Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Danny Phantom and the Magic of Ages
By WarriorLoverInc
Chapter 4: Letter
The next morning, Danny was the first in the Hall for breakfast. He had a small meal consisting of some toast, eggs, and pumpkin juice.
"Why don't you have your egg on the toast?" Hermione asked.
Danny looked at her, "Why would I?"
Hermione shrugged, "That's how most people eat it."
Danny made a face, "I don't think very many people where I come from eat it that way." He shoveled the last of his egg into his mouth and stood as Ron and Harry walked in, "Got to go, I'll see you all later, I think."
Harry and Ron reached the table and watched Danny leave the Hall, "Did we scare him away?" Ron joked.
They all had a short laugh before digging in.
Suddenly, there was a flurry of wings and feathers as the morning mail swooped in. There was no sign of Hedwig. The owls circled the tables, searching for the subjects of their letters and parcels. A large tawny owl swooped over Neville and deposited a parcel in his lap—he forgot something again. Across the hall Draco Malfoy was enjoying the usual sweets from home. Struggling to ignore the disappointed and worried feeling in the pit of his stomach, Harry turned back to his plate.
He was abruptly interrupted by a swift peck to the top of his head by an owl. It was so gray it looked blue. It pecked him on the hand, wanting his attention.
"All right, all right…" he muttered. Who would this be from?
He reached foreword and untied a letter from its outstretched leg. The owl flew off as soon as it was free of the letter. Harry read the address:
To Mr. Daniel Fenton
Currently attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
IMPORTANT!
For your eyes only Daniel
RPLY immediately
Ron snatched the letter out of Harry's hands, "Who's it from then?"
"Hey," Harry tried and failed to grab it back. "It's not mine."
Ron stared at the address. Hermione made an impatient noise, "Whose is it then?"
He held it up for her to see, "It's for Danny."
Hermione took it, examining the envelope, "It says 'important'. I wonder why Danny's getting mail like this."
Ron seized it back, "Well, let's open it and find out!"
"No!" Hermione's finger brushed the edge of the envelope in a vain attempt to get it back. "It hasn't got your name on it! Don't open it! It's not your mail!"
Too late. Ron read to himself, paling considerably each second. Harry leaned over, his curiosity getting the best of him. It said:
Dear Daniel,
Hope your stay at Hogwarts is going well. It may only be your fist day, but this "Triwizard Tournament" sounded so interesting, I had to mail you beforehand. It's sad you're too young to enter; your "skills" would render you the winner instantly.
But sources say a friend of yours will be a champion, is this true? Or have "they" not told you?
Don't go gallivanting about with your "skills", you've been told and I know you will obey. But this is just a routine checkup; I'll want a full report back.
On more interesting news—
—suddenly, the letter was snatched out of Ron's hand by a pale, wrinkled, long-fingered one.
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, fifty points taken from each of you." It was Professor McGonagal. "I'm surprised at you boys! Reading other people's mail… I thought better of you two!"
Ron winced and Harry felt his face turn red. Hermione just had the "I-told-you-so" look on her face.
"And from the foreign exchange student no less!" she exclaimed, reading the address. She folded it up and slipped it in her robes, "I'll have to get this too him straight away. And you two!" she pointed out Harry and Ron, "One more time I find you doing this and it's three months detention!"
As the teacher stormed off, the group fell silent. Hermione because she was thinking about her friends, the two boys because the letter had sounded more than suspicious, what struck Harry most was the language, "I know you will obey?" Who said things that way to a fourteen year old?
Ron watched Hermione tentatively start on a piece of toast. "So you're eating today?"
Hermione didn't meet his eyes, "I've resolved there are better ways to fight elf slavery than depriving myself of food."
"It's not slavery Hermione, they like it!"
Hermione's face reddened in Ron's direction, "They just think they like it because they aren't educated enough to decide for themselves!" She grabbed another toast and diva-walked out of the Hall.
Harry jumped in surprise as Fred and George suddenly appeared in front of his view of Hermione's back.
"'Ello all!"
"Lovely day!"
"Has anyone by chance seen our mate Danny around?" Harry thought this one was George. They both looked and dressed the same; it was always hard to tell.
He shrugged, "He left just before we came in. But Hermione was here with him, if you find her she'll probably be able to tell you."
The other twin, "Fred" maybe, clapped him on the shoulder, "Thanks Harry!"
After the twins left to go search for Hermione, Harry and Ron continued their breakfast in considerable silence. Nervously trying to break the sudden hush, Ron brought up a topic of much of their recent speculation, "So… Danny?"
Harry glanced up at him, then back down at his food, "Yeah? What about him?"
"He was acting pretty secretive last night. And that letter this morning…"
"Well… last night we were asking about some painful things. And that letter was none of our business."
"But you're always okay with telling us!"
"Yes, but you're my friends. Best friends at that. Danny's only been here one night and he's already told us a lot."
Ron sighed in thought, "He's just so… weird."
Harry smiled a bit, "Well… he is American. We don't really see or learn much about them because they're so new and different. Even Hermione has questions for Danny."
"But he's just so… weird."
…
Danny walked out of Dumbledore's office, inspecting his schedule. On Monday's he had Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins, and double Divinations. On Tuesday block he had History of Magic and Potions. On Wednesday he had Charms, on Thursday's he had Transfiguration and double Defense Against the Dark Arts, and on Friday he had History of Magic, Charms, and double Potions with the Slytherins.
The reason he had been in Dumbledore's office to set his schedule was because of Astronomy. He had Astronomy on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 11:00 to midnight as an advance class. Normally a fourth year wouldn't be taking Astronomy but due to his request and his school's—"The American Academy for Young Wizards"—he would be taking it as long as he could keep up with homework in his other classes.
The bell rang. "Oops!" Danny dashed off to his first class, Herbology.
. . .
Authors Note: Two in one week! I'm on a roll!
Is it going too slow?
Is Danny not an important enough of a character?
How am I doing overall?
Will you review?
Saturday, December 4, 2010