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.

16. Christmas Truce

Chapter 16: Christmas Truce

Vlad was gone, that was the first thing Danny realized when he finally pulled himself out of bed. At first, he didn't know what to think about this discovery. He thought that he would be furious. But instead, he was surprised that he felt concerned. Not concerned for the Cheesehead himself, but more the thought that an unstable half ghost could cause trouble for Hogwarts.

But a quick check confirmed it; Vlad had left and Danny sighed with relief. It was wonderful having his room back to himself. Everything was still in its place, Plasmius hadn't stolen anything that he could see. His notes were still tucked in the drawer, the ghostly books still lying in a messy heap on the desk. At last, it seemed his luck was turning.

Danny enjoyed a long, peaceful morning doing absolutely nothing. But then that old restlessness returned, that twitch that had fallen over him in these months. Just thinking about Albus's advice worried him. Danny wanted to stop watching Harry, truly he did. But still, he knew deep down it was a bad idea. And now that he thought about it, would Plasmius really leave that easily? He doubted the scheming Fruitloop would let him off the hook that easy.

Sighing Danny left the warm room into the hallway beyond. Everything seemed to be normal, with no signs that utter chaos had engulfed Hogwarts. The school was calm, the lack of students making for an oddly tranquil morning. Danny didn't feel the need to hide knowing that if anyone was up they would be down in the Great hall, or still tucked away in their common room. It gave him time to ponder the main issue that was plaguing him.

At the top of the winding staircase he slumped down onto the top step. He was stumped as to how he was going to deal with these ice powers. His first thought had been to read the ghostly books in the hope that they would hold the answer. But just his luck they were utterly boring, filled with dull history and drawling recounts of things that he did not care for. It had been disheartening, taking him right back to square one.

He sighed, puffing the long strands of hair away from his eyes. Once again, he had no idea what to do.

"Chin up lad," a chipper voice cut into Danny's brooding, startling him. He'd been sure that he was alone. But looking around it had been the painting closest to him that had talked, an owlish wizard wearing a long scarlet robe and pointy hat covered in golden stars. He winked at him and strolled out of the frame.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Great, now even the paintings here think I'm pathetic…"

While milling over that depressing thought, his ghost sense went off. Immediately he froze, gazing around the sunlit hall. He was expecting Plasmius to finally show up. But instead, the pale form of Sir Nicholas drifted through the floor.

"Hey, Nicholas." Danny smiled warmly as he twisted around to meet him. At seeing him sitting there Sir Nicholas beamed, head wobbling sickly.

"Ah, Phantom! Just the ghost I wanted to see!" As he talked his shoulders jolted, head tilting onto his neck so that it was held only by a small string of flesh.

The smile faded, unable to stop the worry creeping in. "Nothing's happened, right?"

"Oh no! Nothing of the sort! No sighting of that pesky shade as of present. I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas!"

Danny shrugged off the ghost's happy mood, not really in the same "merry" mood himself. But he didn't want to be rude either. "Thanks. You too."

Suddenly Sir Nicholas was nervous, returning his head into place. 'Phantom…I- well, I do not wish to burden you with my troubles; you have your own troubles! I know that but…I was, ah- hoping that you might be able to assist me in a matter that I have."

"Sure?" He frowned, what could the ghost want help with? Maybe it was something about Peeves? He knew that the little ghost had been way more proactive with his pranks now that most of the students were on vacation.

"Splendid! Just splendid…" He drifted closer. " I was wondering…if you'd be happy to join me for Sir Patrick's Christmas party."

"A…Christmas party?" Danny now was completely confused. He had a feeling that when Nicholas talked about a party he was talking about a dead kind. "Why… do you want me to go with you to a party?"

"Well you see… Sir Patrick is the leader of a group known as the Headless Hunt, a very prestigious club that is quite an honour to become a member of. I have been longing to join and have been trying for decades to do so but alas; I- Ah… fail one small requirement."

"What's that?"

"Headlessness." He said sourly, pulling his head above his neck till the skin pulled. "Because of this mere string of flesh, I do not count as headless, thus Sir Patrick is confident I cannot join. However… I believe I can convince him otherwise to change his mind. If you could put in a good word for me, then I am certain that old Sir Properly-Decapitated Podmore will let me in."

"You… want me to convince this ghost in letting you into this club?" Danny felt ill watching the ghost nod furiously. "I don't know… where is this party?"

"He is hosting it at his headquarters, just ways north within the Ghost Zone. That is where they always host it."

"Ghost zone…" Danny rubbed the back of his neck. " Will there be like, other ghosts that aren't from Hogwarts there too?"

When he confirmed it true, Danny felt a tinge of unease. The ghosts at this school seemed to be fine but in the Ghost Zone, that was a whole different story. That place was full of crazy, obsessed ghosts. A fight he supposed could be interesting after having nothing for so long. He was getting rusty.

Sir Nicholas seemed to figure out why Danny was so reserved and snapped his fingers together; although no sound came out. " I forget Phantom, that you are new to our ways! You wouldn't know about the truce, would you?"

"What truce?"

"Why, the ghost truce of course! On Christmas Day there is a truce in place that is followed by all ghosts. An agreement means that there is no fighting and no disputes. It is the only time of the year that all ghosts of all levels can come together without fear to celebrate this day!"

"…No," Danny stood, taking in this new piece of information slowly. " I didn't know that… wait- so ghosts can't fight at all?"

"Absolutely not! It's a very strict law, one you do not want to break. That is why if you have any concerns about going into the Ghost zone, it is perfectly safe today!"

He thought about that for a bit. A truce for ghosts… He didn't even know such a thing was possible. Mentally he made sure to remember that when he got home. Finally. a time when he knew he could have a break from ghost hunting. If it was fine, then the idea of checking out a ghost party was too tempting of an opportunity to miss.

"I'll come. I've never been to a ghost party before. I expect it to be… deadly fun."

"Marvelous!" Sir Nicholas clapped gleefully, and Danny went ghost in a flash of dazzling light. This was going to be the weirdest Christmas ever.

Without waiting the ghost phased down through the floor, Danny falling through after him. Nicholas seemed to keep them away from the Great hall, which Danny was grateful for. But when the glowing ghost portal appeared and a cold shiver ran through Danny's body he stopped, all too clearly remembering last time.

"Phantom? What's wrong?" Sir Nicholas paused at the entranceway, floating back to him once he saw Danny hanging back.

"It's just…one time I entered the Zone… some sort of new power I have kind of…exploded?"

"New powers?"

"Ice powers…I think that's what they are. Honestly, I have no clue. Would you?"

But as the ghost shook his wobbly head Danny's heart sunk. "I am afraid I know little about ghost powers of your kind. Us Echoes do not need nor have any powers of our own."

