I own nothing, not the characters, the space where this story exists, or even the eyes that you are using to read it. This is for entertainment purposes only, no money involved.
Chapter thirteen
Dragon Huh
Danny was taking a long flight over the forbidden forest to relax after the exciting day, the fact that he had not slept in the last forty hours really didn't bother him that much. He had been flying around and throwing random ectoblasts into the air for a while when he came close to the clearing that he and Hagrid had made. He heard roars and saw flames shot up in that direction.
Danny went in for a closer look, wondering what kind of creature Hagrid was keeping out here. Danny set foot in the clearing and his jaw dropped in amazement. There we five full grown living, breathing dragons in the clearing in front of him. A smile found its way onto Danny's face. He knew that it was going to be an amazing day of class when Hagrid took them to see it.
There was more yelling and another roar. "She's getting lose." Someone cried. Then one of the dragons burst out of its chains and started to circle about. It set its eyes on one of the wizards on the ground and shot fire at him. Quick as a flash Danny was standing in front of the man covering them both with an ectoshield. Soon the wizards around the dragon started to shot it with multiple stunner spells and after ten or so the dragon finally started to go down.
"Thanks for the save there. I thought I'd be a goner." The man stood up. He was in his mid twenties and had red hair. There was some scars on him from burns but they were all old wounds. "Not meaning to be rude or ungrateful, but what might you be exactly?"
"It's no big deal really, I am kind of a ghost." Danny said rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you alright?"
"Weasley help us get the chains back on this girl before the stunners wear off." Another man shouted.
"Right there boss." The Weasley in question shouted. "Duty calls."
"Need a hand?" Danny said.
"I don't know, can you touch things?"
"Yah, as well as doing some other thing." Danny admitted.
"Then get that chain and secure it to the ring up there." The man started to give out instructions to the ghost.
After a few minutes the dragon started to wake back up. But everything had been secured and the man that were working with the dragons were a safe distance away.
"Thanks again for the help out there. I'm Charlie by the way," Charlie said reaching out a hand. "Charlie Weasley." Danny had heard that name from Ginny before; it was the name of one of her older brothers that worked with dragons. A bit of a coincidence that he would be the one Danny saved. "I haven't caught your name yet."
Danny was almost dumb enough to give his really name then and there. Luckily he stopped himself and started to make stuff up. "I don't know my name. You tend to forget it when you have been dead as long as me. But people call me 'The Ghost Boy'. Will that work for a name?"
"It is a little informal but if it works for you." Charlie had sat down and was working the sore out of him back. "So you said that you have been died for long enough to forget your name. Just who old do you need to be for that to happen."
"I don't know. I remember I was a ghost during the burning of Rome and that was over nineteen hundred years ago." Not entirely a lie, Danny had been there during the burning of Rome. "To be honest most ghosts don't like to think about their lives. Their name is one of the first things they give up."
"You say they like you're not like them." Charlie said.
"Well aren't you clever, no I just don't fit in because I have a fascination with the human world that doesn't involve taking it over." Danny then decided to and a hint to the wizards by talking about his dad. "I am like one of those crazy wizards that love to collect muggle stuff because most wizards think that it is all just junk. Same goes for me I listen live peoples stories and watch them live and most ghosts think that is a waste of time."
Charlie's eyes widen wondering whether The Ghost Boy knew and if so how? But before he could ask anything a voice came out. "Weasley!" The boss man came up. "This area is authorized personal only. So who and what is he and why is he here?"
"Sorry. I don't have a name but people call me The Ghost Boy. I was just flying by when I saw you could use a little help. I didn't mean to make a scene." Danny said.
"Well get out, we are supposed to keep the dragons being here on the down low so that none of the Champions up that the castle know about the first task." The boss man shouted.
"Wait what? Is that what all this was about? I thought you were setting up a school lesson." Danny said in surprise. "I was going to follow the classes here later to learn more about dragons." He said a little disappointed.
"Nice going boss." Charlie said. "You told him everything when he was assuming everything else."
"Shut up Weasley and get back to work. And you dead boy. Get out of here." He turned around and went off.
"Sorry, I hate that I can't do anything for you for saving my life and all." Charlie said sadly.
"Don't worry about it. After nineteen hundred years you get use to it." Danny said with a laugh.
"Maybe I will see you again someday Ghost Boy." Charlie said.
