Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter or Danny Phantom. I'd like to thank PhoenixLyric for betaing this chapter.
Like usual, the Great Hall was filled with floating candles and the ceiling was delivering a grand view of the clear night sky to the students below. Hogwarts was far enough away from muggle civilization that one could see the true night sky, with a vast expanse of glorious stars shining their light onto the earth below. It was a wondrous sight, and Sam, a city girl, couldn't stop herself from letting out a small gasp when she looked up. Danny, who did a bit more traveling, also took a moment to appreciate the sight and reflected on how it compared to cities at night when he had the occasion to look down on them. Upon consideration he found the two to different views to be too cool to decide which one was better.
The pair looked around the hall, trying to find their respective tables, having been briefly separated from Harry, Ron, and Hermione after leaving the carriages. Danny spotted the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor and Sam found the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw. They reluctantly let go of each other's hands and made their way to sit down. Danny spotted the trio he had gotten to know over the summer and made his way over to claim a seat by them.
Internally the halfa grumbled to himself about being stuck in a different House than his girlfriend. So many opportunities ruined...
He sat down and looked at the professor's table. He recognized plenty of them from his work with the Order, though many were still mysteries. He had to remember to avoid catching Dumbledore's eye; Danny Phantom worked with the man, Danny Fenton did not. Couldn't risk spilling his secret identity
His stomach growled.
"When does the food get here?" Danny asked the trio.
"After the sorting," Hermione answered.
"Thanks," Danny replied. He went back to looking around the Great Hall. The halfa was thankful that his ghost sense had already gone off as there were a multitude of ghosts- sorry, shades to use a more specific term- floating around, talking to the assembled students. Danny just hoped none of them would recognize him and start an awkward and potentially dangerous conversation. He turned back to the trio.
The youngest Fenton (youngest if one didn't count Dani that was) wasn't an expert at reading faces or anything, but the smile Harry currently had on seemed kinda forced. The ghost boy vaguely recalled some conversations from Grimmauld Place about how the press was attacking the Boy-Who-Lived and figured that some of the students here probably bought into it. Danny felt for his peer; he had been there after he had been framed by Walker.
Ron and Hermione began to vocalize their worry about Hagrid, the gamekeeper, who Danny remembered was off as an envoy to the giants. Not that his peers would know. It had come up at one of the meetings Phantom had attended.
"I think that woman's the new DADA teacher," Harry said, gesturing towards a squat woman in a pink cardigan, who was busy talking to Dumbledore. She reminded Danny of those embarrassing family members that one avoided at family reunions because they pinched cheeks or gave bad gifts. Then, she took a sip from her goblet and Danny revised his impression to pink toad.
"So who's she supposed to be?," Ron said. "Is she any good?"
"I've got no idea," Hermione admitted. "I hope she is. In times like these, Defense Against the Dark Arts is more essential than ever."
"As long as she's better than Lockhart," Harry added, "Which shouldn't be difficult. Even if she did nothing but teach out of the textbook... did we ever get the name of the DADA textbook?"
"No, she'll probably tell us on the first day we have class with her," Hermione replied. She sighed. "We'll have to get them by owl order I suppose."
"Upset that you won't be able to finish the book before classes begin?" Harry spoke with a smirk.
"I like to be prepared!" Hermione protested. "Besides, based on what sort of book she assigns, we might've been able to learn a bit about her character."
"What's she gonna do, spring a pop quiz on us the first day of classes?" Ron asked with a snort.
"She might," Hermione replied, rounding on the red head. "Like Snape did to Harry during our first Potions class."
Harry was about to add something, but he went quiet once the Sorting began. Danny took a look at the terrified faces of the first years and was glad that transfer students got to skip a public sorting. That would've made the whole 'put on this mind reading hat' ordeal even worse. Well worse than he feared that is. His actual ordeal consisted of the hat barely touching his head, a whisper of psh, an easy sorting in the recesses of his mind, and a nearly instant cry of "Gryffindor!".
It could have at least taken a moment to browse his mind and consider!
