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Chapter Fifteen

First Task

The morning of the first task finally arrived and after a shot breakfast where Danny seemed to be the only Champion eating. Dani kept trying to get Danny to show her more magic and tell her more about ghosts. Danny's male friends were all surprised as to how much Danny was acting like a loving father to the mini him. Of course Ginny knew better, but that was beside the point.

"Mr. Clockwork, you will need to come with me for the first task." Professor Snape had been sent to fetch Danny, or course Danny had gotten use to the electricity that went through him whenever Snape approached but Dani was feeling it for the first time. She immediately ducked behind Danny are grabbed onto the jeans that he sported as part of the battle uniform that Dora had prepared for him.

The little girl caught Snape's attention. "It's ok Dani, Professor Snape is nice really." Danny said try to get the little girl out from behind him. "Why don't you introduce yourself?" Dani looked up at her father's supportive smile. "I will be right here with you ok."

Dani stepped out from behind Danny's leg. "Hello Mister. My name is Danielle, but I prefer to be called Dani spelt with an 'i'." Snape was a little taken aback by the appearance of this little girl. After all change the black hair to red and blue eyes to green and you would have a girl that looked exactly like Lily from the day Snape first worked up the courage to talk to her.

"It is nice to meet you Danielle, I am Severus Snape I teach the Potions class here at Hogwarts." Snape said shocking all nearby with the kindness in his voice. "Would it be ok if Danny came with me? He really does need to get ready for the first task after all."

"Ok." Dani said, letting go of her father and running back to her Aunt Jazz.

"Thank you, now come with me Danny." Snape said and lead Danny outside and to a tent next to a gladiator style arena that Danny didn't recall being there. Danny entered the tent to find that the other Champions and Headmasters as well as Crouch were already there.

"Good we are all here then. Today's task will to be to get your hands on this." Crouch said before lifting up a far sized golden egg. "Of course it will not be easy. Especially since we will be placing them in the nests of agitated female dragon." He smile expecting shocked expressions on the Champions but saw that none of them were surprised. Danny was not even paying much attention as he realized that his shoe lasses had got undone. 'These kids have nerves of steel.' Crouch thought to himself. 'If I was told that I would have to be fighting a dragon I would be freaking out.'

"Well then if you have no questions we will continue. You will be called out one at a time going from oldest to youngest. So it will be Cedric first, followed by Ms. Fleur, then Viktor, Harry and finally Danny." Crouch announced the ordering. "We will decide which dragon you will face by the drawling of lots." A assistant waked up beside Cedric holding a bag. Cedric stuck his hand into the bag and pulled out a little figure of a dragon. The figure started to move and roar as if it was the real deal. This was the first real thing to get Danny's attention all day.

"Wow, do we get to keep them?" Danny said with a smile. Dani would love the little figures.

"Will I suppose you could?" Crouch was taken aback by the sudden burst of enthusiasm. The boy was about to fight are real dragon and he was excited about the toy.

"Yes, Dani is going to love it." Danny said with a broad smile.

"Why are you taking about yourself in third person?" Harry asked him.

"No he is talking about his little sister. She showed up yesterday to watch along with his older sister Jazz and Father Clockwork. Did you not see them?" Viktor asked.

"No, I was busy with some last minute preparations." Harry admitted he could not believe he missed the opportunity to see the man that had forced his brother into this dangerous tournament.

Fleur and Viktor also pulled their dragons out of the bag. It was Harry's turn; Harry face looked grim as he held a particularly mean looking spiky dragon. Danny was glad he didn't get that one, it wouldn't make a very nice gift for Dani.

Danny was the last one of to draw from the bag. Danny pulled out a beautiful dragon with a rounded face and sets of fins running down either side of its back and joining along the tail which finished in much the same still as a dolphin's tail would. The dragon had amazing dark sapphire blue scales covering its whole body except for a lighter blue along its chest and some white once behind its eyes. Danny smiled widely, 'Dani is going to love this.' He thought.

