Friday finally came about, and with it the dreaded inspection. Danny's morning began with reading the notes in one of the books he had. He did so without looking up as he went down to breakfast, earning himself confused and even amused glances. With how nobody had seen him prepare before, he looked like a lazy student trying to piece together at least some titbits of information. Still, he swiftly avoided all the obstacles on his way to the Great Hall, be it walls, kids or fellow professors. He came by and went, having eaten his breakfast very quickly, his ice blue eyes still glued to the book. He was only interrupted once, when Dolores arrived to ruin his perfect plan of action.
"Mr. Fenton. For once I am observing your diligence."
Danny did not respond and chewed on his toast, not looking up.
"Mr. Fenton."
Another bite.
"I am talking to you!"
"Good for you," Danny mumbled.
"Are you even listening?!"
"Nope."
"The inspectors are waiting in the courtyard. Do come there if you don't wish to get tossed out of this school this instant."
Danny waved her off and went back to his book. Looking as angry as ever when the two were in close proximity. If only the brat didn't have the blackmail. Danny did glance at her leaving form, taking a sip of coffee and then going back to reading. He stopped reading near the end, putting away the book upon realising that learning this way was not effective in the slightest. The letters just passed him by without leaving any knowledge behind. Still, he had been studying beforehand, so he obviously was not going in unprepared. Sighing, Danny stood up and went to the courtyard, the many eyes of student body watching him leave, him looking as upbeat as ever.
On his way to the yard Danny turned invisible. He wanted to examine the newcomers before standing before them. Because he knew that they were going to do the same. He, however, would have a larger amount of time to see for himself. As he went, he was fully submerged in his thoughts about the last time he faced an exam of such vitality. After getting kicked out of magical school at the age of fourteen, Danny had no choice but to enrol in a normal one. But as luck would have it, that year there was a Career Aptitude Test, an important exam that would largely affect his future job, as the name suggested. Problem was, he had spent the previous four years casting spells and feeding Nifflers. Not solving equations and learning history. And that inaptitude that threatened to ruin his life in muggle world, too, was the precipice of a heart-wrenching story of how a single cheat can ruin someone's life. All worked out in the end, and it involved time-travel, too. Didn't save his family at a later date, but there was a valuable lesson to be learned. It left him with a notion of how sincere one should be. That lies brought only suffering. The thought of how poorly he followed said ideas now was disheartening.
In any case, Danny soon got to his goal. Umbridge Danny promptly ignored. His interest was on two other people that accompanied her near the main fountain. One of them was an elderly, short and stern-looking lady. The other caught Danny's interest much easier, maybe due to how he looked. That man had an imposing presence, looking like some noire detective. He even had a trench coat. Finally, having finished his examination, Danny dropped invisibility behind them.
"Good morning!" The professor called, startling everyone as always. "I'll never get tired of this."
"What in the world do you think you are doing, young man?" The old lady asked.
"Saying hello. Pardon my lack of courtesy. You are the inspectors who are checking my competence, are you not?"
The lady blinked, whilst the man remained stoic. Umbridge was the one to speak next.
"This. Is the insufferable man I was talking to you about, Griselda, Dawlish."
"He looks like a child!"
"I am twenty, lady," Danny huffed and crossed his hands. "Guess my face hasn't made it to the front page of Prophet yet. So. Can we begin? I had to cancel my classes today."
"I will be happy to perform his duties," Umbridge put in, "Till the end of the year, I sincerely hope."
Danny gasped. "Dolores, I appreciate your willingness to help," he said as insincerely as possible. "I can hardly find a person as diligent as you," he then turned to the two visitors. "Sorry for the scene. But seriously, the sooner we get this out of the way, the better, don't you agree? Hey, Columbo, are you the one fighting me?"
"Are you talking to me?" Asked Dawlish with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, because you look... never mind. It's nothing derogatory, I promise."
"Yes, we are going to duel after you are done with written test."
"Do you have a classroom we could use?" Griselda asked, obviously responsible for the test part.
"Yeah, actually," Danny put in. "There is one the Headmaster provided, just close by. Follow me!"
Dawlish, now dubbed Columbo, stayed near the fountain. Umbridge went to 'supervise' the children education. Danny may not have shown it, but he was also concerned. He may have mocked her, but she had shown to be less than adequate when it came to her views and attitude. Not to mention that her methods differed so much from his that the lesson was as good as wasted. That was the best case scenario. Danny shook his head and pushed away that thought. He would deal with this later, now his attention needed to be solely on the test. As he sat in an empty classroom at the first row, Griselda took something out of her handbag.
