Thank you once again for your wonderful support. I sincerely appreciate each one of you who read, review, and put this story (and me) on your favorite and alert lists. I would offer you pumpkin cheesecake and vanilla milkshakes in thanks.

I need to thank CynthiaW. You know why, dear friend.

I do believe that this is the chapter that so many people have long been waiting for.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Harry Potter, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Ghost Busters, The Princess Bride, or Men in Black.

Chapter 51

After Vlad left for London after breakfast, the Apparation students, the Heads of House, and invisible Danny trooped outside, where it was cold but sunny. This week, more students succeeded in their Apparation, Hermione and Draco most fierce among them. With the simple words, See it, Want it, and Go, most of the people who were signed up were confident in their newfound Apparating ability, and there were only two instances of Splinching. (Those were caused when the two students in question kept their eyes on the instructor instead of visualizing their targets.)

Wilkie Twycross demanded to see the foreign exchange student who seemed to have vetted the Three Ds from the vocabulary of those he was supposed to be teaching. Danny tapped Professor Snape on the shoulder and whispered, "Is this a good idea?"

Severus nodded with just enough motion for Danny to catch it. "You will be fine; I will be with you."

Danny sighed in relief and materialized. Mr. Twycross marched up to Danny. "So you are the one causing the trouble, are you?"

Glancing up at Professor Snape, who nodded encouragingly, Danny said innocently, "What trouble do you mean, Mr. Twycross?"

Wilkie spluttered. "What trouble? No one cares about the Three Ds! I've taught this course for over twenty years, and…"

"Mr. Twycross," Danny interrupted. "What is the goal here? The Three Ds or safe and successful Apparation?"

"Apparation, of course!"

Danny scratched his head. "So what's the problem? You said that usually, people don't 'get it' until the fourth session. This is the third session, and almost everyone not only 'has it,' but are seriously successful, here."

The ethereal man flushed red for a moment or two, and then nodded, controlling his temper. "You're right, I suppose… They say you are still unlicensed, here."

Danny nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Who taught you?"

"My Pápa taught me."

Wilkie studied him. "Is that so? Show me what you can do."

Danny shrugged. "Where do you want me to go?"

Before the Ministry official could think up a destination, a blood-curdling scream came from across the yard. "Harry!" Danny gasped and teleported to Harry's side.

Harry fell to the ground, clutching his forehead. Danny held his shoulders so Harry wouldn't hurt himself as he convulsed in pain. Professor Snape sprinted to the dark-haired duo. "Harry!"

People who were unused to the Potions Professor referring to any student besides a Slytherin by given name stared. Severus sat on the ground and took Harry from Danny's hands, cradling him in his strong arms. "Harry, Harry, wake up. I'm here. Harry, you're safe, Harry. Wake up."

Professor McGonagall commanded, "Everyone, go back inside and get ready for lunch. Thank you for your services today, Mr. Twycross." She strode into the castle to inform the Headmaster of Harry's indisposition.

Professors Flitwick and Sprout herded everyone besides Ron and Hermione away from Harry and the two ministering Slytherins.

As soon as Harry quieted into a pained repose, Professor Snape speared Ron with a glare. Ron peaked his eyebrows, and Professor Snape demanded, "Has he been practicing Occlumency? Well?"

Ron squeaked until he found his voice. "Yes, Professor. Every night and other times during the day. This was weird. He was just talking to Justin and Ernie, and then… this."

"Damn! Then what does this mean?"

Hermione ventured, "I don't know, sir, but Harry's… well, this happens more harshly when Vol…demort is feeling especially angry or happy."

Looking around at the otherwise empty yard, Danny asked quietly, "Uncle Severus? Will Harry be okay?"

Severus took a cleansing breath. "If this is like the other times I've heard about, then yes. There's nothing for it but…"

"Severus?" All eyes flew to Harry.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I had a vision."

Severus rocked him a little. "So I gathered. Shall we sit, or are you up to heading back to the castle?"

Of all the times Harry had to deal with visions from Voldemort, he could never remember anyone holding him like this. It was nice. It was almost worth the accompanying pain. But only almost. "We could sit for a bit longer, if that's okay."

"Shh… That's fine. Ah, here comes Professor Dumbledore."

Professor Dumbledore rapidly approached with Professor McGonagall trailing behind. "Thank you, Severus. Harry? How are you?"

Harry groaned. "I've been better. My head's still sore, but I'll be fine." A wave of dizziness passed over him, and he amended, "Eventually."

The Headmaster took note of who was present and determined that it was safe for everyone present to hear what might be said. "Are you well enough to talk about what you saw?"

Harry blinked and his head started to clear. "I think so." He turned to Danny apologetically. "Danny, I'm sorry. Voldemort has captured Uncle Vlad."

"NOOO!" Danny's scream of anguish was almost palpable. Already on the ground, Danny hugged his knees tightly. He hid his face, sobbing without restraint.

"Oh, Danny…" murmured Professor Dumbledore. Professor Snape and Harry looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do. What does one say to a person who has lost everything and everyone, and has now lost his last anchor to his past?

Hermione's eyes widened. "I'll be right back." She flew back to the castle.

Professor McGonagall knelt to hold Danny's shaking form. Danny was completely unresponsive. The three professors shared a glance, not knowing how to proceed. There were ultimate contingency plans, but no one was ready to discuss them yet.

Harry patted Danny's leg. This was almost worse than Harry losing Sirius last year. While he, too, only had Sirius for two years, and he was devastated at the man's loss, it was returning to a hated life-long status quo. He never had a loving family, and then he lost Sirius.

Danny was just barely getting over the loss of his parents, his sister, his friends, his community, and now this happened. Danny was a Muggle target of Voldemort, and he left his own country to seek refuge here from this very thing. What words of comfort could he give? Harry's brain refused to kick in.

Hermione ran back to the small group huddled on the cold ground, and she was accompanied by Sir Nicholas.