"Now someone will be sent to get you when it is your turn to fight. So please wait patiently." Crouch said before leaving the tent and leaving the Champions alone.

Danny looked round and almost laughed. Each of the other Champions were in there school uniforms that were not exactly made for free movement. Robes would not make getting to the egg any easier on them. They all looked like they were going to a graduation ceremony, not a dragon fight.

Danny on the other hand looked like he was going to a street fight. His sleeveless jacket was opened up showing is muscles and the few scars that the potions couldn't remove.

"Don't suppose anyone wants to trade?" Harry joked.

"Sorry I don't think that is allowed and Dani wouldn't like your figure as much anyways." Danny said with a shrug.

"So you have a little sister?" Harry asked curiously. He had not had a real family growing up.

"Yes, her name is Danielle, but she likes to go by Dani." Danny said with a smile.

"She is a five year old girl that looks like Danny, uses the same magic as Danny and even acts a little like him. I don't know what part of that scares me more. It is strange just how much they are alike considering she was not born from the same parents." Viktor said with a mock shudder. Harry felt jealousy showing its ugly head again.

"Think in another six year she might enter the tournament at the age of eleven." Danny said with a grin. Danny had little doubt that his little girl would follow in his footsteps and completely out shine him.

"Why do you insist on insulting this sacred tradition with your bad jokes and meaningless attendants you foolish American dog." Fleur was still angry with Danny for trying to warn her about the dragons. Danny really didn't understand women but Viktor said it was a pride issue. 'The human female doesn't wish to give up a grudge no matter how obvious that she was wrong. The most you can hope for is for her grudge to take on a different shape.' Viktor had told Danny. Danny thought that he was probably right. After all Viktor had more experience with girls then he did. And it would fit with what Danny knew from experience with the girls he knew back in Amity Park.

"Give the kid a break Fleur." Cedric said in more than a little annoyance. "We all know that he won't take this seriously."

"I don't understand why they stand for that little 'Mad Hatter' stay in this tournament."

"Because they didn't have a choice, remember, just like with Harry." Cedric rubbed the back of his head. "No affiance Harry."

"None taken." Harry mumbled in replied, he looked like he was about to throw-up.

'He does have a plan right. I mean he has had over two weeks since he found out it was a dragon.' Danny thought.

"Cedric Diggory your up." Cedric walked out of the tent trying his best to look dignified.

"Do you all see that." Fleur said mockingly. "That is what a Champion is supposed to be like. Not a joker like you two," She shot a glare at Danny and Viktor who were pretending to be occupied playing at their dragon figures, "or a scared child like him." She said looking at Harry.

"Why do you insist on killing the joy Fleur?" Viktor said. "This is an international game, it is suppose to be a celebration and a time for bonding between the brothers and sisters of our world." Viktor said swinging his arms wide. "Not a time for worrying about who is the most dignified. For example, just the other day we had a contest to see who could hold the most pumpkin pudding in his mouth at once when Lee was hit by the twins experimental sneezing powder while having three servings in and it shot…"

"Stop, stop right there you disgusting boy." Fleur screamed cutting Viktor off in middle of his story. She had spat the word 'boy' like it was the greatest swear word in the world. Danny had fallen to the ground laughing. "Stop laughing this tournament is serious. Do you really think that you can stand against a dragon by yourself boy?" Fleur looked like she thought she had one the argument.

"I have before." Danny shrugged never losing his ridicules smile or getting up off of the floor. Fleur and Harry's shocked faces sent Danny into another fit of giggles.

"You're lying." Fleur snapped at Danny.

"Just like when he was lying about what was in the first task?" Viktor tried to make the statement sound like a question. All pretence of tension had left everyone but Harry. For the few minute before Fleur went out to try and get her egg.

Viktor and Danny kept talking about how they could get Lee to reproduce the pudding incident in front of Fleur until Viktor was called out. Leaving Danny alone with Harry.

"Don't worry Harry you have been preparing for this for the last two weeks. I am sure you will do fine." Danny told Harry with a smile.