Danny didn't pay much attention to the song the hat was singing. Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the other hand listened intently as the hat sung its sorrow, its fears, and its warning.
"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" Ron stated, raising his red eyebrows.
"The talking hat at school knows that something's going on," Harry grumbled. "Why don't we elect it Minister of Magic instead?"
"Huh?" Danny tilted his head quizzically. "What'd I miss."
Hermione shot a glare at him.
"If you weren't paying attention I shouldn't have to explain it to you," she told the american in her 'bossy' voice.
"Well I wasn't asking you in particular, but if you would be so kind..." Danny replied.
"Sorting Hat warned us to unite," Ron informed Danny, speaking quietly while the Sorting went on. "Fat chance of that ever happening. The Slytherins would sooner stab us in the back- zap us in Malfoy's case, I guess- then help us."
"They aren't all bad-" Hermione protested.
"Yes, yes, yes," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "We know there are good Slytherins, they just don't speak up for fear of being done in. But for the purpose of this discussion, and most others involving Slytherin, they don't really matter 'cause they don't do much."
"This comes up a lot?" Danny asked.
"Occasionally those two want to group everyone in Slytherin house together with the Death Eaters," Hermione told Danny. "I just try to have everyone keep some perspective."
The group of three plus one was quiet while they listened to the rest of the Sorting. When it was finished and the last first year had been seated, Albus Dumbledore stood up.
"To our newcomers,' Dumbledore addressed the hall in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands-welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
There was laughter, there was applause, and then there was food. Meats and breads and fruits and vegetables and roasts and puddings and desserts and sweets and sausages and strange foods and foreign foods and familiar foods and just food all over the tables. It was enough to give a starving man a heart attack just by looking and the sudden smell would've been enough to bring him back.
It was too bad Tucker wasn't here, Danny thought to himself as he dug in, he would've liked it.
"I don't recognize you," a dark skinned boy sitting next to Danny spoke up between mouthfuls. "Are you a transfer student?"
"Yeah," Danny answered, holding out a hand. "Danny Fenton."
"Dean Thomas," the boy replied, shaking the offered hand. "Fenton as in the Amity Park Fentons?"
"Yeah," Danny replied. "I've heard my family's sorta known in the wizarding world."
"Well known to anyone who keeps up with current events," Dean responded. "So I take it you're the reason why your parents' inventions work?"
"No," Danny answered. "If anything I was one of the things they had to work around. Some wizards have taken a look at their inventions and confirmed that I had nothing to do with their function. If anything I was another obstacle to work around."
"So what year are you going in as?" Dean inquired.
"Fifth year," Danny answered. "With lots of catching up to do. I spent the whole summer working on learning magic and I still can't do most of the spells right. Hell, I can't even do them wrong properly. How can a Hovering Charm make an inanimate object act like a duck? Not hover or fly, but waddle around and quack?"
Dean chortled.
"No clue mate, no clue," the dark skinned boy said between laughs. "Just a word of warning though, Binns is probably going to do something with you during Modern Magical History class. Amity Park and your family has been a matter of debate in politics and he's made us write essays on it before."
"I've been warned, but thanks anyway." Danny didn't mention that he'd already had a run in with the ghostly professor, just under a different identity. He was already on his guard.
"Well, now, you shouldn't take that attitude," Danny and Dean tuned into the conversation that Ron, Hermione, and Harry were having with the Gryffindor House ghost, Nearly Headless Nick. "Peaceful co-operation, that's the key. We ghosts, though we belong to separate houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of the competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron."
Danny almost interjected about the Baron not being an argumentative sort; the blood spattered ghost would simply rather quit the conversation than get into anything but the most good natured of arguments. Danny had asked him about it once when visiting the castle and the shade had simply told him that the reason for his behavior had to do with past sins he had committed.
"Only because you're terrified of him," Ron said instead of Danny's comment. Danny internally conceded that the former was also a possibility as to why no one wanted to argue with the Bloody Baron.
Ron and the shade proceeded to bicker briefly before Nick left to talk with others and Ron got scolded by Hermione. Danny was glad that the shade didn't linger. Dealing with the Hogwarts ghosts was going to be a major pain during the year.
