Sorted Out
…
Headcanon: after PP, Danny went to Clockwork and got help from a one of Clockwork's friends to make sure nobody but his family, friends, and the ghosts remember his identity.
Just to let everyone know, this isn't going to be some, 'they all go to Hogwarts and have some troubles and sneak around at night and other stuff the Harry and his gang did, or like they did' story. This is about a reincarnated Tom Riddle. Okay?
…
Danny didn't want to go to a school called Hogwarts, especially because it was recommended by one of the 'psychologists'. Even if it was a magic school that his mom and dad went to.
He had a job to do in Amity Park! He couldn't just abandon it, especially since he was the most effective at detaining ghosts. He couldn't leave them to be captured by the Guys in White. Believe it or not, he and most of the ghosts actually were (sort of) friends. The battles were mostly for the amusement of both parties, and they never seriously hurt each other. Like professional football. It's a game. That you can get hurt in.
"… ooh, and to take you, Tucker, and Sam on your first trip to Diagon Alley! I wonder what your wand will be, oh, and your house! I was in Ravenclaw myself, your father was in Gryffindor. This is so exciting! And-"
"Mom, I don't want to go." Maddie just stared, wide-eyed.
"You don't want to go? Why? This is the chance of a lifetime! Hardly anyone from America gets accepted into Hogwarts, it's mostly for Europe. Usually magical folk get called to the Salem Witch Institute, but it's not nearly as good as Hogwarts." His mom was practically glowing as she talked about the school who's name meant 'pig zits'.
"I have to do Phantom's job, remember?" Danny scowled in annoyance.
"Oh, don't worry! Jack, Valerie, and I will do it. You have nothing to worry about! Please, Danny." She suddenly looked tired. Uh-oh. Danny knew this trick: the guilt trip. "I only want what's best for you."
Danny's will was crumbling. "Um-um… what about Dad?"
"He'll understand! If anything, he'll be proud."
"Casper?"
"I'll talk to Mr. Lancer. He's a relative of one of the teachers at Hogwarts. Said teacher is a ghost, but it really makes sense. Lancer's a squib."
Danny eyed his mother funnily. "One of the teachers is a ghost? Squib? And what's the teacher's name?!"
Maddie laughed. "Oh, don't worry. They have a different type of ghost. A squib is someone who is born into a magical family, but doesn't have magic. The teacher is Mr. Binns, who teaches History of Magic. Everyone falls asleep in his class." That does make sense, thought Danny.
And Danny's excuses had run out. "… Fine…"
The ghost huntress squealed like a little girl and hugged her son.
"Mom… can't… breathe…"
…
"Well, at least he's not as grumpy as he is at Christmas time," Sam whispered to Tucker as Jack, Jazz, Danny, Tucker, and herself gathered around Maddie.
Maddie spoke up then. "Remember, Danny and Tucker with Jack, and Jazz and Sam are going with me. Always hold the hand of the apparator. Otherwise, you will either be left behind or some of your body parts will be left behind, which, Jazz, is called 'splinting'. It's a very messy and painful thing, so follow directions."
Nobody needed any more reasons to follow them.
CRACK!
They were gone.
…
Danny hadn't had very big expectations for someplace that's name was 'diagonally' with an E and a space. But he was amazed.
He knew that Sam would love that potion ingredient store, as it was full of magical plants. Jazz was gazing at Flourish and Blott's, which, judging by the display, was a bookstore. He and Tucker were enraptured with the large, and apparently very popular, 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' store, as it seemed to be a joke shop.
Pranks were pretty fun, if harmless, (Danny had been victim to some pranks that had been damaging to his health thanks to Dash) and magic ones were even better.
But of course his mom was dragging him towards the robe shop. Madame Malkin's.
All woman love clothes shopping, even if she wouldn't admit it. His girlfriend loved finding new goth clothes, and could spend hours finding the perfect pair of combat boots. Danny had found that out the hard way a long time ago, when they had just become close friends. But even though the robes for Hogwarts were supposed to be black, Sam didn't seem very interested.