"How can you be so confident?" Harry asked Danny.

Danny was a little taken aback by the question. "I don't know, experience I guess. I just keep telling myself that I can do it and that I will not let myself have come this far in life to just turn around and run away." Danny said thoughtfully. "If I stop here then everything I have done in my life was for nothing. I told myself that every day for almost two years. I don't even remember what turning away feels like anymore." After all if Danny ever went one day without stopping the ghosts from hurting people, all of the people he worked so hard to protect would have died.

Harry was surprised. What had Danny had to go through to put him in such a mindset? Harry decided that he was going to do his best to stop Clockwork from continuing to use his little brother like that. But before he could do that he would have to win this task. Harry was feeling a little more determined when his name was finally called and he went out leave Danny alone.

Danny sat around playing with the little dragon for five minutes until he heard a loud cheering from outside. 'Sounds like thing went well for Harry.' Danny thought happy for Harry. Another few minute passed before Danny was finally called out.

"Danny Clockwork, it is time." Danny snickered at the bad pun. He quickly grabbed his staff and asked the attendant to hold his dragon figure for him. Then Danny marched out into the arena to the cries of hundreds and quickly looked through the crowd. He saw his friends and family on the front row off to his right. Danny quickly waved at them before turning his attention to the ten ton dragon in the room.

It was just like the figure of the dragon that he had pulled out of the bag only a hundred times bigger. Danny looked up at the monstrous beast and did something that made everyone in the audience confused. He started to smile and placed his hands behind his head and said. "I hope that we still can get this done before lunch I have gotten use to eat my meals on time." 'The boy was clearly insane' someone in the audience shouted. "We are all a little mad." Danny spun his staff and make his top hat appear again causing several of his friends to break out laughing.

The dragon had noticed Danny by now and had lifted her head and breathed out a torrent of fire straight at Danny.

As the flames consumed the area were Danny had stood there we cries of fear and sorrow from the audience. "No!" Harry said from his spot in the first row near Danny's family. He had just lost the brother he never known he had before he even had a chance to get to know him.

"Don't worry about Danny." Harry looked up to see Danny's older sister Jazz standing there with a smile. "There isn't a force on earth that can beat him."

"Yah," Dani continued, "my Danny is the best there is. No dragon could ever beat him."

Then the fire that surrounded the spot were Danny had stood was blown back. And there standing in the middle of an icy patch of ground was Danny. Danny and his staff we both glowing a brilliant whitish blue, his top hat was still perched on top of his head. Even the dragon stumbled back in confusion before retaking her place over her eggs. "Those are some good lungs you have madam." The glow around his body disappeared but the glow around his staff merely changed from whitish blue to lime green. "But I don't think I should be caught in front off one of those again."

"So begins the witty banter. He uses it even when the opponents don't speak back." Jazz says with a grown.

"You're just saying that because you aren't very good at banter." Dani mocked Jazz.

"Why aren't you taking this seriously? He could die out there." Harry shouted at the girls that just looked at him and started to laugh.

"If Danny loses to a dragon I will take Dash to a dance." Jazz said.

"Yah it will be a hot day in Far Frozen when Danny loses to a dragon." Dani said whipping a fake tear from her eye. 'This people are completely insane.' Everyone around them thought.

"They are not insane. They just know better." A deep and knowledgeable voice said. "Daniel has stood in front of beings that were called Dark Gods because of their brutality and power. Compare to them a dragon might as will be a small dog." Clockworks certainty was a little disconcerted so the other views. "Just watch."

Danny stopped and raised his staff. "Neovs Armeo Tearen Un Magikus!" The familiar lime green light past from Danny's staff and went over his entire body. The dragon had recovered from its confusion and had throw back her head once more but before she could breathe out her deadly flame Danny had jumped off to the side and with incredible speed relocated himself behind her. The dragon quickly recovered and made a swipe at Danny with her tail. Danny jumped up and landed standing on the end of the tail. The dragon swung her tail again throwing Danny off of it and Danny went flying towards a wall. The dragon shot more flames in hope of getting the boy off guard when he was off of the ground. But the second Danny reached the wall her propelled himself off of it and away from the oncoming flames. Danny started to add over the top back flips and cartwheels to his dodges to show that he really wasn't taking the task seriously.

