Time Shift Woe

by Genko-Yoru

When Clockwork notices someone has changed the past and in turn destroyed the future, he turns to the only ghost hero who can help. Danny Phantom is sent back twenty years into the past to correct the timeline and save Harry Potter from being killed. However, Danny soon finds out his mission might be harder than even Clockwork thought.

11. Quidditch Hitch

Chapter 11: Quidditch Hitch

"What do you mean you can't!?"

Danny gripped the edge of the table tighter, looking across at Albus. The old wizard was peering at him through his half-moon spectacles, watching as panic crossed the boy's face.

"I can't afford to leave the school now that Voldemort is here. And what you're asking for Danny… to apparate to America? I would be putting a great risk to myself and this Vlad. No, I will not risk such a dangerous task."

"You don't get it. We need to get him out of Hogwarts! There must be something else you can do?"

Albus shook his head. "Floo transportation and porkeys are forbidden on Hogwarts' grounds. As is international teleportation. I'm sorry Danny, but my answer's firm on this."

Danny slumped back into the chair in defeat, glaring at the ceiling. Sighing, Albus saw how reserved the teen had become. It cannot be helped then. He had hoped Danny would be composed enough to talk to him when he had declined, but now it seemed he had to use it again.

With a quiet flick of his wand, he summoned a mug of hot cocoa. Hovering his hand over the mug he quickly made sure the teen wouldn't see the little vial under his sleeve. Gently, eyes never leaving Danny, he let three drops fall into the mug before calmly withdrawing his hand.

Reaching over he handed it to Danny, who snatched it away and gulped the drink down, coughing when he burnt his tongue. Albus relaxed when it seemed that he didn't notice.

Veritaserum. A powerful potion that would ensure all that Danny told him was true. Albus knew that the half ghost wasn't a danger to his school. But it was obvious the boy was hiding something. He had used the serum on him before, on the night he had first met him. Just a few drops as he reheated his mug had worked like a charm. Danny had told them all the information they needed without bending the truth or outright lying. As much as he hated to, if the teen was hiding information about Voldemort, he needed to know. It was vital he know, even if that meant using the bottle Severus had given him. And breaking a few laws in the process.

But even so, Albus knew he had to be careful with the questions he asked. He needed to get him to answer naturally, like he normally would. He was lucky that the ghost in him acted as resistance to its full mind-numbing effects. But if Danny suspected for a second that he was saying things that he shouldn't, then everything Albus was working towards would shatter. Danny would never trust him again.

"It seems you're not on good terms with this Vlad."

Danny exhaled and held out his empty mug. With a chuckle, Albus refilled it with a tap of his wand. He waited for him to speak, watching as the teen seemed to debate his thoughts.

"Vlad's…he's like me. Half ghost. But he's unpredictable, not to mention crazy. There's no telling what he might do if he stays here."

Albus leaned forward, linking his hands together. "If you don't mind me asking, are there any others like you?"

Danny sipped again. "Just me and Vlad."

Outwardly Albus smiled. But inside his mind whirled. So there was another like Danny. It had been surprising enough to learn the existence of a half ghost. But to learn that there were two? It worried him how if two Muggles could become like this, then the possibility of others appearing wasn't unfeasible. He needed to know how well these two were connected. Perhaps he was right, maybe he should risk the trouble of apparition.

"Hmm, why would you be so determined to send him away if he's the only other like you? Surely it's a good thing he's here."

Danny snorted, placing the mug back on his desk. "You're only saying that because you don't actually know him as I do. There's nothing good about that Fruitloop being here. Dammit, he always does this! Mucking everything up just when things are going my way."

"You don't agree with him?"

"No! He's a creep."

That wasn't good. If they didn't get along they'd bicker, and if that got worse they'd fight. Which seeing what solid ghosts could do could endanger his students. Secretly he had watched Danny, learning quickly that the teen was powerful. Walking through walls, turning invisible in seconds, and the strange ability to make ice appear around him. The boy might not think much about such things. But to the wizarding world those abilities were ones many tried years to master, and failed. If Danny could do these things, he had to assume the other could as well.

Albus needed to know if he could direct the conflict away. He liked having Danny at Hogwarts. Through his watching, he learned that though he had a somewhat sarcastic attitude, the teen was kind-hearted. It was clear Danny didn't want to be here, but for some reason this desire to watch over Harry made him stay. And he worked hard in his task too, watching Potter every day even when it showed that he was fed up with it. The wizard admired that kind of determination. But if these two half ghosts did become more of a danger than Voldemort, he would have no choice but to step in.

He looked at his folded hands, thinking of a way to get the teen to tell him without suspecting he'd used the serum.

"Why would you call him a creep? Seems quite a harsh term to use."

Danny folded his arms, fingers tapping as he glared. "He's mental, that's why. He wants me to renounce my father to join him! "Come join me, Daniel, I can teach you all I know," he mimicked an older voice sarcastically. So, the other was older than him. And likely stronger too.

With a scowl, Danny continued. "There's no way I'm ever joining his evil schemes. And then he's got this sick obsession to marry my Mom! He just can't get it through his thick skull that she's never loved him in the first place."

Now that surprised Albus. So this Vlad wasn't a random person, he was someone that Danny would know, or at least his family did. Was it possible that the portal that turned the boy into a half ghost was the same that turned the other? Wherever this portal was, it was turning out to be hazardous.

"It sure sounds like a complicated situation you have yourself in."

"You don't know the half of it."

Albus smiled and offered to fill the mug again but Danny shook his head, still fuming over the questions. The wizard worried when the teen suddenly frowned as if he just realised what he said. Quickly he changed the subject to something he had wanted to ask him the night they met.

"Danny, there is something I've been meaning to ask you. You're not by chance running from anyone, are you?"

