Chapter 3: Falling Apart

It was well past midnight by the time Nicholas finished his tour. After hours of traversing the halls and listening to long, detailed recounts of history, Danny was shocked to learn Hogwarts was actually a castle. A real, medieval castle deep in the highlands of Scotland. That had thrown him big time. Realizing for the first time in his life he was in a different country. He would have been ecstatic at the news if the heavy weight of his mission wasn't hanging over his head.

The longer the ghost's tour took, all hope of returning to his time within a few days faded away. The school was much bigger inside than it appeared on the outside. There were countless rooms filled the many endless halls. Multiple towers connect the wings of the castle and hidden courtyards tucked away between them. Outside the giant lake sat like the school's shadow, was filled with old, forgotten ruins. That was dismissing the massive forest and mountain ranges surrounding the school.

The very thought of how much he had to search was making Danny's head spin.

After politely declining the ghost's offer to stay in the moldy tower room Danny found himself in one of the school's many bathrooms. He was there now, gripping onto a sink as he tried to gather his thoughts. Danny stared at his exhausted face, his hair a mess and sticking up in all directions from flying all day. He sniffed, clearing his nose from the dust, and then began the impossible task of smoothing out his hair.

He looked terrible. All those sleepless nights spent ghost-hunting and cram-studying had started to catch up to him. Not to mention for the past four days he had barely slept a wink. Dreams filled with nightmares of his evil self-destroying Amity Park plagued him every time he closed his eyes. It was a miracle he hadn't been driven crazy from the stress.

He was also hungry, Danny realized glumly. The last thing he'd eaten was a bowl of cereal. Not nearly enough from the energy he had been using. Leaning down to the tap he drank as much water as he could. It would hold off the hunger for a time, but Danny knew tomorrow he was going to have to find something to eat.

Taking one more look in the mirror he went ghost, noticing his aura had dulled a little. With a loud sigh, he fell through the floor. Taking a moment to get his bearings he returned to the unused classroom. At least he knew no one would come here.

Changing back he slumped against one of the walls, grimacing at the clouds of dust he sent up. Wonderful. Already he was feeling homesick, mainly for his dust-free bed. As Danny tried to get comfortable something dug into his side, and a quick search revealed it was his phone. He had completely forgotten he didn't leave it in his locker. Well, Dash had basically thrown him into his locker, so following school rules hadn't been at the top of his list.

Either way, it was good to have something from his time. Though a Fenton Thermos would have been better.

Danny turned it on and was instantly blinded. Wincing he adjusted it to something manageable so he could read the screen. No signal. Not like like mattered. Tucker, Sam and everyone else on his contacts were either not born yet or didn't know him. So who was he going to call?

He turned it off, knowing he needed to save the battery. Once again the room was in darkness, letting his thoughts plague his mind again. He just knew this mission was going to be a disaster. It was supposed to be simple. Stop an evil shade, prevent a kid from dying, and bam, timeline saved. It was just… he didn't know how. How was he going to find where the shade was hiding? Wait till it made a move? Or should he search for it? Lure it out into the open?

Danny groaned and rolled to his side, sneezing the grime away. It was so strange doing this alone. He'd become so used to working as a team with his friends. Now the idea he was on his own almost frightened him. And if he failed…

Scrunching his eyes closed he tried to push that horrid thought out of his mind. Sleep, that's all he needed. Then he could think of a proper plan in the morning.

###

In the end, he barely slept at all.

Wincing as his numb muscles twitched Danny shook his deadened fingers back to life. His hunger roared up, demanding immediate attention. At seeing the room was lightening he pulled himself up, running his hands over his head to rub away the rising headache. Before working out how to stop the shade, his first mission was to find breakfast.

Standing he stretched, feeling his limbs wake up. Walking over to the door he was surprised to find it was a struggle to call up his powers. Gritting his teeth he focused enough to go intangible through the door. Yet once out in the hallway, he froze, inhaling.

It was the smell of food. Suddenly the lovely scent of butter and bacon filled his senses, the warm and smoky smell was heavenly. Not like the odd, burnt smell that was his mom's cooking. Actual, perfectly cooked breakfast. His mouth watered, feeling his ghost core surge at the thought of a quick boost. He made his way down the empty hall and back to the door he had first passed through.

Hesitating, Danny recalled all too well what happened the last time. Making his head invisible he stuck it through, checking to make sure the coast was clear. Happy he passed all the way through, flicking back to visibility yet eyes still checking for any students, teachers or cats.