The Gryffindor Ghost took one look at the tableau and glided to Danny's side. "Oh, no. Danny." Sir Nicholas gestured gallantly at Professor McGonagall, who started when she realized he wanted her to get out of the way. "If you would, Madam."

She backed away slowly, giving Sir Nicholas a sidelong glance. "Thank you, Professor." He knelt and hugged Danny closely. Every witch and wizard present stared, as this was a sight no one but Professor Dumbledore had ever seen: a living student was physically touched by a ghost and it was a useful, meaningful contact.

"Shh…Danny." Sir Nicholas rocked him gently in his embrace. "Danny, shh. Everything will be fine. Shh…" He rubbed circles on Danny's back until Danny quieted. "That's right. Everything will be fine." They stayed this way for several minutes as the living humans watched in wonder.

Once Danny's breathing hitched, Sir Nicholas released Danny from a full embrace, but kept an arm around Danny's shoulders. "Harry, might I suggest that you explain your vision in a bit more detail?" Danny followed Sir Nicholas's lead and looked at Harry, waiting for more of an explanation.

Harry peaked his eyebrows. "Of course, Nick. Danny." He closed his eyes, took a breath, and when he opened his eyes he focused on Danny. "Two Death Eaters, Scabior and Rowle they were called, brought Uncle Vlad to Voldemort in Malfoy Manor. Scabior handed Voldemort your Dad's wand. Uncle Vlad didn't seem concerned about that at all."

Harry smirked despite himself. "They taunted each other for a while. I think Voldemort was shocked and surprised – he's not used to people speaking to him that way."

Danny gave a watery smile. "Derisive banter. It's a great diversionary tactic in ghost fights. If your opponent sputters indignantly, they are easily distracted when you land the decisive blow." Ron blinked. "It has the added benefit of adding insult to injury." Professors Dumbledore and Snape looked thoughtful.

Sir Nicholas chuckled. "I hear your banter is legendary, Danny."

Danny gave a lopsided grin. "I try."

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. There was a lot to Mr. Fenton-Masters' story that was completely unknown to the living wizards that seemed to be common knowledge amongst the ghosts. Danny had the disposition of a hero, but Albus was ignorant of the valiant history that came with his remarkable American student.

"Perhaps you'll share a story or two with us later, Danny. But Harry, if you would…?"

Harry nodded. "Right. Danny, Voldemort said you… lived through the Killing Curse." Ron and Hermione gasped. This was news to them.

"Yeah. Once Uncle Severus," Professor McGonagall blinked, "taught me how to fight the Imperius Curse, I can be more or less immune to all three Unforgivables. The Killing Curse is like a sharp jab with a knitting needle, but if I turn intangible or put up a shield, it's nothing. I could feel the full Cruciatus, but then again, turning intangible or putting up a shield counters that."

Ron gaped for a second. "But no one can defend against the Unforgivables. That's why they're unforgivable."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Ron? There's a reason Harry has his most hated title, the Boy Who Lived. He lived through Voldemort's Killing Curse. So, obviously, there are circumstances where the Killing Curse doesn't work as scheduled." Hermione joined Ron in his incredulous stare at Danny.

Danny continued. "And Uncle Severus told me Harry learned how to fight the Imperius Curse two years ago, so it can be fought. But here's the thing you're just not getting. I'm not a wizard; I'm a ghost. I'm not sure it even counts as a power, as much as it's a biological fact: ghosts can't be killed with a Killing Curse." He added wryly, "For most ghosts, that would be redundant."

Sir Nicholas chuckled again. "Too right you are, Danny." He gave the half-ghost an extra squeeze.

Professor Snape grinned. Daniel was exceedingly clever. There were a great number of logical leaps the boy made, and they all led to logical conclusions. Also, he would have to thank Sir Nicholas later for drawing Daniel from his not-quite-mourning.

But for now, Severus hugged Harry with one arm, patted Danny's knee with his free hand, and said, "Well said, Daniel. Well done. But Harry, if you would continue, please?"

Harry nodded. "Right. Well, Voldemort demanded that Uncle Vlad tell him how you lived through the Killing Curse, and the professor wasn't about to tell him. Voldemort threw the Cruciatus at him, but… he looked bored and put up a pink shield." Harry stopped. "I get it now. His color's pink, and yours is green. Like in Star Wars."

"Vlad, you are my father. Yup. Totally." Hermione dissolved into giggles.

Ron peaked his eyebrows, but no one helped him out this time. So he decided to ask what was on his mind. "Danny, we've seen your ghost form. What does Professor Masters' ghost form look like?"

Without missing a beat, Danny answered, "Like a blue-skinned vampire. His beard turns black. His hair turns black and somehow almost forms horns. His eyes are red and are without whites and pupils. And he forms a white tunic and breeches, and a white, flowing cape turned up at the neck. The underside of the cape is the same shade of red as his wizard robes. But his boots, gloves, belt, and cape clasp are black."

Professor McGonagall asked, "Blue skin? Is that… healthy?"

Danny thought. "Well…" He looked to Sir Nicholas, who nodded encouragingly. "Ghosts who are mostly tangible, like me, are usually green, blue, ashen, sepia, or pure black or pure white. One more thing that makes me unique is that my skin tone in my ghost form is the same as it is right now." Danny sighed sadly, immersed in thought.

"Daniel," Severus barked sharply, "If you even think the word 'freak,' I will be severely displeased, and you'll have a rather lengthy essay to write on the topic."

Danny sat straighter, releasing his knees. "Yes, sir."

Harry raised his eyebrows. Now an earlier comment had far more context. As far as he knew, Danny and Professor Masters were the only two half-ghosts in the world. While it was painful when the Dursleys called Harry a freak, the fact is that he shared his magical heritage with the entire Wizarding World. Danny was special in a much more exclusive way.

