I want to thank everyone once again for reading and reviewing, and putting this (and me) on your favorites and alert lists. Truly! This week is my brother's birthday (he'll be 22), so I want to give everyone a piece of cake to go with their cookies and chocolate milk.
Many people asked about this, so I figured that it was only fitting to answer the question publicly. Vlad's comment on Lingua Franca stumped lots of readers.
My experience with international travel is that in Europe (and oddly enough, Israel), the general language amongst people who deal with international mail, security, and other such things is French. Why French, of all languages? Perhaps it is a carry-over from a time when all nobility spoke French regardless of their native language, or country of origin. Because of this general leaning towards French, the concept of a universally known international language became known as Lingua Franca, or "the French Language."
As an international traveler and businessman, Vlad would know of this. However, in England, it may not be as necessary, because as Danny said, it makes little sense that the people wouldn't be able to figure out a note for 'Air Mail' in English. (And, in business involving the Internet, English is the new Lingua Franca.)
This chapter will have major spoilers for "Midsummer Night's Dream." If you haven't read this Shakespearean play, I highly recommend it. (Well… Besides the fact that I'm a general fan of Shakespeare, this play is light and entertaining. I've seen a stage production, and it really is a lot of fun.)
The description Danny gives to the interesting atmospheric conditions is directly inspired by Steven Spielberg's The Goonies. (Fun fact – the screenplay based on Spielberg's book was written by Chris Columbus, the fellow who directed the first two Harry Potter movies.) Mikey (the main character) describes interesting October days in a similar fashion. The idea was Spielberg's, but the words in this scene are mine.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Harry Potter. I also don't own Midsummer Night's Dream, The Goonies, or Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I DO, however, own Danny's essay on Midsummer Night's Dream, lock, stock, and barrel – I believe it was last September when I wrote it, and it was one page long on college-rule lined paper, but it was in pencil.
Chapter 30
Vlad came back from London grinning. There were a few deals he negotiated over the phone that would expand the employee base of Axion Labs by 200 percent – the most impressive involved opening a new branch in Minnesota. Production rates would soar exponentially, sales would have an atmospheric rise, and all of it was done legally and legitimately. Daniel was having a positive influence on him, he was sure of it.
He would have to schedule a trip to America to see the new plant and start a positive media campaign for 'Danny Phantom.' The name 'Inviso-Bill' annoyed him worse than it bothered Daniel. More importantly, the negative press started with Vlad so it made sense that Vlad ended it. He might reprise the idea of asking Daniel's advice: he needed to think outside the box on this one. Vlad had some ideas, but if Daniel told him the latest issues he faced with the Guys in White and… If he came at it from Daniel's perspective, he would have a much better idea of how to attack the problem.
He sighed. It was far easier to start a smear campaign than it was to end it, especially when the original essay was so successful. There was no way to put the Jinn back in the bottle. There were several fronts he had to counter that took on lives of their own: the Guys in White, the media in general, Valerie Grey. Vlad ran a hand over his face. He could start the effort, but to countermand everything he'd done would take years, and even then, there was no guarantee for success.
When should he begin? The next scheduled trip to America was November 5. Election Day, of course! It was a Presidential Election year, and the incumbent President ran a much better campaign than his primary opponent. No Senate seats were up in Wisconsin. While that Tuesday sounded good in theory, it would be of no use – it was a school day, and if he had any hope of getting to bed at a decent hour, he would have to use one of his afternoon office hours to go home and vote. Vlad already informed Professor Dumbledore, and they agreed that one hour would be sufficient, even if the lines for the polls were long.
Maybe he could deal with the media that Saturday, November 9. He would find out first hand who won, and he could… he would have to make a day of it. No, he would need time to organize a press conference. These things were far more easily done when you didn't live in a castle with no cell phone reception or use of electronics for miles! Well, he would start the ball rolling on November 9.
For now, it was infinitely easier and more useful to focus on matters far closer to home. All six of his field trips for his upper classes to meet Grawp were great successes. Hagrid reported no unusual incidents requiring disciplinary action, and every student turned in letters of decent length. He hadn't started reading them yet; however, he noted that Daniel took his comment about the properly done letter being over ten pages as a challenge. Daniel handed him a scroll of twelve feet. Vlad was impressed.
Before he settled in for some long (and hopefully amusing, as such an assignment promised to be) reading, Vlad picked up Daniel's short essay on 'Midsummer Night's Dream.' It was only one page. While reading Daniel's papers gave him great insight into how the boy's mind worked, it was always a surprise. The boy had a unique perspective and a wry sense of humor. Vlad wondered if Daniel had fewer distractions at home if he might have pulled better grades for Mr. Lancer's class.
What a Fool that Fairy Be!
In Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, of all the characters in the love rectangle, Puck is the one who deserves to be blamed. Lysander and Hermia loved each other, even though her father wanted her to marry Demetrius. Demetrius agreed with Hermia's father, and Helena who loved Demetrius was left out. Oberon, king of the fairies, wanted to fix the problem by changing Demetrius's mind, and then everyone would be happy. Puck, Oberon's messenger, is the one who made the foolish mistake.
Before Puck's mistake, both Lysander and Demetrius loved the same girl: Hermia. After Puck's mistake, Lysander and Demetrius again loved the same girl. This time, it was Helena. None of the human men involved took what the girls wanted into account. Oberon, the fairy king, is the only one who seemed to care enough to make Hermia happy by having Demetrius leave her alone and Helena happy by having Demetrius fall in love with her. Puck was supposed to be the messenger and agent to make this happen.
It's true that Oberon's instructions could have been more clear. He told Puck to put the love potion on the man in the woods in Athenian clothes. Puck dutifully put the love potion on the Athenian man, but the wrong one.
Puck took a sadistic pleasure in all the pain he caused. Hermia was upset because neither man loved her anymore. Helena was upset because she was sure that both men mocked her, and she thought her best friend was in on it. Both men were jealous and threatened to kill each other for the love of a girl. If Puck would have waited a few minutes longer before he began, he would have seen his proper target, and everyone would have been spared the emotional pain. Puck thought the pain he caused to the humans involved was amusing. Oberon, his king, was not amused.
In the end, Puck fixed his mistake, and no one else was aware that the problem existed. Still, there never would have been a problem if Puck would have done his job properly. He mocked the people he messed up, claiming, "O, what fools these mortals be!" The only fool here was Puck.
Tears rolled down Vlad's cheeks as he read and reread the essay. The simple character review cut to the heart of the matter. 'None of the human men involved took what the girls wanted into account.' Clearly, he was referring to Demetrius and Hermia's father. But it just as easily could have spoken about him.
Maddie was married to Jack Fenton for close to twenty years. She had a very loving husband and two beautiful children. At what point did Vlad ever take what she wanted into account? The very first time he met Daniel (or even saw either Maddie or Jack since the accident), Maddie was more concerned that Jack was left outside than she was of becoming reacquainted. In Colorado, there was no humanity or anything resembling civilization for miles, and rather than accept his amorous passes and the invitation to stay in his hunting chalet, she preferred to 'rough it' in the woods and stay true to her husband. (How said husband managed to stay alive while the competent ghost hunters were in a different state was beyond him.)
Even during the Ghost King crisis, when he stayed with the Fentons while he pursued the Ring of Rage, the Ecto-Skeleton, and Maddie, he only disappointed her by not helping to rescue Jack from the unfinished 'pants.' And while the million dollar bounty on Daniel was not specifically an attempt to get Maddie again, as Sir Nicholas explained, how could he do away with Jack, imprison Daniel, and expect Maddie to not be hurt?
Two men loved the same woman, and like Demetrius, he never, ever took Maddie's feelings, wants, and desires into account. He carefully put Daniel's essay on an end table, and then covered his face with his hands, sobbing.
If only he would have recognized Maddie's great love for Jack, he could have had practically everything he wanted. He could have had easy access to Maddie's shining countenance of love, even if only as a friend. Jack was an idiot, but he had to admit, even if only to himself, that there never existed a truer, more devoted friend. Vlad ignored him for twenty years, openly ridiculed him, insulted his intelligence, and even made passes at his wife. But Jack still treated him like a brother, giving him the perfect, platonic type of love only to be found between David son of Jesse and Jonathan son of Saul – it was epic, worthy of the Bible, and it was freely and unconditionally given to him. And Vlad scorned it as if it was beneath his notice.
