----

A/N: This chapter was a bit of a snapshot chapter, with bits and pieces of October interjected so that the plot could continue smoothly after all the little plot pieces were arranged. The next chapter will have more on the classes and the Professors – this chapter was for the DA start and for defining Danny's relationships. It's choppy and a little shorter, and I, once more, am dissatisfied. However, you guys have earned the next chapter, so here it is. If there's anything wrong with this chapter, again, LET ME KNOW! If there's a consistency mix-up TELL ME. I need the criticism. Seriously.

Also, this chapter is set in October, just in case anyone gets confused! I'm planning to do a flashback to the first DA meeting in the next chapter, so everyone gets to see Harry and Danny in the same vicinity. –grins and waves a flag– Woot!

A few Thank Yous:

Quacked Lurker: You made me happier than a clam in high water. Thank you SO much for the deliciously long review!

For the Rest: Reading my fic with such enthusiasm makes these chapters possible – it wouldn't be here without you! Thank you for aiding my apparent insanity.

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Phasmatis Cruor

Chapter Six: A Study of Revenge

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Nighttime had settled in rather comfortably, stars glittering in the cloud free sky. The Forbidden Forest was stirring and growling with various animal noises, and it made the setting around Hogwarts more than unusual (if it wasn't odd enough already).

To Albus Dumbledore, this was a completely normal night. The only thing bothering him was an enigma from a surprising source.

Their atypical ally, Danny Phantom, had moved in well enough and was acting the guard very diligently – checking in with him about anything he found unusual. So far, it had been surprisingly quiet.

Obviously, this made Albus more than suspicious.

Fudge was almost telegraphing his political movements by now, and Dolores Umbridge came as no surprise to the wizened wizard. He only hoped Harry would fare better than he had been so far – an unlikely event, he thought.

It was true, however, that he had been avoiding the boy. An unexpectedly childish move on his part, he thought tiredly, but sadly necessary. The question that had haunted him since the day he heard of the Potter's demise rose to the surface once more.

Would he be able to tell him the truth?

"You wanted to speak to me Albus?" Severus spoke, his voice the usual temperature of liquid ice, breaking Albus' disturbed silence.

Albus turned to him and nodded, smiling. "Yes – you mentioned you had interesting news about young Daniel Fenton. I trust he is getting along with everything? Minerva mentioned he still had trouble controlling his magic."

Severus merely nodded. "In a manner," he said evasively. "I had purposely not said anything on this matter, since I wanted to investigate myself. But unfortunately, I have not concluded anything."

Albus had the vague feeling that Severus was frustrated. He said nothing.

"The boy…can Occlude. In fact," Severus continued, looking harshly out the window, "I believe he is the best Occlumens I have ever encountered. And since he seems to know nothing about Legilimency or Occlumency, I have not been able to gather how he seems to be so well trained."

Oh yes, Albus thought with a little amusement. Severus was most certainly frustrated. "I know," he said finally. "When we first met, I sensed it. His two friends as well – the three of them seem to be hiding something rather important. Although Miss Manson and Mr. Foley seem to have no Occlumental talent at all, there is a section of their minds which seems to be heavily – albeit chaotically – shielded."

Severus looked to him sharply. "Do you not find this disturbing?" he asked, his voice as close to incredulous as he could manage it. "Where could he have learned such talents – I was under the impression that he was muggleborn?"

Albus reviewed the boy's face in his mind and wondered where on earth he had seen it before. "All evidence suggests he is in fact muggleborn," he confirmed, though a single, lingering doubt rang through his head. "But it is possible he was adopted."

Severus took this as a reassuring bit of information. "It's still highly unusual," he said. "We will watch him closely." It wasn't a question, but with the way Severus wove his words, it acted as such.

Albus nodded, in confirmation as well as dismissal. Severus took the subtle hint and nodded back, adjourning himself.

When he sat down, Albus frowned deeply. Young Daniel was a very surprising enigma. He closed his eyes and searched his memory to find the boy's face – he was certain he had seen it somewhere before.

It bothered him, much later, when he realized exactly who Daniel Fenton resembled so closely.

---

Danny had taken a deep breath before following a very nervous Harper into the Slytherin common room.

He had been expecting some sort of ambush – but that was mostly his paranoia talking.

"Fenton," Harper muttered under his breath after he had spoken with a nearby Prefect. "You're with Nott, Zabini, and Vaisey. I'm in the room two doors down from you," he added, sounding as if he felt sorry for Danny. It wasn't the most comforting thought.

"Ah, you again," came a voice Danny recognized from earlier. "I promised you a chat, didn't I?"

Malfoy was smirking at him, and behind him stood two boys who looked like they could bend Dash into odd shapes. Danny looked directly at him and frowned slightly.

"Perhaps," the blonde continued, completely ignoring Harper with a disdain that made Danny's shoulder-angel bristle. "We have gotten off on the wrong foot. Allow me to introduce myself."

He held out a hand. Danny felt uneasy just looking at his eyes – they reminded him of Vlad Masters for some very disturbing reason. Feeling like he was handing himself over to a large man-eating creature, Danny took the hand gingerly, but firmly.

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Danny's brain skipped a beat, and he suddenly wondered where his owl was. He couldn't quite hide his surprise before quickly responding. "Danny Fenton."

"You looked as if you recognized me," Malfoy prodded with a smile that did not reach his eyes at all.

"I," Danny paused before raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly himself. "My owl's name is Draco."

For a moment, Malfoy looked like he was going to respond unfavorably (and loudly) to that comment, but he seemed to catch himself. "Fascinating," he said as if it were the farthest thing from it. "I should warn you that dealing with those outside our house can be…dangerous. Slytherins should stick together," he continued, his mouth twisting slightly. "Otherwise we can't help each other."

Danny felt the familiar formation of a crossroads; should he try to do a little extra snooping (as well as make his life a little easier in Slytherin), or should he try to stake it out on his own. Neither option was that appealing.

His thoughts drifted over to Sam, surprising him. Her solution to this dilemma was pretty easy to figure out.

Smiling slightly, Danny looked to Malfoy and his (for lack of a better word) goons. "I think I understand," Danny said carefully. "I'll try to watch my back from now on."

To anyone with ears, the dismissal was clear.

"If you are trying to prove a point," Malfoy whispered, "Then I must inform you how badly you are doing it."

"I don't know what you mean," Danny said smoothly. "I mean, it is important to watch your own back," he continued. "I'm sure you do it all the time."

