A Vent Comes to Haunt

by Miriam1

This fiction is inspired directly from You're-not-so-big's two-shot crossover of Danny Phantom and Harry Potter in her fic entitled "A Vent for ADD." It is dark, it is scary, and it looks like Danny's worst nightmare.

47. Adoption Interview

As of this writing, this story has hit the "over two years" mark. This story has 855 reviews and over 73,200 hits. It belongs to 11 C2s, and this story alone is on 201 favorite lists, and 202 alert lists (and that says nothing about people who put ME on your favorite and alert lists). I thank you all who have read and supported me, poked me and prodded me, and otherwise let me know how much you appreciate this story. I cannot properly express my gratitude. This time, I offer ice cream cake as thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Harry Potter, Annie (in any permutation: movie, play, or comic strip), The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, or Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market.'

My source for the most of the interview questions and the forms for the background information disclosure packet for adoption in the State of Wisconsin come from www . wiadopt . com

---

Chapter 47

At 5:30, Vlad entered the Slytherin Common Room. The first to notice him was Malcolm Maddox. "Professor Masters!"

Many surprised students turned to see their DADA professor. "It is good to see you, too, Mr. Maddox."

Graham Pritchard grimaced quizzically. "But, Professor, what are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Pritchard, I am a professor. There are certain privileges that come with the territory. But why am I here? This is the first time I've seen my soon-to-be adopted son play a school sport. I wouldn't dream of not coming to a party to celebrate his victory."

Danny saw Vlad. "Pápa! You came!"

Vlad smiled. "Of course I came."

Urquhart rolled his eyes at Crabbe and Goyle and moved closer as Professor Masters made his way over to Danny. "Fenton, why'd you call the professor 'Pápa'? I thought he was your uncle?"

Danny said, "It's complicated, but he's adopting me. So, it'll be like he's my father. So… Pápa is what he asked me to call him, so I do."

Many people in the room were surprised by the news. Vlad decided that it was interesting: students in the know didn't pass this information to the main student body. Who knew that the students could be counted on to respect the half-ghosts' privacy?

Terence Higgs exclaimed, "Hey! This is an evening of firsts. It's the first time Danny's played as Seeker. It's the first game Professor Masters went to see his new son play. It's the first time in ages that Gryffindors came to a Slytherin victory party of any kind. How would you feel if I took some pictures?"

Vlad beamed. "That is a fabulous idea."

Harry sighed. "I think that's the first time I've ever been asked."

Severus opened his eyes wide. "Really?"

"Sir," Harry practically growled, "I told you that I hate that kind of attention. I may never forgive Lockhart for that… photo-op. All I wanted was to get my books and hang out with my friends. And don't anyone try to ask about the Tri-Wizard tournament. Stupid media." No one needed to mention last year's media travesty.

Terence looked thoughtful. "Yeah, well… Everyone knows Colin Creevey is a knuckleheaded Mud-, er, madman shutterbug. Photography is an art. The way he takes pictures, it's almost vulgar."

Hermione sighed. These Slytherins might have toned down their rhetoric, but they still hated Muggle-borns. At least Terence didn't say what he almost said. "To be fair, Terence, the whole Wizarding World was completely new to him. Taking pictures that move might be commonplace for you, or seeing ghosts, or any number of things that are kept from Muggles might be humdrum and run-of-the-mill. But if it were your first time seeing these things… I know I was excited the first time I saw these things." Hermione noticed the Slytherins who looked at her with curiosity rather than scorn for the first time. "And – please forgive me, Harry – being close to a living legend is enough to drive many people to distraction."

Harry covered his eyes. "Tell me about it."

Terence rolled his eyes. "Right, then. May I take a few pictures? Not because you're the Golden Boy of Gryffindor, but because you're the first freakin' Gryffindor to warrant an invitation to our Common Room because Danny's your best friend!"

Danny smiled shyly, and Harry sighed with relief. "That's a reason I can live with."

Terence muttered, "Thank you, your Majesty. Now if you would…"

The Slytherins had fun watching Terence group Danny with Vlad, Danny with Harry, the four Gryffindors under the Slytherin banner by the central fireplace. Terence wanted a shot of the American student and his Head of House. Danny suggested one of Harry and Professor Snape. Severus was surprised, but Harry beamed. No one in his family – well, the Dursleys never saw fit to 'waste film' on Harry, so this was a bit of a novelty. Danny took pictures with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Sometime during the snapfest, there was something that niggled at Severus's mind, but it never came to light.

---

At a quarter to seven, Vlad reminded Daniel that he had lessons. "Severus, would you like to come? Daniel's developed this particular skill since we visited those with the same talent over Christmas break, and I thought you would appreciate seeing his development in this area."

Professor Snape widened his eyes. He was delighted, but the students around him merely registered surprise. "I would love to see any project you have with Daniel. I am rather intrigued."

Danny beamed. They were talking about his ice powers, and since they visited the Far Frozen, he was able to do amazing things with his ice. But if Uncle Severus came with them, it meant they wouldn't have to find him later… when they left for America!

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Danny, do you usually get this excited about your private lessons?"

"Draco, you have no idea. And sometimes it's more fun than other times, but lessons with Pápa are always interesting."

Draco frowned. "Always?"

Danny nodded. "Always."

After a round of Good-byes with Harry and his friends, with Draco and his friends, and the Slytherin team, and anyone else pressed around them, Danny, Vlad, and Severus made their way up to the Room of Requirement. As they walked, Professor Snape asked, "So Vlad, how did you get into the Common Room? Teachers do have certain privileges, but Heads of House don't even share passwords with each other, never mind other teachers. Surely, you don't have the password, do you?"

Vlad chuckled. "Good heavens, no. I simply walked through the wall and turned visible when no one's eyes were on me."

Severus stopped for a moment. "This isn't the first time you've done this, is it?"

Vlad smirked. "Of course not. As a ghost, I say there's nowhere in this castle or grounds I can't go, except – currently – Greenhouse 7." A thought struck him. "Severus… you are aware that there's a Basilisk carcass in a somewhat snake-themed sub-basement, are you not?"

Professor Snape forced himself forward. "You've been to the Chamber of Secrets?"

Vlad said airily, "As Daniel has, as well. It is amazing where you can explore when walls and lack of stairs are irrelevant."

The Potions Master intellectually knew that. He did, truly he did. But the full implications of having a student and a colleague as adventuresome ghosts never quite registered.

Danny was thoughtful as they continued their trek up. "Harry told me about his adventure in the Chamber of Secrets in his Second Year. Did you ever ask Harry to open the Chamber to let you in? A fully-grown Basilisk has to be worth a fortune in potion ingredients."

Severus grimaced. "No, Daniel. I… never did."

Vlad stopped their ascent this time. "Do you mean to say that your baseless hatred and prejudice against a teenager was so strong that you ignored a priceless treasure – well, if price could be assigned, it would be worth more money than you'd make as a professor in over thirty years – because your pride wouldn't let you ask the child to open the door for you?"

Severus closed his eyes. "Yes. I'm not proud of the fact."

At one time, Vlad might have taken pleasure in this moment of the dark man's deep humiliation, but this… "Severus… Knowing you're the quintessential Slytherin, putting great stock in logic and well-reasoned planning, I must say that I'm severely disappointed in you."

The Head of House of Slytherin turned away so neither half-ghost could see his face, brushing by them and taking the lead. Tears fell from his eyes as he only began to see the beginning of his particular brand of idiocy that involved hating Harry Potter. "Well… I am working to correct that deficiency. And… perhaps I'll ask him about it later."

Danny whispered to Vlad, "I'm not sure, but I think Clockwork would be proud of this moment, Pápa."

Vlad beamed.

---

At 8:00, Vlad smiled proudly. "Well done, Daniel. And we are finished with lessons for today."

Severus said, "That was amazing, Daniel. Who did you visit to help you hone this skill so exquisitely?"

"Well… there are a bunch of yeti-like ghosts in the Land of the Far Frozen. They're amazing in what they can do with their ice powers. They are also great scientists, and have studied all kinds of biology: ghost, human, and other. But yeah, they taught me that trick…"

Severus raised a hand. "Hold on a moment, Daniel. Vlad, we've had a few discussions about the physical development of a teenager or two. If the growth patterns don't match your general ideas of such, doesn't it make sense to confer with these ghosts who have studied ghost biology, perhaps for centuries?"

Vlad jerked his head. "Indeed, Severus. That's… that's brilliant. I never thought about it before, as I've never even heard of them until September, and I was unfamiliar with their facilities until this past vacation." He smirked at Danny mischievously. "I'm sure the Far Frozen would be honored to provide a personal pediatrician for 'the Great One,' wouldn't you say?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." Then he thought past the 'Great One' comment. "Actually, yeah. That could work. But… that would mean going into the Ghost Zone on a quasi-regular basis."

