Chapter 6: Requirments

"Did you find it?"

Danny could hear voices, forcing his mind awake. He squeezed his eyes tight and tried to fall back to sleep. Not yet. He didn't want to face those teachers right now.

"I'm afraid not. Sir Nicholas said she had vanished. Not even he could chase after her. At least it can ease our minds to know she has left the school grounds."

"That does not ease my mind! Now we have no clue as to where this- this demon is!"

"Minerva, be calm, please. I know she is no longer on the grounds. And if she shows herself here again, she will know I will show no mercy."

There was a soft rustle, followed by what Danny thought was a drawer closing. "Albus, she must know what we have hidden within the school. How could she have known? Only a selected few should know about the stone."

"I do not know."

There was a tap of footsteps on stone and a familiar, cool voice sounded. "She's obviously a threat. I imagine a spectral would have no trouble getting to the stone if it wished. I suggest we strengthen the defenses and incorporate some runes and wards within the passage."

"That won't be necessary Severus. By the threat she gave I doubt she is after it herself. Something far worse is after the stone."

"Worse than that thing? What could be worse?"

An unfriendly chuckle filled the air. "Are you afraid of a mere poltergeist Professor? I'm surprised."

The witch huffed. "I am more concerned about our students' lives! Are you suggesting we just ignore this?"

"Come now you two, we can't start bickering among ourselves. I for one wish to finish that book I was interrupted from."

"This is serious Albus! Some of our students have just witnessed a boy being strangled by that creature! I dread to think how all this will affect them."

Severus snickered. "Ah yes, the boy."

Danny stilled, his breath caught in his throat. He could feel the sweat building on his forehead as he knew their eyes were locked on him. There was a short pause, till Albus sighed. "How is he?"

"He went to sleep almost at once. Though he refused to eat any of the food I summoned."

Albus chuckled. "And why wouldn't he? After seeing what a wand could do to him, it's understandable he would rebuff your magic. Isn't that right, young man?"

At first, Danny didn't move, surprised to suddenly be addressed. Realizing he wasn't getting out of this he sat up, turning to the smiling headmaster. "How'd you know I was awake?"

"Ah, I've known you've been with us for some time. I was quite curious to see what you would do." Danny watched as the old man walked towards him, eyes twinkling behind half-moon spectacles. When the wizard saw he was still confused, he winked.

"I saw you move earlier."

"Oh…"

The headmaster sat across from him, tapping the cold mug of cocoa with his wand. He watched amazed as steam rose from the cup with fascination. How did he do that?

"Firstly though, you should eat something."

Danny hesitated, looking down at the plate of sandwiches. He wanted nothing more than to eat until he was full, healing always made him starving. But he couldn't get the memory of his spell out of his mind. Magic it seemed, might be dangerous to him. What if they were poisoned? Or at least make him feel sick? Albus sensed the teen's nervousness and smiling took one, taking a bite.

"Traditional Ham and Cheese at its finest, though I will say the bread is starting to go stale."

With a weak smile, he took one. The wizard was right; they were starting to taste a little bland. Yet before he even knew it Danny was on his fifth sandwich. It didn't even cross his mind that the small plate seemed to replace the slices as he took them. Just as he reached for one more, he recalled he wasn't alone. Gazing up he found the three professors watching him intently. Almost like they expected him to vanish at any second.

Blushing up at them he grinned nervously. "Looks like I'm busted."

The bearded wizard he knew as Albus leaned forward, linking his hands underneath his chin. "Now, why would you say that?"

"Um… You're the headmaster here right?" Danny took the beaming smile as a 'yes.' "Well, you caught me hiding out in your school and…saw me transform."

Silence followed as they waited for him to continue. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uneasy under their gaze. "How many saw me?"

"Thankfully, only my dear professors here and I caught your transformation. Your audience arrived mere moments later. You were very lucky."

He sighed and leaned back onto the sofa, eating his sixth slice. Who cares how many rumors his human half was going to get? As long as his half ghost identity was a secret, he still had a chance. Well, it wasn't exactly true. He looked at the teachers and remembered those kids from before. So it wasn't a complete secret anymore.

