Welcome, one and all to another chapter of this marathon of a fic! I thank you all for reading, and I especially thank the many readers, reviewers, and folks who put this on their favorite and alert lists. I send you all cybernetic Nestles Turtles, in the big heart-shaped box.
This chapter, I have to thank Embers of Inspiration and Quacked Lurker for the idea of showing everyone's reaction to the sudden increase in points for Slytherin.
I would also like to thank Thozmp Corris for reminding me about the need to go back and check on the ecto-filtrators. Good catch!
The scene in Hogsmeade was written by my friend and collaborator, Cynthia. She borrowed heavily from the corresponding chapter in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," so if anything looks familiar, that is why. Still, the outcome is one we agreed upon long before the chapter was started.
And this chapter, I have the honor of placing the chapters written by Youre-not-so-big in their rightful place: within the fic itself. There are a few changes, but not so drastic that they change the intent with which they were written (I hope). Once again, I thank you for the honor of allowing me to take your chapters from "A Vent for ADD" and developing them into this much beloved fic.
Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.
Chapter 24
When Danny came upstairs for breakfast he heard shrieks and shouts and was a little nervous as he approached the crowd. He asked the first student he saw, "What's going on?"
Cormac McLaggen stared at Danny and answered for the addressed student. "Over night, Slytherin received 120 points. Something doesn't seem cricket." He leered and loomed over Danny, who recognized a bully considering a wailing when he saw one. Danny dodged into the crowd and made his way to the hourglasses that held House points.
The Gryffindor glass was filled about the same as the Ravenclaw glass. The Hufflepuff glass wasn't far behind. But between the 220 points Slytherin accumulated from Danny, Crabbe, and Goyle for the overshadowing project, the five points Danny got in Potions yesterday, and any other points garnered by his Housemates for the last week, there was a mass of green that stood out far above the other gems. This wasn't something Danny thought about on a regular basis, but he could see why other students would be unhappy.
The Slytherin students nearer the hourglasses were celebratory and the other students were accusatory. A voice between annoyed and angry bellowed, "What are you lot on about? There will be no fighting in the Hall!" Students turned to see an angry Mr. Filch, and parted so he could see what the fuss was about. When he saw Danny, his expression softened. "What's going on here, Fenton?"
Danny smiled at the grumpy caretaker. After the classroom furniture that was destroyed during his fight with Vlad on September 9 was cleared, Danny felt guilty, knowing he promised to clean any messes he made. That Wednesday, he apologized to Mr. Filch and volunteered to help him clean for an hour a day for a week. Mr. Filch was impressed that the boy's sense of responsibility was so strong that he assigned himself detention for a week. From that day onward, he had a soft spot in his heart for Danny.
"House points seem to be causing havoc."
"Oh, for the love of… Thank you, Fenton. I'll get the Headmaster." As he hurried off to find someone to deal with this insanity, the students yelled and jeered at each other. The prefects managed to make sure no spells were cast, but it was uncertain business. Within minutes, the four Heads of House and Vlad followed Filch to the discontented congregation of students. The rabble appeared to be this side of coming to blows.
Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at her throat, muttering Sonorus. "Excuse me!" The adolescents became silent, and professor said Quietus. "What seems to be the trouble, here?"
Anthony Goldstein, a Sixth Year Ravenclaw prefect, said, "Slytherin has gained 120 points over night, and some students are complaining of foul play."
Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape exchanged a glance. Professor Snape mouthed, "Everything is in order." Professor McGonagall nodded.
"Foul play, Mr. Goldstein?" Anthony looked to the dissatisfied members of the Houses that weren't Slytherin. He nodded.
"Were the complainants aware of any Slytherin student interaction with professors? There are a lot of points, but there are also a lot of students who might have earned said points."
Anthony looked to the more vocal of the disputants, and folded his arms, waiting for a response. Cormac announced, "It was in the evening. How should we know?"
Professor McGonagall glowered at him. "Mr. McLaggen, if you are unaware of what any students might have done to earn these points, you have no wherewithal to accuse anyone of wrongdoing. If I remember correctly, Gryffindor once lost 150 points over night. There was no cry over the validity of that. If Slytherin has earned 120 points over night, perhaps a more appropriate response would be congratulations. If there is nothing else, disburse and head to the Great Hall for breakfast."
With some grumbling, the mass of students made its way to the Great Hall. The four Heads of House stayed to maintain crowd control. Vlad observed the goings-on. Danny waited for the Entrance Hall to clear a bit before he moved from his place in front of the hourglasses. Looking at the offending container of points, Danny asked no one in particular, "Is it that hard to believe that Slytherin could come into so many points honestly?"
Professor Snape gently murmured, "I told you: the other students will mistrust you, and band together against you. While the acquisition of so many points at once is unusual, unfortunately the attitude of the students has come to be expected." He patted Danny's shoulder and entered the Great Hall.
Mr. Filch eyed the lot distrustfully. He might have given that McLaggen detention of some sort. He woke from his partial reverie when Danny said, "Mr. Filch? Where is Professor Dumbledore?"
"He is out of the castle. Professor McGonagall is the Deputy Headmistress, so she's the next best person. But this looked like a riot waiting to happen, and the other Heads of House were reinforcements. Your uncle had his own reasons for coming." Danny nodded.
Danny started for the Great Hall, but Vlad caught his arm. "Wait a moment, Daniel." Danny looked up curiously. "When was the last time you changed the ecto-filtrator on your parents' Portal?"
"Before I left for your house. I didn't know if or when I'd be back, and my dad showed me a simulation on his laptop of what could happen if it wasn't changed every six months."
Vlad smiled. "Even as enemies, I taught you something. I'm willing to bet he showed you that simulation only after I tried to steal your Portal."
"That's not something to be proud of, Uncle Vlad."
Vlad shrugged. "It was a minor victory. I lost that particular battle, but it ensured that what was left of Amity Park wasn't blown off the map when you left." Danny stiffened and stayed silent. Vlad was surprised. He expected more banter, but some switch had been thrown. He cleared his throat, and Danny looked back up at him.
"I have to go back and change the ecto-filtrators in some Portals. I have a few of them in different homes across the Fruited Plains."
Danny flinched as if stung. "You're going home!" he accused.
"Only for today. Besides, one of my associates reminded me that it would be prudent to put in an appearance. VladCo and most of the other corporations are doing fine, but Axion needs some reassurance. So after I Portal-hop and change the ecto-filtrators, I'll have a business brunch (Central Time, you see). I'll be back for Powers Training this evening."
Danny looked mutinous. Vlad wasn't just leaving the castle, as was his wont on Saturdays, but he was going home. He knew Vlad was right about his safety, but it still wasn't fair.
"I'll be sure to give Miss Grey your regards." Valerie! If he would have known Vlad was going home, he might have written a letter or something. Vlad watched as emotions surged through his precious charge and sighed. "Daniel, any books you care to use and peruse will be in the Room of Requirement, but I suggest you do your work in the library. There will be people about. Something has been amiss since Thursday – before I said you couldn't go to Hogsmeade – and I think it would serve you well to be around people today."
Danny glared and crossed his arms. He wasn't talking about his evil future self. Vlad sighed again. Daniel was going to be difficult. "Let's go to breakfast. You can use it, and so can I."
Danny grumbled as he made his way to the library. Just like Vlad said, the books he needed and a few journals with related articles were on the shelves in the Room of Requirement when it looked like their English classroom. But now, he had work to do.
Terry and a few enterprising Ravenclaw students his year stayed in the library, opting not to go to Hogsmeade. Terry found Danny, as Danny fumed while flipping pages. Now might be a good time to try to get closer to his troubled classmate.
Bringing his own work with him and settling at Danny's table, Terry said, "Hi, Danny. What are you working on?"