The students continued to stuff their faces full of the wonderful (and seemingly endless) food until they could eat no more. Some of them may have tried anyway, enjoying one last plateful of dessert that they shouldn't have had. Dumbledore waited until most of the students had quit eating and started talking (or started to nod off, drowsy from the hour and the food) before standing up again.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Dumbledore said before beginning his annoucments. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students-and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too."(Harry, Ron and, somewhat surprisingly, Hermione, exchanged smirks.)
Dumbledore gave his usual warning about Filch and mentioned that Professor Grubbly-Plank would be teaching Care of Magical Creatures while Hagrid was away with the giants. Well, the last part wasn't said, but Danny knew it to be true. Then Dumbledore got to the part about Defense Against the Dark Arts, which would be taught by the pink woman, Professor Umbridge, and tried to move on to talking about try outs for the weird broom sport when the pink toad interrupted him.
Danny blinked. That was unexpected. Dumbledore only seemed surprised for half an instant before sitting down and giving her all of his attention. The other teachers didn't recover as quickly. Several eyebrows were extremely high and McGonagall's mouth was extremely thin as she kept an open glare off of her face.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
Danny's inner cynic, honed by high school, was instantly alarmed by the sound of her voice. It was never good when teachers talked in such a tone. High-pitched, trying to take on child like inflections, as if she was trying to sound like one of them, but she only knew how caricatures of pre-teens and teenagers sounded, not the real deals.
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"
And that bit of condescension settled it. Casper High had been forced to put up with such types before; almost every high school had. Danny quit listening right then as experience told him that there was nothing but pain to be gained from listening. Sam of course, would be planning to fight back against such treatment and against such a teacher, and would be paying close and angry attention. But Danny's preferred strategy for dealing with things he couldn't punch or blast was simply: endure.
He almost missed the tone change, but tuned back in the moment he noticed that he became duller and a bit more brisk. Like a principle reading new regulations or a government announcement.
"...The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them for ever..."
And Danny was too bored to pay any more attention. And then he heard the headmaster's voice once more.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Albus said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held ..."
"I don't know who she is," Hermione spoke up quietly, "but after that little speech I'm pretty sure I know who she's with."
"Huh?" Danny and Ron monosyllabically inquired in unison.
"I'm pretty sure she's with the Ministry," Hermione answered. "That part about 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged' or 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited' is just her way of saying that she's planning on changing the way things are run here at Hogwarts. Remember, Fudge has decided that Dumbledore is after his job and is the one really stirring up trouble. He'd want to attack Dumbledore's power base so he wouldn't be a threat any more. So he sends someone to Hogwarts to take the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Dumbledore can't fill, especially after the character assassination Fudge has pulled off. So he's forced to take Fudge's agent who can do her best to harass Dumbledore at every turn. Meanwhile, Fudge can force through legislation to support her."
Ron's eyes widened as he thought about what Hermione had said. Harry and Danny both glared. They were both thinking the same thing; 'it was going to be hard enough to do my job without that idiot Fudge and now this pink toad interfering.' However, Danny Fenton thought his job was assisting the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter thought his job was to defeat Voldemort, most likely without aid from anyone besides Ron and Hermione.
Everyone around them got up with a great clattering and banging. Evidently they had been dismissed. Hermione jumped up, looking a bit flustered.
"Ron we're supposed to show the first years where to go!" She exclaimed.
"Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey-hey, you lot! Midgets!"
"Don't call them midgets!"
"Here," Harry offered to Danny, "Follow me, I'll show you where Gryffindor Tower is at."
"Thanks," replied Danny, who sort of already knew from previous visits to the castle, but didn't want to reveal that.
They trekked through the corridors. Danny noticed the whispers and stares directed at Harry as they went. He noticed that the-boy-in-question noticed them as well. He tried to think of some comfort or advice that Danny Fenton could reasonable offer Harry Potter but couldn't think of any. Maybe a visit from Danny Phantom would help...
They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Crap, what's the password," Harry said realizing that he had forgotten to get it from someone.