And the children! If Vlad would have been a man, would have acknowledged Maddie and her love for Jack, the children would have been regular visitors to his home. He could truly have been a devoted uncle to Jasmine and Daniel. By the time Jasmine spent any time alone with him, she despised him as her brother's arch-enemy. He could have been there. Jasmine would have…
And Daniel! Great sobs wracked his frame. If only Vlad acknowledged Maddie's wishes, he could have been Daniel's mentor from the first moment they met. They would have grown close and closer, as they shared powers, secrets, trust. Love would have been a foregone conclusion. Because of his own stupidity, blindness, and greed, even with the boy in his custody, Daniel did not trust him.
Vlad could have had everything. But because of his decisions, he had nothing. He cried even harder.
After checking on his potion's progression with Harry, Danny decided to go outside and enjoy the late October afternoon. It was warmer than he expected, for this time and location. The sky was slate gray, and the air was pregnant; it was going to rain later. There was just something about this atmospheric condition in October that put him in the frame of mind that the air itself was expecting something (besides the rain) to happen.
Danny came back from a lovely visit with Hagrid, where they had a long, overdue discussion about hybrids and how they fit in Wizarding society. Hagrid was flattered when Danny compared him to Jazz, and Hagrid hugged him. If it wasn't for his ghost strength, he wasn't sure how his ribs would have come out of this intact, but then again, it wasn't too different than being hugged by his father. They talked about that, too.
Hagrid really was a great friend. As much as Danny liked Harry, Draco, or even Terry, Hagrid was someone who knew just about everything about him and was available for a chat. With a rueful smile as he walked back towards the castle, Danny realized that at home, there were no adults he could talk to who would understand him. He loved his parents, but there was no way he could just talk about his thoughts and worries about being a half-ghost.
Mr. Lancer… Danny wondered what Mr. Lancer would say. He smiled as he imagined it. 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow! I have a ghost as a student. Who would have thought of it?' There is no question that if he would have told a teacher – which he wouldn't – the only one he would vaguely consider was Mr. Lancer. He wasn't sure why. It wasn't the day to day things, because the teacher favored the 'A-list' crowd. It was… It was…
It was the fact that Mr. Lancer noticed things. Students joined or dropped social groups all the time, though there were a few constants. Mr. Lancer noticed, during that brief week or so that Paulina dated him (although she was being overshadowed by Kitty), Danny's change in social status, temporary though it was. He took the time to tutor him when Danny failed the test on 19th Century poetry. He not only tutored him, the man drove him home from the video arcade. This was a man who cared.
And even when Gregor – or Elliot – first came to Amity Park, out of all the teens hanging out at the Nasty Burger, Mr. Lancer introduced the new kid to Danny, Sam, and Tucker. Maybe Mr. Lancer saw something special. Maybe… He sighed. Maybe Danny could have told Mr. Lancer.
Now, Danny had quite a few adults to talk to. Professor Snape specifically told him he was available at any time for any reason. Hagrid was a calming presence and also made himself available. Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout were nice enough, and they knew him and about him, but they just didn't have that connection. Danny thought he should have introduced himself to Firenze, but he just never made the time to meet him.
In a different time, in a different place, he would have shrugged, dismissing the idea casually, saying, "I'm only fifteen. I don't really care." Somehow, though, as he hid from Voldemort and built his skills so he could fight and help defeat him and his Death Eaters, collecting as many allies as he could seemed a lot more important. Maybe he would visit Firenze tomorrow.
Professor Dumbledore was a mysterious man. He looked and acted like a kindly grandfather, if you passed him. But as a headmaster, he was on top of things far better than Principal Ishiyama ever was. Principal Ishiyama never really seemed to care that personally about certain problems. She was certainly there when they skipped school because of Circus Gothica. (He growled. He stopped the heist, but he still got in trouble! Well… Freakshow controlled him and when he told the crowd to embrace the dark side, letting their 'true selves' be known, Danny made an idiot of himself. It wasn't his fault, really, but how was he going to explain that?) She really didn't seem interested in why they misbehaved, but she only cared that they were properly punished.
Professor Dumbledore wanted to know everything. He seemed to know everything, and whatever he didn't already know, he wanted to. True, Danny didn't see a lot of the Headmaster, but the professor understood that he was in the middle of a war, and the students in his care could just as easily choose either side. Still… As good as a man as he was, and however powerful a wizard as he was, he was a very busy man. Harry had special classes with him, but… Danny got the feeling that not everybody could get that close to him unless he felt they needed to be. Danny shrugged.
And then there was Vlad. A week ago yesterday, Vlad called him 'son.' He's wanted to do that since the day he met Danny. Based on how their relationship seemed to be, Danny decided then that he wasn't ready for the emotional commitment of being Vlad's son. Still… The last few conversations he had with Vlad and thoughts he had about him filled his head as he got to the Great Hall for dinner.
Danny glanced at the Head table to look for Vlad, but he wasn't there. Danny frowned. Whenever Vlad went to London, he always told Danny he would be back by dinnertime. Maybe something held him up.
After dinner, he headed to the Room of Requirement. It wasn't open. That meant Vlad wasn't there yet. That was weird, because Vlad was always there first. Besides punctuality, Vlad liked to control all aspects of the lesson. If he was there first, he set the tone. Danny waited, but after ten minutes, he got concerned.
Danny went to Vlad's office. Maybe he got caught up in marking papers. The letters were handed in yesterday, and he remembered the unholy gleam in Vlad's eyes when he mentioned that 'punitive secondary assignment.' Danny shivered and knocked on the door. There was no light coming from under the door, and no sounds came from within.
There was only one more place Danny imagined where Vlad might be. If he wasn't there, he would have to talk to Professor Snape or Professor Dumbledore. They would need to find him!
Danny climbed the stairs to Ravenclaw Tower, as the walk up the stairs gave him time to think. Was Vlad okay? He never missed a Powers Training lesson. He was about to knock when he heard an unfamiliar sound. He tried to place it, but he never heard it before.
Knocking on the door, he called, "Uncle Vlad?" The sound continued. He wasn't sure, but it didn't sound right. Looking around him, he saw that no eyes were on him. He turned invisible and phased into the room. He was entirely unprepared for the sight he beheld.
Vlad sat in an armchair, weeping loudly. The bits of Vlad's face Danny could see from behind the man's hands were very red, as if he was at this for a while. Danny stood, stunned for a moment. This was an emotion he was entirely unused to pairing with this man. Glee, anger, arrogance, pride, happiness, guilt, and even remorse were all familiar emotions. But this bitter sorrow was a new one. Vlad's done some nasty things over the course of his life, but no one deserved to be this desperately unhappy.
Becoming visible, Danny sidled up to the broken man. "Uncle Vlad?" He was too far lost in his emotions to hear Danny. Danny put a tentative hand on his shoulder. Vlad stopped shaking, but kept crying. It seemed weird, but it felt like the right thing to do: Danny hugged Vlad. It was the first time that he initiated such a thing.
The love-starved man seemed to wake up. "Oh, Daniel!" He pulled the small teen onto his lap and embraced him tightly.
Danny was mortified, but stayed where he was. 'Vlad needs to be comforted more than I need my dignity. I'll figure this out soon enough,' he thought.
Many long minutes passed before either of them moved. Vlad relaxed his grip, but still held Danny firmly, as if he would disappear at any moment. He did it before. Vlad caught his breath. "Daniel, I never… I never…"
Danny relaxed his hug, too. He murmured, "What is it, Uncle?"
Vlad registered that Danny asked a question. That meant he wouldn't go away. He tried to center himself. "I never took your mother's feelings into account. I'm worse than Demetrius."
Oh. That was an interesting effect. His paper…whoa. "But…"
"I've done terrible things. I've lost everything…"
"Uncle Vlad…"
"How hard would it have been to realize that your mother loved your father so very much?"
"Uncle Vlad…" Still held tightly by Vlad, he had no ability to gesture.
