Thank you again, everyone who has read, reviewed, and put this fic (and me) on your assorted favorite and alert lists. For thanks, I offer you fresh grapes, figs, and pomegranates, and chocolate cauldron cakes.
I borrowed heavily, but changed significantly, scenes from several chapters in HBP and DH. Therefore, if anything is familiar, you know why.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Harry Potter, the movie Bright Eyes, or the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Chapter 41
On January 5, everyone came back to school via Floo to avoid the danger of Voldemort and the active Death Eaters. The fact that Danny left after Ron and Ginny frustrated Ron to no end. After Hermione and Harry came out of the Gryffindor Common Room fireplace, Ron muttered, "So how is Danny getting back?"
Harry quietly suggested, "He might teleport to his Common Room."
Hermione was thoughtful. "Harry, while Danny would be more than capable, that would be a little obvious. Someone would have to activate the Floo powder for him." Ron wanted to object, but Hermione grabbed his arm. "Speaking of, we have to talk." Ron looked around the Common Room to find another place – their usual spot was unavailable, as more people kept arriving. "Not here."
Ron and Harry exchanged a glance. Harry said, "Fair enough. We have some developments to share as well."
Ron frowned. "Will we be done by dinner?"
Hermione gave a pained expression. "Probably. Let's go." They found the classroom on the fourth floor they used last time they discussed Danny.
After they found seats around a table, Ron asked, "Who's going first?"
Harry asked, "Whose information will take longer? Including reaction and commentary…"
Ron stared at him. "You have got to be kidding." Hermione cocked her head.
Harry sighed. "Right. Something really important things happened on Christmas Day, and others happened on New Year's Eve. On Christmas Day…"
"Danny got me a chess set with Chudley Cannon players and relievers versus Holyhead Harpies!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Probably figured that's the only way the Cannons would win," he muttered.
"What?"
"Never mind."
Ron continued, "And he got Harry a plush lion wearing a green jumper." Harry wasn't sure if he should cover his eyes at the mention of Danny's sentimentality or smile proudly. Considering how sentimental he was going to get, he figured he'd just let this slide.
Hermione smiled. "That is sweet." She frowned for a moment. "He gave me an amethyst bracelet and a musical jewelry box that played 'Good Ship Lollipop,' with a note saying, 'You've given me a chance to almost redeem my cluelessness.' I'm not sure I get it."
"Good Ship Lollipop?" Ron asked quizzically.
Harry snickered. "I think the song is tipping his hat to the fact that your parents are dentists. I'm not sure about the rest, but I don't see why he wouldn't tell you if you asked." He laughed at Hermione's expression of dawning understanding and Ron's growing frustration. "I'll tell you later, Ron."
Ron nodded and then smirked. "Professor Snape not only wore the jumper my Mum made for him, he made Fleur wear hers. Hard for her to be imperious, or whatever, when the professor was just as… I don't know. Homely as the rest of us."
Hermione giggled.
Harry took a breath. "At breakfast, the Minister came to talk with me."
Ron's eyes hardened. "I don't know what he was playing at. He brought Percy to greet us for Christmas, but he just…"
Harry put a hand on Ron's arm. "I don't know what you did, but I'm sure Percy learned his lesson."
Hermione asked, "What happened?"
Ron folded his arms. "Don't ask." Hermione raised her eyebrows.
Harry cleared his throat. "The Minister intended to ask me some questions he had no right to ask. But…" He looked at Ron, who nodded encouragingly. "Severus reminded him that he was my guardian and would protect my interests."
"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "You called Professor Snape…"
"Yeah. He told me I could. We just got a lot closer. He discovered that I know him better than he might have thought. But he…" Harry gulped. "He told me he l-loved me."
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione got up and hugged him. "It's about time. That was a nice Christmas present."
Harry nodded. "That it was. He… made me feel almost normal. You know, cared for by a… parental figure who loves me." He didn't need to tell her about the clothes. She'd see them soon enough. Besides, they were almost incidental. The love was the most important thing.
Ron was thoughtful. "Professor Snape is a lot better than I would have thought. He…" Ron blushed. "He explained why it was a bad idea for Danny to make Polyjuice Potion, or anyone to make Felix Felicis around him. One of the ingredients is really bad for ghosts."
"Poor Danny!"
"But we already discovered that Polyjuice Potion only works on humans. Whatever being a ghost does for Danny, he couldn't use it. Dad made Mum ask the security question about him, 'cause Danny still doesn't know that we know his secret. Professor Masters, on the other hand…" Ron shrugged.
Harry smiled warmly. "Professor Masters is officially adopting Danny."
Hermione started. "Really!"
Ron nodded. "Yup. Professor Masters said it was Danny's Christmas present to him. Danny calls him Pápa."
"Interesting." She thought for a moment. "It is unusual to hear one American call another by that specific name. But then again, Vlad, or Vladimir is also an uncommon name for an American of his generation. Professor Masters must have been a baby at the height of the Cold War." She looked squarely at Ron. "I don't know that the Wizarding World was involved in the ideological battle between capitalism and Communism."
Ron raised his hands and shook his head. This was the first he heard of it.
Hermione sighed. "I'll explain it later. The point is, it was uncommon for an American to have a Slavic name at the time Professor Masters was a baby. His parents emigrated from Romania, which was occupied by the former Soviet Union. He probably called his own father Pápa."
Harry nodded. "It must be weird for Danny, but you can get used to just about anything."
Ron started to agree, but he noticed something. "Hermione, how do you know where Professor Masters' parents came from?"
She smiled. "That was only part of what I learned over the break. Since Danny mentioned that a federal agency tormented him for being a ghost, I looked up some information on him. Based on some of the crazy things the ghosts he fights try to do, Danny really is a hero. Nick wasn't kidding. I'm not sure how he did everything, but… it's amazing."
Harry and Ron paid rapt attention. Hermione continued. "Danny comes from Amity Park, Illinois. It's about the middle of the country. His parents were famous inventors and ghost hunters. The inventions they came up with were brilliant, but based on how much pain some of these things were designed to cause the unfortunate ghost, I'm sure his parents didn't know that Danny is a ghost."
Ron cocked his head. "How could they not know?"
Harry thought about this. "If both of Danny's parents were completely human, maybe Danny wasn't born that way. And he is only half-ghost. It took us this long to figure it all out. But we've seen him use his ghostly powers and compare them to the magic we do. If Danny's parents were Muggles, all Danny would have to do to stay hidden is to stay in his human form and not use his powers around them." He frowned. "If Danny wasn't born a ghost, I wonder how he would have become one. I mean, he didn't die, or he wouldn't be, well…" He thought again. "He said some ghosts, like Nick, are spirits of dead people. Other ghosts are ectoplasmic entities. What was it he said? His favorite human called him 'an odd manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post-human consciousness,' but he's much more complicated than that."
Ron asked, "How do you remember all that?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's not important, Ron. Harry is right. But that's…" She wasn't sure how to introduce this next bit. "I learned about the Death Eater attack in Amity Park. The Muggle news outlets don't know about the Death Eaters, but a few witnesses escaped the Auror examination. The witnesses mentioned black cloaks and masks."
Harry shook his head. "But how would the Aurors have missed them?"
Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "Harry, the devastation the Death Eaters caused… They killed 852 people, and those are the numbers the Muggles know about. The Death Eaters do nothing good, Harry, but all those people…" She broke down and cried. Ron got up and hugged her.
"I see how the Aurors might have been a little distracted," Harry breathed. They took a few moments to absorb all of this. Danny was bitter about not being able to save these people, but these enemies were human, and Danny didn't like to use his powers against humans. Poor Danny!
When Hermione calmed enough for her to catch her breath, she said, "And Professor Masters… He lives in Wisconsin. That's the state north of Illinois. He… He must only be here to protect Danny from You-Know-Who. He doesn't need the job of a professor. He's a billionaire!"
Ron's jaw dropped. Harry quipped, "At least now we know why he made sure Danny has the best of everything. And that wand…"
"No, Harry," Ron interrupted. "I told the twins at some point that we figured out Danny's secret. George was annoyed, but Fred was amused, but he wouldn't say why. Fred told me about Danny's wand. When I told him about that Charms class in October when Malfoy used Danny's wand, both twins laughed. George announced that Malfoy's 'mishap' was how Danny's wand was designed to work. It didn't cost Professor Masters anything. Danny's safety is Order business, and the wand was on the house. I mean… a real wand wouldn't work for a Muggle, but could be used as a weapon against him. So Danny's wand isn't real."