Albus leaned forward further, a curious look on his face. "What I am concerned about is why you are at my school and by no means trying to be rude, what you are."

Danny shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. He wasn't used to adults knowing his secret yet. "I- What are you going to do with me?"

The wizard smiled softly, head shaking. "Nothing. The only thing I will do is tell you to drink your cocoa before it gets cold again. It will help."

He looked down at the steaming mug with a start, remembering it was there. He took it, drinking the sweet liquid. After a few mouthfuls, he realized the wizard was right. It was helping calm his nerves, making him feel warm and fuzzy. Using it as a shield against the questions he tried to drink it as slow as he could. But they waited for him. Danny finally sighed, realizing they'd wait all night for him if they had to.

"Alright…"

Albus too relaxed, leaning back into the opposite sofa with a nod. "Now, you only need to begin simply. What are you?"

He took another sip, refusing to watch their reactions. "Okay here's the deal with me; I'm Half ghost."

"Half ghost?" The wizard's head tilted to the side curiously.

"Yeah."

The witch jumped forward. "What on earth do you-"

But Albus cut her off with a quick hand gesture, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. The witch blushed, composing herself as the wizard turned back to Danny. "I'm curious. How does one like yourself become a half ghost? I've never heard of such a spirit before."

Danny felt his cheeks warm and swirled his mug around. "I wasn't born half ghost; it was because of an accident. My…My parents are massive ghost fanatics, they've been researching ghosts and paranormal things for years. And they started building a portal to the Ghost Zone, hoping it would prove to the world ghosts existed."

"I'm assuming since you're here they succeeded?"

That made Danny snort with laughter, making the three blink in surprise.

"Hardly! Like most of their inventions back then it didn't work. They tried to make one for years. There were so many explosions from the lab from all their failed attempts I'm amazed our house is still standing."

A crooked smile edged on Albus's lips. "So you made it work?"

Danny nodded. "Yes. My friends and I went down to the lab to check out the portal. So I …"

He took a sip to clear his voice, feeling the calm wash over him. "…I accidentally tripped and turned it on from the inside. It ended up killing me, but only halfway. That's how I'm still alive. Ah, it's hard to explain."

"So to put it simply you're only half connected to the world of the dead, unlike a common everyday ghost?"

"Yeah."

"Fascinating…" Albus stroked his beard as he muttered to himself. "I wonder how the process of such a thing worked."

Danny watched the bubbles form on the liquid edges, becoming lost in the memory. "I don't know all the facts about how- my parents would know more about it if they knew. But… from how much it hurt, it was like my whole body was being torn apart and re-joined. It seemed to go on for hours, days even. But Sam and Tucker said I was stuck in there for less than a minute. Course, you can imagine the shock when my powers started kicking in, Geeze it was awkward…"

He chuckled, he was starting to ramble. But it did feel nice to talk about it. "So yeah… anyway, you guys asked me before why I'm here?"

Albus nodded, the other two edging a little bit closer.

"A ghost friend of mine sent me here on a mission. There's an evil shade I think has possessed one of your teachers and is trying to revive itself. So I have to stop it. Because if I don't, it's going to kill one of your students."

He'd finished his drink, yet he still didn't look up.

"Well, that's certainly an exciting task." Albus finally broke the quiet, giving Danny the nerve to look up.

The old wizard had a look Danny could only describe as interest in his eyes. But there was nothing sinister within them, just a curiosity towards him and his circumstances. While the witch, much to Danny's irritation, looked at him with pity. The other man had such a neutral face he couldn't tell if the wizard was curious or just plain bored. It wouldn't have surprised him if it was the latter.

"But now tell me," Albus stated. "Where does that enemy of yours fit into all this? Was she this shade you're looking for?"

"No. She's not the shade. But she is the one helping it." He placed his mug down. "All I know is she's trying to stop me from reaching the shade."

"So, you do not know who this shade is, or was?"