"Damn… Would Albus know? He seems to be knowledgeable about magical stuff."

"Definitely not!" Sir Nicholas chuffed, smirking. "While you are right about the Headmaster being brilliant in the field of magic, very little is known about ghosts to the wizarding community. Why I barely knew anything when I was alive! No Phantom, ghosts do not wish to mingle with the living if they can help it. Most attempts to have ended up foul due to the power gap."

"Oh…really?"

"Of course. The powers a ghost possesses are extremely strong. Because of that, it has caused some…misunderstandings. Wizards naturally crave power, some more than others." He flushed grey, adjusting his collar absentmindedly. " And ghosts have certainly lent to that craving."

Danny frowned, the ghost patting him on the shoulder. " But not to worry! With your powers, you should be fine. Many a ghost or wizard would be jealous that you can walk about the living so easily! And speaking of powers… I am sure that you will be fine entering the Ghost Zone. And if not, you can always turn back."

"Right…" Slowly Danny entered through the portal. The odd feeling of the Zone coursed throughout his body. He shivered as the power boost ran through him, his ghost core flaring at the charge. But as he looked about the swirling green world, no ice exploded from his chest or hands, no wave of coldness. It seemed that his new powers were at bay, for now.

Sir Nicholas was thrilled when nothing happened, and with a quick tally-ho lead him through the Ghost Zone. As they drifted past the many doors and swirling pools of ectoplasm, Danny couldn't help but notice how quiet it was compared to his own portal. Every time he'd been here; besides the time he found Plasmius which he did not count, he hadn't seen a single ghost flying through the Zone. It was odd, not having to keep his guard up and able to enjoy flying around.

Danny made himself level with the Hogwarts ghost. "So… do you Hogwarts ghosts travel around the Ghost Zone much? I mean I've seen some of you enter here before…"

Sir Nicholas chuckled. "Sometimes the others like to drift through this place. I do not like coming here personally as I prefer the hallow halls of Hogwarts to all this green mass."

"Then is it always this quiet? Or is it just because it's Christmas."

"I will admit it is quite peaceful here. Only a handful of powerful ghosts like yourself call this part of the Ghost Zone their home. And they mostly keep to their lairs and themselves."

"That's interesting. Where I live the Ghost Zone's got a bunch of ghosts that love causing me trouble. It's crowded compared to here."

"Really!?" Nick looked at him in awe. "I have never run into a ghost that has wished to harm me before."

"Yeah well, maybe I'm just lucky. I can't move a few miles into the Zone without being ambushed by someone." Danny pondered that for a moment. He did kind of taunt the other ghosts into attacking him, which might explain a few things. But they deserved it with all the trouble they caused his town.

Their journey through the Ghost Zone ended up being longer than Danny had thought it would take. Then on the horizon, he saw the shape of a building looming in the distance. At the sight of the grand mansion-like building Danny slowed, studying the place. It was an awesome thing, with ancient grey pillars lining the stone walls and two huge carved lions standing guard by the giant bronze doors.

"That's their clubhouse?"

"Yes…donated apparently. Now it's Sir Patrick's manor."

"Is this Sir Patrick like you or like me?"

Sir Nicholas gestured to himself, longingly looking out at the approaching structure. " Oh, how I long to be a part of their club. Such a grand thing it would be, all the games and the status. But then today could be the day that I might get my wish!"

Danny was starting to feel less confident about the agreement if the size of the place had anything to go by its host. But the sight of the transparent ghost reminded him that he did promise to help, or at least try to. They moved past the giant white lions, Danny certain that one followed them with its eyes. The heavy doors opened on their own and he found himself inside a large, grand entryway.

Unlike Hogwarts, it wasn't covered in Christmas ornaments and large thick pine trees. Instead, polished black marble covered both the floor and walls in a creepy sheen. If it wasn't for the floating candles lit in blue flame lining the hall he could have imagined that they had returned to the real world again. Ahead of them was a grand oak door that was slightly ajar, the sounds of multiple voices drifting through the crack.

"Don't be so nervous!" Sir Nicholas patted his shoulder and Danny jolted. "Remember there is a truce."

The tips of his ears burn at the thought that he was showing his discomfort. Brushing it off, Danny followed him into the room beyond.

The hall was huge, high ceiling filled with large panelled windows revealing the swirling Ghost zone. Like Hogwart's Great hall hundreds of candles floated lazily about the room, burning neon casting an unearthly glow. And at the centre of it all was a massive bone-white chandelier, covered in the same bluish flame. About the room ghost hovered about in small groups, a sea of transparent and solid faces. Around them floated countless little lesser ghosts, more like blobs of ectoplasm drifting through the crowd, ignoring the partygoers. In the air was a strange hum that sounded like music, though it had a melancholy vibe to the echo. None of the solid ghosts looked familiar, only a few of the see-through ones he'd seen visit Hogwarts.

"Killer party," Danny smirked at the old ghost. But Sir Nicholas was too busy scanning the faces for someone in particular. At once he headed out into the crowd, Danny quickly keeping up with him. Now and again Nicholas politely gave small seasons greeting to passing ghosts, Danny trying to keep behind him to avoid them. Though at one point he did spot the Fat Friar, who at seeing him gave a merry wave that he returned. But Sir Nicholas was on a mission and Danny didn't leave him.

It became clear that they were heading to the largest group in the middle. Those ghosts were clearly in a deep discussion, as now and again roars of laughter boomed from them. As they approach Sir Nicholas bent down to whisper to him. "Now when you meet him, try to get your words out as soon as possible. And clearly. Sir Patrick can be a bit…difficult to talk to once he knows he has your full attention. But once you do, he will mellow out quick enough."

As Sir Nicholas pushed his way through the crowd, Danny got his first look at who he assumed was Sir Patrick. He was transparent like the others, dressed in a tailcoat and top hat. The ghost held a long, carved walking stick that was oddly shaped at the base, curling up like a hook. He was the one laughing the loudest through a white curled moustache, the crowd infectiously joining into whatever joke he'd said. Beside him was another ghost clothed in knight's armour, this one without a head.

"-And then old Sir John here charged at the thing with the lance! Can you believe it! A lance! He would have done better with a mop I say! So of course the next thing we know John's here dangling from his saddle clinging to his afterlife with the Hebridean Black hot at his heels. You should have seen him!"

There was another round of laughter, and the headless ghost that must have been Sir John looped his arm over Sir Patrick's shoulders. He seemed to be enjoying the attention, or at least Danny thought he was. It was hard to tell without a head.

"Sir Patrick! A happy holiday to you!" Sir Nicholas chipped in loudly, hoping to butt in before the conversation began anew. The ghosts stopped and turned towards them, Sir Patrick swinging around with a flick of his cane.

