Chapter 21: To Protect the King
Motionless within his lair, Clockwork studied his viewing mirror as he reversed time yet again. Of late he had found himself going back and forth, checking futures old and twisted, ones that now just existed in shadows. At last something was revealing itself, truths of why he could not follow that ghost's time were coming together. Pausing the images on his mirror the Time ghost pondered on what his next course of action was to be.
"CLOCKWORK!"
He sighed, watching the reflection as the leader of the Observants barged into his lair, single eye already bloodshot in fury.
"We have given you enough time, so why are things still as fractured as they were before!?"
"It is just at its beginning," He replied tiredly, twirling his staff so that the images quickly vanished. "These things take delicate time, and we must let them run their natural course."
"Natural!? Nothing about this matter is natural!" The ghost seemed to puff up, looming over Clockwork. " The timeline is in ruins, and we have seen what future awaits if this continues, it must be stopped at all costs. We Observants forbid it!"
It took all of Clockwork's patience not to snap at the thick-headed ghost. It had seemed of late that this conversation was on repeat, every time ending the same. Shifting into his elder form he locked him with a stern stare. "You are forgetting that this involves a ghost that has somehow torn itself from time's hold. Merely rushing in to stop the matter will only hurt time more."
"Then deal with it!" The observant practicality screeched, the pupil of his red eye swelling till it almost filled his whole head. " I, leader of the Order permit you to enter the timeline to dispose of this problem, dispose of them all! These… Half ghosts have proven twice now that they are too volatile for existence. As I allowed you before, this must be dealt with quickly!"
"We must wait. Let us see how things play out completely. And if what you say comes to pass, then I promise you I will do as you ask."
Instead of being happy with his answer the ghost's eye narrowed, bending down to study him closer. "Why are you protecting them Clockwork? You know that your vows forbid you from letting your own emotions affect the direction of time. Perhaps you are hiding something from us?"
"Not at all." Changing to his child form he smiled. " Like you, I have studied the future timelines of this corruption. But unlike you, I have looked further, beyond what your eye can see. Things may correct themselves without our intervention. And I would prefer to see the timeline become dormant on its own." Clockwork gestured with his staff to the ghost, nodding soberly. "Better to let it run its natural path than forcing it into something that could cause more damage further on."
"…Very well. We will wait. But I swear Clockwork, one sign of trouble and we want those mistakes dealt with. I fear we have let this mess go on for too long. But I will trust your judgement, for now."
With a crack, the ghost disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Clockwork's face instantly fell into a scowl. It was a miracle that existence had survived for so long with those idiots keeping watch. With their short-term memory, he had no doubt that they would return sooner than promised, demanding yet again he fix time.
Transforming to his adult age, Clockwork returned to the mirror, channelling his power to resurface the events he had been studying. On the glassy surface the image of the frozen, vast lake appeared, the two half ghosts bickering as the older one struggled to stay on his feet. He tensed, raising his hand to slow down the recounting. His hand glowed purple as his powers focused on Plasmius's time instead of Phantom. Suspicions had made him come to this moment, knowing that he might catch what he was looking for.
For a moment Phantom seemed to search the far-off banks, moving away from the other, when suddenly the ice surface broke. Clockwork watched as Plasmius was pulled under the lake, the strange Lucrezia holding tight to his ankle as she pulled him into the depths. There was a struggle, the half ghost trying to kick the other, while the ghost punched him hard to force the air from his lungs quicker. The fight however was short-lived as Phantom dived into the water, quickly retreating out of Phantom's sensing range.
Yet she did not completely leave, just hovering in the zone that Clockwork could still watch her in time. He leaned in closer, power building as he slowed time further. As Lucrezia watched Phantom's retreat with the other she suddenly stilled and when limp, frozen for a mere second. Then abruptly her whole form shuddered, twisting in the water gracefully to watch the pair rush to the surface. Then Clockwork lost view of her, forced to follow them back to the lake bank.
Ah, that was it. Clockwork smiled as his suspicions started to be confirmed. That explained why her powers were even possible. How a ghost could possess something that solely belonged to him? There was magic involved here, that he was now certain.
Flicking his staff to let the images fade, he floated down to rest it against the mirror's edge. Shifting to his older form he stroked his long beard in thought. Things were moving nicely; Phantom was following the timeline just as he thought he would. But there were risks and challenges that he did not know how Danny would react. In the end… it all came down to the young half ghost. Of him making the right choices. As of now, he did not know if he would. Yet time would tell.
Sighing Clockwork straightened, gaze wandering to the Ghost zone beyond his clocks. He didn't enjoy talking to him, his sense of humour was utterly dreadful at the best of times. But he needed an expert in magic to guide him. If anyone knew about the cause of her existence, it would be him.
With one last look around his lair, Clockwork quickly teleported, leaving his staff behind.
###
That evening Danny floated above the Great hall, hidden among the enchanted roof. From where he was the illusion of the sky was non-existent, the old wooden roof shimmered in a frosted mist. Next to him drifted one of the hundreds of candles, burning without a single drop of wax. With a smirk he blew, snuffing out the flame. The thin wick seemed to shiver in dismay before the golden flame returned. That never got old.