"Oh, come now, Daniel. There's no reason we can't go back and visit your friends again." Vlad smirked again. "I'm not sure what tickles me more at present: your actual noble title or your practical royal status amongst the Far Frozen."

Severus gave Vlad a sidelong glance. "What is this that you're talking about?"

Danny crossed his arms. "Never mind."

Vlad said, "I'll tell you later."

Severus gazed speculatively at the two half-ghosts. He didn't know what to make of his American student quailing at the concept of noble titles (and where would an American come by such a thing?), and realized that Daniel's reaction to high honor was almost identical to Harry's reaction to his celebrity. While Severus acknowledged that he was a primary cause for Harry to despise his fame, much to Snape's personal shame, he wondered what dynamics were at play for Daniel.

Danny decided he had enough amusement at his expense. "So can we go already?"

Vlad's smile became kinder. "Of course."

Severus looked at the ghosts with curiosity. "So… I know where we are going, in a general way, but where are we going?"

Danny smiled. "The Hufflepuff corridor. Hang on." Vlad grabbed a briefcase and Danny got an arm around his professor, and the lot of them became invisible and sank through the floor.

"Daniel! This… is this what you did with Harry in November?" Severus wondered as they passed through the stone floor.

"Mostly. Then we just sank into the floor. Now, we'll get to the corridor in a few seconds."

Severus thought of the time it took to climb from the dungeons to the seventh floor and realized how simple transportation was so much faster for ghosts. "The Hogwarts ghosts do this all the time, don't they?"

Danny smiled invisibly. "Yup."

In the Hufflepuff corridor, Danny said, "Listen, Uncle Severus. This might get a little weird."

Vlad spat impatiently, "Daniel, must you?"

"Yeah, Vlad, I do. I'm glad the professor is doing so well with being invisible and intangible. Warning him is only fair."

Glancing down the hall, Severus was glad that no students besides Daniel were present. "Warn me of what?"

Danny sighed. "Besides the fact that we're going to go through a wall – which you've done great with so far, Uncle Severus. My Dad didn't feel too comfortable with the feeling – we're about to enter the Ghost Zone. The lack of gravity can be disorienting to humans. Sam and Tucker were almost always in my parents' Specter Speeder, with a pressurized cabin. The one time I remember Sam and Tucker being there without the Speeder, they were cool with it, but… you'll be fine. Just hang on."

As they went through the wall, Severus was reminded of the King's Cross Station Platform 9¾. This was not a magical passage, but a ghostly passage, and he realized that even if every ghost in the castle used this causeway, only Vlad and Danny had the power to take him with them.

Then they were in, and Severus's world turned green. "Merlin!" The two ghosts relaxed, turning tangible and visible. Snape looked up and saw endless swirls of rippled green. Looking down, he saw the same. "How does one get one's bearing here?"

Vlad said simply, "Practice and pattern recognition."

They were off, and Severus asked, "All those purple doors… How do they stay there?"

Danny almost shrugged. "Like I said, when it comes to ghosts, the laws of physics mostly take a vacation."

"Where do the doors lead?"

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Sir Nicholas said that the doors you see before you open to various parts of the British Isles. Don't mind them. The one we want is this one."

The ornate door in the distance seemed, like all the others, to float in mid-air. "Who decorated this door?"

Vlad answered, "I don't know. Sir Nicholas said the door was here and looked just like that four centuries ago."

Severus mused, "I imagine a map detailing which doors went where would be useful."

Vlad smiled again. "I've heard a rumor that such a thing exists. It's called the Infi-Map. It is spelled to show any entrance, door, portal, island, or other geographical feature in the Ghost Zone. It's supposed to be self-updating and self-correcting."

"Who spelled it? With what magic?"

Vlad shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Some ghosts naturally use magic as part of their powers. And, I imagine, the ghosts possessing magic have differing degrees of power. But as far as the Infi-Map goes, I've only heard of it. I've seen an illustration of what it's supposed to look like. I've been told it can give 3-D projections of a salient feature, and that it has magic enough to bring its user to wherever he or she wished to go. But more than that I couldn't tell you." Vlad sighed with longing.

Severus decided that this Infi-Map sounded far more intense than the Marauder's Map, but then again, its purpose was far more extensive. If this Infi-Map did all it was advertised to do, it was a wondrous thing, indeed. In the Wizarding World, could something be spelled to do all of that?

At last, they came to the highly decorated door. "And where does this go?"

Danny answered, "It leads to everywhere we'd find local to home in the Ghost Zone." They opened it and went through.

Once on the other side, Severus couldn't see a qualitative difference in where they were and where they had been. "How so?"

"Well… Arg!" Danny was thrown through the air by what appeared to be an ectoblast, and his wrists and ankles were bound by ectoplasmic bonds. Severus was let go and he marveled at the feeling of weightlessness. He allowed himself to be distracted thus until he heard a harsh voice grating.

"You have some nerve bringing more Real World contraband into the Ghost Zone, punk!"

Danny shouted, "Walker!" Danny turned his bonds to ice and burst out of them. Then he fired his own ectoplasmic bonds at the police ghost who blasted him with the baton, causing the police ghost to scream. Then he fired an ectoblast at the white sheriff ghost.

A blue ghost wearing an eye patch glared at Danny. Severus noticed the sea of officer ghosts coming to teem against the boy. The blue ghost shot some mechanism that sent a tendril of ectoplasm out, wrapping itself around Danny, shocking him. Danny screamed in pain.

When the first jolt ended, Danny froze the section around his middle and burst out of the ice, and grabbed the new ending. "We've done this before, Bullet, but you must have forgotten how it goes. Go, Ghost Stinger!" Severus opened his eyes wide as he saw enough voltage travel down the ectoplasmic strand to have electrocuted 20 humans into crisps. The now named Bullet shrieked in pain before he passed out. Seeing Danny use his powers in the context of a ghost fight… was an educational experience.

Vlad made at least three duplicates, and all of them shot debilitating blasts at the police ghosts. There were twenty of them, but between Vlad and Danny, all of the police ghosts were unconscious or otherwise subdued.

Walker said, "Now, kid, you owe me one thousand years!" Snape peaked his eyebrows.

Vlad cocked his head, grabbing Danny by his arm and throwing the boy behind him. "Oh, really? And what, pray tell, did he do to earn such a sentence?"

Walker narrowed his green pupil-less eyes as he stared into Vlad's red pupil-less eyes. "He brought Real World items into the Ghost Zone. That's against the Rules."

Vlad tapped his chin with a free hand. "Is that so? Well, I have a new rule. Real World items are no longer contraband. Therefore, Daniel's sentence is commuted."

Danny and Severus blinked. Could he do that?

Walker was not done. "That punk started and was responsible for a full-fledged prison break. That's against the Rules."

"Yes, I imagine it would be. But if the ghosts you incarcerated were imprisoned for reasons as spurious as your charge against Daniel, I see nothing wrong with it."

Walker spat, "By what authority do you mean to change these Rules?"

Vlad smirked. "By the laws of the frontier, of course: might makes right. At some point, you decided you had more power than Daniel, and from what I can tell, applied ridiculously capricious rules to put a fledgling yet powerful ghost out of circulation. By those standards, I'm far more powerful than you. And just as capriciously as you've convicted Daniel, I've just overruled your judgment."

Walker opened his mouth to object, but Vlad tutted, "Ah, ah, ah. You don't really want to object to my ruling, do you?" With the last two words, Vlad bared his fangs immediately in front of the sheriff. Walker straightened and backed away. "I didn't think so. Really, when you keep order with things like the Christmas Truce, you do the Ghost Zone a service. But if you keep after my son – who is so against corruption, it's practically disgusting – I will be forced to end your afterlife, here and now. So… what will it be? The choice is yours."

Walker's green eyes flew open as he realized that Plasmius probably could turn word to deed. He narrowed his eyes again, knowing he'd lost, but he wasn't giving up his fighting spirit. "Half-ghost hybrids are against the Rules!" he spat.

Vlad examined his fingernails, almost bored. "I suppose you're right, here and elsewhere: in the Ghost Zone, in the Real World, in the Wizarding World… I guess our very existence is against the rules." Vlad turned back to the sheriff and lowered his voice to a low and insanely dangerous tone. "And what are you going to do about it?"

It was hard for the proud sheriff to admit defeat. Personally, Walker could cause a great deal of physical and emotional pain. But the power to actually kill a ghost…

He was the judge, executioner, jury, executioner, jailer, and executioner. Yes, he even thought 'executioner' three times because he liked that part of his job. But random mindless ghosts were easy to capture and kill, when they got out of line. Ghosts of Phantom's caliber were made of much sterner stuff. But Plasmius… He was a ghost who was not to be messed with, and Walker recognized that he managed to get on Vlad's bad side.