Looking up, Danny sighed. "Uncle Vlad wants me to start preparing for a mid-term assignment."
"Really?" No one knew what Danny and Professor Masters worked on in their special classes together. "What is the subject?"
"English literature. He says that English and math courses make a more well-rounded education."
Terry smiled. "That's the hallmark of a true Ravenclaw! Is Professor Masters having you read Muggle or Wizard literature?"
Danny looked worried. "Muggle literature."
Terry was almost smug. "You are probably one of the few Slytherin students I've met or heard of who didn't disdain Muggle literature, simply because it comes from Muggles." Danny relaxed. Nothing was given away. "I didn't have much exposure to it until I got to Hogwarts."
Danny asked, "How did that work?"
"In my first three years, one of the Ravenclaw prefects was a Muggle-born. She put me onto it. Penelope Clearwater explained that learning can be attained from all sources, and that Muggle resources are a very rich source of information." Noticing that Danny's attitude of relief and curiosity didn't change, he continued. "Literature is always a great source for understanding… character psychology." He blushed. "I almost said 'human psychology,' but not all characters worthy of study are human."
Danny smiled. "Exactly. The project I'm working on for this mid-term is supposed to focus on the ghosts in the Shakespearean plays Hamlet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar. I'm supposed to compare and contrast them, and discuss their characters and other literary value. How does their presence move the plot? I haven't read far enough into Julius Caesar to find the ghost yet, but it's listed in the question, so it's just a matter of time before I find it."
Terry perked up with pleasure. "I'd like to read that paper when you've written it. I'd like to hear what you have to say on the matter." Besides – how often does a Slytherin student willingly write about Muggle literature? The topic – Professor Masters is engaging, regardless of what subject he teaches – is fascinating, and seeing what Danny has to say on the matter is only more interesting.
"Okay." Danny couldn't remember having a friend who was interested in reading or comparing essays before. Frankly, he wasn't interested enough in class work to spend one minute more on it than necessary. But Terry sounded like he was truly interested. Further – he admitted to himself – the topic Vlad assigned him was cool.
Terry smiled to himself as he let Danny get back to work and focus on his own studies. He not only got a chance to learn what Danny and Professor Masters do in their private sessions, he was able to cheer Danny out of one of his darker moods.
After breakfast, Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the queue of students going to Hogsmeade. All three were bundled up in several layers of sweaters, cloaks, scarves, and gloves against the wind and sleet outside. Ginny came up to them, carrying a scroll of parchment.
"Hey, Harry, I'm supposed to give you this."
Harry took the scroll from her, noticing the familiar thin, slanted handwriting. "Thanks, Ginny… It's Dumbledore's next lesson!" Harry told Ron and Hermione, unrolling the parchment to read it. "Monday evening!" He turned back to Ginny. "Want to join us in Hogsmeade, Ginny?"
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going with Dean. If we see you there, we'll reconnect," she answered, scanning the students in the hall for the boy. Finding him, she wove through the crowd to get to him.
Filch was checking off the names of students with permission to go to Hogsmeade, but it was taking longer than usual. Filch was still annoyed with the morning mob scene, and was being more spiteful than necessary. The caretaker was triple-checking everyone with a Secrecy Sensor.
"What does it matter if we're smuggling Dark stuff OUT?" Ron demanded, eyeing the Secrecy Sensor nervously. "Surely you ought to be checking what we bring back IN?"
His cheek earned him a few extra jabs with the Sensor, and he was still wincing as they went outside. Hermione said, "Be glad you're not McLaggen. Filch was… not kind. I've never seen a fellow that big so close to tears."
When they got to the village, Zonko's Joke Shop was still boarded up. Honeyduke's though, had remained open since their visit in August and the three staggered to the crowded shop.
They were grateful to get out of the cold, and into the warm sweet shop. Harry began scanning the shelves for stuff to get for Danny. Ron and Hermione helped, and he soon had a nice selection of Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Pumpkin Pasties, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees.
Hermione's face brightened when she noticed something over Harry's shoulder. "Oh, look – they've got deluxe sugar quills – those would last hours! Danny would love these." Harry added a couple of the extra-large sugar quills to the pile of sweets and paid for it all.
They decided to go to the Three Broomsticks next. Bundling their scarves over their faces, they went back outside. The street was mostly empty, people rushing on to their destinations to get out of the bitter cold. That's why they found it odd when they saw two men standing outside the Three Broomsticks. Harry recognized one of them to be the barman of the Hog's Head, the other pub. As they neared, the barman left, and the other man awkwardly grasped… something. Harry recognized him.
"Mundungus!"
The short man jumped at his voice and dropped an old suitcase, which burst open, releasing the contents all about him.
"Oh, 'ello, 'Arry," Mundungus said, in an unconvincingly airy tone. "Well, don't let me keep ya." He began scrabbling on the ground to retrieve the contents of the suitcase.
"Are you selling this stuff?" Harry asked, eyeing him warily.
"Oh, well, gotta scrape a living," Mundungus answered.
Ron bent down and picked up something silver. "Hang on," Ron said slowly. "This looks familiar…"
"Thank you!" said Mundungus, snatching the goblet from Ron's hand and stuffing it back in the suitcase. "Well, I'll see you all – OUCH!"
Harry pinned the thief against the pub wall by the throat. Holding him with one hand, he pulled out his wand.
"Harry!" Hermione squealed.
"You took that from Sirius' house," Harry said. "That had the Black family crest on it."
"I – no – what - ?" spluttered Mudungus who was slowly turning purple. He dropped the case, and Ron picked it up. Harry was busy holding Mundungus in place, and Hermione tried to convince Harry not to kill him.
"What did you do, go back the night he died and strip the place?" Harry snarled.
"I – no…"
"Give it to me!"
"Harry, you mustn't!" Hermione shrieked as Mundungus began to turn blue.
There was a bang, and Harry's hands flew off Mundungus' throat. Gasping and spluttering, Mundungus Disapparated with a loud CRACK.
Harry swore loudly, spinning on the spot to see where Mundungus had gone. "COME BACK, YOU THIEVING - !"
"There's no point, Harry."
Out of nowhere, Tonks appeared. She had been assigned to the security detail in Hogsmeade, they had learned in August. "Mundungus will probably be in London now. There's no point in yelling."
"He's nicked Sirius' stuff! Nicked it!"
"Yes, but still," Tonks said, seemingly perfectly untroubled by this. "You should get out of the cold." She handed Harry the bag of sweets he had dropped and watched them enter the Three Broomsticks.
The moment he entered, Harry burst out, "He was nicking Sirius' stuff!"
"I know, Harry, but please don't shout, people are staring," Hermione whispered. "Go and sit down, I'll get you a drink."
Harry was still fuming when Hermione returned to the table with three bottles of butterbeer. Ron seemed slightly distracted.
"Can't the Order control Mundungus?" Harry demanded in a furious whisper. "Can't they at least stop him from stealing everything that isn't fixed down when he's at headquarters?" A grin slowly blossomed on Ron's face. Harry was too upset, righteously so, to notice.
"Shh!" Hermione said desperately, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Harry, I'd be annoyed too, I know it's your things he's stealing…"
"Yeah, it's my stuff!" he said. "No wonder he wasn't pleased to see me! Well, I'm going to tell Dumbledore about this, as he's the only one who scares Mundungus."
"Good idea," Hermione whispered, pleased that Harry was calming down. "Ron, what in the world is wrong with you?"
Ron grinned broadly. "I thought Harry might like to get this back." He held up the battered old suitcase Mundungus had been carrying. "I picked it up while Harry was choking the life out of Mundungus."
Harry cried, "You're brilliant, Ron! You… you… thanks!"
Hermione hugged Ron. "It's one of the many reasons I love him, Harry." The three of them enjoyed each other's company. It was cold and bleak outside, but inside, everything was warm and fine.