The smell was coming from the opposite room, the one with the long tables. From that way, he heard the rumble of voices, and peering around the doorframe he gazed in. Students of all ages were sitting on the long benches eating their breakfast. Danny was about to ease back, but the sight of the great hall stopped him dead in his tracks. Nicholas had only gestured to this place, but to see it was incredible. It was so incredible he all but forgot he was supposed to be hiding.

The hall was filled with owls of all kinds, flying and gliding through the air. The roof itself looked like an open sky, an illusion of the outside was filled with thousands of floating candles. Drawing his eyes down he found the tables were filled with golden plates, filled with every breakfast food you could think of. It was all so much that he was dazed with the sudden overwhelming of his senses.

He was just about to go invisible when he felt a soft brush next to him. Jolting he looked down as two young girls- so similar they had to be twins, walked past. The pair gave him a puzzled look before going back to their talk; flicking long braids over their shoulders as they giggled. They paid no mind to his startled expression.

Confused as to why they hadn't pinpointed him and yelled Intruder! he looked closer at the students. Many were wearing the school uniform, but most were in casual, some even still in pajamas. Unlike his moment with the witch, he could blend in here. And if those girls hadn't said anything…

He walked out into the open and made his way to the closest table, sitting at the edge. Nervously he smoothed down his shirt, hoping no one noticed the dust. But everyone was busy with their routine. Too busy talking, eating or reading. With a final check, he relaxed, smiling at his good fortune. Quickly he loaded up a plate, savoring every minute of it.

When his hunger was dealt with he slowed and started looking around. This was a perfect time to start his mission. First, he checked those around him, casually looking into their eyes to see signs they might be possessed. But from what he could tell everyone around him was clear. After he strengthened his hearing. And slowly as he devoured more bacon, he listened to rumbling chatter around him.

"- You know how Professor Binns classes are-"

"–Win the Quidditch Cup-"

"-So much Homework! Professor McGonagall must-"

"-Confundo Charm I bet!-"

"–Broomstick in front of-"

"- He used an Expulso spell! That's an O.W.L level, right?-"

"-Certainly talked about flying a lot-"

Danny abruptly paused. Did he hear that right? Flying? Looking for the one who had spoken, he spotted a small group of kids huddled close together. They must have been younger than him, maybe even new to this school as they seemed the youngest on this bench. They had an exciting buzz to them like they too couldn't quite believe they were here. The one who had talked of flying however had an annoyed frown on his face, pushing large round glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Another boy sitting across from him leaned forward and grinned. His hair was so red it put Jazz's to shame.

" You know that's all rubbish, right? Malfoy's got to be lying at how good he is."

Another boy was sitting next to them. He was in the process of removing the twine from a parcel, a hazel barn owl sitting calmly next to him. " I don't know Ron… Gran always talks about how flying is dangerous. It's supposed to be difficult to get the hang of."

"Rubbish. It's easy once you learn the basics."

The one with the glasses twisted his gaze in surprise at the news." You've flown before?"

The redhead, this Ron, seemed to blush at the attention which caused his freckles to disappear. "Borrowed Fred's Cleansweep sometimes back home. The thing's bloody awful since it always tries to buck you off. But I'm not bad at flying."

The conversation was strange to Danny. All this talk of flying surrounded by owls and magic. It painted an odd picture that he still was having a hard time believing. But at seeing the kids weren't possessed he turned his attention away, focusing on the students leaving the hall.

He hadn't taken more than two mouthfuls when the kid with the parcel yelled, voice filled with delight.

"It's a Remembrall!" Like others nearby, Danny curiously looked back at them. The boy held up a strange, glass orb fitting perfectly into the palm of his hand. "Gran knows I forget things all the time! This tells you if there's something you've forgotten. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red…Oh…"

His face fell when the orb was filled with a bright, smoky scarlet, swirling around the glass ominously.

"…you've forgotten something…"

There was a collective chuckle around the table, Danny joining in when he caught on to the joke. Turning back to his meal he picked up a pitcher of orange juice and relaxed. He couldn't wait to tell his friends about this trip. Sam would love this place, what with its gothic appearance and eerie, dark feel. Both she and Tucker would love the magic here, but Sam would freak at seeing the owls carrying stuff for people. He had thought ghosts and his half-ghostliness were bizarre, but this was quickly taking the lead. Yet as he took a sip, he frowned. No, even around all this magic he was still the freak.

"What's going on here?"

Danny froze mid-mouthful. Oh no…

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Danny slowly put his cup down. Stupid! How could he have forgotten?

"Just looking."

He saw in the corner of his eye movement, a group leaving with a snicker. Danny hunched over, letting his hair fall over his face. Act normal, stay calm. She won't see you if you remain calm.

"Thank you, Professor."

"That's quite alright Longbottom, I could see Malfoy was up to no…You!"