And now, Danny thought with alarm, I'm moving directly onto the threats. What the heck is wrong with me?

If he were an animal, Danny thought Malfoy would have raised his hackles menacingly.

"Do watch yours," Malfoy snarled. "And whomever you care for – your friends and family could suffer for your insolence."

Danny's eyes flickered with an ire that seemed to startle Malfoy out of his anger. "If that's a threat I hear," Danny looked directly into Malfoy's mercurial eyes with a fierce royal blue. "I would take it back."

"Besides," Danny continued, his voice suddenly lighter and less menacing. "You couldn't find my family if you tried. They aren't in any wizarding records."

If anything, Malfoy looked even more shocked than before. "What?" he said, wide-eyed with disgust and amazement. "You…you're a mudblood?" he hissed.

The entire common room went silent at the word.

"Yeah, so?"

Malfoy looked torn between laughing derisively or looking shocked. "Impossible," he managed. "Slytherin only accepts purebloods or half-bloods." Even the word 'half-blood' sounded dirty coming out of his mouth.

"Well," Danny sounded mildly surprised. It was as if all the comments about him being in the wrong house suddenly made sense. Of course they asked – he was muggleborn in a haven for purebloods and half-bloods. "Then I guess someone was wrong."

Malfoy looked like he had just swallowed distasteful medicine. "You won't last long here, Fenton," he said, trying to regain his balance. "We'll tear you to shreds."

A little nervous, but doing his best not to show it, Danny bowed his head. "You're welcome to try," he said dryly.

Malfoy whirled around dramatically and left the scene, leaving Danny to an empty room. It took a second to realize that everyone had left with Malfoy.

"Come on," Harper said, his voice sounding dazed. Danny jumped a little – he had forgotten the younger boy was in the room with him. "I'll show you where you sleep."

Following Harper down the steps to the dorms, Danny could have sworn his little shoulder-devil was cackling in success. He felt like something had broken down when he had spoken to Malfoy, something similar to a dam breaking. Back at Casper, he wouldn't have bothered to defend himself – mainly because he wouldn't have cared. But Malfoy pushed buttons he didn't even know he had, and the minute blondie brought his friends and family into the discussion, Danny threw all caution to the four winds.

"Here," Harper said, avoiding looking at Danny directly. "I'll see you later."

And with that, the smaller boy left in a hurry. Danny blinked after his retreating form, and sighed. This was turning out to be a lot more difficult than he thought.

Danny entered the dark bedroom with trepidation, and almost immediately, he realized who he would and would not be getting along with.

The African-American boy reclining almost regally on his bed sent him a stare that left Danny feeling cold.

"My name is Blaise Zabini," the boy spoke, "and it would be best if we did not talk."

Danny had to admit it was the most polite brush-off he had ever experienced, and he nodded back. "Likewise," he agreed, and moved on.

When he turned his head to look at the next occupied bed, he was greeted with a much warmer welcome.

"You must be the transfer," the older boy said as he got off the bed. "I'm Ormand Vaisey – Chaser for the Slytherin team."

Danny nodded his head – vaguely knowing what that was – and pretended to understand. "Right. Danny Fenton."

It was, at best, forced indifference. Vaisey sounded like he wanted to speak to Danny further, but refrained under pressure. "You can take the bed next to Nott – all your stuff's there already."

Nott turned out to be Theodore Nott – and he was very, very quiet. The small, weedy looking boy stared at Danny for a moment before nodding a greeting and turning back to his book.

Danny simply sighed and methodically got ready for bed – he didn't want to unpack just yet, as some of his stuff was only a little suspicious. He didn't particularly want Zabini to see his ghost fighting arsenal.

He lay back on this bed and reveled in the sweet silence. Thoughts of Sam and Tucker drifted through his mind and he felt his heart sink. Here he was, not even that separated from them, and he felt miles away.

Maybe, he thought as he turned in his sheets, tomorrow will be better.

------

It had been a long and boring day.

The sun was bland, the sky was a murky white, and even the plants were faded in color. Nature was lethargic, if that was possible, and every person followed along.

Danny was staring out at the tree outside on the large green. It too, like him, looked vaguely ill and unresponsive. He scrunched up his face and put down his pumpkin juice.

"You feeling better?"

"No," he responded to his visitor. "But that's okay. I don't really need to feel fine."

"Still sulking then," Tucker concluded. "I suppose you're happy to just sit and be emo for the rest of your days." He sighed mockingly.

"I am not emo," Danny muttered, annoyed. He laid his head in his arms and stared at a bunch of Slytherin students while they wandered over to the lake, laughing about something. "I'm just upset."

"For a whole month?"

Danny just glared mulishly. It had been a month since he had exploded onto the scene in Slytherin – his 'chat' with Malfoy had made him ostracized almost immediately.

His first month in the snake nest had been made miserable by Malfoy and the rest of the house – mostly Malfoy, as being a prefect allowed for more public humiliation on Danny's behalf. They taunted him whenever they got the chance, although the presence of Snape silenced them somewhat. For Danny, anything was fair game; from his heritage ("Do you use a flint to make fire, or do you just eat your meat raw?" or "Is it true that Muggles just bash their mate on the head to shag?") to his apparent magical handicap ("See? Dirty blood makes dirty magic – you couldn't produce a Lumos without setting something on fire!"). Danny ignored them studiously – mainly because most of the insults were ridiculous, and he had been trained to ignore stupidity for most of his young life.

No one talked to him except Harper – and sometimes not even him. Due to being in different houses, Sam and Tucker barely got to see him – they met for lunch, and dinner, but they shared only a few classes together. Between all of these collective problems, Danny was mentally exhausted.

"If it's any consolation, you're not the only one," Tucker said cheerfully. "You should've seen Sam when I told her what happened."

"You told her?" Danny asked, eyes closed.

"Yeah," Tucker snickered. "She ranted to Hermione about it and now they're plotting."

Danny groaned aloud and slumped forward even more. "You shouldn't have told them."

"That blonde guy deserves it. You know, the one that looks like a weasel?"

He couldn't help it. The image of Malfoy merged with a rodent made him laugh weakly.

"Ahah!" Tucker crowed. "I win!"

Danny shook his head. "I hope they don't do anything. I mean, I need to figure out how to work this."

"What's there to work?" Tucker asked him, puzzled. "That guy has the whole house against you."

"Almost," Danny corrected smugly. "I've got … one person on my side," he added, less smugly. He sat up and rolled his shoulders. "If I can stake my claim in the House, they'll have to listen, or at least tolerate me." He chuckled to himself, thinking about how on earth he would be able to do it.