At dinner, Draco greeted Danny with a warm smile. "So, how was your day?"
Danny said, "It was okay. I got a major head start on a mid-term project Uncle Vlad wants me to do." He looked at the Head table. Vlad was missing. Right… he was at that business brunch, Central Time. Seriously, who does business on a Saturday? Then again, Vlad was a billionaire. Maybe the rules were different or something.
Danny shook his head. "Whatever. And I got a lot of other work done."
Unsure of the source of his friend's discontent, Draco said, "When you get back from your lessons and stuff with your uncle, I'll give you the stuff I brought back for you from Hogsmeade."
Danny smiled. "Thanks, Draco. You didn't have to do that."
"No, I didn't. I wanted to."
Danny thought for a moment. "I'm sorry for yelling at you about the Shrieking Shack. You only believed what you were told, and the people who told you had a good reason for spreading those rumors."
Draco wasn't sure what to make of this. Yesterday, Danny's logic was perfectly sound. "So, did you find out if the ghost who haunts the house was malevolent?"
Danny chose his words carefully. "What I found out is that it isn't a ghost, but what does haunt the house is dangerous." This didn't make sense to Draco, but it was probably best to humor Danny for the moment.
"Hey, Danny, I didn't realize Mr. Filch likes you."
It was Danny's turn to be confused. "What?"
Draco smiled. It was fun to confuse Danny without getting him upset. "This morning, if looks could kill, almost no one in the Entrance Hall would be alive. But he smiled at you."
Danny gave a half-smile. "I promised him that I would clean up any messes I made. The one time I made a mess, he cleaned it before I got to it, so I offered to and actually cleaned for an hour a day for a week without magic to make up for it."
Draco wasn't sure if he was impressed or disgusted. "Why would you do that?"
Danny answered simply, "Because I know what it's like to not be given a break. And he deserves one."
"Without magic?"
"Hey – if he has to do it without magic, it was only fair that I couldn't use it, either."
"The idea of 'fair play' means a lot to you, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does."
Draco cocked his head. "You realize that makes you different from most Slytherins, right?"
Danny shrugged. "Being different is nothing new." He looked at his watch and sighed. "Uncle Vlad is waiting for me. I'll see you later."
Vlad waited for Danny in the Room of Requirement. They focused on creating an ectoplasmic tornado. The power would overwhelm an enemy. Danny remembered the first time he faced off with Lydia, and demonstrated his use of this power. Vlad was suitably impressed. Vlad demonstrated a bigger storm of such. Danny wasn't sure about using that much power, as it was purely destructive, but Vlad insisted that it was a skill; if a time came when it was necessary to use this power, Danny himself could assess the situation and see how much force was appropriate to utilize.
Danny was a lot happier with this Powers Training session than he had been for a while. This power didn't involve anyone but him. That was comforting.
When Vlad announced that studies were over for the day, he waved his hand and two comfortable chairs appeared. "So how was your day?"
Danny thought for a bit. Nah, if he needed to get angry, he'd do it later. "It was okay. I started on the mid-term assignment. Terry Boot found me in the library."
"Oh? What happened?"
"He was amused that I'm learning Shakespeare. He said that Slytherin students don't usually appreciate Muggle literature." Vlad was amused, perhaps more so than Mr. Boot. Confounding these wizards was becoming a past time that filled him with pleasure. It was nothing against Mr. Boot, but he just typified how wizards think, in general. "You know, I think the topic is cool, too. Mr. Lancer was never as interesting as you are." Vlad blinked. "He tried. I know he did, but you make everything seem relevant. I mean," Danny scrunched his face, "you could probably even make 19th century literature fun."
Vlad sat still for a moment. It was surprising and gratifying to know that Daniel appreciated his efforts. Not only was he appreciated, but Daniel enjoyed his lessons. He sighed with contentment. "You know, I'll see about that next semester: I do so love a challenge. But now… how could we pass up learning Shakespeare as we are in the country where he wrote? If we are still here by the summer, I'll take you to the theatre that was built for the performance of his plays." It tickled Vlad to think – he had so much money. It would be a joy to spend it on family outings. He and Daniel could…
"And how was your day?" Danny asked.
Vlad sighed. He'd think about that later. For now… "The houses are still there. The businesses are functioning, and Axion is running better than ever. The brunch turned into a press conference. The media are so troublesome."
"At least they like you," Danny complained.
With a half-smile, Vlad said, "No good deed goes unpunished."
Danny frowned. "You know, you helped the media to form bad opinions of me. That whole million-dollar bounty thing did wonders for my image. The Guys in White still won't leave me alone."
Vlad cringed. He almost forgot that aspect. "I'm sorry, Daniel. The next time I'm in America, I'll fix that."
Danny huffed. He should be grateful, but this just outlined the fact that as great a place as Hogwarts was, he was stuck here until further notice.
Vlad realized that making up with Daniel was going to take a lot of work. He had caused all kinds of damage, and the repair might take years. "Valerie sends her regards."
Danny shouted, "You know, you could have let me know a few days before you left, Vlad. I would have had time to write a letter or something. I have no way to communicate with her, or find out anything about what's going on, and you could have let me know!"
Danny had a point. "Again, I'm sorry. I should have told you before hand. But you know, you can write to Valerie. I think sending her an owl would give away too many of the secrets we have to keep about the Wizarding World, but there's no reason I can't get a post office box in London. And of course I'll pay for postage."
"Thanks." That was unexpected.
"Are you up for a game of chess?"
After breakfast on Sunday, Danny met Harry outside the Great Hall. "Okay, Harry. Where would you like to have this conversation?"
"Somewhere private. How about the Room of Requirement?"
Danny thought, 'I spend half my life there, lately. But it was where Harry and I went exploring.' "Sure thing." He let Harry set the tone. When Harry opened the door, there were two squashy chairs, like in the Gryffindor Common Room, and a roaring fire in a fireplace. It looked cozy. "What's on your mind?"
Harry took a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts. This was hard. "Before I explain the current conversation, you need a little background first. Professor Snape and my father didn't get along when they came here. Actually, they hated each other passionately. And I understand that I look exactly like my father, except for the color of my eyes.
"When I first got here in First Year, Professor Snape worked to make my life miserable. He also worked to keep me alive (Voldemort and his minions keep trying to kill me, so it's a bit of a job to ensure my continued existence, you see), but he hated me as if I was a continuation of my father. You know how hard it is to talk about your family?" Danny nodded. "Well, he made sure to let me know how horrible my father was to him at every turn.
"At this point, I have conflicting reports about my dad. Some people, like Hagrid, like Professor Dumbledore, like my godfather Sirius, and his good friend Professor Lupin, all say wonderful things about him. He was brilliant, a very talented wizard, he was great at Quidditch, he was brave, he was good to younger students and Muggle-borns, and that kind of thing. Professor Snape spent endless amounts of time telling me that Dad was an arrogant git, a bully extraordinaire, and a co-leader of a gang of pranksters called the Marauders, among other things. Lots of students thought their pranks were fun and innovative, but apparently they had little tolerance for Dark magic, and they zeroed in on Professor Snape, making his life miserable as a student here.
"I never met my dad, except, perhaps as a ghostly shadow while Voldemort and I battled for the first time since he was reborn."
Danny said, "I'm sorry to hear it."
"Thanks." Harry took a breath. "For most of my career here, Professor Snape hated me with the fervor he wanted to give my father but couldn't, since my father was gone since I was a little over a year old. But a few days ago, he asked me my thoughts on the matter." He closed his eyes for a second. "This was the first time since I got here that he let me explain myself, or my side of the story."
He stopped again. "He did something he's never done before: he apologized. He went on about it for quite some time. I was more shocked than anything else."
Danny thought, 'Whoa. Déjà vu.'