"But only Danny and Professor Masters could 'use' it," Hermione murmured.
Ignoring the wand issue for the moment, Harry asked, "Why would a wizard billionaire make Muggle news?"
Hermione answered, "I'm not sure why a wizard made the Muggle news, but Professor Masters is a business magnate. He invented, owns, and runs businesses producing all kinds of technology and software. That is programming for computers." Ron nodded. Hermione didn't tell him what a computer was, but he deduced that software was instructions for how these 'computers' work. "Either Professor Masters is more interested in Muggle stuff than your father, Ron, or…" She decided not to voice her growing suspicion that the professor might not be a wizard. She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. He is terribly good at what he does, and he reaps the benefit of his work."
Ron asked logically, "So how is he running his businesses while he's teaching here?"
Hermione shrugged. "I really don't know, Ron."
Harry suggested, "Why don't we head down to dinner?" Ron grinned, and they walked down. They had a lot of information to digest.
When Draco came out of the Slytherin Common Room fireplace, he looked around. "Where's Danny?"
Pansy huffed and stormed out of the Common Room. Confused, Draco turned to Goyle. "What's wrong with her?" Goyle shrugged.
Tracey cocked her head. "You really don't know, do you? Interesting. She thinks you spend far too much time and energy on, I believe her favorite epithet is 'that Potter look-alike.' You didn't even ask her about New Year's."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Tracey, I just saw her at Christmas. She was doing marvelously. Even though we didn't have a full ball, the smaller party still danced. She was as beautiful and graceful as ever, and I told her so, then. Danny, my friend, spent his first Christmas as an orphan, and I'm concerned about him."
Caught up in Pansy's anti-Danny ranting, Tracey forgot that fact. Since some vague time towards the end of November, Danny had fewer episodes of depression and sundry dark moods. She couldn't believe she had forgotten that Danny was indeed in mourning, and Draco was one of the few people to ferret out enough information from him to be able to find a trigger to a lighter mood. Now that she thought about it, she was kind of curious where the uncle and nephew spent their holiday break. Not that she would tell Pansy…
Blaise said, "I seem to have been the first back. Danny hasn't come through here. It occurs to me that he might have come back through Professor Masters' fireplace."
"Thanks, Blaise. I didn't think of that." Draco stood for a moment, considering his options.
Blaise took a seat and asked, "So Draco, what did he get you?"
Draco smiled. "A lovely miniature Antipodean Opaleye dragon. It had a note, saying, 'A fine looking dragon for a fine friend – also a dragon.' It was clever, and interestingly sentimental."
"That is nice. I get the feeling that he received far more gifts than he gave."
Draco looked at him. "You gave him one, didn't you?"
"Yeah. I think half of Slytherin did, too."
Draco turned and nodded at Crabbe and Goyle. "I wouldn't know what to tell you about all that, but Danny sent them big bags of sweets from Honeyduke's and a note that says, 'Thanks for everything.' However, Professor Masters confused them." Blaise shook his head, waiting. "The professor sent each of them an expensive set of bookends. I'm not sure…"
Blaise laughed out loud. "Don't worry about it. Professor Masters has an odd sense of humor."
"Right." Danny was still nowhere to be seen. Draco said, "Excuse me. I have a few things to take care of before dinner." He made his way to Professor Snape's office. He knocked.
"Come in." Severus was surprised to receive students this early. "Welcome back, Draco. How was your holiday?"
Taking a seat, Draco said worriedly, "That's what I'm here to discuss."
Concern lined the professor's face. "Tell me what happened."
Draco felt safe here, but his own fear made him cast nervous glances around the room. "The Dark Lord has taken up residence in my house."
Professor Snape came around his desk to sit in the seat next to the boy. "That, by itself, could be nerve-wracking, whether or not you think of it as an honor."
"Professor, he was asking me questions about Danny. He asked me about his magic, about Professor Masters… What does he want with Danny?" Draco pled.
"Then he knows." Damn! "It is nothing you need to worry about."
"But Professor, what does he know?"
"He knows how Daniel's family died."
"But Danny never talks about that. The… He seemed annoyed that I couldn't tell him more than Danny's afraid of turning Dark. He was looking for something…"
In a tone colder than Draco was used to his Head of House using towards him, Snape said, "I dare say he was." Focusing back on the terrified boy before him, he took one of Draco's hands. "You have done well to tell me of this. What else did he ask you?"
"He asked me about Professor Masters. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell him other than he's strict, he's fair, and he did a DADA project or two with you. But… Professor, you said you'd support us, no matter what our choices."
Severus nodded. "That's right."
Draco took a breath. "Professor, I don't want to serve the Dark Lord. I realize my father did, and Aunt Bella, and Uncle Rudolfus and Uncle Rabastan, and lots of other people I know do. But… You told us to think long and hard, and weigh the pros and cons. He said he might give me a chance to redeem my family. He also made it clear that I was…" He gulped. "Expendable. He finds me… useful enough to live. For now. I'm sure that I don't want to live with this threat always over me. But I don't know what to do." Draco widened his gray eyes. "He lives in my house."
Professor Snape took both of Draco's hands. "I believe you have made a fine choice. It will be dangerous, and it will be difficult, but you are in good company. It may not be wise to publicize this fact at present. However, you should definitely inform the Headmaster. Feel free to tell Daniel. You want to feel your way around Vincent and Gregory, though I think it will prove fruitful. And…" The professor gave an amused smile. "You might like to tell Harry. With your growing… understanding, you may have a far more sympathetic audience than you might imagine."
Draco started at the last suggestion. "You like him more than just a student, don't you?"
"That is one way to put it. Yes, I do indeed, and the Headmaster…" He closed his eyes. "And Voldemort already know."
"Professor! You said his name!"
"Yes. I've decided that, when rejecting all semblance of serving the Dark Lord, it is gratifying not to be afraid to say his name. He's already attempted to have me killed at least once. I have nothing to lose by saying his name." He looked at Draco squarely. "You, on the other hand, are in a much more precarious position. Unless you are ready to let the whole of the school know your defiance against him, I would not start using Voldemort's name openly."
Draco gazed at his hands that Professor Snape held. "It wasn't easy to…" Draco didn't know how to voice his thoughts.
"No, Draco. It wasn't easy. My new situation is no easier, but it is less emotionally complicated."
Draco furrowed his brows in concentration. "So, I should tell Professor Dumbledore, Danny, Harry, and probably Crabbe and Goyle." He looked up searchingly to Severus's face. "Will this… all of this make me a bad Slytherin?"
Professor Snape frowned slightly and then raised an eyebrow. "Am I a bad Slytherin?"
Draco shook his head fervently. "No, sir. I wouldn't say so. But… the Dark Lord is the Heir of Slytherin."
The professor chuckled. "And I imagine the Bloody Baron has cursed said heir solid because as much as the Founder of our House disagreed with the others, his goal was for the good of Wizarding kind, not domination and tyranny, whatever Voldemort says. When I was a student, Professor Slughorn – my Head of House – spoke endlessly about how we could use our talents and ambitions for interesting aims that have nothing at all to do with the death and destruction of Muggles and Muggle-borns. Quite a few Aurors were Slytherins. Would you think of them as bad Slytherins?"
"N-no," Draco admitted.
Severus sighed. "Draco, you are still you. You have no need to change who you are, but you would do to pay attention to your choices. Some of those choices will have far reaching consequences. As I promised, I will gladly help you either see both sides of a difficult choice, or help you make a choice that will help keep you safe and sane, or… will, at least, be to your benefit." Draco nodded.
"I like some of your later choices. You should know you are not alone. Among the Slytherins, you are not alone. And I can tell you now that – at the very least – Daniel will heartily approve."
Draco smiled for the first time since he entered the office. "Thanks, sir." They both stood up, and Severus hugged Draco.
"Was there anything else?"
"No, sir."
"Then let's get ready to go to dinner."
Danny and Vlad teleported to Vlad's rooms. There was a tree left in front of the couch in the living room. Danny exclaimed, "Whoa! But how did that…"
Vlad chuckled. "Daniel, I told you, the elves…" He stopped and laughed whole-heartedly.