"I will probably see you, but I don't know if you will see me." Danny turned invisible after saying this and flew off.
The next morning at the breakfast table Danny started to talk to Viktor about what he had seen. "So then dragons is it?" Viktor said trying to sound as uncensored as Danny.
"Yah at first I thought that they were part of the Care of Magical Creatures class, because that is what Hagrid said that the clearing was for. But that didn't make sense." Danny rubbed the make of his neck. "I am starting to wonder why I believe Hagrid in the first place. It was a pretty obvious lie."
"So now the only question is what we do with the dragons. I don't think they would have use fight them head on. I don't know anyone that has taken down a dragon all by themselves." Viktor said.
"That is where you are wrong. I tied one up in an enhanced fishing line once." Danny said.
"Fine I don't know of any normal person that could manage such a feat." Viktor rolled his eyes.
"So you think we are going to have to ride it or something." Danny's voice was a little hopeful. He always wanted to ride a dragon, but doing such a thing to Dora would just feel as wrong as it sounded.
"You have problems my young friend. Even I how love the sky would not fancy a ride on those beasts. I think we will probably have to lure them somewhere or perhaps steal from one." Viktor started to rub that nose of his in concentration. "Probably the later since they would not like to give the dragons much room to escape so near an audience full of small children."
Harry had entered the Great Hall and was sitting nearby. "So it is stealing from a dragon. I will go and tell the other Champions." Danny said standing up and walking off to go and talk to Harry.
"Danny, you are an interesting competitor; most would want to keep the information to themselves in order to maximize their chances of winning. But you tell everyone friend or not. Do you enjoy the challenge?" Viktor asked no one in particular, thinking that Danny was a kind of sportsman just like himself.
"I don't think that is it." Ginny said. "I think he just don't think he could live with himself if something happened because he kept the information to himself." Ginny thought about everything that she learned about Danny from her time in the Ghost Zone. By Dora and Pandora's descriptions of him, he would do anything to protect others, but never use his abilities for personal gain.
"You would know better than me." Viktor smiled at the younger girl. It didn't fit the model of Danny that was in Viktor's head, but then again Danny was a mystery and didn't fit the mold of anyone that Viktor had ever even heard of that was not from a fairytale. The boy even fought a dragon and won.
Danny walked up and tapped Harry on the shoulder. Harry didn't look so good. Danny was wondering if Harry was getting as much sleep as him. "Harry you ok, you don't look so good?" Danny asked, the topic of dragons moved to the back of his mind.
"I'm fine Danny just hasn't been sleeping very well; Nightmares and all." Harry said. Danny understood what he meant. He could this remember the week after Dan. He didn't sleep that entire week, not even in Mr. Lance's class.
"Sorry to hear. I got info on the first task." Danny said. Harry's head shot up. "They got a group of five dragons in a clearing ten miles into the forbidden forest. The one I made with Hagrid for my Detention for putting my name in the cup."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"Yah saw them myself." Danny replied. "I already told Viktor so the only others that need to be told are Fleur and Cedric. I will tell Fleur, could you tell Cedric."
"Alright I will." Harry went back to eating.
Fleur was easy enough to spot. She was in the mid of the Ravenclaw table surrounded by admirers and being glared at by every other girl in the surrounding areas. Danny started to walk over to her and simply asked. "Hey Fleur, could I talk to you in private for a moment."
"So the little boy has finally came to his senses and come crawling back to me to get my advice because I am the best Champion out of all of this rift raft." Fleur said holding her head in a strange manner.
"Ah, yah, that is it." Danny said knowing that it wasn't worth arguing over in front of everyone and that he shouldn't let them all know that the Champions are all going to know what the first task was.
"Well I suppose I could give you some pointers even after the little display you put on the other day." Fleur lead Danny out of the hall and into a nearby empty class room. "So what do you want me to teach you?" Fleur said without hiding the sense of superiority.
"I really just wanted to tell you that we have found out that there are go to be dragons in the first challenge." Fleur's jaw dropped. "There is a clearing about ten miles into the forbidden forest with five dragons in it."
"You liar," she sneered at Danny, "you are trying to make me waste my time on preparing for something that isn't part of the task, or maybe you are trying to scare me off. I don't know but it won't work. I beat that loser Weasley girl put you up to this." Fleur turned and stomped out of the room will Danny was distracted by a seriously disconcerting feeling that this had all happened before.