Harry cleared his throat and continued. "So Voldemort was frustrated and performed Legilimency on Uncle Vlad." He stared at Danny's feet, and said quietly, "Voldemort said that your Dad's not a wizard."

Danny sighed. "Neither of them."

"While Voldemort held Uncle Vlad's mind captive, he told Nagini to spread rose-looking flowers all over the place: in a circle all around them and all over the floor outside the circle, and on the floors immediately above and below where they were standing. When Voldemort broke the spell and retreated, Uncle Vlad hit the flower line and screamed in pain."

Professor Snape, Danny, and – surprisingly – Sir Nicholas chorused, "Blood Blossoms!"

"If that's what they're called."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "I will kill that snake." His eyes flashed green in anger. "That snake is TOAST!" Everyone stared, as no one remembered having seen Danny do that before.

Harry recovered first and snickered. "Reverse Ghost Busters. I love the irony." He sobered. "Voldemort doesn't want you any more, Danny. But he intends to torture Uncle Vlad."

Danny ran a hand through his hair and murmured contemplatively, "What do we do? What do we do?" The professors were shocked once again. The student who, just minutes ago, was debilitated with anguish now sat, considering options, forming a plan.

Harry rallied Ron and Hermione's attention; he recognized that they were witnessing the right way to initiate a rescue mission. Danny's thoughtfulness in the presence of friends and sympathetic adults was as much an example of 'what to do' as much as Harry's attempted rescue mission of Sirius was an example of 'what NOT to do.'

Professor Dumbledore said, "Danny, I'm not sure that…"

Danny didn't seem to hear him, staring at nothing, focusing on a memory. Thinking out loud, he muttered, "See, this is why I never told my parents my secret. If my enemies knew my parents supported me as Danny Phantom, my parents would have been targets. And now, Vlad is my father."

Professor Snape was intrigued by Danny's reaction. It was at this moment that he realized how much of a mystery Daniel truly was. Fueled by curiosity, Severus burned to see what Danny would say or do. He asked, "Was there a time you faced something similar?"

Danny frowned, shaking his head at past anger. "In Amity Park, the only enemy I faced that was purely human and purely evil was Freakshow."

Sir Nicholas closed his eyes in shared pain. "Oh, Danny!" The professors heard the name before, but the students hoped to find out what was going on soon.

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes and held up a hand. "Daniel, you said that… ringmaster specialized in mind control. What he did to you and those ghosts was untenable, true. But I don't see how that compares…"

"No, that time didn't. There was another time he…" Danny blew a frustrated breath. "No one would have known about it because we had to erase everyone's memory of it."

Professor Dumbledore interjected, "Danny, how could that even be possible? There were no wizards to perform Obliviation spells."

Danny cocked his head. "Professor, there was no wizard-type magic." He cut his eyes to the side as he considered how to explain this. "Frederich Showenhower, the… jerk who used the stage name 'Freakshow,' had in his possession and used something called the Reality Gauntlet. The Gauntlet, with the three gems and the stone that was its power source, gave the wearer the capability of changing all reality." He put one hand on the back of his neck. "I don't know if it was magic – not like your magic – or if it tapped into ghostly power, or what. The dude wrote the book on it."

Hermione burst, "Really?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Sam showed it to me. I think Vlad has a copy. Anyway… In what is now another time line…"

"But Danny, messing with time is dangerous! In Third Year, I had a Time Turner, and…"

"And I met the Master of Time. Yeah. And I've personally seen time reset and reality juggled and reorganized with wishes and ghosts who had the power to do so. So, let's say I'm kind of familiar with the concept."

Professor McGonagall mouthed, 'Master of Time?' Severus shrugged.

Danny sighed. "Somehow, Freakshow broke out of whatever prison he was assigned to for his grand larceny. It was just the start of last summer. I was looking forward to a ghost-fight free summer. No school, no fighting for my life or the safety of the town. Just a cross-country road trip with my family and my two best friends. We were to leave Illinois, and hit at least three points of interest in Florida, Nevada, and California. You know, from sea to shining sea…"

His rapt audience was aware that they were about to learn of a more detailed slice of Danny's life than he ever willingly exposed.

"And the best part, or what should have been the best part, about it was the 'School's Out' concert of Dumpty Humpty – a favorite rock group, that set up a tent in the school's front yard. Freakshow, and the only ghost who willingly served him, Lydia, flew in. After a not-so-spectacular aerial battle, when we hid the components that made the Gauntlet function, my powers short-circuited, and I transformed. It was recorded on live television. My best kept secret was exposed, nationally."

Harry tried to process this. "So everyone knew you were a hero."

Danny shook his head negatively. "Some people figured this out. My classmates surprised me and were supremely cool with this. However, the Guys in White – the federal agency responsible for enforcing the Anti-Ecto Control Act – had other plans." Danny shuddered. "I was the only known half-ghost, and if they managed to get me, they wanted to experiment on me, with lots and lots of really painful experiments."

Professor McGonagall gasped, "Merlin! That they thought to do this to you, a child!"

Danny shrugged. "Ghost hunters never care about my age. They don't think about the fact that I'm a kid. They just see me as a ghost."

Hermione exclaimed, "But you're… at least half-human, and an American citizen. You have rights!"

Danny gave a half-smile. "As a ghost, I don't have any rights. The joys of being considered non-human."

Harry sighed sympathetically. "I imagine that's how Remus feels."

Severus frowned and closed his eyes. "There's a reason your letters to the werewolves were so effective."

Just seeing how this affected Daniel, Severus became aware that Harry wasn't the only one he grievously wronged. James and Sirius might have been bullies, but Remus really had a problem. The one social redeeming value of the Marauders was their attempt to accompany a lonely fellow whose greatest sins at the time were being mauled by Fenrir Greyback as a helpless child, and being too afraid to lose the friends he made to stop their bad behavior.