Danny looked askance. "What?"
Wiping a tear of mirth from his eye, Vlad said, "The irony is too delicious. Your parents used to fight endlessly, annually, about the existence of Santa Claus. They always disagreed, but they started getting heatedly vocal about it on the college debate team, and they never let it go, as you well know. Regardless of Santa," Vlad rolled his eyes, "there is no doubt that the elves sent and arranged for the pick-up and delivery of gifts." He smirked.
"Arg!" Danny thought he managed to escape all traces of the argument, but no. Vlad snickered at Danny's reaction. "Thanks, Pápa. Just what I needed."
"Oh, please, Daniel. How can you be annoyed when… the twelfth day of Christmas looks like the first day? Come, let's…" A knock on the door interrupted him. "What now?"
Danny opened the door. "Professor Sprout! Hi!"
"Welcome back, Danny. Professor."
Vlad sighed. No one could stay angry with this woman for long. "Good day, Professor. How was your holiday?"
Pomona smiled. "Very well indeed. It was a joy to see the children and grandchildren. I understand you did a bit of travelling?"
Furrowing his brows, Vlad said, "Yes. How do you…"
"Professor, as a member of the Order, it is my job to know about the safety of one of my most attentive and security challenged students and his guardian." She winked at Danny, who was a little behind Danny once Vlad came to the door.
Danny smiled, so Vlad sighed. "Very well, Madam. How can I help you?"
Professor Sprout's smile broadened. "More to the point, I'm here to help you. When I returned to the school from my vacation, one of the house-elves told me that he sent all of your gifts from the Wizarding World to your room." She peered at and under the tree. "Apparently, he did well. However, I'm here to do the job he could not do." Vlad cocked his head. "Because You-Know-Who has a personal manhunt out for Danny, whether or not he knows who you are, I'm here to scan your gifts for Dark magic." She raised a Secrecy Sensor that was ignored until now.
Vlad frowned. "But who would want to hurt Daniel?"
The Hufflepuff sighed. "Professor, the answer to that is complicated. First of all, Danny is in Slytherin. This shouldn't make a difference, but there are any number of students who might be jealous or resentful of him and his academic success and popularity," Danny gasped, "and planned something unkind. Secondly, students who are children of Death Eaters may have been directed to make gifts of Portkeys to Danny to bring him to You-Know-Who."
Danny started getting worried. "But who would know my secret?"
Professor Sprout frowned. "This requires a longer conversation. May I…"
Vlad winced and slapped his head. "Of course. Please forgive me. Come on in." He directed her to a chair by the fire, and Vlad steered Danny to a couch, and wrapped a protective arm around him.
Tapping her chin for a moment, the witch continued, "Danny, you asked about who knows your secret. The six students who figured out that you and… may I call you Vlad?"
Raising both eyebrows, he answered, "Only if I can call you Pomona."
She smiled. "Very good. The six students who know you and Vlad are only partially human have not done or said anything to compromise you further. There are students who may be jealous of your relationship to Harry Potter who may have said something. Severus's position as faithful to Professor Dumbledore has been uncovered to You-Know-Who, so students might… That's not right. Severus has an unfortunate tendency to favor all of his Slytherins. You wouldn't stand out amongst your Housemates that way." She frowned in thought.
"Danny, whether it might be for personal reasons, political reasons, or any other ideological reason that only marginally deals with you personally, your gifts should be checked for Dark magic. Aurors were sent to the homes of Muggle-born students, and witches and wizards who are parents and guardians will have scanned the gifts of other students. Professor Dumbledore and the other Heads of House know I'm here to help you with this."
Danny dropped his head. "So much for my stress-free Christmas."
Vlad looked at Pomona, the gifts, and back at the boy by his side. "Daniel, you gave 16 people gifts. You received… at least five times as many, I would guess." He put a fist to his mouth in thought. "That is rather impressive. You have a lot of admirers, or stalkers. I'm not sure what to think. But you know, Daniel, this can be a very good thing if all of these are from well-wishers."
Danny shrugged, still slumped. Professor Sprout said, "Why don't you have some tea while I get started on this? Or, if you prefer, you can open them as I check them."
Danny understood the need for this type of security, but it sort of took the fun out of the whole concept of receiving gifts. He sighed in resignation. "What do you say, Pápa?"
Professor Sprout jerked her head. "Really? Over the holiday? How lovely for you!"
Vlad sat a bit straighter, tightening his one-arm hold on Danny. "Yes, it is. Whatever else we do or don't receive, Daniel is my best gift yet. My son! But as for your question, I think you should open them as you go, starting with… the names of the people you sent gifts. After that, everything is bonus."
Danny smiled. "Thanks, Pápa."
Pomona rested her chin in a hand. She whispered, "Nicely done, Vlad. Nicely done." To Danny, she said, "That works. Whose would you like to open first?"
Harry gave Danny a one-volume book containing the five novels and one story of the Hitchhiker's Guide series, which amused both Danny and Vlad. Draco gave him a marble wizard chess set with gold highlights. Danny thought that was gaudy, but Vlad admired the craftsmanship in its make. Professor Snape got him a Sneak-o-scope with instructions how to use it. (Vlad sighed with relief when it didn't react to him.) Mrs. Weasley made Danny a sweater, and he smiled when he realized Vlad also received one. Apparently, the senior Weasleys accepted them into their clan.
Danny and Vlad spent the next hour and a half opening gifts after Pomona thoroughly examined them with the Secrecy Sensor and other detection spells. There were three Portkeys, two packages containing sweets with love potion (Danny was disturbed that one of them came from a boy), and a few other items of questionable origin. If gifts were deemed safe but came without tags naming who sent them, Professor Sprout Banished them to Professor Dumbledore's office for further study.
When she finished with the last one, Professor Sprout stood up, tucked the Secrecy Sensor under her arm, and dusted off her hands. "That's done. With a few exceptions, it looks like both of you were given a healthy welcome to the Wizarding World, though the greeters are mostly unwitting about such things."
Danny sighed. "Thanks, Professor. I know Pápa said this was good, and it is kinda cool, but… how did I get so popular? I mean, this is different than the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin thing. It's… not about Harry or Draco winning something. This is much bigger."
Vlad shook his head. "Pomona, would you do the honors?"
Professor Sprout said, "There are lots of reasons you have so many fans. My observations are many. Are you sure you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Very well. You are a new student, and you have a mysterious background. People want to get to know you better. Anyone who has been in class with you knows of your cast-iron integrity. Therefore (among other things), you are trustworthy. You look like and are friends with Harry Potter, which are facts that bring with them a whole host of friends and enemies, just because it's Harry. And there are those who feel that if they ingratiate themselves with you, they will learn more of your mysteries." She smiled at him. "And you should never forget your modest charm. You are well meaning and congenial, and confident about who you are as a person, and you are willing to see the best in people. Therefore, people are willing to return that confidence to you, wanting to see the best in you. You inspire loyalty. Further…" Her smile broadened at his blush. "You seem to be totally unaware of your virtues. That is almost always an appealing feature."
Danny was speechless. Vlad laughed again. What the good professor said was absolutely true. Amused, Vlad said, "And let's not forget your noble streak, whereby you always feel the need to protect the unprotected or the underdog. There are people who admire you simply for being 'a good guy.' It's who you are. It's who you've chosen to be." He thought for a moment. "It used to annoy me, but it is an endless source of pride."
"Pápa…"
"And it's wonderfully entertaining to save you from your modesty."
Danny threw his hands up and peevishly snapped, "I give up!" This only made Vlad laugh again and he hugged Danny, who grumbled but didn't resist. This was a fun way to tease his son. He must make sure to use this again, at a later time.
At dinner, Draco popped into the seat next to Danny. "So how are you? How was your vacation? Where did you go?" Crabbe and Goyle were interested. Pansy shot him an evil look and started talking to Tracey.
Danny started at the dirty look. Without commentary, Draco's apologetic look told him they needed to discuss this at a later time. Danny shrugged. "I'm doing well. Vacation was great! We visited… well, we visited some friends I haven't seen in a long time. I didn't anticipate going to the Weasleys' house at New Year's Eve, but…" Danny glanced at the Head table. "He loves surprises. He didn't tell me anything until we left on December 21."