The teen blinked at the question, surprised at the sudden change of topic. "No, not that I know of. Why?"

That crossed off one theory he had for him, but did he not know? "I wonder. Have you registered yourself?"

The baffled look from Danny was all Albus needed, truth potion or not. He sighed, leaning back into his armchair. How to explain this to him?

"Do you know about our Ministry of Magic?"

"Yeah, read about it."

"And judging what I know about you, you live in America, is that correct?"

Danny nodded, looking uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "Is that important?"

"Very much so. You see Danny; just as we here have our Ministry of Magic, America has its division. Do you know about it?"

"No. Before coming here I didn't even know magic existed." Danny looked suddenly worried. "Registered doesn't exactly sound like it's a nice thing. Wait... Wouldn't that make me a criminal?"

Albus chuckled. "You're not a criminal, you're just…unknown to them at this time. Your ghost side… lists you in our world as a magical creature, or a spirit in this case. So normally you would need to register with your Ministry. It's a way that they know you exist and can help you if you run into trouble with muggles."

"Okay. And what if I want to remain unknown?"

"Then it's your own choice. Whether you choose to let them know about you is up to you. However, sooner or later you will have to deal with them. You're balancing between two worlds after all."

Danny laughed. "Great… It was bad enough being stuck between the living world and the Ghost Zone, now I got the magical world to deal with as well."

Albus's interest rose. Ghost Zone? He had mentioned that name in their last talk. Was this some kind of nickname he had for his condition? As much as he wanted to ask he dropped it for another time.

"Well, I won't bore you with a history lesson. Perhaps another time when you don't have such pressing matters?"

Danny nodded, glancing down at his wristwatch. "It is getting late."

The old wizard drew his attention to the time. The boy was right, it was almost midnight.

"Forgive my lack of help. But right now, we have to accept what we have." He smiled at the gloomy teen, handing him a lemon drop from a tin and unwrapped one for himself. "How about this; you can keep an eye on him and if he proves too difficult for you, come to me. I'll deal with him personally."

Danny did not appear happy with the response, tossing the sweet in his hand. But in the end, he nodded. "If that's the best you can do…" With a sigh, he stood." Well, I better go tell him the good news."

"Do you want me to come with you as, ah…backup?"

Danny debated his offer for a moment before shaking his head. "No, this is something I've got to do myself. Thanks for asking though."

Albus didn't say a word as Danny left his office. Nor did he notice that Danny didn't even open the door. He was deep in thought, running through all the information he had gathered. It was amusing how every time Danny appeared to him, everything changed. First, there was learning that Tom was trying to return to power in his school. And now he'd learned that there was not one, but two half ghosts now running around in it.

He rose silently, heading over to a strange circular bowl that lay hidden in the corner. He brushed his hand over the glassy surface, taking out his wand. With a sigh he placed it against his temple, grabbing a small glass vial from his pocket as he did. These precious memories must be kept safe.

###

Danny walked as slow as he could up the staircase, chewing the sour candy Albus had given him. Once he got to the seventh floor he stopped, turning to sit heavily on the top stair. Leaning his arms on his knees he groaned, staring down at the dark passageway.

What was he going to say? Albus had refused and by the looks of it, Clockwork was out of the picture. So what now? The thought of being stuck with his archenemy for who knows how long didn't exactly sound wonderful.

He frowned, biting hard on the candy. Was he though? Technically Vlad wasn't his archenemy yet. But still, every time Danny looked at the half ghost he expected him to give his famous smug smile and say something snarky.

He tilted his head back, staring at the spot where the room was. Plasmius hadn't done any of his evil plans yet. He might be thinking about killing his Dad and marrying his Mom, but he hadn't acted on them. And he didn't know who Danny actually was. He just had to keep telling himself that as long as Vlad didn't learn he was a Fenton, he had no reason to hate him.

Well, that wasn't completely true, he thought with a chuckle. He had punched him twice already. That, and he'd been so bad-tempered around him without any real reason to be. Maybe, for the sake of his mission, he could push that aside.

Just thinking about forgetting all the evil things he'd done made him laugh. Trying to assassinate his father at the college reunion, oh no big deal. Making a trap to lure him and his Mom out into the Rockies, what a big misunderstanding! Oh! And let's not forget the million-dollar bounty Plasmius had put on him, water under the bridge.

No, he could never forgive his Plasmius, the future Vlad. But maybe the one in the past…he could try to forget those things.

If only to keep him out of trouble.

With a crack, the candy shattered and Danny stood, brushing the dust off his back. Three times he walked past the wall, muttering under his breath. Finally, when the door appeared he gripped the handle, taking a deep breath to prepare himself.

Come on Fenton, you can do this. What's the worst that could happen?

An image of him and Plasmius blasting at each other appeared in his mind. Okay, so things could get much worse.

Danny opened the door and stepped into the dim room. Quietly he shut it behind him, letting out the breath he'd been holding.

"Vlad, we need to talk."

Silence. Of course, he would still be getting the silent treatment. Had he honestly expected Plasmius to just start talking to him? The man hadn't uttered a word since this morning's argument. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he walked towards the armchair.

"Okay, I give up. I'll be completely honest with you now, just like you want. First things first though… I got some bad news for you. You'll…have…"

Danny had reached the chair, eyes widening when he saw it empty. Quickly he strengthened his hearing as he looked around the room.

Nothing. Vlad was gone.

He cursed under his breath, his eyes flashing green. "I'm going to kill him…Fully!"

Changing into Phantom he spread his ghost sense outwards. Other than the faint signatures from the Hogwarts ghosts, Danny couldn't sense any powerful ghosts around. Meaning Vlad was still annoyingly human.