"And Jack… how many ways have I spurned that man's friendship?"
Danny wasn't sure at what point he recognized that interrupting Vlad's sorrowful ramble was futile. He just listened.
"Your sister was a genius, and could have helped both of us to deal with issues being a half-ghost presented. And you! We could have… but I…" Vlad sighed and just held Danny, sobbing softly again.
"Uncle Vlad, I…"
"It was only because I didn't respect your mother, and her choice. And I forced you to choose between me and your father. I… we could have been far closer if I hadn't…" He gave up. "All I ever wanted was to be loved."
How did one respond to that? Danny couldn't very well say that 'everything is alright,' because it wasn't. Vlad just voiced every question, every objection Danny ever had for Vlad's treatment of himself and his family. He wasn't sure what it was, but something in his essay flipped a switch in Vlad's head, and he got it. Vlad finally understood what he had done, and how wrong he had been. So now what?
Danny struggled to pull away, but it was useless until he said quietly but firmly, "Vlad." Something in his tone of voice finally reached the man, who allowed him to pull away far enough to see his face. "Look – they are gone, and it's not your fault, any more than it is mine. I guess… I guess I need to be loved, too. We've got… we're working on it, but we'll get there."
Desperate longing shone in Vlad's eyes. "Do you really think so?"
"You need me, and I need you. It's probably only a matter of time, but…"
Vlad clutched him again. "You've comforted me, Daniel. You've comforted me."
Danny could feel relief radiating from the man in waves. But he wasn't going to tell anyone about this, ever. At least, he didn't think so. Danny sighed into Vlad's shoulder. He wasn't going anywhere for a while. He wasn't sure he wanted to.
Danny left Vlad's rooms in a bit of a daze, still feeling blown away by the older half-ghost's breakdown. In the summer, Sir Nicholas told him that Danny's ability to comfort Vlad helped to define him. At the time, he couldn't believe it. Vlad was always cool, composed, in control. But now…
Danny had never seen Vlad this vulnerable before. Not even on October 1. But here, now, Vlad didn't want anything. He just… was. Maybe this, more than anything, changed something in Danny. Now it wasn't a matter of safety or being wanted. Vlad, the man who had everything, actually needed something. Vlad needed him.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Looking down the hall towards the stairs, he saw a girl he didn't know. She had straggly, long, dirty-blonde hair and large eyes. As she neared, he noticed her wand tucked behind her ear the way he sometimes saw other people put a pencil there. She wore her backpack over one shoulder, and she held a magazine with a moving photo on the cover. (Danny had yet to get used to that. The portraits were one thing, but wizard photos were like videos on paper.) In large letters on the top of the page, he read the title, The Quibbler.
She said, "Hi there. What brings you here?" Danny was not sure what to say yet. "You're Danny Fenton, right?" Danny nodded. He didn't know who she was, so how did she know him? Wait – he was the new Sixth Year, and he looked like Harry Potter, one of the most famous wizards he's heard of. (Poor guy – he just wants to be normal, just like Danny did.) He was more out of it than he realized. But she looked friendly, and her tone was warm.
Danny sighed. She asked, "Is everything alright? You look rather upset."
How did he answer this question? It was simple enough, but the emotions he was dealing with were too complicated for him to articulate, especially to someone he didn't know. "I'm not sure yet. Have we met?"
The girl smiled. "No, we haven't met. I've seen you around, though. People have mentioned the foreign exchange student quite a bit. I'm Luna Lovegood."
Danny heard that name before. He wasn't sure where, but he thought he remembered it in conjunction with Harry's name. They were friends. Danny returned her smile. "Nice to meet you, Luna." Even her name struck a warm place in his heart: 'luna' meant 'moon' in Latin. Her wide eyes made him think of the moon, which reflected in them from the window.
Luna's expression was a bit dreamy, but her next comment dispelled the idea that she was unaware. "So, what brings you to Ravenclaw Tower? Only Ravenclaws ever come here."
Danny glanced behind him at Vlad's door. "I normally have lessons with my uncle, Professor Masters, in the evening after dinner. He wasn't in our usual classroom, so I went to look for him. He was… upset." Danny looked down, a little embarrassed.
Luna seemed unusually serene. "Yes, I think I heard Professor Masters earlier when I came to drop off my books before dinner. He seemed to be crying. The last time I heard a man cry like that was when Daddy cried when my mother died. Your uncle must miss your family very much."
Danny felt oddly comfortable in Luna's presence. "He does. And Uncle Vlad has a few regrets."
Luna nodded. "I understand how that can happen." She tilted her head. "How big was your family?"
Danny answered, "There were my parents, my older sister Jazz, and me. I'm not sure if you're also asking about my Aunt Alicia, and more recently, my Uncle Vlad." Danny surprised himself. He didn't know what it was, but something about Luna made him feel compelled to talk. He hadn't even mentioned Aunt Alicia by name to Harry! Trying to get a hold of this conversation, he asked, "What about your family?"
Luna smiled. "Thank you for asking. For as long as I can remember, it was only my parents and me. And since my mother's accident when I was nine, it's only Daddy and me. Were your parents involved with ghosts?"
Danny's head jerked. "What?" Luna might be disarming, but he hadn't completely lost himself.
Luna answered reasonably, "Well, I was in the library when you had Peeves stop bothering the students. Not all the professors can make Peeves mind, so it makes sense that if you can stop his mischief at such a young age, your parents must have taught you skills to make wayward ghosts mind."
Danny was in a quandary. Professor Snape told him not to speak about what his parents did, but without any prompting, Luna seemed to figure it out well enough. He decided that if she figured out this much, there was no harm in answering her honestly. Her reasoning was spot on – were all Ravenclaws this good? Or just the ones of his acquaintance? If everyone was this good, his secrets were in serious trouble. "My parents studied ghosts, and made a lot of inventions to stop and capture 'wayward ghosts,' as you called them."
He shook his head, as if to clear the cobwebs. "What does your father do?"
She smiled again. "My father is the editor-in-chief of The Quibbler. Many stories in it would never be seen in other publications. Last year, Daddy's paper carried an exclusive interview with Harry Potter on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's return. The other papers stayed with the Ministry's line, denying Harry's story, because they didn't want to believe it. But why would Harry say something like that unless it was true? And now, even the Ministry has been forced to see the truth in Harry's words."
Maybe it was Luna's sincerity, or her serenity, but Danny decided he liked talking to Luna. "How do you know Harry?"
"Oh! Harry is my friend. He taught the DA last year, and that is where I met the friends I have. He, and Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and I fought the Death Eaters in the Ministry at the end of last school year." Danny's respect for Luna jumped several levels.
"But Danny, it's getting late. You should probably head back to your dorm before curfew."
Right. Of course. "Thank you for reminding me. I hope to see you more often."
"I hope to see you, too. Good night." Danny watched her walk past Vlad's door to a staircase that led a flight or two farther up.
As Danny started down the stairs, he thought about this encounter. Luna was nothing if not hypnotic. Paulina was gorgeous. Valerie was a very strong personality. Sam was both of those, and a devoted best friend. He didn't know his thoughts on the mysterious, captivating Luna Lovegood, but he wanted to get to know her. It took the rest of the trek to his Common Room to figure out why, and even then, he still wasn't sure. But he was sure that he wanted to know her better.
Narcissa Malfoy looked at the letter her son sent. Draco befriended the nephew of the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor and wanted to invite both uncle and nephew home for Christmas. It was a noble gesture, but not the wisest of moves when the Dark Lord has set up shop in your home.
"So, Cissy, what has your little prince written this time?" Bellatrix asked her.
"Draco's made a new friend."
Bellatrix tipped back her head and laughed. "Is it anyone we know?"
Narcissa furrowed her brow. "Not as of yet. He wants to bring home his new Dark Arts professor and his nephew for the holidays. The names aren't any I've heard. The uncle is a Masters and the nephew is a Fenton."
Bella sneered. "You don't need the entire family tree of the oldest houses to know that neither of those names is familiar in Pureblood records. And why a nephew and uncle? Where is the rest of their family?"
Lady Malfoy didn't know of the Dark Lord's latest project. She just knew there was one, and she wasn't sure what made her sister's crazed, wild eyes gleam like that. "They are from the States, and the boy is recently an orphan."