"I've hated him for making my life miserable, when I've never done anything to deserve it. And then… he said something that completely confused me, like all this apologizing and giving me a chance to air my views wasn't enough. I thought someone had taken him over."
"What?" Danny thought the Wizarding World didn't know about overshadowing.
"A person can look like someone else completely, if they take Polyjuice Potion. We'll get to that in a few chapters in Potions. I've had a few interesting experiences with it, including a Death Eater who posed as a professor here in my Fourth Year. It's complicated to make, but it can only be used on humans to be other humans. Animals could make the results go wonky, and I'm told that partial humans could have disastrous results."
Danny thought, 'Note to self: Don't use Polyjuice Potion.'
Harry continued. "Professor Snape said something about meeting a man like him, and how he marked the relationship to a boy not unlike me. He said something about how lucky the man was because that other man used to be so cruel, and the kid was so forgiving. And he mentioned how he was jealous of that relationship, saying that he wanted one."
Danny's eyes widened in understanding. That was a circuitous way to talk about Vlad and Danny, if he ever heard one. Wait. In so many words, Professor Snape said he wanted a relationship with Harry similar to Vlad's relationship to Danny. No wonder Professor Snape told Harry to talk to Danny. But what should he tell Harry?
Danny blew out a breath and said, "Right. I guess it's time for me to tell you a little more about my relationship to Uncle Vlad. He's not actually my uncle. He was friends with my parents in college, but after a lab accident that landed Uncle Vlad in the hospital, he hated my father. He hated my father even more for marrying the girl he was interested in, my mother." Harry saw the similarities unfold.
"When Vlad held a 20th year college reunion, it was the first time he spoke to my father since the accident. Vlad was still interested in my mom (even though she and my dad were married for close to 18 years at the time), and he found that he and I had a few talents in common. He wanted my mom and me to leave my dad and go live with him. (My sister was a bonus, but he really wanted to train me to use those talents that we share.) I refused and told him he was a seriously crazed up Froot-Loop for thinking I'd leave my dad.
"Vlad didn't take kindly to the rejection, and made my life miserable for more than a year and a half. But when the Death Eaters came and killed my family and friends, and everyone," he closed his eyes and paused for a moment, "I went to Vlad. He told me that he wanted to adopt me since that first time we met, even as he drove me crazy. I have since learned that I have other options besides him, but as weird as it sounds, I kinda feel closer to Vlad than those other people, including my mother's sister in Arkansas. He has yet to appreciate me for who I am, but he has always appreciated me for what I am."
Harry took a moment to absorb all of this. The similarities between Professor Masters and Danny and Professor Snape and him boggled his mind. Did that mean… Did Professor Snape want guardianship over Harry? This was more than a little barmy.
Harry asked, "Did… Did you forgive him?"
Danny looked down. "I guess. For some things, anyway. He has a lot to answer for, and he still has to figure out how to treat me like a ward and not an enemy. This is going to take time. Both of us are going to need to make a serious effort to make this work, but he seems to be trying. It's hard, because he isn't necessarily the nicest guy, but… I don't know. Like I said, this is going to take time.
"Professor Snape is jealous, huh? Interesting. If I understand you right, the professor gave you a hard time without trying to figure out who you really are. If he's comparing you guys to Vlad and me, I think you have something in common with each other that isn't exactly common knowledge, but holds a lot of meaning for him. And he probably wants to learn to like you for who you really are, as opposed to who he thought you were."
Harry realized Professor Snape's wisdom in suggesting talking to Danny about this. "Last year, Professor Snape started to teach me Occlumency. He saw some of my thoughts and memories, and I saw some of his. He knew we had that… commonality before. Why now?"
Danny thought for a moment. "I don't know. I really couldn't tell you. But what I do know is that once Professor Snape decides to take care of you, he won't let anyone hurt you, including your family. All Slytherin students know this, because he told us as much on September 1. I know this first hand. I'm not sure why he's changed his mind about you, but if he decides to protect you, there is no one better for the job.
"Based on what you told me, he probably hurt you in a similar fashion to how Vlad hurt me. It was amazingly different, but then again, not really. If he asked you to talk to me about this, he probably wants you to consider: despite all that Vlad did to me – and he did quite a lot – I'm trying to give him a second chance. I don't know why now and not before, but I think, in his own way, Professor Snape wants you to give him a second chance."
Harry frowned. "What you're saying makes sense. I don't know what to do."
Danny said, "You probably don't have to do anything. See how it goes. If he's true to his word (as I expect him to be, but you might have to see it to believe it), he'll change his behavior towards you. I suggest you just be you, and if you like what you see, you can figure it out later."
Harry thought for a moment. "Thank you, Danny. You've helped me put this in perspective. I can't thank you enough."
Danny said, "I do what I can."
Harry smiled. "I got this for you." He handed Danny the bag of sweets from Honeyduke's.
"Oh, Harry! You didn't have to…"
"I know. I'm just sorry you couldn't come with us."
"Thanks."
After lunch, Harry, Ron, and Hermione met in an unused classroom. Hermione asked, "So what did Danny have to say?"
Harry thought for a moment. "For one thing, his relationship to Professor Masters is insanely complicated. And even though I didn't tell him everything, he figures that… Professor Snape wants to start over again. And…" Harry wasn't sure how he felt telling Ron and Hermione about his and Danny's musings on the idea of Snape forming a guardian bond with him the way Professor Masters was Danny's guardian. He shivered. "He gave me a lot to think about."
Ron looked worried. "You alright, Harry? You look a bit peaky."
Harry smiled. "I'm fine, Ron. But thanks. Now, let's have a look through that suitcase." Opening the clasps, Harry saw the things Mundungus meant to take. There were goblets, picture frames, candlesticks, a cake plate, and silverware. All of these things were tarnished, but were pure silver with the Black family crest.
Ron said, "I can't believe this stuff. Candlesticks and picture frames, I get. But the cake plate? Was that necessary?"
When the bigger items were taken out, two pieces of jewelry were left. One was a large gold ring, bearing the Black family crest – like almost everything else, and a locket. Hermione said, "Hey, this is the locket we couldn't open. I thought we put it in the discard pile."
Something clicked in Harry's head. "Let me see that." Hermione handed Harry the locket, and Harry closed his eyes in concentration. His eyes flew open. "I remember that! This is the locket Voldemort's mother wore! The 's' that's engraved shows that it was handed down from Salazar Slytherin!" Ron and Hermione blinked at him.
"You should show that to Professor Dumbledore during your lesson tomorrow," Hermione suggested sagely.
"I will. Make no mistake about that," Harry said.
Sunday evening, Danny returned from his evening with Vlad with a broad, triumphant smile. Draco asked, "Danny? What happened?"
Danny crowed, "I beat Uncle Vlad at chess!"
Draco cocked his head. "And so…?"
"Since the day he taught me to play, I've learned all kinds of strategy, but this is the first time I ever won. Uncle Vlad is brilliant, and a chess master among other things. And he assured me 'he didn't let me win.' I've seen him feint, lulling me into a false sense of security while he planned something else. But this time, I beat him, fair and square."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "I assume you think you can defeat me easily, then?"
Danny smirked. "You'll just have to find out, now won't you?" They played two games, and Danny won both.
"Huh. I wonder how you'd do against Weasley."
Danny asked, "Which one?"
Draco smacked himself in the head. "Ron. You weren't here in First Year. Apparently, in an effort to stop the Dark Lord from getting his hands on the Philosopher's Stone, Weasley was granted 50 points 'for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years.' It was Professor McGonagall's contribution to the protection of the Stone." Draco creased his brows. "Weasley received full accolades at the End of Year Feast."
Danny was taken aback by Draco's bitter tone. "What happened?"