She put a piece of parchment right in front of the young man, face down.
"Never thought I would experience that again," Danny mumbled, seeing Griselda take out a quill.
"From what I know, you never did go through NEWTs. Here, this is an anti-cheating quill. Don't even think of trying to be sneaky."
"Never had intention to," smirked Danny. "I had a good lesson on cheating during tests, trust me."
"I certainly hope so. This test is one of our older ones. You can begin."
Danny flipped the parchment over and got down to work. This was his chance to, once and for all, prove his worth. He would not let himself screw up. Confidently, without as much as a waver, he immersed himself in writing the test. The young professor had a couple of hours. The questions before him were not of extreme difficulty. His knowledge of Dark matters, despite how ominous that sounded, was handy. Danny scribbled on the parchment, invoking his past experiences to aid him in writing down the answers. Occasionally he looked up at the inspector lady, who was surprisingly attentive for her age. He would expect her to open a book to read instead of keeping constant watch, and yet she was burning a hole through his scalp.
His mind occasionally drifted away, to the classroom currently under the occupation of a cardigan-wearing menace. He was really worried about what Umbridge was going to do with the children. It's not like she would cut their throats, but boring them to death was certainly something she was capable of. And the lessons were as good as wasted with her methods, she definitely was not going to pick up the torch and continue his program. They really would need to pick up the pace later. Counting the hours in his head, Danny figured that he would have the time to teach a couple of late lessons if he hurried.
By the time the smaller hand of clocks marked the passing of two hours, Danny stood up, a smirk on his face, the parchment with answers in hand.
"I'm done!" He said.
"Good," responded Griselda curtly and took the parchment. "I'll check it. In the meantime, go to Dawlish and he will evaluate you."
"Sure thing, lady!"
Danny waved and exited the classroom. Right there he took a deep breath of fresh air, and set out to find Columbo. As he went, the bell rang, and the students were slowly pouring out of their classrooms. They occasionally greeted the professor, if they saw him. The normal shirt and pants in a sea of cloaks gave him away in any local crowd. The rumours, however, travelled fast. From what Danny gathered along the way, someone was at the courtyard when he and others were conversing, and now everyone knew that something visually exciting was going to happen. Not often did you see a professor fight an established auror. Thus, the colourful crowd of students not burdened by any lessons at the moment gathered round, much to the visible displeasure of Dawlish, who was sitting on a bench, waiting for Danny to appear, and, surprisingly, unwillingly conversing with Dumbledore of all people. Of course he would be there, Danny thought without enthusiasm. He was now a phantom menace to the school, after all. Pun absolutely intended. Upon seeing Danny, Dumbledore beamed at his youngest employee.
"Ah, Mr. Fenton, you are quite early."
"Well, I've had plenty of time to memorise the stuff."
"You ready?" Asked Dawlish and got up.
"You bet, Columbo," Danny smirked. "Where are we gonna do that?"
"Right here, Dumbledore will make sure nobody gets caught in the crossfire."
The professor looked at the Headmaster, receiving a mischievous smile, "I can't stop the kids from sating their curiosity," the old man said.
This Danny could understand.
"Okay, how do we fight? Standard rules?"
"No, we will not hold back, movement is free. The one who is out of commission loses."
Danny's own expression turned devious. "Oh, I have no objections to that."
In the meantime, there was one particular trio that joined the audience. The Golden trio was no less interested than others in how everything was going to turn out. And, luckily, they were among those in the first row.
"Gee, wish I brought some snacks," mumbled Ron.
"It isn't some Quidditch tournament, Ron," Hermione pointed out. "This is very important. He can get fired if he loses."
"I don't know," responded Harry, "Professor doesn't seem to mind himself, right? He also seems pretty confident."
"This is gonna be so cool, wait, what are Fred and George doing?"
Hermione looked where Ron had, and her eyes widened in shock.
"Oh, no, they won't," she muttered and went towards them.
"Well, our stuffy friend is busy now," Ron cackled. "Hey, Harry, who do you reckon gonna win?"
"I don't know the other guy."
"I know him, that's Dawlish, Dad told me about him. Grades as good as Hermione's, one of the best aurors there are. And on the other, we have our teach, who... doesn't even have a wand..." Ron's voice was filling with a sense of dread as he spoke.