"Well yeah, my friend said-"

Wait. He remembered something. Luna had given him its name. "–she said its name. What was it again? Ah, damn… I think it was Volder-something. Volderboat? No, that's not it…"

Whatever Danny was expecting from the name, it wasn't this. The witch squeaked, her eyes widening in fear. The dark-haired wizard hissed, gripping the chair so hard his knuckles went white. Albus stilled, all humor gone.

"Was it Voldemort?"

"Ah! That's it. I'm guessing… you know him?"

"Oh yes. We know him."

Danny looked back at Albus, his interest rising with every second. It made him realize other than what Clockwork had briefly told him, he knew next to nothing about Voldemort. "I know he was a powerful wizard like you guys are. But he went evil in the past and became… a sort of Necromancer? That's why I need to stop him. Before the shade revives itself and causes another war."

"Another war?" Cat Lady leaned heavily against the sofa. "Oh Merlin's beard, Albus, we- must do something! Close the school-"

"-We will do no such thing."

Everyone in the room stared at the headmaster as he closed his eyes, lost in deep thought. "If the wizarding world learns Voldemort is not only alive but at Hogwarts, there would be panic. We cannot afford such terror. Not now."

He looked back at Danny, a serious mood had overcome him. "Have you told anyone else about your task? About Voldemort?"

"No. Though the ghosts know I'm after a shade."

"Good. Then we still have a chance." He turned to the two teachers and spoke with sudden authority. "Minerva, please do not tell anyone else about this. Protecting our students is the most important thing we can do right now. They cannot sense something is wrong. Severus, you will be my eyes. Look for the traitor in our midst and watch them. But do not stop them! We cannot allow ourselves to destroy this chance. If you must, try to ally yourself with them."

"Yes, headmaster." Reluctantly the pair replied together.

"Wonderful. Now off to bed you two. Both of you have classes tomorrow- no, today. I thank you both for your help. But you have done all you can."

"Headmaster-"Albus cut Severus off, a stern frown on his face. "I wish to speak with our friend here in private. We shall talk about our issue at a later time."

They left the office half-heartily, the greasy-haired man looking back, eyes now full of worry. But Severus followed the witch, closing the door behind him.

With a soft click, they were alone. Danny fidgeted, suddenly finding himself nervous again. Out of habit, he summoned his powers up, ready to go ghost in a second. He almost did when the wizard rose, walking over to the window. With his hands behind his back, he gazed out at the night sky.

"You've certainly brought me dreadful news… News I prayed foolishly to never hear."

"Err…Sorry?"

He turned back, a twinkle in his eye. "You never gave me your name."

"It's Danny…Phantom." It wasn't like he was lying to the wizard. It technically was his name, if only to one side of him. Right now he didn't think it would be good telling everyone he was a Fenton. The last thing he needed was more evidence he'd time-traveled.

"Danny Phantom." He smiled and gestured to himself. "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. Though, I believe you already know that."

Danny nodded and grabbed another sandwich, stretching to feel how bruised his torso was. His side still hurt, but at least his cracked ribs were healing.

"How long have you been here, Danny?"

He thought for a moment. "Hm, this would be my fourth day here…Man, it feels like forever."

Dumbledore laughed. "Indeed it would! Being in a strange place alone on a dangerous mission."

"Yeah," Danny paused, taking another bite. "-saying that, can you help me with this shade? I mean, you took on Luna like it was nothing. So I'm guessing Voldemort would be a cakewalk to you."

"I'm afraid not. If Voldemort learns of my sudden wariness or I know he is within the school, he will either rush in his plans or flee."

"Damn." Danny scowled. "I really was hoping you could."

"But I can still help you in my own way." Albus sat down again, and with a tap of his wand refilled Danny's mug. "You're lucky I'm one of the few wizards who know so much about him! If what you say is right and he is trying to return to power, I can guess what he is after."

"What?" Danny took the mug. "I hope it's got nothing to do with your school pet of yours."

"School pet?" Puzzled he thought for a moment, before suddenly erupting with laughter. "Ah! I see you met our dear Fluffy!"

"Fluffy? That's what you call it? More like Freaky…"

"Fluffy is indeed part of this. As he is guarding the very thing Voldemort is after."