Draco's eyes narrowed at the unhappy memory. "Slytherin was about to win the House Cup for the seventh year running, when Weasley was given 50 points for his chess game, and Granger was given 50 points for 'cool use of logic in the face of fire.' Potter was given 60 points for bravery, which tied Gryffindor to Slytherin, and Longbottom – of all people! – was given ten points for standing up to his friends. A Slytherin victory was stolen from us because Potter and his pals broke all kinds of rules."
Danny stared. "But you said something about them protecting the Philosopher's Stone. If their efforts kept it out of… dangerous hands, surely they deserved a reward for their efforts."
Draco decided he had enough of this conversation; it was no use to argue outrage over House points with someone who doesn't care about them. Instead, Draco waved a letter about. "This morning, my mother sent an owl with a letter saying that a distant cousin got engaged."
"Congratulations!" It was time that he heard some good news, and he was glad for Draco.
"She's a distant cousin, so far distant that I couldn't discern if she was from the Malfoy side or the Black side. Anyway, her fiancé is from the States. There are fewer and fewer Pureblood families found in the States, but Mother said that this cousin's choice was good enough that she wouldn't have to be blasted off the family tree because of it." Danny looked pensive. "Well… it doesn't matter now. Even if she needed to be removed, Potter is in possession of the most up-to-date copy of the family tree. He somehow inherited the Ancient and Noble House of Black."
Danny missed Draco's mutterings about no appreciation for ancient houses, and things of that nature, but Danny focused on the fact that the guy was from America. The angry feelings he had about not being allowed to go or informed of Vlad's departure ahead of time returned. "When is the wedding?"
"Over Christmas. The family is considerate enough to wait for student age children to be on holiday."
Danny fumed. Fine thing. Vlad could leave the school any time. The idea of even asking Danny 'by your leave' didn't seem to happen. Logically, Danny knew that this wasn't a pleasure trip that Vlad took, but still… it wasn't fair.
Draco was unsure of what caused the storm behind Danny's eyes. Was it going to America? Maybe Danny was homesick. Was it extended family? Danny never spoke of his family, so that might be it. Wait. He was happy about his uncle. "Danny, did you finish reading about Banshees for your uncle's class tomorrow?"
That was it – Danny couldn't take it. "Yes, I did. I'm headed to bed."
Draco decided that this was unfair. Well… maybe it had something to do with Professor Masters and not him. Maybe Danny was upset about not being included in Professor Masters' very exclusive project. There was no explaining some of the reactions Danny had, but at least his conscience was clear.
Danny lay on his bed, cuddling Morph. She always seemed friendlier when he was sad. He couldn't be bothered to think about whether this was normal behavior for a cat. It just helped to know that the warm ball of black fuzz knew how to comfort him when all seemed wrong with the world.
He went over the conversation he just had with Draco. He blew up at Draco for no reason. He wasn't being obnoxious about himself, Muggle-borns, or lots of other characteristic conversations. He was being pleasant, and Danny snapped at him.
He sighed sadly. What he did was not fair and unjust. Even the Froot-Loop apologized for his wrongdoing. Tomorrow, he might let Vlad know how upset he was, but he would make it up to Draco. Danny's mood wasn't Draco's fault.
At breakfast, Danny apologized to Draco, and congratulated him again on the good news of his cousin's engagement, and even for the fact that his family approved of the match. Danny didn't mention it, but he refused to take his anger against Vlad out on anyone else. He wouldn't hurt Sam or Tucker that way (knowingly). Draco might not be as close, but he deserved no less.
Draco couldn't believe his good fortune. It was good to know that he wasn't the cause of Danny's outburst, and Danny seemed be out of his funk from last night. Danny even told a story of his aunt's party celebrating the tenth anniversary of her divorce. The way he told it, Draco could tell it was meant to be humorous, especially because Danny mistook the implications. This was more than Danny ever shared about his family. Draco was happy.
Vlad looked over his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Danny wasn't looking at him again. What did the boy want? He apologized to him Saturday, and he thought Danny was happy yesterday. Daniel's moodiness was not to be believed.
"Open your textbooks to last night's assignment." Professor Masters' voice echoed off the back wall of the classroom. The sound of flipping of pages and restless shifting in chairs soon filled the room as all students obeyed their teacher. All of the students, that is, except Daniel, who decided to play the American Rebel as he leaned back in his chair with arms crossed, and an angry, yet bored look on his face. Professor Masters glared at the boy before heaving a sigh of tested patience. Well, two can play this game.
"It seems your fellow classmate, Mr. Fenton, doesn't much feel up to in-class work," he said casually, and everyone turned to face the Slytherin student's corner of the room. At least half the class groaned. Slytherin could visualize the glorious points achieved over the weekend slip away, and the rest of the class quietly and a little nervously waited to see what Professor Masters would do. The relationship between the uncle and nephew was infamous, and this was an unknown part of the dynamic.
"Perhaps you all are bored with this lesson. If that's the case, let's move on to something more… hands on."
The entire class gave Danny a cold glare before turning back to face the front in order to hear what "hands on" activity was coming their way. Professor Masters was not known to be a forgiving or particularly merciful teacher, even though he could be fair to a fault. Just not usually in a way that any offending student favored.
Draco wasn't sure what was going on, but it might be worth Professor Masters' wrath to have a more cheerful Danny later. Danny smirked at a playful punch from Draco. Bingo! "I hate in-class reading," Draco whispered to him truthfully, though Professor Masters rarely employed it. "Whatever your uncle's got for us has got to be better than that."
"I'm sure you've all come across Boggarts," Masters' voice cut over Malfoy's as the teacher turned to a thick wooden trunk at the side of the room. "They're hardly even Second Year material."
"Third Year," Hermione's loud whisper to Harry and Ron could be heard by Danny from the front of the room.
"I stand corrected." The professor raised an eyebrow. He remembered now. Remus Lupin was their Third Year teacher. "You've all studied them, I'm sure, but can anyone tell me what they really look like?"
Hermione raised her hand barely nanoseconds after the question was asked, and she didn't wait to be called on. "No one knows what they look like, sir, because they're shape shifters. They turn into our worst fears."
Vlad looked at Danny. Not even a hint of recognition that these Boggarts had the same effect as the Fright Knight's Soul Shredder registered on Daniel's face. Vlad rolled his eyes.
"Thank you, Miss Granger. That would have been correct, but Professor McGonagall brought to my attention a study that was done this summer by the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that proves that by killing a Boggart, you force it to reveal its true form."
"But, sir, how is that possible? Just because something dies doesn't mean it reverts back to its true form." Some students glared at her for lengthening the lecture, and others enjoyed the verbal tennis match between Hermione and the professor.
Good question, Vlad decided. And perhaps I can use this to get a reaction from Daniel. "Of course it does. After all, you would say that it requires a certain modicum of magical ability to change your form, yes?" He waited for the students to reabsorb the concept of Animagi and werewolves, and any other people or creatures that changed form.
"And it is generally well known that when someone dies, their remaining spells die with them. Only when creatures are drastically weakened do you see their true nature – or more humanistic form. I'm sure if you want to know more, Mr. Fenton can tell you everything you could want to know about that." Professor Masters smirked knowingly at his nephew. Vlad thought, 'Now, if Daniel wants to glare at me, at least I'll deserve the hostility. Besides… remembering a little pain can't be all bad.'
Danny narrowed his eyes at the barely implied threat. Success! Vlad got a reaction. Hermione remained quiet, intrigued by the new information. No one was particularly bothered when their professor referenced his nephew's knowledge. Professor Masters and Danny were always saying things to each other that no one understood, as if there was some big inside joke only the two of them knew about. Today was just more confusing than usual.
"Today, you will be the first class to witness a Boggart's true form. Gather around the back room. Crabbe, Goyle, bring the trunk to the back. Be careful – it's heavy."
The class clustered together in a semi-circle in the empty back room with Professor Masters and the wooden trunk in the center.