Draco huffed. "The Weasleys!?" Draco glared at Professor Masters, who was deep in discussion with Professor Snape. The blond ran a hand through his hair. If Danny didn't know the travel plans until the last minute, said travel plans were clearly not his design or fault. Shaking his head, he looked back to Danny. "There's no accounting for taste."
Danny decided that if Draco had issues with his travel itinerary, Draco could take it up with Vlad. "So, how was the wedding?"
Draco smiled. "It was wonderful. I'm not sure I've heard quite so many people speak with your accent before." Danny chuckled. "Mother was pleased to see so many members of our family."
Danny thought for a second, and quietly asked, "No one gave you a hard time because of your father, did they?"
Draco narrowed his eyes for a moment, and then he sighed. "No. They keep up with the news, and they were tastefully discreet. But it was such a joyous occasion, no one had too much time to worry about some of the Darker goings on."
Danny noticed as Draco's face turned ashen. "Draco, what's wrong?"
"We need to find some time to talk. Privately."
Giving his friend a sidelong glance, Danny said, "Ooookay. How about tomorrow, afternoon break?"
Draco's shoulders stopped shaking. "Perfect."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Now, I will be."
After Danny's evening 'alone time' with Vlad, Danny changed for bed and left a duplicate with his eyes closed. He turned ghost and teleported to just outside Myrtle's bathroom, and he knocked.
"Danny!" Myrtle hugged him when she came out to greet him.
"Hey, Myrtle. Where would you like to go tonight?"
She giggled. "I hear the seventh floor has a swell tapestry. The Grey Lady and I are going to discuss Barnabas the Barmy in great depth tomorrow."
Danny raised an eyebrow. "It's 'swell,' huh? I see Sydney's rubbed off on you." They soared upward.
"Yeah. I asked Professor Dumbledore if… well, if I could have my case reviewed. I haven't really bothered anybody too much since after Olive Hornby. And…" Myrtle flushed silver. "I'd like to visit Sydney in the Ghost Zone. He might find it easier to get permission to visit here. But then again…" She shrugged. "I don't know. He's a Muggle. But so are you. And he's a ghost. He has powers, too, but not anything like you, Danny."
Danny chuckled. "That would be hard. But you're right. He does." Myrtle Duncan and Sydney Poindexter… Who would have thought of it? "You guys like each other, don't you?"
Myrtle shyly ducked her head. "Yeah." She looked up, hoping Danny approved.
Danny laughed delightedly. "Good for you! Now that I think about it, you probably have a lot in common. Also the times you were alive weren't too far apart, either. But Myrtle… I visited his section of the Ghost Zone. I'm not sure…"
"Um… Danny, Sydney told me a little about the first time you met." She cocked her head. "You weren't really a bully, were you?"
Danny sighed. He stretched out in the air in the relative privacy of the late night on the seventh floor. "No, Myrtle. Actually, the bigger guys from the sports teams spent time bullying me, particularly Dash Baxter. Pity he didn't survive the Death Eater attack, though." He creased his brows and stayed quiet for a moment. He sighed again. "I guess I had enough – my human form isn't anywhere near as strong as my ghost form. Sydney managed to start noticing as I fought back. I, um… I started using my powers against Dash. The fact that Dash made me his personal punching bag (when he could catch me) doesn't excuse the fact that when I use my powers against any human, he is at a supreme disadvantage."
Myrtle hugged Danny. "It must have been hard for you at Casper High."
Danny smiled. "It wasn't too bad. I spent more than enough time with Sam and Tucker to make up for having to deal with Dash." He looked away from her. "I even saved Dash a few times from various malevolent ghosts."
Laughing mirthlessly, Danny said, "It's kind of ironic. As much as he picked on me when I was human, he practically idolized me as a ghost. One pretty girl I liked wanted nothing to do with me as a human, but she had a shrine to me in my ghost form in her locker. It was kind of creepy. However, she was the only human in Amity Park besides Sam, Tucker, and my sister to connect my human and ghost forms. (She never figured out that I was the same person, but she did figure out my ghost form shows up wherever my human form is.)" Myrtle giggled.
Danny's ghost sense went off. "Who's there?"
A ghost Danny recognized as Vlad's messenger (or pilot in that 'cruel hoax') showed up. "You're Myrtle, right?"
She studied this new ghost. "Yes, I am. What do you want?"
"I'm here to deliver this gift to you from Plasmius."
"But how can I…"
"Plasmius directed me to turn it intangible first. You can touch it in any event. It's of ghostly origin."
Myrtle blinked. "Really? What is it?"
Danny murmured, "I wonder…" When he didn't say anything, Myrtle shrugged and took off the wrapping.
Myrtle opened her eyes wide. "It's a book. The Ghostwriter wrote it!"
The messenger said, "That's right. Danny, Plasmius has your copy, as well as his own."
Danny grinned. "It's a retelling of the Christmas party in poem form! Who else is on your delivery list?"
Expressionless, the messenger said, "Well… in the Ghost Zone, there was Clockwork, Frostbite, and Dora. I've already made a delivery to your four House Ghosts and Professor Binns. I've left copies for your Professors Dumbledore and Snape with Plasmius. Plasmius told me you could open a portal directly to Wulf's lair, and Wulf can open one back from there to Plasmius's home in Wisconsin. I've got other things to do there."
"Dude!" Well, just because Vlad wasn't home didn't mean that someone wasn't home to upkeep maintenance. "Well… Thanks. What is your name, by the way?"
"I'm Brian. Now, if you please…?"
Danny sighed. "Sure thing. Please tell Wulf I said, 'Hi.' And, um…" Danny backed away and thought for a minute. He concentrated a beam from his hands into the space in front of him, and a fully formed, life-sized ice sculpture of Wulf appeared. "Can you give him this for me?"
The messenger sighed and nodded. Danny blushed. "Sorry. Right." He opened a portal. "And not a word to Walker!"
"Of course not. Plasmius already said as much. I'll see you next time he sends me this way." With that, he took the statue and his much lighter satchel and disappeared into the portal.
Myrtle stared and murmured, "I didn't know you could do that, Danny. The ice, the portal…"
Danny shrugged. "They're useful powers to have. I discovered them while I was here, and…" Myrtle's gaze of adoration was disconcerting. "Hey, Myrtle, why don't I take you home so you can get started reading?"
She tore her eyes from her hero and looked back to the book in her hands. "Actually, Danny, if you don't mind," she blushed silver. "I'd like to stay here and read for a bit. While my bathroom is home, it's a little bit wet. I'll find a dry place to keep my book later – after I finish reading it."
Furrowing his brows, Danny remarked, "Myrtle, your book is as intangible as you are."
"Yeah, and the only non-ghostly objects I can touch are water and pipes."
Danny blushed red and sucked air through his teeth. "Sorry, Myrtle. I forgot."
Myrtle patted his hand. "It's okay, Danny." She thought for a second and then hugged him. "You have a good night. I'll be a little busy this evening."
Danny bid her farewell and headed towards the stairs, still a bit distracted. He thought about Myrtle and Sydney, and about Vlad's ghostly employees. Here in Hogwarts, it was easy to forget about the fact that the world was still out there. Vlad still had businesses to run and next Saturday he was going to email his secretary about making an appointment with his lawyer to make the adoption legal.
Danny's adoption aside, it was relatively easy to forget the Real World, or more to the point, the Muggle World. After all, people here received a newspaper. The Daily Prophet was a great favorite, although Harry didn't care for it. Witch Weekly was often in the hands of lots of the girls around here. And Luna had the Quibbler.
It was so weird to realize that he's been months away from television, radio, the Internet, and even the Chicago Tribune. Vlad regularly picked up the Wall Street Journal, but…
"Hi, Danny!" He looked up. Luna stood, leaning on a mop. "Thank you ever so much for the lovely necklace you gave me for Christmas. The gold chain with the sapphire heart in the bronze setting was beautiful, and thoughtful, and perfect. I hope you got the bracelet I sent you. Butterbeer corks keep away the Nargles, you know."
Danny stared. "But… you called me…"
Luna looked thoughtful. "Sorry. Was I not supposed to know? But, except for the color of your hair and eyes, you look exactly the same."
Danny leaned against the wall and slid to sit on a dry piece of floor. "Is it that obvious?"
Luna cocked her head for a moment. "It is to me. But then, I notice things lots of other people miss." Taking in Danny's pained expression, she said, "It seems important that no one else notices. I won't tell anyone. You're my friend. And in your note on my present, you called me 'your mysterious friend,' so it's good we agree."