"Harry, I know it!" Someone panted up behind them and the two of them turned to see Neville jogging up to them. "Guess what it is? I'm actually going to be able to remember it for once- " He waved the stunted little cactus he had shown them on the train. "Mimbuius mimbletonia!"
"Correct," said the Fat Lady, and her portrait swung open towards them like a door, revealing a circular hole in the wall behind. They all climbed through.
Danny looked around at Gryffindor Tower. He had passed through here before, briefly while on business. He hadn't really had time to examine the place too closely then. It was a cozy looking circular tower, full of rickety tables, squishy armchairs, and a merrily crackling fire. Students of all years and ages were filing away to their dorms.
Danny and Harry headed towards their dorms. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan had reached the dormitory first and were in the process of covering the walls beside their beds with posters and photographs. They had been talking as Harry pushed open the door but stopped abruptly the moment they saw the two of them, or rather, when they saw Harry.
"Hi," Harry said to the two of them, moving over to his own trunk to start his unpacking.
"Hey Harry," Dean replied. "Hi again Danny. Good holiday, Harry?"
"It was certainly interesting," Harry responded. "What about you?"
"Yeah it was okay," Dean replied. "Better-"
"Holiday?" Danny asked. "What holidays are there over summer vacation? There's the Fourth of July but I'm pretty sure it's not celebrated over here..."
"Summer holiday is summer vacation, you American heathen," Harry replied, pretending to look disgusted at the other boy's cultural ignorance. "You'd know that if you spoke proper English."
"Out of the dozens of accents and dialects out here which is proper English?" Danny asked. "Because if it's the fancy pants, rich, formal tea-party throwing sort then you don't speak it either."
"A heathen would never understand," Harry said, looking down his nose at Danny, before grinning and turning to talk to Dean.
"So you're looking down on people for their accents now?" Seamus was giving Harry a nasty look. "I guess the Prophet was right about you then."
"Calm down mate, it was obviously a joke," Dean interjected before Harry could say anything.
Harry discreetly bit his lip to keep from lashing out at Seamus. He took the anger, the pain, the bitter darkness inside of himself that was clawing at him, and stuffed it all down. He ignored his own pain and forced himself to think of a joke.
"Ouch," Harry said, pretending to wince. "My poor character. Assassinated in the darkness, stabbed in the back by pieces of paper. It died not with a bang, but with a whimper, and the regret that it ever subscribed to that rag in the first place."
It got a weak chuckle from Dean and a wan smile from Danny.
"You're not doing much to prove it wrong," Seamus continued his earlier accusation in a defensive tone. "I almost wasn't allowed to come back because of you and Dumbledore. My mum reads the paper you know-"
"So you'd rather have us pretend that everything's smelling of roses despite the fact that Voldemort killed Cedric last year?" Danny could tell that Harry was having to fight to keep his anger out of his voice. "So we could pretend everything's good and not have to worry until Death Eaters are knocking at our doors?"
"You know, I don't get why they don't just ask you to drink some of that truth potion stuff and ask you again?" Danny questioned. "I mean if you were an attention seeking brat-"
"Prat," Harry corrected on instinct.
"I think both words work in this case," Dean added.
"-then they could prove you were lying," Danny finished. Thinking back on some of his own nasty encounters with the press and frame ups, Danny continued. "In fact I don't get why they don't just get some Polyjuice potion and give the truth potion to someone disguised as you and spoon feed them questions. Or even manufacture evidence to discredit you two. Instead they're just having the paper attack you and probably sent that Umbrage-"
"Umbridge," Harry corrected again.
"Does it really matter?" Danny responded. "As I was saying, sent that Umbridge woman here to mess with you two. Heck they could do all those things together, and maybe even investigate matters behind the scenes just to make sure. If they're clever they could probably discredit you two, find Voldemort, make it seem like he returned in a way completely unrelated to your story, and take credit for his defeat themselves."
Seamus and Dean just stared at the American.
"Why aren't you in Slytherin?" Seamus asked the boy. "Cause that seems like something they would think of."