…
Danny, Sam, and Tucker ran out of the robe shop, practically drinking the fresh, cool air. That shop was stuffy, and they were through with being measured. Especially Danny, as it felt like they were preparing to dissect him.
Maddie strolled out, followed by a a Jack Fenton, who had just barely been able to stop himself from running out along with the kids. "All right, I just figured we'd get the most boring part out of the way first. Where to next, kids?"
Jazz opened her mouth, most likely about to say 'Flourish and Blott's', but Danny beat her to it. "Let's go to Olivander's!"
Maddie smiled. "I haven't seen Mr. Olivander's since I got my wand! Well, what are we waiting for?" And she started walking ahead in her brisk pace.
They were there in no time. The bell tinkled as they opened the door to the musty shop, the smell of fresh pine overwhelming them.
Tucker looked around. "Maybe he's not here."
"I'm always here." The old voice came from the back, and they heard the footsteps of a very old man as he worked his way toward the front. At last, his white-haired head around one of the shelves. "These children are a bit old to be getting their first wands, aren't they? Maddie, Jack, it is good to see you again. Unicorn hair core," Olivander said, pointing to Maddie, "pine, firm, sixteen inches." He looked at Jack, "Dragon heart string, oak, sturdy, thirteen inches."
Jack beamed. "You still have it, Oli! (The old man grimaced at the nickname.) But these three are getting their wands. Special circumstances, as we had so much ectoplasmic ghost hunting equipment, and it's genius, too! The Fenton Weasel-"
Maddie quickly cut in. "Can you please get them one? Tucker, you first."
The nervous boy stepped forward. "How will you know which one's mine? Is it a blood test? Hospital equipment?! SNAKES?!"
"No, none of those, Mr. Foley." ("How does he know my last name?!") "It's on your strange muggle device. Now, let's try this one…"
…
It was Danny's turn. Tucker had ended up getting a wand of white birch, with a Phoenix feather core, nice and flexible, ten inches. Sam had a hazel wand, with a dragon heart string, strong yet supple, eleven inches. They were both very happy with theirs.
Olivander looked very hard at Danny, eyes squinting. He walked to a shelf, and grabbed one off. "Unicorn hair, holly, brittle, nine inches."
Danny waved it. Outside, there was a scream. They raced over to the window, only to discover pink fireworks popping in people's faces. "No, no." As soon as the wand maker took the wand from him, the light show faded. "Phoenix feather, oak, ten inches, bendy."
Everybody's hair was frozen in funny positions. "Nope." Danny had to hold in his laughter, as Sam had devil horns, his dad had an ice Afro, Tucker had an ice Mohawk on top of his beret, and he didn't know how to describe Olivander and the two red-haired women's.
Olivander snatched the wand from Danny's hand, and drew his own, melting the ice. "Dragon heart string, beech, stiff, eleven inches."
A green blast shattered the window. "No," the old wand maker sighed, "he hasn't taken to any of my usual core ingredients. I'll have to use some imported ones." He shuffled all the way to the back of the shop, and returned a few minutes later. "This is one of the better imported ones. Thestral hair, chankiri wood, unyielding, eleven inches."
As soon as Danny took it in his hands, he knew it was the right one. Though it felt sorrowful, like it had seen evil that it hadn't been able to stop, it just felt right. He waved it, and a cool breeze swept through the shop, giving it a fresh scent.
The old man smiled in triumph. "Yes! This is the one. Now, what about the lovely young lady with the red hair?"
Maddie answered, "We're not sure if she has magical talent yet. If she does, we'll be back! So, how much?"
"Ten galleons." The woman's lips tightened, but payed the large sum. In was probably just as expensive to import wands.
…
"Can we pleeeeaaaaase go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Mrs. Fenton? Pleeaase?" Tucker was practically hanging onto her leg.
It wasn't helping her mood that Jack had also joined in. "Can we, Maddie? C'mon?"
"… if I give you both fudge will you stop so we can go home and read your books?"
"Yes!" A deep voice boomed.
"No!" Shouted a squeakier one.
