First of all, I want to thank everyone who reviewed. So far, there are 16 reviews for last chapter, but 176 reviews for the whole fic so far. I want to thank all the people who put this fic on their Favorites list: there are 43 of you. This fic is on 61 Alert lists. And a few more people have put ME on your Favorite Author list. I thank you kindly for that.

This chapter was long in coming, but it was long, altogether. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.

Chapter 18

Sunday was uneventful for Danny. He got the sleep he needed Saturday night and did the homework he was assigned, spending most of the day in the library. Most Sixth and Seventh Years did the same.

After lunch, and after a good deal of homework was done, Harry, Ron, and Hermione met outdoors. Harry avoided a handful of girls who giggled and gushed over him. The media hyping him as 'the Chosen One' gave him his latest headache. Last year, most of the school thought he was nuts or a rabid attention seeker. Now, he couldn't get the fans to leave him alone.

Getting away from the bevy of giggling girls, Harry threw his hands up. "I don't know how Danny Phantom does it!"

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry. Hermione asked, "What are you talking about?"

Harry shook his head. "Nick told you that Danny Phantom is famous among ghosts. Phantom even met with one of his more excitable fans, and he managed to maintain some semblance of dignity. These people here won't leave me alone! Where were they last year, when their support or even their friendly acquaintance would have been useful?"

Thinking of Romilda Vane's assault on Harry earlier this week, Ron and Hermione sympathized. Ron suggested, "Maybe it's different for him because he's a ghost."

Hermione thought for a moment. "Harry, what made you think of Danny Phantom?"

Harry sighed, a little calmer. "I met him last night on my way back from my session with Professor Dumbledore. The closest staircase from his office to Gryffindor Tower moved, and I almost bumped into him on the ground floor."

Hermione perked up. "Did you? What did you think of him?"

Harry took a second before answering. "At first, he looked just like any other teenager, but his hair was white and his eyes glowed green. And he glowed a bit. His voice echoes. Hermione, you didn't tell me he was from America."

She blushed. "I didn't think of it. But what does it matter?"

Harry shrugged. "It doesn't, I guess. But it was interesting. I asked him about American ghosts. We may not know which city he's from, but maybe we could learn more about him now."

"What else did he tell you?" Ron started getting interested.

"He says that where he's from, not all ghosts are spirits of dead people, but some are creatures made of ectoplasm. When I asked him what he was, he said that it was complicated, but he wouldn't say. Regardless, he explained that was why he referred to the living as 'humans' and not 'the living'."

Hermione said, "That is a rather unique perspective."

"I thought the two most interesting things about him is when he blushed, he colored red, like any of us might. He didn't turn silver at all. Second of all, when we finished our discussion, he… well, he put an arm around me and carried me from the ground floor to the Gryffindor Common Room."

Ron blinked. "He carried you? But how?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Ron. He's solid, and he's strong. He's not like any other ghost I've met."

Hermione asked, "What does he feel like?"

Harry cocked his head in thought. "It was different than when I touched Nick. If you accidentally touch a Hogwarts ghost, it feels like that limb was plunged into a bucket of ice water. Phantom is cool to the touch, but only just so. Otherwise, he feels just like a person might." He thought for a minute. "But something caught my attention. He said, 'I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me'."

Ron interrupted. "That was nice of him."

"Yes it was. But the thing is, he sounded just like Danny Fenton."

Hermione looked at him for a moment. "Harry, maybe it's because he comes from America. People with similar accents sometimes sound the same."

Harry didn't think of that. "Maybe. We don't know what town Danny Fenton comes from, either."

Ron asked, "Do you think we should ask Danny if he's met Danny Phantom?"

Hermione said, "Ron! Do you have any idea how big America is? What are the odds that the Dannys would have met? For all we know, one could have come from the East Coast and one could have come from the West Coast." Glancing significantly at Ron, she said, "They are 3,000 miles apart from each other."

Ron groused. "I still think it's a good idea to ask."

Hermione thought a change in subjects was in order. "So, what happened when you showed Danny the Room of Requirement?"

Harry smiled. "We had a lot of fun exploring what we could make it do. Danny's pretty creative. But when I asked the room for the ideal set up for him to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts, it did something I've never seen it do before. It set up an obstacle course with rings, targets, and all kinds of things I couldn't identify. The weirdest thing I saw was a speed gun. That runs on electricity."

Both Ron and Hermione stared at him. "But Harry, magic interferes with electronics. Nothing with electricity should work here," Hermione protested.

Harry answered, "I know. But apparently this room not only allowed it to work, but the room provided it."

Ron asked, "What is a speed gun?"

Hermione continued to puzzle this out. "If there were electronics in the room, that implies a Muggle need. But he's not a Muggle."

This provided a puzzle for them for the rest of the afternoon.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts Monday morning, Vlad had the students discuss Hairy Snout, Human Heart. Most of the Slytherin students were subdued. The general discussion was animated, but the Slytherin students winced when Vlad discussed passages they misused, as per his instructions. He didn't take away any more points, but he purposefully made them squirm as he met their eyes. Different students used different passages, so it wasn't public, as Vlad didn't mention who misused what. It gave Vlad a perverse pleasure to dig at them that way.

When Vlad mentioned that later that week they were moving on to vampires, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. The students now completely understood that Professor Masters was a force to be reckoned with. The other students in the class found Vlad exciting and informative, but they were wary. Vlad got what he wanted.

In Charms, Professor Flitwick had the class work on conjuring again, but this time it had to be non-verbally. While Draco was skilled at conjuration, he needed to work to do this non-verbally. As such, Danny felt free to let his eyes wander. Harry was doing better than Draco was. Danny was impressed.

Ron and Hermione worked together. Hermione had no problem. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that she had the best handle on this skill, far better than every other student here. Ron, however, was having difficulty.

"No, Ron, you're not focusing. Think about the size, the shape, the color, and then the spell."

"I'm trying, Hermione! It's just not working!"