"The trapdoor it was standing on…"

"Correct." He chuckled, seemingly happy at how much Danny knew. "Below the trapdoor is a pathway to the item at hand. Though, I would advise you not to travel there. There are a few nasty traps hidden within that might hurt even a half ghost."

"Noted." Danny nodded. Not that he ever wanted to see Fluffy again. "So, what's this item everybody wants?"

Albus smiled. "An old friend and partner of mine created a powerful stone, the Philosopher's Stone. As its legend goes, this stone has the power to create a special potion called the Elixir of Life and in turn, make the drinker immortal."

Danny's jaw dropped. "No way, you mean the Philosopher's Stone actually exists!? I thought it was just a folk tale. You know, up there with Pandora's Box and Excalibur?"

"Most do, especially non-magic folk. However, Nicolas Flamel- my friend, began to dread the stone would be stolen from him and used in evil practices. I'm sure you can imagine how many would wish to become "Immortal"."

"Yeah, wouldn't that be like everyone?"

The wizard agreed with the teen. "True, however, the Elixir of life does not grant true immortality. Such a thing is impossible without costs. One who has taken the potion must drink it forever to remain alive."

"So… they become dependent on the potion?"

"Yes. If they stop drinking it, they will die."

Danny frowned. "Doesn't sound like a good trade-off. Besides, why does everyone want to be immortal in the first place? It's stupid."

"I believe it is because they fear death. All our ghosts who linger at Hogwarts died by tragic hands, not wishing to die. Which is why they remain as they are. But even ghosts are not immortal. Over time they too fade away."

"Hmm, I guess…" Danny took another sip. "But ghosts can last for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. And if they no longer exist in Time, they no longer exist within Time itself. I guess that's kind of being immortal since you exist but you don't at the same time…"

The wizard blinked in astonishment at the teen's argument. Danny himself seemed surprised at what he had just said. Where... had that come from? He blushed, hiding his face by taking a long drink.

Albus shook off his wonder. "Maybe we should move away from such deep matters and get back to the present?"

Danny merely nodded, happy the headmaster didn't want to push it.

" Where was I? Ah yes- with my friend. After he voiced his concerns to me, I suggested we hide the stone within the school. Not only would it be close to me, but be hidden in a place no one would dare try stealing it."

"But someone is."

"Yes…that's true."

Danny looked back at the mug. "My friend told me if he gets the stone, someone's going to die…"

"Harry Potter."

Danny frowned, so Luna had been right. "Why him?"

The wizard's smile dropped sadly. "Harry is connected to Voldemort. He was the downfall of Voldemort's reign of terror. To him, Harry is his greatest menace. Someone who, above all odds, has defeated him."

"The baby…"

"Oh? So you do know."

"A little…" Danny suddenly felt sick, knowing Harry was the one who would die if he failed. "I know Voldemort tried to kill him years ago, but he survived."

"Yes. The fall of one of the Wizarding world's greatest Dark wizards. Harry's conquest over him certainly brought peace back to us." He chuckled slightly. "He's become quite the celebrity among our kind."

Danny was only half listening to the old wizard now, thinking about his mission. This wasn't just about fixing some error to save himself and his family, this was also about saving Harry. More than ever now he was going to make sure Harry walked out of this alive.

He stood, confidence building in his voice. "So all I have to do is stop Harry from getting killed by this Voldemort right? If I do that, everything will be back in order. Don't worry Albus- I mean Headmaster; I'm not letting anyone in your school get hurt by this shade. That's a promise."

Albus looked at Danny in wonder. "Who are you?"

"I'm-" What was he? A Hero? The protector of Amity Park? After the Nasty Burger incident, he didn't really know anymore. "-I'm just doing what I feel is right."

The wizard beamed. "That's all I need to know."

With a wave of his wand, the food vanished from the table. He rose, walking towards the door of his office. "If you are planning to stay here and protect my school, I believe you're going to need a proper base than Classroom Eleven on the ground floor. And I think I know just the room."

Danny rushed over. "Wait! -how did you know I was hiding in that classroom!?"