"Ah…Nick, glad to see you could make it."

Danny immediately saw the cringe cross his face, that this ghost knew exactly what Sir Nicholas was about to do. Trying to get into this club was clearly something he tried every year.

However, Nicholas was completely unaware of the reaction and smiled sincerely, bowing his head with a wobble. "Once again you've hosted a marvellous Christmas party. However, this year I would like to introduce to you my good friend Phantom here. In fact, he is the one currently is-"

"Phantom?" Patrick cut in, peering down at Danny while twirling his moustache. "Phantom eh? Now, where have I heard that name recently- Ha-ah! That Phantom!" He pushed forward, bumping passed a grumpy Sir Nicholas, who was not happy to be cut off. "I've heard all about you! The lad on a mission, if I so rightly remember Friar telling me. So, we finally get to meet eh!"

The ghost held out his hand to shake, Danny hesitating a bit before taking it. Suddenly he felt the grip on his hand tighten, the ghost giving him a wicked grin-

-And suddenly, his head rolled off.

Danny cried out in shock as his head bounced at his feet, jumping back to avoid touching it. However, other ghosts were right behind him as he leapt, Danny tripping into them as he fell backward. They all tumbled down, a high-pitch yelp sounding in his ear as he landed on someone heavily, the head rolling to a stop right at his feet.

"Must you do that every time?" Sir Nicholas grumbled and Danny saw that everyone, even the ones that he pushed over were laughing. No one was angry or shooting ghost rays at him.

"Couldn't help myself," Sir Patrick's head boomed for the ground. "Lighten up Nick, it's just a little fun! No harm came out of it!" The head winked at him, his body still moving jovially alone without it. Trying to brush it off Danny weakly laughed back, getting up. But as he stood he felt something hard under his foot. There was another yelp, and he saw he was standing on a pale shoe. Moving off he saw a young girl, mumbling darkly under her breath.

Danny quickly offered to help her up to avoid any truce breaking. "Sorry for being such a klutz. Here, I'll help you up."

Still mumbling she took his hand, letting him pull her up. At once he recognized that she was wearing a Hogwarts uniform. Yanking her hand away she smoothed her robe out, straightening her huge round glasses to glare darkly. But once she saw him for the first time her eyes widen, freezing.

"You okay? You look, um, very pale?" Danny muttered as the girl stared at him, now trying to stutter out words. Yet it looked instead like she was choking on something. Before he could ask what was wrong her cheeks turned a deep charcoal, and with a squeak, she dashed away through the crowd.

"Okay…" Puzzled as to what that had been about, Danny shrugged. He'd never seen her at Hogwarts before. However, his attention was drawn back to the now bickering ghosts.

"It's all good and dandy that you want to join Nick, but you know I can't let you in-"

"I understand!" Sir Nicholas cut in, grabbing Danny by the shoulder once he moved closer. "But Phantom here-"

"-Nick, not again? First it was the meetings, then the letters, and now you want to drag in other ghosts in your quest? Now I've been tolerable thus far, but I'm sorry Nick, but my answer stands firm. I cannot let the rules be bent, which clearly state to join you must be completely headless to be able to participate in our weekly activities. You know this."

"Nearly Headless! Does that not count for something!?" To prove the point, he huffed and yanked his head off, pulling strong as if to rip it off completely. " This surely counts. Not to mention my own bravery-"

"-Please Nick, let's discuss this at a better time." Sir Patrick eyed the watching crowd around them, hand gripping tighter on his cane.

"Don't Nick me, there will never be a better time for you!" He replied hotly. Some of the other guests were becoming nervous about the rising argument. The leader ignored Nicholas fully, turning to Danny instead.

"Sorry for the scare their lad, old habits die hard and all. I, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore bid you a warm welcome to my humble lair and a merry season greeting. Now you go have some fun while we discuss this matter more diplomatically."

Danny looked back at the fuming Gryffindor ghost. "But-"

"I can see you're a good lad, with good intentions. But this matter is between the two of us. Isn't that right Nicholas?" He frowned at the other ghost, almost like he was challenging him to say otherwise. Sir Nicholas seemed to deflate at that, shoulders slumping.

"Yes…your quite right…"

With a farewell they started to talk in lower voices, drifting to the corner of the room. Danny now found himself alone, feeling awkward floating there. Not quite knowing what to do he headed randomly through the crowd, hoping that he didn't stand out too much. But that was a challenge in itself as most of the ghosts here were see-through, and thanks to that he stuck out like a sore thumb. Whenever he moved too close to a group they invited him to join their chatter. But he politely passed, hoping to spot Friar again or sneak out. Then through the gap of ghosts, he caught sight of Lady Grey. Relief washed over him at the sight of a ghost he knew. Quickly he dashed over to her.

"Lady Grey!" He called out as he moved beside her. The woman turned his way, blankly staring at him through her long waist-length hair.

"Phantom…" She sighed mournfully, bowing her head ever so slightly in welcome. "Season's greetings."

"Err, you too." Now that he thought about it, Lady Grey wasn't the "talkative" type.

"Oh look what we have here. A new ghost."

Danny jolted in surprise at the deep voice behind him, realizing that Lady Grey hadn't been completely alone. Turning around he found another ghost floating there, this one very solid. He was peering down inquisitively at Danny through purple-framed glasses, midnight hair sticking up in messy points. He wore a violet trench coat, a long scarf drifting through the air as if some invisible wind had caught it.

"Um…Hello?" Danny kept remembering what Nicholas said. If that truce was true then that meant this ghost couldn't pummel him to the floor. This must have read clearly on his face as he seemed amused, his stern face breaking into a smirk.

"How intriguing. A more defensive response compared to the others around these parts. Nervous but ready for action at a moment's notice. Let me guess… from your voice, your behaviour; you're from the west too, correct?"

"Huh?"

"The western part of the Ghost Zone of course! That area houses the fiercer ghosts, ones with shorter tempers and are more defensive of their territories compare to the north here. At least that's from my experience. I'm right, aren't I? What am I saying, of course I'm right! Don't reply to that."

"Okay…" He grumbled back, this ghost was starting to get on his nerves. "Sure."

"Ah, that proves it! Ignoring my statement and replying with distaste. Definitely from the western area-"

Lady Grey gently stopped him continuing with a dejected sigh. "Please Writer, enough."

The ghost laughed, scratching his cheek. "I can't help it, Grey, you know me." He gave Danny an apologetic look, drifting closer. "The names Ghostwriter. I must confess I like trying to figure out others before I properly meet them. Adds to the sense of whether I got it right or not."

He held out his hand to shake and Danny was happy that this time his head didn't fall off. "Phantom."