Crud. There was no doubt the You was for him. Slowly he peered over at the witch, confirming his fear. It was her. The Cat Lady. At once there was a sudden stillness in the hall, a pause the witch's words had caused. All eyes turned to them as the witch glared at him, knowing he was in big trouble. He sent her a smile that probably looked as forced as it felt. Internally he cursed his carelessness. He had trapped himself.

His smile did little to pacify her. The witch seemed to grow in height, eyes narrowing behind her silver glasses. "You… you have some nerve running off after breaking the rules as you did."

"I…Um. I think there's been a misunderstanding here…" Danny couldn't think of anything that would get him out of this mess. Without thinking he shifted one leg over the bench, old habits getting him ready to spring. She saw his start on escape and marched forward with a swirl of her robe. There were now giggles and murmurs from the students as the witch loomed over him. All excited to see someone getting chewed out.

" The only misunderstanding I see is you avoided punishment and disobeyed me."

Danny shrugged, mind whirling. He just needed to get out of sight. The moment he did, he could vanish. But panic was rising in his head. He couldn't get busted this quickly. Couldn't risk his secret being discovered. Gazing at the entrance he realized he needed to get around the corner, the large doors a perfect shield for him to hide from sight. The witch must have spotted his plotting and narrowed her eyes.

"To the Headmaster's office. Now."

"Ah… Nope." The mention of the headmaster was all Danny needed to bolt, no way he was going to ruin this mission. But it was a sudden fear which caused him to leap up, sprinting to the entrance without thinking. He had no clue what these guys could do to him. But after dealing with Freakshow he knew magical things equaled a lot of pain, misery, and misfortune for him.

"Incarcerous!"

There was a loud "pop" and abruptly Danny felt something twist tightly around his body, snapping his arms and legs together. With a gasp he landed heavily on the marble floor, wincing at the impact. There was a chorus of excited gasps and chatted, Danny catching sight of their bewildered faces as looked down to see ropes had been tied around his body.

"Unbelievable! This behavior is completely unacceptable!" The witch rushed forward, stick held high in her hand. He panicked, pulling at the ropes. But the more he struggled the tighter they seemed to get. When she was almost upon him Danny had enough. Glaring her way he let the ropes pass through his body, the thick cord landing in a heap underneath him. At once she froze and hesitated. Perhaps grasping that maybe the boy before her wasn't just a normal pupil.

Danny went to pull himself up, turning back to his original escape plan. But his hopes were dashed when he saw the door was now filled with students, blocking his path. Movement jolted him back to his predicament, spotting the witch reaching down to grab his shirt. Pure terror coursed through him, the absolute worst emotion he needed now. His ghost core reacted to his panic, acting without his control in a bid to protect him-

And phased him through the floor.

He knew he was probably more horrified at what was happening than the witch was. Before he sank completely he caught sight of her face, the shock of what he was doing was plastered all over it. He fell from the roof, with no ghost form to stop gravity. There was just time to see a huge table below before he smashed into it, sending pots and plates flying. The table cracked under the force and Danny found himself winded, temporarily stunned. For a moment he fought for air, pulling himself up to throw the rope that had followed him. It was then he saw he was surrounded by creatures.

They were small, elfish with large eyes dressed in strange ragged clothes. Everyone in the room froze, watching each other to see who would move first. Suddenly one of the elves screamed, running in the opposite direction with a spoon waving in the air. The others seemed to react the same, it starting to dawn on them that a boy had just fallen through the ceiling.

Danny scrambled up and immediately headed to the closest wall, sending cutlery and the pots crashing to the floor. Quickly he ran through, only to slam into the opposite wall when he came into the hallway. Pushing off the stone he sprinted down the passageway, immediately turning invisible. He almost wanted to tear at his hair in frustration. He had royalty screwed up now.

As he ran in random directions Danny suddenly saw he was in the same dungeon area from yesterday, the temperature dropping rapidly. A sigh of relief passed through him as he recalled the ghost portal. He didn't dare hide in the classroom right now, but the Ghost Zone was a place he knew no one would follow him.

The passageway twisted around sharply, curling to the left. Still running at full speed, he gripped the edge of the wall and swung himself around using his momentum-

Only to crash into the back of someone.

The person squealed in fright as Danny leaped to the side, twisting on his heels and flicking back into sight. The guy he'd hit tumbled to the floor, purple cape flying over his head. Like the witch, he was dressed in long, flowing robes. However on top of his head was a bundle of cloth, a turban wrapped tightly around his head.