Bellatrix tensed. "A new orphan from America is Draco's new friend? What city is he from? What does he look like?" She snatched the letter from her sister.
Frustrated, Narcissa huffed. "I don't know yet. Why is this so important?"
The Death Eater extraordinaire said, "There is a boy, rumored to look like Potter, who managed to live through the Killing Curse in a raid on a completely Muggle town. There were no special life-saving spells, no prophecies… there is no logical reason this boy lived. Our Lord wants to know how this was possible. The only way to learn the secret of his longevity is to find him and get it from him.
"Danny Fenton… I'll check with our American contingent, and see if they have a name. For your part, Cissy, you would do well to extend that invitation."
After Monday's Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Danny found himself pleasantly surrounded by Harry and his closer friends and Draco and his closer friends. They all had time to get to Charms. Why couldn't he have been this popular at home?
Draco said, "Amazing thing – your uncle didn't take off any points from Slytherin, this time."
Danny shrugged – he still didn't care. "Maybe it's because no one wrote letters that would have insulted Hagrid and Grawp. You have to admit that the werewolf thing was your own fault." Draco turned pink.
Ron said, "This time, your letter was almost as long as Hermione's, Danny."
"Uncle Vlad and I had a chat. He told me what a 'proper' letter looked like, so…" He shrugged again.
Goyle crowed, "You earned us twenty points again. Is he favoring you, or is your stuff that good?"
Hermione huffed. She didn't forget that Crabbe and Goyle held her and Ron hostage for a time. "You would know that if you actually looked at his work."
This was getting a bit much. "Thanks, guys. But really, Uncle Vlad just…"
Draco interrupted. "All this talk about House points reminds me. Danny, are you coming to the Quidditch game this Saturday? November 2 is the first game of the season."
Danny said, "Sure!" It would be the first real game of the ever-talked about Quidditch he would see.
Draco drawled silkily, "And you'll sit in the Slytherin section, rooting for your own team, of course."
Before Danny opened his mouth, Ron said, "Or he'll probably sit near the friends who taught him HOW to play this summer."
Danny thought, 'So much for "never teaming up with any Slytherin for any reason." I guess even Ron can learn and grow.'
Harry covered his eyes. "It doesn't matter. You're friends with everyone here."
Danny thought back to when he was chosen by Dora to pick the beauty queen of Casper High. While it guaranteed dates for him and Tucker for as long as the contest was on, it also made the majority of the female population decide to try to claw out their eyes when they didn't win. Harry was mostly right – none of the six friends (well… with him, not necessarily each other) would give him too hard a time. Still, that said nothing for the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team (which still made him nervous) or guys like Cormac McLaggen who didn't necessarily employ logic when considering an excuse to wail on a little guy.
With all of this in mind, Danny asked, "Can I get back to you on this?"
Hermione said, "Whatever you like, Danny. It's only Quidditch." Four of the five guys looked scandalized, but Harry recognized the hunted look in Danny's eyes. He imagined he wore the same expression during the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Deciding that Danny spent enough time looking like a deer caught in headlights, Hermione grabbed his hand, dragging him. "Come on, let's get to Charms." Danny was grateful for the reprieve.
For the rest of the day, Danny was both amused and bemused that his classmates tried to sway him to hang out with either the Slytherins or the Gryffindors, come game time. It further intrigued him that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were just as interested in the outcome, offering their suggestions. Danny found this insanely surreal.
Tuesday night, he decided to talk to Sir Nicholas about this. Danny found Sir Nicholas arguing with the Bloody Baron. "No, Baron, we dealt with that in June, and it was to no avail. We are just as unlikely to come to a resolution this time, so there is no point in bringing it up tomorrow."
He noticed Danny from the corner of his eye. "We'll continue this later, Baron," he said in an undertone. "Good evening, Danny! We were just discussing the agenda for tomorrow's Council meeting. What brings you here this fine evening?"
Danny shook his head. Where should he begin? "I have a bit of a dilemma."
Both House Ghosts turned somber. "What is the trouble, Danny?" the Baron asked.
Blushing, Danny said quickly, "It's nothing important, really. I just don't know what to do."
The two older ghosts shared an understanding glance. Sir Nicholas said, "Alright. We're here for you, whatever it may be. Anything at all." The Baron nodded. "What seems to be the trouble?"
Danny sighed. "The first Quidditch match is this Saturday, and people from our House want me to sit with them."
"Of course," said the Baron.
"But I'm friends with Harry, who taught me everything about the game, and other friends from Gryffindor want me to be with them."
Sir Nicholas smiled. "Of course."
"So what should I do?"
The older ghosts were amused. "Whatever you like. It's only a game," Sir Nicholas chuckled.
Danny furrowed his brows. "I'm not sure about that. I mean, true – it's only a game. But I get the feeling that this is a test of loyalties, or something and… I don't know. I'm not used to people making this much fuss over my human form."
"I'm sure Harry thanks you. He can't stand too much attention, and this year, your newness and mystery seem to deflect attention from him onto you."
"Lucky me," Danny said sourly.
Sir Nicholas saw the tension in their hero, and asked gently, "Danny, what do you want to do?"
With a grimace, Danny said, "I'd like to be in both places at once. I can do that now, you know. But that would be a dead give-away, now wouldn't it?"
Sir Nicholas patted him on the back. "Indeed, it would. (I'd like to see that sometime.) In any event, whatever you choose will be fine. No one will hold it against you, either way."
The Baron narrowed his eyes. "You're only saying that because he likes you better for advice."
Sir Nicholas folded his arms. "Baron…"
Danny was flabbergasted. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you guys fighting over me?" He knew of their gentle rivalry, but this was ridiculous.
Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron looked at him and blushed opaque silver. They turned back to each other, figuring out what to say next. The Baron said almost imperiously, "Of course not. We're just concerned for you, wanting what's best for you."
Sir Nicholas looked smug. "That much is certain."
The Baron glared at him. "We will discuss this later, Sir Nick."
"Of course we will." Turning back to Danny, Sir Nicholas asked, "Is there anything else? We are here for you, regardless, but it is getting late."
Danny looked between them. He felt happy and loved, but was no further along in his decision. "No. Thanks anyway."
The Baron remembered something. "You are coming to the Ghost Council tomorrow, right?"
A smile worked its way back to Danny's lips. "Yup. After my classes with Uncle Vlad and before Astronomy."
Both older ghosts smiled. Sir Nicholas said, "Very good. Have a good night, Danny."
During the next day, Danny noticed nothing unusual. He thought of October 30 as Mischief Night. He never did anything, and no one was brave enough to prank Fenton Works, but Danny often saw toilet paper, egg stains, and shaving cream in bizarre places around the neighborhood the following day.
Apparently, this was either not a part of the Wizarding World, or British culture, or part of Hogwarts, as no one said anything about this all day. The buzz of the students was about the upcoming Quidditch match. He walked between classes invisibly, literally, in order to hear what people were saying. (Danny didn't do this before in Hogwarts, but he was curious about what the students had to say without his presence.)
He wasn't sure if he was more disturbed or amused to hear that bets were placed on where 'Harry Potter's Slytherin friend,' or 'the foreign exchange student,' or the people his year suggested Danny might sit. Since when did people make such a fuss over him? After last night's conversation with Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron, Danny supposed that this was the normal attention level focused on Harry, probably with as little cause.
When he shared his English midterm with Terry, Terry explained the major fuss people make over Harry. Danny mentioned that in America, he hadn't heard of Harry's title 'Chosen One,' and Terry explained Harry's story, fame, and lots else besides. Poor Harry! The guy couldn't catch a break. Except…
Danny seemed to have provided a little relief. Because Professor Snape wanted something like Danny had with Vlad, Harry no longer had problems with 'the snarky git of the dungeons.' (The scuttlebutt hadn't entirely left Harry, though it was amazing what you hear when no one thinks you're there.) But the general day-to-day gossip seemed to have shifted from Harry to Danny. Joy.
Danny decided to share his newfound observations with Vlad. Vlad asked him why he turned invisible, and he said that he needed a break from all the attention. Vlad was amused, but refrained from stating how very much like him that would be.