"That doesn't look fair."
"It's that toad's doing, I'm telling you."
At this Hermione chose to return, frustration evident on her face. "Can you believe those people?! They are actually taking bets!"
"Who is in favour?"
"It's Dawlish...That's not what is important!" Hermione quickly tried to resume her Prefect role.
"So the people don't trust Fenton to win?" Asked Harry.
"He is barely older than us, he didn't even study to the end, he doesn't have a wand," she began counting all the downsides. "He may teach well, but it doesn't mean that he will stand the ground."
"Well... I think I'll bet on him, imagine how high the stakes would be."
"Ronald, you cannot encourage..."
Harry sighed, his mind turning off their bickering. Honestly, sometimes they were like an old married couple.
In the meantime, two opponents stood in front of each other. Dumbledore took out his wand and casted a spell. Soon, a dome of bluish light covered the ground around the teacher and the auror. Danny bounced on the balls of his feet like a boxer, his eyes closely watching his rival.
As per the rules of the duel, after bowing, they went in the opposite directions, before stopping. Then, another, finals signal of Dumbledore, ringing through the deafening excited silence, brought everything into action.
"Begin!"
"Expulso!" Bellowed Dawlish.
Fenton swiftly avoided the blast of blue light, the shot hitting the barrier. Columbo did not hesitate to continue shooting, while the professor showed an extreme level of agility. He glared at his enemy, who stood still after the barrage.
"You are to cast your own spells, Fenton."
Danny shrugged and waved his palm. Everyone could feel a drop in temperature, and balls of ice materialised around the man's head. Swinging his hand, Fenton launched the projectiles right at Dawlish, who avoided the first couple, casted 'protego' to defend against others. Dawlish also noticed that some were aimed at his legs. Seeing the ice spread on the ground after the impact made him realise the goal of his attack. To bind the enemy. Danny did not stop, quickly shortening the distance between them.
"Stupefy!" Dawlish fired, but to his shock, and to that of everyone around, he only hit air.
"Where is he?" Asked Ron. "Did he just apparate?"
"You can't do that in Hogwarts," Hermione mumbled, "And with no wand..."
Dawlish looked around in search of his enemy. "Revelio!"
Danny felt how his invisibility was ripped out. Oh, how he hated that spell. Dawlish saw him and fired the stunning spell again. Danny was almost hit by a beam of red, but the blast met an obstacle in the form of a green glowing barrier, thin, shimmering under the sun.
"Is this enough?" Danny asked, and an observant member of the audience could notice a glimmer of green in his own eyes.
"Until out of commission, Fenton. Petrificus Totalus!"
Danny moved away from his own barrier, too thin against a spell this strong.
"Attack, Fenton," Dawlish said.
Danny realised that Dawlish was not the one getting easily annoyed. He commanded with the same collectedness that was present before. So, a plan was hatched to throw as much as Danny could in a short amount of time. He summoned more ice orbs, and Dawlish visibly prepared for the attack. It was obvious to him that the examinee was going to comply with the demands of the inspector. It wasn't a conventional fight, after all.
Dumbledore, for how intrigued he was, observed the fight attentively as well. Daniel must have had something else up his sleeve. After all, he was already demonstrating the magic he had never seen before. This time Danny kept the barrage of icicles, which Dawlish easily deflected once more, but Dumbledore noticed green sparks around the young man's fingers. Once the last ball of ice was crushed, Danny flung his hand once more, and the air was filled with loud, cracking noise and nitrogenous smell. The lighting bolt penetrated the shield and hit the inspector dead on. Dawlish let out a brief scream of pain as the streaks of electricity jumped around his body. Danny took the time to launch more ice, and this time it hit him right in the gut and hurled the man several meters backwards. However, Danny also made no attempt to completely finish the opponent off. Figuratively, of course.
"Blimey," Ron muttered, "What even is this magic? Shouldn't he be hurt as well?"
"I... don't know," mumbled Hermione.
"It looks more like a comic book than magic," commented Harry.
"What's a comic..."
"You are right," Hermione responded. "This is insane. It's not just wandless magic, he never uttered a word to cast them."
Ron huffed, "What, like a house elf? He doesn't look like one."
"Come on, Columbo!" Fenton called for the inspector, who just got up to his feet. "No need beating around the bush."