"Dammit!" Rushing through the wall he skidded to a stop. Where the hell would he go? He had no choice, he would just have to search each floor and hope he would bump into him along the way. He couldn't have gotten that far.

Danny phased his head into a broom cupboard. What was he thinking, Vlad was half ghost! He could be miles away from Hogwarts if he wanted to. Or he could have bumped into one of the patrolling teachers. Either way, it wasn't good.

He hastily reached the end of the hallway to find a pair of doors. Ahead of him was a small bridge that led to the Astronomy tower. His best plan was to quickly check there and fly to the other floors. Suddenly he was tempted to head back to Albus's office, searching might be quicker with the wizard's help.

However, the moment he phased through the door he couldn't hide his relief. The other half ghost was standing in the middle of the bridge, staring out at the castle in amazement. Danny turned invisible as he floated over, thinking of something to say.

Vlad shivered as Danny landed behind him, sitting on the stone wall. Because the night was so cold already Plasmius didn't seem to realize he was there. It was weird for the teen, to suddenly have such an upper hand over his enemy. Future Plasmius always seemed to know where he was, almost freakishly so. Having him so defenceless made him debate on pranking him while his back was turned. But with a sigh, he didn't. That wasn't going to help him if he wanted to try and make peace.

Danny watched soundlessly as Vlad gazed out into the night lost in thought. He made himself visible. Time to get this over with.

Immediately Vlad caught him in the corner of his vision. The man yelped, twisting around in fright. When he saw it was Danny he leant back, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"You."

"Me."

With a smirk Danny turned back, his white rings blinding in the night. Vlad squinted against the light before he stood up straighter. The scowl that crossed his face was just so Plasmius that Danny faltered in his plan, thinking that the man wasn't going to corporate. But the man simply turned back to the view, resting his elbows heavily on the opposite wall.

"I thought… you said that this was a school."

Danny crossed his legs. "It is. I wasn't lying. It's…Well, is it a school where kids learn about magical things? I don't know exactly, but they learn to cast spells, making potions and stuff. That kind of thing."

"Really." He bluntly replied. Though he didn't turn around Danny could see how his shoulders abruptly tensed.

"Yeah. Where not in the states anymore either. Though you might figure that out already… A ghost here mentioned that we are now in the highlands of Scotland, by the way."

"Scotland!?" Vlad tilted his head back to the teen, shocked. "I'm in Europe?"

"Yeah."

Vlad ran a hand through his short hair, slumping back onto the stone. "Impossible… I can't just appear on the other side of the world! Though… it would explain the castle," he looked at his wristwatch. "And the time zone change."

"The Ghost Zone doesn't follow the same rules as ours." Danny curiously looked at his own watch. He guessed because he came by Clockwork's mirror his watch had matched the time automatically. "Especially natural portals. If you find the right ways you can travel all over the place. But that's if you can find a natural portal. Though if you find a ghost that can make portals, it's easier."

"Ghost zone…" It wasn't a question, and Danny waited for him to continue. Finally, he turned back to him, a distrusting frown on his face. "You're being awfully "talkative", considering how uncooperative you've been to me."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed as he was about to say. "I… I've decided that explaining things to you would be the best. I admit it, okay, I have been a little mean to you."

"A little?" He hissed back, Danny was sure Vlad didn't notice that his eyes were glowing red. "You punched me twice!"

Danny felt his annoyance return. "That first time was called for! You smashed me into a wall! And the second, you were acting all crazy. What was I supposed to do, let you go completely mad?"

Vlad cringed, but he didn't back down. "So it's all my fault? Oh silly me, I didn't realize that I caused you so much trouble. What with having no idea what on earth is going on!"

"Why are you getting angry with me? I told you I'll explain! Last night was a bombshell finding you in the Ghost zone. Of course I was going to freak out when I found you!"

"I have every right to be angry! I have no clue what's going on and instead of telling me, you start spewing this nonsense about ghosts and magic. Then, you just storm off!"

"Fine! If you want info so much then tell me. What do you want to know, Vlad!"

"Truly? No more lies?"

"Yes!" Danny had no idea why he was getting so defensive, a strange lightness in his head. This was never going to work. Even in the past they were still fighting with each other! Yet he found he couldn't move.

"Fine." Vlad crossed his arms, glaring at him. "If that's the case, who are you?"

"I'm-"

In horror Danny quickly covered his mouth, muffling the words. He had just said his name, his full name. Why did he say that?! Unexpectedly a wave of pain entered his head, his mind burning. Without his control, his hand began to move away. Quickly he grabbed it with the other as he struggled to stop himself from saying his name out loud.

Vlad watched the whole ordeal with eyebrows raised, speechless at his sudden panic. Danny squeezed his eyes shut, seconds from losing control. He needed to do something before he ruined everything! Desperate he went ghost, thinking of flying off as fast as he could. The moment he turned, however, a cold rush ran through him and the werid pain disappeared. He lurched forward in shock, gripping his knees as he gasped from the strain

What… had just happened? It was like some unknown force had taken control of his brain. It terrified him how much it had reminded him of Freakshow's orb. It didn't feel exactly like it had under its control, but it still felt like he had to tell the truth no matter what. Whatever had just caused that he didn't like it one bit.

"W-well? Who are you?" Vlad didn't sound all that sure now, worried at the pained look the teen gave him. Danny gulped, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm Phantom." Good, looks like he was back to normal.

Plasmius went from worry to rage in an instant. "Why did I even think you'd keep your word?!"

"I am Phantom!" Danny slid off the wall, saying the name with determination. He needed Vlad to trust him if this was going to work.