"Danny, I'm getting hungry could you wrap this up." Everyone was surprised to hear Ginny of all people say. But Ginny had gone on more adventures with Danny into the Ghost Zone well they have been dating, and Ginny had seen him fight for real and knew that this was not it.

"Alright, but I was having fun." Danny said with a fake pout. Danny dashed towards the dragon and dodged right avoiding a wing that tried to knock him away. Danny ran up the wing and placed a hand on the dragons head. Danny had successful put his ectoplasmic probe in the dragon.

'What is the child doing? Is it attacking me or just playing around?' The Dragons thoughts started to enter Danny's mind.

'Mostly just playing around.' Danny though back. The dragon jumped back in alarm at the foreign thoughts. 'Sorry for scaring you. I was hoping we could talk things out.'

Danny sent a wave of reassuring emotions through the new mental like and to the dragon. The dragon started to calm down. 'What are you child. You look like a 'twolegger' but you feel like a winter storm?' The dragon's thoughts sounded surprisingly masculine to Danny.

'They call my kind halfas, we are twoleggers that are also ghost or 'essence of the dead'.' Danny thought towards the dragon. 'They call me Phantom, you can to if you want.'

The dragon looked startled. 'I was always leaded to believe that only we Drakin could become a spirit after death. Yet you are one will still in life. Interesting.' Danny didn't move as the dragon went to smell him. Danny could sense that she had not animosity for him and so there was no need for him to be afraid. The audience were sure that he had lost his mind, but then again they believed that from the beginning. 'But I forget you wanted to speak to me about something.' The dragon thought.

'Yes, I am sure you are aware that there is a egg in your nest that isn't yours.' Danny stated not having a doubt that an creature this intelligent would realize that the golden egg was not one of its own.

'Yes, I have noticed that the other twoleggers have placed a foreign egg in my nest.' Danny started to sense hostilities. 'They took me and my egglings from our home and caged us and brought us here. Why did they do this.' The hurt in the dragons thoughts almost brought Danny to tears.

'They wanted to test me.' Danny said through his mind trying to send apologetic feeling through his mind. 'I was told to outwit you and take the fake egg from you. I am trying to talk to you so that there are no misunderstandings. I am not trying to take one of your eggs from you, but I need to get that fake egg. Will you let me?' Danny felt the unease in the dragon.

'No.' The dragon thought and Danny had to keep his heart from sinking. 'I cannot let you near my eggs. They are my entire purpose for being.' There was a silence over the mental bridge for a few moments were Danny could feel the dragon's indecision growing. 'But I suppose I could just give the egg.' Danny's heart leapt at this news and he sent grateful thoughts throw his ectoplasm.

The dragon bent her head and picked up the golden egg. She then throw the egg at Danny how caught the oversized thing in his left hand. 'Thank you.' Danny thought, 'the proper goodbye by my people would be 'my you always find shelter from the sun'.' Danny said with a bow. He then felt a strange emotion over the link. And found that the dragon had thrown out its tail and knocked him softly to the ground.

'You should not bow to anyone Phantom. My name is Aqua and my people say, 'May your wings never tire'.' The dragon Aqua thought back to him before returning to her eggs.

It wasn't till then did Danny notice the cheering for him. Danny went up to the judges to receive his scoring. All the judges gave Danny a ten except for Karkaroff how gave him a three. Danny didn't really care; he didn't really fulfill the task. He was supposed to steal the egg. But Aqua had just given it to him. Danny ran off to the assistant and got back the figure before leaving the Arena. Danny was then confronted by all of his friends as well as Jazz and Dani.

