My lord, if I may, how did she get so injured? Some of these cuts are pretty deep. And this shard is massive," Danny ventured, breaking the tense silence in between the snake's displeased hisses and Voldemort's robe sweeping across the ground. Danny held up the largest shard he had removed from the snake for all to see. Voldemort paused and turned to Danny.
"Potter got away," Voldemort growled. Danny nearly dropped the glass shard in his shock.
"Potter? You found Potter my lord?" Danny exclaimed in surprise. Voldemort snarled softly before striding a little closer to Danny. Bellatrix and the Malfoys kept completely silent.
"Is that surprising to you Fenton?" Voldemort whispered dangerously. Danny immediately shook his head.
"Of course not my lord. You are an exceptionally powerful and gifted wizard. Against a barely of-age teenager that hasn't even completed their education. It was just a surprise that he would do this. He never struck me as an aggressive person," Danny assured, knowing that making Harry seem "not so bad" he was putting himself in danger of angering Voldemort.
Voldemort scowled at Danny before turning to his snake.
"I set a trap. Nagini took the place of Bathilda Bagshot. I knew that Potter would visit Godric's Hollow sooner or later as it was where he was born. She alerted me when Potter arrived. Unfortunately that mudblood was there and intervened. They destroyed a window and the glass hit Nagini," Voldemort explained. Danny was silent. He wasn't sure what to say next. To congratulate Voldemort on the trap might anger the man as it failed. But to not remark, Voldemort might take it the wrong way. Honestly, Danny was relieved. Voldemort didn't catch Harry and this was the first sighting of Harry since he infiltrated the Ministry and stole Umbridge's necklace. Some of the order were getting worried about the lack of sightings.
"I'm sure, next time, Potter won't escape my lord. Especially if we plan for mudbloods helping him," Danny replied carefully. Voldemort sniffed unimpressed and returned to his pacing. Danny resumed treating the snake's many wounds, secretly using his ghost powers to prevent further damage. He then soaked a rag in alcohol and salted water and cleaned each wound thoroughly. He then wrapped the larger wounds with clean bandages. Once finished, he carefully stood up, collected everything he used and backed away from the peeved snake. He was surprised that it hadn't tried to bite him, but grateful. Exceptionally grateful. He'd felt that snake's bite once already, he'd rather not feel it again if he could help it.
The next day, Danny teleported to Shell Cottage. He usually reported to either Shell Cottage or Tonks' parents' place. The Burrow was under almost constant watch and he'd rather avoid a fight or explanations where possible. He blinked in shock when he knocked on the door and found Ron Weasley. He looked equally surprised.
"Danny? What are you doing here?" Ron asked.
"I could ask the same thing Ron. I… I was coming here to check on Bill and Fleur. I try to keep up with everyone in the order. Are Harry and Hermione here too?" Danny retorted, thinking of a quick lie, thankfully still in his ghost form. Ron's surprised expression faded instantly and he became despondent.
"No. We… we had an argument and in the heat of the moment. I, well I left. I couldn't find them afterwards. So… so I came here," Ron admitted sadly. Danny blinked.
"Must have been some argument," he remarked. He knew Ron, Harry and Hermione were very close friends and a normal argument wouldn't have been enough to make Ron walk out on them.
"It was hard. Everything was tense and horrible. Living on the run isn't fun. And we'd all had a bad day," Ron explained but Danny got the feeling that the wizard was leaving something out. He nodded slowly.
"If you'd like, I could keep an eye out for them and say that you're sorry," Danny offered softly. Ron shrugged and motioned for the halfa to follow him inside. Fleur was busy in the kitchen cooking dinner.
"Phantom, good to see you. Been a while. Since the radio thing right?" Bill greeted him. Danny smiled.
"I'll be in my room. Don't mind me," Ron muttered and left, moments later they heard a door shut and soft static from a radio.
"Ever since I told him about Potterwatch, he's been obsessed with that radio," Bill mumbled sadly.
"He's worried. But uh, I actually have some news on Harry and Hermione. Last night the mouldy lord himself had an encounter with them," Danny began softly. Bill and Fleur turned to the halfa.
"What? They're okay right?" Fleur exclaimed fearfully. Danny sighed.
"They got away. No-nose was furious. And his snake was injured. Whatever happened, it was a fight. I doubt if they were badly injured that red eyes would be so angry," Danny assured. They were silent for a few seconds as they fell into their thoughts.
"Bill! Fleur! I gotta go! Thanks for everything!" Ron suddenly bellowed and the front door slammed. Bill blinked.
"Do you think he heard us?" Bill wondered worriedly. Danny frowned.
"I'd think he'd ask questions than run out. Maybe he just realised something," Danny decided.
"Well… it seems I've cooked too much for just me and Bill. Danny, would you like to stay for dinner today?" Fleur commented. Danny smirked and offered her a slight shrug. It would be nice to spend some time with people other than the Malfoys and Peeves.
A few more special taboo names. And a Harry sighting!
Let me know what you guys think so far.
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Until the next chapter.
