I'm sorry that this chapter is particularly long in coming, but there was a lot to cover, and it wasn't the easiest thing to write. On the last scene, I got tired: when I described Harry's trip to Diagon Alley, there are some sentences, phrases, and paragraphs of dialogue that I lifted wholesale from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.
Chapter 8
Dinner was a joyful affair. Vlad was genuinely happy to see Danny, which was another pleasant surprise. Hagrid was relieved to see both half-ghosts whole, safe, and sound. Professor Dumbledore asked Danny and Vlad about their trip to London, and Vlad let Danny go on with his impressions of the day. Vlad asked Danny about his tour with the ghosts, which also surprised Danny. He recounted his tour, but blushed when he mentioned Peeves. He explained that he warned Peeves not to annoy Vlad. Both Professor Dumbledore and Vlad were amused, but for different reasons. Dumbledore was entertained by the idea of a student that Peeves respects more than the Bloody Baron. Vlad was interested to know that his reputation preceded him, and the ghosts unknown to him here respected and feared him.
After dinner, Danny and Vlad found an unused classroom. Later, before the other students came back, they would have to find a classroom more out of the way. Danny thought he might ask an elf about it. But for now, the unused classroom worked for their purposes. Interestingly, Vlad turned out to be a very capable, patient teacher, when it came to dealing with Danny's powers. He started by reviewing all of Danny's known powers, with the exceptions of overshadowing and the Ghostly Wail. Those would have to wait for a more suitable time, location, and human target, Vlad considered. He explained the theory behind teleportation, demonstrated, and encouraged Danny in his efforts.
Vlad's patience and skill as a teacher for Danny in his use of his powers shouldn't have surprised Danny. Vlad has only wanted to work with Danny like this for a year and a half, since they first discovered each other. True, at the time Vlad first told him of this, Danny was trapped in the Spectral Energy Neutralizer, but that doesn't mean that the man's own thoughts and intentions were any different. His means were, however.
Danny concentrated on working to acquire this new power. It would take work and practice, but time was something they seemed to have an endless supply of. Vlad's eyes as Plasmius glowed in pleasure at the process and the eventual progress Danny would have. It was odd, Danny thought. In other circumstances, that very reaction would be sinister, implying something very untoward to follow. But at this moment, Vlad looked more in his personal element than he was at Lloyds of London. This is what he lived for and dreamed about. This was one of Vlad's dearest dreams come true.
Because it was the first session of powers training, it was mostly diagnostic, and therefore took three hours, which was longer than their standard training sessions would take. Danny was right: on average, the training sessions would take an hour or so. Vlad had already determined that the math and English lessons could wait until the proper start of term. Once the term began, the math and English classes would only take place on the weekdays, much like they would if Danny continued in Casper High. He told Danny this, which gave the boy a thoughtful expression as he considered what he was told.
At the end of the training session, Vlad placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. He wished to call Daniel 'son,' but Daniel would never consent to that. Before they parted for their separate sleeping quarters, Vlad said, "Good night, little badger."
Danny responded, "Good night, Uncle Vlad." Both half-ghosts were satisfied with the day's activities, complicated and confusing though they were.
At breakfast, Professor McGonagall handed Danny his tutoring schedule for this week. Between breakfast and lunch, he had Potions with Professor Snape. After lunch, he would meet with Professor Flitwick. Tomorrow, he was to meet with Professor Sprout in Greenhouse 1 in the morning and meet Professor Binns after lunch. (Wait – this was the professor who was a ghost… This could be interesting, Danny thought.) And at midnight, he would meet Professor Sinistra. The coincidence of his first Astronomy lesson taking place on Wednesday night amused Danny. On Thursday morning, he had Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid, and Thursday afternoon he had Muggle Studies. On Friday, he would meet the students who would tutor him in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Professor Snape told Danny, "Today, we have our first tutoring session. Be sure to bring your dragon-hide gloves." Danny nodded. After breakfast was over, Danny went back to his room to get his gloves.
Meeting Professor Snape in the Potions classroom, Danny felt a little dizzy. "Welcome, Daniel." Professor Snape held a flower in his hand. "Do you know what this is?" Danny shook his head. "This flower is called 'Blood Blossom.' Put your gloves on before you study it." Danny wasn't sure why the man had no protection on and insisted that he put on his protective gloves, but Danny did as he was directed. Professor Snape handed Danny the flower.
Danny had trouble concentrating, but he made the effort. It looked more or less like a rose, but the stem had no thorns. Instead, it had what looked like pearls under the base of the petals. Danny mentioned these things to Professor Snape, who looked pleased. "Very observant of you. The reason we're studying this today is that knowledge of such a thing is vital to your well-being." Danny nodded as the professor took back the Blood Blossom and enclosed it in a glass jar, sealing it. Danny felt better. "Blood Blossoms are one of the few substances harmful to ghosts."
Danny's eyes widened. "My parents had lots of anti-ghost weapons that ran on ecto-energy. I don't remember them mentioning using Blood Blossoms before."
Professor Snape studied the boy. "You are a Fenton, are you not?" Danny nodded. "Your ancestor, John Fenton-Nightingale, discovered the uses of Blood Blossoms in the 1600s, in Salem, Massachusetts, Colonial America. Primarily, a ghost-hunter using Blood Blossoms would use them to form a shield, or a line a ghost can't cross. Your family might have stopped using them because of their limited range. A ghost can be trapped but without pain in a circle five feet in diameter, horizontally. Vertically, the limit is as far as the aroma reaches. That could be up to fifteen feet up, but on a windy day, the range could expand exponentially, either increasing or shrinking the safety range for the ghost in question.
"I'm sure the weapons your parents used had far more controlled ranges and uses than Blood Blossoms could effect." Danny shivered, thinking of this heretofore unknown item which could hurt him.
"What are its effects on ghosts? The ghost shields my parents used were uncrossable by ghosts, but I could go through them when I was in my human form."