"Dani here is a present for you." Danny handed the little girl the figure. The girl held it in here hands wide eyed at the fact that it was moving all on its own. "It's the same as the dragon in the arena. She said her name was Aqua. What do you think Dani? Like your present."

In response the little girl throw her arms around her father's neck shouting. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you." She then presided to play with the dragon.

"So you can talk to dragons now. Will the wonders never end little brother?" Jazz asked sarcastically will ruffling Danny's hair. Danny faked trying to push her away.

"No Jazz they won't." He said with a smile. "And I can't talk to dragons. I can put ectoplasm in their heads that reacts to their thoughts telling me what they are thinking and feeling. I can also telegraph my own thoughts and emotions to the ectoplasm to let them know what I am thinking."

"So it is telepathy then. That's even better." Jazz said rolling her eyes. She held up one hand and showed herself counting down from five.

On queue Dani jumped up and started asking her father. "Can you teach me, can you, please? It won't be like that time with the ice I promise." She was pulling on her dad's jacket Danny laughing will everyone else hid their giggles.

"Alright, but it is going to take a lot of sitting still and clearing your mind. So if we do this you won't be able to eat sugar or play those exciting video games for a week." Danny said in a little bit of a singsong voice.

Dani's face screwed up in concentration, as if weighing the value of telepathy against sweets and games. "Maybe when I am older then." Dani said after a few seconds. This caused some laughs. "I have to have my priorities and you said I wouldn't have my own magical stick until I was older. If I can't use it now why learn it now." She explained her surprisingly sound reasoning.

"Girls got her priority straight." Fred said with a smile.

"What is her view on pranks?" George said matching his brother's smile.

"Danielle Lilith Phantom, don't you dare answer that." Jazz shout before Dani could give a opinion.

"Phantom?" Lee said. "That is an interesting last name. Is that what your old parents' last names were Danny?"

"No Jack and Maddie's last name was Fenton. But Dani's biological father's last name was Phantom." Jazz said quickly. "We added the Lilith part later because Sam thought it was nice."

"So what happened to Dani's father if she does not live with him anymore?" Viktor had come over for taking with his school mates.

"He died in an electrical accident before I was born. I don't think I ever had a mommy either." Dani said with a shrug. It was all technical true but all designed to stop further questions.

"It just seems odd because the ghosts sometimes call Danny 'Sir Phantom'." Neville added.

"That is because the name of Phantom among ghosts has become a name of nobility and respect." Clockwork to the rescue. "And so the Ghost bestowed the title to Danny along with some other ones. But that is enough about Ghosts, congratulations on your match Daniel. I have only heard of someone using telepathy to tame a dragon four other times."

Danny groaned, "So it wasn't that original of an idea." He had thought it was pretty cleaver.

"In the outlook of all of time… originality is hard to come by." Clockwork said with a smile. "Everyone else took two weeks to convince the dragons not to try to eat them though. You did it much faster." Danny perked back up at this statement.

"Thanks Dad." Danny said.

"You are welcome. Now then, in twenty four seconds you and Mr. Krum will be called to explain the importance of the eggs as well as a more… fruitful matter. So you better get moving." No sooner had Clockwork finished talking then an assistant came up to Danny and Viktor and told them that their presents were being requested.

As they walked away from the group Viktor looked at Danny and asked. "How does he do that?"

Danny just shrugged. "He has been doing it longer then we have been alive. I think it has something to do with eating carrots. He says they are good for the 'Sight'." That was meant to be a joke, but Viktor found himself wondering. 'After all with a 'Clockwork' could you ever really be sure.' After Danny nothing would surprise him.

They got to the area with the other Champions to find that everyone else had already gathered. "What took you two so long?" Fleur snapped.

"We got lost on the road of life." Viktor said with a smile. "I have been talking to your father Danny, is point of view is… interesting."

"That's great man; just remember not to listen to carefully. The longer you listen, the further down the Rabbit Hole you'll go." Danny said. "How long are we going to keep up this 'Rabbit Hole' joke anyways."