Below the school was in the middle of dinner, and the hum of voices buzzed in his ear. On one of the long tables sat Harry and his friends, slightly away from the rest. The three huddled close, whatever they were discussing completely gripping their attention. Even from where he was Danny could tell they all looked exhausted, Harry especially. The kid looked haggard, dark rings shadowing his glasses. Even his normally messy hair looked extra frazzled than usual.
Though that was to be expected after what happened in the forest. Even Danny was still freaking out about how close the shade had gotten to him.
Danny had resumed his babysitting for the day, or early afternoon when he had woken up. The nervous twitch had come back, fearing something was going to happen only growing after the fight with Luna. He had become careless, allowing his enemies to get close. Now he planned to make sure that mistake didn't happen again.
Still hidden among the candles and fog, Danny gazed at the teacher's table. Their table was far quieter. Some of the teacher's chairs were empty; the host one of them. Severus was also missing, which wasn't surprising to Danny. He wasn't the only one taking measures into his own hands when it came to protecting the kid.
But as gaze found itself on the Cat lady, Albus caught his attention; or rather caught his eye. To everyone else it probably looked like the headmaster was scratching under his chin, but in that short time the wizard sent him a wink. It unnerved Danny how Albus seemed to always know he was around, even when he was invisible.
Scowling he drifted through the roof, knowing that Albus wouldn't agree to his plan of going back to watching Harry. Though Danny expected that Voldemort and his host wouldn't dare try anything so close to last night.
Leaving the warm, noisy hall so abruptly to the quiet, peaceful grounds startled him. The winter chill from the cloudless sky still hung in the air, the scent of rain and damp earth from earlier. Danny breathed in deep, drifting lazily through the air with his hands behind his head. Above the stars shined down at him, and for a moment he was lost in that endless sky.
Slowly though he returned to where he was. Danny found himself looking over to the hole that was the Black lake, curiosity eating away at him. Before he even knew it, he was above the watery surface, studying his ghostly reflection and the night sky above him
Luna had to be in there, lurking in those murky depths. Scheming something evil, no doubt. For a moment he hovered there, head tilted to the side as he debated whether to dive. Maybe after last night, she was rattled by his trick, distracted enough for him to sneak up on her.
But he sighed loudly, running his hand through his hair. Who was he kidding? Luna could control water. He'd be the biggest moron in the world rushing into a place where she had the upper hand.
"If only Clockwork let me bring my backpack…" He grumbled, remembering the Fenton Thermos hiding in the bottom. Things would be so much easier if he had his gear with him.
As he pondered on what-ifs, movement from the corner of his eye brought his attention to the castle. Quickly he vanished, worried at the thought of being spotted. But peering out into the night Danny saw that whoever it was had their back to him, moving quickly to the forests beyond.
His interest got the better of him. Narrowing his eyes Danny flew after them, still keeping himself out of sight. Just as the figure disappeared into the trees it dawned on him that it was Quirrell, hastily strolling off to some unknown goal.
Dropping to the ground he hesitated. He didn't have to worry about Harry being in danger. But he was dying to know where the host was planning on going. He might reveal more of his schemes for the stone.
Quickly he changed back, wincing at the light his rings gave off. Thankfully the Forbidden forest was thick enough to hide it from the host, but he still didn't know if the shade could sense ghosts as he could. Checking that no one had seen his transformation, Danny rushed off after him.
It was difficult to follow the wizard in the dark woods, Danny finding he had to rely on his hearing to figure out where he was. Making sure to keep out of his sight he trailed the cloaked form silently, wondering if the shade would leave his body.
After a time though the woods thinned, and Danny spotted the glow of lights up ahead. With a sinking feeling he realised where they were heading, the village suddenly breaking through the trees. Quirrell strolled into the town without a backwards glance, moving now with purpose.
Yet again Danny hesitated, this wasn't a place that he wanted to enter after dark. Students shouldn't be down here, and it would be impossible to weasel his way out of trouble if he was sighted. But seeing that the host was about to vanish he took a risk of using a little power, shifting invisible and dashing off in pursuit.
On the main street people still milled about, groups moving towards warmer places. Danny dodged past a group of witches, hoping that the grey cat trotting at their feet didn't alert them when it looked his way. They passed through the square, the host strolling by the pub he had entered with the Cat lady. The place was bustling with probably most of Hogsmeade, the loud hum of voices coming from within. Weaving through the scattered groups Danny kept his eyes on the black hooded shape before him, moving through the crowd carefully.
Suddenly Quirrell jolted to the side, entering an alleyway wedged between the pub and the next shop. Danny let him move ahead, allowing the space so that his target didn't notice he was being tailed. Guided by the patches of amber light spilling from the windows he wormed through crates and barrels, following the host to the back of the tavern. He had pushed through an iron gate, Danny slipping through before it squeaked shut behind him.
All at once, Danny's ghost sense exploded from his mouth. It startled him so much that his invisibility flickered away, sharply looking to the sky above. The feeling was strong, not any of the Hogwarts ghosts and definitely not Peeves. Host and shade now the least of his problems, Danny searched his surroundings, tense and ready. He could hear the jolly rumbling of voices and laughs in the street, sounds that didn't describe the appearance of a ghost. But he knew that there was one nearby, and he had a hunch who it was.
A faint clicking caught his attention. There, on the tavern's rooftop, he spotted one of the tiles slide, the others rattling as an invisible weight stepped over them. Danny narrowed his eyes, and he heard a lite chuckle drift in the air.