Snape smiled at Danny's rapt attention, but let his face become stony as Danny took the threat this flower could pose to him very seriously. "It could cause a ghost serious pain, not unlike a burn. But the very aroma could cause dizziness and disorientation, even in your human form, as you already discovered." Danny shuddered in fear.
"The reason I bring this to your attention is that this, and other substances, are not necessarily found in Muggle nurseries and greenhouses, as most Muggles don't believe in ghosts. You need to know about this, as plants and other potion ingredients can very well affect you and people around you. Now that you understand the seriousness of what can be involved in Potions making, you understand that studying for my class is one of your top priorities. It is paramount that you know what plants and other ingredients can be harmful to you and others. Potions and Herbology come only second in priority to Defense Against the Dark Arts and your Powers Training, as that is tantamount to the same thing."
"Message received," Danny said. He mentally filed Blood Blossoms under 'must avoid.'
"Potions making is an exact science. In order to get proper results, directions must be followed precisely, from how to chop up slugs to how many times and in what direction to stir the potion. When to put on or take the cauldron off of the fire could equally be vital to the results." Danny resolved that this is one class he would make it his business to ace, as his very health and well-being could depend on it.
Professor Snape proceeded to teach Danny not only about Blood Blossoms, but started covering First Year material. Danny, who now viewed Potions with a sense of urgency, became an apt pupil. Their session continued until lunchtime, and Professor Snape decided that Danny could easily become his newest favorite student. Smiling to himself as they ascended the stairs to go to lunch, he thought about how Professor Masters would take this news if he told him.
At lunch, Danny thought about the intense work that would be necessary for Potions and Herbology. While he realized their necessity, he thought about the possible unnecessary options. "Uncle Vlad?"
"What is it, Daniel?" Vlad was a little suspicious, as Danny rarely addressed him first.
Danny thought for a second. "I know you wanted me to get 'the full experience' of what's available. But would it be okay for me to try to test out of Muggle Studies?"
"I don't think so. Why do you ask?"
Danny would only have one shot at this. He took a breath. "Professor Dumbledore said that it would be more like a review of life as we know it. With all the other work I'll have to do, I'm sure I can spend my time better on reading for other classes than dealing with common sense stuff. I mean, in Homelife and Social Habits of British Muggles, there's a chapter on 'Why Muggles Use Electricity.' Seriously."
Vlad thought about this. "Hmm… I thought a little Sociology would be good for you, especially if it compared British culture to American culture, but that doesn't sound like what this course will be about. Bring me the textbook when you come for your Powers Training tonight – which, when the other students get here, we'll call 'extra Defense Against the Dark Arts tutoring'." Vlad couldn't help but smirk at that as he imagined all kinds of Dark uses for their powers, having used many of them already, but he thought it best not to mention that at the present. "I'll look over it, and use my better judgment. If it is as useless as you've described, you can test out of it. If I find some value in it, you're keeping it."
Danny slumped his shoulders and sighed. That was as good as could be expected. "Thanks, anyway."
Professor Snape noticed the resigned look on his new favorite student's face and decided it was time to give his "uncle" a hard time. "Professor Masters, how long have you been a half-ghost?"
Caught off-guard by the rather personal nature of the question, Vlad started. "For about 21 and a half years."
"And how long have you known that Daniel was a half-ghost?"
Curious where this was leading, Vlad continued. "Since I met him when his parents brought him to our 20th year college reunion, in the middle of his freshman year of high school. Why?"
"You've known him all this time, yet you failed to tell him about Blood Blossoms. How is that?" Vlad flushed. "For someone who is that protective of his guardianship of a half-ghost teen, it occurs to me that you might have said something a little earlier to him to protect his well-being."
Considering that he told Danny not to 'air dirty laundry' in public and the fact that he didn't trust the man speaking to him, he bit his tongue and then spoke through gritted teeth. "I don't have to explain myself or my motivations to you."
Snape continued silkily, "No, I suppose you don't. I just find it interesting that I, a stranger until recently, have told him more about protecting himself than you, who have known him for close to a year and a half."
Vlad quaked with quiet rage. "What are you saying, Professor Snape?"
"Only that I question your intentions with the boy."
Danny appreciated Professor Snape's concern for him. But whatever would go on between Vlad and Professor Snape was honestly not something he cared to be a part of, and it looked like something he would barely be able to avoid. One man was his legal guardian, and one man was his Head of House. As such, both men had insane amounts of control over his life as a student in this school and as a minor. At this point, Danny decided that it would be safer for him to make a quiet escape. He turned invisible and left the table to find his next class.
Upon entering the Charms classroom, Danny found the tiny professor waiting for him. Professor Flitwick asked to see Danny's wand and asked him what the twins told him. Apparently, this professor was also in the Order. Professor Flitwick explained that most of what they would accomplish is memorization of the Charms and accompanying incantations so that Danny would know how to prepare for any attack. Danny observed that the greatest purpose of his being in Hogwarts was to learn to defend himself against magic, particularly Voldemort's variety.
Professor Flitwick told Danny, "After your visit with the Weasleys yesterday, they told me of your ability of levitation. Are there any other ghost powers of yours that mimic magical spells?"
Danny thought about this. He listed all of the powers he could think of. "Oh, and Uncle Vlad is teaching me teleportation, which is kind of like Apparation."
Professor Flitwick was impressed with the list of all the things young Danny was capable of. He would have to think about these ghostly abilities – which were honestly new to him, as who ever heard of a ghost capable of doing ANYTHING physical? Besides Peeves, of course, and he was a poltergeist, not a proper ghost. Flitwick would have to categorize these abilities and figure out how to possibly make Danny's performance of said powers appear to be magic performed with (or without) a wand and incantation. They spent part of the afternoon focusing on levitation. He had Danny turn ghost and levitate things and had him turn back human and levitate things.