In pained frustration, Walker shook his head slowly. "I've got no choice but to accept your new rule as law."

Vlad smiled. "Good man. I knew you'd see it my way. Now, if you don't mind, the three of us have an appointment in Wisconsin."

Walker turned and frowned bitterly. He wasn't afraid to fight, but there was no point in starting something he might not be able to finish. "Then, I should say, 'As you were,' Plasmius, Phantom, and whoever you are."

Severus jerked his head in surprise at being addressed. Still smiling, Vlad said, "Very good. That will be all, Walker." Imperiously, he ignored the sheriff and looked Danny over for injury. "How are you, Daniel?"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Pápa."

Walker dragged the still unconscious Bullet in the direction of the prison. Vlad smirked and turned to Severus. "Now Daniel, take your uncle's arm, or he'll be quite motionless, unless he's learned the art of flying unaided."

Clearing his throat, Professor Snape said, "Actually, I have."

Danny and Vlad stared at him. Vlad asked, "How?"

Severus blushed. "It was one of those odd benefits of temporarily serving the Dark Lord. He taught me how. It's… not a common gift among wizards."

Danny asked, "How fast can you go?"

Severus lowered his eyes. "I'm not entirely sure, but I believe my top speed in unaided flight is somewhere between 25 and 30 miles per hour."

Danny thought about this. "You know, Uncle Severus, there's nothing as exhilarating as flying. Even if you can't go as fast as Pápa and I can… maybe you can teach Harry, and the four of us could go flying together."

Severus cringed and closed his eyes tightly. "While it sounds like such a thing would give you a great deal of pleasure, and I would do nothing purposefully to diminish your pleasure, Daniel, you must understand that I came by this talent quite… illicitly. They are called Dark Arts for a reason, and I would not subject Harry to the evil that is necessary to gain that skill."

While Vlad wanted to argue it was worth the cost, the fact is he didn't know the cost. Vlad nodded curtly. "Fair enough. But it is good to know that, should the need arise, we have another resource. Self-propelled flight is particularly useful, here. But we have places to go, people to see, and time limits abound. Take Severus's arm, and we'll get there in less time."

As they progressed through the Ghost Zone, Severus continued to look around in wonder. "You say that this part of the Ghost Zone is more familiar?"

Danny said, "Yes. It's closer to the portal in my home and however many portals Pápa has."

Severus jerked his head. "You have your own portal?"

Danny shrugged the shoulder that wasn't attached to the arm around his professor. "My parents invented the technology to open a portal from the Real World to the Ghost Zone." He grimaced. "It's actually an accident with those portals that made me and Vlad ghosts."

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Fascinating."

"And," Danny continued, "the ghosts in Hogwarts told me about the concept of natural portals. The Fenton Portal and Pápa's portals are permanent, and will open and close at the user's will. But natural portals open unpredictably to anywhere and to any time." Severus raised one eyebrow sardonically. "It's mind-boggling to me, too. But there's no other good explanation for how the Box Ghost got into Amity Park, like, three times a week, or more often when he got lucky."

"Daniel, leave some surprises for later." Danny stared at Vlad, and then rolled his eyes. Whatever game the elder ghost had going with Severus was his business.

Severus sighed. There was so much to learn about ghosts, and there was so little to help him learn a fraction of what there was out there to learn. The whole concept of portals seemed to be a study unto itself. "These doors are different. Where do they go?"

Vlad answered. "Some of them lead to individual ghosts' lairs. Some of them lead to the outside world. Some of them lead to different parts of the Ghost Zone. And some of them… no one knows until the door is opened."

Danny pointed down. "See that, Uncle Severus? That island is where Skulker hunts bizarre ghost creatures." He sucked in a breath. "One time, he brought me and a classmate Valerie here, and hunted us like animals."

Severus frowned and growled, "How dare he?"

Danny sighed. "Half-ghosts are pretty rare, and he wanted to add me to his collection of unusual finds. That is, until he decided 'my pelt' would be more of a prize." Danny shuddered.

"But…"

"Welcome to my world, Uncle Severus."

Vlad cleared his throat. "Skulker will no longer be a problem."

Severus's head spun with the growing understanding of his favorite student's life, before it was forever changed by the Death Eaters. He had a new respect for his new Muggle… family, and why they were so quick to adapt to a magical setting. He doubted there were enough wonders in the Wizarding World to truly confuse them, as life as half-ghosts seemed to produce enough bizarre wonders of its own.

"Dare I ask why not?"

Vlad smiled, baring his fangs again. "Of course. Skulker is one of my faithful minions – yes, Severus, I have minions – and on my last trip to America, I told the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter that his favorite prey was under my protection. I'm not sure he's stopped sulking yet, but I know that the news has spread. But as I'm sure you've heard, old habits die hard, and ghosts have a seriously difficult time with change.

"Most of the ghosts of the Ghost Zone have their own obsessions, and Daniel only caused a wrinkle in their plans when they bothered humans in the Real World. Very few actually have plans that center on him, proper. (Actually, I was the greatest offender, when it came to that.) But besides Skulker, who wished to hunt the boy, and Walker, who… well, you've seen what he's about. My command to leave Amity Park in peace is probably enough to convince most of Daniel's regular antagonists to leave him alone."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Not to mention that you've freaked a lot of them out by telling them how powerful I'm getting."

Vlad tilted his head. "Indeed."

Severus shook his head. The complexity of the dynamics here was still beyond him. Still… "May I ask how an American teen has acquired a noble title?"

Danny sighed heavily, and Vlad smirked. Danny said, "Well… Princess Dora, a ghost who can also become a dragon, was sent by her brother Prince Aragon (also a dragon) to stage a beauty pageant at Casper High, and I managed to get dragooned into being the judge." He thought for a moment. "The actual judging was difficult, but the week the girls tried to bribe me was a lot of fun. Of course, none of it mattered, but they were a lot nicer that week than normal."

Both Vlad and Severus laughed. This was an adventure neither heard before. When they stopped laughing, Danny continued. "When I was asked to pick the winner, I realized that Princess Dora was a ghost. I tried to get Sam's attention, but calling her name won her a one-way ticket to an arranged engagement to Prince Aragon."

Severus said, "She couldn't be too pleased with such an arrangement."

"Of course she wasn't! The only reason she joined was to show her utter contempt for the concept of beauty pageants, and Sam never was one for being 'a damsel in distress.' Actually, I understand that she caused Prince Aragon a great deal of distress, because Sam refused to be shy and retiring, the way 'princesses are supposed to act'." Danny curled the fingers of his unoccupied hand into air quotes.

Danny sighed. "That's the time I brought Tucker to the Ghost Zone unprotected by the pressurized cabin. But when I came to rescue Sam, I managed to help encourage Princess Dora to get out from under her brother's oppressive thumb. And this somehow… well, it brought the kingdom out of the Dark Ages, literally and figuratively. And for my efforts, Princess Dora dubbed me a knight: Sir Phantom. Sir Nicholas and the Baron were scandalized when they discovered my unannounced title."

The Potions Master laughed heartily. "I imagine they might be."

Vlad insisted, "But the royalty, Daniel…"

Danny closed his eyes and hit his head with his free hand. "Oh, alright, already!" Vlad chuckled. Danny opened his eyes and glared at him. Then he ignored Vlad and addressed the professor. "Some other time, we'll tell you about the whole battle with the Ghost King, Pariah Dark. It involved the bad guys sucking Amity Park into the Ghost Zone."

Severus's eyes flew wide open. He remembered either Vlad or Daniel making mention of defeating the Ghost King. Even Sir Nicholas might have said a thing or two about it, but this was a detail no one informed him of. "I'll look forward to it," he murmured.

"Anyway, I defeated the Ghost King in hand to hand combat, and, well…" Danny fell silent for a while, flying while entertaining his own thoughts. He eventually sighed and said, "Apparently, the news of this is far-reaching. Ghosts I've never seen or heard of before knew about my fight with the Ghost King. Every ghost knows my name because of it."

Severus thought of Harry, and realized that Daniel's frustration with his fame was similar to Harry's.

"So, when we went to the Far Frozen over the Christmas break, they showed me a shrine they built in my honor, and their king treated me like royalty. It was… disconcerting."

Vlad smirked. "They call him 'the Great One.' It's a shame Daniel has none of the Slytherin ambition or the desire to glory in his honor."