"I know a lot about the happenings of Hogwarts. Peeves were certainly most upset about a young ghost bossing him around the other night."

Danny's eyes flashed green. The little ghost had ratted him out!

But Albus winked. "Don't worry. I only overheard him speaking to the Baron. Telling the students about you would only hurt his pride."

"Oh…"

Seeing he had settled down Albus walked down the moonlit hallway, gesturing for him to follow. Danny quickly fell in step with the wizard's long stride as they strolled up the grand staircase. While they walked Danny used the moment to study the old wizard.

He reminded him a little of Clockwork. Wise, full of knowledge and power, but hiding big secrets. The fact Albus seemed happy Danny was here and didn't seem to care he'd been running around seemed a bit too good to be true. He decided, for now, it was best to trust this headmaster. After all, he didn't want to end up getting blasted by that weird spell.

No, definitely not a good idea to get on his bad side.

Soon they found themselves on the topmost level. Albus didn't even show he'd just climbed seven floors of stairs and strolled without pause to a strange, detailed tapestry. Peering closer in the dark Danny saw it was a tapestry showing a bunch of strange, fat green men dancing in tutus. Albus looked at the wall hanging deep in thought making Danny still, starting to wonder if he'd been led into a trap. Without warning the wizard suddenly turned to him, beaming.

"My, I do love this hallway! Whenever I find myself lost or in great need, this place has wonderful ways of giving the answers."

"Huh?"

Albus only beamed more. "I find pacing helps the most, three times no more, no less."

He twisted on his heels, looking at the wall across. "It's also best to really think hard about what you want. Like once, I was in great need of a lavatory when to my surprise Hogwarts delivered me a room full of chamber pots!"

He winked at Danny. "Well, with that I must leave you. Good luck with your task! And if there's anything you want to ask, don't hesitate to come to me."

Danny watched stunned as the headmaster wandered back to the stairs. Just before he left he looked back. "Remember. Only three times!" And with a final wave, he was gone.

He took back everything he had thought about the wizard. He was nuts.

What on earth was that about? He thought, looking back at the tapestry. What he had said made no sense! Pacing three times, thinking about things you need…

He blinked. They were instructions! Granted weird instructions, but hadn't he said he knew a place he could stay? Danny crossed his arms as he pondered the words. This was a magical school; he couldn't write anything off as impossible. If there was some magical hiding place here, then it wouldn't hurt to at least try. Turning he headed to the end of the hallway.

Okay, what did he really need? Someplace with a bed would be perfect. Oh, and it had to be somewhere no one could find him, a place, not the shade, ghosts, or the students could get into. And having a fridge full of food wouldn't be bad either.

He sighed and walked forward, repeating the same words over in his head. I need a place to hide from everyone, somewhere I can stay and have food. He turned at the end and counted each pace. One, two, three.

Nothing. He stopped at the tapestry and huffed, humiliated he'd believed that crazy man. Albus had just made him look like an idiot-

Crack!

He froze at the loud sound behind him. Rotating to the wall he gasped as a small wooden door seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was almost like it had always been there.

That crazy wizard had been telling the truth!

He gripped the metal handle. Solid. This door was a hundred percent real, not ghostly tricks or illusions. He couldn't help the giddy excitement build at the thought of what was on the other side. With a quick check of the hallway, he opened the door and stepped through.

Danny immediately closed the door behind him and leaned back against the wood, eyes wide at the sight in front of him. The room was smaller than the classroom, but it looked like some luxury medieval-looking apartment. His eyes immediately locked onto a large bed tucked away in the corner, a large fireplace in the center lighting the room. He instantly went over it and dropped onto the soft, warm mattress. It was bliss.

"Oh man, this is perfect…" He muttered face-first into the quilt. He was tempted just to sleep now, but his curiosity got the better of him and he pulled himself up. Across from the fireplace and a pair of armchairs was a desk along with a large blackboard. Danny walked over and curiosity opened the drawers, finding piles of papers, weird feathered quills, and ink. It would be perfect for planning out his mission. There was also a bookcase filled with old, dusty-looking volumes and Danny ran a finger along the spines, reading the titles as he went.