"Er Sorry-" Danny stopped as a smell hit him like a punch. A strong smell of garlic and something else… something foul. It made him almost gag, stepping back from the wizard. The man threw his cloak aside and whipped up, but froze when he spotted Danny covering his wrinkled nose with his hand. The wizard's eyes widen, jaw slacking at the sight of him.

Danny wanted to speak but his stomach churned at the stench. There was something nasty in the air which seemed to awaken his powers. It certainly smelt like something had died in his hat. Giving the guy a disgusted look he decided he couldn't take it anymore and retreated, heading down a flight of steps and away from view.

Once in the clear, he lunged forward, going ghost mid-jump. No way was he going to risk bumping into anyone else, using his flight to rush through the stone and to the room with the portal. The moment the shimmering portal appeared he all but dived into the ectoplasm as if he was jumping into a pool. At first, he let himself just float in the Zone, drifting with his eyes closed in the space. His core flared with energy, the powerful cold feeling calming him down.

He was safe, for now. With luck, none of the teachers knew about the portal. Exhaling the breath he'd been holding he opened his eyes to peer around.

The Ghost Zone looked exactly like it did back home. Green and purple ectoplasm of all space swirled around him, doors of all forms floating in the void. Nearby him was a broken stone platform, the same purplish tone most things in the zone shared. Danny chuckled. It was bizarre to actually feel safe in here. There was no threat of one of his enemies trying to waste him when they didn't know he existed yet. Drifting over to the platform he flopped down, crossing his legs under him.

He'd mucked up. Big time. Sure, there was no way they would suspect he was half ghost. But it was obvious even within magic, wizards and witches didn't just go through solid objects. His normal side would now be recognized as the freak who passed through the floor.

Sighing he fell back, putting his forearm over his face. Maybe he should go back and pretend he was a real, complete ghost? Who was he kidding, these guys weren't as clueless as the people of Amity Park! They believed in the supernatural. So it's possible they knew a lot about ghosts. Worming his way through lies wouldn't work with these people.

But now he had tossed out his only advantage. How was he going to search the school now without having to watch his back all the time? It took him only one day to blow his mission to pieces.

Time flowed quickly, Danny not wanting to return to Hogwarts. All he could think about then was home. And whether he tries to find Clockwork to beg him to start again.

"Phantom?"

He stilled at the voice, pushing his arm up. Lady Grey hovered by the portal, face emotionless and still.

"What do you want?" Even though he hated it he couldn't stop the tenseness creeping into his words. He was starting to hate every reminder he was stuck in the past. That this wasn't his Ghost Zone.

Instead of being offended she floated over, kneeling next to him on the stone slate. Tucking her cloak neatly under her. She gazed out into the Zone. Before finally, she spoke.

"There is a strange rumor today.

She paused, waiting to see if Danny would speak on his own accord. When he didn't she sighed mournfully. "That was you, was it not?"

He didn't reply. Hoping if he ignored her long enough she would drop it and leave. Already he could feel a mix of emotions on the subject; worry, anger, and disappointment in himself. He needed to be better. Be more careful. However, to his dismay she merely stayed there, waiting.

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

Lady Grey was silent, waiting.

"Aren't you going to question how I did it? What I am?" His voice was rising, the anger of his failure building. He didn't like being mean to a ghost who wasn't hostile to him. But he felt himself being backed into a corner. " I'm sure you heard all about the teen phasing through the floor this morning. But you know that people, living people don't just… you know, drop through solid objects like a ghost. And I'm guessing these magical folks don't either.

"So, why aren't you asking me how I did it? How much of a freak I am? I'm sure everyone would love to learn there's a freaking half ghost strolling around their school!"

"…No."

Danny looked back, seeing she was still gazing out into nothing. " You are unique. I see now. However, it is your private matter. If you do not wish it, I will not pry."

"Really?" He sat up, eyebrow curling. "You seriously don't care? The thing is you might say that. The other ghosts might say that too. But others in this school won't." He scoffed, glaring over to the portal. " All they're going to see is a guy who can use ghost powers, a threat. There's no way I can go back there now without being captured or…much worse. I saw their expression, it's not going to end well."

"Why do you think that child?" For the first time she turned to face him, a frown etched on her pale face. " Do you truly believe you are in danger at Hogwarts? True, I have never heard of one half-dead in both death and life. But I know not all here are such simple-minded. We ghosts have lived in harmony among the living for hundreds of years. Even our trickster is accepted as part of this castle. I cannot… will not accept the Headmaster will hurt you. He is a man who allows actions to be the judge, not what they possess."

Danny was blown away at her sudden outburst. It was the first time he'd heard her speak so much. But unlike her, he wasn't so sure. His face must have shown his doubt as Lady Grey shook her head sadly, rising into the air.