"Until your existence makes sense." Viktor replied with a smile.

"So forever then, because even I wonder how I could possibly existed." Danny said with a mock sigh and dip of the head.

"Can we please get back to business?" Crouch said executed, who would have guessed that the Champions would have such confecting personalities. "I am going to say this fast and only one got it. If you open the egg you will get a clue to the nature of the next task which won't be until after winter break so you have time. In a few months on Christmas we will be having Yule Ball you will all have to attend so try to get a date. We will be checking your wands and staff for safety reasons in a week as well as interviews with the 'Daily Prophet'. Don't ask why we didn't do that before the first task because the answer will be shut up. Now go and celebrate. I wish we didn't mess up the whole timing thing trying to get that paper out of the cup." Crouch walked away whining.

"So I hear the Twins and Peeves smuggled thirty kegs of Butter Beer into the castles for a party in the Gryffindor tower for a celebratory party. Want to come?" Danny smiled at Viktor.

"I think I will. I wanted a good excuse to be around Hermoninny anyways. If I must go to a stupid ball, it might as well be with a pretty girl." Viktor said with a sly grin.

"To each his own as long as I don't sleep tonight." Danny said giving Viktor a pat on the pack.

Viktor and Danny had got back to the group a started talking about going up to the party. Jazz said she had to go home to get ready for school and Clockwork decides to take her. Danny had to promise to make sure that Dani got back to Pandora's before school on Monday. Before they left Clockwork was cornered by Harry.

"So you're Clockwork. The one that is making my brother Danny do all of these dangerous things." Harry accused.

"I wouldn't say that. He never even saw my face until after he fought Pariahs Dark. No Daniel never needed me to find trouble. Though I guess I did set him up to have the choose to walk down the path that he chose." Clockwork said laughing a little. "They said that I was the White Rabbit, but I am much more of a Cheshire Cat if you ask me."

"He could die because of the things that you have done." Harry spat.

"And he didn't because of the things that I have done. And he has saved the lives of hundreds of others in turn. I don't pretend that I am giving him the ideal life. But everything is how it should be." Clockwork said.

"What gives you the right to say that?" Harry said angrily.

"The same thing that gives you the right to say that Sirius Black is innocent. I know better." Clockwork said with a smile at Harry's shocked face which Clockwork used to his advantage and started saying. "You look at Danny and see a boy with a hard past, I see only a young man with hope and a chance to make his own future. Goodbye Harry Potter, with any luck Danny will save you to." And with that Clockwork left the shocked and angry Harry. Jazz and Clockwork left right after.

Harry had made up with Ron how admitted that he had realized that he had been a idiot two weeks ago after listening to Krum's advice about meditating but was too embarrassed to confront Harry until after he saw the dragons.

Harry and Ron got back to their common room to find that Danny, Dani, and Viktor were all there already partying. "Oh, Harry you finally made it." Lee said. "Sorry we know it's supposed to be your party since you are the Gryffindor Champion and all, but that Dani girl is a party animal."

As if to emphasis Lee's statement Dani ran fifteen feet up a wall jumping off and grabbing a chandler and swinging on it screaming "WWEEEE!" on the top of her longs. She finally let go and feel right onto a couple that were kissing on a couch and knocked the couch over with them still on it. Everyone was either laughing or worried that the little girl would hurt herself. But when Dani immediately jumped back up and started asking everyone if they wanted to play Ping-Pong with her they all started to laugh to.

"And this is how she gets after just half a cup of Butter Beer." Danny shouted to Fred over the noise.

"Well she ever stop?" George asked through the tears of laughter.

"It will take a couple of hours but yah." Danny replied with a shrug.

Ginny came up to Danny and planted a kiss on his cheek. "A reward for doing so well today." She said. Then she and Danny went to sit together and make jokes for the rest of the night. Harry and Ron also joined into the party. After several pranks and Fred and George getting busted for feeding Dani experimental joke candies, time had passed and even though the party started at two pm it was ten pm before it finally started to wind down. Everyone had gone up to their rooms expect for Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were making up for lost time the last few weeks and Danny and Dani that feel asleep on a couch with Dani's head in her father's lap.