"Probably because cunning and ambition aren't my defining feature," Danny replied with a shrug. "And I'm not all that cunning. I just get clever sometimes."
He was pretty sure a Slytherin would get better grades than himself as well. And then there was the fact that most of his cunning or cleverness came from fighting and dealing with Vlad. It was more of a situational thing that he was slowly learning to apply to other areas of life.
Ewww. He just thought that Vlad had something to do with a positive development in himself. Danny felt like he needed a shower.
"I don't think that it's legal to use Veritaserum on a minor," Dean replied. "And there are ways around it. It just makes you say what you believe to be true for one and there are skills one can learn to avoid its effects. Like using memory altering charms beforehand so you think whatever you're lying about is true. There's a reason it's not used much in court proceedings. But other than that, yeah I don't get what they're doing either."
"It's because they don't want to waste taxpayer money," Seamus answered halfheartedly. "Fine. I'll admit I don't know what's really going on, but's it's making life harder for everyone-"
"So will Voldemort if he ever gets in power," Harry shot back. "Look, I know the ostrich is currently in fashion right now, but's it's just a fad. It has no long term viability. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away and anyone who take any excuse to believe that is rubbish."
"Are you calling me rubbish?!" Seamus exclaimed angrily, advancing on Harry.
"Or your mother," Harry shot back, his own temper flaring, the bitter emotions exploding out from the darkness.
"Oi, Harry," it was Neville who spoke up. "Don't go having a go at his mother."
"Yeah, you're both acting a bit like prats right now," Dean added. "Calm down."
Harry and Seamus shot dark looks at each other before turning back to their preparations for the night.
Ron entered the dormitory and failed to pick up on the mood.
"Hey everyone!" He greeted the room at large. "Finally done with the midgets. It's funny, I never remembered being that small at that age. Anyone how was everyone's summers?"
"It could've been better," Seamus replied rather stonily. "Without two loons running their mouths."
"Yeah, it could have been better if his mother could quit believing everything the Prophet had to say," Harry shot back.
"Quit having a go at my mother!"
"Then quit having a go at me in her place!"
"Then quit spewing rubbish about You-Know-Who! Nobody believes your tripe anyway!"
"I happen to," Ron replied with a glare for Seamus. "And you know Harry better than her or the Prophet. I reckon it's time for you to quit letting them do your thinking for you."
"Bugger off you prick!" Seamus nearly shouted.
"Unfortunately for you, this prick happens to be a prefect." Ron shot back. "So shut your gob before you get a detention."
Seamus looked like he wanted to hurl more abuse at Ron or Harry, but decided against it. He swiveled on his heel, jumped into bed, and violently shut the hangings. If they had been normal hangings they would have been torn off, but the hangings around student's beds were enchanted and warded to help contain any accidental magic that might be unconsciously performed by hormonal teenagers who were being taught the Art at the moment. Of course they only helped with magic that would be coming out after a hard day of learning magic, not in, so they still left Harry with the option of hexing Seamus...
"Anyone else or their mum got a problem with Harry?" Ron asked angrily, looking around the room.
"Nope," Dean replied. "My folks are muggles. They don't know anything that's going on because I'm not thick enough to tell them."
"Yeah and if she knew what was going on, with our headmaster being a loon who was sacked-" Seamus said angrily from behind his hangings, but was interrupted by Neville.
"My gran says that's rubbish. She says it's the Daily Prophet that's going downhill, not Dumbledore. She's cancelled our subscription. We believe Harry." Neville climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, looking owlishly over them at Seamus. "My grans always said You-Know-Who would come back one day. She says if Dumbledore says he's back, he's back."
"Zzzzzzzz," came the response from Danny's bed. The transfer student had already fallen asleep.
Harry felt a shot of warmth both at Ron's defence and at Neville's support. But it was immediately snuffed out by the thought of enduring more attacks like Seamus's. He thought these people knew him better than that.
Harry thought he knew them better than that.
Obviously he had been wrong.
Before he drifted off Harry wondered if this is how Dumbledore felt about all the attacks that he had to endure as well. Maybe he was being a bit too hard on the old wizard...