It was all the evidence he needed, readying himself into a spring. But movement in the corner of his eye he stopped, just as he was about to summon his rings. There were too many people on the streets, his rings would be a beacon of light to any nearby. Biting his lip Danny thought of a different plan, vanishing from view again.
Using one of the stacks of barrels he pulled himself up, reaching to the roof eve and hoisting himself on top. Being careful where he placed his weight he steadied on the steep roof, pushing down the sick feeling like he'd left his stomach behind. It had been a long time since he'd attempted something like this without the aid of flight, but he ignored his gut and searched where Luna was.
The roof was still empty, yet his ghost core could feel the presence nearby. " I know your there Luna. You're awful at hiding." He whispered it, still worried about the people below.
There was no response. After a time one of the tiles slid, almost falling off the roof. Then he could physically see parts of the roof bend, Luna moving up to the top and dropping over the peak to the other side.
Danny followed cautiously, ready for a trap. It was weird that Luna wasn't floating but allowing her weight to make physical contact. Either she was stupid or she was deliberately leading him somewhere.
Between the pub and the shop next door was a bricked archway, a perfect bridge Luna had used. He slid down to it, placing his feet firmly down before standing straight. Danny froze when in the alleyway below a door swung open, and a figure emerged from the tavern. A flash of red hair recalled his memory; it was one of the wizards he'd spoken to about the shade, though he couldn't remember his name. The guy pulled a pipe from his apron, his wand in the other and proceeded to light it. Danny checked he was still invisible, before moving on to the next challenge.
This roof was by far steeper, tall and slanting to the side. Placing his hands on the smooth surface he wondered whether he could climb it without his ghost form. But seeing two of the topmost tiles bend inwards he started up. If Luna could do it, then he could too.
Slowly he climbed up, placing each foot lightly on each tile. His confidence grew as he easily made progress, increasing his speed a little bit-
-Only for his foot to slip, a sharp crack telling him the tile had given out. He swiftly slid down as two ceramic plates rocketed to the alleyway below.
The wizard with the pipe jumped as the tiles shattered on cobblestone. Removing the pipe he stepped out into the dark, squinting down the ally as he held his wand high. "Tam? That you mate?"
Above Danny was frozen invisible on the roof, heart thundering in his ears. He wasn't holding onto anything, one foot bent at an awkward angle underneath in an attempt to halt his progress. Instead, he was all too aware of the painful pressure on his neck, an unseeing arm looped tight around it the only thing stopping him from falling.
Below the wizard peered up but saw nothing of the skirmish occurring on the roof. With a shrug he emptied the pipe and return to the pub, slamming the door closed.
"Having trouble there kiddo?" Luna whispered right into his ear, the chilling air of her breath tickling his cheek. He didn't respond, chin digging into her forearm as he madly tried to think of a way out of this mess. There were still wizards and witches about, so his option of transforming was out of the question.
For a time there was nothing but the sounds of the village, voices and laughing carrying in the air. He wondered whether it was worth phasing through the roof, but nothing was stopping her from doing the same.
"Don't you know you have to step on the edges, not the top?" Her voice rang with humour and Danny shifted to grip her arm, trying to pull it away from his neck.
"You're… you've got experience breaking into people's houses then? A hobby of yours?"
The ghost only chuckled back, and he felt gravity no longer having a hold over them. Danny made sure that he was still invisible, his gaze not leaving the streets below. Slowly they drifted backwards, Luna took them over the top and down the opposite side of the roof. He felt her grip suddenly disappear, and he quickly balanced himself on the slippery tiles. Beside him Luna appeared, dropping down to crouch on the roof, amber eyes studying him intensely.
Straightening he dropped his invisibility, content that his shoes weren't going to slip. "You know you could have stopped me right then and there right? Why didn't you?"
Luna sighed dramatically. " What is with the doom and gloom with you? I'm not so heartless as to strike down a defenceless kid. Even I have standards."
His eyebrow curled. No way did he buy that.
They fell silent, Luna appearing to check their surroundings and Danny did the same. There was no one in sight, thankfully this part of the building was in shadows, the roof next to them shielding them from the streets. But he could still hear voices, a warning that he needed to be careful.
She was the first to speak. "What are you doing out here anyway? Thought you'll be attached to Harry's shadow at this point."
Danny scowled, countering with his own. "Why are you trying to protect Voldemort anyway? You know he's just using you for his own gain."
"Maybe it's me that's using him." Luna gave him a smirk. "Oh, I'm well aware he's using me to his advantage. But Danny, that's what makes it perfect. He's so desperate to get the stone that he'll believe lies to get his hands on it. Both of them are stupid enough to think that I'm stupid to trust them."
"Is that why Quirrell's come here, to talk to you?"
With that she paused, a curious expression crossing her. "Quirrell's a dead man. Even if Voldemort gets that stone, he'll just drain his soul dry. Puppets only have so much use before it's best to get rid of them. Don't even bother. You can't save him. Even if you somehow save Harry, he will still die."
Danny felt a chill that had nothing to do with his ice powers. It hadn't dawned on him that others might die besides Harry, and he doubted Luna was lying. If she was playing the host, it must be because she knew it wouldn't end well for him either.