"That's all you got?" Asked Dawlish.
"No, that lighting could reduce you to ash if I wanted so. Unrestricted power is a dangerous thing, isn't it?" Fenton leaned against a statue near the fountain. "I have plenty of tricks left and I am, admittedly, out of practice."
At this his eyes began to glow again, as he stood right in front of the auror. "Your move."
Dawlish glared at the insolent boy-professor. "Reducto!"
The red blast flew right at the almost unmoving man, who raised his palm right in front of the projectile. Despite everyone's expectations, he simply... grabbed it upon the impact.
He redirected the shot, and it hit the barrier around them, but not without flying right near the auror's face.
"It can blow someone apart, Columbo. I know we agreed not to hold back, but are you sure?"
"How in the hell did you do that?!" Dawlish raised his voice.
"I am simply a very proficient teacher and duelist. Never tried this with the killing curse, but I am obviously not eager to test it."
Columbo and Dumbledore, the latter of whom was equally surprised at the display, both realised what this trick implied. This was a dangerous territory, because the boy had proven to be capable of something totally unexpected. Dumbledore also paid attention to the glow Fenton emanated. He didn't like that colour. The colour of death itself. What was that? A dark practice conceived by the deceptively cheerful boy? He was expelled under this very assumption, and the boy really wasn't making it easier to believe in his innocence.
"Show me all you've got, Fenton," demanded Dawlish, both loyal to his duty and curious himself, while pointing his wand.
"You said it, not me," said Danny.
Suddenly, double beams of green light emerged right from his eyes. Before anyone could even gasp, they flew right at the inspector, who, mistaking it for a certain other spell, instinctively chose to dodge something he deemed impossible to block. The blasts hit the stone column, so unfortunately located within the shield dome, and actually blew it apart. Fenton hissed.
"Sorry about that, Dumbledore!"
"Worry not!" The Headmaster called. "But please, I advise that you two refrain from anything destructive!"
"What say you, Columbo?"
"Stop calling me that," Dawlish said, "Yes, it may actually end in one of us getting killed."
Danny wondered if the man's brain began to function only after realising his opponent was not defenceless.
"Explain this, Fenton."
"Oh, that's your basic focus of spectral energies in the air. Condensed and directed with the help of electricity. The same logic with voltage is applied here. To put it simply, I fire ectoplasm. It's up to your imagination, really," he said, and, to prove his point, fired in the air another weak blast from his fingertip.
He lied, of course. The young man was firing ectoplasm of his own instead of relying on some obscure floating energies. Smart words made him sound competent, sure of what he was saying. And certainly not lying. Danny's palms were engulfed in emerald smoke, and his appearance was growingly unsettling.
"Want to see more, Columbo?" Fenton asked. "Or is this enough for you?"
"We'll see. Stupefy!"
Danny flicked the blast away, another of his own flying back at the auror. Fenton decided to finish it, as he had already shown something impressive enough, covert enough, and something not needing him to die in a metaphorical sense. Dawlish moved away and continued the onslaught. The annoyed professor was greatly annoying his opponent, for every single shot Danny didn't even try to dodge. His reaction time was outstanding. But the auror couldn't avoid the shots forever. At some point, he was bound to get stuck between the reflected spell and that of the half ghost. The ectoblast hit him dead on and launched him far, right into the barrier. Before he could get up, Danny, in a shocking show of speed was right near him, and the ice, the ever-present ice was now holding him captive, cutting of the means of escape. The young man had a grin on his face, as he jumped on one of the less sharp spikes, keeping the balance only god knows how.
"It seems I win," he said.
Dawlish slowly got up, gripping his wand. Danny pretended not to notice, right until the last moment.
"Red..."
With his movements limited, Dawlish couldn't dodge a piece of green sludge. He gagged, his mouth muffled and covered by thick, green goo. And without the mouth, he was basically rendered helpless.
"Told ya. Do you concede, Dawlish?"
The auror glared, grunted, but nodded. At that very moment, the ice and the goo vanished into thin air. As the barrier surrounding them vanished, to Danny's ears reached a round of applause. He blinked out of surprise, having paid little attention to the audience their battle had gathered. But nonetheless he smiled and bowed theatrically.
"Thank you, thank you for your appreciation," the professor said.
"He didn't even sweat," mumbled Harry, observing multiple reactions from the students around. Of course, they had bet their simple possessions, such as candies or collectible cards.