What was it about Daniel that brought out these thoughts and emotions? First Harry, now Remus. The Potions Master had known that Remus was a werewolf since their Fifth Year, but it wasn't until he witnessed Daniel's explanation of his perspective that he realized precisely how much pain he'd given Remus when he exposed his secret. Severus now had a much deeper appreciation for Vlad's anger when he learned that Harry saw Danny's power display.

Of course, he understood that intellectually. But now, it was different. Very, very different.

Danny sighed. "On one level, I suppose that's for the best." Sir Nicholas grabbed his head as he whipped around to face the boy under his arm. "I mean, I just don't see Mirandizing the Box Ghost."

Sir Nicholas wasn't sure what 'Mirandizing' meant, but he imagined that it was a right granted to living Americans. "There is that. However, as a sentient being, you should have the right to common courtesy."

Danny gave a mirthless laugh. "Thanks for saying so. Still… That's one more reason it's important to keep my secret."

He closed his eyes for a second. "The whole mess is a rather long story. But the point is that Freakshow managed to kidnap my family, Sam's parents, and Tucker's parents. They were supposed to be held for ransom until we gave him back the gems that made the Gauntlet function." He sighed sadly.

Sir Nicholas gave Danny another comforting squeeze, and Professor Snape stated, "So the situation has a few similarities."

Professor Dumbledore asked, "So what ended up happening?"

Danny sighed again. "My friends and I got our cross-country trip hunting down the stones we wished away, dogged by the Guys in White every step of the way. However… I did get to land a space shuttle. Sam did get to enjoy at least a few minutes of Goth-a-palooza, and Tucker did get to attend that comic book convention." He looked at Hermione. "The heart of every geek thrilled as three costumers, affected by one of the gems, actually became their favorite comic book characters for a short time, with full forms, powers, and regalia. Pity that these folks chose to be villains."

Harry snickered, just trying to visualize that. Danny smiled. "I guess I should tell you, Harry, even ridiculously enthusiastic fans can have their uses. I'm still not sure how I merited the status of comic book hero, but when we got to California, enough costumers decided to dress like me and my girlfriend Sam that they provided the camouflage necessary to escape from the Guys in White that time."

Ron blurted, "Bloody hell!"

"Yeah, we thought so, too. Poor Tucker! He just never got the attention we did."

Danny peaked his eyebrows as he remembered Tucker complaining, 'Still no Tuckers – a crying shame. I even come with gadgets!' He missed Tucker.

Bringing himself back to his friends and professors, he cleared his throat. "Back to Freakshow… So, yeah. He held our families captive. Once he got what he wanted, he decided to mess with reality all over. Day turned to night, national monuments were defaced… Some things I only got a hint of when I had to set to rights what he perverted.

"And for the record, when normality was restored (or what passes for normality in my world), and everyone who learned of my secret because of this incident had forgotten – the precision of the Reality Gauntlet was frightening – I destroyed it."

Professor Snape perked up. "What? How could you?"

Danny covered his eyes. "That was Pápa's reaction when I told him, too. Look – no one should have that kind of power. Harry told me that once the whole… episode with Voldemort and the Philosopher's Stone was over, that stone was destroyed. The Gauntlet was so much worse. Just think of it – supervillain living forever vs. supervillain who can change any aspect of reality he sees fit just by thinking about it." Danny couldn't help but smile at the looks of horror he received. "I thought so, too."

Professor Dumbledore took a cleansing breath. "How did you save your families?"

Danny shrugged. "My sister gave me a useful piece of advice, and I outsmarted the creep by using his deepest desires against him. It worked. It's a good thing it did, too, or Freakshow would have killed all of us – my family and friends just because it would cause me pain, and me out of a crazy sense of revenge."

There was silence as everyone present reflected and absorbed the half-ghost's tale.

Sir Nicholas fully embraced Danny. "No matter what anyone says, you are a hero, Danny. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

Danny sighed contentedly. "Thanks. I mean it."

When the hug ended, Danny sat quietly for a few seconds and then said, "So now, we need to form a plan to get Vlad back."

Professor McGonagall responded, "There is no 'we,' Danny. You shall stay here."

Danny gave her a cold look. "With all due respect, Professor, Voldemort currently is holding captive the most important person in my world. I'm going to save him, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I would be grateful, however, if I had some help."

The three professors studied the four teens, gauging their usefulness on such a mission. "I'm not sure you should, Danny," Professor Dumbledore began. "This is precisely what we've been trying to protect you from since July. Harry on the other hand…"

Danny gritted his teeth, but before the boy could say something he might regret, Severus raised a hand and interrupted. "Headmaster, you are not using logic. I have had the opportunity to see both Harry and Daniel in battle situations."

The three teenaged Gryffindors stared at Danny. When would Professor Snape have had the chance to see Danny fighting against anyone?

"While Harry is sharp and clever, and resourceful beyond imagination in the heat of battle, the fact remains that Daniel's powers are considerable, and are largely unknown in the Wizarding World."

Harry cocked his head. He knew that Severus wanted to adopt him, but this high praise of himself presented a cognitive dissonance – for as long as he knew the Potions Master, Snape had always insulted his intelligence and skill level in front of other people. Since mid-October, Severus praised his work and his efforts in Potions, but only the people closest to them could hear. This is the first time he remembered Snape speaking his praise in front of an audience.

Danny just nodded – Uncle Severus merely stated the obvious.

"Not even I have seen the limit of Daniel's skills, and I've been honored to be witness to almost… I would hesitate to say almost everything, but I would have no problem saying that I've seen more than anyone not in their immediate family unit. Daniel, and the tremendous powers he possesses, would bring a serious element of surprise.

"Beyond his skill, I've seen him 'think on his feet.' Further, he is personally motivated. The only reason anyone would dismiss him is that they've seriously undervalued him."