But the man shook his head as he advanced, his eyes burning scarlet. "I'm sick of your games, you brat! Why won't you tell me your real name!? I don't understand why it's important-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off as Vlad unwillingly went intangible. With a gasp, he sunk through the stone and unlike before showed no signs of stopping at the waist. Danny immediately saw the danger. Below them wasn't another room, it was a seven-storey drop to the ground. He knew from all those times falling through his bed that uncontrollable intangibility hurt. There was no doubt that from this height Vlad could seriously die.

Danny dove after him, phasing through the bridge. Quickly he grabbed Vlad's arm, stopping the shocked man's descent by countering his power with his own. They hung there, both somewhat stunned at what had just happened. Vlad was the first to snap out of the shock, beginning to panic at the drop below.

"Stop moving!" Danny tightened his grip as Vlad struggled on. If he kept moving like this he'd lose his grip. "Dammit Vlad, Stop!"

The half ghost froze, looking up as he tried to calm his breathing. Ironically Danny realised he now had Vlad's complete attention. Now was the best time to explain without getting any back talk.

"Look. You need to calm down. I think…sometimes our powers react to our emotions, so getting angry and stressed out is only going to make your power slipups worse. Trust me, I know."

Danny waited for Plasmius to say something back, but he didn't.

"I will," he continued. "try to tell you as much as I can. But there are some things I can't tell you. And I mean can't. if I do, something terrible might happen because of it. It's already bad enough!"

Vlad frowned but didn't speak.

"I hate this as much as you do. Really, I hate it. But right now… you and I are currently stuck together. So let's, um, try not to waste each other, all right?"

Danny became nervous when still he didn't reply. Thank goodness Vlad was having issues with his powers, he didn't want to face an angry Plasmius right now. When Plasmius got mad, he got serious.

"You're just… going to have to trust me." Danny hesitated, somewhat amazed he was talking like this to his archenemy. "Because right now… I'm the only one here that knows exactly how you're feeling. I've already been through it."

The frown disappeared from Vlad's face. Suddenly feeling silly Danny rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. Why did he always have such horrible luck? Clockwork's mission was turning out to be the worst disaster ever.

"Are you," Vlad finally said, breaking him out of thought. "going to leave me hanging here all night or are you going to pull me up?"

"Oh, right." Embarrassed he held out his other hand. Vlad reached for it hastily as Danny glanced up.

"O…okay. I'm going to make you completely intangible. Don't… want you getting stuck halfway." He looked back down. "Might be good to close your eyes. It's a bit freaky going through stuff if you're not used to it."

Vlad nodded as he shivered from Danny's powers. Seeing he was ready he floated back up. Letting his intangibility go he waited for Vlad to become solid again, before dropping him to the ground. Landing Danny debated turning back after what had just happened. Testing it out he transformed, relieved to find himself feeling normal.

Once he realise that he was back on solid ground Vlad looked at his feet, stunned.

Danny couldn't help but grin. "You'll get used to it. Once the whole shock of "I'm a ghost!?" wears off the powers are quite useful."

Vlad just stared back at him, most likely thinking he was mad. " Right…" The half ghost finally muttered, going to scratch his face. When he touched the fabric of the bandages he frowned, and Danny watch in amazement as he start peeling off the dressings one by one.

Once they were off and he saw Danny just gawking at him, Vlad frowned warily. "Well?"

He looked exactly like his future self, minus a few wrinkles here and there. There was a faint tinge of green on his left cheek, but other than that there was no sign of the cursed ecto-acne left. Quickly Danny snapped out of his stunned look and shrugged, crossing his arms.

"Eh, you look normal to me."

Relief washed over the man's face. He scratched his likely itchy skin thoughtfully. "So… you say that you're a… half ghost?"

Danny nodded.

"And these powers that you have, you claim I have them as well?"

"Yeah. Don't you remember that you already transformed into a ghost back in the Zone? It's the same thing as my ghost side, just your ghost side is different to mine."

A twitch of a smirk crossed his face. "That would be "Plasmius" right?"

Danny reddened. He had forgotten how perceptive Vlad was. "W-well, that doesn't mean anything! I mean… you just reminded me of something- "

Vlad sighed and cut him off. "I guess that's another thing you can't tell me."

He looked away, not wanting to answer that. At least he should be happy Vlad wasn't going to push the subject any more than he had. Then to Danny's surprise, Vlad moved to the wall, before dropping the bandage over the side.

"Hey!" Danny rushed over, just in time to see the white strips disappear in the dark.

"Hmm?"

"You can't just dump that trash!"

Eyebrows raised Vlad broke into a full smirk. "You're actually upset by that?"

"Uh, yeah! You should have just burnt it or- ah forget it!" Danny huffed. They were going to end up arguing again. Vlad gave him a puzzled look but didn't comment back. It took him a while to realize the man probably didn't get why he asked him to burn it. Danny would just summon some ectoplasm to disintegrate it, but that was still a new concept for this Plasmius.

"Alright…here's the plan. Remember that "friend" I was looking for? Well, I couldn't find him. So until I can find a way to get you back, you're stuck here."

"I see." Danny was amazed that he didn't sound angry. He had expected Vlad to be furious to find out that he was trapped at Hogwarts. But the man merely shrugged. "After being bedridden for so long I'd be happy with anything. Even with this… strange vacation."

"Well, this isn't a vacation for me. I've got a mission to do."

"Ah yes, that "keep Harry Potter alive"?"

"W-what? How- my notes!" He completely forgot he had read everything.

"Is that what you call those scribbles? I could barely read them." He gave him a smug look. "But yes, I did read all of your plans, though I don't believe them. Sounded more like some childish gibberish to me."

"You- "Danny felt his hands ball into fists. But he quickly closed his eyes, inhaling. No. Vlad was baiting him, possibly getting back at him for all the remarks he'd made last night. He wasn't about to fall for his own cheap tricks.