Suddenly the ghost sat down on the roof, stretched her legs and yawned. He watched her curiously as her black hair seemed to fall flat to her shoulders, instead of its usual drifting state. It drew his attention to the fact Luna's ghost glow wasn't as bright as normal. As she rubbed her eyes, Danny wondered whether Luna could be… tired. Ghosts could get drained of energy, but sleeping wasn't something they did often.
"Why are we doing this?"
"Huh?" Luna paused in her action and blinked lazily at him. Which only angered him how she was pretending not to know.
"Talking. You said yourself that talking is over, that you have all the cards to win. Why bother wasting both of our time chatting when we know in the end we'll just end up fighting?"
"Because even if the Christmas truce is over, my offer is still around." Luna tilted her head to the side, though she now had a serious tone. " We can end this now. I meant it when I said that Harry's death would be bad for the timeline. His death isn't something I actively want to happen but is sadly unavoidable if I try to win in this way. But if you help me, maybe it won't be."
His laugh came out dryly. "I'm not that stupid!"
"I know you're not. That's why I'm talking to you now instead of choking you into unconsciousness."
"Really? Then how can I, as you put it, help you if you don't even tell me what your crazy plan is!?"
Luna paused, thinking of probably how to trick him next. "You might know something that might help me restore what's lost."
"Again, I'm not that stu-"
"-I am unborn, non-existing. The timeline no longer exists for me. But perhaps you might possess the knowledge that could fix that."
Danny snorted, rolling his eyes. "Me? Yeah right. Go ask Clockwork about stuff like that-"
"-We already tried doing that!" She sighed frustratedly, fist thumping against her forehead as she squeezed her eyes shut. " Problem is if the Time Master doesn't want to talk to you, then you can't. You should know that by now."
He felt silent at those words. There wasn't much to argue there. His attempts to find him resulted in nothing. Still, he was tense about this, on guard now that he knew Luna was playing with his emotions deliberately.
" I still don't get why you think I can help you."
Luna opened her eyes to lock him with a stare. There was something in that look, something Danny didn't like. " Believe me or not… We've met before."
Danny felt his chest sink at that, recalling his talk at the party. Though he played dumb, pretending with a puzzled look. " I think I'd remember someone as mad as you."
"You weren't exactly a kid then, Danny."
Her words hung in the air, and he didn't know how to answer that. Luna could travel through time and know about things she shouldn't know about him. It was possible that in the future she had bumped into him. But he didn't want to think what that meant. No way would he have wanted to help this psycho ghost, right?
Luna must have seen his confliction at her information and sighed, shifting around to face him. "Look, my truce still stands. I am the only other person you know that can travel through time freely. I can take you back once everything is over. If you can help me get the information I need, then I can return you to your time without a problem. Exactly what I told you before."
Danny pondered that for a moment, running through his options. Like before he knew that this was a chance to go home and end things sooner, it was worth thinking about. But Luna was dangerous. Already she had proven to him how cautious he needed to be when it came to her. There wasn't any way he could tell if it was a trap, what was true or not. Even what she said could be false, trying to sway him, lure him into her grand scheme.
"Again; what do you think I know that might help you?"
Surprisingly Luna looked troubled, reluctant to answer. " You… you might know of a password or have access to a computer that I need to get into. Basically… I need you to travel into the future with me to see if you can unlock that information I need, and then I can send you back home."
"What?" When she had said "help" he had thought it was an evil plan, break into a ghost lair, steal a powerful weapon or do some more destroying of time like she was doing now. Doing something so…tame, wasn't what he had exactly expected. Suspicions grew. "If that's even true, whose computer is so important to you that you would destroy the future to get into it?"
She shook her head. "I can't say. Time is unravelling too fast as it is. If I tell you who it belongs to it might unravel it even faster. All I can say to convince you was that once I thought that path was impossible for me to follow, a dead lead. But if I don't have to worry about Harry, then maybe I can try that plan again."
Danny was not buying it, he was still missing pieces to this puzzle. "If this computer had all the answers you need, why do this now? Why Harry?"
For the first time since they started talking she smiled, fangs flashing. " Harry is very special. He possesses something within him that fascinates me. I don't know if he's the first in the magical world for it to happen, but I want to know more."
"He's just an eleven-year-old kid-"
"-A special kid. He's a kid of prophecy. Don't you see Danny? He and Voldemort are tied together in ways that are beyond what you and I can see. After all, there's a reason Voldemort is so afraid of Harry, just as the kid is scared of him." Luna leant back, tiles rattling under her weight to look up at the sky. " If I can't get my answers one way, then I'll have to explore another means to get it. As I said, Harry's death isn't exactly what I want. You could say… that it's Harry himself that I want."
Danny was frozen where he crouched, mouth going dry. Clockwork had mentioned that he and Voldemort were important, destined to fight one another. But hearing it from her mouth changed all that, brought it to the surface in dark clarity. Luna's reasons to change the time seemed to be far more complex than he had first thought.
His lack of response made her chuckle, looking back at him. "But you could change that, eh Danny? And tell you what; to make it even better I'd throw in a bonus to make the whole thing sweeter."
The ghost rose to her feet, but Danny stayed where he was, feeling the dread building in his gut. "And what bonus is that, huh?"
"Well… I see it's no secret that you've got a thorn stuck in your side. From what you told me, Plasmius was always a great threat to your loved ones. In the future that will only become worse. So… after we're done with what I need, how about I return here and… Ah… get rid of him for you, if you catch my drift."