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. While Severus was known to be overly generous with praise for his Slytherins, this was higher praise than Albus had ever seen his former spy give to hardened veterans. He made a mental note to discuss Snape's observations on Danny at a later time.

For now, there were other things that needed to be attended to. "Very well. So Harry and Danny are coming. I'll need to call on a few Aurors and Order members…"

"What about us?" Ron interjected, gesturing at himself and Hermione.

All three adults chorused, "No!"

Ron and Hermione were taken aback. Hermione ventured, "But…"

Professor McGonagall gave them a look of steel. "It's bad enough that two children are coming at all. If it were up to me, they wouldn't come, either."

Hermione saw that further objection would be futile, but Ron was mutinous. He glared at Professor Snape. "You favor them!" Hermione gasped at his audacity.

Professor Snape surprised them with an amused smirk. "Of course I do. Was there ever any doubt?"

The members of Professor Dumbledore's strike team began to assemble in the Headmaster's office. Of the professors, besides Dumbledore, it was determined that Severus and Filius would join the rescue mission. The four House Ghosts floated in the background of the meeting in case their support was needed. They thought of themselves as extended family, as far as Danny was concerned.

The first people to arrive were Arthur and the Weasley twins. Arthur nodded gravely at Danny. "I'm sorry to hear your news, Danny."

"Thank you, sir."

George closed his eyes. "Sorry, Danny. This… we'll get Professor Masters back."

Danny furrowed his brows in determination. "Of course we will."

Fred raised his eyebrows. "Look at that. There's no fear in this one. You sure you're not in Gryffindor?"

Danny snickered quietly. "The Sorting Hat said I'd fit there, no problem. But the Hat had its reasons." He thought for a second. "Professor Snape's care and unconditional favor might have been a couple of the things it decided I needed."

George nodded. "Makes sense."

It was Harry's turn to raise his eyebrows. "You know, it wanted to put me in Slytherin."

Severus turned to face the boys. "Did it really?"

Fred blinked and then grinned. "Seriously evil Heir of Slytherin comin' through. Yup. Why not?" The Bloody Baron raised an eyebrow. Harry giggled at the memory. Fred and George were a breath of fresh air in Second Year, when Harry was suffocating in the miasma of unwanted notoriety.

Danny studied Harry. "You would have done great in Slytherin. My guess is that you would have done well in any of the four Houses, but either Gryffindor or Slytherin would have worked best. In Slytherin, you might have found a great deal of security and any number of allies for a whole host of reasons. But from what I've seen, Gryffindor is a lot more open. I just don't see the posturing and maneuvering to suit whatever agenda is going on.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the open friendships in Gryffindor were probably better in the long run for you, who didn't really have such things before, than Slytherin, where everyone has secrets. I would say that no one in Slytherin (but Uncle Severus, who was privy to the knowledge before I was even sorted) has guessed my secrets, other than I'm anti-Voldemort." And thank heaven for that!

Danny's pronouncement gave the Gryffindors reason to pause until Tonks arrived. "Wotcher, Harry. Good to see you again, Danny. We have to stop meeting like this."

Danny gave a half-smile. "What can I tell you? Incredibly evil Slytherins have a thing for putting me in harm's way. Last time, Pápa came to find me. It's time to return the favor. At least we know where to start looking." Harry grinned and put a hand on Danny's arm.

Remus came next. Danny smiled. "Uncle Remus!"

Severus strove not to roll his eyes. "Apparently, they found a name for you, Moony."

Remus fought to hide his smirk. "We'll see what we can do to get Vlad back, Danny."

Danny smiled lightly. "I know. Thanks."

Tonks tugged Remus's arm and pulled him into a quiet conversation with Arthur. A brief nudge from Harry made Danny notice the interactions between Remus and Tonks. Danny whispered, "He has no clue, does he?"

Harry sighed. "Actually, he knows, but he is so worried about… Well, Tonks would call them 'technical details.' Remus is the same age as Severus, and Tonks is as old as Charlie Weasley." At Danny's questioning glance, Harry clarified, "That's just about seven years older than Ron."

"Ah."

"He's also worried about money, and the whole werewolf thing…"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Wuv. Twue wuv. Sam would kill me for being so mushy, but you know… If she doesn't care, I don't see why he would."

"Self-consciousness doesn't have to make sense."

Danny covered his eyes. "Oy."

Kingsley Shacklebolt came in. The tall dark man scanned the crowd, and when he picked out Danny, he nodded respectfully. Danny nodded back.

Professor Dumbledore took a headcount and proceeded. "From what I've been able to discern, I don't believe that Voldemort is prepared for a major battle at this time. I believe that our rescue mission will come as a complete surprise. Regardless, we will have to be wary of wards and protective barriers.

"Once we get in… Severus, you know the layout of the house. Take Danny, who can make both of you invisible without setting off Disillusionment wards in the house, and rescue Professor Masters. While you are off doing that, we'll keep the resident Death Eaters busy.

"Harry."

"Professor?"

"I know and understand that you are brilliant at Defense. However, at no time are you to engage an enemy, except in Defense."

Harry was indignant. "But…"

"I respect you and what you can do. But you are still a minor, and I want you out of harm's way as much as possible. The prophecy makes it clear that you are to be present, not that you need to be engaged," Dumbledore lied. "Is that clear?"

Harry heaved a put-upon sigh. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Addressing the team once again, he said, "This is a rescue mission. Our main objective is to rescue Professor Masters. Anything else we accomplish towards that end is bonus. But once we've safely procured the professor, we leave as soon as we are safely able to do so. Are there any questions?" When no one spoke, Professor Dumbledore nodded. "These two candlesticks are Portkeys that will take us outside the wards around Malfoy Manor."

Voldemort stood back and sneered. "So, Vladimir, now that you know that you're no match for my magic, what shall I do with you?"