As Danny listened, he realized that he had a similar conversation with Sam in Chemistry. That conversation took place when he tried to get a grip on his intangibility, before he was permanently banned from handling all glass and otherwise delicate equipment in Casper High.

Tucker, his best buddy, didn't have any advice for him. But Sam coached him, encouraged him, and made him work to focus. Her prodding helped him become successful. Of course, that became moot once Mr. Lancer gave the order forbidding him from touching beakers, vials, slides, or anything of that nature.

He smacked himself in the face. Sam felt something for him even then. How could he have missed it? No wonder they called him 'Clueless One.' Even his dad knew. With a small, sad smile, he watched them as Hermione guided Ron to success. This time, it looked like Ron was the one who was clueless.

In Potions, Danny turned to his partner. "Harry, can I ask you about Ron and Hermione?"

Never expecting a question in this direction, he responded, "What about them?"

Danny furrowed his brows. "I noticed they kind of… are they, well…" He waved his hand about in a small gesture, as this conversation was meant to be private.

Harry picked up the import. "Yes, they are."

Danny noticed them arguing about something. "Clueless?"

Regarding his partner, looking over at his best mates, he sighed and turned back to Danny. "Clueless."

Towards the middle of the Power Training session, both Vlad and Professor Snape were proud of Danny's progress. He could create the bonds and gags to whatever specifications, with minimum effort. Danny was glad that this fact completed this particular skill set, and that he wasn't going to have to bind Professor Snape anymore; just because he had express permission didn't mean that Danny was happy about it.

Vlad smiled a little too broadly. "Daniel, I know that you have a Ghost Stinger. I think you can apply it to these bonds." The word 'stinger' caught Snape's attention.

"No," Danny said resolutely.

Professor Snape said, "Daniel, this isn't…"

"This isn't necessary," Danny said. Professor Snape was shocked, as Danny never used this defiant tone with him. Before either adult put his thoughts together for a command, demand, or reprimand, Danny said firmly, "I know I can use my Ghost Stinger. Now that I can call up this new form of ectoplasm, I'm sure I can control that ectoplasm into the painful sting." Looking pointedly at Vlad, he said, "There is no need to electrocute my professor to prove that I can do it."

Professor Snape blanched but refrained from shuddering. "Electrocute?"

Danny crossed his arms. "I thank you for helping me learn this skill, but I'm pretty sure that once a villain is bound and gagged, there is no need for this type of torture. I've used the Stinger defensively, and there is no need for it now."

Both teachers stared at Danny for a bit. Both of them were rather proud, not just of the sound logic given, but of the nobility displayed. Even as he was proud, Vlad was annoyed at Danny's refusal. He would rectify the situation later. "Very well. We thank you, Professor Snape, for your cooperation."

Refusing to show Vlad how shaken he was at the prospect that his student had the power to electrocute him (though it wasn't more dangerous than some of the curses he invented on his own), Snape smiled at Danny. "It was an honor to help you hone a useful and worthy skill. Good night, Daniel. I'll see you in the morning." With that, he exited the classroom.

Vlad looked at Danny. "What did he mean? You don't have Potions until the afternoon."

Danny explained, "Professor Snape has been helping me fight mind control. We've been…"

"He did not!" Vlad hissed.

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "What?"

"He did not use the Imperius Curse against you," Vlad stated dangerously.

Looking at Vlad oddly, Danny said, "Yes he did. I can almost throw it off completely now. Professor Snape says he thinks I'll be able to do it by the end of this week."

Vlad's face was the picture of outrage, but Danny was not the cause. "How long has this practice been going on?"

"Since last Thursday."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no."

"Vlad…"

"That wizard will not take advantage of a ghost!"

"Vlad…"

"We will fight fire with fire. I was planning this for later this week, but we are starting this posthaste. How dare he use what their society dubs Unforgivable Curses against you!"

"But he's been helping me fight…"

Vlad grabbed Danny's shoulders. "That professor has taken too much pleasure in showing us magic we can't defend against. I have a plan to possibly use their own magic against them, starting with an attack humans can't defend against… well, without the proper equipment which we didn't bring, and I'm pretty sure they don't have. Darn!" He smiled dangerously.

Danny pulled away. "Vlad, you're starting to scare me."

Vlad woke from his partial reverie and refocused on Danny. "This week, you will finish learning to throw off the Imperius Curse, correct?"

Confused, Danny nodded. "That's the plan."

Vlad nodded. "And we are going to start some experiments of our own. The way we will begin is you will overshadow a human here."

Danny jerked his head. "No, I won't."

This was not going according to the plan he formed. "Of course you will."

Danny backed away. "Vlad, no. I spoke to Professor Dumbledore. When I found out that magic can force people to do things against their will, and that some people can use magic to read minds…"

"WHAT?"

Danny winced, but he continued. "The idea of being forced to act against my will scared me, but I've been working to fight it. But this mind reading thing terrified me, because it can only be fought with magic we don't have. But overshadowing can work just like that. It is wrong, and…"

"And you will do it. This is part of a bigger lesson in defense…"

"Vlad, no!"

Taking a step back to look at the boy, Vlad thought for a moment. "Why not? You've done it before. When we first met, you overshadowed your father."

Danny's eyes blazed green. "That was to protect him from you!"

Pretending to consider the matter, Vlad put a finger to his chin. In a patient voice that only aggravated Danny, he said, "I suppose you're right. Overshadowing someone to protect people… a convincing argument if I ever heard one."

"Vlad, that's not what I meant, and you know it!"

The older half-ghost frowned. "And about that time I found you in your school… You overshadowed that bigger student who was bullying you. At the time, I taunted you for using your powers against your human enemies. But now that I think about it, you probably wouldn't have done it unless he deserved it."

"And it was wrong. And I apologized." Danny lowered his voice. "And he bullied me for my trouble, but that time, I deserved it."

"Daniel, this is part of your powers training. You will do what I tell you."

Danny backed up. "No, Vlad. This is wrong. I won't do it."

Vlad lost his patience. "I don't remember giving you an option, boy!"

"I promised I'd never turn evil. I won't do this!"