"Whatever Vlad, think what you want. But the thing is until you get control of your powers-" He mentally cringed at what he was about to say. "- you need to stay near me. So if I need to, I can stop you from almost becoming a pancake."

Vlad crossed his arms. "Well if that's true; how do I gain control of them?"

"Huh?" The reply took him by surprise. "How? Well, Um… I don't know…"

"You don't know?"

"Seriously! For us, it just… kind of happens? Like I got into a fight with the Lunch Lady and I just found I could start controlling them."

Vlad's face fell into a sceptical look. "Lunch Lady?"

"She's this ghost that got crazy about the cafeteria menu-never mind, that doesn't matter! The point is that it took me about a month before I stopped going intangible. So I guess… it would be the same for you."

From the look he gave, Danny could tell the man wasn't happy with that answer. Truth be told he didn't really know too much about his ghost side. What he learned he got mostly from his parent's lab notes and his ghost-fighting experiences. Ironically it was his fights with Plasmius that he learned the most. It was weird suddenly finding himself in the reversed role. But if Vlad kept asking things about their powers he might start asking dangerous questions, questions that could reveal who Danny was. He needed a way to keep Vlad distracted while he dealt with Harry, but how-

Quickly he headed towards the Astrometry tower. "Come on, I got an idea."

"What?"

Danny rolled his eyes, nodding for the man to follow him. Even though Plasmius sighed annoyingly, he heard him fall into step behind him. Heading down through the dark tower Danny hoped to avoid any teachers patrolling around. After climbing down three flights of the spiralling stairwell he stopped, placing his hand against the wall with a frown. Taking a few more steps down Danny tried to remember if this was the right place.

Vlad curiously watched the teen. "What are you- "

Without warning, Danny grabbed his arm and pulled him through the wall. As Vlad gasped at the unexpected motion, the teen looked around the moonlit room to make sure that no one was there.

Hogwarts's library was one of the largest Danny had ever seen. Casper High's library was a broom cupboard compared to this monster. It was three floors, the high ceiling walls lined with hundreds if not thousands of books. During the day it was filled with students, the books magically gliding through the air as they were called out and returned to their places.

Sometimes at night he had come here before, randomly browsing to past the time. Almost every kind of topic was here; even versions of books that he had read back home. Though they were listed as "Muggle studies reference". Amusing as it was nice to read something that didn't move or talk back to you.

While Vlad gawked at the sight in front of him Danny moved towards a large sign on the wall. The wooden board was a map of the library, the names of the categories written in fine golden longhand. Running his finger along the names he memorised the map in his mind, recalling what Albus had said.

"Transfiguration… Herbology no…Ah, there it is, Magical creatures!"

He followed the group, scanning for the name that he needed. In the end, he finally found "Spirit and Poltergeist". Double checking the spot again he went ghost, rushing up to the second floor.

He knew he'd found the right shelf when he spotted about five green translucent books. Grabbing one he flicked through, grinning when on the thin page's words appeared, glowing faintly. Tucking it under his arm he took the other four, balancing them under his chin. Once in place, he flew back down to Vlad.

"What are those?"

Danny grinned. "Books on ghosts or ghostly books, take your pick." Hesitantly Vlad took one and opened the pale volume, eyes widening.

"I figured," Danny let his rings pass over him. "That a school for witches and wizards would have a lot more accurate information on ghosts than the modern paranormal stuff that gets published. These books are bound to have the real stuff in them."

Danny himself couldn't help but feel excited at the thought. Why hadn't he looked for these in the first place? With the information in these books, he might learn more about his powers. Maybe there would help him with his duplication or teach him teleportation. And maybe, he could learn what was causing these ice attacks.

"Remarkable, I can't believe…those two were right all along, ghosts truly do exist…"

Danny cringed. It didn't take much to guess whom he was talking about when he mentioned "those two". Instead of commenting, he walked towards the exit, yawning as he went.

"Let's head back, don't know about you but I think I'm going to drop."

"Wait… are you sure we can take these? You're not a student."

He snorted. "I'm a "temporary resident", I think that counts. Besides it's not like I'm stealing them, they won't even be leaving the school." And when did you ever care about rules? he mentally added.

Vlad gave the library another look before frowning back to the teen. "If you get in trouble because of this, I'm having no part in it."

Returning his frown Danny scoffed. "Good, I don't want you to have any part of my problems either."

Huffing his hair out of his face he strolled towards the exit, scowling. He heard the man mumble under his breath before he began to follow.

Climbing up the grand staircase he wondered if, by the end of all this, he would still be sane.

###

When morning came there was a chill to the school, promising that winter was just around the corner. But the exciting buzz pushed away these thoughts as students filed into the Great Hall, chattering about today's Quidditch match. Predictions were being discussed and secret bets had all been made the night before, thanks to the Weasley twins.

Harry had made his way to the hall earlier, feeling terrible after an almost sleepless night. Whenever he had finally fallen off, his dreams were filled with nightmares of him becoming the laughingstock of the school. He kept seeing himself failing his team and having to face his fellow Gryffindors disappointment.

Finding that he couldn't stomach his food Harry had been poking his breakfast for an hour now. Not caring it had grown cold as he kept an eye out for his friends.

Just as he was about to give up on breakfast altogether, a familiar hoot made him look up with a smile. Raising his arm Hedwig flew onto his outstretched hand, a small note tied to her foot. She moved down to settle on his shoulder, one wing stretched out for balance. With a gentle scratch on her cheek, Harry unwrapped the parchment, seeing Hagrid's messy writing.

"Dear Harry. Good luck with today's match, I'll be cheering you on. Afterwards, we'll have a cup of tea to celebrate your first win. Hagrid."