"Ah." Severus realized that Daniel probably had even more notoriety than Harry, as far as ghosts go. Harry had trouble avoiding the media, but for all of the bandying about of the title 'Chosen One,' it was largely a hollow title, meant to sway the gullible into thinking Harry was in with the Ministry. For others, it was a title conferred as easily as 'the Boy Who Lived,' because of Harry's continued longevity despite facing off with Voldemort. Daniel's titles were by no means hollow, and the responsibility of living up to them could be daunting.

Regardless of who foisted the titles on the boys or their grantors' motivations, Severus knew that both Harry and Daniel intended to fill those roles. It was up to him and Vlad to make sure the boys didn't die trying.

They drew near one of the doors that was blocked by… a giant American football?

Severus asked, "What is this?"

Vlad smiled. "A representation of one of my greatest passions. I've been, well, mildly obsessed with the Green Bay Packers long before I became a ghost."

Danny, remembering the green and gold décor, raised an eyebrow. "Mildly obsessed?"

Vlad shrugged. "Everyone has a hobby. Rooting for my favorite team is one of mine. I imagine that every sports-obsessed boy secretly envisions owning the team of his choice. That type of desire powers fantasy football, and the like."

Severus asked, "So… did your tremendous wealth win you your heart's desire?"

Vlad became almost sullen. "No."

Danny saw the mental red flag go up, but before he could say anything, his professor asked, "Why ever not?"

Danny closed his eyes as Vlad bellowed, "Because the city of Green Bay owns the team and they refuse to sell them to me!"

Severus peaked his eyebrows. 'Alrighty, then,' he thought.

Danny patted Vlad's arm. "Pápa?"

Vlad shook himself out of his rage and smoothed a hand over his ghostly tunic. "Well… it's one of the few things my wealth has not allowed me to acquire." He pushed the football out of the way, and they touched down in what appeared to be a laboratory.

The professor asked, "What is this place?"

Taking a moment to turn human and nodding at Daniel to do the same, both Vlad and the boy removed their wizard robes to reveal Vlad's tailored suit and Danny's favorite white shirt with the red emblem and blue jeans.

"This is where I've spent countless hours inventing, improving, and simply experimenting on all things ghostly. Between creating weapons, containment devices, medicines, and the like, which can be necessary when you are… a unique creature, I had need to learn of my new biological capabilities and limitations. Those," Vlad said, pointing at jars filled with glowing green things, reminding Severus sharply of the jars of pickled ingredients decorating his own office, "are mindless ghosts, some of which have been melted down to their… elemental ectoplasmic components. Obviously, I can't just simply experiment on myself…"

Danny shivered. "Is this your second floor lab?"

Vlad realized that Daniel was in no state to recognize precisely where he was last time he was here. Or, at least when Skulker brought him here – for all he knew, Daniel MIGHT have been here. Then again…

"No, Daniel. This is a… secret sub-basement. I'm quite sure that most of whatever is down here doesn't quite meet EPA guidelines, and contains rather more hazardous material than government regulations would allow for any safety inspections, including…" Vlad looked meaningfully at Danny. "The Wisconsin Child Welfare Services."

Danny looked around. The lab was by far tidier than his parents' lab back home. "Uh, Pápa? This is much neater and cleaner than my parents' lab."

Vlad sighed. "Yes, well… Naturally born parents don't have quite as many guidelines to pay attention to as adoptive parents, unless they're accused of abuse or neglect. But neater or no, there are also different guidelines for a simple private residence (no matter how gaudily lit) than a castle or mansion, where a house waiting staff is employed." He thought for a moment. "I'm fastidious by nature, and it wouldn't do to have an experiment go wrong because I couldn't be bothered to clean up after myself. That is true regardless of which lab we're in – public or private."

Danny got the feeling that Vlad's tidy propensities would mean Danny would not have to worry about food coming back to life because it was contaminated by an ectoplasmic sample.

Severus nodded in approval. He knew the value of a clean laboratory. Then he frowned. "You've done your homework, Vlad."

Vlad sniffed. "I should think so. I've had designs to adopt the Fenton children for over a decade. I didn't make a move until all my research was complete, two years ago."

Danny wasn't sure whether he should be disgusted by Vlad's proposed treachery or honored that he was so very ready for this. Danny rolled his eyes and decided a change of topics was in order. "Pápa, we've got an hour before the appointment. Wanna give us the ten cent tour?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow, and then laughed. "Why not?" He gestured to Severus to doff his wizard robe, and then he led them up a staircase, and pushed a button on the wall. Two panels slid apart, and the stairway opened to the personal study in Vlad's en suite. When everyone was through, Vlad tilted a golden football on the right of the door (facing the wall), so that it matched the golden football on the left of… well, it resembled a mantle with a picture above the mantle, featuring a large lion crest, once the panels slid closed.

Vlad swallowed his words as part of him wanted to remind Daniel that Jasmine found the secret lab on the day she claimed to want… She claimed she wanted Vlad to adopt her. He did nothing to deserve that visitation. The fact that Skulker was found by Daniel to have stolen the bloodstream nanobots, the ecto-converter, and the lightening rod was coincidental. Vlad didn't deserve the ruse on Jasmine's part. But then again, neither child deserved that 'test of loyalty' he put them through. Vlad sighed heavily.

Danny noticed Vlad's mercurial mood shift. "Pápa?"

The elder half-ghost turned to face Daniel. "Oh, it's nothing. Nothing to worry about." Vlad led them on a tour throughout the mansion. Severus remembered the billionaire mentioning that he appointed rooms in a castle for comfort before. Now he had the proper context for that comment.

When they passed through a living room, Danny and Vlad's ghost senses were alerted and they were greeted with a cheerful, "Oh, there ya are, kiddo! It's been a while since I've seen ya here, dontcha know!"

Danny spun around and said, "The Dairy King!"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "The Dairy King?"

The former monarch waved his ice cream-tipped scepter at the three of them. "Of course! I used to live here, dontcha know."

Severus tilted his head. "Really."

"I did indeed. Vladdie here's a captain of industry. When he bought my castle, he carried on with the dairy farm – well, as the new Dairy King, he's got people workin' the farm for him. It's only one of the many businesses he's got, dontcha know."

Danny smirked. "So Vlad really did – he bought the farm!" He dissolved helplessly into giggles. Vlad shook his head and sighed.

"Aye, that he did, kiddo."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Your Majesty, you and I have to talk, later."

"Whatever ya like! What's it about?"

"A couple of years ago, there was a certain young ghost you set free…" For a moment, the Dairy King looked stricken.

Then he rallied. "There's nothin' to say about that. He's a good lad who was in need of help. Call it 'noblesse oblige', young Vladdie. It was my job to act with honor. It's part of 'Royalty 101', dontcha know!"

Severus smirked and Vlad covered his eyes. The Dairy King had two primary obsessions: one was with dairy products, and the other was of royalty. The fact that the title was nothing more than a mere marketing ploy of the Wisconsin Dairy Council seemed to have slipped by this poor soul.

Vlad shook his head in defeat. "As you were, your Majesty."

The Dairy King looked at the three and smiled, completely oblivious of the attempt at a contest of wills. "Try the Gouda. It's dairy fresh!" With that, he soared through the ceiling.

Danny needed a few moments to quiet himself from his mirth. When he caught his breath, he asked, "Pápa? I thought your house exploded because you took too long to change the ecto-filtrator on your portal. This is newer."

Vlad uncovered his eyes and perked up. "Good catch, Daniel. But the castle is in the same place as the old one, with most of the rooms and dimensions exactly the same, with the exception of a few personal touches, hidden passageways and labs, things of that nature. The Dairy King thought this was close enough to the model of the home the way he remembered it, so he decided to stay."

Danny thought of something. "What about your football that was signed by Ray Nitschke?"

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "Oddly enough, it survived the blast. The Dairy King saved it for me."

Severus murmured, "That was kind of him."

Vlad nodded. "Yes, it was." He stopped and thought for a bit.

The tour continued until 2:45pm, when Vlad ordered tea in the sitting room. He glanced at his briefcase, and Severus told him, "You have towering confidence in all things. Are you truly nervous?"

Looking between Danny and Severus, Vlad said, "Frankly, yes. I've never been above manipulating inspectors, or things of that nature. But for Daniel… I want to do this the right way. That means I can't tilt the situation in my favor. I'm… not in control."

Danny put his hand over Vlad's. "Pápa, look – you're already my guardian. Uncle Severus will vouch for us. You've got all your paperwork together. You're a successful businessman and teacher, and you're getting better at being a father. We'll be fine." Danny patted Vlad's hand.

At five to three, the knock came. Vlad stood to answer the door, but Severus held him back. Putting his hand on his sleeve and grasping his wand, Severus opened the door. "May I help you?"

