First of all, I want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and added this story and me to your assorted lists. Before this chapter, I had picked up many new readers, and I am as thrilled to discover you as you say you were to discover me.

I offer many warm holiday greetings, with alcohol-free eggnog, gingerbread cookies, and peppermint sucking candies.

This is the penultimate chapter, and I intended to tie up many loose ends. I hope you like the way I've done so. I've used Chapter 19: Elf Tails from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for inspiration, and I've used the family tree of the Noble and Ancient House of Black that can be found in the Harry Potter Lexicon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.

Chapter 54

On Wednesday, February 19, Professor Dumbledore received a fire call from Minister Scrimgeour. "Headmaster Dumbledore! What is the meaning of this outrage?"

Albus did expect to hear from the Ministry over Voldemort's final battle, but this reaction left him puzzled. Well, not precisely, but feigning puzzlement would be ever so much more annoying. "Which outrage would that be, Minister?"

"Your Potions Master is filing a lawsuit against the Ministry's PR Department for releasing Harry Potter's name to the Daily Prophet!"

Albus furrowed his brows. "Tut, tut! It is an outrage. Disclosing information about a minor without his father's consent is a problem. Were the Snapes even consulted?"

Rufus turned red. "What is this? His father? Multiple Snapes?"

"Indeed. My Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape, adopted Harry as his son, so he is now Harry Potter-Snape." The Minister spluttered. That was a development he completely did not expect.

"But even before the adoption was finalized, I understand that you, at least, knew since Christmas of Professor Snape's guardianship of Harry. The failure to adhere to government protocol lies with the Ministry. And I will support my professor and his son on this matter."

Scrimgeour realized he was losing ground rather quickly. "But it was about Harry Potter! The public has a right to know about 'the Chosen One'."

"No, actually, the public has no more right to Mr. Potter-Snape's affairs than Professor Snape allows. I noticed that no exposé was written or even mention was made of the Malfoys' home, nor were there editorials asking about Mr. Malfoy's custodial placement. But for the past three days, there have been all kinds of questions asked in the media about the Boy Who Lived."

"That's because the Malfoys (and whoever has the boy now) would never allow such private information to be released to the public."

Dumbledore nodded. "Correct. And the Snapes were not interested in having their private information publicized, either. But they were not consulted. Mr. Potter-Snape is underage. I wouldn't be surprised if the professor becomes far wealthier, based on how many times the Ministry has ignored the basic rights of Mr. Potter-Snape." He thought for a moment. "His suit with the Daily Prophet is already showing promise."

Scrimgeour opened and closed his mouth a few times to no good effect. The Headmaster was right, of course. As an orphaned celebrity, there was no one to stand up for Harry Potter's rights. And now… well, there was an adult in the picture to make sure the boy wasn't ridden over, roughshod.

He realized that he was defeated on this front. Running a hand through his hair, the Minister said, "Be that as it may, I need to set up an interview with… Mr. Potter-Snape, as you call him."

The Headmaster looked at him coolly. "I call him that because it is the boy's name."

Waving a hand impatiently, the Minister replied testily, "Yes, yes. This Saturday would be best."

Professor Dumbledore was highly amused. "Fair enough. I'll inform my Potions Master of your request, and let you know whether here or the Ministry would suffice." Rufus narrowed his eyes. "It will have to be after Harry's Apparation lesson. Very well. Either I or Professor Snape will call back to confirm when and where the appointment should take place."

Scrimgeour blew a frustrated breath. How did he lose complete control of the situation? "Fine. I'll be waiting for that call." He withdrew his head from the fire.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled to himself. "Oh, dear. Our poor Minister has taken news of Harry's adoption with very bad grace. The reality of the situation will hardly be more pleasing to him, but Rufus has no one to blame but himself."

Severus consented to meet with the Minister at the Ministry, as he had a few surprises to spring, and he could do so much more effectively at the source of the problems. So on Saturday, February 22, Severus and Harry went to the Minister's office.

Once his guests were seated, Rufus began. "Between Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks' report, they made it clear that you, Harry, were there at the final battle, but did not actually vanquish You-Know-Who."

Harry cocked his head, unsure of what the Minister wanted. "Yes, sir. I was hit by another Killing Curse. I was barely conscious at the time."

Scrimgeour sat back and steepled his hands. "What you said was confirmed by the Aurors' reports. The reports also said that You-Know-Who was killed by a tangible ghost, who was identified as Vlad Plasmius." Harry blinked, as 'Plasmius' was a name he was unfamiliar with. But it made sense, when keeping in mind Uncle Vlad's vampiric form.

"I suppose so, sir."

This was not going the way Minister Scrimgeour intended. "How was it possible for a ghost to do anything like that? Ghosts are barely physical."

Severus grew impatient. "Is there a point to this line of inquiry? You should know as well as I do that the ghost of Myrtle Duncan can manipulate water, and that poltergeists have a lot more physical substance. The two ghosts who were present at Voldemort's final battle are more powerful than most tangible ghosts they know are. But this doesn't explain why you are harassing my son about this."

Rufus realized he had to come to his point quickly, or he would lose his opportunity to speak to the Boy Who Lived Again. "Yes. Right. I wanted to know how ghosts can do this when you were 'the Chosen One'?"

Harry looked askance at the Minister. "It's not my fault that the media placed such ridiculous expectations on me. I never claimed to be chosen for anything. The media created the fiction, and it made you happy to buy into it." The Minister spluttered. "I was present, and my presence destroyed Voldemort's seeming immortality."

Harry grinned. "I believe the ghost who decapitated Tom," the Minister winced at the graphic description of the death, "declared that people who decided that a sixteen-year-old boy was supposed to kill a seventy-year-old man were 'soulless morons'."

"But… but… Now see here…"

Severus ignored the Minister and raised an eyebrow at his son. "So you heard that, did you?"

Harry shrugged. "Yeah. But it's about par for the course, though. This is the same Ministry that had no problem declaring me an attention-seeking liar last year for doing nothing more than telling the truth, locking away Sirius Black for twelve years, and… Are you still holding Stan Shunpike captive?"

The Minister felt at a loss. "Yes, but those things happened while…"

Harry narrowed his eyes and interrupted. "Fudge was Minister? It would be a more creditable separation if you didn't put Fudge in an advisory capacity. And Stan was all your own fault." He turned to his father. "Soulless morons. I like the sound of that."