The professor discovered that, as a ghost, Danny's talents seemed to be a lot more versatile than they were in his human form. But it was Danny's human form they needed to concentrate on. With effort, Danny's power of levitation as a human was similar to that of a well-practiced First Year student who was only gaining a grasp of the spell.
After what he determined to be sufficient practice, Professor Flitwick had Danny concentrate on the levitation after a proper "swish and flick" motion with his 'wand' and saying the words Wingardium Leviosa. Of course, the wand wave and incantation were not necessary for Danny, but it would help to disguise that Danny… was either a more powerful wizard with wandless and silent magic, or not fully human and beyond need of a wand.
At the end of this tutoring session, Danny thought Professor Flitwick learned more about him than he learned about Charms, but there wasn't anything Danny could do about this. At least this form of experimentation on Danny and his powers was painless.
Dinner was an uneventful, quiet affair as Vlad and Professor Snape glared daggers at each other. Danny shivered at the chilliness exuded by both men. When dinner was over, Vlad said carefully, "Come, Daniel. We have a class." Without looking at anyone else, Vlad stalked out of the Great Hall and went to the classroom they used last night. Before they entered the room, Vlad looked down at Danny. "I now know which professor exposed the werewolf."
Danny wasn't sure what to say. "Oh, don't worry. He likes you far too much to expose us, for once one of our secrets is known, the other won't be far behind. Let's just say that I have many reasons not to trust Professor Snape." Danny's eyes went wide as he entered the classroom. "But for now, let's focus on teleportation, shall we?"
It was Wednesday. Harry had been with Hermione and the Weasleys for two and a half weeks. Being with his friends helped him deal with his recent loss of Sirius. Nothing was going to heal that wound but time, but the unhappy news of Fortescue gone missing pulled Harry back into a dark mood. Ron and Hermione did their best to cheer him as they had since Professor Dumbledore brought him here.
Professor Dumbledore allowed him exactly two weeks with the Dursleys until he came to fetch Harry personally. News that he was to inherit the Black Estate, Kreacher, and anything else belonging to Sirius didn't do much to relieve his feelings of loss of his beloved godfather, but the fact that Sirius was posthumously found innocent of all charges was a small consolation. Visiting the odd character Horace Slughorn helped to spice up his travel plans. Professor Dumbledore had Harry convince Mr. Slughorn to hand over a particular memory to be delivered to Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve. The effort was successful. And since then, Harry enjoyed the hospitality of the Weasleys and Hermione's company. But first the news of Mr. Ollivander's disappearance, and now Mr. Fortescue just reminded him of the bleak situation now that Voldemort and the Death Eaters didn't mind acting openly.
Ron said, "Come on, Harry, this – like all kinds of things we've been over – isn't your fault."
Harry sighed. "I know. It's just that I can't help feeling…" Harry was interrupted by a knock on the door. Professor Dumbledore stood in the doorway as Mrs. Weasley asked the security questions. The headmaster entered the kitchen where the trio enjoyed a comforting afternoon tea.
"Good afternoon Harry, Ronald, Hermione."
"Good afternoon," Harry answered, and his friends nodded.
"I trust that you've gotten the results of your OWLs?" All three students nodded. Professor Dumbledore smiled at Hermione. "I believe congratulations are in order. With ten 'O's and one 'E', you have the most and highest OWLs of all the students in your entire year."
Hermione smiled. "Really?"
Ron scowled at her. "I bet you're upset about that one 'E'," he accused. She blushed.
Turning to the boys, the professor continued. "And both of you, Ronald and Harry, have done creditable jobs. Well done." Ron smiled. Harry thought about it, but a pained look won out across his face.
"Without an 'O' in Potions, I can't continue the track to become an Auror," Harry stated.
Professor Dumbledore smiled enigmatically. "Yes. About that… Normally, this would have been a serious problem indeed. But you remember Professor McGonagall's promise to you?"
Hope lit up Harry's eyes as he started to pull things together, but not quite getting them. "She said she would help me become an Auror if it took her tutoring me every day… or something."
Professor Dumbledore's smile broadened. "Exactly right. Now, your grades are creditable for you to continue in your course of study."
"Except for Professor Snape's demand for an 'O' to continue," Harry groused.
"Right. And in fulfilling her promise to you, Professor McGonagall prevailed upon Professor Snape to allow you to earn some extra credit, so that you could earn your way into Professor Snape's NEWT level Potions class." Harry felt he could sing! Of course, it meant more time with Snape…
"So what will I have to do?" Harry asked plaintively.
"As it happens, a situation has come along that you can help with directly. This year, we have a foreign exchange student from America. His schooling so far is not up to Hogwarts standards, and if you tutor him in Potions, Professor Snape will let you into his NEWT level Potions class. However, this student will benefit greatly if you also tutor him in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry was intrigued. "He has come to Hogwarts early so that he can catch up."
Joy started to register on Harry's face, but then he stopped for a moment. "I'm… not going to go alone, am I?"
"I was rather hoping that the three of you might come. There is quite a bit he needs to catch up on. But also, he lost his family and many friends in a Death Eater attack a couple of days ago. I suspect that he could probably use the company." Wow, thought Harry. "He is at Hogwarts with his uncle, who will be this year's teacher in Defense Against the Dark Arts. But he could use the hand of your capable tutelage."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in silence at this news. "Is he okay?" Harry asked.
"He's about as well as can be expected."
Harry nodded. He empathized completely. At least this new student had his uncle with him. "What's his name?"
"Daniel Fenton, and his uncle is Professor Masters."
Ron said, "First, we'd have to ask my parents. Mum doesn't want us to go to Diagon Alley for books and supplies until Dad can come with us."
At this point, a knock came on the door. All eyes looked up as Mrs. Weasley came in from some other room of the house to answer it. "Who is it?"
"It's Arthur, Molly." She opened the door, but Arthur pulled it shut. "You must ask the security questions first, dear."
Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes and huffed. "Oh, honestly! Fine. What is your dearest ambition?"