Vlad was dizzy from the aroma of the surrounding flowers and imprisoned within their circumference. He waved a hand at the Blood Blossoms to clear them away in a feat of ghostly possession to no effect. An ectoblast at the flowers was equally useless, as was a blast at the wizard. "Butterscotch toffee!"

Vlad looked him in the eye. "Well, Tom, you may have me well penned, but I'm far from defenseless. And other than that bit of mind magic you did, I would correct you. Your magic is no match for my power."

Voldemort bristled at being called 'Tom.' "I'll believe that when I see it." He fired a Stunning Spell at Vlad who turned intangible. "But you didn't even shield."

Raising a derisive eyebrow, Vlad jeered, "For someone who takes pride in his Wizarding heritage, you are woefully ignorant of the basics on ghosts. Most spells can't affect an intangible ghost. You might have known that if you spoke to the Bloody Baron. I would be disappointed, Tom, but you've really done nothing to impress me but hold me captive."

"Reducto!" Vlad yawned. Voldemort growled, "You will yield to my power."

Vlad shrugged. "Not likely."

Petulantly, the Dark Lord shouted, "Damn you!" He picked up a flower and threw it at Vlad, hitting him. Vlad turned tangible and yelped in pain. "Interesting." Voldemort stepped into the circle and shoved Vlad, who was unsteady on his feet. Vlad stumbled and fell through the aroma barrier, screaming and writhing in agony.

Voldemort sat back down in his armchair and quipped, "This is far more entertaining than Cruciatus with far less work."

The strike team landed at the start of the drive to Malfoy Manor. Harry closed his eyes, sucked air through his teeth, and clutched his scar. Danny yelled, "Harry!"

Harry slowly opened his eyes. "I'm not sure what just happened, but Voldemort is extremely pleased. That can't be good for Uncle Vlad."

Danny growled, turned ghost (which amazed everyone, including the professors who saw the transformation before), formed a tail, and took off down the drive. They found him a few minutes later, studying the iron gate.

Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and reported, "The wards are particularly strong at this point. Any magic on this gate besides a Detection Charm will be detected."

Severus frowned. "That is something here that didn't exist last time I visited."

Danny gripped a bar. "The wards detect magic, huh? What about a physical assault?"

Filius smiled, curious to see what Danny would do. "I'm sure that neither the Malfoys nor You-Know-Who counted on a physical assault on cold iron. I'm fairly certain such a thing would go undetected. What did you have in mind?"

"Just this." Danny's eyes flickered a crystal blue. A similar glow surrounded his hands, and he fired a prolonged ice blast at the wrought iron, freezing each and every inch of iron. Releasing the ice from his eyes and hands, Danny fired an ectoblast at the frozen brittle iron, shattering it completely.

Severus crossed his arms and smiled proudly. "Well done, Daniel."

"Thanks." Danny furrowed his brows. "Voldemort really doesn't think much of Muggles or Muggle defenses, does he? A fire extinguisher and a Molotov cocktail might have done just as well."

Arthur cocked his head. "A cocktail?"

Harry supplied, "A fire bomb made from a bottle of liquor and a cloth wick. Good point. No, I don't think he notices or cares."

Danny processed what he heard and what he just did. "Let me get this straight. This Dark Lord has managed to be able to detect all forms of magic, but a primitive physical attack completely slips under the radar." Severus nodded. Danny peaked his eyebrows and then rolled his eyes. "The Terror of the Wizarding World is an idiot."

The magical assemblage started to laugh uneasily. Albus stroked his beard. "That is an interesting perspective. I don't think I've heard anyone state it before." The Supreme Mugwump decided not to announce that most pureblood wizards would have missed the Muggle solution just as easily.

Severus broadened his smile and laid a hand on the floating child's back. "Vlad did say you have a gift for thinking 'outside the box.' Let us proceed."

The group Disillusioned themselves and Danny turned invisible, and they made their way to the house. There were two Death Eaters standing guard at the door. Tonks observed, "Thanks to Snape, we have a profile on the known Death Eaters. The posture, gait, and simple size of these two don't match any we have on file."

Fred muttered, "That's 'cause they're right out of Hogwarts and relatively new."

George concurred. "Montague hasn't moved quite right since we… well, since last year, before our grand exit."

Severus lowered his voice to a dangerous rasp. "I knew you two were responsible, you…"

Fred cut him off. "You didn't seem to care what he was up to doing to First Years outside of Slytherin. Montague was a bully who got his come-upance."

The Head of Slytherin had no response to that.

At fifteen feet away, two whispered Stunning Spells took the unwary guards by surprise.

Harry muttered, "So much for 'constant vigilance.' Crouch, Jr. posing as Moody might have been a Death Eater, but he was one of our better Defense instructors."

Danny frowned. "That's just sad."

Harry shook his head; Danny was right. "Yeah, well… Interesting to see who didn't pay attention two years ago."

Kingsley bound both unconscious cretins for easy retrieval later. "Release all Disillusionment now." Everyone reappeared except for Danny and Professor Snape, who stayed invisible under Danny's power.

Arthur raised a hand and flung the door open. "Now!" The team piled in, and Death Eaters spilled into the hall to meet them.

Professor Dumbledore grasped Harry's shoulder firmly. "Not yet." Harry didn't growl, but he thought about it.

Within seconds, the foyer was alight as a rainbow-colored spectrum of spells flew. Danny kept Severus invisible and intangible as the professor directed the floating child to the sitting room.

As they got closer to the 'throne room,' Danny shook his head to dispel the light-headedness. "Uncle Severus, I'm getting dizzy."

Severus responded gently, "It's no wonder. You remember your reaction to one of the Blossoms. From Harry's description of his vision, hundreds of them are scattered a floor above, below, and in the room we're headed to." Danny closed his eyes, coming to a brief halt. "Daniel, I'm here for you." In good conscience, the Potions Master couldn't say there was nothing to fear; Voldemort and a room full of flowers guaranteed to cause the boy pain were valid sources of fear.