"Well that didn't go as planned." Danny sighed and stomped off to rejoin his friends at the table.
"What's wrong mate?" Lee asked him.
"I tried to warn Fleur about the dragons in the first task but she doesn't believe me. She thought that Ginny sent me to spit her." Danny said with a sigh.
"Good reddens if you ask me." Gorge said.
"I hate that woman." Fred continued.
"Until she gets close enough to charm us." Gorge said.
"Don't suppose you could teach us your mental blocks can you Danny?" Fred finished.
"Guy don't you think Danny will be busy. You heard him, he is going to have to get past a dragon." Neville said. "I don't know how you are going to do it."
"I don't know either, what do you think would be more impressive; invisibly walking up to it, picking it up and throwing it, taking control of its mind, tying it up, or my favorite freezing it to the ground." Danny listed off easy ways he could get past the dragon.
"Never mind I said anything." Neville said with a wave of a hand. "Where should we send the Cup and the money?"
"You can put the cup in the sink with the rest of the table wear. And the money will go to Fred and Gorge to help with the effort of making pimples that evade all attempts that being popped." Danny said in an uninterested also waving off the subject. "But how do we go about getting her to believe. If she goes in there blind she just might die." Danny was all serious at the word 'die'.
"Well maybe we could tell her Headmistress and she could tell her." Neville suggested.
"I don't think that will work. My Head Master is very angry with me for talking with enemies. I can't imagine that she would believe him either." Viktor said. "At least not if it comes from a Champion."
"What about Hagrid then?" Lee said. "Hagrid would know about the dragons. I beat he would take any excuse to go see the dragons."
"I think he fancies Madam Maxime anyways." Gorge said.
"Showing her the dragons would sound like a good plan for a date to him." Fred said.
"Showing girls killer monsters and the world of the dead. Someone really needs to teach you people about woman." Viktor chuckled. "Speaking of which Danny did you apologize to Hermoninny yet." It was a butchering of the girls name but everyone let it slide. "She has looked really depressed ever since you lashed out at her."
"I did apologize." Danny said and then paused. "And then things were said that made things even worse." Danny finished and started hitting his head against the table. "I don't hold a grudge or anything but after what she said I don't think we could talk anymore."
"What did she say that was so bad?" Neville asked. "I know she is a little conceded and never avoided putting her foot in her mouth, but she was never purposefully mean."
"Let's just say I had never been so deeply insulted in my entire life. She might as well have said that she thought me so disgusting as to eat living babies." Danny said covering his head. "She didn't know what she was talking about, I know, but still I can't help but avoid her."
"That bad, wow. And you're such a nice guy to." Lee said.
"Well someone needs to talk to her and explain that Danny doesn't hate her. Because at this right I think she might just lose the will to even go to class." Ginny said. "And for her that is saying something she would rather die than get expelled."
"I will do it. None of you people have no idea how to talk to women." Viktor then got up.
"Thanks Viktor, go work your magic." Danny said. "I would have a better chance fight all those dragons by myself, without my staff, and blindfolded then get through one conversation with that girl."
"And that is what is wrong with you." Viktor said with a smile. "Boundless strength but no people skills. I can't image what it is like for you when you need to ask for help." And with that the noble man was off to fight the battle that time's greatest warrior could not.
"While he is doing that Fred and I will convince Hagrid to take Ms. Maxime to see the dragons." Gorge said. "Danny you need to concentrate on how to get past dragons."
"I am pretty sure that Danny could beat it with charisma alone." Lee joked.
Even though Danny new it was a joke it caught his attention. "I have never tried that before. But I think I probably could." Danny raised his head thinking about how living creatures reacted positively to his emotional aura. He might not be able to convince a Ghost dragon not to fight with it, but maybe a living dragon. "I am going to do it." Danny announced.
His friends were momentarily shell shocked until Neville said. "I don't think you can talk to a violent creatures that those." Danny had to be crazy.
"Why not I could do it with the Skrewts. I think I really could to it." Danny said excitedly. "I don't think anyone has done that before."
"No, no they have not. That is because you would be mad to try." Fred said with a smile. "But if anyone could pull it off it is you, you 'Mad Hatter'."