Danny's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was hearing. "What?" His voice came out as a whisper, unsure he even wanted to know more. Luna just shrugged, clearly not as disturbed by the idea as he was.
" I mean wouldn't it be a good thing? It would mean that your family would be safe from whatever he has cooked up for them down the line. You could have one less threat to look over your shoulder."
"No… No way! I might hate the Fruitloop. But to… for him to end up dead, no way do I want that!" He stood as quickly as he could, balancing on the sloping roof. The anger at what she was proposing was starting to hit him.
Luna looked at him sadly. " But you know he doesn't feel the same thing about you. You know what's going to happen once this is over. He'll return and learn about your parents and all that rage and bitterness is just going to bubble back to the surface. It's going to happen whether you want it to or not, kiddo."
Flickers of doubt crossed his mind, yet he held his glare firm. "You don't know that."
To his surprise, Luna groaned as if annoyed, hand flicking into the air. " I suppose you're right about that! Here was me thinking that after I threatened him he'd run like the coward he is. But he proved that wrong too, I guess. Perhaps you're right, I don't know what he'll do."
Her jab of information didn't go passed him, and Luna caught his frown.
"Oh? Didn't tell you, did he? Suppose it would have hurt his pride to admit that he was terrified of a ghost, so I don't blame him for hiding it from you. Just so you know, I threatened him that night that if he meddled he would regret it. But seems like he ignored that advice and decided to get in my way anyways. That's Plasmius for you, isn't it?"
Danny felt like another piece of the puzzle coming together. That explained what Vlad had gotten up to when he left the room that night. But with that knowledge, he realised something else, a horrible dread settling over him.
"So Danny, you want to take my offer up or what?" She leaned her hand over to him, her hand waiting for him to shake. He stared at the offered hand, then squared his shoulders.
"I've given you your answer. No way!"
She waited to see if he'd do anything else, then once it was clear he was serious she dropped her arm with a grumble. " Worth a shot. Can't say I didn't try, eh?"
The tension between them grew, Danny ready for an oncoming attack. Luna herself straightened, giving him a cold, emotionless stare. " Just so that nosy, mistrusting brain of yours knows. Yes, Quirrell and Voldemort have come to see me."
Before he could snap back at her she disappeared, Danny immediately sensing that she was flying away from him and down into the streets below. He waited for a little longer just in case, listening for any signs of trickery. Yet despite the odd figure moving in the streets, nothing else happened.
Finally, he let out the air that he had been holding, now wondering how on earth he was going to get down without breaking his limbs. The adrenaline of the whole encounter had drained away, leaving him feeling hollow. On one side he'd got new information, it just… wasn't what he wanted to hear.
Slowly he slid down to the edge, peering over the roof to scout for a way down. Luckily the ledges of the windows were deep enough to hold onto, and with careful movements, he used them to drop down to ground level. Once he'd regained his footing Danny narrowed his eyes, making sure he could still fill the icy chill of Luna's fading presence.
For a moment he was about to follow her, find out what those guys were plotting. Yet as quickly as the plan came, it vanished, leaving him tired. Luna was baiting him knowing that he couldn't take all three of them on in town. It was a trap, and he was smart enough not to fall for it.
Instead, he turned invisible and made his way back to the castle. Once he was deep enough in the woods he transformed, yet he didn't fly off immediately. Rubbing his neck Danny groaned. Why couldn't these things be simpler? Even the Pariah Dark fiasco- while a huge problem on its own, hadn't been this complicated. Now he had a bigger problem on his hands, one that he had unintentionally caused.
Flying through the cloudless sky he passed through the wall, heading to the seventh floor. Once in front of the wall to the room he changed back, not bothering to summon the door and just phase through. Back in the warm chamber he immediately spotted that Vlad was now up, resting heavily in one of the armchairs. Reappearing Danny opened his mouth and then paused, rethinking what he was about to say.
No. This wasn't the time to get into an argument over what Luna had said. That must've been the whole reason she told him in the first place. To get them fighting and mistrusting each other. Instead, he shut his jaw and moved into view, until Vlad caught sight of him. Danny decided from the exhausted look on the guy's face it was better to try a softer approach.
"Feeling better?"
Vlad rubbed his temples with a grumble. " I feel like I've been run over by a bus."
Danny shifted awkwardly on his feet, unsure whether to continue the subject. " I… I can go looking around for some sort of painkillers. Though… I doubt this place has the normal kind."
Vlad grunted but removed his hand to stare up at him. "I think I'd rather deal with the headache than risk anything here."
Nodding, Danny retreated over to his side of the room and his desk. His eyes lingered on Quirrell's name on the blackboard before falling to the spot he had drafted up his ambush plan. With his sleeve, he wiped the whole section away, now staring at the empty void that it left as he sat down.
After what Luna had said, the ambush plan was completely out of the picture. He couldn't risk the two of them confronting each other alone, not when the ghost had made it clear she had no worries about wasting the half ghost for good. Vlad didn't even know how to fly properly, let alone hold his own in battle. Danny knew when the time event happened he was going to have trouble protecting Harry's life, but he didn't want to add to that number if possible. The real question now was what else could he do?
He was still deep in thought when Danny's ghost sense abruptly went off. He froze, watching the blue mist float across his face. Slowly he turned his head to look back at Vlad, and with dread saw Plasmius was now sitting there. Thankfully the guy didn't seem at all interested in him, staring instead at his hand.