Well… Danny turned invisible because he was curious and to save himself from undue attention. Vlad would often turn invisible to learn corporate secrets and gain insider information he had no right to. Vlad mused, like adopted father, like adopted son. Now they just needed the adoption part. That would have to come later.
After lessons with Vlad, Danny claimed to visit the library before Astronomy and headed to the Great Hall. Many of the almost familiar voices called his name. He smiled at them. It was still weird to know that ghosts he didn't know actively liked him. He knew to expect it this month, but it was still weird.
The House Ghosts seemed to sit on a panel, and the others had no discernible order. Sir Nicholas looked official. Danny couldn't figure out why he led the Council, as three of the House Ghosts were former nobles, and the other two seemed to be of a higher rank and had predeceased him by at least 500 years. Maybe he was just better at public speaking.
Sir Nicholas greeted him brightly. "Danny! Thank you for coming." He gestured for Danny to take a closer space in the air to the panel. Danny shrugged and waved at Myrtle on his way over. When Danny was where the panel preferred him to be, Sir Nicholas cleared his throat. "We have two major topics of ghostly importance to discuss this month." The Baron gave a disgruntled scowl, and when the Grey Lady clucked her tongue, the Baron sighed and resignedly looked more agreeable. The Fat Friar merely shook his head at their antics.
Sir Nicholas said, "The first is the invasion of the physically corporeal ghost." To surprised murmurs, he continued, "The Baron was the first on the scene to correct the situation. Please report what happened."
The Bloody Baron cleared his throat. "I was summoned by the house-elves on October 16. A blue ghost, later identified as 'the Box Ghost,' possessed any number of boxes of produce. Hundreds of Galleons of food were spoiled and wasted – the final inventory is with the elves, Hagrid, and the Headmaster.
"This ghost was far more powerful than Peeves. My greatest efforts were useless in the face of such a foe. I used the only resource I had left at my disposal: young Danny Phantom's fortuitous presence with us. I dispatched Peeves to request Danny's aid, and within two minutes of Danny's arrival, the Box Ghost departed."
More murmuring and open looks of awe were cast in Danny's direction. He blushed. "What? It was only the Box Ghost."
Sir Nicholas addressed him. "Danny, it sounds like you already know of him. Could you please describe this… ghost in greater detail?"
Danny furrowed his brow. "Sure. At home, he's one of the most annoying of the ghosts I've had to face. Compared to some of the villainous ghosts I've had to deal with, the Box Ghost is more of a nuisance at best. But an annoyingly persistent nuisance. I'm not sure how he does it, but he forces his way out of the Ghost Zone more frequently than, as my mother would say, any other ectoplasmic malefactor."
Thinking for a moment, he said, "I guess being here in Hogwarts has given me some perspective. Without Skulker constantly hunting me, Technus or Ember trying to take over the world one plot at a time, or Spectra functioning like, Dementors, I think you call them? I've had a chance to realize what damage the Box Ghost could cause in my absence. I never stopped to think about it, because the property damage he costs is probably comparatively low. I'm sure it's more complicated and more expensive to fix buildings and really complex and large pieces of technology than it is to replace anything stored in boxes.
"Because he can't blast as dangerously as other ghosts, he is a lot less of a threat. But now that I'm thinking about it, that only really has meaning if you can stop him. (At home, I average that at least three times a week.)" Some horrified mutterings ran through the Great Hall.
Danny sighed. "I get the feeling that if Plasmius didn't forbid further molestation of Amity Park (the aftermath of the Death Eaters was quite enough without ghost involvement), the Box Ghost never would have found his way here. I'm sorry about that. I…"
The Fat Friar put up a hand. "Danny, the Box Ghost attack at Hogwarts was no more your fault than was the Death Eater attack at Amity Park. Which is to say, not at all."
Danny wasn't convinced, but he had something else on his mind. "How did he get here, anyway? Sir Nicholas mentioned something about a 'magically enhanced portal.' What is that?"
The Fat Friar was on a roll. "While your parents and Plasmius have permanent Portals in your various homes, natural portals appear all the time. They open from anywhere in the world in time and space and lead to the Ghost Zone. They can lead to anywhere else in time and space. Frequently, they open for limited amounts of time before disappearing indefinitely.
"Here at Hogwarts, there is a natural portal from here to the Ghost Zone, but it has been magically enhanced, such that it's been there for hundreds of years."
Danny perked up. "Where is it?"
The Friar smiled. "It is not far from the Hufflepuff Common Room. But it is inside the wall."
"But wouldn't it have been discovered?"
"No, Danny. When I say it is inside the wall, I don't mean that it was merely on the wall, as the one in your home is purported to be. Hogwarts' portal can only be accessed while gliding through the wall."
Danny beamed. "Awesome! That means that no one can accidentally fall in." Thinking of his father with the Fenton Fisher, he added, "Or pull something out."
Sir Nicholas blinked. "That is exactly what Plasmius said about it, when I showed it to him."
"Oh." Right. How else did Vlad visit the Ghostwriter and the Far Frozen? That also explained how he got to America and back so quickly. To himself, he muttered, "If I wasn't a 'C' student, I'd have figured that out over a month ago." He rolled his eyes at his own lack of insight. "Thanks for explaining."
Sir Nicholas nodded and asked, "Are there other questions or comments?" Receiving no response, he continued. "Moving to the second topic… It is more personal. The Diadem of Ravenclaw has been recovered." The chatter among the assemblage was louder than before. "Yes, yes. It was a wonderful discovery. Lady, do you care to report?"
The Grey Lady blushed opaque silver, and said, "No, Sir Nicholas. However, it was found most recently by Danny and Plasmius, and after Headmaster Dumbledore finishes checking it, removing from it lasting Dark spells – it was in the hands of Tom Riddle…" This garnered a round of gasps and a look of confusion from Danny.
"It will be made available to students from any and all Houses. The Headmaster promised to tell me when he finished. I will pass the word to you, Sir Nicholas, Baron, and Friar, and you (as will I) tell your respective Heads of House. And, of course, I'll tell you, Danny, directly. After all, you found it."
Danny sighed. "Thanks, Lady Helena. I have a question. Who's Tom Riddle?"
Sir Nicholas answered quickly, "That was the born name of You-Know-Who. Tom Marvolo Riddle. I believe he was named for his father, but his middle name was his grandfather's."
The Bloody Baron's expression became stony. "He is the last living descendant of Salazar Slytherin. It is most unfortunate that the line of the Founder of a House with such potential for greatness has ended with such great evil." Looking carefully at Danny, he said, "It is my greatest hope that others in our House will follow your example, choosing to do what is right when what is easy may fall more readily into one's agenda."
Danny shrugged one shoulder uneasily. "Thanks, Baron."
Sir Nicholas took back the floor. "Danny, how and where did you find the Diadem?"
Danny ran a hand through his white hair, blowing a breath that ruffled his bangs. "Uncle Vlad had me start practicing my Ghostly Wail…" This brought murmurs of awe and admiration. Dismayed, Danny said, "Please don't. Of my many powers, I'm not really thrilled with this one. It is the most devastating, sure, but… That much destruction shouldn't be applauded. It is important for me to control it, but using it would have to be a last resort."
There was almost frantic discussion over this last comment. Danny rolled his eyes and looked to the House Ghosts. Sir Nicholas said, "That is a very mature take on what you can and should do. We are very proud of you, and how you are choosing to handle this."
A bit more comfortable, Danny said, "Thanks, Sir Nicholas. All of you." The room got quiet, and Danny realized that they were waiting to hear the rest of the story. "So, anyway, I was practicing. It was in the Room of Requirement, in its Room of Hidden Things mode. I had just started, and I heard a pained shriek. At this, I stopped to rescue whoever was hurt." The crowd nodded silently, intently. "When I couldn't find a body, I was… it hurt, knowing I couldn't save him. But it wasn't a person or even a creature that screamed. The Diadem of Ravenclaw bled, and Uncle Vlad deduced that if the inanimate object could bleed, it made sense that it was also the source of the scream." The murmurs were back, appreciative that no mortal was injured.