"Thanks." They turned a corner and heard blood-curdling screams. "Vlad!" Danny grabbed Snape's hand to maintain the wizard's invisibility, pulling him hurriedly along. Severus was impressed with Daniel's persistence and increased speed, while quiet sounds of discomfort were the only signs of further complaint against what had to be significant discomfort if not pain for the boy.

At the door, Severus looked in Daniel's direction. "Are you ready for this?"

With a quiet moan, Danny admitted, "I'm as ready as I'm gonna be." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded to himself. "Let's do this." He turned them both intangible and phased them into the room.

Danny sucked breath through his teeth, involuntarily turning tangible and lost purchase in the air. Severus caught him. "I've got you," he whispered. He was further impressed that the boy kept their invisibility.

Danny waited for his head to stop spinning before opening his eyes. "Thanks. I needed that." His head pounded in pain, but when he could rally enough attention to register anything beyond his own pain, he saw Vlad writhing on the floor, screaming, outside of the flower-free zone. Voldemort sat back in his throne-like chair, eyes closed and laughing raucously. Danny looked immediately in front of him, and saw that the flowers were an inch from his boots. "Professor, help."

Severus shifted Danny's slight form to his left arm. Wordlessly, he waved his wand, and all of the Blood Blossoms piled into a corner farthest from the two ghosts.

Danny peaked his eyebrows; Vlad continued to scream as if he were still in the midst of the flowers. "They're still hurting him!"

Severus thought, 'Interesting effect.' He also noticed that Daniel refrained from mentioning his own hurt. He said, "From what I've read, Blood Blossoms resist a ghosts' standard defenses. Before I met you, I understood that to mean that a ghost couldn't fly over them, and a poltergeist could not evade them by turning intangible. Since I met you, I further understand that to include ectoblasts, and I'm not sure, but I would guess that would also include ghostly possession and levitation.

"However, I do believe that you have quite a few powers that are well beyond standard. Am I correct?"

Danny answered, "Yes, I do." He closed his eyes. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"My idea is to see if we can kill the blossoms, such that the aroma would cease to spread. However, transfiguring or destroying that many in one place at one time would require a spell that would have to be audible, and that would give us away. Still, if the many were to become one, it would be a simple matter to banish one solid entity."

"Gimme a second." Danny thought for a minute. "I got it!" he whispered excitedly. Danny froze the pile of Blood Blossoms, and they stuck to each other in one mass. Danny blew a breath of relief. "Wow… much better." He was still light-headed, but it felt like a pain reliever just kicked into effect. "That didn't seem to help Vlad, though."

Severus Vanished the neutralized flowers. That did the trick. Vlad stopped screaming and started panting at the same time that Narcissa opened the door.

Narcissa came to the room to inform Voldemort of the battle happening in the foyer.

The sound of graceful footfalls alerted Voldemort to the distinct lack of screaming. His eyes snapped open, and he saw Vlad uncurling from his erstwhile agony and the fact that every last Blood Blossom in this room had gone missing. Narcissa stood in the doorway and Tom glared at her. "You dare…!"

Not sure what she had done to incur the Dark Lord's wrath, she tried to explain. "Forgive me, my Lord, but there are…."

"Narcissa, I thank you for the use of your house, but you have outlived your usefulness. Avada Kedavra!"

While Tom was distracted with waving his wand to kill Draco's mother, Danny noticed Nagini crossing the floor to investigate the empty space that used to hold the pile of Blood Blossoms. At the same time as green light flashed from Voldemort's wand, Danny sent an ectoblast that incinerated Nagini.

Having seen the flash of green from the corner of his eye, Tom turned in the direction of the flash. Vladimir lay on the floor, barely conscious, and there was a distinct lack of his snake, his familiar and Horcrux. His eyes found a small pile of ashes and scorch marks. "No! Nagini!" He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes for a moment.

He recognized that the flash came from the direction of the door. "But for an Incendio to be that powerful, I would have heard it. Who…?" The Dark Lord rose and stormed out of the throne room.

Danny and Severus materialized, and Danny sprinted to Vlad's side. "Pápa!"

Vlad wearily opened his eyes. "Daniel. You found me."

Dropping to the floor, Danny scooped Vlad up and hugged him gingerly. "Of course I did! But I had a lot of help." He looked up at Severus, smiled at his favorite professor's tender gaze of pride in his nephew, and buried his face in Vlad's shoulder.

After resting in each other's arms and recovering from the pain for a few minutes, Danny sat up a little straighter. "Pápa, that looked… painful. Are you okay?"

Vlad closed his eyes. "Not yet. But now I will be. You are here."

Severus watched the loving scene, sighed quietly, and said, "Based on the flowers above and below this room, it can't be healthy for you to remain in this throne room."

Focusing on his light but lasting dizziness, Danny quipped, "You can say that again."

The good professor smiled with a feral glint in his eyes. "Come – let's join the party."

Danny looked to Vlad, who said, "Go. Give them my best, won't you?"

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "But…"

"Get started. Give me a moment. I'll catch up with you."

When Voldemort reached the scene of the battle, Dumbledore sighed over a bound and unconscious Scabior. Bella's half-blood niece and her pet werewolf stood triumphantly over Fenrir Greyback. That level of smugness could only signify Greyback's death. Pity – he was a useful tool.

That dark Auror battled Goyle, the senior Weasley (Who else would he be with that hair?) was engaging Rowle, Flitwick exchanged volleys with Amycus Carrow, and Bella was more than a match for the Weasley brats. And the Potter boy frowned impatiently, standing against a wall, away from the combatants.

Voldemort roared, "Which one of you killed Nagini?" All eyes turned to the Dark Lord.

Harry grinned. "Danny did it!" he murmured. "Good for him!"

Professor Dumbledore shook his head, avoiding the question. "Tom, you have no more Horcruxes." The Dark Lord struggled to suppress a gasp. "You might be surprised to know you've been reduced to a mere mortal, like the rest of us."