There were three people outside, two men and a woman. One of the men said, "Good day to you, sir. I am Lewis Greer, and I'm here to see Vlad Masters and Daniel Fenton. The people with me are representatives from the Wisconsin Child Welfare Services. We have a 3 o'clock appointment."

Severus met the eyes of each, briefly Legilimizing them. Satisfied that these were Muggles who were exactly what they claimed to be, he let them into the sitting room. "Vlad, your appointment is here."

Vlad nodded. "Thank you, Severus." He stood to greet his guests. "Mr. Greer! It's good to see you again, now as always. And who do you have with you?"

Lewis gestured at the other two. "Mr. Masters, this is Jason Coleman and Sarah Goldwasser."

Vlad smiled confidently. "Good day to you both, and a pleasure to meet you."

Sarah smiled at Danny. "You must be Daniel."

Danny reached out to shake her hand. "Please call me Danny."

"Alright, then, Danny." The fellow who opened the door was still there, so she asked, "And you, sir?"

"I am Severus Snape, a character witness and close personal friend."

Jason nodded. "I see."

After handshakes were had between everyone in the room, Vlad offered, "Please sit, be comfortable, and have tea." The lawyer and the two representatives found seats.

Mr. Greer took the suggested tea, but Mr. Coleman answered, "No, thank you, Mr. Masters, but your hospitality is noted. May we get to business?"

Vlad nodded. "Of course." He led the lot of them through to the library, and gestured for everyone to take seats around a table. Jason opened his briefcase and took out a pen and a file, and Sarah opened hers and pulled out a pen and a notepad. Lewis put his within easy reach. Vlad put his down and resolutely ignored it, looking instead at his two interviewers.

Jason fingered through the papers in his file, and stopping on one in particular, he said, "Mr. Greer filed all the appropriate paperwork. We just have a few questions."

"I understood that might be the case. What would you like to know?"

Jason said, "In your background information disclosure packet, Mr. Greer indicated that one of your answers needed more of an explanation."

"Alright."

Jason ran his index finger down the specific document in question. "Have you resided outside of Wisconsin in the last three years?"

Vlad cleared his throat. "Since I took guardianship of Daniel in July, I've had business in England." He closed his eyes. "Daniel's school was destroyed, and I felt that a change of scenery would be useful. I've been home schooling him in math and English, but he's been taking astronomy, chemistry, and botany at a local private school."

Jason asked, "Why go to England?"

Vlad shrugged. "I'm an international businessman, and I'm working on a project there. It is only fitting that I bring my ward with me."

Sarah thought for a moment and asked, "Why are you home schooling Danny, when you are sending him to a private school for supplemental subjects?"

Vlad looked fondly at Danny. "It's a boarding school. I could hardly spend enough time to bond with my charge if he spent all his time at the boarding school. Further, the school specializes in the practical sciences. Their liberal arts department is lacking. And Daniel has always needed help in math, so I provide both the liberal arts – particularly in English – and help in math."

Sarah turned to Danny. "Why would you go to a school that specializes in science?"

Danny smiled. "I've always wanted to be an astronaut."

Severus was in awe. With all of the subterfuge, neither actually lied. Vlad was particularly polished; Severus couldn't help but wonder if he rehearsed his answers. And Daniel… He was fascinating to watch.

Jason turned to Severus. "Mr. Snape, how long have you known Mr. Masters and Danny?"

"I've known them since they came to England in July. I've had a chance to see their fledgling relationship develop."

Jason said, "And what are your thoughts on what you've seen?"

Severus smiled. "What they have between them is so beautiful, it inspired me to become a guardian to an orphan I've known for years."

Even Lewis raised his eyebrows at that. He'd known Masters for years, but he never thought of him as the fatherly type. But that was a seriously impressive recommendation.

Sarah asked, "So how do you know them?"

"I am Daniel's professor in chemistry, and Head of House, when he's in our school."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm unfamiliar with the concept of Houses."

Severus explained, "It's a fairly common device used by British boarding schools. As students are away from home, dividing students into Houses gives a stability of place to the students, and it allows the staff assigned to the House to keep track of student needs. The students of a House dorm together, sharing a common room and study space. Further, it gives a sense of camaraderie. There is often a competition between Houses for academic excellence, model behavior, and sports teams."

Sarah nodded. "Fair enough. And how do you know Mr. Masters?"

Severus tapped his chin. "Besides coming for Daniel's registration and several parent/teacher conferences, Vlad is an accomplished individual: he's contributed to some of my more complex experiments, and his attention to Daniel's studies is truly admirable."

Satisfied at present, Sarah and Jason nodded at each other. Jason said, "Danny, Mr. Masters, we have a few questions we'd like to ask you separately."

Danny looked to Vlad a little nervously. Bracing himself, Vlad said, "Go on, Daniel. Everything will be fine."

Sarah stood. "Danny, why don't you come with me back into the sitting room?"

Danny said, "Okay." Professor Snape stood up and started to follow.

"Mr. Snape, the reason I want to speak to Danny alone is to get his responses without an adult influencing his answers."

Danny objected, "I don't…"

Severus raised his hand, silencing him. "Ms. Goldwasser, I appreciate your aim. However, as mature and competent as Daniel is," Danny relaxed a bit when he heard that. "The fact remains that since Daniel is still haunted by the damage from the terrorist attack, we are not inclined to allow an adult we are unfamiliar with go off alone with him. The fact that you are a government official does not change this."

Sarah stood a little straighter. She had forgotten that Danny was a survivor from that devastation in Amity Park last July.

"I understand the need to have Daniel answer questions candidly away from Vlad. However, you will have me go with you, or you won't have him relatively alone at all."

Sarah was used to dealing with resistance from adults. However, such resistance usually came from the adoptive adult. Vlad Masters acquiesced to the separation readily enough. Severus Snape did not have the bearing of a servant, hireling, or other employee. Still, she needed to ask. "Danny, how do you feel about Mr. Snape coming with us?"

"I'm totally cool with it." He flashed Severus a bright smile.

Taking the boy's confidence in this British teacher in stride, Sarah nodded. "Alright, then. We'll rejoin you shortly, Mr. Masters." With that, the three of them disappeared into the sitting room.

Vlad, Lewis, and Jason watched them leave. Jason observed, "Your teacher friend is rather protective."

"Indeed, he is," Vlad agreed. "Severus was there to help us through a rough patch or two. Every Head of House should be as attentive as Severus is. And he'll be an exquisite father, once he breaks down and asks his ward about adoption."

Jason was glad for this opening. "And what do you consider an exquisite father, Mr. Masters?"

"Well… being protective is a serious part of it. Loving the child unconditionally is another important part. I feel proud whenever Daniel succeeds in anything I've taught him, or when he does well in class. I try to give him advice on how the world works. Cheering him on in school sports is a part of it." Vlad sat up straight and preened. "I watched him win his first game. Gosh, is he good!"

Mr. Coleman tried not to laugh in amusement – Vlad was so excited. "I'm sure he is. What sport does he play?"

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "It's some British thing. The game wouldn't translate to anything you would have heard of. I never heard of it until we got to that school, and I'd be hard put to try to compare it to anything. It involves balls, bats, and goals. And it's not cricket or croquet."

Jason furrowed his brows and tried to imagine what this game would look like, but without more details, he couldn't come up with anything.

"Mr. Masters, why do you want to change your guardianship into a full adoption?"

Vlad smiled proudly. "Because on Christmas, Daniel asked me to. But since I met him two years ago, I've had a serious connection to him. I've longed to tutor – nay, mentor him in self-defense skills and things of the like. He's an apt pupil."

It did Jason's heart good to see a man as excited to adopt a child as Vlad Masters seemed to be. That type of thing is priceless. "You mentioned your project that is keeping you overseas. Will you be back here in time for Danny to finish high school?"

Vlad furrowed his brows. "I don't know. But with the friends he's making in the school… I'm not sure I would want to take him away from his newer sense of stability. Daniel's learning above his level, according to the home schooling guidelines I'm following. I have the forms to get the end of year exams to make sure he's up to his yearmates. Maybe our current situation will suffice. Regardless, after traveling for a bit, we'll come back to the States again so he can take his PSATs and SATs."

Jason nodded. "You've done your homework, and you've given Danny a peer group, even though the situation sounds unusual. Is he happy?"

Vlad frowned. "As much as he can be. He still grieves for his family and friends in Amity Park, but he's made many new friends. He's particularly close to Severus's ward, Harry."

"It sounds like you spend more time with Severus than an average parent would with a teacher."

Vlad sighed. "Severus and I have a lot in common, and the orphaned boys we care for also have a lot in common. I imagine that we'll spend a good deal of time sharing company, whether here in America, there in England, or elsewhere."