Severus enjoyed Harry's capacity for banter. Oh, he had to reward the boy after this was over.

Scrimgeour fumed. "How dare you question this office?"

"How dare this office question me? If you were really interested in truth and justice, you could have questioned Sirius, Stan, or me with Pensieved memories or Veritaserum. But this Ministry would rather appear to be doing something than actually doing something. Has anyone actually seen Stan's arm to check for a Dark Mark?" The look of confused frustration on the Minister's face was a simple enough answer. "No, of course you didn't."

Professor Snape smirked. "Professor Masters isn't the only proud father to have a hero for a son. As you've pointed out the necessity, I do believe my next suit against the Ministry will be on behalf of Mr. Shunpike. No one else has sought justice on his behalf, and you have convinced me that it is beyond necessary."

They sat for a few minutes in relative silence. The Minister turned the same shade of purple that Vernon Dursley turned when he was angry enough, but the fact was he could not do anything about it. Rufus decided that this interview, which was scheduled to bring Harry Potter back under ministerial control by pointing out that he failed to live up to the expectations of the Wizarding World, was distinctly a bad idea.

Harry frowned. "Does Dolores Umbridge still work here?"

The Minister blinked at this seeming non sequitur. "Yes. She is still the senior undersecretary."

Harry rubbed his right hand. "Why is she still here? She was worse than Fudge was."

Severus noticed this interesting gesture of his son. "Harry, what's wrong with your hand?"

Harry blushed. "Well… Nothing is wrong now. But Umbridge… When I…" He turned away.

Severus grew dangerously quiet. "Harry, let me see your right hand." Harry sighed as Severus took it. The Potions Master narrowed his eyes and said in that silky voice that portended a great deal of either pain or humiliation, "And why do you have on your hand, 'I must not tell lies'?"

Harry shuddered. "It was Umbridge's favorite detention. She didn't care to hear me say that Voldemort was back, so she made me use a Blood Quill to write that sentence until it was a permanent part of my hand."

Both adults stared incredulously. Severus was the first to recover. "You foolish boy! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Harry narrowed his eyes and spat bitterly, "Who was I going to tell? When I tried to complain to Professor McGonagall, she told me to 'keep my head down and stay out of trouble.' She was on about me keeping my temper, so slicing my hand open for each detention never got a chance to come up. Professor Dumbledore didn't even want to see me, unless someone else had an emergency, and you? Dad, try to remember that your change of heart about me only started last October. You took delight in my pain and humiliation!"

Rufus was stuck between a desire to crow triumphantly about Snape's less than perfect record with Potter and complete horror at the measures his undersecretary dealt this boy.

Severus covered his eyes. Last year, every single professor, including the Headmaster, failed Harry in every possible way. And no one failed as spectacularly as Severus, who was guilty as charged. If he, the adult and professor, did not take his grudge against a dead man so seriously that he set up said man's son to fail, the child might have communicated… all kinds of things.

Instead, Snape took every opportunity to cause the boy pain and humiliation, demanding the boy's respect, though he gave none in return.

The only professorial decision made regarding Harry during the entirety of the year that wasn't tainted with shame was Minerva's insistence that he give Harry a chance to earn his way into the NEWT-level Potions class.

The professor uncovered his eyes. "Which was unforgivable, true. Let me ask you this – were there other students who had to use this quill?"

"Lee Jordan. There might have been others, but I only noticed Lee in the Common Room."

Severus took three deep breaths. Then he glowered at Scrimgeour. "Minister, when I get back to Hogwarts, I am going to check the records to see who had detention with Dolores, and I will owl each of them and/or their parents to find out whether this abomination was used against them as well. It was inexcusable that a Ministry official posing as a professor used such a Dark instrument on one student. If I bring a class action law suit against your undersecretary, not only will both of you be removed from office, neither of you will see the light of day for a VERY long time."

"I…" Rufus practically had no bluster left.

Severus stood up. "Come, Harry. This interview is over. We have much more important things to discuss. Good day to you, Minister."

"But I haven't dismissed you!"

"Minister…"

"Very well, then. Good day." The Minister watched as Professor Snape left his office with Harry Potter. He reflected on the fact that his bad choices might very well end his political career, especially when the professor could simply reach the voting public with such damning information…

He could lessen the damage by addressing the three main charges against his office that were still reparable. Releasing Stan Shunpike with a healthy compensation gift would be a good beginning. Dismissing Cornelius Fudge as an advisor would not be fun (as he was useful), but it was necessary. However, firing Dolores Umbridge before she was brought up on criminal charges seemed to be top priority.

Yes, quite. Once these three initiatives were taken care of, Rufus Scrimgeour might have a chance at surviving until the next election cycle. It wasn't a certainty, but considering that none of his actions or decisions were at all useful in removing You-Know-Who as a threat from the Wizarding World, these minor contributions to justice might just help his career, assuming anything was salvageable.

Dolores Umbridge smiled as she finished up her paperwork. You-Know-Who was gone, so everything was set to go back to 'business as usual' without the fever pitch that had been going on since that dreadful incident last year. The sound of hoof-beats still made her nervous.

She was upset to hear of his downfall. She would never do something as public as the overt illegal actions of the Death Eaters, of course, but when it came to matters of the supremacy of pureblood wizards without the taint of beasts in their blood, the Dark Lord had the right idea.

Ah, well. Back to business as usual.

When there was a knock on her door, she rang out sweetly, "Come in!" When the Minister entered, her smile broadened. "Good afternoon, Minister. What can I do for you?"

Rufus impassively stated, "Nothing at all. We no longer require your services here."

Dolores blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"As of this moment, you no longer work for the Ministry of Magic."

She stared at the Minister, dumbfounded. "But after all my years of dedicated service… You can't…"

Scrimgeour ignored her indignation. "Of course I can. You are an appointee, and you are easily replaced. The position will be filled by Monday morning."

"But, but…" Dolores realized that further protest would probably be useless at this juncture. She cleared her throat and took a new tack. "May I know why I am being summarily dismissed?"

He considered not giving her the satisfaction, but decided that, as long as he was proverbially throwing her under the Knight Bus, he had nothing to lose by telling her. "It has come to my attention that you have done many deleterious things in your term as a professor in Hogwarts.""