Even so it wasn't until eleven that they hear a familiar voice coming from the fire place. "Psss. Harry down here." Harry and his friends turned to see Sirius's head in the fire place. "Sorry I haven't been able to responded to your letters but I have a plan to help you get past the Dragon."

"But Sirius the first task was earlier today." Hermione said in a whisper.

"Oh, sorry I don't have a very good judge of time. Since you're here I guess everything went well then. Also you said in your letter that your brother Daniel was alive, is that true?" Sirius asked.

"See for yourself he is sleeping with his adopted little sister over on the couch." Ron said pointing at Danny. "We still have a hard time believing it."

"So he ended up in Gryffindor to, James would be glad to see both of his boys following in his footsteps." Sirius smiled.

"Actually the hat put him in Slytherin and is Snape's favorite student." Hermione said.

"Your father would rollover in his grave." Sirius said closing his eyes.

"Though he spends all his time with my brothers and sister, as well as Neville, Lee and Krum." Ron said. "Fred and George are thrilled that he is in Slytherin because he helps them sneak their pranks into the Slytherin house. They call him the cub in the snake pit."

"Your father would be so proud." Sirius said again.

"He is also a Champion in the Triwizard Tournament out of his own free will and he doesn't care about the danger." Harry said solemnly.

"Ok I think you guys need to just tell me everything from the beginning." Sirius said.

So Harry and his friends told the story of everything that had happened so far that year to Sirius. "To think it is only August. And that the Clockwork bloke would be involved."

"What do you mean? Do you know who Clockwork is? I searched every book I could find but have not seen a single mention of him. All the Ghosts seem to know who he is but they won't tell me. Even seeing him in person didn't help us find out anything about him. Only that he knows that you are innocent and…" Hermione started to before Harry and Ron put their hands over her mouth and motioned towards the sleeping Dannys on the couch.

"I don't know who he is but I have seen him before. It goes back to when James and I first followed Remus under the invisibility cloak during a full moon. We didn't know that he was a werewolf you see. When he transformed in front of us and had cornered us. We thought that we were going to die. But right before we where killed Remus just stopped in mid air. A old man with a staff with a clock on the end of it came out of nowhere and got us out of the Shrieking Shack with a single wave of his staff. We had never seen anything like it. We asked him who he was and how he knew to save up. All he said is that his name was Clockwork and that he knew everything. Then he said something about our lives being important for the future and then disappeared into thin air saying 'Everything is as it should be'." Sirius finished the story. "In my time in Azkaban I thought about that man. I thought that he did what did somehow knowing that Harry would beat Voldemort," Ron and Hermione flinched, "but if that is true then why did he take Danny?"

"Maybe he wants Danny to play some part in his vision of the future. But he did say the same thing to me 'Everything is as it should be'. So you think he can see the future or something?" Harry asked.

"Don't be silly Harry no one can see the future because the future is what we make it." Hermione voiced her opinion on the subject of seers.

"Just because the future can be changed doesn't mean it can't be see." They are jumped seeing that Danny was awake. "You can see play-doh, that doesn't mean you can't shape it."

"How long have you been awake?" Ron asked nervously.

"Don't worry, if my dad says that Sirius is innocent then that is good enough for me." Danny said with a shrug. "I have been awake since you started taking about my dad's roll in Sirius's life."

"So who is Clockwork then?" Harry said a little annoyed.

"That is not for you to know." Danny said simple. "And don't go all protective older siblings on me. After everything I have done I am the elder here. And don't tell me that my dad is just using me. I have my choice in what I do. I am living my life. You have no right to judge me." Danny pet Dani's head. "I have a family, friends, a future and the power I need to defend them. What makes you think that I need someone to protect me?"

"So you have been bread from before you were born to be the tool of this Clockwork bloke." Sirius said a little bit of disapproval in his voice.