Vlad growled, "Who said anything about evil? This is a skill, Daniel, and you will learn it!"

"No!"

Vlad's eyes glowed red. "Daniel, you WILL!" He shot eye beams at Danny that threw him halfway across the room, destroying the desk and chair he landed on.

Danny picked himself up and shot back at Vlad with his own eye beams. "I will NOT, you crazed-up Froot-Loop!" The hit scored, sending Vlad flying, destroying another chair when he landed.

Still human, Vlad shot at Danny with an ectoblast from his hand. "I may be a 'crazed-up Froot-Loop,' but I am your GUARDIAN, and you WILL obey me!" Danny ducked and shot back. Vlad's shot missed.

Danny ran out of words and fired again, also still human, throwing Vlad into a bookshelf, which broke and rained books on Vlad's head before he turned intangible.

"Why you…"

"Professor Masters?" someone asked in a terrified squeak.

Vlad and Danny stood up and looked at each other. Their eyes shifted back to blue. Addressing the girl in the doorway, Vlad said, "Miss Spradt, how may I help you?"

"I… I heard explosions and yelling, and as a prefect, I needed to see that the students are safe." She trembled.

With a calm, professorial air, Vlad said, "Five points to your House for a job well done."

The girl looked around the room. With smashed chairs and a desk and books on the floor, she asked, "Wh-what happened here?"

"Well, Miss Spradt, you should know that my nephew and I have extra Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons after dinner. A spell or two had gone awry."

"But Professor, the yelling…"

"Yes, well… I was giving Mr. Fenton an assignment, and he objected. We had an altercation, but at this point, all is settled." Turning to Danny, he said, "He will do it or… I'll have to come up with a detention, won't I?" He quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

Danny gritted his teeth and scowled, but answered, "Yes, Uncle Vlad."

"Very good, then."

"Professor, why were your and Danny's eyes glowing?"

Both half-ghosts snapped their heads in her direction. Cool as marble, Vlad looked puzzled. "Whatever do you mean?"

She shook her head. "Danny, why were your eyes glowing?"

Not needing the prompting look from Vlad, Danny said, "Melissa, what are you talking about?"

Melissa Spradt huffed. "I know what I saw."

Vlad and Danny looked at each other and shrugged. "If you say so," Danny said.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows. "Miss Spradt, if that is all, I suggest you finish your rounds for patrol. There are a few details my nephew and I have to hammer out before he's dismissed."

"Yes, sir. Good night, Professor Masters. Good night, Danny."

She closed the door, and they listened for her departure. When Vlad decided she was far enough away, he said quietly, "This is your assignment. Tomorrow, you will tell me whom you intend to target when we meet here. You will use our Power Training timeslot from tomorrow night to Friday night to observe your target. You will focus on vocal patterns, gestures, the people he or she talks to, and the relationships you observe within their Common Room.

"All of this is in preparation for Saturday night's assignment: you will overshadow the target you will have observed all week, and you will maintain possession of the person for a full hour. It can be longer, but no shorter.

"And I remind you, Daniel, that just because I have refrained from using my powers to hurt you does NOT mean I've forgotten how. And you would do well to remember that - at this point in time – there is no one to stop me from whatever I might do." Danny shuddered.

"Do the assignment, and you will be fine. I think we've had enough excitement for one night. Give me your paper on Hamlet." Danny frowned, but handed Vlad the scroll. "Very good. You are dismissed. Have a good night, Daniel." With that, Vlad evaporated.

Danny was still angry when he came to breakfast in the morning. Draco waved him over. Danny sighed and took the seat next to him.

"So, is it true, what they're saying about you?"

Danny looked up. "What are 'they' saying about me?"

"They say that last night, you got into an argument with your uncle, that you threw chairs and books at each other, and that both your and your uncle's eyes glowed."

Covering his eyes, Danny thought, 'Crud. Well, I'll have to say something.' Lifting his hand and opening his eyes, he said, "Yes, Draco. Uncle Vlad and I got into an argument last night. About the glowing eyes and the other stuff… What do you think?"

Draco gave a wry smile. "I should have known better than to trust Melissa Spradt. That Seventh Year Hufflepuff prefect is known to be a liar. Well, she got half the story right." Danny gave a guilty half-smile. Actually, she got it all right, but there was no need to let Draco know that.

"Could I ask what you fought about?" Draco asked, concerned. This could be interesting. What DO they do in that class?

Danny frowned. "I'm not happy with the latest assignment he's given me. Look – I'm still angry about it; I'm not going to be good company today."

Draco looked sympathetic. "Is there anything I can do?"

Danny thought for a moment. "Yeah. Please ask people not to ask me about last night."

"You got it." Draco saw Danny nod gratefully and then scan the room. The blond boy realized that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Danny this morning. The mysteries around him persisted and multiplied. The only good thing about this is that no one else was going to solve the mystery, either.

When Danny came to Professor Snape, Professor Snape noticed that Danny was fuming. The professor asked gently, "Daniel, if you want to talk about last night, I'm available." He didn't know what Masters might have done to set off Daniel so greatly. He heard that both their eyes glowed, almost blowing their cover.

Danny sighed and shook his head. "Thanks, Professor. I appreciate that. But right now, I just want to finish this."

With this level of determination, Professor Snape was certain that Daniel would have complete success throwing off the Imperius Curse, perhaps today.

In Charms, the class continued their non-verbal conjuration, as most students had great difficulty mastering the skill silently. Professor Flitwick pulled Danny aside again. "Mr. Fenton, I remember that one of your many skills as a half-ghost is to conjure a ball of ectoplasm. Can you make it into workable shapes and forms? If you can, it will look like you have this spell in hand."

Danny thought for a moment. "I would have to practice it. But it wouldn't be right away. Also, things I make out of ectoplasm tend to be bright green. If something normally has varied color, it might be a serious give-away. Also, they defy gravity unless I concentrate."

The tiny professor looked thoughtful. "You make a good point. I will have to ask your uncle about that. We might have more for you to do tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Thank you for your time." Professor Flitwick shooed him back to his seat.