"Deleterious?" Umbridge's face turned the shade of her bright pink cardigan, and her voice squeaked at a higher pitch proportional to the loss of her temper. "I brought that institution of Wizarding education under full control of the Ministry."

Rufus was so upset with this woman and the possible loss of his own job that he could take no pleasure from this woman's pain. "Yes, I am aware that you attempted to suppress the truth when Harry Potter and Headmaster Dumbledore announced You-Know-Who was back. Considering that the Dark Lord's corpse and head are in our morgue, it appears that they were not only correct, the Aurors' reports say they were present at the Dark Lord's demise."

Dolores knew she was in trouble, but political hard ball was hard to play when you were behind the eight ball. She took a breath and weighed her words. "I only proposed to propagate the Ministry position. Fudge had determined that the Dark Lord had not returned. That was the official position of the Ministry, and I took steps to ensure that was the only position heard."

"Considering that it was entirely incorrect, and Fudge is no longer Minister because of his failure to recognize the obvious," Dolores winced, "I would not hold that to be a point of pride."

The toad-like woman opened and closed her mouth to no good effect. "And tell me, Dolores, why you felt the need to bring Dark objects into the school?"

Her mouth snapped shut indignantly. "I did no such thing!"

"Was tormenting an orphan worth the lawsuit you will face for forcing students to use a Blood Quill?"

She narrowed her eyes in fury. "That lying little…"

The Minister raised an eyebrow. "You mean 'the lying little boy who has "I must not tell lies" as a permanent scar on his hand'? Actually, he was loath to make mention of it at all. You will find that persecuting Harry Potter is not a harmless recreation. Neither he nor the other students you had forced to slice open their hands during your 'detentions' will…"

"Harry Potter was here?"

"Indeed. He and Professor Snape left my office immediately before we had this discussion. You'll clear your things from your office by the end of the day."

Umbridge did not see reason; she only saw red. "Why that little…" She bolted out of the office and ran to the elevator. The brat would not get away with this!

The elevator spilled her out at the lobby level. "Potter!"

The undignified shriek pulled Harry and Severus short. Harry cringed. "What…"

In the Atrium, everyone stopped and stared at the former Ministry official storming up to and railing against the boy in front of the Fountain of Magical Brethren. "How dare you come to the Ministry to get me fired?"

Harry looked at Severus, who put a protective arm around the boy and said, "Madam, lower your voice. You're causing a scene."

"Ah, Professor Snape. You understand better than anyone what a lying, worthless, attention-seeking brat the boy is. You..."

Severus drew his wand against the hysterical witch. "Actually, I know better than anyone that he does not fit even one of your descriptions of him. If you repeat any of them, I will jinx your tongue from your mouth." Employees, tourists, and other people who had business at the Ministry temporarily ignored their intended destinations to watch this drama unfold.

Umbridge's eyes flew wide open. "You dare draw a wand on me!"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "You dare assault my boy in my presence!" He tightened his hold on Harry with his left arm.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Harry muttered.

Dolores's jaw dropped open, but Severus glanced down at the boy. "What do you mean?"

Harry's eyes widened. He was being invited to publicly recount the toad-woman's sins against him. His sense of justice would be satisfied, and his new father would keep him safe. "For starters, she sent the two Dementors that attacked me and my cousin, so I cast the Patronus to save us; that was the cause of my trial two summers ago. I have a room full of witnesses to the fact that you said so. They also saw you threaten to attack me with a Cruciatus Curse." People in the hall gasped, but none as sharply as Severus.

"And I'm not the only student you forced to use a Blood Quill."

The accused witch tightened her lips. "You're lying. You'll never prove it."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I suppose the scars on my hand mean nothing, huh? And since you have no qualms about using Veritaserum whenever it suits your fancy on whomever you like," another horrified gasp escaped the crowd. Severus merely nodded. "Veritaserum, Pensieved memories, and signed affidavits (which will be gotten once we spread the word about you) mean nothing? Or does due process not pertain to me, because someone decided that I'm too famous to have the laws that are supposed to protect minors protect me?"

Two Aurors peeled away from the crowd. "Madam Umbridge, any one of these allegations, if proved true, would land you quite a bit of jail time. If all of them proved true, you'd never see the light of day again. Come with us, as we have some questions to ask you."

Dolores stared at Harry, then Professor Snape, and then at the approaching Aurors. "You can't do this to me! I am Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary…"

Auror Shacklebolt darted forward and grabbed her arm. "I don't care if you were the Queen Mother. You caused this scene by verbally assaulting Mr. Potter-Snape, and we're going to find the answers to some very pressing questions."

"Potter-Snape! Professor, is this true? You actually adopted this…"

"Finish that sentence, Dolores, and I'll make good on my promise; you'll have to finish your interrogation via Pensieved memories and written testimony."

Dolores snapped her mouth shut again. She really had no desire to discover the creativity of a former Death Eater. She imagined they had their uses, but staring down the business end of their wands was never a good option or wise choice.

She closed her eyes, holding off the inevitable. "Fine. I'll go. But everything I did, I did with Cornelius Fudge's stamp of approval. If I'm going to be hauled in for questioning, Fudge should be investigated and interrogated at least as much. After all, it was his position that You-Know-Who was not back, and that Dumbledore and the Brat-Who-Lived were delusional liars. He…"

Kingsley cut her off. "That's enough from you, Umbridge. We'll speak to Fudge, but he is no longer your concern."

Auror Dawlish raised an eyebrow. "I'll get that started. Sending me after Headmaster Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our time, to arrest him for… creating a student organization that might do something useful at Defense. Dumbledore's Army, they called it. Let's say I'll enjoy this…"

Percy Weasley was sent to the Atrium to find out where Umbridge had gone, and now he knew. He saw Harry and the professor, nodded in recognition, and then announced, "Alright, people. The show is over. Move along, let the Aurors do their jobs." The star-struck audience woke out of their seeming trance and remembered that they had places to go and people to see.

Once the congestion broke, Percy came to greet the dark-haired family. "The Minister's interview today couldn't have been much fun. I'm sorry you had to endure it."

Severus tucked away his wand, hugged Harry close, and then looked back at Percy. "I don't know. In one visit, we've managed to set the wheels of justice in motion, ruining the days of Scrimgeour, Fudge, and Umbridge with minimum effort. Besides a few intense moments, I'd say it was a worthwhile endeavor, and quite a lot of fun, actually."