Once the initial surprise had disappeared Danny's curiosity replaced it, wondering what the Cheesehead was doing. Vlad seemed to scrutinise his gloved hand. Whatever had caught his attention he was completely focused on his palm. Danny waited, hoping that it wasn't going to mean anything bad. It was so rare for Vlad to willingly transform that it had taken him off guard.
As the moments ticked by Vlad closed his eyes, his hand still hovering in the air. With a long pause, a small ball of green ectoplasm began to come forth into his palm. Danny's breath hitched and ever so slowly rose to his feet. Though it looked small, it was the beginning of a ray.
If Vlad had noticed the build-up he didn't show it, the sphere gently began to expand out. As quietly as he could Danny shifted off to the side, not wanting to be in the firing line. Anxious that it was still growing he raised his hands at the ready and went ghost.
The other haft ghost jumped as the new energy entered the room, whipping his head to face Danny. His hand slipped downwards, and the ray then shot out and slammed into the wall across from him. On reflex Danny made a shield, preparing for any more stray shots. Though it was weaker than some of the attacks he'd seen Plasmius make, it was still strong enough to leave a smoking chunk in the stone. Both of them froze to survey the damage, Vlad finally turning his gaze back to him once the shock had worn off.
Relieved that it seem safe Danny let his barrier fade away, letting out the breath he'd been holding. "Well… good to know that you can make a ray in emergencies, at least."
For a moment Vlad just stared at him, before he looked down at his hand again. From the annoyed scowl that crossed his brow, it seemed Vlad wasn't happy with the results. With care Danny drifted over, remaining in his ghost form since the other hadn't changed back either.
"What was that all about?"
Still frowning Vlad rubbed the centre of his palm with his opposite thumb. " It was… I suppose it was a theory."
"A theory?"
The man nodded, finally dropping his hand down. "Kind of like, I suppose…muscle memory."
Danny gave him a look that asked him to explain more. Vlad signed and leaned back, shutting his eyes tight. " When you did that… overshadow thing, I was still aware of what was going on. I had no control over what I was doing. As… disturbing as it was," He shuddered and Danny watched the light from his ghost form flare a little. " It got me wondering whether it was possible to… recreate what you did. Using, I guess something to recall how you made those attacks."
"So…" Suddenly Danny caught onto the implication of what this meant. "You remembered how I build the ectoplasm to my hands when I was fighting Luna. Because you were still aware, you can recall that feeling and recreate it now… I guess that means my overshadowing was helpful!"
At hearing the excitement in his voice Vlad sent him a vicious Plasmius glare at him. "Don't even think about it!"
"Okay, okay! Hey, I promised you I wasn't going to do it again and I meant it! But still, you can't deny that it was useful."
With a disgruntled huff, Vlad turned away and with a flash, his black rings appeared to turn him back. Despite his annoyance, Danny was somewhat happy with the news of what he'd learned tonight. Vlad could make a blast which meant that he might be able to hold his ground in a fight after all.
Shifting back to normal himself, Danny flopped down onto the opposite armchair. " But this is a good thing, even if you want to deny it. If you remember the feeling of me controlling my ectoplasm, then you must remember other things I did too, like invisibility and flight. Those are extremely important skills to know, Vlad. If you get caught in a bad situation they could save your life."
Vlad ignored him, like all the times he'd mentioned anything related to fighting. Now he understood why. Why he had been horrified at the ambush plan of him fighting Luna while he dealt with Voldemort. A flicker of guilt passed through him recalling that time in the woods. When had he become this reckless?
Danny's thoughts however were broken when Vlad spoke to him suddenly. " You're still thinking of that ambush plan, aren't you?"
He shuffled in his chair. That wasn't completely true, but it was part of his thoughts. " It… it wouldn't work now. I know that. But it's all I can think of. Luna… I might be able to take her on by myself for a short time. But fighting both her and the shade, it's not going to be easy."
"Then you need to tell this to the headmaster guy, get him to deal with it instead."
Danny sighed, crossing his arms. "It's not that simple. Albus doesn't want to get involved because if he does the shade might do something crazy. I don't even know if that guy could take on three people at once all on his own either. If it was that easy do you think I'll still be at Hogwarts?"
Vlad had turned his gaze back to him, but his forehead was creased. " Are you sure… that's all that is going on here?"
"What do you mean?" Danny was hoping Vlad might tell him about his confrontation with Luna, yet it seemed he still decided to withhold that information.
"It's just that this whole mess doesn't make sense. If what you say is true, you have a headmaster who is doing nothing. A murderer running around freely while one of their victims is near them. Then you have a ghost that clearly could strike and end this boy's life yet isn't."
"Something's missing. But whatever it is I just can't see it, or my enemy is too good at tricking me." Danny scowled, though he held his tongue from talking too much on the topic. Vlad himself was missing the biggest part; the timeline.
"What if there is more going on that you can't see? That there are elements to this that you don't know?"
Danny pondered that. "Yeah. My enemies are three steps ahead of me at all times. That, and they're hiding important parts of their evil plans that I can't figure out. But there isn't much I can do about that, is there?"