"His magic really is surreal," Hermione responded. "Do you think it is possible to learn it?"
"There she goes," Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't we have enough on our plate already? I still have that stupid dream diary to write."
"I don't think he will share it," grumbled Harry, remembering the man's reluctance to disclose certain things. Then he heard the whispers nearby.
"Did you see his eyes?" One of the girls said to her friend.
"I did. And it creeps me out."
Whatever the children's initial impression was, it most certainly had changed. For better or worse — that remained to be seen.
What was also obvious, is that the Headmaster had things to discuss with his close friends and accomplices. That very evening he brought the usual group of House Heads together, to discuss the newest professor's exploit.
"Outstanding, I say," Flitwick remarked. "I had the opportunity to watch the whole fight from my office, Albus, and I say that his skill is remarkable."
"Is it, Filius?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, mischievous smile on his face. "To me it did seem rather… unenthusiastic."
"The boy was indeed sloppy at some places. Childish arrogance is the reason, I believe."
Dumbledore nodded and looked at the others. "Did any of you had the same luck as me and Filius?"
Minerva shook her head. "Albus, what is your conclusion?"
The Headmaster's look became heavier. "This boy is dabbling in things we have no knowledge of. It is alarming to find someone not only knowledgeable of this art, but obviously proficient at such a young age. These are not some party tricks. We don't know the limits of his resistance to magic. And I have all reasons to suspect Dark Arts are involved in the process."
"And what do our… 'inspectors' think?" Asked Severus.
Dumbledore took out the parchment and moved it to the other end of the table, for the professors to examine.
"Griselda is pleasantly surprised. Daniel never sat through N.E.W.T, much less finished education, and yet he received an "Outstanding", even if barely. With Dawlish beaten so shamelessly, I believe it goes without saying that the boy is here to stay. Dolores agreed with his terms, so there isn't much she can do about it. Daniel is already aware about his results. Needless to say, he was quite… ecstatic about this."
"Don't you find it odd, Albus?" Sprout asked. "Such results are unusual for someone so obviously secluded from the normal education."
"I do find it strange. And at the same time I am not surprised at all. As I said, Daniel's aptitudes are not something taught at any school I know of. Even Durmstrang knows not of such magic. We knew all along that he has powers beyond those we know of, and he didn't hesitate to demonstrate one of them."
"He said many times that he has experience," Flitwick pointed out. "Is it really that surprising that he knows how to combat dark creatures?"
"Filius, we all know he can't do normal magic. So 'experience' is not enough of an explanation," responded Minerva before a short period of silence she herself chose to break. "Maybe those rumours about him hold some merit. Could this magic be the reason of his expulsion, nascent it may have been back then?"
"It is plausible. I can't blame others in Ilvermony of making such claims. It does appear like Dark Arts, no matter how you look at it. We know one thing for certain, however. Daniel is capable of causing serious damage on his own. About what you said, Filius. I personally think that his reason for being sloppy is the unusual format. He could be hesitant to use some abilities of his that he was accustomed to, and thus had to adapt his strategy along the way. His look can burn down a person if he wants. We can't dismiss that fact. Severus."
"Yes, Headmaster?"
"I ask that you be cautious if you cooperate with him."
"Certainly. And where is he now?"
"In Hogsmeade. Daniel said he wanted to celebrate his achievement. Sometimes he does everything to remind us of his age," Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "That will be all. Stay on guard, and not a word about the order with him nearby."
"So, I was cornered. There was a large manticore coming right at me, growling and all. And stinking like all hell."
"What happened then?"
"I punched it and knocked it out," Danny grinned and gulped from his mug.
The crowd around him deflated.
"Is that it?" A shout came.
"That's a pile of shite!"
"Are you saying you can knock out a manticore, kid?"
Danny looked around the inn and saw how the people didn't seem to believe a frail-looking young man. He smirked and leaned back in his chair.
"With one punch," Danny raised a finger. "Believe it or not," he then lifted the mug, "this guy is a certified specialist now. Jeez, life is looking good."