Harry stared up at him. "You know, Dad, you can be quite scary when you try."

Severus smirked. "Ah, good. I haven't lost the knack."

Since February 16, the Ravenclaw members of Danny's History of Magic class worked to find the courage to ask what was on their minds since that fateful day in October, and between the four of them, they decided that February 28 was the day.

Danny came to class on the last day of February to find his classmates present and smiling attentively at him. He smiled somewhat nervously. "Uh, hi, guys."

Terry took a breath as Danny took his seat, and said, "Danny, can we ask you a question we've had for a while?"

Danny closed his eyes for a second as he thought of how to answer his friends' curiosity. Whatever issue had been on their minds, and that nervousness could be connected to one of three things he could think of: Voldemort, Vlad, or his as-of-yet unknown ghost half.

At this point, he decided that this group (and Ernie and Melissa) could handle the answer, and would safeguard his privacy. They had until now, and he had no reason to assume that wouldn't continue.

He nodded to himself, opened his eyes, and said, "Go for it."

Lisa bit her lip as she realized that Danny was almost as nervous as they were. "When we first figured out that you had a half that wasn't entirely human…" Ah. That was the one. He could do this. "You and Professor Binns…"

Terry added, "And Hagrid."

Lisa continued, "Said that telling us about your non-human half would pose a security risk for you."

Danny nodded. "Yeah."

Michael fidgeted. "Well… Since You-Know-Who…"

Danny clucked his tongue. "Dude – the guy is dead and gone. You can say his name. Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, if it makes you happy."

Michael peaked his eyebrows. "Right. Well, since Vol… uh, Riddle no longer poses a threat, can you tell us what that other half is?"

Danny shivered. "Maybe. You're not gonna…" His ghost sense went off.

Professor Binns entered the classroom to this tableau. Danny didn't look comfortable, and the old ghost noticed. "I say, Mr. Fenton-Masters, are you alright?"

"I, um…" Danny blushed.

Michael gathered his courage and looked at the displeased professor. "Professor Binns, since… uh, the Dark Lord no longer poses a threat to anyone, we figured that the security risk to Danny had to be significantly lowered. So, we asked Danny about what his other half is."

The professor raised his eyebrows. "The Dark Lord's demise will make everyone safer, it's true. But I'm not certain that Professor Masters would approve."

Danny frowned, trying to think this through. "You're right, Professor, he wouldn't. But now that Tom's not after me anymore… well… But guys, here's the thing. Even if I tell you, you can't tell anyone (besides Ernie and Melissa). Voldemort isn't the only threat to my kind of hybrid." He rolled his eyes as he thought of Skulker. "There are people who would have no problem exploiting all kinds of things about me. Further, this combination is so… off-the-wall, even for what passes for normal in the Wizarding World." He grimaced.

Mandy reminded him, "You said that it's not Dark."

"It isn't, but…"

Terry sighed. "Danny, we've kept your secret, and…" He raised his eyebrows and the other three Ravenclaws nodded at his unspoken question. "We'll continue to keep it, whatever it is."

Danny looked at the ceiling and blew a breath. "Fine. I'm actually half-ghost."

The four Ravenclaws sat in various states of puzzlement. Mandy narrowed her eyes in concentration. "But how is that even possible? You're… um…"

Danny smiled wryly. "Yes, I'm alive. And I'm solid (except for when I choose to be intangible). I can turn invisible, and I can fly. And, I have lots of other powers and talents I'd rather not discuss right now."

Terry thought about this. "I guess that makes sense. You have a 'ghost sense,' and that seems to be a rather specialized feature. I mean, what other species would have a built-in sensor simply for ghosts?" He smiled, pleased at his conclusion. Then he furrowed his brows. "But… why would you need to sense other ghosts?"

Danny's smile turned genuine. "Where I'm from, almost all ghosts are naturally tangible. I would say that my ghost sense is a built-in safety feature. Tangible ghosts often have bizarre obsessions, and acting on those obsessions often causes chaos for humans. At home, I stop renegade ghosts – think Peeves, but a hundred times more powerful, and sometimes seriously malevolent. They don't appreciate my interference. And there is one ghost who has decided that I'm 'a unique specimen,' since Pápa and I are the only two half-ghosts I know of. He's been trying to add me to his collection of valuable pelts on his wall."

Michael moaned, "Eww!"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, my friends Sam, Tucker, and I thought so, too."

Lisa cocked her head. "Danny, what would make your eyes change color?"

He answered, "Well… Like an Animagus, this isn't my only form. And in my ghost form, my eyes are green, among the few changes that happen to me."

Professor Binns surprised the lot of them. "Danny… Would you do us the honour of allowing us to witness your transformation?"

Danny thought for a moment as he watched his eager classmates puzzle over why their professor would find this an honor. "As long as it's only us, I don't see why not. Terry, seal the door first."

The addressed student nodded; if Danny had gone the whole year so far protecting his secret so guardedly, it made sense that he would want to ensure that only the students who knew he wasn't entirely human saw that other side. As requested, Terry cast Colloportus on the door.

Danny stood up and moved to the space between the students' and the teacher's desks and flashed a lop-sided grin at Binns. "This one's for you, Professor. Goin' ghost!"

All five audience members watched in wonder as two bluish rings appeared around his waist. The black, flowing student robe was turned into a close-fitting suit of a material none present could identify that was highlighted with his silver-white insignia, belt, boots, and his student observers were startled by the materialization of gloves. But, as explained, his blue eyes turned green and his black hair turned white.

Professor Binns smiled proudly. "I've seen you in both your forms, but your transformation is magnificent."

Danny blushed. "Thanks, Professor."

Michael asked, "You're a ghost? But you… blushed red. And… with a few minor changes, you look exactly the same as normal."

Danny sighed. He knew this was coming. "I blush red and not silver because… I guess it's because I have more substance in general than the ghosts you're used to." He smiled apologetically at Professor Binns. "See, they are merely conscious ectoplasmic imprints of who they once were. My mother once used the term 'odd manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post-human consciousness'."

The professor nodded. "An astute observation, but from your mother, I'd expect no less."

Lisa gulped. "How did you become a half-ghost? Surely, I… well… I can't imagine…"

Danny snickered and saved her. "No, no, no. It was nothing like that. Both of my parents were alive and human, as I was, once." This elicited a round of wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

Terry asked, "Then what happened?"