"Good name." Ghostwriter nodded, still shaking his hand. "Very good name. Strong, sharp on the tongue. Very tongue-in-cheek too- Ah I'm doing it again! Nice to meet you Phantom."

Danny finally got his hand back. "Then…why the name Ghostwriter? Sorry if this seems rude, but it's kind of weird."

Instead of being insulted, it seemed to be just the question he wanted. Smugly the ghost leaned forward, all too keen to tell Danny why. "Because that's what I am, a writer. And a ghost, if you couldn't tell." He winked. " To put it bluntly, that is why I am Ghostwriter, tis what I am. However…" He sighed long. "Lately I've been in a bit of a…rut, I suppose. My ideas have been running up dry. That's why I'm touring around the Zone in the hope of being hit with inspiration."

"And have you?" Danny couldn't help but ask.

He crossed his arms. "Afraid at the moment, no. I'm beginning to think that I should take up a whole new medium… maybe I should take up poetry…"

A ghost that wrote, Danny thought studying him curiously. Then he pictured the ghostly books lying in his room. "You write books…are you the one that wrote those books in Hogwarts?"

"Hm?" Ghostwriter frowned, pushing up his spectacles on his nose. "Oh! You mean those. Yes. That was me. Not my best stuff." He flushed in embarrassment. "No definitely not my best works. I donated them to Albus as a thank-you some years back."

"You gave them to Albus?"

"Yes," He gave a smile to Lady Grey, who still hovered motionless beside him. "He's one of the few wizards that has been kind to us. After all, Hogwarts is one of the only places in the living world where ghosts can linger without having to worry. Though those books are quite basic if you ask me. Now, if I wrote him something currently; why, it wouldn't even compare to what I can do now! How did you like them?"

Danny blinked at the sudden question, the ghost staring at him intensely. "Oh um… I haven't gotten around to fully reading them yet. Just flicked through them. I've been…busy."

Ghostwriter nodded. "Understandable. It's quite rare to find a ghost that would sit down and read, especially in these times. Though you're not missing out on much, they're just boring retellings of magical events throughout history. A pretty dull subject if you ask me."

"Wait, they don't have anything at all about ghost powers in them?"

"Ghost powers!?" Writer hooted with laughter so hard he snorted. "Ghost powers he says, heaven's no! You think I'd give something that precious into the hands of folk that could use it against us!? No, no, no. I made sure it was the most common dribble that I gave them. They can't even read it anyway."

That bugged Danny a little, how this ghost was treating him like an idiot. At this point, Danny saw that Lady Grey had vanished into the crowd. Now uncomfortable he was about to follow after her, but what the ghost said next made him stop.

"Interested in powers are we? Suppose that's a good obsession to have as a ghost. Anything in particular have you fancy? "

Danny frowned, not sure whether he could trust this ghost completely yet. "Not really. Just… curious about them."

Ghostwriter nodded soberly, " Makes two of us then; no matter how much time passes I still end up filling my library on the topic."

"You've got a library?" A ray of hope can be to Danny. Finally, someone that could tell him something useful! "I know this might be too much to ask, but could I read some of them?"

"You want to enter my library?" Ghostwriter seemed puzzled at the idea. "My lair isn't a public centre you can enter and leave at your leisure. However…" He paused, rubbing the tuft of hair on his chin. "Lady Grey seems to have taken a liking to you. And she's not usually the one to have friends. I trust her with my library… Tell you what; if you're dying to learn more I can permit you to enter my library. But only with Grey! I trust her to look after my books, and if she trusts you I will give it a shot."

"Really? Thank you-"

"-But!" Suddenly he pointed his finger at Danny's chest, eyes narrowing darkly. "If you so much as bend a spine of any of my books I'll make you regret you ever set foot in my lair, you understand that kid?"

"Noted." The dark aura pooling off the ghost made Danny shiver. More like the crazy, loony ghosts that he was used to. As quickly as his warning came it was gone, Ghostwriter back to his smiling self.

"Wonderful! Just ask Lady Grey, she knows the secret way to my North wing-"

Before he could continue the mood around them changed, a hush befalling the hall and ghosts about them. Near the entrance a crowd had formed, a buzz of voices rising in tone. And from the sound of it whoever was talking was angry.

"What's the commotion?" Danny asked the ghost.

"Sounds like trouble." Ghostwriter stilled, his eyes flashing bright in rage. "But who would dare challenge the truce?"

"I think…I know a ghost." He left him, making his way to the rising voices. Squeezing through the crowd he quickly spotted the reason. And confirmed his suspicions.

It was Luna. She was standing right inside the doorway; her way being surprisingly barred by Sir Nicholas. As he made his way through the last ghosts, Luna caught sight of him. But when she tried to move his way the Gryffindor ghost blocked her with his arm.

"I am sorry madam, but I must ask you to leave." Sir Nicholas huffed, eyes darted over to where Sir Patrick floated. Probably hoping this act of bravery would change the leader's mind.

Luna smiled in response, but there was nothing friendly in that smile. " What's the holdup? I've only come for a little chat."

Nicholas puffed up his chest, head wobbling precariously as he spoke louder. "I'm afraid you're not welcome here."

"Huh, Funny. Didn't know you had such a rule. " She moved closer until she was inches from his face. "Especially since the truce is in effect. You're not trying to break it now, are you Nick?"

He gulped, and at that Sir Patrick quickly stepped into the fray. "Come now Nick, don't start up another scene today. She's right after all." Beaming the man bowed, catching his head in his hand. "You're more than welcome to join the celebration, the more the merrier I say!"

At this point Danny had pushed through, hoping to stop any conflict before it got out of hand. Stepping beside them he crossed his arms, trying to act as calm as possible in front of everyone. "What do you want Luna?"

Turning her attention down to him she grinned. "Hey kiddo, long time no see! Could you tell your buddy here to back off before he hurts himself?"

"Well I never-" scoffed Sir Nicholas, unimpressed with her rudeness. Danny just rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"To talk." The grin faded as her voice became serious. "There is something important I want to discuss with you. And I think there's no better time to do that with the truce going on."

"Okay. Then talk. I'm all ears."

Gazing at the two transparent ghosts Luna shook her head. "Sadly what I've got to say is private. Very private."

Danny's eyebrows shot up so high they were lost in his fringe. If it was private it could only mean she wanted to talk about the timeline stuff. Along with the fact that there was a stalemate currently in place, he knew that Luna shouldn't be able to attack him. "Fine." He sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Let's talk."

"Phantom!" Sir Nicholas exclaimed in horror, but Danny ignored him and turn to Sir Patrick.

"Is there someplace here that we can talk alone?"

"Of course!" The Headless ghost replied without catching what was going on. "We have a sitting room just off the hall. I'll show you both where."