"So what is that my new nickname, pretty appropriate." Danny laughed. Twirling his staff he whispered one of the easy spells that he learned because he thought it was funny. A top hat appeared out of nowhere and Danny grabbed it and put it on his head. "Of course you have to be mad to do the things that I do." Danny's fake accent was lousy but it still got him some laughs. "If I am going to tame a dragon I should probably start practicing then. Start with squirrels and work my way up the food chain."
"But what if you go there and all your training was for nothing?" Lee asked.
"I guess then he will just have to beat the dragon up." Ginny said. "Or do you doubt that he can do it?"
"As much as I doubt that Nick really is dead." Lee replied seeing her point.
"Alright then, if you guys need me I will be by the lake practicing." Danny said, "Oh can you give Viktor the new full cartages for me." Danny handed Ginny the cartages. Viktor was making some progress with making his shields and was trying to convince Danny it was good enough, but his excitement to prove his skill away confused the ectoplasm he was working with causing him to fail. And even though Danny new that he could do it while he was calm he must learn to remain calm about things that he was excited about.
Danny we went outside and to the lake. Danny sat down on the grass near some trees and closed his eyes. He started to gather his ghostly aura and after it was starting to get difficult to hold in he started to let it overflow and pour out of him in a constant flow. After a few minutes of nothing happening Danny started to feel a little discouraged. That is until he opened his eyes.
I looked like every squirrel in England had gathered around him as well as several foxes, rabbits, small deer, and probably every bird in the Owlry. Danny started to laugh, he closed his eyes and started experimenting with sending is aura to only certainty individuals and then tried to use his Aura to kindly ask them to go away. It was not going very fast. Only the foxes had gone away, though Danny didn't know if that was from his aura or something else. The squirrels had gotten closer and where now resting all over him and the deer had placed its head in Danny lap though most of the owls had gone back to their nests some this rested around Danny. Danny actually felt pretty comfortable sit there against a tree with the warmth of all the animals all over him.
'I haven't slept in days now that I think about it.' Danny thought to himself. 'I suppose if I just close my eyes for a second...' Danny was fast asleep before he had time to finish the thought.
And like that ten hours when by. Danny had missed both lunch and dinner and people had gone out looking for him. So when they finally found him at the edge of the lake leaning up against a tree and surrounded by small woodland creature, it caused quite a bit of commotion. Forty witches and wizards were standing far enough away to not wake up Danny or scare off the woodland creature. They all pulled out there equivalent of cameras to captor the moment forever.
The sound of the flashes startled some of the animals and the approach of Professor Moody caused Danny to be startled awake. The animals ran off and Danny was left standing there in a fights stance until he realized the laughed he was hearing was the normal kind and not the evil kind.
"So how was the nap Danny?" Ginny asked as she ran up to her boyfriend.
"Give me a minute to wake up and I will tell you then." Danny yawned loudly and shook the sleepiness out of his bones. "Feels like it did me some good. But how long was I out. I had only trained for about two hours, but by the looks of it the sun has already gone down."
"Last anyone saw you were at breakfast about twelve hours ago. Come on, I will take you to the kitchen so you can get something to eat." Fred said, or was it Gorge. Danny didn't usually have any trouble telling them apart even when they tried to confuse him. 'I really must be tired.' Danny realized. Danny started to follow the boy which he had now realized was Gorge. "So you we trying to communicate with all of those animal?"
"Not really, I just not paying enough attention and I ended up getting a lot more attention than I was burgeoning for. There were a lot more animals earlier, but it was really comfortable with them surrounding me, then the fact that I haven't slept in something like three days caught up we me." Danny said.
"Danny you looked like some kind of angel for the old paints." Ginny said blushing. "You just gave everyone more to talk about."
"No kidding." It was Neville coming up behind them. "People are already saying that he is really dead and that he is a guardian angel sent back to make sure that Harry survives the Tournament."
"And how do you know he is not?" Lee joked. "Other than the heart beat and the fact that he fights like a demon." Danny started to laugh, since Neville really wasn't that far off. "Though it would explain why lots of ghosts have so much respect for you." Lee finished.
"Ghosts don't age though, so wouldn't he be three months old?" Fred was here now arguing the point.
"You guy are thinking way too much into this. I was just sending out my emotions using ectoplasmic radiation effects. That is what the animals reacted to. I didn't notice how many of them I gathered because it takes a lot of concentration to do." Danny said rubbing the back of his neck. "Until I opened my eyes I thought that I was failing to call any animals."