Mr. Weasley smiled and answered, "To know how airplanes stay up. And what do you like me to call you when we're alone together?"
Molly couldn't help but blush. "Mollywobbles."
"Now we're safe!" Molly opened the door before further mortification could set in. Upon noting their unusual guest, Arthur exclaimed, "Professor Dumbledore! It's always a pleasure! What brings you here today?"
"Good afternoon, Arthur. If at all possible, I'd like to take Ronald, Harry, and Hermione to Hogwarts this Friday to help catch up a foreign exchange student, and to give our students here some extra credit."
"What perfect timing!" Mr. Weasley said joyfully. "After being at work over the weekend and having a relatively quiet half-week, I've got tomorrow off. We'll be able to get their things at Diagon Alley tomorrow. And according to Bill, we'll miss the extra security measures on Gringotts scheduled to take effect August 1." Mr. Weasley's excitement was contagious.
"That means we can finally get to see Fred and George's shop." Ron was thrilled.
"We'll see, dear," Mrs. Weasley commented. "We'll see if there's time. Won't you join us for dinner, Professor?" He graciously declined, explaining that he had too much to do to be ready in time, but thanked her for the offer. Then he was off.
Ginny joined them, and Mrs. Weasley set the teens to work setting the table for dinner. "At least we won't have Phlegm with us for dinner," Ginny said darkly.
The others nodded in recognition. Fleur Delacour was engaged to Bill Weasley, and she was staying with the Weasleys for the year. However, lots of the general culture Fleur was used to at home was very different, and she let the Weasleys know it. As such, she wasn't a favorite of Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny decided she had enough of her. When she was out of earshot of both Fleur and her mother (mostly), Ginny took to referring to Fleur as Phlegm. Tonight, however, Bill would be with Fleur wherever they were going, so they set places for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the four of them. The twins had a flat above their shop in Diagon Alley, and would not be joining them.
Over dinner, Mr. Weasley described some of the more interesting items confiscated in his new position, heading the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. The friends discussed their two on two Quidditch matches and potential strategies that might work better in the larger version. Without Fleur, dinner had less tension than most days Harry was here.
After dinner, Mrs. Weasley had Ginny help clean up. She was almost mutinous, as she wanted to join the trio who would be off to Hogwarts on Friday. The other teens retired to the twins' room where Harry was staying to discuss the latest development.
"What do you think this Danny is like?" Ron asked.
"I really don't know," commented Harry. "But he seems to have lost an awful lot in a very short time. His family, his friends, and apparently his home… I miss Sirius, but he's lost even more, and all at once." Ron and Hermione were surprised at Harry's willingness to speak of his own loss so easily, especially after last year. But Harry was right. Danny managed to encounter a LOT of death of his loved ones in a horrifically short amount of time.
Ron thought and said, "I wonder which House he'll be in."
Hermione said, "I wonder how far behind he is in his studies. To come to school in July and be in school to be tutored throughout the month of August… I wonder what school in witchcraft and wizardry he belonged to in America. The Salem Witches' Institute is said to be a fine school, but he wouldn't have gone there, as it's an all-girl's school…"
Irritably, Ron interrupted her. "It doesn't matter where he's gone. He's going to be in Hogwarts now."
Harry, who was temporarily lost in thought, came back to the conversation. "With Defense Against the Dark Arts, a more personalized DA seems to be what Dumbledore wants me to do. I don't know what to do about Potions, though. I'm okay at it, but I don't know…"
Hermione soothed, "Actually, you did much better on your OWL than you do in Potions class. Maybe not being distracted by Professor Snape was the key factor."
Harry considered, "Well, maybe…"
"You know, all of us will be there. I'm sure that we could all find something useful to tutor him in. After all, we have to find out which courses he's taking so that we can be more helpful." Hermione seemed thrilled at the prospect of tutoring a new student. And this time, Harry and Ron would have to focus on their studies, too.
"I wonder what kind of a teacher Professor Masters is going to be like. He can't POSSIBLY be worse than Umbridge," Harry said, rubbing the scars on his right hand that faintly read, "I must not tell lies."
"Or Lockhart," Ron added.
"Ron!" Hermione scolded.
"He was useless, Hermione. Yeah, he's in St. Mungo's now, but that doesn't improve his lack of teaching skills from Second year." Hermione scowled, but found that she couldn't argue.
"I wonder if he'll favor his nephew the way Snape favors the Slytherins," Harry said. They continued a lively discussion about the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors they've had in years past. To date, the best they've had was Professor Lupin. It was odd, but even Barty Crouch, Jr., the Death Eater who posed as "Professor Moody" had been a surprisingly good teacher. They concluded that the only way to know was to meet him in class. At around 11:00pm, they decided to go to bed, as they had to go to Diagon Alley in the morning.
Danny started his Wednesday morning tutoring in Herbology with Professor Sprout. Thankfully, none of the plants they worked with seemed particularly dangerous. Even so, Danny heeded Professor Snape's warning and remained alert and focused on every detail. Professor Sprout was a little surprised but very pleased with Danny's attentiveness.
However, Danny was curious about his class with Professor Binns. He sat in the classroom and his ghost sense went off shortly before Professor Binns phased through the chalkboard. The professor's normally tired eyes were lively as they landed on Danny. "Why, Danny Phantom! It's an honor to have you in my class! There are so many things to cover in so little time… Where should I begin?
"You know, I've taught the same material for decades, and now… I think we can come back to that momentarily. For you, we should begin with Pariah Dark. I know you defeated him a few months ago, but it bears noting that pulling a Real World town into the Ghost Zone is nothing compared to the tyranny he perpetrated millennia ago when he reigned.
"There wasn't much that he demanded, but he expected extreme loyalty upon penalty of annihilation. It is unknown if anything can destroy a ghost. No one is sure if he found such a thing, but when he decided to punish a ghost for treason, that ghost was never seen again. He traveled the Ghost Zone looking to expand his ever-increasing territory, terrorizing every ghost that got in his way.