Danny formed a tail as he drummed his fingers on his chin in thought. "Would you know what I'm talking about if I referred to DNA?" To his surprise, all four Ravenclaws nodded. "Whoa. One day, I'll have to ask how that one happened. Anyway… My parents – another one of those things that won't leave this room – studied ghosts. They wanted to understand what they were, why they were, what made them tick.

"You see, not all ghosts are sentient memories of those who are no longer living. Where I'm from, there are plenty of ghosts who are creatures made of ectoplasm who came from a different dimension called the Ghost Zone."

Mandy sneered. "You've been talking to Loony Lo…"

Danny snarled, "Don't bother finishing that sentence. And just so you know, this weekend, I'll ask Pápa if we can visit the Ghost Zone – I promised Luna a picture of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I've seen them when they're not invisible, and if you can't show her the respect she is due, I see no reason she would need to share the pictures with you. What a learning opportunity you'll miss out on." He clucked his tongue three times. "I thought you were smarter than that."

Lisa gasped. "You mean… they're real?"

Danny shrugged. "Yup. I wonder if Terence will lend me his camera…"

Terry cleared his throat. "Danny, could you come back to explaining how you, er, came to be as you are?"

The Slytherin sighed. "Fine. So… My parents worked to create a portal from the Real World to the Ghost Zone. At first, it didn't work. But… My friends and I thought it would be cool to explore what could, in theory, open a door to a whole different dimension. So, I put on a haz-mat suit…"

At the blank stare he received from all five of his audience members, he sighed and tried again. "I put on a protective suit to shield me from hazardous material. See? Hazardous Material – haz-mat. You got it.

"Anyway, I wanted to check out the chamber. It was dark and it was an unknown environment. The floor of the chamber had more give than I was used to, so I leaned against a wall to feel my way around and steady myself. It was fine until I leaned on the 'on' button. (Don't ask why it was inside the chamber.) With a horrific jolt of electricity, ectoplasm bonded to my very DNA. And now, I'm a half-ghost, as my body knows how to be both human and a ghost."

Terry nodded. "And Professor Masters… How did he become a half-ghost?"

Danny grimaced. "A similar accident happened something like a little over twenty years before mine."

Lisa asked, "Did the portal end up working?"

"Oh, yeah. It works far better than either of my parents anticipated. But I think that concludes this session of information sharing on my being a half-ghost."

Professor Binns applauded. "Well done, Danny, well done. Now, we'll get back to our regularly scheduled lesson, but…" He paused for a few seconds.

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "Professor?"

"But… Danny, with your permission, I would like to explain your entanglement and defeat of Pariah Dark. That way, the students will understand your heroism, and," the elder ghost glared at Mandy, "will understand – without question of a doubt – that you are not Dark."

Danny turned human and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, sure, if you think that's necessary. But we'll leave Pápa's initial role out of it, okay?"

Terry shook his head. "How come you called Danny a hero, Professor? Not that he couldn't be, but…" He didn't know how to finish his thought.

Professor Binns answered simply, "Amongst ghosts, Danny Phantom is as well known for his heroics as Harry Potter is among wizards. Both boys have made history with their wondrous feats of courage, valour, cunning, and strategy. But for now, I do believe we are up to discussing the International Statute of Secrecy."

Michael asked quickly, "But… can we tell Ernie and Melissa?"

Professor Binns thought for a moment. "Which students are they?"

"They are the other two students who know that I'm half-human, but don't yet know my other half," Danny supplied.

The older ghost nodded. "Yes. Very well. If these students have kept your secrets for as long as the students present have, I don't see a problem sharing the secret with them. Regardless, you need to tell Professor Masters of today's revelation." The Ravenclaws paled.

"Of course, Professor," Danny said, his innocent tone giving chills to his classmates.

"Now, I'm sure you've all heard about our very own Sir Nicholas, and the event which led to his untimely execution…"

That same Friday, during the afternoon office hours, Vlad heard a knock on his door. "Come in." When the door opened, Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Severus! What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe this honor?" He gestured to a chair, inviting the Potions Master to make himself comfortable.

Severus smiled. "Tomorrow is a landmark day. It will be the first time since our disastrous foray in November that Harry and I will spend time together in Hogsmeade. It occurred to me that – since you are no longer in hiding, as it were – you and Daniel might enjoy visiting Hogsmeade, too, now that it has been restored to its former glory."

Vlad's blue eyes twinkled. "Yes – we can go to Hogsmeade without that cloud of danger hanging over us. I think I'd quite like to go, and I'm sure Daniel will enjoy a little change in scenery. Is there something or somewhere in particular you had in mind?"

Severus frowned. "Not precisely. I just… I don't know if you can appreciate this, but I'll give it a shot. Since I entered the milieu of Hogwarts, my life has been in an almost constant state of battle-readiness. Some of that was caused by peers, much of it was caused by war, my service as a spy… always one role after another. Some of it was due to my own choices. Some of it was forced upon me." Vlad raised a fist to his mouth, listening with great concentration.

Severus took a breath. "Once I settled into my role as a spy, I never truly expected to live through the war, but now…" He closed his eyes. "I'm not even sure I know what I mean."

Vlad thought quickly. This particular wizard was an intensely private person. He just mentioned battle-readiness because of peers – from what Vlad gathered, such would refer to the torment of the Marauders. The war… Severus was a former Death Eater. Even if they managed to have some social redeeming value, Death Eaters were evil, and as a spy, Severus couldn't afford to get too emotionally close.

Vlad lifted his head as he figured out what the man before him sought. "Severus, I do believe you are searching for camaraderie." He blinked. "You want to be… friends." Snape called him a 'close personal friend' before, but it was one thing to tell a government official what they wanted to hear and another to… wow.

The dark man opened his eyes to see Vlad stare at his desk, his brows were furrowed and his gaze was on a memory. "Friends. I've had many relationships and acquaintances, but… I don't know that I've had a proper friend since Jack and Maddie, before my accident." He met Severus's gaze. "When we were in Wisconsin, I listed you and Remus as my 'support system.' But honestly… It would be nice to have real friends again."

Severus sat back and relaxed. "Yes, it would."

"I think I'd like that, and it's clear that you would, too. We can make that work."