"Yes but the angel story sounds cooler." Fred said.
"So is this how you plan on getting past a dragon." Viktor had joined the group. "Drown him in cute?"
"Something like that." Danny started to laugh. "Since you can't exactly copy I might as well tell you I am going to try to communicate with it."
"What gave you that idea?" Viktor asked thinking that was a little crazy even for Danny.
"Lee said the thought I could beat the dragon with Charisma alone. So I thought I would give it a try. Though I think he may have been joking." Danny said rubbing his chin in mock wondering casing everyone to laugh. "Really quick question, if I am the Mad Hatter does that make Ginny Alice and Clockwork the White Rabbit?" They continued this train of thought all the kitchen. Where they agreed that at the very least Fred and Gorge we Tweedle A and Tweedle B. Danny and Ginny were both arguing that Remnant was the March Hare who drank tea with the Mad Hatter but the other never met him.
They reached the kitchen and sent Danny in alone and went back to the Gryffindor tower except for Viktor how went back to the boat. Danny entered the kitchens and was met by the sight of almost a hundred house elves.
Danny remembered being told about house elves and the way that they lived. Danny thought that it was nice that they were easily happy when given a job to do. Danny had met a lot of ghosts that were thrilled to do what Danny thought were the worst jobs ever, like the lunch lady's ghost, or the bus driver. So Danny's American instincts didn't shout out slavery.
Sam had freak when she hurried about them, but that was Sam. Danny had long since just smile and nodded whenever Sam started to talk about injustices. Danny did see however the sad fate that they were taken for granted and not shown the right amount of appreciation. Doing what you like is nice, but it also depends on how you are treated will doing it. A master could just as easily give the elf a job with a smile as with a kick.
One of the elves had spotted Danny and went over. "Hello sir is there something that I can help you with?"
"Yes actual," Danny said with a smile. "I kind of slept through lunch and dinner. I don't suppose it would inconvenient you for me to get something to eat would it?" Danny said politely.
"Not at all sir. We still have the leftovers from supper over in the preparation area, or if you would prefer we could make you something fresher." The elf said in excitement.
"The leftovers will do fine thank you. My name is Danny by the way. What's your?" Danny said sticking out his hand to shack.
The elf looked a little shocked, and after a few moments hesitation attentively reached out a hand a shook Danny's hand saying. "My name is Dobby, sir." Dobby then guided Danny over to a table and other house elves brought him food and drink.
"Thanks, everything looks great." Danny said.
Danny ate making a little small talk with Dobby or any other elf that passed by. Then Danny went and cleared his own dishes and offered to help with the others but the elves quickly shot the idea down. On his way out he turned to Dobby and said "Thanks again for the food; I hope I wasn't much of a bother."
"If sir does not mind me asking why are you so nice to house elves?" Dobby asked.
"Why shouldn't I be? I now that most house elves are bound to their job or just love it, but there isn't a living being that doesn't like to be treated with respect will they do their job, whether they love it or not." Danny then smiled. "All the politics and ethics are above my head. But as long as everyone is safe and happy, does anything else really mater."
Dobby smile at this, "No I suppose it don't, you are an interesting wizard, sir."
"And therein lays the only real problem." Danny said raising one finger. "Everyone is classified as what they were born as or what they look like. When in reality we are all just people." Danny then started to jog away. Turning he called out over his shoulder, "Good luck with the free elf thing Dobby, maybe I will see you around."
Danny went back to the Slytherin house and took a shower. Danny then slipped the red and gold hair dye into the bottles and got out. He went and discretely put magical super glue on unlikely surfaces like certain parts of the wall and the door knobs of 'A-list' Slytherins. He then noticed some buttons that said 'Support Cedric Diggory' though when Danny picked one up it switched to 'The Potters Stink'. Danny smiled to himself and picked up the book and materials used to make said buttons and took them to the roof with him. Since he had already slept he stayed up all night making new buttons. This buttons also say 'Support Cedric Diggory' but when press they said 'Phantom Rules You' or 'Kick Me Please' and Danny made one especially for Malfoy that would randomly say 'I Think Harry Is Sexy'. A few sticking spells later to make sure that they would not be able to take them off. Then Danny switched all the old buttons for the new ones. Then he went to sleep knowing that tomorrow was going to be a good day.
This chapter took 3 hours 38 minutes 59 seconds.