"It was too weird – even with everything we've seen as ghosts, or in the Wizarding World, and we brought it to Professor Dumbledore."
"Thank you, Danny," the Grey Lady said. "Thank you once again for bringing my mother's Diadem into soon-to-be usage. I want you to be the first to wear it. Perhaps, after an hour, you would no longer think of yourself as… what was it you said? A 'C' student."
Danny blushed again. "Thank you, Lady Helena." Dude, it was cool to be this loved by people besides his family and his best friends, and not just from people who wanted him for their cause. "I have a question, though. What would make an object like that scream in pain and bleed?"
All of the House Ghosts looked at each other, to see if any had an answer. None of the younger ghosts had a clue. Sir Nicholas at last said, "Danny, I'm afraid that none of us here know the answer. I imagine it was the result of some Dark magic perpetrated by You-Know-Who, but I couldn't begin to fathom what it would be."
The Baron said, "I have an idea of what it could have been. But if the Headmaster chooses to keep this secret, I would have to beg your forgiveness, young Phantom. I also have an idea of why he would choose to keep it secret, and if it is what I think it is, the fewer who know, the better for the safety of any and all involved."
Danny sighed. He was very curious, but he understood the concept of keeping secrets for safety reasons. With a hint of resignation, Danny muttered, "I understand. Thanks anyway."
Sir Nicholas asked again, "Are there any other questions or comments?" None of the general talk came to light as an actual question, comment, or statement meant for the ghost public. "Very good. Is there anything else that should be brought to the Council's attention?"
Danny said, "I don't know that it needs the whole Council, but what is planned for tomorrow?"
Smiling broadly, Sir Nicholas answered, "This time, Danny, you have to be counted among the students rather than the ghosts. It is meant to be a surprise, this year as all others. I hope you will find it entertaining."
Many ghosts chuckled. Danny bit back the comment he wanted to make. Sir Nicholas was right – Danny was an anomaly. He was both a ghost and a student at the same time. Such a situation was unprecedented, and it was up to the House Ghosts (and Vlad) to help him find that balance.
Danny sighed again. "Thanks, everyone. It was an honor to be invited back to your Council."
Sir Nicholas smiled graciously. "Not at all. It is you who have honored us with your presence."
Blushing, Danny said, "Yeah, well… I'm off for Astronomy. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the feast, right?"
The former knight nodded. "Indeed. Have a good class!" With a chorus of fond farewells, Danny took off for the Astronomy Tower.
The next day, the students temporarily seemed to forget about Quidditch. The general buzz was conjecture about the night's entertainment. Would they bring someone in again? Or would the ghosts do another reenactment? There were all kinds of guesses, but the Halloween feast entertainment seemed to be one of the better kept secrets of the school. Even Myrtle refused to discuss it with Danny. These people took Halloween seriously.
Danny remembered – frankly, so did the people in Casper High. In his sophomore year, Mr. Lancer had Danny and Dash decorate two rooms in the 'haunted mansion.' Ironically, that year was the only year the haunted mansion was actually haunted. Sam mentioned the Fright Knight, and Danny used that knowledge to decorate the room with that theme. She was right – he did steal the idea wholesale, and the decorations were… well, they weren't as lame as she said. Maybe he could have made the room do stuff with a little ghostly possession (to be fair, he wasn't great at it, yet), or invisible touches on the shoulders of the unsuspecting public.
But no – he had to prove himself by stealing the Fright Knight's sword. How lame was he? Danny, a real live ghost (well… whatever), couldn't even scare people on purpose. He sighed. If he went along with his own plan, to keep the room decorated in Fright Knight paraphernalia and invisibly freak people out, he could have done something worthwhile. It still might not have been as cool as Dash's 'Spa of Pain,' but at least he wouldn't have to claim he cheated with his mother's Ecto-Foamer. Wait – in this time line, it was the Fenton Foamer. Arg! Stupid alternate time lines!
The Fright Knight was the Spirit of Halloween. Danny wondered what the Wizarding World would make of him. In any event, Danny was thankful he didn't have to find out. At least… If the Box Ghost and the Ghostwriter passed along the information that he and Vlad were here, even if the Knight of Terror managed to get loose, he probably wouldn't annoy them. He hoped.
As Myrtle said, it was a normal school day. At dinner, true to her word, there were streamers everywhere, and live bats alternately flew overhead and hung from the rafters. (They must be invisible, or they would have messed up the whole visual of the sky effect.) Record-breaking sized pumpkins (or they would be if they weren't helped along with magic) floated around the Hall amidst the candles, beneath and around the bats. Danny felt a pang as he thought of Sam's favorite candy: licorice flavored gummy bats. And, of course, Tucker's plastic pumpkin filled with Halloween candy saved the day as a place to store the Soul Shredder. He really missed Sam and Tucker.
He looked across the Hall and saw Harry. For a moment, Danny saw Harry with a sad, vacant expression. Halloween was the anniversary of his parents' death. But the look was replaced by mirth at Ron's antics. It was weird all around. It was also the anniversary of Sir Nicholas's death. What a day.
Draco called, "Danny, you okay?"
Danny smiled. "Yeah. I was just thinking of Halloween last year. I miss Sam and Tucker. That's all." That seemed to satisfy the blond. "So what has the feast been like? I can tell that the fun stuff has yet to come."
Draco threw back his head and laughed. "Never a dull one, here. In First Year, the feast was interrupted when Professor Quirrell stormed in, announcing that a troll was in the dungeon. The prefects of the other Houses led the students to their Common Rooms. However, seeing that the troll was in the dungeon, the Slytherins couldn't very well go back until the troll thing was settled. We continued the feast here, with our prefects, while the professors dealt with the troll. We're still unsure of how – after the ordeal – Gryffindor landed an extra five points." Danny shook his head. He might have to ask Harry if he knew about that.
"In Second Year, a troupe of dancing skeletons performed while the Weird Sisters played."
Danny thought, 'The Weird Sisters? Like from Macbeth? Or like Twisted Sister? Either way, the answer would refer to something Muggle, and Draco wouldn't know.'
"Third Year was something else – the ghosts glided in formation, and then performed a reenactment of Nearly Headless Nick's botched beheading. Stupid Muggles!" Danny was glad that Myrtle prepared him for that announcement, or he would have reacted badly. But as far as Draco's comment about Muggles was concerned… For once, Danny agreed with Draco. According to Myrtle, there was some palace intrigue, which could mean anything from the love of a lady to a petty jealousy among nobility, and only the Muggle bias against wizards seemed to be the sticking point. Stupid prejudice! Well… At least Danny understood that Draco's hatred for all things Muggle wasn't entirely baseless.
"Fourth Year was the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Only the three greatest schools in Europe were invited to join. Did you hear about it in the States?"
Danny shrugged and answered honestly. "I'm afraid not."
Draco nodded. "Well, the representatives from the other schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, came the night before Halloween. You know, Father wanted to send me to Durmstrang, where Dark Arts are taught, not just defense against them. But Mother insisted that I go to their alma mater." He sighed. "It was probably for the best.
"The students from Durmstrang ate with us in Slytherin but slept in their ship. The students from Beauxbatons ate and dormed with Ravenclaw."
Danny screwed up his face. "Their ship? How would that get here? The lake is landlocked!"
Draco shrugged. "It was seriously complex magic. I don't know how they did it, but it was beautiful to watch. On Halloween, the schools' champions were announced. For Durmstrang, it was Viktor Krum, who – at that time - was also the youngest professional Quidditch player in modern times. He's Seeker for the Bulgarian national team."
"But he was still a student!" Danny protested.
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Fame gets you all kinds of things." He shot a glare across the Hall. Harry was oblivious. "Anyway, the Beauxbatons champion was Fleur Delacour. She was part Veela." Danny noticed Draco's wistful expression. Huh. A partial human Draco didn't dismiss out of hand. "Veelas…wow." Danny really wanted to know what Veelas were.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Draco continued. "The REAL Hogwarts champion was Cedric Diggory. He was from Hufflepuff, but he did a creditable job on behalf of Hogwarts."
Danny shook his head. Harry, Ron, and Hermione told him about the Tri-Wizard Tournament in the summer, but he wanted to get Draco's take on it. "The real champion? Was there a fake champion?"