"Especially considering that we have so very much in common."

Vlad tilted his head. "We do, indeed." He nodded. "Very well, then. We'll have plenty of time to reflect on the deeper implications of this later. As for now, what time shall we collect the boys tomorrow?"

Saturday was March 1. Ron woke up to see the bright sunlight in the dorm room window. Harry was already dressed and ready for breakfast. "Good morning, Ron. Happy birthday."

Ron bolted upright. "Yes! Today… There is no more Ministry trace on my magic, as I'm no longer under age. And I'm gonna take my Apparations Exam. Yes!"

Harry smiled at his friend's exuberance. "Now, you and Hermione will be of age."

"And the twins can't just… Hah! Next time Mum sets me to peel leeks, I can do it with magic."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well, first you need to learn the spell that would make peeling all the quicker. I wonder if it's related to the spell your mother does to make the dishes wash themselves."

Ron sighed. The fact that he had permission to do things didn't mean he necessarily knew how to do them. "Yeah, well… Ginny and the twins are meeting me in Hogsmeade. We'll…" He shut up for a moment. "Harry, now that You-Know-Who is gone for good, will you be able to come to Hogsmeade again?"

Harry smiled. "Yup. Yesterday after dinner, Dad told me that we're going to Hogsmeade again. This time, we expect there will only be happy memories. You know, like Christmas, without either of us fighting for our lives." Ron snorted. "And Danny and Uncle Vlad are coming, too."

"They'll come to my party, like at Christmas. Brilliant!"

They met Hermione in the Common Room. "Happy birthday, Ron!" She hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Ron beamed, and the three of them headed down to breakfast.

They found seats on the side of the table that allowed them a view of the Slytherin table. Harry nudged Ron. "Danny's excited about going to Hogsmeade. You can tell that's what he's talking about to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle by the light in his eyes."

Ron frowned, and his fork was left in the air, ignored as he sat in concentration. Hermione tapped him on the shoulder. "Ron?"

Still staring at the Slytherins, Ron said, "You know, Danny's close to… Draco, isn't he? Not as close as he is to you, of course, but… Isn't he?"

Harry was curious to know where Ron was taking this conversation. "Yes. I understand Draco was thrilled to know that through Remus, he's as related to Danny as I am, even though Danny and I… yeah."

Ron tapped his chin. "Draco doesn't really have anyone anymore, does he?"

Hermione frowned. "Sure he does. He's got Tonks, her parents, Professor Lupin…"

"But his world's been yanked out from under him, kinda like Danny, yeah?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Yeah."

Ron rolled his eyes at himself. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it just… seems to be the right thing. After breakfast, I'll invite Draco to come with us to the Three Broomsticks. Danny's coming, Professor Snape's coming, and… well, I don't… Draco's still a right prat, but if Danny's joining my party, I just… I don't know, but Draco looks like he needs Danny. I wouldn't, but if I…" He sighed.

Hermione looked thoughtfully at him. "You are going to invite Draco to your seventeenth birthday party. That is… really mature of you. And really sweet, based on your reasoning."

Harry sighed. "All of us have come a long way since the Hogwarts Express ride First Year."

A week later, Draco still couldn't believe what happened to him. "Danny?"

The sleepy ghost groaned. "Wha…" He yawned and tried again. "What?" Wasn't Saturday morning meant for sleeping in?

Draco waited for Danny to rub the sleep from his eyes. Otherwise, this conversation would be useless. He rubbed, he stretched, he was ready enough. "I still can't believe that Weasley… er, Ron invited me to his party last week."

The dark-haired boy inwardly rolled his eyes. They've been through this before. "Well… He can be clueless sometimes, but he is loyal to his friends. Like he explained to me, the reason he was mean to you before (besides a nasty anti-Slytherin prejudice) was that you always started with… well, all of them. Harry, you teased as an orphan – which was a jerky thing to do, by the way…" Draco turned bright pink. "You wouldn't let Ron alone about being poor, you seriously disrespected Hermione. I don't remember what you did to Ginny…"

Draco sighed heavily. "I get it. I was a git."

"Yeah, but the operative word is 'was.' You've mostly left them alone, which gave Ron a chance to reassess a few things. One thing you know for sure about Ron – he's a chess champ. You told me he was given recognition for his skill."

The blond peaked his eyebrows, curious where this was going. "Yeah."

Danny looked askance at him. "You should realize by now that Slytherins aren't the only people capable of forming a strategy." He stared away. "It was totally cool of him, and you… that Ron."

"What?"

Danny smirked. "You know how you told them that you invited them here for our Quidditch party because it would make me happy?" Draco nodded. "I think he returned the favor. He invited you to his party, again to make me happy. I don't know how I got to be so lucky… Either that, or I'm a convenient excuse." Thinking of Pápa and Uncle Severus, he added, "It wouldn't be the first time."

Draco chuckled. "At least, you're a good sport about it."

Danny shook his head. Everyone's a character. "Yeah, well… I try. So… how do you get your scarf to change color? Harry wore Slytherin colors to support me, and now I want to return the favor, and wear Gryffindor colors for him."

Draco looked at him. "This is your third game as a spectator, and this is still only your first time wearing House colors. You tap your wand on your scarf and say the House you want it to turn colors for."

"But I didn't have to do that when I first got sorted."

The blond smiled. "That's a built-in spell, otherwise it might be a hardship on the tailors for our uniforms. But once the colors are set, that's what you do to change it. It only works on the colors, and won't change the House crest, so it's great for the scarves, which are only switched temporarily."

Danny sighed. "Can I ask you to do the honors for me?"

Draco shook his head in disbelief. "You can levitate and summon stuff wordlessly. Cousin Dora heard you've got an awesome Incendio, but changing the color of your scarf is beyond you. I don't get it."

'And you never will, if I have anything to say about it,' Danny thought darkly.

"Of course I will." Draco smirked. "Cousin."

Danny stretched again. "Yup. You are." He got out of bed to retrieve his clothes. "You do realize that you're probably more closely related to Harry than to me, right?"

"You mean, besides my first cousin, once removed, being Harry's godfather? My great grandfather's sister married a Charlus Potter, so… yeah. I guess."

Danny blinked. "You know who's on your family tree that far back?"