Jason nodded. "Do you have anyone else in your support system?"

Vlad smirked. "Remus Lupin, Severus's childhood acquaintance, is particularly helpful in times of stress. Sir Nicholas, one of the school advisors on hand, is always available for assistance. I've spent time talking to Sir Nicholas to help me with my own grieving process; the Fentons were dear friends."

Lewis sat back and watched. Masters had an answer for everything. He always did.

Jason cocked his head. "Mr. Masters, I've noticed that your support system seems to come primarily from your current connections in England. What about here, at home?"

Vlad sighed, and ran a hand over the top of his head. "To be frank, Mr. Coleman, besides the Fentons, most of my acquaintances were business associates. I've spent endless amounts of time on my financial empire. But since Daniel came into my life, not just as my friends' son but my ward, I've had to rearrange some priorities. While I'm still running my businesses and up-keeping all in my employ, my main and central priority is Daniel.

"Daniel's schooling and welfare take the lion's share of my time and attention, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So, it makes sense that my most intimate contacts in my life are also connected to Daniel. It may not be the standard way of things, but then again, I've never truly been a standard type of fellow."

Jason hid a smile behind his hand. He could have been talking to Oliver Warbucks – he didn't seem to have close personal friends until Little Orphan Annie came into his life, either.

Jason cleared his throat. "If you needed to leave Danny for a few days, who would watch him?"

"At present, anyone at the school. Actually, it already happened. Surely you heard about my press conference in November."

Mr. Coleman grimaced. He didn't connect the media-hyped personality with this man sitting before him. Vlad Masters was a multi-faceted individual, and his influence was far-reaching.

"Right – I forgot. It is a boarding school where Danny stays when he's not with you. Still, it is a standard question." Jason thought for a moment. "How does Danny behave? Or rather, does he behave?"

Vlad sighed. "Daniel is… What exactly are you asking me?"

Jason looked to Lewis, whose face was impassive. He looked Vlad in the eye and asked, "What types of discipline do you plan on using if Danny misbehaves?"

Vlad covered his eyes with a hand. It all came back to that, didn't it? Mr. Coleman need never know about October 1, or the torment before that, or…

Removing his hand from his eyes, Vlad sighed again. "Mr. Coleman, like any teenager, Daniel is headstrong and willful. But he is obedient, and such a good boy that his righteousness hurts. Since a traumatic incident that occurred during his freshman year, Daniel has vowed never to cheat or travel down a dark path to destruction. Severus tells me that he intimidates students in his House if they even mention cheating, and then they just don't. He is nigh incorruptible, as he's had to deal with," Vlad gulped. "Arrogant Froot-Loops who tried to sway him into a life of crime. He's resisted against impossible odds, and I have every intention to help keep him on the straight and narrow."

He closed his eyes. Vlad was going to schedule some time to pound his head against the wall later, as he just… Arg! But there was no time for this; Mr. Coleman was waiting. He opened his eyes and continued.

"In the unlikely event that Daniel ever is in need of chastisement for behavior modification… I would take away favored privileges for a limited time, and taking a page from a teacher's book, I'd have him write an essay explaining why what he did was wrong, the possible consequences of the misbehavior, and what a preferable course of action would have been."

Lewis raised an eyebrow and said, "Mr. Masters, no kid is that good. It's not humanly possible."

Vlad thought, 'Tell me about it.' "So it would seem. However, I assure you it's absolutely true. No one is perfect, not even Daniel, but his character is impeccable, and it would be interesting to see who could find the chinks in the armor of my little white knight."

Jason sat back in consideration. He'd heard potential parents declare that they would never commit some form of punishment or another. He'd heard them talk about limits, and what constituted infractions, and various and sundry punishments, from 'time-out's to mild corporal punishment, although it was rare for interviewees to mention corporal punishment these days.

But to hear a potential adoptive parent rant on about any child's merits this way just didn't happen, unless one parent in a seriously unhappy couple tried to place blame on the other while suing for custody. Here, no blame was being placed. It was just praise so high that it had to be hyperbolic to be believable. This was entirely new to his experience. Well, there was a first for everything.

"I've got one more question before the others come back, and documents need to be signed by a notary public and fingerprints are taken." Vlad nodded. "In the event of death or serious illness, who do you plan on supporting Danny?"

Vlad muttered, "As if the boy needs any more tragedy in his life," and Jason blushed, but waited for an answer. "Not that I plan on dying anytime soon, but… For one thing, Daniel is my heir, whether or not the State of Wisconsin declares him to be my son. When I die, Daniel will inherit everything I own. So he will never lack for resources, ever. But who would take care of him? While his aunt Alicia would be notified, of course, the Headmaster of the school arranged for a family or two as candidates to take the job, if the need arose. I've met both families, and I agree that they would be more than capable of taking care of Daniel's particular needs."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "While Alicia has yet to install indoor plumbing…" Jason and Lewis started. "She lives in Spittoon, Arkansas," Vlad snapped, as if that explained everything. "I understand the woman splits and cords her own firewood, but as far as providing for the needs of an active teenager? While Daniel could make do, there are people Daniel trusts… I trust… to be able to embrace him and fulfill his needs.

"But since this is only theoretical, we don't have to worry about such things, hmm?"

---

Severus, Sarah, and Danny came back to the sitting room, and they sat in the comfortable arrangement Sarah found them in when she first got there. The used tea set was cleared away, and a fresh set graced the coffee table. "Mr. Masters was ready for us."

Danny thought for a moment. He nodded when he came to his conclusion. "Yeah, Vlad's good that way. He tries to anticipate every situation."

Sarah poured herself a cup. "Oh? Why do you say that?"

Danny took a cookie. "Vlad's good at chess, and he often tells me, 'The winning strategy is to anticipate every situation.' He taught me how to play. Since chess is a favorite game back at school, I know that's good advice."

"Are you any good?"

"I think so. I even beat Vlad a few times, but people in my House play all the time. Still, Harry says he'd like to see me play Ron. They're in a different House, so I don't get to see them as often during down time."

Sarah thought about that. "Vlad says he teaches you English and math. What do you think of him as a teacher?"

"You know… Vlad is brilliant. No, really. He has a way of making everything interesting and relevant. I know Mr. Lancer tried." At a questioning glance from Sarah, he clarified, "He was a teacher and vice-principal of Casper High before… well, Mr. Lancer was interested in what he taught. But Vlad has a way of, I don't know, taking what we're learning and comparing it to life around us."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, when we discussed isolated communities, and how culture stagnates if there is nothing to add change," Severus raised an eyebrow. "Vlad had me read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The idea that Narnia didn't see Christmas for centuries… well, there were a lot of… implications for that, but one was that without something new, like the kids showing up, Narnia was stuck in a broken cycle."

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "That is a unique perspective on the story."

"Yeah. Like I said, it was only one of many."

"What are you learning now?"

Danny blushed. "I told him I thought 19th century literature was boring, and he took it as a challenge. Right now, we're working on A Christmas Carol…"

Severus interjected, "Oh, he would…"

Sarah reprimanded, "Mr. Snape…"

Severus waved a hand. "Sorry. Never mind, never mind. Vlad just has an interesting sense of humor. And what's next? Oliver Twist?"

Danny furrowed his brows. "Well, yeah, but only after Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market.' There are a handful of lessons to be learned, he said. Last term, we compared Shakespearean ghosts. Vlad says that, either over the summer or next term, we'll compare literary goblins."

Severus smirked. "Oh, he's good. He's better than I thought. We'll have to discuss this later." He almost chuckled, thoroughly amused.

Sarah rolled her eyes and took back control of the conversation. "Danny, when Vlad's not teaching you your lessons, how is he with you?"

Danny was at a loss. How was a kid supposed to explain a relationship that changed from being arch-enemies to being a loving father and son? And they were still working to fix all the damage.

Sarah sat forward, putting her cup down. "Danny, what's wrong?"

Frowning, Danny said, "Nothing is wrong, really. It's just complicated. When we met two years ago, we didn't really get along, but he was always kinda interested in teaching me, and mentoring me. Sometimes, he had a really bizarre way of showing it.

"But since he became my guardian in July… We've really tried to make it work." Danny gulped. "Especially since October 1."

"Danny?" Sarah was concerned at the boy's distress.

"Professor, help," Danny pleaded.

Severus reached over and put a hand on Danny's back. "It will be fine, Daniel. Ms. Goldwasser, Vlad and Daniel had a rather serious altercation that day. Responsibly, Daniel turned to me for assistance, and I came to mediate. But since that time, Vlad and Daniel have grown, and their relationship has flourished." He looked down at Danny. "Will you be alright, now?"