"Yeesh," Tucker muttered, shuddering. "That was an evil chuckle."

Danny smirked. "I know. I think I might have a plan."

"What's all this about plans?" asked a familiar voice.

Danny tilted his back and met the golden eyes of Harper who had his eyebrows raised. Behind him, Tracey Davis, Graham Pritchard, and two other girls Danny didn't recognize stood looking mildly anxious. Except the black haired girl in the back (one of the one's Danny didn't know); she was looking bored.

"Hey," he said, a little in shock from surprise.

"Don't sound so enthusiastic," Harper said in an amused tone. Tracey smiled and shook her head.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" the black-haired girl prodded verbally. The unknown red-head next to her gave her a look.

"Oh right," Harper said, as if he had forgotten. "This is Daphne Greengrass," he gestured to the raven haired girl who finally smiled and nodded. "And this is Mafalda Ghidora."

The red-head smiled solemnly and blushed prettily, making small freckles appear on her face. "Pleasure to meet you, Official Pariah of the Slytherin House," she said and smirked, as if trying to shake away her shyness.

Tucker burst into laughter and inadvertently drew all the attention to him.

"Uh," Danny started, a smile working its way onto his face as well. "It's nice to meet you too." He looked to Tucker and chuckled. "The dork that's laughing is Tucker Foley," he added, in attempt to get Tucker breathing again.

"Hey –," Tucker started before blinking. "Oh ha ha, Danny," he grumbled.

"A Ravenclaw?" said Harper almost laughing. "All you need is a Hufflepuff, and you'll have a complete set."

Everyone chuckled nervously at this. Apparently, Harper had moved from being nervous about their aquaintence-ish relationship, to full on sarcastic familiarity. Danny felt more comfortable with this attitude, as he dealt with Sam on a daily basis.

"What brought you all down here?" Danny asked, honestly curious, and a little angry. The entire group, sans Harper, had never spoken a word to him for most, if not all, of September. Tucker seemed to lean in and listen to their response – he was as interested as Danny was.

Now it seemed no one wanted to talk. It took a few seconds before Daphne Greengrass spoke up. "We wanted to meet you and talk to you," she grumbled. "Seeing as none of us really likes Malfoy, and more than one of us are half-blood, it puts us below the standard; no matter how smart, talented, and unique we actually are." She paused and let a small grin grace her normally serious features. "We think we could use you," she added blatantly. "To make sure everyone knows us by name, to make everyone recognize who we are."

The small group of mismatched Slytherins bowed their heads, as if this took a lot of pride to say – and they hadn't even spoken a word.

Danny was sitting very still and he blushed, coughing. "Uh, isn't that a little rash?" he asked nervously, his voice cracking. "I mean, you don't really know me, and –"

"We know well enough what you could help us with," Harper pitched. "Being recognized is important to us, and we know that most of the British Wizarding world 'knows' that Slytherin is a house full of evil people." He sounded only a little bitter. "If we could appeal – not blend – with those who think that, we could have less trouble."

"And we aren't all rich," Tracey said, snorting. "Some of us can't afford to buy a job, or reputation. Some of us have to work for it."

"It's really hard," Pritchard said quietly. "For the Slytherins who don't side with the ones we're supposed to." Tracey put a hand on the twelve year old boy's shoulder sympathetically.

It was a bit of a comfort to notice that Tuck looked just as stunned as Danny did.

"I…I don't know what to say," Danny finally managed, looking embarrassed, and a little lost. "I mean, it's like you're asking to be my friend."

"That," Daphne said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Is exactly what we're asking."

"Then I guess I should tell you that I don't require people to ask me to be my friends," Danny said, totally trying to keep a straight face. "You wanna be my friend? I'm honored. Simple as that; now we can move on."

The Slytherins glared at him without any real menace. "You are very American," Mafalda said, the glare lifting from her.

"And proud," Tucker interrupted. "Hey Danny, you have more than one now," he said snickering, referencing their previous conversation.

"Say," Harper started, desperately looking for a conversation starter. "Have any of you seen this new ghost?"

"The poltergeist?" Mafalda said, and then blushed a little bit. "I…not since the Start of Term Feast."

"Well I hope we get to see him again," Pritchard started up enthusiastically. "He's the only ghost we know near to nothing about – it'll be interesting to see what we can dig up."

Danny had never before been more thankful for making that deal with the other ghosts at the beginning of the year. Otherwise he would probably be more nervous. He was also a bit surprised at Pritchard's zeal for uncovering information. It had never occurred to him before, but Danny suddenly realized that Pritchard was young – well, to be hanging out with kids who were at least two to three years older than him. Pritchard had always acted like he was already 14 or 15, so Danny had hardly noticed the age difference.

Danny frowned and stowed those thoughts away for later.

"No one's seen him, not even Filch!" Daphne said impatiently. "Are we even sure he's real?"

"Pretty sure he is," Tucker said lazily. "After all, he came from our home town."

Danny stared at his friend pointedly and Tucker gulped, amending his words: "But it's not like we get to see him often either."

"He's from America?" Mafalda rushed.

"Why on earth is he here?" asked Daphne, her eyes narrowed. "That's the more pressing issue."

"It is a bit odd – I don't know why no one else is talking about it," Harper added.

"Maybe it's a case of 'out of sight, out of mind,'" said Tracey thoughtfully. "But I too found that a bit odd. You think Dumbledore's using him for information?"

"I've thought Dumbledore many things," Daphne said snootily, "But not desperate."

"He's probably a lot of things you haven't thought," Danny suggested, not so kindly. It was always a bit grating to here himself being talked about while he was in the vicinity, and he found his temper starting to run short.

Daphne gave him an offended look, but Tracey just laughed. "He's right and true, Daphne," she told her.

"In any case," Daphne huffed, a little embarrassed. "Don't we have classes to be getting to?"

The group dispersed and Danny waved Tucker goodbye – the technogeek had been working on a laptop that seemed to work, even within Hogwarts. He had mentioned how he had no clue what he was doing, but all the technology he messed with seemed to work despite the 'No-Tech' rule. Danny wanted to read his e-mail, as it was the only way he corresponded with Danni (and Valerie, thought he wouldn't admit that to Sam), so this was good news.

Danny smiled as he walked ahead of the group. Things were starting to look up, at last.