Draco practically growled. "Of COURSE there was. Potter! The age limit was set, and no students younger than seventeen could participate. But no. Harry was fourteen, and obviously his fame got him involved. So he was also competing. Headmaster Karkaroff and Headmistress Maxime were furious that Hogwarts had two champions." Draco sneered. "Hufflepuff finally got a shot at notoriety, but Potter, as always, had to steal the limelight." He somehow didn't think Danny would appreciate the pins that switched from 'Support Cedric Diggory – the REAL Hogwarts Champion' to 'Potter Stinks!'
Danny frowned. "Draco, that's not fair. Harry hates fame and extra attention. He was probably terrified, Gryffindor or no. He was three years younger than everyone else competing, and three years behind them in studies. He couldn't have wanted that."
"Didn't stop him from competing and winning, though, did it?"
Danny gave him a sidelong glance. "What?"
Rolling his eyes, Draco said, "Yeah. Apparently, Harry and Cedric tied for the win. But Diggory ended up dead, and Potter came back with a cockamamie story about the Dark Lord being reborn, and named Death Eaters present." He stared off. "Who knew he was actually right?"
Danny said, "Wait. What do you mean 'Potter came back?' Where did he go?"
Draco shifted uncomfortably. "The trophy was a Portkey, and Cedric and Harry disappeared for a while. When they came back, Harry wouldn't let go of Diggory's body. Dumbledore practically had to pry him off."
"That means Harry watched Cedric die. That's horrible."
Draco looked over at the Gryffindors again. He hadn't thought of it quite that way. "Yeah, well… Last year, nothing interesting happened at Halloween. Umbridge sucked all the life and fun out of the year, except for Quidditch. And the Inquisitorial Squad…" He stared off again, with a fond smile gracing his lips.
Despite the friendship they built, Danny remembered why he was wary of Draco. There was something predatory in the way he thought about Harry. It was dark, if not evil. "Draco, you said that you and Harry had an understanding."
Draco jerked his head. "We do. I still can't stand him, but we are civil to each other. Mostly."
Danny rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, Professor Dumbledore stood up. "Good evening, and happy Halloween. I'm sure you have enjoyed the sumptuous meal thus far. Let me call your attention to this evening's performance. The ghosts of Hogwarts have graciously put together a presentation and reenactment of 'The Strange Case of Wendelin the Weird'."
Danny whispered, "Wendelin the Weird?"
Draco almost giggled. "Yeah. We covered her in Third Year history. She used a Freezing Charm that neutralized fire. Apparently, when it is done right, the fire that might otherwise burn a witch or wizard tickles the witch or wizard using the charm. She liked the sensation so much, she got herself burned at the stake no fewer than 47 times."
"Ouch."
"As I said, stupid Muggles. But she liked it, and used different guises so she could experience it over and over again."
Danny winced. "Did she weigh the same as a duck, too?"
Draco shook his head. "Huh?"
"Never mind."
Friday was back to what passed for normal, but Quidditch was again the main conversation of the students. Danny overheard Harry and Ron discuss possible strategies based on their newly formed team. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle didn't spend time discussing strategy, explaining that being so public with such things just wasn't the Slytherin way.
By the afternoon break, Danny decided one last time to get advice on his quandary. He felt embarrassed, but the tension around him was thick. At least Harry and Draco agreed to leave him alone, though both privately hoped he would choose their team.
He knocked on the door. "Come in." Professor Snape was surprised when Danny opened the door. "Daniel! Please take a seat."
"Uh, Professor? You said we could come to you about anything…" Danny blushed.
Severus nodded. "That's right. What's on your mind?"
Danny fidgeted. "It's about Quidditch."
The professor studied Danny a moment. "It's only a game, Daniel."
Heaving a frustrated sigh, Danny complained, "Maybe, but this fuss everyone's making over me is making me nuts!"
Professor Snape regarded Danny seriously. "Daniel, surely there must have been sporting events at your other school. What did you do then?"
Danny looked askance. "First of all, the entire school only had one team in each sport. The Casper High Ravens played teams from other schools. Then, it was easy – I just sat anywhere near people from my own school. Second," His blush deepened. "My friends and I weren't popular. As notorious as my ghost form was, my human form was mostly ignored. Except as a target for bullies. But they were usually the guys on the field."
Snape sighed. He understood where Danny was coming from. A thought came to him. "Have bullies been a problem for you, here?"
Danny answered honestly. "Not really. But there is that one Seventh Year that looks like he'd be overjoyed to find me alone." He shivered.
Professor Snape noticed Daniel's choice of words. The boy did not give a hint to his possible tormentor's name or House. Impressive. But he had to know. "Is it anyone in our House?"
"No." Thank Merlin for small favors. He knew the fellows on the Slytherin Quidditch team. They were picked based on size and skill, and as their Head of House, Professor Snape let them know they were not to bother younger, smaller students in their House. He reminded them that as players, they were easily replaced, and as students, they were subject to his severe displeasure. If they had issues with students in other Houses… he dealt with that on a case by case basis. If they were caught.
Daniel might be in Sixth Year, but he was still the size of a Third Year. Even Harry, who Snape discovered was underfed for most of his existence, managed to gain some height over the summer. Daniel, who was loved and indulged by his family, remained as short as Harry was in his Third Year. He might ask Masters later whether becoming a half-ghost stunted growth, or if Daniel just hadn't hit his growth spurt yet. Masters himself was tall, but he didn't come into his 'procedure' until he was in his twenties.
Regardless, the Head of House's musings over Daniel's health was nothing to trouble the already self-conscious teen with. Sharing his concerns with the boy's guardian, however, was a different matter entirely.
Hmm… When Severus had trouble with the Marauders, he had no problem whatsoever naming names, especially as it was a team effort against him. There was no love lost between them, and giving a name, or even a House, would give the punishing authority a useful target (in theory). But as far as Daniel was concerned, vengeance was not on his program.
Of course it wasn't. Daniel might be a small fellow, but he also had the capability of soundly destroying any human he chose. He never would – he made that clear – but…
Among the students, even size was not necessarily an indication of power, which made magic the great equalizer, as long as individuals fought as individuals and not as gangs. But Daniel's sheer power as a half-ghost and his iron-clad self-control at once put him above schoolyard scraps, even if it meant getting painfully tousled once in a while, as he did at home.
Daniel's worst fear fell back into focus. Unlike Voldemort, who, as powerful as he was, required his followers to secure his power and victory, Daniel was capable of great devastation by himself. Over the summer, he witnessed what the boy could do with his Ghostly Wail. One seriously undersized fifteen-year-old destroyed hundreds of trees at a great distance. And he was still developing those powers. At the parent/teacher's conference, Vlad said that he would train Daniel with that Wail. Not withstanding, it just dawned on him that as of late, he had no idea what Daniel and Masters worked on in private. If either ghost decided to take control of society… Severus shuddered.
Danny was worried. "Sir? Is everything okay?"
The boy, whose powers were fantastic but still relatively raw, was sitting before him, concerned with the silly social pressures of which group to sit with at a school game. Daniel was friends with people in all four Houses, and his closest friends were the bitterest rivals from the most persistent rival Houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin. The social power Danny commanded was truly beyond the boy's reckoning. He just wanted to not annoy the friends he might not choose. Snape was at once amazed with the boy, and in awe of his own responsibility of helping him make choices for the boy's own good, as well as for the good of the light.
And the boy in question currently asked him something. "Yes, Daniel. Everything is alright."
"About the Quidditch thing… what do you think I should do?"
Yes. What should he do? "Daniel, you have friends on both teams. Whatever you choose will be fine."
Danny crossed his arms and he huffed. "That's what Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron said. It's probably true, but I'm no farther along in my decision than I was Monday."
Professor Snape smiled gently. "Whatever you choose, you will be fine. Truly."
Danny sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Thanks anyway."
Putting an arm around his shoulder, Snape said, "Not to worry. Come, we have Potions."
"Which reminds me… How did Harry and I do?"
The professor smiled. "Thanks to the both of you, Lupin will be perfectly safe this month. Very well done. Both of you get full marks." Both Slytherins had a light step as they made their way to the Potions lab.