Placing his head back onto his shoulders he strolled out the doorway. Danny paused, gesturing for Luna to follow the ghost. "Ladies first." He smiled sweetly, Luna chuckling knowing that he was only doing that so she wouldn't be behind him.

Now out of the noisy hall, they followed the jolly ghost across the passage. The door was hidden off to one side, tucked between the marble wall. Nodding somberly to them both Sir Patrick opened the door for them and closed it softly once they'd entered. Quickly Danny surveyed around, hoping to scope his surroundings in case things turned sour.

It was some sort of small lounge room, royal blue and violet walls covered in a heavy old-style wallpaper. It was lit with a green fire blazing gently in an ornate fireplace, which caused a gloomy light around the room. Before Danny had time to completely check out the place Luna moved into the space with ease. She seemed to ignore his edginess and quickly plopped herself down into one of the cushy armchairs sitting by the fire.

"Ah, that's more like it," She sighed as she relaxed into the seat, grinning at his discomfort. "Come now, it's the truce!"

"Says you," Danny stated bluntly, eyeing the roof for any hidden traps. " I never pegged you as a rule obeying type of ghost."

Luna snorted, " Can't argue with that! But the truce is serious Danny. You can't break it unless you want to cause trouble. So, sit down already! You and I have a lot to talk about."

Danny remained where he was, eyebrow curling. "What's there to talk about?"

"Tonnes. They regard the timeline, something I'd know you'd be willing to listen to."

He couldn't help but show his disbelief at that. Flicking his hair out the way Danny drifted over to the opposite armchair, sitting down on the very edge of the chair. Watching her closely he rested his hands on his knees, deciding to test how much she was willing to talk. "Huh…I'm shocked that you want to talk about how you mucked up the timeline. What is it then? Have you come here because you've suddenly come to your senses at how stupid your plan is?"

She smirked. " Hardly. I'm still quite confident in my idea, don't think you can tell me otherwise with the truce going on and all."

"Then why are we talking?"

"Because," she sighed, rolling her eyes as she did. " This whole thing is taking forever! Much longer than I first predicted. Granted; that was my fault for misjudging the dates. If I'd remembered this beforehand I wouldn't have arrived here at Hogwarts so early and could have come closer. But then," Luna grinned at him. " It doesn't take a genius to see that you're just as bored as I am."

Danny kept his face as neutral as possible, but deep down he secretly agreed with her.

She continued. "So; since this truce is in effect, that means you and I are in a forced stalemate. And as great as it would be to waste more time, these last few weeks have got me thinking. Since this is the only day that I can speak to you without the risk of you attacking me, I wish to make a pact with you. Kind of like our own truce."

"Pact?" He scowled the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. " Oh yeah? What kind of pact?"

"One you'll like!" She placed her feet on the ground, mimicking his pose. At that the grin faded from her face, replaced by a sombre frown. "The deals are simple; I'll leave this timeline alone. Completely. That means little Harry will be safe and very much alive. Voldemort will still be a shade and that stone will stay exactly where it is now. And with that your future will be safe, everything goes back to the way it was."

"What's the catch?" Danny was full of scepticism at her deal. It couldn't be that easy. " I suppose that promise comes with a hefty price tag too."

"Not a catch, a fair trade. You're right though. Considering all the work I've done up to now, giving up that easily wouldn't be for free. In return for me to leave the timeline alone, you'll help me fix our timeline. It's as simple as that."

"Wait what?" Nothing could have hidden the confusion that Danny felt at that moment. What was that supposed to mean?

"Just that. As I said, I've been thinking long and hard about this. If you help me directly I'll not need to destroy the timeline as it is now."

"But don't you want to kill Harry!?"

Luna leaned back at Danny's remark, a look of alarm crossing her face. "Whoa no! Harry's death would be due to the time change. That isn't my ultimate goal; he's just collateral damage, just an unavoidable loss that's a result. That doesn't mean I want him dead. In fact, I'm of the opinion that the world would be better off if he did survive."

"Yeah right!" Danny replied hotly. "You can't lie to me, I know that deep down you want to destroy the timeline. You can try and act all "kindhearted" all you want, but it doesn't fool me. I know you want to send everything into chaos as the other timeline did. Don't think you can treat me like an idiot."

Luna stilled. "Other timeline?"

"Yeah. The one…you know… the one with that other version of me. I know you know what I'm talking about."

She leaned back into the armchair, watching him curiously as Danny glared at her. For a time, Luna chewed her lip, before finally answering. "I suppose…since it's Christmas and all, I guess you deserve some sort of gift. You're right. I do know all about the alternate future."

"How?" Danny found himself almost shaking in anger, one for the fact that she knew something so private of his. Luna however shrugged at that, looking suddenly bored.

"Because I lived in it? Does that count?"

"You…where in that timeline?"

"Duh. Time travel powers, remember. Before you fixed your own timeline that; for a long time, was the only future. Unlike everyone else whose memories are blissfully wiped once the new timeline was set, thanks to these wonderful powers of mine I could remember every little detail crystal clear."

"Then-"

"-No," She cut him off quickly. "Before you even ask me I never encountered your other version face to face. I knew it would be suicidal to even try. And while I'd like to think I'm a strong ghost; I am humble enough to admit I am by no means invincible. I knew he would have destroyed me if I challenged him, so I stayed as far as possible from that ghost. But I did see the outcome of his rampaging. That was enough."

"So that's how you knew… but that still doesn't make up for the fact that your crazy into thinking your fixing time. You're just sending everything back to that future!"

"I suppose Clockwork told you that," Luna asked him bitterly, earning an astounding look from him. "Figures as much, that hypocrite ghost would say that."

Fury boiled inside Danny, the room dropping down in temperature to the point the fire flickered. " Don't you dare talk about Clockwork like that!-"

"-But it's true. Think about it. Your other self destroyed the world for years before that Time Ghost stepped in to fix it. He knew that the future was heading into chaos long before you lost your family. And yet…he did nothing. Absolutely nothing for those ten long years. And don't give me that rubbish that he didn't have the power to change it; trust me he did. Because just when he started to realise it was a bad move he made you fix your own future. Just like he sent you here now to stop time unravelling into a new path, he's setting everything into a new track."

"You don't know Clockwork-"

"-He's neutral, Danny." Luna crossed her arms, looking at him sadly. " He's not your friend, nor your ally, no matter how much you try to trick yourself into thinking that. He can't take sides because he is the protector of time. That means he can't take favourites. And you know how I know that? Because Voldemort already won, and Harry's already died. I've personally seen the outcome of Harry's death first-hand. Yet the reason that we're here now is that Clockwork sent you here, changed time so badly that I'm doing it all over again."

Danny watched her closely, feeling the tips of his ears burn. She was lying. She was his enemy after all. He knew Clockwork was on his side because he had sent him here in his stead. He'd given him this mission. He trusted Danny enough to protect time.