The next day, classes were slated to begin. As Danny groggily got out of bed for breakfast he wondered why they couldn't give the students a day or two to adjust before diving into classes. He still needed to find his way around the castle (in human form) after all. Well, he had the same core classes as the others so he could just follow his housemates during those periods. It was during electives that he was screwed.
Oh and he'd have to try and see if the Fenton Phones worked this far apart and at Hogwarts or if he'd have to go into the Ghost Zone and place relays. And then he'd have to keep an eye on the enchanted parchment to see if Dumbledore needed him for anything. And he still had to talk to Harry as Phantom.
He needed to go downstairs and get a full plate from the Great Hall to deal with his full plate for the day. The halfa got dressed, idly noticing the Seamus kid rushing out of the dormitory, and wandered out of the room. He stopped by the bathroom, entered a stall, went invisible, went ghost, went intangible, and traveled down to a first floor men's restroom. The halfa made a duplicate before he returned to normal and headed towards the Great Hall for breakfast. The duplicate flew off to take care of some of the day's business.
Superman had phone booths. Danny Phantom had bathroom stalls. Go figure.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way down to the Great Hall as well, a good time later, occasionally talking about the issues of the upcoming year. They sat down next to Danny, got some food, and began to look at their schedules.
"Let's see," Ron said. "I've got History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"Same, except I've got Intro to Healing today as well," Harry added. "So I don't get a free period. Which I need more than ever if I'm going to have to memorize human anatomy."
"We can spare some time to help," Ron and Hermione offered, the former much to the surprise of the latter and Harry. They both gave the redhead strange and stunned looks, which Ron noticed.
"Considering all the trouble we get into," Ron told the two of them, "if someone's going to be learning healing we should probably give them a hand, since we're probably going to be overworking them."
"Fair point," Harry conceded.
"Besides you seem really into this," Ron continued. "Couldn't hurt to lend a mate a hand."
"Thanks," Harry replied.
"So Harry's going to be learning healing now," came the voice of Fred or George from behind them. "Any chance we could hire your services?"
"It would make testing our Skiving Snackboxes easier," said the other twin. "Harry wait, that was a separate sentence! No hexes!"
"I guess it was," Harry replied, lowering his wand. "Sorry, my services aren't for sale. You have to perform a series of quests instead. For one, explain how Danny got down here so quickly."
"Uh-" Danny tried to think of an explanation, but failed. "Luck? I don't know."
Hermione, Ron, and Harry gave him a suspicious look before turning back to their schedules.
"Right, speaking of your snackboxes," Hermione changed topics, eyeing Fred and George beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor noticeboard."
"Says who," Fred shot back.
"Says me," Hermione told them. "And Ron."
"I thought I was just the minion," Ron said to her. "I don't have a say either way."
"And you'll be begging for some of our products later," George told her. "It's OWL year for you lot."
Hermione, Ron, Harry, Fred and George discussed OWLs, dropping out, market testing, and mysterious sources of gold for a little bit before Fred and George left. Harry quickly steered the conversation away from dangerous waters. Danny finished breakfast in the meantime.
"Hey, since I don't know my way around mind if I tag after you guys for the core classes?" Danny asked the group.
"Go ahead mate," Ron answered. "You can even copy the notes we copy from Hermione."
"Could you at least pretend like you're going to be paying attention this year?"
"Why bother? Your notes are a much better teacher than ghost-Binns. Oh wait, I think today is a spirit day so we'll be forced to pay attention whether we like to or not."
Danny felt a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn't know why.
"Still we got a bit of time to kill," Ron said. "We should just relax and have some more grub."
Danny shrugged. As long as he had the duplicate out there he could always use more energy.
After breakfast the group made their way to History of Magic/Modern Magical History. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Danny all sat down in a row, in the order listed. There was no sign of Professor Binns anywhere, even after the period began.
Danny felt something tugging on the back of his mind. What was it-
"Just cooperate and this will go much smoother for you!" The class jumped when they heard spirit-Binn's voice echoing loudly through the hallways.