"I'm sure none of you have encountered Boggarts for quite some time, so in order to refresh your minds, you're just going to take turns defending yourselves before we move on to harder things. Line up."
Remembering the fun they had when Professor Lupin had them perform the same exercise, everyone moved in a frenzied rush to be the first one in line. They were excited that Professor Masters was actually letting them participate in a hands on activity, much like the best DADA professor any of them had thus far. Danny and Harry hung behind, understandably preferring to stay in the back of the line. The last thing Harry needed was to have the Boggart turn into a Dementor, or Ron and Hermione dying, or anything like that. Danny was known for his hit-and-miss wandwork. He was near genius at Potions, but his wandwork left much to be desired, especially with defensive spells.
As soon as Professor Masters opened the lid of the trunk, he jumped with almost inhuman speed out of the way and the first student in line stepped up to face his worst fear.
"Re-rediculo…" Neville was frustrated. Last year, he faced down Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange, who tortured his parents into insanity. But now, he was faced with Professor Snape, and his legs turned to jelly. This was so wrong. Without Professor Lupin's gentle encouragement, his tongue refused to cooperate as Boggart Snape approached him slowly and menacingly.
The whole class gathered around him to see whether he would make it or not. Danny watched with curiosity. He wasn't sure how he found his way to the front row, but poor Neville! What did Professor Snape do to make Neville this frightened? If his favorite professor was harsh to Harry, who showed no fear ever, what might he have done to get this reaction? Neville was brilliant at Herbology, but sometimes he seemed a bit nervous…
Draco was bored by Neville's seeming incapacity to do anything right, and felt the urge to pull a prank on his favorite Gryffindor target. Namely, Potter. It's been far too long, and now seemed like a capital time. He spied the scrawny black-haired boy standing behind Neville, and a couple of feet in front of himself. His eyes fell on the wand sticking out of the boy's pocket and the corners of his mouth rose to form a small, evil smirk.
Danny, his mind miles away, was fully unprepared for what happened. In one quick moment, he felt his wand sliding from his pocket (not that he had any need for it but for show, anyway) and heard a voice whisper in his ear.
"Too predictable," it said, referring to Neville. "We all know the fat lout's just going to faint any second. Dementors should brighten the classroom quite nicely, eh, Potter?"
And with that, Danny felt himself being pushed forward between Neville and the boggart Snape before he had any time to protest. The image of Professor Snape vanished almost instantly, and from all around him, Danny heard the class gasp. When he blinked, he thought that the Boggart had disappeared. Until he looked down.
Five gravestones stood up from the floor, engraved with the names and deaths of the five people Danny missed most. But that wasn't all. No, Danny's worst fear was extensively complex. Behind the headstones was a teenaged girl in a red suit ('Still red, not black. How do you like that?' thought Danny briefly before his brain refocused on the Thermos and almost shut down) clutching a broken thermos and lying asleep on a silver board. Or, so the class thought, until a red trickle of blood fell from the corner of her mouth. Danny's eyes widened and he froze while the rest of the class stepped a few feet backward, huddling close together in fear of being near a dead body. Professor Masters was quickly making his way to Danny's side when a deep, resounding laughter sounded throughout the room.
Everyone shared a gasp when a second Vlad Masters appeared standing over the body of the girl. The boggart Masters looked exactly like the real one that stood behind Danny except for the fact instead of wearing wizard's robes, it was wearing an upper class Muggle business suit, complete with platinum cuff-links and professionally shined shoes. On its hands it sported a pair of metal gloves, holding them like a doctor holds his hands when he or she wears sterile gloves. Five needles protruded from each hand, making the gloves become claw-like.
This was particularly odd to everyone, including Vlad. Actually, especially Vlad. The grave markers were understandable. Daniel had made it quite clear that he was more than upset by the death of his family and friends. Dead Valerie… also understandable, to some extent. But why Daniel's worst fear would include himself wearing modified Fenton Ghost Gauntlets was way beyond him. Sure, it could be scary to the boy, but he already promised not to hurt the boy again, if he wanted to keep his guardianship of him. But this really had nothing to do with anything. It was as if Daniel had chosen his worst fear at random.
But when he looked questioningly at the boy to ask him why this was his worst fear, he noticed the terror in his expression. This was the most frightened he had ever seen him, which was saying quite a lot. He opened his mouth to interrupt this slightly awkward (for him, at least), if scary moment, but was beat to the punch by his doppleganger.
"You know you want the operation, Daniel!" Vlad heard the boggart version of himself say, and he became thoroughly confused. What operation…?
"Vlad!" The boy finally found his voice, though it was nothing more than a pathetic squeak. "No! I can't - ! You don't understand!"
"It's what's best for you, my boy." Vlad shuddered at the amount of manipulation he could hear in his own voice. "To make all those painful emotions go away."
There really was no explaining what happened next. Well, not to the class, anyway. Danny closed his eyes as he yelled, and when he opened them, they were a ghostly neon green. "You can't! I won't let you!"
Neither Vlad hesitated. The boggart Vlad brought back his hand for a swipe at the terrified boy, and the real Vlad pushed Danny out of the way so that he was now the closest to the Boggart. Everything that had scared Danny instantly disappeared, and in its place was a second Danny lying face down on the floor.
Vlad rolled his eyes. Having a dead body as someone's worst fear didn't work when the real person was alive and well, and in full view of the person the Boggart tried to scare. Vlad powered up a strong ectoblast and hit the Boggart squarely in the back and it exploded and fizzled out of sight. No one said anything and the silence began to pound on everyone's ears before the professor decided to break it.
"And that, dear students, is what a dead Boggart looks like."
There was nothing to say, nothing he could do. Eyes the size of saucers, afraid of and for everything, Danny bolted. A line of students was shoved to the side as he ran past them, desperate to escape. A single voice broke the startled silence, calling his name to stop him, but the boy didn't listen. The door of the room closed shut with an ominous slam, further startling the already bewildered students, and the professor's shoulders slumped in frustration and defeat.
"Daniel," he whispered, full of nothing but sorrow for all the mutual loss they shared and worry for his precious charge. Danny lost his friends, his family, and his teacher. He left his hometown, and now he was losing his personality. But Vlad wouldn't let him. He wasn't going to let the boy lose the last thing that defined him.
"Class," he whispered hoarsely, turning from the closed door to face his students, who were all looking up at him, waiting. "Class dismissed. Tidy the room before you go. I won't have it looking like a mess." That was all he said to them before he turned on his heel and jogged out the door to find his nephew, leaving the class alone.
"What the hell just happened?" Draco's voice rose above the silence, capturing everyone's attention. Terrified whispers and confused murmurings filled the room, as did quiet shouts of "He's your friend," and "How the bloody hell should we know?" sounded in reply.
"He's supposed to be your friend, Malfoy," Harry said accusingly, over the other voices. "You should know. What did you do to him?"
"I didn't do anything, Potter!" Draco exclaimed in reply. "Like you said, he's my friend. Why would I do anything to him?"
"You pushed him, I saw you! You know, just like everyone else, his defense skills are sketchy!"
Draco fingered Danny's wand guiltily, and quickly put it in his pocket. "But I meant to push you!"
Harry's hand flew to his pocket as he fingered his own wand threateningly. Draco maneuvered his hand to the familiar feel of his own wand in his pocket, and they stood, hands in their pockets, growling angrily until they noticed the rest of the class standing around them, waiting for a fight.
"Get lost!" Draco yelled at them, and many hung their heads and slowly filed out of the classroom, until only Crabbe, Goyle, Ron, and Hermione remained with Harry and Draco.
Harry shook his head at Ron and Hermione, and Draco told Crabbe and Goyle, "You stay out of this." Ron and Hermione looked at each other, as did Crabbe and Goyle, and all four backed away from the two potential combatants. They weren't sure why, but this had become very personal.