"The Observants begged Clockwork to stop him." Danny's eyes widened. He never knew that the Observants ever actually asked Clockwork to do something useful. "It wasn't until the Ghost King attacked the Observants' mountain range that Clockwork took their plea into account. He summoned the Ancients who managed to cast a spell over the Ghost King, making him fall asleep. It worked! The Ancients then cast their spell over a sarcophagus."
"The Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep!" Danny exclaimed.
"Exactly right. They managed to remove from him the Ring of Rage before closing the sarcophagus. And it remained closed, until Plasmius decided to attempt to take hold of the Crown of Fire for his own purposes."
Danny shook his head. "That is far more detail than Skulker gave when he explained it months ago."
"That is to be expected. He is a hunter, not a teacher." Danny absorbed this for a few moments.
After starting with a lesson that kept Danny riveted, Professor Binns returned to his standard lessons dealing with goblin and wizard relations. Danny observed that Professor Binns' quiet monotone could be ignored as easily as Mr. Lancer's at times, but when the professor saw Danny starting to drift, he interjected a story about a ghost that was created at the time in history they covered. While the history of magic had very little to do with Danny, the history of the famous ghosts who came with it made the history feel somewhat more personal to him. This class could be a lot of fun, during the year.
At dinner, Vlad asked Danny about his tutoring sessions. Danny gladly spoke about History of Magic. He refrained from mentioning how Professor Binns told Danny that Vlad released the Ghost King, but he had no problem describing everything else he learned. Vlad told Danny that he would let him know his decision about Muggle Studies by lunchtime tomorrow.
Only adding to what seemed to be an already red-letter day, Danny succeeded in teleporting across the classroom, to Vlad's delight. Vlad was a success as a teacher! Vlad had him start teleporting into different rooms in the castle. For the next week or so, they would practice range.
At midnight, Danny met Professor Sinistra on the Astronomy Tower with his telescope. She had Danny complete a star chart and was pleased at how much Danny filled in. Danny had been studying astronomy for years, and Professor Sinistra almost glowed with how successful and thorough Danny was. He would be a joy to have this year.
It was Wednesday, and Vlad considered Defense Against the Dark Arts. While Danny had his lessons with that infernal Professor Snape on Tuesday, Vlad spoke to Professor McGonagall about what these Dark Arts consisted of. Professor McGonagall explained that the Dark Arts, for the most part, dealt with spells cast with the intention of harming a person or taking control of them, and Dark creatures that were known to harm people. They discussed the use of Vlad's learning of harmful spells so that he could mount a useful defense against them, but the curriculum he would create would primarily deal with creatures. He decided to learn about them, give the Ministry's policy about some of them, and his own opinion about the rest. This would be interesting, indeed.
That afternoon, Vlad discussed Ministry policy about several Dark creatures with Professor Dumbledore, werewolves first and foremost. They decided that a few of these discussions would be useful.
But starting Wednesday morning, when Danny started his Herbology lesson, Professor Snape took it upon himself to teach Vlad about Dark curses. He decided to teach Vlad about the Unforgivable Curses by having Vlad turn ghost and performed them against him. That miserable cur! And yet with some honest reflection, Vlad concluded that given an opportunity, he might have done something similar. The use of these curses on his ghost form proved useful, it turned out. Besides discovering what could and couldn't be done to him, he learned what these spells looked like in the hands of an adversary.
Interesting. Daniel was correct – the Killing Curse merely stung, but it fascinated him that the color of the spell was the same as Daniel's ectoblasts. The Cruciatus Curse truly hurt. It was invisible, but easy enough to avoid by turning intangible. The Imperius Curse, however, was the most fascinating of the three. When Professor Snape aimed it at him, he had a pleasant feeling as a vague, untraceable happiness flooded him. The command Do a back-flip, came very strong to him. He started the motion to begin said flip, and then he stopped. 'No,' he thought to the commanding voice, 'I don't think I will.' Do a back-flip, came again. The urge was even stronger, as if all the world's ills would disappear if he obeyed. But he held firm. Do it NOW! Vlad took a lot of effort, but remained hovering firmly a foot above the ground, as he tended to do as Plasmius.
Professor Snape was impressed. Only a strong mind with a strong will could withstand the full force of the Imperius Curse. Magical talent this Masters character didn't have, but he WAS a powerful individual, as was his force of mind. Snape decided that he may have to re-evaluate his initial impression of this half-ghost. It would still be fun to annoy him from time to time, but he had a basic respect for the man he didn't think he would have, and that respect did not come lightly.
Professor Snape looked over Vlad's ghost form. He was vaguely amused that Vlad looked like a vampire – Vlad the Impaler's image was brought to mind. They would work on curses, defenses, shields, and other things on different days, discovering how the various curses and jinxes worked on both Vlad's ghost and human form. As a professor, he was curious about the effects and would keep track of the results. Personally, he was alternately amazed at Vlad's physical resistance to many curses as a ghost and amused at the results of an unshielded curse against his human form. It was in the interest of protecting Daniel, he would say. Yes, he decided, he was greatly amused.
Proud of young Daniel for having finally succeeded in teleportation, Vlad started thinking about what to work on next. While the possibilities were endless, Vlad's attention fell back on the Muggle Studies textbook.
He read through it and found himself totally disgusted with how inane the things therein seemed to be. Daniel brought to his attention the chapter on electricity. If it would have discussed the circuitry or the science behind how electricity worked, this would be a subject worthy of Daniel's attention. Instead, the book listed appliances that used electricity instead of spells. Between parking meters and cars, turnstiles and tourist telescopes, none of this particularly pointed out anything specifically British, but focused on how things were different between Muggles and Wizards. Even the politics, which looked promising, had nothing of use.