"No way!" Came another voice... and then Danny realized what had been tugging on the back of his mind. He stifled a groan and vowed to learn how to managed duplication and the connection between duplicates better.
"Your participation will aid the learning experience!" Binn's voice was louder this time.
"You'll never take me un-alive teacher!" There came a couple of small booms from the hallway and then Danny Phantom was flung through the doorway, smashing as he ragdolled into the room.
"Ouch," the halfa said, a wisp of smoke rising from his body. "How'd he do that with my own blast- Aw, dang it."
"Hello class," Binns said as he floated through the opening that used to be a door. "For our first class this year I have a special treat. Danny Phantom, guardian spirit of Amity Park, is spending some time in Great Britain and around Hogwarts. I thought he could come to class to answer a few questions and he graciously agreed."
During Binn's talk Phantom tried to go intangible and escape multiple times. Unfortunately for him, Professor Binns, as a spirit focused on recent history and its possible effects on the immediate future, could control time +/-1 second from the present moment in an area of his choosing and see one second into the future if he desired. Due to his slow reaction time the professor couldn't utilize this ability very well in a combat situation, he had to have a good idea of what was going to happen several seconds into the future. Luckily Danny's reactions were a bit predictable in the current circumstances, so it was easy to keep him under control. First he reversed time for part of one of Danny's ecto-blasts, making the beam explode as its own energy turned against itself. And he also kept reversing Danny's attempt to escape through the floor. The class was treated to the sight of Danny Phantom slipping partway through the floor only to instantly return to his previous position.
He would often use these powers to make students pay attention. 'Twas a pity they didn't work in his shade form, or that said form had no desire to use the powers.
Phantom eventually gave up trying to escape and turned to the class. The class itself wasn't overawed by his arrival. He was a known figure in the magical world, but not a celebrity or anything of the sort. And it wasn't the first time Professor Binns had dragged a protesting modern day historical figure into the classroom either. It didn't happen often but it happened enough that the class wasn't at all surprised that he had gotten his mitts on Phantom.
The halfa answered questions about the spirits he had encountered, about dealing with muggle ghost fighters, and about his fight with Pariah Dark. Both he and Binns did a decent job of keeping attention away from Danny Fenton while this was going on, though the class looked at the american boy a couple of times when his parents were mentioned. This lasted halfway through the class, until Phantom slipped away while Binns was distracted.
"Drat," Binns said, snapping his fingers. "He's a slippery one. I'll have to catch him again before my next class. We'll have to continue our discussion without him."
They talked a bit about the implications of Pariah Dark's attack on the mortal world, and how it affected policies in various magical governments. Then class was over and Binns sped off to catch Phantom again.
"Poor bloke," Harry said pityingly. "Hope he manages to escape."
"Yeah," Danny agreed. "But what sort of teacher assigns homework on the first day?"
"It's nothing to worry about," Hermione reassured him. "It's only a bit of light reading."
Ron and Harry rolled their eyes. 'Light' was not an accurate way to describe the reading that they had been assigned.
"So what's next?" Danny asked, looking at his schedule.
"It's a free period for you and me," Ron told the halfa. "But these two have got other classes to go to."
"Intro to Healing," Harry informed the American. "And Hermione's got half a dozen classes it could be."
Hermione merely sniffed and turned her head away in an affronted manner.
Intro to Healing was taught by one of Madame Pomfrey's assistants. The wizard informed them that this class would weed out anyone who wasn't serious about pursuing the Healing branches of magic and only the most dedicated would still be there by the end of the semester when they could sign up for the next classes in the series.
Harry didn't bat an eye. There was enough blood and death in his past to handle whatever this course threw at him.
The spent the rest of the class going over basic human anatomy. The teacher warned them that their first test would be on anatomy and each class in the series would include anatomy lessons and tests. After the first test they would begin to learn some basic healing spells.
After that class came Potions. After the events of the summer Harry was sure that his first Potions lesson of the year would be interesting. Not fun, or informative, or pleasant, but interesting nonetheless.
AN: Don't forget to review.