It was his sixth round of drinks. Since his mind chemistry was significantly altered by ectoplasm, he could indulge in it as much as he wanted without feeling the impact. That worked for many toxins. The Three Broomsticks inn was welcoming that day, or maybe it was simply his jolly mood. The feeling of satisfaction was bubbling inside his heart, pushing away all the rest. His victory over an established auror, as well as his aced test were a testament to the years of his hard work towards bettering his skills and abilities. Had his sister been present, she would probably say that he needn't do anything to prove his worth to anyone. However, this 'anyone' was himself. This was a certain and triumphant return to the wizarding world, stronger than most of their kin that had wronged him. So, Danny had no regrets about taking that job. The only way it could be better if he had beaten his old Headmaster, the presumptuous bastard .
The hour was was late, so the half ghost chose to take his leave now. He said goodbyes to the customers and to the owner, before stepping out into the chilly night street. The noise of the inn was still loud, but somewhat muffled by the walls and doors. Somewhere far away, above the treetops, the towers of Hogwarts could still be seen. The tranquility was soon to break, however.
When a blue mist escaped his mouth. And Danny knew exactly who that was.
"You couldn't pick a better time even if you tried, Stopwatch."
Danny turned around and saw a figure, hidden under a dark purple cloak. The long beard of his could still be made out, as well as the glowing red eyes, but the rest the cloak his well. The man, the ghost was leaning on a long staff, that had huge clocks embedded into it. Danny couldn't see the expression of the visitor, but he was quite certain that the ever-present, all-knowing smirk was there.
"Was that a pun, Daniel?" A deep, amused voice came from under the hood.
"Think what you want, you know the answers," the young man rolled his eyes, then noticing something. "You didn't stop time, what gives?"
"I thought that such measures won't be needed. Nobody will see us in any case. You were going back to the castle."
"I was. Cut to the chase, old man," asked Danny as they began walking. "What did you come here for?"
"I would like to congratulate you first. You put a good show."
Danny sighed. Clockwork was never in a hurry, and for a good reason too. All his actions were well-planned for centuries ahead. That came with being a Time Lord. The young man couldn't say that their relationship didn't have any bumps. The ghost tried to kill him when they first met. And for all his power, Clockwork still refused to help when the young man actually needed it. Thus, Danny's bitterness was only going to resurface.
"Yeah, well, they didn't know what I am and what I can do. Of course I beat him."
"Playing humble, I see," Clockwork smirked. "We both know what you are capable of."
"Yeah, worldwide genocide and all. No need to remind me," huffed Danny. "Or what? You wanted me to vaporise him?"
"Certainly not. The consequences of that would be too much. I am asking if what you are doing is fitting for your talents. To your mind."
"Don't make me doubt it now. I just gained confidence," grumbled the half ghost, "It fits my specialty, I guess."
"And that is…"
"You know the answer. Beating the crap out of everything dangerous. Teaching how to do it is not all that different."
"Not the way I would summarise it, but it gets the message across."
"I think I know where this conversation is going."
"Do you?" Asked Clockwork, the same smirk on his face.
"You want me to beat someone."
"Had I not been all-knowing, I would have suggested just that. You have caught the attention of some dangerous individuals, Daniel."
"And you came here to state something even I know? I destroyed a Horcrux. These things are made by professionals, not students."
"This one was made by a student," Clockwork said enigmatically. "Although he has long since graduated. You don't seem concerned about the existence of these artefacts. They are a defilement of the laws of nature, after all."
"I am a defilement myself," Responded the young man, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Name one human who can outlive all around for millennia to come."
"You aren't entirely human."
"I am not completely a ghost. And it will remain this way," a firm response followed.
"Even if your attitude towards Horcruxes is more lenient than that of ghosts, you do understand that they cannot be allowed to exist."
"So that's what this is about. I am not going around chasing them, my heroics are over and you know why."
"Cliché much?"
Danny blinked and stared at the old man. "Please, don't talk like that. You will be the death of me that way."
"My point still stands. Surely the slayer of Pariah and his only heir can accomplish such a menial task."
"Don't," Danny pointed a finger at him. "I want nothing to do with that."
"Yet you are persistent with your attempts at building the portal. You want to get to the Zone and have asked me to take you there multiple times."
"It is you who refused!" Snapped the half ghost. "Now I can't even go, because there are students I need to teach. You know what, that's quite important, because I also don't have the time to search for those trinkets. I destroyed one, this should be enough," he increased the pace and left the ghost behind.
"Voldemort has four more, Daniel," Called Clockwork, making Danny freeze on his spot.
"Four?!" Danny asked incredulously, turning around.
"Well, there are seven in total. Three have been destroyed, yours included. Now I hope you understand the gravity of what is happening."