---

Sam came running to him in the library, where he was taking out a book on advanced potions. Surprisingly enough, no matter how menacing Snape managed to be, he let him enter the restricted section whenever he asked. For some odd reason, the dark robed professor made it feel like a privilege.

"Hey Danny," she greeted breathlessly as she sat herself next to him. "There's this thing going on that I want to go to, just to check it out."

"What thing?" he asked.

"It's going to be next Hogsmeade weekend, but I heard about the meeting last night from Hermione, and I've already told Tucker." Sam leaned closer. "It's … kind of a Defense against the Dark Arts Club that Hermione convinced Harry to head up."

Danny looked to her in surprise. He had been worried for Sam, honestly. Back at Casper, where being jock was about as good as being royalty, Sam had been ostracized by everyone except Danny and Tucker, whom she had met at the beginning of eighth grade. At Hogwarts, she was making good friends with all sorts within her house, and Danny was truly happy to see her smile more often than she did back home.

"You want me to come?" he whispered. "Me? Or…"

"Go as yourself Danny," she said, her attempts to smother a giggle obvious. "I want to hear what Harry's done, unfiltered." She grinned at him. "Plus, I want to be as undermining as possible with Prof. Umbridge in charge – she's such a bi—,"

"Right, right," Danny said quickly. He remembered hearing about the infamous first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year – Sam and Harry had gotten into a loud argument with their new professor, Dolores Umbridge. The woman made Danny's skin crawl just by looking at her. "I'll go."

Later, he informed his new friends in Slytherin, and they all looked highly interested. Daphne had practically exploded with happiness – and in doing so, she attracted curiosity. They weren't as enveloped in their studies as Daphne was, but seeing how she had no fear in going to what would most likely be an anti-Slytherin meeting, they said yes. Mostly, they all wanted to be the best in Defense, and if that meant being taught by someone they didn't necessarily like, so be it. Danny felt proud, and he said so – earning him a smack on the shoulder from Harper.

----

Thankfully, Dumbledore had requested their parents' permission slips early on, before they even got to Hogwarts. Danny hadn't known what Hogsmeade was until Sam went and did a little research. Her permission slip had come back signed, surprisingly, as well. Unfortunately, Sam never found out who, in fact, had given her permission.

The Hogshead was dark and dreary, and it reminded Danny of a hovel, really. But he wasn't one to complain, especially since both his best friends were excited…and they looked rebellious; Danny recognized the expressions on their faces from the last time they got riled up and protestant.

Daphne, Tracey, Harper, Pritchard, and Mafalda had also snuck in behind Danny. They looked like they were ready to be attacked, and Danny couldn't really blame them. After the first month, it didn't take a genius to figure out how badly the 'Dark' house was discriminated against.

There were a large number of people huddling inside already, and they spotted Hermione immediately, waving to her. She smiled nervously and waved back. Danny noticed Harry was looking slightly dumbfounded. The guy probably didn't expect to see so many of his school mates in attendance.

Maybe it was because so many were from a house other than Gryffindor.

"Er," Hermione began in a high-pitched voice that rang with anxiety. "Well, er, hi." The attention of the group focused on her.

Danny watched as he noticed Tucker, who couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Hello Hermione!" Tuck called back with a smarmy grin. Well, thought Danny, it couldn't hurt to be supportive.

Sam laughed lightly and waved, with Danny mimicking her.

The tension in the room relaxed a bit, a few chuckling at the outburst, and others just starting to get the feeling that maybe this meeting wouldn't be as bad as they thought. The other half of the group (that included most everyone plus a few more Gryffindors that looked familiar) glared at the small group of Slytherins, as if they weren't supposed to be there.

Hermione visibly loosened up. "Hello Tucker," she responded, her voice almost exasperated. She looked back to the group. "Well, you all know why you're here…" she began.

Hermione went on, her tone carrying more strength, and soon the reason for being here became clear. She and her friends had decided that Umbridge's lessons weren't helping in the slightest, which, thankfully, was an obvious fact to everyone present. Hermione was proposing a club which dedicated itself to both the theory and practice of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Danny whole-heartedly supported the idea, and Sam was brimming over with excitement. Tucker was inputting information into his PDA with fervor.

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L too though, I bet?" a Ravenclaw boy Danny didn't quite recognize asked Hermione.

"Of course I do," she responded immediately. "But I want more that that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because…because…" she took a deep, calming breath. "Because Lord Voldemort's back."

There was a great collective gasp and subsequent shudder that ran through the group, like ripples in a pound, as a few people spilled their drinks. Danny and his friends stood still.

Slowly, the crowd turned to look at Harry; Danny's sympathies were with him– he had a feeling he knew what Hermione probably asked him to do. There was a boy from Hufflepuff, a Zacharias Smith, who was doing a good job of playing the Devil's Advocate. Danny grinned as Harry stopped Hermione from making a diplomatic intervention.

Then the interesting talks began.

Harry had been through quite a lot, it seemed. Danny was impressed, hearing about a dragon and Voldemort many times in the Gryffindor's half-speech. Once more Danny felt a strange familiarity with Harry; they had a lot of life-threatening experiences…but Harry had been dealing with such things since the first year of his life. Danny, although his condition had only been around for about two years now, had an intense list of vengeful ghostly encounters, which included fighting an evil version of himself and saving his friends and family from certain death. Personally, he thought things evened out.

He hadn't heard of this Triwizard Tournament, but from Harry's tense voice, he figured it was a sore subject. It sounded like someone had actually died because of it, and when Danny turned his head, Sam caught his eye – they both shuddered imperceptibly and then went back to listening.

Danny's ears perked up when he heard that Harry could also produce a corporeal Patronus. He also blinked in surprise when he found out how rare it was for someone to do it at their age. He gulped nervously and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam smiling proudly.

It made him feel a little better.

"And what are those Slytherins doing here?" interrupted someone in a loud voice.

Before he knew it, Danny noticed that all eyes were on them. Harry and the red-headed boy next to him exchanged surprised looks with each other and then glanced suspiciously in their direction. Sam, Tucker, and Hermione bristled indignantly, but it was Hermione who spoke up.

"I'll have you know that some of 'those Slytherins' are good friends of mine," she said in a cold unloving voice. Danny knew she was embellishing, but it was nice to hear that she had faith in his ability to pick his friends. "If you have any complaints to make about them simply because they're in a different house, I suggest you make them with the Sorting Hat."

The loud voiced boy had quieted, mostly because of Hermione's animosity. Danny felt warmth in his cheeks, and the Slytherins looked positively stunned. They hadn't expected anyone to stick up for them.