"Come. It would not be wise to remain here. Where you must be, is in there."

"What do you mean?"

"Correcting your problems before they worsen is best. I believe your issue is lack of communication."

That made him sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You don't get it. Even if I explain everything about my powers to them I doubt they'll be happy with me being in Hogwarts."

" I disagree."

"You didn't see their faces when I phased through the floor." Danny huffed, crossing his arms. "I read total weirdo there."

Lady Grey remained silent, watching him with haunting eyes.

"You're not letting me stay here for the rest of my life, aren't you?"

"No."

His shoulders slumped. In truth, he didn't want to risk explaining himself to others. Ghosts somewhat understood in their own, weird ways. But he didn't know yet how ghosts were viewed in this world. Yet… Clockworks' words came back to him, telling him he didn't have to do this alone. Should he tell her? She was helping him, so it was worth a shot.

"Fine. I'll go back and face the music. But… only if I get to ask you a question."

"…Very well."

Drifting over to her he paused, rubbing his arm. "Do… do you know if any of the students in the school are, well… Um possessed? Or I guess maybe overshadowed?"

"I do not think so. Ghosts who enter Hogwarts are not of ill will. The headmaster would never allow it."

"Oh…"

"But… if this is your purpose here, a possession. It might not be a student."

His mind started to turn, hope building. "You mean one of the teachers could be-"

"Many are powerful in magic. One may know to hide their control. I would…look there."

"That sure does narrow down the list." He grinned. An actual start, a goal he could latch onto. "Thanks! You have no idea how helpful you've been."

She nodded gently, continuing through the portal and leaving Danny with his thoughts. Now he had an objective. There were far fewer teachers in the school than students. All he had to do was start watching each in turn, and figure out if there was anything eerie about them. Then once figured out all he had to do was defeat them, and this mission was over!

Rushing out of the Ghost Zone he soared up through the school, this time making sure he was invisible. He was surprised to find night had fallen, the halls empty and quiet. Well, this was perfect for him anyway.

Changing back he landed on the ground with a soft thud, the hallway he was in lit faintly by moonlight. With one deep breath and confident nod he set off, moving now with purpose. It was time he started this mission right.

First, he would spy on the teachers who patrolled the school. Sir Nicholas had told him they took turns to guard the halls and catch students skipping curfew. At night there were more chances the shade would muck up and reveal itself. So he just had to wait, watch, and force the shade out of the host's body-

Thump! "Ow!"

Danny jolted when his foot connected with something. It moved under his shoe, moaning from the impact he'd made. Puzzled he brought his hand up, forming a small ball of ectoplasm on the tips of his fingers. Once he saw what it was though- he quickly hid it in fright.

It was a boy.

The kid groaned, clutching his stomach where he'd socked him. A thousand thoughts raced through Danny's head as to why a kid was lying in the middle of the hallway in the dead of night. He knew he should just turn invisible and leave. But his hero side won out in the end. Danny knelt, looping a hand under the kid's arm to help him up.

"What are you doing lying down in the hallway? It's like the middle of the night!"

"I'm sorry." The boy rubbed his stomach, and Danny hoped he wouldn't bruise badly. "But I got locked out of the…"

At that moment they had moved into the light of a window, both able to see each other clearly. They gasped in recognition at the same time. It was the kid from breakfast, the one with the red glass ball!

"You're…" The boy leaned away, eyes widening. Danny himself edged away, his own shock building.

"-I'm coming with you."

Both froze as they were a creaking sound, voices drifting out in the dark. To Danny, they sounded familiar, yet he couldn't place them.

"You are not."

"Did you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth. That I was trying to stop you and you can back me up."

"You got some nerve-"

Stepping into the moonlight three figures appeared. Two were the other kids from breakfast, and another was a girl he hadn't seen. The dark-headed boy with the glasses stopped abruptly at the sight of Danny, making the redhead bump into his back with a yelp.

"Hey! What-"

His words drained away, jaw-dropping at the sight of Danny. There was a strained silence as four pairs of eyes were glued on him. Just as he was about to make an excuse to leave the redhead grinned, pushing in front of his friend.

"You're that guy from this morning! The one who vanished into the floor, right!"

Oh Crud…

AN: This chapter ended up completely different from what I first intended. Originally, Danny gets away from Professor McGonagall and phases through the wall unseen. He then hides out in the classroom till night, bringing on the next scene. But when I started writing it, it just… Evolved. The next minute Danny's blowing secrets, passing through floors and freaking out House Elves. I quite like this version better but…now I have to completely change my plot outline so everything makes sense. *sigh* Oh well, back to the drawing board!