Danny looked around the room. Drat Vlad! This would be impossible. Clockwork said he always had a choice, but right now, his choice was to pick someone to overshadow or to be tortured by Vlad. In another time, or another place, he might have just let Vlad torture him. Well… Danny wouldn't go down without a fight, but Vlad would win. He always did. Danny sighed. It wouldn't be fun, but saving the people was worth it.

But right now, that evil Froot-Loop was as close to a family as he was going to have. Ticking off Vlad was never a smart choice at the best of times, even when it was tempting. And now, he really didn't feel he could afford to do that. This was so wrong!

Vlad said that this was part of a bigger lesson in defense. He even said that Danny could – at least in theory, if not in actuality – protect someone by overshadowing him or her. He growled just thinking about it.

Now he had to choose a 'target.' How would he do that? Who should he choose? He looked around again. Draco was there. He didn't look like he was in danger, or needed help. Harry was doing just fine on his own.

Ron and Hermione were bickering again. Clueless! If he could just make Ron say the right thing… wait a minute.

Danny smiled. He just found his target.

After dinner, Danny met Vlad in their regular classroom. The chairs, desk, and bookshelf had been repaired, and the room was spotless. Danny winced at the books. He would apologize to Mr. Filch later, and see about helping him clean up something else.

Vlad saw the wince and frowned. He supposed they left the previous evening on the wrong foot. He started this – even though it was for Daniel's own good! – so he had to finish it. "Daniel?"

Danny started and looked up. "Yeah?"

Vlad had trouble reading the teen. This slightly unnerved him, but he wasn't going to show the child this weakness. "Have you selected your target?"

Daniel's demeanor changed to one of strength. "Yes. Ron Weasley."

Raising his eyebrows, Vlad said, "Very good." He might ask why he chose his particular target, or more to the point, why he was so determined when Daniel objected so strongly yesterday. But not right now. "Besides preparing you for a more accurate overshadowing experience, this will build your stamina in your invisibility and intangibility."

Danny looked surprised. He hadn't thought of that aspect. But Vlad was right. Vlad creased his brow, and Danny could not guess what Vlad was thinking. He sighed. "Do… you want me to meet you here after an hour?"

The boy was conscientious. He had to give him that. Or he's afraid of him. Vlad sighed. "That is a good question. I was thinking about giving you an option. Observing your target, Mr. Weasley, for an hour is not an option. But… If you chose to observe him for two hours, we could forego English. And if you observed him for three hours, we could forego both English and math."

Danny blinked. He was honestly confused. "I… I don't understand. I thought you said that my worldly education was important."

"It is important, which is why I'm giving you the option to come back and take these classes. But as important as it is, this particular skill is even more important. As such, in order to do a more thorough job, I am willing to let you go without math and English, not just for today, but through Friday."

Danny wanted to dance in jubilation, but he didn't. Vlad was being too… nice. This was coming at a cost. As Professor Snape said, all things in life did. He crossed his arms. "What's the catch?"

Vlad smiled. "You are learning. I knew you would. If you choose your worldly lessons, there is no specific catch. For every hour of observation, I expect you to take notes. You can take them at the conclusion of your observation, or as you observe him and his habits. When you finish writing up your evening notes, you may come to my room and give them to me there." Danny stared. "What? You didn't think I would let you loose for any of our three hours without some way of checking up on you, did you?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Of course not."

Vlad's smile broadened. "So, what are you choosing?"

Danny thought about this. The way Vlad worded this, it sounded like Vlad wanted Danny to choose spying on Ron. He didn't want to give Vlad the satisfaction. Then again, if he was going to help Ron, he had to know what he did during downtime. Danny knew that Ron was best friends with Harry and Hermione, but what were they really like? He wanted to know.

"I'll observe for the full three hours."

Vlad beamed with pride. "Excellent choice. I look forward to seeing you later. Off with you!"

Turing invisible and intangible, Danny flew off to Gryffindor Tower. He had Myrtle to thank for learning its location. The Fat Lady decided to take up painting. Danny almost giggled at the meta-situation. Shaking his head, he phased into the Common Room.

Everything was decorated in bright reds and yellows. The overall effect gave the room a much warmer feel, regardless of the actual temperature. His own Common Room was lit with lamps of green flames and was decorated in gray stone. The effect of the Slytherin Common Room was cool and calming. The effect of the Gryffindor Common Room was warm and cheerful.

Unlike in the Slytherin Common Room, where the high backed chairs bespoke dignity, the squashy chairs here bespoke comfort. He could get comfortable here. Sam would have liked the darker effect in his own Common Room, though.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he looked around. Apparently Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes were a hit, and people enjoyed using them. Red hair. The first shock of red hair he saw belonged to a girl who was talking and laughing with a dark-skinned boy. Danny was glad these things mattered as much here as they did in Casper High, which was not at all. The girl, Ginny, was going to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Dean seemed excited about this. When Ginny thought Dean didn't notice, Ginny's eyes flicked to the chairs by the fire. Danny drifted over to the fire, and there were Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

He watched them as they discussed their Transfiguration homework. The conversation would have been more interesting if he knew what they were talking about. Hermione seemed to be almost done with her work. Sir Nicholas was right – she really was very smart. Harry and Ron worked hard, but Ron complained more often, requesting to see Hermione's work. She never let him copy. Danny was proud of Hermione, but something about Ron reminded him of Tucker.

Tucker was smart, insanely informed when it came to technology, and seriously under appreciated. Danny felt guilty about that. Still, Tucker was the best friend a guy could ask for. You could always count on him to say what's on his mind, even if he needed to be stuffed into a locker afterwards. But he always gave an honest assessment, Tucker-style. Danny got the same vibe from Ron.