Draco turned back to Harry, pointing a threatening finger at him. "I'm warning you, Potter…"
"Don't you threaten me. You already threatened my actual friend, while he's supposedly yours, and he's the professor's nephew to boot…"
Harry was cut off, but not by Malfoy. They both stiffened as a faint yell sounded from above them.
"What was that?" Draco whispered, mostly to himself, his face paling.
"I don't know," Harry whispered back distractedly, as he began walking towards the door. "I think it was the professor."
"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked.
"Shh," Harry said.
"You're not seriously going to find out, are you?!" Draco asked in alarm. "You bloody git…"
"Shh!" Harry waved his hand in a silencing motion, and walked out the door. Malfoy felt he had no choice but to follow him.
"Let's…" Hermione started, but faced a wall of Crabbe and Goyle, who blocked the door.
"Leave 'em," Goyle growled.
"You git! Let us go!" Ron yelled.
"It's Fenton's business, and even Potter and Malfoy are two too many. Leave 'em alone," Goyle insisted. Crabbe sneered, almost asking them to try something.
Hermione cried, "You can't keep us here!"
Goyle held up a hand, and listened to hear footsteps. He couldn't hear them anymore. "Fine. But you leave them alone, or I'll know where to find you."
This protective streak in Goyle, Crabbe too, but mainly Goyle, took both Ron and Hermione by surprise. Ron and Hermione looked at each other. As annoyed as they were, the Gryffindors realized that Goyle was right. This was Danny's business, and if words between uncle and nephew were to be had, it really was none of their affair. Besides, Harry would let them know anything important at lunch.
Hermione shrugged in defeat. "We'll leave them alone. Now let us go."
Goyle glared at her, but decided that it was safe. He motioned to Crabbe, and they stepped out of the door, allowing the smaller students to leave the classroom. All of them headed to Charms.
Once Harry and Draco exited the room, the voices Harry heard grew louder, distinctly echoing off corridor walls above them. Harry found the nearest staircase and followed the voices. As they ascended, the voices got louder. Draco looked timidly behind him before following Harry, making sure to stay at least five feet away from the boy.
"What do you hear?" He asked. "Where the hell are they coming from?"
Harry hushed him again, and ran up the rest of the unfamiliar staircase, forcing Draco to speed up so he wouldn't be alone.
Looking around, he noticed that this landing was of a House Tower. The odd thing was that they were nowhere near the Slytherin dorm, which they both knew was in the dungeon. This must be Professor Masters' House, Ravenclaw. Both Harry and Draco pressed their ears to the door of his living quarters.
"You don't have to go anywhere," their professor's voice rang out, loud and sure. Both boys were stunned to have found themselves listening in on a private conversation of the school's most mysterious teacher and student. Their eyes widened when they heard him continue.
Danny didn't even think to run to his own room; everything he needed was in Vlad's room. He burst through the man's door and began sifting through his things.
"Where's my bag… my bag…" he muttered to himself, as he threw item after item out of Vlad's drawers. Papers, pens, files, spare change; nothing was spared and it all ended up on the floor.
"Daniel!" Danny's head shot up in surprise when his guardian opened his door. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You risked our cover!"
"I'm leaving, Vlad," he told him simply, and continued digging through the man's private drawers for his own bag of valuables. It took only three long strides for Vlad to cross the room. He grabbed Danny's arms and dragged him to a small cushioned chair.
"No."
"But I have to get out of…"
"You don't have to go anywhere," Vlad cut through his lame excuse, crossing his arms angrily. "In case you haven't noticed, you have nowhere to go. Now I want answers."
"There's nothing to answer, Vlad! I want to go home!"
"Your home is gone, what about that don't you understand?" the man yelled loudly, effectively silencing the teen. "You can answer me this: what the hell was that, back there?"
Danny crossed his own arms and turned away. "Nothing."
"Oh, it was something," Vlad growled. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to know that I'm your worst fear after everything you've been through? I wasn't the one who killed your family – murderers of some blasted occult did!"
"You're not my worst fear," Danny whispered quietly, almost to himself.
Vlad froze, looking at the boy as if for the first time. "What?"
"I said, you're not my worst fear," he said, raising his voice. "You never were, and now you never will be!"
"So what is your worst fear?" Danny didn't reply. Instead, he stood up and walked around Vlad to resume digging through his drawers.
Vlad continued undeterred. "If it wasn't me, what was it, then, hmm?" he asked, throwing his arms open in a questioning gesture. "Was it the death of everyone you loved? If it was, then you should probably learn to get over your fear of it, as they're long since dead."
Danny paused to wince, but didn't answer.
"Was it the death of Valerie Grey?" the man went on. "It could be, as she's the only friend you have left from home. But it's not, is it?"
There was still no answer. Silence prevailed, except for the clatter of things being moved around inside Vlad's bureau.
"So if it's not me, what is it? What could you possibly be afraid of?" His voice was steadily getting louder. "Her hover board? The Ghost Gauntlets? Whatever operation I was talking about? That empty broken Thermos in her hands? What?"
Suddenly, Danny found he was no longer able to control himself. He froze when a sob forced his body to convulse and tears began finding their way into his eyes. He dug his hand through the bottom drawer one last time to pull out the small dufflebag he had asked Vlad to keep safe for him the day they had arrived at the school.
"The Thermos," he whispered hoarsely. "You're right. The empty Thermos is what scared me the most. And then the Ghost Gauntlets."
Vlad frowned. "Mind filling me in?" he wondered aloud.
Danny unzipped the dufflebag and shoved his hand inside. "No. Just telling you, you didn't scare me."
"Well, that's nice to hear, I suppose," Vlad shrugged. "But you know it would only help if you told me what went on back there."
"Alright," Danny sighed, and the tears slowly began to stop. Wiping his face on the sleeve of his robe, he continued. "There's a reason I can't tell you. The Boggart thing that looked like you scared me a little. If you asked me to go through with the operation, I don't know how long I could last without it. I want it so bad, I want so bad to be normal. But I know it's not… not possible."
"Daniel," Vlad sighed, running a hand over the top of his head. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you. I don't know what operation you referred to, but if you tell me, I'll use my better judgment to decide whether or not it's the right thing."
"No! Don't offer it to me! Never!" Danny cried hysterically, standing up and backing away, clutching a crumpled laminated photo in one hand. The fact that Vlad was planning on asking him to go through with the operation was the one compelling factor to just tell him. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you! It's me!"
"You?"
"Yes! I'm so scared! What if I go crazy? Start killing people? I know I could do it, don't you see how easy it'd be?"
"Daniel, you know as well as I do that I have the power to stop you should that ever happen."
Danny nodded, not really willing or courageous enough to tell Vlad the whole truth (at least, not yet), as he somberly sat back down on the reclining chair, elbows on his knees. Danny watched as Vlad moved to embrace him, and Danny lost himself in the hug. After a few moments, Vlad released him and stood, leaving a hand on Danny's shoulder as the boy looked down longingly at the wrinkled photograph in his hands.
Danny found himself realizing that it was only too possible that the human Desiree had died of heartbreak, that maybe the palm reader Madam Babazita had hit the nail on the head. He himself didn't know how much longer he would be able to last.
He couldn't bring himself to force a smile as he looked up at Vlad, but Vlad was able to force one for him. "Come on, my boy," he said encouragingly, patting the boy on the back. "Let's get you to Charms class."
He had taken three steps to the exit before he heard two distinct sets of footsteps running away from behind his private door.
In front of the Charms classroom, Harry and Draco stopped to catch their breaths. "What was that?" Draco asked. Harry decided it was Draco's new favorite question.
Harry said, "I don't know, but we need to figure it out. Afternoon break, we'll meet back here. You pick an empty classroom. Make this happen." Draco nodded, and they headed to their respective workstations.