"That's not really what I mean… Ah, how to explain it to you." Vlad mulled over it that thought, his hand resting on his chin. "I guess the best way would be- " Abruptly they were both startled by a loud clanking sound in front of them. On the low-lying table between them was now a large, checkered board, a small beat-up box dropping next to it with a rattle. Danny peered at it closer, confusion settling in.
"A… Chessboard? You want to play chess or something?"
Vlad looked equally confused, though there was a hint of unease in there too. "I was thinking of using chess as a metaphor to explain what I'm thinking to you. I didn't want an actual board."
Slowly he reached over to the box, carefully picking it up like he was unsure it was safe. Though the moment he open the lid his worry turned into anger in an instant. "They're all broken. Every piece!"
"Really?" To prove it Vlad tilted the box towards him. Inside was a mass of broken and shattered pieces, most missing heads and limbs. Danny took one which might have once been a white Bishop, carved in smooth marble stone. It would have been beautiful if their head wasn't clean-cut off.
"And this isn't a fall break, it's deliberate damage. Who on earth would do this to their set?"
Danny was bemused at how grumpy he was getting over something so small. At seeing his look Vlad's scowl deepen. "What? Marble chess sets are expensive. And these look very expensive. It's a total waste just to break them like this." He picked up one of the pieces with a huff. "It's a good thing these have their piece initials carved into the bottom of them."
Placing the white bishop back into the box Danny leaned back. "How's chess got anything to do with my enemy's plans?"
Vlad shrugged. "Not much. But since you don't like listening to what I say, I thought using a more physical example would help me get my point across. It doesn't have to be chess pieces. I could have used any object really, like books. But using a game based on strategical warfare works well enough."
Moving the board to the centre he rummaged around the box till he found what he was looking for. On the side closest to Danny, he placed a tall white piece in the middle. It was missing its head as well as its left arm.
"You know how chess works?"
"Yeah. I've played it before."
Vlad nodded, probably relieved that he didn't have to go through all the piece's rules. "Okay… So this piece is the king, let's imagine that this is Harry, one of the main targets of your enemies." He then placed another tall piece next to it, this one was identical to the other besides it being black. "This one is the stone. Another thing that if the enemy gets ends the game."
"Wouldn't that be the enemies king on the other side that is what we're going after-"
"-Forget the rules of real chess, we're not playing real chess. It's what they stand for that's important. The king is the most important piece of the game, it's defeated its checkmate. But the King is weak on his own. He needs protection from others. Now Danny, tell me who protects Harry?"
Leaning forward himself Danny smirked at Vlad's question. "Obviously me."
Ignoring the jab the man studied the pieces before placing one not too far from the king. Danny noticed that while the white rider had been smashed to pieces, it clearly was on a horse.
"The knight huh?"
Vlad pondered for a moment. "The knight is a powerful piece, it can move fast across the field in multiple directions, and be both offensive and defensive. It's also the only piece that can jump and avoid others, moving erratically. A good description of your ghost powers, I'd say."
Danny raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "Next person would be Albus. He's probably the strongest wizard here."
"Okay." Soon he had placed another tall piece behind the king. " We'll make him the Queen."
"Guess that fits him."
" The strongest piece, fast, devastating and can move in almost any direction. But should never be relied on to win a game." He muttered with annoyance, and Danny remembered the tense conversation the two had. "Who else?"
He thought for a moment. "There's Harry's best friends, Ron and Hermione. They're always with him so no doubt they're working together. Then the two teachers, Severus and Minvera, both know what's going on and are actively protecting Harry too."
With a nod, Vlad added to the board. Soon there were two pawns in front of the king and two bishops standing on the sides of the group. Danny agreed with the choices, and it comforted him how tight of a group the formation looked. Suddenly a playful grin crossed his face.
"Don't forget to add yourself."
Vlad grimaced and made no move.
"Come on, your a half ghost too so you're a part of it whether you like it or not."
"Fine." The man sighed dejectedly, taking the other knight and thudding it on the board to make it a perfect mirror formation."Happy?"
Danny chuckled, but his eyes were drawn to the empty side of the board. His humour left him and a serious tone replaced it. "That leaves Luna, Voldemort and his host."
Seeing his sombre change Vlad added to that side. Danny watched as he placed the black queen, a bishop and a knight on the opposite of theirs. Once done they both studied the board for some time, Danny the first to speak.
"It's… one-sided, isn't it? I mean it's eight pieces to three."
Vlad nodded. "When you look at it like this it seems that the opponent is completely outnumbered by your side. To win would be very difficult for the enemy, if not impossible."
"So then what's the catch?"
That made Vlad chuckle, hovering his hand over the three pieces as he watched him carefully. " Now I what you to imagine something about this board. That this side is covered in fog. You can only see these pieces, but there's no telling what else is hiding in there. You can see your side clearly but if you move forward, you won't be able to tell what's lurking in there in waiting."
Danny felt a tightening in his stomach. "You're saying that other people might be involved that I don't know of?"
The man hesitated, examining the pieces before continuing. "It's… possible. But then these chess pieces don't have to be people. They could be objects too, even other plans. That's why your ambush plan wouldn't work. If you knew all the pieces here, then maybe. But without knowing everything that your foe has against you it would be a dangerous move forward. Best… to stay defensive."
Peering at the board as Vlad lifted his hand, he knew he was right. His opponents wouldn't risk taking on a group like that without a foolproof plan. And likely Luna could see everything on his side, but he could not on hers.