"Even so I do not regret anything I have done in my life." Danny said looking at Dani. "And what about Harry and Dumbledore. Locking him away from the wizarding world with the Dursleys so that he would grow up the way that Dumbledore wanted. Don't pretend that there is a difference." Danny had a point and Hermione and Sirius realized that. Harry and Ron however didn't.

"But that is because Dumbledore cares about Harry. He would never use him as a weapon or a tool." Ron said trying to defend one of his idols. Danny merely smiled.

"What makes you so sure? Harry is the weapon that defeated Voldemort," Sirius, Ron and Hermione flinched, thought Sirius only because he called Harry a weapon, "so wouldn't Dumbledore want to keep it safe and ready for use?" Danny said before turning away. "Even if I am like a prized hunting dog, what does it matter as long as I am loved? Don't all parents try to set their children up to be ready for the future? I believe that Clockwork is good and that he has nothing but the best intentions at heart and that is good enough for me." Danny finished.

"Daddy do you have to be so loud." Dani had woken up yawning. "I still want to sleep."

"Ok, Dani I will be quiet for now on." Danny replied messing with his daughter's hair. "Just go to sleep and tomorrow I will show you the giant squid in the lake."

"Ok Daddy, just make sure you don't eat the green snow." Dani was already in dream land before her eyes were closed. Danny suppressed a chuckle and noticed that the others were staring at him.

"What?" Danny asked.

"She called you daddy." Hermione said. "That explains why you two look almost exactly alike."

"She can't be his daughter, he is only thirteen it wouldn't make sense." Ron said.

"What about Danny ever made sense?" Hermione said. "He breaks most of the rules of magic and logic. He is a living child with connections to the world of the dead. And he just today talked a dragon into handing over the egg."

"Please leave Aqua out of this." Danny tried to use reverse psychology to change the subject but to no avail.

"So is she your daughter?" Hermione asked. "Because there are too many similarities between you two, both physically and your magic to be a coincidence."

Danny sighed and decided that Hermione at least was too smart for pure denial. "In order to get my power a man did a form of illegal human cloning. Dani was the result but she ran away from the man and I watch out for her and her future now. So yes she is my daughter." They all looked shocked. Even Hermione who had expected something didn't expect that Danny would give the information so willingly. "She has had a hard life so if I catch you question her about it there will be hell to pay." Danny looked angry and his staff started to give off a glow a little darker than the usual lime green.

"We won't." Ron said jumping away a little. "Just one question. What is cloning?" Sirius how had heard about the subject will in hiding in a muggle town tried to explain to Ron. "Blime some of the things muggles do are really weird. Why would you make such an insult to nature?" Ron was quickly knocked out by the butt end of Danny's staff.

"Anyone else feel like insulting my daughter? Because he won't wake up in this tower or with his clothes. And don't think for a second I won't do it to girls." Danny threatened seeing Hermione blush he add, "Just because Viktor likes you don't make you beyond punishment for such a thing, you are already not in my best of books." Hermione's blush darkened.

"But you didn't make the choice to have her so you don't have any responsibility to her. Why take her in. It's not like she is a real…" that is as far as Harry got before ending up unconscious on the floor.

"You real are fast to defend that little girl of yours." Sirius said. "I am a little disappointed in Harry really. Neither myself nor your father were ever prejudges against Remus for being a werewolf, and him and his parents let me into their home after my parents disowned me. Even though I was a Black. I think James would be proud of how you decided to take the girl in as your own."

Danny smiled, "Thanks Sirius, but I need to strip this two and leave them in the dungeons." Sirius laughed and disappeared from the fire place. "Nice guy, pity he has to run from the law."

Hermione quickly ran up the girl's staircase not wanting to join her friends. Danny picked up the unconscious boys and carried them to the dungeon and phased their clothes off of them. He then left their clothes in there room and went back to his daughter. Danny looked down at the little girl and then went to sleep with her head in his lap.

I fell asleep while writing this, so I have no idea how long it took.