Of the thousand or so pages in Homelife and Social Habits of British Muggles, Vlad found exactly 15 pages of useful information. All of that discussed how the Wizarding World was kept from Muggles, and the penalties from breaking the Secrecy. After Danny's Astronomy lesson, he would tell Danny to read and know everything on those 15 pages, and he could test out of Muggle Studies tomorrow.
Danny was delighted that Vlad agreed to let him test out of Muggle Studies. Throughout breakfast, Danny read and reviewed the fifteen pages that Vlad said were actually "useful."
Hagrid looked excited as he collected Danny at the end of breakfast. Walking down to his cabin, Hagrid said, "I kin hardly wait – there are two interesting creatures we'll meet today."
Danny was curious about what creatures Hagrid had in mind. He read through Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in about two hours. Some of them sounded familiar, some of them he might have actually met in the Ghost Zone in one form or another. Others sounded interesting, but were unfamiliar. "By the way, Professor Hagrid?"
Hagrid beamed. "I thank you, bu' there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Hagrid, if you would."
Danny smiled. "Okay, then. I read all of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but Monster Book of Monsters kept trying to bite my hand unless I kept it locked up with a belt. How am I supposed to read it without it attacking me?"
"You stroke the spine. Kinda like… pettin' yer cat."
Right, then. He thought Tucker would be amused at this. Actually, when he developed his thought, he envisioned Sam handing the book to Tucker, and Sam laughing while Tucker panicked. The image brought a smile to his face.
"What are we meeting today?" Danny asked.
As they neared the fence beside the cabin, Hagrid said, "Today, I'm going to introduce you to Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Tenebrus the Thestral. But first, here is Buckbeak. Oops, I mean, Witherwings."
Danny raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why the change of name?"
"Ah, well… a few years ago, a student who wasn't particularly fond of me teachin' skills got Buckbeak in trouble. Provoked him, the student did. And since his father was one of the school's governors and had sway with some characters in the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, he stacked 'em against poor Buckbeak here. Didn't stand a chance. But through some miracle or somethin', he got away." Hagrid's face fell. "After Sirius – his keeper – died, well… He's innocent, but we're keepin' him low profile. So Dumbledore suggested a name change. Around me an' him, you can call him Buckbeak, but around anyone else, call him Witherwings."
"Got it."
Tethered in front of the cabin was the hippogriff. It had the body, hind legs and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle. Buckbeak had a cruel, steel colored beak and large, brilliantly orange eyes, and grey feathers. The talons on the front legs were half a foot long. A thick leather collar was around its neck, and a long chain secured it to the fence.
"Now, hippogriffs are proud beasts. Easily offended, they are. Before you greet one, ya bow first. It's only polite, ya see? And if it bows back, ya can come close and pat its beak. Once you make eye contact, try not to blink… Hippogriffs don't trust ya if you blink too much."
"Okay." Danny bowed, looking at the creature. It nodded as if it recognized him and bowed back. Danny walked closer and patted its beak.
"Good for you, Danny. He likes ya. But ya know, you look like Harry Potter, so Buckbeak thinks yer him."
"Everyone speaks so well of Harry. What is he like?"
"First off, he has black hair and has yer build. Lots o' folks might mistake ya at first. But he's got green eyes and wears glasses. Also, he's got a scar on his forehead from where You-Know-Who tried to kill him when he was a baby. He's a good kid who manages to keep fighting You-Know-Who, and keeps winning. He's a hero. But don't tell 'im I told ya that." Hagrid grinned. "He's not fond of all the attention." Danny nodded. He could relate.
"But Buckbeak's accepted ya. I guess now yer ready to take a ride."
"What?"
"Ya climb up there, just behind the wing joint. And mind ya don't pull any of his feathers out. He won't like that." Danny looked at one of the wings and decided to put his foot on it as he clambered up. He's flown countless times. What would it be like to fly on an animal?
"Go on then," Hagrid said, slapping the hippogriff's hind-quarters. Danny hugged the neck as twelve-foot wings unfurled and pumped them into the air. Buckbeak took Danny in a wide circle around the edge of the Forest, above the cabin, a bit over the lake, and back again. Danny was thrilled. He could do this again sometime.
"Well done, Danny, well done. And now for summat I'm pretty sure you've never seen before. Although you probably can, now." Danny looked on curiously as Hagrid went back into his cabin and pulled out a fairly large, bloody steak. "The blood attracts 'em."
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll see soon. Watch." Hagrid brought Danny into the Forbidden Forest (Danny would have to tell the Baron about this when they explored the forest later), and brought him to a place where the trees completely blocked out the sun. Hagrid threw the steak into a clearing in the darkness, and another horse-like animal came out to inspect it. It had blank, white, shining eyes, a dragonlike face, neck, and wings, and skeletal body. "This is a Thestral. This one is Tenebrus. He's only one of the only domestic herd in all of Britain. They pull the school carriages the students (besides the Firs' Years) take from the Hogwarts Express to the castle."
"Hagrid, what did you mean when you said 'I probably can' see it?"
"Ah, Danny. Thestrals are invisible to all who haven't seen death firsthand. That's why some people say they're bad luck. Horse feathers! These are gentle creatures, but it's a sad thing to know you can see them. However, you probably coulda seen them before… ya know… just because yer a half-ghost. That's probably close enough ta death to be able to see them."
Danny asked, "Are there lots of students who can see them?"
"Not many. Well… the Death Eaters have been busy this summer. Probably more students this year than many a year will be able to see them."
Danny thought about this, frowning. This Voldemort person would have to be stopped! But another thought hit Danny. "Ya know, Hagrid, the Thestrals remind me of something I saw last Christmas."
"Oh? What was that?"
"I managed to upset a ghost called the Ghostwriter." He blushed. "I accidentally destroyed his only copy of a manuscript of a Christmas poem. The story's complicated. But one of the things he did to get back at me was to turn a herd of live reindeer into ghost reindeer. The Thestrals remind me of the ghost reindeer."