"Yeah." Danny smiled weakly. The professor left his hand on Danny's back, and Danny seemed more at ease with this contact.

Sarah observed that this student and Head of House were emotionally closer than what was strictly professional. She wrote a note to ask about that later.

"Danny, Vlad has been your guardian for months. What do you think of this change in status from guardian and ward to father and son?"

Danny smiled. "Actually, I asked for it. It's a relationship he's wanted for a long time, and I asked him to adopt me on Christmas Day. I've never seen him happier."

Sarah smiled back. "That is lovely, Danny. And I can tell that this makes you happy."

"Yeah."

Sarah relaxed a bit, and took a cookie of her own. "Danny, does it concern you that Vlad's not married?"

Danny jerked his head. "No. Why would it?"

"It is usually considered healthier for an adopted child to have two parents."

Danny drummed his fingers on an armrest, and Severus was amused that the boy adopted Vlad's impatient tic. The boy thought for a bit. "That's probably true. But it's also true that two parents aren't necessarily as attentive as they might be. My friend Sam's parents didn't understand her at all. They always tried to make her something she wasn't. She was already very smart, athletic, and she got good grades. But they wanted to turn her into a fashion plate. She preferred to be a Goth." Severus stared at him – that was a detail Daniel never shared about his friend before.

Danny continued. "While Vlad's been unlucky at love, he always encouraged me to play to my strengths. He's a business mogul, or something, but he respects the fact that I've always wanted to be an astronaut. He's helped me with math, so I got an idea of what 'astronomic numbers' really are. When we got to Britain, and I saw that one of the classes was going to be boring, he arranged it so I tested out of it." Danny beamed. "I passed with flying colors."

Danny tilted his head. "You know, Ms. Goldwasser, I know what a two-parent family should be. My parents were good at that. But Vlad shouldn't be punished because of something he couldn't control. He cares about me, and that's what's important. At least, I would hope so."

Sarah smiled. "You're right, Danny. That is what is important." Severus took mental notes, as a similar argument could be made when he would try to formally adopt Harry.

"Also," Danny said, getting the attention of both adults in the room. "Vlad and I have a lot in common. He's taught me a lot about self-defense, and we share a lot of similar skills. I'm pretty sure that Vlad would be the perfect teacher for these things, the same way he's good at everything else."

Severus raised his eyebrows. Sir Nicholas said as much about the half-ghosts, but it was interesting to hear Daniel validate the claim that the two half-ghosts truly sought each other's company.

Sarah frowned, because there was no 'right' way to ask the next few questions, unless there was already an opening for them. "Danny, I need to ask you. Does Vlad do anything to make you uncomfortable?"

Danny frowned and thought. "We've hit a couple of speed bumps in our relationship, but as far as making me uncomfortable? I can say with certainty: he hasn't done something like that intentionally since October 1, that I could tell."

Sarah closed her eyes. She hated this part of her job, but she had to ask. She opened her eyes and took the plunge. "Has he… touched you anywhere inappropriate?"

Danny jumped from his chair, sending it to the floor. "No! That's sick! Why would you ask that?"

Sarah nodded patiently and spoke soothingly. "Because it's my job to ask questions and make sure you're safe. With such a violent reaction on you're part, I'm glad to have asked what seems to be an irrelevant question."

Danny bent down to pick up the chair he overturned, as he needed a distraction to help calm himself down. This lady wasn't accusing Vlad of anything, but she just asked the question for Danny's safety. He stood the chair back up, grasped the back of his chair, and whispered, "Do people do that?"

Sarah cleared her throat. "Sometimes, unfortunately, yes. And orphans are easy to take advantage of, as they have no one to fall back on for help." Danny thought of Harry. While Harry didn't seem to worry about that, Danny knew that Harry was abused and neglected, and until relatively recently, he had no one to turn to for help.

Danny shook his head. "Well, whatever faults Vlad has, that's not one of them." Both Sarah and Severus sighed with relief. Severus rather suspected as much, but it was always good to hear such things confirmed.

Sarah closed her notepad. "I think we're done, here. We're ready to rejoin the others, if they're ready for us." She knocked on the door to the library.

"Come in," they heard Mr. Coleman call.

The three of them entered the library and took their former seats around the table. Jason asked, "So, you're finished, have you? We're also done. Certain things have been signed, fingerprints have been taken." Sarah nodded. Turning back to Vlad, Jason said, "Give us a few minutes. We'll be back." The two representatives of the WCWS disappeared into the sitting room to confer and exchange notes.

Vlad cleared his throat. "So, how did it go?"

Danny took a deep breath. "For the most part, it was okay."

Vlad frowned. "For the most part?"

Severus patted Danny's shoulder. "There were questions Ms. Goldwasser was required to ask that made Daniel uncomfortable, but it all worked out well, from what I could tell."

Danny stared down at the table for a few seconds. Then he looked back up at Vlad. "How did it go with you?"

Vlad smiled. "It went well, as far as I could tell. What do you say, Mr. Greer?"

The lawyer chuckled. "Besides presenting Danny as a knight in shining armor and a child above all reproach, I'd say that it went reasonably well."

Danny smirked. Little did Mr. Greer know that Danny really was a knight… as far as Princess Dora's authority went. "Cool."

Lewis took in both Vlad and Danny's relieved expressions. "Now that the tough part of today's out of the way, I've got a question for you, Danny."

"Okay."

"If this goes through the way I kind of expect it to, what last name are you going to take?"

Danny felt like he was blindsided. "Huh?"

Lewis explained. "When an adoption goes through, the adopted child customarily takes on his adopted parents' last name. That's especially true with children too young to remember their birthparents or children interested in distancing themselves from abusive parents. But kids who have fond memories of birthparents sometimes prefer to simply keep their last names. Or, a new naming trend is to hyphenate the two last names, to incorporate the last name you were born with and the last name of the family you're adopted into."

"Oh." This was something Danny didn't think of at all, and he felt lost.

"Listen, Danny. There are no hard and fast rules here. The choice is up to you. I have the forms ready for you to apply for a new Social Security card and a Wisconsin non-driver's ID with whatever name you choose to take." Danny looked at Vlad, who appeared to be hopeful. "You can even change your mind later, though it would cost extra for a replacement Social Security card and photo ID. But that cost is negligible, in the grand scheme of things."

Danny looked at Vlad, Severus, and the lawyer. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

Vlad put his arm around Danny's shoulder. "Of course you can, little badger. Your becoming my son is the most important thing." He sighed heavily. "I would truly be honored if you took Masters as your name, even if only in part. But again, as Mr. Greer said, the choice is up to you."

Lewis Greer nodded. "I also have forms to get you a passport with your new name, Danny, and I have the forms to revise your will, Mr. Masters, to reflect Danny's name, if such things become necessary."

Vlad smiled. "Thanks again, Mr. Greer. Your service is truly invaluable."

Severus observed the tableau. Daniel, worried and confused, sat in a partial embrace by Vlad, proud and hopeful, and Lewis sat, impartial and eager to be helpful. "Vlad, you've put an awful lot of energy into this. Every last document is either in place or ready to be."

"Severus, I've longed for this moment for a very long time. This eventuality is one I prayed for, and I'm not really the praying type. It would be foolish in the extreme to not be prepared for this moment I've long awaited."

Severus sighed. Getting guardianship papers for Harry was as simple as getting them from Arthur Weasley. Perhaps he should ask Arthur about guidelines for adoption in the Wizarding World. Vlad said he prepared for this for over a decade. And he's only known Daniel for two years.

Well… Logically, Severus knew that the Muggle process for adoption took years. Vlad knew what he wanted (even if that made him a child-stealing adulterous bastard), he did research, he did the legwork to make it happen, and waited for the appropriate opportunity. The Wizarding World was capricious, fickle, and corrupt. On a whim, the person processing the papers could make something happen or not.

If Rufus Scrimgeour knew that Snape desired to become guardian to any boy, he would not have cared one way or the other. But once he became the guardian of the Boy Who Lived, the Minister was full of objections. However, objecting after the fact was futile. If the useless Minister knew Severus had designs to adopt Harry properly, he would set up as many roadblocks as humanly possible.

However… If he could go through Arthur Weasley, who cared personally for the welfare of Harry Potter, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. This, of course, would assume that Scrimgeour didn't actually look at Harry's case file and decide to take a close, personal interest in the fate of 'the Chosen One.'

None of this mattered, of course, until he asked Harry, and Harry consented to be adopted. And Severus still had no clue about how to do even that. He sighed again.