"Thanks, Luna."
"You're very welcome. As you came down the stairs, you had a tail. The ghosts of Hogwarts don't have a tail, but I've seen Muggle depictions of ghosts and genies with tails. You don't seem to be bound to anything or anyone, so I'd say you're a ghost, at least part of the time." Danny's eyes grew wide as Luna frowned in concentration. "That's how you can make Peeves mind!" She paused. "Danny, did your parents know you are a ghost?"
Danny sighed. "No. It was a lot safer for them not to know." Luna was thoughtful, and then she nodded. "Luna, how did you come to be here?"
"Well, when I first came back, I went to the library to do some research. Some of the students are not kind, and as I left the library someone tore my backpack, upending my inkbottle. Mr. Filch saw me picking up my things, but he was rather upset at the spilled ink. He gave me detention, and I had to mop the whole hall in front of the library. Mr. Filch already removed the stain, but I'm nearly finished with my twice-over."
Danny stood up and narrowed his eyes. "How often does this kind of thing happen?"
Luna widened her eyes. "Thank you for asking. At the end of last year, Harry asked me that as well. This type of thing happens a lot, unfortunately." Danny noticed that Luna was not at all bitter, but stated this matter-of-factly. She was positively serene.
Danny needed a chance to process all of this information. "Luna, how much more do you have left to go?"
Looking at the mop at her hand, and then at the hall they were in, she said, "From here to the end of the corridor."
"Let me finish it for you."
Luna grasped the mop. "Oh, no, Danny. I couldn't. Mr. Filch was very specific about that."
Danny shook his head. "Luna, I know Mr. Filch. He was upset about the extra work that the spill caused him to do. He wanted the one who caused that, unfortunately this time it was you, to appreciate how much work he has to do. You're almost finished. You're tired, and this wasn't even your fault." He thought for a second. "I promise I won't use magic to do it."
Luna saw that Danny was serious and determined. "Are you sure about this?"
"Absolutely."
She sighed. "It is late. Only if you're sure…" Danny took the mop from her. "Thank you, Danny. I am tired. You are a good friend." She sat on the floor and watched Danny finish up.
As Danny mopped, he thought about Luna. Danny had his fill of dealing with Dash, and now he stayed out of sight of Cormac McLaggen. But Dash… Dash made his freshman and sophomore years at Casper High miserable, and Danny resented him for all the pain, locker stuffings, and other bizarre torments he caused. But because Danny had ghost powers and ghostly strength, he should have been above it. It was hard, no question, but… He sighed.
Luna, on the other hand, was above it. If she resented the way she was treated, she didn't let it show. Her lack of fight was not due to a lack of ability. She was involved in the Battle at the Ministry, and Harry said that she fought bravely until she was knocked unconscious. Danny wasn't sure of Luna's reasons, but she simply didn't see the common teenage torments as a cause for outrage. She was simply better than that; she was above it. It wasn't an act. Luna was so frank, it was obvious that she wasn't hiding anything.
Danny flushed in shame. He had responsibilities to keep. If Luna could stand firm in the face of common bullying, perhaps he could learn a thing or two from her.
Danny finished the floor and came back to Luna. "That's done. Listen. If anyone does this type of thing to you, let me know. I'll…"
"Danny, I wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble."
He sighed. "Fair enough. But tell me anyway. I know a few tricks to keep bullies at bay. And if they don't work, I do have a few things I could do to counteract whatever it is they want to do."
Luna smiled. The gentle, serene smile seemed to light the whole corridor. "Thank you, Danny. Your attention to these things is very kind."
Danny straightened his shoulders protectively. "Not a problem. Not at all. It's late. Why don't you let me carry you to Ravenclaw Tower?"
"But…"
"It's no trouble at all. I promise."
"Alright, then. Thank you again. Let's wait for Mr. Filch to come back and see that the work is done."
Danny nodded. "Fair enough." He adopted his tail. He was about to seek out the school caretaker when he came into the hall.
Mr. Filch inspected the floor. "You've done this twice?"
Luna nodded. "It's been done twice-over."
Mr. Filch grunted. "It is satisfactory. And… You're that new ghost the House Ghosts speak well of. Well, be off with you, Miss Lovegood. As you were, Phantom." With that, Mr. Filch collected the mop and the bucket of water, and disappeared around a corner.
Danny picked Luna up bridal style and started flying towards Luna's dorm. "Luna, what were you researching?"
Luna smiled again. "Well, Daddy wants to travel for part of the summer looking for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, and I wanted to learn more about Sweden, their natural habitat."
Danny said, "Hagrid didn't assign us a book describing Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. What do they look like?"
"They have an enormous gray, spiraled horn, not unlike a unicorn. If the horn breaks, their horns repair themselves. Snorkacks are several feet long, and they have tiny little ears, a bit like a hippo's, Daddy says, only purple and hairy. And if you want to call them, you have to hum; they prefer a waltz, nothing too fast…"
"Hold on a minute. You said a unicorn-like horn, tiny hippo-like ears, but a huge animal, right?"
Luna nodded. "That's right."
Danny stopped in flight. "I've seen one of those. Well, a ghost version of one."
Luna tightened her hold around Danny's neck. "Really? Where did you see… a ghost version?" She frowned sadly. "That means it's dead, doesn't it?"
Danny smiled. "Not really. I'm a ghost, and I'm not dead. Actually, there are lots of ghosts made of ectoplasm that never lived… in this world. They exist in the Ghost Zone. It's an alternate dimension where ghosts who have no Earthly haunts dwell."
"Oh, Danny, that's wonderful! We must get together and discuss all kinds of things."
A warm feeling overtook Danny. This was as close to a date as he had ever come in this school! "Sure. How about next weekend?"
Luna looked thoughtful. "Well, Saturday, I have a regular study group with Colin Creevey, Ginny Weasley, and a few more Fifth Years I don't know if you know. Because of our OWLs, we are only leaving off studying for Quidditch. You know that on January 25, Ravenclaw is playing Slytherin."
"I know. They asked me to play Seeker."
"Oh! Well… you know I'll be watching. But… how about Sunday after the DA meeting?"
Danny set her down on the landing. "Sounds good to me. I'll meet you outside the Great Hall."
Luna grabbed the bronze eagle-shaped knocker and knocked. A musical, tinkling voice asked, "How is it that Dark creatures often get along well with humans?"
Danny's eyes flew wide open. Luna answered, "A Dark creature has a greater potential for evil, but it is not necessarily evil. Therefore, there is no foregone reason one could not get along swimmingly with anyone."
"Well reasoned and well said." The door swung open.
Luna kissed Danny on the cheek. "I'll look forward to seeing you then. Good night."
He watched her enter her Common Room. "I'm looking forward to it, too," he murmured to the closed door. Then he disappeared in a puff green mist.
Monday morning, Vlad greeted his Sixth Year DADA class. "Welcome back, and we're ready to move on to Part Two of the curriculum. First term, we discussed various Dark creatures that are humanoid or partially human, and the relevant psychology involved in dealing with them. This term, we will discuss Dark creatures that have specific adverse effects on human psychology (or biology, as the case may be).
"Who, here, can tell me about Dementors?" Vlad was surprised to see every hand up. "Interesting," he murmured. "Miss Abbot?"
Hannah answered, "They're foul creatures that drain peace, hope, and happiness from the people around them."
"Very good. Anyone else?" Again, every student had a hand up. He had his choice of students. "Miss Patil, ah, Parvati?"
"The first sign of their presence is sudden darkness followed by biting cold. And they look like they wear dark cloaks." Vlad widened his eyes as all Gryffindors glared at Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. All three Slytherins blushed as deeply as their coloring allowed. Vlad realized there was an interesting story here.
"Well done." He beamed as he looked around the room. Vlad sighed in contentment. It was unfortunate that so many students knew about Dementors from their up close and personal experience in Third Year, but it made his job easier. However, the Slytherins' story must be worth hearing, perhaps from the Gryffindor perspective.
"Mr. Malfoy, what do you have to add?"
Still a deep shade of pink, Draco avoided looking at Harry. "The… They are allies of… the Dark Lord. I understand they were breeding this summer." Vlad raised his eyebrows.
"Interesting."