Hogwarts, a History...Quidditch for the Initiating Student….Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them…

He pulled out the last book and flipped through the pages. It was full of notes and images of creatures he'd never seen before. He stopped at a page where a snarled werewolf stood howling at the moon.

And instantly dropped it with a yelp when the image moved.

The book fell with a thud as Danny's heart thumped madly. Was he seeing things or had that werewolf just looked back at him? Slowly he picked it up and flicked to another page. There, in front of him was a green dragon, snorting smoke rings out of its nose.

He checked the other pages. All the images were moving! Every single one! Putting the book back he grabbed another, opening it to see a group of people whizzing around on what looked like broomsticks. Danny couldn't believe it, so books written by wizards and witches could move! That was cool.

Grinning he put the book back. He'd have plenty of time to check them all out later, for now, there was the rest of the room to explore. Ambling over to the other side, he found a long curtain covering the wall. He pulled it across, expecting to find something like a window, only instead to find a small bathroom. Good, he wouldn't have to sneak into the student's one and worry about getting seen.

There was one more thing about the room that caught Danny's interest. There, in the far corner, was a small wooden door no more than half his size. Kneeling he frowned, wondering where this would take him. When opened he saw a long dark passageway leading down. Making sure the little door wouldn't close behind him he carefully went through, standing up straight in the passageway. However, after a short walk, he soon became puzzled.

At the end was nothing but a blank dead end. Touching it confirmed it wasn't some sort of illusion. What was the point of the little door even existing if it just took him to nowhere? Groaning he smacked his forehead. He was a ghost! Dead ends didn't mean anything to him!

Making sure he was invisible he phased his head. In the dying firelight, he saw a massive room with four long wooden tables. Pots and pans lined the walls and a faint smell of food hovered in the air. By the fire huddled hundreds of tiny people, which Danny quickly remembered were the creatures he'd frightened the other day when he fell. So this must be the school's kitchen.

He pulled back, chuckling. The room hadn't given him a fridge full of food, but it had given him a way to get food. This magical room turned out to be a stroke of good luck.

Returning, he winced when his shirt stuck to him. First things first, he needed to get clean. Pulling the curtain back he froze when he found himself in front of a mirror.

His clothes were still caked in mud and blood; even bits of leaves had glued themselves on. His face was even worse, the blood from his nose and dirt sticking to his hair in odd places. He blushed. What on earth had those teachers thought about him back in the office? No wonder the witch had looked at him with pity. He looked like a mess.

Pushing his thoughts aside Danny saw there was no shower, just a large stone bath carved into the floor. Turning the taps on he set to work kicking off his shoes. In next to no time the bath was filled, and Danny suspected some sort of magic was involved.

Dumping the muddy clothes in a pile on the floor he stepped in. The hot water felt like heaven to his bruised chest. With a mix of today's fight and everything else, Danny swiftly dozed off, over time slipping under the water as he did.

He had been underwater for about a few minutes when he suddenly woke up, his lungs finally complaining about the lack of air. He spluttered up, coughing the water. Hastily scrubbing out the last of the dirt in his hair he moved to the edge, titling his watch to read it. Damn, it was three in the morning.

He glared at his dirty clothes, not looking forward to putting them back on. Maybe he could try soaking them in the bath? But then he'd just have wet clothes for hours. It was then Danny noticed a cupboard he swore hadn't been there before. Curious, he rose out of the bath to walk over. At once he saw it wasn't a cupboard at all, but a wardrobe filled with everyday clothes. Pulling a shirt out he saw the clothes were plain, everyday outfits, not the wizard-like robes Danny thought he would find in this room.

Strange. Does this room create things from his mind? He looked at his old clothes and willed them to disappear. But they remained on the floor. So there were limits?

He shrugged, whatever. It didn't matter to him how the room did this, as long as it continued to do so. He put on relatively normal-looking clothes. Dumping his old clothes in the bathtub to soak he crawled into the bed, suddenly smiling at a thought.

He'd have to return the quilt to those kids…