"You're wrong." He countered bluntly. " The war timeline might have already happened, but he sent me here to stop it from happening ever again. If anything, that proves that he trusts me enough with this task."

"But where is he now?" Her question stilled him at once. " Face it, Danny. He's sitting up in his clock tower, watching us, debating whether this timeline will be okay. Whether or not to intervene with this new timeline. And if it does work out for the world's favour, what's to say he'll just keep you in this timeline instead of sending you back home?"

The silence after that was deafening, Danny staring into the fireplace not wanting to look at her. She was wrong. Wasn't she?

"I trust Clockwork's choice."

"Did he even promise you he'd send you back once this is over? No, I can tell by the look on your face he never did."

At his furious face, Luna smiled, closing her pupilless eyes. " Those who have the power to alter time know the cost of altering their time. It is their responsibility." Opening her amber eyes again Danny shivered, that sounded an awful lot like what Clockwork had told him. "We are alone in this Danny, right now the pathway of the future rests with what we decide to do. On the choices that we make. Clockwork has no hand in what we choose. And if he deems the future safe, he will see no need to return it back to what it once was. But I can."

At hearing that Danny frowned, what did she mean by that? But when Luna saw he wouldn't talk she continued.

"Luckily for you, you happen to know another who has the powers to travel through time. Though mine isn't nearly as strong as the Time master's, I can travel freely throughout in much the same way. In saying that, if you help me restore my future, I will send you back to your proper time. Unlike Clockwork I can promise you that."

Danny felt his frown deepen, unease and doubt creeping into his mind. What…if she was right? What if he ended up being forever stuck in this time? He hadn't thought of that at all. No, he had refused to think of that. And yet he couldn't dismiss the idea with his alternate timeline. That other self now sealed in the Fenton thermos was proof of Luna's claim. But he would be completely mad to accept the deal, he barely knew anything about her or her goal…

"What do you want?" Danny asked softly, his heart beating hard at the thought of answers. "Why do you want to, as you put it, fix time?"

Luna hesitated, pulling her gaze away from him and into the green flames. "I… lost something important to me… due to these powers. As I said, you mess with time, then it messes with you. And I… paid a price to be able to roam through time like this." She fell silent for a bit, staring off into the flames. "…As you can imagine having the power to travel throughout time without the ill effects that normally come with it… It comes with massive sacrifices to the person. A sacrifice now I severely regret."

" What was it you lost?"

She finally scowled at his prying, clearly grumpy at his asking. "I'm sure," she said coolly "That you could understand; what with your own history with altering time, that interfering with the past can have huge consequences. That can also lead to a lot of people around you becoming Unborn. Or as you would understand it, cease to exist."

"Oh." It was all that Danny could think of saying, Luna twisting her hair between her fingers.

" Though I should have seen it coming. But I was too blind in saving her to see the full damage that I was causing to those around me." Luna sighed deeply. " Oh well… that is in the past, and now nothing but the future. And like that, we come back to why I wished to talk to you. If you help me, I will abandon my plans here, meaning that the timeline where Harry dies would not come to fruition. And as a bonus, I will send you back. It shouldn't take too long."

For some reason, he felt oddly conflicted about this. Right now he was being offered a way out of this nightmare. Instead of waiting months for the time event to happen, he could end it now. And yet something didn't sit right with him. It made sense that Luna herself might be tired of waiting, but why go all this way to give up so easily? Maybe she was just desperate. If she was doing this because she'd lost someone to time she would go to great lengths. He had done the same in his old timeline once he lost his family and friends. If there was just a small chance he could end this sooner…

"Danny," He jolted out of his thoughts at the soft voice, staring at the ghost. "Don't you want to go home? Surely you must be missing your family and friends by now, if but a little?"

Danny squirmed in his armchair. He did want to go home, so badly that it hurt at the thought that he might never see them again. If he could just go home sooner than he thought, would he be a fool to pass from this choice?

"That's just it Danny," She continued like she had read his thoughts. " All I ask is for you to help me just once and then after everything goes back to normal. You can finally go back home."

"You-" Danny froze, everything in that moment becoming clear. He looked at Luna, the room and suddenly the world looked like a filter had just been lifted. He saw everything at that moment, realising just how close he'd been to failing his task.

"You're tricking me." He breathed; another piece of the puzzle clicking into place.

"What?" Luna whispered, her grin dropping from her face.

"You're… using my emotions against me…you know… know just how much I care for my friends and family!" Suddenly he had a flush of rage, furious at how much of an idiot he was. " Somehow you know that when it comes to them I'd do anything, and you figured out that by now I'd be missing them all so bad that I'd do anything to cut off this mission if I could. Then you've tried to manipulate me into agreeing to your evil scheme. But it's a trap!" He gripped the armrest hard, ice spreading out onto the floor between them. "You're just trying to lead me into your trap, hoping that if you act all nice and sympathetic it will make me cave in on my mission!"

"Remember the truce!" Luna hissed, lifting her feet from the reaching ice. "What I've told you was nothing but the truth and you know it!"

"Don't treat me as an idiot!" He spat back, the fire going out in a splutter, casting them both into the darkness with only their ghost forms lighting the room. " If you think for one second that I'd just give up like that…then you've got another thing coming! Clockwork gave me this mission, he entrusted me with saving the timeline and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Because it's not just Harry, but the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of innocents could be affected because of this; not just my own. I don't care if it takes months or even years, I will never stop until I know that they are safe!"

He found himself shaking in his fury, Luna just staring at him dumbfounded. "And if you're telling the truth about Clockwork…that he won't send me back once this is all done then fine! None of that matters because I'll just be happy knowing that my family will be safe because of what I did." Danny finished harshly, almost hoping the ghost would lash out at him. Instead, she gazed at him in what he could only describe as shock before she shook that away.

"Fine." She snapped, getting to her feet. "If that's the way you see this; then I guess there is nothing more for us to discuss."

"Good, I'm done talking with you."

Fuming she huffed, twisted on her heels and walked towards the exit. However, after she reached the door and wrenched it open she paused, looking out into the hallway. She stayed there for what seemed like forever and Danny raised his right hand at the ready, just in case she twisted around and broke that truce.

"You know…" Luna finally muttered, Danny dropped his hand just a fraction. "I…for a long time I held a level of respect for you. Even now in some stupid way I still feel that. I just… Maybe I thought that in the past that I could somehow make it up to you. But now… Now I see I was kidding myself."

Danny frowned, what did she mean by that? But before he could ask she turned back to him, sorrowful face quickly turning back into a scowl. "You better be prepared for what's coming. Because if you're not, you've got no chance, you hear? I've played all my cards in the perfect spots and now there's no way in hell that you can beat me. After all, I've done this stuff before. It's already over. See you, Danny."