"He killed them?" Hagrid asked, horrified.
"Um… not exactly. But the ghost reindeer were a ghostly green, and the Thestrals are black."
"Ghostly green?"
"Yeah, well… Animals that are ghosts are usually green. Some are white, but most are green." Thinking out loud, he said, "I wonder how Wulf would be categorized. He's an animal, but he's kinda… like a man." To Hagrid, he continued, "He's not a werewolf. He's more of an… anthro-wolf. He's a wolf who walks upright with a kind of human consciousness all the time. His fur is black, but he wears a green sweatshirt…"
"It sounds like the ghosts you know are interesting."
"They are. Wulf is one of my few friends among the ghosts I know. Until I came here." They continued to chat amiably until it was time to go back to the castle for lunch.
After lunch, Hagrid excused himself, as he had business elsewhere. Vlad went with Danny to meet Professor Burbage. Upon entering the classroom, Vlad, Danny, and Professor Burbage introduced themselves.
"And now, Professor Burbage, I must ask you – what exactly do you intend to cover in Muggle Studies?"
"Well, Professor Masters, what we discuss is how Muggle life is different than Wizard life. If the students understand how the Muggle world works, perhaps they will be more understanding that magic isn't everything. Muggles are people, too."
"Indeed. I commend you for your chosen task of teaching tolerance of people who are different to students who may not appreciate this before hand. However, I feel that Daniel has quite a serious grasp of the workings of the Muggle world. As his guardian, I suggest that he take… the NEWT level exam. He should get credit for his expertise, but I think his knowledge may be well beyond the scope of this course."
Danny found himself in awe of Vlad. He took this guardian thing seriously, and he seemed to be doing very well as an advocate for Danny's needs. He just let the man talk.
Professor Burbage was surprised by the request. Usually, students who weren't interested in the course simply didn't take the course. Danny registered, so he was interested in the material, but not interested in taking the course. Professor Burbage said, "I understand. The people from the Ministry who administer the NEWT exams are not in today, but I have a practice exam that would cover the same material. If Danny does well on the exam, I can see about arranging for the NEWT administrators to come some time in August."
"Thank you. Daniel, are you ready to take this exam?"
Danny felt the pressure of the exam, but then remembered that it wasn't more complicated than talking about NORMAL life, and those fifteen pages he almost knew by heart at this point. "Sure."
Professor Burbage dug through a drawer in her desk and pulled out a folder that she usually only pulled out in April for the Seventh Year students. Danny took a seat at a desk in the middle of the room. Professor Burbage handed him the test. "You have three hours. Begin."
Vlad sat in the back of the room, while Professor Burbage proctored in the front of the room. Danny ignored them, focusing on the test.
What is the function of traffic lights?
Name four appliances that use electricity.
What is the most common spell used to conceal magical creatures from Muggles?
Answering questions like these, Danny was finished with his test in under an hour. Professor Burbage was a bit surprised, but Professor Masters made clear that Danny might be able to do as much. She marked the exam. Danny got 320%. Danny didn't know it was possible to get such a high score. Professor Masters' claim was vindicated.
"I'll speak to Professor Dumbledore. An owl will be sent so Danny can take the NEWT. I'm sure this is the highest grade for a NEWT a Sixth Year ever achieved." She shook Danny's hand, and congratulated him.
Vlad looked smug, proud of Danny, HIS charge.
Thursday morning, Harry, Hermione, and Ron woke up early. They wanted to be ready to go to Diagon Alley. At breakfast, Mrs. Weasley told the trio they needed to spend the morning packing, as they were staying at the Leaky Cauldron overnight.
"But I thought we were leaving first thing!" Ron protested.
"That would be the case if you were leaving on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow, as we'd have time to come home before leaving for King's Cross. But as per Professor Dumbledore's instructions, you lot are off to Hogwarts for a tutoring session directly after breakfast. And this way, there is less to worry about with security…"
Ginny piped up, "I want to go to Hogwarts as well!"
Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Ginny, dear, the student being tutored is a Sixth Year. This isn't merely a social call. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would have asked you to come if he thought you could help out." Ginny huffed. She saw her mother's point, but that meant there would be no one to help distract her from –
"Good morning, 'Arry! Eet will be too short, your stay." Fleur said with a flourish.
"Good morning, Fleur," Harry said, blushing slightly at having been singled out. Fleur helped Mrs. Weasley serve breakfast. The teens discussed the things they expected to get, but Mrs. Weasley hurried them along. She was right, though. They did need to pack.
They finished up and tried to help put the dishes in the sink, but Fleur shooed them away and up the stairs. Ginny almost smiled in gratitude. In her room, Ginny sulked as she watched Hermione pack. "I just can't believe that you guys are going, and I'm going to be left alone. With Mum. To deal with HER."
"I'm sure the professor meant nothing by it," Hermione said as she collected her things. "It's not going to be fun and games, you know. We ARE going to help the new student catch up to Hogwarts standards."
"But you saw that – with the DA – the more the merrier, when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"It is a little weird, I'll admit, to need to come to the school for more than a whole month before term. I wonder…" Hermione trailed off in thought. This was a mystery. In the news, she heard of lots of Death Eater attacks. While it saddened her to know of the losses of many classmates, none of them seemed to need to come to Hogwarts early. Even then, for a foreign student to catch up to Hogwarts standards didn't seem like something that should require a whole month. She would sort out the mystery.
After packing and a hasty lunch, one of the special Ministry of Magic cars in which Harry had ridden before, waited outside. "It's good Dad could get us these again," said Ron appreciatively.
"It's only because of Harry," Mr. Weasley explained. "I'm surprised they acted so quickly with the change in plans. I imagine Dumbledore told Tonks of the foreign exchange student, and Harry's tutoring for extra credit."
"Dad, then how are we getting back home tomorrow?" Ginny asked.