Draco smiled with pride, the kind he wanted to share. "When you belong to a noble and ancient house, it's required learning. I was drilled on this stuff for years. However, I was only required to know as far back as Phineus Nigellus Black, the last Slytherin Headmaster of Hogwarts. He's two generations farther back than Great-Grandfather Pollux, whose sister Dorea married Charlus Potter."

Danny's eyes widened. "Whoa."

With a half-smile, Draco admitted, "Yeah. But I was excused from knowing the names of people who were blasted off the family tree for making unworthy connections or being Squibs." He grimaced sheepishly. "That's why I didn't know about Aunt Andromeda. Mother never told me about her."

Danny ran a hand through his hair. "This is a little too intense for me, this early." Well… without a ghost-fight attached to it. "We'll discuss scarves and stuff after my shower."

Draco watched as Danny left to perform his morning ablutions. Draco had his own reasons for supporting Gryffindor. It would please him to no end to surprise his friend. Or cousin. This whole 'family blending' thing was an interesting phenomenon.

After breakfast, Danny saw Harry stand, preparing to collect his team. Danny popped up. "Guys, give me a sec. I just want to wish Harry well."

Much to Danny's surprise, Draco said, "Good idea. Crabbe, Goyle, let's go."

The four of them made their way to the Gryffindor table. A few eyebrows were raised at the Head table as the professors watched this progression.

Ron noticed their long-time tormentors, and said suspiciously, "Mal- uh, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle… What are you…?"

Danny cleared his throat. "I just wanted to wish you luck in today's game against Hufflepuff. And they came with me."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Danny. Fellows."

Crabbe grabbed Harry's shoulder, startling him. "Just wanted to tell you to give 'em hell for me."

Goyle nodded. "For all of us."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Uh…"

Ron murmured, "Interesting."

Draco exchanged a glance with Ron and said, "Harry, Ron, Ginny… This is a first. And don't get used to it! But… I wish you success in today's game."

Ron's eyes widened. "Really!" Draco waggled his eyebrows, gestured with his head at Danny, and Ron raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. Nicely done. And thanks."

Danny was aware of some undercurrent, but he couldn't fathom what it was. From what he could tell, his six closest friends were happier than he'd ever seen them in each other's company. He said cautiously, "You're welcome."

Draco smirked. "We'll leave you to collect your team. Come, Danny, we've got cloaks and scarves to attend to."

Before Danny could question the situation or voice an objection, the three older Slytherins boxed him in and herded him back to the dungeon. Once they got to the Sixth Year dormitory, Draco invaded his dark-haired friend's closet, digging out a warm woolen black cloak.

The halfa found his tongue and spluttered. "Draco! What are you doing? What's going on?"

The blond smiled. "Let's say, hmm. I believe I have a new appreciation of my new-found cousins."

Danny screwed up his face. "What?"

An amused chuckle escaped Draco's lips. "You have no idea how amazing you are. You have single-handedly made me see the value in my Gryffindor former rival. You have made it all worth while."

Danny's frustration grew. "I'm glad you're getting along better with Harry. I'm not sure I deserve the credit for being your catalyst."

"Trust me – you so do."

Pained, Danny looked to Crabbe and Goyle. They weren't any help, as they shared smirks of satisfaction. Greg said, "Not to worry, mate. It's all good."

Vince snorted. "It's… nah. Don't worry about it."

Danny sighed in resignation. "Whatever." He put on the cloak, and when he had his scarf on, he gestured at it. "Would you?"

Draco nodded. "Of course." Touching his wand to Danny's scarf, he intoned, "Gryffindor!" The silver and green scarf changed to crimson and gold. He blinked. "Merlin, you even look… it's uncanny. But it's all to the good."

"Draco…"

"Listen. We have a surprise for you. But for now, meet up with Hermione. We'll join you shortly."

Danny huffed. "Fine. Then will you tell me what this is about?"

The three older Slytherins shared a glance. "It's hard to explain. We just see the advantage of highlighting the use of inter-House unity." Danny looked askance. "No, really. But if you catch Granger now, you'll save us seats – I showed you the best seats in the stadium. Go get them!"

Danny shook his head and left as directed. Draco Malfoy was a bizarre mystery. He caught up with Hermione in the Entrance Hall. "Hey, Hermione!"

She blinked. "Danny… You know, if either you or Harry wore colored contacts, you could pass for identical twins?"

Some of his frustration with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle's weirdness hit Danny. "Hermione, I kind of thought we were long past this in July."

She wondered what set Danny's teeth on edge. "I know. But… it's just that much more pronounced because you're wearing Harry's colors. I realize that Harry wore yours last game, but Harry's been here far longer. Expect to be stared at – such is Harry's life, and now, yours."

"Joy." Hermione giggled. Danny rolled his eyes. "Draco suggests that we seek out the seats we had during the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff game."

When they found their seats, Hermione asked, "Where's Luna?"

Danny smiled proudly. "She's going to be commentating."

"You're kidding."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Is there a problem?"

Hermione widened her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was offend Danny, and she realized how close she came to doing just that. "No, not at all. It's just… she has a unique perspective. That's not a problem, in and of itself, but…" How could she put this tactfully? "Well, whatever else it will be, Luna's commentating experience will be interesting."

Terry and Lisa sat behind them. "Harry, why aren't you…" Danny turned. "Danny. Good to see you. Where's Draco?"

Lisa murmured, "Nice save, Terry." He blushed.

"Draco's coming. I'm not sure what's on his mind, but he insisted that I come ahead of him and his buddies."

Ernie sat on Terry's other side. "I see you chose a team this time. I guess it's only fair – Harry chose yours last game." Danny nodded. "Erm… Danny, may I make a personal comment?"

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "If it's too personal, Terry gets to smack you again." Both Ravenclaws laughed.

Speaking quickly, Ernie said, "No, no. It's nothing like that. It's just that… Like on the day with the Boggart, it is very clear how very much you look like Harry. Both from behind, and at a distance."

Danny nodded. "So I've been told."

Draco finally came. "Again, I apologize for the Boggart incident."

Danny and Hermione looked up. Danny started to say, "I…"

Hermione's eyes widened. "I don't believe it." Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle wore Gryffindor scarves.

Draco took the seat on Danny's other side and smiled smugly. "Indeed. In a move almost unprecedented for decades, if not centuries, I do believe that the entirety of Slytherin will be wearing Gryffindor colors."