"He is more of a frootloop than I thought. Go handle it yourself. You are the great equaliser here. You were allowed to kill me, weren't you?"
"I was, and yet I didn't, so you may help the world instead of destroying it."
"I help it now. In my small ways."
"Your powers are far too great to do small things. You have the ability to bring changes yet unseen. Both good and vile. Eventually you will come to understand that a change is needed. Why do you think I came today? Today you realised that even the most proficient wizards are of little match even for your human form."
"For someone not allowed to interfere, you speak awfully lot."
"Have you wondered what exactly am I allowed to do?" Smiled Clockwork. "I believe that guiding you is my task as much as everything else."
It was true that during the last five years the Time Master was the only figure close to parental that Danny had had. Not that the teen and then the adult cared much for it, because until this conversation Clockwork was quite detached from the boy's affairs. Hence, not much love was there to give.
"What do you actually want?" Asked Danny in exasperation.
"For you to be the better version of yourself. And if you help change the society in the process, who am I to complain? I know that such thoughts appeared in your mind, as well as an understanding of why Voldemort even came to be and why he won't be the last."
"Nice pep-talk," mumbled Danny. "I am deciding what to do with my life, Clockwork. Isn't this what you told me back then? That the decision is always mine to make?"
"That's true. But it doesn't mean I won't give my advice to you. Just like on that tragic day."
"What's going to happen, Stopwatch? You always do this before something goes down."
"Nothing in particular. I'll tell you what I can. Voldemort is interested in you, and Dumbledore suspects that you are the former's servant. This means that you, in the nearest future, cannot rely on the Headmaster, but you know it already. Remember this Daniel," Clockwork raised his staff, about to hit its head. "You are the Prince of Ghosts. So don't be afraid to act like it. TIME OUT!"
He bellowed and hit a small button. In less than a blink, the Time Master vanished, leaving his reluctant protégé alone to wander. Sighing, Danny ran a hand through his hair.
"Prince of Ghosts. I am broke as shit," he muttered angrily and went towards the castle.
But perhaps, some other words of the ancient ghost had much more merit, Danny thought as he went towards the castle.
"Alright, alright, settle down everyone!" Called Fenton as he assumed his place in front of the class. "Due to Miss Umbridge's underperformance we will need to pick up the speed if we want to make it in time for the exams."
He then saw the raised hand of the most active student he had seen so far.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Professor, are you going to continue teaching?"
Danny's bright smile was an answer enough, but he still decided to indulge both her and everyone else.
"Certainly I am. So worry not, until the end of the year you are all stuck with me. And before any of you asks. No. I am not teaching what some of you saw yesterday," he answered preemptively. "It will just kill or maim you and I am not paying the insurance. If we are done, let's move to the topic of today."
Danny fished in his desk, before tossing his finding on the table. To the shock of many, it was a severed hand, made out of shiny metal that resembled silver.
"Who can tell me what this is?" The professor asked.
He saw no raised hands at first, as he had expected. But then, Harry Potter was the one willing to answer. Reluctant he may have appeared.
"Oh, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes, it's… an artificial silver hand… a person can create it with Dark magic as a prosthetic."
"Why, that's correct. Five points to Gryffindor. Speaking from experience?" He asked.
Harry nodded. "I saw it before," the boy answered, causing some usual whispers to erupt. "But professor, where did you get this one?"
Fenton smirked. "I will get to it. This one is a dangerous artefact, although there have been arguments on whether or not to consider the silver hand as such. While uncommon, it is still a valid tool to some Dark Wizards. Why would they opt to cut off their hands and replace them? Well, it comes with certain benefits."
He picked it up and demonstratively pulled on its unmoving joints. And then he drummed on it, getting a metallic ring.
"It is quite hardy, that's first. Punch someone with this piece of solid metal and it is a guaranteed knockout. If they grab your neck, you won't escape that grip on your own. So, if you encounter people with this prosthetic, keep your distance."
Danny noticed that the kids were more willing to write down what he said. He had several explanations to that, but chose to ignore it.
"Secondly, and I think it is the most important thing, they have the ability to deflect certain spells. If you hit the enemy with Expelliarmus, this hand will still hold the wand. This also applies to other minor spells, and know this: you cannot disarm this person. Unless you pick a more literal approach," he put it back on the table. Loudly. "And cut it off. That's the answer to your question, Mr. Potter. I had a run-in with a Dark Wizard, I beat him, turned him in and left myself a souvenir. For the note, this silver is fake and the magic evaporates after the death of its owner. Thus, it is utterly worthless."