Harry's stomach back-flipped as he read. They had been practising for months, and Wood was so sure they would win with their "secret weapon". But Harry knew that going up against the Slytherins wouldn't be trouble-free.

Feeding Hedwig a piece of sausage she woofed it down happily, batting his head affectionately with her wing as she flew off. Harry stuffed the note into his pocket, glumly avoiding the looks he was getting from the other students. Some as they walked past gave him words of encouragement. Others a small smile or thumbs up. All he could do was weakly reply.

Seemed like forever until his friends appeared, joining him at the table. Almost at once, Hermione was on his case, eying his full plate.

"You've got to eat some breakfast."

He slumped lower in his seat. "Don't want anything."

"Just a bit of toast."

"I'm not hungry."

He was feeling worse by the minute. Now and again he kept glancing at Dean's watch. In one hour, he would be walking onto the pitch.

"Harry, you need your strength," Seamus cut in. "Seekers are always the ones who get nobbled by the other team."

"Thanks, Seamus," Harry grumbled. The boy didn't seem to notice Harry's sarcasm and beamed happily back.

Hermione glared at the boy before smiling at Harry. "Don't listen to him Harry, you'll be fine."

"Yeah," Ron spluttered with a full mouth. "You're an ace on a broom. Those Slytherins won't even be able to keep up with you."

He just nodded, trying to swallow a tiny piece of toast for Hermione's sake. Almost too soon it was eleven o'clock and the trio joined the steady coward to the Quidditch pitch. As they approached the stands seemed to loom up to him. Already he could hear that the area was filling, making his nerves even more jittery.

With a few final words of reinforcement and a pat on the back, Ron and Hermione left and he marched to the Gryffindor change rooms. The team was there already, tense as they waited for their leader. He went to his usual spot, quickly putting on his scarlet robes. Fred and George walked over to join him, grinning. At least they seemed calm about the game.

"You all right Harry?" George said, sitting down on the bench next to him.

"Yeah." He tightened his gloves, trying not to show how stressed he was feeling.

"Don't get so worked up!" Fred patted him on the back. "Remember where out there making sure you don't get knocked off your broom. It'll be a piece of cake! After we've won, it will be Butterbeer's all round!"

George chuckled, nudging Harry with his elbow. "Lee smuggled a small barrel of Butterbeer at our last Hogsmeade trip. Good thing McGonagall didn't notice it bundled in his sweater and just thought he was fat."

Harry laughed softly at their attempt to cheer him up. Just then Wood marched to the centre of the change room, Broomstick in hand he took a deep breath.

"Here we go," muttered George.

"Here comes the "big one." Grinned Fred as he sat on the other side of Harry. When Harry gave them a puzzled look the twins just chucked. Wood cleared his throat, turning to the team.

"Okay men,"

"And woman," Angelina Johnson cut in.

"And woman," Wood nodded. "This is it-"

"-The big one! Bellowed Fred.

"The one we've all been waiting for," sighed George.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry with a sly grin. "We were on the team last year."

"Shut up you two." Wood crossed his arms as laughter rang through the team. With a sigh, he continued. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."

Harry felt his stomach drop as Wood cast his eyes around the team, lingering longest on him. He didn't need to speak to say that they didn't have a choice to lose.

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."

The team rose, heading towards the door. Harry followed silently behind the twins, his heart beating madly. The roar of the crowd grew as they came out of the passageway and onto the grassy pitch. Harry prayed his legs didn't turn to jelly as he walked across to take position. Opposite them stood the Slytherin team, looking tall and threatening as they jeered. There Captain Marcus Flint towered them all, looking more like a troll than a boy.

Both teams glared at one another as Madam Hooch walked between them. Her hawk-like eyes scanned the teams, a stern look on her face.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you." Her eyes stayed on Flint longer than them. The sixth-year sneered back, flexing his shoulders as the rest of the team grinned. Harry gulped, his broomstick feeling sweaty in his palm.

A flicker of movement caught the corner of his eye, making him look to a banner in the crowd. There, up high above was his friends holding up a sign, the multi-colour words flashing "Potter for President". Below the words was a roaring lion, very much like the Gryffindor crest. Harry smiled, suddenly feeling a bit more confident.

"Mount your brooms, please." Madam Hooch raised her silver whistle at the ready, turning to the cheering crowd.

Harry swung his leg over his broom. He began to feel lightheaded with excitement as he readied to spring up.

With a loud blast, the teams were up, zipping off to their positions. Harry quickly rose above the game, following Wood's strategy. The plan was simple; Harry was to stay above the game. There he would be safe from attack and able to keep an eye on the snitch. Quickly looking around him Harry saw Slytherin's Seeker Terence Higgs doing the same, eyes peeking at him now and again.

"- And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too-"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle as Lee was told off by Professor McGonagall, who was keeping a close eye as Lee Jorden commentated on the game. While he continued with his now humbler commentary, Harry skimmed the sky for any signs of gold. It was turning out harder than he had first thought. The flashes of gold from the Gryffindor's robes tricked his eyes, while in the stands binoculars glinted in the sun.

" – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"

The crowd roared with cheers, while the Slytherins groaned as Gryffindor took the first goal. Harry whooped with delight, quickly doing a few loop-the-loops. Now all he needed to do was find that snitch and Gryffindor could win!

He almost dashed off when he caught a flash of gold, only to stop when he saw it was one of the Weasleys' watches. Sighing he turned back towards the goal, only to spot a Bludger charging at him. He dodged his head down fast just as Fred shot up, smashing the Bludger towards Flint.

"All right Harry?" Fred yelled out as he whizzed by.

Harry nodded, pushing his glasses back up his nose. That had been close.