I've played all my cards in the perfect spots and now there's no way in hell that you can beat me.
Vlad didn't need to know about the risk against time, even he could see what was wrong. Though the longer he studied the broken pieces, unease started to settle in his mind. Taking a breath he asked this unease out, though he suspected the answer.
"Vlad. If this was a real game of chess and you were black, how would you try to win?"
He was silent, studying the game before them. From the look on his face, he must have figured out what Danny already had guessed." It… It depends on the other's move-set and skill, but I would usually try to take out their queen and knights first. With those pieces gone the opponent might start to panic. Then it's taking out the pawns to stop them from getting new pieces, then choking the king into a corner to checkmate."
With that, he reached over to pick up the white queen. "But the queen is always the best target if you have a rookie player. Most think that it's the only piece you can win with and losing it can crush your confidence. Once the queen and in this case, the knights are gone, it's far easier to go on the offensive."
"You wouldn't go after the bishops?"
"Only if they got in the way."
Danny stared at the board, it becoming far more real than it had a few minutes ago. He would do the same too, at least try to. Vlad was right, seeing the mission physically was helpful and though in numbers they were in the lead, there was still the question of what else. What else was he missing? What other plans or things did his enemies have up their sleeves to win?
It made him think of the host. That guy had lured a troll into the school as a distraction to get to the stone. Obviously, after that failure, he had something else. Luna had the advantage of knowing the future, which made things far more tricky.
"There isn't anything that I can do until all the pieces reveal themselves."
"No. That much became clear in the woods." Vlad leaned back and crossed his arms. " Which is why I have no plans on "fighting" any of these psychos. I have no intentions of getting myself killed from someone else's problem."
Danny was about to argue but stopped himself quickly. He didn't have the right to fight back after dragging him into the forest.
The half ghost noticed his lack of comeback. Yet misread it as him finally listening to his advice, giving him a smug look. " Now you see that you can't charge into something that you don't know. Look I'm all for experimenting and taking risks, but only if it's safe and you know all the outcomes. None of this reads safe."
"Well, it's either do nothing and watch a bunch of people get killed or risk your own life to stop said people getting killed. I know which one I'd choose." Danny frowned, finding himself getting annoyed with the direction of the conversation.
"Or you let the people that should be dealing with this deal with it." At that Vlad scoffed, nose wrinkling in his annoyance. "This headmaster should be the one trying to protect these kids, that's his job! It's nuts and irresponsible that he's leaving this task to a teenager."
Danny just snorted back with amusement. He'd love to leave it all to Albus and go home, but Clockwork knew it wasn't that easy. "Luna is more my problem. She's not going to go away if I leave."
"Luna…" Vlad muttered, looking back at the chessboard. "She's… aggressive, isn't she?"
"Aggressive? More like annoying and nuts! I hate how she teases me with that big stupid grin of hers. Like I get that she's currently stronger than me but she doesn't have to rub it in all the time." Huffing he flopped back to glare at the ceiling. " Not to mention she's super weird."
"Weird? In what way?"
"Just weird for a ghost. Does weird things." He didn't want to mention his meeting with her tonight, so he kept that to himself. "But I bet she's doing that on purpose just to mess with me. Some of my ghost enemies love to do that as a way for me to lower my guard."
"I see." Vlad's puzzled tone made him look back at him. He was frowning, his face showing that he was deep in thought at what Danny had told him.
"What is it?"
"Oh… nothing. I suppose I'm just curious about Lucrezia that's all. I haven't met many ghosts before, so I don't exactly have much to compare to." He brushed it off casually, sending him a small smile in return.
Danny just rolled his eyes. "Well, they don't get any better, sadly." He picked up the white king and rubbed his thumb along the broken part. " Seems like I got to dig around for more information. Or sadly wait until my foe makes her next move."
Vlad rose, taking the book he'd been reading with him. " Don't try too much. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean those pieces are not moving too. Be on your guard." With a bemused smirk, Vlad moved off to his side, leaving Danny to shake his head. Stupid Fruitloop. One minute he's telling him he wants no part in any of it and the next he's giving him helpful strategic advice.
Putting the king back Danny himself retreated to his desk again. He needed to write down as much as he could remember while it was still fresh in his mind. Maybe Luna had given him a clue that had gone right over him.
As he wrote her name down on the paper he paused, something dawning on him in a flash. He normally always referred to her as Luna, even in his notes. But then he remembered that wasn't her real name, he'd almost completely forgotten it. But Vlad had called her Lucrezia, a name he'd never told him about. He looked over to where Vlad was, one question burning to be answered.
What had Vlad and Luna talked about that night?
AN: Yes... I am back. It is utterly amazing that every time I have posted a chapter for this story something terrible in my life happens. So this time, even if that does happen, all the other chapters are written now. The only way I couldn't update a chapter now is if my computer and phone blow up, my 2 USBs are lost, all libraries around me close down and the entire internet is turned off.. or I don't know, I die.[crossing fingers that it doesn't happen?!] It's both exciting and terrifying getting to a chapter I imagine right at the start, but here we go!
Thank you everyone for your favs, followers and reviews! I read all the feedback and appreciate it all, good or bad. I am going to update each chapter now weekly, on the same day as this update. So, I'll see you at the end of this week!... Hopefully, "gulp"...