Vlad acknowledged Lisa's hand. "When they get close enough to a person, they make a person forget all of their happy memories and focus on their worst memories. The worse the memories, the worse a person's reaction to them." Vlad smiled and nodded at her.
"Anyone else?" All twenty-five hands were up. This was definitely a record. "Mr. Finch-Fletchley?"
"Their worst weapon is more dangerous than death. A Dementor's Kiss involves sucking the soul from a person. For the longest time, the Kiss was used by the Ministry as a punishment for the most heinous crimes, until the Dementors abandoned Azkaban and Ministry control to rejoin You-Know-Who."
Vlad noticed that Harry trembled with anger. "Mr. Potter?"
"I've had far too many personal experiences with Dementors. They seem to like singling me out." Gritting his teeth, he muttered, "What else is new?" Vlad blinked. "But if they haven't administered the Kiss, the deep depression and despair, and other nasty after-effects can be cured by eating chocolate."
Danny, who was listening carefully, put down his hand. "You're joking, Harry."
"No, I'm not, Danny." He thought for a second. "It is ironic, but Muggles know that eating chocolate can have an almost anti-depressant effect, but they don't know it is a restorative from a brush with Dementors."
Vlad was intrigued by the shape the classroom discussion took. "Why is it ironic, Mr. Potter?"
"Because Muggles can't see them. And even when Dementors are not involved, there is a chemical reaction. It is ironic particularly because… most Muggles don't know of its true medicinal purpose."
"Well stated." A few students looked pained, but kept their hands up. "Mr. Smith?"
Zacharias narrowed his eyes. "You can fight Dementors by casting a Patronus. Harry started teaching the DA last year. But not everyone can do it."
Blaise spat, "You're just mad because you can't do it. Other members of last year's DA can."
Danny looked at Vlad. "Come on," he whispered.
Vlad sighed. "Mr. Zabini, while your comment is probably accurate, it is also quite a difficult spell. Mr. Potter had a strong determination to succeed, and he had a gracious, patient tutor." Vlad thought for a moment about his conversation with Severus, Remus, and Arthur on the matter. "The Patronus Charm, like many forms of advanced magic, requires firm emotional control. To create a Patronus, you need to focus firmly on an intensely positive thought, and it is even more difficult when all the while battling the depression brought on by the Dementors. Mr. Potter's corporeal Patronus is more powerful than those of some wizards twice his age." Harry blushed, while Ron, Hermione, and Danny beamed.
Vlad continued. "The fact that students are capable of performing this spell at all is remarkable. The fact that Mr. Potter taught other students to successfully conjure a Patronus," he smiled at Danny, "is the best proof that he is the most appropriate choice for a leader of the DA. I highly recommend this spell as the next one learned this Sunday."
Danny raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Fenton?"
Putting a hand on the back of his neck, Danny asked, "It was said that Dementors look like they wear black cloaks, but Muggles can't see them. What do Muggles experience if they can't see what's going on?"
Vlad thoroughly enjoyed the level of class participation today. "That is a good question. Miss Granger, would you tell him the answer?"
Hermione thought for a moment. It wasn't until this summer that Harry told her what Dudley said he felt. She knew the answer, but she wasn't sure how Harry would feel about her simply stating it, considering what happened with Dudley. She looked to Harry, who nodded encouragingly. She answered, "They feel the cold, and the depression, and fear because they don't know why they had the sudden mood change."
Danny nodded, but looked troubled. He wasn't sure how to ask his question without giving away his secret.
Vlad telegraphed Danny's problem. "Different magical creatures respond differently. For example, centaurs respond to Dementors the same way human wizards do. The ghosts that inhabit Hogwarts, while displaying emotions of… the living, are not affected, but they can see the Dementors."
Danny frowned. "But Pápa…" The class, minus Hermione, Ron, and Harry, gasped.
"We'll speak about this later," Vlad told him.
Looking between Danny and the professor, Draco was the first student to find his voice. "He called you 'Pápa.' But you're his uncle."
Vlad raised his eyebrows and surveyed his class. He smiled smugly. "Indeed. Over the holiday break, Daniel and I came to an understanding, and I am officially adopting him. He is now my son. It may take you time to get used to it, but this is the last of the class time we will spend discussing it.
"We have spent a great deal of time simply discussing what Dementors are, and salient points regarding them, and protective measures necessary to take against them. But like all sentient creatures (though their sentience has no resemblance to anything human), they have the ability to reason, and reach logical conclusions, though their logic system is nothing like our own. They have reasons; they have motivations.
"Dementors served Voldemort in the last war. Then they served the Ministry as prison guards at Azkaban. And now, they serve Voldemort again. While looking for a plentiful food source, the Dementors switched sides to accommodate themselves. But why would they choose to ally themselves to the humans they would prefer to suck soulless? I want two feet minimum on the possible motivations of Dementors and their apparent shift in loyalties. Cite all of your sources."
By the time the Sixth Years were on their way to the Charms classroom, there were two main topics of conversation: Danny's adoption by Professor Masters (no one was brave enough to ask Danny about his choice of last name yet), and a sign that showed up in all four Common Rooms. It read:
APPARITION LESSONS
If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost: 12 Galleons.
The Gryffindors heard about Harry's experience with side-along Apparation and pestered Harry for a description of the sensation. Harry heard Danny's laughter as he got to the Charms classroom.
Danny was still laughing. "I can't believe people would pay the Ministry for these lessons!"
Seamus glared at him. "Then how do you think we'll learn it?"
"Dude, the sign is for apparition lessons. People need lessons from the Ministry on how to become ghosts?" He laughed again.
Draco's eyes widened. "No, Danny. I didn't correct you before, because I thought you were simply railing against the government fees. (You wouldn't be the first, you know.) But these are lessons to teach us to Apparate – you know, materializing somewhere else."
Danny stared. "But that would be Apparation. An apparition is a ghost. And this mistake is on government approved signs."
Harry shrugged. "It wouldn't be the only thing the government's doing wrong."
Pansy hissed nastily, "Danny's just jealous. He's only fifteen now, and won't be able to take lessons this year."
Danny was about to shrug or make a dismissive comment, until Ron said, "But Danny already can Apparate. He doesn't need the lessons."
Danny's eyes flew wide open. "How do you know?"
Professor Flitwick carefully observed the class. Most of the class goggled with wonder. Hermione smacked Ron in the back of the head, and Harry grimaced apologetically. Ernie, Terry, Lisa, Michael, and Mandy nodded, but almost as one cocked their heads in a cross between understanding and curiosity. Everyone else had expressions of awe, jealousy, or simple disbelief. It was time to step in.
"As far as Apparation goes, Mr. Fenton can do it, and an astute observation about the spelling. Five points to Slytherin for your clever catch. But in general… The age limit in America for licensing modes of transportation is younger than it is here. There is a younger age limit for the licensing for driving automobiles, and there is a younger age limit for Apparating.
"However, Mr. Fenton has not had the chance to register with our Ministry to make sure there are no problems. As such, this was meant to be kept quiet. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Fenton, and Miss Granger, I would like you to stay after class, so we can discuss how you know information that is supposed to be left undiscussed."
Hagrid already told him that Ernie and Terry knew that Danny was not entirely human, and Professor Binns told him that the Sixth Year history class had figured out the same.
"But now, we will leave the discussion of Apparation, and focus on today's lesson."
At the end of class, Pansy sneered, Tracey rolled her eyes, and Draco looked concerned. The four Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuff almost in the know were as reluctant to leave as Draco was. "Mr. Malfoy, you will have Mr. Fenton back by lunch. Be off with you. You five… I'll see you in my office during the afternoon break. Now, shoo."
Danny refused to look anyone in the face until he, Harry, and his buddies were the only students left in the class. The four students sat in the front row. Professor Flitwick sat on the edge of his desk, cast a Silencing Charm and a Sealing Charm on the door, and crossed his arms. He glowered at the Gryffindors. "Talk."
Hermione kicked Ron's leg, which got him started. "I'm sorry, Danny. I didn't mean…"
Danny gasped, "How did you know I can Apparate?"
The three Gryffindors exchanged a glance. Harry nodded once to steady himself. "Danny… we've known your secrets – almost all of them – since December 9, the day after the first DA meeting."
Professor Flitwick was of two minds about the matter; he was annoyed at them because of the breach in Danny's security, but he was proud that they were clever enough to figure it out. "How did you figure it out?" Simple curiosity beat anger.