When they finished – or at least, had as much homework as they could take for the moment – Hermione left so she could attend to prefect duties. Ron was a prefect, too, but he would patrol tomorrow. It would be interesting to see how seriously he takes those duties. From the way he discussed it with Harry, it sounded like it was infinitely easier without trying to contain his brothers, the twins. A younger sibling trying to control an older sibling was just asking for trouble. He was lucky if he could get Jazz to just cooperate. But he loved her, and she always meant well. Apparently, the twins were more of the teasing variety of siblings.

Ron brought out his own Wizard Chess set. This seemed to be a common past time of the Wizarding World. Without electronics, video games were just right out. Danny overheard people talking about Gobstones, but he couldn't guess what that was about. Monopoly and other board games involving funny money were Muggle concepts. Milton-Bradley and Hasbro are Muggle companies, so he just didn't envision wizards playing Scrabble or Risk. But chess was hundreds of years old.

He watched Ron and Harry play. Harry was an okay player, but Ron was very good. When Ron won, he had a far better attitude than Danny's mother or Jazz when they won games. When Hermione returned, Ron played her. Harry and Ron smirked with unholy delight, but they settled down as they played. Hermione was very clever, but Ron was really good. Danny wondered how he would do in a game against Ron.

He listened to the three of them as they had an animated conversation about Vlad and his concern for werewolves. They were impressed. Hermione compared Vlad's proposed letter-writing campaign to something called the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. Ron was exasperated with her. Danny understood Hermione's point, but Ron seemed to understand the elves' perspective.

Danny managed to catch a glimpse of Hermione's watch. It was 10:30! He managed to maintain his invisibility and intangibility for three and a half hours! He had to get back to his dorm. He teleported outside of his own Common Room. When he saw no one in the hall, he turned visible and gave the password and entered.

Draco looked up. Pansy sat next to him, and Crabbe and Goyle sat across from him. "Danny! How did your lesson go?"

"Better than I expected. However, I have to write up a report and hand it in tonight. I'll see you later!" Danny went to his bed, where he produced a glowing ball of ectoplasm. It lit the enclosed area of his curtained off bed as he wrote the report. Vlad said it was okay for him to spend more time rather than less time on this. He just hoped that Vlad didn't get upset that everything was so late.

In about an hour, Danny finished his report. It was about three feet long. Once he left the Common Room, he turned invisible until he got to the Ravenclaw Tower. Upon arriving at Vlad's door, he released his invisibility, remaining in human form. He didn't have time for Ravenclaw students or professors other than Professor Flitwick to be curious about Danny Phantom.

Nervously, he knocked. Vlad opened the door. "Come in! We have a few minutes, though it's late."

Danny entered and felt awkward. Vlad bade him to take a seat in a chair by something like a coffee table, and took one himself. Vlad asked, "How did it go?"

There were a few emotions for Danny to sort through. He was no longer nervous, as Vlad took his lateness in stride. There was residual anger at being forced to prepare to overshadow his classmate, which he decided was morally iffy at best, even if it was in a good cause. And part of him was intrigued at what he learned and proud of his observational skills.

The older half-ghost watched Danny wrestle with his emotions with interest. This was only stage one of his plan, and Daniel would benefit tremendously. But for now, this had to be cleared one hurdle at a time.

Danny started talking about what he observed. Vlad was impressed. This was going far better than he anticipated. At about midnight, Vlad sent Danny back to his dorm. They would not meet after dinner tomorrow or any night this week; instead, they would meet here to discuss Danny's observations. Danny handed Vlad his report.

"You have done well, little badger. Just keep on like this and you will be able to do great things. In your own heroic little way, of course." Danny looked askance, and Vlad laughed. "Good night, Daniel."

This went on for the week. When Danny was able to throw off the Imperius Curse, Professor Snape praised him. Danny decided that keeping all the information from his evening observations straight was enough prying into students' affairs for the week. He would ask Draco about his father's Death Eater activities next week.

Draco was annoyed. He could understand Danny's mood, as Professor Masters had some interesting ideas about assignments. It wasn't enough that he took the net 30 points from the Slytherins on Friday. Nor was it enough that they had to endure a personalized humiliation from this professor. But Professor Masters managed to showcase Harry Potter. The fact that Professor Masters gave points that Draco engineered to be taken away… that hurt. Now it seemed that Professor Masters couldn't stop giving points to Potter. True, Potter did manage to take Masters' message to heart. He took this ridiculous werewolf thing seriously.

In Charms, things seemed to get no better. Danny was hopeless with conjuring, verbally or non-verbally. He wasn't as impressed with Draco's work as he was with the complete tea set Draco called into existence verbally. For some reason, Danny's eyes drifted to Potter's corner.

Draco gritted his teeth. 'Granger can do this. Even Potter can do this better than I can. And for some reason, Danny is fascinated by them.' Danny wouldn't talk about it, and these miserable Gryffindors monopolized Danny's attention. Draco didn't get it, but it only built his growing jealousy.

And, of course, his failed plan of last week gave him inspiration to try again. On Friday in Potions, Draco put his carefully planned scheme into action. As the class worked on that day's potion, he turned to Zabini, his partner. "Tell Nott and Millicent something for me." Blaise glanced at Professor Snape, who was focused on the Ravenclaws on the other side of the classroom, and then nodded. "I've found out that someone didn't get an 'O' on their Potions OWL."

Zabini snickered and turned to whisper this to Nott, who was working next to him. Nott also laughed quietly and turned to Millicent on his other side.

As the Slytherins all stood laughing, Professor Snape turned from the Ravenclaws to see their obvious amusement. The rest of the class also turned to look at the four giggling Slytherins. While it pained him to put Slytherin students in the spotlight, Professor Snape acknowledged that these students were causing a general disturbance. Guessing who was responsible for this outbreak, Professor Snape asked, "Was there something you wanted to share with the class, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco smirked. "Yes, sir. I heard there was a student in this class who didn't earn his way in with an 'O' on his OWL. Is that true?" Potter glared at Draco, fists clenched.

Harry almost launched himself at Draco, but Danny grabbed him by the shoulders, restraining him. "Don't," Danny told him. Reluctantly, Harry nodded.