Danny was subdued. He was quiet but not angry. Draco noticed that Danny was a lot more attentive to the vocalization of incantations and wand movements than he was before, even though he still seemed to have no success casting the Charms. Draco tried to get Danny to talk about what happened during a lull in class, and Danny refused. But all of this happened after Danny stopped laughing.
After the adventure that brought Harry and Draco to Professor Masters' apartment door, Draco had forgotten he put both his and Danny's wand in his pocket. When Charms first began, Draco pulled out the first wand he grasped. When he cast whatever spell was being practiced in class, Draco found himself covered in green goop, much to the surprise of everyone besides Danny and Professor Flitwick, and to the amusement of all.
"Danny! What, in Merlin's name, was that?" Draco spluttered, as he attempted to collect some dignity.
"You tripped a safety feature," Danny said around his mirth. "My wand was spelled so that no one can use it but me, and perhaps my uncle."
Quite a few people were curious to know what on earth just happened. Danny's wand came with a safety feature, such that no one could use it but him. That type of thing was almost mythical in wandlore, and many students stopped to consider. Surely, such magic was insanely expensive, unless Professor Masters had a hand in this. He was the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he might know how to spell wands like that.
Ignoring the ectoplasm for the moment, Draco asked, "How did your wand come to have this safety feature?"
Danny shrugged. "It came that way. The ones who made the wand added that feature." Danny decided that he had to tell Sir Nicholas about this later.
Any number of students who followed this conversation realized a few things about this mysterious nephew and uncle. Professor Masters cared very deeply about the safety of his nephew to get a wand with such a feature, and that Professor Masters had to be considerably wealthy to be able to afford such a thing.
This only confused students who saw Professor Masters as part of Danny's Boggart manifestation. Harry thought of the impressive conversation he had with Danny. They were once enemies, but the professor cared enough to get Danny a wand specifically spelled for his protection. Danny said he was giving the professor a second chance. Based on what Harry saw, Professor Masters deserved it.
Harry then decided to see if Professor Snape deserved a second chance. He had quite a lot to answer for, and Snape as his guardian… was too creepy to consider. Well, one step at a time.
At lunch, Ron and Hermione's dam of patience burst, and they demanded to know what Harry and Draco discovered. They told Harry how Crabbe and Goyle held them captive, and pleaded with Harry to tell them what happened. Harry cast an angry glare at the Slytherin table. Draco looked as wordless as Harry was, and Goyle held a protective posture as he sat on Danny's other side. He was surprised to see the great hulking Goyle speak solicitously to Danny.
Crabbe and Goyle had no call to mistreat Ron and Hermione, but from the look of things, they were honestly concerned about Danny. Harry shook his head. He tried to explain what he and Draco heard, but perhaps things might make more sense after his meeting with Malfoy later today.
Draco chose an unused classroom in the dungeon. That way, the conversation could go for as long as necessary and they wouldn't be late to Potions. Draco closed the door and put a silencing charm on it. When both he and Harry took chairs, Harry began.
"Right, then. In order to figure out what we heard, we'll have to compare notes about Danny. So what do you know?"
Draco tried to decide whether or not to be cooperative. He was curious, but he had… well, he thought he had more information than Potter. Then he remembered – Potter said that he was Danny's actual friend and that Draco was only supposedly Danny's friend. The comment stung, but maybe that means that Potter might know something about Danny he didn't. In order to get, he would have to give.
"Well, he is an excellent flier. Some of the moves he executed at try-outs were not to be believed, as he said he never played Quidditch at home." Harry nodded impatiently. "He and Professor Masters didn't always get along." Harry raised his eyebrows. Draco smiled. It looks like he hit something Harry didn't know. "Your turn."
Harry realized that he probably knew more about Danny than any other student here. He had to be careful about what he chose to share. "Professor Masters is strict with him. While the professor makes sure Danny has the best of everything, the professor carefully monitors Danny so that he won't get into too much trouble." Draco raised an eyebrow. "They went to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but Professor Masters didn't let Danny explore or get anything fun. The twins gave me a care package for him for when I started tutoring him." Harry smirked. "Everything in the package not only meets Professor Masters' approval, I think even Mr. Filch would not give him a hard time."
Both boys fell silent. They just began, and each gave the other something to think about. Draco said, "He's not afraid of the Bloody Baron."
Harry smiled. "Actually, he's friendly with all four House Ghosts, and he gets along with Moaning Myrtle." That was a bit of a surprise to Draco. He knew that the House Ghosts made themselves available to talk to students, but he didn't think anyone actually took them up on that. Considering how strongly Danny feels about fairness for ghosts, he wasn't surprised, now that he thought about it.
Draco decided to keep Danny's friendship with Mr. Filch private. "Danny's Boggart made the gravestones of his family and closest friends. But they are already dead. It doesn't make sense that he would be afraid of what already happened."
Harry said, "They died in July, but that wasn't the date on the stones."
Draco asked, "Who was that girl in the red suit? And what was that suit?"
Harry shook his head, working something out. "The date on the gravestones was wrong. And he talked about being afraid of 'going crazy' and 'start killing people.' He said it would be easy, but his spellwork is patchy. I've seen him use a Shield Charm that was bright green," Draco raised both eyebrows. Protego is only barely visible. But bright green? "and that was produced wordlessly."
Draco thought, "Boggart Masters talked about an operation to remove painful emotions. That set him off in class. And when the professor talked to Danny about it, he flipped out."
Harry ticked the facts off on his fingers. "Danny and his uncle didn't get along. The date on the stones is wrong, and that's only part of his worst fear. He flipped out over an offer for an operation to remove his emotions." Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure what all the issues are, but Danny's greatest fear seems a lot more logical. I think he's afraid of becoming a Dark wizard."
Draco stared at Harry. "I think you're right. There is still a lot that doesn't make sense. I mean…" Draco thought about how much he should say. Well, he wouldn't mention any names. That would have to suffice. "When Professor Lupin had the Slytherins fight the Boggart, some students imagined the Dark Lord. Students afraid of joining him often saw themselves at his side. Danny didn't have anything in his Boggart manifestation that even hinted at the Dark Lord. While he may fear becoming evil, we are missing something."
Harry looked up in thought. "The world isn't split up into Death Eaters and people fighting against them. There are other types of evil." He looked at his right hand that bore the scars reading 'I must not tell lies.' He shuddered.
Sitting up straighter, Harry said, "Right or wrong, we've come up with some pretty powerful suggestions about Danny. Now, what do we do about this information?"
Draco frowned. "What do you mean, 'what do we do with it'?"
Harry stared at him in disbelief. "Something about his worst fear bothers him so much that he fled from the classroom. Having fears of my own that are on par with his, even though they are different, I understand that he's not going to want to talk about it to just anybody. Heck, he didn't want to talk about it to his uncle, who has shown how protective he is." Harry smirked and Draco scowled. Still, Draco saw his point.
Draco ran a hand through his hair. "I guess the only person to tell would be Professor Snape." He looked Harry in the eyes. "You know, getting along like this is going to ruin both of our images, right?"
Harry shrugged. "As long as people don't think I'm maliciously evil, I don't really care too much about what people think."
Draco cocked his head. "The Golden Boy of Gryffindor doesn't care about his image? Who knew?" Harry growled. Draco grinned. Oh, yes. He now knew how to annoy Harry. But protecting Danny came first. "Maybe we should tell Professor Snape tomorrow after Transfigurations."
"Right." Professor Snape is thinking about becoming his guardian, Draco is actively not being a git to him… What else would happen to stand his world on its head? Voldemort presenting him with doves of peace would complete the picture. He would either know complete happiness, or know he was completely insane. Either seemed like valid options at the moment. "Now let's head to Potions."
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