" -Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys and Chaser Bell and speeds towards the wait a moment – was that the Snitch?"

A hush fell over the pitch as Harry followed everyone's gaze. Pucey dropped the Quaffle in surprise, not seeing the flash of gold next to his left ear.

But Harry had. Without hesitation, he dived towards the Snitch, the Slytherin's Seeker hot on his tail. Head to head they hurtled as both teams froze with anticipation. Thanks to his size and his better broomstick Harry was faster, quickly pulling ahead of Higgs. All he could see was the tiny ball ahead. He reached out, the golden ball inches from his fingertips-

WHAM! It was like he'd been hit by a car. Wildly he twirled away, gripping his broomstick for dear life. Boos and angry yells echoed from the coward as Madam Hooch yelled 'Foul!'. Slowing enough Harry regained control to see that it had been Flint who had rammed him. The Slytherin captain remained smug as Madam Hooch yelled angrily at him, calling a free shot for Gryffindor.

To both the Seeker's and the team's dismay, the Snitch was gone.

"So- After that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating – "

"Jordan!"

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul- "

"Jordan, I'm warning you – "

"All right, all right, Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure. So a penalty to Gryffindor."

Harry straightened himself up, pushing the mess of hair out of his face. He'd have to be more careful next time. Wood had warned him that the Slytherins never play by the rules. But he had not once imagined they would stoop that low.

He went back up high, circling the pitch as the game continued. Just as he dodged another Bludger his broom lurched. The sudden jolt shocked him, making him grip the broomstick tightly with his hands and knees. He blinked, that had certainly been strange.

Again it lurched, causing him to bend back as the Nimbus Two Thousand sloped down. With a jolt, it tilted up again, almost like it was trying to buck him off. Alarmed Harry leaned to the left, hoping to fly to the Gryffindor goalpost to tell Wood. It was then to his horror that he realised he couldn't control his broom. It zigzagged up, violently twisting around in the hope he would be thrown off.

No one had noticed Harry's struggle just yet. The game was still going as he frantically held on. Higher and higher they rose, jerking as it went. Abruptly it rolled over, causing Harry to cry out as the world flipped. People began to notice Harry's strange behaviour, pointing up as he rolled over and over on his broom.

Mid-roll the broomstick rocked viciously and Harry's grip gave out. He found himself swinging over, clinging to the broom with one hand as screams broke out around him. He tried to reach up to the shuddering broom but stopped when a shiver ran through him.

It was suddenly cold, bitterly cold. His breath misted in the air, fogging up his glasses as he rose higher up. Even though the morning had been chilly, the sun was beating down on his back. There was no way that it could suddenly become that cold.

It could only mean that Danny was nearby.

Harry tried to look around, but he could barely see out of his glasses, and he didn't dare try and wipe them now. This was the same coldness he had felt last night when he spied on Snape. The same bone-chilling feeling that was starting to make frost appear on his clothes. But why would he be here now? Unless…

Harry's eyes widened in horror. Unless Danny was doing this! He struggled to reach the broom with his left hand, but now the broom was shaking crazily. He could barely hang on.

"We got you!" yelled George as the twins hovered underneath him. They were trying to get closer to Harry, ready to catch him if he fell. But every time they flew forward he kept being twisted away from them.

Harry whipped his head back to the twins. He had to warn them not to come any closer! What if Danny started messing with their brooms as well?

Just as his fingers were about to slip the broom stilled, hovering calmly in the air. Harry didn't wait to see what would happen next. He grabbed it with both hands and heaved himself up, clutching firmly with his knees. As he rubbed his glasses clean he felt the cold fade away, making him quickly scan the sky. Wherever the half ghost had disappeared, Harry has no way of knowing.

The twins flew up closer, still wary. He was about to call out to them when something shot towards his face, flying straight into his mouth. He gagged as a cold metal hit the back of his throat. Without warning, he shot down between the stunned twins, covering his mouth as he sped to the ground.

He pulled out of his dive just meters from the grass before he tumbled off his broom. Collapsing onto his hands and knees he spat out whatever was in his mouth. For a moment he merely stared at the small gold ball in his palm, before he broke into a grin. He couldn't believe his luck! He stood, waving his arm madly in the air.

"I've got the Snitch!"

It took a few moments for everyone to understand what had just happened. Gryffindor had won.

The school roared, drowning out the shocked yells of the Slytherins. Harry watched as his team flew down to him, laughing as they all tried to hug him at once.

"I can't believe this – But yes! Gryffindor's Seeker Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! That means Gryffindor wins one hundred and seventy points to sixty!"

Harry could barely hear Lee under his happy teammates as they cheered. Wood rushed up to him, clasping his hand on his shoulders. It almost looked like he was about to cry.

"What do you think you were doing up there, you almost gave me a heart attack with that performance!"

Harry laughed along with the team, pushing aside the thought that he'd nearly fallen a hundred feet to the ground.

Of course, it didn't take long for Flint to start complaining. He and his team landed next to Madam Hooch, roaring accusations.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it! That can't be allowed!"

But Madam Hooch was shaking her head with a slight smile. Harry hadn't broken any rules; the catch was acceptable. Flint was still howling as the Gryffindor team headed to their change room, swiftly removing their robes.

"Oh man, they're going to be talking about this one for years!" Fred playfully slapped Harry's back, who was still grinning giddily. They had won. He hadn't let the team down! It was like a dream, and he expected any minute to wake up.

"What was with the crazy moves up there? I thought we were going to be scraping you off the pitch later!" George threw on his sweater, looking puzzled at Harry.

"I… I lost control."

"Really? That's weird. Never heard of something like that happening before."

The twins shared a concerned look. Harry suddenly felt nervous.

"Why?"