Hermione ventured, "We've noticed little things all year. Professor Masters made odd comments to you in class, other odd things…"
Ron said, "And your shield. It was different, but similar to…"
With a hand wave, Harry cut him off. He said gently, "Danny, you and Phantom have the same accent, the same mannerisms, and the same generosity of spirit. In November, I saw the full gamut of all your powers, except the two you held off for Professor Snape and… your mentor. Professor Masters is a half-ghost, too, isn't he?"
Danny groaned and buried his head in his arms on the desk.
Ron looked thoughtful. "That explains a few things. Like when you said that he appreciates you for what you are…" Danny groaned again.
Harry said, "The shield was the biggest tip-off, though. Your ectoplasmic glass is different than a Protego, which looks the same no matter where a wizard is from. And… we know you're a Muggle."
Danny lifted his head, his eyes glassy. "I give up. Are all of my secrets so transparent? Luna figured out that I'm a half-ghost last night, and that came because she just saw me in ghost form. You three seem to have figured out everything. And my History of Magic class, Ernie, and Melissa Spradt have figured out that I'm only partially human, but they haven't figured out my other half yet.
"In Amity Park, I fought ghosts for two years, and no one besides my two best friends (who were there during my accident with my parents' Ghost Portal, binding ectoplasm to my DNA) and my sister figured it out. And only one other person figured out there was any connection between my two forms. I just… Arg!" He threw his hands up. "I just give up."
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the professor looked at each other; no one counted on Danny's despair. Harry got up and hugged Danny. "Listen, Danny. You need to know about the… few people who have figured anything out. First of all – the three of us right here like you. Uncle Vlad knows we know," Hermione's eyes widened and Professor Flitwick blinked. "And Severus knows. We promised them, and now we promise you to keep all of your secrets. I know a thing or two about keeping secrets for security reasons. Speaking of, if you ever come in contact with Voldemort's snake, fry it on contact. Incinerate it. Just trust me."
Danny blinked at this seeming non sequitur.
Harry continued. "Luna is a special soul. Maybe it has to do with her father, or maybe it's just her. She has an uncanny way of seeing things, knowing things… Even if she figured out your deepest, darkest secret on first contact, I would say, that's just Luna. She is a special person to have as a friend." Professor Flitwick smiled. Miss Lovegood has come into some very good friends. It was about time.
Hermione asked, "Who is in your History class?"
Danny shrugged and looked at his desk. "Terry Boot, Lisa Turpin, Michael Corner, and Mandy Brocklehurst."
Hermione nodded. "Terry, Michael, Luna, and Ernie were in the DA last year. They knew the merit of keeping secrets for doing the right thing. Lisa and Mandy…"
"I will be speaking to your History class and Mr. Macmillan during the afternoon break." Professor Flitwick thought for a moment. "Professor Binns and Hagrid informed me of their discovery, and as the Head of House of your History class, it was up to me to know such things and keep them in check. Mr. Macmillan and Miss Spradt are in Hufflepuff, but it all amounts to the same thing."
Ron chimed in, "They like you, and out of House pride, they would be loyal to you and your secrets. It makes sense."
Danny sighed miserably. Ron asked, "Which professors know?"
Professor Flitwick sighed in sympathy. "Professor Masters, of course. The Headmaster, the four Heads of House, Hagrid, and Firenze."
Hermione realized something. "And all of the Hogwarts ghosts!"
Danny breathed, "Yeah." An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.
Professor Flitwick broke it. "Incidentally, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you at 8:00 this evening, Harry."
Harry nodded in acknowledgement and then thought for a moment. "Danny, I realize that no one can replace Jazz, Sam, and Tucker, and it would be wrong to try. But you know… It might make your life a little simpler to have a few people who know your secret. If you need to talk to someone and get a peer perspective… it won't be perfect, as your perspective is unique. But we can be there for you."
Professor Flitwick observed in wonder. He originally anticipated needing to do major damage control. Here, these students managed to resolve all the problems presented on their own.
Danny looked up. "Really?"
Harry smiled. "What are cousins for?" Danny smiled for the first time since the incident happened in class.
At lunch, Draco and Danny decided to use an unused classroom in the dungeon for their conversation. When the afternoon break rolled around, Draco pulled Danny into the classroom and put a Silencing Charm on the door. Danny peaked his eyebrows. "Draco, what's going on?"
Draco relaxed his shoulders, and waved Danny over to a seat. Once both were sitting, Draco sorted out how to begin this. "You know, at dinner last night, I was surprised that you went to the Weasleys. But as for you not coming to my house, it was just as well."
"Huh?"
Draco bit his lip, and then smoothed out his features into a calmer mask. "Th… Voldemort stationed himself in my house. I'm not sure what's going on, but you were right about everything about him. He, um… Danny, he was asking questions about you and Professor Masters. He…" Draco took a breath.
"Danny, I don't want anything to do with him. I remember a while ago telling you that I was thinking about becoming a…" He shuddered. "I don't want anything to do with Death Eaters, for all that my father, my aunt, two of my uncles, and quite a few other people I know of are. Professor Snape said you would especially appreciate knowing this."
Danny nodded. "I do." He put a calming hand on Draco's arm. "Draco, you made a good choice."
Draco looked at the ceiling for a second or two. "Crabbe and Goyle's fathers are Death Eaters. I don't know about them, though."
Danny thought for a second. "Draco, they are good guys. I think if you spoke to them, you would find that their friendship to you means more to them than anything that deals with…" If Draco could say it to him, he could say it back to Draco. "Voldemort. Really."
"But…"
Taking a breath, Danny said, "Listen to me. I spoke to Professor Snape about this. From what I gather, Voldemort doesn't really care for his followers to have relationships that don't ultimately give him more control. I had the feeling he offered you something. He doesn't care about what he offered as much as he cares to control you."
Draco sighed in relief. "But how do you know these things?"
Danny closed his eyes. "Would you believe me if I told you that I've fought against an evil overlord before that has nothing to do with Voldemort?"
"Really? Who? When?"
Danny sighed. "That's not important. What is important is that you get Crabbe and Goyle on your bandwagon. When it comes to fighting something this evil and this powerful, you need all the help you can get. Even… Draco, when Pansy nominated you for leader of the DA, it was because you are a natural leader. Besides Crabbe and Goyle, think about the other Slytherin students who opted to stay in the DA. A lot of Slytherins dropped out because of Harry. I dropped out, but I can promise you that Harry wasn't the cause. But the Slytherins who stayed would be a good source of anti-Voldemort support."
Draco shook his head. "And when I nominated you, part of it was because you are also a good leader, and insightful about stuff like this."
"Thanks. Draco, I'm making friends and stuff, but you know everyone I'm talking about for over five years, or so."
Draco sighed. "You're making a lot of sense. I can deal with that. But Danny, why would Voldemort ask questions about you and your… new father? Professor Snape said that Voldemort knows about the death of your family."
Danny sat up straight. "He does? Oh, no… I'll have to tell Pápa."
"While anything connected to Voldemort can't be good, why is this particularly bad?"
Danny took a deep breath. "Professor Snape says that it's better not to explain it at present. I can't…"
Draco shook his head again. "If Professor Snape said so, then that's good enough for me. He has our best interests at heart, and if it's in your best interest to not explain that, well… I'll accept that."
"Thanks, Draco."
"No, thank you, Danny." Draco ran a hand through his hair. "Now for the fun part about this whole mess – telling Harry."
Danny snickered. "Dude – if that's what's bothering you, I can tell him about your choice to fight Voldemort in Potions. Take that off your list of problems. But after that, it might give you a good deal of satisfaction to have a conversation with him about this."
"No – what would give me a good deal of satisfaction is having Harry root for you – and by extension, all of Slytherin – at the next Quidditch match." Danny laughed.
At eight, Harry came to Professor Dumbledore's office. "Ah, Harry. Welcome back! And this evening is momentous – we will discuss the last Horcrux made from an inanimate object. Then we shall play a game of logic and deduction. Finding the object will… well, we'll discuss it when we get to it."
Play a game? Harry wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. And Hermione was much better at solving logic puzzles than he was.