Without saying anything else she vanished into thin air, leaving the door wide open. With her presence suddenly gone everything she'd just said rang in his mind. His anger faded in a flash and instead, a sickly unease settled at the bottom of his stomach. Somehow he doubted that had been a joke. Chewing his lip Danny peered around the darken room. Against the odds, this mission had just gotten more complicated.

Now wanting nothing to do with the ghost party Danny returned to the hallway and turned invisible. The way through the Ghost Zone was still weirdly quiet. It was still strange to be travelling through an area by himself without the fear of constant attacks. Now, it held nothing.

Back at the school, Danny flew up to the main hall. Night had fallen fast and he was shocked at how the time had flown by. But seeing that he was alone he transformed back. Before he headed up the flight of stairs he paused, sighing out his frustrations. Looking up at the unseen roof beyond, Danny smiled faintly.

"You know Clockwork, it would be nice if you- oh I don't know… give me some sort of sign that I'm doing something right."

As expected he got no reply. It made him feel drained, the day's events crashing down on top of him all at once. The stress all made Danny want to curl up in bed and never get out. Luna had resurfaced what he'd been trying to push down, that he wanted to go home. That single, heart-wrenching thought almost made him want to go and tell Albus that he was done.

It was a stupid thought. Yet he wanted to be back to Mom's terrible cooking, return to Dad's bone-crushing hugs. He missed Jazz's nosiness and concern about his double life. Even if it was for just a second, he'd be happy to just talk to Sam and Tucker for just a few moments, to tell them what was going on. And as he walked up the stairs he realized with a jolt, this couldn't keep continuing. Who was he kidding? Even if he said that all to Luna, he didn't dare to keep doing this. This wasn't like Pariah Dark or any of his normal ghost fights. If he mucked this up, everyone lost, not just him.

The last few stairs took all his energy, grumbling to himself that he'd probably have to summon the door now. Instead, he tried to phase through the wall where it normally stood-

-and almost tripped over the person sitting in front of it.

With a small curse, Danny righted himself up before he face-planted the ground. He hadn't even noticed Vlad sitting right where the door was supposed to be. Seeing him Danny found himself about to snap. Why did he have to choose the one place he'd smash into him!? But one look at the man's exhausted face stopped him in his tracks. He looked horrible, eyes bloodshot and he looked deathly pale as if he was going to be sick at any minute. It was the worse Danny had ever seen him. And that was saying something.

"The door…was gone." Vlad finally muttered, thumbing back to the wall he was leaning on.

For a moment Danny honestly didn't know what to say, his own exhaustion catching him off-guard. However, one big question exploded in his mind. Why on earth had Vlad come back? Suddenly seeing that he must look like an idiot just standing there Danny shook off his shock and rolled his eyes. "D-duh. You need to summon it first."

Without another word he swiftly walked three times past the spot, the frame of the door appearing in the stone. Vlad jumped up as the entrance appeared, Danny didn't wait and headed into the room without a backward glance. The sight of the messy room didn't bring him any comfort, but he didn't want to show Plasmius any weakness. So instead of moping about the entryway he strolled over to the other side.

With a quick request, an empty glass appeared next to him. Grabbing it Danny filled it in the sink, returning to the main part of the room with a huff. Slumping into his armchair he watched Vlad closely, who had now settled into the opposite chair. He looked like he'd fallen asleep, yet Danny doubted it. It made him continue to wonder where on earth had he gone, why had he decided to come back, and more importantly; what had happened.

Taking a sip to clear his parched throat, Danny couldn't help asking the big question that was driving him crazy. "Why'd you come back?"

Vlad didn't answer at first, Danny starting to think that he really might have drifted off. But then with a strained sigh, he opened his eyes, fixing Danny with an icy blue stare. "I suppose…I woke up."

"Oh…" It was all Danny could say, thumbing the rim of his glass. As much as he wanted to expand on that he was suddenly nervous too. Vlad was now studying him with a cold stare so strong that Danny found he couldn't match his gaze. He was terrified if the man did look him in the eye what he would find there, especially right now.

For a time none of them said a word, Danny now fixated on a mildly interesting tile of stone on the floor. But it couldn't sadly last forever. Vlad was the first to talk, voice cracking with tiredness.

" So… what happens now?"

"What do you mean?" Danny frowned, still not looking at him.

"With…this. I know you know that this can't continue."

"It did end. When you left. So why are you back?"

Vlad fell silent at that, Danny annoyingly waiting on his response. He was right. If Vlad hadn't come back then there wouldn't be any need to change anything in the first place. He heard the man shift into a more comfortable position.

"I know you and I…Well, we haven't exactly gotten along these past weeks. And it doesn't take much to see that you hate me."

"I don't-"

But Vlad cut him off immediately. "Don't…please, don't try to deny it. I'm sick of hearing nothing but lies from you. And right now, I'm not in the mood for it. It's painfully obvious that you hate me. Why I don't know. And I think I don't want to know. But..." He paused for a bit. "But after…thinking about things, I want-"

He cut himself off, sighing in frustration as he dismissed what he was about to say. " What do you honestly want, Phantom?"

At hearing him use his ghost name without a hint of sarcasm, Danny finally looked at the other half ghost. Without really thinking about it he answered. "I want to go back home." As he said it a wave of tiredness washed over him, he didn't care to keep up the tough act anymore. "I want this stupid mission to end so I can leave this place. You have no idea how bad I want this nightmare to end and for everything to go back to my normal, crumbly life."

"…Then our wants are the same."

Danny didn't hide his surprise. "What?"

"I mean… you want to leave this place. And so do I. Both of our wants are aligned together. Yet for some reason, your task is stopping you from leaving here. And I…I realized that I can't leave without your help."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny frowned in suspicion. He could leave whenever he wanted, he didn't need him to get him out of here. Is that why he came back? Because he crazily thought that somehow he needed him to get away from Hogwarts? Still, he was wary of Vlad and whether this was a trap. Luna had just tried to pull that on him.

At once Danny saw that Vlad wanted to tell him something, yet he was nervous for some reason. It perked up Danny's curiosity but maddeningly the man seemed to think that whatever it was, it wasn't important at the moment. Instead, he leaned forward. "In trying to change how things stand now. I wish…to make a deal with you."

Everything stilled, Danny tensing. Great, another bad deal. Plasmius made deals with very high prices; prices that Danny would never accept. And now, after running off he comes back wanting to make a deal with him? Maybe he was the same as his future self after all. Yet the man in front of him didn't show any sign of trickery.

"A deal?" Danny muttered, gripping the glass of water so tight he was amazed it didn't shatter. "What kind of deal is that, huh?"