"Well," Fred propped his broomstick up against the wall. "Broomsticks don't normally just "lose control." I didn't think brooms could suddenly stop working like that."

"Unless they're enchanted." George nodded. "But that's got to be powerful magic. Dark Art's level curse."

Harry shuddered. Or by being manipulated by a ghost, he thought. "Maybe it got damaged by Flint?"

"Could be. You should show Madam Hooch in your next Flying lesson. She'll know in a second if it's damaged."

Harry nodded, heading out of th change room. With a final cheer, he left the team, not before promising he'll be in the common room that night for the party. He wanted to tell Ron and Hermione about his encounter with Danny as soon as possible.

Outside he was greeted with a wave of congratulations, along with the odd death glare from a Slytherin. Hagrid was easy to see above the crowd, towering over them as he waved merrily to Harry. With a smile he pushed his way towards him, happy to see Ron and Hermione already with him, their faces filled with relief.

"Well done Harry!" boomed Hagrid as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Knew yeh win, what with that talent of yers!"

Harry blushed. "Thanks."

He was aware that Ron and Hermione were looking at him with concern. Did they already suspect what had happened? Sharing a look, the three followed the groundkeeper to his house. Now wouldn't be the best time to talk with everyone cheering around.

Relieved to be out of the crowds they pushed their way into Hagrid's hut. Fang immediately jumped at the sight of them, rushing over to them with drool hanging from his jaws.

"Down Fang! I said down you silly mutt!" Hagrid grabbed his collar before Fang could tackle Ron with slobbery kisses, giving the three times to sit down. The dog decided resting his head on Ron's lap would do, whining happily as the boy scratched his ears.

"Now, fer some tea." The man rubbed his hands together, heading over to a pot by the fire. Harry rested his elbows on the table, turning to his friends.

"I guess you saw me almost fall off my broomstick."

They both nodded, Ron, leaned forward eagerly. "It was Snape, Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering under his breath. He wouldn't take his eyes off you."

Harry blinked stunned. "What?" Had Snape been doing it? But he had been so sure it had been Danny.

Hagrid came over with the pot of tea, starting to fill their cups. "Rubbish, why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

The trio shared a look. Was it okay to tell Hagrid about what they knew? Harry decided they should, after all he trusted him.

"I found out something about him. He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped the teapot, the black liquid spilling onto the floor. Fang barked happily and went to investigate the mess.

"How do you know about Fluffy?"

"Fluffy!?" All three of them said at once. That thing had a name?

"Yeah, he's mine. Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub last year. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the- "

"Yes?" Harry asked eagerly, the three leaning forward.

"Now, don't ask me anymore. That's top secret, that is"

"But Snape's trying to steal it!" Ron exclaimed.

Hagrid snorted. "Rubbish! Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry? I know a jinx when I see one Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact at all times, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!" Hermione quickly explained with a wild shake of her hair. Ron nodded, happy to see that she had changed her mind about the teacher.

But Hagrid was having no more of this. "I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong! I don't know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn't try and kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh- yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh."

He glanced at them in turn. "It's dangerous! You forget that dog, and you forget what it's guardin'. That's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel- "

"Aha!" Harry said, stand up. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked like he was about to explode as the trio grinned cheekily at him. He went to pick up the pot, grumbling as he bent down.

With a nod the three stood, heading towards the door before Hagrid could get up. When they reached the door they heard him curse, calling out to them.

"I'm telling yeh, forget about that dog and that name!"

"Thanks for the tea Hagrid!" Harry called as he closed the door. They ran up the slope up to the castle, hoping the man wouldn't come thundering after them. At the top of the hill, they halted to catch their breath.

"Nicolas Flamel…that name sounds familiar." Harry panted, pushing back his messy hair back.

"He must be an important wizard to be working together with Professor Dumbledore." Hermione stood straight, peering at Harry through her hair. "Are you okay Harry? You gave us quite a fright."

"Yeah, was it Snape though?"

"Hermione saw him casting some jinx through Hagrid's binoculars." Ron grinned. "She went and set fire to his cloak to distract him."

"You did what!?" Harry couldn't believe it; Hermione had set fire to a teacher! It wasn't like her to break the rules.

She blushed. "Well, you were in danger! I couldn't just sit by and watch you get killed."

They all shared smiles until Harry frowned. "Actually… I was surprised about Snape when you told me. When my broom lost control, Danny was there."

"He was?" Ron jumped up. "Wait. You think Danny was the one making your broom bolt around?"

"Yes. I…felt him nearby, that same coldness that I felt last night. When my broomstick stopped shaking Danny left."

Ron scowled. " So they are working together! I bet they both were cursing your broom! Or maybe Snape was controlling Danny somehow- "

"I think we should go to Professor Dumbledore."

The boys froze and turned to her, shocked. " Go to Dumbledore? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Hagrid's right, this is getting dangerous. If you seriously believe that Danny was up there trying to kill you, Harry, then we got to tell him about it."

"Are you mental Hermione!" Ron flushed in anger at the idea. "He's a ghost! I don't think he'll be too happy if we rat him out. You saw how easily he took on that dog. Do you think we've got a chance! If you know any spells that can take out a ghost I'd want to know! Besides…" Ron glanced around them nervously. "For all we know he could be watching us right now."

"Ron's right Hermione. And remember what he said to you yesterday, that he didn't want us getting involved because we'd get hurt? Maybe he was threatening you not to tell anyone!"

"I don't… he wouldn't have…" She faltered, but they could see she was starting to consider their theory.

Harry began to head up the pebbled path. "We've got to keep this secret. First, we need to find out who this Nicolas Flamel is. Then we can find a way to stop Danny and Snape."

The other two nodded, following Harry up the path. The happy mood of today's win is all but gone.