Snape raised an eyebrow at this, and coolly said, "Five points off, Mr. Potter, for trying to start a fight. And Mr. Fenton, you receive five points for Slytherin for preventing the fight." Ignoring Harry's angry glare, Professor Snape continued his circuit around the room.

Danny shot Draco an angry look, which he returned with an innocent expression. After all, Draco hadn't said who had gotten in without the requisite grade. Nor had Draco said anything about Danny. Danny turned back to his steaming partner.

Giving Harry a few moments for the blinding rage to subside, Danny said, sincerely embarrassed, "I'm so sorry about that. I didn't mean…"

Harry shook his head. "It's not your fault."

At dinner, Danny glared at Draco. "I thought you said my secret was safe with you!" he hissed.

Draco shrugged. "Your secret is still safe. No one knows that Potter tutored you. To be honest, I didn't even say that Potter was the one who didn't get the 'O' on his OWL."

Draco was right. Still, it was a mincing of words. Somehow, Danny thought that Vlad would be proud of Draco for this clever deception and manipulation. Danny growled and refused to look at Draco for the rest of dinner.

When he got to Gryffindor Tower, his mood was reflected by his favorite trio. Ron exclaimed, "The nerve of Malfoy! I still can't believe he was so close… You noticed how he refused to mention Danny?" Danny smiled. He was starting to grow on Ron. "I bet he's in on this, too!" Or not.

Harry fumed but said, "No, Ron. You should know that Danny's not like that. If he didn't stop me, I might have gotten in real trouble."

"But he got Slytherin those points at our expense…"

"No, Ron, Snape gave Slytherin those points. You have to see that it was more of a 'take points from my House, give points to Slytherin' thing. If you hadn't noticed, Danny doesn't seem all that interested in House points, either way. With his intense schedule, his extra classes (and the weird rumors about him), and his deep mourning, I doubt he's got time or energy to deal with House politics." More quietly, he continued, "At the end of last year, I know I didn't."

Ron still glowered. "I still think we should get back at them."

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "Silly pranks and revenge schemes are not appropriate behavior for a prefect!"

"Didn't stop Draco. And Harry's not a prefect."

"No, but I am the Quidditch team captain, and I don't have time for these things. Speaking of which, Gryffindor try-outs are tomorrow." Consulting a piece of parchment, he said, "There are so many people who signed up. I never realized that Quidditch has become so popular."

"It's not Quidditch. It's you, Harry," Hermione commented sagely. "Besides the whole 'Chosen One' thing, you've never gone unnoticed by the female population. And you've recently grown taller, which only helps."

Ron peaked his eyebrows. "I'm tall." Danny rolled his eyes.

Harry looked at the list. "I'm not sure that all of these people are actually in Gryffindor."

Hermione shrugged. "You'll have to deal with that as it comes."

Looking up at his mate, Harry said, "You and Ginny better try out. Katie's the only one from the old team who is left. And Kirke and Sloper, the replacement Beaters who took over when the twins were kicked off the team by Umbridge, were pathetic. But we shall see what we shall see."

It went on this way for the three hours, Hermione and Harry encouraging Ron, making reference to a song 'Weasley Is Our King,' which made Ron blush.

By the time Danny left, the mood of the trio was decidedly happier than it was immediately after dinner.

When Danny finished his written report to bring to Vlad, he came to Vlad's apartment. He was amazed at his luck, such that no one caught him in Ravenclaw Tower all week. He wondered if a ghost was responsible or if he was insanely lucky (for some value of the word 'lucky').

Vlad listened to Danny, still amazed at how much detail the boy noticed. It occurred to him that if Daniel put half as much effort into his class work in Casper High, Daniel's grades might have been higher. However, when Daniel was in Casper High, he didn't have Vlad as a guardian. And, of course, his heroics kept him up all hours… He inwardly rolled his eyes, but paid attention to the boy's words.

When Danny finished his verbal report and handed him the written one, Vlad asked, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow, during the day?"

Danny looked at Vlad. Why did he care? Deciding that he just wasn't going to figure the man out, Danny answered, "No. Not yet. Why?"

Vlad regarded Danny for a moment. "You might like to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs. It will give you something to do, and you might enjoy it."

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Danny gave him a funny look. "Why do you care?"

Vlad sighed. Somehow, he had the feeling that simply telling Daniel that he had the boy's welfare in mind would just not be believed. "First of all, it will give you a better feel for the general culture of the school. I've been told that students take this Quidditch thing seriously. Even if you won't have time to practice and play, there's no reason you can't enjoy it.

"Secondly, I know you've gotten close to Mr. Potter and his friends. You don't usually go exploring with people you don't care to spend time with. Harry is the team captain, and you might like watching him in action.

"Third of all, you haven't had much leisure time, and without some downtime, you will wear yourself out. If you're worn out, you'll be no use to yourself or anyone else.

"Finally, watching this practice session might give you a sudden inspiration when you overshadow Mr. Weasley tomorrow."

Danny listened to Vlad's reasoning. For a second there, he almost thought that his guardian sounded tender. This confused him. But when Vlad said, "You'll be no use…", Danny determined that this sounded like the Froot-Loop he knew.

Danny sighed. At this point, it didn't sound like he had much of a choice. But Vlad did make sense. He thought he might like to see the Quidditch try-outs. Looking at Vlad, he said, "Will do."

The older half-ghost shook his head. "Tomorrow, I'm off to London again. I'll be back at dinner. See me in our classroom before you head out for your assignment."

Danny decided that Vlad was easier to figure out when he was Danny's arch-enemy.

After breakfast, Danny followed the Gryffindors to the Quidditch pitch, taking a seat in the stands. There was a huge number of students who showed up. There were First Years who hadn't gained control of their brooms yet. There was a group of girls led by Romilda Vane – Danny recognized the type. He was certain that Paulina wasn't here, but Romilda seemed to be Harry's Paulina. The group wasn't any use on the field, but they got what they wanted: Harry's undivided attention for at least a few minutes.