"Plus," Hermione continued with a small smirk. "If any of you don't mind getting your hands dirty, I know for a fact that this particular Slytherin," she pointed at Danny, "knows a bit about muggle fighting styles."

Danny looked positively mortified: Hermione has asked him about his mom when they first met, and the conversation had traversed onto how Maddie Fenton was an accomplished black belt. He let slip that he had learned a little, and Hermione was ecstatic. He couldn't believe she still remembered.

"He'll probably be able to teach us how to defend ourselves if we don't have our wands." She gave him a pleading look. "That is, if he wants to stay."

"Of course he wants to stay," Sam exclaimed for him as Danny fought down his own embarrassment, Tucker patting him on the back in sympathy. "I mean, anyone who's anyone knows that Voldemort is back in action…we have a right to be prepared!"

There was a stunned silence.

Sam merely nodded a look of serious contemplation on her face. "Yup," she said before frowning. "What? Look, it's just a name, right? There's no fear in a name!" she yelled exuberantly.

There was a jumbled chorus of voices that shouted things like, 'Hear hear!' and 'She's right!' Sam looked ready to break down walls, and Danny smiled.

"It's true you know," Harry said quietly (well, quietly compared to the ruckus in the audience). "There is no fear in a name."

Danny watched Hermione put a comforting hand on his arm before turning smartly to face the crowd. She clapped her hands once and things settled down.

Soon after, they signed the list that Hermione had whipped up, and discussed where such meetings might take place. In the end, they didn't settle on any particular place, but Hermione assured that if they did think of one, they would let everyone know.

----

He waved goodbye to his collective friends as they parted for Hogsmeade. Sam was talking to Daphne about something Goth-like, which somehow didn't surprise him. Tucker was chatting with Pritchard, explaining some of the more advanced muggle technology as Tracey listened in, an interested expression present on her face. Harper and Mafalda both nodded to him as he left, but he noticed Harper's look of apprehension. Maybe the meeting was a bit overwhelming – there was a lot to be nervous about.

In any case, Danny snuck off and went ghost behind the statue of Mathilda the Haggardly, which stood outside Hogwarts' massive gates. Invisible, he went off to do his routine 'before dinner' patrol.

When he was swerving in and out of the seats of the Quidditch pitch, his thoughts drifted back to the sport that was played here. He had heard Hermione mention the sport vaguely – she was obviously not a big fan.

He floated just around the corner of the Quidditch pitch when he heard the tail end of a conversation.

"… the new ghost?"

Danny's attention was grasped and pulled back as he overheard the voices.

"Yeah," another voice responded. "You know, even though Dumbledore said he was a poltergeist, he doesn't seem very evil."

"Well, you know he's powerful, even if we haven't seen him since the Start of Term Feast; you could see his skin color, his eye color—he can successfully manifest!"

"If anything, he's probably evil – no ghost I know can make itself manifest without having serious past-life issues."

Danny, curiosity fully piqued now, went invisible and flew toward the voices. Evil, eh? Maybe he needed to do more research on what the wizarding world knew about ghosts….

As he searched, he found the voices situated just on the other side of the Quidditch pitch, closest to the castle. He was surprised to find Hermione with her two friends chatting quietly about him.

"I met him in Grimmauld," Danny recognized Harry Potter's voice. "I don't think he's all that bad either."

"He's not evil; Dumbledore wouldn't allow him near Hogwarts if he didn't have good intentions," the bushy haired girl insisted.

"Um, two things: the dementors, and Barty Crouch Jr." Harry said frowning.

"…." Hermione flushed. "Those were isolated incidents!"

"Let's not forget Voldemort either," Harry continued blandly. "He was here too, if I remember correctly. Twice, if you count the diary."

Hermione looked pained. "Look forget I said that, alright? The important thing to note is that this ghost is not evil."

"You don't think he's dangerous?" came the red-headed boy's incredulous voice.

"He's not evil," Hermione reiterated. "But dangerous is different from malevolent."

Harry seemed to ponder that for a moment before speaking. "Ron, he's in the Order now," he said very quietly. "I don't think they would entrust the Order with a spy or something that was too dangerous to handle." He seemed very reluctant while saying this.

Danny felt slightly offended. He was totally dangerous!

"Besides, Dumbledore introduced him as a poltergeist – they're a different kind of spirit altogether," Hermione added.
"What's the difference?" asked Harry. Ron was just nodding his head as if he already knew.

"Poltergeists are creatures of mischief and destruction. They are malevolent at heart, and require a spirit who died bearing a grudge or some sort. They range from being pranksters, all the way to violent, vengeful spirits – highly dangerous."

"See?" Ron countered. "You just said he was dangerous!"

Hermione sighed with barely hidden exasperation. "I was going to go on to say that Danny Phantom doesn't seem to fit either the description of a ghost or a poltergeist, which leads to me to wonder if he is a spirit at all."

Danny watched with astonishment. He hadn't really known how quick Hermione was until this very moment – most people didn't get further than "Ah! Ghost!" She seemed to dissect him like an expert surgeon, with an exceptionally sharp knife.

"What could he be then?" asked Harry in curious voice. There was a rustling and Danny watched him pull out a ragged piece of parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Harry whispered, tapping his wand against the paper.

Danny couldn't see what happened but Harry soon said, "Look, he doesn't appear on the Map," he said, and Danny could tell that the 'm' was capitalized. "All the other ghosts do, even Peeves!"

"This only makes him more suspicious, in my opinion," said Ron decisively.

"Well we won't know until we run into him again," Hermione said, just as decisively. "And I would prefer that we don't assume anything until we do."

"And did you really know all those Slytherins at the meeting?" asked Ron angrily, changing the topic to suit him a little better. "You could have at least told us."

"I know Danny – and he happens to be a very good judge in character," Hermione said in her own defense. "Besides, didn't you hear about him and Malfoy?"

Both boys sat up straighter and looked curious. "What about him and Malfoy?" asked Harry, looking a little anxious.

Hermione smiled a little smug smile. "You'll just have to find out for yourselves then. Danny's a whole different brand of Slytherin, and you'll know it when you actually take the time to talk to him. I'm planning to partner with him for next double Potions, if Sam will oblige." She looked thoughtfully upwards and 'hmmed' to herself.

The two looked dumbstruck. "Wha -? Are you serious?" exclaimed Ron.