Saturday morning, Ron was nervous. He sat in the Common Room, not ready to go to face the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione found him staring at the fire.
Harry asked, "What's wrong, Ron?"
Ron, who looked up to see Harry and Hermione, stared back down at the fire. "I don't know. I'm just… last year, I wasn't any good until that last game, and who knows how I'll do this year?"
Harry shook his head. "Ron, you've done great at practice. Why would you worry now?"
Ron shrugged. "I don't know. I wish I had some extra luck."
Harry remembered that Ron wanted to switch the Polyjuice Potion for Felix Felicis. Harry started working himself into righteous indignation, but Hermione responded first. She hugged Ron and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "That's for good luck."
Both boys stopped, jolted by surprise. Ron found his tongue and said, "Really! I… could use that. Thanks!"
Hermione giggled. "You will do fine. Now get downstairs to breakfast – you know you need to eat before the game." She flounced out of the Common Room leaving a still very shocked Ron and Harry.
Ron touched a hand to the cheek where Hermione kissed him. "I think I'm the luckiest bloke alive."
Harry smiled. "Ready? Let's get something to eat."
At the Slytherin table, the Quidditch team members ate with a will. Danny was a little concerned that Goyle, Crabbe and Draco had forgotten he needed to eat, too, until Draco speared a stack of pancakes and a pile of sausages and put them on Danny's plate. "Sorry, Danny. The defensive players need to keep up their strength, and well… it's just better this way."
"Thanks." As he ate, Danny realized that he never thought of Dash's eating habits on weekend game days, and besides Draco, every player on their House team was far bigger than Dash, Kwan, or any student from Casper High, really.
A snap of fingers brought Danny's attention to Urquhart. "Men! To the locker room!" Passing Danny, he said, "See you in the stands, Fenton." Then he led the team out of the Great Hall. Across the Hall, Harry collected his team. It didn't seem as strict in discipline, but then again, the Gryffindors usually had more of a light-hearted air than Slytherins, in general.
Once the teams had cleared the Hall, Pansy tapped Danny's shoulder. "If you're finished, grab your cloak and scarf and head for the pitch. Slytherin versus Gryffindor is the most intense game of the year." Looking at him critically, she said, "If you were anyone else, I would warn you that the best seats would be taken if you don't hurry. As it is, you'll be given the best seat. But hurry anyway."
Danny decided on Monday that the high pressure of social groups might somehow be lessened if he stayed as neutral as possible. Over the week, he thought of wearing his jacket with the NASA emblem to the game, but realized that would only cause more attention to be focused on him. Once again, Danny was seriously grateful for Vlad's largesse during their shopping trip in July. In the end, Danny chose a plain black cloak (making him resemble his favorite professor) and a black and gray scarf. It looked like it could have been a House scarf, but for the neutral colors.
Once he got to the Quidditch pitch, Danny sucked in his breath. A full three- quarters of the student body wore red and gold in solidarity with Gryffindor. He stood, slightly dazed, as two students approached him.
Blaise Zabini grabbed his arm. "Come on, Danny. Our House is waiting for you."
Dean Thomas grabbed his other arm. "And your other friends are waiting for you elsewhere. Come with me."
Danny closed his eyes. He was dreading this moment, and physically trapped between the two, he had to make some type of choice.
"Gentlemen." Danny's eyes snapped open, and all three spun to see who addressed them. Vlad smirked briefly. 'Nicely played, Daniel,' he thought. 'If you don't know how to choose, don't choose. The chess lessons have taught him something.'
"Daniel, I do believe that since I've become your guardian, this is the first sporting event we will have attended together. Is it not?" Danny nodded, understanding dawning on him. "Then I would prefer if you joined me in the Teachers' Box. Shall we?" Relief flooded through Danny, who nodded again, gratefully.
Dean and Blaise looked at each other. Whatever either of them said, Professor Masters had the superior claim. They each clapped Danny on the back, saying, "Enjoy the game."
Vlad steered Danny to the stairs leading to the Teachers' Box, thinking that it was worth getting Daniel used to Royalty Boxes and VIP boxes, as whatever event they would attend, that is where they would always be. (Unless, of course, Daniel preferred Dugout Seats in baseball, but that was another matter for a different day.)
Situated in the Teachers' Box, Danny sat between Vlad and Professor Snape. The only two living human members of faculty missing were Professor McGonagall, who oversaw the announcer, and Madam Hooch, who refereed. A few professors raised an eyebrow at Danny's presence, but Vlad snaked a possessive arm around his ward. No one said a word against Danny's unusual placement.
As the teams entered the pitch to tumultuous applause, a full-throated lion's roar rang through the pitch. Both Vlad and Danny were startled. Vlad cried, "What in blazes…?"
Professor Flitwick smirked, "Ah, that would be Miss Lovegood's hat, worn in support of Gryffindor. It is a lovely bit of spellwork, earning her both extra credit in Charms and quite a few House points for Ravenclaw last year."
Vlad put a hand to his forehead. Honestly, it was no worse than foghorns at football games, but a lion's roar? Sure, it was Gryffindor's mascot, but that was too realistic sounding for comfort. He supposed Filius had a point.
Harry and Urquhart approached Madam Hooch and shook hands. The Snitch and Bludgers were released. Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle in the air, and the teams took to the air.
Ignoring Zacharias Smith's inane anti-Gryffindor 'commentary,' Professor Snape leaned closer to Danny, but explained to both Danny and Vlad, "The greatest action will follow the Quaffle's movement – the red ball. Notice how the six of them chase it. They will attempt to put the Quaffle through the hoops. Each time that happens, ten points are scored." A great cheer went up as Ron made a save.
"The black iron balls are Bludgers – note how the Beaters, the players with bats, redirect the Bludgers at other, strategically placed players." They watched the progression of the game, as one of the Gryffindor Beaters, Coote, aimed a Bludger at Miles Bletchly, the Slytherin Keeper. Bletchly dashed sideways to avoid it, and Gryffindor scored, to great cheers and another lion's roar.
"It appears that Mr. Weasley is doing a better job than your Mr. Bletchly, Professor," Vlad commented. Snape took the insult the comment was meant to be, and was about to reply when Harry dove spectacularly. Draco followed closely, and both dodged a well-aimed Bludger. Both Seekers gesticulated their frustration, but continued Seeking on their own.
"Both Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are notably skilled Seekers. Mr. Potter has only ever lost one game, but he was distracted by a Dementor. Mr. Malfoy has been undefeated in finding the Snitch, except against Potter." Vlad nodded appreciatively.
Danny said, "I saw that they were both distracted by that Bludger. But the Snitch is right there. Why don't they go after it?"
Vlad nodded again, but Professor Snape saw nothing when he tried to follow Danny's gaze.
Pinching the bridge of his nose for a second, Snape digested what Danny just said. With a greedy grin, he said, "That, Daniel, is why you've been made Reserve Seeker. Well spotted." Vlad nearly glowed with pride.
Danny looked between Vlad and Professor Snape, and swallowed. "Thanks, sir." Turning back to the game, he could see the practically tangible excitement as he watched the back and forth, the feinting, the dodging, the scoring, and the saving.
After a particularly difficult save, students started singing.
"Weasley is our king!
Weasley is our king!
He didn't let the Quaffle in –
Weasley is our king!"
Ron conducted the last few lines from his place in front of the Gryffindor goals. Danny asked, "What's that about?"
Professor Snape covered his face with a hand. "Ask them later."
Very shortly after that, Harry caught the Snitch, and the game was over. The crowd went wild, and the commentator's podium was destroyed.
Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "I do believe Mr. Smith offended Miss Weasley one too many times. Daniel, you will probably be invited to the Gryffindor victory party, but… Considering the final score, 250-0, Mr. Urquhart will most probably request your services for Slytherin's next game." He looked behind them at Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, and then leaned close and lowered his voice. "I see no reason to abstain from using an unfair advantage if it was acquired legitimately and its use is legal." Vlad and Severus looked each other in the eye, and both nodded in complete agreement.
Danny sighed. He wasn't sure which was worse – when Vlad and Professor Snape were angry or pleased with each other.
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