"Oi! Slytherin!" Danny looked around and realized that he was the only one here who fit that description. Turning to the source of the gruff voice, Danny saw a rather large Gryffindor student he hadn't met yet.

"Can I help you?" Danny asked.

"What do you think you're doing here at the Gryffindor try-outs!?"

Danny looked up and saw the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students Harry caught trying to sneak onto the Gryffindor team. Harry shooed them out of the field, and they took seats in the stands. "I'm just watching."

"Spying on the opposition?"

Danny looked at this jock. "Actually, I'm friends with the team captain." The large fellow hadn't backed down. "You know, I understand that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are also teams that oppose Gryffindor in Quidditch."

"They are, but you are in Slytherin, and have…"

"Hey! Leave him alone. Aren't you trying out, McLaggen?" Hermione came towards them. Danny looked relieved. After all his time here thus far, this is the first experience he had with someone like Dash. While this fellow, McLaggen Hermione called him, was a wizard, he didn't look like he would have any trouble using his fists, if he so chose.

McLaggen looked at Hermione. "Yeah, but this Slytherin here…"

"Is Harry and my friend. You'd do better to warm up and leave harmless spectators alone," Hermione spat. "Beaters are next."

"And who says I'm trying for Beater? I'd be a better Keeper than 'King Weasley'."

Hermione glowered. "Back off. He belongs here." Danny glowed with warmth. He might not have Sam and Tucker, but he was glad to have Hermione as a friend.

McLaggen stalked off to warm up, as Hermione was right. Harry was the Seeker, and while he might be fast enough for a Chaser, and his sheer power was more useful for a Beater, he wanted to be the Keeper.

Hermione looked at the almost-assaulted Danny. "I'm so sorry. This…"

Danny shook his head. "Professor Snape said there'd be days like this." He rolled his eyes. "I know lots of Slytherins who might deserve that suspicion but…" He sighed. "It happens." He was used to this. Not as a Slytherin, but as a ghost. Just because lots of them are dangerous, some people assume that all people in that classification are evil.

Of the Chaser applicants, more of the girls trying out seemed more competent than the boys who tried out. He noticed that Ginny was very good. Two other girls were also very good. Harry nodded at one of them, as if he was familiar with her capabilities as a Chaser. Perhaps she was Katie.

"Hermione, who is McLaggen? I haven't seen him around."

She answered, "He's a Seventh Year. I haven't seen much of him. He wasn't part of the DA last year. I haven't heard that he participates in other extra-curricular activities, but he has studied with his friends in the Common Room. He is a Quidditch enthusiast, though. Whenever we've had celebrations for wins of close games or the Quidditch Cup, he's always been right there with us." She smiled to herself. "Although the Weasley twins knew how to throw a party to distract and attract anyone."

Danny smiled at her, and turned back to the pitch. They were up to Keepers. Ron was up and saved the goal at least five times. Others were not that good. McLaggen managed to save four goals. When it came to the fifth one, the larger student zipped off in the wrong direction. He looked frustrated and confused. Danny looked at Hermione to ask what just happened, but he caught her stowing her wand. Danny rubbed the back of his neck. Something wasn't right, but he had no clue what it was.

It looked like Harry pulled his team together. The students who made the team danced with joy. Others who didn't make the cut reacted much like those who didn't make the Casper High Ravens teams. Some were better sports and more gracious losers than others were. Ron and Ginny, and he guessed Katie, made it. Danny didn't know the other students who made the team.

McLaggen was not happy, as he didn't make the team. Danny gulped. That type of disappointment was more than enough motivation for Dash to take out his frustration on him. He followed McLaggen with worried eyes until he noticed that McLaggen wasn't looking for him. Danny breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever McLaggen had in mind, it didn't involve Danny. This was new, but Danny could appreciate his new school even more, now.

Danny waved at Harry as Harry, Hermione, and Ron went to visit Hagrid. Danny headed back to the castle. He thought this try-out was fun. He had to ask Draco when the Slytherin try-outs were. Again, he wouldn't be able to try out, but it would be fun to watch. And no one would challenge his presence this time. For some reason, he didn't think the applicants would be as varied or as complicated to sort out as the Gryffindors were, but the excitement involved was something to look forward to.

Then he remembered: he wasn't talking to Draco yet. Danny was still angry with him for that nasty prank yesterday. Draco humiliated him and Harry in one shot, but mostly Harry, as Harry seemed to have problems with Draco, Professor Snape, and most of the Slytherins in his year.

Danny went to the library to work on some of his homework. On his way, he thought of what happened at the try-outs. Besides the team and weird interactions between the universe and Harry, and random, hostile Gryffindors and him, he thought of Hermione. He saw that she was brilliant, strong, loyal… She reminded Danny of Sam. And she liked Ron. Ron was one lucky guy. He was even luckier because when Danny played the loving Ron, part of it wouldn't be acting.

Now that Danny thought of it, Ron was a pretty good guy, too. He held grudges far too long, but all of his general outrage was against people who hurt Harry. Except when Ron was thick about getting upset with the wrong guy, Ron was a decent, well-meaning fellow.

Besides the fact that Vlad forced him to do this, Danny was feeling much better about this. It was almost like overshadowing Tucker to get Sam a date for the homecoming dance. But this time, Ron and Hermione were meant to be dating. Danny would merely be giving Clueless Two a more forceful nudge in the right direction.

After dinner, Danny met Vlad in their classroom. "Good to see you. How were the try-outs?" Vlad asked.

Danny gave the answer he thought Vlad was looking for. "I found that bit of inspiration you told me to look for."

Vlad's face fell for a moment. He was actually hoping that Danny would tell him of the fun he had, and what he thought of watching his friends, and things of that nature. But then he recovered. This would work, too.

"Good work! Do you have any questions or comments before you go?"

Danny thought for a minute. "Only that this is a better idea than I thought it might be." Vlad blinked. "Do you want me to meet you here afterwards?"

Vlad looked thoughtful. "No. I'd like you to see me in my room afterwards. After Monday, I've decided we need a more private place to practice and discuss things."