Voldemort shook with rage. How did anyone learn of his Horcruxes? The old man looked too confident. "How did you know about that?"

With a half-smile, Dumbledore answered, "I have my ways. But all six of them have been destroyed."

Filius did gasp. You-Know-Who made six Horcruxes? One required a phenomenal amount of evil to create. But six?

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "No matter. All of you will regret it. I shall prevail!" He started firing at Dumbledore, and the three of Tom's Inner Circle left standing resumed their battles.

Danny and Severus made their way back to the battle visibly. Bellatrix, Amycus, Rowle, and Voldemort were fighting, Remus and Tonks hung back to keep Harry company, and Kingsley watched the four battles, ready to jump in as necessary.

Severus looked at the team members besides Harry who were not currently engaged. He sneered and murmured, "Gryffindors, almost all of them. Out of a faulty sense of fair play, they've given up their advantage of numbers. Let's help them out, shall we?"

Danny furrowed his brows. When fighting ghosts, he'd agree with Uncle Severus. After all, a team effort was particularly useful when fighting Skulker and Technus, and absolutely necessary when fighting the Fright Knight. But he really didn't like using his powers against humans. Danny realized Uncle Severus would consider his sense of fair play as faulty as the Gryffindors he scorned.

Danny said, "Gimme a second." He narrowed his eyes in thought. Severus waited until Danny formed a plan – it was useful to have a warrior who could be immune to most forms of magic.

Danny thought of the fights he had with humans. With the exception of attempting to correct a mistaken assumption of overshadowing, he never fired at his parents. Valerie wore her protective suit, so even when he hit her, nothing he threw at her would cause too much damage. The Guys in White… Danny never actually fired at one of them. He didn't mind destroying their vehicles; they always wore parachutes. And when they didn't… he didn't drop them from a height to injure more than their pride (and leave them a little sore). Even Freakshow… he might have shot the creep a couple of times, but only with enough energy (not with heat) to make him forcibly land against a trunk, where heavy artwork fell on him. No harm done. Some pain, some bruises, a useful arrest, but no serious harm.

Freakshow… When Danny and his friends were on the run from the Guys in White on their cross-country scavenger hunt, they stopped at a diner. Danny shot the cell phones from the patrons' hands. Maybe something like that would work.

He looked back at the assorted fights. Fred and George looked overmatched. "I've got an idea." Severus nodded, and observed Daniel to see what he had in mind.

Turning invisible again, Danny shot Goyle's wand out of his hand. The man yelped in pain, and Kingsley stepped back to reassess the situation. As Goyle dove for his wand, Kingsley Stunned him and bound him.

Danny drifted over to the twins, who were wearing out. The ghost whispered in George's ear, "When I give the signal, leave her alone. I have a plan."

Between firing curses, George asked, "What's the signal?"

Danny answered, "You'll know. Trust me on this."

After reciting a quick Protego, George heard the queen of evil gasp. She said, "Now!" George lowered his wand and waved off Fred.

As Danny got used to his new surroundings, he realized that this witch was far more powerful than Vince and Greg combined. Experimenting, Danny had Bella cast Protego between Dumbledore and Voldemort. The professor was surprised, but the Dark Lord howled in rage.

'I can get used to this,' thought Danny.

Kingsley turned to fire at Bellatrix, but George said, "Don't! Danny's in there." The Auror was taken aback, but he stood down to watch the show.

Danny cast Tarantallegra on Rowle, and Amycus realized that there was something wrong with Lestrange. Carrow fired a Stunning Spell at Bella, but Danny turned intangible. The spell went through Bella and hit Rowle, who dropped unconscious. His legs convulsed in a dance without him.

Amycus narrowed his eyes, shouting "Summat's possessed Bella!" Few present knew what to make of that statement. Arthur and Fred knew that Voldemort possessed Ginny, but Voldemort currently had his hands full.

Danny was distracted as the leg movements of the downed blond no longer matched a dance rhythm, but every muscle in his body clenched. What was going on there?

Amycus took advantage of Bella's bizarre preoccupation with the irrelevant wizard and fired Avada Kedavra at her.

Bella fell dead, and Danny was forcibly ejected. "Ow!" Danny complained as he landed on the ground, rubbing his stomach. "Do you know how much that stings?"

Amycus stared dumbfounded at Bella, lying dead on the floor, and the white-haired boy in an incomprehensible uniform. Where did he come from? Cognitive dissonance didn't cover the magnitude of the wizard's mental disconnect.

Professor Dumbledore took advantage of the severely distracted Carrow, Stunning and binding him.

Voldemort looked at Danny with surprise (as did everyone besides George and Severus – when did he show up?) and outrage. "You, ghost brat, are responsible for losing me my best lieutenant!"

Danny cocked his head. "I would've thought that was this guy, here." He pointed at the fallen Carrow.

At that moment, Rowle stopped convulsing and Vlad turned visible in ghost form. He observed his handiwork. "Slow, painful, and reliably dead. Perfect."

Voldemort gave no indication of the fact that he was startled by Vlad's vampiric appearance. He merely glowered at the imposing ghost. "You cost me my best informant. Your son lost me…"

Harry saw Voldemort's glare shift to Danny and quickly realized where this was headed. Danny was still dazed from being ejected. Harry moved to stand by his new cousin.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Danny, who was prone on the floor. "Avada Kedavra!" Harry leapt in front of Danny, taking the blast.

"Harry!" Danny caught Harry, breaking his fall. No one cared enough to catch Voldemort when he fell.

Danny cradled Harry and started to cry, moaning, "Harry, you idiot! I can't be killed with the Killing Curse."

Severus dropped to his knees. Voldemort killed his Lily, and now he took his Harry. Severus clenched his fists and wailed inconsolably. "NOOOO!"

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