"The Knight Bus. Sorry, Ginny, but only Harry has been given top-grade security status. We'll be joining up with additional security at the Leaky Cauldron, too." Harry was silent. He hated all the extra fuss being made over him, but he really didn't have a choice, with the Ministry taking the media hyped "Chosen One" thing seriously. Plus, the whole attack at the Ministry Building… Harry sighed. He wasn't happy about the idea of being trailed by tons of Aurors all over the place. He would have preferred a quiet day of shopping with his friends. He kept his Invisibility Cloak handy, just in case.
When they got to the Leaky Cauldron, Mr. Weasley said, "Ah, good. He's here." Harry looked out the window and his heart leapt. The security detail showed up in the form of Rubeus Hagrid, beaming at the sight of Harry's face and oblivious to the stare of passing Muggles.
"Harry!" he exclaimed, catching Harry in a bone-crushing hug the moment Harry left the car. "Buckbeak – Witherwings, I mean – yeh should see him, Harry, he's so happy ter be back in the open air –"
"Glad he's pleased," said Harry, grinning as he massaged his ribs. "We didn't know 'security' meant you!"
"I know, jus' like old times, innit? See, the Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' Aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do," said Hagrid proudly. "Jus' brought Danny an' his uncle, Professor Masters, here on Monday. I think you'll like him. Danny, I mean."
Curiosity piqued, they followed Hagrid into the Leaky Cauldron. "Sorry, Tom. Jus' passin' through for now. But we'll be back." The inn-keeper nodded as Hagrid led the way into Diagon Ally. The Ministry's posters, both of security advice and wanted posters of Death Eaters known to be at large, made Harry take note of the different atmosphere. He was particularly saddened when he saw Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour boarded up.
The amulets sign that caught Danny's attention outside of Flourish and Blotts angered Mr. Weasley. "If I were on duty…" he growled, as the seedy seller tried to entice him to buy an amulet for Ginny.
"I know, but don't arrest anyone today, dear. We have a lot to do," Mrs. Weasley said. "I think we ought to go to Madam Malkin's first, as Hermione wants new dress robes and Ron and Harry have outgrown their regular school robes."
"Dear, it doesn't make sense for ALL of us to go to Madam Malkin's. These three will go with Hagrid, and we'll get the books at Flourish and Blotts and potions material at the apothecary." Mr. Weasley tried to calm his wife's fears, but it didn't work. Mrs. Weasley still looked nervous.
"Don' fret. They'll be fine with me, Molly," Hagrid soothed. "We'll meet yeh back at the Leaky Cauldron when we're finished." Mrs. Weasley didn't look happy, but allowed the separation.
Upon entering Madam Malkin's shop, Harry Ron, and Hermione met a slightly surprised Madam Malkin. "Some more early-bird students, I see. The new Hogwarts foreign exchange student was here Monday. Come on, let's get your new measurements." It shouldn't have surprised them to know that Danny was here, but it only furthered their curiosity. They wondered who else the new student met and were even more anxious to meet him themselves.
"What's the new student like?" Harry asked.
"He looks a bit like you." Madam Malkin finished measuring Harry and pinned the cloth for his new robes. "He's shorter than you, though. I almost thought he was you when he first came in. He's a polite young man, but his uncle insisted on only the best of everything."
Interesting. Either Danny's uncle just wanted to make a good first impression, or he wants to show off his wealth. Harry's mind flashed onto his cousin Dudley, and then onto Draco. But Madam Malkin commented that he was polite. That meant that the boy wasn't spoiled. It was also interesting that this new student was said to look like him. That wasn't something that happened every day.
When they finished at Madam Malkin's, they decided to stop by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The left-hand window was filled with things that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked. Passers-by stood transfixed. Hermione blushed at the "U-No-Poo" sign. Harry and Ron thought it was brilliant and laughed. They entered and they looked at all the goods available, from Skiving Snack Boxes to trick wands, and all sorts of other things besides.
Hermione marveled at "Patented Day Dream Charms." The sign read: "One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under sixteens."
Hermione said, "You know, that really is extraordinary magic!"
"For that, Hermione," a voice behind them said, "you can have one for free."
Fred and George eagerly welcomed Harry (and the others) and gave them the grand tour. Harry was impressed at all the fun and interesting things available, but Fred and George brought them to the back room to show off the true money-making items: their line of Shield Charmed items and other products that could be used in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It pleased them to tell Harry that the Ministry bought these items en mass. One of the employees required their attention, so before George followed her out, he said, "Harry, you help yourself to anything you like, alright? No charge."
"I can't do that!" said Harry, who already pulled out his money bag to pay for a Decoy Detonator.
"You don't pay here," said Fred firmly, waving away Harry's gold.
"But –"
"You gave us our start-up loan, we haven't forgotten," said George sternly. "Take whatever you like, and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask." With that, George left to assist the employee.
Fred handed a parcel to Harry. "Be sure to bring this care package to Danny Fenton, would you? He's the new student. His uncle took him away before he had a chance to explore and enjoy anything." This confused Harry's image of the uncle trying to spoil him "with only the best of everything," if he wouldn't even let him have fun in a joke shop.
"What's in it?" Harry asked.
Fred smiled. "Muggle magic tricks, self-inking quills, and a Reusable Hangman."
Ron commented, "That's rather tame. No Skiving Snack Boxes?"
"Don't think so. Remember, Ron, the reason most students get away with pulling these pranks is that their parents aren't in school to watch over them. Danny's uncle is a teacher, and he already vetoed the idea. Professor Masters doesn't look like a fellow you'd want to cross."
Harry found himself re-evaluating Danny yet again. From Fred's description, it sounded like Danny's uncle was fairly strict. He cared for his nephew, obviously, as Madam Malkin pointed out. But what kind of a man brought a kid to a joke shop and specifically didn't let the kid have fun? This was a very weird scenario. Whatever it was, it was not simple. He decided that this would bear discussion when they got back to the Leaky Cauldron.
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