Maddie sighed. "Alright Tucker, I'll take you. But this is a shifter part of the Alley, we're by Nocturne. So just take my hand and we'll be on our way." Tucker, being the unused-to-magic boy he is, took the hand.
CRACK!
They were gone.
CRACK!
Maddie was back. "I'll take Sam and Danny. Jack, you get Jazz."
CRACK!
…
Danny rubbed his sensitive ears. Why did apparation have to be so loud? Especially with his extra-keen ghostly hearing.
He fingered his wand. The wood was a polished black, and it had strange runes on it, as well as a swirling pattern. It was also very smooth and reflective. If not for the distinct woody feeling, he might think that it was metal.
He had spent the rest of the day being educated on basic wizard knowledge, and memorizing spells, though he didn't get to use them. He would get to try on the train, though.
His mom had just apparated to tell her sister the good news, though she hadn't bothered to step out of the room.
Danny wasn't looking forward much to the train ride. He would have preferred to fly alongside the train, but apparently there was 'special magical barriers'. Also, she wanted him to socialize more. He had enough friends in Tucker, Sam, Val, and the ghosts! It was completely unnecessary!
He thought about the houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff (he had snickered at that one), and Slytherin. He hadn't liked the sound of the last one. Even though some were nice, he had heard most were cruel as hell. Danny wanted to be in Gryffindor, it sounded cool. Though Ravenclaw would be fine, too.
"Danny, dinner!"
Thank the Ghost Zone that Jazz was cooking.
…
Danny had run through tons of walls in his lifetime, mostly while intangible. (Mostly- there was the occasional time he had been thrown through by a ghost.) But never had he been expected to run through while purposely tangible.
If he hadn't seen magic first hand, he would have thought his mom and finally lost it.
He took a breath and ran through.
The other side was filled with steam, and he could make out the vague forms of other people, all flocking toward a large red train.
The color of the locomotive was strange, magical in its own right. A painter would kill to get that color, a soft velvet-rust red, faintly glowing in its own steam. Soft yet rough.
He let out a nostalgic sigh. He had miss-
Danny frowned. What had that thought been? What had he been thinking? What-
"Ghost Zone to Danny!" A pair of fingers snapped in front of Danny's face, and he jumped. Tucker looked warily at his best friend. "Finally, you're awake! What, didja see the future or something?"
Danny blinked, he must have been out of it. Tucker and Sam had learned not to surprise him the hard way a long time ago. He couldn't help it if he was jumpy! Tuck, Sam, and Danny had gotten lucky that there was no frozen friends, ghost rays, or intangible Danny.
And like that, he forgot about the strange thought all together. "Yup. I saw you accepting your feminine side."
Both boys cracked up, while Sam just rolled her eyes, hands on her hips.
"Looks like you two are having a fantastic time. Meanwhile, a certain red train is about to leave!"
Danny looked up to see that she was right. The conductor was making his final calls.
He looked up at Maddie, Jack, and Jazz, knowing that he won't see them for a while. "I love you guys. You know, I should say that more often than I do… I love you guys. See ya!" He tackled them all in an unexpected hug, and ran on board the train, closely followed by Sam and Tuck.
…
"Ugh! This is so unethical! You give frogs made out of chocolate life, and then you eat them? That's so… wrong!" Sam had been on this tirade for a while.
Danny leaned over and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, effectively shutting the goth up.
"Thank you, Danny! I'd forgotten what silence had sounded like! Sweet, sweet silence…" Tucker trailed off, eyes closed.
"Trust me. You don't forget the sound of silence until you meet Mr. Binns."
All three fifth years looked up at the new voice, which belonged to a boy with neat brown hair and ocean-blue eyes, in a robe with the Gryffindor colors on them. "I'm Albus Potter, by the way."
Sam stood up, smiling. "I'm Sam Manson, that's Tucker Foley, and this pessimist here is Danny Fenton." Only Danny saw something strange flicker through Albus's eyes at his name.
"Hey, I'm not a pessimist!"
"Yes you are, I'm just giving Albus here a warning. Right Tucker?"