"Then why did you keep it?"
"I was honestly about to throw it out. But since it makes an excellent study material, I decided to wait."
Some people would have dismissed it as an outlandish story. But the way he fought against an auror clearly showed that the professor could fight and fight well.
"Some other charms can be applied to it. The most common I've observed is the one some among their flock ignore. Never let someone else make a hand for you, because they may just charm it to kill the owner if they do or say something the creator doesn't like. That's how Grindewald too made his followers keep quiet."
"Sir…"
"Yes?"
"How did you encounter all these dangers? You are not much older than us."
Danny chuckled quietly. "I just tried to do a good thing. MACUSA is lacking in numbers, they have such an enormous territory to keep in order. So, you will be surprised at how many criminals and rampant beasts there are. The Indians learned to ward themselves, but most wizards live in the big cities. Thus, my home wasn't exactly safe. My magic was not a violation of the statute, nor the decrees about underage magic, there actually are a couple of loopholes in the law, and it cannot be tracked. Besides, some threats I beat with my hands. In the end I just grew sick of it, and MACUSA finally decided to bring some semblance of order. So I moved here, and eventually found myself in Hogwarts. That's pretty much it. I'd love to sit here and tell you about it, but we have a lesson."
He coughed. "Where was I? Ah, yes, the silver hand is but one of many dark artefacts that exist in this world. There exist certain procedures on what to do when you encounter them. And how you understand that such encounter is taking place. Dark artefacts are divided into two categories: those that are created as such, like the one you see here, or the seemingly normal things, like jewellery or statuettes that became the vials for Dark magic. Both are equally dangerous in their own ways. The latter are more discreet and can curse you if you aren't attentive enough. Gringotts, as you know, has certain professionals whose job it is to alleviate curses from the artefacts they find. The standards set by Ministries are universal across the wizarding world. Always verify if the locket you buy was checked by the professional, don't take the seller's word for it. And, obviously, don't buy anything from Nockturn alley. Apart from selling a deathtrap they would also scam you."
Danny began pacing around the classroom. "The simple spell of Finite can get rid of jinxes, certainly, but death curses are indeed a threat that annually takes lives of many. But the fact that you can't remove the curse doesn't mean that you cannot detect it…"
After about an hour, the lesson was over, a welcomed change from the torturous lesson yesterday. At least from what the students heard. Danny answered a couple of questions related to homework, allowed to bring in the previous one the following day, but then Hermione came the last, looking a bit hesitant.
"Well, Ms. Granger, you wanted something?" He asked.
"Yes," she responded as the last people were leaving. "I wanted to ask something of you, Professor."
Danny blinked. "Eh… sure."
Then she put a blue badge on the table. The word SPEW on it was written with white letters.
"What is this?"
"Sir, I have heard and seen that you are very strongly against the prejudice some people have towards magical creatures and half-breeds, so I wanted to ask if you would like to join my campaign."
"Which you called SPEW," deadpanned Danny.
"It stands for "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare"."
"Elfish?" Danny raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, surely you have to understand the horrid conditions they endure daily."
"I know that," Danny picked up the badge.
Clockwork. Of course he would have come just before something appeared to also nudge the young man in the needed direction.
"How many members do you have?"
"Oh, well… with you it would be six people."
"That isn't much," the young man commented. "What do you even want to do? Free the elves?"
"Yes, that's what our goal is. Everyone keeps saying that they don't need it, but…"
"They don't want it, sure. But they do need it. It just comes down to the means and explanation," Danny smiled, and saw the brighter expression of the girl. He then sighed. "Very well, I'll join."
"That would be two sickles, sir."
The man stared at her. "With all due respect, Granger, you aren't in a position to ask for fees. Not to mention that I am always broke."
The girl deflated. "I need it for the activities of the group."
"Which would make whole ten sickles. Don't worry, we will fix it. I have an experience."
"You do?" The girl asked in surprise.
"Well, I saw someone quite like you do exactly same things but better," the professor smiled sadly. "I'll leave the badge, though."
"Thank you, Professor. Where do we start?"
"Patience, young padawan," Danny said sagely. "All in due time."
"Did you just quote Star Wars?"
"That I did, kiddo."