At about 4:30, Jason and Sarah came back to the library. Vlad and Danny stiffened in anticipation. Jason spoke first. "After comparing notes, we see no problem with this adoption going forward. There are a few details that need to be hammered out, but you've done all you need to, and from what we can tell, you meet as many requirements as necessary and more for a positive adoption. The fingerprints need to be ran, so the FBI and the State of Wisconsin can make sure you're not a dangerous criminal." Vlad did not register a reaction on his face. "The next piece of this is to sign the application with Danny's new full legal name, and to have a notary sign and stamp it."

Lewis smiled broadly. "Sounds good to me. Are you ready, Danny?"

Danny took a deep breath. "I think so. We can do this."

Vlad signed the papers with a flourish. Danny took the papers, and then printed and signed his new name, 'Daniel Fenton-Masters.'

Lewis signed and dated the document, stamped it with his notary stamp, looked up, and smiled. "Good luck, Vladimir Masters and Daniel Fenton-Masters."

"Daniel! I… thank you." Vlad got up and hugged Danny tightly. "My son!"

"I'm glad you like it, Pápa."

Severus wondered if he could get Harry to help reenact this moment. His own eyes became glassy. More than that, he wouldn't do.

Everyone waited until the new family broke the embrace before they said a word.

Jason said, "You should receive something in six to eight weeks to notify you that everything has gone through. Would you prefer it to come to this address, or your address in England?"

Vlad answered, "Send it here. My secretary forwards all my mail to England. The last thing I need is a technical SNAFU because the State of Wisconsin couldn't be bothered to pay for international mail."

Jason chuckled. "Fair enough."

Sarah cleared her throat. "While we're all here, I have a question I need an answer to."

Vlad blinked at her stony expression. "Alright."

"It concerns Mr. Snape."

Severus looked her in the eye. "What would you like to know, Ms. Goldwasser?"

"You explained that the staff of a House operates in loco parentis in a British boarding school. However, I got the feeling that your emotional attachment to Danny is more than strictly professional."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying, Ms. Goldwasser?"

"I don't know, Mr. Snape. You tell me."

Danny said, "Excuse me, Ms. Goldwasser. That's entirely my fault, but nothing bad is happening."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you explain it, and we'll see?"

Taking a deep breath, Danny began. "When we first got to the school, I had lots of adjustment issues. The mourning was a serious part of it. Getting used to Pápa was another part of it." Sarah noticed how seamless Danny's transition from calling Masters 'Vlad' to 'Pápa' seemed to be. "We spent a lot of emotional time working stuff out. And Professor Snape's ward Harry and I are also particularly close. I realize it might not be normal, strictly speaking. But between everything going on, I started thinking of Harry like a cousin. I figured that if Harry could be like a cousin, his guardian could be like an uncle. I know it's weird, but it's complicated."

"Are you in the habit of adopting children in your House as nephews, Mr. Snape?"

Severus cleared his throat. "No, I am not, Ms. Goldwasser, and I don't appreciate what you are implying. The Headmaster is fully aware of the situation, and he has no problem with it. As Daniel said, it is complicated, but nothing untoward has happened here. Nothing at all."

Jason sighed. "The Headmaster is aware of this. Danny is aware of this. Mr. Masters?"

Vlad took a cleansing breath before starting. "There are quite a few authorities who are aware of every social detail. If you require notification, that can be arranged. But I can assure you that everything is above board. Severus has proven to be a source of solace, comfort, and assistance. His intentions are honorable, and he's done nothing that a man in his circumstances should not do. When Daniel told me of his attachment to his favorite professor, it came as a surprise to both Severus and myself, but when Daniel explained his reasoning, it was quite logical."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "What do you say, Mr. Greer?"

Lewis thought for a moment. "That all depends. Are you assuming the people here are telling the truth? Not ten minutes ago, everyone here was trusted enough to allow Danny to become Mr. Masters' son. That hasn't changed. Are we still going to assume they're telling the truth?

"Danny here has explained quite logically that with a lot of the emotional turmoil involved, he and Mr. Snape became close. From what I've heard, it sounds like the catalyst for the unusual bond between student and teacher is the teacher's ward.

"Mr. Snape said earlier that the relationship between Mr. Masters and Danny inspired him to become a guardian to another teen in need. I rather take it that Mr. Snape doesn't decide his major life decisions based on every last student in his care. Therefore, it stands to reason that something special or unusual has taken place. Danny said nothing bad is happening. Mr. Snape says nothing untoward is happening. Mr. Masters maintains that Mr. Snape has acted honorably.

"It is probably safe to say that such a thing isn't habit forming, as the impetus to be or do something out of the ordinary has inspired the professor to take charge of an orphan in need. Without knowing all the details involved, I would go out on a limb to say that Mr. Snape's bonding with Danny may be unusual, but probably not only beneficial to both, it may be educational and useful in Mr. Snape's relationship with his own ward.

"Based on everything I've seen and heard this afternoon, I see no reason to say that anything is truly wrong."

Sarah sighed. She decided that if Mr. Greer was always this convincing, he was worth every penny the billionaire paid for his services. "I guess I have no further objections."

Jason said, "If you're sure, Sarah, I think we're done here for today. It was a pleasure to meet you, Danny, Mr. Masters, and Mr. Snape. I expect we'll hear from you later, Mr. Greer." He shook hands with them, and Vlad rose to escort them to the door.

Sarah nodded. "Have a good evening." She shook hands with all three who were going back to England, and bid Mr. Greer a good evening as well. With that, Vlad led Jason and Sarah out of the library.

Danny asked, "Mr. Greer, how can you have all the stuff ready, when the DMV and the passport need photos?"

Lewis smiled. "That's a good question. Mr. Masters has given me your Illinois non-driver's ID and a set of passport pictures, and that will work for now. Ultimately, you'll have to come back for official photos, but that is enough to start with."

Vlad reentered the room and suggested, "Could we work on signing forms? If possible, I would like to leave by six, or 6:30 at the latest. We do have to get back…"

Lewis nodded. "And we wouldn't want you to miss your flight."

---

Lewis Greer left at a quarter to six, and by tacit agreement, the two ghosts and the wizard decided not to leave for the lab for another fifteen minutes.

Severus tiredly looked between Danny and Vlad, and gathering his courage, he said, "I'm proud of both of you. Today was the culmination of a great deal of time and effort, and it looks like you've found a happy ending, once the mess with Voldemort is through. But… I'm sure you've guessed that I want to adopt Harry."

Danny smiled gently. "It was only a matter of time, Uncle Severus."

"How do I go about asking him?"

Vlad looked at him for a beat or two before answering, "The direct way should work. Saying, 'How would you like it if I adopted you?' or some such formulation should be sufficient."

"But…"

"Uncle Severus, ask him. I think he'll be thrilled. He may try to be stoic, but seriously. Try it. You'll like it."

The professor looked at the two half-ghosts in utter disbelief. "Surely it can't be that simple."

Vlad rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue. Danny asked, "Why not? That's what I did. And for all the courage Harry has, asking you that… Look, if he couldn't ask Remus what he was desperate to know since his Third Year, he's too… I don't know. From what I can tell, the Dursleys pretty much 'cured' him of the ability to reach out and ask for comfort and love. He doesn't know how to ask. But you – you know what you want. He probably wants it even more."

Severus decided that it was at least worth the effort. "Daniel… how do you know such things? From what I can tell, you lacked for nothing. How can you understand matters of the heart the way you do?"

Danny thought for a moment. "The only thing I was afraid to ask was if my parents would accept me if they knew I was not just their son, but Danny Phantom, the ghost they were convinced could only be a menace to society. I had a hint that they might, but…" He shrugged. "If I knew how to ask, I would have. But I didn't, and now I can't. Don't make Harry languish 'cause he can't figure out how to ask for what he probably wants more than anything, besides hearing that Voldemort curled up and died."

Severus smiled. "You have comforted me, Daniel. I'll ask tomorrow." He looked at his watch. "Or, rather, later today."

The clock struck six, and as one, they got up and walked to Vlad's private study. Vlad pulled the golden football on the right, and got out of the way so Severus and Danny could go before him. He pushed a button, and the panels shut behind him.

When they got to the portal, Severus closed his eyes. "It took over an hour to get here. When we get back…"

"Ah, ah, ah," Vlad smirked. "We'll have that taken care of. Come." Vlad took Severus's arm as they stepped into the swirling void. "Daniel, hold onto your uncle." Severus grimaced as he felt like an object being passed about, but said nothing while Vlad tugged the giant football back before the open portal.

"Now, Daniel, open a portal to my rooms." Danny did as Vlad asked, and the three of them stepped into Vlad's living room at Hogwarts.

Severus sputtered. "But… you can do this?"

Vlad's amusement grew. "Of course he can."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Vlad chuckled. "What? And spoil the surprise?"

36