"I'm sorry, Danny, but I have to agree with Sam for this one." Tucker smirked. Danny just huffed and glared at the window.
"Well, I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Anyway, are you guys transfers or something? Because you don't have any house colors on your robes." Albus had narrowed his eyes curiously.
"Yeah, we're coming into fifth year," commented Danny.
"I'm in fifth year too! It's nice to meet you. Anyway, I'm going to go find my friends again, and my brother, James… well, see you!" And with that, he turned on heel and strolled out of the compartment.
Sam smiled. "He was a nice guy."
…
To say Danny was annoyed was the understatement of the year.
He had a job to do, and instead his parents were making him stand in a line with a bunch of twelve-year-olds to get put in a house to compete with others! What if a seriously dangerous ghost came to Amity and he wasn't there?!
Stupid wizards.
On top of that, he had to listen to a hat sing while the twelve-year-olds gasped. He had seen stranger.
And then, he had to wait while the first years were sorted, and only then could he and his friends be sorted by a stupid hat. A stupid, old, raggedy hat. (He was aware that he was being completely unfair to the hat, but he had to take his anger out on something.)
The Headmistress stepped up onto the podium. "Now, we have three students with… special circumstances joining us in the fifth year. They will attempt to catch up best they can, so please don't harass them. Come in, you three." As Danny, Tucker, and Sam stepped into the hall with the admittedly beautiful ceiling, McGonagal continued. "They are transfers from America. Daniel Fenton!"
Danny scowled at the use of his full name, but quickly cleared his face and strolled up, jamming the sorting hat on his head.
He felt all eyes on him.
You'll have to lower your barriers, Daniel. They're probably for good reason, but to be sorted, I have to see into your mind.
You'll tell everyone.
Hmmm, interesting. You don't seem surprised that I talk in your head? And whatever happens stays between us, you needn't worry.
I've seen stranger. And, reluctantly, a Danny granted access to his mind, lowering the carefully crafted walls that had been meant to keep people like Freakshow, Nocturne, and even this hat out.
Ahh, very brave, Danny, very brave, but that isn't your strongest quality, is it? It's not courage if you already know you have the power to do it. You're smart, if you try, but you would have been much more book wise if you had payed attention in class. Oh, don't get snappy, I'm just stating the obvious. You have more street smarts than almost anyone else, that's impressive. But you won't fit in with the Ravenclaws, you didn't want to come here.
Danny hadn't known how much he was scowling in annoyance until he got rejected from both of the houses he was hoping for. There went any chance of being like his parents. But he never was like them, was he?
Well, we don't always get what we want, Danny. You know that very well. You're extremely loyal and hard working, even when Amity Park hated you with all their hearts, and you kept on protecting them. But no, that's not it, either. What fits you most is cunning, from the 'witty banter' to your strategies while fighting opponents tougher than yourself. You know how to keep a secret, and though you're not always the smartest, you get it right in the end… the house you belong in is…
"SLYTHERIN!"
…
Harry, from his place at the staff table, let out a held breath. Yes, this was yet another sign that they would have to always have at least one eye on Danny Fenton.
…
While the Slytherins clapped, frantically making room for the currently ill-tempered boy, it was Tucker's turn.
It was hard to refrain from laughing when he saw pure horror on Tucker's face, and could guess what it was: he had forgotten to tell Tuck that non-magical tech didn't work at Hogwarts. The geek would just have to make due without his PDA for a bit.
At the end, the hat opened its 'mouth', and called out…
"GRYFINDOR!"
It hit Danny like a slap to the face. Tucker was always talking about how chicken he could be…
"Samantha Manson!" Sam now knew why Danny had scowled as McGonagal had called his name.
She smirked while hearing the hat.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Danny sighed. While he was miserable that he hadn't been in the same house as his best friends, he was also glad that they hadn't gotten the house with the worst reputation.
…
Don't like this ending :P
I think we all know why Danny's in Slytherin (there are such thing as good ones, probably) and Sam's in Ravenclaw, but Tucker will probably be explained in the next chapter.
Review please!