Danny brightened. "I asked Harry about that. I'll show you the room tomorrow."

Vlad was touched at how appropriate Daniel's response was. He thought ahead, and cared enough about their private time together to anticipate this need. Even if Daniel was still angry with him. He peaked his eyebrows. "That was very thoughtful of you. Sincerely."

Danny saw tears forming in Vlad's eyes. He wasn't sure what he'd done, but Danny did something right. He nodded stoically. "I'll be off now."

"I'll be waiting for you."

Entering the Gryffindor Common Room, Danny made his way to the trio and waited for the most opportune time.

Harry said, "I am rather sorry to have hurt Hagrid. But we do have all those classes. Studying for the NEWTs is no walk in the park, and I have Quidditch to manage on top of everything else. Oliver Wood or Angelina I'm not, but I still have to put together a practice schedule."

"I'm sorry to hear about Aragog. Hagrid cares for him so much…"

Ron exclaimed, "Hermione! That thing is an Acromantula. You know, a giant spider! It and its offspring tried to eat Harry and me in Second Year! While I'm sad for Hagrid, honestly – the death of that thing will be no great loss." Neither Harry nor Hermione had any response to this.

Harry changed topics. "The try-outs today were insane. Romilda Vane's gaggle of friends… they wouldn't know Quidditch if the Quaffle landed in their arms. Cormac McLaggen, though, was a piece of work."

"That he is. He went after Danny for just sitting in the stands. I think he's the only student from a different House who came to the try-outs who didn't try to get on the team." Hermione huffed.

"You mean Danny came? He watched?" Ron asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron, he waved to us before we went to see Hagrid. Yes, he watched."

Ron stewed for a bit. "Rotten Slytherins! I still can't believe what a rotten trick Malfoy pulled. He almost… He got those points…"

Harry said, "You're not still on about that, are you? Yeah, he got those points. But you might want to notice that as close as he was to telling my secret, he was just as close to revealing Danny's secret. Danny wouldn't thank him for that, I'm sure."

Ron scowled, but decided that a change of focus was in order. He took out his chess set. "Will you play me, Harry?"

"Sure."

Ron continued as he set up the pieces, "Malfoy makes me so mad. Planning and strategizing can help cool me off. Plus, it might give me an inspiration to get them back."

Hermione frowned. "Don't you mean him?"

Ron said, "Danny was part of it."

"Ron!" Hermione shouted. Danny decided that this was his cue. He entered Ron, who gasped and stiffened. "Ron? Are you okay?"

Danny blinked, getting used to his new surroundings, his new point of view, his new skin. "I'm fine. I just realized how right you are." Hermione looked at him strangely as Danny took Ron's turn. He continued, "However, getting back at… Malfoy sounds about right." Hermione relaxed.

Harry made his move. "You know, Ron, I'm glad you made all five saves. I'm not sure I could handle a whole year worth of McLaggen."

Danny smirked. "I'm glad for that as well. The shot Ginny threw almost sunk me." He moved again.

Harry smiled ruefully. "That's what I told him."

The game continued as Danny thought of what to bring up next. He moved again. "Check, Harry. How are you at the new Aguamenti charm? I'm just barely getting it."

Harry blinked. Ron willingly talked about studies on a Saturday night? Harry gave him a sidelong glance. "I think I'm getting it. What made you think of it?"

Danny thought for a moment. "Mate in one. It's new, and Hermione's got it. She's been helping me, but… it could be dead useful when fighting an Ashwinder. Especially if you freeze it. That's one of the beasts I told Danny about." He smiled. This could only work for Ron's benefit.

Hermione gaped a bit. "You remembered… Wow, Ron, you… but why mention it now?"

This was going exactly where Danny wanted it to go. "Hermione, you're always trying to get us to study. And I just realized how right you are. Checkmate, Harry. Up for another round?"

Harry nodded as they switched sides, from black to white. Hermione just stared. "Ron, thank you, but…"

"But what, Hermione? Besides thinking about NEWTs, Harry's brilliant at Defense, and… I realized how important this stuff is." He took a breath, as this could be tricky. "When you told me to leave Danny out of it, part of me started thinking. He's having trouble with these things. The smallest spells are hard for him, but when you guide me, I manage to get it right."

Danny shook his head bitterly. "If he could do some of these spells, he might have been able to stop the Death Eaters. Reports are coming in all the time of people hurt or killed. If I was half as good at Defense as Harry, or as determined as you are to get things right… It just started me thinking of how much I appreciate you."

Harry and Hermione stared. Hermione whispered, "Ron…"

Danny stopped for a moment, closing his eyes in concentration. "These are dangerous times. It's time for me to stop being an idiot and… start showing a wider emotional range than a teaspoon. And it's been a while since everyone – but me, apparently – figured out how much you mean to me."

Go for some realism, Danny told himself. "This doesn't mean I'm going to stop being hot-headed and stubborn. We'll still find things to argue about, I'm sure." He sighed. 'And I may even go back to hating Danny when this is through…' "But I need you to know, while we're both still alive and I have the chance, that I truly love you."

"Ron!" Hermione jumped up from her chair and flung herself into Ron's arms. Danny glimpsed her watch. One hour and fifteen minutes. Ron told Hermione what he needed to say. Mission accomplished. He exited Ron and floated invisibly and intangibly to view the results of his handiwork.

"I love you, too. I've just been waiting for you to say so!"

Ron blinked and realized Hermione clung to him for dear life. He thought, 'I'm not sure how this happened, and I'm pretty sure I want to leave Danny out of my pranks now… But this is bloody brilliant! Later, I'll see if I can figure out how this came to be… Right now, I'm hugging Hermione, she's hugging me, and I'll just enjoy the moment.'

Vlad, who watched the whole scene invisibly and intangibly, thought, 'Interesting. Daniel used all of this power to be a hero, for the good of his target, by reading Mr. Weasley's mind as well as taking control. As clever as Daniel's quips can be, that comment about "the emotional range of a teaspoon" did not come from my boy's head.' With that, he teleported back to his room to wait for Danny.