"As I said, you'll find out for yourselves," Hermione repeated as the trio started moving up towards the castle. "Maybe sooner rather than later."

Danny, hiding in the shadows and cloaked in his invisibility, smiled to himself, not a little proud.

-----

As the three left the pitch, Danny swiftly flew into the castle. He still preferred to stay invisible no matter what he was doing, as having white hair and glowing eyes was a bit of an inconvenience when you were trying to be inconspicuous.

It seemed that he needed to do some serious research involving the wizarding definitions of ghost and 'poltergeist' – which was a term Danny had, of course, heard. However, he had never heard it used as a different definition before.

Speaking of poltergeists…he had to admit that it felt weird not fighting any of his old enemies, especially Vlad. Not that it was curse of the highest degree or anything; Danny just felt it was oddly relaxing here.

For some reason, he knew that he was going to soon be proven wrong somehow; Murphy's Law would soon be at work once again, as per usual for Danny.

Finding the nearest statue that was out of the way of anyone's line of sight, he transformed back into his human half and quickly made his hair look mildly more presentable. High speed winds really played havoc with his already messy, spiky hair.

"Danny!" cried a relieved voice.

He almost phased through a nearby suit of armor in surprise. "Hermione!" he said, breathless. "You startled me!"

"Oh I'm sorry," she said smiling. "I just wanted to thank you, Sam, and Tucker for coming today."

"Not a problem," he said grinning. It had been a while since he and Hermione had actually talked. No doubt, Ron the red-head – who seemed to have a very pointed view of the Slytherin house (a crime for which Danny thought he understood pretty well) – would have prevented it.

"I was surprised to see so many Slytherins," she said, her voice a little suspicious. "They were with you, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Danny laughed. "You didn't get to meet them, but they're all okay."

"Good, I thought so." Hermione looked at him proudly. "You seem to be getting along alright," she added. "Are you?"

There was a bit of silence before Danny coughed nervously. "You heard about it, didn't you." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Hermione smiled warmly at him. "And I think it was very brave of you. I haven't told Harry or Ron yet, mainly because I want them to find out for themselves. They can be so narrow minded sometimes," she huffed, brushing back her bushy hair.

"Malfoy's a git," he said experimentally. British slang was so weird. "And it felt good to vent a little. Everyone in Slytherin is so repressed." Oh yeah, and he wasn't.

Hermione giggled a little. "Sorry," she managed once she got her voice back. "Your accent –"

"I know, I suck," Danny confirmed cheerfully. "Were you on your way to the Great Hall?"

"Yes, I was going to meet everyone for dinner. Did you enjoy Hogsmeade?"

They started walking together down the long hallway. "I didn't stay for long," Danny said a little too honestly. "Uh, I mean," he paused. "Well, I had stuff to do," he finished, knowing his excuse was pretty lame.

"Oh?" was Hermione's only response. Danny had a feeling he hadn't fooled her for a second, and it made his insides squirm. "Well, the next trip should prove more entertaining, I hope," she said.

Her voice was a little frosty and Danny laughed nervously. "I'm pretty sure it will be – my owl was just a little sick, so I visited," he lied. Then he stopped and grimaced. "Now I sort of regret naming him Draco."

Hermione looked at him, once more with laughter in her eyes. "Don't regret it," she said. "He has a much nicer personality than Malfoy." Somehow, she managed to rhyme 'Malfoy' with the word 'scum.'

The two of them chuckled and entered the boisterous Great Hall, waving to each other as they parted ways.

Danny, with his back turned to face the Slytherin table, didn't notice Ron Weasley's angry glance; nor did he pay any mind to Harry Potter's curious stare.

As Danny and his new acquaintances ate at the very edge of the Slytherin table, Draco the owl swooped down and landed a large package right in front of him; it contained a few letters as well as a box.

"Hey there," he said in surprise as he scratched behind the owl's ears. He quickly fed it a bit of the chicken they were having for dinner and Draco nibbled his fingers in affection before flying off.

"Why did your post arrive so late?" asked Tracey in confusion.

"What was that?" asked Sam and Tucker from behind Danny, which made him jump a little.

"It's my mail," he said, slightly puzzled. "And I think it arrived so late because of the time difference," he mused, unwrapping the cardboard box.

Sam and Tuck leaned over him while Harper and other leaned toward him to see what he had received. "Uh, a little space guys," he said, waving a hand.

"Wait," Sam said. She reached over and plucked a small envelope out from the pile. "This is from my dad!" She looked ill at the prospect of reading it.

"At least it's not a howler," Pritchard muttered mutinously.

Before Danny could ask what on earth a howler was, Sam shrieked very, very quietly.

"What is it?" asked Tucker urgently, looking terrified. Their friend was clutching the letter in her hand like it was a life-line of some sort. A small slip of paper fell from the envelope and Danny caught it swiftly.

Looking at it, Danny's eyes widened comically and he stared at Sam. "Uh, Sam?"

"He," she stopped and swallowed. "He says that he knows that I never did anything wrong, and that he's…he's sorry." Her eyes were bright and Danny's heart clenched a little in sympathy. "He says that mom's still angry, but he'll do whatever he can to help. He even said he enclosed a gift."

Danny looked down at the check in his hand. "Uh, Sam – you should look at this."

Tucker, Sam, and Danny huddled and stared at the $10,000 dollar check in his hand.

Sam paled significantly as Tucker sat down heavily. "Oh god," she muttered. "Oh he can't do this."

After a moment of silence, which confused his Slytherin friends, Danny spoke to Sam quietly. "Are you going to write back?"

"Not yet," she said, equally quiet. She stuffed the letter and the check in her robes and barely smiled to Danny and Tucker. "I need to figure out what I want to say."

And with that, the topic turned to the remaining letters and packages.

"There's one from my mom and dad," Danny said, just a little embarrassed.

"Well open it!"

Dear Danny;

Oh we are so proud of you! Off on your own for the first time, and learning magic! You have no idea how the knowledge of such energy has helped our research in the past month – your father has made something for you as well, he included it in a separate package.

Well a lot of kids in school asked about you three, if you're interested. As well as Vlad Masters! He asked about you first, I believe, before anyone else – I told him to give whatever he wanted to send you to me first, and I think he was just confused at our avoidance of the subject. But it turns out that the real reason he was up in Amity was to run for mayor! He's in as a last-minute candidate, and your Father is ecstatic. Personally, I'm not so sure. His behavior towards me has been inconsistent and…just a little creepy. Jazz wholeheartedly agrees with me on this, and she said you'd say the same thing. Would you Danny?