"Tonight, we shall dive into the memory of a very old house-elf named Hokey…"
After exploring the depths of Hokey's memory, revealing Voldemort's thieving of Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket, and learning of Voldemort's disturbing method of charming his way into the confidence of Zacharias Smith's great great-grandmother Hepzibah Smith and then murdering her, Harry sat disgusted and flustered.
Professor Dumbledore said, "Hepzibah Smith died two days after that little scene. Hokey the house-elf was convicted by the Ministry of poisoning her mistress's evening cocoa by accident."
"No way!" said Harry, angrily.
"I see we are of one mind," said Dumbledore. "Certainly, there are many similarities between this death and that of the Riddles. In both cases, somebody else took the blame, someone who had a clear memory of having caused the death…"
"Hokey confessed?"
"Voldemort modified her memories, and just as with Morfin, the Ministry was predisposed to suspect Hokey…"
"Because she was a house-elf," finished Harry. "Professor Masters is onto something when he talks about magical creatures and how some wizards seem to have no problem using and abusing them." He frowned. "The statue of 'Magical Brethren' in the Ministry is a lie. It looks like wizards have taken advantage of – of creatures who just…"
Professor Dumbledore sighed sadly. "Who just aren't human. Unfortunately, your observation and, undoubtedly, your professor's encouragement to think along those lines is more true than many in the Wizarding World would care to admit."
Harry sat quietly for a few moments. "Professor Masters is a half-ghost like Danny."
The older wizard's eyebrows shot up. "You are correct."
"I've already promised Danny to keep their secrets, but I can't help thinking that… Uncle Vlad might have something."
Professor Dumbledore breathed, "Really! How extraordinary. My curiosity about how the good professor came to be gifted with such a title and an honor will have to wait, although I do hope you will share the story with me some time."
Harry cocked his head. "Maybe before we head out to Godric's Hollow."
The Headmaster smiled. "Indeed. But for now, we have one more puzzle piece to examine. Before we attempt to find Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, I am curious to know how Slytherin's Locket found its way to the House of Black."
"I don't know, sir."
"Can you think of anyone who might, Harry?"
Harry thought. Hokey seemed to be able to locate the treasures in Mrs. Smith's house… "Kreacher! Kreacher might know."
The professor smiled again. "Shall we ask him?"
Harry called, "Kreacher?"
Kreacher popped into Dumbledore's office and bowed low. "Master called Kreacher?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, Kreacher. I've got a question for you."
"Master has given me honor by allowing me to own the Black cake plate. Kreacher will do his best to answer to Master's satisfaction."
Considering this same house-elf's hostility of not quite a year ago, Harry was speechless for a moment. "Kreacher, two summers ago, there was a big gold locket in the drawing room in 12 Grimmauld Place. How did it come to be there?"
Kreacher gulped for air. His hollow chest rose and fell rapidly, then his eyes flew open and he uttered a bloodcurdling scream. "The locket! Master Regulus's locket! Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed his orders!"
Harry instinctively launched himself at the elf before he could find means to harm himself grievously as a punishment for his failure. Kreacher continued to scream, but Harry shouted, "Be still!" Kreacher lay flat on the floor, tears cascading down his face.
Harry looked up at Professor Dumbledore, who asked gently, "Kreacher, what were your orders?"
"Master Regulus Black, the pride of my Mistress's heart, told me to destroy the locket! But nothing Kreacher did made any mark upon it. Kreacher tried everything, everything he knew, but nothing, nothing would work…"
Harry picked up the distressed elf. "Kreacher, I destroyed Master Regulus's locket."
Kreacher stopped shaking and stared at him. "You did?"
"I did."
Kreacher threw himself at Harry and practically strangled him in a hug. "Then Master Harry has honored Master Regulus's wishes! Master Harry is too good to Kreacher."
Harry patted Kreacher's back. "Nonsense. But I'm glad I could make you happy." The house-elf howled in relief and thankfulness. It took nearly half an hour to calm Kreacher down.
When it looked like the elf would be ready for rational speech, Harry asked, "Kreacher, how did Regulus come to have the locket?"
Kreacher told them of Sirius's younger brother Regulus being a Death Eater, and how the Dark Lord needed the service of an elf, and how Voldemort took Kreacher to a cave beside the sea, and of being forced to drink a poisoned potion. It took as much internal strength as Harry had not to cry out on the abused elf's behalf. Kreacher described how Regulus switched Slytherin's locket for another one, and of Regulus's death, hoping to take down the Dark Lord by making him one step closer to vulnerable.
Harry comforted Kreacher over the loss of Regulus. Professor Dumbledore asked questions about the cave and its location. When it was clear that no one intended to make Kreacher return there, the elf had no problem describing the cave in great detail.
At the end of the recitation, Harry said, "Thank you, Kreacher. You have been a very great help."
"I'd do anything to help my great Master Harry," Kreacher said, puffing out his chest with pride.
"Thanks again. Have a good night."
"Good night, Master Harry, Headmaster Dumbledore." With that, he popped back down to the kitchens.
Professor Dumbledore sat contemplatively as Harry mused over his house-elf's new attitude. "Hermione's going to kill me, isn't she?"
Albus chuckled. "Not at all. I believe she will be thrilled that you now have two elves who love you and will do anything for you. You did what no one else could do: you made them happy by giving them the one thing they wanted most. Dobby wanted freedom from his cruel enslavement, and Kreacher wanted to successfully complete the one task he could not accomplish."
Harry took a moment to absorb all of this. "Professor, you said something of a puzzle. What did you mean?"
"Very astute of you, my boy. I'm trying to find the pattern to Voldemort's hiding places, and thereby hope to discover the final hiding place of the last Horcrux made from an inanimate object."
"Okay." Harry bit his lip and stared off to the side in thought. "Mr. Malfoy had the diary. The ring was in Marvolo Gaunt's house, the diadem was in the Room of Requirement, and the locket was in that cave."
"Right. Now, let's think of what these places might have meant to Voldemort."
Harry got up and started to pace. "The ring was in the Gaunts' home. That's… that would be his major connection to the Wizarding World. It would be the place he saw connected with the whole Heir of Slytherin thing."
"Very good, Harry!"
"The diadem was here at Hogwarts. Hogwarts was the first place he thought of as home."
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "That it was. It is also the place he fought hardest to seek employment."
"Professor?"
"Teaching students is probably the most overlooked source of power that exists. A good teacher will teach students their material and to think critically and independently. But a teacher also has a great deal of influence over what students will learn. Dolores Umbridge sought to indoctrinate the school with Ministry propaganda. Professor Masters has influenced many to give sentient magical creatures the same respect as wizards give humans. A great deal of power lies in the hands of teachers. And Voldemort wanted to teach here."
"Let me guess – Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Right in one. And when he didn't get the position, he cursed it. I haven't had a DADA professor for longer than a year since Voldemort was denied the position."
That was a perspective on teaching that Harry never considered before. He might talk to Severus about his ideas on that matter later. "Okay. So what about this cave?"
Dumbledore closed his eyes. "Unless I'm mistaken, we've viewed a memory that discussed the cave before, but I'll revisit its importance. That cave is not far from the seaside where the orphanage Voldemort lived took the children for a summer outing. I believe that, as a boy, Voldemort used his magical power to harm two of the children."
Harry stood, fairly disturbed. "So the cave was somewhere Voldemort exercised his power over people."
The professor nodded gravely. "That is my thought precisely."
Harry blew out a breath. "And Mr. Malfoy had the diary. We could ask Dobby where Malfoy kept the diary, but… what if the main idea is that it was kept by a person Voldemort respected?"
Professor Dumbledore sat forward, with all of his attention on Harry. "How do you mean?"
"Well… If I've got it right, Draco was always on about his family, a 'respectable pureblood family of long standing,' and like that. What if Voldemort just wanted to put his Horcrux with one of his most trusted servants who had something he never had – a respectable pureblood family name, and all the money, power, and privileges that go with it."
Albus's eyes twinkled. "Harry, you are brilliant! And you've come up with a perspective I would never have come to on my own. I will have to reflect on that. We may have another meeting within the next two weeks, depending on what I come up with until then."
"Sir, I don't understand."
"Harry, give me some time. As soon as I figure it out, you will be the first to know. But now, it is late. You have given me hope. Have a very good night, Harry." Professor Dumbledore hugged Harry briefly before leading him to the door of his office.
After the gargoyle sprang back into place, Harry paused. "That was weird." He shook his head and headed back to his dorm.