Vlad inhaled, fingertips twitching together. " You said that you want this mission to end, right? Well… I can…try to help you." He looked him dead in the face. " I admit that I don't know how helpful I would be. But whatever it is it would be better than what you are currently doing."

Danny blinked. Did he hear that right? Vlad wanted to help him. No. That couldn't be right. Just like with Luna there must be something sinister behind this.

"You want to help me huh?" His voice came out dryly, bitterness creeping into his words. "Then what's your catch? I'm sure that you don't want to help me out of the kindness of your heart."

Vlad winced, his fingers moving faster. He was starting to get more nervous, Danny thought dully. Good. Because if he thinks for one second that he would accept any of his stupid demands he was dead wrong-

"I guess my catch is that I want you to show me how to control these powers."

Huh? Danny froze. Did Vlad- did he just hear him say what he thought he said? In his shock the glass of water slipped from his hand, smashing onto the floor, startling both of them. Quickly Danny dismissed Vlad's attempt to help him and with his foot, he simply phased the mess through the floor.

Settling back into the armchair Vlad peered at him curiously. "Phantom, can you show me how?"

"No!… I-I mean," Amazingly Danny was shocked to feel his cheeks flush as he pulled at his sleeves. " I can't… it wouldn't- No way!"

"Why not?"

Why not!? Danny thought madly, the very idea of him teaching Vlad anything… that was so wrong on so many levels. He couldn't see the irony in what he was asking of him. After all, it normally ended up being the other way around. It should be the other way around!

"I mean I can't - it wouldn't be right."

"Why?" Vlad asked again now with a frustrated frown. " If I am going to help you I need to understand how to control these powers. Not only would it mean that you might be able to finish your task sooner but wouldn't it be better for you to have an ally instead of doing it all on your own."

"Ally!?" Danny squeaked, not believing what he was hearing. Plasmius wanted to be his ally!? That couldn't happen in a million years! He couldn't be serious, right? All this magical stuff must have mucked up with his head.

"Yes," Vlad nodded, not hiding his surprise at Danny's flustered behaviour. "You always complained under your breath that you were sick of having to do everything on your own."

"Did I?" He muttered weakly, and when Vlad soberly agreed without any sign of a smirk Danny choked back a laugh. "But…b-but I can't teach you. I barely know how to use them myself!"

Vlad countered back. "You've had them longer than me, so that counts to something. And you have the experience. Besides, I'm not asking you to teach me to step by step. Just demonstrating them once would be enough for me. I can learn from my own experience." He cringed suddenly, scratching the bridge of his nose. "It's embarrassing enough to be asking a kid this. Trust me, if I could I wouldn't be asking."

"Then why are you asking me this all of a sudden? You just said that you think I hate you, so why would you ask to help me? That like, doesn't make sense!"

"Because I don't hate you," Vlad said simply. "Whatever you think I've done, I want to prove to you that you have no reason to hate me."

Danny's face dropped. It wasn't that simple. This guy didn't realise in the future he would meddle with his life. He had no idea that it was his own Dad that he wanted to kill, his own Mom that he wanted to marry. Danny couldn't dismiss something like that so easily. Vlad was wrong, and sadly he was always going to hate him.

He jumped out of his seat and headed to the safety of the fireplace to pace. He needed to think about this, after everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours he needed to seriously think.

Vlad was offering to…help him, as bizarre as that sounded. He had to be insane to accept such a deal. And yet… halfway through his pace, he stopped. Luna had shown him today that she thought he wouldn't win. She had plans and unlike him, she knew what was going to happen in advance. He saw then that she was ten steps ahead of him, learning that he was at a massive disadvantage compared to her and Voldemort. But now Plasmius was asking to help. And this was Plasmius they were talking about. He knew he was strong, one of the most powerful ghosts that he fought. And he was cunning too. If he could push him in the right direction and show him the absolute basics, he could use that to his advantage. He might have a fighting chance-

-What was he thinking!? Danny gripped his hair tight in panic. Plasmius was his greatest enemy! They couldn't be allies! But… what if his first theory with Clockwork was right? Maybe that old time ghost knew that he couldn't win on his own and sent Vlad to him so he could.

And with that thought, Danny suddenly saw he could change Vlad. Right now, this was a very different man than his future self. If he played it right, he knew that he could change the future in a different course. To set it on a different path altogether. What if he could change Vlad's future? That when he returned to his time Plasmius wasn't hellbent on revenge against his family, but his ally?

He turned back to Vlad. No, that would never work. He needed… to tell him the truth like he promised that night on the bridge. "Vlad, there's something I think I need to-"

"So then," Exhaling sharply Vlad stood. Danny nervously watched as the half ghost held out his hand across the space. "Let's forget everything and start with proper introductions; Vlad Masters."

Danny stared down at the offered hand with his heartbeat drumming in his ears, knowing that if he took that hand right now, his future would change. Change for them all. He needed to tell him the truth. That's all he needed to do. Tell Vlad that he was from the future and that they were bitter enemies. He just needed to explain that he was a Fenton, son of his once-friend Jack and that would be the end of it. Timeline safe.

With a slight pause Danny took the offered hand, shaking it.

"Danny." He whispered in dread. It was almost like they were sealing their fates.

He saw the surprise on Vlad's face before he smiled. "Danny." He said, making him jump at hearing Plasmius's voice calling him that. "That's much better than Phantom."

"It's Danny Phantom," He stated a bit more harshly than he should have. " My last name is Phantom, so I didn't exactly lie to you."

With a shrug, Vlad let go of his hand to return to the chair. It was obvious from the relief on his face that he had been expecting something worse to happen. "I'll accept that."

"Good." He grumbled back. This was way too awkward for him to wrap his head around. Why the hell did he do it? Now he had just basically torn the timeline apart. He was almost expecting Clockwork to just appear in a puff of smoke and yell at him that he'd failed and that he was the biggest idiot in the Ghost Zone. Yet nothing of the sort happened. No booming voice or dramatic event. His agreement with Vlad seemed to do nothing. Though that didn't ease his mind in the least.

Instead of getting rid of him, he had now officially made him stuck here. Yet, Danny also knew that it was going to be a lot of work trying to push aside his thoughts on Vlad and try to think of the…good things here. That if he had to choose a ghost to be allied with, Plasmius was probably the best if not the riskiest of them all. If he could somehow get him on his side, Luna might not be so certain that he'd lose.

"Well, now that that's over I have-"

"No more questions!" Danny gasped. "I'm going to bed before I seriously kneel over. We'll talk when I'm conscious again, alright?"

Vlad paused, before agreeing to his demand. Danny retreated to his side without another word, running a hand through his messy hair in an attempt to push down the massive headache rising in his head.