Terence and Tracey found seats in front of them, and Hermione sat dumbfounded. Danny saw, as various Slytherins filled in around them, that Draco was correct. "I know why I'm doing it. Does this mean the cutthroat rivalry's calmed down to, like, something more reasonable?"

Tracey raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly. Well, at least not overnight."

"But…"

Terence cleared his throat. "Part of it is ditching stupidity. But a more honest representation of most of this is, ah, not so much support for Gryffindor, but anti-support for Hufflepuff."

Hermione laughed so hard she cried. Danny raised an eyebrow, and his reaction was thoroughly ignored. Hannah, Justin, and Susan found seats on Ernie's other side, and they clued in. While Zacharias found complete respite from retribution for his part in the prank on Danny, he would never completely be forgiven by Danny's friends, regardless of what Danny had to say about the matter.

Michael and Mandy brought someone with them who Danny was sure he met, but he couldn't remember. Mandy said, "Danny, I know you've heard her name, but I wanted to properly introduce you to someone who has wanted to meet you for the longest time. This is Melissa Spradt."

Danny jerked his head in recognition. "Uh, hi. Melissa, you're a Hufflepuff prefect, right?"

She nodded. "That's right. And I was right about a few things."

Danny squirmed. "I suppose."

She looked at him, turning her head this way and that, to get different perspectives of him. "Melissa?" The addressed Seventh Year didn't seem to hear him. "Can I help you?"

"No, thank you, Danny. I just…" She raised her hand to shake Danny's hand. "May I?"

Danny crinkled his brows. "Oookay."

They shook hands, and Melissa noticed the ghost had a firm handshake. "It's solid," she murmured in wonder.

Danny frowned. "I should think so. My Dad, Jack Fenton, always said that you could judge a person's character by their handshake. He had a particularly powerful grasp."

"But I didn't…"

"Miss Spradt, if you meant anything else, you should know that this isn't the time or place to discuss it."

Melissa winced at Danny's formal address, and realized she overstepped her bounds. Danny growled and muttered under his breath, "There's a reason I didn't bother to correct people when they assumed you were a liar."

Draco didn't understand Danny's sudden discomfort, but some things didn't require a firm understanding. "Miss Spradt, I don't know what you've done to upset Danny, but I'm pretty sure we can find something rather unpleasant to do to you if you don't find a seat elsewhere. Professor Masters is particularly protective of his adopted son."

Melissa paled. "I-I… right. I'll just move along, then. But it was nice to finally meet you, Danny." With that, she moved off a few rows – she was far enough away to no longer give offense, but close enough so that she could observe him.

Danny melted into his seat, covering his eyes with a hand. "Oy." The last thing he needed was to be thought of as a loser who couldn't stand up for himself.

Guessing the source of his frustration, Hermione hugged him. "Not to worry, Danny. You'll be fine." She looked over at Draco and then stared up at the sky, saying, "I can't believe I'm saying this." To Danny, she said, "Nobody who matters will think less of you." Gesturing to the people immediately around them, she said, "We certainly don't."

Danny uncovered his eyes and smiled. "Thanks, guys." His eyes widened as he realized that a full three quarters of the audience was set to cheer for Gryffindor. "Whoa."

He listened as Luna announced the rosters on both teams. Once the game was on, she was interesting to listen to. As Hermione said, Luna's unique perspective wasn't particularly informative, as far as the Quiddich game at hand was concerned. It was like listening to music and watching television while the mute function was on. One had nothing to do with the other, but if either was interesting enough, it just didn't matter. And Danny really could listen to Luna's sing-song voice all day.

"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," she said in her dreamy voice. "I think people forgave him for what he did to Danny, but it's hard to say for certain. Oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice…"

Professor McGonagall looked pained, and while McLaggen was disrespectful to her and Luna, he might have had a point about Luna's commentating skills.

Danny kept his eye on the Quaffle and the Snitch. Between Ginny, Katie, and Demelza, they gave Zach, Gary Cadwallader, and that other Chaser whose name Danny missed a run for their money.

Professor McGonagall interrupted Luna's lovely description of cloud formations to angrily announce the score. "It's seventy-forty, to Hufflepuff!"

"Is it, already? Well, then, it would be a good time to find the Snitch, as that would make it anyone's game. Oh, look – I think Harry's spotted it. And there he goes. He's got it now. I guess that's it, then. Hmm. That means Gryffindor won, 190 to 70. But why does that matter, when you can see the moon in the daytime sky? That isn't as common a sight for us this time of year, when we spend only enough time outdoors during the day to go to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. And Quidditch practice, I suppose."

Professor McGonagall took the megaphone from her.

Danny was aware of the thunderous applause that came from all quarters. He was a part of it, but… wow.

"Fenton!" Startled out of his happy frame of mind, Danny looked up. Cormac McLaggen glared at him. The last time someone said his name like that involved Dash Baxter and a 'D' on a history test.

"Can I help you?" Danny asked. He didn't have any wiggle room to get away from McLaggen.

"What do you think you're…"

Crabbe and Goyle stood up. Crabbe crossed his arms, and Goyle just stared the rude Gryffindor down, saying, "You got a problem with Fenton?"

When Cormac McLaggen came over to give Danny a hard time, as he never forgave him for being present when he failed to get on the Gryffindor team, and now that Slytherin had the gall to wear Gryffindor colors, he didn't really think through the idea that Danny was surrounded by people from all four Houses, with the preponderance coming from Slytherin. Actually, the whole of the Slytherin Quidditch team was within three rows of him.

Harper stood up, wand in hand. "You look like you could use a few hexes or jinxes. All we really need is an excuse."

McLaggen felt a chill between his shoulder blades. Between Malfoy, Granger, Macmillan, Abbot, Goldstein, and Spradt, he felt more than vindicated. "In front of all these prefects?"

Draco smiled like a cat that caught the canary, as he leaned his chin into his palm, with his elbow on the armrest. "That won't help you if the prefects are in on your punishment scheme."

"Right, then. I'll… help set up for the Gryffindor victory party, then, shall I?" Cormac backed away, and when he turned to walk faster, he yelped in pain as a Stinging Hex connected with his backside.

Hermione hugged Danny again. "Some things just don't matter. You, however, matter quite a lot to a good number of people. Don't forget that."

"I don't know how I got to be so lucky, but thanks. I won't forget."

27