In any case, there's a very good chance he might win the primary, and I'm prepared for the worst.

Well! I've rambled on for far too long. I have enclosed a small gift for you as well, so don't forget to search the bottom of the bag.

And don't forget to write! We take good care of that beautiful black and white Eagle owl – ooh, is it yours? Even if it wasn't, we'd pamper it.

Jazz put in a private letter – and I have to run. Your father has set some of the furniture on fire again.

Write to us soon!

Love,

Mom & Dad

Danny's cheeks were a bright flaming red. "Great," he said, partially disgusted, and partially embarrassed (if not a little pleased about hearing from his parents). "Vlad's running for mayor."

"What?" Sam cried in alarm, seemingly coming out of her coma.

"For real?" asked Tucker at almost exactly the same time, and pitch.

"Completely," he said, now depressed.

"Wait, what?" Harper butted in forcefully. "Who's Vlad? And why do you look like someone just died?"

"Because it feels like a part of American democracy just curled up and died!" Sam looked incredibly furious. "Does Vlad just think he can jump in and 'secure' himself a vote?"

"In all honesty, I'm surprised he hasn't done it before," Danny said, his lips twisting into a grimace. "And Vlad Masters is just this old college 'buddy' who also happens to have a crush on my mom."

Harper, Daphne, and all the Slytherins sitting with him leaned back and mimicked disgusted expressions. "Awkward," Tracey muttered.

"He also happens to be wealthier than anyone I know – er, knew."

"I know that name from somewhere," Theodore Nott cut in, speaking with his usual tone of neutrality. "Isn't he famous in America for corporate takeovers?"

Danny looked to him in ill-hidden surprise. This was the first time Nott had spoken to him since they first met in their collective dorm room. Wondering how on earth Nott would know the obviously muggle Vlad Masters (and not really liking the implications), Danny did a cautious head-bob.

"I didn't think you would know anyone rich and famous," Nott said, mild surprise in his voice. "That's impressive."

"Thanks," said Danny, all sarcasm. "I really enjoy the fact that I know a rich guy, who also happens to be as creepy as those slug-like things were poking in Care for Magical Creatures last week."

"Flobberworms," Daphne corrected him automatically.

Danny sent her a look that distinctly said: Whatever.

"Well, being rich usually means being eccentric, somehow," Tracey added her two cents.

"'Eccentric' isn't the word I'd use."

"It's usually unwise to unabashedly claim dislike for someone else who also happens to be very powerful," Nott said in a quiet voice, gathering his things. "That sort of thing could be troublesome."

"You're probably right," Danny responded brazenly.

Nott looked at him for a long moment, as if studying him, and then left the table. As per usual, he looked as if the previous conversation had never taken place.

"That's pretty talkative for him," Daphne noted, her eyes glued to the boy's back.

Sam and Tucker nudged Danny at the same time. "Aren't you going to find out what your parents sent you?" Tuck asked eagerly.

Danny smiled and hid Jazz's unread letter in his pocket. "Sure," he said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Danny noticed how a lot of the chatter down the Slytherin table had ceased quite a while ago. He snorted inwardly and wondered how a house known for its subtlety could be so obvious.

Out of the small box came a metal bracelet, thick and strong. Its center was a green control panel with a dial on it. A small tag on it proclaimed that it was a shrunken version of the Specter Deflector from back home. Danny picked it up gingerly and grimaced. Thankfully, it wasn't turned on.

"What is this thing supposed to do?" asked Daphne as she snatched it from Danny's hands. She pressed one of the buttons, and it came to life, lighting up a bright green color.

Danny swallowed uneasily. "That would be the Specter Deflector – it repels ectoplasmic creatures and anything with ectoplasm in it."

Now he knew the other Slytherins down the table were listening. All whispering had ceased when he mentioned the bracelet by name.

Daphne looked highly interested. "Are you sure you're muggleborn?" she asked him jokingly. One of her rare smiles graced her lips and she gave him an impressed glance.

After it was passed around, she handed it back to Danny. Sam snatched it from her before it reached his fingertips, a bit of urgency showing through as she did. "He shrunk it down even further than the belt – this could come in handy."

Danny immediately averted his attention to the box, searching for the gift his mom sent him. Digging around a bit, he took out a small black-stoned ring; it had an engraving of an unfamiliar family crest, and an embellishment of a snake around the edge of the gold band. Frowning in surprise, he held it inside his palm, not wanting the others to see it, and picked out a tiny sticky note.

Danny;

This is a ring I had inherited from my father before me, and beyond. It is very old, and for some reason, I felt it should belong to you. Take care of it, and good luck with school! Don't slack off!

Love,

Mom

Danny blinked and slid the small, clumsily made trinket into his pocket; an odd gift from his mom, no doubt, but hardly unsurprising. He smiled warmly and shook his head.

Despite everything that was odd about his family, he couldn't imagine life without them.

---------

Danny had convinced Harper and Mafalda to join him in the library with Hermione, Sam, and Tucker. Hermione couldn't get Harry and Ron to join them, due to Quidditch or something, so she came alone, if only to examine the Specter Deflector wristlet. Danny was happy to let her carry it, as it only would zap him in painful ways now that it was activated.

It was on their way back that Peeves the Poltergeist made his presence known.

Danny hiccupped and saw a small mist of air escape his mouth. He clapped a hand over it and groaned.

"Fenton?" asked Harper curiously. "You alright?"

"Oh yeah," he muttered. "I'm swell." He caught Sam and Tucker's worried eyes' and nodded imperceptibly. That hadn't happened for quite a while, and it was for a reason Danny hadn't realized until he started at Hogwarts. For some reason, his ghost sense was sensitive enough to detect the distinctive 'ecto-trail' a ghost (or poltergeist) leaves behind. Since he had familiarized himself with most of the ghosts (and they didn't go in and out of the Ghost Zone, which meant their 'ecto-trails' didn't change), his ghost sense barely went off anymore.

"Ooh, look! It's the new mostly-ghost!" cried a wickedly cheerful voice above Danny's head.

A short, funny looking little man twirled in the air. He was colorful, and Danny immediately recognized that this spirit wasn't a ghost – he was a poltergeist. The first one he had ever encountered at Hogwarts, truthfully.

Danny's breath hitched and he choked silently, panic rising in his heart.

"Peeves," Harper snapped, "Get out of here, eh? You're talking nonsense again." Danny blinked. So this was Peeves? That was the name the Bloody Baron had mentioned at the Start of Term Feast.

Peeves cackled. "Harper, poor Harper, always so loony," he sang mockingly. "It isn't so hard, when one is so moony!"

Harper paled and glared angrily, which made Danny stare at him in confusion. "Bugger off, you creepy little sod!" the younger boy yelled.

Mafalda and Hermione looked thoughtful, but Peeves turned his attention toward Danny once more. "Ickle Dannykins is far away from home, eh?" he giggled as he twirled a few feet closer to Danny.

A wave of pure dread swept through Danny like a tsunami, and in a desperate attempt to get the creep to shut up, he swiped at him.

To everyone's eternal surprise, he caught him with one fist, tightly clenched against Peeves' multi-colored ensemble.

For a moment, Danny didn't know what to do. Then he growled and pulled the poltergeist's squirming form closer to him. "Listen to me, and listen good," he whispered, his voice menacing. "If you breathe so much as a word about who or what I really am, to anyone, I will end you. You got it?"

Peeves froze within Danny's superhuman grip. The little spirit looked up at Danny's now glowing eyes and squeaked, nodding quickly.

Danny let go and Peeves winked out of existence faster than anyone could blink.

"What was that?" asked Hermione in a shocked voice.

"He looked pretty shocked to be grabbed like that," Sam interjected loudly, trying to steer the conversation.

"Oh yeah," laughed Tucker, also mimicking Sam. "He looked dead surprised! No pun intended," he amended amidst a few groans, and a nervous chuckle from Danny (whose eyes had subsided to their normal deep blue).

All those besides the three friends from Amity looked suspicious, but they dropped the subject as Tucker waved to them, leaving for his dormitory. Sam and Hermione waved goodbye soon after. The Goth girl winked at Danny, letting him know that she'd handle the damage control that would surely occur.

"How'd he know you?" asked Mafalda after only the Slytherins were left, her brown eyes inquisitive.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly.

"How did you grab him like that?" Harper asked next.

Danny shrugged. "Maybe I was quicker than he was."

His evasive manner didn't go unnoticed, and the two frowned, although Harper looked as he might drop the subject.

"Well I know Filch would kill to be able to move as fast as you," the golden-eyed boy said cheerfully. "That miserable old bum would love to catch Peeves."

"Him and everyone else in the school," Mafalda noted wisely. "Although I've never seen Peeves look so scared."

"Maybe," Danny said loudly, as if to forcefully drop the subject. "He wasn't used to being on equal terms with someone."

He knew right after he said it, that he shouldn't have – it was more revealing than he had wanted. Harper and Mafalda quieted and the three walked on without saying another word.

Until Harper straightened, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "Danny, that was an excellent catch!" he exclaimed, as if just realizing this fact himself.

"Uh, thanks?" Danny said in return, puzzled. Mafalda sighed as if she might've known where the following conversation would proceed.

"You should try for Quidditch," the boy insisted. "Blimey, if you're good enough, they might make you a full-fledged player, not just reserve!"

"Um," Danny said masterfully. "Quidditch?" he asked, as if the idea was laughable at best. "Isn't Malfoy on the team? And another thing, I have no idea how to fly on a broom."

"Well you could try for Chaser instead of Seeker," Harper amended, completely ignoring Danny's comment about the whole broom business. "But still!"

"I would prefer Danny alive and well and not some dark spot on the pitch," Mafalda said. "I have enough cousins who play Quidditch, and I've heard stories."

"You don't fly, Ghidora," Harper countered. "Danny looks like excellent Seeker material. He's not that tall, skinny, and can catch the uncatchable – he's perfect!"

"Hey!"

"Look," Mafalda started before Harper waved her off.

"He can decide to or not – I'm going to try out this weekend, no matter what Malfoy and the rest of the house thinks."

Danny did not like the idea of Harper being cornered by what he liked to call Malfoy and his Merry Band of Cave Men – so he sighed, smacked a hand to his face, and muttered, "I'll come with you."

"What did you say?" Harper asked innocently.

"I said," Danny repeated. "I'll come with you. But you better teach me how to fly on one of those things, or when I fall (and I will fall), I'll break your neck."

"You're too nice Danny," Mafalda said tiredly as Harper patted Danny's back enthusiastically.

"It's the next weekend," Harper informed him. "I'm glad for that now – we can teach you the wonders of Quidditch!"

Danny wasn't sure if he was looking forward to it, but there was flying involved, so it couldn't be all that bad.

-----

It was very late at night when Danny slipped into his bed. He lit a small candle with his wand and smiled when the spell worked.

The night's rounds were boring, but he did get in some great speeds high above the castle. He had also found the Gryffindor dorm entrance by accident – he fell through the painting which guarded the passage way. Luckily, he was invisible, so the large lady of the painting didn't notice his unintentional intrusion.

It was amusing to watch Sam and Hermione chat without being seen. And he admired his surroundings; they felt much warmer than the Slytherin dungeons.

Now he was back, and he looked over Jazz's letter. It had been well hidden amongst his belongings, and he was happy to see it hadn't been ripped open.

Hey Danny!

How's school going so far? Are they treating you aright? I don't want you coming home with a severe case of social anxiety – then I'D have to deal with it.

I wanted to tell you about Vlad. Ooh, I just KNOW he's going to swing the vote by overshadowing everyone! It makes me so mad that I can't do anything 'big' to stop him (that's your job), but I do my best.

Are Sam and Tucker alright as well? Ah, I just have too many questions for you – but I'm sure you'll answer them when you finally mail, or should I say, owl us. We all want to hear from you!

I also wanted to warn you – not many ghosts have been showing up lately (just the Box Ghost, but he doesn't count). I have a suspicion that Vlad has put out some sort of warrant or reward for your capture, and I want you to be careful! I'm skeptical that anyone will find you, but Vlad's pretty clever. And there's an abundance of natural Ghost Portals in your surrounding area (I've been doing some research on leylines and how they sometimes concentrate in one area, turning it into a portal that can send someone anywhere…or any when). Just…be careful little brother!

And send me a gift! Remember your big sister loves you!

With Love,

Jazz

Danny set the letter aside and fell backwards onto his pillow with a thud.

If he said he didn't need anymore to worry about at the moment, he would have been understating the matter completely. A warrant or reward for his capture? That sounds vaguely familiar, he thought dryly.

Even as he tried to will his brain to sleep, an irritated frown graced his features.

I really hate Vlad, Danny thought as he slipped into darkness.